#ambie got tagged

[rosenfey]

⊱ tagged by @dekarios, thank you fray! ♡

✦ last song: children of morrigan from the tainted grail: conquest ost!

✦ favourite colour: dusty pink but i am very partial to generally toned down and earthy colours (honorary mention to brown, red and white)

✦ currently watching: started m*a*s*h to see if it's as good as i remember or if it's one of those things that turn out to be crap once you watch them later (i really hope it's still good)

✦ last movie: the bean movie... it was very bad (i cried)

✦ sweet/spicy/savoury: savoury!

✦ current obsessions: eugh where to start.

tainted grail: fall of avalon. this game is everything to me. i love arthurian legends and folklore-inspired games and this game has both! the setting is so good and immersive it feels like i'm playing morrowind with better graphics. there are so many plot twists and i want to scream about them so bad. when this gets out of EA i will be feral.

reka: literally a game that feels like the devs opened my head and took out my brain and went "ok okay we have what we need" because it is exactly what i have wanted for years. slavic inspired, cozy and immersive world? individual maps that you are free to explore instead of open world? thank you. building a cozy cottage and decorating it? adopting cats, goats and chickens? im living here

nightingale: i played this when it first released in EA and was so disappointed my heart was broken. picked it up again yesterday because the devs have released an update that has basically rewritten and redesigned everything and now i cant stop playing. i love clockpunk and faeries with every fibre of my being and am extremely passionate over them. this has both. i need it to succeed so bad.

✦ last thing i googled: how to properly blanch asparagus. I'm gonna be making a chicken salad >:3c

⊱ tagging: [un]like this post to be added / removed.

@armorofhexes﹒@ladyinthebluebox﹒@thanekrios﹒@lavampira﹒@euryalex

@gurathins﹒@thefrostyshepard﹒@fashionablyfyrdraaca﹒@eluviane﹒@poelya

@lotusfaebell﹒@morgeth﹒@reapersynth﹒@theviridianbunny﹒@starforger

@florbelles﹒@luttare﹒@pawnguild﹒@archonfurina﹒@feykiller

@zahra-hydris﹒@noughtomaton﹒@corvus-rose﹒@ferwynter﹒@melancholicrainstorm

@sylvthara﹒@katsigian﹒@rindemption﹒@vilnan﹒@eldensrings

@claudiawolf﹒@therapyvibes﹒@sibeal﹒@epheyang﹒@anoramactir

@gallusneve﹒@lutebard﹒@nokstella﹒@greenecreek﹒@pavus

@gothimp

[skelly-bean]

I love the character I’ve made for baldurs gate 3 SO. MUCH!

I feel like there is so much going on with them visually but I don’t even care they’re amazing

I also love the guardian I made a lot too - definitely put way less time into making her but I was so tired of overthinking in character creation haha

[shenenenigans]

[PUBLIC] INTERVIEW WITH 030219, TOP STUDENT of ANAKT Garden, and PRIZED PET HUMAN of Guardian Noct

REMEMBER! bold pink text is sirius, not regular pink text. crossed out words are spoken, but edited out in the public interview.

@4listr @bluemoonscape @aakaneeee @rockwgooglyeyes @apriciticreveries @pwippy @nottoonedin @paradisedisconcert @starry-skiez APOLOGIES IF I FORGET TO TAG YOU EVER BY THE WAY…

Please introduce yourself.

Hello, my name is Sirius, and I am very thankful to be here today. When I was selected as an Outstanding Student, I remember feeling quite confident. Now that I’m number one, it truly feels like a dream. I look forward to our conversation… Interviewer Ambys.

How does it feel to be named Top Student of the 40th ANAKT Garden? Are you proud?

I personally think it is a great honor. I’m very appreciative of those who have allowed me to climb up to this point in my education. Including my seniors that have since graduated, and my brother who had tragically passed when I was a child. My guardian, Noct, has also taught me so much. He is a very good teacher, so it’s really no wonder I’ve gotten this far, haha.

I hear you have an innate ability to create new life from those who are deceased. Do you have anything to say on that?

Ah, yes. That is true. I make sure to take care of the recently deceased’s bodies well, and it’s quite beautiful to see new life cultivated from the hollow shell of flesh. These poor people, given their untimely deaths, deserve a new chance at living. I do this by turning them into plants, maybe animals if I believe it suits them better. I’ve gotten into contact with a few segyein who work with the dead bodies in ALNST, and I’ve gotten access to them. Do you remember Ellie? The contestant who was assassinated? Poor girl. I turned her decaying body into a bouquet of beautiful red roses. Her guardian is quite pleased with me. I think of this new life as an evolved form of cremation. Unlike the gloominess of being created from ash and returning to ash, people who are saved by me after their deaths are created from ash, and bloomed into something lovely.

Do your classmates know about your endeavors?

Well, the previous question will be the first they’re most likely hearing of this. I don’t usually talk about this kind of stuff at the garden.

Can you talk about your background, where you come from?

…

May I ask who submitted this question?

Submissions are anonymous.

I apologize, but I will not be answering the question about my past. It makes me extremely uncomfortable to discuss such topics. But if you must now, I did not always have such wealth as I do today.

Sirius. Answer the question.

I got you here, Ambys. You will not force me to do anything. I know what makes you tick. I know how to dismantle your healing factor. You are under my control, and this is final.

Very well then. How do you feel about entering in the Alien Stage competition against your peers?

I’m not scared. Even if I don’t win, I’ll live on in the plants I plan for Noct to grow from my body.

What is your daily schedule?

Hm. I’d rather not give specific times as it changes depending on the needs of my classes and test subjects. Usually, I wake rather early to study, and when I finish I begin checking on my subjects to make sure everything is in order. I make sure my room is completely spotless every day. I cannot stand dirt or grime. I arrive early to most classes, and I actually take care to remotely view my specimens at home. I try to keep a good balance of my personal activities and my real classes. I try not to wake my roommate, really, but in all honesty I sometimes fail at that. My days are simple and rather repetitive, but that’s what I enjoy most.

How skilled would you say you are at magic tricks? It is your special talent, after all.

Very. Magic is all about diverting attention as well as grabbing it. “Trick” is in the name, of course. Magic is about distraction. It is an art to be mastered. Would you like to see something silly?

[SIRIUS grabs a tiny photo card of themself from inside their pocket.]

Look.

[With a flick of the wrist, the photo card turns into red flower petals.]

Isn’t that nice? Hehe, thank you for having me, Interviewer Ambys. It’s very nice to have you back after your brief… hiatus. If you could call it that.

Really, it would be such a shame if you went away again. You were quite honorable.

Next time you interview me, don’t ask me pointless questions I won’t answer. I’ll grow vines out of your bone marrow and make you chew on them.

… It was a pleasure having you, Sirius. Thank you.

[steddie-fanfic-recs]

I've seen your face before, my friend, but I don't know if you know who I am

by HMSLusitania

Rating: Mature Archive Warning: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings Relationship: Steve Harrington/Eddie Munson Character: Eddie Munson, Steve Harrington, Robin Buckley, Nancy Wheeler, Dustin Henderson, Maxine "Max" Mayfield, Jonathan Byers, Will Byers, Eleven | Jane Hopper, Lucas Sinclair, Erica Sinclair, Mike Wheeler, Joyce Byers, Jim "Chief" Hopper, Barbara "Barb" Holland, Karen Wheeler, Wayne Munson Additional Tags: Fix It, technically an everyone lives AU, Post Season 5 (spec), Post canon, post time travel, Underage Drinking, Recreational Drug Use, referenced period typical homophobia, Background slowburn Ronance, Steve Harrington Has a Bisexual Awakening, Everyone has so much trauma, Outsider POV (but the outsider is Eddie), in Hawkins the found family finds you Words: 26,952 Chapters: 4/4

Summary

At the end of it all, to fix everything, the Hawkins crew had to go back to 1983 and prevent the first gate from ever opening. After that, they've got a chance to lead normal lives -- from November 1983 onward. OR Waking up to find out the government had busted a bunch of experimented-on kids out of Hawkins Lab over the weekend is somehow not the strangest thing that happens in Eddie Munson's junior year. No, that's a toss up between being reverse-adopted by a party of middle schoolers and the fact Steve Harrington won't stop staring at him.

[spectordameron]

I was tagged by the always sweet @rosenfey to share my desktop wallpaper, thank you ambie ♡ this promo art has been a mainstay since I got this computer last year pretty much with a few exceptions that didn't last long — unfortunately it cuts off Chewbacca's head, but I can't do much about that.

tagging any of my lovely mutuals & followers who might want to do this!

[mistressoftheforest]

Hi my name is Jane/Dina/Lucifer/Canine/Kate/Seraph and I use all pronouns and I’m a boygirl.I’m bi aroace Ambi and I’m not going to debate on my sexuality.im autistic and got several disorders. I love anything horror especially creepypasta.I love talking about psychology and angels.I have a huge hyper fixation on religion and the occult rn.you can always ask me stuff im totally fine with it . I do headcanon asks and ship asks just no nsfw pls. I’m taken by my gf Sophie

My Carrd: https://cryoffearfan.carrd.co

I am a fickin,otherkin,Theiran,and system ^_^

My crp ask blog: @ask-eyeless-j4ck

My tags are Jane doe rambles for rambles

Simon’s reblogs for reblogs

Sadie’s asks for well asks

And canine’s promotions for promotions ^w^

[dramaqueeenamby]

I posted 334 times in 2022

33 posts created (10%)

301 posts reblogged (90%)

Blogs I reblogged the most:

@cocoamoonmalfoy

@jazzytee

@lovebittenbyevans

@jazzyf1

@tchallasbabymama

I tagged 329 of my posts in 2022

Only 1% of my posts had no tags

#photo - 205 posts

#text post - 72 posts

#black women - 67 posts

#dqa ask - 22 posts

#marvel tings - 19 posts

#black panther - 15 posts

#mcu - 15 posts

#personal - 9 posts

#black men - 7 posts

#black panther: wakanda forever - 7 posts

Longest Tag: 65 characters

#hopefully y’all stumble across some amazing and underrated works!

My Top Posts in 2022:

#5

Amby!!!!! It’s so good to see you!!! How are you love??

Hey babe!!! I always miss ya'll when I do my little disappearing acts. Ugh. I'm okay. Life is still lifin, but you know how that is.....

How are you?????

@cocoamoonmalfoy

7 notes - Posted November 13, 2022

#4

😒😒😒😒😒 I see some things never change on this damn site

13 notes - Posted November 13, 2022

#3

updates.

Don't remember the last time I shared some things, but I got my counselor license at the top of this year, so I'm a licensed professional counselor in my state! Working on certifications on child and adolescent trauma as well as a neuropsychological treatment approach to anxiety. I'm going to apply for my next (and final) license which would allow me to open my own private practice (which is the goal) in August of next year. I also got a car, her name is dulce. She's the babe. Uhhhh got formally diagnosed with PCOS, and that's been kicking my ass in so many ways, so that sucks. Been working on a writing project for a minute now, but I can't talk about it cause it's not just mine. Anddddd......I've been reading more and playing sims on Saturdays. Oh! I'm also only gonna be working Monday through Thursday starting the 3rd week of August, so hopefully that will free up some time.

Probably more, but I won't bore folks.

19 notes - Posted July 24, 2022

#2

Black Panther 2 was a masterpiece, and I am emotional.

Expect a one shot sometime tonight.

84 notes - Posted November 11, 2022

My #1 post of 2022

Easy | T'Challa Udaku

A/N: My god, BP2 was such an emotional ride. This is a product of all of the emotions I'm still reeling from. I have not written for BP in probably a year+, so I apologize for the rustiness.

Warnings: ANGST.

Words: 3K

You can find my other works HERE.

++++++++++++DO NOT READ IF YOU HAVEN'T SEEN BLACK PANTHER: WAKANDA FOREVER++++++++++++

-----------

Loving him was easy. 

Maybe too easy.

Maybe things would have been easier if he wasn’t so easy. So easy to admire, so easy to be drawn to, so easy to feel an ungodly amount of love and adoration for. 

But maybe that was just T’Challa. With his beautiful smile and brilliant mind, few paths seemed to lead to some place loveless. He was the embodiment of attraction, from the way he spoke, to the way he conducted himself, to the way he loved.

Yeah….easy seemed to be unavoidable. 

A small smile makes its way to your face as you reminisce on your first meeting all those years ago. 

“Would you just tell me already?”

Nakia simply looks over at you with that same bored yet tempted expression. “And ruin the surprise? Never.”

She laughs, clearly amused by your frustration, by the lack of patience for which you’ve still struggled to fully comprehend. 

You’d just completed your War Dog training and had been assigned to Nakia, to shadow her on a few missions and prove that you were ready for your own assignment. It was a perfect partnership, as Nakia matched your wit and sense of humor, both of which had definitely gotten you in trouble more times than you’d like to admit.

“How about a hint?”

“How about no?”

Your eyes narrowed as you nudged her. “You are enjoying this.”

“Somewhat,” she admits. You share another look before giggling together when a firm voice from behind interrupts your moment. 

“Forgive me, ladies.”

“You are not forgiven,” your response is natural and instantaneous, a small smirk playing on your face. “Matter of fact, you should know better than to sneak on two lad–” The smirk drops and your ridicule is cut short by the dark eyes and curious gaze of the crowned prince who stands before you. 

If Nakia was amused before, she was delighted now. You can feel her eyes still focused on you as she bumps you with her hip. “Y/N, you didn’t finish your statement. How rude.”

Your glare could burn two holes into the princess as she shakes her head and returns her focus onto Prince T’Challa. 

“Yes, T’Challa?” It’s in the most random, unexpected moments that you remember while Nakia is your friend, she is also royalty. Perhaps it’s something you should commit to memory, especially given how you’ve just completely disregarded all protocol for the future ruler of Wakanda. 

Finally able to pick your eyeballs off the ground, you find that T’Challa’s gaze is pinpointed on you. “Nakia is correct. It is improper to finish your statement…..”

He trails off, and you realize he’s searching for your name. Slightly dejected and still embarrassed, you answer, hastily adding a “your grace” onto the end. For good measure and respect.

He simply makes a sound before repeating your name. It feels so strange hearing your name on his mouth, strange but also….right. Shifting your stance, you’re thankful when he finally reirects his focus to Nakia. Memory of what was said between them was lost years ago, but the initial butterflies in your stomach upon your first meeting have always stayed with you. 

You pray to Bast they always will. 

See the full post

330 notes - Posted November 11, 2022

Get your Tumblr 2022 Year in Review →

[sylvthara]

tagged by @rosenfey to recommend some books, thank you ambie!

the last book i read: flying blind by peter robison — i've been really into stuff about aviation for the past couple of months that i've been reading books about it. this book is about the 737 MAX crashes and goes into the history of Boeing and how we ended up here.

a book i recommend: carmilla by j sheridan le fanu — one of my favourite classics books alongside pride and prejudice. it's rather easy to read and is only about 160 pages.

a book that i couldn't put down: yellowface by r.f. kuang — i read this in a couple hours which i don't normally do. the schadenfreude from watching the main character fuck up over and over again and needing to see her downfall was insane.

a book i've read twice (or more): the hunger games by suzanne collins — the best ya dystopia of all time, still relevant in 2024. this book made me go and learn archery when i was a kid.

a book on my tbr: jane eyre by charlotte bronte, emily wilde's encyclopaedia of faeries by heather fawcett, and the fellowship of the ring by j.r.r. tolkien. i have 200+ books on my tbr so i had to shorten it to some of the ones i most want to read lol.

a book i've put down: storm front by jim butcher — was looking at getting into urban fantasy, tried reading this book and nope'd out so fast. the weird misogyny, depiction of female characters, and chauvinism was too much for me.

a book on my wishlist: tomie by junji ito — i read this back around 2020-2021 and need to have it on my bookshelf so i can reread it whenever i want. the body horror is really creepy but it's so well drawn.

a favorite book from childhood: the hunger games by suzanne collins — putting this again because i don't know what else to put here, it's definitely the best book from my childhood.

a book you would give to a friend: six of crows by leigh bardugo — my favourite ya fantasy book, it's been years since i last read it but i loved it so much. i can't say much more about it than it's about a heist and i had fun and really love these characters.

a book of poetry or lyrics you own: stung with love by sappho — my favourite poetry book i've ever read. haven't read anything else so far that compares.

a non-fiction book you own: i don't own any but i would like to get midnight in chernobyl by adam higginbotham.

what are you currently reading: penance by eliza clark — i got this out from the library about a week ago and i really need to read it. i'm less than 10 pages in and hate returning unread books to the library ;-;

what are you planning on reading next: belladonna by adalyn grace — i've had this on my bookshelf for over a year and need to get around to reading it. no clue if it's actually going to be the next book i read because i'm a mood reader and may end up reading something completely different lol.

tagging: anyone who reads this and wants to do this!

[rosenfey]

⊱ tagged by @thefrostyshepard to share my desktop, thank you shep! ♡

mine is a lovely wallpaper + icon pack by pricklypigdesigns on etsy. I love love love all their stuff! I love using custom icons and keeping it all organised and pretty. :3c

⊱ tagging: [un]like this post to be added / removed.

@thanekrios﹒@gurathins﹒@lavampira﹒@euryalex﹒@starforger

@florbelles﹒@luttare﹒@pawnguild﹒@southernreaches﹒@archonfurina

@inafieldofdaisies﹒@feykiller﹒@zahra-hydris﹒@noughtomaton﹒@corvus-rose

@ferwynter﹒@melancholicrainstorm﹒@sylvthara﹒@katsigian﹒@rindemption

@vilnan﹒@eldensrings﹒@claudiawolf﹒@therapyvibes﹒@sibeal

@epheyang﹒@lotusfaebell﹒@anoramactir﹒@gallusneve﹒@lutebard

@nokstella﹒@pavus﹒@gothimp﹒@spectordameron﹒@merdruid

@shaweetiehs﹒@corffiser

[ambivalentcats]

Oh my god, ambi noooooo. I didn't know jjk leaks was a tag or even a thing and I got so spoiled by that post 😭😭😭 not blaming you, but nooooooo

I FORGOR TO RESPOND TO THIS I’M SORRYYYYYYYYY I DIDN’T MEAN TO

[anony-man]

@train-fans-anonymous your tags are literally the best thing ever 😭😭 lmao I got a kick out of them, I love it. Gonna try to get some Texaid stuff out again soon, but ughhh finals come first I guess. Working on a lil something something for an Amby/Aid thing with a *hint* of Texaid though, so that’ll have to act as an appetizer or something lol

Me over here clogging First Aid and Vortex tags with Texaid shit every few days

I wonder if people get tired of me posting texaid content… probably not, right?

[corcedo]

Come back home to me pls

IM LITERALLY SLEEPING IN MY CAR I CANT EVEN GO TO MY ACTUAL HOME RN??

[lostintranslaation]

tell me about You are made of marble!!!!! -ambivalentmarvel

YES OKAY SO BASICALLY this fic is just all of my love and devotion being poured out for Natasha and the whole Russian gang and it kinda doubles as my predictions for the bw movie? Here’s a lil snippet handpicked just for u

Ask me about my WIPS!

[penisdungeon]

🧄

[henqtic]

sleep talk . . . big chop

word count: 303

“would you still love me if i went bald ?” you whispered to the boy laying on your chest, who you’d assume was dead asleep if it wasn’t for the soft brush his lips on one of your breast ever other ten seconds or so.

he paused his movements at your question, sluggishly dragging up his head to meet your eyes as if his neck wasn’t functioning.

“you wanna big chop again ?”

“no that’s different, i’m talking mr.clean type of bald— ”

“who’s that?”

“oh right. he’s the face of this muggle cleaning brand, he’s bald. like dipped in oil shiny bald, not a speck of hair on his head,” you clarified the character to clear his confused expression you couldn’t see through the pitch black darkness of his room.

“oh.”

“oh ?”

“i mean, no then, because then you’d get mad at me when i have the urge to slap it, and that takes the fun out of it,” he joked, suddenly a little more awake as he let out a rasped laugh, only growing as you lightly pushed his head off of your lower body in annoyance.

surprisingly, not putting up much of fight when he got just enough sleep diluted strength to lift himself completely up, turning you off of your back and onto your side so that he could wrap his arms loosely around your body —  face digging into the crook of your neck to breathe in the lotion you put on a few minutes ago.

“don’t be upset please, i adore you love, you could shave a square into the middle of your head and i’d still love you.”

“that’s sounds encrypted freddie, you play any form of that prank on me and i will break up with you,” you threatened with not much intent behind it, soon drifting into sleep.

🔖— !! @ambi-doo12 @ang9lic @daltonacademia @inglourious-imagines @willowmores @axgelre @beforeoursunsets @selenesheart @o-rion-sta-r @catching-the-train-to-hogwarts @myalupinblack​ @l0vely-lupin​ @ameliasbitvh​ @mauvea​ @cupids-crystals @wlfstxr​ @alanniys​ @magicchai​ @wrathspoet​ @uwiuwi​ @maybanksslut​ @marrymetheonott​ @becgggg @Imtryingbutithurts @galimalfoyweasley @dlmmdl @hogwarts-boys​ @akaaaaashiiii​ @fleursbabe​ @desiredmalfoy​ @redheaded-hobbit​ @yandere-marvel​ @mrs-brekker15​ @malfoysbiitch @mollysolo​ @haroldpotterson​ @yiamalfoy​ @bookfrog242​ @alluringlywhimsical @arabellelancastersstuff​ @wolfstar-lb​ @jellyddog @joyfullymulti @havenchy @pinkcloxds @impulse-anchor @iwannafeelallthatloveandemotion @hemogloban @theorangedrummer @silverose365 @angellxea @kitkatkaitin @if-only-i-was-fictional @slytherclaw1978 @moonlitmeeks @missryerye @popeheywardssecretgf @siriuslysmoking 

. . . info to be tagged in future works 𓂅

༊ taglist form — fill out to be tagged/notified when works are posted

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[themirokai]

When Mystrade Met Rinch

Ok so @ambi-apocalypse got me to watch Person of Interest, and apparently I've now gotten @musicismagic-writes to watch it. And previously the ship that the three of us had in common was Mystrade. So this Mystrade to Rinch party gave me crossover thoughts, but those crossover thoughts would be a much more ambitious story than I'm actually ever going to write, so I figured I'd just post my plot bunny/outline here. If anyone wants to adopt this and actually write it into a story, have at it, but please let me know if you post it!

Most of it under the cut cause it's kinda long...

Finch and Reese are working a number and figure out that the dude is a freelance assassin. He’s clearly the perp but for some reason they’re not able to take him out, so they’re trying to figure out who his next target is.

Mycroft is in New York for a meeting at the UN. Greg, his husband, has decided to tag along and make a holiday of it.

Reese figures out that Assassin is surveilling this tall British dude with fancy suits and an umbrella. Reese suggests that Finch should talk to him about vests in order to get close to him. Finch informs Reese that the gentleman is wearing a waistcoat, not a vest. “When the garment is the third part of a three-piece suit it is referred to as a waistcoat.”

“See?” Reese says, “you can talk to him about fancy clothes stuff and then casually work your way around to why he’s being stalked by an assassin.”

After some digital digging…

“Ah, there he is,” Finch says. “His name is Mycroft Holmes. Looks like he’s a bureaucrat in the Department for Transportation.”

“That doesn’t add up, Finch. What’s a small time transportation guy doing at the UN? And he looks like his clothing budget rivals yours.”

“Maybe civil servants are better compensated across the pond? Or maybe he has inherited wealth?”

“Can’t you find out?”

“No. He’s remarkably off the grid.”

Reese realizes that Mycroft has a badass security detail. So what’s a well-dressed mid-level bureaucrat doing at the UN protected by a security detail? And why would the Machine give them the number of an assassin who’s trying to kill him if that security detail was up to the challenge? Something something, they figure out that the Assassin or whoever hired him has bribed/infiltrated/compromised/whatever the security detail.

Reese goes in. POW POW fight scene. Reese incapacitates like 3 dudes who were protecting Mycroft. So that leaves Mycroft and Greg.

“Listen to me very carefully,” Mycroft says, making eye contact with Reese, “there are 4 things this could be about. None of them require my husband’s involvement. You will let him go at once -“

“Sod off, Mycroft, I’m not leaving you!”

“But,” Mycroft continues, ignoring Greg, “if you harm a single hair on his head,” here he draws the sword from his umbrella, “I will open you from chin to groin.”

“Mr. Holmes I promise you I will - is that a sword?”

“A sharp one. And I assure you that I am quite good with it.”

“Did you pull it out of an umbrella?”

Mycroft barely restrains his eye roll. “Do keep up.” He turns to Greg. “Gregory, kindly go and phone Anthea and give her code gamma orange 6.”

Reese convinces Mycroft that his security was compromised by Assassin. Reese is happy to let Greg go but wants to protect both of them and cautions them against making any phone calls that could tip Assassin off.

Mycroft digests all this and then tells Reese that he wants to talk to the person in Reese’s ear. Finch agrees and they get on the phone.

“Everyone in your government is too frightened of me - appropriately - to try anything like this,” Mycroft starts off. “Your associate is former CIA but has left that employment and now has a wealthy benefactor. Your operation is quite small and so it stands to reason that the wealthy benefactor is also the person calling the shots. Who are you?”

“I’m someone with accurate information and a desire to use it to prevent harm, Mr. Holmes.”

They talk. Game recognizes game. Mycroft knows that the Americans wanted the Machine after 9/11 and has now deduced that they have it and Finch has access to it. Mycroft decides he can trust Finch and Reese and lets Reese take them to a safe house while they wait for Anthea to assemble and send a clean security detail. Reese asks if they’re sure Anthea hasn’t been compromised. Greg laughs a lot.

On the way to the safe house…

“So about that umbrella,” Reese says, looking at Mycroft in the rear view mirror. Mycroft raises an eyebrow in response. “Can anyone buy one or is it an MI6 thing?”

“If Gregory and I make it out of this situation unharmed, I would be happy to contact the purveyor on your behalf, Mr. Reese. Though I will say that this sort of weapon doesn’t seem your style.”

“Oh, it wouldn’t be for me,” Reese says with a smile. He touches his ear. “I know what I’m getting you for Christmas, Finch.”

“Mr. Reese-“

“It’s a weapon that isn’t a gun and doesn’t need to be walked!”

“Actually, it’s also a gun,” Mycroft says.

“Shh, he doesn’t like guns.”

“Walked?” Greg asks.

“Already got him a dog. But sometimes the dog is with me.”

They get to the safe house but Greg and Reese are both restless. Making sure Mycroft is safe is good, but actually stopping Assassin would be better. Greg wants to use himself as bait to lure out Assassin, then have Reese get him. Mycroft Does Not Approve. Finch trusts Reese’s judgment. Reese calls in Carter for backup. Carter and Greg hit it off immediately. Mycroft recognizes Carter as a consummate professional who has - in his opinion - a more appropriate level of risk tolerance than Greg or Reese. He, still grudgingly, gives his approval for the Greg as Bait plan.

The plan works! Assassin is captured. Reese says he can take Assassin to a Mexican prison. Mycroft has other plans that involve an inescapable prison on an island. Anthea’s team arrives and takes custody of Assassin for transport to Sherrinford.

Finch and Mycroft have a conversation. Finch is concerned that someone with Mycroft’s position and resources knows about them and the Machine and his access to it (however limited). Finch is worried that Mycroft is going to want a version of the Machine for London. Mycroft assures Finch that while he respects what Finch has accomplished, the Machine is not his style and he prefers getting his intelligence the old fashioned way. He also has no intention of compromising Finch and Reese, but he would like to be able to call them up from time to time. Finch agrees as long as he can call Mycroft when needed. Greg tells Carter that if she ever wants to move to London, he’s got a spot for her at the Met.

They part ways amicably… until next time.