#lloyd ip

[tangledinourstrings]

lloyd probably did this after the park closed that's probably why he's naked in-game

[applecranberryjuice]

My pookie blorbo babygirl crazzzzy girl dinner girlfailiure of a girlfriend

[virtualmc]

Might have clicked on the wrong image pal, think ya meant this one/j:

I found a RARE pic of LLOYD from INDIGO PARK!

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keep scrolling

here it is:

[compelamaserati]

Natural - Pool Example of a large mountain style backyard stone and custom-shaped natural hot tub design

[deliciousangelfestival]

Let Me Love You - 7

Character: college!Bucky x Female!Reader

Summary: On a mysterious, rainy night, Bucky witnesses a distressing encounter involving his crush.

Chapter 1 , Chapter 2 , Chapter 3 , Chapter 4 , Chapter 5 , Chapter 6 , Chapter 7 , Chapter 8.

Main Masterlist || support: Ko-fi

Thank you to everyone who has read this chapter. Please let me know what your thoughts are. I'd love to hear your feedback. Thank you once again.

Lloyd scanned the campus frantically, searching for Nicky. Desperation clawed at him as he pulled out his phone and checked the friend circle for any recent photos.

She was tagged in a picture at a nearby café with her girlfriends. Gritting his teeth, he broke into a run.

When he reached the café, he spotted her immediately. Nicky was laughing with her friends, completely oblivious to the chaos she had caused.

The sight of her carefree demeanor fueled his anger, knowing she didn't care that she had almost ruined someone's life.

"Nicky!" he shouted, his voice trembling with fury. The entire café fell silent, all eyes turning towards him.

Nicky's laughter faded as she met Lloyd's blazing gaze, realizing that her actions were about to catch up with her.

"You selfish bitch. You can't be trusted," Lloyd spat, his voice shaking with anger and frustration.

Nicky looked up, feigning innocence. "What?" she replied, trying to mask her guilt with a confused expression.

Lloyd couldn't believe that he had lost you because of this selfish woman. "It's you," he accused, his eyes burning with betrayal.

Nicky tried to maintain her composure but couldn't hide the tremble coursing through her body as she faced Lloyd's wrath. For the first time, she realized the true impact of her actions.

Nicky crossed her arms, trying to regain some semblance of control. "I will tell my father to stop sponsoring you," she threatened, her voice icy.

Lloyd smirked, stepping closer until she recoiled back into her chair. "Do it. I don't care. I got here because of my own effort," he retorted, his voice steady and defiant.

Without another word, he turned and walked away, leaving Nicky seething. Realizing her threat had no effect, she clenched her coffee mug in frustration, her carefully constructed facade of power shattered.

🌊

Feeling overwhelmed with misery, you had lost the will to join the class and were sitting alone in a quiet place behind the university pond.

Consumed by your thoughts, you didn't notice Bucky approaching until he spoke. "Y/N, do you need anything?"

Surprised, you saw him standing there, slightly out of breath. He had been searching the campus to find you.

You kept looking at him, taken aback by his question. Instead of asking if you were okay, he asked what you needed.

With a weak smile, you patted the empty spot beside you. "I need someone to talk to."

Bucky nodded and sat down next to you. "Of course."

You sighed, your eyes still fixed on the water pond in front of you. "I'm so mad and embarrassed that everyone will know about my mom. I've been through that already. I hate the pitying looks I get every time people from my hometown see me and my mom."

You closed your eyes, the memories flooding back. "I hate those looks. Their judging eyes."

Bucky gently placed his hand on your shoulder, offering silent support.

Bucky placed a comforting hand on your shoulder. "It won't happen to you."

You frowned. "What do you mean? You didn't see the looks they gave me this morning."

Bucky shook his head. "It wasn't you who should be ashamed and hide. It's the person who put it on the campus homepage."

He continued, "Every family has its own problems, and this person used yours to attack you."

His words were reassuring. You realized he was right—you hadn't done anything wrong.

Seeing that you had calmed down a bit, Bucky added, "I've contacted the campus IT department to check the IP address. Not many people have access to publish articles on that homepage. We'll soon find out who that person is."

You gave him a small, grateful smile. "Thank you, Bucky."

Your smile made Bucky's heartbeat quicken. He didn't expect your next words.

"You're a good person, Bucky. I'm grateful that you care for me."

Bucky stammered, "Oh... That's what friends—"

You let out a weak laugh. "I'm not that dense, Bucky. You're always there for me."

Bucky looked at you earnestly. "I will try anything to help you."

Your heart felt warm at his words. After that, neither spoke, but there was a silent agreement that something was blooming between you two.

Both of you were lost in the moment, unaware that someone was watching you from a distance with a look of agony.

That person was Lloyd.

Lloyd had been looking everywhere for you, his frustration growing with each passing minute. Unable to reach you by phone since you had blocked him, he searched the campus tirelessly.

When he finally found you, it was only to see you from behind.

Watching you sit beside someone else, leaning on Bucky for support, made it painfully clear that he had already lost you.

It should have been him comforting you, just like he had when your parents went through their painful divorce.

He remembered being there for you through thick and thin, and the realization that he had thrown it all away hit him like a punch to the gut.

Now seeing you with someone else, Lloyd felt a surge of nausea rise within him. The sight of you finding solace in another's presence was like a dagger to his heart.

But what could he do now? Everything had crumbled because of him. He cheated on you, and now he had to face the consequences of his actions.

With heavy steps, Lloyd turned and walked away, the weight of his regret weighing him down. He knew he had lost you, and there was nothing he could do to change that now.

📱

Bucky drove you back to your apartment, but before that, he made sure you ate something first. He didn't want you to get sick.

You chuckled at Bucky's motherly instincts, finding comfort in his caring nature.

As you settled back into your apartment, thoughts of your mother crept into your mind. You wondered how she was doing, and if she knew what had happened to you.

Deciding to take a shower to clear your head, you washed your hair with cold water, hoping to soothe your thoughts.

The moment you stepped out of the bathroom, your cell phone rang. Despite not wanting to talk to anyone, you recognized the specific ringtone you had set for one person in your contacts.

Taking a deep breath, you answered, "Hi dad."

Your father, Matthew, had moved out to the city after the divorce from your mother, driven by his guilt for betraying his wife and you. It was, in a way, his way of running away from his mistakes.

Despite the distance, Matthew had kept in touch with you, occasionally offering to pay your school tuition as a gesture of remorse.

However, you had always declined, still harboring anger towards him. Instead, you asked him to send the money for your mother's treatment, a way for him to contribute positively to the family.

Now, out of the blue, he was calling you.

"I heard what happened," he said solemnly.

Surprised, you asked, "How did you know?"

"Don't worry about that," he replied. "They made a big mistake for making my daughter cry."

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[universitypenguin]

Chapter 25

Summary: Doubts about Nguyen arise in the stalker case and the murder case. Princess and Lloyd review the evidence and decide where to focus their efforts as they race against the clock to rescue Laine Cruz.

Word Count: 6,182

Masterlist

Warning: This story contains content that is intended for those who are at least eighteen years old, such as strong language, sex, sexual content, and references to murder, kidnapping and criminal elements. 

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Chapter XXV

Jake Jensen was in nerd heaven and you loved that for him. 

He sat at a desk in the middle of the D.C. Metro Police station bullpen. A female detective from cyber crimes was leaning over his shoulder. She was slender with a pixie cut and delicate facial features that reminded you of Audrey Hepburn. Jake’s fingers flew over the keyboard of your work laptop as he explained how your system had been hacked. 

You hung back, settling into the guest chair across from Detective Diskant’s desk, fifteen feet away from the computer nerd fest. Diskant hadn’t shown up yet. He’d called after your allergist appointment to ask if Jake could bring in your work laptop and go over it with cybercrimes. You looked around the semi-deserted bullpen. A few uniforms stood around, talking near the front desk. There were a couple offices around the central area that appeared occupied, but it seemed most of the detectives were out and about. This gave you mixed feelings. It might be good to have the police force on the street, present in the communities they served, but where was their back up? Was everyone else at a conference or a training in-service or was the station always this empty?

Trying not to stare at Jake and the lady cop, you searched your purse for a nail file. It had been ages since you’d gotten a manicure and long past time for a good re-shaping. As you filed, you tried to be subtle about glancing over at the computer nerds. The lady cop laid a hand on Jake’s shoulder and smiled. 

You couldn’t catch the words but you knew body language. That head tilt and the sly glance that darted away once eye contact was made was straight out of Flirting 101. Despite the clear signals the lady cop was throwing down, they still went over Jake’s head. 

“Princess, can you come over here?” Jake asked. 

You winced at the expression that flashed across the lady cop’s face as she withdrew her hand from Jake’s personal space. 

“What’s up?” you asked, moving to stand behind Jake’s chair but keeping a respectful distance between you. 

“Look at this,” Jake said, pointing to the screen. 

You examined the string of numbers he indicated. “What am I looking at, again?” 

“It’s an IP address from Bishop & Howard.” 

“Uh-huh.” 

“This is where the attack originated. Also, it came through our server.”

“So we know who was behind the attack?” 

Jake sighed. “Not exactly. We know where it came from. The naming convention of the IP address doesn’t exactly match the company’s standard, but some departments do use unique identifiers.” 

“Don’t you guys keep an inventory list of all the active IP addresses?”

“I already ran it through the list. No match.”

“But it came from our server?”

The lady cop cleared her throat. “Is there any reason a particular department would have a computer with a unique IP address?”

“Usually they’re marking computers that are designed for sensitive information, but most of them aren’t connected to the internet.” 

“We should ask what departments use unlisted computers,” she said. 

“I doubt they’d just hand that information over,” Jake replied. 

“But this narrows down the suspect list to employees of Bishop & Howard,” the female detective said. 

“How else can we match this IP address?” you asked.

“I’ve set up one of the specialized computers for an investigation before. The format of the IP address includes a project code, security level, and identifying number for the system. If I do some digging, I might be able to figure out who’s computer this is.”

Reading between the lines, you knew ‘digging’ meant ‘hacking’ but didn’t call him on it in front of the cyber crimes detective.

“I didn’t realize those specialized computers were connected to our servers.”

Jake rubbed a hand over his face. “They’re not supposed to be. But clearly whoever’s stalking you is tech savvier than we thought. It’s like someone deliberately used the untraceable system to cover their tracks."

Detective Diskant finally entered the room, carrying a laptop under his arm. He stopped at the desk where Jake sat and placed it down.

“You need to see this,” he said, pressing play on a video file. 

At first it seemed like footage of an airport, but when the angle shifted you recognized the platform at Washington Union Station. A train pulled up and passengers disembarked. Diskant pressed pause when the video reached a certain frame. 

“Recognize anyone?” 

“Nguyen,” Jake said. 

You scanned the crowd, looking for the familiar face. It wasn’t until Jake pointed him out that you recognized Shun Nguye. He was in the center of the screen, blending into the blur of travelers. 

“We need to reconsider the prime suspect in your stalking case,” Diskant said.

“What?”

“Look at the time stamp,” Jake said. 

“August 16th, at 11 A.M,” you read.

“Unless Nguyen has developed the ability to be in two places at once, he couldn’t have attacked Princess in Lloyd’s backyard and been in the train station.” 

You closed your eyes feeling weak. “That explains the photos,” you murmured.

“What photos?” Diskant asked.

“The pictures left on my car. It was right after the birthday dinner with my family. I remembered them yesterday. The timing didn’t make sense. Nguyen couldn’t have taken them, not by himself.” 

“Right. Based on this, we can rule him out, but it’s suspicious that he’d return to Virginia.”

“We’re back where we started, with no idea who my stalker is,” you said.

Diskant inclined his head, acknowledging your statement. “No, we don’t.”

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Lloyd spent the afternoon in a coffee shop transcribing his interview with Tate Corbin. Despite his aversion to such establishments, they offered reliable internet which was a service he desperately needed. Still, the saccharine sayings painted on the walls, boldly advocating the joys of chemical dependence in Brush Script font, were hard to stomach. He didn’t find the artistic photos of coffee plants hanging beside his table any more palatable than the quotes. 

The pictures grated on his nerves; at least the drug dens he’d frequented hadn’t been plastered with photographs idolizing the coca plant. In truth, these images were captured with the same propagandistic intent as the works of other renowned visual manipulators like Dmitri Baltermants. However, the Soviet photojournalist had composed his photos with nuance and emotion - qualities sorely lacking in these uninspired shots.

Lloyd glanced at his watch and saw that it was still too early to call you. He sipped the last of his mint tea, watching the crowd queuing for their 2:30 fix. 

“I can’t get anything done after noon unless I’ve had three shots of espresso,” a woman in line declared.

He waited for her companion’s response, anticipating that three shots of espresso per day ought to warrant some kind of self-reflection, but the woman’s associate nodded understandingly. Really? That was it? Why did no one offer her the intervention she clearly needed?

Behind the counter baristas poured beverages into plastic and styrofoam cups and passed them to waiting addicts. Cocaine was an indefensible habit, but at least its packaging wasn’t a significant driver of microplastic pollution. Those damn cups had to rank among the worst inventions society had ever dreamt up. They were somewhere near the top, probably right in between Jake Paul’s career and neonicotinoids. 

At 2:45 his patience had worn thin. Lloyd grabbed his keys and headed for the door. Driving back to D.C. wasn’t part of his agenda, but he was on the cusp of an outburst that would earn him an invitation to never come back, so the forty minute drive to Zach’s office was worthwhile. 

He set up in the spare office you’d taken over and laid out his notes when the door swung open, and you stalked in, looking upset. 

“Princess?”

You shrieked and jumped a foot in the air. Lloyd blinked, ears ringing from the assault on his eardrums. You were pressed against the wall clutching your heart with one hand and cradling your purse to your abdomen like it was a shield. He sat very still.

“Are you okay?” he asked.

You groaned, closing your eyes and sinking down the wall, crumpling. “I’m fine.”

“Yeah? Well, you don’t sound fine. Or look it.” 

Lloyd stood up, moving around the desk and approaching you. He took the purse from your hands and dropped it on the spare chair, then dragged you into his arms. You melted into the embrace, tucking your head in the crook of his shoulder. He smoothed a hand down your back and listened as you breathed deeply.

“Bad allergist appointment?” he asked. 

“Not really. It turns out that I have an aspirin allergy, which we already knew. How was your interview?”

“Unsatisfying.”

“Why?”

“It ended up killing more leads than it generated. What’s wrong?”

“I had a meeting with Detective Diskant after my appointment. Nguyen isn’t my stalker.” You filled him in. “So, Jake’s running down the information from the hack but we’re back at square one.”

Lloyd reached behind you and closed the blinds to the office window, then took your hands and guided you to the office chair behind the desk. He sat down and drew you onto his lap, positioning your legs to rest over the arm of the chair.

“I wrote up some timelines for the Harmony case,” you said, looping your arms around his shoulders.

He glanced over at the murder board you’d arranged on the office wall. Part of him wanted to dive into your meeting with Diskant but looking at your face, he knew that wasn’t a topic you were ready to pursue. Not right now, at least. 

“I see that. Did you learn anything at the bible camp?” 

“Li Wei had a secret boyfriend during the spring of 1999.”

Lloyd groaned. “Not another secret relationship. What is it with women and hiding their love lives from investigators?”

“Don’t ask me. Anyway, that revelation was the highlight of the trip, but it got me thinking about the timelines of the case.”

“Timelines, plural?” 

“Yeah. I’ve been playing around with the theory that the cases weren’t actually connected since the beginning. I know it might seem unlikely for two prolific killers to be operating in the same area at the same time, but the differences in victimology are so stark it has to be considered.”

“And the timelines changed your mind.”

“If there was evidence of two killers, it seems like we’d have found something pointing in that direction by now.”

“But you’re not letting the theory go?” Lloyd asked.

“Not yet, but I’d rather focus on the evidence. I started by reviewing the events from 1999,” you said, pointing to the wall. “Li Wei’s boyfriend is the first event. Then, on June 14th, she and her daughter, Zoe, disappear. Two weeks later, the first of Harmony’s missing women, Stacey Moore, was abducted.”

“You think there’s a connection?”

“The timing makes me wonder if that killing was a trigger for the perpetrator. Another possibility is that he viewed Li Wei and Zoe as a… test run, of sorts.” 

“That speaks to his behavior. He’s controlled, premeditated, and careful. If he captured Zoe first that would have given him leverage over Li Wei.”

“Exactly. And if we look at our suspect list, something else that comes up on the 1999 timeline is the connection between Shun Nguyen and the other parties.”

Lloyd straightened, adjusting you on his lap. “There’s something linking Nguyen and Li Wei? What is it?” 

“Nothing. I looked high and low, but there’s no connection. I can’t even establish that he was ever in Fredericksburg. His only connection to Li Wei is through Julia, who he didn’t meet until late 2000.”

“When was his residency interview at the hospital?”

“June 18, 1999. After the interview on Friday, he spent the night at a hotel, drove back to D.C. in the morning and took a train home to New York.” 

“Which we already knew,” Lloyd grumbled. 

“I know, I’m just trying to organize things so they make sense. And you know what really doesn’t make any sense?”

“The idea of Nguyen commuting between New York City and a small town outside of D.C. to kill random strangers almost a full year before he knew he’d be living there,” Lloyd said.

“We don’t have much in terms of physical evidence, so we’ve been using behavioral profiling to try and understand the killer’s actions. Know what’s more accurate than behavioral profiling? Geographical profiling. Scientists use it all the time.”

“I’m not arguing with you. The case against Nguyen always hinged on his connection to Julia and his knowledge and access to chemicals.”

“There’s a distinct pattern in these early crimes and it points to someone local. Abducting nine people and never leaving behind a trace requires planning and preparation. Nguyen couldn’t have spared the time for all that in 1999.” 

“Which brings us to 2000, when he moved to Harmony.”

“He moved in July. A week later, Kayla Ballesta went missing, which sounds damning until you account for the car accident Nguyen had been in two months earlier.”

Lloyd grunted. “Yeah, but who could fake an injury better than a doctor?”

“Radiology doesn’t lie. He wasn’t in any shape to abduct Kayla that July.”  

“Do we have his radiology reports?” 

“No, but Peter Shaw had them. According to his article in the Rolling Stone, he had two different orthopedic surgeons review the images. They both confirmed the severity of Nguyen’s fracture.” 

“It’s compelling, but you know what else is compelling?” Lloyd asked.

“What?”

“After Nguyen was arrested the disappearances stopped. That’s too much of a coincidence to ignore.” 

“You know what else is too much to ignore? An open book pelvic fracture.” 

“Mmmh.”

You chuckled at the wrinkle of disgust that passed over Lloyd’s face and stroked his jaw with the back of your fingers. “I went through all the evidence from 2001, which didn’t take long because there’s almost no evidence to speak of.” 

“There was more evidence at Julia’s crime scene than any of the others,” Lloyd said.

“She went missing either on April 17th or 18th and her body was found encased in concrete beside Cub Run Trail a few days later. Police identified the remains about a week after finding them and Nguyen was arrested in August.”

“Going back to the behavioral evidence, we can establish a few things for sure. Starting with the obvious, the serial killer is knowledgeable and capable at using chemicals. He has access to them somehow and might have a secondary location where he can treat the bodies.”

“Which we know from the remains found at the trail,” you said.

“Right. Julia’s bones were brittle and crumbled when touched, which is a property of exposure to a strong base. If they’d been soaked in acid the bones would’ve been rubbery and flexible. Nguyen’s chemical training and access to materials through the hospital led the police to focus on him.”

“But he was never tried for any of the other murders and everything that made him a suspect was circumstantial.”

“Ninety percent of the case against Nguyen amounts to fact that the disappearances stopped after he was out of the picture,” Lloyd reminded you.

“It’s also interesting that Li Wei, Zoe, and Julia’s remains were all treated the same, even though there’s three years between their cases.” 

“All the bodies found beside the trail were disposed of by the exact same method. It’s too specific for a copy cat - unless the original perpetrator told someone precisely where they left the first two victims.”

“Wouldn’t they have had to describe the chemicals and methodology, too?” you asked.

“For the results to be this uniform? Absolutely.” 

“What about victimology? That’s always been a huge question for me. All the killer’s known victims are female but aside from that, things start to get murky.”

You gestured to the photos on the wall, where the six portraits of the missing women were grouped. “They match a specific type. They were average build, natives of eastern coastal Virginia, with advanced degrees and professional jobs. Li Wei doesn’t match the pattern, and neither does Julia.” 

“But the real outlier is Zoe,” Lloyd pointed out.

“Agreed. Which is why we’re paying Annabeth Green a duke’s ransom to run a paternity test on her remains and identify her father.” 

“You set me up for that one, Princess.”

“I have to spread the blame around. Do you know what she charges for that kind of a test?”

Lloyd snorted. “Do you?”

“Unfortunately, yes. Her secretary just emailed me the invoice.”

“What’s the goal of the paternity test?”

“To identify a new suspect. After going through all the evidence, our suspect list is pretty barren. Nguyen was too far away to have killed the victims from 1999 and there’s no connection between him and Li Wei Chapman. He wasn’t able to kill the first victim from 2000 because of his injury. And when it comes down to it, I don’t think he killed Julia, either.”

Lloyd ran his tongue around his teeth.“I agree. He didn’t have the opportunity. That was established by the Virginia Supreme Court beyond any reasonable doubt. Did you find anything on Leo McKenzie?”

You shook your head. “Nothing new. The Fairfax Sheriff’s Department hasn’t sent me a copy of their file on him, either.”

“They’re not known for their inter-agency cooperation.”

“Well, it probably doesn’t matter if I have their file or not, because Zach got a copy of McKenzie’s discharge papers from the Army. His back injury is serious enough to exclude him from suspicion. That leaves Tate Corbin. How’d your interview with him go?” 

“Not great. He has an alibi for two of the abductions thanks to a biennial fishing trip with his merchant marine buddies.”

Lloyd gave you the details of Corbin’s alibi and you scribbled down the information, making a note to contact the witnesses tomorrow morning.

“Also, get this. There was only one other person who bothered checking out Corbin as a suspect. You’ll never guess who it was.” 

“Detective Roth?”

“Peter Shaw.” 

You chuckled. “Ouch.” 

Lloyd gathered you closer, his eyes falling half closed as he nuzzled your neck. “Yeah.”

“He didn’t give an alibi for Julia’s murder, though.” 

“I knew he wasn’t the one before he produced the alibi,” Lloyd said. 

“How?” 

“His reactions were off. This killer has flown under the radar for too long. His public mask is impeccable.”

“And Corbin…?”

“Corbin is weird. There’s no mask. He wasn’t interested in talking about the missing victims. Then, when I finally got him talking, he wasn’t curious.” 

“Why would the real killer be curious? He knows more about them than we do.”

“He’d want to know what we had. The question of evidence would’ve been brought up, but Corbin couldn’t have cared less. The real killer would’ve been excited by the conversation, but he’d have masked the reaction. Corbin was ambivalent. And the last reason is the same as the first,” Lloyd said. “He’s too weird to be the killer. He’s loud, opinionated, and obnoxious. He doesn’t fly under the radar at all.”

You giggled. “Eliminated from suspicion because of his personality…” 

Lloyd rolled his eyes. “We’re looking for a wolf in sheep’s clothing. Corbin is a peacock.”

“Well, we’ve shaved the suspect list down to zero. Nguyen’s off the list for lack of opportunity. McKenzie isn’t physically capable of abducting anything bigger than a puppy. The most promising suspect, Tate Corbin, is off the list for being sane, and he has an alibi for multiple abductions.”

“We’re out of suspects.”

“Which sucks, because there’s a missing woman who needs us to figure this out.” 

“Well, at least we know we’re looking for a strong base. Corbin completely sealed his innocence in my mind when he brought up an acidic mine as the potential disposal site.” 

You sat up in Lloyd’s lap, nearly elbowing him in the stomach. “What acid? Where?” 

Lloyd grumbled and caught your legs. He wrapped an arm around your knees, holding you captive. “Copper Ridge Quarry. It’s south of Harmony and it’s been abandoned for decades. The government has spent billions containing the toxic sludge.”

“Copper Ridge Quarry. That sounds familiar.”

“It’s a super-fund site. Every year the exposed ore reacts with rain and ground water and produces new runoff. Until someone figures out how to stop the reactions, the acid will keep getting more concentrated every year.” 

“Gross. Hang on, let me check something.”

Lloyd eased his grip and let you reach your laptop. He waited as you typed, flipping through pages of the database you’d organized months ago. 

“Here. Copper Ridge Quarry is in the database.”

“They already checked it out?”

“Mmmhh… According to the file summary, NASA sent a robot into one of the acid pools in the 80s and it was never seen again.”

“Did it return any data?” Lloyd asked.

“No. It looks like the investigation into Copper Ridge wasn’t very thorough. The first time they checked it out was in October of 2000. The local police’s resources were stretched thin. Between processing evidence from the abduction sites, organizing massive searches, and running down other leads, Copper Ridge didn’t get much attention.” 

“What about later?” Lloyd asked. 

“They tried again in 2001 when Stephanie Young disappeared, but there were conflicts with the search warrants. Some of the land around Copper Ridge is privately owned and required a compelling reason to search private property, which they didn’t have. In the end, they searched all the public land they had consent to access, but that’s it.” 

“An acidic mine site is an intriguing lead, but we don’t have any evidence the killer uses acid.” 

“Is that really a logical jump?” you questioned.

“Scientists use strong bases in labs to remove flesh from skeletons. If you expose the bones for longer, about five to six hours with some heat, they crumble.”

“That’s not possible with acid?”

“It would work,” Lloyd admitted. “It might even do a better job of completely dissolving them, but it’s more dangerous. The acids strong enough aren’t safe to handle. Sodium hydroxide on the other hand, comes as a salt. It’s much easier to obtain and if you got it on your skin it might cause a rash, but that’s it. You have to dissolve it in water before it’s dangerous.”

“But Copper Ridge would eliminate the need for him to obtain chemicals. Assuming he had a way in, it mitigates the risk of being caught by purchasing records or his professional access.” 

“If he had a traditional education, he’d lean towards a base,” Lloyd said.

“If he’s smart enough to use a base, why not use an acid? It’s all chemistry at the end of the day.” 

“Following the same logic, why not dispose of Julia’s body the same way as Li Wei and Zoe’s? The crimes were three years apart. He’d have had time to perfect his methods,” Lloyd said.

“That’s been my biggest gripe with all the victims being connected. But this afternoon, I remembered something Marco said when I explained the case. He commented that it was ‘like he put the sisters together,’ with how he disposed of Julia. It meant more to me before we learned Li Wei was actually Julia’s cousin. But now, what if he had the same motive both times?”

“We haven’t considered his motives.”

“I have. If you lay out the whole timeline, Li Wei and Zoe were his first victims and they’re both anomalies in victimology. Li Wei wasn’t born in the U.S., but she did grow up here. She dropped out of college freshman year and didn’t finish a bachelor’s degree, let alone a masters. She worked at her parent’s bible camp, which was a far cry from a professional job, like the other victims. And she doesn’t fit the physical victim type, either. She was too tall.”

“And Julia’s the same. Too tall and too thin, no degrees, no job. Plus, she really was foreign.”

“Right. Li Wei could have passed for a Virginia native, but there was no way he mistook Julia for an American. Where’s the motive, though?” Lloyd asked.

“If they don’t fit victimology there must be a motive. That’s why I really wanted the paternity test on Zoe. Usually, with a child victim, the perpetrator is one of the parents. We can rule out her mother, which leaves the father.”

“What about Julia?”

“She was digging into Li Wei’s death. If the killer found out, wouldn’t he have been compelled to interfere?”

“Yes, but why not dispose of her like he did all the other victims? If your theory about Copper Ridge is correct, he had the perfect disposal method. I can imagine him failing on his first attempt to dissolve a body with a strong base, but going back to the failed method three years later? That’s stupid.”

“Or it’s incredibly smart. Anyone who found all three victims, encased in two different concrete slabs, beside a popular jogging trail, albeit, in a remote area of said trail, would’ve connected the dots. Then they would’ve connected the victims. Julia arrived in the U.S. in 1997. It’s plausible to imagine a connection. We only know there wasn’t one because of Aliyah.”

“The killer was making sure the cases would be connected.” 

“But when no one found the second slab, Nguyen was arrested and the rumor mill started up, claiming he was connected to the six missing women,” you said. 

“The killer was handed the perfect scapegoat on a platter. So, he stopped killing and as far as public opinion went, no more disappearances meant they’d collared the right guy.” 

“I know it’s a lot of theory, but looking at the whole sequence from 1999 to 2002, how the killing started with Li Wei and Zoe, then stopped after Julia, it’s almost like a full circle.”

“He didn’t stop, though. If he had, Zach and I wouldn’t be spending our Monday night on a search party for Laine Cruz,” Lloyd said. 

“What if this is a copycat?” You sighed at your own question and shook your head. “The problem with all this theory is that we don’t have any evidence to back it up. Paradoxically, we have more evidence than anyone else who worked the case ever did.” 

“We’re here because Roth searched an old crime scene and got lucky,” Lloyd said.

“There’s solid evidence suggesting the killer is knowledgeable in chemistry. He’s proven capable with them, and we have physical evidence that two of his victims were disposed of with a strong base. We also know his access to these chemicals wasn’t a fluke because he used them twice - once in 1999 and again in 2002.” 

“And the concrete slab itself is evidence,” Lloyd said. “He knows how to mix, form, and set a concrete slab by himself. It’s not as specific as his advanced chemical knowledge, but it’s still a proven ability.”

“He’s prepared and careful, so disposing of the bodies wouldn’t have been the first time he worked with concrete. That makes sense,” you said. 

“He’s also shown to be quite knowledgeable of the local area. Abducting six women without leaving any witnesses isn’t easy. Also, he’s familiar enough with Cub Run Trail to dispose of bodies there twice. It was a remote section of the trail, sure, but that points to him knowing the area.”

“And getting them up there? He’s got to be physically fit.”

“Unlike Leo McKenzie. We have evidence that Julia’s teeth were destroyed with a gunshot, and the .22 shell casings found in Nguyen’s yard after she went missing. It’s not difficult to get a gun in the D.C. area, but let’s add it to the list.” 

“Also, the last fact, but maybe the most important: he had the opportunity to commit all nine murders.”

Lloyd grunted. “How do we know so much about him, but still don’t have a suspect?”

“He’s careful and prepared. Speaking of that, what about the woman that went missing on Friday night? Have they found any evidence at the scene of her abduction?” 

“Laine Cruz. The search isn’t going well. They found her car abandoned in town with a dead battery. It could have been sabotage or the perpetrator saw an opportunity and took advantage. Her purse was in the car, but not her cell phone. There’s been no activity on her bank cards and her phone is turned off.” 

“What are they doing to find her?” 

“The usual - tracking dogs, a search grid. It seems futile,” Lloyd said. 

“Isn’t the definition of insanity doing the same thing over and over and hoping for a different result?” you asked. 

“According to Einstein.”

“Search grids and dogs didn’t find any of the other missing women, did they?”

“No,” Lloyd conceded.

“We were brought in to investigate the new evidence and figure out if it was connected to the missing victims.”

“Are you saying they should call off the search?”

“No, but searching is their job - not ours. I think we should focus on following the evidence and investigating what we have.” 

“You’re saying Zach and I shouldn’t join the search,” Lloyd said.

“Copper Ridge Quarry is a fresh lead. I think that’s where our time would be best spent.” 

“Alright. We’ll do it. Are you okay with staying late at the office? I don’t know how long this’ll take.”

“Don’t worry about me. I’ve got a mountain of paperwork to catch up on.” 

Lloyd studied your expression and noted that you still looked upset. He slid a finger under your chin, turning your face up to his. 

“Hey. It’s okay. Jake will find a new lead.”

“What if my stalker isn’t someone we would suspect?” you asked. “What if it’s totally random?”

“Don’t think about that. Let Jake and Landon worry about the stalker. Let me worry about him.”

Your eyes scanned his, filled with concern. There was nothing he could say, Lloyd realized. He changed tactics and lowered his gaze to your chest.

“How do your nipples feel? Still sore?”

“I…” you squirmed. 

He ran a hand over the curve of your breast, feeling the gentle curve through the thin silk of your blouse. There were three layers of cloth between his fingertips and your flesh but he still felt the hardening of your nipple. You hissed and he paused.

“They’re not sore,” you said, reassuring him. “Just… tender.”

His lips curved. “What’s your current opinion on nipple clamps?”

“It’s an eighty-twenty split.”

“For or against?”

“For,” you admitted, lashes fluttering as you fought back shyness. 

Lloyd squeezed you tight and explored your throat with soft, teasing kisses. You relaxed instantly, muscles loosening as your head fell back to give him more room. His free hand went to the fastenings on the front of your blouse, flicking open each tiny pearl button.

You caught his hand. “There’s a window on the door.”

“I closed the blinds,” Lloyd said. 

“Oh.”

You let go and when he arched a brow, you nodded. He carefully undid each tiny button, flashing you an amused look.

“Did you plan on making it hard for me to undress you, or this coincidence?” 

“Actually, I just thought the buttons were pretty.”

“They are. However, this is prettier,” Lloyd said, pushing open the silk and sliding off the thin straps of your camisole. He purred at the sight of your cream colored bra. “Front-clasp. I forgive you for the buttons.”

He flicked open your bra and you shivered at the sensation of cool air on delicate skin. Lloyd shifted you again, turning your body so your back was positioned to the door of the office. It wasn’t necessary, but you appreciated his awareness.

“Mmmhhh… still a little swollen,” he murmured, caressing his thumb over a puckered nipple. “They’re warm.”

You trembled when his hand moved up to curl around the back of your neck. He kissed your sternum and his mustache brushed your skin in a teasing dance. His facial hair wasn’t bristly, but it wasn’t soft, either. His hand slid from your throat to your collarbone and slowly cupped the weight of your left breast. Your eyes closed in pleasure.

“Lloyd.”

His cheek pressed to your sternum and you felt his hot breath against your tight nipple. The slow, gentle stroking of his thumb over your breast was restrained and controlled. You shuddered. Part of you wanted to beg for more. The other part knew the office door might have the blinds lowered, but it was still unlocked. Lloyd’s tender stroking was making your head go fuzzy. You arched your back in offering, but he didn’t react. 

“Please,” you whined.

Lloyd made a rough sound and dropped his head, kissing a slow path across your chest, down your sternum to suckle the inner curve of your breast. Your fingers threaded into the cool strands of his hair as you pulled him toward where you needed him the most. As his mouth fastened around your nipple, you felt his lips curve into a smirk, but couldn’t bring yourself to care. 

He’d finished lapping at the first straining nipple and moved onto the second when the door to your office swung open. You were so caught up in the moment that the noise barely registered. It wasn’t until the sound of a masculine voice cut through your mental haze that you gasped.

“What the fuck, Lloyd?! Hang a damn sock on the door next time!”

Zach’s shout brought your head around. The man had turned his back and clamped a hand over his eyes. Lloyd slowly released your nipple and raised his head.

“Have you heard of knocking?” he asked.

“I didn’t know you were in here!” Zach protested.

For some reason, you weren’t scrambling to fasten your bra in a panicked rush. Instead of embarrassment you felt dizzy with lust as Lloyd re-fastened your bra and returned the straps of your camisole to their original position. His eyes caught yours and he smiled, eyes glinting with something like pride. Whether it was at his own work or your lack of reaction to the embarrassment of being caught, you weren’t sure. He started from the bottom as he re-buttoned the tiny pearl fastenings of your shirt.

“Can I turn around?” Zach asked. 

You grined at Lloyd, who’d only fastened two buttons of your blouse.

“Sure,” you said.

Zach turned half way, peeking from the corner of his eye. He nearly wrenched his neck out of place when he spun away again, unleashing a string of curses that would’ve made a sailor blush. 

“Do you two mind? I don’t like walking into the middle of a porno in my own office!”

Lloyd snickered. “Please. Grow up, Zach. There were racier scenes than this on T.V. when you were a kid.”

“I’m going to wait in the truck!”

You giggled as Zach raced out of the office like something was chasing him and smirked at Lloyd when he finished doing up your blouse. “I take it you don’t share details about your sex life with Zach anymore?”

“If did, he’d probably knock my teeth out.” He wrapped his arms loosely around your waist. “Speaking of things that would send me to the dentist, why are you so calm about me forgetting to lock the door?” 

You linked your hands behind his neck and shrugged. “I don’t know. I thought getting caught in a compromising position would be embarrassing but it wasn’t. I mean, Zach didn’t see any parts of me he hadn't seen before. We weren’t hiding the fact that we’re sleeping together, so he didn’t learn anything new.”

“Funny. You were a virgin three months ago and Zach’s the shrinking violet,” Lloyd snickered. He bent down and kissed you thoroughly. “I won’t be back until late. You’re sure you don’t want one of the guys to give you a ride home?”

“No. I’ll wait for you.”

Lloyd reached for his jacket and paused. ���Princess, if you have time tonight, can you do me a favor?”

“Sure.”

“Go back through the footage of Nguyen’s interviews. There was a moment in there, something he said that I didn’t quite catch. It was like he had a slip of the tongue and then backpedaled to cover it up.”

“You just described his whole communication style,” you said.

“Yeah, that’s why I was driving myself nuts in Qatar, listening to the tapes over and over, trying to figure out what it was.”

“Okay. Do you remember which day it was on?”

“It was on the first day of interviews. I didn’t notice the slip until I listened to the audio of the interview on the flight out of Singapore. Maybe it’s nothing, because I haven’t been able to find it again, but at the time I was absolutely sure he’d said something important.”

“Maybe another set of ears will help.”

“Thanks, Princess. Don’t expect me until late, okay?”

“Good luck tonight.” 

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Next - Chapter XXVI

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Masterlist

[arolegos]

what is ip goobers small break sketch while i Recover from all the artfighting I've done so heres my take of lloyd and bya as mlp chars :3

lloyd is one of those reformed changelings but also hes half dragon . hes a mary sue in my heart❤️❤️ and nya is a pegasus who is epic and awesome and idk maybe she can secretly be half hypogriff or something LOL anyways lloyd is the element of magic and nya is the element of honesty . does anyone wanna hear me yap about a proper post-mlpfim ninjago pony au. cheer if yes. (the crowd goes silent)

oh and. Them as mobians. Cause. I dot know.

loyd is a goat and nya is a shark I didnt put that much thought into ot im sorry 💔💔😭

idk if im gonna do the other ninja. i AM itching to do kai though so Maybe he'll come soon just to Complete rgb. Idk 😝i kinda wanna do harumi too

[kitsuneblossomillustrations]

Indigo Park

If you've not already heard about this new game - Indigo Park by UniqueGeese go check it out the kickstarter and be apart of the hype! 🙌

I love these little guys ❤️ but I DO NOT love drawing trains (no matter how cool they are 😭) took FOREVER!

----------------------‐--------------------------------------

Take a ride with Rambley on Rambley's Railroad 🍓🦝

Hands down feel thier fans would have cute little group names:

🦝 Rambley - The Ramblers

🦜 Mollie - The Aveators / High Flyers

🐉Finley - The Aquanauts / Ocean explorers

🦁 Lloyd - The Performers

🦨 Salem - The Alchemists / Troublemakers

-------------------------------‐-----------------------------

Where to find me

Artist - KitsuneBlossom / Kitsuneblossom_illustrations

• 🦊🌸 www.redbubble.com/people/KitsuneBlossom

• 🦊🌸 www.tumblr.com/kitsuneblossomillustrations

• 🦊🌸 https://instagram.com/kitsuneblossom_illustrations

❗️🚫 DO NOT STEAL - if seen anywhere other than MY OWN Tumblr, Redbubble, Instagram or Facebook page IT HAS BEEN STOLEN 🚫❗️

Please do not repost or steal my work as your own, give me a mention - kitsuneblossom ❤️

* NOT OFFICAL MERCH (FANART) - unless you want even MORE IP merch since youve got all the others you can gra, this on my RB - no doubt youve all supported UG for chapter 2 😁*

[theplatypusblue]

The Lego ninjago movie is so weird because I feel like it would have been sooo much better had they made it like. 15 years after ninjago had already established itself as a franchise or whatever.

Like think about the Lego Batman movie for a second: Batman has been an established IP since like the 40s/50s or whatever. Almost everyone already knows what the deal with batman is, so the movie is able to freely do what it wants much more easily than if it had to introduce the audience to these characters for the first time. At its core, it’s a parody of the main batman franchise — it’s assumed that the audience has some familiarity with the thing it’s parodying (even if it’s just super basic knowledge).

But tlnm was supposed to be like, an introduction for new fans as well as a movie for old fans who’d been around since the start. And it was also trying to be a parody of the main ninjago franchise, which was still ongoing and in the middle of releasing a new season. And despite its popularity, it was/is super niche!!! Like the very concept of making a Lego Ninjago Movie at this specific time in this specific way is just?? It’s a weird choice???? Like at a very fundamental level??

So like?? It tried to juggle all of those things but it never really managed to be the best at any of it. Characters outside Lloyd and garm don’t feel fleshed out enough to ppl unfamiliar with franchise, so there’s no real reason to care about what happens to them or feel invested in the story. But it was too much of a departure from the status quo for old fans who were expecting something more serious (at the time at least, I think opinions have changed somewhat) so they also lost out on that front too. It truly feels like a movie that was made for nobody but that’s kind of what I love so much about it lol <3

[starsfic]

"Y'know, Ram, when I said you could come for support, this isn't what I had in mind."

"Hey, I'm keeping you from dying, aren't I?"

"...Good point."

(the FF/IP crossover AU)

Ed was so done with everything.

The park had been one thing. He had good memories of the park, around Lloyd, Molly, Finley, so agreeing to dive into the hell that his childhood had become was easy as breathing. Even with Molly's blood drying on his skin, he had agreed.

This? This was fucking ridiculous.

"Ed," Rambley whispered from Deputy Duck. "The last phone's right around the bend."

Ed hoped that his nod could be seen in the darkness and blacklights of Henry Hotline's maze. He crept quietly on silent feet, keeping his ears primed. Henry was easy to hear, with growls of pained anger and stomping feet, but the Contestant...

They veered wildly between scrambling feet to whisper soft footsteps. This spot was perfect for an ambush, to boot.

Like Rambley said, the last phone was around the bend. Ed took a breath and turned the dial.

On cue, it gave a loud, cheerful chime.

Deputy Duck's screen flashed "Escape." Which was more than fine with Ed, especially with how nervous Rambley looked. He continued to creep, keeping every step as quiet as he could. The EXIT sign soon appeared and, right after it, was one of those fabric tunnels.

For some reason, he stopped.

It was eerily silent for a long moment-

Before a phone blared, the ringing loud enough that it echoed in Ed's head.

He didn't need another warning.

-_-

Hidden in the shadows, Henry managed a grin. "Nerd," he snarked, a smile tugging to life.

[tangledinourstrings]

the l in lloydford l. lion stands for lesbian. thank you for coming to my ted talk.

[destinyc1020]

My personal opinion on this is that after 2020 and the blm movement there was a regression with the tolerance of black stories and media with the white public. There was that sudden fake diversity and then back to normal. A lot of young people started to also join Standoms forcing the public’s attention and commanding the media. Look at Taylor swift, look at Ariana look at z, Selena, Tom, Timothy, even elordi (he literally just got here but his virality and quick stans he acquired in his short time), Jenna Ortega as well she is new but the fan base is strong. These people have big enough dedicated currency with the public. They are literally walking money to the studios. Now i know all the dark skinned people you mentioned are talented and even have more critical acclaim than the above but do they have a dedicated fan base? That is a no. So even if they are talented studios stopped taking risks. Which is why love him or hate him what Jamie Lloyd did with casting Fran is the type of move directors should be making. He could have casted a less talented white or mixed actress but he went with Fran and despite the racists harassing her and what kind of attention it brought he went for it. Most casting directors will not do that and are not willing to go there and take the risk if that makes sense. They are looking at the money and the awards that is all.

Hmm.... That's a very interesting take Anon.

I personally feel like the intolerance happened long before the pandemic, but I'll agree with you that the pandemic didn't help, neither did having tRump in office for 4 years help either. 🙄

But really, this has been going on long before then. It's been a steady decline if you ask me. 🤷🏾‍♀️

You're right though, that some of the newer actors out here have garnered HUGE massive fanbases in such a short period of time, even before ever leading a major motion picture film on the big screen. Some of it is due to social media, others is due to the "personality" of the actor and who the fans think they are, and for others, it might just be pure LUCK (either people like you, or they don't 🤷🏾‍♀️).

The sad part is that aside from Zendaya, who was able to gain a very huge fanbase from Disney starting a very young age, MOST black actors (even the famous ones) never come nearly as close to having a huge fanbase like their white counterparts. That's the problem! America doesn't support black actors like they do white actors. Just go on Instagram and look up 4 well-known, award winning, critically acclaimed actors. I guarantee you that they still don't have half as many followers as some of their white counterparts who have LESS fame, less talent, and less recognition. It's smthg I've noticed for years. 😔

Re: Fran....

While I def agree with you that Hollywood should def take more risks, at the same time, I'm not sure we can really compare theater to film. The film industry can be quite different from the theater industry.

With a film, a huge studio is usually financially backing up a filming project, so they definitely want to see their money put to good use and yield good results and a major PROFIT.

With theater, you don't have that type of pressure.

The reason why a lot of films are remakes, huge IPs, or reboots, is largely in part because studios know that those types of films are typically a sure thing, and will be more certain to yield a good profit.

[thelegofamilyau]

Ninja Dads

Here is the first fic for this Au! This is a little teaser for the much bigger fics!

If the nightmare king became the Emperor of ninjago then he'd have control over the ninja.

But when things seemed to be going south the night hunter changed priorities.

Get the master of fire.

Fire is Destruction, if they merged the nightmares with fire they could make the dream world fall to its knees.

“TEO! Bring us in close! Let's take the fight to them!” Logan said before he jumped onto the shark ship and started to beat ass!

“Wow, he really is special.” Kai said to Mateo before he jumped onto the shark ship.

Kai began to free the kids when he felt arms wrapped around him and cloth was held to his mouth, causing him to pass out.

No one noticed as the night hunter took Kai. They where much more focused on the kids he threw off his boat.

Mateo caught them and Logan hitched a ride with Zoey. The bounty crashed to the ground but Mateo had more than enough room for the wise master and the nindroid.

The Shark Ship rode off and the world returned to normal! All celebrated until…

“Wait! Where's Kai!?” Lloyd said after a head count. “He had jumped onto the ship to help Logan!” Mateo explained. “The nightmare guy used a rag -yawn- to knock him out. He put him in the cage.” The shy girl said as she woke up.

“We left Kai!” Jay screamed. Cole and Zane held his hands and Zane helped with his breathing. “We have to get him back.” Cole demanded. “Then we have to go to the nightmare realm.” The sound of a ship came from behind them. Everyone turned around to see Oz and Albert.

“This isn't anything we haven't done before gang! Just like Logan's rescue mission. But it will have to wait. You all have a test in the morning.” The dream Chasers groaned. “Mr.Oz! Last time we didn't know they had Logan. How are we supposed to get through the day knowing the nightmare king has a guardian.” Mateo asked. “And what about us!” Nya cut in. “Where not dreamers. You just expect us to wait here while my brother is being held prisoner!” “Didn't he leave you to be captured by Skeletons for almost a month?” Oz said. “So what!” “So, Kai can handle himself.” “As a former prisoner of the Knightmare king, I can confirm- Not that bad. They just keep you in a cage a break down your self esteem so that you will join his army.”

“KAI IS NO WHERE NEAR MENTALLY HEATHY ENOUGH TO SURVIVE THAT! ALL OUR HARD WORK TO MAKE HIM LOVE HIMSELF DOWN THE DRAIN!” Jay yelled. Zane handed Jay a paper bag and he began rapidly breathing in and out the bag. But Zanes eyes never left Logan. He seemed to…recognize him?

“Okay! OKAY!! Look you have to go to school. But I will get you guys all out of last period gym. Say the dream club has a meeting. Go straight home and then we can take care of this.” The dream chasers nodded as they woke up.

“Wait!” Zane ran over to Logan but he was already gone. “Whats up Zane?” Cole asked. “Did that boy….Did you recognize him….” “No why?” Cole asked. “....No reason.”

*

Okay so school was the worst. Everyone was on pins and needles, wanting to get to the dream world fast. But Logan was more relaxed about things. He new the ninja were close and that Kai had a better support system then Logan ever has.

Logan had one study hall and then on IPE class. Aka a teacher helps him with his work if he doesn’t understand. But Logan didn't have any work. So he chose to nap. Maybe make a plan with the Ninja or just hang.

When he woke up he took a portal to Ninjago. Things looked different. Instead of that small Jankey town the monesearty was on the ground. Logan walked up to the gate. “YOOOO!!! LOGAN IN THE HOUSE!” He yelled embarrassing him self. ‘Oh my God what is wrong with you why would you say that-’ “Logan!” A robotic voice called. That Zane guy walked over and took Logans hands. “Please come hang out me. Cole is training and Nya is calming Jay down and helping him prep for battle!” Whoa- wait- this guys actually wanted to hang with Logan?

“Sure man!” Logan didn't ask any questions as he was pulled into the monastery. “Whats your favorite food?” Zane asked. “I want to cook something.” Zane said taking out his cook book and sitting at the table with Logan. “Oh, uuuuhhh I don't know. I mostly eat like cereal and protein bars- Oh! I do love Mrs. Casteos burritos but I had one this morning.” Zane raised and eye brow at him. “Is that all you eat?” “Well my moms are two very successful and staring business women, they cant be home all the time so I eat what I can make.” Zane didn't like that.

“....Let me show you how to make an easy and heathy meal.” Zane said getting up and placing his cooke book on its stand. “Cool!” Logan hoped up. “What we cooking good looking?” Zane laughed. “Very funny kid, but Im taken thank you.” “Yeah I know….Yall really love each other…..How did that happen?” “Well frist of all im teaching you to make dumplings. You make the dough ill make the red bean past.” Zane put the book in font of Logan and he got to work.

“....We had fight along side each other for a long time. We always flirted but it was all jokes. I didn’t really understand what was going on.” Zane laughed. “It took me dying and being kidnaped for us to finally get together. “The tournament of elements?” “How do you know about that?” “I watched a bit of the show. But from what your telling me it’s not super accurate.” “Hmm, disappointing. Any way we where on and off for a while but now…Now im fuzzy…Im not sure where we left off.” Logan noticed Zanes distress. “Well it’s probably because some dreamers have seen the whole things and others aren't. And the show doesn't show your romance so…Wait so thats means your not the show ninjas.” Logan realized.

Zane stopped making the past and was thinking.

“....Logan, are you adopted?” “...Yes.”

Zane stoped what he was doing and washed his hands. “Can I do something real quick, if you don’t mind? I just need of hair.” “Yeah sure.” Zane sniped a piece and started walking down the hall as Logan said. “But me and my moms have done DNA test. Cant find a single match. We think there from east asian and just left me in america for a ‘better life’.” They walked into a tech room. Zane put the hair in an analyzer then took out a petri dish with a smaller sample of hair and put that in another analyzer. It was thinner and lighter but still black, looked like it was from a new born.

“We had a son.” Zane admitted. “...What?” “Me, Cole, Jay, Kai…we had a son. Kai’s dads showed us how to crave a child out of stone. We did the rituale and we had a son. He was very powerful, but he was strong enough to control it. And that made him a target. Some people can and wanted him for his power. So we put a stone in the back of his neck to hide the powers and left him in a different dimension. We did everything we could and made Ninjago safe, build back up teams to take over for us and when we went back for him…..We couldn't find him.”

Logans hand when to his neck. He had a blue birth mark on the back of his neck. “...What was his name.” “...Li….It means strength, and power.”

The machine buzzed and they looked at each other. Zane looked down at logan because of his hight and had hope. He held Logans cheek and Logan leaded into the touch. He hugged Zane and Zane hugged him back. “Perfect match.” The machine said and they father and son let out sobs. “Im Li?” “Your Li.” Zane nodded holding his son close.

“I cant believe this. Your my dad- your all my dads.” “Logan if we could have we would have destroyed every universe to find you. Never though the universe who give you back to me.” Zane promised.

“Logan!” They herd a voice call out. “Im going to wake up.” Logan said. “Tell them! Tell the others! When we get Kai back we can find out how I can be with you. I need to be with you-” Logan cried as he woke up. “You will.” Zane promised.

“You will….”

*

Kai was locked in a little cage and was surrounded by little nightmare monster. As soon as the left the realm he got his fire back so he was currently on fire.

The nightmare creatures cheered for the warmth.

“Fire ninja….Where is your team?” The hunter guy said from a dark corner of the room.

“Jay is having a panic attack, Nya and cole and training like crazy and Zane is cooking while they make a plan.” Kai answered simply. Hunter stomped up to the cage. “How do you know that?!” He demanded. “Because I know my husband’s and I know my sister. And I know what happens when Lloyd gets kidnapped…. Can’t say I know what lloyds doing though.”

“Well you should know that you don't have long. If there not here in time the Knightmare kings going to turn you into a nightmare. Kai took aways his fire and stood up fast. “What!” “What? You just thought we were holding you hostage? Your strong. The nightmare king could use you on his side. After all you sacrificed for the those ninja, they don't seem to appreciate you. I know that Green one thinks your selfish.” Kai rolled his eyes.

This guy was trying to open old wounds.

Kai watched as he left. “Um excuse me?” Kai looked down to the grim spawn. It looked like a dog with one eye. “Can you bring the fire back please?” Kai sighed and lite his fire again. He set the cage on fire too in hopes of escape but nothing.

“Hey you look familiar?” The grim spawn said to Kai. “I do?” “Yeah you look like that Logan kid.” “What?” “Yeah, same eyes, same voice….Maybe your his dad. He’s adopted you know, two moms. Ran a bunch of DNA test and cant find his bio parents.” “Why do you know so much about Logan.” Kai demand. There was a fire in his chest and it made him feel…. Protective over Logan.

“I guardian him when we kidnapped him, kid likes to talk and thinks his friends hate him. I mean it took them almost 2 days to come get him.” Kai hated that. Why did Kai hate that.

He thought of Li. His son. He took a picture out of his gi. It was of him holding the baby but the top part that had Kai had been ripped off. Li was born with a head of thick black hair and blue eyes. You could perfectly see Li reaching for the camera in the photo and Kai’s arms making sure his son didn't fall.

He examined his son’s face. He looked at his eyes. So wide, so bright, so blue. Kai tried to think of Logans face. Logan had blue eyes. Okay well that doesn’t mean anything…. But maybe? It’s always a possibility. Kai can’t get his hopes up. He had looked for Li so for so long with no luck. He had to except he can’t have him back…Even if he is right in front of him.

*

Logan woke up in his math class. The class room was empty and Miss Putnum was in front of him. “Logan are you okay?” Logan touched his face and it was wet. He had been crying. “I-i need to go home.” Logan stood up and got his stuff.

He ran to the nurses office and showed him a note from his moms. One of many they left him so he could leave when needed. He ran out of the school and into his empty house. He threw his back pack on the couch. “FUCK!” Logan screamed. “Fuck!” Logan collapsed to the ground. All this time, all this fucking time! There were people out there who wanted him! Who where looking for him! He didn’t have to spend 13 years in this house alone with small visits from two women to supposedly wanted him. But what was he going to do! There in the dream world he’s in the real world. His actual parents might be in another dimension! Then what about the dream ninja! This was too much. Logan began to take deep breaths. He got up and got a glass of water. But before he could drink it he realized something.

Kai was his dad. Kai was imprisoned.

Logan carefully drank the water and thought about what Kai had said. “Whats so special about you?” Kai….Kai didn’t like Logan.

Zane clearly cared about him but what about the others. It’s been 13 years.

No one wanted Logan.

Logan knew this to be fact. He walked up stairs to his room when he saw the attic. He went up and found his baby box. It had all his adoption paper work. He began to sort through it all. Piles and piles of paper work. Every dna test result all coming back with no leads. Logan through the dna papers across the room. Something caught his eye. He dug through the box and found a pendent. It had 4 symbols surrounding a white marble. It must have been and opal. They looked like animals, a octopus, a gorilla, a lion and a tiger. Under it was an open letter.

‘To who ever has our son. Take care of him. Be there for him. Make him know he’s wanted.’

“...Thats it? Thats all they say? Not my name, not my powers not even a birth certificate!” Logan was so upset! Why. why did anything happen like this! Something fell out of the letter. Logan bent down and picked it up. It was a photo. It was ripped in half but it was a picture of Kai. He was smiling and looking down at something. Something he truly loved. Logans gaze moved to the pendent. He put in on. He can get the whole story when he goes back. He tucked the letter in his pocket and went to his room. He laid down and waited for sleep to take him.

He woke up expecting to be at his dream pad but instead found himself in the nightmare world. “Shit.” Logan changed to be small and blue and began running to the castle. He was going to have to do this alone. He understood the nightmare realm. He knew to be quiet and unnoticable.

He walked through the front gate with a group of grim spawn. A larger group walked out of what Logan recognized as the room they had held him captive in. He broke from the group and walked into the room. Once he spotted Kai he changed back into himself and walked over to the cage. “Whos there!” The master of fire asked shaking his cage. “It’s just me man.” There was a big ball of anxiety in his chest. “What? Where is everyone else?” “There not here. I went to sleep and woke up in the nightmare realm so I came to save you.” “Thats dangerous! Who knows what these guys can do!” Logan took a step back as Kai raised his voice.

“...I do! I was kidnapped by them! I know! So shut up and let me save you!” Kai doesn't like him and he doesn't want him. He was wrong they don't want him. He’s going to save them and never go back to ninjago. He can live with his moms, he’s lived that way for 13 years. No reason for that to change.

Kai was silent. He crossed his arms and leaned back. “Go ahead. Try.” Logan glared at him as he changed into the blue him and jumped on to the cage. He stuck his hand in the lock and unlocked it. As the door swung open he changed back. “Come on. Hate it here.” Kai looked shocked but he walked out of the cage and fallowed Logan.

“Whats the plan?” Kai asked. “Exits right there.” Logan pointed at the door. “...Are we just walking out the front door? Theres no way thats going to work.” “And yet-” Logan opened the door and walked out. “It does.” Kai followed after Logan confused.

“We have to get to where the portal open’s so the others can get us out of here.” Logan explained as they walked across the land. Logan felt the picture and pendent in his pocket. He took out the photo and grimaced at it. “And here. You can keep that.” He smacked the photo into Kai’s chest and kept walking.

Kai stoped at the sudden hit. He looked at the photo and his eyes widened. “Wait! Wait! Li!” Logan stoped in his tracks. No even Zane had called him that. “How do you have this? Do you know what this is!?” “Yeah its the photo you guys left in yout shitty letter.” “Logan!” Kai stood in front of him stoping him walking forward. Kai took out his photo.

Logan watched as Kai held them together. It was like two perfect puzzle pieces fitting together. “I tried leaving the whole photo but I was attack- It ripped- I just-” “You what? Wanted me to know who wrote that letter? Bull shit.” Logan pushed past the ninja “What are you talking about?” Kai asked as he fallowed behind. “‘To who ever has our son. Take care of him. Be there for him. Make him know he’s wanted.’ Bullshit. If you wanted me you would have left anything to help be find you besides a ripped photo that was stuck in an envelope for 13 years.” Kai stoped. “....Thats not what the letter said.” Logan groaned. He took the letter out of his pocket and handed it to Kai. But then the letter was glowing. “It didn’t do that before.” Kai saw the pendent. “....Did you read it before or after putting on the pendent?” “...Before.”

Kai took the letter and began to read. “Li. Were sorry. Theres a war and we have to keep you safe. We are your fathers. Kai master of Fire, Zane master of Ice, Jay master of lighting and Cole master of earth. We love you-” Kai's voice began to crack. “And we want you. If when your reading this we haven't found you yet take out the opal from the pendent. Throw it to the ground and it will bring you back to ninjago. We don't know how much time has passed and we can understand if you have a life and don't want us but….we want you.” Kai dropped the letter. “I want you…. I want you logan.” The father and sons face were wet with hot tears.

“...I want to be wanted.” Logan croaked out. “You are! You so are! There’s so many people who want you and miss you.” Kai opened his arms. Logan took a step before he fell into Kais arms. They just cried and held each other. “Your so special.” Kai told his son. “We can do whatever you want about this. I promise.”

Suddenly a portal opened. Mr.Oz’s bus can through frist then Nay’s mech. “Okay gang, we have to find Kai and Logan-” “No you don’t!” Logan yelled not letting go of Kai. “Logan!” Everyone yelled. The Ninja ran over to them. Zane was the first to join the hug but Jay and Cole quickly fallowed.

“Is it really you?” Cole asked, holding the side of Logans face. “It is.” Logan Held up the pendent and the family broke into more sobs.

“Uh, do you know whats happening?” Cooper asked Mateo who nodded no.

The family parted and walked dover to the group. Lloyd and Nya where quick to hug Logan. “It’s been so long Li!” Lloyd laughed. “I cant wait for you to be back.”

“Um does some one mind explaining?” Zoey asked. Logan turned to his friends. “...You guys know im adopted?” They all nodded. “We could never find my birth parents….and I just did. Ninjago is real and it’s its pawn dimension. Out side of the dream world and our own world. The ninja helped me find out.” Logan held out the pendent. “All I have to do is break is stone and I can go home.”

“Wait but what about your life? Your moms, sports, school?” Izzie asked. “My mom’s don’t care about me. I see them maybe once every two week! I hate school. I hate sports. Honestly I hate my life! But this can bring me home. To people who actually want me.” “...What about us?” Cooper asked.

“....” Logan didn’t what to say. He didn’t think they liked him his much. “....Ill still be in the dream world every night. If anything thats better than seeing me at school-” “But what about morning burritos!” “And dj gigs?!” “And Sheep week!?” Logans friends bombarded him with questions. He wanted to be upset but he just couldn’t be. He started laughing and Oz came over. “Kid’s kids! Leave Logan be. It’s his life and his happiness.” “Thanks mr.Oz. Ill miss you class, you had the best desks to sleep at.” Oz patted his back. “And I wont miss you snoring.” “Oooooo!” Everyone laughed at Mr.Oz’s burn. But laughing turned to crying. And crying turned to hugging.

Logan turned back to the Ninja. “So, when I break this…Ill go back to ninjago. But what about you guys?” Zane held Logans shoulders. “Well…I think the universe will fix it’s self and we will be them and we will just be normal dreamers.” Zane explained. “So, yall wont remember this?” Logan felt panic. “It sounds like us in Ninjago won’t remember but we will.” Cole said gesturing to the ninja.

“...So what do I do?” “Wake up, Break the stone, Walk through the portal.” Jay explained. “And we’ll be waiting on the other side.” Kai explained. “And if you change your mind and you want to go back. Talk to us. We’ll make it happen.” Logans heart swelled. “We love you Logan.” Cole told him. “...I love you guys too. I cant wait to come home.”

When Logan woke up it was still night out. He packed a backpack with all the things he couldn't live without. But he had to carry his key board. He texted the group chat and asked them all to meet him in the park. He left a note on the counter.

Dear mom’s, I've been in this house alone for 13 years. I found the letter and the pendent my parents left me. Why you never gave it to me ill never know. There was a ripped picture with the letter and using that I was able to find my dad. I know it’s him because he had the other half. We also got a dna test done and it came back a match. I've left to go live with him and I want to be no contact. I've loved you both as my parents for years but time for me to go.

“Well… we had some fun. Thanks for always being here house.” Logan locked the door as he left.

When he got to the park everyone was already there. “I couldn’t do this alone.” He said as he walked up to Cooper, Izzie, Mateo, Zoey and Mr.Oz. “We wouldn’t let you if you tried.” Zoey snarked. “Im going to miss you so much lo-lo! Here, I want you to take snappers. So whenever you hug him you’ll think of us.” Izzie said as she started crying. She gave logan her blue crab plush. Logan himself started to tear up. “Thanks Iz.” They hugged. Izzie was always there for him rain or shine. “You know, im actually going to miss you Logan.” “Yeah yeah ill miss you too Mateo.” They two boys shared a first bump. Logan couldn't even turn to Cooper before he was tackled in a hug. Logan was shocked for a moment, but he carefully hugged him back. “You really helped me man. I wouldn’t be who I am today without you.” “...I know Coop. I know.” Cooper finally let go as Mr.Oz came over.

He gave logan a packet. “I don't know if they have schools were your going so this is the home work for the rest of the year.” “Hehe, thanks Mr.Oz.” Logan for the frist time hugged a teacher. Mr.Oz awkwardly held up his arms at frist but then he dropped them and hugged the dreamer. The others came in a hugged Logan one last time.

“Okay. It’s time to go.” Everyone stepped away.

Logan took stone out of the pendent. “Good bye.” He threw it to the ground and it shattered as it hit the pavement. There was a flash of white light and when Logan opened his eyes he wasn’t in the park anymore. He was in a monastery.

“Li?” Logan turned around to see four ninja.

“...Hey Dad’s.”

[lloydfrontera]

Our homeroom teacher was talking about recommended universities for our major (we're social science/IPS) and when she mentioned civil engineer my brain went "civil engineer? like Lloyd Frontera?"

The brainworm is getting worse, i fear

~ Lloyd showed up in my dream anon

let the brainworms take over it is inevitable ψ(｀∇´)ψ

[exhibit-of-the-century]

Concept/Comic Artists Part 3:

Masterlist

BUY ME A COFFEE

This post will be focusing on concept artists, some from @willow-dino's notes and some of my own that I have discovered and enjoyed. Some artists will have links to their websites!

Credit where credit is due, thank you @willow-dino!

Concept Artists

Frank Lloyd Wright, 1935; Falling Water

Alex Tremulis, 1960; Cars

Raymond Loewy

Mario Larrinaga, 1930’s onwards; King Kong matte painting

Micheal Pangrazio; Raiders of the Lost Ark matte painting

Peter Ellenshaw

Paul Campion

Mary Blair; Disney

Maurie Nobel; Loony toons

Kellan Jett

West Studio

Studio ZA/UM - Aleksander Rostov

Alberto Mielgo

Dana Rune

Gabriella Rossetti

Tom Zhao

[sheinthatfandom]

For the AU how about AEW in the world of The Magnus Archives

Thank you so much Lizzy who I’m assuming sent this cause I don’t think I have anyone else on here who likes the Magnus archives and wrestling lol I decided to go with the apocalypse.

1)statement Of Bryan Lloyd Danielson, lifelong vegan, and eco friendly goat man. He spent his whole life pushing to do right by the environment based on what he read and yet in the end still found himself on the processing line. Each step takes him closer and closer to the fate he feared so badly for the small creatures he refused to eat, but hey at least his body won’t go to waste. Victim of the flesh.

2)statement of Jonathan Moxley. His feet are pounding against the soft earth, muscles flexing and eyes sharp as he chases his prey through the deep woods. The call for blood is ringing in his ears as he leaps off a large boulder landing in front of the terrified victim before him. The prey blubbers and begs for mercy, for forgiveness, tries to call Jons human side out to remember their past brotherhood. Jon answers the call in his ears instead. When there’s nothing left to rip apart he rolls his shoulders and saunters off. There’ll be more prey soon and he wants to check in on his pack. Avatar of the hunt.

3)statement of Maxwell Jacob Friedman. Where is he? It’s so foggy, hello! Is anyone there? There should be people here. He was around people. Wasn’t he just around people? Yes, yes he was somewhere surrounded by a crowd, an event maybe? Was he important? Was the event for him? No, that can’t be right. If he was important then there would be someone here. If he was important then someone would care enough to be here with him, but he’s alone. So alone. He doesn’t want to be alone, but it feels so achingly familiar. Victim of the lonely.

4)statement of Toni Storm. Things are truly marvelous, wonderful, stupendous. She’s helping so many people who have lost themselves. Madness is a terrible illness, a tragic fate really but well one must help where they can. And with the world having gone tits up as it were of course Toni would do what she can to save as many poor souls as she can. It’s all quite simple really, if they remember her and her wonderful films then that means they haven’t been touched by the madness. But… if they had her assistants were quick to pluck the madness right out of the poor dearies heads. Lobotomies are all the rage you know? And well if they’re so far gone they can’t be saved… well then might as well save what parts they can. Waste not want that as it were. Avatar of the stranger.

5)statement of Daniel Garcia. He can hear the beginning sounds of the music playing. It’s almost time for another show. He hates that damn song, was there ever a time it didn’t make his skin crawl? He can’t remember anymore, but he knows he hated it even before everything changed. The lid on his box is lifted and he’s blinded by the white light of the spotlight overhead. His arms are pulled by the thick strings attached deep into his bones, jerking him ip and out of the box. His head looks forward before it’s forced up with a flick from above. The crowd laughs at him as he’s forced back and forth across the stage and dances and jumps and twirls for their amusement. He wants to cry, he’d quit he had been free and working on his own. Why was this happening, was this hell? The crowd cheers as he reaches the end of the act and he’s put back into his puppet box. The next show will start soon. He takes the short interval to try and force his fingers to move. Maybe if he can move on his own he get away. Judas begins to play, the next show is starting. Victim of the web.

I probably spent way too long on this lol but ty I had so much fun with it

Send me an AU