#thank you to Meredith for the content

[emometalhead]

"I love Twilight" - Andy Hurley

[burins]

Other Appalachias: A Booklist

As requested, the anti-Hillbilly Elegy booklist, plus annotations! When possible I tried to include books that were by Appalachians and got at lesser-known aspects of Appalachian life and identity, especially modern Appalachian life. When creating the original list I was also limited by books that were in the library network I work at, which is a) a public library and b) not actually located in Appalachia. Y’all get some bonus titles that weren’t in my library - hopefully they’ll be in yours.

A note: I have not read every single book on this list! This is the nature of creating booklists as a librarian. I trust the sources I used to find them, but if there’s something on here that you’re like “oh I read this and it sucks actually,” let me know. And if there’s a particular aspect you’d like more books on, also let me know!

General

Appalachian Reckoning: A Region Responds to Hillbilly Elegy (Anthony Harkins and Meredith McCarroll, eds)

What You Are Getting Wrong About Appalachia by Elizabeth Catte

If you read any two books on this list (especially if you aren’t from Appalachia!) make it these two. The first one is a collection of essays and photographs, the second by a single author, but both are fantastic for the basics of “hey was your entire idea of a huge stretch of the US defined by Deliverance and some NYT op-eds? perhaps it should not be” 

Appalachian Fall: Dispatches from Coal Country on What's Ailing America by Jeff Young

Leans a little more “plight of the white working class” than I absolutely love, but this talks a lot about contemporary workers’ rights and local activism in Appalachia and is a good counter to Vance’s narrative of “everybody sits on their ass all the time.”

Belonging: A Culture of Place by bell hooks

Hey did you know bell hooks was from Kentucky? bell hooks was from Kentucky! As always her writing is deeply insightful about who is allowed to claim a place and what it means to have roots. 

Rx Appalachia: Stories of Treatment and Survival in Rural Kentucky by Lesly-Marie Buer 

The opioid crisis has defined the region (much as alcoholism came to during Prohibition); unlike a lot of writing on the topic, this lets people tell their own stories. 

Race and Sexuality

Another Appalachia: Coming Up Queer and Indian in a Mountain Place by Neema Avashia

Excellent counter to the narrative of Appalachia as unrelentingly white, and also painfully good writing on what happens when the folks you grew up counting on let you down. 

Loving Mountains, Loving Men: Memoirs of a Gay Appalachian by Jeff Mann

This 2005 memoir got a re-release in 2023, and thank god because it makes me cry. Really beautiful writing on what it means to come back to a place and carve out a space for yourself.

Y'all Means All: The Emerging Voices Queering Appalachia (Z. Zane McNeill, ed.) 

Another essay collection! There will be more; I like an essay collection for getting a sense of a subject beyond a single voice. Touches on everything from disability to race to Mothman. 

Deviant Hollers: Queering Appalachian Ecologies for a Sustainable Future, Zane McNeill and Rebecca Scott, eds. 

This wide-ranging collection of essays wasn’t on the original list because it’s pretty hard to come by (academic queer theory is not a bastion of your average public library collection.) Just based on the table of contents I am going to try and get my hands on a copy ASAP. 

Gone Home: Race and Roots through Appalachia by Karida L. Brown

Focuses specifically on Harlan County, Kentucky, drawing on a ton of oral history interviews of Black residents to talk about the Great Migration, Blackness in Appalachia, and identity formation in the region and beyond.

Beginning Again: Stories of Movement and Migration in Appalachia, Katrina M. Powell, ed. 

This just came out in June! In a place so often defined by how many generations of your family have lived there, it’s worth considering who gets removed from that story.  

Their Determination to Remain: A Cherokee Community's Resistance to the Trail of Tears in North Carolina by Lance Greene

The history of Appalachia is pretty obviously incomplete without talking about the policies of Indian Removal. Greene tackles a tangled story of assimilation and cultural survival. 

Even As We Breathe by Annette Saunooke Clapsaddle

The only fiction book on this list, but the main goal of the list was to let Appalachia speak for itself. Clapsaddle is a member of the Eastern band of Cherokee; the novel, set in western NC during the 1940s, talks about (in)justice, assimilation, and belonging. 

History, Labor, and Environment

You can’t talk about the history of Appalachia without talking about coal, and you can’t talk about coal without talking about labor, and you also can’t talk about coal without talking about the environment. 

Ramp Hollow: The Ordeal of Appalachia by Steven Stoll 

An economic/environmental overview of Appalachia covering the shift from homesteading to resource extraction. To understand what’s happening economically in 2024 you need to understand what happened economically in 1750-1850, and this gives a general and fairly accessible throughline. 

The Battle of Blair Mountain: The Story of America's Largest Labor Uprising by Robert Shogan

An older book on the most famous event of the West Virginia Mine Wars, but is a very readable narrative that also touches on Blair Mountain’s wider context.  

Written in Blood: Courage and Corruption in the Appalachian War of Extraction, Wess Harris, ed. 

A much more in-depth look at specific aspects of the Mine Wars and labor history, rather than a general overview, but worth reading for its coverage of more recent events (it didn’t end with Blair!)

To Live Here, You Have to Fight: How Women Led Appalachian Movements for Social Justice by Jessica Wilkerson

Focusing on the 60s-70s and LBJ’s War on Poverty, a good discussion of historical grassroots organizing.

Digging Our Own Graves: Coal Miners & the Struggle Over Black Lung Disease by Barbara Allen Smith

Seminal text! First published in 1987, with an updated edition released in 2020. 

Soul Full of Coal Dust: A Fight for Breath and Justice in Appalachia by Chris Hamby

After being mad about black lung in the 80s, you can also be mad about black lung today, because it didn’t go anywhere. 

Desperate: An Epic Battle for Clean Water and Justice in Appalachia by Kris Maher

Very “legal thriller focused on one guy,” but extremely readable. A great book to get your liberal mom fired up.  

Mountains Piled upon Mountains: Appalachian Nature Writing in the Anthropocene, Jessica Cory, ed.

This list has been almost entirely nonfiction, so here is some lovely prose about what folks love about the region with both literary nonfiction, fiction, and poetry. It’s got a wide geographic focus to boot. 

Food and Culture

Appalachia on the Table: Representing Mountain Food and People by Erica Adams Locklear

Great deconstruction of how we talk about mountain food and culture (scandal! Sometimes great-grandmas used Bisquick.) Will make you hungry and also question what authenticity means and where your family recipes actually come from. 

Making Our Future: Visionary Folklore and Everyday Culture in Appalachia by Emily Hilliard

West Virginia state folklorist Emily Hilliard talks about pro wrestling, Fallout 76, songwriting, and coal camps. Appalachia in the 21st century. 

(Finally, a shoutout to the various bookstores whose lists I used as jumping-off points, especially Appalachian Mountain Books, City Lights Bookstore, Firestorm Books, and the Museum of the Cherokee People.)

[intoxicated-chan]

𝐂𝐡𝐚𝐩𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝟒 ║ ❝𝐖𝐞 𝐅𝐫𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐡 𝐊𝐢𝐬𝐬𝐞𝐝 𝐎𝐧 𝐚 𝐒𝐮𝐛𝐰𝐚𝐲 𝐓𝐫𝐚𝐢𝐧❞

(A/n) ➳ Started watching Hazbin Hotel again, gotta say, it’s a good show. I was hoping to get to the next chapter sooner. I thank you guys for being patient, I seriously had a massive writer’s block.

Word Count ➳ 1.7k

Content Warnings ➳ Swearing, light sexual content, mentions of anger issues, mentions of abuse, mention of unrequited love, mentions of marriages, alcohol use, mentions of criminal investigation…

JUDAS Masterlist

“DON’T YOU MEAN THAT SHIT DINER?”

You let out a playful scoff, acting offended. “Well excuse you Daryl, The Golden Bite is an amazing diner!” You spoke to him over the phone.

That’s when your coworker, Annie came walking with a plate in hand that had a half eaten burger. “Still tastes like cardboard.” She sang as she headed back to the kitchen.

“Annie-”

“Still not gettin’ it?”

You rolled your eyes. “Gonna come and say it to my face?” You flinched at the loud voices coming from the kitchen, Annie was once again arguing with the cooks.

You don’t blame her, the cooks the manager hired are shit and so is the quality of the food. It’s a shock that this place hadn’t been shut down yet.

You heard Daryl laugh and the infamous sound of his motorcycle. “I still wanna live another day and get another taste, still thinkin’ of ya.”

Your face immediately became hot, you thought you would break your phone with how tight you were clutching it.

“Daryl!” You harshly whispered.

“I’m an honest man and I’m honest when I say, I wanna bend you over my bike again.”

“I’m at work!”

“That ain’t gonna stop me.”

Annie poked her head around the corner. “Oh yeah, Meredith said that the sheriff wants you. Ain’t taking anybody else.” She disappeared before you could retort.

“That’s my cue.”

“I’ll talk to you later, Judas.” You set your phone in your pocket and looked over your shoulder for a quick glance, right by the window.

Shane sat at the table, looking over the menu as if he hadn’t been here for the hundredth time. You snapped your head back at the coffee machine the second his eyes drifted away from the menu.

You were still reeling from the conversation you had with him before, the two of you hadn’t talked, texted, or called each other. He didn’t stop by whenever he was in the neighborhood, did he feel guilty?

You walked to his table with a pen and notepad in hand. “Hey, Shane, what can I get you?”

“Just the special and a large coffee, nothin’ in it.”

“I’ll get that-”

“Can you give me a minute?” Shane interrupted you.

You looked up from your notepad and lifted an eyebrow. “Somethin’ wrong?”

“Jus’ sit, I won’t be long.”

You sighed. “If I get busted, it’s gonna be on your head, Walsh. I need this job.”

Shane chuckled. “You could always become a stay at home wife.”

You scoffed, clicking your pen. “Yeah? Who the hell’s gonna deal with my bullshit?”

“Me as your husband.”

Your heart sank into your stomach. “What?” You needed to bite this in the bud, like Amy said. “Look Shane, I don’t think-”

“You say that but what ‘bout later? Down the line? What happens when the jackass becomes borin’? Or worse? Hurts you?”

You could only shake your head in disbelief, Daryl was many things. He’s wild, secretive, and could be distant at times but he would never hurt you.

“Seriously? Do you really think that low of Daryl?! You don’t even know him.”

“Do you even know him?”

“That’s-”

“Do you know where the guy lives or any idea what he does for a livin’?” Shane then grabbed your wrist to pull you closer, his hot breath hitting your face. “I know you, (Y/n). I know that you like to chase after people who ain’t good for you and you know it! He’s one of them. And I know you’re better and safer with me.”

“I don’t-!”

“Pardon me!” Annie made you both jump back, Shane releasing his tightening grip. “Are you lovebirds done arguing?”

“Annie-!”

“Because we would like you to keep the volume down or take it outside.” Annie cut you off before you could even explain. “Or you can get back to work and not lose this job.”

“I’m sorry.” You mumbled, scurrying off to the kitchen.

Annie’s eyes turned to Shane who she glared at. “You ain’t good for her. Not even close.” She turned on her heel and followed you.

She found you in the break room, rubbing your arms and taking deep breaths. She could see it in your eyes, the slight anger.

“Need me to ask Miguel to toss that guy out?” Annie placed a hand on your shoulder.

“No, no.” You waved her off, your hands now fidgeting with your fingers. “I don’t know what that was.”

“That was a glimpse of an asshole.” Annie explained. “And a jealous one from what I heard, no ‘mout of therapy can fix that man.”

“You could never know-”

“I know ‘em (Y/n).”

“He’s probably cooled off by now.” You took one final deep breath. “I’m jus’ gonna hear what else he gotta say then I’m done, I’m out of here.”

“Workin’ or him?”

“Most likely both.”

Meredith peered into the break room. “Think she’s gonna reject him?”

Annie shook her head, her hands on her hips as she took a couple steps out the break room, seeing you sit back down with Shane. “The girl loves thrill and danger. Safety is never in her handbook.”

“Worried for ‘er?”

“I’m scared shitless.”

“Look, (Y/n) I know I ain’t your type of guy. But it could all change.” Shane explained.

“I ain’t got time for this, I ain’t got time for whatever you’re dreamin’ of. It’s all it is, a dream.”

“You don’t understand.”

“I do.” You retracted your hand when he went for it, speaking as sternly as you could without drawing the attention of customers. “And if you understand, you would stop askin’ ‘bout this guy.”

“I’ll understand when I get the chance to show you that a life with me is a safer choice than whatever you have with that guy.”

You groaned, was he really going to do this to himself? “You would rather be in a loveless marriage?”

“It ain’t gonna be loveless. What I’m askin’ you to do is to go out with me.”

“HE SAID WHAT?!” Andrea snatched the pillow that hid your frustrated expression, she threw it behind her and asked the same question again, even louder if possible.

“You heard me.” You mumbled.

You didn’t know how to feel other than uncomfortable. The lump in your throat didn’t want to leave, making you feel bothered.

“What did you say?!”

“Didn’t say anythin’, told me to think ‘bout it.”

“Dammit (Y/n)!”

“I know!” You stopped her before she could scold you. “I know I should’ve said no!”

“But you gotta admit, he’s gotta be loaded with cash.”

“...He kinda is.”

“S-Seriously?”

You nodded, you grabbed another pillow to squeeze at, trying to sooth yourself. “There would be times where Shane would pay for my expenses, like rent and water.”

“Oh he’s serious ‘bout you.”

“That’s the sad part. Even if things didn’t work out with Daryl, I don’t want Shane to be a second option jus’ ‘cause I couldn’t have Daryl or it becomes borin’. I wanna be sure that if I choose Shane, it’s gotta be true.”

You jumped at the sound of the wine bottle being popped open, you stared at Andrea as she poured you a rather large glass of wine.

“Then go see Shane.”

“Y’know I can’t-”

“See Shane and see how you feel. If nothin’ changes or worse comes to worst, you feel repulsed, then tell ‘im. You can continue to see Daryl with Shane hanging over your head.”

Andrea pushed the glass into your hands. “And what if it doesn’t? What if I end up fallin’ for him?”

“Then you could lose a man you love or a man who’s only sticking ‘round when he needs you to blow or fuck.”

“Daryl doesn’t seem like the type.”

“Then that’s worse, choosing between two guys is a fuckin’ nightmare.”

‘Im on my way’

You read the text again from Shane, silently hoping all of this was just a dream and you never heard Shane asking you out.

You shut your phone and stared into the mirror, you sighed, taking your tenth pair of earrings off. You were annoyed with yourself, how hard was it to say no? Especially to Shane?

The knocking on your door made you annoyed even more, you weren’t in the mood for a guest but it dropped when you saw Carl with Rick… Carl with Rick.

You opened your door. “Hey Rick.” Then you turn to the boy. “Carl!”

Carl quickly wrapped his arms around you, nearly knocking you down. You could never stay mad at the boy.

Rick stepped in and closed your door. “I’m callin’ in a favor.”

“Shoot.” You said, managing to get his arms off to get him a little snack.

“Lori’s mom canceled on us and I know your workin’ tomorrow. I was hopin’ if you could look after Carl after your shift. Jus’ for a couple hours.”

“It’s no problem, you know I don’t mind takin’ care of your rascal.”

“Hey!” His shout made you stick out your tongue at him playfully.

“So… What’s gotcha all dolled up? Goin’ out with that guy?”

“What guy-? How did you know I was talkin’ to someone?” Rick fumbled over his words. “Grimes.”

“Shane, he was worried ‘bout you.”

“Jeez, y’know I can take care of myself.”

“Said that last time, remember what happened?”

You rolled your eyes. “It was once.”

“Three times, three guys who broke your heart.”

“It was nothin’. They were nothin’. They jus’ broke up with me, nothin’ crazy.”

“You say that now but what if it’s different?” Rick pulled you away from Carl and whispered. “What if he has a criminal record or is involved in some deep shit?”

“I can find that out.”

“And so can I but quicker, jus’ give me a name.”

“I ain’t gonna give you shit, Grimes.” You walked back to Carl. Your smile came back as you watched Carl become happy when you let him get some more.

Rick wanted to get it out of you, but if he couldn’t get it out of you, surely Carl could.

You could never say no to him.

© Intoxicated-Chan 2024, I do not allow my work to be copied, translated, modified, adapted, or put on any other platform without my permission.

Taglist ➳ @deansapplepie , @ladylincoln , @gamingfeline , @lady06reaper , @alanamarie , @daryldixmedown , @celtic-crossbow , @mrdixon , @itwasntaphasema , @duffmckagansbandana , @raspberryslxt , @itsrainingbisexualfrogs , @ingstadstarlight , @gamingfeline , @lor-geeked , @thegeorgiahuntsman , @snailss , @the-lonely-abyss , @number1bashbabe , @xmaeyonaise , @suniloli , @of-storms-and-sadness , @annhells , @sexyxdylanxobrien ,

⊰ Chapter 3 ⊰ » » YOU’RE HERE « « ⊰ Chapter 5 ⊰

[tearsucry]

— °˖ ⊹ ꒰ 🌿 ꒱ tearing up old wounds ; addison montgomery (grey’s anatomy)

#.                   ( season 3 episode 14 ) you woke up after inhaling the neuro toxic from the colon cancer patient’s surgery, and addison was stupid enough to run in after the patient’s anesthesia was wearing off, ripping up bandages from old wounds

content warning;      suggestive content, afab reader, implied homewrecker! reader, age-gap (reader is in the same intern year as meredith), mention of surgeries, blood, intubation,

a/n.                                        I had this little idea while rewatching the show, I fell in love with addison all over again, ugh she is so hot- enjoy

everything was foggy, you still felt nauseous, you were still shivering even under the thick blanket, and the oxygen mask on your face felt more suffocating than the heavy feeling in your chest. blinking, moving your head around and trying to figure out where the heck you are.

“I thought you were on burk’s service today.” you heard an all too familiar voice coming from your side, faint, and sort of mumbled, but you knew who it was, you knew exactly who it was. you felt weak, struggled to move your hand up to your face to rub your eyes, to help yourself to see better.

“you went in there…” you croak, taking a shaky breath in as you spot her green eyes in the haze of your vision. you gulp again, trying to compensate for how dry your nose and mouth feel because of the oxygen mask. she is right in front of you, if you could just

you can tell by her blurry appearance and her messy red hair. she looks so tired and worn out, like every muscle in her body aches, just like yours does, and just like that realization makes you wonder if maybe you should have requested to stay on her service, maybe this whole thing wouldn't have happened with the two of you. “I did.” she whispers, her throat hoarse and scratchy.

“but i couldn't watch her suffer, fight against the intubation like that..."  her voice trails off, and her hand reaches out for you, as if she wants to touch your face, caress your cheek but can't bring herself to do it. "i couldn't let her feel so scared, miserable." she sits up and leans on the bed next to you, reaching out to tuck some strand of hair behind your ear. “what do you mean?” you ask, not understanding whatever she is hinting at. you'd know because you were in her position once after your surgery, the surgery you had to get after a psych patient went rogue, dressing up as another surgeon then going around, and stabbing people in the stomach.

but then you remember-

she was there when you were fighting against the intubation, you remember it clearly. the same green eyes were staring at you, frightened above the rim of the surgical mask. the same lips formed the words, "you will be okay," over and over again. you try hard not to cry as you recall the events, because even though you are happy, you're also afraid.

"can we... can you lay next to me?"  you finally manage to say, because you're starting to become restless from being trapped under this blanket, sitting still isn't really appealing anymore. "of course, i'm here darling." she smiles softly, and you could swear you're seeing her tears glisten in the dim light of the room.

addison shifts in her bed again, putting the green strap around her head then getting up to lay next to you on your bed. you catch doctor bailey rolling her eyes at the nurse's station before coming over and closing the curtain around the two of you.  your breathing has gotten steadier, your heart feels calmer, and you close your eyes slowly as you settle into her embrace, inhaling deeply the scent of her scrubs, smelling like a freshly sterilized operating room.

her heartbeat slows down to match the beat of your own and you sigh contently, relaxing in her arms. “thank you.” you whisper quietly. she kisses the top of your head. you don’t think there is anything she wouldn’t give to make sure you are alright. “no need to thank me, sweetheart.” she murmurs softly, wrapping her arm around you tighter. your fingers are laced together now, her thumb rubbing soothing circles on your skin.

[poisonousroxstar]

I haven't seen many writers for Cyberpunk on here! Could I possibly request yandere Meredith Stout hcs, please?

Imagine

Yandere Meredith Stout

Contains: yandere themes, abuse of power, a brief sexual mention.

Thanks for sending in this request! There really isn't much content for cyberpunk, so I'm happy to supply some! (Feel free to send in some request for the game!)

Total power abuser, especially if you're male. She'll use every asset she has at her disposal to make sure you're stuck in her clutches; blackmail, threats, manipulation - you name it, she'll use it against you. If you have any loved ones or precious things, Meredith is more than willing to wave their safety above your head to make sure you're compliant.

Meredith will treat a male or masculine darling a bit more harshly than a female or feminine darling, due to her dominant and power-driven nature. As a yandere, it's hard to tell the difference, but it's in the subtle moments that you can pick up on it; the way her touch is softer for a feminine darling then the grip she has on a masculine darling. How her voice is just a bit more gentler.

Rivals aren't a thing with her, she'll make them disappear like a goddman magician. If she even catches a whiff that someone might be interested in you, she's quickly going to act. Torture, maiming, blackmail, the works. No one is allowed to touch you. Only her.

Despite her rough and extremely controlling nature, Meredith does truly care about you. There's always the constant fear of you leaving her or dying in the back of her mind, which is why she's as extreme in keeping you by her side. More likely than not, Meredith keeps you somewhere safe.

It's not always a living hell with Meredith. As long as you listen and obey her, Meredith can be much more tolerable. She'll spoil you with gifts and luxuries, especially after a long time of absence due to her work with Militech. If the relationship is more romantic and you've been especially good and compliant, Meredith will definitely have a lot of sex with you. It serves as a stress relief for her, and watching her magic work on you is pure dopamine.

There's some level of control you have over Meredith due to her infatuation and trust in you. If you play your cards carefully, you can worm out all sorts of intel from her and have certain things go your way. But remember, Meredith is a corpo with an extremely short fuse for everyone - including you. Be very careful with the woman.

[whump-tr0pes]

Honor Bound 6 - 26

This is a series. Start here, continued from here.

This is a sequel to Honor Bound, Honor Bound 2, Honor Bound 3, Honor Bound 4, Honor Bound 5, and the prequel Vera.

AO3

Masterlist

Contents: PTSD, past captivity, references to being unsure of reality, thoughts of murder, self-harm themes, bad reaction to discovering self-harm, harm reduction, recovery

~

Isaac felt better already, knowing there was a locked door between him and the rest of the world. He had locked it behind Vera and Tori as they came in with tonight’s dinner: a hearty shepherd’s pie with rich bites of tender chicken, carrots, and potatoes all in a mouthwatering gravy. Once he had locked the front door, he had walked to the back door and made sure – for the second or third time since he’d gotten home – that it was still locked. It was, but it didn’t hurt to be so sure.

Edrissa had gotten into the house through the unlocked back door and then held a knife to Gavin’s throat. Isaac would have to be stupid to not check, and recheck, and check again.

Isaac sat on one side of Gavin on the couch, and Gray sat on the other. Vera, Sam, and Tori sat sandwiched on the other couch. Now that everyone was finished with dinner, Gavin leaned against Isaac’s side, and Isaac’s arm was slung over his shoulders. Gavin wasn’t shivering for the first time since they’d left the house that morning. Isaac was sated on two large slices of shepherd’s pie.

And yet, he ached to be holding his gun. The concerned glances Vera was throwing him weren’t helping.

“Thank you so much for bringing dinner,” Gray said, finally breaking the silence. “Did you make the pie, or buy it in town?”

“Bought it,” Vera said with a chuckle. “I appreciate your faith in us, but after everything… um. Recently.” She gave a stiff shrug. “Neither of us have felt like cooking.” She smiled tiredly at Tori over Sam’s head.

Gray let out a huff. “Same here,” they said gently. “But we’ve all been… through a lot. I don’t think anyone’s expecting anyone else to be out there crafting gourmet meals.”

“Except Edrissa,” Vera said tightly. “Apparently she’s been, uh… helping Meredith out. With the pies at the general store. Spending most of her time there, actually.”

“Really,” Gray said. Their tone was perfectly even.

Isaac’s hand tightened into a fist as the image of her flashed through his mind – cowering behind Gavin in that bathroom, eyes wild and streaming, clutching herself, looking terrified, as if she was the fucking victim and not the one pressing a knife to a man’s throat hard enough to draw blood just seconds before.

To Gavin’s throat.

His jaw ached and he swallowed hard. He forced himself to release his fist and brushed his lips to Gavin’s temple instead. He felt Vera’s eyes on him the whole time. He cleared his throat.

Sam wet their lips and leaned forward, seeming to sense the tension. “We’ve been keeping things as calm as possible here,” they said with a glance at Isaac. “Mostly just… sleeping.” They laughed. “All of us. Mostly Gray.”

“I don’t appreciate the accusation,” Gray said good-naturedly. “Although, god, I’ve never slept so much in my life.”

“What about you, Gavin?” Tori said softly. She reached over the back of the couch and rested a hand on Vera’s shoulder. “How are you sleeping?”

Gavin relaxed further against Isaac’s side and drew in a deep breath, thinking. “Well,” he murmured. “Better than in… than with Schiester. That’s definitely for sure. But…” Isaac bit his lip and waited for the second shoe to drop. “…it’s… sometimes hard to tell where I am. When I wake up.”

Isaac’s heart twisted. He knew all too well the things Gavin said, and fucking believed, when he wasn’t sure if he was staring at Isaac himself or merely a figment of his own imagination.

“D-don’t you want to… to punish me? …you want to, right? It’s… Isaac, it’s… it’s okay. It’s not… real, I know that. You can do… whatever you want. I can give that to you… if you want. I know it doesn’t really help you… But it’s what I have. P-please don’t stop touching me. Please… Isaac… please, this… this feels better than… a-anything he does to me.”

Shame clogged Isaac’s throat. His fingers itched for his knife. Fuck.

“Yeah,” Vera was saying. “Yeah, that’s… that’s the hardest part, I think. After. The waking up and not knowing, for a while.”

Isaac’s head snapped up. Vera held Gavin’s gaze, and he stared at her with an understanding that Isaac had never shared. Even though everyone except for Gray had been held captive, tortured, collared – what Gavin and Vera shared now was different. They had both been taken, punished by a sadist, had their minds broken down by pain and time – and drugs, in Gavin’s case. They had been kept in a basement, shackled for use because it brought a madman pleasure.

And they had both been alone.

Isaac’s hand shook as he slid it into Gavin’s and squeezed.

“Does that ever go away?” Gavin murmured, as if he had forgotten anyone else was there. Tears shone in his eyes.

“Yes,” Vera answered immediately. Then, she said, “Mostly. Months or years go by, and then you’ll have a shitty day or a bad nightmare and you’ll wake up not knowing where you are again. But the thing that matters is, it passes. And you’re always, always out once it passes.”

“Unless I get taken again,” Gavin whispered as the tears spilled over. “Like you did. Twice.” He shuddered and muffled a sob against Isaac’s shoulder.

Isaac’s arms wound around him in a trembling embrace, pulling Gavin into his lap. Vera stared at the floor, chewing on her lip.

She was taken again three times, if you count the time she went in to save Tori and killed Joseph Stormbeck to escape.

Isaac bit his tongue and shook his head to clear the thought.

“Alright, scootch over,” Tori mumbled as she crossed the living room to drop into the spot where Gavin had been sitting, gently laying a hand on Gavin where he now sat shivering on Isaac’s lap. She pulled the blanket off the back of the couch and draped it across Gavin’s shoulders. “There, better?”

Gavin nodded with his face pressed to Isaac’s neck. His tears streamed into the neckline of Isaac’s shirt. He wrapped Gavin up again, carefully tucking him in, and glanced at Tori inquisitively.

Tori nodded at Vera. “She’s a lot more sensitive to cold when she’s in the thick of it,” she said gently. “And he’s got goosebumps.”

“No shit?” Vera said. “Is that why you always get a blanket when I’m having a bad day?”

The corner of Tori’s mouth curved up. “Yes, dear, that’s why I always get a blanket when you’re having a bad day.”

Vera raised her eyebrows. “No shit,” she mumbled.

“Schiester k-kept the basement cold,” Gavin muttered into Isaac’s neck. “If I wanted blankets I had to… t-tell him things.”

All the blood drained from Isaac’s face. “What… kinds of things?” he croaked.

“Confessions,” Gavin whimpered. “I… I don’t think most of them were true. I don’t remember. I didn’t care. I was cold. Ziegler told me most of the things I admitted to weren’t true.”

“Who the fuck is Ziegler and are we killing them?” Vera said, sitting up straight and staring at Isaac. “Someone who knew you were down there?”

“Y-yes,” Gavin managed through a particularly violent shudder. “He… he didn’t… hurt me as much. And he… let me go.”

Vera’s eyes went wide. “Like—”

“Not like Ryan,” Isaac said sternly. Tears glittered on Vera’s eyelashes. “Just a guard who decided not to kill me when I was pulling Gavin out.”

“He didn’t hurt me,” Gavin said in a small voice. “He… he could have but he… didn’t.”

“But—”

“Fair enough, Gavin,” Vera interrupted. She shot Isaac a glare. “I get it. That can be enough to keep you sane. Just one person who doesn’t want to hurt you as much as the others.”

Gavin nodded weakly against Isaac’s neck. Isaac tried to meet Vera’s glare, but she shot daggers at him and he faltered. Tori’s hand moved in small, gentle circles on Gavin’s back.

“No one’s taking you again,” Isaac whispered against Gavin’s hair. His arms shook with how hard he squeezed Gavin. “No one. You’re safe, alright? You’re… you’re safe.”

As soon as Edrissa is dealt with—

I wonder if I could get to her before anyone realizes what I’ve done—

“You’re okay, Gavin,” Tori said gently, her hair mingling with his as she leaned in close. “We’ve got you.”

“Y-yeah,” Gavin heaved, and shuddered violently. His hand wrapped around Isaac’s wrist. “Yeah. I’m out.”

Edrissa’s the one who last made him question where he was. I’m going to fucking—

“What the fuck is that?” Vera snapped from her place on the couch.

Isaac’s head shot up and he glanced around the room, ready to neutralize the threat. He met Vera’s eyes and realized she was looking at him – no, not at him.

At his arm.

The sleeve was pulled up slightly on his forearm, exposing a scar left by Gavin’s knife – and the cut he himself had made over it, not five days ago. The angry line flared red in the dim light, and it was devastatingly obvious what it was.

Isaac dragged the sleeve down over the cut, obscuring his entire hand. “Nothing,” he growled.

“Isaac, fuck,” Vera breathed. She rose from the couch and stood over Isaac, staring down at him, looking stricken. “That…” Her hand shot out and she grabbed his wrist, pulling the sleeve up to reveal the line of cuts up and down Isaac’s arm.

Isaac yanked his arm out of Vera’s grasp, cringing back into the couch. Gavin slid off his lap and partially onto Tori. Isaac couldn’t even look at Tori; he could barely bring himself to look at Vera, who stared down at him in horror.

“It’s nothing,” Isaac pleaded with a broken voice.

“Vera, let’s respect Isaac’s desire for privacy,” Gray said, a little weakly.

Isaac could feel Gavin’s gaze drilling holes into the side of his head. He blinked back tears and swallowed hard against the shame strangling him. Slowly, he opened his mouth to speak.

Vera beat him to it. “I… told you not to punish yourself,” she said. She held her hands lamely out to her sides. “You said you wouldn’t—”

“No, I didn’t,” Isaac said through his teeth. “I never said that.”

Vera shook her head. “But—”

“I wouldn’t have said that,” Isaac said. His voice was fading, cracking under the pressure of Vera’s gaze. Having Gavin so close to him, feeling all eyes in the room on him, on his arms, safely hidden again under his long sleeves, was too much to bear. He swallowed again, hoping his dinner would stay down. “I never lied to you.”

“I n-never said you did,” Vera croaked. Her hands were in fists at her sides now. “I… how long?”

Isaac shook his head. He glanced at Sam, who stared right back at him. A quiet sort of pain pinched their mouth. “I… would really rather not have this conversation,” he said thickly.

“Yeah, I bet you wouldn’t,” Vera breathed. She sniffed and lifted her chin against the tears that glittered in her eyes. “Isaac… why didn’t you tell me?”

“What, and have you react like this?” He meant to snarl the words, but they came out weak and pathetic sounding.

She nodded slowly. “You’re right,” she murmured. “That’s… that’s fair. I’m sorry, I… This isn’t… how I should be reacting.”

“Let’s everyone take a breath,” Gray said softly. “Vera, do you want to sit down?”

Vera returned to her couch on stiff legs and fell to her seat beside Sam. Isaac could breathe a little easier, without her standing over him. Gavin crawled back onto his lap and wrapped his arms around Isaac’s neck.

“Sorry,” Vera said flatly. She drew in a deep inhale and let it out in a gusty breath. “Sorry. That’s… probably the last fucking thing you needed.”

“Yeah,” Isaac said. He shrank as Gavin laid his head on his shoulder.

“Isaac, can I touch you?” Tori said. Isaac jumped, but relaxed a little when he met her eyes. Her gaze was soft, sad, but not filled with horror. Not like Vera’s. He nodded, and she laid a gentle hand on his shoulder.

“I’m really sorry,” Vera whispered. “That was… I wish I could take that back.” She wiped her eyes and sat up, taking another deep breath. “That was shitty of me.”

“No,” Isaac grumbled. His arms stung as if all the cuts were brand new. He longed to scratch at the ones that itched, but he couldn’t bear to draw any more attention to them. He swallowed tightly. “I should never have…” He couldn’t finish the sentence.

“No.” Vera held up a shaking hand. “Don’t… don’t do that.” She raked her fingers through her hair and stared at the floor. “Um…”

Isaac couldn’t bring himself to say any of the things that were echoing through his head:

I know this hurts you. I know I did it because I’m weak. I know I would never have had to do it if I had just kept my family safe in the first place. I know…

He knew right where his knife was, too. Gray had taken the one he usually used, but he had another in his pack. All he would have to do is—

“Boy I wish someone else would say something,” Vera said with a broken laugh.

Gray leaned forward with a warm glance toward Isaac. “Did you hear Sam is going to be staying with us?” they said, without missing a beat. Isaac could have cried with gratitude at no longer being the subject of discussion.

Tori beamed and glanced at Sam. “I didn’t hear that! That’s so great.” Her voice was tighter than Gray’s, but it was still light. Isaac felt a wash of gratitude for her, too.

“Yeah,” Sam said. They sounded so tired. But happy, too. “Yeah, I talked to Zachariah about it and… I’m going to be staying here for a while.” They grinned at Isaac. “The foreseeable future.”

“That’s awesome,” Vera said, with only a little flatness to her voice.

“We’re definitely happy about it,” Gray said with a smile.

“It’ll be really nice to… to have you here, Sam,” Isaac croaked. He rearranged his face into what was probably a smile and willed the darkness in his chest to dissipate. “It’ll be nice to be together.” His arms tightened around Gavin as he said it.

Sam nodded, their expression brightening further. “We were worried about where I was going to sleep, but…” They patted the couch cushion next to them. “Turns out this couch is extremely comfortable. After how long we spent on the road, just about anything feels good.”

“You slept on my floor on an air mattress for months,” Tori said with a laugh. “Anything is better than that.”

“Even sleeping on the ground during winter?” Sam said with a mischievous smile. All at once, the exhaustion around their eyes faded away, and they looked like themself again. They looked like the Sam Isaac had always known.

“Depends on the winter,” Tori said. “In the south it wasn’t bad.”

“I’ll take the air mattress,” Vera interjected, raising her hand. “If I get a say.”

“Yeah, because it was on my floor,” Tori shot back with a conspiratory grin.

Everyone laughed at that, even Isaac. He felt the cold fist around his heart loosen a bit, then fall away entirely. As he looked around at the people he loved, feeling Gavin’s warm weight in his lap and Gray’s shoulder brushing his, he could breathe a little easier. He could survive another few minutes without his knife.

Perhaps he could go without it entirely, tonight. It would still be there in the morning if he needed it, and he figured he would. But… maybe then he could just hold some ice instead, if he didn’t need it too badly. What he knew for sure, though, was that he didn’t need the knife tonight.

With his family around him, alive, safe… he could go without the knife for a little longer.

Continued here

@womping-grounds ​, @free-2bmee ​, @quirkykayleetam ​, @walkingchemicalfire ​, @inpainandsuffering ​, @redwingedwhump ​, @burtlederp ​, @castielamigos-whump-side-blog ​ , @whatwhumpcomments ​, @whumpywhumper ​, @stxck-fxck ​, @whumps-the-word ​, @justplainwhump ​, @finder-of-rings ​, @inky-whump ​, @orchidscript ​, @inkyinsanity ​, @this-mightaswell-happen ​, @newandfiguringitout ​, @whumpkitty ​, @pretty-face-breaker ​, @pebbledriscoll ​, @im-just-here-for-the-whump ​, @endless-whump ​, @grizzlie70 ​, @oops-its-whump ​, @kixngiggles​, @1phoenixfeather ​ , @butwhatifyouwrite ​, @carnagecardinal , @whumpifi , @squishablesunbeam

[glxybld-mustdie]

That’s it I spent the last 10 minutes looking at stories and I gathered this informations:

1. GERARD. IS. SO. CUTE. he’s my girlfriend and I love him so much (@the-sun-personified sorry hun ily too but understand me on this)

2. MIKEY WAS ON STAGE WHILE FOB PLAYED AND HE WAS SCREAMING THNKS FR TH MMRS THAT SONG IS OBVIOUSLY ABOUT HIM

3. THANK YOU MEREDITH I REALLY NEEDED SOME ANDY CONTENT TODAY (also love the fob bracelet she has I’m gonna copy it so bad)

4. FRANKIEROPICSSS DESERVES AN AWARD I WANNA KISS THEM ON THE FOREHEAD FOR ALL THE FRANK CONTENT FROM THE FEST

5. FOB POSTED PICS AND THEYRE COOL GO CHECK YALL

6. THEY ALL LOOK SO HOT IM GONNA CRY MYSELF TO SLEEP TONIGHT THANK YOU

alright I think that’s it thank you for coming to my rant

[eowyn-huxley]

𝐄𝐎𝐖𝐘𝐍 𝐑𝐇𝐈𝐀𝐍𝐍𝐎𝐍 𝐇𝐔𝐗𝐋𝐄𝐘 “Do not take life too seriously. You'll never get out of it alive.”

✦ 𝔟𝔞𝔰𝔦𝔠𝔰

Name: Eowyn Rhiannon Huxley Nickname(s): Eri (only by Arwyn) Date of Birth: 21 May 1999 [25] Place of Birth: Cardiff, Wales, UK [Welsh] Hometown: Cardiff, Wales, UK Current Residence: London, England, UK Occupation: Events Planner

✦ 𝔣𝔞𝔪𝔦𝔩𝔶

Father: Phillip Huxley † Mother: Meredith Huxley (née Davies) Sibling(s): Owen †, Grace, Heather & Arwyn (twin) Huxley Pet(s): Martini a.k.a. Mimi (a pomeranian dog)

✦ 𝔟𝔞𝔠𝔨𝔰𝔱𝔬𝔯𝔶

As the first born in her family's set of twins, Eowyn has always been mistaken as being younger than her actual younger sister, Arwyn. With an incredibly vivacious and carefree personality, she'd often land herself in less-than-favourable situations when the idea of fun would triumph over that of safety. It has been this way ever since she was a little girl. Whether it be someone's birthday, a holiday gathering or a simple garden tea party with her dolls, she would always find herself in the spotlight, and loving every second of it. There was no denying she had the energy, the charisma, and the aura that drew everyone in, may it be friends, boys or even competition. But despite their differences, Eowyn has always been her twin sister's champion; if anything, it is because of her that no one really dares poke fun at the much quieter, more "eccentric" Huxley twin. After all, it's the least she could do for all the times Arwyn has saved her from irreversible trouble.

✦ 𝔱𝔢𝔪𝔭𝔢𝔯𝔞𝔪𝔢𝔫𝔱

✓ ambitious, creative, fun-loving ✗ impulsive, erratic, reckless

✦ 𝔞𝔯𝔠𝔥𝔦𝔳𝔢

N01

DISCLAIMER This account is for roleplaying purposes only and is not associated with any individuals depicted herein. All written content are original works of fiction; any resemblance to existing works and/or characters should be considered coincidental and free of malicious intent. Please do not reproduce/redistribute. Thank you.

[splashink-games]

Cassette Beasts?

Cassette Beasts is a creature-collecting game by Bytten Studio! Record monsters on tapes, become a Ranger, and find the way off of New Wirral in this amazing adventure!

Spoilers below the cut!!

So I had a plan to write this review before I even finished the game. It was just that good. But! I managed to hold off until I at least finished the main game. Next goal: 100% and DLC! And also buying the OST when I have the chance.

Now, I'm not putting this off until the middle of the review: every musical track in this game is a certified banger. I absolutely loved the music of the game. As one person put it (while I was looking for the OST), I just didn't get tired of the music. And that's a pretty big win for a game where you have so, so many encounters and only a handful of tracks to play.

The way they implement the music is also impressive because it's narratively important. The lyrics work their way in when a fusion happens and during big story battles. The town theme's music plays when you're indoors. Plus the lyrics just feel right with its tones and atmosphere. Also the difference between the few main battle themes is just enough for one to feel more tense/exciting than the others. Just an overall great thing they have going on with the audio.

Okay with that out of the way!

Cassette Beasts is a solid game, actually pretty high tier.

Mechanically, I've seen people compare it to Pokemon. I feel like it's like a mix of Pokemon and Persona. You can record the monsters, remaster (evolve) them at five stars, with some having having special evolution requirements. Monsters can show up as bootlegs, where they're a type other than its base type, which is just like shiny hunting but more (cause there's like 12 types). And I've already killed a plastic bootleg by accident...

The moves (stickers) are mix and match, mostly according to typing. I'm pretty into it cause I love giving my party members all sorts of type coverage. I haven't particularly gone into finding weird strategies yet other than AP Refund, but I can see some cool ones thanks to needing to battle all 12 Ranger Captains.

And then you can fuse! Which I thought was interesting, and it adds an ace to go to when you're in a pinch. But you fusing means that wild monsters (and other rangers) can fuse too. Those provide some fun challenges and opportunities to find bootlegs, plus progression in post-game.

Did I mention that this game is also like a Metroidvania? Capturing certain monsters gives up to 6 overworld movement abilities and I think that's pretty neat. All of them have their uses and none of them are niche, which is a win.

The story was pretty interesting! Dropping in onto a mysterious island and trying to find a way back home is nice and simple and all the detail added around it make it engaging. The Archangels are wildly uncomfortable which I didn't expect and I loved it. Despite loving it, it still did come out of nowhere but greatly forgiven because it was right at the start (and not some random turn in the middle).

The pacing was a bit off for me though because I got like 5 out of 8 song pieces before I even defeated 4 captains or even met all the partner characters. I also don't know how relationship progress works other than fight things and rest. Thinking about it now, there's probably a reason why there a speedrun timer in that you don't have to play through all the content (8/9 archangels, no captains?), I guess.

I liked the references to all sorts of topics throughout the story and I think it's pretty interesting for the characters to be from different timelines. It makes it easy to explain weird inconsistencies.

Funny thing I did by accident for end game's story: I switched out Meredith's Regensea with an Aeroboros cause I wanted her starter in my party. And boy did that choice bite back later lol.

Graphics are also solid. The 3D world with 2D sprites reminds me of Octopath Traveller. I appreciate the non-pixel portrait art for the characters, but I would've liked it either way. The designs of the monsters and the characters are all great! Honestly, I should take some notes from them since even if there's 15+ characters, they still all have very specific designs and personalities to match.

The detail in the world is great too, like the light reflecting off the puddle or the fog that rolls in and the rain. So like weather in general.

Also, as a note just for me, I liked the fonts and font effects that they used. Very cool.

Cassette Beasts is a quality creature-collecting game! If you need another Pokemon/Digimon/Persona, here's a game for you. Or if you just want a cool turn-based RPG with cool music, that's cool too.

As always,

Enjoy gaming!

[iknowshocker]

can you tell us more about your bonkai inspired novel you mentioned you’re querying?

hi anon!! thank you so much for asking - this project is really special to me and talking about it makes me so giddy lol

this is part of my current query letter:

Her last name is a question, his is a curse. 

Once every century, the witches of the world gather together to hold the perilous Witch Trials. The best and brightest amongst them compete in teams of two, until a final fight to the death between the strongest pair leaves one lucky witch in control of the world’s magic.

For nearly six hundred years, an Attwood male has held the coveted title of Holder. 

Rhea Hearthstone has spent her life cataloging the histories of other witches, keeping close tabs on the nine covens that inhabit the world outside her door. Orphaned young and sent to live with her grandmother, she has contented herself with living a nearly normal life. Or as close to one as an overpowered witch with magic that refuses to listen to the simplest of commands can hope for, at least. 

Elijah Attwood, the eldest of eight in an ancient and powerful family, has always known his destiny was to die young. It was supposed to be his twin sister, Meredith, who dealt the final blow. But when she falls mysteriously ill and he is forced to pick a new partner for the upcoming Trials, there is only one obvious choice: the third member of their childhood trio and the only other witch he’s ever allowed himself to love.

Eli, Meredith, and Rhea built their friendships on trust. It shattered the year Meredith fell ill and Eli decided it was time to leave Rhea behind. When the secrets that have held the Attwoods together for centuries threaten to finally tear their mysterious house to the ground, Rhea will be forced to choose.

Will she forgive the boy she once loved, even after he broke her heart – or will she stand against him, carving a place in the magical history books under the Hearthstone name, for once?

[arwyn-huxley]

𝐀𝐑𝐖𝐘𝐍 𝐑𝐎𝐒𝐄 𝐇𝐔𝐗𝐋𝐄𝐘 “No one has ever become poor by giving.”

❀ 𝒷𝒶𝓈𝒾𝒸𝓈

Name: Arwyn Rose Huxley Nickname(s): Aro (only by Eowyn) Date of Birth: 21 May 1999 [25] Place of Birth: Cardiff, Wales, UK [Welsh] Hometown: Cardiff, Wales, UK Current Residence: São Paulo, Brazil Occupation: Pediatrician

❀ 𝒻𝒶𝓂𝒾𝓁𝓎

Father: Phillip Huxley † Mother: Meredith Huxley (née Davies) Sibling(s): Owen †, Grace, Heather & Eowyn (twin) Huxley Pet(s): Coco & Puff (2 grey tabby cats)

❀ 𝒷𝒶𝒸𝓀𝓈𝓉𝑜𝓇𝓎

Within the community in which they grew up, Arwyn Huxley is often deemed as the "odd one out" by relatives and family friends alike. Not only did she not come out identical to her own twin, Eowyn, but she didn't share her sister's more high-spirited temperament, either. In fact, often mistaken as the older twin, Arwyn has always been the more mature, level-headed, and responsible of the two. Frequently misunderstood, it's not that Arwyn didn't like to have fun; she simply preferred the company of a few close friends with whom she shared similar interests with, as opposed to her sister's fondness for bigger, and usually crazier parties. But even then, this has not kept Arwyn and Eowyn apart. Though not inseparable, oftentimes running in separate circles, they are two peas in a pod where and when it counts. Because while it is her prudence that keeps Eowyn from flying too close to the sun, it is Eowyn's joie-de-vivre that keeps Arwyn from forever disappearing into her own self-dug rabbit hole.

❀ 𝓉𝑒𝓂𝓅𝑒𝓇𝒶𝓂𝑒𝓃𝓉

✓ dedicated, friendly, resourceful ✗ insecure, workaholic, timid

❀ 𝒶𝓇𝒸𝒽𝒾𝓋𝑒

N01

DISCLAIMER This account is for roleplaying purposes only and is not associated with any individuals depicted herein. All written content are original works of fiction; any resemblance to existing works and/or characters should be considered coincidental and free of malicious intent. Please do not reproduce/redistribute. Thank you.

[nyssasims]

hiya, can i ask what hair and strand highlight you use on your icon sim? thank you so much for sharing your wonderful content with us!

hey there anon! so glad you’re enjoying my blog 😊. here are the two highlights i use for my sim’s hair. they both relatively do the same thing so either is fine, but i do mainly use the @/its-adrienpastel one (they deleted the link to the cc so i made a new for you)

1. maddison hair acc 2. casey hairstyle acc

here are also some of my fav hairs these highlights work with:

1.rowan 2. jennie 3. sabrina 4. blair 5. delilah

6. casey 7. kiki 8. sally 9. dorothy 10. louise

11. amelia 12. clarice 13. juliette 14. nevy 15. maddison

16. rihannon 17. meredith 18. naia 19. violet v1 20. aurora

21. brooke 22. shelley 23. shelley v2 24. eth v2 25. eth v1

[hailsatanacab]

DPxTheOffice

"He's gonna sell it all 'cause he's Danny Phantom"

that's so fucking funny, i hate how much i love this!! i have made it way too long, rip to my five sentence rule - there's such a goldmine of content here lmao

👻

"I'd say it's been going on for... about a month now?"

"Two months," Sam interrupts. "It started just after your parents came in, remember?"

"Oh, Ancients, yeah, them. I can't believe I forgot that."

"Yeah, dude, it's thanks to them that this all started!" Tucker's practically vibrating in his chair, far too cheerful about the whole thing.

"Yeah," Danny sighs, looking directly into the camera. "Thank you, Mom and Dad. Thank you very much."

"Danny's parents are ghost hunters, which, as you can imagine, got Michael very excited. And very into ghosts. He accused Meredith of haunting him the other day, now he keeps spraying her with holy water and yelling 'Begone, foul spectre!' He's really taken a liking to Danny's parents."

"Can't imagine why."

"Yeah, and then—then—" Tucker dissolves into laughter, wheezing as he tries to catch his breath. "Then he brings in that personal trainer! In her yoga pants and crop top, with a pilates ball and everything! Sends her over to—to see Meredith, and then—oh Ancients—then when the woman leaves and Meredith is still there, he locks himself in his office and blasts the Lord's Prayer!"

"We think he mispelt exorcist. Hired someone in exercise instead."

"Exorcists are all phoney, anyway! And PTs are only slightly less phoney, so make sure you do your research and get someone that actually knows what they're doing before you commit, kids." Danny says, pointing down the camera. "That's how I got so jacked."

Both Sam and Tucker share a look before bursting into even more laughter. With a soft smack on his arm, Sam can't help but tease, "Please, you're 5'4" and look like you'd break your arm if you ever picked up a ream of paper. No wonder your sales are so low."

"Wow, that's so rude. I can't believe you'd do me like that. I'm 5'4 and a half, thank you."

"That's right, babe, and we love you for it."

Their laughter peters out and the trio slowly pull themselves upright in their chairs, remembering the cameras and the story they're meant to be telling.

"Honestly, thanks to these guys, the past few weeks have been a nightmare."

"Now who's being rude? At least this is one of those fun nightmares that you can laugh about later."

"Nope, this is a normal nightmare that everytime you think you've woken up from, you get back to work and see your boss dressed up in a hazmat suit that your parents sent him and realise that actually, maybe the real nightmare was the work colleagues you made along the way."

"Oh. Yeah, that sounds about right, sorry, Danny."

Tucker puts him on the shoulder and stays silent for a grand total of five seconds before turning back to the camera with an ecstatic grin on his face and a deep breath.

"Anyway, everytime one of us goes into Michael's office, we sneak something off his desk and blame ghosts. Sam's hidden some speakers in the ceiling that play recordings of her crying on a timer."

"I should have been an actor. I also got some of the warehouse guys in on it, so everytime Michael goes down there they'll throw a box or two around and make some ghostly moans. Didn't even ask why, they just agreed."

Sam's back to looking very proud of herself. Danny's back to cradling his head in his hands.

"Is that why Boxy's been about lately? Guys, seriously? I need to sleep!"

The only answer he gets is a shrug as Tucker turns back to the camera.

"Oh, and I've also installed a script on his computer so that whenever he types the word 'ghosts'—or 'goats', again, he's not really great at typing—his screen starts getting all staticky and closes down. He shrieks everytime, it's so funny!"

"I wonder if he'll go with a different PT to exercise his office next?"

"We should suggest P90X—your office ghost free in three months or your money back!"

Sam and Tucker are both burst into laughter, sinking deeper into their chairs as Danny just shakes his head. It takes a solid minute for the two to calm down, and more than one pointed question from the producer to get them back on track.

"Where's it going? Does it really have to go anywhere? Can't the joy of the bit be destination enough?"

"I wish it would go away," Danny groans, still not lifting his head. "I get enough of ghost hunting in my free time, I don't need it here, too."

"I've changed Danny's employee file to list him as deceased just to see how long it takes Michael to notice."

"Seriously? Tucker, really? That's—"

"Genius, Tuck. And then we can be all: 'Michael, what are you on about? Danny's been dead for three years!' I can't wait to see his face!"

"You guys know that Dwight's going to actually try to end me if he finds out, right? Pretty sure Dad slipped him a Fenton blaster before he left."

"You know what they say," Tucker says, grinning directly down the camera, "'Gaslight, Ghost them, Get pranked, boss!'"

[greypetrel]

OC Questionnaire 2

Tagged (again) by @spainkitty, thank you! Following with the Hawkes and my newly found Shepard (which got formed super quickly).

Part 1 here

Tagging: @dungeons-and-dragon-age @daggerbean @sapphireangelbunny @n7viper @pinayelf and YOU!

NAME: Raina Elizabeth Hawke

NICKNAME: Hawke. Trash Raccoon. Beanpole. Varric calls her Elizabeth when he's irritated with her. "Crazy Hawke" by Sera.

GENDER: Non-binary (goes with she/her no problem, but is extremely ill at ease if she has to present herself as overtly feminine. Won't wear skirts or grow her hair out anymore. Ok with makeup and -very occasionally- higher heels.)

STAR SIGN: Sagittarius

HEIGHT: 6'1" (187 cm)

ORIENTATION: Bisexual, Poly

NATIONALITY/ETHNICITY: Fereldan, baby.

FAVORITE FRUIT: Tomato (it's a fruit). Cherries and raspberries.

FAVORITE SEASON: Late summer/early autumn, hot days and chill nights.

FAVORITE FLOWER: Sea daffodil

FAVORITE SCENT: Sea salt, freshly clean cotton, the smell of a stew on the fire. Won't wear perfume herself.

COFFEE, TEA, OR HOT CHOCOLATE: Tea. No sugar. The teabag/infuser is the last thing that leaves the cup.

AVERAGE HOURS OF SLEEP: 3-9, either she sleeps very little, or she oversleeps.

DOGS OR CATS: Dogs.

DREAM TRIP: Wherever Merrill points her finger, she's not picky.

NUMBER OF BLANKETS: 1 heavy

RANDOM FACT: She was so pissed with Meredith for threatening her, that once the Knight-Commander called her to the Gallows, she showed up with a bag full of glittery yarn, poured the content on her desk, and started to knit. "I'm sorry, I am very behind with First Day gifts. It also helps me concentrate, so I will be extra focused on all the most important things you have to say. You want me concentrated, right Knight-Commander? :) ". Cullen kept finding glitter around and on the damn desk and in the drawers until he left for Haven.

NAME: Garrett Tiberius Hawke

NICKNAME: Gee. Pumpkin by Varric (he calls Fenris "pumpkin", yes it brings some confusion). "Buff Hawke" by Sera.

GENDER: Male, won't be mad if you mispronoun him, who cares.

STAR SIGN: Gemini

HEIGHT: 6'3" (191 cm)

ORIENTATION: Bisexual

NATIONALITY/ETHNICITY: Fereldan country boy dreaming of a veggie garden.

FAVORITE FRUIT: Chestnuts

FAVORITE SEASON: Autumn

FAVORITE FLOWER: Yarrows

FAVORITE SCENT: Cinnamon, ginger. Pumpkin spices.

COFFEE, TEA, OR HOT CHOCOLATE: Hot chocolate.

AVERAGE HOURS OF SLEEP: 8

DOGS OR CATS: DragonsDogs

DREAM TRIP: Antiva. Or the vineyards in Orlais to learn how to grow them.

NUMBER OF BLANKETS: 3

RANDOM FACT: After Corypheus will be defeated, he'll retire to the countryside with Fenris. Buy a farm with enough space for them to survive. He'll become extremely competitive in country fairs and competitions for the biggest pumpkin. So much so that demons will try to tempt him by offering him the biggest pumpkin ever. Nothing will work, because he'll candidly answer that he can't understand what's the point if he doesn't grow him himself, maybe you should think about your life better mr Demon do you want to talk about it? *psychoanalizes the Demon enough to convince him to go in the fields and take some weeds away*

NAME: Maxine Shepard

NICKNAME: Max. She has Max on her documents, hates "Maxine" to guts, says it's a dog name.

GENDER: Genderfluid.

STAR SIGN: Aries

HEIGHT: 5'7" (175 cm)

ORIENTATION: Pan. Whatever, man.

NATIONALITY/ETHNICITY: Italian, with Moroccan descent. Her paternal grandpa was American.

FAVORITE FRUIT: Figs

FAVORITE SEASON: Summer

FAVORITE FLOWER: Oleander

FAVORITE SCENT: Sea-salt, sandalwood, amber, motor oil.

COFFEE, TEA, OR HOT CHOCOLATE: Fizzy drinks. Her grandparents, and the grandma she grew up with, were from Livorno, so spuma is her favourite

AVERAGE HOURS OF SLEEP: 6/7

DOGS OR CATS: Space Hamster.

DREAM TRIP: Every time something gets wrong, she sighs and proposes to get back to Virmire with cocktails, or on Tuchanka.

NUMBER OF BLANKETS: 3

RANDOM FACT: When Anderson recruited her on Akuze, fearing he would have left her there because she was an engineer and he was looking for a soldier, she told him she had a driving license. She had one. For boats. It results in her being neat in driving ships, both on water and in space, and totally, absolutely inept on land vehicles on wheels. In spite of that, she will refuse to let anyone else drive (save Garrus but on occasions), saying that "I have a degree in mechanical engineering, if I can repair it I can also drive it". (she really can't.)

[flickertheory]

i am now desperate for your 3-hour rant about “the addison returns to grey sloan to do fetal surgery" episode”

i need this in my life diane don’t leave me hanging

so basically

I would die for addison (look, the mix between "diane realizes she likes girls" and "diane is very enthusiastic about female characters with red hair" is just a venn diagram.)

her season 18 (and/or s19??? don't remember) episodes on grey's anatomy aren't ALL bad. she gets to touch on her emotional hurt / her difficulty in parenting / her burnout / her relationship to roe v. wade as an OB-GYN who is no longer able to help people the way she knows how to.

she is so GOOD. kate walsh is phenomenal.

BUT there's also this string of episodes where addison is used to propel the plot forward. she has to sit through richard and meredith bickering about job stuff. she has to teach the medical interns because they are, understandably, struggling.

there's literally an episode where a pregnant woman is going through intense emotional pain and addison needs to shout at richard webber (I HATE HIM) to stop being so self-centered. Because addison needs to focus on her poor PATIENT, not richard's ego and his fixation on yelling at meredith

(look i am aware people dislike meredith but I just kind of like her, okay? she's not a character I love, but i do like her. she is my emotional support character sometimes.)

AND THIS IS SUCH A WASTE OF KATE WALSH'S ACTING TALENT. SHE HAS TO DEAL WITH SQUABBLING PEOPLE AND HANDLE EPISODE-BASED CONFLICTS INSTEAD OF BEING ABLE TO FULLY FOSTER HER RELATIONSHIPS WITH CHARACTERS.

What a fucking waste of a character. She returns after, like, 5 seasons away and you use her to teach some random students she's never met (student characters that the audience is only kind of invested in, by the way!) instead of being able to FULLY see her bond with her old friends.

There is old friend content, THANK GOD (Addison & Meredith, and her with Amelia and Meredith's kids), but we could've had more of it if we didn't waste Kate Walsh's screentime like this!

Like, Addison also has relationships with Webber and Bailey that we wanted to see more of. And we all want more screentime of Addison & Amelia because they're practically sisters.

No one CARES about Addison's relationship with Benson Kwan, for instance, who is NICE but is not, like, a character any of us really know that well. Benson has been on the show for like 1 year.

Anyways Addison's grief and emotional turmoil is great. I love her and cautiously like her return episodes on GA but am so mad that they're wasting some of her screentime on "she needs to work on the medical case" rather than "she gets to build emotional friendships and gets a character arc.

They did this very recently with Arizona Robbins too, AND I'M STILL MAD ABOUT IT

ARIZONA DOES NOT EXIST SO SHE CAN DO SURGERY AND TEACH MINOR CHARACTERS AND GO HOME!!!!!!!!!! GIVE HER AN ARC!

[felicitysmoaksx]

prompt for 25 days of prompts -

Sarah gets attacked by a patient and becomes a patient herself (think Meredith from that one episode of Grey's Anatomy

I love the way you write Sarah especially and there's not enough Sarah content out there ❤️

Hey anon! Thanks so much for the kind words! So I watched Grey's with my sister when I was a teenager, but I hadn't seen the episode you're talking about. Luckily, there are scenes of that episode floating around Tiktok. Hope you enjoy it! For context, this is set in my new One Chicago/The Resident Crossover where Sarah Reese is Nic's half-sister. TW: Assault and inaccurate depictions of medical terminology.

She doesn't even remember how it happened. Not really. One minute she was giving a patient a consult for Dr. Choi. The patient had been combative and agitated since he was admitted to the ED. The next said patient rammed into her and she felt her body slam into the glass wall. There was a sickening crunch, and it was hard to breathe or move.

"Sarah!" She heard Dr. Choi shout. But it sounded faint as if he were far away. "Maggie, get security and I need help in here!"

"Restrain him!" Will's voice shouted. He sounded closer, but there was still a muffle to the words, "Two of Versed and five of Haldol!"

Then finally the man was pulled off of her and someone reached for her. She reached back weakly whimpering. 

"Sarah," her brother-in-law hovered over her cupping her jaw so she would look at him, "What hurts the most?"

But the curly-haired brunette found that she couldn't speak. Her jaw was...it wasn’t attached anymore. She flinched back from Conrad more from the shock than the pain. 

“Oh god,” his voice was low as he realized the extent of her injuries from how slack her jaw was. Her brother-in-law looked up at someone but she couldn’t see who it was because of the light shining in her eyes. “I think he broke her jaw.” 

“Let’s get her to the hybrid OR. From there we can asses the damage further and if she needs surgery we’re already there.” Dr. Rhodes’ voice floated somewhere above her. But that wasn’t the only thing. She could feel it. So she reached out a hand and squeezed Conrad’s wrist as hard as she could manage. Once, twice, three times. When her brother-in-law looked back down at her, Sarah pulled on his wrist until his hand was against her ribs. Conrad swore, “I think a rib or two is also broken.” 

“We need a gurney and a backboard in here! Reese is down!” Connor called and the brunette knew that she was rolled very carefully onto a backboard, but after that, she couldn’t tell you what happened.