#he'd only appeared as the Inspector

[inspectorspacetimerevisited]

It was very surprising to see Andy Serkis’s face amongst the Inspector’s past incarnations during Scoundrel’s deep scan of the Inspector,

since he’d only appeared as the Inspector in the 1998 parody ‘Inspector Spacetime and the Boon of Eternal Life’.

[gofancyninjaworld]

OPM Manga chapters 195-6 Review

Right, let's do this. I had intended to review chapters 195 through 197, but if I want to write this to a usable length, I need to be a little more brief.

Summary

195

Man, what's a ninja gotta do to nurse his aching head in peace? No sooner does Sonic settle down for a nice sulk with a big bag of ice and water on his head than those two turkeys, Gale Wind and Hellfire Flame, pop up with the intention of attacking him. Before Sonic can do anything about them, they're taken out by two other ninjas who introduce themselves. They're followed swiftly by several others. Collectively, they're the Tenninto, and they plan to kill Blast and Flashy Flash and rule the world under the tutelage of That Man. They task Sonic with luring Flash out to this hiding place on the morrow so they can execute him. Then they vanish, leaving Sonic to think on their words.

Quite the collection!

Elsewhere, back at the Hero Association, we've met the great man himself. After his initial surprise, Saitama thanks Blast for getting him out of the hole, to which Blast replies that not only was it no bother, but Saitama's appearance had saved him the trouble of seeking him out. Saitama's remarkable strength had caught his eye.

Real recognise real.

Hearing that, Flash interjected that if Blast was interested in his disciple, then he'd have to take a number -- Saitama had a prior engagement. Saitama denies this, but before that goes anywhere, Sicchi jumps in to say that Blast has confirmed that he was the one who defeated Garou. Saitama replied that he really didn't remember, which set Sicchi off on a rant about how imperative it was for him to remember. As Saitama continues not to get it, we are treated to a flashback of the conversation between Sicchi and Blast.

Without a doubt, the Earth had been in trouble, Blast told Sicchi. However, he had no idea how strong Saitama really was: it appeared unfathomable. While they did need to find out what Saitama's deal was, he did not seem like a bad guy, so he could just be left at liberty for now. This was a relief to Sicchi as he was sure that Genos would turn him into an ashtray if he laid a finger on Saitama. More pressingly, was the end of this monster Association trouble and Garou the aversion of the prophesized crisis?

Fathoming Saitama? Good luck with that!

Not even close, Blast said. Worse was yet to come.

By the pricking of my thumbs, something evil this way comes. Like my ex.

196

We carry on right where we left off. Flashy Flash is tired of talking about his disciple and asks Blast to talk to him about God. Blast looks at Flashy for a moment. He then tells the ninja to forget about fighting god, for he would surely die. Flashy Flash doesn't take this line down. He wants, no needs, to chop God up with his sword. Saitama unwisely asks why, and we're treated to a flashback.

Go home, kid. This isn't your bag. That's what Blast wants to say.

Flashy Flash recounts how, in the Village he had been raised in, he and his friend (he doesn't mention Sonic by name) encountered a cube and the village leader, who had been entombed in a recovery capsule. Flashy Flash surmises that 'That Man' was granted Power by God, and thus, the Village was a faculty to turn out minions for God under the guise of running a first-class school for assassins.

Flashy Flash doing his best Inspector Closeau impression.

Blast doesn't applaud his powers of deduction, but what he says next jibes with it. 'That Man' is his partner, named Empty Void. They had been searching for cubes together, and he had been seduced by God. Blast felt responsible for failing to stop him and regretted the young lives lost in the village as well as their many victims. It was his problem to solve.

So you let him get away? Flashy Flash asked.

Blast winced but explained that he'd been able to wound him severely.

Awfully specific number, no? It's almost like he knows something...

So you let him get away, Flashy Flash states, adding that Blast's softness was unfitting for the top hero. Never mind, he would find God himself, he said, squaring up to Blast.

Saitama breaks the tension by asking Blast what he wants to do with his partner. Just then, over a tannoy, there is an announcement that experimental procedure preparations were complete. Blasts invite Saitama and Flashy Flash to watch. Below them, three monsters -- ex-martial artists from the Super Fight -- were strapped upright to boards. As they watched, the monsters were blasted with powerful electric shocks, causing them to scream and writhe in agony. The experiment was stopped to avoid killing the monsters, and they collapsed limply on being released from their restraints.

You could call this a tense situation.

A failure, Flashy Flash says. Just then, one of the monsters, Hamukichi, crawls back and straps himself in, asking for the procedure to continue. He couldn't face the children at the dojo like this. The shocks recommence, and while he can't take it for long, it seems that the separation of the monster cells has begun.

If you're a believer in redemption through pain, then demonsterization through extensive electric shocks definitely qualifies.

Sicchi noted that it corroborated what Bang had reported, that demonsterization depended on the will of the person. Flashy Flash thanks for a moment and adds that this is a very risky experiment. Could Void even be captured alive?

Just then, something catches Blast's attention. Shouting 'oh no!', he smashes his fists together. Outside, the Hero Association building is surrounded by a bubble of light and Pops out of existence. Clouds swirl around it as air rushes in to fill the sudden void. Suddenly, the ground is torn up by multiple slashes, and crevasses open up. Once the attack passes, the building pops back into existence. On top of the building, another light bubble appeared and disgorged blast, Saitama, Flash, Manako, and Sicchi.

Now you see it, now you don't.

Everyone looks around in shock other than Saitama, who is merely mildly interested, and Blast, who is unsurprised. This is Void's dimensional slash, he explains to the others. Looks like Void is fully recovered now.

Do you think you can win? Saitama asks Blast. Well, I do have some ideas, and I haven't been doing nothing in the interim.

Cocky or quietly confident? Only more chapters will tell!

Meta below the cut.

Meta

You expect an artist not to draw?

I don't need to rack my mind too hard as to why these chapters have been revised. For 195, having Blast and Saitama not recognising each other despite Blast having gotten the latter out of a hole was weird, and it was a bit of a missed opportunity if Sicchi had not asked Blast for his version of events. For 196, I'm no fly on the wall, but the idea of Murata penning a page full of words from a dying ninja hyping up the Village Leader without evidence probably did not sit right with him. If he's so amazing, let me SHOW IT! And boy howdy has ONE delivered a storyboard to fit. It's as ONE has said in an interview elsewhere, the nice thing about working with talented artists is that you can do more with your story.

Saved for later

We may have lost the story of how Manako was derived from Psykos, but we still have the allusion to it in her declaring herself as never having been human. It may return someday. Very little is wasted; things are mostly repurposed.

Humility comes hardest of all

Today has been another good day for Flashy Flash getting shook. He went with the intention of teaching Saitama a thing or two, but it hasn't quite gone to plan. Not only has he been rudely reminded of how weak he is compared to Saitama, but the minion of the God he wishes to slash up has turned out to have a power that he cannot begin to comprehend, much less oppose. Will he be humble? Not a chance!

Maybe this slashing God up plan could do with some revision...

In contrast, Saitama is as unruffled as ever. His only irritation at this juncture has been getting a long story when he didn't want one. Everything else is mildly interesting.

Yeah, I know I haven't named the ninjas. I will have to mention them later: they did introduce themselves, but we know that they're not long for this world.

Threads

On to more interesting things, then. I really have to say that I love how the long-running themes, some of which had seemed to be throw-away devices, are now coming back into play. Take the martial artists for one. It would have been absolutely fine if we didn't know anything about what happened to them: being monsters, we would presume them killed. So it's really interesting to see that at least three of them have been captured alive and are being experimented on with the objective of turning them back into people, seeing as they didn't originally want to become monsters but were coerced into doing so.

It's also very interesting to me that another throwaway, which was the people who Super S had captured and tried to brainwash into becoming monsters, all reverted to being human again after Bang knocked her out. It seems that his report has been critical in giving the Hero Association the idea that it was worth trying to reverse (at least some cases of) monsterization instead of just killing monsters or using them as pets or other inhumane things, like weapons practice.

I really thought those monsters were dead back then. Good to see they've got some value.

Multi-dimensional fuckery

Not so long-running, but equally important, Blast and Saitama have recognized each other. It would have been strange for Blast to have no idea of how strong Saitama really was. The fact that he has learned something about this means that the story is likely to take some more interesting twists and turns. It is also good to see that the secret meeting regarding god continues to yield results. I suspect that the only reason Sicchi discussed Saitama with Blast was Genos's unbelievable story. Seeing that some of it has been corroborated is good to see. Other things haven't been left to hang as long: the ongoing threat of the prophecy is still alive and well, as Void's attack shows. The ability to attack from another dimension is a terrifying one. Weapons can appear anywhere, even within oneself, and there is no such thing as being hidden, at least not in a three-dimensional space. Garou may have gotten the power from God and learned how to make dimensional gates from Blast, but he didn't have the time to consider fully what he could really do with it; Void has had that time.

I know many people are impatient to see just how big a fight between Blast and Void can be, but all in good time. OPM is not necessarily about the fights, even though it can deliver on the spectacle when it wants to. More important than who punches Who and what fancy technique is used, the questions of how long Blast has known Void, how long he has known about the Village (some of those ninjas are in their fifties -- Void didn't start this place up just because of 'God'), and why he wants to save Void remain to be answered. I'm sure that some of those answers are not going to be edifying.

[sixshotsinatumbllr]

Rating Good Omens Characters by whether I would employ them in my IRL cafe or not.

Aziraphale: 100% would employ. He'd be on service, taking orders and running them out. Also, we have a small retail book corner, which I am currently failing at making work, so Aziraphale can also get that going (he'd be great at sourcing books, not so great at selling them). He is not allowed to perform his magic act though, which makes him sad. Sorry Azi.

Crowley: Absolutely yes. That (infernal being) knows their coffee. The ywould be a shit-hot barista. Sadly, they get fired after a week because the only person in my life that is snarkier and grumpier than Crowley is my husband (the actual owner of the cafe, I'm just along for the ride). They get into too many arguments and Crowley quits majestically. But we really appreciated the handful of times they yeeted someone off into another dimension when they were difficult customers.

Nina: Obviously. She has the experience for the job (unlike probably all the other characters); and she has the personality for it. She'd be the one that gets all the good gossip from the customers and be able to handle it be stupid busy. She'd be our number one reliable employee. My husband and Nina would also fight and snark but they'd both feel refreshed by it.

Gabriel: NAH.

Jim: Also NAH, but we'd probably put him on for a week of work placement through a job placement agency to help him out a bit, because he clearly needs it. Unfortunately, he becomes a liability because he drinks too many hot chocolates on shift and that costs us too much in stock.

Beezlebub: I'd really like to, but the council food inspector won't allow it with all the flies that come with zir.

Famine: I think Famine would be a food rep. These people come around from food wholesalers to introduce us to new products. A lot of these seem pretty questionable. I reckon Famine's taken Ciao on the road after the Notpocalypse for something new to do. He's a very polite and enthusiastic rep, but we politely decline his products. The following week, a critical potato shortage hits the market and we have trouble sourcing good quality chips, a key menu item in the cafe.

Furfur: I wouldn't give him a job even though he appears to have a solid set of organisational skills, because he personally irritates me. But then he becomes a regular customer, coming in for a large cap everyday, pays in the low-denomination coins, takes up an entire table of six for two hours, and then asks for a bag of coffee to be ground in the middle of the lunch rush.

Maggie: she'd be in charge of the playlist. (at least, after Crowley quits in a fury, up until then he'd hogged the spotify and dictated all of the music- and miracles it to continue even when he's not on shift. There's slightly less Queen than there is on our playlist currently). She'd be a day barista one or two days a week. I reckon Maggie and Aziraphale would be the Monday server/barista duo.

Every now and then, the playlist gets possessed for a few hours and none of us can do anything about it but let it pass and see what Crowley's digging musically these days.

The Metatron: Absolutely not. In fact, he's banned from coming within 500 metres of us and our oat milk supply.

[iheartpeppino]

Heya! Saw your headcanons post.

This is very unoriginal ik but what is Peppino's relationship with the rest of the pizza tower cast like in your headcanon? Like friendship wise? Has he befriended the bosses to an extent or is he still sus of them all XD

I hope you don't mind if I cover more than just the bosses!

Gustavo: I can't decide whether Gustavo has known Peppino for a long time, or if he only just met him during the events of Pizza Tower. Either way, assisting Peppino with Brick's help has been a bonding experience. Gustavo and Peppino are BFFs post-Tower. I see them having a queer-platonic relationship if they don't decide to outright date each other. I can see Gustavo having a hard time understanding Peppino and his emotions until Peppino opens up to him. Gustavo has never been traumatized the way Peppino has... but he has a good heart and wants to help him to the best of his ability. Peppino is grateful to have someone as loyal and kind as Gustavo to keep him anchored, even if he occasionally gets frustrated with his ignorance.

Brick: Peppino hated rats before he met Brick. Post-Tower, however, he's come to appreciate them. Brick is not only very handy in the kitchen (don't tell the health inspector), he's been known to cuddle Peppino when he's anxious to try and comfort him. Brick is a rat, but he's treated more like a house cat who also happens to be able to cook. Peppino likes him well enough.

Mr. Stick: Nothing has changed about Peppino's relationship with Mr. Stick. Stick continues to try and scam more money out of Peppino, or even outright STEAL it. Peppino doesn't fall for any of it or let Mr. Stick get away with it unless he genuinely needs something Stick has. Scott Stick is a greedy asshole who preys on desperate people like Peppino to make a profit. I like him a lot, don't get me wrong, but he's an asshole.

Pepperman: Everyone's favorite artistic pepper made a killing with his art after the Tower fell, and even got to star in a movie with The Noise later when the Tower was rebuilt. Despite his already large ego growing larger as a result, Pepperman knows he owes at least SOME of his newfound popularity to Peppino. Had Peppino never fought him, or destroyed the Tower in the first place, Pepperman would have remained an undiscovered talent, only making art of himself for himself. So whenever Pepperman is around the chef, he's a little nicer to him than he is to everyone else. In fact, he's even asked Peppino to model for him sometime so that he can make art of him. Peppino thinks Pepperman is way too full of himself, but other than that, he's not really a bad guy. Plus his art is actually pretty good quality. However, he's way too anxious to model for him... Peppino doesn't think very highly of himself, insecure about his physical appearance, so he'd feel way too exposed to model for an art project. That doesn't mean he can't change his mind, though...

The Vigilante: While they certainly had their differences at first, The Vigilante realizes now that Pizzaface/Pizzahead had lied to him about Peppino's intentions. Vigi knows now that Peppino is a good person who was just trying to save his already-struggling business. As someone who knows the meaning of hard work and responsibility, tending to his grandpa's farm, Vigi understands why Peppino had acted so desperately and violently, even if it resulted in the Tower's collapse and an initial loss of the farm. It's safe to say Vigi likes Peppino these days, even respects him. Peppino gets along well with Vigi as a result. They're not quite friends... yet... but they're cool with each other.

The Noise: Peppino and The Noise have been rivals for as long as Peppino has been running his pizzeria, and their rivalry has only continued post-Tower. Said rivalry got way more heated after The Noise made a movie based on the events of the Tower, re-writing the story so that The Noise was the hero, and with Fake Peppino being passed off as the actual Peppino. Peppino was pissed and tried to beat The Noise up for this, but The Noise convinced him not to by promising to release a second version of the film where he and Peppino are working together as partners. Peppino agreed to this compromise... only to be insulted yet again when The Noise hired Peppino's nasty brother, Maurice, to play Peppino's role. (Originally, Gustavo had been asked to play himself, but when Gustavo found out Maurice was playing Peppino, he said, "Absolutely not!" The Noise was forced to hire some random guy to play Gustavo.) Needless to say, Peppino and The Noise are NOT getting along very well right now. A shame, since they actually did seem to be getting friendlier BEFORE The Noise decided to make a movie, but the little gremlin fucked that all up completely just for the sake of more money and fame.

Noisette: Peppino used to find Noisette extremely irritating due to her being... well, oblivious. However, they've actually gotten to hang out more since the Tower first fell. She's still irritating, but Peppino tolerates it a lot more now. He's even starting to understand why The Noise is dating her. Truthfully, even if Noisette is oblivious, she isn't malicious or ill-intentioned. She's actually one of the nicest, most loving people Peppino knows... at least when she's not pissed off at The Noise for doing or saying something stupid. Then she's absolutely terrifying... not that he blames her. He doesn't understand what Noisette sees in The Noise, and has even asked her once before. Her answer surprised him: "He makes me laugh!" Peppino asked if that was all. "Do I need any other reason to love someone? It's really all I need to be happy." The Noise is very aware he doesn't deserve Noisette... but he loves her, even if he has trouble admitting it.

Fake Peppino: Well... Fake Peppino has been adjusting relatively well to the outside world after the Tower fell. He made a hideaway not far from Peppino Pizza, a sort of replica of Peppino Pizza 2, constructed from trash and scraps he'd found. Every day, he'd open his trash pizzeria for business, and go about his day as if he was the real Peppino. Making pizza from whatever he could find. Even taking out the trash into the same alleyway the real Peppino took his trash into. It was... awkward for both of them. Then The Noise made his movie where HE got to be the Real Peppino, and... he suddenly had acceptance from literally everyone around him. He had fans! People were asking for his autograph. The actual Real Peppino wasn't thrilled... he wasn't angry, just... kind of helpless, since he figured Fake Peppino deserves to be happy after everything he's been through, so he can't actually get mad without looking like an asshole. He did, however, complain to The Noise. The Noise's second version of his movie clarified that Fake Peppino and Peppino Spaghetti were actually two different people... except now everyone thinks FUCKING MAURICE is Peppino. Fake Peppino can now stand on his own through his newfound popularity as a movie star, with his own identity, rather than borrowing Peppino's. Peppino is begrudgingly happy for his fake, but GOD DAMMIT HE HATES THE NOISE AND MAURICE SO GODDAMN MUCH, HOLY SHIT.

Pizzahead: There is no easy way to say this. Pizzahead has a problem, and it's Peppino-shaped. Pizzahead, once Totino the Pizza Boy, is completely obsessed with Peppino. He stalks him regularly, often in disguise. He's hellbent on replicating Peppino's pizza-making methods and capitalizing on his image so he can be rich and successful like when he was younger. Originally, this stemmed from jealousy. But the more Pizzahead spied on Peppino and went to extreme lengths to replicate his cooking process, the more that obsession blossomed into a full-on crush. Not that Pizzahead will ever admit it. If you ask him about it, he'll deflect and deny it completely. Peppino, meanwhile, HATES Pizzahead after what he tried to do his pizzeria. Pile-driving him into the tower was the most satisfying thing he'd ever done in his entire life. He's vaguely aware he's being watched, but has no idea it's Pizzahead. Peppino is so paranoid, he keeps a revolver in his house behind a glass case. Though chances are, if he does see Pizzahead again, he's simply going to beat the crap out of him the moment he shows his face. (And Pizzahead will LOVE fighting back... fighting Peppino is super FUN for him!!)

[ballcrusher74]

hello. are you. perhaps 👉👈 willing to talk about the inspector/faux. ive only seen cool arts and no context so im rather curious.

OK!!! I actually love rambling about my ocs so small questions like this make me day. I just get nervous LOL But! I will say, there's gonna probably be a bit I'm leaving out because it does involve my friends' characters and it's still an on-going thing atm (we tend to roleplay on lethal company as our guys. btw the oc group is called Cleanup Crew ! it explains the recent reblogs and new tags I've added on posts with this guy) AND this does also involve my own little interpretations of in-game mechanics and other things, but otherwise, I'll get the rest of him down!

Inspector, also originally known by the name of Terrance Conroy (or Terry), was a typical scavenger working under 'The Company' after a couple rough times on his home planet. (This information isn't necessarily set in stone, but the idea of him being a washed-up rock star before quitting his passion to get a job that pays his rent has been bouncing around in my brain.) He used to be a normal guy, trying to find a little hope in his desperate situation, and was a social butterfly. He tend to bounce from crew to crew, sometimes staying in some for only a couple days, and some for months. He was a very careful man, and looked out for his fellow crew members.

And then, one day, his first death on the job happens.

But instead of being greeted by a bright white light at the end of a tunnel, or complete pitch darkness, he appears on the ship again- completely physically fine.

This.. confuses him at first, yet he continues on.

And then he dies again. And again, and again. Over and over, the more deaths he's endured, the more he comes to a morbid realization that he can't truly die, nor can those around him. He tries to keep this truth hidden away from the others, as they seem to not have mentioned it at all before. He remembers everything. Every time he was ripped to shreds by an eyeless dog, every time he blew up into pieces from a landmine, every time he was shot multiple times, every time he was left behind or ejected as part of the disciplinary process- He felt it all and remembered it all. This goes on for the course of years (around 8-10 roughly) and over that course of time, he begins to grow very careless. What's the point of saving someone if they'll just come back? What's the use of tears when you're only a couple dollars off quota with a shovel in hand?

What's the point of it all? And with that carelessness comes selfishness into the picture. With how long he's been stuck in the cycle, he has become a very manipulative person, putting up a playful and nice persona on the outside- almost sickeningly sweet- in order to help other's do his bidding. He believes that if he were to cause so much chaos, disorder, and disruption within a crew, to where it's like animals mauling each other apart, he'd be able to break free from it himself. He doesn't care anymore about leaving others behind. He's desperate at this point to find a way out. Faux, who is an alter ego / disguise for Inspector, ties more into the on-going events right now, but I can give a basic rundown on his personality. He's a klutzy and quiet man, typically only talking to others when it's just him and them, and nobody else around, playing himself off as a selective mute. Since this is just Inspector in a jazzy little jester outfit, he still possesses all the traits of that man, just hidden away as to not blow his cover. He's still tugging on the strings in some way, people just don't realize. Sure, he's off putting and just a tad bit strange, but how can a goofy man like that be terrifying?

WOOOW ok that's a lot more typing than expected, but here's also a couple fun facts about the guy !

He stands at 6 feet and 1 inch, and is a very lanky guy compared to others, but this wasn't always the case. He used to just stand at 5 feet and 6 inches, and had more normal human proportions. With how many times he has died and how long it's been of the cycle, it has fucked up his appearance a LOT. Other things include : his 'skin' being grey, his voice constantly sounding like it's coming from a walkie talkie, no visible neck, his face becoming the helmet itself (it still bleeds, but there's nothing in there), and inhumanly flexible.

The only thing left of him that represents his last strand of humanity, is a singular, dim eye behind the tape on his visor.

He is very much not a rational man anymore. He is quick to jump to things, and won't hesitant with his actions.

When waiting to return from death, he is able to manifest in someone's head as a disembodied voice, and will typically mock them, or try and manipulate them further. In this state, he can see everything through the eyes of the person he's haunting. ^ Fun fact about this! This was originally based off a stupid bit where my friend was streaming LC to me with other buddies on the game and I kept telling them to step on landmines and then kill someone for a promotion, and then Inspector was born!

and UH I think that's about it I have for the guy atm! If the rest of the cleanup crew gets dropped than I'll update this accordingly perhaps. As of right now, enjoy my oc slop 👍

[talentforlying]

thinking about john's multitude of short-lived, often quickly-abandoned apartments for some reason, so a couple details:

although you might expect to find a very wizard-y interior to any place he's currently living at — you know, grimoires, skulls, dust, clutter, etc. — his flats actually tend to be fairly spartan in terms of decor; they've even been accused of looking modern, here and there. he just moves too frequently to really settle in & accrue Things, and has so often had to simply up & leave everything he currently owned behind (with very little chance of getting any of it back) that he no longer attaches much meaning to household objects.

besides the consistent presence of at least one bookshelf with at least 12 books on it, and a sad sprig of garden sage that miraculously hasn't died yet, the one exception to his lack of personal touch is his extensive collection of records + tapes, all of which he has repeatedly & methodically tracked down and bought / bid / traded / stolen / threatened for / blackmailed for / simply taken back whenever an enterprising landlord or new tenant left him the opportunity to do so. his record player itself has never needed to be taken back, since it has always mysteriously vanished from whatever flat he's leaving and mysteriously appeared wherever he's staying; it's convenient like that. his 10th anniversary walkman, however, frequently goes missing, only to turn up again later in a place he KNOWS he checked when he's least expecting it.

lack of home decor isn't to say he doesn't own much, mind: the bulk of his personal possessions — assorted occult paraphernalia, blackmail documentation, miscellaneous crap from his mucous membrane days, and anything he is able to take with him from past flats — are usually stored off-site, in a secure location that can't easily be tied back to him. this guy's been accused of being a satanic killer on multiple occasions, he knows better than to keep all the real shit out where anyone can just swan in and see it.

currently, this storage location (which i lovingly call occult shit central) is an abandoned inner london storefront + adjoining flat that was formerly his old friend ray monde's shop and home, called brick-a-brac antiques. it's decidedly cozier than the last place, (in that there are chairs, plural,) and has fewer bear traps laid out in anticipation of unlucky thieves; in fact, if a person were to visit without already knowing where constantine actually lives, it'd be easy to mistake it as his expectedly-wizardy flat. it's not an ideal location for an occult shit central, too close to the heart of the city and too close to people to avoid drumming up suspicion should constantine attempt any sort of ritual inside, but until chas finally quits ducking the paperwork and signs over his storage lot (which he may or may not be dragging his feet on out of pure resentment for having to do it at all) ray's place is the best option there is.

constantine's previous (and future) storage location was a lock-up in streatham that chas had been letting him use (see: all but surrendered to him entirely) since he got out of ravenscar, but after constantine's sister died, john decided he was done with magic and, in a spontaneous fit of rage, burnt the place down with everything but a few necessities still inside. he regretted this later, when he inevitably returned to the occult scene after just over a year away, and spent a lot of time calling in favors / hypnotizing arson inspectors to try and put together an inventory of everything he'd lost.

in the nearly 20 years since the fire, he's managed to replace or find substitutes for about 2/3 of what he had (occult-wise), and gather enough fresh dirt / do enough favors / orchestrate enough compromising situations to accumulate a little over 1/4 of the political / interpersonal power he once maintained. ( the lack of success in the latter being, in part, because people now in power aren't as familiar with his name & reputation as they once were; in part because people just don't believe in magic as much as they used to, or were otherwise bought by hell / heaven / other parties a LONG time ago; and in part because he's come to absolutely fucking despise most politicians / people in power more than he is willing to work with them, or more than he is able to plausibly believe they won't try to drop him at the first opportunity. )

you would be hard-pressed to find a landlady/landlord that speaks kindly of this man. if he wasn't kicked out for suspicious smells / disturbing noises / sudden infestations / suspected satanic activity, then it's likely that he abruptly up and disappeared in the middle of the night, with no warning and no rent. (on a few occasions, this vanishing act also coincided conspicuously with a gruesome death on the premises, sometimes of the landlady/landlord themselves, although no one's ever been able to prove anything.) frankly it's . . . magic, that people still rent to him.

due to these aforementioned bad ends, he's incredibly lucky if he gets enough time or leeway to take any sort of furniture with him from one place to the next. however, there is one incredibly comfy, wing-backed, sapphire-blue armchair that's miraculously managed to survive every move in the last ten or so years without being reported stolen — even though it has survived every move because it has, in fact, been stolen in the dead of night nearly every single time, by john and at least one of his buddies.

[oblivious-idiot]

Hi your Lockwood fics are amazing honestly- could you do a Lockwood x reader where she’s the older sister of Kipps? The rest is up to you though thanks :) ❤️

Now that I’m grown (I’m scared of ghosts)

AN: Lockwood is aged up in this so there wasn't a 5+ age gap haha! I also don't explicitly say how old any of the characters are since I wasn't sure on the age gap between Lockwood and Kipps anyways, but they're all around early 20s.

This is quite a hefty one, I had the idea to make the reader a DEPRAC officer to fit with being an older sister of Kipps, so I hope you like it!

Warnings: Reader is slightly older than Lockwood, disappointed Barnes, flirty Lockwood, mild hurt/comfort, fluff, aged up Lockwood and Co

Word count: 2k

Pairing: Anthony Lockwood x fem!Reader

You and Anthony Lockwood had a tendency of bumping into each other on cases, or should you say that you had a habit of finding him at the crack of dawn after destroying a house or causing some sort of disturbance. You used to be one of the more 'senior' members of Fittes' agency and one of top supervisors the country had - well, before your (slightly younger) brother Quill took over. You ultimately decided to move on and work for DEPRAC since your Talent began to fade, which helped you to begin to get to grips with adulthood. You'd began to like it at DEPRAC, already at the position of Sergeant after a couple of years, but that also meant that you had to be ready whenever Inspector Barnes needed you.

Where were you? Ah yes, Anthony Lockwood. You swore that guy had a death wish as he loved blowing things up and getting into trouble, you'd think he was some new hotshot agent if you hadn't known him for such a long time and he wasn't basically an adult himself. Regardless of his quarrels with your brother, he always seemed to love to charm you in those early hours of the mornings, somehow always covered in either soot or silver, or both. You had to stay professional of course, you were working and Quill would kill you if he saw you "fraternising with the enemy" as he would always say, but you would always notice little things about Lockwood - like how he tousled his hair when he walked over to you or how he'd grown into his stupid coat.

One morning - supposedly your day off, you were woken by the loud ringing of the telephone by your bed, you let out a knowing sigh as it could only be one person at this time of day. "Barnes, what pleasure do I owe you on this fine morning?" you ask him as you look to your window to see a darkness, then to your bedside clock showing 4:30am. It wasn't even sunrise yet. "Sorry, I know it's your day off. We're to head to an old country house in Greenwich. I believe Lockwood and Co are already there, reaping havoc as per usual" "Oh fantastic, he's gonna love seeing us just drop by for a helping hand. I'll call Quill and tell him to get ready incase we need backup." "Perfect, I'll pick you up in 15." You hung up and let out a soft chuckle, already imagining Lockwood's disgruntled expression as he sees Barnes arrive with both his most and least favourite Kipps sibling and a team of agents.

You and Barnes arrived at the country house just as Lockwood and his fellow agents emerged from the building, the windows leaking with smoke and the agents covered in soot. "Anthony Lockwood, do I need to start detaining you every time you set fire to a house?" Barnes growled out, though it did make you chuckle. "What can I say Inspector? Wouldn't you prefer to see a bunch of agents still alive over another building riddled with Visitors?" Lockwood held up his hands in defence before flashing you one of his cocky, devilish smiles "Morning Kipps, looking as radiant as ever. That green turtleneck really brings out your eyes." "Feeling like I just crawled out of a grave, but thanks Tony" It wasn't your voice that replied, but that of your brother Quill's who had suddenly appeared next to you.

Lockwood's face, oh what a picture that was, he looked like he had just eaten a lemon when Quill had appeared. Although he never said it to you personally, you were almost positive that Quill had said something to Lockwood about flirting with you, although that never stopped him. If you knew Anthony Lockwood at all from the five plus years while you'd been an agent, it's that he would do almost anything to piss off your brother. It made you laugh really, saying as you were older than both of them by at least a year or so.

You pulled Lockwood aside to a secluded spot for questioning as a mix of DEPRAC and Fittes agents swarmed the building as they made it safe and put out any fires. "We really must stop meeting like this y/n" Lockwood said to you as you finished questioning him on the case "Hmm, it's funny that isn't it, since our jobs correlate with each other." You say to him as you give him a slight smirk and put away your notepad. "Alright, you got me. I'm simply suggesting that we should... maybe see each other outside of work" Anthony's eyes sparkled amongst the soot that covered his face and he held out his hands as if in question. You crossed your arms and met his eyes "As if Quill would let you even attempt at the idea-" "When has Quill Kipps ever been the boss of you? A young lady like yourself doesn't need his approval, and regardless, here I am 'attempting'" his wide toothy grin spread across his face as he saw your cheeks flush a little pink and a smile tug at your lips "I'm going to take that as a yes, I await your call Sergeant!" Before you knew it, he was strolling his away back to George and Lucy who were waiting for him, and the group of them exited the scene.

Although you had thought about calling Lockwood, you had his number from the DEPRAC database, you got so caught up in all your current case work that it wasn't your biggest priority. You almost called him once after work and realised it was a ridiculous time of day and thought he'd either be sleeping or on a case himself. That didn't stop him from eventually getting back in your line of sight though.

A few weeks later when you arrived at work one early morning, Barnes called you to let you know that there was another disturbance overnight and it needed a look over. You sighed - were you disappointed or happy it was Lockwood? You weren't sure, but you knew you were gonna kick his ass when you saw him. Once you arrived at the house everything seemed normal, no officers or agents were outside, the building seemed quiet, it was very strange. You slowly opened the door and stepped inside, it was freezing and you could see the clouds of your breath in front of you. Suddenly there was a loud crash and crackling of salt bombs up ahead of you in another room "Lockwood? Are you in here?" you called out into the dark hall, your hands burying into your pockets - one grasping onto a salt bombs you kept incase of need and the other fiddling with a compact silver net. You never used to be scared of ghosts, but now you were older and couldn't see them as well, it was hard to keep your heart from racing.

You headed towards the room where the noise originated from and called out again "Lockwood? Carlyle? It's Sergeant Kipps." You opened the door, noticing the handle was icy to the touch, and crept inside. "Kipps!? Move out the way!" George almost shouted as he saw you, iron chain in his hand and stood next to Lucy with her rapier raised. But you couldn't move and you couldn't see the Visitor either, but you could feel it as it buried its eyes into you - you were Ghost Locked. You looked around the room in search for Lockwood, your body frozen on the spot, before seeing him in the corner of the room clutching his side as he looked for the Source. You willed everything in your body to feel something again, to unclasp yourself from the control the apparition had on you. You slowly began to move your hand out of your pocket, salt bomb in your grasp "Is it directly in front of me?" you asked "Yep. So close you cannot miss it" Lucy replied, slowly moving George out of your line of fire. You finally mustered the willpower and threw the salt bomb, knowing it had collided with the Visitor when it snapped and banged and you finally felt like you could breathe again.

"I've got the Source! Someone throw me a Seal" Lockwood called out. George tossed you a large silver net as you made your way over to where Lockwood was and handed it to him. He covered the Source and you could hear everyone in the room collectively let out a breath. Slowly you helped Lockwood out of the building while the others cleared the house, setting him down on the front steps of the house as he clutched his side. "Do you mind if I take a look at that?" he heaved out of chuckle and grinned at you "You'll only call DEPRAC to deal with it-" "I'll only call them if I deem it necessary. If I think you're gonna die on me, you bet your ass I'm going to call them." You let out a reassuring smile and he agreed to your help - it only appeared to be some heavy bruising so you were relieved. "You know, I think you're right. We really should stop meeting like this" you say to him, the both of you chuckling to each other as your foreheads rested gently together, fingers interwoven.

The tender moment between you and Lockwood was suddenly broken when you heard the crunch of footsteps on the gravel driveway up ahead, and of course it was Barnes and your brother Quill. The both of you hurriedly rose to your feet, patting down the dust off your coat as the officer and agent both gave you stern looks "You know Sergeant, when I send you out to check on a disturbance, I expect to be updated on the scene so I don't have to call out agents to save your ass." "Sorry sir, the scene was awfully quiet and I was concerned for the safety of-" your chest was tight as you felt eyes from both the Inspector and your brother bore into your skull, but Barnes cut you off before you could continue. "I do not care about the safety of your boyfriend, you do not have Talent anymore and you put yourself in serious danger." His voice was harsh but steady, Lockwood slowly making his way to your side as he finished talking "Inspector, Kipps, if I may add, if it wasn't for the Sergeant here we would've been in serious trouble. She ensured the safety of my entire team and helped keep the Visitor at bay even without seeing it."

Quill's face was so stern and tense that you pulled him aside once Barnes finished with his disapproving warnings, leaving him with Lockwood. "You shouldn't have gone in there y/n, you should've called for backup." "Hey, Quill, look at me. I'm totally fine, nothing happened." you held your brothers hands in your own, rubbing your thumbs in a soothing pattern "If I hadn't gone in there, Anthony and his team could've been seriously injured or worse, you know I couldn't just ignore that." He let out a long sigh and met your eyes "You really like him, don't you?" "I hate to disappoint brother, but it was kind of inevitable" Quill chuckled and nodded to you, and you returned a smile to him.

Your brother finally let you go over to Lockwood, both your eyes meeting when you arrived by his side. "Finally convinced the spoilsport to let me take you out?" he joked and you couldn't help but smile. “Stop burning houses down Anthony, and I’ll think about it".

[thenamesblurrito]

so it's uh been awhile. you might wanna click for clarity, especially for the kitty cat on the right. everyone here except Chromedome is a size null!

Grandus has been a champion of various martial arts since long before the Stratocracy was ever founded, with grace belied by his size null bulk. his particular specialty is a type of wrestling originating from his home planet Caminus, but he's lived on Cybertron a long time, working with Yoketron to teach and record martial arts as much as he can. under the current regime that looks down on such "violence", preserving this information is pretty important. when Yoketron decided to chip in as a benefactor for the JAAT, Grandus himself actually took a teaching position in physical education. the self-knowledge and body confidence he passes on to his students is unexpectedly engaging, almost enough to get some of them to stop gossiping about whatever relationship he may or may not have with pop star Rosanna.

whether or not his students were sports fans before, Eject is going to make sure they leave his class with a new appreciation for the glorious art of physical competition. an unmatched master of sports history and science, he can tell you the play-by-play of every Cube match in the past fifty million years without looking anything up, just as much of a terrifying information sponge as his twin, and equally terrifying on the field despite his extremely small datacube frame. given the cultural importance and how there's a sport for every function, he's actually got quite a bit of teaching material to cover even for the less active students. while he does have a Conjunx, he's not exactly in love with Chromedome like Rewind is, only married to him because of the way twin sparks work. they get along well enough, but he and Rewind have agreed that should they ever pick up an Amica, it'll be somebody Eject adores himself.

Chromedome is honestly a little confused as to how he wound up here in the first place. before, he was a psychiatric recordkeeper and ethical inspector. then his Conjunx Rewind got it into his head that he'd be just the perfect candidate to help out that new school Jhiaxus was trying to open, and Chromedome abruptly found himself a teacher of psychiatry. it's quite the change of pace, and honestly much less depressing to talk with a bunch of bright younglings than pore over yet another case file of horrific medical malpractice. he's an average size 2 car, but that's more than tall enough to pick up both his Conjunces with ease, if the two of them ever stood still long enough to nab.

he may not be JAAT faculty, but Rewind is ever-present anyway. both to check in on his twin and Conjunx or friends like Blaster, and also to get the freshest scoop on all the juicy stories this school spawns constantly! he may be tiny, but he is The star reporter of Iacon--no, Cybertron! nothing can stand in the way of getting that snippet, that quote, that blurry video, that first hand experience broadcasted to the world, even when his support staff Raindance and Grand Slam lag behind! information, he wants information! it all goes into his own alt mode storage as a datacube, making him quite the encyclopedia. the Stratocracy has tried and utterly failed to censor him, so instead they've relegated him to the function he has always excelled at, although with the way he is "accidentally" platforming the heroes and their dangerous ideals, they may be regretting letting Rewind run wild...

Roadmaster is a familiar face to many at the JAAT already, both to old friends like Thunderclash and folks she's never met. she's the host of popular nature show Quintessential Creatures, teaching viewers all about weird and wonderful wildlife. she was forged on Caminus long enough ago that her original records have been lost, but she's traveled everywhere since then, and her animal-wrangling bravery often makes people think she must be from Carcer instead. by all appearances she's slowing down now, letting her assistant Servo take on more responsibility, and this teaching position at the Academy is just perfect. she gets to affectionately nag a gaggle of fellow teachers many millions of years her junior while surreptitiously instilling revolutionary ideals and a love of nature in dozens of impressionable young minds. her walker transforms to become the cage on her enormous transport truck alt mode, most often used to haul rehabilitated mechanimals back to their natural habitats.

Meowgatron is a rusty tabkey who came up and sat on Roadmaster's clipboard one day and has been her darling pet ever since. he is, in a word, an idiot, and yet surprisingly good at finding his new favorite person Starscream to sit on and purr, no matter where he's hiding. rusty tabkeys like himself have lava lamp radiator alt modes, and many stressed students find petting his warm, blobby body very soothing. it almost makes up for his daily yowling sessions when he gets himself stuck inside a desk somehow.

[gentil-minou]

Xiantober Day 5 - Innkeeper!Xian

Red Ribbon Tavern was known for two things:

Its attractive flirty owner with a grin that drew customers in and a hand that kept the drinks flowing.

And also said innkeeper who kept his patrons entertained with magical feats.

When Wei Wuxian initially inherited the inn from his adoptive sister, now living with her (unworthy) husband a few villages over, he'd been skeptical.

After all, Jiang Yanli was known throughout the area as one of the best cooks in the land. And Wei Wuxian, well...

His food was known to give you food poisoning.

He'd lucked out when he hired Wen Ning and Wen Qing to help him run the business. Wen Ning, despite his tendency to hide like a turtle when someone so much as looks at him, thrives in the kitchen where he can cook in peace.

Meanwhile, Wen Qing understands the less fun parts of owning an inn, like logistics and bookeeping. Their guests only flinch a little bit when she glares at them (it's not her fault; she's trying! she even smiles now! with the glare but still) because they know her rooms are tidy.

So where does this leave Wei Wuxian? Well, he of course heads the bar in front and draws patrons in. He has a winning smile for just that reason and could flirt with a tree if he tries hard enough.

Except, like his cooking, Wei Wuxian cannot make a drink to save his life.

Pouring ale straight from a keg? Easy. Joke around with customers and make them feel welcome? Heck, it's what he was born to do. But make a tasty drink that will have folks sing his praises far and wide? Well. Nope.

So, as much as he and the Wens are trying, it's not enough.

They're deep in the red, and they need to make enough to take care of Granny Wen and send little A-Yuan off to school soon. They need something, fast.

That's when Wei Wuxian realized: magic tricks. Perfect.

And sure, TECHNICALLY magic is illegal, but who's gonna tell?

Someone does, apparently. Even though Wei Wuxian was able to pass his magically conjured bunny off as a pet he totally didn't create from nothing and he sparkles as tricks of light, someone apparently wised up enough to contact the authorities. Probably that sniveling Su guy. Ugh.

He doesn't get a heads up when one of the Lans, famous for upholding the king's justice, to appear at Wei Wuxian's tavern.

They're not hard to spot after all, those pristine white robes impossibly clean even after what must have been hours of travel.

Wei Wuxian groans into his hands, picturing the disappointment on Jie's face when she hears he'd lost her inn. He glares at the teetotaler Lan's back, wondering how much trouble he'd get in if he beat him up instead.

Except then the Lan turns around, and Wei Wuxian is speechless

The Lan inspector is breathtaking, unfairly gorgeous, hair flowing straight down his back and cheekbones Wei Wuxian could cut himself on. He wants to try, frankly. He kind of wants to bite them.

But it's the eyes that get him, lit like the sun. Impossible. And maybe magical.

There aren't many folks around who practice magic these days, but like recognizes like. This is not an ordinary Lan. This is someone with magic blood.

The (incredible, gorgeous, so sexy like how) man stares at him, expression completely neutral, flat like a brick wall.

Wei Wuxian wants to see him break. He wants to crack him like an egg and see the runny yolk of his insides, or something. He's not making sense anymore, but can anyone blame him?? Have they seen this guy????

Wei Wuxian straightens up, adds a little something extra to his grin, turning up the charm as high as it goes as he saunters over to the man. He slinks around tables, twisting in a way he knows will show off the flare of his hips. From the way this guy's eyes catch on the movement, looking down right where Wei Wuxian wants him before he drags his eyes back up, Wei Wuxian is successful.

"Well, hello there. What's a guy like you doing in a place like this?" he says, flirting like his rent's due. He leans over one of the high tables, resting his chin in his hands and fluttering his lashes as he bites his lip.

The guy's expression doesn't change at all, but Wei Wuxian catches the way his eyes flash for just a second. Yep, there's magic in him, even if he has no idea.

He feels giddy. He wants to make this guy come alive. He wants to take him apart. He wants a lot of nonsensical things.

"Lan Wangji, Lieutenant of the King's Special Forces." The way he speaks sends a shiver down Wei Wuxian's spines. He thinks he likes a man in uniform.

"Ooh, such a distinguished patron in my humble little inn? How may this one service you?" His lips curl into a smirk as he says the last few words.

The barest hint of movement, a twitch in Lan Wangji's jaw. Success. "I am here to inspect a claim."

"A claim for what? I've been told many things. I'd be happy to show you, privately, if you'd like. As much as you want to hear." Wei Wuxian slides a hand across the table, ready to trail his fingers up that toned arm to dance on Lan Wangji's shoulders, except the man stiffens and steps back, widening the distance between them. He catches a glimpse of the panic in his expression before the mask slides over him again, and Wei Wuxian can't tell what he's thinking at all.

He blinks, taken aback, and lifts his hands in front of him like he's trying to calm a scared animal. "Whoa sorry, about that. I just meant, I'm happy to help you with your investigation."

The man seems to relax, shoulders dropping, and he says,

"There were reports about the unauthorized used of magic in this establishment. According to Rule 482, magic use outside of medical and military use is prohibited unless under a permit."

In all honesty, Wei Wuxian only paid attention to half that. This guy sounds so sexy.

"Ah but you see, sir, I am nothing but an innocent bartender! I haven't got a clue how to do magic at all!"

Lan Wangji's eyes narrow at him, and he points behind him. Wei Wuxian follows his finger…and shit…

See, Wei Wuxian has magic, like really powerful magic, but he's not the best at controlling it. Especially when his emotions are involved.

So really, he shouldn't be surprised he's somehow managed to conjure a thousand heart shaped butterflies behind him…in front of Lan Wangji

He turns back to Lan Wangji, looking sheepish. "Eheh… I can explain?"

Lan Wangji arches his brow, and waits.

(TBC on Day 14: Bartender)

threadfic here

[conradforrest]

I have nothing to say, at least I finished the main cities, but I have to digitise Nirsk, Cherrywood and a fancanon city that only applies and appears in the lore I have for Kolechia

Anyway, I'm not really sure what role they would play either, so for now I think I'll just stick to personality

Mergerous: he is the capital and the most socially and culturally closed, he is relatively friendly but if he can avoid unnecessary interactions he will do so. He gets on well with the other capitals, but with Paradizna he finds it difficult to empathise

Skal: he shares a border with Arstotzka, so it is easier for him to empathise with Arstotzka and his cities most of the time. Sometimes he takes on the role of a border inspector

Lorndaz: well, I think he'd be a nice guy to hang out with, not as sociable as Skal but more so than Mergerous. Maybe he's the type of person who loves horror stories that take place in the woods

[pharawee]

I honestly expected the Chains of Heart finale to go the usual route and have Din and Ken reunite at the very end.

Maybe they will. They hinted at it by mentioning the 7th day of the 7th month (so I was kind of right with them meeting one year later on 7th July - it's an open ending but I'll take it).

But maybe this was never what the series was about in the first place.

This is what the CoH ig posted tonight:

"Love and separation are the truth of life. No one will stay together forever. Live happily and love the best before it's too late."

Ouch. 🥲

But yeah, Din and Ken loved each other for seven years, but then Din chose duty over love (a duty that wasn't even his to begin with) and they both paid the price.

And then, when he and Ken miraculously survived, he did it again. And again. And again. Right up until the very end when he shot the man who - did what exactly? Shot him first two years ago? Because the way I see it police had things well under control. They didn't need a rookie forest ranger then and they sure as hell didn't need an unhinged vigilante killing key witnesses left and right now.

Sure, Inspector Don probably appreciated the intel (guess he wasn't that much of a good guy after all - he was just pragmatic) but he could have done without it. I guarantee you that if Din had chosen to walk away on that day two years ago, Chief Ingpha would have been arrested sooner or later (would it have stuck? who knows. but that's beside the point).

And remember this bit?

I always thought Din was just being playful here (with fate immediately accepting the challenge lmao) but now I think part of him was always like this. Part of him always chose to "let go of his loved one's hand."

The tragedy of it all is that none of it was even necessary. That he put his family and Ken in danger. That he caused them grief. That he chose to surround himself with people who enabled him and deliberately excluded everyone else. Injustice didn't make him that way. He made himself that way.

And I wonder if he even realises that he's smiling when he takes his revenge.

And I wonder if he realises that he's risking his sister's life by duelling Ingpha with her right in the middle (when family is the reason for his revenge in the first place). By that point he's so consumed with wanting Ingpha dead that he doesn't even check on her as soon as it's safe to do so.

Not even Ken is able to stop him until it's too late.

And it's the shame of Ken seeing him for who he's become that snaps him out of it. Because by choosing to pursue his revenge he's effectively destroyed himself and any chance of a future together (something that even Ingpha didn't manage to do).

So in the end I wonder if Ken not recognising Din was ever about his appearance at all. Because by that point he'd already turned himself into a human ship of Theseus (only more monstrous - because remember he'd already killed several people in cold blood), ridding himself of everything that made Din... well, Din.

And how do you recognise, how do you love someone who's become a stranger?

That being said, I love this show despite its very messy script and overly confusing scene/character hopping. I appreciate what they were trying to do and how ambitious they were with their action sequences and cinematography. Plus, the costumes and make-up were ON. POINT.

I'm not even a little sad we didn't get a happy ending (although I like to believe they'll meet again on 7th July). The whole "I am the architect of my own destruction" trope is a favourite of mine and Boom's (and Haii's) acting made it work beautifully. My heart is so full for Din and Ken. If only they had access to therapy and grief counselling. 🥲

A few other things:

I wonder if Din's mum really recognised him or if her tears were for a memory. I like how it's kept ambiguous.

Doctor Chayeon having the nerve to look shocked when he's part of the reason why things turned out this way. And all because the real Peter Lue's death would have probably cost him his career. Obviously that's far more important than any kind of ethical dilemma (where's even the dilemma? Maybe just don't 3D-print someone a new face so they can commit crime).

Hin and Phayu might as well not have been in this ep at all. We were robbed. 😭 But I actually like how Ken was barely in this ep either - if only to show how distant he had become from Din.

Not Sai still buying into Din's bullshit even one year later. I know I said that I wanted Ken and Din to meet again but damn.

That scene when Din took off his gloves was seriously such a strong moment for me. Maybe I'm overthinking things but for him to wear gloves throughout (almost) the whole show and then taking them off at precisely this moment? And little his smile? That was so good.

I like to think Chief Ingpha died wondering wtf was even going on.

I also like to think that whatever evidence Din had gathered on that recording device didn't even matter because between the organ harvesting and the illegal logging, what more do you need to arrest him?

And I'm really curious if the novel has the same ending. I doubt it but I'll let you know as soon as I find out.

[seph7]

My Favourite J.T. Walsh Roles

Inspired by @tequilasunrise28 and her list!

Why Me? (1990) - Chief Inspector Francis Mahoney.

The first film I ever remember seeing him in. We rented it on video sometime in '91 or '92 and I loved every second of it! I always remembered the final scenes where he's trapped with his Deputy, Leon, on the 10th floor and getting progressively more angry at the situation! The no-nonsense attitude of Mahoney will always be up there in my top three of his roles. We love a character who takes no shit!

2. Tequila Sunrise (1988) - DEA Agent Hal Maguire.

We had this on a recorded VHS tape when I was a kid, along with The Cotton Club, and I wasn't allowed to watch either because they were 18s! When I eventually did watch it I was infuriated by Kurt Russell's character, Nick Frescia, helping his drug-dealer friend, Mel Gibson's Mac, escape a prison sentence by circumventing Hal's apprehension of him. I won't say how for anyone who hasn't seen the film, but Hal was totally done dirty! Myself and @tequilasunrise28 were so outraged, we collaborated on a fanfic for him!

3. The Negotiator (1998) - Inspector Terence Niebaum.

I saw this in July 1998, which was five months after he sadly died. I was 16 and utterly loved every second of the film. Full of great actors alongside our beloved J.T., you can definitely imagine that his career would have continued to ascend into bigger roles. I remember being devastated when his memoriam appeared at the end of the film, as it was only after seeing this film that I realised all of the other films and TV I'd seen over the years had actually included him. It was a great role for him where he wasn't entirely playing a scumbag and had just succumbed to the lure of a bit of cash to lose some records.

4. The Beniker Gang (1984) - Principal Arnold M. Stoddard.

One of his earliest roles in film and the meatiest he'd had at this point. He also isn't playing a bad guy which was so utterly refreshing! I only watched this in recent months and I was utterly hooked when I did! He plays such a wholesome character and is so softly spoken when dealing with the children, it's hard not to melt a little! I can't help but wish he'd played more of these sorts of characters...

5. Crazy People (1990) - Charles F. Drucker.

Less bad guy, more cold-hearted capitalist scumbag! My favourite scene will forever be the "I wanna know how the fuck the word fuck gets in the New York fucking times!". I saw this clip on TikTok and instantly had to find a copy of the film! I have no regrets and it is one of my favourites! I was also curious as to what his character’s past would have been like as he mentions starting his advertising career in Milwaukee, and I always wondered if he started out as this money-hungry company owner...

6. A Few Good Men (1992) - Lt. Col. Matthew Andrew Markinson.

A role he actually got to choose. Definitely not a bad guy role, and another role where I feel he was kinda done dirty as he felt the need to take the final action he did. Of all the Marine characters, his was the only one with the morals to actually do the right thing, despite what he knew it would cost him.

7. Outbreak (1995) - Whitehouse Chief of Staff.

A role that only lasted around four minutes and one scene, but it made such an impact that people to this day still talk about the passionate speech he gives in defense of the people they're discussing potentially bombing out of existence. This scene has also been immortalised on YouTube people love it so much!

8. Needful Things (1993) - Danforth Keeton III.

I just love this first scene he's in. A character with an inflated sense of self-importance and a chip on his shoulder about being called 'Buster'. He's not an inherently bad character, but he has a very large gambling addiction and succumbs to the temptations of the Devil in the hopes that he can win back some town money he gambled away. As he always did, he gave this character his all, truly excelling at highlighting the weakness of the character, despite the big, bold attitude he has in the beginning.

9. Breakdown (1997) - Warren 'Red' Barr.

Another big screen role that was beginning to open doors for him, he plays the sadistic kidnapper with uncanny ease. I feel sad that I didn't get to see this in the cinema, I saw it on video a few years later along with Pleasanville. Probably the role he's most remembered for outside of Good Morning, Vietnam and A Few Good Men.

10. Red Rock West (1993) - Wayne Brown/Kevin McCord.

Less a scumbag role and more of a 'I'm out for a quiet life with my embezzled money' role. Myself and @tequilasunrise28 have always wondered if his character was taken advantage of by Lara Flynn Boyle's character and he suspected she intended to off him so wanted to do the same first. Hardly a moralistic stance, but he does display some genuine concern for the people he works with when the young deputy is killed. I'll always wish we had a bigger backstory to his character...

[forensicated]

03x10 - Skipper

TW: Rape and racism discussions in terms of the 80's when it was written and filmed.

Brian is singing A Policeman's Lot in the toilets as he's excited about new police pushbikes. He'll be in the briefing to discuss them.

June's father is in hospital as he's seriously ill. She's placed in CAD to be near the phone just incase with Alec onside with homemade cake for the full 8 hours. Bob is joining them on the street to take June's place to keep them up to strength.

Uniform has their little revenge against Brian brewing with CID co-operation. Operation Mushroom is so-called because he's kept in the dark about it and fed on shit 😂 "Nothing can go wrong, it's planning and teamwork, what we in the MET are known for!"

The Relief try to hide their laughter as Brian gets overly excited about the bikes. He wants 2 volunteers to take them for a test drive around a rather violent estate. He claims it's not as bad as they think and as Nick is an authorised cyclist he's 'volunteered' alongside Taffy. Both are made up about it (!)

Yorkie is on the front desk and humoring a regular about writing to a Duchess. It's clear he has a history and knowledge of how best to deal with him and is very polite to the man but Brian sticks his oar in and moans at Yorkie and calls him insensitive for doing something that makes the man happy.

(Occasionally I have a shufty on google maps at some of the places they walk past on the beat if particularly colourful or eye-catching to see what they're like now because of all the changes and gentrification in London since the 80's. Dinesh and Bob go for a wander past the East West Social Club on Cannon Street 8 mins in - Here it is in 1986 (scroll down a bit) it looks the same as in the ep (only a year later.). A nose down Cannon Street now on Google shows it completely different and it looks like most of the street has been knocked down!) Just after we get a bit (on the same road where you can see Cannon St REALLY has changed!) you can see a bloke stop and stare at Bob and Dinesh and the camera. 😂

Dinesh and Bob are sent to a break and enter nearby. When they arrive it turns out to not be a burglary but a rape. A woman is out for the count on the floor, her husband appears to be drunk and passed out and their son is angry and muttering. The son claims that they were all asleep and a black man with a knife forced the door open, "probably high on drugs like they all are". He took their money, grabbed the woman and forced himself on her. The son starts to cry (with no sign of tears) and says he passed out before he could get to the phone as all had been drinking heavily. He can't say when it happened, he just found her on the floor when he came round again.

Bob and Dinesh lift the woman and take her to her bed where she'd be more comfortable. The son orders them to 'get out there and pull some in, there's enough of 'em!' and that he'd know him if he saw him again. Bob calmly says they'll proceed with their inquiries and sends Dinesh out, saying he'll arrange for the police doctor and a WPC to call. The son refuses but Bob says it has to be done in cases of rape. He then points out that the intruder must have had a key as there's no sign of force on the door. "We probably never locked it." The son admits. Bob looks around and sees no sign of a break-in. He explains about how DNA works and proves beyond doubt who the rapist is and that family members will be the first tested. The man looks shamefaced and tells Bob to forget it, "I'm not sure... I... forget it." Bob glares at him and tells him he'll call back tomorrow when they're all sober. "Some stones are left unturned." he sighs to Dinesh.

As he walks off and leaves Dinesh behind, Inspector Kite is seen watching both of them from a car a little distance away.

Jim tries to get on the bus when a bloke drags him off from behind and tries to push in. Jim tells him to back off and they tussle with Jim trying to arrest him after the man punches him. Bob arrives as if from nowhere and helps arrest the man. In custody, the man insists he thought Jim was going to knife him if he'd let go and that Jim never identified himself as a police officer. Tom smiles and says it doesn't matter either way if he is a police officer or not; anyone can stop another creating a breach of the police or unrest.

SO3 are also involved in Operation Mushroom. "No wonder you've no time to do any work, Alec!" Roy laughs.

Reg brings a bundle of cases upstairs to Roy that have been thrown out by the CPS. "If you ask me this Crown Prosecution Service is one big cock up!" he tells Roy. "I didn't ask you, Reg!" Brownlow's PA is called Joan here (and only appears in the one episode). Reg complains to Brownlow that he doesn't agree with a civilian being placed on the front desk. He insists if people come into a police station then they want to see police, not a member of the public greeting them. "What's going to be next?" "A collator?" Charles drawls, looking pointedly at him.

"In the good old days you could get rid of a bastard like Emmerson []a case the CPS have thrown out] by planting a shotgun in his car!" Ted sighs. Roy tells him to stop pretending he doesn't care about the CPS when he knows that he does. All he wants is the CPS to accept 'good real evidence!'

Roy gives Jim a job of a hold-up that happened the night before at a filling station. "... And don't go by bus!" he tells him to Ted's amusement.

Brian speaks to Brownlow about an idea he has had and Charles makes a dig that he usually goes over his head with ideas. "Send it to heaven like you normally do." For a few moments he is worried that Brian wants him to ride one of the bicycles that have arrived that morning at a tree planting presentation. Thankfully he doesn't! Roy tries to get in to see Brownlow when Brian leaves, but he shouts "GO AWAY!" through the door.

Brian targets Bob for a 'little chat' about outstanding warrants. He claims they've been in Viv and Nick's pigeonholes since Thursday and today is Monday. He moans about Bob not making sure they'd ben chased up. Bob admits he doesn't check them regularly anymore because he knows that Brian will do it anyway so sees no point in duplicating the job. "Are you saying I interfere?" "Well it is your prerogative, sir but you're the first Inspector I've ever had who has felt the need to interfere." Bob has been a copper for 18 years at this point (since 1969 when, if he's the same age as Eric, he'd have been 29 so would be 47 here.) Brian claims the relief are unpunctual, scruffy and their locker room is filthy. Bob scoffs. "Warning? Oh yes we get plenty of them, I'll say that for you!" Brian warns him not to walk out when he loses his temper and Bob says he isn't he's standing up and there's no objective about that. Brian says that the new order of policing counts for him too and Bob tells him he's wearing regulation uniform, his boots are shiny and there's nothing out of order to be found in his locker. Brian just smiles a nasty smile and says he knows 'all your lads watering holes, Sergeant. I've made it my business to find out. And yours as well. And may I say scrounging about in tea stores is the wrong impression to give a young officer like Patel." Bob realises he's been spied on but Brian calls it supervision and claims Bob neglects it.

Ken delivers some 'urgent' post to Brian who finally lets Bob leave. Brian rings Roy and asks if he can fill in for him at the tree planting presentation as 'something important has popped up' He assures him with a smile that it's no problem.

Operation Mushroom is a go go.

Jim speaks to a young girl about the hold-up. She gave him what was in the till, approx £51, and tells Jim he didn't speak but he was 'well hung' as the only piece of clothing he was wearing was a mask!

Yorkie takes a delivery to Brian - inside are three bottles with numbers on them and an instruction for him to collect mud samples from along the river. It's a super secret task only he can do.

Jim reports to Roy that the petrol station armed robber did it naked and Roy says he already knows because he's just done another in broad daylight. Jim asks Reg if he knows of any armed robber who has a tendency to do it naked with a gun that's likely to be a replica. Reg claims he has one with a toy gun but wears a tracksuit. It's the right area and a tracksuit would be easy to remove.

Alec calls Bob and asks him what he's up to. "Counting to 10 and thinking of my pension." June calls in that a woman is worried about her elderly neighbours and asks him to go and visit them to see if everything is alright. She hasn't heard anything for 2 days and didn't say they were going away anywhere.

Brian fusses with the bikes and tells Taffy and Nick that they're going for sensitive policing and to use their discretion if they see anything out of order. He takes himself off to Tower Beach to take mud samples. At the same time, a man is taking pictures of him.

Bob shouts through the doorway of a flat to see if anyone answers before looking in the windows. He can't see anything so shouts again before breaking in after spotting a light on. Sadly Mrs Pollard has passed away and her husband is laid in bed holding her and hasn't moved since it happened. He won't allow Bob to touch her and says she's fine where she is. Bob calls for the mortuary van and the doctor to visit and starts to make the man a cup of tea. Now he's calmer he recognises Bob as Sgt Cryer who dealt when his wife lost his purse. Bob engages him in conversation and finds out they've been married for 60 years. He refuses to let her go without him.

Brian goes to collect his next sample, a short distance from Tower Bridge.

Jim receives another call where his naked suspect is still in place at a filling station. Mike speeds over and the two run in. The woman separated him from his gun and wrestled him into the store room.

Roy asks Charles to complain about the CPS but he insists that nothing would happen, even if all the Superintendents in the MET complained. He sends Nick and Taffy out on their bikes with those left in the station sneaking out behind them and singing Daisy Daisy as they cycle off.

Brian changes his office sign to Private after carrying his samples inside and makes a telephone call, asking for Superintendent Chivers. "I've got the samples, shall I arrange delivery or will you send someone?" he asks. When Chivers has no idea what he's talking about he explains that he was personally asked to gather samples of mud to test to see if a missing canister of highly toxic waste lost in the Thames is leaking and he'd had a message through CAD and a letter. Chivers tells him he's clearly been the victim of a practical joke!

Brownlow attends the tree planting with Roy and other important community figures on the rough estate and makes a speech. Nick and Taffy 'play' with local youngsters and lift them up for pictures, earning several blows to their hats. As soon as they leave, a local dog makes its presence known by peeing up the side of the new tree!

Brian sits with the samples on his desk as Yorkie knocks. He doesn't answer so Yorkie opens the door anyway and hands him an envelope telling him he's been sent it from SO3 (forensics) - it's the pictures of him gathering the mud.

With the man asleep, Bob helps the doctor declare the death of Mrs Pollard and the attendants start to remove the body of the man's wife. He wakes to find her being moved and breaks down with Bob comforting him as she's carried out.

June receives a telephone call from the hospital to let her know that her father has deteriorated. "... Are you trying to tell me he's dead?" she asks quietly, before agreeing to head over immediately.

Alec updates Bob about the prank they carried out on Brian. Bob thinks it's one thing the relief having a pop but it undermines the authority of a senior officer when the Sergeants get involved. "Yeah we thought you might be a bit po-faced about it and that's why we didn't tell you." Alec adds. "As it happens I agree with you, the man is a prat!" but he realises Brian is young and clever enough to adapt unlike them. He then asks how June is but Alec doesn't know anything outside of the telephone call from the hospital. "Bet she was glad of your care and attention." he sighs.

Bob knocks on Brian's door where he's singing A Policeman's Lot again. "Come to gloat have you?" he asks, showing him the mud. Bob admits he wasn't involved but he knows that the others will think he had it coming. He tells him that he doesn't find it funny himself. Brian thanks him for his honesty and apologises for overstepping the mark earlier but says he won't let being the butt of a practical joke stop him from doing his job.

[atypicalsenerio]

"Hey, short stuff. I have a bone to pick with you."

The monk makes no play at hiding his approach. He plops down on the ground beside Soren, arms crossed.

"... Just kidding. About the bone to pick with you bit."

He picks at his ear a moment, squints at his find at the tip of his pinky, and promptly blows it away.

"Say, what do you make of the whole..." He gestures wildly a moment, as though struggling to find his words. He isn't not really. His voice drops to a whisper. "...the whole Nepheles thing." He's not struggling to find his words so much as he's wary of Euphorie suddenly appearing - as though summoned by the mention of her lost child - and then smiting him then and there.

(Azama does not fear much in this world, but the wrath of a mother scorned? Oh, he knows better than to tangle with that.)

"It could have been any of the four of them, right?" He pinches his brows in thought. With the same ear-picking hand. "Do you think Inspector Grey- sorry, Griss- should sleep with one - or both! - eyes open?"

Is he just here to gossip? Gods only know.

"His aim at billiards was awful, so I can't say I'm surprised, really."

Soren would consider his own projected apathy regarding mankind to be cool, effective, even a little classy compared to this. How Azama had rebuffed what Soren only had to assume was a lifetime of annoyance at his antics was beyond him.

Recent events too fresh to be called memories were in Soren's mind, Brizo's shaking body pressed against his, and Griss's volatile reaction to Soren's line of questioning.

It was a delicate situation and Azama seemed to enjoy considering it one of their combustible supplies.

"Griss is more useful to me alive than dead." Soren folded his arms. "I doubt anything akin to vengeance will take place; he's too skilled a fighter for anyone to be stupid enough to try it, and I remain convinced it wasn't entirely on purpose."

Griss's reaction had been baffling at best, but Soren didn't see him chasing around other members of camp. At least not yet.

If he started acting like a rabid hound then Soren could do what he must, but until then...

Soren ignored the protective flare deep in his gut when Azama had so casually mentioned how any of the children could have been harmed. He refused to be attached to some child he'd spent a couple minutes with.

"We have enough trouble. Don't stir up more than there is."

[zealouscanonindeer]

3. A trip to sussex then?

Series Masterlist

Emily Cartwright:

It was not uncommon for the residents of Mrs. Croft's boarding house for young ladies to receive male visitors despite the Rules, generally the hopeful and deliriously romantic but disgracefully penniless suitors in avoidance of which many of the women were sent here in the first place. My own story, of course, was slightly different from the prevailing one: my father kept bringing young men around in the hopes of marrying me off to one of them (probably just to get me off his hands), generally sons of friends or business acquaintances who, doubtless upon hearing a description of me, expected a blushing bride-to-be or a demure china doll. It should be clear to the reader by now that my father and I were often at cross-purposes on the marriage front, and I found the young men to be condescending and thoroughly exasperating.

The last one was trying to convince me of the great virtues to be found in bearing and raising sons for him when he lost an eye-tooth. You'd think Englishmen under the age of twenty-five were made of glass.

As I was saying, it was not uncommon for the other young ladies to receive male visitors (although Mrs Croft had tried and failed to discourage such visits), but apparently I was the only one in English history to receive two such visitors in the same day. I will however, admit that the two visitors could not be more different in appearance: there was Wiggins, an untidy young waif (whose Christian name I never quite learned) who was by no means short but still apparently had some growing to do before he reached full manhood, and who was always grateful for charity. Then there was Sherlock Holmes, who always dressed tidily except when circumstances dictated otherwise, and who presently looked like he'd rather have his toenails trimmed with a woodsman's axe than be sitting there waiting in the front lobby, still buttoned up in his greatcoat but with his muffler hanging loose around his neck, and with an ear-flapped winter cap perched on his knees, to ask me for anything.

He immediately stood when he saw me enter the lobby, his eyes lighting up just enough to let me know that his presence here wasn't entirely under duress.

"Good evening, Mr Holmes," I greeted him, only emphasising the "Mr" for the sake for Mrs Croft, our self-appointed chaperone, who was knitting ferociously by the fire, sitting just within casual earshot to make sure we didn't spontaneously do something embarrassing right there in the sitting room.

"Miss Cartwright," Holmes replied, clasping my hand briefly in those elegant fingers of his, "Before we get to the heart of the matter... how are you in dealing with ghosts?"

Sherlock Holmes:

How quickly the orderly mind tends to misfile important details - like my otherwise anticipated internal reaction to Emily's entrance in response to my summons. I was, of course, pleased that she was willing to speak with me, but the rest of it... I couldn't quite decipher the remainder, especially the fact that my mouth went dry as soon as she'd appeared. I had forgotten the chief flaw of asking for her help, of course, but I was determined to deal with it the best I could, and I refocused my mind on the task at hand as we sat across from each other, using the busy clicking of the landlady's knitting needles to centre myself.

"Well, I can't say I've met any ghosts," Emily said in response to my initial query, "and you don't strike me as the type to go about chasing spooks, yourself."

"The reason I ask," I replied, "is that Inspector Lestrade has asked for my help in investigating what appears to be a haunting in Sussex."

"'Appears'?"

"Either it is a true haunting, which I doubt, or it is a series of perfectly mundane events made to look like a haunting - I have encountered such many times, and each time it proves to be the work of mortal hands."

"All right," she smiled. "So, are you going to tell me any details or are you going to make me guess?"

I outlined the case as far as I knew it, choosing my words carefully when I described the activities of the "ghost". Emily wasn't fooled.

"What do you mean by 'attacking'?" she pressed, "If there was some monster out there hurting young women, I'd bet my left boot that the police wouldn't stop until they caught him."

"From the look Lestrade got on his face, I'd say it was more subtle than a physical assault." I hesitated. "He seemed to imply that the assailant was touching them. Intimately." I'm almost certain my face remained absolutely impassive.

"Oh," she said, "You mean to say some twisted pervert is ..."

I heard the landlady drop a stitch in her knitting. I was a bit startled at the abrupt summary myself, but it was, as far as I knew, accurate.

"Yes, essentially," I conceded.

"So, where do I come in? I bet you and Watson could wrestle him to the ground between the two of you."

"It was he who suggested I ask for you help, and in the time it took me to find you, I came up with a possible plan - I'm fully prepared to discard it, of course, if you refuse."

She looked at me expectantly, then smiled again as I hesitated. "Oh, out with it already. I can't say one way or the other until you do."

I took a deep breath. "We set a trap," I said in a low voice, "We check into the inn, posing as husband and wife, and wait for the Ghost to strike."

She matched my conspiratorial tone. "You realise, of course, that you're using me as bait."

"You know I wouldn't even ask you if I didn't think your presence would benefit the investigation," I said quietly, bracing myself, certain that she would refuse and eject me from the boarding house, probably refusing to see me again. The possibility carried with it a certain amount of dread.

"You also realise," she continued in the same tone but with a ghost of a smile now teasing the corners of her mouth, "that anyone who tries to touch me without my leave is likely to get a broken arm."

"Is that acceptance or refusal?"

"Well, do you feel up to the role?"

I considered the question. "I've masqueraded as more complicated things than a married man."

"All right, then. How long will I have to get ready?"

"A few days, maybe. I need to inform Lestrade that I've accepted the case, and I'll send you a note in the morning to let you know when I'll be collecting you."

"Perfect," she beamed, "I'll be ready. Isn't this going to be exciting?"

I was simultaneously relieved and concerned at her agreement.

I soon found out how wrong I was on one point - there is no role more complex than faux marriage, especially in a setting like the bridal suite of an inn.

Emily Cartwright:

You'd think I was the last hope for Western civilisation, as nervous as he was asking for my help. Of course, he was well-contained as always, but he seemed strangely on edge during our conversation. I don't think I'll ever quite understand him.

After he'd left (bowing to me like I were royalty - always so formal!), I heard Mrs Croft stop knitting and she sat up straight, throwing me a questioning glance.

"A new beau?" she probed, "I haven't seen him around since you moved in."

"He's a good friend of mine," I replied. Mrs Croft tended to be a bit of a gossip, and I wanted to dissuade her as best I could with vagueness.

"What did he want, then? Just to chat? You two seemed to be doing quite a bit of whispering, if you ask me."

I sighed. "He prides himself on his confidentiality - and I respect that."

"Well, you know that I'm always concerned for the safety of my boarders, single ladies, all of them - I just like to know who's coming and going. Now don't misunderstand me - he looked a lot nicer than that street rat this afternoon-"

"Mrs Croft, my friend also prefers his privacy - so if you wouldn't mind."

"Oh, at least tell me the man's name, that much wouldn't hurt."

I decided that the time for tact was concluded. A strategic change of subject was in order, since anything I told her about Holmes would be circulated all over the east side by the weekend, probably slightly edited to make it circulate faster. I couldn't put him through that. "Mrs Croft, do you know what some of the women in the market have been saying?"

She pounced on the prospective lead. "What?"

"They say that your husband died of a shovel to the face rather than a bad heart. According to them, you found him in a ungentlemanly state after his visit to an opium den and got rid of him yourself - you know, I would give them a good talking-to, if I were you, spreading malicious gossip like that."

The colour she turned (a rather huffy shade of pink) and the expression that crossed her face (rather like a stunned trout) foreshadowed several rather noisy confrontations in the market tomorrow, which would certainly prove interesting, especially since I didn't actually know of any such rumour circulating at the time. It also indicated that the entire subject of Holmes had, in a single instant, been completely forgotten.

Creative misdirection is a wonderful talent to hone.

[mythicalsanctuarysodor]

Oo here's a neat little question do the ghost trio exist in your au? And if so what do they look like? Are they alive or just dead human ghosts? Or somthing more 👀👀

Timothy, Alfred and Godred do exist in this au and all are rare species in thier own ways.

You see, Titan hasn't told Thomas this, but he wasn't the only one born, nor was he the only alicorn. He was sadly the only survivor in a litter of decaplets, each foal representing the state of the moon. Thomas represented the blue moon, while Timothy represented a blood moon. But the thing is, Timothy and Thomas's other siblings aren't gone. They are like Toad in that they are child spirits, which are debatably much stronger than your average ghost. Child spirits have the very rare and unique ability to be hidden from any mythos, including divine ones, only other children spirits can see each other. So while Titan, Thomas or even a spirit speaker like Zak can't see Timothy and the others, Toad can see them. And Timothy plus his other brothers follow Thomas wherever he goes, living and experiencing life through him. They sometimes reveal themselves when Thomas needs an extra boost, Hiro found out the hard way during an intense training session that went a little too far. Although if you asked Hiro, he'd tell you he honestly didn't know what he saw.

Alfred in life was a rare example of human and mythos relationships for the time, his mother was a witch with demon ancestry (technically making her a warlock), and his father was human. Alfred himself ended up being human although he had an odd appearance. Unfortunately, Alfred's mother abandoned him and his father when she discovered that Alfred didn't have magical capabilities, leaving Alfred's father to raise him as a single father. Alfred did end up taking after his father however who was an engine driver. Alfred manned his own engine for a few years before his engine was purchased, leading him to Sodor as its first locomotive exclusive driver. Then tragically WW1 happened, and unfortunately, Alfred lost his life to a blitz. Not wanting to leave the world of the living so soon on such an amazing island, he came back with a passion. Alfred nowadays does any job on the railway, from guard to station master, to track layer or inspector, booking clerk, porter, relief driver or fireman, and he'll even be a backup jockey to any of the mythos if their trains require one. Alfred is actually such a credit to the railway that the fat controllers entrust him with running the night services, whether that be a night express or even being controller for the next 12 hours.

Godred is a rare example of a mythos ghost, like Andreas. In life, Godred and the other Culdee Fell railway mythos were created alongside their engines in Switzerland as iron golems, being very detached at the joins like James's crystal body, allowing them to turn any limb completely 360. But unlike James, the Culdee Fell golems are more marionette-like, or like dolls, hobbling around and having their bodies spin on them, giving them a very creepy appearance. It also didn't help them much that they have two faces attached back to back on the same head. So instead of having to detach themselves from a train, they can just rotate their body to face the other way. But back to Godred, his tale isn't so different from the original. He was rather vain and fell to his death off the mountainside. But this Godred actually cares for his family deeply, being the eldest and not wanting to let them be alone and mourn his death and leave them with extra work, he came back to hopefully still make a contribution. He did, serving as a protective spirit to any visitor and train so they don't share the same fate he did. He gets along alright with his brothers like any good sibling, although it can sometimes cause some comedic moments now that he's a ghost. (He's more than once tried to comfort his brothers only for him to go through them.)