#Oddities: 22 Stories

[seenoversundown]

For Death Or Glory Masterpost

Jake Kiszka x Charlotte (Female OC) Completed

Workplace Romance | Friends With Benefits to Lovers | He Falls First

Summary: Jake has always been a hopeless romantic, heavy on the hopeless. He’s gone out with plenty of girls, but they never last. Tired of being told he’s “too sweet”, he tapped out on dating once he bought the bar. Just waiting for the right one to walk into the bar and steal his heart.

*This is an AU Series*

Warnings: Fluff, (eventual) Smut, Anxious Themes, Mentions of Death, Smoking, Drinking (a lot of the story will take place surrounding the bar) Teasing, Yearning, Eventual Smut, Romance, Silly Goofy Boys.

(Warnings will be updated along with the series & More Detailed Warnings will be listed at the beginning of each chapter)

Word Count: 132.2k

Chapters:

1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 21 | 22 | 23 | 24 | 25 | Epilogue

One Shots:

Affirmation ⁂ - Jake x Charlotte (Fem OC) find themselves in an oddities shop where Charlotte has her tarot cards read, whether she believes in it or not.

White Christmas ☠ - Jake x Charlotte (Fem OC) have a million and one things to do on Christmas Day and Charlotte is already stressed by 6 am. Thankfully, Jake knows exactly how to calm her down.

Siren ⁂ ☠️ - Jake x Charlotte (Fem OC) get stuck at the bar on Valentine’s Day, but Jake makes sure to make it up to her after the bar closes.

Allure : Part 1 ⁂ | Part 2 ☠️ - Jake x Charlotte (Fem OC) Family Lake Day! Starts off with Charlotte longingly watching her sweet motherly boyfriend take care of everyone all day but ends with him making it up to her in the sweetest way.

Playlist:

Taglist Currently:

@gvfsstardust, @myleftsock , @mindastreamofcolours, @dont-go-home-without-me @literal-dead-leaf @lizzys-sunflower @mackalah @edgingthedarkness @writingcold @i-love-gvf @takenbythemadness @threadofstars, @earthgrlsreasy , @peaceloveunitygvf @musicspeaks , @gretavanfan @jazzyfigz @smoking-jakelane @anythingforjtk @woyayaofdreams @demonrat444 @hollyco @josh-iamyour-mama @wrldabomination @broken0mens @whereiskeara @gvf-luna @katuschka @ourlovesdesire @chloeshell1219 @becinabubblegvf @sanguinebats

reply or fill out this form to be added!

The Caravel Tavern Masterpost | Masterlist (One Shots / Other Fics)

[maaikeatthefullmoon]

This week I have mostly been reading...

May 13-19th, 2024

New idea I've had, and hopefully something I'll have time to do once a week on a Sunday. Over the past seven days, I have devoured the following Good Omens fanfics, and I recommend these most heartily to you:

Completed works I've read this week:

Boyfriend Debut by snae_b Rated E - A & C are both porn actors. It sounds seedy. It's not. Holy Hell, it's not. It's one of the hottest things I've ever read, but also so, so sweet and delightful.

They Drink Tea At The End by @knifeforkspooncup Rated T - After a year spent in Heaven, A returns to C in the bookshop completely and utterly overstimulated in every sensory capacity. A wonderful, sweet story of them truly knowing each other and an excellent example of how the fandom relates to GO in so many beautiful ways.

Pay Per View by IneffableToreshi Rated E - A lovely story set in Canada, full of our so frequently seen miscommunication between A & C. And, as the author says: "Also, why the fuck is Aziraphale watching porn in their hotel room?! And taking notes?!"

Cranking Up The Heat by @vavoom-sorted-art Rated E - Well, the title says it all, really. And the fic's description: "The equivalent of that hot wings challenge, but with porn." Don't really want to say much more, as you've gotta see it to enjoy it.

On The Same Page by Chekhov Rated E - A fake marriage fic with Only One Bed. A & C are both authors, but two very different ones. Excellently written with very vividly described mental struggles with internal homophobia & self loathing.

A Model Guardian by Fuuma_san Rated E - As a former model, I found this fic really interesting. I'd genuinely love to know what the author's tie/experience in the industry is. C is a model, A is their bodyguard. An interesting tale which involves some great discussion on gender.

In The Room Where You Sleep by @mrghostrat Rated E - Another banger by ghostrat, posted in its entirety this week. In a reversal to many other fics I've seen, A is a vampire and C is a vampire hunter. *Homer Simpson voice* With sexy results. ;)

WIPs which have updated this week (which I devour as soon as I get the update!)

There Is A Light And It Never Goes Out by @phoen1xr0se Rated M - A is a researcher (puffins!), C is a lighthouse keeper on the island where A has run away to to escape his problems and do his research. The author has recently spent a week studying puffins - which is the ultimate dedication, if you ask me. Ch 9/26 posted this week

Find The Light by @klikandtuna Rated E - Headmaster A and Rockstar C. The story teases out a fraught history between them whilst keeping a tension between them in the modern day. Ch 4/? posted this week.

Terminus by @emotional-support-demon-crowley Rated T - Astronaut A is guided back to Earth by controller C after 92 years in space. There are many difficulties both of them have to face and they develop an amazing rapport. Ch 15/17 posted this week.

Oddity by @tsyvia48 Rated E - Actor C is contracted by (useless) Gabriel to guest curate an exhibition at the museum where A works. After getting off on the wrong foot, can they work together to pull off this show? Ch 22/24 posted this week.

Under The Summer Stars by @pannotbread Rated E - This wonderful fic has taught me more about physics than school ever did (mostly because I never did any physics, but...well). A & C have to share their time at an observatory because there is Only One Telescope. Not only will you learn about astrophysics, astrobiology, and astroecology, you'll also read some of the most poetically, beautifully written masturbation scenes I've ever seen. *ahem* Ch 6/13 posted this week.

Free by well, me: imposterssyndrome Rated E - A & C meet (again?) in an acute mental health ward after both having had mental health crises. A runs a bookshop but is very much under his parents' control. C has been homeless since childhood and has struggled his entire life. They do not trust each other when they first meet, but feel strangely drawn to one another all the same. Where will this lead them? This is a passion piece for me. There is a lot of lived experience in it, and extensive research from both professionals and peers. It has been a real journey for me to write it, and as I'm coming closer to the end it's becoming very emotional for me. Ch 43/? posted this week

[skyward-floored]

Here’s a list I made today of all my Incredibles au fics put in chronological order so it’s slightly easier to figure out what the heck is going on at any given moment!

Fics with numbers at the beginning are chapters from What does anyone in this family know about “normal?!” (which is a oneshot collection), and bolder fics are separate multichaps. You can also find the ao3 collection with all of these fics here.

...

52. Warriors gets his nickname

69. Time receives a card

1. Time, Sky, and Warriors bonding

Lost Time

51. Warriors catches up

34. Sky gets sick

37. Warriors and Artemis fight a villain

4. Malon’s powers

16. The first time Twilight turned into a wolf

66. Twilight plays a joke (and Warriors is skeptical)

55: Sky and Warriors explain

24. Time and Twilight play a song

48. Twilight kisses it better (and chases his tail)

20. The first time Legend turned invisible

50. Twilight doesn’t look both ways

18. Legend has a tantrum

31. Legend tries to fly

43. The first time Wind caused a breeze

Let us catch you

14. Wild finds himself very lost

28. Wind’s announcement

41. Wild has a nightmare

38. Legend gets his hair done

32. Baby Four

15. Wind testing out his powers

33. Wild and Legend argue

49. Legend gets a splinter

53. Hyrule makes some plans

2. Hyrule backstory

Let us find you

30. Hyrule’s scars

7. Hyrule adjusting

71. Sky babysits (and Wind hates peas)

70. Hyrule reads a book, and Four escapes a nap

46. Hyrule breaks a cup

47. Twilight reads a story

29. Aryll

5. Wolfie, Bunny Legend, and Hyrule shenanigans

11. Roadtrip

60. Wild and Hyrule get tucked in

68. Legend gets a fever

12. Oddities of Four

13. Wind and Warriors cause some chaos

35. Four and Sky make a house

23. Sky and Wind go for a fly

26. Talon and the grandkids

36. Four has some mood swings

61. Four has a nightmare

65. Time and Malon get a moment to themselves

8. Runaway

17. Wind quietly saves a civilian

6. Wolfie shenanigans

58. Warriors pushes himself too far

3. Movie night

27. Despair over Sky

9. Memories of Sky

[Movie events here]

59. Sky survives

Plane and simple

44. Split Four

10. Ravio & Legend

39. Marin

62. Glasses

63. Malon and the glasses

54. Time stops a theft

40. Spirit

56: Four stays split a little too long

42. No capes!

25. Warriors loses control

57. Legend sneaks out

22. Forced to fight Twilight

64. Four and Wind eat some fries

67. Dot gives Four a hand

45. Blades of the Yiga

19. Future Wild

72. Four and the triplets

21. Wild loses an arm

[madphantom]

The entire way my vampire movie has come to be is honestly a movie in itself. I had a dream about the undead horror actor main character in '22, in which I talked to him and he told me that I'll find happiness in a place where I wouldn't expect it. This dream persuaded me to study in my hometown, which led to me meeting the Film Factory gang.

At the time I had written a script about an actor and a director getting into a relationship in university and then drifting apart over the years, but because ultimately, parts of this script became uncomfortably close to reality, I chose not to make it public.

In the following months I carved out a little story for the undead actor character. I fleshed it out and repurposed parts of the script and frankensteined a whole thing together, but despite looking, I couldn't find anybody who fit the character. Somebody who was just enough of an arrogant bastard to still be likable. Somebody with a certain physical presence. Somebody who matched all the little quirks and oddities that I'd imagined the character to have.

Enter my boyfriend. Never acted a day in his life, not particularly fond of being filmed, not very confident in his ability to pull off an important role, but in love enough to say he's gonna try. And he went and at the table read he killed it. I've never seen such a close match to one of my characters.

And now we're shooting. And, in a way, this thing is gonna be my masterpiece, but also it's kind of a goodbye to my former worldviews, because first and foremost this movie is against destroying yourself in an attempt to be exceptional. That's not where the story started, but that's where my personal life and my relationship have taken me.

[spaceoddityhsr]

Hey there, it’s always nice to meet somebody new!

I’ve always been ready to help and entertain people, and at this point it’s become second nature!

…that’s my job as an Emanator of Harmony after all.

(Art on Second panel by King_Rule) Shelley, a native from the same planet as Kafka, and a Emanator of Harmony. She chose to travel alongside Stelle, so that she could help out more people, and combat the rising Stellaron threat.

(And perhaps, find some rare time to talk with her adoptive sister, Kafka…)

Name: Shelley Marie

Species: Pterugean

Age: 22

Pronouns: She/her

Queer identity: Pansexual

Location: Anywhere the Astral Express is~

Path: Harmony

Type: Fire

Voice lines: Here!

Character stories:[classified]

SPECIAL NOTE: Due to exposure to high levels of Stellaron energy, Shelley also has a split personality, Fran. Only time will tell how their relationship develops, and how Fran will show herself.

Notes From The Mod:

Guidelines:

NSFW is ok.

You may send links, but tell me what they are for

please don't be rude, if you have nothing nice to say please don't say it at all

No racism, sexism, homophobia, ableism, ageism, and transphobia please, if any of this is given in a comment above, you will be blocked

Shipping’s fine.

Anons are most welcome and appreciated.

Dialogue Key:

" " ~ Dialogue

Red colored text ~ Actions and Thoughts

( )~ Mod Speaking

Colored and not red text~ Fran, Shelley’s alter

Tags:

#sis!🕷️ Interactions with Kafka.

#New Crewmates🚂 Interactions with any Astral Express member.

#Star Child✨ Interactions with Stelle.

#You guys?❓Interactions with Stellaron Hunters (Not Kafka)

#My mirror 🕊️ Interactions with Sunday.

#Nice to meet you😊 Interactions with anybody else.

#A bit like me🤝 Interactions with OCs.

#day in the life🎶 Shelley talking about herself.

#Kermie speaks This is me, the mod speaking.

If you want to see the fanfic that inspired this all:

This blog is also the official blog of Space Oddity, a Honkai: Star Rail Quest, where Shelley’s story (along with the Astral Express) is currently being told. For those who don’t know what a Quest is, it’s a type of fanfic or rp where anyone who can comment can also vote on what they want to see in the story.

If you want to know what a quest is, more info here.

I’ll be using this blog to answer any questions you guys might have about the Quest, and post what I want about Shelley. If I make another quest, this blog will be for that too.

Mod name, and username on Sufficient Velocity is Mod Kermie. (MrKermie in Sufficient Velocity)

Thanks for reading!

(Format taken from @aventurine-official with permission.)

(Main blog at @most-sane-hoyo-player)

[radiance4rrow]

DID I HEAR SOMEONE SAY CBS GHOST OC LORE?!

sorry I’m a bit deranged over Jonell and Hugh.

I’m gonna start with Jonell first since she’s my fav (sorry Hugh)

BIG TRIGGER WARNING!!

Cw: Abuse, child neglect, murders.

✉︎ -

✉︎ -

Jonell Manio, born in 1917, was the daughter to a notorious mob boss in Long Island, New York. She had 3 older siblings and was treated like she couldn’t take care of herself.

Her dad kept her in the house for a majority of her life, often making the maids and butlers watch her despite most of them having their own tasks to take care of. She never knew her mother in her life as a chuld and often looked to the maids as her mother.

She was a quiet child and stuck around the gardens and lake side of their manor. She played with insects and frogs until her dad scolded her and threatened to beat her with his belt if she acted like that again.

Jonell often hid in her room under her sheets after an argument broke out between her father and siblings. It was because he’d always take his anger out on her.

Her left forearm’s slightly crooked due to the fact she fell out of her third story window and landed on her arm. She was out there for a good thirty minutes before one of the butlers and maids found her and rushed her to the hospital. It’s honestly a surprise she hadn’t died from any kind of elemental poisoning.

Eventually at the ripe age of 22, her dad basically sold her off to some other New Money family. She got an arranged marriage and married Richard Holtz, the cover boy of a modeling company.

Her relationship was full of love bombing, neglect, physical abuse, and restriction. He often had someone watching her and noting what she’s doing while she’s cleaning the house and making him dinner.

Eventually after her first child, she had found out Richard was cheating on her. She ran away and eventually found safe haven on Woodstone Mansion’s large woodsy property after a week of running.

She eventually was found by Richard and was murdered by stab wounds and suffocation when he buried her alive.

Jonell was in the dirt for almost 70 years but she spent 50 of those years with Hugh, their hands intertwined for those 50 years.

✉︎ -

✉︎ -

NOW ONTO HUGH!!

Hugh Martin Daniels was a wealthy British boy near London. He grew up with a tight, warming family that appreciated some oddities and out-of-the-ordinaries. He had three siblings, one older and two younger. He was close with both his mother and father but more in tune with his father due to the fact of their love of puzzles and hunting.

He and his older brother, Lewis, were closer than anyone. It was mainly due to Lewis’s eccentric personality and behavior that managed to get Hugh out of his stoic shell as a teenager. That was until Lewis had died. The Coroner ruled it as an accident but Hugh knew it was murder. After months of investigation, he managed to solve his brother’s murder at the age of 16

He became a success after his breakthrough and became a detective for London’s police force once he was old enough.

Hugh, after many years of detective work and in the spotlight, stepped out for a while to relax in the Hudson Valley in New York. He had always heard America was beautiful, and they were right. He visited his family’s friends, the Farnsbys, and stayed a couple nights there.

After his last dinner, he went out to the back to smoke a cigar. He got hit over the head, drugged with chloroform, and woke up in a casket beneath the ground. He eventually died of suffocation.

Hugh always had a negative view point of the world but it became somewhat neutral when he met Jonell Manio almost 100 years after his death. She was cheerful and kind despite being stuck in the dirt. He had basically memorized how her hands felt during their 50 years together in the dirt.

Once they got out of the dirt, he was immediately flashed by her ankles. They spent nearly 50 years bickering back and forth and now he was actually seeing her and gods WAS SHE BEAUTIFUL.

anyways heres a drawing of them getting married :3

[doctorwhogirlie]

Doctor Who: The Wedding of River Song

Series Six ✨ 2011 ✨

Doctor: 11th

Companions: Amy, River & Rory

Main Setting: Alternate Earth, 22 April 2011

Main Enemy: Silents

Creatures: Silents, Silurian, Crespallion, Teselecta

My Personal Rating: 7/10

Something is wrong, in the fullest sense of the word. At first glance, the world seems fine, but upon closer inspection, dinosaurs, Romans, and other things throughout time have appeared. Oddly, nobody seems to be bothered by it, like it was part of everyday life.

Another oddity has occurred. Despite the sun rising and setting like normal, the time is always the same. Only the Doctor has the answer, and boy oh boy, it's gonna be a whopper! Source

I like this story well enough, it's not my favourite but I like that it concludes the River killing the Doctor story. I like the whole episode to be honest, it's just not one of my favourites. I do like seeing all the different things from history all together, it's really fun to watch.

(Please don't take these too seriously, I am not a real life reviewer, just someone who likes the show)

[pudgy-planets]

Knobell “Argon” Antioxidant.

Age: 22

Height: 5’ 5”

Gender: Trans-Female

Hailing from New Zealand, Knobell was born with a mutated form of methemoglobin that remained dormant within her cells until her pre-teens. Before then, the only oddity about her body was the fact she could oxidize metals simply by breathing on them.

At just twelve years old, the methemoglobin began to spread throughout her body, suffocating parts as her cells progressively became incapable of transporting oxygen throughout it. Yet, her skin didn’t simply begin turning blue, but a brownish color and hardening like traditional rust on metallic objects as the condition spread to her muscles and tendons…

This had the unfortunate consequence of spreading to her parents, who succumbed to her disease by being accidentally scraping their fingers on Knobell’s rusted skin. However, unlike the slow progression of their daughter, her parents’ bodies turned to rust and withered into dust. This infection slowly spread across her home, crumbling everything into ashes that blew away in the wind.

Considered a biohazard by the government, they contained and sealed her in an underground facility until the story spread globally… by which a doctor from Japan offered her services to save this young girl. Using a complex form of electrolysis, the rust was chafed away from her body. Nanobots were used to cure whatever parts of her body could be salvaged and the disease was mostly cured through these bots planting restraints on the production of the afflicted cells.

What few parts of her remained were then used as the basis for replicated parts via cloning. Granted a new body and able to utilize her unique oxidation ability to embrittle at will, she remained in Japan as Knobell lacked any extended family… or at least family that would want anything to do with her. To this day, she’s unaware of the fate of her parents…

She now attends Mugen Gakuen, studying ecology and environmental sciences.

[eyebawll]

𝐋𝐎𝐓𝐓𝐀 𝐓𝐑𝐔𝐄 𝐂𝐑𝐈𝐌𝐄 - 𝐏𝐑𝐎𝐋𝐎𝐆𝐔𝐄 [𝐏𝐑𝐄𝐕𝐈𝐄𝐖]

This is a preview of my Creepypasta fanfiction 𝐋𝐎𝐓𝐓𝐀 𝐓𝐑𝐔𝐄 𝐂𝐑𝐈𝐌𝐄 on Quotev! If this piques your interest, you can check out the full story here. :)

Y/N was a sharp and resolute woman. She stood tall in her field of work. Ever since she was a little girl, she'd wanted to be a police officer. She always wondered what went on into criminals minds and what drove them to commit such violent crimes. Blood, death, and violence were her key interests as a child. It often scared others away from her, but it never tore her down. And as she grew, she found herself in the exact position she'd dreamt of.

Her new house stood as a symbol of fresh beginnings, a sanctuary she had recently moved into. Weeks had passed since she settled into the quiet neighborhood. She was quite happy with it. Everything was as normal and plain as plain can be. That was up until oddities began appearing. Strange sightings began to be whispered about. Then, disappearances, followed by brutal murders that shook everyone to their core.

The atmosphere became charged with tension, both among the residents and the law enforcement tasked with solving the heinous crimes. Y/N was taken by surprise just as much as everyone else had been. The chief was on her tail, as he was on everyone else's to figure out who was doing all of this. She could feel the weight of responsibility pressing down on her shoulders, the burden of unraveling the mysteries that unfolded before them. Throughout her career, she had faced a myriad of criminals, from petty thieves to rapists and rebellious teenagers. However, the presence of a murderer, especially a serial killer, was a rarity that sent chills down her spine.

Y/N found herself on edge, just like the rest of the community. She yearned to understand what was going on. Over time, more victims were discovered, each murder somehow, some way more violent than the last. One woman; Amybeth Merritt, a 37-year-old. She was discovered in her own bedroom, half naked and suspended on the wall with her hands nailed to the surface, her own intestines twisted around her neck like a noose. Her stomach appeared to be sliced open, her body adorned with countless lacerations. Her death was no doubt agonizing, not to mention untimely as her family continues to mourn.

And another, poor 22 year old Makayla Addams, found naked on her bed with nothing but a silk crimson blanket covering her body. It had been bitten into in various places; her neck, her hip, her thigh--even her most delicate areas. It's believed she had participated in consensual sexual activity prior to her death.

There have been no leads, nor any suspects. Whoever is doing this is clever and they likely won't be stopping any time soon.

Y/N found solace within the walls of her home office. Bathed in the soft glow of lamplight, the room emanated an air of security. The hushed whispers of the wind danced through the trees outside, a soothing melody that complemented the rhythmic scribbling of her pen on paper.

The office, her sanctuary, embraced her with its warmth and familiarity. The shelves, adorned with a vast collection of books, whispered tales of knowledge and wisdom. The dark oakwood desk, worn with time, bore witness to countless hours of dedication and determination. Its expansive surface was adorned with stacks of paperwork, neatly organized into boxes at the corners of the room, alongside other important items. As Y/N delved into the sea of documents, her focus unwavering, a sense of purpose filled the room. Each stroke of her pen carried weight, each decision made with meticulous care. The night seemed to envelop her, embracing the solitude and serenity that only the late hours could offer.

Outside her window, the moon cast a gentle glow, casting long shadows that danced across the floor. The wind rustled the leaves, a gentle reminder of the world beyond her office walls. In this stillness, Y/N's mind was clear, her thoughts sharp, as she navigated the complexities of her work.

Amidst the calmness of the night, Y/N's dedication burned bright. The night sky bore witness to her unwavering commitment to the pursuit of justice. And as she continued to toil into the early hours, the quietude of the night became a testament to her unwavering resolve. Despite all that had been unfolding outside, she felt safe and happy.

Suddenly, Y/N's head snapped forward at the abrupt sound of the doorbell. The pen she held in her hand found its place on the desk, carefully set down as she rose from her chair. With a swift motion, she pushed the chair back, causing it to spin momentarily before colliding with the edge of the desk. Curiosity tinged with a hint of caution danced in her eyes as she exited her office, her steps starting off awfully slow as she felt this feeling of foreboding wash over her for no real reason. One step after the other, she hurried over to the door. Each footfall echoed through the hallway, the silence broken by the soft shuffle of her shoes on the floor. Questions swirled in her mind, wondering who could be at her doorstep at such a late hour.

The hallway led her closer to the front door, anticipation building with each passing moment. She couldn't help but wonder about the possibilities that awaited her on the other side.

As Y/N reached the entrance, her hand reached out for the doorknob. She hesitated for a brief moment, her mind contemplating the potential risks of opening that door. She couldn't figure out why, but something was urging her to back away and stay inside. Alas, she didn't listen.

With a steady breath, Y/N turned the doorknob and swung open the door, the night air seeping into the threshold. Her eyes scanned the darkness, eventually moving down to the concrete step below her feet. There she was greeted with a large package. A plain light-brown box adorned with tape at the creases.

Her curiosity piqued, her warm eyes fixated on the unassuming box. Simple and worn, it held an untold secret within. With a mix of caution and anticipation, she picked it up, feeling its weight—light yet heavy with an unknown power.

Bringing the box inside her cozy home, a dimly lit foyer and a light presence welcomed her. Time seemed suspended, caught between suspense and the hunger for answers. Y/N placed the box on an aged wooden table, its surface bearing stories of the past. Quickly, she ventures off into the kitchen, fetching a pair of cooking scissors. She rushed back, pulling the box closer to her. With a calculated force, she drove the scissors into the top of the box, puncturing the tape and creating a starting point. Sensing the resistance give way, she swiftly withdrew her hand, allowing the tape to peel back and form a neat, precise slit. She drops the tool and uses her hands to tear the two cardboard folds apart, revealing a collection of mysterious jewel cases inside.

The detective couldn't help but furrow her brows, her gaze unable to pull away from the handful of DVDs. Beginning to wonder if she had opened someone else's package, she starts to feel almost regretful. There was no return address, or even a name on the box. But yet, she still felt as if something was terribly wrong.

Reluctantly, she reaches inside, wrapping her fingers around one of the clear cases. She squeezed it, pulling it back from the box. As the light reflected off of the surface, large words in what appeared to be black marker read; TAPE 1.

Y/N's curiosity compelled her to set the box aside momentarily and return to her office. With a purposeful stride, she crossed the threshold and made her way back to her desk. The familiar creak of the chair greeted her as she settled back down, pulling herself closer to the expansive dark oakwood desk. The jewel case rests in her hand, its contents beckoning with an air of mystery.

Taking a deep breath, Y/N's shaky hand tightened on the jewel case, her fingertips tracing the smooth surface. With a deft motion, she released the clasp and lifted the lid, revealing the gleaming CD nestled inside. Its mirrored surface caught the dim light of her office, adding an ethereal glimmer to the room.

Her eyes flicked to the small side button on the CD player built into her computer. Without hesitation, she pressed the button, hearing a satisfying click as the tray slid open. Gently, she placed the CD onto the tray, the metallic surface fitting perfectly within the grooves. With a soft push, the tray glided back into place, securing the CD within the confines of the computer.

As the CD player whirred to life, anticipation coursed through Y/N's veins. She couldn't shake the feeling that something was off.

The video player on her computer screen flickered to life, a small loading icon spinning in the center. Her heart raced with as she leaned forward, tapping her finger nervously on the desk all while she rested her free hand at the bottom of her jaw. The tension hung in the air, as palpable as the tension that gripped her.

Time seemed to stretch as the loading process dragged on, the progress bar advancing sluggishly. Y/N's impatience grew, her finger tapping faster on the desk. The video player appeared to stutter, almost glitching at times, adding to her mounting frustration.

Unable to bear the slow progress any longer, Y/N pushed herself up from her chair and made her way to the kitchen. She needed a momentary distraction to ease her restlessness. Quietly, she filled the kettle with water and set it on the stove. As the water over time came to a boil, Y/N prepared a cup of tea, carefully selecting her favorite blend. The fragrant steam wafted upwards, enveloping her senses. With the cup cradled in her hands, she took a moment to collect herself, savoring the warmth and aroma.

Even as she sipped her tea, Y/N's mind remained fixated on the video waiting to be watched. The lure of the unknown beckoned her back to her office, hoping that it must be loaded up on the screen by now.

Balancing the cup of tea in her hands, Y/N made her way back to her office, the warm ceramic radiating comfort against her palms. She carefully sat down in her chair, setting the cup on a coaster beside her. Heaving a sigh of hope, she directed her attention back to the computer screen.

To her relief, the video loaded, a peculiar thumbnail appeared, its image distorted and unclear. Excitement washed over her, before replacing itself with a sense of confusion. Y/N squinted, trying to make out the details, but it seemed intentionally messy, like a sepia-filtered photograph with streaks of red liquid cascading along the bottom. The sight puzzled her, the abstract pattern and intensity of saturation leaving her with more questions than answers.

Curiosity mingled with a touch of unease as she questioned the nature of the video she was about to watch. She couldn't shake the feeling that she was making a serious mistake. She began having second thoughts as she rested her hand over the mouse, biting her lip. Perhaps she should put the CD back in the box? Bring it to her team? So many ideas, so many queer thoughts. The image teased at her senses, its cryptic appearance fueling her further.

Unable to take the mental torture any longer, she gives in.

"Ah, what the hell—"

[paradoxbeta]

for the iterator asks,,

1, 7, 22 and 24 for bfiwr

1 and 24 for nata and rfis as well :3

(feel free to veto any of these, this is kind of a lot)

absolutely not a problem anon i love getting tons of questions! putting this under a cut so it doesn't get too long

BFIWR 1. Does your iterator's name mean anything? In their lore or symbolically? If so, what?

Blooming Flowers in Winding Roads doesn't actually mean anything, but i named him that because his placeholder name was originally “blue.” he's blue as hell..

normally im more on top of name symbolism but this time around it escaped me X) if it counts, the antagonist of the story (blind eyes see in rage) does have a symbolic name. he's harmless ("blind"), but when chaos happens he takes advantage of people's vulnerable mental states instead of being decent. more on him another day, there is a Lot going on with that motherfucker 

7. Does your iterator have any specific quirks or niches unlike "typical" iterators? Special jobs, equipment, etc.? If so, what?

surprisingly, no! in fact, it's an oddity for my iterators to be anything other than a standard iterator. rfis is an exception to this because he's gigantic

22. Where does your iterator live? Describe the region.

bfiwr’s surrounding region changes dramatically over the course of his plot timeline because oops, iterator warfare. at first it's a friendly, unremarkable region similar to outskirts, but ends up a toxic wasteland almost completely devoid of wildlife

24. What do your iterators overseers look like?

NATA + RFIS

1. Does your iterator's name mean anything? In their lore or symbolically? If so, what?

Natural Ambition Tells All’s name means so little it's actually funny, her placeholder name was “natalya” and i got so attached to that i made up her acronym for the name. seriously, you don't know how many acronym sites i was on scrambling to cobble together a name for artfight. she is an ambitious individual though!

River Flows in Spring was named before his story was established. his entire design arc is less of a hot mess and more like a boiling scalding garbage pile that somehow resulted in a decent character but i digress the name rfis is a remnant from when he was completely different both design and personality wise: it's pretty much the only thing that makes him the same character he was when he was first created. i think i came up with the name in an olive garden. 

wait i half take that back, the metropolis city plan from rfis’s original concept still exists, but im still working stuff out with city layouts so it might end up getting moved to eoc and ill make a new city for rfis. regardless of if the metropolis design stays with rfis or not it, will likely still exist in some capacity

24. What do your iterators overseers look like?

[solocien]

i can’t sleep and don’t want to bother my friends anymore so i’m just going to ramble into the abyss

so fun fact about me: i dilligently collect coins

i’ve been collecting coins since i was a kid and keep them all in a wooden box that has the word “COIN” on the front of it. it’s not something i often tell people, and not because i think it’s embarrassing, but because its pretty mundane comparatively

like, when someone thinks of me, i highly doubt the first thing that comes to mind is that i have a wooden box full of loose coins

but regardless, i am immensely proud of my coin collection. i often think about how, if i was faced with a situation where i had to give up all of my belongings, i would grieve the most over my coin collection. because there is so much substance and wonder inside this little box in my little room, and its wonder that isnt shared by anyone else in my family

just a few days ago, i was with some family assisting with a move, and a family member found some coins and set them aside for me. i was gazing at them in my hands (really close to my face because im blind as a bat even with glasses) and was told that i was “very strange”

and yeah, maybe i am strange. maybe i am an oddity of a 22 year old easily marveled by a piece of round metal. but i don’t care, because i have a 2 pound wooden box in my room filled with metal that is precious to me

and by now you might be wondering “just what kind of coins do you even have?” that is an amazing question, my love. i have so many strange coins and each one tells a unique story. each one fills me with amazement and images of the life it might have lived before ending up in my possession

some of the coins i picked up off the street because they were extra shiny. some coins i kept because they got so corroded that you can’t even make out what it is anymore

a penny that was flattened by a local train, one of many that my cousins and i laid out on the tracks and ran as the train approached in fear that one of the pennies would shoot out from under the wheels. none of them did, and as the train passed and the passengers gazed at us through the windows, we excitedly retrieved our scorching hot, flattened pennies and ran to show our parents. those cousins i havent seen in many, many years now, but i still have that penny, and the vivid memory of that day

i have a coin commemorating the 100th anniversary of Sears, a company that is barely holding on by a thread anymore, but one that my father fondly remembers getting monthly catalogues for as a child in the 60s

pennies run through gimmicky machine presses at amusement parks, ones that i would beg my parents to let me put my pennies through, chosing to hold onto the physical memory of the trip instead of a piece of candy or stuffed toy

my all-time favorites of my collection, however, are the coins i have from all over the world

i have pennies and quarters from Canada, easily mixed up with American currency at small tourist attractions or in vending machines and laundromats, especially where i am in New England

but i also have coins from across the oceans and thousands of miles south of me towards Central and South America. Austria, Spain, Japan, Germany, Russia, Ireland, England, Panama, Coasta Rica, Aruba, France, Sweden, Poland, Mexico to name a few… all from completely different times and cultures

The 1942 German reichsmark… what kind of stories could it tell through its caked on grime? perhaps it was left in a car, or accidentally stepped on, or given from one child to another

or the Panaman centesimo balboa from 1968. perhaps it was once carried in a student’s pocket, or exchanged for some food

what about the 1892 Swedish öre? maybe it was once used to attend a sports club, or saved in a jar for something special

these are just some of the coins in my collection that render me speechless in awe, even the coins from my own country and state, as plain and simple as they might seem, hold so much inherent sentimental value. the decades, and sometimes even centuries, that these coins have lived through, the events they must have seen and hands they must have touched. call coins disgusting all you want, but these coins are my treasures. they’re my look into the vast world around me that i’ve yet to really explore myself

someday soon i will be able to travel across the globe to places i’ve only dreamed about. someday i’ll be able to afford to leave my tiny subrural town in this tiny state and fly across oceans and experience new adventures and find even more coins to tell me stories of people just like me living lives as different and yet as similar to my own

these coins are a bridge to amazing things, and i truly do love each and every one of them with my whole heart

now is the time where i would apologize to my friends for being annoying, so i’ll just apologize to the void. sorry for rambling and good night <3

[evermorehqs]

CATCHING MY BREATH, STARING OUT AN OPEN WINDOW

Fletcher Poecilia is based on Flounder from The Little Mermaid. He is a 22 years old shapeshifter, Repurposed Dreams employee, and uses he/they pronouns. He has the power of shapeshifting. Fletcher is portrayed by Lucas Lynggaard Tønnesen and they are open.

CATCHING MY DEATH, AND I COULDN’T BE SURE

Ever since he was a guppy, Fletcher has always had Ariel. All he remembers from the time before her is that his family had come upon a strong current whilst traveling to a nearby reef, and Fletcher swam too close and before he knew it he was dragged away. They were pulled miles and miles away from their school, and once they finally came out the other end, they realized they were lost. It wasn’t long after that he met Ariel, who he had at first mistaken for a large fish attempting to eat him, but upon realizing she wanted to help him— it wasn’t long until they were two pearls in a clam. Fletcher grew up alongside Ariel, often getting dragged on adventures they didn’t have half the spine for. They were a bit of a scaredy-catfish, and Ariel would often tease him for being such a guppy when the pair were faced with any sort of danger, even if it was something as small as poking their heads above the surface to watch the ships on the water. Fletcher didn’t necessarily agree with all of Ariel’s rebellious hobbies, constantly trying to remind her how upset her father would be if he knew what she was doing, but Fletcher always ended up coming to her defense and going along on her adventures anyways. Some of the other fish said it was because Fletcher had a crush on her, which the angelfish constantly denied. No way! They loved Ariel but… not like that! Gross. Then one day, Ariel did something Fletcher couldn’t bring himself to tag along with… she saved a HUMAN from drowning. When Ariel returned to Fletcher, proclaiming she was in love, rambling on and on about how she would do anything — anything at all — to go to the surface to find him... Fletcher downright dismissed this idea, begging with her not to do anything that would put her life in danger, especially not for a human! However, when Ariel mysteriously vanished, Fletcher knew in their gut that something was wrong. Taking a literal leap of faith, they swam as close to the shore as they could and launched themselves onto the sand. Not his brightest idea but, what other option did he have? To his surprise, once he was just about dried out, he opened his eyes and he was… human. Enlisting the help of a familiar seagull, Fletcher was guided to the town of Evermore, and once he was there… well, there was no turning back. Ariel had to be here, he just knew it - he could feel it in his fins. Fletcher got hired at a pawn shop, hoping that maybe his friend would come in seeking lost treasures, and did his best to be the bravest he could for the sake of Ariel… at least there were no sharks in Evermore, and all he had to do was avoid getting wet.

I HAD A FEELING SO PECULIAR

❀ Flynn Rider: Flynn is Fletcher’s boss at Repurposed Dreams, and though the man terrified him at first, he’s really come to appreciate him. Fletcher always enjoys hearing his stories and wishes he could be half as brave. ❀ Jack Parr: They’re one of the coolest people Fletcher has ever met, even though Fletcher hasn’t met many humans. There’s something off about them that makes Fletcher feel right at home with his own oddities. ❀ Angel Jookiba: Angel scares the daylights out of Fletcher, as if her beautiful appearance alone wasn’t enough to intimidate him. Fletcher can’t help but want to get on her good side, half wanting to stay out of harms way, half wanting to make the pretty girl like him.

THAT THIS PAIN WOULD BE FOR EVERMORE

[sophia-sol]

some of my favourite vids

lirazel expressed interest in a rec list of some of my favourite vids and I am very suggestible when it comes to rec lists so here you go! :D Unfortunately a few of the older vids that I remember fondly are no longer available online for me to share with you (the batman vid set to johnny cash's cover of hurt! the highlander vid about methos/lord byron! and more!), but there are still plenty of excellent vids up and about, and new ones worth watching keep being made!

Yes this rec list is 22 vids long, shush, I couldn't cut any of these out. I just got so emotional in the process of making this rec list at how wonderful an artform the fanvid is! It can do so many different things! It can be so powerful in such a brief space of time!

I've ordered the list below alphabetically by fandom. I go through a lot of different fandoms here!

And it was so fun too to work on practicing my skills at describing a vid and explaining what's good about it; I have many years of practice at talking about written narratives, but interpreting and talking about visual media is still a skillset that I'm not instinctively good at and don't have as much experience with. But I think I did pretty good with these vids. I hope you enjoy them!

(put behind a readmore to keep this post from being overwhelmingly long on your dash!)

1. Problem, by talitha78 Captain America: The Winter Soldier, Bucky/Steve Look I may be totally burnt out on the MCU at this point but damn did CA:TWS have some good fanworks. This is a vid that is gleefully and wholeheartedly throwing itself into depicting Bucky through the lens of of this natalia kills song with a straight face. I still sometimes find myself singing "girl is a problem" to myself about things, because of this vid.

2. All In Together, by odessie The Great British Bake-Off, ensemble This vid encapsulates the spirit of the show (…at least, the show when it was a BBC show, before it moved to Channel 4), which is about everybody being weird, dedicated, enthusiastic, imperfect, and all in it together despite it being ostensibly a competition. "Celebrate your oddities, your art, your own insanity." YEAH. It's so cheering!

3. All We Got, by anoel The Great Gatsby, Daisy/Gatsby One of those where I've read the book but not seen the adaptation, but I feel like watching this vid gives me everything I need from seeing an adaptation of the story! Sharply edited use of the beautiful visuals; really creates the necessary feeling of high energy glitz papering over emptiness, which the book honestly doesn't do a good enough job at lol.

4. Show Me Your Teeth, by Dogstar Hieronymous Bosch's artwork, all of Bosch's weird little guys It's strange, a bit surreal, energetic. My immediate reaction when I first saw this vid was "wtf in the best way." I'm so impressed with how the vidder could make such a compelling vid out of static artwork!

5. God's Gonna Cut You Down, by sholio Highlander, Methos & Cassandra & the horsemen There were so many excellent highlander fanvids back in the day but this is one of the ones that has really stuck with me, with its perfect encapsulation of the complexities of the relationships in the "Comes a Horseman" and "Revelations 6:8" pair of episodes, paired with exactly the right song.

6. In Which Sophie Expresses Her Feelings In The Absence Of Weedkiller, by ryfkah Howl's Moving Castle, Howl/Sophie The vidder took on the challenge of using the movie's footage to make a vid about the book's version of the story, and did an incredible job! I adore this vid and how perfectly it captures Sophie and Howl and their relationship.

7. A Tune Like the End of the World, by frith_in_thorns Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell, John Childermass Although I haven't seen the tv show, I have read the book it's based on a LOT, so I can more or less figure out which character is who in the visuals from context, lol. I love how good this vid is at getting the atmosphere of the story right; the atmosphere is such an important part of it!

8. Work This Body, by CherryIce Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle, ensemble Just really encapsulates the sense of joy and fun that the movie is all about! I don't know what else to say about it, other than that I have rewatched this vid a ridiculous number of times and it keeps being fun. (Unfortunately the streaming version is no longer available, but it's still up for download!)

9. Let's Go (Young Men Dead), by sweetestdrain Lawrence of Arabia, Lawrence The vid that got me to finally watch the movie, and discover how the movie, despite the various critiques it's worthwhile to make of it, is a really brilliant work of art. And the vid, too, is a brilliant work of art! SO many feelings. It's got the vibes just right, of this enormous, larger-than-life story and the relentless grinding-down of everyone involved, the inevitable despairing end to everything. The way it uses juxtaposition and empty spaces! I get emotional rewatching the vid even now, 8 years after watching the movie.

10. Parachute, by thingswithwings Leverage, Eliot/Hardison/Parker I may not have ever seen the show but I've read enough fanfic to be fully on board for this ot3, and this vid depicts them in the BEST way, the way they love and trust and like and rely on each other, and the joy they have in each other! And it does a beautiful job of highlighting each of the three sides of the triangle as well as the three of them all together, too.

11. Under Pressure, by violace The Martian, ensemble It's a vid about the way so many people come together to save Mark Watney: working together, hoping together, caring together, celebrating together. Still able to touch my cynical little heart in these days of looking at the world around me in despair. Humans WANT to help each other!

12. Landsailor, by raven multifandom, ensembles The vidder describes this vid as an "ode to infrastructure" and that's like. what it is! It's about people coming together to do the hard work of building something bigger than any one of them, and it's so joyful and inspiring, tbh! I am familiar with very few of the fandoms it includes but you don't need to know them to get the gist, to follow the story being told.

13. Oh No!!! by findmeinthealps Nirvana in Fire, Prince Yu Prince Yu has a very bad time in Nirvana in Fire and I love to see it, beautifully framed from his point of view in this vid. Yes I grinned all the way through it. Sorry Prince Yu!! (not sorry.)

14. At Last, by eruthros Salt Fat Acid Heat, Samin Nosrat/food The canon is a delightful 4-episode cooking show. This vid of it is set to the most schmaltzy of old-school love songs, and it is about how much JOY both good food and good friends bring, featuring many loving shots of food plus Samin Nosrat's expressive face, and I just melt into feelings.

15. Soccer Practice, by bironic Stargate: SGA, John/Ronon A silly, delightful vid about sexual innuendo between two bros. Serious and emotional fanvids are so good but sometimes it's great to just lol.

16. Tik Tok, by MissSheenie Star Trek: TOS, ensemble It's a classic for a reason. How could I not include it? As I recall, even Kesha agrees that this vid understands her song.

17. dirty work, by voordeel-ts Star Wars, Obi-Wan Kenobi This vidder is one of the only ones I've seen who can include pieces of the original audio into a vid in a way that actually works for me, the audio incorporated into the music in rhythm so that it all feels of one piece. Their vids are always fast and stylish, and this one is no exception, as it takes a look at Obi-Wan and his use of violence.

18. Start a War, by ifshehadwings (sophie_448) The Untamed, Nie Huaisang and Jin Guangyao Nie Huaisang and Jin Guangyao do a lot of their worst stuff behind the scenes, out of the view of the camera, and this vid does an amazing job of bringing that forward and making it legible, focusing on the horrible things each of them do in the name of fulfilling their goals. This is also an excellent example of a vid that uses a slow song and relatively slow cuts and yet never loses its intensity and forward momentum. Hats off!

19. a love that won't sit still, by Aria The Untamed, Lan Wangji/Wei Wuxian Just the perfect vid of wangxian from Lan Wangji's perspective? holy shit. What DO you do with a love that won't sit still or do what it's told?! And I love the way it incorporates the pain and difficulties of Wei Wuxian's death and the years without him, leading into that last quieter gentler repeat of the chorus that slowly builds back up again.

20. Lose My Breath, by deirdre_c White Nights, Kolya/Ray Sooooo I've never actually seen White Nights BUT. This vid is such a beautiful encapsulation of a relationship between two men being told through the medium of dance. And the way all the dancing and other physicality in the video is made to feel like it belongs with the vid's song is just so seamless! The way the whole thing just feels so grounded in their bodies and the way that the two of them play off each other! I could watch it forever.

21. Such A Loser, by sandalwoodbox Yuri!!! On Ice, ensemble The show made me care so much about all the skaters, and want all of them to win, which of course is impossible. But this vid uses a joke song from a parody music duo to somehow perfectly encapsulate the way that all the characters' striving is worth celebrating, whether they win or not. Super heartwarming!

22. Never Look Away, by helcinda Yuri on Ice, Viktor/Yuuri Wow, the experience of watching this ship vid is just me making a heart-eyes face at my computer screen the whole time. Highly recommend the experience!

[dmagedgoods]

Ok, for the 60 Character Asks: 8, 26, 57 for Sal; 2, 20, 60 for Eneas; and 1, 22, 42 for Crowley (I hope I spelled his name right) please 🥺 👀

Salvadore: 8. If they were an animal, which one would they be? Which one would they think they’d be? A panther. Aesthetically and because big cats suit him very well in behavior too. I’d say his perception fits reality here, he’d agree that if he was an animal it would need to be some sort of feline predator. 26. What’s one topic they could never get tired of researching or learning about? Politics. 😁 In all facets, in history, theories, social aspects, philosophical ones too, methodology, strategies, economy … His second all-time weakness – and of course connected – is rhetoric and how to guide impressions by appearance, demeanor, and well-aimed words. He also never grows tired of sociology. Aside from this field, he always enjoys poems and literature in general. 57. How do they feel about drugs? Except for some rare and either very intimate or very desperate situations where he searches for the experience of letting go deliberately, he despises not being in full control of his mind. Of course, he enjoys alcoholic drinks, but those for the taste and the flair not their effect on one’s senses, and, luckily for him, it takes a lot for him to get drunk or is close to impossible thanks to his dhampir nature. Other drugs, well, he wouldn’t be very interested in those on his own account. It’s Daeran who convinces him to try this or that. But Salvadore would never use them during work, important missions, or when there is even the slightest chance that he’ll be seen by anyone but his husband. This said, every once in a while it comes to a very different kind of situation where he takes certain substances: Since he doesn’t want to leave marks and traces of what happened, he uses certain potions in his self-punishment phases. I’m not sure it counts as drugs though, the effect is the exact opposite of pleasant and deliberately so. ~ Eneas: 2. What’s their biggest regret? Oh ouch. That he never went back to search for his family when he had the means eventually, afraid his vague memories of them might be wrong, even more afraid they might be right, and that they would not want him around anymore after the things he had to do. The second thing he painfully regrets is that he left Salvadore when he still needed him. 20. Who’s their go-to person for advice? Anyone around him. Usually, he is the person others consult for advice, but when he finds himself in the need of such, he likes to hear different views on it. He disguises the topic ever so slightly to make sure it won’t be recognizable in its entirety or as an actual issue he deals with and then listens to people’s opinions. Of course, if he truly manages to build trust with someone, this very close person will get to hear about what troubles him in a much more genuine way and he’ll ask for their advice openly. 60. What are some of their simple pleasures? The whole list?? 😮 Oh, the question asks for some, alright, that works. Food: Eneas loves to indulge in tastes in an almost sensual manner, he also loves the certainty that he’ll never have to be truly hungry again. Music: One of the things he lives for, to lose himself in its magic by listening, moving with it, or creating it himself ... Good stories: To hear them as much as telling them. Watching people: Their behavior, wishes, hopes, joys, fears, every delicious emotion, every oddity and quirk. Sunsets: Oh those colors! ... I literally could go on forever. Those “simple pleasures” are highly important to Eneas and he celebrates them daily. He manages to find wonders and deep bliss in seemingly mundane niceties. Rowey: (He doesn’t mind being called Crowley. 😁 Rowley is only something he made up as well after all.) 1. What’s the one thing they would save in a fire? Bold of you to assume he didn’t start the fire himself. But let’s assume it was an accident: An ugly, dirty old teddy bear missing one eye, patched in many places. It belonged to his twin brother when they were children already. 22. Are they a dog person or a cat person — or something else?

A dog person! He even owns one. Omen is her name. (the Xoloitzcuintli Quetzal race comes close if you want to know what she looks like. 😊) 42. What’s the typical first impression after meeting this person? This question! For Rowley of all people. Perfection. 😂 Well, depending on the situation and who is asked, people meeting him for the first time may describe him as: Insufferable, a danger to society, a fun guy, an annoyance, a dangerous criminal, a pain in the ass, an interesting ally, the worst that happened to them all week, too courageous for his own good, a prankster, admirable, a despicable creature … The typical first reaction after meeting him is either disbelief combined with embarrassment or a bit of rage or at the very least irritation. For the very relaxed people out there, it may be amazement and amusement.

[lokiwaffles]

Here is a longer synopsis for one of my main four Marvel OCs!

Name: Iris Rivers

Birthday: May 6th, 1990 (she is 22 in 2012)

Faction: HYDRA

Current Occupation: Double agent in SHIELD; her job is gathering intel for HYDRA to use.

Likes: Golden Retrievers, comic books, video games, combat, beating up bad guys, her bf, and smoking.

Dislikes: Feeling like her privacy is invaded, being talked down to, being humiliated. Also Holly.

Powers: The ability to shield her mind from mind readers, particularly Holly, and make herself seem mentally shallow and trustworthy. She is unaware of this ability.

Languages: English, ASL

Friends: Holly (ex-friend), her boyfriend Gray, and Ava (Gray's handler).

Belief: She is the protagonist, the hero of the story. She will always win, no matter what.

Achilles Heel: Her narcissism and carelessness pertaining to others. Sure, she cares for Holly in the beginning, but only in a superficial way.

Here is a drawing by RJ Pierce on the left! This is a very old design, however. Her newer design is on the right!

Iris Rivers is an idealistic young woman, powerfully self-driven. Her parents were both SHIELD agents, as was her late grandmother, and the weight of their expectations leads her to carry on the mantle and join SHIELD as well. However, Jasper Sitwell notices her very early on in her training and invites her to join HYDRA. Partly due to ignorance, and partly due to the desire to "stick it to her parents', she agrees, assuming that just like SHIELD, HYDRA is there to better mankind. She functions as a very low-level intelligence agent, doing more palatable work, and it is a few weeks after graduating from accelerated training for both SHIELD and HYDRA that she meets Holly Legrand. HYDRA immediately pinpoints her as a person of interest, and Iris befriends her in order to gain more information and keep tabs on her. Iris does like Holly well enough at first, but soon becomes a little fed up with Holly's various little oddities and trauma. The last straw is when Holly reveals that she can mind read, and Iris is horrified and disgusted with the thought of Holly poking around in her head. She doesn’t believe Holly when she says that she thought Iris was a good person. Instead, Iris believes that Holly knows of her true faction, and is actively taunting her. Iris reports to her superiors that Holly is now a threat, and that is where Gray comes in! (Working on a post for him soon!) (In shorthand, Gray is an assassin raised in the less idealistic and more brutal side of HYDRA. Gray meets Iris on a relay mission pertaining to some top-secret information, and they head out for drinks. They quickly become a couple. He also never learns the name of his victims due to personal preference, which is why he never recognizes who exactly Holly is) Gray is assigned to eliminate Holly, as she is (purportedly) aware of some possibly incriminating secrets for HYDRA. Fortunately for Holly, when she goes missing at the NASA facility during Loki's break-in, he loses track of her. He then goes to Iris in order to have a partner for his investigation, and she agrees to come with him on the grounds that she cannot be the one to kill Holly. She perceives herself to be the hero after all, and of course, heroes don’t kill. They track Holly with the help of some of HYDRA's facilities and eventually make their way to Stuttgart, Germany. Unfortunately, Gray collapses, due to the significant toll that his work has been taking on him for the past few days, and Iris is forced to confront Holly alone. When she finds Holly in the museum, with the dying guard, she is instantly repulsed. How disgusting of Holly to kill someone. How positively villainous. This cements the belief in her head that Holly essentially equates to her rival. She also absolutely cannot find the nerve to kill her. Iris leaves just before SHIELD arrives, and justifies her actions with the fact that she is sure Holly will get the death sentence for murdering the man. in fact, even if she doesn’t, Gray can still kill Holly later. She picks up the somewhat bleary Gray, and they make their way back to New York, where Iris lives. When they wake up at Iris's place, the battle of New York is in full session. Iris and Gray somewhat reluctantly help fight the aliens, defending the city block, and Iris runs into Holly again. Annoyed, she kind of just leaves Holly to get killed by a pack of aliens (of course that doesn’t happen). Later, at the end of the battle, she gets a text message from a mysterious number telling her not to kill Holly, as she is actually Gray's sister. Iris remains unconvinced until a document is sent alongside the message with the exact details pertaining to their relationship. And that ends it for now! Still trying to condense a 100,000+ word work into a short(ish) synopsis, so I will be back with more lore later!

[eruden-writes]

The Unexpected Human Problem - Part 31 PREVIEW

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The conversation went about as well as Rayelle expected. Once she was finished with her grand tale of space adventures, occasionally interrupted by Tai’dqei clarifying something that only she could understand, she gave her kids a moment. There was about seven seconds of silence, before Elliot and Skylar both began speaking over each other. 

“You were in the future? In space?!”

“For months?” 

“And they saved you?” Skylar motioned toward Tai’dqei with a gesture. 

“It was touch-and-go, but he did, yes.” Rayelle nodded, hands on her hips as she remained standing through the conversation. Overall, she thought they both were taking it better than expected. Of course, having a literal alien and being on a spaceship probably helped to smooth the understanding and actuality of her story.

Even now, Skylar was eyeing the walls and casting dubious glances toward the bridge, either assessing the equipment or trying to spot the candid camera crew.

Elliot still seemed engaged with the discussion at hand, his eyes flicking to Tai’dqei. The yautja had seated himself in a chair, hoping to be less imposing. Though it only brought his unreal features closer to the kids’ line of view. Elliot seemed to assess the alien quietly before he mumbled, “And then he came for us when we were all in trouble.” 

Rayelle only managed to nod, before her other child interrupted.

“This is so weird.” Skylar nudged their glasses up, rubbing the bridge of their nose. They had somehow managed to tear their attention away from their surroundings, which apparently allowed the oddity of the situation to sink in. After a glance from the imposing alien to their mom, they asked, “Can me and Elliot go talk by ourselves for a bit?” 

“Sure, I’ll take you to some guest quarters,” Rayelle said after a nod from Tai’dqei. She led them down the hall toward her old room. She realized how odd it was to think of a room on a spacefaring ship as her previous one, but she stowed the thought away for later. Other details had come out through Tai’dqei that needed to be addressed.

Truth be told, Tai’dqei was finding everything hard to process in much the same way as the youngsters. Rayelle was near him again. He’d met her kids and, while it wasn’t a warm welcome, it wasn’t terrified screaming. Which gave him a strange sense of optimism. 

The brief reprieve, while she showed them a separate room, was almost surreal. For a moment, he thought he’d fallen to a hallucination, that everything that transpired through the day hadn’t actually happened.

It wasn’t long until Rayelle re-emerged from the room, after a few more exchanged words between herself and her kids. Tai’dqei straightened from his slump, where his elbows had braced on his knees and he’d been staring at the floor. Rayelle’s residual maternal softness sifted away as she neared him. Tension wrought up his spine, bracing for an inevitable impact. 

With her children out of earshot, Rayelle stormed up to Tai’dqei’s seated form. She barely resisted the urge to grab him by the collar. “Seven years? You waited seven years for me?”