#did i give away my favorite doctor with that reference?

[khruschevshoe]

My literal only complaint about the 60th anniversary is my girl, my hero, my ICON Dr. Martha Jones did not get her apology, much less a mention despite the fact that she WORKS AT UNIT LAST WE SAW. This is Martha erasure and we will not stand for it!

Otherwise, 10/10. Bi-generation? DoctorDonna found family? Ncutia Gatwa absolutely owning right out the gate? Absolutely fantastic.

[fanaticsnail]

Exhibitionism: Trafalgar Law

Birthday Celebration Masterlist

Word Count: 4,100+

Themes: Law x afab!reader, mdni, NSFW, 18+, smut, fingering, praise, public, no prior relationship, masturbation, education, medical malpractice, (witnesses present: Shachi, Penguin, and Bepo), consent asked multiple times, medical talk, vaginal exam.

Notes: This is day 2 of my celebration event. I hope you enjoy this chapter! Disclaimer: I am not a doctor, please excuse any inaccuracies.

When Ikkaku approached you with a coin from your captain’s prized collection, your brows knit together in puzzlement. She had this look in her eye, one that held something hidden behind her usual disgruntled expression that held you intrigued. Head lulling to the side, she pursed her lips and asked you her question.

“Heads or tails?”

Shaking your head softly, you gave her more of a confused smile than anything else. With a soft shrug, and an assumption in your mind regarding chore rotation, you simply pouted while uttering your answer.

“Tails, I guess?”

With a mischievous smirk, Ikkaku flicked the shiny object in the air with a skilled roll of her thumb. Catching it mid-air, she swatted it and held it firmly within a cupped grip on her forearm. Eyes darting between yours, her smile grew ever wider the longer she held your attention.

“Don't want to reconsider?” she taunted you, “Last chance to change your answer, hon. Still going with tails?”

“I like my odds, and tails is my favorite” you smile warmly at her, “They're always more intricately carved, and their patterns are pretty.” She nods, tugging away her hand and revealing the side facing the roof of the tang to you both.

“Would you look at that! You win,” she chuckled, reaching the coin forward and gently offering it out for you to take, “Give this to the captain when you go on in to see him. He's expecting one of us, and I'm so fucking glad it's you.” She seemed to breathe out a sigh of relief at that last statement, her cheeks falling a little as she feels a weight flee from her shoulders.

You cocked your head at her response, darting your eyes between hers before you apprehensively took the coin from her hands.

“What the fuck did I just agree to?” you giggle a little, unsure of what would phase your crewmate so much that she'd breathe out this much relief, “Some sick and twisted chore?”

“Nah, nothin’ like that,” she giggled, giving your shoulder a gentle squeeze, “Captain needed a volunteer for a lesson he wanted to teach some of the crew, is all.” She gently waved you off, giving you that grin filled with mischief that had your skin ignite with goose flesh.

Shrugging off your nerves, you ponder what mysterious lesson needed your person in that only you or Ikkaku would be able to serve under.

Whatever you concocted in your mind, nothing prepared you for where you found yourself. Splayed out in the medical bay, legs in stirrups, and made comfortable by pillows tucked behind your head, and a weighted blanket kindly placed over your stomach to grant you some comfort within the issue at hand: Captain Trafalgar Law was giving three of the crew a lesson on anatomy. Your body as his guide, he had his nylon gloves tugged over his wrists as he gently pointed out several areas of your pussy to your crewmates.

“The labia majora and the labia minora are a part of what is commonly referred to as ‘the vulva’,” Law’s low tone and dry voice caused you to internally shake your head and roll your eyes, but externally remaining still so he could deliver more of his lecture, “This also includes the urethra, vagina, and glans clitoris. Any questions?”

“What is the main function of the clitoris?” Bepo’s voice bashfully rose his question through a shy mumble, “What does it do?” Snickers from Shachi and Penguin were hastily silenced by a look Law shot them, his eyes piercing them more precisely than his blade ever could.

“The clitoris is where most owners of vaginas often source their pleasure,” Law explained without fluctuation in his cadence, “For many, it is the most common cornerstone of their orgasm. Only a small fraction is external, the majority of the clitoris is internal. Stimulating the clitoris is usually the final leg to achieving an orgasm. Any other questions, or should I move on-?”

“-The fuck you mean it's internal? Like the G-spot?” Shachi spoke over Law, cutting him off and relating his concern. Law sighed, clamping his eyes shut and taking a small breath of agitation.

“Both yes, and no. It's currently under debate as to what part of the network the G-spot is: whether it's a part of the vagina, or if it's the underside of the clitoris,” Law spoke, resting his hand on your exposed thigh.

You try not to tense up as you stare at the ceiling and think on the dinner menu, the cleaning rotation, the timetable for overnight shift, and what time to set your alarm in the morning. Anything other than four of your crewmates staring at your pussy, and attempting to ignore the way your Captain's authoritarian dictation was affecting you. Anything other than the embarrassment of getting aroused at each soft and intentional poke and prod to your cunt, paired with the dry delivery of medical speech.

“Now, let's talk internally,” Law cut through the silence, gently moving his warm hands towards your core and using the heels of his palm to divide your walls and expose your entrance. “The alley towards the cervix-.”

“-Captain, I'm sorry to interrupt your lecture,” Bepo’s voice spoke quietly once more, “But I have more questions about the clitoris. When you say it's the most common source for the orgasm, can you explain anything else about it? I-... I just want to learn, I'm sorry.” You purse your lips and attempt to suppress a soft coo at Bepo’s sweetness.

Law was less enthusiastic about the interruption, but halted his explanation to satisfy the curiosity of the polar-bear mink.

“The clitoris has three parts to it,” you felt his hands move up, the heel of his palm at the base of your abdomen, pushing up the skin and exposing more of you to your crewmates, “See here? I’m pushing the clitoral hood back to reveal this smaller organ hidden beneath? That is an extremely sensitive part of the vaginal anatomy. When stimulated, the vagina will self-lubricate to allow easier entry internally.”

You could barely breathe, thankful for the security the weighted blanket offered you to anchor you to the table and prevent you from fleeing from sheer embarrassment. Taking a few steady breaths in, you attempted to keep yourself calm as you shoved away the feeling of an almost touch to your sensitive bundle of nerve-endings from your captain.

Sensing your unease, Law drew his other hand to your thigh and gave you a gentle tap in appreciation of your willingness as his assistant. While he would never say it, he hoped you were the one to agree to this little display instead of Ikkaku. He wouldn't have heard the end of her sass, and you were far easier to ask to follow obscure orders from time to time.

“Sir, when you say ‘self lubricate,’ can you explain what that means-?” Bepo asked quietly once more, prompting you to let out a soft cough to cover a nervous laugh. Law seemed to notice your nerves, gently checking in with you before he did anything without consent. With the gentle call of your name, he broke you from your thoughts and coaxed your eyes to meet his.

“Would you mind if I demonstrated a little bit about how lubrication is produced?” His question seemed the most straight forward to ask the most abstract concept you could ever hope to agree to.

Your captain, Trafalgar D Water Law: former warlord of the seas, and titled the surgeon of death, was asking for permission to get you wet in front of your crewmates. With a soft warmth illuminating your cheeks, you felt compelled to nod. You did not want to disappoint your captain, and having him so close to your intimate region was driving you to the brink of your self control.

“If you deem it necessary, and are prepared to, Captain. I won't stop you,” you responded, checking in with him to ensure he was comfortable with demonstrating this in front of his subordinates. While you were the one about to be made aroused in front of your crew, your captain was going to be the one to do it.

“Alright,” Law nodded down at you, again while giving your thigh a soft squeeze, “Thank you. You're an excellent assistant, and I appreciate you for doing this.”

Managing to give him a soft nod, you lay back and fixed your eyes on the silver roof of the Polar Tang’s med bay as you felt your captain's hand shift towards your pussy. Gently holding your pelvis up with the heel of his palm, he exposed your clit by pulling back the hood.

“Where most partners, once knowing where the clitoris is and what it does, would go charging in towards it,” Law spoke while the warmth of his hands moved towards your pearly bud, “You must only be kind to it. Gentle motions: either up and down,” your breath hitched as his fingers made contact with your clit, his motions following his instructions.

“You can also go side to side,” he rolled your clit with his index finger, your dry pussy now weeping with a small amount of arousal pooling at the entrance, “Or in a circular motion. Like so,” his wrist shifted, using both his index and unity finger to stimulate your clit. You continued to stare up at the ceiling, attempting to fight the way your body was responding to your captain and compartmentalize the feeling of his hands on your body.

“And now you see, there's a little bit of lubrication at the entrance,” his hands darted down, collecting a small amount of your slick, and raising his hand up to the light. “This is an indication of arousal, and will often pave the way for penatritive sex for those who enjoy it.” Law finished, bringing his hand away from your pussy and letting it throb in front of your crewmates.

“Now that we've got it wet, is there any other quest-,” Law’s words were stolen from him when Bepo interjected, much to both Shachi and Penguin's delight.

“-When you say ‘penatritive sex,’ do you mean when a penis goes in? I am so sorry,” Bepo added, his apologies directed at you, alongside his heartfelt gratitude, “I just want to learn. I don't want to make you uncomfortable.” Before Law had a moment to reprimand Bepo, you spoke up calmly and sweetly.

“No, it's okay Bepo. It's actually refreshing that you want to learn this,” you raise your head and give him a soft smile, “If you have a partner with these parts in future, I know they would appreciate you knowing how to satisfy them. Sorry for interrupting, sir. I won't do it again.” You turn your attention towards Law, offering him a soft smile before returning to your reclined position against the bay.

Law, despite his stoic exterior, attempted to ignore the twitch in his pants each time you called him ‘sir’ while being so close to your pussy. ‘It was all in the name of knowledge and medical education,’ he told himself, ‘Nothing more.’

“Penetrative sex, Bepo, can be with foreign objects, including: hands, tongue, tools, and another person’s anatomy that fits within,” he relayed, gently bringing his hands back to your pussy and massaging your clit once more. “The only thing you need to think about is how aroused they are when entering. So, you see how there's a little amount of lubrication at the center?”

Law lined up his tallest finger with your core, gently carding through your folds and rubbing your slit. Slowly inching his fingertip within your pussy, he listened for that gentle hiccup in your breathing that shot lightning straight to his cock. He clamped his eyes shut to take a moment of composure, focussing his attention on the way his gloved finger disappeared into your pussy, and continued.

“So now we've got our partner lubricated enough to enter,” he pressed a little more firmly, more of his finger disappeared upwards within your pussy, “It goes in with ease. In a gentle rocking motion, we can use our hand and fingers to draw out pleasure.” Law continued to press more of his finger within your pussy, trying not to groan at the way it swallowed his digit with a greediness he did not anticipate. He could feel how hot and wet you were through the glove, and it made him almost want to dismiss the three from the room and claim you on the table.

“Now, if we're satisfied with this,” Law continued rocking you on his hand, his attention now turning towards Shachi, Bepo and Penguin, “I could now talk about performing cervical testing and pap smears, like I intended in the beginning-.”

“-Once the entrance is lubricated enough,” Bepo again spoke up, “Should the clitoris be ignored? It's far from the opening, and I could imagine it hard to reach.” Law sighed, turning back towards you while his finger was still buried within your center to the knuckle.

“I am so sorry,” he offered you, his eyes empathetic while he choked back his anger at the line of questions, “Would… Would you mind if I made you cum? I don't want to make you uncomfortable, and I would only be doing it for the benefit of answering all of the follow up questions that I know will come from my brief explaiations.” Law gave you a few short rocks of his hand within your pussy, causing you to bite back a moan that he so easily could have ripped from you.

“If-...” you hissed, feeling more of the pressure returning to your abdomen the longer his hands remained focussing on your pussy. “If you think it's necessary, sir. I am at your mercy, and I will leave it up to you to decide how far you want to take this in the name of educational curiosity. Anything you need, I'm here to assist, sir.”

“Very well,” Law offered with a soft, cocky snicker in his tone, “I'm going to demonstrate a little bit of what I know about anatomy. Please just relax, let me take the reins, and tap my arm to stop me if it gets too much.”

“Yes, sir,” you nod, closing your eyes as you relax against the bay and gulping back your nerves, “Thank you, Captain.” You try to ignore the way you knew four sets of eyes were now fixed on the way your pussy sucked in Law’s finger as he dove it in and retracted it out.

“Okay, now that we're both consenting individuals for this small display, I'm going to demonstrate how to induce an orgasm from our willing crewmate here,” Law nodded to the other three, “You signed up for learning how to complete cervical screening, not learning how to deliver an orgasm. I am happy to cover them while you leave if you do not want-.”

“-Nope!”

“-Nuh uh, I'm good!”

“-I want to learn, Captain.”

You almost wanted to scream at the awkward tension in the room, feeling yourself slink back into the comfort of your shell and hide from them. Just as you were about to speak, Law drew his thumb up and began to gently roll your clit in slow and circular motions. Each time he drew his finger inside your pussy, he would match it with a soft roll of your clit beneath his thumb.

“This act is called ‘fingering’,” he added, likely for Bepo’s benefit while he continued to motion with his hands further, “While few partners enjoy being stimulated either internally or externally, I find the combination of the two actions gets a far greater result. See how much more lubrication freely falls from the entrance?” Law removed his finger from your pussy and held it up to the other three before returning it back to your slit.

“Now, I'm going to add a second finger to the mix,” he nodded, gently bringing his unoccupied hand up to the top of your thigh and giving it a small, appreciative squeeze, “I prefer using my two middle fingers, like so.” He lines up his fingers and gently eases them in your drooling pussy, rolling them against each other to stretch out your entrance.

“This leaves our index finger, pinky finger, and thumb free, so we can use them to-...” he draws his index finger and pinky against your labia and spreads it, his thumb returning to your clit and gently tapping on it with every in-thrust, “...Gently pry apart the vagina so we can see what we're doing, while using our thumb to stimulate the clitoris.”

Scrunching your eyes tightly shut, you used your top teeth to clamp hard on your lower lip to halt a wanton moan from falling from your lips. You couldn't, however, halt the way your back arched on the medical bay as your thighs began to tremble at the amount of pleasure your captain was ripping from you.

“Based on this reaction from our partner, how should I proceed?” he offered the other three, “See how they've arched their back, and their legs had began to twitch a little? This is the telltale sign that, regardless of the silence or not, they are enjoying what we are doing. Should I continue like this, speed up, or slow down?”

“I think we should slow down, draw it out a little more, and take our time with it,” Penguin offered in contemplation, “Withhold it a little to prolong the orgasm and build it up to a larger release.”

“I think we should stay at the same pace,” Bepo suggested, his tone more apprehensive, “Our partner seems to like it, and I would not want to disappoint them by changing what I'm doing in case they don't like it as much.”

“I think we should speed it up, hook our hands up, spit on it a little bit to add more lubrication, and see if we can make them squirt,” Shachi shrugged, uttering it is if it was the most obvious choice, “Use our tongue too, suck on the clit a little bit and make them get a little loud and nasty-.”

“-Keep up the language, Shachi, and I'll have you used as an example of what a prostate exam is,” Law’s warning tone, alongside his coaxing fingers had you whimpering. Your eyes floated open, eyelashes fluttering as he kept a steady rhythm on your pussy, and drawing out your pleasure with ease.

“While these are good suggestions, what we're missing is collecting preference from the one person that truly matters,” Law nodded to them, turning back his attention to you, “You're doing so well. Thank you for letting me do this. Would you prefer I slow down, speed up, or keep talking at the same pace while I change it up?” You gulp at his attention now returned to you, trying to compartmentalize the pleasure while communicating with your captain.

“I-...” you close your eyes, fighting a soft whimper at the way his hand manages to press against your most intimate regions and erogenous zones with the precision of a marksman hitting their target. Without much thought to the action, you couldn't help the words that fell from your lips.

“Please make me cum, captain. Please speed up a little bit, add some more pressure to my clit, and focus more on where your fingers touch me internally,” your soft plea was made with an almost innocent and begging look from your rounded eyes, “Please make me cum. I n-need to cum. Please, sir? Please?”

“Fuck,” a soft whisper from behind Law almost tore you away from your thoughts, Shachi’s hand moving to the front of his boiler suit and adjusting his hardening cock by pinching at the fabric. Law had no time to reprimand him, his entire attention focussed on you the moment your first utter of ‘please’ escaped your lips. Law sped up his motions, hooking up his digits and circling your clit with his thumb.

“Like this? I can feel the way you twitch around me when I push here. But if I push here,” Law moved his hand slightly up, leaning his body closer to yours while his hand was pressed on the base of your pelvis. Moving your hood back with his hand as he did earlier, he exposed more of your clit and spread your slick over your quivering pearl while his motions picked up, “I can stimulate all the parts of your clit at once. Do you like that?”

“Yes, please!” your back bowed as you felt your orgasm grow and bloom in your abdomen, “Please don't stop, captain! Please make me cum!” The fact your crewmates were watching as you were brought to your peak on Law's hands escaped you, your body responding to each rake of his fingers deep within your needy cunt.

“Fu-uck,” another whisper echoed from behind you, this time from Penguin who was clutching his clipboard closer to his chest and pressing his thighs close together.

“You can cum. Cum for me. Cum on my fingers,” Law kept his eyes on your face, continuing to beckon your orgasm from you while raising the intensity and speed of his motions. You felt the coil within your abdomen begin to wind tightly bound, your toes beginning to twitch and curl while your legs dug in against the stirrups.

“Nnnngh-... f-fuck-!” Back fully arching off the table, your lips parted in a silent cry as your pussy began to flutter around Law’s fingers. Both “A” and “T” continued to disappear into your pussy, his relentless stimulation of your clit pushing you from that ledge as you floated off into oblivion.

“There you go, there you go,” Law encouraged you, slowing down his motions as he felt you contract and pulse around his digits, “Good job. Look at you, cumming on my fingers. That's it, keep going.” You couldn't help but let out a higher whine at his praise as he continued to draw out your ecstasy with his skilled hands. He easily ushered you through it, careful to not overstimulate you as he draws you closer to your conclusion.

Feeling the last few waves of your pussy pulsing over his fingers, he holds them within, right down to the knuckle. He felt selfish in lingering longer than necessary, but he needed to feel you just that little bit longer as you panted and heaved through that high.

“So, you see how I slowed down as our partner experienced their orgasm?” Law slowly withdrew his fingers from your pussy, feeling the way it attempted to suck him back within and made him feel like internally groaning at the action, “Why did I do that?”

The room was in pregnant silence, nobody speaking a word, nor raising their hands to indicate their answers. With a soft roll of his eyes and a sigh, Law reached up and removed the elastic of his gloves with a snap over his wrists, breaking the men from their trance.

“To not overstimulate our partner. When the vagina experiences an orgasm, it is far more intense than the penis,” Law discarded the gloves into the bin and gently placed the blanket to cover up your exposed cunt, “The body doesn't feel it at just the abdomen, it feels it everywhere. If you keep it sped up, it overstimulates them to a point where it can become painful in some people. Communication is key with our partner. Any questions?”

Through the small amount of silence, the small voice of the polar-bear spoke shyly.

“Thank you,” he gently praised through his gratitude, rolling your name over his tongue with a blush dusting his white fur, “I appreciate you showing us this, and answering a lot of questions I was going to have before I asked them.”

You keep your eyes fixed on the roof as you raise up your hand. Extending your thumb, you gently squeak out through panting breaths: “Happy to help.”

While remaining composed and professional through the entirety of the ordeal, Trafalgar Law was far from unmoved by your display. He heard your whines for him, saw your back bowing and hips bucking, and remembered the way your pussy quivered against his fingers through each wave of your bliss. When he was alone in his quarters, he couldn't help but to bite his palm hard to muffle the keening cries of his bliss while fisting his cock to the memory. Ropes of cum spurting from his slit while he pictured the way your pussy would feel in the cusps of ecstasy atop his cock.

With the soft cry of your name muffled by his palm, he chased his high past overstimulation while picturing your begging. Eyes rolling, he bucked up into his balled fist while falling from a secondary edge of his own. He was desperate to feel you again: taste you, kiss you, consume you, worship you with his body against your own. All he could do was harden his resolve, charge up to you, and confess his adoration to you…

…Right after he cleaned up his mess.

Tag list: @mfreedomstuff @daydreamer-in-training @since-im-already-here @gingernut1314 @writingmysanity @i-am-vita @indydonuts @feral-artistry @the-light-of-star @empirenowmp3 @racfoam @sunflowersatori @carrotsunshine @skullfacedlady @jintaka-hane @thenotsofantasticlifestory

🎶Happy Birthday to Me🎶

If you would like to celebrate by indulging my caffeine and bubble tea addiction, my Kofi link is here.

[buttercupjosh]

The Perfect Proposal (the 4 times you expected that Mat was going to propose + the 1 time he actually did)

(Gif credit to @mattymartin)

word count: 1,968

genres: established relationship, fluff, self-insert

warnings: none

A/N: This story is based off of the song “Joy of My Life” by Chris Stapleton and I make references to this song throughout the story. I highly recommend listening to this song before reading my story. This story is short, sweet and fluffy. It’s not set at a specific moment in time (It’s taking place in a fictional future but you could also say that it’s set this upcoming season or even a past season). It’s written with a female reader in mind because I’m a female of color but the reader doesn’t specifically have to be a POC or a woman and there’s little dialogue. This is not a sequel to Your Favorite Secret (which you can still read and check out and if you want this to be a sequel to that, you can interpret it that way). As always, I’m open to any and all feedback, comments or questions; just put them in my inbox or dm me. Thank you so much in advance for reading, I appreciate it😌

(P.S. I have other stories (linked here) that I have written for other players as well if you want to check it out)

“Someday it will come right on cue.” -Somewhere Love Is Waiting for You from the Schmigadoon TV series soundtrack

Prologue

Meeting Mat changed your life in the best way possible. You took Mat’s breath away when you met up for your very first date and since then, you continued to take his breath away in small doses every time you saw him. He added so much goodness and love into your life and you did the same for him. Mat felt so grateful to have you in his life and even though he made millions, being with you was his greatest treasure. You and Mat deeply appreciated each and every moment you had together, no matter how big or small it was; the two years that you had been together so far were some of your greatest times. You were both so smitten that you always looked at each other with such deep love and devotion and couldn’t get enough of your significant other’s presence. For a while, Mat knew that he wanted to propose to you but he just needed to figure out the best way how to and time when to ask that all-important question.

————————————————————

It finally happened. After 3 challenging years, you finally completed law school and earned your Juris Doctor degree from NYU. All of your friends and family came into town to celebrate your accomplishment. In order to accommodate everyone, Mat graciously rented a large AirBnb house in the Hamptons to host your graduation party. You handled some aspects of the party planning while Mat handled the rest and the party went very well. During the congratulations portion of the evening, Mat wanted to give a quick remark to acknowledge your achievement.

“For the past 2 years, I watched this wonderful person ambitiously work their way through law school. There were a lot of late nights, early mornings and so many case reviews and vocabulary study sessions that I think I could go get a law degree. Y/N, to say that I am proud of you is a massive understatement. My love, you are so amazing and you did it. I love you so much. Because I love you so much, I have a surprise for you.” Mat spoke.

This moment seemed like it was the right time for Mat to ask for your hand in marriage; you had been dating for a while, you lived together and blended your families together, and he had just finished a great speech that made all of the party’s attendees realize how much he was in love with you. Instead, Mat handed you an envelope. Inside the envelope was a copy of a check for the exact amount that you owed in student loans and a letter informing you that your loans were fully paid off. You couldn’t believe what was happening and began to cry.

“How did you do this?”, you mustered out through your tears of joy.

“So you know how you gave me access to your book of important information in case anything happened to you? Well, I asked Liana to call the loan office to pretend to be you and ask for your account balance”, Mat cheesily revealed.

Mat saw firsthand how much distress and frustration law school caused you so he wanted to help out someone he deeply loved by eliminating the stress of having to pay for a student loan; this surprise was better than an engagement ring.

————————————————————

After your graduation party and after the Islanders were eliminated from playoffs, it was the official start of the off-season. This year, it was a milestone birthday for Mat’s dad so the Barzal family decided to do a European summer vacation to celebrate. You were important enough to their family that you had been invited and Liana, Mat’s sister, also invited her best friend to accompany her on the trip.

Hand-in-hand with the man you considered to be the love of your life and his family, for 3 weeks, you explored England, France, Monaco, and Mat’s ancestral homeland of Italy. In England, you indulged in English culture while Mat hilariously attempted a British accent. In France, you shared plenty of kisses with your lover in the City of Love, swooning every time Mat spoke French. In Monaco, you and Mat felt like the protagonists of a spy thriller while hanging out in the city.

Once you arrived in Italy, you got to see a different side of Mat that rarely came out. He had been to Italy several times before but he was thrilled to share all that he knew about that special place with you. Mat glowed differently whenever you got authentic gelato together or when he swam in the waters along the Amalfi Coast. Of course, throughout the trip, you still spent plenty of time with Mat’s parents, sister, and her friend and attended a lovely birthday dinner on a boat for Mat’s dad while visiting Sicily.

On the plane ride traveling back to Canada after your whirlwind European tour, you thought to yourself that you were going to come back to North America with a new jewelry addition to your left hand; you did have a lot of date nights and one-on-one time with Mat on the trip. However, your wonderful boyfriend did get you a gorgeous Cartier love bracelet from the official store in Paris and you were returning back with the gift of good memories that were created with your future in-laws.

————————————————————

The remainder of the off-season went by so quickly; between weddings, summer holidays, and other events all happening, you and Mat were swept in so many different directions. Time flies when you’re having fun and soon, it was already time to return to Long Island for the hockey season.

The usual ups, downs, and chaos of the hockey season lingered in your household but you navigated through it together. As the season went on, you spent a lot of time studying for the Multistate Professional Responsibility Exam and Universal Bar Exam, which allowed you to become eligible to be admitted to the New York State Bar next year. Even though you had those responsibilities, you still supported Mat at most of his home games. One of the things about Mat that you loved was how he would always quietly tiptoe into your shared home after a late game but he loved how you always waited up for him to come home after every game, regardless of what time he returned. Before you both knew it, the year was winding down and it was almost Christmas time. You and Mat had decided to host Christmas this year and both of your families were coming. This wasn’t the first time that both of your families had been together to celebrate an occasion; they were there all together for your law school graduation earlier in the year and both sides enjoyed being together as one cohesive unit but for some reason, things felt different to you this holiday season.

You spent hours preparing and making sure that everything was right for the arrival of your guests. Christmas came and went wonderfully. It was so nice to have your families together during the holidays. You gifted Mat a new game day tie and a gift card to one of his favorite road restaurants; Mat got you a nice bag to carry all of your work things and a personalized padfolio for you to take all of your legal notes in.

Yes, you were secretly expecting a diamond underneath the tree this year but it was okay because you still got other great gifts as well. Despite wanting something else, you still deeply cherished the time you got to spend with your loved ones.

————————————————————

After the holidays were over, you and Mat settled back into your respective routines until it was All-Star Break. Mat was not chosen for the All-Star Game that year and some of the Islanders players and families decided to go to the Bahamas for their team All-Star Break trip. The time away gave you and Mat both some essential rest and relaxation. At the end of February, you were scheduled to take the Universal Bar Exam but you took a break from studying to enjoy your mini-vacation. You stayed with your lover and company at a phenomenal resort; you swam with dolphins, relaxed at the spa, and ate so much tasty food. You also enjoyed lots of group activities with Mat and his teammates and their respective significant others. During the trip, one of Mat’s best friends’, Anthony, and his long-term girlfriend, Emma got engaged. It stung a little to see someone else reach the relationship milestone you deeply desired to share with Mat and you had expected that it was going to be you and your lover’s turn to share that special romantic moment on this trip, however, you were happy for your friends.

————————————————————

One evening, you came home from a long, exhausting day of work. After passing both the Universal Bar Exam and Multistate Professional Responsibility Exam and completing some other requirements, you were admitted to the New York State Bar last month and got a job as a junior attorney. It was a pleasant surprise to see Mat cooking; he was subtly singing in the kitchen and tenderly caring for some handmade pasta. You couldn’t quite make out what song Mat was singing but it didn’t matter what it was because you had caught him singing songs that you’ve played around the house and pop songs from the radio plenty of times before. You smiled to yourself as watched him in his element before slipping away for a much-needed shower.

After you came out of the shower and changed, there was a beautiful plate of pasta waiting for you on the table. Mat tapped deep into his Italian heritage and made a delectable dinner for the two of you. You shared with Mat the details of work and although, he may not quite fully understand everything you were expressing your feelings about, he still listened to you as you rambled on. After dinner concluded, you and Mat were going to share a box of bakery cannolis and watch a movie on the couch but Mat told you to wait at the table and suddenly got up. He returned to the room with a look of nervousness on his face. You asked Mat if he was okay but you could tell that he had something important to say.

“I’ve been holding onto this ring for a while. There were so many other times that I wanted to ask but there’s just something that feels so right about this moment. Sitting here, I realized something very important. I want to spend the rest of my life, making you dinner when I can and listening to you speak. I want to continue to come home from my games to you and wake up next to you. I have the greatest honor of knowing and loving you. You have the sweetest heart that’s made of gold and you are like an angel brought down to Earth from Heaven. I want to be by your side forever. Y/N, you are the joy of my life. Will you marry me?” Mat declared while holding out the engagement ring of your dreams in a Tiffany blue box.

You were speechless because Mat was right; this was the perfect moment. You looked straight into Mat’s green eyes that you admired so dearly and accepted his marriage proposal; you were both super excited to embark on this new journey in your relationship. You and Mat swayed with each other to the sound of your fiance’s voice, serenading you to “Joy Of My Life” by Chris Stapleton, the same song Mat was singing to himself earlier. Patience was an important virtue and all of that waiting paid off at the right time.

[a-dumb-sarcastic-bisexual]

Nimona headcanons I wrote instead of sleeping

Sometimes the boys forget that Nimona isn’t human 

Like they’re used to the shifting into animals aspect of Nimona because she does it as often as she breathes

But sometimes she’ll do some really creepy shit like make her arms longer to reach something when she’s too lazy to get up

One time they shifted just their neck to be like an owl so they could turn their head 180 degrees instead of just turning around cause that was “too boring” 

Or he’ll mimic people’s voices without realizing it 

Sometimes he’ll tell a story and suddenly he’s using Bal’s voice 

The first time she did this Bal searched the whole house cause he was convinced that Todd has snuck in

Or she’ll grow an extra arm to hold more shit and they take a moment to realize “oh yeah we adopted a little weirdo” 

They get used to it after a while and the arguments surrounding it are always funny because both the boys will complain and say “I don’t sound like that” and they have to be told “No love you do you really do” 

You know those videos of babies reacting to their parents shaving their facial hair or putting on glasses 

That’s Nimona's reaction every single time the boys change their appearance even the smallest bit they cant shave or wear their reading glasses because if they do he freaks out 

Talking some “help me Nemesis I heard bosses voice but I can’t find him” while Bal was standing right in front of them 

It was the first time he shaved his face in years and he’s never doing it again 

Mostly cause Ambrosius kept telling him he looked like a teenager and it was freaking him out 

I feel like Bal and Ambrosius are those kinds of people who will tell people about the little injuries but neglect the big ones 

Like Bal mentioned that he thinks he sprained his ankle during the fight at the institute but he won’t mention that he’s pretty sure he got a concussion 

(BECAUSE THIS MAN HEAD-BUTTED TWO PEOPLE WHEN HE HAS A METAL ARM) 

(I’m bout to wrap this man in bubble wrap and give him a helmet because wtf) 

Ambrosius will complain the whole day about the fact that he has a paper cut

But will completely neglect to inform his doctors “Oh yeah I can’t move my left arm higher than my waist without pain and I can’t see that well out of my left eye or hear that well out of my left ear do you think that’ll be a problem?” 

It isn’t until Nimona makes an off handed comment about how this super weird that the laser did basically nothing to him that he told both of them

They literally dragged him to the ER because “Who thinks those symptoms are normal Nemesis what is wrong in that pretty little head of yours!!” 

When Bal tells Nimona she’s being a bit of a hypocrite (cause who refers to an arrow as a splinter?) she turns to him and says “I know you’re not saying something Mr. Human battering ram” 

It took literally everything in Ambrosius not to break down laughing

After that she forces them to have frequent checkups with the doctor because these dorks wouldn’t go otherwise

Honestly I'm fully convinced that some people in the kingdom don't know who Nimona is and are constantly confused why they let this little weirdo follow them around 

And finally the curiosity will eat away at them and they’ll finally ask 

Sometimes the boys will give some “normal” answers like “Oh that’s Nimona” and they won’t elaborate at all

Sometimes they’ll give funnier answers like “Oh that’s a raccoon we found in the garage who turned into a person one day” “I don’t know they just showed up in our living room” and their personal best “You see her too?” 

And their favorite that they only started using a couple of years down the line “Oh that’s our kid”

[lionhanie]

moving to busan (kim leehan)

where you move to a new city and fall in love with a boy on the beach 

surfer!leehan x gn!reader (non-idol au)

this work is my contribution to @onedoornet 's summer event! ^_^ check it out here!!! ♡

word count: 5.5k

genre + warnings: fluff!!! maybe a tad of angst o_O, written in all lowercase!, mentions of depression + feelings of unbelonging (??), leehan is referred to by his real name (donghyun), ft. side characters taesan and woonhak

a/n: me when i had to watch surfing videos to write this LMAO sorry if its inaccurate…….. i can't even swim! LOLLLL. i def channeled some of my own feelings into this, so it was rlly fun to write. i'd even go as far to say this is my Most Favorite piece yet :,)

reblogs ↺ + feedback always appreciated!

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you didn’t know what home felt like. which felt odd to say, given that you were extremely fortunate to grow up the way that you did– a roof above your head, food on the dinner table, and a family to share it with. the older you got, the more it felt like you needed to leave. there wasn’t anything inherently wrong with your life; sure, you had your fair share of rough patches here and there, but it was never anything too severe. despite that, you felt suffocated. it was hard to wake up in the same bed you’ve used for lord knows how long, going outside to walk the same paths you’ve walked on thousands of times, all to see the same faces everyday. this was all you knew.

moving to busan was something you never expected yourself to do. the decision was made more on a whim than anything else; immediately upon graduating, you decided to pack your bags and move to a new city, feeling like a stranger wandering alone in the foreign streets. there wasn’t much to pack, anyways. you were committed to truly leaving everything behind and starting fresh, bringing only one suitcase and a backpack for your essentials. 

you grew up in a smaller town, about five hours away from where you were now. there, you were used to the quaint homes belonging to the families you'd grown up with. the kind crossing guard by the middle school you used to attend still worked there years after you graduated, now bearing wrinkles by her eyes, but still possessing the same sweet smile she would always give you while helping you cross the street. everything you needed was a quick bike ride away. the area was quiet, comfortable, familiar. and yet, you left. 

you’d gotten to a point where you grew sick of the familiarity. to live life in one place forever scared you. it was best described as a fear of being stuck– like a stagnant body of water, peacefully undisturbed but painfully boring, to say the least. a fear of missing out on all the things you could be doing if you just lived somewhere else. anywhere more exciting than the town you knew like the back of your hand. you yearned for something else, something different. 

moving to busan meant doing things you never got the chance to do back at home. growing up, you quickly realized that being in a small town meant that you couldn’t do the same things that kids in bigger cities could do. all you had were necessities– a supermarket, doctor’s office, run-of-the-mill shops lining a dirt road in the core of the area. it was enough, sure, but you were hungry for more. on the other hand, busan was full of unique experiences waiting for you. some being as simple as trying new cuisines at restaurants you’d only dreamt of seeing in your hometown, or attending various local festivals held in the area for tourists and residents alike. 

it was crazy to think that life could be so different, even a few hours away from your childhood home. to most, giving up everything you once knew is a terrifying thought. to you, it was a wish you made to yourself when you blew out the candles on your birthday cake. you marveled at the way it’s been nearly two months since you first settled in and there’s still an endless list of things you’ve yet to try! it felt more like a dream, than anything. life has never been so bright– especially after years of feeling dull in a town you now dreaded returning to.  

moving to busan meant finally meeting new people. it was a breath of fresh air, really. the apartment complex you lived in was on the corner of a busy area, giving you access to a wide range of personalities each time you stepped out the building. you were lucky enough to get a part-time job at a newly opened cafe a couple blocks away, where you quickly became friends with your coworkers: taesan (who didn’t like coffee in the first place) and woonhak (who spent more time talking to the customers than actually making drinks).

you would’ve been content if those were the only two people you managed to befriend in the big city. they were full of life– a never ending source of laughter and stories from their respective hometowns, making your shifts go by significantly faster when you were scheduled together, much to your disappointment.

this is exactly what you had in mind the first time you thought about leaving. it was exhilarating. being someone completely new to the area meant that you could be whatever you wanted to be. there were no expectations from those around you; nobody knew who you were prior to moving. it was a freedom you feared you would never experience if you stayed back home– the smallest changes in your appearance would be the talk of the town, especially with the way history ran deep between the residents. in busan, it was a relief to be a stranger. 

moving to busan meant being by the water every chance you could get. you’re glad you moved right around the time spring started. the weather was perfect; just warm enough, not too hot. in your free time, you find yourself walking along the shore. it was only a short distance from your apartment, being only a fifteen-minute walk away from the sea. as a kid, you’d only visited it once. to you, the water was so terrifyingly beautiful. one would think they know what it has to offer on its surface, but the truths lie deeper than one could ever imagine. the very bottom of the sea could hold the most precious treasure in the world or the most dangerous creatures unbeknownst to man– the possibilities were endless. it’s a shame that you didn’t get to indulge in your interest more when you were younger, but you weren’t complaining now that the beach was practically in your backyard. 

sometimes you find yourself alone, sitting in the sand on an old blanket of yours. it’s normally right around dinner time, where most people have left the beach and the sun begins to fall from the sky. you could sit there for hours, listening to nothing but the waves crashing against the sand while you wait for the mix of colors from the sunset to paint the sky. you try to find a new place to relax every time you come to the water. much like how you felt about your hometown, it didn’t feel right to return to the same spot each time. 

on one of your routine visits to the beach, you met a boy, whose story felt oddly familiar to you. much like your own upbringing, he’s been in the same place his whole life. this is where your timelines falter– it’s clear he has zero intentions of leaving the city he grew up in. to him, this is the only definition of home he could imagine. you were almost jealous. you yearned to know what it meant to truly enjoy being in the same place for so long. maybe it was commitment issues, or maybe it was just a never-ending desire to know more– to experience everything life had to offer. for donghyun, he seemed just fine being here forever. 

the first time you saw him was by chance. today, you decided to go see the water after work. it was rare you worked the mid-shift, which coincidentally ended around the time you would normally find yourself sitting in the sand. “are you doing anything after work today, Y/N?” taesan asks, watching you take off your apron and fold it neatly before placing it into your bag. 

“i think i'll go to the beach today.” you smile at the thought, having quickly found comfort in the location.

“wow, i'm jealous,” woonhak pouts at you from behind the register. “can’t believe you’re leaving taesan and i to close all by ourselves today!” 

you playfully roll your eyes at the boy. “you should blame our boss, not me. if we’re all off one day, i promise we’ll all go together!” your coworkers wave goodbye to you as you walk out of the front entrance, happy to see that it was still somewhat bright outside. you normally left long after the sun had set, when most of the neighboring stores were closing as well. 

the walk there was always pleasant. you liked exploring different routes, seeking out all possible ways to get to the same destination. it’s hard to keep the excitement bubbling within you contained when the vast expanse of sand first comes into view. there were still groups of people scattered across the area, but because it wasn’t exactly “beach season” yet, it wasn’t too populated. you hadn’t brought your usual blanket with you; coming here was a spontaneous decision. instead, you decided to lay out your apron close enough to the water to smell the salty air but just out of reach of the waves rippling against the shoreline. 

you plant yourself onto your makeshift beach towel, the sand feeling soft below you, still warm from the sun’s touch. looking into the distance, you’re entranced by the movements of the sea. it was healing, the rhythmic push-and-pull of the waves leaving a white foam in its path, bubbling and full of life. the calls of seagulls from above you, soaring around peacefully.

you wish you knew what it could feel like to fly like that, to feel the air beneath your wings. complete freedom. a small figure comes into your view, pulling your gaze away from the birds. someone’s surfing? it’s a little cold to be doing that right now. even so, the boy didn’t seem to mind. standing on the surfboard, his face was filled with pure joy as he rode the water beneath him. the closer he got, you were able to hear his fun-filled cheers more clearly. complete freedom. 

he was awfully good at what he was doing, unphased even if the tide seemed to pick up a bit more than expected. right now, the stranger looked completely in tune with the water; as if they were one and the same. his movements were graceful, despite how difficult it must be to keep balance. 

the wave soon dies down, crashing against the sand as it always does. your eyes observe the way he laughs to no one but himself as he walks through the shallow parts of the water. drops of water fall from his hair as he shakes his head, board held securely beneath his arm. the wetsuit is tight against his skin; his figure is lean and toned, presumably from all the surfing he does. 

he’s not too far away from you now, catching his breath as he sits in the sand parallel to you. the surfboard sits idly against the sand as he looks out into the horizon, seeking his next adventure. it’s not long before he gets up and approaches the water once more, sensing a big one coming up. you didn’t know much about how this worked, having only seen it in movies or tv shows, never in-person like this. 

the man lays stomach-down onto his board, determined as he paddles deeper into the unknown. he’s dismissive of the smaller ripples against him, not nearly powerful enough to get a good ride. it’s impressive how he seems to control the water, rather than the other way around. it’s clear that he loves what he’s doing. you decide you love it too, completely mesmerized by the way he maneuvers through the tide. he disappears briefly as a larger wave washes over him, but he’s quick to rise above it, emerging on the other side and pushing further into the sea. you watch as the water begins to crest close to him. this is the one. 

if you weren’t paying enough attention, you would’ve missed the way the stranger effortlessly springs to his feet, knees bent slightly when he first mounts the board. he shuffles slightly, adjusting his stance for better balance. almost in tune with the water, he skillfully navigates the wave, letting the water bring him back to the shore once more.

the sun was behind him now, a beautiful arrangement of pinks and oranges flooding the sky, making the picture perfect. you almost couldn’t believe you had the pleasure of seeing it in real time, the whole scene looking like a frame out of a movie. there it was again, an expression of bliss as he enjoys the ride, arms stretched out in the air by his sides as the board is pushed back to the shore once more. even when he falls off the board as the momentum slows down, the grin on his face never dies. 

despite your attentiveness, you don’t comprehend the way the handsome man was heading your way, being led by the tide. much like before, he’s chuckling to himself as the high from the ride slowly dies down. his hand runs through his damp locks after wiping the salty water from his face. now, he’s walking directly towards you, eyes shaped like crescents with the way he was cheesing so hard. your heartbeat speeds up. you turn around, finding that there was no one else around. his smile is reserved for you. 

the board is held close to his body as he leaves the water, his footsteps leaving indents in the damp sand behind him as he settles a couple feet away from you. there’s a soft plop as he drops the surfboard on the ground, taking a seat next to it. 

“do you want to try?” his eyes flick over towards the water before they’re back on you. 

“huh?” you’re baffled at the way you were observing him from afar only a couple minutes prior, and now he’s striking up a conversation. 

“you’ve been watching me for a while, no?” he tilts his head, lips curling into a small smile. his accent is thick, more obvious than some of the others you’ve heard in your short time there. he must be from around here. 

“was i that obvious?” you joke, playing with a handful of sand by your feet. 

the stranger laughs in response. “there’s barely anyone else here right now, at least around this time of year. you think i wouldn’t feel a set of pretty eyes on me while i surfed?” your cheeks heat up at the comment, feeling a bit flustered at the sudden praise. he’s properly facing you now, hand outstretched in your direction. “nice to meet you, not-so-secret admirer. my name is kim donghyun.” 

his hand is still wet, drops of water touching your own as you reach out to shake it. “i’m L/N Y/N. it’s nice to meet you too, donghyun.” 

“is that an apron you’re sitting on?” he points out, moving to fiddle with one of its strings resting in the sand. 

“pfft, yeah. forgot to bring my blanket today.” you explain, laughing at your forgetfulness. “i just got off work.” 

“you come here often, then?” his hair was completely soaked still, droplets falling from it and landing beside him. 

“i guess you could say that. i only moved here a couple weeks ago.”

“you picked the perfect city. i love it here.” the sun was almost completely out of view now, having slowly disappeared into the horizon. it was beautiful out. you breathe in the salty air as you watch the stray clouds floating by. 

“yeah, i think so too. busan has been treating me well.” 

“god, i’m starving,” he gets up abruptly, brushing his hands together to remove the sand clinging to them. you expect him to pick up his board and walk off, turning him into nothing more than an oddly-sweet beach interaction. “i know a good gukbap place nearby. coming with?” he extends a hand out to you again, waiting for you to accept his invitation. why not? 

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moving to busan meant enjoying summer for the first time in years. as a kid, you used to dread this time of year. most of your friends looked forward to school finally ending, but to you, this just meant you truly had nothing to do with your spare time. your days were spent walking down the worn down paths listening to music, or sitting in your backyard reading one of the many books in your collection. this was the closest thing you had to “escaping” from your reality. 

now, you had an entire city to explore. you were eager, but you wanted to take your time doing so. the last thing you would want is to get tired of busan, even if you arrived just a couple months ago. you didn’t see your excitement wearing down any time soon. 

“there’s my favorite barista!” donghyun’s smiling at you in front of the register, where you’d been standing for the past couple hours. once you told him you were working at one of the local cafes, he quickly became a regular (only when you were on schedule, of course). 

“you’re not getting anything today?” he shakes his head no, making you chuckle. he actually never bought anything when he was there, rather showing up just to talk to you in your free time. you tap a few buttons on the screen, starting your thirty minute break and walking out to the main floor of the shop, the surfer following closely behind.  

“do you want to go to the beach with me later?” donghyun rests his head against his hand as he looks at you from across the table. “i’m going surfing again.” it’s sweet the way his eyes sparkle when he talks about his beloved hobby. 

“wow, i would’ve never guessed!” you respond sarcastically, earning a giggle from him as he shrugs. “i’m closing today though. guess you won’t have an audience today.” 

he pouts back at you, sniffling as he wipes away non-existent tears. “who else am i going to show off to then?” ever since the day you met, you found yourself seeing donghyun more often than you initially expected. you thought that he’d just be a friend you’d find in the waters every so often. not that it was an issue, no– rather, you found yourself perking up every time he walked through the doors. it’s something woonhak quickly picked up on when working with you, often nudging you with his elbow suggestively every time donghyun showed up. 

“i’m off tomorrow, though.” you’re looking at your shifts on your phone. “if you’re free, maybe we can-”

“yes.” he answers immediately, catching you off guard.

“you’re not going to let me finish my sentences now?” you can’t hold back the grin on your face at how forward he was. “what if i asked you to go fishing in the middle of the night or something?”

“...i’d still say yes. that sounds fun, actually. we could totally do that if you want to!” every word that came out his mouth was so incredibly endearing, even if he wasn’t trying. 

…and that’s how you found yourself next to him at midnight, only a couple hours after you got off work, sitting in two fold-up beach chairs on the dock. “i’d question why you have all this fishing gear, but i should’ve expected as much from you, donghyun.” 

“hey, isn’t this nice though? there’s no one else here at this time.” he looks proud as he rests the fishing rod on the wooden guard rail, line casted in the water. “isn’t it kind of romantic?” 

your cheeks heat up at his implications. if it weren’t for the warm lantern placed between you two, he would’ve missed the blush on your face. “i was joking when i said we should do this, you know.” 

“oh, was it? i was serious, though.” you can tell he’s telling the truth with the way he looks at you with a serious gaze. 

“yeah, i know that now.” you didn’t mind being dragged around to his odd antics. weird, yeah, but you can’t deny the fact that you enjoyed every second of his company. he enjoyed yours as well. “i find it funny to think you find this to be romantic.”

“why wouldn’t i? you’re here with me, after all.” with that, you realize that you see donghyun as more than just a boy you met on the beach. 

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moving to busan meant having someone to walk with once the autumn leaves started coming in. it was always nice to see the trees begin to change color, but you always wondered what it would be like to see the transition on a bigger scale– and busan gave you the perfect chance to do just that. now that you finally got to experience the fall wonder somewhere new, you weren’t sure if you could ever go back to the life you once lived.

days like this were common, where you’d walk through the streets that donghyun grew up in. usually it was just you two, but today, he suggested you come with him as he walked his dog. naturally, you accept; it was hard to deny a cute boy with an equally cute dog in his arms. you hold onto the leash, smiling at the way koni would stop every couple minutes to sniff something on the ground. 

as you walk a bit further, you stumble across a large crowd of people surrounding various street vendors, curiosity piqued within you. “ah, is it already time for the jagalchi festival? how could i forget!” donghyun marvels at his poor memory, he hadn’t realized it’s already been seven months since you entered his life. time seemed to go by quicker with you by his side. 

“festival? this happens every year?” your steps slow down, koni gently tugging on the leash to keep walking towards the bustling area. 

“yeah, it’s basically like a huge fish market that runs for a couple days. tons of people come from around the country to see it, actually. the local fishermen show off all the catches from the season, so you know it’s the freshest you can get… and there’s performances too! you have to see it now that you’re a busan resident!” 

donghyun takes your hand in his, leading you towards the festival. banners were put up all over the area, welcoming in visitors from near and far into the heart of busan. colorful lanterns adorned the sides of each vendor’s stall, enveloping the area in a comfortable glow. there were people of all ages in attendance, smiling and laughing amongst each other as they explored everything the market had to offer– this was something you would’ve never experienced back at home. 

the two of you come to a stop at one of the less crowded sellers. its owner, a kind looking old man, was standing proud at the buckets of fish laid out on the ground in front of him. “should we raise a fish together?”

“donghyun, these fish are dead.” 

he rolls his eyes at you playfully. “duh, i know that. i mean like, going to the store and getting a new friend for my tank at home.” 

“wouldn’t that just mean you’re raising it on your own? i don’t have any space for a fish tank at my place.” you think back to your apartment, which now felt like a space you could truly call your own. you were proud to think that you finally felt like you were where you belonged, even if you’ve only been here for a short time. 

“that’s fine! what matters to me is that we bought it together! obviously i’d give you visiting rights to our child.” how could you reject him when his eyes light up at the mention of getting a pet with you? 

“woah, our child? we must be serious now.” your comment is nothing more than a joke, but he’s silent as he thinks about what he wants to say. he gives the hand he’s holding a slight squeeze. 

“can i be your boyfriend, Y/N?” 

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moving to busan meant finding a new type of warmth amidst the cold winter. back at home, winters felt especially difficult. you were prone to the adverse effects of seasonal depression when this time of year came around. the days weren’t as long, sun setting much earlier than it did in the summer, leaving you with nothing but darkness. just getting out of bed felt like a hassle– there was nothing to look forward to in such a boring town. everything was just… so bland. you were in a constant state of irritation, the smallest things ticking you off and leaving you frustration for no specific reason. 

this winter, you found it hard to believe those old feelings haven’t come back yet. not when you had someone like donghyun at your side. if you found it hard to get out of bed, he’d be there to drag you out with him, humming to himself as you made breakfast together in your tiny kitchen. if you felt like crying, he’d be waiting next to you, box of tissues in hand as he wiped away your tears.

winter usually felt like being dragged deeper into the ocean, unable to swim– but now, donghyun was there to bring you back to the surface, safe and sound. each day spent with him felt like healing; as if nothing bad could ever happen to you knowing that there was someone who looked at you with nothing but love in his eyes.

“do you ever miss your hometown, Y/N?” you were laying in your boyfriend’s arms in his childhood bedroom. his prized fish tank sat on his dresser, where the fish you bought together swam happily amongst its friends. there were photos of him as a kid framed on his walls– him at his middle school graduation smiling proudly between his parents, him holding koni as a puppy, him crying beside his older sister on the playground– each one giving you a glimpse of the life he lived before he met you. “i can’t imagine throwing everything away and leaving like you did.”

“well, it sounds bad when you say it like that. i don’t think i was happy there, though.” donghyun knew he wanted nothing more than to give you a home you felt comfortable going back to. a place where you could feel true happiness in. he’s mindlessly running his hands through your hair from behind you as he listens. “i can’t say i miss it just yet. maybe i’ll visit sometime soon, just not now.” 

“does that mean you’re happy here? in busan, i mean.”

“yeah, i’m happy,” you take a moment to reflect on the way your life completely changed upon leaving the town you once knew; how a stranger on the beach brought color into your colorless world. sunsets spent eating ice cream on a hot day at the beach, meals shared at his favorite local restaurants, and nights much like this one, being embraced by the man you love, as you talk until the sun rises. “i knew things would be better somewhere else, but i’d never imagine meeting someone like you so soon. you make me feel like i should look at things a little differently at home.” 

“if you ever decide to go back there, can i come with you?” he rests his head on your shoulder, cheek touching yours. 

“hm? i mean, if you want to. there’s not much to see there. i don’t think you’d have as much fun there as you do here.” you offer, thinking about how disappointed he’d be upon seeing that there truly was nothing to do there compared to busan. 

“i want to see it. i don’t care if you think it’s boring,” he’s sincere with his words, you can tell he means everything he’s saying when it comes to you. “we can rewrite all your bad memories together. it makes me sad to think you look back at the town you grew up in without fondness.” 

“it’s going to be at least a year until i want to see that place again,” you grab his hand, large fingers enveloping yours. “but i’d like that a lot, donghyun.” 

⋆ ˚｡⋆୨୧˚💐💗🌸

and by the time spring rolls around once more, and it’s finally been one year since you moved to busan, you think you finally understand what it means to feel at home. you never got the chance to visit the temples last year, just barely missing cherry blossom season when you first unloaded your boxes in your empty apartment. from then, you promised yourself you’d save it for the best time of year, when the blossoms were in full bloom, baby pink petals on display and falling along with the occasional breeze. 

you’ve never known what it felt like to be loved wholeheartedly, but you’re certain this is it, as you walk hand in hand with donghyun through a path of cherry blossom trees. with him, you found that every day felt like a scene out of a drama. exiting through the temple’s entrance, you return back to the streets you were now familiar with. there’s a small creamery hidden between a restaurant and convenience store, and you find yourself sitting at a table outside, ice cream slowly melting in their cups in front of you. 

“i wish i was cooler when i asked to be your boyfriend. i think about that a lot,” donghyun plays with your fingers across the table before intertwining them with his own. “in all honesty, i was thinking about it for a long time before that day.”

“really?” this was news to you. you knew you had more than platonic feelings for donghyun that night at the dock, but you were surprised to hear he felt the same way as early as you did. it warmed your heart to think he fell in love as quickly as he did. 

“yeah. i wanted to do something cool, like surprising you at work with a big bouquet of flowers, or making you your favorite food and hiding a note in it. just anything more interesting than popping the question at a damn fish stall.”

you burst out laughing at the thought of finding a piece of paper in your meal. “it was perfect to me, though. i’m more shocked at the fact you saw me like that for so long, donghyun.” you feel shy suddenly, reminiscing on the way your heart would speed up everytime he walked into the cafe, or when he would walk you back to your apartment after spending the day in the water together.

“i knew you’d be someone important to me the day i noticed you watching me on the beach. i don’t know why, though. maybe it’s just because people don’t really bat an eye when they see me surfing.” 

“it was hard not to. i’ve never seen anyone so carefree. i guess i was just jealous of the fact that someone could look like that.” you can’t believe it’s already been a year since you first saw him on the beach. it was almost as if the sea brought the two of you together when the wave he was riding pushed him straight to you. 

“i think you look like that when you’re with me,” donghyun’s smiling at his realization. “when i’m with you, it feels like i’m riding a wave that never dies. i’d give up surfing if it meant i could have you by my side forever.” the confession shocks you, knowing how much he loved spending hours at the beach every day, chasing the high he got when he was on his surfboard. you wanted to cry; to think that someone would let go of something that meant the world to them just for you. donghyun thinks he could cry too– to think that he had found you, a person who changed his world in a matter of months, by a stroke of fate. 

to donghyun, you moving to busan meant making you a part of his definition of “home”. 

taglist: @onedoornet @minwrlds @dongminz (my OG beta readers BTW. <3) @serejae @loserlvrss

@arafilez @nicholasluvbot @0310s @gluion @blumisiu

@woorcve @brachioswrld

© lionhanie 2024 ; all rights reserved!

[absolutewhore101]

Gorgeous

A/N: my first CM fic! obviously had to make it about my favorite boy <3. based on Gorgeous by Miss Swift herself.

Pairing: Spencer Reid x f!Reader

Summary: Spencer's just so... gorgeous

Warnings: alcohol consumption, taylor swift references

Word Count: 1.0K

Minors DNI

------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Another day, another case finished. 

The last case had weighed heavily on all of you - children being involved didn’t make it easy for anyone.

The flight back to Virginia was silent, everyone trying to process the events that had transpired over the last week. It was Emily who finally broke the silence.

“I don’t know about you guys, but I need a stiff drink after that case. Anyone willing to join me?”

Derek was the first to agree, followed quickly by Penelope who (unfortunately for her) had to join the rest of you in the field, and soon enough, everyone was buzzing at the thought of getting drunk enough to forget everything. 

You turned to Spencer who was sitting next to you, asking him quietly if he could give you a ride home later. Spencer never drank all that much when going out with the team, so he’d become your personal designated driver, and he was thrilled about it. 

“Of course.” He responded, just barely above a whisper. “Gotta make sure you get home safe, can’t be down our most valuable team member.” He threw the last part in to offset the true intention of his words - that he would do anything to keep you safe, not because you were on the team, but because you were you. 

Your mind started reeling with the thought of being alone with Spencer, just like it did every single time. You smiled at him before returning to your book. 

—

“Woah!” Spencer said, watching you throw back another drink. “I know you’re not driving, but maybe you should slow down a little.”

“Oh, Spence,” you started, “I just love how smart you are.” You slurred as you fell into him. “My name’s Doctor Spencer Reid and I can tell you anything about everything.” You mimicked.

Spencer smiled, too flattered to find it offensive. 

“Did you know it only takes 6 minutes for your brain to start reacting to alcohol?” He asked you.

He watched as you thought about it, before ultimately declaring, “I don’t believe you.”

He laughed, “you don’t believe me?”

“Nope,” you said, pushing away from him, “not a single word.” Spencer smiled, watching as you stumbled over to the girls. He could tell from the look on your face and the reactions from your audience that you were making fun of his fun fact. Still, he couldn’t find it in himself to be upset about it. 

The rest of the night went by in a blur, for the most part. The only thing you really remembered was Spencer putting you to bed and promising to wake you up when breakfast was ready. 

True to his word, you emerged from your bedroom to the smell of pancakes and bacon, and it almost cured the headache you couldn’t ignore. 

Almost. 

“There’s some aspirin on the counter with some water,” he gestured, “I figured you’d probably need it.” 

You smiled at him and walked over to where he pointed, your eyes never once leaving his frame. He was wearing a pair of sweatpants and a t-shirt that hung off his lanky frame. His hair was all sorts of messy, and he had to keep pushing it back off of his forehead.

You couldn’t help yourself as you gravitated towards him, all but leaning into him as you stood in front of the stove. 

“You okay?” He asked. “Do you want to go back to bed? You look like you're about to take me down.”

You laughed at his comment. 

Maybe he should think about the consequence of his magnetic field being just a little too strong.

“I’m okay.” You responded, playfully cheering as he flipped a pancake. Breakfast was had in silence, and eventually the two of you were making your way over to Rossi’s for “team bonding,” as Penelope had called it. 

— 

As soon as you walked through the door you were being swept away by the girls, following them outside to the patio.

“Did he spend the night?” Emily asked. 

“What happened?!” JJ all but yelled. 

“Ladies, she was drunk. So if Dr. Reid tried anything…” Penelope threatened. 

“Don’t worry, Pen, nothing happened. He put me to bed and then made me breakfast, that’s it.”

Emily and JJ looked at each other as Penelope started to giggle. 

“Did you talk to him?” JJ asked. 

You gave her a confused look. 

“He was in my apartment, of course I talked to him.”

Emily hummed. “Did you have an actual conversation or did you say about 2 whole words?”

You glanced down as you started fidgeting with your hands. 

“2 whole words.” You mumbled, causing the three of them to break into a fit of laughter. 

“Stop!” You playfully yelled at them. “How am I supposed to say anything to his face? I mean, have you SEEN his face?!”

Spencer, who had inadvertently listened to the whole conversation, immediately flushed a deep red, much to Morgan’s amusement. 

“I told you she liked you, wonder boy.” He teased, ruffling Spencer’s hair as he walked away. 

“God, I never would’ve guessed that your type was nerds.” Emily commented.

“Don’t say it like it’s a bad thing!” You retorted.

“I mean, the way you were mimicking him last night made it seem like you thought he was pretty… lame.”

“What? No! I think he’s so cool! It actually makes me hate him… just a little bit.”

The girls laughed, but the conversation quickly ended as the boys started to make their way outside. Spencer quickly found a seat next to you, sitting close enough that you could feel his body heat seeping through your shirt. 

Oh. My. God.

“Now, what were you girls up to out here?” Rossi asked. He didn’t get an answer, only a chorus of giggles from the four of you. 

—

Spencer hadn’t been home for an hour when his doorbell rang. He made his way over, hoping to open it to find you standing on the other side, but he only found a vase of flowers on his doorstep. 

Confused, he picked them up and brought them inside, trying to find the note card. 

“Carnations,” he mumbled, setting the vase on his counter. 

Did you know that carnations symbolize love and fascination? Of course you did… Anyways, Spence, I just wanted to let you know that you’re ruining my life-

“Wait, what?” He panicked.

-by not being mine. Movies this weekend? -Your One and Only

P.S. you should take it as a compliment that I got drunk and made fun of the way you talk.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Tell me your thoughts! Thank you for reading :)

[mulders-too-large-shirt]

my favorite mulder moments from s2

him having no faith in episode 1 after the x files are terminated, not even believing what he knows to be true regarding his sister’s disappearance

(and then being the moodiest motherfucker for the foreseeable future)

the fact that he got a fish in between s1 and s2. this brought me so much joy, you don’t even know

his monologue in episode 1, addressed to scully, who was not present: “before I could only trust myself, now I can only trust you, and they’ve taken you away from me… my life up until this point has been about seeing her again, but what would I do if they really come?” <- dear goddddddd. sometimes you get some lines that cut right to the heart of a character and this is one such example.

seeing his horrific workspace where he listened to audio recordings, a job he loathed- it was covered in sunflower seeds, pages with doodles, him stabbing an empty cup. truly a man with no fucks to give.

very very very fluffy hair in the early episodes

when episode 5 opens on him swimming in a big pool. there really was no narrative reason for that except we now know he swims recreationally and that is exactly the kind of thing i’m interested in knowing.

in episode 6, when he meets scully’s mom after her kidnapping, he listens to her say she dreamt of her being taken away, and hugs her

(and all throughout that episode, how he was told to go home because he was too close to the case, but instead got more and more involved. he even drove out to try and find her while falling asleep behind the wheel. dangerous behavior)

((and when he thinks scully is at the top of the mountain, he pulls his gun on the man who runs the ski lift to MAKE SURE he can get to the top as quick as possible. this one was WILD to me. pulling a gun on someone, just to get to her as fast as he can!!!!! he did not care about proper protocol! job be damned he was getting her HOME))

(and when they finally DO get duane barry, he sees scully's blood and hair on his wristband, and starts CHOKING him. you do NOT want to mess around with this man. he tells krychek that NO ONE is to interrogate the suspect but him. NO ONE. he is in what i affectionately refer to as bloodhound mode; there shall be no rest until an answer is sleuthed out)

trying to return scully’s necklace to her mother, who refuses to take it, so he can give it back to her

he has a lot of really emotional moments with scully’s mom, such as telling her she can’t give up hope even as they are picking up her gravestone in episode 8, which he cannot bear to look at

when scully is found, he bursts into the hospital, screaming at the doctor and saying he’ll do anything to figure out what they did to her, to the point where he had to be escorted from the room

(also love when he’s waiting to hear news on how she is doing, and he’s pacing his apartment, bouncing a ball, entirely unable to sit still, he’s so terrified)

after she is found, x tells him to walk away and never look back, and he immediately disregards this information to go chase down whoever knew anything about scully’s disappearance

when her family decides its time to remove her life support, he refuses to go in with them, looking the saddest and wettest a man has ever been

“you could spend the rest of your life finding every person that’s responsible, and it’s still not gonna bring her back”, says melissa. “including myself?” he asks. always taking the blame.

breaking into CIGARETTE MAN’S HOUSE. gun to his head. why her, he asks.

his confrontation scene with skinner, who refuses to accept his one-sentence resignation letter, and who tells him of his own demons. allowing for some skinner lore and deep connections to be made.

again in episode 8, he’s waiting in his apartment for the folks who took scully to arrive so he can kill them, but melissa puts him into his place- “why is it so much easier for you to run around trying to get even than just expressing to her how you feel? i expect more from you. dana expects more from you”

so he leaves his apartment and the one chance he’ll ever have to know who did this to her, and instead goes to sit by her bedside, holds her hand, and talks to her comatose body

(then, we he returns to his apartment, which has been ransacked by those involved with the crime, he falls to the ground, sobbing)

but how BIG he smiled when he heard that her eyes were open!!

in episode 9, when he finally has her back, how he helps her out of the helicopter when they fly to a distant volcano research base <3

also, in episode 10, when they’re being driven to a farm, and he lets her take shotgun so he can lounge about in the back

when he drops this banger line while sitting at a picnic table in episode 12: “i’ve often felt that dreams are the answers to questions we haven’t yet figured out how to ask” (and then does not elaborate)

at the aforementioned picnic table, the detective vaguely describes seeing some sort of symbol, and he immediately realizes it was the logo for the 1939 world’s fair, which is SO funny to me. because WHY does he know that!

when he lifts the caution tape over scully so she can bring her umbrella to the rainy crime scene in episode 13 <3

talking to a random guy in a town they’re visiting for an investigation: “you know andy” “no, I don’t” “well, andy knows you” <- another instance of him being famous in the nerd community

all the times he starts rambling about different belief systems, like the idea of obtaining a new soul in the ep 13, or the concept of wicca in episode 14

when they go to the refugee camp in episode 15, and a child tries to sell them a good luck charm, which he pays a nice $5 bill for

getting hit by a car in episode 16, and then making some dumbass quip about how he should have used the crosswalk

going back home when his "sister" is found, tucking his mom into bed with a kiss

then his dad confronting him, blaming him for losing his sister in episode 17,  leaving him crying as he tries to process the grief of getting her back just to feel guilty for her death

(don’t worry though- it wasn’t really her. but damn, he thought it was, and this scene was devastating)

finding his faith again with scully at his bedside after almost dying of alien poison

when he goes for a jog in florida (episode 20), arguably the hottest and most miserable of all continental US states, in a sweatshirt and sweatpants. and i cannot explain this behavior. he is deeply peculiar.

on the investigation of the sideshow performers, he flirts with the man fixing scully’s pipes to get him to leave. or as i call it: “weaponized bisexuality”

when he slides through a tiny trap door in a haunted house to come and find scully. great visual gag. i chuckled.

feeling sick at home, taking advil in his slutty little tanktop in episode 25. then proceeding to go wild because he was being drugged. don’t worry, he ends up okay. thanks only to scully.

[bisexualamy]

Your take on Power of Three is sooo good and correct! Underrated ep!

Thank you! "Power of Three" is another ep where I believe that I could Fix Her with minimal rewrites. I really think it's remembered poorly because the villain is underwhelming and underdeveloped. I think if they'd just simplified the villain, or turned the episode into a non-antagonist episode like they did with "Twice Upon a Time", more people would give it the credit it deserves. The point of "Power of Three" is not the villain.

Power of Three is an episode primarily concerned with what happens after people leave the TARDIS. Modern Who did this earlier, with Sarah Jane in "School Reunion", Jack in The Utopia Arc and later in Torchwood, and pretty much all of the farewell sequence in "End of Time." Chibnall did it later as well with the companion support group. But I think "Power of Three" is unique in that its tone is markedly more positive than previous examples. It's a lovely slice of life episode and a lovely ode to Amy and Rory, who've at that point were our companions the longest anyone's been a companion in Modern Who.

We get the Team TARDIS domesticity that many of us love. We get glimpses of Amy and Rory's friends back home, and the joy they take in "boring" things like weddings and dinner parties. It has the introduction of Kate Stewart and a lovely homage to the Brig. It has my favorite scene with Amy and Eleven by the Thames, where two people who have such difficulty being emotionally direct and genuine are able to now, after years of growing together, admit plainly that they love each other and they're terrified of losing each other. The episode is full of references to how the Doctor's fingerprints are all of Earth and its history, some good and some bad, but ultimately he is loved. His impact isn't just dramatic, be that saving the Earth or bringing about terrible tragedy. The Doctor is Amy and Rory's friend. The Brigadier's friend. Kate's friend. That's it.

I love "Power of Three" because, for the first time since the revival, we're seeing companions who grow beyond the Doctor, whose relationship grows and changes to include the Doctor less or differently, without tragedy being the catalyst. Amy and Rory aren't traumatized like Martha. They don't have their memories wiped like Donna. They aren't forcibly ripped away like Rose. They just built a life they like, and as they're growing up they're finding a lot of joy in all the different ways they can live their life.

Amy has learned to appreciate a life that is slower and simpler. Rory has grown confident both in his relationship with Amy and his career. Amy and Eleven explain the episode's point right at the beginning:

AMY: To think it's been ten years. Not for you, or for Earth, but for us. Ten years older. Ten years of you, on and off. ELEVEN: Look at you now. All grown up.

This is Amy's character arc, and Amy/Eleven's relationship arc, in a nutshell. This is the end of their story. And as much as I love "Angels Take Manhattan", I feel like really, in "Power of Three", Amy and Rory demonstrate that they're already ready to move onto the next phase of their lives. Maybe it could've ended less tragically. Maybe the Doctor could've visited them for decades and decades in the future. But they were never going to travel again like they did back in Series 5 and 6. And that can be wonderful.

[majulians-groupie]

Headcannon idea! The main 6 finding mc stuck on the roof. How did they get there? Who knows!.

I LOVE THIS!!SOO....

Sorry that it took me so long to update,I will be doing all of the ideas that you guys recommended,it is just that it may take some time since studying architecture consumes my life energy.(LITERALLY,MY INSOMNIA ALMOST IMPROVED SINCE THE TERM STARTED😭)

I started writing a prologue to set the scene and I accidentally again wrote a 3.5k fluff one-shot.I'M SORRY I HAD TO,when I realised that my bullets were TOO long for a headcannon post , there was no coming back really.SOO,I hope you enjoy this as much as I did writing it,it was such a fun idea.Thanks for the feedback,it is amazing when we guys interact with eachother and share ideas!My dear anon,I hope you enjoy the belated reply!🪷✨️

EDIT:This idea fits surprisingly well with #vesuviaweekly 's latest theme,so I will be adding some very minor changes to make the story fit into that theme perfectly and submit it!♡

•To the fic:

♡JulianxMc FLUFF

"An unconventional proposal"♡

!(Just to disclaim,I tried to keep this gender neutral,so the words "knight" and "damsel" refer more to the stereotypes of these roles rather than the gender they traditionally come with")!

It was a casual Monday morning.You had just woken up and you were getting ready for the day.You decided you wanted to wear your favorite opal ring that was a perfect match to the earrings you were also wearing today.The thing is,the ring was nowhere to be found in your jewelry box.You angrily muttered to yourself as you were searching your entire bedroom,making a mess out of everything.It wasn't that you were so desperate to wear it today,it was just that this ring wa special,as it was a gift from Julian.

Julian,the sweetheart he was,had noticed you starring at it at the display of that jewelry shop every time you passed by.You were hesitant to buy it for yourself,since it was kinda expensive,but your softboi doctor decided it had been a while since he gave you a gift.He indeed, was a firm believer that gifts were not only meant gor birthdays and special occasions but for any moment you wish to give a little bit of joy to a person you love.He also generally loved to throw little surprises for you from time to time.

As you were getting angry that you couldn't find it anywhere,you see something shining from the window.It was your own ring,trapped in Malak's beak.You make a dissapointed gesture as you walk towards the raven

-"Of course.."

"Malak!Please give it back,I know it is shiny and you love it,but I don't want you to drop it like you did my necklace last time!Someone had snatched it off the street in seconds!

You knew it sounded ridiculous,but you could swear Malak glared at you before turning his back on you

-"OHH don't act offended mister!You got to admit you are just as clumsy as Ilya is.That's why you are so perfect for eachother!",you say in a fake sweet voice

Apparently your smartalk has only managed to piss him off more,since he decided to fly away.

"FUCK!"

As you climb up the window and jump to the front garden ,you notice malak on the roof,looking at you with a smug expression.You couldn't understand how a bird could express emotion so well.On the other hand,it was of course,Julian who would have the most dramatic familiar to ever exist.

-Malak come down!I have to open the shop!Asra is away with his parents!Come on!

As Malak literally ignores your entire existence, you hastily fetch the ladder  climbing on top of the roof and screaming muttering to yourself.

-"I.NEVER.SIGNED.UP.FOR.MORNING.RAVEN.SITTING"

You calm yoursef down as you try to keep balance, and you slowly get close to the thelittlethiefbundle Malak.

-"Please Malak,come on!I haven't even had coffee yet!"

As Malak gets a little bit  sympathetic to the well known fact that you were INDEED not a morning person,--and has been entertained enough by the whole to ordeal to get bored of your little cat and mouse game--he decided to fly back to you.

However,as he makes a movement and gains momentum,a stone hits his body and he falls to the ground,dropping the ring to the garden.You get over your shock as you see a bunch of kids no older than 12 years of age ,holding slingshots, laughing at the scene.

-"WHAT DO YOU THINK YOU ARE DOING?" you exclaimed angrily

"You can't hit animals like that!"

-"Oh but it's fun!"One of the kids,that seems to be the oldest and the possible "leAdEr" of the group replies as the rest keep laughing loudly.

-"No it is not!You could have seriously hurt him!" You notice that thankfully Malak is okay,and he is slowly flying back to you.

"What if his wing had been broken?"

-"But he stole your ring,we were helping YOU!" another kid exclaims.

-"He was just messing around!All pets do stupid things from time to time,but you are never supposed to be violent with them!"

-"Oh calm down nerd" the same kid says,which earns even more raucous laughter from the rest of the group

-"You little s-"

Your insult is interrupted by surprise as you notice one of the kids picking up your ring from the sidewalk.

-"Put that down,it's not yours!"

You make a movement towards the ladder,but two of the kids notice you and before you can reach it,they grab it and throw it down.

-"HEYY!" You scream as you almost loose your balance,but thankfully steadying yourself up.

-"Since you don't seem so upset about that ring being stolen,maybe it is time for it to go to someone that appreciates it" the oldest kid shouts cheeckily.

He picks up your earring from the floor and makes a move to leave with the rest of his little gang following him.Even though Malak could be injured,that doesn't seem to stop him from immediately flying towards the kid's hair and grabbing it with his tallons.

You stare at the scene in horror as the rest of the kids try to untagle Malak from their friend's hair,but to avail.When one of the kids gets particularly aggressive, the raven bites them sharply making the kid run away screaming and crying.Seeing that they ought not to mess with Malak, the rest of them run away as well.The oldest kid,now alone with Malak still pulling his hair rather aggressively,tries to grab malak from his neck.This throws off Malak,and surprisingly,in one swift motion,the kid manages to get free from his tallons,but the raven still chases him down in hope of getting the ring back,leaving you alone on the roof.As you try to get over the shock of what you just witnessed,you can't manage to feel a little bit bad about the little rascal,but can't deny that he got a well deserved lesson about both animal cruelty and stealing.

"That will teach him some respect",you muttered to no one but yourself.

"Do some parents even bother to teach their children basic principles?"

You quickly realize there is literally nothing to help you climb back to the ground safely that does not involve a great amount of risk,a self induced levitation spell included.Since there is no one around to help you in case of injury,you decided to chill on the roof and enjoy the scenic view of your roof.It was literally one of the reasons you and Julian chose this house.It may be a little small cosy and a little far from the city center,but the view that hill gave you and the peace the little grove of trees is creating more than makes up for it.

The sounds of the cicadas and the birds chirping reminded you of your hometown. It wasn't long ago since you suddenly started getting flashbacks from the life before .

It first started with blur,infant memories of your early childhood,which mostly consisted of sounds and smells rather than images.As the months passed,your dreams were becoming filled with memories of you and your siblings playing,singing,fighting and your parents scolding you or laughing at scene.Your memories were still kinda foggy ,and their timeline was not exactly linear , but it gets better and clearer over time and still is of course,better than not remembering nothing at all.

You almost don't realize you begin to doze off,as the last thing you remember is watching a little chipmunk stuff it's cheecks with some seeds he found on the ground.

It was a lazy late evening.Last day of the week,and Vesuvia was going through its golden hour tranquility,where the the market stalls and the shops would close,giving their place to the lively taverns and dimly lit pubs.The only people left on the streets were merchants that were gathering up their stuff,or workers that were sheepishly returning home from their jobs.Julian was one of them, and was tired .

Even though open clinic days were the most entertaining, as he had the chance to socialize and come in touch with people from all around the city,there was always one vital issue.Along with his energy, they would also drain his social battery.And yes,even he,the infamous theater kid  community theater star doctor had one.

And when in times like that,he could only speak to one person in the entire world,his darling MC.He was feeling a bit dim as they had not spoken to eachother at all today,since he woke up earlier than them,and didn't have a heart to wake them up.Limiting himself to a kiss on the forehead and a silent promise of one of their regulars cuddling-while-they-look-at-the stars-and-discusssng-about-life-while-slowly-falling-asleep-in-each-others-arms sessions,he left a goodmorning note on the kitchen and left for the clinic.

It was insane to him how well they communicate. How speaking to them somehow would make his mind relaxed,his chest lighter and his soul calmer,as if all the troubles in the world were insignificant.He was so greatful of those little moments of serenity.Six years ago,he wouldn't be able to convince himself that the existence of one person,could make him understand the importance of cherishing life rather than enduring it.

As he reached their home ,his sweet thoughts were interrupted by genuine surprise which didn't know whether it should turn to concern or laughter.

Not only MC was sitting on the roof alone,but they appeared to be calmly sleeping as if nothing was wrong.Julian quickly reached the house and went under the spot of the roof that MC was laying.He wanted to make sure they hadn't somehow fainted.To how on earth he found them unconscious on the fucking roof,was problem for another minute.

-"MC!MC ARE YOU OKAY?OMG

WHAT THE HEL-"

-"OH darling HI!"

You woke up startled,squinting your eyes,smiling at the site of your beloved doctor.

"You alright?You look tired!Was open clinic worse than usual?"

-"I...uh..WHAT?"

Julian could seriously not find the words to express his question and surprise about not only your whereabouts,but to also as to how could you take them for granted.

Seeing the confused look on his face made you remember that he indeed,found you sleeping on the fucking roof,so he pretty much deserved an explanation.

-"OHHH fuck.Yeah..about that...well,it's kind of a long story.."

-"Yeah I ASSUMED that love.Mind filling me in?You know I can't resist them",he smirks and looks at you playfully,now that he is sure that you are okay.He really can't wait to hear that one.

As you fill him in on the events of the morning,you begin to realize Malak has not returned yet.

-"You think something has happened to him?"you say worriedly.

-"No love,he is alright!I actually saw him chilling on his birdhouse at the clinic's garden before I left.No need to worry about him!He honestly looked rather calm, nestling and eating his snacks.He actually even accepted the almonds I have been trying to make him eat off my hand for ages.He also did not appear injured.Your knight in shining armor probably got tired and wanted to rest a little.."

-"But my ring..."

-"There is no use crying over tangible goods my dear."

-"But it was from you!",you said in an almost childlike naivety.

-"I will always be here,ready to go to the bowels of the earth,to fetch the finest of rings this world has to offer,one worthy to match your beauty,my fair damsel.But first,I am afraid I will have to assist your safe return back to the ground."

You see that look on his face,the spark in his gaze and his polished way-too-charming-for-his-own-damn-good smirk of his.He now is in theater mode. Well,there is really only one way from now on...

-"Oh my dear knight,thank goodness for your arrival!I was beginning to worry I will stay here for ages!Who knows what would happen if I were to miss the harvest ball?It would be such a scandal!"

-"I don't know whether you could really avoid that my fair lady.Court has been whispering you know.They speak of your shenanigans.They say that you are a scandal waiting to happen."

He throws the flirtiest and cheeckiest expression.

-"Oh..that's what have they been saying now haven't they?And where do you stand,curious knight?Do you wish to undig the secrets the face of the next subject of royal gossip is holding?While you also pretend to offer me guardianship nevertheless!How dishonorable of you!How dare you carry that shield and look me in the eyes?"

-"Honestly love, I wasn't exactly looking at your eyes at the moment though they are the most beautiful th..OH...um",Julian stutters as he realizes he broke character,which is very unusual for him.

"I am terribly sorry,my lovely vision!I wholeheartedly swear to you that my intentions were as pure as the light of the morning sun!It is just that I got enchanted by your glowing presence my dear!And can you really blame my curiousity?Who would not want to learn more about the secrets that angelic face holds?Oh,the witty and devilish thoughts everyone whispers you are capable of!I could only hope of ever gaining your trust to share them with me!"

As he steadies the ladder and carefully climbs towards you,he extends his arm.

"My love,I am happy to announce your little adventure is over!I am here to assist your safe return to the ground !Would you do me the honor of-

As Julian speaks a loud caw is heard from a distance.

-"Malak!" you exclaimed!

Malak flies towards Julian's hand with an incredible speed,dropping none other but your ring to his hand.

"Heyy!You got it back!Thanks buddy!You are amazing!" you excitedly say to him

As you turn towards Julian,you begin to realize,that he is positioned on a level lower than you,now with a ring on his hand.

Your nervoussness and awkwardness betray you as you simply stare at him,biting your lips,not knowing how to break that damn iceberg the ice

-"Uhhhh...."

You could see Julian's cheecks getting scarlet,his gaze anxiously going from the ring,to you .After a few very long seconds,he starts staring at the distance,his anxious expression ,turns into a michevious one with a playfull smirk appearing on his face.However,his gaze hid something more.A meaningful and deep look.If you didn't know him that well,you wouldn't also have noticed that the michevious looks was followed by another very specific expression.The expression he made when he realised a situation was getting serious.Our lovely doctor,master of improv,is actually able to handle this rather serious situation more than well.

Your thoughts are racing in your head,not daring to think that he would actually turn this into-

-"So...!!!!"he abruptly interrupts your inner monologue.

He clears his throat,trying to hide his nervousness.He really was a great actor.You wouldn't have realised the panic that hid behind that well practiced barrier if you didn't know him as much as you do.He may knew how to conceal the twitch of his eyelids,and the biting of his lower lip with practiced ease,but you could almost hear his brain-gears gritting.

"My darling MC,you royal Highness.My beautiful flower,sweet dove,light of my life in the darkest of moments and the most treacherous of times!I came here with a proposal!Your return to the ground can not only be done with the utmost of safety,but the acceptance of an offer.An offer that holds the most sacred of promises.A promise to cherish you,to protect you,to love you endlessly and stand by your side as you do what you always do,being the amazing person that you are!From the moment I first saw you I could realize that!Smart,funny,witty,and beautiful with the kindest of souls and the purest of hearts!Always down for a great adventure,one that would make one of the finest of stories to share with our beloved ones over warm drinks,or for us to remember when life shows it's harsh side to us!Always ready to sacrifice their own needs to help others,to open their home to everyone needing shelter and defending the ones that have been wronged even when they are not able to do it for their own selves!A true knight,hiding behind a damsels disguise!I could only dream of being a part of your legendary tale!Seeing it unfold,as the years pass,right in front of my eyes!The greatest of honors a kinght could be granted!Will you, my lovely vision,my comrade in crime,accept my humble offer?

You can't seem to be able to hide your surprise.A huge smile seems to be glued on your face as small tears escape your eyelids.To this day,when you recall this lovely and sweet memory,you still don't understand how on earth you were able to stay in character.

-"My lovely and brave knight!My dashing warrior,one able to overcome the darkest pits of both the mind and the soul.When I first saw you,you blinding presence was able to lit my dark mind,and give me hope.Hope, that things could start to make sense,as they never did around me.You were the last piece of a very chaotic but worth owning puzzle.You were right by my side as everything around me fell apart,as everything I ever knew about my world crumbled before me. As one of the biggest of revelations hit me during the most vulnerable of moments.But you were there.You stood by my side,supported me, became the backbone I needed to keep myself steady and keep fighting,as if we had no other choice if we wanted to protect the world as we knew it.You showed me what true strength meant.The strength of the mind,trust and the strength of patience.These are the ones that allow you to be vulnerable enough to accept the deepest of changes and thus,allowing you to evolve.Thanks to you, I stepped out of my comfort zone,and began the journey of discovering my new self,since the one I used to have was so abruptly taken from me.Thanks to you,I have learned to embrace change and move on,not dwelling into chasing a shadow of a long forgotten past.I learned to look into the future.And you my love,are my future!So yes,it would be only natural to accept your offer,and be your partner in life,along being your no 1 partner in crime!"

I throw a not so subtle wink at the last line.However, as soon as I finish pouring my heart to him,I realise I can not hold my tears anymore.But it is not just me.Julian does not even bother to wipe his own tears as he leaps from the last step of the ladder towards me and gathers me into his embrace.I almost feel I could dissappear into his arms,as he holds me as tight as humanly possible without hurting me and cradles my head,more tears of joy falling into my hair.He kisses my forehead and then we share a very emotional and deep kiss that turns into more and more.I feel him smile into my lips,and indeed,a big genuine laugh escapes him.I am now hold his face as I gently try to wipe his tears with my thumbs,beaming at him.

-"Happy about something"?

-"Only about the fact that my partner made me the happiest man alive!!And yeah,being the happiest man alive usually makes you look...I dont know..HAPPY!"I was actually trying to plan this for so long...Always trying to find the perfect time,place and moment.Always rejecting every ring I found at the market because it was not "the one".I was seriously overthinking this,as if deep down I thought a imperfect bad proposal would make you realise how bad I am for you, how I can't provide you with everything you deserve.He sighs.

"I'm sorry it took me so long...Malak must have seen me rehearsing in the mirror and decided to give things a *little* push.You think that's why he took your ring in the first place?"

-"Well..maybe.He always takes every shiny thing he finds at our home though.But I supposed he purposely opened my jewelry box."

You stroke his cheeck

"Anyway,it's not like I wasn't hesitating to plan a proposal as well,even though I wanted this as much as you.We really ought to give credits to Malak,for reminding us how stupid we are to still question how much we mean to each other"

-"Well,at least it worked well for me.I got to be in time to propose you before you did!"

I playfully smack him in the arm.He  chuckles and reaches for my hand,interwining our fingers together and softly kissing it.

For the first time in that evening,I take notice of the night sky behind Julian.How he was sitting exactly in the middle of the diagonal line the galaxy drew along its surface.How the light of the moon and the stars ,along with the help of the dim light the lanterns in our garden provided embraced his features so perfectly.I was simply staring at at him,gaping,admiring him like a work of art,savoring the moment,working on preserving this wonderful memory forever in my mind's eye.

Even though he turns scarlet again,he can't bear but to be a smartass

-"Like what you see darling?

-"Very much dear"

We share another passionate kiss,and we end up on the highest point of the roof,nestled in each other's arms,admiring the beautiful scenery for the thousandth time as if it was the first.And in a sense,it was the first.That day we made a promise.That day we finally overcame our fears,trusted eachother and expressed an internal promise we had actually silently made years ago.A promise rather simple but complex at the same time. That we will always be by each other's side.That day,was the first day of our life.

☆☆☆

Sooo,THAT WAS ALL FOLKS!

I hope you liked it,I know it was kinda long,so if you are still with me,you truly are one of a kind🩷✨️🪷.

I didn't even plan to turn this into a proposal fic,it just kinda happened along the way LMAO.In retrospect however,this feels exactly like the way Julian would propose.Out of a sudden AND in theater mode.Gotta love the ✨️chaos✨️

Tell me if you want Headcannons of the same incident with the rest of the M6,I am thinking of writing them!

Until next time,if architecture has not consumed me

Stay cool,stay chill stay HYDRATED

Eva🩷🪷✨️

[mxsoyo]

Watching every Dracula adaptation! #1

Nosferatu: A Symphony of Horror by F. W. Murnau (German: Nosferatu – Eine Symphonie des Grauens) from 1922

We’ll be starting with the very first movie adaptation of Dracula (that isn’t lost media). The movie is free on YouTube, if anyone wants to watch it themselves. For the uninitiated, the movie is a black-and-white silent German Expressionist horror film. Well maybe it was a horror film in 1922 but from a modern point of view, the movie, especially the over the top acting is more comical than anything. As many might know the movie was an unauthorized adaptation and interestingly enough was supposed to be destroyed after they lost the copyright dispute.

Should you watch it? Eh, sure. It has a lot of funny moments and again it’s free on YouTube. Especially the people, that really like Johnathans and Minas relationship in the novel will enjoy that their relationship is a focal point in the movie.

Characters: Since the movie was made for a German audience and takes place in Germany instead of England, the character names have all been changed (there are versions of the movie with the book names though). I’ll be referring to the characters by their book names to avoid confusion (except for Nosferatu, since people know who that is). The movie names are in the brackets. Jonathan Harker (Thomas Hutter) is just a sweet, cheerful little guy who loves his goth wife. Mina Murray (Ellen Hutter) is quite different from her book counterpart, her actress constantly looks like she is plagued by visions™ and apparently has psychic anti-vampire powers. She is also my favorite part of the movie. Count Dracula is obvioulsy Count Orlok aka Nosferatu. There isn’t really much to say about the guy, he is pretty much exactly how you imagine him to be. Arthur Holmwood (Harding), Lucy Westenra (Ruth), Jack Seward (Dr. Sievers) and Van Helsing (Bulwer) are all relegated to side characters. Mina stays with Lucy and Arthur while Jonathan is away, Jack is also the town doctor apart from owning the asylum and Van Helsing is there to info-dump to the audience on various matters. Renfield (Knock) is actually Jonathans boss in this version before he gets sent to the asylum. (No cowboy in this movie, which I think will be a running theme with these adaptations.)

Plot and Book Differences: The movie follows a lot of the plot beats from the book. The big differences are that the movie begins before Jonathan starts his journey, all of Lucy’s plotlines being dropped and the ending. A new addition is also the theme of plague and disease, which has some very antisemitic undertones (much like Nosferatus design). The ending takes place in Wisborg (a fictional German town that is used instead of London) instead of back in Transylvania. Nosferatu is also not staked through the heart but killed by the sunrise. Mina also maybe dies at the end or maybe she just faints, it’s a bit unclear. Nosferatu also kills way more people in the movie than Dracula does in the book.

Interesting and/or Funny Moments: -Mina’s cat:

-Jonathan giving Mina flowers, her saying “Why did you kill them... such beautiful flowers...?!” and Jonathan reacting like that’s the most normal response ever -The Romainian townsfolk warning Jonathan about a werewolf, cut to a striped hyena they probably filmed at a zoo -all the scenes where characters talk about how it’s totally the middle of the night while the sun is blaring down on them. (I get that lighting a night scene in 1922 was probably almost impossible) -this clock:

-Nosferatu just straight up sucking Jonathans thumb after he accidentally cut himself -Jonathan noticing bitemarks on his neck and being like “must have been mosquitos (shrug)” (This happens after the thumb sucking btw) -Nosferatu seeing a picture of Mina and unironacally saying “Your wife has a lovely neck...” -the acutally very cool shadow effects they use for Nosferatu, especially the ones at the end of the movie -Nosferatu carrying his coffin by himself through the entire town while looking like a kid that got lost in IKEA

Next Up: Dracula (1931) starring Bela Lugosi

[maespri]

collection of my favorite moments from watching leigh whannell, james wan & cary elwes' commentary on saw (2004)

this post is long as hell but by god did i get a lot of laughs out of watching it i had to write everything down

cary (referring to opening title card): that was a beautiful font- how did you decide on that font, james? james: we put a bunch of fonts on the wall and threw darts

cary: there it is. this is one of the best openings of all time james: who says that cary: me

cary (referring to adam getting out of the bathtub): well it’s great. there you are, flopping onto the ground like a fish.

leigh: if i had opted to sleep in the bathroom every night, would you have done the same just to be my brother in method acting? cary: not a chance leigh (sadly): ok cary: i don’t care, you can call me what you want- leigh: and i have on several occasions-

cary: here’s adam listening to the tape now leigh: ah yes, the look on his face of… something james: this was me giving leigh instructions. i was saying to him, “leigh, now… (laughter) what i want you to do is act the way you did when i first told you what your prospects were as an actor. i want that same look of… despair” leigh (laughing): that same look of DREAD (laughter from all three)

cary: i gotta tell you leigh, even though we’re friends- james: you suck! cary (laughing): you suck! no, no. you did a really great role. it was a really great performance, i was really impressed leigh: thank you. i would say to you, there’s obviously room for improvement, but you- y'know (jokingly) if you keep going the way you’re going, you’ll be a fine actor one day cary (solemnly): thank you

leigh (talking to cary): i remember mocking you on several lines. you’d be like ‘give me the tape,’ and i’d be like ‘gIvE mE tHe tApE’

james: saw is the best comedy i’ve ever made

cary: no but you gotta figure- we’re trapped in this little room where they’ve sealed us off, and… we were stuck in there for seven days, and if you didn’t get along in that little space, man, it was gonna be a long, long, shoot leigh: and it was (laughter)

james: saw was never about just killing people in cool ways cary: well that’s part of it

cary: i remember seeing [the reverse bear trap] when you guys sent this little dvd to me, and i thought right away, “you two have to be the most twisted people ever to come up with this concept.” and THIS? [referring to billy] the doll- WHICH YOU MADE! james: i made it in my bedroom. this is what i do in my spare time. leigh: it’s quite scary actually. you go over to james’ house and as you approach his house you just see like a light sparking in the window like a mad scientist, and a scarecrow in the front- cary: and the scarecrow is just him in disguise (laughter)

james: but no, we’re not really this twisted in real life cary: that’s what was amazing, i met you guys in real life and you were so… so boring

cary: who was operating billy anyway james: i was cary: you weren’t letting anyone else touch that doll james: yeah man, only i get to stick my hand up that dolls butt

leigh: i called this doctor and said, “so im writing a script- what drug is there that you can inject someone with and they wouldn’t be able to move but they can still feel pain?” and this doctor’s like “…what’s this for?” (laughter) and im like “it’s for a script i’m writing” and he’s like, “riiiight…”

cary (talking about makenzie, who plays diana): do you remember off-camera where she had to cry for about 2-3 minutes and she… she just went into a place james: she just found a place and she went there cary: and i thought, “how old is she, six? what six year old can do that?!” james: i turn to leigh, and im like, “look at her, man! you should be taking lessons!” leigh: i actually saw cary with her in the corner one day and i was like, “isn’t that sweet- cary, the more mature, more experienced actor is giving makenzie advice," and when i got closer i heard cary asking, ‘how do you do it?!’” (laughter)

cary: i should point out, by the way- james wasn’t even sitting in a chair for the first few days of the shoot, like for about a week leigh: he couldn’t reach. those chairs are so high. (laughter) james: NO- leigh: he was like, “somebody get me an apple box!” cary: i just kept thinking, “my god, get this man a CHAIR!” james (joking): well my producer said to me, “if we get you a chair, that’s gonna break the budget” (even more laughter) james (continuing to quote producer): “we can’t afford a chair, james. what the fuck do you think this is? this is not a hollywood film!”

cary (seeing the pig mask on a table): there’s the famous pig head… which i don’t remember seeing in this version leigh: you were ASLEEP by this stage of the sundance screening (laughter) leigh: i had to keep nudging you like, ‘cary… the films still going, cary…’

leigh: and like any good villain, jigsaw smokes out his lair with fog and beautifully placed lights

cary: where did jigsaw go to school to learn these incredible talents? james: arch-nemesis school

leigh: certainly when people watch saw the first thing they think of is italian renaissance art cary (referring to the scene of adam pretending to die of blood poisoning): or really renaissance acting in this scene (laughter)

cary: and we find out here when adam gets zapped that they’ve got us on some... electrical wiring system... leigh: don’t go into it too much, cary, it’s best not to (laughter) leigh: just- of course it’s electrified, why wouldn’t it be? james: just do what i do and kind of glaze over it...

lawrence (in the film): oh, stop acting leigh: i’ve always thought that moment with cary was a slip into reality where cary goes, “stop acting!” (laughter)

leigh: certainly, i mean, when you make a film, you... you have to account for the unintelligent people out there, and i think we kept that in mind (laughter) cary: what do you mean by that leigh? leigh: well- i- james: that was spoken by LEIGH WHANNELL, he lives at THIS ADDRESS-

james (talking about billy in adams apartment): the doll actually wasn’t meant to be in this scene, but i remember when we sent the script to the producer, he goes, “we need more doll,” and this was the only scene i could think of sticking him in cary: and billy was available, wasn’t he? yeah… (laughter) leigh: after fierce negotiations with his agent, we managed to get him

cary: do you wanna tell people where you came up with the idea for the pig mask? james: cary, that’s just another one of my fetishes that i don’t wanna get into right now

leigh (making fun of adam): the only surveillance photographer in the world that uses a flash leigh: he’s had two private hire-ers fire him

(after a pause of silence) leigh (quietly): i think my favorite line in the film is coming up cary (thoughtfully): i like this scene here james: are we actually watching the film now??

leigh: this is actually a line i repeated lawrence (in the film): he’s a bottom-feeder, just like you leigh: that line- i went (mockingly), “hE’s a bOtToM fEeDeR, jUsT lIkE mE?” and i thought, ‘that’s gonna be great, that’s gonna make the final cut’ cary: (losing it laughing) james: yeah that was the first thing i cut out

leigh: james would hold a- i think it was a prop gun- to my head and say, “act, you bastard, act!”

leigh: a lot of people ask why lawrence didn’t take his shirt off to reach the cell phone in this scene, and james’s response to that is… james: james: thanks for that, leigh (leigh & cary laughing) james: just throw the spotlight on me, sure…

leigh: a lot of people ask why they didn’t just shoot the chain or shoot the lock with the gun, and um… leigh: leigh: well to that i say you’ve stumped me

leigh: this punch that you’re about to see actually accidentally hit [zep's actor]. i felt so bad. cary: ow- did you really hit him? leigh: yeah! cary: oh, brother- leigh (joking): and then toilet lid, too! i just kept getting him in the head! that’s real blood! (laughter)

james: do you know that i went online, cary, and i found some great saw fan sites, and one of them had a link to a site that was filled with all this saw fanfiction. people who had written stories about saw- cary: no, you’re joking- james: -and one of them was about- from your character's point of view, after he crawled out of the bathroom… was about three pages of just this inner monologue going, ‘oh god. my foot’s missing. what do i do now.’ (laughter) james: it was great stuff

[weirdmarioenemies]

Name: Chemitory

Debut: Kirby: Planet Robobot

Hello everyone! I hope you’ve remembered to take your medicine lately! And I hope you take it from a secure and clean container received from your pharmacy, and not from a funny robot who throws ambiguous pills at you! Because that would not be healthy. That’s a Science Fact!

Of all the robobots they put in Planet Robobot, Chemitory is my favorite! This design is so so pleasant, and as it idles, it waves its hands gently and happily. Perfectly pill-shaped, since it is all about pills, with floaty hands and an eyes-in-a-void face! That is such a common kind of face for Kirby characters, but it works so especially wonderfully here! Perhaps this is a Haltmann Works Company healthcare robot, here to allegedly help. Instead, it throws pills at what it considers a problem in hopes that it will go away. A scathing satire of modern psychiatry!

Of course, Chemitory has a big clear dome full of pills, and it is here to throw them at you! This dome, delightfully, swings back on the two hinges on either side of its head, allowing it to reach in! What is Chemitory’s prescription?

Chemitory has been officially diagnosed as Mad Scientist! If it doesn’t have its pills, it probably turns into a boring ol’ Regular Scientist. Doing dilutions in a lab. Wearing proper protective equipment. That’s not Chemitory’s style! Chemitory would rather endanger lives and not be approved by the FDA, like a GOOD mad scientist!

Kirby can swallow Chemitory, OR its pills, to obtain the Doctor ability! I am a little surprised the ESRB was fine with letting Kirby consume strange pills, and receive a benefit from doing so. Again, please don’t consume strange pills. But I’m glad Kirby does it, because Doctor is perhaps my favorite ability! It is so fun! Kirby can throw pills like Chemitory, as well as lots of other medical-themed stuff! It is also probably the silliest looking Copy Ability. That is so many accessories! Wonderful.

Something I think is so delightfully wacky about Chemitory, and Doctor as a whole, is that they may very well owe their entire existence to the Dr. Mario amiibo! Planet Robobot allows for amiibo to be scanned to give Kirby certain abilities, and it seems that its new abilities were designed with this in mind! ESP is obviously a Ness reference, almost obnoxiously so. Poison, while the most original of the three, can be reasonably linked to Splatoon, since it features goop that splatters onto surfaces, and damages enemies that touch it. Doctor, of course, is heavily based on Dr. Mario!

Do you think, if amiibo did not exist, or if Dr. Mario was not added to Smash 4, the Doctor ability, and by extension Chemitory, would have never even been conceptualized? It feels rather possible to me, so I am glad both of those things happened!

Chemitory is a sort of one-hit wonder, appearing only in one game. At the end of Planet Robobot, when the mechanization is reverted, maybe every Chemitory even ceased to exist! I have faith, however, that we will see Chemitory again, since Copy Abilities always make their return eventually! And hopefully, Doctor will make its comeback in Kirby Star Allies 2: Chemitory Is In This One And Is Playable!

[nothingenoughao3]

Hello, I read your fic Dreams in the Necromancer House and just wanted to say I'm really enjoying it. The images are so vivid, I don't know how you do it. And so I was wondering if I could ask where did you get your inspiration from. As in, if you add references about certain books or history or traditions where do you find them? Wikipedia? I'm just curious about how to do research. Specifically the tag that says Lovecraftian cults, tbh I have no clue about the H.P.Lovecraft universe. I just think it's really interesting.

Also, I am probably going to read it again because I'm sure I've missed out on some details. Anyways, have a nice day.

Hey, thank you for the thoughtful ask! This is the sort of question writers dream about receiving.

Here is the not-so-secret and not-so-glamorous process for how I compile references for my works (not just this one--this L4D2 series took a LOT of research, and so did that one SuperBat fic).

For me, the earliest creative process is kaleidoscopic: I'll have multiple scenes that don't seem like they all fit together spinning around in my head, and "the plot" is what happens when I try to make them all line up and become one coherent thing. Usually, there are the Scenes Of Pure Inspiration which arrive out of nowhere, followed by the Scenes Of Pure Necessity that have to happen to support the Pure Inspiration, and then one or two Scenes Of Damn Wouldn't That Be Cool that come up as I play different scenarios out in my head. Once it's over, I'll probably discuss the Scenes Of Pure Inspiration from "Dreams" more in detail.

Then I start doing outlines. Yes, I construct outlines for my fanfics, just as I do for my original works. There are far too many tiny moving parts in a story for them not to be contained in an outline--even if you move them to a different spot later, the damn things'll get lost in the sofa cushions if you don't keep them in a container of some kind. (I hope this metaphor hasn't gotten away from me.)

Dreams has three outlines--the one I wrote while still generating ideas, the one I wrote to establish timelines more firmly, and then an annotated one that has all the references I've sprinkled throughout the story. So I do consider this to be a vital part of the process. There will be a fourth notation file I generate when I do my final editing pass after it's all published, too! That one will cover me stating stuff about character histories and little story details, so that (for an example that really happened) I don't have Armitage giving a flask of whiskey to Herbert which later turns into a flask of Everclear.

Now where does the research bit come in? For me, when I do my extremely-detailed outline or when I start writing.

For details regarding history, science, politics, and the like, I generally rely on Googling, same as anyone else (excluding results after the year 2021 if I'm not finding what I need). Better than this, though, is books. I used to collect books that were writers' references--one of my favorites was a guide to poisons, both "the most likely poisons used in a murder mystery" AND "how to design your own poison/toxin/venom". Also guidebooks for TTRPGs, sacred texts, gardening guides, etc. I currently have a book series called "The Home Doctor" that teaches you how to do baseline veterinary and human medicine (according to the early 1900s). I don't have that because I plan on using it for its intended purpose, but I did use it to research a L4D2 fic where someone's leg gets amputated--and I even had the characters in the fic owning those same books!

What really matters for a story like Dreams, though, is thematic feel. I think folks will forgive me if I were to mention a musical band that didn't exist in 1987/8, but far less so if I didn't nail the feel of 1987/8, or of cosmic horror. So while I am writing a story, I immerse not only in the source material (if it's a fanfic), but also in music, movies, books, comics, and etc. that "feel right". I'll draw off those media for further inspiration, because let's face it, creativity is knowing what to steal and how to steal it. (I didn't say that--Tarantino did.)

The key here is that I don't stop interacting with research and creative works when I'm not writing. I'll flip through my books or go down a rabbit hole of "what the hell is THAT scientific concept about" or learn about magical rituals every day that I can. If the compilation of research material looks easy or fast when I do it, it's because I'm always doing it and I know how to narrow it down!

For Dreams, I could go "Oh, here's a list of all the stories and movies and etc. I want to build off of" because I already had all of those things in my mental wheelhouses. If you wanted it, here is a specific list of the actual non-Lovecraftian works that thematically support and inspire Dreams in the Necromancer House:

Prince of Darkness (1987)+

Hereditary (2018)*

The Guy Who Didn't Like Musicals (2019)

Stir of Echoes (1999)

Mandy (2018)

Skeleton Crew, Nightmares and Dreamscapes, and Everything's Eventual by Stephen King: specifically, "Nona", "1408", "Mrs. Todd's Shortcut", "Gramma"+, "Autopsy Room Four", and "That Feeling, You Can Only Say What It Is In French"

Black Butterflies and Heatseeker by John Shirley: specifically "Cram", "Tahiti In Terms of Squares", "The Almost Empty Rooms", "Woodgrains"

The King in Yellow by Robert Chalmers

Twin Peaks

Music: "We Will Commit Wolf Murder" by of Montreal, "Leather Jacket" by Ben Folds Five, "It Must Have Been Love" by Roxette, "Over & Over" by Rio Romeo, "No One's Around To Help" by JerryTerry

The Arkham Horror board game

"The Mysterious Stranger/An Angel Named Satan" from The Adventures of Mark Twain

And since you were asking about Lovecraft's universe, here are the stories that went into this particular tale. All of his stuff is treated as being in the public domain, so you can easily find it on sites like Project Gutenberg or wikis:

"The Case of Charles Dexter Ward"+

"The Thing on the Doorstep"+

"The Dunwich Horror"+

"The Colour Out of Space", as well as the film adaptation Color Out of Space (2019)

"Pickman's Model"

"The Call of Cthulhu"*

"The Shadow Over Innsmouth"*

And of course, "Dreams in the Witch-House"+

The ones marked with an * are the most detailed stories regarding what I mean by "Lovecraftian cults", and the ones with a + are good demonstrations of wizardry/magic systems that supported this work.

[doctorofmagic]

Doctor Strange and the supernatural characters pt 2 - Jericho Drumm

Much to my surprise, being a doctor is not the only thing Jericho and Stephen have in common. As I went through his chronology, I noticed they’re quite similar in many aspects, whether magical or personality-wise.

I’ve always loved the concept of Doctor Voodoo and had read some of his adventures, but this time around I made a complete reading and he’s still one of my favorite magic users for many, many reasons.

But first, let’s dive into his past real quick to learn more about his story, motivations and powers.

Jericho Drumm and his twin brother Daniel were born in Port-au-Prince, Haiti. The twins were separated when their parents died and Jericho decided to pursue a career in the USA as a pyschologist and scholar (some writers will give him another field of expertise, but it’s commonly accepted as canon that he has a doctorate in Psychology), whereas Daniel stayed and became a houngan (a voodoo priest). Upon learning that Daniel fell ill, Jericho returned to Haiti. Daniel claimed that Damballah, the loa known as the evil serpent-god, cursed him. Before dying, his twin asked Jericho to go to the jungle and meet his mentor, Papa Jambo, in order to learn magic. Jericho, at that time, did not believe in the supernatural and confronted Damballah, being defeated by forces he did not understand yet.

Papa Jambo, then, accepted Jericho as an apprentice and taught him voodoo magic. As a last attempt to defeat Damballah, Papa Jambo performed a ritual to summon Daniel’s spirit so they could become two men in one. The ritual was successful, leaving the V symbol imprinted on his forehead and the white streaks on his hair. Papa Jambo then passed away as a result, leaving the mantle of Brother Voodoo to his disciple Jericho.

He then confronted Damballah once more and defeated his enemy, whom would be later retconned to be a random evil spirit instead of the loa himself, since the loa are not considered evil spirits.

And here’s a quick disclaimer: there are lots of misconceptions and stereotypes when it comes to Haitian voodoo in the Marvel universe, mostly because it’s a real religion and many stories were not written by poc. I made a quick research but just to point a few: voodoo dolls are considered a myth, although some are used in New Orleans voodoo for tourism [1]; the term used in Sorcerer Supreme to describe Brazilian voodoo refers to the religion as "macumba”, which is a pejorative term. The Brazilian equivalent to Haitian voodoo is called Candomblé Jeje [2]; Marie Laveau is often portrayed as a evil voodoo witch, but she’s celebrated in New Orleans for help, healing and empowerment [3].

Disclaimer done, so back to Jericho. For a while, he stayed in Port-au-Prince, having his own Sanctum and accepting the help of a butler (pretty similar to Wong in his first years). He then later moved to New Orleans, fighting many enemies and teaming up with many popular heroes, such as Moon Knight, Spider-Man, Doctor Strange, Blade, Black Panther, Luke Cage and so on.

When Stephen considered himself unworthy of his title, the Eye of Agamotto elected Jericho as the next Sorcerer Supreme. And here I need to point out that, in my humble opinion, Jericho was nerfed from what he used to be as a magic user. I consider him waaay more powerful back then, even without the power of the Vishanti at his disposal.

When it comes to personality, Jericho has the very same introverted personality as Stephen’s in early comics, as well as the formal rhetorics, rational thoughts and kindness towards civilians.

Slowly, the readers realize that he’s also lonely and afraid of relationships, constantly pushing people away.

One may arguee that he’s been involved with many female characters, the most important being Wanda, and I agree they’re super cute together. Sadly, for editorial decision, Jericho was pushed away to hint a comeback for Wanda x Vision. Monica Rambeau was also interested in him for a while, but that writing is TERRIBLE, portraying him like a clingy (and kinda stalker) pretendent. I’d say Jericho takes things veeeeery slow because he’s afraid of relationships, as pointed out earlier. On top of that, I super hc him as aroace, because it’s rare to see him in a romantic light. It’s up to each person’s interpretation, of course.

Moving on -- and since I’m comparing him to Stephen -- let’s also talk about guilt and sense of duty. Jericho as Sorcerer Supreme is as stubborn as Stephen: he doesn’t rest, he feels responsible for every mystical issue AND is compelled to sacrifice himself in order to fulfill his role.

That’s why he ends up killed in the first place, after all. Thankfully, Doom brings him back to life (AND WE LOVE TO SEE IT).

In addition to the previous relationship Stephen and Jericho built through the years, we also have now a delicate matter, which is Daniel. Daniel was really mad at Stephen and blamed him for Jericho’s death. Since then, the spirit of Jericho’s brother was used as bargain in Savage Avengers, and to be honest, I don’t know how to feel about it, but it’s canon now, so... If Jericho is better off without his brother, so be it.

In conclusion, I do believe Jericho is a very important figure in Stephen’s life, not only as a co-worker at Strange Academy and former mentor, but also as a friend. Not to mention that he’s amazing as a stand-alone character, with a rich lore and so much potential. I find outrageous how little Jericho is used in comics. I need him in a solo title or at least in a one-shot with Zoe!

Bonus: The Vishanti and the Three-Who-Are-All

Although the Three-Who-Are-All had their debut in Werewolf by Night, Jericho was directly involved in their prophecy, joining Jack Russell and his allies in order to defeat a great evil. They're not as powerful as the Vishanti -- nor as important -- but it’s curious to see that the concept of a trinity is the same.

[Part 1]

Special thanks to Val, he’s the only Jericho stan I know out there and we only have each other to cry over him haha love u <3

[xochiipillii]

dating Xochipilli headcanons

summary: pretty self-explanatory.. this is what I think dating the god Xochipilli, the flower prince, would be like as a mortal!

pairings: xochipilli :: aztec god of love, music, art, summer, etc.

a/n: xochipilli is one of my favorite gods everr (hence the namesake), so i really hope i did justice to this bi-con. I refer to xochipilli as "he/him" in this post, but it's probably more accurate to describe xochipilli as "they/them"

" lay with me, i'll lay with you :: we'll do the things that lovers do -

Xochipilli is a morning person, through and through. So, expect him to be kissing you awake at the crack of dawn, the windows open, hot honey tea on the bedside table, and his sticky lipgloss all over your cheeks and lips

In fact, expect to be dragging your groggy self to the kitchen at 7 in the morning to see Xochipilli, full make-up, making breakfast while the album ZABA blasts from whatever device was nearby at the time

His favorite gifts to give are flowers and sweets, and BOY does he give them out often

He always dresses up 110% for date nights, i’m talking HOURS of picking out the perfect top to go with his bottoms, choosing the right shade of lipstick to match his eye makeup, etc. etc. tbh you have to give Xochi at least a 3 day notice in advance before any date nights

Xochipilli is used to getting a lot of attention when he goes out- hello, he is the god of love and beauty- and of course, he’s always super sweet (almost flirty) with people which can get on your nerves sometimes

But he teases you relentlessly when you get jealous:

“Oh, did you see that smile? Aw, don’t pout, my love. It’s just divine diplomacy! You know only you have my heart, right?”

Sweet talker sweet talker sweet talker, you can never argue with him

Yes, expect to be dancing in the kitchen at 3 in the morning. Yes, it’s non-negotiable

Xochipilli is HUGE on PDA (public displays of affection) and he will use every waking moment to hold your hand, kiss your cheek, hug you when you’re trying to get your shopping done

Adding onto this, he is the best cuddler so warm and soft

Also has like a shopping list of pet-names and sweetheart-names for you including but not limited to: blossom, flor amor, my love, amorcito, my muse

Sometimes Xochipilli has to be away for some period of time to be in the divine realm, but he always sends you cute love letters with tons of poetry when he’s gone

side note— Xochi smells SO GOOD like top notes of orchid and vanilla with the distinct accent of something woodsy like sandalwood or copal. plus he’s always applying some sort of perfume or body oil so it’s like mmm all day

Xochipilli is a part of the Ahuiateteo, the gods of excess, so he mmmight be a bit overbearing sometimes— always encouraging you to have just one more sip of wine, another spoonful of ice cream, a few more hours to sleep in

can we point out that he’s the god of hallucinogenic mushrooms so uhhh strap in, we’re getting funky because he would definitely want to go on a trip with you

he is a silly man, so expect some lighthearted but fairly weird pranks (along the lines of butterflies in your face when you’re trying to work, always hiding the second sock, gliTTER UGH)

on the topic of hiding your second sock:

“Sock? What sock? The laundry seems to have a mind of its own, my blossom. It must have fancied a stroll.”

you have your own personal doctor— seeing that Xochipilli’s brother is the god Ixtlilton who lords over health, medicine, and surprisingly dancing.

softly singing you to sleep, always.

Would definitely pop up in your dreams to give you some weird, cryptic advice which is always on the lines of giving him more kisses

[mulders-too-large-shirt]

s5 episode 8 thoughts

after the last few episodes, i took a brief break to ponder life's meaning and other such things. but we’re back. 

initial thoughts upon reading the description: PUSHER LIVED?!?!?! mulder shot him!!! fired the whole clip in ‘em!! granted, it was just one bullet, but he sure did keep going like there were more of them in there.

it’s very rare we see the same monster or bad guy of the week twice, and the first time we met pusher was one of my favorite episodes of all time, so i’m curious to see if they can recreate the magic here. no pressure.

(author's note: while a good episode that followed in the first one's tradition of having the most intense last 5 minutes you ever did see, this one did not beat the original for me. in fact, some parts even bothered me, like the writers' constant need for mulder to always always always be right!! but not the ending. they nailed that)

let’s go!!

we begin with modell, aka the pusher, doing some physical therapy. he is relearning how to walk. but he is still in prison and being re-cuffed into his wheelchair after doing very well. the doctor asks if this is really necessary, and the guards say yes ma’am. you do not wanna mess with this guy. we know this to be true.

they’re talking about him like he can’t hear. and i know his name is bobby modell, but i still kinda wanna call him the pusher. so i’m torn on how to refer to him.

older guard says to the younger guard chuck that you must never, EVER underestimate this man. and believe me. i won't. chuck, on the other hand...

i bet the actor who plays modell was pumped as hell to come back. you know you did a good job when they ask you to return. 

there is a light flashing outside modell’s cell, so the new guard chuck goes in there to investigate, pepper spray in hand. it seems modell’s pressing some sort of medical emergency panic button. and now he’s whispering to the guard…

the older guard is back in the morning, and knows something is afoot because chuck is gone!!! and modell’s cell is empty… except chuck!!!! who cannot form any coherent sentences??

ahhh, yes, in case you forgot, he pushes you to do stuff against your will with his psychic powers. hence the whole showdown last time. that is a very key detail i somehow forgot. but yeah. that was good stuff.

mulder is here, but it is scully leading the way!!!!! a power walk!!!!

into a room where skinner is briefing a large crowd!! he has a funny tie. and mulder and scully are his S.A.C.s! hold on, i need to look that up. special agent…? ah, it means special agent in charge. that’s a title that looks good on them.

they tell the people about the way modell can inflict his will onto others, how technically all of the kills from before were self-inflicted, how he thinks he’s a samurai without a master, and he loves to play games. last time he thought he found a worthy adversary in mulder. this time, i hope he realizes scully is just as worthy. i would like to see this please. and i appreciate the recap for others who, like me, may have forgotten his skill set.

modell was comatose but then just woke up!! “it’s unusual but it’s not unheard of” <- yeah girl you’d know lmao

he still has his cancer in him, though. which i also forgot about: the tumors give him the powers. outlandish? well, yes!

scully is really concerned!!! and says that mulder leading the investigation is exactly what modell wants- he’s playing his game. mulder seems offended and walks away. lmao. i know he thinks he needs to suffer, but girl, c’mon. she is talking sense. he must know that deep inside.

(cue a deep scully sigh as he storms off)

downtown in a random sports store, a guy is watching the news of modell's escape, when in he walks!! this guy goes to grab something to fend him off, but modell turns it into a rattlesnake??? huh?? now he can summon living things??? this is a serious power upgrade. or is he just making the poor cashier imagine that inanimate object is a snake...

YES, HE IS JUST IMAGINING THAT THE BASEBALL BAT IS A SNAKE!!! woah. okay, so that makes a lot more sense than him now being able to create beasts after his stint in prison

modell steals some candy bars (he loves his candy bars!) and watches scully and mulder on the TV!!! you’d think they would try to not be on TV. but sometimes it still happens

the agents are talking to modell's doctor, who says that it is impossible his gunshot wound to the head left him good as new; he couldn’t have been faking his condition entirely. she then looks up and declares “you’re the agent that shot him” and there’s a thick silence until scully cuts in with the observation that he had a visitor in prison yesterday before he escaped. typical scully saving the day. 

the doctor is explaining that she never had a problem with him personally (mulder is mad as hell) when someone runs in to say “agents! it’s modell” so they RUN OUT in great style 

ohhh, he’s on the phone asking for mulder, and skinner is here to run a trace

ohhh!!! scully was so worried modell would suck mulder in with this psychic powers again... they just needed 30 seconds to trace the call, so scully asks for a time check!! and when he starts to get invested, she reminds him to hang tf up!! which he does!!

but i am interested in what he had to say… even if it was all lies…

scully says “don’t let him rope you in” and “mulder, hang up the phone” and him listening right away did a lot for me 

off to the sports store, where mulder finds modell's candy wrapper, but no modell. he’s outside! but is it really him??

mulder is running and running in front of traffic to find this guy… but i have this terrible fear he’s just going to get hit by a car. which wouldn’t be the first time. 

there is a real guy!!! in modell's jacket!! but it’s the poor cashier from earlier who thought the bat was a snake! :( skinner asks him very angrily where modell is and he just says “he had to go” hmm hmm…

modell is looking at a picture. he gets blue paint on it. and blue paint on a lot of things. some guy is covered entirely in blue paint? can you paint yourself to death? (we later learn this man is named bowman)

modell left a huge message in japanese on the wall of bowman's house! “i’m going to take a wild stab here and guess that this is a clue” <- deeply observant as always, mulder

does anyone in the squad read japanese…? now would be a great time to come forward and admit that

scully is investigating paint guy bowman. he swallowed it???? he drank the paint to death?? damn.

THEY DO FIND SOMEONE WHO CAN READ JAPANESE!!! shoutout to this side character. 

and the blue was modell's favorite shade of cerulean omg…

bowman was the one who prosecuted modell in 1996! wait, so… what year is it in this episode? let me guess… 1998? 1999? i honestly do not know. but they’re saying “1996” and not “2/3/4 years ago”, and since i don’t see which year each episode was made in on this devious streaming platform, i am left with only my best guess

he was writing the same thing over and over… "kitsunegari"… it means “fox hunt”!! which i guess is a pretty good description of what they are doing 

LMAO MULDER’S FACE he looks briefly flattered “well, that’s a little on the nose, don’t you think?” <- why is he hunting just for mulder!!! he is underestimating the prowess of scully here.

it seems this paint guy bowman had a wife, who i shall refer to alternatively as "mrs. bowman" and "linda", so they call her. and she isn’t in her office, but the person who picks up says she went to meet a FOX MULDER!!!! a bald faced lie, that was!!! for mulder is here, on the phone!!! so they’re trying to figure out where mrs. bowman and modell went. skinner calls the town’s police department right away. 

these cops are entering this warehouse sort of place… and modell’s in there!!!! but they can’t find him… he is leading them to him!!! this must be some sort of trick…. is cop A imagining his partner is modell???

agents on the scene. wait hold on. rewind. mulder was driving, skinner was in the passenger seat, and scully was in the back. this is amusing to me. anyway, they’re off.

ohhhh no, it IS cop A pointing his gun at cop B, thinking he is modell. poor cop B is screaming. yeah. that's tough.

scully asks the question: what does he want with bowman’s wife??

aww, she thinks he’s here for a tour of the property :( and she’s crying because she just learned her husband died :( poor scully has to ask the hard questions and she is also looking very sad :(

mulder… please call me

ohhh skinner coming in… he kneels next to linda bowman and says that she is safe with them!! usually people saying this means that things will not end well. he says they’ll place her in protective custody :( and he has his hands on her back :( ohhhh skinner…

“find him” “yes sir” <- scully never ever ever forgets to say sir. mulder almost never does it. says so much about their characters in such a small detail. i love it and i love to analyze it.

mulder has his hands in his suit pockets, thinking deeply. why didn’t modell just kill those two cops? hmm. he asks for a radio. 

ohhh modell is watching mrs. bowman being taken away…. he sees mulder…. who is entering the building…. and mulder finds another candy bar wrapper, knows modell is nearby, and pulls out his gun!! 

he’s going in alone… this is a terrible idea!!! everything is so suspenseful!!!

he radios scully, but modell is trying to tell him something. and he keeps telling him to shut up, but no!!! he has his psychic claws in his brain!!

modell is very sick and sweaty… and when mulder walks out, all he says to scully about modell is “he had to go” <- NOOOO 💔💔

okay, no pressure scully, but it seems your partner is down for the count.

ohhh, wait he’s back. okay. so the brain hijacking is really only temporary.

“how are you feeling?” “well, aside from the utter grinding humiliation that comes from knowing i let our suspect go, pretty good” <- lmao awww :( he's embarrased

ohhh, modell had a special message for mulder: “don’t play the game” <- is he talking about the evil alien tricks and traps the FBI has set forth for those two?

mulder thinks perhaps modell has changed… and that he’s involved with this whole case, but not the killer… scully wants to know how he knows if it’s really his own opinion!

“what do we still agree on here? that modell was pursuing linda bowman?” <- this was, for once, a masterful act of avoiding conflict. i’m almost shocked. usually for the last 5 seasons, these nerds would get into a cat fight over the logistics of how this could or couldn’t be possible, but he totally shifted it to "what do we both need to know and how can we find it?". i’m gagged. mulder, you’ve changed! this is character development!

linda is at the safe house, being questioned by the agents. ohhhh she is saying her husband thought mulder should have just killed modell, and it would have saved the taxpayers the cost of a trial. girl, he shot him in the HEAD, he was doing his best to kill him!! scully is watching him as she says this to gauge his reaction

OHHH... linda said “brush”, and i was thinking, hmm that’s suspicious after earlier activities, and now she just said “paint him as that” and i am INCREASINGLY suspicious… and mulder says back “he was true-blue” ohhh they’re speaking in riddles… 

so what does the part about only being married two months and two days mean….? anything at all?

(author's note: yeah it didn't mean a damn thing <3)

mulder seems to think that linda killed her husband! scully is shocked to hear this. perhaps, mulder posits, it was her game he warned against playing, and modell was there during paint time, but not involved.

OHHH scully tells him that she does not agree at all..... and SKINNER SUSPENDS HIM!! he cannot be trusted after modell had access to his mind! skinner takes his gun!!!! but you have to remember, this mulder guy usually has a slay little ankle gun in his sock. so he might not be down for the count.

linda comes out and asks for water… they lock eyes and he says he’ll prove it. “GO FETCH HER SOME WATER”, he yells back at skinner. see? about what i said earlier? no “sir” there. 

mulder goes back to visit modell's doctor, who says that a nun once described modell as a “conquered warrior”. OH he thinks the nun might be linda!!! but the doctor can’t find her glasses to make an ID!!!!

OH MY GOSH??? she’s on the phone and says “oh yeah, he’s here” (why are they talking about him??) and then she GRABS the electrical box and fries herself!! he’s calling for help!!! he is doing some CPR, but idk if it’s looking good for her….

modell is being taken into jail. allegedly. who knows if it’s really him or not? he tells this guard to go home. and this does happen.

someone is now approaching linda… it’s modell!!! he locks the door behind him as he enters the safe house!!!! 

mulder calls scully to say that it must have been linda on the phone with the doctor ordering her to fry herself, because she might have identified her, and he tells her to cut off any access she has to a phone. hmm. 

NOOO they might have fallen for a trap…. scully tells all the agents to get back in the trucks…. 

skinner is seemingly alone with linda at the safe house, trying to enter the locked room. OHHH he kicks down the door!!! modell announces that he has a gun. skinner says get on the floor NOW and modell doesn’t, so skinner shoots!! he is a man of action 

linda is here too, and modell points to her on the floor…. as if to implicate her for the crimes!

mulder is back after previously having been booted, and skinner does not seem happy to hear him. mulder is trying to explain that hearing modell say he has a gun makes one sort of just appear in his vision. and that really modell was unarmed. so skinner just killed an unarmed guy, oof.

mulder thinks that modell is taking the fall for linda, and scully is asking, well why the hell would he do that for the real estate lady? and she went home anyway; she clearly wasn't a threat

mulder says he needs to be the first person modell talks to when he gets out of surgery…

i want mulder to be wrong so badly and just blaming this whole elaborate scheme on some random lady. he’s right too often. so he’s just standing there over modell at the hospital, lmao.

BUT IT TURNS OUT THE NURSE AT THE HOSPITAL IS LINDA!!! who uses her ability to walk right past mulder. so did she come to modell in prison to learn his secret power or something? are they having an affair?

she gets on his bed and grabs his hand. “why did you do it? i didn’t ask you to come after me” 

she says she’s going to finish what he started, but he asks her to stop……… 

she uses her mind tricks to try and alleviate his pain… and then she starts tricking him into dying?????? so he dies and she lays her head on his chest. i'm receiving mixed messages here on if these two even liked each other.

mulder sees someone running into the room and realizes modell died without talking to him!!! and linda left an address on her little index card that said “nurse”.

so he goes there…… and he hears scully?? but is it really her?

SHE HAS A GUN.

“you were right about her, mulder. she’s making me do this” <- HUH???

MULDER MAKE HER STOP, SHE BEGS. HE’S YELLING. HE’S YELLING. SHE PUTS THE GUN TO HER HEAD?? AND FIRES??? AND HE’S SCREAMING???

he’s cradling her head but there is only a tiny drop of blood… was it fake? but the rest of the blood follows soon

OHHHHH NOW “LINDA” IS SAYING THAT SHE’S SCULLY AND SHE’S NOT DEAD…. oh my gosh the mind games….. he sees scully bleeding out behind him, but is it really her? he has his gun up and he’s yelling “you killed her” at "linda", and i recognize this scene from a gifset i have reblogged before without context… 

“YOUR MOTHER IS TINA. YOUR SISTER IS SAMANTHA. modell warned you. don’t play her game” <- OHHHH (“linda” shoots at someone behind her)

(he turns and realizes that it really is scully he’s talking to, and she shot the real linda, who asks “you think you can hold me?”)

(see, if i were scully, i would have pulled out some more niche mulder facts than his family members' names to prove it was me. i would have gone for "YOU WERE TERRIFIED OF STICK BUGS AS A CHILD AND SCREAMED A GIRLY SCREAM AT THEM" but i understand that it was a very intense situation and perhaps that thought was not on her mind)

wait, i need to rewatch that. hold on. hold on….. 

the way he watches “scully” in distress, thinking that it’s really her. she's begging him to make her stop as she clicks the gun, screaming his name as she turns the gun to her own head… and how he screams “NOOO!” and cradles what he thinks is her dying body...

and then he talks to real scully, but he sees linda, and he growls that he’s going to kill her… he looks down and sees scully’s dead body…..

he keeps screaming at her to shut up… with this animalistic, out-of-body fury in his eyes…

and then scully saves the day and shoots the real linda, who was standing behind him….. and he sees it’s really scully standing in front of him… and she gently grabs his arm… before calling an ambulance…

that was a very intense scene that deserved such a rewatch.

(screams into my hands real quick at the angst)

(she says “we’d like an ambulance” and i think that’s interesting that she uses “we” to refer to them both as a duo even to a total stranger, but i can imagine that possessiveness is still high in her bloodstream after almost watching him kill her, thinking he was avenging her own death)

so, wrap up time with skinner. linda too had the advanced temporal lobe tumor that modell had… they were TWINS??? but they only found out 6 months ago. and scully guesses she wanted revenge for what they did to her brother

(skinner turns to mulder) “anything you want to add to that?” “no, i think that covers it” <- (visible confusion on skinner’s face) ohhh you know it’s bad when mulder actually shuts the fuck up.

OHH but skinner wants to see him after… mulder nods at scully that he is okay to handle whatever this is alone…

SKINNER WANTS TO JUST TELL HIM HE DID A GOOD JOB?? “you were way ahead of me” “i almost killed my partner” <- yes, and this will haunt him forever just the way i like it.

“you won her game” “how come i feel like i lost?” (skinner does not know what to say as mulder sadly leaves)

bro, he was trying to be nice to you… 

this episode wasn’t as good as the original, but it is hard to live up to such high expectations. however! it was still VERY good.

i liked the first one so much because they were so in sync about everything. they were even in constant close physical proximity to hear modell's phone calls. and the joking!! and her falling asleep on his shoulder!! mixed with the angst!! it was the perfect recipe.

this one felt like another “mulder is the specialist boy of all time and he is so smart, he sees what everyone else cannot” episode, which we get an awful lot of. STILL, he was tricked in the end, and the angst was delicious. i liked that they were both wrong- her about linda being evil, and him about scully being dead.

what i was really hoping for was that at the halfway point when mulder had modell get into his brain, that he would be down for the count for the rest of the investigation, and modell would shift his target to scully, realizing she was also a worthy adversary. and then the same things could happen just in a different direction. someone let me know if that is a fic.

but, just because it wasn’t as good as the first does not mean it wasn’t good at all!! okay?? i mean that!! him screaming at her thinking she was her own murderer??!! i mean come on!! where else do you get that?

and skinner overtly complimenting him, for like, the first time ever?? mulder has always seemed like he wants skinner to let him in so bad, in a way that is too much to want from your boss that probably comes from being raised the way he was. and it finally happens where skinner says "you did it son", and he’s all, "no i didn’t, i almost killed scully". he’s too wrapped up in his own eternal labyrinth of guilt to acknowledge that skinner is giving him approval. chef’s kiss

oh, and scully screaming his mother and sister’s names, begging him not to shoot… i wish we could have seen gillian anderson act that out, BUT it contributed to the illusion to not see that. and her whole faking scully’s death scene was amazing anyway, so i can’t complain with what we did see. 

scully was really worried about him, and it makes total sense, especially if you recall last time her screaming “DAMN IT, MULDER” as pusher made him hold the gun to his own head, and then as she watched him try and shoot him like a million times despite there only being one bullet. it makes sense that she wanted him to go home and stay away from the case. it makes total narrative sense. she was looking out for him, she was scared. when we see him in the OG episode, it’s probably the most overtly terrified we ever see him! i think of that scene where he’s shooting at the range, so terrified he has to brush up on his aim. so her protectiveness makes sense. but still.

i get annoyed with the “only mulder can solve this case” episodes after like, 5 seasons of them. i wouldn’t complain if the ratio was more even between them. but like. when bigfoot exists in this world and mulder’s like “bigfoot is real” and she’s like “don’t be ridiculous” and then bigfoot IS real, we get a lot of him being right already. it feels that, despite this, the narrative wants to keep convincing me that he is the smartest boy, as if i forgot. and i did not forget. i do not see why we need to emphasize how smart he is and not do the same for scully.

i was also hoping for any sort of acknowledgment about last episode, but they just kinda ignored it which is fine too i guess lmao. i mean sure, we can just give scully a baby, kill her off, and act like nothing happened /s

anyway, rereading this episode's notes was a funny experience because i fully fell for mrs. bowman's tricks. lmao. it is also funny that they were twins separated at birth, but it turned out that her husband put her brother in jail. the very sort of shenanigans you expect from such a show!