#i'd like to thank costume department

[acecroft]

Scott Bakula as Dr. Sam Beckett in Quantum Leap 4.02

[foe-paw]

... i wonder if there's, like, something to the fact that lex wears denim in black friday that links her thematically in some way to uncle wiley

like... clearly the costume department has got it going on, as evidenced by the steph and pete / emma and paul matchiness thing-

if we take denim as a thing that would represent wiley, then, if someone is wearing it they could be seen as reflecting back some of his aspects. so, things wiley is and whether lex has those aspects: viciously anti-capitalist ( ✔ check, the wiggly materialism spell straight up didn't work on them), proficient with the black-and-white ( ✔ check post discovering her summoning power), and extremely sleazy (❌ uncheck, lex never did anything wrong and i love them)

for this analysis, then, i will assign the denim the quality that wiley displays during his villain song, Made In America:

he hates capitalism, this guy. wiley sees in consumer culture a weakness that he can and will exploit for his lord.

wiley's tool to enact the will of wiggly is consumerism as represented by a doll, but... it doesn't work on lex. they're not concerned with materialism, but with the safety of their kid sister and boyfriend. if she was pursuing an acting career as a vehicle to make money, it would have been Very easy for her to highlight that she wanted to get rich during CaliforMIA. she doesn't, though - lex is not materlalist.

there is, however, one moment where lex does in fact sing about money!

Our Doors Are Open is frank pricely's ode to capitalism. and in this, notably, lex buys in- she sings along, quite ferociously, give us your fucking money, give us your fucking cash.

clearly, at this point in the musical, though, she was looking for money through a wiggly doll - so she hadn't yet rid herself of the desire for it, like she manages to later. in this song, she sings along because yeah, actually, she does want that money. it'll help her.

she's not wearing denim.

[chinzhilla]

i'd like to thank zhang zhehan for looking so utterly and sexily miserable in this opening sequence

[darkpoisonouslove]

She almost ran through him and his crutch and he went "Treasure. I have found treasure!"

[a-simple-gaywitch]

Heart Full of You

Spencer Reid x Reader

Summary: When Spencer goes to pick Henry up from school for JJ, he doesn't expect to fall head-over-heels for his teacher

Warnings: Mentions of guns, I think that's it?

Word Count: 4541

Author's Note: I don't really like the ending I have here, but I'd LOVE to continue writing this universe, I have so many ideas!

“Fate shuffles the cards and we play.” ~Arthur Schopenhauer

~

Spencer walked through the doors of Henry and Jack’s school and headed toward the theater. JJ and Hotch had signed the boys up for the school district’s musical and had asked Spencer to pick them up. JJ and Will had their Thursday date night, and Hotch was stuck in the office. Spencer was more than happy to agree. He slipped into the auditorium and took a seat at the back, since he was still pretty early. 

He saw a younger woman, probably in her early 20s, at the front of the auditorium with a clipboard and tape measure. She was presumably taking the students’ measurements for costumes while the instructor up on the stage led the children through the dance steps. The man he knew to be one of the high school teachers sat in the middle of the front row, making notes in a book. 

The dance instructor clapped as the song ended. “Okay, everyone, that’s the choreo for the day. I’ll turn you over to Mr. Meadows.” She nodded to the teacher in the front row. 

“Thank you Miss (Y/N). Take a water break, everyone, we’re back in five.”

A small chorus of “thank you five” was heard from the older students as the kids dispersed off the stage. The woman, Miss (Y/N) as Mr. Meadows had called her, hopped off the stage with ease and joined the younger woman who was taking a high schooler’s measurements. 

“Okay, folks, let’s bring it back!” Mr. Meadows called. “Take your seats, please. I won’t keep you too much longer, I just want to go over today’s notes.” Spencer noticed the monotonous tone of his voice and the elementary schoolers’ attentions already fading. “First, I need my principles, minus Jack and Red, right at 3 tomorrow. Do not be late. Evan, that means you. We have vocal work to do with Ms. (Y/N) and I do not want to waste her time. The rest of my high school cast, 3:30. Next, principles, do your linework. The sooner you start, the easier things will be later. Finally, my junior cast, don’t forget to see Ms. (Y/N) and Ms. Addi with your grown-up before you leave. And with that, I’ll see y’all tomorrow.”

Henry ran over to Spencer, his overly large backpack thumping against his back. Jack walked behind him, dragging his bag behind him. 

“Uncle Spencer!”

“Hey, kiddos!” Spencer said, kneeling down to catch the incoming Henry in a hug. Before he knew what was happening, Henry was dragging him towards the two women at the front of the auditorium. 

“Miss (Y/N)!”

“Hey, Henry! Hi, Jack! You boys find your grownups?” the dance instructor asked him. Her clothes reminded Spencer of the teacher on that Magic School Bus show Henry liked. Her pants were covered in music notes and she wore large, dangle feather earrings.

Henry nodded. “Uh-huh! This is my Uncle Spencer!”

You looked at Spencer and smiled. “Well, while I talk to your uncle, why don’t you go let Miss Addi take your measurements for your costume?”

Once Henry bounded over to the young woman with a clipboard, Jack following close behind, Spencer said, “Uh, my name’s Spencer Reid. I’m an authorized pick-up for both Henry Lamontagne and Jack Hotchner. I’ll be bringing him home today, too.”

“Uh, Hotchner, Hotchner,” you muttered under your breath, flipping through the clipboard in your hands. “Ah, here he is. I just need your signature next to both children’s names, Mr. Reid.”

“Oh, uh, of course.” He took the clipboard and pen from you. “So, are you new to the district? I don’t remember seeing you around before.”

“Oh, no,” you said with a laugh. “No, I’m here on a volunteer basis, technically. Been working with the theater department for six years, but I’m not on their payroll. I actually work-”

“Can we go get pizza now?” Henry asked Spencer, tugging on the sleeve of his jacket. 

“Ooh, a pizza party? You must be the fun uncle,” you said. 

Spencer’s face flushed and cleared his throat. “Uh, s-sure, Henry. We’ll get it on the way home.”

“Bye, Miss (Y/N)!” Henry said, wildly waving his arm. 

“Bye, Henry, bye Jack. I’ll see you boys on Monday.”

Spencer watched you for just a moment longer as another child and her guardian approached you. 

~

The team was reviewing a local case. 3 women were killed, all dressed in period clothing. 

“You think he’s making them look like Jack the Ripper’s victims? I mean, their throats are slashed and they’re dressed in Victorian clothing.” Morgan suggested. “And we know the victims are low-risk, victims of opportunity.”

“I don’t know,” Reid muttered, scrutinizing the crime scene photos. “Something about the clothes feels off.”

“The clothes are the key. Something about them will lead us to him,” Rossi said.

“Reid, you and Callahan look into the clothing more. Dave, you and Morgan go to the latest crime scene. JJ, you’re with me. We need to build a geological profile.” After Hotch gave the assignments, the team dispersed. Spencer and Kate Callahan stayed in the briefing room, looking over the photos. 

“What if we have an expert look at the clothes?” Kate suggested. “See if anything sticks out to them? There’s a professor at the university that’s known for her dissertation on historical clothing.”

~

“Now, if you look at contemporary theater, you’ll notice huge differences in how typical gender roles are portrayed. Unlike the standard Golden Age piece, women are given more agency and more purpose in the story besides furthering the objective of the man. For example, West Side Story versus Hairspray. Even though both shows center on a woman, it’s Tracy’s will that drives the plot of Hairspray whereas Maria’s will does not drive West Side Story. This goes back to our discussion earlier in the semester regarding protagonists. However, we do see a shift during the Golden Age, in that women are beginning to be fleshed out as characters. Compare the women in Allegro to the women in Gypsy. As we progress through to the contemporary age, we begin to see more female-led shows take stage.” You glanced at your watch and sighed. “And that is where we will pick up next class. Please remember to read chapters 13 and 14 in your text. If you have any questions, you know where to find me.”

Your class gathered their belongings and slowly made their way out of the room. You were tucking your own belongings into your bag when you felt someone approach the desk. 

“Office hours are at- Oh, hello.” When you looked up, a woman was standing in front of you, presenting an FBI badge. 

“Dr. (L/N), my name is SSA Kate Callahan, and this is my partner Dr. Spencer Reid.” Standing behind her was a man you recognized from the school. He was the uncle Henry Lamontagne talked about all the time. “We were hoping you’d be willing to give us your professional opinion on some clothing pieces.”

“Oh, well, uh, sure. Let me just email my next class and let them know it’s canceled.” 

As you pulled your laptop out from your bag, Agent Callahan asked, “Don’t you have a TA that could take over?”

You huffed a laugh. “I’m a professor in the theatre department. I’m lucky I have my own workshop and somewhat of a budget during show season.” You typed up a quick email to your next class and sent it. “I usually work in my shop instead of my office, but-”

“Wherever is most comfortable for you,” Agent Callahan said. “We have some pictures that are… well, gruesome.”

You nodded. “Well, then, to the dungeons it is.” At the concerned look the agents gave each other, you said, “My workshop is in the basement. My students affectionately christened it the dungeons a few years ago. I hope you don’t mind a few sets of stairs.”

“Lead the way,” Dr. Reid said. 

Getting down to the costume shop was like a quest on its own. Not only did you have to trudge down several staircases from the classroom floors, but then you had to use your ID to take the elevator the rest of the way down. When you finally reached the basement, you dug your key hoop out of your bag and flicked through it. The key to the main portion of your shop was attached to a Phantom of the Opera keychain. 

You unlocked the door and pushed it open. “Welcome to my shop. Feel free to sit wherever you can. If there’s stuff on a chair, just set it on a workbench.” As you set your bag down at the desk in the corner, Spencer looked around the room. It could be accurately described as organized chaos. While the work benches were covered in fabrics, thread, and many other things Spencer didn’t know the names of, everywhere else was meticulously organized. Bins and drawers were labeled, and not a thing seemed out of place. Spencer looked at the dress hanging on a mannequin and couldn't think of it as anything other than a work of art. There was elaborate beading on the bodice and embroidery on the skirt.

“So, what can I help you with?” you asked as Kate and Spencer got settled. 

“We were hoping you could tell us about the outfits in these pictures,” Spencer said, pulling a file out from his satchel. “Fair warning, it’s not pleasant.”

You shrugged. “I grew up with a mom obsessed with crime shows and police procedurals. Pictures won’t bother me.” 

Spencer handed you the file folder. “We think he’s dressing them up like Jack the Ripper’s victims.”

You hummed as you looked through the pictures. “Any idea what kind of fabric was used?”

“Why does that matter?” Kate asked.

“Well, cotton was a luxury in Victorian London,” you explained. “Most common folk wore linen or wool, because it was what they could afford. It was also common to patch up clothing with fabric found around the house rather than replace a shirt or a pair of trousers.” You grabbed a magnifier from your desk and looked closer at one of the photos. 

“Do you see something?” Spencer asked as you moved to another picture. 

“I’m not sure,” you said. 

“Well, what is your gut telling you?” Callahan asked. 

You pointed toward a small section of embroidery through the magnifier. “This stitching along the underside of the skirt. It’s on all of them.”

Kate’s eyebrows scrunched up. “I don’t understand.”

“It’s a signature. Us designers like to add some sort of signature or tell into all our pieces. A secret way of letting the world know the piece is ours.” You reached across the desk and grabbed a piece of fabric. When you unfolded it, they saw it was a shirt. You held the edge of the sleeve out for the agents to see. “For example, I use a treble clef as mine. My mentor would include Mickey Mouse heads because she was a huge Disney fan. Other people just find creative ways to embroider their initials onto it in a way that just looks like an artistic choice.” 

“So, if we can find out whose signature it is, it can lead us to the origin of the outfits,” Spencer said. 

“I’ll call Garcia, see what she can find.” Callahan said.

“Oh, we don’t get cell service down here, you might need to go back upstairs,” you told her. She nodded and stepped out of the workshop. You cleared your throat. “It’s, uh, it’s nice to see you again, Dr. Reid.”

“You, too,” Spencer said with a small smile. “So, this is where you actually work, huh?”

You gave a small laugh. “Yep. Start of this semester was 7 years.”

“Congrats.”

“Thanks. So-”

“Reid. Hotch wants us back. Rossi and Morgan might have something. Thank you for your help, Dr. (L/N).”

“Of course. Happy to help.”

After Callahan and Reid left the costume shop, Kate said, “Okay, spill. The energy in there was really weird. Why didn’t you tell me you knew her?”

Spencer rubbed the back of his neck. “I, uh, I didn’t know I knew her.” At Kate's questioning look, he explained, “I met her through my godson. She volunteers at his school and goes by her first name there.”

“Uh-huh. And the awkwardness?”

“When have you known me to not be awkward, Callahan?”

Kate hummed, but dropped it.

~

You were humming along to the soundtrack you had playing, measuring a drape of fabric on your dress form, pins sticking out from your mouth. You glanced from your notebook with your measurements and pattern sketch to the fabric. You pinned a piece of the cloth up when you heard a knock at the door to your shop. 

“Come in,” you said, your voice muffled from the pins. You stuck them back in the pin cushion on your wrist before standing up and dusting off your pants. “Oh, Dr. Reid! How can I help you?”

“You, um, you can call me Spencer,” he said. “I uh, I wanted to stop by and tell you we caught the guy,” Spencer said, standing awkwardly in the doorway. “We-we couldn’t have done it without your help.”

“Oh! Well, I’m sure you would have figured it out anyway. The BAU seems to be good at that kind of thing.”

Spencer gave a small laugh. “Yes, but your help enabled us to track him down without any more lives lost.” So, what are you working on?”

“Oh, I’m making one of Eponine’s dresses. We’re doing Les Mis this semester. I have Cosette’s dress on Cordelia over there.”

“Who?”

“Oh, sorry. The dress form. We named them after Shakespearian women. It’s just a fun little thing we do here. That’s Cordelia, this one by me is Rosalind.”

Spencer smiled. You know, maybe you could tell me more about what exactly your job is at dinner?” Before you could answer, Spencer said, “Obviously, you don’t have to, I’m not trying to force you into anything, I-”

“Spencer,” you said, holding your hand up to calm him. “I’d love to go out with you. Here-” You walked over to your desk and shuffled papers around. “Aha!” You grabbed a pen and scribbled something down. “My personal number. That way we can, you know, figure out something that works with both our schedules. I’m sure yours is even crazier and more unpredictable than mine.”

The smile you gave Spencer lit a warmth in his chest that he didn’t think he would ever get tired of. 

~

“Pretty Boy! Tonight, drinks on me.”

“Oh, uh, no thanks, Morgan.”

“No, no, no, you can’t just stay in when we finally have a Friday night off. You’re coming.”

“Look, it’s not that I don’t want to- I mean, I don’t, but it’s not just that. I, um, I already have plans.” He glanced at his watch. “I’ll see you all on Monday.” He grabbed his satchel and rushed out of the BAU office. 

Morgan’s brow furrowed as he watched Spencer’s retreating form. 

“What’s wrong?” JJ asked. 

“Remember the last time Reid was this jittery and secretive?”

She sighed. “You know I do.”

“What happened last time?” Kate asked. 

“Maeve,” Garcia answered, her voice just above a whisper. 

“We have to find out what’s going on with him,” Derek decided.

“I really don’t think that’s necessary-”

“Let’s follow him,” Garcia cut Kate off. “See where he’s going, what he’s up to.”

~

“That can’t be true!” Spencer laughed. “There’s no way!”

You were laughing too. “I’m serious! I stapled the sleeve of my sweater to the set piece we were building and I didn’t notice until we were ready to lift it into place! They wouldn’t let me in the wood shop after that.”

Spencer couldn’t stop smiling the whole night. You were funny, smart, and everything he could hope for. 

“So, how did you end up working with the school district?”

“My niece,” you explained. “Her senior year, their regular choreographer went on maternity leave. The district said if they couldn’t find someone to fill the role, they would cut the play. Julia called me melting down over it, begging me to volunteer. And, you know, I’ve never been able to say no to my nieces and nephews. After that production, we found out that the choreographer was quitting to be a stay-at-home mom, so I agreed to be the regular choreographer on a volunteer basis. Then the next year, their costume connections fell through. I worked through the university to provide costumes, which is how the internship program started. This year, I’m just filling in on vocal directing while the choir director is out on medical leave. And Into the Woods is one of my favorites to sing anyway. So, what about you? How’d you end up working for the FBI?”

While Spencer told you about going to college at 12 and meeting Gideon, Morgan, Garcia, and JJ were sitting at a nearby table, hiding behind menus. 

“Who is she?” Garcia asked, trying to get a better look at you. Your back was to their table.

“I don’t know. Never seen her before.”

JJ squinted. “Something about her seems familiar.”

Before they could do more digging, a waiter came over to take their orders. When the waiter left, Spencer’s table was empty. 

“Where did they-”

Spencer walked up to their table, arms crossed against his chest. “Really, guys? Did you think you were being discreet?”

“Kid, look-”

“You were being all secretive, we were worried about you!” Garcia cut in.

Spencer sighed and dropped his arms. “I didn’t mean to worry you guys. I just- We’re all so in each other’s business, and this is so new I-”

“You wanted to keep it to yourself,” JJ said. “We get it. Looks like she’s coming back from the bathroom. We’ll get out of your hair.”

“But-”

“Come on, Pen. I’m sure he’ll tell us all about it on Monday. Right, Spence?”

Spencer smiled. “Sure, Jayje.”

~

Phone calls with your family always stressed you out. It wasn’t that you had issues with your family, it was just that they always seemed to be up in your business. And that held true for your monthly family dinner.

“(Y/N/N), I’m telling you, you’d get along great with this guy,” your older sister, Maria, said. You were over at her house for dinner, your parents and other two siblings video-calling from their respective locations. “I know you feel like ‘the universe and fate will align’ and introduce you to your soulmate or some shit, but that’s not really how the world works.”

You sighed. “Maria-”

“Come on, you haven’t dated anyone since college!”

“Because I haven’t had any interest. Liz, back me up here,” you said to your younger sister, who was feeding her twin toddlers. 

“What?”

You shook your head. “Never mind. Can we just change the subject, please? Tommy, how’s school going?” you asked your younger brother, the youngest in the family. You could tell he was only half paying attention from his dorm room. “What classes are you taking this semester?”

“Maria’s right, sweetheart,” your mother said. “How will you ever meet someone without putting yourself out there?”

“Ma-”

“I mean, you’re not getting any younger-”

“I have a boyfriend, okay, Ma? I don’t need your help!”

Your family fell silent. 

“You have a boyfriend?” Liz was the first to speak. “What’s his name? Where did you meet? How long have you been together? How-”

“Elizabeth, let her breathe!” your father said with a laugh. “We’re happy for you, pumpkin. Tell us about him. At your pace, of course.”

You smiled and told them about Spencer. Only after promising to bring him to the next real family dinner did they relent and change the subject, pestering your little brother about his college classes.

~

You and Spencer were a damn near perfect match. After that first date, the two of you barely went a day without calling or texting each other. When he was in town and not across the country on a case, he would bring you lunch. You’d frequently stay over at each others’ apartments. Months into your relationship, you knew each other better than yourselves.

Which is why, when you didn’t answer your phone on a Saturday afternoon when the team got back from a case, Spencer was concerned. He made his way to your apartment and fished the spare key you’d given him out of his pocket. He pushed your door open.

“(Y/N)? Love?” He walked into your apartment, which was unusually messy. Scraps of fabric were littered around the room, and music was blasting from your home office. “(Y/N)?”

You came rushing out of your kitchen, your hair a wild mess and your oversized pajama top drooping from your shoulder. You skidded to a halt. 

“Spencer! What are you doing here?”

“We just got in from the case. I tried calling-”

“You did?”

“-to see if you wanted to grab dinner.” You pulled your phone from your sweatpants pocket and saw the 3 missed calls from Spencer. “Are you okay? What’s going on? You look like you haven’t slept in days.”

You sighed. “I haven’t. I’ve been working nonstop. I need to make the mask for the Wolf, the Witch's coat, and Enjolras and the other revolutionary’s waistcoats, and my sister asked me to make a dress for her coworker’s daughter’s quinceanera and-”

“Whoa, whoa, hey. Breathe.” He cupped your face in his hands. “You need to stop working yourself so hard,” he said, rubbing your cheekbone with his thumb. 

“Says the man who overworked himself so much he developed chronic migraines.” At his raised eyebrow, you said, “Sorry.”

He smiled softly and kissed your forehead. “Why don’t you let me help you out a bit? Give me instructions, I’m a quick learner.”

You reached up and pulled his hands from your face. “Spencer. As much as I absolutely treasure and adore you, the thought of you seeing the absolute disaster that is my home workshop right now is literally the most terrifying thing I can imagine. More terrifying than you meeting my family. Which, by the way, my mom is insistent that you come to Thanksgiving this year.” You yawned and leaned your head against his chest. 

“We can talk about that later.” He kissed the top of your head. “How about now, into bed? You’re dead on your feet, love.” When you only nodded, Spencer led you to your bedroom. 

After getting you settled in your bed, Spencer went to stand up. You reached out and grabbed his hand. “Stay,” you mumbled, tugging him towards your bed.

The next morning, Spencer walked into the round-table room late. 

“Well, look who’s wearing the same clothes,” Derek said. “Fun night?”

“Shut up, Morgan,” Spencer said, taking a sip of his coffee. 

Hotch looked over Reid before saying, “As I was saying, Indianapolis needs us to write up a consult. Garcia is passing around the case file.”

~

Spencer was filling out paperwork at his desk when his phone started ringing. “Dr. Spencer Reid.” He froze as he heard the person on the other end of the line. “Oh- oh my god. Yeah, yeah, no, I’ll be right there. Uh, thank you.” He slammed the phone down and started gathering his belongings. 

“What’s wrong, Reid?” JJ asked, watching Spencer cram a folder into his satchel.

“(Y/N)’s at the police station.”

You were walking home from the fabric supply store when a young man stopped you. He couldn’t have been older than 20. He pulled a gun and pointed it at you. 

“Give me your purse,” he said. You saw the way his hand was wavering.

You straightened up. “No.”

“You-you can’t say no! I-I have a gun!”

You just blinked at the man- practically a boy. Then you kicked him in the groin, causing him to drop the gun as his hands flew to cup his injury. You pressed your foot on top of the gun, preventing him from picking it back up, then you dialed the police. 

They brought you to the station to give a statement. You were sitting next to one of the detective’s desks when Spencer ran in. 

“(Y/N)! Are you okay? What happened?”

The detective nodded at you and gestured toward where Reid had come from, indicating you were free to go. 

You shrugged at Spencer. “Some punk-ass kid tried to mug me. Had a gun and everything.”

“What?”

“It’s fine, I knew he wasn’t gonna go through with it.”

“How could you possibly have known that?”

“Spence, I’m from Philly. It’s not the first time someone’s tried to mug me at gunpoint.”

His eyes went wide as saucers. “That doesn’t make it better!”

You smiled and kissed Spencer’s cheek before taking his hand. “I’m fine. Thank you for coming to get me.”

“Of course, (Y/N). I love you.” Your smile widened as Spencer’s face started to pale. “I mean, uh-”

“I love you too, Spence. Come on, let’s get out of here.”

~

“Okay, closing night,” Mr. Meadows said, addressing the students, all in their brightly colored costumes. “I’m incredibly proud of all of you for making it this far. This is our last show, you’ve all done great so far. Go out there and give them one last show to remember. Now, before we get in places, Ms. (Y/N) is going to lead you through a vocal warm-up.”

“Thanks, Mr. Meadows,” you said, taking your spot in front of the group. “Okay, guys, you know the drill. Repeat after me, then all together.” You took a deep breath before leading, “To sit in solemn silence on a dull dark dock, in a pestilential prison with a lifelong lock, awaiting the sensation of a short sharp shock from a cheap and chippy chopper on a big black block.”

After the cast ran through their warm-up, you said, “I’m so proud of all of you. Go out there and break legs. I’ll see you all after at intermission.” You waved before slipping from backstage, making your way to the lobby. 

It wasn’t often that you got to just sit and enjoy the hard work your students put in, but one of your interns was staying backstage in case of any costume emergencies. You spotted Spencer in the crowd and wove through everyone to get to him. With him were Henry’s parents, Jack’s father and aunt, as well as the rest of the BAU team. 

“Hey,” Spencer said, grabbing your hand and giving you a quick kiss. “Glad you could join us.”

“Me, too,” you said as you slowly made your way into the auditorium to find your seats. “It’s gonna be nice to just enjoy the show for once.”

As the show began, you felt Spencer looking at you.

"What?" you whispered.

"Nothing. The costumes are beautiful. You're an artist."

Your cheeks flushed at his words. You took his hand in yours and rested your head on his shoulder.

Like Cinderella and her prince, Spencer was your happily ever after.

[nqueso-emergency]

I was scared of saying it since i saw how you were treated when you started sharing your information. Non everyone is strong like you and can take all that insult and harassment people on both sides are direct to you. I saw someone come to you with information and i said fuck it, maybe anonymously i will be able to do it.

My aunt is a tailor and part of the costume department of tv shows and she worked for a lot of little production but 5 years ago she booked a job for 911: first thanks to Fox and now to ABC because the production liked her job and they wanted to take her and her team to the new network. They don’t stay a lot on set unless there is some particular scene where a shirt or a dress need to be ruined.

So, when she had to dress Oliver for that coffee date, they give her a picture of that old man in his young version how reference. I don’t know if this is because Tim was really intentional with the Invisible String Theory or because they wanted Buck to look “more” queer but this happened and you can interpret it as you want.

Also, since s8 filming started she prepared 5 outfit for him and if i remember correctly one is an elegant one so maybe a date and one is a flight suit so i think he will be featured in the big emergency. I don’t have too much gossip on why and how they are hiding him but my aunt made him a couple of outfits so he is there. And she said that he is a wonderful human being.

Hey! I wanted to answer this asap before things start moving.

I heard something similar about the coffee date outfit but it was never confirmed or denied from my side.

I'd love to talk to you more if you'd like! I'll never reveal people's identities, I get it.

[thezombieprostitute]

Tech Tuesday: Jake Jensen

Summary: Jake knows he's the luckiest man in the world and it's all because of you.

Warnings: None at this time. Please let me know if I missed any!

A/N: Reader is female. No physical descriptors used.

Part 3

Tech Tuesdays Masterlist

On a lot of levels, Jake knows he looks ridiculous. Part of him will always be that awkward kid who tried to hide his interests and hobbies out of fear of being bullied. Yet here he is, wearing a Tygra costume, complete with face paint, and he couldn't be happier.

He was skeptical when you first came up with the idea. Not that he didn't have faith in your abilities. It was more he wasn't sure in himself. But he wanted to do right by you, make you happy, and show the twins it's ok to be a geek, to love your interests. So he agreed to the costumes.

It also meant a lot to him that his department was willing to to do a mini trick or treat for the twins. They're too young, too little, to really go out for more than an hour or so. Plus it's great socialization for them, and Syverson even used it as an excuse to help his dog, Lily, get some needed experience with being around little ones.

After talking to some of the guys and giving them the candy for the twins, he was surprised to find out how many of them were excited for this as well. It had actually helped encourage some of them to dress up a little this year. Johnny even wore a superhero costume underneath his regular clothes in the hopes the twins would think he's an actual superhero.

The only hiccup was with the Double G's. They objected to giving the kids candy saying it was bad for their teeth and the like. Instead, they asked if they could give them a couple toys.

"Of course," Jake nods. "That's a great alternative! I'll see about running out and getting some real quick."

"No need," Geralt stops him.

"We already got the tykes something in case you agreed," G adds.

"Awww, thank you both so much! Can I see what you got them?"

The G's look at each other briefly before Geralt pulls the pack off his Monster Hunter costume and pulls out a couple of daggers, showing them to Jake.

Jake's eyes go wide. "Are those...are they smaller versions of Narsil before it was reforged?!"

G turns to Geralt, "I told you he'd recognize them."

Geralt nods at G before turning to Jake. "Obviously they're still small for a full blade so dagger based on Narsil made sense."

"Metaphorically as well since children take the shards of the past and reforge them for the sake of their future," G adds.

"Please tell me they're not actually sharp," Jake frets.

"Of course not!" Geralt snarls.

"What kind of idiots do you think we are?" G growls.

Jake holds up his hands in an attempt to placate, "you're right, you're right. I'm sorry. It's just...daggers, even blunted ones, aren't appropriate for toddlers. Maybe if they were plastic or something not so heavy and clearly well made---"

"Plastic?!" G scoffs.

"I swear I'm not trying to insult you and your exquisite tastes!" Jake interjects before Geralt can add his piece. "This is just a super big thing for a Halloween Treat! When you said 'toy' I thought you meant, like the rubber duck on your desk." The Double G's start giving him their scary look before he adds, "not that you have to give them that one. That's your rubber duckie to do with as you wish. I just meant, something small, something fun like that. The daggers you want to give them would be better as...maybe a birthday or Christmas gift. But not for trick or treating. I'd hate to build up their expectations like that."

"Hmmm." is Geralt's only reply before signalling G to join him in a huddle on the other side of their cubicle. After several minutes of silent communication they return to Jake. "We agree that it would be setting the twins' expectations too high for Halloween. Neither of us celebrates Christmas so we will hold onto the daggers until their next birthday."

"And we will return with some toys you deem 'more appropriate' for their age group," G concedes as he grabs his car keys.

"You...you don't need to do this," Jake reiterates. "I'm more than happy to go get something."

"No," Geralt asserts.

"This is our hunt," G scowls.

Jake backs out of their way but Geralt stops, "when is their birthday?"

"Late April," Jake confesses.

Jake holds you close as you both guide the twins along their journey through the cubicles. True to their word the G's got the twins some adorable squishy toys instead. You hear an odd comment about "building up strength to wield a blade" but figure Geralt is just in character as a monster hunter. Jake had made sure to warn you to not ask if he was dressed as a Skyrim character. The armor was incredibly detailed and well made so you had to ask him about it.

Geralt smiles, a little smugly, "I made it myself."

"It's incredible!" you exclaim. "If I didn't have to worry about the chemicals affecting the twins I'd love to learn how to work with leather."

"Hmm. Let me know if you need some pieces made up. Your own skills are quite admirable."

Heat rushes to your face, "oh, that's so kind of you!"

You'd stick around but Leah's run off to Johnny's cubicle, saying something about, "gotta ask."

You run over to her, trying to apologize to Johnny but he isn't hearing it. He's grinning even more than usual as he play whispers, "you'll keep my secret, right?" Leah nods and giggles in your arms.

Meanwhile, over at Ransom's cubicle, Jake is watching the scene, holding a sleepy Luke, and smiling.

Ransom stands next to him, "you know you look like an idiot, right?" Jake's smile falters a little. "Not that your wife doesn't do great work," he continues. "It's just...why would you dress up like this?"

Jake turns to him, still smiling, "because it's fun. Fun for me, fun for my family. If teenage me could see how loved and accepted my geekiness is, he'd cry with relief." Jake turns back to you and Leah, his smile growing again. "Plus, I'm doing my part to show the ones I love that I will always love them, always encourage their interests, and am fully willing to make an idiot of myself for them."

If Ransom has a reply, Jake doesn't hear it because your and Leah's laughs are all that matter right now.

Part 3

Tech Tuesdays Masterlist

Tagging: @alicedopey; @delicatebarness; @ellethespaceunicorn; @icefrozendeadlyqueen; @jaqui-has-a-conspiracy-theory;

@late-to-the-party-81; @lokislady82; @ronearoundblindly

[sweetbunpura]

Halloween Special: Part 1

Word Count: 1,256

Seeing how NRC took Halloween to an extreme, seriously who builds an actual pirate ship? It reminded Rollo of how Fleur City put so much love into the festival. Yet here, all these beautiful decorations were just an excuse to try and one up other dorms. Rollo hid his scowl behind his handkerchief as he followed Yuu and Grim around the school. Since he had joined, Crowley had declared Ramshackle an official dorm and had tasked the trio with finding inspiration for their dorm's costumes.

Since the other dorms had claimed the more notable monster costumes, it left them with not many options. Finally, their last stop to the mirror room for some help hadn't exactly filled them with hope.

"Sorry, Potato." Vil said. "I wish I could help you with this. But... If you find what you want, I'd be more than willing to help you get what's needed."

Yuu sighed. "Thanks Vil."

The trio had left dejected and went back to Ramshackle. They spent hours trying to brainstorm ideas, but each was met with a negative or an issue from one of them.

"This sucks." Yuu nibbled on a piece of chocolate.

Rollo scribbled through another idea. "Perhaps we could take something from your world?"

"They're too closely linked in terms of monsters to try and find one."

Rollo looks over to see Grim rifling through the candy with his head buried in the bowl, he pulls him out of it and the feline throws a fit.

"Why not go as a couple’s costume?" Grim huffs and hangs in Rollo's grip.

"They're cheesy and not scary." Yuu threw the wrapper away. "As well as not matching the spirit of Halloween."

Rollo sets Grim down on the couch and hands him a lollipop so he won't have to see him sulking. Grim happily tears into it before speaking again.

"Hey, you recognized Horns outfit. Why not pick something like that?"

"A Jiangshi?"

Grim nods. "Yeah, except, you know." He sucks on the treat. "Make it from your language... I forgot what it's called."

"Japanese?" Yuu crosses her arms and raises an eyebrow. "You're asking me to pick a Japanese mon-" She pauses as she runs the idea through her head. "Yokai... We could be Yokai!" Yuu pulls Grim from the couch and spins him around in a circle. "Grimmy! I could kiss you right now!"

"Nya?! Let me go! You're making me dizzy!"

"I'll be back boys!" She tosses the feline behind her and Rollo scrambles to catch him as she bolts out the door.

"...What exactly just happened?" Rollo blinks in confusion and looks down at the dizzy direbeast in his arms.

Yuu returns later in the evening and announces her presence... by slamming open the door. Rollo nearly spills his tea over himself as she stops in front. She slams her hands down on the arm rests of the chair he's sitting in, officially blocking him in. Rollo sets aside his cup and book and stares at her.

"...Yes?"

"You're good at potions, right?"

"I am..."

"Good. I need a timed transformation potion."

"For our costumes, I presume?"

She nods. "I need them to be fox potions though. I have everything coming in and that's the last thing I need. Can you do it for me?"

If Rollo wasn't as weak as he was to her, he probably would've said no, but he is curious as to what she has in store.

"I can."

"Yes!" She hugs him and departs the dorm again.

He is once again left baffled as to what just happened. He spends a few hours finding the ingredients and mixing together what's needed. Rollo gives the brew a few more stirs before a poof of smoke confirms that it's ready.

"Here." He pours the mixture into a sample cup and hands it to her.

"Oh no, no, no, my dear Rolls." Yuu smiles and pushes the cup towards him as she gets her own. "We both have to drink it."

"What?" He looks down at the cup and then back at her. "Why must I drink it as well?"

"For. The. Costume." Her voice lowered in pitch as she stared hard at him. "Now, bottoms up."

Rollo sighs, says a quick prayer to the Righteous Judge, and drinks with Yuu following right behind him. Both grimace at the taste and he feels the change instantly. His sense of smell became sharper, his hearing more enhanced, and the base of his spine throbbed in pain.

Rollo shakes his head. "Disgusting." He opens his eyes to look at Yuu. "Did it-" He pauses, seeing two black fluffy triangle shaped ears on top of her head. "Oh."

Yuu feels on top of her head and a smile appears on her face. "Yes!" She spins around and Rollo sees the black fluffy tail attached to her. "It worked! And your ears are gray, but where's your tail?"

Rollo reaches up to touch his ears, causing them to flick in the process. "So, this should be-Yuu!?"

Yuu wrapped her arms around his waist and peered behind him. "Oh, it's under your shirt. Here, let me..." She tugs at it, freeing the shirt from the confinements of his pants and setting the fluffy appendage loose. "There! Better?"

Rollo's ears flatten and a blush appears on his face. He's quick to hide it behind his handkerchief before she notices. "Y-Yes, thank you."

Yuu’s tail wags as she jumps around in glee before departing from the room in a flurry. With a sigh, Rollo contains what remains of the potion for the event. A week after that incident, as the Ramshackle residents are decorating for the upcoming event, Yuu kicks the dorm in and she has a bundle of clothing.

“Vil and Crewel came through~”

“Are those the outfits?” Rollo asked as he set aside the pumpkins.

“Yeah.” She shoved the clothing at him. “I need you to try this on.”

“...Now?” He fumbled to hold it before it hit the floor.

“Now.”

Rollo stared at her before sighing and walking into the bathroom to try on the costume. He disrobed quickly and put on the costume, as well as everything fit... he had trouble with the obi. Before Rollo could ask for help, a knock at the door came.

“Rolls? Do you need help?”

“Yes, please.”

She opened the door and slipped in, but paused as she stared at the outfit.

“Oh, it’s so good~”

“Love, please.”

“Sorry, sorry!” She turns him around and expertly ties the obi and fixes anything else out of place. “There.”

“Thank you.” He raises the sleeves and watches as they pool at his elbows. “Hmmm, it’s too loose for my liking.”

“I didn't want everything to be too tight, cause it'll get uncomfortable real fast.” She clasped her hands together. “Alright, everything is good to go for the event. It's time we shine for a chance.”

Rollo gave a soft smile as he watched her dance out of the bathroom and went to try on her own outfit. He turned towards the mirror and took in the full outfit.

“...They did an amazing job and tomorrow, everyone will see this in all its glory.”

[hologramcowboy]

RE your post about Jensen on Tracker

It seems to me that all Jensen can actually play is just versions of Dean, and I'd argue even when he was on SPN they weren't very good ones, to the point Demon Dean felt gimmicky and a caricature and it felt like the costume department didn't have much faith in his Michael Dean because they insisted on putting him in rip off Peaky Blinders get up to hammer it home. Compared to all Jared's different versions of Sam, each felt different and nuanced despite looking the same and didn't rely on putting him in different clothes. We just knew by his voice, his eyes or how he carried himself. Soulless Sam was terrifying and his Lucifer was on point to where Mark based his (inital) performance on it.

I've never once thought Cordell was just a cut, paste and tweak of Sam, but with Jensen even someone like Soldier Boy is an amped up version of the Dean caricature he devolved into with more sexism and swearing thrown in. (And I say this as someone who thought SB was one of the best parts of season 3 for how little he was really there)

Not to be all negative and say he doesn't have amazing moments that shine through because he really does (the barn scene, Soldier Boy's devastation when when Crimson Countess says she doesn't love him, etc) but it felt like he's become so reliant on Dean he keeps using it as a crutch to hook people in on his performances.

Earlier seasons SPN he was great because he let himself experiment within Dean's facets and allow range (and I'd also argue the writing was leagues better and allowed for it but that's a separate rant lol)

Damn this became a long one, sorry xD

I loved reading every bit of it. Thank you for sharing your perspective. Yes, it truly seems Dean has become Jensen’s crutch which is why I no longer have high hopes for his career.

[iobsessoverfictionalmen]

Could I please submit a spooktober request? I'd be happy with Otto Octavius or Doc Ock, writers choice :3 Reader(self insert if I'm double lucky) and choice are idly talking about how the people in their neighbourhood are getting ready for halloween, reader talks about how mr and mrs so-and-so in the next building over mentioned it's their babies first halloween and theyre doing a group costume...."aren't babies dressed as pumpkins or old people the most sweetest thing you've ever seen?" (super clucky elaborations) and Otto/Ock is all "hmm? i suppose" "what if we had a little pumpkin of our own to dress up next year?" "oh, you want a baaaaaby???" idk if you wanna go cutesy or smutty but i would lovelovelove either way <3

Thank you for this request! I hope you enjoy reading it as much as I enjoyed writing it!

AN: Reader has a name (Tara).

Warnings: flirty reader, flirty and blushing Otto, hint of sad Otto, suggestive themes and consensual roleplay, mentions of danger and a spoiler for No Way Home.

“Why is Stephen in time out?”

“He said vampire princesses don’t need a fairy wand.”

You scrunched up your face, “Vampire princesses definitely need a fairy wand.”

The six-year-old poked her tongue out triumphantly at Stephen and the former Sorcerer Supreme rolled his eyes in response.   Happy that an adult agreed with her about the necessity of having a fairy wand as part of her costume, Penny eagerly ran through the halls of the Sanctum calling out for her father.

“I thought you were busy decorating the Sanctum for Halloween seeing as many of our neighbours’ houses look like they’ve raided every department store in an attempt to outdo each other.”

“How dare you imply that my focus is to compete with our neighbours?” you gasped in mock offense with a hand over your heart for effect. “If that were true, I would have let the Goblin create the new grenades he designed.”

Stephen climbed to his feet, “Thankfully for everyone involved, you retained some common sense Tara.”

You were about to imitate Penny when footsteps caught your attention.  You pivoted to see Otto descending the stairs dressed as a pirate.  “Hello sailor,” you purred.

A blush dusted itself across Otto’s cheeks and the heads of the actuators spun around in response to Otto’s emotions.  Unseen by you, Stephen made a face and quickly excused himself.  When the sorcerer was sure that he was out of your range of vision, he permitted a small smile to cross his face; it was nice to have the Sanctum bustling with people without there being a crisis.

Your eyes lingered on Otto’s pirate hat as he moved towards you and with an impish grin.  He removed the hat from his head and placed it on yours instead.  The hat sunk to your eyebrows almost immediately and you scowled teasingly at him as you reached up to adjust it.

“Shall we?”  Otto offered you his arm as Penny came bounding down the stairs with Flint in tow.  There was no mistaking how happy Flint was to be celebrating Halloween with his happy and healthy daughter.  Flint had been pulled into this new world, Penny had been close enough that the spell affected her too and the second that you, Stephen and Wong had met her, the three of you decided that the best course of action would be to heal the young girl.

Penny and Flint were the first to leave the Sanctum with you and Otto following closely behind them.  There were so many children and parents walking on the footpaths that you had to wait about five minutes before there was a large enough gap for the four of you.

Otto wrapped an arm around your waist and pulled you close to him as the two of you followed Penny and Flint.  A flash of colour caught your eye from across the road and you stopped abruptly allowing your mind to register the sight in front of you.

Otto whipped his head around with a worried frown to gaze at you the second that he’d felt you stop.  For a moment, he feared that something terrible had happened.  Maybe one of his enemies had caught up with him.  His eyes scanned you from head to toe and realising that you weren’t in any immediate danger, he moved his gaze across the road to see what grabbed your attention.

Warmth spread through the scientist at the sight in front of him.  Across the road, there were three children dressed in identical pumpkin costumes.  They couldn’t have been older than one and they were clearly excited for their first Halloween.

“Aren’t babies dressed as pumpkins the most sweetest thing you’ve ever seen?”  You gushed, “Look at their tiny faces and the hats they’re wearing look like the little green stems at the top of a pumpkin!  And the little shoes!  That one wants to go; look at her little legs kicking like she wants to run to the first house all by herself!”

Otto was only half paying attention to what you were saying as one of the children chose that exact moment to wave shyly at him.  Otto raised a hand in response and Flo chittered happily before she waved to the child by raising and lowering herself in the air.

“What if we had a little pumpkin of our own to dress up next year?”

Your words caused the scientist to wrench his eyes away from the family across the road.  His heartbeat thundered in his ears as his mind raced to process what you’d just said. 

“Maybe I heard her wrong.”  Otto thought.  He did his best to ignore the stab of sadness at that thought.  The rational side of his brain argued that there was too much noise to hear you clearly and that it was quite possible that he’d misheard you.

“Otto?” You questioned when the man didn’t respond, “I sho-”

“Tara, you want a baby?  With me?”

Turning in Otto’s hold, you cupped his cheek, “Yes.  I want to have a baby with you.”

Otto pressed a sweet kiss to your palm and your breathing hitched as you noticed that the colour of his irises had darkened considerably.  You were just about to suggest that you return to the Sanctum when Flint and Penny made their way back to you.  Flint was carrying Penny who smiled sleepily at you but continued to grasp the handle of her bucket tightly.

“I think it’s time that we had back,” Flint gently nudged Penny with his free hand. “Lil’ munchkin can barely keep her eyes open.”

“’M ‘wake,” Penny protested.  “No stealin’ my treats.”

“We promise we won’t,” Otto replied softly and Penny nodded once before closing her eyes and resting her head against her dad’s shoulder.

As the sun sunk below the horizon, the chill in the air became more pronounced.  You, Otto, Flint and Penny just made it back to the Sanctum before the sky darkened completely to an inky black.

After bidding Flint and Penny a goodnight, Otto guided you to your shared room.  The minute that he locked the door behind you, Otto’s eyes darkened with mischievousness and lust, “It be too cold to be out here all by yourself.” He uttered, turning slowly to face you.

“Oh please good pirate” you replied, deciding to play along and batting your eyelashes at him, “I was simply enjoying the cool night air.  It was a busy day meeting with all the noblemen and I have just rid myself of my corset.”

“Yet you must have been expecting me.  You be wearing my hat,” Otto rebutted.  “One might think that you desire to join your pirate on the sea.”

You tilted your head so that you were staring deeply into his eyes, “I’ll follow my pirate wherever the wind and tide take him,” you vowed.

“And I shall follow you to the ends of the earth and beyond,” Otto promised, tucking his fingers underneath your chin and pressing a long kiss to your lips. 

When the two of you broke apart, he wrapped his arm around your waist and with a quick yank, the two of you were eye to eye. You instantly wrapped your legs around his waist, carefully not to accidentally kick Harry or Larry, “Now, what do you say to creating the first of our crew?”

[gemini-sensei]

Sims | Hawk Moskowitz

Thank you @sensei-venus for putting this out there. I just had to write a whole thing about it because duh. So here we go, some fluff with a dash of sims.

When Reader was tidying up her apartment she shared with Hawk, she didn't anticipate getting sidetracked. She was just cleaning off his desk, making sure not to bump into his gaming computer as she did so, but of course she hit the mouse. The screen came to life so brightly, showing her the last game he'd been playing and it made her giggle.

He Sims 4 was still open, but the game was paused. The camera was hovering over a room in the house centered on a Sim that looked a lot like her boyfriend, with a large mohawk, shirtless and covered tattoos. It made her giggle and she sat down to take a closer look.

She was taking a little tour of the house to see everything Hawk had put into it. It was obvious a lot of time and effort was put into it, the house itself rather big with three levels, including a basement, and a backyard filled with little bonsai trees. It was stunning for a game house and she loved it, all of the decor matching with their own style that they'd curated for themselves in the little apartment that they called home.

There with photos on the wall, all of her favorite plants and flowers set up inside or around the property, big stylish windows like she's always wanted. As she noticed the greenhouse attached to the main building, she realized her boyfriend has built her dream home in the game. All the talks about what she wanted in that department hadn't fallen on deaf ears, she already knew that, but to see it reflected in the game was heartwarming and sweet.

As she looked at the pictures of the sims in the house, she saw herself reflected as well. Her body was chubby and her style was on point, as she would come to learn that he'd downloaded costum content to get the clothes right as well as her hair. She was so flattered, so in love, so giggly.

It didn't take her long to find the other sim occupants as well, including one dog, one cat, and two little infant babies.

As she clicked to view the babies, she found them happily asleep in their cribs. The room they were in was decorated in all pinks and purples, with a princess castle on the floor and long drapes over the windows. Two twin girls with full bellies laid asleep, well cared for. She awed at their cute little faces and the names that had been chosen for them. As she looked at their stats and everything, she discovered one was a little more shy while the other was outgoing.

Only when she found the pictures on the wall of her sim pregnant and Hawk's sim fussing over her belly did she come to a realization. She blushed as she wondered, does he want kids? Is that what this means?

She put the game back the way she found it and hurried to clean up the area like she had planned on doing in the first place. Though she tried buying herself with the tidying and chores, she couldn't stop thinking about the game. She tried to tell herself that it was just a game, but at the same time she had a feeling it was much more than that...

Several days passed before she decided to ask Hawk. She didn't want him to know she had seen his game, believing it was fairly private, so when she did it, she kept that part out of it. She kept it casual, almost too casual, as they cuddled up on the couch watching one of their comfort shows. It popped into her mind again and she simply asked,

"Do you ever think about having kids?"

He looked at her, then shrugged as he turned back to the TV. "Yeah, sometimes."

She could tell that he was trying to act really casual about it, but his body was a little tense under her all of a sudden and she knew better.

"And?"

"Yeah, I guess I'd like to have kids some day." He quickly cut a look her way, eyes unreadable. "What about you?"

She smiled at him. "Yeah... well, I mean, I've thought about it before but it didn't really come back to me until recently."

She got a little shy and looked away from him. He paused their show and say up a bit, making her shift and sit up too.

"Reader, is this your way of asking something?"

She looked up at him, cheeks growing warm. "I mean, maybe."

She didn't really know. She didn't know where this would go, having not thought that far ahead inall of this. She bit her lip and looked away from him.

He gently took her chin in between his the and index finger, then turned her face to look at him again. He spoke softly.

"Is this your way of asking me if I wanna have a baby with you?" He asked her. He looked into her eyes with his warm blue ones amd it was like swimming in the ocean on a summer's day. "Because if so, I'm all for it... because that's something I want with you more than anything."

"Really?" she asked just as softly.

He nodded and she smiled wide. She leaned into him and kissed him, throwing her arms around him and he caught her as they fell back onto the couch cushion. He groaned against her lips, enjoying the excitement and passion behind her force. With that sort of energy, they were making out in no time, their clothes slowly falling to the floor piece by piece.

There was little planning to it, little thought other than "we want this together," and while neither of them said they were "trying," they knew in their hearts what they were doing. Hawk didn't have to know it was all thanks to his little game.

[theresa-draws]

i've been playing veilguard non-stop since launch and i'm currently 40h in and still completing companion/side quests, so here are some slightly spoilery thoughts up to mid-game:

Pros:

i am here for the ancient elven and titan/dwarven lore

the combat is quick and actiony, i'm getting the hang of the dodging which is better than blocking or parrying for me - it feels like genshin at times if i had to compare LOL

lighting's great, game loading's fast.... really worth the time loading those shaders every time I start the game

MY INQUISITOR LOOKS SO BEAUTIFUL IN THIS GAME and she doesn't sound too OOC.... yet

it felt like Mythal is still watching over The People, and considering Miha had Mythal's vallaslin before Solas removed them, there's a layer of complicated solavellan feelings that i love with the veilguard revelations

i can see some chemistry between my rook and davrin/lucanis...... eyes emoji

solas and rook can taunt each other, although i don't like how much information we're giving him..... he needs us more than we need him and this is the dread wolf from the legends after all he'll use it against us when he has the chance

the bits of inquisition soundtrack + bard songs hurts me in a good way

taash's personal quest about personal identity so far hits the mark for me, whether it's exploring being non-binary or someone between two cultures

lucanis has that old dragon age flavour.................. that's endearingly cringe and oh-no-am-i-into-that

davrin's voice + assan is a potent combination, will rook be a new parent with davrin who knows at this point i'm flirting with three different companions and i'm taking them everywhere with me

i liked being taken by surprised by the game (minrathous vs treviso) but it was an easy choice for me...................... sorry my elf rook is going to be tevinter imperium that did all that shit magical city with advanced technology vs assassin venice city whose waterways are about to be poisoned.....

i like bellara's personal quest so far, dealing with grief and regret and feeling like you're not good enough when people are counting on you to be :(((

you can play rock, paper, scissors with manfred when he's chilling outside at the lighthouse!!!

the lighthouse is slightly customisable like skyhold, thanks solas!

the armours look ugly, the appearance customisation is sorely needed (i'd like an armour mod for the inquisitor, she is wearing her pajamas out again!!!!)

i like seeing the more villainous side of solas as elvhen history remembers him, he's not completely righteous even ruthless to his own people at times but he did what he did (like his chess game with ironbull, he sacrificed so much to get his intended outcome) it's a nice contrast/parallel to rook and the inquisitor

YOU CAN PET CATS AND DOGS IN THE CITIES!!!

Cons:

narrative/dialogue feels hand-holdy (yes bioware, i know the LoreTM stop making them repeat it at me like i'm 12)

pacing is Wack, it's rushing to get to the story beats and then i'm being punished with the minrathous/treviso choice for wanting to recruit davrin ASAP ???

everyone sounds so sedated, is that a choice in the voice directing? or is it like the tone in the lines or something............ the characters have no bite! they're so nice,,,,,,,, even rook can't be too stoic or mean or ruthless! i think that's where the complaints about the marvel-ish lines are coming from (if i hear another character say "whatever it takes", i am going to lose my mind)

Lacklustre and boring soundtrack swinging between hunger games films and assassin's creed revelations, the most recognisable part of it is the inquisition soundtrack

Lords of Fortune suffers in the costume design department the mage outfit is garbage fire, what the hell is going on in the designs for Rivaini outfits

because they killed off Flem-mythal, they brought in Mythal-rrigan...... even though her character arc was about not wanting to become Flemeth (how many pieces of mythal are there???) even the way she talks is less morrigan and more flemeth :((

it's not fun to explore only to realise certain areas are blocked by story quests, or things that require companions you don't have in the beginning of the game

you can't speak with companions whenever you want, i'm feeling like bellara's hanging out with emmrich wayyyyyyyy more often than me and i'm trying to romance her ;A; maybe i should switch to davrin my other first choice

isabela has a very shallow cameo, she's just there to make innuendos and references in a winkwink nudgenudge way

there's a spirit of compassion! it's not cole though................

varric is talking only to me, solas knows varric is talking only to me.... is there a connection there? is he using varric to guilt trip or get inside my head?

getting the party to sit around watching solas' regrets/memories like it's movie night sets a very weird tone for those scenes lol

romance is taking a long time to start/advance did i miss something??? guess i need to clear some personal quests or advance the main story (but i don't want to get punished for advancing the main story)

matt mercer voices the viper, anaris and manfred........ and it's taking me out of the game lol all i hear is matt mercer

i want to exchange rooms with lace harding, i feel like the plants and pond fit isen more than the huge aquarium

i am not clicking with neve and i don't know if it's because i missed her quest/didn't save minrathous/she cares about nothing else other than dock town and my rook is getting blamed for the venatori bullshit

haven't met elgar'nan but his voice is grating.............. it's sneering and nasal and i'm-an-evil-villain-oooh kind of voice, i thought he'd be more charismatic :( at least eldritch wife ghilain'nain is a horrific mad scientist as expected

[boldlyexplorational]

Episode 21 "The return of the Archons"

So this is where we find the first example of a society secretly governed by a computer. At first I thought it was some sort of a "the Purge" situation (which I don't love, but maybe would have been better?).

I still don't understand exactly why the "Festival" was happening, but some things are not to be questioned. Maybe it was for Kirk to be smooched randomly without consent again.

I'd like to take a moment to address something important I think everyone here is not talking about nearly enough: Spock wearing that fire cape moment look, with the vale draped over the head. It's giving non binary. It's giving fashion statement. Bless you Costume Department, because you could have just put a hat on it, but no! You made him look dark academia and I thank you with my whole heart.

That said, at the end when both Kirk and Spock are wearing waistcoat suits they looked so hot, no complaints whatsoever.

It's a good episode for Spock and Kirk dynamics: they are finishing each other's sentences, they're thinking the same thing, they're working in perfect tandem.

At some point Kirk says "Spock!" and for a moment there I thought he said Fuck, that was fun. This whole episode Kirk was having maybe a bit too much fun considering the situation, the little fucker. While Spock is always very concerned with not killing anyone if it can be avoided, which is something I highly appreciate about him.

All in all, I wouldn't say it's a bad episode, but it's one of those where it feels like they don't know what should stand out, and there's a lot of contradictions: the computer makes everyone happy, but it takes away the soul. The computer is a religion but it has a prime directive, just like the crew. The computer has no soul, but it thinks he has a soul and in the end "suffers" for its own "death".

And then Spock is thrust into this discourse because he is logic like a machine ... But he's also human etc... And nothing good or interesting comes out of it in the end. Other than maybe a little quip, which is a shame.

I think "What little girls are made of" did a far better job at conveying the same idea, minus the critique at organized religions/cults, which is very important but gets lost in the mix anyway.

[togglesbloggle]

I was tagged by @wellmetmat in @perdvivly's ask meme that's going around- thanks for the interest! A few questions, they shall be answered. I won't tag anyone else for now, but anyone who sees this should absolutely respond if they're so inclined.

1. What virtue do you most often see in other people that you feel comparatively deficient in?

Easy one for me: diligence. Consistency, commitment, patient sustained focus on moderate challenges. Being there not on day 1 but on day 1000.

It's a skill I greatly admire in others, and I'm often drawn to those who can practice it successfully and consistently. The virtue of diligence has a way of making the world around oneself a dramatically better place, so being attracted to such people really works out well for me in the long run. Good parenting is perhaps one of the ur-examples here; the stakes of consistency get about as high as they reasonably can, and the rewards are just as clear. I've heard parents say that it's a time of very long days and very short years, and I often strive to give my days and my years the same quality- with not as much success as I'd like.

2. Show us an object in your daily life that you have an emotional attachment to - tell us a little bit about it if you want! (a favourite mug perhaps? socks with a cute pattern? dealers choice)

I actually live more-or-less surrounded by little curios that meet this description, so I had a lot to choose from. It's a lifestyle, or at least a method of interior decorating, that makes me really happy. I grabbed these three more or less at random. From left to right:

Every geologist has a collection of boring-looking rocks with cool science attached; this is the star of my collection. It's a microbialite, meaning roughly that it's a 'fossil' of an ancient microbial mat. This one is from the Buck Reef Chert in South Africa, basically a piece of flint. It's 3.42 billion years old, from the Paleoarchean. It's nearly seven times older than multicellular life, and even predates oxygenic photosynthesis (which is the pattern where plants or green algae uptake CO2 and release oxygen); the organisms that created this fossil breathed iron instead. So it's the sort of organism that was common in the shallower waters of Earth's oceans back in the most primordial ecosystems we have a record of. A relic from an alien world, older than a full third of the stars in the Milky Way galaxy. I find it very beautiful to be biologically related to it, and to be part of the same uninterrupted organic chemical reaction.

In the middle is my orchestrator badge for a university class which conducts an elaborate simulation of the papal election of 1492 and its aftermath, run by a professor in the history department- this is last year's. You may recognize 1492 in the Italian peninsula as 'interesting times'. It's taken for class credit, but the heart of it is a LARP that plays out over the course of about two and a half weeks, with full costuming and set-dressing. Every student is assigned a particular period character; most are voting cardinals, some are monarchs ruling over France or Spain and trying to get a favorable pope for themselves, a few are invented minor roles like vote counters that wouldn't have been recorded by history (so that clever cardinals can bribe them, among other things; we have rules for how much the vote-takers can cheat). After suitable prep, we let them loose, and watch the poor bastards chase incentive gradients far enough to burn Europe to the ground. I myself pretend to be a mere orchestrator for the first three days of the simulation, and act mostly as a custodian for the monarchs, but then I dramatically reveal myself to actually be Sultan Bayezid II, of the Ottoman Empire, and then proceed to menace Europe with my impossible wealth, vast armies, and advanced technologies. It is, without fail, a delight.

The right is a watch given to me as a birthday gift some years ago by my dear sister, one of the marvelous transparent ones where you can see finely made gears and springs all working. It's effective for being taken seriously in Europe; combined with brown leather shoes and a thoughtful choice of shirt, it's enough to elevate you above the 'slobby American tourist' first impressions. The watch's finest hour was when I wore it to the front row of the Penn and Teller production of Shakespeare's Tempest. The show was full of stage magic to supplement the play itself, because of course it was, and this watch was irresistible to them during the audience-participation bits. Ariel the wind spirit made a great show of stealing it off my wrist, and of disappearing it and so on multiple times.

3. If you could choose, what level of fame would you want? How many people would you want to recognise you?

There's a level of demifame that I think is just right: enough respect within a widely-spread subculture to earn a comfortable income from fans, and relative anonymity outside it. Jo Walton is at about that sweet spot, for a concrete example. In practice, I think this translates to a few tens of thousands of people around the world that would recognize you, but the key is that they're not randomly selected: they're the people that you share that subculture with, so there's a baseline of mutual regard and shared values even when you're greeted out of nowhere by a stranger in a strange city.

4. Where do you feel language is least adequate to capture, communicate, or express your experience?

What a mean question to ask by text! Ha.

There's a set of experiences you can reach, which I happened to find both through scientific literacy and mindfulness meditation, involving the conditionality and contingencies of personal identity. You may have felt it a little bit when I was talking about my favorite rock, just now; you might not have. I have a powerful and sustained sense of myself as an expression of natural processes, or perhaps of the role of consciousness in illuminating the full depth of that process. It's quite comforting, I suppose, though even that's not a particularly apt description really. I think I called it being 'deep okay' a while back, though I don't recall where; I don’t think I came up with that label myself though. It was here!

5. If you had to come up with a question with the following criteria:

a) it should disuade knee-jerk reaction answers (i.e. it shouldn't be something people are likely to have spent a lot of time considering before)

b) it shouldn't be too specialised (the audience should be general, don't ask about people's top 3 byzantine spice merchants opperating between 754AD-816AD)

c) it shouldn't be needlessly emotionally charged or divisive

d) it should be a question you expect people to have lots of varied opinions about

What would your question be?

What are the kinds of magic you most wish for, or the laws of reality that you most wish could be overcome? What would this allow you to become?

---

Actually I lied I'm tagging @ritterum @femmenietzsche @eka-mark if they haven't been already.

[thezombieprostitute]

Tech Tuesday: Ransom Drysdale

Summary: Your laptop needs repair and you're at risk of embarrassing yourself and the company in front of some very big investors.

Warnings: Ransom kinda being an ass. Let me know if I missed any.

A/N: Reader is female. No other physical descriptors used.

Tech Tuesdays Masterlist

Part 3

You knock on the wall to Ransom's cubicle, startling him out of his focus. He gives you confused look, "what are you wearing?"

"It's my costume," you inform him, giggling. "I'm Bubbles! Me and a couple friends are dressed up as the Powerpuff Girls."

"I have no idea who the Powerpuff Girls are but 'Bubbles' is certainly appropriate for you."

"Thank you!"

Ransom gives you a confused look, "is there something you need?"

"I have a little thank you gift," you say as you bounce on your toes a little.

"And you couldn't just leave it on my desk or something?"

"That would be invading your space," you say, tilting your head in confusion. "That would be incredibly rude of me."

Ransom gives you a look you can't decipher before grumbling, "well thank you for that."

"Not a problem," you grin. You rock back and forth a little in expectation of an invite but he seems to be getting back to work. "Um, may I enter? So I can give you your thank you gift?"

He rolls his eyes and sighs a little, "so long as it's just a one-time thing, sure."

"I'll make a mental note to be sure to ask permission each time," you beam as you step towards his desk. "Oh! You have candy!"

"It's not for me," Ransom shakes his head. "Jake and his wife are bringing their toddlers around for some kind of Halloween practice and Syverson's told everyone in the department they're required to participate."

You're practically shaking with excitement, "that is so adorable! Oh, please tell me there will be pictures? I'd love to see the kids in their costumes! They're still toddlers? Oh, they're gonna be so small and tiny and adorable!"

Ransom holds out his hands in a placating gesture and you force yourself to calm down. You're getting the impression he doesn't do well around energetic people.

"I'll make sure Jake emails you some pictures," Ransom huffs.

You give a small squeal of delight, "thank you!" Your eyes widen as you realize you've been distracted from the purpose of your visit. "Before I forget again," you reach into your bag and pull out the sweater weather pusheen you got for him.

"What...what is this thing?" Ransom asks.

You pause for a moment and Ransom thinks the question broke your brain. "Okay," you start, "I kind of understand not knowing who the Powerpuff Girls are, you were probably 'too old for cartoons' when the show came out. But you're telling me you don't know about Pusheen? It's everywhere!"

Ransom's face contorts into an angry pout, "I guess I just don't pay enough attention."

His reaction makes you stop in your tracks, realizing you've overstepped. "I'm sorry," you tell him. "That was rude of me. Not everyone pays attention to the things that I care about and I should recognize that."

Ransom's face softens, "it's fine." You stand there, awkwardly, for a bit before Ransom asks if there's anything else you need.

"I just..." you take a deep breath. You need to be careful here. "Would you like to be friends?" Ransom raises an eyebrow. "You just...and I'm sorry if I'm being too much, or if I'm wrong, but...you seem like you could use a friend or two? Even if it's just here at the office?"

Ransom freezes as he tries to keep himself calm. He knows he needs others in life, it's one of the things he's been learning from the psychology books and programs. But it still hurts, deeply, to be called out on it.

You see the barely concealed rage on his face and whisper, "I'm sorry. I'll back off."

"You're not wrong," Ransom confesses quietly. "It's just a very sore spot for me."

"Would it be okay if I occasionally came around to chat?" Your voice is full of optimism that has Ransom fighting his instinct to roll his eyes. "You can do the same too. If you need to talk, just stop by my desk! Or if you wanna chat in the break room or something."

Ransom sighs, "okay."

Tech Tuesdays Masterlist

Part 3

Tagging: @alicedopey; @delicatebarness; @ellethespaceunicorn; @icefrozendeadlyqueen; @jaqui-has-a-conspiracy-theory;

@late-to-the-party-81; @lokislady82; @ozwriterchick; @ronearoundblindly; @lokislady82

[myloveforhergoeson]

Hey there! I'm going with this:

🏆 - Which club or extracurricular activity did your character join, and why?

This is about the guys. 😊

hi!! i love this one so much thank you for asking!

right off the bat i do believe that all four of the boys took choir together their freshman year in canon btrtv? i can't imagine kendall carlos and logan signed up for this willingly however... could have been that they didn't properly sign up for electives and they were placed in choir or it could have been brooke diamonds decision or they didn't want to do something without james... whatever it was all four of them were in it lol

and hockey of course! but we all know that

in my minds eye here's how individual character breakdowns look

james: theater - both being on stage and designing costumes off. i feel like he probably had many fashion tips to share and it got to the point where he was like 'no one sees my vision so i guess i'm going to have to do it myself.' probably the same with the make up department, i imagine brooke would donate some out of season products to their high school's theater department :3 loves being both on an off stage equally surprisingly!

carlos: baking club! he mentions in the show that his grandma likes to bake so i imagine he grew up with her teachings in the kitchen and in turn wanted to join a club where he could learn from others and bring home some tips as well!! often served his friends well as he'd bring treats to hockey practice. however - the guy is completely useless without the recipe right in front of him... hence why he wasn't able to make good cookies in LA!

kendall: idk... i don't see him doing much beyond hockey but i do imagine he was doing something to help aid him in the hockey department? my high school offered different conditioning classes that could be taken in place of PE, like dance or weight training. i'd see him taking a weightlifting elective or joining an afterschool club to strengthen his athlete body lol. it would be hard in between hockey and his part-time job, so he probably only drops by these clubs when convenient - always favoring hockey practice!

logan: oh my god... i feel like logan is in every single club that holds any interest to him!! of course he's part of more "nerdy clubs" like AV, potentially a dungeons and dragons club, or even a videogame club!! but i also see him as a member of the national nursing club or part of a sports med club to help him hone his skills and build his resume for graduate school! like kendall, he has a super packed schedule, but somehow he's always able to fit everything in!

tysm for the question!! i love thinking about the guy's life pre-fame lol <3

find an emoji here and ask away!