#Criminal Minds original box set

[larrys-positive-spin]

Greetings to all of you. Today is a very special and significant day in my life. 51 years ago on this same day of the week, I was born. My best days are ahead, helping others through the rough times and spots in life, as I have been helped.

[emilx311]

So Criminal Minds was/is my fav show since I was a teen and is actually the only show I ever bought box sets for (I own all 15 of the original seasons -yes I started the collection before atreaming was a regular thing). All that to say let's see if the reboot/new seasons live up to the old (ie if I should bother also buying these). Kinda doubtful they will be because I've heard by bb! Will not be coming valid (valid reasons for the actor but Reid I will miss you!!!!!! As much as I've missed Derek) still Penelope (my beloved) is still there so I'll try to give it a fair shot.

[lovevalley45]

#fictober24 - day eighteen

"You always have a plan."

original fiction (power payback)

word count: 572

“Careful, careful.” Sprout peeked her head over the box they were carrying in. “Don’t run into that wall.”

“I’m not-“ Magni bumped his back into the short wall dividing her kitchenette and the rest of her apartment. “Okay. I guess I was going to run into that wall.”

They navigated the box for her bedframe to the space she’d cleared out, among all of her stuff. So far, her apartment was a mess. But the small studio was the first space Sprout had truly had to call her own. 

Leaning against the box, Magni asked, “Why didn’t you just pay someone to come deliver and build this for you again?”

“Less expensive,” she answered. “And I’m pretty handy.” Sprout started to pull her gloves off. 

“You’re handy, but-“ He went to grab the box cutter from her counter. “Did you forget your hands don’t have the same attitude?” 

She crossed her arms. “It’s assembling a bed, not rocket science. Besides, that’s why I have you here. In case I need a precise hand.” 

Magni sighed. “You always have a plan.” He went over to the box and sliced it open. “Sometimes, I wish I had some of that determination.” 

Coming over to help him, Sprout snorted. “What do you mean? You’ve got a plan.” 

“Not really. I know you have your five year plan - Bright City College, then onto UNBC to get your bachelors’ in criminal justice and ignore my mom’s suggestions of law school to finagle yourself into a nice internship that will set you on the right foot for getting your private investigator license.” He tore the flaps open. “Meanwhile, I’m just doing the kinesiology program at UNBC because I don’t want to go into computer science.” 

“You can always change your major. I got my plans, but I’m not stuck to them.” She shrugged. “Look what happened to my first set of plans.” 

He looked up at her. “You couldn’t have known-”

“That I would screw myself over playing hero?” Sprout asked. “Yeah. It’s kinda hard to predict that.”

“Just as hard to predict that developing technopath would throw off any plans to be an Olympic swimmer?” 

“I think my plans were more achievable than yours,” she told Magni. “But I admit, I chose criminal justice because I like mystery novels too much.” 

“You don’t have to lie to me,” he said. “Not about that.” 

Sprout didn’t answer, focusing her attention on the inside of the box. She knew her reasons for becoming a PI were deeper than that. It was hard to find someone who’d be on your side as a Talent. The Bright City police department outsourced on lots of cases having to do with Talents, but mostly to prove their guilt further. 

Irene Quinn told her that her talents - not her botanokinesis, but her personable nature - would suit her better in the courtroom. Hell, maybe she’d change her mind. Plans weren’t solid. 

But she hand’t been fully lying. Being a private investigator just sounded more fun.

She pulled out the instructions. “Let’s get this bed built so I have a place to sleep tonight.” 

“It’s about 3,” Magni remarked. “Seems like your plan wasn’t so well thought out.” 

“That’s another reason why I have you. To get it done faster.” Sprout grinned. “Teamwork makes the dream work.” 

“Yeah, you’ll regret that when we’re pulling out each other’s hair over figuring out how to build this thing.”

[veeluvss]

✮⋆˙ Secret Santa

Day 5 of 12 days of Christmas

A cute Drabble of what every criminal minds character (I could think of) would get each other for Christmas

y/n - Garcia

You get Garcia an oodie !! One of them super massive ones, covered in cupcakes and lollipops and it’s bright piink with lots of fluff inside.

Garcia - Elle

Garcia gets Elle a photo of her, Elle and JJ together - the original BAU girlies.

Elle - Hotch

Elle gets Hotch a ‘lessons on sexism’ book as a dig to his meanness.

Hotch - Emily

Hotch gets Emily a cook book, tailored to her terrible cooking skills.

Emily - Matt

A ‘how to assemble a crib’ book and the first page is a guide on finding the perfect one for your wife. Emily’s stuck a photo of the red one with an arrow saying ‘not this!’

Matt - Kate

Matching pj’s and family night hamper full of snacks, movies, hot chocolate mugs etc aand then also offers her the bright red crib…

Kate - Alex

A bumper, super crossword puzzle book, tailored for geniuses.

Alex - Luke

A designer aftershave, he’s had his eye on for a while but not been able to afford (something she always wanted to buy Ethan when he got older).

Luke - Derek

A new set of boxing gloves as he used his so much they’re ruined.

Derek - Gideon

A photo of the entire team photoshopped into birds which Gideon is overjoyed with.

Gideon - Reid

A first copy edition of his favourite set of poetry, fully annotated by himself.

Reid - Tara

Tickers to a lecture with a world famous criminal pyschologist who is now retired from practice but who Tara looks up to massively.

Tara - Rossi

A book of italian puns - trying to give him some humour.

Rossi - JJ

Expensive, vintage wine and chocolates - he also adds in tickets to a hockey game for her and her whole family.

JJ - y/n

A coffee shop hamper - vouchers, cups, coffee, snacks, etc.

[rayshippouuchiha]

went ransacking through my ao3 bookmarks bcs i live vicariously through these when the going gets tough. some of these might have already been recc'ed alrd but im too lazy to check 🫠

The Menagerie by zegez

Tsuna collects everyone as pets, literally, most if not all of them are animals. it's glorious and very cute

Bad Influence by Emric84

Toji and Tsuna meet, what follows is a catastrophe for everyone else. Toji27 is the most left field ship i had ever encountered but by god was it good while it lasted. ABANDONED but had enough content to it BUT STILL GOD IM SO SAD THIS WAS SO GOOD????

body aches by HeavenlyDusk

In which KHR was originally a very different story.

This one is a little heart breaking but also really hopeful bcs tsuna is learning to be more comfortable w/ being Tsuna™ the protagonist while still maintaining some semblance of himself from a past life. its still ongoing but i have it as one of my comfort fics <3

Overcast universe by Ocearna

a khr rewrite where 1827 meet and bond as kids and tsuna getting that cloud influence. cloudysky!tsuna my beloved.

Beginnings and Middles But No Ends In Sight by Ourliazo

Arcobaleno shenanigans before the curse.

in the hearts of men (there be madness) by Silverfox579

YKNOW WHAT'S SOMETHING THAT'S ALWAYS FASCINATED ME IN CANON AFTER I GOT OVER THE ANIME ENOUGH TO NOTICE IT??? THE HYPER DYING WILL MODE PERSONALITY like after the kyaa badass tsuna lets gooo, you start wondering what the fuck is going on there actually bcs basil is not like this,, what goes on here 👀👀

or!! dark!tsuna au-ish in reborn's pov

Bargaining chip by Mina37

like the one before but in xanxus' pov this time

My Sweet Affinity by Chaotic_Roses

criminal minds au featuring tired w/ a mysterious bg leader tsuna, freshly released from prison hitman reborn, intern gokudera, Hana, and scammer kyoko.

[this could've been] a villain's origin story by petroltogo

Tsuna running into and unknowingly helping villains after helping release xanxus from the ice box should've really been the hill where it all went wrong, surprisingly tho, only shenanigans. featuring!! chikusa and tsuna childhood friendship that i very much adore

whisper in my ear (i'll build your dreams on bones) by Silverfox579

its only a one shot but gOD I WISH THEY EXPAND ON THIS ITS SO COOL I AM IN LOVE W/ THIS FIC I HAVE THIS FIC PLASTERED ALL OVER MY SOCIAL MEDIA, IF I HAVE ANY WAY TO CONTACT THE AUTHOR I WOULD ASK PERMISSION TO PRINT AND BOOK BIND IT FOR PERSONAL USE BCS THIS!! CONCEPT!!!

or!! the five times the stress of war and battle got to tsuna and wakes up the God in his head. (the last two are spoilers for the manga but hnnnggg i NEED to rec this)

a rose by any other name (would taste just as bitter) by heyimflamel

sealing flames has very, very dangerous repercussions. not only are you sealing this person's will to live but sealing someone w/ sky flames whose purpose is to harmonize? you get something dangerous indeed. dark!tsuna corrupting flames one guardian at a time.

High School Montage by HeavenlyDusk

a montage of vongola tenth gen as they navigate through high school through outsider pov. slice of life-ey and very chaotic (the side story w/ the childhood friends oc my beloved 🫶)

The Boy in the Ice by eloquentelegance

UA has to deal w/ these weirdos lurking around their courtyard all thanks to the mysterious ice pillar that just dropped from the sky w/ a boy frozen inside.

rattle this ghost town by blackkat

Mukuro meets Naruto and spirits him away lmao

Set the Skies Ablaze by cywscross

K(anime) and khr crossover that took me by the neck and never let go. it's essentially discontinued now but the 3 chapters it has??? keeps you coming back in hopes that it does, miraculously, update 🫠

To the Beat of My Own Drum by Seito

College AU where reborn is the normal one and tsuna and his friends bring the chaos in his life. the found family that this fic gives and radiates is so 🫶🫶🫶 like i love it so MUCH

that's it for now bcs im sleepy hehehe

!!!!!!!!

[fibula-rasa]

Favorite New-to-Me Films

January ’24

READ on BELOW the JUMP!

(listed in order of collage above, L to R)

Eleven P.M. (1928)

[letterboxd | imdb | kanopy]

Synopsis: Sundaisy, a violinist, tries to fulfill a friend’s dying request to ensure his son is raised away from the criminal element of the city. Unfortunately, Sundaisy is duped by a phony priest, and the boy grows into a low-level crime boss. After a series of misfortunes spurred on by the boy over the course of decades, Sundaisy’s family is nearly ruined. However, Sundaisy’s will for vengeance leads to supernatural consequences. All this is couched in a frame story of a man trying to meet an 11 p.m. deadline.

This is easily my favorite first-time viewing of the month. The synopsis above admittedly does not capture the mystical/transcendental attitude that Eleven P.M. reflects. This is the only film Detroit-based Richard Maurice ever directed, but it displays sophisticated ideas about film storytelling, using an array of devices in inventive ways. It’s always a treat to be reminded of how creative and exciting independent filmmaking can be in America. If you want to check this one out, I advise you to keep an open mind and not approach it with an overly literal, nitpicky mindset. Let Richard Maurice take you on this ride and I don’t think you’ll regret it!

I watched this on the Pioneers of African-American Cinema box set, which I can’t recommend highly enough. The films are outstandingly curated and contextualized and the set showcases an often-overlooked but indispensable part of American cultural history. A lot of the films are also available on streaming through kanopy, which you may be able to access with your library card if you live in the US.

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Lea on Rollerskates / Lea sui pattini (1912)

[letterboxd | imdb]

Synopsis: Lea isn’t allowed by her parents to go rollerskating with a friend, so she decides to skate in her own bedroom. She proceeds to wreak havoc in the home before an accidental self-defenestration sets her free to wreak havoc at the roller rink instead.

A jam-packed, stunt-heavy bit of nonsense led by Lea Giunchi. I’ve watched quite a few of her films now and I’ve learned this is pretty standard for her. I love each and every pratfall.

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Two Girls are in Love with Foolshead / Le due innamorate di Cretinetti (1911)

[letterboxd | imdb]

Synopsis: Cretinetti is dating two girls at the same time. The girls decide to duel, but Cretinetti is the one who loses… repeatedly.

I’ve finally gotten around to watching more Andre Deed films and this one was a highlight for January. I don’t know who the skinny woman is, but she and Valentina Frascaroli are great together.

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X (2022)

[letterboxd | imdb]

Synopsis: A crew of filmmakers leave Houston, TX for the country in order to film a farm-themed porn. The producer of course did not disclose the nature of their stay to the elderly property owners. Said owners have ulterior motives in renting their cabin and respond violently to the group.

Appreciative of all of Ti West’s work, and X has so much going on and so much to say that I originally typed out two full pages (single spaced) on it before I knew it. I won’t be sharing those two pages because I think there are a few points on the approach to gore in recent horror movies that I need to mull over more. For now though, I’ll just say, I didn’t enjoy X at all, but I deeply appreciate what Ti West is putting out there. I probably won’t watch it again and I’m going to be sure my stomach is prepared for whenever I get around to Pearl (2022).

---

The Hayseed (1919)

[letterboxd | imdb | Silent Comedy Watch Party]

Synopsis: Fatty wants to marry Molly, but so does the sheriff. Buster tries to keep the general store in working order while the sheriff plots against Fatty.

Luke the dog is one of my top 5 movie dogs of all time. I’ve never made an official list, but I know in my heart that Luke is at the top. Also, I adore how many modern professional wrestling moves you end up seeing in Fatty/Buster collaborations! In this instance, note the dance sequence with the lady who gets swung around wildly.

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The Ghost Ship (1943)

[letterboxd | imdb]

Synopsis: Tom Merriam, a young officer, reports for his first commission on a long haul trip on the Altair. The captain has a bit of a strange vibe, but the newbie likes him, at first. As crewmen perish under the captain’s leadership, and the captain’s lectures take on a more sinister tone, Tom knows he needs to act to save the remaining crew and the ship. 

Checked this out as I was on a Val Lewton kick not knowing much about it beforehand. I did not expect it to be a movie about fascism done in microcosm. So, if you were looking for a movie about ghosts or a Flying Dutchman, this ain’t it. Its off-beat structure amped up the tension, though the denouement was a little too pat. Cinematography was fantastic, as you might expect from Nicholas Musuraca. I hope Sir Lancelot got two checks for how much his singing contributes to the movie. Richard Dix is such a skilled actor in everything I’ve seen him in, but he is pitch-perfectly terrifying in this movie.

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Miss Pinkerton (1932)

[letterboxd | imdb]

Synopsis: A nurse who’s bored with hospital work gets assigned to an old woman who’s ailing after a big shock: finding the dead body of her nephew. The detective on the case asks the nurse to gather reconnaissance for him at the house and she gets all the excitement she can stomach as a result.

Miss Pinkerton is a pre-code gem I somehow have never seen before, despite my devotion to Joan Blondell. The plot and characters are interesting, the cinematography (done by Barney McGill) and staging of the film is very dynamic and Joan Blondell brings so much to Miss Pinkerton with her signature effervescent sass. It’s also just over an hour long, so it would make a great watch for one of those evenings where you’re indecisive but want to find something compelling but compact.

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Phil-for-Short (1919)

[letterboxd | imdb]

Synopsis: Damophilia “Phil” Illington is a free-spirited tomboy brought up by a Greek-professor father and his right-hand man, Pat. Her lack of lady-like decorum raises the ire of two town elders, who are also the local killjoys. When her father passes away, one of the elders abuses his position of power to force her into a conservatorship. Phil disguises herself as a boy and hightails it with Pat. While on the lam, Phil makes the acquaintance of a young woman-hating Greek professor. Through a set of misadventures, Phil and the Professor end up married, but it takes quite a bit of work after the marriage for them to find happiness with one another.

Great characters and performances and I enjoyed marriage not being treated as the resolution or an end point to the story. It’s also very endearing to see such a pervasively queer story about a man and a woman getting together.

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The Mystic (1925)

[letterboxd | imdb]

Synopsis: A con artist enlists the help of Hungarian travelling carnival performers to enact a phony medium scheme against the hoi polloi of New York City.

Tod Browning is a sure-bet filmmaker for me and The Mystic was no exception. Highlights for me were: the execution of the seance sequences, Erte’s gorgeous costumes for Aileen Pringle, and an ending that I hoped would happen but assumed wouldn’t!

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There Ain’t No Santa Claus (1926)

[letterboxd | imdb | Silent Comedy Watch Party]

Synopsis: When Christmas rolls around, Charley doesn’t have enough money to both pay the rent and buy his wife a present. He uses his $80 to buy her a watch, instead of the rent, and his nasty landlord/next-door-neighbor steals the watch. Christmas Day turns into a free for all, when both Charley and his landlord dress as Santa and plan to enter via their respective chimneys for their respective children. 

Well-paced, great comeuppance, and very well-executed gags. Additionally, Charley Chase looks absolutely outrageous in his Santa wig and he knew it!

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This one didn’t make it into the collage, but it’s still on the list:

Little Moritz Runs Away With Rosalie / Little Moritz enlève Rosalie (1911)

[letterboxd | imdb]

Synopsis: Little Moritz loves Rosalie and wishes to marry her, but her father objects. So, of course Rosalie and Mortiz run away together in his funky little flivver, but dad and the family dog give chase.

Most of this short is the chase sequence and it’s very well executed. Sarah Duhamel is so cute and so is her family dog. The location shooting is nicely done (was this shot in Nice?) This charming poster captures the vibe of the short perfectly:

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In January we were hit with a nasty winter storm and, while we were relatively lucky in my neighborhood, we were without internet for a third of the month. So, we ended up relying on our home video collection, which accounts for five of the films above and me re-watching two seasons of Soap and Fritz Lang’s Niebelungenlied (1924). 

Despite the holdup, I continued my “Lost, but Not Forgotten” series with The Dancer of the Nile (1923) and started a limited spin-off series, “How’d They Do That?” about special effects and stunts in the silent era. 

I also made themed gif & still sets for: Miss Pinkerton, Dementia (1955), and A Christmas Carol (1971).

Here’s to a less eventful February! And, as always, if you’re interested in any of these films, but have specific content warning needs, feel free to ask me.

[dan-the-womans-blog]

Creating request guidelines for Tumblr can help streamline interactions, clarify expectations, and ensure that both the requester and the content creator have a positive experience. Below is a comprehensive guideline template that you can use or modify according to your needs. (If you cant figure out how to make your own you can use mine.)

---

Request Guidelines

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Thank you for visiting my Tumblr blog! I'm excited to engage with you and potentially create content based on your requests. To make sure everything runs smoothly, please read and follow the guidelines below before submitting your request.

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Fandoms I write for:

-Avatar(the blue people)

-Harry Potter

-Twilight

-Scream

-Criminal Minds

-The Walking Dead

-The Hunger Games

-Mikhail Varshavski (not technically a fandom)

-Suicide Squad

-The Maze Runner

-Charmed

-House

-The Last Of Us

A few more that I can't remember right now. Just request and find out i'll probably research the character and write it anyway tbh.

[onelastchorus]

losing my mind over the historical fontaine doomed yuri lore in emilie's weapon story

"looking back on her life, everything up to this point seemed utterly without meaning, with nothing achieved and nothing to hope for. yet if this was the 'natural' way of the world, then coming to accept this was surely a form of happiness in its own right?however, in spite of her expectations, death did not come. opening one eye nervously, she looked up, to see a girl in strange attire smiling back gently, who then placed a flower — whence it came she knew not — behind her ear.

'we call this flower a lumidouce bell, which in the language of flowers... means hope. look, the color matches your hair. you have such beautiful eyes. it would be such a pity if all they reflected was despair. come, little lass with the sapphire eyes, let me trade this flower for your heart.'

thus did marfisa, who would be later famed as a champion duelist, first step into the city above ground. watching on from the luxury of a VIP box in the magnificent theater, she could no longer remember the smiling faces of the magician and their assistant on stage, only how, as the fantasy played out, a profusion of flowers blossomed under the dazzling spotlight — bright, pure, and ever so strong. if she could walk in the sunlight as 'naturally' as her, she would no longer need to hide in the ashes. seeing this, she understood that she should yet cherish hope — that this life, having now seen the light, might blossom like lumidouce.

...

this is how the world should be, justice prevailing over all. otherwise, how could he have defeated her? as it was so, it made sense for her to be guided by justice, and offer up a cold elegy to those who would seek to evade judgment. and so, the girl born from the ashes abandoned her original set of rules, becoming a purple-clad enforcer instead, upholding justice 'as it ought to be,' until the fire of poisson brought the criminal parsifal before her...

...

looking back on her life, everything up to this point seemed utterly without meaning, with nothing achieved and nothing to hope for. yet if this was the 'natural' way of the world, then coming to accept this was surely a form of happiness in its own right? but despite this, when she fell into those pure sourcewaters, all that had previously seemed self-evident lost its meaning. up to the moment her memories dissolved in the water, she never knew that the lumidouce bell's true meaning in the language of flowers was never hope, just as her late mother had taught her: ashes to ashes, dust to dust, and at the end of that long pursuit, even fate did not offer her the blossoming elegy that it ought to have."

parsifal literally saved her life and shaped her beliefs and marfisa died thinking she murdered her and that her life was ultimately meaningless. and from the beginning parsifal gave her a flower representing partings and reunions and eternal love and beauty and tears telling her it meant hope. holy shit.

[somanyfuckedupiftruebooks]

Mag 38

We love a man who's well organised <3 He has experience with needing to get the fuck out of dodge and I respect that.

Surely these can't all be Leitners? It would be insane to store them like this, right? And as far as we know Salesa isn't a moron.

Although it is cool to think that he stole them all from (laughed out of town cowboy motherfucking) jurgen leitner after his internship ended. Punitive damages.

Homophobic vase??? Already??? I didn't know this was a Season 1 statement! I thought this motherfucker showed up in like 3 or 4.

Anyway, great to be like, 'This disorienting vase had a pattern so impossible that it gave me a headache. It was amazing and I bought it immediately.'

What is with people in TMA wanting cursed shit in their homes? (Remembers thst I have a framed bat skeleton on my bookshelf next to a Japanese puzzle box full of replica human teeth and directly opposite the lovechild of a porcelain doll and a rusty tin can that I have to keep nailed to the wall) ...nevermind.

Hello David, the gaslighting king. I had a headcanon about him that relistening to this episode may have ruined, but I'll expand on that later.

Wild that Salesa now seems to be afraid of that vase. I mean, it makes sense from his POV. He just received a photo of what is obviously a Spiral artefact that he has absolutely no memory of but apparently owned at one point. Fear is an appropriate response here; he's obviously only narrowly dodged some kind of bullet.

But what about when he had the vase originally? How did he get it? Did he not know what it was, or what it did? I know he lives a dangerous life, but it seems deeply reckless to be a person who makes a living by aquiring and selling goods and in any way interact with something that makes it impossible for a person to keep or own anything. If he hadn't somehow fluked his way into passing the vase along without consequence, it could have destroyed him.

Actually you know what commentary cancelled. I am being such an idiot. I am asking how and why Salesa came to own a thing cannot be owned and (at a minimum) distorts the memory of anyone who tries to buy or sell it. Salesa had never set eyes on that vase until the exact moment that Andre wanted to buy it, then he lied and pretended to know what it was until the sale was over (because he's a criminal) then he promptly forgot it ever existed.

These certainly do seem to be the actions and thought patterns of a person who is mentally well.

Again, I've said this before, but Spiral statements like this get under my skin because they feel so unfair. Of course a person will start losing track of their sanity if you mess with their literal reality to the point at which they can no longer determine what's real. David isn't gaslighting Andre, Andre isn't losing tough with reality, it's the vase's fault for changing reality around both of them! And even saying that sounds crazy!

Alright Salesa, no need to be a cunt about it. This could have very easily been happening to you.

You see this shit? How can this not break your heart? He's not wrong; it's the vase's fault!!

I don't know why this kind of thing bothers me for the Spiral specifically when all the Entities do basically the same thing. It doesn't feel unfair for the Buried to eat cave divers alive, or for the Lonely to isolate depressed loners, but when the Spiral takes people who are perfectly sane and fucks around with them until they are paranoid delusional messes it just feels like bullying I guess.

It's not fair how crazy he sounds when he is accurately describing what is literally happening to him!! The Spiral can fuck off.

Keep these details about David in mind for the theory I will be expanding on later.

[gimmie-a-sammich]

Absolution | Chapter 3 | A Necessary Escape

Pairings: Resistance!Ateez x Fem!Original Character, Resistance!??? x Fem!Original Character, feat other idols

Genre: (18+ Minors DNI) Dystopian au, smut, angst, fluff

Summary: Absolution: act of absolving; a freeing from blame or guilt; release from consequences, obligations, or penalties. Haunted by the guilt of her choices, Serafina desperately searches for a way to atone for her sins. In a world ruled by power and corruption, will she find the forgiveness she seeks? Is she worthy of absolution? Maybe stumbling upon the resistance is the answer she's been looking for.

Chapter Warnings: deception, manipulation, mentions of past trauma, mentions of past deaths, escape, fist fights (but Sera is still a badass)

Word Count: 14.4k

read here on AO3

Absolution Masterlist

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**

Sera stumbled back up to her room, clutching her knotted stomach. Her father’s plans made her nauseous, the metallic taste of bile brewing beneath her tongue. The small-scale brainwashing and manipulation had already taken a significant toll on her, contributing to her feelings of self-loathing just as much as her kill count. Mentally she couldn’t handle influencing the masses to bend to her father. As long as she was within her father’s grasp the people of Meridian would never be safe, not with this nefarious plot. Not with her father in power.

She needed to get out, and get out now. 

In a rush, she locked the door behind her, no longer caring about her mother’s warning for staying in her room. There were no tears left in her body to cry. Now she felt numb, desperately trying to form a coherent thought. 

Escape was necessary. But how? 

What would happen to Ryland if she left? 

For the time being, she pushed her brother out of her mind, focusing instead on how she was going to get out of the compound unseen. She had to leave. The best time would be early in the morning. She knew the guard schedule by heart and her favorite set at the main gates went on rotation at 3am. They would be easy to manipulate, but she would need to do it right at the beginning of their shift before more people started coming in and out. It would be much easier to slide out then, and she would be able to put some distance between herself and the compound before her absence was noticed. Sera hated that she needed to use her powers, but in this case it was a necessary evil. 

In a rush she searched her closet for one of the large military backpacks. She needed to travel light, but would need some clothes and other necessities to survive on the run. She grabbed a few pairs of practical pants, long sleeve shirts, tank tops, hoodies, a rain jacket, thick socks, and underwear. At this point she was a professional at packing, folding everything tightly and neatly to leave enough room for an extra pair of shoes. The sleeping bag would be tightly rolled along the top, rations and other survival tools kept within the many pockets. Of course she would need some toiletries, not wanting to live like a complete heathen while on the road. If she played her cards right she would be able to sleep at inns and hotels along the way, not always on the roadside. With that thought in mind, she found the box she’d also hidden in her closet, stuffed to the brim with money. She had been saving it for as long as she could remember, never knowing why, but increasingly thankful she’d been tucking it away. 

Oddly enough, she felt a twisted sense of gratefulness towards her parents. Escape would be much easier since no one outside the inner circle or the compound knew what she looked like. Even her name had been kept a secret. Her face would not be plastered across Meridian like some wanted criminal. Honestly, her escape would more than likely be kept quiet. No one would know the Crown was missing its most prized possession. 

Now she needed to get to the training building since it housed most of the other supplies she needed, including the ration packs. Getting in wouldn’t be a problem, it would be getting out unnoticed with handfuls of packs. Easily, she came up with a solution, silently muttering to herself for not thinking of the obvious answer immediately. It was not uncommon for her to go into the training room with a duffle bag. She would do a quick workout, hopefully avoiding people while she went. Afterwards she would sneak into the supply room, grab what she needed, and stuff it into the bag. 

Truthfully, she knew it would be good for her to do some sort of physical activity, even if there wasn’t an ounce of desire to do so. While sparring was totally off the table, a few miles on the treadmill could do wonders for her head. Running had a way of clearing her thoughts, the only focus being the pounding of her feet. She preferred to run outdoors, but her current situation called for the gym. 

Sera quickly changed into workout attire, throwing her hair up in a messy bun. Her hair tangled around the damn ring, but she knew better than to take it off just yet. Wearing it wouldn’t draw the same unwanted attention as not having it on her hand. She would pretend to be happy about the engagement if she did happen to run into anyone. Faking it would be difficult, but nothing she hadn’t done a million times over. 

The walk to the training building was a quiet one. Sera felt very self conscious of the empty duffle bag hitting her side with each step. Those she did pass didn’t say anything to her other than the obligatory ‘princess’ with a shallow nod. In times like these she also felt a shred of gratitude towards her extensive military training. Even though her mind was racing, her body remained calm. She handled this type of pressure and the pressure of missions extremely well, carrying herself in the same way she always did. Only afterwards did her walls crumble.

Although she expected the room to be empty, finding Jay leisurely jogging on one of the treadmills didn’t surprise Sera. Did he know about the announcement?. 

Jay stopped the treadmill the moment he saw Sera walking through the archway, sprinting at her in full force. He nearly knocked her over, wrapping her up in a sweaty hug, but Sera didn’t mind. 

“Hey, Sera,” he said, not relinquishing his hold around her shoulders.

“Hey, Jay.” Sera’s arms wrapped around him just as tightly. 

He dipped his head slightly to rest his cheek atop her head. “Are you okay? We heard about your, uh, your engagement.” 

With a massive sigh Sera squeezed him tighter. She never had to pretend with Jay, but she couldn’t tell him how she felt in this case. She couldn’t risk putting Jay in a compromised position, especially with her leaving. Jay’s loyalty towards Changkyun couldn’t be questioned.

“I’m okay, Jay. I promise. It was a surprise to say the least, but it could be worse. Much worse.” 

Finally Jay released Sera from the hug, but moved his hands to clasp Sera’s shoulders. Their eyes met, Jay obviously searching for her real feelings. “Let me say this… if you’re happy, I’m happy. Whatever you’re feeling I’ll get behind, good or bad. It’s going to be weird for all of us now. I can’t imagine not having you on this team. But, you will always have Jiwoo and me in your corner. You can always count on us, no matter what. Okay?”

Sera had long since gotten over Jay’s instances of maturity. Jay was definitely the moodmaker of their little team, but always knew the moments to put that aside. Emotionally smarter than he would ever let on, Jay often understood everyone’s moods and underlying feelings, even if they weren’t always expressed. He knew better than to pry for more, but made sure that Sera knew where he stood without outright saying it. Sera gave him a genuine smile despite the all too familiar pang in her chest. How she would miss him and Jiwoo.

“I know, Jay, and I appreciate it. But, how did you already know that I was off the team? That wasn’t part of the announcement.” 

Jay’s hands dropped, one running through his sweat slicked hair. His eyes fell to the floor while he gnawed on his lower lip. Sera could see the internal debate going through his head on what he should say. “We, uh, had a briefing early this morning. Changkyun, Ender, Ji, and I. He told us… and then he said we would be meeting a few potentials for your replacement tomorrow at the base.” Sadness lingered on his face. “I’m sorry, Sera. I really am.” 

Sera felt tears forming. Not for being off the team. But for Jay’s guilt about the situation. None of this was his fault, yet here he apologized for the team’s behalf. “Jay, it’s fine. You don’t need to be sorry. You and Ji… well I hope that even though I’m off the team we will stay friends. Right?” She felt compelled to ask, even though no friendship could continue in her absence. But she needed the peace of mind in knowing.

Jay laughed at her question, pulling in Sera for another hug. “You aren’t getting rid of either of us.” She relaxed. The assurance placated her brain. “I’ll let you run in peace, okay?” 

“Thanks, Jay. You’re pretty spectacular, you know that?” 

He shot her a dazzling smile as he went to the cubby containing his things. “Of course I know, Sera.” 

With a final wink, he was out the door, leaving Sera alone. She placed her bag in one of the cubbies before making her way to the treadmill. Jay had forgotten to clear it, letting Sera see just how long he had been going. The crazy guy had been running for over an hour before Sera interrupted him.

Clearing the screen, Sera set her pace to a brisk walk to warm her legs up. The interaction with Jay made her forgo stretching and she didn’t want to strain her body by starting too fast. Soon, she settled into a decent pace, not a full out sprint but more than a slow jog. Her mind went blank, just as she had hoped. Everything faded out besides the sound of her feet. 

After about 30 minutes, Sera decided she had enough. The intention wasn’t to push herself today, only to work up enough of a sweat that she wouldn’t look too conspicuous. Clearing the screen and wiping down the treadmill, she grabbed one of the yoga mats. A few more moments in the training room wouldn’t jeopardize her plan. If anything, the more time she spent here, the better. Hopefully it would make the day go by faster.

For a moment Sera laid back on the mat, hands covering her face. Thankfully her brain was too tired from her run to let her thoughts go wild. She focused only on her plan. On her escape. She lost herself so deeply iin her plan development that she didn’t hear the faint footsteps steadily growing louder.

“Oh… Sera.” 

Changkyun. Of course it would be Changkyun. Sera sighed, raising her back from the mat. Avoiding him was no longer an option.

She turned to face him, forcing a small smile. “Hey, Changkyun.”

He paused in the entryway, unsure of his next move since Sera had made it clear that she wanted space from him. His hands immediately went into the pockets of his joggers. “I can go.”

With a sigh, Sera shook her head. “I was done here anyway,” she stood, grabbing the mat and rolling it up. 

Changkyun entered the room, dropping his belongings to the floor, eyes never leaving Sera. A faint smirk flickered through his face when he saw the ring on her hand. Slowly, he made his way over to her once she returned the mat to its proper spot. 

“Sera… will you please forgive me?” His voice was so low, so soft. 

She fought the urge to flinch when his hand touched the small of her back. She had to play into his desires, as much as she didn’t want to. Instead of shying away, she turned to face him. It took everything she had to meet his eyes. Per usual with her, they were warm and soft. It was hard to believe that he could be so possessive, yet the overheard conversation and his demeanor in the greenhouse said otherwise. Sera questioned how long those feelings had been forming and when he fell in love with her. 

“What happened to you giving me time, Chankgyun?” she sighed. 

“I can’t help that I ran into you. It’s not like I sought you out.” Still, he kept his hand firm on her back. She could feel his fingers twitching along her skin, longing to move. “I’m happy to see you, and even happier to see you’re wearing the ring.”

Sera allowed him to grab her hand, letting him run his thumb along the diamond. This was easier than causing a fight with him. Any sort of disturbance would only draw more attention to her. Attention she did not want. 

“Well… we are engaged. It only makes sense.” She kept her voice calm and quiet, almost breathless. 

Changkyun exhaled, tension leaving his shoulders. A small grin bloomed on his face and he pulled Sera closer to him. “Are you… are you more okay with everything?” 

She had to tell him what he wanted to hear, especially with how expectantly he looked at her. Feigning a smile, she snaked her arms around his waist, making Changkyun’s smile widen. “It’s easier to accept now that I’ve slept on it. Of course I was surprised by the announcement. How couldn’t I be? But you’re right. Things could be much worse, and honestly I’m thankful that it's you.” 

Following her words Changkyun pulled her into his chest, completely ignoring her sweat ridden body. Lips pressed against Sera’s temple. “You don’t know how much hearing you say that means to me, Sera.” When Changkyun drew back, a hand migrated to her face. The way he looked at her made Sera’s breath hitch. Not in a good way, but Changkyun was too blind to tell the difference. Love and sincerity filled his eyes. “If you feel up to it, I’d like… well I’d like to… god why is it so hard to ask you on a date?” Immediately he blushed, followed by a nervous and embarrassed laugh.

If Sera hadn’t been so upset with this engagement and the plans to exploit her mind control, she might have found him struggling to ask her on a date cute. Unfortunately for him, that was not the case. However, she continued to smile at him despite wanting to run away from him as fast as she could. That time would come.

“Tomorrow night?” 

“Tomorrow night then,” Changkyun agreed. Keeping a soft hold on her face, he leaned in, kissing Sera’s cheek but dangerously close to her lips. It took Sera by surprise, but she handled it remarkably well, taking it without so much as a twitch. Her eyes fluttered shut as she squeezed his waist. “Let’s say… seven? I’ll get you from your room.”

Changkyun made no effort in hiding his excitement, grinning ear to ear. Little did he know that Sera would be nowhere near the compound by that time. 

“It’s a date,” Sera said warmly, knowing her face and voice weren’t giving away how she truly felt. 

Changkyun dropped his hands, but not before laying another chaste kiss atop her head. He walked away from her slowly, grinning like a schoolboy in love. Sera grabbed her bag without looking back at him, cautiously making her way through the building to the supply room. Once again she was left relatively alone, only passing two or three people on her way.

She didn’t ponder long, hurrying once she got to the supply room. Time was of the essence, and while it wouldn’t be out of the ordinary if someone saw her, it would definitely raise questions. Sera could easily make them forget she saw her, but she wanted to avoid that as much as she could.

After grabbing her favorite rations, a fire starter, sleeping bag set, and a water purifier she went on her way. The bag was stuffed, but any passerby wouldn’t think twice about it being at her side. Much like the way to the training building, she hardly saw a soul, or at least nobody who would stop her. 

In her room, she quickly switched the supplies over from the duffle bag into the backpack. After hiding it behind her many gowns in the furthest corner of her closet, she switched gears in her head. The plan was set. Now she had to think about Ryland. 

A large part of her wanted nothing more than to bring Ryland along. But would that be the safest place for him? Her father had given his word that no harm would come to him despite her mother’s threats. A life on the run wasn’t one she wanted for her brother. One child of the Crown missing was going to raise a number of alarms internally. But two? She couldn’t risk it. The last thing Sera wanted was for Ryland to constantly be looking over his shoulder. It was a selfish thought to take him along in the first place.

But, despite her head telling her she should leave without seeing him, her heart needed the closure a goodbye would offer. Now the debate on when it would be best to see him. Mentally, Sera didn’t think she could handle seeing him too early, especially knowing what she would have to do following the conversation. She quickly determined that she would need to say her goodbyes right before she left, even if it was going to be in the early morning. 

All that Sera needed to do was bide her time before her big move. 

**

Unable to sleep, Sera took to pacing and repacking to pass most of her time. After the twelfth go through of her belongings and supplies she finally set the bag aside and took to watching the clock slowly tick, continuously running through her escape plan. 12:45. 1:52. 2:17. She had gone through every potential outcome in her head a thousand times over. Not a single aspect was left unthought of. With this she felt confident. Confident in the plan. Confident in her choice to leave. But with her upcoming conversation with Ryland she lacked all confidence.  

It was imperative that she be calm with him. She wouldn’t allow her little brother to see her upset, even if he wouldn’t remember speaking to her. With a final glance at the clock, she stopped her ceaseless pacing. Suddenly, she remembered the ring encircling her finger. How could she have forgotten that monstrosity? Pulling it off her finger, she threw it back in the drawer of her bedside table, praying she would never have to feel the weight of it on her hand again.

Grabbing the backpack, Sera turned back to look around her room once she reached the door, determining that she wouldn’t miss anything about it. She closed it behind her quietly, hoping that this would close a chapter of her life she would never revisit.

The hallways were barren due to the early hour. Sera knew all the blind spots for the surveillance cameras within them, taking extra care to stay in those shadowy corners. She assumed the guards weren’t too vigilant in watching the screens this early, especially with knowing who worked in the surveillance room at this time. 

Soon, she found herself standing in front of Ryland’s room. Her heart raced in her chest, dread slowly filling her body. She inhaled deeply through her nose, shoulders lifting with her chest to fill it with much needed air. Not wanting to run the risk of someone hearing her knock, Sera opened the door slowly. 

Ryland looked so peaceful, deep asleep with his hair a fluffy mess, blankets half covering his body. He was always a fitful sleeper, constantly turning in bed to end up in the most uncomfortable looking positions. She moved towards the bed as quietly as she could, dropping her bag along the way.

The bed gave slightly when Sera sat down, but Ryland didn’t so much as budge an inch. She softly brushed some of the stray hairs away, smiling down at the one person who meant the entire world to her. 

“Ryland,” she whispered, gently nudging him. “Hey, wake up.” He stirred slightly, moreso following Sera’s repeated whispers of his name. 

“Sera?” he asked groggily, rubbing the sleep from his eyes. He squinted at her, trying to determine if he was awake or still in a dream, confusion evident in his scowl. “What are you doing here? Is everything okay?” 

“I’m leaving, Ry.” The words slipped out of her, not able to think of a way to ease him into it. 

Ryland scrambled upwards, the shock of what Sera said jolting him awake. “What, Sera… what? What do you mean?”

She pulled Ryland into her chest, squeezing him so intensely his breathing hitched. “I have to leave… Dad… I can’t brainwash people anymore, Ryland. I can’t do it.”

Her little brother clutched onto her just as tightly. “Where are you going to go, Sera? You can’t… you can’t leave me here without you.” 

Tears welled up in Sera’s eyes. Drawing back, she held her brother’s face in her hands. A few tears snuck down his cheeks with her admission. She carefully rubbed them away, shaking her head. “Away. Far, far away. I want to bring you with me, but I can’t Ry. A life on the run is not one I want for you. There’s safety for you here… something I can’t promise out there.” 

“But what about your safety? Dad will do anything he can to find you.”

His comment reminded Sera that Ryland was much wiser and much more in tune to the reality of their family then he let on. And that crushed her. 

“I’ll be fine. We both know I can handle myself.” A forced laugh left her chest, more of a huff of air than anything. 

Ryland took his sister’s hands into his, pulling them off. “You’re not going to let me remember talking to you, are you?”

Sera’s face fell at the fact he knew it was coming. 

“It’s better for you that way. Do you want them questioning you? If you don’t remember, you can’t lie.” 

“So you’d rather me be upset at you?” His eyes had turned slightly cold towards her before he squeezed them closed. When he reopened them, though, they were full of understanding. “Sorry. I don’t mean that. I get it Sera. I do.” This time it was Ryland who pulled Sera into an embrace. 

“I’m so sorry, Ryland,” Sera whispered. “I love you, more than anyone on this continent. More than anything in this world.” 

“I love you, too. Will you make me a promise?” 

Taken aback,  Sera stared at her brother. “Yeah?” 

Ryland sniffled, struggling to keep his tears at bay. “Will you promise to come back for me? And when you do… let me remember this. Please.” 

Tears fell freely down Sera’s face. The composure and tough exterior she tried so hard to keep fell in an instant. “I promise, Ryland.”

A deep sigh left Sera, rattling her chest in conjunction with the sobs she struggled to contain. Ryland nodded at her, silently giving her permission to move forward. Sera’s eyes closed, and when they opened Ryland found himself staring into pools of gold.

“You never saw me. I never told you my plan. When you hear of my absence you will react how everyone expects you to. Now, you will go back to sleep. A dreamless, restful sleep.” 

At her words, Ryland went limp, slumping into Sera. She settled him back into the mattress, tucking him back into the blankets. Leaning down, she kissed his forehead and made sure there were no remnants of tears on his face. He was back to looking peaceful, already deep in the sleep Sera induced. Having to manipulate her brother in this way made her feel horrible, but the alternative would be much worse. It was safer for Ryland to forget, even if it ate at her. 

Wiping away her own tears, Sera made for her pack in the center of Ryland’s room, grabbing it quickly. After she slung it onto her back she allowed herself one more look at her brother, casting a solemn smile he would never see. 

“I love you, Ryland Banks,” she whispered a final time, “to the tallest mountain and the deepest sea.” 

Shutting the door, she crept through the hallways, her steps overly cautious, but she felt an odd sense of calm. Like the rest of the house, the kitchen was completely empty of the typical staff. Only used by staff members, the back entrance through the kitchen had a direct, yet less traveled route to the main gate. Their shifts wouldn’t begin in the main house for another 2 hours, meaning the path would be clear. 

The clear night sky gave Sera a perfect view of the stars above her. On any other night, she would take the time to admire them, loving to pick out the constellations and lose herself in a daydream staring at them. She did not have the luxury of time this evening and she kept a steady pace along the cement path. The cold air around her made her thankful for the extra blanket and thick sweater she threw in her bag last minute. 

Pulling the coat around her, she continued on, checking the time on her watch. Truly having thought of everything, Sera made sure to grab an obsolete model of watch. It still had access to necessary GPS and maps, but not the capability to be tracked. The Crown wouldn’t even notice  it missing. 

3:12am. Sera’s timing was perfect as she rounded the final corner, the gate now completely in her sight. Few cars were lined up to leave, no doubt on their way to the military base. Just to be safe, Sera pulled up her hood, tucking her brain along her back. With all the confidence in the world she strode up to the booth, grinning ear to ear when she saw Malachi sitting on the chair.

“Well good morning, Sera!” he said animatedly, leaning out the window to address her. “Awfully early out here for you, isn’t it?” 

“No rest for the wicked, you of all people should know that Malachi,” she teased. She kept her hands snug in her pockets, not wanting him to see the absence of her ring. 

His laughter was deep and booming, as always. “You know I would never think of you as wicked. Off to the base?” Sera nodded in response. Malachi began typing away on his keyboard, brows furrowed as he looked at the clearance list for the day. Sera kept her eyes neutral, a smile still plastered on her face. She knew she wouldn’t be on it, not that it mattered either way. “You’re not on my list, m’lady…”

Sera shot him a dazzling smile, eyes transitioning to gold in an instant. “You’re going to let me through the gates Malachi. You’re going to forget you saw me. If anyone asks about this moment you are going to have no recollection of it.” 

Malachi’s eyes glazed over for a moment. He typed in the access code for the door, allowing it to open with a low buzz. Sera adjusted her backpack and hood once more before strolling through the gate without a second thought. 

She was out. She was free. Free of her family. Free of Changkyun. 

But not free of her guilt.

**

The compound was silent in the morning, nothing out of the ordinary, nothing out of place. Nikolai didn’t immediately know something was off. It was typical for Serafina to be absent from mealtimes, especially recently. Delphine was much more concerned about their daughter’s absence, but he quickly quashed his wife’s plan to storm into Serafina’s room and drag her out again. The King simply stated that their daughter needed space, a minor convenience they could grant her. He hadn’t forgotten the conversation he had with Serafina, and he was hopeful that some space from Delphine would earn him some grace with his daughter.

It wasn’t until the following day that Nikolai became concerned. Normally he would have at least seen Sera within the compound’s gardens or about with Ryland, but not even he had seen his sister. It was only after speaking with his youngest child that he went to check on his daughter.

“Serafina,” he said sternly, knocking on the door with three crisp raps. When there was no answer, he opened the door, immediately engulfed by fury at the made, empty bed.

He basically sprinted to the surveillance room, shoving aside the two seated guards to stand in front of the monitors.

“Where. Is. My. Daughter,” he seethed. His hands gripped the control panel tightly, eyes as dark as his soul. Black goo seeped out of his fingertips in his anger. “FIND HER.” 

The two guards got to work quickly, fear evident in their eyes. They rewound the tapes, looking for any sign of the princess. Nikolai’s eyes fixed on the screen, searching for any sign of his precious jewel.

“Your Highness, the last clear image of her was two days ago. It appears she went into the training building, then back to her room. We will look more in depth now tha-”

The man was silenced by Nikolai lifting him by his throat. His face turned blue with the lack of air, futilely struggling within the King’s grasp. “Find my fucking daughter before I kill you both.” 

Nikolai dropped him just as suddenly, leaving the man clutching his neck and gasping for air. He didn’t stall long, returning to scour the footage for the princess and determine her location. The king left in just as much of a rush, quickly calling for Changkyun and Ender, commanding them to meet him in his study immediately. 

Changkyun entered first, looking confused and watching Nikolai pace in front of his desk, fists and jaw clenched. 

“What happened?” Changkyun asked quietly, crossing his arms just as Ender entered the study. 

“Serafina seems to be missing,” Nikolai said through gritted teeth. Stopping his pacing, he turned to look at Changkyun and Ender. Changkyun blinked in surprise, visibly concerned. Ender remained stone faced, only the faint outline of a smirk turning at the corner of his mouth.

“What do you mean, she’s missing? I saw her just the other day. She wouldn’t… she wouldn’t do that. Sera wouldn’t just leave,” Changkyun muttered, running a hand through his hair. 

Ender barked a laugh at his friend and captain. “You’re a lovesick fool if you think she wouldn’t run off.” He shot a glare at his father. “I don’t know why you’re surprised by this. She’s always been a loose fucking cannon.”

Sharp black spikes stopped inches from Ender’s face. He didn’t so much as flinch when they came barreling towards him, instead the smirk on his face only grew wider. 

“Don’t speak of your sister that way,” Nikolai spat, letting the spikes dissipate as quickly as they had formed. “Search the compound. Tell no one. Report back to me in 20 minutes.” 

The two men exited the study. Together they developed a plan to search the grounds, even though deep down both knew Sera would not be found anywhere within the compound. Changkyun went to the training building, gardens, and greenhouse, knowing that IF she was still in the compound those would be the most likely places. Ender searched the remaining buildings littered around the grounds and the main house. 

While they conducted their search, Nikolai returned to the surveillance room to continue reviewing footage. For how little he had been gone, the two guards had already gathered up all the evidence they could find of the princess. What they found reignited his fury.

The largest screen showed Sera walking out the front gates without so much of a struggle, her golden eyes glinting knowingly at the camera, a sly smirk on her face.

Nikolai’s screams of fury echoed through the halls, heard even outside within the grounds. His Jewel was gone.

And Nikolai would do anything to get her back.

**

Being on the run was more or less what Sera expected. She barely slept the first week with how constantly she looked over her shoulder, just waiting to be found by someone from the Crown. Most nights since then she thankfully found herself in some form of sleazy inn, but she didn’t risk that until she placed a good amount of distance between herself and the Capital.

The three weeks steadily took a toll on her. Her rations ran dangerously low, her clothes absolutely disgusting, and her money dwindled. She was exhausted, and that was showing on every inch of her body. She had lost weight from saving her food as much as she could, not wanting to spend all of her money nor dip into too much of her rations. 

The rain did nothing to lift her spirits. Normally Sera loved the rain. However, she did not love being caught in a torrential downpour while trying to find a place to sleep. The unfriendly town she found herself in had no vacancies in any of the inns or hotels, even the most rundown ones. 

Taking a moment to regroup, she took to huddling underneath an awning covering a dimly lit alleyway. It might not have been the safest option, but Sera was perfectly capable of handling anything that would come her way, even if she didn’t look it. 

Sera leaned against the brick building, basking in the reprieve from the rain and setting her bag on the dirty cobblestoned ground beside her. She felt disgusting covered in mud, hair matted and sticking to her despite her best attempt at keeping it within a braid. The sopping wet clothes had her freezing and even more desperate for a place to stay. The last three days on the road had been especially unkind to her, offering no breaks from the elements. 

The pounding of rain and thunder drowned out the sound of the side door flinging open. Sera didn’t immediately notice the four men stumbling outside, some still clutching bottles of beer in their hands. It wasn’t until one of the bottles shattered against the building that Sera looked in their direction. Obviously drunk, but once they caught a glimpse of Sera they stared at her hungrily. 

“Well, look at this pretty thing,” one sneered, fumbling in his steps towards Sera. 

Sera stayed still on the wall, choosing to ignore the advance. Her muscles tensed nonetheless, preparing for the worst. 

“It’s been awhile since I’ve seen one as… delicious as this,” another slurred, taking a generous swig of his beer and tossing the bottle to the ground.

Murmurs of agreement came from the other men. With a sigh, Sera pulled herself off the wall, turning to face the four men teetering towards her on uneasy feet. 

“How about you leave my ‘delicious’ self alone.”

Before she could say anything further, one of the men lunged at her. She dodged it easily, but her movement turned her straight into the arms of one of the sleazeballs, the same one that called her delicious. 

He wrapped one arm around her chest, the other gripped her chin tightly. “The things I’ll do to you…” he muttered, licking Sera’s cheek. The smell of whiskey and smoke radiated off of him.

Sera laughed through her disgusted grimace. These men really thought they had the upper hand on her. How adorable. The other three clambered around her, looking at Sera like their next meal. 

“At least buy me dinner first,” Sera huffed, slamming her head back against the man holding her. She heard a loud crunch and felt something thick drip onto her hair just as the man let her go.

“You fucking bitch,” the man yelled, clutching his nose, blood dripping through his hands. “Fucking get her.”

Once free, Sera kicked the man squarely in the chest, causing him to double over onto the ground. Spinning around to face the other three men, she quickly threw an arm up to block a weak punch. A small giggle escaped Sera as she thrust her fist into her attacker’s temple, knocking him out cleanly. It was too easy, their unsteady movements only playing further into her favor.

The final two men came at her together, assuming a united attack would catch Sera off guard. She made quick work of both with a well aimed kick to the knees of one and a swift left-handed uppercut to the jaw of the other. All four crumpled in a heap around her, struggling to stand up, the one still out cold. Sera didn’t even break a sweat. 

“Hey! Are you-” Sera spun on her heel towards the voice behind her, golden matter forming around her hands with a shift of her eyes. The voice had taken her completely by surprise. The man behind her raised his hands immediately, a gesture of surrender, while he took a step backwards. “Woah woah woah woah.” He leaned around her, investigating the men on the ground and the matter floating around her. His gaze hardened when he landed on one in particular. “Keith, take your friends inside. Leave the girl alone before worse happens to you.”

The man whose nose she broke, who Sera now assumed to be Keith, stood up even more wobbly than before. He gruffly ordered the other two to hoist up the still knocked out man, shuffling behind them like a dog with his tail between his legs through the side door. Before he disappeared he threw a few more profanities at Sera and the unknown man. 

Turning back to face this new man, she let her matter dissolve, eyes transitioning back to their stormy blue. Now wasn’t the time to fling anything at this new stranger, especially since he didn’t appear to pose a threat. At least not yet. 

“Are you okay? I heard the scuffle…” he said calmly, hands still raised. A smile quickly passed over his face. “I came to help, but it seems you handled yourself just fine.” 

Sera looked him up and down. He was tall, probably as tall as Ender, but much leaner. Blonde hair stuck to his face from the pounding rain. He seemed well put together despite the storm, with clean clothes and pants tucked neatly into his boots. Not a hint of alcohol wafted off him, much different than the men she just fought. His eyes were warm and friendly, crinkling slightly at the edges while he continued smiling. Her gaze lingered on the pistols strapped to his sides, before sliding it back to his long fingers, waiting for them to make the slightest motion towards the guns.

“The name’s Yunho, by the way,” he added. Yunho took a cautious step towards her. “I haven’t seen you around here before… and standing alone outside the bar late at night is no place for a girl. A girl whose name is…?” 

“Sera.”

“Just Sera?” His eyes glimmered in the lamplight as he took another step towards her, slowly dropping his hands down to his side. 

“Just Sera,” she echoed, watching his hands intently.

Yunho chuckled, shaking his head slightly. “Well okay, Just Sera, you’re not going to find any sort of safe area around this part of town, especially not at this hour. Do you have somewhere to go?”

“Like you said, I can handle myself just fine,” Sera retorted quickly, picking up her backpack. “I just needed to get out of the rain for a minute.” She adjusted the straps of her pack, staring fiercely back at Yunho. 

“You haven’t answered me.” 

“Why should I tell a man who I don’t know, who just warned me of not finding safety out here, where I’m planning on going?”

“Hey now, are you taking me for one of those drunken sleazeballs? I consider myself a gentleman.” Yunho waved his hands in front of him, looking offended that she would even consider that of him. “For the record, I’m almost positive you would have a semi-decent chance at kicking my ass, but it would be a much more even fight… if I went easy on you.”

Sera crossed her arms, slightly insulted. “Only a semi-decent chance? I think you’re deliberately underestimating me.” 

“You took out four very inebriated men, sorry I’m not too impressed. Don’t look at me like that, just stating the obvious here,” he added due to Sera’s glare, his smile transitioning to a smirk. “Here’s what I know about you so far. One, you’re completely unarmed. Two, you must have a pretty gnarly ability to be walking around alone and without a gun… did you think I missed those shimmering gold blobs of whoknowswhat floating around you, or the fact your eyes changed color? Three, you have some form of formal combat training. Your clothes and the way you handled that albeit easy fight all point in that direction. Plus, you’ve been passively watching my hands, like you’re waiting for me to make a move towards one of my firearms. You’re just as observant as I am. Have I missed anything so far?” 

“You think you’ve figured me out in what… less than five minutes? How cute.” Sera found it quite easy to banter with him, but refused to let her guard down.

“Not at all. Just what I’ve observed during our lovely little meetcute,” Yunho said sweetly, sticking his hands into his pocket. “Here’s the deal, you have nowhere to go. You and I both know it. If I wanted to take advantage of you in some way, I would have done it by now. That’s not my intention in the slightest.” 

“Then what is your intention?” Sera asked flatly. 

“I live about 25 miles from here with some friends of mine. It’s a big house. There’s plenty of room, and I know for a fact you’re not going to find anything in this town. Not now at least. Come back with me and you’ll have a warm, safe place to sleep. And my buddy Wooyoung makes a mean breakfast.” 

“I’m not looking for charity.” 

“And I’m not stupid enough to not recognize a fellow military deserter when I see one,” Yunho said flatly, gaze hard and full of conviction. “I’m not offering charity. But I know how hard it is to get out, and it’s even harder to find a fresh start.” 

Sera inhaled sharply and did nothing but blink back at Yunho. He was also a deserter? Granted, she was much more than that, but objectively speaking she truly was just another poor soul trying to escape the military. It made sense though, especially with how quickly Yunho teased her apart in their short interaction. She chewed the inside of her cheek, debating her next step. Something inside told her that she could trust Yunho, at least at face value. At least enough for tonight.

“So, Just Sera, what do you say?” His eyes went back to glimmering in the streetlights, that endearing and warm smile returning. “At least for the night. Tomorrow you can decide your next steps, after a good night’s sleep and food.”

Yunho outstretched his hand as if offering for Sera to take it. Huffing loudly, Sera walked towards him, pushing it down by the wrist. As much as she wanted to say something smart, she refrained. 

“Thank you.” 

Yunho beamed at her. “Well that didn’t take much convincing. Our chariot awaits. It’s just a block over.” 

He walked next to her, but left a significant amount of space between them. Despite the rain, they walked slowly. Yunho tried to put Sera at ease with his actions, something she noticed and appreciated immediately. 

“So it’s the black SUV up there,” he said, pointing at the nondescript vehicle ahead. “My friend's name is Seonghwa, he’s as harmless as I am.” 

Through somewhat clenched teeth, Sera nodded. The wind had picked up, blowing the rain more intensely in their faces. Sera squinted at the impact of the droplets, tugging at the hood around her head. She wanted nothing more than to be out of this damn rain.

“Do you want the front or backseat?” Yunho asked once they were steps away from the car. “Sit where you’ll feel the most comfortable, okay?” 

“Backseat is fine.” 

Smiling, Yunho opened the door for her. Sera set her bag down first, scooching it to the middle before sliding into the seat. Yunho quickly got into the passenger’s seat, ignoring the glare from the man who Yunho stated was Seonghwa.

“Hwa, meet my new friend, Just Sera,” Yunho said casually, buckling the seatbelt. “Just Sera, this is Seonghwa.”

Seonghwa’s gaze flicked between Sera and Yunho. His hair was pitch black, skin nearly as tan as Sera’s. At some point his hair had clearly been styled, but thanks to the rain it fell flat against his head, although sharp designs were visible in the shaved undercut. Despite his eyes being narrowed, they were large and very expressive, colored a deep chocolate brown. 

“Your ‘friends’ aren’t allowed to come back to the house,” Seonghwa said curtly. 

Booming laughter filled the vehicle. “Not that type of friend, Hwa. My girl here is in need of a place to stay, though, at least for the night.”

“Not your girl, Yunho,” Sera muttered from the backseat, snapping her head to shoot Yunho her own leer. She felt increasingly awkward as the conversation between the two men progressed. 

A smile briefly flicked on Seonghwa’s face at her comment. “Have you spoken to Hongjoong about a… guest?” 

“We’ll be having that conversation at the house.” 

The two men stared down the other, neither giving an inch. Sera didn’t know who this Hongjoong was, but assumed in some way he must be in charge. In charge of what she didn’t know. Now she was curious just what she would be walking into this evening. 

Suddenly, Yunho turned to Sera, grinning once again. “Please excuse Seonghwa. He’s not typically this uptight.” His gaze returned to the driver. “Let’s get home, I’m soaking wet and smell like a damn dog.” 

The engine revved to life, Seonghwa sighing loudly in defeat and mumbling how Yunho is in fact a dog. Sera wondered what their dynamic was, along with the dynamics of the rest of the house. She was certain there were at least two more people since Yunho named them, but speculated there may be more. 

The drive to the house was a tense one. Yunho chattered aimlessly, but it seemed Seonghwa was in no mood to partake in any conversation. His silence did nothing to deter Yunho’s ramblings. Sera would occasionally answer a question if necessary, but chose to focus more on the trees speeding past the window and memorizing the number of turns, gauging the mileage between them. After roughly thirty minutes of driving with at least twenty of that being on winding gravel roads through the forest, the SUV pulled into a clearing. 

“Ah, welcome to the homestead, Just Sera,” Yunho said, casting a glance into the backseat with a smirk.

The ‘homestead’ as he called it was a huge farmhouse with a very welcoming wrap-around porch. A large garage was attached to one side, but there were at least two other pole buildings on the property that Sera could make out through the dark and falling rain. The clearing was surrounded primarily by trees, but thanks to a flash of lightning Sera saw a large lake a little ways back behind the house. 

A garage door opened in one of the detached buildings after Seonghwa clicked a button on a remote from the center console. He pulled the vehicle in, parking it between two other identical SUVs. More vehicles lined the garage,  including a couple smaller cars and a large flatbed truck. Partially covered in the corner were unmistakably drones, causing Sera to raise an eyebrow. There was definitely more to this little homestead than met the eye. 

Seonghwa turning off the motor shook Sera from her thoughts and observations. Both he and Yunho exited the vehicle quickly. Yunho once again opened Sera’s door for her, giving her that same blinding smile he’d been flashing her all evening. Returning a faint one, Sera grabbed her dingy bag. She attempted to sling it over her shoulder only for Yunho to snatch it out of her hands and put it on his own back. 

“This way, m’lady,” Yunho said with a dramatic bow, gesturing towards a door at the side of the building. 

Sera didn’t argue, simply rolled her eyes and followed the still silent Seonghwa. Now that they were out of the vehicle she was able to get a much better look at him. He was taller than she expected, still not quite the same height as Yunho but just as lean. His movements were all very smooth and graceful, like he was walking on air. Yunho walked beside Sera once more, but no longer seemed concerned about leaving space between them.

The rain was still coming down but had lightened significantly. The walk to the house wasn’t nearly as painful as the earlier walk to the car. Seonghwa continued to walk a few paces ahead of them, leaping up the steps and leaving the front door open for Sera and Yunho. 

The house was relatively dark, but from what Sera could tell it was well taken care of. She immediately stepped foot into a large entryway, finding a sitting room with numerous couches and chairs arranged methodically around a fireplace and TV to her left, an offset staircase to the right leading to what she could only assume was a second level, and a hallway on the other side of the staircase. 

Yunho and Seonghwa moved straight through the house, bypassing the living room and walking towards the lit room further back. Neither spoke, but Sera could see both men tensing the further into the large house they went. Soon Sera could hear new voices conversing, both male. Yunho adjusted Sera’s bag, fidgeting with it as the threesome stepped into a large kitchen.

Sera saw two men sitting within the large, extremely cared for kitchen. Wooden cabinets lined the walls, along with a huge fridge and granite counters One man sat at the raised portion of the countertop on one of the stools lining it, reading some sort of files laid in front of him. He had a mop of dark lavender hair on his head and unlike Yunho, Seonghwa, and Sera was completely dry. The second man had his back towards Sera, messing with something on the countertops between the fridge and oven. He was definitely shorter than both Yunho and Seonghwa, with black hair half pulled back in a messy ponytail. His oversized hoodie looked to be covered in grease.

“About time you made it back,” the purple haired one said with a small giggle. “What did you two-” He froze when he looked up from the stack of papers in front of him. When his gaze landed on Sera, he quickly shut the files and moved them to the side. It didn’t leave her when he addressed Seonghwa and Yunho. “And who is this?” 

At the question, the man at the counter turned around. He didn’t say anything, but looked just as surprised to see Sera standing awkwardly in the kitchen. Seonghwa had walked around the counter to stand next to the purple haired one, whom Sera deduced was Hongjoong based on Seonghwa’s question during the ride here. 

“This is my friend, Sera,” Yunho said simply. He placed Sera’s backpack on the floor and kept his eyes locked on the man's despite the glare he was receiving. “Just Sera, this is Hongjoong,” he nodded in the direction of the glaring man, “and Wooyoung. She needs a place to stay.”

The tension in the room was palpable. Hongjoong’s almond eyes flicked between Sera and Yunho. Seonghwa continued to stand with his arms crossed next to him, while Wooyoung leaned silently against the granite countertop. Finally, Hongjoong broke the silence and focused on Sera.

“Sorry, Sera, was it?” Hongjoong said tersely as he stood, gathering the files up around him. Sera nodded, jaw clenched. “Please excuse us for a moment. Yunho, Seonghwa, and I need to have a quick conversation. Privately.” 

Yunho flashed Sera a quick smile despite the somber faces both Hongjoong and Seonghwa wore. “Take good care of my girl Woo, I’m sure she’s starving,” he said with a wink towards Wooyoung before he followed the other two out of the kitchen.

Sera stood awkwardly for a moment, unsure of what to do. Clearly she was unwelcomed in this house. Seonghwa’s demeanor in the car made much more sense now that she had meant Hongjoong. Her original assumption of him being in charge was definitely correct, but she still hadn’t figured out to what exactly. She tried to catch a glimpse of the files in his hands, but couldn’t make anything out with how quickly he hid them. 

She looked around the rest of the kitchen, noticing the large table in what could only be a dining room, eight chairs set around it. So far she had only met four, meaning there were at least four other people somewhere in the house. 

“You can take a seat if you want,” Wooyoung said, shaking Sera out of her observations. He gestured towards the same stool Hongjoong had been sitting at. “Their conversations are never too quick.” 

Wooyoung smiled warmly at her, but remained wary and wouldn’t take his eyes off her for a multitude of reasons unknown to Sera. With her own grin, Sera moved towards the counter, studying him a little more intently. His features were sharp, highlighted by a cutting jawline, sparkling brown eyes, and golden skin. Multiple piercings were glinting in the light, although Sere couldn’t tell how many lined his ears.

He studied her just as much, wondering who she was to Yunho. ‘Friends’ of Yunho were not allowed in the house, leaving Wooyoung to assume there was something special about her, especially with the my girl comment. He did question what Yunho saw in Sera with her current state. She looked like she had been through the ringer. Her clothes were covered in mud, face nearly as dirty with visible bags underneath her eyes, hair ratted with sticks and blood visible in the long braid going down her back. Despite the filth, Wooyoung was completely mesmerized by the piercing blue eyes staring at him. 

“Are you the same Wooyoung that I heard makes a mean breakfast? Or is there another Wooyoung that lives here?” Sera asked with a laugh, remembering that Yunho mentioned  Wooyoung while convincing her to come to the house. It seemed like a perfect segway into conversation with him. Plus, without Hongjoong and Seonghwa in the room she felt more comfortable.

His eyes lit up even more when he laughed, sharp and loud. “I’m the only Wooyoung, thank you very much. But I also make a mean sammich. I was actually about to make one… would you like one?”

Sera raised an eyebrow at him, smirking. “A sammich?” 

“A sammich. One of my specialties, if I might add.” He turned back around, grabbing a loaf of bread and other ingredients out of the cupboards and fridge, hands immediately going to work on creating said speciality. “I’m thinking tea would be good too, want some?” 

“Both sound great, actually,” she said just as her stomach started growling. It had been weeks since she had a good meal, and her rain soaked clothes chilled her further. 

Humming while he worked, Wooyoung started the electric kettle sitting on the countertop. Sera quickly noticed that his tongue would poke out between his teeth when he seemed especially focused on a task. The kettle heated up within a couple of minutes and Wooyoung grabbed a couple of mugs before looking back at Sera.

“Chamomile okay with you?” 

“Only if you have honey.”

“Obviously,” he said with an exaggerated eye roll. He placed the tea bags in the mugs, pouring the boiling water over them carefully. “Maybe it’ll help you sleep. Looks like you need it,” he added as he set a mug and the container of honey in front of Sera.

Sera laughed. Something about Wooyoung made her feel at ease, very similar to how she felt around Yunho, even in their brief interactions. Both seemed kind and open, attributes she didn’t typically find in people. She learned very early on to trust her gut, but as always she prepared for the worst. Oddly enough, she felt like the worst that would come with Wooyoung would be a bit of teasing. 

“I’m not going to say you’re wrong about that,” she said, bobbing the tea bag in the water by the string. 

Judging by the look on his face, it appeared Wooyoung wanted to press her further. He met her eyes easily, laced with wonder and a hint of concern. Somehow he knew better than to ask too many questions. Instead he returned back to making their late night snack, only now he chose to chat with Sera instead of humming. While only meaningless small talk about the rain, it made Sera feel more comfortable nonetheless. 

After a few more minutes, Wooyoung set down a plate with a well put together sandwich and a handful of chips in front of her. He leaned down onto the counter across from her, grinning at her with a slightly mischievous glint in his eyes. 

Sera took a large bite, eyes rolling into the back of her head at the taste. It had been so long since she had anything remotely this tasty, even if it was just a sandwich. For just being a “sammich” as he called it, Wooyoung made it extremely flavorful with a variety of meats, cheeses, lettuce, tomato, and some sort of oil based sauce. It tasted heavenly.

“Told you I made a damn good sammich,” he gloated, grinning wildly with his tongue hooked on a canine. 

***

Hongjoong punched in the code to their planning room down the hall. Being soundproof, there was no possibility of Sera overhearing anything. He opened the door gruffly, gesturing for Yunho and Seonghwa to go in before him. 

Yunho flipped on the lights, illuminating the well organized room. The large meeting table was covered with systematically arranged files. Multiple screens and high tech control panels lined one of the walls, file cabinets and bookshelves along the others. Here they planned every single mission, debriefed information, and met with other factions of the resistance. 

“What are you thinking, Yunho?” Hongjoong asked the moment he closed the door. “Or are you thinking at all?” When he turned around, his glare pointed straight at Seonghwa. “And you? You just let him bring this girl we know nothing about into our home? Knowing we have a huge mission in ten days?”

Seonghwa raised his hands up, meeting the glare without fear. “He was adamant. You know how this goes.”

“From the beginning, Yunho. Explain,” Hongjoong said sharply.

Yunho sighed, running a hand through his drenched hair. “Hwa and I heard something outside the bar. I went to check it out and saw Keith and his buddies coming after her.”

“And you felt the need to jump in and save the day?” 

“Didn’t have to,” Yunho said with a shake of his head. “She had them on the ground in seconds, pretty sure she broke Keith’s nose, too. But there was something coming out of her hands at the end, some kind of shiny gold substance floating around her. When she turned around her eyes were the exact same color. They went back to normal and the substance went away with it. She was completely unarmed, so whatever her ability is has to be enough that she would feel safe without a gun. Plus, she fought just as well as all of us, honestly maybe even better than a few.”

“You still haven’t explained why you brought her here,” Hongjoong said while crossing his arms, ignoring Seonghwa’s scoff. 

“Because she’s a deserter, Captain. Just like me.” Yunho’s gaze bore into the leader “I don’t know how long she’s been out, but it can’t be long. Clearly she’s been on the run. If she’s that concerned about getting away then there’s something special about her. I know how hard it is to leave, and I was only in that hell for two years. It’s even harder to get your feet back under you. You helped me, and now she needs it. I couldn’t leave her.” 

Seonghwa’s eyes lit up as he was thinking. “Could there be a possibility that she’s the-?”

“We can’t assume every single girl we see is the princess, Seonghwa. We just got the notice that she might be on the run. There’s no confirmation yet,” Hongjoong said with a wave of his hand. Since they had gotten the news that the princess left the royal compound, the entire resistance was on high alert. “What’s your opinion of her?”

Seonghwa shrugged. “She didn’t seem like a threat when she got in the car, but I’m not the one who can read emotions. During the ride she didn’t say much, but seemed very observant. I didn’t see any of the fight, but I trust Yunho’s judgment in terms of her abilities.” 

Hongjoong continued pondering Yunho’s statement. When Yunho escaped he stumbled upon Hongjoong almost five years ago in a very similar manner as Sera did with Yunho. Now Yunho was one of his closest friends, along with the six other members of their team. Being second in command of their unit, Hongjoong trusted his judgment as much as his own.

“What does Sera know of us?” he questioned.

“Nothing, but she’ll figure it out quickly, guaranteed,” Yunho said with a smirk. “She’s smart, I can tell you that much.” 

“She’s your responsibility while she’s here… which will be for how long?” Hongjoong asked with a sigh. Seonghwa blinked in surprise with how easily Hongjoong gave in. 

“I don’t know, honestly. I want to figure her out, that I know for sure.” 

Seonghwa moved towards the door first. “Neither of the rooms are ready, I can go get one-”

Yunho shook his head. “Nah, she can sleep in my room tonight. I just switched out my sheets anyway. I’ll crash with Mingi. If she decides to stay longer, we can get one set up.” 

“We’ll need to inform the rest of the team to be careful while we're getting ready for this mission, but we still have a little bit of time before we really need to hit things hard,” Hongjoong said matter-of-factly. “Seonghwa, tell San when you go upstairs about our guest. Yunho, same with Mingi, Jongho, and Yeosang. We don’t want them to be too surprised in the morning.” 

“Thanks, Capt.” He followed Seonghwa out of the room, Hongjoong close behind. 

Yunho was entirely surprised by what he saw when they reentered the kitchen. Sera smiled and laughed with Wooyoung, looking much more relaxed than she had all night. He really had made something for Sera to eat based on the empty plates in front of both. Yunho would have to thank him for that in the morning. Now the two of them sipped from steaming mugs and talked, although about what Yunho couldn’t quite make out.

Seonghwa continued through the kitchen, muttering a faint good night to everyone before disappearing. Hongjoong paused at the entry to the kitchen, crossing his arms while he watched the others in front of him. 

“Thanks for taking good care of my girl, Woo,” Yunho said with a smirk as he went to stand beside Wooyoung, making him jump slightly. “Just Sera, if you’ll follow me I’ll show you to your room this evening.” 

Wooyoung grabbed the empty plates and took them to the sink. His demeanor changed entirely upon Yunho’s entrance, becoming a little more hardened than he was with just Sera for some reason. “Sure thing, Yu.”

Sera stood up, walking towards Wooyoung and the sink. She deposited the empty mug within it, pausing to look at Wooyoung once more. “Thank you for the sammich,” she said warmly, giving him a genuine smile. She made sure to use his wordage for it, an addition he appreciated greatly. Wooyoung had been nothing but kind to her, making her feel very welcome in a situation where she clearly wasn’t originally. 

“Anytime, Sera,” he responded with his own small smile before he turned on the faucet and began washing both their dishes from this evening. “But next time, you get dish duty,” he added with a wink and a bite of his bottom lip. 

Yunho had grabbed Sera’s backpack and leaned against the wooden frame of the entry back into the living room while he waited. Without a word, she followed him, but not before tossing a glance back at Hongjoong. His dark eyes bored her. This time, though, they were much softer when she met them, quite opposite of how he first looked at her. A touch of a smile crossed his face and he gave Sera a small nod before he also disappeared from the kitchen. 

On the way through the living room, Yunho placed a finger against his lips before leading her up the stairs in a gentle reminder to be silent. Once up the stairs, Sera found herself in a decently sized open space with a couple of chairs and a couch around a coffee table in the center. The house was much bigger than Sera originally thought based on not only the size of the rooms she saw downstairs, but also the amount of doors that lined this floor.

Along the wall of the staircase downstairs was a door, with two more along the adjacent wall. The wall directly in front of Sera housed yet another door and a spiral staircase that led to a third floor, with the final wall also donning two more doors. All had a touchpad in front of them.

Yunho led her across the center rug and through the comfy couches to the door closest to the spiral staircase. The touchpad scanned his fingerprint, unlocking the door with a click.

“It’s a good thing I just cleaned in here,” Yunho whispered as he opened the door and turned on the light, motioning for Sera to enter. When they were both inside, Yunho shut the door behind them. “Welcome to my little corner of the house.”

His room was spotless. A cleanly made bed covered with an extremely comfortable looking gray comforter sat in the corner with a bedside table containing a clock, watch charger, and a lamp  situated next to it. A desk with a laptop was nestled in the corner near one of the two windows in the room. The dresser didn’t have much sitting upon it other than a few books that he must have taken off the small bookshelf. 

Yunho dropped Sera’s bag and moved to the dresser. “I’m going to crash with Mingi tonight, so don’t worry about us having to snuggle or something tonight.” Sera made a mental note of the name. He pulled out a couple of pairs of sweats and a t-shirt before going into his closet, where he grabbed a crewneck sweatshirt. “We have two open rooms, so if you decide to stay longer we’ll get one of those set up for you tomorrow.” 

Sera watched as Yunho set one pair of sweats and the hoodie on his bed. “Thank you, for everything,” she said sincerely. “I didn’t mean to cause any trouble though, so I’m sorry if you are.”

“No trouble,” he said with a wave of his hands. “Hongjoong is just wary of new faces, that’s all. Same with Seonghwa.”

“I will say, you’re awfully trusting of a random girl you just met on the street,” Sera said, only teasing slightly. She wanted to press him further about Hongjoong, but decided now was not the time. Exhaustion hit her and she wanted nothing more than to shower and crawl into Yunho’s warm bed. 

“And you’re awfully trusting of a guy you just met on the street,” Yunho said with a shrug as he stepped closer. It was the closest they had been all evening, no more than six inches separating them. “I guess we’ll see if we both made the right decision, yeah?” 

If the situation had been any different, Sera might have felt somewhat intimidated. Yunho towered over her, but nothing about him screamed danger to her. She looked up at him, meeting his gaze with ease. They both studied each other, wondering what lay hidden beneath the surface. 

“There’s a bathroom through there, towels in the cabinet. Use whatever you need,” Yunho said, gesturing towards the door with his head. “I share it with Yeosang, he lives in the next room over. If you lock the door you’ll be fine, but I’m going to let him know you’re in here so he’s not surprised. The clothes on the bed are for you tonight. Throw everything in the gray bathroom hamper, plus whatever you have in your bag and set it back in here. I can get the laundry started while you’re showering.”

Yeosang. A sixth name for her to remember. Two left to find out. 

“You are not doing my laundry for me,” Sera laughed. The thought of Yunho washing her disgusting clothes appalled her. “I am more than capable of doing that in the morning.” 

“I have my own to do anyway.” Yunho rolled his eyes dramatically, even crossing his arms as he stared down at her. “Accept the help, Sera.” 

Moving away from his stare, Sera sighed. This was an argument she was not going to win. “Calling me by my real name? You must be serious,” she said, stepping backwards towards the bed to grab Yunho’s clothes. 

“Don’t get used to it, Just Sera.” 

Sera grabbed the clothes and her bag from the floor, pausing at the bathroom door. “I really do appreciate all of this, Yunho.” 

“I’ll see you in the morning, okay? We’re all usually up by 8:30 at the latest, but sleep as long as you need.” The smile he gave her was blinding, eyes brimming with sincerity. Now, Serea was certain that she made the correct decision in trusting him. 

Without another word but a wink, Yunho left the room, leaving Sera to enter the bathroom. It was just as clean as his bedroom, but nothing special with a large glass enclosed shower, a toilet, and a sink. She immediately locked the opposite door that must lead to Yeosang’s room. She could faintly hear two voices on the other side when she got close, but couldn’t make out what either said. Yunho must have gone straight there when he left. 

Sera jumped slightly when she caught the image of herself in the mirror. It was the first time she had seen herself in days. Her hair was a disaster, even worse than she originally thought and she wondered how long it would take for her to brush out all the rats. The mud coating her skin would be easily taken care of with the shower. Her face was skinnier, and she could only imagine what her body looked like. 

Brushing out her hair didn’t take as long as she originally anticipated, but she grimaced the entire time. She only grumbled slightly when she dumped her clothes into the gray hamper as Yunho ordered. Even though there were clothes at the bottom of it, she knew the insistence on doing laundry was for her benefit.  After she stripped off her soaked clothes she threw the hamper outside the door, making sure to lock it again. 

She definitely lost weight, confirming her suspicion. Her ribs protruded more than usual, skin sallow. The black vine spiraling her ribs, arm, and thigh stood out against it. Even the colorful flowers appeared more vibrant against the now pale canvas. Her fingers slid across the triangles on her forearm like every other time she missed Ryland and the pang of guilty that accompanied it. Tears built within her eyes as she turned on the shower. Instead of shoving them down like she did every other night she let them fall freely, mixing with the steady flow of water hitting her face. Sera hadn’t allowed herself to feel anything besides the urgency to escape. But here with the little sense of safety she felt thanks to Yunho and Wooyoung she let her emotions out.

The tears didn’t last long, though, especially once Sera focused on washing the weeks worth of grim from her body. The amount of supplies in the shower surprised Sera, especially with it being used solely by two men.  Her skin felt raw from how firmly she scrubbed her body. The water turned a dingy shade of brown as it cascaded down her body and she hadn’t even touched her hair yet. 

“Sera?” The knock on the door startled her even though she recognized Yunho’s voice immediately. “I’m grabbing the laundry… I’ll lock the door behind me, so don’t worry about anyone coming in tonight or in the morning. If you need something, I’m upstairs in the room on the left.” 

“Thanks, Yunho,” Sera half-yelled back, but wasn’t sure he could hear her response over the shower and through the door. She didn’t want to run the risk of waking up Yeosang by yelling too loudly. 

Yunho made no indication whether he heard her or not, but based on the silence Sera assumed he left the room. Her focus went back to the shower and getting every ounce of dirt off her. Whatever body wash she used smelled delicious, floral and musky all at once. Same with the  shampoo and conditioner with their hints of coconut. These men already surprised her and she didn’t even know them.

She stood in the shower for ages. The water pressure rivaled that of hers at the royal compound and massaged her weary body. It had been weeks since she felt this clean. Sera honestly couldn’t remember if any of the showers since leaving the compound had hot water lasting longer than three minutes. Regardless, the hot shower and the steam were a treat, one she wanted to enjoy as long as possible.

It was only when she felt herself nod off for a moment that she turned the faucet off. Tiredness had finally caught up with her. She quickly dried off, towel drying her hair as best she could before putting on Yunho’s clothes. Sera swam in them. The sweats bunched around her ankles with how long they were, and she had to pull the drawstring extremely tight to keep them on her waist. The hoodie fit the same, falling almost to her knees and over her hands. But, she felt comfortable and warm.

Somehow she remembered to unlock the door to Yeosang’s room before shuffling back to Yunho’s. While Sera was showering Yunho turned off the lights and clicked on the lamp, dimming the room. He even went as far to grab her an additional blanket. 

The bed was just as comfortable as Sera imagined it to be, the comforter and sheets just as plush. They smelled fresh and clean, only making her more relaxed. Flicking off the lamp, she sunk into the mattress and pulled the blankets up to her chin. For the first time since leaving her home, sleep hit her quickly and deeply. 

***

A running shower woke Sera the next morning. Blinking heavily, it took her a moment to gather her bearings on where she was. Some house in the woods. Yunho’s room. Somewhat safe, or at least safer than she had in the wild. She felt like she actually slept for once, not dreaming in the slightest, no nightmares creeping their way in. Not only that, Sera was clean. Suddenly she felt even more grateful for everything Wooyoung and Yunho had done for her. 

Stretching, she sat up and checked the clock. 8:45am. Earlier then she wanted to be awake, but knew she would be unable to fall back asleep. With a brush back of her hair she stood up to make the bed and fold the extra blanket. She didn’t want to leave Yunho’s room a mess, especially since she didn’t know whether she would stay longer.

With everything put back in place, she debated on whether or not to head downstairs. Remembering what Yunho said about everyone usually being awake early, she didn’t know how she felt about walking into a room full of people she didn’t know. While unsettling, it was nothing she couldn’t handle. Based on what she gathered, Yunho would put her comfort on the forefront. With that in mind, Sera decided to head to the kitchen.

“Sera?” 

She jumped slightly at Wooyoung’s voice, finding him sitting on one of the chairs in the area outside the bedrooms. Granted, one of the other five doors could be his bedroom. He seemed just as surprised to see her coming out of Yunho’s room… wearing Yunho’s clothes. Not only that, he was even more taken aback by Sera now that she wasn’t soaking wet and caked in mud. 

“Hey! Good morning, Wooyoung,” she grinned, eyes sparkling in the sunlight sneaking through the window. He didn’t know how, but they seemed more blue than they did last night. “What are you doing?” She moved closer to him, resting her hands on the back of the chair, leaning over it slightly.

Wooyoung looked up at her. “I was waiting for Yeosang.” The smile he returned wasn’t as bright as those he provided her last night. Sera wondered what changed with him. “But he’s slow this morning.”

“Yeah, I think he just got in the shower…” Sera murmured, standing back up. “Do I still get an opportunity to try this breakfast I heard about? Or are your skills only reserved for sandwiches?”

Laughing loudly, Wooyoung stood up, scrunching his nose at Sera. “My skills go far beyond that, Sera.” His eyes went hazy for a moment before a genuine smile came through, breaking whatever thought rolled in his head. “I also make the perfect cup of coffee.”

“Oh can you now?” Sera teased. Together they moved towards the staircase, heading for the kitchen. “Perfect for you, or perfect for whoever drinks it?” 

“Are you challenging me?” Wooyoung smirked at her, resting his tongue on his canine like he did last night. 

Their conversation halted when they reached the kitchen. Sera froze momentarily in the doorway when she saw Hongjoong, Seonghwa, and a third man she didn’t recognize all sitting around the large table. Wooyoung squeezed by her, giving her an encouraging smile to coax her into the room. 

The three at the table paused their chatting at Wooyoung and Sera’s entrance. Hongjoong smiled at Sera, something completely unexpected. Seonghwa’s gaze was much softer this morning, making Sera see just how large and round his eyes really were. The third man studied her, looking her up and down. His hair was a shocking pink, bangs going into his cat-like eyes. Sera could see his well defined arms clear as day, looking much more built than Hongjoong and Seonghwa next to him. 

“Good morning, Sera,” Hongjoong said, sounding surprisingly chipper. His elbows rested on the table, mug gripped loosely in both hands. He watched her closely as she sat down at the countertop. “This is San. San, Sera.” 

The pink haired man, San, beamed at her. Deep dimples bracketed his smile, eyes crinkling from how large it was. “Hi.” He turned his head to Seonghwa. “You could have mentioned she was hot.” 

Seonghwa nearly spit out his coffee at San’s comment. Wooyoung’s head spun around to look at him, looking unsure whether he should laugh or not. Hongjoong simply sighed, chuckling slightly. Heat rushed into Sera’s cheeks, uncertain how she should respond.

“Who’s hot?” Yunho’s voice carried through the kitchen when he entered. His eyes lit up when he saw Sera sitting in the stool. “Ah, Just Sera, I see you’ve met San.” Two more men walked in behind him. “Told you she was real, Mingi,” he added, taking a seat at the stool next to her.

Yunho spoke to the man directly behind him. He stood nearly as tall as Yunho, although looked more muscular. His black hair had random streaks of blonde throughout. The last man was shorter than both and stockier with dark, clean cut hair. He moved past the counter to sit with Seonghwa, San, and Hongjoong at the table. 

“It wouldn’t have been the first time you’ve made a fake excuse to come sleep in my room,” Mingi said with a pronounced eye roll, sitting on the stool beside Yunho. His voice was deep and gravelly. He leaned forward around Yunho, smiling. “Hi Sera, I’m Mingi.” 

“Apologize for questioning my girl’s existence,” Yunho said flatly, staring at Mingi with false anger. Mingi only laughed.

“You slept in Mingi’s room last night?” Wooyoung asked Yunho when he placed a mug in front of Sera. His eyes swept between her and Yunho. Now it made sense why Sera came out of his room. Internally he scolded himself for overthinking, and also for letting himself get upset by seeing Sera in Yunho’s clothes when he had no context as to why. In reality he had no reason to be upset in the first place. 

She hadn’t even noticed him making the coffee, having been too distracted by everyone coming into the kitchen. It looked delicious. He even frothed milk before pouring it over. The smell of hazelnut wafted towards her in the steam, making her smile even larger at Wooyoung. His eyes and smile were back to being extremely warm with her. When she took a sip of it she realized it really was perfect. Not how she typically made hers, but could quickly become a new favorite. Wooyoung must have read the look on her face. Instead of gloating he gave her a wink, a subtle ‘I told you so.’

“Well, yeah?” Yunho seemed confused by Wooyoung’s question, but shook it off quickly. “I think a better question is why Sera gets a coffee immediately while the rest of us are sitting here like peasants.”  

“Because Woo only makes coffee for people he likes,” San said matter of factly. Everyone in the room snickered and laughed while both Sera and Wooyoung’s faces turned beet red. 

“Have we just forgotten about me?” the last man asked. He had been sitting so quietly Sera almost forgot he had sat down. “My name is Jongho.” 

Sera smiled at him. “Hi, Jongho.” 

“Why is everyone so loud?” a voice grumbled loudly, shuffling his feet as he walked. He plopped down next to Mingi on the final stool. His black hair was still damp and partially covered a pink birth mark near his eyes. Based on his wet hair, Sera assumed this was Yeosang.

“Glad you finally decided to join us,” Jongho said with a gummy smile. “Normally you’re the first one down here.”

“Normally I’m not woken up in the middle of the night,” Yeosang responded, taking the mug of coffee out of Wooyoung’s hand before there was a chance to set it down. Much like Mingi, Yeosang leaned over to speak to Sera. “I’m Yeosang, it’s nice to meet you Sera.” 

“You too,” Sera said faintly. She held her own mug against her chest, taking in the group around her. 

Yunho dipped his head towards her. “How did you sleep last night?” he asked softly. The chatter of the seven men around her and Wooyoung banging cupboards and pans in the kitchen nearly drowned out his question. 

“Well, surprisingly enough.”

“I’m sure a bit of beauty sleep did you wonders, not that you needed much of it,” Yunho joked, laughing slightly to himself. Sera glared at him. “I’m sorry, I had to. Have you decided what you’re going to do yet?” 

Sera sighed and stared down at her coffee. She felt torn. Another night of a warm bed was enticing. But the last thing she wanted to be was an inconvenience. A burden. It wasn’t in her nature to accept help. As safe as these people seemed, she didn’t know them. Once again, though, her gut was telling her that she could trust them. 

“I don’t want to be a bother Yunho.”

“Sera, you are welcome to stay. You can trust me. You can trust all of us.’ His gaze was so intense she could feel it burning into her. “I want you to stay, if it’s any consolation. Take the time to rest. I can reach out to some of my contacts-”

“No. No reaching out, Yunho,” Sera said sharply. The last thing she needed was her name circling around as a military deserter. There were plenty of others in her exact position, but she couldn’t risk it. “I’m sorry, I just-”

“No need to apologize, I get it. You and I will figure out what you do next. Stay a few more days. Give us some time.”

“A few more days, then.” 

With her answer, Yunho relaxed and returned to the general conversation around them. Wooyoung pestered Jongho to help him make breakfast for everyone, to which he did cave in. San and Yeosang gave Wooyoung a hard time about how much effort he placed into breakfast this morning, not so subtly hinting that it had something to do with Sera. Mingi kept complaining about Yunho and his incessant snuggling, to which the latter stated Mingi secretly loved it. Seonghwa eventually stood and helped Wooyoung and Jongho in the kitchen, acting like a mediator with their bickering on whether or not to make pancakes or french toast. Sera chimed in here and there, but it didn’t take long for them to intentionally include her.

Sera observed them all intently, analyzing their dynamics and trying to tease out just what this group of eight was. All while Hongjoong was doing the same with Sera. At one point the two made eye contact, taking the time to study one another further. Hongjoong was beginning to agree with Yunho. There was something special about her, even though he was unsure what yet. But, he was determined to figure it out. Just as Sera was determined to figure them out.

[blackbird-brewster]

Thoughts About Tara Lewis (CM Evolution Spoilers)

Tara Lewis is Queer.

I woke up this morning and the SECOND I was conscious, I turned to my partner and said 'Tara Lewis is Queer'. I woke them up two times last night to tell them the same thing. I have echoed this thought back and forth to friends for hours.

It almost feels like if I don't constantly remind myself that Tara is now canonically queer, then maybe it isn't real. Maybe it was a dream. OR maybe it will be taken from us.

The thing about being in this fandom since 2005 is that I've lived a WHOLE lot of life in that time. I have been through relationships and divorces and insurmountable loss. I can't even count how many times I've moved in that time. I have struggled, I have flourished. All the while, Criminal Minds was a constant for me.

If you're newer to this fandom (Welcome!) then you might not FULLY grasp how wildly improbable it is to be able to say: Tara Lewis, a main character on Criminal Minds, is canonically queer.

When the show first aired I was in college, I had graduated HS an entire year early because the homophobia I faced was suffocating and genuinely dangerous. I was threatened all the time in my school. I came out when I was 15, in a small rural religious town. It was horrific.

I graduated HS and started college by age 17. Criminal Minds started around then and I loved it, because I was already a huge fan of crime dramas (SVU, TXF, Bones). It became a comfort show to me.

It continued to be a comfort show to be for nearly the past two decades. I remember waiting week to week to find out what happened next. Or waiting all summer to find out what happened after a cliffhanger. Or waiting each year for news on whether it was getting renewed or not, especially through the 2007 writer's strike when the fate of many TV shows felt so volatile and unsure. I remember watching the Valhalla arc and Emily's 'death' live. As each season came out on DVD box set, I would buy them and re-watch them (This was when Netflix was only dvd rentals and not streaming. Streaming wasn't even a concept then. We all just bough 8-disc DVD box sets and had to change the DVD every 3 episodes to binge a show)

I remember when the interview came out about how Emily was originally supposed to wake up in bed with a woman. I remember how devastating that was to me. Emily was my fave character back then (now she ties with Tara) and she had always felt gay to me and to find out she COULD have been canonically confirmed as gay but they killed that idea, was really hard. We didn't have a lot of wlw rep in media back then. The L Word was a trailblazing show but it's representations of wlw ultimately did WAY more harm than good (imo. I could write an entire thesis about how tLw really fucked up my entire understanding of what it means to be gay, but I digress)

I remember watching the way CBS treated AJ, Paget and Kirsten. I remember following articles talking about why the women were forced to leave the show while the men were celebrated and doted upon. (Reasons why I hate certain characters that are popular here iykyk)

The very first scene with Tara Lewis in S11 made my heart skip a beat. My soul was screaming 'SHES QUEER!!!! SHE HAS GOT TO BE QUEER!' even though I never once held my breath that would ever become CANON.

Here I am, still in this fandom, seventeen years later, and I get to say 'Tara Lewis is canonically queer' on a show that has gotten me through some of the hardest times in my life. On a show I turned to for comfort when everything felt like Too Much.

Because there is something so incredibly magical about seeing my favourite character and saying: Tara Lewis is Queer...and So Am I.

I know people are already like 'Emily was right there!?' or  'Why not make Emily queer!?' to those people I have one thing to say:

Please stop. Please stop and understand HOW important it is for TARA to be queer.

We have A CANONICALLY QUEER BLACK WOMAN IN HER 50s played by a sapphic actor. DO YOU HAVE ANY IDEA HOW IMMINESLY RARE AND SPECIAL THAT IS?!?!? Do you have ANY idea of how IMPORTANT that is for representation?????

Emily Prentiss will never be confirmed queer in canon for many reasons. I have a LOT of thoughts about this, but that's not what this post is about.

This post is about celebrating one, extremely special fact.

And I couldn't be happier.

[mmuffncakes]

Tell me about your 3 original fiction stories!!! Are they all horror? The names sound like it but I wanna know more!

so because i answered a little bit prior about Owl Falls i'll give a snippet for this one! (This is unedited)

Dakota’s mind stopped when he saw it.

                In the cockpit, nearly hidden by shadows but lit enough by the dim flicker of the flame, was a mask. But not just any old mask… the mask of the most wanted criminal in North America. It was off-white from age and old blood, a streak across the nose and forehead from what looked like a gruesome kill. It was flat, the nose pointed down, made to look like a beak, the eyes wide. The Owl. His heart skipped a beat, maybe two, as he pushed himself away from the body.

                Standing back, he could see the oh so very slow rise and fall of the man’s chest. Not just any man. The Owl. How many kills were under his belt? How many times had Dakota heard the code name crackle through the radio? And here he was, laying in a pile of slush; pale, bloody, injured, broken, on the brink of death… breathing.

                Dakota wasn’t sure how long he stared at The Owl, watching him breathe. He couldn’t figure out his thoughts. Leave him to die? Dakota could already feel the trauma of letting someone die and rot in the woods, no matter how rotten of a person they were. Bring him back? Heal him up? Let the authorities take him? Would he even confirm his identity? Wouldn’t he try to escape? Well… not with that ankle he wouldn’t.

                The turmoil in his head was getting overwhelming.

                And despite it all: Dakota refused to leave a man to die. No matter the atrocities he committed.

The Untitled Slasher one, I beeeliiiieeevvveeee !!! you actually saw me draw the main character for it way back when in the server: Shane. But this one is still just a concept. But it's heavily inspired by Freddy 2, actually. In the concept of how much are the murders the main character and how much of them are the Slasher behind the mask. It would follow Shane, who is a cryptid hunter/camp counselor in the 90's as he's helping to clean up camp and reset it up between camp sessions. It's here he comes across a masked man in the woods that he grows a soft relationship with. And during this time, he starts to lose his mind over things people are saying, what theyre doing, and its a slow descent into him thinking he's waking up with blood on his hands when one of his fellow counselors is found dead or goes missing, and the constant control thats leaking into him from the masked man. its a *concept* rn. it defo needs some passes, and defo needs some work.

The Black Box is actually a cyber-punk sci-fi short I wrote that I wanted to develop more into something a bit more. It's defo out of my comfort zone for what I normally write in genre's, but I still enjoyed the characters I created for it (Rook, Stranger, and Tiger Othello). That one focuses on Rook, a hired thief by Tiger Othello to obtain a black box. Once she has it, she starts getting hunted down by Tiger Othello's men, realizing this was a set-up. In her escape, she meets Stranger, an interesting mind inside of a robotic body that she's yet to figure out. But they have secrets and information about Tiger Othello and the two team up to get unframed while uncovering some deeper secrets. I beliieeeve you've also seen the art of that one!

[audiofictionuk]

New Fiction Podcasts - 6th September

Villain Mutants New Audio Drama! Villain Mutants is a science fiction audio drama series about a bunch of criminal mutants being captured and brainwashed by HEAL. They were named a number when recruited. The mutants were used as weapons to frighten any human criminals that dares to not follow the law. The first 10 criminal mutants have escaped and are in hiding. https://villainmutants.weebly.com/ https://anchor.fm/s/e39ebbd0/podcast/rss

400 Words A Horror New Audio Drama! 400 Words A Horror is a bi-weekly anthology horror-themed podcast by audio drama enthusiasts who want to get into the audio drama world as creators. We are a group of people who wants to do audio dramas but have no idea how. The showrunner Gem decided to make this podcast to learn the 'how'. Why 400 Words a Horror? The idea came to me while practicing with the Pratchett method called ‘400 words a day.’ My friends and I are here to have fun, spook up a little, experience, experiment, and learn the hardships of audio drama creation. So this space is a learning experience for my friends and I. Any feedback -as long as it is feedback- is more than appreciated. You can leave feedback through our socials. If you want to stay anonymous, our Tumblr ask box awaits you. https://shows.acast.com/400-words-a-horror https://feeds.acast.com/public/shows/400-words-a-horror

The Theater of the Midnight Sun New Audio Drama! Fun and thought-provoking audio dramas of sci-fi, fantasy, mystery, & comedy - with dynamic soundscapes full of music & special effects. https://TheateroftheMidnightSun.podbean.com https://feed.podbean.com/TheateroftheMidnightSun/feed.xml

Can't Relax New Audio Drama! Over stressed? Overworked? The Peace and Mind app will put an end to that. Forever. On the weekend before their ACTs, Anya and her friends download a new mobile relaxation app to take the edge off, unaware that it secretly plants murderous subliminal messages into the brains of its listeners. When people start dying, Anya must figure out who planted the corrupted malware on their phones and how to stop it before she becomes a killer herself. https://glistenplus.com/scripted/cant-relax/ https://feeds.megaphone.fm/cantrelax

The Devil's Antlers New Audio RPG! A Homebrewed TTRPG Actual Play Cryptid Campaign, with voice acting, sound FX, and original music. Set in the mid 1950s, this story follows four citizens around Pembine and Marinette, Wisconsin, as they begin to unveil some strange occurrences in the area. https://www.timetodierpg.com/ https://feeds.transistor.fm/the-devils-antlers

La traversée du siècle New Audio Drama! Victoire, Albertine et Thérèse : ces prénoms vous semblent-ils familiers? Suivez l’odyssée de ces trois femmes fascinantes et incroyablement résilientes dans l’œuvre de l’un des plus grands écrivains québécois : Michel Tremblay. Portée par 18 interprètes, cette saga familiale nous fait vivre les grands bouleversements qu’a connus la société québécoise au cours du XXe siècle. Plongez dans l’univers de trois générations, où la place des femmes se fortifie au fil du temps. La traversée du siècle est un projet monumental, la plus grande fiction sonore originale jamais réalisée au Québec, avec six saisons et plus de neuf heures de contenu original. Tout le texte est de Michel Tremblay, dans une adaptation et une dramaturgie d'Alice Ronfard, à partir d'une idée d'André Brassard. Ce projet hors-norme est une production du Théâtre Espace Libre, en production déléguée par Zoé Gagnon-Paquin. https://espacelibre.qc.ca/balados/la-traversee-du-siecle https://feeds.podcastics.com/podcastics/podcasts/rss/6123_4583f3239eb223783366204080342b0d.rss

Lantern Cove New Audio RPG! An actual-play RPG podcast in which 6 high school students are the only ones who can face down murder, eldritch magic, and the coming end of the world. https://www.www.lanterncovepodcast.com https://feeds.buzzsprout.com/2194093.rss

EDWINA BERGMAN: RADIO VENTRILOQUIST New Audio Drama! In this fiction comedy-mystery, a young 1920s radio ventriloquist finds herself hosting a radio variety hour and cohosting a podcast in 2023. While attempting to figure out a way back home, she receives a tempting offer from a reality TV producer. https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/jonmeyersscripts https://anchor.fm/s/e8270ec8/podcast/rss

Part-Time Thrills New Audio Drama! Welcome to Part-Time Thrills! Where tall tales are told in short stories rooted in horror and comedy! Time to clock in for a thrill! https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/part-timethrills https://anchor.fm/s/e7dd02ec/podcast/rss

WitherBurn After School News New Audio Drama! An anonymous teenage girl starts a gossip radio show to report on the events of her small southern town. In her quest to uncover the latest scoop, she becomes entangled in the midst of a mystery. https://www.witherburnnews.com/ https://anchor.fm/s/e7e701e8/podcast/rss

Sur la route : Podcasts pour enfants / histoires en voiture pour enfants / En voiture New Audio Book! Retrouvez les plus belles histoires pour faire voyager vos enfants de tous âges en voiture. Des histoires pour chaque âges qui vont passionner vos enfants. Podcast et histoire pour enfants. https://podcasts.360.audion.fm/QzJsUCNoGsXLHDad4TWjR https://feeds.360.audion.fm/QzJsUCNoGsXLHDad4TWjR

Nearly Departed New Audio Book! A ghost story anthology sewn together with a very cozy thread, from the mixed up files of Kathryn R. Wiggins.  Katy hopes to create a space of permanent October, here to revisit whenever you're in need of a safe harbor to contemplate the living and the dead and the terrors in-between. While it may look cute and whimsical, these stories can be very scary and/or disturbing and are not intended for kids. For fans of history, melancholy, pumpkin pie, dusty mansions, flirting with terror, atmosphere, coziness, plastic skeletons, and real ones too. Katy is a writer and improviser in Austin, TX and co host of popular podcast Scary Stories from Camp Roanoke, which has over 40,000 listeners.  Katy adores history, and ghost stories are one of the ways the past echoes into the future in its own active voice. It's a way that the people of bygone eras literally come alive, and that possibility has never gotten old to her. Katy is also fascinated by the unprovable nature of ghosts--how one person can have years of their life tormented by a spiritual force and another person thinks it's all a bunch of hocus pocus. Paranormal or not, it's a fascinating reflection of the invisible struggles we each move through the world with. https://www.buzzsprout.com/2233839 https://feeds.buzzsprout.com/2233839.rss

TIDLØS New Audio Drama! Vildræven er verdenshistoriens største tyv. Det mener han i hvert fald selv, men verden har ikke opdaget ham endnu. Derfor stjæler han en tidsmaskine og rejser tilbage i tiden for at stjæle Guldhornene, så han kan få den berømmelse, han er berettiget til. Til at hjælpe med tyveriet har han skytten Richard og den hyper-intelligente Ingeborg. Men tyveriet går ikke som planlagt, og før de ved af det, er de med i en hæsblæsende jagt gennem historien forfulgt af betjente, bankfuldmægtige, advokater og vikinger. TIDLØS er det største danske hørespil i nyere tid, skrevet af Troels Bering, klippet og instrueret af Jacob Octavius Jarlskov, og produceret af Audiorama. https://audiorama.dk/ https://pinecast.com/feed/tidl-s

Murder Manor New Audio Drama! When ten people are invited to spend the weekend in a mansion on a remote island, they each start dropping like flies. Can they solve the mystery of who's behind it all or will they die trying? The series is heavily inspired the critically acclaimed novel "And Then There Were None" by Agatha Christie. https://shows.acast.com/murder-manor https://feeds.acast.com/public/shows/64dc022f00649a0011d48c8c

La Bóveda de Evo New Audio Book! Lo que realmente perdura en nosotros, anidando un profundo recuerdo en nuestras mentes, es aquello que se asemeja mucho a lo cotidiano. Pero luego de una mirada más reflexiva, no tiene nada de común. Lo cotidiano tiene tantas formas como individuos: Es caótico. Azaroso. Transitorio. Atemporal. Confuso. Voraz. Aquí, cada semana una historia original e independiente nos muestra una cotidianeidad absolutamente fuera de lo común. https://linktr.ee/labovedadeevo https://labovedadeevo.podigee.io/feed/mp3

[cleosven]

Wednesday’s Stalker

To me the stalker seems too interested in Wednesday specifically, and that makes me anxious, like they are trying to trick her, or us as an audience. 

Essay with 4 parts below vvv

Misbeliefs: 

And all of Wednesday’s misbeliefs kind of rub off on us as an audience, because we are seeing this world through her point of view. And it feels like this stalker thing is playing right into Wednesday’s misbeliefs about herself and the world.

On of the big ones, is she chronically puts people in boxes. That’s why so many people still underestimate Enid’s personality as just ‘bubbly’ like Wednesday did originally, even though she has proven to be far more complex. And also why people still act like Tyler is evil, when that’s just what Wednesday was seeing because she see’s things in black and white and felt betrayed, but not what the facts of the show were stating. 

Another one of Wednesday’s core misbeliefs is that she is at the center of everything, and that’s why she missed so many clues along the way, like why Xavier was closed off, why Tyler was interested in her, or why Weems or Kinbott had literally any emotions or goals. She thought these were all reactions to her presence, when they weren’t. 

Her Ego:

Unfortunately, the fact that the last bad guy’s plan actually did revolve around her really didn’t help that misbelief, and it may have actually strengthened it. Now I feel like that self-centered world view is about to be exploited. 

This stalker appears to be setting up some sort of Sherlock/Moriarty-esqe game, which plays to her ego so well. She writes all those mystery novels, because she likes playing the role Sherlock, so of course she will be intrigued with the idea of a criminal mastermind counterpart. 

Is the stalker just a stalker?

I still don’t get why anyone would specifically target Wednesday in this kind of way genuinely? Like are they just some crazy individual stalking her, or is it a part of a bigger sneaky plan?

Sending those texts alerts her to the fact that there is a threat, which might mean they want her to come to them. And it uses the silly bit-mojii style thing, which makes the stalker look like someone young. Maybe they are young, or maybe they just want her to think that, so that when she comes looking for them, she underestimates them. 

And getting her phone number? Do we know if that is actually difficult in a world with both high tech stuff, and fancy magic? Either way, it makes them seem powerful and techy. Which they very well could be, but maybe that’s just what they want her to think. 

Bad guys we know of:

We know Willowhill is a bad guy group in this world, but I feel like they wouldn’t be the type to send this stalker message. They have their own goals of experimenting on outcasts, but why would they want Wednesday? Do they want to lure her in, and get her powers? Or do they want her friends powers? Do they actually think of her as a threat, and therefore they want to distract her with mind games?

One thought I had, that I’ve seen others get to, is that the stalker could be Bianca. She was in both the Weathervane and the Nevermore lobby when the pictures were taken. And she could be doing it for her mom’s Morning Song cult, because she doesn’t want to be outed for sirening her way into school. But what would a group of failing sirens want with Wednesday Addams? Money? Her powers? Her blood to unlock yet another Addams family spell? None of these motivations seem particularly likely, although it’s fairly likely she took the pictures.  

So maybe it really is Enid just playing a prank on her. Maybe Bianca, Xavier and Enid got together to plan this whole thing. Maybe the ‘stalker’ is just a hook the writers set up for us as an audience to overanalyze so that we are more likely to miss the other clues available to us, and this whole stalker thing will be resolved in the first episode of s2. 

---

What do you guys think? Who is the stalker, and what do they want from playing this game with Wednesday? 

[dreaminginthedeepsouth]

[The Daily Don]

LETTERS FROM AN AMERICAN

More good news today for Bidenomics, as the gross domestic product report for the second quarter showed annualized growth of 2.4%, higher than projected, and inflation rose at a slower pace of 2.6%, down from last quarter and well below projections. Economic analyst Steven Rattner noted that as of the second quarter, “the US economy is over 6% larger than it was before COVID (after adjusting for inflation). At this point in the recovery from the Great Recession, 2011, the economy was just 0.7% larger than it had been in 2007.”

Both consumer spending and business investment, which is up 7.7% in real annualized terms, drove this growth. Business spending makes up a much smaller share of gross domestic product, but it drives future jobs and growth, and much of this growth is in manufacturing facilities. In keeping with that trend, the nation’s largest solar panel manufacturer, First Solar, announced today that it will build a fifth factory in the U.S. as alternative energy technology takes off. This commitment brings to more than $2.8 billion the amount First Solar has invested in the U.S. to ramp up production. 

While so-called Bidenomics is designed to rebuild the middle class, the administration is also trying to reestablish fair ground rules for corporate behavior. Yesterday, the Departments of Justice, Commerce, and Treasury invited American businesses to come forward voluntarily if they think they might have violated U.S. sanctions, export controls, or other national security laws by sharing sensitive technology or helping sanctioned individuals launder money. Coming forward “can provide significant mitigation of civil or criminal liability,” the note says. 

It highlighted the anti–money laundering and sanctions whistleblower program in the Treasury Department’s Financial Crimes Enforcement Network, or FinCEN. 

While many of us were watching the federal courthouse in Washington, D.C., to see if an indictment was forthcoming against former president Trump for his attempt to overturn the results of the 2020 election, a different set of charges appeared tonight. Special counsel Jack Smith brought additional charges against Trump in connection with his retention of classified documents.

The new indictment alleges that Trump plotted to delete video from security cameras near the storage room where he had stored boxes containing classified documents, and did so after the Department of Justice subpoenaed that footage. That effort to delete the video involved a third co-conspirator, Carlos De Oliveira, who has been added to the case. 

De Oliveira is a former valet at the Trump Organization’s Mar-a-Lago property who became property manager there in January 2022. Allegedly, he told another Trump employee that “the boss” wanted the server deleted and that the conversation should stay between the two of them. 

In the Washington Post, legal columnist Ruth Marcus wrote, “The alleged conduct—yes, even after all these years of watching Trump flagrantly flout norms—is nothing short of jaw-dropping: Trump allegedly conspired with others to destroy evidence.” If the allegations hold up, “the former president is a common criminal—and an uncommonly stupid one.”

This superseding indictment reiterates the material from the original indictment, and as I reread it, it still blows my mind that Trump allegedly compromised national security documents from the Central Intelligence Agency, the Department of Defense, the National Security Agency, the National Geospatial Intelligence Agency (surveillance imagery), the National Reconnaissance Office (surveillance and maps), the Department of Energy (nuclear weapons), and the Department of State and Bureau of Intelligence and Research (diplomatic intelligence). 

It sounds like he was a one-man wrecking ball, aimed at our national security. 

The Justice Department has asked again for a protective order to protect the classified information at the heart of this case. In their request, they explained that, among other things, Trump wanted to be able to discuss that classified information with his lawyers outside a Sensitive Compartmented Information Facility, or SCIF, a room protected against electronic surveillance and data leakage. 

Former deputy assistant director of the FBI’s counterintelligence division Peter Strzok noted that there is “[n]o better demonstration of Trump’s abject lack of understanding of—and disregard for—classified info and national security. He is *asking the Court* to waive the requirements for classified info that EVERY OTHER SINGLE CLEARANCE HOLDER IN THE UNITED STATES must follow.”  

The Senate today passed the $886 billion annual defense bill by a strong bipartisan margin of 86 to 11 after refusing to load it up with all the partisan measures Republican extremists added to the House bill. Now negotiators from the House and the Senate will try to hash out a compromise measure, but the bills are so far apart it is not clear they will be able to create a bipartisan compromise. The National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) has passed on a bipartisan basis for more than 60 years.

The extremists in the House Republican conference continue to revolt against House speaker Kevin McCarthy’s (R-CA) deal with the administration to raise the debt ceiling. They insist the future cuts to which McCarthy agreed are not steep enough, and demand more. This has sparked fighting among House Republicans; Emine Yücel of Talking Points Memo suggests that McCarthy’s new willingness to consider impeaching President Biden might be an attempt to cut a deal with the extremists.  

As the Senate is controlled by Democrats, the fight among the House Republicans threatens a much larger fight between the chambers because Democratic senators will not accept the demands of the extremist Republican representatives.

The House left for its August recess today without passing 11 of the 12 appropriations bills necessary to fund the government after September, setting up the conditions for a government shutdown this fall if they cannot pass the bills and negotiate with the Senate in the short time frame they’ve left. Far-right Republicans don’t much care, apparently. Representative Bob Good (R-VA) told reporters this week, “We should not fear a government shutdown… Most of what we do up here is bad anyway.”   

Representative Katherine Clark (D-MA), the second ranking Democrat in the House, disagreed. “The Republican conference is saying they are sending us home for six weeks without funding the government? That we have one bill…out of 12 completed because extremists are holding your conference hostage, and that’s not the full story: the extremists are holding the American people hostage. We will have twelve days…when we return to fund the government, to live up to the job the American people sent us here to do. This is a reckless march to a MAGA shutdown, and for what? In pursuit of a national abortion ban? Is that what we are doing here? 

“The American people see through this. They know who is fighting for them, fighting for solutions…. Your time is coming. The American people are watching. They are going to demand accountability. We should be staying here, completing these appropriations bills, stripping out the toxic, divisive, bigoted riders that have been put on these bills and get[ting] back to work for freedom and for our economy and the American family.”

LETTERS FROM AN AMERICAN

HEATHER COX RICHARDSON

[certifiedtrashmouth]

hey there! thank you for stumbling upon my little corner of the internet! before you request anything and we get to party, we've gotta set some ground rules.

*✧･ﾟ: *✧･ﾟ:*✧･ﾟ: *✧･ﾟ:*✧･ﾟ: *✧･ﾟ:

most of my blog is 18+ content. i don't really feel comfortable with minors hanging out around here, and i do check the profiles of people who interact with my writing. if you're a minor and interact with any of my 18+ content, i will block you. if you interact with any of my fluff/angst that doesn't include 18+ content, you'll probably just be on thin ice. i would prefer you do not follow me, though.

*✧･ﾟ: *✧･ﾟ:*✧･ﾟ: *✧･ﾟ:*✧･ﾟ: *✧･ﾟ:

likes, reblogs, comments, messages, asks, etc. are welcome! appreciated, as a matter of fact! don't worry about spamming me - it doesn't really bother me.

*✧･ﾟ: *✧･ﾟ:*✧･ﾟ: *✧･ﾟ:*✧･ﾟ: *✧･ﾟ:

please do not send a request more than twice (especially on anon. if you're not on anon, i'll usually message/answer privately to let you know i got the request)! and do not include me in any spamming requesting (i.e. you are copy/pasting the same request into multiple writers ask boxes). that's simply not cool. writers don't like to copy each other, and like some variety! if you want me to write something inspired by another writer, or do my own take on it, that's fine, but include that in your request so i can properly credit the original writer and decide if i want to even do so. also - please send requests through my ask box. i don't always catch every reply on a post.

i'm an adult. i've got a life, and school, and work (so, so much work), and a fic that takes precedence over requests currently. i promise i'll get to it as i have my requests open currently and adore doing them!

*✧･ﾟ: *✧･ﾟ:*✧･ﾟ: *✧･ﾟ:*✧･ﾟ: *✧･ﾟ:

if you would like to be on a tag list of mine, please ask/message me! specify what exactly you'd like to be tagged in.

examples: "can you tag me in all your eddie writing?" or "can you tag me in part 2 of [insert fic]?"

i highly doubt anyone would want to be tagged in every single one of my writings, but if that's what you want, that's also welcome :-)

*✧･ﾟ: *✧･ﾟ:*✧･ﾟ: *✧･ﾟ:*✧･ﾟ: *✧･ﾟ:

alright, boring stuff out of the way! now onto what i'm willing to write!

characters i write for:

▻ eddie munson. (stranger things) ▻ steve harrington. (stranger things) ▻ robin buckley. (stranger things) ▻ nancy wheeler. (stranger things) ▻ jonathan byers. (stranger things)

as my blog and interests grow, this list may also! i'll make posts if i add any other characters/shows/movies. just to give an idea, i have written for spencer reid from criminal minds in the past (the fic is on my ao3 and wattpad). i don't currently, but might change my mind one day. who knows.

topics i'm comfortable writing:

▻ smut ▻ angst ▻ fluff ▻ some triggering topics (i'll mention my big 'no's i can't handle, personally, below)

*✧･ﾟ: *✧･ﾟ:*✧･ﾟ: *✧･ﾟ:*✧･ﾟ: *✧･ﾟ:

now, for the most important part...

what i won't write (no exceptions):

▻anything regarding romantic pairings with the children of stranger things. they may show up in my writing, but only as background characters. they're minors - i'm an adult. it just feels weird. ▻piss kink/waterplay. definitely not kink shaming if you're into it. just not my cup of tea, especially when writing! ▻rape/noncon. mentions of someone having a past with this may be the only exception, but i will not be writing any descriptive scenes including it. ▻CNC (consensual-nonconsensual). another one where i'm not kink shaming! just triggering. i avoid reading most of the time, and definitely avoid writing. sorry. ▻descriptions of self-harm. especially cutting. again, mentions of someone having a past with this one/mentions of scars is fine, but a hard limit is writing a scene of this happening. i've written it in the past, and all it does is trigger.

if i think of anything else, i'll add it to the list.

*✧･ﾟ: *✧･ﾟ:*✧･ﾟ: *✧･ﾟ:*✧･ﾟ: *✧･ﾟ:

alright! if you've read through all of this, thank you, ily. let's get to partying.