#everyone is a victim of tanya

[m4chus]

was listening to kanye and remembered this meme existed

[izzabela]

Could you please write about earthrealm reader gets talked into by a few of the other champions to go back to outworld and when she does, she finds Syzoth at the entrance and spends the day with him and before she leaves he asks her to stay with him bc he loves her and wants to be with her?

Inter-dimensional Love - Syzoth x fem!reader

in which Syzoth falls for you at first sight

a/n: something something syzoth would be such a devoted husband

ship[s]: syzoth x fem!reader

warning(s): none, post kanon

"No, I'm not going!" you squeal behind your dorm door. Kung Lao and Johnny are trying to push in, though, shoulders ramming into the door.

"Come on, dragonfly!" Johnny draws your name out. "You have to go! No one'll be here since it's everyone's shooting day for my moooovieeee!"

You groan, weighing your options for your weekend plans. Yes, it would be great to train alone, even better without your idiot friends around. But, you're alone- and to be fair, it would be pretty fun to see the creative process of Johnny and his movies.

"Move out of the way," you tell them from the door. You can hear them step away, and you take this time to grab a little crossbody bag to shove some essentials in.

Opening the door, your hands are on your hips. Johnny is full on grinning, and Kung Lao is immediately behind you to push you to the portal.

"Finally! I am no longer a victim to Johnny!" he cries happily, and you roll your eyes playfully as you're being led.

You (joyfully) endure bickering between Johnny and Kung Lao before finally meeting up with Raiden and Kenshi. Raiden waves while Kenshi gives a nod of acknowledgement.

"Good afternoon, are you joining us today?" Raiden asks, and you sigh as you shrug.

"I was drugged and dragged out against my will," you feign depression and mimic a helpless maiden. Kenshi chuckles.

"As much as I hate shooting, Outworld is a beautiful place," all of you walk through the portal. "Just remember that it's temporary, and that we are just guests."

You nod, and the image of the maple trees and greenery of the temple transforms into white ceramic stone, beautiful blue skies, and foreign greenery and shrubs not known to you. It was intoxicating, Outworld mimicking a strong liquor that one gets addicted to.

In front of you, a woman in yellow and silver stands proud, along with other similar-looking women. A woman in blue and silver is present as well, and a man dressed in all green with lizard-like tattoos stands to her side.

"Welcome back, Earthrealm champions and warriors," the woman in yellow announces. "Though, I do not recognize you. State your business."

You gulp, explaining carefully to make sure you say the whole truth. How you were chosen as a champion, but due to your inadequate skills, you were benched for more intense training. How you avoided filming because you did not take part in armageddon.

"Basically, dragonfly over here won't do nothing but buzz, buzz, buzz," Johnny finishes for you, and you smile awkwardly.

"Accepted. I am Tanya, leader of the Umgadi, the Empress and the Princess's personal guards. Outworld welcomes you with open arms," her smile is cordial, but it isn't unkind.

"I extend my welcome to you as well," the blue woman steps forward. "I am Princess Kitana, Supreme Commander of the Imperial Army." You bow in response.

You turn to the man in green, who just stares at you intently, his pupils growing narrow and his iris's taking over.

"Will you not introduce yourself?" you ask carefully. Both women look at the man, and the green-clad man only moves when Kitana gently nudges his shoulder.

"Ah! Apologies.... I am Syzoth, Royal Emissary to the Imperial Crown and to the Zaterrans." You nod, though your eyes still linger over him.

As Tanya leads the way again to the palace, you take in the surroundings of Sun Do. Once reaching the opening from the portal entrance of the city, you guys hop in a carriage, taking the scenic route to soak in the city.

You and Syzoth are paired together with Raiden and Kitana. You're not really sure where the others are, and not like you care, when you whip your phone to take photos for your friends and family to see.

"What... is that?" Syzoth asks, his face practically over your shoulder as you turn your head to meet his gaze.

"I-it's a cellphone," you answer bashfully, cheeks warm at the proximity. "I have not been here before, so I would like to cherish it."

Kitana removes her mask, her face scrunched up a bit as she also asks you some questions.

"Are you not here for the movie shoot? With Johnny?" she asks, and you shake your head before answering.

"Kung Lao and Johnny wouldn't leave me alone when it came to me coming to see Outworld. I caved, so now I'm here." Raiden shakes his head in disappointment, and Kitana chuckles lightly at the anecdote. Seems she knows Kung Lao and Johnny well enough that something like that would happen.

"Princess, if I may," Syzoth speaks. "I would like to show her places not just in the palace." Kitana quirks a brow as she flicks her leg over her knee.

"You will have to ask Tanya about this," she states. "Why the interest, Syzoth? She is here for the shoot..." You interrupt them.

"I mean, not necessarily. I don't mean offense when I say this, but I may be bored just hearing Johnny yell 'cut!' over and over again." Kitana flashes a smile in amusement.

"It can be tiring... Very well. When we arrive to the palace, you may explore the city with Syzoth," Kitana rests her hands in her lap again. "Just do not be separated under any circumstance."

You both nod, and you can't wait for the carriage to stop at the palace steps.

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

Once at the palace's staircase to the doors, Kitana immediately informs Tanya of the change of plans. Surprisingly, she does not reject the idea.

Perhaps it has something to do with the fact your fighting skills lack.

Regardless, Syzoth immediately takes your arm and drags you around the bustling capital. The area closest to the castle is where the wealthy live. Huge, white stone buildings tower over the clean streets, and many of the stores are similar to the boutiques you see at home.

"This is where people in the court, merchants, or wealthy business owners live," Syzoth explains as the people wave and smile at you and him.

"Normally, they are not this kind to outsides. But, since you are with me, it is... manageable," you frown a bit, but you still take this time to look around and take pictures.

"You are nice, though, Syzoth," you offer a kind rebuttal. "Johnny talks about how adorable you can be sometimes."

Syzoth can't help but feel warm in his cheeks too, and behind him his tail is out and wagging. You look behind as well, and you cover your smile to take in the image of a grown man's tail wagging.

As you two walk, you don't realize that the crowds have grown a bit bigger, and there are definitely more people around. You can smell different foods in the air, different spices and herbs on sale, not forgetting the pungent smell of meat as well.

Voices shout in the distance, you can hear babies crying and children laughing too. The sizzle of oil on a hot pan, and the faintest sounds of music creat a harmonious symphony of natural bustle.

"This is the heart of Sun Do," Syzoth announces. "I prefer to stay here more so than the upper side of the capital."

"Why?" you ask.

"It reminds me of Zaterra, Zikandur province up north."

You listen to Syzoth talk about his life as a Zaterran shifter, how he was bullied and practically exiled. How he lost his family and friends, then gained some, and how his people look to him as a hero.

"And you? What is your life in Earth and Earthrealm?" he asks. You laugh nervously as you try to talk about something else.

You speak about your life as a training champion, how you work at a coffee shop, and how your life is incredibly mundane when not training or on missions. You mention your family and friends, and you show him pictures of them too.

"Beautiful..." Syzoth breathes, but he isn't looking at the pictures- he's looking at you. You turn away, hands cupping your face as you try to hide the obvious flush on your cheeks. However, Syzoth is trying to find your face, leaning over closer and closer to you.

"F-Food! Let's get food!" you exclaim, taking his wrist as you drag him to the nearest stall and push him in front to order food for you. You watch as Syzoth carries your food on a stick, and he carries a bag of... black chips?

"What is that? Chips?" you reach in to take one, and Syzoth is oddly excited.

"I did not know human can stomach insects and bugs," Syzoth said excitedly as he grabs a handful of his "chips". The insect is in your hand, but you turn to him with wide eyes and tears forming as you mumble a "what" out.

Syzoth sets his food down to try and calm you down, causing a little scene as your tears fall gently and slowly. His hands are calloused and slightly rough, but it's somewhat soft as he coos you and flicks your tears away.

"I did not mean to scare you! Please eat your food, it will make you feel better," Syzoth tries to calm you down, and you laugh wetly as you take a little bite.

Once calm, Syzoth loops your arm in his as you two walk together as he points out different spots in the heart of Sun Do.

He points out the spot where he helped Johnny and the others in escaping the General and Reiko. He shows you his favorite stalls for fried bugs and all things insects.

He also points out where he stays when he is not on emissary duties, a little room that's part of a huge building of small rooms. Kind of like an apartment complex.

You don't even notice the time pass, your only indication being the that the sky was now a dark navy, silver stars illuminating your scenery up above.

And another thing, Tanya and Kitana find you guys sitting together on a bench in front of the once busy street.

"There you two are," Tanya huffs. "The shoot has finished, and we are ready to escort you all back."

You and Syzoth nod, though you notice that Syzoth frowns a little more than smiles.

"The carriage awaits us, let us be on our way," Kitana says, hand out waiting for your acceptance.

You walk back with Kitana and Tanya as Syzoth sinks a little behind you three. You tell the princess and the guard of your experience, and how you wish to see more in the future.

The conversation continues on the carriage, and Kitana asks questions about Earth. Honestly, they were quite silly: questions about magic users, if people live long, and other childish questions.

Once at the path to the portal, Syzoth gets out first and comes to your side, hand out as a help for you to get down. You smile, stepping down gently as your eyes linger on him for a bit.

As you and your friends approached the portal, you can't help but look back continuously at Syzoth. Something about him made you want to stay- not go home.

"You comin' or not, slowpoke?" Johnny asks as the others walk in the portal. The words are stuck in your throat, trying to find a way to explain to them your change of mind.

"I think... I think I'll stay here. Just for another day," you say as you turn to look at Syzoth.

Syzoth is beaming, and he pulls you close to him as you and him run off together towards the carriage. Before Kitana, Tanya, or Mileena could say anything, Liu Kang interrupts.

"Let them be," is all he says, accompanied by his kind, signature smile.

You'd be back home, just... not at this very moment.

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

i wish syzoth was real

anyways, see yall in the next fic!

[partycatty]

johnny cage > do what?

i have a silly headcanon that johnny, in the new timeline, doesn't realize he has his powers, he just uses them instinctively and just assumes everyone else has his strength and speed. like he uses his powers regularly in game but everyone just treats him like a normal ass guy? LMAO

[ masterlist ]

• you had met johnny upon your arrival at the academy, and you wondered what liu kang saw in him. perhaps it was potential, or maybe he fell victim to the actor's charm, too.

• sure, you were in just as rough of a spot as him but you couldn't fathom how megastar johnny cage was in your presence fighting for something beyond your realm of understanding. he cracked jokes and was sure to taunt with quips and flirtatious remarks during sparring, but again you only saw his charm before his strength.

• it's not that he was weak, absolutely not. there just... was nothing inherently special about him. he fought to look pretty on screen, you figured. it gave him a nice body, that much was sure when everyone was cooling off from the summer heat shirtless. it flustered you beyond belief, but you tried to not let it phase you considering you're one of a million to feel the same way.

• months of training came to an end, raiden having been chosen as the champion. you, kenshi, kung lao and johnny tagged along nonetheless, entertained by the vices outworld had to offer and marveling at the anomalous races on the streets.

• though, things had quickly taken a turn. to make a long story short, shang tsung was allegedly conspiring against the royal family, quan chi was unconsciously in your custody as you snaked through a parade of partygoers, and you had just gotten caught in the act by general shao, reiko, and li mei.

• a moment of tension thickens the air as you're faced with the royal guards, tanya and li mei standing at the ready to fight against you. johnny shoots you a funny look, quipping about how he could use a plucky sidekick right about now.

• he squares up against goro, lifting his leg and suddenly zooming forward, a trail of glitching haze following behind him. you were so taken aback by this sudden display that you allowed yourself to get absolutely decked by tanya's weapon, sending you to the ground.

• just as the ringing in your ear subsides, you feel johnny grab hold of your arm and lift you with the help of kenshi, dragging you through the portal and ensuring everyone's safety back at the academy.

• liu kang stands front, taking in everyone's flushed expressions and beaten bodies. he doesn't even have time to inquire before you turn to johnny and jab him in the chest.

• "what the hell was that?" you ask in utter disbelief, eyes wide. johnny glances at liu kang, shrugging his shoulders up in surprise.

• "what was... what?" he responds, raising an eyebrow as he looks down at you like you might bite. "quan chi escaped, there wasn't much we could—"

• "no, not quan chi!" you rake your hand through your hair, wondering if you hallucinated it. "the... the glitchy shit."

• johnny continues to stare. "how hard did tanya hit you?"

• groaning, you want to brush it off but you were too damn stubborn to let the topic die. "you didn't tell anyone you had powers, dude."

• "...i don't." it must be some sort of game he's playing on you. the moment you and the guys are sent off to rest and regain your strength, you find johnny sitting by a tree in the academy gardens.

• "you doing okay?" he asks, giving you a once over as he observes your bruises and bandages. "really got our asses handed to us." he chuckles dryly, rolling his shoulder. you just shake your head and point to the tree.

• "do the thing you did earlier," you demand, frowning. "kick it."

• johnny gives you another funny look, nearly rolling his eyes from how you're still caught up on this. "really? now? that tree didn't even do anything."

• even still, he lifts his leg and smacks his shin against the bark. it was a decent kick but it had none of the force he usually displayed. you pinched the bridge of your nose.

• "kick it like how you kicked goro," you insist, getting frustrated with the situation. johnny sighs, and then reels back as he recalls exactly what he did. sure enough, he recreated the kick with a little more strength, a twinge of the effect you saw earlier just barely there. you shout and point, marveled at the quick display.

• "there! you did it!"

• "i kicked a tree?"

• "johnny..." you're thoroughly perplexed now, realizing he may not be playing with you. "you... you know you have like... powers, right?"

• "uh..." he scratches the back of his neck. "besides being dead sexy and talented beyond belief, no. what, you can't kick?"

• "not like that!"

• your frustrated yelling grabs the attention of kung lao and kenshi, as they walked by the gardens to head to their bedrooms. their ears perk at your volume and part the bushes to see you yelling at johnny.

• "you guys know. i'm not crazy, right?" you ask, exasperated as you face the other two men, who exchange funny glances.

• "yeah, we knew," kung lao replies, a flat expression on his face. "what, you didn't?"

• "i sure as hell didn't," you jab your own chest before you fly an accusatory finger out johnny's way. "and he sure as hell didn't know, either!"

• "didn't know what?!" johnny raises his voice too, now.

• "...your powers, dude," kung lao replies, now everyone is equally as confused. "your... glitchy thing."

• johnny takes a moment to think about it, looking down at his fists. then, he turns to land the blow on the tree again, this time using a combination of moves to recreate the charged energy around him.

• "that?" he points his thumb, a mildly surprised expression on his features. "i thought everyone can do that."

• "no, they can't," kenshi rolls his head back, his best attempt at rolling his eyes considering his newfound injury. "we all just assumed you knew you were doing it."

• "give me your phone," you hold your hand out expectantly, and johnny frowns before handing it to you. you wave your hand at him, signaling to yet again beat the tree, this time you record it.

• showing him the footage, you stop and zoom in on the effects around his body, having concrete evidence of it at long last. johnny's quiet for a while, taken aback by the discovery.

• "huh." johnny takes a long moment, arms crossed as he spaces out. "well, shit. i would've used that for all my movie promos if i knew i had something special in me."

• "that's what you're worried about?" kenshi sighs. "not the... everything else?"

• "i wouldn't say worried," johnny laughs, taking his phone back from your grasp. "i've just got a thousand more ideas, is all. now i'm kinda like one of you guys, for real, right?"

• you didn't think it was possible for you, kung lao and kenshi to all give a deep groan at his antics simultaneously, but here we are.

• i guess johnny was pretty special after all?

[respectthepetty]

A public apology to Never Let Me Go's Chopper:

Sir, I'm sorry.

I'm so sorry that I mistook you for every other side character in a BL series who is jealous of the lead, manipulative to get what he wants, controlled by his father, and disingenuous to everyone. That's not you! You could NEVER! You're in a league with To Sir, With Love's Yang, and both of you will go into the BL Hall of Fame.

Just so you know how sincere I am about this apology, let me recount the ways I wrongly accused you of being an undercover red flag when you are actually the biggest green flag in these BL streets. Full disclosure - I misjudged you a lot.

You looked at Nueng at the conference and hesitated to follow your father when he left. 1a) You're always worried about your cousin and 1b) from the beginning have shown you don't align with your father's beliefs.

1a. When you found out Ben, who you knew couldn't reciprocate Nueng's feelings due to his homophobic father, was speaking to Nueng, you directly asked Ben what he wanted from your cousin.

Because you care about your cousin, and you want to actually spend time with him.

You let him know that even though your parents are beefing, you still love him.

You are genuinely happy to see him.

And when he asked you about Ben and why you are no longer friends (since the 10th grade *sob*), you warned him that Ben is distant, but encouraged both him and Ben to pursue their attraction AND asked follow-up questions on separate occasions because YOU CARE ABOUT THE PEOPLE YOU LOVE even if it kills you.

And that is why Nueng trusts only you unlike your father.

1b. You told your father from the beginning that you didn't want what he was offering nor did you cave to his expectations.

You also told him you weren't competing with your cousin because, once again, you actually love Nueng and don't resent him .

You looked away when your father wanted you to watch him punish someone.

You picked up the photo of Tanya and Nueng when your father threw it, and you directly asked him AND scolded him for ordering the hits.

I know you know how to use a gun, and I know you can aim very well. If you kill your father, I will light every candle and pray that you only know good sex for the rest of your life, that your bed is always the perfect temperature, and that your earrings never snag your clothing. Amen.

2. You have always been kind especially to Palm and Ben. You immediately went to Palm and made friends with him, speaking casually, and told him if he needed help, to ask you.

When you saw Palm at Nueng's house, you were happy to see him, and spoke to him. When you realized you offended him by telling him he didn't have to act like a servant in front of you, you quickly apologized.

You were also quick to apologize to Ben when you knew your words hurt him.

When you found out about the incident at school, you went to Ben and comforted him. You even grabbed his hands in public, looked him in the eyes, and told him he wasn't to blame (for being the victim of a public outing).

I truly thought YOU were behind this, but once again, you are the BEST BOY and put Kimlock Holmes to shame by solving the case. However, you stopped Ben from hurting Aun, and I think you even felt bad for Aun when you found out his reasoning for doing it.

You have shown that you don't condone violence but are willing to do what is necessary for the people you love (*whispers* please kill your dad) and will literally kick someone's ass.

4. You are aware you are gay.

I know this seems wild that I misjudged you for this mostly since this is a BL series, so everyone is queer until proven otherwise, but Chopper, you KNOW who you are. You aren't holding on to a secret. You aren't pining over Ben from a distance. No! You told him in the 10th GRADE that you liked him.

And when he rejected you, you kept your distance, but still encouraged him to find happiness with someone else because you want the people you love to be happy even if it was with each other.

You also complimented Palm on his body because, baby, YOU ARE A GAY MAN WITH EYES!

I can't apologize enough for not believing in you even when you showed me exactly who you were time and time again. You may be okay that Ben rejected you, but know that Ben now realizes the sun and the moon reside in your eyes.

The way he looked at you while you took the time to carefully go through your skincare routine when you said you weren't his type told everyone that this boy wants Nueng to come home safe, but he wants YOU to come to his home and make him feel safe.

Chopper, I love you. I don't even care that you are into cryptocurrency. Baby, your game is so fire, that you could tell me to shut up, and I do it. That's how much I love you.

If you pull a switcheroo in the final act, I'll forgive you. If you die in the final act, I will never speak of this show again. If you kill your father, I will never stop speaking about this show.

Stay kind. Stay sincere. Stay a confident gay.

And kill your father.

[dr-spencer-reids-queen]

Solitary Man: Part One

Pairing: Spencer Reid x Female!Reader

Word Count: ~1.9k

Summary: You're feeling more like yourself for the first time in forever. You're not going to let anything spoil your good mood.

Warnings: canon violence, canon language, canon talk of death, methods of kill

Season Five Masterlist

Author’s Note: I do not own anything from Criminal Minds. All credit goes to their respective owners. If there are any warnings that exceed the normal death/kills from the show, I will list them.

x

"We're all sentenced to solitary confinement inside our own skins, for life." - Tennessee Williams

You feel good. For the first time since you got released from prison, you feel like the weight of the world isn't lying on your shoulders. You're still required to go to therapy until she deems you fit to be on your own but you're not dreading going to her anymore. You actually look forward to it. You feel safe in her office and feel like you can talk about anything without judgment. You trust Spencer with everything you're telling your therapist, but he's strictly Team Y/N and will side with you on anything. You need your therapist's unbiased opinion and advice.

You're sitting at your desk staring at your open notebook wondering what to write. You've rewritten every single nightmare you have besides the rape. You don't know what you can write that will make what happened better.

Spencer walks into the bullpen and sees you tapping the end of your pen on your notebook. He walks behind you and places a hand on your shoulder. You look up at him with a smile as he runs his fingers through your hair.

"Are you okay?"

"Doing better now."

"Why is that?"

"You."

Spencer leans down and kisses you Spider-Man style, one of your favorite positions.

"Come on, we have a case."

You leave your notebook at your desk before following Spencer to the briefing room where everyone else is. There is already a picture of the most recent victim and her crime scene.

"Her name was Tanya Hill. She was twenty-nine and a bartender. She was found two days ago in Edgewood, New Mexico. She's the fifth woman in over six months to be found dead in a ditch off the I-40 and I-25," JJ explains. "All were manually strangled and none were sexually assaulted."

"Well, maybe the act of strangulation is what gets him off."

"Where were they abducted from?" Emily asks.

"All over."

"Well, they're not just crossing state lines. These cities are hundreds of miles apart," Derek says. "That's a lot of bodies. Why is it taking so long to be invited?"

"We haven't been invited. We found this on the HSK database," Hotch says.

The HSK is the Highway Serial Killer database. With someone crossing state lines like this, they don't belong to one county or jurisdiction, therefore, landing themselves on the HSK database.

"Well, a lot of police departments won't want this problem," Derek says.

"The geographic profile shows that only one of them has it. They just don't know it yet."

"How do you know that?" Rossi asks Spencer.

"Because he has a comfort zone based on the direction he was heading when he dumped the bodies. All five cases point to our unsub heading to Edgewood."

"Now so are we."

You make sure to pack your notebook in your go-bag before heading to the jet with the rest of the team.

"Clearly this unsub doesn't care about his victims being found," Derek says once the plane is in the air, "or he knows he can't be linked to them."

"The ME report supports that first theory. Matching DNA was found on all five victims but not in any database. It's also in keeping with the victimology and abduction sites."

"Which is what?" Emily asks your boyfriend.

"Target rich and offender-friendly."

"The time of death from the time of abduction varies dramatically in each case. Some lived twelve hours, others twenty-four before they were killed."

"What's he doing with them?" JJ asks.

"He's not having sex with them. There are no signs of torture or even restraints. What was the matching DNA?"

"Skin," Emily answers Derek. "That and metal shavings were found under the fingernails of all five victims. Tanya only had one nail left. It looked like whatever she was in, she tried to claw her way out."

"JJ, have Garcia match victimology and abduction sites to HSK findings for the last year," Hotch says and she nods. "If he sticks to this timeline, Edgewood is about to discover another body."

As soon as the plane lands, you, Rossi, and Spencer go to Tanya's dump site, Hotch and Emily go to the ME's office, and the rest go to the police station to get set up. The cars whiz by you on the highway and you admire the way they are going about their lives without a single inclination that there is a dead body here. Sometimes, you wish you could be them.

"So, she was abducted thirty-two-point-nine miles west of here, which means if they drove the speed limit, they got here in thirty minutes or less," Spencer says.

"So, how long's it gonna take either of you to get in that ditch?" Rossi asks.

"Get in that ditch? I got shot in the knee, remember? My doctor said I'm not allowed to do any climbing."

"It's a ditch."

"New boots, huh? Italian leather?"

"I'll do it," you roll your eyes playfully. 

You carefully slide down the hill before reaching the place where the body was found. She's not there anymore but you can see the remnants of her using the energy she left behind. She is lying in the fetal position, hiding from anyone who passes by her.

"From here I can be seen by any passing vehicle," Rossi says.

"I can't. She was dumped at night so he wouldn't be seen by anyone."

"He drives up, dumps the body, and leaves. Job done," Rossi says.

"I don't think so," you shake your head.

"Why?"

You kneel down next to the woman and study her features. If you didn't know any better, you'd think she was sleeping.

"All five victims were found posed in the fetal position with their right arm palm-up and left arm palm-down. It's almost child-like and comforting like what a parent would do for their child."

"Do you have any ideas why he'd stage them this way?"

"No." Rossi nods and walks away, leaving you alone with Spencer. He starts to move down the hill to help you back up but you put a hand up to stop him. "Don't you dare. I got this." When you get closer to the top, you take Spencer's hand so he can help you the rest of the day. "I'm going to rub mud all over his shoes later."

As you're walking back to the car, your phone rings. Spencer rubs your arm before continuing, leaving you alone to take the call. You smile when you see your dad's name and picture.

"Hey, Dad!"

"Hey, sweetheart. I have some time, I figured I could come down to you and hang out. I'm sorry I haven't been available since you got released. I have been super busy with work and the kids."

"I'd like that but I'm in New Mexico right now on a case."

"You're still with the FBI? They let you come back?"

You don't know why but that question makes your skin crawl.

"Yeah. I'm innocent. They saw that." Your dad doesn't answer to that. "Are you okay?"

"Peachy," he grits out. "Again, sorry, I'm under a lot of stress."

"Yeah, I get it. Look, if you're still available, I'd love to hang with you once I'm back in Virginia. I can bring some of my friends so you can meet them."

"Your FBI friends?"

"Dad, stop it. You'll love them. JJ is like my best friend, and Penelope is super quirky and fun. Emily is a bit intense but you'll come to like her."

"Great! Can't wait! I'll bring your mother. I'm sure she'd love to meet them, too."

It's like as soon as you mentioned they are girls, his mood brightened. He doesn't like Derek and Spencer but you're not sure why. You say your goodbyes and walk to Spencer and Rossi who are already in the car. You don't mention this to Spencer knowing it will only upset him.

Hotch called Rossi to explain to him what he and Emily found at the ME's office. Yes, to be considered a serial killer, there has to be more than one body but if you look at a slightly larger area than just Edgewood, there are five bodies--all strangled, all staged, and all dumped. The fact that all bodies seem to be heading toward Edgewood, Hotch thinks that this place has to mean something to him like he grew up here or he lives here now.

Not only did Tanya have evidence found by DNA and metal fragments under her fingernails, but she also had diesel fuel on her clothing. Now, that's not unusual since she was found on a highway, and a lot of semis drive by it. However, all of the victims had table sugar rubbed on their clothing. Table sugar, well-known by truck drivers, is used to absorb diesel fuel.

That's how he's transporting them.

You know another murder is coming but didn't know it'd come so close after arriving in New Mexico. Not only is there another murder but a witness was left behind. You and Derek break away from the main group to investigate it with Sheriff Frank Sanders. He struck in the middle of the night at a rest stop that's now crawling with police.

"Garcia says there are seven hundred and eighty-two truckers working and living in this county," Derek says.

"That's too many. We have to narrow down the specific routes."

The sheriff leaves the witness' side and walks over to you and Derek. The witness left behind was the daughter of the woman who was kidnapped.

"The daughter, Courtney, confirmed that he was definitely driving a big rig. She wasn't able to make out any logos or see the plate."

"I'd like to talk to her," you say. You're about to follow the Sheriff when you look into the treeline to your right. There is a woman standing there but she isn't alive. "Derek, this is a dump site. The mom was an opportunity kidnapping. Check the woods. There's a body out there."

Derek doesn't have to question you and calls forth some officers to help him with the sheriff. You walk over to the daughter who is sitting on a picnic bench with an officer. He leaves to give you two some privacy and you sit next to her.

"Hi. My name is Agent Y/N. I'm with the FBI and we're going to do everything we can to help bring your mom back. Now, can you tell me anything about the semi you saw? Any distinguishing marks?"

"I wasn't looking. I was texting. I heard a truck start. When I went to the bathroom, she was gone. How are you gonna find her?"

"There's a good chance he's gonna stay in Edgewood."

"Why wouldn't he just run?"

"Because he always comes back to Edgewood. Your mother is the first woman he's taken from here."

"We were just driving through. We live in Phoenix. Mom was just trying to get me home so I could go to tryouts. You have to find her. She's all I have," Courtney cries.

"You should come down to the station." your phone rings and it's Derek. "Excuse me." You step off to the side and answer it. "Hey, where are you?"

"You were right. There is a body. Go south into the woods. You need to see this."

You excuse yourself from Courtney and walk over to the spot where the sheriff and Derek are. You look down and see the woman you saw standing by the tree line. You kneel next to her and put your hands out, not touching the body. You close your eyes and allow her energy to paint a picture of her final moments. She's inside a metal room. She's terrified. She claws at the walls but she can't get out.

"She was trapped inside a metal room. I don't know if the walls are made of metal or if there was some kind of aluminum shield like what you'd use to keep heat out." You look down and see what's underneath her fingernails. "She has metal shavings underneath her fingernails. He comes here to dump her body and stumbles upon Nancy. He didn't wait a minute between victims, and he left her daughter as a witness."

"What's going on here?" Sheriff Sanders asks.

"That's what we need to find out."

x

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[mortalkombartwistedreflectionau]

Mirror Tanya/TR Tanya Bio

For all the claims of the Edenian Regime's propaganda that all kinds of bigotry are condemned in their society, the families of 'criminals' (which is to say, everyone considered as such by the Regime) are distrusted and discriminated no matter what they themselves actually do. 'They have been too close to evil not to be influenced', according to many. Tanya has been a victim of this.

Soon after the Edenian conquest of Naknada, Tanya's mother, who had always opposed it and considered it a barbarity, ended up secretly helping a Naknadan resistance group. This was eventually discovered, she was condemned to a life prison sentence, and from that day on both her ambassador husband and her daughter were seen with distrust by practically everyone. Tanya grew up with no mother or friends and developed a need to prove herself a 'worthy peacekeeper' to everyone around her.

Thanks to her father's teachings, Tanya became an Ambassador who, while capable of fighting if necessary, has negotiation as her main skill. She proved herself so capable in that aspect that, to her surprise, Queen Sindel herself offered her a chance as one of her main negotiators in Outworld's 'pacification'. As the Queen called it, 'a chance to redeem her family, damaged by the wrongdoings of a traitor of peace'. As difficult as she knew the job was going to be, she accepted with no second thought.

During her time working close to the royal family, she has finally met people who accept her, Princess Mileena especially. But she is also starting to see the worst parts of her Regime, what her mother opposed once. Her doubts have started to rise alongside those of her lover, and only time will say what those doubts will amount to...

[lo-diehards]

Law & Order: SVU "Tunnel Blind" -- An Excellent Landmark Start

"Tunnel Blind" (written by: David Graziano and Julie Martin / Directed by: Norberto Barba) I don't even know where to directly start with this so I'm just going to jump in and start with; thus far, this was the best episode written under David Graziano's direction since before Kelli Giddish's departing episode last season, if not the best in total. I hope over the hiatus during the writers' strike that Graziano and the writers room sat down and redirected their focus because the S25 premiere was a great first opener and the preview for next weeks episode looks like it's pretty high octane.

They really captured everything that is SVU from start to finish, it had a feel like we took a brief step back into season 22, just without Rollins/Kelli, sadly. I'm going to start with the story but then work on the rest of the episode. So as Carisi and Rollins (Peter Scanavino and special guest star Kelli Giddish) celebrate the Baptisim of their newborn son, Nicky (could he be Dominick Carisi III?), the case this week in concerning a girl named Maddie, who was abducted from a store and Benson (Mariska Hargitay) sees the abducted girl at a traffic light. The case goes full steam during the investigation in hopes of trying to find Maddie Flynn before it's too late but then it's later discovered that she was abducted for another reason, where the perpetrator needs her to stay alive, at least for now. Olivia blames herself for not following her abductor in traffic, the squad continuously telling her it's not her fault, nor did she have probable cause to pull over the van in question.

It's a nice twisty case that goes in many different directions as the SVU squad basically 'rounds up the usual suspects' until the squad hits a dead-end. Benson reaches out yet again to Professor Amanda Rollins for help with the case, as well as for some personal insight - something Benson has done with Rollins increasingly over the last decade. Rollins clearly still wishes she was working SVU cases, even so as making the slip in saying they would find "our perp," which Benson promptly calls her out in feigning shock for her saying. As Benson leaves to go pursue the new track you can see that Rollins is somber but also in thought as her next round of students come in.

Fast forward as they think they're on track to find Maddie Flynn and their perp in New Jersey, they joined forces with a detective there from the Bergen County Prosecutors Office, Sloane Parrish (who is portrayed by, Amber Skye Noyes, who portrayed Roxie in "Townhouse Incident" back in season 17), after they find and rescue another victim, Tanya Garcia, who was left drowning in a bathtub in a seedy motel room OD'ing on fentanyl by their perp, George, from Canada. Chief McGrath (Terry Serpico) shows up at the squad, happy they found a different victim who had been missing for more than a year, and says NYPD needed to hold a press conference. Maddie's mother Eileen shows up at the press conference, distraught that her daughter hadn't been found while NYPD was holding a press conference, Benson assures her that she is still working Maddie's case, but it doesn't help as Eileen's husband has to pull her away.

Olivia Benson's voiceover: "It's moments like these that remind me of the oath I took, to protect the innocent. This is not a solitary act… but more of a life long commitment. I'm honored to wear the badge, but my duty doesn't end when a case is closed. They all stay with you, whether innocence is saved or lost. My goal is for the world to be measured by how safe it is for the innocent. And after all these years, I've come to accept that maybe it's not possible. But I still have a duty to hope."

So again this episode feels like SVU again, that went missing last season, I was on edge during the episode and I haven't been in that feeling in a long while. Everyone in the cast brought everything they had, but there is one thing that is missing and it's clearly Amanda Rollins/Kelli Giddish. It feels like the writers are trying to lead us to something with her, it feels like she'll be back again [permanently?] real-soon. Even the cast gathered during the opening credits just seemed to still lack something, that something is her. If we are getting a Rollins' return story, I'm very curious to see how it plays out with her and Carisi, like does he even know she's not fully happy teaching? And if he does know, is he going to acknowledge it? Is she to him? Questions I'm sure that will be answered as the course of the season goes on. But Kelli's permanent return would certainly right a terrible wrong that never should have happened.

Meanwhile Benson's love life: I'm of the opinion of ICE T and Dr. Lindstrom (Bill Irwin), can Benson and Stabler either do something or move on? Seriously though. "Will they/won't they?" is tired and there have been some major flops [in my view], in attempts to make something happen ("the letter"/"The Christmas Episode"/Bronx trilogy/compass necklace). I'm not a Benson-Stabler/EO shipper personally, but if this is going to be a thing or is on the road to it, the road is STILL under a lot of construction, on both shows. Benson and Stabler have not had a serious conversation with themselves about where they stand, what they feel, and for Benson, what all she endured while he was gone. Absent that happening, if they pursue a relationship of any kind (physical or otherwise), without any of the aforementioned, that's basically ignoring over a decade worth of history that Organized Crime doesn't seem to even acknowledge when it comes to Benson. I felt cringe watching the opening scene where Benson is discussing her necklace with Carisi's cousin Steve (guest star Hamish Allan-Headley). This is my opinion but, before this can be something, there's a lot more that needs to happen.

[autisticrosewilson]

hey dude, i was wondering if you had any specific headcanons for the styles or types of clothes that anyone in wilson family likes to wear? really interested in your input for this

*heavy breathing* boy do I!!! I already know I won't be able to fit everyone in one part so we're doing the girls first

Tara:

There are layers, her fashion has evolved over time and I've separated it into three tiers.

Starting at the bottom, tier one was when Slade first took her in. She got most of her clothes from thrift stores and bargain bins, and she kept many of the clothes she collected while homeless. She had a kind of skater girl style when she did let Slade buy her new clothes because she strayed towards second hand stores and hand-me-downs. Often wore several layers regardless of temperature because of her chronic fear of the cold. Rarely do her clothes fit, every shirt she wears is for a band she's never heard of or the world's stupidest slogan that she could barely read, and her sneakers are basically falling apart but she gets really good at sewing to patch the holes.

Tier two is maybe a couple years into her stay with Slade, she's settled in a little and she's more secure with herself. I think she starts finding her style by borrowing clothes from the other girls, particularly Rose and Sunny, and when she gets a good grasp of what she's looking for Slade is maybe too willing to let her pick out whatever she wants (He just wants her to stop wearing 6 layers in 70 degree heat). She still wears jeans no matter the weather, but they're customized and they actually fit her! No more belts on the very last loop to keep her pants up. Her tops are usually colorful, light weight, and flowy. She starts getting really big on star motifs (fun fact Tara means star in some languages!) but because she shares clothes with Rose many of her outfits also have floral designs. Poppy likes putting bits and bobs on her laces too!

Tier three is where I see her now that she's older and she's been with the Wilson's for years. She's grown closer to the other girls and she's figured herself out. I imagine that she's 20 or so by now, just starting college. By now the line between her closet and her sister's is very fine, but she still has her own style. She's become more fond of skirts and dresses over the years, always with tights and flowy sleeves, and she's gone all in on the celestial and flower themes. Unfortunately for Sunny, her and Tara have the same shoe size, which means Tara is almost always in a pair of heeled boots these days. Not pictured are the statement earrings and rings she's grown fond of, often borrowed from Tanya since she still can't justify getting them for herself. I feel like all the girls have a charm bracelet and every charm represents one of them, Tara's charm is a chess piece!

Rose:

Unlike Tara, I don't think she ever ends up packing her old clothes away, I think she just stops wearing them to go out. As she grows up she has a reputation to maintain and so much of her early style (14-16) comes from her mom that it feels too private.

Tier one is a lot of florals and pale colors, and because Cambodia is so hot most of her wardrobe was shorts, skirts, dresses, and tank tops so a shopping trip was needed immediately. She also had mainly sandals, both because they went well with her clothes and because she hated socks as a kid. Look at my username I don't have to explain myself. She took to wearing a lot of her mom's old jewelry when Lili died, which is really sad but also she was dripped out. Pink and purple were her favorite colors and she definitely had an absurd amount of rose print. Not pictured for the sake of not bringing up bad memories is her pink cheetah print era 😔 she was a victim of the early 2000's, and she will not be the only one in this post.

Tier two, I'll say she's about 15-17. I don't know if grunge academia is a thing but Rose actually invented it. She was mostly away from Slade for this, on account of him being a constant reminder of her mom's death, so this was when she was staying with Joey and going to school. This is also around the time she would've met Eddie so he probably introduced her to a lot of new music and movies, and half of her closet was graphic T-shirts she stole from him. Still preferred skirts and shorts but could occasionally be coerced into a pair of jeans, usually the compromise was tights or leggings though. This is also about the time she started really doing stuff as Ravager so I think it was the start of her straying towards more alternative aesthetics to shape peoples perception of her, especially being around the mostly older Titans who she wanted to take her seriously. Started playing around with hairstyles but was too scared to cut her hair because it was another thing that reminded her of time spent with her mom and she didn't want to mess it up. Put away most of her mom's jewelry to keep it safe, but keeps one of Lili's necklaces.

Tier three is where I see her now, 18-20 and not exactly on good terms with Slade, but she doesn't want to hunt him for sport either. She's got a support system both in and out of the family and she's made a reputation for herself both as Rose and as Ravager. She has begrudgingly started wearing jeans, but they have to be baggy and ridiculously soft or she'll want to bite someone the whole time she's wearing them. She's grown a fondness for chunky belts and stupid custom tshirts that make middle aged women on public transport uncomfortable. Honestly wears a lot of men's clothes because her shoulders are buff and she needs pockets on her pants. She's slowly been snipping away at her hair, and the guilt is lessening every time. Not pictured are the decorative eye patches she has, as if Lilian Worth's daughter is walking out of the house with accessories that don't match her outfit. Her charm is a sword <3

Sunny:

I literally made all of this up we literally only know A Name.

So like Tanya, Sunny was already an adult when she joined Slade. And in my version of her story she comes from an affluent family, so she has both the means and the desire to follow all the trends. Considering my very vague timeline, this means she'd be deeply entrenched in the fashion of the early 2000's. Tier one is a very tame showcase of this. Sunny was the cool older sister in all the movies, she wore velvet track suits with uggs and she wore almost exclusively Chelsea boots. Tank tops and bell bottom jeans and baby tees made up a lot of her wardrobe, but she's still Sunny so her style was a lot darker and desaturated than what was popular for the time. Not pictured are the chunky belts and sunglasses worth more than your car. While she didn't grow up in America, she's well traveled and she likes to keep up to date on the cultural climate of places she visits.

Tier two is her really going in on her edgier aesthetic, after growing up in a strict Catholic household - and a famous one where every move she makes is scrutinized - I think this was her attempt at rebelling. It wouldn't be Sunny if it wasn't dramatic and more opulent than needed, but it was a valid attempt at appropriating alternative culture before it was cool! Definitely got called a poser a lot, on account of being rich. Believe it or not this is her definition of "Mall Goth". She got flamed on Myspace for it. Nonetheless she is still serving cunt I fear. Not pictured is the makeup she slept in the night before and the glitter in her hair from a house party she doesn't remember.

Tier three is not quite "Mob wife" but it is something adjacent. I think whether she likes it or not she always ends up dragged back into her family affairs, it was only a matter of time before she had to start playing the game again. I think she dresses more feminine out of spite for all the wealthy old men she has to deal with now, who look down on her for being anything other than a wife and mother. But she's also opted for showing her wealth more plainly with vintage jewelry and real fur coats, she makes a point to only wear things she bought with money she earned herself instead of taking anything from her family. The great thing about running away to be a mercenary is that even in platform heels and leather skirts she's still the most dangerous person in the room, with an easily confirmed higher kill count and skills none of the old gangsters could dream of matching. Her charm is a bow and arrow!

Tanya:

Not sure how I feel about this one compared to the others, I had specific criteria for the boards that due to my very specific vision I couldn't meet but it gets the point across well enough.

Tier one, Tanya was already an adult with a degree and a job when she joined Slade but she was still pretty young. The thing about being a prodigy to the extent she was is that you tend to mingle with people older than you as a rule. I think she was pretty new to her position at this point, still figuring out how to handle things in her mother's absence. Tanya is someone whose been living as a black woman in these socialite, academic spaces since she was born, she's more than used to people talking down to her and she was operating on a sort of "they won't like you anyway, might as well be yourself because you're still smarter than all of them" mentality. All this is to say that her last name was Spears and it was the early 2000's, she was wearing chunky belts, LOW waisted jeans, baby tees, and neon track suits under her lab coats. Not pictured are the big ass hoop earnings and foundation a few shades too orange for her, serving cunt most of the time does not exempt you from a few flops.

Tier two, she actually invented the office siren trend so everyone say thank you miss Spears. For meta reasons this was me trying to figure out how to get her to tier three, but for character reasons this is like her mid twenties, she's cutting back on mask stuff to focus on her job because Starr labs is struggling to compete with bigger companies like Wayne Tech or Lexcorp and some people in this family have real jobs, Slade. Also she wanted to distance herself from...past mistakes (like wearing skirts over jeans). Monochrome colors, kitten heels, and a button up with just a few too many buttons undone to be business casual is what she was wearing at this point.

Tier three, she's inching towards her thirties and a lot of her time is spent helping people in more civilian ways. While she still talks to her old friends and family in the mask game she's mostly hung up the cape aside from all hands on deck situations. Which isn't to say that she's compromised her own style, just that she's prioritizing comfort, since she spends most days either on her feet in the lab itself or working late in her office for hours, no more heels or push-up bras around here. Corduroy pants, flat shoes, and long fur or leather coats is what's characterizing her fashion these days. Also her and Karen Beecher having the exact same hairstyle is,,,,something so I think when she's older she gets goddess braids. Her charm is a star!

Poppy:

If you're getting war flashbacks to 2010 you can't imagine what I went through to find these

So Poppy was homeless for a while, and before that she was in the Dark Side Club, which didn't treat their prisoners especially well. Most of her clothes came from thrift shops and lost and found bins. The pictures I found are definitely in better shape than Poppy would have been, but I was working with Pinterest. She still tried to keep her own sense of style, like her love for pink but often it was just a matter of what she could reliably steal. Her jeans were about four sizes too big and her shoes were practically disintegrating, many of her clothes were often singed as well due using her powers. She typically kept her hair short too, in order to avoid her hair getting anymore singed. Dyeing her hair pink was an impulsive decision she made while watching Tara bleach her hair in the bathroom of a public gym, she'd snuck off to go steal a box of cheap dye from the drug store across the Street and Tara sighed, but helped her do it anyway.

Tier two sees her a little more settled into her new life, and while Tara strayed away from the new excess of wealth, Poppy had NO such reservations. She did take this time to start indulging in more of the hobbies she'd always wanted but couldn't afford, things like making beaded bracelets, and owning a bedazzler. While many of those beads ended up lost in the carpet and between couch cushions, and the bedazzling caused headaches for just about everyone, Slade was mostly just happy she was settling in. A lot of her shoelaces ended up covered in beads and she became very interested in making Kandi, although she didn't have many people to trade it with. This was about the time that Tara became more fond of embroidery and stylized patchwork, which showed in a lot of Poppy's clothes. She also liked customizing her hoodies herself, which often meant vandalizing them with bleach and/or acrylics. She starts growing out her hair too! It's still choppy from all the times it's caught fire but the rich people hair products are helping to the best of their ability.

Tier three is the only possible outcome for a girl introduced to us in pink and black stripes with spikey pink hair. Obviously she's a scene icon. The top left is basically her regular outfit anyway. The fact that her new huge pink and black striped hair is highly flammable is irrelevant, particular since she almost never uses her powers now anyway. She's mainly focused on school and has opted out of mercenary work because she's always been squeamish and fighting with other metas brings up too many bad memories. She still trains though, Slade is very adamant she be able to protect herself. Not pictured is the many layers of unnecessary belts and the pink galaxy pink leggings she wears under at least one other layer. The fact that she is not allowed to wear anything resembling a crop top has yet to stop her, and she is a regular fixture of the principal's office. Her real nemesis isn't even one of the many people she's fought it's the security guard that always makes her take off her 50 pieces of jewelry before going through the metal detector, second only to the administrator who always dress codes her. Honorable mention to the gym teacher who routinely hunts her down while she's trying to vape and watch anime with her friends in the bathroom. The unfortunate downside of being athletically gifted. Her charm is a cat!

[abfa-fics]

It’s been a long day. Hell, a long week…a long month. A long few months, when he reflects upon his time being undercover.

He switches on the television mindlessly, dropping the remote down as he wanders through to the kitchen, his growling stomach leading him over to the fridge. The shelves are insultingly bare.

‘Of course there are no leftovers,’ he mutters under his breath.

‘Tanya Garcia went missing from Paramus, New Jersey over a year ago,’ a man’s voice announces loudly from the television. Elliot pauses, recognition flashing up. A man odious in personality and temperament - someone Elliot would love to punch, if given half a chance.

‘But now thanks to the tireless work and dedication of the NYPD and Bergen County SVU, she is home and reunited with her mother,’ McGrath continues. Elliot abandons his search for food, striding back into the living room, where his gaze sweeps right past McGrath’s face on the screen in order to find someone else.

Olivia, standing underneath an umbrella, her expression tired and serious. McGrath is spouting all sorts of PR-style bullshit about the NYPD, but Elliot can sense immediately that there’s more to this case, more than a young girl’s homecoming.

Olivia wouldn’t look so haunted if this was a simple happy ending.

‘There are other-’ McGrath says, but his next words are cut off by a soul-crushing shriek of pain.

The cameras swing around, focusing in on a woman, her hair plastered to her head as she staggers through the rain.

‘What about my daughter?,’ she screams. ‘You promised me you’d find my daughter.’

The news crew are clearly loving this unexpected drama playing out in front of them, zooming out to capture the full scene. Elliot takes a step forward instinctively at the same time as Olivia on his screen does the same, desperate to shield her from the impact of the pain and anger being channeled her way.

Olivia’s saying something to the mother now, her body language calm and measured, but her words are carried away by the wind and the rain. McGrath stands uselessly by the microphone in the background, and Elliot feels his hatred for the man rise.

His phone is gripped in his hand, but it’s useless, the words ‘LIVE’ glaring out at him as a cruel reminder that right now, in another part of the city, Olivia is dealing with this while he simply watches.

The pain had always been one of the worst parts of working in SVU. The pain, the anger, the tragedy…the guilt. It washes over you, again and again, case after case. Until for him, the pain and guilt had become too much, and he had walked away.

Left Olivia to deal with it alone.

‘Where is Maddie?’ the mother screams, loud enough to be heard by everyone as her husband drags her away.

Except Oliva doesn’t have to be alone any more. Elliot doesn’t even bother to turn off the television before he’s racing out the door, not even second-guessing where she’d go after such a trying event. Home? Not Olivia Benson, not after that guilt-trip from a victim’s mother.

He arrives at the precinct before she’s back herself, barrelling past the desks and Fin’s questioning gaze, and settling himself within her office to wait. Surprisingly, no-one disturbs him.

It doesn’t take long.

‘El?’ Olivia says, pausing in the doorway. She’s beautiful as always, but her expression is even more worn out than he’d seen on the television.

‘Hey,’ he says, wishing he had thought of something eloquent to say.

He watches as Olivia hangs up her coat, her body language hesitant, as if she doesn’t know whether to step towards him or around to her desk.

‘I got your voice message,’ she says to break the silence. ‘Sorry I didn’t call back yet. Work has been…’

She waves her hand vaguely, and he nods. He knows.

‘Was there something you were wanting to discuss?’

She’s looking at him carefully, and a sinking realization sweeps over him - that she’s expecting there to be a problem with him, that maybe he’s come back from being undercover, and bringing her his trauma to solve.

He closes the distance between them, wrapping his arms around her shoulders. She tenses briefly, and then he feels her body shift as she sighs deeply, relaxing against his frame. Her arms tighten around his waist, face tucked into chest.

The world continues around them, but for a few minutes of peace, they hold each other upright.

[bengiyo]

Never Let Me Go Ep 5 Stray Thoughts

Last time all hell broke loose with no adults around. Nuengdiao spent much of the episode yearning, and flirting with Palm. Despite that, he entertained Ben's advances and shared a kiss with him. Meanwhile, both Chopper and Palm sustained severe heartache over this notp. Maggie continues to do nothing wrong. We left off with Nuengdiao struggling to breathe and Palm getting his ass handed to him.

Well at least Nuengdiao doesn't look worse for wear, so I guess Palm did his job?

Palm is literally beat to shit and getting chewed out? WTF he slapped Palm???

Noticable that Nuengdiao doesn't flinch at all when Palm gets slapped.

At least we're finally getting some context for Chanon's devotion. Curious how Mr. Pop saved Palm's life.

Will at least give Chanon credit for asking about Palm's arm, even if I'm still disconcerted.

Ah, this episode is called "Mother." We know Palm's mom left, Ben has only mentioned his dad, and Chopper's mom also doesn't seem to be around.

Interesting that, despite his retreat from Nuengdiao, Palm continues to use "Mr. Nueng" as his address. Also, loving Pond's choice to keep giving "fuck me" eyes any time Nuengdiao gets too close.

Ben, don't run in to spoil the moment.

Okay, Pond, I felt that restrained glare. That was good.

Oh, we rarely get this kind of classic framing from Thai BL. Nuengdiao and Ben are in the foreground having their moment, but Palm is out of focus in the background yet clearly placed between them. Excellent choice, Jojo, and good job hitting your marks to the cast.

Everyone is doing a great job with their face acting in this scene. Props to the editors not overdoing it.

Even if I'm not on Ben's team, I totally get his frustration at this being turned into a non-date and being chaperoned.

Maggie is doing our beauty product placement? Good for her!

Palm is fucking up this Swiss roll.

Maggie continues to do absolutely nothing wrong. She is so correct that Palm needs to value himself more and not make excuses for Nuengdiao's bad behavior. Being his bodyguard shouldn't include that.

What an aggressive sound cue. We definitely fighting about these shoes.

"You said that I should know my place." Jot that down, Nuengdiao.

"May I be excused?" and immediately walking away? Loving this version of Palm.

The production values on this bullying getting higher is not what I signed up for.

Homophobia? How trite.

Glad Nuengdiao isn't ashamed of himself. He does need to apologize for his rude behavior last episode, but he doesn't need to apologize for responding to Ben's advances. He's also correct that he is a victim of a bullying campaign.

Hey, so Chimon and Phuwin are pretty good. Ben, clearly upset, looks to Nuengdiao first before responding. Nueng gives him a small nod of encouragement, and only then does Ben lie for his father. Curious to see if Ben misread that signal.

Oh, hm. Chopper got here awfully quick. Don't make me suspect you, baby boy.

Ah, yes, let's return to this rooftop and reassess our fractured relationship.

Phuwin is so good at playing up overwhelming feelings. Nuengdiao visibly trembling with pent up frustration is such a nice touch.

So Ben clearly misread the signal, but this was a great emotional breakdown.

I like the way the music is used in this sit down on the roof. I like that they paused it when Nuengdiao dismissed the idea that he loved Ben.

The era of the episode 5 kiss continues, again with consent. Love this for us.

Of course Nuengdiao wants to cuddle after making out. He's so lonely. Again, good job Pond and Phuwin. I like the choice to lean into each other but to keep their arms still for this first kiss.

Again with the audio cues. I audibly laughed when we cut from the cheesy afterglow of their first kiss joking to a sharp sound with Tanya sitting on a couch.

I am sobbing and vibrating out of my skin because of Tanya. Preventing Nuengdiao from forcing himself out and making him sit down for dinner to reveal that she's always known he hates vegetables, and only eats them to please her, as a gentle way of easing into the conversation is so powerful. Then again stopping him from saying anything and letting him know that she will wait for him to be ready. Finally, assuring Nuengdiao that the only disappointment she feels is in herself for not being emotionally available to her son when she learns that he was clearly struggling. The era of great GMMTV parents of queer kids continues. Fantastic scene. Organ and Phuwin, applause for you.

Chanon may not know his son personally very well, but he knows what romantic glee looks like on a teenage boy.

You see that smile on Tanya's face and that determination on Nueng's? That's what it looks like when a queer kid is loved and supported at home. Shame is not taught in schools; it's taught in the home. A kid can face so much if they know their families and loved ones have their backs.

Was that Ben's dad dead on the ground?

Damn, has Nuengdiao watched both of his parents be gunned down now? FFS, I should have called the death flags on Tanya being a good parent.

Next week, we meet Palm's mom and get a beach episode.

[passionforfiction]

Arthdal Chronicles (Part 1)

Human greed that destroys innocence and harmony among different tribes and Neanthals. Destruction, slavery and death. . .

The Arthdal Union is made up of four tribes that understood that in strength is in the coming together for a common goal. These tribes are: Daekan tribe led by Sanung (the greediest of all leaders), White Mountain tribe led by Asa Ron (the religious leader), Hae tribe led by Mihol who holds the key to building arms and other useful objects, and the Bachidoore represented by Hae Rim, who - together with his family - who was a doctor.

The story begins on the night when Arthdal leaders ask the Naenthals (who are very strong and fast) to become part of the union. These people were feared among the people of all human tribes, but they were peaceful beings who only used violence to defend themselves. And the night they refuse, is the night Sanung orders his army to kill all Naenthals. Asa Hon, finds herself among the Naenthals when the destruction begins and she helps Ragaz save one of the Naenthal children, while Daekan army murders everyone in sight.

On the night Asa Hon has Ragaz's twin sons, Tanya was being born in Lark by the priestess and leader of the Wahan tribe. These three children have different paths all connected by their fate. . .

It is heartbreaking and frustrating to see how greed brings so much pain to the victim of those who become blinded by this insatiable desire to possess all. Sanung, Asa Ron and Mihol were constantly stabbing each other on the back in the cold war they had in order to have power over the Union. Sanung had the strongest army, and he used his son, Tagon as a weapon, destroying tribes, and taking peaceful people away from their homes to make them slaves. Meanwhile, Mihol uses his daughter, Taealha, as spy against Tagon and Sanung.

But mistreated children rebel against their parents and Tagon and Taealha hold on to each other and their love as they fight against their fathers and destroy the union to form a kingdom they can rule over. By the end of this part of the chronicle we see the transformation of these two characters: Tagon, who wanted to be loved by his people and who wanted to rule in a peaceful way, becomes a tyrant, feared by his people. Taealha, who was always calculating her next step, gave her all for Tagon, only to resent him for not sharing his power and going behind her back.

But these two would not had been able to accomplish this rebellion if they hadn't used Tanya who gave into her true path as priestess, Saya who was separated from his parents and grew as Tagon's son, and Eunseom, who in his efforts to save his people from slavery captured Sanung, giving Tagon the opportunity to kill his father.

We also see the transformation of these three young people as they become entangled in the Arthdal political struggle in their desire to save themselves and the people they love.

I liked how the story explores the creation of empires through conquering, destruction and slavery. It also presents the pain and negative side of fear as it blindly kills the Other because of their differences. The need to hide who they really are can also trigger the need to destruct blindly.

I loved the series and will start watching the second part this weekend.

Poster from the Korea Herald - https://www.koreaherald.com/view.php?ud=20190908000107

[summerwritesfics]

🥩Horrific Bingo Masterlist

Masterlist of work for Horrific Bingo, get your own card here!

Status: In Progress!

Fic Title - 🖤 Rating - ❓Ship - You Could See Worms Moving Under Your Skin

Fic Title - 🖤 Rating - 🔥❄️Hanzo Hasashi/Kuai Liang - Multiple Universe AU

Fic Title - 🖤 Rating - ⚰️&❄️Gen - Monsters As Metaphor Of Battling For Mental Health Issues

Fic Title - 🖤 Rating - 🌼⚔️Tanya/Mileena - Human Soup

Fic Title - 🖤 Rating - ❓Ship - The Victims Point Of View Before They Died

Fic Title - 🖤 Rating - 🔥❄️Hanzo Hasashi/Kuai Liang - “Scars Have The Strange Power To Remind Us That Our Past Is Real” (Cormac Mccarthy)

Fic Title - 🖤 Rating - ❓Ship - Killing The Good Guy To Be The Good Guy

Fic Title - 🖤 Rating - ⚰️🔮Bi-Han/Sareena - Dates And Picnics In Haunted Buildings

Fic Title - 🖤 Rating - ❓Ship - Faith Driven Violence

Fic Title - 🖤 Rating - ⚰️&❄️Gen - When You Wake Up Everyone Is Dead But There Are No Wounds

Fic Title - 🖤 Rating - 🔥❄️Hanzo Hasashi/Kuai Liang - 33

Fic Title - 🖤 Rating - 🔥⚰️Hanzo Hasashi/Bi-Han - The Detective Works Best Sober But Is An Alcoholic

Fic Title - 🖤 Rating - 🈲❄️Sektor/Kuai Liang - Unreliable Narrator

Fic Title - 🖤 Rating - ❓Ship - The Killer Is Clumsy

Fic Title - 🖤 Rating - 🔥❄️Hanzo Hasashi/Kuai Liang - The Homicide Culprit Is The Supernatural Boogeyman

Fic Title - 🖤 Rating - 🔥❄️🌺Hanzo Hasashi/Kuai Liang/Harumi Hasashi - The Angel Of Death Doesn’t Look Like The Myth

Fic Title - 🖤 Rating - ❄️Gen - Hired Killer, The Target Is An Old Woman

Fic Title - 🖤 Rating - 🔥❄️Hanzo Hasashi/Kuai Liang - “Do You Want To Die?” “And What If I Do?”

Fic Title - 🖤 Rating - ❓Ship - A War Between Corrupted Law Enforcement And Corrupted Citizens

Fic Title - 🖤 Rating - ❓Ship - Borrowed Timed And Borrowed World And Borrowed Eyes With Which To Sorrow It (Cormac Mccarthy)

Fic Title - 🖤 Rating - 💨❄️Tomas Vrbada/Kuai Liang - You Saw The Killer Inside Your Friend’s Home Through The Window

Fic Title - 🖤 Rating - 💨Gen - Could Only Watch Your House Burned Down With Your Family Inside

Fic Title - 🖤 Rating - 🐍❄️Shang Tsung/Kuai Liang - A Fallen Angel That Despises Heaven; Hell; And Earth

Fic Title - 🖤 Rating - 🔥❄️Hanzo Hasashi/Kuai Liang - Alien Invasion

Fic Title - 🖤 Rating - 🔥❄️Hanzo Hasashi/Kuai Liang - Bloody But Tender First Kiss

[loveissilentlyworthit]

aku sumpah tak faham. Lepas aku dah get back with the girl I love previously after I broke up with the other girl and we exchanged forgiveness to each other, dia dah start melatah dekat instastory cakap pasal balas dendam apa bagai and cakap belakang entah siapalah dia bising tu. I'm not that dumb, lady. Aku dah baca story tu aku siap screenshot. I have my receipts, ok? Aku dah agak dah lepas beberapa jam tu kau buang story post tu. Sudahlah weh nak victimize diri kau sendiri tu. Takleh get over ke pasal aku ni "ghosting" dekat kau? Ke kau je yang ghosting aku? Nak tunjuk kau ni je tak bersalah, and tau pun kau mengaku diri sendiri tu toxic and kau caya jugak yang tu, can you un-toxify yourself please?

Aku tak tau sama ada kau cakap buruk dekat aku atau ex-crush kau, yg ex-crush kau yg dok selalu bawak teman kau pergi event and selalu boss kau. Kan aku dah open up semua apa yang kurang dalam relationship kita and only lasted a week or two, lepas aku dah kata relationship ni takleh go, aku tengok je instastory/whatsapp story kau cakap belakang pasal aku. Clout chaser betul lah kau ni. You're no different than me, ni aku tulis pasal kau dekat tempat yg orang takkan cari apa yg orang nak baca.

I'm really sad you still think I'm that teruk sangat and that's exactly what you think. This one other person I jumpa even with her rants I started to mature quite a bit. Kau nak kata aku matang atau tidak terpulang dekat kau. Nothing can stop me or others to color the whole world and make people smile. Aku tanya kau, dapat duit ke cakap buruk orang? Takde kan. Sama je macam aku, no money by writing about someone that you've been holding this grudge dendam for so long. Why keep me in my friends list when the fact next time you see me awkwardly and disgust of me? Dude we all made bad and shitty choices in the past, time dekat end of Day 2 of Noizucon 2022 you had to add me on facebook and I took the chance to message you but yeah I was too nice in my own good. I'm sorry I'm not what you think I am and I'm not too dedicated to you and I know that my lack of commitment to you is no different than ghosting. At least my girlfriend's in good terms with you and I'm cool with it, knowing you got along with her right before me and my girlfriend got back together. Maybe I did told you that story how me and my girl got back together. If anything within you, happiness inside of you comes first, and live all your life to the fullest. I pray for all of everyone's good soul and health in them, including my girlfriend, and especially you.

Let us al stop all of this nonsense clout chasing and move on what really helps us getting more money and to have us get a better future ahead.

bak kata kawan aku:

If you have an issue with me or even anyone for that matter, kindly come forward face to face and hash it out. There’s no need to spread untruths or victimise yourself to others. Have the balls/guts to actually face me directly instead of hiding behind false gossips and stirring up unnecessary drama.

I’m not unreasonable. If something I said had really hurt you or triggered you without me knowing, I’d definitely apologize and not do it again. I’m not a person that would simply cut you off or start a witch hunt against you. But I’m not psychic, and I won’t know unless you say it out.

However, if you’re just stirring up shit hoping to gain clout, Lord help me. 🗿💢

Keep in mind. Our community is small, and word travels around fast.

Please, can we all just be decent human beings who try to help each other out instead of shooting others down for your own benefit and creating unneeded chaos?

Sekian.

[respectthepetty]

I'd like to thank everyone for watching the ninth episode of Never Let Me Go live and posting about it, so I knew exactly what I was getting into before I even pressed play.

But I'm also going to apologize to all of you, because I am over the moon with excitement because I'm hoping Jojo is giving me a redemption for 3 Will Be Free's Shin who (spoiler) DID NOT KILL HIS FATHER WHEN HE SHOULD HAVE!

Please, Jojo, let us have the ending Thana Kit deserves -

Shin Remixed - The Rise of Nuengdiao

Hold on. That doesn't feel right.

Shin Rebooted - The Fall of Kit

Why did Nueng AND Chopper take shooting lessons if they aren't going to put them to good use?!

As much as both boys have wanted to avoid the family business, the past few episodes have shown us they are actually good at it:

Nueng had no issue hitting the guy in the alleyway.

He was very comfortable taking the money to the baddies. He mentioned if he couldn't do that, he didn't deserve to inherit the family business, something he has never wanted before.

And he called the man's bluff by basically telling him that he didn't want this smoke.

Nueng is a man of words, not actions, so he tried to lie to Palm about not loving him. When that didn't work, he jumped into action! He drugged Palm, left him with his credit card and necklace, and took his ass back to claim the throne. *That's growth*

His cousin, Chopper, has looked away from violence, yet had no issue with beating up Phum and some rando to protect Ben.

He also was fine intimidating An in the bathroom.

Now that Ben knows what Kit has done, Ben is in danger of being Kit's next victim.

While Kit is motivated by power, Chopper and Nueng are motivated by love. Kit has already killed two parents while one rots in prison and another is in a coma. If one more person dies due to Kit's actions (Tanya! Only because Nueng is so sure she is going to wake up), these two cousins are going to make like Mario and Luigi and fuck up an entire kingdom.

3 Will Be Free's Shin ended up taking over the family business after his father's death (THANK YOU, MAE!), but occasionally met his girlfriend, Miw, and boyfriend, Neo, on the beach where they had a business (THROUPLE SUPREMACY!).

Nueng already mentioned several times that he wants to see Palm on the beach and has suggested that they run a business there.

Nueng assures Palm he WILL be alive and hopes to see Palm happy with someone else in the future.

But he should already know that Palm is ride or die for HIM.

Palm has already killed for him (KILL KIT DAMN IT!) and is willing to put his life on the line to protect Nueng. Palm is going to inform Nueng that they either stay together forever and meet at the beach once a year or they die together right now and see each other in heaven all the time because Palm is not going to love another.

The only thing standing in our boys' way is the tension coming from Nueng not being able to trust Chopper.

But, if there is one thing our boy Chopper is capable of, it's winning over a tough crowd.

I have high hopes that they will come together to take down Kit even though this show has surprised me multiple times (Chopper not being the culprit, Chanon not being the killer, Ben knowing Chopper liked him, Palm not believing Nueng didn't love him, etc.).

However, I haven't forgotten it gave me one thing I truly desired:

Someone pointed out the tattoo IS in Mandarin, so if Nueng gets one too, I'm going on a budget for Lent @wen-kexing-apologist!

Sorry this episode made you scream @grapejuicegay, but...

Kill Kit.

[dr-spencer-reids-queen]

Solitary Man: Final Part

Pairing: Spencer Reid x Female!Reader

Word Count: ~2.1k

Summary: You're feeling more like yourself for the first time in forever. You're not going to let anything spoil your good mood.

Warnings: canon violence, canon language, canon talk of death, methods of kill

Season Five Masterlist

Author’s Note: I do not own anything from Criminal Minds. All credit goes to their respective owners. If there are any warnings that exceed the normal death/kills from the show, I will list them.

x

Nancy's abduction hit the news pretty quickly. You just hope the unsub doesn't see it and dump Nancy's body out of fear. Penelope has been all over the HSK database and connected four more victims to the unsub. That brings his count to ten. If your team can figure out why he's choosing his victims, you'll find him easily.

After bringing Courtney to the police station, your team works on putting every victim's name and picture on the bulletin board. He started killing months before you thought he started. His first victim was a woman named Erika Joy from Lexington, South Carolina. She disappeared from a truck stop. According to her rap sheet, she did everyone she could for a living--a lot lizard. The other victims were waitresses, gas station employees, and even a female trucker. The only one who was married is Nancy even though she is recently a widow.

Nancy has been given the most amount of time in the news than the other women. She doesn't fit the unsub's MO. He had to have a reason for taking someone so far from the spectrum of the other victims.

"He had to have walked right by that minivan. Why didn't he take Courtney?" Emily asks.

"Maybe she's too young."

"She's closer to the victims' ages than her mother. That parking lot was deserted. He could have taken Courtney and nobody would have seen a thing. Instead, he walks past her."

"That's not who he wants. He watched Nancy. He followed her because he wanted her."

"So much so that he left Courtney as a witness? What could be that important?"

"You have your thinking face on," Derek says to you. "What's your theory?"

"What if he took Nancy because she is a mother? When I saw Tanya's body on the side of the road, she was in the fetal position. She looked like she was sleeping. That's exactly how a parent would care for their child. The other victims weren't mothers, Nancy is. Maybe this unsub is looking for someone to be a mother for a child, maybe his own?"

"It's a good theory. Tell that to Hotch."

You're about to when you notice Hotch and Rossi walk into the room.

"I heard," Hotch says. "It's good to have you back."

You can't help but smile at the small accomplishment.

"Nancy's been missing over twelve hours," JJ informs the team. "If he jumped on the I-40 before we got the police blocks out, he could be three states over by now."

"We don't think he has time for that. He's courting these women. He needs them in Edgewood."

"There are over eight hundred truckers on this list," Hotch sighs and looks at the list Penelope sent over. "We have to get Garcia to run background on all of them."

"Listen, I've already given you a list of all the trucker stops that we've checked in town," the sheriff says.

"We're gonna need to check them again."

Derek and Rossi head out to a truck stop to ask about truckers to try and narrow down the list, and they manage to get the manifest of the truckers who visited the stop. They come up with seventy-six truckers who are independent with Penelope's help. If this man is killing women and driving cross country with them, he has to be independent.

"Alright, so let's go over this again," Derek says after he and Rossi return. "This offender is preferential to young women mid to late twenties. He takes his time watching them. He makes sure there are no witnesses. He kills them twelve to twenty-four hours after abduction."

"Only now that timeframe's getting shorter."

"Then he comes home to Edgewood where he's home and he feels safe. There's no rape involved. So, is it the companionship he's after?"

"I really think he's looking for someone who will mother a child," you say. "Whether or not that's his own, I don't know."

"How do you figure?" JJ asks.

"Based on the way he positions the bodies once he dumps them. If he's not looking for a mom, he's definitely looking for a wife. He starts out with easy targets, then he moves on to women who could actually fill the role--sweet, outgoing, and warm."

"No, I think you're on the right track of it being a mother," Hotch says. "If he's got a kid of his own, that would explain what keeps him coming back to Edgewood. It would explain why he walks past Courtney to get to Nancy. Just by watching he knows she's a mother. She's already qualified to pass any test." He dials Penelope on the desk phone. "Garcia, I want you to narrow down the own authority trucker list and tell me which ones have been through a divorce or a custody battle recently."

"The custody fight would be a stressor. Limit your searches to months prior to the first murder," Rossi asks.

"Got it. Thanks."

"He might be sick. Maybe that's why he's trying so hard to find a mom for his child. He doesn't want her alone," you say.

"Cross-reference for men who have medical problems."

"Sure."

When the news of another body comes through, Courtney is in tears thinking it's her mother. After Rossi checks and confirms it's not Nancy, Courtney breaks down in tears this time, in relief. You're in the conference room with Hotch, Derek, and Spencer but looking at Courtney with Emily. You want to cry alongside Courtney not because you have unspoken trauma but because you feel and recognize her pain. The realization that you're not using her fear to fuel your own makes you want to cry. Are you finally free from prison?

"Hey, baby girl, talk to me," Derek says when Penelope calls.

"Of your seventy-six independent truckers, I have twenty-eight who are currently involved in custody cases."

"How many of those cases are still open?"

"Eight. Not the most relationship-friendly job, trucking."

"Look for instances where the mother died. A guy like this wouldn't tear a child away from his own mother."

"Okay, Caroline Hatchett died in a house fire, leaving behind seven-year-old daughter Jody and husband Wade Hatchett. Wade lost his home, his wife, and custody of his daughter when the courts deemed him unfit. He's still contesting the case."

"Why was he deemed unfit?" you ask.

"Double whammy... His job kept him away for weeks at a time, and he didn't have any other family to help him watch his daughter. It looks like he bent over backward trying to make it work, but she missed a lot of school, and he was charged with neglect of a minor."

"Do you have an address?"

"There is none. He's had a PO box for over a year."

"What about the daughter?"

"Jody currently resides in foster care. I'm sending you the file now."

Wade didn't bother posing the most recent victim and it was more brutal than the other ones which means it's more personal. Her name is Lynn Clemons, the foster mother of Jody Hatchett. She's in the process of being adopted so he must have run out of time if he killed her foster parent.

If you're going to get Wade, you have to get to Jody before he does. Your team heads over there just as she gets home from school.

"Hey, Jody," you smile.

"Who are you?"

"I'm Y/N."

"Where's Mrs. Clemons?"

"I'll tell you inside, okay? Come on." You bring her inside where the rest of your team is waiting for her. "It's okay, we're here to help."

"What's going on?"

"We're helping the police, and we're trying to find your dad. Do you know where he is?"

"No."

The hairs on the back of your neck stand up and you walk to the window facing the front yard. You pull back the curtain and see a semi-truck parked across the street. Nancy is sitting behind the wheel with a terrified look on her face. You can see a gun poking out from the sleeper which is why she's so terrified.

"He's here," you say and look at Hotch. Emily makes an excuse that she's thirsty so Jody takes her to the kitchen to grab something to drink. "Hotch, I think it's a good idea to let Jody talk to him. She might be able to get him to release Nancy without hurting her. We can tap into the CB radio. They all use the same channel."

Hotch agrees and sets up the entire line of communication. You bring Jody to the couch so she can talk to her dad using the radio. You don't want her to see him just yet.

"Here you go, sweetheart." You hand her the handheld radio. Your dad's out there. Listen, we need you to get your dad to let that woman go. Do you understand?"

"Yeah." She puts the radio to her mouth. "Daddy? Daddy, are you there?"

His head pops out from behind the dark curtain and looks at the house.

"Hi, baby."

"You need to tell me the rest of the story."

"Well, the lonely king and the queen are at the castle."

He's talking about himself and Nancy. Maybe he was lonely this entire time.

"To pick up the princess?" she smiles.

Herself.

"Well, the guards are in the way."

You and your team are the guards.

"Will you let the queen talk to them?"

"They won't listen."

"I want to see her. Will you let her go so she can hold me? You said that she's perfect, that she's the one. She wants to live in the big castle with me."

"I need to see you."

Hotch nods to you so you bring Jody to the window. Derek opens the curtains so he can see his daughter.

"Hi, Daddy!" she smiles and looks at Nancy.

"Hi, princess."

"She's so pretty, Daddy!" Wade knows there is no getting out of this and he isn't about to make a scene in front of his daughter. He says something to Nancy and she wretches the front door open. She runs out of the truck and toward the house. Derek meets her outside and brings her inside so she's away from Wade and his gun. "Now the king won't be lonely anymore."

"No, and they're gonna live happily ever after."

"Why aren't you coming, too, Daddy?"

"You did a great job, Jody," you whisper to her.

"Are you going to the better place?"

"What?" Your eyes widen.

"Yeah. We're both going to a better place, princess. Close your little eyes, sweet pea."

Derek runs out of the house toward the semi knowing what Wade is going to do to himself. You grab Jody and immediately turn her into you so she doesn't see her dad shooting himself. Derek doesn't make it and Wade is dead. Nancy is going to be okay and that's the most important thing even though it breaks your heart a bit to know that Jody won't have her father anymore.

Once you're back in Virginia, your parents agreed to come down and hang with you, JJ, Emily, and Penelope. JJ couldn't get a babysitter so she brought Henry with her. None of the girls are able to stay long but you wanted them to meet your parents, at least.

"Thanks for coming with me. I know you can't stay long but I wanted you to meet my parents. I hope you like them. Spencer doesn't. It's why he's not here. That and my dad seems to hate him."

"I'm sure they're wonderful," JJ smiles.

"Y/N!"

You turn to your parents who are outside the restaurant they reserved. The girls won't be joining you but you'd love to have dinner with your parents. Penelope and Emily stiffen up when they see your dad. You feel their hesitation from behind you which is weird because everyone loves your parents. Spencer would if your dad treated him right.

"Dad! Mom! I'd like you to meet some of my friends. JJ, Emily, and Penelope, I'd like you to meet my parents Joey and Julie."

"Hi, it's nice to meet you," JJ says with a tight-lipped smile.

Your mom leans closer to JJ and sees her son looking up at her with curious eyes. She coos and leans in even closer, causing JJ to shuffle backward uncomfortably.

"Oh, is he your son?" your mom gasps.

"Yeah, his name is Henry. My boyfriend is at work and couldn't watch him."

You're not sure why but you're getting waves of uncomfortableness and uneasiness.

"May I hold him?" she asks.

"You know what, it's past his bedtime. I should get going. It was nice to meet you," JJ chuckles.

That was a fake chuckle and you frown at her.

"Yeah, you know what, I have to go. I promised Emily I'd help her with her dating profile."

That was a lie. What is going on? You're not going to put them on the spot by calling them out. You'll talk to them tomorrow about it.

"Oh, okay. It's nice to meet you, all," your dad smiles.

All three girls part from the group leaving you alone with your parents. Your dad slings an arm around your shoulder and pulls you close to him. He kisses the top of your head affectionately with a smile.

"I'm glad you're here with us."

If he's so glad, why do you feel anger coming off him in waves?

"The family is a haven in a heartless world." - Christopher Lasch

x

Follow my library blog @aqueenslibrary​​​​​​ where I reblog all my stories, so you can put notifications on there without the extra stuff :)

[esonetwork]

Timestamp #CLS3: Nightvisiting

New Post has been published on https://esonetwork.com/timestamp-cls3-nightvisiting/

Timestamp #CLS3: Nightvisiting

Class: Nightvisiting (1 episode, s01e03, 2016)

When memories become weeds.

On the two-year anniversary night of Tanya’s father’s death, she is visited by something that resembles him. She doubts his appearance, believing that he is a hallucination, but the being has actual memories of their lives together. If she takes his hand, her grief will be gone forever.

A similar apparition visits Miss Quill, posing as her sister and promising that she can use a gun again if she accepts the bargain. Ram also gets a visitor in the form of Rachel while he video chats with April. Meanwhile, Charlie and Matteusz hook up after the former consoles the latter about his family’s homophobia.

Tanya returns to her room to talk with her “father” after checking in with her mother. She presumes that her mother is asleep but doesn’t notice that the woman is entangled in the alien vines. Both Tanya’s and Quill’s apparitions explain that they are the Lankin, an organism that feasts on a victim’s grief while killing them. They are all connected to the “great trunk” by vines running throughout the city and can presumably read their victims’ minds to emulate essential memories. The vines are also self-healing.

Ram and April rendezvous outside and try to work out this invasion. April reveals that her father attempted to kill himself by driving off a bridge when she was eight. Unfortunately, both she and her mother were in the car, resulting in her mother’s paralysis. April focuses on the things she loves to prevent the memory from controlling her life, and she uses this power to console Ram.

Ram and April follow the vines to Coal Hill and then follow the one into Tanya’s flat. Tanya struggles with the memory of her father since the Lankin only gets more aggressive about feeding on her grief. Ram and April arrive and warn her about the threat, but Tanya takes the Lankin’s hand. Unfortunately for the vine-creature, Tanya has more anger than grief toward her father’s memory. The anger poisons the creature but doesn’t weaken it enough.

Quill outright rejects her nightvisitor’s offer and eventually has Charlie and Matteusz stab the creature. They join up with the others to fight the threat. They finally defeat it after Quill steals a bus and rams it through the tentacles, forcing the broken links to retreat into the rift. Everyone seems fine afterward, and most of the victims have amnesia about the event.

The adventure ends as new bonds are forged within the team: Charlie offers space in his home for Matteusz while April and Ram continue to bond over their time together.

There’s not much to talk about here.

The episode tips its hand too way early by exposing that the ghosts of loved ones past are an alien tentacle invasion. While it does a good job of exploring the deeper hurt within the core team members, it spends a lot of time meandering through the 45-minute runtime before spending about five minutes actually fighting the threat.

The good side is that we see the team being proactive (in pieces, anyway), and admitting that they are gelling together after the threat is defeated. Hopefully it means that we’ll see them taking action more often in the remainder of the series run.

Rating: 2/5 – “Mm? What’s that, my boy?”

UP NEXT – Class: Co-Owner of a Lonely Heart & Class: Brave-ish Heart

The Timestamps Project is an adventure through the televised universe of Doctor Who, story by story, from the beginning of the franchise. For more reviews like this one, please visit the project’s page at Creative Criticality.