#Headway Review

[softdealhub]

Headway Review – Powerful Learning and Essential Book Ideas

In the fast-paced world we live in, making time for personal development can be a challenge. This is where Headway comes in. Headway is an app that provides users with concise 15-minute summaries of popular nonfiction books, allowing them to absorb key insights quickly and efficiently. It’s designed for those who want to stay informed and grow without the time commitment required for full-length books.

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What is Headway?

Headway is a mobile app focused on making personal development accessible to everyone, regardless of how busy they might be. The app distills the essence of best-selling nonfiction books into brief summaries, offering a quick and easy way to learn. Whether you’re commuting, working out, or taking a break, Headway provides both text and audio summaries that fit seamlessly into your daily routine.

The app is tailored for those who want to gain knowledge in areas like leadership, productivity, mindfulness, and more, without spending hours reading entire books. By breaking down complex ideas into digestible chunks, Headway ensures that users can efficiently enhance their skills and knowledge.

Key Features of Headway

Here are some of the features of Headway:

Concise Summaries

Headway’s main feature is its ability to distill the key takeaways from popular nonfiction books into 15-minute summaries. This allows users to quickly grasp essential concepts without needing to read the entire book.

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Personalized Recommendations

The app curates a personalized reading list based on the user’s interests and goals. Whether you're focused on improving your productivity, leadership skills, or mental well-being, Headway ensures you get relevant content tailored to your needs.

Dual-Mode Learning

Headway offers flexibility in how users consume content. You can either read the summaries or listen to them in audio format, making it convenient to learn while on the go.

Spaced Repetition

To help users retain information, Headway employs spaced repetition techniques. This method involves revisiting key concepts at regular intervals to reinforce memory and ensure long-term retention.

Gamified Experience

The app includes gamified elements such as streaks and challenges to keep users motivated and engaged. These features add a fun, competitive aspect to learning, encouraging consistent use.

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Pros and Cons of Headway

Pros:

Time-Efficient: Ideal for those who want to learn but have limited time.

Flexible Learning: Offers both reading and listening options.

Personalized Content: Tailored recommendations make learning more relevant and effective.

Cons:

Surface-Level Insights: Summaries may oversimplify complex topics, leaving some users wanting more depth.

Not a Replacement for Full Books: Those who enjoy in-depth exploration of topics may find the summaries insufficient.

Headway AppSumo Lifetime Deal at $59

Headway offers a range of pricing plans designed to accommodate various needs and budgets, from individual entrepreneurs to large enterprises. The pricing is competitive, especially given the extensive suite of features provided.

For an exceptional value, explore the Headway Lifetime offer on AppSumo. This opportunity allows you to secure long-term access at a significant discount, providing considerable savings for future-proofing your indexing needs.

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Conclusion

Headway is a valuable tool for those who are keen on personal development but struggle to find time to read. Its concise summaries, coupled with personalized content and flexible consumption options, make it a go-to app for lifelong learners. However, users seeking deep, comprehensive insights may find the summaries lacking in depth.

If you're looking for a way to stay informed and grow personally without committing to full-length books, Headway is worth exploring. Take advantage of the Lifetime Deal on AppSumo to get started.

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[thekristen999]

WIP Wednesday

Still plugging along on my mythical bakery AU and making decent headway. Previous snippets here.

..

Sometimes when Eddie woke up, the darkness that had stalked him for half his life still hung around, trying to take over again. But he had skills now, and a job he loved, one that brought him joy and energy.

It wasn’t a surprise to find Buck, Hen, and Chim discussing the newest recipe for attracting their most sought out guest. Well, Eddie’s most sought out guest.

All three stood in front of the main baking station surrounded by various mixing bowls, ingredients and various flowers.

"Um, guys?" he asked.

Buck waved Eddie over. "We’re trying a few new recipes for your quest."

Eddie tried not to grimace at his choice of words, knowing the four of them were now equally invested in the endeavor.

Chim studied the arrays of apples, berries and rose pedals. "We should use more vibrant and colorful flowers. Whimsical is attracted to whimsical."

"Roses, lavender, and foxgloves, are colorful the last time I checked," Hen reminded him.

Buck shook his head. "If you’re trying to make nectar, you need to wait until I’m done with my harvest."

Buck had been trying to collect the right number of dewdrops, using the Eucalyptus they started growing in the back of the bakery, but the weather hadn’t been cooperating with them.

"Okay, let’s review," Chim said to the group. "We’re talking about unicorns, right? They don’t eat human food. They’re too pure."

Trying to find a unicorn had become a quest, a need of Eddie’s. His knowledge about them was a little concerning.

Their diets were as mystical as the creatures themselves. According to myths, they loved dewdrops from the morning grass or the petals of wildflowers, their ethereal diet contributing to their magical abilities.

"Unicorns feed on the enchanted energy of nature itself," Eddie told them.

"Exactly," Buck said. His brow furrowed in thought. "But we don’t practice magic, and we can’t enter the magical realm." He frowned. "Which means we don’t have the ability to make what they prefer to eat." 

.

tagging a few people who might enjoy or want to share.

@mellaithwen @hippolotamus @exhuastedpigeon @spotsandsocks

@dangerpronebuddie @tizniz @fleurdebeton @misshiss727

@diazsdimples @andavs @homerforsure @steadfastsaturnsrings

@ci5mates @thebestbooksaround @diazheartsbuckley

@buffaluff

[nerdieforpedro]

Those Damn Hot Dogs

Chapter One of Therapy for the Well-Adjusted

My entire masterlist and blog are for readers 18+ MDNI. I do not consent to my work being used in AI, recommended on TikTok, borrowed or plagiarized.

Word Count: 1859

Warnings: Nerdie doesn’t know how the FBI works (despite watching all the crimes procedurals), one gun shot, insulting hot dogs 🌭, random book reference, a wee bit of blood, yelling & cursing

Summary: Marcus Pike was mandated to go to therapy. His journey there was very bumpy. We meet Dr. Mint and Vernon! (both OFCs)

Notes: I started this because I wanted Marcus to be a bit unhinged. Like why not? 😀

But also because I’ve had some bad experiences with therapy and some very positive ones.

Plus I enjoyed the doctor’s names way too much. I’m on my mess with puns. 😉

If you feel you need therapy or counseling, you should research the best cost effective options for you and make sure that your therapist is someone you feel comfortable with. Vibes are important in this case.

Main Masterlist/ Marcus Pike Masterlist/ AO3 Link

Marcus is talking with his therapist, Dr. Mint. He never thought he would need to see one. Not that people don’t need to see them or take their mental health seriously, they should and he does. He has to. He’s an FBI agent. Although he is in art crimes, there’s still quite a bit of shady characters, deals and crazy crap that people will do to have their art or hide how they got it.

The journey to Dr. Mint took Marcus two months from the incident to now.

The incident in question was something he never expected. Marcus Pike prided himself on being able to roll with life's punches, no matter how gut-wrenching they might be. Prior to ‘the incident’ his team were investigating possible pieces of art that were thought to have been smuggled into the country. Supposedly from California over to the East Coast. That should have been his first clue, the mention of that state. He was briefed about two consultants coming to assist since they had dealings and information of the particular ring of smugglers.

Patrick Jane and his wife Teresa Jane.

The amount of time Marcus had put into this case had been the last few months. Tracking leads, making connections, reviewing financials, flights, etc. He implored his superiors that they didn’t need their help. They’re making headway toward busting these guys without these two, especially one of them’s penchant for causing property damage and being a PR nightmare. The higher ups said that his team had enough time to find these guys and they haven’t so this case needs to be closed now. Pike didn’t understand the urgency, these were typical smugglers, not traffickers or people or drugs, but he had to back down. He would take many deep breaths and interact with them as little as possible.

Of course Patrick Jane asked to be on my team. The vest wearing, tired brown shoes having hot dog water looking bastard.

Agent Pike knew he’d have to grin and bear it. He’s a professional and a special agent. Unlike this prick, he can’t just do as he pleases. There are rules, regulations and he would like to stay gainfully employed at a job he loves. Patrick Jane nor his hot dog water loving wife Teresa will make him lose it.

The first two weeks went fine. Limited interaction, and all about the case. The third week was when they finally caught the smugglers at their warehouse. A mix of Marcus pulling up prior maps of an area outside of DC on the outskirts of the state of Virginia and Patrick seeing a pattern in pieces they were taking. The bust was running smoothly, all of them were caught except one. Marcus was chasing him and the idiot ‘not an actual agent’ Patrick decided he was somehow going to help chase the perp as well in those slippery ugly brown shoes.

It was his own fault.

Not Pike’s. He called in that he saw the suspect, let them know he was in pursuit and was chasing them. It was Jane that called himself trying to be some action hero popping out from a nearby alley to chase the same perp. Pike yelled at him to move, Patrick chose not to listen. His ass paid the price. Literally.

Some might have thought Marcus did it on purpose, especially if they knew the extremely sorted history between Patrick, Teresa and Marcus, but he truly did not. The suspect had pulled a gun and was trying to shoot Marcus, he dodged and shot the perp in the calf, disabling him enough for Pike to run over and clap cuffs on him. He then called for an ambulance.

Pike heard Patrick cursing as he was laying on the ground. Marcus thought maybe he just fell, but there was blood, not from the suspect. Jane was bleeding from his ass, the bullet had grazed him before hitting the suspect. Before Marcus could hold it in, and remain professional he laughed. Not a chuckle or snicker but a full, down on both knees next to the perp laugh. Which made the smuggler laugh as well. Teresa and the other agents made their way over and wondered what an agent and criminal could find so funny. Mrs. Hot Dog became hysterical that Patrick was bleeding so of course he leaned into it, shaking where he hadn’t been before.

Marcus and the suspect watched and looked at each other, “That’s some bullshit my guy.” Pike agreed. Standing up holding the suspect in front of him, he took him over to be booked and processed.

Patrick was taking his sweet time getting off the ground and Teresa was beginning to yell at Marcus, telling him that she’d have his badge for harming her Patrick.

Marcus Pike had enough. He requested to not have them in this case, asked to be reassigned, and has kept interactions to a minimum. He didn’t ask Patrick to chase a suspect. He’s a consultant. He’s not supposed to be doing it anyway!

Uncharacteristically, Marcus yelled and told Teresa to “keep her hot dog water looking man out of the way of FBI business. Had he not been here, the suspect wouldn’t have shot him. Jane needs to stay in his lane and keep all his hot dog foolishness over there.” Teresa was going to say something else, “You don’t say shit to me. You left me then, how am I supposed to know you’re going to do your damn job in the field if you didn’t even have the backbone to tell me no face to face or over the phone. You didn’t ask what actually happened! Put a bun on him to soak up his blood and hot dog water.”

Everyone was silent, even Jane.

No one expected Marcus to say anything, let alone admonishing Patrick and Teresa’s behavior. Everyone knew it was a lot but Pike had been a consummate professional during their entire time here.

Teresa was mortified and started to cry. Jane finally got up and limped over to the supervising agent who just told him to go over to the ambulance to get checked out.

No one directly addressed it, not until the Jane’s were gone and they threw a party. Marcus was invited but he declined. He’d been put out on administrative leave and was at home tuning his bass guitar. Wondering about what they said. They suggested he take some time off, cool his head and could come back after some counseling session.

Marcus had tried to go to the FBI one but it ended on a weird note. The initial meeting went well, but the small older woman asked for a hug. She said that Marcus resembled her former husband. He politely declined and told his supervisors that it wasn’t going to work with the FBI’s counselor.

Pike now had two weeks to find one he could see and clear him. His colleague Mark, suggested one that had helped him and his wife during a rough period in their marriage:

Dr. Mint of “Mint and Julep Counseling: Helping therapy go down smooth.”

The name and the tagline made Marcus chuckle and highly suspicious so he researched them, Mark vouched for the group of counselors and doctors. It’s worth a try. It had to be better than the last one.

Marcus wore his red flannel shirt, open exposing his white t-shirt underneath. Rubbing his hands on his dark wash jeans, getting the sweat off them, he opened the glass door leading into the reception area. The colors were neutral: white, tan, gold and gray. There was a friendly older gentleman at the desk who wore and striking green sweater and had bi-focals, peering at Marcus upward, maybe trying to look through the upper half of the glasses.

“Good afternoon sir, here for an appointment?”

“Yes I am. New patient for Dr. Mint. Marcus Pike. Nice to meet you sir.”

“Oh! You’re early, that’s nice. Wait there. Did you want some water? I’ll let them know you’re here. Should be finishing up with the previous patient shortly.” The gentleman informed him and Marcus took a seat on one of the black leather chairs.

He waited about ten minutes, he’d been fifteen minutes early. It was easier to find than he thought and it was in a stand alone building rather than in a strip mall. It was near a Panera and a Dunkin’s so Marcus had some landmarks for it.

Dr. Mint has sepia bangs which seems to be their natural hair color. The rest of their hair is cut close and is dyed a deep plum color. Normally Marcus might have taken a pause given that they’re also wearing a cream sweater that looks one size too big for them with black slacks and loafers, but they shake his hand and have a strong grip. Pike respects this and follows the good doctor to his office. The agent figures it can’t be worse than the last therapist. Dr. Mint is a few inches taller than Marcus but thin, willowy he might say. Something about him invokes trust, could be their sharp jaw and or that once they sit and Marcus begins talking about what happened with the two hot dogs, he sees something in their dark brown eyes that he didn’t with the other therapists. Dr. Mint didn’t think he’d lost his mind.

Pike’s luck has finally changed.

The doctor thanked Marcus for coming to see them and hoped that he would make a future appointment. They also stated that given the pressure he was under and the specific circumstances, they weren’t sure there was a right way to approach the situation.

“I mean, it is kinda funny. If you think about it, Dr. Mint.” Marcus departs their office and makes an appointment for later in the week with Vernon, the front desk gentleman. On his way out, he held the door for a woman in a cobalt dress, she thanked him and smiled. Pike felt his eyes linger on her for a few moments as she went to the desk and checked in with Vernon too. She sat down, crossing her legs at her ankles after setting her black tote back in a chair next to her. She was on her phone for a few and then pulled her bag into her lap, making herself smaller despite the waiting room being empty save for the man behind the desk.

Marcus wondered what brought her to this place, it could be anything. Her blue dress stuck out in his mind and he remembered there was a book about a woman in a blue dress, what was it called? He stopped to grab a salad and soup from Panera before heading home.

“Wait…” Marcus pulled into his parking space outside of his apartment building. “Devil in the blue dress, I think it’s by Walter Mosley. Wasn’t that a movie too? Maybe I should watch it tonight.” As tonight’s feature was decided, he set about trying to find which streaming service it would be on.

Marcus felt he made a good choice today.

Hot dog haters 🌭: @megamindsecretlair @jessthebaker @avastrasposts @jeewrites @josephquinnswhore

@bishtrouille @readingiskeepingmegoing @survivingandenduring @morallyinept @angelofsmalldeath-codeine

@soft-persephone @soft-girl-musings @rosecentaur1916 @rulexofxnines @inept-the-magnificent

Chapter Two

[f1ghtsoftly]

All The Women’s News You Missed This Week

10/14/24-10/21/24

Formal justice systems make headway on holding men accountable for violence against women in Bolivia, Malaysia, and Ivory Coast. An Indian researcher wins a prestigious grant for her work on Dalit (untouchable) women. A female politician heckles King Charles during his visit to Australia and Italy bans traveling abroad for surrogacy in another attempt to limit the ability of same-sex couples to have children.

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US Abortion Rights: 

Missouri abortion-rights campaign fundraising total at $22M one month before election

3 states renew their effort to reduce access to the abortion drug mifepristone

Male Violence Against Women and Children: 

Bolivian ex-leader's looming arrest warrant triggers protests

Ex-Louisville officer who fired shots in Breonna Taylor raid readies for 3rd trial

Woman dies 2 days after co-worker shot her at Santa Monica College, police say

K-pop star gives tearful testimony on harassment

S Korean striker sorry for filming secret sex videos

Arrests Hundreds More Over Child Abuse Claims

Why fight for justice isn't over in India's 'horrific' widow-burning case, 37 years on

Duchess shocked by sexual exploitation of refugees

Murder, rape and torture allegations hit Ivory Coast student union

Buses to become safe spaces for vulnerable women

Women In The News: 

Susan Smith is up for parole 30 years after drowning her kids in a South Carolina lake

Bangladesh issues arrest warrant for ex-leader Hasina

The 'genius' Indian who shattered caste barriers

I'm not stupid, I've chosen to speak, says catfish victim duped for nine years

I’ll stand for Russian president when Putin's gone, Navalny’s widow tells BBC

New York Liberty claim first WNBA title with overtime win

WATCH: Moment King Charles is heckled by Australian politician 

Women's program aims to combat violence in Chicago: "The police cannot do this alone"

Le Sserafim: The K-pop band who want to change the industry

LGBT: 

Missouri now requires proof of surgery or court order for gender changes on IDs

Trans socialite did serve her jail term, Nigerian panel finds

Italy bans couples from travelling abroad for surrogacy 

In New York, a constitutional amendment provides election fodder for the left and the right

Arts and Culture: 

Harris interview with Fox News showcases a change in strategy for Democrats with network

Movie Review: ‘Smile 2' nicely targets pop star fame with the terrific Naomi Scott

Movie Review: Strippers, oligarchs and a fairy tale gone sideways, ‘Anora’ is a wild ride

For once — a true crime story that isn't focused on the killer

WATCH: Dawn Richard found freedom, clarity while working on new album

Becky G says ‘Encuentros,’ her second album of regional Mexican music, is a celebration of culture

Book Review: 70-year-old psychiatrist takes to the road in Anna Montague’s beguiling new novel

Half a Century After Title IX, Universities Are Still Failing Survivors: The Ms. Q&A With Nicole Bedera 

As always, this is global and domestic news from a US perspective covering feminist issues and women in the news more generally. As of right now, I do not cover Women’s Sports. Published each Monday afternoon.

[heliossecretdeskdrawer]

Workflow Interruption

Continuity: IDW1

Rating: Explicit

Relationship: Rodimus/Megatron

Characters: Megatron & Rodimus

Warnings: Sticky sexual content, cock warming, blowjobs, masturbation, fingering, not beta read

Summary: In which Megatron tries to discreetly enjoy himself while helping Rodimus with paperwork.

Crossposting: AO3 | Dreamwidth

Fic under cut. See AO3 for complete notes.

It wasn’t that Rodimus didn’t do any work on the Lost Light, no. It was more that the amount of administrative burden was… ridiculous. Often to the point where it could easily become overwhelming. While great strides had been made over the years in reducing the burden through various means—expanding the command staff, delegating some approvals to other, more appropriate units, taking a hands-off stance to some menial procedures, setting a daily messaging limit for Minimus, and otherwise streamlining workflows—there were often still mountains of things to review and approve. Never mind coming up with executive action plans.

Unfortunately, some things required Rodimus’s approval only, due to separation of duties on the ship.

Megatron, therefore, had to get creative to assist him in actually hacking away at the pile of things that couldn’t otherwise be delegated. He couldn’t remove some of the work, but he could remove some of the stress associated with it, making the task hopefully more bearable. Rodimus would even get a reward out of the whole thing.

It had taken some careful maneuvering and minor mass shifting to fit under the desk, but he’d done it, now wedged in the limited space available. These desks were not made with the intent that large mechs climbed under them.

“And you’re sure this is going to work?”

Rodimus’s chair was already pushed all the way in, his legs jammed against Megatron’s body. There was no way for him to see what would be going on under the desk, but he wouldn’t need to. If anything allowing him to see would pose more of a distraction.

“No,” Megatron said, keeping his hands on Rodimus’s knees, lest they slam shut on his head. Again. “That’s why this is a test.”

 “I mean, sure, a test but even if it works, that doesn’t mean it’s going to pass an ethics audit.”

“Perhaps not, but you are working and I’m not on the clock, so we’re not wasting salary hours.”

And the backlog would, at any rate, be smaller if Rodimus managed to finish even one thing in that stack.

“There is, you realize, one crucial thing you need to do for this to work.”

Rodimus made a confused noise quickly followed by “oh.”

A panel retracted and a flaccid spike emerged from the housing. Not immediately useful but a problem. Still a step in the right direction.

Rodimus must have been nervous. A work situation wasn’t the usual time for this sort of activity, so perhaps it would take a little goading to get the plan in motion.

Then again, the goal was to relieve some of the stress of an overwhelming pile of paperwork by making Rodimus more comfortable, not necessarily actively pleasing him. A stiff spike would be convenient, but not necessarily required. Besides, it would react on its own before long.

With an easy lean forward, he took the head into his mouth. The taste was familiar, but clean. Thankfully someone had decided to take hygiene into account before showing up to the office today. There was even the faint, pleasant fragrance of mid-grade polish wafting from the thighs.

Already the internal pressure was rising, but for now he just held the spike this way. There was no need to rush and he was fulfilling his end of the agreement.

All he had to do was keep the spike warm until Rodimus either gave up or made headway in the stack on his desk. Anything else he chose to do was extra.

Strictly, he wasn’t even obligated to give Rodimus release at the end if he didn’t feel like it.

Rodimus shifted, leaning back in the chair and sighing.

If he wanted to get too comfortable there and do nothing, that was his business, but Megatron wouldn’t move. He could stay here, unmoving, with the head of a spike in his mouth for as long as necessary.

The spike continued to stiffen, pushing more into his mouth. Megatron simply leaned back to keep it at the same depth. For the moment, he ignored the tension building behind his own paneling.

There was a whine, followed by a clattering of datapads above him as Rodimus clearly remembered what was supposed to be happening.

He could hear the scrabbling of a light-pen across the surface of the forms. The pace was slow, like Rodimus was already leaning against his elbow, frowning at the poorly formatted blocks of text. The way the paperwork was organized was not always easy or comfortable to parse, especially under time pressure.

Megatron lightly flicked his tongue over the newly dripping slit in the head of the spike as encouragement. Just to ease the tension, not enough to be an additional distraction… ideally. If Rodimus was less stressed, his work would hopefully be less arduous.

Another sigh and more scrabbling.

Was this even helpful?

Hard to say.

He let the spike sink deeper into his mouth, about halfway. It slipped easily along his tongue before being allowed to rest squarely in the middle, a comfortable weight.

The warm pulsing between his own legs grew, a new distraction as he was tempted to simply let the spike reach all the way to his throat. Denying himself that was an act of discipline.

Unfortunately, with his mouth understandably full, Megatron was unable to ask Rodimus for feedback. Instead, he gave the spike a quick, gentle suck, as though that counted as posing a general question.

Rodimus groaned, but whether it was from frustration or pleasure or both was unclear without being able to see his face.

“Are you teasing me or helping me?”

At this point, probably a bit of both.

But, so be it.

If Rodimus didn’t want him to move, then he wouldn’t. There were other ways to keep busy while he waited for Rodimus to either give up or complete his tasks.

Megatron himself wasn’t on duty and the tension in his own array could have stood to be dissipated.

He let one of his hands leave Rodimus’s knees, sliding it down to where his own legs joined his trunk.

A panel clicked open beneath his finger and he pressed the tip against the swollen, rubbery node. It wasn’t lubricated yet—though he would shortly remedy this—but he allowed himself to poke and press gently, not quite circling it while still ensuring it was ready for more robust personal attention.

Inconsistent little blooms of weak pleasure popped across his circuits as he brushed against the dry node.

Rodimus probably hadn’t even heard his panel open over the mad writing spree on the desk above. The clattering of datapads and frustrated grumbles dominated the soundscape.

If Megatron were careful, there wouldn’t be any noise at all to catch Rodimus’s attention while he sought his own relief. Not that it would matter if Rodimus noticed or not—No, on second thought, that would probably be a greater distraction to his ability to focus than anything else.

Best to be discreet.

Keeping his head still, he let a finger slip backward between his legs, towards his valve to steal some of the escaping lubrication. He coated his finger in just enough to allow the tip an easy glide over his node. This, with the smaller motions and more localized fluid spatter, would be a far less disruptive avenue than what using his own spike would be.

For now, he just circled the node in slow, lazy motions. He had all the time in the world for this while Rodimus scrambled to get work done.

The spike in his mouth twitched, leaking a tiny volume of saline prefluid onto his tongue. He didn’t care for that particular flavor but it a tolerable necessity, easily overcome by everything else.

On instinct, he gave the spike another light suck, only for Rodimus’s legs to shake.

Megatron still wasn’t sure if this was actually helping Rodimus accomplish anything or if the chosen method of stress relief was actually getting in the way of the goal. The writing and complaining were the only tells that anything was happening up there. Would the reports being reviewed even be looked at critically or would they need another eye?

Of course, given the situation, he said nothing, as his frame relaxed, coaxed by the idle rub of his slick finger against his node.

No need to rush. Rodimus’s spike wouldn’t be going anywhere for some time, even as it wobbled and dripped in want.

Rodimus surely had no idea that he was the only one suffering, unable to hear even the small, soft noises of the lubricant’s surface tension occasionally breaking as the finger moved.

A calm pace was the key to remaining undetected. Being unhurried also allowed him to thoroughly massage every side of his node, including the small places that generally went overlooked when only seeking overload, like the almost hidden shaft under the hood. No part would be ignored while he let the charge gradually build.

His empty valve began to tense as the prickling tingle of charge grew in his node; it wouldn’t be long now. It was almost a shame that he couldn’t have warmed the spike in there instead but the positioning would never have worked… and Rodimus would have undoubtedly begun to notice by now what he was doing. For now, he just let the weight of the spike rest comfortably on his tongue.

Every now and then, Rodimus even canted his hips forward like he was trying to get relief, but Megatron just matched the motion to keep the friction minimal.

The only real stimulation for Rodimus probably came from the flexing of Megatron’s cheeks when he had to occasionally swallow down the build up of prefluid in his mouth.

Even the slightest slide of the interlocking metal plates across the sensors in his mouth sent charge straight south, adding to what was generated by the easy motion of his fingertip.

Lubricant, cooling as it met the brisk office air, flowed away slowly down the sides of his legs.

No, not long now at all.

There would be no way to hide what he had been doing after he and Rodimus were done here, but that would be alright. The worst that would happen would probably be Rodimus accusing him, rightfully so this time, of being selfish. And then Megatron would make it up to him, perhaps in private quarters and—

He tensed, trying, somewhat in vain, to prevent the spasms of overload from obviously shuddering his body under the desk. His legs shook, but he managed to keep his upper body steady. It took all of his will to not force the spike further back towards his throat and swallow hard.

The most damning evidence if Rodimus was paying attention was the soft gasp that escaped his mouth, muffled by the spike, as his finger‘s rubbing of his node slowed to a stop.

For several seconds after the wave of overload ebbed, his valve continued to clench in time to the weak, twitching pulses of the oversensitive node pressed under his finger.

Rodimus said nothing, the continued clattering of the datapads implying that perhaps he hadn’t noticed. He hadn’t even attempted to thrust into Megatron’s mouth in response.

Megatron almost wondered if he was actually getting anything done up there or if he was just making noises to sound like something was being accomplished.

For now, he continued to wait for a few minutes. He knelt in place as the lubricant on his thighs and the outside of his valve began to congeal, turning sticky while he allowed his node to recuperate.

As soon as the pressure from his fingertip no longer caused his node to twitch almost painfully away, he resumed circling it slowly. The old lubricant was still sticky, less useful for its original purpose after being allowed to dry out but fresher lubricant would soon replace it. Charge began to build again and Megatron dipped his fingertip just into his valve to replenish his stock.

His valve twitched again at the touch, a reminder that it too wanted attention.

Later, he reasoned, returning his finger to its smooth, steady pace over his thrumming node.

Rodimus thrust forward in frustration again, his range limited by his posture.

After another few minutes elapsed, with Rodimus’s behavior above him not changing, ideas for how to make this a little more interesting popped into Megatron’s processor alongside the simmering charge in his circuits.

While, of course, he could continue to overload as much as he wanted from discreetly massaging his node until Rodimus was finished with his paperwork, surely that wasn’t all he could do.

Emboldened by his earlier victory, he tilted his head forward, gradually sliding Rodimus’s spike further towards the back of his mouth, nestling the rounded tip against the membrane leading to his throat.

Rodimus whined, but didn’t say anything else.

Tempting fate, Megatron let his hand leave his node, instead slipping two fingers downward until the tips pressed against the rim of his valve.

Just how much could he get away with before Rodimus caught on?

Another soft gasp left his lips as he leisurely pressed those fingers inside. If he went slowly, surely it wouldn’t make a sound.

Once fully inside, Megatron rested there a moment, enjoying the pressure as he let his valve clench around the small intrusion. A spike would be preferable, reaching more deeply and spreading more widely, but fingers, inserted up to the furthest knuckle, would do nicely in a pinch. He even brushed the thumb of that hand against his node.

Everything from here on out would have to be perfect. The slightest misstep in motion could make an unmistakable sound, giving the game away.

He flexed his hand, carefully testing how much he could easily move before slowly withdrawing it, a tingle of pleasure of the clenching valve walls in the fingers’ wake.

Without thinking, he thrust them back in as the spike threatened to slip past the membrane in his throat.

The resulting loud squelch was audible from under the desk.

The clattering stopped and Megatron froze, fingers buried deep in his valve as he was caught in the act.

“I knew it!”

[riddle-me-ri]

Alright so this is less romantic and more shitposty but. If I can request the scarecrows' responses to a gotham university psychology student showing up at his doorstep like "hey uh could you look at my thesis?" Like fully prepared to be fear toxin-ed on the spot but absolutely worth the risk cause lord knows that's some shit I'd do 💀

A/N:  hnnggg this shouldn't have taken as long as it did but I kept taking it too seriously except for the absolute crack that it is lmao I have no doubt in reality it'd be a miracle if any of them opened the damn door.

Scarecrows Reacting To A Student Looking for Feedback (crack)

Arkhamverse Scarecrow:

First of all, how did you find him?

Secondly, how dare you disturb him?

Are you fearless or just foolishly stupid?

He genuinely can’t tell and he doesn’t want to waste time thinking about it.

However, since you’re here now…

And it doesn’t look like you’re going anywhere anytime soon.

Clearly, despite how many threats he’s shot your way.

He isn’t opposed to a willing test subject

Nolanverse/Murphy Scarecrow:

Well, this was odd. 

If not also incredibly annoying.

When he hears your reason for being on his front stoop.

He is shocked…

Surely your institution has much more qualified, not to mention more relevant assistance to look over your paper. 

He’s a man of science making headways, he has no time to–

Well, actually…he hasn’t seen very sufficient results in his recent Arkham patients…

BTAS Scarecrow:

Really? Him? 

Even when he was a professor, none of his students came to him for a review.

No doubt he’s itching to just shut the door on you. 

Then again, perhaps he can hold you ransom for some money to fund his toxin…

And on top of that he can also use you for testing the effects of his recent toxin…

How he could make it stronger, faster, last longer…

Besides, he’s never gotten a chance to properly review a term paper..

This should be fun. 

TNBA Scarecrow: 

He’s likely to ignore it, if not open it, yell at you and then slam the door.

This Scarecrow doesn’t have time for this nonsense.

Surely, you have other institutional superiors that you can go to?

Why would you willingly dive headfirst into danger? 

Unless…you just don’t care? 

If you’re so willing to get into danger, perhaps he should take advantage of it. 

He debates with himself for a minute…

Before finally just gassing you with his toxin. 

Taking sweet delight in your screams.

Fear State Scarecrow: 

You should consider yourself lucky that he even answered the door.

Like seriously, the only reason he answered was because of your incessant knocking. 

He had half a mind to slip on his mask and inject you with toxin and be done with it.

He’s far too busy planning his Fear State Theory into motion.

Jonathan can’t have any distractions or loose ends…

Everyone has their role to play, he was so sure that Gotham would enter it’s Fear State seamlessly. 

Patience running low, he does open the door, and one threat is all you get. 

When you don’t leave, it’s very much your fault that you’re screaming bloody murder down the street. 

Year One Scarecrow:

Jonathan groans at the prospect. 

His past sure has a strange way of following him somehow. 

Again, you should be surprised he even answers the door. 

But you kept pushing your paper underneath his front door. 

Quite, infuriating him. 

It takes a few more threats and slams of the door before he finally reaches his breaking point. 

He slaps on his mask, believing he’s done all he could to be rid of you. 

Perhaps, a reminder will help you.

He’s no professor, a scholar on fear. 

He’s The Scarecrow, the Master of Fear…and you’ve just experienced his wrath as you breathe in the toxic fumes. 

Masters of Fear Scarecrow:

Jonathan is confused, if not also agitated. 

Is this some kind of joke? 

His lived a long pathetic life of humiliation…

He doesn’t need it coming to him, knocking at his front door. 

You can’t just expect anyone with a PhD is willing to help you…

What kind of simpleton just walks up to a known high-class criminal, a criminally insane criminal? 

Honestly, when spoken like that, it was quite admirable. 

Took a lot of courage…bravery…or just a huge lack of common sense. 

Yes, yes, he’ll take a look, but first…indulge him in your fears

(it’ll help him in his own research later) 

HQ:TAS Scarecrow:

Jonathan thinks this must be some kind of joke.

Surely, this is the Legion pulling his leg, what else could it be?

Not only that, how else would you found out where he lived?

It has to be a joke. 

He tries to play along, but is quick to realize you’re actually being serious. 

Probably the only one that’s actually going to help you with your thesis paper. 

1000/10 would recommend 

And you may even get a member of the Legion of Doom as a friend. 

HHSD Scarecrow: 

I’m surprised Grandpa could hear you knocking.

Just kidding, only a little, I love to love and rag on this version when I can. 

But you really shouldn’t have picked a night when there were Elvira re-runs. 

Jonathan opens the door, reluctantly and is perplexed, but immediately annoyed. 

He didn’t have time for these things when he WAS a professor. 

He thought he left this type of harassment years ago, why do you choose to haunt him now with it? 

When you fail to leave on your own accord. He advises you to go away through a speaker by his door. 

When you still refuse, he decides enough is enough. 

Jonathan was inspired by that intriguing night at Crystal Cove, as he used a maniacal jack-al-lantern of his own to run you off.

[ordinaryschmuck]

Good things that happened today:

Read the new Ultimate Black Panther and had a really badass moment where Black Panther fought Khonshu that seems like a hint of what's to come.

Made decent headway when talking about a new theme for my Owl House review

Was a slow day at work and those are ALWAYS the best days. Don't let anyone tell you differently.

Our managers were also at the store and they said that our department was PERFECT. The only complaints they had (Because I guess managers must ALWAYS list complaints) were two things that they basically pulled out of their asses that we have no real control over. So, that's good.

Good things about me:

Beard's still good on me.

I have a decent body.

I make good points in my reviews.

I can be funny when I really want to be.

I have good ideas about my OCs and stories.

[vacantgodling]

this year was one of the first years in a long time that i TRULY committed myself to writing any and everything that i thought of and it’s been a really good feeling. so starting from this year, i wanna have a little year in review so i can look back and reminisce on how much i actually did cuz sometimes it’s hard to tell lol.

TOTAL WORDS WRITTEN (january — december 2023)

139,345 (as of 11/30 (google docs only))

i’ve written more probably, but my notes app is harder to keep track of word counts in. this total is also across all pieces of prose and poetry, though poetry isn’t a significant number lol

if this was all in one piece i’d probably have a full novel already lmao 💀

LONGEST SINGLE PIECE

paramour chapter 9 — masquerade, clocking in at 5,894 words

WIP THAT HAS MADE THE MOST HEADWAY BY THE NUMBERS

paramour is sitting pretty at 30k-ish words written overall (including me writing chapter 20 twice lol)

WIP THAT HAS MADE THE MOST HEADWAY BY THE HEART

definitely cage. i’ve had this fanfiction and wip for years and the fact that i’d finished the full outline like last year but didnt start writing it until now and how much headway ive made in such little time… i’m really proud of myself. i can’t wait to actually finish this bitch

TOP PIECES WRITTEN THIS YEAR

Worthless War -> the cherry on top, best thing i’ve written this year and probably in general for a long time.

Come To Bed -> when i lost my mind about buddy daddies earlier this year, this fic really encapsulated everything i felt about the show. i love the narration, i love how it’s fun and playful but also deep, and i remember having so much fun writing it.

Paramour Chapter 20 “Careless Whisper” -> the rewrite of chapter 20 i am UNREASONABLY obsessed with and it’s a shame i can’t post it here without giving so so so much away. i love it so much i am willing to share it with those who don’t care about spoilers lol but its smutty and emotionally charged and everything perfect about amon and hya’s fucked up mess

A Fool’s Errand -> this is in the role swap amon and hya au and tbh this au is So Fun to me. getting to be in amon’s head more often is definitely a treat and the description of the make out is PEAK

Good Feeling -> i will never be normal about hue and jihan and i think i captured their relationship esp in the early days perfectly so i’m just gonna cry about it

Ritual -> i really love this piece and giving life again to some old ocs meant a lot to me. + the smut 🤌🏾🤌🏾

Distraction -> no one knows or cares about these ocs but me and that’s okay i’ll just be feral about them on my own 😭

GOALS FOR NEXT YEAR

reach 150k words written overall

finish cage like it’s GOING to happen i will it

finish the first draft of paramour!!!

[lazysunjade]

2024 simblr resolutions:

new year, new aesthetic: "idgaf"

finish Chosen of the Sun

post more often

play sims 3...?

more interior posts

modern AU

resurrect the fallen (wcif naiven. kerrigans? never met em)

lower my standards challenge impossible

I'll be honest, after reviewing the astounding lack of posts I made this year, I was a bit sad and a bit ashamed. part of me wants to go back to doing stuff that I used to years ago, even if just to see if it still brings me any joy. whether it does or not, I want 2024 to be the year I start caring less about hitting impossible benchmarks and holding myself to brutal standards just to fail anyways, and start just posting things that make me happy. that means no more locking myself in to one particular theme or content type. I've had an itch to actually post interiors again. and maybe I'll even post some sims 3 stuff to this blog. I think I'll still primarily stay in Blender because it makes me happiest, but some things are too much effort. very likely you will be seeing more modern and less fantasy content on this blog, because it's less stressful and quicker to make. I do miss some of my older sims and families, but also I won't lie. I'm happiest posting Yeryn, still, I'll at least put in some effort to expand the roster.

I'm not committing to any big new projects but I've an idea to do something a bit different from my usual stories with the Yeryn modern AU. the format will be completely new for me, and not as confining as things like CotS or even legacy. I put it on the list but I don't expect to make much headway, I just want to give myself a push to try and see if I like it.

anyways thanks for sticking around with me, especially considering I almost entirely moved away from the game this year, and y'all still supported me and followed my posts and love you for it, truly. I think a year's break and changes in game and out has given me a much needed rest and some perspective. all I really want for the new year is to be more active and make stuff I love and not have any regrets when the clock strikes midnight a year from today. let 2024 be the year we all be a little messy if that means more damn posts on dash

Happy New Year's to all of you!

[beardedmrbean]

Q “How do you tell if someone is a vegan?” 

A: “You don’t have to, they’ll tell you.” 

Maybe it’s jokes like that, highlighting society’s stereotypical view of vegans as arrogant virtue-signallers, that have led to a slump in demand for some plant-based alternatives to meat and dairy, as well as a slew of business failures among manufacturers of plant-based food – most recently Heather Mills’s company VBites, which has just announced it is going into administration. 

Despite veganism being endorsed by a number of celebrities, such as the BBC’s controversial wildlife presenter Chris Packham, it doesn’t seem to have made much headway beyond those segments of the market that are either apocalyptic about climate change or fanatical about animal rights – or both. Perhaps much like Mr Packham himself. 

Then there’s the argument that veganism is good for your health, which has been on an increasingly sticky wicket, deconstructed by books such as the award-winning The Great Plant Based Con by Jayne Buxton. There is also a growing backlash against ultra-processed foods, which many vegan products are. 

But Ms Mills had the gall to blame “gaslighting” by the meat industry for the collapse of her vegan food empire. As a member of the meat “industry”, I take exception to that. Of course it is not really an industry at all in the UK – it is made up of family farms, in stark contrast to the public relations agencies promoting vegan diets. 

Farmers have been hounded and smeared by radical vegan activists for years. I wrote in these pages back in September about Laura Corbett, the Gourmet Goat Farmer, who was targeted by vegan “activists” on social media. Her business was attacked by malicious Trip Advisor reviews. 

Indeed, I would suggest that consumers have been put off by the taint of fanaticism surrounding vegan foods. Recent research has shown that omnivorous consumers are less likely to buy products if they are labelled with the V-word. While it is too early to consign veganism to the history books, I suspect when that history is written it will be seen as a fad that was rejected by the British public largely because the wild behaviour of its more extreme followers trashed the brand. 

It always seemed unlikely that, after millennia evolving on an omnivorous meat-rich diet, we would then wholly abandon it. There is only one species that has ever done that: the panda. And that has not been an unqualified success. 

If the vegans had wanted to actually persuade people to eat better, rather than hector them, they could have chosen a much less blunt message. But a more effective, nuanced approach, focused on stopping the harmful aspects of meat and dairy production, was not pursued and all livestock farmers were tarred with the same brush. This happened even after the positive environmental role of grass-based beef farmers was recognised by the authorities, as they began to be paid carbon credits for the net carbon they sequester.

We can’t allow vegans to continue to ruin the debate about food. We need a real food counter-revolution. 

[caterjunes]

and like. i've been unemployed for six fucking months now, and actively applying for jobs for four of them. and i just. cannot. make. any. headway. like occasionally i'll get an interview and it'll seem to go really well, and they'll ghost me. or it'll go well until they mention that the call center job Absolutely Has to be done in person, and is that okay? putting me in the position where i don't have an option not to disclose that i'm disabled & would need accommodation to work remotely. and they say they'll look into it and then ghost me. or i'll apply and the next day get a form email that i might want to review the qualifications more closely, or the position was just filled with a more qualified candidate, or or or.

and the majority of the time i can pretend i'm playing a little game with the unemployment office where all i have to do each turn (week) is apply for three jobs. i don't have to get the job, i don't even have to get an interview, i just need to apply for it, and i get a check by my name and a check in the mail. but i'm scraping the bottom of the barrel of jobs i know how to find easily.

and i had been planning to spend my non-working time painting the walls & doing handy projects & using my dedicated tool space. but i am so, so fatigued, all the time. that it often doesn't feel SAFE for me to use power tools. or i know that if i do, i'll spend the next day paying for it in a major way.

[gofancyninjaworld]

Webcomic Chapter 143 Review

Fetch yourself a cup of tea or beverage of choice: this is a long one.

Story Summary

In brief, we are staying with the scenes of the last chapter, and have moved our viewpoint to take in the responses of various heroes from the two organisations as they try to deal with the influx of killer robots as the latter scythe down civilians and pulverise buildings.

Straight away, we see very different fates play out. Lightning Max cautiously sizes up a single robot and tries to work out who best to tackle one that shrugs off his blows nonchalantly, but soon a sea of robots approach, driving before them a wave of panicked civilians. Max's feet are shot out from under him and he is surely at the end as a robot takes aim at him, but...

No lie, when I first saw these panels I felt so ill I had to stop reading for a few minutes

... the shot is absorbed by an armoured figure and Mumen Rider -- no Neo Mumen now -- protects him. He carries Max off to safety.

Around the various locals, it is a similar story of pro-heroes struggling to make headway against the robots, only to find Neo Heroes sweep in to make short work of them. Even former pro-heroes (we met this lot suffering in chapter 138) who've taken up with the Neo Heroes are finding it easy.

Who needs courage or skill when you've got tech?

The situation reaches its apogee with Tank Top Master. He finds it easy enough to destroy the robots, but is prevented from ploughing through them by needing to defend his comrades who were felled after mistaking approaching figures for escaping civilians. He's desperate to fight back but moving means abandoning his comrades to die.

what a bind!

Relief arrives in the form of the Neo Hero Hunter group, but with it comes real ugliness. The Hunters start mincing up the robots and are hailed as the true heroes of the day by the present civilians. Fair enough, however, when Tank Top Master asks for help moving his comrades to safety so he can join the offence, only to be so rudely rebuffed the man is left stunned into silence.

Tank Top Master is really too nice

The chapter closes with Axel's thoughts as he and his team destroy the robots. He sees this as the start of a society kept safe from monsters by universally-worn power armour from the Neo Heroes. If the world has changed, then so must mankind.

And he will permit no one to stand in the way of this vision.

Oh. Dear.

Much more below the cut!

Meta: Roundup Ready

A: So this is how you kill an organisation

Unless something big and wonderful happens, today is the day the Hero Association dies. Its destruction has been as systematic as watching a once well-unionised trade be dismantled.

The Neo-Heroes didn't do it all on their own. They've been aided by a press that has highlighted every scandal and flow of the Hero Association (ably aided by data breaches -- cough McCoy cough) while fawning uncritically over the Neo Heroes. The government has been persuaded to dilute the Hero Association's position by giving the Neo Heroes the same rights once only entrusted to the HA.

They have then stolen away sponsors and enticed away pro-heroes with lavish salaries, equipment, free housing, and even clothing and food. They've run a slick public relations campaign the HA can't hope to match and have stolen public approbation from the HA.

And then they've gone a lot further. At some plausible remove, someone has been systematically unleashing cybernetically-enhanced monsters (and now robots) onto the populace. These threats have been marked by their ferocity and destructiveness when faced by pro-heroes, and their willingness to lie down and die when confronted by Neo Heroes, making even inexperienced fighters feel powerful and leaving an impression on the public. [1]

RoundUp Ready is the Monsanto trademark for its patented line of genetically modified crop seeds that are resistant to its glyphosate-based herbicide, Roundup. By deploying a cybernetically-enhanced campaign of terror, pro-heroes are being culled like weeds [2].

It is no accident at all that the three S-Class heroes who succeeded in defeating the dragon-level threats sent simultaneously to several cities, Tatsumaki, Flashy Flash, and Genos, are precisely the heroes sent on special missions when they are most needed on the front lines.

In Genos's case, he's been sent on the sort of mission designed to finish off whatever lingering credibility the Hero Association has. At the very best, deadly infighting is a foul look on any organization. At the worst, his destroying Metal Knight's arsenal (and maybe Bofoi too) will remove the only source of systematic mass defense the Hero Association has. No matter how things turn out between Genos and Metal Knight, only the Organization wins.

This is how the bad guys win. There are more ways to defeat a hero than engaging them in head-on combat. [3] The bad guys don't care in the slightest about the value of the human lives they've destroyed to achieve this. For Tumblr readers, I've spoken about it here.

B: Brave New Techno World

On the one level, a conflict like the one between the Hero Association and the Neo Heroes was always going to come. We've learned that monsters have long been part of the Earth, and so long as humans aren't being excessive, they're happy not to attack humanity.

In a world where monster attacks were sporadic, the Hero Association, with its emphasis on finding and supporting exceptional individuals to be heroes, was a brilliant innovation. In a world where monster attacks have become endemic, there was always going to be pressure to move away from dedicated amateurs to a more standardized, professional response.

However, as we've seen, the magnitude of the threat has been artificially worsened. Also, as we've noticed, the ultimate goal of the founder of the Neo Heroes, Mr Fuzzy, is control.

World Dominion: an oldie but goodie. And damn is he being clever about it.

Once the actual heroes are gone, with the politicians and businesses bought, there's little preventing the Neo Heroes (or more precisely, the powers behind them) from becoming an oppressive force keeping the populace in line.

Any protests from within can be silenced by cyborgization. Any protests from without... Ah, remember when Raiden tried to take in Puri Puri and his men for forcible thought correction? Remember the stupid people cheering the prospect?

This is the note-perfect way to introduce unjust laws: inflict them first on those society does not respect, not thinking that laws apply to *everyone*, not just the ones we don't like. There will be no wrong thought in this brave new world.

All the bits are in place: the satellite surveillance, the instruments of terror, the legal right to act with impunity, the conspiracy of other powerful organisations working in the shadows.

It'll be a brave new world all right. You may be alive and tech-savvy, but you won't be free. And you'll like it.

Or else.

The only question is: How is our titular hero going to deal with this? Against an evil that seemingly has no form? I guess we'll have to pray ONE is minded to give us more soon!

Asides

[1] We see what happens when the Neo Heroes face non-nobbled opposition. It often doesn't go well, not even against regular monsters:

[2] This development puts a much more sinister cast on the delegation that sought Mumen Rider to press on him a specially-modified Neo suit. It's as if they knew the cull was coming.

[3] Yes, there are wildcards such as Saitama, Garou, and even Sonic, but the enemy knows something that the Hero Association understands well: without credibility, a hero is just a weirdo ranting in the street no matter how strong they are. A discredited hero is no threat.

[akwrdsmol]

I have a headcanons about xinyan

I’m pretty sure she’s from yilong like gaming. When xinyan started rock and roll it didn’t go over well at home, very much like gaming’s wushou, so she took her career to Fontaine which from there would be pretty much a hop skip and a jump away. And she found success there. Gaming also had to leave his home to make any headway on his dream but it was still tough in liyue harbor. But if he had gone north like Xinyan he might’ve had more luck. Correct me if I’m wrong I didn’t review her story at all before writing this I just had the idea pop into my head while listening to the summer fantasia music.

Now the real crack theory is that she had a sumeran parent. Dark skin right?

[fayes-fics]

I’m trying to make headway on my request wips list, but I think I may need to drop some.

I’m so sorry if you are one of those requesters. It’s not about your idea, it’s about my inspiration/ability to deliver on it.

I’ll be giving my wips an honest review this weekend. 🧡🧡

[unforgottenrobot]

Broadchurch: The Next Chapter

Chapter 6 - The Change

Alec sat at his dining table, files spread out in front of him as Ellie leaned over, reviewing the details of their latest case. They’d taken her gentle approach and it had paid off in their favour. They were finally making headway. Their conversation was focused, the two detectives bouncing ideas back and forth in their usual manner, but there was a different energy in the room tonight. It was lighter, less strained. Alec had noticed it too, though he wasn’t about to admit it outright.

As they worked, Anna moved quietly around the kitchen, preparing cups of tea for them both. Alec glanced up, his gaze following her for a brief moment before returning to the case files. Ellie noticed the small smile that tugged at his lips—something she’d never seen him do so casually before.

Anna came over and set the mugs down in front of them with a warm smile. “Here you go. Anything else you need? Can I make you both something to eat?” she asked, her hand briefly brushing Alec’s shoulder as she moved to leave.

As Ellie opened her mouth to reply, her stomach grumbling, Alec interjected.

“No, we’re okay, thank you,” Alec replied, his tone softening in a way that wasn’t typical of him.

Once Anna disappeared into the other room, Ellie shot him a knowing look. “You’ve changed, you know,” she said, leaning back in her chair, arms crossed. “I’m not saying it’s a bad thing, but you’re... different.”

Alec frowned and with his head tilted forward, looked over his glasses at Ellie, feigning confusion. “What you on about, Miller?”

“Oh, come on,” Ellie said, a smirk forming. “I mean, look at you. I’ve known you for years, Hardy, and I’ve never seen you like this... so lovey dovey. Happy, even. I’d say Anna’s having a pretty good effect on you.”

Alec huffed, trying to keep his expression neutral. “We’re working a case, not discussing my personal life.”

Ellie wasn’t deterred. “I’m just saying, it’s nice to see. She’s good for you.”

Alec opened his mouth to retort but found himself pausing. He couldn’t deny that Ellie was right, though he wasn’t about to let her have the satisfaction of hearing it out loud. “This case - can we get back to it please?” he said instead, a hint of amusement in his voice as he tried to shut the conversation down.

Ellie laughed and shook her head. “Fine, fine. But I know you, Hardy. Don’t think it’s going unnoticed.”

As they returned to the case files, Alec couldn’t help but let Ellie’s words linger in his mind. He had changed - he could feel it. Anna had brought something new into his life, something steady, and he couldn’t ignore how much better things had felt with her around. Even the sharp edges of his personality seemed to have softened slightly, the constant weight of his past lifted just a little.

And then, unbidden, the thought crept into his mind: was it time for something more?

——————————————————————————

They had been living across the street from each other for months now, finding time whenever they could between busy schedules. It had been working fine, but a part of Alec couldn’t help but wonder if moving in together might be the next logical step. The thought surprised him - he wasn’t one to rush things, but with Anna, it felt different. Right.

He pushed the idea aside for now, refocusing on the case. But in the back of his mind, the thought of a future with Anna, more permanent, more settled, stayed with him. It wasn’t something he was used to, this feeling of wanting more, but maybe, just maybe, it was time to embrace it.