#baby daddy drama saga

[scarlett-autumn]

Baby Daddy Saga #24?(I lost count)

He was sent to jail....and has been there for over a year and a half....no one thought to tell and victim services didn't either........I have 6 more months of peace left

[wowthatsextra]

I’m curious but what’s your opinion on steroline? Like as a romantic couple.

The answer is gonna be complicated 😭 in short, I like them- as in I like the idea of Steroline but not most of the execution.

I like that they didn’t bring in a new character as Stefan's second chance love interest (after everything with Elena happened)- instead it was his best friend who's helped him through it all. I also thought that they were really cute in their flirty scenes together and the little happiness they got after they got together.

I hate that instead of the supportive and stable nature of their friendship which was the foundation of the relationship, the writing put their romantic relationship through constant angst that didn’t suit them. Like we got Damon's death leading to Stefan abandoning Caroline and her realizing her feelings and then hating him, Liz's death leading to him realizing his feelings and them having sex, but then guilt and grief getting in the way. Finally in S7 they make out but she gets kidnapped by Heretics the same night, one of whom is Stefan's retconned long lost baby mama. They have sex and the next day Caroline gets nonconsensually pregnant with another man's baby and almost dies giving birth and Stefan "dies" and gets into the phoenix stone and then has to run away with said ex baby mama while Caroline gets engaged to her non-consensual baby daddy and when he comes back and she hates him again until they get back together... then in S8 the whole devil shenanigan which is honestly a blur, Stefan keeps choosing Damon over her to the point of sacrificing himself on their wedding day. Point is they didn’t need to do all that. They could've let Steroline be cute and shit with external drama, not internal ones like insecurities and miscommunication and Stefan leaving. I would much rather have a Season 6 where Stefan, Caroline, Elena and the others work together to bring Damon and Bonnie back and sort out their own relationships in the process instead of the "he left me to become an auto mechanic" and memory erasure saga. S7 and S8 didn’t need to put them through the ringer either. It's like they lost the essence of Steroline in the first place- which is a best friends to lovers second chance romance, not a I-hate-you-I-love-you one like Delena or we-love-each-other-but-life-keeps-getting-in-the-way one like Stelena 😭

Sorry this for long. I love them and I have a lot of comfort scenes of them- and I don't have the opinion that "they never should've happened" or "they should've stayed friends" but I do wish they tried to make romantic steroline more like friendship steroline and not another dramatic tvd couple.

[brazilian-whalien52]

I was tagged by @petrichoraline

Currently watching:

Bed friends, crazy for the next episodes. Also the drama little women, killer and healer buddie daddies and the new seasons of Ted lasso and Vinland Saga.

Rewatching:

I hardly rewatch, because I am not a big fan of it. But I was rewatching Sotus and in the process of Bad Buddy. Also because I am trying to get my friends to watch bl I am watching again with them my school president. Oh also started rewatching puppy honey, don't know if I am going to finish it thou.

Looking forward to:

Midnight museum with my baby gun, but I am letting there be more episodes. Our Sky 2 also, so I see my fav couples. The mo Du drama, heaven official blessings, Sha pó Lang and 2ha also in my list for ages. Besides that i am taking the break in BL a little because I have watched so many in a rows. Outside of them i look forward for the last of us that i should watch and the new season of our flag means death good omens and a league of their own.

Tagging:

@i-che-bi

@dual-domination

@jlomkrub

@asheddaisy

@hot-yeahyouwant

@sharksarecoming

@momofmysquad

@velleitxs

@bastet1812

@end-up-well

@lovlemyy

[britesparc]

Weekend Top Ten #571

Top Ten Things by Daughter #2

So every year I hand over my glorious, shining blog to my progeny to allow them to mucky it all up for their birthdays. And that time has come round again as we celebrate the anniversary of Daughter #2 gracing us with her presence. It was the same day the Mercedes garage near our house installed a giant rotating logo, funnily enough. Put it in your diary.

Anyway, I asked her a while ago what she wanted to write and she just decided to list “everything”. So that’s what this is: a list of everything. It’s basically her top ten everything of all time ever. She wrote it out for me in her little diary, which has a lock on it, and I couldn’t open it, so I’ve had to wait until she allowed me to see the list.

And that’s really that for this week! She obviously hasn’t written great screeds on the subject because, well, she can’t be arsed doing my work for me. I’ve tried to elucidate slightly on the items in her list, because I think with the best will in the world they might need a tiny bit of explaining in some cases. But as is the case with all these lists that I get my brood to contribute too – and also some of the early Top Tens I wrote, flush with the joys of new parenthood – they serve as a nice snapshot of where we all are at this moment. These are the things she likes right now, as she turn eight. Future generations will look back and wonder whether it’s entirely appropriate to show too much Tim Burton to a primary schooler. Or ask just what the hell is up with “lilac”.

Anyway, here you go. Have at it, and happy birthday.

Baby Betsy: so, this is her little dog, Betsy; I’m not allowed to say plush dog or toy dog, she’s just a dog, okay? It’s “Baby” Betsy because it’s the small, baby form of her Nanna’s dog, “Big” Betsy (who is, herself, pretty small). Does that make sense? So Betsy at number one totally tracks, because this is her “Woody” (god I wish that character had a different name), her little friend who she takes everywhere.

Mummy: yeah, okay, this makes sense too. Who doesn’t love their mum? And Daughter #2 has such a sense of feminine style that she requires a role model to, well, do her hair. Coz I can’t do plaits. Sorry.

Daddy: honestly surprised I’m this high. I’ll take it.

Puppies: like, in general; all puppies. She’s dog-mad. All she wants in life is a ton of puppies. Everything is canine-related. Might buy her Cujo for her birthday.

Dumbo (2019): yes, I double-checked, and this isn’t the character, she really does mean the 2019 live-action film by Tim Burton. It’s better than the other one, she says. I’m not sure I agree, although it is less racist. Also, it’s worth highlighting that Dumbo is (low bar here) one of the best live-action Disney “reimaginings”, succeeding by focusing on Dumbo (the character) as being an adjunct to the human family drama that’s unfolding. It also does well by continuing for a good 45 minutes after the point where the initial film ended, having Michael Keaton play – well – a villainous, fictionalised version of Walt Disney but with better hair. It manages to be a sweet, Paddington-esque drama but also lean into some Burton wackiness, and completes his trilogy of Films With Danny DeVito That Have A Circus In Them. Also: two Penguins.

Art: like, art. I think she means, y’know, drawing and painting. Not specifically the concept of art – including everything from song to prose to Candy Crush Saga – and nor does she refer to the 1994 play by Yasmina Reza. Just, like, painting and whatnot.

Lasagne: like her father and his messiah (Garfield), she loves lasagne. Nothing more to say here. It’s delicious. I want some now.

Books: yeah, she’s being a bit all-encompassing with some of these isn’t she? “All books”. Books are great and all, but despite being a very advanced reader for her age, I guess she’s not really that well-read in the grand scheme of things. Maybe she’ll think less of books by the time she gets round to Digital Fortress by Dan Brown.

Lilac (the colour): your guess is as good as mine.

Wednesday (2022): no, not the day, nor even the character; she means the show. She might be putting the cart before the horse a little bit coz we’ve only watched two or three episodes so far; maybe it falls off a cliff. Maybe it becomes less like the good Barry Sonnenfeld movies, and more like the ropey, middle-of-the-road animated movies. Anyway, I’m pleased that she likes Wednesday, for three reasons: (1) I wanted to watch it anyway; (2) it’s a proper TV programme that we can all enjoy, unlike some of the other stuff she makes us watch; and (3) maybe this and Dumbo will be a gateway drug to more Tim Burton and we can watch Batman and Batman Returns this year. Remember: a kiss can be even deadlier if you mean it!

[sailorvinus]

vis gonna have to find another anime man to fall in love with

cuz sesshomaru.... sir..........

[wickedgamesoyaoya]

The thrilling saga of Hanamaki, the hero of stench continued well past forty-five minutes. And if the conversation would stray away from the subject, the comments issued by those seated nearby would immediately return the group’s attention to the humorous topic. At this point, the poor male was unsure whether his ego would ever heal from the damage it sustained today. But what swelled the sense of embarrassment colouring his cheeks was the fact it was all because of a bodily reaction he could not control. Truthfully – the absence of understanding was quite rude.

Dejected, the pink haired male sunk into the leather seat, until his chin was nestled against the lower part of his neck.

“Stop that. You’re going to hurt your neck.” Iwaizumi tugged at his shirt collar to dispel the second-hand discomfort he was experiencing as Hanamaki squinted at him, refusing to budge from the stance.  

“Who needs a neck anymore. I don’t. What’s the point of going on like this? I may as well die.” The unemployed male sniffled, allowing his arms to go limp on either side of him. He was searching for sympathy and yet, all you could submit to him was your laughter. If only you could grab a photo – he could easily be turned into a meme.

“Stop being so dramatic. None of these people know you, and I doubt they will remember you after today.” Steadying his elbow against the glass table, the trainer curled his fingers into a fist then supported his cheek against it. “Sorry to break it you, but you’re not that important.”

“But I will remember.” He countered, his eyes now shifting into your direction, where you were seconds from pinching Iwaizumi’s exposed cheek. Pausing mid-motion with your finger’s inches away from his face, a sheepish smile decorated your features.

“What? Maybe this is karma for calling Tooru smelly yesterday.” While the response was clearly aimed at the sulking male, your y/e/c irises remained fixated on the one you deemed your favourite. Iwaizumi raised an eyebrow in partial interest as his attention went to your hovering hand.

“That’s funny, I don’t remember your name being karma.” A low growl rumbled inside of Hanamaki’s throat, earning him a reassuring pat from Matsukawa. He would have interjected more often if he was not preoccupied by the delicious dessert plated in front of him. Dessert took priority over drama when it was the embodiment of heaven. “Look, she’s not even paying attention me anymore!”

“Now, now children. We’re all friends here.” The funeral home attendant offered without much enthusiasm, before sticking a fork coated in cream into his mouth. “Y/n, say sorry so he won’t break his neck and die.” Upon hearing his suggestion, you jutted your bottom lip into a pout in protest.

“I don’t want an apology. How am I supposed to go celebrate with your boy-toy’s business partners smelling like mutated pig?” Despite knowing no one would notice the movement, Makki crossed his arms under the table, mimicking the stance of a stubborn child.

“I’ll buy you a new outfit, cry baby. We still have some time.” After being shot down by Iwaizumi three times, defeat was grudgingly accepted. Your reflexes were no where as cultivated as his were. “Let’s settle the bill and go shopping, boys! Your sugar mama is buying!” As the declarations registered with the boys sat around you, the napkin settled onto your nap was placed onto the table.

“Yeah, I think I’ll pass. I do need to grab something though for work, so I’ll meet you guys at the shop.” The trainer removed his wallet, then began removing some bills as the other two males celebrated your announcement by completing a high-five.

“I’m still buying something for you, Hajime. You cannot stop me if you are not there.” Tapping a single finger on the side of your head, a little ‘hmph’ was blown out.

“I won’t accept it.” He did not bother to lift his gaze, knowing well what silly expression would be adorning your visage. But what he did not account for was the threat falling from your lips.

“If you don’t, I’ll scream daddy at the top of my lungs right now.”

Matsukawa stifled his laughter at your threat, while Hanamaki finally adjusted his position on the chair, grinning ear to ear in amusement. Iwaizumi exhaled a long breath, pressing two fingers against the bridge of his nose. He knew that you were shameless enough to follow through with said warning.

“Fine. I’ll accept it.”

“That’s what I thought.”

**

One of the positives of being a model is that people generally trust your intuition when addressing matters of fashion. It was for this reason that both of your friends did not debate you on any purchases that were made on their behalf. Hanamaki’s only request was that you did not purchase anything Osamu would wear since the cook’s wardrobe consisted only of t-shirts and jeans. Within twenty minutes, both men were dressed in semi-formal attire, radiating a sense of prestige they would not otherwise have. You fit perfectly between them with your chosen ensemble – a black cocktail dress paired with shortcut boots. Heels may have matched far more, but the pain accompanying them was not worth it.

With an arm hooked to one best friend on either side, you felt royal even if they were not your escorts.

“What time is it now? Are we almost there?” The question was hummed out to Matsukawa, who was responsible for directing the trio. His eyes focused on the GPS on his phone before returning to the area ahead.

“It’s 7:25, y/n. We will be arriving according to the GPS at 7:29. We won’t be late… For the tenth time.” Casting a glance down at the shorter girl, he shook his head with a laugh leaving his lips. “So, you’re no longer Ariel, huh? Now you’re Cinderella.”

Hanamaki snickered at the observation, prompting you to lightly dig your nails into his arm in warning.  “I don’t want to mess up and be there late. Nakamura said to be there at 7:30 sharp. It’s supposed to be a surprise.”

“You’re stressing too hard for no reason. I’m sure he will be surprised if you’re there a minute late or early.” Leaning down, the funeral home attendant rested his cheek against your head in effort to sooth you. 

“You’re right…” The admission was accompanied by a weary laugh. “I just feel kinda weird in my chest. I don’t know.” Instinctively you tightened your grip on their arms, hoping to destroy the insecurities plaguing you with the warmth their bodies provided.

“I’ll text Iwa. We’ll go inside together. You’ll feel better if he’s here.” Hanamaki padded away on the screen, alerting their mutual friend that his presence was needed.

“Mm. Okay.” You were beginning to realize the negative emotions afflicting you was because you missed Oikawa. Celebrating achievements without him placed a hole deep inside of your heart – one that only he could fill with his dramatic facial reactions and goofy laughter. Little did you know the hole would only grow in size very soon. 

“Alright… So. It should be the shop right here.” Matsukawa’s voice led your attention back to the busy street. Blinking to readjust to the light, you paused when your friend did, then instinctively turned to the large windows of the shop. It was a normal reflex, one that your two friends mirrored. But none of you were mentally prepared for the scene melting into view.

Stood behind the transparent barrier was your fiancé, with three other figures. You did not pay any mind to the two men. No. Your focus was on the short blonde woman.

The same woman who was drawing your fiancé into a kiss with a fluidity that conveyed a sense of normalcy. No… She kissed him as if it were the most ordinary gesture in the world.

As if he was her lover and not yours.

Let’s do it again, shall we - human bomb

Masterlist - Previous - Next

A/N: o.o

Taglist: @idiot-juice-enthusiast @vicassa @iloveanime691 @bringmelily @newfriendjen @hikarichannn @anime-simp @tsukkismamagucci @laughingismorefun @astronomyturtle @shegrewupwithoutafather @hyskoa1998 @deephumandragonperson @pretty-setter-bois @raenebalgaire @sugawarabby @justanotherfangirl2 @keijisworld @90s-belladonna @momoinot @sempiternal-amour @cherryblosom111 @yqshirov @haikyuufairy @volleybloop @bloody-bella @sadkaashistan @seikamuzu @namyari @toaster-stick @shakiraisawesome @coconut-dreamz @roseestuosity @prcttylittlcthing @uzumakioden @nerdynstoned @kenmasgameboy @unstableye @ouijaeater15 @aquariarose @fandomtrashpandasposts @helloalex80 @stfucanunot @envyusshades @cuddlesslut

[navybrat817]

I'm glad you liked my dream, yeah I've been having such good dreams lately! yeah definitely does sound like a good fanfiction, I just dont have the ability to write it, so if anyone wants to run with it, knock yourself out. But I wanted to follow up with answers to your questions, yes Ransom and I did hook up that night but we used protection so I was 99% sure the kid was Andy's. I dont know if Laurie knew but I think she had an idea cause she went out of her way to congratulate Ransom and I about the pregnancy in front of Andy. Haha so much drama😂😂

@stargazingfangirl18 @petlaufeyson I believe you were both watching the saga unfold.

So, lovely anon, Andy is the baby daddy. And Laurie knows?? The drama. The drama!!!

Thank you for following up. You're always welcome to share. ❤️

[fireheartwraith]

So, I decided to watch Fate: The Winx Saga after some deliberation (I saw the trailer and it looked cool). As I never watched the original Winx Club, I'm coming into this pretty much blind to the lore, so if you want to know what someone that doesn't have the "it's different from what I wanted" baggage thinks of the show, let's go!

Episode 1 and Episode 2

• Ooh, this is giving me flashbacks to my first day of university... Luckily Pedro is a good soul and saw me just standing there and asked me if I was a freshman (yes), if I was lost (very much so) and if I wanted help (please)

• I can tell the the show wants me to ship these two because meet cute but... I didn't think it was cute. He was kind of rude in the beginning and it wasn't *sparkles* it was small talk. My talk with Pedro was pretty much the same, except he was nicer. Being a decent person doesn't mean romantic attraction, Show, if you want me to ship this you will have to try harder

• Oh, he's the ex

• Something tells me Stella wasn't this bitchy on the original show. I am not here for the female rivalry, specially if it's because of a basic white dude

• I have never related to someone as much as I relate to Terra since I too tend to talk too much, too fast, and overshare to make up for my insecurities and anxiety. My mom is the plant gal though...

• I want a succulent!

• Bloom, who the heck talks on the phone with the speaker turned on in a room full of people you don't know???? Show wants me to believe you're an introvert when you pull this shit???

• I love Aisha

• I also love Musa

• Is a burned one kind of like a werewolf? Where if it scratches you, you turn into one? If that's the case, is there a way to get them conscious again? Like the wolfbane potion in Harry Potter

• I'm gonna pretend everyone is over 18 bacause I can't handle another Riverdale

• ........ everything changed when the fire nation attacked

• I'm sorry but you can't talk to me about the elements and expect me to not think about atla

• Being an empath in high school must suck. All that teenage angst....

• Changeling! Makes sense. My bet is that her father is the leader of the burned ones and the principal is her mom

• I get that she's missing home and normality but her mom was a bitch

• I'm glad they revealed this now and not at the end of the season, when literally everyone would know

• Stella quit being a bitch

• I expected the princess of Solaria to be a fire fairy, not an air one....

• Riven and Beatrix deserve each other

• Protect my gay baby!!

• MAGIC LESSONS

• Bloom needs to meditate and Stella needs to chill

• What kind of human parents name their child Bloom??? Aisha sounds like a human name, not fucking Bloom. I bet it's a white people thing, like Ashleigh

• Stop being mean to Aisha and Terra! They're just trying to help!

• Musa really found the one bitch in this place that doesn't have anxiety and went 👀 huh

• No! Don't use anger! Are you the only kid that never watched A:TLA?? Have you learned nothing from Zuko???

• No! Don't follow the whispery voice in the woods! That's how people get killed in horror movies!

• Oop, that's a lot of bodies

• Something tells me that burning a burned one isn't going to help

• Aisha to the rescue!

• Gross

• SO THERE IS A POTION

• Silva is a really common surname here in Brazil.... We're fairies confirmed

• Oh, they are going to pretend that Sam being Terra's brother is drama worthy huh

• Stella quit being a bitch /rt

• Yes! BOND

• huh

• That's different

Episode 3

• Have I already said that Aisha is the best??

• I still don't get what the specialists are. One the first episode Sky told Bloom "you are a fairy" as if he isn't one, and the only thing I've seen specialists do so far is fight with sticks. What are they doing in magic school?

• So, Silva can't get better until the burned one that infected him is dead? I'm pretty sure there's something like this in vampire or werewolf lore

• Is Silva Sky's dad or something?

• MAGIC LESSONS

• Don't go to the dark side Bloom! Beatrix bad!

• How many headmasters does this school have??

• Oh yeah, this dude is evil too. I forgot he existed

• Uh, do all hetero coupled do cringey shit like that?

• My mom starts talking to me about something she was thinking about as if I have the context ALL THE TIME!! We're all Terra #PowerToTheNerds

• But I'm more of a coffee addict than a tea aficionado

• Oh thank god they are using km

• RIP Silva

• Aaawww suite to the party!

• Okay but grown ups gossiping while being 100% of what the youngsters are trying to hide is my favorite trope ever

• All these pop songs are going to age the show

• Terra that was so awkward omg

• What the fuck Stella???

• How old do fairies get? Like, do they live for centuries?

• Is it bad that I discovered what shotgunning is through a smutty wolfstar fanfic? 😬

• Rosalind? Former headmistress Rosalind?

• Oop, another dead body

• Oop, Silva..... F 😔

• Bloom can't you listen to Aisha for once??? You are going to get yourself killed

• That's a sweater, not armor

• Because that's not creepy at all

• You could at least have phoned a responsible adult before running off into the forest looking for a toasted slender man

• Your suite mates don't qualify as responsible adults but it's better than nothing I guess

• Oh look, a portal to another dimension!

• Look! A responsible adult!!

• Oh, he's still alive

• Oh wait, nevermind

• Did she just Thanos him?

• Hugs!

• I still don't get what the specialists are

• My best friend in high school was adopted so I'm having flashbacks... Her birth parents got in contact after almost two decades of radio silence. It was a very difficult time for her, with lots of different and sometimes opposite emotions about the whole thing. In the end she accepted that whatever happened, happened and that the mom that raised was her real mom, no matter her faults. I hope that Bloom can get to the same conclusion

• Alright, I wasn't expecting Rosalind to be in magic cryogenic coma

• Why can't they meet? Is Rosalind evil or something?

Episode 4

• At least now Bloom is aware that her friends have their own lives and aren't they just to be her sidekicks

• Girls sticking together!

• Still don't get why Musa needs to hide her relationship with Sam.... If I was Terra I would be more upset that my friend was hiding the relationship from me than the relationship itself

• Last episode was Sky's daddy issues, so this one is Stella's mommy issues. And, of course, the whole show is about Bloom's issues (general)

• The Queen of Solaria is named Luna?? Huh

• This episode is also about snooping

• I'm going to find whoever thought hdr was good idea and force them to watch something on Netflix when the screen is so dark you can barely see what's happening

• I'm going to pretend that's a p!atd reference

• I'm going to pretend I didn't hear 2004

• Can the camera stop spinning, I'm getting dizzy

• Anakin noooo

• Rehabilitation magic?

• So Queen Kindness is not so nice after all

• I want to give Sky points for figuring it out but let's be honest here, it was not that hard

• When did they name themselves "Winx"? And what does that even mean?

• ANAKIN NO

• Good for you sky

• Yes! Tell the responsible adults!

• Push her

• So your parents were from Aster Dell

• Well they both are redheads

• Oh sweet Anakin...

• SEE???

• Silva that's shady as fuck

That's all for now! I will watch the rest, but don't know if I should make another post or just edit this one...

[scarlett-autumn]

Baby Daddy Drama Saga part 23:

He tried to injure our son. After weeks of telling me that he wants to start over and he regrets not being in his other children lives, he curved his spine into my uterus. He said "That's just what I need right now" and proceed to lay backwards on top of me with his spine out. Repeatedly.

[kumkaniudaku]

Meet the Parents: Four

A/N: This is the last part of this series and a late Valentine’s Day entry. Enjoy another piece of the Chad and CoCo saga. I love you guys! 

Warnings: Not Proofread

Word Count: 5212

“Our parents are coming to visit next week.”

Tasha let the sentence fall from her lips like an observation about the weather and not a random declaration in the middle of weeknight dinner. Chadwick sat beside her on the couch, eyes trained on the television before turning his head for a view of the side of her face. Even in her profile he saw embers of worry smoldering behind her eyes. Chadwick quickly chewed the last bits of black beans in his mouth to answer.

“What?”

“Our parents,” she repeated, finally looking over at him. “They’re coming to visit next week.”

“Our parents? As in just your parents or -.”

“Both sets. Yours and mine. They are going to be in this house next weekend under the impression that we haven’t talked in years when we’ve been playing house for almost two months.”

“Yeah, so,” Chadwick added, not seeing the issue. “We’re grown. Shit happens.”

“My parents think that I’m getting married next fall, Chadwick. They think I’m still with Elijah.”

Chadwick stopped chewing to cough up pieces of rice that had shot to the back of his throat in surprise. “Shit.” He paused to gather himself as Tasha leaned forward to rest her forehead in her hands. “Okay, that explains your folks. How are mine involved?”

“My mama took it upon herself to contact your mama and, I think, they’re on a mission to help us reconnect like this is some family drama or something.” Tasha kept her lead low while her fingers placed air quotes around reconnect. A split second of silence hung in the air until quiet snickering caught her attention. “I’m glad you think this is so funny.”

“It’s too ridiculous not to laugh, baby.” Chadwick fought to stifle laughter as he watched Tasha stand and stomp off toward the kitchen. He hadn’t intended to belittle her feelings, but he wasn’t sure how to process the information. “C’mon, T. I’m sorry!”

In their shared haste to explore a new chapter of their relationship, neither Tasha or Chadwick had alerted their families and friends. Sure, a few people had made assumptions, but nothing that they speculated equaled solid proof. To call the lack of information a secret was too harsh. They preferred the term oversight. But now, with a visit from their families looming, the new couple needed a plan that included cleaning up said oversight without admitting to what would surely be seen as an outright lie.

Tasha stood in the kitchen angrily scrubbing at an empty sauce pot when Chadwick walked in and leaned on the counter beside the sink. He watched with a fond smile for a moment before reaching to grab her wrists and pull her close.

“Hey, look at me,” Chadwick requested, taking Tasha’s chin between his thumb and index finger. Hip lips pressed gentle kisses on her nose and mouth until she relented and returned his affection. “We’ll be okay.”

“You say that like you have a plan.”

Chadwick smiled and pecked Tasha’s lips. “I always have a plan, baby.”

To Chadwick the solution was simple: play along with their parents and finish the long weekend without giving up more information than was necessary. If their mothers wanted to believe they’d done a good deed, let them.

Together, they spent days fine tuning their deceit. Tasha made sure to remove any trace of her existence from Chadwick’s house, scouring the home for an out of place pair of heels or a wayward piece of mail in her name. Chadwick crafted an intricate script with details so precise that CoCo had begun to believe their lie.

The night before mom-eggedon, as Tasha had named their arrival, the couple lay tangled in bed tightening their story.

“So, we’ll have to delete each other’s number for this to work. It’ll look weird if my name pops up in your contacts.”

“How would they even see? I’ll go to another room.”

“That looks suspicious. You have to make the call in front of her.”

“Okay,” Tasha agreed, sighing as she scrolled through her contacts and reluctantly removed Chadwick’s number. “What else?”

“Make sure to grab your bonnet and headscarf before you leave in the morning. Or I can stash them in my drawer. Let me know.”

“You pick. I... need a break.”

Tasha’s sudden bout of anxiety was enough to end any and all conversation that night. She has resigned to the notion that she would have to come clean the minute her parents stepped off of the arrivals sidewalk and slid into the backseat of her car. Still, she was careful to use her best poker face in the off chance that she was home free. Chadwick didn’t share her worries, but he empathized. His parents weren’t nearly as invested in his personal life. He wasn’t the one due to be married in a year’s time.

Sun beat down on Tasha through the windshield of her car while she anxiously glanced in her rearview mirror for any sight of her parents. She hadn’t slept the night before and slipped out of Chadwick’s bed early to avoid any talk of the weekend. In her mind, if she left without speaking to her boyfriend, she could easily forget their connection. She was wrong. All she could think about was ringing his line for another dose of reassurance.

Tasha’s eyes followed a parking official making stops at each car along the curb, silently praying that her parents would emerge from the building before she was handed a ticket.

“Come on, come on,” she whispered, hoping she could will them outside. Her fingernails tapped nervously on the dash until, finally, she caught a glimpse of her mother’s traveling hat moving toward the sidewalk. She bounded from the driver’s side in a single motion and waved her hands for their attention.

“Mom! Dad! Over here!”

“My baby!” Elaine was the first to greet her oldest daughter, leaving Gerald to grab her rolling luggage and haul it to the car.

Tasha smiled as her mother pulled into a hug way too tight for her tense body. “Hey, mama. You travel safe?”

“As safe as I could, child. Your daddy complained the whole time, but we’re here now.”

“Set your old man up with first class tickets next time, Pumpkin. I need some room for these knees.”

“I’m sorry, Dad. I’ll upgrade you for the flight back. Let me grab those.”

Gerald tried to wave Tasha off, but he was too slow. Tasha had already started to channel her nervous energy into overextending her hospitality. Every question was answered with an uncharacteristic amount of enthusiasm. Neither of her parents noticed as they marveled at sights and sounds of Los Angeles. They sat with their faces nearly pressed against the car windows, rattling off questions and observations about the state of the city. Complaints about the traffic earned a laugh that was too loud for the conversation and a shared look of concern between Gerald and Elaine.

“So, how is Elijah,” Elaine asked, looking at Tasha through the rearview mirror with a smile. “We haven’t heard from or about him in about a month. Is he okay?”

Tasha’s foot stuttered on the break as she pulled into her driveway, making the car jerk in response. She took a breath and rolled her shoulders back before answering.

“He’s fine, I suppose. We... aren’t together anymore.”  Tasha’s jaw clenched at the admission and shook her head. She hadn’t said the words aloud yet.

“Oh, baby, I’m sorry to hear that.”

“He wasn’t good enough for you anyway, Pumpkin. His ears were too big to have nothing in between ‘em.”

Tasha chuckled as she shut off the engine and opened the driver’s side door. “Thanks, Pop.”

“I agree with your father. Now, you have more time to wait on the man that’s supposed to court you, not the other way around. You know, I know a guy.”

“Mhmm,” Tasha mumbled. “Here, let me help with that.”

Gerald stopped pulling suitcases from the trunk and kindly pushed his daughter’s hand away. “I got it, Pumpkin. Take your mama inside. She’s been dying to see your house.”

Tasha laughed at her father’s thinly veiled plea for alone time before ushering her mother into her home. Elaine stepped into the foyer and paused, taking a long look at her surroundings. Beside the door, a basketball rested by a black duffle bag.

“You’re playing basketball again,” she questioned.

“Every once in a while I play with the girls as the facility. No big deal.”

Elaine took another look at the oversized sweatshirt barely hanging out of the bag. “Hm.”

Before Tasha could address Elaine’s non-verbal judgement, her mother had moved on to the living room. Elaine stopped to examine photos and sculptures carefully placed on each surface, finding many of them to have ties back to home or family. Her fingers ghosted over awards from her daughter’s time away from home and she smiled. If Elaine was nothing else, she was proud of Tasha.

While she listened to her husband and daughter wrestle luggage into the house, Elaine carefully took a seat on the large sectional to rest her aching legs. The way she flopped against the plush piece of furniture surprised Elaine, making her giggle but stop when she got a whiff of the air around her. Beside her head lay a dark fleece blanket and she took a deep inhale to place it as a source of the masculine smell.

“This is a nice blanket, Nicole,” she complimented. “It looks warm.”

“It is. Got it on a trip back from Connecticut last year. Great naps have been taken under that thing.”

What Tasha thought as a random fun fact about her favorite blanket made her mother smirk with realization. She knew the smell of a gentleman caller when she encountered one. Though the information wasn’t enough to stop the plan she had in motion, she felt a strange comfort in knowing that Tasha was living a life that pleased her, something Elaine had drilled into her and her sister’s head since their pre-teen years.

“Dad, you want a drink. I have this expensive artisan beer that Ch... a friend left over. When they visited. A friend.”

Tasha stilled to slow her rapidly beating heart at her near mistake. Neither of her parents had seemed to notice and, for that, she was silently grateful.

“My girl is drinking beer now,” Gerald questioned with a wide smile. “Becoming just like your old man.”

“Yeah, well, I dabble. Gotta keep up with the white boys at the Lakers game.”

“Atta, girl. Beat ‘em at their own game. C’mon, show me.”

On one side of town, Tasha busied herself with introducing her parents to the wonders of pale ales and stouts, while on the other, Chadwick emptied grocery bags filled to brim with dinner ingredients. He spent much of the process silently scolding his parents for placing items in areas he knew CoCo wouldn’t enjoy. When his mother moved to place the entire jug of orange juice in the door of the refrigerator, Chadwick couldn’t resist the urge to stop her.

“Actually,” he started, intercepting her before she could place the jug. “I have some pitchers you can empty that into. They’re nice, I promise.”

His mother eyed him as he retrieved a monogrammed pitcher from the cabinet and rinsed it in the sink. The last time she’d visited, he barely had food in the refrigerator. Now, he had specialized pitchers for juice.

“Where did those come from?” Carol asked, trying to get a better look at the glassware.

“Crate and Barrel. I went with a friend a couple weeks ago and they suggested them.” Unlike Tasha, Chadwick had a solid grasp on his lines and practice keeping secrets.

“Hm. This friend suggest those vanilla candles in the living room, too?”

“Those were a gift. Want one? I have a few more in the linen closet.”

“No, I’m alright. Just... noticing some changes.”

“Like what?” Chadwick asked as he stashed breakfast meat in the refrigerator drawer.

“You live alone now. That’s new.”

Chadwick shrugged, seemingly unphased. “It’s been a couple of weeks. The split was mutual. We’re on better terms these days.”

That was an assumption on his part. Chadwick didn’t know the status of his friendship with Charmaine, but he harbored no ill will. Carol opened her mouth to speak but was cut off by her husband walking into the kitchen with a big smile.

“Hell of theater you got back there son. I bet the big game looked good on that big ‘ole screen.”

“Wanna try it out? I think the playoffs start tonight.”

“What about dinner?” Carol asked.

“We’ll eat early. It’s just us right?”

Chadwick tried to avert his gaze once his mother started to look between him and his father. He didn’t want to let on that he knew more than she had shared.

“Well, that’s what I wanted to talk about. You remember Tasha, right?”

“She was my best friend, ma,” Chadwick laughed. “Of course I remember her.”

“I know, I know. But did you know she lived here now?”

“She mentioned it when she sent a gift for the movie.”

“So, you two talk again?”

“We’ve talked once or twice.”

“Have you met up?”

“No.” Chadwick answered, keeping his voice flat to appear neutral. Carol smiled in a way that indicated she had information to share. Chadwick allowed the charade to continue.

“Well, I heard from a little birdie that her parents are also in town this weekend. Maybe you should invite them over.”

“Ma, I don’t know if we’re back on those terms yet. It’s been a while.”

“I know,” Carol answered, drawing out ‘know’ as she took steps toward Chadwick. She latched onto his arm and smiled up at her son. “But, what if she stopped by? Just for dinner?”

Chadwick looked between his parents, paying special attention to his father’s grin. He’d never known his dad to be invested in his private life, but there was always spark behind his eyes when Tasha was involved.

Finally, Chadwick pretended to relent.

“Alright, ma. I don’t have her number, though. How will I call?”

Carol clapped her hands like a giddy child and started a search for her phone. “Don’t you worry your head, boy. I have her number right here.” She extended her arm toward his face. “Go on. Call her. I wanna hear you.”

Chadwick felt his body tense and mind begin to scramble for a response. He had expected to make the call when a moment of solitude presented itself. Now, he was forced to go off script and risk throwing Tasha off balance. On a whim, he decided to grab his mother’s phone to make the call.

The phone rang once, and then a third time before Tasha answered.

“Hello?” she answered with a genuine question thick in her tone.

“Hey, Tasha. It’s me...Chadwick.”

Everyone listened as the sounds in the background became louder before CoCo responded. “Hey, Chad. I have you on speaker. My parents are here.”

“Hi, Chadwick!”

“How ya doin’, son!”

Both Tasha and Chadwick chuckled at her parents' excitement.

“I’m good. Good to hear from y’all. Welcome to LA.” Chadwick listened to Elaine and Gerald share various versions of thank you before continuing. “Hey, so, funny thing...my parents are here too.”

“Oh really? Give them my love. I know they miss me.”

“We miss you so much, sweetie! Why don’t you come eat dinner with us tonight.”

Chadwick chuckled at his mother’s excitement, “That was my line. She beat me to it, but the invite stands. We’d be happy to have y’all over.”

“We’ll be there!”

“Ma!” Tasha and her mother argued in hushed whispers on the other line, nearly making Chadwick forget that the whole conversation was a carefully planned charade. “I guess we’ll be there. You’ll send the address?”

As if she needed it. “Sure. You’ll get it from another number, okay?”

He wasn’t sure why, but Chadwick felt butterflies flutter in the pit of his belly as if this were truly the first time he was seeing the love of his life. He welcomed the feeling and smiled on the other end, making his parents join in on his happiness.

“Great. See you soon,” Tasha answered, a hint of smile in her voice to match Chadwick’s.

They hung up with promises to text for more details and inside jokes that made only them laugh. With a few white lies, they had tricked their parents, and nearly themselves, into believing they were set to embark on a glorious reunion between college friends.

Tasha spent hours rifling through what little clothing she still had at her condo, tossing outfit after outfit onto her bedroom floor until she came up with something she felt would catch her man’s eye.

Across town, Chadwick and his mother arranged and rearranged the dining table dishes to ensure that he was putting forth the best “first” impression. They settled on elegant china that Chadwick felt was a bit too formal for the occasion, but he let it stand. At the very least the flatware would impress Tasha’s parents.

As Tasha drove through Chadwick’s neighborhood, she made sure to maintain a facade of discovery. She didn’t take the normal shortcuts or skip the growing pothole on the street that tormented her each day on the way home from work. She pretended to be surprised at the ornate sculptures crafted from bushes at a nearby house and the amount of expensive cars in the driveways they passed.

“The boy is doing well for himself,” Gerald commented from the backseat.

“Very well. But, we always knew it’d be like this. Chadwick was destined to be big.”

Elaine spoke about Chadwick as if he was some utra celebrity and not the same kid that she had to constantly remind to slow down while he ate so that he wouldn’t choke on his food.

Tasha laughed as she pulled into his driveway. “He’s a movie star. It’s to be expected.”

One by one, the Greene family stepped out of the car into the crisp, early Spring air and started up the short driveway toward the door. Tasha hung back and examined the house from the outside, admiring how the two potted plants they’d placed on the porch were starting to go into one another like their namesakes.

Gerald rapped his knuckles against the door several times before Elaine scolded him for being rude as she pressed the doorbell. When Tasha caught up to her parents, the door opened and sent light from the inside spilling onto the front porch. Chadwick popped out of the house with his arms open wide.

“Family!”

He gripped Tasha’s parents into tight hugs, sharing familiar pleasantries as he welcomed them into his home. Elaine stuttered when it was her turn to embrace, taking a deep whiff of Chadwick’s shoulder and feeling transported to a moment earlier in the day. She kept quiet, but took note of his hug with Tasha as he moved on to greet the other members of the household. Elaine noticed the way he seemed to hug her like a man familiar with the curvature of his lover’s body and shared a look with Carol that spoke louder than words.

As a unit, they quickly fell back into familiar behaviors, catching each other up with life’s happenings and new discoveries. On the far end of Chadwick’s sectional, he and Tasha sat close enough to share side conversations that only they could hear.

“Just like old times,” Lawrence, Chadwick’s father, commented over his glass of water. “You two haven’t changed in over 20 years.”

“What you mean, dad? We’re just over here talking.”

“That ain’t just talking,” Gerald chimed in. “Y’all always had your little secret language.”

“And a knack for keeping each other’s secrets.”

Tasha looked over at Elaine who sat with a knowing smirk on her face that unsettled her daughter. Chadwick easily maintained his cool as he sipped from his wine glass.

“That’s how it goes when you’ve been friends this long. We are still friends, right?”

Tasha felt her cheeks become warm through her bashful smile. “Of course. Always.”

Both sets of parents looked on with fond smiles while their kids shared a moment of rekindling a little more than longtime friendship. Elaine and Carol exchanged winks to congratulate each other on a job well done.

“Well isn’t that sweet,” Carol spoke after clearing her throat. “But, I think the roast is done. Can we move this moment to the dining room?”

“Yeah, sure. Tasha, can you help mama in the kitchen? You need help right, mama?”

“I’ll take it wherever I can get it,” she laughed.

“Now, you know you don’t ever have to ask me for help. I’m right behind you.”

The group quickly dispersed to different corners of the house, leaving Tasha and Carol to explore Chadwick’s kitchen on their own. Tasha took it upon herself to reach into the drawer beside the stove and grab pot holders. Carol watched her move around the space as if she had been there a thousand times.

“Did you say you’ve visited Chad before?”

Tasha looked back as she opened the stove and shook her head. “No, ma’am. This is my first time.”

“Hm. Okay.” She continued to watch Tasha carefully slide the roast out of the oven and close the door with her hip. When Tasha turned around, Carol tried to recover a moment too late. Tasha smiled nervously.

“Is something wrong?”

“No,” Carol quickly answered. ���I just...I thought...it doesn’t matter. I’ll grab another bottle of wine and meet you in the dining room.”

Carol’s pivot seemed to do the trick once Tasha carried the main dish to the dining room. Chadwick sat at the end of the table with a mixed look of boredom and relief once Tasha entered the room. He sprung up to retrieve the dish from her hands, but Tasha gripped his hands to stop him.

“Your mom is being weird,” Tasha whispered.

“Your’s too. She noticed that bottle of air freshener you always spray in here and asked where it came from.”

“What is she a fuckin’ bloodhound?”

“She is you,” Chadwick laughed. “I think I got us out of it, but be careful.”

Carol’s entrance forced the pair to separate and pretend to focus on different tasks. She eyed their charade for a moment before looking over to Elaine and their aloof husbands solely focused on dinner.

She took a seat beside Lawrence just as Tasha settled in next to Chadwick while trying to avoid eye contact.

“So, who’s going to say the blessing? Tasha?”

Tasha’s eyes grew wide, “Oh, I’m probably not the best person. You know how I am with words and this isn’t my house anyway. How about Chad?”

“Uh, sure. Everybody bow your heads.” Tasha squeezed Chadwick’s hand as a silent thanks and clamped her eyes shut to avoid the daggers he sent in her direction. Chadwick took a deep breath in search of words to fit the occasion. “Lord, thank you for bringing us together again tonight. Especially Tasha and I as long time friends. We-”

“Hope that you will use all of us to tell the truth about our love for one another. Please, don’t let this night pass without every feeling and overlooked detail put on the table. It’d be a shame for us to leave here holding on to what you put on our hearts to share.”

Amens, both genuine and forced, sounded around the table to signal the end of Elaine’s awkward prayer. The group sat in silence while scooping food onto their plates. Tasha and Chadwick attempted to remain inconspicuous.

“Chadwick, how’s Hollywood treating you,” Gerald asked between bites of food.

“Ah, you know how it goes out here. I go to work, come home and avoid all that foolishness in between. The pay is good though. I can’t lie about that.”

“You better be avoiding the foolishness. Tasha, now that you’re here, keep my boy straight.”

“Yes, sir,” Tasha laughed. “If I’m not good at anything else, I’m good at bossing him around.”

“Did Tasha tell you that she’s single now?”

“Ma! We literally just got here. When would I have had time to share that?” Tasha shot her mother a glare across the table and received a shrug in return.

“I only asked a question. Are you single Chad?”

Chadwick chuckled as he slipped his hand under the table and gripped Tasha’s thigh. “No, I didn’t know she was single and, yes, I am recently single. The last relationship didn’t workout quite the way she hoped.”

“Sounds like you two have something in common.”

“Oh you and what’s his name aren’t together?”

Tasha caught Chadwick’s obvious sarcasm and brushed his hand off her leg. He continued to laugh at her expense, leaving no room for her to unleash her frustration beyond a curt smile.

“You know his name, Aaron. And, no, we are not. That is my business to keep to myself.”

“Alright,” Chadwick answered. “Maybe I can hook you up with one of my actor friends. I hear Anthony Mackie is looking for someone your type.”

“I’ll pass. Actors aren’t my thing.”

“Hm. That’s not what I heard.”

Chadwick jokingly nudged Tasha’s shoulder, garnering a look from Elaine and Carol.

“What did you hear,” Carol asked. “Don’t the kids say something about the tea?”

“Nothing. Chadwick hasn’t heard a thing but a seminar on how to still be annoying after 20 years.”

He laughed and wiped his mouth. “I’m pretty good at it, too. You look a little flushed, though. Want more wine?”

A simple diversion pushed the conversation into talks of wine tasting and how to pair reds and whites, effectively ending all relationship talk for a stretch. Underneath the table, Tasha and Chadwick took turns letting their hands wander. The cat and mouse game quickly grew inappropriate with fingers buried between thighs and palms gripping sacred parts over thick denim fabric. Their parents enjoyed helping after helping of food until each person was stuffed and nearly falling out of their seats. Lawrence, however, wasn’t done.

“I could go for some dessert,” he mentioned during a lull in the conversation. “What we got in the kitchen?”

“Mama, you got that cheesecake I ordered, right? Tasha, wanna help me grab it.” Chadwick had been thinking about a way to briefly separate from the group to sneak a kiss or a hug and, finally, he’d found an out.

Tasha peeped the hint of demand in his voice and nodded. “For sure. You know you have butter fingers anyway. We’ll be right back.”

The pair didn’t give their parents time to reject the offer before they scurried out of the room. When they made it into the kitchen undetected, Tasha pulled Chadwick into a searing kiss. He chuckled against her lips while fondling her backside.

“Your joke was not funny,” Tasha mumbled before breaking the kiss. “Mackie? Really?”

“Gotta make it realistic, baby. You handled it like a champ.”

“Mhmm. Next time, I’m coming with jokes about your relationship.”

Chadwick allowed Tasha to slip from his grip and head to the refrigerator. He watched her hips sway for a second before reaching into the cabinet to grab dessert plates.

“Which ones do you usually use?”

“The white marble. Grab the gold forks to match the decor. You did a good setting it up by yourself.”

“Do you know how hard it was to keep my mama from moving stuff around?”

“Probably as hard as it was to keep mine out of my office. Why can’t they be like our dad’s?”

“Because then we wouldn’t love them as much,” he added. “Only a couple more days of this and then I can have you back in here with my shirts on.”

“Oh, so, we aren’t meeting up for some car sex tomorrow.”

Tasha stepped closer as Chadwick lifted a brow and watched her beneath hooded lids. “Don’t tempt me, baby.”

“Now, Aaron. You know that ain’t my style. I’ll call you. We’ll call it lunch.” Balancing the tray of cheesecake in one hand, Tasha pressed a quick kiss against Chadwick’s lips before turning to leave the kitchen.

“Who wants cheesecake,” he hollered as he followed Tasha back into the dining room with a smile.

Both sets of parents watched the couple attempt to pass out slices without bumping into each other, taking note of the clear gloss making Chadwick’s lips shine. Lawrence tried to send messages to his son to wipe his mouth but all of them went unnoticed. Elaine and Carol shared smiles while Gerald stifled a laugh.

After passing out each piece of cake, Tasha and Chadwick took their seats and found all eyes on them.

“What,” Chadwick asked as he stabbed a fork into his cheesecake.

Lawrence cleared his throat. “I think you have something you need to share, son.”

“Like what?”

“Maybe Tasha will know,” Elaine added. Tasha forced a laugh and smiled.

“I don’t even know what’s going on right now. What are you talking about?”

“How about you start with how long you and Chadwick have been seeing each other. And be honest this time, Pumpkin.”

Tasha and Chadwick froze. In the mirror above his parent’s head and noticed the evidence of their secret still on his lips. There was no sense in preserving the farce. They were caught red handed. So, he smiled and shook his head. Tasha finally relented with a hearty laugh.

“When did you know, mama?”

“Child, as soon as I smelled man on your couch and hugged this one at the door. You have to be smarter than that.”

Carol chimed in and pointed at Tasha, “And this one went in the kitchen and started pulling things out of the drawer like she owned the place.”

“You don’t think we noticed the glassware in the fridge? You drink orange juice out of the carton and now all of a sudden there’s pitchers all over the place.”

“Since when do you drink beer, Pumpkin. I knew you either had a boyfriend or you were going through a midlife crisis like your mama when she only drank martinis for a year.”

Chadwick and Tasha listen to all the places they had neglected tiny details, feeling slightly foolish that they’d tried to pull the wool over the eyes of the people that knew them best.

“Okay, you got us,” Chadwick admitted. “This was all Tasha’s idea. I wanted to tell y’all right away. It’s been almost two months of this lie she made me tell.”

“Oh, hush! I just figured we would tell you when we were ready. Well, when I was ready. I’m sorry, y’all.”

“It’s okay, sweetheart,” Carol answered.

“This just gives us more time for planning.”

Tasha raised an eyebrow while leaning into Chadwick’s side. “Planning what?”

“The wedding of course,” Elaine exclaimed. Tasha’s groan became covered by Chadwick’s boisterous laughter.

“Lay ‘em on me, Ms. Greene. What you thinking?”

“How do feel about a rustic wedding, Ooh ooh, let me go grab my phone. Did I tell you I have a Pinterest now?”

[unofficial-cactus]

FANFIC WRITER INTERVIEW

With tagged by @captainkappa

Name: Sunset

Fandoms: Currently Dream SMP. I’ve previously written for Thrilling Intent and Mindcrack, but have lurked in many other fandoms.

Two-shot: I’ve never actually formally published/finished a two shot before. I guess my closest would be Hear Me Out and the previously unpublished and still incomplete sequel Two Truths and a Lie - I’m giving anyone who follows me a gdoc link for that because why not.

Most popular multichapter: The fic-writing side of Mindcrack was a tiny fandom - about 500-700 of us in total in its prime, so it’s no surprise that joining a mega fandom (Dream SMP) has launched my first multichapter fic for that fandom straight to ‘most popular multichapter’ by a long shot. That’ll be Daddy Issues.

Actual worst part of writing: Starting to write is always the worst part for me. No matter where I am in a fic - beginnning or almost finished - it takes a while of hammering out and deleting sentences before I get into the flow of things and actually start writing usable content.

How you choose your titles: I don’t really know. I’ve done a few lyric-based ones, but I guess I go for something thematically relavant and just play around with words, phrases, and ideas until something sounds write.

Do you outline: Practically never, even though the writing process is easier when I do. I spent nearly three years sitting down every lunch break in high school plotting out The Survival Saga. I’m not kidding when I say that was my baby. I have the other two arcs planned out in varying levels of detail, but I had a notebook filled with handwriting details for each chapter of the first arc, plus plot beats for the rest of it, as well as plenty of digital notes for it. The only other thing I’ve had to put a degree of outlining into is my current fic I’m working on for the DSMP Big Bang.

Ideas I probably won’t get around to, but wouldn’t it be nice?: Finishing the Survival Saga. The next two arc were gonna be called The Wither Effect and The Ender Complex and I’m still so excited about the ideas. But realisitcally, the Mindcrack fandom is practically dead and I really don’t have the motivation to write 60k words that all of 3 people are gonna read, especially since it already took me about 5 years to write the first 30k words. Fandom drama too means it’d be weird to have to write some of the characters in there now, plus so much has changed that the mechanics of the plot, as well as the charactisations I was using are very outdated. I also feel there’s a notable enough change to my tone in writing that I wouldn’t know how to carry over the same voice into the rest of the fic.

Callouts @ me: Spite is not a healthy motivator for writing. Being so judgemental about other people’s writing makes you snide and arrogant which just aren’t nice personality traits. It’s okay for the first draft to suck - editing is a useful tool and you’re more productive when you write something meh then edit it to hell then sit there expecting the first draft to be perfect and thus not being able to write at all when the first few sentences fail to meet that expectation.

Best writing traits: Not a particular part of my writing itself, but rather my reading process. I’m very analytical when I read things, constantly noting what works, and what doesn’t in other people’s fics, so reading fic for me is a constant learning and bettering process for my own writing. On one hand it means I have very particular standards about what fics I can read through to the end, on the other I at least hope that it means I don’t make a lot of the same mistakes often found in fanfic that people find makes for poor writing. I do also have a history of being known for my smut, but I still don’t know how much of that is influenced by lack of many better options in that fandom.

Spicy tangential opinion: I have some quite spicy opinions about boundaries in RPF, but I’m not gonna throw myself to wolves on this by saying anything more than: fanfiction is for the fans. the RP of RPF do not belong in fandom spaces, nor should they be welcomed into them. So long as we also do our fair share of keeping creators out of fandom spaces, then what we do in fandom spaces is none of their business.

Don’t like, don’t read. Dead dove, do not eat.

Fiction is not necessarily a reflection of a writer’s personal opinions. Someone can enjoy something in fiction while being horrified by it in real life scenarios.

No pressure tags: @theropodtheroblogs @solena2 @genofeve I have no idea who tf to tag for this lmao.

[gumnut-logic]

Tiptoe

This ramble was supposed to be Fandomversary Fic #6 for @purfectpurple who asked vor Virgil & Tiptoe, but I’m not convinced it is good enough since my brain is just not up to writing at the moment. But it is what it is, I hope you gain some amusement out of it anyway ::hugs::

-o-o-o-

It started when he was a baby.

Virgil was a sensitive child and long before he learned to control himself and manage his sensory input, his moods were fragile. It wasn’t that his family was terrified of him.

It was more they were terrified of waking him.

Fortunately, despite his sensitivities, Virgil was a good sleeper and once he was asleep, he usually stayed that way.

The challenge was at either end of the soporific voyage - getting to sleep and waking up.

As a child, the first part was fairly easy. There were moments where he nodded off in the car and his father had to carry him in, times where he crashed in front of the TV, falling asleep on the couch. He was an active boy and wore himself out on a regular basis.

Waking up in the morning? Not so easy. Before the miraculous discovery of coffee as an adult - his father forbade it when he was young for very good reasons - getting out of bed in the mornings was a saga.

His youngest brothers ended up absolutely terrified of waking him. Gordon called him beary-scary and Alan just plain didn’t go anywhere near him until he had had breakfast.

But even before his youngest brothers were born, Virgil was difficult. His mother tried everything from whale song to gentle piano music, from alarms to raising her voice.

Nothing worked.

Virgil would either become intolerable and snarly or just not wake up at all.

John used Virgil for his year five science project. He may have risked life and limb by experimenting with the different techniques involved in waking his older brother, and when his father found out, there were some serious words, but one piece of crucial information was discovered.

There was one family member who could wake Virgil without the drama.

His big brother Scott.

John was unable to determine exactly what their eldest did, but every time he was left alone with a sleeping Virgil, they would eventually both emerge from his room, Virgil calm and fully awake.

John interrogated both of them on specifics, but neither were talking. In fact, Virgil reverted to snarly at the mere hint of a question on the subject and John did rather value his life – he needed it to become an astronaut.

So, Scott was wrangled into Virgil waking duty every morning before school and for the first time, the second eldest made it to school on time and without growling at a family member.

Now, Virgil at heart was a gentle child, so all this anger and snarling was odd. There was discussion of taking him to a child psychologist to see if he needed help, but Virgil claimed he just wanted to sleep in.

Scott claimed there was nothing wrong with Virgil…and, in that not so innocent way of a child too smart for his own good, insinuated that there was more likely something wrong with the rest of them than Virgil.

Their father wondered if he should take both of his eldest to a child psychologist.

But Virgil’s sleeping habits became the least of their worries when the family lost their beloved wife and mother.

Jeff disappeared into work and each of his boys just managed the best they could.

Scott and Virgil continued to be close through the remainder of their formative years and waking Virgil in the mornings was only an issue when Scott was absent.

Which occurred rather abruptly when the eldest left for the Air Force.

But by this time Virgil was old enough to guzzle coffee and that quickly became his younger brothers’ go to for grizzly bear management.

Once International Rescue was formed and they all moved to the Island, Scott was reinstated as official Virgil rouser.

The eldest was unable to be around all the time, and to be fair, he wasn’t really needed. Virgil was an adult and could manage himself. Scott just made sure that the Island was always…always… fully stocked with coffee.

But all the coffee in the world could not handle the impact of losing their father.

For awhile there, all five brothers lost it in some way.

Scott became obsessive and driven.

John was the hunter, scouring the skies, space, everything.

Gordon became the achiever. He felt the need to push himself to be the best at everything he did. From the Olympics to WASP to surviving the crippling hydrofoil crash, Gordon did it all to prove himself to the father he had lost. As if he felt he hadn’t done enough while his father had been safe and sound.

Alan was eleven. Alan lost his daddy and they all cried with him.

But Virgil lost something he never quite recovered in the years that followed, even after their father’s return. Virgil lost the ability to sleep.

Sure, he slept some, but every night was disturbed, every night was late, every morning was just hard.

But he was an adult and his family was falling apart around him. International Rescue needed rescuing. His big brother, his idol, his best friend, was falling apart. A little insomnia seemed nothing in comparison.

So, he managed.

But the bear returned.

There was coffee. Buckets of it. He hated snarling at those he loved. It was like he was possessed by an insomniac demon.

And he couldn’t afford to sleep through a rescue alarm. He nailed strategies into his brain, desperate to get it to behave. He took on his insomnia as he did any challenge and kept it quiet not to worry his brothers.

He managed to get through a year of hell. He couldn’t hide all of it and he soon became aware of his family tiptoeing around him. Occasionally he would fall asleep on the lounge or out by the pool.

Gordon nearly got his kahunas handed to him the day he got it into his head that it might be funny to dump a bucket of water on a sleeping Virgil.

The incident was never spoken of again.

Virgil was beary-scary.

But for that first year, he got away with it.

It wore him down. The bear became the norm, not the odd incident. Scott had to corner him and reprimand his gentle brother for snarling at an idiot rescuee.

And then came the day he fell asleep in his chute.

It shouldn’t have been possible, but it was rescue number five and he hadn’t slept for nearly forty-eight hours. The moment he lay down, he found himself relaxing as the machinery did what it needed to do its rhythmic way. Looking back, he realised he must have drifted off shortly before the machinery added his baldric.

It was John who woke him, yelling in his ear from orbit.

Waking up to find himself dangling from a harness hanging above his ‘bird, Brains’ neuroticism with safety the only thing keeping him from a fall that would have killed him.

Virgil managed to climb down into his ‘bird, but John’s words were acidic, the Commander’s even more so, and Scott returned to the Island to kick Virgil off Thunderbird Two and take her without him.

Virgil was ordered to bed.

Where he stared at the ceiling and fretted until his brother returned.

There followed the psychologist and the sleep doctors. Virgil tried his best. He couldn’t let his family down.

Virgil’s sleep became respected even more. If he fell asleep anywhere, the whole family would respect it, tiptoeing if necessary, but usually vacating to other parts of the house to let their big bear sleep.

But now it wasn’t out of fear, but more out of understanding.

Sleep was precious and Virgil needed every morsel he could gather.

Coffee was still deployed every morning. Hell, Scott was deployed some mornings. The eldest still held that secret close to his chest and Virgil refused to speak about it, but if it made Virgil’s life easier, the whole family was just happy their bear of a brother was happy.

His sleep issues improved, but they never quite went away. There were theories as to why Virgil was having trouble, but nothing conclusive. He just kept soldiering on.

And if he fell asleep anywhere, anywhere, he remained that way as long as his family could manage.

-o-o-o-

FIN.

[michael-langdon-appreciation]

Loved part 12!!! How long do you think it’ll be till 13? No pressure though :))))

It’s finally here, it’s been an absolute joy to write the Runaway Saga. When it began I had no idea that it would take off and so many of you would love it so much. We have an epilogue left to go but it’s nearly time to bring the story to a close. I’ve loved writing Jim, Duncan, Michael and Y/N. It definitely won’t be the end of the foursome, but all good things must end. 

I hope you enjoy, I had to admit I was emotional writing this. 

(Does contain giving birth) 

—————————————————————————————

PART 13

MICHAEL 

Her screams rip through me as I fight back the tears. ‘Come on my darling, you can do this.’ He grits his teeth so hard they crack, never breaking eye contact with Y.N. Her hair is glued to her forehead in sweaty strands, her chest heaving. 

‘GET THEM OUT OF ME MICHAEL!’ 

‘We will!’ He roars back, ‘You’re almost wide enough. Is that what they even say?’

‘I DON’T KNOW!’

‘Fuck!’ His hands shake, both hovering above Y/N round stomach. Her screams are raw as the contractions come hard and fast, ‘Ease up baby please.’ He begs, ‘You gotta let her live! Please! You can’t make the same mistake I did.’ 

There’s a brief pause and Y/N lifts her head. ‘What’s happening?’

Michael listens intently, ‘I….don’t know.’ His hands rest on her stomach, Michael’s magic flowing throughout her. 

One heartbeat. 

And another…fainter. 

‘Give your twin a chance.’ Michael whispers, tears tracking down his cheeks. ‘You’ve gotta ease up. You’re ready babygirl, just let them come.’ 

Y/N’s back snaps upwards as she screams loud enough to make the windows rattle in their panes. ‘MICHAEL!’ 

The door bursts open. Michael can’t even deal with the problem if he wanted to. 

He has to make sure they live. 

‘OH FUCK!’ 

It’s Jim, sagging against the door at the scene before him. Michael’s got Y/N propped up in bed resting against a mound of pillows. She’s gripping the sheets tight enough to nearly rip them. Duncan barrels into Jim, sending them both careening into the room. 

‘What’s happening.’ Duncan demands, ‘Are they both alive!’

‘At the moment.’ Michael answers, ‘Let me do this.’

‘If you hurt my kid-’

Michael sends Jim back against the wall with a push of his hand. ‘I AM TRYING TO FOCUS!’ 

Duncan collects Jim, wrapping his arm tight around Jim’s waist for support. Both men kneels beside Y/N and she squeezes their hands the moment they’re within her reach. 

‘I don’t know how you’re here but thank god you are,’ She grits out.

‘They’re early.’ Duncan murmurs, ‘It isn’t time yet.’

‘I know!’ Y/N’s tone is full of frustration, ‘And I can’t even get to a hospital I have to let the Antichrist be my midwife!’ 

Michael shoots her a scowl, but then he hear it.

A little girl’s voice, sweet and as melodic as a chime. 

‘I’m ready, daddy.’ 

‘Okay Y/N you need to start pushing.’ Michael’s voice is full of authority as he clocks both Jim and Duncan too. ‘It’s time.’ Jim and Duncan wince horribly as Y/N crushes their hands. Her voice strains awfully as she tries to push with every ounce of her strength. ’Keep going!’ A headache is forming between Michael’s temples, the strain of sending healing magic to his Y/N a constant battle. ‘You’re doing so well.’ 

‘You can do it.’ Jim joins the barrage of encouragement, ‘You’ve got this Y/N. I’m so so sorry for all the shit I’ve put you and everyone through.’ His eyes flick to Michael, ‘You too. Just save my kid!’

‘NOT THE TIME JIM!’ Y/N screams as every single one of her muscles contract. 

‘I can see a head,’ Michael declares. ‘One more big push, Y/N.’ 

The baby’s body appears, slimy and beautiful. Michael gathers the child at once, running on pure instinct as Duncan darts round to help him. 

‘I saw them cut the umbilical chord in a medical drama.’ He says, brandishing the scissors. ‘I know how to do it.’

‘GET THEM AWAY FROM ME.’ Y/N screams, still very much feeling the pain. 

Jim’s eyes are glued to the baby, ‘Whose…is it?’

He waits for the chord to stop pulsing, ‘Cut it now.’ 

Duncan does as instructed, making clean work of the job. ‘I hope you sterilised these scissors.’

‘Do you think I’m an idiot?’

‘GUYS!’ Y/N’s head flops to the side, a tear making it down her cheek as Jim wipes it away. ‘Is they baby okay?’

The little one’s eyes flick open, large ocean blue eyes meet Michael’s own. He feels the bond immediately as he towels off the little one, ‘She’s here.’ He says, ‘Our little one.’ 

There’s silence as everyone waits. Michael wraps his little girl up and passes her over to Duncan. He can’t be selfish now, he must be ready to act. 

‘Where….where is-’ Jim begins as there’s an almighty scream from Y/N. 

Michael dives back into action, reaching out to feel for the heartbeat. ‘They’re coming!’ He cries, ‘The heartbeat is strong.’

‘I CAN’T!’ Y/N screams, ‘IT HURTS!’ 

’We need another sweet child, my love.’ Michael coos, pushing all his magic into her. 

Jim looks on the verge of passing out and Michael can’t blame him. Between Y/N’s screams, his baby girl’s first cries and Duncan’s mantra of encouragement it would be enough for anyone. 

Excitement builds in Michael’s heart, his baby listened. 

Jim’s child is gonna make it. 

The child enters the world screaming, his lungs full as his eyes open, tiny arms flailing about. Tears fall fresh down Michael’s cheeks, ‘It’s a boy.’ He announces, ‘Healthy and alive.’ 

Jim is by his side in milliseconds, peering over Michael’s shoulder. ‘Oh my god.’ He whispers, eyes filling with tears. ‘He’s here.’ 

Duncan passes over the scissors, ‘Do the honours, Jimmy.’ 

Jim snips the chord and slips his baby boy into his own towel. Duncan brings Michael’s baby over to Y/N as the Antichrist takes a well deserved collapse onto the floor. ‘I….promised you.’ He wheezes, ‘I’d….succeed.’ 

‘You did.’ Jim nods, swaddling his baby. ‘I don’t even know if this is right, can we call someone now?’

Y/N has taken her little girl into her arms, ‘She’s so beautiful.’ She breathes, her expression awestruck. ‘Hello, baby girl.’

‘Did you ever think of a name?’ Duncan asks, his eyes soft as he gazes upon the child.

They haven’t discussed names, but Y/N answer comes as if she’s always know. ‘Miriam.’ She says, ‘I want to call her Miriam.’ 

If Michael had been crying before, it was nothing compared to the tears dripping down his chin now. ‘You…wanna call her that?’ He staggers to his feet, ‘I can’t think of anything better.’

‘Miriam Medina Langdon.’ Y/N says, her voice leaving no room for argument. 

Jim cracks a smile, ‘It’s perfect.’ 

——————————————————————————————-

JIM

His baby is here.

This tiny potato-like miracle is his. 

Jim can barely stand as he passes over his baby to their mother. Y/N takes the baby boy into her arms, passing on Miriam to Michael. The Antichrist is besotted already, he won’t remove his eyes from the child, nodding along occasionally. Jim is certain they’re already having their first non-verbal conversation. 

Duncan rests his head against Y/N’s, ‘He’s got your eyes, Jim.’ He notes. ‘The same shape and colour.’ 

‘But Y/N’s smile.’ Jim says, ‘Her beautiful beautiful smile.’

Whenever Y/N smiles at him it’s like seeing the sunrise on a new morning. 

‘You need a name for him.’ Duncan presses, ‘Now he’s here in the world.’

Jim hasn’t thought of a name. He didn’t fully believe his child was gonna make it, nevermind a name. 

‘Uhhhhhhh.’ He wracks his brain, searching the room for inspiration. 

He’s got nothing.

‘Any ideas?’ He asks the room, ‘I’m open to anything but Adrien.’ 

The room thinks, well Duncan thinks alongside Jim. Y/N closes her eyes, getting a few moments of precious peace. Michael’s far too enraptured with baby Miriam to notice anything else in the room. The witches could have come in, magic wands blazing and Michael would remain where he is cooing over the infant. 

Duncan’s fixated on Michael too, ‘Jeffrey.’ The words come out a whisper, not fully realised. 

His words bring Michael out of his stupor, ‘What was that?’ 

‘Give Jeffrey his chance now.’ Duncan’s eyes flick to Jim, ‘It’s…poetic I guess.’ 

Jim mulls it over, as Michael pushes away more tears. ‘Would you…like that Michael? It wouldn’t be…too much?’

‘Nothing would give me greater joy.’ Michael says, ’You can do what I couldn’t, Jim.’ 

‘And Miriam kept her word.’ Duncan pushes, ‘She let him come into the world.’ 

‘Jeffrey Mason.’ Jim knows it’s right the moment it’s said aloud, ‘Why not?’

‘And it ties us all together again.’ Y/N pipes up, pushing her hair out of her eyes. ‘That’s all I’ve wanted.’

Jim nods, ‘I’m sorry how I’ve reacted-’

‘You don’t need to be sorry.’ Michael cuts him off quickly, ‘I was the one who kidnapped Y/N.’

‘Yeah,’ Duncan frowns. ‘It doesn’t put you in the good books.’

‘I knew you would terminate her.’ Michael holds his child to his chest, ‘I…couldn’t let that happen.’

Duncan claps him on the shoulders, ‘We never should have even thought about it. We should have trusted you.’ Duncan pushes Michael’s hair behind his ears, ‘I for one, will never misjudge you again.’ 

‘So…where do we go from here?’ Jim’s voice has gone timid, ‘No offence Duncan, but we can’t have two babies at your apartment. Plus, it doesn’t look like Jerome is leaving anytime soon.’ 

‘The beach house.’ Duncan answers, ‘It’s got enough space for us all.’

‘But what about being in the city for work?’ Y/N counters, ‘You’re big plans to run for Mayor.’ 

‘I think that can wait till I’ve spent some time with my family.’ Duncan smiles, ‘Besides, people are far more likely to vote for married men with children.’ 

‘Would you come with us?’ Jim asks, ‘I know words are easy to say and not mean but…I really do want you in my life. In all our lives.’ 

Michael considers it, he’s lost in thought as the Antichrist peers down at little Miriam. ‘I don’t know if I can watch you marry Y/N.’ He admits, ‘It might be too much for me.’ 

Jim can see the slight crack in Duncan’s facade, ‘Oh.’ 

‘But I’d like to try.’ Michael says quickly, ‘I want to see if we can make it work.’ 

Miriam gurgles in the Antichrist arms, she reaches out towards her brother, straining to be closer. Michael brings her over and seats the baby girl beside her twin and Miriam settles at once, ‘Doesn’t look like Miriam wants to move away from her brother,’ Y/N notes. 

Jim grins, ‘Looks like you’ll both have to stay.’ 

——————————————————————————————-

TAGGING: @michael-langdon-owns-my-soul@langdonsinferno @pastel-cloudz@misslanabananaa @lovelykhaleesiii @lostin-fern​ @lvngdvns@ccodyfernn @asstichrist@yourkingcodyfern@langdonsdemon@satcnas @russianspacegeckosexparty @rosy-pugs @luxuryglitterhoe@langdonsoceaneyes@sodanova @petersfern-fics @avesatanormalpeoplescareme@sassylangdon @confettucini@sammythankyou@wroteclassicaly @Sloppy-Wrist @Langdonalien@alexcornerblog@sevenwondr@queencocoakimmie@sojournmichael@langdonsdemon@satcnaskinlovecody @kylosbabe@americanhorrorstudies @ladynuwanda@xxpixiefromdixiexx @elenareginaauditore@dadddysprincessss@gremlinkween@readsalot73@astir-bread @i-will-die-for-jim-mason@ms-mead @mega-combusken @hanhanxx@kahhlo@thelangdoncooperative@langdonsrapture@ritualmichael@cryptid-coalition @sloppy-little-witch-bitch26@infernal-langdon @jim-mason2@duncandimension @dark-jim@jimmlangdon @xtheinevitableprophecyx@moontheweirdpan@moonlit-void-to-the-far-unknown@bbyduncan@divinelangdon@theladynymph @divinelangdon@codyswhore-blog @blakewaterxx 

[youngerdaniel]

Youngo’s 2019 at the Movies (with Baby Yoda)

IT’S THAT TIME AGAIN, FOLKS...

Wherein this blog crawls out of the woodwork with fresh aspirations for a more consistent content strategy in the year to come. Like a Baby Yoda emerging from his floating iron egg to great the sun. So let’s dust off some cobwebs and talk about the great movies that came out in 2019.

BRIEF UPDATES FROM THE WAFFLER This year marked a turning point. No, not that fucking decade that everybody’s making a big deal about. Not even that I hit 30 but thankfully have most of my (still not totally gray) hair... Nope, I went into business for myself. I leapt off the stable lily pad of 9-5 etc. and went freelance! Life’s been full of stories since then -- both the kind I write, and the kind I get to look under the hood on. I’m happy to report I’ve written more than ever before... Just not blogs, and mostly stuff I’m not at liberty to discuss.

*Clears throat. Pulls up the collar on his trench coat.* And I may have had more hair turn gray. Turns out, running your own ship is quite a bit of work, especially when you’re teaching yourself how the hell you do it. Nevertheless, I loved the shit out of every minute of it, and I still use phrases like nevertheless. It could easily be a blog (or several) for a different time, but the short and easy explanation of the absence is I was busy, it was fun, get over it. 

Besides, we don’t actually care about whatever lame excuse I have for why I haven’t been posting. We’re here because it’s 2020 and time for a listicle, dammit! This one is neither definitive nor ranked. But dang if 2019′s fodder didn’t come sauntering into theaters like the big chuckling cherub of Christmas Present, with a cornucopia of awesomeness. 

THINGS I LOVED, IN NO PARTICULAR ORDER:

UNDER THE SILVER LAKE David Robert Mitchell’s neo noir takes a fittingly existential approach to detective fiction. An enigmatic case, hidden clues and coded pop culture, Andrew Garfield’s charmingly hapless sleuth... There’s a lot to love in this weird soup of a movie. At times nightmarish, often trippy, and an excellent performance from a parrot. Late night fodder.

CLIMAX Gaspar Noe does not make sane movies. With Climax, there’s a hypnotic quality that sucks you in and drags you along on its nightmarish journey as a group of dancers drink from a punchbowl laced with drugs. The result is absolute bedlam, and everything from the lighting to the camerawork pulls its weight to put you into the action. This is the kind of thing you watch and marvel that, “Wow, they went there.” to varying degrees of satisfaction. Like a freight train barreling toward the side of a mountain, it’s hard to look away even though you know you probably should. 

JOJO RABBIT And then there’s a different kind of madness. The movie that billed itself as “The movie that shouldn’t work.” Jojo Rabbit is so full of heart. This is Taika Waititi in full force, and hilarity meets real pathos. Love is better than Nazis. It’s a simple message, and I think it doesn’t need to be much more. The relevance of such a narrative in our time is pretty disappointing, but the truth seems to be that we need ones like this to come along and remind the collective. The mashup of humor with genuine drama is balanced in a way that will feel familiar to fans of THE HUNT FOR THE WILDERPEOPLE or BOY. The performances are superb, and it’s a beautiful looking film. If you missed it last year, start the new one off right and amend this problem.

US The thing I dug the most about US was how unique it felt. Original premises in horror are on the rise, and there’s no denying the man leading the wave is Jordan Peele. The social commentary elements of this followup to GET OUT play with a little more subtlety, and in some ways it almost felt like a stronger move... But I refuse to compare the two of them. US stands out in its own right, and carries some of the most memorable performances of the year. A twisting narrative that crackles with tension, and a concept that haunts the imagination. What if your every action had an equal an opposite effect on a mirrored version of yourself? A study on the impact of the class system, and a nightmarish what-if to explain the real life series of underground tunnels that span the United States. Also, that costume design! That Alexa gag! The way this one opens up at the midpoint was such a delight in the theater. I’d apologize for spoilers, but let’s be real... You’ve seen this movie.

AD ASTRA Best summed up as “Daddy Issues in Space,” AD ASTRA feels like the kind of sci-fi mysteries that were made in the late 70s and 80s. A spellbinding journey to the far edges of the galaxy to save the world, and maybe prove that aliens exist. Oh, and to stop your possibly insane father from destroying the human race on the way. Brad Pitt is on fire, and everything about this potent emotional journey remains focused on his character’s dilemma of deciding whether or not his father was a good man, what it means to him and his own isolated existence, and whether he can overcome that shit and live a life instead of taking risks. From its opening scene to its closing one, this one blends gripping life-or-death set-pieces exploring the dangers of space travel and the cyclical nature of humanity’s progress with small moments. The journey, the heart-wrenching climax, and the harrowing trip home is well worth the rental fee. Check it out.

THE GIRL ON THE THIRD FLOOR

Some horror movies exist to make you think, some exist to cover their protagonists in black goo, subject them to grueling physical and psychological lament, and chuck ‘em through a woodchipper for good measure. The Girl on the Third Floor takes your average premise of “Stubborn and troubled guy picks a fixer-upper house to flip, only to discover horrors beyond his imagining” and leans hard into the gross-outs and festering boils of body horror. Reminiscent of Evil Dead, Amityville, and Dead Alive, there’s so much insanity to love, and the movie makes some big turns -- some surprising, some daring, some a little out there. It is by no means perfect, but it’s got a charm about its rough edges. You will never look at a marble the same way again.

I LOST MY BODY

I know. “A life-affirming work” left me a little skeptical too. But from its very first frame, I LOST MY BODY is arresting. Its hypnotic narrative follows the story of a severed hand in search of its owner, and has great fun carrying you along with its troubled protagonist’s journey from a crush to obsession. The sheer amount of visual storytelling and striking imagery is worth the runtime, but for any arthouse lovers feeling a little too chilled to hop down to the nearest indie theatre can open a new tab and have at it. Didn’t expect to be as moved by this one as I was, and for that I must recommend it.

AVENGERS: ENDGAME The fact that a movie like this can even exist is pretty amazing, and I have to say, as the culmination to the Avengers saga as we know it, ENDGAME delivered something with way more heart and character than I expected. Funny, sad, bittersweet, and massively satisfying. This is the Thanksgiving Turkey dinner of movies. It’s got everything. But the best part for me was how little fighting the big superhero finale of the decade had to it. Firmly rooted in character, taking ambitious and surprising turns in their trajectories, and balancing the fanwanks with a genuinely exciting story. I mean, c’mon. Time heist? A Greatest Hits play that also recontextualizes a few of the lesser films of the sweeping franchise? The third act battle felt a little tacked-on, but the conclusion felt like exactly what we needed. 

READY OR NOT I love this movie. Love it like an adorable, scrappy friend who always manages to make their social commentary entertaining. Hide and Seek turns deadly for a bride to be when she meets her future in-laws, the proprietors of a board game company that takes their product very seriously. A darkly funny survive-the-gauntlet-till-morning ride. Great characters. Awesome kills. A few really unexpected and delightfully devilish turns. Oh, and it takes a stab at privilege and how far some people are willing to go to preserve theirs. It’s got teeth, a mean bite, and it’s fun to walk around the neighborhood. If you liked YOU’RE NEXT, you will probably love this movie. I still can’t get its final few moments out of my head. And I mean that in the best way.

PARASITE Speaking of social criticism and privilege, there’s no denying the brute fucking force of PARASITE. Following a struggling family who imbed themselves into a rich family by posing as the help, this madcap game of suspense takes so many surprising turns that even describing the full plot spoils the fun. Go into this one having read as little as possible. It will take you for a spin. Part con movie, part social critique, part comedy and part tragedy, it’s a lot to digest, but it’s a damned tasty treat. 

KNIVES OUT In a word, it’s fun. Rian Johnson’s locked room murder mystery packs some wonderful barbs in the side of affluence, armchair activism, and the corruptive nature of wealth. A wealthy novelist is found dead, and all of his family members have motive... But don’t let the familiar set-up fool you, KNIVES OUT plays fair with its audience, but it is a fast runner. The story jumps ahead of you almost every time you think you’ve got it figured out. Daniel Craig’s genius sleuth is full of likable energy, protagonist Marta is full of layers, and the family are all such a pleasure to watch. Several times along the trip, I had no idea where the story would turn next, or how much further the envelope could be pushed, but by the end, I came out marveling at its construction. The production design is unreal. The direction and vibe are so unique, and by the closing image, it’s nearly impossible not to enjoy the shift in values. There’s also a speech involving donuts that I will be reciting at parties for the foreseeable future.

DANIEL ISN’T REAL

I closed off the year with this wildly inventive take on the possession trope. This. Movie. Is. Nuts. Which, considering it was produced by the same folks who did MANDY, shouldn’t come as a surprise. A mind-bending tale that riffs on Jekyll and Hyde, with a great modernization tackling the concept from a mental health perspective... It’s not the first time it’s been done, but the execution is just excellent. We follow a disturbed young man whose imaginary friend hatched from a childhood trauma makes a devilish return to play hell with his adult life. It’s a psychological horror that’s FIGHT CLUB meets THE DOUBLE. Great look. Excellent creature design and visuals for a cosmic horror that makes great use of low budget devices. If you’re looking for the answer to the age old question of “Should my third act involve my protagonist battling his inner demons literally with a rooftop sword fight?” You’ve found your contender.

I’ll tell you this, reader friend. The hardest part about 2019′s slate at the box office was deciding what to see. There were so many interesting movies that came out, brimming with big ideas and social commentary. Sad as the state of the world is, there’s no denying times of unrest have a knack for yielding great art. The Trump era has made its stamp on Hollywood for better or for worse. But the rising tide of voices pushing back give me a bit of hope, and a lot of salve for the whole existential dread thing. I think that, however small it is, is good.

For what it’s worth, none of these films are reinventing the wheel or burning flags... But they are asking questions. Okay, CLIMAX, really isn’t asking anything, but it is fun as hell. There’s just as much merit in the salve as there is in the flame that caused the burn.  So may your 2020 be full of entertainment. I’ll try to get some useful content up here at least every couple of months in smaller digestible forms. Now go forth and brunch, you hungover, resolution-breaking slob.

[bloodunderthebridge]

The Magic of Postmodernism in How I Met Your Mother

We all know (and if you don’t, you should know) that How I Met Your Mother (HIMYM) is a comical t.v series that went off the air after its ninth and final season in 2014. But, for those of you who have not enjoyed the future storytelling plot that is HIMYM, here is a quick recap of what takes place in the t.v show composed of nine amusing seasons. The first main character is Ted. Ted is the guy who narrates the entire story to his teenage kids of how he met their mother. Ted tells the story of his journey to finding a wife in 2030 and each season takes the audience through another year of Ted trying to find his wife with his best friends/sidekicks adding to the drama prior to 2030. For the second, third, fourth and fifth characters, you’ve got Lily and Marshall who have been together since college, but have their ups and downs that result in marriage and a baby. You have Barney who has a sketchy job that makes an absurd amount of money and spends most of his time dating as many girls as possible while asking them out in extreme, impossible ways and then you have Robin. Robin brings her daddy issues, t.v broadcasting skills and rough Canadian lifestyle to the streets of New York City. Combined, these characters date each other, date an uncountable number of other people, succeed along with tons of failure and in the end, create a t.v show that reaches a large audience with its sarcastic tone and unrealistic, but relatable circumstances.

So now that I’ve throughly discussed the characters and their role in HIMYM (for those of you who have watched HIMYM and for those of you who's my detailed description is good enough), what comes to mind when we think of the show? Perhaps how uneventful and upsetting the end of the series was or how Barney and Robin should have never broken up and like why did Tracy have to die? Whatever the reason, it probably wasn’t the postmodern aspects of the t.v show. In-between Barney’s multiple conquests, Robin’s foreign Canadian phrases, Lily and Marshall’s never ending relationship and Ted’s seemingly forever lasting search for love are techniques typically used in postmodern works of literature and in this case, good t.v. But since there is a handful of ways in which HIMYM can be looked at through a postmodern lens, I’m going to focus on three specific techniques, metafiction, magical realism and intertextuality. Now although metafiction and intertextuality may sound boring in comparison to watching t.v and even though magical realism seems to entail more fun, each technique adds a level of depth to HIMYM.

T.V, I’m pretty sure everyone has watched it at least once, but what happens when we’ve watched all the shows that interest us, do we exit our box and try a new show or do we watch a series over again? I’m voting for the latter. Whenever I watch something for a second or third and sometimes a fourth time, I notice different things about the show or whatever episode I’ve re-watched. “I could have sworn that storm trooper wasn’t there before”, I notice the smaller details when I re-watch shows and that’s why looking at HIMYM while keeping the postmodern techniques in the back of my mind, helps understand the t.v series more accurately. It’s an underlying layer that you don’t notice at first, but contributes to how the show is perceived by the audience. Imagine HIMYM having modern aspects, rather than postmodern, would more or less people watch it? Would the meaning and perception change? My guess is yes, of course it would change because even though it’s only a small number of aspects that I am looking at, those small parts are what make up the whole and changing enough of those small parts will eventually change the whole.

Okay, so now that I’ve convinced you that looking at HIMYM through a postmodern lens is important, what specifically does metafiction, magical realism and intertextuality mean? Meta fiction is the act of writing about writing or making readers aware of the fictional nature of the very fiction they're reading, or in the case of HIMYM, when the characters know they are in a t.v show. This is commonly know as “breaking the fourth wall”. Magical realism is the introduction of impossible or unrealistic events into a narrative that is otherwise realistic which is pretty explanatory and an easy definition. And lastly, intertextuality is the acknowledgment of previous literary works within another literary work or when a t.v show references a movie or book or vice versa. Each of these three techniques are actively used in HIMYM and now that you know what they mean, time to dive into a close viewing of HIMYM.

Metafiction, breaking the fourth wall, if you will, is not something I am typically a fan of. I think some shows use it well, like Jane the Virgin, but than shows like House of Cards, I can’t stand, but then again, the majority of people I know like House of Cards, so maybe thats just me. Anyways, Jane the Virgin and House of Cards use metafiction many times throughout each episode, but that’s not the case in HIMYM. There are only a number of instances in the entire series of HIMYM where metafiction is used, it is a technique that is used in addition to many other techniques, but not alone. Okay so to give an example so everyone can see what I'm blabbing on about, I’ve looked at season eight, episode four titled “Who Wants to be a Godparent?”. In this episode, Lily and Marshal, now married and pregnant, are hosting a game-show-like competition between Ted, Barney and Robin to see who should be the Godparent of their first child. Towards the end of the scene, when the game is almost over, Marshall looks directly at the screen and says “we will be right back after a message from our sponsors” (00:11:40 - 00:11:50). This was a clear cut, easy example of meta fiction. Another example just for good measure, but not as obvious as my first example is in season seven, episode six, “Mystery vs. History”. Barney, Ted and Robin are all sitting on the couch in Ted’s apartment and Ted is rambling on about breaking the fourth wall in Annie Hall (this is also intertextuality, but that’s for later) and then, out of nowhere, Robin turns to the camera and says “can you believe this guy?” and motions her thumb in Ted’s direction. Personally, Robin breaking the fourth wall is my favourite out of the two just because it was less expected in that scene than in the other one, you know. Okay well, I think that’s enough about metafiction for now… on to magic……al realism!

When I first heard of magical realism, I thought, yes finally some magic being taught in university. This is not the case, but also it sort of is the case. Let me explain. Magical realism is when events and stuff happening in a t.v show or movie or whatever are unrealistic, but they are shown in a realistic setting, therefore making it somewhat believable to some people (maybe?). Now, magical realism is so important that even Oprah talked about in her book club. On Oprah’s website an article is posted saying “magical realism sets magical events in realistic contexts, thus requiring us to question what is "real," and how we can tell” (Parkinson Zamora), which is my opinion, nicely summarises why magical realism is like magic. So thank you Oprah for also seeing the importance of magical realism and talking about it, but now to bring the magic to life in HIMYM, we need to look at season seven, episode seven titled “Noretta”. I know I’ve already explained a bit about Barney’s role in the t.v show and if you’ve watched HIMYM, you already know for yourself, but Barney is addicted to asking as many women out as possible. Like I’m pretty sure that’s all he does, it is his life mission to sleep with a record number of people. Not the most attractive quality in a person/character, but it does make for good t.v. “Noretta” is a prime example of far Barney will go and magical realism all in one! Background: Barney is on a date with an attractive British women he has been dating. They have not slept together yet, but in episode seven, Barney was determined to change that. While skating, Barney’s date fell down on the ice and completely lost a tooth, but somehow Barney managed to convince his date to not give up on the night. After his date fell, Barney also looked up to the roof (aka the sky, aka God, aka magic) and said “I can turn this around” (00:05:40 - 00:06:11). Magical realism? Yes, an extreme example of it? No, but the saga continues, finally back at Barney’s apartment, they go on the balcony where Barney and his date witness a man jumping from a roof committing suicide. Barney again says, “I can turn this around” and despite his date crying “I want to go home”, he manages to win her over (00:09:30 - 00:10:12). What makes this magical realism, if it isn’t clear enough, is that Barney still managed to sleep with his date despite her losing a tooth (which must have been insanely painful and ugly to look at) and that she witnessed death. Those two things happening don’t really set the mood for most people. That is one example of an episode of HIMYM where there is magical realism, but you could find magical realism in probably more than half of the episodes of HIMYM because the technique is used too often when it comes to Barney’s character.

Now finally, we get to discuss intertextuality, my personal favourite. You may be thinking, why is intertextuality my favourite? Especially compared to a technique that is magic adjacent, but when I understand a reference to another movie or book, I just feel like I know more, you know. The important thing to note about intertextuality though is that “much of the show’s humour relies on the reader’s recognition of common tropes” (Levine 67). This directly relates to HIMYM because if the viewer doesn’t understand the reference, they may also miss the humour which would be unfortunate and HIMYM uses intertextuality as humour more often than not. To illustrate intertextuality in HIMYM, I am going to use Star Wars as an example. Star Wars is my all time favourite movie series and therefore I like to take every opportunity to force my obsession upon everyone else and lucky for me, it seems that the characters of HIMYM love Star Wars the same as me!! So here we go, example number one, season nine, episode seventeen, “Sunrise”, Ted argues with his fiancé about what CP30 is made of and he also mocks her by saying “You know what’s weird? Not seeing Star Wars until you’re thirty” (00:03:15  - 00:03:47). Example number two, season nine, episode fifteen, “Unpause”, Barney gets so drunk the night before his wedding he mimics Jabba the Hutt. Example number three, season nine, episode two, “Coming Back”, Barney speaks like Yoda to Marshall, “there is no try” (00:16:18 - 00:16:26). Example number four, just kidding, I won’t keep going with the Star Wars intertextuality references because if you don’t get the point by now, you probably won’t ever get it. That was rude, if you didn’t get the point though, its that if you don’t understand or know Star Wars, HIMYM won’t make any sense. Just kidding, but it definitely won’t be as funny.

We all know now that How I Met Your Mother is a comical t.v series that went off the air after its ninth season and that the producers of this t.v show employ the use of the postmodern techniques metafiction, magical realism and intertextuality. So if anyone ever asks you for examples of magical realism in HIMYM, hopefully now you will be able to give them at least one answer. But in all seriousness, looking at pop culture or anything with a certain lens in mind (in my case, postmodernism) helps read between the lines of whats going on. I find that closely viewing movies and t.v shows or even literature gives a different perspective and shows the layers that can be hidden and I encourage everyone to stop watching HIMYM for a good laugh, but to really learn from the show.

[tyrellsimsoficeandfire]

Huge Replies of a Month 🌸

Recently, I only manage to do such a post once a month. To some of you I’ve already replied under the posts or via PM. Hope, I didn’t forget someone.

@treason-and-plot:  I really like the intimacy of this scene 😊

@declarations-of-drama:  Sumptuous! Was the word that came into my head when I see the legs in the bath-tub. Very nicex

Thank you! I found that scene really sexy, too! Jaime is my favourite sim. I love is looks because I modeled him a bit on the actor who portrays him:

Nikolaj Coster-Waldau vs. my Jaime

Hope, you see the resemblance! I’ll release him for Download when I reach 500 followers soon.

@mentally-restless:  rip the real queen of westeros

@dreamywritingdragon:  MY BABIES!!!!!!!! Fuck this show, like, so much :/

@westerosims: thank you for this ive been so annoyed since Sunday's weirdly inaccurate interpretation of highgarden

@owly-sims:  Thanks for this! It's a great tribute to Lady Olenna.

It’s good to be in company of more Olenna fans! I know that at least two of you read all the books. You are book purists as I am. And yes, I did this to show GRRM’s TRUTH!!!!!! The Reach is renowned for its fine knights. They totally fucked that up in the show.

@treason-and-plot: It's such a richly layered world. 😍

Thank you! I try to have some variety for it’d be boring if I would always show the same sets. And I want to portray the different cultures of the series. I google a lot for castles and inspiring locations. This one is just a small corridor built without much effort. Sometimes I re-use sets but in a way, you would not recognize.

@andantezen:  wonderful scene!

@lifeasasim: True!

THANKS! @andantezen    You love classical greece. You must know that one of the pictures was inspired by the Statue Apollo and the Nymphs from Versailles. 😊

@treason-and-plot: It also reminds me of Norman Lindsay's paintings.

I didn’t know his name, but I’ve seen his works before. I totally see the similarities. Sometimes I get inspired by the art of British pre-raphaelite artists. I like the romanticised Middle Ages there.

@danjaley:  This scene has quite a Wagnerian aesthetic! :P

Thank you! The Wagner comparison made me smile. I like that for I understand you find my stuff quite epic. Not a fan of his music but I like how he turned myths into a very own epic saga. And yet, as a German you might understand why I find it a bit problematic. But thanks for your compliment!

@simblu:  SUMPTUOUS pix! I lingered over the details. :)

Thanks! Too much details are my “guilty pleasure” as many of you might know. I can’t even do normal gameplay anymore because I’m so obsessed with detailed scenes. I always imagine people living in these rooms. Real people would have many decorations and many objects laying around. I want to catch such an atmosphere of a vivid place. Also this Throne Room, I have in many versions under different rulers: One with Dragon decor, a neutral one and a version with lions.

@andantezen: I love it now that we can actually enlarge the pictures :)

Wasn’t this possible all the time? But still, a high quality picture loses quality when uploaded.

@treason-and-plot:  I love the contrast between this scene and the last 😊😊

I absolutely need a balance between epic/dramatic and light(funny scenes: I love the dark and action-loaded stuff. But this takes too much time I don’t have. Therefore, when I’m in simming mood I create some jolly stuff. Mostly these are some sex scenes or very unrelevant scenes. So I hope followers will for give me that there was more nudity than serious stuff during the last weeks. I really needed a break (and I was attracted by some sexy male characters I recreated as sims)....

@declarations-of-drama: Didn't get chance to comment on ipad yesterday. Wonderful recreations here! I love the dragon/bat statues looking on. It all looks so grand! 

You told that before: Is commenting impossible from tablets?

The dragon statues were actually a late solution: In the original story, the throne room is decorated with skulls of extinct dragons. I didn’t find such stuff or dinosaur skulls for Sims3. But I think the statues look even better.

@dreamywritingdragon:  Your Jaime has such fancy hair :p And he looks great on that throne :p Great scene!!

Thank you! That’s my young Jaime. It’s such a cliche that in movies, persons always have more fancy/ longer hair when shown in flashbacks. I used tat too! And isn’t he hot on that throne?

@murfeelee:  Why you so perfect? I love this. So much detail; beautiful screenies as always!

THANK YOU, my dear! I’m not perfect at all. But I’m an annoying perfectionist ;-)

@dreamywritingdragon:  MY CHILDREN!!!!!! This is all so beautiful!!! The Princess of Dorne reminds me of Olenna Tyrell, but that must be the clothes :p Oberyn looks like trouble^^ Ashara doesn’t seem happy, and Elia’s dress is so beautiful!!

Actually, the Princess is just an older version of Elia that gained some weight. I didn't even edit the face. And Ashara...I wanted an expression that shows that KL will be a dangerous place as Oberyn suspects, too.

@danjaley:  Aww, I spotted some poses! :)

I have so many poses but I always end up using yours. Looking forward what you come up next!

@andantezen: I love it how you choose poses to convey the difference between the characters' personalities -- it's so clear between the two men, and again between the two ladies. Very nuanced. Always pretty.

For the men, I wanted to show how the princess’ brother is not amused about the royal match. But I didn’t intend tension between the young ladies. It was like a mistake. The poses I used on the one in purple actually were neutral ones. Maybe her facial features made them look different? But it doesn’t matter. In the books, that lady becomes a lady-in-waiting after her princess weds the crown prince. She is admired at court and that may be dangerous. Her expressions might be foreshadowing.

@simsos:  Beutiful photos and environment!The story of Elia and Rheagar is very tragical.Regards!

Thank you! And welcome to the community. Nice to see another GOT-inspired simmer from Europe!

@treason-and-plot:  😮where is the snoring coming from?

Apparently, from the blue parrot. I didn’t notice until you pointed out.

 @mentally-restless:  elia!!!!! i really want to know more about her! lovely scene as always :)

I think, we’ve discussed her a lot. Let’s go on whenever we want.

@andantezen:  I wish I were an insect to get closer :)

Oh, you aren’t the only one who wants that. Just getting really close... Hope, others are ok as well if I’ll do more gay scenes with them There isn’t much plot with them I could tell.

@lifeasasim:  Love the yellow flowers covering them. Artistic :)

@owly-sims:  I love the last picture! Beautiful composition

Thanks! That idea came to my mind while creating. I didn’t really know what I wanted. I needed golden roses but didn’t have. I thought daffodils would do.

@murfeelee:  Yaaaaaas! I totally shipped them. Loras was hilarious, and Renly was awesome, full stop. <3

I love them! The actors were hot. Nothing to add.

@treason-and-plot:  I love the dappled sunlight on the book. Gorgeous!

I never plan those things. They simply happen in Monte Vista. Every world has its own light.

@sabrinastarkmartell:  Yas Dorne makes me so happy

Me, too!!!! But many people don’t like Dorne for the things the show did. Or they don’t even care. And they don’t know Arianne or recognize that Tyene.  

And I found Arianne x Oberyn somehow intriguing! I’m guilty, yes! But I thought of Rhaenyra and Daemon.

@declarations-of-drama:  MMMM!!! The scenery! The mood! This makes me want to sweep my Sims off their feet and go to Egypt, don't know if it's safe though - are they still rioting in Cairo? :/

Well, I think Al-Simhara is safe. But RL Egypt is a dream of mine I may never fulfill. I don’t feel it’s safe going there now. Ancient Egypt was my first passion. I really got into the history and I am some kind of expert. There was plenty of Egyptian CC for sims 2 but almost none for Sims 3.

@declarations-of-drama:  Wow!!! That bathtub scene is so sensual with the way you've posed them! CAn almost feel their bodies touching!! :D

Thanks you like it! This was one of those show sex scenes I did just for fun. The silver-haired guy Viserys is kind of an asshole. But I find him kind of attractive.

@mentally-restless:  Amazing as always 😌😁

@lifeasasim: #TEAMDANY  Btw i love this... and so much depth. 

@i-am-a-lady-damn-it:  Gorgeous!!!

@andantezen:  very beautiful and dramatic and atmospheric!

@treason-and-plot:  Wow that was very intense in all senses of the word. And hugely enjoyable too  ❤

@murfeelee:  Don't do this to meeee~~! That was my favorite chapter. I was so glad when that evil witch heifer wench died. Doing my baby's daddy like that! U_U

THANKS TO ALL OF YOU!!!!! This was by far my favourite scene to do. I love the effects fire creates during night in game. And I finally wanted to use Severinka’s Mongolian huts. They just fitted perfectly for Dothraki!

@declarations-of-drama:  This is wonderful! I can't imagine how long it took to get all of them posed and lined up for that scene. And the baby dragon!!! Makes me want to hug it!!!!  The way she is holding it in the last shot! 😍😍😍

It took quite some time. But the background sims always stayed in the same pose. Just moved them around a bit. The Dragons are actually the Wyverns by Severinka. I placed them on lots of OMSP resizers.

@andantezen: in one word: Lush!

@lifeasasim:  Goodd, look at that room. The details!!!

@declarations-of-drama:  Very cool! The snake shot is very clever

Thank you! That room is one of my favourites. Not the usual medieval style. The people of Dorne are a more oriental culture and I tried to build in their style. They love luxury and lead a life of free love. I liked to put a lot of gold and glitter there. And the snake is there for Oberyn’s nickname is “Red Viper”.

@simblu:  Now to come back and comment..how gorgeous, as always, such lush settings, so true.

Thank you! That bedroom is one of my favourite creations!

@murfeelee:  I shipped these little nutcases so hard, ngl.

You did? I thought no one would be perfect for Joffrey. Margaery would have known how to control him but I don’t think this was a been a perfect match.

@lifeasasim:  Margaery is one smart woman.. ashamed cersei killed her

I’d like to chase Cersei through the streets for this ringing a bell and calling “Shame, Shame, Shame!!!”

@treason-and-plot: I am excited i knew that was Joffrey! Go me! 😁

Who doesn’t know that little cunt? One of the most hateable characters on TV.

@declarations-of-drama: This was so erotic in a twisted way! I love the story here! And the way you captured their expressions aiming the weapon. If she killed something he would probably bend her over that fruit bowl and show her his. . . blade of passion because they seem so aroused in the moment! hahaaction

You get the point! Joffrey is really twisted. He likes violence but he doesn’t dare to touch his future wife Margaery. She plays him. And I had a feeling that stroking the crossbow was as if she touches his cock for him. 

@sabrinastarkmartell:  THANK YOU

You were actually one of the reasons I decided to do this. You brought Tyene back to my mind.

@andantezen:  did they castrate him? :O

Luckily not. They wanted to have a threesome but he came too early. I just found the idea of them using some mysterious drink interesting. Maybe it’s something for his “Manhood”. I didn’t pay attention that there was a skull on the bottle. Maybe they wanted him to be a better lover but that plan didn’t play out. That was just for fun. I’ll get back to more serious scenes.

@declarations-of-drama:  He so reminds me of Prince in these shots!

Yes, a little bit. But I didn’t have him in mind for I don’t have associations with Prince. I just wanted to create a dark southern, handsome lad.

@danjaley:  I guess it wouldn't be Game of Thrones without these kind of scenes - but now I'm looking forward to Jayne being rescued!

@lifeasasim:  Poor girl... :/

Thank you for I didn’t get hate for this one! I really left out the last sentences which implied how Ramsay abuses Reek/Theon and Jeyne. One can only guess what terrible things happened during that night. I believed, showing this one first wouldn’t raise much questions when I do the rescue scene. 

But it’s harder to do than I thought. I want to show the dramatic action when they finally save her...

@murfeelee:  Which is one of the many reasons why Theon will always and forever be on my Piece of Sh!t list

I’m always here to defend Theon. What should he ave done? He’s a victim of Ramsay as Jeyne is. He humiliated him, brutalized him, hurt him, abused him...That man was broken. He wasn’t strong enough to be brave during that night. I thought a lot about it. What if he stabbed Ramsay? Would he save Jeyne? I think, no. With Ramsay dead, they had to escape. But how? Others would have come to punish him for murder. And what would to innocent Jeyne. All that stuff tat happened to them is unspeakable. I can’t imagine such horrors they went through...

This is too long. I need to do replies more often.