#but its october so. it is on my mind again heavily

[wolfsnooze]

in which hunter’s possession goes a whole lot worse

[moonhoures]

That’s My Girl

🕷️ kinktober — day 18: mommy kink 🕸️

pairing: jihyo (twice) +reader (afab/fem.)

genre: non-idol!au, smut, fluff

warnings: 18+, minors do not interact, explicit smut, established relationship, wlw relationship, mommy kink, scissoring

word count: ~970

synopsis: your wife helps you relax after you had a bad day at work

posted: october 18, 2023

kinktober masterlist

Shitty days at work were unfortunately common for you. The insurance company you worked for was understaffed, and the few staff members you had weren’t exactly the brightest. As the department head, you had a lot of decisions to make, lots of responsibility. You often went home with weighted shoulders and headaches that even the strongest dose of medicine couldn’t seem to get rid of. Sometimes you wouldn’t get home until it was dark out, pulling overtime.

It was a Thursday night, and you had (once again) come home hours late. Your wonderful wife had already ate the dinner she prepared and saved your share in the refrigerator after you had sent her a text saying you wouldn’t be home in time to enjoy it. You trudged through the house, feeling absolutely drained. Your bedroom door opened to reveal the soft, golden glow of your wife’s bedside lamp. She sat on her side of the bed, already bathed and dressed down in her pajamas. When she heard the door, her head tilted up and she greeted you with a smile that made the weight on your back feel a little lighter.

“Hi, love. How was work?” Jihyo asked you, sitting up straighter.

“Terrible as always, but I’m home now,” you shrugged with a smile, already peeling off your coat. You let it drop to the floor carelessly while your wife’s smile faltered. She turned the TV volume down, wanting to focus on her conversation with you. She listened to you go on and on about work and how annoying it was. How much stress you were under every day, and how you were tired of it all. Her eyes followed you as you went to the bathroom, and she watched you pull your hair down from the clip you held it in all day. You cleaned off your face and rubbed in your favorite moisturizer. You stripped down to your undergarments and walked around the room, still venting about work as you picked out what pajama set you would wear after your bath.

And as you paused to gather your thoughts, you stopped at the side of your bed to put your phone on its charger. Jihyo smiled gently at you, admiring how cute you looked when you were mad. The crease forming between your brows and the subtle pout to your lips was adorable.

“I’m sorry, honey. Remember, the holidays are coming up. And after you get your bonus, you can look for a new job!” Your wife was always one to see the positives in everything. The one to remind you that the grass is greener on the other side of any tough situation you faced. You were beyond grateful for her.

“I know, love. It’s just- I have to get through the now before the holidays,” you laughed softly, shaking your head as you sighed heavily. When you met your wife’s eyes again, there was a new expression in them.

“Maybe we can take your mind off of work for a little while?”

The question was innocent, but the events that took place after were not so innocent. Jihyo had mastered the art of being a wonderful wife, and one of the things she was best at was caring for you—in every sense of the word. She knew how to make you feel better in any way she could. And right now, she decided love making was the best way to clear your mind.

So she laid you down on the bed, parting your legs for herself to slot between them. And once her pelvis was seated over yours, she began rocking her hips. Your folds grew slick under her own, the skin rubbing against each other.

“How does that feel, baby? Is it just what you needed?” she asked you, using her free hand to push her hair out of her face as she looked down at you. Your eyes were shut so you could focus on the pleasurable high you were chasing, but you nodded.

“Uh huh,” you choked out, hands gripping desperately at her thigh. She smiled at your eagerness, hurrying her pace as she started to feel her own release building up. She loved scissoring with you, and she especially loved being on top. Though there were no specific roles in your relationship, she did secretly enjoy being the “leader”. She liked having someone to rely on her. She liked being the one to make decisions. She liked taking the weight off your shoulders and helping you whenever and however she could. It made her feel powerful and needed.

“Are you gonna let go and cum for mommy?” she asked you, grinding her weeping cunt against yours. She groaned as your clits touched over and over, sending electricity throughout your bodies.

“Yes. Yes. Yes, oh-,” your words were cut off as you were overwhelmed with pleasure. Jihyo’s pussy slid against yours, sending you reeling as she stared down at you with the most wicked glint in her eye. Like she knew she was doing everything right, and she loved watching you snap.

Your hands reached up, pawing at her voluptuous breasts until she mercifully leaned down to kiss your neck. This gave you easier access to knead and play with her boobs, your palms squishing her sensitive nipples. The little moans and whines she let out by your ear only made you wetter, and she could feel it. She was doing it on purpose.

“That’s my girl,” she cooed, kissing your jaw, “Cumming for mommy when you’re told. So proud of you.”

You smiled into the kiss she graced your lips with, melting underneath her. Every ounce of worry and any stressful thought in your mind was gone. She knew her job was done, and successfully so.

— taglist #1

@jaylaxies @xiaoting999 @kookthief @zaddywilk @wonrangwoo @pedriswrld @ikykleeknowww @odisdad @abby-grace @jungwonloveer @pinklemonadeflav @celestialplatinum @luvkpopp @nlklstan @kisses4denji @jenos-eye-smiles @a-l-i-y-a @channiesprincess @bekah931215 @heerinnie @fairygirl18 @cinnikoi @im-ur-calico-cat @unlikelysublimekryptonite @k-drizzle @iguanas-world

[saltnsugarbear]

i'm the powder, you're the fuse (just add some friction) (18+)

summary: part two to my heretic!Lip edging blurb earlier in October!

title from: "my strange addiction" by Billie Eilish

word count: 1.4k

content warnings: MDNI!! afab reader genitalia, biting (r!receiving), overstimulation (r!receiving), edging (r!receiving), scratching (m!receiving), reader does pass out so maybe dubcon??? does that fall under dubcon even after they've had sex? the briefest cowpoke position, vaginal sex

part 1!

divider by @saradika

Lip’s hands feel like they're everywhere.

Really, they're just gripping your back. But he's got you crushed against his chest as he fucks into you. You're not even really doing anything anymore, letting Lip use you as he pleased. Letting him chase his own release while your own danced out of reach. 

Lip has come in you three times already, the mixture of his cum and your arousal sliding down your ass. His stutter again, bucking into you and grinding hard as you feel his cock twitch inside of you. You can feel the warmth of his release coating your walls again, sighing softly at the feeling of being filled.

Lip's chest brushes against yours as he catches his breath, setting you down on the bed gently. 

“Oh baby,” he whispers, brushing your hair away from your face and tracing his fingers along your cheek. Lip places a kiss against your jaw and you feel the tease of his canine against your skin. You whine softly, squirming as he teases his teeth lower. 

Lip stops at the slope of your neck and shoulder, licking the spot before gnawing gently at it. 

“Lip… Please..” You whine, nudging your face into his hair. 

He's quick to the draw, biting down sharply. You gasp softly, bucking your hips up into him. You feel him suck gently at the spot, lapping at the bite mark. You can tell where the blood flows, feeling Lip harden inside of you, feeling him press up against your walls again. 

When he slips out of you, he laughs at the huff that leaves your lips, mourning the loss of him inside you. However he doesn't make you wait long, laying down on his back and moving you easily on top of him. He sits you down on his cock in one movement, making you both moan at the sensation. The way he smirks up at you while you grind your hips lazily makes you whine. You could barely think while you were on your back but now that you're sitting up? Lip is watching smugly from where he lays back against your pillows, hands on your hips while yours rest on his chest for support. 

“Look at ya..” Lip says while you rock your hips absentmindedly. He watches you grind and whine as your clit rubs against the coarse hair of his happy trail. “Poor thing… Can't even think right now, can ya?”

Lip moves one of his hands from your hip to rub at your clit that makes your hips jerk aggressively into him. Incoherent whining is the only thing that comes out of your mouth when you shake your head at Lip as he grins up at you. As you continue to grind your hips in a futile effort to chase your own high, Lip's other hand snakes its way up your chest.

“Like you like this,” He says quietly as he pinches and rolls your nipple while he gropes your chest. “So pliant and needy…”

You can feel soreness seeping into your muscles, your chest rises and falls heavily as you attempt to get yourself off, struggling to do more than grind your hips against his. He's quick to entertain, thrusting up into and making you yelp, grappling for purchase on his chest. 

Once you've gained solid support, Lip is quick to keep thrusting up into you. Your eyes hone in one where your nails are creating thin red lines in his skin. The only things your mind is able to focus on is the grip Lip has on your hips and the way he’s fucking up into you, bringing you down to meet his movements as he pleased. 

It’s not much of this before Lip changes his mind, flipping you both over so you’re on your back again. Lip only preferred you on top if he actually got to watch you come undone. His compulsion made that unlikely tonight. Doesn’t matter though, because he’s fucking you like his life depends on it and it’s probably the best thing to ever happen to you.

Lip is saying something, but none of it is registering for you. Your own babbling is incoherent to your own ears, nails leaving angry red lines on his arms and shoulders. Not that it matters any way, they're gone as soon as you make them.

The whimper that leaves your mouth is pathetic when you feel Lip slip all the way out of you, but the noises don't stop. It's only a few seconds before you feel a warmth coating your stomach, the warmth coming all the way up your chest under your collarbone.

“Lip..” You mutter softly, reaching around blindly for any inch of skin you can get your hands on. Your chest rises and falls heavily in an attempt to catch your breath, you can feel the dull ache from the little bites he's left along your chest and neck. You can feel his release slipping against your skin, rolling down your ribs to the sheets beneath you. You pat the bed hard, hoping he gets the hint.

Thankfully, Lip does, taking your hand and bringing it up to his chest bringing it to slide up and around his neck. He's quick to connect your lips, kissing you softly, a stark difference to the way he's been fucking you. 

“Look at you, baby..” He sighs softly, pressing gentle kisses to your jaw and cheek. “Y'look so pretty..” 

You hum quietly, rubbing softly at the scar in-between his shoulders. Your eyes are shut, basking in his soft affections and warmth. 

“Look at me, baby..” Lip whispers, pulling away from you. You sigh, opening your eyes slowly and meeting his bright blue ones. “Hey there..”

“Hi..” You whisper, your voice sounds worn. You watch as Lip's pupils start to dilate before he opens his mouth.

“Gonna fuck you one more time and you're gonna come when I do. That sound good?” His words are firm again, clear and demanding. You're nodding, the words registering in your body before they register in your mind. 

Lip gives you a quick kiss to the lips before he ducks down and bites softly at the flesh of your chest. The sharp nip makes you inhale sharply and whine loudly as you feel his mouth latch onto the spot and suck softly to coax out the blood. 

This one is soft. The way he slips into you, grinding against you like he’s trying to burrow deeper into your soul. You know that this kind of sex is new to Lip, the kind where neither of you are in a rush and it feels like he’s crawling into your ribs and nestling up next to your heart.

This sex is long and deep strokes. Pathetic whining. Desperate grinding. The only time Lip isn’t  thinking so much. The time where everything can go unsaid between the both of you.

“Fuck..” Lip grunts softly, just before you feel his hips stutter and still against you.

The snap of your orgasm is sudden and disarming. Your legs clamp around his waist, hips rutting into his own. The clamping of your walls around him makes Lip groan into your mouth, panting against your lips as if he’s being strangled. 

The last clear thing you hear is the quiet ‘thank you’s Lip is saying against your skin. 

You are quite the sight, when you spot yourself in the bathroom mirror the next morning.

You had anticipated as much, having already come to terms with the bruises and bites you’d be littered with simply because you knew Lip. You knew one way or another he’d make sure you remember him.

When Lip sidles up behind you, placing his hands on your hips, you hum at the feeling of his nose brushing against your neck.

“This is going to give you away, y’know that right?” You ask him, gesturing to your neck and chest when he looks up at the mirror to meet your gaze.

You watch and feel as he shrugs, tugging your hips back against his. 

“That’s okay,” Lip sighs. “Just make ‘em forget about it anyway.. Comes in pretty handy to get what I want…”

You huff softly, watching him in the mirror as he starts to place gentle kisses along your shoulder. 

“Comes in pretty handy in the bedroom too..” He mutters before he nips at the edge of your jaw, making you gasp and slap his chest with the back of your hand. Your reaction only amuses Lip as he chuckles against your skin. 

Maybe you would welcome compulsion into your bed again.

Only if Lip’s this sweet every time.

[rippleberries]

(Jeffrey teased this at Star Trek San Francisco)

Jeffrey Combs, Barbara Crampton, Anna Lore, Nikki Hahn, and Anna Camp behind the scenes of HYSTERIA! (Photo courtesy Barbara Crampton)

[x]

HYSTERIA! Reunites RE-ANIMATOR Duo Barbara Crampton and Jeffrey Combs

Surprise! The legendary genre pair turn up to add some ’80s cred to Peacock’s new Satanic Panic series.

BY

PHIL NOBILE JR.

OCTOBER 18, 2024 6:00 AM

By now you’re aware of Peacock’s Hysteria!, and that it features Bruce Campbell, who’s been promoted heavily in the marketing of the new show (which dropped today). But turns out he’s not the only genre icon appearing on the series.

Early viewers of Hysteria! have been excited to spot among its ensemble cast none other than Barbara Crampton and Jeffrey Combs, playing a bit against type as suburban parents. Speaking to FANGORIA, Crampton says that “showrunner/creator Matthew Scott Kane is a big Re-Animator fan, and it was his idea to reunite Jeff and myself for the first time since 1995!”

The duo have of course appeared in various unassailable horror classics over the years, beginning with Stuart Gordon’s aforementioned Re-Animator and its follow-up, From Beyond. Placing the pair in an ’80s-set, moral panic horror comedy made all the sense in the world to Kane.

“I'm a very devoted genre fan. All of Barbara and Jeff’s work with Stuart Gordon is so near and dear to my heart that, when these two roles came up, they were the first people that came to mind,” Kane says. “It was kind of a pipe dream. It was like, ‘Wouldn't it be nice if?’ I never thought they would pick up the phone.” To his surprise, the pair agreed, and their devotion to their relatively brief appearance surprised the showrunner.

“We all got dinner with each other, and Barbara and Jeffrey were asking me, ‘What's my motivation here?’ and ‘Here's what I'm thinking for this guy.’ Keep in mind, they’re in one scene — a pivotal scene, one which sets up the entire series — but they're really drilling it into me in ways that no other member of our cast did,” Kane shares. “The night before we were shooting the scene, I got a text from Barbara that could have easily filled a column in your magazine,” he laughs. “It was enormous, and it was brilliant. She was bringing so much — not just to the character, but she was so intelligent in terms of checking out the entire script, understanding what the themes of the show are, and understanding how she could fit into that.”

The series focuses on a struggling teen band called Dethkrunch who, in the wake of their high school quarterback’s disappearance, rebrand themselves as “Satanic” to ride the wave of moral panic sweeping their town. It works until it doesn’t, and they soon find themselves the target of a literal witch hunt. The project, which also boasts Julie Bowen, Anna Camp, Garret Dillahunt, Emjay Anthony and Milly Shapiro among its cast, was instantly alluring to Crampton. “I read the first three scripts of Hysteria! when I was cast and they were all fantastic,” Crampton says. “Fun, spooky, dark and thrilling.” For Crampton, the gig offered other pleasures. “We were giddy with excitement for our parts… and costumes!” (Anyone who’s seen the sartorial choices in Jakob’s Wife or The Last Stop in Yuma County knows Crampton loves a bold wardrobe choice.)

Her co-star Combs was also easily sold, calling the project “a lovely experience… short but sweet.” Like Crampton, Combs was drawn to the quality of the material. “Matthew is a very gifted writer,” he says. “I was thrilled to be part of this, and it would be a delight to work with him again.”

Though the pair both appeared in last year’s Onyx the Fortuitous and the Talisman of Souls, Crampton and Combs shared no scenes together in that film, making this their first onscreen appearance together since 1995’s Castle Freak (where they also played a married couple). “It was an absolute joy to work on screen with Jeffrey again,” Crampton exclaims. “We play the parents to an important character on this show (you’ll have to watch to see which one!) and this lady is amazing. I just adore her!”

Casting the iconic performers, even for just one episode, meant a lot to Kane. “We wanted Barbara and Jeff there for a reason. We wanted them there because we're all huge fans, but also because we know they're great actors and that they can come in and deliver something awesome so that, if we get a second season, they can come into the fold and be more regular characters. If there's a reason to get us a season two, it's to get Jeff Combs and Barbara Crampton back on the screen together for more than just five minutes.”

As to what happens over the course of the series, Crampton is as excited to find out as we are. “I’ve viewed the first episode and it’s a blast,” she shares. “I’ll be watching and posting about all the episodes and enjoying the show along with you all!”

All episodes of Hysteria! are now streaming on Peacock.

[kurosakijane-blog]

Early October. To say that the weather is wonderful today is a blatant lie. Autumn has just begun, and endless rains are already terrorizing the city with might and main, washing away the streets and loudly knocking on the windows of houses.

Fortunately, the small office of “Devil May Cry” was cozy. There is heat, there is light, there is water, hot pizza is served to the table - and Dante doesn’t need anything more to be happy.

Opening the next box, the hunter broke into a blissful smile. The hunter’s nose was filled with the delicious aroma of cheese, and the golden brown crust beckoned…

At this time, a real hurricane broke out outside the window. The rain began to drum with double force, convincing with all its appearance that staying at home in your bed was the best idea that could ever come to mind.

The sound of rain reminded Dante of uninvited guests. They come without an invitation, knocking, wanting to enter. They get angry - lightning flashes in the sky, everything calms down. And then it starts again from the beginning, and so on in a circle.

As soon as the man relaxed, a bell rang and the door to the building opened, letting the cold inside. The sound of the rain became louder, and the room was instantly filled with the smell of dampness and gasoline.

"You could put your office in a better place than on the over side of the sity, you know?"

"You ruined my date, you know?" Dante answered with a smile, pointing to a box of fast food.

"Oooh, I'm sorry!” Morrison said seriously, “In fact, I came to inspect the building as its future owner.”

Noticing the surprise in Dante's eyes, the guest explained: “Just in case. You yourself asked.”

“Go ahead,” the son of Sparda casually waved his hand, “you still won’t find anything interesting.”

"I’ll try." information broker muttered quietly, climbing the stairs to the second floor.

As soon as the footsteps above died down, a playful smile touched Dante's lips.

"Well, shall we continue?" he whispered, taking out a piece of slightly cooled pizza. Even though such a long-awaited romantic meeting was ruined for them, nothing can stop true feelings.

But…

The bell rang again. In truth, today, Friday evening, Dante was ready to curse this damn bell and everyone who comes through these damn doors.

Looking at the visitor, the hunter raised an eyebrow in surprise. A young girl stood in front of him. The gray coat barely covered her knees, dressed in black nylon, and the stranger’s face was hidden by the hood.

The guest lightly shook off the wet umbrella and reached for her headdress.

"Are you Dante? " you asked, approaching the table. The man sighed heavily and put down the pizza, which had long cooled down.

"It depends on who asks."

After introducing yourself, you hand Dante a small stack of papers.

"I would like to offer you one thing."

The son of Sparda quickly skimmed the text and then closed his eyes tiredly.

"Sorry, baby, but I don’t take on family dramas. I have enough of my own."

"But… you are a demon hunter!" you exclaim, removing a strand of hair that stuck to your face. "Isn't this your job?"

“As I said…” Dante stopped mid-sentence. The lights in the entire building suddenly went out, and the radio went silent with a click.

Footsteps were heard again from the second floor.

"Damn you, Dante!" Morrison shouted. "Are you not paying your bills again?!"

"You are the future owner! But there hasn’t been normal work for a long time, and whose fault is it?" the gray-haired man shouted back.

Gradually your eyes got used to the darkness and, finally, you were again able to see the owner of the office in front of you. He sat with his head bowed and seemed to be thinking about something. He hesitates. It only took you a couple of seconds to realize that this was your chance.

“What a pity,” you drawl playfully, carefully sitting down on the edge of the table, “but if you helped me, I would pay generously. What should you do…"

The guest slowly pushed the papers right under Dante's nose, waiting for a reaction. There was a quiet chuckle, the man took a deep breath and raised his head. The darkness still shrouded his silhouette, but you saw one thing very clearly. Sparks in his eyes.

“Stubborn,” he grins, getting up from his chair. The man rests his hands on the table and, leaning forward, looks you straight in the eyes "we agreed."

[rivalsforlife]

The Yearly AA Series Future Speculation Post

I've given up on calling it aa7 speculation because that has never worked out for me. anyways [apollo justice voice] hiya!

It's been a while since I made one of these little posts where I try to predict things and end up horribly embarrassing myself. BUT this year has actually been very exciting for Ace Attorney. We have Ghost Trick! We have 456 ports! Could there be more? Who knows. Tokyo Game Show is coming up and that's always a bad time of year for my self-esteem.

In this post I will do the following:

-Go over the November 2020 leaks again, to compare that to where we're at now

-Talk a bit about the 456 port and what I think that means for the series and its future

-Talk a bit about how well TGAA is doing, I think

-Brief Tokyo Game Show speculations (there's not much to speculate about)

I'll reference my previous posts and sources where necessary. It'll get long and rambly again so I'll put the rest under a keep reading.

FIRST:

Revisiting the Calendar (Again)

For those who aren't aware, back in November 2020, Capcom got hacked (this was overall bad) and from that hack came a leak of a roadmap for the future of the AA series.

For this post, please keep in mind that this calendar is using the Japanese fiscal year, which starts in in April. Therefore Q1 is roughly April-June, Q2 July-September, Q3 October-December, Q4 January-March of the next year.

This calendar was likely made in 2019, before the COVID-19 pandemic, which inevitably ended up throwing everything off quite a bit.

Some of these things came true. This leak was where we first heard about the official TGAA ports, and while they were delayed by about a quarter, they still came out pretty close to on time with all things pandemic to consider. What's especially interesting is that now with confirmation of the 456 ports, we now have no idea what is up with AA7.

We know that AA7 was in development at one point. We know that, if things were on track prior to the pandemic, they might have started the main production. However, the plan seemed to be to release it for the 20th anniversary and use those sales and the sales from TGAA to judge whether 456 would be ported; now that we have 456 confirmed before AA7, we can assume that AA7's delay is so severe we have no way of predicting if or when it will come out.

The thing is, though, AA has been doing really well the last few years, despite the lack of a new game. The 2019 ports of the Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney trilogy have sold around 2.3 million copies, when previously no other Ace Attorney game broke a million. The trilogy hit a million copies around December 2020, for reference. Ace Attorney itself as a whole broke ten million copies sold recently. In this post I covered how TGAA seemingly has sold way more than Capcom expected, and sold pretty quickly, and is confirmed to be somewhere between 500k-1 million copies sold.

I don't see any reason to believe that AA is in dire financial straits. We've gotten more official merchandise in the last year or so than we got for a while, AA is featured heavily on Capcom's Captown website, the Tokyo Game Show merchandise store has been selling out of AA merch faster than any of their other IPs... I don't see why they wouldn't want to milk that. And 456 is probably a part of it.

What Do The 456 Ports Mean

Back in March 2022, in an event I almost completely forgot about, Capcom updated their trademark for Apollo Justice. I covered my thoughts on that here, and speculated it might indicate a 456 port. ... Which it apparently did. I'll quote exactly what I said in that post, since I still feel this way:

Presumably, previously, the decision to port or not to port 456 would be dependent both on how well TGAA does and how well AA7 would do. With no AA7, they might be making this decision solely based on TGAA. And they… might actually decide it’s worth the port?

This tells us a couple of things.

1.Capcom is aware that there is a decent market and profit to be made porting the Ace Attorney games to all consoles.

2.This heavily implies that TGAA sold fantastically.

I also said in my post about TGAA's success that the 456 ports would be the best indicator of whether Capcom would find it more profitable to continue along with mainline or stick to writing more things about TGAA. Because TGAA is actually doing... pretty great? It's always seemed to have a pretty good fan reception, but it came at the end of the 3DS life cycle and seemed to do poorly enough that Capcom didn't try to localize it for several years. But now it's big enough that Ryunosuke made it onto the 20th anniversary logo, and Ryunosuke and Kazuma are featured in some of the Ace Attorney merchandise for TGS's merch store.

456 doing well would probably reinvigorate Capcom's desire to continue making stories set in mainline. It also might inspire them to finally give an official translation to my favorite game, Ace Attorney Investigations 2, who is Capcom's poor unloved child these days. I'm not expecting Investigations Ports for a few more years, since they seem to be spacing out the ports by about two years, but... it's more likely now than I felt it was about three years ago.

The Great Ace Attorney Sweep

Also, the last few years have had a heavy focus on Great Ace Attorney, even now a couple of years after the ports came out. Takarazuka made their first AA musical in a decade based on TGAA, and, if you ask me, it sounds pretty heavily like they were teasing for a sequel someday. There also has been a reading theater based on TGAA, with an original episode written by Takumi.

Of particular relevance is this source of dubious credibility I linked to in one of my other posts talking about TGAA's expected success. I've assumed it came from the data in the November 2020 Capcom Leak but I can't be certain, so take this next part with a grain of salt.

Here are the original sales projections from 2019(?): FY21: 195K (originally supposed to launch in Q1) FY22: 55K FY23: 8K FY24: 41K (with 32K being in Q3)

This sudden increase in FY24 has always been interesting. Again, as a reminder, Japan's FY24 Q3 would be equivalent to October-December 2024.

It would make sense to say that the 456 ports coming out would likely lead to an increase in sales for all AA games, and it could be that Capcom initially intended for a 456 port to come out about half a year later than the current projection of early 2024. At the same time... I can't deny the possibility that this could be hinting at a new game in the TGAA setting. And something coming out in late 2024 could be a reasonable candidate for an announcement at some major gaming show that Ace Attorney fans already have an interest in tuning into. These are all completely neutral things I am saying that I have no expectations or hope for whatsoever.

What IS Happening At Tokyo Game Show?

TGS is always the part of the year where I say "This is the most likely place for a new AA game announcement leading up to or during it" and it never happens. This year, though, will be different! We have a CONFIRMED feature of the 456 ports. This is the first time we'll have AA content at TGS since 2018, when I first got into the series, so I think it's a pretty big deal. (2018 was when the trilogy ports were first announced; TGAA ports had an announcement-release window of April-July, so they didn't get a chance to feature at TGS.)

Since all we have for a release date is early 2024, I wouldn't be surprised if there will be an official confirmation of the release date, probably a showcase of port features, maybe in-person gameplay? That could be all, and it would be more than we've had since 2018.

I want to say "because there's going to be 456 advertising there, it would be ridiculous for them to announce some new AA content to detract from that". But I said the same things about the capcom showcase where Ghost Trick was featured and the 456 collection was announced, so. Capcom's decisions on when to announce things can be counterintuitive, it seems, so maybe the least likely time is actually the most likely...?

Anyways, we have no idea what the state of New Ace Attorney Content is like in Capcom. From the calendar from the Nov 2020 leaks, the staff that had been working on the DGS ports would join the main staff for AA7, suggesting to me that there would be part of the staff working on ports and part of the staff working on new things. We have no idea what happened to these people who were supposed to be working on AA7. We *can* assume that at least part of the staff transferred over to 456 ports now, but we don't know when that would have been, or if they'd really need all hands on deck for a remaster.

It's been a few years now since Yamazaki left Capcom. We know absolutely nothing about what Takumi has been doing, outside of whatever contributions he may or may not have made to the Ghost Trick remaster, and only recently contributing to various stage content. (We know he advised at least somewhat on the Takarazuka play, and wrote that original episode for the reading theater, so I'd assume he's not in the middle of a big project right when those were taking place.)

This is all to say, there's reason to believe Something's Been Happening Behind The Scenes. And Therefore -- [clown wig descends onto my head again] Maybe TGS 2023 Will Be The Year Of New Ace Attorney Content. Since 456 will be taking the spotlight, I wouldn't expect anymore than a teaser, if it's happening at all.

And now that I've said it, it won't happen.

OVERALL

-TGS confirmed 456 port feature, which should be interesting to see what kind of quality of life features they'll add. Slight possibility there could be something else AA related teased there, solely because Capcom.

-I think TGAA is doing better than Capcom expected and I wouldn't be shocked if they tried to make a new game of it, or at least more extracanonical content like stage plays taking place in that timeline

-AA7 has seemingly vanished but I am sure it will come back when I least expect it.

-AAI ports someday. please. please. please.

[mynahx3]

My Dear in the Night 1.2K

HELLOOOOO LOVELIES!! I live! HA! Months later and i'm finally happy with what I'm writing. Life kinda just got crazy so I had to put writing on the back burner for a bit. I do have a few goodies I'm editing rn so I can't wait to share em once they're done. This story is a little sneak peak to the one I'm realllllyyyyy excited about. It's a Author! Suguru x Ghost! Reader. Nothing to warn rn but it will get dark so buckle up! Should be out latest end of Sept

It was a cold autumn evening, the moon shining brightly above, as expected given that it was midway through October.

A man sat in his dark room, silent as he hunched over his desk. Tired eyes looked over his laptop, the damned cursor almost mocking him as it blinked on an empty page. He felt his lip twitch in irritation; the only other movement was the tapping of his leg against the wooden floors.

In the morning, he would have to face the consequences of his actions. He would wake with a dull ache in his lower back as a result of his terrible posture; his wrists hurt from years of misuse, and his eyes burned from the brightness of his laptop, yet he couldn't sleep. He wouldn't until he had something.

Hours of sitting at his desk had gone by with nothing to show for it. He was supposed to be a renowned horror author with plenty of titles to his name, but lately, nothing seemed to flow from his mind like before. Any and all inspiration for the particularly gruesome topics of his writing was gone. The creative spark in his mind kept the flames of his imagination burning bright like an inferno, seemingly with no end, but now it was fizzled out. Dimmed and barely flickering.

A desperation gnawed inside him, urging him to find that spark once again before it was too late. The pressure to produce something, anything, weighed heavily on his shoulders as he stared blankly at the empty page before him. That desperation is what drove him to this small community. It was a much-needed reprieve from the rush and bustle of city life.

Currently, he finds himself in a deeper stump.

Ravenwood, located in the Appalachian Mountains, was a small town known for its cold weather almost all year and even colder residents, particularly to outsiders. Most wouldn't even think to look twice at the drab town, but it seemed to gain a second life with holiday season. Many came for a vacation in the snowy mountains to find a nice retreat from the reality of their lives. A place many went to have that perfect winter wonderland experience for half the price of others.

What had garnered his attention wasn't the mountain sights to see nor the cozy, cheap cabins for rent; no, it was the history. One that has been soaked with blood since it's founding.

This place only seemed to be a magnet for misery and despair. Disasters, fires, murders, and everything else that could go wrong were common occurrences in this cursed town. Many speculated what the cause was— monsters in the night, a witch in the woods, a vengeful spirit haunting the mountains, or simply bad luck. One thing was for certain: this winter wonderland had a dark side that no amount of snow could cover up.

Those seeking excitement, debunkers, and ardent supporters of the supernatural were drawn to this. Tourist traps littered across town saw many people flocking like moths to a flame, which locals were quick to capitalize on. Each one caters to the morbid curiosity and fascination with the town's dark history, offering ghost tours, haunted house experiences, and other macabre attractions.

Just as many took advantage of the town, others frowned at the exploitation of their past, telling the yearly visitors to stop while they were ahead. Despite the warnings from locals about the dangers of delving too deeply into the town's past, visitors continued to flock in, eager to uncover the secrets.

The man had only come to find inspiration. He didn't care for the talk of ghosts, of curses, or even of aliens- funny enough. Not that he ever believed in any of those things to humor even the thought of them.

He was a writer, after all, and all he needed was a good story to tell. And the town of Ravenwood seemed to hold more than enough material for his next bestseller. He thought that the rich, dark history would help rekindle that fire inside him. To let his mind flow once more for his next book, the start of a new series after his last overwhelming success. So far, he had gotten the characters down, the setting figured out, but he only needed that extra push to get the plot ironed out. For months, he had thrown together ideas, ideas he tossed after thinking on them for a bit.

A heavy sigh escaped his lips as he refocused his vision, looking from the white of his laptop to the window in front of him. The branches of the dead tree in the lawn swayed with the wind, the leaves rustling softly. It was a quiet night; like always, the neighbors always made sure to avoid any disturbances. He straightens his back in his office chair, moving his long bangs back with his hand, releasing some of the tension from his stiff shoulders. The stress of his deadline and unending nagging from his editors had almost made him forget how nice the quiet was. Looking down, he saw the houses all dark and quiet, with only a few dim lights shining through the curtains.

The neighborhood was old but well kept; houses stood with character along the streets. Each one is now decorated for the upcoming holiday, with carved lanterns on almost every porch and tacky decorations adorning the lawn. Something swayed in the wind that caught his eye, chimes jingling from it. It was a talisman.

The same bundle of different herbs, crystals, and wax symbols was hanging from every door in the neighborhood. Supposedly, it was an item to ward off any evil spirits, something they kept up year round. The townsfolk had a sense of unity in their efforts to ward off any negative energy. They seemed to take pride in their traditions and beliefs, creating a unique atmosphere in the community.

As he adjusted to the new surroundings, he finally felt comfortable enough to ask about it. The older woman next door was happy to inform him of the significance. She even made sure to gift him one, her eyes hardening as she warned him to keep it and hang it above his door at all times. Being raised with respect, he took the item with a small, grateful smile, pocketing the item with care before discarding it onto the very desk he sat at. Left and forgotten. When he continued unpacking, he chuckled at the sight of it in his office, unsure of the strong belief in a bundle of twigs and rocks.

Picking the talisman up, he turned it over, his thumb rubbed over the wax seal. Feeling the grooves and ridges of the strange symbol carved into it.

Evidently, he did not take superstition seriously… in the beginning. Even beliefs can change at the drop of a dime. The months he spent in the town had changed him.

In the dark hours of the night, he experienced things that could not logically be explained. It started small. Things that could be explained away by a forgetful mind. His keys disappearing only to come up in a place he would never leave them. Furniture was being moved so slightly that he initially thought it was his imagination. That's what any logical man would do. Chalk it up to his aging mind, even at the age of thirty, or simply an overactive mind caused by insufficient sleep and too much caffeine. But as the occurrences became more frequent and unsettling, he couldn't ignore the feeling that something was off. Shadows seemed to linger longer than they should, and whispers could be heard in empty rooms. He couldn't shake the feeling that he was being watched, even when he was completely alone.

Then one day, it all became clear: it was her.

Tap, tap, tap.

A sharp knock jolted him from his thoughts once more; he seemed to be getting more and more lost in his mind as of late. He now saw a figure blocking the moonlight. Well, a normal person would block it. The figure in his window, on the second floor of his house, casts a bluish tint onto him; their body was almost transparent; he could see the branches swaying behind her still. When he finally looked at her face, a sweet smile appeared on her lips.

"Hellloooo!" She called with a singsong voice, tilting her head at him. Hand waving at him excitedly. "You gonna let me in, Sugu?"

[siphersaysstuff]

ENERGON BUT NOT FORGOTTEN

February's Patreon @tfwiki pic update is on 2004's ENERGON, the awkward middle child of the Unicron Trilogy. Caught in the early stage of explosive franchise growth and pulled in too many directions. But there's good stuff in there. ROADBLOCK remains a solid, fun toy, turning from robot to crane-truck to heavily-armed half of a two-robot combiner.

The Autobots' two-bot-combiners gimmick was certainly an interesting attempt, but TOW-LINE really took the gimmick to more interesting places than most. He's his own combiner, with the lower half of his vehicle mode turning into a mobile battle-sled-thing separate from his robot mode.

Store exclusives were rare in Armada, but by Energon, Hasbro was ready to start pumping them out again, and boy did they. CHECKPOINT, a rededo of Rodimus, came in a Kmart "SWAT" 2-pack with a similarly deco'd Prowl. Back when Kmart was still a thing.

The Decepticons, rather than combining, got "hyper modes" and alternate vehicle modes that deployed more weapons. SIX SHOT, a redeco of Shockblast, is one of the better attempts, having a considerably-different "satellite" mode on top of his space-tank altmode.

Oh lawd he comin. OMEGA SENTINEL, a redeco of Omega Supreme, splits into a "construction vehicle" and "cruiser", each with a "platform" mode. The two can also join to for a "Cybertronian Armored Supertrain" but that wouldn't fit in the lightbox. Plus he can merge with Optimus Prime! Okay mainly he's a suit Prime wears, but there's attachment points for all of Prime's drone-vehicles as well.

With the franchise taking off, Hasbro looked to fill out Energon with more stuff. This Deluxe version of the Mini-Con HIGH WIRE came with a figure of human ally Kicker, rendered in the style of the then-current G.I.Joe toys. This set seemingly was not engineered by Takara, and it kinda shows.

Speaking of... oof. This set. Not to editorialize too much, but... the MEGA-DINOBOT set of GRIMLOCK and SWOOP is... well. Bad. Originally intended for the Universe line, it got shuffled into Energon, and similarly wasn't engineered by Takara. The result is a floppy, awkward mess. One of the very, very few Transformers toys in its 40-year run I'd call "bad".

(Also... yes, I re-did the Grimlock pic. Back in October, I used archive imagery for that update because, frankly, I'd forgotten I still owned this set. Upon discovery, I decided to redo the pic so it's crisper and better positioned. Still not a good toy though.)

Mind you... it's not like things were all roses on the other hemisphere. Takara made SL GRAND CONVOY, a smaller version of Optimus Prime without any of the good points of the larger figure. What IS that torso mode?! (This is the shinier "SL Grand Convoy & Kicker" 2-pack version. And it broke. Super-tight ankle joints made from clear-plastic? A recipe for disaster.)

Didn't mean to end on a down note. Here, have a pic of one of the line's absolute highlights, the Omnicons and Terrorcons, and their buildable energon weapons.

Energon was kind of all over the map, trying a lot and maybe lacking a strong cohesive theme because of it. Some damn good stuff, but also some genuine misses.

If you enjoy these runs through Transformers toy history, please consider tossing a coin into my Patreon ("gregstfwikipics" at patreon dot com). More support means I can devote more time to bigger updates with more images each month. There's still loads to do!

[zenkor123]

The beginning of Katniss's rotation 6 AM October 8 75 DD WIP

Restraining order removed in evening of October 7, this is the begining of Katniss's rotation, Peeta is heavily drunk on morphling that he drunk just 30 minutes before. It is 6 AM.

"why does she want to end it all with an attempt on Snow when she has her home family pet, fame, a life with Gale, much of her childhood friends from her district, lots of friends including the other victors, Why is she so down when Peeta is lucky to not be spending the rest of his life in a mental institution has no memories does not know his birthday, and his family was killed, Rubius Mayne was forced to do secretary work in Snows mansion and endured far worse and neither he nor Mayne has a death wish, death is nothing special to them. Snow is going to lose the war and not survive. Do you blame yourself for the war? Snow set up the system and even without the berries it was not meant to last. Is it the insecurity of seeing the face of the person who Redacted and strangled you every single day? Do you think there is no life without me trying to kill you so you want to kill Snow for this? What did Snow do to you? So stop looking at me like I'm the worst thing that ever happened to you, that you just can't stand my presence, your not so special Katniss Everdeen. I have a sense that this is about me.  "Yeah I know what happened before I was mutated you were(goes on about about SA delusions) and I'm sorry about that, Peeta received more than enough retribution for this, and I have no attraction to you don't worry, but what does that have to do with killing Snow and why is it getting worse? I imagine you would be happy to know that he suffered and is gone and I don't believe any of the bull crap that was forced down my throat in the Capitol. You need to talk about this with someone because if you lose your mind your going to be given an apartment in the hospital wing with me and Annie, I've always signaled misfortune for you and in the process of escaping it I will be this again without me doing anything then wanting to live my life and frankly you should be in the hospital wing, or at least talking to Dr Aurelius once a week. None of this is my problem but I was selling Morphling to Boggs at 2 in the morning  and I heard you screaming my name over and over again, I thought it was an Hallucination. someone needs to tell you to seek help and since no one has told you this yet I guess it had to be me out of all people. ||If your going to dream of me (SA delusions)|| then  Keep it to yourself or I will request to have your room soundproofed. 

'"if there's anyone who needs to go to the hospital its you Peeta, you were tortured, your mind destroyed and were made into a weapon and you think that makes you strong, you know who was the first person to call you a runt?, Your mom, did also do you really think that Snow didn't know what he was doing when he tried to sell you like Finnick? He set you and Annie up to kill those clients, yet like a fool you fell for it.' Peeta is triggered by being mother shamed:

You know I'm not the only mutt created to destroy you, the capitol created reptilian mutts that hunt in packs, and probably are attracted to your scent, they have sharp teeth, and they whisper your name "Katnissssss" they are trained on live avoxes, the odds of your capture are also pretty high and if he captures you your torture may be livestreamed and your death may be like Darius's death, slow, you cannot be mentally well to want to risk this also a death from an arrow is too quick for white imp, my favorite idea is using one of the capitol replicated scents, attaching it to Snow and feeding him to those lizard mutts but if Snow is to die before the end of the war, (Peeta laughs about how fucked up that idea is) I would recommend a bunker buster or poison gas though many Avox innocents would be killed"

"No I want to see Snow's face before he dies, he took you from me and hijacked you, a debt must be paid! and before you go on about rape, you made that up" Peeta begins expositing his SA delusions and Katniss tells him it never happens and reveals the stay with me always, nights on the train, night before the quarter quell,

[twistedtummies2]

Top 5 "Spooky Episodes" from Classic Thomas & Friends

While I don’t talk about it especially often here, if you know me well or have been hanging around my page a while, you’ll know that I have a soft spot for “Thomas the Tank Engine and Friends” (and the book series that inspired the show, “The Railway Series”). This year marks a very special one for multiple reasons related to the series: first, because later this year a fan film is coming out based on the show, in which I get to play a major character. It is also the tenth anniversary of the first film of the series this project is to be a part of. (Shameless advertising for the win!) Second, because next year is going to mark the 80th anniversary for the whole franchise. Third and finally…because this specific date, October 9, 2024, is the 40th anniversary of “Thomas & Friends” on TV.

With so many anniversaries and special occasions tied to this series and this date, I felt it was important to acknowledge my childhood favorite once again. And, since we’re still in the spooky month of October, I decided to make one of my October countdowns a tribute to the spooky side of Thomas. It seems fitting because, honestly, the “Spooky Episodes” of the series seem to have a following uniquely their own: while there are many fans of the series out there, it seems like a lot of the more popular fanworks out there tend to gravitate towards the dark, the eerie, the haunting, and the disturbing. A lot of this seems to be influenced by the impact of the “Spooky Episodes” the show had: numerous creepypastas, fan films, and so on seem to take inspiration from there more than anywhere else. Thomas always had a dark edge to its seemingly happy-go-lucky demeanor, especially in its early days, but the more extremely dark stuff often seems most heavily impacted from the stories of ghosts, monsters, and other creepy shenanigans scattered throughout the series, most especially during its Halloweentime airings.

In honor of this, here’s a quick little list I’ve had on my mind for a while now: a tribute to the original “Spooky Episodes” of Thomas that I loved as a kid. Now, I’m specifically going to be talking about episodes from the “Classic” era of the show, meaning Season 7 backwards. The reasons for this choice are because they are the ones I grew up with, the ones I remember most fondly, and the ones that seem the most influential on the fandom. So, episodes like “Halloween” (from Season 8) or “The Phantom Express” (from Season 17) will not be included. (I also won’t be including any episodes from the sister shows “Jack and the Pack” or “TUGS.”) I will be ranking based on several criteria: how outright creepy the episode is, how much of an impact it seems to have had on fans beyond myself, and - most importantly - my own personal biases and nostalgia. With that said, for all…two of you who decide to read this, these are My Top 5 Favorite “Spooky Episodes” from Thomas & Friends!

5. Scaredy Engines.

We’re starting off with the least scary of these episodes, but still a very memorable one. Appearing in Season 6, “Scaredy Engines” isn’t actually all that creepy, in my opinion…but it IS, to its credit, VERY funny, even as a grown-up. The story begins with Thomas, Percy and Duck hearing a story of a ghost engine that haunts the lonely scrapyards, searching for his lost whistle, one Halloween Night. By sheer happenstance, Sir Topham Hatt - the Fat Controller - sends the three out on a job at the scrapyards that same night. All through the night, Thomas teases Percy for being a “scaredy engine,” getting all nervous about the story…so Duck decides to pay him back, and the result is honestly kind of hilarious. This is weirdly one of those episodes I appreciate more now than I did when I was younger; when I was a kid, I felt it was a significant downgrade compared to many of the earlier spooky stories (especially those in the previous season…we’ll get to that later). Nowadays, however, I really appreciate the humor of it, and I also think it’s a strong character episode, showing the best qualities of all three of its main figures. It was, in fact, one of the last major roles Duck had in the show, and it’s a favorite for me in terms of Thomas & Percy’s long-running friendship. It’s not one of the creepiest, but it’s certainly one of the most fun.

4. Ghost Train (a.k.a. Percy’s Ghostly Trick).

Airing in Season 2, this is the only episode on this list that is a direct adaptation of a tale from “The Railway Series.” This was the first properly “spooky” story in Thomas history - both for the show and for the original books - and it sort of set the standard for how later episodes and stories in the same vein would be managed. The story begins with Percy telling Thomas & Toby about a ghost story his driver related to him. Thomas scoffs at the story as stuff and nonsense and mocks Percy, who is further disappointed when his driver reveals the story was a made-up tale inspired by a TV show. Later that night, Percy runs into a broken cartload of lime left on his track, and is covered in white powder from smokebox to bunker. With Toby’s help, he decides to trick Thomas into thinking he’s a real ghost, to pay him out for teasing. In some ways, this is a lot like the later “Scaredy Engines,” but I think “Ghost Train” wins because it just has a darker edge to it. It’s such an atmospheric episode. Taking place almost entirely during night and evening, with the usually charming Sodor now taking on an eerie, decrepit appearance. Fog is everywhere, the autumn trees look ghostly and haggard, and the soundtrack leans heavily into the dark and decadent ambience on display. While the story itself is fairly innocent, it’s this dreary and unsettling atmosphere that sells things: it doesn’t hold back on its spookiness, despite its inherent silliness, and I think that’s why it’s had such an impact for so long. It’s one of the most popular examples of “Spooky Thomas” to this day, among fans and general audiences alike, and more than deserving of placement here.

3. Haunted Henry.

All of the top three episodes on this list come from the same era of the show: Season 5. Produced as a sort of experiment to test effects, tonal qualities, camera dynamics, and other elements in preparation for the series’ first (and, to date, only) theatrical feature film, “Thomas and the Magic Railroad,” Season 5 deliberately tried to be more varied and more cinematic in its style and standards. As a result, there are more episodes that can be considered “spooky,” or at least fairly “dark,” in this single season than any other in the franchise’s history, and virtually all of them are great. Our first example is “Haunted Henry,” which begins with Edward warning Henry about a ghost that haunts the line, whenever a certain owl hoots and the mist rolls in. Henry dismisses Edward’s warning…until later that same night, while hauling an important goods train, Henry and his crew begin to come across apparent signals of ghostly activity, including flickering lights, mysterious warning signs, and more. MILD SPOILER ALERT: it is eventually revealed that all this evidence of haunting has a more or less logical explanation. However, what makes “Haunted Henry” so great is the building of tension and mystery: we aren’t told right from the start that this definitively isn’t a ghost, unlike in many later (and even earlier) episodes, so for much of the story, we’re just as creeped-out and unsteady as Henry and his Driver and Fireman are. It’s almost like a Thomas version of Scooby-Doo (keyword being “almost”), as we have to try and piece things together to figure out just what is really going on. Parts of this episode were genuinely frightening to me as a kid, and even as an adult, you have to admire its atmosphere - arguably heavier than any other episode of this type - and the way it keeps the viewer in suspense. A highlight for Season 5 and the spooky side of Thomas in general, “Haunted Henry” is pretty much a shoe-in for the top three.

2. Rusty and the Boulder.

This is actually my favorite episode from Season 5, so you’d think it would take the top spot here. However, I rank it only at second place because it isn’t “spooky” all the way through. Unlike all the other episodes on this list, the majority of the story takes place during the day, and it’s more of a thrill ride than a tale of ghosts and goblins. So, why is it on the list at all? Well…let’s go into the story: the plot begins with the engines of Sodor working on trying to open up a new quarry in the mountains. The main engine in charge appears to be the little diesel, Rusty. High upon a cliff overlooking the quarry is a huge, round boulder. One day, the boulder rolls down off the mountains, and runs amok across the line, threatening multiple engines and leaving rampant destruction everywhere it thunders. Eventually, the boulder comes to a halt after ramming into a shed filled with explosive mining supplies, and in the wake, the decision is made to shut down the project. The boulder is then moved to a smaller, safer location, to prevent it from ever causing trouble again. What makes this episode so disturbing and unique, and why I place it on the spooky ranks, is because it’s HEAVILY implied that the Boulder is somehow alive, which is a first for the series: in virtually every other episode that has elements of the supernatural involved, the paranormal is explained away. It’s always the result of a misunderstanding, or of real people/engines just playing pranks on other characters, or even a bit of both. This is, to my knowledge, the only time it’s pretty strongly indicated there is something unnatural going on, and the imagery that accompanies this can be quite unsettling. On top of that, while we know something otherworldly is going on, we don’t really know WHAT: is the Boulder possessed by a ghost? Is it some kind of spirit guarding the mountains? Could it even be extraterrestrial in nature? We have no idea, and that - plus the music and visuals, and the menace this massive, tumbling rock provides - I think makes it worthy of a place on this countdown. It may not be traditionally spooky in the way the others on the list are, but it’s certainly unnerving in its own way.

1. Duncan Gets Spooked.

This is my second favorite episode of Season 5, and as far as spooky Thomas episodes of the classic era (and, really, ANY era) go…this one takes the cake. The story begins when a little engine named Peter Sam accidentally loses a train of Troublesome Trucks, who break away from him and derail off an old iron bridge, plunging into the swamps below. When another engine, Duncan, makes fun of Peter Sam, and suggests the ghosts of the trucks may come back to haunt him, Rusty decides to try and prove a point to Duncan by telling him a ghost story, about a little engine that derailed on the same bridge years ago. According to Rusty, the engine’s ghost still haunts the bridge, forever doomed to run the same loop of track…and never reach home. When Duncan remains unfazed, his crew and Peter Sam’s decide to collaborate on a scheme to scare him in revenge. This episode actually reminds me a little bit of one of my favorite creepy stories of all time, “The Legend of Sleepy Hollow.” Just like with that story, you don’t even realize this one is a horror story at the start, and it uses its time wisely to build up to the scary moments. Also, like that one, what really makes this story great is the ambiguity of it: the ghost story Rusty tells remains one of the most memorable in the show because, unlike with other ghost trains we see in the series, we actually see the story play out. We see the engine in the legend die, effectively, right in front of us, and we see the spirit wandering around in the same sequence. We don’t know where Rusty got this story, either: if it’s one he made up, or one he heard from another source. We don’t even know if it’s a legend based in truth or not. Because of this, there’s this seed of doubt planted in the audience’s mind about the veracity of the story. On top of that, while we know Duncan and Peter Sam’s crews are plotting some trickery against Duncan, we don’t know all the details about how their plan works. As a result, when the haunting events happen, it’s hard to tell how much of what happens is the result of their scheme and the power of suggestion, how much of it is just Duncan’s mind playing tricks on him…and how much, if any of it, is real. That sense of the unknown, combined with the visuals and the music - arguably the most striking of any spooky story in the series - makes this one of the darkest and most memorably eerie in the franchise. “Rusty and the Boulder” may be my favorite of the season…but I see no reason not to name “Duncan Gets Spooked” as My Favorite Spooky Episode from Classic Thomas.

HONORABLE MENTIONS INCLUDE…

Stepney Gets Lost.

I decided not to include this Season 5 episode because, while it IS a very dark one in its own way, it isn’t typically spooky in the same way as others. There’s nothing supernatural indicated in this tale at all. Still, it’s a standout entry in its own right, and if any others want to include it, be my guest(s).

Bad Day at Castle Loch.

The resident “spooky episode” of Season 7. This one focuses on the Scottish Twin Engines, Donald & Douglas, and is inspired by the legend of the Loch Ness Monster. However, the spooky moments in this one are fairly quick and don’t come till near the end, so I didn’t think it deserved placement in the Top 5.

Thomas, Percy, and the Dragon.

The resident “spooky episode” of Season 3. Even as a kid, I never really found this one that scary, and much like “Scaredy Engines,” I think it goes more for comedy than outright horror. Still, it’s definitely a memorable story, and even got some fun merchandise back in the day!

[b0nelessdoodles]

Art Summary 2023

shoutout to the one month were i drew fanart and then everything else was just dnd content again lmao (also shoutout to me being late to posting this haaaaa)

2023 wasn't the best year for me personally. between money problems and job searching, health issues, mental health issues, unintentional discomfort at my new job, and the overall issues of the world it just hasn't been great and I felt it heavily in my creativity. I never really had any creative highs this year outside of artfight (and even then i felt like i didn't do well) which only fed into some of the issues I was having.

But looking back I am really happy with most of what I made! Sure I didn't draw much but hey I think I popped off when I did!

So here is to 2024! Already off to a good start in the art department and even if I slow down at least I've had fun so far!

(i was gonna put me gushing about things in tags but its a lot so i'm doing a read more this post is already so damn long lmao i'm sorry)

okay i'm here to gush about two pieces at a time and their contents cause then make me happy to look at so lets get started on that with march and september 'cause hey! look at the relationship development of my little goblin guy!

march was when kk (tic's best friend and now boyfriend) first appeared to the rest of the party outside of just tic talking about him. literally the entire party could see that kk was in love with tic and was just like "oh buddy sorry about that" 'cause tic was a dumbass and romance was just never something he thought about until meeting the party. then we flash forward to september where the two confessed to each other after what really felt like the end of tic's story arc. at least it felt that way to me 'cause he reached his goal of killing groll and becoming the king of goblins but i know he still has shit to do I'M LOOKING AT YOU TRAVELLER AND RIP! but yeah that was the whole reason he left and it was done. he did it! but it almost cost him kk and the two ended up having a really important talk about it. kk chewed tic out and spilled his guts and i still think about it a lot holy shit it was so good omfg but it was in that moment that it clicked for tic. that if he had actually lost kk he had no idea what he would do, that he felt like his whole life would fall apart without him. and just man it was good wholesome content. congrats to the goblins for being the first canon relationship! (even tho they were not the first confession that one goes to rhami!)

now that that block of the text is out of the way we get to more depressing ones, those being january and october with my guy, dr. cecil wilfree.

its just.... man. what do i even say about him. january was probably the last moment before his life went into a full downward spiral, eventually leading into his demise. that piece isn't even anything major but rather something like a reminder going "hey, remember when wilfree had two normal eyes? good times!" and just man (-insert that image of a horse standing on the beach-) compare that to where he's at in october and knowing what happened in those 10 months? january he still had trust and hope, he believed that he was going to get back home and help river out with his plague, maybe even get aster home if she'd let them, maybe find a way to cure himself and help casey. but by the end there was no hope and he found out that he had been used, was nothing more than a tool for someone who he trusted, despite knowing that he really shouldn't have. river was dead and it was his fault (at least in his mind it was), he had failed to protect aster and traumatized both her and willow, and he could do nothing to save an entire population from being wiped off the face of the map. and he caved under the guilt. he gave up. its sad to see him alive and pissy in january and then look at december and see a shell of the same man, no more thoughts in that head as his mind got disconnected from his body and self.

and then for extra sads we've got december which was his birth month, so i drew something from a time before the campaign. back when he was alive and well, no soul curse and unknowing of the horrors yet to come, and receiving a gift from someone whose life he could soon destroy due to his own hubris.

anyway! pay no mind to may! i didn't draw a damn thing that whole month!

[jeffrey1010bce]

October 29th..4 days away from SAT.

Feeling mad confident on scoring high in the Reading and Writing, but I have to practice heavy on the Math section to get a permissible score atleast

I won’t say today was a bad day, I lowkey can’t recall but I guess I talked alot today, talked to dylan a little, hope for the best for him and his to be girlfriend. Had to get my reference for my characterization essay for AP Literature, guys had me doing 2 player games just to get a essay reference but it’s cool because we got it and finished both essays including the chart. The ending to Paul’s Case threw me off so weirdly, I didn’t actually expect him to throw away his life like that even after he got caught up but it is what it is, since he didn’t really find a purpose to continue living a life of lies. Also in Government, I lowkey heavily knew alot of that practice test, felt good to participate in things like that and get them right, its cool. But anyways, that one girl disappeared again brooo I actually pray that she comes back soon, personally I don’t know much about her but I think it’s more than just her “skipping”, I think its something deeper than that, possibly personal but, that is nothing I have to really dive my nose into. We maintain a benign state of mind. 2:53am but we chilling

[ashadowofburnedoutstardust]

Dream list: #fireangelsdreams

Triad Dream diary last months of 2020

Western theme park cabin roof gone

Black snakes at mall

Dream Diary 26 Feb 2023

I'm curled up on the couch, and Chris is sitting opposite me on a recliner chair.He's watching me smiling as I curl up, smile back, and fall asleep.

I'm walking through an oversized mall, a weirdly shaped movie theatre, I go outside and realise I'm in Brisbane. In walking around outside and there are black viper looking snakes on the ground everywhere, I'm stepping over them and around them on the path.

One of the snakes tries to teach out and strike me in the face but I dodge out of the way and it misses me.

Lasers in warehouse with red book

Dream diary May 15 2023

The nightmares

Dream diary July 8 2023

Grandmother's death

Dream diary July 17 2023

Giving birth to twins at a BBQ at Chris House, exact date unknown

Dream diary July-August 2023

I'm standing on the deck outside and I'm very heavily pregnant to the point of having to wobble around, I know I'm pregnant with twins

There's a BBQ going on and people are sitting outside around a table eating and drinking

My labour starts and I give birth to a boy he is small and came out very easily. The other twin however will not come at all, I walk around trying to get my labour going again, people are concerned.

Finally I manage to push her out but she is much older than just an infant, almost a child and just as big

It's nearly time to go to bed so people are camping out wherever they can as there aren't enough beds for everyone to have a room

I decide to play a trick on some of them in the morning by getting up early and setting off an alarm

I watch and wait for the alarm noise to stir them from their slumber but right before the alarm goes off, I wake up

The fire coming closer people on TV beside house, fireworks in garden

Dream diary 30 Nov 2023

DJ stole my stuff, cut head off plug cord

Dream Diary November 2023

Surprise party, waiting for dad's arrival, peek through curtains, go outside, hide skateboard behind building when i think its Dad arriving its not, I see people walkimg near where i stashed my stuff, I go check for it its been stolen, I go back inside to the party, the DJ inside the party have my stuff, I confront them, they refuse to give it back so I flip the table and unplug and cut the head of the power cord off their machine

Josh turned into my anti Vax ex

Dream diary January 9 2024

I gave birth to a baby through my belly button, me and my friends had travelled back in time and I was worried about getting medical care due to the time period but the baby turned into a bird so we picked off the mucus and everything was fine

I went looking for a way into the building and wandered through a courtyard, finally found the entrance and managed to go upstairs by means of a dodgy elevator

I went into the reception area a few floors up and asked how to get where I was going, the people there directed me to another set of elevators

Once I finally found the apartment I went inside and Josh was there. I picked up a giant plush bear and waved it at him and he started heading towards me. He ended up sitting in the back seat of a car with the top down but when I got to him he had turned into my anti-vaxxer ex and started having an argument with a cable installation guy that happened to be in the room. I didn't like the way that he was talking to him so I started telling him off for speaking to him that way

The Lake - Date unknown

The mob - date unspecified

[katebishopofearth]

Home [an our flag means death fanfic]

Fandom: Our Flag Means Death Relationships: Blackbonnet | Stede & Crew of the Revenge Characters: Stede | Ed | Crew of the Revenge Rating: G Other tags: found family | post-canon | Izzy Hands lives

|| Prompt from @kronosa113: domestic beach boys (my personal ship name for gentlebeard) welcoming the new Revenge crew to their inn (as is or finally completed) have been plaguing my mind since October ||

Home

It had been so quiet in their little house on the beach, that Stede had almost forgotten what it was like to be around his lively, rowdy crew all the time. As soon as they had fixed up the house into a respectably liveable, if somewhat homely, state, they had sent word to the Revenge, telling them they were welcome to visit anytime.

By the end of that week, the Revenge was docked in the deep waters of the nearby bay, and the crew tumbled off it, bearing fresh fruit from across the Caribbean and tales of their new adventures at sea. Captain Hands was the last to disembark, after personally seeing to it that everything was in order on board, just the way he liked. He and Ed had nodded at each other, communicating something without words the way only the two of them could. Then he turned to Stede and said, “Well, this lot’s your problem again.”

Stede gave a little chuckle, feeling almost like a divorced parent taking custody of the kids. “Not too much trouble, were they?”

Izzy smirks. “You know them. If they don’t find trouble, they make it themselves."

Stede chuckled at that. Some things never changed.

All afternoon, the normally quiet sanctuary of the house and the beach were filled with laughter and conversation. Roach immediately set up shop in the kitchen, unloading an impossible amount of fresh vegetables and herbs from a bag that looked way too small to possibly hold everything inside. “I’ve just gotten my hands on a new spice – they call it pa-pree-ka,” he declared proudly, holding up a little sack. “I’ve been saving it for an occasion like this one.”

Stede’s mouth watered at the peppery, spicy scent of the red powder in the little sack. “That smells divine, Roach.” He beamed. “Can’t wait to see what you cook up with it!”

There was a manic gleam in Roach’s eyes. “It’ll be a feast,“ he promised, all but licking his chops. “Now scram, get out of my kitchen.”

Knowing how Roach liked his space when cooking, Stede conceded his domain to him. He was almost immediately accosted by Lucius. He eagerly filled Stede in on all the gossip and drama he missed out, and Frenchie piped up with all the extra details Lucius managed to miss out. Stede let them direct him to a seat on the sofa, where he sank into its cushions and, through the window, saw Ed in conversation with Fang and Jim, the latter of whom was tossing their head back in a full-bellied laugh. With an eye on them, Stede let Lucius tell him all about last week’s pineapple fiasco.

--------

Roach did not fail to deliver. As the sun began to set, he served up an enormous pot of hearty soup that was coloured distinctly in the paprika’s warm hues, along with a tray of crusty garlic bread. Oluwande had gotten a fire going on the beach, where he and Ed grilled some fish – Ed’s catch heavily subsidised by contributions from Fang.

They ate sitting and chatting away on the beach, occasionally adding a few twigs and branches to the fire, so that by the time dusk draped its shawl over them, they had a good bonfire going. When the food was devoured – Stede had forgotten how quickly the crew could demolish an entire feast – they crowded round him and asked for a story.

Stede hardly needed any encouragement before he dropped his voice ever so slightly, taking on a storyteller’s timbre, and launched into a tale. “Odysseus had just survived a shipwreck and washed ashore on strange lands…" A hush fell over the chattering crew. They listened to Stede’s narration, with the ever-present whisper of the ocean behind them.

Stede had missed this – the rapt attention, the spellbound faces. Ed loved listening to his stories, but he was never shy about sharing his live reactions and was prone to taking them both on the wildest tangents. Telling a story to a group was a whole other exercise entirely. There was a kind of magic here, seeing how his words wove a spell around his crew just as Circe wove her spells around Odysseus and his men.

“After twenty long years at sea, Odysseus finally his sight on familiar shores. Ithaca. He was home at last.” Stede finished the night’s story, to the gathered crew’s collective awwws. Stede regarded his audience – Frenchie lying on his stomach with his guitar next to him, Pete’s head in Lucius’s lap, Jim, Oluwande and Archie cuddling in a pile. Next to Stede, Ed leaned back on his elbows, long legs stretched out and crossed at the ankles, looking up at him with the warmth of the bonfire flickering in his brown eyes. The sight of them all gathered together warmed Stede from the inside out in a way that he nothing and everything to do with the hearty soup that Roach cooked up for dinner. Yes – he was home indeed.

[continue reading on AO3]

[ladyloveroll]

♣️

lately the hate has been coming back. probably over the past few months. maybe its the holidays. maybe its my growing impatience.

but i had to do something to distract me back in october. and to see that it only got me three months is hard to take. i start my grad program next month and i am HANGING onto the hope that itll distract me long enough to stop feeling so much rage.

i hate it here. i truly fucking do. every quarter, this goddamn state government does something that pisses me off so bad that it validates my decision to move. except that— i also won’t go through the struggle again. im not going to move to chicago and feel the squeeze of not being able to afford to live there. coming from such a “low cost of living” state is hard for me to imagine i could have enough to even survive in chicago (and i have a good job!).

i push it all down. i increase the dosage of my antidepressants. i bury my mind in fandom. i stop looking at TWT because i cannot stand to see dead Palestinian children or their people be lined up in front of a firing squad. i can’t deal with it. i feel so much guilt for being able to block it. i feel like “well I SHOULD witness these atrocities and DO SOMETHING about them” and then fucking lankford puts out a letter with deep deep sympathies for israel. and i feel so hopeless and angry and one time i got the courage to call his desk even though his aid was probably just going to roll their eyes and then that same day i ran over something in the road because THERE IS ALWAYS SOMETHING ON I-40! and then lost the drive. (i did email all the offices, but i know emails are weaker than phone calls)

i try to look to luffy. it sounds so idiotic but i do. the whole point of OP is doing something that seems impossible and despite the haters and the obstacles /you still try/. you try so very fucking hard with all your heart.

but i am so tired of trying and i haven’t even called the fucking representatives. it feels cowardly. i know it is hopeless.

i apply it to getting myself through grad school and moving the fuck away from this place instead. selfish, i know, but the other route just is. not. working. so perhaps i need to change gears.

i hope i dont fall back into drinking heavily again. instead I just take edibles ALL DAY LONG to numb. To numb. how is that any better other than the obvious health consequences. shouldn’t I be in misery too alongside the people who cannot just “turn twitter off”? survivors guilt is STRONG. hopefully my distractions are stronger.

[the-right-thyme]

In the Shadow of Family- Chapter 2

https://href.li/?https://archiveofourown.org/works/49807084/chapters/125930776#workskin

Characters: Sebastian Sallow, Ominis Gaunt, Garreth Weasley, Player Character 

Warnings: Mild swear

Relationships: Friendships

Summary: Sebastian attempts to cheer up his friend after the dreadful events he most definitely didn’t witness. It goes well. Until it doesn’t.

Chapter Two: Meridies

‘Do you want another cup of tea?’ Sebastian Sallow proffered the delicate willow-patterned teapot to his best friend, steam still gently curling from the spout. Charmed to stay warm, of course.

‘No thank you, twelve’s my limit.’ Came his friends' reply, the merest hint of sarcasm slipping through, as he placed the saucer down next to himself, angle slightly uneven on the ground, the cup perched precariously, its contents reduced to dregs. 

Sebastian wondered if reading Ominis’ tea leaf fortune to him would cheer him up. Probably not. He’d probably end seeing a grim, or worse, extra charms homework in their near future. That wasn’t going to help cheer anyone up, except perhaps Natty.

Sebastian knew he had been overly chirpy all morning, jittery and fidgety, trying his best to act as if he hadn’t witnessed… well, best not to dwell on it. He was trying his hardest to act how he normally did, impromptu tea party by the lake aside. 

He'd had to practically drag Ominis across the castle and grounds, deep from his reverie in their dormitory room when it became apparent he wasn’t going to join him in the Great Hall for lunch. It had seemed to work; with each emptying cup, he had seemed more at peace, more himself. Tea had always seemed to cure Ominis’ many ailments; if only Anne were the same.

Although twelve was an exaggeration, five, if that, at the most. For someone who liked to repeatedly declare how much Sebastian’s embellishment of the truth irked him, he sure was good at doing it himself. Something about a pot and a kettle jumped to his mind.

Sebastian watched as he stretched his arms high above his head, before laying back on the slightly worn, but dry, blanket he had thankfully remembered to bring last minute. From this angle of the lake, all that could be heard was the waters edge gently lapping nearby. It was calming; he could almost imagine falling asleep despite the surprisingly warm midday October sun beating down on them.

‘So? How did it go, this morning?’ Sebastian couldn’t help but ask, hoping Ominis would pick up on his desperate tone and share, so he wouldn’t have to keep the oblivious friend act up all day. It seemed to work, he pitched himself up slightly, leaning back on bent elbows, chin resting heavily on his chest. 

‘It went…well. As well as any sort of meeting with my father can go.’

‘What happened?’

Ominis flopped back, supine again, speaking to the sky. ‘Sebastian, I appreciate your concern, really, but, not right now. Please.’ 

Sebastian watched his friend’s chest slowly rise and fall for a few seconds before hatching a new plan. He stood, hands plucking a rock from the ground, considered it before taking a slight run up and flinging it in a swinging overhead throw that launched the rock in a high arch, to a loud plop in the glittering blue waters, audible even from the shore.

‘Hear that? Nearly reached the other side.’

Ominis let out a snort and a ghost of a smile. Pushed himself up again, until he was sat upright.

‘Saying so doesn’t make it so.’

‘Your turn. Just throw it, give it all you got. Like this.’ Sebastian bent down, picked another from the shore, and with a curdled, exaggerated yell, threw it into the lake with another loud plop.

Sebastian sighed at the motionless figure, and folded a particularly streamlined rock into Ominis’ limp hand.

‘Here, it’s great reliever of stress, I promise; or are you going to sulk all afternoon instead?’

‘I’m going to sulk.’ Came his voice, resolute.

‘Ok well I’m going to throw rocks and scream at the unfairness of life.’

Ominis sniffed, his thumb rubbing over the smooth surface. 

‘So undignified.’ He murmured, almost to himself, failing to hide the quirk of his lips.

‘C’mon, your turn.' Sebastian tugged on Ominis’ shirt cuffs as he stood, suddenly pliant, ushering him forward slightly by a few shuffling steps, until the lake ever so gently lapped at his boots.

With a small huff, he held his arm out and let the rock fall gracefully from his fingertips with a slight underhand motion. It clattered noisily against the rocks directly below, water splashing his socks. Much to his apparent distaste.

‘Sebastian, I’m getting soaked.’

He couldn’t have held his laugh back if he’d been given all the galleons in gringotts.

‘You really are the most dramatic dandy, you know that?’

He was given a sniff in response, watched as he folded his arms, sat firmly back down, cross legged on the grass. Sebastian let out a frustrated cry to the sky.

‘You’re the stubborinst person I know.’

‘No I’m not,’ Ominis’ lips quirked, ‘I’m the most stubborn.’

‘And you’re the annoyingist.’

‘Grammar is just something that happens to other people isn’t it, Sebastian.’ Ominis said with a weary sigh, sounding almost like himself again.

‘Alright Professor Gaunt don’t let your giant head break your neck when you get down off your high horse’

‘Now you’re being facetious.’

‘You sound like my great Aunt Hester.’

‘She sounds like the most sensible, charming member of your family. Please introduce us.’

‘She’s dead.’

Ominis shrugged, ‘Probably still smarter than you.’

‘Don’t think I wont hit you.’

‘Don’t think I wont hit back, I’ve been told I’ve got a mean right hook.’

‘By who?’ Sebastian snorted, ‘unfortunately for you, I can see your arms. I’ve met grindylow with more definition.’ He poked Ominis’ bicep, dodging the swatting hand that followed it. 

‘C’mon, back up.’ Sebastian leant over him, placed his legs either side of Ominis’ knees, pulling his arms taught as he tried to drag him up, leaning back with all his weight. He didn’t budge.

‘How are you suddenly so heavy, there’s nothing of you!’

‘It’s the bulging arms.’

‘Fine!’ Sebastian threw his arms in the air in defeat, collapsing next to Ominis, who at least had the decency to look sheepish. His face turned thoughtful.

‘You’know, I think I’d like to do that.’

Sebastian blinked dumbly, back tracking on their conversation, trying to pick the thread Ominis was following.

‘Boxing?’ He racked his brain further, ‘Horse riding?’

Ominis gave him an annoyed glare, eyes briefly skating over his own.

‘Don’t be ridiculous. No.’ His voice went soft, sad. ‘A professor. I’ve thought about it, quite a lot actually. Maybe, after Hogwarts-’

‘A-a professor?’ Sebastian couldn’t help but splutter. Ominis flushed, clearly mis-interpreting. ‘Stupid childish fantasy I kn-’

‘Ominis.’ Sebastian took his friends shoulders in both hands, forcing his attention. ‘You’d be great at it. Honestly, I’d say you were born for it the way you like bossing me and Anne around.’ He let his hands drop, Ominis’ lips quirking as he attempted to fight the smile that was obviously threatening.

‘Really?’ So hopeful.

‘COMPADRES’ Came a familiar voice, breaking the moment. Sebastian twisted to the direction of the shout. The chipper, upbeat voice of Gryffindors’ golden fifth year, Garreth Weasley and- 

Oh dear, Sebastian thought, his eyes closing with chagrin. Clearly a clothing factory had exploded all over the new student, and they had simply decided to run with it because there was no way someone would choose their current ensemble. Where did someone even find an honest-to-Merlin cape these days?

They sauntered over, Garreth nodding to Sebastian in greeting first before turning to his friend with a friendly ‘Ominis.’ 

He took in their rug, forgotten teacups and still-steaming teapot; raised an eyebrow at Sebastian.

‘What’re you guys up to?’

‘The twelve uses of Horklump juice homework.’ Sebastian said with a flourish of his right hand, licking the nib of an imaginary quill and writing great swirling letters in the air in front of him. Garreth eyed him with amused confusion.

‘You Slytherin lot are an odd bunch, aren’t you. Well, don’t forget number thirteen, makes a delightfully potent additive to firewhisky. Not that I would know, of course.’ He gave Sebastian a conspiratorial wink before pulling his knapsack higher on his shoulder.

‘And you?’ Sebastian motioned to both of them with a sweep of his hand.

‘Billywig stings.’ He gestured with his chin to the bag dangling behind his back, ‘Top secret mission, mind, wish I could tell you more but, Godric’s the word eh?’ He tapped the side of his nose. ‘Specially if you see my Aunt.’ he gave a quick, shifty-eyed look around, as though a certain head of house was waiting to pounce on them from behind one of the nearby trees. 'She's been extra nosy as of late.'

Sebastian felt himself give a whole body shudder as a sudden whisp of a breeze drifted from over the lake. In his haste to drag Ominis away, he had completely forgotten his school cloak. His shirt wasn’t the warmest, not for October.

‘Sebastian, you must be cold, here,’ Garreth’s partner-in-crime looped the particularly ugly scarf they had decided to don that day round his neck, ‘keep it, I have plenty.’ And indeed, they had already produced a second, somehow more grotesquely patterned scarf, from Merlin-knew-where, winding it around their neck with a flourish. The scarf, now his scarf he thought idly, was made from a sort of murky green velvet material, interwoven with a wool so thick and scratchy, he wasn’t sure if it was actually straw or not, and, worst of all, it had actual tassels. It was over the top, even by wizard standards. Hideous.

‘Uhm, thanks.’ he said weakly, not wanting to offend them by declining, not after everything they had done for him. With a satisfied nod, the two co-conspirators gave their goodbyes and trudged off, their conversation carried off in the wind.

‘Do you think I should lose the scarf?’ Sebastian asked, amused, once they were out of earshot, adjusting it, trying to find the best way to get it to sit just right without its itchy surface digging into the more sensitive parts of his neck, wondering if he could get away with obscure fashion choices the same way his new friend seemed to. Ominis reached out, fingers clasping around the garment, rubbing the material between his fingertips, tracing the swirling pattern. He considered.

‘I think you should burn it,’ Ominis said solemnly, ’Because if you lose it, you mind find it again.’

He playfully slapped the side of his head, scuffing the neatly combed hair.

‘You’re not as innocuous as people think you are, Gaunt.’

‘And you’re not as dashing.’

‘Oh? And you are?’

Ominis shrugged, ‘I have no idea. But I know a fashion disaster when I feel one.’

Sebastian threw the offending item at Ominis’ head, watched him fight a grin, something shifting in his chest. Now or never.

‘You know, when you said it went well? When you said well, did you mean shite?'

‘Something like that.’ Ominis said distantly, sounding far off again, smile fading. ‘Father is most displeased with me not running around hexing muggle-borns, or declaring my blood status, as if it matters, at every opportunity, it would seem.’

‘Your family really are a delight.’

‘What was it my Aunt Noctua used say about familial love and war? One involves a lot of physical and psychological pain, and the other is war.’ Sebastian felt a laugh bubble up, in spite of himself. A companionable silence followed, broken by Ominis clearing his throat.

‘Father wishes me to be married, the year after next.’

‘No. Really? Whoever to?’ Sebastian tried to aim for surprised, but not too much, hoped it didn’t sound as comically punch-and-judy out loud as it did in his head.

‘She’s called Lucilin Black. I’ve met her once before, a few years ago at a sort of-’ He wrinkled his nose in disgust, ‘Pure-blood social gathering. Her mother introduced us,’ he paused, ‘she’s fond of torturing animals.’ He said mildly, as if commenting on her favourite book, or pastry.

‘She sounds like a delight.’

‘Quite.’

Sebastian pushed on. ‘And?’ 

A few beats of questioning silence hung in the air. Sebastian pushed on. He’d get to the main point soon enough if he skirted around it long enough.

‘You’re really going to marry a Black?’

‘I most certainly am not.’ Came the affronted reply, as if even merely suggesting the fact was offensive to him. 

‘But think, the headmaster could be your father-in-law, now there’s a sobering thought.’

‘That’s-’ He blinked blankly in Sebastian direction, ‘That’s not how it works, she’s not his-’ Sebastian ignored him, feeling like he was on a roll, back into the flow of their easy banter.

‘Put in a good word for me, won’t you? I’m going to need all the help I can get if I’m going to pass my Beasts O.W.L this year, Howin has got it in for me I’m sure.’

Ominis sniffed, fiddling with a hem on his robe, in a way he never usually did. ‘I’m just like him.’

‘Who…Professor Black?’ Sebastian asked dumbly, reeling from the sudden change in topic, but knowing they were inching closer.

‘No-my father. I’ve heard people say I’m the spit of him. I think Marvolo hates me for it, he idolises father you know.’

‘Just because you look like him,’ Sebastian paused, ‘-if that is indeed true-’ he added hastily, ‘you, of all people, should know, you’re only like him in all the ways that don’t matter. Besides.’ Sebastian let himself snort unattractively, trying to break the tension. ‘You definitely don’t want to look like the lumbering troll Marvolo does now.’

Sebastian snapped his mouth shut audibly, realised his mistake as the words left his mouth too late.

‘How did you know Marvolo was -?’ Ominis was far too perceptive for his own good.

Sebastian felt himself splutter, ‘I-I saw them heading back, with the Headmaster-’

‘No, no you didn’t. Don’t lie to me. You were there, weren’t you! You saw-’ He let out an extended huff, stood up, started pacing, hands flourishing wildly in the air, too angry for words. 

‘After I explicitly said-’

Not wanting to see the complicated change of expressions on Ominis’ face, Sebastian closed his eyes as the tirade continued.

‘… you know what? I’m not even surprised anymore. You have a remarkable lack of self awareness, Sebastian, into others’ personal-agency.’ His voice sharp.

Something rustled by his side, he peeked, saw Ominis fumbling as he located his wand, refusing to even acknowledge him as he turned and bumped their knees in his haste. Sebastian watched with a sinking feeling in his stomach as he stomped away as quickly as he could, back towards the castle, disappearing round the back of the tree line. 

There was suddenly a noticeable wind, blowing in from across the lake, now more murky that it had appeared only moments before. 

Sebastian shivered.