#Mallory Hail

[subcon-crybaby-charlie]

I know I said Rajeev, Shanilla, and Mallory would get their own posts for this hypothetical reboot/ the au, but thinking about it I don't have a lot to say about the three of them to cover an individual post, or a lot of art of them either, so they're gonna share this post.

Out of the three they all didn't really have a lot, Mallory especially, but I changed the most about Rajeev.

Rajeev, now Raj, is gender fluid and goes by He/They or She/they for the most part. He and Shanilla's parents fashion designers who do designs for anything ranging from runway fashion to movie costume designs. Raj is taking fashion design courses at the Beverly Heights private art school to get ahead of the curve, Lolo is also in these classes. They still have a crush on Lolo but it's less...creepy and more so he becomes a doormat for her and her alone. She uses this to her advantage to get Raj to draw her designs for her so she can trace them and turn them in as her own. He's still Spencer's best friend and main actor in their best bros horror films, but he also often throws together cheap outfits he buys themselves so that they don't get their more expensive clothes dirty.

Shanilla is more layed back, she used to run with a group of horse girls when she was in middle school but grew out of that phase at the start of her freshman year upon realizing that she didn't want to surround herself with the kinds of people she was friends with. She does painting and sculpting at the high school she attends with her twin siblings Raj, she often helps Spencer make his props and helps Mallory design small set pieces for the films. She doesn't really have a crush on Spencer in this version, instead she's more interested in his life before living in LA since she's a recovering horse girl and he lived in rural Kansas.

Mallory honestly had nothing going on in the original show other than the fact she was nice so I built her up from scratch. In my version of the show, Mallory had a falling out with Lolo the summer before their first year of highschool, her father owns a successful company and her family is just a bit richer than Lolo's, and they had a severe argument among her finding out that Lolo was pretending to be her friend to get her dad to sell his business to Lolo's dad. When high school started however she started to hang out with Shanilla, since her old friend group crossed over into Mallory's, and Raj and of course Spencer got added when he moved to Beverly Heights. Mallory's kindness is her biggest fault, often over looking obvious red flags to be optimistic and trust somebody that really doesn't deserve it. She does painting and portraiture at the highschool and helps make set pieces and back drops for Spencer's films. She also has an almost deathly fear of ghosts due to seeing a scary movie she shouldn't have watched when she was way too young to watch it, so coincidentally she's scared of Billy at first, but she slowly warms up to him as he teaches her how to not be a class A doormat. Similarly to he and Spencer she has a SIBLING relationship with Billy.

For my designs, again if anything Rajeev changed the most, I just essentially designed a character I'd like whereas Shanilla and Mallory's designs play on their canon designs.

[author-a-holmes]

Good Lines Tag

Thank you @avrablake for the Tag. I've not seen this one before but I love it, so I'm going to pass it onto a few people...

Tagging forward, with no pressure, to; @faelanvance @charlesjosephwrites @authoralexharvey @acertainmoshke @queen-kass-the-writer @sylhorn @ashen-crest @world-of-fire-and-flight-admin @afoolandathief @fictionalbullshitter @artbyeloquent @ettawritesnstudies @sleepyowlwrites @duckingwriting @kaiusvnoir and @tisiphonewolfe. Also anyone else who wants to play, consider this an open tag.

Rules

What's a line that you're tremendously proud of writing, and what's a line that's just out-of-context ridiculous?

CW for the snippets: One talks about death and dying. The other talks about womens monthlies.

Line I'm Proud Of

It's a line Andric Roche says to Lizzy in Changeling, and I remember writing it, pausing and going. "Wow. Where did that come from?". It's stuck with me as a very quoteable line, and it's one of my favourites in Changeling.

"Survival is always about chance, Lizzy. Everything in the world wants to kill us. Even time."

Out-of-Context Ridiculous

I wasn't sure what to share for this one, but then earlier this evening (May 9th) I was doing a bit of writing practice with some characters from a future book and one of them spat out a line that's just perfect.

"Are you asking me to... to speed up my moonflow?!" she hissed out, and something on her face or in her voice must have warned Nik how close he was to igniting her fury because his hands raised fully, palms out, as he shook his head.

[eclecticqueennerd]

Bad Idea Right?

*inspired by the song ‘Bad Idea Right?’ by Olivia Rodrigo.

*Language, smut, violence, breakup, alcohol consumption* Billy Butcher x reader

It’s been a few months since you left the boys. The direction Butcher was leading the group was a surefire plan to get you all killed and you wanted nothing to do with it. Convincing Butcher to take a moment to mull plans over instead of going in guns blazing was a tall order, one that ultimately made you decide that a relationship with him was not worth your life. You tried to convince the rest of the gang to leave but all that got you was a bunch of noes and a broken heart. Butcher, even with all his asshole ways, held your heart in his hand and it hurt to walk away from him. At least you have Annie keeping you company.

-Wyd 2nite?

Tearing your eyes away from the TV as you lounged on the dingy bed of your motel room Grace Mallory stashed you in, you typed out your response to Annie.

-nm, u?

-wanna meet up w Kimiko n go out?

-yass!

You and Annie meet up with Kimiko just outside of a nightclub. After you gather and exchange hugs, you go in and begin drinking and dancing to the heavy bass playing on the stereo. Multicolored lights flash all around you as you allow yourself to succumb to the party atmosphere. After the song ends, the three of you spot a booth off in the corner of the club and make your way there, stopping at the bar to refill your drinks. The three of you catch up. Annie was still in Vought Tower, Kimiko still working with Frenchie and The Boys. Kimiko gives a recount of how everyone else was doing in the group, including Butcher.

‘He really misses you.’ Kimiko signs. ‘We all really miss you. You should come back.’ You shake your head.

“No, I think it’s better for me to stay away. Butchers gonna get someone killed.” You could feel vibration coming from your phone in the pocket of your dress. Lifting it in front of your blurry eyes you blink a few times to clear them. You try to make out the name but it’s an unknown number, you declined the call.

“Besides, he probably hates me now.” Vibration came from your phone again. *Decline* Another call from the unknown number.

“He doesn’t hate you, y/n. I don’t think-” Annie begins to say but then you interject,

“I’m sorry, I gotta take this. This asshole keeps calling me.” Walking out of the club, you answer the call and before you can talk, you hear a gruff voice on the other line,

“Y/n?” You’d recognize that voice from anywhere. The last time you heard him speak was four months ago when you told him you were breaking up with him.

“Y/n, you there?”

“Butcher?”

“I need your help.”

“What happened?”

“I’m hurting real bad. I need you to come help me.”

“If you’re really that hurt-”

“Y/n, please.” You hear the desperation in his voice. He never begs for anything; he must be down bad. You let out an exasperated sigh and then *click*.

“Butcher? Billy?” You look at the phone screen and see that the call has ended. *ping* An address pops up on your phone. You sigh again. Tapping the edge of your phone on your forehead in frustration, you make your decision. You meet up with Annie and Kimiko and tell them that you’ll catch up with them later, you’ve got something you have to deal with. Rather, someone. But you didn’t dare tell them that.

Hailing a cab and telling the driver the address, you kept thinking this was not a good idea. From what you heard from the gang; Butcher did not take the breakup well. He broke things, drank more, and pushed everyone to their breaking point. MM had to leave the group to regain his sanity, only to return shortly after leaving. Kimiko recounted that Butcher was better when you were around. So why the hell was he calling you if you caused him so much pain? Watching the progression of your map marker reach its destination on Google Maps, your heart began to beat harder in your chest. The car stopped outside of a tall brick building. Tipping the cab driver you made your way in, texting Butcher and asking which level and unit he was in.

Trekking up the steps, heart pounding in your chest, the blurriness in your eyes from the booze now cleared, you made your way to his door. *knock, knock, knock* The door swung open, and across the threshold was Billy Butcher. Still the same handsome man you turned to putty for not too long ago. He stood before you shirtless, clad in green sweatpants. Your mouth went dry, and the screaming thoughts in your brain telling you to march right back down those steps ceased. The two of you just stood there, staring at each other.

“You uhh… gonna let me in or what?” Butcher blinks and then makes an opening for you to slip through. Hearing the soft click of the door shut behind you, you take in the emptiness of his studio apartment. The only furniture in the room was a pull-out bed with tangled sheets, coffee table covered in empty alcohol bottles and a box TV on a beat-up nightstand. You feel guilty for a moment as when the two of you were together, the apartment you lived in never got to this state.

“You said you were hurt?” You said as you turned around to face Butcher. He just stands there, holding a sweating beer bottle in his hand, eyes scanning you up and down. His eyes settle on your cleavage. You snap your fingers to get his attention. It works.

“What did you need help with?” Butcher explains that he needed to be patched up on his back. Turning him around you see that it’s scratches with some gravel lodged in the deeper lacerations. Most of the wounds were superficial, and none of them needed sutures.

“Jesus what did you do tonight, Butcher?”

“Got in a tussle. You gon help me or not?”

“Yeah, turn around.” As you begin cleaning the wounds on Butcher's back, your thoughts then return telling you that you should not be here and you should have gotten MM to clean his back up. After using a tweezer to pull out the small bits of gravel from his back, you grabbed a paper towel and doused it with hydrogen peroxide.

“This is gonna sting.” Before you got a reply out of him, Butcher hissed at the light dabbing you placed on his wounds with the paper towel. As he hissed, you saw the muscles in Butcher's back tense, reminding you of the times he had you on your back and was fucking up into you, head cradled in the crook of your neck, giving you a perfect view of his shoulders and back. You shake your head.

“Okay all done. Be more careful next time.” Throwing the used items in the trash bag and make your way to the bathroom to wash your hands in the bathroom sink. Splashing cold water on your face, makeup be damned, attempting to slow down the growing desire in your core. Walking out of the bathroom, you spot a Hawaiian shirt on the floor, torn and bloody. You look down to inspect it.

“Aw man, this was the shirt I gave you for your birthday. It’s fucked.” You see Butcher pouring two glasses of amber-colored liquor, and he offers you a glass.

“My favorite shirt.” He replies. You shake your head to decline the drink, but Butcher, being who he is, insists. Yanking the glass out of his hand and downing the amber liquid in one gulp, you set the glass down on the counter. You give him a brief goodbye and walk toward the door. Butcher grabs your wrist; you turn and see a silent plea in his eyes. Your brain screaming at you to fly down those steps and out of the building, your heart telling you to be in his arms again. He’s not good for you, he’ll get you killed.

Fuck it, it's fine. You pull Butcher down into a feverish kiss. His mouth met yours with as much passion. You both shuffle to the edge of the pull-out bed, and you push Butcher backward. He falls back easily, letting you take the lead. You go to remove your dress when Butcher places his hands on yours and assists you in pulling it over your head. Once the garment was removed, you straddle Butcher and continue kissing him with the same fiery passion as before, his hands roaming all over your exposed form. You sit up and rock your hips against his, generating some friction for your needy core. Locking eyes with him, you see that Butcher's hazel iris is now covered by his pupils, eyes entirely covered in black. After a few more hip gyrations, Butcher pulls you back down to kiss you. He poured everything into the kiss, tongues, and teeth clashing. You pull away from Butcher and help him lower his sweatpants. Once free, you grab ahold of his throbbing cock and pump it a few times then line it up to your core, rubbing the tip along your slit. Butcher moans. As you sank down on him, you feel your cunt stretch to take all of him in. Once at full hilt, you take a moment to pause to get used to feeling him inside you again. Butcher sat up and rubbed your cheek with his thumb, wiping a few tears you didn’t realize were falling.

“I’ve missed you luv.” Butcher said as he stared into your eyes. It was as if he was looking into your soul, searching for something. You leaned forward and gave him a soft kiss on his lips as you began moving yourself on his cock. Butcher groaned, wrapping one hand around the back of your head and wrapped the other around your waist. The two of you moved in sync, you grind your hips to meet his light thrusts, gasps and moans filling the apartment. You feel the coil in your belly begin to tighten, Butcher felt it too. He then flips the two of you over to where you’re lying on your back and he’s positioned above you, grabbing your legs to wrap around his waist. He buried his head in the crook of your neck as he began to quicken his pace.

“Billy, don’t’ stop… I’m close.” You pant. Butcher takes his right hand and begins to rub circles around your clit, which pushed you over the edge. Butcher follows shortly after, spilling his cum into you with a roar. The two of you lay on the bed, fighting to catch your breath. After a few moments, you get up from the bed to get dressed. Looking for your dress under the bed, Butcher reaches his hand out and gently places it on top of yours. You look up at him and he says,

“Stay with me.” The internal struggle was real at this moment. Your brain tells you to leave, that this man was no good, but you loved Butcher. In the end, your heart won the battle, and you climbed in next to Butcher, snuggling up next to his side. Butcher whispered sweet nothings into your ear, promising you all the things that he said he would do from now on, and that he loved you. Silence fell between you. Just before Butcher fell asleep, you said,

“You know, Annie was proud of me for getting out. She’s gonna be pissed to hear that we’re back together.” Butcher turns his head to look at you.

“What’re you gonna tell her?”

“Oh, I dunno… maybe that I tripped and fell into your bed.” the two of you chuckle before falling into a restful sleep.

[santoschristos]

All Hail the Virgo Goddess

Goddess Energy: you know your worth, you know your value, you know your power.

Virgo season is all about that goddess energy

ThatsWhatSheSaidART by Mallory Jarrell

[boncorner]

So the idea of an Undertaker Fizzy always tickled me...

Made as a deal between Satan and Mammon to help clean up Wrath that sees many deaths all year around. The Fizzy goes around the ring, collects, prepares and buries bodies, and hosts funerals in Satan's name, since imps all hail from Satan (Satan Bless). I've grown fond of the nickname "Mortis"

Bonus, Blitzø on his mare Mallory ♥︎

[courtofcrescent]

Question for you, have you already chosen nationalities for the ROs, or skin tones? Just out of curiosity :)

Hey there, Dear Anon!

MALLORY is a true imperial, hailing from the original Kingdom of Calligo, the seat of the Empire. He is a Calligian. And since he comes from the magnificent Imperial House Astrum, he's considered a pure Calligian.

VIVIAN's house is a longstanding vassal of Imperial House Astrum that hails from the southern border of Calligo. She is a noble Calligian and a proud knight of House Benito.

Despite ELLIS's questionable parentage, he was born, raised, and thrived in the Kingdom of Luxendis. He is Luxendian through and through.

SORIN is a noble lady from the old nobility lineage of House Flaveny. She is undoubtedly Luxendian.

E̴N̵I̶G̵M̸A̷ is an enigma. T̸h̵e̴y̷'̴re̶ ̸wa̵it̷i̵ng̷ ̶to̶ ̴b̴e u̵n̷r̷av̶e̶led̶.̷

Click here for ROs physical descriptions!

Thank you for the ask! 🩶

[wyked-ao3]

Happy wbw! In what ways have the cultures your characters grew up in affected their personality?

hmmm... that's good question their are multiple cultures within a kingdom so buckle up.

Oisin is a good example of four cultures merging, his grandmother was probably the last Mallory to practice blood magic,... The name passes down through the maternal bloodline for Tarak. His mother was follower of Nyx yet not chosen by the goddess to be a shaman.... So he grew up learning about multiple gods due to his father worshiping Giaias the god or goddess of the earth along with his grandfather who worshiped death as the supreme entity...most people only grow up with knowledge of one and branch out...that made him inquisitive. (Tarak has an Irish accent)

Amon is a bad example of spirit fae as the pirates have tamed him down some in their efforts to teach him a few morals

Daimhín was literally raised on a ship and has had minimal time on any landmass so the sea is his home if you ask him along with his ship. How does that effect him well ....it makes him a bit of a outcast in the eyes of a few as he has no nation that he considered home. He picked up the Xerex accent (Scottish )since a majority of the crew he grew up with hailed from there. Xerex is more of a patriarchal society ran by the male bloodlines.

Jade despite being raised in Tarak as a prince...speaks with a Marrow accent and has pretty much gave up on the gods as he believes they have forsaken him..and he hated Nereza not that he knows it right now as he didn't have a name for the longest....ask him who he would set on fire gleefully 0_o he has a list.. (Marrow accent is a southern accent mixed with the New Orleans drawl)

I hope that answered your question..if not I'll give it another try lol

@gioiaalbanoart

[paganimagevault]

The Kargaly/Wusun diadem 2nd C. BCE - 2nd C. CE. Note, Katheryn's article below is much longer and has more info, I just took snips of what I found most interesting. It can be found online.

"According to Chinese archaeologists, the excavated skeletal remains presumed to be Wusun are of the short-headed Europoid Central Asian interfluvial type (Mallory Mair 2000: 93-94). On the basis of six skulls from the last centuries BC/first centuries AD found in Semirechye and presumed to be those of the Wusun, Soviet archaeologists have described them as ranging from primarily Europoid with some Mongoloid admixture to pure Europeans (Mallory Mair 2000: 93-94). Evidence from ancient Chinese texts is contradictory about the appearance of these peoples and only DNA and other types of scientific testing will bring clarity to this issue.

Although gold artefacts and inlay can be found dating from the Late Neolithic through to the Bronze Age in China, it was most prevalent in its borderlands (Bunker 1993: 27-46) until the Qin and Han, when it found preference on a broader scale.

In addition, the lost-wax lost-textile casting technology was developed and used (Bunker 1988: 222-27) in the area adjacent to the very tombs from where the iconography and style of the diadem hails. Observations about the inlay technology used on the diadem are important clues as well. Inlay appeared on Chinese-produced objects almost exclusively where a cell was created into which the stone was placed and adhered with some fixative (Bunker 1993). This is not the technique used to produce the diadem, where the gold was hammered into a matrix-template, then engraved (or chased) on the surface. Many of the cells for inlay were created in the hammering process and after the stones were in place, secured by hammering the bezels surrounding each stone. In addition, there were pierced cells filled from behind with stone and secured with the addition of a gold sheet adhered behind the stone. Items produced using such techniques would probably not have been created in Chinese foundries.

Moreover, gold animal plaques known from earlier Xiongnu tombs (third century BC) use inlay to enhance the natural conformation of the beasts (Figure 5). By placing inlays at the points of movement such as at the haunches of quadrupeds or at the wing joints of birds, the potential of movement and thereby the power of these wild creatures is underscored. Inlays also mark such features as eyes. On the Kargaly diadem, however, circular inlays are used decoratively as a patterned design, still often at the haunches, but also throughout the clouds. They no longer emphasize the natural form or movement of the animals or the clouds, but create an overall pattern. This recommends a later date for the diadem, perhaps late first or second century AD.

But why would such models be used in south-eastern Kazakhstan at this time? This is a unique piece—its style and iconography were nor known before or after in the region. The models for the iconography were taken from types known near Han imperial military outposts in a place where the Chinese hoped their troops could contain barbarian incursions and where peace and stability were difficult to maintain. Those units often included conscripts whose allegiance was opportunistic. The models for diadems (Stark 2012: 134) or for applications to adorn carts or clothing come from further west.

So, was this piece made in the Western Regions, in the territory beyond the Jade Gate of the Great Wall (in present day Gansu) that marked the boundary of Han hegemony, and then carried west? Was it perhaps made as a gift for an embassy to present to a Wusun or Yuezhi leader far outside of Han territory, such as in Wusun? Or, alternatively, was it carried by a regional princess to her place of exile and burial as the partner of one of those 'foreign' leaders?"

-Katheryn Linduff, Immortals in a foreign land: the Kargaly diadem. 2014, Antiquity, Vol 88, issue 339

[booburry]

WIP WEDNESDAY

Hey! Promise I didn't die...life was just kicking my ass for a bit.

Below is an update to Chapter 7 of Echoes in Time. The working title is "Let me wake from this slumber". Below the read more is the first entry to the chapter.

Update: I know I must feed the children, and I do sincerely apologize for the delay in dinner(read as "It's a Canadian custom to apologize even if you know everyone understands and isn't upset" 🙃). This chapter has been a struggle but I attribute it (hopefully) to the stress I have been dealing with but that cloud has finally passed and I am finding the energy to write again (yaaaaaaaay!). 🥳

Because y'all have been so pleasantly patient and sending lovely messages of support and kind words to this delay (it is honestly such a refreshing feeling, and I am so greatly appreciative to those who reached out and those who silently think the same) I have included a long snippet of the next chapter. I have about 2 to 3 other major scenes to write out before the final edit.

The time spent with Vlad on The Eye went by quickly. It was interesting to hear him talk, his Russian accent being foreign for the time she was in, but a nice and familiar sound for her. He told her, to great lengths, what he did up here, what the purpose of The Eye was, how they tracked anomalies and what they looked like.

“Captain Cora, coming in for docking. Am I clear?” Vlad chuckled at her voice while Mallory only felt more dread—was Sam really using his daughter to try and make her drop her guard?

They were looking at the chartered map to the new anomaly Vlad had found when they were hailed by The Frontier. Mallory’s stomach dropped—was Sam really here? She prayed he didn’t bring that woman with him...

Well...no matter their intent, it was inevitable their meeting.

It was also inevitable that, despite the knot in her stomach, she was excited to see Cora. However, when it was only Cora and Vasco who walked from the Frontier, she became worried, and when Cora ran towards her with tears in her eyes?

That broke her heart.

Cora crashed into Mallory, tightly wrapping her arms around her and hugging her securely. Instinctively Mallory bent down slightly to enwrap Cora with comfort, a hand smoothing the child’s hair.

“I missed you!” She said to Mallory with both pain, sadness and upset.

“I missed you too, kiddo,” Mallory admitted as she placed her nose into her hair, feeling Cora slightly relax in her arms. “It’s that bad, huh?” She asked her after a moment, feeling Cora nod against her.

“Dad has been miserable, and Mom...well it’s been nice when we are alone, but I don’t like how she talks to Dad, or how she talks about you.” Cora muttered into Mallory, her arms tightening towards the end as she processed her anger and dislike towards her mother. “And they fight every night. I think Dad tries to keep his voice down but—why did you have to leave?”

Mallory felt her body jolt as she held back a sob, hearing the pain and anger behind Cora’s words, and at the distress she felt to know how miserable it had been for Sam—she couldn’t help but feel a bit guilty about leaving him.

Cora, however, did not hold back any of her tears, as she started sobbing in Mallory’s arms.

“Let it out, kiddo, you’re allowed to be upset by it all—even me being away, alright?” She didn’t let Cora leave her embrace, deepening her hug as she felt the guilt of not being with her—of leaving her behind in that toxic environment. “I’m so sorry, Cora. I wasn’t trying to get away from you, and I am sorry I didn’t talk to you about it.” Cora nodded against her with a sniffle.

“Thank you.” She politely said, her grip on Mallory releasing as she stepped backwards. “Are you going to make me go back?” Cora asked as she rubbed her eyes. Mallory smiled, knowing that she of course would be taking her back if Sam didn’t come here first, but she also had the responsibility to protect the kid from the situation she ran from.

“If I am not mistaken, it is past your bedtime so...best you sleep here, and we take you back in the morning. Okay?” Cora instantly smiled and nodded her head in agreement. “Now, I am sure Vlad would show you a few things. Let me call your Dad so he knows where you are.”

“Oh, I left him a note! He knows.” Cora said with a chirpy tone, skipping off to Vlad, her child-like enthusiasm springing back into her step as she knew she was safe. Mallory smiled while she felt that pit grow at the idea of Cora’s notes, the words she wrote her filling her mind—completely unhelpful as Mallory was about to call her father.

As she watched Vlad and Cora mutter about something, she picked up the direct comm line to The Lodge. She waited until the connecting tone was finished—meaning someone picked up.

“Hello?” Mallory asked in a rushed tone, but when she heard nothing in return, she got a bit snippy. “Hello?!” She demanded.

“Uh, hi.” Sam slowly greeted, the demand and anger in Mallory immediately disappearing. “She’s with you, isn’t she.” Sam continued, saying it as a fact and not a question, his voice giving away how broken he was.

“Yes, she said she left you a note...” Mallory advised, feeling another rush of guilt that he wasn’t here for her to comfort. She heard him give an empty laugh.

“Yeah, I...I found it when I went to check on her. I can’t—” He stopped his speech with an exasperated sigh. “I gotta stop fucking this up.” He muttered, obviously to himself but Mallory could not unhear it and knew where those words, that thought of blame, came from.

“Is she still there?” Mallory asked slowly, and when Sam didn’t respond, she only pushed on. “I know I may be overstep—”

“No, Mallory, you aren’t.” Sam cut her off, the emptiness even more present in his voice than before. “I’m so sorry.” He added, an evident strain in his voice, a breathlessness that was only brought on through pain and guilt. “I’m, uh, I’m working on getting her to leave.” He added quietly.

All Mallory could do was take a deep, shaken, breath.

“I won’t bring her back while she is there Sam, so...just call us once she does.” She said before hanging up, knowing if she listened to his voice any longer, her walls would start to crumble again—and she couldn’t risk losing that safety.

Mallory turned to look at Cora, forcing a small smile towards her as she saw how anxious she suddenly looked. Vlad had brought her over into the living quarters to get her a space to stay.

“Your mom’s almost gone, kiddo. Just going to hang out here until your dad calls.” Mallory stood next to Cora, smoothly running a hand over her hair with nothing but affection and warmth behind the motions. Cora, naturally, fell into Mallory. “You tired?” She asked and Cora just quietly. “C’mon, let’s get you to bed.”

Mallory slowly started walking, holding onto Cora and slowly guiding her to the closest cot.

“Would you...would you read to me?” She asked Mallory, a soft pain in her voice behind the request. “I—Dad used to read to me and make silly voices...you don’t have to—”

“I’ll try my best.” Mallory immediately reassured Cora, her heart melting that she would seek such comfort from her and also at the idea of Sam reading bedtime stories to his daughter with a multitude of voices. She tucked Cora in and grabbed one of the many books that were within the living quarters. And so, until Cora was deep into her sleep, Mallory sat and read ‘Dracula’ to her with her best, stereotypical, accent for the character—which she also had to explain to Cora was the original accent associated with the literature, immediately curious at what she thought was the ‘normal’ one. Her signal to stop was Cora’s light snoring and Vlad letting her know Sam was on the comm line for her.

[lumenflowered]

((Goddamn.

God fuckin' damn.

God mothafuckin' hot damn.))

OOC: that is the general vibe of the reactions I've been getting so far which is roughly what I expected but also I didn't expect so many people to be losing their shit about this haha!!! tysm!!!

anyway I was playing on my mallory save earlier today lol. streaming to a few friends over discord. and (almost) none of them had any idea that she'd originally hailed from the world of pokemon <3

god I love writing.

[sl-newsie]

Query: Q x 00 Agent- Ch. 18: Constant Warfare

“Now he’s in Cuba,” I say as I hang up the phone.

Q gives me a confused look. “Does Mallory know?”

“Doubt it.”

“I think we should keep it that way.”

I do a double-take. “Wow. Quartermaster’s keeping secrets now, hm?”

“Learned it from you, darling,” Q replies with a slightly amused hint of a smile. “Are you going after him?”

I shake my head. “Bond can handle it. If Felix is helping him then I know he’s in good hands. Right now I need to stay here and keep an eye on M.”

“In that case-” Q looks at the clock and closes his laptop. “I say we clock out and go have dinner. It’s been too long since we’ve had a proper sit-down meal and I’ve been meaning to try a new recipe for weeks.”

The thought of food sounds fantastic. All day I’ve been too preoccupied to think about eating and the promise of Q’s cooking is too good to pass up. After Q packs his messenger bag and I my purse we step out and hail a cab. When we arrive to the cozy apartment all 3 cats greet us by sulking next to their food dishes.

“I guess they’re hungry too,” I joke. “Need any help in the kitchen?”

“Not at all, darling,” Q replies as he starts prepping some meat. “You go ahead and wash up. Dinner should be ready in about an hour.”

I can’t put my finger on it but there’s something up with Q. He’s got a mysterious look in his eyes that makes me wonder if there’s something I forgot. It’s not anyone’s birthday so what other occasion would I be missing? I take a quick shower, still puzzled over Q’s behavior, and go downstairs to find the table set and soothing music playing on the speakers. 

“Why am I not surprised you listen to opera?” 

Q looks up from the vegetables he’s chopping. “You should talk. I accidentally turned on your playlist and was overwhelmed with rock music blasting my ears off.”

I shrug. “If you don’t appreciate classics like Led Zeppelin then too bad. Can I help with anything?”

“I need you to sit down and relax,” Q instructs. “Then maybe turn on something to watch.”

“Are you serious? I can do something. I was asleep for 4 years, Geoffrey. I can do something productive besides sitting down.”

Q gives me a quick kiss to keep me from arguing further. “To put it simply I do my best work alone, both in the lab and in the kitchen.”

The hint clicks in my head and I nod. “Alright. I respect that.”

He squeezes my hand. “Thank you. For everything.”

I frown. “Everything? What’s that mean?”

“I mean for everything you do, whether it’s putting up with my odd habits or allowing me to be a part of your life.”

Q says it so simply but to me it’s a confession of deep trust and adoration. After 6 years of knowing him I can’t think of living in a world without him. When I woke up from my coma I thought things would change. They did, but in the best ways possible. If Q’s loyal enough to persevere life’s punches with me then maybe…

Beep! Beep! My phone goes off again and I see it’s an unknown number. Must be Bond.

“Levie. I’m sending you a signal for a camera here in Cuba. If anything happens then you must confront M immediately.”

Just like that I hear a ding from my laptop and see a new message. Bond hangs up and I click on the link. Sure enough an image of a fancy ballroom appears on the TV screen. Mindless rich folks wander about drinking and chatting while a band plays. Brilliant, Bond. He hacked into a security camera and gave me eyes and ears to everything.

“What program is this?” Q says from across the room.

“A gift from Bond. Tonight’s entertainment, if you will. We can still eat while we watch.”

My mind strays from the television as Q brings out the delicious-smelling food; a combination of stew, fresh apples, and deviled eggs.

“Wow! This is fancy.” I give Q a suspicious glance. “Seems too special to be just a regular dinner. Usually when you do this it’s for my birthday or you’re apologizing for something.”

Q chuckles and takes a seat next to me. “Actually, I wanted it to be special.” He keeps fidgeting his hands; a sign that he’s nervous. “I figured that, since Bond’s enjoyed retirement, maybe it’s time that we could-”

“Oh God.”

My train of thought derails when I catch a glimpse of the TV. Bond is standing in a sea of people crumbling to the ground as their faces seem to melt away. 

Q gets confused by my outburst. “What? I mean, if it seems too strange-”

“Q. Look!” I point to the TV. The man sees where I’m looking and his face falls. “What in the name of Christ is that?” I ask in a shaking voice.

A few eerie seconds go by before Q answers. “Biological warfare.”

I need to make a call.

I don’t know how long it’s been. 2 minutes? 10 minutes?  I’ve been staring at the TV, which is not glitching with static since the camera was destroyed in the fight during Bond’s escape, and trying to get my thoughts together. Is this what M’s been so on edge about?

I take out my phone and start to dial while Q frantically searches on his computer. 

“Moneypenny, Bond’s in a bit of a situation. What’s going on?” I ask in a stern voice.

“Just a moment.” I hear her click a few buttons. “Here. 007 can tell you more-”

Now Nomi’s voice joins the call. “Bond has, shall we stay, taken the liberty to step in. I’m afraid he has Obruchev now.”

That’s the bloke who was taken from the lab!

“Told you, Nomi,” I reply coolly. “He doesn’t play by the rules.” I hear her hang up. “Now somebody better start being straight with me or I’m going to be deeply pissed off! Tell me what’s going on! Who’s this Obruchev fellow?”

“Obruchev developed Project Heracles,” Q speaks up. “A bio-weapon containing nanobots that infect like a virus upon touch and are coded to an individual's DNA.” A dark look clouds his face. “This weapon is lethal to the target and their relatives but harmless to others. It’s far more advanced than any other bio-weapon I’ve seen.”

A new thought surfaces. “That wouldn’t happen to be connected to the smart blood program, would it?”

“Turns out M had sanctioned the development of Heracles off the MI6 books,” Moneypenny says. “Not even the Prime Minister knows about its existence.”

I swear M’s one step away from receiving my resignation! All this time I’ve been working for someone who thought a biological weapon wasn’t going to go unnoticed. 

“I’ll admit it’s impressive on a scientific scale,” Q remarks. “But for military purposes it’s likely to adjust into the next gold rush, the new nuclear war race.”

“Exactly!” I slam my hand on the table. “I know we’re supposed to speak softly and carry a big stick but then us good guys are going to be outdone when the bad guys get a bigger stick! It’s just a constant battle of trying to have the biggest stick, and this new big stick is one that poses a threat to not just us but the entire world.”

A few moments go by and Q lets me drain my anger while he questions Moneypenny further.

“What happens now?”

“Right now you two should avoid coming in. M’s not going to be pleased when he finds out you’ve been snooping into classified files. I’ll continue to send what little I can.”

“Thanks, Moneypenny.”

Q turns my phone off and gives me a few more seconds of silence. We’re both thinking the same thing: we’ll never be able to have a normal job.

“I always thought something would prove me wrong about MI6,” Q wonders out loud. “That our government isn’t as corrupt as it seems. At this point not much surprises me.”

“You and me both,” I grunt.

“But do you know what goes unaltered no matter what?”

I look up with an unamused frown. “What?”

Q leans in to press a soft kiss to my forehead. “My love for you.”

This makes me have to suppress a small laugh. “Seems a bit cheesy, don’t it?”

“Not at all. Would you like a lecture, or a demonstration?” Q quirks an eyebrow.

His playful expression also holds a soft question of consent. I can’t say I’m not flattered by the suggestion. Neither of us had ever engaged in high levels of intimacy until after my coma. When Q first proposed taking our relationship to a further step I was hesitant. After seeing how dysfunctional Bond’s relations turn out I never planned on having a deep relationship. But after thinking it over I decided this was more than just a simple suggestion. Q’s not the most emotional person and being the one he’s willing to go further with is an honor all on its own. I share his trust and didn’t see a reason to decline. 

“A demonstration might be called for.”

Q’s face lights up, though still with a hint of anxiousness, and he takes my hand to lead me up the stairs. We’ve previously established that he’s in no physical condition to lift me bridal style. 

“Are you nervous?” I ask.

“Um, a tad bit, yes. I- I know our relationship has established good communication and I really adore it, but I still get worried that I won’t be… good enough.”

I make him stop before we reach the top of the stairs. “Geoffrey, you have nothing to worry about. This is new to both of us and we both know our affiliation isn’t based purely on physical aspects. I loved you before I even thought of those things. You have nothing to prove to me.”

Q closes his eyes and nods, seeming to lose part of his nerves, then pulls me in for a simple yet grateful hug.

“Thank you, darling. That means a lot to me.”

Yes, the threat of biological warfare looms over our heads and Bond’s words of warning still ring in my ear. But as long as I’m with Q the whole world could fall into an apocalypse and I would still be happy.

“Never a dull moment with you, Q. Now how about you get started on that demonstration?”

[subcon-crybaby-charlie]

If you want a decent idea of DTMR Billy hanging out with the kids, this could be like a part of an episode or something, listen to the song Stick it to the man from the school of rock musical.

[author-a-holmes]

Belated OC Kiss Week

I was sick when Kiss Week was on this year, and I was very VERY much looking forward to those prompts.

So I'm taking advantage of the fact that I need some promotional posts next week across all my socials, and completing the prompts a month late.

And I'm loving some of these prompt fills I've come up with tonight.

My favourite part about OCKissWeek is that I get to play with characters that are either on the back burner, or who don't always have POV scenes of their own within the main books I'm working on.

[4typercent]

🎵 Music Tag Post! 🎶

Thank you @marlowe-zara for the tag!

13 songs I've been listening to lately - in no particular order *oops, I have way more than 13, but to be absolutely fair, I added some as strong recommendations & most listened to after the main song listed

Stay With Me by In Flames (good if you want something slower but you still love them!, also look up Where Dead Ships Dwell, Ropes, Follow Me, Cloud Connectsd, Metaphor, Forgone Pt 1 & 2, The Quiet Place, Come Clarity, State Of Slow Decay, I Am Above, The Truth, My Sweet Shadow, We Will Remember, Only For The Weak, Free Fall, Alias ... just listen to them)

Last Resort (Reimagined) Falling In Reverse (seriously, listen to this!)

THE DEATH OF PEACE OF MIND by Bad Omens

A Sailor's Tale by Orbit Culture (Mast of the World, Red Fog, From The Inside, The Aisle Of Fire, Open Eye, The Planck Distance, Halloween, Sorrower, & See Through Me are also listened to A LOT!)

Year Zero by Ghost (I love them, Papa is a babe, Witch Image, Cirice, Rats, He Is, Hunter's Moon. Bible, Watcher In The Sky, Call Me Little Sunshine, Faith, Waiting For The Night, & so many more are real bangers)

Anomaly by I See Stars

Torn Apart by Avatar (Bloody Angel, Going Hunting, The Dirt I'm Buried In, The Eagle Has Landed, Dance Devil Dance, Child, Secret Door, Valley Of Disease, Colossus, Smells Like A Freak Show, Hail The Apocalypse.. too many to choose from)

Atlantic by Sleep Token (also see Granite, Jaws, Sugar, Rain, Nazareth, Aqua Regia, Take Me Back To Eden, & of course The Summoning)

Måneskin feat Tom Morello - GOSSIP

Behemoth - Versvs Christvs

Chevelle - Envy (with Vitamin R, The Meddler, An Island One Ocean, The Red, Face To The Floor, Closure, The Clincher, Bend the Bracket, Piñata, Piistol Star (Gravity Heals),

NieR Replicant OST - Ultimate Weapon

Godsmack - Awake/Alseep

.

Yes, I went way overboard with some artists. No, I'm not sorry 😆

When it comes to music, I can listen to most songs, but sorrynotsorry, if it's "Top 40", it's not for me. I'll listen to opera before I listen to pop/r&b/rap. I could and have listened to In Flames all day and not get sick of them (seeing them again next month, super excited!)

Tagging: @airlocksandaviaries @z-is-very-tired @invadericee @threefill @melrocks21 @mallory-x @sans--seraph @themesandimages @fleabaggotme @augbesian @hardly-an-escape @missmacfire @ryal-is-reading @historyandqueershenanigans @rrcenic @kcsandmanfan @rey-jake-therapist @theniceandaccuratebookshelf

& anyone else that would love to play 🤘

[thebreakfastgenie]

Since you have more than a concept… ☔

☔ Is there a fic concept you have that you'd like to just explain and share because you're not sure you'll ever write it? If so, what is it?

I have so damn many. You know what. Fuck it. It's been this long, even if I'm still planning to write Jed Bartlet's funeral, which I am, I can explain it here.

It's exactly what it says on the tin. It's set in March 2011, although I was very tempted to move it to election day 2010 because I want Josh Lyman to suffer as much as possible. I chose 2011 because I wanted it to be early in the second Santos term; I wanted the death to feel a bit premature. Because I'm a bad person.

It follows the week of Jed Bartlet's death, from his death on Tuesday to his funeral on Sunday, and everyone being back at work on Monday. I did some research at one point to make this work with lying in state but I forget what I figured out.

The fic opens with Josh answered the phone in the middle of the night. He tells Donna "it's the First Lady," and she thinks it's for her because he clarifies that it's Abbey. Abbey tells him that Jed died, and that he's the first person she called after the girls. He died suddenly and unexpectedly; he wasn't sleeping, so he'd gone into his study, and Abbey went to check on him. He said "Abbey, something's wrong" and went into respiratory arrest. Abbey called for help and tried her medical skills, but he didn't make it. Abbey keeps repeating "we were supposed to have more time." After talking to Josh, she hangs up to call CJ, and Josh and Donna decide they can't go back to sleep. Josh prepares to tell Santos first thing in the morning.

The rest of Tuesday is various conversations informing everyone else. Wednesday through Friday get various people to New Hampshire. CJ is the first one, she goes right away and leaves the baby with Danny, who will join her in a couple days. Josh has a conversation with Zoey, because he hasn't seen her cry. Zoey tells him she cried for two day straight but then she saw her mom, sisters, and Charlie (who she's married to) crying and pulled it together.

All the canon couples, including Will and Kate, are still together, although they have a complicated semi-long-distance arrangement because he's in Congress in Oregon. Sam is married to his offscreen fiancée, who does not appear. She can't go to the funeral because of work, but it's implied their marriage may be in trouble.

Josh has a bit of a breakdown about his fears of dying young the night before the funeral, and the conversation turns to whether he and Donna want kids.

Just about every character ever shows up for the funeral, including both Hoynes and Russell. Mallory brings the napkin and has a nice moment with Abbey.

After the funeral, the main characters all have a wake at a local bar. They peel off for various reasons (Charlie wants to get back to the family, for example) until it's the original group left and when Donna goes to hail a cab, it's just Josh, Toby, CJ, and Sam. They all get very, very drunk.

Liz is considering finally divorcing Doug.

Toby goes to Andi's house after leaving New Hampshire, and ends up crashing on her couch. They take the kids to school together in the morning, and Andi asks Toby to get coffee. It hints at a future for them, unconventional but together, if Toby slows down and stops asking her to marry him.

Will and Kate get engaged while drunk, and Monday morning decide to think about it, but mutually agree to get serious about their relationship.

Donna orders breakfast for her and Josh, and shows him the birth control pill she didn't take.

I'm not sure I ever worked out CJ and Sam's final scenes. It ends with everyone getting on with their lives and certain things having progressed. The summary is "everyone comes together to bury a great man."

[pictureofdoriaaaaaangay]

chaotic book ramble so I can stop spiraling into the abyss: my childhood favorite books that I've been thinking about lately

I start college in four days, where I'll be pursuing an English degree. I've been both a reader and by extension a writer my whole life. lately, I've been thinking about the books I loved when I was younger that fueled this passion and thus helped me along to where I am now <3

The Land of Stories series by Chris Colfer. I still have my old copies of these books, and when I tell you they are well-loved, I mean they are well-loved. they're sort of fairytale retellings, and take place in the Land of Stories, which exists as a parallels world to this one where fairytale characters are real and living beyond their happily ever afters. the books follow twins Alex and Connor, who find out (spoiler?? lol) that their grandmother is the fairy godmother. all sorts of stuff goes down, and honestly I only remember half of it like a fever dream, but I remember really loving it in book five (?) when they get to meet the characters from stories Connor wrote. honestly, I probably read the entire series over fifty times, and that's not an exaggeration. first read them the year the third book came out, when I was nine. waiting for the rest was, I recall, absolute torture.

the Spiderwick Chronicles by Holly Black and Tony DiTerlizzi. this is so funny to me, because these books basically set me up for my later teen years and loving the Folk of the Air series by Holly Black - but I digress. I first read these at age eight in a high-stress time of my life, and as a result they were likely deeply formative. they follow twins Jared and Simon (more twins ??) and their older sister Mallory (thinking back, she was absolutely part of my bi awakening). they move with their mother into the old Spiderwick mansion, and soon discover a fieldguide all about faeries and different fae species that live in the woods surrounding the house. I honestly think that the plot of these books is batshit, but I still sort of love them. there's a movie, but it's terrible, and aggressively condenses the plot into something completely unrecognizable.

Harry Potter, by... Harry Potter. isn't it great that, after his time at Hogwarts, he decided to write a seven-book autobiography?? so funky of him!! anyways - I read these at the ripe age of ten, and stuck by loving them since. HP was my first fandom, and maybe the one I'm fondest of (actually, thinking on this, no), and Hogwarts in general holds a lot of nostalgia for me. this being said, I still love the books, but I have to say that I reread them last year for the first time since I was maybe 14/15 and um. wow. Mr. Potter you are?? problematic??? someone please tell me why the adult man who was allowed to abuse children in a position of power for sixteen years got a redemption arc but the literal CHILD who was born into an abusive and power-hungry family didn't. also why is Dumbedore hailed as such a bloody saint?? he's worse than fucking Voldemort. I said what I said. also it's super confusing that Harry never mentioned in his autobiography that his Sirius and Remus were happily married and living at Grimmauld place. weird storytelling choice I guess!!

all those damned Warrior cats books by Erin Hunter. I swear to god these books had crack in them I ATE THEM UP from the ages of like. eight to eleven?? maybe??? genuinely, I must've reread them a hundred times, but I could tell you NOTHING about the plots. a few vibes, maybe, but zero plots. did they even have plots?? were plots a thing in those books??? how was I so obsessed with them???? funniest part is the fact that I see people talking about them on the internet now and it's just. insane. actually insane.

Lockwood and Co by Jonathan Stroud. full transparency: I read these for the first time at age eleven (around the time the fourth book out of five came out) and now remain an active member of the fandom. I love these books, and these characters, with my whole heart and I want nothing more than them to be happy. the Netflix show, though I have some pretty severe gripes with it, is still really amazing and absolutely deserves a second season. the books are set in London, where ghosts are real deeply dangerous, and follow the main trio of Lucy, Lockwood, and George. I reread them at the start of the year in preparation for the show, and they're genuinely just incredible works. I sobbed a lot reading them. they're absolutely comfort reads for me; 35 Portland Row is home.

wow. that was a lot. there's honestly several more I could talk about (School for Good and Evil, Percy Jackson, etc), but this is a long enough post for now, ha. love you all <3