#and come season 3…will we have new characters up here? it’s always a possibility!

[whitegownsandflowercrowns]

I missed Bisexual Visibility Day but in honor of it having passed you must all see her.

[darkficsyouneveraskedfor]

Come Out and Play 1

Warnings: this fic will include dark content such as non/dubcon, age gap, cheating, and possible untagged elements. My warnings are not exhaustive, enter at your own risk.

This is a dark!fic and explicit. 18+ only. Your media consumption is your own responsibility. Warnings have been given. DO NOT PROCEED if these matters upset you.

Summary: Your mom welcomes an old friend back into her life that brings chaos with him.

Characters: Thor, Loki

Note: Two silverfoxes for the price of one

As per usual, I humbly request your thoughts! Reblogs are always appreciated and welcomed, not only do I see them easier but it lets other people see my work. Thanks to everyone who reads this one and thank you for all your energy.<3

Love you all like Thor loves thunder. Take care. 💖

Your mother’s singing along to her favourite Donna Summer classic as you come through the front door. She doesn’t hear you as you drop your bag and your boots at the door. You cluck and shake your head as you tiptoe down the hallway and peer into the kitchen. All this just because you’re staying the night? 

You tilt your head and squint at her diligent fingers. She roles the filo around the filling and places each little pocket on a pan. The warmth of the stove radiates through the space and beckons you in. After the frigid chill of your apartment, it’s a relief. 

You waft over to the counter with the smell of baking pastry and chopped peppers. You stand beside your mom quietly and smile at her work. Her arm collides with yours and she looks down at you. She squeals and tosses one of the uncooked hors d’oevres. It sticks to the wall before falling apart. 

“Oh, my!” She puts her hand to her chest and raises her voice, “Alexa, lower volume.” The music recedes and you back up with an apologetic bow. “Hon, I didn’t know you were here. Oh, I hate when you sneak up on me like that.” 

It’s not intentional, more a bad habit. You’re a bit too quiet for your own good sometimes. And hers.  

“Sorry,” you mutter and turn your attention back to the pan, “...lotta food...” 

“Yes, I—I'm so sorry, I didn’t mention. I forgot.” She rambles as she does. Where you’re quiet and reserved, she often talks in streams of nervousness. “When you called, I was so busy and I had so much going on in my head. Sometimes it feels like there’s a hamster in there running on its wheel.” She throws her hands up in emphasis, “anywho, I’m so sorry to hear about the building, did the landlord say when the heat will be fixed?” 

“...dunno,” you shrug and sway. “...the food?” 

“Oh, right, yes! I was saying, dear, I have an old friend coming over. He’s just moved to town and I was so excited to hear from him. We went to college together! I last saw him when I was probably your age. He’s so nice, you know? And we kinda found each other online when I was looking up fake flowers for the new door wreath. I was thinking pinecones would be seasonal but then it occured to me I could get some real ones from the part--” 

“Mom,” you rein her in with a dulcet drone. 

“Ah, my friend, I know! He’s so lovely. You’ll like him. I figure, we can have dinner and some drinks. You’re welcome to join.” 

You nod and peek over skeptically at the bottle of wine, “wouldn’t wanna invade. Should’ve said something.” 

“You know you’re always welcome here,” she reaches for you and you catch her wrists, keeping her sticky hand from touching your cheeks. “Oops!” She giggles and recoils. She turns and rinses her hands off. “Sorry, hon.” 

“I’ll stay out of the way,” you assure her. 

“Don’t be shy. Oh, and make sure you at least get some food.” She flutters around and dries off with a hand towel. “You’ll like him. Thor is super nice! He knew your dad too.” 

You nod and don’t comment on the last part. You never really knew your father yourself. He left when you were young. He didn’t go very far but you see your half-sibling in passing at the mall or even a few times at college. Thankfully, you’re all done with classes. 

“Alright,” you agree. “I’ll put my stuff away.” 

She hums and tells the smart speaker to turn it back up. You leave in the blare of disco music and grab your bag from the entryway. You wish you’d known she was having company. You would have just made do with some extra blankets. 

As if to blow away that thought, the wind whistles and shakes the windows. You go upstairs and put your knapsack on the wooden chair by the narrow desk against the wall. You stretch your arms and yawn as you pace around. Your stomach growls as the aromas in the kitchen follow you up. 

You go back down, hoping to assuage your appetite with some water, and as you get the bottom step, the doorbell chimes. You stop and wait, staring at the door. You mom sings along to Lipps, Inc and you sigh. 

You hop down and shuffle to the door. You pull it open, hiding behind it shyly. The man on the other side searches over your head before he thinks to look down. As you peek around wood, he smiles.

He’s tall. Very tall. And his shoulders are as wide as the large oak in the front yard. His hair shines beneath the light hung beside the door as his eyes sparkle. 

He holds a cone of flowers, the petals bristling in the fall wind, as shadow dims their colour.  

“Hm, I must have the wrong address,” he leans back on his heel and reads the numbers on the siding. “You wouldn’t happen to know where Selina lives?” 

“Here,” you squawk awkwardly. 

“Oh? You’ve shrunk... but you’ve aged well.” He tilts his head but his lips suggest he’s joking. 

“She’s in the kitchen. Wait.” 

You close the door in his face. It’s only as you go to get your mom, that you realise how rude you must have seemed. You didn’t invite him in or introduce yourself. Well, he isn’t here for you, is he? 

You go to the smart speaker and tap the button to pause the music, “he’s here.” 

“Oh!” She squeals and bounces, “already?” 

“Mmhmm,” you nod and back out of her way as she hurries to the door.  

She sweeps through and swings the door open. A gust of wind blows in and you peer around the door frame. The man’s deep voice booms out. 

“Selina! You look just as young as the day we met!” 

“Oh you!” She chirps. “You always were the worst liar.” 

“Mm, I am very honest, Seli,” he rumbles. “And who was that little mouse that was scurrying around? She fled so fast, I did not get a name.” 

“Oh, that’s my daughter,” she explains. “I told you about her. Her radiator broke so she’s here for the night. Always nice to have a full nest!” 

“Of course, of course,” he agrees. “Well, I wish I’d known. I’d have brought two bouquets.” 

“These are so lovely. When did you get so sweet, Thor?” 

“I’ve always been sweet, you were just too distracted to notice,” he retorts. 

She laughs and titters around, “I need a vase. Oh, these are beautiful! Ooh, and a much needed pop of colour. I do hate the winter and it’s coming so fast. Please, come in, come in! You must be freezing.” 

He chuckles, amused by her chatter, “you know I always liked the cold.” 

“Mm, you would. Well, not all of us can bear it. Honey! Oh, there you are,” she pokes her head out from the dining room. “Come, meet my friend.” 

You reluctantly come forward. You fold your hands together and drag your feet. You should’ve stayed upstairs. 

“This is Thor. We both took architecture together!” 

You nod and look at her wide-eyed. You can’t bring yourself to meet his gaze but you know he’s watching you. You rock and twine your fingers between each other. 

“She just finished her own degree. She took literature! Isn’t that so lovely?” 

“Literature? Ah, my brother was always a fan,” he muses. “I do like some good story telling but I could never pick up much on the symbolism.” 

You slant your lips, “oh, cool.” 

“Anyway, I have some wine, why don’t you have a glass while I finish dinner? Hon, you want some too?” She stops beside you with the cluster of flowers. You shake your head. 

You flit up around the staircase, crowded by Thor as he lurks there, and you quickly flee. You don’t look back as you turn down the hall and barrel into his room. You can’t make out your mother’s words as she speaks but his laughter thunders up after you. 

You hide in your room and harrumph. You don’t know why you’re like this. Even at work, you can’t help but try to blend into the wall. It’s not hard to do in the stock room. 

You take out your laptop and resign yourself to a night of Netflix. You’re a bit disappointed. You were hoping to spend some time with your mom but she deserves a life of your own. For all the years she spent making sure you got this far, she’s earned it. 

You turn the speakers up until they hurt your ears. You can still hear their voices below. The savoury scent of your mother’s cooking rise with their conversation. You didn’t realise how much you missed her dinners until now. Those frozen dinners and fast-food deliveries can’t compare with the real thing. 

You hunker down in bed and try not to think of your growling stomach. You’ll wait to reheat some once that guy leaves. You sink down further and further, basking in the warmth of blasting from the vents. You dread going back to your apartment, even after the heat is fixed. 

Your eyelids begin to itch but before you can drift off, there’s a knock on your door. You get up and open it for your mom. The plate in her hands has your mouth watering as you get another whiff of her handwork. 

“Here ya go, hon,” she holds it out. “I’m sorry it’s a full house.” 

“It’s okay. Didn’t have to.” 

“You need to eat,” she insists. You take the plate. “We’ll try to be quiet. You know he’s so loud. He always has been. He makes me seem tame, doesn’t he?” 

You smile at her yapping. She’s so vibrant and chatty. You never could be even when you try. You envy how bright she can be. You feel so dull next to her. Sometimes you feel like you’ve disappointed her. 

“Thanks," you murmur.

“No problem! Love you.” 

“Love you too.” 

You wait for her to go before you close the door. You might not have a dad but you’re lucky to have her. You put the plate on your desk and move your laptop. You eat as you watch the show that isn’t as good as the internet suggested. 

The food is delicious. The little stuffed pastries are a bit spicy and you regret not grabbing a glass of water earlier. You got so distracted by that man. You think of sneaking down but you can just drink from the bathroom sink when you finish. A little tap water won’t hurt. 

You clear your plate quicker than you mean to and go back to the bed. The moonlight wavers outside your window as the night ware on. You yawn and make yourself get up. You can’t leave your dirty plate in here. 

You don’t notice the quiet in the house until you open the door. You listen at the top of the stairs before you descend. Slowly and silently, you make your way to the bottom and curve around to the kitchen. You rinse your plate off and grab some water while you have the chance. 

Your pulse builds as the house remains still. Strange. How did you not realise earlier? Well, you had your laptop cranked up. You can hear it from down there. 

You head back upstairs, balancing the glass in the dark, and as you pass your mom’s door, it opens. You yipe as a large figure collides with you. It’s him. Thor. 

You spill the water down your front and whip around to face him. He steadies you with his hand on your shoulder, “so sorry, mouse. I didn’t mean to--” 

His flannel shirt is undone and the soft glow of a lamp limns him from behind. Oh no! You pull away from him and skirt down the hall. Embarrassment nips at your ears and cheeks. You knew you were intruding on your mom’s night. 

You try not to think of what you interrupted as you dip into the spare room and snap the door shut with a kick of your foot. You stay near the door, breathless, until you hear the bathroom door squeak on its hinges. You shake your head and growl. 

You hope you didn’t ruin it. As awkward as it is to think of your mom in a relationship, she’s been alone for so long and you know you’re part of the reason why. Next time, you won’t go running back to mommy. It’s best for both of you that you grow up. 

[determunition]

INSCRYPTOBER 2024 is here! the annual art/writing-based inscryption event for the fandom to get creative and share cool art and writing for the spooky season!

as usual, we have one theme per week, and thanks to the way october is structured this year, we have five whole weeks of themes! and of course, there's no lower limit on participation: i’ll likely be doing one or two art pieces a week, and you all can choose to participate as much or as little as you’d like depending on your own schedules and creative stamina! this event is for fun, not stress ^^

thanks to the scrybruary and more discord server for helping me nail down the themes this year! if you'd like to join the server you can do so right here, it's a chill spot for sharing art and fandom discussion; though of course you don't have to join to partake in this event!

if you're new to the event, i highly recommend checking out the #inscryptober tag to see what other folks have come up with in recent years, and to see the themes we've had previously! i'm excited to see what everyone comes up with this year :D happy inscrybing!

my descriptions for the themes got a bit long this time, so if you'd like any guidance or inspiration for these themes you can find all that along with the plain text under the cut!

INSCRYPTOBER 2024

Week 1: Oct 1-5

Transformation

Between the changes undergone by the Disk’s characters to suit each takeover and the manner in which Inscryption itself has altered those unfortunate enough to encounter it, this first theme has quite a few spooky avenues to take! Let your canvas be bathed in the light of the full moon however you see fit…

Week 2: Oct 6-12

Elements

Blood and bone, energy and mox…the world of Inscryption has an unconventional array of core elements that make up its cards and residents! And considering that deep beneath the surface, each of those elements are mere lines of code and digital data…it’s entirely up to you how deeply you’d like to explore those elements.

Week 3: Oct 13-19

Out of Bounds

Inscryption’s disk has many characters, sequences, and secrets that were never meant to be seen…or were simply never completed. This is the week to poke around those dark corners and catalogue whatever horrors and oddities make themselves known.

Week 4: Oct 20-26

Transcendence

Named for the grand design of the Scrybe of Technology, but it could refer to any of the Scrybe’s varying ideal forms (or lack thereof) for the game of Inscryption. And, of course, it would be remiss to mention the possibility of transcending the digital realm itself.

Week 5: Oct 27-31

Masquerade

As always, Inscryptober’s final week is themed for the season! This is the week to dress Inscryption’s characters in spooky regalia and eerie accessories…or merely to make use of the game’s existing ties to elaborate masks and sinister guises! 

Special note: Inscryption's anniversary is on the 19th!

[crowleysgirl56]

It’s been more than a month now since the pause was announced (yet why does it feel like 6000 years?).

I’ve seen a lot of people wondering why it’s taking so long, and I suppose the reason why is because Prime needs to figure out how best to untangle the show from NG.

Don’t forget he’s involved in three separate capacities: writer, executive producer and show runner.

As the writer, not much can be done here. The scripts are done so there’s likely no way that gets reversed or amended. If anything there’s always a possibility someone else comes on board to do on the fly edits during filming. If the scripts weren’t fully polished this may also be what is taking time. NG may also have not been able to complete them, either through Prime telling him to stop editing, or he’s decided to just not do it because of everything that’s happened the last 3 months. This could potentially throw a spanner in the works. It’s also the part I’m having the toughest time reconciling with. As much as I want to see season 3, as much as I want to separate the art and the artist, it’s still kind of hard to accept they’re going to be his words that we see.

As executive producer, frankly that’s probably the easiest to fix. He steps down from that role and someone else fills in. He wasn’t the only executive producer on the first two seasons. Surely there is someone else that could easily step into that role (cough Michael executive produced Masters of Sex cough).

Personally I think it’s the show runner aspect that is likely causing the most delay. Being the show runner means you’re there on set being immersed with the players and the director and the editors ensuring the integrity of the story. It’s an incredibly full on and hands on job. It’s also incredibly difficult because you also tend to be the conduit between the production and the audience, ensuring the final product is what the audience wants. You listen to any interview with a Doctor Who show runner and they’ll tell you how incredibly tough, difficult and stressful that job is. So if Prime were to replace NG with a different show runner not only would they have to find someone who is available to do it (incredibly difficult given most competent people would already be tied up with other productions ready to commence next year), but they would also need to find someone who is willing to do it, AND someone who knows and understands the show, the story, and the characters intimately. That is a really tough gig. So two possibilities: they are either trying to find the best suited person to step in as show runner, or they’re keeping NG on but trying to work out the best way to keep him on whilst maintaining the best interest of cast and crew. Hopefully that means trying to heavily negotiate just how much physical interaction he gets to have with the production. One would hope he’s bloody bared from set altogether, but just how practical can that be when filming a TV series? Especially when he’s the source of knowledge for how things are to be interpreted. Again, something that I’m having trouble more and more with lately.

These are of course all just connection and my own thoughts on what might be happening. I know as much as everyone else.

Ideally, I want to see him removed as executive producer and show runner, and someone new brought in as a script doctor. Whether that’s what happens is yet to be made clear.

We unfortunately just need to wait patiently and hope an announcement is made soon.

[localfanbaselurker]

I’m watching Voltron: Legendary Defender for the first time and here is what I have had to say per each season (this is 1-2) (3-4) (5-6) (7) (8)

Pre-Watch Knowledge

->big transformers type robot

->pretty alien girl that looks like princess yue from A:tLA

->they are the epitome of color-coded characters

->space??

->there was crazy people in the fanbase that sent cupcakes laced with something to the creators

->queer baiting (this one in particular got me)

->klance.

->^honestly I only knew that because people were comparing it to zukka and I wanted to check it out

->my friend really likes it

Post S1 thoughts-

->that cliffhanger was crazy imagine they weren’t renewed for a s2

-> i went on tumblr after and youre telling me they made that show IN TWO YEARS?? EIGHT SEASONS. IN TWO MF YEARS?? that is insane. props to the writers bro they fr must of known what they were doing.

->all of these characters already scream “doomed by the narrative”

->my fav characters are pidge and lance

->I definitely did NOT expect yue Allura to be British

->bonding moment.

->^like yeah okay i get it now

-> the healing pods are a very interesting concept. Like, what if you get some ailment that it doesn’t recognize?? Do you just die??

-> genuinely felt so bad for Not Yue. Allura. Allura when they had to remove her father’s memory thing. Like yeah I know the castle was corrupted or wtv but bro imagine. Your entire race is dead. your mom, who you previously knew alive is now most likely dead. You already had to go through losing your father once, and now you have to lose him again. Any sliver of hope you had of staying connected with him is gone, because the entirety of his essence is now gone. She’s stronger than me, I would have never given him up so easily. I admire that about her.

->I also made the horrible mistake of going on ao3 after

yk for gits and shiggles… and when I go to a new fandom I always search by hits to see the classics first yk

…

WHY are you guys so 𝓯��𝓮𝓪𝓴𝔂… I genuinely shed a tear what. I was flabbergasted to say the least.

On that note the top 23 were about redguy/blueguy getting smoochy-smoochy with each other so I guess that should be a hint as to what you guys like

->the description of the show says the robot (voltron) is operated by “five teenagers” but that shiro guy has to be AT LEAST 25. He is pushing 30 you can’t convince me otherwise.

->for now it’s kinda giving atla except the war is intergalactic and lasted 10,000 years instead of 100.

->all the other characters seem to have a pretty clear background, but we haven’t yet heard about Keith’s backstory, so I want to know (I know now, this was my initial thought)

->shiros backstory/ptsd is very interesting, lots of angst possibilities i see

-> I had an inkling that pidge was…genderly different. (At first I thought she was transmasc)

Post S2

-> WHERE is my man. Where did he go.

-> Pookie please come back. Now. It’s not a suggestion.

->KEITH BACKSTORY I PREDICTED THEY WERE GONNA SHOW US YAY I LOVE BEING RIGHT

-> he’s galra! Soooo much whump opportunity

-> the whole “Allura doesn’t hate you she’s just a little upset to find out ur part of the race that killed off her entire peoples and family and okay maybe she does hate you” scene with keith and hunk is really giving that scene in atla: the southern raiders where zuko thinks katara hates him and sokka reassures him (badly) while he was just trying to get laid w suki.

->^ that’s gay

-> the aliens they met are going to be very important, aren’t they?

->^ oohhh so this is where the “langst” stuff comes from? he’s just kinda insecure i think, but it can’t possibly just be this episode that has that tag so high, unless flanderization is just really popular with you guys, but already suspect that unfortunately

->^Allura high key ate with this

->the “Blade of Marmora” people are definitely gonna be important later

-> the mall episode was soooo fun! fav s2 episode for sure!

->^gay. It’s literally giving “two bros chillin in a hot tub. five feet apart cus they’re not gay”

-> I know of 2 ships now. klance and allurance. I only see the former though, the latter seems more like a running gag/unrequited crush thing (for now i suppose)

-> Coran is an icon. I love that whimsical man. he’s beekeeping age per say.

-> I need pidge to find her brother and father man I feel so bad for her PLEASE DOBT TELL ME THEYRE DEAD ILL LITERALLY DIE.

-> pidge is sooooo cool i love her so much she’s literally the pookiest of the pookies

-> Who tf is gonna be the black paladin now. Keith sure as hell isn’t ready for that. maybe Allura?? Cus yk she kinda already leads them a little bit

These are thoughts I had compiled over a while now. I am on S5E3 as of now (07/03/24) but I wanted to document my thoughts either way. I will post on the tag “laura’s first vld”

[itsclydebitches]

I know there's a lot to unpack in James' new interview but I am feral, FERAL I SAY, over this fucking line right here:

"His need was to be loved, and his tragic flaw was the belief that he was unlovable."

Back before Season 3 hit and Tedependent became ~trendy~ (not actually lol) I was heacanoning and writing Trent as a pretty anxious individual, someone with a ton of internalized self-loathing whose "whole vibe" was more of a mask than legitimate self-confidence. At the time I worried about him coming across as too OOC because really, what did we have to support this? Ted Lasso's prevailing theme of men discovering love and support when they previously had none? The lovely parallel of Trent struggling with many of Ted's own flaws, but presenting in opposite ways (cutting cynicism vs. endless optimism)? The then—far less developed—comments from James that Trent might have a rough relationship with his father? It felt unsubstantiated, unpersuasive, built more on my own interest in those kinds of characters and the occasional awkward moment from Trent than actual canon. Even into Season 3 I questioned whether my reading of him as struggling, significantly, with the care Ted offers wasn't just a result of my own, imagined inner life for him.

But NOW.

I'm sorry, hold up, can I just re-confirm that TRENT'S TRAGIC FLAW IS HIS BELIEF THAT HE'S UNLOVABLE? Unlovable??? Thank you, James Lance, for validating every reading I've had of this character since he first appeared on screen. Do people realize the depth this adds to every interaction Trent has? Particularly with Ted? Unlovable Trent Crimm starts off this relationship with a sincere compliment on his style ("I like your glasses"), something that Season 3 will present as a core part of his personality, something he's largely hidden away. Unlovable Trent Crimm grappling with the fact that yes, Ted enjoyed spending time with him. Him. WHILE he was playing the part of the asshole journalist. Unlovable Trent not being rejected when he admits, in moments of vulnerability, that he "Loves [their] chats." Unlovable Trent having his father's (likely snide) "Independent" comment reframed as a fun pun + advice to follow his "bliss": you have support, Trent, no matter what you choose to do. I don't care if you're successful covering a masculine-coded sport, I care if you're happy. Unlovable Trent committing the ultimate betrayal and being forgiven for it, immediately. Unlovable Trent being forcibly integrated into the Richmond family; actively accepted rather than passively tolerated: yes you should work here, yes you're a Diamond Dog, sit your butt down, Trenthouse Magazine, you will never be excluded again.

I'm sorry for the rambling post but I'm just so!! Insane about this!!! So much of Trent's hesitance could have been written off as a result of his career. That is, it might have been merely a learned reaction after decades of deliberately pissing people off. Of course they dislike him, but take him out of that environment and everything's fixed. Yet James has confirmed that he played Trent as intrinsically believing this. The career was a result of that unfounded fear—Might as well keep people at a distance before they hurt me first—as well as, simultaneously, a desire to somehow achieve the love that should have been unconditional from the start—Maybe my father will like me if I can be that "alpha male man's man" in print. Because this isn't just a flaw, it's a tragic flaw, a literary term that denotes a deficiency that leads to the character's downfall. This belief is so entrenched that it has led to Trent actively self-sabotaging his chances of being loved in the first place; a horrible self-fulfilling prophecy. He NEEDED someone like Ted—a fucking love sledgehammer that forces people to accept his care in the least subtle ways possible, even when they're acting as their own worst enemy—and by god, he got him!

Aside from Nate, Trent has always felt like the most isolated character to me at the start of the series (and even Nate has a good relationship with his mother and sister). What we've learned in Season 3 and James' interviews has only reinforced that reading for me: he was closeted in his marriage, unintentionally hurting his daughter, he's suffering under his father's expectations, he hates the press persona he's created to survive, he's bored at his job, footballers and other potential interviewees despise him—and not without reason (Roy). He has no friends that we see pre-Richmond and he's reached a point where the simple act of someone saying that they liked spending the day with him—again, while he's actively TRYING to piss them off and keep his distance—has him in such a state of shock he runs for the door, pens an uncharacteristically hopeful write-up, and is well on his way to upending his entire life for that man.

Because of course he is!!! From Trent's perspective Ted is a fucking impossibility shaped into human form. This is a man in his 40s whose greatest lifelong fear—now all but a certainty at his age—has been dismantled in a matter of hours. I'd write a book-length love letter to him too! And RIP to finale!Trent, but I would have run fucking Rom-Com style after the man who not only changed my life, but my entire sense of self-worth. (Ah fuck, but there's that tragic flaw again, keeping Trent hesitant. I now stand by my reading of the "I'll leave you be" scene as an unrequited goodbye.)

But finale aside, the man who'd convinced himself he was unlovable fell for the man who was love incarnate.

If that's not the most romantic shit you've ever heard idk what is!!!

[markantonys]

a few more bridgerton thoughts! i've always been only a casual enjoyer who watches just for a few hours of fun and doesn't get super invested, but even so, i'm still feeling pretty underwhelmed by this season so far. i watched it in one sitting and enjoyed it while it was happening but just immediately forgot about it as soon as i was done. maybe all the memorable moments are going to be in the second half of the season, but for these first four episodes, i feel like it was all just kinda bland and forgettable (granted, of all the romance tropes in the world, m/f childhood-friends-to-lovers is just about the #1 most boring one to me, so this never would've been my favorite season regardless)

i adore romance and romcoms, always have, and am pretty happy to watch The Classic Marriage Plot play out a thousand times, yet i feel like bridgerton is maybe becoming TOO formulaic and repetitive. although, to be fair, i WAS giggling and kicking my feet during all the Classic Romance Scenes, but the problem was maybe just that there weren't enough of them, which brings me to my second point of too many subplots. too much padding and filler and not enough Classic Romance, which is what i'm here for.

8 hours is way more time than is needed to tell 1 love story, so to fill up the time they invent 17 random subplots that are ultimately pointless and have little relevance outside of the current season. i would way rather a season be only 4 episodes but tightly focused on the main love story, or that a season be about two siblings and two main love stories at a time, than have all this extra time they need to fill up with random unimportant shit. why have we had 3 seasons' worth of storylines about benedict having one-off non-endgame girlfriends that don't have a lasting impact on his character development? what's the point? he's been treading water for so long that i'm not even going to care about him anymore by the time he finally comes into the spotlight, and same with eloise. god, the thought of eloise's season potentially not being until like 2027 is insane. it's past time to start picking up the pace and doing 2 siblings per season!

and the kicker is that all these subplots, which were only invented to fill up the time, end up filling too MUCH time and taking away from the main love story, which is left feeling underbaked. this sort of happened last season, but it's way worse this season. penelope is an excellent character, but her back is breaking from trying to carry the season because colin is kinda giving us nothing due to lack of narrative attention given to him as an individual. he's supposed to be the co-lead, yet i couldn't tell you a single personality trait of his besides "vaguely nice" because he's just had no development and exists more as a prop for penelope to love than as a fleshed-out character in his own right. there was that whole scene where violet was talking about how he's a people pleaser who focuses on making others happy at the expense of his own wants and happiness, and i was just sitting there going "he is?" because i didn't feel i'd ever gotten to know him enough as a person to see this trait in him.

i also think the "dropping a season in 2 halves" model is just about the worst possible release model. if you drop 1 episode a week, that's constant engagement and allows for longer time to digest and appreciate each individual episode. if you drop the whole season at once, it's all over too fast but on the flipside you can experience the entire story at once without risking forgetting things or losing interest while waiting for new episodes. but dropping in two halves a month apart is the worst of both models (over too quickly yet also makes you wait too long to finish the story).

i do like some of the subplots, though. cressida getting to be more than just a mean girl caricature has been a particular highlight, the mondrich family going suddenly from working class to noble is interesting to see, and as a mega-introvert myself (and a music lover!) whose ideal partner would be someone who's happy to sit in silence with me, francesca and john's whole vibe is THE definition of romance to me and has me absolutely swooning (and it's a nice change of pace from all the loud dramatic romances on this show). violet potentially finding new love is also very sweet and i'm rooting hard for her! meanwhile i am not a fan of the featherington subplot; after s1 portraying regency girls' lack of sex education as a serious issue, it feels.........odd for the show to now be playing that very same thing for laughs this season and it just kinda makes me uncomfortable.

but otherwise there isn't much i dislike about the season, it's just kinda "meh" to me so far. the second half might turn things around if it's more memorable!

[whateverthedragonswant]

I'm finishing up my rewatch of season 3 of The Boys before I begin my SPN rewatch (got 2 more episodes left) and watching Jensen's performance as Soldier Boy just absolutely floors me.

It floors me because I've seen antis time and time again claim that Soldier Boy/Ben was essentially Dean in a superhero suit, that Jensen has one note acting, that he watered down the character by refusing to do scenes that made him uncomfortable (especially by one anti blog in particular who claims to be an acting expert, you know the one), and that his acting is very bland.

But in studying his performance because I'm studying the character (for writing purposes), these people couldn't be more wrong. I will admit that the only time I got a semi-Dean vibe from him was during the scene where Soldier Boy tells Butcher about his father. Which doesn't surprise me because Jensen himself said he leaned into the Dean/John dynamic for that scene.

But otherwise, I don't see anywhere where their claims hold any water. I mean, have you actually watched his scenes?

This scene is so important. Annie is getting ready to face off with this guy and even though she knows he's dangerous (after seeing he results of one of his explosions up close and personal), but she has no idea how dangerous, not really. This isn't Dean. This isn't Beau. This is the dangerous side of Solider Boy and had Hughie not intervened, there's a good possibility shit would have gone even more sideways. Especially, with Ben coming off of the confrontation with Countess, her hitting him where it hurts the most (meaning she tapped into one of his biggest insecurities. That explosion wasn't an accident (like NYC or even at Herogasm with the Twins). Ben didn't black out here. That's shown to us by there being no Russian trigger, despite him learning that Countess and his team handed him over back in 1984 and didn't even get paid for it.

I mean, look at this expression right here. His body is moving but his eyes don't. He's getting into position, ready to take out the next threat. Only when Hughie steps in and Annie's eyes dim does he step away, assessing her as not a threat. This is the weapon that is deadly enough to take on Homelander and no matter where you stand on Jensen as an actor, he pulls it off here.

The physicality he utilized in this role speaks volumes. And it's not about Soldier Boy being a Supe or being in a suit or having to look pissed off all the time (minus the few times he's amused). It has to do with how he embodies that character, carries him, and if he pulls it off. Spoiler alert: he did.

This scene exemplifies exactly what I'm talking about. I have watched it countless times and this part of it always sticks out to me every single time. Look at that expression, look at the eyes. Ben is not going all out to sell this belief let's call it to Hughie. He's giving him a look that says "this is the truth and you better believe it or else". He's not smiling for news cameras or doing propaganda or greeting fans of his movies decades prior. He's not selling the Soldier Boy is America's Greatest Hero image here. He's subtly threatening Hughie, and this is where he begins to have an issue with him. Because Ben wants to see himself as the good guy, something Kripke, Jensen, and the cast have talked about in promoting the season. In his own mind, he is the good guy; he's a legend in his own mind so to speak. He's bought the hype about himself. And anyone who doesn't see him that way is an enemy aka a threat.

It doesn't mean he doesn't know he's doing things that aren't right (as we saw in those outtakes of the 'Don't-do-drugs' commercial). He's very self-aware but he justifies it to himself because he's Soldier Boy and almost like Homelander always says, he can do what he wants. Not necessarily that he has a god-mentality that rivals Homelander's but everything is justifiable in his mind because he's a Supe, or more precisely the Supe, and he's protecting his country. And it also keeps that insecurity of being a disappointment at bay that he has from his childhood. It's all layered into his make-up so to speak. So not only is Hughie a threat (not physically obviously but to Ben's image of himself) but is also bordering dangerously close to reminding him of the very thing he hates: a mirror that reminds him that maybe his dad was right about him (not saying he was, I'm saying this is potentially what is running through his mind). So not only does it share a brilliant parallel between Hughie and Annie when it comes to Soldier Boy that eventually plays out beautifully in the Tower Scene in the finale, but it also is sewn into the issue between Hughie and Annie this season in their own relationship.

But the way Jensen plays that scene is phenomenal because if you watch it, you realize if Hughie says one wrong thing, he may be in trouble.

Which is then continued in this scene:

In this scene, Hughie is mentioning there's a lot of people inside Herogasm and here we get Ben's reaction to Hughie saying that. Then he tells Hughie as long as the people stay out of his way they should be fine. But again, watch how he says it, his expression, focus on his tone, his body movement. He clearly is not happy that Hughie says this (it literally is a continuation from the hotel room scene) and again has that subtle threat vibe, even with Butcher standing there (because let's face it, to him, even with temp V, Butcher is no threat). And of course, we all know the slap scene and the punch scene that happens later. Not only does Hughie get switched out for Ryan later on who Butcher ends up protecting from Soldier Boy, but it all plays out beautifully as all of the connections, overt and subtle, unfold throughout the season.

But back to Jensen's performance. There is so much to appreciate in how he fully embodied this character. And that's not saying it through an AA haze of "omg he's so hawt!" or "omg did you see his ass?" That's appreciating the amount of work that he put into this role when the cameras started rolling. He literally became Soldier Boy and he embodied him even outside of the suit.

As an actor, Jensen is very nuanced. He consistently adds in these little things that help make the character even more multi-dimensional than what is written on the page or what is called for int he scene and how it's blocked. This is why there is a certain small group of people on here that repeatedly talk about Jacting Joices, it's not just related to Supernatural or Destiel or Dean. It's about Jensen as an actor, as a performer, and how much he actually pours into these characters he plays. Whether it be the way he moves (or walks), or the expressions he uses, his eyes (yep, he does that too, see above), with his hands, even down to the way he delivers a line. All actors do this in their own way obviously, lean into physicality as well as their performance, but he definitely has his own unique style that I just don't see anyone else replicating. I think there's a reason so many people say no one else could have played Dean the way he could have for example. And if you watch his characters, really watch them, you'll see what he does each and every time. Even smaller characters like Jason from Smallville or Tom from My Bloody Valentine or Alec from Dark Angel. It's all right there on the screen.

So I guess my whole long point is I don't get why antis rip him apart when it comes to this role of Soldier Boy (other than being antis I guess) or say he can't act or that has no idea how to properly analyze his character because he actually did put a ton of work into this specific character (as well as all the others he's done) and you can clearly see it as you watch his scenes in the show. While I wish we could have seen Homelander and Soldier Boy go at it a bit more, and see Soldier Boy truly unleash that Alpha-ness of being the original Supe like had been talked about in promotions and interviews, it doesn't diminish that this character was fascinating and he brought it to life from the script in a way that complemented his own unique style as a performer.

tl;dr Jensen crushed Soldier Boy and Ben (yes, two different characters to embody actually) and I cannot wait to see more of him in any future Boys-related visual story telling, on the show or others.

[longbobmckenzie]

Too Hot to Handle 3: Episodes 1-3 Thoughts

We're back, bitches.

And as always, I have thoughts.

First off, the customization. It was fine. I like the hair options and that there are additional prosthetics/CGMs, but the rest of it felt like the same thing all over again and it took me a good 10 minutes to come up with someone I was relatively happy with but not thrilled with. Also the smiles are still creepy but at least we get to preview them this time

I love being a bombshell as it adds something fresh and means I didn't have to sit through the opening where everyone comes in because that takes soooo long sometimes (maybe next time we're an OG we can be one of the last to arrive?)

FREE PASS!!! Buuut all we got was some kisses and making out? Like come on. They should've either said we get a free kiss on the date or at least let us be extra naughty

I also like that we got to customize the LI we took out on the date and the customizations were permanent instead of limited to during the date

I picked Taz. I gave him a beard and manbun, and now he looks like Marshall 🤣 I have a type, okay?

I typically like to whore around during my first playthrough but after picking Jirayu for the tour and Mattias for something else (clearly not memorable since I don't remember what it was), I just keep gravitating back to Taz. Him being stuck-up about the food on the date kinda sucked but then he said he liked that I wasn't just saying stuff based on what he likes and he relaxed and became a lot more fun and then we made out and I shared a bed with him and yeaaahhh I like him. So I've been picking him every option ever since

But that doesn't mean I'm not already dying to see who comes in as bombshells

As for the other LIs, the biggest disappointment to me is probably that... WHERE ARE THEY?!?! If you don't pick them for scenes, they're almost non-existent. I've seen Bear more than I've seen Carmen or Beatriz. I'd love for them to be more integrated into the storyline, which I think S2 did a great job of. That said, once we lock in to our LIs I'm sure we'll see more, but how am I supposed to get to know these people if I never see them and don't want to choose them over Taz?

That brings us to the non-romanceable (yet) characters. We know from the achievements that there are 3 achievements for a BFF-to-lovers route, so I guess 3 of them will be possible endgames (not sure if this also includes any future bombshells or if it's just from the 4 OGs). Anyway, so far... I'm not liking them. Victoria's a fugly bitch (spoiler: good riddance to her), Sean is cartoonishly annoying (he gives me Felix vibes but I also wonder if they're trying to make him like Hamish), and I'm just not vibing with Julian or Giselle as friends, let alone future love interests. And the problem with that is that they're the ones constantly being pushed in my face instead of the other LIs, which is just making me more annoyed with them. Again, I think S2 did really well with this, so hopefully it changes. But otherwise, ugh.

Back to Taz - I love that we have such amazing chemistry and he's willing to break rules with me, and it's all just purely physical at this point. Like yeah, we've talked a bit about ourselves too and expressed an interest in getting to know each other, but I don't feel like either of us are emotionally invested yet and I love that - because this is THTH, not Love Island. We're not here for love, we're here for sex. I don't wanna feel after a day that my LI is already half in love with me. There's plenty of time for that

Is it just me, or have there been a lot of potential rule breaks already? I've only been in there a couple days and I've already spent so much money - lots of heavy petting and manual gratification with Taz so far, plus kissing

I'm so getting kicked out 🤣

I'm intrigued to see more of Bad Lana and how that plays out - I've only seen the first episode of the new season of the show, so it'll be interesting to see how they do it in the game

another HUGE plus: less time in the beach hut!! They're not doing a full chapter of beach hut confessionals anymore, just tacking on a bit to the start of one of the chapters, and I LOVE that change. it also means we get more actual game time!

There's a threesome in the achievements. I'm ready.

Anyway, overall I think I preferred the start of S2 (I remember being pretty blown away by the potential and the branching), but this is still a good start and I'm excited for the season. I'm ready for bombshells, and I'm definitely gonna play a 2nd profile to see what Jirayu is all about because I'm intrigued by him. And I wanna be messy on one route and more loyal on another, because I love seeing all the branching when you play both ways!

[miimo96]

Thoughts on My Adventures with Superman S2 episode 3

It's Cool seeing Clark unlock a New power each episode, however correct me if I'm Wrong, but I don't remember Superman having the power to Summon a protective Aura around in order to Sheild him and other people, it's probably a Power that came from the Newer comics but in my opinion, it just kinda Defeats the whole purpose of him being "The Man of Steel" if this makes him even more invulnerable, I'll probably get used to it eventually, but for now it's Not my cup of Tea, However I do LOVE the way the show handles his powers and introduces them to us very Slowly, kinda reminds me of how the CW would do the same thing for the FLASH, before the show eventually became Trash, Making this Show even more of a Banger than it already is ^^ (also love the little nod to Cyborg here )

Either General lane is COMPLETELY Oblivious or he Really doesn't have the possibility of Clark being Superman due to how EASY it would be, So he Rules out the possibly of him immediately, or maybe Does know and is just messing with him to see how he reacts

METALO!? Omg it so awesome to see this character make an Appearance I wonder how far they will go with this character, will be like the killer android from the animated series and comics, or will it be something different, I'm really excited to find out, however I DO HATE the design for most of the mechanical Villains in this show, Don't get me wrong it's a great design, I'm just not feeling the whole Gundam/Eva vibe here myself, hopefully they'll Fix this in later episodes of S2, however I guess I'm just gonna have to be stuck with it for now

Nice to see Vickie vale Return and I'm really glad that the show is still Bringing in more DC Characters as it continues like Silas Stone, and Jonathan irons, maybe We WILL get to see other heroes down the line, especially for Next season if it's Announced, I SO Can't wait to see who they decide to bring in Next for the whole Season, also Why is Vickie Vale even here, She lives in a whole other city with a much cooler Superhero, so why even come to metropolis? unless of course you're sick of being the Bats damsel 😏 or maybe she just loves to Troll Perry

Livewire is Literally Superman's version of Shocker from Spider man, the fact that they don't really HATE their Superhero but rather just find them really Annoying is Just so funny to me, and I really love the look she Gives Superman here like "Omg Why are you here, why is it Always you, Why can't you just leave me alone?!" Is just Hilarious ^w^

Glad to see that STEEL is here but in all honesty, I'm Not a complete fan of his design, I get that it's Supposed to be a prototype or something but in my opinion most of the designs in this show are either hit or miss, with the most of them being Misses, however I Do like a few designs from this show, like Parasite and Silver banshee and even the Superman suit itself, but the majority are Always a Miss, especially with these Stupid ASS Robot designs, I understand their purpose and Why they're here, but c'mon, you couldn't come up with anything else, I mean even Ultimate Spider man, a show Absolutely despise, has way better character designs, So what the hell? I hope this gets fixed later during Season 2, especially Since we know Brainiac is coming Very soon ^^

Seriously What is this Power? So far It seems to just give him the ability to contain/Shield against anything of Major damage, and while I'm not gonna deny that it's a very cool, it just doesn't feel like Superman to me, maybe with time it will, but as for now Not a total fan, as long they don't decide to give him anything Stupid like the Ability to rebuild walls with his vision or to freaking Rewind time like the Christopher Reeve's Superman, I think we'll be ok 😅😅 also I Love that they're Humanizing their villains and really giving us a reason to Sympathize with them, like I felt bad for Thomas Weston at the end, I mean he didn't MEAN for this to happen, he just wanted to BEAT his competition

I Really love the parallels Set up between these 2; While they're both clearly trying to keep the other in the loop of their life, they both have a Secret they're withholding from each other, While Clark is Trying to tell lois about his cousin, Lois will be trying to tell clark about her job offer, resulting in the drama continuing to build for these 2, and maybe eventually end in disaster, with I think neither of them revealing their secret properly and lois maybe leaving Metropolis, leaving Clark with Kara and her working in Gotham maybe we'll see the Bat In Season 3👀

This is LITERALLY Jessie eisenberg's version of Lex, Just Treated way better, I mean we're already seeing him unfold into the Big Villain he's meant to be, with him already achieving Lex Corp, and Now having an entire army of evil robots, that im sure will probably be infused with Kryptonite as a way to kill Superman, I gotta say I'm loving his character arc so far and I really can't wait to see how he turns Evil, I even have theory of he'll lose hair due to going completely crazy, because I heard that one of the signs of insanity, is SHAVING your hair completely, now he may just lose it in a Freak accident or maybe even just shave it for charity, But can you imagine if he shaves his hair off due to his hatred toward Superman and because he's losing his Sanity of his former self, That would be pretty AWESOME, and interesting to see

[darylscigarettesmoke]

Who is gonna be Laurent’s dad?

Now, when it comes to Laurent, people have one opinion: He’s set up to be Daryl’s adopted son since season 1 of his spin-off. But what if there’s someone else in the picture, who could take the boy under his wings?

The following contains spoilers for Daryl Dixon season 2 (I haven’t seen all episodes yet, this is based on Spoilers I read online)

Back in season 1 of Daryl’s spin-off, Daryl meets Laurent and is supposed to protect him. During the journey across the post-apocalyptic France, they start to bond, so much, that he decides to miss his boat back home to stay back and save him. Now, Daryl being Daryl - he’s always been great with kids - teaches Laurent basic survival skills, how to gut a gut a fish, we even see how he teaches him American Baseball. Laurent has clearly become important to him during his (short) time in France.

Now, Laurent being Daryl’s adoptive son makes sense for Daryl, storytelling-wise. Daryl’s a father - but not just any father, he’s the father of a bright, young boy. I’d love to see Daryl as a girl-dad, that would be freaking adorable, but taking care of a boy would make sense for his character. Having grown up with an abusive Dad himself, having a son would probably heal Daryl’s inner child in ways a daughter couldn’t. This is shown in an episode in season 1 when Laurent cuts his boat loose - Daryl lashes out on him, calls him names, says he’s worthless - and then he stops himself, hugs Laurent and says he didn’t mean it. With a son he can grow, he can heal, and he can break the “Dixon”-curse and pass on the great morals and values he’s come to achieve during his character arc.

Also, Laurent is everything Daryl wasn’t as a kid. Book-smart, educated, shielded from the world, well protected, religious. He totally contradicts what Daryl always stood for - which is why they can benefit from one another. Through Laurent, Daryl learns to appreciate the spiritual side of things, through Daryl, Laurent learns how to navigate the cruel and harsh world they find themselves in without losing himself.

Having Laurent as a son would be the perfect conclusion to Daryl’s character arc. Only that we haven’t seen the end of his arc yet.

But there’s someone else. A parent. A father. A man who lost his own son. Ash.

We don’t know a lot about Ash. His character’s sole purpose is to bring Carol to France, where she wants to find Daryl.

But we know he is compassionate, a warmhearted man - and a father who lost his son and is still not over his grief, living alone near his son’s grave, which he visits every morning. At the end of season 2, I believe, he escapes with Laurent on the plane to fly back to America. Daryl and Carol stay back.

Since we don’t know if Manish Dayal (the actor who plays Ash) is part of DD: S3, we have to assume that his character arc is complete. A grieving father, who travels abroad due to Carol’s lies, finds himself in chaos, and returns to America with a new son and a newfound purpose as a reward or a recompense for all he had to endure during his travels - it would be the perfect circle and a perfectly tied up character arc.

With Daryl Dixon Season 3 and possibly a Season 4 coming, it’s clear that Daryl’s character arc is not complete yet and that he still has a way to go. Laurent is not coming along to Spain and it might be a while until Daryl and Carol make their way back to the states - if ever.

Daryl’s and Laurents bond is undoubtedly strong, but we also have to take into consideration what Norman Reedus himself said in that Entertainment-Weekly interview (that was about the Isabelle-kiss, but it also fits here)

Rick had a family. Glenn has a son, even though he never got to see him.

So maybe, just maybe, Daryl’s happy ending is still somewhere out on the horizon.

[nalyra-dreaming]

Hey,

Feel free to ignore if not an interesting question! But before we get into the finale where I imagine many emotions may arise and there may be many new things to add, I wonder if you have any favourite moments from S2 so far and/or any things that have surprised you?

And anyone in comments or reblogs - I'd love to hear this from anyone!

If anyone's interested, for me here are some things I have loved:

Armand. Assad's Armand has been even more glorious than I could have imagined. Armand is my second favourite character in the books and I honestly did not think it was possible that Armand could be elevated even beyond how much I love book-Armand, but Assad has achieved that! Episode 4 and 5 especially I was just speechless afterwards how incredible Assad is.

DreamStat. I have absolutely adored DreamStat. I did not miss Lestat in episodes 1-5 AT ALL because I adored DreamStat so much and because even if the DreamStat in an episode was only 30 seconds, it was always 30 seconds of 100% emotion. I loved how they used DreamStat to convey feelings; to convey Louis' internal world and experience and subconscious, to covey Loustat's love and connection and to express vampiric longing and transgressive thoughts, feelings and emotions. Absolutely adored it. Ironically, the episodes I missed Lestat in most this season were E3, which he was in the most but I found Armands storytime-Lestat too unnerving... and obviously E6 as he wasn't in it bar 2 seconds!

Claudeleine. Oh my: Madeleine and Claudeleine were both written utterly perfectly. Madeleine, again, I feel so much more from than book-Madeleine and she was simply exquisite.

E5 - A Masterpiece.

The music. The piece that opened S2E1 - Imagine Never Being Able to Dream remains my favourite so far from this season (I haven't listened to the S2 score yet so there may be some new thing I love more in E8 I have yet to hear.) When I first watched E1 I was so moved by this piece I had to watch the first 10/15 minutes of the episode... it was at least 3 times over as I couldn't even focus on what Louis and Claudia were saying, I was so moved by the music.

I've been surprised they haven't resolved everything, or at least more things with memory. I thought memories would be (pretty much, if not entirely) resolved by the end of S2 and from S3 on that we'd be working in (relative) truths. I also thought the stuff with memory would be a lot more to do with Louis and Daniel uncovering their own true memories. For example I was surprised that some memory revisits were part of the trial as opposed to Louis' perspective. We did do some of that in E5 of course, but that felt only the beginning to me.

Hey!

I actually concur with a lot of what you listed here ;)

Especially Assad‘s Armand… and the memories-in-Dubai thing. I had expected it to be a lot more uncovering for Louis and Daniel as well, but I can see it why they didn’t. Still, as said before, I would have preferred a slightly different season setup (with more time to actually resolve things before it ends).

I do love that Claudia and Madeleine got a proper arc. You feel for them. I also love the OST and my personal favorite piece of it will come up still 😏 I did not think Loumand would go that dark, and I don’t think there’s much chance of reconciliation once it breaks in Dubai tbh. But… we’ll see. I loved DreamStat being Louis‘ inner voice and I also find e3 weird… I adore the harlequin Lestat though, even if only a fanfic 😅 Santiago was so much more than I had anticipated and I loved how they made the… labyrinthian… depths.. :) of coven life clear.

I did not like them doing Merrick in SF, and I have already written a few notes on it all for an after-the-season post. But we’ll see if they pick it up in the last ep.

So these are my thoughts (for now^^) - anyone want to chime in?;))

[blackphanto]

Chucky predictions

SPOILER WARNING FOR CHUCKY S3E5!

I wanna make Chucky theories so bad, but I can't think of any! This show is so crazy that I can't even predict or speculate on what could happen next. There are some people teasing on twitter though and all they've been doing is making me even more hyped for how this season is going to end. So here are some of my predictions based on everything that's been teased so far.

Jake will enter the spirit realm:

I don't think he's necessarily going to die, but he's so fixated on ending Chucky for good to the point where he refused to run away from it all like Devon suggested. And we've heard the doctor, the only way you get to the spirit realm is by dying, but what if you didn't need to die? I believe that thanks to all the supernatural shit occurring there, the White House will become some sort of passage between the two realms. Jake will cross it to try and destroy Charles' soul, but if he will fail or succeed is still debatable...

Caroline helps Chucky get young again:

If Jake fails in permanently killing Chucky, Caroline will come to the rescue. We know she'll be back, but what role will she play in this mess? When she'll return, all hell already would've broken loose and she'll just make it worse. Her sudden entrance at the White House will cause quite the emotional reunion for Lexi and her. Yet, Caroline didn't come alone. Armed with the Voodoo for Dummies book, sure, but she brought another friend, who's none other than the Good Guy Doll creator played by John Waters. He came with a new doll, a new vessel for Charles and with Caroline's newfound knowledge of Voodooism, she'll get Damaballa's blessings and give Chucky a new body, a new chance to not disappoint the almighty Iowa and if he plays his cards right, he might even become forever young.

Grant will survive:

I don't have any evidence to back this up, I just like him and think it's unfair that Lexy always has to say goodbye to someone she loves each season and I just don't want it to happen again. From a psychology standpoint it just desensitized her and would lead to her not getting attached to anyone else besides Jake & Devon next season, in fear of someone else always having to die because of her. And from a writing perspective it just gets repetitive, predictable and boring. So please Don Mancini don't kill him, also I love Jackson Kelly.

The past will haunt everyone:

Charles Lee Ray isn't the only ghost the Terror Trio will have to deal with in the newly supernatural possessed White House. We've seen the past of the Collins family haunt them time and time again, we've seen Henry talk about ghosts and fearing what they told him almost every single episode. Why would that stop at Joseph or Charles? Wouldn't it be horrible for our trio to be faced with the lives they lost thanks to a doll they couldn't stop? How would Jake react upon seeing his father again, disappointed at him for being gay. And Lexy, the poor girl, facing Junior, the boy she watched die, trying to save her... Not making at least one ghost of the past come back would be a wasted opportunity.

Tiffany will survive, but Jennifer's body might not:

Tiffany's possible death has been brought up in every interview Jennifer Tilly made following the comeback of Chucky season 3. At this point it even became a ‘will they, won't they’ situation. Does Mancini really have the guts to kill off a cult favorite character and actress he loves so much? Or will we just say goodbye to seeing Tilly on screen and welcome only her voice? I mean the trailer kinda made it clear for me that this isn't the end of Tiffany's story, but maybe that of Jennifer's body.

[alyssaforevermore]

Unearthed ↦ Daryl Dixon season two, part two

Synopsis: Based on the events of The Walking Dead television series, Y/N Grimes, younger sister of Rick Grimes, attempts to survive in a world now inhabited by walkers. Family has always meant everything to her, but in this new world, can she keep her family safe and together?

Show: The Walking Dead (S1-S11)

Pairing: Daryl Dixon x fem!Reader

Warnings: coarse language, violence, character deaths, drug and alcohol references, series spoilers and general The Walking Dead content warnings!

Tags: @1ivinqdeadqir1 @callmeyn @thegeorgiahuntsman @mellxander1993 @bigbaldheadname @cjmonsterwolf @abbi23323 @actuallyklee @lanxsee @livingdeadblondequeen @sweetz1919 @moonmark98 @sarahbaker2010 @ririi-3 @ryoujoking @hayley1998 @crazyunsexycool @Lettersfromyourlove (can’t tag last one)

Masterlist

The next morning you were all up bright and early, ready to go back to searching for Sophia. Rick laid out a knife sheath across the hood of a car, which Carl had apparently found yesterday.

“Everyone takes a weapon.” He spoke.

“These aren’t the kind of weapons we need.” Andrea huffed. “What about the guns?”

“We’ve been over that. Daryl, Rick, Y/N and I are carrying.” Shane explained. “We can’t have people popping off rounds any time a tree rustles.”

“It’s not the trees I’m worried about.”

“Say somebody fires at the wrong moment, a herd happens to be passing by. See, then it’s game over for all of us, so you need to get over it.”

Daryl stepped forward. “The idea is to take the creek up about five miles, turn around and come back down the other side. Chances are she’ll be by the creek, it’s her only landmark.”

 “Stay quiet and stay sharp.” Rick warned. “Keep space between you but always stay within sight of each other.”

“Everybody assemble your packs.” You spoke.

Rick turned to Dale, who was sitting on the steps of the RV. “Keep on repairs, we need this RV ready to move.”

Dale nodded, standing up. “We won't stay here a minute longer than we have to. Good luck out there.”

“Keep an eye on Carl while we’re gone?” Rick asked and Dale nodded.

“No, I’m coming with you.” Carl protested. “You need people, right? To cover as much ground as possible.”

Rick looked at Lori, who shook her head. “Your call. I can’t always be the bad guy.”

“Well, he has all of us to look after him.” You spoke up.

In all honesty, after Sophia went missing, you weren’t quite happy to have Carl far away from the rest of the family right now. As much as the woods could be dangerous, you would feel much better having him nearby.

Rick sighed. “Okay, but always within our sight. No exceptions.”

Rick and Lori walked away and Carl looked up at you, smiling.

You gave him a wink before getting serious. “Please don’t make me regret this. I mean it, you stay close to one of us always.”

Carl nodded. “I promise. Thank you.”

You nodded back, hugging your nephew before turning to Dale. “Please keep an eye on T-Dog. I’m worried about his arm.”

Dale nodded, placing a hand on your shoulder. “I will, don’t worry.”

You smiled, heading off to get your backpack together for the journey.

…

You all had been searching the woods for a little while when suddenly, Daryl crouched behind a bush. Everyone followed his lead, crouching down behind him. Shane was the only one still standing.

“She could be in there.” Shane gestured towards a tent in a small section surrounded by trees and bushes.

“Could be a whole bunch of things in there.” Daryl responded.

Daryl stood up, slowly making his way towards the tent with his crossbow raised. You followed close behind, clutching your knife tight in your hand. Eventually, Daryl signaled for you to go ahead of him.

Approaching the tent, you tried your best to focus and listen for any noises coming from inside. As much as you hoped to find Sophia in there, you had to be ready for other possibilities.

Behind you, Rick whispered for Carol to come join them.

“Call out softly,” He told her. “If she’s in there, your voice should be the first she hears.”

Carol nodded. “Sophia, sweetie, are you in there?”

There was no answer, and you gestured for her to continue.

“Sophia, it’s mommy.” Carol tried again. “We’re all here, you don’t have to be afraid.”

With there still being no answer, Daryl, Rick and Shane came to your side. You took a deep breath, slowly unzipping the tent and pulling back the opening. As soon as you did, a strong smell of death hit you.

You began coughing, covering your nose. Inside was the corpse of a man, who had probably been there for weeks at this point. Daryl stepped inside the tent with you, grabbing a gun from the man’s hand.

“Daryl?” Carol called out.

Daryl placed the gun in the back of his pants, stepping out of the tent ahead of you. “It ain’t her.”

Carol let out a sigh of relief, Lori giving her a comforting hand.

“What’s in there?” Andrea asked.

“Some guy.” You responded.

“Did what Jenner said. Opted out.” Daryl added. “Ain't that what he called it?”

Your mind raced back the events of yesterday morning. After the last twenty four hours, it felt like forever ago. You hadn’t really had a chance to process it yet; the decision you had almost made. In a way, you felt like that might be a good thing.

Suddenly, bells began ringing in the distance, causing you all to look around anxiously.

“Maybe that’s Sophia?” You suggested.

Rick pointed to an opening in the brush, running forward as everyone followed close behind. Before long, you arrived at a small church.

“That can’t be it.” Shane spoke. “It’s got no steeple, no bells.”

Rick ignored him, racing through the cemetery. Reluctantly, you all continued to follow his lead. You finally made it to the front doors of the church, preparing your weapons. When you were all ready, Rick swung the doors open.

Sitting in the pews were five people, facing the podium. The sound of the doors opening caused them all to turn around, revealing that they were walkers. You all stared in disbelief as the walkers slowly stood up, making their way towards your group. Shane, Rick and Daryl made their way forward, taking out each of the walkers.

Rick began to call out for Sophia, as your eyes remained fixed on the scene in front of you. You were never religious, but this felt beyond surreal.

“I’m telling you, Rick. It’s the wrong church.” Shane spoke. 

As if on cue, the bell began to ring again. You all raced outside, looking around. Finally Daryl pointed to a PA system on the side of the building, which Glenn quickly shut down.

“It’s on a timer.” Daryl shook his head.

Everyone remained silent for a moment, a sense of dread washing over you all. For the first time since Sophia had gone missing, you could feel that everyone was starting to lose hope.

“I’m going to go inside for a bit.” Carol choked out, turning around and heading back to the church.

…

A while later, your group stood outside the church with Shane approaching.

“Y’all are gonna follow the creek bed back, okay?” He spoke. “Daryl, you’re in charge.”

“Wait, what about Sophia?” You asked, folding your arms across your chest. “I know we’re all feeling discouraged, but we can’t just give up.”

“Rick and I are going to hang back here, keep searching for another hour. Just to be sure we didn’t miss her.” Shane responded. “We’re not giving up, no chance. I just think we need to rest and regroup.”

Daryl shifted his feet. “You’re sure about splitting us up?”

Shane nodded. “Yeah, we’ll catch up to you.”

“I want to stay with dad.” Carl spoke from behind you. “I’m her friend.”

Lori looked at her husband for a moment before stepping forward, placing her hand on Carl’s shoulder. “Just be careful, okay?”

“I will.”

“When did you start growing up?” Lori smiled, kissing her son on his forehead.

You hated the idea of leaving Rick and Carl with Shane. After that night at the CDC, despite all the history there, you had a hard time trusting him at all. You knew he was dangerous, but all you could do now was pray he would never put Carl in harm's way.

“Here, take my gun.” Rick spoke to Lori.

“And leave you without one? I don’t think so.” She responded.

“I have a spare.” Daryl spoke, reaching into his pants and handing it to Lori. “She can use it.”

Rick nodded, placing his gun back in its holster. “You guys be safe.”

“You too.” You smiled, both groups going their separate ways.

…

“So this is it?” Carol asked, sitting on a log. “This is the whole plan?”

You’d been walking for a while now and everyone was beginning to feel even more irritated. Not finding Sophia was taking a toll on everyone, and some part of you all were hoping you’d have found her by now on your walk back.

“I guess the plan is to whittle us down into smaller and smaller groups.” Daryl mumbled.

“Carrying knives and pointy sticks.” Andrea added before glaring at Lori. “Except for you, of course.”

“Do you want my gun, Andrea? Take it.” Lori responded, stepping closer to her. “I’m tired of the looks and the petty comments. From all of you.”

Andrea stared down at the gun in Lori’s hand for a moment before reaching out and taking it from her. Lori turned her attention away from the scene, kneeling down to Carol’s level.

“Honey, I can’t imagine what you’re going through. I would do anything to stop it but you have got to stop blaming Rick. It shows on your face every time you look at him. ” She spoke. “When Sophia ran he didn’t hesitate, did he? Not for a second. I don’t think any of us would’ve ran after her the way he did. We couldn’t have made any of the hard decisions he’s had to make nor could we have done things any differently.”

You knew she was right. From the moment your brother had arrived at the Quarry, things had changed. You all finally had someone you could really look to when things were hard. As much as Shane ran things before, he’d never truly taken on what Rick had. If it wasn’t for Rick, you had no doubt you’d all have died the night the Quarry was overrun.

Lori shook her head, continuing. “You all look to him and then blame him when he’s not perfect. If you think you can do it without him, go right ahead. Nobody is stopping you.”

Andrea’s eyes were focused on the ground for a few moments, before finally she approached Lori. She handed her back the gun, an apologetic look across her face. “We should keep moving.”

You looked at Lori, who nodded in agreement as she stood up. As soon as she did, a loud bang echoed throughout the woods. Everyone froze, looking up at the sky.

“What was that?” Carol asked.

You took a deep breath, your stomach turning as your skin turned pale. “I-I think it was a gunshot.”

“Doesn’t matter right now.” Daryl spoke up. “We need to keep moving.”

Nodding, you took a deep breath. “Let’s go.”

…

As you moved further through the woods, Lori began to turn back to face the direction you’d been coming from.

“Still worrying about it?” Andrea asked.

“It was a gunshot.” Lori reminded her. 

“We all heard it.” Daryl agreed.

Lori shook her head. “Why one? Why just one gunshot?”

“Maybe they took down a walker.”

“Please don’t patronize me.” Lori huffed. “You know Rick wouldn’t risk a gunshot to put down one walker, or Shane. They’d do it quietly.”

“Shouldn’t they have caught up with us by now?” Carol asked.

“There's nothing we can do about it, anyway.” Daryl responded. “Can't run around these woods chasing echoes.”

“Daryl’s right.” You responded. “Rick wouldn’t want us all getting lost trying to look for him. It was one gunshot. We have to believe that one of them is safe and will find us.”

“So, what do we do then?” Lori folded her arms across her chest.

“Same as we’ve been doing.” Daryl spoke. “Keep looking for Sophia and work our way back to the highway.”

“I'm sure they'll hook up with us back at the RV.” Andrea spoke before turning to Carol. “I'm sorry for what you're going through. I know how you feel.”

“I suppose you do- Thank you. The thought of her, out here by herself.. It's not knowing that's killin' me. I just keep hoping and praying she doesn't wind up like Amy.” Carol gasped at her own words. “Oh, God! That’s the worst thing I’ve ever said.”

Andrea’s eyes fell for a moment. “We’re all hoping and praying with you, for what it’s worth.”

“I'll tell you what it's worth– Not a damn thing. It's a waste of time, all this hoping and praying.” Daryl snapped, his eyes landing on Carol. “We're gonna locate that little girl. She's gonna be just fine. Am I the only one Zen around here? Good lord.”

Daryl went back to walking towards the highway and you all continued to march after him.

“How much further?” Lori asked.

“Not much… Maybe a hundred yards as the crow flies.” Daryl shrugged.

“Too bad we’re not crows.” Andrea responded.

Daryl, Glenn and Carol walked ahead of you, while Andrea and Lori remained further behind you. Suddenly, Andrea began to scream.

You turned around, spotting a walker approaching her and she laid on the ground. She was slowly crawling backwards, but the walker was gaining on her.

Pulling your knife out, you began rushing towards her when the sound of a horse distracted you. It was trotting towards Andrea, a woman holding a baseball bat on its back. As she rode by Andrea, she knocked the walker down with the bat before coming to a complete stop.

“Lori?” She asked. “Lori Grimes?”

Lori looked back at the woman. “Yeah, that’s me.”

“You need to come with me. There’s been an accident. Carl’s been shot.”

------

AN: Here we are with another part! I hope you all enjoyed it. Please remember to like/reblog if you did <3

[snitchcrimsonwrites]

Maybe pt. 13

Pairing: Norm MacLean X Female Reader or OC if you squint

Former friends to a relationship?

Life is pretty easy in Vault 33 until you're trying to rekindle a former friendship and Raiders attack. Now, our main characters are trying to navigate newfound feelings, all while undercovering the mysteries of Vault 33. Stay tuned. Follows the main storyline of season 1; some events may be reordered for plot.

Norm wrestles with keeping secrets about Vault 31 from you and Suprise! You've got new vault assignments!

Part 1 Here Part 6 Here Part 11 Here

Part 2 Here Part 7 Here Part 12 Here

Part 3 Here Part 8 Here

Part 4 Here Part 9 Here

Part 5 Here Part 10 Here

Norm was having trouble sleeping. He lay awake; the guilt from keeping secrets from you felt like it was eating him alive from the inside. He rolled over to watch you sleeping peacefully beside him, your face serene in the dim light of his bedroom. 

He realized he was doing it again, trying to protect you with what he thought was best instead of being upfront and honest. Suddenly, the memory hit him like a wave, pulling him back to when you were both sixteen. You had always been intelligent and ambitious, with desires that extended far beyond the confines of Vault 33, if only you’d been born at a different time, maybe you could have embraced it. When your teacher suggested you fully commit to your studies because performing well on the G.O.A.T. exam could "change your future," you buckled down and studied hard. But at the time, Norm couldn't shake the feeling that he was holding you back. He remembered overhearing some of the older kids talking about how your friendship with him was a distraction, how you could do so much better if you weren't always looking out for him. He never thought of it that way, but reflecting back, maybe they were right? Over the next few weeks, he continued to pull away, creating a rift that grew wider with each passing day. And here he was doing it again, with the same self-destructive tendencies. He couldn’t hold it in any longer. He had to come clean about the information he uncovered about the Vault 31 transfers and his concerns that you both might be in very real danger.

He gently touched your shoulder, trying to rouse you from your sleep. “Hey, (Y/N),” he whispered softly, “Can we talk?”

You groaned, squinting at him through half-closed eyes. "Norm, what time is it?" you asked, your voice groggy. 

"It's late, I know, but it's important. Can we talk?” he repeated, his voice tinged with seriousness.

You hesitated, still trying to shake off sleep. “Yeah, sure, just give me a second to wake up.”

You sat up slowly, rubbing your eyes and looking at him with concern. “Okay, what’s up?”

Norm took a deep breath, his heart pounding. “I’ve been keeping something from you, and I need to let you know what’s going on.” You felt your heart skip a beat. What was he keeping from you? Your mind raced with every horrible possibility. He’s breaking up with me. 

“It’s about Vault 31 and the Overseers. Every Overseer we’ve had was transferred from Vault 31, and the same pattern was happening in Vault 32.” A wave of relief settles in your chest. This news wasn’t great, but he wasn’t breaking up with you. 

You frowned, still trying to wake up fully. "Wait, what? Why didn’t you tell me this earlier?”

"I didn’t want to worry you," Norm admitted, guilt creeping into his voice. "But after what happened today, I couldn’t keep it from you anymore.”

Your annoyance faded as your mind began racing, trying to piece together the fragments of information you’d been gathering. You could be mad at Norm later. Right now, your mind was intent on solving this mystery. Norm continued, explaining what he uncovered about the Vault 31 transfers and his conversation with Betty in the Vault 32 Overseer’s office. 

You shook your head, trying to connect the dots. "So, we have overseers from Vault 31, your mom’s Pip-Boy opening Vault 32, something deeper with the raiders, and now Betty pushing for people to move into Vault 32. There’s something we’re missing."

"Exactly," Norm agreed, relief washing over him that you were taking this seriously. "I just don’t know what it is yet.” 

You thought through several possibilities, each more unsettling than the last. "We need more information. Why is Vault 31 so involved in this? Maybe there are records or logs we haven’t seen yet."

Norm nodded. "I’ll keep digging, but I think we need to be more careful. Them assigning you an extra shift and the timing of the Vault 32 cleanup that all feels deliberate.” 

As you both lay back down, sleep seemed impossible. After a moment of silence, you couldn't resist making a joke to lighten the mood. "You know, Norm, I’m really mad at you for keeping me in the dark about this," you said, half-teasing, half-serious.

Norm looked at you with a mix of guilt and relief. "I know, and I'm really sorry. I'll make it up to you, I promise." 

"Oh, you better," you said, smiling despite the tension. "Because I’m not letting you off the hook that easily. Waking me up in the middle of the night with a ‘Hey, can we talk?’ I thought you were about to break up with me, not dish Vault secrets.”

Norm laughed, shaking his head. "You thought I was breaking up with you?"

"Yes, when people ask ’to talk,’ it's usually about something in their relationship. I guess I got lucky with Vault conspiracies instead."

Norm grinned. "Well, I guess I’ll have to devise more creative ways to keep you on your toes." 

You raised an eyebrow, smirking. "Oh, really? Like what?"

"Maybe I'll start hiding your favorite books. A little literature hide n' seek. That should keep you busy."

You gasped, feigning shock. “How dare you,” you retort, playfully swatting at his hands. “And for the record, if you ever decide to break up with me, please do it during the day," you said, rolling back over. 

He leaned in closer, his voice dropping to a playful whisper. "Noted. But just so you know, I don’t plan on it."

Your heart skipped a beat at his words, did he mean that? "Good. Because I’d hate to have to find someone else to solve Vault conspiracies with, the interviews alone would be way too time-consuming."

Norm chuckled, pulling you closer. "Looks like you're stuck with me then."

You smiled, feeling a mix of relief and affection. "I wouldn’t have it any other way," pulling him into a soft good-night kiss. 

____________________

The next couple of days passed slowly, each dragging on with a mix of routine and tension. You were back in the Pip-boy lab, slammed with maintenance and software updates since some Vault dwellers would be leaving soon to repopulate 32; everyone needed to make sure their devices were fully functional. While you were occupied with that, Norm spent his days delivering rations to the ungrateful raiders. The routine work provided little distraction from the questions looming over you.

Aside from work, every spare moment was spent trying to uncover more about Vault 31, but nothing new had come to light so far. You could see Norm’s frustration grow with each passing day. Seeing the raiders day in and day out and not being able to do anything about it bothered him deeply. Betty knew what she was doing when she reassigned him there. His dad's home office, which he hoped would offer clues about his father's life in Vault 31, remained frustratingly devoid of new information.

One afternoon, between his shifts, Norm stopped in for a visit. He appeared as normal in your office doorway. You looked up from your spot on the workbench as he entered, a weariness showing on his face. 

"Hey," you greeted, setting aside your tools. "Any luck today?"

Norm shook his head, a sigh escaping his lips. "Nope. The raiders are as insufferable as ever, and my dad’s office was a dead end. I was hoping there might be something—anything—that would give us a clue, but it’s like searching for a needle in a haystack."

You nodded, understanding his frustration all too well. "I know the feeling. I've been reviewing the Pip-boy records, but nothing else stands out. It's like they’ve covered their tracks too well."

Norm ran a hand through his hair, leaning against the workbench beside you. "It’s maddening.” 

You didn’t get a chance to respond as the P.A. system chimes, and suddenly the room is filled with the sound of Reg McPhee’s voice. “In preparation for repopulating our neighboring Vault 32, Overseer Betty will be sending out vault assignments later today. Remember, wherever you end up, that’s where you belong.” 

“That’s comforting,” you replied, addressing Reg’s bluntness. You tried to mask your nerves with a casual remark, but Norm could see right through it. 

 Norm approaches your chair from behind, placing his hands on your shoulders with a squeeze, trying to get you to relax. “Neverous?” 

“That’s an understatement.”

He was, too, but he didn’t want to show it, playing it off for you. "Hey, statistically speaking, there's a good chance we'll end up together in either Vault 32 or 33. And no matter what, we'll figure it out," he assured you, his words infused with quiet confidence. Being the optimistic one in a relationship was exhausting. 

____________________________

Norm had to return for his evening ration delivery. He kissed you goodbye, offering to try and meet up before the relocation announcement so the two of you could be together for the good or bad news. As he passed through the checkpoint with his cart of food trays, he noticed another group wheeling lifeless raider bodies out of the reading room prison.

Ignoring his duties, he abandoned his cart in the hallway and hurried into the room, where the members of the vault council were already gathered, taking in the scene.

"What happened here?" Norm asked, his voice tinged with concern.

Betty, looking visibly shaken, turned to face him. "We're not entirely sure, but the vault medic believes it was rat poison," she replied, her tone heavy with frustration. "We need to find out who's responsible for this."

Betty's gaze hardened as she turned her attention to him. "And what did I tell you, Norman?" she admonished, her voice stern. "Words have meaning.” He couldn’t believe what she was suggesting. 

As she begins to walk out, Woody calls out to her, clearly anxious about how the situation will be handled. “People are gonna be upset when they hear about this.” She turns to respond. “People like to have something to fuss about.” She was right. It’s in people’s nature to find a bone to pick, especially in a place like this where there’s so little excitement. Whether it’s the new Vault assignments or something as trivial as the food rations or the death of a dozen or so Vault prisoners, there will always be people talking. 

Moments after Betty left the room, Norm's pip-boy pinged, drawing his attention. He looked down and saw the message, "Congratulations! You're staying in 33." His heart raced with a mix of relief and dread. He was surprised to see the assignments issued so soon; he guessed the Overseer decided this was the new thing to fuss over, as opposed to the dead raiders. Excusing himself hastily, he dashed out of the room, navigating the crowded corridors of Vault 33 with a singular focus. He dodged eager dwellers clamoring to see their assignments, his mind solely on reaching you.

Arriving at your doorway, he found you already there, the expression on your face telling him everything he needed to know. Without a word, he stepped inside, his breaths coming in short, heavy gasps as he struggled to process the news.

"Where... where are you assigned?" he managed to ask, his voice barely above a whisper, though he already knew the answer.

You met his gaze, sadness evident in your eyes as you confirmed his fears. You held up your Pip-Boy, showing the dreaded message: “Assigned to Vault 32.”

Norm’s heart sank, but he quickly steeled himself. “I got assigned to stay in Vault 33,” he said softly. He saw the flicker of pain in your eyes and took a deep breath. “But I have one last idea. Let's go to the Vault Council and request a hearing to reconsider the relocation assignments.”

You looked at him skeptically. “Why would they change their minds? 'Wherever you end up, that’s where you belong,' remember?"

Norm stepped closer, his voice earnest. “Do you want to be with me? Is that your decision?”

“Yes,” you replied, the word escaping almost like a breath. “I’d do anything to be with you.”

“Then we have to try,” he said firmly, grabbing your hand. “Let’s go.”

Norm and you made your way through the bustling corridors of Vault 33, the weight of the uncertain future pressing down on you both. As you approached the overseer’s office, you spotted Betty in the hallway outside, discussing something with another vault resident.

“Excuse me, Overseer,” Norm called, trying to get her attention.

Betty turned, her expression shifting from a polite smile to a more curious gaze as she recognized the urgency in Norm's voice. “Norman, (Y/N),  what can I do for you two?”

Norm took a deep breath, stepping forward. “I wanted to request a hearing to reconsider our vault assignments.”

Betty sighed, a touch of weariness in her eyes. “Norman, the assignments are final. We need to follow the protocol for the good of everyone.”

Norm pleaded, his voice earnest. “Please, Overseer. This is the woman I want to marry and start a life with. It would be unfair not to at least let us present our case.”

Your eyes widened in surprise, the weight of Norm's words hitting you like a shockwave. Marry? Start a life together? You glanced at him, trying to process his unexpected declaration.

Betty’s eyes widened slightly as well, a mix of surprise and interest flickering across her face. “Is that so?” She turned her gaze to you, her expression probing. “And do you feel the same way?”

You nodded, your voice steady despite the nerves and the sudden twist in your emotions. “I do. We haven’t said anything before because of everything that’s been happening, but we want to be together.”

Betty considered your words, her gaze thoughtful. After a moment, she nodded. “Alright. I’ll grant your hearing request right away. Follow me.”

She led the way into her office, and you and Norm followed, exchanging hopeful glances. Inside, Betty gestured for you to take a seat as she settled behind her desk. She pressed a button on her terminal, summoning the other council members. Within moments, Woody and Reg entered the room, both looking surprised.

Once everyone was gathered, Betty explained the situation. “Norman and (Y/N) wish to present a case regarding their vault assignments.”

Woody raised an eyebrow, glancing between Norm and you. “A case? This is unusual.”

Reg crossed his arms, a puzzled expression on his face. “Indeed. I thought the assignments would be final. What’s this about, Norm?”

Norm took a deep breath. “We’ve been assigned to different vaults—(Y/N) to Vault 32 and me to Vault 33. We’re here to request reconsideration of these assignments.”

Woody exchanged a look with Reg, both of them clearly taken aback by the request. “This is highly irregular,” Woody muttered.

Reg leaned forward, his expression softening slightly. “Norm, (Y/N), we understand this is difficult. But vault assignments are made with the community’s best interests in mind. What makes you think an exception should be made for you two and not for everyone else?”

You took a deep breath, ready to play the game. Bloster the Vaults, that’s what they want to hear. “We believe that our relationship strengthens the community. We support each other, and we’re both dedicated to contributing to the well-being of the vault. Separating us would not only affect us personally but could also impact our ability to perform our duties effectively. 

With your words, Betty addressed the council. “Given the exceptional circumstances we’ve faced recently, I believe it’s worth considering their request.” 

Woody and Reg exchanged another look, then hesitantly nodded in agreement. They didn’t seem entirely convinced but followed the Overseer’s lead. “Alright,” Reg said. “We’ll hear your case. But understand this is a significant request. We need to ensure that any decision made is in the best interest of our entire community.”

The council agreed, and Betty turned to her terminal and began typing: "Before we make a final decision, we need to consider all aspects, including compatibility, to help sustain the future of the Vaults. As you know, our Vault system collects data to run compatibility reports, which suggest which vault dwellers would make good pairings based on genetic interplay and other factors."

You exchanged a curious glance with Norm as Betty pulled up the document on the screen. The council members leaned in, studying the data carefully.

Betty scrolled through the list, pausing when she found your names. "According to this report, Norman and (Y/N)  have a high compatibility score. Their genetic profiles suggest that any potential offspring would be healthy and well-adapted to our environment."

Woody sighed, examining the data displayed on the screen. “High compatibility, potential overseer offspring, and high intelligence scores. I have to admit this is quite significant.”

“Given our long-term goal of reclaiming the surface, maintaining a healthy and genetically diverse population is crucial,” Reg muttered reluctantly.   

Betty leaned back in her chair, her gaze shifting between the council members and the two of you. “We must consider the future of our community. The well-being of our vault dwellers, particularly those who are highly compatible and capable, is paramount.”

After a moment of deliberation, Betty made the final call. “In light of the evidence and the importance of maintaining a healthy, thriving population, the council has decided to allow you both to stay in Vault 33. However, the events of this hearing will remain confidential, understand?”

As you left the office, you couldn’t help but tease Norm. “So, marrying me, huh? When were you planning to tell me about that part?”

Norm grinned sheepishly. “ Sorry for springing that on you. Definitely, a last resort, but I guess I figured now was as good a time as any. Besides, I like to keep you on your toes. Remember?”

You laughed, feeling a mix of affection and relief. “Well, you certainly succeeded. Just don’t make a habit of it, okay?”

[shiftingpath]

Exalted Secret Santa, 15th Edition

Hello friends!

It's that time again; time to come together over the winter season to make some art of each other's amazing Exalted characters. If you're an artist in the Exalted fandom, here's what you'll need to participate:

1) A working tumblr account. RSVP to me in an ask, message, reply to this post, confirmation in the reblog tags, etc. so I will know to add you to the list. If you submit under a new handle but have participated before, or if your tumblr name has changed, please note the name of the account you will be posting with for the exchange. I like to make sure repeat participants get different assignments and gifts every year; if you have changed names please just remind me a little, so I can ensure you don't get paired with the same person twice.

2) Post a journal to tumblr by December 10th with the descriptions of the character you would like drawn. Include two or three if you have them to give the person drawing for you more options. Please provide all the physical and relevant details needed to draw the character, and provide a reference picture if at all possible. (A piece of your own art, a commission, a play-by picture, etc.)

Also, if you have any strong aversions or phobias that might be important for a stranger drawing your character, please note that in the journal. (For example: “Silent Vortex of the Storm’s left eye is brilliant white-blue like her anima, but her right eye is lost and that side of her face scarred badly. She always wears her eyepatch and a close-fitting hood. (I’d prefer not to see any graphic eye trauma.)”

Just try to make it as easy as possible for your gifter to draw your character!

Tag your journal with #exalted or #exalted secret santa so I can find it (or message me with a link). Once all the journals are up, I’ll make a post compiling the links to them all so they’re easy to find. I will also send you a message through asks or messages with the name of the person you are assigned to draw for. Please try to get your journal up by the 10th so your gifter will have plenty of time to draw for you.

2) Check your messages or ask box for your assignment. I will have this to you on December 11th if at all possible. Let me know if you’re planning to be unavailable for any major length of time just in case I need to get ahold of you for further details. If you have an emergency and cannot finish the trade in time (for example, your tablet or scanner breaks), let me know asap so I can arrange a replacement. Thank you!

3) Submit a piece of finished artwork by January 14th.  Please tag your submission with the secret santa tag and your giftee’s name if you wish, or I can notify them once it’s up. When all the gifts are posted, I’ll compile them into a single post so we can all get a good look at them.

Let me know by December 10th and I will have your assignments to you within 24 hours if at all possible. Feel free to message me at any time with any questions.

Sorry, I do not accept writing or mechanics submissions for this Secret Santa (though you are welcome to accompany your picture with some text, and of course welcome to host a writing exchange of your own!)

Happy Calibration,

-Path.