#i came up with this idea back in JUNE but i was waiting for October since it fits the atmosphere perfectly

[da-birb-writes-sometimes]

One of Us is Guilty; Prologue

Eight people, nine rooms, seven weapons. One person is guilty, and until they are found, no one is safe; from the perpetrator of the crime, or of being accused.

Characters; Vil Schoenheit, Divus Crewel, Rook Hunt, Azul Ashengroto, Silver, Jade Leech, Cater Diamond

Content; Gender-neutral reader, unreliable narrators

Content Warning; Death (not described), murder (not described)

Word Count; 1.3 K (includes guide on how to participate at the end)

Find this content triggering but still want to participate? Go to this Google Form! <- form is now closed, thank you to the people who voted!

As a reminder, do not put my work — or others for that matter — into AI as it steals. Link to Masterlist

| Prologue | Chapter 1 | Chapter 2 | Chapter 3 | Epilogue (Part 1) | Epilogue (Final)

You were making your way down the main flight of stairs, ready to go crawl into your bed after the long day.

“Attention! Attention!” Crowley’s voice echoed over the PA system, still annoyingly chipper despite the late hour. What was he even still doing here? “Due to the weather, all remaining staff and students are under orders to stay inside the building until morning!” And the PA system cut out.

You groaned, “Seriously? It can’t be that bad–” A loud crack of thunder sounded directly above the building, causing the chandelier to shake. “Okay then,” you huffed, plopping down on the stairs, “I get the message.”

Of course, you would get stuck here for the night, guess that’s what happens when you stay back to study and work on assignments.

But you weren’t the only person stuck in the desolate halls of Night Raven College; seven others were in the same boat as you.

…

Vil was in the lecture theatre, reviewing his notes for the upcoming performance that the Film Research Club would be putting on next week. He too heard Crowley’s announcement and pushed his hair back, massaging his temple. He would not be getting a good night’s rest tonight.

“Tch, no use lamenting over it,” he sighed to himself. Carefully, he put the notes and suggestions away in their designated folder, and he made his way to the main hall. If anyone was still here with him, they might be there; at least he would have some company for the night, and not be alone in the empty hallways.

…

Professor Crewel was grading papers in the teacher’s lounge, and getting a migraine from it as well. “Have those pups learned nothing from me,” he grumbled.

He would much rather be at home in his finest pyjamas, scratching the chins of his dogs, but no, he was stuck here, and would be stuck until the storm passed or Headmaster Crowley got back on the PA system saying it was safe to leave. But knowing his employer, the man had transported himself home, leaving everyone stuck at the college oblivious.

I ought to wring his neck if he did.

…

Rook was in the library, perusing through various books, just looking for something to pass the time. He knew earlier that day that a storm was brewing, he could tell by the clouds and the faint smell wafting on the breeze. He also knew that Vil would be staying late, and he wasn’t going to leave Roi de Poison alone.

After going down a few aisles, Rook finally found a book to his liking. “Hmm, this is new. Ah, how interesting!” Tucking the book under his arm, Rook made his way to the lecture theatre, as that was where he had last seen Vil.

Perhaps un meurtre mystère would make for a good plot for a future performance?

…

Silver had fallen asleep in the cafeteria, apparently he had slept for most of the day. He had only woken up because of Crowley’s voice echoing loudly in the large, empty room.

Did they not notice? Silver rubbed his eyes and yawned. If he was here, there was a possibility of others also finding themselves stuck in the school for the night. The least he could do was make sure others were staying calm, and staying safe. Even outside of his duties he was ever still the protector, and far too kind.

“Hopefully no one got hurt…” he murmured to himself. There was something off, a dark presence of sorts, and it wasn’t just the dark clouds hurling down rain, hail, and lightning outside.

Something doesn’t feel right…

…

Azul was in the alchemy lab, perfecting the most complicated potion that was in his textbook; he had a reputation to upkeep after all, and didn’t want anyone usurping his rank at the top of the class.

There, I just need to add some belladonna and— the suddenness of Crowley’s overly loud voice coming over the PA system caused Azul to add too much, and the potion evaporated. Azul gritted his teeth, but took a step back. Perhaps a walk would help calm him down… he was going to have to replace all of those ingredients tomorrow…

“So close,” he hissed, and he started making his way down the hall, still muttering to himself.

…

Jade was washing the dirt from his hands, having just come back from checking on his fungi in the botanical gardens. He already knew before Crowley made his little announcement that he would be spending the night, which didn’t bother him all that much. Perhaps he could see what was in the kitchen, since he did have that new dish which looked and sounded to be divine.

But that could wait, Azul was most likely still working on that potion of his, and knowing the house warden, he had fumbled with the ingredients at the sudden noise and probably sulking… and Jade could use some amusement at the moment, and a sulking and slightly peeved Azul would do the trick.

…

Cater was in the kitchen, retrieving something for Trey since they were all out in the Heartslabyul kitchen. Of course it was something sweet, but Cater would rather be here than see the outcome of the freshmans’ antics. Sorry freshies, you’re on your own!

But now he was stuck here for the night, and having nothing better to do, and boredom starting to creep in, Cater brought out his phone and started recording. 

“It’s Cay-kun here!~” He gave a peace sign to the camera and stuck out his tongue. “Let’s see who we can find!” And he started chatting to the camera and walking towards the main hall.

…

…

Eventually, everyone had made their way to the main hall; you, Silver, Vil, Professor Crewel, Rook, Azul, Jade, and Cater. But there was no sign of Headmaster Crowley.

“Have any of you pups seen the Headmaster,” Divus asked, turning up a brow, and looked at his students with suspicion.

Everyone shook their head no. Divus sighed, and turned around the corner, in the direction of the Headmaster’s office, but he stopped in his tracks.

Curious, you looked to where Professor Crewel was staring; lying in the middle of the floor was Crowley, and he wasn’t breathing.

Dire Crowley was dead, murdered. And everyone was a suspect, including you.

About this Event

That's right folks, a classic murder mystery in the style of the board game Clue and some inspiration from the book And Then There Were None by Agatha Christie.

At the beginning and end of each part, I will be including a link to a Google Form where people can vote for who they think is the murderer, what room the murder took place in, and the weapon that was used. There's also an optional question where you can explain your answer, just do know that everything was randomly chosen by a spinner.

The form will be active for at least 72 hours; it may go on for longer if I'm busy. A new form will be added with each part, just with the suspect, room, & weapon that was voted in the last part being removed if they were incorrect... and may take some inspo from the book I mentioned.~

In future parts there will be dark content, as this is a murder mystery; all of the content warnings will be included at the beginning, and also tagged (ie. cw death). Because of this, I will not be tagging people in future parts just as a precaution.

Now, let the investigation begin!

Link to Google Form

Suspects:

- Silver; the kindhearted knight with a mysterious past, is it just for show?  (Plum) - Vil Schoenheit; the actor who is always pigeonholed into the role of a villain (Scarlet) - Divus Crewel; the alchemy teacher with a penchant for fashion, Crowley's co-worker (Peacock) - Rook Hunt; the enigmatic hunter who always has a hunch of what's happening (Mustard) - Azul Ashengrotto; the owner of The Mostro Lounge, a businessman with dubious morals (Green) - Reader; the 'house-keeper', a role that was imposed on them by the late Headmage (White) - Jade Leech; a student enamored by fungi and seems to have a foreboding presence about him (Orchid) - Cater Diamond; the preppy beau of Heartslabyul, but his smile seems forced (Peach)

Rooms:

- Main hall - Teachers' lounge - Cafeteria - Kitchens - Lecture theatre - Botanical garden - Alchemy lab - Library - Crowley's office

Weapons:

- Revolver - Rope - Dagger - Wrench - Candlestick - Lead pipe - Magic

...

Tags; @afunkyfreshblog, @aqua-beam, @azulashengrottospiano, @eynnwwyjth, @hisui-dreamer, @hydra-sea, @identity-theft-101, @inkybloom-luv, @ithseem, @krenenbaker, @leonistic, @lucid-stories, @officialdaydreamer00, @ryker-writes, @savanaclaw1996, @silvers-numberonefan, @twistwonderlanddevotee, @xxoomiii

[didasgomas]

Double lives

Day 7 of October Practice

Prompt: Napping together

Warnings: None

Cdta au "Running Through Your Veins" belongs to @angelic-writer

April 24th, 2011

It was already evening when Sebastian got back home from his… "job".

If he had made it back earlier, then Strawberry, the very spoiled Leonberger that he had to share the sofa with, would have been in front of the door already, wagging her tail non-stop, but only after Seb closed the door did she appear, walking her way towards him instead of "tip toeing" as she usually did.

He guessed they had fallen asleep, despite the living room's lights still being on, because if there was one thing in the world that Strawberry adored the most, was to cuddle with them whenever they were resting, something they weren't bothered with despite Strawberry's size, as they had grown up cuddling their parents' Shih Tzu, Cinnamon, that Sebastian had only ever seen photos of.

"Angel eyes?" He called out, keeping his voice low as to not startle them.

"Hmm..?" They mumbled back, having just woken up from his voice alone, the TV having helped them fall asleep.

Sebastian went inside the living room, Strawberry following him, patiently observing as they sat up slowly, yawning before opening their gorgeous eyes to look at him. Light violet eyes that had earned them the nickname from him, cradled by their long blond hair. Not the "ideal" type of beauty, but it sure as hell was Seb's new ideal of perfection.

Salem Feinshtein, his partner of five years and housemate since last June, and whose salary was most of the reason the bills were paid and their combined lifestyles were kept afloat. Not that Sebastian didn't have money to call his own, but Salem's job as a university dean paid off really well, though it came with long hours and the hassle of having to work with a chancellor who "had a brick for a brain", as they themselves put it.

"…Hi, Jellybean." They sounded exhausted, but still gave a weak smile in his direction.

Sebastian sat next to them in the oversized couch, perfect to fit the giant dog they both lived with, and gently brushed some strands of hair off of their face, letting their small but dark eye bags be seen.

"Rough day?" He asked, though he really didn't need to.

"Yeah…A bunch of meetings with the Law teachers. Some really bad grades from the second year people. Was just waiting for you."

"You need to take it easy, Sal." He cupped their cheek with his hand. They might have been older, but he was the taller one in the relationship.

"And you're late, Baz. Like, really late." They were almost falling back asleep, but he knew they were worried.

"A newbie shot himself in the foot by accident, so we had to bring him to the hospital. Nothing more."

Sebastian didn't particularly like the fact that he had to lie to his own partner on an almost daily basis, but he had no other choice. If he were to say that he was a devil hunter, Salem would definitely have left him, or worse, call the nearest mental clinic or even the police.

So he had to keep up the lie that he worked for a hunting business that he never named, going around trying to find animals around the state's green areas, chopping wood for fireplaces or woodcraft that could be sold along with any valuable pieces of the prey they caught.

It was convincing enough that they never really questioned it, besides asking for some extra details in the beginning, but he still found himself worrying that they'd be able to see through his act.

"There's some leftover tuna in the fridge if you want dinner." They managed to say it before another yawn came out. They really needed to rest well today.

Strawberry jumped on top of the sofa to get closer to Sal, probably able to smell their exhaustion, and Seb got a different idea.

"I think I want to be close to you instead." He smiled, taking his jacket and shoes off quickly, letting them drop on the floor, before climbing onto the sofa and laying next to them.

Strawberry placed her head on top of Salem's hip, her giant body acting like an improvised blanket, but Sebastian didn't mind, because he took the fact that they inched closer to rest their head on his chest as proof that he had gotten the best part.

They fell back asleep rather quickly, while he took much longer, but he eventually got there too after he turned the background noise into a bedtime story, falling into dreamland along with them.

He would need to wake up early the next day to keep up with his exciting new "responsibilities", but he wouldn't give up the chance to sleep cuddled next to his partner for anything else in the world.

[seungs]

every month of 2023 🥳 / i was tagged by @euijin. thank you for always tagging me in these carly.. i do enjoy look back on sets 😀 tagging: @foxinys @hyunsung @yangjeongin (hi mary) @huiracha as always u dont have to but id like to see... sorry if you're getting tagged again btw 🤍

january / popular. i rmr this clip being unavoidable for like a month...... 🚶‍♀️ anyway surprise to no one. vs favorite. ok but this has to be one of my favorite sets 4 ever. the day seungmin showed up with bleached bangs was beautiful.... i do rly love how much fun they had with it....😔

februrary / popular. omg moment of silence for mahagrid these clips were really fun. also this guy continuing to haunt my most popular sets. vs favorite. omg im doing 2 for 1 (1,2) cause i can't pick and really had fun giffing con and i think they came out rly cool 😁👍

march / popular. i do not know why. omg actually i do. it's the hair isnt it. vs favorite. wooho 😿😿😿😿😿😿 omg. they rly were cute together. this really was my favorite but i'm including miroh cause i really liked how it came out 😺

april / popular. you will never guess who this is! okay but i wholeheartedly agree i love when he is like a mop 🤍. vs favorite. 2min(:

may / popular. i can't believe this was late may.. look where we are now. who would have thought. but hyuji is very cute. vs favorite. omg this one is an easy jisung fav. he looked great. no idea why i went w these dimensions for the gifs but jisung im a fan 👍

june / popular. yeAHHHHH fucking finally and also Deserved. i loved sclass cause finally it was a mv i had fun giffing again and also seungmin looked great. and i love this set. fun mv. vs favorite. omg this one cause i rmr having fun with it 😿 also liked how it turned out. just silly guys boxing and dancing. but shout out to koms seungmin because i had to include him naturally..... 🥲

july / popular vs favorite. nothing happened on this blog in july apparently. but still i agree. come back seungracha.....

august / popular. solid....he looked good. i rmr this being a bother to color tho. vs favorite. popular 🤝 japan cb 🤝 favorite. i rmr this also being a bitch to color but now i really like how it came out 😸

september / popular. been a second. but 100% real.... might actually be one of my favs of the year overall too (sets and things that happened). vs favorite. wait i might have peaked in sept cause this is one of the best sets i ever made in my life im p sure 😭😭😭🚶‍♀️🚶‍♀️(to never be able to recreate ever again)

october / popular. heh(: 2min. vs favorite. omg bitch ass set to make.... was so close to being deleted for good but she deserved to escape the trash i think. at least i can say an attempt was made 😶‍🌫️

november / popular. right. im with the people on this one 👈 vs favorite. 😕🙁☹️😣 man. circumstances and insanity of deciding to do this aside. im happy with how it came out and i cant believe i stuck with making these sets his entire mc career 🧍‍♀️

december / popular. at least for now. i agree though. vs favorite. actually this one might as well be my favorite of the month too.

oh. i forgot. bonus round cause i decided but this is one of his best styling ever.

[kairithemang0]

Tomorrow it's been a year. A year since he was here. So, lets talk about all the things he did <3 gonna get a little tmi but I need this off my chest because I'm finally realizing the gravity of the situation and maybe I'm just overdramatic but honestly, I'm so over it at this point I want to wrap it all up in a nice little bow and never think about it again

One year to when he kissed me, when he turned on the food network incase we "made too much noise". he was 17, I was 14. Just found out about this now but a year before he asked my cousin to have sex with him because "they were basically both adults" (both 16 at the time). He was into my friend, he actively talked about how much he loved her when i was having a panic attack, after he kissed me he said she was just so damn cute (they met in person for the first time that day). He told me I was a bad friend because I said that him practically begging an aroace person to date him wasn't a good idea and then getting pissed when they broke up with him, refusing to talk to me after i tried to comfort him, saying a loved and cared about him. he ghosted me for 3 days after, he didn't come online that entire time and when he came back he begged me not to be mad at him, said he loved me with all his heart and wanted to be with me and be there for me. He asked me to break up with my partner, a partner I cared about, a partner I adored. I did so. We're still friends, she's found a lovely person. I'm so happy for her. Me and my friend would make jokes about how we're in a love triangle with him and how her and I should get together as a fuck you. He said what we had was straight, that no matter what gender I idenitified as he'd never be gay. He used my deadname under his breath, he made me look at him. I hate eye contact but he held my face and forced me to look at him. He pushed me away when he turned 18. He said he was "too worried about falling for me". That was in December. Back to last july after he left he said he wanted a relationship, he wanted something with me. He wanted this to be real. He said he'd only date me if I never left him, if I promised to have kids with him. Looking back that's way more disgusting than i thought it was back then. I shot the idea down, I said it sounded like some fucked up contract. Thinking about it now makes me want to vomit in my mouth, I don't know if he emotionally manipulated me or if I was doing it to myself for letting it happen? He had this crush since he broke up with his girlfriend of 2 years, October 2022. My cousin has since apologized for making him believe he had a chance, which I'm appreciative of. He ended up having a crush on her as well, we both agree he's just fucking pathetic. The worst part about it is the emptiness that followed. He never tried in conversations, they were all flat. He said our friendship only worked when he was there in New Jersey, when he was with me. When he was allowed to be there and touch me. We met in person 4 months after I first met him in June of 2022, I was 13 and he was 16. Everything was great. And then only a year later a feel empty talking to him as he's forcing me to look at him. There was a time where if he wasn't talking to me I felt physically ill, I was so deep in this hole of needing him, meanwhile it never felt like he needed me as much as he said he did. I just wanted someone I considered my best friend, I sometimes wonder if he was waiting until I was legal. He said he'd never hurt me, that he wouldn't do something I didn't want to do. Frankly I don't think he should've listened to a desperate lonely 14 year old who he ghosted for 3 days and then became so emotionally dependent on. I don't think he was intentionally manipulating me, I was more of doing it to myself, but looking back I just feel manipulated, yknow?

Sorry, you guys don't need to hear this. I don't need to share it. I'm happy I've blocked him, I'm happy I don't need to think about him. I hope this post will help me forget about it all, or at least turn it into something I can reflect on as "wow, I can't believe I let that happen". I may reblog this with more things as my memory shows. Maybe I'm being overdramatic, I just needed this off my chest

[raezinhell]

I just need to write this out because it's driving me nuts. I found relief! So, I stopped taking antidepressants, I was on Prozac for like 13 years. It stopped working for me, and they switched me to Cymbalta which made things significantly worse. It also made me horribly nauseous. So I stopped taking it. That was in October. Now November-December was really rough. When January came, I realized I hadn't thought about suicide or got caught up in the dark thoughts in a while! I just kept thinking it'll be back, it always comes back. It's now June and I still feel fine!

I've been taking Adderall which I'm not prescribed, but it has completely cured my migraines and my depression! Which, if you know anything about me, those two things literally became me. That's all I was to anyone. All anyone would ask is "how's your head?" Literally life changing. I've gone through so many different meds for migraines and depression and none have ever worked. They only ever made things worse. I tried to hint to my doctor about Adderall working for migraines, she shut me right down and said to stop reading things online. Why?! It fucking works and better than anything I've ever tried. I'm literally only taking 20mg it's not like I'm just taking it for fun. I've been offered it so many times and never tried it because I thought it would make my migraines worse. Now I feel so stupid for never trying it. I had multiple people tell me they got prescribed for depression too. It makes me so mad that I lost a good 15 years of my life, all because doctors don't give a flying fuck about you.

I've read a lot of people with similar experiences and they all were diagnosed with ADHD. And that undiagnosed and untreated ADHD for women generally gets misdiagnosed with anxiety and depression. The more and more I read about this, a lot of things are starting to make sense. But even if it's not ADHD, the medication still works for me! It's just a matter of getting it prescribed. I have no idea how to do that.

They say Adderall for people with ADHD, makes them calm down, and people without it, it amps you up. It doesn't do either, it just makes me feel human for once in my fucking life! I haven't called into work in months, whereas before I called in multiple times a month due to migraines. It gave me a will to live, and a quieter mind. I'm not drowning anymore, and you have no idea how good that feels!

I'm still just like at a pause, waiting for the dark to return. I know it's not though, as long as I have this. I just wish I could have it prescribed, so I know I won't run out. Feeling human and normal is very strange to me. I'm learning to love life again.

[ughscara]

end of the year post.

heads up. if i sound sappy in some parts, i'm not sorry 🤍

as of me writing this, it's but a mere 20 minutes before it is officially the start of a new year.

it's a little surreal to believe that 2023 is coming to an end. a year that admittedly, was more emotionally and physically hectic for me. but i pushed through, and here i am going into 2024 as hopefully a better me.

to be honest, this year has been nothing but self reflection, realization and a lot of acceptance as well as embracing parts of myself that i thought i'd never return to. hobbies of mine like writing and drawing were ones i strayed away from for so, so long in 2023. but it more or so lead back into the tribulations i was facing then and still recovering from now.

it's a little surreal to me that months after months of doing nothing but reflection and getting back into what i love doing most just months before the year ended resulted into the me who decided to step into tumblr again and share my kuni ideas for the fun of it. that halloween fic i posted? just for shits and giggles at the time. but the fun i had writing it was a fun i wasn't able to feel throughout the entirety of 2023, and i admit the motivation boost i got from posting the fic afterwards, alongside checking in on the authors i used to follow just made something inside me click. and i went for it.

a bit more off topic but i still remember how i came back to genshin after a good five months or so in version 3.6 and doing the main event without knowledge of the sumeru quest line because i was avoiding spoilers. that day, i just finished taking an entrance exam for college and was exhausted from both the exam and from wearing myself out. midway into the introduction of the contestants; i was greeted with wanderer, or kuni in my vocabulary, being in the event and i was just smiling from ear to ear at the mere sight of him. feeling that same overflow of good emotions just take me whole to be honest, i was simply beyond happy. the way he spoke about writing about inazuma's societal issues because he was bored genuinely had me laughing for the first time that day.

i guess it's that simple little moment that hit me hard. it's silly, i'm aware, but it meant everything to me in a way. since that day in june; i was determined and full of creative drive to hopefully share at least one thing before the end of this year. look at me now, i have a series published that's yet to be finished so i can start on the next one in spring ( hopefully ), a one-shot to share for a moot and lastly... just a lot. i have a lot in store.

i have no right to say such things regarding my immense gratitude for the support i received from the few things i published, but the support i ended up getting on said few things — big and small — has made me realize that maybe i still feel very passionate about writing. that maybe i want to pursue the desire to publish all i have for that one fictional character that had my heart swoon the moment i saw him in a promotional trailer three years ago.

the ending note to 2023, starting october 31st when i published my first fic was a day that i'll always hold dear to me, my mutuals as well as the wonderful authors i follow made these past three months an absolute joy, and i cannot wait to make the most of my journey supporting each one of them ~

honestly i'm just rambling. but i am a professional yapper and to be honest i am writing all this on one cup of tea and like, six something hours of sleep i am absolutely not in the right headspace lmao. regardless! i am so so very glad to be here, to have survived an emotionally draining bitch of a year that was still an eventful year regardless to me, and starting the second of january... i shall be the bane of the scaranation's existence <3

we don't talk about how being that is actually a goal of mine because i think it'd be funny but i digress... 2024 will hopefully be just as much of an eventful year for me, for you, and everyone too. i believe that this year will be at least a little kinder to those who got absolutely shat on by 2023 ( pleek no more physical torment for me ) and if you're reading this, remember that this random stranger on the internet who's attempting to spread the kuni agenda is cheering you on for the year <3

i have a lot of stuff to share going forward. december was initially gonna be the month for all that but i had stuff going on that i ended prioritizing ( mainly my health ) so those initial plans will now move to the first month of a new year. mundanities with kabukimono will be finished in january, january 2nd will be interlocked eternities and lastly a late winter special that's actually a birthday gift for a mutual of mine ( mochi i am coming for you /menacingly )

oh it's 12 a.m. now, happy january first and happy 2024 everyone 🤍 may you be blessed with many wonderful days ahead. i shall see you on the second and third of january ~

[iamprchung]

Complimentary Mints 3: All the King's Mints

Part of The X-Files Legacy Fan Fiction Repost, the final part of the original that set the entire Complimentary Mints series in motion.

October 8, 1997

Re-release: June 25, 2023

Skinner/Scully Angst and Humor

Complimentary Mints Part III:  All the King's Mints

by PR Chung

Wichita Airport.

Thanksgiving Day Morning.

Ticketing agents found themselves caught in a whirlwind of chaos and frenzy. The relentless havoc wreaked by unpredictable weather caused flights to be both filled to capacity and abruptly canceled, leaving airline patrons on the verge of tears and utter frustration. Amidst the pandemonium, the PA system blared with urgent pages and cancellation announcements, drowning out the desperate pleas of passengers trying to secure any available seats on flights heading eastward. Yet, their efforts proved futile. Every airport from the Mississippi River and the region extending southward from the Oklahoma-Texas border was in the midst of a brutal winter ice storm.

"Canceled?" Skinner said and ground his teeth, glaring at the ticketing agent.

The willowy man cowered. "I'm very sorry, sir, but everyone's flight has been canceled. The weather has been very unpredictable."

Skinner moved ever so slightly toward the man. A move that appeared threatening enough to prompt Scully to squeeze herself between her superior and the counter.

"But I talked to an agent this morning, and she said the flights were running again," Scully told the agent. "I checked twice to make sure..."

"I'm really very sorry but there is nothing we can do when it comes to the weather, Miss."

Scully fidgeted and let out a long breath saturated with exasperation that came out as nearly a whimper. “I can’t believe this—"

"Is there anything?" Skinner asked the ticketing agent, placing a hand on Scully's shoulder. "Anything headed southward?"

"To DFW maybe, or Austin?" Scully added. Her voice suddenly filled with new energy that made Skinner feel victorious in his move.

He shook his head. "They are still iced over really bad."

The two federal agents stood silent, their minds tussling over what to do next.

The ticketing agent sighed heavily. "All I can do is have you wait, and we will get you on the first flight available."

Mulder approached, his steps faltering as he briefly saw the proximity between Scully and Skinner. They stood at the counter, so close that only a fraction of an inch separated her back from his chest, his hand casually resting on her shoulder. Mulder let out a slow breath, his thoughts churning.

Are we now moving into the realm of public displays of affection? He wondered and squeezed the rental car agreement gripped in his hand. He shook his head. No, this was the product exhaustion, and a hangover, dehydration— He took a breath, gathered his composure, and walked the rest of the way to greet them.

"I got us a car," he announced drawing Skinner and Scully’s attention from the ticketing agent.

"A car?" Scully questioned.

He nodded, and Skinner huffed, his eyes scanning the airport before they fell on Mulder. "What are you suggesting, we drive to D.C.?"

Mulder looked at them with a hint of amusement in his eyes. "Why not? We're not getting anywhere now. I figure we'll be getting there at the same time we would if we waited around in a hotel another day or two until we could fly there. It shouldn't take any longer than maybe twenty-six hours."

"If the roads are decent to travel," Skinner interjected.

"We can drive in shifts," Scully promoted Mulder's plan and Skinner knew then he was outnumbered on this plan of action, as was the case most of the time with Mulder and Scully.

He wasn't thrilled by the idea of spending twenty-six hours plus in a car, but... He glanced at the flight status monitors, reading the repetitive "canceled" all the way down the monitors. He picked his bag up and squared his shoulders. "Let's go then."

------------------------------------- X -------------------------------------

"What is that noise?" Mulder exclaimed, breaking a silence that had lasted nearly a half hour. "It's that dit-dit-dit-dit-dit noise."

"There is no noise." Skinner evenly said for the second time since he'd taken the wheel.

"There IS a noise... dit-dit-dit-dit-dit-DIT." Mulder insisted from the back seat.

"The only thing I hear is you."

Mulder moped in his seat for a long time before he sat forward, bending over with his head nearly between his knees.

Scully caught sight of the abrupt move and looked fully back at him. "Mulder, are you getting sick?"

"Shhhhh!" he hushed her, listening intently to the noise that had been plaguing him since they'd left Fort Smith. They had all been leery of the roundabout southern route chosen by the rental agency, but the weather had been better than they expected, and everything seemed to be going just fine until the noise started. "Listen to it..." he said quietly.

Scully gave him the benefit of the doubt and listened until her neck started to hurt and forced her back into a normal sitting position in the front seat. She stole a glance at the man behind the wheel. Skinner was gripping the wheel with a vengeance; fingers, shoulders, jaw- all clenched tightly. She could tell he was about to vent at any moment although he was doing a pretty good job of keeping his appearance controlled aside from the tension in his extremities.

He must have felt her gaze, turning to look at her. Scully quickly turned her eyes away to look out her window at the bleak wintry countryside racing past. She'd tried very hard to keep her mind on very pure thoughts for the past few hours, but it was becoming harder to do. The image of shave cream running into that undoubtedly soft chest hair--

Stop it! She mentally shook herself, blinking hard against the overwhelming sensation rushing through her, and reached for the air vents. It was way too hot in this car and although she didn't believe the temperature had anything to do with the heater, she adjusted the vents away from herself.

"Too hot?" Skinner asked and she nearly jumped.

"Uh, just a bit," she answered noticing him reach for the temperature controls. "But I'm fine now. Don't adjust it just for me."

He looked at her for a second, trying hard not to think of the embarrassments over the past twenty-four hours.

"There!" Mulder called triumphantly sitting up in the back seat. "There, you had to hear it that time."

Skinner's fingers clenched tighter on the steering wheel, his knuckles turning white. "Mulder, there is no noise."

"There is a noise."

"Mulder, really, I don't hear it either." Scully announced with the clearest tone of irritation in her voice.

Mulder sat back in his seat, petulant. He stared at the shock of red hair seated in front of him. She was siding with him now, he dejectedly thought. What else was she going to start siding with him about?

"There. Is. A. Noise." He insisted again, arms crossed. "Dit-dit-dit-dit-dit-dit-"

His impression of the noise was cut short by the high-pitched scream of a siren.

Skinner's eyes flicked from side view to rear view mirror as bright red and blue lights filled the interior of the rental car.

Scully turned to look out the back window, joined by Mulder.

"It's the state fuzz," Mulder quipped, deadpanned.

"Great," Skinner grumbled, "now what?"

"How fast were you going, sir?" Scully wondered. Skinner only hissed as he eased the car off the highway and onto the shoulder.

------------------------------------- X -------------------------------------

Seventy-eight miles an hour.

"Well, I don't know 'bout Washington D.C.," the Arkansas State Trooper stated. "But here we got deer and deer can kill."

Skinner's nostrils were flaring, the wraith of his hot breath billowed into the chilly air outside his open window.

"I thought guns killed," Mulder cracked inappropriately from the back seat. Skinner flashed him a hard glare before a pink copy of a violation slip was shoved in the window.

Scully reached across Skinner, taking it. "We'll be more careful next time, officer."

The trooper dipped his head in acknowledgment. "You folks have a safe trip-" Skinner had the window up before the trooper could finish.

"Should I drive now?" Scully asked, watching the trooper walking back to his car.

Skinner was silent, his answer the start of the car.

Scully saw Mulder shaking his head, his expression a dense semblance of disgust.

"We'll change once we're in Memphis." Skinner finally answered her, pulling out onto the highway.

Mulder sat up right in the seat, eyes wide with surprise. "Memphis?"

------------------------------------- X -------------------------------------

Slightly shaken, the three of them stood together in the parking lot of the King's Kitchen diner, staring fixedly at a sight none of them had seen or ever wanted to see again. Like some memorial of victory over harrowing circumstances, gray and at least a foot thick with black chunks of road grime throughout, ice encrusted the entire front of the rental car grill.

Mulder looked dazed and Scully felt sick to her stomach. She couldn't imagine what Skinner must have felt like, having been behind the wheel the entire time of the storm. She watched him remove an unsteady hand from his coat pocket to take off his glasses and rub his eyes with his wrist. His eyes must have ached from the strain of trying to see through the relentless ice that had threatened to obscure his view completely during the entire ordeal.

Eighteen miles outside Memphis ice had begun pelting the car windshield unyieldingly and continued all the way to the Mississippi River. The morgue-like silence that had fallen over the three agents as they pushed through the ice storm was finally broken with a group release of held breath when they reached the Memphis city limits.

Like a dreamer awakened, Mulder lifted his chin glancing from the nightmarish sheath covering the car grill toward the diner. Neon bolstered King's Kitchen and the fact that it was open 24 hours a day, while comic style script scrolled around the top of the one-story building announcing the unique variety of foods offered.

"Home of the hunka'peanut butter, bacon and banana loaf sandwich..." Mulder read quietly drawing Scully and Skinner's attention back to the building.

"Nothing like home cooking." The Assistant Director's uncharacteristically humorous comment took Mulder and Scully off guard. Before either could form a response, he replaced his glasses, turning his eyes upward as a light sprinkle of sleet began falling. "Let's get out of this for a while. I've had about all the weather I can take for a day."

"Me too," Scully agreed taking the lead toward the diner. Mulder lingered behind a moment, watching his partner going inside followed closely by Skinner. There was a definite change in their demeanor, he could see it in the way they responded to one another's movements and tones. They were...

* "... You're always there to lend a hand in everything I do... that's the wonder, the wonder of you..." *

Mulder's ears perked at the sound of music that drifted out the door of the diner into the cold. Forget it, I'm being paranoid...

What's new? His suspicions were put on immediate hold as he headed for the siren call of the King.

------------------------------------- X -------------------------------------

One of the first things to strike Skinner's attention was a framed photograph of President Richard Nixon deputizing Elvis Presley. He cocked a brow at the irony of it catching sight of a waitress approaching.

"Evening folks," she greeted Scully and Skinner, cheerfully plucking two, then three menus from behind the counter when she saw Mulder join them. "Looks like y'wall could use a rest. Did that storm rattle you a bit?"

"A bit," Scully said with a small smile. "How did you...?"

"We've had a lot of folks coming in from it, looking just as frazzled as y'wall," the woman explained flashing a big smile, a chunk of green gum just visible between her cinched teeth. "We'll take good care of you, com'on and follow me."

She led the "frazzled" trio to a booth near the back of the diner. "I'm Judy," she introduced herself as they got seated. "And I'll bring y'wall some water while you take a look at the menu... I guess you won't be wanting ice in it will you?"

In unison the three of them paused before sitting, taken by the comment. Judy let out a bawdy laugh. "I'm so sorry, now that wasn't nice of me after all you must have been through. Just trying to break the ice you know- oops! I did it again. I'll just leave you three be for a few minutes."

Judy left the table, her laugh drifting with her as she went, and Skinner took his seat suppressing the comment teetering on the tip of his tongue. He refused to voice his belief that it was her laugh that could shatter the ice encasing the front of the rental car. His calm facade, maintained even through the mightiest of ice storms he had seen was still well intact... an unreadable expression that was all but shattered within a few brief seconds of contact.

* "It's now or never, come hold me tight, kiss me my darling, be mine tonight..." *

As if on cue, prompted by unseen conspirators trying to break his dwindling threads of self-control, the song had begun at the instant Scully's leg brushed his as she slid into the booth seat opposite him. Their gazes locked, their eyes communicating the shared surge of excitement that had gripped them.

Her head dipped after a long moment, averting her eyes. "Excuse me," her voice was low, her eyes glinting with guilt as she glanced at Mulder who was oblivious to all but the gaudy decor of the establishment.

He had barely touched the seat before he got up and left the table, his eyes trained on pictures filling the walls. Opening her menu Scully cursed him leaving her in the booth alone with Skinner, then cursed her fidgeting hands that found and began to rearrange the flatware at her place setting. She kept her eyes down but wasn't reading much of the menu. She was concentrating on not looking up at Skinner. Despite his momentary loss of grace when she had brushed his leg, when his eyes had glinted with passionate intentions, she knew his face was now, once again, the ever-present unreadable mask of self-composure while she was a tattered wreck of desire. She only glanced at his hands resting on the table, fingers laced together calmly over his open menu. Cool as a cucumber... and probably just as-

She fumbled the knife, dropping it to the table with a startling noise that made both her and Skinner jump.

"I was just about to ask if you wanted some coffee, honey," Judy was suddenly back at the table, smiling broadly as she placed three glasses of water on the table, sans the ice. "But it seems like your last nerve might not take to well to it this evening."

"Uh, no, I wouldn't mind some coffee, actually."

"I'll have a cup also," Skinner told the woman.

Judy threw a glance over her shoulder at Mulder. "You want anything to drink, hon?"

He turned from his study of the memorabilia on the wall, he seemed perplexed for an instant before he returned to the booth. "Grape NE-hi."

"All righty, two coffees and a... Grape Ne-hi... You know what you'd like to eat yet?"

Skinner glanced at Scully in anticipation of her response. God knew he hadn't decided on anything in the time his eyes had skimmed the menu, his mind had been everywhere but on the menu items.

"I'll have," she paused for an instant, then oddly enough realized she was craving, "I'll have the chicken nugget platter, please." Scully answered refusing to make eye contact with Skinner. "Mulder?"

He had flipped open his menu and was skimming it quickly, holding one finger up to indicate his need of a moment more.

Damn, Scully thought, now she could only look at Skinner. It would be obvious if she didn't. Obvious she was deliberately avoiding his gaze.

"Sir?" she said resolutely, looking directly into his eyes.

The firmness of her chin, the strength in her voice and the intensity of her eyes boring into him was overwhelming. He was losing it, his imagination counterproductive projects such as manufacturing wholly unique images from those already blazoned in his memory. Carefully placed caresses in forbidden places followed with keens of pleasure and raw sensations of pure-

* "... Wise men say only fools rush in... but I can't help falling- " *

Skinner cleared his throat turning his eyes to the menu once more. "The, uh," he scanned the menu quickly, then, "I'd like the love me tender loin pot roast stew with creamed corn and black-eyed peas."

Judy turned to Mulder, "You need some more time?"

He screwed his face up, his brow furrowed and his mouth moving intently on some notion. "I see you have the hunk'a peanut butter and banana here, and there's the peanut butter, jelly and bacon," he began, pensively, "but can I get a hunk'a peanut butter and banana with the bacon and the jelly on the side?"

Skinner and Scully looked at him, appalled and dismayed by the sound of his request. It was apparent he had given the menu more attention than either one of them had, neither recalled seeing such a concoction. Then again, perhaps their subconscious had purposely passed by it.

"You can have the hunk'a anyway you want it, just like the King." Judy told him, grinning as she jotted down his request. She looked up, sweeping them with a broad gaze, "is that it for you?"

Leaning back, one arm stretched out over the back of his booth seat, Skinner gave her a wave and Scully nodded. Mulder on the other hand lifted his hand to catch her attention, "is the pound cake served in slices or in one loaf?" Scully looked at Skinner, her eyes wide. Skinner only rolled his eyes, his mouth curling ever so slightly into a smirk.

"Either, hon, just depends on how much you can eat," Judy told him.

"Mulder, we have a long drive ahead of us," Scully reminded him. "You might want to take it easy on the food you put away."

He shifted a mischievous sidelong glance from the menu to her. "You're right, Scully..." he turned back to their waitress, finishing with, "just a thick slice, not the whole loaf."

The sleet had stopped falling by the time they had finished their meals and Judy brought the check. But Mulder wasn't looking so well already.

"Are you alright?" Scully asked him, catching the waitress' attention.

He nodded weakly, looking drowsy. "Yeah, I'm fine."

"He's just full, hon," Judy assured her, dropping a handful of complimentary mints on top of the check. "Y'wall have a safe trip." Skinner gave Mulder an appraising glance as he scooped up the check, mints and all and went to pay as Scully coaxed Mulder from the booth. He wasn't too confident in Judy's diagnosis of the agent's condition. Actually, he was certain they were going to be making quite a few stops after Mulder's meal from hell...

------------------------------------- X -------------------------------------

The groaning from the back seat had at last subsided. Aware of the sudden silence, Scully glanced into the rearview mirror, squinting against headlights trailing behind their car, trying to see into the back seat. She and Skinner exchanged weary glances before he turned in the passenger seat to look back.

Lying across the back seat, among a littering of plastic bags and a half-empty bottle of pink stuff Mulder rocked peacefully to the rhythm of the road, asleep.

"Is he?" she asked.

Skinner released a long sigh repositioning himself in the seat. "Yes, he's asleep... thank God."

Scully gave him a quick disapproving look. "He felt horrible..."

"He ate like a horse," Skinner countered her defense of the non-stop groaning and moaning that had permeated the interior of the car between numerous stops at roadside service stations and diners for the use of the facilities.

"It was the atmosphere of the place," she responded, stifling a yawn Skinner looked at her. "Atmosphere? He ate an entire loaf of bread hollowed out and stuffed with peanut butter, bacon, bananas, and jelly. Plus, a three-inch-thick piece of pound cake."

She didn't say anything for a moment, only blinked against the sleep tugging at her eyelids. Then giving him a sly sidelong glance, a smirk on her mouth she reminded him, "you didn't seem to have any trouble putting away that pound cake, sir."

Looking out the window into the darkness he shifted in the seat, feeling his belt slightly cutting into him. "I'll be paying for it for a while, too."

Scully thought about the reference to weight gain from the desert. She didn't think the man had much to worry about considering the shape he was in- superb. Her mind flashed back to his trim waist and firm stomach... What had gone through his mind as they stood there in the hotel room staring at one another? She had been a complete blank, her mind reeling in silent astonishment. The sight of the man had shot such jolts of electricity through her she had been afraid to move or speak for fear of what could have happened. She only knew she had to get out of there before she did something she would undoubtedly regret, only to have lingered longer to tell him about the flight.

She had wanted that instance to have happened. She knew how much she wanted him to cross the room, touch his hands to her as he had in the airport. It had only been the slightest of touches, like so many other times that he had guided her from the foyer of his office or into an elevator. But this once it had been different, filled with excitement and ineffable promise.

She had stood at the bathroom door, her heart pounding, and the blood raging in her ears, fearing he would open the door when she spoke- and if he did... she knew she had hoped for him to take her in his arms and taste her mouth with his-

"Scully," Skinner snapped at her suddenly, his hands grabbing the wheel. The car lurched to the right as headlights shot past with the blaring sound of a horn in tow.

She took the wheel more firmly, shaking herself awake. "I'm sorry, sir," she apologized, jittery.

"Sorry, my ass, pull over, Scully, I'm driving."

She looked over the seat to see the sudden movement of the car had woken Mulder. He was still asleep.

Turning back, she dodged Skinner's potent glare. "I'm fine, sir," she told him.

"You're not fine, you were half asleep."

Scully gripped the steering wheel, sitting forward as though to protect her God given right to operate a vehicle. "I am fine," she insisted.

"Pull over, now," he ordered. "I'm driving." She looked at him, his mouth a grim slash.

"Now, Scully," he repeated.

  ------------------------------------- X -------------------------------------

It had been nearly two a.m. when Skinner pulled up at Mulder's apartment. He managed to wake the young man and get him out of the car quietly enough so not to have waken Scully. Her denial of needing sleep had fallen flat when she dozed off almost immediately after he had gotten behind the wheel.

He would have been a liar to say he had been in any better shape sleep-wise, but stopping again was out of the question. If he had to stay in another motel or hotel room, he was going to pull his- He wasn't going to enjoy it very much, he amended the thought, feeling slightly punchy as he pulled away from the curb leaving Mulder to wobble up the walk to his apartment.

Now, only a few miles from Scully's apartment, Skinner found himself watching her out of the corner of his eye. He tried to concentrate on the road, but his eyes kept turning back to her the entire drive. The scrupulous expression customarily etched across her face had softened, leaving her to be very disarming. The car was quiet, and he was aware of her breathing, even and deep. Then there was the scent of her hair and clothes, perhaps the slightest measure of perfume.

Leaning back into the seat he took one hand from the steering wheel, resting it lightly on the seat between himself and her. Her hand was mere inches away, and he had to fight the impulse to take it- to caress her wrist and feel the gentle thump of her pulse beneath the silky skin. Oh, stop it, will you! He told himself. Pay attention to the road, it's only a little way to her apartment, get her there in one piece.

In his position of authority at the Bureau, he was a man forced to make detrimental decisions each and every day with no room for second guessing one's ability to do so. Yet the only thing he was, in the smallest of ways, confidant of was the fact that what he was about to do was against all better judgment.

He moved his hand pitifully close to Scully's, his heart racing foolishly. His fingertips just barely brushed her skin when the car was jolted so badly his teeth rattled and Scully jerked awake, sucking in a great, startled breath.

Skinner gripped the wheel with both hands, shocked and searching for what he had run over or into for that matter. Checking the review mirror, he saw the flickering orange of road barricades set up along a strip of curb behind them, announcing an uneven section of road undoubtedly. One he had been completely oblivious to.

"What did we hit?" Scully questioned, rubbing at the side of her head. Had she hit it? He wondered, panic struck, and guilt ridden. "Did you hit your head?"

"No," she answered, looking at him incredulously. His eyes were wide, a light film of perspiration across his forehead. "Are you alright?"

"Yes," he lied. "I'm fine."

She sat up in the seat, looking around at the familiar streets and landmarks. "Mmm, almost home." she sighed rocking her head back and forth to get the kinks out of her neck.

"Almost home," he said so quietly that his voice nearly didn't register with her.

Little was said the rest of the way to her apartment. Small talk, her questions about Mulder's condition when he left the car, but little more. Reaching her building Skinner pulled up and parked in front, and Scully started to open the door when he shut off the motor.

"I'll walk you up," he said and got out so quickly she never had the opportunity to protest, yet protest was last on her mind, foremost being surprised.

In a serenely odd silence, they walked to the front of the building, their footfalls crunching in the light dusting of fresh snow, the wraith of their breath mingling in the crisp air. He opened the entrance door for her, following her in with her bag, watching her confidant stride and the alluring bounce of her hair.

Unlocking the door, Scully turned back before opening it. Looking at him closely, she feared her own judgment, her self-control. In the last seventy-two hours she had become so attracted to a man she had never... How could she have never considered him? She asked herself and then, "thank you for doing so much of the driving. Will you be all right going..."

Before she could finish verbalizing her concerns, he nodded. They both stood there in the hallway for a moment, then, finally, he nodded to her once again. "Good night, Scully."

"Wait," she said, sounding, to her surprise, a little anxious. He turned back, eyes narrowed. "Would you like to come in for coffee?"

He hesitated for only an instant, then pocketed his hands, squaring his shoulders as he glanced toward the exit. "No, thank you. I'll be fine." The hall was silent.

Neither knew what to say, and then, "good night, sir."

Scully opened her door, and he nodded, walking away.

"Sir," she called back, and he turned on his heel.

"Yes, Scully?" His voice was husky, impassioned.

She shuddered, scared suddenly of consequence.

"Drive careful." she finally said and walked inside, shutting the door.

Behind the closed door of her apartment, she listened to his footfalls reaching the exit and their pause. Was he standing there, she wondered with condemned hope, changing his mind to leave, and come back for the coffee- for her. No, they couldn't pursue this... Put it out of your mind... But will he come back? Is he going to?

Walter Skinner walked out into a wintry night, down the steps and paused on the walk. His thoughts desperately returned to the notion of going back to her. What then? He questioned, what then indeed. Feeling a frustrating tug somewhere deep inside as he reached into his pant pocket for the car keys, resuming his walk to the car.

With the keys he withdrew from his pocket one of the complimentary mints the waitress had left with their check. He looked at it for a moment in the blue glow of the streetlight, his eyes returning to the apartment building once again.

Unwrapping the confection he turned to the car, a resonant humming that grew into a low song escaping his lips as he went...* "Well, bless my soul, what's wrong with me, I'm itching like a man in a fuzzy tree... My friends all say I'm acting wild as bug. I'm in- " * The few lyrics were broken with the mint popping into his mouth as he shut the car door and drove far away from Agent Dana Scully.

------------------------------------- X -------------------------------------

Feedback is always welcome, mostly the gushing complimentary type of course.

Contact me at prchung18@gmail.com

This series has been continued with Conversation Mints in three parts.

[saelterlude]

Around October, I noticed my AO3 wordcount for this year has reached near 40k. So I thought, "Hey Sael, surely you can reach 50.000 words by the end of the year right?" Nevermind the fact that my thesis deadline is also in December.

But hey, I goddamn did. 51.236 words. Here's a list of the fics I wrote in 2023. Chronologically, when last updated, because that's cool. + short summary/my core idea for each fic.

Happy New Year!

February

Home Address, 35 Portland Row (Lockwood & Co.)

So did George just one day knocked on Lockwood's door with Skull under his arm being all, "Hey, I commited theft." Pre-canon exposition.

April

Buried Apple (Undertale AU)

Dream watched his twin die, got turned to stone, and wakes up to someone parading in his twin's corpse. How did he grieved?

May

The Hidden Basement (Lockwood & Co. and The Sandman)

Jessamy's regrets of failing to save Dream resulted in a haunted mansion. Who else would come take care of the haunting but Lockwood & Co.

June

Killer's Soul Journey (Undertale AU, yea this fandom really inspired me)

Killer got 4 stages, he also got the gang and Color. So what if each stages react differently to each group.

That Feeling and That Tone. (Undertale AU)

Just a reset in the life of Killer and Chara.

Tales from The Library (Undertale AU)

Same universe as "The Hidden Basement". What's life like for Lockwood & Co. with a type three bird ghost, Jessamy?

July

Colorful Conversations (Undertale AU)

It's in the name. Three conversations that help Color be... Color.

Divergence (Undertale AU)

We explore how time works in the multiverse, sorta.

Versa(tear)lity (Undertale AU)

There are many ways to utilize Killer's tears, here are some of them. Crack. This is just a pure crackfic.

The Circlet (Undertale AU)

There's a gap in Dream's circlet. It widens as Dream grows and his skull gets bigger. There's none in Nightmare's circlet.

August

Feelings Imminent (Undertale AU)

Killer have trouble feeling, which means he doesn't know when he's hungry, tired, or hurt. Horror tries to help.

September

Boiled Care (Undertale AU)

Cross and Horror talk about authority figures over breakfast.

October

I Know That You Can Track It Back To Me (Link Click)

Cheng Xiaoshi wants to know from whom did Lu Guang learns all the ins and outs of their powers. Well he does have time traveling powers, so learning about the past should be easy.

Like Once You Did For Me (Link Click)

Lu Guang's POV of "I Know That You Can Track It Back To Me". On a sad and lonely night, Lu Guang comes across a strange man.

So What's With The Sudden Costume Change? (Link Click)

For a fashionable show, Lu Guang's season two outfit is just a cat pajama. Oh wait, there's also the cool theater outfits. But that came out of nowhere so why? Crack, Actor AU.

A White Dream (Link Click)

A death node cannot be change, that's what Lu Guang said, but that can't be right. Cheng Xiaoshi is sure, he changed a death node once before.

November

A Gray Coat (Link Click)

Emma's parents waited all night for her, not knowing she's lying dead under a bridge. How does a parent grief over their child?

December

Shattered Reflections (Link Click)

Cheng Xiaoshi-Lu Guang's powers swapped with Li Tianchen-Li Tianxi's powers. How would that work? How would the story progress?

(I swear I will finish the last chapter soon. I promise. I just gotta graduate first.)

How to Lose A Bet and Still Win (Link Click)

The biggest betting pool in Guidu University is "when will Cheng Xiaoshi and Lu Guang become official". Some students try to win the bet by manipulating the not-couple and sabotaging other betters. Outsider POV.

[seahdalune]

Seana’s 2020 art highlights (a thread)

(Note: this is a reupload of a thread i did on twitter a few years back. so these are really old.)

January: i didn’t draw anything complete that month.... closest thing i could find to finished is this art i made of my OC, Angelord. man. remember when i drew my OCs? [2023 note: it's..... funny you say that. you would try to start up an original comic for the entirety of next year.... not that it ever came to fruition.]

February: i finished Link’s Awakening that month. i drew Marin bc i thought she was cute. i wish i could get motivated to draw fanart of recent video games i finished more... this is probably the last proper traditional art i made this year... after this, it’s mostly digital.

March: look. i’m attempting anatomy... and i failed lol. i remember being like “how do you draw woman” after drawing this... i mean. i still wanna know how to draw woman, so i guess i haven’t changed lol. [2023 note: I STILL DONT KNOW HOW TO DRAW WOMEN]

April: wait NVM here’s another traditional piece i made this year. he was an adoptable i made... but nobody was interested in them so he’s with me for now. i’ll try and redesign them, either to sell them or to keep him. [2023 note: i never sold this guy.... i was lazy and nobody values points these days. probs for the best because scamming children with virtual coins is probably not a good idea lmao. at the same time, i wish there was an easy way to buy and sell designs+commissions without having to get a credit card or paypal or something.]

May: another month where i didn’t draw anything. buuut i did some plush sketches to reference so das dat. [2023 note: you'll probably be able to name most charas here, but who's the guy i drew the most? that's Matteo, he's a little pink vampire and i made him through Gatcha Life.]

June: ah. the month where i started digital art. this was fanart for my friend’s OC. i didn’t know a lot of features of digital art so it looks like shit LOL not the first digital art i made ever, but it might as well be. [2023 note: i actually received my tablet around 2018, but i never had time to draw on it because i had 1 hour of screentime every day. this restriction was finally lifted in 2020 (because online classes) and i finally had time to venture out into the world of digital art...]

July: i made a lot of stuff this month, but to shorten the list... i finished the plush of my OC, Matteo. i wanna make another plushie... maybe with Suitcase.

this was also the month i joined the OSC... oh hell. it’s been 6 months?? [2023 note: 2 YEARS BITCH. ITS GONNA BE YOUR 3RD ANNIVERSARY if i didn't get so tired and started to hate the community so much.]

August: ...ergh. lets get over with this month quickly... Object OCs this. Object OCs that.

occasional Algebians.

i do not like the art here... it really shows that i’ve improved. ok let’s get outta here. [2023 note: i fucking despise the person who asked me why "they were old" to my humanizations of the Dangos. this is why i refuse to join another public server ever again and might have contributed to the delay of my human drawing skills.]

September: lots of Taco II. i seriously liked her a lot. still do, but the love is a bit more spread out between characters.

oh. and i watched ONE that month. cool.

October: i finally found a style that i could weld. hooyah.

don’t ask why i drew my friend as a cat maid... i thought it was funny ok.

September: the month of gift art. nothing else to say, but i like the thin lines. yes, ‘thin’. ...god i need to think of better things to say. [i would then realize i said the wrong month, and unlike tumblr, i cannot edit tweets once published, so my only option was to delete the whole thing and start over. or just say this:] did i just say September... oh for fucks- no i am not fixing this i’m already tired of this just imagine i said November ok

December: best art of this year so far (doh) nothing to say. just... happy that i improved. can’t wait to improve even more.

[hey look! i was in the 2020 JnJ christmas video! thats me! me!!]

aaand, that’s all for this year! man, i thought i was done with improvement. i can’t believe i proved myself wrong. usually other people do that for me lol. lets see if i can disprove myself again in 2021.

[blackroom93]

My Depeche Mode Experience, part 3 - I'm here now, I'm found

….it's been a while since I last wrote about live performances, so bear with me, I'll try my best.

The last time I saw Depeche Mode live was so long ago that…it kind of feels like it happened in a different lifetime. I wasn't even in my mid twenties back then. Spotify wasn't available in Romania (yet). Cluj seemed mostly an unknown thing to me. I was into bands that I'm kind of not into anymore. I wasn't wearing glasses. I was more positive towards their previous album, Spirit. 

So what has happened since then?

"Are you talking strictly about your relationship with Mode and their music? Or in general?"

The first part.

I soured on Spirit, but I still think it has enough bright spots to not see it as my least favourite album from them.

I got a Spotify account in 2018…and, while I can't for the life of me remember my 2018 Wrapped, I do remember them making every Wrapped from 2019 onwards.

I went to see Spirits in the Forest in cinema in the autumn of 2019.

I was happy for them when they got into the Rock'n'Roll Hall of Fame in that odd year known as 2020. (I'm still not the biggest fan of that institution, but it's nice to hear that the band is appreciated)

I continued to listen to them a lot.

I made a really dumb joke involving Enjoy the Silence and a public transport strike in Bucharest in early 2022. A joke which prompted my dad to say "Oh, you're missing them, aren't you?".

I woke up one morning in late May 2022 to find out that Fletch had died. I was shocked…and over time, I started making peace with the idea that I might not see them live anymore.

But then…

The Universe decided to throw some positive stuff at me. In October 2022, Dave and Martin announced that they were working on a new album, titled Memento Mori, and that they were going on tour next year.

That tour was going to include Bucharest too.

I bought a ticket (tho not too in the front, those were a bit expensive), I watched the days go by, I enjoyed Memento Mori, I got home earlier at the beginning of June 2023 to watch a livestream of their set at Primavera in Barcelona….

And then I found myself on the hot afternoon of July 26th waiting to see the band live.

The opening group, Haelos, were pretty chill. I initially thought I couldn't hear their frontwoman loud enough, but I got over that pretty quickly…cause it wasn't like I couldn't hear her at all, I just wasn't hearing her loud enough at times.

"How were Mode live?"

Amazing as always.

My Cosmos Is Mine worked well as an atmosphere builder.

I'm still not thrilled with Wagging Tongue as a single choice, but it sounded good live, so who am I to complain about the song?

Walking In My Shoes had a singalong moment - one of the many during the night - and that was nice.

It was neat to hear people around me singing the words to It's No Good. (I still don't get the donkey visuals tho)

I loved hearing Sister of Night - one of my favourite deep cuts from Ultra - but a part of me will never forget the sight of Dave's butt facing the crowd.

I know I said that hearing the album version of In Your Room back in 2017 was the gods' gift towards the audience…but you know what? I liked the single mix too. I would never complain about hearing this amazing tune in concert….no matter the version.

Everything Counts was still great live.

It was nice to hear you live again after 10 years, Precious.

Speak to Me, one of my favourite songs from Memento Mori, got me in my feelings…and in my fears, given that the rain started…and came with two of the things I like the least…lightning and thunder.

Home was as magical as always….Soul With Me was amazing, too, in spite of the technical difficulties in the beginning.

Ghosts Again is already a classic and it felt like one live.

I'm still surprised I haven't got bored of I Feel You. I don't know what it is about this song and resisting overplay.

A Pain That I'm Used To started with technical difficulties - can't blame the band tho -  but it still managed to be fun? I guess I like the Jacques Lu Cont remix almost as much as the original…

World In My Eyes …was great, but bittersweet. I miss Fletch. I hope that he enjoyed the dedication…wherever he is now.

I didn't mind hearing Wrong again.

Stripped was wonderful as always.

Teenage me would be pleased to know DM played John the Revelator live.

Enjoy the Silence was a great choice for the last song before the encore…cause the people went nuts.

Waiting for the Night felt intimate and full of tranquility. Also nice screen projections, though I can't for the life of me tell you why I like them so much.

I guess I have matured a bit…given that hearing Just Can't Get Enough live again didn't send me into hysterics (like it almost did a decade ago). It just put a smile on my face. And made me dance a bit.

You know what? It really doesn't matter whether they end their gigs with Never Let Me Down Again or Personal Jesus. They were both legendary and putting them next to each other was brilliant.

Conclusion?

Man, it feels amusing to say that it rained at a Mode gig again…but I'm not going to complain too much: they were great, the audience was great, I love their music and I feel grateful to have seen them live multiple times.

[kylesvariouslistsandstuff]

So Far...

We're at the halfway point now.

The first half of 2023, box office-wise for the all-animated pictures, has been kind of more of the same... In that, Disney's animated feature releases - or one, in this case - are still struggling to get big crowds that are needed to cover the gargantuan budgets pumped into these things... Universal - for the most part - is still bringing home bacon. THE SUPER MARIO BROS. MOVIE landed among the highest grossing animated movies, period. Massive opening here in the states, incredible legs for a frontloaded picture, and especially for one that got a more mixed critical reception.

About the MARIO reviews... This makes me chuckle a bit. Very online people like to use the not-amazing critical reception of recent Disney-released animated movies to knock them and also use them to explain their not great box office ("well, if they had a made *good* movies), buuuut they either say the critics are "wrong" and "hate fun" for giving MARIO so-so marks or they just ignore them entirely. Tribalism stinks. MARIO does its job, yes, but it's also based on probably one of the most recognizable IPs in the whole damn world. Take that away, I wonder what kind of money that movie would've made...

But it wasn't entirely great for Universal this year, for they bungled the release of RUBY GILLMAN, TEENAGE KRAKEN. I understand that a lot of the Illumination and DreamWorks movies on Uni's slate all got domino'd, pushing the individual movies back a couple of paces... But June 30th was the wrong time to release this, and waiting till 3 1/2 months before release date to officially announce the movie to the world was also a big mistake (rumor-mills were leaking stuff about "MEET THE GILLMANS" instead of DreamWorks doing any talking... And we're but a little over a year out from the original movie opening theatrically after KUNG FU PANDA 4 in 2024.) if you ask me.

RUBY GILLMAN would've been a perfectly serviceable mid-July release, but Christopher Nolan has way too much power as a director, mandating that Universal not release *any* movie near his precious OPPENHEIMER. What a diva. I would've settled for early September. A good amount of weeks away from MUTANT MAYHEM, and having all of September, October, and early November to itself... I still wonder why Universal thinks releasing TROLLS BAND TOGETHER three days before Disney Animation's WISH is a great idea. October's wide open, it's like right there! In fact, BAND TOGETHER comes out in October in various international territories. Why not the same in the Yoo, Ess of Ay?

So, yeah... Universal had a high high with MARIO, and a low low with RUBY GILLMAN. That picture might make little more than SPIRIT UNTAMED. Maybe MIGRATION will be a SING-esque leggy Christmas hit for Illumination, and I'm sure TROLLS BAND TOGETHER will do pretty good.

Only one Disney animated release came about this year so far, Pixar's ELEMENTAL, which opened terribly (worst opening for a Pixar film, an opening on par with what TOY STORY collected in 1995 dollars)... But it's legging it up something fierce, it's sure to get the coveted 4x multiplier. Combine that with the "A" CinemaScore grade, and it's pretty clear that audiences quite dig the picture, despite what some weirdos are insisting. That Pixar has "lost its touch" or whatever, even though people have been saying that since the early 2010s. Disney's not going to send it straight to Disney+ just yet, they're gonna try to keep this thing spinning in theaters from the looks of it, hoping those classic Pixar legs keep it afloat while everything else comes and goes. It weathered INDIANA JONES and RUBY GILLMAN just fine, I'm sure it'll still hang on when BARBIE lands. Traditionally, Pixar gives their summer animated movies a Labor Day weekend bump, so I expect ELEMENTAL to be around till at least the end of September.

Disney botched this one, marketing-wise. The trailers were basically "Here's the premise, here's some gags, please clap." No hint of its actually solid and nuanced immigrant story, surprisingly light on the romance, too. Apparently that's cooties for the boy audience that they "should" be marketing to. Meanwhile, they're hyping up WISH as this story that's "a century in the making" and they seem to be pushing it as this definitive origin story of all Disney animated classics... Like, is it really that hard to tell audiences "hey, look at how cool our painterly fantasy musical is"? I guess it's a step up from how they just showed us STRANGE WORLD with no enthusiasm, and called it a day.

Sony is perhaps the real star here. SPIDER-MAN: ACROSS THE SPIDER-VERSE is their first fully theatrically-released animated movie since... THE ANGRY BIRDS MOVIE 2, all the way back in fall 2019... MITCHELLS VS. THE MACHINES, VIVO, WISH DRAGON... All went straight to streaming. HOTEL TRANSYLVANIA 4 had a limited run in select theaters, but was largely a streaming-only release... So yeah, SPIDER-VERSE Deux marks their return to theaters after a four-year hiatus, and as expected, the sequel to the sleeper hit superhero movie is doing fantastically. Landed among the biggest openers for an animated movie, and legs-wise it's doing quite fine, passing $350m here. Looks to be the 2nd highest-earning animated movie of the post-outbreak era domestically, toppling MINIONS 2. Worldwide it did quite well for itself, too, as it inches towards $700m and is Sony Animation's highest-earning movie. Wowee! It's their only release this year.

The Top 10 highest-earning animated movies of the post-outbreak era, domestically, are largely Universal and Disney releases. One Sony release - again, SPIDER-VERSE Dos - and one Warner Bros. release, DC LEAGUE OF SUPER-PETS. So for all of Disney's financial woes, they're still up in the top slots with Universal. ENCANTO, LIGHTYEAR, and ELEMENTAL all landed above $90m domestically, so they're kinda doing something right, the idea of the movies being free on Disney+ be damned. They're now trying to un-train the audience of what Chapek/Kareem Daniels' Disney - and just the market in general - conditioned them into thinking, which is easier said than done.

So while box office has been back for the most part, we're in an era where the market itself and the amount of money being spent on these movies (near $300m for INDIANA JONES 5... Just... Why?) is creating a system that is just sooooo not conducive to the individual movies. The game should be rewritten, but you know how capitalism and Hollywood go... The collapse of a ton of different movies this summer just won't make the money people see sense, apparently...

Nestled in-between these biggies was Crunchyroll's release of SUZUME, which pulled in $10m, not the best for this kind of anime feature release, but still solid enough. A new DEMON SLAYER feature that was composed of a few episodes of the new season did its job, and a few other anime feature releases. Then you had THE AMAZING MAURICE and RALLY ROAD RACERS, released by Viva Kids (what is this company again?), the former only pulling in about $4m-ish here and the latter... I don't even know. At my theater, there was one seat - in the front row - purchased for every screening throughout the week. Can you say... Money laundering? One of these movies was a British picture, an adaptation of Terry Pratchett that went straight to streaming there... And the other was a Vanguard movie, who somehow keep making movies despite most of them not making back their budgets. That's SHREK producer John H. Williams' venture, they did VALIANT, HAPPILY N'EVER AFTER, SPACE CHIMPS, a pair of movies that almost went to theaters in the U.S. (GNOME ALONE and CHARMED) but ended up quietly debuting on streaming long after completion, and... I've lost track, GET SQUIRRELY I believe was another one?

What remains?

The highly-anticipated MUTANT MAYHEM, which could very well be a SPIDER-VERSE-esque box office sleeper for the ever-lasting world of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, bows next month. I'd imagine, because the picture was animated at Mikros, that it didn't cost too much to make. Paramount Animation has been in need of a real box office hit for a looooong while, something that isn't a SpongeBob movie, and this one might just be it.

I expect PAW PATROL 2 - also from Paramount - to play like the first one, something for the kiddies and the preschool crowd, and it makes enough to cover whatever it cost to make it.

TROLLS WORLD TOUR should open fine enough and leg it fine enough, despite WISH opening right next to it. Well, five days later, but still... It should move up a few weeks, I think. Above $80m domestically seems about right to me, $200m+ worldwide. It probably cost less than $100m to make.

WISH likely cost over $150m to make, typical of a Disney Animation film. If the marketing really gets audiences to want to shell out plenty of bucks to see it, then I expect it to perform similarly to other Thanksgiving-release Disney animated movies of the 2010s. TANGLED and MOANA being my references, because FROZEN was its own beast. Solid opening over the holiday frame, fantastic legs, and next to no competition for the rest of the season. No STAR WARS or Marvel movie opening at Christmastime, no AVATAR sequel, the only real competition being... I dunno, that Timothee Chalamet WONKA movie that Warner has coming out? I think it'll do fine. I can see it opening with around $40m for the three-day, Thanksgiving boosts it, then it goes past $150-180m domestically. Maybe even higher, if this musical - which seems engineered in every way to hit the beats of what audiences associate with a "Disney movie" - really resonates with audiences. Heck, Disney could put in the next trailer "In Theaters Only. On Disney+ in fall 2024!" Tell 'em, yeah, you're gonna have to wait to see it for free!

May they all do well...

[pureposer]

I posted 1,476 times in 2022

That's 1,476 more posts than 2021!

371 posts created (25%)

1,105 posts reblogged (75%)

Blogs I reblogged the most:

@strawberry-barista

@limitlesspossibilities

@kingsmedley

@hopeful-hugz

@falseapostle

I tagged 1,472 of my posts in 2022

#reblog - 1,099 posts

#ic - 987 posts

#strawberry-barista - 402 posts

#ooc - 181 posts

#limitlesspossibilities - 165 posts

#ask - 155 posts

#answer - 155 posts

#kingsmedley - 117 posts

#inbox fillers - 114 posts

#musings - 96 posts

Longest Tag: 138 characters

#you're never too old for trick or treat the only thing that's changed is that you can just buy candy and not get it from strangers (⁠ ⁠ˊ⁠ᵕ

My Top Posts in 2022:

#5

@limitlesspossibilities

Keep that Thing Away or So God Help Me

"Whilst Yes, You are Correct, I'm Certain a Taste of Revenge Against Kubo would be Suited."

His Words, Words that Slithered with No Pitty, could be Compared to an Arsonist's Flames, Licking at the Wood Under it. He rose a Hand, Gently Playing with Rindo's Hair before Speaking Again. His Actions Soon Proving to be more Light then his Words.

"I Plan to do My Best to Keep him Away from Shibuya - for Joshua. After all, I don't believe Someone Who Almost Destroyed Your City without You giving Word of it should Step even an Inch in it. So You can Rest Your Head Safe and Sound without Worrying About Kubo Prowling the Streets. Hm...That's such a Polite Response, I must Say. Yet I must also Apologize for Asking Such a Thing. You were Involved, So I believe You should have a Say in it."

30 notes - Posted June 30, 2022

#4

Plotted Starter || @limitlesspossibilities

Hazuki Pursed his Lips, perched on top of one of those Traffic Lights at the Scramble Crossing as he Looked around. He Gripped a Sheet of Paper in One Hand, the Other Occupied with Keeping Hold of the Metal. Of Course, Only Appearing in the UG. It'd look Weird if he didn't! And it simply could be Harder to Find the One he's looking for.

Sakuraba Neku.

Hanekoma told him to Stay Away from Neku. And Frankly, he would have! He would have Waited until their Paths Fatefully Crossed again and not by will. But Unfortunately, he cannot Remain Sat down and Watching the Clock Tick. Because when he was doing some PaperWork, and came Across this Page, he couldn't help but Pause.

And then the Realization. Of Course Something like this will Happen. He can't be Genuinely Happy for too Long, Something will Always come to Bite him.

See the full post

32 notes - Posted September 11, 2022

#3

"Why must there be many Decorations outside? What even is the Occasion?"

He has seem more and more Halloween Decorations pop up, but he simply doesn't even know why.

36 notes - Posted October 31, 2022

#2

Plotted Starter || @strawberry-barista

Hazuki gripped his Phone, Glancing up from it then back down to it, yet soon Halted upon reaching his Destination. Now, one must be wondering why he's in the City he doesn't even Live in - Shibuya - at Night. Well - Naturally Nighttime is when he does go out. The Cool Air against his Skin is much appreciated, yet he's in Shibuya for a Reason - to give himself a Change. And he's in Shibuya for that Exact Reason!

He did some research - and found out about the Cafe on Cat Street. WildKat, he recalled the Cafe's Name being. He could only roll his eyes at the Name, thinking on how it Sounded like a Silly Joke. But, nonetheless, he still decided to come to Shibuya to go to such a Place.

He looked at the Cafe, Examining the Outside with his eyes as he gripped his Mobile Device tightly. And with his Other Hand, he raised it slightly. Though, paused for a Moment, as if Debating if he should really Enter. But, with one Deep Inhale he carefully Pushed the Door Open and Entered.

But realization set in. He had no Idea what to do Currently - he's never been in a Cafe before! All he knows of them is by the Movies he'd Watched that Included them. He Awkwardly Averted his eyes to the Floor before Speaking, hoping it'd give him Some Idea.

See the full post

69 notes - Posted September 23, 2022

My #1 post of 2022

@mystical-strawberry-sheep Liked for a Starter!

------------------------------------------------------

Hazuki is Usually Very Aware of his Surroundings, making Sure he doesn't Collide with anyone. However, today is that Odd, and Rather Rare, Day for him - where he takes Photos of Shibuya on his Phone. He likes looking at them, even if they're not the Best.

Key Word - Usually.

Because of course looking at One's Phone would cause some Unaware Collisions Happening. So when he Bumped into the Other, Hazuki couldn't Help but Look at her, putting his Phone on Sleep Mode.

Yeah...That's Enough for Today...

"Mh...I Apologize." He spoke, putting away the Item as he rose a Hand up ever so Slightly. It's only Natural to Apologize for such a Mistake, after all.

69 notes - Posted July 31, 2022

Get your Tumblr 2022 Year in Review →

[sherlollyandspoilers]

We’re worth it, Chapter 18, October 3rd

Chapters 1 through 17 of We’re worth it can be found here

Here be Dragons is the original fic that this fic is a companion piece for - HBD timeline: right before chapter 16

“Alright you two,” Molly stood in June’s waiting room, hand rubbing her very pregnant belly, lecturing the Holmes brothers, “there is no point in going in there and not just being open and honest. All that will do is frustrate all three of you, make June’s job ten times harder, and waste her time.” Sherlock opened his mouth, but she held up her hand. “I’m not actually talking to you.” She turned her gaze on Mycroft. “If you are not willing to go in there and talk through the stuff between the two of you, just go home now. Sherlock and I have plenty of other things to discuss.”

Mycroft sighed and folded his hands in his lap. “If that had been my intentions, I wouldn’t have even bothered to show up.”

“Good!” She smiled. “Have fun. Sherlock, I’ll see you at home.”

--

June swallowed hard. She stood staring at her office door, not moving. During her career there had been very few things that had taken her by complete surprise but the phone call she had gotten from a secure government line not even ten minutes after Sherlock and Molly’s first session ended had definitely surprised her. And within 10 minutes of having taken that call, she was in an unidentifiable government vehicle on her way to a secure meeting. This was the first and only time she had met Mycroft Holmes and after 40 minutes of listening to him talk at her, her clearance level had been raised and she left the meeting with a severe warning that the loss of her career would not be the worst thing that would happen to her if she ended up sharing what Sherlock and Molly disclosed in session.

Now she was going to sit in a therapy session with this man for the next fifty minutes and ask him questions about how he felt…her life was weird.

--

“I know that this session was mostly Molly’s idea, but my assumption is that you two both have things on your mind,” she prompted after they both went silent when the small talk ended.

Sherlock frowned and cleared his throat, “Sometimes it’s hard knowing your brother is in love with your fiancé.”

“And sometimes it’s hard being in love with your brother’s fiancé.”

“I didn’t think you two had officially gotten re-engaged?” June asked with a furrowed brow, confused.

“Formalities,” the two responded simultaneously.

June nodded and suppressed a giggle. “Mycroft I am very interested in hearing what you have to say but knowing how Sherlock typically responds in sessions when he has not been able to express what is going on in his brain, I think I would like to let him expound on his comment first.” Mycroft inclined his head towards her slightly but didn’t say anything. “Sherlock?”

He scrunched his face in concentration, taking his time to gather his thoughts. “Molly shared with me once that she believed had I never come home that she would have eventually moved on with Mycroft.” June watched Mycroft for any reaction to this statement, but he looked as if he was listening to information he had heard a hundred times over. “I was hurt, jealous, and angry but I had been surprised by how much I had needed to hear her explanation.” He leaned forward and propped his elbows up on his knees, as he often did when talking out difficult topics. “As I listened, her relationship with my brother became clearer to me and I started to understand what he meant to her.” He paused a moment, one side of his mouth turned up in a smirk. “I understood it…not necessarily liking it.” Sitting back, he sighed, “A few days later he and I actually came to an agreement with one another because Molly wanted both of us in her life.”

June nodded and let them sit in silence for a moment, giving them both time, if needed, to process what Sherlock had just said. “Can you tell me about that conversation?” she finally asked.

“After several jabs at each other, in the end we both agreed to move on as it was what was best for Molly…” Sherlock paused for a moment, his eyes unfocused on the present, replaying the past in his mind. “I had been annoyed when Mycroft told me he hadn’t set out to fall in love with Molly but when he told me she had become his best friend, I understood it better.”

“In what way?”

“When I finally let Molly in, it didn’t take long for her to become my best friend, the person I wanted to be around all the time, to tell everything to…it also reminded me of how hard I had worked to keep Molly at a distance when I first met her but even then she had easily worked her way into my mind.” He looked at Mycroft for the first time since he started talking. “How could you have not fallen in love with her?”

Mycroft seemed to think about this but didn’t say anything.

“Mycroft?” June prompted. He looked at her, eyebrow raised, she realized not in question but in concentration.

“The hardest part of being in love with Molly Hooper has always been and will always be that she is in love with Sherlock. Unquestionably and whole heartedly.”

Sherlock frowned at Mycroft’s statement, sitting forward again. He opened and closed his mouth, doing his best to fight off the instant anger Mycroft’s words had caused. He grasped his hands tightly together and breathed.

“What about Mycroft’s words have upset you?” June asked quietly, giving him time to gather himself.

“The way you phrased that statement,” he said, body tense, “made it sound like it was something you knew from the very beginning.”

“Yes?” Mycroft questioned.

“Then why in the hell did you kiss her that night?!” Sherlock sat up, back straight, ridged. “If you knew she loved me and has always loved me and will always love me, why?!”

Mycroft shifted uncomfortably in his chair, but June let Sherlock’s question hang in the air.

“I…” he stopped and cleared his throat. “Did Molly ever tell you what I asked her after I kissed her?”

“You asked her something?” Sherlock asked in surprise, realizing that Molly and he never talked about exactly what had taken place between the two of them that night.

He nodded and cleared his throat again. “I asked her what would have happened if you hadn’t come back…I knew what trajectory our lives were on prior to you coming home and I wanted to hear Molly acknowledge it.”

“What made you want to hear that?” June questioned.

“She’s my best friend and I was tired of keeping an unspoken thing between us…I knew it wasn’t going to change who she was engaged to, but I needed to hear it.” June nodded her understanding. “She wouldn’t have loved me the way she loves you.” He looked at his little brother. “I wasn’t holding any delusional beliefs that it would have been the same.”

“Is that really the kind of life you would have wanted for both of you?”

Mycroft’s brow furrowed and his frown deepened at June’s words. “What do you mean?” he asked, turning back to her.

“You said that Molly wouldn’t have loved you the way she loved Sherlock had you two gotten together…would you have wanted to live with knowing that she loved someone else more? And for Molly, would you have wanted her to be in a relationship where her whole heart wasn’t in it?”

Mycroft considered for a moment. “Any kind of love from Molly is more than I deserve. But for Molly? No, I don’t think I would want that kind of life for her, ever.”

Sherlock seemed to relax at Mycroft’s words.

He turned back to his brother. “To answer your question, why did I kiss her that night – because I was being selfish. I was struggling with balancing the emotions of being proud of you as your brother for making the right decisions with the emotions of grieving the loss of the future that I was never going to have with Molly.”

Sherlock stared at him for a moment longer before simply nodding and looking back at June who was still recovering from the incredibly self-aware statement that had just come out of Mycroft’s mouth.

“Uhh, Sherlock,” she said getting her footing again, “I want to back up a moment.” He nodded at her. “When I asked you to expand on your first statement, sometimes it’s hard knowing your brother is in love with your fiancé, you shared a conversation you had previously had with Molly and why it had been difficult for you then…but I would like for you to share how this continues to be difficult for you.”

Sherlock shifted in his chair, clearly uncomfortable with the emotions he was experiencing, so he was leaning forward again.

She gave him a reassuring smile, “I know that you are used to only sharing your emotions with Molly or your therapists, and that in front of others, you typically shove them down or avoid them, but I think in this instance, it would be helpful for you both.” He nodded and took another moment to regulate.

“At first I believed that I was jealous that Molly had thought about moving on with Mycroft but after working in therapy, I realized that what makes knowing he loves her hard are my own self-deprecating thoughts.” June frowned and he cleared his throat. “Fine, deprecating might be putting it mildly…these thoughts tend towards self-hatred.”

June noticed that as Sherlock talked, Mycroft seemed to be struggling with what he was hearing.

“These thoughts reinforce my insecurities, which in the past few years have hyper-focused on not being good enough for Molly and constantly letting her down.” He sighed and sat back. “As those thoughts mix in my mind with the knowledge that there is someone else who is better for her, knowing he loves her becomes an extremely difficult truth to live with.”

“I can see how that would make knowing he loves her difficult for you.” Sherlock nodded at her words. “Now, and Mycroft,” she quickly interrupted herself, “please do not take this for anything more than what my words are…Sherlock, there is no one else better for Molly.” He furrowed his brow. “She has made it very clear that she loves you completely and that she wants to be with you. She has chosen you, which is why no one else is better for that role.”

Sherlock looked down at his hands smiled, “Molly has said the same thing.”

“She is a very intelligent woman.”

“She is,” both brothers agreed with her. She smiled at the two.

“Now, Mycroft,” he pulled his eyes off the floor and looked at her, “I noticed that when Sherlock was talking, you seemed uncomfortable.”

He nodded in agreement and looked at Sherlock for a moment before looking back at June. “Despite our differences and disagreements, I have always cared for my brother.” Sherlock tilted his head as he listened. “Assuming that he struggled with accepting himself is very different than hearing that he struggles with not hating himself.” Mycroft shifted uncomfortably in his seat. “I must admit that I feel my behaviors in the past have contributed significantly to this.”

June nodded as she let Mycroft’s words hang in the air for a moment.

“Sherlock, can you share with Mycroft what you have learned about where your self-hatred most likely stems from?” she asked.

Sherlock nodded and rattled off the words he had heard so many times, “You and my recovery therapist believe that my never-ending negative thought patterns and self-hatred were caused by my unresolved trauma which was reinforced by my destructive and self-sabotaging behaviors.”

June nodded at him before turning back to Mycroft. “It is usual for family members to struggle when they find out that a loved one is dealing with internal hatred and intrusive thoughts, but Sherlock’s trauma is not as simple as you having kept Eurus a secret. As I understand it, Sherlock suppressed his memories long before you lied to your parents about Eurus’ death, correct?” Mycroft nodded. “While I will not lie to you and tell you that your actions had no effect on how your brother sees himself, I will point out that his trauma started before then.”

June could tell Mycroft was processing what she had just said, so she let the silence settle over them.

After a few minutes, she cleared her throat, “Sherlock has shared that you two have spoken about all of the secrets that were kept surrounding Eurus…is there anything else regarding that situation either of you still feel needs to be discussed?”

Sherlock shook his head, but Mycroft turned towards him. “I am sincerely sorry for how I handled the situation with our sister.” He opened his mouth as if to say more, but faltered and closed it. Clearing his throat after a moment, he continued, “I hope that as we move forward, we continue to work together to do what is best for her and for our family as a whole…I am also sorry for my actions and my words when you first returned. I was selfish and angry, doing and saying things that I wish I could take back.”

Sherlock sat for a moment before speaking, “And I am s –” June cleared her throat and he glanced at her; she had an eyebrow raised in expectation. “Thank you, I appreciate hearing that.” She gave him a reassuring nod. “I think us continuing to work together is what is best for Eurus.” Mycroft gave him a curt nod. “I feel I should apologize for some of my behaviors when I first got home as well…I am sorry I acted childish then.” Mycroft rubbed the bridge of his nose. “I never properly thanked you for being there for Molly when I couldn’t be. You helped her shoulder the emotional toll of not being able to tell the truth about me and I know how much that meant to her…I also I truly appreciate everything you’ve done for her and Mina over the last year while I was lost in my own head.”

[olko71]

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Expected energy price cap cut will see bills fall

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By Kevin Peachey

Cost of living correspondent

A significant fall in domestic energy bills in July will be confirmed later when the regulator sets the next price cap in England, Wales and Scotland.

Analysts predict Ofgem’s decision will mean a £450 drop in a typical household’s annual gas and electricity bill, to about £2,050.

It will mark the end of a government guarantee which, since October, has limited the typical bill to £2,500.

It could also signal the return of competition to the market.

Fixed deals have all-but disappeared as an option for customers, but there is a widespread expectation that people may again be able to shop around and switch to the supplier offering the best deal.

However, consumer groups have warned that might not be best for everyone, especially owing to uncertain future costs.

“We hope to see consumers back able to make some choices,” said Emily Seymour, of consumer group Which? “However, it will depend on where energy prices go next.”

Analysts predict the typical annual bill, if affected by the price cap, to remain at around the £2,000-a-year mark for the rest of the year. However, earlier this week, Qatar’s energy minister warned the “worst is yet to come” for gas shortages in Europe, suggesting prices could rise again.

Ofgem’s energy price cap sets the maximum price that can be charged per unit of gas and electricity to households on variable or default tariffs in England, Wales and Scotland.

Since October, it has been superseded by the government’s Energy Price Guarantee, which meant a typical household’s annual gas and electricity bill has been £2,500, but this will expire at the end of June. A £400 discount on everyone’s energy bills, provided by the government during the winter, came to an end in April.

What is the energy cap and what’s happening to bills?

When is the cost of living payment and who gets it?

Although the typical bill will drop to about £2,000 a year in July, it will still be much higher than in the winter of 2021 when it stood at £1,277 a year.

Most households do not use a typical amount of gas and electricity. Bills are based on how much energy a household actually uses, which depends on the number of people, the type of property and its energy efficiency.

People who pay by direct debit will have to wait to see whether their supplier reduces the monthly demand, and should keep a close eye on any credit that may build up. Prepayment customers will have a cap set at the same level, but those who pay by cash, cheque or bank transfer, usually every three months, will have to pay more.

Energy is regulated separately in Northern Ireland, where bills will be held at £1,950 per year for an average household.

Commentators say that many households embraced the message of cutting back on energy use when bills were high last winter, sometimes by necessity and sometimes out of choice. They said, if that continued, it would help reduce domestic bills, especially if people used the summer to make changes.

Here are some energy saving ideas from environmental scientist Angela Terry, who set up One Home, a social enterprise that shares green, money-saving tips.

Getting a water efficient shower head free of charge from your water company and using showers rather than baths

Considering loft insulation, which she says costs around £460 for a typical semi-detached home and could save £355 a year on gas bills

Hanging out washing instead of using a tumble dryer, and walk instead of drive when possible

Use windy days to feel where draughts are in the house. Wetting the back of your hand helps to locate them, then use insulation or draught-proofing tape

When available, press the smaller button to use less water to flush the toilet

What do I do if I can’t afford to pay my debts?

What can I do if I can’t pay my energy bill?

Some people have taken the opportunity to upgrade homes, and habits, to manage their energy use to an even greater extent. When Tim Phillips moved into his home near Cambridge, he said it was “a nice surprise” that the newly-built property had solar panels on the roof.

It started a journey which now sees him use cheaper energy at night to charge a battery in his garage, as well as his electric car. That energy bank is then used to power his appliances during the day, when his variable tariff would have charged more.

An “energy brain” – a small computer in with the dustpan and brush in the downstairs cupboard – also helps to keep the costs down, by pulling any excess energy from the solar panels and using it to heat his water.

He keeps a close eye on his in-home display, which tells him when something is using up a lot of energy. That may be the oven, for good reason, but it may also be that an appliance has been left on unnecessarily.

“It is a system which makes me more acutely aware of what I am using,” he says. “It gives you freedom, rather than being a slave to it.”

Some of the kit involved comes from a Cambridgeshire-based business called Geo – which stands for Green Energy Options. Their argument is that far from being a house of the future, small pieces of technology such as a smart thermostat can only cost about £20 to £25 but cut energy bills by 20% or more.

It can automate simple actions such as switching off the heating when it senses nobody has been at home for some time. It has the potential to link to smart plugs, or voice assistants around the house.

Steve Cunningham, chief executive of Geo, said that energy management systems could bring hundreds of pounds of savings. “We’re working hard to transform the value that smart meters deliver to homes across the country,” he said.

What questions do you want answered on energy prices?

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If you are reading this page and can’t see the form you will need to visit the mobile version of the BBC website to submit your question or send them via email to YourQuestions@bbc.co.uk. Please include your name, age and location with any question you send in.

Related Topics

Money

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More on this story

What is the energy cap and what’s happening to bills?

16 hours ago

When is the cost of living payment and who gets it?

1 day ago

What do I do if I can’t afford to pay my debts?

1 day ago

What can I do if I can’t pay my energy bill?

1 day ago

[comatose-dreamer-beleriand]

11-18-22

I am barely here. I don’t see anyone paying attention to me, and that is fine. Since She moved in, on June 8 2018... our relationship just blossomed. There were times I had doubted, but at one point, I finally broached the subject. She responded with more than I expected. She was waiting for me to say something. So, starting June 2019, we “made it official” After that, it was smooth sailing. We grew closer and closer. We learned each other’s quirks and ticks. We learned of our shared fantasies and wants. She got off on a lot of things I could only have ever hoped to find in a partner. She ate my ass, she loved being held down as she went down on me and gagged, she liked it rough. She enjoyed being pissed on occasionally, especially on her pussy. She said it felt like loads of cum was being sprayed on her. A skill I acquired to not only cum, but piss as well. Simulating large ‘shots’. I learned how to properly choke her so it would be enjoyable and safe as possible. She liked being tied down and light pain applied. I was her first anal incursion; we bought trainer plugs so she could get used to it and the first time I entered her ass was heaven, and she came hard. Videos of anal sex always turned her on. We bought a special double ended dildo, one she would put inside her that would rub up against her g-spot as she fucked my own ass. She was to be my first, a gift if you will, for the freedoms I got to experience with her and the sexual exploration. Hell, I even broke my own rule and proposed to her. And she said yes. Laid out the plan that we can still keep our polyamory going, just a more deep and enduring primary connection. She died October 15, 2021. Heroine overdose. To the point, a Fentanyl overdose. Her supply was tainted. I found her in the bathroom. I tried CPR as I called emergency service. We were lazing around, about to fall asleep as I had work the next day, when she got up and said she needed to make a call to a VERY close friend. “When I get back, I want Daddy’s dick. So don’t go to sleep just yet.” I dozed off at some point, already tired. I woke up with a start, a YouTube video had been playing for 30 minutes. The previous 45 minute video over. So I must have dozed for at least an hour. The bathroom door was locked. When I knocked, there was no answer. It was locked, so I knocked again, waiting a couple minutes before I grabbed a knife to unlock it. She was slumped over the bathtub. At first, I thought it was her xanax, knocking her out before she could make it to bed. It has happened before. I was wrong. Her skin was pallid, her eyes were slits and pupils rolled back. Drool from her mouth. I shook her lightly, tapping my hand on her cheek with no response what so ever. Moving her was a chore, which was different. Something was terribly wrong as my finger jabbed for a pulse on her neck, her wrist, and the inside of her thigh. If there was one, it was very feint. I ran to the bedroom and grabbed my phone, dialing 911. I set immediately to chest compressions as I waited for a voice on the line. The EMTs arrived pretty quick, I leave the door unlocked when I am home; woe betide anyone who breaks in while I am home. At this point, I had no idea what it could be. I described the various medications she used, recreational weed. At the time, I had no idea she was on heroin again. She had been off for so long, and from her she said she only tried once. Her death was declared a little past midnight. It took me three months to get it together. I was cleaning under the bathroom sink when I found her stash bag, after a friend of her contacted me on Facebook. She had asked this friend for safe use and injection methods for heroin. Her needle still had something she cooked up in it. I had it tested and it had lethal amount of Fentanyl. It is now November, 2022... I am just able to deal with this enough to move on. I miss my Baby Girl, every day. A girl I have known for well over two decades... just gone. I still have some things to work out on this. And even if I do, I don’t know if I will ever find another partner like her. My ass was for her and if I did find someone, I wonder if the trust will ever be met to allow for that kind of dedication. I already hate people. The few I have that kind of trust for are in monogamous relationships. To those reading; I don’t know you. I probably never will. If you are a user; be careful. I would prefer you not use at all due to the entire drug chain being tainted with this crap. BUT, if you choose to keep using, at least get your shit tested.

[cmyknoise]

Hey guys, I know I complain about Revolt as a merch company a LOT. 

But there is a very very long twitter thread, as Wilbur’s merch starts shipping out, of designs coming in completely wrong. Like, the teal hoodie seems to be the biggest problem, as it’s coming in with the brown hoodie design. This means it doesn’t have the windows logo or the printed on back, and several are missing the drawstrings. 

Other issues such as the navy crewneck coming in bright blue, and shipping issues, etc. 

Here’s the Twitter Thread

There’s a lot of issues, and be careful as you receive your merch from Revolt (look the clothes over while they’re still in the plastic wrapping, I believe the site says if the wrapping is removed you can’t return it). 

If something is wrong take pictures and send emails to support@wilbur.store

This issue is seriously fucked up and I’ve gone on and on before about how Revolt is a shit merch company, but now they’re not even getting the designs of the clothing right and the hoodies especially were very expensive. Please be cautious. 

If you’re curious, Tubbo, Ranboo, Karl, Jack Manifold, Wilbur, Tommy, and a few others have done merch through this company, but it is not their fault. The company is vague to customers and the cc!s they do this deal with. Wilbur read what Revolt had told him and it was vague and the exact same copy/paste message that they send fans when they question shipping times. 

Please please please stop buying from Revolt, and please keep an eye out on your merch as it comes in, the teal hoodie from Wilbur especially. 

IF YOU GET THE WRONG HOODIE DO NOT TAKE IT OUT OF THE CLEAR PLASTIC. IF THE FRONT DESIGN ISNT THE RIGHT ONE, IT’S NOT RIGHT. IF YOU TAKE IT OUT OF THE CLEAR PLASTIC YOU CAN’T RETURN IT.

EDIT: Some additional things are below!!

 The teal hoodie should look like this ⬇️⬇️

It is being shipped with no draw streams, very acid washed, and with the design that was exclusive to the brown hoodie ⬇️⬇️

The brown hoodie is embroidered but features no back design, just Wilbur’s name. 

There are other issues with one of the long sleeve shirts arriving a bright blue rather than a muted navy blue. 

The merch in general is so far 2-3 weeks late in shipping, and responses from support are vague and bare. 

Also! I just want to compile my personal experiences with Revolt and some other comments

I first ordered Tubbo merch when it was initially released in June 2021. It was initially delayed from shipping in Sepetember to October. 

October rolled around, no further update. I sent a support email and it took about 2 weeks for a response. I was told they’d be shipping within a week. The week passed, it’s now early November and I contact them again. I’m told it’ll ship out late November. No update, no merch. Early December I sent out another email and they responded a week later that it’ll get there by the end of December. Once again, I waited, and I received Tubbo’s merch early January.

I first ordered Ranboo’s merch when it was initially released, it was supposed to ship out early November. Again the date rolls around and nothing. It took 3 weeks for me to get an email back, in which case I was told it would ship out in a week or two. Repeat of what happened with Tubbo, and I didn’t get my merch until January. 

Every email was the same cut/paste response of ‘we’ve been delayed, items haven’t come in, we expect to get them in a few days, we’ll ship next week.’ but this happens each and every time. 

Luckily, all my orders came in correct and of decent quality, but I’ve seen quality control issues from other people’s orders. 

I didn’t buy Ranboo’s holiday merch, but I’ve seen the snowglobe issues. There were also issues of the hat not fitting. Some of Tubbo’s second release pin boxes would show up missing pins. 

Whatever is going on is extremely disappointing and I urge you to look at the thread as more and more is added to it. I think somehow this should be brought to cc’s attention, but I have no idea how (Reddit maybe, since Wilbur checks that a lot). 

I want to be clear that it seems that the cc’s are unaware of this issue. Revolt very obviously sends them quality pre-designs of the merch, things they can wear a few months ahead to hype up the merch. It seems they may also be of better quality. 

Based on what Wilbur has said in the last two streams he’s done (April 14th & 15th), it seems he’s aware of the late shipping times and seemed mildly upset by them. He contacted the team but was told the exact same things they tell customers, which is unfortunate. It seems Revolt is as equally unclear to who they partner with as they are with fans buying merch. 

I strongly advise you not purchase merch sold by Revolt in the future. This is pretty much anything under preorder with the fancy websites, Currently Phil and Wilbur do have merch shops unattached to Revolt, I’ve bought merch from them, they’re safe. 

Just be weary buying from Revolt.