#putting this into posterity for when I am either very right or very very wrong

[bisexual-cyborg]

So my impressions of ds9 characters so far are as follows:

Benjamin Sisko: he’s fine. i like the man. sometimes when he talks about baseball his eyes light up and it’s adorable but the rest of the time he’s a good captain, but i’m not intrigued

Kira Nerys: look, i am gay and i am weak. i love her so much. she’s hot as fuck and she has a complex moral backstory. she’s affronted by everything. i would die for her

Miles O’Brien: he’s an angel and he’s the only reason this space station hasn’t fallen apart. deeply under appreciated. that is all.

Odo: he’s so grumpy and his lack of patience for any humanoid bullshit is pristine. want to adopt, 10/10, no comments

Jadzia Dax: another one where like, she’s fine. i like her plenty, she’d probably be a delight to work with, but at the moment I feel no strong connection to her as a character. i hope they give her more storylines, or let her at least kiss women she used to love as Curzon Dax. i also wish men would stop being weird to her, i hate that it’s a recurring thing.

Julian Bashir: he’s an asshole, he’s a baby, he’s a brat and i adore him

Quark: i would eviscerate this man on sight. he’s despicable. i hope he’s in every episode

Garak: look he’s only been in one episode so far but he was a delight. absolutely incapable of not acting incredibly suspicious or weird

Jake Sisko: baby. baby boy. same with nog. their friendship has cleared my skin, watered my crops, etc, etc

[ladykailitha]

Icarus Part 3

Hello! If you haven't seen it yet, I've got a set schedule for what story posts on what days now (as seen here) and this one as well as Well Met By Moonlight, Batshit Soulmates, and Never Hold Back Your Step... will still be posting just on rotation until I can finish some of my WIPs. (I may be stretching myself a bit thin having six going at the same time.)

In this one we have the concert. Eddie stumbles on something big and doesn't know how to deal with it all. And Uncle Wayne is bestest as always.

@emly03 @redfreckledwolf @itsall-taken @rozzieroos @mira-jadeamethyst

Part 1 Part 2

****

The day of the concert dawned abhorrently cheerful and bright. Not a cloud in the sky or any accidents that would prevent Eddie from having to take Dustin to this event. He wouldn’t deign to call it a concert. He had heard the album and seen their posters, but he refused to wander over to YouTube and watch videos of their concerts, interviews, their music videos.

He didn’t want to be even more disappointed that they were all flash and no substance then he was sure he was going to be for the next two hours.

Dustin rolled his eyes when Eddie parked in the huge concert parking lot.

“You’re just salty because I like them as much as I like Corroded Coffin,” he huffed getting out the car. “You have to concede that Abaddon’s vocals are killer.”

Eddie scoffed. “Do not. I haven’t heard them live. Way too many artists use autotune too much these days.”

“You sound like that meme,” he sneered, “‘Old Man Yells at Cloud’.”

Eddie swatted at him playfully. “Am not.” Dustin raised his eyebrow skeptically and he threw his arms in the air. “I’m not. I am a very serious musician, Dusty. The last thing metal needs is some band that can’t write or even play their own instruments. This isn’t pop.”

“You are such an asshole,” he said and turned toward the entrance, leaving Eddie to jog to catch up with him.

Eddie sighed and put his arm around Dustin’s shoulder. “I’m sorry. You’re right. I am being an asshole. I turned into the person I swore I would never be. Those shit for brains critics that hated Corroded Coffin when we first got on the scene. And that was wrong of me.”

Dustin sighed, too. “I just want you to like them too. They are so good if you’d just give them a chance.”

Eddie breathed out through his nose. “Yeah. I can at least give them that.”

They got to their seats and Eddie was a little impressed at Claudia Henderson’s Ticket Master foo. They weren’t front row, but they were only a couple of rows back so you could actually see the stage without having to strain their necks and smack dab in the center of the row.

Dustin would have the best time. And now it was up to Eddie not ruin it for the kid. Because yes, he was still a kid as far as Eddie was concerned. Twenty-one was so fucking young. That was how old most of the band was when they got their record deal, after all. They weren’t prepared for what came next, that’s for sure.

They got settled into their seats and Eddie watched as the rest of the crowd shuffled in. They were all about Dustin’s age with very few exceptions in either direction.

There seemed to be a color theme going on with the girls in the audience though. They were grouped in clumps of red, black, blue, or white. Which made sense if each band member stuck to a certain color palette.

Well he was about to find out, he supposed.

The lights dimmed. The crowd quieted down. The spotlight lit up the drumkit first. And Eddie knew that Gareth would be drooling over it. It was all black with black metal fittings. The kit seemed to collect light almost like a blackhole.

Then from the ceiling, a man dressed all in black being lowered onto the stage with large black raven wings on his back. He wore a black hooded coat over what, Eddie couldn’t tell. It was all black. The shirt, the pants, the boots. Even his mask was all black with even the eyes appearing closed. His feet touched the ground and the crowd went wild.

“Azrael!” the announcer called out.

Azrael settled on the throne and picked up black drum sticks.He counted time above his head and played a wicked solo to the adoring crowd’s absolute delight.

Dustin jumped up and down, screaming.

The spotlight moved to the right side of stage and the next band member descended from the ceiling. Large bat wings adorned his back and he was dressed in red leather fetish gear. Complete with tight leather pants that looked painted on and a matching harness highlighting his bare chest, peeking out from the red leather hooded coat.

His guitar was fucking gorgeous, though. A Warlock, much like Eddie’s own. It was custom painted red with black flames licking up the neck.

Eddie rolled his eyes, but it seemed he was the only one who thought the whole thing was over the top judging from the screams from the girls in the audience.

He didn’t just land gently on the stage like the drummer did, oh no. He fucking stomped onto the stage with a howl.

His wings, like the drummer’s ascended back into the rafters as the announcer shouted, “Asmodeus!”

And then Eddie really did roll his eyes. The demon of lust. Of course he was.

But seconds later Eddie’s jaw dropped to the floor as the man wailed on his guitar driving the crowd further into the frenzy.

Once he finished his solo the crowd quieted again and he could see why. Because just then, descending on gossamer wings that shimmered like starlight, was their bassist.

Everything about him was midnight blue and shimmering like the night. His mask was the face of the moon. He had his own hooded coat, but it was like the night sky, with some kind of crystal or gem sewn in to make the coat glimmer like stars.

His bass was something that Brian would have sold his own mother for and they were as thick as thieves. Eddie didn’t know much about basses considering his sweetheart was an electric guitar, but he could tell it wasn’t expensive but was perfect for his style. A style he showed off with gusto to the audience’s obvious delight.

“Astraeus!” the announcer cried.

Eddie decided that this one was his favorite. It played up the whole mysterious thing without the over the top flash of the guitarist or the sheer void of the drummer.

The audience hushed as the three members of the band began to play what was clearly the lead singer’s entrance music.

And holy fuck was Eddie screwed. This man was descending like a fucking angel sent from God, Jesus pose and all.

He was all in white with an opaque lace mask that had his mouth and chin cut out for him to sing. That surprised Eddie somewhat. He figured that the guy would have his whole face covered like everyone else in the band and that he could lip sync.

But nope. Apparently no one in this band did anything by halves.

The lead singer was wearing a sheer mesh crop top under the hooded floor length coats the whole band was wearing. Only his was white with a silk powder blue lining.

Eddie winced in sympathy. They must get boiling under the lights with those things on.

A few feet from the stage floor there was an explosive pop! And the feathers from his wings flew out into the crowd who was now screaming as if their life depended on the sheer volume coming out them. He looked over at Dustin who was no different.

When Eddie could see the stage again, this angel’s wings were now skeletal and gothic.

He landed in front of microphone whose stand had been decorated with a scarf in each of of the band members’ signature colors.

“Abbadon!” the announcer yelled for the final time.

And Eddie was in love. He couldn’t believe what he was seeing.

Dustin must have seen his expression because he was suddenly tugging on Eddie’s arm and screaming, “I told you!!”

“Indy!” Abbadon growled, grabbing the mic. “Thank you so much for having us! Let’s get this started.”

Then he began to sing and yeah, Eddie knew that the guy had charm, but this was a whole new level of epic. He was enthralled.

He didn’t utter a fucking word for several songs. But then it happened. Eddie couldn’t believe it. He hurried to snap a picture to make sure he wasn’t dreaming.

But there it was it in living color. He turned to Dustin to see if he saw it too, but the kid was too busy screaming and jumping up and down.

Eddie’s jaw fell.

That couldn’t be right, couldn’t it? That Dustin didn’t know? Eddie looked back up on stage and a lot of the puzzle pieces started slotting in place. His heart sank a little.

He shook his head to clear it of dark thoughts. He didn’t know the reason for any of this and leaping to conclusions would only get a shit ton of people hurt. Especially the boy next to him.

Eddie let the music wash over him. Let the magic of metal soothe his soul. Soon he was jumping up and down and headbanging with the rest of the crowd. Right hand flashing the devil’s horns, left hand out to steady himself he let himself enjoy the band’s stage presence.

****

To say that Eddie’s mind was fucking blown would be an understatement. He pestered Dustin all the way home with rapid fire questions. Where did the band tour last time? What was their schedule this time? Was it a six month tour or an eighteen month tour last time?

Dustin answered each question with growing excitement, thinking that Eddie had finally grown to love this band as much as he had.

Eddie on the other hand felt a growing sense of dread. Well... maybe dread was the wrong word. It was certainly a sinking feeling. One he really had to exam closely.

At least he could honestly say that he fell in love with the music before he found out his little secret.

And fuck what a secret it was.

He dropped Dustin off at home and drove out to the ranch that he had gifted to Wayne when Corroded Coffin first made it big. It was a beautiful, sprawled out home surrounded by acres of land and Eddie loved it even more than Wayne did.

Eddie stumbled through the door and was surprised to see Wayne drinking hot chocolate and reading a sports magazine in his expensive recliner. And yet, at the same time, not really that surprised.

“You do realize I’m no longer that fucked up kid with anger issues,” Eddie huffed on his way to the kitchen to grab a beer, “that were almost as bad as the troubles with the law, right?”

Wayne chuckled. “Maybe so. But you’re still my boy and I’ll keep worrying about you until the day I die.”

Eddie popped open the can of beer and sat down on the sofa. He leaned his head back on the back cushion with a heavy sigh.

Wayne raised an eyebrow. “What’s stewing around in that head of yours?”

Eddie slowly raised his head. “What would you do if you accidentally found out something about a friend that they were keeping from everyone they knew?”

Wayne set down his magazine. “That would depend on the secret. Is it hurting anyone?”

“Is what hurting anyone?” Eddie asked. “The secret?” Wayne nodded and Eddie frowned, really thinking about it.

“Maybe some feelings,” he said after a moment. “But it’s not dangerous like they committed a crime or anything. It’s not even about their sexuality.”

Wayne hummed thoughtfully. “And is it a big secret or a little one?”

Again Eddie was forced to think hard about what that meant. “I guess it depends on the person, but in my eyes it’s pretty big.”

The elder Munson nodded. “Do you feel hurt by this secret?”

“Yeah, yeah. I guess I do.” He bowed his head and let out a shuddering breath.

“Is there a reason you think he wouldn’t have told you?” Wayne pressed.

“Of course no–” Eddie stopped as his brain caught up to his mouth. “Shit.”

Wayne raised a questioning eyebrow.

“Yeah,” Eddie admitted shyly. “There’s a pretty good reason why he wouldn’t have told me. And now I feel like the shit friend.”

Wayne stood up and pulled Eddie into a big hug. “Maybe so, but you have the time to course correct and show this friend that you are worthy of his secret.”

Eddie nodded. “Thanks, Uncle Wayne,” he mumbled into Wayne’s neck.

“I’m just glad I could help.”

****

Part 4 Part 5 Part 6 Part 7 Part 8 Part 9 Part 10 Part 11 Part 12 Part 13 Part 14 Part 15 Part 16 Part 17 Part 18 Part 19 Part 20

Tag List: @spectrum-spectre @estrellami-1 @zerokrox-blog @gregre369 ​@a-little-unsteddie @chaosgremlinmunson @messrs-weasley @danili666 @chaoticlovingdreamer @maya-custodios-dionach @val-from-lawrence @goodolefashionedloverboi @i-must-potato @carlyv @wonderland-girl143-blog @justforthedead89 @vecnuthy @irregular-child @yikes-a-bee @bookbinderbitch @bookworm0690 @anne-bennett-cosplayer @awkwardgravity1 @littlewildflowerkitten @genderless-spoon @cinnamon-mushroomabomination @dragonmama76 @scheodingers-muppet @ellietheasexylibrarian @thedragonsaunt @useless-nb-bisexual @disrespectedgoatman @eyehartart @dawners @y4r3luv @cryptid-system @thespaceantwhowrites @tinyplanet95

[swanshapedheart]

Poorlittlekoi’s statement

Disclaimer. I, the poster, am not Koi

I am someone putting her thoughts and response to her situation into the public as I was encouraged to do so. I feel it is also necessary to bring this up as well.

I do not want to be affiliated with controversy any further.

——————————————————-

“this whole situation has messed with my head to the point where i cant even send a text to most people without worrying they are gonna leak it or use it against me in the future,, svlvnsore was just bored and found me really annoying shown in screenshot one…. not only that they also called me out for heavily referencing or tracing when they reposted an artpiece thats doing the same thing. Svlvn said they are on my ass because i didnt credit who i referenced, when the person they reposted didnt do the same either proof in screenshot two three and four. Another thing i caught on to is that they SPECIFICALLY said they didnt care that i self harmed or did horrible things to myself when they posted about me. i have anxiety, i overthink! of course im going to do bad things to myself, im mentally unwell. proof in screenshot 5… and for screenshot 6, this is only an assumption, but saying that svlvn "didnt know" is something that really throws me off. when someone makes a callout post on someone else, there will OBVIOUSLY be harassment. thats just my thought, i feel like they knew what they were doing since him and his bf arent very good people either. especially holding onto old dms and gathering them up to use it against me, when they could have handled the situation privately with me, rather than hide it behind my back.

all of this could have been prevented if they handled it differently, and that goes for me as well.

im fully aware im in the wrong, but these people are wrong in some places too. and i want people to realize that.

many artists in tcc trace, reference, all the time. i dont understand why im slandered for heavily referencing something, not tracing. theres proof of an artist doing this FROM THE ORIGINAL ARTIST BTW in my dms right now but i dont get them involved

am i handling this situation immaturely? maybe, but arent they doing the same by harassing me? absolutely.

when it comes to someone being racist/homophobic, people feel the need to harass this person to make them feel worse about what they did. this isnt how you handle a situation. harassing someone to the point they attempt suicide is just as bad as what i did, possibly even worse.

now i have recover slowly until i have the chance to even feel comfortable with myself again. i understand what i said and did was wrong, and im sitting here attempting to change and apologize to the people ive offended and hurt, but throwing that apology under the rug and making it seem like im guilt tripping is ridiculous.

so they cant say i didnt try to apologize, but nobody is guaranteed to accept my apology and thats okay. but putting it out there as if im guilt tripping when im giving reasons why i said it is not even giving me a chance to change

when it comes to growing up with a HUGE racist family, these words and beliefs become apart of my vocabulary and thoughts. its very hard to change that especially when i was always told "its just a word" and i hear it daily! growing up with these slurs has become so normal for me to say it just slips out with no worry, but ofc im seen as guilt tripping when i say this.

its different for each person, i saw a comment saying they grew up in a southern family and they dont say it, but thats them, not me.

people at school and during family events would peer pressure me into saying this slurs multiple times because they found it "funny." i slowly believed that as well.

i was a young teen being taught the wrong things, and seeing other people in tcc say it made me feel like i should say it as well to fit in and be edgy, since thats what the community is like

this situation is another lesson for me to learn, but other people in it need to learn that harassing someone isnt okay, either. especially when im trying to change, it doesnt make it any easier.”

[lucky-katebishop]

So I'm back to reading Robin 1993 comics after a few good months! Here are some of my favorite screenshots I took from issues 38-45 :D

Stephanie's internal monologue being depicted as diary entries are so cute! I think it's so innovative!

Batman has no fun :(

Tim wants to be Chandler Bing SO bad...

Ari's cliche teenage door signs I like to believe she either got ironically or her uncle got those for her because he saw them and thought "ah, yes, teenagers have signs like these"

I think Tim and Steph's relationship is really interesting in the early comics. Tim has so many problems as Tim and when he's Robin, he's able to shed his insecurities and problems and become someone that's confident. He refers a lot to his civilian life as Tim's and his superhero life as Robin's- they're separated because it makes it easier to compartmentalize, but it also helps him escape his troubles. Although these lines blur a lot- like when he stalks after Ives as Robin in these issues to see why Ives is skipping school and showing up with bruises. But I also see that Tim is able to be more confident as Robin because there's less emotional vulnerability- he's hiding a very important aspect of himself away. And during these issues, he's gotten in trouble with his dad and Ari's uncle and no one is listening to him, so I understand why he prefers to go out as Robin since it gives him a certain credibility amongst adults that would normally ignore him. What's interesting is that he recognizes that his separation of his lives is difficult, but he can't stop doing it.

Stephanie and Tim's relationship is skewed and their relationship exists with several different power balances. She makes him off kilter with her confidence, but he makes her off kilter by knowing her civilian name and referring her as that even in the heat of battle. He knows a lot about her (including her identity) but she doesn't know anything about him other than she's able to fluster him and tease him a lot. And I think that's part of the reason why Tim likes her so much- (besides being attracted to her and of her ability to keep up with him in their vigilante identities) but also he can hide his emotional vulnerability from her because he's constantly wearing a mask. She doesn't know anything about him- he's not an awkward teenager who often says the wrong thing and gets himself into trouble. He's not someone who adults ignore or straight up antagonize- when he's Robin, when he's with her, he's someone important. He's a hero. But he's not being inherently honest with her.

Some cute Tim/Steph screenshots :) -- (I do like them a lot, even though Tim's being annoying and cheating on Ari with her)

I haven't read Superboy yet but... this is Kon, right? Steph has a poster of Kon in her room? (If it's not him, please let me know!)

LOVE her outfit- I adore that we're seeing more of Steph in these issues.

Tim's love of Crocky <3 <3 <3 (he was fighting for his life with Alfred during this issue)

No one:

Tim: :D

Here's some appreciative animal screenshots

Dana Winters Appreciation Screenshot :)

Great parenting Jack...

I am so sick of this character. Why did Dixon keep putting him in here ugh

I-

Alright thanks for getting this far if you did! I'm back reading comics so here's to more of this silly little series! :D

[inkbyajm]

of kindling sparks

masterlist: part 1 part 2 part 3 part 4 part 5 part 6

pairing: joel miller x f!reader

tropes: fluff, slow-burn

warnings: 11 year age-gap (reader is 23, joel is 34)

word count: ~6000

author’s note: so this chapter as well as the next one basically serve as one long exposition before the main story (aka the prequel). i realise this is lengthy as hell but i needed to flesh out the relationship between joel and the reader for the upcoming chapters to hurt, you know?

(p.s. there's mention of joel carrying the reader. i know some people might be put off by this, but joel is quite buff. i mean the man works in construction, i promise he can handle carrying an adult for less than a minute)

————-　❈　————-

The air was getting chillier, the change of seasons not going unnoticed. (Y/N)'s focus was razor-sharp as she drove through the streets of Austin, making sure to take in the ever-changing leaves on the trees she passed by. As an exchange student, it wasn't cheap to be renting a car, and the money her parents were generously providing her could only last for so long. She desperately needed another source of income. Her prayers were answered the week prior when she stumbled upon an advertisement near the exit to her university. It was for a babysitting job with a decent pay and convenient working hours. She wrote an email to the address written on the poster:

Dear Mr. Miller, Is the babysitting job still available? I'm a student currently on an exchange program at the University of Texas. And while I haven't had prior experience in babysitting, I used to be an assistant teacher in a kindergarten. I'm very good with children and at keeping them alive (this is a joke, but I am pretty responsible, my mother can attest to this). If there is any need for it, I can also cook and clean up after each visit. Thank you for your consideration and I hope to hear from you soon!

Sincerely, (Y/N) (L/N)

To which, much to her surprise, she received an answer shortly after:

Dear Ms. (L/N), Yes, the babysitting job is still available. It's for my 12-year-old daughter Sarah. And while I appreciate all that you have to offer, there's nothing much to do but keep her alive, so your skill would be useful here. You can come by our house on 1411 Sullivan DR any day of the week after 5pm, we'll go over the details then. If you're still interested, you'll be able to start right away. See you soon!

Best regards, Joel Miller

After half-an-hour of driving, the house finally came into view. Just as she parked the car in the vacant driveway, and before she went to meet some stranger she hoped wouldn't turn out to be a creep, the girl gathered her wits and courage with a clasp of her hands, a deep breath, and a firm nod as if to say 'There's no going back now, and if I die, it is what it is'.

Her three knocks on the door were followed by a long pause which made her believe she had arrived either at the wrong time or the wrong house. But as she was about to turn around and flee in embarrassment, out came a middle-aged man with disheveled hair.

"Hello. Is this the Miller's house?"

"Yes, hi! I am so sorry I kept you waiting. (Y/N), right?" he said, wiping his hands on a rag.

"That's me."

"Great. I'd shake your hand, but mine are a bit dirty. Please, come in." he stepped out of the way to let her walk further into his home.

It was decently spacious and cozy, which temporarily put her at ease. They walked through the living room into the dimly lit kitchen. It smelled of spices and garlic.

He gestured around, "Welcome to our humble abode. Pardon the mess, I didn't exactly have time to tidy up," While it wasn't exactly messy, they could benefit from an extra set of hands. "You said you weren't from around here?"

"No, I'm quite a long way from home," (Y/N) said, taking a seat at the dining table. "I wanted to see other places, gain a bit of independence. Austin was one of the first to accept me, and since it seemed like a fine city to live in, I packed up my things and arrived at the beginning of summer."

"I'm Texas born and raised myself. Wouldn't dream of living anywhere else. How old are you exactly?"

"Twenty-three, sir."

He proceeded to rummage through the fridge that was almost full. "Alright. Would you like a beer, then? And please, call me Joel. You're making me feel old."

"Right, Joel. And sure, I'll have one if you do."

Joel handed her a cold bottle as he sat down across from her. She was familiar with the brand, they served it at the bar she worked at part-time on weekends. For the next hour-and-a-half, the two discussed (Y/N)'s life, her studies, Joel's job as a contractor, and Sarah. At some point, the attacks on 9/11 came up, unpacking the nation-wide terror they had brought. She recalled the panicked calls she received from her parents, begging her to come home. She had to explain that she was alright, that there was nothing to do about it now, and that she couldn't leave the city when she had already formed ties and taken on responsibilities.

Just as Joel was getting into another anecdote from Sarah's childhood, they heard keys jangling in the front door as it opened and shut.

"Speak of the devil. Done playing already?"

A soft voice rang through the house, "Yeah, I'm really tired." Then a pigtailed girl stopped abruptly at the entrance to the kitchen. She was wearing a soccer kit, carrying both a purple backpack as well as a blue duffel bag.

"Sarah, this is (Y/N). She's gonna be your nanny from now on."

The little girl hesitated at first, then gently approached the table and extended her small hand for her to shake. "Nice to meet you." she said with as much courage as she could muster, earning a smile in return.

Getting up from his seat, Joel kissed his daughter's head and told her food was ready, which prompted the child to run upstairs to her room. Feeling like it was her cue to leave, (Y/N) followed suit and slung her bag on her shoulder.

"Would you like to stay for dinner? I'm not much of a chef, but I have to admit I make a mean chili." said the man, pointing at the steaming pot on the stovetop.

The smell of a homemade meal was making her mouth water, but she hadn't known them for long enough to get comfortable. "Thank you for your hospitality, but I should really get going. I have some reading to finish before morning."

The two made their way back to the front door. "Alright, then. I'll see you tomorrow afternoon, yeah?"

"See you tomorrow, Mr. Miller- Joel, sorry." she corrected herself, waving him goodbye as she swiftly got into her car and began the drive back to her apartment. She hadn't even begun the job, yet (Y/N) couldn't help but feel giddy about her small success.

————-　❈　————-

A couple of months had passed and (Y/N) was really enjoying her new gig. Sarah turned out to be the sweetest girl the young woman had ever had the pleasure of knowing. She wasn't fussy or troublesome, was very well-mannered, oh-so-friendly and kind, and a fan of using sarcasm here and there, which seemed to be something she picked up from her father. Joel, too, was accommodating to the new addition of their little family. (Y/N) could sense, however, that he was somewhat more reserved - closed, even. It was harder to get to know her employer, but she didn't mind, these things took time.

Leaning against her car, the young woman read her copy of 'Pride and Prejudice' for the 4th or 5th time. Something about it brought her great comfort, especially during the colder months. The festive season was quickly approaching and she wasn't sure if gifts would be appropriate so early-on in her employment. She had zoned out for so long, she didn't have time to register her name being called nor a pair of arms swiftly wrapping around her waist.

"Hey, kiddo." she laughed, hugging the curly-haired girl back.

She let go and stared up at her babysitter with her big round eyes. "Did daddy send you to pick me up?"

"No, I just finished classes and thought I'd swing by."

"What are you reading?"

(Y/N) turned the book to show the cover, "Pride and Prejudice. It's an old book."

"What's it about?"

"Uh- well, it's about a lot of things, but mainly it's the story of Elizabeth Bennet and Mr. Darcy who have to overcome their differences to end up together. Hence the title."

"That sounds kind of interesting."

"Yeah, but it takes a lot of hatred and pettiness to get there."

The little girl shook her head in disapproval, "Adults. Why do they have to complicate things?"

"Alright, wise one. Get in before you get cold."

The car ride gave them more time to bond. They sang to Sarah's favourite songs and talked about whatever was on the little genius's mind. It was a unique experience for both of them, two feminine energies collided, something each of them longed for dearly.

At home, (Y/N) spent a significant amount of time helping Sarah with her homework: a bunch of English grammar exercises, essay writing, as well as some algebra. Following their arduous work, the girls decided they deserved some fun and made creamy pasta (one of Sarah's favourites) for dinner. Whilst waiting for the patriarch to come home, they got comfortable on the couch to watch 'Mrs. Doubtfire'.

Unsure if she should speak during the movie, Sarah poked her babysitter's arm. "Do you have siblings?"

"I don't, no. Why do you ask?"

"I don't have any either. Do you ever get lonely?"

(Y/N) wasn't sure where these questions were coming from, but she decided to entertain them anyway. "I used to, growing up. Though my parents did a very good job at making sure I felt loved at home. I miss them a lot, but I'm happy here too."

There was a long pause as Sarah was visibly deep in her thoughts. "I never knew my mom," It shouldn't have shocked the young woman, she assumed Joel and his wife had separated after noting the absence of a maternal presence in their home, but it still came as a surprise. "Daddy said she had her own reasons and that they both agreed for me to live with him."

"Adults always have their own reasons for things, even if it may seem dumb. I'm sure it was a very difficult decision to make for her and that she loves you very much."

"I don't think about her often anymore. My dad can be busy, but he does a good job. He comes to every game, takes me to fairs and carnivals, helps me with school projects. He's also extra cool on vacation."

Something about her remark pulled at (Y/N)'s heart. "I see. He seems like a really great dad." The girls went right back to watching Robin Williams dance around while doing chores, as if they hadn't just touched on a thought-provoking subject.

It was almost 11pm and Joel was nowhere to be seen. Instead of letting the girl pass out on the couch, (Y/N) let her hold onto her back as she carried the sleepy child all the way to her room. Making sure all was right, she put her to bed, closed the window, turned on the night-light, then made her way towards the door.

"You're really cool," Sarah said sleepily with her eyes closed. "I hope you stay for a long time."

No compliment in the world could compare to a kid's heartfelt approval. "I hope so too, sweetie. Good night and good dreams."

Walking back downstairs, the young woman took one look around the house and decided she could pass the time cleaning up here and there. She started by tidying up the living room: folding the throws, fluffing up the pillows, putting the board games back on the bookshelf. Then she moved onto the kitchen where she took the trash out, scrubbed the surfaces clean as silently as she could, put the leftover pasta away, and washed the dishes. Satisfied with her work, she went back up to Sarah's room to leave a glass of water by her bed in case she got thirsty in the middle of the night.

In a house that was dead silent, she heard heavy footsteps. In a short panic, she grabbed a pair of scissors that were lying on the desk and crept up closer to the door. The steps were agonisingly slow and calculated. The woman felt like she was in a slasher movie. Babysitters always die first. The only indication she had of the intruder's whereabouts was from the shadow that was created by the light from the kitchen. This is what you get for not turning on every single light in a house where you're all by yourself. One of the most important rules in horror movies, she thought. The shadow approached closer and closer to the door, and just when she hoped the distance was close enough, she leapt out of the room and went straight for the stranger. Unfortunately, her blow was blocked and her body pushed up against the wall. In a blink, she realised what had happened.

"What the hell, Joel?" she whisper-shouted.

"(Y/N)? What are you still doing here?"

"Doing my job. Couldn't let Sarah stay all by herself with no indication of when you'd be back. That would be irresponsible of me."

He let go of her arms, lazily rubbing his face. "You're right, I'm sorry. I got held up and my cellphone died. I'm so exhausted, I completely forgot you were here."

"It's all good, I didn't hear you arrive either," she paused, noticing the blood running down his left hand. "Oh my God, Joel, you're bleeding!"

He looked at the wound like he hadn't even felt it until then, "Oh, this is nothin'. I had worse accidents at work."

"Still, it could get infected. Please, take a seat in the kitchen, I'll be right back."

She went straight to the bathroom to fetch the first-aid kit. It was essential to know where it was, what it had and how to use everything as someone who had to watch a small human being. She went back downstairs to start working on Joel's injury.

"I'm so sorry. I was so caught up in my own mind, I thought you were an intruder, and it was the only weapon at hand-"

"Please don't apologise. It was my bad, really. I should have announced myself," he spoke as he watched her gently clean the cut with a saline cleansing wipe. "Can't blame you for doing your best to defend yourself. Takes courage."

(Y/N) realised that upon closer inspection, her employer was quite handsome. Dark messy hair, a somewhat upkept beard, broad build, crow's feet that indicated how often he smiled, as well as nose wrinkles that indicated how often he frowned. She carefully applied medical tape to close-off the wound and went to put the kit back where it belonged. On her way down, she noticed him looking around in slight confusion.

"Did you…clean the house?"

"Oh, you know, just lightly tidied up. I'm not a fan of leaving the places I stay at messy. Kind of a habit," she noted the silence and her hands instantly became cold. "God, I'm sorry. Again. I- I didn't even ask if you were okay with me touching your belongings, I got-"

"No, you're good. You're good. Don't sweat it. It's just that," Joel chuckled at her need to be so polite after months of working together. "You didn't have to do this. I can't ask you do to things that aren't part of your job description."

"I know. And I don't mind. Really. It's not like I'm playing Cinderella day and night," she said as they shared a laugh. "My job is to take care of a kid and the environment plays a big role."

(Y/N) picked up her bag, ready to leave for the night, "See you on Monday, Joel."

He reached out to touch her shoulder, then just as quickly removed his hand as if she had burned him. "Uh- do you- are you- um," She looked at him with furrowed brows, it's almost as if he was…flustered? "What are your plans for Christmas? Or, you know, holiday season? If you celebrate anything at all-"

"I won't be able to fly out to see my family this year, so I haven't made any other plans yet. Why do you ask?"

The man scratched his neck sheepishly, only then realising how long he had kept her standing on his porch when it wasn't exactly warm outside. "Would you like to celebrate with us? Sarah would be ecstatic to have you."

Warmth blossomed in her chest at the sudden invitation. So gifts are appropriate. Noted.

"I would love to celebrate the holidays with you guys. But only if you don't mind."

"I don't mind."

"Excellent, then I'll be here."

"Great."

"Good."

They stared at each other for way too long, the nanny realised, bearing the slightest of smiles. "Well, then. Good night, Mr. Miller."

He shook his head at her teasing tactic, "Drive safe, Ms. (L/N)."

There she was again, driving back to her apartment, giggling to herself like a maniac and for what? They invited her to celebrate a holiday. People did that all the time. Office workers, family members, casual friends, new and old lovers, it was truly nothing exceptional. But to her it felt different and she couldn't tell if it was because Sarah liked her enough to want her there or if it was because it came from him. Christmas was three weeks away. Three. Weeks. Away. Gifts. She needed gifts. What would she give them? What did they like? It came to her that she didn't know them that well, which meant she had some investigating to do in the little time she had left for shopping.

————-　❈　————-

When Christmas finally came, (Y/N) simply could not contain her excitement. She thought long and hard about the presents she would give the Millers, and while they may have appeared simple, she hoped that they would be appreciated. She personally wrapped them up in brown paper and decorated them with stamps, ribbons, and tags, firmly believing in the art of gift-wrapping. Austin had yet to see snow, she didn't think it would ever happen, yet the city was nevertheless bursting with festive spirit. Various lights decorated the trees and bushes in public parks. People hosted diverse markets in the streets where they sold artisanal goods and delicious foods. (Y/N) had gone ice-skating with the Millers a couple of weeks prior. Joel was as bad as she thought he would be; Sarah, however, was a natural. They enjoyed a lively Christmas parade that same day.

After parking in front of the house that was very tastefully decorated with her help, the young woman made her way towards the door, her homemade chocolate tarte in hand, and knocked, taking a second to register a male voice she did not recognise. The door swung open to reveal a man not much older than her, wearing a plaid shirt and dark blue jeans.

Looking her up and down, the stranger gave her a smirk, "And who might you be?"

"Hands off the babysitter, Tommy!" she heard Joel yell from deep inside the house.

"Ah, the famous babysitter!" he exclaimed, opening the door further. "Please, make yourself comfortable."

It smelled of oven-roasted turkey, of cigarette smoke, and of pine from the christmas tree. She found all of them moving about the kitchen: cutting vegetables, setting the table, washing the dishes. She felt like she'd arrived a tad too late.

"Can I help with anything?" she said, awkwardly standing in the middle of the room.

"Nah, everything's good to go," Joel replied as he scrubbed the remaining pots, "(Y/N), this is Tommy, my brother."

Said brother took her hand and placed a tender kiss on the back of it, "Very nice to meet you." Sarah couldn't hide her look of disgust if she tried.

"I didn't know Joel had a brother."

"You didn't tell her about me?" Tommy asked in exaggerated disbelief.

"Was I supposed to? Didn't know I was running a datin' agency."

"Thought that was part of the deal when we agreed to be each other's wingmen."

"Mm, don't recall us ever doing that."

"Well, we did. Spiritually. When we went to Buddy's Place? It was just around the time when Cat-" Tommy's monologue cut short with one sharp glare from Joel. (Y/N) could practically taste the tension emanating from him. Not a big fan of reminiscing the past, she noted.

"You know what, it's no problem. It's the perfect occasion to get to know each other, eh?" the younger brother flashed her a smile. They sure had impressive genes in this family.

Once the eldest Miller was done cleaning, all three adults cracked open a few cold ones to start off the evening. Tommy had the brilliant idea to teach Sarah a few card tricks, peaking their guest's interest.

"What are you teaching a 12-year-old cards for?" (Y/N) amusedly asked. Sarah seemed excited, she was one of those kids who loved to learn, it didn't matter what it was.

"First of all, every member of the Miller family knows how to play cards, we start young. And second, if not me, then who?" He made a good point. Tommy was, after all, the fun brother. "Wanna join in? I'm told I'm a great teacher."

She caught onto the subtle flirt and found herself wanting to return the energy. He was tall, he was dark, he was handsome. He smelled of cigarettes and beer with a hint of citrus notes. Not bad with kids but he wouldn't want any of his own anytime soon; very friendly, which for him also meant outgoing, ballsy, and prone to getting into trouble; charming to the point that he might seduce a few dozen women in one night; funny enough to make people like and maybe even trust him. She didn't mind flirting, but that was the extent of her intentions, and something told her Tommy Miller felt the same way.

They spent some time watching as Tommy performed the most outrageous tricks seen to man, to which his sole excuse was "I'm a bit rusty". He also tried to teach Sarah the art of cheating which, much to his disappointment and sorrow, his niece refused to take part in for moral reasons. (Y/N) noted the elder Miller's absence and excused herself from the oh-so-riveting demonstration of a disappearing card to go look for him. After searching the kitchen, his bedroom, as well as the garage, she stepped outside with a throw blanket and found him sitting on one of the patio chairs.

"What are you doing here? You'll get cold." he said, glancing at her from the side.

"I'm tougher than I look," she answered, nevermind the blanket tightly wrapped around her frame. "Came to keep you company."

"Who said I need any?" She sensed a hint of a playful tone.

"I don't know, you look awfully lonely sitting next to that empty chair." This earned her a light chuckle as she sat down. He didn't look very warm with one hand in his jacket pocket and his collar lifted up to his chin. She proceeded to awkwardly move her chair closer to his and slowly, as if dealing with a wild animal, reached out to wrap the throw around both of them, thankful that it was big enough for the job.

Sensing how still and tense he was, (Y/N) felt the need to talk to lighten the mood, "So, do you always sit outside all by yourself? In the dark? And in complete silence? Brooding-"

"I get the picture, and no," he took a sip from his bottle. "Sometimes I like to sit in my car."

He was capable of humour, which was a refreshing discovery after countless weeks of being formal. She understood wanting to define clear boundaries between employer and employee, but when she was essentially tasked to bond with his child and regularly invited to family activities, the lines naturally blurred, and her curiosity intensified.

"Who's Cat?"

Joel was silent for a second, then let out a reluctant sigh, "Cat was…a girl I knew way back when I was young."

"You're talking like you're in your 50s."

"I'm 34 to be precise, but fine, back when I was younger," he said grumpily. "We dated for a bit, then we didn't. That's how it went with most women I met."

"Oh, is this a Casanova situation?"

"No, more of a 'not ready to commit to a kid' situation," The silence that followed was loud, (Y/N) didn't want to make a sound, afraid he'd realise what he was doing and shut himself off. "I was 21 when Sarah was born. She's the joy of my life, I don't know what I'd do or where I'd be without her, truly. But...it was hard back then for a single dad with a newborn. Never went to college, had to take on side jobs to sustain both of us. My love life wasn't exactly a priority, and when the opportunity presented itself, they fled as soon as they heard the mention of a child."

The next question was risky, but she couldn't think of anything else, "So you haven't dated since your younger days? Not even the hot single moms in your area?"

This made Joel laugh heartily, a sound she loved to listen to, something she wanted to hear more often. "Not really. I mean I've flirted here and there, but Sarah and I are good the way we are now. She's my priority, and I want to make sure my partner's good to my kid too, you know?"

"If you don't mind my asking, what happened to Sarah's mom?" (Y/N) probed further, "Sarah told me-"

"Nothing happened. She left and that was that." The wall was back up. You pushed your luck.

Luckily for them, Sarah called for everyone to play cards. Which was then followed by board games. What they discovered that evening is that (Y/N) was either incredibly skilled at them or simply unbelievably lucky. She and Tommy got on well, making innocent physical contact here and there, high-fiving each other, sharing a lot of laughter, too much laughter for the man that sat across from them. Joel wasn't jealous, he was never jealous, but the sight didn't make him feel happy either.

After a while, the oven beeped, indicating that the turkey was ready. The four of them prepared the table with bowls of salads, bread slices, side-dishes, making space in the centre for the bird accompanied by roasted vegetables. (Y/N) joined in their prayer before they dug into their food. They shared all sorts of life stories: Tommy's time in the army, the most frustrating clients Joel had ever had, more embarrassing anecdotes from Sarah's childhood, funny and dramatic events that occurred while (Y/N) was on vacation. The young woman then brought out the tarte she'd made for the occasion, much to everyone's delight. It was as silky as she hoped it would be, tasting notes of coffee in her chocolate dessert covered in walnut crumbs. The ambience was relaxing, they sat under the dim light of the scented candles dispersed throughout the kitchen, bathing in the sounds of laughter and utensils scraping against the food on their plates.

When all was devoured, they moved the party back to the living room and Tommy decided it was time for presents. Sarah received hers first, which turned out to be a collection of CDs of her favourite musicians from Tommy and a skateboard she'd wanted for a long time from her dad. She hugged each of them very tightly, already excited to put both of her new belongings to use. Then it was Joel's turn to unwrap a brand new wallet gifted by his brother (apparently, he had complained about his old one he owned for more than a decade) and a second-hand guitar from Sarah that she acquired from a friend's cousin then paid for a cleaning by a professional with her own pocket-money (with a little help from uncle Tommy). Tommy received a steel lighter from Joel, who claimed the custom engraving – a hand-drawn cowboy hat on the front and T. Miller on the bottom – was Sarah’s touch. Just when everyone thought they were done, (Y/N) cleared her throat, calling for their attention, whilst dragging her bag closer to where she sat on the floor.

“I brought gifts of my own.” She declared and pulled out a box and gave it to Tommy, whom she'd met only hours ago. “I’m sorry, I took this just in case someone else would be here, but I wish I had gotten to know you sooner to customise the present to your taste- “

“Oh my sweet God,” he muttered, staring at the large crystal bottle of whiskey. “This is one of the fanciest kind around, it ain’t fuckin’ cheap either!”

“You’re lucky Tommy here is a whiskey connoisseur.” Joel said from his laid-back position on the couch.

The younger brother engulfed her in a warm hug soon after, “You got my taste just right, sweetheart, thank you.”

The room was silent as she extended a purple envelope to Sarah, who sat across from her. It didn’t seem all too exciting. The kid in question opened the envelope, eyeing her babysitter, who herself seemed a bit nervous. The silence in the room was suddenly broken as the 12-year-old squealed her hardest squeal, forcing both Millers to cover their ears.

“It’s two VIP tickets to the Halican Drops concert in Houston next year!” she exclaimed, launching herself at the now grinning woman. “Thank you, thank you, thank you!”

“How’d you get those? I thought they were sold out.” her father asked, clearly having gone through the struggle of standing in long queues to make his daughter happy.

It was difficult to breathe with a prepubescent child sitting in your lap as she held you in a death-grip. “I have an old friend who happens to work at the venue.” she replied, accepting the kiss on the cheek from Sarah who sat back on the ground, practically buzzing as she stared at the pieces of paper in her hands.

Lastly, (Y/N) got up to stand in front of Joel as he looked up at the object she extended in complete surprise.

“You really didn’t have to- “

“Just open it.”

So he did. What he found inside was a Prussian blue knit scarf.

“I noticed you never wear one, and it’s pretty chilly out, so I figured I’d knit you one myself. Finished it just in time a couple of days ago. The color looks flattering on you.” she explained, blushing deeper and deeper with every word. She failed to notice that he, too, was heating up.

“Well, I’ll be damned. This woman can bake, she can knit, she’s smart, and she plays cards like a pro. I mean what can’t you do?” And while she knew Tommy was teasing, she couldn’t help but redden even more.

“I’m pretty proud of my mixing skills,” she added, making him pause with a face that read ‘no way’. “I’m a bartender on the weekends.”

She had barely finished her sentence when she yelped as Tommy scooped her up and over his shoulder. “That’s it! I’m taking this one with me. It was nice to see ya, big brother!”

(Y/N) squealed and wiggled around as much as she could to try to get him to let her down whilst Sarah did her best to save her friend by clinging to one of her uncle’s legs in protest. It was one chaotic scene unfolding in front of Joel, who had not moved from his seat, still staring at the scarf in his hands as he ran his thumb over the soft wool.

After all that excitement, the household members spent a few more hours watching ‘Home Alone 2’ and ‘Jingle All the Way’, DVDs Joel had bought earlier that week. During the viewing, he caught himself glancing at the woman curled up against the arm rest less than a few feet away from him. She remained completely oblivious, amused by the tomfoolery happening on-screen. He left the room for a moment to dispose of his empty bottle in the kitchen. On the short way there, he realised he was slightly tipsy. While he was rummaging through the drawers, he heard someone come up behind him.

“Looking for this?” he turned around to see (Y/N) holding up the bottle-opener. She walked up to the counter and opened the bottle in his hand, brushing her cold fingers against his warm ones in the process.

“You’re cold.” he commented bluntly.

“Yeah, my extremities get cold easily. That’s why I walk around in gloves and thick socks as soon as the temperature starts dropping.”

She threw away her own empty bottle and swiftly turned around to walk back into the living room, when she felt his hand wrap around her wrist ever so gently.

“I didn’t get to thank you back there. You know, for the present?” he spoke softly, giving her a rare smile. “It was real nice of you.”

She noticed the way his pupils were slightly wider than usual and his stance that seemed to swing back-and-forth ever so subtly. “Joel, are you…are you drunk?”

“It takes a lot more than a few bottles of IPA to get me there. I’m just fine.” he whispered, for what reason she wasn’t sure, then unexpectedly walked up the stairs to his bedroom. He didn’t leave her to contemplate her next actions for too long because he emerged not even a minute later, holding his right hand behind his back.

They found themselves standing closer than they should have, but neither of them seemed to care as Joel revealed the mystery object.

“Merry Christmas, (Y/N).”

It was the most beautiful edition of ‘Jane Eyre’ she had ever laid her eyes on. Red leather hardback with golden accents all over it, including the fore-edges, it looked like something out of a royal library.

“How did you know?” her question was vague, but she knew he knew what she meant.

“Sarah told me about the books that you like, said you haven’t read this one in a long time.”

Her warm embrace came to him as a surprise, but in the state of mind he was in, not only did he accept it, but it felt good, it felt right to hug her back.

“It happens to be one of my favourites, so thank you. Really. For all of the things you’ve done for me so far.”

The two held onto each other for longer than needed until Tommy’s call brought them back to reality. The other Miller eyed the returning pair suspiciously as they took their respective places on the couch and went back to watching the movie in comfortable silence. Only he noticed the red book in her possession and fought hard to stop himself from smiling.

Later that night, after all the dishes had been washed, the leftovers put away, and the only child put to bed, Tommy reluctantly sat in the back of the cab Joel had called for him. I am not fetching my brother from a jail cell on Christmas Day, he'd told him. When he walked back into his home, he saw a sleeping figure on the couch, covered by one of the throws.

He went into his bedroom and took no more than 10 minutes to replace all of his linen with fresh ones from the closet in the hallway. He wasn’t going to let his guest sleep on a couch, especially not under a row of windows or next to the entrance door. Carefully picking her up, and she was one deep sleeper, he made his way back to his bed to lay her down on the new sheets.

My extremities get cold easily.

He changed his usual blanket for a thicker one then grabbed a pillow and went to make his bed downstairs. He picked up the scarf lying on the coffee table once more and unfolded it entirely, only then noticing the tiny initials embroidered in grey into one of the ends – J.M. Upon an even closer inspection, he realised it smelled of vanilla and flowers.

————-　❈　————-

masterlist: part 1 part 2 part 3 part 4 part 5 part 6

tags: @elliaze @joeldjarin

[lostbetweenvampiresandmusic]

I saw your requests were open! Could I please get David having a crush on a fellow spooky grumpy girl with a secret soft side?? 🥺 I think it would just be so cute if David met his equal and they turned to absolute butter for eachother

It's a bit different than the ask, and a bit longer than I expected, but it just sort of happened? It starts a bit dark, but David definitely likes her? Anyway, I hope you like this!💜

_______________________

There had been disappearances on the boardwalk, even more so than usual. Where the boys fed every couple of days, enjoying a bonfire party, they were, of course, partially to blame. But the latest missing posters that had gone up on the notificationboard had nothing to do with the boys. The new posters showed men, in their mid to late thirties, all having disappeared after going out for a couple of drinks.

David had been the first to notice the discrepancy between their kills and the number of disappearances - and he had decided that he would look into them. If there was another vampire hunting on their territory, they needed to be dealt with. Based on the kills, David would say that if it was a vampire doing the killing, it was a female.

He had gone to the bar where all of the victims had been seen before they'd been killed and was not surprised to see a young woman - no older than twenty-five if he had to guess - walked up to the bar. She was dressed in all black, and David was certain that he could see the silhouet of a knife under her coat. Her dark hair had been tied into a bun, and even though it was dark outside, she was still wearing her sunglasses. Normally, he'd find it pretentious, but somehow, it suited her.

He kept looking as she moved to sit at a table, becoming more interested when a man in his early thirties asked to join her.

"A pretty bird like you wouldn't mind, now, right?" The man slurred. It was small, but David noticed the hint of disgust on her face.

"Sure." Her voice was low, and where David expected it would normally be a warm and soothing voice, right now it was ice cold.

"You see, I've been a bit lonely since I've came here, and I saw that you were alone and I thought that maybe-"

"That I could keep your bed warm?" She tilted her head slightly. "That I'd be a good companion for a single night?"

"Well, not necessarily just one night, but you get what I mean right, I mean surely a lonely girl like you would-"

"Don't finish that sentence."

"- like the attention, right?"

She sighed, taking a long sip of her drink. She put the glass down and looked at the man in front of her.

"You're wrong," she smiled sweetly, "I am not lonely. Besides, even if I was, why would I waste my time on you? Someone who's willing to fuck the very first stranger he meets?"

"That's not-"

"But that's what you wanted, isn't it?"

David had listened closely up until now, and he couldn't help but like the woman. He had noticed, very early on in the conversation that she had this indescribable hint of danger hanging around her. Sadly - or luckily, depending on your point of view - the man in front of her had ignored it, letting himself be guided by his own lust.

"Y-yeah, but -" the man stammerd, shutting up when he saw her shake her head.

"Well, maybe I can help you. Just a little bit."

She stood up and walked out the door, the man quickly following behind. David followed as well, curious to see how she would end this. She had entered the back alley and lent against the wall.

"Can you maybe suck my-" the man started sounding somewhat hopeful, but he was quickly cut off.

"If you think that you can order me around, I'll not only cut your dick off, but also slice your tongue in half." Her voice was darker and colder than before, and only now did the man realise that she was dangerous.

"What?!" The man paled.

"Pants down. Now."

"What? Why? You freaking bitch!"

"Why? I saw you, Rick. I saw how you tried to convince students to sleep with you."

"It was by their own choice!"

"Really? 'Either you fuck me, or I make sure you won't be able to pay your tuition' is a choice?"

The man - Rick - nodded, albeit fearfully.

"I hate people like you. Do you really think you deserve so much more, simply because you have more power? More connections?" The woman had revealed her knife, swinging it around playfully. "Pants down. Now. Or I'll make you regret it even more."

Shakily, the man did what she said, and David grinned as he saw the satisfaction in her face as she carried out her promise. The man sunk to the ground, crying. "Let's this be a lesson for you, Rick."

"You sick fuck!"

"I know where you live. I know where you work. If you ever think of crossing that line in any way - I will know. And I will ruin you."

With those words, she left him, crying and bleeding in the alley behind the bar.

"I don't know who you are, but I know you're there." She stopped in the middle of the street. David smiled, appearing behind her.

"I like your way of handling things."

She turned around, somewhat surprised. "Hm. Never thought a guy would say that."

David grinned, realising she looked more relaxed now than she had done in the previous hour.

"So, you saw all that?" She asked, cleaning her knife and putting it back in her coat pocket.

"I did."

"And?"

"I think we have a lot in common."

"What, you also cut dicks off when someone harasses some girls?"

"I do worse."

At that, she smiled, offering him her hand. "I'm Nancy."

"David."

It was quiet for a moment before she spoke up. "Are you hungry?"

"Sure. My treat."

"Why?"

"I'd like to know you better. Tell me, why do you hunt these men down?"

She smiled, a hint of sadness present in her expression. "My younger sister has been scared to start uni after one of her friends had been harassed by a teacher. I am making sure she can go without feeling afraid."

"You're the cleanup crew?"

Nancy nodded. "I'd do anything for my sister."

David smiled at that, leading her to a small cafe. He ordered for them, and the two of them talked for hours. The more they talked, the more David realised he not only liked Nancy's way of handling things but practically everything about her. Nancy, although she was a bit apprehensive at first, began to feel flustered when he'd tell something or when he really looked at her. He made her feel special and wanted and normal for going on her clean-up mission. They talked about everything, and David was surprised to find that Nancy was part of an animal rescue team. And that she loved nothing more than to watch silly romcoms and that she sometimes wished she could go and explore hidden ruins in the hope of entering some magical fantasy world. How she loved the idea of magic and fantasy but had always loved vampire stories the most. David had grinned at that.

When the cafe closed, somewhere around three in the morning, she was more than happy to accept his offer to drive her home.

"David?" She asked as she got off his bike. "Would you maybe like to, well, mee me for dinner tomorrow?"

"How about I show you some hidden ruins that will lead you to a fantasy world?"

[ponds-of-ink]

Final Steel Wool PAX Predictions: “Of Helpy, Scraptrap, and Carrot Cake”

Okay, this is my last Steel Wool at PAX West/Freddy’s Birthday Bash prediction ramble before the actual event arrives. Mainly because I’m not entirely sure if I’ll have anything to add before then.

The rambling gets a smidge long, so I’m putting this below the cut. Happy reading..

—

I’m pretty sure about one thing, and that’s we’ll see the conclusion of Where’s Helpy? game. The last post was a cliffhanger with extra tags spelling out “SEATTLE”, and PAX West (iirc) is in Seattle. I’m going to be disappointed if it’s not.

Speaking of disappointment, I’m going to keep my hopes low and assume Helpy didn’t drag Dr. Scraptrap along for the ride. ..That is to say, we’re probably not going to get Help Wanted 2 DLC news at the event.

I know, I just made a post about the possibility of it showing up. I know I also saw on Steel Wool’s Twitter that there’s a “Dress as Your Favorite FNAF Rabbit” on September 2nd (iirc). I am fully aware that I just wrapped up a mini-saga of improvised art challenge sketches where Scraptrap gets emotionally wrecked by Helpi, and for all I know it could be another accidental prediction.

But if there is one thing I’ve also learned when predicting for FNAF stuff, it’s this: I need to assume the worst, and be very unsurprised when it happens. If I get overly hyped up for a second, then it’s not happening.

So I’m playing it safe and saying “Do not expect Dr. Scraptrap at this event”. Not even a cosplay.

Moving on…

Cassie and the whole Carrot Cake thing.

Unless I missed something, we didn’t get carrot cake on Steel Wool’s Twitter for the whole “Eight Days Of Freddy” thing. Not even a picture of an actual carrot cake from one of the developers.

So I’m still going with that part of my theory, but I’m switching up DLCs.

We might just get another chapter in Ruin, or something related to it in a book. Maybe that Escape From The Pizzaplex thing will get properly announced idk.

The point is: If there’s any rabbits that might return to relevancy, it’s Cassie’s take on Vanny. We could even get a new teaser for a new full-suit design.

…Or, y’know, the devs did celebrate with literal carrit cake and I just didn’t look at the right Twitter profiles. That’s entirely possible. If they did, please let me know so I can cross this off my list. Thank you in advance.

The last things I can think of are exclusive YouTooz drops, but what those could be idk. Maybe it’ll just be another poster or something.

TL;DR— My predictions are:

(1) Where’s Helpy will be concluded.

(2) No, “Patrick”, Help Wanted 2 DLC will not be announced. Scraptrap will not return either.

(3) Something about Cassie and/or literal carrot cake. Alternatively, we get Ruin-related news.

All in all, a pretty fun event but definitely lower key than last year. If any of these are wrong later, feel free to come back to this and type “that aged like Fizzy-Faz lol”.

[psych0-str1ngs]

Take a trip on the wild side- Tommy Lee

Authors Note: This was kind of a request, but either way I'm very happy to be back in my writing era. I feel like I'm pretty good at it. Anyways enjoy @loveisblindnessxox!

Warnings: Cussing, if that's even a warning.

We all sat around glass table, laughing and joking. It was Me, Tommy, Nikki, Mick, and Vince of course. The band had just performed at the whiskey-a-go-go and we were all absolutely shit faced. I was sitting in between Nikki and Tommy, with a bottle of jack in my hands. Just like thousands of other girls, I had a MASSIVE crush on Tommy.. We both like the same music, and we have the same style, he's funny, he isn't the smartest but, let's be honest that's to be expected. He contrasted my personality very well, I'm a calm, kind of quiet person, but man when Tommy was around, there was nothing stopping me from becoming an animal.

Everyone knew about my crush on Tommy, probably from the way I actively stare it him when he isn't looking. When Tommy isn't around all Vince and Nikki do is pressure me into telling him, but I'd never in a million years tell him. They constantly tell me that he likes me back, and that he was also way too nervous to tell me but ofc I didn't believe it. I mean Tommy could have ANY girl he wants, why would he want me out of all people?? No way. I spaced out, hardcore. Tommy looked at me.

"You good Y/n?" Tommy asked moving my hair so he could see my eyes. "Your eyes are so fucking red dude."

"Yeahhh," I said. "Just super tired."

I got up and yawned. Tommy kept his eyes on me.

"I think i'm gonna go home," I slurred standing up and walking to the counter to get my keys.

"Hell no, you aren't driving." Vince said, catching me right before I almost fell on my face.

"But," I hiccuped. "You do it all the time."

"Do as I say not as I do," Vince said walking me to the couch."

I giggled, plopping right down back into my place between Nikki and Tommy. I could have sworn I saw Tommy glaring at Vince for holding onto me. I leaned on Nikki's shoulder.

"Nikki," I whispered.

"What," He whispered back.

"Let's make Tommy jealous." I whispered back giggling.

Even in my drunken state I was still well aware of my feelings towards Tommy. Nikki put his arm around my waist, and I leaned further into him.

"You know Nikki," I let out a giggle. "I've never taken the time to realize how hot you are."

Tommy shifted uncomfortably. Immediately looking sad. Of course I was oblivious because I was so drunk, and high, but Tommy was clearly jealous. HE wanted to be the one you were leaning on.

"Oh yeah?" Nikki laughed. "Have you looked in the mirror?"

"Should I?" I batted my eyelashes.

"No need to," He leaned closer. "I'll tell you how hot you look."

Tommy got up angrily, almost slamming the Jack Daniels bottle on the table.

"I'm going to sleep," He said with no emotion in his voice.

I pouted. "What why?"

"Because," Tommy dead panned me, and walked off, slamming the door so hard one of the posters on the outside of his door fell off. The guys all looked at me.

"Now's your time," Mick said.

"Gee, what am I dying?" I laughed.

"I'm serious Y/n." He started. "He obviously likes you. Grow a pair and go ask him out."

I groaned, Nikki pushed me up off the couch. My hands shook, while I gave them all a thumbs up. Walking up to the door, I picked up his poster, and knocked softly.

"Tommmmy," I said. "I'm coming in."

I got no response, but continued to come in anyways. Tommy was by his window, smoking a cig. I layed his poster on his bed, and grabbed a cigarette.

"What's wrong T-bone," I asked, grabbing a lighter and sitting by the window.

"It's none of your business," He stated coldly, his eyes scanned the night sky from his place in the chair placed next to the window.

"Why not?" I pouted. "I just want to help you."

"Help me?" Tommy looked offended. "If you wanted to 'help me' you wouldn't flirt with all my band mates right in front of me."

I stayed quiet, letting him continue.

"I like you Y/n, I really thought it was obvious. I let you touch my hair, I let you sleep in my bed while I sleep on the couch, I let you play at my drum set, which I wouldn't do for anyone else. I let you take care of me, I don't really do that with anyone else. But yet, here we are, me yelling at you because I just want you to see me the way you obviously see Nikki." By now he was standing up.

"Tommy I like you!" I started. "I was flirting with Nikki to make you jealous! I literally could not make it more obvious!!!"

He stopped. His threw his cigarette out of the window, and I set my unlit one on the chair. Tommy walked up to me, his tall slender body flush against mine. I scanned his face, he looked dead in my eyes. His hand landed on the back of my head, holding it lightly. He bent down and kissed me. Finally was all I could think. He slipped his tongue into my mouth, pulling me closer by my waist. He pulled away.

"You're my girlfriend now right?" He asked.

"Of course," I smiled.

We made out a little longer, when all of a sudden, Vince barged in.

“OH MY GOD,” he yelled almost falling. “IT HAPPENED. THEYRE TOGETHER.”

“It was bound to happen,” Nikki said.

The end :)))

[the-wales-5]

"Rugby World Cup 🇫🇷 + 'the Intruders' " :)

15th October 2023.

The Princess of Wales was attending the quarter finals of Rugby World Cup between England and Fiji. Several fans of her showed up to the game, including one wearing a hilarious mask with Catherine's face on it. Two men brought themselves to the stadium with posters made of cartons with French sentences, which translated to < divorce and marry me > & < Not him, Kate. Me >.

The princess was unaware of their act until the very end of the match when her secretary told her about it and showed a picture that was already viral around all of the 'royal' social media accounts.

***

Upon home return, William was waiting for her. "England is in the semi-finals, unlike Wales" said Catherine after seeing him, showing him her competitive side once more. William narrowed his eyes a little. His wife was rather confused, so she asked: "Is everything okay? It was a simple joke, you know that, right?.." she smiled but that facial expression was quickly replaced by a different one as she added: "Just like those posters you probably had seen".

"Posters" William sighed and then looked at her face, asking "What was your reaction ?" He asked, awaiting her explanation of the Intruders as he called them earlier. Catherine tried not to smile and said "I laughed and.. By the way, where are our kids?".

William rolled his eyes again after he did not get a direct response "And what? What else happened?" He asked once more.

Catherine hid a sigh and replied "And I assumed that you will behave in this way. Losing in a competition is not always an easy thing. Excuse me, Mr Wales, but I would like to see our children right now".

William sensed that his wife was teasing him now and couldn't help but smile as he stared at her way.

*

"I am so happy that England won, mummy. Hope they will win next week and then in the finals as well" George said.

They were playing a board game together with Charlotte and Louis. Orla was 'watching' them, occasionally barking, especially when Louis was the winner.

"She is rooting for me" he said and giggled

"Lupo used to do something similar with me," George said as he remembered their old dog and his playfulness. His mother caressed his shoulder. Thinking about Lupo and other dogs in her family that already passed away was not simple for her either, especially when an anniversary of Lupo's death was approaching.

Charlotte noticed her sudden sadness and asked, "Mummy, is everything okay?" Catherine, without saying anything, hugged her children and Orla.

*

The princess was pretending to be watching the TV in the living room late in the evening. William approached her and put his arm around her. "You've got no plans to go to sleep tonight? You should feel sleepy after your flight and all the emotions you had"

Catherine looked at him suspiciously. "Emotions? I feel like you've had more of those than me and that includes jealousy again. Am I right?".

William took a strand of her hair away from her face as he replied "You're not wrong. Well, maybe not jealousy but a bit of anger when you teased me by saying that losing in a competition is not easy" he said.

Catherine smirked "Well.. Usually you love when I am teasing you and this time you don't? This is unusual for you" she said.

"This is because you told a lie" William replied while looking into her eyes, then kissed her neck. Catherine laughed "So you think that you won. England was the winner and you are supporting Wales so you lost. This is logical."

"Both you and me know that it doesn't only mean the match itself, Mrs Wales but the posters. Those men lost, not me" William said and before Catherine could laugh, he kissed her on the neck once again, more passionately.

"Be careful" she giggled "I won't accept love bites marks. Do you know how difficult it is to cover that later?".

William only smirked as he said "The weather's getting colder so you can begin wearing turtlenecks soon, can't you?".

Catherine giggled and pushed him back. "Sorry for you, Mr Wales but you were right: I am feeling tired and sleepy right now. Your proof of winning must wait until tomorrow" she laughed and went to take a shower.

As a 'revenge' and to prevent William from joining her there, she closed the bathroom room with a key. William knocked when he realised what she did a few minutes later.

"Are you serious?" He asked and then smiled after hearing his wife's soft laugh.

*

"Aren't you sleeping?" He asked about thirty minutes later when he came to their bedroom after putting their youngest child to sleep.

"I can't" Catherine replied

"So you missed me anyway" he smiled.

Catherine shook her head and replied: "Today when I was playing with the children, all of a sudden George mentioned Lupo and you know that--.. his death anniversary is coming and it is still not easy sometimes to think about it even when Orla's with us" she sighed.

"Kate.." her husband said and pulled her closer to himself "Of course it is not possible to forget about him and the way he left us"

Catherine blinked a few times and then she could feel William's forehead kiss and then another touch of his lips - on hers.

She looked at him and William caressed her cheek as he said: "You told me to wait until tomorrow for something more so I will but it does not mean I will not try to lift your mood up a little bit if you want, Mrs Wales"

His wife nodded as she said "Yes, you are allowed to do that I think.. But that doesn't mean that you're a winner in everything. Wales lost" Catherine smirked after making a decision to tease him for the last time that evening and that way she got her 'revenge': lots of kisses on her face and a few, <almost invisible> love bites on her neck.

*

"Thank you" Catherine said sarcastically the next morning when she stood in front of a mirror, trying to cover the marks William left on her neck the night before.

"You can still wear turtlenecks, and there is nothing in our calendars until November so it will heal, right?"

"Yes, unless you plan to prove something again" Catherine scoffed a little

"Next time I need to prevent some people with the cardboard posters from coming to the areas where you will be. Then, I will not have to prove anything" he said and laughed after Catherine threw a pillow at him.

~The end ♡~

[imnotsorryforanyofthis]

Quirkless Advantage

Chapter twenty: A home vs. a house

Warning: Lots and lots of cussing…..

———

These chapters are going to be stupid and short. Enjoy reading!

———

I look around the room. There was only a bed, nightstand, and dresser.

Nothing else.

No pictures, posters, nicknacks...nothing really personal.

Definitely just a house instead of a home.

I put down the clothes on the bed so I can take off mine. I slip on the shirt. It is too long for me but wasn't too baggy. I then pull up the sweatpants. It is also too long for me but it is also very baggy. I tie the string tighty so it won't slip off of me.

After I am done changing, I pick up my clothes and open the door to see that Dabi is sitting on the couch. He looks over at me and gets up, "The washer machine is over here." He walks through the kitchen and opens a door to a little laundry room. He takes the clothes from my arms and puts them in the washing machine. "Thanks," I say and he nods as he starts it.

Dabi looks over at me and smirks.

"What?" I ask glaring at him. "Oh, nothing," He says, looking me up and down. He walks past me and heads throughout the kitchen to the living room. "Don't be creepy," I yell walking after him.

We sit on the couch the same way as before and Dabi starts the movie.

"Really? Zootopia?" He asks. I smirk looking over at him. "What?" I shrug, "I just had to." He smiles and shakes his head.

Smile number three.

—

We're half way through the movie and I see Dabi glancing at me every once in a while.

He glances at me again.

"What?" I finally say. ""What is it you want?" I look over at him and he tenses up.

I smirk.

He notices and glares at me.

Suddenly he has his hand around my arm and pulls me over to him.

Now I'm across his lap.

"Really?" I ask glaring at him. "You were too far from me," He says looking right into my eyes.

"I didn't like it," He says.

"Why?" I ask and he sighs, rolling his head back so he is looking at the ceiling. "Always with that question," He mumbles to himself. "It's not a hard question to answer," I say moving so that my legs are on either side of his. "You just don't want to answer it," I say leaning in closer.

Dabi puts his hands onto my waist and moves them down to my thighs. "You're a tease," He whispers in my ear, clenching my thighs.

I smirk, "I know."

"You also know that this won't turn out well," Dabi says, leaning his forehead against mine. "Yes," I whisper. He leans back and looks at me. My hair is blocking my face as I look down, fidgeting with his white shirt. He lifts up his hand and moves my hair behind my ear.

"It won't hurt to try," Dabi says softly, smiling.

Smile number four.

"It will hurt in the end," I say and he brushes his hand across my cheek. "Let's just try," he says leaning in.

I take in a deep breath, breathing in his scent. Why does he have to smell so good?

"Fine," I whisper leaning in.

Dabi's hand is softly against my cheek and our lips are centimeters apart.

I look into his blazing blue eyes filled with desire.

His other hand grabs the back of my head as our lips barely brush against each other.

I cry out in pain and lean back, almost falling back but he doesn't hesitate to wrap an arm around my waist. I grab my throbbing head and cry.

"No...No...Stop it..." I say over and over.

"Please...no," I say over and over.

"Tsuna...What's wrong?" Dabi says letting go of the back of my head.

"Make it stop! Make it all stop!" I cry out.

Dabi takes my hands away from my head.

"It won't stop. My head won't stop. Make it stop," I say quieter, tears streaming down my face. 

Dabi wipes the tears away. "What's going on?" He says softly. "I don't know...After I hit my head in Hosu...I've been hearing voices in my head. They come and go," I say, grabbing onto his shirt and fidgeting with it again. "I have been having these nightmares," I say looking up at him, "All of this started after I hit my head."

"When did you hit your head in Hosu?" Dabi asks. "After we parted ways, I got lost and somehow I came across Stain," I say and he tightens his arms around my waist. "He told me to leave but I didn't listen to him. He threw me back and I hit my head on the wall," I say. Dabi's face gets darker and darker as I explain what happened. I get off of him and sit right next to him.

Only centimeters away from him.

I lean against him while having a little bit of his shirt to fidget with. I ignore his eyes that are blazing at me. "Lets just watch the movie," I say.

Dabi turns his blazing eyes from me to the tv, "Fine."

---

Here is the link to all of the chapters

Link to next: Chapter twenty-one: Vivid

[katlakitty]

N7Month Challenge - Day 10: Rifle

Commander John Shepard had been accused of many things during his service in the Alliance and as a Spectre, but tax fraud because of a faked death was new. He'd been close to death several times before, when he grew up on earth and was running with the wrong people, during his first years serving the Alliance, on Akuze... but he'd never died. Not until the Collectors had shown up two years ago. Two years of the galaxy just putting their head in sand and ignoring every warning of his former crew. Two years wasted of their remaining time, two years of his life Shepard had been dead, but now he was back and accused of TAX FRAUD. Of all the things the Citadel's high and mighty could care about...

John stood and waited patiently until the C-Sec officer had done his job and he was clear to enter. He should go talk to Udina or whoever was the human ambassador at the moment, he only now realized he didn't even know. He didn't have time to read up on anything since Ceberus had brought him back. Having to work with them didn't sit well with him either, but beggars can't be choosers, right? It wasn't like he could just walk away from them. Especially not if the Citadel accused him of tax fraud and the Alliance hadn't even bothered checking up on the rumors that he was back.

Entering the Zekera Ward John had not been prepared to see his own face on a big screen. He froze for a moment.

Savior of the Citadel Commander John Shepard [...]

He stopped reading and clenched his hands into fists. John didn't know what he had expected the Alliance to do, of course they would use his face on their recruitment posters. But it didn't sit well with him.

At least no one stopped him and asked for an autograph or something as he walked through the busy hallways. There were some people whose eyes followed him or who turned around to look after him, but he didn't stop in his tracks. He had never really cared about all the attention, that wasn't why he'd become a soldier all those years ago.

John stopped in front of Rodam Expeditions and entered the shop. Going through the shop's stock he noticed the M-29 Incisor Sniper Rifle listed for sale. It was tempting, very tempting. But also way too overpriced for his budget. He was about to leave again when the clerk recognised him.

The M-29 would be delivered to the Normandy and Shepard smirked to himself when he left the store some time later.

"I am Commander Shepard and this is my favorite shop on the Citadel."

You can find a collection of all my N7 Month drabbles on AO3.

[gloriousmonsters]

it's fascinating to see people running the exact same scripts as trensmeds/exclusionists but for mental illness.

I just crossed paths with a post that was a screenshot of a tiktok where someone was clearly frustrated because 'I thought I might have autism but when I tried to bring it up with my therapist she said she literally wouldn't discuss it with me because 'everyone thinks they have it because of tiktok', and the original poster/about 90% of the notes were... celebrating this. Either variations on 'lol based psych' and 'she was right' or people explicitly saying shit like:

'Well, I was trans diagnosed with autism/adhd before it was cool and trendy! I can't believe that the diagnostic criteria is getting made stricter, it's the fault of those transtrenders tiktok kids who pretend to have mental illnesses. I get to gatekeep because I really suffered!'

(Shoutout to the confusing outlier who sagely was like 'and usually they just have bpd' in the tags. just???? just, my fair sir? also source???)

And like. It makes sense and is also so incredibly frustrating for the same reasons as transmed/exclus stuff. When you're a hurt person stuck interacting with a system that makes a lot of decisions about your personal autonomy/function, it messes with your head. It taps into that particular reaction to trauma that there was that one great post about--the mindset you get in when you see people get help when you didn't, and get furious and often default to 'it shouldn't be so easy' or 'why should they get help when I didn't?' And if you're struggling with a system that is, lbr, way more about luck in what specific people you got to talk to than any kind of well-built system, which is historically very flawed and still very flawed... well, a lot of people don't want to admit the system is a crapshoot and the people in it can be wrong so, so often, because then what about my diagnosis? my confirmation that I am what I am? fuck kids with stargenders and self-dxed teenagers with autism, I suffered for this, you can't take it away from me.

Which they aren't. If diagonistic criteria for anything is being made stricter, that's not on tiktok teens, it's on the people who write the criteria and decided that this was how they were going to handle an uptick in people thinking they are/might be autistic. If people are passing anti-trans legislation, that's because they're transphobes, not because of demigirls and non-op trans people. And are all of these kids queer, or mentally ill/ND, in the way they think they are? Probably not. Being a teenager is fucking confusing and often traumatic, and it's also a time when most of them are investigating and trying to build their identities. But I'm willing to bet that almost all are genuinely struggling with something/deviate from 'the norm'; if you want to stop kids from 'believing they're something wrongly' maybe focus your energy on putting the message out that it's ok to be wrong about things, that self-discovery is a process-- in this specifically, how to interact with mental health diagnoses and manage your symptoms, no matter where they stem from, in helpful ways, etc etc.

But please do the bare minimum and don't let personal pain turn you into a bitter, smug asshole who celebrates when they see kids experiencing gatekeeping that could really, really fuck them over, OK? Like physical disability and queer identity, the few 'fakers' you'll 'catch' by being cruel and suspicious will in no way be worth the people dead because only people who REALLY need help should be able to get it.

[marypsue]

I humbly request Dealer's Choice of another writing sample! (Since I am not currently in any of your writing fandoms)

You are very kind, and in respect of the truth of your statement, have some original fiction! From the second chapter of Fearleading Squad:

...

Avery saw the first of the missing person posters two days later.

She’d only ever actually met Arlon’s parents once or twice. They were a pair of ex-hippies, and she wasn’t so sure about the ex part. Easygoing, cheerful, cheerfully oblivious people who thought the sun shone straight out of their only son’s ass. As far as they were concerned, anything he did or wanted to do was wonderful. Including things like picking up and driving across the border to spend three days at a renaissance faire in the nearest state without telling anybody beforehand that he was going.

If they were putting up missing person posters for Arlon, something was very, very, very deeply wrong.

For the first time since the school year started, Avery found herself thinking, again, about how Steve seemed to have vanished off the face of the earth.

A missing kid was obviously going to get attention, no matter who it was. But Arlon wasn’t exactly popular, and had a well-earned reputation for being…the politically correct term was ‘weird’. The gossip that swirled around his apparent disappearance – or, at least, what Avery heard of it – was, for the most part, not particularly sympathetic. The whole ren-faire-disappearing-act thing probably wasn’t helping his case, either.

The popular consensus was that he’d probably taken off on some other stupid whim, and he’d be back in a week with a brand new chainmail shirt or replica sword or airbrush painting of a girl in a fur bikini riding a sabretooth tiger on the side of his van, and an even more insufferable attitude. Or, and this struck Avery as one hell of a lot more sinister, that if for some reason he didn’t show back up, maybe it was for the best. For everyone. That maybe this town wasn’t the place for him, anyway. That maybe he’d found himself somewhere to go where his kind were more welcome, and he didn’t want to come back. That maybe, even if that wasn’t really what had happened, people would be willing to believe it was. Or at least pretend they believed it was.

That maybe if something bad had happened to him, well, he’d kind of been asking for it.

Even the cops who turned up at the school to talk to Avery didn’t seem to be taking the task of actually finding Arlon entirely seriously. What they were taking seriously, though –

“Are you fucking kidding me?” Avery blurted, when the short one finally got to the point of what they were really there to ask her about. “You seriously think I killed one of my best friends in cold blood over a fucking tabletop game? Because some nosy old blue-haired bitch – who had no right to eavesdrop on a private conversation, by the way – has never heard of a joke? Are you stupid?”

“Miss DiAngelo,” the skinny one said, frowning disapprovingly.

There wasn’t a whole hell of a lot Avery cared less about, in that moment, than his approval. “This is bullshit. This is just because some stupid old farts don’t like how I dress. I didn’t hurt anybody, I definitely didn’t kill anybody, I don’t know anything about where Arlon is, and I’m not saying fucking anything else to you assholes without a goddamn lawyer.”

“Language, Avery,” the principal sighed, not for the first time, pressing his forehead into his palm. “These gentlemen are just asking for your help.”

“We’re trying to find your missing friend,” the skinny one said, sharply.

“Yeah?” Avery shot up out of her seat, gathering her jacket up in her arms. “Try looking.”

It wasn’t entirely a surprise, storming out of the principal’s office, to find herself unexpectedly face-to-face with Tiffany. Of course, Tiffany was just sitting there, primly waiting in the rough-weave-covered metal skeleton of a chair beside the secretary’s desk, like she was oh so innocent. Like this was a big coincidence. “Avery! I’m just waiting for Principal Whittaker, is he done in there? I want to ask him about this idea I have for a pep rally.”

Her hair tumbled in perfect golden waves over a crimson sweater that looked tantalisingly soft to the touch, her cross pendant perfectly framed between the crisp white triangles of a shirt collar peeping out from underneath. Avery wondered how long it had taken her to perfectly arrange that collar. Probably longer than it took her to arrange her face into a near-perfect expression of concern. It’d be perfect once she could get that last trace of mockery out. “Oh, no, was that about your friend?”

“Arlon,” Avery said. It wasn’t exactly a forgettable name. And she knew Tiffany knew it. Knew he’d introduced himself to Tiffany multiple times. Had actually been forced to endure being present for a few of those times. “Yeah.”

Tiffany leaned forward in her seat to peer through the door Avery had come out of, her hair sliding forward over her shoulder in a shining curtain. “Are those the police?”

“Yeah,” Avery said. She didn’t really feel like going into detail.

Tiffany sat back in the uncomfortable chair with every sign of ease and comfort. She looked up and caught Avery’s eye with her own. Avery couldn’t have said at gunpoint what the expression on Tiffany’s face was supposed to be as Tiffany said, her voice cloyingly thick with put-on, mocking innocence, “They must really be taking it seriously, then, huh? I guess they must think something really bad happened to him.”

“I hope your stupid fucking pep rally gets firebombed,” Avery said shortly, digging her nails into the soft suede of her jacket and imagining it was Tiffany’s tender, tanned skin as she stomped away across the office.

Peals of chiming, perfect laughter and an insincere, “You’re so funny, Avery!” chased her out the door.

[givemethepage]

Layers of Fear 2023: The Actor's Story, Chapter 2

I'm just going to give more impressions. This may spoil something, or I may be very wrong in my speculations. Don't tell me yet if I am.

Rat Queen says "Do you remember hunger?" in response to the earlier Writer narration.

Camera item says something about the character looking off on film. "I think you must have moved. You just don't look quite yourself." Did the camera capture two people? Is one sibling literally haunting the other sibling? They're deliberately being cagey about which one died, though I'm fairly sure it was the sister. The Writer was using a singular They when talking about the actor before. Ugh. I don't get how some people who liked the first LoF didn't like this one.

What are these gramophone cylinders? Who is speaking?

In the cabin, it said put on the mask. Then the items keep saying that they don't recognize me and some of the mannequins are wearing masks. I think it's being pretty clear about actors, performing, trauma, various types of masking. If LoF1 was the Freudian game, then this one seems like the Jungian game. Idk if that will fully hold up. But as far as what it means for the literal events of the story, not sure yet.

Director: "No man is an island, but one can become a vessel to carry the flame of another." I mean...

Also I'm tired of seeing comments like "mannequins aren't scary bro. This game overuses mannequins."

I blew up the "city." Director is furious according to the note from my agent. Did I miss that Black Wanderer poster? Could I have picked it up?

So it seems so far that... The sister, Lily, died, either while they were stowing away on a ship or after. No idea what they were running from that they snuck aboard. Did she starve and allow James to escape? And then there's this implication that James was jealous of her strength, so when he became older, maybe he pretended to have it and became our famous actor using her confidence. Or something. Or maybe it's more sinister. Maybe he killed her, or consumed her, or something. Although I think his guilt may be more along the lines of living her life after she died, rather than actually ending it. Idk.

Who is the director, and why does he know all there is to know? He keeps prompting me to bury the sister and show... my true self? Who seems to be more than just the little boy.

Also what the fuuhhhh there are now breadcrumbs of a definitive lore?? Who wrote THESE rat notes??

My favorite image so far is when I turned around right before leaving the engine room and saw the two mannequins holding hands through the bars that blocked my way back.

[cressida-cowper]

About the whole fandom and Sherlock stuff: I think a lot of ppl were disappointed with the last season of Sherlock and it made them realise that they had been putting the show on a pedestal so they did a full 180. I feel like this happens a lot nowadays, sth is either the best or the worst, no middle ground. Might be why someone talks badly about Marvel eg bc they act like they're the best at everything always but they're ofc flawed in a lot of diff ways. I'd say hating on ppl for liking things is especially prevalent in larger online communities, bc it's easier and gives the poster some satisfaction or sense of superiority ("Your interests/my former interests are basic, I'm so much more sophisticated")

you are making such an important, valid and correct point that i do hate to say this bc i do not disagree in any way but the origin of this convo was never about fandoms, i was referring to the way that people talk about the media themselves. like do not get me wrong, you are 1000% right with what you're talking about and i wholeheartedly agree and i will forever believe that it's an important thing to discuss and talk about and dismantle, but when i said this:

i was solely referring to the way people talk about the show as if it was bad, which i did not find it to be. and then when i said this:

again, i was referring to the plethora of posts, tweets, reviews etc that deride the films and shows themselves and hate on them in various ways. this is something i do not understand as someone who has seen a majority of the mcu and largely enjoyed it.

my original points and you and the other anon's points are definitely connected and both very important to talk about, but not quite applicable to my original source of confusion. i am in no way closed off to talking about the phenomenon of personal attacks based upon the media a person enjoys, i think it's abhorrent & self-righteous in a way that it has no business being, but that's a different conversation altogether <3

[donut-cloud]

Lifesteal incorrect quotes

Rek: How was the honeymoon? Branzy: Clown got drunk and tried to destroy our marriage certificate. Branzy: He said, “good luck trying to return me without the receipt”. Branzy: I love him.

Zam: Leo was banned from the buffet place, so we had to go out of town to get food.

Leo: Well, they shouldn’t say “all you can eat” if they don’t mean it.

Zam: Leo, you ate a chair.

Ashswag: You know you've made it when you see your picture everywhere you go.

Rekrap: Those are wanted posters

Ash: You're pretty bad at this.

Red: Thank you!

Ash: Wha- That wasn't a compliment!

Red: I've decided to focus on the positive aspects of life now!

Red: So you just called me pretty!

Ash: Wth

Parrot, to Rek: There are two types of people in this group. Observe.

Parrot: The floor is lava!

Vortex: *quickly helps Ro, Zam and Woogie onto the counter*

Mapicc: *pushes Spoke off the sofa*

Parrot: See?

Subz: If we die, I'm going to get Vitalasy’s ghost to teach my ghost how to play music, so I can annoy the hell out of your ghost.

Clutch: I'll just hire Oasis's ghost to kick your ghost's ass.

Oasis: My ghost won't associate with your ghost

Zam, texting: Leo, there’s a spider on the outside of the bathroom door. Can you get rid of it?

Zam, texting: Leo?

Leo, texting: Leo is dead. You’re next.

Leo, texting: love, The Spider.

Branzy: Can I have some water?

Vitalasy: *starts chugging his water bottle* Vitalasy: *chokes from drinking too fast*

Vitalasy: *spills water all over himself* Vitalasy, coughing: I don't have any water for people that betray purple duo >:(

Mapicc: We’re playing Scrabble. It’s a nightmare.

Rek: Scrabble? Scrabble’s great.

Mapicc: Not when you’re playing with Ro, it’s not. They put words like “carpe diem” and I put “dog.

Zam: Why are you like this??

Ash: I used too much "No More Tears" shampoo as a kid and I haven't felt a single emotion since

Spoke: What if the 'g' in 'gif' is silent?

Clown: Get the fuck out of my house.

Spoke: What gif I don't want to?

Clown: Fuck You

Zam: What if I pour coffee in my cereal instead of milk?

Don, walking by and taking the coffee pot: And what if you don't?

Zam: That's okay we still have orange juice!

Spepticle: It’s so nice to feel wanted, you know?

Branzy loading a crossbow: NOT BY THE LAW!!

Ashswag: I am not out of control! I'm a law abiding citizen!

Reddoons: Really? Name one law.

Ashswag: Don't kill people?

Reddoons: That's on me. I set the bar too low

Ashswag: *appear*

Reddoons: Ah, we meet again, my old arch enemies.

PrinceZam:…

PrinceZam: I thought I was your arch enemy?

Reddoons: I have a life outside of you, Zam

Hairdresser: How would you like your hair cut?

Clown: Preferably with scissors, but a sword could be badass.

Branzy: Sweet dog you got there. Police: Yes, this is our new drug sniffing dog. Branzy: Still training huh? Police: What do you mean? Branzy: Branzy: Never mind.

Branzy: Welcome to my very first vlog, in which I try different hair products! Branzy: *sprays hairspray in their mouth* Branzy: Well, right off the bat I can tell you this one is not very good.

Branzy: I would do anything for money. *later* Branzy, covered in blood: THE STATEMENT STILL STANDS!

Spoke: So according to the cease and desist order I got, apparently you can’t ‘legally’ be a lawyer if your license is ‘cut out of a cereal box’.

*the TV is freaking out* Branzy: Don’t worry, you have to treat an electronic like you treat a patient on life support. *unplugs the TV, then plugs it back in again. nothing changes* Branzy: Yeah, that didn’t work with my grandma either.

Mappic: So I can either do something dumb that could very well get me injured or I can listen to Ro and not do the thing, Mappic: Well there’s a clear right answer here. Mappic: *proceeds to throw five packs of mentos into a barrel full of diet coke

Spoke: I lost my fish, can you help me find it? Parrot, cooking the fish: What? I couldn't hear you, please speak up.

Subz: I trusted you! Vitalasy: Why

Subz: What is wrong with you? Vitalasy: Loaded question. Elaborate.

Vitalasy: How does one turn their emotions off? Subz: Okay, so first go to settings. Subz: I'm a fucking idiot, I thought that said emojis at first. Vitalasy: No, I'm still willing to try this, go ahead. I'm at settings, what do I do next?

Vitalasy : I am literally evil incarnate. Vitalasy : I’m not actually, I just enjoy being evil. Vitalasy : Which I think actually makes it even more evil because I’m making a conscious effort.

Subz: We’re all in this together. If one of us falls, we all fall. Nobody is expendable on this team. Vitalasy : Sounds fake but ok.

Clown walking into the kitchen and seeing all their limes peeled: Branzy, I love you but, what the h-e-double FUCK. Branzy, sipping coffee happily: I love you too :)

Zam: Hey, I see those leaves, where are you from? Don: Canada. Zam: AAYYYE, I KNEW IT! ME TOO! Parrot: Did you just identify a country by looking at its leaves

McClutch: Ah, Hello again. We really need to stop meeting like this. Vitalasy : Maybe we would, if you would sTOP BREAKING INTO MY FUCKING HOUSE!!!

Vitalasy : Ashswag, we're hungry! Branzy: Ashswag! What's for dinner? Subz: We're hungry, Ashswag! Ashswag, frying a bottle of ketchup over the stove: *screams*

Clown, confused and exasperated: Branzy, how do you plan on telling a bear to go vegan? Branzy: Politely

Reddoons, very tired: Can I sleep in your bed? Ashswag : *half asleep* Red, this is a queen-sized bed. That means it’s for *gestures vaguely to himself* the Queen.

Reddoons: Hey, can you do me a favor? Ashswag: Sorry, I have to go do literally anything other than this. Reddoons: You don’t even have a legitimate reason? Ashswag: Oh, no, I do. Reddoons: Well, what is it? Ashswag: You see, I simply don’t give a fuck.

Parrot, smugly, after security arrives to escort Branzy and Ashswag out: So, do you wanna walk out of here or do you wanna be carried out? Branzy, in defeat: Let’s go. Ashswag: Wait. Branzy: What? Ashswag: I’d kinda like to be carried out...

Vitalasy : Adults are the most insanely stupid people I have the displeasure of interacting with. Branzy, referring to themself and Subz: Even us? Vitalasy : Especially you guys. Subz: Branzy: Subz: Petition to kick Vitalasy out so he stops insulting us. Branzy: Seconded.

Branzy: I just found out that humans are capable of fitting a light bulb into their mouth with ease but can’t take it out without shattering it, and now I have to physically restrain myself from putting a light bulb in my mouth

Vitalasy : FUCK THE CHAIR. PARDON ME FOR MAKING MYSELF COMFORTABLE DURING A SINCERE HEART TO HEART DISCUSSION WITH A DEAR FRIEND IN NEED! Vitalasy : BUT THE TIME HAS COME FOR ME TO CEASE STRADDLING THIS DEEPLY OFFENSIVE PIECE OF FURNITURE! AWAY WITH YE, FOUR LEGGED TEMPTRESS! DISTRACT US NO MORE WITH THE MOST BASIC AND UTILITARIAN FORM OF COMFORT YOU SUPPLY! Ashswag: Vitalasy just threw a tantrum about a chair. Ashswag: I just won Vitalasy Tantrum Bingo.

Branzy: Come on, Ashswag! How any times do I have to apologize? Ashswag: Once! Branzy: ...No.

Vitalasy : So we're gathered here today for a very special reason and I think you'll all agree with me here. Vitalasy : And if you don't well then fuck you. Vitalasy : I'm looking at you, Subz, you jealous mop.

Reddoons: When I see  attractive people like Ashswag, I just laugh because I know if we lived in the Aztec culture, they'd be sacrificed for their beauty. Vitalasy : I mean, that's one way to cope with not being attractive. McClutch: Works for me.

Branzy: I warned you. Branzy: I'm perfect.

Ashswag: I'd make fun of your height but there isn't enough to make fun of.

Vitalasy : I just wanna be called cute 21/7. Branzy: Why no 24/7? Vitalasy : Snack breaks.

Branzy: So I got this amazing plan! Rekrap : We fail almost every time you say that. Branzy: Well this is the same! But with a chicken involved.

McClutch: I wouldn’t put it in those words exactly. Branzy: Why not? McClutch: Because I don't know what they mean.

McClutch, as a child, reading their school assignment out loud: I love my library because... McClutch, mouthing words while writing: I love reading, fuck you.

Vitalasy: I hate you. Branzy: Well, according to this picture I drew of us holding hands, that is untrue.

Clown: I love you. Branzy: I love you too. I've waited so long to hear you say that. *Clown and Branzy kiss passionately* Rekrap, to Chief : You owe me 20 dollars.

Vitalasy : I'm usually that person who has no idea what's going on.

*out grocery shopping* Subz: *takes a free sample twice* Subz: Robbery and Fraud. I am a Rebel.

Subz: You... you saved me. You're not a beast at all. YOU'RE A HERO, AN UGLY UGLY UGLY HERO! Ashswag: Call me ugly again, and maybe I will eat you.

Ashswag: I am an expert at identifying birds. Reddoons: Okay, what about those ones flying over there? Ashswag: Yeah, they're all birds.

Ashswag: Ugh, there’s always that weak bitch in the group who isn’t down with murder. Ashswag: *glares at Spepticle* Spepticle: Well, sorry I have morals!

Vitalasy , seeing a banana on the car seat: What the FUCK?? Vitalasy , buckling the banana up: Fucking buckle UP, it’s the LAW!

Clown: Branzy, can you help me? All of my clothes keep disappearing for some reason. Branzy, wearing a hoodie that's 5 times bigger than their size: Spooky.

Branzy: Protip is you do not feel good about yourself after eating tomato sauce on iceberg lettuce. Vitalasy : What's wrong with you?? Branzy: I literally JUST said I ate tomato sauce on iceberg lettuce?? Pay attention. McClutch: No, they mean other than that. Branzy: Ohhhhhh. Branzy: I haven't slept in 4 days.

Vitalasy : What's worse than a heartbreak? McClutch: Stepping on a cat's tail and not being able to explain that you're sorry.

Vitalasy: I have been tricked, I have been backstabbed, and I have quite possibly been bamboozled.

Parrot: I'm not mean. Name one mean thing I’ve ever done. Spoke : When we were younger, you convinced me eggs weren't real. Parrot: They're not. Spoke : Haha, very funny. Parrot: I'm serious. Didn't you hear? Spoke: No... what happened? Parrot: ...Why would you fall for this again-

Reddoons : I intend to stay pissed at you forever. Reddoons: Even if I seem helpful. Ashswag : Then you're in luck. Ashswag: Because you don't.

McClutch: What happened to Ashswag? Subz: They died. McClutch: They what? Subz: They died, but they’re okay. McClutch: …Can you please clarify? Ashswag: Clarification is for the weak.

Branzy: *pitches an idea* Chief, impressed: Huh, there might be something here! Rekrap, under their breath: Yeah, a lawsuit.

Rekrap: Isn’t a bit dangerous? Branzy: Rek, please. We’ve in a lot of unexpected predicaments before and we always escape unhurt. Rekrap: ... Branzy: Okay, we sometimes escape unhurt. Rekrap: ... Branzy: Alright, we escaped unhurt once... Then we hurt ourselves in the way home.