#Carnival Corp

[chrisframeofficial]

Shock News as P&O Australia brand to be shut down… Replaced by Carnival Cruise Line.

Very sad news this morning with the announcement that P&O Australia will be shut down in 2025, with two of its three ships absorbed into Carnival Cruise Line to improve ‘operational efficiencies’. This effectively ends the lines centuries long connection with Australia and means that Australia will no longer have a home grown cruise line.

Comments from Carnival:

In a media statement, Carnival Corp said that the change is the latest in a series of strategic moves designed to increase guest capacity for Carnival Cruise Line, the company's flagship brand and the highest-returning brand in Carnival Corporation's global portfolio.

"P&O Cruises Australia is a storied brand with an amazing team, and we are extremely proud of everything we have accomplished together in Australia and the broader region," said Weinstein. "However, given the strategic reality of the South Pacific's small population and significantly higher operating and regulatory costs, we're adjusting our approach to give us the efficiencies we need to continue delivering an incredible cruise experience year-round to our guests in the region. Carnival Corporation & plc remains committed to Australia and we will continue to be the largest cruise operator in the region with 19 ships calling on 78 destinations and representing almost 60% of the market."

With P&O Australia shutting in 2025, the Pacific Encounter and Pacific Adventure ships will be rebranded and operated by Carnival Cruise Line brand. Pacific Explorer will exit the fleet in February of 2025.

Hard to believe:

There is obviously so much to say about this. I’ll be taking a little while to absorb the news and will be posting some video analysis and commentary soon.

[reportwire]

Cramer sees a 'good chance' Salesforce's Benioff will soon announce succession plans

Jim Cramer suggested Saturday that plans for a leadership change at Club holding Salesforce (CRM) — helmed by co-founder Marc Benioff for more than two decades — may be disclosed in the near future. “There will be a good chance that Marc will [soon] announce a successor or Marc will announce that he will [only] be chairman,” Jim said Saturday during the Club’s first-ever “Annual Meeting” in New…

[arcatsk]

My main work for the @yu-gi-oh-travel-zine! Where the boys just get to enjoy the carnival the KC held (why of course KC held it..) after Kaiba managed to return Atem from the afterlife (hence the tan) Everything is Blue-Eyes themed for a reason!  (also Joey works there..hehe) this piece was inspired by London's Winter-Wonderland, where I literally got lost because everything was so colorful and fun.  (way to start my London trip..) Also - more cloth designs!

[aihaloos]

With how we've not been in L corp branches for the two recent Cantos (V did have us visit but we didn't find the Golden Bough until we had The Whale Shenanigans™ so I'm not counting that), do we think Canto VII will have our journey be in one?

[zoloxolo]

hyperfixation so niche there isn't any dedicated blogs to it

[mumblelard]

wind damage or else

[literaryvein-reblogs]

commonly confused words

accept: to receive except: with the exclusion of

advice: recommendation (noun) advise: to recommend (verb)

adverse: unfavorable averse: opposed to

affect: to influence (verb); emotional response (noun) effect: result (noun); to cause (verb)

aisle: space between rows isle: island

allude: to make indirect reference to elude: to avoid

allusion: indirect reference illusion: false idea, misleading appearance

already: by this time all ready: fully prepared

altar: sacred platform or place alter: to change

altogether: thoroughly all together: everyone/everything in one place

a lot: a quantity; many of something allot: to divide or portion out

angel: supernatural being, good person angle: shape made by joining two straight lines

are: plural form of "to be" our: plural form of "my"

accent: pronunciation common to a region ascent: the act of rising or climbing assent: consent, agreement

assistance: help assistants: helpers

bare: nude, unadorned bear: to carry; an animal

beside: close to; next to besides: except for; in addition

boar: a wild male pig bore: to drill a hole through

board: piece of wood bored: uninterested

born: brought into life borne: past participle of "to bear" (carry)

breath: air taken in (noun) breathe: to take in air (verb)

brake: device for stopping break: destroy; make into pieces

buy: to purchase by: next to; through the agency of

canvas: heavy cloth canvass: to take a survey; a survey

capital: major city capitol: government building

choose: to pick chose: past tense of "to choose"

clothes: garments close: to shut; near cloths: pieces of fabric

coarse: rough course: path; series of lectures

complement: something that completes compliment: praise, flattery

conscience: sense of morality conscious: awake, aware

corps: regulated group corpse: dead body

council: governing body counsel: advice; to give advice

dairy: place where milk products are processed diary: personal journal

descent: downward movement dissent: disagreement

dessert: final, sweet course in a meal desert: to abandon; dry, sandy area

device: a plan; a tool or utensil devise: to create

discreet: modest, prudent behavior discrete: a separate thing, distinct

do: a verb indicating performance or execution of a task dew: water droplets condensed from air due: as a result of

dominant: commanding, controlling dominate: to control

die: to lose life; one of a pair of dice dye: to change or add color

dyeing: changing or adding color dying: losing life

elicit: to draw out illicit: illegal, forbidden

eminent: prominent imminent: about to happen

envelop: to surround (verb) envelope: container for a letter (noun)

everyday: routine, commonplace, ordinary (adj.) every day: each day, succession (adj. + noun)

fair: just, honest; a carnival; light skinned fare: money for transportation; food

farther: at a greater (measurable) distance further: in greater (non-measurable) depth

formally: conventionally, with ceremony formerly: previously

forth: forward fourth: number four in a list

gorilla: animal in ape family guerrilla: soldier specializing in surprise attacks

hear: to sense sound by ear here: in this place

heard: past tense of "to hear" herd: group of animals

hoard: a hidden fund or supply, a cache horde: a large group or crowd, swarm

hole: opening whole: complete; an entire thing

human: relating to the species homo sapiens humane: compassionate

its: possessive form of "it" it's: contraction for "it is"

knew: past tense of "know" new: fresh, not yet old

know: to comprehend no: negative

later: after a time latter: second one of two things

lead: heavy metal substance; to guide led: past tense of "to lead"

lessen: to decrease lesson: something learned and/or taught

lightning: storm-related electricity lightening: making lighter

loose: unbound, not tightly fastened lose: to misplace

maybe: perhaps (adv.) may be: might be (verb)

meat: animal flesh meet: to encounter mete: to measure; to distribute

medal: a flat disk stamped with a design meddle: to interfere, intrude metal: a hard organic substance mettle: courage, spirit, energy

miner: a worker in a mine minor: underage person (noun); less important (adj.)

moral: distinguishing right from wrong; lesson of a fable or story morale: attitude or outlook usually of a group

passed: past tense of "to pass" past: at a previous time

patience: putting up with annoyances patients: people under medical care

peace: absence of war piece: part of a whole; musical arrangement

peak: point, pinnacle, maximum peek: to peer through or look furtively pique: fit of resentment, feeling of wounded vanity

pedal: the foot lever of a bicycle or car petal: a flower segment peddle: to sell

personal: intimate; owned by a person personnel: employees

plain: simple, unadorned plane: to shave wood; aircraft (noun)

precede: to come before proceed: to continue

presence: attendance; being at hand presents: gifts

principal: foremost (adj.); administrator of a school (noun) principle: moral conviction, basic truth

quiet: silent, calm quite: very

rain: water drops falling; to fall like rain reign: to rule rein: strap to control an animal (noun); to guide or control (verb)

raise: to lift up raze: to tear down

rational: having reason or understanding rationale: principles of opinion, beliefs

respectfully: with respect respectively: in that order

reverend: title given to clergy; deserving respect reverent: worshipful

right: correct; opposite of left rite: ritual or ceremony write: to put words on paper

road: path rode: past tense of "to ride"

scene: place of an action; segment of a play seen: viewed; past participle of "to see"

sense: perception, understanding since: measurement of past time; because

sight: scene, view, picture site: place, location cite: to document or quote (verb)

stationary: standing still stationery: writing paper

straight: unbending strait: narrow or confining; a waterway

taught: past tense of "to teach" taut: tight

than: used to introduce second element; compared to then: at that time; next

their: possessive form of "they" there: in that place they’re: contraction for "they are"

through: finished; into and out of threw: past tense of "to throw" thorough: complete

to: toward too: also; very (used to show emphasis) two: number following one

track: course, road tract: pamphlet; plot of ground

waist: midsection of the body waste: discarded material; to squander

waive: forgo, renounce wave: flutter, move back and forth

weak: not strong week: seven days

weather: climatic condition whether: if wether: a neutered male sheep

where: in which place were: past tense of "to be"

which: one of a group witch: female sorcerer

whose: possessive for "of who" who’s: contraction for "who is"

your: possessive for "of you" you’re: contraction for "you are" yore: time long past

commonly confused words part 2

[not-neverland06]

wicked influence

Poly!Ghostface x fem!reader

a/n: I’ve wanted to write for Scream for forever and have never gotten around to it. Well, it’s slasher season baby! I finally have my reason. (When I tell you that this movie was my sexual awakening as a child, I mean it. That’s not necessarily good, but it’s true. )

Summary: Visiting a Halloween carnival with your two best friends doesn’t seem that bad until you reach the haunted house. You’ve never been able to explain your fear of demons to anyone before, you have no idea where it comes from. But you do know, going into a hell themed house with teenagers screaming shitty Latin at you is one of your worst nightmares. You think everything’s okay until, suddenly, your nights are filled with visits from a strange shadowy entity and you don’t recognize the look in Stu’s eyes anymore. (Part of my Halloween Palooza)

“Hey! Demons are a perfectly rational thing to be afraid of.”

Billy scoffs and rolls his eyes, nudging you further toward the haunted house. “Alright, alright, would you calm down and just move it.” You stare into the gaping jaw of the devil that serves as the entrance to the house. You know this is all just a way for people to make a quick buck. 

There’s not going to be anything in there except teenage actors and shitty SFX makeup. But that doesn’t make the looming doorway any less menacing. It doesn’t make your heart stop racing or your breathing any easier. 

Billy frowns as some people shove past you all, tired of waiting for you to move inside. They cut the line and you can’t help but be grateful. Your nails dig into your palms until you feel the warmth of blood and have to swallow down bile. 

Stu and Billy both lean towards you, varying looks of confusion on their faces. “Holy shit,” a grin breaks out on Stu’s face and he smiles widely at you. “You’re terrified, aren’t you?” He pokes you like you might be a statue, unmoving and solemn. 

You stumble back and are effectively broken out of your terrified stupor. You swat at Stu’s wandering hands and glare at him. “Shut the fuck up,” you snap. But in your anxious state, it all comes out as one jumbled mess. 

Billy lets out a disappointed sigh and gives you a funny look. “Alright, let’s just go. You’re not going in and it’s stupid to just stand out here all night.” Stu opens his mouth to argue but Billy shoots him a sharp look. You hate how sensitive they think you are. You can handle one stupid fucking haunted house. You’re not completely useless. 

Still, you practically gulp as the Devil’s eyes bore into yours. You feel like your soul is being sucked out through your feet, leaving you startlingly cold. “I,” you clear your throat, waiting until it feels strong enough to speak. “I can do this,” you grit out, sounding like you’re trying to convince yourself more than them. 

Stuf lets out a brief chuckle and Billy throws his elbow into his gut. Stu doubles over dramatically and you can’t help but laugh a little. Billy gives you a raised brow and you nod your head. “I just need a little nudge,” you mutter, glancing back at the house. 

Stu grins and creeps behind you. “I got you babes,” he tells you in a ridiculous voice. You barely have a second to process what’s happening before he’s lifting you up and practically tossing you inside. Immediately, there’s a fake chainsaw in your face and a screaming Bubba Sawyer. You stumble back with a gasp, falling into Stu’s open arms. 

“How’s that for a nudge?” Billy mutters as he brushes past you. You grab onto the back of his shirt and follow behind him. He glances over his shoulder at you with a knowing smirk and continues forward. None of the scares get him, but they get you. 

The actors catch onto that. They also catch onto how fake and dramatic Stu is. Half of them target you for a good scream and the other half avoid you because of how obnoxious he’s being. You can already tell how bored BIlly is. There’s not enough gore in here for him. 

He needs more blood splatter and fresh corpses, while you’re pleasantly surprised by the contents of the house. You’d really been dreading the demonic themes, but it seems like that’s not a huge factor. So far it’s just a few overzealous teens and some spiders on a string. 

Sure, it’s still scaring the bejeezus out of you. But there’s a difference between a quick scream and a deeply rooted phobia. 

You don’t know when this supernatural fear of yours began. Maybe your parents let you traumatize yourself with the crucifix scene in The Exorcist too young. But you know it’s been with you nearly your entire life. 

You think you’re safe, that you can just relax and let yourself have fun, then you reach the final door. The lights are flickering so hard you think you might have a seizure, but you can see enough to know what’s before you. A red, rotted door, with three upside-down nines barely hanging onto it. 

“Oh god,” you whisper and you think the boys can’t hear you. But then you feel Stu’s hands suddenly clamping around your neck and you leap into Billy with a shrill scream. Billy flinches away from the noise, turning to glare at you. 

Stu doubles over, laughing his ass off at your expense and grinning wildly at you. “Jesus, we’re not even in there yet. What is wrong with you?” He says it like a joke but you can hear the truth of it lingering. It stings, the slight cruelty in his tone. 

There’s nothing wrong with being afraid of something. Fear is healthy. The absence of fear is idiocy. You shove past Billy and turn to Stu with a mean glare. “I’m going to go in here and when I get out, I’m fucking leaving you.”

You shove the door open and take a step inside. You put on a brave face for about five seconds before you turn to see if they’ll follow you. You see just a glimpse of them before the door creaks closed. Billy is leaning against the wall, watching you with a half-amused expression. But Stu looks odd. 

That doesn’t even seem like the right word. His face is completely devoid of any emotion. He looks expressionless and you’ve never seen Stu like that before. Whether it’s for good reason or not, he’s always making a face. Right now, you don’t even recognize him. Were it not for the outfit he was wearing you would think someone else had snuck up behind Billy. 

The door is closed before you can call out to him and you find yourself plunged in complete darkness. There’s no noise for a long few moments. You can’t tell which way is the door and which is the exit. 

At first, you worry you went in the wrong direction and entered an empty part of the house. A sudden cackle breaks through the air, and you leap forward, stumbling into the wall. You can already feel your heart beginning to race. Even though you can hear the static of a speaker and you know, deep down, that it's fake, you’re frozen in fear. 

There’s a brief flash of light, just enough for you to see torn wallpaper and upside-down crosses. And something standing in the corner. “All alone?” A voice rasps and you whimper, pressing yourself up against the wall. You can’t tell if your eyes are open or closed, it’s too dark to know. You hope they’re closed. Whatever’s about to happen is going to traumatize you, you just know it. 

A door creaks behind you just as the lights begin flickering on and off. Through brief flashes of illumination, you see something running towards you. They’re screaming Latin at you, water hits your face and you begin screaming uncontrollably. Footsteps pound towards you, egging on the racing beat of your heart. 

A jarring grip lands on your shoulder and you swing out wildly. Your fist connects with something hard and you hiss in pain. There’s a brief pause where the only thing you can hear is your panting. 

“Ow!” Someone snaps, an irritated raspy voice. The lights flick on and you squint against the sudden glare, blinking rapidly to try and lessen the burn on your eyes. 

Billy and Stu stand on either side of you, astonished looks on both of their faces. A teenage boy in a shitty priest costume and red face paint stands before you. He’s rubbing his eye and cussing at you. “You fucking punched me!”

“You ran at me!” You yell back immediately, glaring at the little asshole. “I don’t think you’re supposed to touch me.”

He glares at you through one eye and points to Stu and Billy. “I didn’t!” He shouts and you flinch back, grimacing. “Your fucking friend did.” You clench your eyes shut, taking in a deep breath. Both you and Billy turn slowly towards Stu. His face is as red as the kid’s as he struggles to contain his laughter. 

“Unbelievable!” You snap at him, slapping his shoulder roughly. He jolts, narrowing his eyes down at you. 

“Hey!” He protests, “I was joking around. You’re the one that punched him.” He points the blame to you and you can’t argue. You did, technically, punch him. But it’s Stu’s fault. If he hadn’t snuck up on you, you would have just kept on screaming. You never would have touched the kid. 

In awkward silence, you walk the boy out of the haunted house and buy him a cold drink to press against his steadily swelling eye. You can see purple shining through the fading paint and grimace. He throws himself down on a wooden picnic table and sighs forlornly. 

“Thanks a lot, lady,” he mutters bitterly. Stu’s lips twitch as he watches the kid tug at his costume. You glare up at him and shove him away. He stumbles behind the table shooting you a sharp glare. You’re taken aback by the look. 

It’s not like you’ve never gotten a little pushy with him before. His love language was manhandling. But the look on his face is unrecognizable. You’d thought you’d imagined it earlier, how off he had seemed. But it’s not fake now. You’re looking it clearly in the eye and you can’t deny the truth of it. 

“I’m gonna sue,” the kid grumbles and you’re snapped out of your stare-off. You try and shake off the chilling feeling of unfamiliarity but it’s nearly impossible. You’re still wound up from the haunted house, you’re sure you’re just imagining things.

Billy shoves his shoulder and the kid falls back onto the table. “You’re not suing.”

He puffs his chest up and glares at Billy, “I could.”

Billy places his hand on the table, leaning in on the kid’s space until he’s flinching back. You avert your eyes, uncomfortable with the sudden display of dominance. Yet, you don’t stop him from bullying the kid out of a lawsuit. “You won’t,” Billy tells him, a clear threat. 

The kid gives a shaky nod of his head, but Billy still doesn’t let up. There’s a slight curl of malice to his lips, you glance over to Stu for support. His attention is rapt upon Billy, something like hunger in his eyes. You feel like you’re watching two lions corner a gazelle, you can practically see the boy’s hands trembling from fear.  

“Alright,” you clear your throat and tug Billy back by the shirt. He resists you at first and you know he only backs off because he wants to. It’s not for you. You look at the boy and give him a weak smile, “I really am sorry,” you can hear Stu laughing behind him and roll your eyes. The kid takes the drink off his eye and glares at you. 

“Yeah, whatever lady. Why don’t you take a valium or something and chill the hell out?” He gets off the bench and brushes past you, shaking his head. You glance down at your fist and hiss at the pain shooting along your fingers. The skin of your knuckles is split and aching from hitting him. 

Billy huffs out a laugh and takes your hand in his. “Really got him, didn’t you?”

“I didn’t mean to,” you argue petulantly. 

Stu finally collects himself and rejoins you both, throwing his gangly body on the wooden picnic table. “Why don’t you tell his face that?” He practically snorts, looking down at your hand and then laughing all over again. It’s really not that funny. Even Billy looks confused by his boisterous nature. 

He’s a dick, but this is a lot. You and Billy exchange a confused glance before looking back at Stu. But he’s silent now, already staring back at you both. Again, chills go up and down your arms at the empty look in his eyes. His lips are smiling, but his eyes are devoid of anything. 

“Maybe we should just go home.” You suggest, trying to keep the suspicion out of your tone. “Carnival’s a bust,” Billy exchanges one last look with you before nodding. 

“We still doing movies at Stu’s?” You desperately want to say no. Right now, all you want is to get as far away from him as possible. Earlier, with them and the kid, that’s normal. They’ve always had a bit of a mean streak when it comes to people weaker than them. 

The way his eyes are boring into you right now is anything but normal. You’ve never felt quite so uncomfortable near him, but you can’t ignore the feeling. Every primal instinct of survival is screaming at you to run, but you can’t. You can’t say no. All you do is nod, tongue glued to the roof of your mouth. Stu’s eyes brighten slightly at your words, but it’s still nothing compared to how it should be. 

You get ahead of Billy, not wanting to walk next to Stu. All you need is a good night’s sleep and you’ll be over this whole thing. Still, you can’t shake the feeling of too many eyes lingering on you as you make the trek to the car. The wet straw beneath your feet swallows the sounds of your steps and you try not to be discomforted by the quiet. It’s a carnival, where did all the people go?

The black-and-white static of the TV is the only thing to illuminate the room. It shines upon your face, makes it so you can only see in that square of light. You assume Billy is on the ground, passed out. And Stu is probably curled up in the overstuffed armchair. 

Yet, you can’t look. As much as you try to crane your neck, try and find some comfort in their presence, you can’t move. Your body is pinned down by a weight you can’t see, only feel. This isn’t sleep paralysis. It’s like being held down by someone stronger and bigger than you. 

You have no control over your body. You have no control over anything. Your breathing kicks up, coming in short panicked bursts. Your eyes roll around wildly, trying to find something, anything, to focus on. 

You find yourself depressingly devoid of any distractions. Until a shadow creeps along the ceiling. At first, you think it’s just your eyes playing tricks on you. Like when you stare at one spot in the dark for too long and start to see impossible shapes. 

But this is different. No matter how many times you blink or look away, it keeps moving. You whimper as it crawls over you. It dangles from the ceiling. You see nothing, only feel its eyes on you. There is no clear shape lurking within it, just malevolent malice. 

It drops down behind the arm of the couch and you open your mouth to scream, hoping to wake one of the boys. Nothing comes out but a strangled gasp of air. You struggle for noise but the more you try, the harder you find it to bring air in. 

Your eyes swim as you go lightheaded. You almost miss the tendrils creeping over the fabric of the couch. You almost don’t see it covering your feet. You wish you had missed it. You wish you just closed your eyes and never opened them again. But it’s like something is keeping those pried open too. 

You can’t feel your legs. That’s the weight. It’s not someone holding you down. Your body is completely limp. It’s as though your bones were replaced with metal, you’re sinking so far into the cushions they’re rising around you. Even your fingers are too heavy to twitch. 

You begin to feel it in your head, a sudden sinking feeling as it tips further and further back. Soon, you can only watch the shadow through your peripheral. Cold terror washes over you and fills your veins with something ill. 

It covers your legs like a veil, slithering on them. Your thighs shoot apart and the blanket goes flying across the room. You can only let out a choked whimper as it dives between your parted limbs. 

You shoot up with a gasp, sunlight peers through Stu’s living room windows, filling the room with much-needed warmth. You glance down, fisting the blanket and tugging it up to your chest in relief. Your heart is still racing and there’s sweat caked along your neck. But you can move your body freely again. It must have just been an awful nightmare. 

You glance to the side and nearly scream. Stu lounges in the armchair, Billy’s still asleep on the ground. Stu stares right at you, empty eyes, wide smile. “Good dream?” he inquires, but the tone of his voice tells you he already knows the answer. 

You swallow, fighting the sandpaper feeling of your throat and shaking your head. “No,” you croak, afraid to speak much louder than a whisper. 

His smile widens and you feel your head feeling heavy again. “I love a good nightmare,” he admits, like it’s an awful secret. He leans back in the chair and turns towards the TV, mindlessly flicking through the channels. 

With his gaze off you, you glance down and pull the waistband of your shorts down. You swallow down your tears and bile. Your underwear, like you feared, is gone. You glance towards Stu and narrow your eyes at the back of his head. You have an idea who took them.

Your parents are out of town for the week. Normally that means Billy and Stu infesting your home like pests. They’re being oddly evasive when you call, though. Not that you’re complaining. You haven’t been interested in being around Stu since the carnival. 

He makes you feel unsafe. As much of a dick as he could be, never, have you ever feared him before. But you do now. You’re terrified of him. Even thinking about him makes you want to get up and check your closets for unwanted intruders. 

However, as much as his absence is a relief, it brings with it its own problems. Nothing with Stu can ever be easy, can it? 

You keep having the same nightmare. Except each night it gets closer and closer. You feel more of it than you ever want to. They’re turning into uncomfortably sexual dreams. You wake up wet and without any underwear. You can’t blame Stu for that when he’s not even in your house, though. Which leaves you fucking petrified when you wake up. 

Because you know, deep down, you know someone wasn’t in your house. Something was, though. A heavy presence lingers over you during the day and makes you terrified to walk around the open spaces of your home. You’d lock yourself in your room all week if you could, but even that doesn’t feel safe. 

The door slams behind you and you jolt forward with a scream. You stare at your backdoor with a horrified expression, glaring at it like it might start talking and reveal its secrets. Your house is old, there’s nothing odd about doors occasionally closing on your own. 

Except, that hadn���t been open. You’ve kept it firmly locked all week, terrified of a possible home invasion. You need to stop watching scary movies on your own. 

You pull your knees into your chest, staring at your door until you’re satisfied it’s not going to slam shut again. Slowly, you turn back towards your TV and keep watching the only good sitcom you could find at this time of night. 

The second you let yourself get comfortable, however, you hear your bedroom door upstairs slam shut, followed quickly by rushing footsteps. Your eyes widen in terror and you mute your TV, glaring up at the ceiling and hoping you just imagined it. 

Footsteps behind you, running across the linoleum. You whip around, nearly shrieking when you spot something black darting into your pantry closet. You scramble for the phone beside you. You slam 911 into the keypad and press it against your ear, keeping your eyes riveted on the pantry closet. 

There’s a steady beep on the other end. The line’s dead. Someone cut your phone line. That’s okay. You can work with that. You can beat something real, but you’ve got no hope against something otherworldly. 

You stand slowly, unmuting the TV so the laugh track will cover your movements better. You creep towards your linen closet, reaching for the bat your dad keeps in there for this very reason. He’s got different weapons placed all over the house and you blame him for some of your paranoia. But right now, you’re eternally grateful for the protection it’s providing you. 

You slip into the kitchen, sliding quietly across the tiles on your socks. You position yourself behind the pantry door, your hand shaking as you reach for the handle. Just as you rip it open, the lights go out. 

You scream wildly, waving the bat around with as much force as you can, hoping to just hit something solid. Glass crashes against the floor and you feel the bat connecting with something. The lights flip back on and your mother’s vase is shattered along the ground. There’s no sign of the intruder and you think you might throw up when you hear more footsteps upstairs, two sets this time. 

But then someone darts through the living room, another flash of black before they’re gone. Three? How are you supposed to handle three?

Something titters behind you, bordering on a giggle, and you whip around, bat waving through the air recklessly. No one was there, no sign anyone was. And there’s no possible way for you to have missed them running past you. There’s nowhere to go or hide. 

You think of the shadow you’ve seen in the closet and the lights flicker like they’re agreeing with you. The thing that’s been haunting your nightmares, it’s in the house with you. The lights flicker again and your stomach drops to the floor. Your heart is in your throat as you hear your voice chanted from upstairs.  

It’s like staring at the Devil’s eyes at the circus again. You feel like there’s something being taken from you. You feel cold, empty, like you’re missing something you need. Something’s toying with you. Making you it’s twisted little plaything. 

You can feel the tears clawing their way up your throat. The call of your voice gets louder and louder until it feels like it's being screamed straight into your ears. You want to run, want to fight, want to do anything but stand here and you can’t. 

You can’t move. It’s just like your dreams. Your bones are metal and you are stuck. There’s a rough shove to your back, though you don’t feel physical hands on you. And then someone’s moving you, your legs are puppeteered as you’re directed up the stairs. 

You stub your toes on every step, crawling up them like a child learning to use them for the first time. Every time you slow down or try and stop, you’re dragged forward again. Your bedroom door creaks open and warmth carves its way down your cheeks. 

You stumble inside, the bat thudding to the floor as your hand goes limp around the handle. You want to call out to the entity, but your jaw is wired shut. You stand in the middle of your room, sobbing and terrified and completely alone. 

Your closet door slowly creaks open and you brace yourself for the worst. Billy comes flying out, shouting nonsense at you as you scream until your throat feels bloody. Stu follows behind him, ripping off his stupid mask and giving you a wide-eyed look. 

You crumple to the floor, covering your head and crying as you come down from the fear that you are being haunted. Stu kneels before you, hands gentle as they take your arms away from your head. 

He looks like Stu now. He looks like the boy you grew up with. His eyes are full of worry as he pushes wet strands of hair off your cheeks. “Hey, hey, alright,” he tugs you into his chest and you throw your arms around him wildly. You cling tightly to him, taking in heaving breaths and trying to find some comfort from his touch. 

“You fucking dicks,” you sob into his sweater. “I thought I was going to die.”

Billy scoffs as he stares awkwardly behind him. “Yeah,” he mutters bluntly, “I can tell.” He watches you cry for a little while longer before he gets irritated. “Hey, this was supposed to be fun. Would you lighten up?”

You suck in a deep breath, astonishment at what he just said temporarily stopping the tears of terror. You rip yourself away from Stu, ignoring the way his hands linger. “Excuse me?” You demand, glaring up at Billy.

He shrugs, “It was just a prank, chill out.”

You scoff, taking in a sharp breath and nodding your head. “Right, no, you’re right. It’s not like my friends used my biggest fucking fear against me!” You shout, shoving him backward. He stumbles into the corner of your desk and you glare at him and Stu. 

“You’re horrible fucking friends, you know that.” You storm out of your room and pause at the top of the stairs. They linger in your doorway. Stu looks like a kicked dog and Billy looks like he’s about to blow the hell up. 

“I don’t even know how you guys pulled all that shit off, but fuck you.” You give them both an astonished glare before shaking your head and going back down the stairs. “I hate you,” you scream, your voice shrill and full of uncontrollable rage. 

Billy almost follows after you, probably to give you a shit apology and then let everything smooth over naturally. But he stops, foot hovering over the top of the stairs. He glances back at Stu and frowns, “What the hell did you do?” Stu gives him a confused look and Billy glares. “She wasn’t supposed to be terrified for her life, fuckwad. What the hell did you do to her?”

Stu shrugs and gives him a too-wide grin and for the first time, Billy finds himself disturbed by his friend. “Magician’s secret man, cannot, will not tell.” He zips his mouth shut and tosses the key, winking at Billy. Billy gives him a disgusted scoff and follows after you. They can hear you ranting in the kitchen, slamming your drawers shut, and shouting vile insults at them. 

Stu watches Billy go down the stairs, his smile slowly fading from his face. Something dark passes over Stu’s face, something wicked, something unnatural. Perhaps it was all just a trick. 

Or maybe that kid’s Latin wasn’t so fake after all. 

end. — I do not own the characters or the movie Scream, but this writing is my own all rights reserved © not-neverland06 2024. do not copy, repost, translate & recommend elsewhere.

[thewebcomicsreview]

A lot of the best writing is just doing simple basic obvious shit and doing it consistently. This page from Clown Corps is a great example.

For those who don't read Clown Corps....read it, it's great. Anyway, Morgan is a Clown (which in this setting is a superhero), who just learned that the mime-themed supervillain Echo, who has the power to mimic clown magic but had her mouth sewn shut against her will, is her long-lost sister Maggie, and now we have a flashback to happier times when the sisters go to a carnival (i.e., a place where clowns are).

This actually started on the previous page, where Maggie is winning stuffed animals and giving them to kids. Superficially, this is just a cute stage-setting scene, but every panel here is ironic. First, Maggie is accused (jokingly, but still) of being a criminal. "Suddenly you can't miss" lets us know that she sucked earlier but then became incredibly skilled at hitting targets. Maggie attributes this to being a "fast learner", a reference to the powers she'll later develop. That she's giving the toys away shows that she's not doing her "hustle" for nefarious reasons, much like as an adult her ethics are murky. And then the "fun's over" when her sister the future superhero shows up.

Then, in the next page, Morgan is mad her sister disappeared, and Maggie is mad she was expected to stand around quietly. This sisterly fight is foreshadowing Maggie's fate.

In the next panel, Maggie does a 4th-wall-breaking joke about how "it's not that kind of flashback". The primary source of jokes like this in Clown Corps is series protagonist Mary McBell

This joke is incredible

And in present day, it's Morgan who's most supportive of McBell. This panel recontextualizes the Morgan/McBell relationship. Morgan likes McBell because McBell reminds her of her long-lost sister. This connection would also serve to shorthand Maggie's personality for us, if it wasn't already coming through clear.

Morgan complains that mom made her bring Maggie along, which kind of establishes the relationship between then, and then Maggie hits Morgan with this savage burn. The out-of-nowhere horoscope reference is great, it's a specific hit on Morgan, not something that would be obvious to a reader from from these two pages. It feels more real than if she'd referenced something that we'd already learned about Morgan. Also "My nail polish doesn't match my horoscope" is just a funny line.

Oh yeah, and also this is the future Echo mimicking a future Clown. Don't forget that part.

And then the final panel is Maggie fully aware of what an annoying little shit she's being, but her expression is that of a girl who expects that Morgan is going to buy her that corn dog, glare be damned.

And, like, none of these panels are super mind-blowing genius moves that you'd need to be a twelfth-level intellect to come up with. Individually it's all really basic. It's impressive that all this referencing stuff feels like a natural conversation, but you - the girl reading this - could do that. What makes Clown Corps great is that it does this nearly every panel. Nothing is wasted, nothing here is doing just one thing. It's a sublime example of asking "Can I get more out of this" every single panel, because the answer is usually "Yes".

[swan2swan]

Not that I really want to entertain the notion of Sammy and Yaz having broken up (yes, it's a Jurassic staple, but), but if they have, I think I know the reason:

Look behind Sammy.

That could be a big, fake, plastic Stegosaurus for a carnival ride or something...or Sammy could be working with the DPG and/or the Dino Trackers. It's possible that her family turned the ranch into a dinosaur refuge--working with park services and the government in order to protect dinosaurs.

Including carnivores.

That means that Sammy's ranch is, 24/7, a place with dinosaurs.

While we did see Yaz getting along just fine with a lot of dinosaurs on Mantah Corp island, it's possible that it needled her a bit too much. She might not have been comfortable with spending all of her time in DInosaur Land, after several years free of the scary beasts. It could have brought up old traumas and fears. A twinge in her leg every time she sees one. Knowing the Mosasaur is loose makes her hesitate to go into water. That sort of thing.

Sammy, of course, is a good heart and wants to help her family, farm, and dinosaurs. So it's quite possible that she felt like she had to stick around, and Yaz went elsewhere to keep studying psychology or physical therapy or whatever it was she was getting into.

Not necessarily a bad breakup or anything, just something where "Our current careers are not compatible at this specific point in time."

Still, hopefully they'll finally get some closure, figure out who they are entirely, and reignite that little teenage fling they had from a few years ago.

[starsfic]

Summaries under cut

Long Xiaojiao teams up with several other streamers, including speed painter Marcy Wu, conspiracy theorist Todoroki Shoto, and figurine maker Gangle, to play Mario Party for charity. Shenanigans happen, including magic outbursts, old bullies popping up in chat, and general chaos.

While working on marketing and such for the park, Ed finds Indigo Park’s long list of lawsuits. The biggest one happened when Rambley’s animatronic body glitched and murdered a young employee. Weirdness abounded with the lawsuit of Indigo Park vs Playtime Co.

To boost morale for the anniversary of Elliot Ludwig’s death, Playtime Co. sponsors a happy hour at a nearby bar for the workers. However, the phrase “loose lips sink ships” rings true, especially when those lips are loosened by alcohol enough to share stories of several weird occurrences. The toys and children alike aren’t sure what to think when, the next day, they’re set free.

After learning about his parentage, Mikey sneaks inside an art auction of Hamato Yoshi’s art, learning both about his father and Draxum.

College AU: Cole's life is going to shit. Nya and Jay have been acting weird around him since that carnival game decided that he was Nya's soulmate. Hoping to ease the tension, he asks the cute waiter at his favorite restaurant to act as his fake date on a double date with Nya and Jay. The waiter's only stipulation? That his boyfriend watch the drama from another table.

Red Son gets turned on by Qi Xiaotian's hero speeches. Xiaotian notices. Smut.

That one fic I mentioned to @twinklecupcake: AU of Pignapped where Tang and the kids instead land in the capture where Zhu Bajie joins the journey and must work with Sun Wukong and Tripitaka to wrangle the pig. What Tang also finds is a rival over his husband- Blue Orchid.

Based on this post, the gang is hired to investigate the rumors of a bunny animatronic ghost overnight. The truth is a little more tricky.

In an AU where Dipper decides to stay with Ford, Mabel's parents aren't happy when their daughter turns up sans brother, especially when they learn who he's with.

A year after her husband is sealed, Princess Iron Fan stumbles across the god of marriage Yue Lao and decides to ask who her son will marry. The answer enrages her.

AU: The costar of famed actor Red Son is terrified of his true form...which is an issue considering they're doing an erotic version of Beauty and the Beast. However, one of the caterers doesn't mind beef. Smut.

[sweetvelaryon]

[jaceluke]

[modern!au]

[smut, murder]

[words : 10637]

[song inspired — CARNIVAL BY ¥$, Kanye West, Ty Dolla $ign, Rich the Kid, Playboi Carti —  Carousel by Melanie Martinez]

[ full oneshot available: Wattpad: @sxarletdevil

book name: LUCERYS VELARYON

ONESHOT NAME: twin flames ]

——————————————————

Jacaerys, Lucerys, and Joffery all walked through the carnival, cold air nipping at their pink cheeks. it was a rare occasion to see the Velaryon brothers out and about. Jace had just returned from a long trip in Pentos, while Lucerys ran the long awaited Targaryen and Velaryon business. his mother being CEO of Targaryen Corp and his father Laenor being CEO to Driftmark Enterprises had him busy. Now that Jacaerys was back the work load would be less. Joffery was only seven but pressure was already starting to build in the young boy. it was still undecided if Joffery would take Luke's place as future CEO of Velaryon Enterprises or if he would be moved to Strong Industries. there was no doubt between the brothers each would be a CEO for the rest of their lives.

their parents were on a business trip which it really wasn't. it was more of a visiting trip to their senile grandfather, Viserys. their mother, her wife and three husbands would be gone for the rest of the upcoming week. they took their many siblings trusting Jace and Luke can handle the little work things and care for Joffery. it wasn't the time they had been left alone with their younger brother but it would be the first with the three of them together. Jace kept stealing glances at his lovely brother beside him. the moonlight gave an ethereal shine to his soft, pale skin.

"wanna ride the carousel?" Luke asked joffery as they walked past the ride.

"no! I'm not a child luce." he quickly spoke as he went in line for a rollercoaster.

"aww, but I remember you loving the carousel," Jace teased as they got in line.

"yeah, when I was like four or three," Joffery replied.

"apologies my dear CEO," Luke gave a bow to the young boy hearing Jace laugh beside him. "tell me how you would like you coffee, black or with three creams and sugar?"

joffery rolled his eyes, "ha ha, you know I like my apple juice in the mornings."

the brothers rode rollercoasters, played games winning stuff animals, and eating deep fried Oreos. as they were leaving joffery stopped behind them. Jace and Luke turned to the small boy, confused.

joffery clutched his dragon stuff animal - that he named Tyraxes - his doe eyes looked shinny in the moonlight, "can we ride the carousel?"

Lucerys smiled softly at him before looking to Jacaerys, "of course." the carnival was pretty empty so no one was staring at the odd trio as Jace helped Joffery up on the horse and Luke still a child at heart got on the one beside him. Jace stood in the middle between them, leaning against Luke as the carousel went round and round. it got unspeakably hot between the elder brothers as the both kept stealing glances at one another.

Jace hoped Joffery wouldn't notice. the last thing he needed on his already full plate was his brother blabbing away about how his brothers look at each other with something more than kindness and fondness. on the way back home Luke sat in the front seat, Joffery was sound asleep in the back. soft music played through the speakers of the BMW. Lucerys looked over to Jace seeing he was solely focused on the road. his eyes carefully trailed down his clothing, expensive black trench coat he only wears if it's necessary, the white button up shirt underneath is no doubt Prada. his long curly, brown hair was pulled back in a man bun. his eyes go to his hand on the steering wheel, veiny and strong. the urge to reach and touch his other hand was too alluring. to feel the warmth of his blood and flesh against his soft putty hands. his felt his cheeks warm at the thoughts that fuled his fantasies. he quickly looked away before he noticed. no doubt he probably had already noticed.

when they finally arrived to the lovely mansion, Dragonstone. Lucerys unlocking the front door and picking up the toys that littered the front door. "ugh, egg and vis," he complained.

jacaerys just chuckled as he fixed his hold on his surprisingly heavy brother. "glass of wine?" Luke asked him softly as he was making his way up the stairs.

"wine sounds good," Jace answered.

Lucerys shrugged off his blue coat and hung it up on the hanger before heading into the living room. he continued kicking and pushing toys to the large toy box before turning on the furnace and settling wood in it. the warm fire illuminated the massive living room and heated up the cold house. Luke went to the wine room next door picking his favorite of Westrosi red wine. which conveniently was his mother's and grandmother's favorite. he grabbed two glasses and went back to the living room. Jacaerys had descended downstairs and was hanging his trench coat up.

yep, Prada.

Lucerys placed the glasses on the glass table and popped open the wine. Jace watched him carefully as he poured the red liquid into the cups. the bright red blouse he wore was perfectly shaped to his figure and gave a perfect sight of his breast underneath. the tight, black business pants gave business while the top half gave slutty. the gold eating gave a touch of elegancy and thr ring on his pinky with the Velaryon sigil. he had one exactly like his but his ring was a bit bigger and had the Targaryen sigil. the three dragons that once represented the family Targaryen power. at least that's the stories his mother would tell him. Luke handed him the glass of wine, he reached out and grabbed it letting his fingers touch his brothers. he noticed his brother staring at him before and he now noticed his cheeks flush bright red. Lucerys gave him a smile before sitting down with his own glass of wine. jacaerys watched him take off his Red Bottom heels and toss them to the side.

"those are expensive," Jace commented at his carelessness.

"I can always buy more," he replied bringing the red wine to his lips. the pair stayed quiet as they basked in the warmth of the roaring fire and heat of the red wine melting it's way in their veins.

Lucerys was the first to speak up, "did mother already tell you?"

"tell me what?" Jacaerys looked at him confused.

he scoffed as he sipped his wine, "of course she didn't. a marriage purposely has been made to Hightower Enterprises. more like they made it to us but, our lovely uncle Aemond Targaryen might be my new husband."

Jace tried to hide the complete disappointment and hatred written on his face but it was all there. it was bad enough Aemond was obsessed with Luke after their incident. "how soon?" he asked.

how much time do I have to save you from this shit wedding? don't tell me there's no time. I shouldn't had went on that stupid business trip. fuck. no I refuse to be second to him again.

"a week." Luke answered.

a fucking week. was our lovely mother ever going to tell me?

"how long have you known?" jacaerys asked as he leaned forward to his brother.

"three months," he answered, a pained expression painted in his blue eyes.

I have a week to ruin and save you. I know you don't want to get married. at least not to that psychopath.

"I have something for you," Jace put his glass down and stood up. Luke felt a tinge of disappointment from not getting a declaration of love or a future rescue from his brother. he didn't expect his brother to just ignore it. he drowned the rest of the red wine and poured another glass. Jacaerys finally came back and held his hand to Luke. Lucerys stood up his fingers gently caressing the necklace in his brothers hand. the metal steel felt familiar as if it was from a distance land. his fingers go over the red ruby in the center held by a disk-like steel.

"it's beautiful, Jace," he gushed as he continued to touch the jewelry. his brother snatched it back pulling him out of the trance, "turn around."

god, why do you look so fuckable? Aemond can't have you. so much innocence. so much perfectness.

the fire warmed the living room more as Luke swallowed thickly and turned around. the demand of Jace's cold voice made his body hum in a pleasureable response. his body shuddered as he felt Jace press against him from behind and his breathing gently caressing the back of his neck. he slightly gasped as the cold chain was placed around his neck and clasped onto him. he felt Jace press his hand to the little skin the blouse allowed to be revealed. his hot skin burned with the touch and more so when he felt his brother's lips gently kiss the sensitive skin of his neck. Jace feeling the soft skin of his brother beneath his lips made him drunker then the red wine he hated but knew how much his brother loved. he felt luke lean back to his warmth and ever so softly whimper at the feeling.

"we have a busy week ahead of us. we should get some sleep," Jace spoke up utterly ruining the moment between them.

Lucerys tried to hide the disappointment in his voice as he grabbed his glass of wine, "of course."

Jace hated acting that way to him but it would work out in the end. he hoped.

MONDAY

jacaerys opened his eyes to a pitch black room. it was always like this and that's how he liked it. he didn't want to know if it was 8 a.m. or 3 p.m. the only reason he woke up is because of the music playing downstairs. even in the large mansion everything can be heard. he grabbed his phone and read the time.

7:30 a.m.

he frowned and got up from his bed slipping on his slippers and walking downstairs. he should've grabbed a shirt before leaving the room but he had already decended downstairs to the kitchen. he immediately recognized the song playing HUMBLE by Kendrick Lamar and the rappers Lucerys and Joffery. he leaned against the frame as joffery and Luke both still in pajamas made breakfast. joffery was in a spider man pajamas and Luke in a satin blue robe. he looked over at the table seeing Joffery's backpack and lunch packed.

"I'm sure their aren't other seven year olds listening to Kendrick Lamar at seven in the morning," jacaerys announced.

Lucerys turned to his brother and nearly stopped breathing. his cheeks flushed bright red as he turned away from the godly sight of his brother shirtless.

"joffery get dressed," Luke ushered him off.

the boy ran passed his brother and upstairs to dress. Luke flipped the French toast and poured a cup of coffee for Jace. Jace walked over to him and stood beside the stove.

"black. I assume," Lucerys smiled softly at him, handing the mug.

"you assume correctly," he replied.

Jacaerys watched Luke take the French toast and put more in the pan whilst flipping the sausage links. "what's on the agenda today?" he asked. his purple eyes went to necklace around his neck.

"I'm dropping joffery off at school and I have a meeting at Driftmark Enterprises with the Greyjoys. you have a meeting with the Martells," Luke told him.

Jace frowned, "Martells? I thought they hated us Targaryens."

"maybe they want a change or something. don't fuck it up, per moms request. I have to pick up our suits for Friday's gala. so you pick up Joffery up from soccer practice. what do you want for dinner?" he asked.

"gala Friday? that won't be for mentioning your wedding, will it?" jacaerys asked.

say no. say no. say no.

"it's not. that will be Saturday because the wedding will for short and sweet. like my life." he replied.

knew better / forever boy by Ariana grande started playing. Luke had turned off the stove and put the remaining dishes in the sink. jacaerys reached out, letting his hands slowly caress his hips and waist and turning him around. Luke's cheeks were flushed as he turned to face him. his nipples pebbled through the silk robe. "I have a week to ruin your wedding and I plan to make you mine. I'll win you over rightful so." he told him.

Luke softly giggled at him before Jace pushed his lips to him. Lucerys pulled away and jacaerys was confused. he thought Luke wanted this and clearly he read the room wrong. Lucerys noticed the confusion and laughed again, "I'll kiss you again after you brush your teeth."

Jace rolled his eyes pressed his head down onto lukes shoulder. "are you two done? I want my breakfast," Joffery announced.

"shit we're gonna be late. give Joffery some food I have to dress," Luke ran up the stairs to his room.

Jacaerys turned to grab a plate and fed his brother. "you think you can beat uncle Aemond for Luke's endless love?" joffery asked as Jace put a plate down in front of him and maple syrup.

"what makes you think I can't?" Jace asked him.

"I know Aemond is like not right in the head but Lucerys likes that. he likes the obsessiveness. I noticed it because he does it a lot when your around. he likes to be desired." joffery explained to his older brother.

Jacaerys narrowed his eyes at him, "stop reading fanfiction."

joffery laughed.

Lucerys ran down the stair putting on his YSL heels and grabbing his coat, "Joffery you done? we're late!"

joffery shoved the last bit of french toast and grabbed his stuff. "see you later Jace and don't forget to pick Joffery up after soccer practice!"

Luke and joffery were out the door leaving Jace to the music still playing in the kitchen. walk em like a dog by saucy Santana played. he laughed at himself before eating and getting dressed.

Luke's heels clicked on the marble floor as he entered the building High Tide and made his way to his office. hours passed and he wasn't even focused during the meeting. he played with his pen, the memory of Jace's lips on his echoing.

"Mr Velaryon?" Celine spoke to him.

he snapped out of his thoughts, "sorry I wasn't listening. repeat what you said Dalton."

"uh, well my company would like to settle in with you for investments into the Stepstones. we can very much use the channels there," he explained.

"no." he answered.

"no?" dalton repeated.

"did I studder?" Lucerys snapped at him.

"I don't understand. why not?" he asked.

"we found the Stepstones first and it was my grandfather, Corlys that wished it to stay Velaryon territory. so unfortunately for you and other companies I will not be opening to investing factors to those channels." Luke answered.

"you won't make money that way," dalton retorted.

"it's not always about making money, Mr. Greyjoy," Lucerys replied with a fakest of smiles he could conjure up.

his receptionist, Claire, knocked on his door and poked her head in, "apologies, Mr Velaryon you have a visitor."

Luke clenched his jaw as he closed his folder, "if any other questions call or send an email. don't waste my time next time."

he walked out the room and followed claire to his office. before he went in he held a finger up to her, perfectly manicured and with a gold ring wrapped around the digit, "interrupt another meeting and you're done. that's a second strike."

"it won't happen again sir," she gave a sharp nod before walking off. he opened his door finding his silver haired fiance in his chair with legs propped up on his desk.

"there's my lovely future wife," Aemond smiles at him.

"get your disgusting feet off my desk." he says as he walked past him and to the folders on the edge of the desk.

"oh, my love, is that a way to greet your husband," he says reaching for his hand but Luke had already moved spot.

"you're not my husband yet. what do you want aemond? I'm busy," Luke says still not paying him much attention.

"dinner. tonight." he says putting his feet on the ground and walking towards him.

"I can't. my mom's out on a trip and Jace and I are taking care of Joffery," Lucerys replied.

Aemond stopped his movements as soon as he heard Jace's name. "Jace is back?"

Luke looks up at him, seeing his violet eye was now darker than usual, "he knows of our proposal if that's what your wondering."

"just you, Jace, and Joffery in that big mansion, huh," he says, his fingers digging into the seat in front of him.

"listen, Aemond, thank you for visiting but I have other meetings and things to do." Luke tempted to usher him out.

"when can I stop by and visit?" he asked.

"Aemond for fuck sake I'll be seeing you this weekend for the public announcement and at the Gala Friday. please leave." Lucerys told him again. Aemond reached out and grabbed his hand pressing a soft kiss to his knuckles. no more words were exchanged as he left leaving Luke to the silence of his office.

Lucerys slumped in his chair letting a sigh escape his tired body. it was late when he finally got home. he carried three suits over his shoulder as he opened the front door and the sound of pans clattering around echoed in the kitchen.

"I'm home!" he yelled as shut the door behind him.

"luce!" joffery ran in from the kitchen and smacked his body into his.

"oof! okay, okay, calm down I saw you this morning," Luke hugged him back. "here take these upstairs to my room."

joffery ran upstairs with the bag of suits while Luke walked into the kitchen. Jace held his arms out, he wore Laenor's apron which said kiss the cook, a cocky smile on his lips, "I made dinner!"

"please tell me everything is properly cooked and we won't get food poisoning," Luke raised an eyebrow at him as he went to warm pots filled with food.

"I'm not that much of an awful cook," Jace took much offense as Luke mixed the pasta sauce and tasted it.

a satisfied moan left his lips, that moan going straight to Jace's cock, "it's not bad."

"you wanna kiss the cook in real thanks?" Jace asked as he leaned in just a tad bit more to Luke.

"to boost your ego?" Lucerys asked with a toothy smile as he wrapped his arms around him. his heels giving him the perfect height to his brother.

"no, just because I want to kiss you," Jace replied.

Lucerys leaned in and took his brothers lips in his. he tangled his hands in between his curls giving them a slight tug. jace's hands gently rested on his waist before sliding down his ass and giving a gentle slap and squeeze.

"not in front of my food!" joffery screamed causing both of them to quickly pull apart.

Luke's cheeks flushed a deep red as Jace cleared his throat and went back to mixing his food. "your food will be just fine Joff. did you do your homework?"

"how can I after what I just witnessed?" he spoke dramatically.

"quit being such a drama queen," Luke told him as he made the boy sit down and started setting the plates. dinner went by quickly and joffery easily put out to bed.

Jace sat in the family office room running numbers while Lucerys looked over the blueprints for a proper warehouse in the Stepstones. Jacaerys stopped looking at the computer and was just staring at Luke. he admired the hell out of his brother. the way his fingers traced every little detail on blueprints, his pen circling whatever he didn't like or needed to moved, his blue eyes scanned the paper over and over again, he whispered to himself helping himself think, the way his brows were furrowed together to show he was truly concentrating. focus, ambition, and cunning were words to describe the man in front of him. even in black suit pants and white blouse. the necklace from yesterday still sat proudly on his neck.

"are you done or are you going to keep staring?" Luke asked not taking his eyes off the blueprint.

"I like the view," Jacaerys replied.

blue eyes snapped to his and clearly he wasn't in the mood. "I'm off to bed. don't stay up to late. I have an early meeting and you need to take Joffery to school."

"hey, how bout we go to dinner tomorrow? you, me, and Joff?" jacaerys asked as he watched his brother grab his heels off the floor.

"sure you want me to meet you at the restaurant?" Luke asked.

"nah, come home and we'll go together," Jace replied.

"okay, good night."

"good night."

[kimwexlers-brownhair]

Okay, hold up. I was thinking about how similar I find Meg and Raoul in the ALWverse. Both are brave, sweet, inquisitive, and over all they want Christine safe. They even look a little alike in a lot of productions, with hair often being the same sort of blondish color.

What if....drumroll...they're uncle and niece? What if Madame Giry and Phillippe fell passionately in love in their youth? What if Madame Giry...is La Sorelli in the ALW verse?

Shut up and lemme think this through.

When Sorelli finds out she's pregnant, she's disillusioned by Phillipe's reaction. He insists she marry the first decent single man he can find, and settles on his family's accountant, Jules Giry. He's a kind but older man, and dies a few years into the marriage.

Now I need to plan a fic where I can bring the whole crew together.

Maybe Christine and Raoul move to the de Chagny estate after leaving the Phantom's lair. Philippe is infuriated by their elopement, but can't find it in him to turn his back completely on his baby brother.

Christine struggles to fit in under his cold dismissive eye and the haughty society around her. What she can't know is that Philippe isn't quite as heartless as you'd imagine. When he sees this young woman from the opera house, he can’t help but think of his own daughter just a few years younger. A daughter he's never known outside slipping in late to a show and seeing her lead her line in the corps de ballet.

He may also envy his brother his willingness to marry the woman he loved despite what it might mean for the family name.

Madame Giry learns when to use their situation to her advantage. When the Phantom demands an increase in his salary, she persuades Philippe to at least convince his brother to act as the opera's new patron, if he himself is still too cowardly to regularly attend like he used to.

So when the opera house closes in the wake of the Don Juan disaster, Madame Giry turns to him again. His daughter is now out of a job. While he may be too much of a hypocrite to ever acknowledge her as his, surely he doesn't want her to suffer the fate many attractive young unemployed girls in her position do.

To her surprise, he invites them into his home. Being around Christine and hearing her reminisce fondly about her best friend Meg suddenly makes him determined to get to know his daughter as much as he can without telling her the truth -- Madame Giry is right in that he's too afraid to face that.

So mother and daughter show up with whom they describe as a composer who wants to open a new dance school and theater with the Girys. He goes only by the name of Erik. He's a brilliant but aloof man, probably because what looks like a stroke or some such injury. One half of his face the skin seems pulled in too taught, almost paralyzed. It's almost as if the skin isn't real, instead a mask to try making him look like anyone.

(Sorelli was a dancer in a particular traveling carnival when she was a young woman, and was so incensed by the cruelty around her that she left, determined to find a serious career for herself on the stage -- but not before releasing that poor boy from his cage).

This Erik stares too much at the new Viscountess de Chagny. Yet he's also surprisingly insecure when some of the aristocratic men in their society begin taking notice of Meg. The pretty, peppy dancer hasn't the first clue how to behave properly in society, and that there are men ready to take advantage. Philippe also notices and struggles not to be too protective.

So what happens when Raoul notices for the first time how much Meg resembles his sister Roberte when they're standing next to each other? What of Christine's terrified conviction about who this Erik really is? What of Erik yearning to watch over her once more, his beautiful angel, his life -- dammit, must this damn Dauphin So-and-So keep looking at Meg like she's steak tartare?

And what of that despite the years that have passed and the bitterness and guilt between them, there may still lie a deep love between Philippe and La Sorelli?

A Little Night Music meets Phantom, essentially.

Tagging @thewildwestpyro

[isara0408]

Another headcanon for Kaga and Megami. This takes place during the beginning of their relationship.

In the beginning of their relationship, they never showed affection towards each other. Megami never saw the use of affection, so their relationship was quite cold. Sure, Megami loves him. She just didn't see the point of affection.

That's until Kaga got an idea of how to fix it. Kaga would work on a plan to show Megami that affection is a huge part of a romantic relationship.

His plan is quite simple.

During the first part of his plan, Kaga would show Megami that giving gifts is a way to show someone you love that you love them, even it's the smallest gift, or made by your own hands. Kaga would give Megami something he made while Megami would give him something in return. This would continue until Megami is ready to go to the next step.

The next step is spending time with each other. Kaga would plan simple dates to take Megami as a surprise to show and let her experience the things she never was allowed to do: going to the zoo, a carnival, etc.

The next step is holding hands. Megami would immediately shut it down at the start. There's no point in her eyes to do that, but Kaga does convince her to give it a try. Megami and Kaga would hold hands during a certain amount of time (since they're busy with their own lives). They would do it again at certain times of the day. That's until Kaga feels Megami squeeze his hand as a sign that she's starting to be okay with it.

The next step is hugging. This part was the hard part for Megami since the last person to hug her was her mother when she was a child. The first time Kaga wrapped his arms around her, Megami wouldn't do anything. She would either stare at Kaga as if he was crazy (which he is) or just stay the way she is being bored and wait until the time is over.

This part took longer than the rest. Eventually, Megami did get used to the warmth of the embrace of her lover. With time, Megami found herself slowly returning the embrace and melting onto the warmth that she hadn't felt in years. This would be the first time when Megami smiled without Kaga knowing.

This would continue. Until, the part where those three words get told to each other with their voice. This part was the longest one for Megami to do. Kaga was the first to say the words to her, but Megami couldn't do it. Kaga waited... and waited... and waited. Eventually, the plan was slowly forgotten because of well, Saikou Corp and life happens.

Megami never forgot, though. This is where Megami would gift Kaga the ring that had those three words engraved. Kaga was surprised that Megami still remembered his plan. The scientist, of course, couldn't deny the thoughtful gift, and he would show it off as much as possible. He was quite proud.

Megami would do this thing of brushing her thumb against the ring that Kaga had on. She would do it three times. It was a way to show Kaga that Megami was saying 'I love you' through the ring. Not her voice.

That was the only thing that Megami could ulse to say,'I love you.' After more time, Megami was finally able to say,'I love you.' To him with her voice.

Kaga was proud of Megami for finally saying it with her voice for the first time. Since then, the two would exchange those three words during the day and help Megami get used to it.

I was going to write a one short on this, but nah.

[lunarsilkscreen]

Rethinking the DC Universe

Most superheroes were created from the process; "Make up random s* and see what sticks". So both Marvel and DC are generally... Well they seem random as all get out with no coherency between ideas; and A LOT of campy ideas that are just so outdated they could be considered queerphobic, sexist, AND racist.

<aside>When these were originally drawn up; it was an attempt to be inclusive. But you know how the overton window goes; as it slides what used to be "progressive" gets used for very unprogressive things.</aside>

What this means is that a lot of the authors don't actually know what audiences enjoy about their media; and so they pair down their content to the "greatest hits" they can repeat, and save the rest for when audiences ask for more.

But generally that "More" is really bad not-thought out rehashing of things that audiences didn't really like. Or audiences liked the concept of the ideas presented, but they cam packaged with all the *really bad ideas*. Because creators aren't certain which bits to keep, and which bits to change.

Because; gotta stay true to the source material or fanboys will get cranky in-between their rounds of Madden.

So without further ado; Kryptonite.

Kryptonite unfortunately isn't the material on Earth from the comics. It was a mineral that was new at the time of the comics, and it was introduced in order to influence readers (YA) to learn their elemental tables.

A lot of the sci-fi is about introducing concepts to younger audiences so that they get interested in *real* science. But it often falls short because the original scientists were closer to carni-folk and further away from being very studious.

So in DC comics; Kryptonite is a mineral that came from Superman's home world: Krypton. The joke was intentional. And then it was given a bunch of different variations and mystical magical powers that affected SuperMan in strange ways.

Honestly--To start; I'd get rid of the moniker "SuperMan". Its whole concept is goofy these days. Unless you want to go to more of a less serious DC, which some people *might* want.

The reason it's silly is because the S on his chest that he used to create his hero name "SuperMan" is actually a "K" in his home world's language and stands for his family crest. Indicating his true name: Kal-el and home planet Krypton.

And his stage name: Super Man.

Now, This moniker comes from the carnival strong man days. That's why it sounds so corny. It's also why he wears the ridiculous get-up. Because that's where it comes from... Even the WWE has better outfits and monikers these days.

Keep his real name "Kryptonian" and have everybody else call him "Super Man". In a way that the audience knows; the crowd calls him that, but he doesn't go by *that* name.

Kryptonite; in order to not confuse children with the real thing. Change the name of this Mystical mineral. I'm not sure what to.

BUT. I have an idea that will link it to Green Lantern.

This stone that can take away Superman's powers? Why can't it be the same rock that powers the lantern corp ring?

And because both come in an array of colors that depict different (but the same) varying effects; this can be used as a plot device.

This balances SuperMan's infinite power by making Green Lantern at least as strong as SuperMan, AND it prevents superman from doubling up on super powers.

This pseudo-science extends to many DC characters as well; like the flash. Who ends up building his own Hadron Collider which he uses as his own personal running track. (And also can contain all the energy he emits).

Why is literally every superhero in DC a literal Super-Genius?

I know why; it's to inspire young audiences to be well rounded individuals. But holy shit if doesn't come off as preppy rich-people worship.

In DC there are several Billionaire Genius' that all become some variant of Batman. This can be streamlined. Instead of introducing them all separately; which is done because; VIEWERS NEED TO KNOW WHICH SUPERHERO CAME FIRST, AND WHICH ONE IS THE 'AAA' MOVIE HERO AND WHICH IS THE B-LIST TV SHOW HERO.

They are all Batman, they all want justice. Perhaps they should just... I don't KNOW form some sort of league where they assist the law with dishing out justice instead of all being super unique brooding vigilantes.

Just a thought.

What this does so far is separate each type of hero into a different "threat category". The Batman's care about street-level crimes; they assist the cops, they take down the corrupt politicians and law enforcement.

The spacemen (green lantern, superman;) they deal with inter-galactic threats.

And heroes like the flash who have a tendency and ability for inter dimensional travel? They deal with inter dimensional threats.

Which gives a better reason why these separate teams don't often intersect, opposite "Well, we've heard of them but *CRIME* IS JUST SO BAD YOU GUYS. otherwise we'd have contacted them by now."

If only crime was so bad in real life that superheroes were just always booked solid because law enforcement can't keep up or do its job properly.

Which is why storylines where the heroes leave the country to some island work so much better than just... The entire city is full of criminals and no matter how many you *send to the hospital* they just keep popping up!

Like it's some sort of simulation.

This idea that every series needs to start with Batman and Superman *and then* Justice League *and then* other superhero teams is silly.

When you could take all of the ideas built over the years and take the best bits to make a whole new thing.

Which would honestly feel more honest to viewers than rebooting every series from its first comic.

In the age of Video Games, this would really give gamers a lot more content to play through, and feel less railroady as well.

It even gives reason for villain teams to exist, or not exist.

Also; Batman should be a detective. He's not a direct combat guy, same with all the other superheroes that are Batman clones. They all have extensive martial arts training, so they all should know; The best victory is when you win without fighting.

Also like... They keep trying to make the *same* exact series with different street-level characters that you really start to see why people stopped enjoying superheroes to begin with.