#I don't deserve it whatsoever but I appreciate it ;- ;

[metaltea]

Just lettin ya'll know I'm ok

(random irl stuff to journal below, keep scrollin)

Wanted to wait to come back till

1. I wasn't dealing with mega gender dysphoria, my masc/neutral days are few and far between but by god it's been nonstop masc/neutral days lately and been a lot of just hating my body (and myself in general)

2. got the ebt stuff figured out, which I haven't yet, my doc put in a ref for a different place to sign a thing, waited 2 weeks for them to call, only to find out it was the wrong place and now I have to wait for the next place to call... which like yea I'm worrying about food but talking about it in therapy has helped somewhat. She reassured me even if that doesn't work we WILL find some place that'll sign the form I need to be eligible again

3. I wasn't dealing with as bad of depression/anxiety which like... idk. I've definitely been doing better anxiety-wise but idk if that's bc it hasn't been as hot lately or I've been feeding myself better. I know I must've been eating under 1200s calories the past few weeks bc the scale finally stopped going down and I know for a fact my anxiety gets bad when I'm hungry so I think for about a month I was unintentionally starving myself, SO making myself eat at least 2 nutritious meals a day now

At the same time I think perhaps my pmdd symptoms are... reversing time schedules??? Usually my anxiety/depression gets way worse before period but now it seems like it's fine before and terrible during/after????? Makes zero sense but who knows. Also it's a couple days late now so health anxiety is going off the shits about PCOS or something again UGH

Making SOME progress with therapy, am able to be outside for 5 mins without feeling that horrific sense of dread so that's something.

I've also been coming to the realization that I may have some form of DID?? Not the type where you lose time/blackout/completely have entirely different memories and starkly different personality switches but I've definitely been noticing now that I've been putting more attention to it how I go into different "modes" and sets of interests throughout the weeks and I mean... it's not secret I have imaginary friends I talk to on the daily. I've had an issue figuring out where "they" end and "myself" begins since childhood. Plus I already deal with derealization/dissociation/occasional age regression so it's not out of the realm of possibility. May bring it up next therapy apt. Kinda worried to bc I never want to get rid of them and I'm worried that would be one of the goals, like... just no. I can't think of anything more lonely.

But yea just random stuff I needed to get outta my system, sorry about all the suicidal stuff, it's just really hard. The future seems so bleak. And if one thing sets me back, like doctor stuff, food issues, etc my brain is like "DEATH WOULD BE EASIER LOL" BUT there's a chance trump/a republican candidate won't win, a chance climate change will be reversed/humanity will adapt somehow, a chance I'll be accepted for disability and live a halfway decent life, and if not... well, we'll cross that bridge when we come to it. But for now there's food in the fridge, for now mom and dad are alive, for now we're ok.

[askshivanulegacy]

SHIPPING MEME!! 2, 3, 4, 5 (>.>), 14, 15, 26!

THANK

2. Talk about three of the most important ships throughout your life.

HMMMM. I'm going to include platonic ships in this, and they're all ships I've RP'd. Also, there are definitely more than 3 super important ships, so these are definitely NOT all of them.

(Platonic) Zack/Angeal/Genesis/Sephiroth from Final Fantasy 7. My first-ever set of online RPs. Really how I got into RP and art and writing! Still love them. I want to pick up the new games at some point, and I still have old fics on my to-do list.

Blakk and Saare-ha. An unplanned ship, but so good. the RP here is how I got into SWTOR. Still my canon storyline and I hope to finish some day!

Blakk and Ahuska. One of my current major ships and responsible for a few other most excellent ships, as well as some most excellent projects. >3

All of these ships and ones I haven't mentioned are of course responsible for hooking me up with my most bestest online friendships. What could be better than stories and fandoms and friends? ♥♥♥

3. What’s your current OTP?

I have several ships with Blakk that I love: Blakk/Ahuska, Blakk/Der, Blakk/Zim, Blakk/Zim/Der/Ahuska. Ofc, as my main OC, I love all my ships with him, even if they aren't listed. ♥

ALSO, I love Watcher Five/Cipher Thirteen/Crow aaaaand whoever else may or may not get wrapped up into that. 8) Cipher 13 is my newest trash child and he's amazing. >3

4. What’s your current NOTP?

Ahahahaha ... Shuri and Namor (Wakanda Forever). There's SO many things about this ship that I find extremely disagreeable.

Namor's entire arc starts with a gaslighting trip ("it's your fault I'm attacking you because you won't join me in worldwide genocide"), followed by the lovely murder of Shuri's mother. Despite his supposed agreement to stand down from his warmongering ways, he ends the movie with a renewed commitment to beat Wakanda the moment he can find a way to do it. Not once does he express remorse or any genuine desire to co-exist with Wakanda. As long as they refuse to be his tool to take over the world and/or commit mass genocide, they are his enemy. Shuri certainly (and rightfully) showed no interest in him in the whole movie. She's honestly got better things on her mind, not the least of which is her mother's murder. It's a sign of her own character growth that she even let him live after his murder spree. But at the end of the movie, Namor had no character growth: he's the same as he was at the beginning, except beaten.

I look at this ship and all I can ask is WHY. Maybe there's room in a future movie for him to develop as a character (after all, this was Shuri's story, and not his), but right now it's a ship I just can't stomach lol. It's such a weird ship. It doesn't recognize anything that happened in the movie. I appreciate a good bad guy ship, but there's nothing compelling in Namor even as a character to achieve that the way he was portrayed. And the funny thing is that it's not even presented as the random OOC ship it is, or even a solid hate-ship, it's presented like there's a basis for Shuri and Namor to actually have a loving relationship ... and there isn't. She's a child. He's a centuries-old child throwing a temper tantrum that nobody else in his entire underwater kingdom probably understands. He murdered her mother and said it was their own fault. Just nope.

People can ofc ship whoever they want, but this is the first ship I've seen that I've been so opposed to even seeing the art on my dash. These tender, loving glances between Shuri and Namor?? Wot??? Like, did we watch the same movie?? Doesn't seem like it, lol.

5. Do you have any poly ships?

I DO IN FACT. 8)

(SWTOR OCs) Watcher 5/Cipher 13/Crow +/- Ulfran is a CURRENT FAVE. Ahuska floats around on the fringes. 8)

Derrick/Blakk/Zim/Ahuska is another fun one, and I've had a couple others over the years. >3

14. How do you feel about will they/won’t they?

An excellent trope, especially in slow burn action. >3

15. Have you ever “shipped at first sight”?

Not that I recall, actually. The characters have to reveal themselves first, along with their motivations and how they tie into the story. I don't ship just anyone, and I don't do it just based on the appearance of characters. I'm also not a super frequent shipper either. I default to canon relationships all the time with zero desire to change it and zero desire to delve into fanfiction. I have to really connect to the characters and want to see more of them before I think about shipping.

26. Have you noticed a pattern in your shipping? Is there a romantic dynamic you’re more drawn to?

Now that I think about it I GUESS THERE IS.

I seem to lean strongly into angsty bad boy + heart of gold, or angsty bad boy + power figure. Honestly, as long as there's a stabby, desperate, angst bucket, my shipping radar boots up. XDD

[valdekboy]

"Random Summer Vibes"

As the title says. Everything started with simple doodle, then another, then i found out that @kingzombear designs for these characters are still jammed deep into my brain, then the thought: "You can't just pick your favourites, you have to draw all of them" And so i did. And why the hell is all of this summer themed while we are at the beginning of winter? I have NO idea, but here they are, and I hope you enjoy them.

I had no idea for Kinger whatsoever. Didn't know what "toy" he should have, what clothes to give him, so i decided to give him a drift trike and this old patched up coat that reminds me of something.

And that should be the end

but it is not

because what kind of summer it would be without a group picture. And I wouldn't be myself if I didn't put Valdi in there. (For all the times he helped me, he deserves do be included. And trust me, he couldn't be happier about it.)

[This one is a reference to my older "drawing". Who knew that this car had space for so many characters]

And here are some extra doodles that came up while drawing all this, that i decided to clean up.

And that's it. All that because of one simple idea. I want to wish you all Merry Christmas! And Thank you all for being here, I really appreciate it! (And Happy New Year! In case I won't be back home in time.)

And one last thing to you @kingzombear

I just wanted to say I really enjoy drawing them in your style, in my opinion all these smaller and bigger changes and additions you did are just perfect . That's why I want to ask you. Can I keep drawing them in your style? I know it's weird question but I don't want you to see me as some asshole who randomly decided: "Hey, I will just keep using someone else's designs without permission" If you agree, just want you to know that I can't promise that all the drawings will be as good as the ones above, there are still lots of things I get wrong, but I can promise that I'll always try my best. (and ALWAYS ALWAYS credit you, just so you know there's no doubt about that). And sorry if all this mess was hard to read. English is not my main language, that's why some sentences might sound weird. Once again THANK YOU for inspiring me! Hope you have wonderful Christmas and Amazing New Year!

[pearldog30]

The ghosts dick sizes and more....

Hesh, Logan, Keegan.

I don't even know why I came to this point but here we are.... Enjoy bb gorls����😙

Other words 👉 Master list

Warnings| obviously the talk of the boys dicks, and a little nsfw.

Hesh🌴

Hesh is 5.8in (14.732cm) curves a little to the left, he's cut, and very VERY thick especially the tip just know he'll be hitting that perfect spot every time with how thick he is, his tip is the same color as his lips maybe a little lighter while the rest of him is a beautifully, flush dark pink, his balls are pretty average for his size (although they kind of look small from how THICK his cock is) they hanging pretty low, he's unshaved but he'll trim it for you (if that's what you prefer).

Now here's a little spicy part for you guys!

Hesh is a hand thruster... He fucks his hand hard and fast anytime he jacks off, he has violated his hands more than you ever could. he's a quieter groaner/moaner he just naturally is without even trying, he always tries to stay quiet but it slips out of him and he doesn't even realizing it. (All tho somehow the wet sounds are always so loud coming from him)

Keegan☠️

Keegan is 6.2in (15.748cm) doesn't really curve he's also cut, he's about average size thickness maybe a little bigger but not by much, BUT! he's kind of veiny, His balls tho are kinda thick tho you can feel how hard they slap against you almost like his hand, he keeps it clean shaved for the most part, his color I feel like he's a little tan his dick doesn't got much color to it unless he's fuckin you REALLY hard then its a little red

Keegan likes it slow and steady he just likes taking his time and building the pressure (only when he's by himself though) Low key edges himself when he does jack off. This man DOES NOT make any sound whatsoever.... He could honestly jack himself off while sharing a room with others and no one would even know.

Logan😶‍🌫️

Now Logan.... He's also 6.2in (15.748cm) maybe a tad bit longer. He's NOWHERE! near as thick as the others but he is very veiny, (He only has length going for him honestly) he also curves slightly to the left as well, He is as well as his brother cut, now his balls hang lower then his brother (surprisingly) but they're a little smaller. And he's like Keegan he keeps it clean shaved ALL THE TIME, (even shaves his ass) now his color I don't know why but I feel like his tip is BRIGHT pink while the rest of it is more subtle kind of like his lips but a little darker.

Logan is a bit more tricky it depends on his mood, Sometimes he's fast and hard, and other times he likes to take his sweet old time... All tho he likes to move his hips and hand at the same time becoming perfectly in sync. (but he's not as violent to his hand as hesh is with his) he's whimper/whisperer all tho if he's REALLY feeling himself it can get a bit loud but he tones it down pretty quick.

And that's going to be the end for this. this literally just came to mind and I had it written out, so I figured you guys deserved it with a little spicy twist of course. I hope you're having a good day/night wherever you are! Reblogs, comments always appreciate it 🖤

Tag list| @alexkellersleg @macravishedbymactavish @walker33961 (if you would like to be added just message with your name)

[mybutcheredtongue]

I'll Love You 'til the Grass Around My Gravestone is Deceased

post azkaban sirius x fem!reader

CHAPTER SIXTEEN (see full series list here)

1993

Giving an elf clothes is basically the same as throwing them off a cliff. Life-ruining. You think about this as you leave Winky sobbing at Crouch's feet, turning to return to your tent. Poor Winky. First she had to deal with that awful man as a master, and now she's being set free by said man. It's a tough life for house elves, you'll give them that. This all just reminds you of Bitsy — you'll have to go visit her first thing when school starts.

You glance to your left, spotting Mr Weasley escorting the kids back to their tent, and feel guilt gnawing at your gut.

"Give me a sec, will you?" you say to Minerva, jogging over to their group. "Mr Weasley?"

He looks up, raising his eyebrows when he sees you.

"I'm sorry for all that...I'm sure it was a shock to the system..." you say warily. "But please, don't think of me any differently. My — my past has no effect whatsoever on my work, and I can assure you that I will always do what is best for my students and — "

Mr Weasley brings up a hand, waving you down with a shake of his head. "Don't worry, professor. The boys — they speak very well of you. And Ginny too — I'm not worried."

You're surprised at that. You half expected him to look at you in disgust and steer his children away from you. It warms your heart to know he doesn't think you're bad.

"Thank you, Mr Weasley," you say genuinely. He gives you a small smile. "And I'd really appreciate it if maybe you...kept this to yourself? It's just — my job is everything to me, and if others found out..."

He nods understandingly. "You have my word."

You smile at him, nodding nervously. You glance at the three kids behind him, hoping your concern for them is communicated well enough. You head for Mr Diggory, giving him the same story, and he just nods like he wants to get as far from you as possible. That hurts, but you'll take what you can get. You scamper back to Minerva, and the two of you head back to your tent.

⁠✧⁠*⁠。✧⁠*⁠。

The rest of your summer break is...boring. Believe it or not, it can get very lonely in your house with just Dubh as company. You consider going to visit your parents again, but part of you feels guilty when you think about leaving. What if Sirius tries to contact you but can't reach you at your parents'? It's too much of a risk.

You and Remus spend your time together, like you've always done, but it's still not the same. It's not like you spend every waking moment together — and you miss him when he's not there. You miss the company of your best friend. The silence of your little home is deafening when you wake to do the exact same things you did the day before.

One evening, your mind wanders to Harry. You wonder how he's getting on. You hope he's safe and not still shaken after the events of the Quidditch World Cup — that night definitely set you on edge and worried for your godson. Perhaps it's time you should actually make an effort to contact him — now that he knows well who you are, he doesn't deserve to just have that be it. Right now, your relationship is still very professor-studenty...and you don't want that. You're his godmother and you want him to see you exactly as that — someone he can trust, someone he can confide in and talk to without worrying about school or work.

So, with all this in mind, you grab a quill and some ink, fishing out a piece of parchment and setting it all down on the table.

Dear Harry,

Too formal, you think. You scratch it out messily, starting again.

Dearest Harry,

No, that's not right. You scratch that out.

Hey, Harry!

What are you so excited about? This is just setting him up for something interesting, and you really have nothing interesting to tell. Scratch that.

What's up, Hazza?

Scratch.

My beloved godson,

Scratch scratch.

To: Harry

Scratch scratch scratch.

You look down at the parchment, realising you've just about scratched out the top half of the parchment. Nice one. You crumple it up, throwing it towards the rubbish bin in the corner of the room and missing it by half a mile. You groan, getting up and begrudgingly tossing it in the bin properly and getting another piece of parchment. You take a deep breath before starting this one.

Harry,

I hope you're well, and that you're enjoying your stay with the Weasleys'. Do tell Ron and Hermione I said hello and I'm really looking forward to seeing you all in September! Hopefully there's a year ahead where the three of you aren't getting up to too much mischief...though perhaps that's an impossible thing to ask for.

I hope you're doing okay after the World Cup. I won't mollycoddle you and say you have nothing to worry about because you're old enough to know better, but you can always talk to me, Harry. I mean it. I'm your godmother and it's high time I start acting like it.

I'm afraid I don't really have anything interesting to share. The summer can be quite boring for me — it's just myself and Dubh. Remus comes 'round a lot, but I think that's because he gets a free meal out of it.

There's a room here for you, y'know. When we were made godparents, Sirius demanded that you have your own room here because it was a 'necessity'. Personally I think it was just so he could get the chance to put the idea in your head that tying your dad's shoelaces together would be a good thing. It's lucky one-year-old Harry had little-to-no dexterity.

Write back soon with all the news! I could do with a little excitement.

All my love and best wishes,

You sign your name, tapping your quill against your chin thoughtfully as you read back over the letter.

P.S. If you hear anything from that daft dog will you please let me know? I've gotten no word and can't help but worry. Enjoy the photo!

You spend five minutes rummaging around for a photo, eventually landing on one of a young Lily smiling sheepishly, her cheeks rosy, clutching a copy of her potions textbook in her arms.

⁠✧⁠*⁠。✧⁠*⁠。

Children run and crowd the platform at King's Cross, hugging parents and grimacing as their mothers press sloppy kisses to their cheeks. You push your own trunk and Dubh's crate through the crowd, finally managing to get onto the train and into your usual compartment in the Prefects' carriage.

You sit down with a sigh, taking out your books and doing what you usually do: touch up lesson plans. Then you pull out a fictional book, written in French, hoping to brush up on your skills in the language before the arrival of the Beauxbatons students.

This year, something big is happening at Hogwarts: the Triwizard Tournament. One of-age student from Hogwarts, Durmstrang, and Beauxbatons is selected and the three participants compete in three tasks to win a grand prize of a thousand galleons. You're quite excited for it — especially to meet the new teachers from the other schools. It's something to look forward to!

After a while, you decide to get up and stretch your legs. You'll go for a walk down the train, maybe have a quick word with your seventh years and see how they're doing. Off you go, and luckily you do spot a gaggle of your seventh years in a compartment with the door open. Inside, you find Cedric Diggory, Molly Milvy, Elisa Catchweld and James Smith. All Hufflepuffs. They tell you about their summers, the holidays they went on, their hopes for this coming year, their worries about exams. Molly Milvy seems especially worried about her Astronomy exam, pulling out a thick textbook from her bag and flipping it open.

"I've just — Professor, how in Merlin's name do you analyse spectra? I just — I cannot wrap my head around it — "

You chuckle light-heartedly. "Oh, Ms Milvy, we'll cover it, don't you worry. I'll explain it all when we come to it."

"When will we come to it? I'm seriously just beginning to worry — "

You gently take the book from the blonde girl, closing it shut. "I'll make a note to get an early start on spectra with your class this year, and I'm happy to spend time going over it outside of class with you if needs be."

She smiles, some of the stress leaving her face. "Okay, okay. Thank you, Professor."

You glance at Cedric Diggory. Did his father tell him about you? If he did, he's not showing it. He's looking as friendly as he's always been. You nod and smile at the students, bidding them goodbye before continuing on your way down the train. You pass students, giving them all greeting smiles, before eventually you near a compartment, peering in the window and spotting Harry, Ron and Hermione sitting inside, chatting away amicably. You knock on the door, smiling when Hermione stands to open it.

"Professor!" She immediately starts to smooth her hair down in an effort to look more presentable and you chuckle at her antics.

"I hope you don't mind my interrupting," you say, and they all shake their heads. You slide the door closed behind you, wondering if you should sit down or not. No, maybe not. Surely they don't want their professor butting in like this. "Anyways, I'm just popping in to say hello...Harry, did you get my letter?"

Harry nods. "Oh, yeah, I did, thanks. I meant to send one back but it only arrived a few days ago, thought it best to just leave it 'til now..."

"Oh, that's fine. Nothing to worry about," you reply with a smile.

"Professor, I wanted to ask you something," Harry questions and you nod. "At the Cup, when the Dark Mark was conjured...do you think that means Voldemort is back?"

You bite your lip, shrugging. "Honestly? I don't know, Harry. But I do know that with Wormtail free to do whatever the hell he wants, it's best to keep your wits about you."

"Do you know who conjured it?"

You scoff. "Sure if I knew, don't you think I'd have said something that night? I haven't got a clue, I'm afraid."

There's a brief silence, and you nearly consider leaving them because you think you're boring them, but Ron asks you a question.

"How come you're not an animagus?"

You blink in surprise at him.

"Y'know, 'cause all the rest of them were."

Your legs are tired from standing and you decide to forego all previous worries and just sit yourself down next to your godson, smiling across at Ron.

"Oh, Ron, you think the boys would have let a girl in on their little tricks?" You chuckle. "They had their own little club of...animals, and none of the rest of us were supposed to know. Though I will say that they did choose a terrible spot to perform their little ritual."

"Ritual?" Harry asks curiously. You can spot the glow in his eyes at the prospect of hearing about his parents and godfather and it warms your heart to see.

"The animagus one," you answer. You look over at Hermione. "Hermione, I'm sure you know of this already — " the girl swells with pride, " — but the spell for becoming an animagus is incredibly complicated. First, you have to keep a mandrake leaf under your tongue for an entire month — Sirius found that one especially difficult — "

"Why?"

You laugh. "Well, one, because it's awful to eat and drink with that in...and two, because Sirius had a fondness for snogging every girl in the castle."

Hermione's eyes widen and her face flushes. Ron and Harry share a look as both jaws drop.

"What?"

You grin at their shocked faces. "Yes, Sirius was quite the ladies man back in his day. Couldn't keep him away from a pretty girl! Anyway, then the boys had to say this chant every day...oh, what was it? I can't remember — "

"Amato, animo, animato, animagus," Hermione says and you nod.

"Yes, that was it. Every sunrise and sundown, those boys were chanting that incantation. They had to make up this potion and drink it during a lightning storm. Which, took quite a while...but the night there finally was one, they went up to the Astronomy Tower, for ease of access or something, I guess. And well, I spent practically every night up there in the Tower and may have walked in during their transformation."

"Really?" Hermione says, engrossed in your story.

"Oh, yes. It was weird, honestly, going up there and seeing Remus standing around these three familiar-looking animals..." you smile, remembering the memory. "But that's it, really. I mean, I already knew Remus was a werewolf before that, and now I knew the rest of 'em were transforming into animals whenever they pleased! But to answer your question, Ron, I had missed the chance to become one, and I wasn't as committed as they were. Though I would love to see what animal I'd be...James used to joke that I'd be a sea urchin, but I reckon I'd be something cooler like...like, I don't know, a dragon."

The three laugh and you smile.

"So, Harry, have you heard anything from Sirius?" you say, worry knotting your gut.

Harry nods and you feel a wave of relief washing over you. "Yeah, I have. He sent me one a while ago, kind of at the beginning of summer? He — uh — he said he's fine. And well, I sent him one a few weeks ago, before the Cup — but I haven't gotten a reply yet."

You nod thoughtfully. "Alright, thank goodness. He — he can't send me letters, you see. The Ministry are monitoring our house."

"Wait, really?" Hermione says in surprise. "That's awful."

You shrug. "It's nothing I haven't had to deal with before. They just — they're desperate. Desperate to get something on me."

"But you've been proven innocent!" Hermione exclaims. "And Dumbledore trusts you. Surely that's enough for them?"

You shake your head grimly. "I'm afraid not. The public hates that Sirius managed to escape, and the Ministry are just hoping they'll catch me out on something and make everyone think they've done something worthwhile. It'd also be a good jab at Dumbledore because he trusts me — Fudge worries he wants to become the Minister of Magic. Not that I think Dumbledore has even the tiniest shred of interest in that position anyway."

"Why wouldn't he want to be the Minister of Magic?" Ron asks incredulously, scoffing.

"He says it's because he has everything here, at Hogwarts," you say with a shrug, before adding with a small smile, "but if you ask me, I think it's because when you have control over everything like that, you don't have to fight for anything. Dumbledore likes that fight."

You roll your jumper's sleeves up, sighing. You should probably get going. Someone might accuse you of favouritism, sitting here with these three. Which...wouldn't be wrong, of course, but still not a great look for you. Hermione lets out a small gasp, looking at your forearm. You follow her gaze, landing on a tattoo.

"What's that for, Professor?" She asks curiously. Ron and Harry both lean forward to get a better look. It's that same painting of the pottery that Remus did for you, now permanently etched onto your skin. It's a jug, a plate and two cups. Upon the jug, is a pair of antlers, and on the plate, a lily flower.

You smile fondly, brushing over the art with your fingers. "It's pottery. Y'know, for the Potters..." you smile over at Harry. "There's Lily and there's James." You point to their symbols respectively. "S'pose I'll have to get another for you, eh, Harry? Wonder what it'd be."

He beams back at you, like it's the greatest honour in the world. The corners of his eyes crease behind his glasses.

You stand with a sigh, brushing over your jumper and pulling the sleeves back down over your tattoo. Not your only tattoo, by the way. There's another much bigger one on your back, but that's a story for another day.

"Well, I best be off," you say. "I'll see you all at dinner."

With that, you leave the compartment, slipping down the corridor again. You glance over your shoulders to see Draco Malfoy, Vincent Crabbe and Gregory Goyle standing at their compartment doorway, a jeering sneer on Draco's face.

Ah, teenage drama. Happens to us all.

⁠✧⁠*⁠。✧⁠*⁠。

The Great Hall is alive with great chatter and excitement. Inside, students buzz with anticipation, yapping away to each other as they reunite. You sit yourself down at the staff table, greeting everyone after the holidays. There's an empty seat beside you, Minerva's usual spot. On your left, sits the tiny Professor Flitwick, who greets you cheerfully.

"Hello!"

"Hello, Filius!" you chirp back, smiling at him.

Hagrid is of course, busy with the first years, battling their way across the Black Lake. Minerva, you saw, is busy supervising the drying of the Entrance Hall floor — which had previously been assaulted by Peeves' water balloons.

You glance down the table, wondering who the new Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher is. You scan and scan for a new face, but are stuck with Severus Snape's ugly scowl as your eyes meet. You wave condescendingly at him, bending your fingers like you're waving goodbye to a little toddler. His nostrils flare and he looks away from you. Poor baby. Holding onto that grudge against Sirius all these years, he must have an awful dull life.

Professor Dumbledore sits in the middle, smiling contentedly out at the students as you all wait for the first-years to arrive. Professor Sprout sits on the other side of Flitwick. You like Pomona Sprout — she's that kind of funny and friendly woman who won't take any bullshit. It's great.

"Pomona, long time no see!" You say, leaning to talk to her while Flitwick charms his spectacles to dance on the table for his enjoyment. He claps his hands excitedly, ignoring the two of you.

"Aye, that'd be right!" She exclaims heartily. "By Godric, you wouldn't see such rain if you prayed for it! I was absolutely drowneded outside!"

You chuckle, choosing not to correct her use of 'drowneded'. "Honestly! I had to use about three drying spells before coming in here. Madness."

No sooner have the words left your mouth than the doors of the Great Hall swing open and Minerva strides through, leading a trail of young first-years behind her. They're positively drenched, shivering from head to toe with the cold. There must have been no time to dry them off, you suppose. One young lad is covered in a large mass of fabric, one you recognise as Hagrid's moleskin overcoat. He's practically swimming in the massive piece of clothing, his head just barely poking out from the top of it.

The first-years look around in wonderment, gazing up at the sky, looking nervously out at all the older students, looking back at the teachers. You smile and wave at the ones who look at you, hoping to ease their nerves a little bit.

Minerva places the Sorting Hat on a three legged stool before the first-years and you suppress a groan.

A thousand years or more ago,

When I was newly sewn,

There lived four wizards of renown,

Whose names are still well known:

Bold Gryffindor, from wild moor,

Fair Ravenclaw, from glen,

Sweet Hufflepuff, from valley broad,

Shrewd Slytherin, from fen,

They shared a wish, a hope, a dream,

They hatched a daring plan

To educate young sorcerers

Thus Hogwarts school began.

Now each of these four founders

Formed their own house, for each

Did value different virtues

In the ones they had to teach.

By Gryffindor, the bravest were

Prized far beyond the rest;

For Ravenclaw the cleverest

Would always be the best;

For Hufflepuff, hard workers were

Most worthy of admission;

And power-hungry Slytherin

Loved those of great ambition.

While still they did divide

Their favourites from the throng,

Yet how to pick the worthy ones

When they were dead and gone?

'Twas Gryffindor who found the way,

He whipped me off his head

The founders put some brains in me

So I could choose instead!

Now slip me snug about your ears,

I've never yet been wrong,

I'll have a look inside your mind

And tell where you belong!

The Great Hall erupts into applause and you applaud too, thankful that it's over. Truth be told, you think the sorting is a whole load of hogwash. No one person is just cunning, no one person is just intelligent...it makes no sense. You like to think that though you were placed in Gryffindor, you were a sort of Jack-of-all-trades. Kind, clever, cunning and brave. Of course, you know that perhaps you're setting yourself too high...but who doesn't have a fantasy?

The Sorting begins, and you drum your fingers on the table in front of you. Thirty-three years old and you feel just as impatient as the other students do, desperately hoping for Minerva to hurry it up a little. You can feel your stomach gargling loudly, glancing around to see if anyone noticed. Sprout did, and she's nodding bleakly at you as though she feels your pain.

This is the one thing you don't like about the feast — the lack of one while you wait for the Sorting to finish. Sometimes, you try and use your intuition to guess what house they're going to get. A young girl hops up onto the stool, and Minerva places the hat on her head.

Ravenclaw, for sure.

"HUFFLEPUFF!"

Yeah, well, I was going to say that.

Time drags on and on, and you're seriously starting to consider taking a chomp out of the wooden table in front of you. If you squint just right...it looks like a bar of Honeyduke's chocolate.

But thankfully, it seems you won't have to go that far, because Minerva finally plucks the hat from the stool once the last student has been sorted and carries both the stool and the hat out.

Dumbledore stands, arms opened wide in welcome. "I have only two words to say to you," he tells you, his deep voice booming around the hall, "Tuck in."

And tuck in you do. You eat to your heart's content, glad to finally be rid of the rumbling in your tummy. You clink your goblets against Sprout and Flitwick's cheerfully, beaming when Minerva finally joins you at the table, huffing something about Peeves and his antics.

Finally, when the last of the desserts have been cleared and plates have been licked clean, Dumbledore gets to his feet again. Wondrously, the buzz of chatter ceased almost at once, everyone turning to listen to what he's going to say. You wish you had that kind of power over a room.

"So!" he says, smiling around at everyone. "Now that we are all fed and watered, I must once more ask for your attention while I give out a few notices."

"Mr Filch, the caretaker, has asked me to tell you that the list of objects forbidden in the castle has this year been extended to include Screaming Yo-yos, Fanged Frisbees, and Ever-Bashing Boomerangs. The full list comprises some four-hundred and thirty-seven items, I believe, and can be viewed in Mr Filch's office, if anyone would like to check it."

Filch is standing down the bottom of the hall, eyes flitting about the hall suspiciously. He lands on the Weasley twins and gives them a dark look — you expect he hopes to really catch them out this year. Not a chance.

"As ever, I would like to remind you all that the forest on the grounds is strictly out-of-bounds to all students, as is the village of Hogsmeade to all those below third year. It is also my painful duty to inform you that the Inter-House Quidditch Cup will not take place this year."

Now this sets the students off. There is loud whispering and muttering, a few outbursts of 'What?'

"This is due to an event that will be starting in October, and continuing throughout the school year, taking up much of the teachers' time and energy — but I am sure you will all enjoy it immensely. I have great pleasure in announcing that this year at Hogwarts — "

At that moment, there's a deafening roll of thunder and the doors to the Great Hall bang open.

→ all kinds of interaction are appreciated ♡

⁠✧⁠*⁠。✧⁠*⁠。

→→ read chapter seventeen here!

a massive thank you to all my taglist loves for all their kindness and support:

@wholelottalove05 @izuoyarmin @hyperspeedo @carpe000diem @jennifer0305

[smallenoughtopurr]

I know when it comes to male shipping treating female characters who "get in the way" like shit is nothing new but when it comes to Chainshipping it makes no fucking sense whatsoever.

Like why do we need to demonize Alison Gordon? She did nothing wrong.

Because she "gets in the way" of Adam and Lawrence? Well first of all that's a shitty reason to villainize her, and second of all, Lawrence literally did not appreciate her as much as he should have. He visited another woman behind her back and their marriage was already crumbling before the bathroom trap.

Or is it because she argued with Lawrence? Uh, couples do that. And what she said wasn't even particularly mean or wrong. She just said that Lawrence was lying to himself and pretending he was happy (which he absolutely was) and she was also upset that he was distant towards her and Diana.

(Like, I love Lawrence but HE was the bad guy in that relationship.)

Also, Adam would not openly hate her or act shitty towards her for any reason. Some of you guys claim to love Adam but don't seem to understand how kind and empathetic he really is. Adam was incredibly sweet about Lawrence's family. He wanted to see those pictures when Lawrence started talking about them, and he called Alison a "lucky lady". God he was even angry on their behalf when Lawrence was acting disturbingly calm after knowing they were being held hostage, and he seemed at least a little disgusted at Lawrence's cheating. Even after Alison said "Don't believe Adam's lies" Adam didn't say anything nasty towards her in retaliation. He just acted guilty at his own actions. I imagine he'd act the same in other situations if chainshipping were to happen. This man was an only child who wanted siblings and feeds stray cats and complimented Amanda's hairstyle, you think he's gonna act petty to a woman who has been through so much shit she never deserved?

Yes, I could definitely see Alison not feel Diana is safe with Lawrence anymore. I could see her feeling bitter that Lawrence would leave her for yet another person in their 20s. I could see her not trusting or even liking Adam. But like, so would literally anyone else in her situation! None of that makes her a bitch, it makes her a normal fucking person having a normal human reaction.

[salisburyliam]

My WORST to BEST ranking for Heaven's Secret 2 LIs

Oh boy I finally did it!!!! never want to read this book ever again, lmao

NOTE 1: We all know that HS2 has its flaws —S1 feels like a fever dream— but personally one that really irks me is not being able to choose whether or NOT you want to marry your LI. I mention this because many LIs routes are (negatively) affected by this sudden marriage imo

NOTE 2: Winchesto you deserve so much better than Rebecca.

7. Dino - He's never been a character I've been particularly fond of, but at least in HS1 he had some narrative importance (the dynamic with Lucifer was a lot of fun too). His relevance in HS2 is, well, zero & I personally don't feel the chemistry between Vicky and him at all. That being said. Of all the LIs, the only one with whom the wedding makes absolute sense is with Dino - he's 100% husband material.

Being good should not be equivalent to being boring… but in Dino's case, it is. 4/10

6. War - His dynamic with Vicky is… okay-ish? I guess??? They are a hot couple (I personally love his design & his laugh is sexy af) but the connection is lacking & there is no emotional intimacy whatsoever. They keep saying they're in love but are theeey? You don't know each other. Also, if you decide not to k*ll him and don't romance him later in s2 he's literally just a background character. 

I don't think this man is ready to be a husband - he should get therapy first. 5/10

5. Hunger - If it were a matter of rating characters, Hunger would be in the top three. His first appearance is one of my favorite scenes in the book along with the board game moment, lmao. But if it comes to rating him as a LI… The relationship feels rushed, to say the least. Marrying a character who appears halfway through the second season makes no sense at all - their wedding scene is just weird.

You guys met like five episodes ago. How about we start by dating first? 6/10

his smile is unsettling lol 4. Malbonte - Replaying this book so many times has made me really appreciate Malbonte. A soldier who will do whatever it takes to win. I love how everyone assumes that he always, always, has a plan (he usually does). But as a LI? His main emotion is rage and pure indifference. As a husband for life, I don't understand how that could work: I can imagine Vicky asking him how his day was and Malbonte's only response being '….' 😐🙄 Go boy give us nothing!

Seriously though. I really love him as a character, but he needs to join War in that therapy thing. 7/10

3. Astaroth - The first interactions are awful & personally his sprite doesn't help either (he's literally a male M*ley Cyrus) but he has so much chemistry with Vicky, it surprised me. Their relationship feels organic as you progress, but just like the rest of the characters that appear in the second book, it all feels rushed. The wedding option should ONLY have been available for characters that appeared in the previous book - with new ones it just feels unearned.

Still, it had potential. 8/10

2. Mimi - The only female LI (how's that legal) and one of my favorites. tbh I think she's TOO good for Vicky??? lmao. A character who is impossible not to adore (even judgy Rebecca gives her approval), in-laws anyone would love to have, and a route that is equal parts endearing and passionate. I confess I kinda miss her sprite from the first book tho

The only reason she's not at the top of the list is the motherf*cker below. 9/10 

1. Lucifer - Simply put, they feel like soulmates (he was my LI in the first book so that also plays into it). I haate his behavior in S1, but even with that rocky start the dynamic between Vicky and Lucifer is, and will always be, one of my favorites. They have everything: chemistry, banter, passion, vulnerability moments... I love the contrast of the Lucifer from HS1 with the Lucifer in the final episode. That's growth.

I sincerely hope the third book focuses on their married life and, hopefully, Lucifer being a girl dad 😍😍 10/10

CREDIT

[beadyeyes]

Alien Romulus review so spoilers because I'm so so disappointed after being told by every one how good it was and how great the effects were (you all lied to me) so so so long so so so so I don't know if it's worth reading

👍 Loved that they kept up the tradition of killing the people who smoke on screen first

👍 Technology design choices were so fun and did what Prometheus failed to do as a PREQUEL. Also failed to do what the movie itself should've done as a SEQUEL and kept notably similar design choices BUT STILL ADVANCE THE TECHNOLOGY?

👎 They made a group of people so unlikable or undeveloped that I didn't care if they lived or died.

👎 The cousins blatant bigotry against Andy came off mostly as racist AND ableist with no good reason whatsoever. Especially since it clearly wasn't justified by his mother's death because the synthetic in question that "caused her death" was justified in saving more lives over the few. His choice to leave his own family behind despite being so torn up about his mom too? And finally his weird breathing and hovering scene with the pregnant sister right after his girlfriend died was lowkey creepy and I hope it wasn't trying to imply he was the one who got her pregnant? Bottom line he deserved it and his death was the only entertaining one. Was that supposed to be on purpose?

👎 The boyfriend was a bland unlikeable character who failed to even be good enough for meat fodder + deserved to die for wasting screen time AND for letting his cousin be a racist dick to Andy despite them needing the for the whole fucking trip to happen. Worthless character.

👎 First facehugger impregnation being a woman. What a spit in the face.

👎 The fact that it was also a woman I didn't even know the name of! But had 1 more second of development than the rest and seemed like she could've been a cool character if the screen time wasn't logged by unlikeable men. Her alien birth scene was so tone deaf to the original horror of the series idk. I get not wanting to repeat the same thing but the worthless guys survived those facehuggers too easily for her to be the gratuitous birth fodder.

👎 Pregnant sister. I don't know how that could've been done differently but yea. Her boob slime was so. 🙄

👎 Her alien wannabe engineer baby thing sucked. It was so corny I laughed outloud I don't know how it could've been done better but making the aliens more humanoid but not in an uncanny way, like a weird trying too hard to be scary way, felt like a disservice to the viewers intelligence? The fact that it was a full sized thing in like 3 seconds too? No offense but wouldn't it be scarier to fight something small and newborn baby like instead of Grown Ass White Man #72

👎 Rooks facetracking shit was so gagworthy and bringing him back wasn't the tribute to the og movie like they wanted it to be. Remember how the big bang theory would make references by just naming randome nerd shit in succession? That's what he was. Just because you have a character come back doesn't mean it fits the theme of the movie you're developing.

👎 Rook's non-ambiguous characterization as evil. Just lame and defeats the complexity of the original character as well as how the synthetics have been developed.

👎 Her name is Rain and that's my name she wishes she was me so bad.

Rain was just so? Such an underdeveloped character who kicked ass and I appreciated her like? Waiting till Andy had seizure to help him out? I don't know. She just had no backstory or substance and Andy's whole character being there to protect her was fucking lame. Seeing her change that at the last bit was like yay development but then Andy gets killed so then it was just whatever.

Andy's character again, being there to protect Rain and not develop on his own. His disabilities being "cured" for most of the movie. Why the accent? Anyways I'm glad he was there because he was the shining star of the whole thing and even that felt a bit too on the nose as if they knew every one else was worthless.

The movie had a few jumpscares and the gore was nothing compared to ANY of the previous movies. Ultimately I felt nothing for the entire hour and half except for when the cousin got slimed, which I laughed. The mix of CGI was strange. 1 out of 10 as fuck! Do you think they're gonna make a sequel?

[wonwoonlight]

when it's his birthday and you stayed up even if he said you don't have to

a/n: happy birthday, jun! just a little something from today's birthday live when he said he's happy about his abundance of schedule. very shortttt. idol!au, tw food and thats it?

You look up from your phone when you hear the front door clicks open, tired smile greeting your sleepy eyes and you're grasped in warm embrace before you can return his smile.

"I told you not wait up..." Jun exhales against your hair, though you can tell he's a little pleased despite his scolding tone.

"It's your birthday though." You say as you return his hold, wrapping your arms around his shoulders.

Jun looks at the clock on the wall, so bright against your dim living room that's only lit up by whatever's playing on the TV, its light telling him that it's two minutes past twelve.

"Not anymore." He says before pulling away to look at you, his nose nudges against your cheek, something he always does that weirdly feels more intimate to you even though his lips aren't touching your skin. "Thank you though. I appreciate it."

"I'd appreciate it too if you're resting well." You say quietly, still a little bitter about him filling up his schedules like he doesn't need sleep for two months straight. You understand that his work is important, that having a lot of schedules is a good thing, that he wants to keep proving himself and he wants to do his duties as an idol.

But you're afraid that he's not resting enough and it'll burn him out more than anything.

"I am, I really am." He cups your face and kisses your forehead. "You can ask any of the members."

Scrunching your face because you have nothing else to say, you stand up from the sofa and leave Jun alone in the living room as you say you'll get him some water. He mutters a thanks before he succumbs to the comfort of the sofa and places his arm over his eyes, a little too tired from his schedule of the day to notice that you're taking a little too long nor that there's no sound whatsoever from the water dispenser.

He jumps a little when you settle on his lap, not having heard you make your way back from the kitchen. When he opens his eyes, there's a cupcake with a single heart candle in front of his face, and you're looking at him with eyes so full of love he wants to question if he deserves it.

"Make a wish." You whisper like it's a secret.

"It's no longer my birthday though?" He smiles, amused, though his thumb caresses the skin of your arm and his gaze is giddy beyond measure.

"I don't care. Make a wish."

He breaks into a small laugh. You return his grin and watch him close his eyes for two seconds before he opens them again and blows the candle.

"What did you wish for?"

He smiles and takes away the cupcake from your hands, swiftly putting them on the coffee table beside the sofa before he leans in and whispers against your lips and dive into a kiss.

"Another birthday with you."

[cinderella-ish]

How Labeling Characters "Good" or "Bad" Misses the Point of Fruits Basket

A few years ago, I decided to remove the words "good" and "bad" from my vocabulary as much as possible.

Why? Because I have OCD, and I was struggling with something called "splitting," more commonly known as "black-and-white thinking."

Beyond the benefits it would have for my mental health, I wanted to challenge myself to be more precise with my commentary, whether appreciative or critical. "Fruits Basket is soooo good!" may be a true statement (in my completely objective, unbiased opinion lol), but it doesn't actually say anything meaningful about what makes the story so "good." I'd rather say how it affected me, why I think it's absolutely worth watching or reading, what it made me think about, etc...

Something I see in a lot of Furuba fan spaces is a desire to label characters or relationships as "good" or "bad," and letting that be the focus of the commentary. This even happens without necessarily using those exact words; people will talk about whether Akito "deserved" redemption/forgiveness, whether certain relationships or even crushes are "okay," whether a certain character was "abusive," etc... and sometimes even more subtle ways of labeling characters "good" or "bad," but I think this entirely misses the point of the story, and beyond that, it's just not a helpful way to go about discussing media in general.

The thing that prompted this post was one of those much more subtle cases: a comment I saw claiming that it was out-of-character for Tohru to support Arisa and Kureno's relationship. My first reaction was, "are we talking about the same Tohru here?" because the Tohru I saw in Fruits Basket would absolutely support Arisa and Kureno's relationship. But my next thought was to wonder why that commenter would feel that way, and here's where I've landed on that:

In that commenter's mind, Tohru is "good," and the relationship between Arisa and Kureno is "bad," so it doesn't make sense that a "good" person would support a "bad" relationship.

But what a wildly simplistic take! It's one that misses so much nuance of Tohru's character; her personal history, her ways of relating to her friends, etc... To me, there's absolutely no way Tohru as she's written would ever not support that relationship, and here's why:

First, Tohru is rarely assertive, and when she is, it's in situations where one person is clearly being hurt and it must be addressed immediately. She almost seems to run on instinct in those situations. I'm thinking of when she pushed Akito away from Yuki, or when she told Akito to stop hurting Momiji, or when she told Kyo she would go against her mother, or when she chased after Saki and expressed a desire to remain friends.

On that note, with regard to Arisa and Kureno, the thing that stood out to Tohru was Arisa's heartache. She wanted to do whatever she could to soothe her friend's heartache, and that meant reuniting her with the man she'd fallen for.

It's also unclear whether Tohru knows Kureno's age, but even if she did, her own parents had a massive age gap, and she doesn't seem to be aware of the problematic power dynamic between them whatsoever. If anything, she seems to romanticize her parents' relationship.

Additionally, Tohru is basically the least judgmental person alive. I don't think she would have strong convictions about whether age gaps are "okay" even if her parents hadn't had a similar gap. Again, her primary concern would be whether her friend was happy, and if not, what she could do to make her friend happy.

In short, Tohru is not one to label things as "good" or "bad" and use those labels as a guide for her actions, but is more likely to try and understand people's motivations and work toward their happiness. This is central to her personality as an Enneagram SX 9w1/INFP.

And that last point is honestly the approach I think is most useful when it comes to critique and discussion of fiction. Rather than trying to delineate what's "good" or "bad," I find it much more meaningful to try and understand the creator's reason for depicting something a certain way, and how those creative choices support their overall creative vision (or don't).

So, with that in mind, I guess I'm going to start a series looking at the "why" behind the characters and relationships who are most often called "problematic," "bad," "abusive," or "not okay." Feel free to request topics!

[konigsblog]

What is this persons problem??

Like, buddy, if you don’t wanna read it… scroll away.

It baffles me that people go out of their way to bug people that are just doing what they love. You’ve expressed time and time again that you don’t support rape or anything of the sort. All of the scenarios you are fictional. So are the characters.

Why would you go out of your way to bother someone just because you don’t like what they do? Would you do that to a director who made a movie you didn’t like? No. You wouldn’t. So why bother writers?

I’m so sorry you’re dealing with people like that Orla, you deserve so much better. You’re so lovely and your writing style is beautiful. I love what you write and I’m sorry people are harassing you.

All the love and support,

- 🪶

thank you so, so much, my sweet anon :'3 thank you for your kind words, it's greatly appreciated 🌷💗🌺

these people don't realise that they have no room to decide what i can or cannot write. at the end of the day, it's not their blog, not their decision. it's the way you can just tell they haven't done any research whatsoever. i can disprove all of their points, they're lazy and put no effort in doing research about simon's backstory.

when i read something i don't like, i simply scroll away, because i'm responsible for the media i consume. the same applies to these morons that lack the understanding that not all work is made for them. people have different coping mechanisms and kinks, you don't get to decide what's right and wrong.

and i guarantee these people don't bother to understand CNC kinks or NON-CON kinks. again, i've expressed countless times that what i write doesn't determine my morality. it's DARK fiction for a reason, did they expect kittens and puppies? sunshine and rainbows?? do i need to make a tutorial on how to block someone, or can they manage themselves?? (which i doubt they can. 🙄)

again, thank you for your words, sweetness 💌🌹

[akehoshimystar]

Urara SSR

#DE7DF3

Proofread by Aca (@463ce6 on X and tumblr) & Imai (Imai (@bunnyandcomet on X and tumblr)

Part 1

Ito: Well then, let's get going.

Kamiya: Yeah, thanks. I’ll leave it to you. 

Urara: ………

It’s mid-January, and the New Year atmosphere has started to fade. In place of Onda-san and Nina-san, who were dealing with a different matter, I acted as a driver to support the ST Dept. I slowly started the car.

Kamiya: Right, that reminds me. Thanks for the other day, Deputy

Ito: The other day... Ah, about Manami-san?

Urara: Ah?

Kamiya: I asked her if I could use Aporia's kitchen for your birthday.

Since you’re on cleaning duty anyway, I thought preparing the food and having the birthday party there would be more convenient.

Urara: Huh? ……What's with that?

Kamiya: In the end, the bar was booked on the day, so it wasn't possible. Sorry.

Urara: You know damn well that’s not what I mean. Why’d you go and make an arrangement assuming there’d be a birthday party?

Kamiya: Because I wanted to.  I’ve already decided on it! 

Urara: Don't just decide things on your own when it’s none of your business.

Kamiya: Anyway. Thanks for checking, Deputy.

Ito: Don’t mention it. But then, what about the birthday party?

Urara: Tch.

Hearing him clicking his tongue made me wonder if I had said something unnecessary. As I swallowed what I was going to say next, Kamiya-kun laughed and spoke instead.

Kamiya: Pardon my intrusion… Oh, am I the last one to arrive? Sorry for the wait.

Yu: It’s not time for the meeting yet, so don't worry about it.

Tomose: Urara came in early today. Though he’s normally punctual anyway.

Urara: That last part was unnecessary.

Kamiya: I see. Then, I’ll say it again.

Happy New Year, Tomose-san, Yu-san, Urara.

Tomose: Right, this is the first time we’re all gathered here this year.

After Tomose-san said, “Happy New Year," Yu-san followed suit. And as expected, Urara clicked his tongue and said, "What's so great about that?"

Kamiya: Ahaha. The year may have changed, but Urara is still Urara.

Urara: Your head is just filled with nothing but celebration bullshit, blockhead.

Kamiya: Yeah, but you deserve a celebration too, Urara.

Urara: Ah? You’ve already drilled that into my ears. Are you seriously living in La-la land?

Kamiya: For your birthday, I mean.

Urara: !

Tomose: Today’s your birthday, isn’t it? Happy birthday.

Yu: Happy birthday.

Urara: …………Stop wasting my time and start the meeting already.

Part 2

Tomose: That's all. Is there anything else?

Kamiya: Nope.

Urara: No.

Yu: Tomose, are we done with the meeting now?

Tomose: Yeah.

Urara, do you have any plans after this?

Urara: Ah? …………Me? Not really.

Tomose: I see, then we can start without any problems.

Urara: Start what? What kind of work are you…..

Tomose: Your birthday party.

Urara: ……...Excuse me?

Kamiya: I wanted to celebrate your birthday, so I decided to get these two involved. From there, we discussed and decided what to do.

Urara: Don't mess with me. Besides, the birthday bullshit was over a long time ago.

You're just running your mouth and labeling it a happy occasion or whatsoever...

Tomose: No, I don’t think it has started yet.

Kamiya: That's right, the real thing has just begun.

Yu: Then I will start preparing the meal now.

Kamiya: Oh, Yu-san. I'll help!

Urara: Oi.

Kamiya: It's fine, the star of the party just needs to sit back and wait.

Urara: Tch... What the hell is fine about that?

Even though it almost sounded like a murmur, Urara was still sitting up straight. He’s just so honest. I didn't say anything though.

Yu: I appreciate the offer, but most of the preparations are already done. 

Kamiya: Eh, really?

Urara: ……

Yu: There’re a few grilled and fried dishes that need to be done. I didn’t make them before because the flavor would be lost if I cooked them in advance.

It’s more efficient that way, was it too much?

Kamiya: No way, not at all! I’m actually grateful.

Tomose: Yu chose the menu himself, so it should be to Urara’s liking.

Urara: ….Hahh?

Tomose: Is there something bothering you, Urara?

Urara: That’s an understatement. I mean, what would you have done if I'd said I had something to do?.

Tomose: ? I don't understand what you mean by that.

Urara: I’m just saying…. Don’t get ahead of yourself and prepare a party without telling me. 

Kamiya: So... “If the birthday party couldn't be held, what would you have done with the food you prepared?”….. Is that what you want to ask?

Yu: In that case, it would have ended up being dinner for me and Tomose. I was planning to treat Kamiya to some too if he wanted.

Either way, it definitely wouldn’t have gone to waste.

Urara: ...What are you, dumbasses? You guys don't have the same taste buds as me, do you?

Kamiya: ……..

His words sounded a bit barbaric, but I somehow felt a little warmth behind them and I thought, "Ah, I see what he means." Yes, the food wouldn’t go to waste, but in the end, the selection was made based on Urara’s taste. 

Kamiya: Yeah. I'm glad we had a birthday party.

Urara: Huh? A fraud like you doesn’t deserve toany laugh.

Kamiya: Ahaha, I can't deny that.

Urara: What a whole bunch of con artists. 

Part 3

Yu: Tomose, take the finished dishes over there.

Tomose: Got it.

Kamiya: Ah, I'll help with plating. Yu-san, you’re doing the fried food now, right?

Urara: ……

Yu: Yeah, I'll leave it to you. Just arrange what's here on this large plate.

Kamiya: Okay, copy that.

Tomose: Is this portion dish okay?

Yu: Yeah.

Urara: …..Tch. Oi, give me a plate too.

Kamiya: Eh?

Urara: Hurry up.

Tomose: Here. Thanks for the help.

Urara: ...Cut that out, I’m lining up the plates, not saving the world.

With everyone's help, the birthday party was ready in no time.

Kamiya: Let's have a toast!

Tomose: Sure.

Urara: …….

Yu: Urara, it's hard to toast in that position.

Although he had a glass in his hand, it wasn’t even a millimeter off the table. No wonder Yu-san had pointed it out.

Urara: Then let’s just not do it.

In contrast to his words, he lifted his glass ever so slightly. It really was just barely, and I couldn’t help but laugh. Tomose-san, Yu-san, and I all clinked our glasses together with his. 

Kamiya: Happy birthday, Urara.

Yu & Tomose: Happy birthday.

Urara: Piss off already.

Urara: Shut your damn trap already.

Kamiya: Sorry, I just thought I should tell the Deputy what happened.

Urara: It’s 100% useless info.

Kamiya: Isn’t that all of it?

Urara: That's what I'm saying.

Ito: Anyway, I'm glad it was a good birthday party for you... Happy birthday.

Urara: …….

Ito: (...I just thought I hadn't told him yet, but maybe I did say too much...)

Urara: Tch…..

That really was a shitty meeting.

With that, Manami-san turned his face toward the window, as if to avoid Kamiya-kun. But from the glimpse of his face that I spotted through the rearview mirror, it didn't seem like he thought it was as "shitty" as his words suggested. Touched by the feelings behind that expression, I didn't say anything else and gripped the wheel again to concentrate on driving.

[utopiastri]

Hi, i need to talk to someone about this but idk where to go, so here i am🙃

Are we throwing hands about Yuki not going to Redbull situation???? No hate to Liam whatsoever, he a cool dude, congrats to him, but whattttttt the heck?????

If i was Yuki atm I'd be saying screw you guys i quit and then come on the track with a lawn mower next season 🫡

Thnx for coming to my ted talk, i appreciate you, have a lovely day!!

-💫

hi 💫 anon!!! you're always welcome here, darling!

(important disclaimer that everything i'm about to say is entirely nothing to do with liam and everything to do with the red bull racing complex!!!)

yuki darling............i'm so sorry, if i could give you a gun, i would. if i could give you an artillery, i would. if i could move heaven and earth for you, i would

CRYING at the image of yuki showing up with a lawn mower though - i'm not quite sure what you were picturing but i'm envisioning yuki red flagging every session by dodging the marshalls on his lawn mower à la the lizard from singapore lmao

but yes, long story short, yuki tsunoda deserves the world and more and i am absolutely gutted that he didn't get the red bull seat

(but again!!! all my love to liam, because i do love him dearly and i really, really hope that we don't get round 3 of max verstappen crushing a new driver's confidence!!!!!)

i appreciate you too, 💫 anon! always lovely to hear from you 🥰🥰🥰

[pbam0ney]

"We can't change what's done, we can only move on. There ain't no shame in looking for a better world."

___________________________________________________________

I should definitely introduce myself! Hello there, fellow reader and/or person who's just passing by.

My name is PBAM0NEY. Preferably PBA for short. I'm just someone who's hella bored so I decided to make a Tumblr account (again)

___________________________________________________________

Now the rules are very simple!

1. No NSFW asks of any kind! I will reject those asks if you do. However, a little tiny bit of suggestive stuff can fly.

2. No racism, transphobia, anything related to these kinds of things.

3. Don't be harassing anyone for any reason whatsoever.

Now, last but not least!

4. Just have fun! Ask me whatever ya want! Just don't go too far, capiche?

___________________________________________________________

Onto the OC, we have the retired, sad yet hopeful god named "PB, The Retired God" I'm always gonna be talking and walking around like him. You can call him TRG, PB or Sean. Whichever one works for y'all!

[Yes, I will also run this acc as both the mod and the character!]

He who seeks redemption for everything he has lost wanders the world and other dimensions helping those who want to redeem themselves and move on from their past.

___________________________________________________________

Sean speaking and speaking (Alt version)

Hatred speaking and H A T R E D speaking (ALT version)

Fuzz the cat speaking!

[Mod PBA speaking: YOOO WHAT'S UP!!]

(Actions) or (Actions)

___________________________________________________________

Sean's styles of fighting

Old Styles [1st ever moveset]

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Seans final moments...

Talking to his son. [Part 1]

Chaos lords letter [Part 2]

Talking to his brother. [Part 3]

Final moments with Arti. [Part 4]

Sean being respected... [Part 5]

Tug finding Sean's grave. [Part 6]

The radio. [Side-Story]

REVIVAL. [Part 7]

REUNITED [THE END]

The song Sean hears when he's finally deceased:

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Seans corrupted soul

Possessed [THE BEGINNING]

False Identity #1 [Part 1]

False Identity #2 [Part 2]

A body renewed [Part 3]

Reunited [Part 4]

Demolished Hatred [Sooner than Later Ending]

___________________________________________________________

People Sean knows about and his status on them! [Real time updates]

The mortals!

@askthe-littlepoet - An amazing crow friend.

Status: Sorry for nearly killing you like 3 times now. We gotta do something together at some point, maybe some training for once!

@askdennycotl - Denny the Alpaca!

Status: You're alright las... You deserve way better things than what you got happening to you now. Your situation will be solved so hang in there, pal!

@yarnor-the-timid-raccoon - Little brother, Yarnor.

Status: I'm happy that you know I can come back, little brother. I will do everything in my power to stay alive and be beside you every step of the way...

@marko-the-yellow-cat - Leshys partner

Status: He's a cool guy. I appreciate his help. He's got a lot of power due to being in a relationship with Leshy.

@tug6056 - Tug, my son.

Status: My dear son... I will always believe in you regardless of my little appearances. Be very careful and be better than I can be.

@fluffpuffsofwar - Aster and Willow, my children.

Status: Cottons kids but they were given to me. I'll protect these 2 with my life just like I would protect Arti and Tug...

@bloodthirstyanon - Poets ex

Status: I'm gonna fucking kill you when I find you in that damn place. I called dibs on your life!

@dragon-in-the-old-faith - Ethan's girlfriend.

Status: I may not know her enough but I know she makes my brother happy... I appreciate what she does for him, I've come to respect those who truly love their partners. May their relationship last forever as I give them my blessing.

The crownbearers!

@askacultleader - The lamb....

Status: I genuinely wanna beat the shit out of this damned lamb but I cannot. I'm not willing to hurt them... Not yet.

@tomb-the-god - God of insanity. Tomb and his Brother...

Status on tomb: I don't expect you to forgive me for I could not, would not, forgive myself for what had happened...

Status on his brother: Am I really his brother? I don't know who I am at this point...

@kali-lamb - A person to me.

Status: You have no right to have that damned crown... You are not to be considered family either. May you seek redemption by yourself!

The gods...

@ask-theredcrown - God of Death.

Status: My lord. I worship the god of death despite being a god myself.... It's crazy but it happens I suppose.

@ask-thegreencrown - God of Chaos.

Status: A simple guy for a world full of chaos itself. I can't deny that he's chill and that he's pretty awesome!

@he-ofhavoc - Another God of Chaos.

Status: This Leshy has given me a card to call him while in a battle and I helped him train with the sword I've given him. I'd consider him as my best friend for sure...

@the-sleepydragon - Imora, She of sleep.

Status: I am happy that you see me as a son, mother... I am honored to be part of this family and I will do everything to fight for you all.

@ask-darkwood-hunter - My lover, Arti the darkwood hunter.

Status: I love my sweet little Arti... I'd do anything to protect them even if it meant sacrificing myself or any of my own powers to do so!

@spellcaster-dude - My best pal, Spellcaster!

Status: I can respect somebody like you man. We've done a lot together... Universal or not. Our bond is special and I'll protect you with all of my power.

Other entities!

@scannys-back - Ethan/Scanny, my brother.

Status: He's the best brother I could've asked for... I had to give him a ring engraved with his name on it and now a house!

Status on Tally: Guess I got myself a dad and a mother now! What a good combo, wonder if Narinder accepts me as their son now... This is an amazing family.

@flashbang-guy - The flashbang guy, Chaos lord and HIM.

Status: I'm alright with them existing here. I was annoyed at first but I guess I can get around them... However for HIM? I don't know what I'll do to them if I get my hands on him.

@the-justified-anon - Anon of Justice, Ens.

Status: Well, I got nothing to say except for hoping that I can be one of Justice one day and that you're cool as hell! Hope we can get to talk when you're not doing your job!

@kenis-goobers - Umbra, the man in the shadows.

Status: I met this guy once and I already think they're pretty nice. He wasn't hostile to me so I wasn't hostile to them. He could be a good friend.

@sally-the-turret - My daughter.

Status: I may not know you as much but I know you're young... You're safe here and I'll protect you from GLaDOS and the others. You are now a daughter of guidance...

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[The art of my OC was made by my nephew: @slimsurvivalmax. They're on Tumblr too so go support them!!! :3]

[natashasfilms]

Chapter Ten - The Fisher King: Part 1

Summary: FBI agent Leila faces a profound life change after giving birth to a baby girl, supported by her loving husband. Despite the challenges of motherhood, Leila returns to her role as a dedicated agent a few months later, ready to confront gruesome and haunting cases with the BAU team.

Pairing: BAU!Fem!OC x Male!OC , EVENTUAL Aaron Hotchner x BAU!Fem!OC (Like much later)

Warnings: This story contains mature themes such as sexual content, strong language, violence, mentions of alcohol and drugs, blood, gore, and death. All the usual Criminal Minds stuff. And there is NO CHEATING.

Note 1: I imagine Leila Kade as South Asian but I have decided to let you, the reader, imagine her appearance, hence the reason why I have not given her a face claim. However, her race does not affect the story, whatsoever. You, as the reader, are free to imagine her however you want. If you don't see her as South Asian, then that's fine. It won't affect the storyline. I also imagine the OC!Male as South Asian, but again, it won't affect the storyline.

Note 2: The team will consist of the main cast (Emily, Derek, JJ, Spencer, Penelope, Aaron, and Rossi) but will also include Elle Greenaway and Jason Gideon because they were some of my favorite characters and I wanted to include them with the rest of the team. Basically, Elle and Gideon never leave when Emily and Rossi join.

Note 3: There will be multiple time skips throughout this series. For example, the first chapter will begin on the first season and episode of the show but then there will be a time skip to later episodes (because there are obviously way too many episodes to write this series on and I wanted to include specific episodes that would help the plot of this story). This means that this series will be a slow burn romance but I believe it to be better this way. This will also stray from the actual show a lot, so don't expect it to follow the plot precisely.

Series Masterlist

Season 1, Episode 22

Leila's excitement peaked upon learning that she would finally enjoy a long and refreshing break from work. Aaron's decision to grant the entire team two weeks off filled her with anticipation. All she could think about was being able to devote her undivided attention to her family without the burden of a new case weighing on her mind.

As she ensured she had everything she needed from her office packed into her bag, she let out a sigh of relief. Rushing out of her office, she almost accidentally collided with Aaron, who had also just emerged from his own office.

"Hey, ready to leave?" Aaron's bright smile greeted her. It was the happiest Leila had seen him at work, and she couldn't help but feel that this break was the best thing to happen to them in a long time.

"Two weeks with no contact from this place? It's like a dream come true," Leila said giddily as they descended the steps. "And now it sounds like I hate my job."

Aaron chuckled, reaching the last step. "I don't blame you. It's nice to finally have some time away from here." As they approached their cubicles, they noticed Elle and Derek. "Hey, don't knock family. I'm going to get nothing but for the next 336 hours," Aaron remarked.

Derek hummed with a smile on his face. "Good for you."

"Haley's got a list of chores a mile long and I can't wait," Aaron exclaimed excitedly. "The biggest decision I gotta make is what I'm gonna do first."

"I bet she has a thought or two about that as well," Elle responded, sharing a grin of her own.

"Bring it on," Aaron said loudly, walking away from them.

"Bye guys, have fun!" Leila waved goodbye, rushing out the doors.

"Thank you, Grace. Please enjoy the next two weeks off," Leila expressed her gratitude, cradling Jasmine as the little baby babbled happily. "You're the best."

Grace returned her appreciation with a warm smile, gently patting Jasmine's head before bidding them farewell. "You three enjoy your two weeks off. You guys really deserve it."

"You're the sweetest, drive safe!" Leila called out as she watched Grace leave the house. She then looked down at Jasmine, who was still babbling away. "Let's wait for daddy to come home from work, and then we can have lots of fun, okay sweetie?"

A few moments later, Leila heard the garage door open, indicating Zaid was home. As soon as he walked in, Leila rushed over to him, still holding Jasmine. "There's my two gorgeous girls, come here," he greeted warmly, wrapping his arms around Leila, being careful of Jasmine in her arms. "Both mommy and daddy have two weeks off from work, so we're going to make the most out of it, alright Jas?"

When Leila had told Zaid that she was getting two weeks off from the BAU, he didn't hesitate to take some time off from his job as well, wanting to spend as much time with his family as possible. "Mhm, and I know a few ways we can spend it," Leila grinned, giving him a quick peck on the lips. Zaid winked before gently taking Jasmine from her arms, twirling her around as Jasmine giggled joyfully.

After dinner and some playtime with Jasmine and her favorite toys, Leila and Zaid finally settled their baby down for the night. Ensuring she was comfortable, they quietly exited her room. As they left, Zaid playfully grabbed Leila's waist, causing her to squeal a bit too loudly. He quickly covered her mouth with his hand. "Shh, you're going to wake her, honey."

She scoffed, gently pushing him away before turning to face him. "Well, then don't give me a reason to scream."

Realizing what she had just said, her cheeks flushed with embarrassment as Zaid began to chuckle, his hands coming up to gently cup her face. "I think you're underestimating me, love," he teased affectionately.

Leila rolled her eyes before Zaid leaned down to capture her lips with his own. He pushed her against the wall, his hands reaching for their own bedroom door before opening it and pushing her inside. Zaid swiftly picked her up, Leila wrapping her legs around his waist as they fell onto the bed.

Their lips continued to move against each other while Zaid tugged at her shirt, his hands moving under it to touch her skin. Leila hummed against his lips as he tugged at his hair. "You gotta be quiet for me, honey. You can do that, can't you?" Zaid muttered against her skin, detaching his lips from hers to move down her neck. She tried to speak but couldn't, her mind focused on the pleasure he was giving her. Instead, she nodded her head. "Good girl," he chuckled, and the two fell into a world of pleasure soon after.

The ringing of the phone in the middle of the night jolted Leila from her slumber. She lay on top of Zaid, his arms encircling her, and her frustration grew as the phone persisted. With a groan, she reluctantly reached out to the nightstand, not bothering to check the Caller ID before answering. "Agent Kade," she mumbled into the phone, trying her hardest not to fall back asleep.

"Agent Kade..." the voice on the other end spoke, but Leila was too tired to register whose voice it was. "You need to focus on what truly matters. There's someone in danger, someone who needs your help. There have been many destroyed relationships in the family, don't get lost in the details. Remember, everything starts at the beginning. Time is of the essence, and the youngest holds the key. You must find a way to save her. Can you do it, Leila? Can you be the hero she needs? Can you finally do what's right?"

Leila furrowed her eyebrows as her eyes shot wide open, sitting up on the bed, still holding the phone against her ear. "Who's speaking? What are you talking about?" The sudden change in Leila's demeanor caused Zaid to become worried, who had awoken after she picked up the phone.

"Save her before it's too late," the voice said once more before the line cut off.

"Who was that?" Zaid asked with concern, his eyes scanning his wife's face.

She looked at him with furrowed eyebrows, shaking her head. "I have no idea."

Leila glanced towards their bedroom door and swiftly rose, hurrying to Jasmine's room, with Zaid close on her heels. Relief flooded her as she laid eyes on her sleeping baby, Leila's fingers instinctively clutching the crib's bars. Zaid approached, placing a reassuring hand on her shoulder, prompting her to look up at him. "What's going on?" he asked, concern etched in his voice.

She swallowed hard, stealing one last glance at Jasmine before guiding Zaid out of the room. Leaning against the hallway wall, she crossed her arms tightly. "I just got a really strange call. Some guy insisted that I have to find a way to save a 'her.'"

"Her? Which her?" Zaid asked, his eyebrows furrowed with concern.

"That's what I don't know," Leila replied, exhaling heavily and shaking her head. "But there was something else." Zaid nodded, encouraging her to continue. Leila took a shaky breath before speaking. "He said something about a family, Zaid."

His confusion deepened, knitting his eyebrows together. "What do you mean?" he questioned, seeking clarification.

Leila pursed her lips, pinching the bridge of her nose. "He said that there have been many destroyed relationships in the family and proceeded to finish off by asking if I can finally do what's right." As soon as those words left Leila's lips, Zaid's eyes widened in shock. "There's no way, right?"

Zaid shook his head, gently rubbing her back in reassurance. "I'm sure it was just a prank call, honey. Don't worry." Despite his comforting words, Leila couldn't shake off the unease that settled in her mind. Her heart skipped a beat when the phone rang again, causing her to jump in fear. "Hey, it's okay. I'll answer this time, okay?" Zaid offered, his voice calm and soothing as he grabbed the phone. He answered the phone and listened intently to the person on the other end. Nodding in acknowledgment, he glanced over at Leila, who still wore a concerned expression. "Yeah, she's right here," he said into the phone before handing it over to her, silently mouthing that it was Aaron who called.

Leila furrowed her eyebrows, her concern growing as she brought the phone to her ear. "Hey," she answered, waiting for Aaron to speak.

"I just got a call from Derek," Aaron spoke, his voice tense. "The Jamaican police arrested Elle for a suspected murder."

"What?" Leila exclaimed, her voice tinged with shock.

"I honestly thought it was just a stupid prank call, but he called you too?" Leila asked in disbelief. "And now Elle has been arrested. What the hell is going on, Aaron?"

As the two FBI agents were en route to Jamaica to meet with Derek and Elle, they learned that Elle had been framed for a murder. The authorities had discovered a blood trail leading to her room at the resort where she and Derek were vacationing. The victim had been decapitated, making identification impossible thus far. Aaron ensured to bring in bureau lawyers and a crime scene unit as they didn't know what they were dealing with.

"I don't know," Aaron sighed, rubbing his temple. "So much for two weeks off." The two sat across from each other in the jet, grappling with the unfolding situation. Leila was certain that Elle was being framed. It was out of character for her to commit such a crime. "You didn't have to come, you know?" Aaron remarked.

Leila rolled her eyes. "Like hell I wouldn't." Aaron couldn't help but smile, chuckling softly at her response. Leila tilted her head, narrowing her eyes in confusion. "Why are you laughing?" she asked, puzzled by his reaction.

He shook his head, reassuring her that it wasn't bad. "You're a good friend," he affirmed, knowing that she would always stick up for everyone on the team no matter what. "We're all lucky to have someone like you on this team."

Her lips turned up into a smirk, laughing at his response. "Aw, Aaron. Don't get so sappy on me," she teased. "It's not good for your image." The comment made Aaron roll his eyes.

They soon arrived in Jamaica, driving to where Elle was currently detained. Upon meeting up with Derek, he explained everything to them to the best of his ability. Once they arrived at the location, the three of them walked into the room where Elle was being questioned. Aaron presented evidence to the investigator, proving that Elle was not even present when the murder occurred. Reluctantly, the investigator handed over the keys to unlock Elle's handcuffs.

They left the room, and Leila immediately enveloped Elle in a tight hug, relieved to see her freed from the unjust ordeal. "Are you okay, Elle?" Leila asked, gently rubbing her back in comfort.

Elle pulled back slightly to answer, her expression a mixture of confusion and exhaustion. "I don't even know what the hell just happened." 

The four of them walked away, ready to depart for Quantico, eager to find out what was going on and who was sending them strange messages.

Once back at Quantico, they were informed that the headless victim's head had been sent to Gideon. The victim, identified as Marty Harris, had been rooming with a man named Frank Giles at the resort. Giles was revealed as the murderer but had fled Jamaica, prompting a search. Meanwhile, the unsettling individual who had called Leila on the phone had been sending cryptic messages to the entire team, repeatedly urging them to save a girl.

"So, clearly we have a psychopath intent on drawing us into his game," Aaron stated, the team gathered in the conference room, attempting to piece everything together.

"Playing with us," Gideon finished, his tone grave.

Elle chimed in with determination. "Then let's return the favor."

"He kept telling us repeatedly to save her. What 'her'?" Derek questioned, his brow furrowed in frustration.

Gideon pondered for a moment. "The items he's sent must be some kind of clues."

"We should put them all up on the board, then," Leila suggested, prompting Aaron to nod in agreement. JJ grabbed a marker to start writing on the board.

"I got a Nellie Fox baseball card from 1963 and I got a head in a box," Jason began.

"I got a rare butterfly in a shadow box," JJ spoke, turning her head towards the team before she turned back around to write the clues onto the board.

"And repeated messages to 'save her,'" Aaron added.

"He called me and said that 'There have been many destroyed relationships in the family,'" Leila retorted, shaking her head, her initial thoughts when she first heard the message gone from her mind. "Whatever that's supposed to mean."

"I got the decapitated body," Elle said, walking back and forth in the room with her arms crossed. "And a nice visit to the Jamaican Police Headquarters."

"Reid called from Nevada," Gideon informed them. "He's on the way back here with a skeleton key and a note he got, too."

"And the guy who called me said, 'The youngest one holds the key,'" Aaron finished off.

Elle raised an eyebrow and shrugged. "That's Reid."

"Okay, but wait a minute. UnSubs, they don't contact us this way," Derek began, shaking his head. "I mean, they might taunt us, dare us to catch them, but they don't drag us into their fantasy."

JJ turned to look at Derek, furrowing her eyebrows in confusion. "Why not?"

"Because they're sexual fantasies," Derek responded, waving his hand. "I mean, taunting us is a show of power, but making us the object is…" he paused, shrugging, before clasping his hands together. "I don't know what the hell that is."

"There's something else about the baseball card," Gideon started to say. "Nellie Fox was one of the stars of the 1959 White Sox. I went to almost every game with my father that year. Fox was my hero." Leila tilted her head, her mouth slightly parted as she tried to comprehend everything. "So is it a coincidence that he sends this to me, or does he know how I feel about him?"

The little story made JJ pause, turning her head back around towards the team when she realized something. "I collected butterflies when I was a little girl. That's how I knew what butterfly was in the box."

Derek tilted his head. "So then he knows us?"

"I got an anonymous message," Aaron said, shooting down the possible idea.

"I got a police raid," Elle added.

"And I got––" Leila paused, her breath catching in her throat for a moment, everyone else in the room staring at her before she continued. "I got a random phone call in the middle of the night. So I guess not."

"But he knew exactly where we were," Derek continued, paying no mind to the sudden hesitation in Leila's voice. She let out a silent breath of relief, but her eyes locked with Gideon's, the older man staring at her as if she was hiding something. She quickly looked away as Derek continued to talk. "Hotel in Jamaica, Gideon at the cabin, Reid in Vegas, you two at your homes."

Suddenly, a certain blonde walked into the room, her expression somber. "He got that from the Bureau computers. Your locations are always logged in there so they can locate you if necessary," Penelope informed them, holding a piece of paper in her hand. The team turned their attention to her, urging her to continue. "And I checked the log. The hacker was definitely in the personnel folders. There were room numbers for the hotel in Jamaica, the address of Gideon's cabin... There's a lot of information in those databases."

Aaron, maintaining his usual stoic demeanor, questioned her. "Have you figured out how he was able to breach the Bureau's computers?"

Penelope swallowed hard, her voice trembling. "I'm still working on that."

The team noticed the tremor in her voice, sensing that she was holding something back, a realization that struck Leila as hypocritical, given that she was doing the same. "Garcia, if you know something…" Aaron prompted, his tone firm.

"No, it's, um…It's just…I…" she stuttered, struggling to articulate her thoughts. "I was playing a game yesterday. An online game."

Gideon raised his head. "A game?"

Penelope quickly interjected to clarify. "Not on the Bureau computers, sir. On my own personal laptop."

Derek sighed, leaning forward. "No, Garcia. No, no, no."

"I don't understand," Aaron said, clearly puzzled. Leila released a breath, realizing the implications. She knew Penelope didn't mean any harm, but she couldn't help but pinch the bridge of her nose.

"Wireless Internet," Derek explained succinctly.

"By wirelessly hooking into the Net here to get online, the hacker could have accessed my computer first, and I have far less protection on my own laptop," Penelope clarified.

"And he could have infiltrated the entire Bureau computer system this way?" Aaron inquired, his brow furrowed and his arms still crossed.

"Yeah, it's possible," Penelope confirmed solemnly.

"Playing a game?" Gideon shrugged, standing up from his seat. "How could you be that stupid? Information, files. You have a responsibility," he said frustratedly, and Leila noticed the hurt on Penelope's face.

"I know, sir. I'm so sorry," Penelope apologized, her voice breaking. The team looked at her with sympathy, but then she spoke again. "But I found him."

"You what?" Elle questioned, disbelief evident in her tone.

"I know who he is, the hacker. His name is Giles. Frank Giles," she rushed out, unfolding the paper in her hand. They all looked at each other as soon as she revealed the name, their eyes widening. "He lives in Arlington, Virginia, four miles from here. I have his address."

Leila stepped forward. "Garcia, you said Giles?" she asked, seeking clarification.

They soon went to Giles' address to apprehend him, only to find him murdered in his room, stabbed with a sword. A chilling note, written in his blood, adorned the wall, stating, 'Here thy quest doth truly begin.'

Searching his room for any clues, they discovered a bag of money on his dresser. They assumed that Giles had carried out the murder of Harris as instructed by the unsub, who, in turn, rewarded him with money. However, the unsub had turned on Giles, ultimately killing him. The unsub continuously left them clues, using language reminiscent of the medieval times.

They found a CD the unsub left for them, watching it once they got back to the BAU. He named them one by one, including pictures of them, making it clear that only the team was to complete the 'quest.' Despite the unsub's instructions to exclude anyone but themselves from the case, Gideon was adamant about holding a press conference.

After the press conference, they continued to sift through the clues. Leila glanced over and noticed that Elle had fallen asleep on the couch. "Someone's really tired," she remarked, her gaze fixed on Elle's sleeping form.

"Can you blame her?" Derek questioned, giving Leila a sympathetic look. "She hasn't slept for thirty-six hours."

Aaron entered the room and immediately noticed Elle asleep on the couch. "Elle?" he called out.

The brunette quickly shot up. "I'm awake."

"I'm sending you home," Aaron told her firmly.

"No," Elle sighed, resisting.

"You need to get some rest, and we won't do anything without you," Aaron reassured her.

"Elle, seriously," Derek spoke up. "We're not any closer than we were. Get out of here. Go home."

"But––"

"It's an order." Aaron gave her a pointed look.

Elle turned to look at Leila, who nodded in agreement. "You need to sleep, Elle. Go home and recharge, you'll feel so much better."

With a defeated breath, Elle stood up from her spot on the couch and walked away with Aaron. Leila, Derek, and Spencer continued to work on the case, but nothing seemed to be coming to mind. Leila's eyes focused on the rows of numbers on the paper the unsub had sent them. The unsub told them that they needed a specific book to decode the message, but they were unsure of which book to use.

Leila ran a hand over her face, massaging her temples as she felt another headache coming on. She stood up from her chair to take a break, letting the team know that she would be back after a few minutes. Exiting the room, she headed towards her office but then noticed Haley with Jack in the stroller sitting in Aaron's office. She was only here because the unsub dropped off a note at their home. 

Knocking on the door, she heard a faint "come in" and she walked inside. She gave Haley a warm smile as she hugged her. "You look really tired, Leila. Are you doing okay?"

Leila chuckled, nodding. "This unsub is really kicking our butts right now. We still feel like we're getting nowhere with all of this."

Haley gave her a sympathetic smile, putting a hand on her shoulder. "It's okay, you guys will eventually figure this out, just like you always do." Leila returned the smile, but then her eyes moved over to the stroller. "Jack's still asleep. Aaron told us to stay here until it's safe."

"And he made the right call," Leila responded. "I'm going to get back. I just needed a small break from being in that small room."

"Of course, I'll see you later, Leila." Haley waved goodbye as Leila exited Aaron's office. Leila decided to walk to her office and try her best to think of anything that could help.

She sat in her chair, her mind drifting to Elle, who was likely already sleeping in the comfort of her own home by now. She felt a pang of sympathy for her best friend, knowing everything she had endured over the past day, from being arrested to the unsettling games the unsub was playing with them. She was relieved that Elle had finally gone home to get some rest.

Yet, despite this, she couldn't shake off the strange feeling that something was about to happen.

[creature-wizard]

Omg I wish I could ban tiktok from my parent’s phones. It has completely sped up their radicalization process. My dad today briefly mentioned the “Jewish circumcision method where they used their teeth to cut the skin and drink the kids blood.” I want to scream! How has he become so blind to propaganda?? How has he fallen so deep into this pipeline?? Like it’s crazy!

Please I beg people to have learn reading comprehension, to look into things instead of blindly believing a tiktok. You are aloud to learn things without an “authority” telling you about it. Please understand criticism or challenging those harmful beliefs isn’t a personal attack! Please have more awareness outside of your echo chamber!! Just because you can’t actively see the harm those beliefs cause doesn’t mean they aren’t damaging.

I know there isn’t a lot I can do to help my situation with how deep my parents are and who they are as people. Which is really depressing. But please if you find yourself falling down these pipelines understand where your going is not good. My mom started with homeopathy/alternative medicine and now look where my parents are, right wing conspiracies and Nazi ideology. Just because you aren’t actively going out in the world and doing physical harm, doesn’t mean what you’re believing in and supporting isn’t harmful. Please have some awareness. Being spiritual also doesn’t stop you from being brainwashed with propaganda. If someone is trying to explain why having a new age belief is wrong maybe listen instead of being defensive. Like seriously grow up, you are capable of learning something new and listening to a challenge. You are allowed to be wrong and grow. You should be able to question your religion.

Fucking hell your dad fell for what- 💀

That. That's literally just blood libel. Ugh.

I'm so sorry your parents fell so deep into this bullshit, and I appreciate you sharing your story. This is an excellent example of why it's important to be aware of what conspiratorial bullshit looks like and where it's likely to be. The New Age to Alt Right pipeline is very real and claims more people every day. If people want to act all precious when I call out this kind of shit, I want them to know that they are functionally just Nazis at this point, because those are the beliefs they're defending and upholding. It doesn't matter if they, personally don't identify as Nazis, because it's all the same bullshit. And it deserves no respect whatsoever, because Nazis deserve no respect whatsoever.