#i think as far as my six goes at least. they also kinda see the chip in a sentimental way too

[chiimeramanticore]

im still working on six's ref (which will HOPEFULLY be done tonight) and while doing their post-dam design i decided it'd be funny if they started wearing the platinum chip on a necklace

cuz like, not only does the average person not know what the chip actually is, but even if you knew and managed to steal it from them, like. what are you gonna do lol. go to the securitron bunker with no securitrons inside? shut off the power for the entire region that you probably also live in? you know what happened to the last guy who tried to steal this thing, right?

[pansy-picnics]

A vat7k related question.

What do you think is Hugo's gender identity? Cus I want to hear what you think Hugo's gender is and the story behind it.

EHEHEHE personally i think she’s genderfluid and uses he/she/they pronouns…….I think he was kind of an uncracked egg up until the trials though. like, he’s been in survival mode for so long that he’s never had the time or luxury to really think about himself or his identity….i think he’s had a lot of different disguises over his career though, and those personas are either male or female depending on what the situation calls for so he’s not a stranger to dressing femininely either.

but yeah…i think for a long time hugo just identified as male by default cuz like…what else would he be LOL. if he had any doubts at all they weren’t significantly hindering him or anything so he just buried them with all the other of the emotions he doesn’t want to feel. but like the closet is made of GLASS and this becomes especially obvious when she teams up with 3 other teenagers who are also transgender so sometimes she’ll just Say Shit and they all turn around and look at her like “…….🤨”

i have this very vivid scene in my head where varian comes out to the gang as trans and hes clearly really uneasy abt it. and hugo doesn’t know what to say so he just tries to relate by saying the first thing that comes to mind and goes “oh yeah i get it i mean. sometimes i wish i was a girl but like not all the time yk” and nuru and varian both just stop and stare at him

hugo, getting nervous: …Sorry that’s probably not the same thing forget i said anything

nuru: No i think we should talk about this?

anyways yeah….other than her traveling party giving her some weird looks nothing actually really came of these conversations bc hugo would refuse to think about herself even if you put a gun to her head

fast forward to post-trials though, and hugo’s been living in the castle with varian for about six months…it was REALLY messy for both of them while she was adjusting, but at this point shes finally started to let her guard down a little, and all of a sudden she has SO much free time and she has no idea what to do with any of it. she’s stealing collecting things, tinkering with all kinds of useless little gadgets, rapunzel is teaching her tons of little arts and crafts projects. overall shes pretty content despite everything. So anyways then the gender crisis hits them like a fucking freight train

honestly i’m like half joking when i say i think it started bc they just kept forgetting to cut their hair. like one day they looked in the mirror and they’re like “wow my hairs getting so long i kinda look like a girl lol. Wait”

AND AS FUNNY AS IT IS ITS SO. WILDLY UNFAMILIAR TO THEM. like all of a sudden theyre SO insecure for as far as they can tell, NO reason and it drives them CRAZY. i dont even think that hugo dislikes their masculine features after coming out, i think they embrace them if anything but its just like…going from 0 to 100 so fast and suddenly being so hyper aware of themselves in a way that they NEVER were before…having to realize that they’re definitely Not cis. it’s fucking TERRIFYING!!!

not to mention it hits him all at once during a time when he’s still frankly really paranoid about him and varian’s relationship, and he’s kinda walking on eggshells bc deep down he’s convinced that var’s just gonna get tired of him eventually and kick him out. its like he’s just waiting for the final nail in the coffin despite the fact that there is literally no coffin.

All that being said i think it takes him a while to work up the courage to talk to varian about it. and he knows he won’t like. hate him for being trans or anything (I sure hope he wouldn’t, at least, seeing as he is literally also trans) but varian’s already done SO much for him and helped him through literally everything already….he doesn’t want to burden him any more than he already has. he also cant comprehend that someone can just Like him, like, as a person, so he’s convinced himself that varian must see something specific in him right now and he’s afraid that if he changes himself drastically in any way then whatever varian saw in him just. won’t be there anymore. If that makes sense

as for who he actually goes to first- honestly i think it’d have to be lance. at least in my head lance was the first person hugo really started to bond with aside from varian….he didn’t start letting his guard down with rapunzel until quite a while after that. also i think he’s worried that if he tells rapunzel she’d end up accidentally spilling something to varian (which is like. Valid bc she’s a horrible liar) he’d definitely write a letter to nuru, too, but nuru is also in another kingdom, and that message takes a while to get to her, so it’s more something they talk about after the fact

when he finally does get a letter back after dumping this revelation on her it’s just like

“dearest hugo. upon reading your letter i desperately wanted to tell you that i told you so, but i realize that would be in poor taste, seeing as you are clearly struggling right now. Moreover,-“ /j

regardless of who she tells first, they obviously all support her and encourage her to talk to varian as well…And ofc varian hypes her up to no end when she finally does. i wanna say it’s a sweet emotional scene but i feel like varian was also under the assumption that she figured out the gender thing like a year ago /j

hugo: ,,,,so like. i don’t think i’m a guy

varian: . yeah?

hugo:

hugo: TFYM “YEAH”?????!!!!???

varian: D. DID WE NOT ALREADY KNOW THIS?

hugo: ,???? NO???!!???!

jokes aside though as soon as hugo does decide he wants to explore his presentation more varian immediately consults rapunzel who gets WAY too excited about it and it kind of scares hugo a little bit. /j like Do you want to cut your hair? Dye it? Do you want new piercings? TATTOOS????

they eventually just settle on getting her a few new pieces to add to her wardrobe and that works out fine. varian sees his girlfriend in a dress and loses his mind etc etc. All is right in the world

[suugarbabe]

alright wifey, here's a little request for ya. I'm thinking enzo in a modern au at a haunted house or something and he works there as a scareactor, reader is being dragged there by their friends and gets scared by like everything. maybe a little mean enzo like at first he just finds it funny how actually terrified they get when he scares them so he starts following the group to pop out at them everywhere but like he also thinks it's kinda cute?? also I need him to wear a mask. maybe after reader goes on a mission to find that annoying actor to rip that stupid mask off his face and then they realize oh this guy is kinda fine. hope this makes at least a little bit of sense, love youuu 💕💕💕

I love love love that you suggested Enzo because I think his build (at least how I see him) is perfect for this 😇 and perfect for spoooky season 🎃

an: this turned out waaaay longer than anticipated, i may have gotten carried away in the spirit of the season; hope it does not suck

Frustrated. Livid. Infuriated. Pick a synonym for anger and you were feeling it right now at every single one of your friends that have dragged you to this god awful haunted house. And it seemed like you were the only one who felt this way. Around you were squeals and giggles from people excited to either enter the haunted house or playful screams from those being approached by the scare actors tasked with keeping the patrons adrenaline up before entering the main attraction.

Your arm was looped with your friends next to you and you squeezed her closer as two short clowns came dancing by, giggling and twisting their heads this way and that at the people in line. “Babes, I love you, but if you hold my arm any tighter I might be able to join the crew as the new one armed woman,” Daphne started teasing, even though she, herself, also took another step backwards with you as what appeared to be a headless man holding a rotting jack o lantern on stilts made its way through the crowded line.

"Listen, I agreed to come. I did not agree I would enjoy it; this is your own doing," your hold did not loosen as the line began to move forward. A girl about your height stood at the entry, clad in what looked like an old hospital gown covered in different splats of blood; some that looked like handprints. Her hair styled in two messy pig tails atop her head with the makeup on her face applied to make her look more pale and sickly.

Her voice was higher in pitch as she counted the people being ushered in through the entrance door, "One, two, oh you will do quite nicely, yes; five, six, beautiful jacket I hope it survives without getting blood on it." You and your friends just barely made the cut, settling into the room with the others. Your plan was to hover in the background, hoping that if you avoided the front that other people would take the brunt of the horror of the house.

The sickly looking scare actor's voice was suddenly right behind you, so close it felt like she was whispering in your ear and causing you to nearly jump out of your skin, "Most people think that the back is the safest place to be, but it's far easier to get left behind," she circled around your left side, head titled and pig tails dangling. The singular white contact in her right eye made her look a little extra deranged which only made you shudder more, "We wouldn't want that happening to you, now would we?"

All you could manage was a quick shake of your head as a sickly high pitched giggle then erupted from her lips as she maneuvered her way to the front of the room where three doors stood on the back wall. "Our house is full of fun and adventures," she slapped her hand against the door in the middle; a loud, ripping of a chainsaw sounded causing a number of people in the group to jump. "I never leave because my friends are here and we just have the best time playing," she slapped her hand against the door to her right. A sharp, piercing but muffled scream emitted from behind the wood, "HELP ME, PLEASE SOMEONE HELP ME, GET ME OUT OF HERE, SHE WON'T LET ME GO!"

The sickly girl held her hand up to her mouth as she smiled and softly laughed, "She is so silly, isn't she silly?" She asked a woman in front of her who seemed to nod in agreeable just to avoid what may have come with telling her no. The sickly girl then pointed and wagged her finger at the door on the right, pouting her lips, "I'll deal with you later, friend."

She turned back to the group, unsettling smile almost too wide on her face. She walked sideways to the door on the left, placing her handle, "The glowing arrows show the way if you were to choose not to stay," she opened the door wide, plastic flaps you would seat in a meat cooler hanging in the doorway. "Remember, don't touch my friends and they won't touch you," the front of the group started through, the sound of the plastic flapping against the walls on the other side.

As you and your friends began to enter, the sickly girl was behind you again, "And don't get left behind." You gasped, turning around only to be met with the door slamming in your face. A large white sign with what was supposed to look like blood (but you were hoping was just paint) read "NOT AN EXIT" dripping down. You turned back round to see Daphne starting to walk away from you.

Hurriedly you caught up to her, holding on the the sleeve of her jacket and your group began to maneuver themselves around the maze like hallways. You weren't completely wrong about your idea to stay in the back. There were a few jump scares by scare actors while in the halls that by time you reached them they simply growled or barred their teeth or fake (very real looking) weapons towards you.

"I fucking hate it here, Daphne, I will never forgive you for this--fuckING BLOODY GOD DAMN SHIT HELL!" As the rest of the group began to enter a large black lit room with what sounded like a dozen creepy clowns in cages, a lone scare actor with a mask leap from behind the door right in front of you. His mask was not necessarily scary, per say. But the realistic ness made it all the more creepy.

He towered over you, his mask emulating similarly to an old porcelain doll with a few exceptions. There were large holes in each eye, so what you were terrifyingly looking into were the actors actual eyes. A large crack went across the left brow to his cheek, dark almost black looking blood coming from it. The bottom jaw was separated, but held together to the top half of the face with wire threading through where the lips should be. This gap allowed you to see where his lips should be coated in fake blood.

You were frozen to the spot, the scare actor in front of you flashing a smile of perfectly white teeth had they not had smudges of blood over them, "You're getting left behind, love." You turned your head to see your friends in front of you again, hustling your way back to them. You grabbed onto Astoria's arm this time instead, "I hate it here, I hate it here, I hate it here." Astoria just laughed, encouraging you to 'just have fun with it', as you all made it through the first room and into the next.

Something was starting to make you think being there was actually making you go crazy as it seemed like the same porcelain masked man was in every other room in the house. He popped through the window of the run down shed seemingly aiming to scare you directly as his low deep voice called out to you, "Hiya, darling," Another string of curses flew from your mouth, "Shit shit fucking shitfuck." You tried your best to push your friends further in the group, swearing you heard a low chuckle behind you.

He was seemingly chained against a wall two rooms after that, arms spread on either side of his head. While everyone else in the room was being frightened by the other actors, Porcelain mask seemed to be calling out to you once more. "C'mon baby, come and save me, won't you set me...free," you let out a high pitched screech, jumping further away from the wall as one of his hands seemed to burst from the chains and grab out at you."

"It's fine," Daphne assured you, "he's not going to touch you if you don't touch him remember?" You started walking in front of her, "I know that, but someone should remind him." Astoria playfully rolled her eyes as she held the curtain back for you to enter the next room. It seemed as if you were in the clear of Porcelain mask, the last two rooms you went through having no sign of him.

To exit the haunted house you had to go through a more narrow, very dark (very dark) hallway to the last door. It was a swinging door on side hinges, you knew it was the last one because every person who exited in front of you gave way to the sounds outside. So close, you're so close, you kept chanting to yourself like a mantra. It seemed like the only real scares in this area were random recordings of screams or quick flashes of light on a grim scene on one of the walls.

Keeping your eyes forward and aimed at your target (the door), another flash of light occurred. Only this time, you saw him. Porcelain mask was standing flat against the wall and when the light flashed, his head jerked quickly, looking straight. at. you. Trying to keep your cool you held your eyes to the same spot as to be aware of where he was and be able to dodge any attempt he would make.

Only when the light flashed again he was gone from the spot. Thrust into darkness again you went to grab Daphne's hand in front of you. Something wasn't right; why did her hand feel so...large. Another flash of light and you see that Porcelain mask is not only in front of you...but you were holding his hand.

Once again cloaked in darkness you were pushed against the wall as the lights began to strobe. The scare actor had a large hand on each side of your head, tall and broad towering over you. The flash from light to dark ness made his movements all the more horrifying as he tilted his head to the side before slowing bringing the mouth of his mask next to you ear, "Do I frighten you, angel?"

You ducked underneath his arms and bolted for the exit door. Pushing through it harshly, the hinges creaking as you made your exit, you frantically searched for your friends. "Over hear!" Daphne waved you over some ten meters from the exit, "You nearly did get left behind huh?" She meant it as a playful joke, erupting in teasing laughter as you flipped her off.

Over her shoulder you saw none other than Porcelain mask exiting the haunted house and heading towards a fenced off area. "I'll be right back," you tossed over your shoulder at your friends as you made your way in the same direction as the person that was torturing you all night.

You found that, luckily, the area wasn't really fenced off, and you were able to slip through a slightly open portion to what you discovered was like a 'break' area for the scare actors. You glanced around, spotting the porcelain mask sitting on top of a picnic table, three or four scare actors standing around and chatting.

In some new found confidence that was bubbling in your veins, you marked right up the table, snatching the mask and holding it up, "Who's is this?" A creepy clown and bloody hospital patient took a step back. In front of you, a tall man with soft brunette hair turned around locking your stare with his, "Looking for me?"

You wrapped an arm around your middle, "Y-yeah, who do you think you are, huh?" The man laughed lightly, "I'm Enzo, so very please to be formally introduced. And that's mine, angel. Can I have it back?" He wore a shit eating smirk, coffee brown eyes twinkling with delight.

The mask was most definitely his. The only horror makeup on his face where the crack in the eye would be and around his mouth. You stood up slightly taller, "No, Enzo, you can't have it back." His eyebrows shot up cockily, "Oh? And why's that?" You stared at him dumbstruck for a moment. His eyes had a playful glint, smirk so deep that dimples popped into each cheek.

You felt a blush creep up your neck under his gaze but you did your best to keep your voice steady as you spoke, "You think that just because you have adorable little dimples under this mask that I'm not going to be mad at you for following me around all night?" His head tilted slightly at this, not much unlike when he had you pinned against the wall in the last hall, "You think my dimples are adorable, hmm?"

Scoffing you look off to the side to break eye contact, "I, erm-" He cut you off, taking a step closer to you, your knees hitting the back of the bench, you reach for the tabletop behind you, clamoring back until you're sitting atop the table. This does nothing but give him leverage as he leans forward now, placing a hand on the table on either side of your hips. "S'alright, you're quite adorable too," he leaned in closer, "s'why I followed you around all night. Cute little angel with the sailors tongue." He was so close, lips ghosting near the shell of your ear as he spoke, "Wonder what else I can make you scream."

[thatliftgirl]

B0osting update #3!

Ok so first of all, there will be no haul this weekend bc I extended the semester and I got exams this upcoming week (,:

Anyway:

On P0shmark I just sold my first clothing items today- a cashmere sweater for a profit of $85 and another sweater for $20 profit. I’ll be shipping those tomorrow.

As for èbày- holy shit you guys it’s insane! I’m actually shutting it down for a little while because I can’t keep up with the orders. Today I had to pack and ship 12 packages (I failed, I only got five out lol) and I got I believe 7 or 8 new orders today. Total profit of $750 on makeup alone.

When it comes to what sells, I’ve noticed a few patterns but I haven’t sold quite enough yet to be sure they’re consistent. I originally only listed eyeshadow palettes and a few other things here and there because I assumed most people wouldn’t want the other stuff bc it’s harder to return and to know if it’s your color. But it turns out, lip stuff sells really well- and not the Dior stuff either, it’s mostly the mid-range brands because people want those anyway and if your listing is the lowest price, they go for it. My top lip sales have been Laura Mercier and Ole Henriksen.

Also, I originally thought that I could put the ideal price as the buy it now price and just turn offers on and I’d get all the business I would get if it were a lower buy it now price- but it turns out a lot of people are actually pretty shy (lol me too) and they simply won’t make an offer no matter what, so I’ve lowered some prices for the socially anxious folks and those listings sold.

Now moving on to the shadows and palettes- most of my sales have been one or two items, but surprisingly I’ve had buyers who bought 8 or 9 items, usually palettes, at once. One poor girl begged me to hold onto stuff for her until she gets her paycheck, which made me feel kinda bad because girl why are you spending your obviously very little money on makeup?? But hey maybe she’s in high school or smth, idk. At first I assumed they were reselling (which, I mean, I can’t really complain cause I got it for free 🤷‍♀️), but it kind of seems like they’re just foreigners in big cities trying to look rich lol. Each time it’s a Chinese name and it’s from nice areas of L.A. Idk I could be wrong, but I think some people just want a lot of makeup I guess. Anyway, my most popular items were rare or limited edition (I didn’t even know they were but thankfully èbay told me haha). Dior limited editions went super fast for $75 each, and people LOVE YSL stuff but only in the common colors, they don’t want couture clutches in the less popular colors. I learned I have to price rarer colors for less sometimes, not more, because people search for the shade they want. All my Pat McGrath and Anastasia palettes have sold. I have a ton of Dior and Lancôme and Clinique in stock as you guys know- like probably at least 30 palettes from each brand. Quite a few Dior palettes have sold, but not a single Lancôme or Clinique product has- except for one individual eye shadow shade from Lancôme- no matter how low the price. We’ll see if that keeps up. Surprisingly again, Dior lip products and blush are simply not popular.

I’ve been packing them really nicely and throwing in a nail polish in each one and a lip balm in the big orders, but nothing has arrived at its destination yet so I’m just hoping I get good reviews! Also like an idiot I lied about my age on eBay so I’m scared my money will go out the window because it’s on hold while they verify my SSN.. I really hope not /:

Oh and I did start an èbay for my clothes, but I just listed six things to kind of gauge how it goes. So far I just got one comment on an item asking for measurements, but idk how to take those (,: same thing happened on p0shmark- if anybody knows pls help a girl out and hmu 🥲

That’s all I’ve got, and of course these are just my observations, they might not be completely accurate since I’m just starting out, but I’m hoping these updates will be helpful for some of you thinking of b0osting on these platforms. If anyone has any questions, just wants to chat, or wants me to nab smth for them even- hmu, I’m always happy to chat (:

[darbyoakana]

An Overlord's Tail - Chapter 1

An Overlords Tail Chapter 1 | Chapter 2 | Chapter 3 | Chapter 4 | Chapter 5 | Chapter 6 | Chapter 7 | Chapter 8 | Chapter 9 | Chapter 10

Summary: Alastor X reader, F/M. You are new to the hotel staff working under Alastor. He spends his days pestering and tormenting you. But that pestering turns into a competition, one you want to win. Can you get the upper hand? Are you getting too close to him? Warnings: No real warnings for this chapter, just Alastor being a dick. This story is 18+, minors can fuck right off.

Other Notes: Thanks @sailorsmouth for the doodle and encouragement!

Darby Link Tree

___________________________________________

Chapter 1: A New Start

It had been three months since you walked out of your job at VoxTek and you were starting to get desperate. Without work to focus on, everything else felt so much harder. You had nothing but stress to distract you and it wasn’t enough. You pushed your self-loathing to the side.

You rushed out the door, wanting to get to the interview early. The last interview you had went poorly. Perhaps it was the interviewer, or maybe it was the fact that you were covered by entrails from an incident out front. Hell is a wild place, expect the unexpected. But you were set, nothing was going to ruin this. You adjusted your plastic poncho, surprise bodily fluids or parts were going to get you today. The joke, per usual, was on you. You should have also worn rain boots you thought, as a large gush of blood filled your shoes. You groaned. Watching the still-gushing corpse being dragged down the alleyway next to you. 

The cafe door's bell dinged as you walked in, pulling off the poncho. Despite pouring your shoes out on the curb, they still made a soggy squish as you walked. The cafe was pretty empty except for one person sitting at a table. You froze. No way, you thought, that can't be who I'm meeting

Vaggie sat nervously at the booth waiting. She had lost track of how many interviews she had gone through for this position. She had hired eight people so far and none of them had lasted longer than a week. Why did Alastor have to be such a pain in the ass? The hotel needed help, since the last extermination and the elimination of Adam, sinners started to accept the hotel. Their residency numbers had shifted dramatically and more staff was needed to keep things running. But for whatever reason, the one position that needed to be filled was constantly challenged by the person Vaggie was trying to help in the first place. Vaggie looked up and waved at you, you hesitantly approached the table. 

"Hi! So nice to meet you!" Vaggie got up and shook your hand. You both sat down. Typical interview discussions ensued, past experience, general information about the hotel, etc. You could see that Vaggie was eager, maybe a little stressed. 

"So.. what exactly is my job position?" you asked.

"Well.... there's a lot of miscellaneous work that needs to be done until we figure out a better workflow for the hotel while it goes through these changes. But for the most part you'll uh..." her tone became painful. " Be assisting Alastor...." Your facial expression dropped to concern.

"That's uh, a hell of a job..." you said. 

"Well...." Vaggie's teeth were gritting together, knowing she needed to be upfront about the position. "...based on your resume, I think you are the most qualified person so far. And the pay is great! It kinda has to be at this point.” She sighed “Look, we’re getting desperate." 

Oh, you were qualified alright, six years at VoxTek putting up with the most insane bullshit you could imagine. If it wasn't Velvette being an absolute cunt, it was Valentino being a fucking nightmare, Vox surprisingly was the least painful to work with. Which is why you ended up in the position you did. He eventually made you his assistant, to keep you convenient and close. And frankly, if you could put up with Vox's boo hoo "Alastor doesn't love me" baby bullshit, how hard could this job be? At best, Alastor doesn't like you and you keep looking for jobs. At worst... you die a terrible and painful death. At least then the job worry wouldn't be a concern anymore. Fuck it, you thought. 

"Yeah, I do see your point." you sighed. "Alright."

"Can you start tomorrow?" she asked eagerly

They had offered you a room at the hotel. You felt it best to endure the trial period Alastor seemed to be implementing before you gave up your crummy apartment. You laid in bed both excited and dreading tomorrow. Vox was going to lose his shit, you thought. You knew WAY too much about his personal life concerning Alastor and there was nothing in Heaven or Hell that would convince Vox you weren't doing this just to hurt him. But that was his problem. In honesty, it was the last place you wanted to work. You wanted so badly to be free of your current situation. Let things go and move on. You hoped this wouldn't blow up in your face. But most things did, it was Hell after all. 

You woke early, the Hotel was a good distance from your apartment. You took a cab to be safe on time. You didn't bother with the poncho, Alastor struck you as someone who would enjoy you being uncomfortable covered in drying sticky blood. The lobby was large, you hadn't been to the Hotel before and you didn't know what to expect but you found yourself impressed. Most of Vox’s footage was from the outside of the hotel. 

Vaggie waved you down and welcomed you. Introduced you to the staff one by one. Charlie was thrilled to meet you. But you got the feeling she felt that way about anyone and anything. Vaggie went over the floor plan of the hotel, kitchen, dining room, and so on. You scribbled away on a notepad. Sounded like the dress code was relaxed here, you felt relief. Vox always made you wear these business suit-like outfits that surely came from Val's studio, they were so tight and short. You didn't mind at the time, it made your unprofessional activities much easier, but the idea of wearing your own clothes sounded nice.

"Here is your desk. You'll be using the computer to log complaints from the guests, ordering supplies, typical stuff." She looked down to see a shattered computer screen. "UGHHH pendejo! I recommend saving a backup copy of everything you do, Alastor is still protesting the use of the computer and keeps destroying it." It didn't surprise you, you knew for a fact Vox spends all his free time spying on the Hotel. And any electronic device was an in for him. "ALASTOR!!!!" She yelled. 

"No need to shout" Alastor was right next to her. She jumped. 

"Stop doing shit like this!" she pointed to the computer. "You are sabotaging the hotel!" 

"I'm doing no such thing." He looked at his nails, uninterested. 

"Uuugghhhhh! .. Whatever." Vaggie pinched her fingers between her eyes and collected herself. She took a deep breath. "Alastor, this is ---" She was cut off by the sound of Charlie calling for her, tears gushing from her eyes. "Shit. Sorry! I'll be right back!" She gave you a look of concern, and you gave her a reassuring nod, letting her know you'd be fine without her. 

"I assume you are the new replacement." Alastor said flatly.

"And hopefully the last." you said cheerily. 

"Mmm. Hope. So fun to destroy!" he spun his microphone. "Very well then. Follow me." 

You followed him through the hotel as he listed item after item that needed to be done. You scratched away at your notepad. He was clearly trying to overwhelm you, it didn't however. It felt similar to the days that you assisted Velvette. Constant list of demands that were consistently changing without notice. 

"Actually, Alastor sir, there's something I'd like to discuss before we go any further. If that's alright?" 

He leaned towards you, head tilted. "And what might that be, my dear?" 

"One of the reasons Vaggie thought I would be a good fit for this position is my previous experience." 

"I'm afraid I haven't looked at your resume, inlighten me, will you?"

"Well.." It was awkward and somewhat painful to say, but you knew it needed to be done. "For the last six years I've been employed at V Tower, the last three years I was Vox's personal assistant." You had previously been very confident up until this point, but this was uncomfortable. "I figured it was best to tell you right away, rather than you finding out later. I didn't want it to look like I was hiding something." 

"Hmm. Very wise of you. Why pursue new employment?" 

"There were a lot of reasons. But my relationship with Vox had become... unprofessional." You pushed the image of Vox fucking you on his desk back down into the pit it came up from. "He's pushy and controlling, both as a boss and... whatever else we were. Always wanting more, pushing boundaries constantly. But bottom line, he broke my trust.” 

Alastor knew exactly what you meant. Vox had constantly pushed for more from Alastor. And being set in his ways, Alastor often felt like he and Vox were sheets of sandpaper slowly wearing away at each other. He of course didn't tell you any of this, there he remained with his unnerving smile. 

"Hmm." He leaned in closer to you and placed the tip of his claw under your chin, tilting your head to an uncomfortable angle. "Quite a dangerous move, switching sides like this." Alastor was a bit taller than you, but right now it felt like he towered over you, you knew he was trying to intimidate you. Radio static hissed in your ears. You stood your ground, staring into his deep eyes. Eyes that felt like dark endless pits. He snapped back to his smiling self, straightening up. "Well, enduring those buffoons, maybe you will last longer than the others!" He chuckled. "I do however appreciate the disclosure. Come, come." You took an exhale of relief and followed. You hoped this information would make you more valuable in the long run.

You knew a lot, more than you should, about the inner workings of VoxTek. Vox was arrogant, he liked to boast. Showing you the newest upgrades that haven't been released, all the ways he spied on the city. One thing in particular, you savored. He left you alone in his penthouse once, you weren't snooping per se, but tucked away was a small ..shrine? For lack of a better word. Where Vox kept all his trinkets and photos from when he and Alastor were "friends". You felt, should the need call for it, you could be very helpful to the Hotel if Vox became a bigger threat. Though guilt did run through you, despite the bad parts, you missed Vox. A lot of those things were told to you in confidence. And you didn't have any intention of sharing them unless Vox forced you to. You knew it was only a matter of time before he got wind of your new job. And no doubt in your mind, Vox would indeed be a personal problem. 

_______________________________________________

The days following would be a struggle, Alastor wanted his coffee and paper by 7 AM. The hotel was at least a forty-five-minute walk and you didn't have much left in your account to pay for a cab. A room at the hotel sounded more and more appealing. Entering the gates you picked up the paper, putting it under your arm. You set your bag down at your desk and headed to the kitchen. Pulling out your notepad, you flipped to the page where you wrote down instructions on how to make Alastor's coffee the way he liked it. Hopefully, he wasn't the type to throw it at you if it wasn't right. Velevette threw her coffee at you once, burning your arm. You were ready to make some new memories that didn't involve the trauma endured by the V's. 

Coffee, cloth napkins, and paper were placed on a tray. You contemplated folding the napkin like a swan but decided against it. It was a silly thought, and you didn't want to come off as trying too hard, even though that was what he set you up for, to try hard and fail. You tapped your nails against the tray as the elevator ascended up to Alastor's room. It was 6:58 AM. You stood outside his door watching the clock. Only at 7 AM, on the dot, did you set the tray down in front of his door. Alastor was sitting in his chair reading, ready to scold you for being early and found himself slightly impressed. Getting rid of you the typical way might be harder than he thought. All the others were so easy to frighten. But if there was anything Alastor loved, it was a challenge. He had been bored out of his mind playing this hotel game. Unable to leave and pursue more interesting ventures. And the rest of the core group of hotel residents were getting annoyed with his antics. Maybe you could entertain him for a little while. Surely there had to be something that would break you. He waited for the elevator to descend before retrieving the tray. 

You snuck into the kitchen to make yourself some coffee, before anyone came in to make breakfast. You made yourself at home at your desk. The drawers were a mess from the previous employees. You sipped your coffee and organized your papers. Looking over previous orders for supplies and food, trying to get an idea of how much the hotel goes through monthly.

"Why good morning!" Alastor said, suddenly at your side, bent over, his face a bit too close to yours. You tried your best not to jump, you had a feeling that would be happening often. "At your desk already? Don't you want to join your new comrades at the breakfast table? Hmm?" 

"Good morning to you too sir. No, not today. Until I have a full understanding of my schedule, I don't want to add anything unnecessary to my plate." 

"Breakfast is the most important meal of the day, as they say." 

"I'm pretty sure that's a con cereal companies used to sell sugar to children." Alastor held in a laugh.  "Coffee is fine for now. Speaking of-" You looked up at him. "How was your coffee this morning? Did I make it correctly?" 

"It was passable I suppose." It was the best he could do without lying and without giving you praise. "There are some errands I need to be done." He handed you a list. Skimming over it, it seemed doable to get done by the end of the day. "I want it done by noon." 

"...noon?!" It was already 9 AM, here it was, an impossible task. Setting you up to fail. Maybe you could use some of your third-party contacts from VoxTek? "Alright.. I'll see what I-"

You were both suddenly interrupted by the boisterous sounds coming from the dining room. Leaning forward over your desk, you could see Charlie was singing. 

"Hmm. Glad I skipped breakfast...." you said flatly. You didn't see it but Alastor smirked. 

The tasks given proved to be a bit difficult. All things Alastor could have easily done himself, but where was the fun in that? You did take advantage of some of your previous contacts, which helped immensely. You took care of a few calls before heading to the city. Most of the errands were pick-ups and drop-offs. One task, in particular, you'd have to call in a favor for. Meanwhile, Alastor was eavesdropping, hoping to see you struggle and stress. 

"Frankie, listen, if this order isn't here by noon, I will personally come down there, pull your intestines out your asshole, and festoon them along the fence of this establishment. Do you understand?" Frankie babbled in your ear. "Great, I'm so glad we could come to an agreement. As always, a pleasure to work with you." 

Alastor couldn't help but have a genuine smile on his face, he wouldn't admit it, but he liked how you got things done. Threatening someone in such a creative way delighted him. 

You hoofed it around the city for hours, practically running from destination to destination. You were exhausted and sweaty when you arrived back at the hotel. It was a few minutes before noon, just in time to see Frankie's delivery truck be unloaded. 

"In the kitchen, please. Thanks, fellas!" You yelled to them.

Your arms were full as you dumped everything on your desk. Gently folding Alastor's dry cleaning over your chair, stacking some of the items. Including a few books. How does this help the hotel? You thought. Hoping these kinds of tasks would end once Alastor was bored with you. 

"Well- color me impressed. All with five minutes to spare!" Alastor appeared in front of your desk. "Though it does seem like something is missing. That's too bad. I had such high hopes for you, dear." 

You gave him the biggest shit-eating grin you could muster and pointed at the two men coming through the door hauling a freshly slaughtered deer to the kitchen. If you weren't already intensely looking at him you would have missed Alastor's eye twitch. Someone might as well handed you a trophy. It took everything in you to not showboat as you followed the delivery men into the kitchen.

The deer was laid on the large island in the middle of the kitchen. You signed their papers and the men were gone. Alastor, suddenly in an apron, was ready to go. A black tentacle sliced its head off with a sharp crack. 

"Hold this." 

He handed you the head. You held it by the antlers, dripping blood onto the floor by your feet. You stood there for a while, watching Alastor prepare. Realizing that he didn't need your help, this was just another task to pain you. The head was heavy and your arms were getting tired. As you adjusted, trying to give your arms a break, you felt the antlers texture in your hands, it reminded you of a gaudy hotel in Montana your parents took you to in the summer of '92. 

"If you do this often, which I get the feeling you do- you could save the antlers and make a chandelier. It would look good by the bar."

"Hmmm." Alastor glanced at you as he removed the skin. It wasn't a bad idea, however, he could just make one just like he made the bar itself. But an opportunity was found. "Very well then." He snapped his fingers and the head fell off the antlers. Landing on your feet with a splat. Filling your shoes with coagulating blood. 

You groaned. What the fuck, were these shoes cursed? Blood squished between your toes. The sensory overload made you want to scream. You swallowed it down. Instead, letting out a loud sigh. You sat the antlers down on the counter and picked up the head. Alastor couldn't help but to cackle.

"So glad you are amused." You said flatly. 

"Oh indeed I am." 

In truth, he was. But also disappointed. He didn't get so much as a yelp out of you. A measly groan? He was losing his touch. But the clear discomfort the drying blood in your shoes provided would have to be enough. At this point, the head you clutched to your chest was dripping down your front. You greatly regretted wearing a skirt today. Alastor watched the blood drip down your legs from the corner of his eye. Pooling further in your shoes. 

You stood there for what felt like ages. How long did it take to gut a deer? He couldn't be using the whole thing, could he? What was he even making? You got tired of standing and hopped on the counter, hugging the head now in your lap. You were already covered in blood, it didn’t really matter now that the base of the severed head was soaking into your lap. Thankful your skirt was at least black. Alastor would have to try harder than this to drive you out. He’d previously been relying too heavily on his reputation and the fear people felt from his presence. He would have to get more creative with you, how fun. 

"Hiiiiiii guuuuuuuys!" Charlie popped her head into the kitchen, breaking your concentration. "There is a short group activity we are about to do! Would you like to join us? " She glances at you, then at the glob of sticky at your feet. "Mayyyybeee we could get you some slippers...? Alastor?"

"You may go." You’d rather hold the deer, but you weren’t about to let him know that. 

You dropped the head in the sink with a thud and a squelch. Alastor smirked, enjoying the squishing sound your shoes made as you walked away. You were grateful to have clean feet and warm slippers. But the short group activity wasn't short at all. It had been several hours at this point and the deer head didn't seem so bad now. You sat slumped in a chair, waiting for your turn to share your “feelings”. Charlie had sung two songs now, she was a lovely person but this activity was making you want to claw your eyes out. You sat up straight when you saw the kitchen door open, pretending to be engaged in the activity. God forbid Alastor to catch on that this was torment for you, he’d end up signing you up for every activity Charlie came up with.  

The rest of the day was filled with busy work. By the time 5 PM rolled around you were exhausted. You grabbed your jacket and purse, heading out the front door. By the time you got home, you felt like you were going to collapse. Just get through this week, you thought, things will level out after that. You trudged up the four flights of stairs and as you approached your apartment you noticed a note on your door. EVICTION NOTICE in bold print. You ripped it off the door and crumpled it in your hand.

Great. 

[nerdieforpedro]

WIP Tag Game (The XL edition) 🤣

I was tagged by @missredherring and sure I did it earlier this week. Could I have come up with a new WIPs because my mind is never quiet? 🤐

Yes, yes, Yes I did. 😆 I’m also structuring it similar to how she had it because it spoke to me. 🤭

Current foci (because having just one is difficult as I bounce around):

1. Weddings 101 with Dieter and @angelofsmalldeath-codeine - We’re going to finish it one day or at least the next chapter. Also AO3 link.

2. Coasting through the Rainbow 🌈 - I’m half way done with chapter four of this finally. 😆 2 and 1/2 more to go! Also AO3 link.

3. Waters of Lethe - The Qimir one. Maybe 2-5 parts? We’ll see where it goes. So far only one part. AO3 link

4. Honey and Sugarplum - With Jack Daniels and an OFC. Very sweet, smutty kinda and fluffy. ☺️ AO3 link.

Excuse me Ma’am? We’re over here in the back!

1. Unnamed Fae Jack Daniel fic for Monster Smash Challenge. I did write out some Fae facts for this one and I plan to keep it…..an actual one shot?! It’s been 900 years since Nerdie’s done one of those.

2. Fifty-Six Wildflower Lane - this one with Frankie still needs an ending, then I can post it here like. Just need part number four. AO3 link.

3. Tasting Ambrosia - Ezra, ever the scoundrel nagging at the back of my brain has a small WIP. No idea where this one is going. Also trying to do drama and will he make it out sort of deal. 👀

We been waiting for our day to come for so long:

1. Travel to You - A sweet and maybe a little obsessive Javi G? He’s adorable, has golden curls and can shoot those clay bird things down accurately so, totally fine. Have discord and FFXIV references, very nerdy. 🤣 AO3 link.

2. Therapy for the Well-Adjusted - Marcus Pike and Imani are finally going on that date. Or do they? Maybe they go somewhere else? Also AO3 link.

3. A Safe Place for Us - Dieter and Aisha continue to sort their feelings and trying to make a baby. What could go wrong? Also AO3 link.

4. Green Shop of Memories - that Marcus Moreno AU where I made him a wizard/warlock that owns a cafe. 😘 It’s all sad, and cute. Plus it has fairies and a Magic Council. Also fake dating? AO3 link.

5. Kissed by the Sun - I had an idea that Oberyn Martell was a son or descendant of Apollo and he pissed off Venus (Aphrodite if ya nasty) and was barred from his soulmate being able to interact with him other than his voice. Because…..I read too many Marcus A fics that kept referencing Roman gods. 🫡 AO3 link

6. Din’s in the Neighborhood- Modern Din AU that has him meet on OFC DV survivor post divorce. Also Grogu is a human boy and we have Finn/Poe. There’s also Johnnie Mae and Luke that are just together? No one’s asking and I don’t think either of them would given an answer. 😆 So many cameos and randomness, so little time. Side notes: I gave Din tattoos, Obi-Wan is a children’s author and there’s a Jedi Law & Order show. Also AO3 link.

7. Fire and Fury - Pero and Calista’s story likely has two more parts. Complete with smut, more fighting, a bathtub (I promised @avastrasposts that one) and they’ll get their revenge! But what happens after? Also AO3 link.

8. Hands of God - This could be a long one shot or I might have to split it up. The Marcus Acacius fic that @soft-persephone and @megamindsecretlair “gently suggested” that I write. I did start it. 👀 There will be some infidelity, plots, murder and a coup. Also a dash of smut just for seasoning. And maybe a subby Marcus A? Can I do it? Only time and Marcus’ sash will tell.

9. Front Office Adjunct - One of two Dave York fics. ☺️ Dave blackmails on OFC into working for him. Things appear to be stacked in his favor, but are they? This one is a slow burn one, enemies to lovers maybe? Also espionage, murder, violence, smutty and bad behavior. Just bad. 👀🤫 AO3 link

She hasn’t touched us in so long:

Pleasure Principle - The first series I ever started anywhere. Has Dave York in a toxic working on making it better relationship with an OFC. I’ll finish this one someday. 😭😭 Also AO3 link.

Uncomplicated Mi Amor - The fic where I swore I was going to have something sweet for Javier Peña. Which it is, I just haven’t finished it. 👀 Also I will finish someday. Also AO3 link.

Roc & Doc - A Tim Rockford crime series with an OFC ME that is my love letter to the likely thousands of hours I’ve spent watching crime procedurals or listening to true crime podcasts. Also AO3 link.

Some have just AO3 links, I haven’t gotten around to putting them on Tumblr yet and some are in both places. A few just exist in notes. 🗒️ I should also never look through my WIP this in depth again. This thing is very long. 🤣🤣🤣

NPT because you may have already done it but I described things this time around. 🙌🏽

@schnarfer @maggiemayhemnj @lotusbxtch @mysterious-moonstruck-musings @604to647

@inept-the-magnificent @connectioneverywhere @for-a-longlongtime @lady-bess @tinytinymenace

@perotovar @julesonrecord @yourcoolauntie @clawdee @magpiepills

@trulybetty @rhoorl @grogusmum @syd-djarin @sin-djarin

@harriedandharassed @missladym1981 @jolapeno @pedrospurplerain @alltheglitterandtheroar

@movievillainess721 @notapradagurl7 @bishtrouille @fhatbhabiee @secretelephanttattoo

@gasolinerainbowpuddles @din-cognito @djarins-cyare

[andmaybegayer]

Last Monday of the Week 2024-08-19

Tech companies will give you six interviews and think it's normal.

Listening: Got introduced to Skiltron who unfortunately I don't like very much. I'll see if it grows on me but not quite my speed, which is a shame because normally "metal and it has bagpipes" would have me from minute 0.

This is a metal band that does a bunch of Celtic-y sounds so they are, of course, from Argentina.

I think that this goes too far away from what I'm coming to metal for, their vocals are too clear. Strip out the vocal stem and I think I would like this a normal amount, but the clean vocals pull me out of it. You don't have to go full croak for it but at least growl a little.

Reading: Started up on The Tyrant Baru Cormorant which about ⅕ of the way into the book already feels like I'm getting to the end of a book which is a good and normal sign that everything is going to be smooth sailing for the remaining sections of the book, I'm sure.

Baru is so fucked all the time it's incredible, like, you can see at every point how she just cannot keep herself from playing into the Masquerade's hands because she owes all her power to things she wants to destroy.

The story is very careful to not linger too long on all the horrible things she's doing to herself and others which means that while they're not hard to spot, you feel much more like you're inside her head where these things are the price you pay for the power she wields.

The setting of "sailing around in frigates but with essentially 1920's medicine" kinda rules.

Watching: Watched Blade (1998) which is a great deal of fun. If you can't ignore old CGI you're in trouble but otherwise it's over the top in a really enjoyable way.

Masquerade settings are a lot of fun, I kind of mentioned this in the John Wick entry, the idea that there is a secret parallel world overlaid on the real one scratches some good itches, I need to find more and more diverse kinds of masquerades.

Some motherfuckers always trying to ice skate uphill! Perfect metaphor.

Also more Gundam, up to like, e32? They just got back to space for the first time since arriving on Earth. I think that sometime around Odessa I went from kind of enjoying Gundam to really thinking it's doing something special. It's really dedicated to keeping you off-balance and throwing these very thorny situations and questions at you, even as a show that has to completely ignore a bunch of its deepest questions in order to be a children's toy advert.

Playing: Picked up KSP for a couple hours, I keep on not playing it long enough to do anything interesting so I'm completely ignoring time, I'm allowed to fast forward as much as I want to make missions happen. Trying to "fill time" often kills my desire to do missions, since even a simple mission can require hundreds of days of in game time and even if you have a whole lot of orbital admin within like, Kerbin and Jool systems those only use a couple days at a time.

Built some resource scanners and chucked them at Eve and Gilly, want to try and set up a fuel refinery base on both to operate a fuel interchange where you can launch crew from Eve and refuel in orbit with fuel more economically harvested at Gilly to account for the stupendous fuel expense of leaving Eve. Busy trialling re-entry of a little rover thing for scouting ground sites

Making: Made a bunch of progress on the LED driver, writing to flash storage, updated webui, but it is currently getting stuck after running for an hour or two and I cannot figure out why. Some of these issues seem to be more power delivery related rather than actual issues so it might be time to actually set up regulators and power supply for this thing.

Tools and Equipment: You can just put cups of water in the fridge to cool down. No one can stop you. I've been filling up my Tumblr Colour Of The Sky cup with water and fridging it to help keep cool.

[justonemorewallflower]

So I got my cousin to start watching Battlestar Galactica and I've been loving seeing her reactions and hearings her thoughts thus far. We just recently got through Episode 10 of Season 1. I'm excited, she only has 3 more episodes left of the season!! (We'll be watching those Saturday!)

I'd like to share some of her thoughts and funny comments (WARNING: LOTS OF SPOILERS IN THIS POST).

But first currently her favorite characters and her least favorite characters as of right now after The Hand Of God.

Favorites (in no particular order):

Lee "Apollo" Adama

Kara "Starbuck" Thrace

Gaius Baltar

Sharon "Boomer" Valerii (specifically Boomer, she does not like the Sharon on Caprica with Helo)

She also likes Billy and Hotdog. And Dee. Though she doesn't quite know enough about all of them yet to have full opinions.

***

Least Favorites (also no particular order):

Ellen (she hated her from the start, her playing footsies with Lee and trying to make it seem like Bill was after her romantically, etc. made her hate her more)

Six (she hates how she keeps trying to get Gaius to submit to God)

Tigh (though she has said he is growing on her slightly)

She also dislikes Leoben and Tom (she just currently doesn't know she's going to be seeing either of them again)

***

Some of my thoughts that stuck out to me based on her thoughts/reactions.

1. She is going to HATE cult leader Baltar. At the end of Episode 10 when Gaius was saying he was an instrument of God she cringed and was like "shut up ew no." So she's going to hate that whole thing haha. I wonder if it'll make her dislike him as a character or not. Her opinion on him is interesting because she said, "I like him when he's not being weird." I feel like as the show goes on she'll dislike him more, especially during the New Caprica arc, but we shall see.

2. She's also going to hate Leoben a lot more. She hated him already with his "God complex" and seeming obsession with Kara. She also didn't like how Kara had some sympathy for him towards the end of episode 8 so I know she's going to hate the whole situation with her and Leoben on New Caprica. And with them again during the Demetrius mission and all that. Which is super fair, I personally hate Kara and Leoben together. She also called him ugly when he first appeared in Episode 8 which I thought was funny 🤣

3. She wants Helo to make it back to Galactica so she'll be glad when he does though I'm not sure how happy she'll be about Sharon being pregnant. She told me they're okay together and cute but she's not the biggest fan of that Sharon and I feel like she'll be annoyed when she finds out she's pregnant. She's also concerned about when they do get back if they both do because two Sharons and the whole thing with Sharon and Chief. Also the Sharon on Caprica she has nicknamed "Shady Sharon" and I love it haha.

4. I'm not sure if she's necessarily rooting for Kara and Lee to become a couple but she's definitely sensing it. She made a comment "I think they'll (the writers) go for it because of the parallels" (after episode 4) and in episode 10 during a scene with the two she said, "I need their love story arc to just begin because I know it's gonna happen." And like, she's gonna be happy and crushed back and forth so much with those two haha. Like yeah the writers do kinda go for it but it never lasts haha. She's probably gonna be so annoyed once Kara meets Sam and especially when she marries Sam and Lee marries Dee. Rip cousin, you too will become victim of Kara and Lee being stubborn and never figuring out their feelings enough to be with each other normally. But as of right now I can tell she definitely senses the tension between them and is maybe annoyed by it/just wants them to get to the romance part already lol. Like rip girl you have like 9 episodes until that haha. I can't wait to see her reaction to Kara sleeping with Baltar and Lee being angry/jealous about it and especially when they both hit each other in the face since up to that point Kara and Lee have not been physical with each other in the sense of harming one another. I feel she'll probably be so annoyed haha.

5. I definitely think she'll be saddened by Billy's death. Probably Dee's as well once we get there. Kara I think she'll probably be more confused than anything and I think she'll more just be sad at the finale for Lee and how he ends up alone.

6. I think she'll hate Tory. Based on other characters she currently hates, yeah. But it's also understandable since Tory is not the greatest person, especially in season 4.

7. I think she'll definitely be surprised by at least a few of the final five. Ellen she won't be surprised about (she already thinks she's a Cylon which is very fair). Tigh probably. Chief definitely. Tory I'm not sure. Sam yes.

8. I'm curious what her thoughts on Sam will be, especially considering how he messes up the Kara and Lee potential, but also just as a character. I personally like him as a character. If there wasn't the weird triangle/square between him, Kara, Lee, and Dee, I would probably like him even more.

9. I'm curious if she'll think Starbuck is a Cylon or not. Because I know that I for sure damn did. I thought it was rather obvious too because that's what they kind of made it seem to be. I mean, Leoben saying over and over how she has a special destiny and how she's "different" than the others. Her coming back to life after literally dying. And just all her connections to the Cylons and especially the song where the final five get revealed. It makes a little more sense after the show is finished (though we still never technically find out what she is) but yeah, I'm interested to see what my cousin's thoughts will be for all of that and especially in the way of how Kara dies, and when she returns and acts "off."

10. I'm also curious/excited to see her opinions on characters like Chief, Cally, Dee, Kat, etc. as we get to know them more.

11. My cousin makes a lot of funny comments and I love it. It's very entertaining to hear her comments and see her facial reactions. Also at one point she just said, "I hate this show." Haha you haven't even gotten to the worst parts yet. She's in for a long painful journey.

I could talk even more about all her reactions and thoughts and what I'm excited to see her reactions too but I don't want to make this too long haha but in general she likes the show and I'm very happy about that!! I also can't wait for her to get to the end of season 1 and what her reactions will be to some of the cliffhangers like Bill getting shot, Kara leaving in the Raider, etc. I will keep y'all posted!!

[literaticat]

Wait, it's okay to nudge my agent about a manuscript after a month? I've waited for over six months before without asking anything. It always pains me, but I don't want to be annoying. Am I being a pushover?

Sure, and maybe kinda?

First of all, in case you missed it, this question is a response to this question from a couple days ago in which the person asked, when can I nudge my agent, and I said ASK THEM. But if you are too nervous (???) to ask them, nudge them in a month and use that opportunity to ask them.

I don't know if I'm being clear enough about the messaging here: ASK. THEM.

Is it OK to nudge your agent after, say, 4-6 weeks? Sure. You can nudge whenever you want. They might or might not be ready with notes or whatever, but you can always ask. HOWEVER, a better way to approach it:

If your agent tells you an ETA, wait until then to check in. If you aren't sure what the timeline is, ask them when you send the material what a good time to check in would be.

If, like that other questioner, you DIDN'T ask them when you sent it -- the second best time to ask is when you gently nudge after a month or so. It's very easy. Something like:

"Hey, no pressure, but do you have an ETA on this? I don't want to bug you!"

or

"In the interest of not driving myself OR you insane, let me know when a good time to nudge would be!"

If they give you an ETA, you BOTH have a certain expectation. They will be aiming to respond by that time (which yes, might or might not happen, best-laid plans of mice and men, etc etc) -- but it goes both ways: YOU don't need to be anxious just waiting in limbo -- you KNOW it probably won't get done before that time so if it does, awesome! And if it doesn't, you don't even need to think about it until that time has passed. (At which point, you SHOULD nudge!)

Will that time actually BE a month? IDK! If it is a full novel manuscript, especially if they are doing editorial notes, a month is pretty fast and it would likely take longer (at least it would for me, for sure!). If it's shorter material, maybe, depending on what else is in the queue. But I don't think an agent would be ANNOYED if you gently nudged after a month unless they gave you a different ETA.

Yes, if you were nudging every week = annoying. If I told you I was aiming for six weeks and you started nudging on week 4 = annoying. If I tell you six weeks and you nudge at 7 weeks = ABSOLUTELY NOT ANNOYING! Good! Important! Yes please!

I get the impulse to just sit on your hands and never check in, because you don't want to be a pest -- but you also don't want to be FORGOTTEN. The problem, from my POV, is that I am constantly in Triage mode. That means my order of operations in a given week has to go:

a) Putting out ACTIVE FIRES -- like some problem that absolutely CANNOT wait. These unfortunately spring up multiple times a week and they push everything else out of the way. This has to get done NOW.

b) Dealing with important stuff that is time-sensitive -- like, I HAVE to get X done before X date and time. Responding to offers, active negotiations, certain tasks to do with paying out money, that kind of thing. This has to get done this week.

c) Important stuff that takes a fair amount of time, but is less urgent. YES, it's important, but also, depending how many active fires came that week, maybe it gets pushed. This is like, submissions and contract notes and nudging editors etc. I definitely WANT to do X this week and SHOULD do it this week -- can I? We'll see.

d) Everything else gets wormed in between depending on when I have time and level of urgency. (Important: Responding to random client emails; Important but quite time consuming: Client notes; Less important: Queries, etc.)

There is no week (0 % of the time) that I get to everything on the to-do list in a given week. It's simply never happened -- LOTS of things get pushed. Your thing probably WILL get pushed. But neither of us wants it to be pushed so far that it gets lost, yanno?

So, yes, of course, don't be a jerk about it or anything -- but it's fine to be a bit of a squeaky wheel! I promise you that other wheels are squeaking, and those wheels are getting the grease first.

[magnolia-sunrise]

okay now i can actually Sit Down And Think about this after two shitbusy weeks in a row good lord. it's fun puzzling over this bc the universes are so different so like a lot of ppl i don't have. any clue how grimm n yarrow would even meet wolf and bastien. also it's fun to think abt how grimm n yarrow react to other people considering most of the time they're interacting with one another so it's making me use my brain in fun and exciting ways

idk what the hell the job/task at hand would be, but i think wolf n grimm could make a pretty deadly n sneaky duo if the two of them decided to go in on something together, though grimm's less reckless and more willing to get out and save their own skin if shit goes south, so it's entirely possible things go well enough between them as.....coworkers(?) for awhile, but under the wrong circumstances grimm could essentially abandon wolf to whatever bullshit the two of them got into (though not motivated by any hard feelings so much as their own survival instinct). i don't think either would really divulge much abt their respective pasts, but there might be some mutual respect/acknowledgement there idk

i do not think bastien n grimm would have much conversation between the two of them nor can i really think of any circumstance that would really bring the two of them in proximity however grimm does perform occasional maintenance on wrench so a "hey do you wanna see me take apart my robot dog" might be a point of interest idk hdkghfdgl

i feel like wolf n yarrow would actually get along pretty well; i'm not sure they have a lot of common ground anywhere in terms of life experience or professions, but they're both good enough at talking to people that they'd have some pleasant conversation. hi-tech stuff is very scattered in honeybee's universe and yarrow's more interested in the organic, but he'd be fascinated by them being an android and what that entails

i have. no idea how bastien would react to yarrow's whole …..part-bee deal considering he is very physically off-putting to most people. yarrow's chatty and easygoing but that can only go so far when you have six eyes and fucked-up jaws. if they could get past that the two of them would probably have some fascinating conversations and stories to share abt their respective jobs and almost definitely not say it in outright but kind of mutually recognize like "oh hey you're kinda weird abt this shit like i am and i can respect that'

but also please feel free to tell me if i misinterpreted etither of their characters i am fascinated by what your take on this is hehehe

(sorry for leaving you hanging on this for a bit, handshake on too busy sobs)

yes Yesss Grimm and Wolf would make for a really interesting dynamic i feel especially with very quickly kind of establishing rapport and mutual respect in terms of their skill and also whatever the fuck gender? but that would also mean Wolf would try really hard -at least at first- to chat and get to know them and throw in some flirting to test the waters how far they can push and prod. and when it comes to the action, they are really too willing to lose an arm and a leg and i can only hope at least Grimm would help them pick up the pieces, literally. for what it's worth they're used to doing all this stuff alone so they wouldn't blame Grimm for getting the hell out of dodge when it gets too nasty and would be happy to see it again. not in the least because Grimm actually has a gun and can shoot a gun and they could really use someone covering them at range! they could get matching outfits for their new super cool nonbinary (sort of)sniper /melee duo

Grimm and Bastien is actually really funny to me because they both feel like people who .. don't say too much if it's not exactly necessary? if Grimm needed a hiding place for a bit, he's very much a no questions asked, offers tea or whiskey and a look over it's wounds and then just minds his business. like quiet kindness? (secretly i think Bastien would also wish someone like Grimm could instill some self preservation instincts into Wolfgang hflfk)

Bastien could definitely get over the bee stuff after initial flinch and probably a misunderstanding thinking it's some kind of mechanical modification. i would really love for Yarrow and Bas to smoke a pack and talk about some really weird fucked up anatomy and surgery stuff, doctor to doctor

and! given that some parts of androids are really advanced in the way they simulate organic material (their skin can bruise and 'heal' over time), i feel like soon enough Yarrow, Bastien and Wolfgang would find themselves in a corner looking at some body parts really excitedly and Wolf showing off their inner musculature and the internal 'scars' from their surgeries. Wolf and Yarrow would get along absolutely swimmingly, like maybe their collective yapping would be almost too much fhsdhfk

thank you for this, it was really fun to roll them around in my head!!

[jourke-rourke]

ryo + five

alright so I’m in a Four/Ryo Obsessing Mood (moreso than usual) & I'm stuck thinking about his relationship with Five. because personally I think those two have the most interesting dynamic out of the entire crew even though (very sadly) the vast majority of it takes place offscreen.

But to be more specific I'm perseverating on the scene in S3E12 where the two of them finally reunite on Zairon. and the closest thing I can get to my heart's desire to jump around while maniacally gesturing at a conspiracy board is rambling text posts so here's a collection of Cool Things about the scene that I have been microwaving in my head for multiple days now

okay so. If you conceptualize the pre- and post- mind-wipe crew as distinct characters (which has strong textual and in-character support), then this is the first time in the entire show that Five and Ryo have an actual conversation.

Obviously there's the neural imprint episode, which is debatable whether he counts as the same Ryo, but even then he mostly just pointed a gun at her while she argued with Boone.

After Four downloaded his memories back in S2E12 and became this Ryo, he spoke at length with Two, Six, Nyx, the Android, and (to a somewhat lesser extent) Three. Then over S2E13 and the course of S3, he spoke to all of them again at least once, often multiple times.

But Five has avoided him from the instant he downloaded those memories, because she saw the writing on the walls and was afraid to be around him. She hid from him for the entire duration of S2E12 and stayed as far back from him as possible in the throne room scene.

He's tried to talk to her since then- he sends his guards to fetch her in S2E13 but she evades them, he video calls the ship in S3E2 but she's not there, he tries really hard to talk to her in S3E8 but all he can do is yell at her over the ship's intercom while she's like 'get fucked' and thwarts his plan and he leaves without even seeing her. The closest thing they've had to an interaction in an entire season is when she asked 'You have [Two]?' over the video call earlier in this episode.

this all makes his later line where he says 'I've missed you- I can't say the same for the rest of the crew' funny in an entirely different way because he literally Hasn't missed them. he has been talking to them repeatedly. she's the only one who he's been separated from for an extended period.

but i'm getting ahead of myself there so. going back to the context. this is how he reunites with the other characters back on Zairon.

Obviously Two was kidnapped, so he doesn't have to be nice, but still. He has her brought before his throne by armed guards with her hands tied.

plus the way he's lounging, yeesh. One hand on the sword, the other held up to show off the signet ring. the long, slow look up. absolutely basking in the melodrama of it all. he is so obviously gloating and not even attempting to hide it for politeness.

Three and Six are guests, so he does at least keep a pretense of hospitality. He has his royal guards bring Three to his... war desk? where he's set up. And he opens the conversation by ordering Three to sit down so he can brag about his super-fancy whiskey.

Also, he keeps his sword with him (visible in the foreground), and the two guards don't leave the room until Three accepts Ryo's offer and goes to sit down.

It seems like Six sought him out and went to wait in the throne room for him, along with his escort. This time Ryo doesn't have his sword, but there are four armed guards there, and they all stay very close for the entire conversation.

And the first thing he does after walking into the throne room is mock Six ("have you come to surprise me with a change of heart? didn't think so.") In fact, he kinda deliberately needles Six throughout the entire conversation.

so then, contrast that with the way he meets Five.

first of all, this is Five's room. as in, he seems to have set up a room specifically for her and then left her alone to explore it when she first got there. like she's a stray cat he's trying to bring inside for the first time.

also, you might notice the clothes from the other gifs. Three and Six are both just wearing standard black robes, the same ones that we see a lot of other folks on Zairon wearing. but it seems like either (a) Ryo set up a room with a bunch of spare clothes so she could choose an outfit for herself, or (b) he went out of his way to find clothes that would fit her normal style (light colors, layers, busy patterns) so that she'd feel more comfortable. potentially both.

Five is also the only one who we see moving around the palace without guards escorting her- she's alone with Teku when he takes her to see Two, which means either (a) the guards posted at her door knew Ryo was fine letting her move around without an armed escort, or (b) there were no guards specifically assigned to her.

and we know Ryo knows exactly how much chaos an unsupervised Five can cause when given free reign of a building, and has made it very clear to his subordinates that she is not to be underestimated under any circumstances. So I can only assume this is a show of good faith towards her so she doesn't feel trapped.

okay there's the context I've got. now for the actual scene.

he meets Five on the closest thing to neutral ground they can get in his literal palace- the room he set up for her that she's been allowed to familiarize herself with ahead of time.

The guard who opens the door for her leaves without even nodding towards Ryo, so he must have issued orders ahead of time that he wanted to meet with her alone.

And also unarmed- he doesn't have his sword in the room with him at all. Even within his own palace, we almost never see him without a sword within arm's reach. and again, we know it's not overconfidence on his part, so presumably making Five the only crewmate he meets alone and unarmed is another display of trust.

he is also very careful movement-wise throughout their whole conversation: no weapons, keeps his hands busy and where she can see them, makes no sudden movements, and for the entire conversation stays either at or below her eye level so he's never standing over her

and then, the very first thing Ryo ever says to her face- the thing he uses to try and connect with her- is the puzzle box. the puzzle box that she solved for him way back in S1E2 when he himself wasn't able to figure it out.

she literally, physically unlocked his past for him, given that the signet ring was how he first found out about his backstory. and she did it by sneaking into his room through the vents when he wasn't there.

so yea, it's a lighthearted story about how his grandfather hid his tobacco, but it's also a genuine attempt to connect with her by harkening back to the very first thing she learned about him- the very first way that she helped him, when they woke up together on that ship with no idea who they were, how they got there, or what to do next.

to Ryo, it's one of the many ways in which he's grateful to her, because Five is the one who- over and over again- paved the way for him to reclaim his identity and retake his throne.

but the thing is, she didn't do it for Ryo at all. She spent two seasons helping Four, her friend, who she cared about deeply- even as she feared that he was going to fall back into old habits.

After she saw Four's memories, when she first told him he'd been framed, she immediately tried to reassure him- telling him it wasn't his fault, he could put it behind him, and that he didn't have to be that person anymore.

because she was afraid, even from their first conversations, that she was going to lose her friend as he threw away everything the crew had built to go chasing revenge for wrongs he didn't even remember. and she was right.

so needless to say she's not particularly receptive to this whole 'remember the puzzle box?' thing.

So then Ryo gets more direct and just tells her outright that he misses her, which, y'know. That's about as emotionally vulnerable as the guy ever gets. But it still doesn't work, obviously.

because the problem is, Ryo sees this conversation as a reunion with a mentee who he’s known for months, whom he respects and likes and is even protective of, and whom he very much wants to reconcile with.

But Five understands instinctively what nobody else seemed to, which is that no matter how much he might look like their friend, Ryo is a fundamentally different person.

So from her perspective, she is trapped in a room with a brand-new person who wears the face of her friend, but who she does not know and does not trust. She tells him that she misses the way things used to be, by which she means she misses the person he used to be- her friend, who effectively killed himself in order to become Ryo. who was so afraid of his own vulnerability that he turned himself into a danger to everybody around him, including those he cared about most.

Ryo looks at Five and sees her as his friend- he tells her she's barely changed from the mind wipe. but she can't say the same, because when she looks into his face she's still seeing two different people- Four, who abandoned her, who threw away his crew, his ship, his life, and his very identity to embark on a murder-revenge quest,

and Ryo, the monster he handed his face over to, who has spent the last weeks hunting his former friends to the ends of the galaxy in search of a more efficient way to win his war.

anyways. cool scene.

[innocence-wont-save-you]

[An overseer is ‘sitting’ next to the scavenger as they look at Innocence’s sleeping form.]

Hey bud, isn’t it kinda weird our friend is uh… still sleeping? Like, we should be moving out by now. I mean I know we’ve been waiting for like, six minutes, but it feels like a month! And yeah, I know you don’t understand me.

(OOC: Heyyyy so uh, sorry if it’s rude but I didn’t see a place to submit an ask on the website so I’m asking here. Is this blog ever going to be updated in the near future? If not, do you plan to still continue it or is like, irl stuff putting weight in your shoulders? I wanna join the disc and ask questions but stupid anxiety is making me not do it. If you’re still working on it or left the project, don’t feel pressured to continue, it would be selfish of me to ask that of you.

tl;dr: I kinda just want an update on the current situation Innocence Won’t Save You is in.)

OOC: YES HI HELLO I'M STILL ALIVE THANK YOU FOR ASKING ACTUALLY

Short answer: Yes there's. Shit going on in my life. Mostly school work; this has been one of my busiest quarters so far and I'm constantly swamped with work and haven't had the free time to really sit with IWSY and work out what I want/need to do.

Longer answer: Yes there is currently no way to submit on the website I am so sorry. When I said this would move off Tumblr I meant it and I was finding ways to do that, but I kept hitting roadblocks because I started learning web dev Solely for IWSY. Ultimately my progress on the javascript tutorial stalled (due to aforementioned busyness) and other people let me know that Neocities isn't... the best place to host comments locally? So that threw a wrench into the plans.

I've admittedly not written much for IWSY in the time since I announced we'd be migrating off Tumblr. In hindsight I kind of wish I'd waited a little, but I think this quarter would have done this to me regardless of if I'd wanted to migrate or not. However, I still want to work on IWSY. This project is NOT abandoned. I'm just very busy :'D in a good way though! After a bit of a rough spell, my life right now is, without exaggeration, the best it's ever been, and aside from just plain being busy, I'm also trying to enjoy being alive for once. Unfortunately it means things have been and will continue to be very, very slow here for the foreseeable future.

But I do have a small update. I gave up on trying to code comments locally, and instead found an open source commenting plugin called Isso that I'm hoping to install on the website. Actually doing so will require time I don't currently have since I. Uh. Don't know python. But if all goes well, I will have that set up at some point, and then I can get started on scene 14. I can't guarantee anything on that while this quarter is still going on unfortunately, but I will promise you all that once my summer break starts (which is in June since my school runs on a quarter system), I'll put more time and effort into this again.

If you'd like to help get the comments set up I would deeply appreciate it, but again I don't think I can see myself writing any long form creative fiction until I have the time to dedicate my mind to it, especially given what IWSY is. I'm really sorry about that, but I'm glad to hear that you're still interested in this story! So sorry about the radio silence, I really should have updated a few times since the last post I made, but thank you again for asking and reminding me to at least say something.

So TLDR, no the story isn't dead, I'm just hella busy and trying to appreciate life.

[thetrgger]

One of my teachers, a really cool and interesting guy, once said that, if you had an idea, and someone else did that, then it was never yours. An idea is yours if you think it and go as far as you can with making it real. That is when it is your idea. And I don't know how to make games, especially not on the level I think this idea deserves to be made on, but I do have the idea, and I've thought on how to theoretically make it, though I am sure that counts for little. Anyways, here it is: A horror game based on the idea of superposition, where something can be in multiple states until measured. In this case, it is the (what I'll refer to as) monster that is in superposition, in multiple locations at once, perhaps in different forms as well. I never liked the overused horror monster that could only kill when not looked at, so I turned it on its head. Now we have a monster, created by the classic human meddling with space-time, that you must absolutely not look at it. Measure it with thine eyes, and it will be there, and it will see you as you see it, and boy does it want you dead. You'll have to go through the tight halls of a wrecked Research Centre™ as well as disturbingly large rooms, and in a place as ruined as this, you best watch your step, or meet your end at something as boring as sharp debris, falls or inconveniently positioned equipment.

What was the reason for all this science mumbo jumbo that lead to this creature? Why, the search for immortality of course. If you could exist in multiple states at one time, it would not matter if you died once, you have more states to live in that are perfectly fine. Except whoever greenlit this project probably didn't consider the consequences of using death-row inmates as test subjects, and skipping any animals. The result was a "human", born a big ol' murderer, that had their atoms flung around a tad too much and now they resemble that of a blended squirrel without the fur and double the terror. And this stuff was in prototype phase, so each and every state of the poor buddy is gonna be uniquely screwed up. Maybe they have about fifty six eyes too many and they really don't appreciate not having any eyelids... That or the pain of being a flesh creature with too many views of one ugly idiot staring at them. Maybe they're blinder than the genetical defect of a child between a mole and a bat with the hearing of Mr. Krabs when the cash register goes off, and god are your footsteps loud and annoying (but, you know, also the immeasurable pain of being a creature like that.) I think you get the idea. Don't worry, they won't stay put even if they want to though, being a "living" creature in superposition is not your average Tuesday (the canonical day this would take place) and their states just kinda float around when not observed. Maybe the freaky, breathing blob of skin is on the 4th floor one moment, but the other, it is two feet to your left.

Oh, but of course, you want to GET OUT of the terrifying and dangerous ruin, yeah, I forgot about that tidbit. How do you do that? Well, this wasn't your run of the mill Bachelors students doing a group project, the Government™ was all over this and made sure it was the number one top secret. Only people who knew worked in the place itself, or at least resided there, and they did not fancy any easy access, so you gotta go against some big ol' doors, buddy.

Now gimme a second to decide where this takes place geographically. Okay, did some wheel spinning, picked a country from every continent plus one from the entire world, and the mix of all these is gonna be what this country is gonna be like: Europe, Estonia; Asia, Armenia; Africa, Tunisia; North America, Grenada; South America, Bolivia; Oceania, Nauru and all countries, Netherlands. Okay, so let's say they have the language of Estonia, architecture of Armenia, food of Tunisia, people of Grenada, geography and nature and terrain and stuff of Bolivia, history of Nauru and general influences on all parts from Netherlands. Credit to random wheel jr.

Oh and there's also Martin. Martin is just chilling. The whole superposition thing worked perfectly on him, he wasn't even supposed to be on death row, got framed by accident (he doesn't mind.) He just exists all over the world. Maybe you see Martin, he says hello, asks how your day is, that stuff. Come back the next day and he isn't there, but don't worry, one of him will float back around to you one day. He just chills, nothing much. No pain, no anger, no nothing. Just a cool guy. Scared of the water, but otherwise unperturbed, just carries on existing.

[thealmightyemprex]

RAnking the Shrek/Puss In Boots Movies

With the recent release of Puss in Boots the Last Wish , I was inspired to revisit a franchise I hadnt revisited in a long time.So I watched all SIX Shrek/Puss In Boots movies

For those who dont know this franchise the basic premise is this is a fairy tale world that makes fun of ,subverts and plays with fairy tale tropes .For the first four films we follow an ogre named Shrek who falls in love with a princess ,and in the last two we follow one of Shreks sidekicks ,the dashing outlaw Puss In Boots

Based on a childrens book Shrek! by William Steig (Which I have read ,and I think might have been an influence on me as a creative) the film franchise became reallly big....And then it went kinda dormant.It has a weird legacy ,where it changed animation forever ,some of it not in good ways , and it was memed to hell . So I went into this project curious what my thoughts were gonna be , I had seen all the films save for the fourth one,watched the first two ALOT in my childhood ,but I hadnt thought about the series in forever ,till this new Puss In Boots came out

Well I watched all the series in order,and here is my ranking from worst to best

Minor Spoilers going forward cause I am talking about these stories out of order

Number 6 :Shrek the Third (2007)

Shrek goes on a quest to find the next heir to the throne of Far Far Away while coming to terms with the fact he is about to be a father ,meanwhile the kingdom is being taken over by an army of villains lead by Prince Charming

Yeah this might be the least surprising ranking on the list,this movie is bad ,The film has like a million ideas it wants to do and it doesnt do them well. I hate the new characters it introduce and I just cringe at multiple scenes (I say the death and funaeral of the king is the worst scene in the entire franchise ).I feel kind of bad putting it so low,as I dislike the film above it slightly more.....But the more about the Third the more I realize how BAD it is

5.Shrek Forever AFter(2010)

Shrek frustrated with the changes in his life makes a deal with Rumplestiltskin to spend one carefree day being a terrifying ogre in exchange for a day from when he was a baby,.,,,Unfortunately he gave up the day he was born ,and must find a way to break the curse before he vanishes at sunrise

Tedious and dull.Look I know this movie has its fans but I am not one of them , I kind of really dislike this film and its cause I dislike Its Wonderful Life pastiches . I dont know if I laughted once while watching .I dont care about these new ogre characters we meet and I dont really care about these alternate takes on the main characters.I also admit ,I had gotten really sick of Shreks woe as me shtick cause he grumbles about his damn swamp every movie . I kept flip flopping over whether to place this or three at the bottom,cause I think,personally I dislike this more then three .That said....Its better made then three ,there more of a plot ,we have a clear goal,Rumplestiltskin is kinda fun ,the climax is good and I think Mike Meyers gives a really great performance as Shrek .I kept flip flopping over whether to place this or three at the bottom,and truth is three is worse ,I can see general audiences not having the hang ups I have .This movie isnt bad ,I just personally dont like it

4.Puss In Boots (2011)

Puss teams up with his old friend Humpty Dumpty and professional thief Kitty Softpaws to steal magic beans Puss and Humpty has been after since childhood

This one is OK . I think it gives Puss much more character then he got in the previous Shrek films ,Antonio Banderas and Selma Hayak give very solid performances as Puss and Kitty rspectfully ,it had moments I found really hilarious and as its a whole its a fun action adventure story. My big problems are the last act where bifg threat is a giant goose is underwhelming and.....Look I am just gonna say it Humpty Dumptys design freaks me the hell out ,hes very unsettling to look at.Dont like his character or performance much either .Its not a bad film but its just a fun action romp and not much more

3.Shrek (2001)

Shrek,joined by Donkey , reluctantly goes on a quest to save Princess Fiona in order to get a bunch of fairy tale creatures off his land

The first Shrek ,though it has aged in the 22 years since its release (God I feel old ) ,is a special film that I think is very good .I dont even consider it a family film,theres a lot of stuff that goes over kids heads in this .To me this both a buddy comedy / rom com first ,fantasy animated movie second .The main romance and moral are great ,I love the pop song soundtrack ,the voice cast consisting of Mike Meyers ,Eddie Murphy,Cameron Diaz and John Lithgow are great , theres some memorable lines ,and I like that the film is both salty and sweet ,sweet with the relationships Shrek has with Fiona and Donkey ,but salty with the satire agaianst Disney and vulgar/mean humor ,which works in this film cause its has a point .Now I do think the film can be too mean,specially with all the short jokes pointed at the villain , theres an annoying third act misunderstanding , not all the jokes land and I'm sorry the animation has aged like milk,the human characters especially look ugly .Overall though ,Shrek has become a classic,and I think it deserves to be called that

2.Shrek 2 (2004)

Shrek and Fiona arrive in Far Far Away to meet Fionas parents ,not knowing that their marriage has interferred with a bargain King Harold made with the Fairy Godmother to set Fiona up with PRince Charming

Shrek 2 is a legit great movie and possibly one of the best animated comedies I have ever seen ,like I cant stress enough how friggin funny this movie is .The returning cast are all great,and we get some great new peformances by Antonio Bandera,Jennifer Saunders ,John Cleese ,Rupert Everett and Julie Andrews.Animation has held up well ,the villain is amazing,this film introduces Puss who is a ton of fun here ,the pop songs are again great.....And the film has one of the best scene in any morie:The Holding Out For A Hero scene ,the movie is worth watching just for that scene .Overall I think it just does what a sequel is supposed to do ,in that it builds on the first film,and I think surpasses it

And now we get to my favorite film in the Shrek film.And I must ask.....WHO IS YOUR FAVORITE FEARLESS HEROOOOO-

1.Puss In Boots the Last Wish

Puss is on his last life ,and sets out on a journey to find the wishing star,however he is not the only one after it so the race is on

This is a very recent film.....And I have already watched it three times.....This might not only be my favorite film in the Shrek series,,,,,This might be my favorite Dream Works movie .....I kind of love this movie.What can I say ,I love movies about diffrent characters questing for a goal ,I love action and the action is fantastic ,and I adore good villains and we have two great villains here plus a group of very entertaining anti villains .What I really love is that it actually explores its characters ,and Puss and Kitty are given a bit of depth here .Its also the most gorgeous Shrek movie going for a more stylized look ,this might be one of my favorite animate films ever and it is definately my favorite of the Shrek/Puss In Boots series

What are your thoughts?Lets discuss this series

@autistic-prince-cinderella @themousefromfantasyland @princesssarisa @the-blue-fairie @goodanswerfoxmonster @angelixgutz @ariel-seagull-wings @marquisedemasque @amalthea9 @filmcityworld1

[peterjakes]

Theon x Sansa - 'we unraveled a long time ago'

The Long Night is over. Sansa Stark is Lady of Winterfell. But she eagerly awaits news of Theon Greyjoy. Theon, who volunteered to protect Bran at the Godswood. Theon, who was moments away from death when he was saved. Theon, who could wake up at any moment.  

I actually enjoyed writing this one and it became longer than I thought but I think it works?

I wanted to explore what would have happened had theon lived after ep3 and explore the dynamic between theon and sansa.

Somehow this became very Sansa pov-centric, but I’m not entirely mad at that. I think it would be interesting to explore both Sansa and Theon povs, but we’ll see how it goes!

the title is taken from daisy jones and the six bc I'm currently obsessed.

realised the timeline is kinda off but lets just blame d&d for that. I can't remember too much from s8 and haven't rewatched it since it aired - currently on s7 for my rewatch so we can just ignore that :) 

Thank you for reading x

also posted on ao3; https://archiveofourown.org/works/45844339/chapters/115377547

Sansa was sitting by herself in the Great Hall. It seemed so empty now, when only a few weeks ago it was filled with such celebration. The Wildings were gone, the warriors, the soldiers. Jon and Arya, they were gone too. Now, it was just Sansa, at least for now. She needed this time for some peace, she needed time to think. She wasn’t entirely sure what she wanted to think about, or even needed to, but there was a sense that this was what she needed to do.  

The Long Night was over, some form of normality had started to grow in Winterfell again. The dead had been mourned; the bodies buried, and Winter had settled.  

No matter who came to give council to the Lady of Winterfell, there was only one person she wanted to see. She had visited his room twice since the battle ended, but he lay as still as he would if he was dead. But he was not dead. Theon Greyjoy was alive. He had been saved. Somehow, after everything that had happened, he had made it. Sansa hadn’t seen the scars or destruction the Night King had brought onto Theon, but she knew Maester Wolkan had worked hard to make sure he stayed alive. Sansa only knew of how his body lay by the Godswood in the snow. How for a moment, he was almost taken along with the rest of the dead. How his own blood surrounded and engulfed him. But he had lived. Sansa hadn’t had to bury and mourn the one person she couldn’t bear to.  

The first time Sansa had visited his chambers, Maester Wolkan had suggested against it. Though he had cleaned him up, it was unlikely Theon would wake up any time soon. It was true that Theon seemed as if he was sleeping, a peaceful dream that he would soon wake up from. That, much to Sansa’s dismay, did not happen. The scars on his face were far less bloody than Sansa expected, though she imagined the damage was worse further down below. The Hero of the Godswood was what they called Theon. She wondered how he would take it. Not well, she assumed. Theon never saw himself as a hero, even after everything he had done for Sansa. And what he made up for. Sitting by his bedside for the first time, it felt a little awkward for Sansa. The only time they had ever been this close was after escaping Ramsey; Sansa had taken Theon’s hand and hadn’t let go until she was forced to, she found solace in his embrace, his touch. But now things were different. It was true that Sansa had needed Theon more than ever. And maybe she still needed him now. She needed him to wake up. Needed him to reassure her that everything was alright, that he was here, alive, and well. Theon was alive, but Sansa wasn’t so sure if he was well. If he would ever be well. There was a possibility that Theon wouldn’t wake up, no matter how much Sansa didn’t want to believe or think that.  

Sansa had also never been in Theon’s chambers before. This was his childhood bedroom, the one he had grown up in and the one he had hated. Sansa never saw this room growing up, she never saw it when she arrived back at Winterfell as Ramsey’s bride and knew Theon never occupied it. Ramsey wouldn’t allow it. It was relatively bare; any sign of Theon had been washed away. This could have been anyone’s room. It could have been Robb’s. Jon’s. Bran’s. A stranger would have no clue. But it belonged to Theon, and it would do until he awoke.  

Sansa wasn’t entirely sure what she should be doing. It was true she wanted to be in Theon’s company, to be by his side and to make sure he was safe, to be there if he was to wake up. But that wasn’t happening. There were things to be done, plans to be made. But Sansa didn’t want to be doing any of that. It would only be a distraction. She could speak to him, but what would she say? There were so many things Sansa could say to Theon but forming the words and allowing them to escape her was trickier than expected. So instead, Sansa sat and watched. She sat and read, sometimes out loud, hoping to stir something up inside Theon. She watched the snow fall outside the window. She watched the raven's fly pass. And she watched Theon, looking as peaceful as he could be. She waited. Waited for him. And she would continue to wait until she could no longer.

The second time was far easier for Sansa. The scars had started to heal, Maester Wolkan had worked his magic. Sansa could hear Theon’s breathing more clearly now; it was calmer and not so ragged. She wondered what his dreams were filled with, if he was even dreaming at all. Knowing it was unlikely that Theon could hear her, she told him about Winterfell. About the Long Night. About the people they had lost. About the people they had saved. She spoke about how things had changed, for her, for her family and for Westeros. It was likely that she would have to repeat all of this if Theon awoke. No. When he awoke. But with him unconscious, Sansa allowed herself to be that little more vulnerable. There were things she would never dare say with him awake. Things she could barely admit to herself.  

Thinking back to when she walked into the Great Hall and found Theon standing there, pledging his alliance and his life for Winterfell, for her, it did something to Sansa. At the time, she wasn’t quite sure what that was. All she knew was that Theon had come home, he’d come back. And before she could stop herself, the two were embracing, as they had before, but it felt different this time. The feel of Theon’s tight curls on her soft cheeks, the warmth of his touch, the chill of his breath on Sansa’s skin. Sansa didn’t want to let Theon go, not now he’d come back for Winterfell, for her. It was all a little overwhelming. But Sansa had time to think, and those thoughts always led back to Theon.  

And before The Long Night, when she didn’t want to spend it with anyone else, but him. They sat together, huddled over steaming drinks. Quick glances and soft smiles filled their time together. Sansa felt like she was a young girl again, dreaming of a life with the Prince of Pyke. It was nice to have just a moment of normality with Theon. He told her what had happened since they had gone their separate ways. He gave his opinions on Jon and the Dragon Queen. The shame he felt for deserting his sister and saving himself. In turn, Sansa spoke about her time since being back home. How odd being Lady of Winterfell felt, stepping into her mother’s shoes. Being reunited with her siblings but knowing it could never be as it was.  

And then their time together was over. The Night King was approaching. The time for talking was over. Sansa was required to make her way to the crypt, Theon to the Godswood. She didn’t want to say goodbye, it was the last thing she wanted to do. But she knew she couldn’t stay out in the open. And Theon had a job to do. It was guilt, regret, that had told him to volunteer. Told him he must protect Bran. Sansa could see that; she knew why he spoke out. And Theon had completed his mission. He had protected Bran, held the Night King off long enough. Finally, Theon had made up for what he had done to the Starks, to Winterfell, to the North. Sansa hadn’t held him to that since he saved her from Ramsey, but she understood it didn’t matter how anyone else felt. Only Theon. Only he could control that now.

There was a part of Sansa that thought she could sense Theon feeling the same, not wanting to part. But they both had a duty, a part to play and they couldn’t ignore that. The two went their separate ways, with Sansa having no idea if she would see Theon again. If she would see him alive. If he would ever wake up. But Sansa didn’t want to think like that, she couldn’t, she wouldn’t let herself.  

So, as it happened, Sansa only managed to visit Theon twice. It was Maester Wolkan who had interrupted her thought. Rather appreciatively, Sansa greeted the Maester with one of her small smiles. Her thoughts had been filled with Theon, and she needed a break. There was only so much she could do, so much she could think and feel. There were things she knew she would eventually need to face, but they could wait. For what Maester Wolkan had to say was far more important.  

“Lady Stark.”  

“Yes?”

“Theon Greyjoy. He’s awake.” Maester Wolkan had barely finished his sentence when Sansa rose from her chair. It took almost everything for her not to sprint up to where Theon lay. She managed to compose herself whilst following the Maester to the dimmed corridor and was left alone to enter the room.

Sansa lightly tapped her fingers on the door to the bedchambers. She didn’t wait for an answer, knowing she would be entering regardless. But she forced herself to stay back, not wanting to intrude but her curiosity took the better of her.  

“Lady Sansa.” Theon croaked, watching Sansa as she entered and closed the door. She allowed her fingers to linger on the doorknob before turning around. Theon had started to move, as if he wanted to sit up, but quickly stopped himself, feeling the force of his injuries.  

Theon did not look his best. Though Sansa had seen him since being returned from the Godswood, seeing him awake was a completely different sensation. The scar on his face had almost disappeared, but that didn’t seem to help his appearance. Those full, healthy cheeks Sansa had seen when Theon returned to Winterfell only a few weeks ago had been replaced by something sunken and sullen. It was true that Theon hadn’t eaten since the Godswood, he hadn’t done anything since then. It reminded Sansa of the Theon she was faced with in Ramsey’s kennels, something so strange and foreign. A slight stubble had grown since Sansa last saw him, but if anything, that added to his appearance, and Sansa wasn’t ashamed to admit that. Bloodied bandages were covering his forearms, and Sansa had made a mental note to ask the Maester to replace them. But regardless of all of that, regardless of how terrible Theon may have looked or even felt in that moment, he was awake, he was alive. Theon eyes were looking right into Sansa’s, they were looking with a softness that Sansa hadn’t noticed before. They were looking at Sansa, as if nothing else existed at that moment.  

“You don’t have to call me that.”

“Yes, I do.” Lady Sansa. Not Sansa, why did that feel so foreign? Why, from Theon’s lips, did that feel so wrong? That kind of formality was not something Sansa enjoyed. She wasn’t entirely sure what she wanted, what she had expected. But it wasn’t that. Theon knew Sansa. Sansa knew Theon. But Lady Sansa? Lady of Winterfell? Sansa was not sure Theon knew them.  

“You never used to. You didn’t call Robb a lord.”

“Well, he wasn’t. Not until...” Theon’s eyes glazed over, as if he was reliving a memory. Sansa didn’t want to relive that memory. Joffrey gleefully speaking to the crowd. The crowd shouting. Her father’s face as he realised his fate. Sansa herself being held back. The noise, all the noise, was unbearable.  

“No, that’s true. How are you feeling?”  

“Like death.” Yes, Sansa thought he would. He could have only been awake mere minutes before he was greeted by Sansa. On her last visit, she had informed Maester Wolkan she would be told the moment he awoke. This was important. She had to be one of the first faces Theon saw. She wondered if this was what he wanted, wondered who he wanted to greet him. Would he be unhappy being disturbed? Would he have rather be left to his own devices before being questioned? Or maybe Theon would have asked to see Sansa. Maybe he would have made a special request. Or perhaps that was just a fantasy of Sansa. One that never even existed.  

“Yes, Maester Wolkan said you were moments away from death.”

“What stopped me?”

“I wonder.” What had stopped Theon? What had stopped Theon from letting go, from accepting he would die in the Godswood. Their last conversation before the battle, Sansa could tell that was unravelling through Theon’s mind. He was preparing to die, to sacrifice himself for Bran, for Winterfell, for the North. So why hadn’t he? What had brought him back?

Sansa moved herself closer to the bed, wanting to close the space between the two. She pulled a lone stool out to sit by Theon’s bedside, and placed her hand on the bedsheet, only inches away from Theon’s. This was a deliberate choice.  

“Thank you, Theon.” Sansa had realised she hadn’t thanked Theon, at least not properly. She was sure he knew how grateful she was, how grateful they all were. He had paid in full for the things he had done. There was no need to feel any regret, remorse, or guilt. There was no point to it. Or that was what Sansa wanted, even if it wasn’t true. She understood it was hard, that it would take time. But they couldn’t be angry forever. And Theon couldn’t feel sorry forever.  

“What for?” Theon had moved his head to face Sansa, his eyes watching her closely. Sansa wondered how he could ask such a question, how he could believe she shouldn’t be thankful, shouldn’t be grateful for what he had done.  

“For everything. For me, for Bran. You didn’t have to volunteer, but you did.”

“I did, to make things right.” There was no point arguing this. This was something Theon had always thought, this was something Theon was always going to do. No matter what Sansa said, no matter how many times Sansa tried to make him understand. Sansa understood the battle Theon had with himself daily, more so now than ever. When Jon spoke to him at Dragonstone, when Jon told him he forgave for what he could, told him he was both a Stark and a Greyjoy, even that couldn’t change his mind. Sansa knew this. She tried to understand. She never saw Theon as anything else but part of them all. Growing up, Theon was always there. He was cocky, arrogant and sometimes a little rude. But Sansa thought he would always stand by Robb’s side. They all did. Perhaps that was what made the betrayal so hard. But that was in the past. The Starks that could forgive him, had. But maybe that still wasn’t enough. Even after swearing to protect Bran, Theon still felt guilt and regret. He hadn’t died for Bran, hadn’t died for Winterfell. But Sansa didn’t want that, she wouldn’t let it happen.  

“Things are right, they are.” Emphasising her point, Sansa’s eyes seemed to trail away from Theon’s and down to where his injuries lay. She knew roughly whereabouts Theon was stabbed, but looking at him now, it wasn’t obviously clear. “Where did they get you?” Her curiosity had gotten the better of her, but there was no going back now.  

“Just here,” Theon gestured towards his chest and abdomen, groaning ever so slightly as he did. “It’s not a pretty sight.” It was as if he knew what Sansa wanted. She wasn’t entirely sure she actually wanted to see the injuries, but there was a part of her that was interested.  

“I’m sure I’ve seen worse.” Sansa wasn’t entirely sure that was true. Yes, she had seen many things, many things she wished she had not. The flayed would often plague her mind, as would the horrors she had seen in King’s Landing. But perhaps that wasn’t the same.

“Sansa.” A sternness appeared from Theon, one Sansa hadn’t heard before, or at least not recently. He looked more serious now, and there it was. Theon was still protecting Sansa, even after everything. Even when she didn’t need protection. It was as if he couldn’t help himself, as if the vow he had made to protect Winterfell included her too. Of course, it did.  

“Theon.” Sansa couldn’t help but look directly at Theon now, trying to get some sense of what he was thinking. He had used her name, not her title this time. It felt different, different in a way Sansa wasn’t quite sure of.  

Theon’s eyes avoided Sansa, staring directly down to the edge of the bed he lay within. “What’s happened? What have I missed?”

“Your uncle, Euron, he’s dead. Gone.” Sansa blurted out. This was the first thing that came to mind. They’d received word that Ironborn Kingslayer was dead, ironically killed by another Kingslayer. How poetic. This would be good for Theon, that was one of Sansa’s first thoughts when she had heard the news. His sister could go on to rule the Iron Islands with no competition. But what that would mean for Theon, Sansa was not so sure. Or maybe she was but didn’t like the answer.  

“Who-”

“Jaime Lannister.”

Theon nodded but said nothing else about this revelation. His eyebrows furrowed for a moment, as if he was thinking hard. But they soon softened, accepting that his uncle was dead, and he would not be coming back. What this meant for Theon, Sansa was not sure. His sister was the rightful ruler of The Iron Islands, with no one contesting it. This meant Theon could go home, if he wanted. Sansa could admit that this would not be ideal. Not only for her own selfish reasons, but looking at Theon in his current state, she couldn’t imagine how much that would help.  

“The dragon Queen too. And Cersei. King’s Landing...” They were all gone. So much destruction in such a short space of time. Sansa hadn’t seen King’s Landing, but Arya... Her younger sister was there, she saw it all. She travelled back to Winterfell covered in blood, covered in dust and harboring some awful visions of what had happened there. Sansa almost couldn’t quite believe it. She never expected it to end well for anyone. The fight for the Throne was never going to be pretty, but the Starks had never cared about that. Her father had involved himself in those politics and he had lost his head. This was never their fight.  

“Maester Wolkan mentioned bits and pieces, but...I wasn’t very present. I think I kept drifting in and out of sleep. Some things are blurred, others seem like a dream. I’m not sure what happened and what didn’t. It was almost like before.” Sansa knew what Theon had meant by ‘before’. Ramsey. The two hadn’t spoken about it, not since Theon had arrived back at Winterfell. No sooner had Theon pledged to fight for Winterfell than it was time for the battle. They only had a moment or so alone, together. The subject of Ramsey hadn’t come up, and Sansa didn’t want to bring it up. That was all in the past. Ramsey was gone. But Theon, Theon was here. Theon had come back, he’d come back to the place that held so many memories, awful memories. Just as Sansa had. And Theon had come back for Winterfell, for Sansa. He said so himself. To fight for Winterfell. If you’ll have me. Those were his words.  

“I believe you were given a sleeping draught, while they...stitched you up.” Sansa didn’t know the ins and outs of what they had done to save Theon, but clearly it had worked, and she was grateful for that. She would be eternally grateful, more than anyone would know, more than she would allow anyone to know.  

“Probably for the best.” Theon winced as he moved himself, trying to get more comfortable. Sansa couldn’t imagine any movement would be particularly useful. Her eyes darted around Theon, watching as he became breathless. It wasn’t very pleasant seeing Theon like this. It was different to before. The Theon she had seen under Ramsey’s control was not here. That Theon was gone. The Theon she had grown up watching following Robb, telling jokes and practicing archery was not here either. This Theon was different, this Theon was new. But the strong, fresh-faced Theon that had come home to Sansa was now weak, tired and restless. She didn’t like to see him this way, in pain and almost confused.

“Yes.” Sansa agreed, unsure where the conversation would go. She almost felt nervous, which was an odd sensation. The two occupants in the room had known each other a long time. They had endured so much together. And yet Sansa was feeling ways she didn’t quite understand.  

“Have you heard word from Yara?” Yara, his sister. Of course, he wanted to know about his sister. Sansa felt almost stupid for not realising this. Her thoughts and feelings about Theon had been selfish. Even if Theon had come to fight for Winterfell, his loyalties still lied with her and the Ironborn. They always would. Sansa wondered if his loyalties were still split between his family and the North.  

“A raven was sent after the battle. After...”

“After what?”

“They thought you were dead. Everyone. It wasn’t until they started to move the bodies that they noticed. If we hadn’t...” Sansa shook her head, pulling her hands away from the bed and onto her lap. Her eyes diverted from Theon’s gaze and to where her fingers lay. If they hadn’t, if they couldn’t have saved Theon in time...It was something Sansa didn’t want to think about.  

“The gods have been merciful again.”

“I don’t think it was the gods.” It wasn’t the gods who had saved Theon. It wasn’t the gods who had protected Bran. It wasn’t the gods who had killed the Night King. The gods played no part in any of what had happened.  

“I didn’t think I would see her again. I gave her my word to be by her side but...” The words seemed to escape Theon. Perhaps it was still too much. Perhaps there were things Theon could not speak of, even to Sansa. The guilt was clear, even now, after everything Theon had done. Sansa imagined he would hold onto that guilt for a long while.  

“You will, she will come. You’re her brother, whatever has happened.” Theon sighed, trying to move again. Sansa’s hand found its way to Theon’s forearm, placing it there ever so slightly. She hadn’t expected Theon to flinch at her touch, but she supposed it made sense. She wasn’t even sure why she had done it, why she had touched him. But what else could she do? How else could she help? She wanted the pain to stop, but she was powerless in that. She wanted to show Theon she was here and was would always be there, as she wanted him to be for her. But perhaps that was asking too much, too soon.

“It hurts?” Sansa realised as soon as the words had escaped her mouth that it was a relatively stupid question. She couldn’t imagine the pain, but sometimes the physical pain was not even half as bad as the mental pain. Sansa hadn’t much experience with physical pain, but mental pain, she knew about that only too well. Pain that stayed with you, even when the sun had disappeared, and the world was asleep. The kind of pain that would haunt you in your dreams and not leave until you woke up screaming.  

“Terribly.” Theon mused, and Sansa could sense a flicker of sarcasm in his voice. At least Theon wasn’t completely emotionless, though being stabbed in the chest could do that to a person. She was glad that hadn’t happened. That there were still parts of Theon left.  

“Well, they almost got you in the heart. It’s bound to ache a bit.”

“Only a bit?”

“I’m not sure. I’ve learnt many things, but my knowledge about a knife to the chest is relatively limited.” Theon smiled at Sansa; a smile Sansa didn’t think she would see again. It was small and almost accidental, but it was a smile. She was glad it was her who made Theon smile. The first real smile she had seen in a long while. There was a part of Sansa that never wanted to leave this room, wanting to stay sitting with Theon for all eternity. There were things she wanted to say to him, wanted to tell him. But her throat seemed to tighten, her lips became dry and her mind blank. Would Theon even want to hear those things? Would he want to listen? Sansa was still unsure what those things were. But perhaps they would have to wait.  

“I should let you rest. I’m sorry for pushing my way in.” Sansa returned Theon’s smile and started to rise from the stool she had been occupying. Brushing herself down, trying to rid of the non-existent dust from her dress, Sansa could feel Theon’s eyes on her. If he wanted her to stay, he hadn’t made it known and that told Sansa everything she needed to know in that moment.  

“Don’t be sorry, Lady Sansa. Thank you.” There it was again, Lady Sansa. There was a part of Sansa that was irritated by this, but she wasn’t entirely sure why. It was as if Theon was forcing the niceties, the formalities between them. She wasn’t going to call him Lord Theon, that just sounded strange. But he had called her Sansa. This was what confused her. The forcefulness of her title.

Trying to get rid of these thoughts, Sansa nodded towards Theon and made her way out, making sure to not turn back as she did. “I’ll be back tomorrow.”

Sansa had wanted to stay for longer, like she had on her last visit to the bedchambers but couldn’t bring herself to do it. She could sense Theon was tired. He had only just woken up after all, and he needed space. Sansa needed to give that to him. It all seemed a little overwhelming, seeing Theon lie there so battered and bruised. Sansa wasn’t entirely sure what she had expected, but it was not that. And how was she expected to act? She wasn’t just Ned Stark’s daughter now. She wasn’t Ramsey or Tyrion’s wife. She wasn’t Jon’s sister. She was Lady Stark, she had so much on her shoulders. There were certain ways of doing things, as her mother so often told her growing up. But being in Theon’s presence, seeing him there, seeing him alive...She needed some time alone, some more time. She needed time to think.  

She was not given time to think however, as Brienne managed to corner her in the courtyard. Sansa wasn’t particularly angry about this. She liked spending time with Brienne and had found herself asking for her counsel more often in the past few days.  

“M’lady.” The knight nodded, gesturing towards the edge of the courtyard for the two to walk together.  

Sansa followed, though her eyes darted back to the path she had taken, the path that had led her away from Theon. “Brienne. Is everything alright?”

“Yes,” Brienne answered rather abruptly, avoiding Sansa’s eye. Clearly, everything was not alright, though Sansa didn’t pry. She didn’t feel it was her place, though she wished Brienne would confine in her. “How is he?”

“Fine, I think. As good as he could be. He’s alive, that’s what’s important. He didn’t leave us...” Sansa hadn’t realised how sharp those last words were. This was a habit of hers, appearing colder than she had intended. Maybe it wasn’t always an accident, particularly when it came to her siblings. But Sansa would never want to do that to Brienne, not after everything she had done. The look on Brienne’s face in that moment and in certain moments before allowed Sansa to understand. She understood what the so-called Kingslayer meant to Brienne. It was odd, really. How someone so difficult and so distance could be connected. Sansa’s thoughts drifted to Theon once again, maybe Brienne and Sansa were more similar than she thought. Both Theon and Jamie Lannister had done terrible things; they had been constantly reminded of those terrible things but had paid the price. Jaime more than Theon.  

“I didn’t mean-”

“M’lady, please, I know.” Brienne seemingly forced herself to give Sansa a smile, indicating that she wasn’t angry and understood. The knight had battled with her feelings for Ser Jaime ever since they first met. It was the longest and hardest battle she had ever endured. But the battle was over. It was over the moment he left her for King’s Landing. “I’m glad for you.”

Sansa wasn’t so sure why Brienne was glad. She was Lady of Winterfell; she had survived the Long Night and so had her family. But this was already known. Theon...he had lived, and of course, Sansa was happy, she was almost gleeful. But Sansa was sure she was relatively skilled at hiding her feelings. This was something she had learned to do. But maybe Brienne knew her better than she thought. Brienne understood this battle Sansa was having with herself.  

“I’m not sure what to do.” Exasperated, Sansa was realising how tired she was feeling. The past few weeks had taken it out of her. And it was true, she didn’t know what to do. Not about Theon, not about Winterfell, not about anything. She felt almost powerless, as if any decision she would make wouldn’t help.  

“Maester Wolkan has it under control.” Brienne nodded, trying to reassure Sansa, though she imagined it wouldn’t be much use. “I wanted to ask, for a favor?”

“Brienne, you don’t have to ask me. Whatever you need...”

“Not for me, for Pod. I ask that, if the time comes, you allow him to offer his services to you.”

“And what about you? You’re not leaving?” Sansa stopped in her tracks. She wasn’t sure whether she would be able to manage someone else leaving her. She had gotten used to Brienne’s company, and she enjoyed it. They had all suffered, that was true, but surely that was all the more reason to stay together.

“I would never leave you m’lady. But...”

“You offered to protect me, Brienne. And you have done so far more than I could have ever imagined.” This was true, Brienne had made sure Sansa had got to The Wall safely. She had travelled to her uncle, The Blackfish. She had stayed in Winterfell with her. She had fought the dead. Sansa couldn’t think of anyone more loyal.  

“Your mother...” Brienne sighed, closing her eyes for a moment. It was clear she still harbored some guilty feelings. Still felt some responsibility for what happened to Sansa’s mother.  

“You kept your promise. But I can’t hold you to that, now. Things have changed.” Sansa didn’t want to keep Brienne away from what she wanted. She couldn’t do that, not to someone who had protected Sansa do loyally. Not to someone who had exceeded her oath and more. “I won’t pretend I don’t want you to leave, but I understand.” It felt selfish keeping Brienne here, and Sansa didn’t want to do that.  

“I feel badly, m’lady.”

“Please, don’t. We should all do what we must, what we want. I’m only realising that now. So many chances have been lost...”

“You have a second chance, Lady Sansa, a lot more than most. You need to take it.”  

Sansa wasn’t entirely sure what Brienne had meant by that. But she was sure in time she would find out.  

[crmsnmth]

September Sky Chapter Four, Part 8

"This seems to be a common theme," I replied.

"What can I say? Things interest me," she shrugged.

"An inquisitive mind. So what's up?"

"How long have you lived around here?"

"About six months. Why?" I couldn't figure out what this was about.

"How have we never run into each other? I mean, either on the street or at school," she said. I had the same question, but I thought it might be an awkward thing to bring up. Once again, I was king of self-destruction.

"I don't know. Just never happened, I guess. I mean, it's still the big city after all." I took a drink, letting the amber liquid soothe my dry mouth.

"Still, it's not that big of an area. And I'm guessing you go to the same places everyone else goes."

"This sounds like the disappointment of a stalker horrible at their job."

"That's just what a stalker would say," Addison said.

"Fuck. I gave it away." I jokingly said.

Addison laughed and looked around the busy floor. I could hear the bangs and clanking of the kitchen in back. I could guess there was at least a four-person kitchen going on, maybe more even. I could hear some kind of hip-hop I didn't know pumping out of the kitchen.

We sat in silence for a few moments. It wasn't that normal awkward silence of a first date. At least for me. I was peaceful in the silence I didn't feel the need to stuff every moment with some form of conversation. I kept shooting her glances as we sat there. It was almost involuntary. I wanted to memorize every part of her face. From the laugh-lines to those diamond eyes. I wanted to see it perfectly when I closed my eyes.

"What ya' thinkin' about?" Addison broke the silence. I titled my head, like a confused dog.

"Huh?" I finally managed to squeak out.

"What were you thinking about? You looked really far away again," she said, taking another sip of her beer.

"Yeah, I kind of do that alot. I just kinda fade into my head."

"Is it because you're bored or something?" There was a smirk on her face. She knew damn well that I wasn't bored. I grinned back.

"No, no. Not at all. It's a response and coping mechanism to trauma, basically." I didn't want to go into details, but if she had asked I would've gone into the whole story. And it probably would've come easy. There was a feeling of slight intoxication, which wasn't possible with half a beer. It was her. I was getting high off her.

"That makes sense," she said.

"You aren't going to ask about it? I'm pretty used to most people assuming that's an invitation to go deeper."

"That's not my place to decide. If you wanted to tell me about it, you would. If you don't want to, that's fine too. It's what's comfortable for you."

"Thank you," I said. There was relief about it.

"For what?"

"I don't know. Being a decent human being."

"Nobody should be made to do anything they don't want to. The world needs to be a little more tuned in on everyone's needs and wants. It's the human condition."

"That's a great philosophy to have." And it was. And it was also the exact opposite of my own.

"I like to think so. So, what about you? What's your motto on life?

"Mine's a bit more bleak, I guess," I said chuckling.

"It can't be that bad."

"I never said it was bad. Just bleak."

"Well, what is it?"

"None of this matters, we're all going to die."

"That is pretty bleak," she said, "nihilist?"