#erin gets blown up and dies | Explore Tumblr posts and blogs

ravenspeakrp · 7 months ago

Text

Welcome to Raven's Peak, Erin, we're excited to have you! Noah Morgrave (Milo Ventimiglia, original vampire) has been accepted. Please be sure to stop by the CHECKLIST for the follow list, tags to track, and other reminders.

OUT OF CHARACTER

NAME: Erin PRONOUNS: She/Her AGE: 32 TIMEZONE: EST

IN CHARACTER

FULL NAME: Noah Morgrave SPECIES: Original vampire AGE: ?? DATE OF BIRTH: July 31st GENDER IDENTITY: cisman, he/him NEIGHBORHOOD: Hidden Hills OCCUPATION: Self employed WORKPLACE: Owner of Midnight Mirage POSITIVE TRAITS: Debonair, stoic, clever NEGATIVE TRAITS: Apathetic, cynical, resentful LENGTH OF TIME IN RAVEN’S PEAK: In and out for his entire life, most recently returned ~six months ago FACE CLAIM: Milo Ventimiglia

BIOGRAPHY

TRIGGER WARNING: death, blood, violence

There isn't much that Noah remembers of the days before - or even really the centuries that had immediately followed - what had happened at the top of Raven's peak that fateful day. He knew he had been a responsible older brother, always looking out for his siblings; though, perhaps not when it had truly mattered. He had a family, a wife and children more made out of a mutually beneficial relation rather than love, but they were family all the same. They were still his, and he cared for them with a stern but nurturing hand. He had dreams of them following the footsteps left for them by the Morgrave legacy.

When a power struggle became apparent between the four families who had been selected to watch over Raven's Peak, Noah had wanted no part of it. Of course they all had their reasons to covet the stone that brought them so much power. But it was foolish, thinking one could have it all for themselves. When the plan was proposed to split the stone and share the power...he'd been skeptical, to say the least.

Noah should've known better than to mess with the balance of nature. He knew better, because magic always did come with a price. But curiosity got the better of him. What if they could harness the power held within the mystical stone? What if they could make it their own and wield it how they wished? No matter who you were the idea of holding something like that in your own two hands to mold to your will? Well, it was a rather intoxicating idea.

When the plan had blown up in their faces, literally, Noah thought death would be a blessing. But instead, the most horrid of curses was laid upon him and his siblings, instead. Vampirism. They had become slaves to blood lust, a thirst that seemed as if it could never fully be satiated. In that instant, the whole entire world flipped on its axis and went dark. The light disappeared from within him, instead replaced with an undying hunger. The only thing he knew was he had to get away, and he fled - dropping bodies in his wake across the entire world. Without his humanity, Noah just didn’t care. Time became relative, hundreds of years were lost in what seemed like a blink of an eye but also felt as if they were stretched into infinity. He didn’t love, he didn’t feel, he didn’t care. He was a slave to the blood, a killer, a monster.

He’d all but forgotten his past life when his brother reappeared to flip everything over on him once more. It was his baby brother who made him feel again - only when Noah had him within an inch of his life. He was convinced to return to himself and let his humanity return - and along with it all of the shame and regret he felt over the past several centuries. He hadn’t even kept a count of all the bodies that had dropped at his hand, how many innocent people that he’d murdered - but he could feel the weight of each and every one of them, bearing down on his shoulders and dragging him into hell.

His wife and kids had died centuries ago thinking he’d abandoned them. For all intents and purposes, he had. For decades he walked the Earth on uneven footing, not knowing where he really fit or belonged. Even his family were only shadows of their former selves, waging war on the werewolves and continuing to fight for power, no longer interested in the normal aspects of the life they’d once known. Noah wanted nothing to do with it. He fought the wolves that got in his way but otherwise didn’t seek to wage war with them, unlike his siblings who seemed more hungry for power and control than ever. While he knew his siblings certainly didn’t need his help, perhaps even didn’t want it, he kept an eye on their affairs from a distance, meddling just enough to keep them from getting too deep into trouble. After all those years had passed they may not be the family he once had known, but they were still his family - and he loved them now even more fiercely than before. As a boy he swore to protect them and that promise is still something he plans to keep.

Noah sought out more of the finer things in life. He chose to travel, exploring every inch of the world and beyond as new territories were discovered. He studied, absorbing what knowledge he could and trying to keep abreast of the ever evolving world. Technology advanced at startling rates, often leaving the vampire behind to catch up years later. He chose the path of blending in, assimilating with humanity but never staying in one place too long.

Laying down roots isn’t Noah’s thing. He drifts in and out of Raven's Peak, preferring to live in a constant state of transition rather than letting himself get too comfortable. Even if it takes hundreds of years for things to change, he’s been burned by it far too many times to count, and he’s not willing to be caught off guard again.

EXTRAS

FILLING CONNECTION: Morgrave family INSPIRATIONS: pinterest

#ravenspeakaccepted

0 notes

darcyfangirlsfrequently · 2 years ago

Text

Garcia mentioning how flabbergasted her therapist was at all the shit she's been through kind of makes me laugh at now that conversation must have gone.

"So my parents were killed by a drunk driver when I was 18 because they were out looking for me, I got into a relationship with a manipulating hacker that ended up with me getting arrested by the FBI but then I got a job helping catch serial killers and rapists and such, and while working that job my friend Elle was shot, and then she left our team, found out my best friend Derek had been sexually assaulted as a child, my friend Spencer was kidnapped and tortured, had to pick up one of my bosses, Gideon, to get him away from a serial killer who killed Gideon's girlfriend in his own apartment, and he ended up leaving, I was shot by a dirty cop, then that same cop came and tried to finish me off so one of my friends had to shoot him which I felt guilty for, my best friend Derek almost got blown up while driving an ambulance with a bomb in it while on the phone with me, my friends Emily and Spencer were held hostage and almost blown up and killed in a cult, I had to help my friend Spencer learn if his father was a pedophile and murderer, my friend Spencer was poisoned with anthrax and had me record his final message to his mother, but it's fine, he lived, my other boss, Hotch, was stabbed by a serial killer who started threatening to kill his wife and son, he did end up killing the wife and heard her get shot over the phone, one of my best friends JJ was forced to leave our team for a little while, which really sucked, my friend Emily faked her death to escape a serial killer and so I believed she was dead for seven months, and in that the JJ came back which was great but Emily was "dead" so that was NOT great, and then Emily came back and we got the guy who was trying to kill her, a woman who was in a support group I ran was kidnapped by another member of the group who had kidnapped and raped her daughter, so, you know, guilt, my now-ex boyfriend proposed but I wasn't ready so he broke up with me, my friend JJ's husband was almost killed and then Emily left again to go work in London, which is when my friend Alex joined, my friend Spencer got a girlfriend who had a stalker who got shot in front of him and then he went into a depressive spiral for MONTHS, my higher-up boss Erin was stalked and murdered, Hotch had medical complications from when he was stabbed and almost died again, I had to work with my manipulator ex boyfriend hacker to solve a case, my friend JJ was kidnapped and tortured, my friend Spencer was shot in the neck by a dirty cop and I was sitting with him and they tried to come after him so I had to rescue him, then another dirty cop disguised as a doctor tried to come into the room and kill him with medicine he was allergic to and shoot him so I had to shoot the guy, then my friend Alex left, the guy I shot ended up on death row and I felt really guilty about that so I tried to fix it but I couldn't and he asked me to go to his execution because he didn't have anyone so I did, my old boss Gideon was murdered, Hotch was drugged by a serial killer and almost shot other people on my team, my friend Kate's daughter was kidnapped, then she left, I was the target of a group of hitmen/serial killers, my friend Derek was kidnapped and tortured, then once he was safe and better his very pregnant wife was shot and almost died and then HE left and then that destroyed me, Hotch was framed by a serial killer and arrested by SWAT agents in front of his son, and then there was a massive prison break where 13 serial killers got loose, then a new guy came into our team, Luke, who I pretended to hate for years because I actually liked him but was terrified of getting hurt, the serial killer who drugged and framed Hotch started stalking him and his son so they went into WITSEC, but then Emily came back and became our boss, my friend Spencer got arrested in Mexico and falsely accused of possession with intent to distribute and murder, and he was in prison for months and I was the one who found out he was being hurt in there, and then I was part of a car chase to apprehend a killer who was using cars as his weapons,"

"are we close to the end?"

"almost. But then Spencer got out of prison but his mom was kidnapped so we had to save her, and then while following up on a lead on a serial killer that had been terrorizing us for years at this point, everyone on the team was in a car crash, Emily was kidnapped and my friend Stephen was killed and I found his body, then we worked a case that caused my PTSD from getting shot to act up, then our team got temporarily broken up, then I went to the parole hearing for the man who killed my parents, and I forgave him and he was granted parole which ruined my relationship with my brothers for a while, then Spencer and I were kidnapped by the same cult that held him hostage years ago, and I started to be really hard on myself, but then my friends helped me and I got close to my brother again, a friend of Luke's was murdered and Luke went after him and almost lost his job because of it, my friend Dave was attacked by a serial killer, JJ and Spencer were kidnapped, but they're fine, the serial killer who attacked Dave became a problem for us for over a year and his daughter shot JJ, a girl I know had a stalker and I ended up leading that case which was hard since I had an internet stalk of my own, my friends Matt, Luke, and Tara got attacked, Matt and Luke were kidnapped, a bunch of my friends were considering leaving, Spencer was too close to an explosion and got a brain bleed and I was the one who found him, fortunately he's fine, we got the serial killer who we had been chasing for a year, and then I decided to leave the team because I couldn't take it anymore. [This next part is not canon yet but highly likely.] Then Luke and I stayed for a bit but it still took too much of an emotional toll on me being that close to the job, so we broke up."

#Penelope Garcia #Tristan the therapist #Criminal Minds #Criminal Minds reboot #Criminal Minds Evolution

16 notes · View notes

pleckthaniel · 3 years ago

Note

Tell me more about Lovecraftian horror in Warriors it sounds very interesting :O

Okay so like, honestly WC invokes cosmic horror fairly often. Quick terms clarification: cosmic/lovecraftian horror has become kinda popularly synonymous with 'Big tentacle-y gods with hard-to-pronounce names,' but the original meaning and the one I'm using here is 'horror which emphasizes fear of the unknown and the unknowable.' I think with this definition you can kinda see where this tends to crop up: when the cats are dealing with humans, when they're dealing with the dog pack or Sharptooth, arguably also with the smart rats in Firestar's Quest, and to some extent when they're dealing with StarClan (though the Erins tend to downplay the cosmic horror of StarClan lol). But the biggest and most obvious place they invoke it is with Scourge and BloodClan, which is also why those elements have had the lasting power they do.

Let me actually backtrack a little bit here and ask a very relevant question. Why did the Erins get away with having Scourge kill Tigerstar? No other childrens' series that I can think of has done something similar. Can you fucking imagine if halfway through Harry Potter book 7, JK Rowling had been like, 'psych, Voldemort just got hit by lightning and fucking died'? People would have rioted in the streets tbh. And rightfully so! * In the children's adventure genre, which is where both HP and WC fall, as soon as you give us a relatively likeable, easy-to-root-for protagonist (Harry or Fireheart) a reasonably cruel and powerful archnemesis (Voldemort or Tigerclaw) to fight, you have promised the audience a showdown between them. You can't get out without giving them a satisfying resolution to that conflict. So how did the Erins manage to fully avoid doing so?

As far as I can tell, there are two major reasons that it works. One is what I'm going to call the Matt Arnold School of Avoiding Writing Set-Pieces (side note if you're a writer please listen to story break lol it's a good show it makes me think about shit and it indirectly prompted this post by making me think about TDH again). Basically the idea is that if you promise the audience an explosion, you can only substitute that explosion with an equal-or-greater-sized explosion. For example, in Star Wars, the beginning of the movie promises the destruction of an entire planet when the Death Star is introduced. So in order to get away with not blowing up Yavin-4 or whatever the rebel base is called, the planet-sized Death Star is blown up instead. You get to both see the explosion and have the good guys win; a fully satisfying ending for an adventure story. The Darkest Hour does the same thing. It sets up an ultimate showdown between Good and Evil that will determine the fate of the Clans themselves. When Tigerstar is killed, he is literally instantly replaced by another evil cat who also wants to take over the forest. So while the most surface-level expectation that the battle is going to be Firestar vs Tigerstar is subverted, the promise of the premise is still fulfilled.

The other reason is that BloodClan doesn't come out of nowhere. No their existence was not hinted at in previous books, but that's because they don't really come out of the world, they come out of Tigerstar's arc. In short, Tigerstar is an incredibly effective villain; he's incredibly charismatic, has no short supply of honor to his name to lend him a lot of credence in the eyes of the general population, and is completely ruthless in his pursuit of his goals. BUT, he has an ego on him. An ego that gets significantly worse over the course of the series. When it starts, he's just making derisive comments about kittypets. But by the time The Darkest Hour starts, he has tried to take control of a feral, vicious, barely-restrained dog pack and is also currently plotting to make himself the new god-king of the forest.

So BloodClan? They're just an escalation of the same internal tendency the dog pack represented. Tigerstar is so driven to succeed that he is willing to meddle with forces that should not be meddled with. Forces that are almost unknowably powerful compared to the Clan cats... forces that one could call... cosmic? So even though we don't get our classic Good-Vs-Evil showdown with Tigerstar, his arc still ends in a satisfying way, and honestly in a much better way than just fighting Firestar would have been, because we see that he planted the seeds of his own destruction with his hubris. He's transformed into the classic Level 1 human villain in cosmic horror, the cult leader who summons the actual tentacle-god and is promptly destroyed by it.

And BloodClan themselves, the reason they stick out in so many kids' minds as the most iconic part of the series, the reason Scourge is one of the few characters from Warriors to transcend fandom spaces and become semi-recognizable in his own right, is because they are goddamn scary, not in an edgy or gory sense, but because they are the cosmic horror, because their power is presented to us as beyond comprehension, to the point where they wear the teeth of the last cosmic horror in the books (dogs) for fun decoration. To the point where Scourge literally eviscerates the villain that had been built up to for six books at this point in one fell swoop, while also personally undermining the only piece of magic that currently canonically exists. To the point where their forces are presented as essentially infinite and undefeatable unless they are first demoralized by the death of their leaders. None of those things are traditional horror (even other horror scenes within the series or book itself, like the Bonehill scene, rely more on traditional horror elements) but they are instead about the terror that is inspired by encountering something that can literally crush you like a bug and might not even notice doing it.

Incidentally, this is also why I really don't like Rise of Scourge. It's a good standalone, I know it's a lot of people's favorite WC graphic novel. But when you tie it back to Darkest Hour, it completely undermines what that book was doing. I think what the Erins were trying to do was the classic like, tyrants are just humans too, type of theme. And I'm all for that! It's a good theme, normally. Obviously it worked really well for Tigerstar in arc 1. But it doesn't work for Scourge because Scourge isn't the tyrant archetype. He's not an evil dictator like Tigerstar was, he's fucking Cthulu.

* some have argued that the way the final battle between harry and voldemort in HP book 7 is kind of a cop-out ending, but i would point out that while it isn't great, it still isn't random nor out-of-character; it fulfills the promise made at the beginning of the book, that there would be a showdown and one of them would be defeated; my point is that the lightning scenario would not.

#scout talks #anonymous #wc meta #warrior cats

67 notes · View notes

shelby-love · 4 years ago

Text

HANK VOIGHT

A Dark Day

Requested: yes

Prompts: none

Warning(s): none

Author's note: This is set during S02EP20 of Chicago Fire (A Dark Day), when Med is blown up. Hope you enjoy and happy reading!

"Ma'am I need you to stay where you are! Help is on the way."

When you scheduled your appointment at Med, you weren't expecting to schedule it on the day the hospital was blown up.

Sitting in the waiting room one moment, and then being crushed by the impact of a bomb was not, by any means, on your to-do list that day.

But it happened and there was nothing you could do about it, meaning you had to ignore the pain in your knee in order to push through and help the wounded.

Fresh new cuts and bruises decorated your body, elevating the pain level in your body as you moved around the debris that came crashing down on you from the blow.

"Dammit." You muttered, turning around to face a boy. He was filthy and hurt, with clothes torn to reveal scratches and blood. He took a hard blow, but his overall condition suggested that he will be alright.

You smiled when you crouched down next to him, "This country never ceases to amaze me."

"Yeah," He grunted. "I don't know how they thought blowing up the ER was a good idea."

"Tell me about it."

***

Outside, amidst the chaos, the Intelligence unit descended their cars along with their Sergeant behind them. Their boots clicked against the pavement as they seized the building.

The surrounding area was bustling with people even though it was blown apart not too long ago.

"I'll take triage," Voight said before any of them could muster a word.

There was a reason Hank wanted to tend to the wounded. Your appointment wasn’t supposed to take too long but with that knee pain of yours, Hank could bet you didn't even get off the perimeter in time. Your dramatically slow pace used to be the highlight of his day.

Not currently, no.

He was terrified.

"Excuse me," Hank neared a petite woman. She turned around and surprised him with the trauma in her eyes. Even though the nurse was now safe outside, her fingers still shook against the notepad she held close to her chest. "Do you mind telling me if there's anyone by the name of Y/N Y/LN here?"

She nodded, turning a few pages in order to get to your last name. After a moment of tense silence, the woman pulled away and looked at him apologetically. "If your wife isn't here then she's probably still inside. There are a lot of patients and personnel that are still trapped on the higher floors."

Hank didn't even bother to correct her. Instead, he thanked her and turned around keeping his cool intact for 10 seconds.

He brushed past Erin without a glance and left her wondering what's up with him.

"I bet he has someone special inside," Antonio took note and Erin, no matter how much she thought that was bizarre, couldn't argue with what he said.

"You know what? I think you're right."

***

"Took you long enough!"

Kelly's face lit up at your words, "We knew you could handle yourself, so why hurry."

The squad lieutenant had his arms wide to welcome the woman you've been treating and get her down. "They go first."

Nodding, the rest of the team 51 helped the civilians under your orders.

After what you thought to be hours, Kelly took his time strapping you to him with the ropes. "I bet you secretly wanted this to happen."

"If I wanted to work, I'd just push my boyfriend down the stairs," You responded smartly, but covertly knowing full well that surprise jumping Hank Voight wasn't going to work whatsoever. "Also, do not joke about this!"

It looked like the only thing that got to Kelly's ears was your usage of my boyfriend. "You have a boyfriend? Since when?" He asked excitedly.

"You're impossible," You sighed. "Unstrap me. Now."

He did. Eventually.

With a limping knee, you made your way to your very own chief. There was no doubt in your mind that Hank was somewhere here too, probably have already gone berserk.

Your chief didn't clear you off to work, because even after what you pulled upstairs with the civilians still, unfortunately didn't win over the fact that you were injured. Your knee was the reason as to why you weren't cleared for work in the first place, so you weren't really surprised that you weren't cleared for work here, of all places. You were merely just sad.

Sadness turned into relief when you heard Hank barking orders at his team.

They all looked puzzled at his even harsher tone than usual, and you couldn't help but smile.

You knew exactly why.

***

"Don't ever scare me like that again."

The burning gaze he sent your way had you frozen in your tracks; the severity of your situation hitting you in the gut. You were caught in an explosion.

You could have died.

All color drained in your face at that thought.

Hank seemed to have had the same thought invade his mind as he took a few long strides toward you, winding his arms around you and pulling you into him.

You found solace in his arms and fell quiet after a while. Both of you were breathing heavily, still quite grasping the reality in which Hank almost lost you.

"Y/N you're alright," He murmured against your hair and brushed his hand against your back. The kisses he pressed to your head were consolatory in ways words weren't. "You're alright."

"You need to find him Hank," You pulled away and grasped his jacket's collar. "Whoever did this has to pay."

"I will. I promise Y/N," He said, taking your cold hands into his warm ones.

"Good." You whispered that word a few more times, quietly reassuring yourself what he will do right by his promise because the promise wasn't to you only, it was also a promise to everyone who were hurt by the bomb. "I love you Hank."

"I love you." Was his only reply.

All words died down when you kissed. The warmth of his lips filled your body through and through.

You felt like you could do anything.

"Take my car and go home," He told you once you pulled away. "I talked to your chief, and he told me you weren't cleared to work. There's nothing you can do here."

Nodding, you agreed. "It's out of my hands now."

"But not out of mine," Hank said. "We'll get him."

"I know you will Hank. I believe you."

You left the comfort of the lone hospital room with Hank's car key in your hand. The part of the hospital you were in looked normal, save for the bustling personnel that ran around the hall in an odd way. The usual strictness of a hospital, where people were calm and collected seemed like a far thought as you looked around and saw nothing but trauma.

The hope lied with the Intelligence Unit.

The same unit that was now waiting by the door for the Sergeant you just spent 15 minutes with.

They all had the same knowing glittering sparkle in their eyes as they watched you make your way to the door. Hank had no noticeable keychains on his car keys, but you still felt like you had to hide it from their curious eyes. They were quite obvious, you noted.

"That’s her 100%" Erin whispered to Jay.

"Don't be so obvious." Jay rolled his eyes at her lack of expertise.

"I'm not!"

"You kinda are," Adam joined the two, cringing at Erin. "Just… You know…"

"Know what?"

"Don't look at her like you want to poke out her eyeballs." Adam told her, shaking his head at her.

You even dared yourself to smile at the younger group, catching them off guard with their hearts stuck in their throats.

Announcement day was closer than Hank and you thought it was.

Tags: @fofisstilinski @short-potato @miranda0102 @httphiddlestan @caromichaela @xx-missunicorn-xx @jemmakates @lorenakaspersen @scarletsoldierrr @theravenclawmarauder @httphiddlestan @tclaerh @chefdoeuvre

Let me know if you want to be added to my tag list (pinned post on my blog or check navigation)!

MASTERLIST

#hank voight #hank voight fanfiction #hank voight imagine #hank voight imagines #hank voight masterlist #hank voight x reader #hank voight one shot #hank voight x you #sergeant voight #Chicago PD #chicago pd fanfiction #chicago pd imagine #chicago pd x reader

390 notes · View notes

jabitha-endgame · 3 years ago

Text

A rant/Jabitha/and Bughead fandom

Ugh! I’m so sick of some people claiming Jabitha came out of no where. I’m sorry you all had your shipper goggles on and weren’t actually watching the show but cherry picking BH and then extrapolating your own fan fiction from it. What is hard for you all? Betty sleeping with Archie? Or saying she “wanted to do that since HS”? Or Betty literally not caring if Jug was missing or dead (and told Tabi she shouldn’t either)? Ignoring and being passive aggressive about him (until this most recent episode)? What do you think playing that VM was about? It wasn’t to make Tabi and Jess feel warm and fuzzy about Jug, it was to paint herself as the victim cause he was “mean” when all he did was bag on the fact that she cheated on him (and V by extension) and has blown him off for YEARS. As for Jug I’m sorry BHers you didn’t understand Betty IS JUGS TRAUMA. She was perceived as just as toxic as Jess (in his most recent hallucination) It’s not that he can’t move on from Betty, he can, he dated Jess longer than B, its that he can’t form any deep meaningful connections because he trusts no one, because the two people he trusted most betrayed him in the worst way. And I don’t want to hear how Jugs parents fucked him up (first), of course they did but they pretty much always sucked and Jug knew it, he was consistently let down by them, Betty made him believe he was worth someone loving and pulled the rug out from underneath, sorry that you don’t get that’s worse. Sorry you don’t get her lack of compassion after he almost died and was still suffering various after effects, including PTSD and depression was horrible. And insult to injury cheated with his best friend, her childhood crush, a guy who didn’t graduate while throwing Jugs academic situation, through no fault of his own, in his face. THAT IS JUGS TRAUMA. And all these years later still no real apology or explanation. (and DON’T get me started on Betty jumping Jugs bones while he was reeling from the shock) As for Tabitha herself if she wasn’t going to be a love interest for Jug why introduce her at all? The core 4 could’ve returned to Riverdale on thier own, all thier lives were a mess, a trip home to reset would’ve worked just as well (or better) But instead they had Pop’s retirement and made Tabi the granddaughter of the only character everyone can universally agree on. If the role was just going to be supportive black BFF cheerleader to BH why cast her at all? Wasn’t that what Vanessa was complaining about? If it was just so Jug had a friend the Serpents were right there, hell fellow outcast Reggie would do. Why not some random recurring character? And I’m sorry you BHers didn’t understand that Jabi agreeing to be “friends” was Jug and Tabi tabling a relationship because Jug knew he wasn’t in a headspace to date (which makes him more self aware than anyone else in that town) and liked Tabi enough not to jump into anything until he was ready. The false equivalency and cognitive dissonance of a certain corner of fandom is telling. Why do you ship Tabi with ANYONE BUT JUG? Why is Jug not good enough for Tabi but okay for Betty then? Why do you want Tabi relegated to BH cheerleader? Do you not know how systemically racist that trope is? Really? Why are you okay with Betty “getting Archie out of her system” (so she realizes Jug is the one, which is just 🤢, that’s a horrible mind set, 7 yrs apart and absence hasn’t made her heart grow fonder??) But now that Jug is in the same town as Betty he needs to be celibate until Betty decides to grace him with her attention? FUCK THAT! Jabitha has been building slowly but surely all season, you just took scenes that were supposed to show how disconnected Betty and Jughead were and turned them into the opposite of what you were being shown and told. Meanwhile the Jabi scenes were trivialized and to pile on that insidious racism so many BHers are unaware of, if the scenes between Jug and Tabi had happened between Jug and Betty you’d be loosing your shit and crying from the hill tops how cute it was and how much they were into each other and

true love. I hate to break it to you but Jabi has had more build up than any couple on the show. Tabi is Pop’s granddaughter for a reason, its not an accident she is related to the only person who has ALWAYS been good to Jug. Maybe deep down you BH stans know it and that’s why your so angry and deep in denial. For me personally a former Bughead stan, who was convinced they were endgame I don’t want it anymore. From my perspective too much has happened to walk them back now, better to let them both move on and be happy elsewhere.

Sorry for bringing this rant into your blog but I deleted mine a while back and I have read A LOT of nasty things about Tabitha, Jabitha and Erin and I needed to get it off my chest. If you made it to the end thanks💙

#Riverdale #Jabitha #Jughead Jones #Tabitha Tate #submission #let it all out #a good read #with good points #the nastiness and dismissal towards Jabitha is what makes me most upset #like just be nice lol #if it's not for you it's not for you #but it is real #Betty's betrayal messed up Jughead #and Jabitha is so healthy together #they are so good together

34 notes · View notes

just-eyris-things · 3 years ago

Note

seadhne boss fight (bonus perhaps, + sitheach :3c)

Okay, so I FINALLY remembered I had bossfights in here left!

Welcome to Seafarer's Course, Raid Wing 8! You chase the ship of pirates who, apparently, have something that could destroy the world, or so claim the Lion Guard. After damaging their ship you corner them in their fortress of some ancient ruins, located on a remote island. You can get achievement Priory Consultant for finding all the scripts and murals.

The Pirate Queen must be protected, says the crew. Before meeting with her you must first defeat her crew, including two big bosses: Cannoneer Erin and First Mate Abraham. On your way to each boss you will have to fight pirate ambushes. Same goes for Seadhna, obviously. After defeating the last ambush, Seadhna comes out of hiding.

"Can't believe the famous Pact Commander came after some lost cash and a bunch of weapons," she says casually, before sighing and telling you she can't just let you kill those who remain.

The thing about this fight is that the timer does not start immediately as you enter combat.

Seadhna's mainly uses a sword and applies multiple stacks of bleeding. She also has a gun and she will randomly choose a player and shoot them. If the player is too close, they get a stun debuff and a knockback. If they are in the stack, 3 random players from around them share the debuff. The person who is chosen sees a mark over their head, so they can get out of stack and dodge the bullet (literally).

Her special mechanic is calling for aid, first time at 80%. She will call for her crew to put big bombs in the chamber. The timer starts now: Time until the ruins are blown: 10 minutes. The bombs will detonate every now and then, they cannot be destroyed. At 75% Seadhna will tell you that the captain will go with her ship and her fortress, but she won't let you harm others. She will call for aid again, this time smaller bombs will be placed randomly. They can be dodged or picked up and thrown at Seadhna to deal damage to her, CC her and apply confusion

At 50% Seadhna will call for aid again and tell you that most of her crew are out by now and you will never catch them. She will protect her own. Bomb mechanic again. She will also call for Sitheach, who will spawn on a platform above (you can get there by stairs that have a few holes in them so be ready to jump).

Sitheach has an open CC bar for most of the time. He will shoot players from above, you want to dodge that or you're dead, full stop. Just like Sabetha's flame wall, except focus is on a randomly selected player. Skills such as guardian's Sanctuary or any reflecting skills will protect the player. Reflecting skills will deal small amont of damage. At every 25% of his HP Sitheach will teleport to a different spot on the platform. In close combat he uses dagger and a pistol.

Seadhna will call for aid again at 25% but nothing will happen. Her crew is out, there is nobody to help her anymore. She will run to the nearest big bomb and have a CC bar while she tries to set it off herself. If you CC her then she gets a debuff "alone" - skills have major cool down, similarly to the player in LWs3 during the fight with self doubt. Seadhna will attempt more than once to detonate the bomb, each time you can CC her.

After she dies you can finally destroy the bombs or you can look for an exit. The escape route depends on the big bombs' initial layout.

Phew, that was a lot! Thank you for asking! i love me some pirates <3

#g0atmama #moonlit grove #seadhna #sitheach

5 notes · View notes

bisexualbumblebee-writes · 3 years ago

Text

2015/2021- Joel Fry x OC

Joel Fry x Isabel Abbott

Description: The six year difference between Joel and Isabel beginning their relationship to being happily married.

Word Count: 2k

“Welcome back to Candid everyone! My name is Erin Miller,” the interviewer greeted the camera with a bright smile at the camera for her podcast/video. “Today is a very special episode because I am going to discuss the latest season of Game of Thrones. Not only that but today I’m joined here by the cast of Game of Thrones: Peter Dinklage as Tyrion Lannister, Emelia Clarke as Daenerys Targaryen, Iain Glen as Jorah Mormont, Joel Fry as Hizdahr zo Loraq, and Isabel Abbott as Kiyara Tallhart!” The crewmembers applauded as the cast waved when their names were called.

“Thank you guys so much for being here, all my fans and I are huge fans of the show,” she continued, finally looking at her guests.

“Happy to be here,” Emelia responded, the others agreeing afterwards.

“So much happened in this season,” Erin said before exhaling deeply, which made them laugh. “Lots of stories and even more heartbreaking deaths. Specifically the last two episodes. Oh man, I cried,” she emphasized.

“You should have seen the cast when we were filming,” Peter spoke, leaning closer to the microphone as he did so. Emelia nodded knowingly.

“Well today I wanted to talk to you about one specific episode. Episode nine, ‘Dance of Dragons.’ The attack of the Sons of Harpy on the fighting pit.”

“Oh boy,” Isabel muttered, which caused Erin to chuckle.

“Oh boy indeed. Can I just say, it literally happened so quickly. I mean, I blinked and people started getting murdered. Then Loraq is killed!” She ranted. “He was such a semi-good character and I was so sad to see him go.”

“So was Isabel,” Emilia teased. Isabel jokingly glared at the girl then pushed her shoulder, a blush dusting her face.

“Shut up Em,” she grumbled shyly.

“Oh, care to explain?” Erin asked with the same smile Emilia had.

“Yeah, Isa,” Iaian added. Isabel looked around, realizing that everyone was not staring at her expectantly.

“Oh my god I did not come here to be attacked like this!” She exclaimed with a giggle, attempting to hide her embarrassment.

“You were sad about Loraq’s death?” Joel questioned with a teasing smile, though there was a sincere look in his eyes.

“Okay listen,” she started deadpanned, which made the others burst out laughing. “Here’s the thing. During their time on the show, Hizdahr-”

“They’re on a first name basis now?” Peter questioned. Isabel took a second to flip him off before looking at Erin once more, this time with wide eyes.

“Wait, do children watch this show?”

“Yeah sometimes kids watch my show,” Erin responded amusedly. Isabel gasped and covered her mouth.

“I’m so sorry!” She looked at the camera with the most worried expression anyone had ever seen from her. “I’m sorry parents and children that just saw that.”

“No no no it’s okay!” Erin exclaimed, trying not to laugh. “If parents let their kids watch Game of Thrones I’m sure they’re immune to you flipping the bird.” Isabel nodded, though her shoulders slumped in defeat and she mumbled another apology.

“Aww Isa,” Joel cooed, patting her back soothingly. “Continue.” Isabel straightened and pushed her hair behind her shoulders.

“Anyways, Hizdahr and Kiyara got pretty close. Like she brought him food while he was imprisoned and they bonded over their fathers and they talked a lot in their free time. That meant that Joel and I got to talk quite a bit and I’d say we got pretty close,” she trailed off, looking at Joel for confirmation.

“Yeah,” he responded with an affirming nod, hand dropping from her back.

“Yeah,” she repeated, also nodding. “So we got close. No matter what, death always makes me sad, I mourn people I don’t even know. So seeing Hizdahr die up close was very emotionally stressing, and I was crying once the cameras cut. I did the same with Kit after John Snow died because we got close during season four.”

“This season was just a huge blow to Isabel’s emotional state,” Emelia spoke.

“You guys are laughing but that is absolutely true,” Isabel added matter-of-factly.

“While we’re on the subject, am I the only one who noticed all those looks Loraq gave Kiyara?” Erin inquired, looking around.

“Wait what?” Isabel laughed, but her question went unnoticed.

“No! Oh my god I’m so glad you brought that up,” Iaian exclaimed. “Literally, I cannot tell you how many times we had to do retakes because Joel wouldn’t stop looking at Isabel on and off camera.”

“Wait wait wait, are you serious?” Isabel questioned with an almost stupidly wide smile.

“Oh yeah, definitely,” Peter confirmed.

“That’s the entire reason people thought that Loraq and Kiyara were going to get together,” Erin explained. “People were shipping you guys on Twitter. Then Joel, you tweeted that picture of Isabel bringing you lunch. People started shipping you in real life.”

“Aww Joel, do you like me?” Isabel joked, but her smile faltered when she realized that the man genuinely looked flustered. “Are you okay?” She asked worriedly, leaning away from the microphones beforehand. Joel’s already red face reddened even more.

“Yeah, I’m fine. Are you worried about me?” He started off seriously but became goofy during his question, which made her giggle and shake her head.

“Jesus guys,” Peter groaned dramatically. “Just skip the formalities and date already!” Isabel blushed deeply and looked at Joel, who was already looking at her.

“How about this Friday at 8:00?” He inquired with a goofy smile. Isabel’s jaw dropped as the other whooped and hollered at his question. Then Emelia hushed them to let Isabel answer, everyone watching them eagerly.

“Sounds good. I’ll text you my address,” she responded coolly despite the fact that she was screaming on the inside.

“I can’t believe that just happened on my show,” Erin muttered, looking absolutely blown away.

“Neither can I,” Isabel breathed out with a small giggle. “You should have seen it the first time he actually asked me out.” That sent the others into chaos, everyone talking over each other while Isabel and Joel watched.

“When did you guys start dating!?” Emelia yelled, which caused Isabel to flinch then laugh at the girl.

“He asked me out after ‘Mockingbird’ wrapped,” she laughed out in the same excited tone. Emelia mouthed the episode name then looked at her with wide eyes.

“Are you serious? The second episode he was in? And you didn’t tell me?” One would think that all that yelling would calm down laughter, but on the contrary, Isabel was nearly out of breath.

“I’m sorry!” She exclaimed. Erin was still laughing when she decided to step in.

“Wait, so do you mind walking us through what happened?” She asked, and Isabel admired his sincerity. She glanced at Joel, silently asking permission. When he gave her a nod of confirmation, she looked around at the others.

“So, obviously we originally met during season four, when Hizdahr zo Loraq was first introduced. We talked a couple times between scenes, but then he isn’t really heard from so Joel wasn’t really there. Then season five came around and we got to know more about each other and he finally asked me out after the fourth episode. And that’s it,” she explained with a shrug. Iain just stared at them appalled.

“I am just in shock that you guys managed to keep it so exclusive,” he spoke, shaking his head as he did so. Joel shrugged from beside her.

“Well, we wanted to wait until the right time. Just to see if we could work, you know?” Isabel’s already wide smile widened when Joel’s arm slithered around her shoulders, only to pull away a second later. She looked at him confusedly then let out a small scream when he pulled her chair closer by the seat so he could comfortably rest his arm around her shoulders. She blushed shyly then hid her face as the others cooed rather loudly at them. Joel also cooed in her ear then pressed an affectionate kiss to the crown of her head. This was probably the best thing that ever happened to the both of them.

2021

“Hello once again everyone! My name is Erin Miller and I welcome you back to Candid,” Erin greeted happily with a wave that gave both Joel and Isabel a sense of deja vu. “Today I am once again joined by Joel Fry and Isabel Abbott who are here to talk about their new movie Cruella, which premiered in theaters and on Disney+ on May 28,” she paused to face the couple. “Hello you two, long time no see.” Joel and Isabel waved at the camera in unison then faced Erin with bright smiles.

“Yeah, at least since 2015,” Isabel answered.

“Yeah, you guys look good,” Erin complimented honestly. “And I hear that you guys are married now,” she cooed.

“Yeah,” Joel trailed off coyly. Erin giggled and clapped her hands.

“Can I see the rings?” She asked eagerly. Joel and Isabel nodded at each other then took off their rings to show both Erin and the cameras.

“Now, what is this engraved on the inside of it?” Erin questioned, leaning forward to get a better look.

“Mine says ‘you are my moon and stars that paint the sky,’” Isabel answered.

“And mine says ‘you are the sun to my moon, light of my life,’” Joel continued.

“They’re references to quotes we said during the show,” Isabel explained further. “So, during season four not long after we’re introduced to Hizdahr and they were talking about their fathers, she said the line, ‘Everytime a good man dies, they are added to the night sky to paint stars as pretty as the moon. That’s where I believe your father is.’ It was probably my favorite line of the show.”

“Oh yeah,” Erin reminisced. “I remember that. That was a good episode. Joel, what about yours?”

“This was actually during season five when Kiyara visited Hizdahr while he was imprisoned. She had brought him food and he asked her to stay for conversation. I don’t… remember what they were talking about…”

“What love meant to them,” Isabel interrupted before looking around. “Right?”

“Yeah,” Joel answered as the scene came back to him. “Yeah, so it was right after Daenerys said that she would marry him to hold a strong bond. They were preparing a room for him and Hizdahr was not very happy about the forced engagement. Kiyara came down to visit him and they talked about what love meant to them. Hizdahr said that when his father talked about his mother, he’d say that she was the sun to his moon and that she was the light of his life. Those words had stuck with him and he always thought that when he married, he’d feel the same about his wife.”

“Oh so these are based on quotes you actually said to each other?” Erin asked. Isabel blushed and nodded.

“Now, can I ask, why did you decide on Game of Thrones inspired rings and quotes?”

“Because that’s how we met,” Joel answered kindly as he and his wife put their rings back on. “If I hadn’t been cast as Hizdahr zo Loraq, then I don’t think we ever would have met because we had both been shooting different things before and after we were killed off on the show. Like, I was cast in You, Me, and the Apocalypse then Ordinary Lives. She was cast in Doctor Who for a while then Me Before You. Before that I was in Plebs and she was in Once Upon a Time. We didn’t have a lot of time between our schedules, but we made it possible, and look at us now. I owe the Game of Thrones cast and crew everything, because of them I met and later married the love of my life.” Both Erin and Isabel awed at him and the latter hugged him tightly.

“Aw babe! That was so sweet,” she exclaimed.

“You’re going to make me sad that I’m single,” Erin joked.

“Maybe you should get cast in an HBO show,” Joel joked back, making the girls giggle.

“Anyways, moving onto Cruella,” Erin said after a minute. “Yet again we are met with romantic tension with your characters Jasper and Angela.” Isabel shrugged, a bashful smile gracing her face. This would be a long day.

#joel fry #joel fry x oc #i'm joel fry trash

3 notes · View notes

lilyhandmaiden · 4 years ago

Text

The Things That Have Gotten Me Through 2020

In the last few minutes of 2020, I thought I would share some of the little things that have brought me joy and comfort and, when both of those were in short supply, have dragged me forward through this year.

12 Monkeys (TV series)

I started watching the 2015-2018 SyFy series 12 Monkeys, which revolves around time travel being invented to stop a humanity-ending pandemic, in February or so, right before it became clear that the current pandemic was going to have a big impact on all our lives. It was... weird timing. Nevertheless, in the early days of lockdown, etc., all I wanted to do was curl up in a ball and escape by watching this ragtag group of idiots save the world and, eventually, Time Itself. They were, overall, very bad at it, always getting in their own way, but they won anyway, and that felt strangely encouraging. The show is not unproblematic at times, but its overall message is that, while endings are inevitable, the relationships we form and the choices we make matter. That was something I needed to hear and take to heart. Plus, the series introduced me to Jennifer Goines, one of my all-time favorite fictional characters. As played by Emily Hampshire (Stevie from Schitt’s Creek in a role as unlike Stevie as it is possible to be, at least in terms of self-expression), Jennifer is “brave, impulsive, irrationally rational,” and a force of radical love and compassion for her friends and, ultimately, for herself—even if her brain never works the way she wants it to. May we all try to live in the happily ever now.

Schitt’s Creek winning all the Emmys

Schitt’s Creek was my big discovery of last year, and its amazing character development in a story about finding oneself and forming connections in the process of starting all over was hugely important to me upon entering into post-academic life. This year, I’ve loved seeing this show’s snowballing popularity, which culminated in its sweep of the Emmy comedy category. Watching the ceremony at home with my cat, I screamed as those wins piled on (not as loudly as Sarah Levy up in Canada, but still). Legends Catherine O’Hara and Eugene Levy with their first acting Emmys! Dan Levy for writing and directing and acting on his first series doing any of those in a major capacity! Annie Murphy, for her hilarious and heartbreaking and inspiring and masterful portrayal of Alexis Rose, after she was told she couldn’t do comedy without comedy lessons and almost quit acting! The COSTUMES. No cast and crew have ever been more deserving. Love that journey for them! And the fan celebrations afterward were such an expression of communal joy at a time when joy and community were not so easy to come by.

Folklore and Evermore and Taylor Swift

It took me about a month to get around to listening to Taylor Swift’s first surprise pandemic album, folklore. Once I did, though, I couldn’t seem to stop. There were stretches of weeks when I only listened to folklore. It was for working and driving and writing and cleaning and thinking. It’s sonically soothing and lyrically gorgeous, pulling from literature, history, memory, isolation. I’ve never listened to an album where I can pick out so many favorite individual lines before. I’ve always admired Swift most for her storytelling, so it’s no huge surprise that I love this album, where she embraces the storyteller role. Still, I’d only really paid attention 1989 and her singles before—and not really even to her singles over the past few years. After about a month of only listening to folklore, all the time, like it had me hypnotized, I decided it might be worth listening through the entire Taylor Swift discography.

I fell in love with folklore as an album for its bittersweet, nostalgic feel that spoke so perfectly to this moment in time, but the exact moment I fell for Taylor Swift as an artist might have been when my jaw dropped at the cutting specificity of, “Don’t you think nineteen’s too young to be played by your dark, twisted game?” in “Dear John.” And then when I cackled as she wrapped up the song with, “The girl in the dress wrote you a song. You should’ve known.” That was when I started to appreciate Taylor Swift for the way she has, from a very young age, understood her power as a storyteller, and specifically as the teller of her own story. “I was there. I remember it,” she emphasizes over and over in song after song, seizing the authority she might otherwise be denied as a young woman (“when you are young, they assume you know nothing”). Plus, her use of imagery is unparalleled. folklore spoke to this moment in time, but there is a Taylor Swift song for every possible moment and mood, and that became a comfort and escape of its own.

So, by the time evermore came out, I was able to appreciate it as an event. And that, in these times, is no small thing. evermore is the wilder and sadder of the twin albums, and its songs revolve around endings and, on the other side, improbable hope. Here’s to this pain not being for evermore. Take a nap, Taylor. You’ve earned it.

Writing

At the end of grad school, I felt like I might never write creatively again. I was afraid that creative part of me had withered up and died. But last year, slowly, it started to come back, and this year it’s been one of my main sources of joy. I’ve written thousands of words, and I’m actually enjoying the process of doing it and proud of the outcome. I know and understand why a lot of people have struggled to be creative this year, but for me, writing my way into another world where I am actually in control of what happens has been my favorite way of escaping this one. It’s all I want to do all day while I’m sitting at work, doing official correspondence. I’m even writing original fiction for the first time in ages, and you know what? It’s not nearly as scary or difficult as I was afraid it would be. Plus, I love talking about writing, sharing enthusiasm and working through problems, with friends. I’m not a fast writer, but I hope to do more of it, and find a way to do it more consistently, in 2021.

Texting with friends

I haven’t been perfect at it, but I made the decision at the beginning of 2020, before All This even really got started, to do a better job at keeping in touch with my friends. In a year when we’ve had to reconfigure so many things we care about, I can wholeheartedly recommend a weekly text with friends as a way of keeping those relationships and those people prominent in your life. Throughout the year, reaching out on a regular basis to the people I love—when I need them, when they need me, just to say hi—has deepened relationships I care about and has been a constant source of comfort, stability, and fun. So much emotional and physical good has come out of it for me and, I hope, for others as well. This is a part of the year I’m really proud of, and I intend to continue, expand, and refine this program in 2021.

Learning to cook things

At the beginning of the year, I set the modest goal of learning to cook one simple thing each month of the year. When so many other goals and aspirations got blown up, this is one I was able to keep to for the most part. The holidays got in the way at the very end, but I did learn to cook 10 new things this year. For a person who could cook almost nothing before, this is big progress. It worked so well that this is another program I intend to carry on into 2021.

My nephew

Last year, I was looking forward to the day when this kid would be able to recognize me. Last weekend, he came running to be picked up with a big smile when I came through the door and hugged me when I left. It’s possible that he thinks Aunt Erin With a Mask and Aunt Erin Without a Mask (the latter of whom appears only rarely) are two different people, but he loves both of us, and we love him. I can’t wait to see what he’s learned by this time next year. I hope the world is a friendlier place for him by then.

Happy New Year!

#darth real life #12 monkeys #taylor swift #schitt's creek #2020

9 notes · View notes

spnfanficpond · 5 years ago

Text

February 2020 Angel Fish Awards

Every month all of you fantastic writers work your asses off to post some truly incredible stories. Our Angel Fish Awards are the way for all of us, as a community of writers and readers, to lift each other up and give praise to those who have captured our attention and deserve a few kind words.

The monthly Angel Fish Awards are peer-nominated, meaning ANYONE IN THE POND CAN NOMINATE ANY POND MEMBER’S FIC. While the Pond was founded to support the Guppies, everyone in this community deserves to be showered with love and feedback, and we hope that by opening this up as a Pond wide system, we’ll be able to share the love as far as it can go.

NOTE: WE’VE BEEN HAVING OCCASIONAL PROBLEMS WITH ASKS GOING MISSING. Please use the Submit button when submitting your nominations and make sure you’re signed into Tumblr or your URL won’t show. (If the form asks for your name and email address, then you’re not signed in.) If you like, you can also send a message to Michelle @mrswhozeewhatsis or Mana @manawhaat to check and make sure we got your submission.

WITHOUT FURTHER ADO, HERE ARE THIS MONTH’S ANGEL FISH AWARDS!

There are NINE (9) stories this month with more than one nomination!! Be sure to check through all ninety (yeah, that’s 90!!!) nominations!!

Nominated by @flamencodiva

Frat Boy (series) by @luci-in-trenchcoats

This is one of my all time favorite stories by Michelle! It was one of the first ones I read when I joined Tumblr. it is a really good read and I recommend it highly!

A River In Egypt (series) by @crashdevlin

Holy crap this is another amazing fic by Cassie! I mean the way she writes Sam’s inner monologue is amazing! and the rest is yet to come!

Darken (series) by @impala-dreamer

I love Beka’s Stories! This one is my absolute favorite! and my god was it angsty as hell and I ate it all up!

Nominated by @becs-bunker

The Accidental Sexter (oneshot) by @scorpiongirl1

OK, where to start with this one?! I honestly sweated my way through reading it. It was so hot and steamy and let’s be honest, even over 40, Dean can get it anytime. This just proves it!🔥🔥 Some accidents are so worth it, that one sure was!

Nominated by @erins-culinary-service

Call of the Ocean (series) by @flamencodiva

This is the first mermaid! Reader fic I’ve read but I’m loving it so much! It’s a collaboration fic, but the chapters go so well together you can’t even tell. It’s also a super slow burn and I know will be 100% worth the wait.

When You Fall (series) by @flamencodiva

This is such an amazing and dark fic. READ THE WARNINGS THOUGH!! There are a lot of things that could trigger someone, but if you do read the story it will leave you wanting more are the end of every chapter.

Fighting For A Future (series) by @flamencodiva

*Uncontrollable screaming noises* that’s the only way I can describe how much I love this and how excited I get when I see an update about this fic!

Running With Wolves (series) by @waywardrose13

This series rips my heart out every single chapter and I always come back for more because how could I not? It’s an angsty A/B/O fic and I can’t wait to find out how this ends since there’s still so much left in the fic to explore.

Nominated by @fictionalabyss

Privacy (oneshot) by @evansrogerskitten

Can I nominate this glorious piece of work for the AFA!? It gets right to the point and has you looking forwards to that climax at the end and what gets him there.

Porch Swing (oneshot) by @myinconnelly1

omfg. The angst was almost subtle until it wasn’t. Ripped my god damn heart out.

Unexpected (oneshot) by @tumbler-tidbits

When I wrote Sleeping with the wrong Winchester, there was next to nothing for small dick Winchesters. You don’t know how happy I was to find this in the pond! I LOVEEEEEE small dick Winchester fics. WE NEED MORE!

Never In Fact Homeless (oneshot) by @slowdownsugar

Perfect. It’s just perfect, that’s all that really needs to be said here. It’s short, and sweet, and utterly perfect.

You Can’t Save Them All (oneshot) by @sorenmarie87

It’s an older fic that I had forgotten about until I stumbled on it again. Its easy to picture the scene, her playing the piano with a broken heart, and Dean just being there so she isn’t alone. still beautiful.

Meeting Mr. Smith (oneshot) by @evansrogerskitten

Alpha!Dean Smith is just so.. *happy sigh*

Back to Him (oneshot) by @focusonspn

That ending really made this fic for me. It’s such a Dean ending. The determination to put his pain aside and and get someone back.

One Night Lover (oneshot) by @thing-you-do-with-that-thing

As always, I’m sucked in, and I can’t look away. By the end, I’m heartbroken and trying desperately to pick up the pieces and while begging to make it better.

Till the End of Time (oneshot) by @girl-next-door-writes

This made me so happy you don’t even know. I loved this. I love the idea of this. I just- I love this.

The New Sheriff (series) by @iflostreturntosteverogers

I’VE BEEN WAITING FOR THIS TO START POSTING! Bad ass female main with a cowboy!Dean? Fuck yes! Get hyped, and get reading. *impatiently awaiting chapter 2*

Nominated by @thegirlwhorunswithwinchesters

We Know (oneshot) by @icequeen6666

Randomly came across this fic and, well, anyone who knows me won’t be surprised I couldn’t say no to a good dose of pure angst. I loved the pace in this oneshot. It was quick, but still managed to keep the suspense. And the ending broke my heart, as always.

Too Late, Now (oneshot) by @theholyfoxface

I don’t read many RPF’s but this one sucked me right in and there was nothing I could do about it. It was a beautiful combination of heartbreaking and heartwarming in a way I’m not sure how to describe properly. Yet, the author managed to do it absolutely perfectly.

You Scared Us (oneshot) by @theholyfoxface

Always love reading fics by fellow guppies and shining a well deserved spotlight on them through these nominations. This one I enjoyed very much. I loved the way Dean was portrayed as the more reasonable one while still being his stern self, trying to get things done his way.

You, Me & The Devil Makes Three (series) by @supersassyprobablysad

This series is very intriguing. I love the OC’s wit and the overall backstory of her and her siblings. Definitely going to keep an eye out for the next chapters to find out how this mystery will unravel.

Porch Swing (oneshot) by @myinconnelly1

Well, this sure broke me into a million pieces. I’m a sucker for angst and this piece of writing certainly delivered. It’s sad but it’s gorgeous and I’m in love.

A Day at the Cabin (oneshot) by @cloverhighfivewritestoo

All the fluff. This is so sweet, after reaching the end I went back and read it a second time right away. I would also like to say that Sam being the little spoon is something I can 100% get behind. Pun intended.

Let Me Go (oneshot) by @foreverwayward

Though the ‘Always keep fighting’ part definitely got me bad, I was an absolute fool thinking that would be the hardest part. This was so beautifully written, I don’t quite know what to say. I guess the heartbreak I’m feeling after reading this is all on me, since there was a fair warning given right at the top.

Notes (oneshot) by @kittenofdoomage

I stumbled across this fic and I just…… wow. Apart from the signature amazing writing from this author, which I keep getting blown away by, I just really loved the idea for the plot. The way it was set up with the secret blog and the notes while the brothers acted like they had no idea. I’ll say it again: Wow.

Nominated by @kittenofdoomage

Control and Release (series) by @thecleverdame

I lost five hours of my life to this beauty. It’s so perfect. I can’t even find the right words to describe how perfect this is. If you love Sam, and you’re into BDSM, or even if you just like really amazing smut, you need to read this.

The Oath (series) by @thecleverdame

This story is dark, so heed the warnings, but it is another brilliant masterpiece. Absolutely fantastic.

Call Of The Ocean (series) by @flamencodiva and @anathewierdo

There aren’t many mermaid AUs out there, so this is a rare gem. The story that these two are weaving is intriguing, angsty, funny, and just plain awesome. I’m really enjoying reading it and can’t wait to see what happens.

Just A Number (oneshot) by @crispychrissy

I adored this oneshot for all the following reasons; the reader is a badass, Dean is spot-on, and the smut was h-h-hahmazing.

Bury It (series) by @crashdevlin

Heed the warnings on this one, folks, it is not for the faint-hearted. It deals with some brutal themes, but it’s fucking awesome. I’m really enjoying seeing the journey from Dean’s perspective, despite how completely fucked up it is. lol

What Goes Bump In The Night (series) by @saxxxology

If you haven’t heard of Saxxy, you are missing out, especially where it comes to her Sam A/B/Os. This series is no exception to her amazing level of work; it’s dark and twisty and just beautiful.

All Our Sins (oneshot) by @impala-dreamer

It’s smutty, sinful, delicious - you just can’t go wrong.

Nominated by @impala-dreamer

Cherry Red (oneshot) by @dontshootmespence

I’m trying not to nominate you every month, but geezeus… HOLY HELL THIS IS MAGIC SMUT RIGHT HERE. ughhhh i’m a little … emotional about this.

Also, your writing is amazing in this. Like, it FELT like an old timey film and I dug that so much. Great, Great work.

‘He stares up with rapt attention, watching the curve of her body as she places herself over his knee; he’s pretty sure he’s died and gone to heaven, but he’s been to heaven before and it ain’t this fun.’

That line is magic. Mhm. Love it.

My Brother’s Keeper (oneshot) by @cleighwrites

I don’t trust a lot of people to write Wincest with the respect and soul-level love that I believe it should be written with, as such, I don’t read a whole lot of it, except from certain people.

THIS IS PERFECT. It’s hurt/comfort Wincest, which is my absolute favorite, and then you somehow made Sam into the perfect needy sub, and it was so well written and respectful to the idea and the characters and just… it was really really well done. Bravo. Thank you.

Dutiful (oneshot) by @stusbunker

Ya know that scene in Julie & Julia where Julie is trying to describe what eating an egg feels like for the first time and Amy Adams gets all like wide eyed and swoony and licking her lips and just…

Yeah, that was me reading this. God, that was good. Just… I can’t really explain it but I FELT it. Really Really good work.

Nominated by @sorenmarie87

Roots (series) by @manawhaat

I wish I could submit all three parts for a nomination because this mini series featuring JDM is so sweet and fluffy <3 Mana really knocked it out of the park.

More Than Anything (oneshot) by @iflostreturntosteverogers

This fic in particular, I know that Carrie was gonna through a rough time and who doesn’t love a good comfort fic? I know I do.

The New Sheriff (series) by @iflostreturntosteverogers

It’s no lie that I love AU’s and I was so excited when iflostreturntosteverogers said she was gonna write a Western AU. The set up for the first part is perfect and Sara, the OC girl - I would do anything for.

When You Fall (series) by @flamencodiva

I had this particular fic on my list to read for such a long time, and I’m glad I finally read it. The plot is a little heavy but I highly recommend this one. I can’t wait to see what she has in store for future parts.

Nominated by @mrswhozeewhatsis

Anything and Everything (oneshot) by @rockhoochie

I said this in my reblog of this story, but I want to say it here, too: This is freaking BEAUTIFUL! I had to look up the song quoted, and this is just so perfect for that song, and the song is perfect for this story. *throws kudos at Sarah forever*

Nominated by @supersassyprobablysad

Gods of Twilight (series) by @thecleverdame

It was an excellently written and refreshing take on the ABO concept and I really enjoyed it!

Protector (oneshot) by @fictionalabyss

It’s only 3 chapters in but I already can’t wait for the next one. I’m super excited to see where this goes and imagining Dean as a biker does all kinds of things to me lol

Lemon Drop (oneshot) by @impala-dreamer

It’s basically PWP BUT it is amazing none the less. Who knew that a Hypno Kink could be so hot?

Nominated by @fangirlxwritesx67

More in the Mortar Than the Pestle (oneshot) by @thoughtslikeaminefield

This is one lush, sexy story featuring Dean and the always-gorgeous Rihanna. An absolute treat!

Seasons (series) by @thoughtslikeaminefield

I don’t know how I missed this series but let me tell you, no one should miss it! I read the first chapter and wanted to wait, read the rest slowly, slowly. NOPE. I dropped everything, sat right down and read it ALL. It’s a beautiful Dean Winchester x OFC, told in an amazingly creative non-linear format, with chapters that follow the seasons of the year as well as the seasons of their relationship. It’s MJ, so of course I don’t have to tell you that her Dean is spot on, every detail is perfect, and the sex is mind blowing. Just - read it. But be aware that once you start, you may not be able to stop

Try (oneshot) by @there-must-be-a-lock

Look, honestly, Winchester baby fanfics are a dime a dozen. Which makes this one stand out all the more for how good it is. Lou describes it as “flufftastic smut” and it is, it really is. The sex is smoking hot, of course, but there’s so much meaning and emotion to it. I’m a Sam girl anyway, so the whole thing is just *swoons* *cries*

Nominated by @princessmisery666

Magnetic (oneshot) by @crashdevlin

Only a few words yet gave me all the feels. Exactly how I imagine Sam would be *swoon*

Just A Number (oneshot) by @crispychrissy

I am taking part in @beccaanne814 reblog challenge and it’s all about finding new authors and sharing each others works but I think this maybe the third fic of Chrissy’s I’ve recommended because she consistently writes stories I love and this was no exception. She gives me all the feels, laughing, crying, anger, sad. Basically I’m a huge fangirl and I don’t have to right words to express how much I love her work.

Nominated by @wingedcatninja

Good Literature (series) by @peridottea91

I don’t normally have the patience for a series, especially one that is still being updated. Thank goodness I signed up to beta this one because I would have missed out on some truly outstanding writing. The story is compelling, the characterization is on point, and the OC adds an intriguing layer. This could easily be a story arc on the actual show, and I highly recommend it to anyone who enjoys classic SPN.

Nominated by @thoughtslikeaminefield

Shackled (series) by @itmighthavebeenintentional

Valerie has long been one of my fave fic authors and one of my dearest friends. This was such an unexpected but welcome deluge of poetry and imagery. I was on the edge of my seat and breathless every time she sent me an updated Gdoc.

Please, if you read nothing else this month, READ THIS.

Nominated by @mummybear

Rules are Rules (oneshot) by @thoughtslikeaminefield

As soon as I read this fic i was hooked!! I have reread it at least four times at this point!! I freaking love it!! MJ is incredible and so is everything she writes! Since tumblr ate the stupid ask i sent her after reading, I figured I could do this at least :) Much love honey!!

Nominated by @supernatural-jackles

The Fun Behind Conventions (oneshot) by @focusonspn

I came across this bad boy while searching for something else and man was I excited to read this. This fic is hot as hell! Very very NSFW, but holy! There is nothing hotter than this kind of sandwich! It was so well written and the attention to detail left me… let’s just say I’ll be going back to reread this one! Amazing!!

The Accidental Sexter (oneshot) by @scorpiongirl1

This had everything I was looking for! Humor wrapped in a hot fic! Dean accidentally sending a naughty picture shouldn’t be this much of a turn on but this is - this is freakin’ awesome! Words can’t do this one justice! Please, just read this one and you’ll see exactly what I mean! Absolutely awesome story!

High School Bullshit (oneshot) by @fictionalabyss

I don’t know why this one struck me as much as it did. I read this one, then I lost it until I was thinking about it. I searched high and low trying to find it again so I could reread it! I really enjoyed this one because I could relate to it in some way. Never feeling like I could get the hot guy I had a crush on because of high school bullshit. I can definitely relate to this reader and it was nice to see something like this in a fic and have an outcome like it does! Awesome job!

Nominated by @thelittleredwhocould

What Lurks Beneath the Surface (series) by @saxxxology

I. Love. Soulless. Sam. So. Fucking. Much. Also there’s a line about Sam’s nose in the first chapter and I feel. Attacked. So rude.

What Goes Bump in the Night (series) @saxxxology

I love me some dark A/B /O and this series hits all the right buttons. Angst, a dark and gritty world, Alpha!Sam (*heart eyes*). It’s just ugh. So good.

About a Boy (series) by @percywinchester27

I think this series is going to be in my Hall of Fame till the end of time. Ana’s plot pulled my in from the first chapter and I’m so excited to see where this series goes!

There’s Something Strange (series) by @alleiradayne

I found this on AO3 by accident and immediately fell in love. The case is super interesting, the characters are well done, and over all I really enjoyed it.

Her Saviours (series) by @bamby0304

Been doing a lil reread of this series and rediscovering how much I adore it.

I Know Your Wife (She Wouldn’t Mind) (series) by @teamfreewill-imagine

I will forever recommend this fic to anyone who will listen. It’s the only RPF fic I’ll read and it’s just. SO GOOD.

Nominated by @myinconnelly1

Tighter Harder Faster (oneshot) by @impala-dreamer

Alright look this was just straight up dirty. Ok, what else can I saw but that I needed a cold shower after this.The Girl I Knew

The Girl I Knew (oneshot) by @emilyshurley

Uh, what can I say here? I have never been so honored to have fanfic written of my fanfics before, but emilyshurley has given me the highest medal, in the absolute cutest way imaginable.

Gods of Twilight (seires) by @thecleverdame

This fic was binge worthy. I could put my phone down and I simply wanted to hurry onto the next chapter. Seriously don’t read it if you need any time to adult.

The Private Invader (oneshot) by @negans-lucille-tblr

This was some dirty below the belt cheating. It was amazing, and I just was like *heart eyes* the entire way through.

The Truth (series) by @negans-lucille-tblr

While this type of fic is not normally my go to, it truly grips you and puts into the minds of the characters. I was actually scared and ashamed of myself feeling like I had done something wrong, when it was the characters.

Nominated by @tumbler-tidbits

Everything (series) by @there-must-be-a-lock

Sweet Holy Effervescent Jesus this is the hottest thing I have read in a long time! Its raw and messy and desperate, and SO fucking delicious! Lou even managed to get some fluff in too! Do yourself a favor and binge this fic! (just make sure your alone and have spare panties)

Bottle Service (series) by @thoughtslikeaminefield

This is one of my longtime faves, and it never disappoints! My girl MJ captures the true intimacy between the characters and a smut fic has never sparked such emotion in me. It’s beautiful, and passionate and there’s a sequel! It’s called Full Service and it is equally amazing!

Worthless (oneshot) by @maddiepants

This one just ugh *sobs*. Erica captures the struggle of self-harm in this fic very well. Its heartbreaking and soul shattering, but it also reminds you that you can’t trust those voices in your head, and that there is someone who cares about you. TW: thoughts of suicide and self harm.

Hard To Love (oneshot) by @maddiepants

I’m a sucker for a good song fic and Erica does this one justice! She really captures Dean’s self-hatred and really makes you want to wrap our favorite hunter in hugs. My bestie has a gift for the angst, but she gives you fluff too.

His Property (series) by @negans-lucille-tblr

This fic is glorious! There’s angst, fluff, and smut so hot you’ll be a melted puddle of arousal. Believe it or not Bee also managed to make me hate one of my favorite Supernatural characters! There is a definite twist in this one :)

Since You’ve Been Gone (series) by @negans-lucille-tblr

This series quickly captured my heart. I don’t remember what it was that captured me but the mix of fluff, angst, and smut certainly kept me around! The best part? There’s a sequel called “Now You’re Here” and in March she’s releasing Part three of the Trilogy!

Ask Me (oneshot) by @evansrogerskitten

This one is another favorite of mine by my girl Ash! This hits so many of my kinks there are not words to describe the hotness. In fact I’m pretty sure my reblog contained gifs and keyboard smashes lol. Read it! You’ll thank me!

With Wolves (series) by @bamby0304

This one is a classic favorite! This fic was my first foray into the A/B/O world AND series works. I was still somewhat new to the fandom and tumblr when I discovered it and I was immediately hooked! I love the way Amber has incorporated our favorite characters into this alternate universe while still maintaining their cannon personalities. It’s an emotional roller coaster, so buck up and enjoy the ride!

Spanner in the Works (series) by @bamby0304

This one has a special place in my heart! It makes me smile and squee and just overall make a fool of myself. It’s incomplete right now because Amb is on hiatus, but there are seventeen AMAZING chapters that you can read right now! I just love it, plain and simple.

Cupid Can Shove His Arrow Right Up His... (oneshot) by @bamby0304

Since it’s February, I thought it appropriate to share this yummy piece! Holy Fucking shit I LOVED THIS! The attitude, the sass, the fucking innuendos… THE FUCKING! Jesus Christ on a crumbled cracker, This one killed. Go beg Amber for MORE of this! And make sure you say PLEASE! We need to see ALL those scenarios played out… Read this one in privacy ladies and have a helper handy.

Wrecked (oneshot) by @thoughtslikeaminefield

JFC if this isn’t every Jensen girls fantasy! This one just ruined me! Wall sex, hand over your mouth, soft nips and kisses *shudders* give it a read!

Our Little Secret (series) by @sis-tafics

If you’ve got a kink then Jill’s got you covered 😏 This 25 chapter serious has it all! A little angst, a dash of fluff, and whole lot of smut! Each chapter explores a different kink between Dean and the Reader from the Readers point of view while Dean tries to show her how beautiful she is. I recommend you take the time and read the series in sequence, y’all will not regret it!

Midnight Blue (oneshot) by @rockhoochie

This Fic was so fucking amazing! Precise and descriptive words paint an amazingly vivid picture that fills all your senses! You can actually see, hear, smell, and feel the things going on between the reader and Sam! I could be biased since this fic hit nearly all my kinks *fans self* but indulge in this extremely passionate sensory experience for yourself and read it!!

Bruised (oneshot) by @wayward-and-worn

This is oddly sweet and fluffy with a hen pecking Dean, and absolutely fucking hilarious at the same time 😂😂 I love it!

Not Letting Go (oneshot) by @kittenofdoomage

Whoo! I love a good A/B/O fic and this one is delicious! Just enough smut to please you and leave you begging for more!

The Maddening Empty (oneshot) by @impala-dreamer

Whew. I don’t know if it’s my praise!kink or my dom!kink but this little number right here had me wishing I waited to read until after work! This ones a panty ruiner folks!

Notes (oneshot) by @kittenofdoomage

JFC this piece is a dream come true! What would you do if Sam and Dean discovered your smutty fanfiction? Well this hot little number lets you know exactly what they would do!

The Mirror (oneshot) by @wheresthekillswitch

This sweet little drabble speaks volumes for those of us who have insecurities (read: all of us!). Short, sweet, and to the point! Hold your head high.

Only One Woman I Trust (oneshot) by @georgialouisea

This is just absolutely precious! You think you know what’s going on but there’s a surprise! This one will rot your teeth ❤️

Inked Up (oneshot) by @evansrogerskitten

Ever want to know what goes on inside Dean’s head when he sees a hot girl? This fic is super hilarious and totally fluffy! I love Dean’s internal struggle to keep himself in check 😂 this one is fun!

Hunt Hard Play Harder (two parts - link is to Pt. 1) by @rockhoochie

HOLY FUCKING SHIT! This is…. this is just. WOW! Holy Hell I can barely breathe. This one gives you Dom!Dean AND Sub!Dean and both are equally sensual and erotic! There’s even a surprise ending! Which had my pulse racing… Whew 🔥 My bitches y’all will love this one!

Mr. Quackers (oneshot) by @impala-dreamer

They say that crack is whack, well in this case quack is whack 😂😂 This little drabble with have you laughing until you cry, it’s just that ducking funny! (See what I did there?)

Holding On (oneshot) by @idreamofplaid

This is so beautiful and so painful I was teary eyed! They never really show us how the boys deal with their inner demons on the show, but Robin does a phenomenal job of painting that picture!

Clear Your Mind (oneshot) by @impala-dreamer

Oh sweet smiling sinner this was miraculous! So soft, so gentle, so loving… this was Sam making love to the reader and the way he takes care of her makes it that much more passionate! Ladies and gents THIS is how you take care of your lover! Fucking love you Beka!

Thunder Rolls (oneshot) by @amanda-teaches

This was intensely passionate! The sex is hot but the love behind it really makes it great! The authors use of super descriptive descriptions of your pleasure will have you clenching your thighs!

Thank you all for the awesome work and great feedback!

These are not actual awards! This system is set up so everyone in the pond has a chance to share the love and promote a fic/author that has grabbed your attention. The more people that participate, and the more everyone remembers to submit their own fics after posting, the better this will be :D

THANK YOU ALL AGAIN, KEEP UP THE AMAZING WORK, AND AS ALWAYS, HAPPY WRITING!

#afa masterlist #angel fish awards #spnfanficpond #fan fiction #fanfiction #fan fic #fanfic #spn fan fiction #spn fanfiction #spn fanfic #supernatural fan fiction #supernatural fan fic #supernatural fanfiction #supernatural fanfic #fic rec #spn fic rec #supernatural fic rec #spn fan fic

113 notes · View notes

divineluce · 4 years ago

Text

An Impasse || Solomon & Luce

Timing: November 13th

Location: The Outskirts

Tagging: @shroomsbysolomon & @divineluce

Description: Solomon and Luce officially meet for the first time. It goes about as well as you’d expect.

For the third night in a row, Luce laced up her shoes and exited the Vural home. Her homecoming had been… rocky at best. A shitshow at worse. And, what with all of the bullshit she’d found out regarding Nadia, Remmy giving her shit for leaving, and the goddamn menagerie of animals in her room, sleeping was pretty much out of the question. Which left her with two options-- hit up Soul and risk running into frankly Frank again, or go for a run. It was a no-brainer. Jogging into the woods, she made her way through the familiar trails that wound their way behind Bea’s home. She’d run them so often that, even after spending a month out of town, she still remembered every curve and turn in the path. It was easy, it was simple, it was going through the motions. She could do that, right? And then, once she could do that, maybe things would get better. As she ran, Luce noticed a figure off the path, illuminated in the waning moonlight and she slowed to a stop. “You lost there?” She asked, squinting through the darkness.

Solomon had a bad habit of losing himself in whatever he was doing, hyper-focusing to the point that he’d forget the world around him until something demanded his attention. In this case, it was an unexpected voice, jarring him out of whatever reverie he’d fallen into and urging him to whip around, clasping his hands behind his back to hide their wooden appearance as he stammered and stalled. “Oh! No, I, uhh…” His struggle to find the right words seemed to lose importance as he took in the visage of the woman on the trail, and something inside of him got all twisted up. It took a few beats for him to be able to place the sudden rush of emotion, not knowing who she was or why he should suddenly feel… fear? But then it came to him, and all at once, that fear was intermingling with anger. “You,” he grumbled, standing up from his crouch and taking a step toward her. He’d seen what she had done in the forest… and the only reason she still stood was because he had also witnessed her pitiful attempt at making amends. It was enough to stay his hand, but the bitter tang of resentment never left his tongue. “You ought to be ashamed of yourself, burning the woods like you did.” His typically soft voice was harsher now, still low in volume, but it carried a distinct edge. “I’m still trying to repair the landscape. What’s your problem?”

As the man stammered for a moment, Luce rested her hands on her hips, waiting for him to finish his sentence. It was a bit too dark for her to get a good look at him, but she could tell he wasn’t some lost hiker. For one, no one came hiking around here, not at this time of night. For another, if he wasn’t dressed like one. No backpack, no water bottles, nothing like that. But, then he rose and took a step towards her. Instinctively, Luce’s hands curled at her side, the flames that danced in her blood ready to be called at a moment’s notice. “What the fuck is your problem?” She shot back, startled. Burning the woods? For one thing, how did he know about that? For another, which time was he talking about? One of the many rainy nights when she’d hiked out into the middle of nowhere, to practice her flames? Or when she and Anita had run from the shitty moose creature and she’d lit the brush aflame to escape? Or was it the time she’d razed the ground around her and Adam in the wake of Bea’s death? “I don’t know what you’re talking about.” Luce lied smoothly.

“Ooohhh, yes you do,” Solomon snapped, his dark eyes narrowing. “I saw you… fleeing the scene, leaving the poor forest in such a state…” It made his heart ache as he recalled the pain he’d felt that night, the sorrow that rose from the ground as it mixed with ash and embers. He was so in tune with the familiar landscape, so very much a part of it, that any damage it suffered bled over to him. It’s why most things never escaped his knowledge, and why he’d had to bloody his hands over the centuries, stopping men from cutting deeper and spreading further. What he couldn’t mention was how his fear had held him back for the first time — seeing that the woman was controlling the fire and not merely setting it free had stopped him in his tracks. If he died, who knew what would happen to the woods? It was too risky, and the damage had been done, so he’d decided to let her go and tend to the charred earth. Letting out a shaky sigh, Solomon appeared to be trying to calm himself, eyes closing while he regained his composure. “But… I saw you trying to make amends, too, so… I suppose it’s a start.” Peering at her once again, the disguised Leshy lifted a finger to point it at her. “Got my eye on you, though…”

As the man glared daggers at her, Luce kept her gaze level. She didn’t give a shit who this guy thought he was, she’d make his night real fucking bad if he decided to try and pull something. But, when he started yelling at her about fleeing the scene, she blinked in confusion. Was he talking about when she’d blown up the Ring with Erin months ago? Or when she’d tried to blow up the shitty mime restaurant? Christ. She really needed to narrow down her arson attempts. “I don’t know what you’re talking about. And, even if I did, you’re gonna have to narrow it down.” She said with a shake of her head. The man seemed to be… restraining himself? Like he wanted to move against her? Which would be a bad idea on his part for sure. “What the fuck are you talking about? Are you some kind of stalker? Because you picked the wrong girl for that.”

Stalker? Oh. Solomon drew another weary breath, shaking his head as he pushed his anger aside. “The specifics don’t matter, what does matter is your lack of care when it comes to this place.” He gestured vaguely at the trees that surrounded them, letting his gaze slide away from her for the quickest of moments. “Look, I’m just… all I’m asking is for you to please stop burning it down with your fire… hands.” Whatever you’d call that, he wasn’t sure. He’d never really encountered anything like it before, and he didn’t exactly want to make a habit of it, either. “Lot of things live around here, you know, myself included… and we’re not exactly keen on having our home scorched on the regular.” Truth be told, it was something that half the damn town seemed to need to hear, given their track record. It was exhausting work, trying to keep up with every new threat.

“Uh, it sure fucking does if you’ve been following me around like some kind of creep.” Luce said as she continued to stare at the stranger. As he waved around at the forest and then mentioned her firehands, her eyes narrowed. Had he seen her use her magic before? No, he couldn’t have. For one thing, she covered her bases pretty fucking well. And even if he had, why the fuck was he only just now stopping her. “My fire hands? I’ve got no idea what you’re talking about, dude.” She said, shaking her head as though he was speaking nonsense. “I don’t know what you think I’ve done or what you think you saw, but you’re mistaken.” She replied. She wasn’t sure what this guy’s deal was, but it was easier to deny this than to deal with the repercussions that came with someone finding out she was magically inclined.

“I’m not following you, I live here,” Solomon grumbled in return. “I see most things that happen, whether folks want me to or not.” Her continued rebuttals only made him growl in frustration, hands clenched into fists at his sides. “You make fire. I don’t know how, but you do it in a way that… normal people cannot. Your denial does not change this fact.” He considered for a moment that perhaps she was like him—inclined to keep that aspect of herself secret. “And personally, I’ve nothing to gain from knowing that, I would just like to formally ask you to please stop setting fire to my forest. Take your flames someplace else.” Exasperation radiated off of him, but his gaze was steady. A hundred and fifty years ago, he’d have just slain her on the spot. But… he was trying to be a little kinder about it in this case, especially since she’d come back later to plant seeds. The gesture warranted recognition.

He lived here? In the fucking woods? Because that was any less creepy than the fact he’d watched her here. Luce bristled a little as he continued to speak. He’d seen her conjure the flames. How? She’d had run-ins with people before, but she’d always been careful to make sure there was nothing that could ever tie her to the blazes she started. People could look for the ignition point, search for the match or the lighter that didn’t exist because she was the spark. And yet, this fucker seemed to know exactly what she could do. “Let’s say I can do what you say I can do.” She said before gesturing around to them. “Where else would I do shit? If I could make fire, I’m not exactly going to just light up the Common.” She said, though the corner of her mouth turned at the idea. That would be funny, if only for the irritation it would no doubt cause her mother.

Solomon was, by every account, a very calm and level headed creature. That being said, there was one thing he had almost no patience for, and that was the petulance of a young firestarter. His entire existence revolved around a singular purpose, and he could only bargain for so long with people like her. His anger flared at her casual, careless remark, dark eyes widening slightly in disbelief. “Anywhere else, girl. Have some respect for the natural world — you’d be dead without it.” He’d taken another step toward her by this point, and something in his body language had changed. He moved less like a man, and more like… well, it was hard to say in the dark of night. “Stop killing things and find a way to be useful with your talents, won’t you? You came back to plant seeds, so I know you must feel some amount of remorse. Hold on to that, remember that, and do not light another blaze in these woods ever again. Do you understand me?” He was being rather generous, he thought, but if she pushed him further still, he couldn’t see himself keeping his composure.

At the sound of the word “girl,” Luce’s eyes narrowed. Who the fuck did this guy think he was? Folding her arms across her chest, she felt the heat of her body begin to grow and rise with her increasing anger. “Respect for the natural world? You think I don’t have respect for it?” She said with a growl. “Fire is just as natural as anything else here. What happens to a forest that’s overgrown with brush and shrubs? What happens to the trees when they get overcrowded and parasites begin to take over? Overgrowth saps the life right out of the soil just as much as my fire does.” She said before shoving her hand into the soil beneath their feet. Pulling up a handful of loamy soil, she let it sprinkle from her fingers back on the ground. “Ash feeds the forest, makes space for new things to grow. I planted those seeds because it was what should have happened. Death. Rebirth. Life. And death again.” She spat.

“Fire may be natural, but you are not,” Solomon snapped in return. “Forest fires at the hands of humans are anything but natural.” His relationship with humans had been… a bit tumultuous, over the years. While he found them to be an interesting sort, it was true that they had, time and time again, shown him that they cared not for the earth that had so lovingly lifted them from their evolutionary cradle and taught them how to walk. “It is not for you to decide when that cycle will happen, purely because you have no place else to play with your magic. Insolent… insolent, the lot of you!” His voice had raised in volume and boomed unnaturally around them, anger rushing to the forefront as he relived the countless times he’d seen the land ravaged by humans. All across the continent, as he moved from home to home, he’d encountered ones like her. Or at least, the picture of her that was piecing together in his mind’s eye. He’d slaughtered a whole village for poisoning the nearby river, and while that level of unhinged rage was rare for him, it was far from impossible. His glamour flickered, his focus waning as he became more irate with the woman standing before him. “Humans have been nothing but a blight on this world—you’re parasites, feeding off the land while you expand your rotten towns and cities, razing whole forests to the ground without care! That is not the life of someone who has respect for it.”

Unnatural. Yes, because she was unnatural. Who was he to say these things anyways? Obviously not human, but what was he? “You think I play with magic?” Luce said, temper flaring once more. Magic wasn’t a game, it wasn’t some toy to be played with, something casual to be used and forgotten. “Oh, you couldn’t be more wrong about that.” Magic lived in her, it breathed in her, it was a grounding tether of power that challenged her and demanded her to rise to that challenge. His voice rang through the woods, but Luce held her ground. This man-- no, not exactly man, obviously not. Whatever he was, he yelled at her and she resisted the urge to let her flames ignite. It would be so easy, so, so easy to let the blue flames lick the ground and spread. But. It would only be proving him right. Watching him, Luce caught the shimmer to his appearance, saw it shudder and caught a glimpse of what looked like… mushrooms? She couldn’t be sure, because the image disappeared almost as soon as she saw it. “If I’m a parasite, then what does that make you? If I’m so beneath you, what are you?” She asked, goading him on. What did he think he was, some kind of god?

Upset as he’d become, it didn’t matter to Solomon whether or not he’d accurately judged her entire character; he’d seen what he’d seen, and she seemed to think that setting his wood ablaze was a perfectly acceptable way to kill time, so he had no further words for her. His gaze was fixed steadily on her, eyes narrowed into slits as he stared her down furiously. It wasn’t until she called him out, questioning the authenticity of his appearance, that he faltered. Well, it wasn’t so much that she’d seen something—that was happening increasingly often, as of late—but it was her question that had him tripping over his own tongue. “I don’t—that doesn’t matter,” he growled. He didn’t rightly know, since he’d been forced to live alone as little more than a sapling and had never met another of his kind. “We’re not talking about me, we’re talking about you…. and how you really ought to find a better hobby.”

Quirking her eyebrow, Luce heard the misstep in his voice, the falter in his words. “It doesn’t matter?” She repeated, incredulity mixing with venom in her voice. “Oh, so you can dish it but you can’t take it? You can go around, accusing me of being unnatural, calling me out for ‘playing with magic’ but when it gets turned back around, suddenly it doesn’t matter?” She said, nodding. “Well, now, we’re talking about you. Who made you holier than thou? Who crowned you king of the forest? You don’t know anything about what I am, who I am, or what I’m capable of. Because, if you think that me coming out into the forest and setting fire in the middle of thunderstorms is a hobby, you don’t know me as well as you think. Fucking creepy forest stalker or not, you don’t know me.” She shot back.

Frustration was coming off Solomon in waves, brought to life by both his anger with the individual yelling at him, and his own personal battle of not knowing who—or what—he truly was. He always told himself it didn’t matter, but in situations like these, it certainly seemed to. She was right, he didn’t know anything about her, and he’d never allowed himself the patience to try and change that before judging someone. Perhaps… perhaps he ought to give it a try. New millennium, new Solomon, and all that. Waiting until she was done, his gaze averted for the first time since their heated exchange had begun, Solomon interjected with a wavering voice. “If I had a word for it, I’d tell you,” he muttered, the defeat in his tone barely masked by indignation. “All I do know is that I’ve been alive for almost a thousand years, and I’ve always felt compelled to protect my home and my innocent neighbors from people like you.” On the last, accusatory word, Solomon flicked his dark eyes back toward the woman, brow furrowed. “So tell me… why shouldn’t I see you as a threat to the forest? Why should I give you a pass, when I’ve cut others down for smaller offenses?”

“Sounds to me like you should figure your shit out before you go around throwing words like “unnatural” around.” Luce fired back, not giving up any ground in this verbal sparring match. She really didn’t give a fuck who-- or what-- this guy was. She was tired of being used as someone else’s punching bag. She was tired of being the who had to make amends, who had to apologize, who was wrong. “A thousand years? Well, it seems you’re hardly a judge of character if you’ve been around this fucking long and can’t tell the difference between a pyromaniac and someone who gives a shit about this place. Because, this is probably really fucking surprising to you, but I do. I actually do give a shit about this town and this forest and the people who live here. I know these woods, I know the forest, I know the animals who call it home. Maybe not the way you do, but I know them.” She held up her hands, an innocent gesture. “I owned my shit. You saw me plant those seeds, you said it yourself. I destroyed that part of the forest the night that--” She caught herself. This person, creature, whatever. He didn’t need to know why she’d burnt the forest down. Why it had been grief and fear and sorrow that had turned her flames blue, that kept her flames blue. “It happened. And that wasn’t right. So, I went back to make it better as well as I could.”

She was a persistent one, and Solomon could feel that it was wearing him down. This conversation was exhausting, and not doing much more than running in circles, so he caved. Deflating, the fae brought a hand to his forehead and let himself slump against the tree behind him. “Fine. Fine,” he muttered in annoyance, shaking his head. “While I can’t imagine that something would ever drive me to hurt this place like you did, I suppose I’ll have to just accept that fact and deal with it. Just… try to refrain from doing it again in the future, alright? It really does take a lot out of me, trying to fix messes like that.” Heaving a sigh, Solomon waved his free hand in the direction she’d been running when they first encountered one another without looking up at her. “Get out of here, go finish your run. You’ve given me a headache.”

“Yeah, you can’t. And, honestly? I hope you never do.” Luce said, remembering the grief that had overwhelmed her that night, when she’d thrown herself into the forest and done her best to run away from the reality of her situation. She’d started running that day and she’d never really stopped, not even now, when it was over. But, it wasn’t over, was it? Shaking her head, Luce focused her attention on the man who was waving her away. While she was glad that this guy was at least giving up with the whole “protector of the forest” act, she wasn’t a fan of the fact that he was telling her what she should do. Hands still up in the air, she flipped him off, the triangle tattoos on her knuckles a nice added touch of irony. “I’m not in the business of making promises to people. I do what I want. But,” She lowered her hands, and offered a single nod, “noted.” With that, Luce turned and continued on her run, not caring what he thought of their encounter. As far as she was concerned, all this meant was she’d discovered a new self-righteous neighbor.

#p: ai #p: solomon hawthorne #chatzy #wickedswriting #//does luce piss off a forest god? we just dont know

9 notes · View notes

jane-the-zombie · 4 years ago

Text

each dawn i die || felix & jane

TIMING: August 17, Night. LOCATION: Deep Woods off a hiking trail PARTIES: @streetharmacist & @jane-the-zombie SUMMARY: Jane calls Felix to help deal with a problem after she awakens. CONTENT: Addiction warning, Panic Attack, Mentions of murder and gun violence.

Jane dragged the bodies so they were all in a line. Tourists who never asked to run into a feral zombie in the middle of the woods. She didn’t think about the attack as she sat on a fallen log. She crushed the cell phone she pulled off the woman with her hands, and was gingerly holding the one she pulled off the young one as she waited for Felix to come to her. God. She didn’t know who else to call - actually, Jane didn’t know who else she would call. Felix was her first friend, the one that had been there with her since the beginning. Appearing out of the shadows as she set her wedding dress aflame, and never leaving even after all these years. Her first friend. The only reminder of the past she allowed herself to keep. Jane felt the phone screen crack in her hands, the dulled sharpness barely cutting her fingers. “Crap!” She mumbled, looking down at it to make sure she could still use it. She only had one more body to choose from. Jane heard Felix before she saw him, but she doesn’t bother getting up because she’s honestly not certain what to do. She looked awful, hair a tangled rat's nest, the victim's blood mixed with her own on her face and on her body, and she was certain there were bits of brains that she missed. She kept touching her face and her head, feeling for bullet holes or pieces of skull… Jane finally looked up, squinting slightly at Felix’s form.

She opened her mouth, unsure what to tell him. Thank you for coming? Instead she said, “He took my badge.” It was like a missing part of her. It was supposed to be clipped straight to her belt like it always was but it was just gone, along with her gun. “He took my badge.” She said again. She realized that was the only thing she could say. As if Felix would know what that meant. Jane’s eyes watered. She felt grimy and strange, and she had just killed three people. “Right off my belt.” She touched the place where the now broken chain hung limply off her belt.

What was it with humans and dying on him? His head hurt, his eyes hurt. Felix tried his darndest to think of it as cleaning up after a job gone poorly but he couldn't. He swore at himself for thinking like some kinda brute. It wasn't a job. He wasn't a clean-up crew. He was a friend and that thought pushed his foot down harder against the gas. Sure, he didn't know how to drive too well and he didn't have a license, but he had a feeling that Jane wouldn't be in an arresting mood. Not after--Another pull of his cigarette. The fae tightened the belt of his dressing gown as he stepped out of the car. Wingtips weren’t the ideal hiking shoe but he cut through the woods like he took to it naturally. Pulse racing as it was, it would have been impossible not to. Movement caused his to slow some and he huffed a breath as he came to a stop at the sight of her.

“Geez, Jane, there you a--”

His jaw slackened then fell, the unvoiced words tumbling out. A stranger to death, he was not. And there she was, gore and bone strewn about her feet. She was a friend and she had called him. A hand reached up to his glasses and slid them off. Folded them up nice and neat to put into his pocket. His brow furrowed.

“He took your badge? Who did?”

Blood was caked to her skin, her clothes, everything. Jane could feel it. The crusty, dried red-brown liquid, but it didn’t feel as it should. As Felix came closer, removing his glasses, she realized that Jane wasn’t sure she wanted him to look at her. At what she’d done. But it was too late for that now, wasn’t it? She told him outright what she had done on the phone, and he came anyway. Her oldest friend in a -- was that a gucci bathrobe? Her eyes stung and she almost wanted to laugh, but it caught in her throat.

“Who?” She repeated. Who took her badge - except, Felix didn’t care about her badge. He cared about how she got in the middle of the woods, near a few hikers… But her badge. Roy had ripped it off her like it was nothing. It wasn’t nothing. Her job meant everything to her, it was the only thing that kept her grounded and he just took it from her.

Her hands trembled slightly as she went to touch her face, gingerly touching right between her eyes. It didn’t feel like her anymore, but perhaps she expected her face to be blown in. It wasn’t, it was normal. Or as close to normal as it would ever be again. Best not to dwell on the differences. “Roy Chambers.” Jane said quietly. “I was following a lead after a woman connected to him got arrested.” Was she trying to die? Jane wasn’t sure she wanted to think about that this second. Jane swallowed hard. “He - “ She touched her chest, where the hole in her shirt was, singed, right over where her heart should be. Jane touched her face again, remembering the flash as the gun went off in her face. “He shot me. And took my badge. And shot me again.” Jane looked back sadly at the bodies she had lined up in a row, hand playing with the broken chain on her belt.

“It’s gone.”

The cigarette between Felix’s fingers shook. Blood was different than ash and he nearly laughed because, heck, now he had seen her in both. And there was so much of it. Most of it on her. Any wisecracks were left promptly at the door where he had forgone putting any socks on. If his feet hurt, he didn’t notice in the slightest. He sucked on his teeth as he looked at Jane. Concern twitched at the corners of his lips as he patted at his pockets. He was sure, so sure...He whipped out a clean handkerchief with a sigh of relief. Always keep a kerchief on hand, who had told him that? Rothstein? Or Luciano? In case of blood. The noise in his throat was as watery as a grave.

Roy Chambers. The mottled grass flattened under his steps and shadows wisped along his hand as he offered the kerchief to her. “Chambers did this? Shit.” Erin Nichols would need to know, but right then, he filed it away for a different sunset. He had known that Jane would die one day. Had from the moment he saw her and the bite she carried. Plenty of his friends, near and far, had fallen away to the earth as he continued on. It was the very nature of things. Some were born already dying. It made his head, his heart no less, hurt at the back and forth of life and death that some seemed to waver between. Bea, now Jane. Her car in the water had nearly scared him into daylight. Even with the carnage and the loss of life and the knowledge that Roy fucking Chambers, let alone strangers, were killing his friends, he couldn’t help but look at Jane with profound relief. The kind that emptied the lungs of smoke and air.

“We’ll get it back,” he said as he took his fading cigarette out from between his lips. “Hey, Jane?” His tone lacked the jovial tune he would have worn any other night. “You’re not gone though, huh?” Dark eyes glanced at the row of torn apart bodies and the blood Jane wore. “That’s something, right?”

She stared at the kerchief doubtfully as he handed it to her, and she gingerly picked it up between the thumb and forefinger, as if she was afraid of getting it dirty. Jane looked down at herself, at her once-stark white blouse stained a grimey rust color. She wasn’t sure what was her own blood, the victim's blood, or straight up dirt anymore, and she knew her face was even worse. Carefully though, she dabbed at her face. Felix knew who Chambers was -- of course Felix knew who Chambers was. That was a good thing. Right? She swallowed hard, keeping herself from looking back at the bodies for the upteenth time. “I went without backup,” Jane said, closing her eyes. She shut them hard, rubbing them tiredly. Jane knew she shouldn’t have gone without backup, and yet she did it anyway.

Somehow, though, she couldn’t stop thinking about that feeling before the pain sunk into her bones. The good feeling, the rush of dying she got before she actually died. She pressed her lips together, looking up at Felix as he told her they’d get it back. Doubtful, it was probably at the bottom of the lake along with her car. “No, I’m not gone.” Jane agreed. Not gone at all. And suddenly the weight of something hit her -

“I -”

Jane realized what it was. The weight of forever didn’t just go away with death. She stared at Felix, her eyes wide and she clutched the kerchief in her hand. “He took my - He took it. And I killed them.” Jane said. Her hands shook and she took a step towards him. “I need -” Her heart wasn’t beating. She was freaking out, but she couldn’t feel her heart beating. She couldn’t feel the blood pumping in her ears, and she couldn’t feel the rush of adrenaline the panic was supposed to give her. She couldn’t feel that anymore. The tears started without her realizing. “I need you to give me something.”

Felix rubbed the pad of his thumb and pointer finger together as he cherry picked through his thoughts. She went without backup. He wanted to snort. To grab her by her bloodied shoulders and ask why she’d do a thing like that. Wasn’t that against cop creed or something? Sure it was. If anyone knew what went against cop creed, it would have been the guy who actively laughed at it. Then there was a memory of an explosion and she had saved his life and jiminy, it was such a Jane thing to do, going without backup, that he scrubbed a hand over his face. Left his fingers to tap against his upper lip.

“Right, exactly, you’re not.” He lowered his hand to his side as he looked at her full of foolhardy earnestness that steadied him some. Fates, was he getting comfortable with comforting people that had died and came back? Not just people, the people closest to him? The thought of that being a reality roused a pulsing in his head that he tried to shake away. And as quickly as the thought came, it ran away into the woods somewhere as her eyes fell on him and an alarm sounded. He hated how his pulse jumped slightly as she moved towards him. Between the blood and the death, both hers and not, he was as shaken as a martini.

“Wu, hey. It’s alright, it’s gonna be alri--” It didn’t sound good enough to him and he changed course. “You didn’t mean to. He killed you and he dumped you out here.” The word spat out to the bloodied dirt as he said it. “You didn’t mean to kill ‘em, alright? It’s real crummy but you didn’t mean to, it ain’t like you, and it...it happens. It ain’t your fault that you were bit or that you were dumped out here to die alone like you’re nothing--which you’re not--or that these people happened along at the worst fucking time, but hey, ain’t that just life?” He was nearing breathlessness as weeks and months of not quite mourning but still close enough rushed out.

At her question, he finally met her watery eyes. Took in a breath to try and calm himself because hell, the both of them didn’t need to be having breakdowns next to some dead family.

“What d’you need, Jane?”

The shock of not being able to feel things like before blinded her to a lot of Felix’s words. There was supposed to be blood pounding in her ears as her heart raced. The adrenaline would move through her body until her knees shook. But there was nothing. That made sense, she had no blood anymore. No heartbeat. But the rush was gone too. She needed that rush. Why wasn’t it there? Panic consumed her - Jane wasn’t certain she had ever had a real panic attack before, but as her lungs expanded, she almost choked on her words as she stared at Felix with wide, wide eyes. Ain’t that just life? These people didn’t deserve to die. And maybe she fucked up by checking out her lead without backup but she certainly didn’t deserve to be dumped in the middle of the woods like she was nothing.

But she wasn’t nothing. Jane wasn’t nothing. She was here. She was here forever. She was going to be here forever. Jane back at Felix, her mouth dry. “I - it’s - I can’t stop.” Jane realized. Her hands were shaking. She was still clutching the kerchief like it was going to breathe some life into her. The dull softness of the fabric felt nice. She didn’t want to let it go. “Make it stop. Can you make it stop?”

Jane looked back to the bodies - to the pieces of family that she left behind. God, this was her fault. Roy dumped her here, but this was her fault. She started this. “How do I make it stop?” Jane asked, panicked. “How do I make them go away. Make it go away? What do I do? Felix, what do I do now?” Jane realized then she didn’t have a plan for what came next. She never had a plan for what came next, she just lived from adrenaline high to high and without that, all that was left was fear and guilt and regret.

“Please. Make it stop.”

It was the rarest of instances where Felix couldn’t shuffle word after word seamlessly. Splay them out neatly like a winning hand, a smile to match. Death was the deepest of silences. A place where words were snuffed out. And they were just that. Dried out on his tongue until he swallowed them back down until all he could do was look at Jane. Look at Jane and listen. Perhaps, he thought, that was the best thing to do. The right thing. As unnatural as it was to consider what was right and what was wrong. That was for the philosophers and he wasn’t one of those. It didn’t pay.

Her hand was frigid when he grabbed it with his own. He squeezed it tentatively. The fae knew he couldn’t squeeze any life back into her. Empty blood bag after blood bag, brain after brain, until the color came back to her skin. He didn’t know everything, no one did, but he knew that much. As he looked at her, he thought of Remmy. How they wanted the thoughts to stop, to go away. He didn’t consider himself much of a helper, not truly, but right then, he desperately wanted to be. Like he had been before. Maybe nature was malleable to a certain degree, he thought, as he squeezed Jane’s hand again.

“I can’t make it stop,” he admitted with a shake of his head. He dropped her hand, came to stand between her and the corpses she had made. Shadows made their way through false human skin and inhuman eyes looked at Jane. Two dim lights that blinked at her slowly. As if his shadow might overtake the great dark behind him. “But I can help it go away, Jane. For a little bit at least. I’ve got something for that whenever you need it.” The corner of his mouth lifted some. Felix usually did have something, one way or the other. As soon as Jane had told him that she died, he had hunted for the right thing before he stumbled out the door. “Not here though, alright?” He glanced back at the evisceration. “You don’t gotta take care of this but if you want to, I’ll help, alright?”

God, what was Jane supposed to do now? These people would disappear, join the absurd stack of cold missing persons cases in the WCPD… Another mistake, though she supposed this time it wouldn’t go on her record even if it had cost other people their lives. No - stop that. Jane swallowed hard as she, as gently as she could, squeezed Felix’s hand back.

Felix couldn't make it stop right now, but he could give her something later. So she had to make it stop right now. Jane forced herself to remember what to do when she had to defuse a situation. Except she was the situation. She forced herself to take deep breaths, though she noticed that she didn't really need them. Her lungs expanded only because she forced them. It was still a feeling, though. Something to focus on as she stared into the shadows. Somehow, it was better, watching Felix’s shadows come, forming a barrier between her and what she had done. The death she made. She didn’t have to look at it. No one had to look at it anymore, for now, at least. She looked into Felix, into the light in his eyes.

“Felix, I…” Her voice softened from the hard panic it was moments before. Jane wasn’t sure what to say now. What she could say to make this better. “You’re my oldest friend.” She said finally. The truth of the matter. They were friends. Somewhere along the way -- the arresting attempts, the drugs, the years of knowing each other had made them that. And he was the only one she had kept. Her head tilted to the side slightly, the tears brimming her eyes as the cool breeze of the night just barely chilled her skin. “We should get to work.” She fiddled with the broken chain on her belt again, still feeling like a part of her was missing. Jane took a few more deep breaths, feeling her chest contract and expand as she shook her head.

“The fact that you came - after everything - means a lot. You know that, right?” She sniffed miserably. “Especially since I’ll owe you another bathrobe after this.” It was a half joke, and all she could manage. Jane gave him a watery, grateful half smile as she gently used the kerchief to dab at her wet eyes, before saying, “I’m sorry.”

It shouldn’t have been as fascinating as it was. How much weight humans could put into the loss of other human life. Death was a natural end. It was the bridge they all crossed. Some quicker or slower than others. Felix supposed it was different if they were the ones that caused it and Jane...She couldn’t help it, that much he knew. But somehow, through shadow and blood, a different kind of help might be found. The shadows wisped off him like campfire smoke as he looked at Jane.

“Geez, Jane, you calling me old? That smarts. I’m young for a shadow deer, you know,” he said, a quiet attempt at humor. But he understood what she meant. Straight through to the heart of it. “Listen, I just...I’m real glad to be your friend. I want you to know that. I mean, I wouldn’t tolerate just anyone else trying to arrest me after all these years.” He found strength in his words, his oldest friends, and intended for them to lend some to her. Because heck, she needed it and he wasn’t going anywhere for a long time. As it stood, neither was she and he tried not to smile at that. It didn’t seem like the place for it, even if the corner of his mouth curved up slightly.

“You saved my life, Jane, it’s only fair that I help you,” he said to her as he tilted his head. “Heck, it’s not even about that.” His brows drew in. They could stand there and talk about what it meant but there were bodies rotting behind them and blood coagulating. He huffed a laugh and shook his head. Pulled at the sleeve of his bathrobe as if to say oh, this old thing? “Sorry about what? The only sorry thing is that shirt of yours. It’s a mess.” He winked at her. But she was right. It was as good a time as any to get to work. It had been a cool minute since he had to hide a body but surely it was just like getting back on a bicycle. He turned towards the line of bodies with his hands loose on his hips. “What’d you wanna do with ‘em, Jane? Bury them?”

Jane stared at Felix for a long time -- too long -- before the ghost of a grin flashed across her face. “And I don’t just offer handcuffs to every criminal I pass by on the street.” This wasn’t funny and none of this was okay and if Jane thought too hard, she could see a flash of a gun go off. It might not be okay for a long time, Jane knew. Maybe forever. But she had forever to figure out her feelings now, didn’t she? And maybe she didn’t need to be okay right now. Felix was here to help her, for now. And that was good enough for her. Good enough to chase away the horrible thoughts and feelings. They would linger much like the shadows floating out of Felix’s skin, but they could be controlled. She could be controlled.

She reached for him then, the tips of her fingers lightly tapping his shoulder. “You don’t get to come back, you know.” Jane said it before, but the weight of it somehow hadn’t been as heavy as it was now. Felix’s mistakes were permanent, and she didn’t know if she could handle losing a friend like him. Her mistake -- the one with Roy -- was not. She saw the flash of a gun in her face again, and it took her a moment to blink the image away. To reorient herself. Jane’s head tilted to the side slightly, and she glanced down at herself, touching the filthy fabric of her blouse. “Well, it was a bitch to get stains out of anyway.”

Her voice grew distant as she thought about the matter at hand. What did she want to do with the bodies? She pressed her lips together, before nodding once. “Burying them seems right. Deep in the ground, so the animals can’t get them.”

The fae wondered if he tried to bring light too quickly. That wasn’t Felix’s forte and his mouth twisted into a frown but then Jane smiled and he breathed again. It was good to see her smile again, even through the blood and grime. There was a good chance it was wrong to laugh in front of a few corpses but much like light, right and wrong was something swaddled in obscurity as far as he was concerned. It was something he decided on for himself, not old words or people. Jane was his friend. “Oh thank the fates, that’ll help me sleep better during the day.” He said it dryly with a mock roll of his eyes, a nervous laugh in his mouth. “I was getting real worried that you might be two-timing me.”

The mood shifted again and for a moment, his shadows stilled as he looped his thumbs around each other. “I know,” he said softly as Jane tapped at him. Didn’t he just? No amount of blood or bone could bring him back from where he went when the time came. It just wasn’t how he was made. Even shadows had to leave. He didn’t want to think about that and he shook his antlered head. “But we don’t gotta think about that for a while, I still got a few good centuries in me! And you do too.”

At Jane’s words, he started to move. “Right, okay. The car I momentarily borrowed might have one of those foldy safety shovels? I’ll be right back, alright? I ain’t leaving you behind or nothing.” He went and came back by shadow quickly, small shovel in hand as he reappeared before Jane. His voice dropped again as he put a hand on her shoulder. “Hey, if you wanna stay somewhere, my place is yours. I’ll just let Bea know. I don’t think she’ll mind. I got a feeling that this kinda thing is something she’d be real understanding about.” Probably more than expected, honestly, but that was something for Bea to share if she wanted. The last time they had met had gone well and his heart warmed at the thought of it. Granted the circumstances were wildly different. His bare eyes looked at her, his expression as earnest as his voice. As he looked at Jane and heard gunfire, thought of Pat’s Place and the bitterness of poison, his shadows shifted around his inhuman form almost violently. “It’ll be okay, Jane. Maybe not right now or heck, even this year, but it will be.”

At least the laughter was there, even if a little forced. The wry grin on Jane’s face even felt a little genuine. He was wrong, though. She didn’t just have a few good centuries left in her, she had more than that. For a moment, the weight of forever was back on her shoulders and she couldn’t breathe. What would she do when Felix was gone? And what about Marley? Her father? Sister and brother? People that lay in the back of her mind that she told herself she had forgotten were flashing through her mind, and for a second she forgot how to breathe. Would Felix fear the end when the time came? Would it hurt like it had for her? But Felix was right. It was foolish to think about that now. She forced air to enter her lungs again and her mind was still.

He was gone and back before she could even register where he had gone at all. His hand felt light on her shoulder as she pulled her gaze from the headless corpse. Staring at the carnage wasn’t good for her, it almost made her hungry again. She looked at Felix, eyebrows knitting together. “As long as you’re sure she won’t mind. I like Bea,” Jane said, giving him a small smile. She had been awfully kind when they all ran into each other in the middle of the woods. Jane looked at him, and for a moment she felt like she was going to start to sob. Not right now, not this year, or maybe even ever. “I know,” Jane said back, quietly.

The world would keep on turning with or without her anyway. With or without anyone, really. Jane took the shovel from Felix’s hand and looked back at the corpses. The world would miss Albert and his family, but it would move on. Jane could move on. But right now, there was work to be done, bodies to bury, and a death to forget. In a few hours time, the sun would rise, and she would begin the first day of the rest of her life. The first day of forever.

#wickedswriting #para #para felix #felix #each dawn i die #addiction mention tw

12 notes · View notes

karihighman · 5 years ago

Text

An Upstead timeline

Because I was thinking about how far Jay Halstead & Hailey Upton have come, and I just wanted to be nostalgic for a moment. Enjoy my ramblings! (:

The beginnings: season 4

Ah, yes. Hailey’s debut. I loved 4x21 “Fagin” for that reason. Also, Jay’s first impression of her seemed to be like “dang this girl is sassy...but I’m not complaining” haha.

Also we can’t forget the sass Hailey displayed in the survelliance van. 😂 Legendary. And Jay kept up w/it too. We love a sarcastic duo - even before they were partnered up!

Anyway, the next episode was when Hailey officially joined Intelligence. A moment of awkward silence for the two of them trying to shuffle around each other when Voight gave Hailey Jay’s desk because she was now partners w/Erin. Oops. Too funny.

Then of course, the season 4 finale saw Hailey be invited out to Molly’s with Jay, Adam, Kevin, & Will. She had the memorable “I’m Greek, we see tragedy in everything” line, along with that first of many looks she’d give to Jay after a conversation - longing & wistful. 😔

The new divide: season 5

Season 5 saw Hailey and Jay become partners & already they were there for each other when Jay had a tough case. While we didn’t see it air in the actual episode, there was a deleted scene from 5x01 that showed Hailey telling Jay that she’s “got his back.”

As the season progressed, we saw them continue to be there for each other as a source of support. Remember in “Fallen” when Jay kept checking up on Hailey’s “relationship” with fellow officer Sean McGrady?

“Is this really about the case?”

“See ya tomorrow.”

“Ooookay.” — yeah okay Jay we see u.

The next few episodes were Jay’s big arc in s5 where he dealt with being undercover while dealing with PTSD. Hailey was “neutral” at first, because she didn’t know Jay well enough to know how this would affect him, though she’d see it soon enough when he pointed a gun in her face at the end of 5x07. Even after that incident, she still called him to check on him. Now that’s a quality partner.

Another telling moment for their partnership was when Hailey went to bat for Jay with Camila. She knew if she talked he’d be in big trouble, so she had to do something to help him. She still made sure to remind Camila that she would “bury her” if she didn’t keep her mouth shut about Jay. Damn, remind me not to get on Hailey’s bad side. 😯

She even convinced Jay to go to therapy — how amazing is that? She helped him get help.

There were a few lighter, fluffier moments for their partnership as the season progressed, which you can see below —

And then came my favorite episode for them - Ghosts.

Hailey got tangled up with Booth who got her old partner killed. Jay, being her new partner, was concerned about how close Hailey was getting...not only to the case, but to Booth, as Booth was bordering on obsessed w/her.

He bailed her out, but then then two argued at Hailey’s UC apartment (hello, married couple moment haha) - But despite that, he still helped her go on w/the undercover plan.

Cue Jay going under as Ryan, a dealer that Hailey (as Kelly) knew. Things got even more awkward for the trio when Booth asked “Ryan” how many times he screwed “Kelly.” Yikesarama.

Towards the end of the episode, Booth got handsy with Hailey, which put Jay in an awkward position. He tried to keep his cool, but then the deal was blown. Hailey being the badass that she is fought off Booth, but it was Jay who brought her back down to reality to keep her from doing something stupid (even though let’s be honest, Booth deserved a few more kicks in the head).

The kicker of the episode came when Jay went to check on Hailey, and the two would start what would turn out to be “their thing” aka - drinks and long conversations about their cases & the feelings surrounding them. Hailey opened up about Booth and Garrett, and Jay listened. He was there for her, and that’s when they really started to form something special. Something that was more than just a typical partnership.

The rest of the season would only build on that momentum, bringing out little pieces of Jay and Hailey’s pasts, as well as how they dealt with things amongst the team. Jay lent Hailey a supportive hand (literally) when Al died in the season 5 finale, & in a deleted scene, the two offered comfort to each other at the vigil Intelligence held.

Care & being there: season 6

Jay and Hailey’s partnership grew even more so during s6. Their first major moments came in the crossover episode, when Jay was shot. Hailey was distraught, but it was more than that. She thought he was dead, & she thought she’d lost him forever. Her emotions were running high and she pushed down all those feelings that had come bubbling up to the surface. But they were there.

(Unfortunately she compensated by sleeping with Ruzek, thus beginning Upzek. Ugh. Anyway).

Even though she started a fling-turned-semi-relationship with Adam, Hailey & Jay still leaned on each other.

When Hailey dealt with a tough case, Jay was there for her. He made sure she was okay. Heck, even Adam noticed & told her, they should talk you know, “partner to partner.”

The following episode saw Hailey help Jay when his judgement was colored by his war past. She then reminded him of the famous “thing that works between them” and offered to buy him a beer to chat. He accepted.

When Jay found out about said romance, he was taken aback and you could tell by the look on his face that he was hurt...but honestly, maybe a little jealous. I think this solidified his feelings for Hailey, even if she didn’t wanna admit her own to herself yet.

“We’re good. And we’re always gonna be good.” -Jay to Hailey

6x12 has them do another heart to heart conversation, only for it to be interrupted by Ruzek, who called Hailey. Jay told her she should go, and even though she said okay, you could tell she didn’t really mean it. Just like Jay didn’t really want her to go. But these two have gotten good at hiding their feelings by now.

*forgot to add 6x14 when Hailey was kidnapped (along w/Kim). You could see the look of complete distress on Jay’s face when he & Kevin raced out to the truck, just missing it. Then when Adam told him they “should’ve been all over them” Jay went on the defensive, telling Adam “he didn’t know what went down” because he wasn’t there. Ruzek, Ruzek, Ruzek...as if Halstead wasn’t beating himself up enough! Even though later in the ep, Adam and Antonio were the ones to find Hailey & Kim, you saw Jay later ask if she was okay; and you saw the camera pan to both of their expressions when Voight gave the “work things at work” talk. Jay felt bad knowing he didn’t do his job at protecting his partner; Hailey was starting to debate her relationship with Ruzek on the job.*

6x15 offered us the iconic scene of “if I was gonna follow someone blind, I’d follow you” which we now know is essentially Hailey-speak for “I love you.” Because she told Jay that she’s trusted him from the day she met him. How freaking adorable is that?

Fast forward to the s6 finale & you’ve got a whole lot more feels between these two. From Jay’s line of “I’m going where you go” meaning he to would follow Hailey; to his protecting her FIRST without regard for his own life (actually literally using himself as a human shield!); and then of course, their heartbreaking conversation in the break room.

“We’ve only been partners a couple years...you’ll forget about me just fine.”

“Hailey... [no].”

aka - Hailey was scared of losing him again & not knowing if they’d be partners again, so she bit down on her feelings and brushed it off. Jay did the same, although he looked as if he was going to spill any second of that scene. You know what I mean.

You could see the looks in their eyes — they were saying everything without actually saying a word.

This episode was when the both of them seemed to accept their feelings of each other to themselves — as in, they admitted it to themselves, even if they weren’t ready to share them with each other. 💙

Deeper feelings: season 7

And now we’re onto s7, where even in the premiere, you could see how in sync Jay and Hailey were. The two worked together to help their boss, and they relied on each other more than ever to get the job done. Hailey supported Jay, even if she didn’t always agree with him.

Later on in the season, we saw him do the same thing. Although, when Voight split them up in 7x03, they weren’t happy about it. Jay showed his emotions with a look, while Hailey vocalized hers to Voight. Hailey = 😠 there.

In the crossover, we saw a concerned Jay over Hailey being quarantined, but also a concerned Hailey when Jay was taken hostage by Seldon. She even went all Sniper to save him! Go Hailey go!

They continued to work alongside each other, mainly in surveillance (apparently those two have a thing for vans 😉) to help the unit solve cases.

Jay had another tough case in 7x06, and Hailey noticed how much it affected him, even if she didn’t say it right away. Jay would do the same for her in the next episode when her CI was shot, with looks and a concerned voice like she had done with him.

And now we’re at 7x09, aka the fall finale from hell because Jay’s life is in the balance.

And Hailey Upton is livid over it. She was so desperate to get Jay back safely that she pushed the limits to find him. And just when she FINALLY did, he was ripped away from her yet again. Heartbreakingly tragic for these two...almost like a Romeo & Juliet vibe. 💔

Here’s hoping Jay will be okay in 7x10 when Chicago PD comes back in January, because Hailey really can’t lose the man she loves. I think this made her realize just how much she cares. And he cares so much for her.

Upstead ship captain Jesse Lee Soffer said it best: if you were to ask Jay or Hailey, “do you love him/her?” They’d say yes. As for what kind of love that is, they aren’t 100% sure yet...

because they haven’t even admitted their feelings to each other yet. But anyone can see that they are there. Pure and genuine feelings. Love. Respect. Admiration. 🖤

74 notes · View notes

cchellacat · 6 years ago

Note

Destroyer prompt: convincing Chris not to go undercover with Erin. 😘

“Chris, I can’t do this again, last time you were gone for eight months. Don’t take the job, please.”

Her voice shook on the last word. She was begging him. The last undercover mission he took had lasted much longer than it was meant to and in that time Kat had had to bite her lip and lie any time people asked her where he was or if they’d broken up. It had been nerve wracking.

The FBI were never forthcoming with information on ongoing op’s and it seemed girlfriends didn’t rank up as high as agent’s wives, so she had been left in a void. No contact with Chris and no information, not even a confirmation that he was alive. She loved him, she really did, but this was a deal breaker. She couldn’t wait around again, not like this. She needed him here with her, she needed commitment. She needed him to choose her.

Chris looked up at her from his seat at the breakfast bar, a cooling cup of coffee only half drunk at his elbow.

His eyes met hers and she looked back at him helplessly. From the minute they’d met she’d known she might never breakdown the wall around his heart. He’d been hurt before, he kept himself tightly reigned. For Chris it was about control, everything in it’s place, things neatly lined up, all ready to fall where he directed. But she wasn’t a game piece on his chess board. She deserved better than this. Either make the commitment or let each other go, that was the ultimatum she had on the tip of her tongue. Choose me, pick me or don’t come back.

She felt tears prick at her eyes as he continued to look at her, seemingly unmoved by her desperate plea. Kat closed her eyes, the words dying on her lips. That’s not who she was, she wasn’t going to force him into something he didn’t want just to prove he cared about her.

She turned on her heel and grabbed her bag and coat, pocketing the car keys.

“I have to go, or I’ll be late… Just… Chris, please just think about it? You need a break, you’re only just back… Maybe a little more time to decompress between op’s would be good for you…” She trailed off as his eyes drifted down to the coffee mug, bringing it up to sip.

She made her way to the door and let herself out. The truth was that ever since coming back from his last undercover assignment he’d been different. Quiet. The easy smiles, the softness of him, somehow covered in a brittle shell. The man she fell in love with was still there, he was just harder to reach.

Kat tossed her bag in the passenger seat and slid into the car. She braced her hands on the wheel and bit back the tears still threatening to fall. She counted to ten and then did it again and again. She would not cry.

The startling knock on glass jolted her out of her self imposed mediation.

She lowered the window and smiled at her next door neighbour.

“Hi David, what’s up?”

“Hey, Kat, I hate to ask you this, but could you come give me a hand, I’ve dropped my house keys in the storm drain, and you have such small hands, I think you might be able to reach in and get them?”

“Sure, I’ll give it a shot.”

She smiled and got out of the car, intending to go around the back and grab her dad’s fishing pole from the trunk which would be a better bet than her trying to jam her hands between metal grates.

The loud bang echoed out over the street as an oncoming car’s tyer burst. She turned at the noise and froze, unable to move as the car came barrelling towards her. It happened too fast. There was nothing anyone could have done to stop it.

Chris listened as the door closed behind her and let out a sigh, rubbing at the back of his neck tiredly.

If he’s honest he’s been waiting for it to happen for a while. Every day since he got back from assignment months ago, he’d been waiting for the other shoe to drop, for her to leave him.

He wasn’t the same man. The last case had fucked badly with his head. He’d been seeing a therapist on the side, one his bosses didn’t know about. His nightmares so bad he didn’t sleep most nights, just lay in bed watching her sleep.

She was the only thing that seemed real and he knew he was making her miserable, he didn’t understand why she was still here, not with the way he’d been pushing her away and ignoring her. The number of times he just couldn’t seem to find the words because she was the only person he couldn’t bullshit and lie to.

He’d make a promise he wouldn’t ever lie to her, it had meant silence more often than not, partially because the truth hurt to much to speak out loud and partially because he swore to himself that he’d keep that promise if it killed him.

He tossed the mug in the sink and leaned over the to look out the window. He could see her sitting in the truck, hands braced on the wheel.

He hated what he was doing to her, he’d been sure that she’d break up with him before she left this morning. He’d told her last night at dinner about the new assignment. It would have been kinder to just tell her to leave him, but he could’t bring himself to pull the trigger in their relationship. He loved her. God he loved her so much but he didn’t deserve her.

Then the sound of a tyre blowing out had him crossing to the window, he found the car and saw the driver lose control of the wheel. Watched as it swerved, heading straight for Kat’s truck.

Icy dread caught him tight in its grip as he spotted her standing there, right in the path of the car. His shout of warning unheard through the windows. He could only watch as the events unfolded.

——————————————————-

The hospital waiting room was cool. The stale air tinged with the smell of antiseptic and the underlying stench of blood. He stared at his hands, stained brown, the crust of it under his nails.

There had been so much blood. It had pooled around her head and shoulders, he’d ignored every piece of training he knew when he’d run out to the street, the only thing he could think of, to hold her in his arms.

She hadn’t woken, her head had struck the ground hard when David had pushed her out of the way of the car, the poor guy had died a second later after saving her, the car hitting him and crushing him between the hood and the side panel of the truck.

He’d held her till the ambulance had shown up, willing her to live just a little longer, talking to her, saying all the things he should have before, but had been too stubborn to say.

Now all he could do was wait for her to wake up. He paced for a while, thinking of the young woman he’d met the day before, Erin. She was a mystery to him, no formal training for the job, he’d been worried she wouldn’t be able to handle the work, had felt responsible for her. She had surprised him with her grit, he could admire that determination. Whether it would see her through the assignment or not he didn’t know, nor would he.

Chris pulled out his phone. Dialling the number he’d had on speed dial for the last ten years.

“Collins”

Jim Collins barked into the phone, something had already got his temper in a twist but right now Chris didn’t care how tetchy the man was.

“It’s me. I’m off the assignment. I can’t take it.”

Collins voice rose a notch until Chris had listened to his bullshit enough.

“I quit. I’ll hand in my badge ad gun as soon as I can. Kat’s in hospital I need to look after her and I’m not going back undercover again.”

The silence on the line was only slightly unnerving.

“Don’t be so dramatic Chase. I’ll sign you off, two weeks. When you come back you can take the damn promotion McDonald wants you to have and run your own damn division see how you like it.”

The call winds down quickly and Chris is left reeling from the sudden shift in his world. No more undercover.

He slipped back into the hospital room and sat by Kat’s bed, taking her hand in his and watching the monitors as they counted out the beat of her life. This is where he belonged, with her.

Consciousness drifted in slowly accompanied by a slow throbbing pain in the back of her head.

Kat squinted, blinking as she opened her eyes. Her mouth was dry and her whole body felt like a giant bruise. Turning her head she found him, slumped in a chair next to her bed. He looked peaceful, his face relaxed, his mind lost in the depth of dreams. His hair looked like he’d been running his hands through it frequently and his shirt was rumpled to a ridiculous extent. How long had she been here?

“Chris?”

He jerked in place then sat up fast, eyes when he saw her awake.

“Christ, your awake.”

He left the chair settling on the edge of the bed and taking her hand in his.

“You’ve been unconscious for three days. How are you feeling?”

“Parched.”

She answers him, feeling an odd fondness in her chest as he scrambled to get her some water and a straw. She drank slowly and watched as he fiddled with his watch. He was never this unsettled or fidgety. He kept looking at her and smiling too. When was the last time he’d looked so happily at her?

“Okay, I hit my head, right? Isn’t it me that’s meant to be the one not acting like myself…?”

Chris bit his lip, worried at at for a moment before speaking.

“I’m sorry. When I saw you…. Kat, I nearly lost you. You’ve always stood by me, through everything, even when things got bad, you didn’t give up on me. Even when I pushed you away you kept trying to reach me. I’ve not been there for you. Nearly loosing you, fuck… I’m… I need you to know things are going to change, I mean it. No more undercover work. I’ll be on a desk from now on. I hope I haven’t blown it, that we can still-“

She cut him off, one finger pressed to his lips as his eyes filled with unshod tears, hers too, were glassy with emotion.

“I love you. Do you love me?”

His reply came instantly.

“I love you, I am so in love with you it scares me princess.”

“Then that’s enough. Just promise, you won’t stop talking to me again. It hurt, it really hurt.”

“I swear. From now on, no more silence. I never want to miss the chance again to tell you how important you are to me.”

She felt the tears spill down her cheeks at his word, reaching for him. He moved forward, drawing her into his arms and held her close. She still hurt, outside and inside but she felt hopeful. She could see it in his eyes, something had changed.

———————————-

6 Months Later

“Chris? We need you on the Nevada desk, some OP you were involved in way back just blew up. Complete clusterfuck. Collins wants your assessment of a sheriff deputy they had UC. Looks like she went native.”

Chris took the case file and flicked it open. The photo of Erin looked back, she looked bad, strung out. Fuck. He knew she was too green for the OP.

“Tell him I’ll be down in five. Looks like we’re pulling overtime then.”

His colleague nods and leaves the office as Chris picks up the phone.

“Hey baby, gonna be late tonight, I’ll call if I won’t make dinner okay?”

Kat’s sweet voice drifted over the line assuring him it was fine,

“How the bump?”

He chucked as she lectured him in not calling their baby a bump.

“I promise I won’t miss the appointment tomorrow, I’ll be there.”

He could hear the smile in her voice as she said goodbye.

He put the phone down and shook his head sadly as he picked up the file again. Such a waste of a career and a life. He was just thankful he’d stayed where he was and not got mixed up in the whole mess. He briefly touched the wedding photo in his desk as he passed it. He was exactly where he was meant to be.

46 notes · View notes

callunavulgari · 5 years ago

Text

YEAR-IN-BOOKS | 2019

So. Last year I read 89 books. The year before that I read 39. The year before that I read 23. This year I have (thus far) read 110 books out of my goal of 100 and will likely finish both The Secret Commonwealth and The Library of the Unwritten before the end of the year. I may even finish another depending on which audiobook I go for next. So I’m gonna talk a lot. Again.

1. a book you loved?

Again, I read a lot of books this year. It was a great year for books. I discovered Brandon Sanderson, which has been amazing. I reread at least two different favorite series, some graphic novels, a few books that would ordinarily be outside of my typical genre. But I’m going to pick Red, White, & Royal Blue, which was probably the one I loved the most. Casey McQuiston, for those of you who weren’t in The Social Network fandom, wrote a really fantastic RPF in like 2011 or so. It was gorgeous and while I’m sad that it was never finished, I can still appreciate the crap out of it. RWARB is a story about the son of America’s first female president falling for the Prince of Wales. It is everything I loved about fics like The Student Prince and Drastically Redefining Protocol and more. It’s best universe 100% and I will probably be rereading it within the next few months because I loved it to pieces. Also, it won both best romance and best debut novel on goodreads by a pretty large margin, which is amazing!

2. a book you hated?

I think the only book that I absolutely hated this year was The Gunslinger. Which sucks because a lot of people recommended that one pretty highly, but I either reluctantly enjoy Stephen King’s books or I outright loathe them. My review, directly from goodreads, with a rare one star rating:

“Thing number 1: same guy who did the audiobook recording for The Stand did this one as well. Bad enough. Thing number 2: I forgot how badly Stephen King writes women. I got to listen to this narrator read a scene where a woman has an orgasm because the main character is exorcising a lust demon out of her by shoving a gun into her unmentionables, and then I got to hear someone described as "falling whorishly." DNF at 75%. Sorry. I just could not do it. Falling whorishly was the straw that broke the camel's back.”

3. a book that made you cry?

I definitely cried when I finished The Hero of Ages, which is the third of the original Mistborn trilogy by Sanderson. Without spoiling things... I was definitely crying by the end of it. Might have been crying at the end of the first in the series too. The only other ones I can think of that may have made me sniffle are Everything I Never Told You and To Be Taught, If Fortunate.

The first because it’s a wonderfully crafted little tale about a family getting torn apart when their daughter dies tragically. The whole thing is pulled wonderfully taut with tension, and each of the character’s snippets into Lydia’s life before her death leads you to more and more discoveries until finally everything comes together seamlessly in the end.

The second because it is a little, little book about a big, big universe and is just so achingly beautiful and big inside that it hurts.

4. a book that made you happy?

I mean, I’m tempted to Red, White, and Royal Blue again because it is 100% the one that made me happiest. I was grinning like an idiot half the time I was reading it. But, because answering the same book for two questions seems cheap when I’ve read over 100, so I’m gonna go with King of Scars, which is the sequel to the sequel of the original Grisha trilogy by Leigh Bardugo. It took the best things about the original series and combined it with the best parts of Six of Crows and left me with a super riveting, fun read.

5. the best sequel?

Gah, I read so many series this year, so this is kind of hard. I have two answers!

The Well of Ascension, which was the second of the Mistborn novels and probably my favorite and The Lady’s Guide to Petticoats and Piracy, which in my humble opinion was leagues better than The Gentleman’s Guide to Vice and Virtue. Not that it was bad, I’m just starved for stories about smart sexy ladies who become pirates and flirt with other pretty pirate ladies.

6. most anticipated release for the new year?

Return of the Thief by Megan Whalen Turner is still my answer to this one. The release date got pushed back to August of next year instead of March of this one, so provided it doesn’t get pushed back again - that is 100% my answer. Some others I’m excited about: The Nobleman’s Guide to Scandal and Shipwrecks, which I found out about two minutes ago, the as yet untitled Stormlight Archive #4 which is apparently coming out in November next year, and like six books that don’t have release dates yet so probably won’t come out until 2021. Oh, oh, oh, and The King of Crows, the fourth in The Diviners series, which I forgot was coming out in February!

7. favorite new author?

Easily Brandon Sanderson. Most of my other favorites that I really loved were all authors I’ve read before. Sanderson was my Rothfuss of 2019. Discovering his books changed my whole damn year.

8. favorite book to film adaptation?

I didn’t reread the series this year, but HBO put out their adaptation of His Dark Materials and it has been absolutely amazing so far! I’m blown away by every single episode and can only hope that the second and third seasons will be this good.

9. the most surprising book?

Okay, so there’s this book that I picked up randomly at the library because I liked its cover. It’s called The Hundred-Foot Journey by Richard Morais and it’s about an Indian boy who grows up to become a world famous chef. It’s so, so rich. The detail is wonderful. You can taste the food, feel the sun, be a stranger in a market somewhere in France. It was a true delight of a book and definitely one of my favorites.

10. the most interesting villain?

I read Codename Villanelle shortly after I got into the TV show, and it was actually a surprisingly good book. She’s a great villain. However, I also read Forest of a Thousand Lanterns, which you don’t even realize is about the evil queen until you’re like halfway through the book. That one was really, really well done and I need to get around to reading its sequel.

11. the best makeouts?

I’m tempted to say Chilling Effect because there’s just something about a sassy space pirate making out with her alien crew member whose skin can make her go into anaphylactic shock that really appeals to the part of me that shipped Sheppard/Garrus from Mass Effect, but there were two really steamy ones in The Hating Game (elevators) and Ninth House (slightly dubcon-y bit because one character is drugged, but super searing anyway?).

Also the bit in Red, White and Royal Blue where they make out against a painting of Hamilton in the White House will probably get me every time.

12. a book that was super frustrating?

Again, But Better was a pretty decent book over all. But there were slightly too many pop culture references and listening to an audiobook where the characters are signing along to Blink 182 along with several other songs was a little cringey because the narrator did not actually sing, just kind of singsongy shouted. It was weird.

The Alchemist was also really slow going for such a short book but was over all pretty good.

13. a book you texted about, and the text was IN CAPSLOCK?

I have no real life friends who really read and it is fucking tragic, so the closest I got was recommending a bunch of books to my mom and going off on tangents about how good they were. I think I might have ranted to Nick about a couple of them too.

14. a book for the small children in your life?

I reread The Bartimaeus trilogy again this year and it’s a kid’s book series that I would recommend to literally anybody because it might be my favorite series ever? I also read Lockwood & Co, a kid’s series by the same author who did Bartimaeus, which was fantastic because I didn’t even know he’d written anything since Bartimaeus? It didn’t quite compare, mostly because I adore Bartimaeus way too much, but was still highly entertaining. Spooky kid detectives hunt ghosts!

15. a book you learned from?

While I did not read a single non-fiction book this year (again, whoops), a lot of books are informative even if they’re fiction. Hell, I learned more about cooking from The Hundred Foot Journey than I have in any cookbook out there.

16. a book you wouldn’t normally try?

Maybe Challenger Deep? I’ve been branching out more, so it’s getting harder and harder to tell which books I wouldn’t normally try. I did read like three exclusively romance novels this year, which was a bit odd for me.

17. a book with something magical in it?

I still say all books are magical. And definitely a lot of the books I read were magical, but probably the one with the most magic was The Starless Sea by Erin Morgenstern, which was a meticulously crafted love letter to all stories and fairy tales. It was really magical and definitely lived up to The Night Circus. If she keeps up like this, I won’t even mind the decade between publications, because she has a hell of a way with words.

18. the best clothes?

Maybe either The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo (the descriptions of her gorgeous silky green dresses made me deeply envious) or Three Dark Crowns (which had neat food and clothes from what I remember)

19. the most well-rounded characters?

All of Sanderson’s stuff has great characters, but Everything I Never Told You is still probably the one with the best. Celeste Ng is really, really good at making you feel each of her characters down to their marrow.

20. the best world-building?

To Be Taught, If Fortunate was very much wow when it comes to the world building. But so was Ninth Gate and The Alloy Era of the Mistborn novels (sequel series to the original series that takes place hundreds of years after the first series). I also read Saga this year, a graphic novel series about a man and his wife on the run from their governments with their baby daughter because their species are in a long standing war and nobody wants anybody to know that they can procreate. That has some fantastic world building.

21. the worst world-building?

Maybe What If It’s Us? I found that one largely boring.

22. a book with a good sidekick?

Definitely any of the Alloy of Law books. Wayne is a wonderful sidekick and all of the other “side characters” in that series are fantastic.

23. the most insufferable narrator?

Ugh, the Gunslinger. Both the character in the book and the person who narrated the audiobook.

24. a book you were excited to read for months beforehand?

I think the only ones I was really excited for head of time were the two Folk of Air sequels by Holly Black and The Starless Sea. I still need to read Call Down the Hawk, and I’m currently reading The Secret Commonwealth, the sequel to His Dark Materials which I’ve been excited about since I learned that it would be a thing.

25. a book you picked up on a whim?

You already know about The Hundred Foot Journey. We Are Where the Nightmares Go and The Monster of Elendhaven were also both randoms that I picked up during the Halloween season that I really enjoyed.

26. a book that should be read in a foreign country?

The Hundred Foot Journey. 100%

27. a book cassian andor would like?

I still don’t know what to make of this question.

28. a book gina linetti would like?

Probably any of the steamy ones? I honestly don’t know.

29. your favorite cover art?

Probably The Ten Thousand Doors of January. It’s very pretty and flowery and the book itself is fantastic. I also really like the cover of David Mogo, Godhunter.

30. a book you read in translation?

I think The Alchemist was the only book I read that was translated from another language.

31. a book from another century?

Ha! North and South was first published in 1854. Other than that the oldest ones I’ve got were written in the 80s (Shards of Honor, Ender’s Game, and The Alchemist) or the 50s (The Two Towers).

32. a book you reread?

This year I reread the Bartimaeus Trilogy, the Temeraire novels (and then finished the last two I hadn’t read yet), Sabriel, and The King of Attolia.

33. a book you’re dying to talk about, and why?

I have clearly talked enough at this point. I think the only one that I loved that I didn’t get a chance to talk about already was Horrorstor, which is a book about haunted Ikea (basically). It’s fantastic and hilarious and spooky and now that I think about it Gina Linetti would probably like it. Oh, and The Bear and the Nightingale trilogy, which was a retelling of an old Russian tale. It was great.

TLDR; Read Sanderson’s books, Leigh Bardugo’s books, and whatever Casey McQuiston writes for the next 30 years.

#heather says what #new year's memes #2019 #books to read #recommendations #fuck yeah recs!!#this was a mistake why am i still awake #oh right because i can't shut up and talk about books for two hours #in a post that will largely probably only be read by myself a year from now #it's okay though because i like looking back on them

1 note · View note