#Board Game Box Inserts

[tabletopbellhop]

What Board Games Could Really Use Better Box Inserts? Better board game organization.

Check out our latest Ask the Bellhop video on YouTube!

[jovial-thunder]

More IRL Lego Lancer!

We played the Tomb of Delios one-shot by Katherine Stark. Some NPC comp / sitrep spoilers ahead.

I used the backs of old trivial pursuit boards for grids, egg cartons, poster tubes, and a big Roomba box + insert for terrain.

I coated the cardboard with this flour and glue paste recipe I found on youtube.

I found a bunch of cheap-ish large lego octogons and walls online for the modular buildings, then greebled them with misc urban details I collected from my local bricks & minifigs bulk by-volume bins.

Our PCs were a Swallowtail artillery (callsign Bandit; an SSC plant in the union auxilliaries), Störtebeker striker (callsign Roadkill, silver-nanite kintsugi'd mechromancer), and Black Witch support (callsign Egret, disgraced princess (gotta be one of my favorite genders)).

The elite cataphract ended up playing trapdoor spider for most of the game; hiding in a magical healing forest (thank u support o7) and grappling PCs back into the forest with it.

Its scariest turn was popping out, structuring the Bandit and destroying his siege stabilizers, and lassoing it back into the forest. Egret came to the rescue and finally did the cataphract in with perimeter command plate/impact lance/crit thrown tactical knife overwatch combo.

The Swallowtail never took any voluntary movement after deploying its siege stab round 1, but between rainmaker knockback, the aforementioned trapdoor spider incident, and allied ferrous lashes, and a few rams, it was pingponged around the map pretty significantly.

"Come out Rainmaker, I just want to talk."

The final threat to the objective was when a bastion clambered up onto the pipeline to contest them. The Störtebeker (whose mini was having trouble standing up on the pipeline) pulled an indiana jones and just shot it down.

For the pre-battle narrative section, I made two 4-step clocks out of lego and a minimap as the party visited various districts of the city. Both were totally unnecessary but I think added a lot to the IRL experience.

All in all, it was a lot of fun! Things that worked well/could be improved on:

The aforementioned mini stability. I should add more baseplates to the minis to making moving and standing them up less finicky.

As cool as the egg carton bottoms are, having flat surfaces is just better. Going to stick with the tops going forward.

The grid ground floor worked great. I should trace more grids onto the egg cartons and larger boxes. I also made a few measuring sticks out of dowels and that was super handy.

Witchdice on phones continues to work well for PC character sheets.

I made a handful of status tokens that we could put next to mechs. They were handy for consumable statuses like lock-on, but less so for memorable ones like exposed and hidden.

We needed more little indicators for misc systems like Javelin Rockets and Iceout Drone.

It was fun to be able to follow up "how do you want to do this" with "you may now destroy the mini".

[felassan]

Article: 'A Sneak Peek at Modiphius' Mass Effect Board Game'

Modiphius are currently working on a new Mass Effect Board Game that is set to come out this year. To give you the inside scoop on the game, I caught up with the game's designers; Eric M. Lang and Calvin Wong Tze Loon (黃子倫) and tried out a preview copy of the game at the UK Games Expo.

Excerpts:

"this new board game is set during the events of Mass Effect 3. In this scenario, Shepherd and their squad are tasked with investigating a Cerberus ship that has crash landed on the planet, Haglaz, carrying some crucial data." --- "Mass Effect 3 seemed like the best place to insert a ‘cut mission’ which is the pitch we put together for Bioware: What if you had a side mission that you cut from the video game, and this board game was that mission? As to why Hagalaz: The planet-wide storm which players encounter in Mass Effect 2: Lair of the Shadow Broker gave us a natural ‘countdown’ – go in, do the mission, get out before you get destroyed. We also never see the surface of the planet despite it being a garden world, so I thought it would be interesting to go down there while retaining a popular location from the series instead of just making it another random planet." --- "At the UK Games Expo, I was reassured to see the game making great use of branching narratives. One of the game pieces was a board that let you choose mission pathways to pursue. This would allow you to prioritize different objectives and taking the story in different directions and towards different endings. There were even loyalty missions that you could do for each of your squad mates." --- "I got to get hands on with a mission where I was tasked with Cerberus gun emplacements. The squad and I faced off against numerous Cerberus units in turn based combat" --- "When we reached the end of the mission we given a classic renegade or paragon choice. Do we use the explosives we’d collected to destroy the gun emplacements or hurl them at the Cerberus commander instead?" --- "All the characters can be levelled up, allowing players to choose their own character builds. Shepherd in particular can be played as any of the six classes from the game." --- "The artwork used in this game are spot on, showing that care has been taken with the Mass Effect look. This goes from the box art to the mission maps, to the miniature figurines on the characters involved. Modiphius are working alongside BioWare to get that Mass Effect look and feel just right." --- "Mass Effect The Board Game – Priority Haglaz is scheduled to be available for purchase for £40 from November this year."

[source and more info]

[ghostismybbygorl]

Being best friends with ghost

It takes a WHILE for him to open up to you and consider the fact that he's your best fried

He will warm up to you though but its going to take a couple years for him to get out if his box

Once you gain his trust he'll hang out with you almost every day with the occasional week if silence to recharge his social battery

He prefers to text over call so he'll shoot out a couple small texts like

"Have a good day today 🙂" "*insert shitty dad joke*" " how are you today?"

He always makes sure you text him when you get home and if you forget he'll txt you to see if you made it home

He'll eventually have you share your location with him.

He turns off his location when he's deployed but will send check up texts just to let you know he's alive

Loves to go to quiet places with you such as the aquarium or a art museum

He's amazingly good at chess and will teach you how to play

He Loves to play board games and will plan a night where you two will play board games all night

Movie nights are a thing too. He likes to pick out shitty romcoms and roast the life out of them

Along with developing your friedship his physical touch develops with you

Itll start off with light shoulder punches

Then he'll give the side hug which will eventually grow into a bear hug

If your short he likes to rest his head ontop of yours and drape his arms around your shoulders

He loves dogs so if you have a dog expect him to immediately be on the floor giving it love

Dogs love him too. He just has that aura that dogs can sense

The two of you have a secret whistle if you loose each other in a store or if he needs your attention

Late night talks are his favorite thing especially if its the most random subject like "what if hitler went ti art school" "is the great wall of china visibale in space" "wonder what the after life is like" "would you still love me if i was a worm"

Smoke session with him are a must loves to vibe out with you cuddle up and watcb a good movie

Sleep overs become a frequent thing mostly to help him with his ptsd itll end up with the two of probably being roomates

If you get a partner he'll be passive aggressive with them and scare the shit out if them if they try to hurt you

Has a no tolerance policy with guys creeping on you. If he sees that a guy wont leave you alone and you look uncomfortable he'll square up the guy and scare him off

Certified passenger princess 

He finishes your food for you wven if he eats all of his food and is full he'll gladly take your scraps

This man stomach is like a black hole

If youre a picky eater he'll learn to make your comfort food and buy your snacks for you to eat

If he wants you to try new things he'll set the food on your plate and if you eat it he'll praise you for it

He's defiantly a shoulder you can cry on he also listen to you and doesn't say anything unless you want him to

[xhanisai]

What are your top 5 fanfic recommendations?

Oh man, I have like 800 fics bookmarked how am I supposed to choose the top five!??! LOL okay here are five of my favourite miraculous fics (NOT IN ORDER) from my bookmarks of favourite fics LOLOL.

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

1 - Guilty Pleasure by Otoshigo

"An anonymous writer is a little too good at writing fanfiction and Marinette somehow gets roped into reading it. Problem is, now she can’t put it down. [LadyNoir]"

Genuinely this story is one of those that never leave my head and Otoshigo has a way with words and characterisation. The way they portray little shit Adrien and hot mess Marinette brings me so much joy and I love the way they inserted hints of spice throughout that makes this entire oneshot just so much more DELICIOUS!!! Highly recommend!!

2 - The Ladyblog Comment Section by DragonsandInk

"Alya, bless her fangirl heart, doesn't always get everything right. It's the job of the two superheroes she adores to set her informational blog straight and keep a little entertainment going in the comment section. The real issue here is that they don't know how to hold back."

The best way I can describe this story is that it's so, so, SO fun! It never ceases to put me in a good mood and seeing Alya lose her mind with the ladynoir shenanigans is such a delight to see hahaha! If you're looking for something funny and cute and also fluffy I do highly recommend this! Especially if you love seeing lovesquare being such little trolls LOLOL.

3 - elephant by demistories

"Kim stands at the front of room. He crosses his arms and nods to the game code and password on the board. “Welcome to mother. Fucking. Assassin.” He leans forward with a dangerous look in his eyes. “You’ve got until midnight. Then you better run.”"

Fun, fun, FUN this story is so fucking FUN!!!! Lovesquare + ML class shenanigans goes HARD and I EAT THIS FIC UP EVERY SINGLE TIME I RE-READ IT!!!! Everyone should read this story!!!! IT IS LITERALLY CHEF'S KISS!

4 - The Way To His Heart by wintersnight

"The third or fourth time she brings him a treat, it all clicks together, and Ladybug takes a few short seconds to completely freak the hell out in her head before she sucks in a deep breath and smiles back at his look of adoration at the chocolate croissant she’s holding out in front of him."

Probably one of the more influential works on my own writing because there's no words that could describe how much I love LOVE LOVE it!!! It's like a hot drink whilst you're in a blanket cocoon in the middle of a stormy night and it's just so, so comforting. I love stories where one or both sides of my OTP are trying to look after one another in their own ways and it's <3333333 pls read it

5 - Point Blanc by 11JJ11

"Hawk Moth has been defeated, but he has left a dangerous foe in his wake, a bitter and hurting Chat Blanc."

It wouldn't be a true rec by me if there wasn't a Chat Blanc fic on here ;))) This one is deliciously angsty and the twist at the end is just wonderful~!!! As obsessed as I am with Chat Blanc it's just so rare to find stories written in a way that I LIKE about him and his relationship with Marinette and this one ticks my boxes~~~ BRILLIANT STUFF~~~

[theangelsheardyou]

RRRR NOTHING ON MY BRAIN EXCEPT KAKEGURUI AU SKK

Ok instead of a a school it takes place within the Port Mafia which is the biggest gambling ring in japan

Pm dazai and chuuya here but dazai is 22 and the pm boss and chuuya lost his place as an executive after losing against mori in a gamble for his position

2 months afterwards mori mysteriously dies and dazai becomes the boss

He calls chuuya into his office and teases him about his loss and offers him a deal

A deal where if chuuya wins he gets his old job back

If dazai wins, chuuya has to follow a life plan dazai had made for him

In this plan he must leave the Port Mafia altogether and marry dazai and bear his kids

Oh did I mention this was omegaverse????

Not rlly bc it has nothing to do with scents or mating cause honestly I'm not feeling it

It's just an ideal world (where men can get pregnant as they SHOULD)

Anyway the game is called "Disappearing Dazai" it's a game dazai invented for this situation

The way it works is that each player is given a set of doors

These doors have a small plastic box behind them where you can store something inside

There are six doors each in a color from the rainbow and arranged as such

Then the player whose turn is first is given a small ceramic dazai doll

While the other player has their back turned and a blindfold on for extra precautions, the other will hide the Disappearing Dazai in one of the doors

Then the other player must turn around and take off the blindfold and try to guess which door holds the dazai doll

While chuuyas back is turned he focuses on the sounds of the door closing and the ceramic doll hitting the inside of the box

He hears it come from the left side

So when he turns around prepared to choose one of the doors on his now right side, he is surprised to see that the doors have been rearranged. Some are now on the opposite side, seemingly at random

Dazai says that the rules never mentioned rearranging the doors so it's definitely allowed

Confused and overthinking, chuuya chooses the wrong door

He stuck to his decision to thr sound coming from the right side and chooses an orange door, thinking that maybe dazai rearranged the doors first before inserting the doll

However, he is wrong

He realizes that the board they are playing on is made of velvet, which is a soft material that made him unable to hear the sound of the doors being rearranged

The truth was that dazai put the doll in the blue door, the one originally on chuuyas right, and then switched them after

Ok this is getting long and I'm too lazy to explain how the rest of the game goes so pretty much chuuya lost and now has to pay the price

He really doesn't want to and fights against it, but dazai tells him that no one in the pm respects him anymore after he lost to mori, and now his career in the mafia is forever stagnant at an underling position

He is no longer the strong and powerful chuuya nakahara, the gravity manipulator

He is now chuuya nakahara, the prideful idiot who bit too much than he could chew and lost pathetically

So now, since dazai is ever so generous, he gives chuuya a choice

He can remain in the mafia, however trapped in this unmoving, unpromotable state where he will never be respected again

Or he can obey dazai and willingly choose to live by his life plan, at least keeping his pride and erasing his embarrassing blunder from the past by cutting ties with the mafia altogether

And since I'm a silly lil fanfic writer ofc he chooses the life plan

From there it's kind of fuzzy with how I plan to keep it going buuuttt at least I got this much figured out

I wanna actually write this properly in fanfic form but I just made this to get the idea out there, see if people like it, get feedback, and so that when I do write it, I have a guide I can look at so I don't forget everything haha

BTW I had this idea at like 12 am last night while I was supposed to be sleeping so there might be some plot holes or something wrong with the logic

I'm especially worried about the logic of the game since I am nowhere smart enough to think of something actually on the kakegurui level

So anyway ya!! Watch kakegurui if u haven't since that's what this au is based on and if u know it you might understand the story better

Also it's got girls orgasming everywhere so....idk ur feelings abt that......

Anyway tell me what u think!! I'd love to get ur feedback and fix whatever mistakes I made!!

[kikuwaters]

wip bingo tag

This is super cool!! I've never seen a tag game like this before. Thank you @indoorghost for the tag! (You tagged my main but I'm posting to my art blog)

rules: check each box that relates to your wip and then make a bingo board of your own

Since you made two bingo cards, I'm definitely also choosing two of my stories for it haha! For your Project Pantheon story (left), I'll use my story Ten Levels. And your Project House story (right), I'll use my story Williams Funhouse!

Got nearly a blackout for Ten Levels on the Project Pantheon story!! I was hesitant to consider some of the spots I did in yellow. Politics is a maybe bc it's a monarchy situation so politics is there in that sense, and for unique cosmogony, my story is inspired by christian lore on how the universe was made and run but it's so heavily altered and adjusted to my own needs that it's not anything that is true to real religious beliefs (I mean maybe someones but not traditional ones). I got less marks for Williams Funhouse on the Project House story board but I gotta say I'm very interested in whatever is going on in project house. I love stories with all those themes listed in that little bingo card (insert eye looking emoji to indicate my intense interest.) Now, for my cards!

Left: Ten Levels Right: Williams Funhouse

Trying to make the bingo cards was actually really hard bc I never know what words to use to describe my stories accurately haha Anyone that wants to do this can and can tag me! Tagging: @wynplus @wait-still-rendering @thisisalljokersfault @mr-orion @prism-empurress @tabswrites

[astra-ella]

𝐙𝐎𝐄𝐓𝐑𝐎𝐏𝐄 - 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐟𝐢𝐟𝐭𝐡 𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐟𝐞𝐬𝐬𝐢𝐨𝐧

fandom: haikyuu ship: nishinoya yuu x oc/reader status: complete ao3 link

"I think you're really pretty. Will you go out with me?" That was the first thing he's ever said to her. And needless to say, Amari Chiyo was not impressed. So as promised, Nishinoya Yuu will get to know her better and confess again. And again. And again. And again. It'll take 6 years and 9 confessions, but he'll get there. Eventually.

⌦ content: fluff, light angst, love at first sight, friends to lover, slice of life

⌦ note: you are free to insert yourself into Chiyo, just keep in mind she has her own character/backstory. i know some people don't like that, so just a heads-up.

story masterlist | previous chapter | next chapter

The fifth time he confessed was a little less than a year later — a few months into their first year of high school.

After a few grueling months of study sessions and a little bit of luck, Nishinoya barely managed to scrape by on the entrance exams. They went to the results board together on that cold winter day, along with Hotaru and Kaito. Neither of the kids were surprised to see Chiyo’s number there, but when Kaito somehow caught Nishinoya’s exam number on the bottom right while perched on his shoulders, they celebrated with so much enthusiasm Kaito nearly lost his balance and fell off.

So when April rolled around, Nishinoya and Chiyo were once again attending the same school. Though with Chiyo’s better grades, she ended up in Class 1-4 – a college preparatory class – while Nishinoya was put in Class 1-2.

The day club applications began, Nishinoya immediately joined the volleyball club. He encouraged Chiyo to join a club of her own or even run to become a class rep again like she had in middle school, but she refused.

Instead, she put all her energy into applying for a part-time job. She was hired at a small media and repair store near school, run by a little old lady and her grumpy calico cat. They sold all kinds of electronics, from old VHS tapes to the newest gaming consoles. They also had a huge catalog of DVDs that the old lady often insisted Chiyo borrow for the week to watch on her own. 

Despite the two of them being in different classes and volleyball practice running longer than they did in middle school, Nishinoya’s visits never stopped. He’d drop by after a quick text, eat dinner, do homework, play some volleyball with Kaito, watch a movie then head home for the night. He became such a regular presence that even Chiyo’s father, who was rarely home due to his busy schedule, knew his name and often included his portion whenever he brought back desserts for the kids. 

Chiyo would scold him, telling Nishinoya to go home to rest and that his body must be tired after a long day of volleyball and school. To which Nishinoya would simply remind her that he had to return the lunch box she brought him. Something Chiyo started doing after she found out Nishinoya often only bought banana bread for lunch from the school store.

And that day, Chiyo was on her way to the gym as usual. She preferred to deliver his lunch in the mornings, right after she got to school. Like that, she wouldn’t have to spend her lunch time trying to track him down between the classroom, the gym, or the vending machine.

As she climbed the staircase, she could hear the sharp screeches of sneakers scraping against the gym floor. Despite not being a powerhouse school, Karasuno seemed to take volleyball pretty seriously. 

“Nishi-”

“Kiyoko-san!” Before she could call out to him, the sound of two boys’ boisterous voices interrupted her. She instinctively hid around the corner so as not to bother them. It took a second before it registered in her head that one of the two voices belonged to Nishinoya. 

“Kiyoko-san, do you need any help carrying anything?” Someone asked.

“Kiyoko-san, you look beautiful as always today!” Nishinoya shouted.

“No thanks.”

Chiyo felt her heart drop.

She snapped her head around in time to see Nishinoya and a boy with short, fuzzy blond hair run up to a girl just as she entered the gym from the back door. He wasn’t kidding. With shoulder-length black hair and large black eyes, the girl had an air of adult maturity to her, someone who was stoic and passionate yet aloof with their intentions.

Suddenly, the name Kiyoko jogged her memory. Nishinoya had mentioned her during dinner a few months back when he told her all about the club. Her name was Shimizu Kiyoko and she was their one and only manager. 

He spoke highly about her, going on and on about how pretty and responsible she was. But Chiyo had always sort of disregarded his comments. After all, Nishinoya did the same thing with a character in their old literature textbook. But seeing him fawn over another girl, a real one at that, made Chiyo’s heart clench with an emotion she couldn’t quite put her finger on. 

“Guys, stop bothering- Oh!” An upperclassman with short brown hair approached the gym from behind her. “Hey, are you looking for someone?”

Chiyo blinked. “Um, I’m looking for Nishinoya. I have his lunch.”

“Nishinoya!”

“What is it, Daichi-san, ah!” Nishinoya’s eyes lit up upon seeing her. “Amari!”

As he began to make his way over, Chiyo suddenly felt the urge to run. There was a sinking feeling in the pit of her stomach and in the moment, she wanted to be anywhere but there. But she still had his lunch in hand, and there was a part of her that stubbornly wanted to complete the delivery.

“Here,” she shoved the neatly-packed boxed lunch in his hands, not even bothering to make eye contact. “It’s leftovers from last night, so don’t expect too much.”

“I’m sure it’s delicious,” Nishinoya took the box and grinned. “Thanks as always!”

“Noya-san, this girl’s always bringing lunch for you. What’s up with that?” At this point, the boy with blond hair began to approach them. His eyes then widened as an idea dawned on him. “Wait, don’t tell me she’s your girlfriend or something?!”

“She’s-”

“No, I’m not!” Before Nishinoya could respond, Chiyo cut him off perhaps a bit too loudly. “I’m just his middle school classmate. I’m only making him lunch 'cause if I don’t he’s just gonna end up buying banana bread for lunch and be short forever.”

“Excuse me?!” 

“You have your lunch now, right?” Meeting Nishinoya’s offended look with a sharp one of her own, Chiyo quickly turned on her heel. “I’m leaving. Bye!”

She walked briskly away, feeling more and more breathless the further away she got from the gym. She wanted to outrun it all, the sound of her beating heart, the emotions that bubbled in her chest and the hot tears that pricked at her eyes. When she saw Kiyoko, all she could think about was the day he first confessed to her under the cherry blossoms nearly three years ago. She had warned him that he would lose interest overtime. But when faced with reality, she felt like she was the one who lost something.

Her steps slowed as she reached her classroom. It then occurred to her that this wasn’t anything new. Nishinoya has been fawning over other girls for as long as she’s known him. And thinking back on it, the only reason he gave for confessing to her initially was because she was pretty, nothing more. 

A classmate opened the door, cocking her head curiously at Chiyo who stared up at their classroom tag in a daze.

“Amari-san? What’s wrong?”

Chiyo looked at her.

“Boys are stupid.”

After her shift at the media store that evening, Chiyo was surprised to find Nishinoya waiting outside with two soda-flavored popsicles.

She initially thought that he wouldn’t want to speak to her for at least a good while, after how strangely she behaved in front of his teammates. But to her surprise, he simply gave her his usual greeting and smile before tossing the extra popsicle in her direction. 

“Come on, let’s go home.”

“Oh, okay…”

As they set off, Nishinoya tore his popsicle packet open and began chomping down. Chiyo watched him, fidgeting at the sound of crinkling plastic.

“Hey, Nishinoya,” she swallowed hard. “I’m sorry about what I said today.”

He gave her a confused look. “What are you talking about?”

“Well, I… I called you short in front of the entire volleyball team,” she murmured, still refusing to make eye contact. “I didn’t mean it. I was just in a bad mood and I… I’m just really sorry.”

"Oh, what, that?" Nishinoya scoffed. "Don't sweat it, it's whatever. Kaito's been calling me that for like a year."

“Kaito’s still young,” Chiyo shook her head. “But I… should’ve known better than to make petty remarks like that.”

“Like I said, don’t worry about it,” he waved a hand before quickly finishing his popsicle in two bites and checking the stick. “Dang, another dud.”

Chiyo’s lips quirked up a little before falling. “So Shimizu-senpai, huh?” She opened her popsicle packet. “She’s really pretty.”

“Wait, you know Kiyoko-san?!”

Nishinoya sounded so excited and Chiyo felt a lump forming in her throat. “I saw her when I dropped off lunch for you today.”

“That’s right, that’s right,” he tossed the wooden stick into a public trash can. “Yeah, she’s super pretty, isn’t she? A literal goddess. I heard she’s been the club manager since last year.”

Chiyo nodded before averting her eyes, pretending to admire the street view she’s seen more than a hundred times already. “Well, I better not hear any more of your random confessions from now on,” she said half-jokingly.

“Huh, what are you talking about?” Nishinoya stopped walking. “I still like you, Amari.”

Chiyo nearly dropped her popsicle. She turned to look him in the eye. 

He was dead serious.

“Why would you say something like that?” She snapped, immediately losing all composure. 

Nishinoya cocked his head to the side. “Because it’s true.”

“What do you mean ‘because it’s true’?” Chiyo’s eyes widened with exasperation. “You were literally just gushing about how pretty Shimizu-senpai is. Don’t tell me you’re like one of those sleaze bags in shoujo manga that’ll flirt with anyone you find even mildly pretty.”

“What? No! I mean yeah, Kiyoko-san is pretty and all. But,” he then thumped his chest with a confident smile. “In the end, my heart will always belong to you.”

Her lips parted slightly.

“Don’t say stuff like that, you idiot!” Those were the first words she found herself able to say. “You idiot. You’re such an idiot! The biggest idiot that’s ever existed in the history of idiots!”

“I’m not an idiot!”

“Yes, you are! You’re a shallow, stupid idiot!” Chiyo shouted back, trying to ignore the sore feeling in her nose. “You can’t tell me you don’t have even a little bit of a crush on her. I saw you and that blond kid trying to get all cozy with her. You even call her by her first name even though you’ve only known her for like, what? Two months?”

“Amari, I-”

“I’m completely fine with being friends with you, Nishinoya,” she cut him off, trying her best to avoid his pointed gaze. “I just… I don’t want to date someone who only wants to get to know me half-heartedly.”

Nishinoya rubbed his forehead, eyes flickering up to glance at the setting sun. Taking a deep breath, he then gingerly took her hand and pried her fingers off the hem of her jacket sleeve.

“Look, Amari,” he spoke as softly as he could. “Kiyoko-san to me is more like… a goddess. Someone you put on a pedestal and admire, but still way outta your reach. But when I’m around you, I feel… way more comfortable. Like when I get to see you at home cooking dinner, not giving a damn about your hair, and getting mad at us, I get really happy. Cause it feels like a side to you that only I get to see.”

He looked up to see Chiyo’s dark blue eyes glassy with what seemed to be tears.

He mentally cursed himself.

“I get what you mean though,” he gave an awkward chuckle. “I mean I literally asked you out the day we met without knowing anything about you. But I promised to get to know you better, and you know…” there was a faint tug at his lips. “The more I get to know you, the more I like you. So trust me. I’d never ask you out with anything other than pure intentions, m’kay?”

Chiyo felt her heart stop as he smiled at her. Her breath was caught in her throat, and when she reminded herself to breathe again, her heartbeat became so erratic she was sure the entire prefecture could hear it. 

“Y-You idiot!” Those were the only words that came out when she found her voice again.

“Wha-?” Nishinoya looked genuinely confused. “Why am I still an idiot?”

“Because you just are!” Chiyo turned away, biting down on her popsicle in a feeble attempt to stop the rising heat in her cheeks. She couldn’t understand how he could say something so cringey with a straight face. She then peeked over her shoulder, watching as Nishinoya became lost in thought, wondering exactly what he said that made him an idiot.

“But… Do what you want, I guess,” she murmured just loud enough for him to hear.

Nishinoya’s eyes lit up.

“You got it!”

After that little kerfuffle, the two of them continued on their way home under the setting sun when Nishinoya spoke again.

“But you know, if you wanted me to call you by your first name, you could’ve just asked.”

Chiyo averted her gaze. “When did I ever say that?” 

“You got all jealous over how I call Kiyoko-san by her name,” he reminded her with a mischievous grin. “Come on, I’ll start calling you by your first name too.”

“I wasn’t jealous,” she grumbled.

“Come on, Chiyo.” Ignoring her obviously false remark, Nishnoya poked her arm. “Say it. Yuu~”

Chiyo’s eyes wandered from their surroundings to Nishinoya to her feet. She pressed her lips together, struggling for a moment to find her voice.

“Y-Yuu…” Her voice was barely a whisper. 

Satisfied, Nishinoya smiled. “I like you, Chiyo.”

story masterlist | previous chapter | next chapter

[finchesslingshott]

HEY THERE ME AND MY FRIEND @coffeeistired ARE WRITING A NEWSIES SITCOM FIC HERE YOU GO

ao3 link is here, the first chapter of the fic is pasted below :D enjoy suckers!!!

Davey lifted the heavy boxes out of the trunk of his car, groaning involuntarily as he stumbled back. “Les, gimme a hand?” he called hastily, trying not to tip over.

Les, who was on the side, taking in the view of the apartment, was snapped out of it by his brother’s words. “That can’t be that heavy! I bet I could carry it myself.” Les proclaimed.

Dave rolled his eyes, plopping the box in Les’ arms. “Go ahead then, smartass,” he said, smirking slightly when Les stumbled over due to the weight. “We’re Apartment 22B. Should be right next door to Finch and Buttons, I think — theirs has the green door, okay?”

Les pretended to not struggle with the box as he spoke, though he wasn’t doing a very good job at it. “Yeah- uh-huh….I got it.” He replied, attempting to walk with the box. Which he instantly dropped.

Davey sighed heavily, taking the box from Les and trading it for the one he was carrying — much lighter. “Here, carry this one. I’ll see if I can manage this guy. Just start walking, okay? Be careful on the stairs.”

Les nodded. Looking over the building again. “Can’t we make the others helpppp?” He complained, starting to walk towards the building.

  “We’ll get their help in a minute,” Davey promised, following Les up the stairs. “But that doesn’t mean that when they help us, you get to slack off, okay? The more people we have, the faster it’ll get done.” And the faster I can officially say I don’t have to live with my parents anymore.

Les dramatically sighed, but nodded. “Oh please, you’re the one who…uh…” Les tried to think of a way to insult his brother, but he couldn’t think of a true one. Or one that was relevant, so he moved on. “Yeah! And the faster we can get the WIFI set up!” He added.

Davey sighed, nodding and setting the box down as he wrestled the key to the apartment out of his pocket. After a moment’s struggle, he managed to insert it and unlock the door, opening it to their new apartment. It had that new-home kinda smell that Davey loved — it smelled fresh and clean and new, like a new chance on life.

After Davey got the door open, Les waited no time, zipping past him into the new space, grinning from ear to ear. Setting his box down and exploring the space as if Davey hadn’t taken him with to check out the place originally. “No way! I can’t believe we live here!” He called from…well, somewhere. 

Davey laughed lightly, setting down his box beside Les’. “Me either, Les. Now, c’mon, we gotta enlist everyone’s help.”

So they went around the complex, locating everyone and asking for their help. First were Adrian and Benny (aka Finch and Buttons), who were best friends and lived next door. Directly downstairs were Jack, Charlie (Crutchie), and Race (who refused to go by his real name), who lived with their mom, Mrs. Medda. Next door to the Larkins were Blink and Mush — both of whom hated their real names and refused to even speak them aloud. On the other side of Dave and Les were Elmer and Gabriel (Spot), who were the very image of an “opposites attract” kind of friendship. 

These were all people David had known since early middle school — he’d grown up with these guys, and he considered them more of family than his parents ever were.

After collecting the help of everyone else- moving didn’t take long. Race ended up making every bet on who could carry the most boxes- a very effective way to make sure no one slacked off, though no one let him collect on any bets made- much to his dismay. They all sat on the floor of the not so empty apartment in..something of a circle. Les said he didn’t feel like unpacking yet, so he was attempting to stall. 

He was half way in a large box, digging through it. Claiming he had something for everyone to do. Presumably some sort of board game. After a while he finds it, stumbling out the box and holding it in the air like that monkey did to simba. Presenting it to everyone.

“Found it!” He happily called, rushing over, setting the box in the middle of everyone.

“Twister?” several people chorused, groaning dramatically. Race and Finch gave each other the most shit-eating grins — both were dancers and terrifyingly flexible, so this was a game they both loved.

“You know it- now MOVE.” Les said- almost rudely- as he started to set up the game, smoothing the plastic out on the floor, putting the spinner in front of it. “Who first?”

After a little squabble between Race and Finch, the game started — overall, Finch, Race, Les, Buttons, Blink and Mush were playing. Crutchie, Spot and Jack sat on the sidelines, heckling people (mainly Race), and Davey watched with a bemused expression on his face, making occasional exclamations when one of the more flexible players did something he presumed unfathomable (he couldn’t even do a split to save his life).

Les was the first out, being a child and all, he hardly made it to the third spin before he collapsed onto his face. It took a few people everything in them not to laugh at the poor kid. Five spins in, Blink got out, he fell on his back rather than his face, knocking over Mush as well and getting him out. Race and Finch put no effort forth into not laughing at them both. 

Eight spins in, Race noticed something. Finch and Buttons were getting…awfully tangled. And their faces were…awfully red. He smirked to himself, spinning the spinny-thing again. Left Hand yellow, that would make his position easier if anything, it would, but when he reached over he pretended to collapse.

“Awh dang it.” He said dramatically laying back on the cheap plastic awhile, before just as quickly scurrying off. Buttons’ turn to spin.

Finch’s face was bright red, his eyes flicking over to the spinner as Race flicked it around for Buttons. Finch was in a backbend of sorts, Buttons’ left arm, crossing over his torso, their faces dangerously close. 

“Right hand red!” Race called out, and Finch’s face blushed even deeper when Buttons’ arm moved to the other side of his head, avoiding all possible eye contact with him.

Buttons’ body was basically shaking at this point. Whether from the physical strain or his…condemning position, no one knew — not even him, honestly. Unlike the other, his eyes were glued to Finch’s face. Internally praying.

Race smirked and flicked the spinner again, hiding it in his lap. He looked back up, calling the next move. “Left leg green.” Green being…all the way across the board.

Of course, Finch said to himself, trying desperately to bend his body all the way over there. In his strain he failed to notice his foot hitting Button’s foot out of the way with just the right amount of force to knock him over. Buttons yelped, crashing on top of Finch. His lips connected with Finch’s only for about five seconds before he propped himself back up on his elbows, Race wolf-whistled in the background, Davey covering Les’ eyes as the rest of the group howled with laughter (minus Spot, who had the worst resting bitch face anyone had ever seen.)

Finch’s face was still as red as the circles on the board below him as he scrambled to his feet, mumbling some feeble excuse and getting his ass outta there. Tears were quickly blurring his vision as stalked down the hall and he entered his own apartment, ignoring Buttons calling his name from down the hall.

God, he was stupid. He was so stupid. Why had he agreed to that? When he saw Buttons wrap his arm around him, why couldn’t he just fake his defeat? Why couldn’t he make his life easier on himself, instead of kissing the boy he was in love with — who was also his best friend and roommate, to make matters even worse — and get taunted for it by all of his friends? God, he hated himself.

Back in the Jacobs’ apartment, The laughter in the room died down, leaving the room awkward. Buttons, after hesitating a moment, struggled to his feet, shooting everyone a quick glare before chasing after Finch, calling his name. He gave up halfway through the hall, slowing to a walk. He mentally beat himself up- God, he should’ve moved his face- or had better footing. Or something. 

Stupid game.

He took a deep breath in, before just defaulting back to his and Finch’s apartment, not having an idea of where else to go. He didn’t want to face the group right now, and he doubted Finch wanted him near at the moment.

Damn it. He had really screwed this up, hadn’t he?

He entered the apartment carefully, finding Finch laying back on the couch, his headphones in and clearly at full volume. His eyes were closed and his breathing was shaky, silent tears streaming down his face. He was so impossibly angry at himself at this moment, he didn’t know what else to do. He had potentially just ruined his relationship with his roommate — his best friend in the entire world — and any chance he would ever have at telling Benny he liked him. A lot. He was scared Buttons would be angry at him, his mind going through a million worst-case scenarios.

Oh, shit, what if Buttons moved out, and he had to pay full rent?

He’d be undeniably fucked in that case.

Buttons froze. He didn’t know what to do — it wasn’t the first time he’d seen Finch like this over the years, but it was the first time he had caused it. He stood in the doorway, watching him carefully, before shutting the door carefully behind him. He slowly walked across the room to sit at the other’s side, looking down at his own lap. 

Finch felt the weight distribution of the couch shift, and opened his eyes slowly, popping out a headphone. His eyes immediately widened when he registered who it was, his pale, freckled cheeks flushing again. Shit.

Buttons deeply inhaled, before looking up to Finch. 

“I-…uh…’m sorry,” he said slowly, choosing his words very carefully. He hadn’t exactly figured out what to say, but Finch had already noticed his presence and any silence between the duo would be awkward right now. It wasn’t that Buttons hadn’t liked the kiss, it was— 

Jesus, what was wrong with him? His best friend was here. Crying over the damned thing and he liked it.

Some vain shred of hope deep in Buttons’ heart prayed that Finch liked it too, but the context clues he was being presented with showed quite the opposite.

The tension in the room was so thick you could cut it with a knife, neither speaking for a minute or two. Both just watched each other’s faces, examining every little detail, as if trying to memorize the placement of every last freckle.

After a while, when Buttons realized Finch wasn’t going to say anything, he decided to speak again. He was going to kill Race for this. “We-…uh-…” He struggled to find the right words. “I’d…do it again. If you were okay with that…just so you know,” he stumbled out, his voice hardly audible at that point.

Finch’s eyes widened slightly, watching his friend’s face as he pushed himself into a sitting position. “Really?” he said, his tone half-scared, half-hopeful.

Buttons was not expecting that sort of reaction, but it was … way more than welcome. He swallowed his doubt before nodding. “I-I know it’s stupid but… I sorta liked it.” 

This was risky, so impossibly risky — if this failed, he would never be able to face Finch again. He’d move out of the apartment, out of the state — hell, maybe even out of the country!. Maybe he’d go back home, be last in line for the shower for the rest of his life; but … That small sliver of hope that said Finch felt the same suddenly became much louder than the doubt that he didn’t.

Finch scanned Buttons’ face, carefully leaning up again. He gently moved his hand to cup Buttons’ cheek, smiling a little nervously. “Th-This okay?” he whispered, his voice barely audible.

Buttons’ eyes slightly widened. Thank God, he thought to himself. “More than okay,” he murmured in reply, leaning in as well.

Eventually the duo’s lips met in a kiss- a real one this time. Buttons’ eyes fluttered shut, he was on cloud nine. He felt Finch sink into the embrace, moving to cup his face gently in his hands as Buttons’ hands wandered down to carefully hold Finch’s hips, pulling him slightly closer. 

Finch couldn’t think. Could barely even breathe. All he could focus on was the feeling of kissing Benny, of feeling his warmth, of how damn good he was at this.

After a while, they both had to pull away for air, foreheads still pressed together, their breathing synchronized. Finch was terrified to open his eyes, scared to make eye contact with Buttons and have the gravity of the situation crash down on him. Neither of them spoke for a second or two, the moment too perfect to spoil with words. 

In Buttons’ mind Finch was too perfect for words to ever describe, and in Finch’s mind, Buttons was the exact same way.

“I have something I need to tell you,” they said in sync, blushing and laughing slightly. 

“You first,” Finch insisted.

“No, you.” 

This was clearly a fight that was impossible to win. 

They both inhaled, Buttons slightly annoyed at the awkwardness of it all, Finch quaking in his metaphorical boots.

“ I like you!” they both yelped, still in the weird sync they’d developed.

What?

Finch was the first to pull back, staring at Buttons, his hands moving back up to hold his face. “A-Are you serious? This isn’t a prank? I swear to God, Race didn’t tell you to say some shit like this, right?” he said, his tone surprisingly desperate.

“Why would Race—” Buttons sucked in a breath, letting out a shaky laugh. “Damn it, Birdie, I’ve liked you since we were in high school. I’d never do that to you,” Buttons replied, his voice as reassuring as he could possibly get it. He needed this to go well, he needed Finch to say what he wanted him to say — otherwise, this could all go horribly wrong.

Finch scanned Buttons’ face again, his breathing slightly shaky. “Benny, I’ve liked you since we were, like, thirteen,” he whispered, a slight smile playing on his lips, “and I’ve suffered here in silence for, like, seven years, because all this time, I thought you were straight?”

Buttons laughed, tipping his head back as he did. “Hey, in my defense, I thought you were straight, too, ‘til you came out to me a couple months ago!”

After taking a second to process the information, Finch slowly started to laugh along with his best — boyfriend, he guessed was the right term now. He buried his face into the other’s chest, arms moving to be loosely thrown around his neck, Buttons’ hands moving to rest at the small of his back in some sort of hug-like position.

He could live like this forever.

After their laughter died down, Buttons rested his head atop the other’s, pressing a quick kiss to the other’s head before doing so.

“So… Are we dating? Like, officially?” Finch asked, suddenly scared of the answer he would receive.

“… Do you want to be?” Buttons asked after some consideration. Buttons wanted to be more than anything, he knew that much; but he didn’t want to rush the other into anything.

It had been years of waiting and watching and wanting this boy, and yet he’d wait the rest of his life for Finch.

Finch didn’t even hesitate, looking up at Buttons and immediately whispering the one word he’d always dreamed of hearing.

“Yes.”

“Then I’d be honored to call you mine,” Buttons simply replied. Internally, he cringed at just how sappy that was, but he didn’t care at the moment. This was absolutely perfect.  

Finch couldn’t help smiling again, tipping his chin up for another kiss. Now that it was officially confirmed — now that he could call Buttons his — he was all the more irresistible.

Buttons wasted no time in kissing back. He’d wanted this for so, so very long. He let his eyes shut yet again, bringing up a hand to tilt Finch’s chin up slightly. His mind was basically mush, years of feelings now just…free.

This was the happiest he’d felt in a long time.

[emberfrostlovesloki]

Criminal Minds August Prompt List - Back to School

All photo credits at the end

Good evening loves! We made it to July! To Celebrate, here are some August prompts. This prompt list is inspired by the always amazing, @imagining-in-the-margins, who always make the best prompt lists. I won’t write for all of my prompts, but I might for a few. I decided to go with a theme for these August Promts and it is Back to School, and there are a few in here that I am very excited about. Many of these I imagine that team in high school or college, but you can write these however you like! I realize that many of these are more specific than some of my other prompt lists, so feel free to expand or change the prompts if you like, or make up your own! 

The rules for using these prompts are that there are no rules! You could use any Criminal Minds characters, OCs, reader inserts, etc. You could draw, write, make mood boards, or imagine anything else. I have included 31 prompts for each day of the month. I also get inspiration from plain old words, so I’ve included 10 Back to School words that might inspire something. Lastly, I’ve included a few dialog and art prompts too. If any of these prompts inspire you to create, I’d love to be tagged to see what you have made. This is all just for fun. I wish everyone a great start to the month. Please know I’m proud of you wherever you are right now - Love Levi ❤️

❣️ Special shoutout to my moots who helped me with this mood board: @ssahotchnerr @cumulo-stratus @egdropsoop

Y'all should all check out their blogs!

You can find all the prompts below the cut

General Prompts

Characters A and B meet each other for the first time when they share a dorm room. 

Character A and Character B are in biology together and Character A agrees to tutor Character B. 

The BAU faces an Unsub that’s targeting kids walking home from school. 

Characters A and B are rivals on the speech and debate team, when they are put on the same team, they have to work out their differences. 

A case that deals with a drug dealer dealing to college kids, but ends in murder. 

Character A goes to a college party for the first time and sees the cutest person ever, Character B. 

A member of the BAU gets obsessed with a J-Drama and starts packing the team bento boxes with their favorite foods. 

Character A wants to rush for a sorority and talks to Character B about it. 

Character A wants to rush for a fraternity and talks to Character B about it. 

The BAU works a case at a school in lockdown. 

Character A is working on a second degree and Character B helps them study or looks after their kid(s) so they can get school work done. 

In a case dealing with Character A’s past, Character B finds Character A’s school records and finds something surprising. 

When a CM kid gets caught in a cheating scandal, Characters A and B give them a harsh look at the importance of honesty. 

Character A makes Character B cookies with milk after a long day and reminds Character B of their childhood. 

A BAU kid suspects an Unsub in a video game server that they play once they finish homework. 

A major shake-up in the BAU has the whole team feeling like new agents again. 

Characters A and B take their child Back to School shopping. 

A BAU case takes the team to an expensive private school.   

Character A gets the flu from their child, and Character B forces them home. 

Character A thought bullying would be only for their teens, but it seems to have followed them to the BAU. When Character B finds out about it, they take the issue personally. 

Character A is running late for a team meeting and feels like they are running late to school. 

The BAU takes silly photos like picture day at school.

Character A is attending the FBI academy and finds their lecturer, Character B attractive. 

A friend and old classmate of Character A becomes an Unsub, pulling Character A and the team into their past. 

Character A thought they’d have sex in high school, then college, and now that Character B is going there, they have to tell the truth. Character B is very understanding, as they’re in the same situation.  

After losing a bet, Character A has to take the ACT as a punishment. 

The red string of fate trope with Characters A and B. 

C’s get degrees, but not in the FBI. That was until Character A came along. 

High school sweethearts meet up again unexpectedly as adults. 

Characters A is a film student directing a horror film, but the murders in their script start happening in real life. 

Characters A and B help chaperone a field trip when disaster strikes. 

Word Prompts

Backpack

Homework

Study

Practice 

Exams

Alumni 

Blackout 

Papercut 

Eye Strain 

Dress Code 

Dialog Prompts 

“So is the FBI Qualification test like the SAT?” 

“Sweetheart, I know it’s hard to let (our/your child) go to kindergarten, but I promise they’ll do amazing?” 

“Listen _______, I can decorate my desk like a high school locker if I want!” 

“This headache won’t go away, it's like when I failed that physics test with a 23.” 

“______ you’re going to do great. I know high school is daunting, but I support you 100%. You’re going to do amazing!” 

“_______ what year did you graduate college, the first time?” 

Art Prompts

A picture of any BAU character on their first day of school. 

A picture of any BAU kid on their first day of school. 

Any CM character studying.

Any CM character playing a sport. 

Text Break Banner by @cafekitsune

Tag list: @silk-spun @geminitapestry @alicewonderao3 @potatovoyager

Want to be added to my tag list? Please check out this post (linked) 

Want to send in a request? Please check out this post, CM Request Post (linked)

Top: Left (@callsignred) Center (@darkmacademia) Right (@juliaxyn)

Middle: Left (@shakespearesdaughters) Center (@deepcreekvulture) Right (@midnightripping)

Bottom: Left (@peacefulandcozy) Center (@sorokastudy) Right (@themoontaxi)

[eldritchmochi]

straight boy ive been courting, three weeks ago when directly confronted with how he acts like were dating: its complicated. i do have some level of romantic interest and i think maybe eventually i could wrap my head around [insert conspiracy board for both mochi's gender anarchy and relationship anarchy] but it's complicated

straight boy yesterday: starts a second save file for a game that came out less than 24 hours before specifically for me to watch him play it all the way thru then proceeds to read the dialogue boxes out loud for me in silly voices while intentionally sitting close enough to me on my couch that our thighs touched the whole night and also periodically and obviously distracted by my bare legs, and also then feeding my cat "because im already up" including refilling her water, with a response to my request for a goodbye hug that was basically "duh" followed by a smidge of distracted-from-leaving lingering by the door meaning i had to shoo him home

[sirowsky-stories]

Collision

Part 7

Description: Pero returns to the safehouse, not knowing if he's coming back to a bloodbath or an empty house, or if they could all be fine, in which case, they still won't be safe anymore.

Warnings: Pero Tovar x OFC, no reader insert, Pero's pov, conspiracy, cursing, angst, mentions of graphic violence, friends to lovers, hurt/comfort, secret identity, AU fic. Rating: Mature/Explicit 18+ONLY Word Count: 5200 Series Masterlist

Author's Note: Sorry for the wait! I've been in Oberyn's dungeon... But hey, I've managed to post a chapter to each story today!

-=¤=-=¤=-=¤=-=¤=-=¤=-=¤=-

   Because of the precautions he must take to ensure that no one can use him to find the house, it takes him two whole days to get back there.    He’s on foot for the final ten miles, just to be sure, coming in from the south, which takes him along the edge of the ridge that leads up to the cliff, so when the building finally comes into view in the evening fog, he’s seeing it from the side.    It looks dark and ominous where it sits, tightly guarded by the sturdy old trees.

   Even if all the interior lights had been turned on, it would be hard to notice from the outside, because the large windows have a concealed tint to them. Exactly like how modern mobile phones can be fitted with a safety film which turns the screen dark to anyone trying to look at it from the side.    It’s barely noticeable from the inside because the filter only works one way, but from the outside, even someone looking straight from the front would only see faint shadows moving around in there. Virtually no indoor light at all filters through.

   But even though he knows all this, the haunting feeling that he’s gonna open the door to a sight of absolute horror, won’t leave him alone.    He sneaks around to the front, which feels more like it should be the back because there are almost no windows there, to help conceal the structure within the natural environment, and sees that the door is closed and that everything looks exactly as he left it three weeks ago. Which does nothing to soothe his nerves.

   He pulls out a handgun as he approaches the door, remembering to punch in the separate code required to unlock it after the kill-switch has been triggered, and it clicks open. Taking one breath to center himself, he slips inside and quickly and quietly closes the door behind him, while scanning the front hall and what he can see of the kitchen and living room.    The lights are dimmed, but it’s nearly 10 pm, so that’s to be expected. The rooms on this side of the house are empty, but there are signs of life everywhere.

   A deck of cards and a few boxed up board games sitting on the living room table. Cartons of cereal, pasta, and a bag of bread on the kitchen counter. Plates where the remnants of sauce haven’t completely dried yet, in the sink. A sweater hung over the back of a chair. All of which relaxes him to see, because it means that someone was alive this evening at least. But it still doesn’t mean that everything’s alright.

   With the weapon at the ready but pointed at the floor, he sneaks further into the house, stopping to listen at the stairs which are right at the junction between the kitchen and the inner hallway, but there are no sounds from the library, so he carries on.    There are three bedrooms on the bottom floor. The master on the right, with the bathroom next to it, and two smaller on the left.

   Niki should be in the master, possibly joined by Gillian if there’s still a need for her to be monitored, and since she’s his primary concern, that’s where he starts.    The door falls open with a slight hiss as the hermetic seal always activates whenever it’s closed, and the sight before him makes his lungs deflate in the most relieved exhale he’s ever felt.

   All three of them are in there. Niki in his bed, Gillian on the hospital bed, and William on a mattress on the floor, obviously brought in from one of the other bedrooms.    Something has happened, Pero’s absolutely sure about that now. Something scary enough to make them feel like they need to sleep together in the safest room of the house, and it tugs at his heart to know that whatever happened, he wasn’t there to help them.

   He wants to ask them about it, but they’re already asleep, and they look peaceful, so he decides not to wake them. He leaves the room but doesn’t close the door behind him. Both because he wants to be able to hear it if something happens in there, but also because the hermetic seal makes more noise when it’s engaged than when it’s disengaged.    Returning to the kitchen, he places the gun on the counter and leans his back against the pantry door. Suddenly feeling exhausted, he lets his legs bend so that he slowly slips down to the floor. And once he’s seated, sorrow rocks through him like an avalanche.

   Quickly throwing his hands over his mouth to try and muffle the sobs, he feels himself begin to tremble from his shoulders to his knees, while his abdomen painfully contracts in ever hardening spasms.    He’s not sure where it comes from, or why it hits him so abruptly or with such tremendous force, but within seconds, it’s completely crippled him.

   Trapped within this merciless feeling, he has no choice but to ride it out, so he sits there. For how long he doesn’t know, but when it finally begins to let up, every inch of him is hurting from the sheer effort of crying like that.    The sorrow leaves an emptiness behind when it fades away. Something he can’t quite name, but which seems to want to be filled again. Although why he would ever want to get to this point again, he can’t even imagine.

   Feeling hollowed out and strangely void of all emotion, he gets to his feet under strenuous complaints from every damned muscle, and then starts to clean up the kitchen. There’s no rational cause for him to do that right now, especially not when the others are sleeping, but for whatever reason, he needs to do something. Just something. As if his brain has temporarily lost connection with his body, requiring a physical task to be performed to reestablish communication.

   Once that’s done, he picks up his gun and holsters it, before heading for the living room and tidying up, putting away the games and wiping the coffee table clean, and then sits down in one of the sofas. And as he sits there, just breathing calmly for a few minutes, the hollowness fades away.    He’s not aware that he’s filled it with anything but there’s no mistaking it. He feels good. Not great or fantastic, but not terrible either. Just good.

   And that’s where he falls asleep. For the moment not concerned about their safety or the uncertainty of their futures, which is enough to let him rest.

-=¤=-

   He wakes up with the very first brightening of the morning, but since it’s autumn, the sun isn’t horrendously early to rise. A quick glance at his wristwatch shows 07:23, which makes this the longest he’s slept in over three weeks, and he’s feeling somewhat rested for once.    But when he sits up in the sofa, with a slight groan as his body reminds him of the long trek the previous evening, he’s met by shrieks and yelps from the direction of the kitchen.

   Bewildered, he leaps up to his feet, automatically scanning the visible space for a threat, before he realizes that he’s the one who’s triggered the reaction in the two women, standing in the kitchen with shocked expressions.    They must’ve only just walked in there or they should’ve already realized that no one else would’ve broken in just to clean up the kitchen.

   “Oh… Sorry. I got in late, I didn’t wanna wake you,” he apologizes, unable to tear his eyes away from Niki.

   She’s up and about. And she looks so much better. There’s color in her skin again, her hair has been regularly washed and has regained its shine, and overall, she just looks less fragile. Thicker and sturdier.

   “…Hi,” he adds, still staring at her and starting to feel a bit awkward, for some reason.

   But before she’s had a chance to respond, Will comes barreling into the kitchen, clearly fresh out of bed and barely even awake yet, no doubt drawn by the screams.

   “Wha’isit?! Whasgoin’on?” he slurs, first squinting at the women and then looking around the room. “The hell…?” he adds once he spots the new arrival.

   “Good morning,” Pero greets, unable to hold back a small smile at the unintended comedy of the man’s appearance. “Shit… you look hungover. Been partying over here?” he adds, parroting what Will had said to him when he’d called in the middle of the night.

   “Fuck you, dickhead,” the veteran replies, looking like he just swallowed something extremely sour and clearly not appreciating the joke.

   But when he turns to go back to bed, or whatever he intends to do, he beckons for Gillian to follow.

   “Come on, Gills. Let’s give these two a minute.”

   “Don’t call me that, it makes me sound like a fish…” she grumbles at his use of a hard g for the nickname, but she still goes with him.

   Although, not before shooting what seems like a look of guilt at Pero. It’s so brief that he isn’t sure of what he sees, but he gets the feeling that something’s weighing on her, and he makes a mental note to ask about it later.    Once they’ve left, he steps into the kitchen so that Niki won’t come to the living room. He wants her to eat breakfast, and he’s hungry himself as well.

   “Want some eggs?” he asks as he heads for the stove, passing right by her on his way in behind the island.

   She stops him with just a brush of her fingertips against his lower arm. He’s missed her touch so damned much that it grinds him to an immediate halt, and he turns to face her. She clearly didn’t expect such a direct reaction and startles slightly at the abruptness of his movement, so he takes a breath to encourage his shoulders to drop. But that’s as much as he manages before the need takes over.

   He’s wanted to hug her ever since this whole shitshow began, and now here she is. He needs to feel how alive and warm she is. Needs to feel her breaths and the strength of her body. He’s careful, though. Keeping his arms loose around her back and curling himself around her instead of trying to pull her into him.    But once she realizes what he’s doing, she’s suddenly the one who’s pulling. Her arms are steady as she forces their bodies together, pressing herself closer still, as if she’s trying to melt into him.

   He lets her. Loving every sensation, but still worried about hurting her, he merely holds and lets her decide how much pressure she can take.    And for the first time, possibly ever, he feels like happiness is possible. It’s a small and timid feeling, but it’s there, taunting him with fleeting images of waking up beside her in golden morning light, or sitting on a porch together, watching their child try to catch a butterfly.

   It vanishes the moment she pulls away, and he returns to the grim present, where there are questions to ask and answers to give, and no happily-ever-after in sight.

   “What happened?” he asks, and he can see that she knows what he means.

   “William could tell that the Chinese were getting close, so he deactivated all the communications equipment. But they still found us a few days later.”

   That’s what he was afraid of. He leads her to a chair while they talk, so that she won’t overexert herself. He doesn’t know how much her condition has improved, but he knows her body extremely well. So, he can tell from how carefully she moves that she’s still in pain and probably not as well as she’s making it seem.

   “Did they get in?” he asks, as she takes a seat, grimacing when her scars are provoked by the tension in her abdominal muscles.

   “Yeah. They had some kind of code reader device. It only took them a couple of minutes, but they’d managed to sneak up to the house without alerting anyone to their presence. So, when they breached, Will and Gillian came running into the bedroom and slammed the door shut just in time to avoid capture.    And then…” she tries to continue, but the words won’t come out.

   “Then they hit the button,” he finishes for her, because the look on her face as she recalls that moment, is all he needs to work out the rest.

   She closes her eyes and nods, but she isn’t done talking. She appears to have been waiting for someone to say this to, so that she might be able to free herself from it.    He’s momentarily distracted by the thought that it would seem like she hasn’t spoken to either of her companions about it, which would suggest that she doesn’t trust them, despite what they’ve all been through together. Which, oddly enough, makes him proud.

   “The way they screamed… I’ve heard people who are dying before, but that was… I can’t get the sound out of my head,” she says, grimacing at the memory.

   “It’s a truly horrible way to die, which also makes it a deterrent for anyone else trying to get to us. But I’m sorry you had to experience that.”

   “I just… I really need some good news, Pero.”

   She opens her eyes again and looks up at him, a small spark of hope glistening within her eyes when they meet his, and he can’t bear to break it.

   “I’ve made some progress,” he starts, trying to phrase things as positively as he can, but he won’t lie to her. Her trust is far too important to him. “The men who came after you at the hospital are working for me now, and so are a lot of other people in strategic places.    But through them, I’ve learned that a general within the government has a good idea of where to look for us, so we’re gonna have to move.”

   “When?” she asks without hesitating.

   “As soon as I find us a safe place to go.”

   She doesn’t look terribly defeated by that, but she does look very sad.

   “Is there a safe place for us anymore?”

   It’s a valid question, and he understands why she asks it. But he hates it. Hates that she even thinks along those lines.

   “If I have to destroy the entire American government to make you safe, I will do it,” he promises, and then idly pinches a strand of her hair between his fingers, and it isn’t until it dawns on him that he’s trying to commit the feel of it to memory, that he stops himself.

   Does he really not have better faith in their chances than that?

   He tries to step back, to return to the stove and get started on breakfast. But again, she stops him. This time, by taking his hand and pulling him back.

   “You’re allowed to be scared. And you’re not weak for showing me that you are,” she whispers, and he tries to meet her gaze, but the care he sees there is too much.

   His head falls forwards against his chest as he fights against the same sorrow that keeps trying to claw through him every chance it gets.

   “I can’t…” he replies, but his voice breaks before he can finish, so he swallows and tries again. “I can’t go there… because if I do, I’ll fall apart, and I’ll be no good to you.”

   He’s not sure why the words make him feel ashamed, but they do. Enough that he can’t stand it, pinching his eyes shut and pulling his hand from hers.    But before he can turn away, she’s there. Right in front of him. He can feel her presence before the waft of air caused by her movements have even reached him. And he can feel the soft sweetness of her lips against his before he’s even had a chance to open his eyes.

   Unable to resist her intoxicating invitation, he caves. Pulling her closer, he begs for more, even though he knows that she can’t give it right now. He just needs to feel her. To know that she still wants him, that he’s still good enough.    She lets him. Guiding his hands to where his touch won’t hurt her, she settles into him, letting him lick into her mouth and press his groin into hers.

   He’s not hard and he isn’t going to be. Not when she’s this fragile. It’s just a gesture of comfort and familiarity and she knows that, which is why she doesn’t stop him. That’s the payoff from the trust they share. The knowledge that one’s pain will never give the other pleasure and that neither of them will ever have to fear that from one another.    Instead, this moment becomes one of those that further solidifies the true strength of their relationship, when he pulls back to find a small, contented smile on her lips.

   “You’ve always been good to me, Torkie,” she reminds him, sneaking a smile from him with that nickname.

   It’s a play on Tovar and forklifter. The other warehouse workers licensed to drive the trucks and forklifts are known as forkies, but Niki had decided that he should have his own. Primarily because he’d had a fondness for annoying her in the beginning, and the name had been her way of getting back at him.    He’ll never forget the first time she used it, calling him out over the inhouse com-system for having played her a small prank involving a plastic spider in her toolbox.

   It was just a few weeks after they’d first met, and he’d been trying to get her attention because he’d already decided that he liked her.    But she’d been thoroughly unamused and had made sure to get him back, by blasting obnoxious 80’s pop music, which she’d already learned that he hates, over the radio, knowing that he wasn’t allowed to turn his comms off no matter how irritating it was.

   “Here’s a few songs for the forkie, let’s call him Torkie, who thinks he’s the funniest guy on the floor. Let me know when you’ve had enough.”

   He’d laughed for the first time in years as he’d heard the music start playing, instantly knowing that it was directed at him and that he would forever more be Torkie. But he was fine with it. And he still is, five years later.

   “Okay, we really should eat something now,” he says to break the seriousness of the moment, and she nods and pulls back.

   She knows that he isn’t brushing her off. That the reason he changes the topic is in fact because her words are actually threatening to bring him closer to that breaking point, which neither of them can afford right now. That’s why she isn’t disappointed in his response.    Instead, she joins him in the cooking, offering to chop onions and tomatoes for an omelet, and so they set to work.

   The smell eventually draws Will and Gill back to the kitchen, and while they all sit down to eat together, Pero fills them all in on what he’s been doing for the past three weeks.

   “Wait, are you seriously telling us that you’ve singlehandedly managed to infiltrate the highest levels of the United States government, in just three weeks?!” Gillian exclaims in minor shock, once he’s covered the broad strokes. Then after a stunned moment of silence, she adds: “Please tell me it’s not that easy…”

   “It’s not that easy,” he confirms, easing her nerves a bit. “I just have a talent for knowing how to get people to do what I need them to.    But the point is that we’re not gonna be safe here for much longer, so we need to come up with a plan. I made the choice for all of us last time, but I’m not gonna do that now. You all deserve a say in what you wanna do.”

   “Well, technically I came here by my own volition,” Will counters, and then continues. “And it’s my intention to see this through, so I’ll help you look for potential safe zones.”

   That surprises Pero.

   “I thought you only came here to keep your house and business safe. You’ve already had one close call, why would you put yourself at risk for more when there’s nothing for you to gain?” he asks, and suddenly the veteran looks terribly sad.

   “Well… for you, actually.”

   No answer could’ve been less expected from the reclusive computer expert. Pero just sits there, staring at him, unable to think of a single thing to say, because why would this man that has every reason in the world to hate him, want to do anything for him?    Tovar all but threatened him to get him to take on Niki’s case, and now he’s suddenly saying that he’s here to aid the very man that only ever uses him for his skills and completely disregards him beyond that. It makes no sense at all.

   “I’m sure it’s shocking for you to hear this, but I really do want to help you,” Garin persists, keeping his gaze fixed on the other man, and he still looks so sad.

   “It’s a bit more than shocking, Will… considering what I had to do to convince you back in the beginning,” Pero reminds him, but it has no effect.

   “Yeah, cause I was still only thinking of myself then. But by working with you, I’ve learned what it is to put other people first and I need to keep doing that.    Because that’s the only salvation I’ll ever have.”

   And just like that, Tovar understands.    All those years, he tried to shift people’s perspectives, tried to get them to see how harmful their actions, but most especially their attitudes, were, without ever seeing any real proof that it made one lick of difference.    But apparently, William is that proof.

   “Thank you,” he says to the vet, who nods in return.

   “Um, as… adventurous as this has been, I’m not sure that I can tag along anymore,” Gillian picks up the thread. “Ever since the gas… the bodies… I just can’t.”

   “I understand. We’ll do what we can to keep anyone from associating you with us,” Pero assures her, but he also needs to remind her of the risk she’s taking. “You do realize that people will be able to connect you to us because of the hospital, right? And that there is a significant risk that no matter what we do, someone might try to use you to find us?”

   “That’s why I’m gonna go upstairs and put some headphones on while the rest of you discuss where to go next, because at least if I don’t know, I can’t tell anyone anything, no matter what they do to me.”

   Her determination is admirable. Not many people would choose a clear risk of torture and death just to protect people they have no actual relationship to.    She gets up and leaves immediately after saying that, and out of respect, none of them start talking until they’re certain that she’s out of earshot.

   “So, what are you thinking, Pero?” Niki asks, not bothering to give her consent for whatever they’re doing next, because it’s not like she has much choice.

   “I’m thinking that if we can’t hide in the wilderness, then the thick of it is probably our best option. New York, preferably.”

   “I can work with that,” William agrees. “There’s more than enough digital mayhem there for me to hide any signals we might put out.”

   “What about your personal signals?” Tovar asks, earning a blank expression in return, so he elaborates. “What’s the risk of you running into old acquaintances? And are you sure that you can cope with the emotional strain of going back there?”

   At first, Will looks defiant, maybe even a bit indignant to be asked those questions. But he knows that they’re valid. That the guilt he still carries concerning Christine isn’t some minor issue to be disregarded, and that Pero is actually being kind by bringing it up right away, giving him a safe space to air out those questions.

   “Honestly… I don’t know. Given how much I’ve changed since those days, I’m not sure that anyone even could recognize me, but there’s always a chance.    And as for Chrissy… I doubt that the city holds any more power over my heart than the memories do. I don’t think my guilt is any greater there than here.”

   “Okay. Then I’ll get started on finding us a good spot. I’ve got a lot of former marks in the big apple, so it shouldn’t take long,” Pero declares.

   “If you can, try and get us into a modern skyscraper, preferably somewhere in the middle of the building,” William says while getting out of his seat.

   “Why? Wouldn’t an older building have less cyber security?”

   “Yes, which is precisely what we don’t want, because both the hardware and software that I work with would stick out like a red flag among all the degraded stuff. We need to blend into something of similar potency,” he explains while making his way towards the stairs.

   “Right. I’ll look into it,” Tovar assures him, then adds: “But I guess we’ll need to get this place up and running first.”

   “How long do you think we’ll have once this little gem pops up on the grid again?”

   “Not long. A day, tops.”

   “Shit. Fucking government… Alright, let’s not waste a second then, anything that needs to be packed, have it ready within two hours,” Will suggests, to which Niki nods and starts moving towards the bedroom.

   “Hey,” Pero stops her, and she turns to look at him. “Tell me how you’re really doing, because there’s a risk that we might have to trek out of here to where I stashed a car on the way in, and that trek took me seventy-two minutes with no bags to carry.”

   She looks worried, hearing that, and a deep sigh falls over her lips as she considers her answer.

   “If I have to, I can walk that distance. But it won’t be quick, especially if there’s no trail to follow. And if I fall, even just a small bump on the wrong spot could be fatal.”

   “Okay, then pack light. Nothing that isn’t absolutely essential, and try and fit it into just one bag, so that I can carry you if it comes to that.”

   She doesn’t look happy with that thought, but she doesn’t object. No matter how independent and strong she usually is, in these circumstances, she won’t survive without their help, and she doesn’t have the luxury of feeling like a burden to them. That’s just how things are for the time being.    Pero and William have both chosen to be here, despite any burdens it might place upon their shoulders, so the responsibility ultimately lies with themselves, not her.

   While the men work upstairs, one on the phone and the other on the laptop, mapping the safest route and finding the right place to hide, the women work downstairs, discussing how many weapons they might reasonably carry, against how much medical supplies they should consider absolutely necessary.    Clothes and soaps aren’t even brought up in conversation.

   They’re ready to leave in the late afternoon, just as the sun has begun to set. Whether or not they can use Will’s car is dependent upon how close their enemy has gotten, if there’s a chance that they might hear the engine or see the headlights at any point of their journey.    And to find that out, they need to put themselves at great risk, which is why they wait until they’re all dressed and standing outside the car.

   “Alright, everyone ready?” Garin asks, standing at the front of the SUV with the laptop resting on the hood.

   “Ready,” Niki announces, and William hits Enter.

   Once he does, a signal that will be painfully visible to the experts that are spending thousands of dollars a day searching for them, is sent from the device, essentially creating a beacon. And when they lock onto it, Will can backtrack their signal as they relay the location data to the team that’s searching the woods, giving him a real-time location on them in that moment.

   It takes the experts less than two seconds to acquire the signal and forward it to the teams.

   “Fuck…” Garin mutters. “We’ve got six units out there, the car’s outta the question. I’m not sure we can get past these guys even on foot,” he worries, tapping a few times on the computer to prompt it to destroy its own servers before he douses it with battery acid, which will make quick work of the plastics and then slowly make its way through the metals.

   “Yes, we can,” Pero counters. “Just follow me and pay attention to any signal I give you. I know these woods better than anyone.”

   He’s given them a quick tutorial on the signals he might use to communicate danger and what they need to do in those scenarios, so if they all keep calm, there is a chance that they might make it.    Obviously, his biggest concern is Niki and how well she’ll be able to move out there, but since they have no other options, they’ll just have to make it work.

   “Remember, don’t be afraid of the dark, your eyes will adjust if you just keep from looking at anything bright. You won’t see far, but you’ll be able to make out what’s in front of your feet. Trust yourselves. And no matter what, don’t make a verbal sound.”

   They all nod, looking more terrified than anything else, which is entirely understandable for three people who have spent almost no time at all in the woods. Will might be military trained, but that knowledge has been tainted and repressed along with the painful memories, so it won’t do him much good here. Especially since his training was focused on mountain and desert survival, not thick forests.

   With Pero in the lead, they set off into the darkening world, once again prey on the run from the predators. The hyenas and wolves, closing in around them.    It’s gonna take a minor miracle to slip past them all undetected, but in these past few weeks, Tovar has come to understand that miracles aren’t quite as rare as he’s always believed.

   Perhaps that’s what now gives him such confidence. He’s never been a hopeful or particularly positive person, but as he helps Niki down the first treacherous steps on the side of the cliff-face, it isn’t fear that motivates him or sets his mind to the task with such ease.    It’s faith. Not that some higher power will save them, but that they can and will do that themselves.

   In these most dire of circumstances, Pero has somehow discovered the true depth of the human heart, and the power it possesses.

-=¤=-=¤=-=¤=-=¤=-=¤=-=¤=-

Part 8

Thank you for reading, and if you want to keep up to date with this story, follow @sirowsky-stories and turn on notifications. Or if you don't wanna do that for some reason, just ask nicely, and I will still tag you, just for this series :)

@pedrostories

[ciaossu-imagines]

Hello, hello, my lovelies! Since I've gotten zero bites for asks for my other non-KHR/K fandoms, I'm going to host a little special event before my box reopens (after I finish writing fic and have posts done for all my fandoms) and I have another big event! So, this is how it's going to work!

I have exactly 42 fandoms, if I'm counting right. Below you'll find all 42 fandoms listed. Under those fandoms, you'll find a list of 42 AU's. I'll accept 1 request per fandom and one request per AU. For example, if someone requests KHR and mermaids, for example, I'll cross out both KHR and Mermaids and neither the fandom nor the AU can be requested for anymore. It's first come, first serve and I'll do my best to keep the lists up-to-date with requests. This event will close when all prompts and fandoms are taken. You can just request a fandom or you can request a specific character or group of characters from the fandom and you can request a reader insert character as well. YOU CANNOT REQUEST SCENARIO OR HEADCANONS OR HOW EXACTLY THE PROMPT WILL BE WRITTEN OR INTERPRETED, UNLESS STATED. That will be left up to the admin and what ideas I have, honestly. Any questions, feel free to inbox me! Without further ado!

FANDOMS

KHR

K PROJECT

NANBAKA

WELCOME TO DEMON SCHOOL, IRUMA-KUN!

BUNGOU STRAY DOGS

SERVAMP

SAIYUKI

MYSTIC MESSENGER

IKEREV

EYESHIELD 21

THE OUTSIDERS

RONIN WARRIORS

KEKKAISHI

GETBACKERS

BLUSH BLUSH

CLASS OF THE TITANS

DISNEY'S ULTIMATE SPIDER-MAN

DOGS: BULLETS & CARNAGE

BLACK CAT

HUNTER X HUNTER

KARNEVAL

THE ROYAL TUTOR

GANGSTA.

PSYCHO-PASS

THE MIGHTY DUCKS

THE COVENANT

DATE WARP

SEDUCE ME THE OTOME

POWER RANGERS MYSTIC FORCE

POWER RANGERS JUNGLE FURY

POWER RANGER NINJA STORM

BLEACH

NARUTO

HARRY POTTER

AO NO EXORCIST

OURAN HIGH SCHOOL HOST CLUB

DEADMAN WONDERLAND

DURARARA!!!

SKY HIGH

HOLES

YU YU HAKUSHO

GINTAMA

AU'S

ZOMBIE APOCALYPSE

COFFEE SHOP

ROYALTY

BOARDING SCHOOL

HOGWARTS

SOULMATE (YOUR CHOICE OR LEAVE IT TO ADMIN)

VAMPIRE

WEREWOLVES

AMNESIA

ANGELS & DEMONS

ANIMAL SHELTER

DETECTIVES/BUDDY COPS

SUPERNATURAL DETECTIVE

PARANORMAL

ARRANGED MARRIAGE

RETAIL WORKERS

PARAMEDICS/DOCTORS/NURSES

MODERN DAY

SENT TO THE PAST/SET IN ANOTHER DECADE (YOUR CHOICE OR LEAVE IT TO ADMIN)

ASSASSINS/NINJAS

SUPER SPIES

AVATAR THE LAST AIRBENDER

CHILDHOOD/ELEMENTARY SCHOOL (YOUR CHOICE)

HIGH SCHOOL

OLD AGE HOME/RETIREMENT COMMUNITY

PERCY JACKSON

BABYSITTER

BATTLE ROYALE/HUNGER GAMES

PRISON

PIRATE

CIRCUS/FREAKSHOW

DELIVERY PERSON

FAIRY TALES

PRETEND DATING

HAUNTED HOUSE

HAREM/REVERSE HAREM

MERMAID

MASTER/SLAVE

HOST CLUB

MAFIA

MAGICAL GIRL/BOY

DUNGEONS & DRAGONS

[jones-friend]

Board Game Storage Advice

So at a certain point you may amass more board games and need to rethink storage. I’ve been mixing up my board game Storage for a few years now and wanted to share what I’ve learned!

So. The default storage for board games is flat. This works great until more stuff gets stacked on top of them. Boxes can bow and bend if left stacked for a long period of time. I now prefer to store my games horizontally, this cuts down on warping over time.

I recommend weighty bookends or stacking your games in such a way they stay closed. You don’t want them sliding open because there isn’t a stable slot for the game to rest in.

Most games are designed to lay flat. That’s how the plastic inserts come. I find the plastic inserts don’t leave enough room for expansions, don’t let you store vertically, and sometimes they can contribute to card warping. Lately I’ve been removing the plastic insert of most games to bag its individual components for safer storage.

Jewelry bags are great for storing game components. This bag is 4x7 and its on the small-medium side. Its the size I use for all my games now. I take out the insert, bag up tokens, chips, cards, etc. Throw away the rest.

Not every plastic insert should be tossed. It very much so depends on the game so take a look at the fragility of the pieces and such and make a good decision. I prefer sideways storage, you save space, you avoid having towers of games, and it keeps boxes in good condition.

If you have any of your own thoughts or suggestions I’d love to hear them!

[stephensmithuk]

The Empty House

Published in 1903, this was the first Holmes short story for a decade. Doyle had previously released - in a serial format - The Hound of the Baskervilles, which was set before "The Final Problem".

ACD had become Sir Arthur Conan Doyle by this point, honoured in the 1902 Coronation Honours, arguably for a pro-Boer War short work he wrote. That's what he believed in any event.

This is the first story in The Return of Sherlock Holmes and the second that we've covered - we did "The Second Stain" previously because Baring-Gould's chronology puts it quite early.

Park Lane, as I might have mentioned previously, is a highly desirable street and is the equivalent of Park Place on the London Monopoly board.

"Honourable" is the courtesy title used for the younger sons of earls; it's also used by most members of the House of Commons. Insert joke about politicians here.

Carstairs is a village in South Lanarkshire Scotland. It is best known in British railway circles as a major junction and the place where the London to Edinburgh & Glasgow sleeper is split up, a section for each destination.

Expanding bullets were also known as dum-dum bullets after the Indian city of Dum Dum where some of them were made. The hollow point is a more modern version. The nastier injuries that they cause led to their banning from use in warfare in the 1899 Hague Convention, but they remain legal for law enforcement use, it being argued there is less risk of harm to bystanders as the bullet will not pass through.

Baritsu is possibly a typo for Bartitsu, a martial art invented by Edward William Barton-Wright, an engineer who had spent three years living in Japan. Combining elements of boxing, cane fighting, jujitsu and Frence kickboxing, it faded into obscurity during the 20th century before making something of a small comeback in the 21st.

Mecca, then under Ottoman rule, is closed to non-Muslims and the Ahmadiyya movement (seen as heretics). Holmes likely followed some other Westerners by getting in disguised as a Muslim.

The "Khalifa" was Abdallahi ibn Muhammad, a figure who tried to set up an Islamic caliphate in Sudan and the surrounding area at this time (1893). He faced an Anglo-Egyptian invasion in 1896-1899, lost and then engaged in a final stand at the Battle of Umm Diwaykarat in October 1899. To make use of a famous phrase, the other side had Maxim guns and he did not; the battle was massively one-sided, resulting in his death.

The "Jew's harp" is a mouth harp. It's probably from Siberia.

"Journeys end in lovers' meetings" is from Twelfth Night.

A shikari is a big game hunter.

Charasiab was an 1879 battle between the British and Indian Army on one side, with Afghans on the other. The British used Gatling guns for the first time in anger and won, capturing Kabul shortly after.

Despatches refers to the fact that Moran's conduct in the battle was sufficiently brave or high quality to warrant a mention in the official report sent to London and usually published in The London Gazette, the official government journal of record. This still exists and is used to formally announce honours etc. like Arthur Conan Doyle's knighthood. Simply put, it is an official commendation - not a gallantry medal, but one may well follow.

The Scotland Yard Museum, historically known as the Black Museum and now the Crime Museum, is a collection of criminal artefacts used for teaching purposes. Located in the basement of the current New Scotland Yard (the third to use that name) it is not open to the public - only police officers are generally allowed in and need an appointment. The Metropolitan Police has a public museum in Sidcup, but this is also appointment only.

[loverboy1717]

Hey so head canons about appearance when there is not a lot of concrete descriptors in the source material are very much up to the listener. Y’all gotta stop acting like people who don’t agree with the hive mind of this fandom are fat phobic or racist.

My personal, original, character headcanons before becoming active in the online fandom:

John:

Short, neatly combed hair. British south Asian who dressed in like elbow patches and bullshit hipster glasses he didn’t even need but wore cus he wanted to look like a distinguished professor. First edition books on his desk. The kinda dude who smokes a pipe for the aesthetic and refuses to drink well drinks at the bar. Basically a pretentious little twink so kinda on the money with the popular opinions tbh.

Martin:

Curly light brown hair. Clean shaven. Freckles and the kinda pale skin that gets blotchy/flushed easily. Grandad glasses but not like in a trendy way. In a thrift store cus he’s poor kinda way. In my head he has medium build. Like not muscled or fit, but not plus sized either. Just tall and solid with threadbare lil sweaters and he absolutely decorated his institute lanyard with vintage broaches. Rarely wears matching socks.

Tim:

Tim in my head is just Phil Wang in like California surfer fits. Dude wears board shorts and flip flops with his collared short sleeved shirts and ties. Really good at beer pong and pub quizzes.

Sasha:

Jessica Brown Findlay meets Angel Colby but like with hip style and ink smudges on her fingers and a cheekier attitude. Catherine Bohart personality vibes would be a close comparison but not quite on the money.

Elias:

Artfully dyed grey hair to hide his actual grey hair with that 1920-30 little bang wave. Lean but not like scrawny. Slacks, perfectly ironed dress shirts, douchebag Patagonia vests. His loafers cost more than a years rent in central and he has days of the week cuff links. He has the fake corporate smile that promises shitty snacks and forced ice breaker games and incredibly polished generic conversations.

Gertrude:

Lily Tomlin if she were British and way more serious. Yes, this makes me laugh now too.

Basira:

Literally just one of my friends but butched up a bit. (Sorry that’s not helpful for y’all’s imagination) intense when it comes to studying and pushing herself. Button ups and slacks and sensible shoes.

Daisy:

Long box black hair always in a bun but but with an under cut. Strong af but not bulky. Mean lesbian vibes. Sleeves always rolled up to her elbows and her shirts tucked in.

Melanie:

My self insert character. Bi bitch. Backwards baseball cap. Jeans and converse or docs. Oversized sweatshirts. Not cute knit sweaters but like old band crew necks and hoodies and soccer kits. (If anybody would love to go scream at the opposition fans it’s Melanie okay)Nose ring, messy hair to her shoulders. Always looking for a fight and a puzzle to solve.

Georgie:

Rose Matafeo if she was less chaotic and more put together. A wearer of Overall dresses with colorful tights and floral printed cardigans. A lover of tote bags and planners. She has a sticker of The Admeral on her hydro.