#i know what happens to her but i don't need details

[cressidagrey]

The Queen of Romantasy and the Race Car Prince - Chapter 12

Pairing: Lando Norris x Elizabeth "Lizzie" Treshton (Original Character)

Summary:

Elizabeth Treshton—bestselling romantasy author, queen of fae heartbreak, and sworn devotee of a carefully structured routine—never expected her service dog to abandon protocol and diagnose a Formula 1 driver with something. But that’s exactly what happens when Mara the wonder-dog ditches Lizzie’s side to aggressively alert to none other than Lando Norris in the middle of a coffee shop.

Warnings and Notes: 

Mention of epilepsy and service animals. I don't myself suffer from epilepsy, so I asked my IRL friend, who thankfully was nice enough to let me ask her all the questions I could come up with. The rest I asked Reddit. So everything that's wrong...that's totally my fault and not on purpose. Also Discussion of toxic media/fandom/death threats.

As always big thanks to @llirawolf , who listens to me ramble

Lando sat on the couch, staring at his phone like it had personally betrayed him. Lizzie, curled up next to him with Mara at her feet, noticed his thumb hovering over the screen, hesitating. She nudged him with her knee.

"Alright, what is it? Did Max send you another cursed meme?" she asked, raising an eyebrow. There was something going on. Something that he hadn't told her yet. 

She had learned to read Lando well enough to pick up on these kinds of unsaid cues. The way he looked, the way he smiled, his eyes just so crinkling at the corners...she knew exactly the titl of his head, the way the right corner of his mouth ticked up in a smile when he read something funny on his phone...She knew. 

And she treasured all these tiny details, hoarded them like a dragon did to it's gold. 

Lando huffed a small laugh, but it didn’t reach his eyes. "Worse."

Lizzie's eyebrows furrowed, concern creasing her forehead. That wasn't good.  "Worse? What's worse than Max Verstappen's questionable taste in humor?" she asked, trying to infuse some humour into the situation, but Lando didn't seem interested in that. 

He exhaled, rubbing the back of his neck. "So, you know how I sent that picture of Mara in her Ferrari bandana to Charles?"

Lizzie's face lit up as she nodded, a grin tugging at the corners of her mouth. "Yes, how could I forget? The cutest picture I've ever seen."

Her dog was the most adorable dog to ever grace this earth, thank you very much. (She was very much certain that every dog owner had thought that at one moment in time, but she was correct!) 

Lando chuckled and pulled her into his side. She breathed in the scent that was simply him, something fresh and warm and so utterly Lando...feeling his body warmth seep into her, through the thin shirt he was wearing. "Yeah, yeah, you’ve said that a thousand times," he teased. "But you’ll never guess what happened when Charles showed that picture to his girlfriend."

Lizzie raised an eyebrow, her curiosity piqued. "What, did she think it was so cute it gave her a heart attack?" she joked. Not that she could fault Charles' girlfriend if that was indeed the case. 

"She recognized Mara," Lando said drily. That was not what Lizzie had expected. Actually that was the last thing she had expected.  "Alexandra Saint Mleux," Lando said, watching her reaction carefully. "is apparently a Lizzie Treshton superfan."

Lizzie’s eyes widened. "Wait, seriously?" she asked, a mix of shock and amusement coloring her voice. Really? "A F1 WAG read my books?"

"Not just her," Lando said, shaking his head. "All of them. And they’ve decided they need to meet you. Effective immediately."

Lizzie stared at him for a moment before bursting out laughing. 

"So what, they started plotting?" she teased.

"Plotting would be an understatement," Lando said, amused. "I have been forcefully added to the WAG council group chat, and they are demanding that I bring you to a race."

The mere idea of being in a group chat with the wives and girlfriends of Formula 1’s elite sounded like a scene straight out of a fanfiction, but apparently it was her real life now. 

"There’s a WAG council?" She asked, shocked besides herself. That sounded...actually, she had no idea what that sounded like. 

"Apparently."

"That’s amazing," Lizzie said, still giggling. 

Lando made a face. "It’s terrifying."

Lizzie bit her lip, trying not to laugh. "Demanding might be a strong word, though, right?"

"Oh, no," Lando corrected, his expression deadly serious. "There were threats, bribes, and full capital letters. Also, they all want signed copies of Seasons of Fate."

Lizzie let out a soft oh of understanding before shaking her head with a grin. "You know, I really didn’t think this was how our relationship was going to get outed," she said drily. Really. This was really not what she had had in mind. 

"Neither did I," Lando admitted. "But the WAGs are apparently above no tactics when it comes to getting their hands on signed books."

Lizzie raised an eyebrow, her curiosity only growing. "So, what exactly did they say?"

Lando sighed, running a hand through his curls. "Well, for starters, Alex offered to ‘whore out her Ferrari golden boy boyfriend’ if it meant getting you to Silverstone."

Lizzie cackled. "She said that?"

"Verbatim," Lando confirmed, looking equal parts entertained and exhausted. "And apparently, Charles will sign whateveryou want if he doesn’t want to be murdered in his sleep."

She burst out in laughter at that. 

"Well, that sounds like... quite the deal," she said, trying desperately to stay serious. "I don’t know whether to be concerned or find it hilariously absurd."

Lando smirked, clearly amused by the situation. "It’s a lot of both," he assured her. "But they're not afraid to play dirty." He grew serious. "I wanted to talk to you before this all blows up. I know we haven’t exactly been hiding, but we also haven’t been, you know, public."

Lizzie sobered slightly, understanding what he was getting at. "You’re worried about what happens when people know."

He nodded. "It’s just… your life is already busy, and the last thing I want is for my world to make things harder for you. The fans, the media, the scrutiny—it’s a lot. And I don’t want you to feel pressured into dealing with that."

Her heart painfully constricted, her expression softened, because it was clear that Lando was worried about this. "I appreciate that," she said sincerely. "But, Lando… I’ve been dealing with fan and media attention for a while now. I thinkI can handle it."

Lando frowned slightly. "Yeah, but F1 media is different. It’s relentless. They’ll speculate about everything, dig through your old tweets, try to twist things. Hell, they’re probably going to turn Mara into some kind of meme."

Lizzie smirked. "I mean, she is an icon. It’s about time the world recognizes it."

Lando groaned. "Lizzie."

She laughed before squeezing his hand. "Look, I won’t pretend it won’t be overwhelming. But I do know that I don’t want to keep pretending we’re just… nothing."

"You know that they’ll be hounding your every move?" he warned her, his voice tinged with concern. "The fans can be ruthless, the media is relentless, and the tabloids—well, they make up their own storylines."

She nodded. "I won’t lie, I know it’s going to be overwhelming. I mean, I have seen what happens when the internet latches onto F1 relationships. But I also know I don’t want to pretend we’re just… nothing. You make me happy, and I don’t want to hide that."

Lando was silent for a moment, his eyes meeting Lizzie's. His thumb traced a gentle circle on the back of her hand as he seemed lost in thought.

“You make me happy too,” he told her, his voice soft. “But they’ll…they’re going to dissect every little thing. If you don’t come to a race, we’ll probably be at the brink of a break up. If you do come, they’ll write ridiculous headlines of you stealing the spotlights. They are going to speculate on how long we’ve been together, probably even come up with wild conspiracy theories..."

She could hear it in his voice, how much it stressed him...how uch even just the thought of people doing that to their relationship was hurting him. 

"Hey," she said softly. "I’m a bestselling fantasy author, Lando. People come up with wild conspiracy theories about my books on a daily basis. I can handle it."

Lando chuckled at that. "Fair point," he admitted, conceding her argument. The tension in his shoulders eased some. "I just…I want you to be sure,” Lando said hesitantly. “The Formula One fandom is another level when it comes to speculating about relationships. And some fans are bloody mental. I have literally received death threats, and I am not the only one. And the media? They are going to be relentless. They’ll ask questions about you at every race, they’ll bring up your epilepsy, they’ll try to spin things."

Lizzie knew that. She was very much aware of that. But Lizzie had lived with her epilepsy for nearly all her life. She already had heard every single horrible thing somebody could say about that. 

Now it would be more of the same. Simply on a bigger stage. 

Was it scary? Yes. 

Did she care? Not really. 

So Lizzie simply squeezed his hand reassuringly. "I know. I’m not naive. And I won’t pretend it doesn’t scare me a little. But I also know I don’t want to let fear dictate my life. We’re in this together, right?"

"Of course, we are."

Lizzie leaned in, resting her forehead against his. "Then let’s do it."

Lando grinned, all traces of his earlier tension disappearing. "You’re braver than me," he said, pulling her closer so he could kiss her forehead. "Are you sure you’re ready for this circus?"

A mischievous glint flashed in Lizzie's eyes. "Honey, if there’s one thing I’ve learned from writing about a war between magical races, it’s that I can handle whatever comes my way."

Lando chuckled, shaking his head at her audacity. "You’re something else, you know that?" he said warmly. 

"Yes," she said, grinning. "So, you’ll take me to Silverstone?"

"I was supposed to be the one inviting you, you know," Lando muttered, feigning exasperation.

Lizzie just smirked. "Too slow, Norris.  Let’s do it. If the WAGs want signed books, I might as well hand-deliver them."

Lando let out a dramatic sigh. "Fine. But the moment we walk into the paddock together, the internet is going to explode."

Lizzie leaned in, pressing a quick kiss to his lips before pulling back with a knowing smile. "Then let’s give them a show, shall we?"

[afrsconp]

Random thoughts on S04E06, The Fish and the Whale:

Exactly who was playing who? David saw Jo's picture (and thus the load screen for Dana's new game) BEFORE he overheard Brad and Ian in the bathroom. Whyd he even notice such a small detail in the pic?Was Brad an unreliable narrator who said Dana was the fish because he didn't want to admit that it was actually David who beat him? And that he found it super hot

If ^ is true, then it's yet another sign of their character arcs mirroring each other season: David being the devious one and Brad unknowingly being played

David's level of confidence when he has people who support him, but it being paid for by changing himself to fit in

How ^ is just another version of Brad changing himself to run the con (and maybe all his interactions with people in general)

This is another time we've seen Brad without any masks on (the others being when Zack arrived and when he watched Dana propose to Rachel), and once again, David's the only MQer who got to see it

Something something, David needing to double check it when he has a good hand, vs Brad literally covering his eyes when he bluffs. I know he did it to manipulate David into playing his part but there are countless other fake tells they could've made Brad use for that. So... something something, David having a hard time believing it when something good happens to him, vs Brad wearing so many masks on top of other masks that he can't see clearly through any of them anymore.

Did they just forget that Jo thought of Rachel and Poppy as her best friends or what??

David's condo is actually pretty nice - the LPs, nice sound system, art on the walls, warm lighting

Five months is loooong time to play a con like this. I don't think it's much of a stretch to think that Brad maybe kind of enjoyed it

David REALLY wants siblings / a family connection, which is another manifestation of his desperation to not be alone

Brad secretly needs glasses?! Does he wear contacts?

How normal (as in, non-MQers) maybe see Ian and David as they really are: Ian is a douchebag who can't relate to normal people, and David is just a nice guy

Mini Community reunion! One of David's Cerritos friends was Subway (and Ethan Crane on Passions, lol)

[taeaura]

Do you think if say you self insert yourself into tcm 2006 maybye reader actually looking after Tommy he woud not loose his nose etc like if reader was there to look after Tommy tcm 2003 would go diffrent and her readers role would most likely be in most films, as she got captured before Chrissies group idk if this is too similar to what y wrote b4

Hi !! I hope I understood this right - If I didn't, please let me know🫀

Thomas Hewitt x Caring Reader - How Thomas' Outcome Would Differ From the 2006/2003 Remakes

TW: Self-harm, mental breakdowns, cannibalism, murder, TCM-Canon-Related Topics This isn't spell/grammar checked lol

°❀⋆.ೃ࿔*:･.

First of all, I think Thomas would have a different outcome with his nose. Hear me out - If he had someone who not only encouraged, but actively took place in caring for his health, he'd have wayyy less of a chance to develop a deadly infection, or necrosis.

Continuing on that note; He'd take way better care of himself!! With positive feedback, productive routines, and someone to bond with, his mental health would begin to regenerate. He'd actually look forward to coming home from the slaughterhouse instead of dreading it.

..Pack him a lunch, please {and add a note :)}

--

Following the closing of the slaughterhouse, you'll need to be very, very patient with Thomas. He just lost his job, his purpose, and the main source of income for the family. PLUS the family just incorporated cannibalism/murder - which is no easy task.

Give him his space whilst providing opportunities to vent out his frustrations and anxieties. This really is the part where you either make or break your relationship {by 'you' I mean the reader as well as Thomas.} You two will need to care for each other more than ever in this time of need, and continuing this as the years progress.

--

If we follow the events of the 2003 remake's timeline, Thomas gets more manic and less restricted with his movements and overall presentation. Could this have been prevented? I'm not sure. Stalled, maybe, but this definitely seems like the result of multiple stressful events eating away at a man with little support or emotional regulation skills.

It would take a lot for someone to prevent this, but even then, one of you is gonna lose it. Taking care of someone with as much detail that would be needed in this situation would result in you going mad. You lose yourself, which is exactly what happened to Thomas.

That being said, he hasn't lost himself completely. When it's just the family, he's okay - When it's just the two of you, he's even better. Much calmer, relaxed, and open.

I envision Thomas having mental breakdowns every few months, maybe even more. During these breakdowns, it gets bad.

He's destructive, hysterical, and unpredictable. Tons more vocal, by that I mean lots more grunts, yelling, crying out. It's a lot of pent up anger and repressed emotions that not even he knew he had. Once he comes down, he'll be even worse {to himself}. Thomas feels terrible afterward; Guilty and extremely overstimulated which leads to lots of overflowing, hysterical crying and tendencies of self-harm {probably lots of hitting his head with his fist, though not punching}.

Essentially lots of this:

Sorry, I know this section sounds a lot like Bubba {Sawyer}...oops

When he's experiencing breakdowns like this, he needs space whilst also being 'supervised.' By supervised I mean making sure he's not being extremely destructive of other people OR himself {especially}. Don't worry about the items, worry about him. Thomas is never violent to the family {including you} during these episodes, but he most definitely is to the victims.

He just needs something simple, nothing too demanding or overstimulating - Even if it's just you sitting with him and assuring him no one's upset, that's enough for him to start coming down. He might need some rest after this :(

--

Other potential changes {in his outcome}:

He'd wear masks less {around family}

His creativity would flourish earlier-on

Thomas would have an easier time adjusting to the cannibalistic lifestyle {if you were there to suffer through it beside him}

His confidence would grow :)

His emotional regulation skills would strengthen

_____

Im never gonna leave you, baby - Even if you lose what's left of your mind

[insanewaykathy]

I've heard that the writers chose to make Chakotay so desperate in Coda because it was a safe area to show his feelings for Kathryn, and that makes a lot of sense. Coda just boggles my mind, but here goes. What was real and what was Kathryn's imagination?

Real:

He's trying to revive her.

Then he uses a hypospray on her and she wakes up.

And this is also real, she really wakes up, first because there is no cut from one scene to another, he stops the resuscitation and then takes the hypospray, and she is not watching, she was unconscious at that time.

So this actually happened:

Chakotay tells her that he's going to get blankets and that they need to contact Voayger. See how this scene is rich in detail and emotion:

And then we have this shot of him running, but there's no one watching. If it were a hallucination, she would see him running, but the image is captured from above.

Hallucination:

When he comes back and talks about the burns in the case, she is already sitting down, this part is probably just in her head, because that is where she enters the cave and the time loops start afterwards.

And then we have them returning to Voyager and I believe that at that moment the alien started having trouble convincing her that everything was real, because the Doctor starts talking some nonsense, like for example, the fact that she contracted phagia, she ends up refuting everything, and the alien starts to get desperate and without options.

So the alien resorts to something more realistic. Back to the accident. And we have this scene:

Then we have a flash, clearly showing the change of scene.

And this scene is real:

The alien wants to make her believe that she is dead and is a spirit, so he shows her the real scene.

At this point, actual communication with Voyager occurs:

And there's a very important clue in this scene that gives it away as real. Tuvok says that the transports have crashed, and at the end of the episode, we see Tuvok and the Doctor on the planet trying to revive her, but they don't take her to Voyager because the previous statement was true. So that part can't be a hallucination.

Hallucination:

Honestly, this alien is not very smart. He shows her that the transports are down, the scene cuts and she is already on Voyager. Total inconsistency.

And then Chakotay just walks out of sickbay and he was super calm at her wake, whereas moments before he was desperate and crying.

And then we flash again, which cuts to a real scene:

And further ahead, another flash, showing another real scene:

One last flash and she finally wakes up, after literally sending the alien to hell:

And then she and Chakotay walk out hugging each other like this:

And then, you know, he gives her a flower and they go on a date on the holodeck:

THIS IS PLATONIC AS HELL!

[darkbluekies]

I don't think it's weird, I think it means you put a lot of care and time into your work and you want it to be good! I do the same with my dancing, it helps me make sure I'm not being too repetitive or any corrections I need to make, I think it just highlights how passionate you are🫶💕

Okay thank you🥹 i have some things I just thought about yesterday that I wanted to share!

1. Golden boy's and Silas's conversation in part 1 of Golden Trial

— it's said that the lunch conversation y/n has with Silas feelt like 2, one on the surface and one deeper. On the surface it's like "oh haha art, painting, what are you doing here, haha excuse my shy man he goes where I go haha yeah I'm always with him" HOWEVER, if you really check what Silas says, it is "i know who you are and what you are doing ans I am warning you to back off" which is think is a neat detail.

2. The twins importance in "make things right or make them worse"

— dr kry's daughters are spitting images of their mother (you) but in different ways. Nadia represents the parts of y/n that used to fight back, and Lydia represents the hope y/n once had.

3. Edmund and the fairy in "cannot take what was never meant to leave"

— the fairy represents purity (white flowers white dress) and Edmund represents destruction (hunting rabbits, killing her tree) and what happens when you combine them? You get taintment, a shell of what once was. Something that will never go back to what it was. Just like darling. But it's also interesting to think that Edmund doesn't rule with power, but with destruction.

These were the things I came up with yesterday but there are more scattered around in my stories!

[aotopmha]

One bit of information I glimpsed in all of this clickbait hell as far as FFXIV content goes is that apparently they're bringing in completely new writer(s) for MSQ?

I have zero official sources or real details for this, but it's interesting to think about and there are a bunch elements to consider here.

For one, we have a massive already established cast and world here. Can the new writers learn to know them all and the world or is the choice to once again go for a new cast and make a more contained story?

There has been a mention of concentrating the focus on the Scions, so another option is to give a few of them to the new writers to work with and see what they are capable of as writers.

I also think if they bring in new writers I'd rather them have a trial run with some side content first? Ishikawa had Crystal Tower, Coils and the DRK questline (and some others) under her belt before she was promoted to write ShB.

Will they drop the old writers completely or just give them smaller roles?

I personally think they should stick around in some capacity.

Or at the very least, out of all of the writers, I hope Ishikawa still stays around the most; I think she's the most competent of the current writers (also ShB and EW are some of my favourite fantasy ever) and all she needs is a break and maybe new voices to bounce off of.

And I do think Hiroi is the weakest of the main three writers, though Maehiro has some massive issues as a writer, too.

It's such an interesting, but scary option because one of my personal criticisms of the story is the stagnation, as well.

I don't agree with the more extreme takes on it, but I do think it is an issue, however, with new writers, there is a chance we could get something much, much worse.

Something that doesn't understand the themes, characters or the world at all.

Yet stagnation can also really wear on a story; and if there is a writer to take a backseat, I think it's Hiroi.

Perhaps entirely new writers should've happened with Dawntrail to begin with?

Or perhaps it's good to have DT as a transition point much like StB was.

This could entirely be just a bunch of clickbait nonsense (and also claimed by a creator that seems to really like that specific kind of clickbait) and I'm inclined to believe it is considering I haven't seen anything else backing this up, but as said I think it is interesting to think about.

[aegagrusscholarship]

ok this was a tag rant but then it got really long so it goes in the main reblog and also the mainblog

if you take mirage as any sort of mirror of v1. it doesn't matter HOW exactly. just that you acknowledge that she is a facet of it in some way, it's pretty clear to see.

like yes her problems are filtered through the lens of her being a high schooler. and v1 is in a completely different situation. but the basal character traits that lead each of them to their respective current situations are, at the very least a facet of each other, if not straightup the same

i could also go on about the goofy little things available to do in the levels and also the goofy situations of bonus levels and point to that. because the hank skeleton saga and the fact that v1 does not simply disregard the silly little puzzles and activities it finds in those bonus levels. you cannot argue that they're non-canon, because the fact of the matter is that they are part of the game, and the game is very diegetic, and the game is telling you that these are situations that could happen. they might not have truly happened if you want to read it that way, but they are situations that are entirely possible to have happened.

and my point is that v1 is so very willing to do silly shit. because like. cheesy as it is to say. to want to live means you want to live for SOMETHING

it does not need to be a person or a thing or a concept even just the fact of being able to experience is a thing that could well be a motivation. and i think that IS the case here, given what little snippets of v1's personality we can see through these little details

and if you take into account PLAYER BEHAVIOUR and what is ENCOURAGED of the player and take into account the fact ultrakill is a very diegetic game!!!! that's even more to talk about!!! that is even more to point towards

the player is encouraged to go fuck around in the cybergrind, and you can't say the existence of the cybergrind and the way it works is non-canon! it is entirely canon! and the player is encouraged to fuck around in it which points to the fact that v1 is very much probable to fuck around as well, because player behaviour IS accounted for in its written personality as well

that is how this game is written. and this also means player behaviour in terms of the silly shit players do in levels is also implied to be adjacent to canon, if not outright canon.

and brother, we're having so much fun here.

v1 just wants to keep experiencing everything it can.

this is more speculation on my part, but i don't think it's scared of dying for the sake of being scared of dying, if that makes sense. i think it is scared because that means its existence will end, and that may seem like a non-issue of a distinction to make but it is very important a distinction.

going back to mirage, her fear is of nothing she does mattering in the end. i think v1's fear is very much off the same baseline. if it dies, if it stops existing, it will not have- can not have mattered. it's scared of and is running from the fact that it currently cannot and does not have closure.

AND. A FINAL THING. you didn't think i'm not thinking about the way this is entirely a foil to gabriel's acceptance of his own death didja? because i did not forget that!! it completely comes right back to the thing about closure i said literally thirty seconds ago.

gabriel has closure! he knows what he has done will have an effect on what he wanted to affect. it does not matter what happens to him anymore because he has done everything he wanted to do at this point. his death does not matter anymore! he's fulfilled his goal.

v1 doesn't have closure and i don't think it can. it's very much aimless. it's reason for existing as of now is simply to exist and experience the world. to die would take that away entirely, and it is scared of that.

Honestly it’s a little bit funny how the new ultrakill death screen has 95% of the fandom just straight up ugly crying in the club

[deancaslover]

Everyone shipping Katniss with Peeta or Gale, when Madge was right there.

[tapakah0]

[wonder-worker]

apparently Laynesmith has argued that Joan of Kent and Thomas Holland may not have actually had a pre-contract in “Joan of Kent’s Tale: Adultery and Rape in the Age of Chivalry”, Medieval Life 5 (1996): 7-9.

has anyone read it & what do they think of it?

[pergaminaa]

Bad dream involving Manon? Sure, why do I even question things at this point? (this is part the actual dream and part what I added later on while I lay down in bed trying to make sense of it)

Ugh, so there was this big building (hospital? A residential building? Not sure tbh) the Blackbeak Matron was there and Manon was supposed to go see her. Anyway, the room was on the 80th floor so it’s A WHILE to get there.

Elevators weren’t working and Manon decided to take the stairs. She was in heels and all. Also, there is another building nearby, a decrepit place full of outlaws and all. One part of the staircase of this building can easily connect to that other awful building.

Manon knows this but she figured she can stay in the right place because it’s just going straight up no detours so she should be fine. It’s not wise to keep her grandmother waiting. Also Dorian was supposed to meet her there but he called saying that he can’t because he has to take care of something.

Anyway, she went up the stairs. The first five floors were fine then after the the location of the stairs changed and she had to walk in different directions in order to go further up.

The place was changing and she realized that she had somehow ended up in that other building. Deciding to turn back she tried to find the stairs but before she could do that the door swung open and a man entered the stairwell dragging another man with him. Manon found a half-collapsed concrete wall to hide behind until it was over and they left but she was found.

Now back in the og building, Ghislaine is in her room reading. There was a slight knock, barely there but she heard it. Opening the door she is surprised to see Manon there, her face pale and she was trembling. Manon didn’t say anything at all but Ghislaine didn’t need any words to realize that something was wrong.

Sorrel gathered the thirteen and they all went to Ghislaine’s room, settling in the living room not knowing what was going on.

Ghislaine called Sorrel and told her to remain neutral and not let anyone realize that something was off. It was hard, Sorrel tried her best but the two requests Ghislaine made sent cold chills down her spine.

Returning back with the doctor Ghislaine requested by name got everyone’s attention. Sorrel was honest, she has no idea what’s going on but that can’t be good.

Briar wondered if Dorian was around at all, but no one had seen him. Dorian showed up around an hour later, having learned that Manon and the rest of the Thirteen were in Ghislaine’s room. As soon as he was inside, Sorrel was on him, almost strangling him. It took both Asterin and Edda to pry her off of him. While not going for murder, the rest of them looked at him as if has committed a grave crime. Worry, then fear crept over him, realizing what this was about.

“What happened?” He looked at them.

“We don’t know,” Vesta said.

“Nothing good, if you must know,” Sorrel was barely looking at him, close to losing her temper once again. She remembers every word Ghislane told her, what supplies she instructed the doctor to bring. Murderous rage threatened to take over her again.

The door to Ghislaine’s room opened and the witch herself came out. “You need to leave,” She almost hissed at Dorian.

“What happened?” He repeated, less curious and more worried. He couldn't shake the feeling that something was very wrong. Manon wasn't there, and this made him anxious. Something happened to her, he is sure of it.

“You were supposed to be there, why weren’t you?” The usually calm Ghislaine snapped at him.

“What is happening? Something came up and I told Manon that I’ll meet her later on. She didn’t need me there,” That was the plan, he and Manon talked and agreed.

"You should have stayed." She sneered.

"I have to see her, where is she?" Dorian demanded.

"No, you do not. She's sleeping and shouldn't be disturbed," Ghislaine was getting angrier the more she looked at him, so she retreated back into her room and shut the door.

She told one of the girls to bring new clothes for Manon. It was done as soon as possible. Try as she might, Ghislaine couldn't talk Manon out of changing and trying to get to her grandmother. She kept her waiting for long enough. She emerged from Ghislaine's room to a room full of concerned faces, but she focused on the task at hand.

[yamujiburo]

A few months ago, some of you might know if you keep up with this blog, I went to Collect-A-Con LA. It was truly on a whim. Literally the day before my girlfriend and I had just come back from our Europe trip. Normally I'd be so tired and jetlagged but for some reason I was feeling really antsy and energized and just needed to go somewhere and get out of the house.

I found out that Collect-A-Con LA was happening the following day and that a lot of the original Pokemon voice cast would be there. So I bought a ticket, drew/printed up a picture that I wanted to get signed and got up early to drive to the convention center (you have to understand that I hate driving in town and also very much never wake up early). I don't know what possessed me to do this but I'm so glad I did.

I ended up having the privilege of meeting Eric Stuart, Veronica Taylor and of course, Rachael Lillis.

She was masked up, looked tired, and a bit sick. And at the time, I assumed she might've caught a cold over the weekend of the con. I went to her table and she still smiled and gave me all of her attention and time. I paid her assistant for an autograph, gave Rachael the drawing I'd done and she got to signing it. Her assistant said the print I had was cute and asked where I got it. I told her that I drew it myself and that I spent a LOT of my time drawing Team Rocket and other various Pokemon fanart. When I said that, Rachel stopped mid-sign and looked up and squinted at me and asked "are you Kiana Mai"? My heart skipped. I had no idea she knew who I was and was surprised that, given how many Pokemon fanartists there are in the world, she was able to pick me out. I left that interaction so happy and felt so seen. Soon after, I went to get my print signed by Veronica Taylor and while in her line, noticed Rachael had left her table; presumably not feeling well and had to leave the con early. I remember thinking how lucky I was to catch her before she left.

A couple months later, I saw the gofundme that her sister posted, detailing what Rachel was going through for the past few years and her battle with cancer. It put that convention day in such a different perspective for me.

All I could think about was how much she cared about her fans and how in touch with her community she was to go to a convention while being in so much pain and suffering in silence. I obviously don't know her personally, but based on how other fans who've met her, as well as her colleagues have spoken about her, I got the impression that she was an amazing, thoughtful person who cared about the people around her. That was only solidified for me based on this singular interaction a few months ago.

Rest in Peace Rachael Lillis. You've touched so many lives with your voice and so much of us grew up listening you. Thank you for everything!

[writersdrug]

Simon "Ghost" Riley is the kind of man who:

In your shared home, always sits with his legs spread. Manspreading king. Adores it when you cross your arms and give him a disapproving look, saying there's no room for you. "Course there is, luv. Jus' sit between my thighs."

Refuses to let you do simple tasks around the house, like making tea, folding his underwear, or putting away the dishes. One might think it's a sweet, husbandly gesture - but he's just super picky. You made tea in the microwave once, and now you're banned from ever touching his tea stash. Likes his underwear folded in a specific way, and you don't understand the importance of it. He got tired of you stuffing his underwear in his drawer, so now he folds it himself. And the dishes? Couldn't stand how you put them away. "There's no rhyme or reason to 'em." "I didn't think there had to be, Si-" "Just gimme the damn bowl." Fewer chores? You aren't complaining.

Looks like he's always on edge - and he is, kinda. When he's out with you, he can't help but be alert and watchful, and extremely protective of you. You've tried to get him to loosen up - it's the supermarket, what could happen? - but have just come to accept it as his nature. Plus, you get that giddy feeling when you see other men look straight down at the floor, avoiding Simon's stare as the two of you pass.

Is the grumpiest, poutiest, and most indignant man ever when he gets sick. Doesn't want you doting on him in case you catch whatever he has. But, wait - where are you going? "Get your ass back in this bed - 'm cold." Grumbles like a child when you force him to let you get up to grab him soup, tea, or medicine. And no, he doesn't care how sick he is, he's not wearing that stupid, floppy ice pack hat.

Brings Johnny over unannounced, and you've grown used to it. The moment you hear that Scottish yapping out the front door as the key unlocks, you grab a third plate for dinner - he insists you don't need to feed him, but you always make extra for Simon's lunch the next day regardless, and the last time he'd said that, he ended up grabbing an extra fork and picking from Simon's plate. Which, of course, had Simon up at 1 am making instant ramen because he was still hungry, but didn't have the heart to ask you to make him a decent meal. So, yes, Johnny would be fed.

Loves spoiling you on your birthday. What is a man if not someone who spoils his partner rotten? Orders in food from your favorite bakery, sets all your presents neat and nice on the table (the excellent wrapping job done by yours truly, Gaz), flower petals sprinkled on the ground and the table top (also Gaz's idea), and a seat on his lap so for you while you open your presents. Loves watching your face light up, and each little "you remembered?!" fall from your lips as you open each gift. Scoffs and shifts in his seat. "I's not that much of a fuss, luv..." as you squeal excitedly, but you know he's biting back a proud smile. The blush, he can't even attempt to hide.

Is somehow a magnet for your young nephews. Every time he comes along to your sister's place, he's either making conversation with her husband in the living room, or he's interrogated and cornered by her two sons. And, lord help him, he doesn't understand it either. He'd always expected kids to look at him like a monster, but, especially with these two, that was never the case. They'd ask him for stories about "being in war" - half of the time, he'd make up some not-too-gory adventure, sparing them the details of real war. The rest of the time, he'd talk about "Soap, my mate who blows everything up." And they'd listen with wide eyes and jaws on the floor.

Has scared you unintentionally, more than too many times. He'd come home at three in the morning from a mission, and all he wanted was to quietly peel his dirty uniform off and slip into bed with you. His main intention was to avoid waking you up, because you'd force him to shower before joining you in bed - and he was too tired for that. However, you'd been rounding the corner, up for your 3 am glass of water - you screamed as you saw the hulking, dark figure by the front door, launching your phone at him. He'd caught it effortlessly and shoved it into his back pocket. "What've I told ya 'bout using the bat?" "I was just getting water!" "I coulda been anyone." "Well you're not." "Missed ya, luvie." "Missed you too- but you're grimy. Go take a-" "No." He grabbed you and threw you over his shoulder, ignoring your protests as he hauled you back to bed.

[why-animals-do-the-thing]

There's a viral video circulating from the Fort Worth Zoo, of two keepers who ended up in a habitat at the same time as a silverback gorilla. Spoiler for good news: neither the humans nor the gorilla got hurt. It's a bad situation that ended extremely well, and that's why I want to talk about it.

The audio for this video is mostly someone praying loudly, so if you need to turn the audio off to watch it, you won't miss anything relevant. If you don't want to watch it, here's the summary: it starts with a keeper running around the corner into the main exhibit, pursued by a large male gorilla. She is quickly able to get into a doorway at the back of the exhibit, but does not completely close the door because the gorilla is standing across from her, watching. He eventually moves off to the right hand side of the exhibit, where we can see a keeper is trapped in the corner at the front. She was trying to move towards the exit as he moved to the right, and she stops, standing very still behind a tree, while he stays along the far right wall. They stay like that for a minute, and then the gorilla runs to the front right corner, and the keeper is able to run to the door in the back of the exhibit and get to safety.

Let's start with basic information. Even though it's just going viral now, this video is from October of 2023. It was taken not by a guest, but by the zoo security officer responding to the situation. Hmmm, seems like he maybe should have been doing something else during that situation, instead of than taking a phone video. It's going viral now because the guy (who is no longer employed at the zoo) decided to post it on TikTok for his five minutes of fame. This guy immediately started giving all sorts of media interviews, answering questions like "why no tranquilizers" inappropriately, making memes out of his own video, generally distasteful shit.

Zoo spokesperson Avery Elander gave a public statement that "thankfully, there was no physical contact between keepers and gorilla, and all staff and animals are safe." A comment from the zoo has also indicated that the incident was due to keeper error. (As opposed to, for instance, something in the fencing breaking.) According to the guy who posted the video, a lock was left unsecured and the gorilla was able to open the door to the habitat. I don't know if I buy it, and again, this just... is probably why he doesn't have a job anymore. By sharing that detail - real or not - he places a ton of public scrutiny and blame on that keeper team. (If that's what happened, I can promise you it will have been dealt with internally.) He also was nice enough to say he wouldn't name the women in the video... but verified they're still staffers at the zoo... which means they're eminently identifiable! Excuse me while I ragequit for a second.

So there's two reasons I wanted to talk about this. The first is to make sure it is well known that this guy is purposefully and intentionally exploiting the worst day of someone's life for media attention. Their lives were in danger, and he's using it for fame. His name is in the media articles - I'm not going to share it because he doesn't deserve that attention. The second reason, though, is because this video is a masterclass on how to survive if you end up sharing space with a gorilla. Every zoo person I've spoken to or seen comment on the video is so, so impressed with how the keepers handled themselves.

The gorilla in this video is 34-year-old Elmo. All apes in AZA zoos are managed in protected contact, so keepers are supposed to be separated from them by a barrier at all times. The zookeepers were in the habitat putting out a mid-day meal when he got out. Watching the video, you can see he's not actively being aggressive towards them - he's not making threat displays or trying to approach them. Mostly, Elmo seems like he doesn't know what is going on and he's kinda freaked out about it. (This is confirmed in the zoo's press statement, too). The staff stayed calm, and importantly, watched and waited to see how he'd move and act.

The zoo did say one thing, though, that's a bit misleading. In one article, their press person I quote as saying “In general, gorillas are considered the “gentle giants” of the great ape species.” Just because this may be true in comparison to other great ape species doesn't meant gorilla aren't still incredibly dangerous. This type of messaging always worries me, because I think it leads people to misunderstand the risks of being close to megafauna. Gorilla are extremely strong animals, and their social norms/behaviors are very different from that of humans. That's why it's such a big deal any time people end up in gorilla habitats, and why sometimes in those circumstances lethal measures have to be taken to protect human life.

These keepers are incredibly lucky to be unharmed. These women stayed safe specifically because they're trained professionals who knew how to act around gorilla, they knew this particular animal well, and they'd learned the escapes from the exhibit just in case this ever happened. We should applaud them for their cool heads and quick thinking.

As for the guy who posted the video? As a colleague put it, may he always step on a Lego.

[transgendz]

I live with 2 roommates, one of them has cancer, me and the other one have mono rn. My roommate who has cancer gets a port put in tomorrow to start chemo. The house isn't even clean enough for that yet, because we haven't been able to afford to get all the proper cleaning supplies.

Everyone in the house was disabled before all this, and I've been the main provider for a while. Right now, adding to the shittiness of it all, my check is late, and if it's not in by tomorrow, we won't be able to pay rent on the 1st, which would get us evicted because we don't get a grace period.

We need about $1,300 before the 1st just to get the house clean for her to start chemo and to pay rent. Oh, and the storage unit that is holding all of the stuff I have left from my dead dad is closing, and we need to rent a truck and drive up there and get our stuff before that happens on the 15th.

Proof below but dm for more proof I know there's a lot I've mentioned in this one post but, but also it's less than half of what's actually going on rn so.

$C--PP--V--kofi

More details regarding the gfm below the cut.

The gfm is specifically for my roommate and her needs through treatment, the funds given to it will specifically go towards her needs. My links above are attached bc we need to cover rent now, and even if we tried, we could not use the money on gfm for that due to the 3-5 waiting time. The money on gfm now will be just enough to cover an apot copay and a large shipment of some meal replacement drinks since she's struggling with dramatic weight loss.

[medicinemane]

I'm kinda fucking furious with my mom

Her stupid slob lazy ass has lost my fucking ballot

I fucking brought it in with the mail, but it was such a fucking busy week with so much shit on my plate (think the fridge may have been dead still at that point, can't remember) but I go to check the mail and it's like ah yeah, there they are

Only just remembered cause had so much stuff going on and... she's just been making a pile of trash in the kitchen instead of going through the mail, and she's going "oh I never saw them"

Fuck you, my fucking mistake for trusting you with anything. I should have known you're such an asshole you can't even open your own mail

Like I'm actually fuming right now