#in my head this is in between season 3 and 4 but tbh it works whenever

[lerios]

tfw you sell your illegal art collection and scoop your bae and her gay little dog through time and space to save their lives but she still dream rejects you 😔

[danielmolloystits]

hello!! i am SheOfBadIdeas and this is my IWTV fic masterlist <3

i primarily write devil's minion (armand/daniel), though there are a couple of other pairings thrown in here for good measure. click through to see what i've been up to!

☠ ⛦˙♱⋆☠⋆♱˙⛧☠ ⛦˙♱⋆☠⋆♱˙⛧☠ ⛦˙♱⋆☠⋆♱˙⛧☠ ⛦˙♱⋆☠⋆♱˙⛧☠ ⋆♱˙⛧

Series & Chaptered Fics

☠ ⛦˙♱⋆☠⋆♱˙⛧☠ ⛦˙♱⋆☠⋆♱˙⛧☠ ⛦˙♱⋆☠⋆♱˙⛧☠ ⛦˙♱⋆☠⋆♱˙⛧☠ ⋆♱˙⛧

rewind & play it back - (Armand/Daniel, WC: ~21.6k, Rating: E). Series, ongoing, 2/3 works. Post-Season 2. Devil's Minion Era happened.

Part One: reprise. - (Armand/Daniel, WC: ~13.7k, Rating: E). Completed, 4/4 chapters. Armand POV. A take on the events leading to Daniel's turning, including a walk down memory lane. You might enjoy this fic if you like poetic prose mixed with depraved smart. Comes with art by @ladyofthecreeddraws <3 But when he met Daniel, he had already shattered into the pieces of himself that are loud, insincere, cruel. The pieces that are not worth loving, some part of his mind whispers, in a voice that could belong to Louis or to Lestat or to any number of others whom he has tried to fit inside of himself and keep, an endeavor which has only ever ended in the same blistering disappointment. And now—as he is sitting in the wreckage of another failed attempt at shaping himself into a home, covered in plaster dust from an outburst of rage only a fraction as bright as that which he deserved—now all there is left in front of him is Daniel.

Part Two: redux. - (Armand/Daniel, Daniel/Lestat, Louis/Lestat, WC: ~8k, Rating: E). Ongoing, 4/? chapters. Vampire Old Maniel. Daniel POV. The immediate aftermath of Daniel's turning and Armand's absconding. You might like enjoy fic if you like poetic prose mixed with humor and angst. Armand feeds him from the wrist and Daniel is unmade, pulled like the end of a slipknot until he once more is a thing unformed. A blank slate, tabula rasa, wiped clean. A sand castle at high tide. A snake eating its own tail. Everything eats itself in the end, comes back to where it started, and Daniel is no different. His blood is Armand’s blood is his blood, and when he gulps down mouthful after mouthful, Armand’s hand feverishly massaging his throat to aid the weak, dying muscles in forcing it down, it is himself he is drinking from.

☠ ⛦˙♱⋆☠⋆♱˙⛧☠ ⛦˙♱⋆☠⋆♱˙⛧☠ ⛦˙♱⋆☠⋆♱˙⛧☠ ⛦˙♱⋆☠⋆♱˙⛧☠ ⋆♱˙⛧

as soft as leather, as plush as lace - (Armand/Daniel, WC: ~6.5k, Rating: E). Completed, 2/2 fics. Devil's Minion Era (1970s-1980s).

Part One: thin like lace & twice as tight - (Armand/Daniel, WC: ~3.6k, Rating: E). Completed, 1/1 chapters. Daniel POV. Pure smut. Daniel in lingerie and a heaping helping of blood play thrown in for good measure. Made in collaboration with the brilliant, brilliant art of @ladyofthecreeddraws He’s trying not to think about it. He doesn’t want to spoil the reveal prematurely, after all. But it’s hard not to, with the satiny spandex ribbon that’s currently nestled between his ass cheeks insistent on riding up to give him a constant wedgie. “Is there a reason you’re singing ‘Femme Fatale’ so loudly in your head right now?” Armand asks from across the dinner table, a bemused grin tugging at the corners of his mouth. “Is our conversation boring you that terribly?”

Part Two: soon, i'll be your dog - (Armand/Daniel, WC: ~2.9k, Rating: E). Completed, 1/1 chapters. Armand POV. Smut. Lingerie and collaring and leashing. More art by @ladyofthecreeddraws, who continues to own my entire soul. Honestly I'm not sure what else you might want tbh. Armand looks down at him. At his flustered, pretty face, at his slightly parted lips. He wants to put the tip of his thumb in Daniel’s mouth, so he does, Daniel immediately opening up wider to allow the digit to slide over his tongue. So good, Armand thinks, his eyes darkening as he watches Daniel hollow his cheeks and suck. So perfect, and so very mine.

☠ ⛦˙♱⋆☠⋆♱˙⛧☠ ⛦˙♱⋆☠⋆♱˙⛧☠ ⛦˙♱⋆☠⋆♱˙⛧☠ ⛦˙♱⋆☠⋆♱˙⛧☠ ⋆♱˙⛧

i'll keep your pillow warm - (Armand/Daniel, Armand/Louis, WC: ~17.2k, Rating: E). Ongoing, 4/? chapters. Dubai Era. Daniel POV. A canon rewrite, starting when Armand is pretending to be Rashid and continuing therefrom, wherein Armand and Daniel are committing boatloads of infidelity. You might enjoy this fic if you enjoy the idea of Old Maniel being free use and giving Armand a truly absurd number of blowjobs, and also all the drama of cheating. When Armand was performing earlier, starring in the most insufferable one man show the journalist has ever borne witness to, he had seemed akin to a stranger—utterly foreign, so incredibly different from the boy Daniel had begun to care for. But as he is right now, unraveling on Daniel’s tongue, the vampire is almost nostalgic to him. Like sinking into the warmth of his childhood blanket.

☠ ⛦˙♱⋆☠⋆♱˙⛧☠ ⛦˙♱⋆☠⋆♱˙⛧☠ ⛦˙♱⋆☠⋆♱˙⛧☠ ⛦˙♱⋆☠⋆♱˙⛧☠ ⋆♱˙⛧

break up with your girlfriend, i'm bored - (Daniel/Lestat, Armand/Daniel, WC: ~3.2k, Rating: E). Completed, 2/2 chapters. Post-Season 2. Vampire Old Maniel. Daniel POV. Daniel fucks Lestat to make Armand jealous. It works. You might enjoy this fic if you like humor and smut and obvious ploys to piss of 500-year-old vampires (that work).

“No.” Lestat grabs one of Daniel’s hands in both of his own, making such intense eye contact with the journalist that it starts to grow uncomfortable. “You deserve better. You must understand this.”

“Okay,” Daniel agrees, shifting a little in his seat. Anything to move past this point in the interaction. “I deserve better.”

“Good,” Lestat says, nodding resolutely to himself. “This is why you should let me fuck you.”

☠ ⛦˙♱⋆☠⋆♱˙⛧☠ ⛦˙♱⋆☠⋆♱˙⛧☠ ⛦˙♱⋆☠⋆♱˙⛧☠ ⛦˙♱⋆☠⋆♱˙⛧☠ ⋆♱˙⛧

One-Shots!

☠ ⛦˙♱⋆☠⋆♱˙⛧☠ ⛦˙♱⋆☠⋆♱˙⛧☠ ⛦˙♱⋆☠⋆♱˙⛧☠ ⛦˙♱⋆☠⋆♱˙⛧☠ ⋆♱˙⛧

in the graveyard that is his body - (Armand/Daniel, WC: ~1.6k, Rating: M). Completed, 1/1 chapters. Post-Season 2. Vampire Old Maniel. Armand POV. Armand dissociates. Daniel grounds him. You might enjoy this fic if you like poetic prose and hurt/comfort. Made in collaboration with @ladyofthecreeddraws, which is to say, there's truly incredible art attached to this fic.

“What do you need, baby?” Daniel asks, his voice delicate as a soap bubble. Armand can just barely feel the puff of air on his neck as he speaks. He can feel, too, where Daniel’s hand rubs at his arm lightly, where his caress brings goosebumps to the surface. The parts of him that Daniel touches light up like a switchboard, like isolated stars in a constellation that hasn’t been drawn yet. Each point of contact something sharp and alive in the graveyard that is his body.

“Touch me,” Armand begs, turning his face into Daniel’s chest. Listening to the soft thud of his heartbeat, the same heartbeat that flutters beneath Armand’s rib cage. Their heart, their heart, their heart. “Everywhere, please.” ☠ ⛦˙♱⋆☠⋆♱˙⛧☠ ⛦˙♱⋆☠⋆♱˙⛧☠ ⛦˙♱⋆☠⋆♱˙⛧☠ ⛦˙♱⋆☠⋆♱˙⛧☠ ⋆♱˙⛧ looks just like an angel - (Armand/Daniel, WC: ~5.6k, Rating: E). Devil's Minion Era (1970s). Priest!Armand. Smut. Dubious Consent. Daniel POV. Armand pretends to be the priest running Daniel's NA, and then they have sex about it. You might enjoy this fic if you like Armand's gaslighting mindfuckery and him abusing a position of power over Daniel. Also religious imagery.

“The next step is coming to believe in a power greater than yourself.” The priest’s hands are clasped together, his thumbs twiddling idly as he speaks, “One that is capable of delivering you from your illness.”

“So, what,” Daniel deadpans. “I’ve gotta convert to Catholicism?”

“If you’re so inclined,” Father Armand responds wryly, as if he’s privy to some great secret that eludes the poor, ailing addict. Daniel wonders in that moment how old the other man is. He can’t have too many years on Daniel, surely, but he seems so much older that it’s almost a little unnerving. “However, it could be anything, really; your love for your family, your will to live. It could even be me, if you wanted.”

☠ ⛦˙♱⋆☠⋆♱˙⛧☠ ⛦˙♱⋆☠⋆♱˙⛧☠ ⛦˙♱⋆☠⋆♱˙⛧☠ ⛦˙♱⋆☠⋆♱˙⛧☠ ⋆♱˙⛧ to pull sound from a still heart - (Armand/Daniel, WC: 1.6k, Rating: M). Completed, 1/1 chapters. Post-Season 2. Established Relationship. Armand POV. He's having a bit of an identity crisis and Daniel praise kinks him through it. You might enjoy this if you like tooth-rottingly sweet fluff that is also smutty.

Armand’s voice cracks. “Then how can I know myself?” There’s another question lying underneath it, one he can’t bring himself to voice—how can I know if I am worth anything? Daniel seems to hear it anyway.

“Well,” he starts, before placing a soft peck on Armand’s clavicle. “I’d say I know you pretty well. And aside from the fact that you never help with laundry, I think the whole package is kind of great.” ☠ ⛦˙♱⋆☠⋆♱˙⛧☠ ⛦˙♱⋆☠⋆♱˙⛧☠ ⛦˙♱⋆☠⋆♱˙⛧☠ ⛦˙♱⋆☠⋆♱˙⛧☠ ⋆♱˙⛧ glaciers melting in the dead of night - (Armand/Daniel, WC: ~5.2k, Rating: E). Completed, 1/1 chapters. Post-Season 2, Episode 5. Dubai Era. Armand POV. This is really just a BDSM fic where Daniel gets to dom Armand in the Dubai penthouse. Bondage and orgasm denial. You might enjoy this if you think Daniel should get to top more.

“All this time, and you haven’t changed a bit.” The words fire from his mouth like gunshots into still air, his lips finally curling into the contemptuous sneer he’s been keeping at bay for the past several minutes. “Still nothing more than an eager black hole. An unremarkable, wanting mess of a man.”

What is it like, he wonders, to be so out of control of your own desire? To be such a slave to your own basest impulses? After five hundred years, he’s forgotten the feeling. Suddenly, he is covetous to remember. ☠ ⛦˙♱⋆☠⋆♱˙⛧☠ ⛦˙♱⋆☠⋆♱˙⛧☠ ⛦˙♱⋆☠⋆♱˙⛧☠ ⛦˙♱⋆☠⋆♱˙⛧☠ ⋆♱˙⛧ before you shake my tomb - (Armand/Daniel, WC: ~1.7k, Rating: E). Completed, 1/1 chapters. Devil's Minion Era. Non-Con. Dead Dove Do Not Eat. Armand POV. Daniel has been getting increasingly careless in his pursuit of cheap thrills, and Armand steps in to try to curb his impulses for the better. Somnophilia ensues. For the love of god, read the tags on this one. You might enjoy this if you're into really fucked up power dynamics and Armand "knowing what's best" for Daniel.

Daniel has grown reckless.

He can sense the phantom press of Armand at the fringes of his consciousness, just barely there like the whistle of wind through rustling leaves. Holds snippets of the vampire in his fractured mind and longs to understand the full picture of him—his form, his contours, the shades and hues that fill the lines of him. He knows Armand is there, but he doesn’t know what he is. Doesn’t know if he tastes like redemption or reckoning, if he tastes like both wrapped together like the threads in a braid. ☠ ⛦˙♱⋆☠⋆♱˙⛧☠ ⛦˙♱⋆☠⋆♱˙⛧☠ ⛦˙♱⋆☠⋆♱˙⛧☠ ⛦˙♱⋆☠⋆♱˙⛧☠ ⋆♱˙⛧ a study in collectivist post-dissolutive reconciliation tactics - (Armand/Daniel, Daniel/Lestat, Lestat/Louis, Lestat/Armand, Louis/Armand, Daniel/Louis, AKA the Diabolicule, WC: ~1.3k, Rating: M). Post-Season 2. Vampire Old Maniel. Polycule Fic. 3rd Person Omniscient POV. The Polycule Breakup Sex Fic. You might enjoy this if you like humor and crack.

It is harder than one might expect to divide the property of four vampires after a break-up. They’ve been at it for hours and are still only halfway through their wardrobe.

“Lestat, I’m assuming this ‘Baby Slut’ crop top belongs to you?” Louis asks with a raised eyebrow, holding the offending garment up for inspection.

“Mmm, non,” Lestat replies. “Though I would look fantastic in it, I’m sure.”

Daniel snorts. “Well, it isn’t mine.”

They all look to Armand.

“It was on sale,” he sniffs haughtily. “And the shopgirl said it made me look ‘cunty.’” ☠ ⛦˙♱⋆☠⋆♱˙⛧☠ ⛦˙♱⋆☠⋆♱˙⛧☠ ⛦˙♱⋆☠⋆♱˙⛧☠ ⛦˙♱⋆☠⋆♱˙⛧☠ ⋆♱˙⛧

and that's all for now!! mwah mwah mwah thank you for taking the time to peruse <3 drop me a comment if you end up reading any of them :)

[linnetagain]

I hope you are doing well and thank you for writing some difficult parts of The Season for us. I am so nervous (in a plot-related way) and excited to see what you have in store!

I have a question which I wonder about every time I listen to one of the playlists or read chapter 5. In it, Gale says:

"“There's maybe two songs that I really do associate with particular moments, but that's all,” he says, when the song finishes. “One of them is a Taylor Swift song, too.”"

I am pretty sure that one of them is Slipping Through My Fingers by ABBA, judging by how he skips the song when it plays during training in ch 4, the first day of school photo in the corridor in ch 3, and what he says when Hessie has left the house in ch 17 about how she'll grow up and one day not need him anymore. I bet her first day at school was really difficult for him. They grow up so fast!

Now my question is, assuming Slipping Through My Fingers is one of them, should I be able to work it out from the text so far? I feel like I might just be being dense. It probably doesn't help that I am not that familiar with Taylor Swift's full catalogue (please don't come for me Swifties).

I am not asking for spoilers - in fact if it's going to come up in the story then please don't spoil anything 😂 - but it's actually driving me a bit crackers that I might be missing something.

Thank you so much again for all your hard work and dedication to The Season, it's wonderful, and I feel very privileged to be able to read it ❤️

Oh god I'm nervous too haha!! I'm so flattered that you've been re-reading and paying such close attention omg.

I don't think you'd have been able to work it out don't worry, and tbh I hadn't thought about it in a while!

Gale left Mystra for the last time in late 2022 early 2023 I believe (I don't have the exact timeline off the top of my head and rn I can't remember where I have it written down lol) - so exactly when Midnights was everywhere. I was thinking of that kind of memory you have when you go through a very specific time of your life around a time when a particular song or band are very prominent, and how they end up associated forevermore regardless of whether you intended them to be or not. I'm not a swiftie either but I do remember her voice everywhere that winter!

I don't think I'll ever write the scene, but I have this very clear image of Gale trying to do something normal like standing in a supermarket figuring out how to feed himself, and Bigger Than the Whole Sky playing over it. Especially living in London if you get taxis the cabbies play the radio a lot, and he was being hounded by paps, so the few times he went out cabs would have been how he got between Wyll and Ali's place and the new house when he was buying it and having it done up, and of course the courts. Just imagining that everywhere he went he was followed by this very successful singer when he's wondering if he's just thrown his whole career away, and the 'goodbye goodbye goodbye' refrain over and over. He wasn't in love with Mystra then, but he was definitely still bound up with her and caught up in thinking that he should have been able to save their relationship that had once been everything to him.

And yes, 'Slipping Through my Fingers' reminds him of Hessie.

There's actually a lot of other songs that I listened to while writing particular scenes that didn't get mentioned in the chapters haha. When I eventually finish it I might do a final chapter where I list them all for anyone interested!

[tiltingheartand]

twenty questions for fic writers

tagged by @hearteyestommykinard and @desert--moonchild <333

How many works do you have an AO3? 34.

2. What's your total AO3 word count? 132,535.

3. What fandoms do you write for? at the moment, just 9-1-1, although i have a feeling as soon as i rewatch the sandman i’ll feel a renewed urge to write in that fandom too.

4. What are your top 5 fics by kudos? let me in before the rainy season starts again (7337) i want to believe (3878) colliding with forever when you speak (3191) clouds the size of oceans outside and above our heads (3186) the symphony of what we are (773) (all five of these are for the sandman, btw. all dreamling.)

5. Do you respond to comments? Why? Why not? so the thing is that i want to be the kind of person who responds to every comment, but they build up and then thinking about answering them makes me anxious so i avoid them, so more build up, so i get more anxious … it’s a whole thing. and i try not to get to the point where my hobbies feel like assignments? so.

6. What is the fic you wrote with the angstiest ending? we were warm until we went to hell, with characters from star trek (2009) in the universe of repo! the genetic opera. it’s, uh. about as cheerful as the source material. (... i.e., major character death.)

7. What's the fic you wrote with the happiest ending? i’m dying not to hurt you, a haven fic in which i said “fuck that” to the MCD in the penultimate episode, and in which i got the ot3 from the show together. finally.

8. Do you get hate on fics? not so far (fingers crossed).

9. Do you write smut? If so, what kind? until a few months ago the answer to this question was “no”, but then i … started writing smut. apparently. it’s all been bucktommy so far (and probably will continue to be, tbh).

10. Do you write crossovers? What's the craziest one you've ever written? well considering the answer to #6 is a crossover …. anyway. not my only crossover. i think maybe the "craziest", just in terms of which media were getting mixed, is the sound of her wings -- a crossover between mash and the sandman (the comic series; this fic was written in 2006).

11. Have you ever had a fic stolen? no (again, fingers crossed).

12. Have you ever had a fic translated? i have not!

13. Have you ever co-written a fic before? no, although i help people brainstorm sometimes (or get help brainstorming). also, it's not quite fics, but i was in a bunch of text-based RPGs on LJ and DW in the long long ago.

14. What's your all time favorite ship? what a horrifying question to ask, thanks! uh. right now, probably bucktommy; ask me again in a year and that answer might change.

15. What's a WIP you want to finish but doubt you ever will? i have concerns about finishing the thing i'm calling "the frequency AU", solely because it's. a lot of plot. and i have a severe tendency to get myself bogged down in details that literally nobody else gives a shit about, to the point where all writing ceases. (... actually, i'll include "hob gadling vs the wraith" here too, for the same reason.)

16. What are your writing strengths? i'm pretty good at getting characters' voices right, i think, both out loud and in their heads (i write almost exclusively third-person limited).

17. What are your writing weaknesses? scene transitions. establishing scenes, so that the thing i have pictured in my head that i'm trying to get into words is accurately conveyed to other people in a way that i don't leave a big piece of information out. where to end scenes.

18. Thoughts on writing dialogue in another language in fic? hasn't really come up for me actually? i feel like if it ever did i'd just end up going the "italicized words, and then "in [language]" after the italics" route, both for my sake and the sake of the readers.

19. First fandom you wrote for? sailor moon, the dic dub. thank god geocities is gone.

20. Favorite fics you've written? this one's a really tough call actually! i think probably a cross between we'll dance this fading life away (stargate sg-1) and the physics of this second sight has led me here (the librarians), because i was trying to write the both of them for such a long time and i'm really happy (and proud of myself, honestly) that i managed to finish them both.

tagging (with zero pressure!): @miriellesandthegiantpeach @mooshkat @26-cats-in-a-trenchcoat @smallandalmosthonest @dadvans

[loftec]

Last week's Weekly Tag Wednesday!

Because I was festival prepping last week and had zero time for anything else but now I'm back and ready for some tags! Thank you @wehangout @mmmichyyy @michellemisfit for the tag (and also @deedala & @jrooc for the picrew tags!) <3

Name and A03 handle: lofty / loftec

Current Location: Sofa, living room.

Favorite picrew (don't have one? you can skip this or do this one)? I can't remember if I have a favourite one, so I'll just do this one!

The "SF" probably stands for something, but I immediately thought of Svensk Filmindustri and thought that was fun.

What's one thing you want in a picrew?

MORE GLASSES OPTIONS omg please. Colour and shape. I also really love it when I can build the hair in sections so I can colour my roots differently than the rest of the hair. Also, worse hair options. Come on, normalise 'I've got no hair texture or interest or time to do anything about it'. I feel like an imposter whenever I pick one of these perfectly swooshy dos.

Favourite thing you’ve created (or seen created) for the fandom?

None the wiser

Why is it your favourite? It's mad to think about but it was the first thing I decided to make for this fandom, and I'm still working on it (very very slowly) I don't know if I've ever spent this much time and effort on anything else. It's very special to me.

Did it come easily or was it hard to create? Both, right now it's very hard, but it usually comes back around.

Last ao3 fic you commented on? A Dead Boy Detectives fic, I'm pretty sure.

Biggest WIP heartache you’ve ever experienced? I'm embarrassed to admit that I don't usually read WIPs, not really because they're unfinished but because I don't often read long fic lol. My ideal fic for reading is a concise 5k oneshot, I am a terrible hypocrite.

Favorite trope or head cannon you like included in a fanfic? I do love a good outside perspective on Ian and Mickey's relationship not fully getting their dynamic and misunderstanding their special flavour of love. Also really like different canon-divergent stories where they get separated in different moments and then reunited in the future in various ways.

Least favourite? For most ships / fandoms I read fic of, I usually develop a set of icks that cause me to click out more or less immediately, often it's to do with a certain nickname or expression or act that I can't physically stand, or, you know, which signal a fundamental mismatch between mine and the author's focus/interests/views. Unfortunately, any mention of anything happening after season 5 has become a bit of an ick for me, which is deeply unfair to writers who embrace the later half of the show.

Secret or surprising kink or trope? No, I'm extremely basic tbh. My favourite time to read fic for a new fandom is always at the very start when everybody is writing the same super basic story over and over again.

Describe how you feel after you’ve created something new? The best feeling is when I know I've written the last sentence of a story or a chapter, it's always so clear that this, this is it, that's where it ends. I feel really accomplished and complete in that moment and it's great. Then there's still hours and hours of editing after that and it's usually 4 in the morning and I'm feeling slightly unhinged when I actually post.

Top hype man you have that always helps you get across the finish line: I tend to keep to myself when I'm working on something, but I can always rely on @mittimellan @wideblueskies & @the-rat-wins if I ever need to ramble about anything.

It's been a bad day, you turn to the fandom and you _____? Lurk and enjoy the good vibes and crafts. I probably also find something in my bookmarks that I've already read a thousand times and read it again.

[muldermuse]

Hear me out ghost hunting with Mulder

Thank you for listening to my Ted Talk

Okay amazing, unbelievable, stunning

more below the cut

SO imagine that Fox is made aware of a new ghost hunting group. They’re kinda like a big group of the lone gunmen??? like the group is basically just them but a bit more chilled (sometimes). The group is aware of Fox ofc (he’s like a god to them) and Fox is made aware of them after bumping into two of them at the grocery store where he was buying you a bouquet of flowers and another gift as an apology for working away so much. Your relationship was fine, he just knew how demanding it was to be the girlfriend of Fox Mulder, he’s super conscious of it and despite you constantly telling him it was fine and you loved him regardless; he wanted to treat you. That’s when he hears whispers behind him

“oh my god- do you think that’s him? do you think the flowers are for Agent Scully… maybe he’s undercover…maybe there’s an X File in this very store”

Fox turns around to confirm that there definitely isn’t an X File in this Walmart and he’s just buying a gift for his girlfriend but the two men who were talking about it clearly aren’t listening to him; they’re basically staring at Fox with hearts in their eyes- in awe that Fox Mulder is speaking to them so casually. That’s when they tell Fox about the ghost hunting group and are amazed that Fox agrees to come along this weekend to an infamous local tavern. He’s grateful he has the flowers and the treats as now he has to break it to you that your weekend plans are decided.

OF COURSE, you don’t mind- the season is turning (lil bit cold with sun and no rain-so perfect) and tbh you’ll do nearly anything to spend time with Fox, especially when he’s doing something he enjoys. So you go to the ghost hunt. 

The first 20 minutes are spent with Fox shaking a lot of hands and having a lot of the members of the group swooning over him, when one woman gets a bit to close for comfort, Fox makes a point of sliding his arm around your waist and introducing you to the group as his girlfriend. They invite Fox to lead the ghost hunt and you don’t miss the glimmer of excitement that crosses his eyes; despite the fact that he’s clearly trying to play it cool.

They give Fox the EVP machine and he introduces himself and the group with every room that they walk into. There’s a few noises occasionally but honestly, even as someone who believes in ghosts, you kinda think that it’s a bust. The ghost scanner box makes your head hurt and by the time it’s used, the rest of the group has kinda given up. Everyone goes outside to take some fresh air as Fox brings you into his chest and presses kisses to the top of your head. You’re about to ask him if you can leave before a member of the group approaches. 

“Hi Mr Mulder…uh…Fox, you um-you probably didn’t see me but…well…I’m a huge fan...well we all are and I just wanted to let you know that you shouldn’t be disheartened! This tavern is known for having paranormal activity between the hours of 3 and 4 in the morning. We’re planning to camp out with our sleeping bags and pillows…so it we're going to stay if you're interested? You know, have some irish coffees, maybe…I don’t know- talk about some X Files to kill the time?”

Fox feels your shoulders sag before he even goes to reply. As much as he is enjoying this little excursion, he hasn’t seen you properly in a week and he knows you will tolerate a lot but he feels you may draw the line at sleeping on a cold, damp floor with a small sleeping bag as he talks about ghosts and ghouls. You look up at him with a meek smile and that says enough for him. Before he speaks, he presses a kiss to your forehead.

He makes excuses for the two of you and explains that he has a really big case coming up so he needs his beauty sleep (in reality he’s off for 3 days and you’re going to spend it in bed doing nothing together) but that is MORE than enough for the group. They’re thanking both of you for coming and eventually, it becomes a yearly tradition for the two of you to go on these ghost hunts. 

[loverboy-cc]

@avocado-writing’s tav + Charlie enjoying some birthday soup bc it’s their birthday today and mine is in 5 days so!! Soup!! (My actual birthday soup recipe is under the cut)

Birthday soup

Don’t forget to get silly w it. That’s like, required. It’s your BIRTHDAY (or someone else’s birthday) you deserve to get silly.

I stole this from my mom btw, also make sure you know the difference between a herb and a spice.

Oh yeah also it includes soup dumplings.

Kitchen items:

Big pot w a lid

Cutting board

Knife

Ingredients:

2 tbls Butter

1pkg Stew beef (or chicken hearts, that’s the original ingredient I just don’t like em)

2 medium onions, one diced, one quartered (keep separate)

1 whole head of garlic, minced (jarlic works very well here)

3 cups of stock (beef if you use beef, veggie if you use chicken, do not use chicken stock it fucks up the taste)

3 medium carrots, chopped

2 medium potatos, chopped

1 celery stick, chopped

1/4 head of cabbage, chopped (optional, I just like cabbage an unreasonable amount)

1 whole package of frozen spinach, defrosted (do this in a bowl this shit is WET also keep the water)

Can of green beans (you could probably use fresh, I don’t like fresh tho so, idk)

Can of diced tomatoes

Rosemary

Thyme

Fennel

Mustard seed

Celery seed

Sprinkle of Cloves (ground)

Sprinkle of Nutmeg

5% Vinegar or lemon juice (or your favourite other edible acid, tomato juice would in theory work, lime juice is mid.)

Salt + pepper

1 tbls Paprika

Steps:

Butter in that pot, medium

Spices, add em, leave ‘em until they smell good, it won’t be long.

Beef and a splash of your acid in that pot, cook until 1/4 done

Carrot and celery in that pot, get em hot but don’t cook em too long.

Diced onion, spinach, and paprika + salt n pepper to taste in that pot, med-low

Stir, cover, leave it alone for 5ish minutes

Uncover, add garlic to that pot, cook until it smells like garlic

Stock + the canned bean and frozen spinach water, add it.

Canned tomato, add it.

Potato, add it.

Cabbage, add it.

All them herbs, add em to taste (I use roughly a tablespoon each of em dried, but I like my shit strong.)

Bring it to boil on high

Let that bitch simmer, you may need to periodically add water if he’s goin too hard. (START MAKING THOSE SOUP DUMPLINGS RN IF YOURE DOING THAT)

When the potato is 1/2 done that quartered onion (and the dumplings)

Finish the potato.

Bam. Soup. I like it more cold, but it is intended to be eaten hot.

Soup dumplings

I stole this from my roommate and add em to most soups tbh

Kitchen items:

Bowl,

Wood spoon,

Your Hands,

You could probably do this in a stand mixer but I don’t have one of those so, you’re on your own man.

Ingredients:

2 cups Flour

Water, hot as you can handle touching, volume required varies,

Salt

Pepper

Onion powder

Garlic powder

Whatever fresh herbs you like (dried don’t work here unless they’re ground absolutely tiny)

1 tbls of your favourite liquid fat (I use olive oil, canola and sunflower also work for sure)

Steps:

Flour, into the bowl

Seasonings, into the bowl

Mix well.

Add the fat

Slowly add water, mixing often until you get a slightly sticky ball.

Knead for a bit, I don’t really know how to describe the texture bc I’ve been making bread since I was a kid (and this is just a yeastless bread dough) but its finished when it stops really sticking to your hands (it’ll be tacky, not sticky)

Divide into 1 inch balls

Drop into the soup roughly 30 minutes before it’s finished.

Serve in the soup

Congrats, soup balls.

[elialys]

I’ve finished season 2 of The Newsreader two hours and a half ago, and I’ve yet to be able to talk about my feels with ANYONE, so I’m doing what I do in most cases when I have too many feels about something—opening a new word document to write things down.

This season genuinely surprised me so many times. I had no actual expectations, but I had thoughts on what might happen from the season promo and the episodes' synopses. Most of the time, turned out I was absolutely wrong, and I’ve never been happier to be wrong.

This is not very coherent, more ‘string of thoughts’ than anything else, and I’m skipping soooo many things but here are my main thoughts/emotions on each episode:

Episode 3 Greed and Fear

I knew it would be about Helen’s past being dug out and was so worried. Didn’t expect to be laughing so much?? Like, only a couple of scenes but god those were genuinely funny. Gerry’s wife telling Helen’s about her torn vagina from giving birth? Lindsay’s song about Charlie being hit hard in the economic crash? Absolute gold.

The "hey let’s get married to give that columnist something else to write about” idea from Dale and Helen’s reaction to it went about as well as I expected it to go.

I have to say, I did not expect the Helen & Charlie’s interactions to get that real that fast but I…kinda liked it? I still think Charlie’s a shit head but I loved that they made him feel like an actual human? Genuinely fond of that scene of him and Helen in his office waiting for midnight, with her on his couch telling him about her past, it just felt genuine.

Don’t get me started on Helen and Dale on HER couch at the end of the episode though. Just, I want to live there, in that scene. With them cuddling on that couch, and nothing bad ever ever happening to their couple, ever.

Episode 4 The Hungry Truth

This episode was a punch in the gut. The way the approached the Bicentennial event and the Aboriginal side of the story was so poignant and heartbreaking. That shot of them watching the cheery News at Six promo at the end instead of the planned interview with Lynus was captivating in a ‘I feel sick in the stomach’ kind of way.

Helen’s convictions and hard work being cast aside and spat on again at the last second was infuriating, she tries SO HARD to stand up for those who don’t have a voice and she hits walls every step of the way.

Dale’s real proposal? I'm still recovering. When I read the initial synopsis, I worried he was going to do something *big*, but he didn’t. It was intimate and romantic and sincere, and holy hell couldn’t have happened at a worse time ??? I know there was no way for him to really ‘hide’ his preparations from Helen at that point but ugh.

That end scene had me in tears tbh, both Sam and Anna just killed me. Because you can tell Helen loves Dale and he loves her yet she turns him down and everything hurts?

Episode 5 A Model Daughter

Let me just say I’ve loved Kay’s character. I love the extra depth it brought to the Walters family, and I love how she allowed for the very real issue of heroin addiction to be explored this season. And obviously, I love how her story intertwined with Helen’s and the way it made this episode unfold, like, DAAAAMN.

But first of all, Helen and Dale. Oh the pain. Oh the sweet sweet pain. I binged so I barely had time to process any of my feelings, but I felt all the feelings. It was dramatic without being overdramatic. Again, all of it felt so human. I wish we’d seen more actual conversation between Helen and Dale with Helen explaining exactly why she doesn’t want marriage and why she broke it off completely, but there’s enough there to get it and just hurt with them.

That scene of them in the make up room, after Dale realizes there’s been some ‘flirting’ going on between her and Charlie? SO many things are said without them needing to actually say them, it just hangs in the air and OH THE DELICIOUS PAIN.

That award party was so good, they were all so drunk and I was so worried about Dale. And then the whole Gerry, Tim, Dale thing was wholesome for about two and half seconds. I wasn’t sure when the ‘gay club’ scene would happen or how Dale would end up there, I didn’t expect things to happen that way, it was like watching a car crash in slow motion. I feel sad for people who ship Dale and Tim because I’m sure this is not how they hoped Tim’s character would come back—and that the random dude Dale wakes up next to is not who they were hoping for. Dale’s whole spiraling out this episode was just painful in a painfully perfect way.

Everything about Kay’s interview, every character involved…ugh so damn good. The interview itself made me cry, but that’s probably because of my own issues haha. Kay going to Helen and begging her to take her part off the story, not knowing Lindsay decided to make the story ALL about her and her parents against Helen’s assurances that they wouldn't do that.

Helen’s demeanor sitting at that desk, finally deciding that enough is enough. HELEN STANDING UP, GETTING THE TAPES AND DESTROYING THE TAPES WHILE WALKING OUT.

Actual Queen. Might be my favorite sequence in the entire season, but don’t take my word for it yet. Of course she goes to Charlie and jumps on him right after that but everyone’s human hahahaaaaa.

Episode 6 Fireworks

I don’t even know what to say, I’m still trying to process this. They gave us time with everyone, and I loved every second of it, but I still begged for more time with Helen and Dale, individually and together. Now I get what Sam meant by ‘Dead Dale’. Oh yes he’s the Big Guy now with the Big House, King of News and all that but he’s clearly dead inside too, so that’s nice I guess.

The way they resolved the issue of “Helen and Charlie” being a thing in under 3 minutes combined was beautiful to be honest. I was losing it watching that short, extremely distressing montage of Charlie and Helen like, might have clawed at my face a bit. But the way she threw him out of her life the second he dared say some shit about Dale? Beautiful.

Lindsay needs to die in a fire though. I’m so glad Dennis punched him in the face but someone needs to push him in front of a bus. That scene between him and Helen in his office was just VILE. What a pathetic excuse for a human being, all these things he did to her and SAID to her, I am not okay. And him sabotaging her at her new job like, DIE ALREADY OMG.

Was it really Gerry who told the columnist about Tim though??? Because that scene between Gerry and Dale, all unspoken? GOD. This damn show.

Gotta end with Helen and Dale. I am so upset. I think/hope they will find their way back together WHEN we get a 3rd season, and I believe them learning to live apart is needed and necessary, BUT GOD I AM GENUINELY HURTING. Helen’s desperate proposal was so upsetting. The fact that Dale was too dead inside to tell her more than “no” and “just do your job” like.

I don’t even blame him because he’s a hot mess trapped in his own catatonia but THE PAIN. That airport scene, someone put me out of my misery please, how dare they use THAT song (Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, anyone??). Also, I realize I’m extremely biased given how much I love Anna Torv but??? She doesn’t say a single word in that scene as she watches Dale on the tv yet you know exactly what she’s thinking and feeling and everything hurts.

Noelene and Rob? So sorry I didn’t mention you at all in this post yet, you were so lovely and precious and so necessary for my emotional sanity, absolutely love how they “mirrored” and contrasted Helen and Dale, even if it adds to my pain as a Helen/Dale shipper who just watched three failed proposals in the span of 8 hours.

This show better be renewed. I need them to fix this mess. Wonderfully crafted mess but still a mess.

[faramirsonofgondor]

Ted Lasso Thoughts: Jamie & Apologies

I haven’t seen a lot of people talk about this but can I just say that even though Jamie was like a total fucking prick in season 1, he honestly didn’t deserve a lot of the treatment he got from the team, especially in season 3. It was honestly kind of a toxic work environment for him because I don’t think he thought he was allowed to set boundaries with other people and express his emotions completely. Like obviously he spent some of his time in therapy learning how to express how he felt with his father and how to set boundaries with him specifically, but I don’t think he ever really learnt how to do that with the team and everyone else in his life (Ted, Roy, Keeley, etc.) Also, I don’t see many people bringing this up either but it grates my nerves so badly in season 3 when Jamie brings up his concerns about Zava and they’re all just like “well, you’re being hypocritical.” But he’s not. Because he fixed his behavior. It’s honestly so unfair for them to constantly throw his old behavior back in his face when they’ve already “forgiven” him. If they actually forgave him, they wouldn’t feel the need to constantly bring it up. The team and the coaches’ opinion of him is very clearly important to him and how he reacts to others. When Isaac and everyone got mad he wasn’t scoring goals in 3x07, he makes this face like he’s a bit hurt and he disagrees with what they’re saying, but he never responds to that. However, if Jamie had acted that way to any of them….

I know Ted was really trying to help and give Jamie a second chance when he invited him back to Richmond, but he definitely needed to clear things up with him because it seems like Jamie is just letting everyone walk all over him? Like he may not be bothered with their behavior, but I honestly think that deep down he doesn’t think he’s allowed to be, which is such a fucked up notion. Just because you were an asshole before doesn’t give everyone else around you the right to be an asshole to you and only you later on. Like I really can’t find any instances of the team or coaches getting rude or aggressive like they do with Jamie, besides maybe when everyone tells Jan Maas to shut up.

I just really hate the way they handled this, especially considering Jamie is a survivor of abuse and likely has a hard time even recognizing toxic behavior, letting alone standing up for himself. Like they could have at least had one person acknowledge that Jamie didn’t deserve to get constantly yelled at (by Roy, by Ted, by his father, by his team mates). I’m not saying what happened between Isaac and Jamie was a common occurrence but the fact that nobody said anything? Along with the fact that nobody apologized or checked in on Jamie after the whole Zava ordeal?

I 100% mean it when I say that Jamie deserves an apology from almost everyone in the show. Did Jamie fuck up sometimes? Yes. Did he constantly over apologize for it? Yes. Did anyone apologize to him? Maybe a couple of times. But I can list at least 10 things off the top of my head that no one addressed or apologized for:

1) Keeley & Roy never apologized (at least on screen) for what they said at the charity auction.

2) Ted never apologized or addressed walking away from Jamie when his father was abusing him.

3) Rebecca never apologized to Jamie for getting rid of him with no reason or warning (the least she could’ve done was tell Jamie she was the one who did it)

4) The team (Isaac specifically) never apologized for blaming Jamie for their relegation when he literally did his job? He wasn’t even the one who scored the goal? And some of the shit they were mad about was super fucking petty too? Like Richard being super upset that Jamie cupped a fart and put it in his face but that’s literally just peak sibling behavior tbh, not really “bullying”.

5) Ted, Beard, and Nate never really addressed or apologized to Jamie for not stepping in when Jamie was getting shit on when he came back? Like instead of telling the team to knock it off, he just does his Led Tasso thing? Which might’ve helped but it didn’t really address how they were treating Jamie?

6) Roy never apologized for not coaching Jamie and acting immaturely. Like that whole humiliation thing was so weird and uncomfortable. I know a lot of people play off as some kinky thing, and maybe it was partially, but it’s also really shitty of Roy to that, especially considering the power imbalance between them. Like, Jamie was genuinely trying receive feedback and instruction from someone who’s meant to his boss/coach, and Roy uses his power to humiliate Jamie, knowing that Jamie was actually just looking for help, and then he refuses to actually give Jamie any feedback. Like he does eventually, when Ted steps in (for once), but he’s still kind of vague and insulting when he does it. And he never acknowledges what he does?

7) Roy never actually addresses the fact that he “forgave” Jamie during 2x11. This isn’t actually that big of a “Jamie deserves an apology” situation. But I think it Roy should’ve at least told Jamie he was forgiven. Like he just yelled “Fuck!” and left him? Idk I just think it would’ve been nice for Roy to actually talk to him and not leave him floundering for understanding.

8) The coaches never apologized to Jamie for ignoring his concerns about Zava and calling a hypocrite. I’ve already talked about this earlier so I’m not really gonna elaborate. But I also think they should’ve stepped in after Zava stole Jamie’s goal ( like actually addressed it, not have Roy do some half praise/half insult invite to private training)

9) Ted never apologized for the shitty unsolicited advice he keeps giving Jamie about his dad! Please for the love of fuck Ted, just be quiet on this matter. I’m not even going to in depth on this one cause it speaks for itself.

10) James Tartt Sr. never once apologized for all the fucked up, monstrous, evil, god-awful shit he did to Jamie. This man committed every single type of abuse (emotional, physical, mental, sexual). And while it’s EXTREMELY unrealistic for him to apologize to Jamie for any this, they should not have even considered having Jamie forgive his father if he wasn’t going to apologize in the first place.

Anyways, Jamie deserved better and I will be forever mad that he did not get all the apologies he deserved.

**Also I would like to say that this isn’t me criticizing the characters themselves, but their actions and behaviors. I don’t think that these are necessarily toxic people (besides Jamie’s dad and Zava), but that they just have some toxic behaviors, which has led to an unhealthy dynamic between themselves and Jamie. There are plenty of moments when the characters (mainly Roy) notice their behavior towards Jamie and correct it or acknowledge it, but there are also MANY MANY moments where they don’t. There are also times where Jamie seems very uncomfortable or upset but doesn’t say anything (which can be attributed to the unhealthy dynamic between himself and others due to the fact that he doesn’t think he has the right to point out other peoples flaws or the ways they’ve hurt and are hurting him)

[hippielittlemetalhead]

So I'm binging ST again cause tbh I've only seen the whole show once and been keeping a finger to the pulse of the corners of fandom I enjoy and/or identify with. So gonna be writing 3.2 as I rewatch season 3 cause I'm bringing in the 'actual grownups' characters and want to get them and their timelines ✨right✨.

While I do that I have some questions/ideas. Just go crazy with answering however you want to respond, simple answers or essay form I'm spitballing/brainstorming in between my bustling about & some feedback helps.

1.) Murray has connections in all the local scenes including punk & actually knows Steve just by a nickname/alternative/chosen/gifted name & realizes it when all the groups convene at the mall. This may or may not affect his feelings on stoncy and stancy shenanigans.

2.) Gareth is Steve's cousin but the parents they're related through haven't spoken since they were baby/toddler respectively. Kinda thinking their moms are sisters, the family were immigrant transplants to town for business purposes & Gareth's mom married down while Steve's mom married a new money businessman. Gareth is fully aware Steve is oblivious till Gareth says something that connects the familial dots. Idk, kicking that one around.

3.) Because of some of the hand waviness and contradicting answers I've seen about ages and grades and the like... Billy/Gareth. Will/Gareth (jealous, missed his shot Mike but he's okay eventually). Or... Gareth/Chrissy 👀

4.) {Season 4 bits} Corroded Coffin are good just if they play a different style than metal. (I saw a ficlet that they had a Greta Van Fleet esque sound mixed with a touch of metal and tbh I liked that idea a lot or they could be grunge?) Otherwise they kinda suck. 🙃

5.) Steve as El's guardian per Hop's will vs. Joyce who fights for her cause she doesn't trust Steve still? 👀

I have even more I'm playing with but they'd definitely be spoilers. 😬 And just a heads up this is my secondary account so I'm not ignoring people in the comments I just can't respond as hippielittlemetalhead 🙃 but if you want to yell at me in the asks I will absolutely answer when I can! Assuming my inbox is on and working cause technology hates me. 😅

[liminalmemories21]

Weekend WIP Game

tagged by @jesuisici33

Rules: List your WIPs below (if you only write one fic at a time, feel free to include future WIPs/ideas!) then answer the following questions. Then, tag as many people as you have WIPs (or more)

1. WIP List:

kid fic

untitled 5+1 thing of conversations TK had with Carlos's sisters (maybe?) - there's like half of one written, so it's sort of an unknown quantity

Knave 4 eventually

Secret is a strange thing for Paul and Nancy

2. Which of your WIPs is currently the longest?

kid fic I think - somewhere around 5,000 words

3. Which WIP do you expect will end up the longest?

Knave 4. I don't even have to have started writing it to know that.

4. Which WIP is your favourite to write/the most enjoyable to write? Why?

I mean, I'm not really writing any of them at the moment because I'm still coming down from Knave 3, and I'm at the stage where everything I write feels like I'm repeating something I've already said somewhere else before.

5. Which WIP do you find the most intimidating to write? Why?

Kid fic, because I have no idea where it's going

6. Which WIP do you experience the most self-doubt about. Why?

At the moment, all of them, because literally everything I have put on paper this week feels like I've written it before in another fic.

7. Which of your WIPs will you seek out a beta/sensitivity reader for? Why?

Maybe the 5+1, just because I don't have siblings and I want to get that dynamic right

8. Have any of your WIPs been struck by the curse of writer's block?

umm, all of them? Okay, maybe not Knave 4, but that's only because it exists basically only as a vague notion at the moment.

9. Which WIP has your favourite OC? Tell us about them?

Knave-verse, hands down. I think the OCs have taken over the show between Massey, and Tulson, and Amy, and the various cousins I've invented for Carlos.

10. Which WIP is the sexiest?

[eyes list] I'm gonna guess Knave 4 will be, just because there's probably not going to be a lot of sex in conversations TK has with Carlos's sisters, or in a 5+1 about being insecure about parenthood (okay, I suppose there could be sex in that one, but there probably won't be)

11. Which WIP is the angstiest?

Not Knave 4. I swear I am sending those boys on a caper. They have had enough angst.

12. Which WIP has the best characterisation (in your humble opinion)?

I mean, none of them really exist yet . . . so?

13. Which WIP has the best scene setting (in your humble opinion)?

this is probably one of my weak spots as a writer. so i'm not sure tbh

14. Which WIP have you worked the hardest on?

I think I've definitely been trying to write kid fic for the longest time

15. Which WIP do you have the highest expectations for? Why?

Probably anything Knave-verse related, because they have become a whole universe now

16. Do you dream about any of your WIPs?

Not really. I do frequently go to bed, and then instantly have like whole paragraphs that unspool in my head and I have to roll over and type messy notes into my phone so I don't forget them.

17. Do any of your WIPs have particular complexities that your other fics don't?

Again, anything knave-verse related because it requires figuring out something semi-plausible for a heist. Although, also - not that I"m writing one right now because we're all on indefinite hiatus - but the seasons interstitials always involve so much trying to figure out time line shenanigans, and looking up things to do in Austin

18. Which WIP is the funniest or has the most humour?

Probably anything knave-verse related, although I try and incorporate humor into everything

19. Do any of your WIPs contain outside POVs or a deep dive on a character other than the main ship? How are you finding that process?

5+1 of TK talking to Carlos's sisters is definitely going to be told either all from Luisa's POV, or alternating Luisa and Ana.

20. Tell us one thing we don't know about one or more of your WIPs

Knave 4 - so okay, there was a news story that went around a while ago (not that long ago?) about a curator who was replacing paintings in museum inventory with forgeries (not even good forgeries! which let's be honest is the part that going to offend TK the most). And, one, I really want Carlos to have to go undercover as a curator to catch this guy. But, also, more importantly, two, when Carlos figures out that to pull it off he basically needs to think WWTKD (What Would TK Do) and loosens up and fakes at being TK, TK has a deep oh shit moment of what have I unleased on the world, and also that is so hot we need to go home right now, no like right right now or I'm going to do unspeakable things to you in public.

tagging @iboatedhere, @freneticfloetry, @ravens-words, and @carlos-in-glasses

[realcatalina]

Catherine Parr's depictions Part 3: Jersey portraits's new dating is wrong

How on earth did they come with 1547/8 date? I found myself asking. Just looking at it, I don't get it. The hair is down. In late 1540s, it should be way up! And the shape of headwear is simply too round for squished shape in late 1540s!

But I thought, ok, maybe the dendrology came back with with 1546 or some such late date, which would justify the late estimate.

No, it came back with 1542!...Read further if you wish to know more:

(1542...According to Sotheby's webpage

Dendrology says when tree was cut, it'd be likely used few years later to create the painting. At least with baltic oaks that is the case, they don't require much seasoning...Typically dendrology gives you a range of dating, not specific year, but rarely it does...

Do you know how they came up with 1547/8?

-Because she wears black dress! Therefore it MUST BE a widow!!!

For those of you unaware...Black in Tudor times was not used exclusively for mourning! It was popular colour among rich and powerful-nobility and royalty. In fact big portion(if not majority) of portraits from 1540-1560, show either black clothes or black cloak!

Furthermore the artist, master John provenly worked for royalty in 1544-Mary's portrait:

and what is the difference here? ...Almost none:

Ok, the angle of the head and different bilements? (which can be different even on very same day! Not year, day...)

And yes... the transitional vs new stays-but that's all!

And We'd expect there to be transitional period in between the two styles, when they coexiste!...Around 1543/4 that was the case!

Hence regarding the dating, I'd say the prudent dating, based upon dendrology would be c.1545-1548.

(1544 seems as bit too early for us to get 1542 dendrology. Sotheby's webpage says 1542, not c.1542, but I cannot exclude this is how it is meant... and if it's c.1542..., then I'd say as early as 1544 would be possible...)

But based upon my research into portraits in 1540-1560, I'd be inclined to say c.1544/1545.

...

Also, even if you went with assumption it is Parr as King's widow...how about you read up upon how long she mourn the King?!

If it was her as widow...then you'd have to date it as 1547, namely between January 1547(Henry VIII's death) and her remarrying in April or May 1547. After that she had no reason to mourn(as far as I know).

1548 is not supposed to be there at all!

...Unless of course you go with theory the painting is posthumous, and black symbolizes she is dead... But then, you'd have to go with possibility her posthumous painting is based upon an earlier portrait...not necessary the latest one. And you should tell that to the public! ...As to not confuse them, regarding the fashion visible within the painting.

Hence no, I don't agree with new dating of Jersey portrait.

PS: I sincerely hope this will be my last post about Parr for while, because tbh I've been focusing on her really a lot lately...

[slutnali]

3 Concepts and a Dare

tagged by mi amor @sweetlikesunflowersandhoney 💜💜

1. Do the dare of the person who tagged you in the game.

2. Write up three concepts* for a fic that you'd be interested in either writing or reading, but resist the temptation to write it before you've completed the tag game.

3. Come up with an easy dare that the ones tagged can do. Be nice!

4. Tag those writer friends of yours to do the game.

*You can do this in any way that you want, really. Like describing the world/setting the story would take place in, write a summary of this hypothetical fic, write a small blurb that gets the idea across, do it through headcanons... don't feel forced to do it in any one way.

1. I was dared to quote a line/paragraph/fragment from my own writing that I love, bonus points if I can say why I love it.

“So.. what’re your thoughts on the weather?”

He purposely uses the icebreaker and hopes against all odds she’d understand his humor and ridiculous attempt to fill the air between them and the hot tub jets.

Anetra knows it works in his favor as soon as he spots the smile forming on her lips paired with the shake of her head. 

“You’re dumb.”

I was rereading tripping, falling, with no safety net and smiling at it.. I loved how I captured the awkwardness and overthinking going on in Anetra's head! Not wanting to sit too far away but also would sitting too close to Sasha be weird? when they met not so long ago? Portraying the crush and admiration they have for one another, Sasha providing comfort when he's doubting his place in the competition. It was sweet and I've been thinking about cc sashnetra a lot recently since I've been rewatching season 15. I know what happens, I have their whole love story mapped out tbh. I just suck at sitting down and writing

2. Three concepts:

a. this is a wip i'm actually planning to write:

a/b/o sashmiranetra. married alphas anetra and sasha meeting sugar bb omega miri at an event where she was hanging off the arm of one of her clients. she's a pretty little thing, i dont blame them for being interested.

oh and masc dykenetra my utmost beloved

b. another wip i'm planning to write:

genv au and if u dont know what that is it's basically like sky high but set in college and some super fucked up shit going on. but anyway, bigender neech, blood bender sasha and mind manipulation miri. dont know who else im casting in the other roles.. maybe xu, morph, luxx... i dont know. still in a big planning phase. but rivals to protectors/teammates to lovers!!!!!!!!111

c. a concept thats up for grabs:

costume designer/seamstress neech x performer sasha and/or miri.. idk! just knowing that anetra makes a lot of her looks irl, so picturing neech as someone whose lost inspiration/motivation to create and design but then finding a muse in sasha and/or miri

3. the dare:

share a hc, fun fact or hidden gem from something you've written that you hoped readers would notice

4. tagging:

@goodemethyd , @hannahlovesdance07 , @adoordelano , @fuckyeah-dragrace

[lovestuckyhatemarvel]

Okay so, here we are with season 4 episode 1 of Stranger Things. But before I get into the episode, I need to explain something: I’ve never actually watched this season before. I have, however, watched Steddie compilations on YouTube. Regardless, I’m labeling this as a ‘rewatch’ because it’ll keep the series consistent. And parts of it technically are a rewatch. Anyway, these are also going to be way longer than usual because a lot more is just Brand New™️ to me. Although some I haven’t seen but do know because of fanfiction.

1.) I literally can’t remember what made the Texas shooting something that would be necessary to be mentioned at the beginning when America has shootings all the time.

Edit: I have been reminded of the actual case it’s referencing. But I think Texas shooting is going to become less and less of an obvious connection as time goes on, especially for people who aren’t in America. I am in America, and there’s just…too many shootings to keep track of, tbh.

2.) I don’t know why I’m watching this recap. I literally watched season 3 last week or whatever but they really cut out the Russian interrogation/secret base locating stuff entirely from their recap.

3.) season 4 really starts out by being like, “Remember Brenner? Remember that douchebag? Well, guess what. He’s actually super boring in everyday life.”

4.) 010 come on down to get your psychic powers tested and your ability to interpret Brenner’s bad drawings tested. Oh nvm at least now they’re trying to locate people only to witness both Six and Dr. Ellis’ death.

5.) Wait why did Brenner survive this? How did Brenner survive this? Ten is dead. Also, since when does Brenner care about the kids? It’s not like he’s treated them well.

6.) El looking really crazy covered in blood and basically hyperventilating.

7.) El’s got her own room. Also, we’ve gone 185 days since season 3 and now El is painting little figures. And is giving a recap via letter. Joyce is a telemarketer, Will is gay pining, Jonathan has a broken car and is a stoner. Argyle has a pizza van and takes them to school. The bullies in school are cliches.

8.) Nancy drives Mike to school and Karen Wheeler looks great. Also they want Mike home by 9 pm because of his 6:30 flight.

9.) Suzie is editing a D- to an A for Dustin.

10.) I love this conversation about crushes between Robin and Steve. Boobies. Although I don’t like Robin’s hair as much this season.

11.) Max rides the bus and missed a Thursday meeting so needs to go after lunch.

12.) oh there’s Chrissy. And here’s the marching band with Robin playing the TRUMPET. Looks like Vickie’s a clarinet player. Jason and Lucas on the basketball team while Dustin and Mike argue about girlfriends in the crowd.

13.) I know it’s way too early since Jason hasn’t done anything yet, but I already hate him. He just has a punchable face. “Think about all these dead people DID THEY DIE FOR US TO LOSE AT BASKETBALL?” I would have keyed his car in high school. Like oh my god.

14.) Mike and Dustin are nerds and freaks and proud of it. To be fair, Lucas always has been cooler than them. But also Lucas should have gone to Eddie himself.

15.) PACKAGE. FROM. RUSSIA. Man, do not ever send anything delicate to Joyce, she fucking demolishes packages. Oh, that’s an ugly doll. I’ve read about the doll but didn’t know it was that ugly.

16.) El/Jane has to go after a blonde girl talking about Helen Keller for her presentation about Hopper? That’s rough, buddy. Angela is a bitch and I hate her Ariana Grande looking ass. Will is trying and I love that him and El are siblings but yeah, no, that presentation went badly.

17.) Max is doing her loner thing but does get to see Chrissy being upset in the hall as she heads away from the counselor.

18.) C in English and C- in Spanish. It’s not normal for Max but babe, C’s get degrees. You’ll be okay. Max’s mom is drinking, working two jobs, and stepdad is gone. Max is still my favorite even if she is a liar. Lucas’ advice about finding something she cares about is technically good but poor wording and timing. Max isn’t really open for help.

19.) Stranger Things really loves shots of people in bathrooms holding the sides of the sink. Also we get to hear Chrissy vomiting.

20.) Chrissy’s hallucinating. She has issues with her mom being awful about her weight and honestly, mood.

21.) Oh hi, Eddie. You’re a goofy guy. And now Eddie walks across the table. Also honestly, so far the bullying in Hawkins is like, minimal. All that happened in that scene is Eddie got called a freak. Dustin and Mike do try to get the game postponed. I still think Lucas should have asked. Eddie’s got to pass Mrs. O’Donnell’s class and that’s it to pass the class. Eddie really does yank both those dweebs out of their seats with barely any effort.

22.) Murray has karate from 1-3 on Fridays? Good for him. Oh and the doll from Russia has nipples. Teeny tiny nipples. And now needs to be smashed.

23.) Everyone thinks it’s weird that Nancy and Jonathan aren’t spending spring break together. I still think Nancy’s a comphet case. I love that Mike asks Nancy and Dustin asks Steve. Max is sarcastic to Dustin’s request which is very funny. Literally everyone shoots them down. Dustin comes up with an idea nad sprints off faster than I knew was possible.

24.) Oh it’s the picnic table behind the school scene. And we hear and see a clock chiming as she waits for Eddie. I’ve never actually seen the build up to the meeting with Eddie. Did not know the clock breaks and spills spiders.

25.) Eddie is tempted to leave ‘cause Chrissy is acting crazy. Eddie is very dramatic and they were in a talent show together. Eddie used to have buzzed hair and now plays at the Hideout on Tuesdays. I would have loved for Chrissy to live and for these two to be another Steve and Robin. Chrissy asks for something stronger.

26.) El failed a math test, I think? And if that’s the test she failed, it’s extra sad because that’s what she called herself good at in the opening letter. And then Angela tripped her? And her stupid friends stomp on her project. I wanna kick Angela’s ass. El forgets that she doesn’t have powers and it’s so embarrassing. El doesn’t snitch but a teacher takes Angela away anyway.

27.) Will feels so bad and is trying so hard to help.

28.) I feel like it wouldn’t require a paint can from a tree to break a porcelain doll. Oh, Murray thinks it might have an explosive. AND IT’S FILLED WITH A NOTE SAYING HOP IS ALIVE AND IT’S WRITTEN IN CUT OUT LETTERS LIKE IT’S FROM A SERIAL KILLER. WHY DID THEY DO THAT??? LMAO

29.) And now it’s the championship. I feel like fanfics stretch episode 1 into like, 3 chapters. Steve came with his date to see Lucas. And here’s Tammy Thompson. And she’s…bad. this bad performance is worth it for Steve’s sassy expressions.

30.) Oh, hey Erica Sinclair. LMAO WAIT, IS SHE WEARING AN AMERICAN FLAG? GOD, YOU DWEEB. I will say that the rest of hellfire that just kind of chortles in response to everything is so far just background noise that I do not care about. I do love that Erica is way better at insults than Eddie and he kind of adores her.

31.) I still hate Jason.

32.) Technically if we’re going with the lore of we thought Vecna was killed by Kas then technically El/Jane is this show’s Kas.

33.) Okay going back and forth is too hard when they’re going back this fast between basketball and Hellfire so I’ll just summarize at the end. Lucas going in and the gameplay mirror each other very obviously. It’s an old trope but a good one. Eddie’s unhinged.

34.) “There is no shame in running. Don’t be heroes.”

35.) Dustin misses and so does Jason. But Lucas and Erica both win. This slow mo is kind of excessive. Eddie’s fucking thrilled that Erica did a critical success. Although did they actually need a natural 20 to win? That doesn’t really make sense if the guy only has 15 HP left. Presumably they haven’t been critting to attack this fucking thing this entire session. So really it’s a matter of going above his AC. And technically you don’t need a nat 20 to do that, especially if you have enough bonuses. Although they are playing a different version of D&D than I’ve ever played so maybe I’m taking out of my ass.

36.) Aw, Max listened to the game’s result on the radio. I thought she went. Her mom is passed out on the couch. Max takes food to a dog. Eddie lives like, directly across from her. For some reason, from fanfics, I thought they were like, directly next to each other. Still, Max saw Chrissy go into his trailer.

37.) Wayne works nights. Eddie does not know where his ketamine is. Should keep track of that. That is a very cool guitar he has though. Chrissy’s hallucinations are very bad now and she’s no longer responsive. And now the lights are flickering. Vecna’s ugly as hell. There are so many spiders in this vision. Eddie really is trying to wake her up but I’m not sure how he thought I DON’T LIKE THIS, CHRISSY, WAKE UP would help.

38.) did not know we see Vecna in episode 1. “It’s time for your suffering to end.” Don’t be weird, dude. And now Chrissy is floating. Her death is like, both weirdly graphic and also sanitized. Like it looks cartoonish. I didn’t realize how cartoonish it looks. Bones don’t break through the skin. There’s barely any blood. Her skin moves like putty.

[agaypanic]

UNPOPULAR OPINIONS ABOUT YOUR FAVORITE MEDIA, GO

okok idk how unpopular these opinions are gonna be tbh

Malcolm in the Middle: i lowkey hate craig, i think he's creepy ESPECIALLY in earlier seasons. you'd think that after your MARRIED coworker tells you that she doesn't like you back and there's no way in hell that she'd ever be with you, YOUD TAKE A FUCKING HINT. also while it's on my mind, i remember writing a reese x reader where readers is basically allison in that episode where craig gives her and reese a ride to the concert but he ends up ruining their date, but anon asked for them all to have a good time together and it was SO hard to write! bc if i had paid for concert tickets (most likely really expensive) for me and my bf and my ride purposefully made me miss the concert because he had a "better" plan for "our" date, i would've blown up the car

Malcolm in the Middle: i honestly didn't like the series finale. the only endings i really agreed with were malcolm's and francis' (malcolm was totally meant to go to harvard by any means necessary, even if it meant working a million jobs between classes to cover that tuition. and although he's probably still a bit of a menace, i love that francis got his act together and got a steady job). i think reese deserved a better ending, i think he could've had a really good culinary career instead of being the janitor at his high school. and i know it was probably for a gag/twist ending but i don't like that they made lois pregnant again. GIVE THE WOMAN A BREAK!!

The Naturals: i've made tiktoks about this (which yall don't know about bc you dont know me outside of this platform teehee) but i hate the way lia treats cassie. sure she got kinda better at the VERY end of the SERIES (4 books). but imagine your mom has been missing and presumed murdered for YEARS and (spoliers for books 3-4 teehee) finally the police find her body but it's not actually her and then you find out your mom is actually alive and a captive/prophet for this murder cult AND THAT YOU HAVE A SISTER THAT WAS CONCEIVED INSIDE THAT CULT. NOW imagine that while you're going through all these events, some bitch keeps telling you to keep that shit to yourself bc other people in the group are having more pressing issues and that the group is at problem capacity. BITCH ALL OF YOU HAVE ISSUES, INSTEAD OF WORKING FOR THE FBI YOU SHOULD GO TO THERAPY

Charlie's Angels: im a really big fan of the 2000's charlies angels movies but was a bit disappointed when i watched the 2019 one. dont get me wrong, its good. i just kinda wished there was some more callbacks to the 2000s movies. like imagine my disappointment when the new charlie wasn't revealed to be dylan (which would've given her character a good ending bc dylan couldn't imagine herself leaving the angels, it would make SO much sense if she ended up heading the agency. even making her a bosley would've been good)

That 70s Show: this isn't really that unpopular but the last season honestly sucked. drew gooden made a pretty good video talking about it (i love drew gooden ugh). imo, moving to africa and then breaking up with donna made no sense for eric's character. especially after donna dropped out of college to stay in point place with him! hyde and jackie breaking up? horrible. jackie and fez getting together? why???? (also the timeline for that 70s show makes no sense at all. theres this channel that did a kinda indepth vid on it and tried pinpointing when the show actually would've ended based on the episodes (mainly the holiday episodes, i think making the holiday specials really screwed over the overall timeline))

i cant think of any more opinions teehee

[sunshinedobi]

ao3 tag game

tagged by the illustrious @incandescentflower!

1. How many works do you have on AO3?

13!

2. What is your AO3 wordcount?

137,997 (woof that's a lot)

3. What fandoms do you write for?

Mostly Bad Buddy, but who knows what else I'll right for in the future?

4. What are your top 5 fics by kudos?

worth the wait

something borrowed & something new

sleepless in bangkok

something blue (oh this one surprised me!)

heart in a cage

5. Do you respond to comments?

I did in the beginning, and then I got overwhelmed and haven't replied in about a year ;~;

6. What is the fic you wrote with the angstiest ending?

Not ended yet, but I wrote a MCD fic (yeah I don't know why either).

Here it is: the season of you.

7. What is the fic you wrote with the happiest ending?

All of my fics (except the above MCD fic) have happy endings. I think "something borrowed" is the most cringey-cute one though?

8. Do you get hate on fics?

I haven't gotten full on hate before, but I'm more the type to get angry rather than demoralized LOL. So knowing myself, I'd snap back at them even if that's pointless...or private everything so no one could read my works anymore. Yes, yes, I know, I'm hot headed.

9. Do you write smut? If so, which kind?

I wrote smut once (1 time) for "heart in a cage." I lost 100 life points...

It was sapphic and pining and ooey gooey and I suffered writing it LOL.

10. Do you write crossovers? What’s the craziest crossover you’ve ever written?

Nope.

11. Have you ever had a fic stolen?

Not that I know of.

12. Have you ever had a fic translated?

No, but I'd LOSE MY SHIT if someone wanted to.

13. Have you ever co-written a fic before?

No. Someone asked to collab with me on a fic idea I posted randomly, but I declined because I find writing really personal.

14. What’s your all-time favorite ship?

I don't have a favorite!

15. What’s a WIP you want to finish but doubt you ever will?

None! Everything will be finished eventually, even if I take years to do it. I don't start fics that I don't have an ending in mind for.

16. What are your writing strengths?

I'm not entirely sure, tbh!

17. What are your writing weaknesses?

I find my writing clunky sometimes? And repetitive. Complicated sequences or plots are hard for me.

18. Thoughts on writing dialogue in another language in fic?

I'm not sure I need an opinion on this? Lol.

19. First fandom you wrote for?

...Naruto, but I burned all the evidence.

20. Favorite fic you’ve written?

It would be a knife fight between "heart in a cage" and "sleepless in bangkok." I've said this before, but HIAC is my love letter to Pran. SIB is my love letter to Pat. :)

tagging @hereforlou @pran-so-brave @bbshyperfixation! (no pressure to complete the tag ofc!)