#the bishop has no clue what's happening but he's here for it?

[dolluxe-arts]

I LOVE Aabria playing a 16 year old girl. she’s incredibly powerful. she’s rotting. she has a crush on Deli. she has a million secrets. what teenage girl doesn’t? she wants to murder the bishop in cold blood. 

[al0m]

Putting two of my favourite things together..

cotl stardew au!!!

Note how Lamb doesn't have their decapitation scar in this... I hope nothing bad happens to the silly little farmer

Just kidding, they're already traumatized

Here's a bonus sketch of lamb giving Narinder a Mermaid Pendant (ikykyk 👀)

I'll put a little (BIG) infodump of my first thoughts under the cut if you're interrested!!!

the whole story begins with the typical extermination of the sheep, in which our lamb ISNT getting decapitated for a change. well they were about to be but they got saved by ratau who's then dragging lamb along to a whole new city with an immensely overrun farmground in pelican town

so yeah lamb takes over the typical new farmer role in pelican town

The farm belongs to ratau, who isnt their grandfather and also isnt dead LMAO 😭 he makes them move in with him to hide from the bishops, lamb has no clue what the hell is going on and is traumatized as shit. they don't know they have a greater role in this whole thing and also dont know that ratau "only" took them in for an ulterior motive. after time passes ratau slowly takes over a fatherly role for lamb but that has to develop

alsooo a ps, ratau and narinder are still lowkey in contact in this au! Ratau was the crown bearer once, just like in canon but thats AGES ago

As a thanks for rataus service, despite having failed and not being able to free The One Who Waits, Narinder rewarded him with eternal life since he knew he'd have to help fullfill the actual proficy when time comes

so what actually happened was ratau had been sent by narinder to go get lamb, since narinder wasn't aware that they'd actually have to die first in order to fullfill the prophecy

so yeah ratau is like old af and its been AGES since he was the crown bearer, the farmground was actually the cultground when he had narinders powers. thats also why the "farm" is overgrown as HELL right now since Ratau just couldnt bother to keep it neat once his powerful days were over

all villagers in pelican town dont know that the farm was a cult once with ratau as the leader since they're way too young to know

[chershire23]

Radio Rules.

(Warnings: Death, Gore, blood and mentions of rape.

I had a lot of fun writing this so i hope you all enjoy!)

“Who cares what they're wearing on Main Street, or Saville Row,” A female voice sings out as a young woman with hair, red as fire can be seen dancing through the trees. The night was dark yet the moon shone bright making it the perfect stage. This young woman didn't have many friends as people tended to avoid her. She didn't know why though. She was quite friendly yet her happy demeanor and seemingly never faltering smile tend to creep people out. A cracking of branches echoes to her right and she swings around to see what it was, falling silent as to listen for anything else.

 More rustling can be heard from her left and then even more to her right. The girl can feel her heart racing in her chest as she swings this way and that, trying to see who or what is making all the noise. Finally she decides to run. She runs as fast as her short legs could carry her. Just when it seems she would be able to make it to the road, she screams tripping over an upturned root. crying, she tries to crawl further away. She doesn't make it far though as a group of hands grab onto her legs. “Al!” She manages to scream out as she is dragged into the darkness.

Sam walks into the main room of the bunker where Dean can be seen playing a game of operation with Jack. “God Dammit!” Dean exclaims dropping the tweezers as he once again messes up causing the game to buzz. The young nephilim miles a little, doing his best to hold in his laughter as Dean throws his temper tantrum. “Hey guys, I think I found us another case.” Sam says as he puts his computer in front of his brother and adopted nephew. The article it was on said “30 People Missing In Less Than Two Weeks One Found Dead.” “It looks like it might be a big Vampire nest, at least based on the description of the one they found dead. The article further down says that the man found was completely drained of his blood.” Sam says, explaining the new case to them.

“Ok so let's head down and gank some blood sucking bitches and get it over with. Where is the case located?” Dean asks as he pushes away the game he was previously mad at. “That's the thing we are gonna need both Jack and Cas to teleport us there in order to prevent more deaths. It's in a city called Gillette, it's in Wyoming near the border of South Dakota. That's too far for us to drive.” Sam explains as he looks at Jack. “Well Cas should be back in a few minutes with dinner so we can eat during the drive after me and Cas get you all close to the town.” Jack says with a nod to the other two. 

An hour later the four of them arrive in the city of Gillette. They pull up to the nearest gas station and form a plan. “Okay me and Cas will do the FBI stuff and you guys act as toursest. We split up and look for any clues on who the vamps could be and where the nest is.” Dean says from the front seat of the Impala. Everyone agrees with the plan and they split up from there with Sam and Jack asking people around town about what has been happening and Dean and Cas take off to interview some of the relatives of the missing people. “Ok who do we want to talk to first?” Dean asks as he goes through a file case listing all the different people they might need to talk to. I say those who knew the most recent missing person.” Castiel suggests as he adjusts his tie and makes sure his weapons are hidden and secure and Dean nods in agreement.

Soon they come up to the first house and knock on the door. A scruffy looking man in his early twenties answered and it looked as if he had been crying. “Hello my name is agent Rob Bishop this is agent Jake Hopper FBI and we are here to ask you some questions about the most recent missing person, a Riely Altruist.” Dean says playing his role very well as the young man looks at him before nodding and letting them inside, leading them to the couch.

“I don't know what happened to her but I want to. I mean who wouldnt want to know what happened to their best fucking friend especily in a situation like this?” The young man who they have now identified as Logan Poxan says his voice breaking like he is about to start crying again. “Do you have any idea why anyone would have targeted her?” Cas asks him leaning forward, his eyes narrowed in concern for the girl as well as others who were kidnapped. “No not really, I mean Riely was fucking crazy but she wouldnt hurt anyone.” Logan exclaims and Dean then hands him a box of tissues allowing him to blow his nose. “Can you describe her to us personality and look wise so we can get a better view on why someone would kidnap her?” Dean asks as he leans back into his seat.

“Well she has red hair that tends to have a mind of its own half the time. She's a short little shit standing at 4’10. She was very friendly towards almost everyone and never seemed to frown. It was kinda creepy at times but you got used to it.” Logan says describing the young woman. “What about her build?” Cas asks watching for any signs of deception or him withholding information. “She was a little on the bigger side, not unhealthy or anything, she's just a bit chunky. Big boned ya know?” Logan says, looking between the two men.

 “Ok well we better go, we have a few more people to talk to. Here's our number, call us if you remember anything important that could help us with the case.” Cas hands the young man a fake business card with the number to one of their burner phones. Logan takes it with a grateful nod and walks them to the front door. They make it to the car and wave at Logan before driving away, they make it no more than a block away before Dean’s phone rings. Cas takes it and answers by putting it on speaker phone as Dean drives. “Whatcha got Sammy?” Dean calls out. Standing on the sidewalk near a tattoo shop Sam answers.

 “Well I know that the vamps were not picky in who they took. The victims were a mix of almost anyone you can think of from an old farmer to the young woman they took two days ago.” Sam explains watching Jack run across the street to him with two ice cream cones in each hand. He offers one to Sam who takes it gratefully as it was hot as balls out and thanks to Jack's Nephilim magic the other ice creams wouldn't start melting till he gave them to Dean and Cas. 

“I also think that the nest is somewhere in the black hills. It's about a thirty minute drive from here but that's where most people have gone missing.” Sam says before taking a lick of his ice cream. “OK we will pick you up and head there next.” Dean says, nodding to Cas to hang up the phone. “Dean, we will find them and we will save those who are still alive.” Cas says gently, taking Dean's hand in his.

(elsewhere)

The cell they had Riely locked in was cold, damp, and had blood splattered across the walls. Yet her smile never faltered, instead it just made it turn into a smirk. Also due to her biting, clawing and kicking habit the vampires have chained her up not allowing her to move her arms and there is a chain connecting her leg to the wall. A male vampire enters the cell blood dripping down his face and neck from his latest feed. “Jesus christ you are as creepy as the others say.” He says crouching down to be eye to eye with Riely. Her eyes just widen in amusement along with her smirk.

She gives no indication of fear, despite how terrified she is on the inside. Her grandpa always told her a smile was a powerful weapon and she was keen on using it especially in situations like these. She could actually get out of here anytime she wanted given the voodoo she was taught but she wants to save as many as she can and for that it requires patience. Not many will die and she knows that given how these vampires like to slow feed. They like to keep their victims alive as long as possible and full of liquids to produce more blood for them. Essentially using them as cattle for slaughter.

“Don’t worry though creepy one, your turn will be soon and i bet your blood is very rich. I also bet if I asked the boss would let me have my own way for you when I get to feed from that neck of yours.” The Vampire says creepily whilst trailing a finger down the vain of her neck. Riely suddenly jerks her head down and latches tightly onto the vampire's hand. Jerking her head back and forth like a rabid dog, blood splattering onto her face. He screams out as he manages to rip his hand from her surprisingly sharp teeth and powerful jaws. He stares in horror at his hand and then her as she giggles manically, her feet slapping the ground in what one considers a playful manner.

“You crazy bitch!” he roars out before kicking her in the chest knocking her further to the ground. This doesn't stop her laughter though as she stares at him with burning hatred. He leaves slamming the cell shut behind him. She just stares after him waiting a few moments to make sure he is truly gone before moving to the side revealing a half finished summoning sigil.

(Back to the Winchesters)

Headlights can be seen as the Impala pulls off to the side of a rocky dirt road. “Ok we stop here and search for the nest.” Dean says as he shoves Baby's keys into his boot. They all get out of the car and walk to the trunk. Sam opens it before passing radios and machetes to everyone. “Okay we are gonna split into groups. This time I will go with Cas, Dean, you and Jack will go together. You find the nest radio in and we will meet you there as back up.” Everyone nods in agreement to the plan. 

(Time skip)

Dean and Jack are about an hour into their hike when rustling can be heard. Both men freeze, drawing their guns. While the gun will not kill the vampires it sure as hell will stun them long enough for someone to chop off their head. Dean and Jack are back to back turning in a circle. Then the bushes in front of Dean rustles and a bunny jumps out infront of them and Dean lowers his gun. “Really? We got scared by Bugs Bunny.” Dean grumbles and Jack stares at the rabbit intensely for a moment before saying, “But he doesn’t have gloves.” before turning and giving Dean a confused look.

Dean rolls his eyes but doesn’t get the chance to talk before he's knocked out with a baseball bat wielding vamp. “Dean! Get away from him!” Jack roars out as his eyes start to glow bright with angelic power. He doesn't get the chance to lash out though as another vampire wielding a bat knocks him out too. Both vampires grin maliciously at each other before dragging the two Winchester to their nest. Now they have four more cows for them to add to the herd. They load Dean and Jack up in the back of their truck next to Sam and Cas.

(an hour later)

All four boys wake up with splitting headaches. Their heads pounding as if they had been hit with a freight train. Castiel and Jack have cuffs with angel wards on them dampening their powers. And Jack, while he could break out of these, does not want to risk an outburst of power so close to his family. “Well well well, look who finally woke up! Evening sunshines!” A cheery voice calls out from next to them. All heads turn to the fiery redhead sharing their cell. Her face covered in bruises and blood. “Riely Altruist?” Sam asks hesitantly a little creeped out by her cheery demeanor and bright smile that seems to highlight all the blood.

“Yep, it's me.” she says with a bright smile. “You guys are the Winchesters right?” she asks him, her smile unwavering. “Yeah and how do you know about us?” Dean asks now somewhat suspicious. “Oh everyone of the supernatural worth their salt Hunter or not knows about you guys.” She answers back. “Are you a hunter?” Jack asks her with a tilt of his head. “Oh, Hahahah no uh no i'm not a hunter. But let's just say this is not the first time I've dealt with the supernatural.” Riley giggles out and the boys look at her now really suspicious. “So do you guys have a plan to get out of her, because if not I do.” She says moving to the side to reveal the completed sigil.

“Is that a demon summoning sigil?” Castiel asks with a growl. He believed if this girl summoned a demon it would kill everyone. “Oh don't get your feathers in a bind. He won't hurt anyone unless they hurt me.” she says and in that moment two vampires enter the room. One of them was the creep from before. “Alright you crazy bitch it's your turn.” He sneers. But before they could move or the boys could protest she slams a freed and bloody hand onto the sigil shouting the incantation.  “Alastor daemonem rubeum in hos voco. Vocationem meam audi et nos omnes serva, et horum immortalium parasitorum carne remuneraberis. (Alastor demon in red heed my call. Free everyone here and you shall taste the flesh of immortal parasites.) “Please grandpa help us.” she whispers meekly, her body weak as a summoning spell takes a lot out of one so young.

The Sigil glows red and the lights above them flicker. The room shakes and the radio outside the cell distortedly starts playing the song “Never fully dressed without a smile”. Everyone is frozen in place as a shadowed inky hand emerges from the center of the sigil. It slams into the ground, claws splintering the wood as it pulls a body up from the depths of hell. This hellish creature stands up as ink drips off its body revealing a man dressed in red from head to toe, even his hair is red. But aside from coming from hell this being had some peculiar  attributes. He had antlers on his head, they were small but noticeable between two tufts of hair that look suspiciously like deer ears.

He stands still in between the captives and the vampires. One of the vampires steps forward his curiosity getting the better of him. Just as he reaches a hand out to touch this new creature, the red monster's eyes snap open. And like the rest of him they two are red as blood and slitted like a snakes. “Hmm are you the one who summoned me dear fellow?” he asks his voice distorted like it was coming from an old 30’s radio broadcast. “No i dont actually think you are you couldn’t possibly,” He goes into a rant but stops upon turning around and seeing the scene behind him. Riely his apprentice, his own flesh and blood. His great granddaughter, the girl he raised since her parents died in that horrid crash tied up in chains. Blood dripping down her face and hands. Her smile strained as she looks up at him.

“Hey papa.” She says before collapsing from exhaustion. Alastor rushes towards his granddaughter, catching her before she can hit the ground. “M̴͕͝ǫ̸̩̐n̸̨̎ ̴͙͉̽p̶͈͍̑ę̴̹̚t̷̟̺͗i̷̬̣͆̋ẗ̵͎́̀ ̶̗̂̉f̷̹͉͊a̴͕̿̚ǘ̵̢̱n̵̨͆̈e̶̘̓,̵̩̊̈́ ̶̧͊̆d̵̼̟̎i̴͍̙̔̅d̸̩̗̂̉ ̷͕̈́͝t̶̳̲͒͠h̶͍̱́͝ḛ̵̎̚ẏ̶͉̒͜ ̴̼̿d̶͎̤̓͝ǒ̵̖̬̿ ̸̻̣̄t̵͖̽h̶̲̃͗i̴͖͑͛s̴̨̈́ ̸̭̺̓̇t̷͙͘͝ỏ̸̫̊ ̸̰̄̈́y̵̝̬͂o̸̼͑u̵̪͆?̵͈̂͐” He asks her unconscious body his voice becoming distorted before snapping his head around like an owl towards the vampires. The unholy sound of his neck snapping causes everyone to flinch back in fear. Alastor gently places his granddaughter on the ground before standing up. With a flick of his wrist the chains containing Sam, Dean, Jack and Cas all fall to the ground. G̷̱̎̾ḙ̴̽t̵̤͝ ̴̛̞̀m̶̦͜͠y̸͙̿ ̵̮͇̃l̷̠͇̀͂i̸̞͊t̴͎̬̽̽t̴̠͝ͅl̶͍͈͝e̵͙̎͝ ̴̭͖̔ġ̴͇ị̵̿͘r̶̰̹͊̉l̷̰̅̃ ̵̼̈́a̶̯͆ṅ̶͛͜d̸̳̙͊̆ ̸͉̻̈â̶̮̊n̵̹̔̕ỵ̷̝͝ ̶͈̾o̵͙͌t̶̗̞̓h̶̥̓e̷̞̰̓r̵̮͖͐́s̵̞͛ ̶̣̻̐o̴͙͇̒ú̷̠͔t̵̬͕͒ ̴̞̇ó̸͍̜f̵̣̲̌͘ ̶͎̭̿h̴̦̳͛ẽ̵͎̙ŗ̷̗͐͌ẻ̵̪̦̓.̸̠̔ ̴̯̀I̵̠̬͑͝ ̴̠͆̈́w̶̮̱̅i̶̡̤͝l̴̙̑͌l̴̢̙̋̚ ̵̬̎͝d̶͓̤̽͝e̴̹̙͛a̴̛̟͂ͅl̴͖̐̋ ̷̠̅w̵̝̲̕į̴̃͘t̴̙̯̽h̶̥͉̕ ̵̻͚͌ṫ̶̮̖h̵̙̤͑e̷͕̯̐͆s̶̭̄e̸̼̓̿ ̴̩͛̕p̷̳̠̊͝ẹ̸̉̏ṣ̴̏t̸͓̆͌ş̶̗͑.̵̝̻̏ ̵̺͂͘. The boys hesitantly nod as Dean picks Riely up and carries her out of the nest laying her gently on the ground before running back in to join the rest of his family in freeing all the other hostages.

As Dean runs down the corridors looking for anyone else and keeping an eye out for vamps. He leans against a wall gun drawn as screaming could be heard. He looks over the wall down the next corridor and flinches as a vampire is thrown through a wall close by. It lays unconscious in the rubble and a giant figure emerges. Dean recognises it as the demon from before. Except this time it was bigger and its limbs including the neck and antlers had grown as well as became distorted. And his eyes had turned to radio dials. It grabs the vampire by the leg, picked him up and bites him in half. “Jesus.” Dean whispers but apparently it was loud enough for the demon to snap his head towards his direction.

Dean pulls out of the demon's line of sight before running down the hall. He doesn't pay attention though and is dragged into a room. Regaining his composure he pulls out his gun and points it at whoever just grabbed him. Riely stands in front of him with a smile still on her face after all that has happened. “You can put that down ya know.” She says moving the gun out of her face with a finger. “How? How the hell are you awake?” Dean stutters out confused as he just laid her outside unconscious moments ago. “You know i've always loved acting.” She says not fully answering his question.

“Now let's get everyone out of here. Don't want anymore deaths do you?” She questions him as he follows her through the halls. Eventually she leads him to a room where they find Sam, Jack and Cas all working quickly to unlock all the cells. They all start helping each other to heal and free all the captives. The room suddenly shakes as if an earthquake had hit. “Okay everyone we need to leave.” Riely says in a chipper voice. Her tone helping to calm everyone who was scared and hurt, making sure no more panic insured.

Moments later everyone stands outside the vamp nest which has now been revealed to everyone as an old military missile silo.

“Guess Vamps really will nest anywhere they can.” Sam says surprised that the U.S government hasn't noticed one of their own bases being used. “Yeah well the government only cares about how much they can tax from us and how much power they have over the public. It's quite entertaining ya know?” Riely says, smiling up at him. He givers her a nervous nod back before his attention is once more brought back to the entrance to the building.

The entire thing had gone up in flames. Debris flying left and right as the silo exploded. Everyone watches in a mix of horror and relief. “Now that was quite fun, yet Riely child you must really learn to better defend yourself. I won't always be there to protect you and you won't always be able to summon me.” A radio like voice said from behind them.everyone turns around with a jump and aside from the Winchesters what they see is not what they were expecting. Alastor stands behind him looking quite giddy and satisfied by the new meal he just had as well as the new entertainment he got to enjoy.

“Grampa!” Riely exclaims running to hug the man despite Cas’s attempt to hold her back. Alastor glady embraces her, running a hand gently through her hair. “I’m glad you are alright Mon petit faune.” Alastor whispers gently. “Ok how did you get out of there without any of us noticing.” An older man asks, confused at all he has witnessed in the last week. “Now my good fellow its best not to worry yourself about such frivolous things. I say we get all of you home and that you forget everything that has happened!” Alastor says with a joyful yet creepy smile that matches Riely’s. He then taps his staff on the ground twice and everyone aside from himself, Riely and the hunters disappear returning to their homes.

The Winchesters look around in shock. They knew first hand how powerful demons were but this is something else. This demon is more powerful than even yellow eyes. “Now that that's taken care of, I shall take Riely home and you boys can go on your way, hmm.” Alastor hums his smile tightening as he watches how stiff these men become. Subtly he places his cane in front of Riely like a makeshift shield. “I agree!” Jack suddenly exclaims. “I, I think we should go, and that we should let them go. I mean they did just save all those people.” Jack explains his shoulders shrugging a bit, his eyes darting from his family to the demon.

The adults hesitantly nod their heads. They turn towards the direction where Dean parked the car. But before they left Jack snapped a quick photo on his phone of Alastor. He wanted to show it to the others hoping that if he caused any trouble in the future they would remember what he looked like.

(Time Skip)

It had been a while since they left Gillette and Jack decided to Show the others the photo he managed to take. “Okay Jack let us see it. If it's not too blurry we’ll send it to the other hunters, tell 'em to watch out for the guy.” Sam says but when Jack opens up the photo its covered in static and voodoo sigils. “What the fuck?” Dean mumbles and it was then jack gets a text from an unknown number and the text says. “Never do that again. His face was only made for Radio. :)”

Mon petit faune = my little faun.

Taglist: @xx-spooky-little-vampire-xx

[what-gs-watching]

“There is only room for one God in this lab and it's not yours."

Welp, my city has decided that it forgot how weather works, and we’re snowed in and there’s a frozen pipe in my goddamn basement and I finished an interview loop for a company last week so I’m just sitting here trapped in my house and waiting desperately for any news on if they might hire me and it’s not going amazing SO, 

It’s time for a FRINGE BINGE. 

I saw a post a week or two ago that Fringe might be leaving Max at the end of the month, and I couldn’t let it go without a rewatch. It’s one of the reasons I started playing “What G’s Watching” with my husband - he’d seen it when it first came out and I thought maybe he’d remember some of it and could understand my rambling, because you need some kind of background to truly grasp what the eff is happening in Fringe. He didn’t. But that didn’t stop me from becoming completely obsessed. 

Even when I’m not rewatching, sometimes I’ll yell “PREVIOUSLY ON FRINGE” when the show I’m actually enjoying does a recap. I don’t know why it’s stuck in my brain, but it doesn’t matter, I love it.

Here’s the thing about Fringe: it’s absolutely ridiculous. It’s like X-Files on acid (or Walter’s Brown Bettty?). The science is ridiculous and honestly it’s difficult to follow the lore sometimes, especially the first time through it. But it’s weirdly captivating and it tugs at your heart strings, which doesn’t make any sense.

Basically, FBI agent Olivia Dunham gets sucked into a special division that investigates weird occurrences that seem to have to do with ‘fringe science’, and she ends up enlisting Peter Bishop and his genius scientist father, Walter Bishop (who’d spent almost twenty years in a mental institution) to help her get to the bottom of what the eff is going on.

AND THEN THINGS GET CRAZY. 

They pump so much backstory into this show. There’s monsters of the week, sure, but every single character has a whole damn room full of skeletons and it was so much fun trying to puzzle all of that shit out the first time. In my rewatch so far, I’m picking up a ton of little random clues and I’m loving it. It’s clear that J. J. Abrams had some IDEAS. 

Also, I’ve never watched Lost, (and I never will, I put my foot down on that)  but I can confidently say this is the better J. J. Abrams show. The ending doesn’t make you ridiculously angry you watched the whole thing. So there’s that. 

Honestly, there’s too much I love about this show. The whole alternate universe plotline for one, which creates some of my favorite moments. But it’s mainly about Peter and Walter. At its core, this stupid show is about their father son relationship, and how far people are willing to go  to protect their family. Which is weird, but also perfect. 

Before the mental institution, Walter was a little bit of a sociopath, pursuing scientific enhancements, consequences be damned. He was a shit person. He ran tests on children, he fucked with the fabric of the universe. No fucks given, that man. But the Walter we get for most of the show is just…oddly charming. Quirky in his brilliance, instead of calculating. And it’s FUNNY and endearing. 

Olivia brings in another agent to help corral Walter in his resurrected lab beneath Harvard, Astrid, and he spends most of the series calling her anything but. “Astro”, “Astrix”, etc. It’s not malicious, he just can’t hold the information, as much as he appreciates the work she does with him. Like, how does that turn out to just be kind of cute? 

Some of my favorite made-up words are from Walter.  “Vagenda”, for one. Which is ‘vagina agenda’ obviously. As in, “Peter fell for her vagenda”, which had me rolling. Even if it came about during a storyline that made me absolutely FURIOUS, but in the best of ways. (There was a lot of time wherein I was yelling at my husband about how much I hated “Fauxlivia” and her vagenda, but honestly I don’t want to spoil it because the twists and turns this show takes are so wonderful, they should be experienced with absolutely no background.)

The whole thing with Walter is that he’s atoning for the sins of his past, even if he doesn’t really realize it at first, and it’s just, really comforting. His entire arc is compelling and satisfying, even if it leaves you a crying mess. 

Also, Peter Bishop is forever my perfect New England boyfriend. At first I’m not sure who they wanted him to be exactly, but eventually he smoothed out into just an earnest, genius, gorgeous man trying to do the right thing and get past all of the hurt Walter caused him. They put him in devastatingly handsome peacoats and he saves the day and he’s sweet to Olivia and I just spend most of the time swooning. That smile, gang.

Is it because I fell in love with Pacey Witter as a young girl during Dawson’s Creek’s heyday? 98% yes. I will always love Joshua Jackson and Pacey was done dirty for a while. And come to think of it, Peter was too. It’s his thing, apparently. 

I do  realize Olivia is supposed to be the main character probably, but she gets me to my two favorite guys so I guess she’s fine. Anna Torv is wonderful, she plays Dunham really well (which I imagine was grueling given some of the storylines) but the Bishops are the stars of the show. I just want to squeeze both of them.

The crazy thing is there are some episodes that will destroy you emotionally. The white tulip? Jesus. That one just came up in my rewatch, and it was still a punch in the face the second time. There’s one where Walter gets lost in Chinatown, I had to literally mute it because it’s gut wrenching. Even with the silliness and the science that makes you roll your eyes, they make you look at things you don’t want to, and it can hurt. I love/hate that so much. 

And look, I understand that the moral of the show is that science and technology can be dangerous and we shouldn’t let it get away from us because it could eventually cause the downfall of everything, but that’s not what I’m here for. I’m always here for the relationships. And the ridiculous ways we can get people to die. And the outlandish scifi. If you wanna remind me of things that I don’t want to think about in between that, I guess it’s okay, because it makes no sense, but when I think of Fringe, it just makes me feel warm and fuzzy. It’s not a warm and fuzzy show, but it is for me. 

I started watching it because it was a complete series that had a purposeful ending and I needed something, but it turned into a lot more than that. I’m jealous of people who can see it for the first time. It’s just so…special. In weird and wonderful ways. There will never be another character quite like Walter Bishop. Or a truly realized tv universe as outlandish. They swung for the fences, and it really landed; vagenda, the observers, Walternate, and all. 

Let Walter charm the shit out of you, you won’t be disappointed.

[rainbowolfe]

Mystic Seller Decode V2

Okay, this version? This version I'm pretty confident on the meanings of the individual symbols, but less so on what they're trying to say as a whole. Each of these symbols represents a faction of gods.

[Left to Right] The Old Gods, The Mancers, The First Gods, The Great Ones, The Gods of Death

Old Gods So far three Old Gods have been referenced: Turua, Ithaqua, and the Revenant. They weren't the first, but they've been around quite some time and most likely were the original Old Faith, if not their benefactors.

Mancers The "Mancers" may not be their official name, but it's how I'll qualify them. So far only the Grand Mancer and the Necromancer have been mentioned, but they seem to have been early members (servants?) of the Old Faith.

First Gods If not the symbol for the First Gods, then it's the symbol for the descendants of the First Gods. So... the Second Gods, I guess XD Clauneck, Kuudai, and Chemach.

Great Ones Just hear me out on this one. See this analysis. Though they've strayed from it, The Old Faith was meant to serve the Great Ones. Alternatively, in the opposite direction, this is a symbol to represent their equivalent to The Devil.

The Gods of Death There are allusions to there being multiple gods of death that potentially existed at the same time. Which makes sense, it's a big job. People stay dying. They would have all been servants to the Death.

On context clues alone, I can assume with confidence, that whatever Mystic Seller is saying is related to why Lamb is unworthy of entering his realm. The meaning also has to fit into this string of dialogue:

God Tears remain. Do not allow complacency to take root. [Symbols]. Yet you have shown yourself to be a worthy deity.

That "yet" is key. Whatever it is, the problem lies in the creatures/deities of this realm. Most likely a trait they all share; or maybe there's a generalized (negative) opinion other realms have of the creatures from this one.

And so, let's try to interpret this beast.

Interpretation 1 - Lineage

There were five "Mancers" of importance, and Mystic Seller is describing their lineage. Perhaps the sin is the way they comingled with each other, or maybe they were just assholes and their presence means that the rest of the extended-god-universe doesn't want to deal with this realm.

Mancer A, the offspring of Wild Card (someone born from a First God and a Great One) and Death God.

Mancer B, the offspring of Mancer D and Wild Card. Death God, born from a Mancer and an Old God (likely Mancer B).

Mancer C, the offspring of a First God and an Old God.

Mancer D, born solely from First Gods.

I would suspect that means Mancer A is Narinder. The Kin of Turua tarot card implies that the Red Crownbearer is one of "his own", and it's Turua's influence taking over the Bishop's temples after all is said and done.

Making Mystic Seller's message a very long-winded way of saying that Narinder is an inbred hybrid and an affront to the Great Ones, so Lamb will never not be associated with that.

Pros: -it makes a lot of sense?? -gives Narinder a bio-family that he would reasonably want to separate himself from, gives a reason why this realm was abandoned by their higher power and the gods of it left to die out. At least biologically, it kinda has to end with Narinder. (or Lamb usurping him, which is probably what they were gambling on)

Cons: -Incest. But. Maybe that's why the Great Ones were like "no." to an entire realm and every god in it XD -Hard to turn into a coherent statement. -Mancer C's role in all of this left unclear

Interpretation 2 - Victims of Their Successors

Attempting to find more context clues from the dialogue itself. Here's something that happens to work. This sentence structure:

"I seek the newly appointed god, successor of their victims, last of their kind. Confer with me."

The god, who they replaced, their label, who they bargained with. Following that structure, we get:

The Mancers, successor of the First God empowered by the Great Ones; the last of the Gods of Death. The Mancer empowered by the Old Gods conferred with them.

The First Gods empowered by the Mancers, successor of the First Gods empowered by the Great Ones; the last of the Gods of Death. The Mancer empowered by the Old Gods conferred with them.

The First Gods empowered by the Old Gods, successor of the Mancers. The last of the First Gods.

This gives us three factions among the First Gods before they all died out. Those who served the Great Ones, those who served the Old Gods, and those who served the Mancers. It would seem that, for whatever reason, the First Gods lost whatever "blessing" the Great Ones had been giving them for generations and began to rely on the godly beings they were stuck with. This may be related to The Beguiler and the Oath of the Crown.

Ultimately, the Old Gods won that power struggle. The Mancers were tricked/ betrayed by one of their own and devoured as a result. The absence of the Mancers means the First Gods depending on them would be left powerless, and be destroyed as well. So there go all the gods of death. If the last of the First Gods were the beneficiaries of the Old Gods, then it would make sense that their descendants would continue that tradition.

That's where our bird trio (Clauneck, Chemach, Kudaai) comes in.

So basically, Mystic Seller is saying "The Mancers and the First Gods that served them were destroyed by the Old God's puppet(s), and those that remained now serve the Old Gods."

And maybe.. Maybe. That is the problem. The Great Ones no longer have control of this realm, so they abandoned it. And severed it from the rest so that the Old Gods couldn't continue to grow in power.

Because something powerful aided the Bishops in sealing Narinder away. Willingly or not. And something else manufactured a millennia-long scheme that warped the fabric of the universe to their will to have him freed.

Cons: -I absolutely picked a random sentence with zero reason -Mystic Seller doesn't seem to recognize the bird trio as gods

Pros: -A series of sentences that make sense -Able to assign fitting characters to the symbols

[thedawningofthehour]

Ok I hadn't written a comment, I needed to process this chapter, for one reason I feel like not much happened and at the same time a lot happened.

The scene of glaceon talking on videochat just reminded me of the HUGE CHAOS that is going to ensue when he gets his memories back, it will literally be GAME OVER for Draxum. I'm also starting to see why it would take a WHOLE book to explore the aftermath. It's going to be intense, it's going to be wild, Donnie is going to suffer A LOT and I'm literally will be-

I don't know, but I really like to see the aftermath of things, how a big event affects the world and the people around it in different ways. Sure, I know for obvious reasons we will focus more on Donnie, Leo and the fam, but I really hope we get to see what will become of other characters too, like this celeste woman here, only one conversation with her and I already want to know what will happen to her when this is over.

There's many reason why i Fast read the Gladios scenes at the beginning of book 2, and that's because I really couldn't stand all those cute moments knowing what I know, especially when it comes to this kind of scenes , reading Donnie thinking bad about his brothers hurts, no matter the situation. But then again, Raph's very presence is making Giratina question things! Keep it up buddy!

Also, ALSO! look what a nice checkov gun we have here, I wouldn't be surprised if it comes in handy later. At least Draxum can't blow Raph's head off in a fit of rage anymore.

I really hope I'm not too annoying about this book 3 being the shortest, but I just can't wait, maybe Bishop will keep us distracted in the meantime, I already want to see what kind of bastard you'll make him and how he'll be connected to the hidden city. Also for Leo finally taking a won after two books of loses.

I swear to god Celeste wasn't supposed to be a character at all. A bunch of those guys were given names literally so Gale didn't have to go 'this smurf bitch said' and now one's planning to murder him and another has autism. I legitimately have no clue how this will end for her.

And who says Leo will win against Bishop?

[teecupangel]

I don't even have Fire Emblem Engage yet but this plot has been on my mind for weeks now so here:

Desmond expects to die when he used the device back in the Grand Temple. Instead, he wakes up in what may or may not be a coffin and he finds himself in a fantasy-style world (They have griffins, what the fuck???) wearing a ring he was sure he never wore before. He meets people he doesn't know who tell him he's the Divine One, the savior of the world who fell into eternal sleep after defeating the Dark Empress.

Feels a little too cliche for his taste but okay?

And then they got attacked by these monstrous things and he hears a familiar voice telling him to call his name.

And he reacted on instinct, shouting out, “Altaïr!”

And bam! Altaïr appears as some kind of ghost-like apparition and Desmond gets some weird power similar to floating swords that appears like wings behind his back.

After the battle, he finds out about the legends of how the only time the Divine One will awaken is if the Dark Empress’ resurrection is underway. To defeat her, he must join forces with the wearers of the other rings that housed the spirit of a legend.

Desmond has no idea what the fuck is happening but Altaïr seems to remember his life as Altaïr Ibn-La'Ahad, not this legendary Altaïr who was supposed to be a wizard-king that defeated an evil sorcerer and brought a golden age to their kingdom.

Left with no other clue, Desmond sets out to find these other rings because he’s pretty sure Ezio and Ratonhnhaké:ton have to be in one of them (since Altaïr was in his ring) and perhaps they would provide a clue as to why he’s in this strange world where the people he meets seem to be people he knew in his ‘past life’ yet not them at all in the first place.

My initial idea on who has the rings:

Ezio - Clay

Ratonhnhaké:ton - Bill (Sorry, Ratonhnhaké:ton)

Edward - Either John (the IT dude), Noob or Melanie

Shay - Berg

Arno - Bishop

Jacob - Rebecca

Evie - Shaun

Bayek - Layla

Unknown Ring - worn by a mysterious woman only known by the name Kass who appears in a lot of places Desmond goes to and sells the strangest things. She tells Desmond that the ring she has doesn’t work.

Eivor - Basim

The idea is that every person Desmond meets is from the Modern Day setting (Basim gets a pass since he technically counts) and he can use any of the rings but they can only use the ring they have.

Possible additions:

Aguilar - Callum

Shao Jun - Lin

Nikolai - Cross

(unsure who can I use for Aveline, Ade, Aya and Arbaaz though but I guess Arbaaz can be Jot Soora since he is a descendant Jot Soora of Raza and maybe Deanna for Aya?)

[simplegenius042]

The True Sinners & The House Always Wins?

Ask and you shall receive @carlosoliveiraa!

The House Always Wins is a Fallout New Vegas fic and part of my Fallout series A Radioactive Calamity of Love, Bombs & Gore. Here's what I have so far... It takes place a few years after the events of The Waters Of Life Flow (the FO3 fic), and half-human/half-dimensional creature hybrid siblings Ortega "Ore" Brantley and Marissa "Ress" Bishop have been tipped off about atypical activities happening in the Mojave, not dissimilar from the Occult's activities their despicable father, Arcane Urias, lead in the Capital Wasteland and California. Seeing this as an opportunity to put a stop to the Occult and avenge their friends and Urias' victims. However, this is put on hold when they encounter a securitron with a cowboy's face dragging an unconscious Courier through the scorching desert. With no place better to start searching for clues, they help get the Courier, a veteran Wasteland woman named Ryder, to Goodsprings.

Now I don't have any snippets prepared for you, but I can share that Ress and Ore split off to cover more ground; Ore will accompany Ryder to track down Benny, retrieve the Platinum Chip, speak with Mr House, get wrapped up in dealing with the Legion, and win Hoover Dam for House (plus attain any companions along the way) while Ress goes off to track down the Occult by doing the thing she loves most; intimidating the shit out of the locals in the communities she visits, killing people she doesn't like the faces of, bullying the elderly, get wrapped up in doing the NCR's bidding, almost die, then working alongside Yes Man for an Independent Vegas (plus pressuring any companions she meets into following her). All the while Urias second-in-command, Aggravor, chills in the Divide while coordinating efforts to place a warhead into the dam. If only the pesky courier with the mask and long speeches of "something, something, bull, bear" would let him get the location of the remote that originally set off the Divide.

Now The True Sinners is a FC5 fic where it takes place in an alternative setting of Far Cry The Silver Chronicles where Silva Omar's grief still remained long enough to dissuade her from becoming a deputy of the Hope County Sheriff's Department. Without a "muse", especially one chosen by the Voice itself, the Seals can't be opened, and the Collapse can't occur, and the Voice is livid that its muse has decided to opt out. Instead of wasting time in choosing another poor sap (especially since it has history with this one), the Voice instead just re-contextualizes the muse's purpose to Joseph, leading to the Seed Family kidnapping Silva in the dead of night so she can be present for the arrest and still break the First Seal (by technicality). Silva has to balance helping the Resistance from the inside and getting into the Seeds' good graces without sacrificing her morals and values in the process. In the meantime, Silva's (personal? family?) doctor, Kamski Neon, ends up helping to lead the Resistance to rescue the only other person he knew from the Archipelagos, and while great at organization and treating wounds, he is not very popular amongst the locals. Case in point, the snippet below:

Kamski entered the bar, moving ahead to the nearest stool, leaving Armstrong to her own devices outside. He was not unaware of the gazes that were set on him, eyes watching as he steadily sat himself in front of the bar's counter.

Like buitres, Kamski couldn't help but compare the locals to the scavengers. He disliked the bird, more than the eagles that dived at him when he took Silva's invitation into the county, but he understood their importance, despite the little pragmatism they held.

He brought a flask out of his satchel, unlatching the lid to take a swig. He took another swig as soon as he spotted the Pastor making his way toward him.

"Why?"

Kamski lazily glanced to Jeffries, spotting Fairgrave leaning against the wall next to the stairway, watching the confrontation like most of her patrons.

The Good Doctor sighed, scratching at his sideburns, the red in his hair slowly on it's way to becoming white, and asked his own question, "What is the meaning behind this "why", Pastor?"

Kamski took another swig, but found no bitterness reaching his tongue. Upon further inspecting the flask, shaking it about with no signature swish nor swirl, Kamski was disappointed that he'd be dealing with this conversation on a sober mind.

Jeffries took a breath, but his frustration made its way to the tone of his voice, "Why did you kill that man?"

Kamski raised a brow at the Pastor, "You mean the Peggie?"

"A former Peggie. A defector. One who would have exchanged information on John's supply chains, coordination of future attacks, and his next baptisms," Jeffries emphasized, "And you executed him."

Kamski blinked at the Pastor, giving a shrug, "Your point?"

As the old doctor shifted to slide off the stool, Jeffries grasped his shoulder, grounding out his next words with a solemner tone, "Even if it meant losing information regarding Silva's current captivity."

Kamski growled at him, shoving the arm off his shoulder, "I didn't just kill the Peggie. I got information out of him before I gave him what he deserved. It would have been counterproductive to not retrieve whatever information he held, just as it would have been for going through with the escort."

He pulled out a note and slammed it onto the counter.

"Here's all he had. None of it included Silva, by name nor description," Kamski stated.

Kamski made to move but Jeffries stated, "You still killed a man who wanted to change. A way out."

The Good Doctor scoffed, shaking his head at the Pastor's words. He doesn't understand. None of them would. These peggies don't get the right to attempt a vain ploy to change. Not after all they've done. All they do nothing about. It just makes it easier for them to stab us in the back.

He dragged his hand over his face, a fingers rubbing against the scar that crosses the ridge of his nose. His thumb traced the the cut that crossed his bottom lip down to his chin, a reminder that fueled his next response.

"Then he should have never listened to the words of that Profeta," Kamski replied, making his way towards the exit of the bar, ignoring the deep sigh behind him.

"Armstrong," Kamski greeted the sharpshooter at the porch, who only gave a grunt in acknowledgement as she tended to her rifle, "You know where the Jailhouse is?"

Armstrong stopped wiping the barrel, looking up to the doctor, "My pops drove past it sometimes when he was running errands for some old war friends of his. Hard to miss."

"Excellent," Kamski smirked, turning towards the sedan limousine he stole, "Because I'm going to need directions."

[witchersmistress]

And the skulls of the Bishops

Good morning my darlings!! here is part 3 of 4, stupid word limit.. anyway enjoy

Trigger warnings: age gap, forced marriage, sex trafficing mentioned. violence, mild verbal abuse.

Word count: 2.6K

Walters pov 

I forgot what actual power felt like. It’s been a long time since I’ve used it for my own benefit. I hide in Blackout like a bat to a cave. I prefer the neon lights and pounding music to fresh air and sunlight. But this? This is refreshing. Although I didn’t think it would be all that hard. I walked over to the bag that August dropped when we entered. Watching her rub her neck, I see her eyes dart to the stained glass window and then the door. She wants to run. To get as far away from me as possible. “This is going to happen,” I say, unzipping the bag and pulling out what I need her to see. “And just in case you think you have an exit in mind, let this be a reminder.” I drop the stuff to the floor, and her eyes widen when she sees what I have. “Wal—” I step back into her, making her inhale sharply. “You’ve got two choices here, Mia.” Her pretty tear-filled green eyes search mine. “You either willingly walk down that aisle to me, or you crawl on your hands and knees with a collar around your neck while I drag you by a leash.” Her bottom lip trembles at my words as reality starts to set in. “Please,” she begs softly, her bare shoulders shaking. “Ah, begging me already?” It’s like fucking music to my ears. If only her father was in here to witness it.

I knew it wouldn’t take much. She’s not as strong as them, but that’s not her fault. She’s a product of her parents. Amelia has no clue she’s been conditioned to be obedient. To beg for the simplest things in life. Reaching up, I cup her face, and her lips part. I run my thumb over the nude-colored lipstick. “Do not underestimate my ability to humiliate you, darling. It will happen. But right now, I’m giving you the choice of it being another time in the privacy of our home, or in front of everyone you love.” A tear falls free of her black-painted bottom lashes. I catch it with my knuckles before it runs down her face, wiping it away. “Don’t cry, Mia. You’ll ruin your makeup. I’ll do that later.” It’s been three years since I’ve seen her, and she looks nothing like she used to. She once had red hair, now it’s bleach-blond. She has it pulled into a tight bun at the nape of her neck, showcasing her Barbie-doll face, pouty lips, and bright green eyes. Her wedding gown is strapless and dips down between her breasts into what gives the illusion of a heart. My eyes drop to look, and I can tell she’s had her tits done. 

That’s Phil’s doing. The Raven knows what he likes, and he had time to transform his future wife into exactly that. She’s been groomed to perfection just how he wants her. I wouldn’t say I don’t like it, but it’s not what I would choose for her. Not like it matters. Amelia Grace Halston is nothing more than a doll to be played with. A toy to be used and put on display for the world to see. “I do have a gift for you,” I tell her, stepping away, and I hear her take in a deep breath now that I’ve put some space between us. Walking over to the bag, I pull out a rectangular black velvet box. Walking back towards her, I open it up and her eyes drop to it before slowly meeting mine. “Turn around,” I ordered, ignoring the questioning look in her wide eyes. Swallowing, she gives me her back. I have to help her with the train of her dress so she doesn’t fall over it. I don’t want her to hurt herself before she takes my name. Reaching up, I grab the pearls and yank, breaking the thin Tiffany necklace. The sound of them bouncing on the old wooden floor makes her inhale sharply. Removing her gift from the box, I toss the box and reach around her slender neck, pulling the black velvet around it before fastening it at the back. It fits her perfectly, just like I knew it would. My eyes meet her watery ones in the mirror, and I step into her back, smashing her dress in the process. Lowering my face next to hers, I ask, “What do you say, little darling?” Her shaking hand comes up, and her fingers run along the thin material. “It’s one of a kind. Had it been made just for you,” I go on at her silence. The outside looks dainty and feminine. It’s black velvet with various sized diamonds. From the outside, it looks like any other choker. It’s the inner leather lining that makes it so unique. She sniffs and lowers her hand to her side, her eyes falling to the floor. I lower my lips to her ear and whisper, “You can thank me later.” And with that, I turn and exit the room, going to get ready.

Amelia’s pov

I can’t breathe, and my heart pounds in my chest so hard it’s painful. I feel around for a chair, anything to grab, but I end up falling to my knees in the tight dress. I hear the sound of something ripping, but I no longer care if I ruin it. Not like Phil will, either. The door opens, and my brother reenters. “Mia.” He runs over to me and kneels. “Mia, are you okay?” I shake my head, gasping for air. My hands go to the choker Walter  just put on me, and I tug at it. But my hands are shaking too much. They fall, slapping to the silk and gripping it, and I feel my brother’s hands on the back of my neck. “It won’t come off,” he growls, yanking on it. “Fuck, Mia.” He pulls me back by my neck, choking me. “I don’t know how—” “Leave us.” My father’s voice interrupts us when he enters the room once again. “Dad, you can’t be fucking serious,” Dylan snaps. “Walter?” “I said get the fuck out,” our father commands, pocketing his cell. “I won’t say it again.” My brother huffs, and then the door shuts with his departure. My father bends down in front of me and grabs my hands, pulling me up on my shaking legs, also not seeming to care if I ruin my dress by the way he yanks me to my feet. “Daddy, do something.” His eyes drop to the choker, and he swallows, his Adam’s apple bobbing before he looks away from me. His eyes fall to the things that Walter  dumped out of the bag he brought. A thick black collar that has a silver ring on the front, a chained leash, and something else that I can’t quite place. The threat he made was real. He will make me crawl on my hands and knees like a dog down the aisle and force me to be his wife. “It’s done, Amelia.” My father finally speaks. “No.” I shake my head, refusing to believe that. “I can’t …”

“The Ravens have given him a choice. And he picked you.” A choice? Why would he want me? I yank my hands from his. “No. I won’t do it.” I storm over to the door, but he grabs my upper arm, pulling me to a stop. His fingers pinch my arm, making me cry out. “I won’t let you bring our family shame!” he yells, making my chest tighten. “What does our family have to do with it?” I ask, but he doesn’t respond. “Daddy—” “The Ravens have spoken, and that’s final. You will walk down that aisle with your brother, and you will marry Walter .” Why do I have to give myself to Walter  when my own father won’t give me away? “Please”—a single tear runs down my face—“don’t make me do this.” My knees shake, and I shuffle from foot to foot, the heels hurting my feet. “I will not take the fall for you having too much pride.” He straightens his shoulders. 8“Pride?” I gasp. How can he even think it has to do with that?

I stand paralyzed as I watch Walter place my mother in a chair in the waiting area. She’s sobbing, hands covering her face. Walking over to me, he reaches out and wipes his knuckles along my cheek, and I realize I’m also crying. “H-How?” I choke out. He doesn’t answer. Instead, he tilts his head to the side as if I asked how my sister died in a foreign language. “How?” I grind out. “Mia—” “Tell me how she died!” I shout, my fists hitting his bloody chest, making him flinch. “It was you, wasn’t it?” “I tried to …” He stops himself from telling me the truth. “You tried to what? Save her?” “Mia—” “You killed her!” I shove him, but he pulls my body into his, hugging me tightly. I smell her blood on his clothes, feel it soak into my own shirt, and I start to gag. “Mia?” He pulls me away from him. It’s too late. I feel the bile start to rise, and my wide eyes meet his. He grabs my arm and yanks me over to a trash can. Gripping the back of my neck, he shoves my face into it, and I vomit as he gathers my hair, holding it.

“Yes,” my father snaps, bringing me back. “The last thing you need is to let your pride get in the way.” “This isn’t about fucking pride.” I fist my hands. “He killed Whitney—” He slaps me across the face, cutting me off. “Do not mention her name!” he roars. I cup my throbbing cheek, staring at the floor as fresh tears blur my vision. He’s never hit me before, and I try to hold in a sob, but everything is falling apart so quickly. I just thought today was going to be a horrible day. It’s gone from bad to worse faster than I could have ever imagined. The door opens. “Mia?” “I told you to get the fuck out, Dylan,” our father snaps, and the door slams shut, once again leaving me alone with him. “Now, where were we?”

I’m looking at myself in the mirror after my father leaves me, making sure tears haven’t ruined my makeup. I don’t understand. Why me? Why now? Why today? I was promised to Phil. What could have changed that he would give me over to Walter ? Why would the Ravens allow this? Stepping closer to the mirror, I tilt my head back and look at the choker he placed around my neck. It’s so tight that I can’t even fit my finger between it and my skin. I can feel my pulse throbbing against it. I’m powerless. As a Ravenia, I don’t have any say, to begin with, but for the Ravens to make such a change at the last minute? I’m fucking doomed. It’s like a plane falling from the sky. Nothing can be done. I have no parachute. No escape plan. If I run, they’ll find me. If, for some reason, they don’t, my family will pay the price. I refuse to let anyone else die because of Walter . He’s taken enough from our family already. The door opens, and my brother steps into the room. “I’m sorry, sis. I don’t know what’s going on. Dad said—” “It’s fine.” I straighten my shoulders. I will not cry in front of these elitist assholes. I won’t give Walter  the satisfaction of letting the world see how much he terrifies me. I’ll wait until I’m alone. He runs a hand through his dark hair nervously. “Mia.” “I’m ready,” I say, turning to face him. The longer I wait, the longer Walter  has to get angry. After I say my vows, he’ll get me to himself. And I don’t want to give him any more reasons to beat me. Dylan’s mouth is set in a hard line as his eyes drop to the choker and then to the floor to look at the scattered pearls. It was the only object to remind me of who I was. Walter ’s already making me what he wants me to be—his slave. A piece of meat to fuck and torment.

“Let’s go.” I grab the silk fabric in my hands, lifting it off the floor as my brother gathers the long train, and walk out of the room with him following behind me. We’re on the second floor of the Cathedral. I walk over to the old railing that looks like if I pushed too hard, I’d fall to my death, which, right now, doesn’t sound so bad. My luck, I’d just break a leg or something. The high stained glass windows remind me of a birdcage. Just another way for the Ravens to trap you. Across the way, on the second-story loft, is where the vow ceremonies are performed for chosen ones. I was never allowed to be one. My sister was. She was Walter ’s chosen. After she was killed, my parents set up my marriage to Phil.

I was to be an offering to a Raven. The last Halston female in my family to bring honor to our name. It's all bullshit. It’s sex trafficking at its finest without money being transferred. Well, not physical money, but funds are still involved in a way. Families are forged, companies combined, and the Ravens involved just get richer. More powerful. Wrapping my hands around the balcony, I look down to the first floor. Rows and rows of pews are full of Ravens. All dressed in their black cloaks with their hoods up and masks on. Only my parents, my brother, and the wedding party are allowed to show their faces today. Ravenia's arent even invited. And I have no bridesmaids. When you’re kept prisoner in your own house, you aren’t given the opportunity to make friends. Even if I had any, Phil would have had to approve them, and I know he wouldn’t have. Walter  will likely be much the same. The storm outside makes the place darker than it would normally be this time of day thanks to the gray clouds and rain falling from above us. A white-carpeted runway runs the long length of the aisle. It signifies my innocence. White as a winter snow. The rest of the inside is lit up with red lights, giving the place a bloody feel. It’s part of our marriage oath. I have to bleed for him. And he will bleed for me. I might give my life over to him in front of all these people, but I won’t mean it. He has to know that, right? Because I know he sure as fuck won’t.

He doesn’t love me. He doesn’t even fucking know me. Not like he knew Whitney. My eyes move to the front of the altar and see a set of baby-blue eyes already staring up at me. Even from this far away I can see him as clear as day. He stands there, his arms behind his back, legs wide and shoulders pulled back. A look of malicious intent covers his hard features. My father gave me an ultimatum—marry Walter  or else. The else being far worse than becoming Walter ’s wife, I’m sure. “Mia?” Dylan gets my attention from behind me. I turn to look at him over my shoulder to see him holding my veil. It’s tacky and over the top. I hate it. My mother ordered it. Said it would make me look the part. Of what? Not sure what she meant, and she never answered. I left it behind and stashed it in another room on purpose, it seemed the safe option rather than burning it. He reaches down, picks up my train, and moves it to the side to get closer to me. Sighing, I turn back, and my eyes find Walter again before my brother places my veil on.

[teenagemutantninjatrauma]

Me: has 2737&8&2(384 WIPs

Also me: haha I like @holographic-mars’s AU. What if I write about Dark Leo and Leo chatting about being clones n stuff :)

“Why are you sulking out here?”

Leonardo simply curls tighter in on himself, and Blue feels like that might be his clue to leave. But, he remembers, when he first stayed with the turtles, after every discussion about what should happen to Blue, Michelangelo would quietly sit next to his eldest brother as he thought about their next move. It seemed to be a form of comforting companionship.

He does not want to do that.

But… if Leo isn’t in there, what if they don’t convince Bishop to let Blue and his brothers work for him? They might have to go back to living in a sewer. Or worse, they might have to move in with the turtles. He thinks he’s had enough of that for a while.

He sits down on the stairs and watches traffic pass.

[sterlingarcher23]

- Robin and Steve proxy dialog 3 - "combine... up to Eleven" -

Robin: "If only we could just combine."

Steve: "...Combine?"

Robin: "No, think about it. I know exactly what I want and I found the perfect girl but I just can't get the courage to ask her out..."

... Meanwhile you go on like, a million dates and you have no idea what you want."

(That could be a nod towards Mike who does have dates with different people but does not know what he wants - or to Max herself who got into the relationship with Lucas and dumped him several times and she doesn't know what she wants because her being bisexual and polyamorous confuses her. Which would make this dialog a direct conversation between El & Max)

Affirmative hum from Steve.

Robin: "So if we combine-"

Steve: "Ohhhh."

Robin: "All our problems would be solved....

.... Because alone, lets face it-"

Steve: "We totally suck."

Robin: "Completely and utterly."

Eleven is a miss! - The DnD game. And both "suck" fighting Henry separately.

But combined. Blue & Yellow. It was this memory that made Max break free.

That high five that even echoed made Max free herself and physically attack Henry. - It's just the thought of THEM that makes this possible. What can they accomplish "if we combine"

Combine... Fuse...

El and Max, two MKUltras fusing, combining their powers, linking: "So if we combine..."

"... all our problems would be solved.

Combining (Fusion) would solve their problems: Max can feel and see through El/the particles and El's wound would be healed because she's with the one she's meant to be. El would physically die, yes, but it will heal both of them, abilities, sensation and memories shared, every thought and emotion too, healing neurological trauma and mental illness (as hinted at with El's mom and Billy). Love heals.

Just like that:

One thing is certain: what happened to Max is a problem that was created to solve it. It has been made clear that she may never wake up again. When Max says that she can't feel or see anything, Lucas assures her that they'd get her help (El in the hospital: I'm here, Max.) And the script plus her dialog parallels with Henry told us what happened to her, that someone needs to open a door for her to come back (and switching places with her). It's a simple "how will they adress the issue" not "if". And combined all of their problems would be solved.

....

Because, let's face it, this dialog was... Not out of the ordinary, they are close friends, what would Robin and Steve actually accomplish if they play wingman? So, it doesn't come out of nowhere but it's a bit weird nonetheless because how is this supposed to work? Steve drawing Vickie's attention towards Robin?

Besides in the scene in which Robin looks at Vickie, Steve appears in the background and... Does Vickie look at Robin? Or at Steve? Does he draw attention to Robin or to himself? Because there's this worried look (there's another parallel of worried looks).

I have my doubts that them combining would accomplish a lot. On the contrary, Steve could turn out to be a problem for Ronance as he wants Nancy. Except he, well, changes his mind. But who knows. Of course the dialog isn't just made for being a proxy but nonetheless, parallels are not a rare thing, I heard. The relationship parallels are there but parallels doesn't mean it's the same, it's more a mirror. But I digress.

Besides "If only we could just combine" does sound weird in itself, no wonder Steve was confused. The way they worded it, is strange and I pointed out other moments of Robin & Steve's dialogs to be also proxies for other moments concerning El, Max and Lucas.

Thanks to @foxin-around1 who pointed out this dialog to me.

[marjaystuff]

Interview with Shaina Steinberg

Under the Paper Moon

Evelyn Bishop and Nick Gallagher Book 1

Kensington Pub

April 23rd, 2024

Under The Paper Moon by Shaina Steinberg is a fun read.  Between the scenes of WWII and the murder of someone in 1948 this blends a mystery and thriller. There is love, duty, loyalty, and forgiveness.

The heroine, Evelyn Bishop, has joined the OSS as a spy.  Besides wanting to help the allies she is trying to rescue her brother, held in a German POW camp. Her supervisor is Nick Gallagher.  They become intimate and grow close during the war until he betrays her. 

Six years later, Evelyn is working as a private investigator. After trailing a suspected cheating husband, the suspect is murdered. Evelyn finds out that Nick is also a PI, who was working with the murdered victim. Teaming up for a final mission, Evelyn and Nick begin to uncover the true nature of her case, realizing that the war has followed them home.

The banter in the story adds humor to the story. There is a lot of action with some romance that includes a love triangle.

Elise Cooper: How did you get the idea for the series?

Shaina Steinberg: This is the first in a three-book deal, but I am hoping that I can continue writing more in the series. I love old movies and I started to watch movies from the 1940s.  These had strong women like Katherine Hepburn or Ingrid Bergman. This is partly why I set it during this period.  Plus, there is a correlation with my grandmother who was a strong and vibrant woman.  She got married and did everything society expected of her. She had regrets because she really wanted to be a doctor or a nurse. She did not have many options in her life.  My heroine, Evelyn, explores what my grandmother could have been. 

EC: How did you get the idea for this story?

SS: I have been fascinated by WWII and my father read bedtime stories written by Elie Wiesel. He always said, ‘it can happen here so we must be vigilant.’  I see this is as a story that delved into the war, but not just that aspect.  It shows what war can do to someone and the sacrifices made, especially what a parent would do to keep their child safe. 

EC: Do you think there is a corollary between being a spy and a private investigator?

SS: Absolutely. Evelyn as a spy was extremely competent.  She was taught to be undetected and how to notice small clues that might lead to something bigger.

EC:  How would you describe Evelyn?

SS:  She is very talented, good with a gun and able to speak five languages. She is a feminist and loves the adrenaline rush. She could be selfish, petty, sarcastic, stubborn but is also loyal, fearless, funny, and brave. She is from a privileged background. But after the war, her eyes are open, which gives her empathy.

EC:  As with many of those in the military who have retired, they miss it.  Please explain how you explored this in the story with Evelyn.

SS: There were two quotes in the book that refer to this.  The first, “There is no place for me. Not here. Not there. Not anywhere.” The second, “Those first week’s home Evelyn felt as if she was under water. Sometimes it felt like sitting on the ocean floor with the weight of the water pressing down on her.” The second quote is like someone grieving and that grief encompasses everything in someone’s life. While later, after the grief is not so fresh, the person can be functional. The weight of the ocean water is the numbness. The first quote refers to how after the war she feels useless. Evelyn does not want to be a stay-at-home wife because she actively saved lives during the war and had a sense of purpose. 

EC:  How would you describe the hero, Nick?

SS:  He was Evelyn’s commander during the war. During the war he felt fulfillment, a sense of purpose, confident, fearless, and self-assured. Now, after the war he feels hopeless with a sense of failure.  He feels rage and anger. The anger is an undercurrent as to when he was abandoned by his family when he was so young, feeling his life was unjust and unfair.  He uses that anger to motivate him.  

EC: What about the relationship between Evelyn and Nick?

SS:  Evelyn gave him stability, hope, and happiness.  During the war they were bonded by danger.  They are in love even though he betrayed her. From Evelyn he saw that she is kind, good, and has a belief in the goodness in people. Nick sees the world from her point of view, through her eyes. Nick gets a sense of purpose from Evelyn. I think she helps him channel all his anger into ways he can help others. After the war when he loses her, he loses his sense of purpose.  I also think the war gave her a sense of purpose. She felt like she was doing something important that could save lives. I think a big part of Nick’s appeal is that he was her partner in that purpose, and he never thought of her as anything less than strong and capable. 

EC:  Is there a love triangle between Evelyn, Nick, and her current fiancé? 

SS:  Yes.  There is a scene in the book where Evelyn describes James, her current fiancé,as “romantic, sweet, kind, and chivalrous.”  Nick sees James as “desperate, needy, and old-fashioned.” If there was never WWII, she probably would have married James when she was twenty-two. Before she went to war that would have been enough because she did not know anything different.  To her James is safe and represents her being home and her innocence as well as her living breathing connection to her brother.  But what he represents is not enough for her anymore. Evelyn does not see a compability between her world before the war and one after the war. Her appeal for Nick is beyond more than their chemistry, but he was also there when she grew into the person she is now. But because of his betrayal she questions everything she saw and knew about him as well as how she sees herself.

EC:  What is the relevance of the song, “Paper Moon?”

SS: Everything she felt about Nick was turned around once she thought he betrayed her. The song represents the way Evelyn sees their love. She thought their love was real and after he betrayed her, she now feels it was hollow. On a personal level it was one of my grandmother’s favorite songs, so it reminds me of her. 

EC:  Next book?

SS:  It will be published in May of next year, with a working title An Unquiet Peace. One of my regrets was that I did not explore Evelyn’s female friendships in this book, but it is part of the second book. There are still conflicts between Nick and Evelyn. It will take place in October 1948 around the Berlin Airlift. Nick also has a case of a woman who wants to leave her marriage.

THANK YOU!!

[jacquelinemerritt]

Horror Media Review: The Omen (1976)

Originally posted September 24th, 2016

With a score this beautiful, The Omen has no right to be this bad.

This review is part of a weekly series of pieces on classic horror films. See them all here!

The Omen is a film that explains a woman’s desire for an abortion as the psychic influence of the literal Anti-Christ.

The Omen is a film that attempts to ask whether it is okay to kill a child without ever giving that child an ounce of personality.

The Omen is a film that refuses to embrace its impeccable visual atmosphere and strong performances by muddling every scene with loud noises and an overbearing soundtrack.

The Omen might well be the biggest waste of frightening potential I’ve yet seen.

The Omen is about Damien (Harvey Stephens), a child who is adopted by the United States Ambassador to Italy, Robert (Gregory Peck). He is told that his biological son died shortly after being born, and he keeps this adoption secret from his wife, Katherine (Lee Remick). Five years later, Robert is appointed as the ambassador to the United Kingdom, and he moves there with his family.

Shortly after, at Damien’s birthday party, the family governess commits suicide, hanging herself in full view of the party and shouting that this action is to get Damien to love her. Damien begins behaving strangely after this incident, and this behavior is exacerbated when Mrs. Baylock (Billie Whitelaw), a new governess, arrives under mysterious circumstances to take care of him.

The biggest flaw of The Omen is how little time it expends on Damien, who is the center of the film’s conflict. We see Damien give people strange looks, take a liking to a fearsome dog, and throw a tantrum at being taken to church, but he is never given a moment to attempt to justify his behavior. This not only relegates his character to a mere plot device, it also makes the conclusion the film attempts to hint at rather foregone: that Damien is the literal Anti-Christ believed to be prophesied by the Book of Revelation.

Anyone with a cursory knowledge of this field of Biblical “prophecy” would pick up on the hints presented in the film. Damien is born at the sixth hour of night on the sixth day of the sixth month in the city of Rome.1 Father Brennan, a crazed bishop, claims to know everything about Damien spouts poetry and Scripture at Robert that clearly references the Armageddon of Revelation, and anytime something sinister happens, the music swells with the chants of a Latin choir, establishing a musical connection between Damien and a sinister form of the church.

That music, brilliant and awe-inspiring as it is,2 is one of the most poorly handled elements of the film. The entire first half of the film is filled with small moments that could be tense and sinister, but they are not allowed to be small, as the music posits that they are grandiose and terrifying beyond belief, even if what we’re seeing is a five-year-old kid circling his tricycle around his bedroom.

This “over-selling the scene” is a technique that works great in a genre comedy, as it allows the ridiculousness of a moment to be pumped up to a high degree. But The Omen’s use of this technique cuts against potential tension and turns many of its scenes comedic, exemplified best in Father Brennan’s death scene, which has him running from wind and lightning only to stand still and watch as a pole falls off a nearby steeple and impales him to death.

The film takes on a new life in its second half, however, as Robert begins to investigate the birth of Damien with the help of Jennings, a photo-journalist who was present at Damien’s fifth birthday party. This investigation gives the film some forward momentum. No longer are the characters sitting around at home, reacting to strange lectures by priests or tantrums by Damien; they’re traveling around Rome looking for clues about Damien’s identity, and they discover an Etruscan graveyard where Robert’s biological son is buried next to Damien’s “mother,” which is actually the corpse of an animal.3 After they learn that Father Spiletto (Martin Benson), the priest who suggested Robert adopt Damien in place of his dead son, was responsible for killing his son, they interrogate him and learn that Spiletto has turned to service of Satan.

Robert and Jennings then travel to Mediggo, a ruined city south of Jerusalem, and they speak to Dr. Becker (Anthony Nichols), an archeologist who shows Robert how to kill Damien. Robert rejects this at first, not believing his son to be the Anti-Christ, and this leads to a rather glorious death scene, in which Jennings is beheaded by a sheet of glass while trying to retrieve the weapons that can kill Damien.

Robert then returns home to London, unsure of whether to kill Damien until he sneaks up to his bedroom in an incredibly tense sequence and discovers a birthmark with the numbers “666” underneath his son’s hair. This convinces him to end his son’s life, and he takes Damien to holy grounds to do so, only to be shot by a police officer just before he plunges the blade into his son’s chest.

Gregory Peck does a commendable job here of selling his role as a father unsure of the morality of his actions, but because the film has failed to allow us to establish a connection with Damien, the weight of this decision is lost. Robert’s decision to kill his son feels like the obvious choice, and it’s hammered home that Damien should have been killed when we see him turn directly to the camera at his father’s funeral, looking us right in the face and smiling at his father’s demise.

This moment exemplifies the flaws of the film, too. What could have, and arguably should have, been a moment of contemplation over whether Robert made the right choice is undercut by director Richard Donner’s decision to make Damien’s evil as obvious as possible, and the film’s phenomenal score, performances, and atmosphere cannot save it from these failures.

Rating: 3/5

1Rome is pretty key to a lot of Biblical prophecy, and according to the schools of thought that believe the Anti-Christ will be a literal person who rules over the entire world, he must be born in Rome (though for some reason he later makes his capital in Jerusalem; end-time Christianity is weird).

2Much of the score actually reminds me of Nobuo Uematsu’s work on Final Fantasy VII (figures I’d notice that, right?), and it makes me curious as to whether or not he took inspiration from this score at all.

The Omen can be purchased on DVD and Blu-Ray though Amazon.

Critical Eye Criticism is the work of Jacqueline Merritt, a trans woman, filmmaker, and critic. You can support her continued film criticism addiction on Patreon.

[heyitsperfect]

Stupid “kids” - Obispo “Bishop” Losa

Warnings: none???

Request by @maytheavatarsbewithyou: Hi :) First of all I love your writings! Can i request 3. with Bishop? Please and thank you :)

Prompt: “Tell them I’m not here! Or that I’m dead.”

You have never seen the men so hysterically running around the scrapyard. Hank was on the phone with a bright red face while Taza was standing next to him, throwing some things into the conversation Hank is having. Creeper and Gilly are trying to fix the van which got ambushed on the last run. But the weirdest amongst them were Angel, Coco and Ez. 

“Yo boy scout, go looking on the south side, Angel you go east and I’ll come from the other side. He must be here somewhere. It’s not like the earth fucking swallowed him.” Coco gave instructions like they were on a battlefield. 

“What’s going on?” you asked without having a clue. 

“Your husband is missed. We’re looking for him for the last two hours. He won’t answer his phone and his bike is still here. So he has to be somewhere in the scrapyard.” Ez explained. You looked around and only then you recognized it. His bike was still parked in it’s usual spot and after looking around a little bit more, it dawned you. 

“What happened?” you asked, totally calm. Bishop is not the type of man who leaves without letting somebody know where he went. 

“The last run went south. Canche and Ramos are giving him hell and Galindo isn’t a help either.” Angel told you. 

“I know all that. What I’m asking is, what did y’all do? Looks like you guys fucked something up.” you put both hands on your hips and raised your eyebrows. 

“Nah, don’t give me that look, ma.” you waited without saying a word “Okay we might fucked up a few orders at the scrapyard and we didn’t order beer for the weekend.” you raised your eyebrows again. You knew this wasn’t the only thing. “Hank and Gilly may have destroyed the inside of the clubhouse while throwing punches at each other.”

“Okay.” you turned around and started walking away. You know exactly where he is now. 

“Wait Y/N, where are you going?” Angel called out. 

“I’m looking for my husband. You can stay here and sort things out and get them alright while I’m gone. It better be all fixed when Bish is coming back.” You walked around the corner of the street and walked to the backside of the scrapyard. There was an old building with a fire ladder attached to it. Bishop would be up there, it was the place of your first date. A wonderful candle light dinner at a rooftop. It was also the place where he asked you to be his wife. A place of comfort for the two of you. 

“I thought I would find you here.” you slowly approached him. He was sitting with his back to you but turned around when he heard your voice. 

“I needed some space.” you sat down beside him and put your head on his shoulder. 

“Angel told me what happened. They were looking for you everywhere.” Bishop shook his head as a small chuckle escaped his lips. “I told them they shall sort out the shit they’ve done. You okay? 

“Now I am.” He placed a kiss on your head, before he stood up holding his hand out for you. 

“What are you doing Mr. Losa?” Bishop and you always had a playful relationship, even in moments like this, when the other was feeling down. It was a way to cheer each other up. 

“Since the others are cleaning up the scrapyard and clubhouse, I can take la reina de los Mayans out for dinner.” 

“Okay but let me tell them you’re okay.” you pulled out your phone and started typing. 

“You better not tell them I’m here. Just tell them I’m dead.” you looked up at him and found him looking at you with a dead serious expression. 

“Obispo!” you said totally shocked. You looked at him in disbelief until he started laughing. 

“Don’t text them, just keep them in suspense. I’ll call Taza after our dinner. And now come on. I’m starving, mi amor.” You took his hand and you two had a wonderful dinner together.

[writer-in-theory]

Babe (Spencer Reid x Reader)

Summary: Reader hears about a kiss between Spencer and another agent and now must deal with the fact that he'd cheated to solve a case. Spencer comes up with a plan to win them back.

Series Summary: A series of oneshots to celebrate the release of Red (Taylor's Version), this time all about the songs from the vault.

Request?: No

Pairing: Spencer Reid x Fem!Reader

Warnings: Language, Discussions of Cheating, Prose as Purple as Spencer’s Scarf, Angst with Eventual Happy Ending

Word Count: 4.1k

A/N: Here’s the first vault songfic! If anyone has any preference for which one you’d like to see next, let me know. This one was requested to be done first by an anon, and I hope you enjoy it!

Series Masterlist

Masterlist

Want to join my taglist?

•─────⋅☾ ☽⋅─────•

"Since you admitted it, I keep picturing her lips on your neck, I can't unsee it..."

Only fifteen percent of relationships survive after someone cheats. It never made sense to you before, why so few relationships can make it past that specific issue.

Laying beside your husband who had callously admitted over dinner the previous week that he’d cheated, it made far too much sense. The two of you laid beside each other in bed, his hand pressed in the space between his front and your back, fingertips barely brushing your skin where your shirt had ridden up.

The same fingers that had gripped Agent Bishop while he was kissing her. And that was the problem of it all, wasn’t it? Deep down you knew it was a kiss meant to lure in an unsub, knew it was for the job. That didn’t stop your mind from conjuring her face every time he’s touched you since. You didn’t want to give up on a relationship that had lasted so long, but now Spencer was reaching out for you in his sleep and your skin was crawling, because you swore you could still feel her on his touch.

So for the fifth time that week, you rolled out of bed, got ready, and went to work on your own. No one said a word when the Reids showed up fifteen minutes apart, nor when you purposefully changed routines in the bullpen to avoid communicating with him as much as possible.

Your tactic had quickly become avoidance. How else would you have the space you needed to process what had happened? Every time you looked at that curly hair, you pictured her running her hands through it. When you saw his hands, you couldn’t help but wonder if he held her face the same way he always held yours when you kissed.

So you swapped desks with Matt so you didn’t have to be so close to Spencer, and you’d requested to Emily that if another case was picked up that you didn’t ever get paired with him.

It was unbelievable how badly Spencer had wrecked this.

•─────⋅☾ ☽⋅─────•

It was on the jet that you felt something wrong. The case had been solved, the final victim had been saved, so everything should have felt okay. This was about as much closure as a case could get, it didn’t make sense why you felt on edge for the entire flight home.

Maybe it was the way Spencer sat nowhere near you, not once even looking in your direction. Most of the time you were able to separate your relationship from work so he wasn’t always beside you, but it was strange Spencer hadn’t acknowledged you once since the takedown.

You’d still been at the police station for the takedown, speaking with the victim’s family. Apparently, it had been a hell of an arrest because no one was talking about it at all.

Looking back, that should’ve been the first clue.

The second clue would have been the way he went directly to the shower after you’d gotten home, not once stopping to say anything to you. So you’d hung up the car keys on the little hook by the door, slid off your shoes, and curled up on the couch to wait for him.

Except Spencer never came out. He’d gone directly from the shower to bed, and that’s when you knew something was wrong. Maybe the unsub had said something that got under his skin, or maybe he’d been overstimulated and stressed in that strange police precinct. Either way, your husband was hurting and you didn’t know how to help him.

The next morning he was perfectly okay, even the one after that. It was on the third day after work, sitting across from each other at your little dining table that he said it without any buildup.

“I kissed her.” Spencer’s voice was calm, as though he were talking about a trip to the grocery store.

The only sound that passed between you was the gentle clink of your fork being set against the plate. “What?” you asked, sure you had somehow misheard the man. There was no way he’d tell you like this, casually over dinner after you’d just been talking about what to get Henry for his birthday.

“Agent Bishop, from the Los Angeles field office,” Spencer explained, and your heart clenched at how little he seemed to care. “You know we went to the bar to lure the unsub out. We had to convince him that we were in love.”

“So you kissed her?” you repeated, hoping for some reason you were misunderstanding what he was saying because there was no way your husband of two years and partner for much longer would do that to you.

“It was to catch the unsub.”

“I hear you,” you snapped, his face blurring against the film of tears in your eyes. When you rose from your seat with the intention of leaving the room, Spencer was there, one hand wrapped around your wrist and pleading expression on his face. “Let go of me.”

“It was just one kiss for the job, it didn’t mean anything,” he tried, but your eyes were directed to the ground and when Spencer reached out you took a step back.

“Of course it means something, Spencer,” you spat out, yanking your wrist with enough force to release it from his grasp, “you kissed someone else. You chose someone else.”

“Y/N, you’re the only one I want. I chose to marry you.”

“Yeah, and you chose to kiss her.”

“Would you have rathered I didn’t tell you?”

“I’d have rathered you never did it! How could you do this to me?” It wasn’t often you yelled at him. Actually, you couldn’t recall even one time that you had screamed like that toward Spencer, voice scratchy from the volume. How could he not understand how painful this was to hear, especially without any warning at all? Why didn’t Spencer seem to care? Why was he trying to justify it all?

“What do you want to do now? Do you want me to stay somewhere else tonight?” You thought about trying to lay beside him, picturing only Agent Bishop and how her hands had been on him.

“I think that’d be a good idea, yeah.”

•─────⋅☾ ☽⋅─────•

There was a kid you used to babysit who refused to ever forgive anything. At first, you’d scolded him endlessly, telling him that he was being mean to his siblings and friends. He told you that he never wanted to tell someone that he forgave them because it was like giving them permission to hurt him again. If someone knew you were willing to forgive that action once, they’d be more inclined to take the risk again.

You were starting to see the genius behind that idea.

As time went on, you only expected it to get easier. You’d hoped that if you continue your daily life with Spencer, then eventually forgiveness would hit you suddenly. The unfortunate thing about the idea of forgiveness is that it’s often treated as a passive thing. Forgiveness happens to you, it comes to you in a dream and you’re immediately able to forget the bad light in which you’d viewed the other person. That wasn’t quite true, was it? Forgiveness doesn’t just appear out of the blue, it takes an active effort and the choice to want to stay with that person.

So the problem was not whether or not you could forgive Spencer, it was if you wanted to stay with him at all. He would always put the team first, you knew that going into this relationship. It had been his warning to you on that first date so many years ago, telling you this job was his life. You’d accepted that, and you proceeded to watch him nearly get killed several times for that job.

It wasn’t any easier watching him get hurt simply because you were also a part of the team. Yes, you were a badass federal agent, but that didn’t make it any less devastating when bad things happened to your husband. You’d sat vigil over his hospital bed after he’d nearly been killed in that same building by a rogue hospital staff member, you’d gone to visit him every chance you could when he was locked away in prison and when he’d been kidnapped by a cult of all things you didn’t rest until he was safe again. You understood that Spencer was willing to give up every part of himself for this job, you just hadn’t ever considered that he’d be willing to give you up too.

Weekends were the toughest for you anymore. Without active cases, it meant the two of you were stuck at home with each other. There was a certain appeal to working anymore. It was even better when Spencer got his mandatory sabbatical, giving you some much-needed separation at work.

Until then, you would lay in bed that Sunday morning, watching the way the sun peeked in from the curtains and spilled over his frame. Spencer was beautiful when he slept; expression completely relaxed, lower lip out in a small pout sometimes. He wasn’t worried about anything when he was asleep, simply laying there on his side with his unruly curls spread out on the pillow around him. More often than not he was shirtless in bed with you, after multiple hints that you wanted to feel as close to him as possible when you cuddled.

Now, laying there facing him, you could see the lingering effects of this job on his person. A raised scar on the side of his neck, so prominent you could see it from where you lay. If you picked up the arm that rested on the bed between you two, you would find tiny pinpoint scars in the crook of his elbow from the time his job—and his team—had failed him. There were no physical markers left from the anthrax or even Hankel, but you could see it in the way his tall body curled inward on itself, desperate to protect himself even in sleep.

You had watched Spencer practically grow up within the BAU, starting out as some kid who’d been in academia so long he’d never truly experienced the real world. Most people were required to have a career for a few years before even joining the FBI much less a unit as specialized as yours, but Spencer Reid wasn’t most people. The conversation had come up several times, you refusing to accept that Jason Gideon was someone to be praised and revered, not after what he did to Spencer. He made sure that the FBI was all Spencer ever knew, practically ensuring that he would live and die within the BAU just like Gideon.

You would never forgive Jason Gideon for it, but you would also never hurt Spencer by telling him how set up he’d been.

“Good morning,” Spencer murmured from across from you, eyelids fluttering as he worked up the ability to lift them. The moment his brown eyes were revealed, they softened as he looked upon you. His voice was a little rough from sleep, low as though to not crack the moment.

“Morning,” you answered back, voice soft as you chose to stare at the two arms rested on the bed between you. If you moved your hand over just an inch, you could hold his. Before it all, you might’ve. “How’d you sleep?”

Even after what he did, you would continue this morning tradition when you could. Spencer was often plagued by nightmares of all the things he kept hidden away from the team for so long. Sometimes he told you about them, and others he would brush his hand over your face and tell you not to worry about such things. Often times you wondered what it was like to have a near-perfect memory, but on nights where you’d wake up to Spencer whimpering and crying from horrors never to be forgotten, you decided it was best not to know.

“I dreamt of our wedding,” Spencer admitted, a small smile tugging at his lips, “the first one.”

The laugh that the clarification pulled from you was sharp, unexpected, and loud in the gentle morning light. “The first one,” you repeated, shaking your head and only managing to frizz up your hair more.

“You were so beautiful,” he told you.

“I was in an FBI vest,” you laughed, “now I know you’re a liar.”

“No, you were. I’ve overthought almost everything in my life, but at that moment I looked at you and knew I had to marry you.”

“I know, we weren’t even engaged,” you continued, your own voice matching his softness as you fell into nostalgia. “We got out of that hostage situation and you asked me to marry you right then and there.”

“It was the first time I felt what it was like to almost lose you.”

“Yeah, now you know how it feels,” you teased back, rolling your eyes. There was a jar sitting in the breakroom at the BAU office meant only for all of the times Spencer took off his vest or surrendered his weapon when taking down an unsub. “I was shocked, I thought you were joking. But I said yes.”

“You did,” Spencer answered, a wide smile now locked firmly on his face. “The team all gathered around us, and Rossi married us right there.”

“It wasn’t official though. David Rossi is a lot of things, but he is not licensed to marry people in the state of Oklahoma.”

“I still picture that day, though, when we talk about our wedding. I don’t think about when we went to the courthouse to make it official.”

“What about when we went to Bennington so your mom could see it?”

Spencer shook his head, “I never knew one couple could have so many wedding ceremonies.”

“Wow, I can’t believe I finally found something you didn’t know. It only took fifteen years,” you laughed.

“I also didn’t know how bad it would hurt to actually lose you.”

For once, you were finally starting to feel normal, but the reminder of the current situation immediately withered the small sapling of joy blossoming in your chest. Shoulders tucked inward, you could feel your expression closing off, and suddenly your hand was far too close to his so you tucked it neatly back against your chest.

“This is a mistake,” you whispered, shaking your head to try to rid it of the images flooding it. Images of Spencer standing in a bar you knew he hated, kissing a woman you knew he didn’t care for simply because of the job. This damn job, it always came back to that didn’t it?

“Wait, Y/N,” Spencer spoke, for the first time raising his voice above the softness of the morning. As you made a move to leave the bed, you paused to stare at him. Would he be able to fix it now? Was there anything he could say to stop what you were feeling? “Can you ever forgive me?”

Spencer didn’t even know. He always knew how to get himself out of situations, was always there to suggest a solution for you. There had never been a time where you doubted if Spencer would be there for you. Now though, a dire feeling was rising in you as realization set in: if Spencer didn’t even know how to fix this, how could you possibly know?

“I don’t know,” you whispered honestly, closing your eyes against the hurt that spread across his face, “every time I look at you, I see her.”

There was nothing more to say. The moment ruined, you rushed out of the bed and into the bathroom. You would run a shower with the water practically scalding your skin, not leaving its spray until you heard the front door click shut.

It was then, and only then, that you allowed yourself to cry for what you were losing.

•─────⋅☾ ☽⋅─────•

The team began to lose faith in your relationship too.

You saw it in the sympathetic stares and extra invitations to separate hangouts. You saw it in the way Emily would glance at you every time she said Spencer’s name, as though just the word alone would hurt you. You heard it in the one time JJ slipped and called you by your previous surname, as though they were all expecting the split.

Maybe, deep down, you were too.

It was exhausting tiptoeing around your husband every day. Eventually, you began to look forward to his sabbaticals, and even more toward those seminars which would have him across the country for a week or more. As lonely as the house was without him, you almost preferred it to the hurt.

You felt it on the day you took off your ring to shower and forgot to put it back on.

It was the first time you ever cried at work over personal issues, the first time you ever let it get to you. It was also the first time Spencer didn’t comfort you, instead watching with horror on his face as Tara led you to the breakroom for some privacy.

“I don’t want a divorce,” were the first words you could form around your tears, arms wrapped around your middle as though you could hold in all of the pain.

“Divorce isn’t the answer for every couple,” Tara answered, and her ever-present calmness sent a wave of comfort through you.

“I feel so stupid,” you finally admitted, “it was just a kiss. Why can’t I get over a silly little kiss?”

“You know it’s not about the kiss,” Tara returned, giving you that look that made you want to hang onto her every word. “It’s about the breach of trust. You trusted him to only be intimate with you, and he broke that.”

“If he would’ve just talked to me about it first, I could’ve prepared myself. I could’ve...I don’t know, I don’t know. I just wish I could go back, you know? To the day we got married before any of this ever happened.”

“It’s best not to focus on the ‘what ifs’, otherwise you’ll be here forever thinking about it,” Tara reminded you, giving you the reassuring hug you’d been looking for all this time. “No matter what happens, we’re still a team. We’re all here for you.”

•─────⋅☾ ☽⋅─────•

It was a week later that, for the first time, you woke up alone unexpectedly. The bed felt colder that morning, making it far too easy to rush out of it.

You rushed out of it to the living room, where JJ and Emily sat.

You blinked, half-expecting their forms to disappear. When they didn’t, you crossed your arms over your chest and asked, “I love you two, but what the hell are you doing in my house on a Saturday?”

“We’re here to get you dressed,” Emily explained as if that was the only answer you would need.

“I’ve been able to do that on my own for a few years now.”

“You’re funny,” she shot back immediately, “now come on.”

“No, really, what’s happening? I kind of wanted to spend this weekend relaxing and I d-”

Your rambling was cut off by Emily and JJ guiding you to your own guest bedroom, where a familiar white dress sat laying on the bed. The fabric was soft against your fingers as you ran your hands over the skirt, wonder filling your body.

There was such joy attached to that dress, you couldn’t imagine tainting it with the grief that consumed you nowadays. With that thought, you tore your hand away from the fabric, holding onto it with your other hand as if the dress had burned you.

“What’s happening?”

“You’re getting married,” JJ explained, and you were over these women with their cryptic nonanswers.

“I hate to break it to you, but I’m already married,” you told her, only getting a roll of her eyes in response.

“Put the dress on,” and when Emily Prentiss told you to do something, you were bound to listen. So you slipped the dress back on, remembering when you’d worn it to the courthouse and again to a sanitarium in Las Vegas.

The memories kept you occupied enough as your two friends did your hair and makeup; kept you from losing it when they declined to answer any of your next questions. They even kept you busy during the drive, in which neither JJ nor Emily told you where they were taking you.

It became obvious, though, when they turned down a familiar street.

“JJ, no,” you immediately said, eyes filling with tears as the familiar little park came into view. It was decorated exactly as you’d once pictured for your dream wedding. Little lights were strung up between the trees, beautiful flowers decorating the space.

“Oh, JJ yes,” she answered back, a grin on her face as she parked the car. “It was Spencer’s idea, by the way.”

“Spencer did all this?” you gasped, trying to wipe away the tears so your makeup wouldn’t get ruined.

“He might’ve gotten some nudging from Tara, but yeah it was all him,” Emily told you, “now c’mon, how does a fourth wedding sound?”

You couldn’t even answer, throat tight with all of the confusing emotions welling up in you. “I don’t have my ring,” was all you could voice, laughing when JJ and Emily did.

“Henry has it. He’s very excited to be a ring bearer for his Uncle Spence and Aunt Y/N,” JJ told you, “And Michael is ready to be the best flower boy ever.”

“Okay, let’s do it,” you told her, allowing her and Emily to help you out of the car.

And it was magical, something out of a fairytale. It was just the team and your closest friends, everyone Spencer could gather at such a last minutes’ notice. You cried when you saw him standing at the end of the makeshift aisle. JJ and Emily walked you down the aisle, moving to sit down as you reached the end.

“I did the flowers!” Michael cheered, hopping from his seat and running over to you.

You laughed, bending to hug him. “They’re perfect, buddy, thank you so much,” you cooed before JJ ushered him back into his chair. There were plenty of times you and Spencer babysat the boys, and each time it only made you wish for kids of your own eventually.

And finally, there were no other distractions except for your husband. Your husband, who was crying as if this were the first time he saw you in a wedding dress. He reached for your hands and this time you didn’t pull back, allowing him to hold onto you.

“Y/N, I am so lucky to get to love you every day,” Spencer began. “Being a genius means knowing a lot of things. I know so much about the way the universe works, but I’ll never know what I did to ever deserve you.

“I know I hurt you in ways I never thought I could. I betrayed your trust and jeopardized everything I care about. I can’t take back what happened, I know that too. All I can do is prove to you how much I love you, and how much you mean to me.”

“Spencer,” you tried, but he wasn’t done.

“I never gave you the wedding you dreamed about. We got so caught up in the job that we never got around to it. I never made it a priority,” he added, “this time I’ll do it right. You’re my priority, Y/N, and I want to marry you now with the promise that nothing comes above what we have together.”

And for the first time in weeks, in front of nearly everyone you love, you kissed Spencer and didn’t think of anything else. It wasn’t perfect; it would take time to rebuild the trust you’d lost. There would be highs and lows as the two of you figured out how to be with each other again.

That didn’t matter now, because for now, you were standing in front of your husband knowing, for the first time since everything happened, that you wanted to forgive him. The work it took would be worth it because you loved Spencer Reid and he loved you too.

And really, that’s all that matters in the end.

•─────⋅☾ ☽⋅─────•

General Taglist

@samuel-de-champagne-problems @just-arandomwriter @matthewgraygublerlover @silverhetdanes @ssawonderland

Reid From The Vault Taglist

@samuel-de-champagne-problems @alexontheinternet @reidsbookclub @givemeth @fightingdragonswithreid @girloncorneliastreet @silverhetdanes @just-a-human-witha-pen @shemarmooresfedora @rexorangecouny @awesomebooklover17 @safespacespence @stumbleonmywords @dumb-bitchculture

[becausegoodheroesdeservekidneys]

Doctor Who, but Chronologically 24

Finally! We’ve made it to the 1900s! Ooh, it feels just like playing Civilisation when you change an era. 

Anyway, Whittaker is back, it’s 1904 and we’re watching Survivors of the Flux. We know a bit about the Flux already, in that we basically know it exists and a pair of beautiful geode people have possibly caused it. Anyway, it continues.

We start with a partial answer to a hanging plot thread! “What’s with the statues you mustn’t blink at?” I think we’ve now met them - at the beginning of the episode the Doctor is a statue, and crumbles into herself again and is surrounded by a fuck ton of statues, all shaped like angels. The Doctor calls them Weeping Angels, and in trying to get them to answer her questions, makes a point of blinking at them. It doesn’t work. They say they’re transporting her. Then she lands on a spaceship called Division and they play no further part so we still have no clue what on Earth is up with them and what they are and why blinking of all things is so relevant.

ANYWAY a lot of plot happens here. An extremely well-acted woman called Tecteun and a man with intestines for a mouth and a glowy ball for a speechbox called Ood are here, and apparently are fleeing the old universe which is being destroyed by the Flux (another answer!) and going to a new universe which is not. Ood seems to be a sort of servant. Tecteun is a sort of wankshaft. She joyfully explains that Division is basically the British Empire but in SPACE, and it spends its time steering other planets and civilisations to do whatever it wants, and in the new universe she’s going to reintroduce all the genetic samples of species from the old universe like a shitty space version of the American Acclimatization Society because FUCK NATIVE ECOSYSTEMS my god but this is a villain that is getting particularly on my last fucking tit. But they know the Doctor would stop them so they’re bringing her along, and also, they caused the Flux.

The Doctor has an excellent conversation with Ood where she tries to convince him to help her stop it, because the rest of Ood’s kind - also called Ood - are in that universe. He says it’s too late to stop. She says that’s her specialty. “I’m good at pulling rabbits out of hats,” the Doctor says. “I have no rabbits,” Ood says. “It’s a metaphor.” “Nor hats.”

I howled.

Anyway he does decide to try and help. But then she gets distracted by a whispering fobwatch, and ooh! We’ve had that set up! David Tennant told Jackson Lake that legend has it a Timelord’s memories can be stored in a fobwatch! Turns out it’s true here. She confronts Tecteun, and then OMG SPILL THE TEA SIS so Tecteun has taken a shit ton of the Doctor’s memories and past lives, and the Doctor has no idea how many, and it turns out Tecteun IS HER MAM and she found the Doctor under a wormhole to the next universe so maybe that’s where she’s really from?!? Also the flashback shows that the Doctor’s first form there was a black woman (well; girl, she was a child), and I am fucking delighted, and I bet Gallifrey Base was like a WW1 trench after that particular reveal. 

And then the geode people turn up and kill Tecteun, so that’s that problem solved.

MEANWHILE, Yaz is trotting the globe in 1904 trying to find a precise date for when aliens will try and invade Earth now the Flux has made it vulnerable. She has enlisted two companions of her own to help, Dan and Eustacius Jericho. I adore Jericho. He is extremely charismatic and somehow manages to be the comic relief in spite of John Bishop being his co-star. I could watch a whole series of the whacky hijinks of these three. It turns out they never pay for more than two beds aboard a passenger liner, and they make Dan sleep under the bed for barely-explained reasons. At one point they go to find a hermit, who absolutely steals the entire show, shout out to him. He tells them to “Fetch their dog.” They try painting a message around the Great Wall of China - in the future, Karvanista, a dog man, just mutters that he doesn’t have time travel and ignores them.

But, they get attacked repeatedly by people with serpent tattoos who try to kill them. Why?

Well, meanwhile again, some bellend who has chosen to call himself the Grand Serpent is wandering through Earth’s history and trying to ingratiate himself into a zippy new taskforce called UNIT, designed to deal with extra-terrestrial threats (uh, this is... different from Torchwood. But also full of so many Classic Who references. Love the audio cameo of Nicholas Courtney. I bet him being called a corporal has made Gallifrey Base freak out about UNIT dating all over again). He can kill people by making them imagine they’re being suffocated by snakes. Real gross. In the end someone called Kate (a Redgrave! How exciting) tells him to go fuck himself and he tries to blow her up. She survives and calls someone called Osgood (Clara again???), saying she has to go dark. Then she rips her own phone in half with her bare hands, which seems somewhat excessive.

Eventually, Yaz and her companions make it to Liverpool, and that Victorian guy we saw before is revealed to be Joseph Williamson, the Mad Mole. His tunnels apparently lead to doorways into other planets and times somehow. 

And then Sontarans invade! Helped by the Grand Serpent! You know, it is incredible just how much the main villains of this show are Sontarans if you watch it in this very stupid order. Cybermen? I met one once. Daleks? I don’t know her. Sontarans? Ah! Our fun Welsh potato aliens, of course, the chief monsters of the show Doctor Who, yes. Of course it’s Sontarans. It’s always Sontarans when shit gets serious.

Uh, to round off, Vinder the beautiful man who almost became a Mori/Mwri/Muairi with Yaz got pulled into a big robot called a Passenger and has found Dan’s friend Di. And a Northern Irish woman with a Tamagotchi is with Karvanista now.

A lot happened in that one that we have just no answers for at all, so weird. Almost like no one should watch this show in this order.

Let’s update the list of plot threads! Amazingly, we can actually tick some off now, like what the Flux is and who the Victorian is.

“She” (an unknown person) is returning (perhaps River returned as Missy. Maybe Me? Maybe Clara???!)

There is something on Donna’s back

An entire planet, Pyrovilia, just… disappeared, somehow. (Maybe because the TARDIS is exploding??? Saturnine was also lost, and that WAS because of the TARDIS exploding. The lion man’s planet was also lost but he was a bit of a knob about it if I’m honest.)

Amy is maybe dead (she’s not)

The Doctor has been cubed (he’s out, but how?)

River is possibly blown up  (unless she’s Missy)

The TARDIS has blown up  (It’s fine now. Except it’s sort of melting now because it’s corrupted, but it’s fine again)

The universe appears to have ended  (the universe is back again)

The Doctor has employed(?) Nardole (And Nardole was “reassembled???”)

There’s a vault in the TARDIS and it contains Missy but we don’t know why (sometimes she knocks for the bants)

What has happened to all these companions and where are the new ones coming from?

There’s an immortal Viking girl now. Her name is Me and she’s now looking after the people the Doctor abandons

What’s With The Silence?

Why was Rory entirely unconcerned by the entire world suddenly going silent when that is Not Normal and should have been, at the very least, extremely disconcerting?

What did the Doctor do to Queen Lizzie One?

Who is Captain Jack Harkness? (Is he the one who gave the companions a warning about the lone cyberman?)

Why is Amy seeing a one-eyed woman in a vanishing window?

What’s with the Doctor’s future involving getting shot by an astronaut?

Is Amy pregnant and why is it inconclusive?

Who is Sarah-Jane Smith?

How is the Doctor Bill’s teacher and why/where does he have an office?

What is going on with the Cyber War and the Cyberium???

Who did the Doctor lose to Cyber Conversion?

What happened with the Other Cyber War?

What happened with the Third War that deleted the void?

Why does Rose seem particularly important?

What’s with the statues you mustn’t blink at? (NW INFO: they are called Weeping Angels, but we don’t know why you can’t blink yet)

What order do these Doctors go in? (Eccleston, Tennant, uncertain, Smith, Capaldi.)

Which companion just... forgot the Doctor, and how?

Yaz and Vinder are about to die as Mori/Mwri/Muuri

There is a Lupari shield around Earth.

What’s a Time War?

What’s the Rift?

What’s Bad Wolf?

What happened with Amy’s pregnancy?

In which war did the Doctor become a war criminal, and how?

Who is the Master?

Why has Amy forgotten Rory?

Is Rory plastic or not?

Why is the Doctor sulking on a cloud?

How exactly does the Doctor have a cloud?

What exactly happened with Strax to, uh, tame him?

Which friend killed Strax?

Which friend brought Strax back?

Where did this lesbian lizard and human couple come from?

What happened with Clara as Souffle Girl and the Daleks?

How does Clara actually join?

Why so many Claras?

Why is Missy apparently in robo-heaven?

Why is probably!Missy pushing Clara and the Doctor together?

What is Trensilor and what happened there?

Who is Handles?

The Doctor is about to be dissolved by a beautiful geode man

The universe is being crushed by the Flux

Will the Doctor open the fobwatch?

Sontarans are invading Earth again

Who is Kate?

Who is Osgood? Another name of Clara’s again?

The fuck is the deal with the Grand Serpent