#emily dole

[simplegenius042]

Late WIP Wednesday/Thursday

Tagged by @socially-awkward-skeleton and @imogenkol

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WIPs for The UnTitledverse and The Silver Chronicles, specifically The Tale Of Mario Emmet and Silva's Hope respectively. You can read these WIPs under the cut:

The Tale Of Mario Emmet is a fic set during the Five Nights At Freddy's: The Silver Eyes. This fic primarily focuses on my original character Mario Emmet, one of my main characters in The Perfect Storm saga and The UnTitledverse series as a whole, his journey of shedding his xenophobia towards others, and companionship with his human friends and eventual romance with Charlie Emily. It also somewhat diverges from the novels however by having "Dave Miller" unable to secure a spot as a night guard for the mall that surrounds "Freddy Fazbear's Pizza" (unfortunately, he will show up later). Mario's first introduction to Charlie and friends was while he was under the guise of a human... his second official introduction is messier and more hostile than the first, as shown below:

[TW: Description of a grotesque inhuman transformation. Very minor violence and blood as of now]

"Where do you think you're going?"

Charlie froze. Dread returned like the force of a freight train. John was quick to twist around, and his reaction confirmed her fear.

Mario was free.

As the others followed John's example, Charlie slowly glanced back to see Mario stepping out of the darkness of the animatronics maintenance room.

He wasn't close to her, separated several feet from each other, a gap that echoed the visceral betrayal of broken trust.

Mario's silver eyes glared into Charlie's brown with that same soul piercing gaze once more. From what Charlie could observe, Mario was hardly tired from the events of the night, nor of his earlier detainment. He held himself tall with determination and grit that matched her own.

"You aren't now, are you?" Mario chuckled, finding the idea incredulous, "After what you've all done tonight? None of you are leaving this building."

Clay took authoritative action immediately, taking his service weapon out to aim at the culprit behind his son's kidnapping and torment. John chose to take the chance to prioritize Charlie's safety over his own, stepping forwards to pull her back.

His initiative was inconvenienced by Charlie's unmoving state, though she was still conscious enough to pace a few steps back with him.

"Mario Emmet, put your hands in the air now!" Clay ordered the night guard, "You are under arrest. Any weapons you have on your person, you are to relieve yourself of them now. If you resist and attempt to endanger the life of civilians further, I will be forced to take lethal action. Do you understand?"

Mario did not shift his focus to Clay, intent on keeping Charlie trapped in their shared eye contact. His features twist to something less angry, and more doleful. He spoke, and Charlie could not help but believe that his words were solely for her to hear.

"Why couldn't you just let it rest?"

Charlie could not find it in herself to speak nor reply, and found herself unable to as John further pulled her behind the chief of police.

Mario soon returned to glaring, shifted his attention to Clay as he scrutinized the wider man.

A tense silence overtook the building; Mario staring down Clay, Charlie being held protectively in John's arms, Jessica supporting Carlton while Marla and Lamar kept their arms defensively on Jason.

From what Charlie could deduce, past Mario's glare was a pensive consideration. She could tell he was weighing his options, in spite of what little opportunity Clay was leaving him with.

Clay's features hardened, as he kept his weapon on Mario with little intent to misfire should Mario prove to be more unreasonable than he was.

As Clay was about to open his mouth to give a warning, Mario broke the tense silence with a sigh, raising his hands up in surrender. It caught Charlie by surprise; it seemed uncharacteristic of him to take such a chance. He didn't have any weapons on him, that she was sure of.

In spite of what should be an uplifting turn of events on the long frivolous night, she couldn't help but feel something felt wrong, but she couldn't figure out why.

Clay released some of the tension he had been shouldering, one hand retreating from his service weapon to reach for his cuffs as he steadily made his way towards Mario.

With Clay's guard weakened, a newfound glint sparked in Mario's eyes.

Charlie noticed it before anyone else, but was unable to efficiently put a stop to Mario's following actions much like everyone else.

Clay had taken a step closer when his shoulder was pierced by a bulky and sharp serrated appendage. It wasn't a hook like Foxy's; more similar to the claws of a praying mantis.

He lost grip of his weapon from the sudden pain of a well-planned attack. The claw separated from Clay, dripping blood to stain the dirty tiles. A red stain grew on his clothes around the wound.

Clay stumbled back, with both Charlie and John forcing themselves to move in order to catch the chief as Carlton called out for his father in alarm.

With Clay groaning and hissing under their arms, Charlie turned her attention back to Mario, and her eyes widened.

The claw retracted to Mario's arm, shifting and breaking apart into his hand. He flexed his hand, rubbing his wrist.

His silver eyes held the group where they stood, most trying to understand the logistics of what just occurred. Charlie, though, was the only one amongst them that came to a conclusion that, while unbelievable, was comprehensible to her.

Mario sighed, sneering at the group with a disdain that, in the short time Charlie knew him, didn't think he was capable of.

"I know that this is... hard for you to come to terms with," Mario stated, and though cold, there was a hint of sincerity, "I know the instinct to run, hide, resist... is coursing through your blood as we speak. Your... fear is evident. And I know you will think this unfair."

Mario took a step forward, the ceiling light above him flickering. Perhaps it was age. Or maybe, Charlie found herself thinking, It is something else entirely.

"After all, it's not your fault that you came here tonight," Mario continued, his voice low but audible, "You were lured here by your grief. Your longing for a friend who was taken from you - unjustly, of course- by a malicious force that held no remorse nor empathy for the victims he left bleeding. For that I cannot fault you. For that, you have my sympathy."

The ceiling lights soon followed the example of the first, all flickering at a pace with no rhythm, no justification given the functional state of the generators.

As Mario continued his slow approach, Charlie and John dragged a pale Clay to the safety of their group. There was a small gasp from within their half-circle, grabbing Charlie's attention like everyone else's.

"The exit!" Jason called out, panic creeping into his tone.

Following where the boy pointed, the group felt dread crawl its ugly head to peek into their hearts as they realized the root of Jason's distress- the broken down bricks that Clay had entered through the restaurant was mended once more into a solid wall.

Their exit was gone - including the sealed door.

"However," Mario gained the groups attention as the atmosphere grew tenser, "In spite of my lenience to allow you to make your peace while you could, you have continuously encroached upon my territory, disrupted my nest. My haven, with little apology and little sincerity in your promises to leave, with an intent to keep coming back. Like your redhead friend, you've all reached too close to the sun little Icarus's. So now, there must be a penalty."

His words became more distorted as he spoke, an echo behind his voice as his body began to twitch as unnaturally as the lights above them.

With each passing flicker, Charlie witnessed how his body changed; the skin on his face hardened and grew pale, his body slimmer till his skin seemed to cling to his bones, like some starved beast. Limbs elongating until he was tall and lank, his uniform morphing into his body as it darkened and changed color.

Claws that weren't too dissimilar to steel broke from his finger tips, as well as femur spines that belonged to an insect protruding from his thighs. His withered into nothing, white stripes forming across his dark limbs.

Despite what she was witnessing - what they all were witnessing - the worst part was the sounds. Hearing flesh tearing like paper, snapping and crunching like bones, and a guttural groan unlike that of a hungry predator was an unsettling experience that sickened Charlie.

The transformation neared its completion, with Mario's head widening to inhuman degrees; his forehead, complimented with a concerning crack on the left, became a discerning appearance, just as his mouth widened too- spread past the limits of an actual human.

Various unnatural features decorated his face and body; the circles imitating rosy cheeks, the pair of twin specks that seemed to emulate brows, red lipstick around the lip-less mouth and the twin trails of blue that ran down to his smile. His no longer wore a uniform; it was instead replaced with a sleeveless buttoned vest that manifested a small cape that reached down to his hips. A flower bloomed on his right side, and a bow tie at his neck.

The last change was his eyes; the white of his sclera melted into the creeping darkness, his silver iris with it. A new pair of eyes replaced them, rolling up from below. His pupils were white instead of black, his irises shined silver with a small darker ring separating the pupil from the bigger, more mesmerizing rings.

His appearance was alien and wrong and... so familiar to Charlie. Perhaps an unfinished animatronic glimpsed in his garage. But this... was warped and personalized in a sense - tailored to fit his preferences. The thought invoked rejection towards the impossibility of the situation; seeking logic that wasn't there as confusion froze her in place.

Everyone else were more afraid than anything else. Except for Mario, who seemed apologetic rather than enthusiastic.

"You have disturbed my nights long enough, taking what little I could grant you. What little I could conserve. And thus, there must be a 'give' to return on your part," Mario stated or... whatever he truly was, with voice littered with guttural snarls and chitters, "Know I did not want this. I'd never think to do this. But you've left me with little choice. I've ignored my hunger long enough. And besides..."

Mario gazed directly into Charlie's shocked brown eyes.

"...you can't fight your nature."

Jessica's hands gripped onto Charlie, pulling her closer to the huddled group as Carlton took over supporting his dad from John. His grey eyes glanced over to the animatronics that were by the sidelines... including the golden bear that Michael was inside.

"Uh... guys," he caught the others attention, directing it to the animatronics on standby.

Until all, with exception to Michael, began to make their way to the hallway.

Why aren't they staying?

"Go join the others Michael," Mario tells the Golden Bear. There seems to be some garbled indiscernible reply from the suit... a protest perhaps?

Though it's seems to be all for naught when Mario snaps back, "Go back to slumber Michael. I'll make this quick."

Michael lingers, but the glint of life in the bear suit's sockets flicker out; darkness cast over the yellow suit.

"Now," Mario growled when he turned his attention to them, clawed tendrils breaking from under his shoulders, as another pair of thin legs extend out from the two limbs, reminiscent of a spider, "It's time to feed."

For Silva's Hope, allow me to present to you Silva's first of many face-offs with one Nadi Sinclair, aka John's right hand (and simp), aka former member of Taskforce 141 (from Call To Arms duology), aka a really good shot! Enjoy below:

[TW: Violence and blood and dead Peggies]

Another shot rang out, the glass of the wrecked ute shattered above her.

Silva scooted away from any openings her unseen attacker had on her, shrunk low while she kept her limbs close to herself.

With another shot, a bullet dented into the ute, but remained strong against her attacker.

She could hear gunfire and shouts from enemies and allies alike, as the peggies assault Fall's End and the valley's Resistance defend themselves.

She inspects her glock, swiftly checking her magazine.

Empty.

Silva banged the back of her head against the vehicle's metal, cursing herself for her shortsightedness.

She puts the glock back into her holster, hand reaching for her knife.

Until a peggie rounded the corner of the ute, shovel in his hands and raising it to hit her.

Surprised, Silva barely had enough time to roll away from the strike. The peggie, who's eyes seem glazed with a misty green, slammed his shovel against the dirt, face etching with confusion.

And clarity once I'm done with him, Silva thought as she brought out her knife, the stone handle feeling right in her gloved hands. As she moved to deliver a killing blow, there was a small part of herself that felt like she was forgetting something.

A familiar bang rang out, and Silva realized she was going to get a painful reminder of the situation she had gotten stuck in to punish her instincts.

Silva doubled over, her knife dropped as the sharp sting was replaced with a burning pain once the bullet excited her bicep. Silva clutched her wound, blood seeping into her gloves. She dropped to the floor when another shot was fired, hitting the ground nearby.

The peggie used her disadvantage to attack, throwing himself onto her. Silva had rolled to her back to counter, but only managed to grip onto shovel's handle.

She quickly realised he wanted to choke her out with it, either to kill her or render her unconscious. Neither was appealing, and opted to keep his shovel from her throat.

Which was proving difficult from the strain of the wound she received from John's sharpshooter, the pressure and applied strength weakening her grip against the ridiculously strong peggie.

As the handle crept closer to her throat, her strength just about ready to give in, a shot rang out.

And the peggie's brain matter and blood sprayed against the white ute, his corpse collapsing onto her.

Shoving it off, she searched for her attacker. Until she recognized a familiar green laser pointer that belonged to her rescuer.

Following the green light, she saw Grace had set herself up on the garage's roof.

Her radio burst to life, Grace's voice piercing through the chaos of gunfire and yells, "You good Deputy?"

Silva let out a relieved huff, hissing when she moved her wounded arm. She used her functional hand to grab the radio and reply, "Got a gunshot wound to the bicep. Went clean through but got nothing to clean it or stitch myself up with. Not to mention-"

A bullet denting the roof of the ute interrupted her, followed by a shot to the hood and the deflation of a tire.

"-I've got this gillipollas hounding after me. How's everything over on your part?"

"Jerome's leading the push back against the Peggie's front assault while Mary May's keeping the wounded inside her bar and restocking any ammo we need," Grace informs Silva as she fires a shot far off from Silva, "John's bodyguard, Sinclair, is holed up on the water tower. I guess neither she nor John were happy with the destruction of their new toy."

Silva could guess she was referring to the Revelator. Wiping the sweat from her forehead, she responded, "Can you reach her from your position?"

Grace hummed, but not the affirmative kind, "Negative, and neither can she, though her ire seems more focused on you. However, I can take out the blissed-out peggies running toward your position."

Of course there's more of that guy. Which wouldn't be an issue if she could use both her hands, a loaded gun and didn't have to worry about John's enthusiastic psycho sniper blowing her head off.

Taking slow methodic breaths, Silva used the dropped shovel to safely reach for her knife, managing to return it to her waiting hand as another shot broke off the shovel's spade.

She inquired, "Is there any cover I could run up to?"

"Barely, but enough to be out of Sinclair's scope," Grace affirmed, much to Silva's relief, "I'd advise going for the peggie van furthest to your right."

"Can you cover me?" Silva asked, legs prepped to make a run. Her wound ached, but she forced herself to push back the pain. Gripping her knife with her good hand, she awaited Grace's response.

The radio came to life once more, and Grace assured her, "I've got your back, Dep."

[schmooplesboop]

Toffee Apple

Pairing: Alex X Male farmer/player

Rating: Teen

For the past couple of years Alex had skipped out on Spirit’s Eve. It had gotten pretty stale. Fake plastic hedge maze, shitty plastic scares, and even shittier food that might as well have been plastic. Just bad all around.

This year, though… on top of keeping his farm afloat Colton had volunteered to grow a huge corn maze on his land for the town’s Spirit’s Eve celebrations. And the rumors had been buzzing around Pelican Town since: Colton had recruited the weird wizard dude who lived in the woods to provide spooks for the haunted corn maze, Gus had been inspired by Colton’s enthusiasm and dug up new recipes for Spirit’s Eve treats, Marnie wanted to set up a hayride for those who wanted a calmer vibe. Everyone was excited to see this year’s festival, Alex included. Even if he hadn’t cared about the event, he had a personal reason to be excited this year. Colton had straight up asked him on a date.

“I may not look it, but I’m a giant scaredy cat. I need a big, strong date to guide me through the maze. You up for it, dude?”

Haley had been staring at him so intensely that Alex could practically hear her brain screaming at him to “Just say yes, you big dope!” For once, he didn’t need her intervening, he’d said yes almost immediately. Colton’s smile and faint blush was worth the awkwardness of Haley standing there looking like she wanted to scream with delight.

Now the big night was here and he was nervous as hell. This was his first real date in a while and his first date with another dude, period.

Alex looked himself over in the full-length mirror in the hall outside his room. He’d chosen to wear a grey hoodie under his old letterman jacket and his cleanest jeans. Hair perfectly coiffed then perfectly re-coiffed, his usual hour-long hair care routine had lengthened into two. He anxiously looked over the cologne Haley had forced into his hand that morning.

“Spiced Orange. Seasonal and sexy!”

He sniffed it warily. It did smell nice… ah, what the hell. He sprayed himself then tossed the bottle through the doorway onto his bed.

Alex wished he had someone other than his grandparents to give their opinion of the end result.

His grandmother was terribly biased, “You always look handsome, dear!”

And his grandfather was not biased enough, “Hair is hair. You look like always do.”

Out of desperation, he’d asked Dusty’s opinion too. “What do you think, boy?” He gently scratched his old dog behind the ears. “How do I look? Underdressed?”

Dusty huffed a quiet doggy noise of reassurance and licked Alex’s fingers.

Alex set his jaw, chiding himself. (It’s a haunted corn maze, not the fucking opera. Just chill.)

It was definitely going to be a cold and spooky night. Alex’s breath misted in the air as he headed out of town toward Gullwing Farm, hands shoved in his jacket pockets for warmth. Fog swirled around his ankles.

Alex’s jaw dropped as Colton’s farm came into view. He’d really gone all out. Orange and purple fairy lights were strung everywhere. Ghost and witch decorations hung from the trees. Menacing scarecrows leered in the fields. Dozens of jack-o-lanterns lined the lane that led into the farm.

Right at the main gate to Gullwing there were two signs, both decorated with childish drawings of different townsfolk being scared by different monsters. Alex recognized Vincent and Jas’s handiwork straight away. One sign said that entry was free, but there was a suggested donation of five dollars. The second sign was slightly ominous, simply stating that the “Ghost Show” was at midnight… whatever that meant. Alex put fifty bucks in the slotted box nailed under the first sign and went through the gate.

Gus had a canopy set up under which he and Emily were busy doling out food and drinks. Trays of toffee apples, buckets of popcorn in three different flavors, ‘devil hot’ potato chips, pumpkin cookies, ‘mini brain’ cake pops, ‘graveyard’ cupcakes, apple punch, and hot cider. It must’ve taken them all day to get things ready.

Haley was hanging out with her sister, looking vaguely bored and eating a cake pop. When she spotted Alex, she gave him a quick once over and a round of brief silent applause. Feeling slightly better having his friend’s approval, Alex waved at her as he went by. The food looked delicious, but Alex was still mostly nerves. He didn’t think he could eat anything right now.

Pierre had set up his stand too, of course, selling Spirit’s Eve t-shirts and decorations. Alex bought a little plastic bobble ghost for his gran. She liked these weird, cheap little things for some reason. She had so many that she’d had to buy an enormous bookcase to display them.

The corn maze loomed in the distance, looking intimidating and surprisingly eerie in the fog and dim, colored light. It really was huge, it would probably take a couple of hours to get through, maybe even more. Alex was impressed by the enthusiasm and effort that not just Colton, but everyone had put into this. The whole town had really pulled together to make things better than before. Colton seemed to have that effect on people, Alex included.

Jodi was standing outside the maze with a tearful Vincent, telling him that it was too scary for him and trying to convince him to check out the more laidback hayride Marnie had going not far away. Sam, Abigail, and Sebastian stood nearby, pushing each other around and laughing.

Sebastian caught his eye and waved. Alex waved back. This is what he’d meant by Colton having an effect on him too. Old Alex dismissed Sebastian as “that weird guy” without a second thought. But when the weather had gotten colder and their morning beach runs had evolved into morning hikes in the mountains, Colton had invited Sebastian to join them sometimes and Alex had been surprised to learn that not only could Seb keep up with them even though he was 95% skinny legs, but he also knew a lot about wildlife (frogs mostly). He’d also discovered that they actually had things in common. They were both really into an old adventure-fantasy comic series that had been all the rage before either of them was born. Sebastian had even lent Alex two of the comics he was missing from his own collection. New Alex had learned not be so fucking judgy. He was liking New Alex way more than Old Alex.

Abigail linked arms with Sam and marched him into the maze. Seb pointed to a little picnic area where people were milling about eating treats, waiting for their turn on the hayride, or just enjoying the atmosphere. Alex could see Colton waiting there, munching enthusiastically on a toffee apple. Willing himself not to blush, Alex nodded his thanks to Sebastian and made his way over.

Colton towered over literally everyone around him and Alex was relieved to see that they had similar outfits on. He was wearing a fleece lined black-and-teal plaid jacket over a dark sweater and faded jeans. Now that it was too cold to surf every day, his tan skin had lost its golden luster and his hair had faded from bleached back to sandy blonde, but Colton was still super hot, to use Haley’s words.

Colton spotted him and quickly swallowed a bite of his apple, “Hi, Alex!” Like Haley, the farmer gave him a once over and Alex felt his chest tighten with anxiety. “Looking very spruce tonight, dude.”

Oh, thank fuck. “Thanks. You’re looking good yourself.” Alex was impressed with how chill he sounded, despite feeling very unchill. “Did you do all this yourself? It looks awesome, I barely recognize the farm.”

“Thanks! But nah, I had a lot of help. Demetrius helped me design the maze, but I did all the planting and watering and maintaining. Vincent and Jas helped with decorating and Marnie’s handling the hayride. Gus and Emily are in charge of the food and drink, of course. Rasmodius also said he’d provide scares for the maze and something called a ‘ghost show’. Not sure what that means, I’m kinda nervous about it to be honest—"

A scream came from the maze, startling Alex and sending a ripple of murmurs through the picnic area.

“I think that’s Maru, poor woman’s been in there for a long time. Even Harvey made it through the maze before she did. We should rescue her if we find her.” Colton finished off his apple and tossed the stick into the trash. “You ready to guide my wussy ass through this maze or would you like some food first?”

“Let’s get our maze on.” Ugh. New Alex still sometimes said mortifying shit.

Colton seemed charmed by it, thankfully, and they entered the maze. Alex didn’t scare easily, but he had to admit it was pretty creepy in here. The corn was so thick you couldn’t see through it, and it rose high over even Colton’s head. The only light in the maze came from the full moon and the fairy lights that occasionally criss-crossed overhead and it was like outside noises were muffled somehow. The ankle-deep fog outside the maze became knee-map inside. Somewhere ahead they could hear Sam whimpering and Abigail calling him a baby.

The first scare that Rasmodius conjured up, maybe literally, came running at them from out of the corn. A skeleton that glowed a sickly green sprinted right for them with arms outstretched. Alex jumped as Colton screamed. The skeleton blew right by them, bony fingers scratching at the farmer’s arm before disappearing into the corn again. Alex’s stomach flipping had nothing to do with the scare and everything to do with Colton grabbing hold of his hand.

“Sorry for making you jump, Alex. Did warn you I was a big ol’ scaredy cat.” Colton sounded self-conscious.

Alex hated to hear it. Didn’t feel right, that someone as awesome as Colton was feeling bad about himself. He gave the farmer’s hand a reassuring squeeze and smiled. “Nothing to be sorry about, dude. Happy to be bodyguard and date tonight.” Or any night.

And Alex played his part well. The wizard’s scares definitely weren’t of the plastic variety. Giant spiders, weird noises in the corn, invisible hands that brushed at their ankles and arms, figures in the fog, drooling red-eyed hounds, big swooping bats, footsteps that ran up behind them with nothing there when they turned. Colton didn’t scream every time, but there was always someone else screaming just out of sight.

By the time they reached the middle of the maze, Alex had one arm wrapped tight around Colton’s waist. The farmer looked around nervously. There was nothing here in the center of the maze except a creepy statue of what looked like a guy with an octopus for a head. Poor Maru screeched again, but it sounded distant. It seemed she might actually get out sometime before dawn.

Colton looked at the faintly glowing display on his watch, “The ‘ghost show’ starts soon. Wanna see what that is before we try making our way out?”

Alex nodded, even he needed a break. “Sounds good.”

The wizard’s ‘ghost show’ started at exactly midnight. Vaguely human-shaped figures, glowing pale blue, drifted up through the corn and started swirling over the maze. Fast, slow, they zipped and twirled overhead. There were a few surprised squawks from the maze dwellers, then a murmur of amazement. Considering what they’d been through already tonight, this was actually kind of… soothing.

(And romantic?) Alex’s brain supplied oh-so-innocently.

No! Don’t be stupi—Alex swallowed thickly. Apparently, Colton agreed with Alex’s brain. He’d turned to face Alex, leaning in slightly. The anxiety in his deep brown eyes had melted into something very close to desire.

(Okay. The hottest man in the valley wants to kiss you, don’t fuck it up. Shit. I can do this. Okay. Fuck. C’mon, Alex, you’re not afraid of ghouls and shit, but you’re afraid of a kiss? Just--)

He blinked. Colton was suddenly angling away, looking a little embarrassed. Belatedly, Alex realized that the other man had been politely waiting for him to lean in too and had taken his getting momentarily lost in his own panicked brain as disinterest. Great. Fucked it up instantly.

“Then unfuck it, doofus!” He heard Haley’s voice so clearly in his mind it was like she was swirling overhead with the wizard’s ghosts. Hoping this didn’t make things even more awkward, Alex slid his arms around Colton’s neck and leaned in. The embarrassment faded instantly. Colton leaned down… and holy shit, they were kissing, the farmer’s body very warm and very firm as it pressed against Alex’s. Colton tasted like toffee apple and he smelled like rain in the woods with a hint of the sea underneath. Then his fingers hooked into Alex’s belt loops to draw him closer and who knew that such a small thing could be so fucking sexy?

They parted, both slightly breathless, as the ghosts above faded out so that near darkness settled over the maze once again.

“That was nice.” Colton murmured.

Alex agreed wholeheartedly. “Yeah, it was.”

He shivered as Colton’s lips brushed against his ear and his fingers tightened in his belt loops. “You smell amazing, by the way…”

Score one for Haley, she’d be pleased to hear it. Alex was trying to form some kind of reply that wouldn’t want to make him shrivel up and die when somewhere to their left they heard the sound of Abigail screaming and Sam laughing long and loud and very donkey-like. Their little romantic moment was over, but not ruined.

Colton’s lips were at his ear once more. “Get me out of this maze alive and I’ll kiss you again.”

If it wouldn’t have ruined the experience for everyone else, Alex would’ve bulled a straight line through the corn and made his own exit.

Oddly, kissing Alex seemed to have bolstered the farmer. He was much less jumpy as they navigated their way out and only screamed twice. Alex felt his ego puff up. Just a bit.

Someplace ahead of them they heard Maru shriek again, but this one was different. It was a scream of triumph, “Heck yeah, I survived! Emily, two cupcakes, please!”

Colton laughed, “Guess she found her way out.”

A few more twists and turns and they found their way out as well, Colton breathing a sigh of relief in the cold night air.

“Thanks, Alex. My hero.”

True to his word, Colton was moving in close again. Alex moved as well, perhaps a bit too eagerly as their noses bumped lightly. Colton only chuckled, tilting his head just a touch more so their mouths slotted together perfectly. Goddamn he tasted and smelled and felt so good. Alex could get used to this…

Afterward they bought some snacks and cider and went to join Maru and a few others in the picnic area. Haley had disappeared, probably went home a while ago. Spirit’s Eve wasn’t really her thing. She’d likely just come to give her sister and Alex some support. With the kids in bed and the last few stragglers exiting the maze, Marnie was dismantling the hayride and loading her ponies into the trailer behind her truck. Alex took a bite of the toffee apple he’d bought, a sheepish grin on his face. He knew it was kinda goofy, but he wanted to relive the taste of Colton’s lips a few more times.

They were halfway through their snack feast when Sam, Abby, and Sebastian emerged from the maze, taunting each other about who was the biggest baby.

“Didn’t hear Seb once so he’s obviously the champ among you three.” Colton called out with a teasing smirk.

Abigail laughed as the trio came to a stop beside their table. “You and Maru had a chorus going.” She teased back.

“Oh dude, yeah, I definitely would’ve dropped dead five feet into the maze without Alex to protect me.”

Alex’s cheeks flushed as he felt Colton’s hand slide over his wrist. Abby and Sam’s eyebrows raised in surprised, Sebastian just looked smug that he’d known something his friends hadn’t. Old Alex would’ve cared, probably too much. New Alex didn’t give a fuck.

He just smiled and gave Colton a nudge with his elbow. “Don’t sell yourself short, you didn’t shit yourself on the way out.”

The five of them laughed together. It felt nice.

“Walk me home?” Colton asked as they threw their trash in the bin, gesturing to the farmhouse in the distance.

“Yeah, of course.”

Alex felt more sets of curious eyes on them as they walked off hand-in-hand. He still didn’t give a fuck.

As soon as they entered the farmyard Finn, Colton’s dog, came barrelling out of his doggy door and jumped all over Alex, barking excitedly trying to lick his face.

“Oh, I see who his favorite is.” The farmer smirked.

Alex laughed and scratched Finn around the neck, trying and failing to keep all four of the dog’s paws on the ground. “Hey, buddy!”

“Thank-you, Alex.” Colton said as they ascended the stairs onto the porch, Finn racing in circles around both of them. “I had a lot of fun with you tonight.”

A pleasant little knot of warmth formed in Alex’s stomach. “Me too.”

“No hike tomorrow. Gotta take all this stuff down.”

“Not by yourself, I hope?” Finn impatiently butted his head against Alex’s leg and he reached down to pat him.

“Nah. Wizard dude is taking care of the spooky stuff tonight. Marnie, Gus, and Pierre are taking care of their areas tonight too. Tomorrow morning Marnie, Shane, Seb, Sam, and Abby are coming to help with the rest.”

“I’ll help too. What time?”

“Yeah? I thought it’d be kinda tacky to ask my date to help me clean up.” Finn was harassing Colton for pets now, and he ruffled the dog about the ears.

“Nah, I want to help. Just tell me when to show up.”

A fond little smile curved Colton’s lips, “Why don’t you come by a bit earlier than the others? I’ll make pancakes.”

Alex felt his cheeks go red, “…I’d like that.”

“Seven, then?”

“I’ll be here.”

His affection quota satisfied, Finn slipped back through his doggy door into the house. Colton’s affection quota not quite satisfied, he placed a soft kiss on Alex’s jaw. “Goodnight, Alex.”

“See you tomorrow, Colton.”

[vintagestagehotties]

Hot Vintage Stage Actress Round 1

Lisa Kirk: Emily in Allegro (1947 Broadway); Lois Lane/Bianca in Kiss Me, Kate (1948 Broadway); Doris Walker in Here's Love (1964 Broadway)

Dame Wendy Hiller: Sally Hardcastle in Love on the Dole (1936 Broadway); Princess Charlotte in The First Gentleman (1945 West End); Catherine Sloper in The Heiress (1947 Broadway)

Propaganda under the cut

Lisa Kirk:

She’s so fucking stunning. She did some dubbing work for movies and her voice is all husky and sultry and I just hhrrrnngh

Wendy Hiller:

Shaw’s favourite Eliza Doolittle!!

[bonniebird]

Jennifer Jareau x Fem!Reader

Requested by Anon

Make a request

Request: Anonymous asked: Could I please have an imagine where the reader is a member of the BAU and is in a secret relationship with Jennifer Jareau. Somehow, while on the jet, the subject of dating comes up and the reader accidentally reacts in a way that leads the others to believe she’s in a relationship. So they start to grill her about who she’s dating. The group (mainly Derek and Emily) just start to say random names of people they know. Saying they would be cute together. At first JJ joins in on the teasing as she loves to see her flustered, but after a while she starts to get annoyed that people think HER girl would be cute with someone else. So eventually she just snaps and kisses the reader in front of everyone. Everybody is shocked but happy for the two of them. 

Read on Wattpad

Read on AO3

“Ok. We don’t have a case as of yet. However, I have a pile of profiles that I need you to all look-over.” JJ said as she doled out the pile. Hotch frowned and flicked through the files.

“We don’t have a case?” He asked. JJ winced and glanced out of the room. The team turned to see the new director talking to Garcia who looked rather solemn.

“Of course. This guy. Are you telling me that instead of flying out to these places to help we’re sitting here with half the information telling them what they need to do over the phone?” Derek complained. JJ winced and you sighed as you spotted the director walking towards the room.

“Look. I know this is bad but I’m trying to explain to him…” JJ started. The director cut her off before he was even through the door.

“Jennifer… Don’t you have something to do about the image of the department? There isn’t any need for you to be in here.” He snapped. She glared down at the folders in her hand, dropped them down and left the room. The director smiled until he realised that everyone in the room was giving him a cold stare. “Alright. You don’t like the new guy. But I’m saving us a lot of money and time by doing it this way.”

“No offence but I don’t want to get paid by letting people die for some paper pusher.” You snapped and grabbed your folders. Leaving to go to the bullpen you found that Emily, Reid and Derek followed you while Rossi and Hotch slammed the office door and ripped into the new director. You could hear them yelling even with the door closed.

“I always forget he can get that angry.” You muttered which made Derek chuckle.

“You guys free tonight?” Reid asked after a long bout of silence. You looked up from the folder you were working on.

“Maybe… unless it’s something weird then no.” Emily said slowly. Reid grinned.

“There’s a new chef that’s opening a short-term restaurant. He uses science to make the food. I got free tickets.” Reid explained.

“You know what that does sound interesting.” Emily said happily. 

“Yeah, Pretty Boy. I’ll come along.” Derek said and turned to you.

“Oh I would love to but I have plans. Maybe Garcia would like to go?” You offered.

“You have plans. Since when do you ever have plans?” Derek pressed. He suddenly sat up in his seat, alert and watching closely.

“Yeah. You hate plans.” Emily added. Reid watched you suspiciously.

“Does this have something to do with what you were talking to JJ about earlier?” Reid asked. You stared at him for a moment and then winced as they erupted into cheers.

“It does. Ok. is it with that date you had the other week?” Emily asked. You rolled your eyes and hurried off towards the coffee pot without answering.

“What’s going on?” JJ asked as she approached the rowdy group.

“We’re guessing what (Y/N) has planned.” Derek said. JJ made a strange face for a second that only Emily noticed before she laughed.

“Oh really? What have you guessed so far?” JJ asked. Reid grinned and pointed at her.

“Just that you seem to know what plans (Y/N) has on our next day off.” He answered quickly. 

“Oh, I bet it’s the person we met at that weird store Garcia likes.” Emily said quickly. JJ frowned at that and gave you a quizzical look.

“Hey! I love that store.” Garcia said as she came out of Hotch’s office and joined them.

“Sorry.” Emily muttered and Garcia gave her a mercifully forgiving nod.

“You guys are to go ahead on the plane. Something else has come up with Hotch. He’ll fill you in when he’s done with his meeting and try to join you.” Garcia explained. The team slowly made their way to the plane and even during the review of the case continued to grill you until the plane landed. Even Rossi joined in. When the plane landed JJ held back and waited for you. The others went ahead as she waved them off.

“So this other person at the store.” JJ said stiffly.

“Oh. They offered me some of the free samples they had. Garcia said it was their store policy to give you free samples if you sign up for this club card thing. Emily said they were flirting with me.” You explained. JJ nodded and gave an awkward smile as if she felt silly for feeling a little jealous. She reached over and kissed your cheek, pulling away when a car honked. You both looked to one side and saw Derek pulling up in an SUV. Emily and Reid were in the back with Gleeful grins.

“We’re not going to live this down for the next few days.” JJ said with mild amusement.

“Better to get it over with.” You said and let out a nervous laugh. She agreed and walked in step with you to the SUV. 

JJ tags:

@gillybear17 @ravennoore14 @the-caravello-post @killing-gremlin @aegonandaemondtargaryenslut18 @lchufflepuffcorn @geekyandgay98 @evattude @fatherfigured @emsmultiverse

[dustedmagazine]

Listed: Amy Rigby

Photo by Bert Eke

The singer-songwriter Amy Rigby got her start in the late 1980s and early 1990s in spry, New York-based country throwback groups Last Roundup and The Shams. Starting with 1996’s Diary of a Mod Housewife, Rigby has steadily released solo work that can break your heart with the contagious ache in her dry, distinctive voice or make you laugh out loud at the concussive put-downs she doles out. Rigby has a particular knack for turning the quotidian mythic and reminding us that the mythologized are ultimately just some guys. The music has remained rooted in country, but not confined by it. Hers is a guitar-forward style that can incorporate the bright highs of acoustic pop rock, crunchy roadhouse grooves, R&B, and even jazz. Alex Johnson, in his review of Rigby’s most recent release, Hang In There With Me, called the album “tough, witty rock and roll…[that] catalogs a lifetime of drags, uncertainties and disasters, but returns, again and again, to the people, moments and experiences that make it worthwhile, or bearable enough.”

Here are some things that Rigby has been listening to lately.

Warmduscher — “Eight Minute Machines”

Discovered via an online review of their Brooklyn show last year, one that made me want so badly to be sweating in a crowd with this band onstage.

Amelia White — “Get To The Show”

One of my Nashville pals and I love this track from her latest album. Amelia is always out working and rocking, written with the great Gwil Owen… Sometimes I really do miss Nashville!

Daniel Romano — “Impossible Green”

You know when you discover an artist and think wow, this kid’ll go far, then realize they’ve been at it for years, made tons of records, play all the instruments, write, sing and tour their ass off? That’s how it is for me with Daniel Romano. This track comes from his 2017 album Modern Pressure.

Gina Birch — I Play My Bass Loud

Gina’s debut solo album came out just a year ago — I’ve been a fan since hearing the Raincoats in the late 1970s and getting to see them live when they came to NYC back then. She’s one of my heroines for being an artist and uniquely herself in whatever it is she does — music, video, painting. The bass and her opening line: “Sometimes I wake up, and I wonder — what is my job?” Pure Gina/genius!

Wreckless Eric — Inside The Majestic

He’s my husband and labelmate so what the hell — this is from his most recent album Leisureland. People know Eric for his voice and lyrics and guitar, but this is an instrumental track that’s just glorious. I want to see the movie it soundtracks, or at very least a choreographed dance routine with Eric at the piano in a tuxedo.

Michele Stodardt — “These Bones”

A big attraction for me with the Magic Numbers was Michele Stodart’s bass playing and cool vocal contributions, love hearing and seeing her do her solo thing.

Meshell Ndgeocello — The Omnichord Real Book

For the last dozen years, I was bartending/selling books at a small shop in New York’s Hudson Valley. The first time Meshell came in I was tongue-tied, knowing her as a bass playing legend and poet, and thought if she lives here, it’s kind of the center of the universe, right? I really hope to see her play live sometime.

TBHQ — “Planet of Pain” from TBHQ

A radio host on a show I guested on was playing this great track when I walked in. “I really like that,” I thought, and then realized it was my daughter Hazel Rigby who records under the name TBHQ. She’s been performing and recording for years, often instrumental/noise but her voice and lyrics are so wise and honest.

Dory Previn — “The Comedian”

There’s never been anyone like Dory Previn, the pain and ridiculousness of being a human so acutely depicted in song. There’s a new documentary about her, On My Way To Where, by my friend Julia Greenberg with animated segments by Emily Hubley, just making its debut out there. She had a fascinating, fruitful, difficult beautifully productive life and I can’t wait to learn more about her.

Mary Timony — “Dominoes” from Untame The Tiger

Love everything about Mary Timony’s latest solo album Untame the Tiger — the songs, the guitar playing, her voice, the cover!

Swamp Dogg — “Synthetic World”

One of my favorite tracks of all time. Jerry Williams (Swamp Dogg) is still out bringing his music to the people. I’m looking forward to seeing the new documentary Swamp Dogg Gets His Pool Painted — there’s just nobody like this guy.

[the-moral-of-the-rose]

"Breakfast at Green Gables that morning was a rather doleful meal. Davy, for the first time in his life probably, could not eat, but blubbered shamelessly over his porridge. Nobody else seemed to have much appetite, save Dora, who tucked away her rations comfortably. Dora, like the immortal and most prudent Charlotte, who “went on cutting bread and butter” when her frenzied lover’s body had been carried past on a shutter, was one of those fortunate creatures who are seldom disturbed by anything. Even at eight it took a great deal to ruffle Dora’s placidity. She was sorry Anne was going away, of course, but was that any reason why she should fail to appreciate a poached egg on toast? Not at all. And, seeing that Davy could not eat his, Dora ate it for him."

Anne of The Island by L . M. Montgomery

Dora!!!! Well, at least once it was Dora who ate Davy's food, not the other way round. But why does it remind me of:

"Even those who were hungry had an uneasy feeling that it wasn't the thing to eat heartily under such circumstances. Nobody enjoyed it except old Uncle Tom Mitchell, who frankly went to weddings for the spread and didn't care whether there was a ceremony or not. Brides might come and brides might go but a square meal was a feed. So he ate steadily away, only pausing now and then to shake his head solemnly and ask, "What air the women coming to?"

Emily's Quest by L. M. Montgomery

[seramilla]

So when Carmilla starts dating Sera the girls are against it at first and hostile to Sera entering their lives but Sera quickly wins over Odette because they are similar personality wise. (Traitor) Clara takes longer to win over but eventually after spending more time with her does get Clara to accept her as part of the family. Also Emily accepts her new Sister in law/maternal figure immediately no questions asked. (Carmilla makes Sera happy and gives Emily a mom what's not to love.)

The hostility lasts a few months. Their mother has never talked about Sera; never once brought her up in conversation, and suddenly, Carmilla's true love shows up on their doorstep with her sister, and they're just supposed to accept that??

Odette is the first to take Sera's olive branch. She's a genuinely good judge of character, and after seeing Sera struggle to warm up to her sister, she agrees when Sera offers to hang out for an afternoon. Odette finds that, just like her, Sera loves math, reading, musical theatre, and going to museums. She's quite knowledgeable about human history on Earth, which is one of Odette's guilty pleasure subjects to study. She warms up to Sera pretty quickly after that.

Clara is a tougher nut to crack. It takes her a good 6 months to warm up to Sera, and almost a year to say that she trusts her. It isn't until Sera starts taking on more responsibility at Carmine Industries, really showing she's dedicated to Carmilla's cause and wanting to contribute to her household, that she trusts her. One day, Sera offers to help Clara test some weapons that Odette had been working on. Sera casually mentions she had helped Odette with her design, offering some pointers, because as a Seraphim, she's an expert on knowing angelic weaknesses. Clara gives her mad respect after that.

Emily just loves everyone the moment she meets them. Carmilla is officially "Mama" after about 3 days of holding herself back from saying it, purely out of respect. Carmilla doesn't care, so it sticks from then on. Emily is also not shy about doling out the hugs and kisses, which Odette is very put off by in the beginning. Clara, less so. She also loves hugs.

[contrivedchaos]

I like to imagine that with everyone(besides the girls, Carmilla and Emily), sera is strict and she hardly hands out praises which makes angels tumble over themselves just to get an ounce of recognition from sera. However with Emily and the girls? Sera is all smiles and praise galore. So I feel as if some angels who work under sera would get a muffled from this because what had the girls done to deserve praise? All they had done was sit around in sera’s office and talk with sera.

Sera is a stalwart with most people, for sure. She's always been affectionate with Emily, (probably the only person she's ever been affectionate with), but not nearly as much as she is after she starts dating Carmilla. With Emily, it was always "these are the things you need to do to keep Heaven happy, and then you will get praise for doing them." Kind of doling out praise as a reward system.

But then she sees Carmilla being very affectionate with her daughters and not hesitating to comfort, console, or hug them just because. There doesn't need to be a reason other than the fact that she loves them. This kind of opens the floodgates for Sera, because she has also been emotionally stunted when it comes to being shown affection. So when it comes to Emily and the girls, she goes out of her way to be emotionally available and have much more patience with them than anyone else. She may give them more lenience than other people, but they are legit like her kids now. It takes Clara and Odette a while to be comfortable with her in that way, but they eventually get there.

[thrvrnd]

This is my problem. I don’t know how to talk along the surface of things, but I also don’t want to unearth the ugly stuff, over and over again, for people who are just passing through my life. It’s depleting. Like every time I dole out a kernel of my history to someone who’s not going to become a fixture in my life, a piece of me gets carried away, somewhere I can never get it back.

-Emily Henry, Funny Story

[rukhsandbooks]

I roll my eyes. “You just mean I’m short and wear bright colors.” “No, you’re tiny,” she corrects me, “and wear loud patterns. Your style is, like, 1960s Parisian bread maker’s daughter bicycling through her village at dawn, shouting Bonjour, le monde whilst doling out baguettes.”

People we meet on vacation - Emily Henry

[rachelsshowerthoughts]

Idle musing, would Sabrina be a member of the trauma trios "Parents suck club"? As in, are they aware Roger sucks from early on, or do they only realize it later and not long before her "If I am not being useless I shouldn't exist" Akumatization, followed by him realizing he fucked up and trying to be better?

I'm . . . honestly not sure? Like I can see an argument for both, but on the whole, I lean towards Sabrina not realizing how toxic Roger is, while the Trio do realize, but they get the extent or source wrong.

Cause like. I don’t think Sabrina thinks there's anything wrong until her breakdown. But Chloé and Adrien, they have those breakdowns a little earlier in Aware AU, right? Like, the summer before that school year, when Emilie goes missing, that’s when they both realize things are shit (I think that’s what we're going with?). And at first it might not hit them, or rather, it might not hit Chloé. Chloé's abuse looks very different. But the thing is, ADRIEN'S actually has some similarities. Sabrina is always told to "serve the community". Adrien is always told to "think of the brand". It comes out differently, because Gabriel is neglectful, while Roger isn't, but a lot of the wording could be the same. And once they have that realization, it becomes fairly easy to see Roger through the lens they see their parents through, which would be where the misconception kicks in. Gabriel is neglectful, doling out tiny bits of praise to make Adrien try his best to please him. André tries to alternately buy Chloé's affection, or make his own contractional. Audrey dangles some impossible goal in front of Chloé with the idea that, if she reaches it, she'll finally love her. In fact, I think the thing that would make them realize how toxic the relationship could be, is that a lot of what Roger says sounds like EMILIE.

Emilie wasn’t perfect. And while I headcanon her as better than Gabe, she still kept Adrien lock up. She still kept him away from the world. She was just better at explaining it to Adrien, but the thing is, with some of how Adrien acts? I see Emilie's big thing as guilt trips. Whenever Adrien wanted to go out, or do something, Emilie would make it seem like Adrien wanted to abandon her, or was hurting her feelings, which means Adrien would immediately fall over himself reassuring her. It might not have been wholly on purpose, but I can see that happening. And THAT'S a lot of how Roger reacts to things. Why aren’t you doing this? Why are you acting this way? Don't you want to be a good person?

So, Chloé and Adrien see Roger as a manipulative guilt tripper, while Sabrina thinks they're both losing it. After all, her dad is NOTHING like Gabriel, or André or Audrey, right? But I could see it eventually driving a wedge between Chloé and Sabrina, if Chloé eventually starts insisting that Roger is an awful person, while Sabrina keeps saying he's not. And like, neither are completely wrong, but they don’t have perspective. Especially for the Trauma Trio, they don’t really have experience with "good" parents. Like, they're aware they exist. But their default until proven otherwise is that all parents are manipulative people who only show you affection when they want something from you. And Roger is too close on their own parents on the scale for them to see he's just a guy who learned poor lessons of his own.

Like, again, the big difference between Roger and our other "Parents Who Suck" is that Roger does, genuinely, care for Sabrina. He does love her. It’s just the lessons he's teaching her, which he wholly believes in, that are toxic. Like, serving the community by itself is not a bad lesson, but the extremes Roger takes it to are bad, because they affect him and Sabrina negatively. Someone has taught ROGER these things, and he sees them as normal, but he thinks of them as positive lessons, right? Plus, he's stubborn, so anyone challenging him is seen as an attack, and Roger gets defensive. But regardless of this, Sabrina comes first. It’s why, when Sabrina has her breakdown, Roger would manage to put aside his personal feelings, because "shit, I hurt my kid". Like, what matters to Roger, first and foremost, is Sabrina's happiness and safety. He THOUGHT the whole "service to the community" was making Sabrina happy and keeping her safe. When he realizes it wasn’t, that it was actually making her stressed and miserable, that’s when he starts changing. Like, again, I think he NEEDED to see the negative consequences first hand, because he's a stubborn son of a bitch, but once he does see them, he is open to fixing them.

So . . . I guess I wouldn’t count Sabrina OUT of the Trauma Trio. She definitely has a less than stellar dad, and needs a LOT of therapy. But I also don’t count Roger with the other parents, because even though it’s small, he does have the capacity to change and put Sabrina first. The others don’t have that.

[theheadlessgroom]

@beatingheart-bride

"Oh, there's a little pun in there somewhere," Dorian commented with a sly smile as Elizabeth happily embraced Emily back; at this rather cryptic comment, Randall's brow furrowed, and he couldn't help but echo, "Pun?"

"Ah, I'll tell you later," the young master grinned, clapping his best friend on the back as finally, mercifully, the group began to move towards trick 'r treating, much to the relief of the children, who happily ran ahead of their family to get their sweets from the other residents of the Mansion, who were more than happy to dole out treats for the youngest members of the household: Beau gave them both full-sized candy bars, Madame Leota dropped spider-shaped chocolates into their buckets, and the Hitchhikers gave them some rubbery, squishy toy bugs, with Lon immediately throwing his centipede into his sister's hair, to which Erika responded by squishing the beetle into his face.

"Oh, and don't forget your apples!" Phineas added, dropping a pair of them into the buckets, adding with an awkward chuckle, "An apple a day keeps the doctor away! And I should know...I was one..."

"Aw, c'mon, Phinny, no self-respecting little kid wants that crap in their goodie buckets!" Ezra scoffed. "Not unless you're smothering 'em in caramel and nuts or somethin'!"

"It wouldn't hurt them to combat that sweetness with something a little healthier, Ez!" Phineas objected with a shrug, as the family passed through the crypt and out into the park itself, with Lon practically vibrating with excitement as he looked out at the park, all glittering and aglow with greens, purple, and oranges, shining string lights in the shapes of pumpkins and bats, and costumed characters of the more villainous sort walking around, giving playful scares to the mortal guests, all of whom were giggling and squealing with delight over the booming, bouncy music.

[saetgviareadsbooks]

reviews volume one: the do-over

a sweet, YA romance book written by lynn painter!

rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

age rec: 15+

synopsis: after a valentine's day goes all wrong, emilie hornby is stuck in a time loop. day after day, she watches her valentine's day repeat itself no matter how hard she tries to change things. her boyfriend still cheats on her and she keeps running into her charming biology seatmate, nick stark. as written on the blurb, 'How many days can one girl passively watch her life go up in flames? And when something good starts to come out of these terrible days, what happens when the universe stops doling out do-overs?'

my review: i absolutely loved this book SO MUCH. it's such a fun read and i DEVOURED it in like an hour or two. it's so engaging and written so well, and still gives me butterflies when i think about it! the plot is so good and addresses themes of self discovery, high school and divorce while tying it in SO WELL with the romance and aaaah! i just love it. i felt a connection to emilie and also to nick a little and it's amazing how attached i am to them now. there are some sad parts which evoked such a response from me (again due to how well written the characters are) and i felt so upset during those bittersweet moments. it's so fluffy and fun and genuinely such a slice of life realistic fiction romance (i know time loops can't happen but aside that.....). i noticed this in better than the movies and betting on you as well, painter's other YA romances, that she really writes characters so so so well. i have a soft spot in my heart for all of them and these couples give me so much happiness! this book, also like her others, is super whimsical and doesn't feel like a drag while it's being read since it's just a fun read.

so i tried to squeeze so much into this tiny review omg but definitely do give this a go! you can read it outside in the summer or curled up in a blanket with hot chocolate and either way, this book will give you the fuzzies for emilie and nick.

100% recommend!

[ardenpodcast]

When last we left our heroes, they had just defeated the corporate corsairs holding Wheyface's board hostage - only to be confronted with a bomb! Which executive is secretly working for the pirates! Plus: annoying coworkers and snacks!

Created by Emily St. James, Christopher Dole, and Sara Ghaleb. Executive produced by Christopher Dole, Emily St. James, and Eli Barraza Co-produced by Leslie Gideon and Mara Woods-Robinson.

Starring: Michelle Agresti as Bea Casely Tracey Sayed as Brenda Bentley Shannon Estabrook as Rosalind Ursula Lindsay Zana as Julie Capsom Emma Sherr-Ziarko as Janet Dogbury Based on the RPG Escape from Wheyface Radio! Arden original score by Chris Hatfield. This episode also features music used via the Creative Commons agreement on Epidemic Sound. And this week’s Wheyface Product Highlight: Doomsday Pals Inflate-A-Bunker! If you want to survive the apocalypse, make sure you’re having a good time doing it with the bounciest, funnest bunker of all! Inflate-A-Bunker. Brought to you by Wheyface Industries. The Good People… who will survive and rebuild civilization.

[arwenlalaith]

Between the Blues and the Pinks (Ch. 1)

Ship: Alex Blake/Emily Prentiss

Summary: The Baby Blues: The temporary feelings of sadness following having a baby. Also known as Postpartum Depression. The Baby Pinks: The mild mania experienced following having a baby. Also known as Postpartum Euphoria.

Warnings: Mental health issues, postpartum mood disorders.

Word Count: 574

Author's Note: First of all, I would like to warn anyone who reads this that this will not be a happy fic. It's going to deal with mental health issues and it's going to get kind of dark. It does have a happy ending, no one dies, everyone gets better...but it goes through a pretty grim place to get there. I'd suggest erring on the side of caution if that kind of stuff triggers you.

Tagging: @ssa-tahlia-obsessions bc I promised her a chapter of something today.

Alex fidgeted in her chair. Not because it was uncomfortable...though it was. Not because the baby was pressing against her ribs...though it was.

It was because of her therapist's expectant stare.

It had been exactly eight and a half minutes since either of them had spoken. Alex knew because she'd been watching them tick by and wishing they'd move just a little faster.

In spite of herself, Alex blurted out, "Your clock is two minutes and seventeen seconds slow..."

Her therapist – Dr. Tara Lewis – asked, "Alex, is there a reason you're avoiding the question?" She raised a curious brow, flicking her pen back and forth.

"What was the question again?" Alex asked meekly. She'd been so caught up in timing the slow clock that she'd forgotten.

"I asked why you think it is you're not excited about your twenty week ultrasound..." Tara repeated herself.

A beat.

"Oh..." She heaved a sigh, remembering why she'd been avoiding the question in the first place. Unfortunately for her, though, she'd more or less run out of excuses. "I suppose...it's because I'm afraid of what the doctor will tell me," she confessed.

Tara nodded. "And why is that?"

"Because of Ethan," she said softly.

Tara nodded, wrote a note in her ledger. "Ethan's condition wasn't apparent on ultrasound?" she asked. When Alex nodded, she continued, "What makes you think this baby will have Ethan's condition – or, indeed, any condition?"

Alex began gnawing at her cheek until she tasted blood, reticent to say. But she knew that, ultimately, she needed to be honest... "Because I don't deserve a healthy baby."

Tara began writing furiously. After a moment, without looking up, she said, "What happened to Ethan is not your fault and the universe – or whatever you might believe – doesn't dole out cosmic feedback like that."

"It was my fault, though," Alex insisted, "I carried the defective gene. It's my fault he died."

Nodding, Tara suggested, "My advice is that you discuss this with Emily. And together, you should discuss amniocentesis."

"I'm upstairs!" Emily hollered when she heard the front door open and close. But before Alex could come to her, Emily appeared at the top of the stairs, wearing her painting clothes. At Alex's quizzical look, she teased, "I figured it was faster to come to you..."

Alex smiled softly for the first time that day.

Coming down the stairs, Emily met her in the foyer, stole a kiss. "How was your session?"

She'd kind of been hoping Emily wouldn't ask, even if she knew it was inevitable. "It was good," she said, a half-truth.

Emily smiled encouragingly. "It's helping?"

Alex nodded. Another half-truth. "She, umm... She suggested we talk about doing amnio," she stammered.

"I think we should do it," Emily immediately agreed.

Her brows leapt up her forehead. "Really?"

Emily nodded. "If it will give you some peace of mind, I think it's worth the risk." Alex seemed a little surprised by her sudden agreement. "Al, I know this is a huge part of what's been troubling you about this pregnancy and if this is going to help, I say we do it. I'd do anything to make this easier on you; if I could go back in time and wave a magic wand to undo my uterine scarring, I'd carry the baby for you."

Smiling fondly, Alex kissed her again. "It's things like this that make me fall for you all over again."

[randy-jester]

So this is a niche idea that probably only appeals to me but I can't get it out of my head so I'm sharing it with all of you. AU where Gold (from the Pokémon: Lost Silver creepypasta) gets adopted by the Haunted Mansion crew

Long post under the cut

Quick disclaimer: I have not played the Hypno's Lullaby FNF mod yet and I have not watched a full playthrough of it yet (I have seen parts here and there though). I've just been listening to the Monochrome song on loop for 4 straight days (it's a banger btw, especially the Perish mix) and fell straight back into my old Creepypasta phase. My entire perception of Gold's personality comes from what I've seen of the FNF mod, read about on TvTropes, and fanon (I did read the original creepypasta story that he's from, but that honestly gives nothing to work with). This is to say, I apologize in advance if I absolutely butcher Gold's canon personality. I am just very fond of the perception of his character I have in my head.

Anyway! The most prominent trait I interpret of Gold from what I've seen of him so far is that he is DEAD. And SAD. And SAD about being DEAD.

And Disney's Haunted Mansion is filled with dead people who are not necessarily as distraught about their predicament.

I imagine Gold (and the many, many Unown inhabiting his corpse) somehow get isekai-ed out of his game and into one of the Disney Parks. He's floating down the sidewalk feeling very sad indeed, groaning "N O M O R E" every so often.

Ghost Host looks outside and sees this lost soul and his companions just floating about. Hosty, not being one to just leave a soul out in the open, decides to take him in.

The Hatbox Ghost and Emily (Beating Heart Bride) adopt him immediately! Gold is like the son they never had. Hatty is absolutely delighted when he learns Gold can detach his head from his body.

Communicating with Gold is difficult at first, seeing as Gold doesn't speak much. But after some time, the other ghosts eventually learn to read the Unown language.

In particular, Gold and Gus (the prisoner hitchhiker) would have a special bond over both being non-speakers (I headcanon Gus as mute)

This isn't to say I don't think Gold has the ability to talk. I think he could, he just prefers not to. More often than not, he only groans maybe 1-3 words at a time. Otherwise, the unown just spell things out for him.

Sally Slater (the tightrope girl) and Victor Geist (the Organist) go out for ice cream once a week. After they get to know Gold, it becomes a regular thing for them to invite him on their outings. They grab a wheelchair for him (so that he doesn't have to use extra energy floating around) and wheel him out of the mansion to grab some Dole Whip.

Gold doesn't talk much. So during these outings, he prefers to just sit and enjoy his ice cream while listening to Sally and Victor bicker and gossip. Even though he never says it, he enjoys their company.

The hitchhiking ghosts are the ones to take Gold on his first tour of the park. Their preferred method is tying up Gold to those big Mickey balloons and dragging him from place to place

They take him on the fast-pace thrill rides first (think Space Mountain, Splash Mountain, Thunder Mountain, etc.) first because those are their favorites (though specifically more Ezra's favorites). They quickly find out that Gold does NOT like that. So Phineas suggests they take him on It's A Small World. Gold feels much better afterwards. :)

I headcanon Gold prefers the more calm rides. So think It's A Small World and the Storybook Land Canal Boats.

Oh, and he absolutely does NOT want to go on Matterhorn. Ever.

At the end of the hitchhiker's Disney park tour, they gather near the castle to watch the fireworks. Hatty and Emily join in too.

Gold is now surrounded by many more friends, who are all dead just like he is. But perhaps being dead doesn't have to be so bad after all.