#gina baker writes

[blakelysco-pilot]

Wake Up Call

Pairing: Dean Winchester/Reader

Rating: Mature (this is just PWP)

Summary: Dean and the Reader find themselves with a moment alone in the Impala, and Reader makes sure they take advantage of it.

I wouldn’t admit it to anyone but, some nights I enjoyed curling up with Dean and sleeping in the Impala. When a motel was just too far of a drive, or he got that itch to do something spontaneous, the two of us would more often than not end up curled up together in the back seat. He’d wrap us both in an old blanket that he had stashed in the trunk; somewhere between the holy oil and witch killing bullets, we would manage a romantic moment alone.

There was one exception, however, and that was when Sam was with us. It was no longer romantic, the car just became a motel on wheels. Sam would stretch himself out in the back and we’d pass beers back and forth between us, share some mindless chatter, and then the sound of Sam snoring would eventually lull us both to a mediocre sleep. Dean and I would struggle to find a spot in the front where the steering wheel wasn’t pressing into his ribs, or the emergency brake handle wasn't poking into the small of my back.

This was one of those mornings. I stirred from sleep, and as my eyes adjusted to the light, I realized I was laying on the front seat, legs tucked up, head in Dean’s lap. Looking up, I took a moment to admire his sharp jaw and the slope of his nose as his breathing came in steady inhales and exhales. I always thought he was handsome, but when he was asleep and the weight of his troubles weren’t crushing him…he was even more so. It was then I realized he had slept sitting up, head back and neck bent. He would be howling about it for days.

Gently, I slid my hand over his thigh, my other hand bracing against the top of the seat as I took a careful peek into the back seat. I expected to find Sam, awkwardly bent with his flannel balled up behind his head, but was surprised to find that the back seat of the Impala was empty, save for Sam’s flannel from the night before and a half empty bottle of mouth wash. Grinning, I decided to steal a few moments of quiet with my favorite person, in our favorite place.

“Dean…”

“Hnfg… no.”

“Dean…” I tried again, letting my fingers dance over his stomach and up, under the hem of his black T-shirt.

Just as I moved in to press my lips against his, his hand came down over my wrist and stopped me from exploring his skin any further. One of his jade green eyes opened, looking at me wildly, as if to ask how I could be so mean and torture him while his brother was asleep not five feet away.

“Relax… it’s just us…” I grinned.

“Where’d he go?”

“Don’t know… don’t care at the moment… I’m alone with you.”

He gently released his grip on my wrist, and opened his other eye before grinning brightly.

“Then feel free to continue,” he husked, bringing a hand up to thread through my hair. “This is my favorite kind of wake up call.”

I just smiled as he used the hand in my hair to guide my lips back to his. When his lips finally pressed against mine, it felt as if I was floating, and the only thing keeping me tethered to the earth was Dean holding me against him.

“I know you want to take your time and enjoy this but…” I murmured against his lips, hands fumbling with his belt while his moved to hastily untuck my shirt and pop the button on my jeans.

“Baby, you know I love it any way I can get it with you,” Dean smirked. “It’s always good.”

He made quick work of shoving his jeans and boxers down just far enough to expose his hardening length, his head falling back against the seat as I quickly kicked off my boots and shimmied out of my jeans and underwear.

“I’d tell you to take your top off but…”

“Later,” I promised, grabbing a fistful of his black T-shirt and tugging him over to the passenger side of the car.

Dean quickly yanked his own flannel off, balling it up and putting it behind my head with a not so subtle wink, before descending; one knee on the bench seat, the other leg planted firmly on the floor. His hands slipped behind my thighs, pulling me as close as possible before stopping; his eyes were half lidded but focused on me as one hand slid up, past my knee, up, up, up until he was able to cup my jaw, thumb running idly over my bottom lip.

“I never get tired of seeing you like this.” “Could say the same about you, Handsome.” I grinned, the words turning to a moan as Dean shifted his hips forward until he was buried to the hilt.

“Fuck, thats the best feeling.” He groaned, dropping his head to my shoulder.

“Reminds me of when you whisked me away for a joyride when we were kids.” I sighed, pushing a hand into his hair, nails scratching against his scalp.

“Except we were in the backseat and parked by the beach… way more romantic.”

“Still romantic,” I whispered, lifting my hips to give him a little nudge of encouragement.

“I hear ya,” he ground out. “I’ve got ya, I’m right here.”

My hands fell from around his neck down to grip his biceps as he pulled out and thrust back in, the slow drag of him as he pulled out coupled with the sharp, pleasure-pain sting of his hips meeting mine as he picked up speed was something I would never tired of.

“… this is gonna be short lived baby… fuck!”

The Impala rocked beneath us as Dean’s thrusts became harder and more erratic, his gaze on me absolutely wild.

“Dean… fuck, please!”

“You close, sweetheart?”

“So close…”

Even in his own haze, before another word could leave my mouth, before I begged for more than he was already giving, he knew. Bracing one hand on the back of the seat, Dean dropped his other hand between our bodies, his thumb finding my swollen clit like a magnet, and began drawing tight circles over the sensitive nub.

“That what you needed?”

“Yes…oh god, Don't stop…right there…I’m-“

The words died on my lips as my orgasm crashed down around me. If I was tethered by Dean’s lips on mine before, then this was life support, and Dean was the only one capable of keeping me from flatlining. His eyes were locked on mine as he gave one final, deep thrust, his own orgasm on the heels of mine, our lips meeting as he worked us both through it.

As the aftershocks wore off and our breathing returned to normal, the two of us remained tangled in each other’s embrace in the front seat of the car.

“Normally I don’t advocate for you putting pants back on but…” I gave a firm squeeze to Dean’s backside in good jest.

“No one wants to see my ass.” He grinned, gently pulling out of me before searching for the roll of paper towels that he kept stashed in the glove box.

“That’s not true.” I rolled my eyes.

“Okay, no one except you wants to see my ass.” He winked, ripping off a few sheets before passing them to me.

I quickly cleaned up before pulling my underwear and jeans back up. We moved silently, but together, Dean balling up the used paper towels and tossing them outside the car, leaving the window cracked for some fresh air.

“C’mere…” he grinned, leaning back in the drivers seat and opening his arms for me.

I slid across the seat, snuggling into his side, bringing my legs up on the bench as Dean wrapped his arm around me.

“Thank you for my wakeup call.” He looked down just as I looked up, a smile on his face.

“You’re welcome,” I leaned up, pressing a kiss to his lips. “I can’t say my motives were entirely without self benefit though.”

“Oh I know.” He chuckled.

We stayed like that, tucked up together, watching as the sun rose higher, and the world began its day.

The sound of boots on gravel startled us, Dean immediately looking into the rear view mirror to see who was coming.

“Sam?”

“Yea… looks like he picked up breakfast.”

“The big lug,” I chuckled. “He’s gonna know we had sex in here.”

“Wouldn’t be the first time and sure as hell won’t be the last, sweetheart.”

Before I could respond, the back door creaked open and Sam lumbered in. He was balancing a tray of coffees in one hand and a brown paper bag in the other. He tossed the greasy bag up front, not caring that it missed the seat and landed on the floor by Dean’s feet.

“Come on, guys…” he groaned.

“What?” Dean cut his eyes to his brother in the rear view mirror.

“Could you two at least try and wait till we find a motel?” Sam griped, passing two coffees over to me. “And don’t say it’s house rules.”

Turning the key in the ignition, Dean grinned at me before cutting his eyes to his brother in the rear view.

“Shut up and drink your coffee.”

[blakelysco-pilot]

Do you want to play a game?

[js-a-writer]

Requests

People I Write For :

Stranger Things

El Hopper (fem, gn, male)

Max Mayfield (fem, gn, male)

Dustin Henderson (fem, gn)

Will Byers (gn, male)

Lucas Sinclaire (fem, gn, male)

Mike Wheeler (fem, gn, male)

Steve Harrington (fem, gn, male)

Nancy Wheeler (fem, gn, male)

Eddie Munson (fem, gn, male)

Robin Buckley (fem, gn)

Billy Hargrove (fem, gn)

Scream

Sidney Prescott (fem, gn, male)

Randy Meeks (fem, gn)

Tatem Riley (fem, gn male)

Stu Macher (fem, gn)

Billy Loomis (fem, gn)

Derek Feldman (fem, gn)

Mark Kincaid (fem, gn)

Kirby Reed (fem, gn, male)

Marnie Cooper (fem, gn, male)

Amber Freeman (fem, gn, male)

Chad Meeks-Martin (fem, gn)

Mindy Meeks-Martin (fem, gn)

Wes Hicks (fem, gn)

Tara Carpenter (fem, gn, male)

Sam Carpenter *Loomis* (fem, gn, male)

Liv McKenzie (fem, gn, male)

Anika Kayoko (fem, gn)

Danny Brackett (fem, gn)

Ethan Landry (fem, gn)

Outer Banks

Rafe Cameron (fem, gn)

JJ Maybank (fem, gn)

Pope (fem, gn)

Kiara (fem, gn, male)

Cleo (fem, gn, male)

Shameless

Carl Gallagher (fem, gn)

Ian Gallagher (fem, gn, male)

Fiona Gallagher (fem, gn, male)

Debbie Gallagher (fem, gn, male)

Liam Gallagher *aged up* (fem, gn)

NCIS

Tim McGee (fem, gn)

Tony DiNozzo (fem, gn)

Gibbs (fem, gn)

Jimmy Palmer (fem, gn)

Abby Scuito (fem, gn, male)

Ziva David (fem, gn, male)

Caitlin Todd (fem, gn, male)

Greenhouse Academy

Haley Woods (fem, gn, male)

Leo Cruz (fem, gn)

Alex Woods (fem, gn)

Brooke Osmand (fem, gn, male)

Max Miller (fem, gn)

Sophia Cardona (fem, gn, male)

Daniel Hayward (fem, gn)

Parker Grant (fem, gn)

Jackie Sanders (fem, gn, male)

Ryan Woods *young* (fem, gn, male)

Fuller House

Stephanie Tanner (fem, gn, male)

Jesse Katsopolis *young and old* (fem, gn)

Ramona Gibbler (fem, gn, male)

Max Fuller *aged up* (fem, gn)

Steve Hale *young and old* (fem, gn)

Jackson Fuller (fem, gn)

Jimmy Gibbler (fem, gn)

Matt Harmon (fem, gn)

Ethan (fem, gn)

Ginny and Georgia

Ginny Miller (fem, gn, male)

Abby (fem, gn, male)

Marcus Baker (fem, gn)

Georgia Miller *young and old*(fem, gn, male)

Maxine Baker (fem, gn)

Zion Miller *young and old* (fem, gn)

Paul Randolph (fem, gn)

Brodie (fem, gn, male)

Norah (gn, male)

Padma (gn, male)

Matt Press (fem, gn)

Joe (fem, gn)

Jordan (fem, gn)

Heartstopper

Charlie Spring (gn, male)

Nick Nelson (fem, gn, male)

Elle Argent (fem, gn, male)

Darcy Olsson (fem, gn)

Tara Jones (fem, gn)

Tao Xu (fem, gn)

Anne with an E

Gilbert Blythe (fem, gn)

Anne Shirley-Cuthbert (fem, gn, male)

Diana Barry (gn, male)

Jerry Baynard (fem, gn)

Cole Mackenzie (fem, gn, male)

Sebastian Lacroix (fem, gn)

Billy Andrews (fem, gn)

Charlie Sloane (fem, gn)

Nate (fem, gn)

Prissy Andrews (fem, gn, male)

To All the Boys I've Loved Before

John Ambrose (fem, gn)

Josh (fem, gn)

Peter Kavinsky (fem, gn)

Lucas (gn, male)

Gen (fem, gn, male)

Chris *Christine* (fem, gn, male)

Julie and the Phantoms

Julie (fem, gn, male)

Luke Patterson (fem, gn)

Alex (gn, male)

Reggie (fem, gn)

Nick (fem, gn)

Flynn (fem, gn, male)

Willie (gn, male)

IT (Chapter 1 + 2)

Stanley Uris (fem, gn, male)

Richie Tozier (fem, gn, male)

Eddie Kaspbrak (fem, gn, male)

Beverly Marsh (fem, gn, male)

Ben Hanscom (fem, gn)

Mike Hanlon (fem, gn)

Bill Denbrough (fem, gn, male)

Henry Bowers (fem, gn)

Belch Huggins *Reggie* (fem, gn)

Patrick Hockstetter (fem, gn)

Victor Criss (fem, gn)

I Am Not Okay With This

Sydney Novak (fem, gn, male)

Stanley Barber (fem, gn, male)

Enola Holmes

Enola Holmes (fem, gn, male)

Tewksbury (fem, gn)

Sherlock Holmes (fem, gn)

The Kissing Booth

Noah Flynn (fem, gn)

Lee Flynn (fem, gn)

Marco Peña (fem, gn)

The Imperfects

Tilda Webber (fem, gn, male)

Abbi Singh (fem, gn, male)

Juan Ruiz (fem, gn)

Sydney Burke (fem, gn, male)

P.J. (fem, gn)

Malibu Rescue

Tyler (fem, gn)

Dylan (fem, gn, male)

Lizzy (fem, gn, male)

Gina (fem, gn, male)

Eric (fem, gn)

The Package

Sean Floyd (fem, gn, male)

Sarah (fem, gn, male)

Becky Abelar (fem, gn, male)

Purple Hearts

Cassie Salazar (fem, gn, male)

Luke Morrow (fem, gn)

Frankie (fem, gn)

Armando (fem, gn)

Riley (fem, gn, male)

Wednesday

Wednesday Adams (fem, gn, male)

Xavier Thorpe (fem, gn)

Enid Sinclair (fem, gn, male)

Tyler Galpin (fem, gn)

Rowan Laslow (fem, gn, male)

Lucas Walker (fem, gn)

Ajax Petropolus (fem, gn)

Heartbreak High

Spencer White *Spider* (fem, gn)

Anthony Vaughn *Ant* (fem, gn, male)

Darren Rivers (gn, male)

Amerie Wadia (gn, male)

Quinn Gallagher-Jones *Quinni* (fem, gn)

Dustin Reid *Dusty* (fem, gn)

Harper McLean (fem, gn, male)

Douglas Piggott *Ca$h* (fem, gn, male)

Malakai Mitchell (fem, gn, male)

Hype House (All time)

Vinnie Hacker (fem, gn)

Taylor Holder (fem, gn)

Jack Wright (fem, gn, male)

Barron Sho (fem, gn)

Ryland (fem, gn)

Harry Potter

Hermione Granger (fem, gn, male)

Harry Potter (fem, gn)

Ron Weasley (fem, gn)

George Weasley (fem, gn)

Fred Weasley (fem, gn)

Bill Weasley (fem, gn)

Charlie Weasley (fem, gn)

Percy Weasley (fem, gn)

Ginny Weasley (fem, gn, male)

Mattheo Riddle (fem, gn)

Theodore Nott (fem, gn)

Dean Thomas (fem, gn)

Lee Jordan ( fem, gn, male)

Seamas Finnigan (fem, gn, male)

Pansy Parkinson (fem, gn, male)

Lorenzo Berkshire (fem, gn)

Tom Riddle *not Voldemort* (fem, gn)

Blaise Zabini (fem, gn)

Luna Lovegood (fem, gn, male)

Regulus Black *young* (fem, gn, male)

Sirius Black *young* (fem, gn, male)

Remus Lupin *young* (fem, gn, male)

James Potter *young* (fem, gn, male)

Lily Potter *young* (fem, gn, male)

Nymphadora Tonks (fem, gn, male)

Narcissa Malfoy *young and old* (fem, gn, male)

Fantastic Beasts

Newt Scammander (fem, gn)

Queenie Goldstein (fem, gn, male)

Credence Barebone (fem, gn, male)

Theseus Scammander (fem, gn)

The Black Phone

Vance Hopper (fem, gn)

Finney Blake (fem, gn)

Gwenny Blake *aged up* (fem, gn, male)

Robin Arellano (fem, gn)

Bruce Yamada (fem, gn)

Billy Showalter (fem, gn)

10 Things I Hate About You

Kat Stratford (fem, gn, male)

Cameron James (fem, gn)

Bianca Stratford (fem, gn, male)

Patrick Verona (fem, gn)

Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children

Jacob Portman (fem, gn, male)

Emma Bloom (fem, gn, male)

Alma Peregrine (fem, gn, male)

Enoch O'Connor (fem, gn)

Victor Bruntley *alive* (fem, gn)

Olive Abroholos Elephanta (fem, gn, male)

Millard Nullings (fem, gn, male)

Horace (fem, gn male)

Fiona *aged up* (fem, gn, male)

Bronwyn Bruntley *aged up* (fem, gn, male)

Hugh (fem, gn, male)

Titanic

Rose Dewitt Bukater (fem, gn, male)

Jack Dawson (fem, gn, male)

A Quiet Place

Marcus (fem, gn, male)

Evelyn (fem, gn, male)

Regan (fem, gn, male)

Lee (fem, gn)

The Office

Jim Halpert (fem, gn)

Dwight Shrute (fem, gn, male)

Pam Beesley (fem, gn, male)

Five Feet Apart

Stella (fem, gn, male)

Poe Ramirez (gn, male)

Will (fem, gn)

Celebs/Influencers

That I don't already have as characters (cuz I write for the character and the actor)

Nils Kuesel (fem, gn, male)

Jack Harlow (fem, gn)

Dua Lipa (fem, gn, male)

Olivia Rodrigo (fem, gn, male)

Jenna Ortega (fem, gn, male)

Dove Cameron (fem, gn, male)

Benjamin Wadsworth (fem, gn)

Girl Meets World

Farkle Minkus (fem, gn, male)

Riley Matthews (fem, gn, male)

Maya Hart (fem, gn, male)

Lucas Friar (fem, gn)

Isaiah Babineaux (fem, gn)

Isadora Smackle (fem, gn, male)

Auggie Matthews *aged up* (fem, gn)

Josh Matthews (fem, gn)

Boy Meets World

Shawn Hunter (fem, gn)

Eric Matthews (fem, gn, male)

Cory Matthews (fem, gn)

Topanga Lawrance (fem, gn, male)

Jack (fem, gn, male)

The Notebook

The Breakfast Club

Barbie

Ken (fem, gn)

Barbie (fem, gn, male)

She's the Man

Duke Orsino (fem, gn)

Hazbin Hotel

Alastor (fem, gn, male)

Angel Dust (fem, gn, male)

Husk (fem, gn, male)

Adam (fem, gn, male)

Lucifer (fem, gn, male)

Lilith (fem, gn, male)

Sir Pentious (fem, gn, male)

2 Broke Girls

Max (fem, gn, male)

Caroline (gn, male)

Johnny (fem, gn)

Oleg (fem, gn)

Bridgerton

Benedict (fem, gn, male)

Anthony (fem, gn)

Daphne (gn, male)

Eloise (fem, gn, male)

Fran (fem, gn, male)

Madame Delacroix (fem, gn, male)

How to Request :

Make sure to state what you would like in the imagine/story and what genre (?) Like angst, fluff, smut (sometimes). Also what character or person you would want in the imagine. 🙃

*Disclaimer*

I write for all of these characters and their actors and if you have someone else you would want me to write for be sure to put that in your request these are just the characters I could think of off the top of my head

P.S. I also do some ship imagines like Nick x Charlie (heartstopper), etc. So if you want ship imagines be sure to send them in and I will try and get to them.

[blakelysco-pilot]

Uhm, excuse you😒

“you’re a writer, can you explain your process?” yes. first, i panic. then i procrastinate. then, in a fit of productivity at 3 a.m., i create chaos.

[haven-of-dusk]

Apologies everyone, but I'm writing a Caswen thing and my head is thus spinning with headcanons, and I need to share/dump them somewhere so...

Physical touch is one of their biggest love languages. Ricky has always enjoyed it immensely, but realized very quickly that EJ was a little uncomfortable with it due to his history, so Ricky eased him back into it slowly, and now anytime they're able to they'll usually be draped around each other in some way (arms around the shoulder, heads in lap, cuddled on a couch, leaning while standing, waist holding, etc).

Related to the previous one, EJ adores Ricky's curls and can play with them for hours. And it works out well since Ricky LOVES when EJ does so. And no one else. Ricky was practically hissing like an irate cat when Seb once tried.

Once married, they go by Richard and Elton Bowen, though their official name is Caswell-Bowen, having dropped the Caswell part until Cash dies and EJ feels he can reclaim the name from his father's abusive legacy.

EJ eventually worked his way up to a couple masters degrees in English and Education (with minor focus in film studies) and became a professor at a highly acclaimed college. Ricky got to a masters in psychology (with a lot of help from his husband) and now works for a local practice, while also teaching piano lessons in his spare time.

For one Valentine's Day, they both forgot to get presents, and thus both showed up with guitars in hand to use a ballad as a substitute. It was a very adorable afternoon.

EJ is the only person allowed to call Ricky 'Dick Bowen'

Ricky is a habitual sweatshirt stealer. EJ occasionally retaliated by stealing Ricky's own sweatshirts. Ricky also has pretty much permanent ownership of EJ's letterman jacket.

EJ is the little spoon most often.

EJ introduced Ricky to knitting (with a little help from Gina), which Ricky quickly fell in love with and now they can occasionally be found having quiet moments near the waterfront where EJ reads and Ricky knits.

Big Red and Gina had a feud about who would give the toast at the wedding, before it was eventually decided that they couldn't agree and the task was given to Maddox instead.

They struggle with movie nights because one or both of them usually falls asleep.

EJ is the only other person in the friend group to know Big Red's real name, which Big Red only agreed to because Ricky practically begged.

Ricky is indecisive as to what his favourite part of EJ is, but it's somewhere between his eyes or his smile.

Ricky once got sick right before a group skiing trip and EJ decided to stay behind and tend to him for a full week. He even rigged up a call button like in hospitals. (To be clear, this was an above average case of the flu)

Ricky is a fantastic cook, EJ is a fantastic baker.

It's an ongoing debate/competition which one of them has the bigger/better heart eyes.

[docrotten]

BLUE MONKEY (1987) – Episode 277 – Decades of Horror 1980s

“I wonder if we’ll find anything down here? I bet we’re going to find a big blue monkey.” Or maybe you won’t. Join your faithful Grue Crew – Chad Hunt, Bill Mulligan, Jeff Mohr, and guest Ralph Miller III – as they do their best to find the blue monkey in Blue Monkey (1987). It’s Canadian horror, ay.

Decades of Horror 1980s Episode 277 – Blue Monkey (1987)

Join the Crew on the Gruesome Magazine YouTube channel! Subscribe today! Click the alert to get notified of new content! https://youtube.com/gruesomemagazine

Gruesome Magazine is partnering with the WICKED HORROR TV CHANNEL (https://wickedhorrortv.com/) which now includes video episodes of Decades of Horror 1980s and is available on Roku, AppleTV, Amazon FireTV, AndroidTV, and its online website across all OTT platforms, as well as mobile, tablet, and desktop.

Synopsis: Detective Jim Bishop and Dr. Rachel Carson must find a way to stop a giant monstrous insect before it procreates and spreads a deadly infection it’s carrying. Meanwhile, it’s eating people in Dr. Carson’s quarantined hospital.

Directed by: William Fruet

Writing Credits: George Goldsmith (written by); Chris Koseluk (story editor)

Executive Producers: Sandy Howard, Tom Fox, Michael Masciarelli

Special Effects by: Steve Neill (creature maker: Sirius Effects (uncredited) / creature supervisor: Sirius Effects (uncredited))

Selected Cast:

Ivan E. Roth as The Creature

Steve Railsback as Detective Jim Bishop

Gwynyth Walsh as Dr. Rachel Carson

Don Lake as Elliot Jacobs

Helen Hughes as Marwella Harbison

Sandy Webster as Fred Adams

Susan Anspach as Dr. Judith Glass

Bill Lake as Paramedic

Peter Van Wart as Oscar Willets

Don Ritchie as Orderly #1

Stuart Stone as Joey

Marsha Moreau as Marcy

Nathan Adamson as Tyrone

Sarah Polley as Ellen

Joy Coghill as Dede Wilkens

Cynthia Belliveau as Alice Bradley

John Vernon as Roger Levering

Philip Akin as Anthony Rivers (as Phillip Akin)

Laura Dickson as Desk Nurse #1

Robin Duke as Sandra Baker

Joe Flaherty as George Baker

Jane Dingle as Desk Nurse #2

Dan Lett as Ted Andrews

Michael J. Reynolds as Albert Hooper

Michael Caruana as Technician

Gina Wilkinson as Nurse Michelle

David Clement as Surgeon

Ursula Balzer as O.R. Nurse

Les Rubie as Rollo Jordan

Reg Dreger as Policeman

Karen Scanlan as ISO. Nurse

Ralph Small as Security Guard

Harry Booker as Bill Clemmins

Jo Bates as Lobby Nurse (as Jo Anne Bates)

Walker Boone as Johnson

Rob Wilton as Orderly #2 (as Robert Wilton)

Alan Rosenthal as Dr. Steinberg (as Allan Rosenthal)

Ken Quinn as Patient

The 80s Grue-Crew and guest Ralph Miller III take a trip to a hospital in Canada to diagnose Blue Monkey (1987). This one features the beginnings of an epidemic, some ludicrous laser shenanigans, an extraordinary amount of green goo, and a freaky larva that magically metamorphoses (we think) into a giant insect that begins killing patients in the now quarantined hospital. All of this is accomplished with some generally good effects work and an abundance of pseudo-sciencing. Steven Railsback, Gwynyth Walsh, Don Lake, Susan Anspach, and John Vernon jump into the fray, accompanied by Marwella and Dede, a pair of golden girls getting drunk in the background, and Robin Dukes and Joe Flaherty having their first baby. Ah, yes. Canadian horror has such a unique flavor. As you can tell, there’s plenty of material for our talkabout… even though there’s no actual blue monkey.

At the time of this writing, Blue Monkey (1987) is available to stream from Tubi and multiple PPV sources. 

Every two weeks, Gruesome Magazine’s Decades of Horror 1980s podcast will cover another horror film from the 1980s. The next episode’s film, chosen by Jeff, will be Angel (1984), starring… wait for it… Rory Calhoun! Joining him are Donna Wilkes, Cliff Gorman, Dick Shawn, Susan Tyrrell, and John Diehl, all cavorting on the strip. Unfortunately, there’s a serial killer on the prowl.

Please let them know how they’re doing! They want to hear from you – the coolest, grooviest fans – so leave them a message or comment on the Gruesome Magazine Youtube channel, on the Gruesome Magazine website, or email the Decades of Horror 1980s podcast hosts at feedback@gruesomemagazine.com.

Check out this episode!

[ccollapsingstars]

Hii! This is my first post on this blog, and i wanted to announce i’m probably gonna write about:

- You (Love Quinn, Joe Goldberg, Guinevere Beck)

- The Haunting of Bly Manor (Dani Clayton, Jamie Taylor)

- The Office (Jim Halpert, Pam Beesly)

- Friends (Monica Geller, Rachel Green, Phoebe Buffay)

- Killing Eve (Eve Polastri, Villanelle)

- 2 Broke Girls (Caroline, Max)

- Gossip Girl (Serena Van der Woodsen, Blair Waldorf)

- MCU (Wanda Maximoff, Natasha Romanoff, Kate Bishop, Carol Danvers, Valkyrie, Kamala Khan, Sylvie)

- How I Met Your Mother (Robin Scherbatsky, Lily Aldrin)

- Brooklyn Nine-Nine (Amy Santiago, Rosa Diaz, Gina Linetti, Jake Peralta)

- Fleabag (Fleabag, if necessary the Priest too even if it’s gonna be weird asf)

- Movies (just ask, i’ll do what i can do)

- Actresses/Singers (Victoria Pedretti, Jodie Comer, Elizabeth Olsen, Blake Lively, Taylor Swift, Julien Baker, Lucy Dacus, Phoebe Bridgers, Scarlett Johansson, Hailee Steinfeld, Daisy Edgar-Jones, or anyone else, just ask)

- Every one-shot will be written with a female pov, if you want me to use they/them pronouns just let me know!!

- I mostly write wlw stories, as you can see I have some exceptions, but it’s mostly wlw.

REQUESTS ARE OPENED!!!!

[arda-ancalima]

Summary: Kazuma looks after Iris when she is unsettled and alone.

For Greatest Family Week 2023, July 26th: Mascots @greatestfamilyweek

—

Our time together in the past year has been so short, and I miss our conversations. I’m sure you’re very busy, but I look forward to hearing from you when you are able to write back.

Take care of yourself, Susato

Kazuma slipped the letter he had received three weeks ago back into his pocket as Gina returned from the evidence room. “Thanks for finding that report, Lestrade.”

“Sure thing, ‘Sogi!”

He nodded to her and left the main part of the police station through the door by the reception desk, heading for the public entrance. Out of the corner of his eye, he caught a splash of pink in a small interview room off to the side. He doubled back. “Miss Wilson?”

Iris looked up from her chair wide eyed, then brightened. “Kazzy! What a pleasant surprise.”

He had met Iris only a handful of times, including a couple visits to Baker Street for tea. While he still didn’t know her well, it was easy to see why Ryunosuke and Susato adored her. Leaning against the door frame, Kazuma put his hands in his pockets. “What brings you here? Lestrade is at her desk if you were hoping to visit.”

“Oh no, that’s not it,” Iris said. She struggled to smile as she hugged herself. “I’m just waiting to give a statement.”

“…Is everything all right?”

“Yes, it’s fine, I was just…a bit frightened earlier.” She looked very small as she closed in on herself in the empty room.

“Where is Mr. Sholmes?”

“He’s away on a case. It may be another day before he gets back,” Iris explained. “Bad luck, I suppose. Say, do you have the time?”

“It’s half past two.”

“Oh…”

“Do you have somewhere to be?”

“No, just I’ve been here since one. Is the station very busy?”

“Not busy enough,” Kazuma growled, pushing off from the door frame and stalking over to the reception desk. He folded his arms at the desk sergeant. “Excuse me, can you explain why this young lady has not been seen to yet?”

Continue reading on AO3

[andrewmoocow]

Little Homeworld Life chapter 26: Hostile Takeover (originally posted on June 19, 2023)

AN: It has all come to this. The end begins here. The final episode of Little Homeworld Life is here at last, and after that will be Steven Universe: Snake Eyes. It has been an honor delivering such consistent quality writing to this fandom, and I'll be damned if I don't enjoy doing it again one last time before I finally decide to move onto other stories I've left to dry for too long.

Synopsis: Connie returns home from college just as Black Rutile takes over Little Homeworld and holds the Crystal Gems captive. With their alien friends in danger, the people of Beach City decide to repay the Crystal Gems by joining together to save them from Black Rutile.

Cast:

Grace Rolek as Connie

Noël Wells as Black Rutile

Kimberly Brooks as Jasper, Skinny Jasper, Carnelian, Superfan Rose, Hippie Rose, Shy Rose, Cherry Quartz, Biggs Jasper

Lauren Ash as White Topaz

Amy Sedaris as Teal Zircon

Martha Higerada as Topaz

Della Saba as Aquamarine

Charlyne Yi as Eyeball, Doc, Navy, Leggy, Army

Christine Pedi as Holly Blue Agate

Casey Lee Williams as Cat's Eye

Hayley Kiyoko as Morganite

Jinkx Monsoon as Emerald, Chest Emerald

Melissa Fahn as Demantoid, Eyeball Demantoid

Kari Wahlgren as Pyrope

Jon Wurster as Marty

Shanelle Grey as Sally Grove

Larissa Gallagher as Bluebird Azurite

May Calamawy as Chrome Chalcedony

Susanne Blakeslee as Pietersite

Estelle as Garnet

Michaela Dietz as Amethyst, Famethyst, Tiger's Eye

Deedee Magno-Hall as Pearl, Yellow Pearl, Blue Pearl, Volleyball, Black Pearl Brigade

Shelby Rabara as Peridot, Squaridot

Jennifer Paz as Lapis, Laz, Zuli, Phoenix Lapis

Uzo Aduba as Bismuth

Dee Bradley Baker as Lion, Concretes

Tom Scharpling as Greg

Matthew Moy as Lars, Dante

Kate Micucci as Sadie

Indya Moore as Shep

Enuka Okuma as Rhodonite

Kathleen Fisher as Fluorite

Ashly Burch as Rutile Twins

Erica Luttrell as Padparadscha Sapphire

Mary Elizabeth McGlynn as Priyanka

Crispin Freeman as Doug

Andrew Kishino as Kevin

Reagan Gomez Preston as Jenny, Kiki

Godfrey as Kofi

Zach Steel as Ronaldo

Brian Posehn as Sour Cream

Lamar Abrams as Buck Dewey

Colton Dunn as Mr. Smiley

Toks Olagundoye as Mayor Nanafua

Joel Hodgson as Bill Dewey

Eugene Cordero as Jamie

Atticus Shaffer as Peedee

Billy Merritt as Mr. Fryman

Kristin Chenoweth as Sheena Synstylae

Nancy Linari as Martha

Brian George as Mr. Frowney

Jackie Buscarino as Vidalia

Aparna Nancherla as Nephrite, Lemon Jade

Ian Jones Quartey as Snowflake Obsidian, Bixbite

Michelle Maryk as Larimar

Auli'i Cravalho as Orange Spodumene

Kimiko Glenn as Blue Chalcedony

Tara Platt as Heaven Cubic Zirconia, Earth Cubic Zirconia

Tara Strong as Grossular Diopside

Phillipa Soo as Chrysocolla

Anika Noni Rose as Watermelon Tourmaline (fusion), Watermelon Tourmaline

Aimee Carrero as Moonstone

Gal Gadot as Desert Glass

Willa Holland as Albite

Maddie Ziegler as Serpentine

Courtenay Taylor as Beryl

Sarah Jessica Parker as Dumortierite

Cavetown as Diaspore

Emily King as Kunzite

Alex Newell as Monazite

Alyson Hannigan as Lavenderine

Avi Roque as Cinnabar

Gina Torres as Andesine

Awkwafina as Kyanite

Allison Janney as Pyrite

Zehra Fazal as Zoisite

Lena Hall as Bloodstone

Jodie Whittaker as Xenotime

Idina Menzel as Amazonite

Halsey as Tanzanite

Mia Barron as Apatite

Sarah Stiles as Spinel

Christine Baranski as Hessonite

Olivia Olson as Citrine, Citrine Twins

Lin-Manuel Miranda as President Eduardo Suarez

Wendie Malick as Vice President Theresa Maxwell

GZA as Major General Wade Grant

Tim Curry as General Lloyd Waller

John Kassir as Reginald Johnson

Stephanie Beatriz as Arleen Suarez

Xolo Mariduena as Huey Suarez

Leslie Grace as Riley Suarez

Pierce Brosnan as Bane Jones

Hugh Jackman as Beckham Jordan

James Monroe Iglehart as Coach Matt Monroe

Karen Fukuhara as Makoto Fuji

Matthew Rhys as Dr. James Brenner

T-Pain as Sam Galley

Christoph Waltz as Francis von Bowling

Rob Paulsen as Mr. Shreds

David Kaye as Collar

Roger Craig Smith as Tank

Alex Hirsch as Lawrence Abrams

Zach Callison as Steven, Onion, Cactus Stevens, Topiary Stevens

Featuring Christopher McDonald as Carl Grove

And Betsy Sodaro as Maureen Grove

--

"It just feels so good to be bad." Black Rutile gloated to the Crystal Gems as she held them prisoner in a makeshift prison. Today had quite possibly been the best day she has ever had on Earth. Black Rutile had now converted multiple Gems to her coalition of rebels, whether by force or through coercion, her enemies were now hers to torment, and their precious Little Homeworld into her newest evil lair. "I haven't felt this utterly delighted to be victorious since the siege of Tweenis 12, I feel like singing! Maestro?"

Amazonite turned on a music player at her master's command, causing Black Rutile to sing a reprise of a familiar song. "Wither the rose! Growing shadows! Sow a world of chaos! Wither the rose! Only highs, no lows! In a world of chaos!"

"Is this really the time to be singing?" Pearl muttered as she tried to break free from her chains.

"Ha!" Black Rutile laughed in response before looking out at her various enforcers. "Come on minions, hurry along! Soon, Beach City will be gone! I could squeeze myself with glee, first the Diamonds and then this galaxy! I really stopped at nothing, gaslighting, terrorism, and lying!" she declared. "Whatever it takes to get revenge, you really can't blame me for trying."

Little Homeworld soon began hovering over Beach City, casting a dark shadow over a large portion of the town while the townies had no idea what was going on. Suddenly, the water holding the Gem village in the air began firing at the humans, making them scurry in fear as Black Rutile finished her song. "Wither the rose! Growing shadows! Sow a world of chaos! Wither the rose! Don't you doze!"

"This planet is basically ours!" Aquamarine sang along.

"We have control over its superpowers!" Eyeball added triumphantly.

"You are helpless to resist!" Holly Blue proclaimed.

"There's no way for you to persist!" Cat's Eye declared.

"Saying sorry just won't cut it!" Cinnabar boomed.

"This universe will be ours, bit by bit!" Andesine stated.

"You thought you could contain us," Black Rutile sang out in victory. "but you can no longer discuss!"

"Genocide, slaughtering, jingoism, in enemy blood, we shall wade!" the seven Gems joined together in harmony. "Rutile Rebels come celebrate, as we make these foolish Crystal Gems fade!" By the time the song ended, Black Rutile looked out at the destruction below her and began making a speech. "People of Beach City, do not look away!" she bellowed to the humans below. "You witness a Rutile's revival, and the birth of her new empire!"

"What do you want now, Black Rutile?!" Lars yelled from below.

"What I want is recognition!" Black Rutile responded. "As you can see, I have officially conquered Little Homeworld and taken the Crystal Gems as my prisoners. The means as to how it can fly can all be blamed on their dear friend, Lapis Lazuli." She looked over at Lapis, who was sitting on the Warp Pad with a blank look on her face. "Despite what the Crystal Gems believed, Little Homeworld was the aspiration of idiots and dreamers! A mere tool to indoctrinate poor, unfortunate Gems who were living lives free of their tyranny. But unfortunately for them, I am far smarter than the average Gem, so I continued planning my revenge for months on end, which leads me today." She then sent out her drones, ready to attack at any moment. "Either surrender to me at once or else your pathetic little town will go bye-bye! Bye-bye."

Down below, Jasper and White Topaz were watching the carnage the entire time, lying in wait for an opportunity to strike back at Black Rutile and save their friends. "So, any idea on how to stop her?" Jasper asked her girlfriend. "I mean, it's just a bunch of us Gems that she could convert at any moment with those Blasters."

"Well, one thing's for certain, Black Rutile has gone too far this time." White Topaz declared. "We kept giving her second chance after second chance, but she always used them to try and destroy us! I've had enough of this! Once we defeat her, she's going straight to Revanche 666 where she belongs!"

"Someone's got leftover issues they need resolving." Teal Zircon added as she popped up behind the two big Gems. "Okay, Topaz and I have spent the last few minutes coming up with a plan."

"If it involves doing something astronomically stupid, then I don't want in." Jasper stopped Teal before she could finish. "What makes you think you could come up with an intelligent plan?"

"Because outside of being the obnoxious but lovable comic relief, I am actually far more observant than you think I am." TZ declared. "Which is why I am 10,000,000,000% certain that my plan will work."

"I'd like to see you try." Jasper scoffed before White Topaz placed a hand on her shoulder.

"Come on honey, just hear her out." White Topaz suggested. Jasper knew she couldn't disappoint her lover, so she relented with a sigh.

"Okay, proceed." Jasper groaned and let Teal explain.

"I say instead of just saving the day ourselves, we team up with the humans to save the world from Black Rutile!" Teal declared proudly. "The people of Beach City have been around us long enough to know what to do in situations like this, and we've gained a few allies over the years to back us up."

"I get what you're saying now." Jasper nodded proudly. "Like him for example!" As if on cue, Dr. James Brenner walked up to the three Gems. "I found him falling to his doom when Black Rutile threw him out. He's her psychologist, ergo, he should know exactly what she's thinking!"

"You are indeed correct, Jasper." Brenner declared. "I have been forced to watch as Black Rutile's schemes took shape, hoping that maybe my advice would get through to her, but alas, my words fell on deaf ears. Perhaps joining forces with all of you can help me redeem myself for being so powerless to help her."

"Great, we have our first recruit!" Teal Zircon cheered while giving the psychologist a hearty slap on the back. "Okay guys, I'll go gather the troops! You two on the other hand will have to find a very special someone."

"Are you pondering what I'm pondering?" Jasper then asked White Topaz.

"I think so Jasp, but Pete Rose?" White Topaz replied oddly, making Jasper raise an eyebrow at such a non-sequitur. "I mean, can we trust him?"

"No, I think Teal means we should fetch Connie!" Jasper yelled. "You and I both know she's been throwing a wrench in Black Rutile's plans multiple times! Her first invasion of Earth, the Steven monster crisis, and the alternate universe business, all of them had Connie involved and she played some role in stopping them all! You see what I'm getting at here?"

"Yeah, I get it now!" White Topaz exclaimed. "To Connie's house!" Just as the two raced off, a small black spy drone was watching the pair and quickly began following them.

--

"Breaking news all the way from Beach City!" Lawrence Abrams announced on the news. "The alien terrorist Black Rutile is once again laying waste to Beach City, and at the same time, our beloved president has been subject to a violent uprising against legions of angry Arnold Clump supporters led by the alt-right Internet personality Reginald Johnson. Are these two events connected? We'll be back after the break with more updates."

"Sweet Manila in the claws of light." Doug Maheswaran gasped in shock as he and Connie watched Black Rutile's invasion on the news. "This is probably something Steven should take care of, right?"

"Hopefully he at least knows what's going on," Connie added as she prepared to reach for her phone, only to hear a knock on the door. "Can someone get that?"

"Don't worry Connie, I'll get it," Priyanka said to her daughter as she opened the door to find Jasper and White Topaz waiting for her outside. "Oh, you must be that Jasper and Topaz who tore apart Beach City."

"You are never going to let go of that." Jasper declared. "Anyways, we need to see your daughter. The world is in danger and we need everyone we can get to save it."

"Right here!" Connie exclaimed while she raced up to the front door with her sword at the ready. "Come on guys, the Crystal Gems need us!"

"Yeah, about that." White Topaz stated nervously. "They kind of broke up because Black Rutile exposed Bismuth for poofing Lapis and is now holding them all hostage at Little Homeworld. Plus, Lapis officially betrayed them to Black Rutile and is helping make Little Homeworld fly. You know what, I think I know of a way to explain this better."

White Topaz then turned her fingers into puppet versions of the Crystal Gems to further go in depth about their situation. "Hey, what's this I hear about Bismuth poofing me and setting me on this path of torment and betrayal?!" her imitation of Lapis complained. "Oh no, the jig is up!" an imitation of Bismuth exclaimed. "Okay, I did poof you, Lapis, but I didn't mean to!"

"Saying you didn't mean it won't save you from me!" the shadow puppet of Lapis yelled before lunging at Bismuth, only for Garnet and Pearl to stop her.

"Top thirty reasons why Bismuth is sorry." The puppet version of Pearl stated. "Number 5 will surprise you."

"Top thirty anime deaths," puppet Lapis continued. "number one: YOUR BUTT RIGHT NOW!"

"I'm just here to be supportive!" a shadow puppet of Amethyst said as she took Lapis and Peridot's side in the tussle, ending with White Topaz making "whoop whoop whoop" sounds as she started twiddling her fingers into a big clump. "And scene!"

"Okay, I'm going to need a refresher here." Priyanka said, shocked at the bizarreness of White Topaz's show. "What does this all mean?"

"Look, the point is that Teal Zircon and all the Gems Black Rutile didn't convert are gathering everyone in Beach City to fight back against Black Rutile, and we believe Connie is the best possible candidate to lead them all." Jasper explained in brief. "If anyone else wishes to join, you're free to come along."

"But what about Steven?" Connie asked. "Surely he'd know what to do in this situation." Suddenly, the tracking drone from earlier emerged from Jasper's hair, making her and White Topaz wonder if it was following them the whole time, and dropped into Connie's hands to deliver a message from Black Rutile.

"Ah, Connie Meka-Leka-Hi-Meka-Hiney-Ho-Swanson, we meet again." The hologram of Black Rutile smirked at her message's intended recipient. "If you are seeing this message, then you're already well aware of my latest revenge scheme and how frequently you've been playing a part in my constant failures. I would kill you and your parents right here and now, but I believe that would be too easy." The very thought of being killed by such a madman unnerved the Maheswarans. "Which is I offer you this challenge! Meet me at the flying Little Homeworld in ninety minutes to face me for the fate of your wretched world, and bring company too. And for an extra challenge, Steven must not get involved in the slightest. Lose, I will kill each and every single one of you. Win?" She let out an evil chuckle. "The only winner will be me, no matter what. Allons-y!"

The drone then shut down and crumbled to pieces of metal in Connie's hand. Despite the threat to her life, it only made her more determined. "Take us to Beach City."

--

Later at Beach City, Teal Zircon was true to her word and had assembled the entirety of its citizens and then some to discuss their plans to stop Black Rutile. Along with all the Gems that escaped Black Rutile's earlier assault, there was the Barriga family and the Off-Colors, Sadie & Shep, the former Cool Kids, the Pizza and Fryman families, Mr. Smiley and Mr. Frowney, Jamie, Kevin, Onion and his friends, Vidalia, Yellowtail, and Sheena Synstylae. In addition, Teal had also managed to get into contact with Bane Jones, Beckham Jordan, Matt Monroe, Makoto Fuji, and Sam Galley. Now, all that was left was Connie and her parents to make their makeshift army complete.

"My my Teal Zircon, you assembled quite an assortment of characters here." Brenner nodded at all the humans and Gems gathered together to stop Black Rutile. "But do you think this will be enough to stop her?"

"Oh, I know so!" Teal yelled excitedly. "You know those kinds of movies and TV shows where there's a team of people who cannot function together, but they pull through regardless? That's what I'm going for here. On our own, we're just a bunch of misfits. But when we're together, now that's something special." Just then, Connie, her parents, Jasper, and White Topaz appeared behind her from a portal created by Lion. "And there's our girl of the hour! Let's give her a hand!"

Everyone began applauding as Connie walked up to Teal Zircon. "Uh, hello everybody, thank you for inviting me to your little get-together. I'm afraid I'm going to need some catching up to do on what's been going on. I don't think a funny little puppet show is enough."

"Then allow me," Brenner said before he spoke to the audience. "As some of you may not know, our 'dear friend' Black Rutile", He put "dear friend" in air-quotes. "has enacted quite possibly her greatest revenge plot yet, and I bore witness to the fruits of her labor overtime as I was assigned to be her criminal psychologist. She has assembled criminal masterminds, bigoted online personalities, more old enemies of the Gems, and forlorn Gems looking for a place to belong. I have tried multiple times to convince her that she wasn't doing the right thing, but she kept ignoring me at every turn."

"Online personalities like who?" Ronaldo raised his hand, making the rest of the crowd turn to him. "You mean Sally Grove? I've had tons of arguments with her about the Gems before."

"Precisely that," James explained. "I have no idea why she is so cruel, but she seemed perfect as one of Black Rutile's top lieutenants, using her social media influence to gather more human followers through the Internet. There is also Francis von Bowling and his cohorts from P.H.A.N.T.O.M, no doubt brought in for their vendetta against the Gems too."

"Well, I'll be." Bane Jones muttered in bemusement while preparing a technologically advanced shotgun.

"In addition, Black Rutile is now joined by this Marty fellow, who claims to have his own grudge because Steven took his son away from him." James continued, giving him strained looks from Greg and Vidalia. "Together, these scoundrels have converted multiple Gems through these strange blasters built to brainwash anyone hit by them!"

"It's because of those blasters Black Rutile took away my crew!" Nephrite sobbed into Biggs Jasper's arms.

"She took out almost the entire Famethyst!" Carnelian added.

"And like, tons of other quartz Gems too." Chest Rose stated. "Me, my sibs, Biggs, Tiger's Eye, and Cherry are the only ones left."

"Hopefully what the Black Pearls said about finding a way to restore them is true." Cherry Quartz nervously said, looking over at the Black Pearl Brigade.

"So, what can we all do?" Beckham Jordan asked. "We're all just a bunch of humans and Gems who have no idea how unprepared we are for this! Heck, I'm just a star basketball player who knows more about how to score a point than fighting battles! What would happen if one of us were to die today? Besides, Steven won't be here to help us!"

"I promise you all, I won't let that happen." Connie declared before unsheathing her sword and holding it to the sky. "The Crystal Temps will defend this planet to the end!"

"Wait, is that what we're calling ourselves?!" Kevin yelled from afar. "Why not something cooler like the Substitute Crystal Gems, or something?!"

"It's very sentimental!" Connie hurriedly replied. "Now who's with me?!"

"I am!" Orange Spodumene yelled while raising her hand.

"I am!" Kofi Pizza and Mr. Fryman shouted in unison.

"And me too!" Sam Galley added excitedly. "Also, just want to get this outta the way, but I have a bit of a crush on Amethyst."

"Me three!" Lavenderine shouted, followed by a wave of excitement from the gathered New Crystal Temps.

"Aw, what the heck, I haven't got that long a lifespan anyways." Kevin resigned himself to the cause. While Connie proudly looked over at the crowd united for a singular purpose, she felt a familiar hand touching her shoulder.

"I'm in too." Priyanka proclaimed, much to her daughter's surprise. "After that hospital incident, I feel like it's time for me to get involved in your Crystal Gem business and be on the frontlines."

"Well, someone's a little eager." Brenner smiled at Priyanka before looking over at Doug. "And what shall you do for this, sir?"

"I think I'll go look into the Sally Grove situation." Doug answered. "Her parents deserve to know that their daughter is basically selling out the human race to Black Rutile. But be sure to call me so I can still join in."

"Black Rutile told me that I have to meet her in ninety minutes," Connie announced while looking at her watch. "Well, this announcement went by quicker than expected. Anyways, let's save the world!" The New Crystal Temps then began cheering for their grand leader.

--

Meanwhile, in the dark void of space, Revanche 666 was now completely abandoned following Cinnabar and Andesine's escape from the prison. Black Pearl guards, Bismuths, and Peridots were locked in cells formerly occupied by members of the Rutile Rebels, surviving on a false hope that someone would come to save them. However, two particular prisoners weren't meant to be there. They just wanted to get in, stop a prison riot, and get out. But fate had other plans.

"How long has it been since we were trapped here by Cinnabar's plotting and my own recklessness?" Hessonite muttered to Citrine as the two languished in their prison cells. "Feels like we've been stranded here for eons."

"It's only been a few weeks, Hessonite." Citrine stated. "But yeah, it really has felt like forever. I mean, it would take a miracle for someone to notice that we're stuck here!" Suddenly, the two heard something crash through the walls. "Well, what do you know?"

"Hey, anybody here?!" Spinel yelled as she and Lemon Jade emerged from a spaceship they just crashed into the prison. "The Diamonds were getting worried that something bad happened!"

"Over here Spinel, over here!" Hessonite yelled to Spinel. "Hello, it's me, Hessonite, and yes, I am exactly who you're looking for."

"Yeah, we haven't seen you guys since you went to stop that prison breakout," Spinel answered while turning her hand into a ventriloquist dummy resembling Yellow Diamond. "Old Yeller was like 'I fear something might've gone horribly wrong on Revanche 666. I need someone to volunteer to investigate.' Luckily, I was there to oblige."

"And I simply got dragged along." Lemon Jade added. "So what did happen?"

"We thought Andesine and her entourage had surrendered, but it was all a ruse she and Cinnabar set up to escape," Citrine explained to the visitors. "Now we're all stuck behind bars with no way to leave, no way of contacting anyone outside this prison, and no way to deactivate our cells. Do either of you have any bright ideas?"

"I got one! I saw this on a TV show once." Spinel replied before she leaned on the wall between Hessonite and Citrine's cells and gave it a hard knock, which somehow forced the destabilizing fields guarding the two to deactivate. "Ey!" she added with two thumbs up. "You can thank me later."

"Finally!" Hessonite sighed with relief while shaking Spinel's hand as she emerged from her cell. "But what about everyone else?"

"Don't worry, I got this," Citrine said as she walked out of her cell and straight to the control room.

"So, where are Cinnabar and Andesine now?" Lemon Jade asked Hessonite.

"The two of them are currently on Earth aiding Black Rutile in whatever harebrained scheme she has now planned," Hessonite stated while the prison staff was released from their cells. "We need to act quickly if we want to stop all of them in their tracks."

"Roger roger, live long and prosper and all that!" Spinel exclaimed. "Come on Jade, let's chew bubblegum and kick some butt! And I'm all out of bubblegum."

"I'm not sure if I'm equipped for a fight, but whatever you say, I'll follow," Lemon said as she, Spinel, Hessonite, and Citrine boarded the ship Spinel crashed earlier and took off for Earth to bring Cinnabar & Andesine to justice.

--

"Ocean Town." Doug muttered to himself as he pulled into Beach City's sister town, easily identified by a sign declaring "STILL NOT ON FIRE." His journey ended at a shabby but homely-looking one-story house where he pulled into the driveway before getting out and knocking on the front door. An overweight, middle-aged fellow with a receding hairline, a barely shaved mustache, and clothes that looked like they haven't been washed in days soon answered. "Hello, is this the Grove residence?"

"What's it to ya?" the fat man said while pulling a half-eaten hot dog out of his pocket to shove in his mouth.

"Doug Maheswaran from Beach City." Doug introduced himself to the man while pulling out his ID. "I'm here to speak about your daughter, Sally."

"Oh good, I thought you were here about the body we found on the train tracks." The man sighed in relief before turning his head to call for someone. "Maureen!"

"What?!" what Doug assumed to be the man's wife hollered back.

"We got a cop here to talk about Sally!" the man replied before letting Doug inside and sitting him down and offering him a drink. "Here, have a shot on me."

"No thanks, I'm good." Doug rejected the offer before a skinny woman hiding her bleached blonde hair in a bandana walked into the living room. "Hello there miss, I'm here to talk to you about your daughter's recent activities."

"Ah yeah, Sally." The woman said as she and her husband sat down on the couch. "I always kept hearing her talk with that alien woman on her whatchacallit….computer. Anyways, my name's Maureen Grove and this is my husband Carl."

"Well, that alien woman is a known bigoted criminal who is plotting to destroy the world." Doug revealed, making Carl and Maureen blankly stare at each other in silence. "Something the matter, you two?"

"Shoulda known our girl would do something like this." Maureen Grove shook her head in shame. "If you think Sally's views were a product of an abusive upbringing or some kind of trauma, I'm afraid you're mistaken, officer. She was diagnosed with kajigger disorder or something."

"Antisocial personality disorder." Carl Grove corrected his wife. "What we're saying is that Sally is just not a pleasant person to be around, especially in this current era of that danged Internet. She thrives on being so smug & self-righteous and making people hate her, yet at the same time she wonders why everyone hates her. And we've tried our best to help her, but she always kept picking on us for stupid reasons! It's absurd, I tells ya!"

"So, she brought this upon herself," Doug said while writing down in his notepad. "Would you care to further elaborate on her behavior?"

"She also had this TubeTube channel that barely had any subscribers because people would rather watch cat videos, let's plays, and those creepy kids' videos," Maureen answered. "But then came that weird monster attack last year, where everything changed forever."

--

"Sally honey, time for dinner!" Carl called for his daughter while knocking on the door. "Mama's making chili cheese dogs tonight!"

"I can buy and sell you, old man!" Sally insulted her father from behind her bedroom door.

"Fair enough, just starve then because I'm a man." Carl casually replied as he walked away. "I swear, we have got to get her a therapist soon." He muttered to himself. "Dropping out of college I can understand, but she desperately needs to do something with her life."

"CARL, GET DOWN HERE!" Maureen shrieked for her husband. "SOMEONE'S INTERRUPTED AMERICAN IDOL!"

"They WHAT?!" Carl bellowed as he charged down the stairs to see what was going on. To his alarm, their TV show was cut off by the sudden appearance of Black Rutile on their television screen as she made a speech.

"Greetings to the civilians of this backwater planet. I am Black Rutile, soon to be supreme ruler of the Gem race." Black Rutile introduced herself to audiences around the world. "I come to you today because you are faced with a crisis that has been right under your noses for thousands of years now, and it can all be blamed on the Crystal Gems."

"Nothing that changing the channel won't fix." Carl declared as he picked up the remote and tried switching to another channel. Unfortunately, Black Rutile was interrupting the programming there, and on every other channel too. "What the Sam Hill is going on here?! Who would believe such malarkey?!"

"They have been living among your people since the dawn of man, and have brought numerous world-ending threats along with." Black Rutile's speech continued on Sally's computer, much to her curiosity. "From loads of monsters that were formerly members of their kind, to insane terraformers that stole the ocean for selfish purposes followed by nearly drowning thousands once they returned the water to Earth, a superweapon made from the remains of their own kind that remains buried under the Earth as we speak, repeated counts of abductions and the near-genocide of all organic life." Despite Black Rutile clearly spreading lies about the Crystal Gems, the desperate TubeTube user felt a special sort of parasocial connection to her. "But now we are faced with a new problem, and it's all thanks to one Gem: Pink Diamond. It's because of her that this monstrosity plaguing the Earth at this moment is running amok and the Crystal Gems have done nothing to stop it, or her for that matter. Should you believe this planet is worth saving, something must be done about the Crystal Gems, or you will suffer the consequences. That will be all."

With the end of Black Rutile's warning, Sally's life was changed forever. Her TubeTube channel was then completely overhauled to benefit from her newfound hatred of the Crystal Gems. They caused so much chaos and destruction, yet they're celebrated as heroes. Sally simply gives her opinion, and she's constantly villainized for it. To her, that simply wasn't fair. But what no one realized about Sally was terrified of growing past her bigoted, misanthropic mindset and becoming a better person because she believed kindness and compassion were signs of weakness. And she despised being weak.

--

"Ever since then, that Black Rutile yutz has been a bad influence on our girl." Carl finished his story. "Sally's been completely off her rocker because of her. Every time we tried setting her up with various lovers, she just kept abusing them. Especially this one feller named Fred who she kept saying had a small di-"

"Anything else I should know before I leave?" Doug asked, cutting off Carl before he could finish. "What other crimes has she committed?"

"What hasn't she committed?" Maureen replied. "Thankfully, she hasn't done anything super serious, but she's also formed lynch mobs online against random people she hates, and cyberbullied her so-called friends away. And let's not forget that she wrote some really disturbing fanfiction!" She cringed in disgust at the thought.

"Right, thank you for your time, Mr. and Mrs. Grove, I promise I'll have your daughter returned home so she can get the help she deserves," Doug said as he got up and prepared to leave, only for Carl to stop him.

"Hey, before you go, officer," Carl said before presenting Doug with a chili cheese dog. "care for a chili cheese dog? Can't save the world on an empty stomach."

"You know what? I'll take it." Doug accepted the dog before pulling out his phone. "Connie, I'll be coming back soon. Is everything ready?"

"Almost, Dad," Connie responded. "Bane Jones helped us get everybody weapons for the big fight. We just need to wait on you now."

--

Elsewhere in Washington D.C., President Eduardo Suarez, his vice president Theresa Maxwell, Wade Grant, Lloyd Waller, and his presidential cabinet remained in hiding from the forces of Reginald Anderson. Having just witnessed his family being held hostage, the White House being overtaken, and one of the secret service agents under his employment brutally beaten to near death, the president was naturally anxious about what to do next. What's more, there's no way he can contact the Crystal Gems at the moment. He was at an utter loss at what to do.

"Never seen Eddy this worked up in ages," Theresa muttered in wonder at her president's nervous pacing. "Last time I've seen him like this was when Clump seemed to have beat him in the polls."

"I wouldn't blame him," Lloyd replied. "Country's in crisis again, plus his family is in grave danger. Poor thing looks like he'll have a panic attack at any moment."

"I'll go have a talk with him," Wade said as he walked over to his chief and put a hand on his shoulder. "Mr. President, are you feeling alright? Do you need anything before we make our decision?"

"No, I'm perfectly fine!" Eduardo exclaimed bravely, a far cry from the nervous front he was just putting up. "I'm willing to give everything for this country, as a good president should!" However, his courageous smile was quickly replaced with an insecure frown. "But what can I do when my family's lives are at stake here? One wrong move and I could lose everything."

"You're right, he's giving us a very tough choice here." Wade nodded when he suddenly got an idea. "Wait, I know!" Whatever he whispered into the president's ear, Eduardo was liking what he was hearing. "You got that?"

"I like what you're saying." Eduardo nodded. "Let's do it." Just then, three men opened the doors to One Observatory Drive and walked in. The first man wore a nice suit and was balding, while his two associates were dressed in a tank top and a collared shirt respectively. "Hello there."

"Greetings Mr. President, my name is Mr. Shreds." Mr. Shreds introduced himself to the president. "These are my two associates, Tank and Collar, and we are here to deliver you to Reginald Johnson so you can relinquish your presidency."

"Just move along now and don't keep us waiting!" Collar said as he and Tank took Eduardo by the arms and guided him to their limo. "Any last words, sir?"

"Yes, I'd like to make a personal request to Reginald." Eduardo nodded. "I'd like to have a public debate with him, face to face."

"As absurd as your request is, I shall grant it," Tank replied begrudgingly, not knowing what he was in for as the limousine drove away.

"So what did you tell him?" Theresa asked Wade as the two worriedly watched Eduardo be taken away.

"You'll see." Wade gave the vice president a knowing smirk.

--

"Making yourselves comfortable, Crystal Gems?" Black Rutile asked her prisoners while paying them one last visit to their cell. "Doesn't matter to me, because I got special plans for you."

"What is it now?" Peridot muttered disdainfully. "Is it about how you're so much better than us because you're not us?"

"Whatever it is, just get it over with already," Bismuth added sadly. "I deserve it for what I put Lapis through."

"Yes, yes you did." Lapis harshly agreed. "You poofed me and then forced me to be the dumb little plaything that you'll always throw away when you don't need me."

"You're still depressed about that?!" Black Rutile groaned in irritation as the brainwashed Emerald pulled up a throne for Black Rutile to sit on. "I'm saying that this could all be avoided if you joined me! Over time, I began to realize that the Rutile Rebels aren't as different from the Crystal Gems as I thought. We all started out as nobodies, did something extraordinary that made us different from the rest of our kin, rose to the top, and earned the respect of the Diamonds, only to have all torn down by a person who didn't even care about them." She declared. "I'll admit, when I first heard about Little Homeworld, I wanted to destroy it so bad, especially when you locked me up here. But after spending some time trapped here, I, ever the opportunist, decided that I could make it into something better!"

"Like turning it into our new secret lair for example!" Aquamarine added.

"And we have your stupid bickering to thank for it!" Eyeball said as all the other Rutile Rebels threw their heads back and laughed.

"What I'm trying to say is that there are special people like us who should run the world, and then there are the disgusting humans who deliver our food and fight our wars." Black Rutile continued. "Which is why I'm offering you this one-time opportunity. Let us work together for once so we can truly bring Gems and humans together in peace and harmony!" To emphasize her point, she turned on a news report documenting the attack on the White House. "Refuse, and I shall make you pay with your lives! Bring out the Disintegrator!"

"Wait, the Disintegrator?!" Bismuth shrieked in terror as Sally walked in with a small, glowing boxlike device in her hands that she set on the table. "I thought that was outlawed eons ago! How did you get one?!"

"You'd be surprised what I can accomplish through mixing Gem technology with human garbage." Black Rutile stated while presenting the device. "For those uninformed, most likely you Amethyst, this was an ancient torture device built to execute criminal Gems by grinding them up into dust and dispersing them in the air in a beautiful yet morbid fashion."

"Curious, most curious." Francis von Bowling nodded with intrigue. "And how does it work exactly?"

"Allow me to demonstrate." Black Rutile responded before presenting a small rock she placed in the Disintegrator. She then turned it on, and the rock was instantly ground up into dust in a terrifying show of the machine's power, leaving the Gems horrified yet not surprised she would use something like that. "That oughta show you for brainwashing us all!"

"You're kidding me?" Pearl scoffed. "You claim we're brainwashing Gems against their and forcing them to join our side when that's literally what you are doing with those devices! Those aren't rejuvenating blasters, they're inculcating blasters! All these new Gems of yours say: "All hail Black Rutile! All hail Black Rutile!", but the Gems we teach would never say anything like that. We didn't force them to come here, they made that choice willingly."

"Kind of like how Lapis willingly joined me after I convinced her of how alone we were in the universe?" Black Rutile retorted, pointing to a sullen Lapis in the darkness. "Or how I convinced Sally Grove here to be a kindred spirit?"

"Yeah, that reminds me," Amethyst asked. "How could you team up with someone that obviously evil? Surely, you must have some tragic reason for doing so, right?"

"No, no tragic reason at all," Sally admitted without a single ounce of empathy in her voice. "I just like being hated. It makes me feel powerful."

"Hatred makes all of us powerful." Holly Blue agreed with Sally, with Cat's Eye by her side with her cat Blake in her arms.

"Very powerful." Cat's Eye agreed.

"Okay, we've had enough taunting, let's get to executing!" Black Rutile declared eagerly as she began choosing which Crystal Gem to disintegrate. However, her choice was pretty easy. "Bismuth, do you volunteer as tribute?"

"Wait, what?!" Bismuth muttered as the brainwashed Demantoid and Pyrope freed her from her shackles to be executed. "You won't get away with this, Black Rutile!"

"As a matter of fact, I've gotten away with it months ago." Black Rutile cruelly sneered while shoving the Disintegrator towards Bismuth. "Now, you might feel a little tingle."

"Lapis, please, I'm sorry!" Bismuth cried out for possibly the last time to Lapis, but she didn't seem to listen. All Lapis could do was turn away in shame. As Bismuth was about to be thrown into the machine and the other Crystal Gems cried for Black Rutile not to do it, the Disintegrator was suddenly stabbed with an epee, causing it to shut down. "What?"

"You!" Black Rutile yelled at Tanzanite for destroying her machine. "I have put hours upon hours into building that, and you made it all for nothing!"

"That's because you've gone too far this time, and I can't do this anymore!" Tanzanite yelled angrily while proceeding to free Bismuth, Garnet, Amethyst, Pearl, and Peridot from their restraints. "Brainwashing is one thing, but executing too?"

"Are you seriously trying to talk back to your master?" Black Rutile growled angrily. "You know how Rose lied to you, you know how she left you to die and become part of a planet-destroying abomination against your will! I was there for you, and this is how you repay me?!"

"Yes, the Crystal Gems aren't honest, but their intentions are definitely real." Tanzanite declared firmly, bringing a tear to Pearl's eye before her former student was threatened with Black Rutile's bowie knife.

"Take that back and fight for me, or pay the price." Black Rutile ordered Tanzanite to stand down, and the punk purple Gem meekly did as she was told while Navy raced up to her master's side. "Yes, Ruby?"

"We got humans and enemy Gems at 12:00!" Navy yelled hurriedly.

"Did you tell them I hate them?" Black Rutile asked while turning her bowie knife into her sword. "No matter." With a superhuman leap, Black Rutile bounded out of her lair and landed in front of the New Crystal Temps before striking a pose as she drew her sword. "Well, don't stop on my account."

"Black Rutile, we've come to finally bring you to justice!" Connie declared while raising her sword in the air. "In the name of the Crystal Gems, the planet Earth, and the entire universe, we'll punish you for your crimes. And this time, we'll make it permanent. Do you yield?"

Black Rutile just sneered at Connie's bold declaration and responded with simply "I do not." With a snap of her fingers, the other Rutile Rebels, including a reluctant Tanzanite and Lapis, soon gathered behind her to counter Connie's forces. Just then, however, the Crystal Gems leaped out from behind the Rutile Rebels to join Connie and the others, followed by Spinel, Hessonite, Citrine, and Lemon Jade crashing into Little Homeworld on their ship.

"CRYSTAL GEMS!" Garnet roared while summoning her gauntlets. "Assemble." With that, everyone behind Connie roared as they charged into battle against Black Rutile and her enforcers, along with legions of brainwashed Gems, Concrete warriors, and Cactus & Topiary Stevens once again forced to serve Black Rutile. This was a day unlike any other when humans and Gems alike found themselves united against a common foe for the first time in thousands of years. On that day, everyone in Beach City became a Crystal Gem.

--

"Of course, you would find a way to ruin my plans!" Black Rutile said as she got into an intense swordfight with Connie. The battle for Earth had already gotten off to a rousing start. Bane Jones and Beckham Jordan fought side by side against von Bowling and his men, Kevin and Vidalia were up against Marty in a mechanical war suit, and Lars had a rematch with Emerald, among many other battles. "For too long now, you've always been interfering and you didn't even know it!"

"It's called loyalty Black Rutile, something you would probably never know!" Connie retorted before going in for a stab, only to be blocked by Sally Grove fighting back with a laser sword. "And as for you!"

"Don't even try to preach to me, little girl." Sally taunted in her usual high and mighty fashion. "We all know you would've found a way to call your white savior because you have no other personality outside of being his protector! You're a disgrace to your ethnicity, brat!"

"That's what you think, bullying my daughter like that!" Priyanka retorted with a sword of her own to fight Sally and Black Rutile with. "Apologize to her at once or I will reveal everything your parents told my husband!"

"What do you mean I have to apologize?! She attacked me!" Sally said before she realized what the doctor meant. "Wait, really? Oh no, no no no no!"

"Yeah, they told me some pretty messed up stuff about you," Doug said while putting out his notepad and reading what he had written earlier, making Sally writhe in agony while Black Rutile looked disdainfully at her human charge. "Let's see, abusing everyone around you, including your own parents, refusing to grow beyond your toxic personality while also blaming it on everyone around you, that disturbing fanfiction-"

"It's only disturbing from a certain point of view, having sexual relationships with your family members is perfectly normal in some parts of the world!" Sally only kept digging herself deeper into insanity in her attempts to preserve her image, unaware that Ronaldo had been live-streaming her this entire time, and her reputation was falling apart by the second. "Hey, turn that camera off!"

"No way, this is going to make a killing on Keep Beach City Weird!" Ronaldo laughed mischievously. "Wow, these negative comments expressing how betrayed your viewers must be for how much of a hypocrite you're being are coming in by the dozens."

"It's the same story I've seen so many times." Doug shook his head in disgust as Sally had an utter breakdown in front of the Maheswarans and Black Rutile, who was just as disgusted at how pathetic her partner was. "A fine, upstanding bigot. Your nose is so close to the grindstone, you can't see anything else. Meanwhile, the world changes and grows, and you're blind to it! Ignorant and proud of it too."

"Am I glad that's not me!" Black Rutile scoffed hypocritically as Sally was handcuffed and taken somewhere safe until the battle was over. "Now where were we? Oh yes!" She immediately got right back to her clash with Connie.

--

"So, calming down Lapis." Peridot muttered as she, Jasper, and White Topaz stood in front of Lapis and Phoenix Lapis fighting Laz and Zuli. "Got any ideas?"

"You're her life partner, you should know!" Jasper exclaimed while Laz and Zuli fought for their lives. "Paz, got any bright ideas?"

"I think I might have a good idea of what to do." White Topaz declared. "Bismuth, we need your help!"

"I'm in the middle of something here!" Bismuth replied while she was fighting Andesine and Cinnabar. "Oh, you want me to make up with Lapis, right?"

"Hopefully having her back on our side will turn the tide of battle!" White Topaz suggested, causing Bismuth to knock her two opponents out and walk up to her. "Just say what you need to say and hopefully she'll listen."

"This had better work." Bismuth took a deep breath and yelled "HEY LAPIS, OVER HERE!" The four Lapises then turned to see Bismuth below. "No, not you, the one who hates me!" she corrected herself.

"What do you want now?" Lapis angrily asked as she hovered on the ground.

"Listen Lapis, I know you won't ever forgive me and the other Crystal Gems for what we did to you," Bismuth said. "but I swear, if you listen and understand we didn't know what we did, maybe we can finally start making amends."

"Wait, you mean it?" Lapis's face softened in surprise.

"Yeah, we're still your friends!" White Topaz declared happily.

"And besides, I'm the only one who gets to be all sullen and betrayed here!" Jasper added before reaching her hand out. "Just take my hand."

Lapis started smiling again, bringing smiles to Peridot and White Topaz's faces as well, and began to reach out to Jasper. However, she was quickly interrupted by Cinnabar and Andesine's groups pointing their Rejuvenation Blasters at the Crystal Gems.

"Make another move, and we'll have to reset all of you." Cinnabar declared coldly.

"Now then, any last words?" Andesine smirked.

"I got one," Bismuth stated before raising her fist at Lapis's gem. "Please don't hate me for this again!" With a single punch, Lapis was poofed yet again, this time to save her from being shot with the Rejuvenation Blaster as the Rutile Rebels began opening fire, prompting Bismuth, Jasper, White Topaz, and Peridot to scatter.

"I'll be taking this to reverse-engineer, thank you very much!" Peridot snickered as she robbed Howlite of her Blaster to experiment on and ran away with a maniacal "NYEH-HAHAHAHAHA!"

"After her!" Howlite commanded and raced after Peridot with Dalmatian Jasper, Zoisite, Amber, and Xenotime behind her.

"Check it out, I got a Rejuvenation Blaster!" Peridot said to Squaridot and IQ while presenting the stolen blaster to them. "Maybe we can work together to find a way to use it to get everyone back to normal!"

"That's some good thinking, Peridot." Squaridot complimented the other Peridot's idea before the three geniuses snuck off to get to work.

--

"So it's come to this, Tanzanite, the student versus the master," Pearl said as she took a battle stance, and Tanzanite did the same. "Tell me Tanzanite, why did you join Black Rutile instead of accepting everything as it was? I understand if you felt betrayed by Rose, but this is not a healthy way of coping."

"It's because I just wanted to save everyone from what I suffered," Tanzanite revealed sadly as she clashed with her former mentor. "My friends! My family! Everything I did was for the galaxy, for the Crystal Gems! But it was all for nothing, Pink Diamond used all of us to avoid the consequences of her actions." Despite how much Pearl tried to speak up, Tanzanite kept ranting. "I had to use my skills on friends; on family; Gems that I knew. She controlled us through lies." She then let out a strained and tearful laugh. "Homeworld, no better than the rebels Rose created. I helped terrorize my people! I wanted you to stop it, I had to stop it. I spoke out. I spoke out to Black Rutile, to save everyone from you! But when I did, I only stood with a monster. You chose Pink Diamond." Now, Tanzanite was on the verge of tears as she sobbed into Pearl's chest. "You left me, gave me no choice! The Diamonds wanted to destroy worlds, and they did. Pink destroyed mine."

"Oh, poor dear," Pearl muttered sorrowfully while holding her old student close. "But do you still believe Black Rutile is good for you?"

"I'm not sure if anyone is good for me." Tanzanite sobbed. "I don't know if Black Rutile really cares for me or if she just saw me as a tool."

"Black Rutile never cared for anyone to begin with." Pearl declared before she held Tanzanite's head in her hands. "I'm truly sorry that I made you choose this path, and I promise that there will be no more secrets between us from now on. Is that good?"

"Yeah, but I'm not sure if I can forgive myself for this." Tanzanite agreed just as she felt the business end of a Rejuvenation Blaster pressing the back of her head.

"Another last-minute betrayal, I see." Andesine grinned while preparing to pull the trigger, only for Tanzanite to smack it out of Andesine's hands with her epee before stabbing her in the chest.

"Now look what you made ME do," Tanzanite smirked as she threw what Andesine said when she shattered her back in the red Gem's face before she poofed.

--

"Okay Mr. S, here we are." Mr. Shreds said as he pulled the limo up to the White House and let Eduardo out. "Just make it quick, I'm on a tight schedule here," Eduardo said nothing as he saw his family surrounded by terrorists and Reginald smugly standing by a video camera and a podium.

"Go on Mr. Prez, don't be shy." Reginald mockingly urged Eduardo. "Just say what you need to say."

"That's exactly what I was going to say to you." Eduardo declared before trapping Reginald in a headlock. "NOW!" The SWAT team immediately overwhelmed Reginald's enforcers while Reginald tried his best to fight back, only to be met with a krav maga kick from Theresa, coming straight out of nowhere.

"Did you plan all this?!" Reginald shouted.

"Well, not necessarily," Eduardo replied as Wade and Lloyd came to handcuff Reginald. "It's just that I'm far more quick on my feet than you'll ever be."

"Dad!" Huey and Riley Suarez cried as Theresa freed them from their restraints and hugged their father.

"Oh, mi preciosos, I was so worried," Eduardo said as he hugged them back before seeing Arlene walk towards them as well. "And I surely didn't forget you, my love."

"And you never will," Arleen replied before kissing her husband. And so, the White House was saved, thanks to the president and his quick thinking. Now all he had to do was hope that the Crystal Gems were doing alright.

--

"Must I remind you of my superiority, pretty boy?" Marty taunted Kevin while showing off the capabilities of his war suit. "Face it, hiding behind all these beautiful women won't get you anywhere in life!"

"Yeah, I'm absolutely unequipped for this, but that won't stop me from trying!" Kevin exclaimed before beginning to fight back.

"How could you, Marty?" Vidalia asked her ex-husband. "I knew you were a dirtbag, but selling out the entire human race for what? Just because you're mad we disowned you!"

"Oh yeah, I'm absolutely livid," Marty agreed. "but I'm mostly just here to get even with you guys. I don't give a damn about Black Rutile's whole rebellion business!"

Meanwhile, Bane Jones, Beckham, Makoto, and Matt were all standing back-to-back against Francis von Bowling's men. "So, when this is all over, could I perhaps get an autograph?" Bane asked Beckham. "I'm a huge fan, and I consider it an honor to be fighting for Earth with you."

"I'd be more than happy to." Beckham smiled at the offer.

"Hey boys, can we pick up the pace a bit?!" Makoto said while delivering an upside-down spinning kick to Konstantin, Pavel, and Leo at once.

Above the chaos going on in Little Homeworld, Black Rutile stood atop the whirlybird tower and was not happy with how her forces were losing. "STOOOOOP THEM!" she shrieked angrily while pulling at her hair just as she turned to see Connie, Garnet, Amethyst, Pearl, Peridot, Bismuth, Jasper, White Topaz, Spinel, Hessonite, and now Tanzanite standing behind her. "You! You ruined everything again! I could've made everything perfect!"

"You didn't want to make things perfect." Tanzanite declared to Black Rutile. "You just hated things the way they are."

"This is your final warning, Black Rutile." Garnet declared. "And this time, we won't be giving you a second chance. You and your minions are headed straight for Revanche 666 after this!"

"Fine, if I can never win, then neither should you!" Black Rutile completely snapped. "Aquamarine, Eyeball, Chrome Chalcedony, to me!"

"Ready as always, Black Rutile!" Aquamarine said as she and Eyeball fused into Bluebird Azurite, while Holly Blue and Cat's Eye arrived to make Chrome Chalcedony.

"And now, for a little surprise!" Bluebird proclaimed.

"I have a little joke for you all." Black Rutile smiled dementedly while grabbing Bluebird's hand. "What do you get when you cross a depressed loner with a society that abandons her and treats her like trash?!"

"That's not a very good joke!" Amethyst replied.

"I'll tell you what you get, you get what you deserve!" Black Rutile shrieked before she and Bluebird merged to form Pietersite, now sporting Black Rutile's new pink cape and red visor in addition to her outfit now looking different to fit Aquamarine's regeneration.

"PIETERSITE LIVES!" Pietersite bellowed loudly for all to hear and cringe in fear. "AND NOW CRYSTAL GEMS, IT IS TIME FOR THE FINAL CURTAIN CALL!"

"I don't think so!" Peridot said as she fired a Rejuvenation Blaster at the two fusions, which they dodged only for the blast to hit one of Nephrite's crew and revert her to normal. "I stole one of those blasters from Howlite and reverse-engineered them to change everyone hit by them back to normal."

"I'm free, I've been freed!" the Nephrite cheered at finally being brought back to her old self.

"What?" Pietersite muttered in horror as the Crystal Gems immediately understood what was going to happen and raced down to solid ground so they can do the same for all the other Gems Black Rutile converted. "No! No no no! Don't do that, I worked so hard!"

"Stop them!" Chrome Chalcedony added as she and Pietersite tried fighting back against the enemy, but as the Crystal Gems' forces grew with every Gem turned back to normal, they were quickly outnumbered.

"Well, we're boned," Apatite muttered as she and Amazonite prepared to leave. "Let's skedaddle!"

"I don't think that'll be necessary," Amazonite replied as she and Apatite found themselves confronted by the entirety of Beach City's population, and they weren't happy.

"Goin' somewhere?" Sheena Synstylae cracked her neck and her knuckles.

"Don't worry, you're not the only ones we'll be punishing," Lars added.

"We'll finally gain an advantage over Black Rutile!" Padparadscha Sapphire exclaimed happily.

Pietersite could barely comprehend what happened, and it was so anticlimactic too. Her forces were subdued, her weapons seized and modified to fix what she had done, and now all that was left of the Rutile Rebels was her, Aquamarine, and Eyeball once again. "Please no, just give me a second chance!"

"Not likely," Lapis said as she summoned a sawblade made of water that sliced Pietersite in half, barely giving her a chance to fight because the Crystal Gems now considered Black Rutile to be that pathetic to not even consider a grander defeat. To seal the deal, Little Homeworld was returned to its rightful place outside of Beach City with help from the Lapis Lazulis.

Black Rutile, Aquamarine, and Eyeball all fell to the ground in defeat, while the rest of the Rutile Rebels were brought together in chains. "I hate happy endings."

"Well, that should about wrap everything up!" Pearl sighed in relief once the dust settled. "Now then, it's off to Revanche 666 you all go!"

"And me too," Tanzanite added, much to Pearl's shock. "Even if I changed my ways, I still need to forgive myself for siding with Black Rutile too."

"Indeed, young Tanzanite." James began one final monologue. "At the end of the day, we are all but individuals crying for fairness in our lives. You won't get everything, but you'll get something. The Crystal Gems finally restore peace, while Black Rutile hopefully realizes how futile her schemes were. In the end, we just need to decide what is fair and what isn't."

"Oh, be quiet!" Black Rutile said as Hessonite and Spinel carted her away to the ship Andesine and Cinnabar hijacked in their prison break, while everyone was left to rejoice.

--

"So, that's all that happened?" Steven asked Connie a few days later over video chat. "Wow, sounds like you had quite the adventure."

"Yeah, and that's not even getting into what happened next," Connie stated. "First, Marty's now on the run from the law and lost everything. Then, Kevin got a key to the city."

"That's a phrase I never expected to hear." Steven laughed. "What else happened?"

"The Crystal Gems have all made up with each other and the Diamonds, and they're getting the therapy they need from Dr. Sucrose, Mr. Ikari, and Dr. Brenner." Connie continued. "Speaking of which, Brenner put Sally Grove under house arrest and is writing a book about the psychology of influencers, Neil Michaels is stuck doing ChikFlix movies to recoup his losses, Francis von Bowling is stuck in prison with Reginald Johnson, the president is still alive, and finally, the Rutile Rebels are all safely behind bars for what they've done. But I kinda doubt they'll stay there for long because evil geniuses are harder to squash than cockroaches."

"Hey, Connie!" Lapis cried while knocking on Connie's window, now back in her Crystal Gem uniform. When Connie peeked her head outside, she could see the other Crystal Gems outside her house. "You got a minute?"

"I'll call you back Steven!" Connie said before hanging up on Steven and racing outside to meet with her alien friends, no doubt to go on another adventure together. In the distance, the Officer was recording everything he saw and sending it to his masters.

--

Meanwhile, on Revanche 666, the prison was restored to order as the Rutile Rebels were locked behind the destabilizing fields in their cells.

"Hey, don't be so bummed out everyone!" Kyanite exclaimed. "We can make prison life fun!"

"Oh be quiet!" Zoisite yelled angrily.

"I did pretend to get sent to prison only to get sent to prison for real!" Amber added. "I'm getting anxious!"

"Hey, is no one going to check up on Black Rutile?" Dalmatian Jasper asked while pointing at Black Rutile sitting calmly in her cell.

"She's looking even mopier than me," Xenotime added worriedly. "I hope she's alright."

Hiding from the endless chatter of Zoisite's team, a restored Emerald, Morganite, Demantoid & Pyrope who were behind bars to repent, Black Rutile gazed emotionlessly at her hand as she wondered how it all came to this. So many months of planning have now gone to waste, once again because of the Gems' human friends. This made her finally ask herself one thing. "Is this still worth it?"

--

This went way longer than I expected, and with way too many characters I put on the cast list that didn't get a line! I've recently found it to be a bad habit of mine, and I hope to remedy that in future stories. I also think I kind of rushed this to be as big as possible while still meeting my deadline. But in the meantime, I hope you all enjoyed these past thirteen weeks and I get to enjoy a break at last and maybe pursuing either a story I haven't written yet or one I still need to finish. But for now, let's see what to come in the finale.

--

"Your Highness, we received another update from Aescul!" a snakelike alien told his master, another snake alien who was far larger and resembled a king cobra, as he received the news from their deep cover agent. "He says now might finally be the time."

"Excellent work, sir." The king cobra alien said to his subordinate while slithering away. "You are dismissed." The cobra then retreated into a mysterious chamber where he met with a shadowy figure towering above him. "It's time for the Gems to enter our contest, great Lapidarist." He declared to the shadow. "Soon, we shall return your children to you."

The shadowy figure began glowing a brilliant white light as it woke up, followed by shimmering with every possible color in existence while laying eyes upon its servant.

--

Featuring Voltaire as King Cobralan Jormagundr

TO BE CONCLUDED IN STEVEN UNIVERSE: SNAKE EYES

A FINALE THREE YEARS IN THE MAKING

[bewitchingbaker]

🗝️ , 🍒 , 🍂 , ⛺ , 🍞 , & 🎮

🗝️ - If your muse was suddenly transported into an RPG, would they be a warrior, rogue, mage, or some kind of cross-class? You can name a specific class from a series.

Despite being a 6'0 and realistically muscular man, Chris would be a mage. Maybe a cross class of mage and knight. Even though he'd much rather use his magic, he can be quite capable with a sword.

🍒 - What color do you think best describes your muse’s personality and why?

I'm gonna say...blue despite his aura being purple. Mainly cause of the quote from Moonlight ('In Moonlight' black boys look blue'). But also cause of it's meaning. Calm, productivity but also a sadness cause of his parents passing and figuring out stuff for himself.

🍂 - What verse are you dying to write with your muse?

I talked about how much I want to write his Spiderverse AU. But I've been feeling a potential Firefly! Au with Chris. Mainly cause Gina Torres as Zoe Walsh and seeing Chris be a space outlaw is fun. He'd be sweet but very very ruthless when he needs to be.

⛺ - Do you like to write AUs and crossovers or do you prefer to strictly stick to your muse’s canon source material?

Both! I love adding Chris into other people's canon/worlds for them to interact. But I'm also hype to have people in Chri's surreal magical world.Plus AUs are so fun to write!

🍞 - Your muse is suddenly in a food fight to the death. What food do they pick?

Honestly nothing. Chris tends to take food rather serious since he grew up in a house full of bakers. Plus wasted food tends to irritate him.

🎮 - Who does your muse pick in Mario Kart? Super Smash Bros.? Tekken? Mortal Kombat? [NOTE: feel free to send in other games where a player must choose a character!]

Mario Kart:Rosalina

Smash Bros Ultimate: Min Min

Smash Bros Melee: Kirby

Tekken: Marshal Law

Mortal Kombat: Smoke

[alice-aktorka-rp]

My Roleplay Info

Hello! This post includes my general roleplay info.

I’m in the Eastern Standard Timezone, but I’m happy to rp with anyone regardless of timezone.

I’m 22, but I won’t write suggestive, steamy, or explicit content due to my personal discomfort. Hugging, kissing, and other similar expressions of affection are fine. Dark themes are also fine.

I have the most experience with writing female characters, and a majority of my favorite ships are fxf. I’m open to other dynamics though, especially with ocs!

I’m open to rarepairs, but I’d like to double check it’s not one of my NOTPs.

I can play multiple characters if wanted!

I like shipping/romance, but I also enjoy platonic relationships!

I don’t currently have any specific plots in mind, I’m happy to bounce ideas!

My writing length varies, from short to very long, but I’d say the average is around two paragraphs. I mostly write in third person POV.

My roleplay/writing genre experience includes: fluff, hurt/comfort, angst, romance, comedy, slice-of-life, fantasy, historical fiction (e.g., Victorian Era), monsters (e.g., vampires, werewolves) alternate universe, enemies to lovers, friends to lovers.

Here are a list of fandoms, characters, and ships I’m interested in roleplaying! If you’d rather rp with ocs, that’s fine with me! I have a plethora of ocs to pick from. I may also try writing characters not listed here.

Rp interests

(Fandom - Characters I’m open to rp as - ships I like which include those characters)

Wicked - Elphaba, Galinda - Gelphie

Ace Attorney - Juniper Woods, Athena Cykes, Franziska von Karma, Maya Fey, Ema Skye, Aura Blackquill, Metis Cykes, Vera Misham, Maggey Byrde - Junithena, FranMaya, Lanaura, Aurametis

The Great Ace Attorney - Maria Gorey, Gina Lestrade - Gorestrade

Professor Layton - Lucy Baker, Alfendi Layton, Florence Sich, Hilda Pertinax, Katrielle Layton, Emiliana Perfetti - Lucielle, Katriana

Doki Doki Literature Club - (in order of most to least rp experience) Monika, Yuri, Sayori, Natsuki - (preferential order) Sayorika, Natsuri, (followed by any combination of the main 4)

Other fandoms I like that I have little or no writing experience with but am willing to try:

Ghost Trick: Phantom Detective

The Amazing Digital Circus

The Owl House

Portal

Bugsnax

Wings of Fire

The Walten Files

Dungeon Meshi/Delicious in Dungeon

[hikari-kaitou]

Capcom's Official AA Fanclub Surveys - DGS Edition

Many Western fans may be familiar with the Turnabout 4koma comics that get posted on the official AA fanclub site that Capcom runs, thanks to some lovely fans on tumblr and elsewhere who have shared their translations. What fewer people seem to know about is the character surveys.

Back in the old days, they used to hold a survey on Capcom's official AA fansite every few months where they'd write about the seasonal activities of a handful of characters and ask fans to vote for the funniest/most pleasant/strangest/etc answer.

They stopped doing them in like... 2016? 2017? The original text is lost for good as far as I can tell. Even the wayback machine couldn't help because the content was password locked and you can't get past the password wall while remaining in the archived version.

Fortunately, I saved some of my translations of them so I thought I’d share them.

Cut for length...

"February has begun, and the DGS cast is nearing the end of their journey aboard the RFS Alacrei. Which of them acted the most strangely?"

Ryuunosuke ~ Exhausted from his intensive study session, he decided to try some katana swinging practice as a change of pace and to combat his recent lack of exercise. But because he wasn't used to handling the katana, he swung it too hard and it went flying out of his hands and got stuck in the wall right next to Sherlock, who had just entered the room. Sherlock asked him, "aren't you supposed to be studying right now, Mr. Naruhodo?" and handcuffed him to his desk.

Susato- worked on developing a curriculum for Ryuunosuke. 'If we keep going at this pace, he won't be able to learn it all in time... It'll be hard on Naruhodo-sama, but we'll have to work hard through a couple of nights together.' With that thought, she created a harsh study schedule, and almost seemed to be looking forward to it for some reason.

Sherlock- Driven by excitement over the thought of returning to England after a long absence, he went up on deck to stare at the ocean. Being February, it was very cold out there and he ended up being chilled all the way to the tips of his fingers. He returned to the ship cabins and amused himself by putting his frozen hands on Ryuunosuke, who was stuck in his room studying.

Van Zieks- Upon hearing from Vortex that there was a Japanese exchange student coming to England to study law, he smashed a Lord's Bottle. He apparently also didn't care for the fact that that Japanese student wouldn't be alone, because he proceeded to shatter his chalice, too.

Hosonaga- in order to provide a respite from studying, he provided some hot chocolate. They enjoyed a pleasant tea time, marveling over how sweet and delicious the drink was until Sherlock piped up with some unnecessary trivia: 'Actually folks, chocolate has long been used in Europe as an aphrodisiac!' Everyone promptly spat it out."

"The long winter is nearly over and spring is on it's way, putting the DGS cast members in a celebratory mood. Who found the best way of enjoying spring?"

Ryuunosuke: the Yuumei University faculty members were holding a flower viewing event, and he joined the assistance committee. He exhausted himself keeping the blankets clean so the intense shower of flower petals wouldn't pile up too high on them, delivering sake and snacks, and mediating whatever pointless fights arose. To top it all off, for some reason his compensation was only a single piece of leftover candy. Talk about a sad result!

Susato- her father and the others living in his dormitory were  holding the flower viewing event, so she got up early to prepare the bentos. But her father carelessly forgot to tell her that they wanted tea cakes, so she had to go around the house and neighborhood collecting sweets. For some reason, she ended up being able to gather caramels, biscuits, candy sticks, basically everything but tea cakes, for the tea ceremony.

Sherlock- he disguised himself as a beat officer and infiltrated Scotland Yard to have some fun. There was a real beat officer napping on his feet in the spring sunshine, and while observing him, Sherlock ended up falling asleep too. Detective Gregson gave them a good scolding when he found them, but then Sherlock revealed his true identity with a "hey, it's me, folks!" "What the blazes do you think you're doing?!" Gregson shouted, his rage growing even more, and Sherlock ended up making a run for it.

Van Zieks- went to the vineyard to oversee the production of the contents of his Lord's Bottle. As he viewed the still unopened grape blossom buds, he thought about how they would someday grow up to fill his Lord's Bottle, and ended up going around to look at each one. But the farm hands couldn't stop wondering whether the bottle itself or its owner's heel might come flying at them and were quite uneasy.

Asougi: exhausted himself running around since early morning helping with the professors' flower viewing event. When it was over, he took a break, sharing his reward candy stick [the name of the candy literally translates to 1,000 year candy] with Ryuunosuke, who had also been helping out. 

"I wonder if the candy's effect is halved if you share it with someone."

"That still gives us 500 years."

They laughed and enjoyed looking at the flowers until dark. Then they parted ways with a handshake and a "see you later, best friend."

(This one was something about celebrating New Years. For some reason I didn't save the original question)

"Ryuunosuke ~ To celebrate New Years, he planned to pound mochi with everyone at the office. He somehow managed to get his hands on some mochi rice and he and Sherlock started pounding. Iris was having such fun watching them that she steamed a whole bunch more mochi rice so they could have some to share, and he and Sherlock spent the whole evening pounding mochi like crazy.

Asougi~ Because it's New Years, he went around to a bunch of shrines. When he drew his new year's fortune, he got a "horrible luck" result. "I'm not worried about it," he claimed, and headed up to the mountains early on New Years morning and work hard on a full training course of purification by water, meditation under a waterfall and wooden sword practice. It seems that he was working really hard to clear his mind of all earthly thoughts

Sherlock- Agreed to help Ryuunosuke pound mochi. As Ryuunosuke was flipping the mochi over, he carelessly dropped his badge into the bowl and Sherlock mixed it in without noticing, so they had to crack open both the hard and soft mochi to look for it. Fortunately they found it in the 4th one they checked, but apparently Sherlock got his hands and face covered in sticky white mochi in the process.

Susato- Wore a furisode and went with her father to do the first shrine visit of the year. The shrine was incredibly crowded and they had to wait in line for a long time, but she brought the Encyclopaedia of British Law and a copy of the Strand Magazine in her sleeves to secretly read as they waited so she actually ended up enjoying the wait.

Van Zieks- Ryuunosuke cheerfully gave him some mochi as a New Year’s (which at that time was celebrated at the same time as the Chinese New Year) gift, which he accepted confusedly, wondering “...Can the Japanese not even keep track of when the New Year is?” Because Ryuunosuke referred to it as a rice cake, he tried to eat it like a regular cake without softening it with heat first. It was so hard that he couldn’t imagine how it could possibly be food, and ended up misunderstanding the Japanese even more!

"Autumn has arrived, and the weather is starting to cool off, which means that everyone is becoming more active. Which character chose the most pleasant autumn activity to keep busy with?"

Iris was making bread but her hands are small and it’s difficult for her to knead the dough, so she asked for Ryuunosuke’s help. She wanted to make enough to hand out to Gina and all the other homeless children in the East End, so she made a massive amount and Ryuunosuke was stuck kneading this massive mountain of bread dough all day. Apparently he became such a expert at kneading that he could be a baker now.

Asougi was practicing with his sword, slicing autumn-colored ginko leaves as they fell from the tree. He cut so many leaves, though, that he ended up making a big mess on the ground, the number of fallen leaves now having increased, and it took him a long time to clean it all up.    

Sherlock: Ryuunosuke told him that he was making anpan (bread filled with sweet red bean paste, the bane of my Asian-dwelling existance) and asked Sherlock to help by being in charge of getting the poppy seeds they’d need to sprinkle on top, so Sherlock went out and gathered a ton of poppy seeds. In fact, he got so many of them that no one knew what to do with them all cuz they had a huge amount of leftovers. Sherlock said, “Well, they’re only the size of poppy seeds! Surely you two can deal with them somehow! Ahahaha!” and Iris scolded him.   

(I couldn’t capture it in English, but Sherlock’s line contained a pun, and a pretty stupid one at that, so that’s part of why he got scolded)

It’s grape harvesting season, so Van Zieks commutes to the winery regularly to direct the production of the contents for his “Lord’s Bottle.” He demands perfection in everything from the selection of the grapes to the way they’re squeezed, and the winery staff is terrified by the “grim reaper’s” gaze and heel swinging (i.e. the leg thing he does in court) so they grumble as they work. 

"Hearing that there’s a holiday in the West called Halloween, the people involved with the court in Japan decided to try it out themselves. Naturally Halloween is a big deal in England as well. So, which member of the DGS cast had the best celebration?"

Team Ryuunosuke and Asougi- Asougi got Naruhodo up on his shoulders and they draped a white sheet over themselves to make a ghost costume. They went out like that, but Naruhodo had such exaggerated reactions to the fear of the people who saw them and to bumping his head on tree branches that they ended up losing their balance and falling on top of each other?!   

Sherlock Holmes- went wearing a horse’s head mask. Iris used her skills to make it a fancy horse covered in stars, but the eye holes weren’t well made and he had to wander around blindly. Because of that he tripped hard over a pile of coal! He ended up getting so dirty that the stars on his costume were covered up!

Van Zieks- took inspiration from his nickname and dressed up as the grim reaper. He covered himself up with a skeleton mask and hood figuring no one would know it was him. Unfortunately he got angry when he saw Megundal (McGilded) pass by and started throwing bottles and glasses and ended up giving himself away.

"November has arrived, and autumn is nearing its end. However, the DGS cast is still keeping busy, even on their days off. Which character chose the most interesting way to spend their late autumn day?"

Ryuunosuke- Thinking that he’d better learn more about British culture if he was going to be a defense attorney in Britain, he went down to the East End with Gina for a little observation. However, because an Asian like him stood out so much, he got mobbed by the other children. On top of it all, his arm band got stolen from him and he had to send a replacement request to Yumei University on the other side of the ocean.

Asougi- He went for a meal at La Quantas. The customer at a nearby table got a persimmon for dessert and scarfed it down, saying “Mm! This is it! This sweetness makes it worthy of being called a treasure among foods!” Asougi tried to comment on this by saying, “The customer at that table sure is enjoying his pershim--gak!” but he may or may not have accidentally bitten his tongue in the process and been unable to finish his sentence.

Iris- She accepted Ryuunosuke’s request to learn more about British culture and prepared a bagpipe and kilt costume for him. “This outfit sure is breezy,” Ryuunosuke said shyly upon trying it on. With Ryuunosuke now dressed, he, Iris, and the others from their office headed over to Gregson’s place to get him to treat them to some fish and chips.   

Sherlock- He accepted Ryuunosuke’s request to learn more about British culture and cooked up some European style curry for dinner. Thanks to the fact that his secret ingredient was a large amount of Chinese herbal medicine style spice, it caused some strange side effects and Ryuunosuke, who’d eaten it, ended up passing out and falling over.

“Another taxing trial for Ryuunosuke has finished and now it’s December. As the year draws to a close, which character acts the strangest?”

Ryuunosuke- he was recruited to help with snow removal around Yumei University and the courthouse and he enthusiastically began his task with the help of a large shovel. He got a little carried away, though, and ended up accidentally burying his umbrella, which he’d left propped up against the side of the building, in the snow he’d just finished shoveling.  He had no choice but to share Asougi’s umbrella on the way home.

Asougi- On the way home, he nods silently to Ryuunosuke’s question of whether he’d finished his travel preparations and changes the subject: “...Come to think of it, it seems that tomorrow is celebrated in the West as God’s birthday.” “I’ve heard that they eat chicken as part of the traditional celebration. Wanna try it?” Ryuunosuke asks invitingly. Asougi is strongly opposed to that particular menu item, however, and they end up going out for their usual beef stew that night instead.           

Susato- in addition to her year-end travel preparations, she also was busy with straightening up the book room in her home. She managed to get the law books in order when she suddenly stumbled upon some old issues of Strand Magazine! She hurried through the rest of her cleaning, then began flipping through the magazines she’d found, trying to decide which to take with her on her trip. She accidentally lost herself in her reading and didn’t realize it until it was already the middle of the night.

Sherlock- he was in the middle of a long ship voyage when Christmas night came. His mind on his partner in a far-off country, he made a toast alone on deck, when suddenly the crew began shooting off fireworks with a cry of “Merry Christmas!” Sherlock had to dart back and forth across the deck to prevent the fireworks from hitting him and setting off the explosive chemicals he carries with him.

Main series edition

[docrotten]

THE EXORCIST (1973) – Episode 200 – Decades Of Horror 1970s

“What an excellent day for an exorcism.” You don’t have to say that twice. Join your faithful Grue Crew – Doc Rotten, Chad Hunt, Bill Mulligan, Jeff Mohr, and guest hosts Daphne Monary-Ernsdorff and Crystal Cleveland – as they finally tackle one of the best and most influential horror movies in history, The Exorcist (1973) from director William Friedkin and writer William Peter Blatty.

Decades of Horror 1970s Episode 200 – The Exorcist (1973)

Join the Crew on the Gruesome Magazine YouTube channel! Subscribe today! And click the alert to get notified of new content! https://youtube.com/gruesomemagazine

Decades of Horror 1970s is partnering with the WICKED HORROR TV CHANNEL (https://wickedhorrortv.com/) which now includes video episodes of the podcast and is available on Roku, AppleTV, Amazon FireTV, AndroidTV, and its online website across all OTT platforms, as well as mobile, tablet, and desktop.

When a young girl is possessed by a mysterious entity, her mother seeks the help of two Catholic priests to save her life.

  Director: William Friedkin

Writer: William Peter Blatty (written for the screen by, from the novel by)

Cinematographer: Owen Roizman; Billy Williams (Mosul sequences)

Editing by: Norman Gay, Evan A. Lottman (as Evan Lottman), Bud S. Smith (Iraq sequence), Jordan Leondopoulos (supervising field editor)

Art Direction-Set Decoration: Bill Malley, Jerry Wunderlich

Sound: Robert Knudson, Christopher Newman

Makeup Department: 

Dick Smith (makeup artist)

Robert Laden (special makeup effects artist) (uncredited)

William A. Farley (hair stylist) (as Bill Farley)

Special Effects: 

Marcel Vercoutere (special effects)

Rick Baker (special effects assistant) (uncredited)

Composer: Jack Nitzsche (composer: additional music)

Selected Cast:

Ellen Burstyn as Chris MacNeil

Max von Sydow as Father Merrin

Lee J. Cobb as Lt. Kinderman

Kitty Winn as Sharon

Jack MacGowran as Burke Dennings

Jason Miller as Father Karras

Linda Blair as Regan

William O’Malley as Father Dyer (credited as Reverend William O’Malley S.J.)

Barton Heyman as Dr. Klein

Peter Masterson as Dr. Barringer – Clinic Director (as Pete Masterson)

Rudolf Schündler as Karl

Gina Petrushka as Willi

Robert Symonds as Dr. Taney

Arthur Storch as Psychiatrist

Thomas Bermingham as Tom – President of University (as Reverend Thomas Bermingham S.J.)

Vasiliki Maliaros as Karras’ Mother

Titos Vandis as Karras’ Uncle

John Mahon as Language Lab Director

Wallace Rooney as Bishop Michael

Ron Faber as Chuck – Assistant Director / Demonic Voice

Donna Mitchell as Mary Jo Perrin

Roy Cooper as Jesuit Dean

Robert Gerringer as Senator at Party

Dick Callinan as Astronaut (uncredited)

Elinore Blair as Nurse (uncredited)

William Peter Blatty as The Producer (uncredited)

Mercedes McCambridge as Demon (voice)

Eileen Dietz as Demon’s Face (uncredited)

Ann Miles as Spiderwalk (uncredited)

Vincent Russell as Subway Vagrant (uncredited)

It’s finally time to discuss The Exorcist (1973). The 70s Grue Crew have waited 200 episodes to tackle what is arguably the most influential horror film of the decade and beyond. The regular cast of “characters” have invited a few friends to enjoy the extra-long conversation: Daphne Monary-Ernsdorff, co-host of The Classic Era; and, Crystal Cleveland, the Livin6Dead6irl, co-host of the 80s. In other words, the whole damn family of Decades of Horror co-hosts are on hand for this one. Settle in for this in-depth look at director William Friedkin’s ultimate fright-fest and join the Grue Crew to celebrate 200 episodes of Decades of Horror 1970s.

At the time of this writing, The Exorcist is available to stream from MAX. The film is also available on physical media as The Exorcist 50th Anniversary Edition – Theatrical & Extended Director’s Cut (4K Ultra HD + Digital).

Gruesome Magazine’s Decades of Horror 1970s is part of the Decades of Horror two-week rotation with The Classic Era and the 1980s. In two weeks, the next episode, chosen by Chad, will be The Psychic, aka Sette note in nero, aka Murder to the Tune of the Seven Black Notes, aka Seven Notes in Black, released in Italy in 1977. This one is giallo, Fulci-style!

We want to hear from you – the coolest, grooviest fans: comment on the site or email the Decades of Horror 1970s podcast hosts at feedback@gruesomemagazine.com. 

Check out this episode!

[fallinallincurls]

Without A Doubt, My Heart Will Lead Me To You (Two)

alexa play here we go again by demi lovato because here i am again with ANOTHER verse for a favorite player of mine!! i’m not sure where this even started but it came from a conversation with @tonyspep like usual and i hope you all love this whole verse as much as i do! there is a LOT planned to be written in the future, but this is just the beginning so meet noah graham mackinnon!

gina is writing ej’s side of this verse which does overlap at some points. go read her companion piece if the home is where the heart is, then i’m homesick for you!! she borrowed noah and the fic did not disappoint so show her some love as well!

warnings: mentions of morning sickness

hope you enjoy!! feedback is always appreciated! xx

word count: 5.9k

~~~~~

Chocolate raspberry truffle. Salted caramel. Lemon summer berry. Tuxedo torte. Red velvet. Fresh strawberries and cream.

About a dozen little plates full of slices cut from different flavored wedding cakes are scattered across the table, yet not one sounds the least bit appetizing. While the baker explains each specific flavor and why the combination would be the best pick for your wedding and the guests in attendance, your mind drifts elsewhere. 

To the turning of your stomach and how something just doesn’t feel right.

Nate’s hand is resting on your thigh underneath the table, his thumb rubbing small circles against your skin, and despite his excitement about taste testing each slice to see which you both like best, you unfortunately don’t feel the same. Instead, the idea of even trying a piece of cake makes you want to run to the bathroom. 

The nausea that’s holding all your attention has seemingly appeared out of nowhere. You woke up this morning just fine, even savored the extra cuddles with Nate more than usual. Breakfast didn’t bother you and up until this very moment, the cake tasting for one of the biggest days of your life, you didn’t feel sick.

Except now, that’s all you can think about.

“Okay, this one is a personal favorite and perfect for a summer wedding like yours.” The baker says with a kind smile, placing two plates in front of both you and Nate. “This is a lemon summer berry cake. It’s a very light vanilla cake with lemon mousse and fresh strawberries and raspberries. What do we think?”

Your fiancé grins, kisses your temple while gently squeezing your thigh and picks up his fork to try the sampled desert. Trying to mimic his actions, you lift your own forkful of cake to your lips and try not to giggle when Nate lets out a small moan at the taste. But the moment you get a smell of the lemon, the uneasiness of your stomach becomes worse which sends you into panic and everything seems to come crashing down.

“I’m so sorry, I just- excuse me.” The words tumble out of your mouth in a rush as you push back from the table, leaving both Nate and the baker in confusion. You just barely get the door open to the bathroom before the feeling of being sick becomes overwhelming. Pushing into a stall and hanging your head over the toilet, you watch in agony as everything you’ve eaten today reappears. 

There isn’t time to think about how disgusting the current situation is or how the nausea still hasn’t disappeared after being sick for longer than it seemed. But just as you lean back, chest heaving and tears pricking in the corners of your eyes, a familiar voice that brings you nothing but comfort and love fills the air.

“Y/N? Are you okay?” Nate asks, stepping into the bathroom in his pursuit to find out what’s going on. His voice is laced with concern, sending another dagger of pain to your heart. Today was supposed to be enjoyable and full of excitement for the upcoming wedding. It shouldn’t be like this.

“Nate, I’m fine-”

“Oh babe,” He murmurs when he opens the door to the stall you’re still sitting on the ground of. “Come ‘ere. What happened?” Without a moment of hesitation, he drops to the floor and pulls you into his lap as his strong arms keep you close. One hand runs through your hair while the other draws soothing circles against your back. You rest your head on his shoulder, take a deep breath and close your eyes when Nate places a kiss on your temple. “I’m here, what’s going on?”

“Just got a little sick. Think I have a stomach bug or something.”

“A stomach bug? Babe, it’s June. There’s no way.” He chuckles sweetly, kissing the top of your head and squeezing you tighter. “Did you eat something bad? Or just stress from planning the wedding? We have plenty of time and can start taking things slower if that’ll help.”

“Hm, it might be stress. My period is like two weeks late too, which I’m blaming on being stressed out about the planning, but getting sick like this hasn’t ever happened before.” You murmur into his chest just as another wave of nausea appears and Nate feels you tense in his arms.

There are very few things you dislike more than being sick, especially physically sick like this. And although it doesn’t happen often, the sudden appearance of strong nausea and uneasiness feels different than anything you’ve experienced before but you aren’t sure why. Nothing unusual has happened to cause the feeling, until you process what you just admitted to your fiancé and the realization dawns on you.

“Well-” Nate starts, but is immediately cut off when your head pops up and your wide eyes meet his blue ones.

“Nate,” “What is it?” He asks curiously, pushing a strand of hair behind your ear and trying to figure out what has the shocked expression painted across your facial features.

“My period. It’s two weeks late. And I know stress can affect the cycle, but two weeks ago,”

“Is when I came home from Denver,”

“After losing the series to Vegas, yeah.” You breathe out, finishing Nate’s sentence and leaning your forehead against his before closing your eyes. The memories of that night flood your mind, the overwhelming emotions and the need to be close to each other became the only focus when he arrived back home. Although it wasn’t even a thought then, you can’t believe the possibility of what making love that night might’ve led to as you piece together everything about the current situation.

“Are you- are you saying you might be…”

“Pregnant? Yeah, there’s a very strong possibility.”

In an instant, Nate’s mind is spiraling out of control. A baby. Sure, plenty of his teammates have kids and he loves being around them, but this is different. His baby, a little human that is his responsibility to love and raise for years to come. He’s always wanted a family with you in the future, little versions of you running around the house and making everyday a new adventure. But up until now, he thought there was time before that dream became a reality. The plan was to start actively trying after the wedding and while neither of you have been that careful in terms of using protection lately, it’s not like you had been avoiding this possible outcome either.

Nate can’t help but think how the timing is inconvenient at best. Of course a child is a blessing and news to be ecstatic about. But at the height of his career as he helps lead his team to the playoffs with hopes of finally winning the Cup and the wedding still without a set date, the diamond on your left hand only an engagement ring, having a baby right now is the last thing either of you need. 

“Bubs? Are you okay?” Your voice breaks him out of his anxious thoughts. He meets your gaze, which is full of worry and love, while squeezing your hands in a silent reassurance. When your fiancé doesn’t say anything, you start to ramble to fill the silence. “I’m sorry. I know the timing isn't ideal and this is only going to mess with your career which I promised never to do from the beginning. If you don’t want to-”

Your words are cut off by a tender, but deep kiss as Nate pulls you closer. He can feel your heart racing most likely with the same anxiety and uncertainty he’s experiencing. Despite the euphoric emotions that always flood his veins while kissing you, he feels like a jerk for getting caught up in the what ifs of how this will affect the future. Who cares if this wasn’t part of the plan or desired timeline? He’s having a baby with you. Besides hoisting the Cup one day, starting a family with the love of his life has been the only other thing he’s ever wanted.

And it’s happening. With you.

“Don’t even finish that sentence.” He mumbles against your lips after breaking the kiss. “Am I terrified? Yeah, I am. Just like I know you are and that’s okay. This is one hell of a surprise and it might be unexpected and overwhelming. But, baby, I’ve never wanted anything more than this. To become a dad and have you by my side through it all. You have no idea how happy I am. We’re in this together, okay?” Nate says in the softest voice. He wraps you up in a warm embrace before kissing your forehead and the sweetest smile blossoms across his lips. Nothing but joy dances in his blue eyes and tears begin to cloud your vision because my god, how did you get so lucky?

“Nothing’s official yet, Nate. I still have to take tests to see if my suspicion is right and then go to the doctor to make sure there aren’t any false positives. But mother’s intuition, I think we’re having a baby.” You sniffle, cupping his clean shaven cheeks in your hands and kissing him again. This isn’t how you saw today going, but you wouldn’t trade this moment for anything.

“Well, what are we waiting for? We’ll just reschedule the cake tasting. This is much more important right now.” Nate chuckles, hugging you tight in his strong arms one last time. You melt into his touch, letting the feeling of comfort and home take over. “Ohmygod, we’re going to be parents.”

Right there, on the floor of a tiny bakery bathroom in Cole Harbour, Nate knows everything in his life is about to change. And only a few hours later, when the same pair of pink lines are staring back at both of you from three different pregnancy tests, does the reality of starting a family together really set in.

Two and a half years later

There have only been two times before this moment where Nate’s whole world seemed to entirely shift signaling the start of a new chapter in his life; when he was drafted to Colorado as the first round pick and when you found out you were pregnant. He knew when pulling that jersey over his head and holding you tight in his arms that nothing would be the same, but in the best possible way.

Now, as he’s pulling on the navy suit jacket and adjusting the fabric over his broad shoulders, Nate feels that same rush of adrenaline return, but this time paired with the comfort and sense of calm knowing what is about to happen.

He’s getting married to the love of his life. Another dream coming true that still seems unreal. If you had asked him a few years ago where he saw himself in the future, the answer would’ve included the typical hockey responses. Not meeting you, falling in love, welcoming a beautiful baby boy into the world and getting married.

But here he is. And there’s nowhere else he’d rather be.

“Daddy! Can you help me, pwease?” Noah asks, holding up his little black tie in his hands.

“Of course, bud. Come here.” Nate replies with the biggest smile and waves Noah over to which the little boy practically runs into his father’s arms. His happy giggles fill the room, making Nate’s heart swell with the kind of love only your own child can bring you. “Alright, stay still okay?” Nate reminds him while kneeling down and draping the tie around his son’s neck. With a simple nod, Noah watches intently as his dad explains each step and ties the tie perfectly.

“Now I’m extra handsome for Mommy! Just like you are too!” Noah exclaims the moment Nate finishes. He doesn’t waste a second to launch himself forward, little arms wrapping around his father’s neck and snuggling in which is his silent way of asking to be held. So as always, Nate lifts the toddler up effortlessly as the little boy rests his head on his broad shoulder. “Do you think she will look like a princess? I think she’s going to be soooo pretty.” 

“She’s definitely going to look like a princess and I bet she can’t wait to see you either, bud. We have to get your jacket on.” Nate’s words are full of nothing but love as he lets his mind drift to what is going to happen soon while crossing the room and helping Noah into his little suit jacket.

He’s getting married to the love of his life. You’re going to be his wife, finally. 

Although he once thought the ultimate happiness was in winning the Cup, the amount of insurmountable joy and adoration he feels right now cannot even compare. There’s never been anything he’s wanted so badly. A little family and the woman of his dreams. He has both now which he is beyond grateful for. There is nothing more Nate could ask for.

He knows he should be nervous or maybe even a little panicked as that’s what the usual wedding day jitters include. But instead, the sense of peace and belonging is ever present because for the first time in his life, Nate knows there is absolutely nothing else he is destined for. Unlike when you first found out you were pregnant and the anxiety set in of how the future would be affected, he’s standing in a room with his two year old son getting ready to be married and is ready to take on any challenge life throws your way.

Because you’re it for him. With you by his side, anything and everything is possible.

“Are you excited, Daddy? To kiss Mommy in front of everyone?” Noah asks in the most adorable way to describe the wedding ceremony. His voice breaks Nate out of his own thoughts while helping the little boy adjust the sleeves of his jacket.

“I haven’t been more excited for anything in my life, Noah.”

“More than hockey?”

“More than hockey. You’ll understand one day. I love Mommy so much which is why today is special. And it’s even more special because now you’re here with us.” Nate explains, kissing the downy hair on Noah’s head before slipping into his own suit jacket.

“You waited just for me to be married?” The little boy asks in complete awe while watching his father with the same big, blue eyes full of wonder.

“Just for you. Even ask Mommy.” Nate says with a soft smile, securing the few buttons on the navy blue jacket and his son flashes that irresistible smile of his that he inherited from you. Just as he scoops Noah up into his arms again, a quiet knock raps against the door.

“Nate?”

“Mommy!” Noah cheers, clapping his hands together at the sound of your voice. Nate chuckles, kissing the little boy’s head again before placing him on his feet.

“Y/N?” Nate questions, when he steps up to the door with Noah hugging one of his legs. You let out an audible sigh at your soon-to-be husband’s response and lean your head against the door. “Babe, what are you doing here?”

“I know I can’t see you because of this stupid wedding superstition.” You start explaining, a tone of nervousness evident in your words. “Sarah did almost everything she could to stop me from leaving the room and coincidentally, I ran into Sid, who’s playing the role of security guard, in the hallway. But I had to talk to you.”

“Is everything okay?” It’s a loaded question and one that makes Nate scared to hear your answer. What if you want to call off the wedding? That you don’t want to marry him or be with him anymore? Each thought is more ridiculous, but the spiraling in his mind doesn’t stop until he hears you speak again.

“Everything’s okay, bub. I know what you’re thinking and that’s not what I mean. Not at all. I just miss my boys. And maybe I’m a little nervous too.” 

Now it’s Nate’s turn to sigh in relief, but he can’t stop the grin from spreading across his lips. This is really happening. You’re getting married. But before he can fully enjoy the happiness of the realization again, Nate knows there’s something else he has to help with. 

“What has you so nervous, baby?”

“Everything. I love you and can’t wait to be your wife, but being the center of attention for so long makes me anxious. What if I mess up my vows or ruin my makeup or somehow those thoughts about us getting married now reappear and we have to talk about that? There’s so many things that can go wrong.” The admittance comes out in a ramble, showing those nerves despite the overwhelming joy surrounding the day.

“Nothing is going to go wrong, I promise. And even if it does, our day is only going to be even more memorable.” Nate reassures you, his voice muffled through the door. You can hear the small smile in his words and immediately, a blanket of peace envelops you. “All of your worries are valid, but today is going to be perfect. We’re getting married and that’s all that matters.”

“I love you.” You breathe out, feeling tears prick at your eyes but willing them away. 

“I love you too. More than you know.” Nate whispers back with a full heart and the anticipation of what’s to come before either of you know. “Are you all ready?” 

“Standing out here in my dress with everything else done. Just a waiting game now.” You laugh, knowing it’s so like Nate to ask that because of his undying curiosity. He hasn’t seen anything related to your look for today. Not the dress, your hair, your makeup, shoes, veil, nothing. So the moment he sees you coming down the aisle, you know he’s going to lose it.

“God, I wish I could see you right now. Sure you look beyond gorgeous.” Nate mumbles, leaning against the doorway and becoming more annoyed by the second that only a single piece of wood is separating the two of you.

“Mommy! Do you look like a princess?” Noah chimes in, hugging Nate’s leg tighter and his sweet voice almost makes you break the superstition to see both your fiancé and son.

“Well, I’d like to think I do, Noah. But think you and Daddy will be the judge of that.”

“I can’t see you, but you look the prettiest.” Your little boy states with happiness and you’re reminded again of how amazing life is at this very moment. To be getting married to the love of your life and having your son, who is the sweetest, here for the occasion despite being a little bit of a surprise at the time.

But you wouldn’t trade this for anything.

“Thank you, my sweet boy. And I’m sure you and Daddy look really handsome.” Noah giggles wildly at your words, bringing smiles to both you and Nate even if you can’t see each other’s reaction. He hides his face against Nate’s leg, cheeks becoming pink with blush as his familiar shyness appears. Nate ruffles the toddler’s hair and is about to respond when you speak up again.

“You know, Nate, I wish I could kiss you right now. Even though it’s not possible, that would do wonders for the nerves I have.” 

“Actually, there is a way. Hold on, babe.” Nate says as the solution forms in his mind. Your brows furrow in confusion at his words but you wait patiently to see what the man you love is doing. The soft noises of whispers between the two most important people in your life mixed with light giggles and footsteps fill the air, only peaking your curiosity.

Then, the door opens and Noah is toddling through the small opening with the cutest smile. He looks back in an effort to make sure Nate remains hidden and isn’t peeking. The sight of seeing your son all dressed up with his blue eyes sparkling with joy and his blonde hair styled to look perfect almost brings you to tears.

“Hi baby boy,” You murmur, scooping him up in your arms with the utmost amount of care to settle him against your hip. Nate doesn’t miss the tone of affection in your voice and smiles to himself as he listens to the conversation happening just outside the room. “Look at you!”

“Nooo, look at you!” Noah repeats back with a giggle while snuggling into you for a second before meeting your gaze. The smile stretching across his chubby cheeks is a mix of mischievous and loving, a look you know all too well on Nate. “Here you go.” He mumbles and then he places two big, messy but adorable, kisses to your cheek. “One from me and one from Daddy. He sent me to give you one since you were sad and can’t kiss him. Yet!”

All you can do in response is hug him tightly and bury your nose in his hair. Noah seems to understand the sudden rise of emotions and squeezes you too. The purest form of love fills your heart, the warm feeling of familiarity settling in your stomach with the nervous butterflies. That simple act has erased all the previous worries and now all you can think about is how one of your biggest dreams is coming true.

“Thank you, Noah. Can you give one back to Daddy for me?” When the little boy nods eagerly, you press one long kiss to his cheek before setting him on the ground again. 

He walks right back towards the room and sends a wave your way with a sweet “See you soon, Mommy!” You can hear Nate’s gentle laugh on the other side of the door as Noah disappears, this time being swept up into your fiancé’s strong arms. 

“Think you have something for me, bud.” Nate says just as Noah leans in to press another big kiss to his father’s clean shaven cheek. “Wanna tell Mommy I said thank you and that I know she looks pretty?”

“Daddy says thank you for kiss! And that you look pretty!” Noah yells out, making both of you giggle at the little boy who is both a product of your love for each other and a blessing beyond words. He smiles to himself, resting his head on Nate’s shoulder again while playing with the collar of his dress shirt. 

“Feeling better?” Nate questions, holding his breath hoping the anxiety has eased a bit and you’re not as worried as when you first arrived at the room. 

“Much. Let’s get married, hubby.”

“Can’t call me that just yet, babe. But yeah, let’s get married.”

As expected the ceremony went without a hitch. Nate lost it the second you began walking down the aisle and never let go of your hands unless it was absolutely necessary. There was not a dry eye in the room during the exchange of the original vows you each wrote and a chorus of aw’s accompanied Noah when he carried the rings up to the altar. As the officiant, because he got ordained for Erik and Autumn’s wedding and he couldn’t resist doing it again for another teammate, Gabe had everyone laughing with his cheesy jokes. The wedding was beautiful, everything you both imagined it would be and when Nate finally kissed you for the first time as husband and wife, life had never felt more perfect than it did right then.

Now, the warm summer breeze from the lake blows through the large outdoor tent where everyone is seated at their designated tables for the reception, watching Nate twirl you around the dance floor to the last fading notes of your chosen first dance song. He lets the feeling of overwhelming astonishment wash over him while you try to commit everything to memory, especially the way your heart is full of the most unbelievable love.

You’re married. Nate is your husband. This is your forever.

The thoughts are on a constant loop in your mind as you finish the special dance with the man you love beyond words. His lips press against yours in a tender kiss that makes the crowd cheer and you melt into him. A million unsaid words are exchanged as Nate deepens the kiss, but there’s one thing you know for sure. 

You are so in love with him and this life that nothing could be more perfect than this.

“Ready for Noah?” Nate whispers after breaking away, resting his forehead against yours while pushing a strand of hair back behind your ear. You can’t stop the grin from appearing on your face at the mention of your son, but also knowing why your husband is asking that question makes you beam even more.

After finding out you were pregnant, which led to pushing the wedding date back to ensure enough time to enjoy your pregnancy and adjust to life as new parents, you brought up the idea of changing a few details about the special day to Nate. You wanted the life growing inside of you to be part of the wedding in some capacity because they were just further proof of your love for each other, not to mention how much more meaningful getting married would be with including your child.

It took lots of brainstorming and several ideas that lacked potential until you figured out the unique moment that would be included at the reception. Nate’s blue eyes sparkled with adoration when he suggested a mother/son first dance following your own as a newly married couple. You couldn’t imagine anything more heartfelt or meaningful to share with the little MacKinnon on the big day. 

“Yeah, I’m ready.” You say softly, each word full of emotion and Nate places a warm kiss to your forehead. “Think he’s going to like the song we picked?”

“Oh come on, babe. It’s his favorite. If anything, he’ll be a little shy about coming out here, but that’s it. Just hold on, okay? I’ll go get him.” Nate chuckles, bringing back that familiar feeling of pure love in your heart. You nod, kiss him once again and send him off. He signals to the DJ to play a song for the time being while hurrying over to where his parents are, just beyond the dance floor. Noah is in Kathy’s arms, read resting on her shoulder while he takes in the scenes around him. His big blue eyes spot Nate within seconds and the cutest smile blossoms at the sight of his father.

“Hey bud, are you ready for your dance with Mommy? Just like we practiced?” The little boy shakes his head in response, snuggling in closer to his grandmother but keeping his eyes on Nate. Kathy shoots an understanding look towards her own son and gently rubs Noah’s back. 

“Noah, love, Mommy’s waiting for you. Aren’t you going to dance?” Kathy speaks up, quiet words resonating with Noah for a moment before he shakes his head again, cheeks tinting red. 

Nate lets out a soft sigh before making another attempt at breaking through his son’s shyness. Without saying a word, his mom hands Noah over to where he settles against Nate’s hip and watches his father intently. A little smile tugs at the corners of the little boy’s lips as he reaches out to play with the collar of Nate’s shirt again.

“Hey, Noah?”

“Hm?”

“Remember how you said Mommy looks extra pretty tonight? And how she’s been really happy?” Nate questions, earning a definite nod in response from Noah. “Well, I know it would make her the happiest to get her dance with you. Plus, she looks all pretty for you too, bud. You saw how she danced with me, right? So you’ll be an expert out there!”

“Really?” Noah perks up and the most genuine smile blossoms across Nate’s lips. All the nervousness seemed to have disappeared within seconds as it usually does when you’re mentioned. He’s such a Momma’s boy, which Nate adores, and that only makes the moment that’s about to unfold even more meaningful.

“Really. She picked your favorite song too.”

The little boy lets out an audible gasp full of happiness and claps at the realization of what song Nate is referring to.

“The Nemo song??” 

“Yup, the Nemo song. Your favorite! So, do you think you can go out there and dance with Mommy? Promise you can come right back to Nana and Pops right after if you want.”

“I dance! I dance with Mommy to the Nemo song!” Noah exclaims, blue eyes twinkling under the fairy lights and sweet giggles follow his words. With one glance over to the dance floor where Nate sees you patiently waiting with a soft smile and kind eyes, he places Noah back on his feet.

“Handshake?” Nate asks when he kneels down and holds his hand out to the little boy. Noah doesn’t hesitate to follow through the steps of their little handshake, one that Nate started doing with your baby bump and continued with your son the moment he was born. Forward clap, backwards clap, fist bump, kiss on the cheek. Even watching from a distance, the tradition makes you teary eyed. “That’s my boy. Now, go get Mommy!”

The iconic, yet gentle notes of “Beyond the Sea” start playing while Noah rushes toward you best he can with unsteady, but excited steps. He practically collapses into your arms, making you laugh as you catch him. Still in his suit and sporting a smile like sunshine, you feel the love rushing through your veins knowing this little boy will always be a light in your life. 

“Hi, bubba! Want to dance with me?”

“Dance, dance! It’s the Nemo song, Mommy!” Noah cheers as you crouch down to be on his level and take his hands in yours. You kiss his forehead before he begins swaying and jumping along to the rhythm of the song. Despite dreaming of this moment for years now, sharing a dance with your son on your wedding day is nothing short of amazing. There are simply no words to describe how you feel as the dreamy music envelops you and Noah continues to giggle.

Applause and countless sounds of cooing fill the air at the scene. No one but Nate and Noah knew of the unique plan that would be included during the reception so it’s no surprise that everyone is watching in total awe.

Including your husband.

Just as you pick Noah up to hold him in your tight embrace while moving around the large dance floor together, peppering his face with occasional kisses and laughing out of pure joy, Nate feels someone elbow him just enough to get his attention. It takes every fiber of his being to even look away from the most important people in his life for a few seconds, but when he does, he finds his best man standing there with a knowing grin on his face.

“What happened to the guy who was only concerned about Hart trophies and winning the Cup? Didn’t think those serious heart eyes existed for anything outside of hockey.” Sidney teases, unable to resist poking fun at the younger player. Nate rolls his eyes in response, keeping all of his focus on you and Noah still enjoying the magical moment.

“C’mon man, you know all of that changed when I met Y/N. And even more after we found out about Noah. Winning the Cup is still the ultimate goal, but this,” Nate pauses with a bashful smile, gesturing to his wife and son who are blissfully making the most of the sweet dance before the song comes to an end. “Nothing will ever be as important as this, as them. Being Noah’s dad is better than any award I could win and being the best husband I can be for Y/N is all that matters.”

Sid looks at his best friend, who is the happiest he has ever seen him in all the years they’ve known each other. His eyes are full of admiration and there’s no denying that the look painted across his facial features is anything but love. 

Just like you, Nate knew this singular moment of your entire wedding day would be heartwarming to say the least, but actually seeing you and Noah, his whole world, out there creating an unforgettable memory together makes the rest of the world stop. Sidney remembers the feeling himself from his own wedding years ago, the way he didn’t want the night to end and knowing right then nothing else would matter.

And Nate knows, as long as he has you and Noah, everything will be okay.

A comfortable silence settles over the two NHL players while they both watch you twirl around with Noah one last time before he kisses your cheek in the usual dramatic fashion and begins clapping. The last few notes of the song are fading away when Sidney speaks up again. “You’ve grown up a lot, but in a good way. I know this was supposed to happen a couple years ago without a little boy stealing the show,”

“We are not having this conversation again, dude. Wrap it before you tap it, I know. Geez, have one kid a little early and you feel like you have to reteach me sex ed.” Nate cuts him off playfully, cheeks turning red with a wild blush that makes Sidney laugh. 

“Not where I was going this time. I’m happy for you. You deserve this. To be happy and be in love. Life isn’t always going to be easy, but you’ve found the one who is going to love you no matter what and have the cutest little boy who is always going to look up to you. If you have them, you’ll get through anything.” Sidney explains, each word honest and holding genuine emotion. 

“Didn’t ask for you to make me cry, Sid. But thanks, that does mean a lot.” Nate replies, glancing over at the Penguins captain and offering a watery smile of gratefulness because that admittance has him realizing how lucky he is to have this as his reality. 

Before Sidney can say anything else, you’re kissing Nate’s cheek while Noah babbles about how fun it was to dance to his favorite song with his mother. Your husband misses the way Sid’s eyes soften at the sight, thankful that his good friend has found exactly where he belongs, and the longing, yet sweet looks from Erik and Autumn across the room who just had a conversation about having their own little one.

All he sees is you, the love of his life, and the blonde haired little boy who has given him more reasons to be proud then he could count. His accomplishments might include the awards he’s won, highlights from his career and so much more that has to deal with his skill on the ice. But now, he can add loving husband and father to the list, and those are the only two titles he cares about.

“I love you.” Nate blurts out, heart full and the familiar warmth of home settling in his chest. You cup his cheek and meet his ocean blue eyes for a moment, taking in every detail of this exact moment before kissing him. Noah talking excitedly to Sidney, the soft sound of guests mingling with others, sunlight reflecting off the lake. And above all, how in love you are with this man.

“And I love you, hubby. So much”

tagging some friends/mutuals who might be interested:

@tonyspep @miracleonice87 @hockeyunits @avsfans95 @musiclove-12 @barzysreputation @je-ne-regrette-rien @pebellemare @ilyasorokinn @broadstflyers @breezymichelle99 @zuks @islescanes @honeybearbarzal @ch-ristiane @blueskrugs @cherrybarzy @ya-pucking-nerd @beauvibaby @ims0golden​ @sourbarzal​​ @idontgiveaflyinggrayson69

[boypussydilf]

How about Gina and Gregson for the ask game?

OOH FUN CHOICE. i havent thought about them much. theyre green

ginny

Sexuality Headcanon: she can be a lesbian

Gender Headcanon: trans girl !!!!!

A ship I have with said character: whats it called goulstrade? yeah i like that its cute

A BROTP I have with said character: It is a CRIME that gina doesnt get to be called iris’s sister. they ARE sisters. and i love them. i also wanna give a shoutout to her friendship w ryuu tbh like hes responsible for kinda changing her worldview and letting her finally trust adults more bc he believed in her so much,. and thats neat. and also she shoots him

A NOTP I have with said character: there are no gina ships i have strong opinions about

A random headcanon: i know i said it before but in DGS3 From My Brain the baker street irregulars are like half ginas idea and half her thing. round-up of kids she maybe even knows some of personally. in general i believe in post-dgs2 gina using everything she has available to her to try and make life better for Kids Like Her

General Opinion over said character: Gina Gina Gina shes sosososo good !!!!!! i love her arc i love her everything !!!!!! i wish the writers recognized more what a major character she is. she feels like a part of the Core Group but then gets left out of Core Group events. SHES part of the family too i know it. i love her

slut failure gregson

Sexuality Headcanon: i know in my heart that man is aroace. i just do

Gender Headcanon: Just Some Cis Guy

A ship I have with said character: I have never seen a Gregson ship in my life.

A BROTP I have with said character: this guy has a limited cast of friends and theyre all great 1 gina. obviously. congratulations bitch!! you are forced to have a daughter figure now!! incredible wonderful friendship all they do is yell at each other. 2 iris like their interactions always put their dynamic just in the context of how iris writes about him sometimes but like . Considering everything there is distinctly a nonzero chance that hes known iris her entire life? so idk. just something to consider. 3 he and sherlock are not friends but they are really funny. gregsons curse woe sherlock be upon ye

A NOTP I have with said character: Again, I have never seen a Gregson ship in my life. Shit, maybe yall should start pairing him with random people just to see what fucking happens. Wheres uhhhh *flips through files* gregson/drebber ohgod im laughing so hard

A random headcanon: HGMMMMMMMM . i honestlygot nothin thats actually properly about him . uhh. yeah idk. He exists in proximity to many other characters and has probably had interactions with them! i cant think of anything thats really about him and isnt Actually Canon though.

General Opinion over said character: Best character in the game. tbh. i know ive said this before and also i say it about every character. But they kind of went off with this guy. they made a deeply interesting and complicated character who does some really fucked up things but also cant entirely be called bad . and then had 90% of his screentime be him getting shunted off to get bullied by various people and suffer the agonies of putting up with annoying bullshit. and they were right for that, too. bc its funny.

[twopoppies]

Hi Gina! Hope you are well. If possible, could you rec some fics with really gorgeous writing? Of course every fic you rec is well-written, but I'm talking about those fics you finish about are like "wow that had the most gorgeous, incredible writing!!" When I think of those "Etched in Salt" and "Young and Beautiful" come to mind... any others? I've already looked through your dreamy/hazy rec (loved it thanks so much). Have a great day!!

Hi darling. That rec was for fics with a very particular writing style that I really love (and wish I could emulate), and they all could easily be on this list as well. Also, these are clearly not all the beautifully written fics in this fandom (or even that I’ve read). It’s just a collection of them. 

Night Shift by banaanipoika / @sexpollenallergy (E, 9K) This was incredibly sexy and beautifully written. Everything about it was so unique, from the setting to the use of language. I loved that I felt as though I could smell and feel everything in that hospital room. The added buzz that comes from reading something with just a little bit of gray morality was so welcome!

Hats Off To My Distant Hope by orphan_account (E, 21K) This was such a pleasure to read. The writing feels so effortless as the fic explores the deep emotions of these two characters. They’re stubborn and inarticulate and gentle and passionate and finally, finally open up to each other. I really wish I knew who wrote it because I’d love to read more of their work.

and you still have time to be by loveroflou / @grimmpitch (M, 10K) Sometimes writers try too hard to be poetic, but sometimes their writing is just effortlessly beautiful. This is one of those kinds of fics. It's soft and intimate and full of so much perfectly-described moments of pain and tenderness. Link is to a download

The Sleeping Giant by LadyLondonderry / @londonfoginacup (T, 3K) This author writes the loveliest short stories… this one is filled with beautiful imagery and metaphor and just a hint of melancholy. I wish there were a dozen more chapters in this ‘verse, but it also was perfect just as it is.

you’re writing lines about me by snazzyasalways (T, 4K) This is gorgeously written on that Dreamy, poetic style I happen to love. Louis is a blind poet, Harry is a baker, Harry falls in love with Louis’ words, then with him.

Everything You Do by jishler / @snowjosh (E, 7K) This is my favorite of a 3-part collection (all of which are good), and wow. The author explores gender struggles in way that is incredibly tender and emotional, while still writing a super sexy fic. Loved this one.

Remind Me Again by momentofclarity / @gaycousinlarry (E, 29K) Every sentence in this fic is so effortlessly beautiful. I love that the miscommunication between them is done in a totally realistic way. The fight and make up like real people do and that makes the angst more painful and the making up more emotional. One of my favorite authors.

may we all have a vision now and then by momentofclarity / @gaycousinlarry (M, 4K) This author is one of my favorite writers in this fandom and everything they do is infused with so much delicacy and tenderness. I literally cried through this fic because of how wounded Harry’s character feels. Read it and then treat yourself to their whole AO3 catalogue.

Ever Since I Tried Your Way by flowercrownfemme / @lesbianiconharrystyles (E, 26K) I loved everything about this fic, from the setting to the characterizations to the slow way Harry discovers himself and how Louis supports everything about him. It’s just beautifully written and wonderfully moving.

Howls Like A Beast (You Flower, You Feast) by @indiaalphawhiskey (E, 17K) This author’s writing is poetic without being too precious, descriptive in a way that paints a gorgeous portrait without piling on unimportant detail, and their smut is sexy af. I love all of their fics, but this is a personal favorite because it combines so many things I love (supernatural elements, Versailles, Larry, and smut…what more could you want? LOL).

Shot by @sashinalash (M, <1K) This whole series of wordplay fics is gorgeous, but this is my favorite of the bunch. This author uses words so carefully that their fics read like poetry. I love how this one gives you such a full picture of Harry (and Louis) in a really unique way.

Per Aspera by sedfierisentio / @estperpetua (E, 11K) Canon time stamps set between 2016-2019. This author’s writing is something really special. The language is so rich and the visuals they paint all feel so alive and so real. They work in real-life canon moments in such an elegant way that you’re not pulled out of the story and you’re just left to soak in the headiness of the scene they’ve written.

nobody knows like me by enbyharry / @cisharry (GA, 4K) This fic is honest to god gorgeous. It painted such a clear portrait and moved me to tears––there were so many touching moments. Please read it, it’s really something special. 

we can take the long road home by @pinkcords (E, 46K) This was absolutely gorgeous. And it made me cry, damn it. Seriously though, the writing is so beautiful. I loved the characterizations and the way they both showed their vulnerability. I loved the slow pace and the hot smut. I loved this fic

boys aren't supposed to be this pretty by louisandthealien (NR, 1K) Usually I try to rewrite my original notes into something more “intelligent” but this really sums up how I feel: wtf this is the most beautiful thing I've read in ages. You can really feel all of Louis' overwhelm and insecurity. This fic is pure poetry and the way this author uses metaphor? Fuck me.

everything suspended by louisandthealien (M, 9K) Set in the late 1990s/early 2000s, this fic is SO so good. And it’s so angsty and so incredibly well written. I felt every bit of tension and emotion and was so wrung out by the end. But it’s also such a gorgeously crafted fic. I just love it.

No One Like You by myownspark / @myownsparknow (M, 20K) This author writes so beautifully, I would probably read anything they write. This one is so unique and pulled me in, immediately. Harry and Louis are both artists who find themselves on opposite sides of shifting artistic opinions in this moving historical fic.

to the light by fondleeds (NR, 13K) Lovely description, soft and intimate, such a beautiful read.

kiwi by fondleeds (M, 24K) honestly I have trouble putting down anything this author writes…they just build a setting and detail characters in a way that I find really compelling. This one maybe feels slightly OOC, but it’s such a good read I didn’t care at all.

And down the long and silent street by whimsicule (M, 86K) Similar time period to Victorian Boy, although this one focuses much more on the class structure of Victorian England. The romance here is not only between two men, but between men of very different classes – which only adds to the tension of the already intense subplot. This author always writes with great depth and the detail of the setting feels spot on.

Constant Debauchery by Blake (E, 19K) Yes, yes, I know. I’ve probably recommended this 10 times. But have you read it yet? Anyway…Edwardian setting, uni ABO (Alpha/Alpha) fic. Gorgeous mood setting, I’ve said before that it reads like an Merchant Ivory film looks…just gorgeous. There’s a similar sense of repression and uncertainty about flouting societal expectations, and a character who appears one way on the surface, but underneath is quite different. I love this one, I’ve read it a number of times.

I'll Be Your Love Tonight by @dinosaursmate (E, 20K) There’s something about this fic that just feels slow and dreamy. I’ve read it a few times and I just love how they fall into each other and keep extending the night because they don’t want to part ways.

Long Road to Love Leads Back to You by myownspark / @myownsparknow (E, 10K) I probably could list all of this author’s fics here, but this was one of the first of theirs I read and it’s stuck with me for years. They use language so beautifully and have written such an incredibly touching portrayal of long term love and longing. 

just a dream by BriaMaria (M, 5K) I just love this author’s writing, in general, but this one is very different from their others. It’s magical and melancholy and I would like 50K more of this ‘verse. It’s so lovely. 

maybe by momentofclarity / @gaycousinlarry (GA, 2K) I adore this short little fic. It’s gentle and moving and makes me feel so much. This author writes beautifully. Always. But not nearly often enough. 

wake the morn and greet the dawn (with hearts entwined and free) by mixedfandomfics (T, 21K)I cried the first third of the way through this because this author painted such a beautiful picture of Harry’s  emotions, his found family, and the setting. I love how they slowly unraveled Louis’ story and the tender, sweet way they ended up together. And Niall!! The best fried/brother you could ask for.

the sound of my heart needs the sound of another heart by momentofclarity / @gaycousinlarry (GA, 3K) Set in the 1980s, it’s beautiful and delicate and feels like such a slice of high school and tentative summer love.

wishing you were them by momentofclarity / @gaycousinlarry (T, 20K) This author always has such a lovely way with words. This fic, in particular, does a great job depicting deep depression and Louis’ need for Harry. Although, the depression here is compounded by the specifics of Harry and Louis’ relationship, which makes it all the more moving.

Carry These Feelings by LadyLondonderry / @londonfoginacup (GA, 3K) This was just lovely and mysterious and sweet. I loved their banter and the whole description of Harry traveling the world, remembering and collecting feelings. It’s totally unique and you should give it a read!

The Way You Smile Golden by PearlyDewdrops (M, 6K) Beautifully written slice of life where I just felt everything this author described––from the stuffy bar to the freezing beach to the confusing emotions both characters had. It’s just lovely.

Amor Victorious by HappyPrincess / @pattern-pals (E, 39K) My actual original notes when I first read this fic: “What even is this? Oh my god. I loved this. Beautiful writing, gorgeous use of description, a slow meandering trip through Italy, but never boring. Beautifully paced. Louis giving in is done so delicately”. 

bruised fruit by orphan_account (E, 1K) This one is a perfect little slice of a moment. It’s super short but beautifully written and you really get a sense of their closeness and how well they understand each other. 

we can take the long way home by eleadore (E, 27K) This story is gorgeously written (like everything this author does), so well-paced, and I just find the way their relationship is written to be so touching and realistic.

Fertile Ground by Blake (E, 4K) This author explores gender and body acceptance in a way I haven’t seen done much in this fandom, and their writing is so moving. Like, every line packs a punch. This one, in particular, is such a moving portrait of Harry’s struggles with how others see him and how he sees himself, and Louis’ support as they figure it out together.

Strange How the Half Light by aheavenlyrush (T, 4K) This is one of those fics that I read and loved and rushed to see what else the author had written. And then I cried because it’s the only one. But it’s such a beautifully written portrait of longing and innocence. You should read it!

as we move slowly by snsk (GA, 3K) Just truly gorgeous, poetic writing and a little bit of magical realism.

I would name the stars for you (I would take you there) by orphan_account (M, 91K) This is just beautifully written. Angst. Mutual pining. Dumb boys. Beautiful descriptions of art and creativity and fame and beautiful poetry. 

for now (and forever) by orphan_account (M, 83K) Really moving, beautifully crafted fake relationship / friends to lovers story. It’s been a long time since I read this one, but I remember being really touched by it (and wishing there was more smut....but what else is new? LOL!).

and the two you mention:

Young & Beautiful by velvetoscar (M, 227K) This fic is beautifully wordy and descriptive (which isn’t for everyone) and the characters are pretty OOC, but I just love everything about it. I know that doesn’t sound like a recommendation, but truly the writing is poetry, the characters are so well-developed, the visuals and setting have stuck with me for years––there’s a reason this one is a classic.

Etched in Salt (is a cathedral of the world) by @helloamhere (E, 24K) You all know I love this author’s writing –– this time they give us a dark, American, thriller with a bit of psychic goodness. Bonus points for Harry taking care of Louis in a very deep way.