#i complain about fake out deaths but she’s not been in the story that much really she deserves more timr

[jounosparticles]

no. maybe i’m in denial but i refuse to believe teruko is truly dead. she’s had an absolutely hellish life. asagiri doesn’t like to kill characters that have not gotten their second chances at life yet. but at the same time asagiri likes killing children so maybe we have lost her. i really hope it is undone somehow

[barnesafterglow]

first burn

summary: your crush on peter may burn you alive

pairing: mcu!peter parker x avenger!reader

word count: 2.6k

warnings: not canon compliant (no snap, everyone is happy and healthy and no one did anything stupid), peter is of age and well within his rights to fuck!!, a little tropey for a second (brief "fake dating" and "only one bed" to move the story along), smut [unprotected sex, pull out method oral (f receiving), just some sweet love making dude], listen i'm here for a good time not a long time

a/n: two fics in a year?? who is she

main masterlist - i no longer have a taglist but you can follow @theafterglowlibrary for updates!

Peter Parker was going to be the death of you.

With each grunt that echoed through the gym in Avengers Tower, your eyes flicked to his sweaty form. The goddamned death of you.

You tried to backtrack, to see when these feelings first started as a small burning in the back of your mind that had turned into a raging wildfire every time you were in his presence. It had to have been the mission in London.

It was normal - or as normal as any Avengers mission could be. 

You had just stumbled through the throes of midtown London, hand in hand with your boyfriend, looking with every bit of wonder like neither of you had ever seen the delights it had to offer.

Then, as soon as you stepped through the hotel door, Peter dropped your hand as if it had burned him the whole time. 

Maybe it started then, with that glimmer of disappointment. Peter wasn’t your boyfriend and he would never take the time to take you around tourist London like he had just done. 

And then that pit in your stomach grew as the door to your room opened: only one bed. Jesus Christ, Tony. 

“I know,” came the response from beside you; you must have spoken out loud. “It’ll be fine.”

Those were the last words he spoke for a long while, as you both got ready for bed, then slid in beside each other. The tension was palpable, and you didn’t know if it was your slowly mounting feelings or the clench of his discomfort, but regardless you slept fitfully for hours until you finally stumbled into a deep sleep.

You woke up to a strong pair of arms wrapped around your middle - somehow pressed there in the dark of the night - and the world spun around you as you shot up.

Peter was alert in seconds, standing by the bed assessing for a threat, when his eyes met yours - utterly confused and you had no real answer for him.

“Bad dream,” you mumbled as you headed to the bathroom, the door clicking with a sort of finality behind you.

And it was fine, really it was. You definitely didn’t think about the way press of his body against yours and how sexy his bed head had looked. Nope. Not at all. 

And you definitely didn’t imagine what he would have looked like if you were the one who made him sweaty and flushed like he was right now.

Snapping out of your borderline impure thoughts, you stood from your spot on the ground where you had been warming up and - before your mouth said something you could regret - you walked out of the gym.

With your back turned, you missed the way Peter’s eyes followed you the whole way.

-

Saturday nights were girl’s nights, as Wanda so boldly claimed. And girl’s night came with a lot of complaining.

Throwing the shot back, you groaned, not even wanting to voice your thoughts aloud.

“I shouldn’t even think about it,” you said. “He’s practically a kid.”

“Not to impede on your self-loathing, but he’s not a kid anymore babe,” was Natasha’s response. She nodded across the bar where Peter was sipping his beer, laughing at something Sam had said. Right, he was 22 and totally within your age range, but that didn’t mean you didn’t still see him as the 16 year old kid who had fought by Tony’s side. “Plus you’re not that much older than him. We used to call you a kid too, you know.”

Dragging your hand down your face, you stood from the table to order another drink, ignoring Nat and Wanda’s laughter at your misery.

As you leaned against the bar waiting, Peter dropped down into the stool beside you.

“Alright, what did I do to you?” His words were casual, joking, but you could hear the hurt laced within. That was never your intention, and your heart sank.

You and Peter had been friends for a long time, since Tony had first brought him in after the air had cleared with him and Cap. You bonded over being the youngest Avengers and what that meant for your lives. The two of you understood each other on another level that no one else truly did. And here you were, ruining everything over a little crush.

“Nothing, Pete.” You ruffled your hand through his hair and his face lit up in a blush that he tried to hide behind his beer bottle. “How have you been?”

“Not too bad, I guess,” he replied, then looked down at you - when had he gotten so tall - with an unreadable emotion on his face. “I miss you.”

Right. And you were back where you started. Admittedly, you had avoided him for the most part since that London mission, only saying hi in passing and at the occasional movie night or debrief. You weren’t exactly proud of it, but you didn’t know what else to do.

“I miss you too,” you whispered, shame coating your words. You never meant to hurt him - honestly, you didn’t. “Listen, kid, I just-“

“Don’t call me kid.” And the anger in his words surprised you. “I’m not that kid you met six years ago - when you were barely any older, might I remind you - and you know that. I know you know that. So don’t use that as an excuse to stop whatever is going on here.” His hands gestured between the two of you. 

Strong, capable hands that you had seen hurt and save, had seen run through his hair, had seen play video games. Hands that you had imagined for weeks now. Hands that you couldn’t help but grab out of mid air, clasping one in your own. 

“And what’s going on here, Peter?”

He leaned in close, breath hot on your ear. 

“I see the way you look at me.” Your breath hitched, then stopped altogether. “But I don’t think you see me looking right back.”

Body all of a sudden hot and raging with emotion, you squeezed his hand and took a deep breath. 

“Take me home.”

-

Your apartment was closer, so you walked the handful of blocks from the bar in tangible silence. Every brush of fingers was an electric jolt through your body and every bump of shoulders sent heat through your core. By the time you reached your front door, the tension was pulled so tight it was bound to snap at any moment.

And snap it did.

As soon as you had the apartment door closed behind you, Peter was on you, his hands everywhere all at once. He crowded you, pulling you close to him when you winced at the door knob digging into your side. One hand came to rest on your hip, rubbing soothing circles there, while the other cradled your face, eyes searching for permission.

You didn’t know what you were giving him permission for, but you nodded anyway.

The world around you stopped as Peter placed a searing kiss to your lips, stealing the breath from your lungs. The hand on your face moved to gently tug your hair and he took your gasp as an invitation to explore your mouth. God the boy knew how to kiss.

His tongue pressed into you, tasting every inch while your hands roamed his body. When he pulled away - not for air, not to leave you, but to place hot kisses down your neck, leaving a trail of burning fire in their wake - you tugged on his t-shirt in a silent plea for him to take it off.

It wasn’t like you hadn’t seen him without a shirt before. Between missions and training and plain old gym sessions, you were thankfully no stranger to a shirtless Peter Parker. But in the dim light of your living room, with those brown eyes boring into your own, everything was suddenly different.

You just stared - for far longer than necessary, you were sure - until he took a step back towards you, his fingers intertwining with your own. Nodding at him, you started to lead him towards your bedroom, not making it more than two steps until his hands were once again exploring your body.

When you finally made it - a trail of both of your clothes left in your wake - your breaths were heavy and panting, aching for more of him.

He stood there for a moment just looking at you, taking in the red lace of your bra and underwear. Unable to contain himself, he ripped it off of you in two quick pulls, leaving you bare before him.

You expected him to jump on you the second you were naked. Instead he pressed his front against your own - you gasped at the contact of your nipples against his bare chest - and lightly traced shapes over your exposed back, moving down to trail along your legs, then back up your arms. Everywhere he touched burned the memory into your skin.

Finally, finally, he gently pushed you against your bed, your back hitting the mattress with a soft bounce, and he peeled off his jeans and underwear before manhandling you towards the center, moving your body as if you weighed nothing.

You truly didn’t need any foreplay, the tension on your own end built up these last few weeks on top of Peter’s heated discovery of your body made for an easy transition, but he wasn’t about to let that happen.

No, Peter Parker was a fucking tease.

He started by kneading the soft skin of your breasts, touch light and gentle as if you were something precious. Even when he leaned down to take one of your nipples in his mouth, he still only gave you quick nips, nothing as satisfying as you needed. He made his way down your body, placing lover’s kisses everywhere he could reach, before finally settling down on his stomach between your legs.

You thought that this was surely the moment you would get some reprieve, some kind of real touch that may or may not send you over the edge, but no. He wasn’t done with you yet.

He kissed the inside of each thigh, alternating until he was breathing right where you needed him most. When you thought you were about to explode, he finally lowered his mouth to your core.

The feeling after so long of teasing was euphoric, and you swear if you were a weaker woman you could have come from the first swipe of his tongue against your clit. You held out as his tongue made its way in circles and figure eights, then he pressed a finger against your entrance, eyes looking up through dark lashes to silently ask permission.

Once you had given it, he sank a finger into you, pumping it a few times before adding another. With that, both his hand and mouth picked up speed until you were grinding on his face, chasing your orgasm.

You were on the edge, ready to jump off, when he pulled back. You whined at the loss of contact and tried to sit up, but one large hand pushed you back against the bed, the other starting its assault all over again.

This time, he didn’t stop until you were coming all over his face, and you think you blacked out for a second because the next thing you knew he was over top of you, not even bothering to wipe his mouth before kissing you, driving his tongue in and swallowing down your moans.

He ground his hips against you, his cock sliding easily through your folds, and you both whined as his tip caught at your entrance. He continued his movements, getting closer and closer to fucking you with every pass, but never quite committing.

Sick of his teasing, you pushed hard on his shoulders and, in his surprise, were able to flip him so he was on his back.

“Stop teasing, Peter,” you whispered in his ear as you straddled his waist. “I need you.”

You pulled back, eyes searching his, before he nodded and wrapped his hands around your hips. Taking that as permission, you grabbed his cock, lining it up and slowly sliding down.

He was big, much bigger than you had anticipated, and you had to take your time before he was fully seated inside you. Once your hips were flush together, you took a breath, practically feeling him in your throat. 

He looked up at you - almost adoringly - as you adjusted to him. You leaned down, pressing your chest against his, and kissed him gently, pouring every ounce of emotion you possibly could into it before starting to move your hips. Now more adjusted, the burn of the stretch turned into a pleasure that had you melting against him and hands guided your hips to move you along his length.

For long minutes you let him move you as he wanted, content to hang on for the ride. You didn’t expect for Peter to flip you over and start pounding into you.

“Fuck,” you gasped out as he settled your legs over your shoulders. “So fucking deep.”

All you could do is hold onto him as he fucked you, alternating between hard thrusts and slow grinds until you were dizzy with pleasure, chasing an orgasm that wasn’t going to come unless Peter damn well wanted it to.

And when he did, when he reached down and rubbed harsh circles into your clit, you exploded around him. The clench of your heat around his cock spurred his own orgasm, and he pulled out at the last second, his come coating your stomach and tits.

That on is own was hot enough, but Peter fucking Parker did not come to play. He swiped two fingers through his own release before pressing them to your mouth. You opened up for him, cleaning off his fingers as he groaned, and you could see his cock give an interested twitch, like it was already trying to go for round two.

The weight of his body disappeared from yours and you whined, reaching out for him even with your eyes closed. He quickly returned with a warm rag and cleaned you up before maneuvering you both under the covers. 

Regaining a semblance of strength, you turned so that you were facing him, suddenly very aware of each of your nakedness.

“What now?” Your voice was hoarse-sounding, it’s only use in the last bit from moans and gasps.

“Well,” he started, once again tracing shapes along your bare skin, “I think we maybe skipped a step in the middle of all this.”

“What do you mean?” If he was going to say what you thought he might, your heart would implode.

“I mean, I’ve liked you for a really long time, longer than I’m going to admit, and I took this chance because I didn’t know if I would ever get it again. But if I’m right - and I think I am - then you feel the same way I do. So, I want to take you on a proper date. I want to make this work.”

His confession made your heart stutter-step and you couldn’t even find the words to tell him yes, yes, a thousand times yes. Instead, you pulled him in for a soft kiss, hoping every emotion he had just poured out to you was matched in the press of your lips against his.

“I’m taking that as a yes, then.”

“Yeah, Pete, it is.”

[808airsoftbros]

Yujin's Wake Up Call

Author: This is a simple short story nothing too special and something that came to my mind that I want to write. If you want to see more of my stories check out my Masterlist.

Author's POV

It was another busy day at Starship, the IVE girls recently returned from their world tour and they were indeed exhausted after travelling the world for the past several months.

Yujin especially was tired along with the girls but she was disheartened when she heard that they would be visiting a patient with cancer as part of the wish foundation.

"Can you girls go for me? I'm too tired," Yujin asked and Gaeul rolled her eyes.

"Are you serious, Yujin? I get that you're tired from travelling the world but our manager says will be getting a whole month break afterward and we can do whatever we want from there," Gaeul pointed out and Yujin groaned.

"Yeah, and also our fans mean alot to us, and what about you?" Rei asked and Yujin scoffed.

"What are you on about? I'm only being nice because I have to and I hate that I have to be fake!" Yujin complained and Gaeul shook her head in disappointment.

Sadly, Yujin can be lazy at times, she'd be often caught slacking in dance practices when off camera, and you can bet every dollar that she tried every excuse you could think of to get out of her work.

This would annoy her members especially Gaeul and they'd always be fighting and arguing with one another.

"Yujin, do not start this shit again... We've been over this how many God damn times already?! When are you ever going to change?!" Gaeul angrily asked and Yujin rolled her eyes.

"When management doesn't constantly make us work to death," She answered spitefully.

"Well, if you do not behave, Ms. An Yujin, you will be one sorry woman, do you hear me?" Gaeul coldly warned but Yujin shrugged it off.

Because of how she always tends to act, the crew and management, and even her own members don't like nor respect her, but she doesn't seem to care.

Yujin also tends to have bad habits of drinking and smoking too much and Gaeul always catches her vaping when she's not supposed to.

Wonyoung and Yujin's friendship began deteriorating as she was fed up with her antics and was disheartened to see her friend changing for the worse.

One quiet night, Yujin snuck out of the dorm without waking up the girls and sat on a bench to smoke and drink.

It was quite foggy and there were hardly any noises to be heard besides the slight sounds of the breeze which was perfect for her.

"Perfect. No one to bother me," Yujin muttered as she takes a sip of soju.

"Excuse me," She heard a feminine voice asked and she turned to see a unfamiliar woman.

Yujin jumped in surprise as she didn't notice the woman approaching her.

"W-what do you want?" She nervously asked.

"Oh, sorry for startling you, it's quite a foggy night is it?" She kindly asked.

"I guess you can say that..." Yujin muttered to her and took a puff from her pod.

"Shouldn't idols be limiting how much they drink and smoke?" The woman asked as she sat down next to her.

"Why is it your business?" She snarled and the woman frowned.

Seeing Yujin's attitude, the woman just stared at her intently and then gave her a cold demeanor.

"I'll tell you why you're here... It's because you're lazy, useless, and a pathetic excuse of an idol," The woman coldly said and Yujin was taken aback.

"Who the fuck are you to judge me?! I can't help but get overwhelmed sometimes! Maybe if you were an idol then you'd understand!" Yujin retorts and the woman shook her head.

"Tsk. Overwhelmed? Only because you just have to visit a special patient? Is that your only excuse? As someone who has a chronic heart condition, you disgust me," The woman angrily replied and Yujin was now lost for words trying to come up with the words.

"I-" She was about to say but was cut off.

"Shut it! Did you know I was once an idol like you? I couldn't practice or sing on some days but I still give it my all! Unlike you, who has a management who at least cares for you and would get you the help you need... My management never cared for me, if they don't see me as efficient... Poof, they will simply get rid of me like I'm sort of a piece of garbage meant to be disposed of," The woman explained her story and Yujin gulped in fear.

"Every day I have to work through excruciating pain! The only person who ever cared for me was the custodian who works here, and I have to keep working no matter what just to survive, and here I see a spoiled rotten you always coming up with excuses just to get out of work! You leave me speechless... Do you have any idea how lucky you are?" The woman coldly asked with a tear shedding from her eye and Yujin tried to shrug off the feeling of guilt but no matter how hard she tried... It lingered inside of her but she refused to show it.

"There are many other idols left forgotten in the winds of time and talents wasted, they would give anything to be in your position yet you couldn't care less... It's pitiful," She finished and Yujin was boiling deep inside.

"And who the hell are you?!" Yujin asked her and the woman grinned.

"Consider me your wake up call, An Yujin, I hope one day you realize the error of your ways... Goodnight," The woman bid goodbye and got up from the bench.

Yujin watched as the mysterious woman walked into the fog and vanished out of sight.

After that, Yujin was left angry and confused, she wondered who the woman was as she had never met or heard of her. She quickly concludes her drinking and smoking session and goes back inside the building.

When she got into the corridor she finds the janitor Jake sweep mopping the floor.

"Hey, Jake!" Yujin called out and he paused.

"Yes?" Jake replied and Yujin sighs.

"Do you happen to know a woman who was an idol here? She claims to have a heart condition but... I don't know she's making it up or not to trick me into making me feel bad," She asked and Jake frowned before looking down.

Jake goes into his pocket pulling out a picture of the very same woman that Yujin encountered earlier and her eyes widened in surprise.

"Is this the woman you're referring to?" Jake asked as he showed the photo.

"Y-yes, that's her alright, who is she?" She curiously asked and he deeply sighed.

"Her name is Jennifer Jung, she was once a trainee here, she was also the sister of Jessica and Krystal Jung, but she had a severe and chronic heart condition... I tried my best to help her when management wasn't looking but it wasn't enough, she perished five months into her training," He explained the story and sighed once more.

Yujin froze in terror and shivers were sent down her spine as she could hardly believe that she was talking to the spirit of Jennifer this whole time.

She didn't know what to make of it but Jake didn't see her as a crazy person and he already figured she saw Jennifer. Yujin returns to her dorm and Jake continues his janitorial duties.

After that night, Yujin was a changed woman much to everyone's surprise, she eventually quit smoking and stopped drinking as much, although she mostly kept to herself, she stopped complaining and followed their schedules.

Yujin and the girls visited the hospital patient without issues or trouble much to management's delight and they were happy they were able to deliver someone's last dying wish.

Sometimes Yujin felt the urge to return to her old habits but refused and kept going no matter what. Yujin would never forget that encounter that night.

She never saw Jennifer again but on some foggy nights, she felt her presence was near but never again would she take anything for granted.

[this-is-my-funny-reblogs-account]

When the 141 guys and their s/o hear the neighbours having sex

John 'Soap' MacTavish

He'd be the funny one, assuming the both of you are not sleeping. He'd laugh a bit about it but mostly he'd listen.

He and his partner would be the couple that would make up the entire storyline based on the sounds they can hear.

'Do you think she has choked him to death or maybe she's just sitting on his face? Oh! He's alive!'

'She's totally faking it, I can tell. Either this or he's genuinely hurting her to scream like this.'

He wouldn't feel like he and his partner have to get back on their neighbours the next time they're having sex. They treat it more like a funny situation related to living in a flat.

His partner and him definitely bond over making the most ridiculous background stories to what they can hear.

Just a lot of laughter and goofiness.

Simon 'Ghost' Riley

He either ignores this or he's so deep in his sleep he's not aware of the neighbours activities. I think Simon either can't sleep at all or he's sleeping like a log thanks to his partner's comfort. Like this person next to him makes him so comfortable and safe that he can sleep, he can allow himself to rest while being unconscious. I'd say it's his biggest sign of trust and love, he can sleep well in your presence.

On occasion when he's awake and you're awake he'll ask a dumb question, semi-related to what they can hear.

'Do you think they can hear us too when we're shagging?'

'Do you think only we're that lucky or maybe Mrs Taylor can hear them too? She does live next to them.'

He'd usually cuddle his partner and try to fall asleep. It's a rarity for him to get good night sleep and he's not giving up on this because his neighbours are boinking.

Kyle 'Gaz' Garrick

He contemplates his life choices.

'It could have been us but you're asleep.'

It's not like he gets aroused by the sounds of his neighbours having sex but rather he gets a bit embarrassed by the whole ordeal.

I'd say it's because he has his English prude moments. It also means that he likes to get a bit freaky himself, but he's the most comfortable when it's a private thing.

Like he's ok with many things his partner is into, but he'd be extremely embarrassed if anyone else knew about what he and his partner do in bed.

I'd say it's a second hand embarrassed moment for him as he can't help but wonder if his neighbours have heard him and his partner too. When he's in the moment he doesn't think about the noises he makes or how loud he and his partner are but when this guy lies in bed, and hears the sex sounds he can't help but wonder.

If his partner and him are up for this they might have some fun on their own.

'Let's just tune it out.'

John Price

This guy is old. Let him rest.

He spends so much time risking his life, planning missions and managing the 141, SAS and being an operator that when he's at home he wants to rest.

He will complain. Mostly because I can't imagine him living in the apartment so the situation most likely happen in a hotel or a place like this.

If his partner riles him up enough he will show them that this old geezer has some steam left in him and he does know how to have fun.

Ironically, the oldest guy is the one who is the most likely to have sex with his partner after hearing his neighbours doing the deed.

He'd also leave his partner breathless, speechless and absolutely satisfied before falling asleep.

He's still an old guy at the end of the day, he wants to sleep, but we're talking about Price here. He's not letting anyone make fun of him, not even his love.

[agentem]

I listened to a NPR podcast about "Agatha All Along." Two guys complaining that it wasn't feminist because the "sisterhood" is only pretend.

I'm just having a lot of thoughts.

Why does everything starring a woman necessarily need to be feminist? Like Agatha uses her Road con to trick other women into giving her their power, I don't think she's a feminist character. (She literally helps "the patriarchy" bind Jen.) It's her show. So things being a trick make sense for her. I suppose if it had been presented as a fun show about the Coven as a whole I might feel disappointed. But I watched so many press interviews, and it was pretty clear that Kathryn Hahn was the lead and Joe Locke was #2 to me from the beginning.

Am I the only one who doesn't feel like Alice and Lilia's deaths are "for nothing" since the Road is fake? I have mixed feelings about Alice's death, but I was glad they had that scene with Rio to call out how unfair it was. But Alice's natural inclination is to protect, and Agatha's is to take. Teen is correct when he says Agatha didn't deserve Alice. (Still unclear to me why he thinks Agatha can control her powers in the second to last episode because the impression I got was that she could not.) But this is what Agatha has done to many, many women. All those nameless ladies in the montage also had stories and lives to get back to. But we only know Alice's so hers is the only one we feel.

And then I guess with Lilia I love her too much. She sees past her own death. She knows who Teen "becomes." So I do think she still goes to her death knowing what is up. Maybe not knowing everything about how the Road was created and whatnot, but that this is the way she can make a difference with her limited time. And her inclination is to help the Team, not make things easier for herself. So she does. Am I crazy?

[tearfallpixie]

Soulmate Necklace - Chapter 3: Interviews

Tags: @nerdraging4point0 @thesazzb @synthetic-wasp-570 @circle-with-me @beaker1636 @itsjustemily @witchyweeb34 @agravemisstake @cookiesupplier @cncohshit @faceless-mirror @nonamessblog @yournecessaryevil @black-damask1999

@lyschko666 @vinyardmauro @skulliecadaver-blog @some-daniela @latenightmusiclover @rye14-blog1 @somewhere-diamond @Shilohrosechicken @abiomens @awkwardalex @rumoured-whispers @miss570 @dominuslunae @th0ughts-pr4yers

I stepped lightly as I weaved around the boys on stage. This was my fifth performance taking photos with them and I still was so scared that I was going to get in their way. I was currently on the platform taking pics of Vinny drumming away on his kit and enjoying the fire that he had in his eyes whenever he was performing. I knew for a fact that Elara enjoyed it the most. Her and Vinny weren’t together yet since her boyfriend just broke up with her but they were spending time getting to know each other first and I could tell that they were both sweet on each other.

Ricky was another story though. We avoided each other at all costs unless we were anywhere that cameras could possibly catch us. That was the only time he would really touch, talk to or even look at me, not that I minded too much. Whenever we did interact on the bus it was constant bickering or insults. How the scientists thought we would be a good match was beyond me but what’s done was done. I noticed the guitarist move in front of the platform, so I got a cool picture of him overlooking the crowd as he played.

I stepped off of the platform and made my way into the barricade where I took more photos up at Chris. He loved the attention and bent down to sing into the camera, allowing me to get some more cool stills of him. As they were wrapping up their concert I caught a beautiful photo of Ricky staring out at the crowd with the biggest smile on his face and I couldn’t lie that it made me melt a little inside. He glanced down at me and gave a small wave as a tech came to take his guitar so he could pass out his picks and do the bows. I went back up onto the stage and got a photo of their bows before they turned around for their signature group photo before they left.

“They were incredible. I’m so jealous that you get to be on stage with them every night.” Elara complained when I entered the dressing room.

“Don't be. I’m mostly in their way.” I shrugged, putting my camera away. I turned around and saw Vinny and Ricky come in and make a bee line to us. Ricky took me into his arms and placed a kiss to my temple. I was about to say something when a lady I didn’t recognize walked in.

“Ah, you must be Ricky’s soulmate.” She cheered, holding out her hand. I shook it cautiously and glanced up at the guitarist who was holding me tightly.

“Yes, I am. I’m sorry. Who are you?” I asked.

“I’m Becca, with Livewire. We wanted to grab a quick interview before you left for the night.” She said.

“Of course. I can leave you to it-“

“Baby girl, she wants to do an interview with us and our partners.” Ricky told me gently. I stiffened and felt his thumbs rubbing soothing circles into my hip bones.

“Oh, uh, yeah. We can do that.” I nodded. We moved over to the couch and I sat next to Ricky while Vinny pulled Elara onto his lap. Ricky kept a death grip on my hand and I could tell he was nervous. We usually got notice before interviews so anything could happen. The interviewer sat in the chair across from us and pulled out a pad and recorder.

“So you’ve been with your boys for two weeks now? How did you guys meet?” She started.

“Elara and I came to see their Denver show and managed to get the barricade on Ricky's side. I wasn't a fan of the band but El was so I tagged along with her. I-I actually don’t know how we got so lucky to be noticed.” I faked a giggle. I cringed at how fake it sounded but Becca was eating it up.

“Her necklace caught the light just right when I walked on stage and I knew instantly that it was the same. I had only gotten my necklace the week prior so I was surprised to find my soulmate so soon.” Ricky spoke up, squeezing my hand comfortingly.

“I didn’t notice Elara until it was the end of the show because I’m up on my platform obviously but I thought she was the prettiest girl I had ever seen when I came down so I went to give her a drumstick and saw her necklace. We brought them backstage and decided that they would travel with us so that we could get to know each other better. It was just lucky that Scarlette was a photographer and El was a makeup artist.” Vinny offered his side.

“What are your views on the whole soulmate thing in general.” My breath hitched and I gave a side glance to Ricky. He leaned back and dropped his arm over my shoulder with a sigh.

“I think its kind of nice.” He said. “It takes the pain out of dating and heartbreak and honestly I was very lucky to be paired with Scarlette. She and I have the same interests and tastes in books and music which gives us something to talk about all the time. Do I think going to jail over not getting together with your soulmate is stupid? Yes but like I said, I got lucky.” He shrugged as I tried to hold back my shock. I knew he was acting but I was still baffled by how calm he was.

“And you Scarlette?”

“I agree, the jail thing is stupid but Ricky is funny and sweet and I enjoy spending time with him. Being with him sparks my creativity in a way I forgot was possible.” I murmured, looking up at him. He smiled down at me and pressed a kiss to my forehead which made me smile a little.

“What about you, Elara? How has Vinny been?” Becca asked.

“He’s been completely wonderful. He’s an absolute goofball and I love it. He knows exactly how to make me laugh and cheer me up. It’s been amazing to travel with them and do their makeup too. I never thought I would have such a massive opportunity to show off my skills.”

“El’s makeup talent is unmatched to any of our previous makeup artists which is a nice relief. Scar has been an amazing photographer too! I haven’t seen anything like their work.” Vinny gushed. He leaned forward and pressed a kiss to Elara’s cheek. We talked for a bit longer about the tour and what their plans were for the rest of the tour and the new album they were going to work on after this tour before Becca decided that she was done and wished us goodbye. The moment she was out of sight Ricky frowned.

“She was a fed.” He muttered quietly in my ear. “Or at least sent by them. She’ll probably still be hanging around when we leave so stay close.” We quickly packed up the rest of our stuff and he grabbed my hand as we walked out to the bus. Like he said, she was standing at the gate talking to some fans and turned to wave as we walked by. We waved back with smiles as we reached the door. “Come here.” He whispered. He pulled me into his chest and leaned down to press his lips to mine. I let out a squeak but grabbed onto his arms and attempted to kiss back.

“What was that for?” I asked quietly.

“Adds to the story.” He mumbled. “Don’t need them to have a reason to report us. Plus no one has seen us kiss before so it was about time.” He opened the door letting me walk in first before following me in. I buried my face in my hands and sank to the couch with a groan.

“Why did you have to that?” I snapped harshly.

“I told you, to get them off our back.” He hissed, dropping his bag to the floor.

“You could have given me a little warning.” I spit, standing up and getting in his face.

“It’s not like I wanted to kiss you. I can’t exactly announce that I am going to kiss you when eyes are literally on us.” He growled.

“You could have, I don’t know, not kissed me?”

“God you’re fucking impossible. You know that?” He huffed. “Your life is on the line too if we fuck this up.” I was about to snap back when the door opened, and Chris stepped in. We saw the lady outside talking to Ryan and Ricky let out a low growl. “Baby girl, come here. I’m sorry.” He pulled me into his arms as we watched the lady eyeing us.

“I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have freaked out like that. I’m just not a huge fan of pda.” I murmured, resting my chin on his chest and looking up at him.

“I know and I should have been respectful of that.” He whispered. I leaned up and pressed our lips together once more before pulling away and grabbing his bag, dragging him to the back of the bus.

“This is so fucking stupid. Why are we being watched like a hawk now? Aren’t there more pressing issues to investigate than whether two people are fucking or not?” I grumbled. “I shouldn’t have freaked out, I’m sorry.”

“I did kind of spring that on you. I’m sorry too.” I let out a yawn and grabbed a pair of pajamas to change into. I stripped out of my shirt and pulled the other on. When I turned around I could tell Ricky had a heavy blush on his cheeks.

“What? If I’m supposed to be your girlfriend, you should be used to seeing me naked.” I teased him.

“Watch it. If that’s the game you want to play you wont like the results.” He smirked.

“Good night, Ricky.”

“Night, Scar.”

[fxlling13]

Lie

Dh!master x fem!reader

Synopsis: the master and the doctor both notice how much you have changed over the past few months. And it worries them.

Warnings: abuse, physical and mental. Injuries, breakdowns, Death, murder. The master kills a man. Victim blaming . Manipulation. Probably more.

Sitting in the console room, the master put his paper down and looked up. The doctor was under the console, trying to improve on something. He honestly didn't care enough to ask. Instead, there was something else on his mind. Sitting forward, he scratched his chin thoughtfully.

"What is it? Because I can hear your brain working from here." The blonde said, not moving from her spot.

"Have you noticed anything off about (y/n)?" Sliding out, the doctor sat up and pulled her goggles off.

"Oh thank god its not just me."

Coming to stand in front of him, she crossed her arms.

"She's been attached to you. It's like everything else scares her." Her observation was indeed correct and whilst the master wasn't complaining, it was worrying.

"She used to be so confident and brave. When did it change?" He asked, looking up at his old friend. She hummed, pacing slightly to try and think clearer.

"I dont think there's any point in being coy, she's obviously the closest to you out of any of us. If anyone can find out, it's you." nodding, the master stood and cracked his neck.

"I'll try my best. Should we go pick everyone up?"

They landed in the usual spot in Sheffield. Yaz was already there, bounding in once the doors were fully materialised. The master almost laughed at how excited she was to see the doctor. Dan was next, on time as usual. Immediately, he began to brag about his date with Diane. Not bothering to listen, the master stood by the door and waited. His fingers tapped against his arm worriedly. Thirty minutes late by this point, he huffed walking back over to the console.

"We could always go forward in time, to the point she arrives?" Yaz suggested but they shook their head.

"I want to see how late she is. You two can go decide on where we go alright?" Agreeing with the doctor, yaz and Dan sat on the steps discussing.

I was practically running down the street. Well, I say running, hobbling would be more accurate. I'd made him really angry this time. Stupid mistake. I shouldn't of mentioned any of my friends. Especially not him, but I couldn't help it. Not when I'd grown so close to the master. He was always there for me, to help me get away from the hell at home. Taking a deep breath, I looked at my phone and saw I was nearly an hour late. They were definitely going to question me. I entered the tardis anyway, a fake smile plastered on my face.

"Ah! (Y/n)!" The doctor cheered, rushing over to me. Giggling, I shut the door to block out the cold. I was only in a thin sweatshirt, even in the winter. Only because he had ripped my clothes to shreds.

"Sorry I'm late. Train was delayed." I lied through my teeth, praying to myself that it was convincing. Grinning, the doctor grabbed my arm and pulled me to the console. I couldn't help but wince, not expecting her to do that. Looking to my side, I saw the master stood there. He was leaning against a pillar with his hands in his pockets. Jacket discarded and sleeves rolled up, I almost blushed just seeing him. He simpered, coming to my side.

"Have a good few days off?" No. Doing my best to seem happy, I nod and told a few false stories to them.

"Well that's great! Yaz, have you decided where we're going?" The doctor asked, the pair coming to join us. The brunette suggested something and the doc got to work piloting. Suddenly, a hand landed on my shoulder. Out of reflex, I flinched harshly and covered myself from harm. But nothing happened. Lowering my arms, found the master looking at me with worry. I just laughed it off, swallowing down my anxiety.

"Everything alright?"

"Why wouldn't it be?" I responded way to quickly and I knew he thought that.

"You've got a bruise on your cheek." He pointed out, thumb brushing against it softly.

Oh no. In my rush I obviously forgot to cover it.

"Oh yeah. Funny story that. Walked right onto a door frame." All he did was nod at my fake tale. Slowly, he opened his arms.

"Come here." Not needing to be told twice, I wrapped my arms around his waist and sank into his hold immediately. How could I not fall in love? From the minute he began to travel with us, the master was by my side. He'd put himself before me no matter what.

"You know I'd never hurt you, right?" Even the way he spoke with me was so soft. So genuine.

"Of course."

Three mad, near death adventures later, we were gathered round the console exhausted.

"So, drop you off to recharge yeah?" My heart dropped at the doctors words but I knew I had no choice. Yaz nod, happy to get some rest. And Dan, well he wanted his girlfriend. All I could focus on was the fact I'd have to see my 'boyfriend' again. No matter how many times I tried to break up, he wouldn't let me go.

"(Y/n)? You okay?" Dan appeared next to me. I jumped, not expecting to hear his voice. He looked confused at my reaction and lifted a hand; probably to touch my shoulder in hindsight. Backing up, I felt my back hit someone's chest. I relaxed, recognising that it was the master.

"I'm fine, sorry. Zoned out." Unconvinced, Dan didn't have time to reply as we landed abruptly. Heading for the door, the doctor stopped me.

"Stay safe." Oh how I wish she knew. But they could never know. Without responding, I left and hurried home.

--------☆

Counting to ten, I took a deep breath then went inside my house. The tv was blaring, some old Hollywood movie. Realising he wasn't there, I made my way to the kitchen. It was a state as usual. Pans piled high, moldy plates and stained glasses. Plus, it stunk of stale food.

"Where have you been?" A slurred voice came from behind me. All the hairs on the back of my neck stood up.

"Answer me!" He yelled, forcing me to turn around. Having me trapped against the counter, my heart rate picked up.

"With my friends." Mistake number one. Rolling his eyes, the taller gripped my wrist so tight, I thought it might break.

"Stop lying! Are you cheating? I bet you are. You're such a whore! Sleeping with every man you lay your eyes on." Whimpering at his accusations, I shook my head fiercely.

"No I swear!" Mistake number two. Chuckling dryly, he sneered.

"Did you just yell at me? Huh, you little bitch." My body began to shake as I knew what was coming. When I said nothing, the drunk male slapped me. I fell to the floor with a thud.

"Let me guess, you were off with that man you told your mother about?" Now internally screaming at myself for talking about the master, I chose to remain silent.

"What's so good about him anyway? I bet he's just some ugly little rat. Could never be a better man than me." Anger boiled beneath the surface. Without thinking, I snapped.

"Dont talk shit about him!" Third mistake. His eyes were vacant and soulless. Saying nothing, he grabbed the wine bottle from the counter and smashed it on the edge. Glass exploded around me as I let out a scream. He held it up, ready to use.

"You're gonna regret that slut."

--------☆

Tuesday couldn't come fast enough, it had been hell these past three days. As soon as the tardis came into view, I rushed in. Everything hurt, everything was sore. I wanted to collapse and never wake up. Everyone looked at me, they all seemed to be staring. Especially the master, who stood straight upon seeing me with his brows knit tight together.

"What?" I asked confused, chest still heaving from my run.

"Your nose is bleeding." Yaz told me. Touching my nose, I found that she was right. The master stepped forward without warning and I yelped, jumping back. He froze, eyes showing clear worry. All at once, everyone moved closer. Not being able to handle all the attention, I rushed past and ran to my room on board. Going into the bathroom, I shut the door before banging my fist against it repeatedly. That man ruined everything. Why couldn't I just be happy? I turned the shower on then peeled off my clothes, it was so painful. None of the wounds were treated and they were all fresh. Stepping into the shower, I slid down the wall and sat there; letting the water run over me.

Back in the console room, everyone stood not knowing what happened. The doctor gave the master a look. He nod then turned to the humans.

"What does (y/n) do at home?" They both shrugged, not having a clue.

"She never talks about it with us. Dodges the subject mostly." Dan admitted. Sighing, the master tried to peice everything together. But, with so little evidence, it was hard. Then it hit him and god, did he hope he was wrong.

"Who does she live with?" He asked, wary of what the answer could be.

"She used to live with her boyfriend." Yaz told him, sitting on the console beside the doctor. The blonde tilted her head.

"Used to?"

"Well, she wanted to break up with him. But she still could I suppose?" Wetting his lips, the master thought over everything. It was about four months ago (for them, not him and the doctor. Time travel and all that.) that this has all started.

"When did she say she wasn't happy?"

"I dunno. Three, four months?" He looked at the doctor to see she was frowning. They were thinking the same thing.

"Go." She said and he didn't need to be told twice. The master ran down to my room, not bothering to inform the other humans. The doctor would do that for him.

Doing my best not to cry, I began to feel numb at the burn against the cuts. I'd dealt with worse. The bathroom door was suddenly thrust open, I screamed and covered myself best I could. In the entrance, the master stood there. It was too late, he'd seen it all. All the damage my body had. Shutting the door, he reached in and turned the water off; grabbing a towel in the process. He crouched in front of me, wrapping the towel around my back. His eyes scanned over every scar, cut and bruise. Without question, he pulled me into his embrace.

"What has he done to you?" Knowing that he'd figured it all out, the floodgates opened and I broke down in his arms.

"Shhh, its okay now. I've got you." Not able to respond, I just cried more. I didn't deserve his time at all, yet here he was.

"How about, we get you dry? I'll take care of your wounds. Then, I'll make sure you're nice and comfortable. Is that okay?" Nodding slowly, the master picked me up and sat me on the counter. He pulled out a clean towel, to replace the now damp one and dried me off very gently. Making sure to pat my skin with great care. After putting on some underwear, the elder disappeared for a few minutes before returning with a med kit. It was silent as he aided all the deep gashes and bruises littered on my skin. Taking my hand in his, he observed the hand shaped bruise on my wrist. It wasn't the worst injury I had, but definitely the most noticeable. I knew for a fact my back was in bad condition along with my stomach.

"He won't get away with this. I swear that. I'm going to throw him in a black hole." That comment made me giggle for the first time in ages. Smirking, the master handed me my fluffy pyjama hoodie and pair of shorts. Actually, they looked more like boxers. Either way, I wasn't complaining and put them on.

"Come on. Bed. You need rest."

"I'm fine-" a stern look cut me off. Of course, I was not fine. Instead, he carried me to my bed and sat me under the duvet.

"I'll be right back." He told me then disappeared. Resting my head back against the headboard, I took a deep breath. What was going to happen now? I was going to end up homeless. All alone. My eyes filled with tears yet again. Once everyone here found out it would be so embarrassing. They'd definitely judge, or laugh. Maybe? My head was a mess at that point.

"Hey, hey. Why are you crying sweets?" Not looking up, I heard the master speak before coming over. Something was placed on my side table, i didn't know what. His arms encased me, moving me so I was sat between his legs and leaning on his chest. I sniffled, hiding myself in his chest sheepishly.

"Talk to me (y/n). I want to help you." He tried but I just couldn't believe him. So, I shook my head at him.

"Please?" Turning myself slightly, I buried my face into his purple vest. My shoulders shook violently. Instantly, he began to rub my back soothingly.

"I hate him." I stuttered out, feeling pathetic.

"Tell me everything. I'm here for you. I'll listen." Taking a deep breath, I pressed myself against the warm male more. Though I found it hard to believe, that he'd actually be interested in listening to me, I wasn't going to pass up the chance to vent.

"It started a few months ago. He'd always been angry, he'd yell when I made mistakes or did something he didn't like. But when he started getting physical, I tried to leave. He didn't like that and he pushed me down the stairs." The masters grip on me immediately tightened after I had said that. Clearly, he was angry but I wasn't scared at all.

"After that, it didn't stop. Every time I forgot something, he'd hit me. If I spoke back, he'd hit me. If I went out alone, if I didn't clean, if I didn't cook. Especially when I spoke about you guys. Everything landed with him getting angry. And he took it out on me.  Every time." I concluded, his vest getting damp from my tears but he didn't mind. Holding my shoulders, the master pushed me back and held me at a comfortable distance.

His thumbs brushed my cheeks dry, a calming look in his eyes. Before he could say anything, I spoke out my own insecurities.

"Now I'm going to be on the streets right? I'm gonna be alone again. I don't want to be alone, please. Please don't leave me alone."

"Shh, come here." Hooking his hands under my arms, the master sat me on his lap properly; head landing in the crook of his neck. Now straddling his thighs, I was much more snug against him and able to hug him tightly. His arms were almost possessive around my waist, but i enjoyed it.

"I am never going to let you be alone. Ever. You're stuck with me. And I promise you, that he will pay." He spoke softly, kissing my cheek soon after. Turning pink, I managed to collect myself a little. My body began to go a little limp in his hold, everything seemingly catching up with me.

"Are you tired?" All I could do was nod at his words, i could tell he wanted me to sleep. But I was scared.

"Can't sleep."

"Why not love?"

"Nightmares." Understanding, the master cupped my cheeks and stared into my eyes.

"Would you like me to help with that." Nodding once again, his lips pressed against my temple and I was out for the count. Once I was asleep, the master tucked me in then stood. For a moment, he pondered what to do then began his journey back to the console room. The doctor looked at him anxiously, clearly wanting to know what happened.

"I want to kill him." He told her directly, alerting both yaz and Dan. They rushed over as he came in front of the doctor. She inhaled deeply, staring at him with intent.

"Its bad?"

"Its worse than you can imagine. Tell me no or else I'm going to kill him." Quickly, the blonde started to fly her ship. Rushing around the console, she flicked different levers and pushed the right buttons. The tardis landed with a thud.

"Where are we?" The master asked, forehead lined with frustration. All those pent up feelings weren't good for the mind.

"Outside (y/n)s House." She went over to him, placing a hand on his shoulder.

"Get him." Their eyes went wide in shock. The doctor was actually giving him permission to kill him. Not needing to be told twice, the master grabbed his jacket and rushed out.

Just waking up from a black out, the unsuspecting male stumbled into the kitchen and poured himself a glass of wine. Suddenly, the door slammed behind him, causing him to jump and drop the drink. He turned and saw the outline of another man in the shadows. Out came the master, arms folded tightly. Backing up, the human was utterly confused.

"What are you doing in my house?" He slurred, eyes going up and down repeatedly. Chuckling, he walked closer and unfolded his arms, revealing a dagger in his fist. Immediately, the man sobered up and swallowed thickly.

"What's your name?" The master asked, not sparing him a glance.

"Michael." Nodding, he took another step closer as Michael began shaking.

"Hello Michael. You're going to come with me." Of course, he complied and followed the master out and into the tardis. Once on board, he was in a state if shock. But the master payed this no mind and began to fly the tardis skillfully. Once he was happy with the place they were adrift, he stalked back over.

"Before you die- and believe me, you really are going to die- tell me. What pleasure did you get out of hurting (y/n)?" Michael's face went sour, realisation setting in. He scoffed and looked away.

"Is that what all this is about? That stupid girl. For fuck sake!" Raising his brows, the master watched in amusement, as the human had his tantrum.

"What bullshit has she been spewing now? All she does is lie! Even made up some guy with a dumb name. Just to pretend anyone would actually give a fuck about her! I never hurt her! She's just pathetic." He told him, rolling his eyes afterwards. It was silent for a second before he began again and, as you can imagine, the rage was growing tenfold inside the timelord.

"I did not hurt her! Never. God she's infuriating. Are you just going to stand there? Looking at me as if I'm stupid, it's unnerving." Michael asked, making the master shake his head with a slight pout.

"No you carry on. You're only making your death more painful." The look in his eyes was that of ice and he felt his blood go cold. It finally set in. Whoever this man was, he was being serious.

"Why do you care so much?" Ignoring the question, the master tutted quietly and lead him to the doors.

"This 'guy with a dumb name'? What did she call him?"

"Uh- The master I think. Why does that matter? Who even are you?" A smirk grew on his lips, gazing at the male with a murderous glint in his eye.

"Well, I'm not made up. That much, I'll tell you." Clicking in, Michael looked extremely confused and took a step away.

"You're the master? You're real? So she was cheating! That little bitch! When I get my hands on her I'm going t-" Instantly, the dagger was pressed to his throat, cutting him off. The master pushed him against the closed door, teeth gritted together. 

"You really are thick." He laughed out but wasn't happy even in the slightest. Michael let out a strangled breath, staring at him in fear.

"Never hurt someone I love. It won't end well for you." Gripping the back of his shirt, he opened the doors to reveal looming darkness.

"What's that?"

"That, stupid human, is a black hole." The master muttered, taking the dagger away from his neck. Without a second thought, he impaled Michael's waist. He cried out but the master didn't care. Instead, he drew him in closer and spoke into his ear.

"Enjoy your time in hell." With that final statement, he was thrown out into the void, tardis doors shutting behind him. Resting his head against the doors, he let out a breath. At least he knew this therapy was working. The master didn't get half as much joy as he used to. But he didn't regret it. Not at all. Feeling a hand land on his shoulder, he turned to see the doctor. She had a sympathetic smile.

"Go. She needs you." He smiled, nodding in recognition before heading back down to my room. Finding I was still asleep, he took off his shoes, jacket and waist coat, before slipping in on the free side. Carefully, he pulled me closer and relaxed as I subconsciously attached myself to him. Maybe even he could fall asleep like this.

Groggy, my eyes forced themselves open. Going to move, I found myself under something- or someone- weighted. Looking to my left, I found the master. He's was sleeping. That was odd, he never slept. Taking this opportunity, I sunk back down and buried my face into his chest. It was warm and safe.

My movements must have woke him as he stirred a moment later. His hands tightened on my waist and I quickly hid my face in his shirt.

"That doesn't make you invisible you know?"

Turning red, I gazed up at him.

"You were asleep."

"No I wasn't."

"Was." It went silent. Just staring at each other until he gave in. Casting his eyes to the beams on the ceiling, the master spoke.

"Maybe I was." I smiled and tried to adjust, get more comfortable.

"You never sleep." Carefully, the male pulled me further onto his chest, a hand still encasing the dip of my waist.

"No, I just can't sleep. There's a difference, love." Ignoring how my blush grew, I allowed myself to bask in his warmth. It felt nice. It fight oddly right. To be there, in his arms. A man I was once told to fear, to avoid at all cost. He now lay here holding me as if I could disappear. Mind starting to catch up, I suddenly remembered just how I got in this situation.

"What did you do? When I was asleep?" I asked, looking up at the master with wonder. He rolled his head against the pillow, eyes scanning my face. A hand traced the bruise on my cheek tentivley, a tense sigh breathing by his lips.

"Do you want the truth, right now? I don't want to upset you." Our eyes locked and I nod surely, letting him know I could handle the truth.

"I took Michael. I listened to his shitty lies. I let him talk, let him grow scared. Though, I could have done it for longer but I was too angry." He started, glaring up at nothing in particular. Sensing his growing anger, I reached forward and laced our fingers together. The master looked at our hands, the corners of his lips twitching upwards.

"I stabbed him. I threw him into a black hole. He's in a million pieces now. Floating through space. Dead." Maybe he was expecting me to recoil in fear, or give him a lecture. Instead, I sat up with a smile. I leant down and kissed his cheek, causing his eyes to widen in the process.

"Thank you. For saving me." Even if my voice was quiet, the master grinned and sat himself up as well.

"You don't have to thank me doll. I'd do it again in a heart beat." Pushing back the covers, the master got himself up.

"Wait right here." Then, he rushed out, leaving me alone. I smiled to myself, going to the bathroom. After doing what needed to be done, I washed my hands and looked in the mirror. As much as I loved my hoodie, I pulled it off and felt more comfortable. Seeing as I was wearing a sports bra, I turned and head back into my room. It wouldn't matter, I could throw a tshirt on if the master was uncomfortable. Crawling back onto my bed, I sat on my knees and grabbed my phone. Finally, I deleted Michael's number and hovered over my photo gallery. Once I have clicked on it, my heart dropped at all the cold memories stored there. They hurt to see. So caught up in my phone, I didn't hear the door open. The master looked up and froze, eyes raking over my figure. Quickly, he shook those thoughts away and came to my side, gently placing two mugs down on the bedside table.

"What are you doing?" He asked, moving so my back was flush to his chest. I showed him my phone screen, all the photos now highlighted.

"I'm deleting all of it." Nodding, the master watched as I did so and noticed how my eyes grew sad at the now black screen.

"Dont be upset, love. Its over now." Gently, he pulled me between his legs, resting back against the pillows. My body followed his, relaxing against him.

"I made you tea." Carefully, he handed me a steaming cup of tea. I took it gratefully, blowing the steam in effort to cool it. For a while, we sat there, drinking tea whilst I listened to a few of his stories. I loved hearing about his and the doctors childhood. It sounded almost magical. Whilst the master was speaking, I looked up and found myself staring at the alien. At least now I didn't have to feel guilty about my feelings. Not that I ever did, it's not like I wanted to be either Michael in the end. The cup, now empty, was taken from my grasp, knocking me out of my daydream. The master grinned down at me, brushing his fingers through my hair.

"What's with that look?"

"What look?" I asked, eyes never leaving him. Chuckling, he let out a sigh before moving his free hand down to my waist.

"I should have tortured him more. He deserved it." His fingers danced around the bruise on my stomach, light touches almost making me shiver.

"It doesn't matter now." Still, I could see it was bothering him.

"He was never a good boyfriend, even before the really bad times." The master never stopped his hand from moving, giving me full attention.

"How so?"

"He never showed me love. I could never hold his hand, or hug him. He never kissed me. I was just an accessory to him." I explained, frowning at the memory.

"Over a year of neglect. Maybe that's all I'm worth." Immediately, the master whipped his head to look me right in the eyes. It almost made me flinch.

"Absolutely not. That man was an absolute idiot. A waste of space." He seethed, inhaling sharply afterwards.

"I would never treat you like that. I would never let you go. I'd-" We both froze as he slowly realised the weight of the words he just spoke.

"I mean. Hypothetically." The master slightly stuttered. My mouth was parted, blinking in the informed.

"I would treat you better anyone. Because that's what you deserve." A smile grew on my lips, listening as the; usually calm male, fumbled with his words.

"Not that you would be interested. Now or ever. But I'm just-" Giggling, I kneeled up, gripping his collar and pressing his lips against mine. Initially surprised, the master held onto my waist and melted into the kiss soon after. Pulling back, I was taken aback when the male pulled me into his chest. My head rested against his shoulder comfortably.

"If I'd have known that the feeling was mutual, I'd have taken you away from him much sooner." The master stroked the top of my hair, pressing a kiss to my temple lovingly. Simpering, I nuzzled in closer.

"You're here now. That's all that matters." And that was the truth. From then on, everything would get better. As long as he was by my side.

[huevokinder24]

Shadow and bone rant

Was shadow and bone S2 a good one? It was enjoyable. It was watchable. That's it.

For those of us who have read the books it was a huge mess.

Let's talk first about the grisha trilogy.

They joined book 2 and 3 (and crooked kingdom for some fucking reason, but I'll get to that later) and just rushed through the plot.

While I'm not the biggest fan of the trilogy and SOC is one of my favorite books ever, I still think the crows had no business being there. They just took too much screentime, something I usually wouldn't complain about but now I am. The sword subplot alone would have been okay. The rest? What the fuck was that??

Due to this, we didn't get to see the actual story of Sab. And don't get me wrong, I wasn't expecting a word by word adaptation, but this felt.... The characters weren't themselves.

Nikolai felt incredibly plain. He was just a nice guy. But where was his wit? His charm? His "my mother was an oyster, I'm the pearl". Where was his personality?

Also, he never loved Alina, and Alina didn't love him. Why would they push this narrative?

Everyone loves the darkling because he is charismatic and a master manipulator. This season he was just a dying guy. He didn't feel threatening. He didn't feel like the villain at all.

Zoya was completely sidelined for Alina. My girl had like 3 scenes and she didn't do much. In the book we saw rare moments of vulnerability, saw her friendship with Alina and genya grow. But she was still the cold bitch everyone loves because that's what makes Zoya Zoya.

They offed David just like that, and again, replaced him with Alina in the triumvirate. And I'm so mad about this. The triumvirate was made up of the three leaders that the orders chose to lead them during the war (except for genya). There are one of each order so the darkling's favoritism wouldn't repeat, so all the orders would stand on equal ground. Again, they were leaders. Political leaders. Now we have 2 summoners and a colporalki. What about the materialki? They lost their place in Nikolai's circle.

Also, the little reunion of Alina, genya and Zoya at the end was more like "uwu besties hanging out" than, "we have the responsibility to lead the orders and rebuild the country"

Mal just left. JUST LIKE THAT. we have a season full of Malina kissing and vowing they'll spend their lives together after they destroy the fold and kill the darkling, and the dude just leaves. Not just leaves, BECOMES STURMHOND. Do the writers know what sturmhond means to Nikolai? He would NEVER let any other person, least of all Mal take over the role.

And the twins left with him. The twins would never leave Nikolai.

Also Tolya, canonically ace, giving inej heart eyes????

And Alina. Where was her internal struggle? She kept her powers and is ready to become queen? And marry Nikolai??? She never wanted the crown. She never loved Nikolai. She only wanted to disappear into the sunset with mal and open an orphanage to help children like her. She literally told Nikolai that Zoya would make a better queen, hinting at zoyalai.

The whole point of Alina's character was that she was just a girl. She was just a girl turned saint, something she didn't want, with an enormous power she never asked for. She was just a girl who wanted a normal life but had to play the hero at 17. By the end of ruin and rising, she is exhausted, weary, drained. She faked her own death so people would leave her alone, so she could retire to the middle of nowhere with Mal and live a quiet life.

Now they're making her Nikolai's betrothed, future queen of Ravka, and... Evil? After she fought so hard to not become a monster like the darkling??

And where's the religion??? A huge part of the grishaverse revolves around religion, especially in the grisha trilogy. The manipulation of information and public image, twisting the narrative so it fits your goals, the zeal of the masses based on that exact narrative that those in power created.... There was none of that. Only inej called Alina "Sankta Alina" but they never showed what becoming Sankta was like for Alina.

This was just... Ugh. It was not BAD, but I'm so disappointed, especially for the crows, so part 2?

[emzzz2004]

~An Alternative Path~

~Present time~

You never in a million years thought this trip would end like this...Your breath catches in your throat and your chest feels like it's going to burst. The thick pine trees seem like they last forever. The sharp pine needles cut your face as you run, but you don't dare stop.

It's behind you. It has to be. It hasn't stopped for the whole night. You're on the brink of exhaustion. You want to just give up. But no. You just can't. You've always heard stories of people who came into contact with death. How they heard those voices telling them to not give up. You always boiled it down to superstition, never giving it much thought. But here you were. The same little voice was now in your head. "Run.Don't stop.". You listened to it. You saw what that thing did to your friends. Well....people who you thought were your friends. There was no way you would willingly give up.

~5 hours prior~

"Play my song!!" Morgan whines for what seems like the 50th time. "No, my car .My music!" you tease. She just turns her head away from you. Her arms wrapped around her chest in a fake pout. You can barely see her face through her thick brown hair but you swear you see a smirk.

"Hey! Eyes on the road, pretty lady." your boyfriend Darren says while leaning up in between the two front seats of the car, kissing your cheek in the process. "You're lucky I don't wreck the car right now for that cringey nickname." you chuckle under your breath. Darren looks at you with a mock expression. "Cringey?! I think that nickname is far greater than any of the ones you've ever given me!" he says. Morgan chuckles at that. "At least Morgan here laughs at my jokes." Darren adds on, looking at Morgan for more than you would've liked him to.

Morgan and Darren had just met on this road trip. You felt kinda bad for not introducing Darren to her but...things were just too good. He was nice, funny, and hot. The kind of hot that made people's heads turn out in public. The 6'2, dark brown hair, muscular hot. Not to say that you didn't trust Morgan but...well you didn't trust her. You loved her and all, she was your best friend. But she did have the reputation of going from guy to guy. But here they are. Meeting at last. You couldn't help but feel like Darren's eyes would linger on her for too long. Or that she would laugh too much at his jokes. But you couldn't think like that. Morgan was your loyal friend and Darren was your loyal boyfriend.

It was crazy to realize that you and Morgan had been planning this trip for 3 months. She literally just came up to you and asked "Hey wanna go on a 7 hour road trip to North Carolina?" any normal person would say no. But since when were you normal? And when Darren figured out about these plans 4 days before the trip, who were you to tell him no when he asked to tag along? The trip had been pretty uneventful so far. Darren complaining about how long the trip was. Morgan gossiping about her new college roommate. You just listening. You had to admit the scenery was breathtaking. Hundreds of ginormous pine trees watching over lakes and mountains like a protective parent. If you didn't have to pay attention to the road, you could of just stared out the car window for what felt like forever. Looking back into the back seat you see Darren beginning to lay down to try to fall asleep. You knew you were in for a long road trip.

"Uhmm I think we're supposed to turn here." Morgan says while pointing to a deserted looking gravel road. "What? No. The GPS says we still have another mile?" you breathe out while shaking your head. "No 'name' , we are supposed to turn here!" she frantically blurts out as the car speeds towards it, the passageway was going to be completely closed in a few seconds. You would have to turn back around to get to it again. And with this heavy traffic you doubt that would be possible. So you decided to give in and turn into the path. You figured that once she saw that the dirt road led to nowhere you could just turn around and drive out the way you entered. You turn the steering wheel and head into the path. The scenery changes almost instantly. The once clear blue sky is now blocked off by even heavier and thicker pine trees than you saw before. The sunlight almost completely blocked out of your view.

30 minutes later, you're still on the same road. But at an ultimatum. The straight direct path you were following now splits into 2 roads. One goes left, the other goes right. "Any clue on which one to pick?" You ask Morgan with obvious anger in your voice. It was her fault that you were even here. "Not a clue." she whispers back. "What's going on here?" You hear Darren ask as he rubs the sleep out of his eyes. "Perfect timing" you think bitterly. The last thing you needed was for someone else to get on your nerves.

"Morgan here insisted that we go down this road! Even though it was nowhere on the map or the GPS! Now we are lost and the sun is going down." you spit at him. He looks at you then at Morgan. "Well let's not point fingers now. She didn't know the road was like this." He says crossing his arms over his chest. Is he serious right now? You felt your blood boiling. You instantly put the car in park, threw open your door, and began walking down the right pathway.

" 'Name'!" You hear Morgan yelling for you. You didn't care ,not one bit. After a bit you stop. 'Snap' 'Snap' . Twigs breaking. You look around. But you don't see anything. You swear you hear heavy breathing. It has to be your mind. You're angry. You're imagining things. You continue walking for what seemed like forever, only stopping when you hear 2 pairs of footsteps behind you. You turn around just to see them jogging to catch up with you. "What do you want?!" you ask, obviously trying to hold back your anger. "I just want to talk ,baby." Darren says while putting his hands on your shoulders. You felt like you were about to cry. You wanted to cry. Why was he taking her side? All he had done this whole day was look at her and make flirty remarks with her. AND she didn't try to get him to stop at all. She laughed way too much at his jokes and sent the same flirty look to him! "I just want to be left alone." You state. Morgan and Darren look at each other. After a few seconds of standing in silence Morgan finally speaks up. "Why are you getting so mad? All he did was stand up for me?" she asks with an angry tone. You look at her and was tempted to scream. "Exactly! That's all he's done today is flirt with you! Here I was thinking that you were actually a good friend and tell him to stop! But NO! You went along with it! While I was in the literal car Morgan!" You yell. Morgan looks at you, completely forgetting Darren was watching this as well and starts yelling back. "It's not his fault that he prefers me! But It is your fault that he had to go to someone else literally 4 weeks into y'all's relationship because you weren't enough!" When she's done yelling her face drops. There went their secret...You look at her then at Darren. His face is down, looking at his shoes. "What.." you whisper.. "Really Morgan?" he says obviously embarrassed. "I would've liked to tell her on my own terms.".

You knew it. You just knew it. "I knew it. I knew it. I knew it." Those 3 words kept repeating in your mind. You knew that the connection they shared couldn't be gained in a day. You knew you weren't imagining the looks and the blush on Morgan's face whenever he would look at her. You knew it.

You look at Darren. A question in your mind but you don't dare ask it. As if he is a mind reader, Darren speaks up. "Me and Morgan met at a party a few months back....we kinda...well...slept together.." he says while looking at you. Your mind is blank. All you want to do is cry.

You take a few steps forward and before you know what you are doing you raise your hand and make contact with Morgan's face. You look down at your hand and look back at her. Her mouth is hung open. Her right hand is placed on her face that now has a red mark.

Darren steps in front of her and shoves you to the ground. Your hands fly behind you to try to catch yourself but end up getting cut and scratched instead. Darren is mad. You can tell. You've only seen him this mad once. It was when him and his friends were hanging out, some drunk guys decided to start stuff up and swung at him. Needless to say the guys got put into a hospital.

But now his anger was directed onto you. You can't deny that you are afraid, but you don't dare show it. You are too mad. He lifts his arm up to strike you. But it never comes down. You look up again and see Morgan and Dareen looking over to the side of the road. Darren curses under his breath while going to check something out that you couldn't even see. Until you did see it.

It had to be at least 7 feet tall. A dark mass of pure strength. It was pure black. It looked like a path of the Earth had been ripped apart and all you could see was pitch blackness in the shape of a humanoid object. You didn't even register what it was until you looked at its face. A skull. An animal skull. No flesh. No muscles. Just pure bone....

It happened in a split second. Darren was there, looking up at the beast. Then he was on the ground. The beast on his chest with its mouth attached to his neck. You hear it before you see it. You hear Darren's muscles tearing and you hear the blood splurting out. Darren is letting out bloodcurdling screams but this doesn't scare the monster. It releases his neck just to bring his face down onto Darren's own face. And you swear you're gonna be sick. After a few minutes it stands up. Darren's face is reduced to a red splatter. You hear whimpering coming from your left. You look over and see Morgan standing there. "Why haven't you ran yet idiot?" you find yourself thinking before reminding yourself that you have been too shocked to run yourself. The thing seems to hear her as well. It starts walking towards her but senses you first. It looks at you and your blood goes cold. You weren't ready for this. You weren't ready for death. Sure you just had your heart broken but that doesn't mean you were ready to die??

The thing just stares at you. You expect it to jump on you and start attacking just like it did to Darren. But it just stares. You see it analyzing every part of you. Your face, lips, arms, and legs. It takes extra time to look over your body. As if it's admiring it.

The thing's trance doesn't break until Morgan starts to finally run. It's head jerks to face her and within seconds it's on her. Making her fate the same as Darren's.

You finally figured out that no one is going to save you except yourself so you try to get up and start running in the opposite direction. Deeper into the woods...

~back to present time~

You're trying to ignore your shaky legs and blurry vision but it's getting hard. You want to stop running. You're in too much pain. But you can't will yourself to accept Morgan and Darren's fate. This has to be a dream. It can't be real. If only you hadn't taken that alternative path.

You don't want to be it's next meal. You want to say that that is what it wants you for. Nothing more. But deep down you know that it wants you for something else...Something more lasting...

(I hope y'all enjoy this lmao. I personally do not think it is that good but I wanted to at least get a little crappy story out bc I'm going to have NO time what's so ever to write later this week!!! Also In the little section where Morgan is yelling at you, it is for some reason making it red? I've tried to change it to purple bc that is the designated color I used to Morgan's dialogue but yeah)

[thestobingirlie]

honestly you are my favorite place to complain about r/nance.

Theres this steddie fic ive been reading for a while, and it was never tagged r/nance at the start, it's just been introduced later in. and I can deal with minor r/nance as long as it doesn't play much into the story. but the way its been dealt with in this fic.

in this fic robin avoids spending time with steve for weeks, I'm pretty sure its well over a month, when she starts dating nancy. like she'll only spend time with steve at work or if its in a group, and even at work she wont talk to him much. steve obviously feels hurt and has the whole self esteem issues of what if I'm a burden/ she doesn't want me any more.

Then she only spends time with steve again because eddie told her that steve seemed lonely without her. she uses the excuse of not telling him about her and nance because they didn't want to "hurt him", and gives a half assed apology. Then Steve ends up being the one to comfort robin because she keeps calling herself a bad friend and a horrible person without even looking at why steve was hurt, and he just forgives her.

And it just bugs me because it feels like these authors don't understand a thing about steve or robin. robin wouldn't spend so long choosing nance over steve and give the poorest of apologies, and steve wouldn't accept an apology like that, or at least wouldn't let it go back to 100% ok, because he would feel too hurt to go back to their normal friendship.

thank you <3 i will always be a safe place to complain about random shit. i love complaining.

i hate when fics have untagged ships. like i get it if it’s not important enough to actually tag the relationship, but at least tag background r//nance.

god, that enrages me and i’m not even reading it lol. i hate when the wronged party ends up having to comfort the person that treated them like shit. i like the characters to grovel.

yeah, the idea that robin could go more then two days without chit-chatting to steve is insane. they would literally start going through withdrawal.

i’ve made a huge post about this before, but it always astounds me when people have characters treat steve like shit and he’s just fine with it. like, yeah, he doesn’t have much self-worth, and so on and so forth. but he literally dumped his best friends for being cunts. he isn’t gonna allow everyone around him to treat him like utter shit. steve’s still a bitchy mean girl at heart, and if people are being pricks, he’ll lash out. we’ve all seen it.

and that’s not even getting into the r//nance of it all. robin treats him like shit, and is dating his ex??? steve would fake his death and leave town or some shit so everyone feels bad for mistreating him lmao.

no but seriously. stop treating steve like shit 2023

also!!! the fact that eddie had to be the one to tell robin to start spending time with steve again? ugh.

[princesssarisa]

This is inspired by @comma-after-dearest's poll about Victor and his parents in Corpse Bride.

I'd have a question for people who know West Side Story not just from the 2021 film remake, but from the original stage version and 1961 film too. What do you think of Maria and Bernardo's unseen parents, and the fact that Maria is willing to abandon them by eloping with Tony, on the same night they've lost Bernardo, no less?

Of course the 2021 remake simplifies things by omitting the parents and implying that Maria and Bernardo are orphans. But in the stage version and '61 film, their parents are explicitly still alive and around, they're just never seen. We hear them call for Maria from inside the apartment during the "Tonight" scene.

Now, they don't seem to have a bad relationship with their daughter, per se. When her father calls for her, he calls her by the affectionate nickname "Maruca," and she never complains about her parents, only about her overprotective brother. But she does say that they're strict with her, and that her father shares Bernardo's hostile attitude toward white Americans, so she doesn't dare let them know about Tony. The fact that they never appear might also imply that despite their strictness, their parenting tends to be hands-off; at any rate, they seem to let their son take charge of his younger sister's life much more than they do. Maria credits Bernardo, not her parents, with bringing her to New York. (Though how that would have worked I'm not sure – my best guess, since at one point Bernardo says that his parents don't know New York any better than Maria does, is that he emigrated alone first and built a life for himself, then sent for his parents and sister.) Bernardo is the one who's chosen Chino as her future husband; he's the one who apparently got her a job; and he's the one who allegedly never lets her do anything exciting until the dance at the gym.

Do you think the parents' flaws can justify Maria's willingness to run off with Tony, leaving them bereft of two children in one night? Juliet has a better excuse: her parents' abusive attempt to force her to marry Paris. But that plot element is gone from West Side Story; Maria is vaguely expected to marry Chino someday, but the only plot purpose it serves is to give Chino a motive besides Bernardo's death to kill Tony. Juliet's choice to fake her death and abandon her parents comes in response to their abusing her and to the immediate threat of being forced to betray Romeo and commit bigamy. But Maria's choice to run off with Tony is more exclusively about wanting to be with him and to escape from their violent surroundings.

Now I don't blame her a bit for wanting to escape, and the only possible way she can be with Tony is to run away with him. As the 2021 version of Anita points out, even if Tony managed to avoid serving jail time, he would never be safe or accepted by Maria's community after killing Bernardo. There's certainly no way her parents would have accepted their son's killer as a son-in-law! Still, it sometimes bothers me that Maria never shows any inner conflict about hurting her parents by leaving, when unlike Juliet's parents, they haven't done anything hurtful to her.

Could this be a moment when the writers adhered too closely to Romeo and Juliet without fully considering the changes they'd made to the context? I've read that accusation about Maria's quick forgiveness of Tony for killing Bernardo (i.e. she forgives him because Juliet forgives Romeo, when a brother's murder should have been harder to forgive than a cousin's), and about Anita trying to help the lovers even after Bernardo's death (would a girl as strong-willed as Anita ever agree to help her lover's killer escape justice, no matter how eloquently Maria pleaded?). Maybe this is another case like that.

So what do you think? Does Maria's choice to leave her parents cost her any of your sympathy? Or does the vague impression of their strictness and negligence justify it? Or does the stress of Bernardo's death and the threat of losing Tony justify it, with neither Maria nor her parents to blame? And is this issue a weakness in the writing, which the 2021 remake solves by killing off her parents, or not?

[deuterosapiens]

R-O-A-S-T M-U-L-E-S

So, guess who's finally read Son of Rosemary, the sequel to Ira Levin's classic novel, Rosemary's Baby?

Guess who regrets reading Son of Rosemary?

You know what? I'm not going to dignify anything this novel has going for it. It's just straight-up unapologetically not good. I've known the rumors, of how legendarily bad the ending is, and you know what? Yeah.

I complained a lot about Delicate Condition and its tendency to fake-out interesting situations. I'll take that over this, because at least you knew that Danielle Valentine was trying. Ira Levin had the original novel under his belt, The Stepford Wives (yes, that was a book first), just so much and yet, he chose the weakest kind of ending the world has known: the fucking "it was all a dream"-ending.

With the possible exception of The Wizard of Oz, has anyone ever been satisfied with "oh yeah, all that stuff you went through, all these incredibly high stakes, this journey of growth and discovery, lol, never happened." I don't even really like it for The Wizard of Oz, but I'm at least aware of the producers' concerns that lead to that ending in the first place as a product of its time.

Starting out, I was kind of getting some exciting Omen III: Final Conflict vibes. Then the incest started.

I don't know why I was hoping that would perhaps build off into something, but nope. The book kind of keeps that as a weird running thread, with no real dramatic pay-off. They maintain a fair, mostly innocent relationship, only with that added feature of The Adversary, Destroyer of Kings, Angel of the Bottomless Pit, Great Beast that is Called Dragon, Prince of This World, Father of Lies, Spawn of Satan, and Lord of Darkness wanting to have sex with his mother. They joke about it a few times. She almost indulges him while high.

So there's basically no actual horror to this Antichrist story. A couple of bodies, but nothing interesting is done with their deaths. There's very little interesting drama either.

Even the appearance of Satan himself at the end doesn't qualify as an interesting moment. How bad must the writing of a novel be that you fail to make the introduction of fucking SaTaN??? Interesting???

So, let's play a game. Nice little hypothetical. If you were to assume that the Devil were a character in this novel, and expected him to show up at some point in the end, perhaps as a twist or a reveal, who would it be?

Rosemary after waking up from a twenty-something year coma and discovering that her son, The Adversary, Destroyer of Kings, Angel of the Bottomless Pit, Great Beast that is Called Dragon, Prince of This World, Father of Lies, Spawn of Satan, and Lord of Darkness, has become a political leader and human rights activist. She quickly finds herself attracted to his body-guard and the two make plans to get down and dirty on New Years.

Yeah, Satan is exactly who you expect him to be. Funnily enough, all of his dialog becomes indescribably more poorly written after the reveal.

I should have realized how bad this was going to become when I finished Chapter 17, turned the page, and saw this:

Dialog attribution from this point on also becomes almost incredible.

Once, I might have found funny. Ira Levin's style here, up to this point, has been a bit, shall we say, quirky. I count five instances of this, as if I've inexplicably not connected these dots, as if Monsieur Levin hasn't spelled out to me in black and white in crystal clear words that this character Joe is in fact, Satan.

I could excuse pregnancy-brain, that unfortunate cocktail of hormones and growing paranoia, for some of Rosemary's less intelligent decisions in the original novel. In this one, she seems hell-bent on accepting every single explanation she's offered for the weirdness going on around her, as if she left all of her common sense on the floor next to Baby Andy's bassinet.

My evidence: she goes to a church, asking God for guidance as she suspects Andy to be involved in Satanic practices, including the murder of his lover. A patron has a horrible seizure, which she runs away from, believing it to be an actual answer. By this point she's claiming to have visions, so this ominous fit comes off as a bit of an Omen, if you will.

She then decides, yepp, nope, no answers here. Coincidence, God's too busy see. I only bore the child of his Adversary. I literally gave birth to The Adversary, Destroyer of Kings, Angel of the Bottomless Pit, Great Beast that is Called Dragon, Prince of This World, Father of Lies, Spawn of Satan, and Lord of Darkness, but why would that make me special enough to warrant the attention of Mr G-dash-D himself?

Actually, you know what, I take it back. The ending makes perfect sense. Because only in the context of a dream would I believe Rosemary as a character is capable of such truly baffling intelligence loss.

I'm sorry I sought this book out. Hollywood has two really good sequels that are worlds better than the one the author wrote. The Omen III, and The Devil's Advocate.

The former does a fantastic job of showing what Adrian could have been, and the latter's ending weirdly parallels this one's, but is executed in a far superior manner.

Yeah, I didn't like it.

I might have found Delicate Condition personally not to my taste, being derivative of Rosemary's Baby, but my God is it oh so much better than Son of Rosemary. I'm truly sorry, Delicate, you did not deserve my ire. My ranting dis-satisfaction. You are a beautifully more pleasant thing than this thing that dares to call itself a worthy sequel.

I am sorry.

[semi-imaginary-place]

umineko ep 5-6

now that i think about it only natsuhi only ever talked with kinzo. Wow they faked kinzo's death for over 1 year maybe almost 2 years. Oh of course natsuhi has witch potential everyone is a witch. Next it'll be revealed gouda is a demon, genji and kumasawa are already a demon and witch and shanon and kannon are familiars. Also i like gouda better he got union busted and then industry blacklisted! Beatrice really got written out of the narrative wow battler really did kill her soul probably should have just tried to win and checkmate instead.

There's probably going to be new characters all the way until the end. In some ways this makes thematic sense as umineko is a meta story about stories. So continuing to add increasingly outrageous and contrived characters highlights the fictionality of the story. But for that reason i also on a personal level dislike it it usually shows a writer's lack of confidence in that they need to keep adding characters to keep it interesting instead of building on existing characters and narratives and i prefer this style. Like this entire story outside of ep 1 is about witches rping their self insert ocs in a dnd campaign and i dont like it but that's what it is.

Also i'm gonna say the character designer sucks and the characters designs lack style. You can see a lot of japanese lolita inspired fashion but it's all ugly lolita can be very cute and elegant, a dollesque delicate antique charm but these designs are all just so uninspired and boring. I'm imagining a bette universe were the devs for financial release actually hired a good character designer to redesign everyone. And I do mean design not art the ps3 sprites are fine art wise even if i don't especially like the style but it's the designs im complaining about.

Kraus really is an idiot. It was obscured just how bad his business decisions were in ep1 because it's from narsuhi's narration but wow signed over power of attorney and the house horribly in debt as marcie says "they're larping rich people". Natsuhi really puts up with so much with kraus. this is actually fairly common for irl rich people, any middle class family would be bankrupt 10 times over from bad decisions they only arent because the family is rich to begin with. Making money when you are rich is really easy so the fact that kinzos kids haven't made money or even lost some shows how incompetent they are. 1.01 of 100 is 101 or a gain of 1. 1.01 of 1000000000 is 1010000000 or a gain of 10000000.

The epitaph can be explained in terms of risk and magic if its true that beatrice gains more power the harder she makes her win and the more he helps the ushiromiya solve the epitaph. The greater her risk if loss the more powerful the magic.

Natsuhi should have told her family about the threats. Someone trying to squeeze into the succession line or extort is extremely likely. Unless she really did cheat on kraus.

Damn skip the mystery genre dlanor just killed the scifi genre yeah this is going full meta they're arguing about what genre the story is

Oh natsuhi did you think nothing would happen by obeying the suspicious orders. Why is natsuhi beatrice's master in this ep. Or why did lamdadelta makes things that way. This has become a witches vs humans into a detective vs beatrice game. Who's to say eva and eriko arent lying about the paper seals. Full on ace attorney except phoenix cant bullshit his way out of this one

Watched safiya nygaard's newest video and all i could think about the "expressive" thin 1920s movie star eyebrows was battler. Maybe I've gotten used to the artstyle but battler is looking more handsome as the game goes on.

Anti fantasy anti mystery and all the focus on the culprit being introduced early and yet umineko keeps introducing more and nore new characters and so there of course there needs to be dialogue to introduce them and the story gets bogged down. Every scene is necessary but some could have been rewritten or combined. So far i think umineko could have been rewritten to be 30% shorter or more concise. Again it highlights the fictionality and thus enhances the themes but i personally dislike the style so im happy to be listening to it at 2x speed. I can see why umineko and utena have such large amounts of overlapping audiences, it's for the girlies, for the transfem lesbians.

This story really is unfolding into a slow burn romance doomed by the narrative straight couple. One of the things that leaves a bad taste really is how beato is turned into someone to be saved. Her narrative agency has been taken and she's been written out of the story her role relegated to how battler feels about her, someone to be pitied and saved. And i dont like it

So battler did become both kinzo's sucressor and the holden witch+endless sorcerer.

Ep6: uh yikes. Forced marriage under what jurisdiction? Demon law??. Also isnt eriko like 16. Baby gm bullied and cornered by sadistic player.

Yeh this person lite wrote fanfiction about ange's murdered family where they get brutally murdered in various ways. And she's the god of fiction oh things are going to get even more meta huh.

Father??? There is no good interpretation. Oh this is the homunculus beatrice that rosa met. Amnesia factory reset beatrice. Reminds me of that pop culture detective video born sexy yesterday about how creepy these new being romances are. But back to the father thing. Given how many kinks have been brought up there's the obvious daddy kink. But then there's kinzo's grooming and battler has taken on his literal mantle. So new beatrice calling battler father is a little creepy, at least he isnt encouraging it. Battler literally doing the exact same thing kinzo did keeping a factory reset beatrice. Battler turning into kinzo 2.0. Ugh game meta, the pieces, the players and meta, the "real" versions. Beatrice is the embodiment of the game so does she change as the game changes? Even if the soul as godwitch says is the same, she lacks memories. Battler is chasing beatrice who's existence is permanently gone as stated in red. She will not come back what will happen to the new beatrice even if she gains the memories of old beato would be be the same person. Was battler really the mystery natsuhi baby. Beatrice being his piece makes some sense from the servants death to the weird poeerplay between them and whatever sin beatrice was talking about. But then if we look at the ages homunculus beatrice also makes sense as the baby. The closed timeloop hypothesis was one of my hypothesis but if that actually end up true like battler becomes kinzo or new beatrice loops around to becoming the beatrice at the begining of the series i will freak.

With the cups couldn't you put one cup into another cup.

Oh great there's yet another beatrice. This is the one who gave shannon the brooch, so there were 2 all along???? Why didn't battler revive this one. And is this actual time travel. Did battler manage to make new beatrice a human?

New Beatrice is devoted to subservience and battler is over here hallucinating begging Beatrice to bully him poison him degrade him. Kinzo makes more sense now. It's been like 3 days battler. And beatrice was the one who gave new beatrice to order to serve battler, messed up. Daughter??? Author you sure you want to phrase it like that. Battler recreating new beatrice is just making both of them miserable. Battler's coping with loss and bringing new beatrice into that grief was the worst possible option he should have just given himself room to grieve. He also should have researched before creating life and known before hand that the new beatrice wouldn't have memories. Because having her and her own crisis around just keeps him from coming to terms with beatrice's loss.

[allsassnoclass]

Fic ask game: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 8, 9, 11, 13, 14 & 15!

oh wowza!!! alright! let's go! thank you for asking!

1. Favorite place to write. the corner of my couch in the living room! preferably with a blanket

2. Favorite part of writing. i love lightbulb moments! that feeling when you finally figure out a little detail that fills a plot hole, or when writing an au you have a great idea for how to incorporate/parallel a canon event. even just having a realization of what your story is actually about and how to lean into that more. stuff like that is so satisfying to me, so I absolutely adore when I get those moments.

3. Least favorite part of writing. i've been unhappy with editing lately. it used to be a breeze for me, but lately i've been getting really critical of my writing and much harder to satisfy, which means editing either takes forever or it feels hopeless and i end up releasing something i'm not fully satisfied with or confident in

4. Do you have writing habits or rituals? i don't think i have any specific ones! maybe developing a few would make it easier to get into it when the time comes.

5. Books or authors that influenced your style the most. i really love Maggie Stiefvater, especially the way she uses figurative language, but I don't think my personal style necessarily reflects that, at least not as much as I would maybe want to. honestly, i don't know who has actually influenced my style. every author that i read works for leaves a little itty bitty speck of influence, so it's probably a combination of fifty billion different people.

7. Favorite author. as stated above, it's Maggie Stiefvater. The Raven Cycle is my absolute favorite book series and Ronan Lynch is my absolute favorite character. I do also want to mention Terry Pratchett though, because I'm into Discworld and I really appreciate his ability to write wacky humor and social commentary, plus having Death talk in all caps all the time is a vibe.

8. Favorite trope to write. fake dating, baby!!!!! I have posted 5 fake dating fics so far. 3 of them are the 3 longest fics i've ever written. i have many, many other fake dating ideas. i love how blurry the line gets between acting and sincerity, and the exploration of how much of love is a feeling and how much is actions and how much is based on outside perception or not, plus it is SO tasty for pining.

9. Least favorite trope to write. i don't like "getting to know each other" moments, so strangers to lovers can be a challenge. getting characters from not knowing each other at all to being in love is difficult and tedious for me.

11. Describe your writing process from scratch to finish. oh man. screaming and crying :) no i'm kidding. first i am hit with an idea. then i let the idea marinate for anywhere from 1 day to 3 or 5 years. then i begin the wip! i start writing from the beginning and just keep going until it's done, often with many, many interruptions and forays into other wips in between. then when I finish, i edit (which is mostly spelling, grammar, word choice, and double checking throughlines and cohesiveness. to date, i haven't rearranged the order of scenes or major plot points in the editing phase). after i edit, i post! then the cycle begins again (or continues with a different fic, as i always work on multiple at once).

13. How do you deal with writers block? historically, not well. i get upset about it and complain. but because i have so many wips and well over 100 ideas jotted down, i can always pivot to another fic if it's plot/character-related writers block. if all writing is difficult, then i might take a break and try to focus on reading or other things

14. What’s the most research you ever put into a book? pas de deux took a decent amount of research on professional ballet companies and various twin cities details. by the time unmute is over, however, it will have significantly more research sunk into it. it already has had so much. not only have i had to do a huge amount of research on 5sos and significant events in their lives/career beginning in 2011, but i researched visual art programs at colleges (including individual class listings), salt lake city, utah, when gay marriage was legalized in utah/the entire USA/Australia, the legality of getting married in a country where you're not a citizen, social media/chatting apps of the early 2010s, etc. there's a lot going on here.

15. Where does your inspiration come from? anywhere! everywhere! i take inspiration from other stories, songs, things that happen to me, things that happen to my friends, basically anything can serve as inspiration!

Thank you for asking!

[thatonedemonnamedlucifer]

SHADOW REVIEWS - MARRY MY HUSBAND

Decided to do a little series on this blog titled "Shadow Reviews" where I review some random shit (tv shows, books, etc). I'll start off by reviewing a webtoon I've been i n v e s t e d in for quite some time now, that webtoon being Marry my Husband! I won't give away too much, but the review is not entirely spoiler free so tread lightly! Additionally, please don't start discourse! These are all my personal thoughts. (Brief TW for mentions of domestic violence, financial abuse and illness)

PLOT SUMMARIZED: We start the story off with our protagonist, Jiwon Kang, who is dying of cancer. Minhwan Park, her husband is not answering any of her texts or giving her money she needs for treatment. She eventually returns home and finds Minhwan cheating on her with her best friend, Sumin Jeong (I'm hoping I spelled that right). And also finds out that Minhwan has basically been spending all her money. Jiwon attempts to confront the two, but Minhwan ends up murdering her in cold blood. But then Jiwon is brought back to life... back in time ten years before her death, and during the year she married Minhwan. Jiwon decides to get her revenge on both Minhwan and Sumin by making them marry each other. In the process, she develops a friendship with two co-workers, Juran Yang and Huiyeon Yu, and eventually falls in love with her boss, Jihyeok Yu. I won't go any further than that because I don't wanna spoil the story too much. WHAT I LIKED:

While I don't normally read webtoons, let alone isekai stories and romance stories, this one somehow won me over because of the plot alone. I love that while Jiwon is mainly focused on avenging her own death, she also tries to help her own co-workers, especially Mrs. Yang (who btw has the CUTEST KID :DDD) Also. Huiyeon. That's all I have to say here. While I wish Jiye and her friends got a bigger role, I still love those characters. From them crashing Sumin's wedding to helping Jiwon expose Sumin and Minhwan as assholes, Jiye and the girls definitely won me over. Lastly, Sumin. No, not the character herself, but how she was portrayed in the story. While Minhwan was the shitty ex-husband, I think Sumin is definitely supposed to be the main villain of the story, and the perfect foil to Jiwon. I don't have much complains about how she was written. Oh yeah. That one scene where Minhwan tries to confront Jiwon in her apartment... only to be greeted by a mean looking guy who immediately takes a disliking to Minhwan. That was funny lmfao. WHAT I DIDN'T LIKE:

Speaking of, Minhwan's character was... kind of flat to be honest. There's not much to know about him besides the fact he's a cheater, abuser and a murderer. I do wish I learned more about him. Additionally, Mr. Lee, Jiye and her friends, and the other minor characters definitely deserved more appearances than they had. I am DEFINITELY not a fan of the "prettier without glasses" trope that showed up here to say the least. Tbh, as cute as they are together near the end, Jiwon and Mr.Yu's first interactions were... uncomfortable to say the least. Lastly, and this is mostly my personal preferences rather than an issue I have with the story itself but I need to say it anyway: Can the fake pregnancy trope just FUCKING DIE already.

OVERALL THOUGHTS:

It's not the greatest love story by any means, and it's not for everyone, but I would definitely recommend for folks to atleast read up to Episode 47 to say the least. This is definitely one of very few romance stories that I actually enjoyed even with some of it's issues. I'm especially looking forward to the side stories which I might review as well! FINAL RATING - 9.5/10.

[venustrape-arch]

this is not her first rodeo in the realm of false hope. she's watched a lot of people lose the hopeful twinkle in their eyes since she started doing this job. & if she were to spend a second looking in the mirror as the thought of mommy & daddy getting the band back together crosses her mind, she might catch a glimpse of that twinkle in her bright blue eyes, too. the thought of that hope being crushed is too much to bear. isn't it just swell that no part of this conversation is about her ?

" don't worry about it. " the words come out of her mouth before she has the time to think twice, small pause filled with the sound of fingertips tapping against her own mug. " the check, i mean. i always liked your mom. " so comes the explanation, an understanding smile on her lips as she glances his way. " eh – i've been called worse. but seriously, you have nothing to apologize for. it's okay. " the guy had just let the death of his mother register, after all. it would've been pretty lame of her to complain about a little snot. & if she's being completely honest with herself, it didn't feel half bad to be the one he felt safe enough to cry to about this. coincidentally, she spots the fake wedding binder peeking out of her bag from the corner of her eye. if she was going to come through for him, she was going to do it fully. no one can say she doesn't go the extra mile.

his question wipes the smile off her face, a little more tension in her shoulders now as she shuffles in her seat. " oh, you know... just the whole entire thing. " trina mentioning logan's 'stories' about his father was particularly hard to shake. just another reminder that she lucked out in the father-daughter department. " i knew your dad sucked, but i didn't know he sucked that much... i'm really sorry, logan. "

@venustrape. veronica.

yesterday was a total blur, but, for once, it wasn't due to too many chugs on a beer keg ― it was emotional hungover. from hoping all the day for another hit on his mom's credit card, from slouching on that lobby couch waiting for a miracle half the day, but, most of all, from believing her mom was alive by the look of her silhouette, only to have that taken away by the reveal of her slutty, gold-digger sister in her clothes. sadly, this kind of hungover didn't come with amnesia as a side effect, although it was probably about time he started reckoning with the fact his mother had jumped off that bridge.

there was no one he'd rather have as a witness to his never-ending turnaround of familial tragedy than veronica, though. ever since he'd knocked on her door that night after the news broke, she'd been nothing but devoted to trying to give him some closure ― hell, she made a fake wedding scrapbook and everything. and, to be honest, he didn't feel like he deserved it, but hey, maybe she was just that cool of a person, and he'd just casually forgotten it somewhere along the bloody way.

and she was funny, too. a half-grin tugged on his lips at her sarcastic remark, hands hugging his cup of fresh coffee at her standing offer. ❝ thanks, veronica. for everything. i promise i'll drop by your dad's with a big fat check tomorrow for all the great detective work, but until i can think hard enough to figure out where i usually stash my checkbook, some sincere gratitude will have to do. ❞ a sip of warm coffee goes down his throat, comfortingly. her company is quite nice, too. that's enough to keep him calm, until flash memories start coming back and shame washes over him, ❝ a-and i'm sorry, about, y'know, the lobby. i don't make it a habit to weep like a baby in a girl's arms, but the whole thing just got to me, i guess. for what it's worth, you make a very good human tissue. ❞ another smile, a full-length one this time. the next comment came in the form of a fearful whisper, ❝ how much did you hear, from my conversation with trina? ❞