#the detective work required for me to piece this together

[sic-vita]

the inheritance part 1

1/4

[maliro-t]

i'm pretty sure it was some josh sawyer interview i watched ages ago where he said something about knowing that pentiment 'isn't for everyone' and talked about that framing in general since it's such a niche project, and he was like, well yeah, it's not for everyone. neither is call of duty.

and it truly gave me so much peace lol. like ohhhh. yeah. 'objective' media assessment is nothing to me

[soelstress]

Silent In the Library

Pairing: Bucky Barnes x female!reader

Summary: While on a mission with Bucky, both of you get creative to avoid detection.

Word count: 3.3k

Warnings: 18+ Minors DNI , nsfw , explicit sex/smut, fingering , p in v sex , unprotected sex , sex in a library , some language

A/N 1 - This is my second submission for @mercurial-chuckles Smutty September Fest. Thank you for doing this challenge, it's been fun playing around with the prompts.

A/N 2 - Prompts - Asked a friend to pick up to five prompts for me... of course I was given five so two stories it is 🙈 7) finding a somewhat private area at a fancy party to fuck (coat closet, empty office, secluded corner on the big balcony, hedge maze if we wanna get dramatic, etc) 14) Library sex for those dark academia vibes

A/N 3 - Do not Steal, Copy or Plagiarize any part of my work - I think the photo was from the 'Fresh' Flaunt photoshoot but I saved it from Google

A/N 4 - Please let me know if I've missed a warning, knowing me it's more than likely. Hope you all enjoy ☺️

Your limited sight in the dark night only heightened your other senses. Branches of the hedge dug into the skin of your back, scraping the exposed flesh. Warm pants tickled your ear. The smell of fresh greenery swirled with cologne, but the hand around your throat prevented you from inhaling. Your heart pounded and breaths became shorter, you couldn’t take much more.

“Come with me”.

You froze when he suddenly crumpled to the ground without a noise. Not daring to even breathe, your eyes darted around. A shift in the shadows caught your attention, moonlight softly reflecting off black and gold Vibranium to reveal the presence of your saviour. You took a deep breath in relief, the sudden rush of air triggering a coughing fit. “What took you so long?” 

A scoff reached you long before the outline of your mission partner, barely visible in his dark attire. “Despite what Sam believes, I do not have ‘cyborg x-ray vision’. Took me awhile to dodge security AND find you. In a maze. That’s out of bounds. Couldn’t have made it any easier for me, could you?” He stopped near you, pausing as your coughing fit didn’t seem to be easing. “You ok?”

You raised your arms in an attempt to ease your spluttering. After a few moments, it slowed. “Unfortunately for you, yes”. You took a few slow breaths before turning to him. “Sorry for any extra paperwork, I’m sure you’d prefer that to having to deal with me”.

“I can handle paperwork. What I can’t handle is Sam complaining if something happens to you. I wanted to throw him off the plane because he grilled me for a bruise that you got. After our last mission. Tripping over thin air”. Though you couldn’t see his face, you could feel the weight of his trademark scowl. Hopefully he couldn’t see the blush on your cheeks from his words which unfortunately were true. “So can we please try to keep you in one piece to complete the mission and the journey home?”

Right. The mission. The one requiring you to break into the mansion of a former Hydra informant to retrieve a drive that contained information on old Hydra bases and activities. The one that Sam swore would be best to infiltrate on the night of a big party to avoid rousing suspicion. The one he insisted on pairing you and Bucky together. James Bucky Barnes - tonight’s savour, the reason you had previously tripped over thin air, and ultimately your unrequited crush. Part of you wanted to kill Sam who teased you mercilessly for your crush but the other part relished the chance to work closely with the sinfully sexy Super Soldier.

The pair of you had decided to attend the party separately, providing two opportunities to grab the drive, but also separate alibis if required. On arrival, you had started by trying to sneak upstairs to the library. But one lone security guard had thwarted your effort and then proceeded to follow you. In a desperate attempt you tried to escape him in the maze but he had cornered you. He had toyed with you, threatening to take you to the host when Bucky had stepped in. 

A soft grunt interrupted your musings. Bucky had picked up the security guard and removed his phone. Walking a few strides to where two hedges met to form a corner, Bucky carefully launched the guard to land on top of the eight foot hedges so he was out of sight from anyone walking by. You couldn’t help chuckling at the sight. Together you both started to follow the path of the maze in a companionable silence. A few turns had been made and in the distance you could see pinpricks of light from the mansion. Bucky’s warm hand grabbed your wrist. “Someone’s coming” he murmured. You knew he’d be thinking about how to fight his way out as quietly as possible. But with one guard down already, you couldn’t risk attracting further attention.  And only one of you had Super Soldier speed. An idea burst into your mind as you glanced around, seeing a small path in the hedge that led to a dead end after a few paces. 

 You turned and yanked him toward you. “What -“ his question was cut off when you pulled him into a fierce kiss. Bucky froze. You were certain he’d shorted circuited and that you would end up having to fight your way through. Pulling away, you made to turn and face the approaching threat but Bucky guided you backwards towards the small path. His left arm cushioned your back from the hedge, hand cupping the back of your head. His nose and lips drifted along your neck and collarbone, growling when your hands gripped the lapels of his jacket in an effort to pull him closer. Lost in a fog of desire, you felt your body trying to meld to his. His right hand gripped your waist, your leg starting to lift up to his waist in response when he froze again. “They’re gone”. Reality washed over you like a cold tidal wave, the heat of embarrassment soon fighting with the chill you’d felt a moment ago. Though you craved so badly to stay pressed to him, you knew that he didn’t feel the same as you. Besides which and most importantly, you had a job to do. Unclenching your fingers from his jacket, you tried to lower your leg discreetly and checked your appearance as a cover. Bucky unwound his arms from around you but didn’t step back. “What was that?”

Face burning, you sidestepped him with a shrug. “All your training and you don’t know how hard it is to run in heels, let alone fight”. As you walked, you could feel heat in your belly and slick pooling in your panties. Unbelievable. You’d acted like a horny teenager - sharing one kiss and then pressing against him as he held you. How the hell had you lost control like that? There were a few moments of your footsteps before you heard Bucky’s tread catch up. Tension was thick as you silently headed towards the mansion. Leaving the maze, you saw people making their way indoors. 

You avoided looking at Bucky. “I’ll mingle”.

“I’ll hit the bar”. 

Both of you separated at the bottom of the stairs, joining the crowds to drift inside. You began to work your way around the room, spending a few minutes in various conversations and contributing noises of agreement or amusement. It would be enough for the fellow guests to notice you in the moment but difficult to remember later while also giving you a good cover in case security was watching. After thirty minutes, you walked down the hallway that led to the ladies room on the next floor but also the main stairs that led to the library on the top floor. 

“Sam’s gonna kill me, your back looks like you got in a fight with an alley cat”. The rough timbre rumbled in your ear. 

Shrugging, you cautiously began to climb the stairs. “Some guys these days can’t manhandle a woman properly. It’s not the first time I’ve been roughed up”. Bucky fell silent as you moved towards the landing of the next floor. You hadn’t noticed the scratches on your back, Bucky must have effectively shielded your back when he pushed you into the hedge. You bit your lip to hold in a soft moan at the thought. From the way the way he’d handled you and the security guard in the maze, you knew that his version of roughing up would be very different.

“Hold up, doll. Security’s sweeping the stairs. Just lean over and wave like you’ve seen someone”. Doing as instructed, you leaned against the railing. Somehow your gaze landed on Bucky at the bar. A choked gasp escaped your mouth at the first clear sight of him. You knew he wore black from his camouflage trick in the maze. But this was something else. Dressed in a form fitting black suit with tousled hair and stubble dusting his cheeks, he had your heart and mind racing. “See something you like, toots?” Caught in a blue gaze, you blinked before waving. Bucky raised a crystal glass of amber liquid, the black jacket looking snug against his beefy arms and broad chest. 

Taking that as a signal to start moving again, you quietly hurried back along the corridor. “Almost didn’t recognise you without that scowl Barnes. You actually look decent”. 

A soft chuckle sounded through the comm, sounds of movement following. You figured Bucky had left the bar. “Well you clean up nicely too. Almost mistook you for a dame in that dress” he teased. As you crept up the final stairway, a mirror was placed opposite the steps and you took a moment to admire the dress you wore. A black velvet maxi dress that was strapless and had a slit up the left side hugged your body. Blushing slightly, you couldn’t help feeling pleased that he had noticed. Reaching the top of the stairs, you moved towards the correct door. 

You glanced behind you before carefully opening the door to the library, slipping inside before you closed it and looked around. Two walls were lined with books, every floor to ceiling shelf filled carefully and pristinely kept. The door you had just walked through was also framed with shelves of books. A giant rustic stone fireplace dominated the fourth wall to your left, a roaring fire illuminating an abstract painting mounted above it. Chesterfield seats were scattered through out the room. A pleasant smell of old books and leather soothed your nerves and you found yourself relaxing. Approaching the fireplace to examine the painting closely, you were suddenly yanked backwards into the left corner of the room near the door. As you wriggled, you managed to elbow your assailant before being restrained. “Calm down toots! It’s me” Bucky grunted in your ear before letting you go. 

“I thought men from the forties were gentlemen?” Grumbling, you turned and straightened your dress before looking at him to see him rubbing where you’d jabbed him. “Gotta say Barnes, grabbing a lady like that tarnishes your reputation as a charmer”. 

Bucky smirked, his face half hidden in darkness. “Depends on your definition of lady, doll. Besides you’re the one who said about being poorly handled in the maze”. You flushed, earlier thoughts of him handling you resurfacing. “Anyway, come look at this”. He pointed towards the left side of the fireplace. On closer inspection you noticed that the fireplace was not built flush into the wall but instead the stone sides jutted a few feet into the room. Before you could ask if the old man needed his eyes checked, he gently took your elbow and led to you the right side of the fireplace. A little corner nook was formed where the fireplace wall met the bookshelf of the adjoining wall. Near the corner a bookshelf slightly wider than Bucky was built in. “There’s an electronic book safe a few shelves up”.

Glancing around, you saw a rolling ladder on a track. You made to move when Bucky beat you to wheeling it as close as possible, but there was a small gap between the shelf and the ladder. Frowning, you glanced at Bucky who nodded and moved to hold the ladder on one side. As you climbed carefully up the rungs, you heard him move to hold both sides to stop the ladder from rolling. Carefully opening the safe cover, you saw the electronic key pad with the spaces for a five digit number flashing. Looking at the buttons, you could see five buttons had been pressed more frequently than others. As the possibilities for the code ran through your head and you eliminated any as a birthday or memorable date, you thought about how the owner of this mansion had become involved, anything you could remember about his background - of course. You scoffed softly and entered the code. 4-9-3-7-2. The lock clicking open echoed in the quiet room. Shaking your head, you reached into the safe and pulled out a small drive the size of a quarter before sealing the safe and replacing the book cover. You began to descend the ladder, carefully feeling for each step before moving. 

Reaching the last rung, you felt Bucky behind you. Inhaling deeply you slowly turned, using the rungs for support until you found yourself eye to eye with him. Without a word he took the drive from you and slipped it in his breast pocket. His flesh hand cupped your cheek. Blazing blue eyes searched your soul before his lips brushed over yours. Warmth rushed through every fibre of your body. As he pulled back slightly, you ached with want, with need. Lifting your right hand from the rung you caught his stubbled chin and pressed a kissed to the dimple before ghosting a kiss at each corner of his mouth. With a sharp inhale Bucky kissed you softly, almost reverently. He deliberately took his time, a sharp contrast to the fierce kiss in the maze. This was so much better than you had ever imagined, his lips firm and soft though roughened by the stubble peppering his face. You gasped when his tongue traced the seam of your lips, seeking access to your mouth. Once granted his tongue carefully tasted and teased, licking along your teeth and sending shivers down your spine. His tongue brushed yours and you could taste the whiskey he had been nursing earlier. Your thighs pressed together at his luscious licks, imagining that wicked tongue somewhere else. The hand holding his chin moved to drift through his hair while the other arm wrapped around his thick frame. Chests pressed together your leg slowly slid up and wrapped around his waist, grinding against him as you captured and sensually suckled his tongue. With a groan Bucky lifted you off the ladder and held you close. Your other leg wrapped around him as you continue to rub against him. 

Bucky’s lips moved to leave  a wet trail on your face, neck and chest. His right hand moved down your dress and snuck in along the slit. Cerulean eyes widened when he found how wet you were for him.

“The maze” you whisper, answering his unasked question.  

Nuzzling your neck, his fingers slid under the material and glided through your soaking folds. You bit back a moan when he brushed over your clit. One thick finger pushed  inside you, causing you to arch into him. “Fuck… so tight, baby”. As he moaned in your ear, another finger entered you. His thumb brushed your clit as his fingers curled upward. “Squeezing me so tight… God you feel so good”. The only sound that you could hear was your panting and the sound of his fingers fucking you. A burning pressure began to build.

“Barnes” you whimpered, humping his hand frantically. 

“That’s it sweet girl, cum for me”. Bucky’s smile widened as you clamped down on his fingers, his mouth swooping down over yours to catch any noise. 

Using his Vibranium arm to lift you higher, Bucky’s flesh hand fumbled to undo the waistband of his trousers. The sound of a zipper opening reached your ears. Searching blindly your fingers grasped his hot velvet flesh and gently squeezed the tip.

“Been hard since I first saw you in this dress earlier today”. Your eyes widened at the understanding Bucky had wanted you before leaving for the mission. “I wanted to break the fingers of that asshole who dared to touch you”. 

Longing flooded you at the dark threat. “Want you so much. Bucky… Please” you whimpered.

As he rubbed the head of his cock through your folds and over your clit his gaze burned into you, marking you. Lowering you slowly onto his cock, both of you groaned as the thick flesh stretched you deliciously. Once his groin met yours, you let out a small whine at being filled so deeply. 

Before he could move the door to the room opened, chatter and light filling the quiet space. Bucky quietly pushed the ladder back toward its original position before pressing you against the fireplace wall, only the length of the fireplace wall and shadows caused by the fire hiding your presence from the newcomers. Bucky’s eyes never left yours but you could tell his attention was elsewhere. Annoyance swept through you at the second interruption of the night chased by desire. Right now, you didn’t care that your mission was to infiltrate the home of a Hydra agent to steal essential intelligence. Right now, all that mattered was that Bucky - the man who you’d wanted for so long -  was here with you, inside you. These people could notice you at any moment, could catch Bucky balls deep inside you… 

At the thought, your core clenched around him which caused Bucky to let out a muffled curse. His dark brow raised in silent query. You’d never felt so exposed, so reckless and you wanted him in it with you. Rocking your hips, you tried to start moving against him. Bucky’s hold on you tightened as he shifted. A whimper escaped you as he nudged your clit with his movements. His flesh hand covered your mouth, both of you straining to hear any hints that you had been detected. But the chatter carried on, ignorant to the raw exhibition only a few feet away. 

Bucky placed a single finger against your lips in warning. You gently licked his finger before nipping the tip and sucking it into your mouth. Jaw dropping, he inhaled slowly before he began to move. Tongue swirling around the digit, your sucking matched the pace of his slow and steady thrusts. As his body temperature began to rise you were caught in a delightful concoction of senses - Bucky’s scent of sandalwood mixed with the smell of the library, drowning in the depths of his loving and lustful gaze, tasting the slight tang of your arousal on his finger and the feel of his body caging you as you clung tightly to Bucky, trying to pull him even closer. Cautiously he positioned you against the shelf, leaving you immobilised and unable to do anything except continue to take his measured movements. He began to roll his hips and pulled back before repeating the motion. As a wave of heat began to build, you could swear you felt his cock harden further. “Cum” he breathed in your ear. The dam broke and the tidal wave of pleasure overwhelmed you. Feeling a cry rise in your throat you kissed Bucky desperately. With a gasp he twitched inside you, filling you as he rolled his hips to prolong the pleasure as long as possible.

Distantly, you heard the door open and close. Only the gentle crackling of the fire and soft panting filled the room now. Bucky lowered you till you stood on slightly wobbly legs and slowly pulled out of you. Removing a handkerchief from his pocket, he carefully wiped between your legs before doing the same to himself. Eyes locked with yours, he tugged your underwear and dress back into place before tucking himself back into his pants, placing the folded handkerchief into his pants pocket. Leaning forward he caught your mouth in a soft tender kiss. “That should’ve been our first kiss” he murmured. 

“So what happens now?” You hated to think that this had only happened because of the mission, that nothing had changed. When his fingers entwined with yours, you were surprised to see him smiling softly.

“Long term? I want to court you baby, for you to be my girl and me to be your guy. But now? We leave, head home and handover the drive”. A twinkle danced in his eye as his smile changed to a smirk. “And then I want to hear you all night. No interruptions. No being quiet.” His brow puckered in confusion when you giggled. “What?”

“Looks like we’ll both be giving Sam something to complain about”.

[teddykisser]

Protective & Possessive

Part 2 to Our Little Family

Beautiful Things

Captain Olivia Benson x Pregnant Female Reader

Warnings: Pregnancy, Kissing, Fluff, Mean Remarks, Secret Pregnancy, Protective Rolline, Posessive Reader, Massage, Dead Bodies, Suggestive Themes, Horny Reader, Brief D/S Dynamic Mention, Slight Smut Towards End.

You were back at work the next day. Your lunch break spent in Olivia's office. You rested your hands on your stomach, in awe that there was really a baby in there.

Olivia sat at her desk, admiring you. A soft smile was present on her face as you touched your stomach. Olivia herself was still in shock that you were pregnant.

She gently turned your head back up to meet hers, giving you a sweet kiss before pulling away and looking at you. "Are you sure you're okay?" She asked softly, still holding your waist.

Her gaze fell onto you.

"Mhm, better get back out there.." You nodded, beginning to detach yourself from her arms.

"I'll see you later, sweetheart. Let me know if you need anything." Olivia added.

You closed the door behind you as you watched Rollins return from her break.

"Hi Y/N" She smiled, sitting at her desk.

"Hey Manda, what's new?" You spoke, brushing a strand of hair out of your face.

"There's been a break in the case" Munch interrupted.

As Munch briefed the team, Olivia focused on the work in front of her. She was only half paying attention to what was going on. She was still thinking about earlier, thinking about you being pregnant with her child. The thought alone filled her with warmth. She knew this would be something she'd be thinking about for the rest of the day.

The case required the team to go into the field. Olivia grabbed her coat and bag to follow everyone else into action. The case wasn't too bad, thankfully. She walked with the team, making sure to keep an eye on you throughout. She couldn't help but be a bit protective, especially knowing that you were now carrying a baby, her baby.

There was a dead body that had been dead for a few days so it had a rancid smell. You tried to resist gagging and keep your composure. This action didn't go unnoticed by Liv.

She saw your expression as you saw the body and inched closer to you. Olivia placed her hand on your back, rubbing it gently. "You okay, dear?" She asked. She didn't want you to be too stressed, especially now. She was a bit concerned for your health.

"Y-Yeah.. it's just the s-smell" You admitted, whispering in her ear. You didn't want the rest of the team to know the news just yet. Didn't wanna jinx it.

Olivia nodded and kept a hand on your back, gently rubbing circles with her thumb, trying to comfort you. "Oh. My love.. It's going to be alright. Just breathe for me, okay?" She knew the next few months wouldn't be easy for you but it will be so worth it.

"You alright, Y/N? It's not your first dead body, is it?" Munch remarked, his eyes judging you.

Olivia looked up, her eyes glared at the other detective. This wasn't the time or place for jokes. She moved her hand from your back, instead putting it on your stomach, rubbing it softly. "It's alright," she reassured you, ignoring the other detective's comment.

"You know she's one of the younger agents leave her alone" Rollins spoke, referring to your age. Rollins was very motherly to you, and protective of you so she came to your rescue.

"Thank you, Amanda" Olivia turned to Rollins, giving her a nod. She hated when her teammates made comments that were just insensitive. She knew they didn't mean to be rude, but now was certainly not the time. The captain kept her hand on your stomach, rubbing it gently.

"In public?" You mouthed, refering to Liv's hand caressing your stomach. You didn't want your team to find out and this was a dead giveaway.

Olivia knew what you meant. She couldn't help but feel a bit protective and wanted everyone to know, but she also wasn't quite ready for anyone to know yet. She knew it would only be a matter of time before someone put the pieces together. "You're doing so well, don't worry about the others." She whispered, trying to reassure you.

༘˚⋆𐙚｡⋆𖦹.✧˚

The team had returned back to the office, wrapping up the case. You were in Olivia's office, relaxing. The team knew of your relationship with the captain but they didn't know that you two were trying to have a child.

Olivia's hovered behind you, her hands working the knots in your shoulder. "You're so tense, my love.." Olivia spoke softly.

You closed your eyes, lending your hand back slightly. A quiet groan escaped from your lips.

"That's it baby, let it all out" Olivia encouraged. Her lips ghosted your neck.

"You're such a good girl, my best girl" She praised.

You stood up, backing Liv against the wall. Your gaze darkened, you bit your lip as your hand found it's way around her neck.

"Shh.. Gotta keep quiet Captain.." You smirked, you sucked on the skin on her neck, taking it between your teeth.

"Mine" You whimpered against her.

Olivia couldn't lie, she was turned on by your possessiveness, and slightly curious of where it came from. She wasn't complaining though.

"B-baby.. we're a-at work" She reminded you, trying to keep her composure and not submit to you. She didn't want to give up her power but God you felt so good against her.

"Mmm.. don't you want this Liv.." Yiu mumbled against her, your other hand snaked down to her stomach, resting just below her pants.

"We're still at work, we'll have time for this later." Olivia added gently, pulling your face away from her neck.

"Benson! Y/L/N!" A voice exclaimed from the briefing room.

Olivia jumped, pulling away from you. She straightened her shirt and ran a hand through her hair to mess it around a bit so there wasn't as much evidence of what had just happened.

[genevievefangirl]

Gen's Top 100 DBDA Fics - PART 6

For all caveats/rules/backstory, please read the Master Post

Lemonade & Sunrises By: paraph @paraphwrites Rating: M Tags: AU - A Quiet Place, Angst, Fluff, Hurt/Comfort Summary: Set in "The Quiet Place" universe. Edwin and Charles navigate their time through New York City through the first year of the invasion. * No prior lore for either fandom required to enjoy! My Notes: This one is truly a work of art with its prose and story composition. I have never seen The Quiet Place, but damn did this fic make me want to.

Letters addressed to the fire By: zmorak @zmorak Rating: T Tags: AU - WW1, Hurt No Comfort, Diary/Journal, Angst, Slow Burn Summary: Diary excerpts of Lance Corporal Edwin Nicholas Payne (1900-1989), British Foreign Correspondent, Journalist, and Poet, dated between August 15th and November 1st, 1916, Somme. *** You, Charles, may be the best man and the kindest soul I have ever had the luck to meet. I will not delude myself so much as to think that we will see each other in old age, but I do dearly hope that in the years to come, we will meet again; with both of us standing on our own two feet, we'll share a bottle of scotch, and reminisce with grief-ridden fondness about this inferno that brought us together. My Notes: This fic made me cry, and not many fics do that. The day I first recommended this in the server everyone reported back that they cried. It was a very memorable day lol. Really a beautiful piece of work. I love historical fiction and the quality of the prose is truly spectacular.

Loud Bark, Deep Bite By: hyperiion Rating: M Tags: Case Fic, Fluff and Angst, First Kiss, Protective Charles Rowland Summary: Charles didn’t mind being underestimated. When he told people he was the brawn of the detective duo, they usually gave a small, placating smile. Charles would take a hundred of those moments for just one of these: when the demon, ghoul, or witch of the week gave him an appraising glance and found him wanting, only to find that ghost-strength is so much more than appearances. A year after the events in Port Townsend, the Dead Boy (and One Psychic Girl) Detective Agency has fallen into a rhythm with cases. A mage kidnapping ghosts upends their rhythm, and with it, Charles' bottled-up feelings. My Notes: Ghost soup! In this case fic, the crew faces a mage kidnapping ghosts! I particularly like the final confrontation because Charles gets to be all heroic.

Nothing Left to Hide By: RoseGanymede95 @oxbellows Rating: NR Tags: Hell Aftermath, Arachnophobia, Protective Charles Rowland Summary: “You’re-” Charles has to stop before any more words can come through, because another round of sobbing overtakes him, forcefully enough Edwin thinks a living boy might break his ribs like this. “You’re. Scared.” Charles tries again, and the words sound like they’re being punched out of him, each one a broken, jagged thing, “Of. Spiders." Grief crashes down on Edwin like a physical weight. This is about Hell. My Notes: Charles having a breakdown over Edwin's fear of spiders is not something I knew I needed, but it is spectacular.

Of a youth who loves me By: Aliquis @riceinthechurch Rating: T Tags: Friends to Lovers, Codependency, Protective Charles Rowland, First Kiss, Religious Guilt Summary: The boy Charles rescued from Hell, so frail without his waistcoat and ridiculous britches, had been nearly unrecognizable as his best friend. Charles would do anything, compromise any dignity, to make sure Edwin never has to return to the pit. He just has to figure out how. My Notes: Charles loves Edwin so much that he tries to make a deal with a demon to sacrifice himself instead and it is just so in character (and dumb) of him. I love Edwin being super pissed about it too because that is also perfectly in character!

Overloaded By: babyseraphim @babyseraphim Rating: T Tags: Chronic Pain, Hurt/Comfort, Protective Charles Rowland Summary: Before Edwin had been strapped to Esther’s torture table and very rudely used as a magical battery, he had been under the impression that the use of iron was the only way to inflict pain upon ghosts in the mortal realm. However, because he was Edwin Payne and the universe seemed intent on making him pay for his ridiculously on-the-nose surname for all of eternity, those rules apparently did not apply to him. My Notes: Edwin dealing with long term pain after Esther's torture table is not something I had even considered until I read this fic and let me tell you the concept has stuck with me. Especially since (spoilers) the pain doesn't go away. This is something that Edwin has to just deal with. The way that Charles assures Edwin that he isn't a bother and that they will stick together through this is heart warming

Promises & Voids By: NuriaSchnee @nuria-schnee Rating: M Tags: Romance, Angst with a Happy Ending, Hurt/Comfort, Sickfic, Temporary Character Death, Protective Charles Rowland Summary: Edwin gets hit with a "death" curse, which eats his soul away until he disappears completely. With no way to stop it or break it, Edwin spends his last hours with Charles, and makes him promise that he will continue their work in the agency without him. My Notes: You want to cry? Here's a fic for you. It does have a happy ending to make up for it, but DAMN that first chapter broke my heart. Charles holding onto a fading Edwin until he disappears is just HEARTBREAKING!

remind me that i am a fool By: blladnna Rating: G Tags: AU - Canon Divergence, Hurt/Comfort, Angst, Protective Charles Rowland, Hurt Edwin Payne Summary: When Charles saw the boy curled up at the end of the hallway, his first thought was that it couldn’t possibly be his best mate. The figure had none of Edwin’s prim and proper urgency, lacked his drive, his grace. Whoever the boy at the end of the hallway was, his spirit had been truly and thoroughly broken. As he approached, Charles saw that he was wrong—that boy was Edwin, just not any version of him Charles had ever seen. “Please go away, Charles," Edwin said. "You’re being cruel.” or When Edwin goes back to Hell, instead of being torn apart on loop, he suffers through the only pain worse. Watching it happen to Charles. My Notes: I really love fics that make Hell worse and this one fits the bill. Charles trying to convince Edwin that he is *real* this time is just so good.

right. never finished it. By: taableclofh Rating: M Tags: AU - Canon Divergence, Angst with a Happy Ending, Love Confessions, First Kiss, Orpheus and Eurydice Summary: Charles never knew what the ending to Orpheus and Eurydice’s story was. Never bothered to finish it. Never felt the need to, did he? All he knows is that he cannot exist in a world where Edwin is not there beside him. My Notes: Getting out of hell is a lot harder in this fic. Edwin not remembering anything between his different reincarnations after his various deaths leads to some interesting development for Charles as we get to see him change while Edwin stays the same.

The Case of the Broken Orb By: JJ_Queenie Rating: NR Tags: Love Confessions, Inebriated Edwin, Protective Charles Rowland, Dreamsharing, Hurt/Comfort, Drunken Shenanigans, Drunken Confessions Summary: Edwin breaks an orb that shows a person's greatest dream/desire and absorbs its powers, so now whenever someone touches him he sees their greatest dreams. Unfortunately the dream energy is also making him incredibly loopy and he is doing things and spouting out things he never normally would. His friends try to scramble to find a cure while also making sure Edwin doesn't get into too much trouble, soon finding that an inebriated Edwin is a lot harder to contain than they initially expected. My Notes: Usually, I don't go for humorous fics, but this one is HILARIOUS! Edwin without any inhibitions is a sight to behold! But this fic is not only funny, it's really heartfelt <3

[certified-eureka-posts]

About this blog!!

Hi! This is a sideblog for me to dump posts that remind me of Eureka: Investigative Urban Fantasy, an excellent system for tabletop mystery games developed by @anim-ttrpgs. Below the cut is information about Eureka, its creators, myself, and what to expect out of this blog.

What is Eureka?

Eureka: Investigative Urban Fantasy is an indie tabletop roleplaying game by the very talented team at @anim-ttrpgs, focused on providing mechanical support for stories where characters investigate mysteries, as well as allowing for the presence of supernatural phenomena and characters. In my opinion, it is the most elegant, cohesive, and interesting TTRPG system that I have ever read or played in terms of its mechanics, storytelling capabilities, and even its perspectives on society as a whole. This blog is, more or less, "propaganda" convincing people to give the game a shot – I'm not affiliated with its creators in any way other than being acquainted with them through their work and online communities, but I love the game and its community, and I'd love to see it succeed, so I want to share an idea of what it is and why I like it.

What makes Eureka such a great system?

A whole lot! Its systems are deeply elegant, creating a game where players can piece together mysteries alongside their investigators in a grounded world that still leaves space for supernatural intrigue. Combat is swift and strategic, but deadly if you go in without a plan. Investigations can be complex, but even the stickiest of situations don't require railroading to keep players on track. Mundane and supernatural characters alike have access to unique abilities, quirks, and skills that make each character feel distinct in mechanics as much as in flavor. The game interacts with the real world by way of fiction in a way that's refreshing and endlessly fascinating.

Systems like Eureka! moments (which allow investigators to retroactively learn information from a previously failed roll) and the streamlined character creation system allow the game to run smoothly and efficiently without getting overly bogged down, and mechanics like the Composure meter (representing an investigator's energy level and state of mind) and the Success/Partial Success/Failure resolution mechanic create an interesting element of risk where player choices matter a lot.

On top of all that, Eureka includes rules for supernatural characters that beautifully integrate the themes, traits, and abilities of classic folkloric or media monsters, making for intriguing secrets, hard choices, and a lot of variety in the gameplay of different investigators. (Most of this is already true of mundane non-supernatural characters, but it's carried through into the lens of vampires and other monsters very elegantly.)

I'd love to see the tabletop gaming scene as a whole take notes from Eureka's handling of a lot of different problems, and I'm constantly excited to see what their team comes up with next. If you ever want to run a mystery story in a tabletop game (especially if systems like D&D 5e have disappointed you on that front), I would seriously recommend Eureka as the game to use for that purpose, and if you're interested in the hobby at all, I would recommend reading Eureka as a way to get valuable insight into the thought process that goes into game design in the tabletop space.

What can I expect to see on this blog?

This blog is for basically any post I see that makes me think of Eureka. Most of the time, that includes references to the monsters and phenomena referenced in the rules about supernatural characters – posts about vampires, werewolves, witches, and alien shapeshifters, for example, are often right at home here. In particular, posts about these kinds of supernatural beings being normal people and living normal lives tend to remind me of Eureka. Other things that are reminiscent of Eureka include noir and neo-noir aesthetics, which the game owes a lot to, and popular detective media, which is ultimately its core inspiration.

Who runs this blog?

I'm Nora, my main blog is @mc-cookies, and I am just a fan of Eureka. I'm not directly affiliated with the creators (hell, they don't remotely have the budget to make me advertise for them), but they and the rest of the community are super nice people who have a lot of insight about the process of making and playing tabletop games.

Who makes Eureka, and how do I support them?

Eureka is an amazing game, and independent tabletop designers across the board do a ton of work to make art that I enjoy a lot, but unfortunately it's not the most welcoming market to be in. Wizards of the Coast, and by extension Hasbro, has what is effectively a monopoly on the TTRPG hobby in the form of D&D, and it's hard for new creators to break into the space because of that. Eureka is made by ANIM TTRPGs, a very small group of designers taking on a very large project. While they're gearing up for the full release of Eureka and preparing their next projects, any support is helpful to them.

To read Eureka, visit their itch.io page to download a fully playable beta version on a pay-what-you-can basis! Even free downloads can support the game by bumping Eureka on itch's algorithm and getting it recommended to more people.

To support ANIM more, consider subscribing to their Patreon, which will grant you access to more frequent updates of the Eureka beta, as well as concept art, previews of their future projects, and a community discord server.

To give on a one-time basis, use ANIM's ko-fi page to donate to them more directly. Right now they're also taking donations to add custom characters into the rulebook as possible random encounters, and ko-fi is the place to go for that!

If you just want to interact with the team at ANIM and learn more about the work that they're doing, give them a follow here on tumblr at @anim-ttrpgs – their blog has similar content to this one, as well as regularly posting excerpts of the rules, answering people's questions, and discussing the broader tabletop gaming hobby.

And last but certainly not least, ANIM also runs a TTRPG Book Club server on Discord, which is excellent for finding RPGs to read and play and people to read and play them with, and is a great place to interact with other people who are interested in indie TTRPGs (including ANIM's staff and other fans of their work).

What's the deal with your avatar?

That is a "snoop", a stylized human figure serving as the mascot of Eureka! Designed by @theblackwarden, these little guys appear throughout the rulebook to graphically represent various mechanics, and they're very fun designs. This one, in particular, represents the "anime wolfgirl", which is a humanoid form that wolfman (aka "loup-garou" or "Hollywood werewolf") investigators can take, reserving only their ears, tails, and claws.

I have more questions!

My ask box is open! Have fun checking out the other posts around this blog :)

[racheyace]

Mayday

G/t July day 10 – Alien

TW: some swearing, plane crash

Approx 2.3k words

Flying anywhere near Bermuda was never fun, the weather was so often unpredictable and even well-seasoned pilots with meticulous forward planning would still often get caught in the islands fluke storms. Raiden was currently navigating one of those such storms.

He was a solo pilot, and he preferred it that way, always seeing himself as a sort of lone wolf and taking carrier jobs where he could, this trip to Bermuda had been one of those such trips.

A devastating illness had been taking over the island recently and Raiden had been asked if he could deliver some much-needed supplies to the island.

The trip from Miami to Bermuda had been deceptively calm and he’d unloaded his cargo quickly and taken off again just as fast, headed back to Miami. Realistically he would be navigating dead East for most of the trip, skirting the dreaded Bermuda Triangle all together before then heading southeast to Miami.

Raiden himself never believed in the superstitions around the Bermuda Triangle, it’s been said that many pilots and sailors had gone into the triangle, never to return with no trace left behind. Raiden had always put that down to the chaotic weather systems within the triangle and not some supernatural force.

Even still, it was wise to keep away from the Triangle as much as possible.

Unfortunately for Raiden a rogue storm had seemingly come out of nowhere causing his navigation system to go haywire and steering him completely off course.

“Shit!” He flinched as some lightning struck his plane, causing the lights in the cabin to flicker.

Raiden glanced at the radar for the hundredth time, it blinked rather clearly, assuring him that the weather was clear and safe for flight.

“What the actual fuck is going on?” He growled at the radar, a supposedly reliable piece of equipment, capable of detecting storms nearby and navigating around them, not this time so it seemed. The sky had been clear when he’d left Bermuda an hour ago and then in an instant a bitch of a storm had formed around him.

Another bolt of lightning struck his plane this time proving more damaging, looking at the computer in front of him, the fuel tank light was blinking indicating that the lightning had damaged it.

“Mayday Mayday this is Saker 284 requiring immediate assistance!” Raiden shouted through the communication system, normally he’d have gone straight through to the Miami coms tower but he’d expanded the broadcast, hoping someone closer might be able to help.

Nothing but static. And he was losing altitude fast.

Archie’s day had started like any other, picking up his usual Mocha Latte from his favourite little café conveniently located just outside the airport before heading to work.

“Morning Arch, didn’t happen to get me one of those did ya? Nightshifts a fucking killer.” Kelsey groaned.

It was right on six o clock in the morning and time for change over in the air traffic control tower, Kelsey had drawn the short straw this week and had been given three-night shifts in a row. Looking at his coffee he felt a small amount of guilt that he hadn’t even thought of his poor colleague that morning.

“Sorry Kelsey, my mind was drifting this morning, busy night?” He asked, walking over to his computer, setting down his coffee and placing his headset on.

“Not really, though if it had been busier, it might have made the night go quicker, anyway I’ll head off, my bed is calling me!” She flashed him a tired smile before taking off her own headset and getting ready to leave.

“…mayday……mayday……assistance!” Archie’s eyebrows scrunched together in immediate concern, the voice in his headset was broken and full of static, he pressed some buttons to put the frequency on the loudspeakers and waved over the manager. Kelsey had also paused at the door and was watching with concern.

“Where’s the broadcast coming from?” Albert was the day shift manager, a large brooding man and a pain in the ass most of the time but under pressure no one could deny he knew what he was doing.

“I- I don’t know, the coordinates are going haywire it won’t zero in on his location.” Archie said watching his computer screen with interest, there was nothing on the radar currently, the next expected flight in this morning wasn’t due for another hour.

“Ask him his location.” Albert said bluntly.

“This is coms tower 349, please confirm your location.” Archie said calmly, though having Albert breathing down his neck didn’t help much.

“Saker 28… unknown…fuel tank’s gone….mayday” The line was broken and static continued to fill the speakers.

“There!” Archie pointed to the radar, an unknown aircraft had just appeared on it, seemingly out of nowhere, it was large, possibly a jumbo jet and it was only a few miles out and coming in at speed.

“I repeat this is Raiden Kalver aboard Saker 284, fuel tank is down and navigation system fried, requiring immediate assistance!” The voice on the line had become clearer now.

“Raiden, this is Archie Nugent in Coms Tower 349, we see you on our radar, the landing strip is to your left do you see it?” Archie asked urgently, the plane was fast approaching, heading straight for them.

“I see it, it’s too small I’ll miss it.” Raiden’s heart had stopped briefly when someone had responded to his call for help and then out of the fog he could see land below him, the storm had dissipated but now he was facing a whole new set of problems.

He’d lost basically all control of his plane, the left wing was smoking where the fuel had ignited it and he was going down, headed straight for an airport ironically.

“There’s a field directly behind the coms tower, veer to the right and slow down as much as possible, you should be able to make it.” Archie answered nervously.

They could see the plane in the distance now, the rumbling sound of the engine loud, they only had a minute or two and the plane would hit them if Raiden didn’t veer out of the way.

“Ahhhhhh!” Raiden yelled, his hand on the brake and pulling as hard as his sore arms would allow, veering to the right, the plane was turning slowly, and he could see the field beyond.

“BRACE! BRACE!” Albert shouted at the air traffic controllers that were still within the tower.

Archie remained frozen, watching with wide eyes as the huge plane sped toward them, it was veering to the right, and he gasped as the large wing glided over the coms tower missing it by an inch. A loud crash sounded out behind them, and Archie turned to see the plane had slammed into the ground, raining dirt and smoke all around.

“Get a med team down there now!” Albert shouted. “Good work Archie.” He gave him a thump on the back which reminded Archie that he still hadn’t taken in a breath.

Regaining his composure, Archie quickly climbed down the steps of the tower and followed the medical team, jumping onto their buggy without a word, he needed to see that Raiden was okay. That had been a close call for all of them and he imagined if Raiden was unhurt, he would at least be extremely shook up.

They approached the smoking plane and grew wary as it grew bigger and bigger as they got closer to it, Raiden hadn’t mentioned any other souls being on board. What was a plane this size doing here anyway, this wasn’t a major city by any margin, and it was extremely rare to get anything landing here besides a small passenger plane.

The aircraft was mostly mangled and it was hard to make out where the doors or even the cockpit were, they didn’t need to guess for long though.

A door at least fifty feet tall was pushed open roughly with a resounding bang and then a boot the size of a bus crashed down right beside the buggy. The medical team screamed and backed the buggy up only to bump right into a second boot.

“Holy shit.” Archie gasped, he jumped off the buggy and looked upward, a man, no a giant man stood taller than most of the buildings in his town.

Raiden had just crashed, he’d never crashed a plane before, he’d had some close calls in the past, but he’d never actually crashed. The force of the crash sent Raiden’s head slamming into the controls and after shaking the stars out of his eyes he looked around with urgency, the cabin was now filling with smoke, and he coughed as he pulled the handle on the door.

It wouldn’t budge so he threw his body at the door, kicking and punching it until it shifted just enough that he was able to pry it open. The sound of alarms rang from within the aircraft and Raiden quickly stepped out into the unfamiliar landscape.

Where the fields should have been green or brown even, he was surrounded by pale lilac coloured grass, something was not right. A sound came from where he’d placed his feet in the odd dark green dirt and he looked down, eyes widening immediately.

What looked like a toy golf buggy had just bumped into his boot and beside the buggy an impossibly small man stood staring up at him with wide eyes.

Raiden immediately took several steps backward away from the scene at his feet only to trip on the uneven ground and land roughly on his ass. The tremor caused by his fall could be seen as it tossed the small man to the ground and caused the buggy to tip over, more tiny people clambering out as a result.

“Man, I must have hit my head harder than I thought.” Raiden grumbled and put a hand to his still throbbing head.

Just when he was about to pinch himself, Raiden noticed the first little man he’d seen had now picked himself up off the ground and was walking cautiously toward him.

“A-are you Raiden?” The small voice reached his ears and he recognised it immediately as the man who had been on the intercom with him, Archie.

Raiden noticed now that the people weren’t exactly normal either, this little man’s skin was a pale green and his shaggy hair was a deep purple, where on earth had he landed? Was he even still on earth anymore?

“Yes.” Raiden answered, unsure of what else to do, they spoke English, he supposed that was a start, but he didn’t have any clue where he was or if these people could potentially be hostile.

“Are you okay?” Archie asked, stepping closer still, this man was so odd looking, his skin was a sickly cream colour and his hair a dull sort of brown, he’d never seen another person like him before, could he be an alien?

“Uh.” Was all Raiden could say before a loud bang like explosion came from the cockpit, the controls had now caught fire, they needed to get away now before the whole thing blew.

“Shit! It’s gonna blow!” Raiden warned urgently, he stood then ready to run and then remembered the little people wouldn’t be able to run as fast as he could.

“Ah, excuse me.” He said awkwardly as he grasped the small man Archie in a fast and scooped the rest around the buggy into his hands. With no time to marvel that about eight people were currently squashed between his hands, he held them to his chest and ran.

The aircraft finally engulfed by flames signalled it’s destructive end with a huge explosion, Raiden ducked down shielding the small people from the debris as it rained down around him. When the worst appeared to be over, he lowered his hands to the ground in front of him as the small people tumbled none too gently in the emerald soil.

“Sorry, I uh, I didn’t know what else to do.” He explained lamely.

Though the experience had been harrowing for Archie and the small team of medical crew, they were safely on land and largely unharmed save for a few bruises when the giant had squashed them together.

“He nearly killed us!” One of the medical crew shouted.

“He didn’t!” Archie shouted, though standing in the presence of someone so huge made his stomach church and his heart rate skyrocket, he found himself defending the injured pilot.

“In case you haven’t noticed, he crash landed here! He’s injured and despite everything he saved us from the explosion! So why don’t you do your damn job and check him over!” Archie couldn’t believe how authoritarian he sounded just then.

Though the giant was potentially dangerous, he’d done nothing thus far to show he meant any of them any harm. He could have left them there beside his aircraft, he could be an alien sent here to destroy them, but Archie didn’t think so. The mayday call had held real urgency, he didn’t think the giant had come here intentionally, wherever he had come from. He appeared just as shocked and confused as Archie and his colleagues did.

The medical crew stood shocked at Archie’s outburst, none of them moved an inch.

“Well!?” Archie urged, waving toward the giant who’d now laid down on his stomach to observe the small people better, and to be on more equal ground with them.

“It’s okay Archie.” Raiden spoke up then, noting the uneasy looks on the medical crews faces. “I’m not hurt, just a bump on the head really…uh but I do have some questions…” He said carefully.

“You and me both.” Archie laughed.

“I guess the main question is, where am I?”

I suck at endings, maybe because I never want them to end, so cliff hangers are a thing. Don’t worry this idea has been in my head for a loooong time, I have a whole story plotted out for these two but for the sake of G/t July and the theme of the day being ‘Alien’ I felt I owed it to you guys to share a snippet of this now. Hehe, stay tuned for more!

[witsserviceablesubstitute]

Stories are not reality. They use many tools to reflect reality but they are not beholden to the same rules. What's more, they reflect Romance just as readily as they reflect Realism. Stories require a suspension of disbelief. Some willingness to look outside yourself to pick apart meaning. An ability to empathize with experiences not your own so you can better see why and how it was put together the way it was. Stories are ephemeral and intangible, a collective fever dream with meanings that shift depending on the dreamer. They are also deliberately constructed and come with their own concrete intentions, histories, and baggage unique to each culture, genre, and medium the story is told in.

If I had one wish when it comes to critiques of fiction, it's that people come at a story from where it is first and everything else can come later. For example, critiques of YA are going to be different to that of Adult works. Those teenagers are heroes and sexual agents because it's important teenagers be allowed their own coming of age journeys— explorations of sex and sexuality a big part of that period of self discovery for many. (That doesn't mean sex has to be a PSA either, it can be raw and awkward and weird and uninhabited). E.g. No, that immortal/older supernatural being falling for our teen hero isn't a predator (well... there are layers). What they are is a extremely common teen power fantasy. (However, if you did want to read a YA series that deconstructs that particular trope and explores how horrific such a dynamic would be, I'd recommend 'The Fever King' and 'The Electric Heir' by Victoria Lee. Brilliant and harrowing books).

Okay, so, anyway. I've been watching a very good YA show called Dead Boy Detectives. (I have a feeling the people following me are reading those words with exasperation, "No shit"). It's fun spooky hijinks but it's also a beautiful piece of cinematic storytelling that uses a variety of mixed mediums to get its points across. It makes this queer nerds heart happy and deserves more space to tell the story it wants to tell and subvert the tropes it wants to subvert. However, in case it doesn't get that space, I wanted to recommend two queer book series that fans of the show may want to look into. The 'Whyborne & Griffin' series by Jordan L. Hawk (each book gets better and better, and also, the actor that plays Edwin would make an excellent Whyborne) and 'The Last Binding' series by Freya Marske.

[neallo]

Do you think Near would be as obsessed as becoming L if Mello didn't die?

I mean, in a way Near does this because 1) that's what he was raised for and 2) he knows he needs Mello so they together can be at the same level or surpass L, so without Mello he's literally just a half

EXCELLENT question. my general answer is "no, but." and the "but" part of this is going to get longish. bear with me.

okay, so. would Near be as obsessed with being L if Mello lived? no, but i still tend to think that he would work as L following the Kira case, because it's what he's been trained to do & the mold he's been poured into. finding a way to change his shape is possible, imo, but it would require some substantial effort, and i think Near would not undergo that effort immediately following the Kira case. he's tired, for one, and he's been working as a detective now for... what, about 5 years? and being L (aka being someone Important) is the way he has been able to access the support that he needs to live his life comfortably. it's what he's good at. becoming L is the path of least resistance for him.

let's assume in this case that Mello declines to work with Near for whatever reason, because i think things are fundamentally very different if they work together. and, actually, things are fundamentally different if Mello sticks around in Near's life in a significant way. i'll admit that my brain is still sort of steeped in bury us both, which explores Near and Mello having been in a seven-year situationship where Mello refuses to stick around for more than a night at a time & only sees Near on a monthly basis. this is basically "conditions engineered in a lab to make Near insane."

in my mind, Near would only really become deeply entrenched in the role of L if Mello weren't around enough to help Near feel like a person outside of his role (i.e. being dead OR being Not Present Consistently, a la bury us both). in a situation where Near feels valued / loved by Mello outside his role, i think he would eventually decide to step down as L / retire (though imo it would still take him some time to get to this point -- path of least resistance, expectations, sense of duty, etc. i actually briefly mention this in love enough to drown it out). i'm also only referring to, like, my own interpretation of Near, and i for sure could be sold on him still being very entangled in the title despite Mello's presence if another author wrote it.

i actually have like. quite a bit more to say about this, but a lot of it is stuff i've already expressed in fanfic snippets i'll have to dig up, and i have to go eat lunch and work on some tasks now, so i'm putting a pin in this. i'll make a post with a bit more detail / snippets from the pieces i just mentioned later today & tag you :-)

[himluv]

DA Review Series: Tevinter Nights

<<< Previous Review: Absolution

I've read this anthology once before, and I'm happy to say it holds up beautifully on a re-read. Since this features multiple stories, I'm going to review the whole work, and then do little reviews of each individual tale.

Title: Tevinter Nights Editors: Chris Bain, Trick Weekes, Matthew Goldman, and Christopher Morgan Year Published: 2020 In-World Year: ~9:45+ Verdict: Required reading. This is a fantastic look at the state of Thedas after Trespasser, as well as an introduction to a few of our companions and factions in Veilguard. If you only consume one piece of tie-in content leading up to release day, make it this one.

Tevinter Nights is a collection of short stories all set after the fall of Ventus. We meet Strife and Irelin, Evka Ivo and Antoine, Lucanis and Illario Dellamorte, Andarateia Cantori and Viago de Riva, Emmrich and Manfred, and Neve Gallus, among others. We also see all of our factions — Inquisition, Lords of Fortune, Veil Jumpers, Shadow Dragons, Antivan Crows, the Mourn Watch, and the Grey Wardens. This book really feels like a primer for the next game and is a ton of fun. I enjoyed my second reading as much as the first!

1. Title: Three Trees to Midnight Author: Trick Weekes Verdict: Set in the aftermath of the invasion of Ventus, this story feels like the perfect jumping off point. It picks up from the comics and introduces us to the Veil Jumpers and Arlathan Forest — a very exciting first story for longtime fans.

2. Title: Down Among the Dead Men Author: Sylvia Feketekuty Verdict: Undead murder mystery, what's not to love? Plus, we meet Emmrich and Manfred and it's absolutely adorable. And, I'll be honest, I'd do anything for Audric. This story makes the Mourn Watch seem pretty darn cool.

3. Title: The Horror of Hormak Author: John Epler Verdict: Absolute nightmare fuel. If you're worried that Veilguard isn't going to be dark enough... Read this story. A pair of Wardens are investigating a missing unit, and discover a very messed up underground lab of some sort. This story very much gave that same creeping dread as meeting the Broodmother in DAO. And if I have one fear for Veilguard, it's a Broodmother in 4k.

4. Title: Callback Author: Lukas Kristjanson Verdict: Heartbreaking. But also a really moving farewell to Skyhold. I love this story even though it kills me. In fact, I loved it enough to write some fanfic revolving around it! That's how good it is.

5. Title: Luck in the Gardens Author: Sylvia Feketekuty Verdict: This story introduces us to the Lords of Fortune faction. Hollix takes a job from none other than Dorian Pavus (and we see him with Mae!!!) to find out what's been hunting people in the docks. And it's uhhhh not anything you might expect. We see more evidence of gross, tentacled, briny-blooded monsters lurking underground. Again, things are getting real messed up in Thedas y'all.

6. Title: Hunger Author: Brianne Battye Verdict: In another throwback to Origins, werewolves are back babeyyy! This time a pair of Wardens (Evka Ivo and Antoine) are on their way back to Weisshaupt when they come across a cursed village. The pair decide to lend a hand and quickly realize they might have taken on more than they bargained for...

7. Title: Murder by Death Mages Author: Caitlin Sullivan Kelly Verdict: More Mortalitasi in this one. We get a peek at Nevarran politics, a brief glimpse of Cassandra, and more insight into the Mortalitasi. I will say, this is probably my least favorite story in the collection. While it showed Inquisition agent Sidony's power, it didn't really come together for me plot-wise.

8. Title: Streets of Minrathous Author: Brianne Battye Verdict: Helloooo Neve Gallus! This is an utterly stunning introduction to our private detective companion. A great noir-style tale that confirms that the Venatori are very much still a problem in Tevinter.

9. Title: The Wigmaker Job Author: Courtney Woods Verdict: Oh man. This is one of my favorite stories. There's just so much to love here! Lucanis and Illario are great together (I fell in love with Lucanis here and have rooted for him to be a companion since I first read it). The action sequences are great, and again, some real nasty, dark things are happening in Thedas.

10. Title: Genitivi Dies in the End Author: Lukas Kristjanson Verdict: This story is So. Much. Fun! It's also a pretty deep cut for fans, featuring Brother Ferdinand Genitivi (from DAO) and Philliam, a Bard!, as well as a few references to the Randy Dowager. All figures you'll only know if you are a lore hound in Inquisition. We also meet another Lord of Fortune and get a fun romp into elven ruins. What's not to love?

11. Title: Herold Had the Plan Author: Ryan Cormier Verdict: More Lords of Fortune, this time stealing an artifact from the Grand Tourney in Starkhaven. We also see Vaea and Ser Aaron at the end, which was a nice little treat. I will say though, this one had me a bit misty-eyed by the end. I usually want to see more of characters I love, but I hope Bharv retires to his farm and never treasure hunts again. Man has earned it.

12. Title: An Old Crow's Old Tricks Author: Arone Le Bray Verdict: After a troop of Tevinter soldiers attack a Dalish clan to make way for their camp, the Dalish seek revenge. That vengeance comes in the from of an old woman named Lessef. Watching her decimate the soldiers was gruesome good fun, and I cheered each time she said "Lessef of the Antivan Crows has fulfilled the contract."

13. Title: Eight Little Talons Author: Courtney Woods Verdict: This is the longest of the stories (I'd probably consider it a novelette) and it is maybe my favorite. I love a good whodunnit, and this one has a remote lake house, Antivan Crows, murders that replicate historically famous assassinations, AND sexual tension through the roof! We are formally introduced to Andarateia Cantori and Viago de Riva in this story, though we can infer from the text that they are the unnamed Crows we met in the comic Deception. I love them and NEED them to kiss on screen on Veilguard, okay?????

14. Title: Half Up Front Author: John Epler Verdict: It's hard to follow up Teia and Viago, but this little heist story is good fun. We see Gatt, and go to Kont-Arr! We also learn that the Agents of Fen'Harel are uhhhh real intense, Solas is after yet another artifact, and his feud with the Qunari is alive and well. We also learn that Dorian hired the narrator of this story to steal something from the Archon(?!) and at the end Gatt suggests the narrator and her girlfriend Irian head to Kirkwall to meet Varric. So, I guess we'll see if they show up in Veilguard?

15. Title: The Dread Wolf Take You Author: Trick Weekes Verdict: Look. As a Solavellan, I was never going to be normal about this story. I remember screaming (and crying) the first time I read it. It's a really interesting look at some different groups around Thedas, including the Carta, the Mortalitasi, and the Executors. We get to see Charter again, and she mentions Tessa! But the real gem here is that Solas himself shows up, and he somehow manages to break my heart all over again all while leaving me we more questions than answers. What an absolute banger of an ending for this anthology!

[merryfortune]

Approach with Caution

August 18th: Free Day 

Title: Approach with Caution

Ship: Nail/Romin

Series: Yu-Gi-Oh! Sevens

Rating: T

Word Count: 1,270

Tags: Fluff, Confessions, Feelings Realisation, Ambiguous Ending

   As baffling and nonsensical as it was, Nail was of that certain age where he was thinking about the opposite sex. With much regret, of course. He had been so focused, so dedicated but now, he was scribbling love-hearts and names in his notebooks.

   Reflecting upon his life thus far, Nail had always been so lonely, so isolated, and he did not mind that one bit. He had more than enough with his toys, his hobbies, he didn’t need anyone else except for me, myself, and I. He had turned it into a point of pride. He was a human boy who was a machine who was a human boy. So for that facade to crack and for him to accept friendship into his once lonesome life, it was scary to transition from one identity to the next. 

   For that to evolve into fascination with girls, oh, Nail was humiliated. It was embarrassing, there was no other way to describe it. He, of all people, was reduced to a loverboy because of one Kirishima Romin.

   She was fierce and sassy, driven and determined, full of quirks and could prove to be quite unpredictable.

   She was everything that Nail disliked about humanity. The way they malfunctioned and caused dysfunction or mayhem. Romin was hot and cold based on her mood and her mood was based on what she had or hadn’t eaten recently. She got into hijinks all the same as their other friends and was never afraid to spearhead it either. That entropy was discordant like the metal music that she played and Nail disliked it heavily, or so he thought.

   After all, Romin was much more than her faults, varied and eclectic as they were.

   Romin embodied much of its beauty, too. Nail would concede that much, and perhaps even with a small smile on his face due to his crush. She was a well-decorated musician and for good reason, her understanding of the art was nothing less than prodigal given her age. RoaRomin’s music, for quite some time, had been just noise to Nail, bits and pieces that he could unpick like mathematics but ultimately not to his taste.

   Not anymore.

   Now he was scrying the lyrics for hidden meanings. He was linking together the themes and motifs to the instrumentals, keenly aware of Romin’s hand in the mix. Whether she was providing ideas, lyrics, or just her guitar work, it had Nail scrambling like a treasure hunter through the boundless interpretations of music. He felt insane as he made the switch from disinterest to utter obsession.

   All because he pined, he yearned, he… crushed on Kirishima Romin.

   Their interactions were few and far between, often fleeting. Nail was out of school and she still had to play by the bell. But when their paths did bisect, Nail was always amused. A little happier than he might have otherwise been. Seatbastian detected a difference in demeanour but never said anything - thank goodness. Maybe it was because human interaction was good for him, maybe not.

   The crew that Romin belonged to was a cantankerous and often bizarre bunch but hey, he was a part of it too and he was both those things as well. It felt good to belong. To have people he cared about. To have new interests opened up to him.

   He wouldn’t have thought of that alone.

   He would have stared at the walls, at the blank space and knew there was something missing. A puzzle piece that would be required to fill that slot. Unlike with Rush Duels and the Maximum Summon, the glaring obviousness was not apparent to Nail this time.

   How should he approach feelings as frantic as young love?

   Especially when his gratitude ought to begin at friendship, with Yuga, not just Romin but Luke and Gakuto also. Even Roa. They all became quite the ensemble together. Yuga opened that blank space and now, it appeared, music decorated much the same as vibrations decorated sound and paintings decorated space. 

   But the question still remained and the answer eluded him.

   Should Nail be forward? Should his words be heavy as weights and just as blunt: I like you? Or should he take inspiration from the more sleek poets before him. Mathematics and computer sciences were far different a language to that of conveying feelings and poetry. So, perhaps Nail ought to relay to Romin that the moon was beautiful tonight. Though it was daytime when he was scheduled to see her next so that wouldn’t work.

   Not to mention… From his observations… Nail had concluded that Romin was a hard-headed girl. He would have to look into her schooling records more closely to deduce if she knew what a metaphor was or that their usage could be applied outside of music. It genuinely seemed heads or tails for Nail…

   What would make for the best song? That weighed on Nail’s mind, too. They were both creatives but their spirits did not appear kindred when it came to their pursuits. Nail could code all sorts of things in honour of Romin, he could recreate her portrait using HTML as his ink and paintbrush, the rich text editor his canvas but what of her? She needed more than him and his words might just become the head-line lyrics of her next album if he wasn’t careful. He would also appreciate if said lyrics were flattering rather than slandering so that added yet another layer to all the considerations that Nail had to be mindful of.

   With so much to take into account, at the end of all his thought, it was not a true answer which Nail came to as he pondered each word for clarity to carry his feelings but it was an answer. If he wanted to let Romin know he felt, he ought to approach with caution. What if she didn’t feel the same way? What if she did? Either result terrified Nail as he couldn’t predict her outcomes the way he could predict the outcomes of RNG in a Master Duel.

   Either way, the day in which they would cross paths came about before Nail could perfect his speech. His resolve was hardened as he sweated in the sun, arriving earlier than anyone else just so he could hazard some one-one-one time with Romin.

   She waited in the park, in the shade of the tree but the leftward slant of a sunbeam illuminated her regardless. She looked as rock and roll as ever, with tinsel town hair of magenta and greeted him, turning around and her skirt fluttered around the bulk of her ever present guitar case.

   “Hey, what’s up?” Romin asked, she batted her eyelashes at him as she greeted him, her hand thrown up in a casual hello.

   Nail could feel his knees knock and his tongue tie. He had never felt this way before. She was just a tween age girl, there was no reason for Nail to feel as though he were staring down the jaws of a tiger and yet, as friendly as Romin was, he felt as though he were in mortal danger as he heeded his previous revelations. He really ought to approach with caution. Enunciate clearly, be on guard, and allowed for whatever happens, to happen.

   “Yes. Good.” Nail replied. “If you could spare a moment of your time, however, I have something I want to ask you.” His teeth chattered.

   “Yeah, sure, now’s a good time, what do you need?” 

   Nail took a breath and he let his preparations meet his hormones and together, they took over his mouth in confession.

[gattnk]

About accessories and their secondary functions in Animation and Character Design

Well that title makes it sound way grander than it is, haha! I've no idea how this thing will go since I don't really have experience writing essays in english, but I'll do my best to give it some semblance of order. Shoutout to @haloheadhater who brought the topic out of me and showed interest in my sharing further!

Here's the TL:DR. Characters often wear accessories to complement their outfits, and these items don't just function as a visual representation of their personalities and interests (like real people); they also may have a "mechanical" function, so to speak. This function is much more secondary to visual storytelling, but sometimes designers will strategically place accessories on a character to facilitate their jobs on the long run. It is often a "two birds, one stone" situation, really.

Here's how that works in more detail.

Disguising Joints

Humans have joints all over their bodies, that's fact. It's what allows us to move and bend like we do. When designing toys, we try to imitate just that: articulated dolls, mannequins, marionettes, figurines and puppets have hinges and ball joints so they can be posed more realistically. A sign of care and quality in manufacturing all these is how well these joints are disguised, so they look as "organic" as possible. Screws and hinges get covered up as seamlessly as possible, so these puppets may resemble people more accurately: obvious, open and visible joints quickly break the immersion (and often places them in the uncanny valley). Compare these high-quality doll hands to your basic wooden posable hand models. Notice how the doll hands do their very best to imitate the natural curves of human hands and how the knuckles cover the joints as much as possible even when they're bent. Meanwhile, the joints in the wooden model hands are plainly visible, and the shapes are very stiff-looking, so they don't feel as human.

Animation is no different! A good animated character manages to suspend disbelief: for however long the character moves on screen, the audience has to feel like this character is alive and real enough to relate to them and their story. Human brains are really good at detecting when something moves wrong, so the more "natural" your character is, the easier it'll be to keep up with them. In puppet animation (often called flash animation thanks to Adobe Flash, now Adobe Animate, popularizing the method), characters are made of cuts, individual pieces held together by joints, much like traditional paper shadow puppets.

Animators and character designers often place accessories to cover up these cuts between joints, so when the character moves there's less risk of seeing them. My favorite example is vambraces, wristbands, watches and bracelets! Notice how uncommon it is to find a character with naked wrists? Well now you know half a reason! As the years go by and animation softwares improve, there's less need for this trick, or rather, it is often less obvious.

Disguising Texture Seams

Now see, 3D models look gray by default: you have to paint them over, like one of those tabletop figurines, for them to look pretty and presentable. This painting process results in a 2D image (called texture map) that has to be projected onto the 3D model. There is a variety of other maps that control different things, like how the model's surface reflects light (specular and diffuse maps) or if it's a porous, creviced or bumpy surface (bump, normal and/or displacement maps), but let's just focus on the texture map this time.

The process of projecting a 2D map onto a 3D model is called UV Mapping, and it looks similar to sewing patterns. There's plenty of methods to hide the seams in maps, but computers can be a bit unpredictable, and all 3D renders require touch-ups and a post-production process (especially light and reflectiveness). Sometimes though, covering seams with accessories is frankly easier, so CGI artists always keep clothes and items in mind when UV mapping, as well as the natural folds and crevices in the character's model.

Here's a good example of what I mean (by Thora Tong). This 3D model's UV seams, highlighted in white, were placed in a way that they'd be easily covered by clothes and accessories. Notice the seams on the wrists and ankles, and how the other seams around the body are very similar to the ones you'd see on actual pieces of clothing.

Volume and Foreshortening Guidelines

Drawing perspective is hard as it is, but organic shapes are particularly complicated. Accessories can help disguise certain perspective errors, or help convey the volumes and shapes of the body much more clearly. They are especially useful as guidelines for foreshortening.

Anything you append to a character is a useful marker for later. The way these items bend alongside the body thanks to perspective is a useful visual key for later. If you're not sure how an arm will look from a certain angle, maybe imagining a bracelet on that same angle would be easier! The bracelets I drew over the naked arm serve the same purpose as the guidelines you see in the image above. This is especially useful for drawings with little to no shading, where conveying the volumes of muscles presents a challenge.

Bonus - Body Lines

When a human fetus is forming, its cells grow in a particular pattern; these patterns that the body cells follow determine the flow of muscles, nerves, and even how the skin folds or how pigmentation distributes itself. There's a variety of body lines, though the most known and studied (as far as I'm aware) are Blaschko's, Kraissl's and Langer's lines. Langer's lines are particularly interesting: they're also known as skin tension lines or cleavage lines, because they indicate the best place for medical incisions on the skin, especially in the forensic field. There's many different models but here's a good example illustrating them.

Placing accessories following Langer's lines can be really aesthetically pleasing. Since tension lines follow along muscle mass and fat, they also indicate how the skin warps and folds around them. Knowing tension lines is especially useful in terms of studying how the body creases when bending around (and subsequently, clothes too!), so discretely marking them out with accessories can be useful on the long run.

Japanese animation is especially guilty of using Langer's lines on skin-tight scifi suits. They're simply incredibly useful as design and anatomic guidelines, and they look so good, they easily survive the test of time!

Conclusion

Character design often involves following rules of practicality that viewers seldom notice. This is perfectly fine because they're not really meant to be noticed by anyone, except members of the team of course. Design of any kind should be done under the premise of aesthetics and function working together, and not against/in spite of each other, so it is no wonder that animators and character designers put some thought into meeting both when adding a little "spice" to their designs. Anything and everything you can do as a character designer or animator to facilitate your work on the long run, or that of your team mates, is welcome. Covering seams and joints makes it easier for the guys in postproduction, as they have one less thing to look out for, for example. The animation industry is built on the backs of (often) exploited employees that sacrificed a lot of their time and resources into doing what they love most: deceiving the human eye and brain into believing for just a little bit that what they made is real. Truly wonderful! So next time you're working on a character, try to think about the functionality of what you're including into them. Test your imagination, and see what comes out of your mindful placement of accessories with secondary functions.

[mephinomaly]

[TL] PYSCHOBREAK/Chapter 6

[ This post uses Ois~su ♪ ]

Time: That day at night

Location: In a training room in ES

Rei: Wanko~♪ Do you want the ball~?

Go fetch~ ☆

Koga 2: Ruff ruuuffffff ☆

Adonis 2: …(Fidgeting around like he wants to play too.)

Rei: Kukuku. He looks human but in reality he’s a newborn baby, such an adorable thing ♪

Kaoru: You get on surprisingly well with the fakes which is pretty good.

—But is that really a good thing, Rei-kun?

Rei: Okay, it’s Adonis-kun's turn now ♪ Why don’t you try to catch this piece of string? You can build up physical strength whilst having fun, isn’t that the best?

Adonis 2: ...♪

Kaoru: I’m happy you’re getting on but hey, are you listening? Can you not ignore me please?

Rei: Of course of course. I will never again allow my gaze to be ripped away from my beloved children who adore me.

Kaoru: Who adores who, did you say?

Rei: —I’ve been thinking.

Kaoru: Hm?

Rei: No matter how much I desire it, I can never be an omnipotent, benevolent god. I suppose that’s clear as I could not predict this situation unfolding.

However, I am slightly older than you all, and it is not as if I spent all my time overseas playing around.

I’m just a tiny bit more experienced onii-chan than you all.

Kaoru: What are you trying to say? You just want to brag about being older? Or do you hate being seen as an old hag?[1] Is this a type of power harassment?

Rei: Kukuku. It’s weird for me not to, Kaoru-kun. Well, there’s nothing I can do in this situation.

We must keep our minds as tranquil as a mountain peak. If our juniors see us seniors fumble, it will create anxiety for them.

Kaoru: Uhuh. Being a senpai is hard work.

So? What are you thinking about?

Rei: Umu. I have no evidence regarding this, all I can do is make guesses on the sequence of events that brought us into this and why it even began to start with.

I have an overall understanding of this situation.

In other words, we now know the truth behind this mysterious set of circumstances.

Kaoru: Wa～, well done! You’re an amazing detective ♪

Rei: Kaoru-kun could have guessed it as well. You are the son of a wise scholar after all.

However, you are a pragmatic child. This case is a bit of an anomaly, and contains unrealistic aspects.

Kaoru: Unrealistic, hm… Ah, I guess that describes it well.

Rei: Umu. Now the question is; how do we escape this situation?

You will understand this analogy, but we are in a locked room. There is only one exit and entrance, and a specific key is required to open them.

However, the key is hidden amongst an endless amount of objects scattered around said room.

Kaoru: It’s like a super difficult ‘escape the room’ game.

Rei: There aren’t any hints though. Unfortunately, there is not enough time to carefully examine each and every item in the room in order to find the key.

We must somehow escape, before the reality we live in warps and breaks down.

Kaoru: Since it’s you, I’m sure you’ve come up with a way to get us out of here. I say that half jokingly ♪

Rei: Umu. I must respond if someone asks something of me, as superstar Rei Sakuma-senpai.

—There is one thing I want to do.

However, it is a dangerous gamble. I am concerned that there may be burdens on the mind and body, primarily on the brain.

Kaoru: Don’t you dare say something all stand-offish like “so that's why I’ll handle it by myself.” If UNDEAD has a problem, then it’s all of our problem. We should share that burden together.

Rei: Kukuku. That’s something old Kaoru-kun would never have said. Now we have been reminded of our past selves, those words deeply move me.

Kaoru: Don’t make fun of me. So, what’s this thing you want to do?

What should we do to get out of this weird situation?

Rei: We need to dream.

When I investigated the AIIE experiment facilities the other day, I happened upon the machines we were connected to, the manuals on how to operate them, and the drugs we were prescribed.

As one could expect, the manuals contained a lot of technical lingo, but with help from a family member who is good at those sorts of things, I was able to come to grips with how it works.

Therefore, if we desire so, we can dream of those days once again.

Visit the memories of when Deadmanz disappeared, and us, UNDEAD, arose.

I suspect our answers will be there.

Kaoru: It’s embarrassing to see me back then being so uptight, but if there’s nothing else we can do, I suppose I can comply.

Rei: Kaoru-kun is still an inexperienced cute boy, hm? I am but a lump of shame.

You may be ashamed of your past self now, but in ten years you may feel the same about your current self.

Let’s do everything in our power now so we do not regret anything in the future.

Will you help me, Kaoru-kun?

Kaoru: Of course I will. I’ve said this a lot already, but this is all of our problem.

Rei: Wonderful… This is also just a guess, but I believe I am the cause behind everything.

Seeds from the past left unwatered grow out of spite. I must reap what I sow, before they can grow anymore.

So this doesn’t happen again. So that I don’t lose anyone again.

[ ☆ ]

Kaoru says 年齢マウント. Not sure if we have a word like that in english but it’s when the eldest of a group of girls (whether idols or just friendship groups) is seen as an old woman despite only being slightly older than the others

Chapter 5

Chapter 7

[deanwanddamons]

Undercover - Chapter Two

Summary: Homicide Detective Dean Winchester and Detective Y/F/N Y/L/N go undercover to solve a spate of murders. 

Universe: Detective AU

Pairing: None (yet) 

Chapter Word Count: 2K

Warnings: Dark subject matter. Angst. Description of a panic attack.

A/N 1: As always thank you to my beta @winchest09, who helped me with the idea for this story. You are my cheerleader, my bestie and my constant support. I love you.

A/N 2: As you may or may not know, I haven’t written anything in an absolute age. I have been struggling with writer's block and life has simply got in the way. But…I started this series a long time ago and a few chapters were just sitting in my docs. So I thought I would post the prologue in the hope that you guys enjoy it, want to read more and it may give me the inspiration to continue with it. I’m happy to say, most of you seemed to enjoy it so here is Chapter Two. Please let me know what you think - comment and reblog if possible ❤️ Tag list is open if you wish to be added.

Undercover Masterlist

My Masterlist

Flashback 

Dean and Benny entered the abandoned warehouse, their Glock 19’s drawn, the flashlights that were tucked up beside the muzzle providing only a small amount of illumination through the dense shadows. Shards of moonlight peaked weakly through the empty windows which were devoid of panes, but it was not bright enough to be of any use. 

They attempted to keep their footsteps light as they desperately needed to be stealthy to avoid detection. However, it was proving increasingly difficult to avoid the debris that were strewn across the floor. Aiming his flashlight at the ground, Dean could see clumps of tinfoil and a few spoons at his feet, signs that this place had been used as a drug den at some point. As he stepped forward, hypodermic needles snapped under his heavy boots, his weight crushing them to tiny pieces. Each sound was like a thunderclap in the silence. 

A gloomy corridor stretched out before them as they rounded a corner. The arc of Dean’s torch revealed a door on either side, around ten feet from where they stood, only one of the entrances accessible. Benny was behind Dean, close on his heels. The Cajun tapped him on the shoulder and gestured to the taller man that he was heading over to the right, then using only hand signals, managed to portray his idea that they should take a room each. As they glanced at each other, their faces were bathed in darkness. By now, their eyes had grown accustomed enough to their surroundings and by the weak light the moon was providing, they were able to just make out each other’s features. They had worked together for so long there was an almost psychic bond between them and no words were required. Dean nodded in agreement, understanding exactly what Benny was explaining. 

Dean pressed his back to the grimy wall behind him, his heels pushed against the broken skirting boards.  As Benny silently tiptoed to the opposite wall, he motioned with his hand that he was heading down the hall to the right hand door and his partner should take the left. Dean saluted, the gesture a unique action between them. Benny always knew this meant that he was in agreement when they could not speak. 

In unison, they began to move slowly, each step they took calculated and deliberate, almost as if it had been choreographed beforehand. 

As they reached their separate destinations, their eyes met briefly across the corridor. It was time. 

Dean stepped into the room alone, his Glock following the beam of his flashlight that cut through the dark like a knife, searching the corners. It was empty, except for some upended filing cabinets, their draws standing open, stained paperwork from the business that previously operated from the premises spilling out of them like discarded trash. 

Benny stopped in front of the door of the opposite room, and tried the knob. It was locked. Lifting his foot, he kicked the door open, the flimsy mechanism of the lock shattering under his heavy boot. He knelt, pointing his gun into the black space. It was empty. 

Benny cursed under his breath. He had expected to find the target, but instead he found himself facing an empty, dark room. He flicked on his flashlight and swept it around the room, looking for any sign of the person he was after. But there was nothing.

Feeling frustrated, Benny stepped into the room and closed the door behind him. He scanned the walls, looking for any hidden doors or compartments. He checked under the bed, in the closet, and behind the curtains. But there was no one there.

Benny frowned. He couldn't believe that they had been led on a wild goose chase like this. He and Dean had followed every lead and tip they could find, but it seemed that their target was always one step ahead of them.

As Benny turned to leave, something caught his eye. It was a small piece of paper, tucked between the pages of a book on the nightstand. He picked it up and read the words scrawled on it in pencil.

"Nice try, boys. Better luck next time."

Benny crumpled the note in his fist, feeling angry and defeated. Whoever the message was from, they were mocking them. Benny knew that he couldn't give up, though. They had to keep searching for their target, no matter how long it took.

Outside the room, Dean suddenly flinched at the cacophony of sounds that reverberated around the seemingly abandoned warehouse.  Moving forward, he headed towards the broken furniture, when Benny’s loud, desperate shout echoed through the building. 

Run! 

Benny was in trouble. The green-eyed detective instinctively went to move forward, before pausing, remembering the conversation the partners had had when they were originally given their assignment. 

“Whatever happens, we must not blow our cover. We need to bring these scumbags in and get them off the streets, no matter what happens. If either one of us gets hurt or is captured, the other must run. We can not afford to jeopardise this investigation.” 

They had shaken hands on this and clinked their beer bottles together. Benny would never forgive him if he stormed into the room to rescue him. And he had screamed out for Dean to run. 

What should he do? 

“So, Jon,” Donna said, turning her body towards him, “What brings you here?”

“Fancied a change of pace I guess,” Dean responded, the blondes words forcing him out of his reverie. He had rehearsed the cover story that had been concocted between him and Rufus. It was inevitable that people would ask. “Lawrence was very quiet, so I asked for a transfer to the big city.”

“Ahh, you’re from Lawrence? Were you involved in the Order of Repentance case?” She asked brightly. 

“Vaguely,” Dean lied, forcing himself to answer. The single word came out strained and broken. He was slowly getting used to the untruths, but it didn’t sit right with him. He hated deceiving people, even though this was something he would have to do many more times, he had no doubt. He knew he needed to be more convincing if he was going to keep up the charade. 

“I wasn’t heavily involved, but I was obviously aware of it,” he continued, clearing his throat, sitting up straighter in his chair, taking another sip of the liquid that claimed to be coffee. 

“Crazy business. Who would have thought a peaceful community could be capable of such things. And I heard that the leader, Michael wasn’t it, disappeared into the breeze?” Donna went on, completely unaware of the adrenaline that was flowing through Dean’s body. 

“He did,” Dean answered. His eyes darted around the room, desperately searching for an excuse to end this conversation, the feeling of unease crawling over his skin. His heart was beating so hard against his rib cage, he thought it would burst out of his chest. He couldn’t sit here any longer. He pushed his chair back, the sound of the legs scraping along the floor loud in his ears. 

“Could you show me where the restroom is please?” He suddenly announced. He could feel the rumbling of a panic attack beginning to manifest, and he had to get out of this room. Strong fingers of dread began to press down on his skull and his heart was thumping so hard he could feel it pounding in his chest. He hadn’t admitted to anyone that he suffered from them, not even Sam, so he certainly didn't want to have a full blown melt down in front of his new colleagues. 

“Sure!” Donna said, an expression of concern crossing her face when she noticed how pale Dean had gone. “Down the hall, on the right. Are you okay?” 

“Yes, fine. Just need a minute,” he explained, getting up from the chair on shaking legs. He forced himself to move confidently across the room, even though he wished he could sprint from the oppressive atmosphere that had begun to weigh down on his shoulders. His vision had started to blur, shards of light punctuating his sight with each thump of his pulse. He needed to concentrate on an action, so focused on removing his jacket as he walked, dropping it down onto the nearest chair. Donna watched him as he did, her curiosity of the handsome newcomer piqued. 

Dean was sweating, his palms clammy and breath coming in short bursts as he made his way down the corridor. He thought of the steps he had read on the internet which supposedly help ward off an attack; 

Things I can see - A large pot plant in front of me that needs watering. 

Things I can touch - The wall

Things I can hear - Phones ringing in the distance 

Things I can smell - There is a smell of fried onions in the air. Someone is having a hot dog for lunch. 

Things I can taste - My own saliva. The smell of onions is making my stomach churn even more. 

His gaze finally fell upon the men’s room door. Relief flooded through him as pushed it open. The force he used was so strong, it slammed against the wall behind it, bouncing back towards him. Pushing at it again, he practically fell into the bathroom, barrelling straight into a hard body who was washing his hands. 

“Woah, take it easy,” a soft voice warned him. Dean ignored the man, and stumbled towards a cubicle as bile burned his throat. 

He hadn't even had time to shut the door to the stall, before he had fallen heavily to his knees. He had just reached the pan, when he brought up the brown liquid from the vending machine which was the only contents in his stomach. As he retched, he could vaguely hear a voice asking him if he was okay. 

Having been shoved out of the way by the whirlwind that was Dean, Detective Novak had originally been annoyed by being dismissed by the man who had rudley pushed past him, but now he felt concerned for the figure hunched over the toilet bowl. 

“Are you okay there, buddy?” he asked, not wanting to intrude on what was a personal moment, but not wanting to ignore the stranger either. 

Dean raised a hand in acknowledgment. He didn’t wish to be rude, but he wasn’t in any state to actually respond at that moment. He had finally managed to curb the heaving, and his stomach had settled slightly, but he still felt queasy and light headed. He rested his forehead against the cool porcelain, preparing himself to stand up. 

“Yes, thank you,” he managed to say, using the walls of the cubicle to steady himself as he rose to his feet. He felt weak and breathless, his pulse pounding in his head as he attempted to fill his lungs with much needed oxygen. He had managed to avoid a full on panic attack, but only just. 

Moving sluggishly to a sink, he turned on the faucet and cupped his hands below it, cold water gathering in his clasped fingers. He brought the cool H2O to his lips, gulping it down greedily and splashing it over his pale face. 

Looking into the reflective surface of the mirror above the bank of grimy basins, his blood shot green eyes caught the blue pupils of Novak who was hovering behind him. He took in the concern shining in them, and was both grateful and frustrated by it. Dean felt foolish and weak, hating the fact someone had witnessed the beginnings of a possible breakdown.

This cannot be happening. Not today.

To be continued

Thank you for reading! If you enjoyed please like, comment and reblog as FEEDBACK IS GOLD and is the fuel that keeps me writing. My tag list is open, so if you wish to be added, send me an ask.

Tags - @salt-n-burn-em-all / @littlelonewolfgirl / @krazykelly / @deans-spinster-witch / @lastcallatrockysbar / @ssimelttilgniht / @123passwort / @winchester-girl67 / @winchestergirl2 / @americasass81 / @jessjad / @akshi8278 / @dean-winchester-is-a-warrior / @waywardbaby / @deanwinchesterswitch / @440mxs-wife / @globetrotter28 / @ziatracy / @sexyvixen7 / @hobby27 / @djs8891 / @kickingitwithkirk / @wirdbeimaufhebengebunden / @kyjey / @lindalouh / @solariklees / @trektraveler / @leigh70 / @ladysparkles78 / @mimaria420

[saintsenara]

What are your guilty pleasure tropes?

thank you for the ask @sarafina-sincerity!

forced proximity of any kind

i've answered specifically about one example of this - marriage law fics - here, but the main trope i'm a slut for is absolutely, one hundred percent, without a doubt anything which requires two people who don't want to have to spend time together having to spend time together. with sexy results.

enemies-to-lovers

let's all be honest, one's emotional investment in one's enemy is often more profound than in one's friend. let's also be honest, people become enemies because they have things in common. combine those similarities with the emotional investment? sexy results.

narrative mirror pairings

unsurprisingly, there's often quite a lot of overlap between this and the above. the harry potter series loves assigning its characters to narrative pairs whose roles in the story are the mirror images of each other, but whose personalities, dreams, desires, experiences, motivations etc. are often very similar. and the narrative mirror pairings which fall under this category are always exceptional: harry potter/tom riddle; draco malfoy/ron weasley (getting slept on because of drarry); sirius black/severus snape and so on... sexy results.

magical worldbuilding which feels magical

a lot of fan-fiction falls into one (or both) of two categories: it deals with considerably darker or drier topics (especially when it comes to thinking about how the wizarding state actually works and/or how it changes after voldemort's death) than the canon series; and it serves as a vehicle for the author to talk about aspects of muggle culture they enjoy (this is particularly the case in marauders fics and it drives me mad - none of those children have heard a single piece of cool music in their lives).

but the canon series feels so magical because the worldbuilding is incredibly whimsical, even in the darker later books. something is lost, i think, when wizarding clothing isn't ostentatious and colourful, or wizarding hobbies aren't exaggerated pastiches of muggle hobbies, or wizarding houses are devoid of eccentric kitchen appliances which talk back to you, or all wizards are immediately familiar with the muggle world. i can't express how much i respect it when authors invent their own radio plays or wizarding bands or children's toys.

and that whimsy can exist with a look at deep topics - indeed, it does frequently in one of my favourite literary genres: golden age detective fiction. in fact, i think it makes the dark themes and how they're being interrogated stand out all the clearer. which brings me to my next point...

allowing the characters to be funny

by this i don't mean crack fics - although crack treated seriously is definitely a trope i adore - but finding space for the fact that almost all of the main characters in the series - all the way along a spectrum from the main trio, to ginny, to sirius, to dumbledore, to snape, to voldemort (he's so camp! lean into it!) - are extremely funny, even when in serious situations or discussing serious things.

unfortunately, it is all too common to find - especially in things dealing with the immediate aftermath of either war - that everyone is in their widow's weeds and speaking like they've swallowed a psychology textbook. but actually, harry and ron aren't going to be sitting down for a deep and meaningful using all sorts of 'i feel' statements. they're going to be chatting shit.

[there's a bit of unsolicited advice here, which can, like all unsolicited advice, of course be ignored: this sort of therapy-speak, every-emotion-is-articulated conversational style is something which immediately gives away an author as american (generally, the sort of emotional openness which, in the usa, indicates authenticity will be read as the opposite in the uk - being very earnest is typically perceived as rude, expressing your emotional reaction to everything as fake). if you're looking for a way to make your writing sound more british, the best thing you can do is read ron, and see - as @whinlatter says in this post about him - that his sense of humour isn't evidence of immaturity or an unwillingness to confront tough topics, but evidence that he's the most emotionally mature of the trio. by quite some distance.]

ron and dumbledore being allowed to be real people

i loathe ron and dumbledore bashing. let my kings live.

and let ron be madly in love with hermione. his final form is wife guy.

redemption

i am a villain enjoyer, and i think there's nothing wrong with liking characters who remain unambiguously, unrepentantly evil.

what i like rather less is the idea that villains don't have traits, emotions, experiences, and motivations which aren't anything other than similar to the good guys.

and what i like least of all is the idea that there are some people who are so divergent from the good guys that they are unworthy of one of the most sincerely magical human abilities: the ability to redeem oneself.

yes, even draco malfoy, even snape, even voldemort. unless all of us are capable of redemption then none of us are. this is an important lesson to learn.

how these people redeem themselves, how redemption is complex and painful, how they atone, how they cope with the unmooring experience of forgiveness, how they take to their second chances, and how they stumble on the way are the topics of some of the best fics i have ever read, and i will never get free of the chokehold.

[kashilascorner]

2024 Favorites, by yours truly - part 1. Reading

I didn't read a lot of manga or comics this year, so for the first time, I'm putting all together. The books here are very losely ordered by preference, with the manga just dropping wherever.

---

Un amor (Sara Mesa)

This is a book about obsession, about desire, about (not) belonging. I loved every bit of it and honestly felt like Sara Mesa was reading my mind at some points. This is a novel I would have loved to have written. First book I read last year, and also first 5 stars. It has been translated into English, with the same name.

Endurance (Alfred Lansing)

I loved this one, and I am convinced they were able to survive because they were silly about their whole ordeal in their first few months. These guys knew how to have fun, that's all I'll say. It's an incredible adventure and I only wish there was an epilogue to it. Also Lansing apparently made up some stuff but it's ok because he's a good narrator.

Young Mungo (Doublas Stuart)

This book was quite something when it released: I remember seeing it everythwere, specially in LGBT bookstores. I decided to read it because the audiobook (in Spanish) was available in my library and, having come back from a trip to Scotland, I felt like reading a story set there. What I found absolutely broke my heart in many little pieces. It is a beautiful, heartfelt, awfully realistic coming of age story set in working-class 90s Glawgow, full of very, very dark things. That being said, I do think a couple of the darker situations in the book could have been more delicately handled. Please look out the trigger warnings for this one.

Promising young women (Caroline O'Donoghe)

I foudn this on a second hand bookstore and had it sitting on my shelf for years (literally) but I thought it looked funny and decided to read it. Let me tell you: this book made me feel like I was watchign a good friend about to make the absolute worst mistake of her life, like watchinga train wreck in slow motion. It was darkly funny and then it becomes increasingly dark and even a little bit gothic. Absolutely loved this one. It is a coming of age story for your mid-twenties, it deals with obsession, loneliness, sexism and more.

A Camelot Triptych (Norris J. Lacy)

NOW THIS ONE. It's the arthurian retelling I've enjoyed the most so far: its short and sweet, its structure is a work of genius, it has a very limited scope and yet tells such a big story. There are layers to it. It is composed by three short stories, or chapters, the first from Merlin's point of view, second from Guinevere and third by Mordred. Absolutely fantastic. And very difficult to find so take your chance.

The tombs of Atuan (Ursula K. Le Guin)

The slow, beautiful second book of the Earthsea series coulnd't be more different in subject and tone from the first one. And yet it was perfect. Despite being so short, it's dense with symbol, heavy with meaning, and requires some patience to read it. This isn't a great fantary adventure. It is something differnt and yet so compelling, brilliant like great fables can be. This was my favorite thing from the novel (CAREFUL, it has spoilers).

Golden Kamuy (Satoru Noda)

This year I finally finished reading this manga, from volumes 16 to 31. Top 5 manga I've ever read. I love the mix of history, culture & nature, humor, adventure, thriller, and more. I love the characters, I love their design, I miss them already.

The Idylls of the queen (Phyllis Ann Karr)

Another Arthurian retelling, this one is so cleverly constructed, so keen on detail and threads so many things together into a very spcific moment of the story that I can only call it a work of genius. Want to see Sir Kay as a detective? Look no further! Ms. Karr really wrote one of my favorite Kays, one of my favorite Morgans and one of my favorite Mordreds and I can only say THANK YOU.

The indifferent Stars above (Daniel James Brown)

Lovely book about a not very lovely story. Earlier in the year I had read a novel called The hunger which overall I liked but felt very lukewarm about the addition of a supernatural element to a story that in real life was extremely compelling but also absolutely horrifying on it's own right. This books follows one of the party members closely and narrates every (mis)step of the doomed Donner Party. Truly beautifully written.

The winter king (Bernard Cornwell)

Third and final arthurian retelling on the list. I was very hesitant about adding it here because I thoroughly enjoyed the first book but not so much the sequels, though I still like them and how the story progressess (I still have a couple hundred pages left of Excalibur, the third and final book so let's see how that goes). Basically this is grimdark arthuriana, but done well. I love Cornwell's style and Derfel, the narrator, is terribly funny. This is also one of my favorite Arthurs so <3

Special mentions: Cruzamos por el ras de la montaña (Maria de la Cruz), Papa told me vol. 1 (Nanae Haruno), The count of Monte Cristo (Alexandre Dumas), Parable of the talents (Octavia E. Butler), Thérèse Raquin (Émile Zola), Yotsuba vol. 5 (Kiyohiko Azuma), The lying life of adults (Elena Ferrante).