#she pointed out that she is also friends with Max so this extends to her as well

[afangirl]

Life Is Strange 1, 2(kinda) and Double Exposure Reveal Livestream Spoilers Ahead!!!

Max is genuinely so traumatized no matter what ending you choose. Girl watched Chloe die, saved her, was attacked by Nathan, stalked by Nathan, investigated a murder, saw her best friend’s, best friend’s dead body, was kidnapped and drugged, possibly watched her friend commit suicide/talker her friend out of it, went through the nightmare sequence which was a whole thing into itself, and so much more, not to mention the end choice.

With the upcoming game, Double Exposure, I’m really interested to see how Max’s trauma carries over into the game. Obviously im hoping she’s healed, but considering the blackout that happened after taking a picture of the owl in the extended gameplay, I’m seeing traces of possible PTSD with the flashback.

While that could be interpreted as an event from the future, it could also be seen as a flashback, as the dialogue seems familiar to the end when Max reflects on the tornado.

“Max!” -Possibly Chloe calling for her or someone else?

“I cause this! I caused all of this!” -I could be wrong, but that sounds more like young Max then the more matured voice we see in Double Exposure.

Anyways, that’s all on that part.

I’ve seen a lot of people worried about Chloe not making an appearance, possibly having an offscreen break up.

“Is this about the blue haired girl whose picture you keep in your wallet?” -Safi in reference to a picture of Chloe

“We were just friends —— We were high school sweethearts” -Choices in response to this question.

I’d like to start off by saying, both options are in past tense. Chloe and Max’s connection, while romantic, is also rooted in a deep platonic love as well that blossomed into something more. If nothing else, they would’ve stayed in touch as friends.

I’d also like to point out that Safi says BLUE HAIRED GIRL.

In LIS 2, there is a photo of Max and Chloe (depending on players choice at the end LIS 1) where Chloe is alive, with Max, and with green hair. So if this is considered canon, which is likely, then Chloe doesn’t have blue hair anymore. In the livestream the photo Safi possibly references is also seen, and it’s Chloe with her old hairstyle in a Polaroid format, and not one that Max took. If they had just broken up, it would be more logical for Max to have a newer one, in digital format, considering that’s what she uses now. Not to mention that I believe in another scene there IS a digital photo that Max holds, paralleling the scene of her holding the Polaroid one.

Anywho, I think it’s safe to assume that this scene with Safi is taken from the Bay ending, where Chloe is no longer with us.

It’s worth mentioning that Max may just not want to open up to Safi about such a traumatic and personal part of her life just yet, considering she’s only known her 6 months.

In conclusion, Chloe is going to be in the game, at least objectively for sure, as the creators directly stated they honor the players decision. If no ending is canon, then they obviously wanna appeal to the player, which would include honoring the bond between Max and Chloe that the players love and cherish.

I may be looking too far into this, trying to hold out hope, but I’m going off of what I’ve got. So excited for this game!!!

[verstappensrealwife]

Club Lights - Lando Norris x Reader

fluff, ¿angst?

approx 1200 words

READER IS FROM MANCHESTER + FRIENDS WITH ANGRY GINGE

warnings: mentions of drinking alcohol, mentions of kissing and sex- nothing 18+. I tried to use more speech :s

lando norris masterlist - here. f1 masterlist - here.

Lando was streaming fortnite with Morgan (AngryGinge), Max (F), and Filly, when he said something that caused more than laughter from Morgans end of the call.

“Y/n, god bless her heart, is not my girlfriend.” Ginge had to quickly say before any misconceptions were thought.

“But- I- You were linking arms all throughout the time you were in Monaco?” Lando replied, a look of confusion and disbelief on his face. “Prove she isn’t. Call her right now!”

Ginge simply shrugged and grabbed his phone, scrolling his contacts and landing on you.

It rung twice before your voice- on speaker- was played down Morgan’s mic.

“What do you want?”

“Fuck me, wanna be a bit nicer.”

“No, not really…” There was a pause where no one said anything, “Well what do you want, Morgan? I am busy!”

“I love you,” He was trying to bait you.

You laughed loudly- so loud the mic cut out a few times- “Have you drank? Call your girlfriend not me!” You chuckled before hanging up on him.

Ginge stared blankly at his camera, knowing Lando was watching. “Was that enough proof, Lando?”

Lando ignored him, although very satisfied,  “So~ Who’s your girlfriend Ginge?”

—

A few weeks later, Morgan extended another invitation to Monaco, which you eagerly accepted, thrilled at the prospect of a free trip. Upon meeting up at Manchester Airport, Morgan was relentless with his vlogging, capturing every moment up close—from your reunion at the terminal, to boarding the plane, takeoff, the in-flight experience, landing, and even baggage claim. Every opportunity he had, his camera was practically shoved up your nose.

When Lando arrived to pick you both up, Max was also recording, documenting Lando for his own channel. It was impossible to miss—especially for you—the way Lando looked at you with literal heart-eyes as you stepped out of the Nice-Côte d’Azur airport in the south of France.

"Good morning!" you cheerfully greeted, pulling your suitcase behind you with a coffee in hand.

Lando could barely muster a response, causing Max to chuckle behind the camera. Lando's attention was entirely on you during the drive to the hotel, to the point where he nearly crashed.

Your hotel room was charming, featuring a large bed, a stylish bathroom with a huge mirror, and a lovely view of the Monaco streets.

Unsurprisingly, Lando was quick to offer his assistance, suggesting he come up to your room to "help unpack and whatever."

You smiled gratefully as Lando heaved your 15kg case up the flight of stairs to your room, his muscles straining with the effort. "Thanks, Lan," you said, flashing him a warm smile. "I really appreciate it."

"It's nothing, I'd do it all over again for you," he replied, a deep blush creeping up his neck. Then, out of nowhere, he asked, "You don't have a boyfriend, right?"

You shook your head, no, and a heavy silence settled between you, tinged with disappointment that he didn't continue to speak.

Lando began helping you put your clothes into the wardrobe, his hands moving deftly until he reached your underwear. Suddenly, he seemed paralyzed, his eyes darting around the room, trying to look anywhere but at the intimate garments.

"Lando, I googled you. I know you're not shy about seeing people's underwear," you teased, a playful glint in your eye.

"Hey!" he retorted, his face flushing even redder. "You shouldn't believe everything you see!"

You gave him a pointed look. "You believed I was sleeping with Morgan..."

He huffed in frustration. "Rightly so... I mean I would—" He abruptly stopped, his words hanging in the air.

"What, you'd sleep with Morgan?" you laughed, but the humor faded as you saw the mortified expression on his face. Lando looked utterly flustered, as if he wished the ground would swallow him whole.

You stopped laughing, suddenly aware of the tension. His eyes were wide, nervous, and embarrassed, almost traumatized by what he had just admitted... out loud... in front of the girl he was clearly talking about.

"Oh, right," you said, your voice trailing off. You knew exactly what you wanted to say, but the words caught in your throat. You desperately wanted to kiss him right then and there.

"I—sorry—erm," he stammered, his voice shaky. "I'll talk to you later."

He moved faster than the cars he drove, practically fleeing from your hotel room, leaving you standing there with your heart racing and your mind spinning.

Later that night, Morgan waited outside your door, poised to dive into the allure of Monegasque nightclubs. You adorned a stunning, shimmering top paired with elegant black trousers, exuding understated glamour. Sharing an Uber, the anticipation built, though Lando was initially nowhere to be found. However, Max had secured a booth, complete with a large pitcher of an enticing orange cocktail, surrounded by a few unfamiliar faces.

One drink in, Lando sauntered over and playfully collapsed into the booth beside you. His hair, slightly tousled, added to his charming dishevelment. Clad in a simple jean-top combo and a watch that undoubtedly cost more than your annual rent, he exuded effortless style. The club thrummed with energy, the pulsating strobe lights and the dance-club remix of Nelly Furtado's "Say It Right" filling the air.

Lando's drunken smile was captivating, his eyes locked onto yours, his skin aglow under the club lights, making him look irresistibly beautiful. "Hi," he murmured dreamily, patting your thigh a few times before resting his hand there.

"Y'alright, Lan?" you asked, amused.

"Y'alright!" he mimicked with a laugh. "I love your voice, your accent, and your face. Such a beautiful face," he slurred.

You laughed, "How many drinks have you had?"

He widened his eyes in response, silently conveying the answer: "a lot."

While the table engaged in lively conversation, Lando's attention remained on you, murmuring your name just to gaze into your eyes, often letting his eyes drift to your lips.

"Why don't you like me?" he suddenly whispered in your ear, his face inches from yours.

"I like you," you replied, confused. He frowned, indicating that wasn't what he meant. "Yeah, I like-like you. I've never said I didn't."

"Like... like you'd hold hands and kiss me?"

You smiled, "Ask me when you're sober."

The next day, you woke with only a slight nausea, the remnants of the night before. As you stepped out of the shower and dressed for the day's filming, a knock echoed through the hotel. Opening the door, you found Lando, holding a bouquet of lilies, a bright smile on his face.

"What are you doing—and how are you not hungover?" you asked, surprised.

"I drink green smoothies... Anyway, I'm here to officially ask you on a real date," he declared, "with me. Right now."

Taking the lilies from his outstretched hands, you nodded. "Yeah—let me dry my hair first, bu—"

Before you could finish, Lando grabbed your wrist, pulling you out of the room, quickly snatching your keycard from the table and shutting the door behind you. "You look beautiful, and I cannot wait any longer to not see you on a date with me. So, we are leaving. Now."

You groaned, feeling the damp ends of your hair.

"Lando!"

[monzamash]

when we first met — charles leclerc

summary – the love story of sophia ricciardo & charles leclerc, a story so magical that even a princess would be envious. pairing – daniel ricciardo's sister x charles leclerc (she/her pronouns) warnings – moderate language, implied sex, google translated french word count – 1.6k a/n – thank you @lverofminemcyt for the request! Such a great idea and maybe I'll continue this story in a longer format in the future. But for now, enjoy! masterlist

You were 20 when you met Charles for the first time

– or more accurately, gawked at him from across the paddock at Silverstone. You’d read in the news that there was a rookie driving for Sauber – a young, Monégasque man who by all accounts was the "next big thing" in the world of Formula One. You tried to keep up with the comings and goings of the sport while ignoring all the slander being written about your brother, Daniel. Hard to do but not impossible.

“Is that the new guy?” You asked Max once you were far enough away from the handsome stranger who was heading in the opposite direction. Max followed your eye line and scoffed, visibly irritated by your question.

“Yes but I wouldn’t say he's the new guy. He’s been racing his whole life and the pain in my arse for just as long,” Max grumbled. You weren’t aware of the rivalry between the two young men but after a long, detailed explanation, you understood that Max Verstappen and Charles Leclerc had a checkered history.

“He’s not worth your time, Sophia.”

Of course you didn’t listen to Max. The ‘karting incident’ he described when they were literally children sounded like child’s play (because it was) and you weren’t the type to take one persons word for anything. Max had become a fast friend to you in the paddock when you’d join your family on race weekends but he had a reputation for stretching the truth and you weren’t about that.

The first time you were officially introduced to Charles was at Seb Vettel’s birthday party three days after his stunning British GP win. And the celebrations were in full effect. Daniel was also in the points that weekend and practically begged you to come along, not that you needed a lot of convincing. You knew a certain Monégasque driver would be there and you loved a party, especially one thrown at Lewis Hamilton’s lavish London pad.

It didn’t take long for your paths to cross, almost as if you were both searching for a moment to be introduced. Charles had been guilty of staring at you across the paddock on race weekends and it was shocking that the two of you hadn’t officially met yet. But he felt like he knew you already.

“Dunno know if you two have met yet but this is Charles,” Daniel introduced, putting a particularly thick French accent on your new acquaintances name, making you both snicker silently, “And this is my much younger and much less attractive sister, Sophia.” Arsehole.

Charles extended his hand towards you and as cheesy as it sounded, you could feel the sparks flying as your hands clasped together. They were softer than you imagined, bigger than you imagined and boy had you been thinking about them lately – pathetically desperate, of course. His green eyes glistened under the dim lights and you could have sworn they sparkled like in the movies. His dimples danced on his rosy cheeks as he smiled small and it was if time had stopped, you couldn’t look away.

“Hello,” You squeaked out, unable to form a full sentence before Charles stepped in and saved you from total embarrassment, “Nice to meet you, Sophia."

The way your name fell from his perfectly accented lips had you spinning and clutching his hand for way longer than normal. But Charles held on too, taken by your light brown eyes that were gazing into his own. He felt like you were staring into his soul, searching for his darkest secrets and he loved every second – the intensity intrigued him. Your long brown hair cascaded down the back of your silky dark green dress, accentuating every curve that had him scrambling for his words again. He was in love.

“So, yes, your Daniel’s sister,” Charles quickly cleared his throat and gently dropped your hand before stuffing his own, shaky ones into his jean jacket pockets. Get it together, he thought to himself.

“Umm…” You had been so caught up in your daze that you hadn’t realised Daniel had left your side and was making his way around the house, greeting everyone he set eyes on, “Yes… Yep! Danny's little sister.”

Little sister, you grimaced internally. You were hopeless when it came to matters of the heart, which was why you were perpetually single with no end in sight.

“I assumed so,” Charles politely replied with a nod, “So are living here in London or…”

Charles knew the answer to his question. He’d found himself mindlessly scrolling through your Instagram after the Monaco Grand Prix, hoping to find out everything he could about the mystery woman he'd noticed wandering around with the Red Bull Racing team. That’s how he found out you were Daniel’s sister and felt his heart skip a beat when he got to the end of your profile and hadn’t seen a photo of a boyfriend.

He brushed away that thought almost immediately, knowing it was probably a case of wishful thinking. There was no way you were single, he thought. From his perspective you seemed to be the life of the party, much like your older brother. You waltzed around the paddock as if it was your own fashion runway, saying hello to everyone you passed on your walk to the RBR motor homes. Smiling until your cheeks hurt. Charles was convinced you were an angel sent from above.

“Well technically I live in Oxford – doing university there at the moment or at least trying to,” You explained, nipping at your bottom lip nervously, “But Danny has an apartment in London that he rents here and I crash there when he’s away, which is pretty much all the time.”

Charles smiled and tried his best to follow what you were saying. Although he had worked with a few Aussies in his short career, he still struggled to understand some of the lingo from time to time. But he didn’t care if he only understood every fifth word you said. He could've listened to you talk about the fine arts degree you were studying or that the uber you took to the party charged you extra forever and a day. He was utterly captivated.

And that was the beginning of your blossoming friendship. Charles had become your new comrade around the paddock on the off chance you got away from uni and showed up at a race. You had also been making a few extra trips to Monte Carlo to visit your brother – or at least that's what you said to your friends and family. The friendly smile emoji quickly turned into a heart when you signed off a message and you could feel your heartbeat skip every time his name showed up on your screen. Charlie ❤️

Six months. Six whole months of flirting and pretending like you wanted to be anywhere else but with the man of your dreams. Every day started and ended with him, either via text or on Facetime and all that back and forth, wondering which one of you was going to make the first move was answered in a matter of seconds. There’s nothing quite like a few too many glasses of red wine to reveal one’s true feelings.

“I’m in love with you, chéri. Have been since the second I laid my eyes on you.”

The rest of that night with Charles was a blur and before you knew it, you were tangled somewhere between his chest and bed sheets, moaning his name into the cool Monaco air. His fingertips explored every inch of your skin with feverish lips following closely behind, leaving small, barely visible marks as he went. His eyes rarely left yours as you savoured every movement, every kiss, every breath – you wanted it all with him. All those sleepless nights wishing you were the one making him moan with pleasure, hearing your name tumble from his mouth like you’d never heard before. Watching his eyes roll into the back of his skull, gripping, praying that he could hold on a little bit longer. He'd yearned for it for too long to not savour every second.

All your wishes had been answered as you laid in Charles’ arms, slowly returning to earth and closing your weary eyes. Sighs of contentment the only sound swirling through the air.

“Tu es envoyé de ciel, mon amour.” you are heaven sent, my love.

You didn’t speak French but whatever he'd whispered sounded sweet as he gently pressed his lips to your temple and said goodnight.

Whenever you took a second to reflect on your four-year relationship with Charles, you realised that you'd effectively grown up together, side-by-side. He was sitting in the crowded auditorium when you graduated from University, cheering you on when you received your bachelor’s degree and you were standing in pit lane when he won his first GP in Belgium, crying and celebrating in equal measures. You were both very different people compared to the two stuttering 20 year olds loitering in Lewis Hamilton’s mansion, searching for the right words to say.

“I’m so unbelievably in love with you, Charles.” You whispered in Charles’ ear as he popped open the champagne, laughing hysterically when gravity brought the cork back down to earth and landed in your lap.

You couldn’t stop staring at the diamond that now sat proudly on your left ring finger, endlessly pinching yourself that it was real. He’d caught you by surprise on your birthday, no less. Out on the Mediterranean Sea, looking back at the place that you now called home. Charles had anchored down the boat and dropped to one knee before you could even comprehend what was happening. Your hair blowing around in the wind with Monte Carlo twinkling in the background as the only a light source. You bobbed up and down in the bay, not knowing if you were seasick or lovesick - or both. Either way, you were gripping onto Charles for dear life as everything you'd ever wished for came true right in front of your eyes.

He carefully placed the ring on your finger once you whispered a soft ‘yes’ into the ether, eyes teary and smiles the size of the moon on your windswept faces. You couldn’t believe that the man of your dreams had asked you to marry him. You were on top of the world but most of all, you felt like the princess Charles had always claimed you to be.

“And I’m in love with you, Madame Leclerc.”

let me know what you think!

[kiirotoao]

Protective Mike headcanons! To the whole main cast because a lot of my Byler headcanons involve Mike being protective already why not!

Mike will cross his arms and pretend that he’s not paying attention to Max when she skateboards beside him but after that fall in s2 he’s always ready to reach out and stabilize her in a split second

If Mike has any leftovers, he always offers his food to Holly first if she’s still hungry

He also makes sure she’s never unheard at the kitchen table. Lord save the soul who dares to speak over Holly because Mike will roar at them to SHUT UP and then smile at Holly like so what were you saying? :)

Lucas loves birds just because I’m projecting - and Mike doesn’t really care about birds but if Lucas sees a cool one nearby Mike won’t let anyone scare the bird off so that Lucas can have his fun

Mike is basically a crosswalk guard when he’s with anyone when they hit a crosswalk. Boy is extending his arms and holding the other person/people back, making sure the road is clear before they walk.

Mike is a notoriously slow biker when someone’s riding with him. In danger, he’s booking it, but otherwise, he’s vigilant and tries to avoid rocky paths

If anyone gets hurt near Mike, he’s going to become their personal crutch until they can move independently, sometimes even to the point of irritation. Like someone could hurt a toe and walk fine but Mike is right under their arm like hey you okay? He did this a lot to Dustin before s4 because I said so

Mike’s a little clumsy but if he’s carrying something hot or delicate or the like, he’s using both hands and shooing anyone in his way so he doesn’t drop that thing and hurt anyone

Going off his adorable binder of Will’s drawings, Mike keeps his school notes and papers (surprisingly to Lucas and Dustin) organized to the point where he can carry comics in perfect condition before he gives them away

When it’s raining, Mike makes sure that raincoat hoods are being affixed if they keep flying down - he started doing this to everyone in The Party after doing it to Holly so much

Mike gets so angry if people talk shit about his friends. This is canon, but I like to imagine that it extends to their families, too. Like he’ll throw Hopper under the bus but he’s actually really adamant that he’s a good person. Same with Joyce. You will see him after class if you even make a “your mom” joke about her

Mike is first to point out if someone is hurt and figure out the who, what, when, where, and why it happened and make sure they’re safe (Will’s first to notice which then leads to Mike interrogating)

[gayofthefae]

Mike and El aren't "100% secure never gonna break up" because I'm only pretty sure that Nancy and Jonathan are gonna stay together and in season 4, I was only pretty sure Lucas and Max would get back together but I acknowledged a possibility that they would remain just friends but very close and still be the main pairing for each other onscreen. Nothing is certain. Because you haven't seen the ending. And with that Lucas and Max example, I was unsure of Lucas and Max and MIKE was the one that couldn't tell El he loved her. I was unsure of even the one couple that didn't have any (relationship) threat. No one is 100% safe because we don't know what's gonna happen. The only couple I was sure of in season 4 was Joyce and Hopper because they had very clear and consistent romantic buildup and references and hadn't been together yet. My closest comparison to that is Byler.

Honestly, I'm also realizing as I type this that the main lack of knowing stemmed from me knowing that plots have to invoke change and an established couple breaking up is a change, and being a change trumps being illogical. Joyce and Hopper or Mike and Will not getting together would be a complete lack of change.

Joyce and Hopper changed to dating. Jonathan and Nancy are shifting into their future and away from Hawkins. Lucas and Max changed into maturity that they didn't have before. Mike and El didn't change before, in fact, they reused(/extended with a tone shift to more seriousness) a PREVIOUS CONFLICT. Mike and Will haven't changed and won't if they do anything but get together that ends on good platonic terms.

Couples have to change. Getting together is a change. Breaking up is a change. Maturing is a changer. Elmike was already treated pretty seriously and that's used as reason for them to not break up but it's actually the opposite because they have nowhere to go but to break up now, as it is a story and further events are required to get to an end point. Byler were already on good platonic terms and and learning something that doesn't change anything is inherently NOT a change.

Realizing, even Will coming out to Jonathan was important because it was a CHANGE! They had been distant for a while and that was included in order to set up that moment as something that had needed to happen, a vulnerable conversation they hadn't had in a while.

Honestly the only established couple I'm 100% sure of is Dustin and Suzie because they have no plots and therefore no reason for change. Sidelined couples are endgame couples. Shoutout Mr. and Mrs. Finch on Bridgerton you're the cutest thing I've ever seen I'm so happy you both love cheese.

Jopp3r and J@ncy have available changes while staying together in committing further as they are adults or becoming adults who are capable of independent decisions like going to college together, moving in together, marriage, etc. All child couples, aka everyone else, do not have that change as an option (although some people have tried reaching for it under the idea of a larger time jump, even legality does not equal narrative plausibility) so their only possibilities are to commit to fight to reunite: Lum@x(just realized! parallel to when Elmike was romantic!), or break up (M!leven). Other options for any two people not together or engaged with another in-relationship change include as follows: getting together. That's it.

All couples but Mike and El have other options of change to build up to achieving other than breaking up. If they didn't, breaking up would be their only option, but they have alternates. For Mike and El, that is not the case. Lucas and Max are only even safe because she's in a coma, or if they decide to extend their get-back-together arc. The kids' only options are have an existing possible change or breakup. Lucas and Max have an existing possible change.

[buginateacup]

MASSIVE SPOILERS FOR TEA WITH TOPSY AHEAD!!!!

I had a shower ramble about the past, present and future of all the little satellite plots Topsy has swirling around to try and work out who and what and why is happening next

Hokay so!

In the beginning there were random fires cropping up around Metro City. This was because the Mayor had been paying someone to pay kids and randoms in firecrackers to set fire to hedges and post boxes in the hopes of driving down property prices. This was because he had hatched a plan with his old frat buddy Charles Mclaren and his company Dexcore to buy up dodgy properties and convert them into gentrified homes for young professionals (working class who? never heard of them). He has plans for this city, big plans.

One day way back in chapter 4 (ish?), Metro Man hurled some bombs Megamind had planted around the city into the lake. This knocked loose some of the plastic wrapped cubes Megamind held down there for people he waanted permanently out of the way but didn't want to directly kill for whatever reason (mostly for punishment reasons, also probably an alien thing, bones of your enemies laid in the deep etc etc).

One of those cubes was The Conductor.

The Conductor, thanks to several years as a cube, had some funky shit happning with his powers now and teamed up with the Mayor while he was still half out of it. The Mayor now has a pocket pyro for his gentrification plan and The Conductor is figuring out his brand new fire powers hile imagining Megamind burning under his hands. Y'know, normal response.

The Mayor is surprisingly fine with this.

That's because the Mayor's plans also extend to getting some of that sweet, sweet Defender's Council money that the MetroMegaRox combination has locked him out of. Naturally he considers Roxanne the thin edge of the wedge, if they can just get rid of her, Metro City can have a brand new Defender's Council Approved Damsel, complete with sponsorship deals and merchandise. If the Coductor manages to knock off Megamind as well, even better! A supervillain in his pocket and a new damsel on the ropes and surely at that point Metro Man will agree to some of the Defender's Council merchandising deals.

The Mayor spends a lot of time dreaming in dollar signs.

So plan one, blow Megamind and Roxanne up, that doesn't go as planned, oh well, onto the next one. Calling up another of his old frat buddies in the form of Jonathan Chisolm. Max gets promoted and here's the new boss, much worse than the old boss.

Jonathan has one job, find a reason to fire Roxanne Ritchi (he's probably also getting property tips).

Unfortunately for him, Roxanne is EXCEEDINGLY good at her job, and thanks to her status as an unofficial damsel, he can't really rely on uprofessional behaviour as an excuse.

Roxanne gets Charles McLaren arrested. She's also mid panic attack over realisng her feelings for Megamind so this takes something of a back seat.

A short while later she gets Delic arrested as well.

Delic and Mclaren wind up in the same cellblock. Mclaren thinks he's found a friend. Delic knows he's found a meal ticket. (Delic is also very carefully considering his next move seeing as Megamind can't actually touch him while he's in jail, he's being very smug about that).

While Delic and Mclaren are being cell block buddies, The Conductor is also starting to make a plan of his own. He's not interested in gentrification or money, he just wants to make sure Megamind and he has ever built or cared for burns to ash. And it turns out all those dexcore buildings burn so easily, and there are so many of them in the city, what a wonderful opportunity this will be.

Mayor Hank doesn't quite know when he stopped being in charge but he's definitely no longer the boss he thought he was. He does get Delic out of prison (always handy to have an extra villain also keen on destroying your enemies) and sets him and the Conductor up in the fanciest penthouse suite the city has on offer.

Delic wants revenge, sure. But he's way more interested in riding this gravy train for as long as he can. Apparently old Chuckie is in rehab, ah well, he can sit tight until his buddy old pal reappears and they can start having themseslves a REAL good time.

The Mayor however, is starting to get really mad that not only is Roxanne Ritchi not fired, she's making him look like an idiot as well. He's got a damsel right there and waiting! Why can't she just disappear already?!

**FUTURE SPOILERS FROM HERE**

The Opera is the last straw. If Jonathan isn't going to fix things, he'll do it himself. The Conductor gets an address for one Roxanne Ritchi and a direct order to burn her place to the ground.

The Conductor does not take well to being told what to do. He takes quite significant offence in fact and burns down one of Roxanne's coworker's building instead.

This does get Roxanne out of her building and into the Lair for 10 days. Megamind is QUITE delighted!

Shortly after, so is the Mayor, he may not have a new damsel, but Metro Man just offered to buy the destroyed building at pre fire value! This is brilliant! He's going to tell the Conductor the good news immediately, oh they are going to make so much money...

The Conductor is not impressed by this.

Delic takes the opportunity to avoid mummy and daddy fighting to sneak downstairs and finds where Charles has been hiding.

Or at least what's left of him.

Delic has some THOUGHTS about this.

To be continued tomorrow....

[ladyfromaspookyforest]

Mail in Stranger Things 4

And Why I Hate Lettergate

Letters are a recurring motif throughout season 4. And if we broaden that to not just letters but MAIL, the first episode opens with a flashback beginning with a paperboy.

This shot of the paper on the doorstep is the very first shot we get of Brenner as he steps out to grab it. Then once he has the paper, he doesn't read it, he does the crossword. What this tells me is that the mail isn't to be purely read. It's to be solved.

The first scene after the flashback in our current time is Mike reading El's letter to him, A) reiterating the significance of mail and B) reiterating the dishonesty of it by visually showing us that the letter is false while it is being read. Joyce gets her Russian package. Inside the package is a doll, inside the doll is a letter (kinda like the Russian nesting doll of mail, eh?) Jonathan has a college acceptance letter. El is hoarding her letters from Mike. There's the letter she writes him when she leaves. We have Max's letters. Letters galore.

Depending on how you look at it, the flowers and the painting could also be considered mail despite the fact that they were delivered in person.

Aaaand there's the good ole envelope pocket symbolism.

Generally what we've seen so far from mail is that it sucks. It's dishonest and misleading and like the newspaper at the very start of the season, needs to be deciphered rather than simply read and taken at face value. El's letter was at least partially a lie. Jonathan's letter is a truth that he is withholding. Mike's letters are accidentally revealing a hidden truth about him. Joyce's letter is true, but it's used against her to set her up. And if you consider the flowers and the painting, they are both visually revealing the truth (the 70/30 split and the heart shield) while being presented in a way that tries to hide it. None of this mail is 100% false and none of it is 100% honest (with the exception of Jonathan's, but he's lying about it and it is also not FROM him. It's TO him from an external source). It ALL has to be examined.

Max wrote 8 letters. We only heard what was in one of them. Going into season 5, we have those other 7 letters and Jonathan's letter still left to be addressed (and Will's painting recontextualized). And we have no idea if we'll ever hear what's in any of Max's other letters.

You've Got Mail was on the ST4 inspo board, and I know people have called out the Mike/Will/painting situation as where this is reflected. But I think it can also extend to Max. While the plot of You've Got Mail is an utterly ridiculous, corny romcom, the premise can be boiled down to people who can't be bothered to try to establish relationships in the real world developing one through email because they feel safer with that barrier between them. Max is the same way throughout this season. She opts to write letters to her friends instead of talking to them because it's easier for her to express her emotions with an artificial self-imposed distance between her and the recipients.

Mail is being portrayed as both a complex, layered thing that needs to be deciphered and a boundary. I actually hate the idea of lettergate for this exact reason. We've been shown throughout the season and particularly in the scene I GIFed above that letters are unnecessary complications. The idea that Will is going to find out about a letter/letters Mike wrote him while he was in Lenora and that this will be some emotional, revealing scene frankly goes against everything we've been shown about letters up to this point.

If Will read a letter Mike wrote him, it would probably have to give him the wrong idea in order to be thematically consistent. And Mike writing El letters but not Will and then spending the season having in-person heart-to-hearts with Will actually emphasizes that they are closer because this barrier does not exist between them. They spent the season growing closer to one another after the discomfort caused by distance and lack of communication only for Will to put up a barrier with the painting. Lettergate seems like it would be very much the same thing rather than a revelation. Season 4 spent its time telling us that if you want to really get a message across, use your words. With your mouth. IRL.

I want to quickly mention Hopper's letter from the season 3 finale, because it was very emotional and honest. It was also never intended to be given to El. It was meant to be read to her, delivered in person as a speech. This was sort of the opposite of all the other letters we've seen, as it was meant to break down a barrier rather than build one. And I think the fact that it wasn't supposed to be a letter at all is really important.

I know Max said her letters weren't to be read until she was gone, but I'm super curious about what she wrote in them. My ideal vision of how this plays out is that no one ever reads them and she tells everyone what she wrote when she wakes up, finally accepting what Lucas has been telling her: that her friends are right there and they don't NEED letters!

Starting a motion to BANISH LETTERS FROM SEASON FIVE!!!! That is all.

[stringcage]

Ok u guys I couldn't help myself so here is the parallel post for everyone's favorite gay punk high school dropouts,,, the incomparable Ronan Lynch and Chloe Price!!

Obviously they have very similar character arcs and I think the main thing unifying them as characters is the way that grief takes shape in young people, both inside and out.

(this will have spoilers for the raven cycle + extended universe and life is strange + extended universe btw)

Each are described as being very jubilant and bright characters because of their happy childhoods before their transformations. They had extremely loving environments to grow up in that were stolen by loss. When their fathers died, it changed everything, as it would for anyone, but what amplified the pain of this loss for each of them is added loss that is (perceivably) chosen. When Ronan's dad died, Ronan was also confronted with the knowledge that he wasn't allowed to see his mom anymore, and for reasons he can't understand, she hasn't pushed back on this contingency at all. When Chloe's dad died, she had the awful luck of Max, her best friend, moving away only days later, and even though Max promised she would be there for Chloe despite the new distance between them, Max never calls or makes any effort to maintain contact with Chloe. So both of these characters are forced at a young age to endure unspeakable grief for their closest family member, but on top of that, their next closest support system CHOOSES (from their understanding, at least) not to help them get through this even though they could.

So what impression does that leave them with? This intentional rejection gives them the impression that they are not worth support, not worth loving. And they each have prior evidence from the world to support that claim:

Ronan has spent nearly his entire childhood isolated from the world because he's a dreamer. We know he isn't allowed to hang out with friends like a normal kid would. He comes to find out that not every kid can do the things he can do, in fact, from what he can tell, NO kid can. He has his brothers, who he got along with at the time, but neither of them would ever have to deal with the same otherness that Ronan did. On top of this, he's the only gay person that he even knows or knows OF. The world is beating this sense into him, this sense that he does not belong and that he is doomed never to be understood by anyone. You are made of dreams and this world is not for you.

And Chloe, a new student at Blackwell at the time, is one of the only scholarship students in a school full of rich kids who she deems "fake." We learn in "Farewell" that Chloe was being bullied for her family's economic status, and her only friend goes to an entirely different school from her. We don't know exactly how Chloe copes with the pain of being a young lesbian or if she even realizes it as this point in time, but knowing the environment she was surrounded by, there's no implication that she had any kind of support system for this. She's able to combat the isolation that all this induces, but once Max is gone, that's no longer possible. She's well and truly alone. Everybody pretends to care until they don't.

All of this piles onto each other- the forced loss, the chosen loss, and the increasing sense of isolation- but there's a tipping point when Ronan and Chloe are no longer able to bear life the way they always have. This comes in the form of a threat of paternal replacement: Declan Lynch, David Madsen. Ronan's older brother has to shoulder the responsibility for the rest of the family once their parents are out of the picture, and Chloe's mom married an overbearing, paranoid man. Both DBag Lynch and Step Douche care very much about their families and are deeply invested in the role to protect them, but neither of them go about it the right way. They constantly fight with Ronan and Chloe respectively. They can see that Ronan/Chloe are getting broken by this world, and their response is to try to whip them into someone the world could be more sympathetic to, even if it means not truly being themselves.

A new figure trying to usurp the role their father had in their life would be hard enough to tolerate from even the gentlest of people, but Declan/David's sternness over the fragile, freshly wounded Ronan/Chloe invokes a defensive urge, the final straw on the camel's back. They have to push back against the world that has taken too much from them and expected them to get back up on their feet with no one patient to lean on.

(disclaimer: this is NOT a holistic comparison of Declan and David. David caring for Chloe as his step daughter does NOT excuse any of his actions. What he did to her is not forgivable, and I am not likening his actions to Declan Lynch's.)

This, of course, comes in the form of two major shifts: external, and internal. Out jumps the PUNK ASS BITCHES with their newly short hair, edgy clothes, and extremely extremely noticeable massive tattoos. This look, the superficial armor.

With the new look comes the new attitude. They have been transformed into abrasive and disagreeable miscreants, untouchable through the cold blunt edges that conceal their inner turmoil. Notably, Adam Parrish refers to Ronan as a pitbull; Frank Bowers compares Chloe to a bulldog. This demeanour, the TRUE armor.

The world cannot reject them if they reject it first. They cannot be misunderstood if no one wants to get to know them in the first place. They must be harsher, faster, more unfeeling than the world ever was to them if they hope to survive it.

Miraculously, this armor is not impenetrable to all. In fact, they'll find solace in the charming king and queen of their towns, ENTER STAGE LEFT, RICHARD GANSEY AND RACHEL AMBER. In a school full of pompous admirers, what could Gansey/Rachel possibly see in a battered dog like Ronan/Chloe? Apparently, someone worth taking anywhere. Gansey/Rachel admire the ferocious heart within Ronan/Chloe, warts and all, and resolve to stick by their side, becoming a conduit for the strong loyalty that Ronan/Chloe have always possessed, but have been deprived of someone to give this loyalty to. They may seem like unlikely duos, but they give a sense of purpose to everyone involved.

This friendship will keep them alive for many years to come, but of course, the loss will pile on eventually. Chloe will lose Rachel and even eventually come to find that Rachel betrayed her before she was gone. Ronan will lose Aurora before he gets a chance to save her for good, and he will briefly lose Gansey as well. Their armor will be penetrated worst of all upon these revelations of further loss. We see them heartbreakingly break down for the first time. It will seem that all is lost for them, and after all the universe has taken away from them, were they right all along? Are they really not meant for this world?

And of course, that brings us to the gayest part of all: being DOOMED BY THE NARRATIVE. Throughout the duration of their stories, the world has not been on their side. In The Dreamer Trilogy, Ronan will be pummeled by reality's rejection of him. He will literally be hunted down by people trying to prevent the end of the world which has been traced back to an apocalyptic fire he will cause. In "Polarized" we will discover that the tornado that has been alluded to as "the end of the world" (the degree to which we are uncertain, but certainly the end of Arcadia Bay) is a result of Max's repetitive intervention to keep Chloe alive, and the storm can only be stopped if she is allowed to die. These two are SO UNFIT for the world around them that it literally takes apocalyptic forces of nature to wipe them out of it for good, and seemingly the world will be better for it.

But the world doesn't have a final say in this. These two will not be abandoned by those whose lives they've touched. Throughout these stories, Ronan/Chloe's armor against the world was not enough to keep love out of their lives. Both of them have quantifiably good impacts on their love interests.

Blue Sargent makes Richard Gansey quiet, but Ronan Lynch makes Adam Parrish loud. He shows Adam that there is room for the present in his life, not just the future he's been obsessing over. He gave Adam enough happiness for the first time in his life that Adam was able to recognize that the future he always thought he wanted wasn't working out for him, and that he deserved some say over his own life.

Max Caulfield starts out the game by being self contained. She has ambitions, but she doesn't believe that she has the power to actualize them. Chloe restores something in her. She shares her self-assuredness with Max and encourages her to reach her full potential and embrace the strange abilities she possesses. In this story of choice, Chloe is what proves to Max that there is value in her choices. Her decisions and uses of her power literally start and end with Chloe.

And because Ronan/Chloe have done this for their love interests- not even entirely knowingly, but just by being themselves and living in their lives- Adam/Max refuse to let the universe have their way with Ronan/Chloe.

In "Greywaren," Adam, although angry with Ronan at the time, risks everything to scry out and find Ronan's incorporeal soul in the sweetmetal sea. Though Ronan thought he'd lost him for good, and maybe even found it justified, Adam won't let him be alone anymore. When all is lost to Ronan, and he doesn't know if he will ever be whole again, the love of his life comes back and he tells him: you are worth being here for. You are worth people. You are worth the world, and I will choose to be with you when it is not easy to do.

In "Polarized," Chloe discovers that the storm can only disappear if she does. She reflects on her mistakes and realizes that the world that has so shunned her is worth her life, and so she begs Max to let her die so Arcadia Bay can live. But Max cannot reconcile this. She destroys the chance to let Chloe die, making up for leaving her after her father died. The love of her life tells Chloe: you are worth being here for. You are worth people. You are worth the world, and I will choose to be with you when it is not easy to do.

(^ of course this ending is contingent on the player choosing to sacrifice Arcadia Bay, which only about half of players do, but considering that the comics pick up after Max sacrifices the bay for Chloe, we can consider this to be the "canon" ending that Max (the character, not the player) chose.)

Ronan Lynch and Chloe Price tell stories of people who, in one way or another, are just not designed for this world. Some people have hearts too big and grief too often. The world rejects them, and no matter how much Ronan/Chloe believe they would reject it back, in the end they would go to any lengths to keep it around. The acceptance of the world may not be enough to keep them around, but the love of their close ones can be.

[lawsend]

Murder at Vista Heights Chapter 2

Series: Law’s End

Episode 1: Murder at Vista Heights

Fandom: The Royal Romance (loosely, there’s not much canon in here).

Pairings: None yet

Word Count: 2,622

Rating: MA

Warnings for series: adult themes, any given chapter may contain murder, violence, language, drinking, drug use, etc.

My other stuff can be found on my main blog @angelasscribbles here is the Master List.

They pulled up in front of a row of buildings. Walker and Son Investigations sat near the middle of the block; the name emblazoned on a plate glass window that overlooked the street. A dry cleaner on one side, a coffee shop on the other.

“Can you believe I found parking on the street?” Riley gloated as she parked the Tahoe at the curb.

“I’m pretty sure this is tow away zone, Riley…”

“It’s fine, we won’t be in there that long!”

Max heaved a long-suffering sigh, knowing from experience it was fruitless to argue with her when she was hot on the trail of a story. She became focused to the point of being obsessed, stubborn, pigheaded, and bossy.

Not that he didn’t like the bossy part.

She also became excited, exhilarated, and spontaneous. Her eyes sparkled and her enthusiasm was contagious. Despite the abuse and neglect of his precious Estelle, he enjoyed her single-minded determination very much. His adventures with her were worth the risks to his car.

A dark-haired woman looked up from her desk when the bell tinkled as they entered the tiny office. “Welcome to Walker and Son Investigations, how may I help you today?”

Max peered around Riley, “Hey, Savannah!”

“Oh, hi Max!” her face lit up in recognition, “What are you doing here today? Who’s your friend?”

“This is Riley. We’re looking for Drake. Is he in?” Max’s eyes scanned the room, taking in the other three desks in the room, all empty.  

“Yeah, he’s in the back, moving boxes of files into storage,” She lifted her head and raised her voice, “Drake!”

It took a minute but a man appeared from the hallway at the back of the office, “Do you really have to scream like that? You could have just-Oh! Shit, sorry! Didn’t realize we had company!” He wiped his hands quickly on his pants to get rid of the dust and extended one toward Riley, “Drake Walker, PI, at your service! And you are?”

Riley shook his hand as she took in his appearance. He looked to be in his late twenties to early thirties, tall, broad-shouldered, definitely worked out, with chestnut hair that hung just below his ears. His eyes were the color of gold-flecked copper as they bore into her, and his touch sent electricity jolting down her arm. She certainly wouldn’t kick him out of her bed.

“Riley Brooks, I was hoping I could ask you a few questions.”

“Sure,” he grinned at her as he motioned to his desk, “Have a seat. So, what do you need?” He asked as he settled into his chair across the desk from her and Max, “Cheating husband? Lost dog? Background check on a new boyfriend?”

“No, nothing like that,” she laughed.

He leaned forward with a smirk, “So you’re single?”

“I am. Why do you ask?”

“I find it hard to believe that a woman with your…” his eyes dipped down her body and back up, “attributes is single.”

She rewarded him with a coy smile, “I could say the same about you.”

“Maybe we could discuss it over dinner sometime?”

The grin on Riley’s face broadened but Max leaned forward, clearing his throat, “Yeah, she’s too focused on her career for serious dating. Could we get back to the subject?”

Drake barely glanced at Max before asking Riley, “What’s the subject?”

“What do you know about Katie Sloan?”

Drake turned his head to give Max a suspicious look before returning his gaze to Riley, “Who’s that?”

“The wife of Sloane Enterprises CEO, William Sloan.”

Shooting an accusing glare at Max, Drake snapped, “What makes you think I would know anything about her?”

“Because you had me follow her!” Max blurted out.

This time the look Drake gave him was murderous, “Have you ever heard of client confidentiality Beaumont? What the fuck?”

“I….” Max’s shifted nervously in his seat, “Not really…”

“Well, if I did pay you to follow someone, then you’re bound by the same standards I am with regard to client privacy!”

“No one told me that!” Max gulped.

“Savannah!” Drake bellowed at his sister.

“What? I was rushed that day; I didn’t get a chance to cover everything. I sent him home with some paperwork.”

Drake heaved a long-suffering sigh as he muttered under his breath about being surrounded by incompetence before snapping at Max, “Did you read it?”

“No…” Max admitted, “It seemed pretty boring.”

Drake shook his head as he looked up at the ceiling as if asking God himself for guidance. After several deep breaths, he returned his attention to Riley, “Why are you asking questions about Katie Sloan?”

“Because Max photographed her with Trenton Hayes.”

“So?”

“So he’s dead. Someone just shot him.”

Drake froze for a moment, his face expressionless as he gazed at her. “That’s unfortunate for him, but I don’t know anything about it. What did you say you do for a living? You’re not a cop.”

“How do you know that?”

“I know. Now who are you really and why are asking so many questions about a homicide?”

“I’m an investigative journalist.”

“You’re a reporter?”

“Investigative journalist and true crime author.” She corrected him.

“Anything I’ve read?”

“I don’t know. Do you read true crime?”

“Not really.”

“Then I’m guessing not.”

“Well, Miss Brooks, sorry I couldn’t help you, but even if I theoretically hired Beaumont here to follow this Katie Sloan, I couldn’t tell you.” Drake pushed away from the desk and stood up.

Riley stood, but made no move to leave, “If you theoretically did hire him for that, what might be a theoretical reason?”

“Yeah, I’m not doing that.”

“What’s the harm in playing a game of theoreticals?”

“Nice try but I wouldn’t stay in business very long if I went around-“

“I’ll go to dinner with you!”

Drake froze again, “What?”

Max also froze, “What?”

Ignoring Max, she took a step closer to Drake, reaching out and adjusting the collar of his shirt, “I said, if you’ll indulge me in a game of theoreticals for a moment, I’ll go to dinner with you.”

“I….” Drake stood unmoving with his arms crossed over his chest as he fought an internal battle. He already knew what his father would say. And Savannah would probably rat him out if he did it.

Still. The girl was hot.

Max shook his head, “No, Riley, you don’t have to-“

“Shut the fuck up, Beaumont!” Drake finally moved as one hand shot out to strike Max in the chest. Eyes locked on the brunette bombshell in front of him, he licked his lips and then agreed, “Okay, but everything I say is just theoretical, right?”

 “Of course!” Riley fluttered her eyelashes for added effect then asked, “If you were theoretically following Katie Sloan, what would be the theoretical reason?”

“I can’t speculate on something like that, but I can tell you that the most common reason anyone hires a private detective is to catch a cheating spouse.”

“So, William Sloan thinks his wife is cheating on him?”

Drake shrugged, “Theoretically if he hired a PI, that might be why.”

Riley’s eyes widened, her head swiveling between Drake and Max, “Was she cheating with Trent? Because that would be motive!”

Drake held his arms up in front of him, “Whoa now! Don’t be jumping to conclusions! We have no proof of any cheating! And I’ll tell you this because it’s a matter of public record, but if you say the information came from me, I’ll deny it….” He leaned forward and lowered his voice even though they were the only ones in the office, other than his sister who sat watching the whole exchange with amused disbelief, “Trent Hayes and Katie Sloan used to be engaged.”

Riley’s eyes widened, “Oohhh, an ex-fiancée! That’s interesting! Why’d they break up?”

“You’re an investigative journalist, look it up. Shouldn’t be hard to find. She was a fucking heiress before she married the rich guy.”

“Right. So, society pages. Max-“

“Already on it!” He told her as his fingers flew over the keyboard of his smartphone, “Katie Vanderhilt, college graduation…..engagement announcement….inherits grandmother’s fortune….second engagement announcement….wedding to William Sloan….ah, here we go….the gossip page! Hmmm…..just an article saying she suddenly dumped Trent and went on a cruise….no reason given….speculation was that once she inherited all that money, she knew she could catch a bigger fish. Sorry, dead end.”

Riley turned her attention back to Drake, “Is there anything else that I should theoretically know?”

“Can’t think of anything,” he gave her a scorching look, “but if I come up with anything else, we can discuss it over dinner.”

“Absolutely!”

“Tonight at seven?”

“Sorry, can’t tonight.”

“Hey, we had a deal!”

“Yes, and I fully intend to live up to it, just not tonight. Here,” she handed him her card, “call me later and we’ll get it set up! Come on, Max, let’s go!”

“But-“ by the time he glanced up from the card, Riley and Max were already out the front door.

“Dad is going to eviscerate you,” Savannah told him gleefully.

“You could just not tell him…”

“In exchange for what?”

Drake’s head fell back with a sigh, “I’m not letting you drive my car, Sav!”

“Just for one night! It’s my high school reunion! Besides, if I tell Dad what you just did-“

“Fine! One night! But I swear to God, Sav if there’s one scratch on it when I get her back-“

“Oh, cool your jets, I know how to drive,” she turned her head to the plate glass window, “Your new girlfriend just talked her way out of a parking ticket.” 

“Did she now?”

“She did. And she’s parked in a tow-away zone too! You’re going to have to be careful with that one. I’m not sure you can handle her.”

“Shut up, Sav.”

Outside on the pavement, Riley climbed back into the driver’s seat of Max’s Tahoe, “See? I told you it wouldn’t get towed!”

Max shook his head ruefully, “Yeah, well, if that had been me talking to that cop, I would have gotten a ticket and gotten towed! I got to hand it to you….you always seem to get your way.”

“It’s a gift!” She laughed as she threw the car in gear and pulled out into traffic.

“Are you really going to go to dinner with Drake?”

“What?” She glanced at him and then back at the road, “Yeah, why not?”

“I don’t know….he doesn’t seem like your type.”

“Trust me, he’s my type! Besides, a deal is a deal!”

 “I guess,” Max thunked back against the seat with a heavy sigh, “Where are we going now?”

“Seventh precinct!”

“Why?”

“Because we have to tell Liam that William Sloan has a motive for murder!”

“Is that the only reason?”

“I mean….if we happen to stumble across some more information about the case while we’re there then so be it!”

“That’s more like it!” He grinned, his good mood returning at the promise of further adventure.

Built in the early 1900s, the seventh precinct stationhouse took up most of the city block that it sat on. Three stories above ground and two below, the many renovations it had endured over the years made it a labyrinth of hallways, stairwells, and a sometimes confusing mix of old architecture and new. The homicide division was located in a warren of offices on the second floor.

“I need to speak to Detective Rys, I have some information regarding a murder,” Riley told the desk sergeant as they entered the building.

“Second floor,” The officer waved his hand in the general direction of the one lone elevator.

“Thanks!” Riley chirped as she grabbed Max’s hand and drug him away from the elevator and toward the stairwell. Lowering her voice, she told him, “I don’t trust that thing! It creaks, groans, and shakes like it’s hanging on by a thread!”

“Yeah,” Max agreed with a backward glance at it as he allowed himself to be pulled up the stairs, “It probably hasn’t been inspected or maintained in a hundred years!”

“That would be a violation of the fire code,” Riley quipped, “How ironic since the 112 is right across the street!”

“Yeah, well…”

They exited the top of the stairs, made their way down a long hallway, took a right about two-thirds of the way down, and found themselves in a large, open area filled with desks, filing cabinets, and a few scattered couches. The wall to their left was covered from left to right in giant casement windows. Directly across from them were doors to private offices and to their right a myriad of doorways and hallways lead off to places unknown. A water cooler gurgled in the corner.

“Can I help you?” A tall, pretty redhead asked them.

Riley adopted her best professional stance, radiating that she had every right to be there as she replied, “Yes, I’m looking for Detective Rys. Have you seen him?”

“He’s around here somewhere, that’s his desk,” she pointed to one close to the windows, “I’m sure he’ll be with you in a moment. I’m Lilith,” she offered her hand.

Riley took it, “Nice to meet you, Lilith! I’m Riley. Are you a homicide detective?”

“No, just a sketch artist,” she smiled.

“Oh? Are you working on the Hayes case?”

“Miss Nevrakis!” a voice called across the room.

“Oh, that’s me, gotta go!” Lilith gave her an apologetic smile as she scurried over to a desk near the water cooler to talk to the man who had called her name and a nervous-looking woman standing next to him.

“Hey! That’s Liam’s boss!” Riley squeezed Max’s arm, “Aren’t you two related? Go see if you can get any information out of him!”

“I don’t think so, Riley. He doesn’t really like me….”

“Why not?”

“I don’t know, something about our family’s money being tainted and me taking it.”

“He doesn’t take any? No trust fund? Nothing?”

“Nope. Can’t you tell?”

She cocked her head to one side taking in the off-the-rack suit and shoes that had probably come from Mervyn’s or Sears. Bertrand Beaumont looked like every other police detective in the department. Eschewing the Beaumont money, he had risen to head of homicide on his own merits. A good twenty years older than Maxwell, he viewed his young cousin as irresponsible, frivolous, and entitled.

“Okay, fine. But that’s a little judgy. Not taking the money won’t wind back time and fix what your great-grandfather did.”

“That’s what I said!” People fell into two broad categories when they found out he was a Beaumont. They either judged him on his family’s history of having built its fortune from organized crime, or they wanted to use him for his money and family connections. Riley fell into neither of those categories. It was just another reason that he liked her.

“What are you two doing here?” Liam’s voice was so close behind her that she jumped.

Whirling to face him, Riley answered, “Looking for you!”

“I already told you that I’m not giving out confidential case information, Riley.”

“Well, then it’s lucky for you that I’m here to help you!”

“You’re here to help me?” Liam scoffed, “How?”

“I know someone that might have a motive for killing Trenton Hayes.”

Liam’s mouth fell open, “How the hell did you already find out the name of the vic? We haven’t issued any-“

“Detective Rys!” Bertrand’s voice boomed out as he strode across the room, clearly seething.

Confusion spilled across Liam’s features, “Yes sir?”

Bertrand waved a page from a sketchbook in the air, “Do you want to tell me why the main suspect in your murder case looks exactly like your brother?”

[mermaidsirennikita]

Which historical romance books would you recommend to someone who would like to get into the genre but doesn't know where to start? So far my preferred genre was fantasy romance but I think I exhausted it completely at this point so I'm looking for something new. I tried Bridgerton but I didn't like, so I would appreciate any other recommendation. Thank you in advance.

Hey! I am happy to offer some recs. Imo, the Bridgerton books are kinda dated and work for a very *specific* reader, so it's not surprising to me that it wouldn't work. We can find something!

Sarah MacLean is a great gateway--I read every single adult historical she had out when I was first getting back into them in the early pandemic days. She typically writes very strong heroines (not always in a "we do battle" way, but always in mind and heart) and heroes who are just.... like, honestly, MESSES. Guys who can kick ass and fuck hard but are actually, deep within their souls, simps. From her backlist, I'd recommend as entry points:

Nine Rules to Break When Romancing a Rake. Her debut, and I recommend it because it's super compulsively readable and very beloved, with good reason. It's the story of a wallflower type who's like, "Jesus Christ, I am so tired of being this person" and sets out to break these nine "rules" and have adventures. She ends up enlisting this known Slut Man to help her (in exchange for helping introduce his long lost sister to society) and naturally, he is soon after her. I will say, MacLean's first series is the most ballroom that she gets? Her tastes are definitely a bit wilder, and they get so from this book. It's funny, it's sexy, it's a romp. My favorite series of hers is the Rules of Scoundrels series, which is about a group of friends who own a gambling club and like getting emotionally destroyed by their lovers. But since you read fantasy romance, I will also suggest...

Wicked and the Wallflower. This is the first in her Bareknuckle Bastards series, which has a very fantastical, fairy tale-like premise. Basically, this guy's wife gave birth to an illegitimate daughter. At the same time, he had three illegitimate sons born together. So--girl not his, sons his. But he claimed the girl was a son upon baptizing her, and decided he'd pick which son was worthy of being his heir in what was essentially an extended CHILD BATTLE ROYALE. Anyway, the books focus on the grown children years later--two of the sons have become rulers of the London Underworld, taking the girl with them. It's wild, it's fun, the stakes are high.

Lisa Kleypas is a classic writer of the genre. She tends to write very emotional books, often focusing on very competent heroes (except that time she didn't and everyone clapped). For her, I always recommend her most famous series--it's a great crowd pleaser.

The Wallflowers. Four friends who are striking out on the marriage mart agree that at all costs, they will help each other find husbands this season. I recommend reading these in order, but the two strongest entries are It Happened One Autumn (book 2, an enemies to lovers situation, he's uptight and she's wild) and Devil in Winter (villainous hero enters into a marriage of convenience with the shy girl, gets absolutely emotionally compromised because she's actually everything), which MUST be read in order for max enjoyment. All the books are good, though, and book 1 is a great start with this kind of indecent proposal angle.

Monica McCarty's Highland Guard series could work for ya! It's a medieval series that centers on this group of knights who do these kind of black ops missions for Robert the Bruce as he's trying to take the Scottish throne. There's a lot of history, battling, Secret Love Shit. The first book is The Chief, which centers on the leader, this cool and stern guy who ends up in an arranged marriage situation with this woman who wants to Know Him Emotionally. These books have tons of adventure.

The Uptown Girls by Joanna Shupe. This series focuses on three sisters of a prominent man in Gilded Age New York, all of whom get into various types of trouble, some of which does involve organized crime. Fun and scandalous~ with a bit of danger. Also, super sexy.

Elizabeth Hoyt's Maiden Lane series is a great one that takes place in Georgian England. Lots of working class characters, walking on the wild side, danger. I'd recommend starting with book 3 (Scandalous Desires) as a starter, as it centers on a river pirate who basically takes this widow woman into his lair~ (he's actually trying to keep her and his daughter, who she's been caring for, safe--but he has ulterior motives, obvi). These books are super hot and often quite daring. Some of my personal favorites.

I think these are some options you can sample and maybe find a match or several with--imo, finding your niche is important. Like, I know Julia Quinn often doesn't work for me because I prefer books that are a bit ... heavier? And definitely with more sex and passion, often with less focus on the marriage mart. With exceptions, clearly!

[gr1an]

someoje said to come to you over this so. CANNOT get over gemtho. they're literally so cute wtf

its so stupid because like there are a billion reasons why this doesn't work relating to their compatibility and personality and all that shit but at the same time like

???? Im just saying they'd be cute kissing each other in that tunnel and cuddling and etho is so laid back and serene and its the exact opposite of gems frantic energy and they kinda rub off on each other (figuratively) as in etho makes gem more chill when they're both just going about their day or exploring and when gem wants to Commit various felonies and crimes and end up in jail etho will go along with it because he will forever deny it but he imagines a life with her every night when he goes to sleep in his house and in bed in the dark apart they feel a part of them missing so they do their best to walk together in the light

h

ive just realised this is hardly a question. my interminable yapping will not cease but I do still want to get the point across so.... what makes u ship it :3333

i would actually really disagree with the lack of compatibility thing?

i think that gem is outgoing but still introverted, and she really loves talking to people and making a lot of friends, as well as helping out those friends! we see this with skizz’s terraforming, building the pathing infrastructure near cherry mountain, and with her letting etho take whatever he wants from her base! but at the same time that she is helpful, she is not a people pleaser. she’s assertive and funny. she goes up to her friends chests and takes stuff out bc “these are mine now actually” but she has the ability to do that bc she’s so charismatic and easy to love!

and this plays very well with etho’s general awkwardness to the point of nigh agoraphobia at some points. (i hc c!etho as selectively mute bc he just. doesn’t/can’t talk if he feels socially anxious. he accidentally built up a persona of cool and aloof despite being the wettest cat alive.) i am very new here but i think the first time they spoke to each other for an extended period of time was while gem was teaching him how to fight. and bc gem’s charisma comes from being adaptable to situations but still maintaining her personality, she was able to teach etho a lot (counter-critting, stopping sprinting in order to crit, crit combos) and they both very clearly enjoyed it a lot! etho and gem were laughing and talking basically the whole time, and i think that’s where their dynamic of mutually teasing each other as a way to show affection started. gem didn’t treat etho like someone on a pedestal they could never reach, and she also didn’t expect him to be amazing right away. she let him be fallible and we know that all of the ppl etho is close to do the same things. every duo etho is a part of has a strong dynamic of mutual teasing. him and bdubs, him and cleo, him and joel, and more recently him and tango. with tango though that relationship is pretty new and so a lot of their interactions are just focused on redstone.

and i don’t think gem is that feral or frantic? she gets very absorbed into her projects and she likes being silly with it. she also Commits to the Bit. but i don’t think, at least this season, she’s very off-the-wall. again, i’m new here, and i’ve only seen gem’s perspective of her s10 videos and the hide and seek one, so i am still new to her character/persona.

i think one reason ppl may think of her as feral is because of the way she interacts with specifically etho. and also the “geminislay” nickname. but she’s more than that nickname. in all of the clips of them in decked out, she is at max energy and is constantly punching/fighting etho, but they’re both giggling like schoolgirls the entire time. she doesn’t do that to other ppl though, so it’s not just her general personality. it’s her cute aggression instinct. she’s infatuated with etho so naturally her reactions to anything he does are going to be exaggerated and over the top. but she’s not always seized by that cute aggression instinct, she’s absolutely able to hang out with etho while at a lower level of intensity. etho though does sometimes instigate bc he also thinks she’s adorable. he hit her like 6 times as they dug the tunnel, i’m not convinced that all of those were accidental.

and etho isn’t laid back and serene, he’s earnest and silly and intelligent but also very uncomfortable in most social situations. the recent clip of him literally being a wet cat while asking beef for shulkers (he wants them nyeow!!) is a bit of an insight into how he is actually very silly! his little “oh schnappers” is also a good example. he just doesn’t always show it or show that he cares bc he doesn’t know how to do it in a way that isn’t awkward, and the feeling of awkwardness is like his least favorite feeling in the entire world.

sorry all that to say: they are incredibly compatible and i’m making them kiss. sillies.

[knottyk]

Can't Fight This Feeling 

Pairing: Steve x Fem!Reader, Eddie x Fem!Reader, and platonic interactions with other characters.

Summary: The group went on an overnight beach trip where Y/N and Steve found themselves in an argument. A sing-off leads to a choir performance and Y/N catches the eyes of the one and only Eddie Munson. (no spoilers!! s1-4)

Word count: 1.9k 

Warnings: silent treatment, implied arguing, not proofread 😮‍💨

A/N: *shamefully pokes head through door gap* *squeezes whole body in the room* so sorry for being MIA and suddenly coming back with a a new fic for another fandom aaaaaaaa, you can consider this my red flag. I give you permission. 🚩 Anyway, I binged Stranger Things season 1-4 within a week and now I live with permanent dark circles and an unsteady sleep schedule plus undying love for all the characters… and heartaches from all the losses.

PS: i wrote this to 'Can't Fight This Feeling' by REO Speedwagon..

do not repost w/o permission, reblogs are most welcome <3

It was the way that Steve would let his gaze linger on Nancy when she laughs at his jokes or the way that he’d offer his shoulder when she cried, no questions asked. For him, it was an act of service for an old friend whom he had history with. History that neither Jonathan or Y/N could erase. 

As the group sat around the bonfire, Y/N watched as Steve offered Nancy his freshly made s’mores. She looked away when Jonathan put an arm around Nancy, not wanting to see her friend upset for the same reason once more. 

They’d gone through it before but it fell on deaf ears and resulted in a slight rift in their friendship as Steve made her realise where she really belonged in his life. The night was not off to a good start.

“You’re my friend. Why can’t you just respect that I’m not over her? She’s all I want, damn it.”

Each sentence digging a deeper hole in her heart. Steve may not know how she truly felt but that doesn’t mean the others are blind to the truth staring at them in the face.

Robin drove a leg in between Dustin and Y/N and wedged herself down on the log. “You okay?”

Her gaze lost in space and hands playing with the sand, Y/N replied with a nod. Robin followed her line of sight and sighed when she reached the other end. 

“He’s still not talking to you.” Robin faced Y/N and watched as the flames illuminated her side profile. 

She remained silent. The kids’ chatter and the gentle sound of waves against the shore enveloping them.

“Give him time. He’s just being stupid.” 

“Time? I’ve given him plenty.” Y/N said in a sharp but low voice. “If that’s what he really wants to do, let him. I don’t care anymore.” 

The kids suddenly erupted in cheers and hooting, snapping Robin and Y/N out of their own conversation bubble. Eddie had just taken an acoustic guitar from one of the tents and is now challenging the kids to a sing-off. 

“Okay, so the rules are simple.” Eddie towered everyone else as he stood with one foot on one of the logs, using his leg as a resting place for the guitar. “Spin the bottle. If it points to you, you sing.” 

“Where are we going to spin the bottle? That’s not fair.” Max interrupted. “There’s no flat surface and the fire is in the middle so it won’t work either way.”

“Fine! I will be the bottle. I’ll choose whose turn it is.” Eddie elongated his neck for emphasis while addressing max sitting across him.

Lucas raised his hand. Beside him, Max muttered, “Still not fair.”

Eddie sighed and extended an arm gesturing him to go on with his question. 

“We won’t get enough turns.” He looked around to look for support within the group. “There’s like, 14 of us.” 

Beside Lucas, Erica muttered something about regretting joining the outing.

Dustin perked up, also raising his hand. Though, he didn’t wait for Eddie’s signal that he could speak. “Yeah, there’s not enough lines in the song for all of us to actually enjoy singing a phrase.” 

Mike joined in on the conversation, breaking from the conversation he was having with El. “Wait, what song are we doing?” 

“Can we sing Can’t Fight This Feeling?” El looked up at Eddie, her doe eyes glistening. 

“Ooh, that’s a good song.” Max agreed, now looking expectantly at Eddie.

“Okay, okay.” Eddie, on Y/N’s right side had started bouncing his leg up and down, fingers roughly scratching at his nape. 

“We’ll do it in pairs, we’ll follow a clockwise order, starting from Vickie. Yes, we can do that song and yes, you have a minute to pair up.” He had his eyes closed, ring clad fingers spread out and hands hovering in the air. His guitar tucked under his arm.

Robin tapped Y/N’s shoulder gently before whispering. “I gotta get back. Later.” 

On the left side of the circle, Vickie sat with her legs crossed at the ankles as she waited for Robin to circle back to her. Dustin scooted back to his original place beside Y/N. 

From across her seat, Y/N saw how Steve paired with Will. Though, his expecting stare at Nancy before she almost immediately turned to Jonathan didn’t slip through her observation. 

Meanwhile, Y/N was about to ask Dustin to be her partner but he was already practicing the verse with Erica. 

“Too bad, it looks like you’re stuck with me.” Eddie spoke as he started fingerpicking the opening tune. Tuning the strings as he went.

Y/N looked over to his other side where Robin and Vickie are laughing at one another, clearly partnered up. He was talking to her. 

“Not bad at all, actually.” She smiled up at him as the soft wind suddenly carried stray hair over her face. 

He had a charming grin on his face, dimples visible and further emphasised by the light emitting from the fire. He broke their eye contact and addressed everyone else. “Ready?” 

The group replied in a variety of agreement and some silent nods. Eddie began to play the opening rhythm as Robin and Vickie got ready to sing the first verse. 

I can't fight this feeling any longer

And yet I'm still afraid to let it flow

What started out as friendship has grown stronger

I only wish I had the strength to let it show

The chaotic ambience just a mere moment ago was replaced in stark contrast by the warm smiles and attentive ears. Each one of them carrying swelling hearts from a moment so wholesome and peaceful, compared to what they’d gone through the past years.

The next pair to sing was Nancy and Jonathan. Two of them started off timid but eased into the song almost right away. Hands clasped within each other’s and loving glances were shared as they sang the words. 

I tell myself that I can't hold out forever

I said there is no reason for my fear

'Cause I feel so secure when we're together

You give my life direction

You make everything so clear 

Steve averted his gaze and just caught her eyes when it was their turn. His singing more of a mumble and had to be gently nudged by Will. The group chuckled softly as Y/N broke off their stares and instead focused on the fire. Steve followed suit. 

And even as I wander

I'm keeping you in sight

You're a candle in the window

On a cold, dark winter's night

And I'm getting closer than I ever thought I might

He was being eaten by the guilt for him snapping at her just after they arrived the beach, now too afraid to approach her so he chose to give her time to cool down. It sucked that such a moment is wasted not by her side but somehow, he did deserve it, he thought.

The group erupted in cheers and laughter as Mike opened their verse with him dramatically kneeling on the sand and grabbing them with his fist as it sprinkled away with the wind. Eleven giggling through the song. 

And I can't fight this feeling anymore

I've forgotten what I started fighting for

It's time to bring this ship into the shore

And throw away the oars, forever

The laughter died down as Lucas and Max’s turn approached. Max had an elbow on Lucas’ shoulder and her chin on her hand, both of them swaying to the melody. 

'Cause I can't fight this feeling anymore

I've forgotten what I started fightin' for

And if I have to crawl upon the floor

Come crashing through your door

Baby, I can't fight this feeling anymore

Erica rolled her eyes at Dustin who had a pretend mic in his fist, placing it in between them. The girl eventually joining in the song and even having her own pretend mic, a hand over her chest and eyes shut. 

My life has been such a whirlwind since I saw you

I've been running 'round in circles in my mind

And it always seems that I'm followin' you, girl

'Cause you take me to the places

That alone I'd never find

Y/N remained staring at the fire the whole time. Her eyes focused on the waves of the fire and how it wiggled through the air, as she simultaneously listened to the lovely voices carried by her friends. Too focused on the fire that she missed singing her verse with Eddie. 

And even as I wander

I'm keeping you in sight

You're a candle in the window

On a cold, dark winter's night

And I'm getting closer than I ever thought I might

Her head snapped up when he started to sing. His voice was deep and raspy compared to his normal talking voice, a perfect combination with the cool and smooth sound of the guitar. He tilted his head at her, with a teasing face. Still charming, she thought. 

The kids started to giggle and tease Y/N. The older kids (apart from one) joining in too. “That’s cheating, make her sing the next one!”

“You heard them.” Eddie told her as he shifted chords.

She smiled as she shook her head, not believing the teasing she’s receiving from the group. Robin and Nancy were the first to cheer when she began her verse. She could hear Eddie guiding her as he played. 

And I can't fight this feeling anymore

I've forgotten what I started fightin' for

It's time to bring this ship into the shore

And throw away the oars, forever

All her fears and insecurities flying with the wind as they merged in a duet. Her eyes fluttering closed as she got carried by the moment. Opening them only towards the end where she locked eyes with Eddie who was already staring. 

She chuckled under her words and instinctively aligned her gaze across her where Steve sat silently, observing her. His brown eyes dull despite the bright shine from the light of the fire. His arms crossed over his chest and his body leaning forward, resting both elbows on his knees. At the sight of her, looking at him, he quickly found another focus.

Their sudden moment was interrupted when Eddie shouted, “Everybody!”

Cause I can't fight this feeling anymore

I've forgotten what I started fightin' for

And if I have to crawl upon the floor

Come crashing through your door

Baby, I can't fight this feeling anymore

The group erupted in the catchy chorus. Y/N feeling an arm over her shoulders, forcing her to sway. She looked over and saw that Dustin and the others had started the chain. She held Dustin’s hand on the other end and swayed along.

It was a memory waiting to be permanently engraved in their minds for the future to come. A perfect image of teens being teens. An image of youth. 

The swaying continued as Eddie finished the song with improvised riffs and ended it with a slow down strum, letting the strings ring out as it faded. 

Everyone clapped and hooted with big smiles plastered on their faces. 

Y/N looked over at Eddie. “Not bad at all.” 

He chuckled as he laid the guitar on the sand, eyes never breaking and smiles not faltering. His big, dark eyes embedded in her mind for the first time that night. Too drunk in the moment to realise the deep brown orbs watching them through the flames. 

masterlist

[radioactive-earthshine]

Hi. I was talking with my best friend and we were going over the rogues of Young Justice and who had which person as their common adversary such as Tim with all of Batman's rogues being his and the point of it was that when they were all adults who would be their own personal nemesis? Batman has The Joker clearly, Superman with Lex Luthor, The Flash and Reverse Flash, Wonder Woman and Cheetah etc but what about the YJ crew especially Bart? Who would be Bart's main nemesis when he's an adult?

Did you forget about Thad Thawne?

Thad Thawne is absolutely Bart's main nemesis NOW in current, no matter how much Thad deserves and SHOULD get a redemption arc (which likely will never happen considering Fastest Man Alive is canon again).

I also really am hesitant to say Tim's rogues are just Batman's rogues because he ran into a lot of other people and themes in his own comics on a fair basis that there are other options available. Also it looks like the one responsible for Young Justice Dark Crisis (Mxyzptlk's son, allegedly) has already decided Tim is his nemesis (see Tim Drake's Pride Special).

***Edit*** Mickey was in fact NOT the person who Tim is currently up against in his comics. When this was written, it was assumed they were going to be the same.

King Shark (yes, he's a Superboy character) with Kay Fury as well as Amanda Spence (allegedly dead) are Kon's in his own comics but having them extend into the future with him as an adult is... iffy. His 2011 solo comic had Simon Valentine (his FRIEND) being setup as his Lex Luthor with a parallel narrative as well but meh, I really liked Simon and I just want these heroes to have fucking civilian friends and have their own rogues not just mirror their assumed mentor's.

Bart however is a little more tricky because in his own comics he rarely had reoccurring villains (Thad) that truly wanted to harm him (Thad), and many of them were more Max's adversaries anyway or were guest rogues.

We do have a few however but I do not foresee them as being a problem for Bart when he is older. But they could be brought back for fun.

For fun let's just explore a few interesting people from Bart's run that were presented as villains, see if they are a candidate for future rogue-ness, then I will tell you my own personal pick for his true nemesis that isn't Thad.

White Lightning

The first 'major adversary' we see is White Lightning who has some mild 'pheromone mind control' that allows her to manipulate men just like Poison Ivy, only she has not shown any murderous intentions.

Impulse #80

She shows up early on in his series, and she shows up every now and then and is predominately a thief who uses adolescent boys to assist her in her heists.

Impulse #4

She would make a GREAT current 'rogue' because she's basically a social media influencer. She uses the internet of 1995 to attract potential 'gang members', and she even has her own merch! This would translate VERY WELL for today for a morally gray rogue.

She's FUN, but she's not really a villain so she's out for being Bart's nemesis. She's more like a Robin Hood character than a true crook (a Robin Hood that KEEPS the money).

Likelihood of being a future rogue: 6/10

lmfao white lightning has her own merch but bart doesn't

Evil Eye Eddie/Wilfred Parker (once called "Danny" by his dad)

His first appearance is in Impulse is in issue #27 and he shows up on the regular up until the near end of the series. He's a very well written character that when he first shows up he is a thug and a bully that wants nothing more than to follow in the footsteps of his father, and grandfather (Dr. Morlo) and be a super villain, and a gang member.

As time progresses with him in the series, we see that he does not actually have the disposition to do what he needs to do in order to be that, but he still retains a shitty attitude which makes him more likable. He also has a friendship with Rolly that from everything we see is genuine and he does care about him. One day I'll make a meta post about Eddie because he's fascinating as fuck.

Impulse #47

Evil Eye also finds out on his own who Bart is later and doesn't tell anyone about it so he's not a good candidate for being a rogue of Bart's later. Dr. Morlo couldn't even keep up with being Max's rogue and they instead have a divorced spouse relationship. It would be fun to have him back though. I want him to meet Stephanie Brown.

Likelihood of being a future rogue: 1/10

Pocket Pal

A better contender is Pocket Pal who was penned for issue #60 by the legendary Dwayne McDuffie (yes, Milestone's McDuffie. RIP).

His particular abilities were similar to Chester Runk's aka The Chunk in that he had a pocket dimension in which he could put an infinite number of things into. He was slick, angry, and a young thief who could definitely grow up into a regular rogue for Bart to deal with later.

Impulse #60

I could absolutely see him coming back as an adult rogue for Bart to deal with on occasion. There's a lot of writing potential for a character that has a bag of infinite carrying.

Name's gotta change though. I like Supermassive (as in black hole) but I do not write for DC and I likely never will so Pocket Pal it is.

Likelihood of being a future rogue: 8/10

Honorable Mention: Shanela

Shanela first shows up in Issue #82 and she and her twin sister Shantay both have the ability to manifest illusions. Shanela is just an A N G R Y teen, and her sister Shantay is seen as the one who is constantly trying to keep her in check.

Impulse #83

Shanela has a great narrative and she deals with a lot of internal teenage negativity and low self esteem. She does not really use her power to physically hurt anyone but she definitely has enough anger and hatred towards her peers to get to that point and probably would have had Bart not intervened. Her weakness it turned out was dogs as she is petrified of them.

She was a fascinating 'villain' and it would be fun to see her and her sister again; whether working together as some sort of hero team, working against each other, or simply being civilian metas.

Likelihood of being a future rogue: 5/10 (it's circumstantial)

And now... The person I feel personally strong about being Bart's rogue (other than Thad)...

Bedlam/Matthew Stuart

There's something about a Speedster having an adversary that has infinite power and ability through use of magic that just offers infinite potential when it comes to possible stories. It's terrifying and exciting. When it comes to this particular character however we have established history AND motivation and this character has already mentioned that he HATES Bart (and his friends) and will absolutely given the opportunity wreck his life just out of spite.

Good god don't let him team up with Thad.

Impulse #85

For context here we first meet Matthew in the story that started Young Justice. JLA: World Without Grownups and he is supposed to be a brat even before he comes into his powers.

Now, you can make the argument here that he is justifiably irritated that his father almost did not make it back in time for his 13th birthday, and that his family dynamic is not the best here, and there is probably some toxic dynamic but he's also a moody teen with some anger at the world that helps him along the path of being Bedlam. You can read this scene as him being a brat, or you can read it as him just being a normal kid dealing with loneliness and acting out. Either way, things go bad quick.

He comes into his powers by accident from that clearly stolen archeological artifact his father dug up, someone get Arthur because the Atlantean artifact contains the magical power of Garn Daanuth.

He becomes possessed by this entity Bedlam and immediately changes reality to mirror something he finds fitting; one without grownups where children rule.

Eventually he is apprehended by Tim, Kon and Bart and it is Bart who is key to finally beating him.

Matt remembers Bart very fervently when he shows back up 2 years later without the entity, but with all of his powers roiling through him (TLDR the actual entity was able to be born as a mortal human being and he ditched his magical powers and they went back to Matt).

Impulse #85

Matt to me would be top tier level for an original adversary for Bart specifically considering he targeted Bart (and other members of Young Justice but not the the same extreme as Bart).

He has history, motivation, and a kick ass power that would be nothing short than mayhem any time he showed up.

Now YES he did technically lose all his powers (Bart again, foiled him) and they jumped into Bart's body, but there is no real reason to not have Matt regain the abilities in some way. These are comics, after all.

I feel that in a hypothetical scenario where Bart had to have primary rogue that was not Thad it would be Matt Stuart 100%.

So these are just my own thoughts and Bart certainly dealt with a lot more than just those I have listed but this was still fun to explore and I hope this got you thinking into the subject of hypotheticals and maybe it inspired some fan works.

Thank you for the probing question!

[rigil-kentauris]

9 people you’d like to get to know better

tagged by @valerianvault

Three Ships: JUST THREE???

i am ALSO on that ffxiv juice and as yall MAY have guessed from all my aymericposting its wol/aymeric.

id be here all night if i did ffxiv ships so moving on.

hm.

hm.

ffxiv has really taken oven my brain space huh? tbqh the other games im playing rn arent big shipping arenas for me. what do you ship in frostpunk? coal x generator fics i suppose. if youve got time to fuck youve got time to truck in some more steel from the steel pile. extended shifts for everyone.

this is where i would have put my feh ships if feh wasnt dead to me

well i could put bylad/claude three houses here. power couple of the century. going to get an emulator/mod at some point to restore justice in s supports. i havent got anything against bylass ships but usually the way people write her drives me fucking INSANE.

hm what for three. ugh. ugh. ugh i said no more ffxiv. but i would be lying if - and would LOVE to lie about it though - i would be lying if i tried to act like cidnero hasnt consumed at minimum 15% of my waking thoughts in recent months. its like a fucking perplexus sphere. a very Puzzle. like the rct2(?) roller coaster auto complete function. i WILL figure it out. whatever It is. but everytime i solve a piece another puzzle pops up. gonna reduce this fucking fraction youll see. youll all see.

First Ever Ship: lol. so way back when, my sister was trying to tell me her Lame Older Sister about this cool new thing called shipping. which i was NOT getting at all. and she, i would imagine because of the relative mainstream awareness at the time and the largely practical fact that i knew what marvel movies were, decided to offer the example of 'its like What If iron man and captain america were together'

which i thought was patently silly. i dont remember why now. i think my main objection was that it did not happen, and why would people spend so much time thinking about things that did not happen.

well anyway. tale old as time i thought it was very funny to ironically talk about it. and then it was not ironic anymore. so it goes.

Last Song: well according to my phone music app it was of the night by bastille.

Last Movie: hm what WAS the last movie i watched? i havent watched a movie in a minute. well we're going to be rewatching the gran turismo movie probably tonight. i liked it quite a bit in the theater (went to an empty matinée).

Currently Reading: UGH still slogging through Utopia. im at a part where it seems tommy has lost the thread, so, its difficult. and then my friend wrote a book! and im very excited to read the new draft

Currently Watching: SCAVENGERS REIGN!!!! a very beautiful and thought provoking show about a group of people who get stranded on an alien planet and how they interact with that biosphere and themselves. the animation is beautiful and colorful. it is on hbo max or whereever you receive hbo products. the last episodes drop today idk if i can handle it

Currently Consuming: nothing because i just woke up. im going to haul myself out of bed for some frosted shredded miniature wheats soon i hope

Currently Craving: anything but frosted shredded miniature wheats. bacon cheese egg wrap. chocolate chip brioch bun. pasta. hm i might be hungry. lets say Food

Tagging: @czigonas @plaidypus @lieutenantk thanks for joing me on my breadmaking saga yesterday.

[iamtheoneandonlyever]

my color theory on byler and mlvn

i made this color theory a couple months ago when i wasn't on tumblr so its been lying around. so imma share it

its kinda long so beware i guess?

i have two ways of imagining this theory so that it includes more possibilities. for reference i imagine the main trio's individual colors as

mike-blue (for obvious reasons) will-yellow (for obvious reasons) el-purple (bcoz purple flowers)

and just for understanding, max-red (i picture her as a flame and a flame for me is red)

according to this color scheme,

mike + el = just a bluer purple or navy blue

there is nothing new we get out of it. its repetitive and they dont mix together all that well. its JUST a mixture of them as people.

also, its interesting that el = mike + max according to the color scheme.

the only people el has interacted with (just not on a surface level interaction but actually made an impression on her) who also her age are: mike and max. this just shows she's still picking up on things around her and is still just trying to be her own person.

also note that the result is the same for both additive color mixing and subtractive color mixing.

symbolism of navy blue: trust, stability, reliability last season proved that el has been lying to mike and vice versa. they are both lying to each other even though it was introduced by mike(in the show) that friends dont lie. their relationship is not stable at this point. el is not happy that mike is unable to say ily to her and while that issue is solved at the end of the season, we are shown that el is still not talking to mike. that doesnt sound exactly stable and reliable even though that's what the symbolism tells us. you wanna know WHY?

because el and mike aren't showing their true colors! (sorry, not sorry lol) not to each other at least.

and onto byler:

subtractive color mixing: mike + will = green

as compared to mlvn, we see that mike and will together make something new, something fresh.

green symbolizes growth, new beginnings, safety mike and will confide in each other. they do that coz they are best friends. they feel safe with each other. it also accounts for character growth in both of them. will realizing that, yes, he can have good things, he does deserve what he wants and for mike, he deserves someone who loves him unconditionally, is at an equal level as him and that he too can actually have what he wants. it also give both the characters new beginnings. i could go on and on but for the sake of not extending this post longer than it has to be,

additive color mixing: mike + will = white

white symbolizes purity, innocence, loyalty purity directly counters the fact that lgbt people were said to be unpure and carriers of AIDS during the 80s. this shows how love cannot be impure. love is the best thing this world can offer. they are just innocent kids who have been through too much, just experiencing young love.

all of this is also applicable in the context of friendship as their deep friendship is the root of the romance.

and this next part is for the people who say they think of el as red instead of purple, making mike, will and el all primary colors as they are the primary components of the story.

as mike found el while trying to find will who went missing due to some events, which are byproducts of el's actions. it all comes full circle to the 3 of them. i am not saying will went missing because of el, but you've gotta admit that el does come into the loop a little.

so

subtractive color mixing: mike + el = purple

purple symbolizes royalty and luxury. most people want to be royals, but the dealbreaker is:

dun dun dun

conformity

people dont want to be restricted by always having to follow some restrictions all the time. mike also has to follow the restrictions from liking boys. he is forced to like el. forced by whom? himself. for him, it should be a luxury to be able to date el, a superhero, an amazing, kind-hearted girl, he has expressed this.

additive color mixing: mike + el = magenta (ignore the fact this is pink)

magenta symbolizes balance and harmony. there has been no evidence in the show itself that they balance each other out or are in harmony. it shows that mike sees el on a pedestal (you are a superhero) and they have not had more than two happy moments in one season alone when they started dating. you see, they were just fine when they were friends. the trouble started when they started dating.

also note the fact that byler works both for friends (as we have seen in the show) and romantic (as they probably will end) but mlvn as shown in the show for romance does not work out (s3 and s4), but as friends they can actually bond well and be friends (s1) as for s2, el probably finds the entire thing romantic but i dont think mike tries as much and just wants her back as he considered her as his friend (he does not move at all, either towards or away from el, when she tries to kiss him before going to close the gate with hopper).

also note that magenta and purple are both a bit similar to look at while there is obviously a huge difference between green and white.

to make it easy, i quote garnet from steven universe: i am more than the two of them together or something. i dont remember it exactly but this is the general idea.

if you made it this far, i am sorry. if i hurt your brain, i am sorry. if what i wrote is gibberish and makes no sense, i am sorry. *cries*

this is literally my third post ever on tumblr so i dont how to tag. i am not a native english speaker. Thank you for reading. i appreciate it.

[oswanily]

Sims 4 100 Baby Challenge Tips List

I was told I should make this like a year ago, but you know me, I’m lazy as heck lmao. So I’m making it now, my list of tips to play the 100 Baby challenge! Please note, this is mostly best on how I play. There might be more “optimal” ways to do things but I don’t know everything about this game lmao. It will also need updating when the High School Years pack and its base game update come out, I will do that after a little play time to get the hang of it.

I’ll divide this into sections, and I’ll do this under a cut because this might be a long one.

Also, if you can spare a reblog, I literally spent hours on this... 💗

First of all, I want to say that it all depends on the level of difficulty you want. I’ll try to give tips on the most optimal way to do things, and also if you’re like me and you like a challenge, how to make things a bit harder on yourself.

The Matriarch

Choosing your matriarch’s traits is important, of course, it’s the first decision you make when starting this challenge. The romantic trait is the most obvious choice, since it makes your sim flirty quite often, but to make things a bit harder, you can choose to skip it. For my 100BC matriarch Mavis, I chose perfectionist, because higher quality crafts means more money, and neat, because those Sims get positive moodlets while cleaning and your matriarch will do a LOT of cleaning. Finally, I couldn’t resist giving her the family oriented trait, another go-to. This one gives your Sim happy moodlets when they spend time with their family, which then again will happen a lot.

Choosing her aspiration is just as important: a Love aspiration gives her the alluring trait, which makes her more successful at romance, but it’s not the only option. A Family aspiration such as Big Happy Family or Superparent can be easy to complete without giving such a big advantage, and I also like the Creativity aspirations which depending on what skill you choose to make money with, can be a viable option. Don’t forget to change her aspiration once you’ve completed it!

Finally, rewards. First I always activate whims in the options, to get those extra satisfaction points, you can never have too much of those. For reward traits, I always get fertile first, for obvious reasons. Then I like to get steel bladder and seldom sleepy, because when pregnant your matriarch will need the bathroom all the damn time, and she will be tired a lot when she has three hungry toddlers running around in the middle of the night. I also get beguiling if I have the points for it, but to me it’s not the most important one to get. And depending on what skills your matriarch has maxed out, getting the mentor trait might be worth it. Your teens will get their painting level three in one painting with the matriarch mentoring them.

The House

In my research (yes I did some research!!!) I’ve seen tutorials that recommend living in a tiny house. Hummm… I’ve never tried it, so I can’t say it’s not viable, but your matriarch does need a double bed, and you’ll often have two toddlers and five kids/teens, sometimes three toddlers and four kids/teens. You need to be able to host all this little crowd. Of course, at first you don’t need a huge home because you start with only the matriarch. I usually start in a starter home with two bedrooms and one bathroom and I extend the house when babies start being born. For kids and teens, bunk beds are your best friends. Kids and teens can share a bedroom, but I like to keep my toddlers separated from them because toddlers have nightmares and when they do they WILL wake up everyone, so it’s better if you can catch them and cancel the interaction before they can get to the next person. Also, very important: have your toddler room, your toddler bathroom (with the tub and the potty) and your highchair if you use one (more on that later) on the same level! Toddlers at first can’t climb stairs and your matriarch has better things to do than to carry toddlers around. If you can’t do that though, just have your toddler practice their movement as soon as they age up until they get to level two so they can climb stairs. About bassinets, I usually put them in a hallway… I know it’s strange, but let me explain: babies when they cry wake up everyone toddler and up who might sleeping in the room they are in. And babies cry a lot. So I put them in a room where no one sleeps. Hence the hallway. Usually I choose one not too far from the matriarch’s bedroom.  

About bathrooms – yes I’m making that its own paragraph because the previous one is way too long: You need at least two. I’d advise you separate the toilet from the rest of the bathroom (is this called half-bathrooms? I think). You need a bathtub for toddlers, but for space purposes I usually use a bath-shower combo. If you’ve got two free tiles and you can squeeze an extra toilet in there, do it. Also restrict access to non household members to every bathroom and every toilet but one. That’ll avoid them breaking all your appliances. In my current gameplay, my matriarch has her own bathroom for those emergency bathroom breaks, the kids and teens share another bathroom designed so they can use the shower and toilets at the same time without seeing each other (yes, that’s possible too!) and the toddlers have a bathtub and potty room, and there is one extra guest toilet. It might seem like a lot, but it’s the first time none of my kids ever had an accident while waiting for a bathroom to become available. Speaking of appliances, you’ll wanna upgrade those as soon as you have the handiness level, the spare parts, and the free time to do so.

For lot traits, I think the lay lines lot trait is a must, but I only add it after the house is at its final size, when I can afford all those extra kids. Good schools is also important for kids to age up quickly. For the third one, it depends on what skills your matriarch is earning her money from, you might want one that makes her progress faster. Homey is a good option too, as it’ll help her get her cooking and handiness to max faster, and you will need both of those.

Getting Pregnant

Getting your first baby on the way should be easy. Usually there is at least one man in the welcoming wagon, and if not, grab the first townie walking by. I usually get the friendship bar a third of the way before I start flirting. Then I just use flirty interactions until the first kiss option shows up. If the sim react negatively to your flirting, just go back to friendly interactions until the conversation becomes friendly again, then try again with the flirting. You are going to need a lot of “victims” for this challenge, so I’d advise your matriarch introduce herself to every man she sees. Once they are in her relationships panel, she just has to call them when she has a little free time and chat them up. You can have her flirt with her next victim while being pregnant from the previous one, so when she gives birth she just has to call him over and try for a baby. Also, if you have MCCC on and your townies can breed on their own (or even with story progression now) you might want to be careful not to have kids with your matriarch’s cousin’s son as those don’t register as family in the game for some reason (this is more for gen 2 and up matriarchs, or if your first matriarch has family in the save).

Making Money

There is many ways for your matriarch to make money without working. The easiest ones are painting, writing books, and keeping a garden. Those aren’t exclusive, you can do all three! I like trying new ways to make money, though. I did woodcarving, flower arranging, fabricating, and cross stitching. All of those are viable. I don’t know about the other ones, but why not give it a try! And if you’re tight on money, send your kids and teens fishing or harvest collectibles after school! Also, if you have parenthood, the kids will receive birthday gifts for every birthday, and there will be MANY birthdays. Sell the gifts you don’t need and you might make a lot of money (especially the toys, toys are worth so much in this game). Same goes for school projects, if you have a lot of them, sell a few, they’re worth 100§ each.

Babies

Four words: ultra efficient baby care. You’ll want your matriarch to get her parenting skill to max to be able to use it, but that will come easily with all the parenting she’ll do. Fun fact, you can actually care for twins exclusively with ultra efficient baby care. As soon as the twins are born, use the baby care on one, and just feed the second. When the second baby cries for a diaper change, you should be able to reuse the baby care (if not just let him cry until you can...) so use it on the second baby. Then just alternate every time they cry. If you don’t have parenthood, just changing and feeding babies every time they cry (regardless of what they want) was how I used to do it when I didn’t have it.

Toddlers

Aaaah… Toddlers… You’re gonna hate them. My first advice is that if you use CC toddler beds, make sure they have energy 1. You want the little devils to spend as much time sleeping as possible. Also, don’t forget to check on their hunger level while they’re sleeping. As for feeding them, I personally use the high chair for realism reasons, but if this is your first 100BC and you’re not used to caring for multiple toddlers, I’d advise you skip it altogether and just drag food from your fridge onto the floor for toddlers to grab a serving from. If you do decide to play with highchairs, know that one highchair is enough to feed two toddlers, three if they don’t get hungry at the same time… If you have more toddlers, which happens, you might want to invest in more highchairs. Also, I always click the highchair to decide which child I feed and what I feed them. If you click the toddler, it doesn’t let them decide what you feed them, and sometimes you might want to avoid the sugar rush thing, or to the contrary provoke it. Also, it might seem awful but my toddlers’ hygiene and attention levels are almost always in the red. They won’t get taken away for that, so don’t worry about it!

Now onto toddler skills. Let’s start with potty. Did you know that when a toddler watches another toddler who’s on the potty, he gains potty skill too? Yep. Use that in order for them to reach level two without your matriarch spending hours potty training. Also independent toddlers don’t need to be trained by an adult at all. For communication, that’s the easiest, just spam talk to the giant plushie. For creativity any toy from the toy box does the job. We’re left with the hardest two, for me at least. Movement can be done with the construction cubes. Thinking too, but only from level two, so to get there, I use the tablet. In general, I use the tablet a lot when I have two/three toddlers and only one set of cubes, but for extra challenge you can try to have your toddlers reach their skills without using the tablet at all. For that, have the matriarch or a teen do flashcards with them for the thinking skill, or just do a lot of “what is this” interactions with the toddler if thee are no grown ups available.

Children

Children need a skill level 4 to get their grades to an A. The easiest way to get that is via the social skill. Just have the kids chat between themselves, or with a random person in the street, and once they unlock the “talk about school day” interaction just alternate that with any other friendly interaction (so that the person they’re talking to doesn’t get bored) and the level ups will start raining… so much so that if you have time, you can easily get your kids to level 10 to then have them work on their charisma or mischief for the teen skill… Also to anticipate for the teen skills, here are a list of skills children can start learning and keep when they become teens (according to the wiki, I haven’t tried them all): fishing, photography (though I don’t recommend this one as it takes forever to level up), bowling, pet training (though that requires having a pet which takes a slot in the household, so I don’t recommend it either), robotics, skiing, snowboarding, knitting, medium and cross-stitch.

If you have Parenthood, you have access to school projects. I only do those when kids are C or teens are B and just aged up. They aren’t mandatory but they help progress the grades while also upping the skills. I never buy them though, that’s wasted money. I keep the ones the kids come home with on Mondays and just use those when I want to.

Teens

I won’t develop this too much because it might all change with the upcoming pack. I just wanted to say that it might be a fun little challenge to try to do all the skills in the game as your level three skills for your teens! Also, don’t hesitate to use your tees to take care of the toddlers when they’re not at school. Your matriarch needs all the help she can get.

Making It Fun!

People sometimes tell me they get bored playing the 100BC, and I can understand why. It’s a very repetitive challenge where sims come and go out of your house like in a baby making factory. So here is my advice on how to keep it fun. First, do things. On the weekend with the whole family, or during school days with your matriarch alone, do stuff. Go visit the older kids that moved out of the house, go on a ski trip, go to the bar to hunt for new victims, go to a festival (to hunt for new victims…), just do stuff! You don’t have to be locked inside that house with your matriarch 24/7! Secondly, you don’t have to only play for the performance. If you want to sacrifice a slot in your household for a pet, do it. If you like one of the kids and want to keep them around longer, do it. If one of your teens aged up but you want to help them find love before they move out, do it! It doesn’t have to always be about the matriarch! In my first 100BC, my third matriarch had a twin brother. I decided to keep him around to help with the toddlers. He later was abducted by aliens and had an alien daughter. I decided to keep her around too! And those were some of my favorite sims to play with ever.

There you go!

I didn’t expect this to be this long lmao! I was planning on doing a bullet list and it turned into this… Thanks to those of you who read though it all and if you’ve got tips of your own don’t hesitate to add them in a reblog or a comment!