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triviareads · 1 year ago

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ARC Review of When the Duke Loved Me by Lydia Lloyd

Summary:

Catherine Forster was ruined by John Breminster, Duke of Edington a decade ago, and thanks to the enmity between their families, he refused to marry her. Now, a decade later, Catherine is a penniless spinster, and John is on her doorstep, asking for her for her help with a sensitive matter that concerns the scandal that occurred between their families years ago...

My review:

This is Lydia Lloyd's debut novel, and I thought she did a great job of writing main characters who were individually sympathetic and dynamic together, as well as an overarching mystery plot that kept me on my toes the entire time.

A lot of the plot is centered around the enmity between the Breminsters and the Forsters. About a decade before the prologue starts, John's father Reginald and Catherine's Aunt Mary (who raised her) were caught in flagrante and the fallout meant financial and reputational ruin for Catherine and her family, as well as John's family being torn apart. Now, John's father is dead and he's left behind an annuity that Mary must accept, or it will spell social ruin for John's sister. The problem is, Mary's disappeared and John is convinced Catherine can help him find her.

Catherine is a heroine who's reduced to some pretty dire circumstances (girlie literally has the residents of her household faking the plague to avoid debt collectors), so she's scrappy and realistic enough to go along with John's scheme without much fuss. John is presented as something of a feckless rake (with rake friends who I hope get their own stories), but we see the hidden, more caring side to him soon enough.

What's interesting is, between the ruination from a decade prior, as well as John initially casting aspersions on Catherine's morality ("a spinster can't kiss as well as YOU did"), you would think they have an uphill battle to even tolerate one another, but they didn't. I thought it was refreshing that despite everything, they don't bother to deny their mutual attraction right from the get-go. They grow to care for one another along the way (this is definitely a case of sex helping their relationship grow, and sex is their form of communication), and it's fairly smooth sailing all things considered. Really, the greater conflict(s) are how they individually grapple with the complicated relationships between them and their respective parental figures.

This relative lack of tension until the end also makes the climax more poignant, when Catherine is faced with the choice to break off their engagement and leave, or be forced to keep secrets from John, which she can't bring herself to do because of how much she loves and cares for him.

The mysterious relationship between Reginald and Mary serves as a compelling backdrop. For one, there are a lot of parallels between them and John/Catherine (like I think John tries to fuck Catherine on the same desk he caught them on when he was younger lol). They ultimately served as a warning for the main couple for how not to proceed with their relationship.

The sex:

The overall sex vibes in this book can probably be best described as "down and ready any time, anywhere". Delving into the specific, I'm shameless enough to say I'm all for an instant gratification moment and Lydia delivered with the beginning "ruination" scene... set in the middle of ruins at that. And the ramifications even a decade later are pretty damn hilarious: At some point John admits to Catherine that he couldn't get off unless he was thinking about her to which my reactions in order were a) GASP b) *cackles* c) wait.... this is actually romantic?

There's also a great dry-humping scene pretty early on which honestly might have been hotter than the actual sex? It starts with him telling her he wants to suck ink off her fingers, and ends with him high-tailing out of there with a Boner of Shame and Guilt (we love a selfless man) so I was 100% entertained the whole time.

Overall:

If you enjoy a your historical romances with a side of mystery, then this is the book for you. I loved the easy chemistry between the main couple and how they slowly unraveled the truth of the past. This is a fantastic debut for Lydia Lloyd, and I look forward to future books in this series.

Thank you to Tule Publishing and NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for my review.

#arc review #Lydia Lloyd #Tule Publishing #netgalley #historical romance #arc #romance novel

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adamwatchesmovies · 11 months ago

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Await Further Instructions (2018)

Unfortunately, Await Further Instructions was released in 2018 when its message was neither shocking nor revolutionary and certain elements of its horror now have unintended meanings. It means you’ve almost certainly seen a better version of this story elsewhere. Despite this, its effectiveness while it plays is hard to deny.

After distancing himself from his family for three years, Nick (Sam Gittins) agrees to bring his girlfriend Annji (Neerja Naik) over for Christmas dinner. Things do not go well. The couple decide to leave the next morning but find that a barrier now encircles the house. No one can leave, the internet is down and their telephones cannot send or receive calls. Suddenly, a message from the authorities appears on the television. Though father Tony (Grant Masters), mother Beth (Abigail Cruttenden), Nick’s sister Kate (Holly Weston), her husband Scott (Kris Saddler) and Grandad David Bradley) insist on following the TV’s instructions, Nick and Annji are unsure whoever is sending them has good intentions.

Imagine bringing your significant other to meet your family for the first time and having your worst fears confirmed: they’re still narrow-minded, stupid and racially biased. Christmas is ruined. It goes from bad to worse when you realize you can't leave. In this film, it's not a snowstorm keeping everyone inside. It's something else. Stuck in the house with everyone already on edge, resentment and paranoia build and are amplified by the mysterious text that appears on the TV. Now, our protagonists are stuck in a mental asylum. Everyone else is crazy but them. Is the right choice to pretend like they're one of them or try to talk some sense into everyone else? What this movie does right is put you in the shoes of Nick and Annji. The racism Annji faces is obvious but it’s not ham-fisted. It’s a mispronounced name from mom, an assumption from dad or Kate and side comments from Grandad that tell you this is a bad place to be. You don’t like Nick’s family. Even mom, who has a chance of changing her ways, is such a doormat that you resent her even more than Tony, who is trying to be this big man by forcing everyone to follow the TV’s orders. His insistence on being a leader while taking orders from someone who - as far as Nick, Annji and we can tell - has no real authority and no proven good intentions towards the family would be hilarious if it weren’t so frightening. Every time the message on the television changes, “Await Further Instructions” tightens its grip around your throat.

You’ll be scared. You'll sweat. The picture’s message about not following orders blindly is good… but this is also where things get muddled. We never - not for a second - believe whoever is sending messages through the TV is the government. There’s something sinister going on. What that is, I can’t say without giving too much away. Ultimately, the movie is about holding onto your beliefs even when authorities (in this case, the television or the "government" sending messages through the TV) tell you to do something you know is wrong. To some viewers, that might include not vaccinating your children, which is an unfortunate message. As for the TV thing? It’s a little too late for that. For this kind of message to work in the 2010s, it needed to be people’s cell phones giving them the instructions, or QAnon conspiracy-theory loonies feeding bad info. Things get even wobblier when our questions are finally answered. Not all of it holds up. It doesn’t mean it isn’t chilling but this needed another pass through the keyboard. It’s almost as if writer Gavin Williams didn’t know what to do with the ending until it came time to submit it to the studio.

A story's flaws are always amplified when they come in during a movie’s last act and unfortunately, Await Further Instructions drops the ball at the worst time possible. Is it enough to toss away the whole thing? I don’t think so. The tension built up as the family turns on each other, the discomfort Annji and Nick feel, the fear as the trickle of revelations come in are all expertly done. I don’t expect anyone who sees Await Further Instructions to be compelled to watch it more than once or call it a favorite. That’s ok. (November 27, 2020)

#Await Further Instructions #Johnny Kevorkian #Gavin Williams #Sam Gittins #Neerja Naik #Grant Masters #Abigail Cruttenden #Holly WEston #Kris Saddler #David Bradley #2018 movies #Christmas Movies #Christmas Films

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lemonhemlock · 1 month ago

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"you see i find this hilarious because my boyfriend insisted the other day that (with a few exceptions, as per his words, referring to the astarionwives) this fandom was “wholesome”. 😂 i am squinting my eyes v hard at that statement" Okay, I should've clarified my statement because I was too actually referring to the Astarionwives mostly and I say this as someone who likes and…actually romanced him in my first playthrough, which is something I'm quite wary to admit nowadays out of fear of being lumped with his crazier fans lmao. A lot of them can be really, really intense about the guy and NOT in a good way and tbh most of my negative experiences in the fandom are indeed related to this crowd. He really is the type of character that is a magnet for discourse and I have to say that ignoring a majority of his fans can make your fandom experience much more enjoyable, ESPECIALLY if you do like him, as crazy as this may sound. Sure, some of them will be making you laugh in the sense that it takes a high level of delusion to come up with certain takes but most will just make you lowkey angry. They are also very numerous and extremely loud compared to fans of other characters, who (with some exceptions here and there) are quite chill. Every other day though there's some Astarion related drama going on or his fans trying to stir some shit up and it's so tiring. Frankly, I have more Astarion fans blocked than fans of other BG3 characters put together and this is saying a lot. In my opinion, they are crazier than Aemondwives, Aegonwives and Daemonwives and lots of Team Black or Targ Nation stans.

It's not that they will attack other fans for not liking his character (well, some are doing it, I won't deny it) but they also often rabidly attack each other for having different interpretations of his character, even when there's enough information in canon to support more than one POV or theory. There are also some choices (one of them being pivotal or very, very important) you can make involving his character that can be very controversial or divisive and insane fans on all sides of the debate will try to shame others for (not) making them and proceed to call you or imply you are a bad person irl over it. Typical fandom "my opinion is the moral or correct one" bs, but in this case it's particularly wild since it's a RPG game with no established canon. Still, there's nothing that could justify going after a real person, in the end it's just a video game and no one is bad for making a certain choice or not. Of course this is mostly subjective and there are some nuances I can't get into due to spoilers, but I feel like overall a lot of the BG3 fandom experience depends on what characters you like since it's likelier you'll be checking out and interacting with the parts of the fandom related to them specifically so yeah someone else may have had a quite positive experience in the fandom unlike me and others, like your bf did (to his credit, Shadowives are quite sane compared to Astarionwives and I have nothing negative to say about most of them).

Other than that, there are of course antis who just like in every fandom (and I've seen it happening here like it did with HOTD) are harassing, threatening or trying to dox content creators or even regular fans who are into things deemed to be toxic and problematic (noncon, dubcon stuff mostly) despite the game itself having and/or offering you the possibility to do a lot of fucked up things. In this regard they remind me of the HOTD antis who will cry out about incest ships whilst going after fans who enjoy them in fiction. Well, maybe don't consume media with problematic elements that make you uncomfortable? But of course to them it's more about being the fandom moral police rather than genuine concern about potential victims seeing the wrong content.

"oh thank you so much! ikr?? i’m gonna give astarion 18 DEX as soon as i can level him up anyway so why bother? i was really vehement to dump the stat altogether, because i was thinking there was nothing in it FOR ME as a wizard, but then i realised i’m really getting pounded in fights because of my low dexterity!!" In my experience the game's AI will first target the characters with the lowest AC (armour class) and those are usually the spellcasters like wizards or sorcerers. Until you get those gloves and a good shield, Mage Armor should help in early game to get that number a bit higher. It does cost a spell slot, but it's worth it.

"yeah, i’m really set on having high charisma because my hope is to manipulate these rugrats into doing what i want. but the wisdom checks have proven annoying, i have to say. and i don’t really want to be dragging shadowheart with me all the time because… i can’t stand her! 😂 my bf is a shadowwife and keeps telling me to be patient with her but she is just getting on my nerves 🤌i respecc’d her to be a Life Cleric and she is more useful now, at the very least. " As a sorcerer (it also applies to other charisma based classes like bards or warlocks) it was sooo easy to navigate throughout the game thanks to this and how easy it is to manipulate NPCs into doing your bidding, plus you get so many bonuses that by the end of the game that it's almost impossible to fail your CHA rolls. I can't say I relate to your experience with Shadowheart but…sometimes we just happen not to like certain characters, which is fine? Your boyfriend may be right about being patient with her to be honest, I wasn't crazy about her in my first playthrough (but unlike you also I didn't dislike her so that helps) but she grew up on me as a character quite a bit throughout the game. Same with Lae'zel and more or less with Astarion as well, ironically. Turning Shadowheart into a Life Cleric is also something I did and she's indeed more useful unlike her default Trickster subclass. Light Cleric is also a good option for her (or any cleric), which is what I'm going for in my second playthrough.

"exciting!! i wouldn’t know where to put it exactly, though, since i read online that having odd numbers is not really giving you a bonus in bg3" Yes, this is true, odd numbers don't give you any bonuses. You should either put that point into an odd number to make it even (for example if you have 17 INT you get it to 18) or respec your character in such a way that adding the point matters, if this makes sense. Of course, you can also use that point on another companion, it's not mandatory to do it with your Tav. Most players, from what I've seen, will choose to to increase their main stat since the default number you get from the game is an odd number. Also, don't worry about doing a respec later, you won't be losing that point.

The maximum number you can max out your main ability to is 20 actually through Ability Improvement when choosing the feat. I've seen you reached Level 4 already so you probably chose that feat already but you should have the possibility of putting another +2 points into it when you reach Level 8 or 12. I don't know though if this is disabled on easy mode (my first playthrough was on balanced mode and now I'm on tactician) so I can't confirm it 100%. Multiclassing for example is disabled on explorer/easy mode.

"anyway, first of all, i’m gonna go find the soap mod asap since i just found out today you’re supposed to clean yourself so you don’t stink ☠️ and i have found exactly 0 bars of soap and 0 sponges so far, so i’m not gonna bother with that" You can find sponge and soap at the goblin camp under the main bridge. It's near some waterfall. However, I don't think it matters? I can't remember random NPCs calling me out for not washing myself or for stinking? I could be misremembering of course, but I think only some characters will be commenting on your Tav's smell, so it's not something that really matters unless you want to look clean all the time. For example, when Lae'zel tried to hook up with my character she said something about their scent driving her crazy or something like it lol. This one I haven't got it in my game, but Gale also has a similar line about him enjoying Tav's musk despite them not having washed in 10 days or so lmao (ewww), but he only says it after you flirt with him first and again, I don't think it matters if you used that soap earlier.

"after that the plan is to go back to camp, switch lae'zel out for astarion and go back to ethel (since astarion expressed interest in her so i’m curious if he’ll act out in some way)" There isn't really anything related to Ethel that makes or breaks your relationship with him other than some approval or disapproval points depending on your choices there BUT you'll want to have him in your party because there's a certain someone in the swamp, near Ethel's place that you'll be wanting to meet and it's better if you do it with Astarion in it.

Okay this got very long, I'm sorry!! Once again, my experience with the BG3 fandom is mostly subjective and I'm sure others had a more positive time in it but yeah...for me personally it was not so different compared to the HOTD one, sadly. Anyway, just enjoy your game, try to do every quest (I'm the type who explores everything in a game, it's worth it even if it takes a lot of time) and don't shy away from taking as many long rests as possible!

astarionwives being crazier than targ nation stans is quite the feat. i don't know whether to laugh or cry 😭 does that mean i'll have to put in the anti astarion tag just to steer clear of these freaks? 😂 i mean, i've heard some stories and i know they're off their rocker and i also hope to become the first of my friend group to successfully romance him, just for the incredible meme potential. but i am not interested in defending his racist ass antics or generally loser behaviour. i have to say that some of his overly theatrical lines make me gag, but he has the potential to be very funny. and, at the end of the day, that's why any person would play an RPG, to be entertained by either the straight-up comedic choices or the dark, fucked-up ones (even the latter can be considered funny with the right mindset)

you are so right about this being extra-delulu because there is no true "canon" in an RPG in the traditional sense when different choices lead to different outcomes. fandom participants far and wide seem to be getting increasingly bad at separating reality from fiction. especially when sometimes you don't even know how a seemingly innocuous action will lead to an undesired outcome. i can't imagine there are players out there who are made to feel bad by these weirdos for making different choices, some of them even random maybe

so true! i mean, this is the type of game that offers the possibility of playing with a dark urge character that is designed to do a lot of fucked up stuff (from my understanding). you'd think these spaces would be very difficulty to turn into morality police havens, but every day presents a new opportunity to be surprised by the level of delusion the human mind can engineer

In my experience the game's AI will first target the characters with the lowest AC (armour class) and those are usually the spellcasters like wizards or sorcerers. Until you get those gloves and a good shield, Mage Armor should help in early game to get that number a bit higher. It does cost a spell slot, but it's worth it.

oh, yes, i have started to use mage armour on myself and gale and it's very useful since i'm always the loser of the pack and those mean devils gang up on me in fights. i've also started to make shadowheart use Bless on the entire party using turn-based-mode before entering fights for an extra boost

As a sorcerer (it also applies to other charisma based classes like bards or warlocks) it was sooo easy to navigate throughout the game thanks to this and how easy it is to manipulate NPCs into doing your bidding, plus you get so many bonuses that by the end of the game that it's almost impossible to fail your CHA rolls.

it's so fun playing with high charistma! i see that you even have an easier time convincing your own companions? i had lae'zel with me when we met up with the other githyanki and the red dragon and i was able to successfully roll and get her to play along

i hesitated to become a warlock because i didn't like the backstory of selling my soul to a demon entity and sorcerers had fewer spells overall. for a first playthrough, wizard is pretty fun because you get to tap into that harry potter childhood and scratch that itch :))

You can find sponge and soap at the goblin camp under the main bridge. It's near some waterfall.

oh, good tip! i managed to find some in the bathhouse of the burning inn. not sure how to use both at the same time though? because you can only select one item at a time with right click to get to the 'use' function

However, I don't think it matters? I can't remember random NPCs calling me out for not washing myself or for stinking? I could be misremembering of course, but I think only some characters will be commenting on your Tav's smell, so it's not something that really matters unless you want to look clean all the time. For example, when Lae'zel tried to hook up with my character she said something about their scent driving her crazy or something like it lol. This one I haven't got it in my game, but Gale also has a similar line about him enjoying Tav's musk despite them not having washed in 10 days or so lmao (ewww), but he only says it after you flirt with him first and again, I don't think it matters if you used that soap earlier.

yeah, as you mentioned, i heard that gale mentions you smell and other characters do, as well. but i'm planning on wearing princess dresses as soon as i can find them so it wouldn't work for my overall vibe, i don't think :)) this game is so complex, i never, in a millions years, would have thought that they included an option for cleaning yourself

There isn't really anything related to Ethel that makes or breaks your relationship with him other than some approval or disapproval points depending on your choices there BUT you'll want to have him in your party because there's a certain someone in the swamp, near Ethel's place that you'll be wanting to meet and it's better if you do it with Astarion in it.

yes, i did meet that fantasy romani character and ofc astarion wasted no time in being racist with him ☠

my plan last night went to smithereens so i'll have to redo most of it tonight. no plan survives first contact with the enemy, right? 😭 first of all, i left the inn burning and completely forgot i had a Create Water spell (at least i saw it very late in my tab?? some wizard am i). honestly, i'm not really sure how game mechanics work because i assumed it would still be burning later and i could come back to it when i figured out what to do. as in, it would be left in stasis while i wandered around. turns out it did not! (again, this game is very complex) and only after i fought the gnolls outside the cave did wyll deign to tell me his dad was in there 🤦‍♀️ men truly are useless

so i decided to forgo all my hard work, loaded an earlier game, grabbed gale, shadowheart and astarion and just go to ethel's, which is what i wanted to do in the first place. i'm leaning now that a detour is never just a detour and that it takes a lot of time to explore a place. i had initially thought that investigating the shipment mark would not take as long, but alas.

anyway, it took FOREVER to explore her dilapidated hut and pick up everything i could before i went down into her basement cave and found her victims. opening the tree door also took me a lot of time, as did entering through it and positioning myself to fight her minions. i noticed that if i made Mirta (my tav) enter slowly and immediately take the mask off i would delay engaging with ethel and could just position my party to fight her flunkies. but it was a difficult fight nonetheless, and gale had the absolute GALL to request another magical artifact from me. again, men truly are just resource-consumers. he is currently on my shitlist for annoying me, because i only had this cool bard hat to spare that could give you inspiration points (no way would i have parted with mine or astarion's gloves or my web boots).

in any case, i consumed a lot of spell slots to finish off those unfortunates, so i think it would be best to just return to camp and replenish before i talk to the hag. so, thank you for telling me i can take many long rests, because i was a bit worried that by taking them too often i would accelerate friendship or romance plotlines before i had the time to work on my relationship or approval stats with those characters.

so, right now, i think i'll just try and see if i can get the ability point off of ethel (if her terms are acceptable to me) and then think about respecc'ing myself again in the future. i am very interested in the Actor feat to get more expertise in Deception and Charisma

after that i need to meet a vendor asap to buy more magical shit to feed into gale's annoying ass condition. and, only after then, can i try again with the inn and see how/if i could put the fire out. this is going to take me ages to do 😂

random, but i also found out that, since i had previously helped Alfira with her song and she gave me her lute, i might have musical ability?? i don't have access to my game rn so i'll have to check. that might prove really funny later on

not at all! thank you for coming back, anon, and, most of all, thank you for all the tips! much appreciated! <3 and, yes, i'm also the same type, i feel the need to do every quest and i never leave a place without picking everything up, even rotting food and useless stuff like tongs and rope. my Mirta often gets 'encumbered' LOL

#miss lemon plays bg3 #ask #anon

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irrcdeemable · 9 months ago

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1, 2, 12 & 14 <3

What made you pick this character? : What made me pick Billy is once I finished the season 3 finale, I feel like I really understood him a lot better and I felt that he was really denied a character arc. He was denied redemption. At first when I started watching Billy in season 2, I wasn't sure of what to think of him. My opinion kept fluctuating. But as time went on he started to grow on me. His character is so complex and I find it to be a fun challenge to write. Most of my muses are all sweet and kind, Billy doesn't check those boxes. While I am working on letting him become soft, he still struggles. It's hard for him to let that guard down which means I really have to think before making each reply. How did you get into this fandom/franchise: I had always planned on watching Stranger Things at some point but I had never actually gotten around to watching beyond the first season. Until recently. Since my DBD main is Steve I wanted to learn more about him. I had some more free time with my kiddo back in school so I set out to finally sit down and watch it. I do not regret this choice at all. My watch was full of love, laughter, and also LOTS of tears. What would you say is the most unique trait about your character? I think I answered a similar one to this so I am gonna attempt to go for Billy's second unique trait and that is his sense of humor/wit. He always seems to have a come back for just about everything which is both impressive and hilarious to me. Are there some characters from the franchise that you can't stand? Billy's father. Hands down. That man deserved something horrible to happen to him. Second, Steve's friends in the first season instantly piss me off. They're your typical preppy high school kids who are way too entitled. They think they are above everyone else. Thank god Steve didn't stay that way. A close third would be the bullies El has to deal with at the skating rink. I nearly cheered when she nailed that girl with the roller skate like "YOU DO YOU, EL. YOU DO YOU. SHOW HER WHO IS BOSS."

#&& answered.#[[this one was fun to do]]

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kitkatt0430 · 10 months ago

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So I've been watching Dollhouse again. It really was a good sci-fi show and I wish we'd gotten more seasons. Not least of all so we wouldn't have gotten the rushed reveal about who the second founder of Rossum was (it was an interesting choice but does not totally make sense, but honestly they needed someone to fill the role and it was an interesting twist)

I still don't like Paul/Echo as a ship - he's in love with the idea of her and she doesn't seem like the sort to want a white knight type to save her. Though at least the outtakes with them are hilarious.

Of course, as I seem to do when I watch stuff that isn't my main fandom... i wonder how the Flash would work in some fusion au based off what I'm watching.

And what I've got so far?

Iris as the Echo/Caroline analogue. She was a college student getting her psychology masters and an investigative journalist for the school paper. However her investigation into shady research going on in the Thawne building gets her in over her head and eventually leads to her being coerced into joining the LA Dollhouse... though whether to escape the consequences of her actions or to infiltrate the Dollhouse is unclear as Echo learns more about Iris West.

Hunter Zolomon as the Alpha analogue. A serial killer before he was wiped and made into a doll, he was meant to showcase the ability for the Dollhouse technology to 'rehabilitate' criminals. Instead the composite event has made him worse and now the Dollhouse is denying his existence even as he has begun causing them problems while on the run.

Cisco (with some Reverb's god complex thrown in) as the Topher analogue. The Active technology was all fun and games until the thing with Alpha happened and he's begun to realize that, despite his own brilliance, there may be more at work with his tech than even he understands.

Caitlin as the Claire Saunders/Whiskey analogue. She was injured by Alpha during the composite event attack and has become something of a shut in as Dr. Snow due to her scars. I'd take her in a very different (and yet in many ways similar) direction from the Dollhouse character in order to tie in Frost and maybe even Khione.

Eddie Thawne as sort of a Boyd analogue, but not really. He's a former cop who, after getting shot taking down the Clock King, has retired to the theoretically safer job of being an Active Handler. As the nephew of Eobard Thawne, founder of the Thawne corporation that runs the Dollhouse, Eddie gets looked down on at first for appearing to have gotten the job through nepotism. He's vocally disdainful of the 'engagements' Actives get sent on, but quickly becomes attached to Echo/Iris - especially as he realizes that she's starting to develop a personality that can't be erased.

Julian Albert as the Paul Ballard analogue. It's not Echo/Iris he becomes fixated on, however. He's searching for Whiskey/Caitlin, whom he had previously encountered twice when she was still an... active Active. He winds up being approached, however, by Joe West who has been searching for his daughter for the last three years. He suspects the Thawne Corp as being the backer for the Dollhouses and is hoping that Julian can help him find Iris... even if she isn't Iris anymore.

E2 Dinah Laurel Lance as the Adelle Dewitt analogue. Dinah worked hard to become the leader of the LA Dollhouse and she runs a tight ship. All that should matter is getting the engagements completed and satisfying the customers, but she is very protective of her dolls. But at the end of the day she has stricter morals than she realizes and lines she absolutely will not cross that will, no matter how good the paycheck she's promised is.

Barry Allen as sorta kinda not really the Victor/Anthony analogue. Barry was with Iris when she investigating the Thawne Corp and was badly injured. Iris thought he was dead when she went on the run, but really he survived and nearly a year later was essentially strong armed into the LA Dollhouse in a similar manner as to how Iris later was. He still recognizes Iris - and is still in love with her - even in his doll state. Unlike Iris, he's seen Eobard Thawne, the elusive and possibly missing founder of the Thawne Corp.

Eobard Thawne as the Clyde 2.0 analogue except not. Eobard was the sole founder of the Thawne Corp after he developed a number of breakthroughs in college... with Harrison Wells. However, Wells didn't like where the memory copying and imprinting tech was going and bowed out, ceding ownership of the research to Thawne if it meant getting as far away from it as possible. It was only a matter of time before Eobard started using his tech for achieving immortality of a sort and he may have started body surfing after a car accident several years earlier.

Harrison "Harry" Wells as the Clyde 1.0 analogue except also not. He never actually stopped researching the tech he initially developed with Eobard, trying to find ways to protect people from being wiped since he predicted that, one day, it would be possible to wipe and imprint new personalities remotely, with the right lighting and/or sound waves even someone without the Active Architecture embedded in their brain could be turned into a doll. He's been able to develop personal protection devices that he and his daughter have at all times - Jesse largely unaware of what's going on beyond her father's 'endearingly silly' paranoia. He theorized that repeated imprinting/wiping could lead to an immunity to the wiping process - but not the imprinting process - leading to the development of a core personality. And while he's fascinated by the concept, it's not something he was eager to see in reality. So he isn't exactly thrilled when Agent Albert and Detective West show up at his doorstep demanding to know what he knows about the Dollhouse.

I'm not totally sold on E2 Laurel as Dewitt, though obviously I think she'd work well in that position. I don't really have a Dominic analogue decided on yet. Hartley would probably show up working for another Dollhouse and act as Cisco's rival - they're both, with great reluctance, impressed with each other's work.

Eddie initially thinks all the dolls are volunteers one way or another, but learning otherwise throws him pretty firmly - and quickly - onto Team 'screw Thawne Corp'. This team also includes Julian, Joe, and Harrison on the outside, though Julian joins as a fellow mole when Eddie gets reluctantly promoted.

While Iris/Echo is still unique in that she's becoming resistant to the wiping/imprinting process waaaay faster than average, it's still implied that most people do wind up becoming immune eventually, thus the five year limit on Active contracts. However, if an Active is imprinted only a few times, then they don't develop a core personality and thus a personality could achieve immortality through body surfing.

The show also hinted at cloning coming into play with Rossum possibly cloning copies of the original body to keep downloading peoples minds into for 'immortality' with the hijacking of other people's bodies as a sort of in-between option until cloning got to where it was needed. (Adelle's former employment and a few other pieces of potential foreshadowing.) So I'd likely bring that in more, with Thawne Corp known for, amongst other things, being at the forefront of 'ethical cloning research' where organs and the like are cloned without creating a whole new human. Except of course they are actually also making whole new humans too.

This is definitely one of the more nebulous ideas in my head, though, so it's not one I really expect to ever write. But it is a fun plot bunny to play with for a bit.

#fic ideas #the flash #dollhouse #fanfiction #fusion au ideas

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t00thpasteface · 2 years ago

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What's your (spoiler light) read on the personalities of Martin and Lucien?

I need it for fic reasons

-Mellowscrolls

ok FIRST OFF let me say that by "spoiler light" i assume you mean you're still in the process of playing their respective quests, to which i insist that you should take everything i (some internet jester) say with a grain of void salts and prioritize finishing the quests and coming to your own conclusions. THAT BEING SAID, i know most RPGs suffer from the fact that they can never truly be as explicit in their worldbuilding and characterization as a less interactive medium like, say, a novel, given the constraints that player interaction and choice will place on the direction and depth of a story, so sometimes a little brainstorming is necessary to fill in the gaps. here's my takes:

i've said before that Martin seems like he's being weighed down and pushed forward by a LOT of guilt and regret. even his sense of obligation to the empire has an edge of self-flagellation to it. he is a hilariously catholic character while also being the closest thing to an agnostic in the tes universe after Else God-Hater-- there's a lot to unpack there. his past is defined by (1) running away, (2) making huge mistakes that ruin lives, and (3) denying himself and his own needs and wants. whether it's as a mage, cultist, priest, or emperor, his life is defined by being pushed into/out of certain identities by outside forces and losing parts of himself in each stage. he does a lot of running away and hiding in his life, literal and metaphorical.

and what's worse is he's overwhelmingly referred to by other characters AS his titles in the game: priest and emperor. he's never Martin; he's either Brother Martin, denying himself a personal identity and considering himself to be just another expendable priest, or Emperor Martin Septim, denied a personal identity by others and treated mostly as a living plot-device and sacrificial lamb who gets picked up and moved around like the Amulet of Kings. i think more than anything, as cliche as this may sound, he probably just wants to Be Himself. but it's easier to just bury all that down and throw yourself into the monotony and routine of the Akatosh Chantry than it is to do any real introspection, so... you know the rest.

by contrast i see Lucien as a total control freak who puts on a big grand suave personality as a deliberate act, and underneath, it he's extremely petty and vindictive. he's always in charge. he always strikes first and he can always make an escape. he sets the terms for every interaction and expects complete unwavering loyalty and obedience in return. he lets you see only what he thinks you need to see-- of the brotherhood, of his methods, even of his body. even his dedication to Sithis is self-righteous and authoritative: Sithis works through HIM. the black hand must be preserved insofar as his authority and power must be preserved; he requires the veneer of credibility that the black hand provides. the black hand must be preserved because it is valuable to his needs and goals. and you will do exactly as he says, when and how he says to do it, in order to make that happen. and you will not ask questions.

this ends up being kind of a blind spot because he's so used to being in control, and absolutely NEEDS to be, that he underestimates his enemies/weaknesses bc he sees himself as a chessmaster. he doesn't want to think about someone outsmarting him, so he doesn't think about it, and therefore it's not even on his radar. the possibility does not exist in his mind so he can't pick up on the signs. and he ESPECIALLY can't ask you to watch his back-- only follow his orders, because to do otherwise would be to insinuate weakness. he's been in it so long that started believing his own persona. if Martin needs to find himself so he can make his own choices, Lucien needs to find himself so he can let someone else make some choices for once.

as for how those personalities would interact, congeal, or clash: it's entirely UP TO YOU!! and i'm eager to see what you (or anyone else) can come up with...

#shebbz shoutz #anon hour #tes #oblivion #lucien lachance #martin septim #ask

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violets-arepurple · 2 years ago

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Sskk headcanons that are probably ooc because I'm in the need for soft things once more

Akutagawa likes to stroke through/pet Atsushis hair when they're cuddling

This is perfect for Atsushi as he do be having those cat like tendancies

Whilst Akutagawa does have money he tends to keep the expensive gifts and meals to the house were Atsushi can't see price tags as he worries that Atsushi may feel inadequate

When they do have dates it tends to be somewhere more lowkey due to their mutual dislike of crowded areas and the fact that Akutagawa is a wanted criminal regardless of how unlikely it is for him to be arrested

Preferred date spots include aquariums, botanical gardens, little tea shops, or Akutagawas place

They rarely go to Atsushis place because it's at the agency and Dazai once made a joke about making sure they keep the door open

They hold hands a lot Akutagawa has really cold hands because he's basically a sickly victorian orphan and Atsushi runs quite warm so together they make the perfect temperature

If they're somewhere secluded Akutagawa will lift their hands up so he can kiss Atsushis hand

I feel like he read some old fashioned courting books, applied some common sense and is trying his best

Atsushi usually goes for cheek kisses

When given the choice Atsushi prefers to sleep with things around him because anything else reminds him of how empty the cage is so if he's sharing a bed with Akutagawa he'll often times get Akutagawa to sleep on top of him

Akutagawa also brought extra pillows even if he completely denies it

Akutagawa also wraps rashoumon around them like a weird mix between a weighted and heated blanket

They have nights were they sit and trace eachothers scars and feel any emotions they need to without fear of judgment

Atsushi still transforms on the full moon Akutagawa was kind of freaked out the first couple of times because the tiger is overwhelmingly powerful and just didn't tell Atsushi about it

Now he's just kind of accepted that he may sometimes wake up in bed with a giant glowing tiger, with the tiger making sure he goes back to sleep

He informed Atsushi of this by asking him if he wanted to see a cute cat video and then sending him a video of himself as the tiger

Atsushi hasn't quite gotten over it or the fact that Akutagawa has a collection of video and pictures of himself and the tiger but he's never quite felt so loved

Something about the tiger being loved hits different when everyone else in his life treats him as threat

I feel like Akutagawa refers to Atsushi as 'my love' if it's just them two or something equally sappy

Atsushi is one of two people who call Akutagawa by his first name, the other being Gin

Speaking of Gin she and Atsushi get on great, they are slightly the bane of Akutagawas existence

They have eachothers contacts as brothers boyfriend and boyfriends sister respectively, they find themselves hilarious

It took a long time for them both to process Dazais past and present respectively but they're getting there

Akutagawa depends on him a bit less and Atsushi doesn't idolise him as much and they're getting towards a healthy balance

The first time Akutagawa took rashoumon of around him was when Atsushi fell asleep at the table writing reports in an effort to stay up and wait for Akutagawa to get home and woke up with rashoumon around his shoulders whilst Akutagawa was making dinner across the room

It was a massive display of trust on Akutagawas part and Atsushi has vowed never to break that trust

Atsushi display of trust came in telling Akutagawa everything that happened at the orphanage

They've briefly discussed marriage (this is further down the line) and Atsushis happy to become an Akutagawa as Nakajima as a family name means little to him

I like to think they eventually get a little black and white cat that gets spoiled rotten

They're in love your honour

#bsd #bungou stray dogs #bsd atsushi #bsd akutagawa #bsd headcanons #shin soukoku #sskk

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may-clouds · 3 years ago

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HALLMARK MOVIES

weasley twins x gn!reader blurb

― muggle movies were always something that made the twins laugh, mainly because of how bad they were, so forcing them through as many same-ish christmas movies as you could sounded like fun

― platonic fluff

― 0.6k words

― warnings: sexual jokes and swearing (i think)

fred weasley masterlist // george weasley masterlist

twelve days of christmas masterlist

"Thanks for having us over, Y/n!" George grinned from your sofa. He, along with his brother, had instantly made himself at home the second you'd let them in.

"I didn't really have a choice did I?" you laugh sitting down between the two boys, "You two just apparated to my doorstep and yelled at the top of your lungs until I opened the door."

"Oh but you love us for it." Fred shot back, something that you couldn't deny. You enjoyed their company after all.

You look at him in utter disbelief, "My parents thought someone was breaking in!"

"But weren't you the one that wanted to show us some muggle Christmas stuff?" Fred asked.

"I guess so..." you trail off, fiddling with the hem of your thick winter sweater.

"Exactly." they both smirk in sync.

You clear your throat with a frown, annoyed that they'd won that argument, "Well I wanted to show you some Christmas movies, and apart from a few, they're all the same."

"Alright, I'd like to see how the Muggles celebrate Christmas." George shrugged, and Fred murmured a brief, "Yeah, me too."

With a determined look on your face, you snatch up the television remote from under a cushion and start flicking through your different streaming services.

After a little bit of scrolling through the wide array of selections, you find a title that makes you smile, "There's this one called 'Bone Alone' so I reckon we wa-"

"Is that a porno or something?" Fred interrupted, not looking up from his phone.

Both you and George paused, turning to look at eachother, and then at the older twin as if he'd grown another head.

"Fred, mate, what sort of porn are you watching? There's literally a dog on the cover!" George exclaims, pointing at the bright screen of your television.

Fred jerks his head away from the device in his hand, eyes wide with shock. He checked the movie cover on the TV, and sure enough, there was a dog there.

"Hey! I didn't see that!" he yelps, "But don't tell me that the title doesn't sound like it could be one!"

George bursted into laughter, causing you and Fred to follow suit. Soon enough, all of you were doubling over on the sofa, but you quickly tried to compose yourself.

"Anyway," you grimace, causing the twins to laugh even harder, "I think it's supposed to be a dog parody of another movie called 'Home Alone', except 'Home Alone' is actually a good Christmas movie."

"So why can't we watch that one instead of the bad ones?" George groaned, looking at you as if you'd said something insane.

"The bad ones are funnier to laugh at." you shrug, "Besides, watching bad movies is fun."

"If you say so..." Fred murmurs.

The movie lasted around ninety minutes, and you and the twins were on the verge of tears from laughing for the entirety of that time.

There was something insanely hilarious about the way that the dogs' mouths were animated, not to mention the horrible dialogue and frequent plot-holes.

"Oh my Merlin, you were right about bad movies being funny." Fred says between bursts of laughter when the credits finally start playing.

The festive music rang out through the room, mingling with the sounds of your laughter.

"See? I'm always right about these things!"

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kidcooper02 · 2 years ago

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MY SUPER AWESOME THOUGHTS ON BLUE BEETLE 06

Finally finished it! I enjoyed every minute of it man, it took me about a week? Anyway, god I love Jaime so much, he was a fantastic main character.

I loved seeing his struggles as they were so on the nose of what someone in his position WOULD think. The fear of it all overshadowing any moment of "huh that was cool." God and just...those first issues were heart wrenching. He was gone for a whole year....his family's reactions OUUGHH and the flashback of how he lost said year. JAIME ON THE FLOOR REMEMBERING HOW AFRAID HE WAS TO DIE ALONE ☹☹☹ I loved the themes the run dealt with, the themes of death and what does duty mean to you. It was a super interesting read and one of my favorite things to see superheroes handle

Anyway...CHARACTERS, Again, Jaime fufilled his main character role so well, I don't think anyone overshadowed him. And he was too fucking relatable my god....like I can't even believe how much I could see myself in him. I really liked the fact that they never forgot to highlight Jaime's normality and the mundane things we wants and thinks of. Being characterized as kind of a nerd AND becoming a geek too because of Ted's notes....its so nice to see nerd Mexican rep 🙏🙏 I also found it charming that hes so small lol now that's fucking accurate. And the way he spoke was just, timeless. So on par with younger gen dialogue I thought he was so funny.

And moving on to the struggle to find his own identity in being a legacy hero without ever meeting the predecessors....that whole last issue was painful but in a good way. I really enjoyed it.

BRENDA AND PACO, I absolutely adored them, Paco only knowing Spanglish hes just like me fr AND BRENDA I really wish they showed her off more with her aikido but I also loved that she was the brains for a bit. And I loved that the friend group was well rounded! You could see how all three of them cared and loved each other it never felt like someone was shoved aside. And I loved that they were so ride or die and that Jaime immediately was like "omg guys there's a voice in my head" and they went "no fucking way what's it saying?"

JAIME'S FAMILY ☹☹☹☹ also so accurate I adored them... I liked that with all their love, they also weren't afraid to let Jaime know when he was fucking up without it being a whole big mess. Again, very accurate to keep the family unit so close but not afraid to call out shit within the circle. And his and Milagro's relationship...oml my brother and I fr

PEACEMAKER Loved that Jaime kept trying to make him his mentor and he WAS even if he denied it. I really liked the role he played here, I think it was a good thing to expose Jaime to the lows of cape life out the gate. The kinds of thoughts Khaji da would put in his head, the brutality of the Reach, and the choices he needed to make, I'm glad Peacemaker came out the gate to let him know the hard parts so Jaime was able to triumph through the bad.

HECTOR, NADIA, AND TRACI, I actually really Hector and Nadia! It was cool again to round out the cast with only Latinos and letting them be the guys in the chair ah I loved it. Hector was so goofy and I loved Nadia's "eccentricity." I wish Traci got to do more here or at least get to have more dialogue outside of her relationship with Jaime. I loved that she was the confident one in the relationship and that you can tell she's having fun with what she does. I'd like to read more of her own stories because in this run I felt she kindaaa bordered "manic pixie dream girl" but she also wasn't there enough for a final answer. My favorite moment with her was at Jaime's family reunion and she had all the babies that was cute.

And real quick, loved the rep of the Posse, they were allies but also did some shady shit and Jaime had to be like "hmm I'm friends with some strange people" just like my family fr 🙏🙏 (FORLEGALREASONSTHATSAJOKE)

ALSO THAT WHOLE ISSUE WITH THE TITANS WAS HILARIOUS I LOVED IT SO MUCH

Favorite moments in the whole run; every time Brenda called a girl hot, "YOU CAN'T CALL ME PENDEJO, YOU'RE VANILLA", Paco beating dentist Jaime, all the conversations Jaime had with his parents, Jaime kicking ass without Scarab and saying "Blue Beetles don't need powers!", Traci watching Aqua Teen Hunger Force, Anubis and Devil Dog lmao, "are any of you old enough to drink", and of course, "one behind this? Rich white guy, just saying."

The ART!!!!!! I ADORE HOW FUN BLUE BEETLE IS TO LOOK AT AHHH I LOVED HIS DESIGN AND HOW THEY DREW HIS EXPRESSIONS AND THE COLORS AND ALL THE DIFFERENT PEOPLE SURROUNDING HIM! THEY LOOK LIKE US, JAIME LITERALLY LOOKS LIKE MY BROTHER IN HIGH SCHOOL AND I LITERALLY HAVE A PIC WHERE I LOOK EXACTLY LIKE MILAGRO. IT WAS SO MUCH FUN TO ABSORB

I loved this run so much, definitely would and will be rereading it, 9/10

One last thing

I fucking loved that Jaime made this face all the damn time cuz I also make this face all the time so true bestie

#jaime my beloved #blue beetle #jaime reyes #my thoughts #dc

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takuyakistall · 4 years ago

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tuna | anniversary special

Synopsis: A normal day in Yuu's new life in NRC but, somehow, today made them feel a little bit nostalgic.

Notes: I wanted to write something for Twisted Wonderland's anniversary! This game really means so much to me and I don't think I would've picked up writing again if I didn't stumble upon it. Something about Grim and Yuu's relationship makes me emotional and the fact that Grim got a new card in the game didn't help me cope at all. I ended up writing this fic as a result, this is just purely fluff! (I think) I hope you guys like this.

The smell of charred coal and an oily can of tuna greeted Yuu's nostrils as they stirred awake, grumbling incoherent words as their eyes adjusted to the sudden sunlight entering their room through the window. It was almost peaceful.

Almost.

Had it not been for Grim feasting on his tuna noisily and messily. Yuu sighed as they stood up from their bed and began to arrange it—folding the sheets, dusting the pillows and set them aside neatly. The creaking of the floorboards with each step they took used to unnerve them, afraid that it might give in one day but Yuu learned to get used to it. Though sometimes they can't help but worry for the day when it actually gives in. Maybe they could ask Headmaster Crowley before that happens?

Yuu shook their head and dismissed the thought. The last thing they wanted to hear was Crowley spouting nonsense all over again and then disappearing without a trace. Judging from all the times Crowley has let them down, who's to say that he won't do it again? They pulled out the wooden chair placed by the table and scrunched their face when they saw how Grim was eating.

"You're making a mess everywhere!" Yuu scolded, trying to snatch the tuna can from his hands (paws?) before he could knock the other stuff down on the table. Grim didn't bother refuting as he sat back lazily on the chair, a satisfied grin on his face.

"Mhm... That was delicious~!" Grim let out a merry sigh. The breakfast he'd been used to everyday wasn't something he would look forward to or enjoy. Living in an abandoned dorm meant that no one else was there to cook for them but theirselves and there was no way Yuu was letting the ghosts handle the cooking. As a result, most of their meals were either bland or too little in terms of portions—Crowley wasn't one to ensure these types of things so that's one more thing Yuu adds to the list of 'Why I don't like the Headmaster'.

So when Grim found a can of tuna lying around somewhere, he didn't waste a second to grab the golden opportunity in front of him. Though there was one tiny little problem with what Grim did.

Yuu got that for their breakfast today.

Together.

And much to their misfortune and Grim's doom, the can was empty. Yuu had to pause for a moment to process the sudden discovery—Grim ate all of the tuna. They had to clench their fist tightly so as to not grab the ribbon tied around Grim's neck and shake him like a pepper shaker. Grim was blissfully unaware of the way Yuu was giving him glares that could kill and continued to relish himself in his euphoria. Though that was short-lived when Yuu decided to open their mouth, gentle anger lacing their voice.

"Grim. Did you eat all of the tuna?" They crossed their arms across their chest, a perfect close eyed smile on their face as they tilted their head slightly when they questioned Grim. He froze for a moment, eyes widening and his lips slightly twitching as Yuu furrowed their eyebrows. Clearly, they saw how the sudden realization hit the raccoon-cat (or whatever he was) and how nervous he became. He needs to think of an excuse—fast.

"A-Ah! About this…" Grim started, throwing his paws around in the air, making out incomprehensible gestures. Though before they could hear his explanation, an important thought crossed over Yuu's mind and they felt their blood run cold.

"Hey… Grim. What time is it?" They didn't wait for a reply, feet already scrambling towards their closet as they vigorously looked for a clean uniform. Grim held a confused expression.

"Eh, time? Isn't it…"

"Grim you idiot! We're bloody late!"

"F'nya!! Why didn't ya tell me sooner!?"

"Oh so now it's my fault? You're the one who didn't wake me up!"

"Professor Trein is going to be so mad…"

"Just shut up and start walking!"

Both of them dashed out from Ramshackle, the doorknob at the entrance getting slightly jammed so Yuu had no choice but to break the rickety door down. Not that it was difficult though, burglars could've easily killed them during their sleep—that is, if people even manage to climb a whole mountain to bother stealing from them. They'll just have to explain the door incident to Headmaster Crowley as well later. That is, if they manage to talk to him at all.

But, for now, the only thing stuck in their heads was to run as fast as they can or else it was off with their heads!

“You’re late.” Their teacher, Professor Mozus Trein, spoke in a cold tone. Gingerly stroking his cat’s head as it purred but that didn't give Yuu and Grim any ease at all when they stood there, unmoving, at the classroom entrance. Yuu tried to keep a neutral expression, hands at their side and feet together. Grim, on the other hand, wasn’t doing so well with doing the same as Yuu. He had trouble standing straight on two legs so he decided to climb up Yuu’s back to their shoulder and stayed there.

The sudden shift in weight on one of their shoulders made them grimace slightly.

“Good morning, Professor. Please excuse my tardiness, it won’t happen again.” Yuu bowed slightly, hoping that this would all be over quickly and he would let them go to their respective chairs. They straightened their back, looking at Trein directly before he gave them a slight nod and returning his attention to the chalkboard in front.

Yuu and Grim let out a sigh of relief simultaneously as they quickly went to their respective seats with Grim hopping off Yuu’s shoulder. He grabbed a bunch of books from Yuu’s bag to stack them up. Sitting on it since he wasn’t tall enough to see on his own without the desk obstructing his view.

Yuu caught the sight of Ace trying hard to keep in his laughter in the corner of their eye. They wondered for a moment about what Ace could possibly be laughing about until they heard Grim snarl ever so slightly. As if a lightbulb suddenly popped up over Yuu’s head, it suddenly clicked all too well.

He was laughing at them.

Although Yuu didn’t particularly mind being laughed at by that clown, Ace Trappola, Grim didn’t share the same sentiment. They had to hold back Grim’s tail to stop him from throwing a fit during class—it was a good thing Professor Trein had his back turned or else they’d be in bigger trouble.

A few minutes into class and Yuu could already feel their head explode. Coming from a completely different world than Twisted Wonderland, there was no doubt that they were going to have difficulty understanding things from here. While History of Magic was indeed an interesting subject, Yuu couldn’t help but feel the need to pull their hair out when they saw what Professor Trein was writing on the board.

‘Those symbols… am I supposed to know them? This looks more like a summoning circle more than anything, how am I supposed to understand this?’

They slapped their forehead repeatedly and forced theirselves to stare at the board once more—hoping that staring at it for a while would miraculously make them understand whatever that is. Grim, on the other hand, looked like he was boding well—looking so studious and listening attentively. But the moment he picked up a pen, that’s when the image was ruined. Yuu had to stifle their laughter when they saw him struggle to write on paper.

While it was a bit mean to laugh at him, Yuu couldn’t deny the fact that the drastic change was hilarious.

“Yuu, is there something you’d like to share with the class?” Professor Trein suddenly called out their name. Their back straightened and their gaze immediately snapped to the teacher in front. It seems like the Professor was paying more attention to Yuu.

Someone in the classroom let out a snort. Small, but audible for it to be heard by everyone in the dead silent classroom.

“Ace Trappola, do you have something to say as well?”

Ace stood up almost immediately.

“N-Nothing, Professor!”

Yuu was a tiny bit glad that Ace slipped up. At least they won’t be alone when Professor Trein decides to punish them. They shot a mischievous look at Ace, sticking their tongue out that screams: Serves you right!

“Dismissed.” With one single word from Trein, the class burst into a series of relieved sighs and yawns—a few ones groaning here and there but they were eventually glared at by the Professor and his poofy cat. Ace sluggishly walked towards Yuu and Grim with Deuce, who looked as fresh as ever, following behind.

“Hey, did you get everything Professor Trein said? Today’s class was sooo boring.” Ace whined, crossing his arms over his chest as he asked his three friends.

“Nope.” Yuu answered truthfully as they put back their pen into their case.

“Not at all…” Deuce closed his eyes and clutched his forehead.

“Hmph! Of course I did, I even took down notes.” Grim was proud as he puffed out his chest. Ace’s eyes perked up for a moment, wondering if he would let him view his notes until a sudden realization struck him. He wouldn’t be able to decipher Grim’s terrible handwriting in the first place. His expression slowly turned into one of disappointment—something akin to the feeling of finding out your name wasn’t in the Top 50.

Deuce was the first to comment. “These are….. Notes?”

“Grr! What’s that supposed to mean!?”

“It looks like a bunch of scribbles made by a cat.” Yuu added. Grim was about to be fuming mad until his ears drooped down slightly, Yuu felt a pang hit their chest. Could they possibly be feeling bad?

“Well… I’ll give you an A for effort.” Yuu patted Grim’s head, hoping that they didn’t hurt his feelings too much after that comment. Instead of lifting his spirits up, Grim felt like his soul got crushed. He felt like Yuu pitied him more than actual commendation, but he won’t say anything. He’ll take the crumbs of praise he can get.

Ace straightened up and walked towards the exit, dragging his legs slightly as he called out his friends. “Oi! Let’s go have lunch already, I’m starving!”

“Coming!” Deuce replied before promptly poking Yuu’s shoulder to make sure that they heard Ace.

“Alright, alright. Give me a minute to fix all my stuff, you guys can go ahead.” Grim stared at Yuu, wondering who should he go with—Yuu or Ace and Deuce? He was going to accompany the Heartslabyul Duo until he remembered how Yuu didn’t get to eat breakfast because of him.

He felt a little bit bad for leaving them like this.

He opened his mouth to say that he’s going to stay with Yuu until they suddenly cut into his thoughts like a knife into butter.

“Grim, you can go ahead too. Save a seat for me while you’re at it.”

“Are ya sure?” Grim asked them for reassurance.

“...? Are you going to miss me or something?” Yuu teased.

“No way! Nevermind, I’m leaving!”

Yuu watched as the Ace, Deuce, and Grim exited the door before letting their smile drop into a frown. They wondered if today was an okay date to ask the Headmaster about progress on the whole ‘find Yuu a way back home’ thing. But, there was a possibility that their visit to his office will be all for naught. Crowley was someone unpredictable, after all—eccentric is another way to put it nicely.

They tapped their fingers against the desk rhythmically. Dozens of thoughts running inside their head. The chatter outside the classroom cutting their train of thoughts continuously which annoyed them to death but it was something they took comfort in. The nostalgic noises of a bustling school filled with students going on and about.

It reminded them of their homeworld.

Yuu decided to look for Crowley as they stood up from their chair. A nostalgic bitterness lingering in their mouth as they left.

“Why did I think I would find him today?” Yuu asked no one in particular. Eyes glued to the wall clock as they counted the minutes they had left before break ended and classes started again. They silently dwelled on their regret of visiting Crowley’s office, it was nothing but a waste of time. Now they had less than 30 minutes to go into the cafeteria to get some food.

Each step they took was taxing. They put too much force with every one and perhaps that was a result of getting mad at a useless bird—their temper can’t help but explode a little bit. By the time Yuu arrived, they spotted the idiot trio sitting by the window. They had already finished eating long ago but they were still there. A thought popped into their head.

‘Could it be…? They were waiting for me!?’ Yuu knew it was nowhere near the truth but perhaps they can indulge theirself once in a while with these kinds of thoughts. Grim was the first to spot them.

“Where were you!? Break is almost over.” The grumble Yuu’s stomach let out made their cheeks heat up in embarrassment. Maybe it was because they skipped breakfast? Grim felt bad. This was his fault, wasn't it? Ace and Deuce urged Yuu to go buy something to eat but one look at the line formed by the counter, Yuu immediately declined. They’re going to be late for class if they waited!

Grim stared at the small portion of lunch he set aside for himself for later. Much to no one’s surprise, it was fish. He had a debate with himself—asking if he wanted to keep this or offer it to Yuu. In the end, he went for the latter. He nudged Yuu with his paw before holding up the plate with his two paws.

“Have this if you want… Ya didn’t get to eat breakfast because of me, right? I feel kinda bad but here.”

Ace’s eyes were wide in shock and Deuce dropped his yogurt. Yuu was flabbergasted at the sudden nice gesture Grim was showing but-

“Sorry, but I don’t want rabies.”

Grim had to resist the urge to set everything on fire. Yuu had to bite back a laugh when they saw how mad Grim was—denying everything about him having rabies. The troubles they had about Crowley were long gone and replaced by the bubbling happiness growing in their chest. The sight of their friends—Grim, Ace and Deuce—was enough to convince them to forget about it. Even if it’s just for a short while.

The nostalgic taste danced in the tip of their tongue once again. A sudden wave of sadness washing over them as they thought about the day when they’ll eventually go back to their own world.

I’ll miss this. Definitely.

They looked up to see Grim causing a mess with Ace holding him back and Deuce trying to summon another cauldron. Yuu shook their head.

But, for now, let’s focus on the present.

Is it so bad that Yuu wanted the incompetent headmaster to stay incompetent? Just for a little longer, don’t find a way back.

#twst #twisted wonderland #twst writing #fanfic #self indulgent takoyaki #twisted wonderland grim #twst grim #ace trappola #deuce spade #twst ace #twst deuce #twisted wonderland ace #twisted wonderland deuce

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sinnoman · 3 years ago

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i headcannon that bakugou and monoma are cousins solely because the thought of kirishima being pissed off makes my chaotic heart do cart wheels.

warning: cursing.

if you didn’t know, it’s canon that kirishima doesn’t like monoma at all. like anytime the blonde opens his mouth, kirishima’s face drops. if you need proof, here you go:

now, kirishima is a sweet fucking boy and i doubt he’ll be violent with anyone unless it’s hero work or training. but can you imagine a world where bakugou and monoma are actually cousins and he finds out. he would snap and you cannot convince me otherwise.

and i’m not saying that kirishima would start throwing hands, all i’m saying is that he would absolutely fucking kill monoma.

“you can’t be cousins if he’s dead, bakubro :)”

let me set the stage on how i think this would go. it can go about three different directions.

one | he could be the type of person to try and suck it up and hold all his emotions in about this situation. and only let his true feelings show when neither bakugou or monoma are around.

"Don't you know, dumbass. Copycat and I are cousins." "Huh? Oh, greaaaaattttt."

two | he could try to pretend that this information doesn't exist. just completely ignores the fact that they're cousins and any time it's brought up he completely denies it.

"You guys aren't cousins." "Yes, we fucking are. I told you this yesterday." "No you didn't, because you guys aren't cousins."

three | immediately tries to remove monoma from bakugou's life. if it means he has to kill, he'll fucking do it.

"Don't you know me and Katsuki are cous—" *punches him straight in the nose.*

that being said i just know his personality would do a whoooole one-eighty.

his whole happiness and manly motto, out there fucking window. there’s no more rainbows and sunshine here at UA, dear reader. only pain and suffering as kirishima’s villain origin begins.

i don’t think it’s the fact that they’re cousins that would piss him off in itself. i just think he would be more upset at the fact someone who he dislikes actually is more close to someone he likes.

especially if he’s trying to get bakugou to be more open and get to know him. and here comes fucking monoma who immediately knows everything about his cousin (habits, likes, dislikes, and all) and doesn’t let kirishima find out anything for himself.

“hey, where are you going to eat—” “oh katsuki’s going to [enter favorite food place], it’s his favorite place. he might get spicy curry since they make it best there.”

kirishima, in his head:

and let's say after months of putting up with ruining his manly moments with bakugou he finally snaps. he speaks his mind and just goes offfff on him.

(and maybe monoma deserves it a little because he seems like the type of cousin that has no sense of division or boundaries and think just because you're friends with someone, he's friends with them too.)

scenerio:

kirishima is trying one of katsuki's favorite spicy instant ramen with him and monoma pops up.

"This a little too spicy, bro. I think I need some water." "Oh those? It's literally not that hot. Katsuki and I eat those all the time--" "Did I fucking ask if you eat these time? No, bitch." "Dude, chill. It was just a joke.." "No, you can take you, these ramen cups, and your clogged arteries and shut up! It wasn't a stupid joke. You want a fucking cookie for all these ramens you eat--

you get the gist.

and i can only imagine how katsuki would go about his fucking life choices knowing that kirishima hates monoma.

on one hand, it's his cousin so he really can't say anything because he doesn't want to lose his friend. (and maybe because he thinks it's fucking hilarious) but i also think he would pull kirishima aside at one point and tell him to just ignore monoma when he's around.

#bnha #boku no hero imagines #bnha headcanons #bnha kirishima #bnha bakugou #bnha monoma #bnha crack #crack headcanons #kirishima is best boy #until monoma is related to bakugou #all hell breaks loose #my hero academia #anime #manga

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boop-le-snoot · 4 years ago

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PARTY FAVOURS I CHAPTER 16

First time reader click here

Summary/TWs: Trouble is brewing. Canon-typical violence, graphic descriptions of wounds and Clint whump. Bad, terrible, no-good medical accuracy. Aliens. Reader is an anxious genius with low self-esteem and PTSD. ✨spicy sadness✨

From now on, chapters will be posted un-beta-ed. She's taking a lil break. 💖💝✨

I liked to think I had made peace with the fact that my boys and girls had one hell of a dangerous job. Natasha, Clint, Steve and Bucky frequently left for missions and while I missed their usual bickering in the background, it wasn't like the tower's common room became absolutely quiet. The fact that they mostly did recon-only missions helped, too, as they would come home unharmed and in one piece. The worry was there but subtle - like setting the table and including silverware for the people who were gone on a mission.

Peter's patrols went less smoothly, usually. He was small and even in his spider-suit, the boy was frequently underestimated by common thugs. Apparently, they didn't know how to read the news - it was blatantly obvious the hero was enhanced. And yet somehow, Pete more often than not sported all sorts of bruises, scratches and tears.

Tony and I routinely tore out our hair over the spiderboy's carelessness. The engineer had a funny way of showing he cared for Peter. Once I got to know him better, my brain dubbed them as Irondad and Spiderson. And it wasn't weird at all, somehow, that I was basically fucking my best friend's dad. Tony never made me uncomfortable, if anything, he went to great lengths to accommodate my whims. Tony continuously found time for me, answered my dumb questions and soldiered through the shenanigans I got up to after having too much caffeine and too little sleep.

Sitting in the quiet, empty common room was unnerving. It was shortly after dinner time - the evening news skipped their usual political debate in favour of the battle that was raging downtown, the reason for my headache and wrung hands.

I missed Tony's running mouth. The aliens the team was fighting looked quite hilarious, murderous intentions aside, and I could only imagine the way Tony and Clint would mock them. Hentai rejects. Tentacle porn knock-offs. The aliens were squid-like, about half the size of a human and very, very slippery, from what I spied on the TV.

An irritated-looking Stephen had me equal parts apprehensive and drooling - one after another, he conjured up a series of small portals, teleporting the aggressive octopods only god knew where. It would have looked incredibly badass if not for the exhausted sheen of sweat I could see on his brow, even despite the camera footage being shaky and grainy.

The news footage showed Tony - Iron Man, soaring contentedly through the darkening skies and taking out the squirmy mass of tentacles with his plasma beam repulsors. Steve and Bucky and Loki appeared too, sporadically, being well-oiled murder machines. Nothing new.

Yet, I worried. The little worm of doubt was squirming full-force. I tried to ignore it, yet pacing, sitting and playing Candy Crush got me nowhere. I pestered Friday to order pizza, the team's usual post-mission order plus a large one for me - stress-eating was better than stress-popping-molly in a tower full of superheroes. It took some courage to admit to myself I'd gotten attached enough to be this much from running away from all that in a blind panic.

And it would be the best option for them, really, because they had much sensible things to worry about than me. Yet every time, my selfishness won against even the most logical arguments I presented. I hated fighting myself but it was all I did - not only I was in love with Tony, I loved him.

Even when he forgot about my existence for five days, to emerge from his workshop with a new piece of tech that revolutionised one or another or something else. I loved him when he annoyed the ever living fuck out of everybody, me included, because I knew that it was hilarious to see people getting riled up over totally trivial shit. I loved Tony Stark when he ran away from his feelings, and everybody else's, because he never managed to run far enough. Or he didn't want to. I loved him, because he was like a multilayered puzzle, complex and captivating and beautiful.

I thought a lot about it, more than people would have noticed. For someone as selfish and goal-oriented as me, Tony lived in my head rent-free most of the time. And nobody would find out if I had the choice because let's face it, I'm a short cameo in his life. I'm a fuckin' catch and even then, I can't expect to hold his attention forever. His genius is too brilliant to settle for one when he could easily have the whole damn world.

Another hour consisted of me pacing and accompanying the pizza delivery boys to the common floor. It was hilarious - they were obviously star-struck about walking the same carpet as their heroes. I could see the faint hope of meeting one of the Avengers in their eyes, their posture. All they got was me - in my sweatpants, Tony's tee and no bra. My tits got the attention they deserved, at least.

My lounging was interrupted by a golden circle noisily appearing in the middle of the room, followed by Clint abruptly falling through it with a pained moan. I froze, the pizza in my mouth turning to ash - Strange poked his head through the hole in space, finding my eyes. He looked exhausted.

"Help him, I don't have much time," He breathed and disappeared, closing the portal behind himself.

The pizza piece flew back in the box as I stumbled, jumped over the headrest, kneeling beside Clint in no time. "Bird, tell me what hurts," I demanded. Not that I had a clue what to do. I mean, I knew basic first aid and...

"My leg," He gritted out, curling in on himself. Fear flooded me, limbs turning to lead. Hawk had a good pain tolerance, I knew he could break an arm and not utter a single syllable until he thought it safe to showcase his vulnerability. "That squid motherfucker stung me, I don't know. My whole body is on fire," His speech was slurred.

I nodded, deciding to limit the touching to only the necessary actions. The leg of his pants was torn and the wound itself was shaped like a whip mark, thin and red and angry. It oozed a yellowish pus-like substance, it smelled bitter, almost like stale water and seaweed salad. I didn't know much about aliens but jellyfish stings, I could work with. A short Google check later, I had an approximate plan.

"Friday, run diagnostics." I ordered, taking a deep breath and filing away the fear, the panic and anxiety for later.

"Mr. Barton has a wound that appears to be contaminated with an unknown chemical that is causing an adverse reaction. The elevated body temperature suggests that his immune system is fighting it. I would suggest a blood test to examine the offending specimens."

A blood draw? I could do that. I definitely, absolutely, could do that.

"Bird, Clint, did you hear that?" I gently touched his shoulder only for him to recoil from my hand, muttering unintelligibly. "Pretty bird, I'm going to help you. Let me." My bedside manner needed improvement - with brain running a mile a minute, I babbled utter nonsense as Friday directed me to the needed supplies. Getting the blood was a feat on it's own - I had to physically sit on top of Clint to get but a tiny vial of the red liquid.

A few tears escaped the emotional fortress I had to build within myself. Clint was in so, so much pain - pain I was inadvertently making worse by touching him. I sprinted to Bruce's lab, feeding the sample to be analysed by Friday, tearing through the room in a hurricane. First aid kit, IV, saline, antibiotics. Restraints, too, just in case.

"Analysis complete. The contaminant appears to be acting similarly to a parasitic infection with a short life-span. Primarily feeds on copper, iron and various metals contained in the human body. Does not appear to reproduce or multiply, my algorithms cannot determine the cause of said behaviour. Calculating..." Friday's mechanical voice paused. "I have calculated the approximate duration of Mr. Barton's symptoms. Onset of critical stage in one to three hours. Complete extinction of parasitic organisms in approximately sixty hours."

"Fri, do you think I have a chance of saving Clint before he goes crazy from pain? And have you figured out what's causing it?" My brain was all over the place.

"I have the best faith in you, miss." The AI sounded almost... Comforting? "I am still running multiple diagnostics. My algorithms suggest the organisms may be attacking the nerve endings - reason unclear."

An idea struck me. A crazy, brash, absurd idea. The pathogen was alien and we didn't have antibiotics to kill it. Even if I gave Clint some sort of medicine, it could go awry really really quickly. Besides, wasn't there a medical team for this..?

"Friday, alert the medical suite."

"Request denied. Per Mr. Stark's protocols, only Sir himself and Dr. Banner are authorized to request medical assistance in case of alien pathogen contamination."

"Fuck. Fuck, that makes no fuckin' sense!" I yelled helplessly. "Okay, do you have blood matching Clint's type laying around?" I asked sarcastically. This protocol pissed me off. What was Tony scared of? That someone would steal alien germs? Too late for that, there were plenty of samples all over the sidewalks downtown.

"A-positive, blue refrigerator, top shelf." Friday's answer was curt.

My hands shook. My whole body shook. Clint was laying in fetal position right where I'd left him and the man wasn't looking better - he became paler, dark circles under his eyes, clammy sweat breaking on every exposed part of his skin. Moving him was out of the question - Clint violently recoiled from me once I tried to touch him.

Reluctantly, I dragged the dining room chairs and piled up whatever heavy things I could on top of them, praying to every god that they would hold a trained man trash around in pain. Then, came the restraints. Belts with clips unlike one could see in a movie with a psych ward. I fumbled with them, then with Clint - very slowly, but I got both of his arms fastened and the man rolled onto his back.

"Wwhat... S'appening..?" Hawk finally slurred, cracking his eyes to see my (probably) disheveled and panicked face.

"This is going to hurt, I won't lie. A lot," I rambled, setting up the tools needed for both a blood draw and a blood transfusion. "I'm not a doctor. I'm not a scientist. You have alien parasites in your blood. I'm going to get rid of em," I announced, not mentioning the fact that I had to Google all the things I was going to do to him.

"S'okay, I trust you," Clint slurred again, moving about much more weakly than before. The tips of his fingers began to turn blue and the blood vessels on his face stood out in a pink-purple web. Not good.

My finest thinking moment: laying out some tarp around the archer and putting on gloves and a mask to minimize the possibility of getting infected. I started with the wound first, carefully wiping away the yellowish goop and immediately sealing it into a biohazard container. Some alcohol around the edges, the wound began emanating a faint wisp of smoke as Clint yelled hoarsely. I didn't even react - man, aliens and their germs were fuckin' weird.

Another biohazard container traveled next to Clint's arm. I had a disposable scalpel in one hand and my courage in another - it was now or never. The vein I was cutting was a minor one, but with Clint's body in total disarray, it was an ugly fountain of pinkish-purple liquid that spurted from it. I was no doctor but blood shouldn't have looked like that.

I stared at the timer on my phone. Twenty seconds, thirty, fifty. Eighty seconds, the blood was beginning to have more of a red hue. Clint's breathing slowed, tremors subsiding by a smidgen. One hundred and eighty seconds, the stream was a healthy deep red colour. With a swift motion, I wrapped up the wound, folded his arm, tied off the blood flow higher up his arm with a spare restraint. Clint wasn't moving much anymore; my hand that periodically checked his pulse shook but dutifully did it's job. His heart was working steady.

Compared to having to drain a friend of his blood, setting up the IV with a transfusion was a walk in the park. My mind was empty of any thoughts but for the actions needed to complete the process.

The container with contaminated blood, closed, sealed and put in a plastic bag, along with the gloves and the tarp. My own exposed flesh, meticulously scrubbed with alcohol until the skin became red and raw. All the instruments, Clint's pants, my clothes - in the bag.

The archer himself was laying still, his breathing steady and calm, face no longer looking like he was one step away from the grave. After undoing the restraints, I wiped down every surface we touched with Tony's vodka - rubbing alcohol had run out and I was too emotionally drained to go downstairs and leave Clint for too long. Whenever the booze collided with a stray drop of blood, a wispy smoke emerged. Such an interesting reaction. Part of me couldn't wait to examine the phenomena together with Bruce. The other part was considering the possibility of having a panic attack in a seafood restaurant.

"Fri, keep an eye- a sensor on Clint for me, will ya? I need a shower and some pants," I denounced tiredly, padding to the communal shower. I found respite, however brief, under the steam for a few minutes. Then I found Tony's old tee and a pair of someone's sweats - I didn't care whose. Post-stress adrenaline shivers had me feeling stark naked in the middle of Alaska despite the room being a toasty, comfortable temperature according to the digital thermostat.

Now I just had to think about what to tell the team.

Propping Clint's head on a decorative pillow and covering him with a soft fleece blanket was the least I could have done for the long suffering archer. The floor was hard but I sat next to him, running a hand through his matted hair, my brain an incomprehensible mess.

✨ TAGLIST OF MY LOVELIES (OPEN) ✨

@another-stark-sub @mostly-marvel-musings @vozit @littlegasps @pilloclock @shereadsinquiet @downeyreads @hermione-grangers-wife @individualistfem @sleep-i-ness @capbrie @lillsxd @agustdowney @dee-vn @justanotherblonde23 @fanngirl19 @persephonehemingway @softie-socks @schemefrenzy @letsby

#party favours #bun writes #tony stark x y/n #tony stark x reader #tony stark x you #bruce banner x you #bruce banner x reader #bruce banner x y/n #stephen strange x y/n #stephen strange x you #stephen strange x reader

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