#rachel cabin tales

[rhithefella-sillytimes]

📜 [Five individuals from a different timeline have been found.] 📜

(Aka. Rhi makes fanart for 5 other fandesigns)

Design credits:

Matthew Godrick design by : @cat0901h3

Kevin design by : @applefishzombiedeer

Rachel design by : @missr3n3

Pierce design by : @L0v3n_D34th (twitter)

Marcus design by : @doliminuz

Extras

[missr3n3]

Cringetober Day 10: Ship Dynamic

back at it again with the extraordinarily rare pairs lol

for scale, i imagine rachel is abt 5'6 :3

[angelic-writer]

Lichtenberg - The Light of the Party

Day 21 of @augusnippets

Prompts: Delirium/vertigo/hallucinations

Fandom: Cabin Tales

CW: Underage drinking, panic attack

February 8th, 2014

"So, Rachel," Roderick looped his arm around the younger girl. "Remind me again. What's your major?"

"Oh, I..." Rachel rubbed the back of her neck. "I'm doing a major in English."

"Nice! Nice."

"Yeah, I want to be a writer someday. It's uh, it's stupid."

"No no no no no. T-That's awesome!" His face was a bright crimson. He could not believe he was actually talking to Rachel without getting rejected. Maybe it's his chance to finally-

"Would you look at that!" Jeremy came up from behind and held her close. "Rachel as I live and breathe! What are you doing here?"

Roderick immediately gripped his cup. What the fuck, Jay?

"I'm just... I dunno. I got invited so why not?"

"Absolutely! I just never took you for the party type. You're always so quiet in class."

He couldn't hide the utter contempt in his eyes as he gritted his teeth. Just when things are starting to go well for him, Jay had to come here and cockblock him. God, I want to punch that smug look off your face right now...

Not too far away, Kevin was trying his best to keep his beer cup steady. He already had a few sips and he was already getting sick. He hated the taste of beer. It left a disgusting aftertaste in his throat and he didn't understand why his other classmates could even stomach it. The room was beginning to spin around him. Nothing reached his ears as they began to ring. Chest constricted, heart racing...

Air... I need air. I need to get out. Roderick...

He spotted his only salvation at the punch stand with Jeremy and Rachel. With wobbling legs, he made his way over to him, trying to keep himself steady like he was on a moving carnival ride.

"Hey, Roderick...?"

Roderick whipped his head around, immediately going back to his confident look. "Hm? Oh, hey Kevin! What's up?"

"I... I-I'm not feeling too great..."

"Uh..." Roderick looked around him, trying to make sure that no one was watching him. Why did Kevin have to come up to him now? As if Jay's cockblock wasn't embarrassing enough. "What do you want me to say?"

"Can..." His head began to pound. "Can we go?"

Roderick gripped his shoulders. "Kev, come on, man. You're fine. There's probably pills or something you can take in the bathroom, no?"

He blinked. "What?" He expected him to be dismissive of him like before, but he thought he would make an exception just once. "J-Jay..." He reached out to him with a shaky hand, but he and Rachel were beginning to walk away.

"Rachel, you know what? You look thirsty. Come with me."

"Uh, o-okay?"

"Guys..." Why? Why are they leaving him? Weren't they his friends? Weren't they supposed to be here for him?

"You're fine! Kev, just relax, okay? Come with us. Grab a drink."

Kevin pushed him away. "No..! R-Roderick, it's-" The room was beginning to spin more and more. His legs were shaking uncontrollably now. "I'm not... feeling well...!"

"I-" Roderick started to say, but a piercing headache stopped him. He gripped his head, dropping his cup and spilling beer all over the floor as he did so. His head felt like it was in a vice, being slowly crushed. Images of what he was about to say next flooded his mind. Everything he did to Kevin, everything he roped him into...

The room. His screams.

His crime.

You murdered him.

"Roderick...?" Kevin slowly said, reaching a hand out. To rub his back or touch his shoulder? He didn't know because everything was spinning. He was taken aback when the brunette suddenly grabbed his wrist.

"Come with me." It was quick and breathless, but it was clear as day. Next thing Kevin knew, Roderick was pulling him to the front door, making him drop his cup on the way. A couple patrons gave them a weird look as they ran. Roderick was sure that a couple of his teammates were staring at him funny.

Fuck your judgement. Kevin needs me.

[rhithefella]

Marcus and Rachel - "A 'New' Experience"

"...I guess you can try it. Just this once. I'll let you hold the camera."

- Famous last words from Rachel Soledad, the last girl to ever grace the planet. For in a manner of minutes, she will be losing her breath...

Out of laughter. And lots of it.

You see, her and her newfound... (ally? friend?) companion Marcus have come across the abandoned wastes of what used to be called a 'store', and she figured that they better grab what they could while they still can. Besides, it's not like she'll have to pay. As they're looking at the shelves that will never be restocked, Rachel comes across some familiar objects.

Cameras. Handheld ones.

Of course, she's had a lot of experience with them considering her worst regret of a job in the media industry. Knowing this, the sight of them gave her an idea.

"We can use these to record anything that we can.", the girl said, filling her bag with a few boxes of cameras.

The other wanderer shrugged, stocking a grocery cart with random objects he liked, mainly snacks.

Rachel took one camera, testing it out if it's still working somehow.

It is. Perfect.

She focused the camera on her companion, and called out to him.

"Marc, check this out!"

The old friend stranger looked back at her, tilting his head. He seemed a little more interested with it now.

Rachel took a few shots with the device, a few panning shots and then some others. After the random takes she inspected the videos she made. At this point the boy was standing right next to her, peering at the videos.

She takes notice, looking over at him. "Ah, do you... want to try?"

She gets a nod from him, and he reaches his hand out.

She hands it over carefully with a small smile. "...I guess you can try it. Just this once. I'll let you hold the camera. Go on, take videos of anything that interests you."

She watched as he tried to get the camera to record, fumbling with it like how one of her friends would fumble a conversation. Ah, who was it again? Pretty sure it was Kevin. She found those times quite endearing.

After a minute of just watching, she decided to step in and help him. "It's... obvious you haven't done this before. Here. Let me help you on that."

After getting the camera to work, her companion started to practically run around, camera in hand. She could tell that he was having fun with it, and he also looked like he was a natural.

After half an hour of running around, the boy returned, camera in hand. It looked pretty banged up, as if it's seen better days. But it was functional, it worked. The same could likely be said about the both of them.

He hands them off to Rachel, and she looked at the videos he took.

The contents of them caused a small smile to form on her face, albeit just a slight twitch of her muscles.

They had videos of random things. Shiny objects. The squeaky wheels of the cart he was using. Some remaining semblances of life on the area. A few cats, some dogs. Even the chirping of the birds that she'd normally call incessant if they didn't make her relieved to see a living thing.

She even saw him try to chase one of them.

She's trying, fighting for her life not to laugh.

There also was one clip of the traveller trying to... sniff the camera? Well, he was inspecting it. Also tossing it around. Guess she found out why it looked like that.

And with that, she started to laugh. The other traveller seemed confused, but slightly chuckled when he saw what she was laughing at.

Eventually, they both went into a hysterical, giggling fit. Ah, he was new to this after all.

[doliminuz]

Marcus and Rachel - Wrong Lessons Learned

(TWW JUMPSCARE-)

They're leaving now. The Storyteller, Death, had told them another story, 'Sea Siren.' Marcus (Although a part of him keeps sayings its name is Amon. Maybe it is. But its companion calls it Marcus so that's the name it shall go by.) still doesn't fully understand why he keeps telling them these tales. But it's a nice break from everything else so he can't complain.

"What did you think of the story?" His companio- Rachel's voice interrupts the relative silence. He blinks. Oh, there's lessons isn't there? He doesn't understand what he means by lessons though. They are not being taught anything, no new skills to help them, so what lessons are there?

Shes staring at him, he's meant to respond. Because it is human, that is what humans do, they respond when asked questions. But it is not human. Does it really need to respond?

"Was... sad." The story was sad. It was meant to be so he will say it was sad.

More silence, she nods but looks like she wants to say something. He waits. She does not speak. Perhaps he's meant to say more but his throat already hurts from the few words he's already spoken.

"I... think I got his lesson." Ah so he isn't meant to say more. "Maybe you do too."

He does not.

[angel-of-whump]

June 20.

Almost one year after the boys had disappeared, and yet there still was no leads whatsoever.

It was saddening that they seemingly disappeared with no trace, but each and every day that passed without updates just felt frustrating. It's like the authorities didn't even try, and it was almost a guarantee that they left the case to fester and decay.

Rachel looked at the photos she had of them, mere reminders that they had been a part of everyone's lives just before about a year ago. She was supposed to create an article in memory of them to place in the next week's school newspaper.

But all of a sudden, she had a thought.

She was going to find them. Even if it costs her everything. Or at least, she has to try.

If they won't do their jobs, who will?

She began to pack her bags, and she scrolled through her phone's contacts. Her finger hovered above one name.

She took a deep breath, and called their number.

"Hey! This is Jay. I can't come to the phone right now, but leave me a message and I'll get back to you as soon as I can."

"Hey Jay. It's me, Rachel. It's... been a while since I last saw you. Um... Everyone's really worried about you. Dan especially. He's been losing sleep over this. Everyone has. The team... Well, they haven't been taking this well at all. They've been going around town, trying to find you guys. They've even put up missing person's posters of you guys. Jason and Jerry put more posters of Kevin up than any one of you guys. Some of the students tried telling them to let it go, but you know them. They're pretty persistent.

*sighs*

They really miss you guys. And... I miss you too. I wish we could've talked more. You being at that party was really nice. And... Y'know, I think we could've been really good friends.

I just wish you'd come back soon. You, Roderick, Sam, Kevin. Please come home soon. We all miss you.

I gotta go. Need to get some writing done, but if you get this message. Please call me back."

[philipkindreddickhead]

100 Fiction Books to Read Before You Die

The Namesake by Jhumpa Lahiri

The Book of Margery Kempe by Margery Kempe

The Bluest Eye by Toni Morrison

A Small Place by Jamaica Kincaid

The God of Small Things by Arundhati Roy

Frankenstein by Mary Shelley

We Need to Talk About Kevin by Lionel Shriver

The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie by Muriel Sparks

The Girl by Meridel Le Sueur

The Kitchen God's Wife by Amy Tan

The Secret History by Donna Tartt

The Color Purple by Alice Walker

The Poisonwood Bible by Barbara Kingsolver

Veronica by Mary Gaitskill

Americanah by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie

Alias Grace by Margaret Atwood

Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte

The Bell Jar by Sylvia Plath

Mrs. Dalloway by Virginia Woolf

Kindred by Octavia Butler

Middlemarch by George Eliot

Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen

To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee

Uncle Tom's Cabin by Harriet Beecher Stowe

Their Eyes Were Watching God by Zora Neale Hurston

Passing by Nella Larson

The Left Hand of Darkness by Ursula K. Le Guin

Brideshead Revisited by Evelyn Waugh

Death Comes for the Archbishop by Willa Cather

Play it as it Lays by Joan Didion

The House of Spirits by Isabel Allende

Wuthering Heights Emily Bronte

Little Women by Louisa May Alcott

White Teeth by Zadie Smith

The Power by Naomi Alderman

The Street by Ann Petry

The Age of Innocence by Edith Wharton

Mary Barton by Elizabeth Gaskill

An American Marriage by Tayari Jones

Small Island by Andrea Levy

The Idiot by Elif Batuman

The Outsiders by S. E. Hinton

The Price of Salt/Carol by Patricia Highsmith

Room by Emma Donoghue

The Sea, The Sea by Iris Murdoch

Garden of Earthly Delights by Joyce Carol Oates

Wide Sargasso Sea by Jean Rhys

Wise Blood by Flannery O Conner

Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn

Picnic at Hanging Rock by Joan Lindsey

Rebecca by Daphne du Maurier

Salt to the Sea by Ruta Sepetys

Atlas Shrugged by Ayn Rand

The Awakening by Kate Chopin

Fried Green Tomatoes at the Whistle Stop Cafe by Fannie Flagg

The House on Mango Street by Sandra Cisneros

The Well of Loneliness by Radclyffe Hall

House of Incest by Anaïs Nin

The Mandarins by Simone de Beauvoir

The Lottery by Shirley Jackson

A Little Life by Hanya Yanagihara

Corregidora by Gayl Jones

Whose Names are Unknown by Sanora Babb

Half of a Yellow Sun by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie

The Handmaid's Tale by Margaret Atwood

See Now Then by Jamaica Kincaid

The Lowland by Jhumpa Lahiri

Beloved by Toni Morrison

The Joy Luck Club by Amy Tan

The Goldfinch by Donna Tartt

Demon Copperhead by Barbara Kingsolver

The Ministry of Utmost Happiness by Arundhati Roy

To the Lighthouse by Virginia Woolf

My Antonia by Willa Cather

Democracy by Joan Didion

Black Water by Joyce Carol Oates

The Violent Bear it Away by Flannery O Connor

Sharp Objects by Gillian Flynn

My Cousin Rachel by Daphne du Maurier

The Fountainhead by Ayn Rand

I Must Betray You be Ruta Sepetys

The Haunting of Hill House by Shirley Jackson

The Mare by Mary Gaitskill

City of Beasts by Isabel Allende

Fledgling by Octavia Butler

A Wizard of Earthsea by Ursula Le Guin

The First Bad Man by Miranda July

Sense and Sensibility by Jane Austen

Moses, Man of the Mountain by Zora Neale Hurston

Disobedience by Naomi Alderman

Quicksand by Nella Larsen

The Narrows by Ann Petry

The Blood of Others by Simone de Beauvoir

Under the Sea by Rachel Carson

Go Set a Watchman by Harper Lee

Under the Net by Iris Murdoch

The Birdcatcher by Gayl Jones

Desert of the Heart by Jane Rule

In the Time of the Butterflies by Julia Alvarez

The Memory Police by Yōko Ogawa

@gaydalf @kishipurrun @unsentimentaltranslator @algolagniaa @stariduks @hippodamoi

[fandomtrumpshate]

Unlisted Fandom Challenge

Two days ago, at our last Unlisted Fandom Challenge update, we had a 3-way tie for first. Today? One of those fandoms has taken the lead AND a new fandom that hadn't had even a single signup before has jumped all the way into a 4-way tie for second. Your fandom could do the same, in the hours still left before signups close!

At present, our leaderboard looks like this:

7 Danny Phantom

5 Carmen Sandiego (2019) 5 For All Mankind 5 Tortall 5 Yu Yu Hakusho

4 Ace Attorney 4 Alan Wake/Remedyverse 4 Formula 1 RPF 4 Ted Lasso 4 The Goblin Emperor Series - Katherine Addison 4 The Stanley Parable

3 Greek Mythology/Religion 3 Buffyverse 3 Bungo Stray Dogs 3 Call of Duty 3 Detective Conan 3 Dragon Ball 3 HBO War 3 Kingdom Hearts 3 Persona Series: 3-5 3 Professional Wrestling 3 Realm of the Elderlings - Robin Hobb 3 Shades of Magic - V. E. Schwab 3 The Mummy films 1999-2008 3 Undertale

Given the way Carmen Sandiego came from *nowhere* to tie for 2nd place, a single signup really can shake things up! And for the next few hours, signups are STILL OPEN! Do the thing!

The rest of our unlisted write-in fandoms under the cut for length -

2 Ghosts (TV) 2 Black Sails 2 Cosmere 2 CSI 2 Cyberpunk 2077 2 Dead Friend Forever 2 Death Stranding 2 Dice Punks (podcast) 2 Dimension 20 2 Donten ni Warau / Laughing Under the Clouds 2 Dracula 2 Dune 2 Firefly 2 Glee 2 Guardian/Zhen Hun 2 Hermitcraft/The Life Series SMP 2 Imperial Radch Series 2 Inception 2 JoJo's Bizarre Adventure 2 Mob Psycho 100 2 Mobile Suit Gundam: The Witch From Mercury 2 Omniscient Reader’s Viewpoint 2 Ordem Paranormal Quarentena 2 QSMP / Quackity SMP 2 Riverdale 2 Saw 2 Slow Horses (TV Show) 2 South Park 2 Stormlight Archive 2 The Bear (TV) 2 The Empyrean - Rebecca Yarros 2 The Folk of the Air (Holly Black) 2 The Radiant Emperor Series 2 Venture Bros 2 Voltron 2 Wolf Pack 1 1670 1 A Court of Fey & Flowers 1 a league of their own (TV series) 1 A Plague Tale (Videogame Series) 1 American Gods 1 Among Us 1 Bandom RPF (Bad Omens) 1 Bandom RPF (Lorna Shore) 1 Bandom RPF (Motionless In White) 1 Beastars 1 Bendy (and The Ink Machine/Dark Revival) 1 Horror 1 Bioshock 1&2 1 Blue Beetle 1 Blue Eye Samurai 1 Books of the Raksura 1 Boondock Saints 1 Breakfast With Scot 1 Bunny - Mona Awad 1 Buzzfeed Unsolved/Watcher Entertainment RPF 1 Cabin Pressure 1 Cats the musical 1 Charlie's Angels (2019) 1 Cherry Magic 1 Chronicles of Narnia 1 Cobra Kai 1 Coffee Talk (Video Game) 1 Criminal Minds 1 Death Note 1 Devil May Cry 1 Dexter 1 Digimon 1 Discworld - Terry Pratchett 1 Disney Theatrical Animated Universe 1 Divergent 1 DMBJ (Grave Robber's Chronicles) - Xu Lei 1 Dream SMP 1 Dungeons and Daddies (podcast) 1 Endeavour/Morseverse/Inspector Morse (ITV/Dexter) 1 Ensemble Stars!! 1 Fallout Video Game (Bethesda) 1 Falsettos 1 Fargo FX 1 Farscape 1 Fire Emblem (4-10, 13, 14, 16) 1 Five Nights at Freddy's 1 Friends at the Table 1 Game Changers Series - Rachel Reid 1 Grantchester 1 Green Creek 1 Grey's Anatomy 1 Grimm 1 Gundam (see below for details) 1 Hatchetfield 1 Hawaii 5.0 1 Hello From The Hallowoods 1 High School Musical 1 Higurashi no Naku Koro ni 1 Hollow Knight 1 Honkai Star Rail 1 Horizon Zero Dawn 1 Infinity Train 1 IT (Movies - Muschietti) 1 Jeff Satur - music videos 1 Julie and the Phantoms 1 Kushiel's Legacy 1 Law and Order 1 Legend of the Galactic Heroes 1 Live Free or Die Hard (Die Hard 4) 1 London Spy 1 Lovecraft Mythos 1 Magi: The Labyrinth of Magic 1 Magnificent Seven 1 Mary Grant Bruce's Billabong series 1 Mrs. Davis 1 My Little Pony 1 Nancy Drew (CW Series) 1 Narcos (TV) 1 Nine Worlds Series - Victoria Goddard 1 NU: Carnival 1 Omori 1 One Direction 1 Orphan Black 1 Outlast 1 Paranatural 1 Phantomarine 1 Re-Animator 1 Resident Evil/Biohazard 1 Sex Education (TV) 1 She-Ra and the Princesses of Power 1 Simon Snow Series 1 Skins (UK) 1 Slam Dunk 1 Starry Musical 1 Succession 1 Sunless Sea 1 Super Sentai 1 Sweeney Todd 1 Team Starkid 1 Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles 1 The Adventure Zone: Balance 1 The Adventures of Buckaroo Banzai Across The 8th Dimension 1 The Adventures of Tintin 1 The Artful Dodger 1 The Good Place 1 The Greenhollow Series - Emily Tesh 1 The Hollows - Kim Harrison 1 The Last Kingdom 1 The Left-Handed Booksellers of London - Garth Nix 1 The Lunar Chronicles 1 The Mechanisms 1 The Pairing (Casey McQuiston) 1 The Saint of Steel 1 The Shadow Campaigns - Django Wexler 1 The Terror (TV 2018) 1 Three of Hearts 1 Tin Can Bros 1 Tower of God 1 True Detective 1 Twilight 1 Vorkosigan Saga - Lois McMaster Bujold 1 Wayfarers (Becky Chambers) 1 Weak Hero Class 1 1 Westworld (TV) 1 Yellowjackets 1 Yu-Gi-Oh! Duel Monsters

[g-girlshavingfun]

December Prompts

7) Bitter Coffee - Rachel x Joe

About a month after the events of DJGC, Rachel turns up at Joe’s cabin for a catch up before she plans to fly to London. (2,569)

———————————————————————

Five minutes before Rachel arrived at his cabin, Joe started preparing coffee.

She hadn’t let him know she was coming, but she wasn’t trying to hide it either. The cameras on the freeway nearby had picked up the numberplate of her own Range Rover as it took the turning towards his place. Sound sensors placed along the gate blocking his drive from the road picked up the tell-tale squeak of it being opened, no attempt being made to dampen or disguise the sound. The motion alarm system operating on the long driveway through the trees was blaring with activity. He could hear her tires on the gravel track, her heels on his wooden porch steps, the wrap of her knuckle on the old door.

He pulled a shirt over his head, sweaty from his workout despite the chill and frost in the air, and pulled the door open, a small smile already gracing his face.

His heart thudded in his chest. Rachel looked beautiful. She always looked beautiful, large doe eyes and porcelain skin, hair falling in waves around her chin, kind smile and kinder heart, but today her face was flushed from the cold, snowflakes dancing in the darkness of her hair, eyes brightening with something at the sight of him. She looked stunning. A grin was plastered on her face, polite greeting lingering on her lips. She welcomed herself inside, wrapping a strong arm around his neck in a quick side hug, one of his own settling briefly round her back, savouring the brief feeling of holding her in his arms, hating himself for how his heart jumped in his chest at the sight of her, the feel of her body heat, the scent of her head.

He stepped back. When it came to her, distance had always been his ally.

Back turning to her, he made his way through the little cabin to the kitchen where he had set out two cups of coffee. One decorated with tractors and hay bales, a gift from Matt, already laden with milk and two sugars, the other affectionately labelled I’m with stupid and adorned with an arrow pointing up, a gift from Abby, left black and bitter. Rachel followed behind him, silently removing the snow soaked scarf and coat which covered her oversized sweatshirt, a navy number Joe recognised as one of his. He swallowed, eyeing her in the reflection of the window, still breathless by the sight of her.

“You just get back from a run?” She was eyeing his attire with mirth, his legs now blue with the cold under his shorts, one of Matt’s old baseball tees being the first thing he could find to throw on. It was too small for him, hem falling exactly at the level of his shorts, riding up when he reached into the cupboard for the bags of M&Ms he keeps stored there, sleeves fitting snug around his shoulders and biceps, the material tight on his chest. “You didn’t have to get all dressed up for me.”

His attention flickered back to her at her tone. It was light and airy, traces of her grin still lingering on her lips, proof of her amusement glinting in her eyes. She sounded almost like her sister. Her gazed trailed up from his legs, lingering on his shorts, then trailed up his arms and down his shoulders. Swallowing, her smile wavered when she recognised the logo on the shirt, the glint in her eyes darkening when she recognised it as Matt’s. A deep breath rattled through her, lip caught between her teeth. Joe hadn’t meant to upset her.

He shrugged, “Got to look good for the boss.”

Humming in something like agreement, the smile returned to her face when he handed her her coffee, gulping back at least half of it immediately. Neck extended back, chin tilted up, she wrapped her lips around the rim and swallowed deeply, oblivious to how he couldn’t blink, couldn’t look away couldn’t breathe. He took a sip from his own drink, relishing the way the heat burned through him, cleansed him.

“What’s up?” They took a seat in the sitting room, both aiming for the small couch but pausing when they reached it, Joe subtly re-angling his body towards the armchair. “Thought you’d be with Cameron by now.”

Rachel had tensed when they reached the couch, had relaxed when she sat amongst the assorted cushions alone, then tensed again at the mention of her daughter. Her face betrayed her thoughts. Softened though it was at the thought of her, her anxieties over Cammie’s future, her safety, bled through. Although her mouth was closed, Joe could see the way her teeth had clamped down on the inside of her cheek, how her tongue was pressed hard into the roof of her mouth. Eyebrows drawn together by the concerned frown that started brewing across her features, she angled her head lower to hid the worry on her face behind her hair, disguising the move as reaching down to adjust her shoe. A deep breath, and she lifted her head again, all signs of stress vanquished and only the soft smile so often associated with her daughter left on her face.

“She’s safe with the Baxters.” Joe had never suggested she wasn’t, never thought she wasn’t, but he let Rachel reassure herself of this under the guise of reassuring him. He let her have that. “Abby and I are flying out in a couple days.”

That’s new.

Since Matt’s disappearance, his death, Abby had spent most of her Christmas’ working or hiding, the one exception being the year she turned up on his doorstep in drunken floods of tears, endless apologies pouring out of her mouth and refusing to let him touch her. He figured it was a good sign that Rachel had finally convinced her to spend the holidays with her family again instead of her guilt, though the festivities being held in London rather than Nebraska might have had something to do with it.

“Besides, I wanted to check on you before we go.” She smiled at him again, the near image of her younger sister, eyes saying words he couldn’t quite translate.

Something melted in him at her words, her smile, her kindness, warmth spreading through him and leaving goosebumps up his arms. His chest felt tight, like he couldn’t breath, but not in a painful way, more like he didn’t need to breath while she was looking at him like that. Her concern over him was touching, but he didn’t deserve it. Swallowing past the lump in his throat, he returned her smile, bashfully diverting his gaze to the floor lest the look on her face start causing his cheeks to redden.

“I’m good,” The words were soft, barely a whisper, met by a hum and a sip of coffee in response. Throat clearing, his tone turned back to professional stoicism. “I’ve got an asset in the Middle East to track down,” he nodded to the notes and maps strewn across the coffee table, M&Ms scattered amongst them, “and I told Zach I’d meet up with him a few weeks.”

“How is Zach?”

Angry. Scared. Alone. So much like Joe was at that age it made him sad, and yet so different, so much better, it made him proud.

“Alright.” He didn’t make Rachel wait long for what she really wanted to know. As much as Rachel was kind to the boy as a favour to Joe, as much as she was fondly amused by his attempts to charm Cammie, Joe knew that part of her was still thinking like an operative, was concerned with how Zach was useful more than how he was. “He hasn’t heard anything from Catherine or the rest of them.” She bit her lip again. He continued, knowing that a small part of her, much smaller than the part of Abby but part of her all the same, thought that he was dangerous. Thought that his presence in Cammie’s life was dangerous. Was putting her at more risk. “I told him to keep his distance over the winter. He knows his mother keeps an eye out for him, he wont do anything to put Cameron at risk.”

Joe’s thoughts strayed to 20 years ago. Wondered if he had kept a similar distance from Matt, if Matt had kept a similar distance from Rachel, would they be safer now? He’s sure that they would, sure that all the hardship the Morgan family had suffered through could be traced back to the day he made a confession to his best friend, asked him for help. He wondered if anything he ever does will ever atone for that.

Sipping again from his drink, he let the bitterness wash over him, tickling his throat and mingling with the acid in his stomach. She mimicked him, her coffee sweeter though still strong, warming and comforting where his was harsh and jolting.

Fitting, he mused to himself.

“How is Abby? I haven’t spoken to her since…” Since she was shot, since she almost died. Since she kissed him, since she implied she did it to make Rachel… jealous?

Another indecipherable look passes over her face at his question. Head cocked slightly to one side, eyes inquisitive like she’s trying to read his mind. “Alright.” Something in her relaxes when all he does is nod. A deep breath fights its way out of her chest through her mouth, she nods slowly to herself, nose crinkling slightly as her thoughts stray to her little sister. “Yeah she’s alright, looks better. She’s back in the sling though. Her shoulder popped back out the socket at the end of her undercover op, but it should finish healing up over the holidays.”

“That’s good.” It was good. Abby had looked a little like death warmed over and painted with a smile last time Joe had seen her.

“Hmm,” Theres that look again, that question in her eyes like its abnormal for him to be concerned about a friend he’s known half her life. “She’s going to be hard to convince to take it easy though, I just heard that The Circle member in lockup, the shooter, started talking this afternoon so I’m-“

“What?”

What?

His heart froze in his chest, air in his lungs turning to cement, brain short circuiting then rebooting again all at once. He remembers the man with the gun from DC. Pale hair and snarling face. Wiry limbs and impeccable aim. Remembers him from school. Well made bed and pristine uniform. Poor gym scores made up for by his target practice. Remembers him from his early days in The Circle. Angry and determined. Lonely and violent.

If he’s started talking, Joe may not be safe here, Rachel may not be safe here. If that man gives Langley Joe’s name then they’ll be questions to answer. The people Joe has known longest, the only people other than Matt he let get close to him, will come under scrutiny. Abby’s history will probably get her in the clear quite quickly. She’s worked with CIA, with Interpol, with MI6 tirelessly over the last few years on mostly sanctioned missions to root out Circle members, and the organisation had made more attempts to kill her than anyone else still alive. But before his death Matt made sure to keep Rachel far removed from their business, and afterwards she removed herself in order to stay near Cammie, if Joe’s name gets leaked there will be people from high up, idiots, who will have questions for her.

Maybe he can turn himself in, make sure they understand, make sure they know she never had anything to do with it. They may be more likely to believe him if he goes willingly. No matter how much it hurts to picture the betrayal on Rachel’s face when she learns the truth, how she’ll hate him, how she’ll finally believe him when he says he’s to blame for Matt’s death, if the truth’s coming out anyway this may be the best way to protect her.

But how can he protect Cammie?

If he turns himself in, he’ll never see the light of day again. He can live with that. God knows it’s what he deserves for what he’s done to this family. But until they know why The Circle are after Cammie, until they’ve been stopped, until she’s safe again, Joe can’t be indisposed. He has to protect her. He promised Matt. He promised Rachel.

He’ll have to run. It will make him look guilty. They’ll send teams of operatives after him, operatives that he knows and has worked with and may even be friends with. They could send Abby to track him down. She’ll be furious with him, she’ll hate him. She’ll be hurt and betrayed and wont listen if he tries to explain. The younger of the Cameron sisters had always been quick to anger, burning hot and fast like a sparkler on a short fuse.

He’ll go into hiding, just while the heat dies down. Then maybe he can track down some of Matt’s old journals, something that explains what he did, why they did it. Maybe they’ll be something in there that explains what The Circle want with Cammie. Maybe he can protect her and salvage the only functioning relationships he has in one go. Maybe if he can save her she’ll forgive him, maybe Zach will forgive him.

‘-Joe? Are you okay? Did you hear what I said?”

Rachel will never forgive him.

It was a painful truth to come to realise, cutting through his flesh and burning through his heart. The kindness, the concern she was showing him now, the delicate hand she lay on his and the worried frown that graced her features would become cold. He couldn’t breathe. He wanted to cry. He needed to leave but if this was the last time he was going to see her, see her like this, he wanted to savour it. Drink her in. Fill his lungs with her.

“Sorry Rach,” Questions flinched across her face, he never called her Rach. “I just remembered I have to go.” He downed the rest of his coffee, the bitterness of it turning to ash in his mouth, and stood. She took his lead cautiously, following him to the door and redressing for the cold. “My asset is supposed to check in at a payphone across town soon.”

They paused at the door, Joe’s heart thumping in his chest, breaking for the pain he’s about to put her through.

“Merry Christmas Rachel, give my love to the girls.”

I’m sorry. I love you.

She wrapped her arms around his shoulders, drawing him in close and tight. The warmth of her spread through his body, every inch of them touching. He didn’t want to let go. He didn’t want to ever let go.

“Merry Christmas Joe.” Slowly, she pressed a light kiss to his cheek, pulling back ever so slightly. His hands still hovered around her waist, her’s still perched on his shoulders, but they stood face to face now, eyes locked and breath shared. A moments hesitation, Joe’s heart in his mouth and his blood pooling to his feet, and then she pulled away completely, sending him another soft smile as she walked out the door and unknowingly out of his life.

“Bye.”

———————————————————————

Authors note:

Rachel: trying to flirt

Joe: Hmm she sounds like Abby

Rachel: checking him out

Joe: Hmm she is thinking about Matt

[a-french-coconut]

Travis Stoll (part 3)

He ends up falling asleep in the fields, the journey to Camp plus seeing his brother had exhausted him.

A nymph gently wakes him up a little before dawn giving him time to sneak in his cabin before his siblings get out of bed.

For once, silence is king in this realm of mischief, excited whispers of carefully planned jokes or scandalous rumours.

No one laughs.

No one jokes.

All of them eye with pity Travis as he leads to breakfast.

Their arrival dampens the others cabin's jovial mood.

From Apollo's table, Will offers a small smile, mouthing "good morning" to his friends, Cecil answering with a half-hearted wave and Travis with just a head nod.

As always, the food looks delicious, a far cry from what he's used to as a college student. Travis would have happily dig in if it wasn't for the empty space next to him.

When it's finally turn for Hermes Cabin to make their offerings, he prays to more gods than he usually does.

Dad, Hermes, hear my prayer. Give me a quest to save Connor, please. I'll do anything, steal from anyone, fight all the monsters you want. Just help save my brother, save your son.

Asclepius, son of the Far-Shooter and glorious healer, hear my prayer. I humbly ask of you to give strength to your brother Will, help him find a cure to my brother's poison. I'll do whatever you demand in exchange.

He burns half his plate, the most savoury food going in the fire.

As he goes back to his table, a gush of wind blows through the pavilion.

Next to Chiron, Rachel Elizabeth Dare goes stiff, green smoke spewing from her mouth.

"Tale as old as deceit binds the liar and the healer,

In a journey to save the youngest brother.

You will find what you seek amidst the crying chants,

Its petals gleaming amonsgt the lifeless plants.

Beware of the price you are willing to pay,

Make haste for the scythe reaps at the end of the second day."

The prophecy echoes in the air until Chiron stands.

"Counsellors, with me to the Big House, please. As for the others, continue your breakfast and daily activities are not cancelled."

Travis's plate falls from his hands because of his excitement.

In a journey to save the youngest brother

It can only mean Connor, there is no other possibility.

He quickly conjures a bag of M&M's that he drops into the fire.

Thanks dad

An another gush of wind, more gentle this time, softy blows his curls.

part 4 posted !

[rhithefella-sillytimes]

OKAY TAKE TWO IGNORE THE LAST ONE-

But anyway hc that there was never anything romantic between Rach and the boys

They're all just friends (totally not based on me being the only girl in my friend group when I was younger-), Rods convo w her at the party was him being drunk and dumb lol

Oh yeah that sounds fair. I was thinking she's probably the gal that's interested in Kevkev but like. I can totally see their thing being platonic XD.

Doesn't stop their friend groups from going "OOOOOOOOO" at them HAHAHAH

[missr3n3]

A F T E R S H O C K S

rachel and sam's gf designs be upon ye

[rhithefella]

Hello CT Tumblr :>

Have a Rachie (not the musician)

[bookcub]

Multiples of 12 if you've got the energy. Otherwise just 12 and 144!

12 Pictures and Stories from Uncle Toms Cabin by Harriet Beecher Stowe

Need I confirm how awful it is? It was for a class and helpful to discuss in context.

24 Little Thieves by Margaret Owen

One of my best books of the whole year, I already reread it this year, I deeply love this book. Started my Goose Girl journey, found one of my all time favorite protagonists. I think I have like 3 reviews of this book written at this point, I adore it!!

36 Take a Hint, Dani Brown by Talia Hibbert

A reread, one of my favorite romance novels, Talia Hibbert is just a beautiful writer, I love all her novels. I like this one in particular because Dani and Zaf are already friends by the beginning of the book and friends to lovers is the best.

48 Painted Devils by Margaret Owen

I was really worried this sequel would pale in comparison to Little Thieves but I had such a good time and adored seeing Vanja again. The character and relationship development was really where the text shined imo.

60 Cress by Marissa Meyer

Another reread, Lunar Chronicles really scratches that found family itch for me! I listened to it this time and it was so fun to get lost in. Also, Cress and Carswell are so adorable.

72 The Classic Fairy Tales by Maria Tatar

I read a huge chunk of this for class and decided to mark it as read. I particularly enjoyed the critical essays that were included. Gilbert and Gubar my beloved

84 Arenic and Adobo by Mia P Manansala

I feel bad for hating this, but what a poorly constructed mystery! And the mc was soooo annoying. There were good elements, like themes and the descriptions of food but . . .meh

96 The Dos and Donuts of Love by Adiba Jaigirdar

This was okay, but I keep trying to read books set in reality tv shows and um. . .I need to stop, I do not tend to like them much.

108 The Awakening by Kelley Armstrong

A reread for writing a class paper, I love rereading these books, I need more paranormal books in my life. Also, the second remains my favorite!!

120 A Master of Djinn by P Djeli Clark

As a fantasy, this book is amazing!

132 You Don’t Have a Shot by Racquel Vasquez

144 Seraphina by Rachel Hartman

[othcrside]

❀ *◦ rachel zegler. nonbinary. they/she. panromantic pansexual. ⇝ hey, isn’t that hermione salazar-blood ? i think that the ( 26 ) year old from vancouver, british columbia works as an actor at single carrot theatre, but outside of that people describe them as the song the sweet escape by gwen stefani, a sense of the dramatics in everything, roaming empty streets late at night + singing to yourself. i hear they are argumentative & meddlesome, but they are also known to be captivating & forthright. consider giving them a visit at their home in their family’s cabin outside the city and get to know why they’re called the tell-tale heart.

╰ * STATS.

tw: injury

even in utero, hermione was destined for greatness — hence their given name, penned for the shakespearean character from the winter’s tale, the virtuous and beautiful queen of sicily. this was meant to denote the importance that they would one day hold on the world’s stage, and for as long as they could remember all they ever felt drawn to, like a moth to a flame, was the limelight. they would construct props in their youth out of tattered blankets and pillows and make the living room and backyard their set, darn old costumes of their mother’s by hand and wear them like they were brand new, and put on plays they’d written in a night for their whole family.

it became clear that hermione would embody their name to the fullest extent, so their parents enrolled them in drama, dance and even gymnastics classes from the time the were five years old. their intense passion for theater was chalked up to youthful enthusiasm and left to rest; meanwhile during school hours hermione found themself in multiple compromising situations with other students, even going so far once as to engage in a physical fight.

their behavior was closely monitored by their teachers before their parents were called for a conference. they were presented with evidence that displayed their child’s unusual nature; how they exhibited repetitive habits during play time and recess, which often resulted in scrimmages with other children who didn’t follow their rules, being easily upset by minor changes in the classroom without warning, and not to mention their refusal to speak or even look at their teacher at times.

they were officially diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder at age 8. in response, their parents made the necessary accommodations all the while putting in the extra effort to educate hermione on what they had and what they could do to remain calm when feeling distressed. they let them seek comfort in theater, where they knew they had always belonged, and only found a deeper appreciation for the art as they grew.

at 15, hermione had learned how to adapt and cope with their disability, though all of that would change during theater camp one summer. they were brought into the office and put on the phone with their mother — who would then tell them that their father had suffered a work injury and was now paraplegic.

once they returned home, it seemed their once warm, loving family was shattered into hardened fragments. their mother had fallen into a deep depression as their father grew embittered and nihilistic. nothing was the same as they left it. the medical bills piled up and, to make things worse, it seemed all the dreams hermione had of attending an expensive art school were ruined.

after a period of blaming themselves until they were utterly mad with grief over their familial situation, they fled their home, reaching seattle and following all the signs that led to madame irene’s circus, where they were hired as a contortionist thanks to their lengthy background in gymnastics and dance. they traveled across the states until very recently when they were contacted again by one of their aunts who offered to lend them their family cabin in anchorage, where they’ve lived for the past few months after securing a new job as an actor at the single carrot theatre.

—— tidbits !!

an avid collector of vintage items, though holds precedence for older editions of plays, vinyl records, and mary janes over all else.

a cat lover through - and - through. has to carry a lint roller in their bag whenever they leave the house because they spend so much time cuddling and pampering their beloved cat purebred cat veronica.

obsessed with soap operas, namely general hospital, which they've been watching since 2004. may or may not be where they developed their predilection for melodrama.

wears over - sized glasses due to the fact they are legally blind. they cycle through a few different pairs, but their favorite pair are crystal purple and square - shaped.

experiments with makeup and has a fondness for stage makeup, tends to stick to soft palettes and must look like a fairy at all times.

uses their contortionist skills from the circus as party tricks.

quiet (and slightly ashamed) star wars fanatic and feels very passionately about padme amidala and her pristine fashion sense.

"i want to be great, or nothing" in its purest form.

speaking of, has a terrible fear of being forgotten and leaving no noticeable mark on the world. working through this in therapy.

[fearsmagazine]

FOLLOW HER - Review

DISTRIBUTOR: Quiver

SYNOPSIS: “Jess has finally found her hook: secretly filming creepy interactions she encounters via online job listings, and using the kinks of others to fuel her streaming success. For her next episode, she’s been hired by Tom to write the ending of a screenplay in a remote, lavish cabin. Once there, the alluring self-proclaimed screenwriter hands her a script in which the two of them are the main characters. This client isn’t what he seems, and even though the money’s great… the real payment here could cost her life.” - Quiver

REVIEW: FOLLOW HER is a cleaver idea that deals with the take down of an aggressive influencer whose karma catches up with her. Actress Dani Barker is also the film’s writer and a producer. She weaves together some interesting ideas, creates a character you’ll love to hate, and is an overall above average independent genre film.

The screenplay for FOLLOW HER tackles the arc of the main character Jess. It is made clear early on that she gives little thought to taking advantage of everyone, including her family, to get what she wants. She exploits people’s fetishes, she is usually careful, but something goes wrong with her latest encounter. Instead of taking it down, she leaves it online as it continues to trend and reaches a new level. When she comes across a writing opportunity that deals with themes she is familiar with, and pays good money, she throws caution to the wind and heads to the country to meet the screenwriter. What ensues is a game of cat-&-mouse as Jess comes to realize the setup is too perfect and there is something more going on than she expected or planned for. There are moments when Jess’s ego and greed overcomes her sense of self-preservation and ultimately the climax presents a strange twist that is an overthought “Absence of Malice.” The story does not end there. There is a scene with Jess, her father and the police that feels out of place and almost like an afterthought to the entire narrative. There is a final sequence that adds another level of the strange and bizarre, which also provides the title of the film. I was in for the majority of the tale, however the subsequent scenes felt unnecessary and bewildering.

Dani Barker and Luke Cook, the two main actors, carry the story. Barker portrays a mean girl, a self-absorbed influencer of today, and I enjoyed seeing her in danger. Yes, I was rooting for the bad guy, Tom. Luke’s Tom is a charming and twisted character, and the humor flows naturally. His performance reminds me of a cross between Christian Bale’s Patrick Bateman and Jack Nicholson’s The Joker. The actors have a strong rapport and their on-screen interactions are believable and engaging. The actors have excellent chemistry, but their rapport creates a light-hearted atmosphere that undermines the suspense and makes it difficult for the audience to become fully invested in the story.

The production values are solid, the editing creates a nice pace for the majority of the film. The barn is an excellent location, the others are adequate. Jess has some interesting costume designs and Barker seems very comfortable in them.

FOLLOW HER, an adult-themed film that never achieves a level of seriousness and peril that I believe it should. There are excellent performances and some witty banter, but the story has two additional scenes, the first feels awkward and the second is an additional punchline that feels like it is there to simply set up the title of the film. Still, it is a deadly frolic where you can’t help but cheer for Jess’ demise.

CAST: Luke Cook, Dani Barker, Eliana Jones and Mark Moses CREW: Director / Producer - Sylvia Caminer; Screenplay / Producer - Dani Barker; Producer - Michael Indjeian; Cinematographer - Luke Geissbuhler; Score - Alexander Arntzen; Editor - Alex Gans; Production Designer - Noa Rachel Bricklin; Costume Designer - Caycee Black; Visual Effects Supervisor - Alex Noble OFFICIAL: www.followherfilm.com FACEBOOK: www.facebook.com/FollowHerFilm TWITTER: twitter.com/FollowHerFilm TRAILER: https://youtu.be/19ELKe8IKXo RELEASE DATE: In Select Theaters & VOD June 2nd, 2023

**Until we can all head back into the theaters our “COVID Reel Value” will be similar to how you rate a film on digital platforms - 👍 (Like), 👌 (It’s just okay), or 👎 (Dislike)

Reviewed by Joseph B Mauceri