#alex browning might make an appearance too

[samtallchester]

"I have a bit of a job for you."

Hearing those words, Nick raised his brow, in a rather cocky manner, but still he couldn’t help himself. His lip quirked for a split moment.

"Right, so you're taking me on a roadtrip or something? And if I rightfully refuse?"

"You'll stay dead."

Nick hummed softly as he listened to Death speak, as though any of that even made sense.

"And how would that benefit you? You're asking for my help which we both know you need. And not only, you do know I'd rather just stay dead. Especially after what you did to myself, Lori and Janet at the café."

There was a short, pregnant pause as Death glared right in the young visionary's eyes.

"You're pretentious."

"Right. As I have been told on several occasions."

[sailorholly]

Yes, Sir

Summary: Professor Reid has had enough of your attitude in class.

Pairings: Professor Spencer Reid x F. Reader

Warnings: Smut. 18+ Only. Minors DNI. Professor - student dynamic. Age gap. Spanking.

See my Masterlist Here

“Do you have to contradict everything I say?” Your professor, Dr. Reid asks you, running his hands through his unruly hair. This had been your favorite class when Professor Blake was here. She was your favorite teacher, more than that, she was like a mother to you. She took you under her wing, spending time with you outside of class to share her infinite wisdom.

You had met Dr Reid before. He was a guest lecturer for Alex many times. You didn’t hate him then. But, he was the reason that she left to take a full time teaching job in Boston. He had gotten shot and nearly died. Something about him reminded her of her own son, Ethan. It was too triggering for her so she left the BAU, and consequently you.

So you took out all your frustration with the situation on him. When he replaced Alex, you decided to make his life hell. Sure, it wasn’t entirely his fault that she left. But you blamed him anyway. You went out of your way to argue with him. Most of the time, you would give a false opinion just for the sake of arguing.

Today, you went too far. He ended class early, sending everyone out, everyone except for you. You were an adult, you shouldn’t be acting this childish, but you couldn’t help it. “You were a huge distraction today. Arguing with me, playing with your hair, wearing outfits you know are inappropriate for school.” You look down at your short skirt and low cut top. He was right, you did know it was inappropriate. But you liked the way he looked at you when you wore it. His brown eyes darkening with every step you took.

“I didn’t realize you found me distracting, Professor.” You lie, taking a step toward him. Spencer’s breath hitches when you stop directly in front of him. “Let me make it up to you.” You place your hand on his slacks, dangerously close to the bulge threatening to burst out of his zipper.

His breath hitches as you drop to your knees. You make quick work of his pants and underwear, letting them pool around his ankles. You wrap your hand around his length. He says your name like a warning. When you swirl your tongue around the head, he forgets any hesitation he might have had.

His large hands tangle in your hair as you take him all the way in, stretching your jaw wide to accommodate him. He fucks your mouth relentlessly, drool pooling out of your open mouth and down his leg.

“Get up.” He commands, letting go of your hair. You stand as he takes in your disheveled appearance. Your hair is a mess from him holding it so tightly. Your shirt rides lower, your skirt is crumpled, appearing shorter. He takes his tie off, bringing your hands together in front of you, he uses it to tie your hands together. Spencer pulls the cups of your bra down, along with your shirt. The cool air in the room makes your nipples harden. He takes a pebbled peak between his lips, tongue swirling.

You reach for him, desperate to touch him. He immediately stops to raise your restrained hands above your head. “You don’t get to touch me, do you understand?” He looks at you sternly waiting for your reply. “Yes, sir.” You answer trying to keep your arms up. He smirks, clearly loving his new moniker.

“Say it again.” “Yes, sir.” You say louder this time. “Good girl.” He spins you around, bending you over his desk. Papers scatter on the floor as you land on the desk. He lifts your skirt, “No panties? Fuck.” He runs a hand through his messy curls. “I think you need to be punished for how you acted today and every day this semester in my class.” His large hand makes contact with your ass as he spanks you. “Count.” He commands, his hand coming down once again.

“Two!” You cry out, loving the way he’s making you feel. Your arousal drips down your legs as he spanks you again. “Three.” You wish your hands weren’t tied so you could hold onto the desk to steady yourself. Smack. “Four!” “Do you think you’ve had enough?” “Yes, sir.” “Hmm, I think you might need one more.” Smack. “Five!” You cry. He stops, looking at his handprint on your ass.

He reaches around you, dipping a finger into you. “You loved that. Didn’t you, my little slut” “Yes, sir.” You smile, turning your head to look at him. His dark eyes are clouded with lust. He swirls a quick circle on your clit before thrusting into you. The sound of his heavy breathing and the desk scooting from his forceful thrusts fill the room.

“You’re taking me so well.” He coos. His words make you clench around him. “God, you’re so tight.” Nothing has felt better than his weight on top of you, his cock dragging deliciously inside you. Spencer’s teeth sink into the sensitive skin on your collar bone as his thrusts grow sloppy. He finishes inside you with a grunt.

He pulls out, lifting you from his desk and turning you around. He loosens his tie from your wrists, kissing them as he frees them. “Are you going to behave in my class from now on?” He asks as you rub your wrists. “Yes, sir.” You beam. “Good girl. If you keep your promise, next time I’ll let you cum.”

Tags

@cindylynn @wheredafandomat @multifandom-worlds @loz-3 @megharat-barnes-reid @kats72 @mochie85 @cakesandtom @spenciesprincess @kimm4710 @tmilover1993 @nomajdetective @cynbx @lover-of-books-and-tea @weirdothatwritess @silver-tongue-taken-to-bed @freegardenbanananeck @lamentis-10 @khxna @im-this-girl

[depressedraisin]

notes on "mr. snarl"

hello, hello, hello welcome to the mr. snarl is high camp discourse. i've been readin' and thinkin' and drivin' myself nuts over this, so i'll be blabberin' on for a good minute. bear with me.

before we dive into any discussion of camp, we ofcourse need to understand what camp is in the first place. camp as an idea is nearly impossible to neatly put down in a few words or a sentence. it has no definition as of such. camp is loud. camp is ostentatious. camp is exaggerated. camp is 'too much'. camp is gay. camp is ironic. camp is cheeky. drag is camp. marlene dietrich is camp. baroque art is camp. cher is camp. mommie dearest (1981) is camp. the rocky horror picture show (1975) is camp. dostoevsky is camp.

the girlies who get camp get it, those who don't, don't.

however we do have susan sontag's 1964 seminal essay 'notes on "camp"' from where most of our contemporary ideas and understanding of 'camp' comes from. in her essay, sontag noted 58 points on what camp is or might be. for our purposes in this post, we'll go by those. because it is the camp bible of course. and i am a pretentious bitch.

now before we get to the meat of the matter, a quick detour to discuss the many faces of alex turner.

alex's personas have now come to as closely associated to his image as an artist and public figure as blonde wigs are with dolly parton, i suppose. it even has its own section in alex's wiki page. he is one those performers to whom the "eras" concept can truly and perfectly apply. he is a different man on stage with every new album, each 'era' is unique from the other and distinctly defined. a new 'era' for alex is not only a change of a haircut or a new pallette, it is a total revamping of his mannerisms and performance style and public image. be it mr. schwarz (the car era), mark (tbhc era) or oliver tate sr. (early sias era), each one of his personas is another way in which he represents the themes of that album. understanding a persona is integral to understanding the album.

and alex admits to as such. each Performer is a fractured reflection of his own self, and of the album.

but. but. i do not think that he has always made use of the Performer, or atleast, tried to make perceivable distinctions between them. in the first three-four years of his career- during WPSIATWIN and FWN, he presented as just Some Guy. just another normal bloke from sheffield. which, you could argue, was the persona that fit the context of those albums, but i would say that he was probably not putting that much thought into it at the time. it isn't until TAOTU that we see alex using his on-stage fashion to project a certain kind of image that ties in with the music he's playing. (do i think it's miles' handiwork? yes.). the lil suits and ties and beatles-mop cuts, y'know.

the first distinct Performer appears during the Humbug era. the soft-spoken, brooding, fawn-mannered poet who is probably hiding a bagful of secrets and hang-ups behind those layers of brown curls- let's call her him aly. then we have the bright-eyed, puppy-smiled, deep-voiced loverboy of the early SIAS era. i propose to call him oliver tate sr. (after the guy from submarine (2010) obviously). then mr. snarl- we'll get to him later. the loud and theatrical and slutty and deliciously gay EYCTE era persona. then the melancholic space poet mark of TBH&C and finally the suave auteur of The Car- mr. schwarz.

mr. snarl is the one who has garnered the most fascination and endured the most in popular imagination. dare i say, AM-era alex turner is a lowkey late 2010s pop culture icon. it is very easy to understand why- the quiff, the leather jackets, the perpetual sunglasses, the biker boots, the LA drawl tinging his sheffield accent, the devil-may-care wantoness. the girlies on tiktok and pinterest aren't obsessed with him for nothing.

so, what makes mr. snarl camp? what am i yapping on about?

let's get back to sontag.

camp is artificial. camp is ironic. mr. snarl is too. he is a character. he is a mask. *cue the bourne identity and body paint*. 'artificial' does not imply fake or dishonest. we should be careful not to be quick in putting any value judgement onto this artificiality- the aritifice is a quality of camp. you can't appreciate camp, if you snigger at the artificial.

2. camp is character. mr. snarl is a character if there ever was one. extremely defined, visually and behaviourally- you see a performance and can immediately recognise the moment mr. snarl is peeking through. he is also very intensely one thing- very intensely masculine, very intensely rockabilly, very intensely rock god. he is 'instant character' as sontag puts it, which is why perhaps he so immediately and so firmly gripped our collective imagination.

3. camp is exaggerated. camp is style. do i even need to elaborate on this? Ben Beaumont-Thomas of The Guardian said it much better than i could- alex ironically "played with the role" of being a rockstar but simultaneously "can't help but be a real rock star." so, to put it in sontagian terms, he is not a rockstar but a "rock star"

the 2014 brit awards speech is the peak of this ironic, exaggerated performance i think. (i'm still waiting for someone to do a drag performance based on it).

4. but to me, what makes mr. snarl camp is his performance of gender. now let's get one thing clear- camp is not effeminate or queer behaviour. it is the "spirit of extravagance", so any kind of extravagant and ironic presentation of gender can be under the purview of camp.

this performance of gender is not the david bowie or marc bolan or brian molko kind, no. this performance of gender is much subtle, much more nuanced- he wasn't playing around with rigid definitions of gender or crossing gender lines. he wasn't trying to say something with it necessarily. i doubt even, if it was a purposeful thing that he was thinking of back then.

but mr. snarl is a performance of gender. it is a performance of masculinity. and the thing that makes it so very interesting is that it was a cis, straight man doing it.

[if y'all are interested, another interesting example is dolly parton + her persona + her performance of exaggerated femininity. for more on that i'll point you towards be kind rewind's video essay on her.]

mr. snarl was an image of a very certain kind of masculinity. 1950s, elvis presley, rockabilly, greasers, james dean- these are some of the pop culture touchstones that come to mind when we think of mr. snarl. he is also decidedly american. a "fictional character from america" as alex later put it. was this whole persona thing an effort to conquer america then? perhaps...but eh. there is no way i can conclusively say that. it certainly helped that cause. AM the album was very us-american in essence-- it drew from hiphop and r&b after all. the soundscape of the arctic monkeys was very much rooted in its northern british indie roots, and AM was the first one that was clearly not. and mr. snarl was just a visual reflection of that. [for more on how the arctic monkeys conquered the us]

mr. snarl was a certain kind of masculine in a way alex turner personas haven't been previously or since. he has always presented as conventionally masculine. even the humbug persona- him being my girlfriend notwithstanding- is not much different from the aesthetics of say, ray davies or mick jagger or george harrison back in the 60s and 70s. the slightly effeminate dramaticism of eycte is not exactly gender-bending as such.

but mr. snarl was hypermasculine. masculinity has had an interesting place in his lyrics up until they- they are both critical ('brianstorm' 'a certain romance') and fascinated ('jeweller's hand' 'catapult') of more aggressive masculine characteristics. (he does use a lot of very sexual but not necessarily erotic language to describe said masculinity- but that's another can of worms.) mr. snarl was in a way, alex being those characters from those songs he was writing about. mr. snarl also very aggressively straight. straight with a capital s. his songs in AM still had the self-abasing and submissive undertones to the narrator that love songs from humbug and sias, but much toned down. he was out there shouting out his girlfriend on stage. and who can forget the "ladiessssssss!" moment. he had models hanging off him in photoshoots.

you probably saw these photos and thought- "what the fuck?!" with a cackle. that is exactly what makes mr. snarl camp. the irony, the ridiculousness of it all.

5. i don't think alex was trying to be or do camp. camp is best when it is not intentional. i can even confidently wager alex would not take it as a compliment if i showed him this essay. a lot of very "serious" people look down upon camp as something lowbrow and tacky and unserious. but it isn't. i would go ahead and classify mr. snarl under naive camp- he is trying to be straightlaced and serious, but failing grandly, which makes it deliciously camp.

so. mr. snarl was an exaggerated representation of masculinity. in a sense, mr. snarl was basically drag. alex turner being "Alex Turner".

[rallamajoop]

I have too many feelings about Deus Ex: Mankind Divided (3/3)

The story so far: we've covered gameplay and worldbuilding, we've covered story. Now I get to talk characters. And while I'm at it, go off on a tangent or two about some of my favourite touches from Human Revolution, and why I'm still in the habit of calling the hero of these games by his last name.

Characters

Much as I do love Jensen, it’s no secret that Francis Pritchard is my favourite character in this series. His snarky banter with Jensen during missions is so much of what made Human Revolution for me. When I later tried out the original 2001 Deus Ex, I even joked to a friend, “There’s this guy in my earpiece who keeps giving me straightforward, good advice. It just seems so unprofessional!”

Faridah Malik, Jensen’s pilot, is his other major human contact in HR – a friendly face to get him to and from different settings, and occasional voice in his earpiece as well. But it’s not just Malik and Pritchard you’ll be hearing from – you’ve got Jensen’s boss, Sarif, mocking him for his surprise that the SWAT penthouse villain has a panic room, plus so many other random contacts calling Jensen up and prompting ‘how did you get this number?’ complaints that I started to wonder if it was tattooed to the back of his neck.

I knew going into MD that Pritchard wasn’t returning (except in DLC). Halfway through the first mission, it began to dawn on me that Jensen’s new, aggressively-British, aug-hating coworker, Duncan MacCready, seemed to be being set up as the new Pritchard – ie, the asshole in his earpiece with whom he’ll gradually develop a grudging semi-friendship over the course of the game. This did not immediately enthuse me. Pritchard’s initial dislike of our hero may have been petty, but at least it was personal, seeing Jensen as an under-qualified nepotism hire. MacCready just hates anyone augmented, which would be pretty weaksauce even if Jensen had, y'know, ever actually chosen to being augmented to begin with.

It's not like it would be hard to come up with better reasons why someone might distrust Jensen: he's secretly working for a hacktavist network, was declared legally dead in circumstances he can't explain, and MacCready would be right to find him suspicious. But I knew MacCready was a popular character, so I resolved to give him a chance.

The reality proved much worse: love him or hate him, MacCready is hardly in the game at all. You can go talk to him in the office a bunch of times about why he hates cyborgs so much, but he’s only deployed with Jensen in the very first mission and the very last one. Jensen seems to have relationships with a number of his other new colleagues, but for most of the game, there’s no radio chatter at all. Infolink calls happen occasionally, but are vanishingly rare. Even when doing missions for the Collective – a group dominated by augmented hackers – Jensen’s left to fly relatively solo.

Jensen’s main contact at the Collective is Alex Vega, arguably the new Malik, at least in that she’s an augmented woman of colour and nominally a pilot (though she doesn’t actually do any flying for us) on friendly terms with Jensen. In fact, DXMD has given Vega a substantial redesign to make her less of the shallow Malik-clone she was in her "original" appearance, in the lesser known mobile game Deus Ex: The Fall. You can see her and Malik in the comparison below.

Yeah, there's really not a lot to set them apart. She's a pilot? Give her short brown hair like our last pilot, stick her in a flight suit, and call it a day.

As of MD, the new!Vega is black, does her hair completely differently, has more obvious augmentations, and doesn't live in a flight suit: okay, fine, no harm in giving the character some individuality (though why you'd insist on giving her the same name as the old Vega at that point I do not know).

But looks aside, it's on the characterisation front they've really let her down. There was never a lot to Malik beyond being straightforward, friendly and professional. But you do get an optional side-mission to help her solve a friend’s murder, and the big set-piece where she’ll die if you leave her and run like she tells you to (also the reason I’ll probably never get a certain achievement, but fuck it, I like Malik, I don’t need that achievement that much). Straightforward as Malik is, what makes her work for me is that it’s so easy to buy her as someone with her own life outside Jensen’s crazy world. It’s to the point where I almost don’t want to see her get dragged any deeper into the whole conspiracy plotline, because she’s so easy-going and normal she shouldn’t have to be. Basic as that is, when you’re having a reaction that strong to a character, they’ve done something right.

Vega, by comparison, clearly should be a much more memorable character – a pilot working full-time undercover for a top-secret hacktivist collective? But Vega too seems nice, and normal, and yet has no role in this story except to be Jensen’s contact. You can ask her a bit about her backstory, but it made so little impression I can’t remember it. She’s nominally so much more important than Malik, but she never gets to do anything as interesting as making up a nickname for him, hijacking a bunch of public TVs to get back at her friend’s killer, or make the tough decision to tell Jensen to leave her and run. She’s just there to deliver plot-relevant information.

Other characters fandom had led me to expect much more of were similar non-events. Koller, Jensen’s go-to guy for aug maintenance, is certainly a character, but not one that grabbed me, and he appears all of twice, neither time for very long. There's got to be a hell of a story as to why Jensen, an Interpol agent with connections to a whole network of augmented hackers, is going to a weirdo like Koller for aug maintenance, but the game doesn't seem to think that's a story worth sharing, so there goes another wasted avenue to do something interesting. Chikane, Jensen's actual pilot, has far more meat on his bones character-wise and more interaction with our hero. But he’s probably a traitor (I say ‘probably’ because the strongest hints are a coded message in a well-hidden safe, and finding it changes nothing), so there's not much point investing in what camaraderie they develop. Similar is Delara, an obvious Illuminati-plant who spends the game acting innocent and helpful enough to make you wonder if maybe she’s alright after all, only for an after-credits scene to reveal that, yup, she’s an Illuminati plant. Is this supposed to be a twist?

The one major character I did get decent value out of is Jim Miller, Jensen’s Interpol boss. Seeing a convincingly Aussie character in a position of authority in non-Aussie-made media is novel enough that I’m always going to get a kick out of it (even if his backstory does involve that whole ‘Australian civil war’ thing, which is hilarious in so many ways that I’m not sure non-Australians appreciate). Doesn’t hurt that Miller’s subtly queer too – hacking his computer will turn up info about his (ex-)husband and kids.

And that’s about it. There’s a local Prague underworld, but no-one involved is as enjoyable as either of the Tongs in HR, and agreeing to put yourself in their debt on Koller’s account means you’ll get to do a couple of extra side-quests, none of which will give your conscience much trouble. Is this really the best they can do?

When it came out, Deus Ex: Human Revolution was rightly criticised for a weak ending and some seriously ham-fisted attempts at worldbuilding and social commentary. I knew all that going in, and was still astounded by how bad it was at introducing its own ideas. But for all its flaws, I fell in love with its characters, and there were some touches that really stuck with me. I've had a whole mini-essay rolling around my brain for months just on the subtext it packs into who's on a first or last name basis with who – Jensen especially.

Our hero is ‘Jensen’ to most of his workmates (past and present), but ‘Adam’ to Megan and Sarif – Megan because they used to date, and Sarif because he’s the kind of friendly, personable boss who calls all his employees by their first names. But that familiarity takes on a whole other sinister dimension when you realise that Megan and Sarif are the same people responsible for basing their research on Jensen's DNA without his knowledge or consent (and in Sarif’s case, cutting off three perfectly good limbs while he was in a medical coma). Eliza – an AI who’s been watching him for god knows how long – calls him ‘Adam’ too. (So does Wayne Haas, the cop you have to talk your way past to get into the station, which is just more proof he’s Jensen’s bitter ex.)

Meanwhile, Pritchard and Malik – the two allies Jensen can trust to have his back – both call him ‘Jensen’. When Malik starts to get more familiar, it’s not by switching to first-name-basis, it’s by giving him a nickname (‘Spyboy’, which he responds to by calling her ‘Flygirl’). And that’s most of why I still default to calling the guy ‘Jensen’ myself: intended or otherwise, the game is pretty consistent in that the only people who call him by his first name have a serious lack of respect for his boundaries. I can’t tell you how intentional all that subtext was, but it shines through like a beacon.

He’s not the only example either. The game never tells us that Pritchard hates being called by his full first name, ‘Francis’, but it doesn’t have to – you can tell based on the way Jensen uses it (and it’s notable that he’s ‘Frank’ to Sarif, the ‘we’re all family here’-boss of the year). It’s a great little characterisation note for the both of them.

So you can imagine my disappointment that in DX:MD, most of Jensen’s new workmates just call him ‘Adam’. Maybe you could argue that now that unearned familiarity is going the other way, since here ‘Adam’ is the double-agent sneaking around under their noses – but then, Alex calls him ‘Adam’ too, and there’s nothing to suggest she’s shady. Miller and Duncan call him ‘Jensen’, which tracks with their characters and relationships, but I’ve long since hit the point where I can’t hear people calling this guy ‘Adam’ without twitching a little. Why are you calling him that? What are you really up to, you creep?

And this is just one thing I loved from that previous game that was lacking in the sequel. Pritchard and Malik may top my list of favourite characters, but it goes on and on. Tong Senior is more charismatic than any guy that shady has any right to be (and Tong Junior is just such a fantastic little shit), and Keitner deserved so much more screentime than she got. David Sarif is a fascinating mess of completely terrible person who still deserves real credit for standing up against the 'real' villains behind the scenes. Megan's level-headed conviction that she's doing the right thing even while working for incredibly shady people fascinates me. Quinn is great in both his personalities, and I even enjoyed Kavanagh and the sleezeball that is van Brugen so much more than I had any right to. There are compellingly grey characters all over this script, and the writers deserve serious credit for all of them.

But there’s no-one in Mankind Divided I enjoyed as much as the best players from HR. Including, I hate to say it, that one DLC which brought Pritchard back at last.

So, yeah. It's time to talk that last little footnote to this game.

The System Rift DLC

DX:HR had only one DLC mission, but it set a high standard, introduced some of my favourite characters (see above!), and contributed to the greater story in a big way. By comparison, MD has three DLC missions, and all have the exact same problems as the main campaign: there’s just nothing to invest in here. Do you actually care whether Jensen is able to save an undercover agent who’s gone native in some prison facility? Not once you’ve met the guy, trust me, he’s painfully bland. And that mission may actually be the strongest of the three.

The story justification for System Rift is as perfunctory as possible. Pritchard calls Jensen up out of the blue to call in a favour. He needs Jensen to recover some data from a bank vault, and along the way, you might find some evidence of shady insider trading between characters you’ve never met. And you have to ‘save Pritchard’s avatar’ from a virtual world, because reasons, which is exactly as trite as most attempts to build cyberspaces into gameplay. Oh, and you get to ride a funicular elevator at one point, because that’s about the level of what we get here as a callback.

As for new characters, you'll meet Shadowchild, a hacker friend of Pritchard, who I found depressingly dull. Attempts to characterise her mostly mean sitting through dialogue like “there are only a few hackers in a world who could do this, but fortunately for you I am one of them,” delivered in a relative monotone. Much as much as I enjoyed the fact that Miller was queer only if the player is paying attention to the details, doing the same thing again with Shadowchild just makes me feel like the writers don’t have the guts to make a character gay enough to risk upsetting the homophobes in their audience. It’s executed that much worse here too (look, I fully assumed whoever Shadowchild needed Jensen to leave that coded warning for must be someone she’d long since lost real contact with, because why the fuck would she need or trust a virtual stranger to do that for her real, current girlfriend when the stakes are this high? Come on!)

But what really kills this DLC for me is that Pritchard and Jensen’s relationship is given so little to work with. They’re not working together to find the people who put Jensen in hospital or tracking down the secrets of Jensen’s past this time. We’re not getting any insights into Pritchard’s past or hunting major Illuminati secrets either, there aren’t even innocent people in danger – there’s nothing personal here, nothing to invest in. The data Pritchard wants is a MacGuffin in the purest and most meaningless sense, and Jensen’s only helping because he owes a favour (and you won’t even know what for if you haven’t read the novel).

The fact Jensen’s now working for Pritchard directly ought to add new tension to their dynamic, but all it seems to do is throw a dampener over what grudging camaraderie they ever achieved. I do like that they've reached the point where Jensen doesn't even sound like he's sneering when he calls Pritchard 'Francis' anymore, but most of their banter was underwhelming – and dull as I found the core conflict of Black Light, even it delivered on that. Jensen is a surly asshole to Pritchard for no good reason from the moment he answers the call, and the idea that he’s pushing friends away to protect them is present but (at least for my money) underplayed. Pritchard, meanwhile, is here largely to deliver mission-related exposition. There were definitely exchanges I enjoyed ‒ I'm a shipper, I can't not like Jensen's last little 'take care of yourself' at the end ‒ but it's not much to hang a DLC on.

(And to be clear, if you did love System Rift for what it was, no judgement here. But goddamn, did you deserve something you could’ve loved so much more than this.)

So with all that said, where does that leave me for a conclusion? If the plan with Deus Ex: Mankind Divided was to make the series more like the original Deus Ex, then for my money, they’ve succeeded ‒ at least in that the plot is uninvolving, the characters are bland, and their relationships don’t evolve in any interesting way. But even the original DX managed some memorable reveals and a gloriously weird multiple-choice ending, where the heros could tell themselves they’d taken down the Illuminati and cured the plague. Jensen’s grand success at the end of MD is that a key UN vote on augmented rights hasn’t made the currently shitty status quo any worse. Everything that Human Revolution did well is missing here, and everything it did badly is just as bad.

And yet, at the end of the day, my single biggest disappointment may be that this really is it. There’s probably never going to be another Deus Ex game. I don’t know how you’d save a franchise from a rut like this, and it’s naïve to imagine you can only go up from here – but apparently it’d take more than one lackluster entry to kill my investment. It’s a hell of a bummer to see it end on a game that seems so ashamed of everything its predecessor ever did well.

It's enough of a bummer that rather than leave my own impressions rest there, I'm replaying Deus Ex: Human Revolution now, and you know what? Turns out it's not all nostalgia that's making me remember the last game so much better, because I'm having a great time with it all over again. The side quests you can pick up are just as truly absurd as they ever were (sure, random hooker I just met, I'll plant drugs in this guy's apartment for you!), but the stakes feel meaningful, the character dynamics are fun, and Pritchard is back being his terrible, sassy self. My absurd quest for enough XP to unlock all the cool powers ASAP has me spending way, way too long trying to set up double-takedowns and carrying vending machines around the middle of Detroit police station to try and block the sightlines between the computer I'm hacking and all the cops standing around the same room. Look, this is apparently my idea of fun, don't judge me.

For over a year now, I've had a couple of unposted bits of Jensen/Pritchard fic sitting around, never quite completed, and replaying the game has reignited the motivation to get them into some kind of shape worth showing to people. Lord knows I don't have the power to uncancel this franchise, but at least letting my own unfinished fic see the light of day is something I can do.

[peachtarto]

A Hundred Golden Urns - part iii

Pairing: Luke Castellan x unclaimed demigod (Alexandria)

Summary: Luke takes it upon himself to mentor an unclaimed camper

Warnings: none I think, if you find any please do let me know!

Part 1 here! Part 2 here!

Summer faded quickly, replaced by a brisk orange autumn. The camp stayed temperate, much to Alex’s surprise; the only hint that winter was on its way was the view of the forest beyond the camp boundary, turning more brown each day. She was grateful for the good weather, sparring would have been even harder in the rain and snow.

Luke had stayed true to his word; they’d trained every day from sun up to sun down, until they were both exhausted and cramping in every possible muscle. They’d do their chores in the evening, whilst the other remaining campers had their down time. He would keep her occupied with stories from his first years at camp, or tell her about the quests he hoped to go on one day. Most of his stories involved him narrowly escaping something thrown by Clarisse, or him just making it back into camp before the harpies found out he’d snuck off to the city.

The campers that remained had teased him endlessly at first. He’d been spending every hour of the day with her; Chris had even complained that he’d hear them talking way into the night on the steps of cabin 11, ruining his ‘beauty sleep’. He knew they were confused as to why he was putting in so much effort for an unclaimed camper who may not stick around and he’d tried not to let it bother him.

But it had stopped bothering him after two weeks.

Luke had risen early and realised he’d slept through the night. With a start he’d leaped from bed and out into camp, noting her bed laying empty in the cabin. He’d been about to call for Chiron and report a missing camper when he heard the sound of laughter, her laughter, from the pavilion.

There she was. Sat at table 11 peeling an orange, like it was something she did every morning. The Stoll brothers sat beside her, telling her some outrageous tale from their childhood that had her giggling into her peel. She looked up and caught his eye, and he tried not to let the surprise show on his face when she beckoned him over. He’d sat down on the bench to her right and they’d shared her orange for breakfast.

They did the same the next day, and the next, and the next. His worries about her not settling in seemed to disappear in an instant. Alex appeared at every breakfast, lunch and dinner; except for the rare times he found her asleep in the cabin after practice. He never woke her, just covered her with her blanket and slipped some bread rolls onto her nightstand.

The following week she started spear training with Clarisse, who had taken a liking to her at once when she’d realised she could teach another camper everything she knew from scratch, without that camper ever arguing back. She also took up archery with the Connor, who had come to Luke to make sure it was okay for him to ‘steal his girl’ in the afternoons. He found himself finding it hard to say yes, but had anyway; which is how he found himself as a spectator at the edge of the shooting range almost every day, trying to stay out of sight.

When he watched her train with the other campers he’d think on the little things she’d revealed in their weeks of conversations. He knew her favourite books, the music she liked to listen to, what dinners she preferred and which she’d happily chuck in the fire. He’d snatched up each bit of information and tucked it away for safe keeping. He’d tried to press for more useful things, things that might reveal where she’d come from. Things that might reveal who she might’ve come from. But she was still holding those cards close to her chest; when he asked a more probing question she’d shut him down instantly, or suddenly have somewhere else to be. The days he’d press too much were the days he’d hear her up in the middle of the night again, and he’d lay awake in his guilt until the morning.

Alex had seen Luke watching her practice sessions each day. Though he tried to stay out of sight, he wasn’t exactly subtle. He’d eye her footwork with such scrutiny during her sparring with Clarisse that it was almost impossible to ignore. She could sense him itching to get down into the ring and point out all her wrong moves.

Archery practice was no better. She could practically see the holes he bore into the side of Connor’s head, and she could feel them in the back of her own.

‘Don’t let him distract you.’ Connor had whispered in her ear when he noticed her lack of concentration. ‘He’s no good at archery, he’s coming down hear to see how badly you’ve got him beat.’

She’d laughed at that, loud and unrestrained; and Luke had found himself wishing that Connor didn’t exist.

October came and went, and though Alex showed promise of becoming an excellent camper, there had been no signs of her being claimed. Not that Luke really even knew what he should be looking out for. The gods tended to act on impulse, with little regard for the feelings of their children. He’d tried to tell her as much, but he knew it was hard to hear. She’d nodded and given a little ‘sure’, then taken herself off to the lake.

He rarely followed. He tried to give her space unless she’d made it clear she wouldn’t mind his company. On the days he did accompany her to the jetty, they’d sit in comfortable silence ; or at least she would, whilst he talked about his day or counselling duties. More often than not he’d just stay in the cabin, lying awake until he heard the door creak open and her feet tiptoeing in. That day however, he’d found it impossible not to go after her.

‘It’s normal you know,’ he said, plopping himself down beside her. ‘This stuff can take years. There’s no rush to become a Hercules. Most hero’s meet tragic ends anyway, you’re safer staying as you are. At least no one can send you on some doomed quest.’

She didn’t take her eyes off the lake, just replied, ‘And how do you know that’s what I’m thinking about?’

‘I don’t, just a wild guess. I know if I was unclaimed I’d be thinking about it everyday- hell, I did. But if not, then do enlighten me, what’s going on inside that pretty little head of yours?’

She kicked water at him from where her legs dangled, sending a shower of droplets onto his lap. He couldn’t help but notice the water had travelled in a perfect arc, when she’d barely skimmed the surface.

‘Flattery will get you nowhere Castellan.’

‘Is it flattery if it’s true?’ He grinned, kicking water back at her. His splash went nowhere, landing harmlessly on the wood of the jetty. He edged slightly closer, hoping she wouldn’t notice his movements.

She caught them immediately, and he was relieved to see a little smile on her face. He lifted one leg from the water so he could turn and face her fully.

‘What are you thinking about, really?’ Luke dared.

He didn’t think she’d reply as she pulled her legs up and tucked them beneath her; he had his arm ready to reach out and grab her ankle in case she tried to get up. But she just tucked some hair behind her ear and sighed, ‘I’m thinking, this might be my home for a long time.’

Her Home. He hadn’t expected that, and it must’ve shown on his face because she was looking at him strangely. He righted himself quickly. ‘And would that be so bad?’

She let her body turn so she was facing him, and he had to hold his breath at the look she was giving him, assessing. ‘No, not bad.’ She smiled, and he hoped it was him she’d thought of when she came the that conclusion. ‘It’s just different, I miss things from my old life.’

‘Like what? Tell me something you miss and I bet you we can get it in here. I’m a very good smuggler.’

She laughed, ‘I don’t mean things in that sense Castellan, though I don’t doubt you could smuggle a giraffe in here if you tried. I mean I miss things I’d do or places I could go, I even miss the bad weather, I miss seeing normal people doing normal things.’

He understood her more than he’d like to admit. Camp was wonderful, it was his home and it had protected him at a time when he thought everything was lost for good; but he also knew it could grow stuffy if you never left, it was hard not to get restless when you saw the same people everyday for years. Every now and then he’d reach boiling point and would beg Chiron to let him leave for an hour, or two. He’d never go far; just far enough to stop hearing Mr D’s voice ringing in his ears.

He turned a gave her one of his signature smirks, a true son of Hermes smirk. ‘I have an idea.’

‘We should prepare some funeral pyres then, if you’re thinking at least 3 campers are going to die.’

‘Oh very funny,’ Luke mocked, and reached down into the lake far enough to send an entire handful of water at her. It didn’t hit the jetty this time. ‘Would you like to hear it or not?’

Alex brushed water droplets off her cheeks, laughing, ‘okay I’m sorry, go ahead.’

‘Me. You. The big city. Tomorrow. I’ll ask Chiron tonight, I’ll say I’m picking up some camp supplies for Christmas.’

‘Don’t we just get everything magically delivered anyway?’ She interjected.

‘And this is why you make a terrible accomplice, much too honest.’ He sighed, ‘live a little pretty girl, try not to be such a good person for just one day, I promise it’ll be worth it.’

She blushed at his words but replied, ‘alright pretty boy, let’s get out of here.’

[porcelainmortal]

for the kiss thing plz

💜 surprise kiss / impulsive kiss firstprince :)

henry pov plz :)

Thank you for the ask, @onthewaytosomewhere!

I received this same ask twice and offered Mel the option of choosing another color heart or getting Henry's POV of the ficlet I posted earlier. I had this in my head while I wrote the other version, just in case, and I was delighted to get to write it down. I hope you enjoy!!

When Henry kissed Alex in the early hours of New Year’s Day 2020, it was entirely impulsive. He surprised himself by acting on years of desire, emboldened by too much alcohol and his frustration with Alex’s inability to understand him. Henry was so sure that he’d ruined everything, but Alex had surprised him by pulling him into the Red Room at the State Dinner and kissing him again. 

Now, several years on, kissing Alex is still one of Henry’s favourite pastimes. He can’t imagine any situation in which he’d turn down a kiss from Alex, who kisses with all the intensity and passion that he does everything else in life. It’s a little embarrassing to admit, even to himself, but Henry is slightly addicted to it. 

Which is why he absolutely loves it when Alex sneaks up on him at random times to lay one on him. Everything from a soft, chaste kiss that would be acceptable in polite company, to a searing kiss that makes his knees weak and inevitably leads to things they can only do in private, Henry is eager for them all. He knows Alex loves it too, and Henry wants to sneak up and surprise kiss him in return. But he always seems to be spoiling it somehow and Alex can sense him coming no matter what. 

One time, he’d nearly gotten his nose broken and ruined a fresh bowl of guacamole. After that, he swore to never try and sneak up on Alex again.

And yet, an opportunity presents itself one day that Henry can’t quite resist. He’s been in meetings at the shelter all day, but his last one was cancelled – a small miracle, for which Henry thanks all the gods he knows. 

When he returns to the brownstone, he’s a good ninety minutes earlier than expected, though he’s surprised to find it empty. He toes off his shoes by the front door, calling for Alex and David, but neither of them appear. It’s early summer but not as hot as it has been the past week, so Henry’s not surprised to look out the French doors that lead to the back patio and see David snoozing under a tree while Alex waters the gardens.

He realises that Alex is sufficiently distracted and he might actually have his chance. He eases the door open, stepping out onto the deck in his stockinged feet. Leaving the door cracked so as not to make any excessive noise, Henry sneaks down to the grass, stepping up right behind Alex. When it’s clear he still hasn’t been heard, it’s all he can do to bite back a giggle. 

Henry reaches out to grab Alex and turn him quickly, Henry’s arms wrapping around that narrow waist to steady him. He delights, probably a bit too much, in the shock that registers on Alex’s face in the split second before Henry is pulling him into a deep kiss. When they’re both out of breath, Henry pulls back and it’s clear that Alex is feeling the effects of that kiss as well. 

“Hello, love.” Henry can’t fight the satisfied smile splitting his cheeks.

“Hi,” Alex breathes out, staring up at Henry with a dazed look on his face. “You’re home early.”

Henry can’t resist being a little cheeky, teasing Alex about how he finally managed to surprise him. Alex brushes it off, blaming the noises in the yard, but Henry won’t let him off that easily. 

He leans towards Alex, wanting so badly to kiss him again, but unable to resist the urge to toy with him a bit. Alex’s eyes are locked on Henry’s mouth, clearly waiting for him to make the next move, but Henry holds back. He watches Alex, his eyes roaming that stunning face, waiting for his brown eyes to find Henry’s again.

“Okay, you surprised me, alright?” Alex admits with a roll of his eyes. “Just kiss me again.”

“Yes, love,” Henry says, all too happy to comply. He pulls Alex in again, revelling in the crush of their lips and the sweet press of Alex’s tongue. The sun shines down and David snore in the shade and the birds keep chirping and Henry kisses Alex.

Heart Ficlet Ask Game

[esse-lunam]

an introduction to: my 90s fame dr!

please read this god please there's art in here also ive put 5+ months of work into this dr at this point so i swear that there's interesting shit in here yall I SWEAR I AM NICHE.

reblogs greatly appreciated! this took me forever teehee

ohhh my god this is a long time in the making, ive put this off for so, so long and i really couldn't tell you why. this can act as a script me into ur dr post if you like as well!

for starters, you can find my pinterest board for this dr here :3 just in case u want some cool visuals i guess :3

-

so lets get the basics outta the way shall we?

full name: marley jo veitch

nicknames: mar, marley barley, mars bars, tink (reserved for s/o), living poet (public figure nickname type deal? yknow how stevie nicks gets called the white witch? yeah that)

pronouns: they/she

DOB: june 1st, 1970 (which makes me a gemini btw!)

occupation: musician (piano, violin, guitar n bass, some drums, and saxophone), poet, author (fiction and nonfiction), actor on occasion, also a comedian that one time

skills: all things music + writing basically, film analysis, pop culture analysis i guess, home decor, drawing, fashion?, and being the most autistic person in the multiverse

appearance stats: 5'3", 145ish lbs, long brownish-reddish hair with some light brown highlights in there, sorta wavy but barely

body mods: COVERED in tats (theres a tattoo section on the pinterest board but i also drew some so), septum piercing, snake bites, and a fair few ear piercings. and also i have glasses but thats not a body mod thats just a thing on my body.

"workin and workin't? you have a job?" more on that later!

-

relationships and such! with photos!

s/o: robert sean leonard

"hey, do i recognise this guy?" you might! he played notable roles such as neil perry in dead poet's society, claudio in much ado about nothing, and james wilson in house md!

best friends: dylan kussman, allelon ruggiero, alexandra powers, and kimya dawson

"do i recognise more of these people?" again, probably! dylan, al, and alex were all in dead poets society, and kimya is a musician best known for her indie songs, some featured in the movie juno!

-

my career! (oh good lord)

writing based - undedicated musings

(1986-1993)

alright so this is a bit hard to explain, bear with me. undedicated musings is an anonymous newsletter-based poetry... publication? run by me, under the pen name 'chartreuse', and the whole shtick is that i write poetry, love letters, and whatever else to the person i'll end up spending my life with, but the recipient of said writings is completely unknown, even to me, so im kinda just writing to nobody. until! i actually set my eyes on someone (obviously rsl) and then the writings start to get a bit more specific and yearn-y and personal. since the recipient is anonymous, all the writings are written for a 'vermillion'. both chartreuse and vermillion's identities are revealed when we get married in 1993. and no, rsl doesn't know that i'm chartreuse, nobody does until i reveal myself. i think its kinda cool :3

film based - dead poet's society

(1988-1989)

so for starters, i was part of the crew that worked on the set of dead poets society, now all my friends (except kimya, her and i become friends in the late 90s) make sense! my actual job on set is kind of a vague be-here-and-do-a-bit-of-everything type deal, so there's no set title beyond "assistant to lead" even tho it's essentially government assigned 'friendship' LMAO. but! me and the cast get on like a house on fire, so i kinda just get to tag along on their wacky teenage-ish boy adventures. this totally does not stem from a desire to be part of a teenage boy friend group, and i am, in fact, totally cisgender. i am also lying. anyway, without going into too much detail, me and my s/o-not-yet-s/o (will be referring to him as rsl from this point on) sorta have a painstakingly long will they wont they type deal, because i guess i like torturing myself. we meet a day before all the actual film stuff starts just as a sort of preliminary get to know eachother because you'll be in close proximity VERY often for months. thats some time in march - june-ish? of 1988 (i shift to my dr the day before!) and we don't actually get together until june of 1989. so.

also! some changes to the movie because i can make those: knox overstreet is now played by matthew lillard instead of josh charles, because josh charles is a fucking zionist and i dont want to associate with him in any reality! knox also isnt a b plot to the movie at all, instead focusing on meeks and pitts because i find them much more interesting! and also knox's b plot is creepy as hell! also, the racism against natives (read this!) is completely gone! no thanks!

music based - MAURZI

(1988-2004 technically)

strap in boys because this is the main event of this dr and the lore is VAST. MAURZI (must be spelled in all caps, like MF DOOM) is a sort of musical person/character i've made to tell the story of via a series of albums. i release my first single in october of 1988 titled "lunarian", which is a fun little song about a being from the moon arriving on earth and having some inter-planetary culture shock. and thats the only song i've actually planned! i release 6 total albums that map out the MAURZI storyline kinda

- MAURZI (1989)

- GONE TO SHIT! (1991)

- Charmed (1992)

- I found Him in Santa Barbara (1995)

- Waterworks (1998)

- also bibliography (2004) but those are released as songs By Me and not MAURZI, just released under the same artist. MAURZI storyline ends with Waterworks.

now here's where you get the very extensive MAURZI lore. MAURZI is a sort of alternate-universe representation of me, where in i'm much more famous than i actually am in my dr, and i am absolutely RUINED by my fame in a fuck ton of ways. each album is a different section of her life so i'll explain it album by album. also for reference, in my dr capitalism/ currency isnt a thing, but in the MAURZI... verse? it is. because i like anti capitalist art! same goes for most other media im in/ participate in, actually. MAURZI uses she/her pronouns btw, i dont.

MAURZI - my self-titled album is about as close and personal to my life as i'll get, which an average amount because i still throw in some songs about shit that i have not at all done/ experienced. (ex. songs about cheating, toxic relationships, and things along those lines. thankfully ive had a mostly healthy relationship with relationships! except that one time!) MAURZI is new to the music scene but she's here to make some lovely tunes to help process some stuff! artists im taking inspiration from include (but are not limited to): sarah kinsley, dodie, jeff buckley, tv girl, mitski, and peach pit.

GONE TO SHIT! - MAURZI's first album blew the fuck up! now she's thrown into the midst of dealing with an incomprehensible amount of attention on her at all times, which she was absolutely not prepared for. what does she do to cope? sex drugs and rock n roll, baby! she also gets addicted to 2 outta those 3 things! can you guess which ones?? now, obviously, this album is entirely fictional and is only tangentially inspired by some life events, heavy emphasis on the tangentially. artists im taking inspiration from include (but are not limited to): the nonstick pans, panic! at the disco, forest, david bowie, chappel roan, and king gizzard & the lizard wizard.

Charmed - the love song album! this is basically comprised of songs i sorta wrote about rsl, but changed up a fuck ton because i wrote them while i was pining and did Not want him to knkw who they were about. in terms of MAURZI stuff, she meets someone just after deciding that she's gotta clean up her act if she wants to exist healthily. recovering alongside a loved one and them being a motivator for recovery! now i should specify here that MAURZI's s/o is not the same as mine, and is entirely gender neutral/ doesn't even have a canon(?) human appearance at all. they're named Vermillion because we love a callback! artists im taking inspiration from include (but are not limited to): the smiths, siouxsie and the banshees, james blake, queen, laufey, and her's.

I found Him in Santa Barbara - yknow how when a banana ripens too much and it starts to tuen brown? yeah imagine that logic but applied to recovery, i guess. NOW IS A GOOD TIME TO REITERATE THAT MAURZI AND I ARE TWO DIFFERENT PEOPLE AND MAURZI IS JUST A CHARACTER. essentially MAURZI had a spiritual awakening and "found god." but what that ACTUALLY means is that she started viewing vermillion as a sort of god? but she's keeping it on the down low (making an album about it) because she doesn't want vermillion to thing she's CRINGE. themes of loving a god, being IN love with a god, being in lust with a god, temporarily thinking youre a god? stuff along those lines. its a bit intense, VERY experimental and.. heavy? both in themes and in musical style for some portions. this is my fav album out of all of them if you couldnt tell. artists im taking inspiration from include (but are not limited to): sleep token, WILLOW, type o negative, slipknot, lemon demon (specifically songs off spirit phone), hozier, violent vira, pierce the veil, gorillaz kinda, bjork, kate bush, deftones, destroy boys, and rammstein probably.

Waterworks - so yknow how MAURZI was having a whole trouble with god moment? yeah well thats gone now, no i haven't figured out how that'll work narratively, thats for me to figure out in like 10 years from now (now being 1988, naturally.) we've returned to our self-titled roots in terms of musical style! now we've just got some fun themes of trauma and such! and then that's the and of MAURZI as a character story wise, as i said earlier the album after this one is just a Me album. same artist inspo as self titled!

and guess what! music lore isnt even fuckin done! my music in this dr is a multiverse in itself goddamn. so basically the album covers for each album tell a completely seperate story about a completely seperate alter ego/ character/ whatever named Moonzi. name given by my audience (which is my excuse for coming up with such a shitty name and then keeping it.) the story of moonzi, without going into too much detail because i dont wanna type it all out, is a sci-fi type story about a being from the moon (lunarian callback!) on a quest to bring this space artifact back to its original place, basically. a bit more on it later, emphasis on a bit. also! each album cover is drawn by a different artist, and each album artist animates one official music video off their respective album, just cuz i like art and stuff! those music videos kinda follow the moonzi storyline loosely, but incorporate MAURZI elements. is this confusing? hope not. drawings!

writing based - novels

can you believe im still not done? like not even close? certified yapper. anyway! my 3 fiction novels (Manchester, NH - 1991, Curator Rye, 1997, Sand Dollars + Pearls - 2008) are about my ocs basically! thats it really, i dont feel the need to share the plots of those tbh.

writing based - autobiographies

two? yep! one is a fictional autobiography about MAURZI (MAURZI - 1999) and one is a non fictional autobiography about me (Radio Free Marley - 2012.) take a shot every time i say MAURZI and you will need to get your stomach pumped. she just. she means a lot to me :3

film based - doctor who

(1994-1999)*

*these dates are when im on the show btw, not its total runtime, same applies to other cr existing shows.

big disclaimer: never seen doctor who. dont know the plot, dont know which doctor i'm gonna be, i just wanna be in it.

so! my version of the doctor is kinda weird. its one doctor, but played by two people, but theyre one person. we're both the doctor. and by we i mean both me and rsl, obviously. the viewer sees the doctor as two different people, but NOBODY ELSE IN THE DAMN SHOW besides our little companion buddy guy (played by my cr friend fish!) SEES, ACKNOWLEDGES, OR IS ABLE TO VIEW THE DOCTOR AS TWO PEOPLE. its really complicated and i really did not have to make it that way, but its cool to me so i really dont care. also we're breakjng the doctor who cycle of boring suit and tie (this is NOT about you 15 <3) and going steampunk-esque. again, cuz i wanna.

film based - house md

(2005 - 2010)

marley veitch be in a show without rsl challenge (failed.) i play a character i made up named Nanette Amesbury who is essentially wilson's first ex wife. does he have a canon first ex wife? think so (i actually havent finished house oops.) do i care? you can take a guess. nanette (nicknamed ninny - which im well aware means dumb) is the director of the pediatrics department at princeton plainsboro and she kinda has a fwb type deal with wilson before figuring out shes a lesbian, having a crush on cuddy, being besties with kutner, then leaving the show in season 6. (zeth if ur reading this yes i made her show up for more than 2 seconds she just. means so much to me. also i want cudbury content.) im also a writer for the show so im there for its entire run time :3 i really like this show :3

film based - moonzi

(2016)

YEAHHHHH BABY SHES BACK!!! moonzi's storyline gets adapted into an adult swim animated tv show! i do screenwriting, stiryboarding, and voice acting! style wise, think teen titans mixed with bojack horseman mixed with archer. sick space visuals also!

comedy based - dying art

(2020)

idk i wanted to do a standup special! dunno what it's about. ill leave that up to future me to decide because this isn't happening for 32 damn years and i really just dont wanna come up with a standup special rn.

film based - radio free marley

(whenever)

i wanted a biopic, but i wanted it to be both about me and MAURZI, and how points in my life influenced or inspire songwriting. so the episode structure is like

ep 1: about me, point in my life

ep 2: about MAURZI, point in her life thats sorta related but not entirely to the events in ep 1

ep 3: about me, point in my life

ep 4: about MAURZI, point in her life thats sorta related but not entirely to the events in ep 3

ep 5: you get the idea

and then this goes on for 12 episodes and ends with the MAURZI story wrapping up and with me sorta retiring kinda. dont know when it'll be made, probably at some point in my 60s or whatever. im permashifting if you couldnt tell btw.

and thats it! after all this im just kinda existing and living life and whatever else. so with that outta the way i'll list some fun facts and i'll FINALLY BE DONE JESUS CHRIST IVE BEEN WRITING THIS FOR LIKE 3 HOURS.

- i live in new york city! manhattan to be specific

- i also have a lake house in new hampshire because i Need to be in a rural area at some points

- my house's interior design is very 70s themed and its WHIMSICAL AND FUN! maximalism, whimsigoth, nooks and crannys to be in, fun and varied seating options, conversation pit, loft bedroom, whole 9 yards. ive also got a gazebo on my roof!

- i have 2 siblings in my dr (not here im an only child in my cr womp womp) named lia and monty, theyre my best friends in my cr!

- ive also got a cat! she's a ragdoll kitty named yvonne, shes a sweetheart!

- i scripted out light pollution so the sky is all pretty at night, highly recommend you do the same

- im in STOMP at one point, dont know or care when, i just wanna be in it

- robin williams........... he is a father figure to me................ sniff sob

- yes i scripted out his death i simply cannot deal with that

- PUBLIC TRANSPORT AND WALKABLE SOCIETY!!!!! NO MORE CAR BASED US SOCIEY WOOOO!!!

- i cant fucking believe i havent mentioned this yet but im scottish?? im not scottish in my cr i was just thinking about david tennant when i was forming the dr idea back in january and it stuck. MAURZI is american tho

- hilson is canon in my dr LMAOAOOA

- thats all i got

sweet lord in heaven above if you've read this whole thing im giving u a big kiss. this is so long and i really dont wanna proofread it so im not gonna, excuse any spelling or grammar mistakes.

[heavyisthecrown-if]

LI Appearances

Derrick Bracht

Derrick is a tall man, standing at about 6'2, with dark brown hair trimmed to his ears and bright blue eyes. His skin is a rich golden tan, though scars mar that of his hands and forearms. He doesn't engage in much physical labor, often too tired, but his physique is still toned and his hands calloused.

Talia Kostien

Talia is 5'9 with an average build and fair, but warm, skin. Her arms are quite vascular, and not in a way that's displeasing, though she lacks the hypertrophy one might expect. Her eyes are brown and her hair, a honey blonde, falls to her chest in soft waves.

Alexander/Alexandra Godfrey

Alex is muscular, their frame holding the usual stiffness soldiers have. They're about 5'11, their skin a dark brown complimented by amber eyes. Their black hair is kept in braids, long enough to reach their mid-back. They have full lips and round eyes, adding an unlikely youthfulness to their appearance.

Zahara/Zachariah Drachmann

They're of average height, bordering on short, at 5'7. Their skin is pale, coming concerningly close to appearing pallor, which is starkly contrasted by their near-black eyes. Their previously jet-black hair is now graying, making them appear older than they actually are, and Zahara has it cut to her waist while Zachariah's is cut just above his shoulders.

[detectivemarvelingcomics]

Greetings! I wanted to ask if I had your permission to draw fanart of your OCs (from the Not Your Classic Vigilante series).

Additionally, I wanted to ask if you have any details or information about their appearance, such as hair or eye colours, heights, perhaps freckles or glasses...any details help, since I want to make them as true to the story as possible!

If, however, you would prefer I don't draw your OCs, that is completely fine too. I apologize for bothering you :)

Hi there! Absolutely you can! Tbh I kinda strayed away from huge identifiers since I want everyone to have their own image of them, but here's how they appeared in my head:

Captain Wayne: A literal self insert, but I never saw her as myself? Here's how I always saw her:

Height: 5'6

Build: Muscular in a calisthenics kinda way

Race: Some kind of south east asian

Alex

Height: 6'2

Build: Muscular in a boxer kinda way

Race: Some kind of east asian

Hair / Eyes: Black / Black

Defining Features: Wears Glasses

Closest 2d Characters I can think of: Zhong-Li (Genshin), Zayne (Love and Deepspace)

Carter

Height: 6'3

Build: Muscular in a Greek God kinda way

Race: kill me he's Wasian (East Asian).

Hair / Eyes: Dark Brown / Brown

Defining Features: Make him beautiful.

Closest 2D Characters I can think of: Caleb (Love and Deepspace)

Eve

Height: 5'5

Build: Muscular in a pilates kinda way

Race: Some kind of white

Hair / Eyes: Blonde / Blue

Defining Features: Noticeable scar running down her ear to her clavicle (I never mentioned this in the story come to think about it... might add it in the new chapter)

Closest 2D Characters I can think of: If Sailor Venus (Sailor Moon) and Historia (Attack on Titan) had a baby

Nixon

Height: 5'11

Build: Muscular in a swim kinda way

Race: Some kind of Wasian (south east asian) ((despite the name))

Hair / Eyes: Black / Brown

Defining Features: Freckles

Closest 2D Characters I can think of: Zuko (ATLA) but brown, Pavitr Prabhakar (Spiderverse) but older

Calvin

Height 6'0

Build: Muscular in a princely kinda way

Race: White

Hair / Eyes: Light Brown / Blue

Defining Features: Light Freckles

Closest 2D Characters I can think of: Artem (Tears of Themis)

If you want more definers let me know!

[op81s]

Who are some of your other guys in Indy? :0 Mine are the one that gets called Lil Dave and the Scotts :3 oh and Marcus Armstrong or Marmstrong as I see some people call him

sorry for the late reply anonie. i've been at my sisters for the weekend and i don't really like answering longer asks on mobile 😅💖

the list of faves is pretty long 😅 but i will happily rant about them for a while. (and some of your faves make appearances anonie!! 👀)

so the top fave other than rossi is josef. what can i say? i like my drivers to be weird little fuckers. and you don't get weirder in indy than rossi and josef. they're the og's. if there was a competition for weirdest drivers they would be battling for supremacy.

and scotty. i just love my little kiwi. i could go on a whole rant about how the bus bros episode endeared me to him in a way i didn't think he would?? i mean. i liked scotty before watching bus bros but some of the things we find out about him over the course of the show?? broke my fucking heart. AND. i love my bus bros. i said i wasn't gonna get into bus bros 'cause they're fucking divorced and yet- they pulled me in with their wacky little videos and now i'm here?? loving scotty and josef and just wanting them to get along 😭

and then there's pato!! my blorbo-in-law from so many of my mutuals!! and he just seems like the sweetest guy!! just always up to chat with/sign things/interact with fans at the drop of a hat!! and i love his relationship with alex so much and i'm absolutely gutted we won't be getting them as teammates next year 😭

SCOTTY DIXON!! i don't know too much about him but i do vibe with him so hard. truly THAT BITCH when it comes to indy. i remember watching the detroit gp and hearing the commentators be like '....he's gonna have to pit?? like- he can't finish this race on that amount of fuel??' and i was just sitting there, thinking. yes he is. he absolutely is. that is scott fucking dixon. he is gonna make that fuel his bitch and he is gonna win this race (and felt very seen when alex said pretty much the same thing in the off track episode recapping detroit. he said he immediately knew it was dixon's win).

AND LIL DAVE 😭😭😭😭😭😭 i have the biggest fucking soft spot for david. i truly fell for him through mclaren's pr videos of him but by the time i knew who he was he had already gotten kicked by mclaren so i was so happy when he got a new seat!!!

then there's the boyfriend teammates!! i gotta give a shoutout to colton and kyle. also blorbo-in-laws through mutuals (shoutout to @raapija + @omigodyall) but i also just genuinely love them so much. i especially have so much love for kyle 'cause he just seems like he has a good head on his shoulders?? willing to admit when he was mistaken?? and not fighting colton for the win yesterday?? all around a good 🥚 (also. got so much love for colton 'cause he said 'with the news of oscar it's gonna be tough 🤔' when talking about where he ranks on the pole of sack brown's faves back in 2022)

and then there are the swedes!! gotta give some love to my swedes!! felix, marcus and linus are always gonna have a special place in my heart 💖 (and tom blomqvist. the half swede)

and finally. i cannot end this post without including my queen 👑 katherine legge. i love her. i love how much alex clearly looks up to her and how close they seem to be. i just want her to have a full time ride in indy so it's easier for me to see her race 💗 i would LOOOOVE if people had some katherine lore to drop on me 👀 'cause i do think it's pretty hard to find the interesting little tid bits about her 😭

(also this list could be even longer but i feel like this was enough of a rant 😭😭😭 but yeah. feel free to ask my opinion on literally any driver. i can't guarantee i'll have one but i might?? and it might be spicy??)

[fantomcomics]

What’s Out This Week? 7/26

Who do we talk to to get July to stop going by SO FAST??

Alice Never After #1(of 5) - Dan Panosian & Giorgio Spalletta

Alice finally got her wish. Wonderland has become her new home, but with her abuser's avatar with the uncanny grin turning the mad residents of a moonstruck world against her, she's clawing for a little rationality amongst the chaos. As Alice's sister Edith and her childhood friend Earl fight for a way to bring her back, Alice has to contend with whether or not her torment is due to her father, herself, or maybe a curious combination of both...

BRZRKR: Poetry Of Madness #1 -  Keanu Reeves & Steve Skroce 

A sea of gore and devastation awaits as B, through a fateful chance encounter, safeguards the advanced and ancient realm of Atlantis as its unstoppable protector. But a sickly king serves as a symbol for the rot inside, as the security and bliss created through B's violence is shallow... The cracks created by a secret cult might spell a monstrous end for the legendary city, one beyond even B's ability to save.

The Children Of The Comet #1 (of 5) - Damian Connelly & Gabriel Kiko

A new series set in the world of You Promised Me Darkness and Follow Me Into The Darkness! Ten years after the events of Follow, Sage and the children of the comet live prosperously in New Kolosimo. But one day before the birthday of Miracle, the daughter of Sage and Daversa, new threats appear and the children of the comet must go into action again. Satanists, psychedelic dimensions, chihuahuas that shoot laser beams from their eyes, a deadly villain who wakes up after many years of being asleep and many other oddities. Welcome back to Kolosimo, where everything is weird.

Eight Billion Genies Deluxe Edition HC Vol 1 -  Charles Soule & Ryan Browne

If you had one wish...what would you wish for? What if everyone else on the planet had one wish too? That's EIGHT BILLION GENIES. Eight seconds after magical genies grant every person on earth one wish, the world is transformed forever...and that's just the beginning!

Immortal Ascension #1 (of 2) - David Chisa & Kristian Rossi

What if an Elektra type of character was thrown in an arcade game fighting style adventure? She'd be the GodKiller! Gear up for an epic tale of redemption and combat! Meet Rose, once known as the GodKiller, a fierce warrior who's seen it all - from brutal beatdowns to painful punishments. Now seeking peace and solitude, she's about to face her biggest challenge yet! As a master of the art of combat, she'll need to level up and rescue her students from the monstrous Hell Ghouls gang.  

The Jewish Deli: An Illustrated Guide To The Chosen Food HC -  Ben Nadler

A delightful celebration of Jewish delicatessens in an accessible comics format, full of history and humor, and guaranteed to make you hungry. 

Beloved culinary and cultural institutions, Jewish delis are wonderlands of amazing flavors and great food-bright, buttery, briny, sweet, fatty, salty, smoky. . .In The Jewish Deli, comics artist and deli aficionado Ben Nadler takes a deliciously entertaining deep dive into the history and culture of this food and the places that serve it up to us across the counter. 

A visual treat, this accessible and informative nonfiction graphic novel delivers stories of tradition and innovation, celebrations of iconic menu staples, flavor profiles, food preparations, ordering advice, spotlights on legendary and up-and-coming delis, and much more.

My Mate Is A Feline Gentleman GN -  Arata Asanae

When Toushirou is hired as a servant for beastman diplomat Alex, he fears the very worst. As an omega, he's gotten used to being treated as a mere plaything, and he prepares to once again "serve" his feline master. But to his surprise, Alex is appalled by the treatment of omegas in Japan and treats him with a kindness he's never experienced before. Little by little, Toushirou's feelings begin to change...

Primus 7 GN Vol 1 -  Nic Macari

Seven and Silva Ajamu witness the deaths of their father and grandfather by the hands of Arthur Grove. They are saved by Viktor Espinoza, a former soldier, who raises them as his own. Viktor must teach the boys how to harness their power before it's too late. Meanwhile, Grove has a dark energy brewing inside him that can alter the balance of Primordia as we know it. Can the two brothers work together and unlock their full potential?

Purr Evil #1 (of 6) -  Mirka Andolfo & Laura Braga

THERE IS NO ESCAPING THE MEWING EVIL... Rita loves her daughter Deb, but a dark evil from her past threatens the lives of anyone who gets too close to it. Can the bond between two women overcome a life built on blood and lies? And what secret is lurking in the Morando family's apartment?

PURR EVIL is a stand-out story about the relationship between a mother who gave everything for her daughter and a daughter who needs to figure out her role in a world that she's about to doom!

Radiant Pink TP Vol 1 - Meghan Camarena, Melissa Flores & Emma Kubert

When video game streamer and secret superhero Eva is invited to the biggest charity stream event of the year, she sees her chance to use her platform for good. But when a surprise attack sends her hurtling across dimensions, Eva will have to rely on everything she has to make it home in one piece.

Rebel Grrrls #1 - Danny Harrell & Robert Ahmad

Cursed with the power to resurrect the dead through music, three girls from rural Alabama set out to tour dive bars, basements and county fairs throughout the south. If making it as an all-girl punk band wasn't difficult enough, these cursed souls are pursued by a ghoul, disguised as a record executive, who has been tasked with using them to resurrect enough of the dead to overthrow the living. Despite the forces of hell patiently awaiting its time to rise, these riot grrrls are intent to prove that they're no sellouts, and that they can make their mark on their own. Will it be revolution, girl style... or Armageddon?

Rivers Of London: Here Be Dragons #1 (of 4) -  James Swallow & Jose Maria Beroy A dangerous monster is at large above the streets of London. And its name... Wyvern! After a Met Police helicopter on night patrol is attacked by an unidentified aerial phenomena, the Met's only sanctioned wizard, Peter Grant, and his mentor, Thomas Nightingale, are called in to investigate. Peter and Nightingale find themselves drawn into a battle between two groups of hunters - one human, and one fae- as they uncover a legacy of events that extend back to the 1960s. To save the skies of the city, Peter must face the enraged beast - but can he end things peacefully... or will he be forced to destroy the last wyvern?

Seraph Of The End: Guren Ichinose, Catastrophe At Sixteen GN Vol 1 - Yo Asami & Takaya Kagami

Prequel to the hit manga series, Seraph of the End! Detailing the events before the apocalypse, 15 year old Guren Ichinose enrolls at Daiichi Shibuya High, a magical training school. Witness his trials as he must hide his true strength even as he is trampled on at a school for the insufferably privileged.

Social Fiction GN - Chantal Montellier & Geoffrey Brock

An anonymous official chides a man under surveillance for stepping out of view of a security camera; visitors to an underground mall are forced to form a new society when a nuclear strike may (or may not) have left them as the sole survivors on Earth; newlyweds living in an authoritarian New York City attempt to navigate the insidious hurdles of being permitted to have a child; and a Puerto Rican boxer discovers that segregation continues in America long after death. In this collection of three novellas, Wonder City, Shelter, and 1996, published together in English for the first time, Chantal Montellier's blend of dark humor, gripping storytelling, and consistent focus on the perils of totalitarianism, shows her to be a master of both comics and science fiction.

Soichi HC -  Junji Ito

Soichi, the unhinged second son of the Tsujii family, chews nails and makes them clatter and clack as he spouts horrific curses to bring about the most bizarre happenings. Whether it's summer holidays or a birthday party, Soichi can turn any occasion into a nightmare in a heartbeat. What is the terrible secret of his origin? Meanwhile, tormented by his little brother's never-ending pranks, older brother Koichi has a soundproof room built. But why does it have a series of four doors? And then there's the strange phenomenon surrounding the handmade casket their grandfather left behind. What on earth-or hell-has the family seen there? Ten tales that celebrate the sinister and hilarious world of Junji Ito's favorite antihero, Soichi!

Stars In Their Eyes GN -  Jessica Walton & Aska

Maisie is on her way to Fancon! She's looking forward to meeting her idol, Kara Bufano, the action hero from her favorite TV show, who has a lower-leg amputation, just like Maisie. But when Maisie and her mom arrive at the convention center, she is stopped in her tracks by Ollie, a cute volunteer working the show. They are kind, charming, and geek out about nerd culture just as much as Maisie does. And as the day wears on, Maisie notices feelings for Ollie that she's never had before. Is this what it feels like to fall in love? Perfect for fans of Heartstopper and Laura Dean Keeps Breaking Up with Me, this graphic novel debut is a fresh, one-of-a-kind story that celebrates the excitement of meeting someone special for the first time.

Tokidoki: The Art Of Simone Legno HC -  Simone Legno & Tokidoki

tokidoki, which translates to "sometimes" in Japanese, is an internationally-recognized and iconic lifestyle brand based on the vision of Italian artist Simone Legno and his partners, serial entrepreneurs Pooneh Mohajer and Ivan Arnold. Since debuting in 2005, tokidoki has amassed a cult-like following for its larger-than-life characters and emerged as a sought-after global lifestyle brand. tokidoki offers an extensive range of products which include apparel, handbags, cosmetics, accessories, toys and more.  Combining Legno's unique talent and creativity with Mohajer's business acumen, tokidoki has grown exponentially. As an innovative company, tokidoki is known not only for its eye-popping aesthetic and criminally cute characters but also its megawatt partnerships.

The Way Of The Househusband: The Gangster’s Guide To Housekeeping GN - Kousuke Oono, Laurie Ulster & Victoria Rosenthal

Everyone, from busy office workers and aspiring homemakers to the fiercest members of the yakuza, can gain important life skills from The Way of the Househusband: The Gangster's Guide to Housekeeping! Learn the housekeeping secrets of the legendary gangster, Tatsu, with this practical and humorous book inspired by the popular manga series The Way of the Househusband. This detailed guide includes cleaning tricks to leave your home sparkling, secrets for finding cutthroat deals, schemes for mastering your territory, keys to caring for your gang, and much more. Within these pages you will also find 25 delicious recipes that will satisfy any voracious gangster. Follow these tips and apply the determination of the Immortal Dragon to cooking, cleaning, shopping, and crafting to discover the path to housekeeping success!

XOGenasys GN Vol 1 - Tre Mcintosh & Nikolas Draper-Ivey

The future has grown into a decadent, overcrowded gang-ridden cesspool. If you're not living uptown, you might as well be dead. Such is the case of Darius Smith, an artistic youth living in the hood, doing his best to avoid trouble and live life. Unfortunately, Darius has a hidden talent-he's an explosive fighter! This makes him the target of many gangs and pits him in many brawls, landing him in the sight of the honorable Timothy Mustafa, a powerful prince. XOGenaSYS is a successful gladiator sport fought with powered exoskeletons, and as the owner of one of the most successful teams in the country, Mustafa wants Darius to become his newest fighter. Can Darius become the next champion? Or will he fall like so many before him?

Whatcha snagging this week, Fantom Fam?

[my-head-is-an-animal]

Missed Chances

Randall Brown x Original Female Character

Rating: M for Mature 18+

Summary: Alex Blackwood is the war correspondent for The Hour. She and Randall go way back, but an underlying tension begins to deep into their already fragile friendship.

Chapter 4

Randall was beyond excited, he had a plan for the weekend and he knew Alex well enough to know that she would be excited as well. However, he needed to lay the groundwork and give her the option to say no, he was a gentleman after all.

    The show went well and they had plans for dinner at his place, he would talk to her about Paris then. Randall was having a difficult time during the show to refrain from touching her, he was careful and never let his hand brush her leg when anyone was watching them, but from her sudden intake of breath every so often he couldn’t resist pushing his luck.

    ‘Right, editorial meeting nine o’clock tomorrow morning.’ Bel called through the set and the gallery. Randall subtly grinned at Alex who was trying to contain herself as she turned away to walk back to her office, he maintained a short distance between them so that he could watch the sway of her hips without too many people taking note.

    ‘Ready?’ He asked, once he’d grabbed his coat and hat. Everyone was leaving for the evening and she was the only one left reading through something on her desk.

    ‘I’m just coming.’ She said, but made no move to actually leave.

    ‘Something caught your attention?’ Randall asked.

    ‘Erm…’ Alex flipped the page, whatever it was, it was serious. ‘I just need to make a phone call before we leave. I’ll meet you downstairs.’

    Randall hesitated for a moment, but decided it was better to leave her to it. He said good night to everyone leaving and waited half an hour for her to finally appear.

    ‘I’m so sorry, I just needed to check in with a couple of people.’

    ‘It’s fine.’ Randall said and held the door for her to leave. ‘Is it a big story?’

    ‘I’m not sure,’ she sighed. ‘It’s not something I want to talk about just yet, there’s a lot of moving parts.’

    Randall just nodded, understanding that there are some things that just need time until they can be spoken out loud. He drove them home and they soon slipped into idle chat about the day, he made them dinner and watched as she got comfortable in his flat.

    She always kicked off her shoes, placing them carefully next to his whenever she was in his home and making sure that she hung up her coat on her assigned hook. Randall wouldn’t have minded too much if she ever made a mess, but he appreciated her consideration all the same. Alex had worn a skirt again that day and Randall felt a heat rising up his neck that he really wished was hidden from everyone in the office.

    He had never really known what it was about her in a skirt that made him feel that way, but he could say with some certainty that her legs played a major part in it. Randall often thought about the way her legs would feel wrapped around his waist, he never dwelled on the thought for too long, not wanting to encourage himself too much. He was aware that she had a few scars on her legs that prevented her from wearing anything that was too short, but Randall wanted desperately to run his mouth over them and prove that he didn’t care about any of them.

    ‘You look deep in thought.’ Alex said, smiling at him. She had helped him do the washing up and a part of him didn’t really want her doing anything for him, but the other part liked the way her hands drifted over his plates and the cutlery before she put them away.

    Randall smiled and pried the tea towel from her hands, drying his own. ‘I’ve been thinking on something and the entire weekend will hinge on it, but I’ve come to realise what “no more wasted time” really means.’

    Alex frowned up at him and he took the chance to kiss her softly, before wandering over to his suit jacket.

    ‘Paris is where we met, where we bonded and where I would…’ Randall paused, not quite having thought about the weight his words might have had. Alex immediately stepped towards him, thinking that something might have been wrong.

    ‘Randall, what is it?’ She said and held his face to look into his eyes. Her eyes were golden again, shining brightly up at him and it gave him the courage to do what he needed to do.

    Randall took a breath and held her hand. ‘I realise that our time together will always be short by ten years and that this might not be what you want, but you asked me to always be honest and I can’t hide my desires any longer.’ He slowly descended down onto one knee and pulled out the small box that he had kept in his suit jacket for several weeks. ‘Alexandra Blackwood, would you do me the greatest honour of becoming my wife?’

    She stood for a moment, not saying anything at all, her hand closed over her open mouth and he could see tears forming in the corners of her eyes. Randall feared for a moment she would say no, until she began nodding her head quickly. ‘Yes.’ She breathed. ‘God, yes!’ She began crying as Randall carefully slid the small clear ring onto her finger.

    Randall didn’t hesitate a second longer, he kissed her with everything he had, he could taste the salt of her tears, smell the vanilla of her hair and feel every part of her body pressing against his, she was perfect. He didn’t stop, he just kissed her over and over again, feeling himself begin to cry a little, he was so happy.

    ‘This was the plan?’ Alex asked, pulling back to breathe. ‘You asked me to Paris to marry me?’

    ‘I did.’ Randall nodded. ‘I couldn’t imagine a better place to do it.’ Randall really had thought about this, about everything. ‘It’ll be quiet and out of the way, I know you don’t like the attention and it’ll be close to the café. We can do anything you like, I just wanted this one thing, I just wanted to tell you I love you.’ Randall kissed her again, but once again she stopped everything.

    ‘Randall, please don’t make me wait until my wedding night to feel you.’ Alex looked up at him with her watery eyes, not being able to contain any sort of emotion. ‘I don’t want to wait any more.’

    ‘No more wasted time.’ Randall smiled and shook his head.

    Randall was almost shaking, finally he felt like he could give in, he didn’t need to hold back any more and he could finally have what he always wanted. Alex. He kissed her gently, looking over every part of her face and smiling as she moved her hands up his chest, feeling his heart beat below his tie. Randall gently guided her to his bedroom, it was as neat and tidy as the rest of his flat and smelled faintly of pinewood.

    Alex turned to face him and the light hit her eyes, making them shine that beautiful golden colour that he loved. He took his time, allowing her to set the pace, first by pulling his braces from his shoulders and running her fingers inside the waist band of his trousers, Randall suddenly felt nervous and held her hands, steadying his breath.

    ‘Sorry… nervous.’ He said, weakly. Alex just smiled and nodded in understanding. She reached up and held his jaw, pressing a soft kiss to his mouth, coaxing him away from the nervous feeling in the pit of his stomach and pushing into desire.

    ‘I thought you liked it when I wore a skirt?’ Alex teased and Randall chuckled.

    ‘A little too much, I think.’

    It was Randall’s turn to run his hands through her hair and kiss her deeply, not bothering to stop himself from wanting to taste every part of her mouth. He suddenly realised that he was able to let his mouth drift down her jaw and neck. Her skin was so soft and that sweet smell of vanilla sent him into a daze that he enjoyed in every sense, letting his tongue trace along her skin and listening to the way she reacted. A groan that made his knees weak and his desire stronger.

    Alex’s breath was so close to his ear, it sent chills over his skin. He wrapped his hands around her waist, pulling her body into his and feeling every curve she had to offer. Randall made his way to the crook of her neck, it wasn’t a place she had on show that often, a series of small scars that were barely visible sat in a line going from her neck to her chest. He felt the smooth skin with his lips and then with his tongue, removing any bad memories and replacing them with his want.

    Randall lifted his head to kiss her, he pulled back to see her dark eyes with a thin ring of gold surrounding the opal circles. There was no need for him to be nervous, she wanted this as much as he did, so he shouldn’t have felt bad about wanting to see her naked before him, it wasn’t like he hadn’t seen her without her blouse before, but this felt different.

    ‘Randall,’ she placed her hand on his cheek and smiled. ‘I want this… I want you.’ Her voice was low and filled with what he could only describe as lust. It gave him the much needed courage to slowly undo the buttons of her cream blouse, his fingers slipped over a couple of them, but she didn’t mind. Alex held his hands to stop them shaking for a moment and kissed him carefully. Randall could feel the curve of her breasts and it only spurred him on to continue taking off her blouse. He moved quickly to the bottom of her vest and pulled it up out of skirt, he slowed his movements, allowing her all the time to stop him.

    Alex smiled against his mouth and took a step back, removing her vest completely. For just a few seconds, Randall didn’t even see the nasty scars that littered her skin, he just saw how brave she was. He removed his tie, never breaking eye contact and began unbuttoning his shirt, but she wouldn’t let him do it alone. Randall felt her soft fingers take over, while her mouth pressed against his, making him groan into her.

    Randall felt her soft skin, the scars were even softer and he wanted to trace over every single one with his tongue, he wanted to worship her with his mouth and feel every part of her body with his. Nothing would be left untouched.

    ‘Alex.’ He moaned against her mouth, suddenly realising he was still wearing his glasses. It seemed like a crime to take them off, his blurred vision not allowing him to see how beautiful she was. His shirt eventually came off and his undershirt soon after. She traced her fingers up his tight stomach and he could feel the ring he had given her running over his skin. ‘I need you.’ He whispered and her eyes darkened even more. Alex found the top button of his trousers and he helped her get rid of them as well as his socks, both of them chuckling slightly at his obvious arousal, how did he not notice it happening? He felt like a teenager again, standing in his boxers with a beautiful woman, nervous as hell.

    Randall unzipped her skirt and gave her another moment to prepare herself. Alex let it drop, but before he could look down, she caught him in a searing kiss. ‘I’m scared to let you see.’ She said and Randall brought his hands up to cup her face, smiling down at her.

    ‘There is nothing there that will make me want you any less.’ He whispered. ‘Give me a chance to make you feel good, to make you feel beautiful.’ Randall begged, he wanted her so badly and with Alex, he wasn’t above begging.

    ‘You never made it that far in the report.’ She said and her eyes were losing the darkness, she really was scared.

    ‘That shouldn’t matter,’ Randall ran his fingers gently through her hair. ‘Alex, I have never wanted anyone as much as you. You’re standing in my bedroom, wearing an engagement ring that I gave you, saying yes to being my wife, at some point I had hoped to see you naked.’ At least that made her chuckle. ‘Be selfish for once,’ he kissed the tip of her nose. ‘I’m here asking to be yours, why don’t you just indulge yourself for a while? With me?’

    It was fine if Alex wanted to stop, but Randall was having a hard time resisting looking at her while she stood in just her under garments.

    ‘Okay.’ Alex finally said and reached up to kiss him softly. ‘I can do this.’

    ‘Yes, you can, as slow as you want.’

    Randall hadn’t realised that saying just that would turn her on as much as it did. He guided her over to the edge of his bed and smiled letting his thumb trace down her neck. They both let out a small gasp as he softly rested his whole hand over her full breast, he kissed down her neck and moved his other hand to unhook her bra, removing it completely and inhaling the smell of vanilla before moving his mouth down her chest.

    Every time she let out a groan, Randall repeated his movement and continually allowed her moments to stop him, but she never did. He could feel her knees weakening and her need to lie down was welcomed. Randall followed Alex as she lay back, he never once took his eyes away from hers, smiling and letting her know just how much he was loving what they were doing.

    Randall lowered his mouth and traced a line from her lips, down her chin, her jaw, her neck, the soft skin of her chest, running his tongue over her breasts and feeling her fingers slide through his hair, listening to her moaning his name and encouraging him to continue. Randall couldn’t just use his mouth anymore, he needed to feel her skin with his hands, to caress the soft flesh and force more moans from the pit of her stomach.

    He flicked his tongue over her nipples, there were small scars between her breasts and he made sure to give her extra attention in that area. A slightly bigger scar sat just below her breast from where she had been stabbed, it had been shallow, just enough to cause her discomfort, but not enough to kill her. Randall groaned into it, trying to replace the terror with love.

    Randall moved further down, giving each scar all the attention he could, running his tongue over it, pressing his lips to every single one and groaning as he went lower to the area he really wanted to worship. She was brave and courageous to allow him to do this and it only made him want her even more.

    Alex didn’t stop massaging his scalp, sending warmth all over his body, he hooked his fingers into the sides of her underwear and waited a moment for her to stop him, she didn’t. It was suddenly painfully obvious why she didn’t want him to see her, the skin had been burned on her inner thigh, there were wounds that ran from her hips to half way down her thigh, it was like the knife had gotten caught in places, it was jagged and Randall was mesmerised for a minute.

    ‘Randall?’ Alex frowned at him.

    ‘I’m so sorry.’ He said, letting his fingers drag over each scar. Randall brought his head up to kiss her as deeply as he could muster. ‘No one could have done what you did.’ He said, pushing his hips into her, he could feel how wet she was through his boxers. ‘I will never let anyone hurt you again, I promise.’ Randall kissed her again and could feel her hands gripping him just a little tighter.

    He didn’t waste anymore time, Randall grinned down at her and a small frown appeared between her eyebrows. He kissed her once more and moved his mouth down to kiss her hips, to run his tongue over the soft skin and caress the flesh that had been through such pain, he wanted her to feel comfort and affection and love to replace everything she had known before then.

    Randall lifted her thighs so that her feet sat on the edge of the bed, he kissed every part of her inner thigh, dragging his teeth carefully over the flesh and sucking the particularly sensitive areas, making her moan his name out. Randall watched her for a moment, he could see her eyes shut tight, enjoying everything that he was doing to her.

    Without hesitation, Randall ran his tongue through her wet folds, she let out the most glorious sound, a mix between a wail and a moan and he longed to hear it again and again. Randall didn’t stop, he wanted her to feel more, to moan louder, to encourage him to go further and come for him.

    Alex didn’t take much encouragement, he only needed to slide his fingers inside her and suck her clit once more for her to clench hard around his fingers and cry his name. ‘Randall!’ She cried and Randall reached for her hand, interlocking his fingers with hers and feeling the ring sliding against him.

    Randall didn’t want to wait for her come down all the way, he climbed up her body, taking her hand to rest on the back of his neck. He kissed her deeply and to his surprise she groaned, tasting herself on his lips. Randall quickly got rid of his boxers and looked down at her, her beautiful golden eyes smiling at him, she was ready for him.

    ‘Alex.’ He whispered and smiled as she lifted her hips. Randall pressed his lips to her again and as slowly as he could muster, he slid himself all the way inside Alex and listened to her cry out, it was the most intoxicating experience he’d ever had. Randall stopped for a moment, just feeling her around him, against him, with him. He let her adjust to everything around her and waited until she was ready for him to move.

    As soon as she was, Randall kept a slow rhythm that had her humming against him, he kissed her and ran his hands through her hair, he caressed her hips and felt her doing the same to him. Her hand ran down his back, but stopped close to the base of his spine, Randall knew why.

    ‘One of the last bombings before I left France.’ He whispered and stroked her cheek. ‘It’s nothing.’ Randall smiled and kissed her softly.

    ‘It’s not nothing if you got hurt.’ Alex whispered back and Randall was yet again reminded of why he fell in love with her in the first place, she never believed her pain to be anything more than anyone else’s. Pain was pain as far as she was concerned and if you were hurt then it didn’t matter the extent of the damage, you were affected by it.

    Randall couldn’t stop himself completely, he moved inside her faster and a little harder, kissing her deeper and groaning into her hair. He could feel himself getting close and carefully moved his hand to the curve of her arse, changing the angle. It did the trick and had Alex crying out how close she was, he didn’t stop, Randall thrust into her faster and deeper than before until finally she came, tightening around him and forcing him to come soon after.

    They came down slowly, sweat had built up over her skin and she smiled up at him. Randall stroked her forehead and through her hair.

    ‘I don’t know if you’ve ever been told,’ Randall panted. ‘But your eyes are golden in the right light.’

    ‘What?’ She frowned, trying to find her own breath.

    ‘Your eyes,’ Randall explained. ‘When the light catches them in a certain way, they are golden.’

    Alex bit her lip, grinning. ‘Is that a bad thing?’

    ‘No.’ Randall half laughed and kissed her again. ‘It’s the most beautiful thing I have ever seen.’

    He watched her for another few moments, before the position was no longer comfortable and he needed to move. Randall went to the bathroom and cleaned himself up a little, his body had already begun to ache, but not a single part of him minded.

    Alex was curled up against one of the pillows when he came back, she was fighting sleep, but she really didn’t need to. Randall took his glasses off, putting his boxers back on and climbed into bed next to her, easing her onto his chest. He loved that she immediately pulled him closer to her body as he settled and hummed in satisfaction wrapping his arms around her.

    ‘You kept your glasses on.’ She mumbled and Randall only just heard what she said.

    ‘I didn’t want to miss seeing you look so beautiful.’ He said into her hair, kissing her forehead lazily. Alex was falling asleep quickly and Randall took the time to think about every part of her body he explored, nothing about her was ugly, her scars only added to how beautiful he thought she was, how brave and how strong she was and no one saw it the way he did. ‘I love you, Alex.’ He breathed and finally closed his eyes, drifting off to sleep.

If you liked this, please consider supporting me ☕ thanks for reading!  

[melodyofthevoid]

hmmm……. face, stillness, and favorite for the royal childrens (for the ask meme)

face: Describe your OC's face. What's their smile like? Are their orbs cerulean? What would someone notice first when looking at them?

Felix: A bright smile is probably the first thing you notice, he's a smiley guy! His face is a bit rounder than his brother's and is covered in freckles from all his time sailing. Eyes are light brown and he wears a pair of round glasses (but you knew that lmao). Very expressive and wears his emotions on his sleeve.

Alexander: Very intense eyes, definitely the first thing one would notice about him. Sterner more angular face, paler than his brother but does have a few freckles. Eyes are a bit darker than Felix's, but still a light brown. When he smiles generally it's very small but if you catch him at the right time his smile is warm, if not a bit more subtle than Felix's

Arran: Pale face, overall round/squarish. Eyes are an olivey green. First thing one notices is that he has a mischievous energy to him. Bit of a schemer lmao. Silly goofy energy when smiling with a smidge of well meaning malice. Dude is a menace when he wants to be.

Diana: If Alex is stern than Diana has what one might call a case of RBF. She is rather intense like that. Eyes are a very light brown, almost bordering on amber in certain lights. Her smile though is often a challenge, a bring it on if you will.

stillness: How does your OC act while still? Are they fidgety? Do they have any common gestures or tics? Does their clothing affect how they hold themselves while at rest

Felix: An antsy boy, doesn't like sitting in one place for long. Bounces his leg all the time when bored. Sits more still if he's zoning out (or in a mirror haha what who said that). Also will tie knots in a little rope he carries just for the sake of it. Gets infinitely more restless if he's in formal wear. It makes him nervous because he usually has to entertain and be "presentable".

Alexander: When he's still, especially out in public, he Does Not Move in any way that's not incredibly practiced or a part of his persona. He tries to keep up the appearance of the Prince at all times and doesn't often give things away or fidget.

However in private when he's nervous he will bite at his nails (a habit he is rather forcibly broken from later) and also can bounce his leg but is more apt to drum his fingers or spin a pen.

Arran: Doesn't carry a ton of nervous energy, will hold onto himself if he's just sitting around. Whistles when bored much to the annoyance of Felix when they're younger. (Is very aware of this and thinks it's funny).

Gets any excess energy out by tending to his plants.

Diana: Uncomfortable standing around and not doing things for too long, since she spends a lot of time training with her sword. She can sit still but she's usually observing her surroundings and making snitty comments under her breath (Alexander is one of the few to hear her). Will keep a hand on her sword usually or adjust her clothes out of reflex.

favorite: Does your OC have a favorite article of clothing or accessory? What is it? What's the meaning behind it? Do they wear it all the time or do they wear it sparingly to keep it safe?

Felix: Both of the brothers have matching necklaces that they got when they were young. Treasures it and wears it almost all the time. He also has a coat that he wears out on his ship when it's colder. It makes him feel like a cool pirate captain and not... the future leader of a nation. Lol. (eventually his wedding ring will join the fray)

Alexander: Wears his necklace less than Felix as he gets older, but still treasures it. His favorite piece of clothing is a comfy drape/sweater that he wears in private. He loves comfortable clothes but doesn't get to wear them often because he prefers to keep up appearances. (his necklace is much more treasured later, along with his rings that he gets later.)

Arran: A brooch that belonged to his father, he wears it constantly as a way to remember him and honor his legacy. It was gifted to him in some of Amian's final days, and has Amian's family crest on it. (Wedding ring to come)

Diana: An intricate embroidered vest that she hand-stitched herself. It took months of work getting the design and beading right, a personal project she undertook half out of spite and half because she wanted to. The flowering vines and family emblem symbols on it are a sign of her pride in her status and her vow to protect her family. She wears it on special occasions and as a lucky garment.

[reignthem]

@danviers said: 24. a kiss on the shoulder.

sam, who has always been an architect at making a new place a home ( no matter how uprooted it might be ), has never had a thumb inclined for greenery. she adds a touch that says sam was here in a playful knick knack like a ceramic dog with his tongue lolling out by the front door or a chalked-up bucket list in bubble letters by the kitchen. these things are easily replicated, inexpensive, offbeat enough that it's perfectly sam.

but she doesn't so much as adorn a corner of the house in national city with a bamboo or stud the windowsill of the apartment in star city with a cactus.

( once, she'd purchased a row of seedlings from a nursery only to drown them in overwatering. she'd tried again with a fuscia-bright flower only to find it browned, withering no matter how much she'd desperately carried it to light or nursed it with nutrient-rich soil. after that, she'd given up on nurturing any living thing other than her daughter, who seemed resolute on thriving like a weed despite any circumstance. & that was enough. )

so, when the weeks after kara's funeral roll by, what feels like a desert is so bereft of life, drained of color, sapped of the simplest flash of color, she is despondent at trying to help it back toward growth.

she tries to tend to what has now amounted to a badlands of grief, but there is no simple way to coax the weight of it away with a smile or gentle touch. blue valley is a fresh start, like repotting, but even that seems to be bereft of blooming in the wake of sam's futile tryings.

but she makes up for it with persistence ( or she tries ) & patience: she does the laundry, scooping up a forgotten pair of sweatpants from the side of the bed, cobbles together lopsided blueberry pancakes that come with too much syrup. alex might have laughed, sopped it up before, sticky-fingered & giggling. the grim flat of her mouth makes sam know that they must taste like sawdust in the void of loss.

( she aches for missing the crinkling at the corners, the intangible twinkle that comes with a dash of personal mischief or true enjoyment. it's here where she realizes that death takes more than the life of one person. )

she leaves for work in the morning with a fresh cup of coffee on alex's nightstand & a tender love you whispered into the heap of blankets trundled over her wife's shoulder.

each day, the blinds are open to let the sun in. every friday night, an offer to watch a bad action movie. she keeps looking, too, for a symptom of green, a floret that says things are getting better. it's hard. she's determined, but tired, missing what happy looked like.

it comes one day, months in, like a slat of dawn peering through a slate grey sky.

she's on the sofa with a glass of wine at her elbow & a file stuffed with month's end reports, pen tucked behind her ear with ink tippled into the callus at her middle finger.

the little verdant sprout appears like a blessing. alex is behind her, merlot uncorked & topping off her glass. i love you, is said with more weight than three words can hold, & a brush of lips along sam's collar comes with a reassurance squeezed into her shoulder.

it's simple, new, & shouldn't be exciting for everything they've shared together. but in the bleak, barren landscape that comes after death, it feels like a victory. there's still life ahead.

[urlocalnonbinarybastardwrites]

lol I might have summited this alr but my WiFi is shit and the page refreshed for me so idk if it actually summited but if i did sry 4 bothering you 😭😭😭

Can I do a request for an outsiders pare up thing O///o

My name is Alex I’m 16 and a bi guy. I’m an intp and often come off as cold or rude when I’m just really awkward T^T I tend to like more outgoing and loud people because they balance me out but I do also like shy and sweet guys. I’m pretty observant and usually pay attention to everything except what I’m supposed to. I’m not the best at socializing and prefer to keep animals as company more than humans. I’m not the biggest fan of touch or pda but i always crave it T^T my love language is gift giving and i usually give the people i like pottery i make because it’s one of my favorite hobbies. It usually takes awhile for me to open up to ppl and some ppl have described me as intimidating which I don’t get how 😭😭😭, and despite being pretty risk avoidant i LOVE roller coasters and will go on one any chance i get

For appearance, I’m mixed (white and Indian) with dark olive skin and wavy short brown middle parted hair. My eyes are very dark brown eyes almost to the point there black and I have big black eyebrows (and a uni QwQ), a Roman nose, and a lot of freckles. I’m short (5’3) and were glasses cuz I have THE WORST eyesight. Also I have pretty bad acne but make up for it with my muscular build. My clothes style is a mix of grunge and casual. I wear bandaids on my fingers cuz I’m constantly biting at my cuticles

My hobbies are art, biology, and music. I play baritone horn in the school band and want to play in an orchestra professionally. I also LOVE rats and have a pet rat named Darwin and I take him out to play a lot cuz he’s basically my best friend. I study a lot and try to get good grades bc I’m a second gen immigrant with daddy issues.

Also I’m a total shopaholic and love to buy records/cd’s and other antique trinkets. Plus I practically live with headphones in and adore matching keychains.

Your Outsiders Ship: Two Bit Mathews (be so fr I love you two togetherrr)

Also, I’m so sorry that I did this too late. I got really really really really busy this month so yeah!!! you’re one of my favorite blogs!

Explanation: first of all, I just really love you guys together. I don’t know. I just can’t really even express it enough of how much that I ship you guys because I feel like you would start off being socially awkward and I don’t feel like he would mistake that for rudeness, but I think he would find it utterly hilarious of how like me and you can come across whenever you’re really really just don’t know what to say. I just love that dynamic like I feel like you would try to be serious about some thing and then he would joke about it and you would get irritated. I don’t know. I just love the dynamic. I’m like so many things in my head right now. I think you would balance each other out so well because you did say that you like more outgoing guys and he is perfect if you like an outgoing guy because social embarrassment fears Two Bit he has like no control and you would do great for reeling him back in and he would do great for forgetting you did like stop shoving that stick so far up your ass. (I say this in a loving manner, as he probably would) again. I think you’ve been like my favorite opposite kind of couple vibe like you’re my favorite thing that I’ve gotten so far where I’m like oh these guys would be totally opposite. I feel like this is just my favorite because it just keeps getting better and better. He also really appreciates the fact that you’re so keen and observant because it definitely balances him out because he’s quite the opposite although I do think he would sometimes both struggle because neither of you pay attention to what you’re actually supposed to be paying attention to, but you can still always fill him in on the details of things that are minor or less important and I think he would really appreciate having a partner that can do that for him. I don’t feel like he’s the type of guy to immediately ask for your boundaries so he probably had to learn about the fact that you’re not a huge fan of public display of affection because he definitely like kissed you in front of the whole gang or some shit like that really drunk hidden proudly held you up and was like “yeah this is my boyfriend. He’s so fucking hot-“ while like holding your waist or something. But anyway, after he learns about the fact that you’re not a huge fan of it, he immediately stops but he still would definitely tease in public. He also loves the fact that you do pottery and I think he would find it adorable and if you ever made him anything, even if it was like absolute shit and I’m talking literal shit like if you put literal shit in a pot somehow he would still love it like he just loves you and he acts kind of nonchalant about it whenever you give it to him, but he like treasures that thing, man. I think it’s funny that you come across as intimidating because he is one of a few people that will not be intimidated by intimidating people or at least not show it upward like he will still joke about it and you know like why so serious but yeah. He loves roller coasters and I think you guys would have so much fun and amusement park. He would like all the little plushy, especially if they had like Disney ones where he could win Mickey Mouse he would be all over that shit like if you ever went to Disneyland, it would just be a blast. I feel like that somewhere you would plan to have a date or like a bucket list for your guises relationship because man you both would love going to Disneyland together. As for your appearance, I think he would find you incredibly hot. I think that he doesn’t really have much of a to be honest, because honestly, he thinks you’re like another level of gorgeous. He doesn’t mind you being mixed at all and things that it adds to your beauty I think that he loves staring in your brown eyes and things that it’s the most attractive eyecolor to have and I think he would find your glasses so cute although he would tease you about it and have glasses related nicknames to give you because you have glasses he would definitely make fun of you for that. He would also make fun of you for being short.

It’s always a teasing loving way, but he would definitely pick you up just to like show how short you are and definitely come up with both glasses wearing nicknames and the fact that you’re short nicknames. He doesn’t mind your acne and gets it himself not as bad as you but not great either so he really doesn’t care about that kind of shit he just thinks it’s skin. I think hot as hell like he just loves fighting with you. I mean it’s already clear that this guy loves getting into fights, but I think he would love getting into fights with with your side and thinks it’s hot as hell whenever he gets to see you kick someone’s ass. Well, he isn’t that hard-working in school for himself. I think he would definitely appreciate it that you work so hard to bring your family honor and just for self improvement. I think he thinks it’s amazing and secretly is envious of it a little bit but he’s really just happy for you more than he sad for himself. I think he also likes rats, but I don’t think he loves them and I think he might be a little of them before he met yours like I feel like your pet rat is what made him truly fall in love with rats like at first, he was a little scared of it and you would like definitely make fun of him because he’s always always the one wise cracking you know making jokes until he sees a rat and he starts screaming like a little girl. Let me tell you. But anyway, I think he would come to all of your band performances and he would be really angry whenever they didn’t give you like the biggest solo ever and you’d have to explain that’s not how it works and sometimes you just get group numbers and then he would just be mad. He’d be like you’re easily the most talented one there why aren’t they giving you a bigger part or something like that. Once he learns about your love for shopping, I feel like he would totally try and shop so many things for you like once he finds out about what you usually like shopping for he would go into a store and walk out looking much fatter than he had come in because he shoved a bunch of records into his shirt or something like that. And he would come home and deliver them to you and be so like proud of himself and you’d be like but where did you get these? I mean I know you don’t have enough money to buy like this many records and then he would just be like don’t worry about it. I also think that he would think it’s cute to get matching keychains, but he would never ever admit that to you, but if you got one for him, he would cherish it for like the rest of his life and then whenever the game makes fun of him about it, he shuts them up very quickly. It may be one of the things he takes seriously.

(I’m so sorry this took so long, but I hope this was satisfactory)

[casspurrjoybell-22]

Dream Eater - Chapter 13 - Part 2

*Warning Adult Content*

I keep my eyes squeezed shut as the orange flame carries me down.

When everything stops, Azael's grip on my throat eases and he lets me fall at his feet.

He steps over me and I open my eyes, afraid of what I'll see.

It could be worse.

I'm in an enormous stone hall, the ceiling so high it's lost in shadows.

Azael walks to one end where he mounts a series of low stone steps and sits on a huge throne.

I get slowly to my feet and he beckons me towards him.

"Come," he says.

His voice is so low I can almost feel it vibrate in the air.

When I don't move, he makes a gesture and two of his soldiers... whose presence I hadn't even noticed... grab me by the arms and drag me forward.

They throw me at his feet but I raise my head and meet his eyes with a glare.

I suspect that being obstinate will hurt no one but myself and this is proven when he reaches down and grabs my jaw, dragging me up towards his face.

I get a close look at him for the first time.

He has strong, aquiline features, a ruddy skin-tone and long, red-brown hair.

He looks like a Viking warlord and I wonder if that's what the body he possesses might once have been.

His blue eyes bore into mine and I shiver at the cold violence in their depths.

After a long moment where I wonder if he's about to discover my somewhat pathetic threshold for pain, he surprises me with a deep, amused laugh.

"Incredible. Despite everything, your spirit remains strong, Sakariel."

He releases me and I rub at my face where giant, finger-shaped bruises will probably soon appear.

"I'm not Sakariel, asshole. I'm Alex Shade."

He laughs again.

It's a sound I seem to feel in my bones.

"Indeed you are and a dream-eater, too but you are Sakariel as well. You're a small miracle... Human, Demon and... 'Angel' as I think it's called on Earth. All wrapped up in one delightful little package. I'm going to enjoy discovering exactly what makes you tick."

I can't suppress the shudder that runs through me, and he gives me a curious smile.

"Ah... no doubt Dantalian dreams of the past. You've seen it?"

"Yes," I whisper.

"I saw what you did to them."

"An unfortunate necessity."

He looks down at me.

"Fear not, I needed Sakariel broken but I need you whole. Whole and... willing. Pain is only one tool at my disposal and if you are amenable, I need not use it."

Rather than make me less afraid, his words spark off a whole new set of fears.

"What do you want?" I ask.

"You know already. I intend to open a Doorway to the Abyss, to unleash deep and terrible powers on Earth, where I will rule from a throne that will surpass even Ashtoreth's in might. Unlike Sakariel, when I challenge her, I will not fail."

"And you expect me to open the door for you? Fat fucking chance."

Amusement twists his mouth.

"Yes. A Key... even one as beautifully twisted and defiled as yourself... must be willing to open a Door. Rest assured... in time you will be only too glad to obey my wish."

To the guards, he says...

"Take him."

They start towards me, clearly intending to drag me away.

I scramble to my feet and turn to face them with a look that I hope conveys more ferocity than fear.

"Hands off. Wherever you're taking me, I can walk there perfectly fine and save you the trouble."

Azael's deep laugh sounds at my back and I feel him loom behind me as he stands.

His hand snakes around my throat again but he doesn't squeeze.

He leans close to speak in my ear.

"You have more fire in your spirit than Sakariel ever did but you will learn submission soon enough."

He pushes me forward... not hard but harder than I can resist... and the soldiers catch my arms.

"One of the lower cells to begin with, I think," Azael says, resuming his seat.

"And nothing rough. I want him unharmed... for now."

I glare at him and spit as they lead me off, and the echoes of his booming laugh roll after me like drums of doom.

********

"So, like, do you guys have names?" I ask as the guards shove me along.

"I mean, if you're gonna be spending a lot of time dragging me down corridors or whatever, I might as well know what to call you."

I tend to babble when I'm scared.

They don't answer.

"Or not. I mean, I could just call you Guard One and Guard Two or I could come up with my own names. You look really similar, actually. Are you brothers? How 'bout Fred and George, like from Harry Potter. You probably don't know about Harry Potter, living in Hell and all. Are we in Hell? It kinda seems like it but then again I don't really... ahh..."

I'm silenced by a sharp blow to my side.

I decide these guys don't deserve to be called Fred and George after all.

Guard One hauls me back to my feet.

"Careful. Lord Azael said not to hurt him," Guard Two warns.

"If it doesn't leave a bruise, he won't know," Guard One replies.

"I bruise very easily," I tell them, holding my side.

"We'll keep that in mind," Guard One says.

I keep my mouth shut the rest of the way and after being frog-marched down a series of stone hallways, twisting stairways and narrow corridors, we arrive at a large, circular chamber ringed with many solid metal doors.

They stop in front of one and open it with a theatrically rusted key.

It swings outward on creaking hinges, revealing a small, dark space.

"Wait, is this is the right place?" I ask, voice higher than I'd like.

"Because I think I booked the suite with the view."

They ignore me and shove me inside.

The door clangs shut.

I turn and bang my fist on it.

"Hey Guard One, is there a room service menu? I'm kinda hungry from all the forced walking. You guys must be in great shape, doing that all the time."

To my surprise, I get an answer, though not a friendly one.

"Our names are Ennioc and Gelth," says either Ennioc or Gelth.

"And if we return, it will be to bring you suffering, not food. Enjoy the quiet while you can. You belong to Lord Azael now and he is not a kind master."

With that cheerful thought to keep me company, they leave me alone in the dark. 

It doesn't take long for the defiance that has been giving me a semblance of strength to drain away and despair creeps in to take its place. 

At least Damien and Dante are safe, I think. 

And I know Damien will come for me if he can. 

The thought brings me less hope than dread.

He's probably my only chance of getting out of here alive and sane but Azael knows that and will expect him to make the attempt. 

Part of me hopes he doesn't even try.