#the way i figured out the killer in the first 10 minutes

[elena-ferrante]

the madonna's secret (wilhelm thiele, 1946)

[itsghvstfvce]

WHAT'S IN A NAME

pairing : tara carpenter x fem!reader

summary : you can keep running, but you can't run from who you are.

word count : 2.5k

warnings : scream vi spoilers, violence, swearing, shitty non-proofread writing

You just wanted Honeybuns.

You wanted to be in and out of the bodega with your Honeybuns and make it home to watch another episode of your favorite show. You absolutely did not expect to be here, tucked away behind a shelf hoping to God that the shooter won’t find you and blow your brains out.

Just as you’re about to make a beeline for the exit while the killer wasn’t looking, you hear an empty beer can thrown into the aisle you were in which meant you weren’t the only hostage here. You hear the killer’s footsteps move towards your aisle so you quickly and quietly crawl to the next aisle before he could catch you. To your surprise, you’re met with the infamous Carpenter sisters and Sam motions both you and Tara to start crawling towards the exit.

As you’re crawling, Tara accidentally steps on broken glass and makes a sound, causing you, Sam, and the killer to stop in your tracks. The older Carpenter holds a finger up and peeks through the shelves to watch the cloaked figure’s next move. As soon as he turns around, the three of you push the shelf with all your might onto him, quickly running out the door before he could get up. Looking back into the store, the killer was no longer there and all that was left was an open back door and a Ghostface mask.

And that was how you officially met Tara.

You already knew of Tara’s existence when you started your freshman year at Blackmore University. Even with all the rumors you heard about her and her psychotic sister, you always found yourself attracted to the girl. At the frat party, you were about to introduce yourself to her but to your demise, Frankie had already beaten you to it. From where you were sitting, you drank your stale beer while watching everything unfold from Chad and Frankie’s little macho dance to Sam tasing Frankie right in the balls (which you found very impressive and also kind of hot) But you thought it’d be best to keep your distance from Tara and anyone close to her as they were known to be danger magnets.

But clearly, the universe had other ideas for you because you happened to meet Tara face-to-face at the bodega.

The three of you were brought to the police station for questioning. It’s silent between the three of you with the only thing being heard was Tara’s soft breathing and a sigh from Sam.

“Do you go there often? The bodega I mean,” the older girl asks finally breaking the silence. Tara keeps her head down, but listens intently to your conversation with her sister.

“Not really, no. I was just really craving some Honeybuns,” you laugh dryly. “But I didn’t think I’d encounter a fucking Ghostface”

“So I’m guessing you know who we are, considering you know Ghostface”

“Well for the record, I’ve also seen the Stab movies so that’s why I know it. But I do know who you are,” you say almost as if embarrassed to admit the fact.

“I’m Y/N by the way, since you don’t know who I am,” you notice Sam’s eyebrows furrow slightly as you introduce yourself.

“That name sounds familiar.. do we know you by any chance?” She asks, shifting her gaze from the table to you.

“Oh I doubt it, I only came to the city recently for school,” you nervously laugh from the sudden interrogation.

Tara’s head shoots up when Detective Bailey walks in and begins his interrogation. Luckily for them, you were helpful because you were able to check out Tara’s alibi for being at the party and seeing the both of them there (Sam bringing up the tasing incident forced you to hide a smile). But not even 10 minutes in, he was asked to leave the room due to the FBI claiming jurisdiction, leaving the three of you alone yet again. It’s quiet just like when you were first brought in here, but Tara is the one to break the silence this time.

“Wait! Y/N Y/N Y/N, I know where I heard this name,” you nervously chewed on your lip as Tara tried to remember where she heard your name.

“Got it! You’re in my film class, right? You sit all the way in the back and I always notice you when I walk in. I remember peeking down at your notebook as I walked to my seat and I saw your name,” she says proudly as if she’s solved a mystery. You let out a breath you didn’t know you were holding, giving her a smile and nodding your head to confirm her statement.

“Okay, well it’s nice that you’re meeting your classmates and making friends but we don’t have time for this. Let’s go,” Sam starts putting on her black bomber jacket before making her way out of the interrogation room. You and Tara get up to follow suit, but before you can make your way out the room, Tara stops you.

“Do you want to grab some lunch sometime? You know, whenever this whole thing will be over?”

You look at her for a moment and take in her features; the way her brown eyes manage to sparkle under the dull white ceiling lights; how a sea of freckles paint over her face so perfectly; and how her lips were plump, red, and so god damn kissable. You knew you shouldn’t get close to her, but every moment you spent staring and glossing over her features, you knew you’d cave into her.

“Guys, come on!” Sam called out from a few feet in front of you. You look back at the younger Carpenter, who was still waiting for a reply.

“Yeah, that’d be nice” you finally manage to say.

The two of you catch up to Sam who finds Detective Bailey talking to someone else but when you realize who it was, you freeze.

“Kirby?” Sam calls out.

“Hey Sam,” the blonde walks over to give Sam a hug and acknowledges Tara. When she finds you standing behind them, her eyes widen and says a quiet “oh my god,” causing the two sisters to look at you.

“Y/N, what are you doing here?”

“You guys know each other?” Detective Bailey asks the four of you, but Sam answers first.

“Yeah. We went to Woodsboro High together. She was a senior when I was a freshman.”

“We share a certain history together, yeah.”

“Wait Kirby, how do you know Y/N?” Tara asks.

Your eyes dart back and forth between the three of them, your palms getting sweatier and your heart racing faster at the sudden attention on you.

Kirby quickly understood and decided to clear the air by offering her help on the case. The girls divert their focus to Kirby and the detective, but not before Sam gives you a questioning look.

And as if seeing Kirby wasn’t bad enough, the three of you happen to meet Gale Weathers right outside the police station. She was looking very eager to cover the story of last night’s events as per usual. You call for a taxi while Sam and Tara talk to Gale, not missing the amazing right hook Tara gives the reporter. They start making their way to the taxi and Gale follows. When the three of them come closer, she catches sight of you and pushes pass the two sisters.

“Jesus Christ, out of all the places you could run off to, I didn’t expect the fucking Big Apple Y/N”

Sam and Tara look at each other, both heavily confused on how you knew Kirby and now Gale.

The reporter approaches you for a hug, to which you don’t reciprocate knowing Sam and Tara were watching. Deep down, you really wanted to hug Gale back but you just couldn’t bring yourself to wrap your arms around her.

“How is she?” you ask as she pulls away.

“I talked to her. She’s worried sick, you know. Are you ever going to go back home?”

“I'm fine here, Gale”

“Well with Ghostface running around here, I don’t think you are anymore. Why don’t you give her a call-”

“I can’t,” you feel the lump in your throat and try your best to fight the tears forming in your eyes. “She’ll never forgive me.”

“Of course she will, Y/N. She’s the only one who will understand what you’re feeling right now.”

The taxi driver honks his horn to get you to hurry up and get in the cab.

“I hope I don’t have to see you around. Take care of yourself,” you squeeze her shoulder and Gale watches you get into the cab together with the Sam and Tara and drive off.

Later that day, Tara invites you to meet the rest of her friend group which includes the Meeks-Martin twins, Ethan, Quinn, and Mindy’s girlfriend Anika. The eight of you sat together on campus as Mindy goes on a ramble about the new rules of a franchise and listing out her potential suspects. Naturally, you were on her top three along with Ethan and Quinn since you just met the friend group, so you couldn’t be mad at the accusation. And as if perfectly timed, your phone started to ring which startled everyone. The number was coming from an unknown number so you decline it, knowing better than to answer it. When asked who it was, you lied and said it was just your roommate. But you get a text from the same number:

ANSWER THE PHONE, BITCH.

The phone rings again and you excuse yourself from the group meeting to answer the call alone, earning you odd looks from everyone.

“Hello?”

“Hello, Y/N. It’s exciting to finally be doing this with you,” the voice was all too familiar. You look back at the group and they’re all staring at you, watching your every move. You weren’t exactly doing a very good job at trying to defend yourself from being a suspect.

“Who is this?” you say through gritted teeth.

“You think just because you ran away from home, you won’t be a part of this? It’s inevitable, Y/N. It’s who you are.”

“I’m not the daughter of a serial killer fuckface, I don’t count!”

“Oh but that’s where you’re wrong. Are you forgetting who your mother is, Y/N?”

“Please, just leave me alone,” you beg with tears in your eyes.

“Your secret will be out soon. And when that happens, I can’t wait to be the one who will gut you like a fish in front of everyone.”

“How fucking original. Come up with a new catchphrase next time, you bitch!” you sneer as you end the call. You run a hand through your hair, trying not to let the tears spill out of frustration. Suddenly, a hand grabs your shoulder and you jump at the feeling but when you turn around, a small girl is standing in front of you.

“Woah hey, it’s just me. Are you okay?” Tara asks, genuine concern laced in her voice. Your tense body now relaxes at the sight of her, her presence washing away every bit of fear and anger that was in you. It’s already hard for her to trust you and you can’t blame her for that, so you decide not to keep any more secrets from her.

“He called. Said he can’t wait to gut me like a fish.” Tara shakes her head.

“That’s it, you’re staying with us tonight.”

“Wait, what? Just like that?”

“You’re in danger, Y/N. We have to protect you, we’re the reason you’re in this mess in the first place.”

“Okay first of all, you know you shouldn’t trust anyone, that’s like the biggest fucking rule in this whole franchise shit. Second, you are not the reason that he’s after me, you don’t- we don’t know why he’s after me. And third, I don’t think Sam will be too keen on the idea of me staying with you guys.”

“I’ll convince her. I don’t want anything to happen to you, Y/N.”

You take a moment to look at her again. There’s a genuine and sincere look in her eyes, and for a moment, you forget that you’re all wanted targets about to be murdered. For a moment, it just feels like you two are normal university students who want to fall in love with each other

“See, this is why I want to trust you,” you’re broken out of your trance when the younger Carpenter speaks. She notices your eyebrows furrow in confusion and giggles at the sight.

“You look at me and get lost into my eyes, like you’re looking pass all the crazy shit we’re going through right now. You look at me like you want to fall in love but you’re afraid to,” your eyes widen at how she managed to voice out your thoughts. “And I know I’ve been through a lot, I know I shouldn’t openly trust anyone anymore but for some weird fucking reason, I feel safe and comfortable around you. And maybe this will bite me in the ass later on, maybe you’re just a really good fucking actress and I’m gonna regret everything when you start slicing me up, but I really hope it doesn’t have to end up that way.”

You look into her eyes once more and you prove her statement in that very moment. In the little time you’ve spent with her, you found yourself falling for the girl. You always thought your life was fucked when you learned who your mother was, but now you don’t think it’s all that bad. If it wasn’t for your name and the bloodline you came from, you wouldn’t have been led to Tara Carpenter.

You held your pinky finger up to the girl and now it’s Tara’s turn to look confused. “Normal serial killers usually would verbally make promises or swear that they won’t do anything. But pinky promises are very serious, to me at least. I know it’ll be hard to fully trust me, so this is me assuring you that things won’t end up that way in the best way I know how.” It’s pathetic now that you think of it, offering a pinky promise not to kill the girl. But Tara laughs and links pinkies with you anyway.

“Break this promise and I’ll make sure Sam breaks every bone in your body.”

a/n: hello reader >:) my love for jenna ortega and the scream franchise has led me here. honestly speaking, this won't make a lot of sense canonically but pls bear w me, i'm going to try and execute this idea as best as i can :') if you made it this far, thank you for reading!

[mellifiedprincess]

here’s another jack fic, because i’m a wee bit obsessed. This is literally just straight up the sweetest fluff ever. CONTAINS SPOILERS FOR SCREAM V1!!!

Jack Champion x reader

EMOTIONALLY UNWELL

You weren’t sure why you were feeling the way you were feeling. Maybe it was the stress from work, maybe it was the fact that all of your friends suddenly wanted nothing to do with you, or maybe it was all of that and that Jack left for the gym hours ago, and all you wanted was to be cuddled up with him.

You laid on the couch, swaddled in the fluffiest blanket you own, with one of Jacks hoodies on. You had decided to have a Scream marathon, just you and your sweet angel Butters, who had decided to abandon your pity party about 30 minutes ago.

You were in the middle of Scream 5, when your favorite character Dewey dies. You’ve seen this movie probably close to 100 times, so why only now do you find yourself crying your eyes out, as you watch Gale scream for Dewey. Which then got you thinking about Jack in Scream VI. Yeah sure he was a psycho killer, but you still didn’t like seeing him die. He’s your angel face sweetheart, after all.

That was your breaking point. You grab your phone, clicking on Jacks contact. After two rings, he picks up, slightly out of breath. “Hey sweetheart, I was just finishing up here.” His voice calming you already.

“Oh, okay.” You pause for a moment, clearing your voice to hide the emotion. You figure telling him how much you need his undivided attention because you’re very emotional, would cause nothing but panic. And he did say he was finishing up. So, you said the first thing that came to mind, “I just wanted to know if you wanted to cook for dinner, or grab something on your way back home?” You can FEEL him perk up, already knowing what he’d rather do.

“Angel, c’mon, you know I’d rather cook dinner with you. Give me like 10 more minutes here, and I’ll be on my way home.” A relieved sigh escapes past your lips. “Okay! Just please be quick Jack. You always say 10 more minutes, and then it turns into, “5 more reps babe!”

“Yeah, yeah, whatever. I love you sweets. I’ll be home in like 30 minutes max.” Knowing that probably wouldn’t happen, you roll your eyes. “Okay, I love you too!” Hanging up the phone, you stand and make your way to find Butters. If Jack was gonna be gone longer, you had to get the next best thing. You soon find Butters cuddled into Jacks pillow on your shared bed. Snapping a quick picture because of how cute he looks, you scoop him into your arms and fall on to your bed.

As soon as your head hits Jacks pillow, you can’t help but snuggle your face into it even more. His scent gently taking over your senses. It was calming for a few seconds, until you started thinking about how he tucks you right in under his chin, and the soft rise and fall of his chest against your cheek.

You missed him. All you wanted was him, and you realized very quickly, nothing was going to help you except for him. He was the absolute only thing that ever made you feel safe.

More tears came rushing down your face, a sob falling from your lips. “What the fuck is wrong with me today?” You ask yourself. Butters gives you his signature side eye, before jumping out of your arms, and once again leaving you alone.

And then you hear your front door open.

Jumping up, not caring at all how tears are still streaming down your face, you run down stairs and straight to the kitchen. You knew that’s immediately where he would go. And you were right, you were always right about Jack.

His back was facing you as you walked in, and as soon as you reached him, you squeezed yourself between him and the counter. “Oh, hey baby!” His hand comes up to your back, and he leans down to press a kiss to your hairline.

After a few minutes, he finally takes a good look at you. “Hey what’s wrong?” You were clinging to him by this point, not daring to let go. Your cheeks still had tears streaming down them, and your poor eyes. All swollen and bloodshot. He grabbed you by the waist and put you on the counter to get a better look at you. “What happened sweet girl?”

And that’s when it all came crumbling down.

“You were gone for forever today! Work was absolutely horrible this morning, Maya and Blake want nothing to do with me for some reason. Butters, our sweet angel, keeps giving me bombastic side eye. AND on top of all of that, I keep thinking about how you die in Scream and it’s making me really sad.” He can’t help but laugh. He wishes he could stop himself, his sweet girl is having a bad day and he’s laughing.

“Jack!” You hit his shoulder, stopping him from laughing more, a smile still on his lips. “You’re adorable. You know that?” He places a quick kiss to your lips, and you pout up at him when he pulls away. “Hey, stop that pouting, I’m right here, baby.” You grasp the sides of his shirt, and let out a whine. “Yeah, but you’re not close enough.” Jack couldn’t help but let another laugh out. He secretly loved when you got like this. So needy for him, whiny and borderline bratty, all because you just wanted him close to you.

“I have to go shower. You wanna sit in the bathroom and talk to me while I do that?” “Mhmm.” You nod your head, a slight pout still on your lips. “Alright, c’mere.” He scoops you up and makes his way to the bathroom, before sitting you back down on the bathroom counter.

You watch him start the shower, and then come back over to you while it warms up. “So, what are we gonna make for dinner?” You knew what he was doing, he was trying to distract you from your thoughts. “I don’t know. I don’t even think we have anything to make for dinner. So, we’ll probably have to go to the store.” You sigh out, the thought of going to the store, where there are a lot of people, did not sound appealing to you. Jack kisses your cheek, then starts walking back to the shower, stripping before he gets in.

“Okay, then how about you choose somewhere to get takeout, and we’ll go pick it up together.”

“We can do that.” You reply back softly.

After about 20 minutes and you and Jack talking about any and everything, Jack literally tumbles out of the shower, slipping as he steps out, making the cutest giggle fall from your mouth. Jack couldn’t help but smile at the sound.

As he starts getting dressed, you hear him start to sing softly. Something he only did in front of you and his mother. And you couldn’t help but start to tear up at his voice.

When Jack finished getting dressed, he looks back over at you, and immediately rushes over. “Baby, what’s wrong now? Have you really missed me that much today?” He wipes the tears from your cheeks, and guides your head to his chest, rubbing the back of it.

You sniffle before looking back up at him. “It’s just, I’m so in love with you.” You pause, sniffling again, before continuing.

“Everything about you, just brings me so much joy, and comfort. And your voice- Jack I swear all I can imagine is the sun kissing your throat every morning before you wake, giving you this warmth, that could have only been created for you.” Jack couldn’t resist anymore, he needed to kiss you. So he did, and he tried to put every ounce of love he had for you in it.

When he pulls away, there’s a smile on his face that he thinks will be there for the rest of his life. “I don’t know what kind of person I was in my past life, but I had to be a fucking saint to end up with someone like you.”

“Then can you pinky promise that you’re never gonna leave me?” You hold your pinky up, big hopeful eyes staring right into his. He hooks his pinky with yours, sealing the promise with a kiss to your hand, and then a kiss to your lips. “I would have to die in order for that to happen.”

You smile and let your head fall against his chest again. “I believe we would find our way back to each other. Theres no way our souls aren’t bonded together by an invisible string, since we were thought to be created” You can feel his hand rubbing up and down your back. “You are undoubtedly my soulmate, Jack. No one could convince me otherwise.”

“You’re mine too, angel. I hope you always believe that.”

[duchess7878]

Part 1/2

I saw this request from tumblr user lelandswife and wanted to deliver for you! I hope it’s to your liking :) If it’s too short let me know and I’ll try and write you a longer version :)

Warnings: murder, kidnapping, Stockholm syndrome

The family could only watch as Johnny tore apart the house-shouting and screaming about you. When Johnny had gone to go fetch you for supper, you were nowhere to be found. Not in the house, the barn, the shed, the car graveyard. Anywhere. Johnny at first tried to think rationally, but it didn’t last long. Within 10 minutes of searching, it didn’t take much to piece together what has happened. You left. No-you left him. The rage Johnny felt was like no other. People had gotten away before and it only ever excites him, especially for the chase, but this time was different. He was panting heavily, his chest rising and falling with every breath.

“Nobody escapes me.” He growled and immediately headed out the door in search of you. To Johnny, you were weak and he figured that you wouldn’t make it far before you’d had enough.

Johnny checked around the property for any sign of your footprints. Out by the front driveway, Johnny spotted a small indent in the dirt; one he knew wasn’t there before. He bent down to the print, swiping two fingers across the tracks before smelling it and standing back up.

“I know you’re close my little bunny.” He grinned, bloodlust and lust filling his body simultaneously.

“Why don’t you just come on out and we’ll forget this ever happened?” He lied, but hoping it would work anyway.

He wasn’t going to let you forget. When he got a hold of you, he would make sure that you knew who you belong to and you don’t get to leave. He would tie you down and fuck you for hours until you were begging for him to stop and then he’d fuck you some more. Once he was done, he planned on where he’d be carving his name onto you. Your chest? Your stomach? Leg? Arm? Neck maybe if he was careful? Either way, you’d never forget. Ever. He would make sure of that.

You were crouched down in the shed about 30 feet from where Johnny was standing. You didn’t even make it off of the property before Johnny realized you were gone. You should’ve known better, but you had fallen for him like a complete idiot. He kidnapped you and originally meant to kill you.

This wasn’t a normal relationship by any means. Johnny is dangerous and deadly, but for some reason-you didn’t care. You fell for Johnny not long into your disappearance and for the longest, you didn’t even think about leaving. You were so badly wrapped up in the fantasy world in your head, you didn’t realize you had been gone for almost a year. But it was hard to ignore that part of Johnny when he had come home the night before carrying a corpse, drenched in blood, and wearing the most sadistic smile you had ever seen. The corpse he was holding was another girl your age and it immediately hit you like a train. That was going to be you at first, but something about you was different. However, it didn’t change the fact of what Johnny was-a killer and that’s it. The year that you had spent with him shouldn’t have happened.

You were so wrapped up in your thoughts you hadn’t even noticed the jean-clad legs that had planted themselves in front of you.

“Aw, you leaving’ so soon?” He asked, leaning down and grabbing your hair, yanking you to your feet.

“Johnny wait, please.” You begged, tears streaming down my face in fear of what he had planned.

“Oh no sweet pea, we’re going back home right now.” He ordered and continued to pull you by your hair back to the house. Once there, he dragged you inside and up to his room. He wasted no time and shoved you towards the bed and you stumbled back falling onto it. He stalked towards you and crawled on top of you looking down and studying your face.

“You’re gonna be taught a lesson, one that you’ll never forget.” He leaned down and kissed me harshly biting my lip and panting heavily. You felt his hands viciously roaming your torso, touching and squeezing anything he could reach. You heard his bedside drawer open before you felt something heavy and cold being put around your wrists. He brought your hands above your head and chained you to the bed post.

“Get comfortable darlin’. It’s going to be a long night.” He warned, sitting up to begin disrobing.

Here’s part two if you’re interested :)

[the-phantom-author]

Hasan Piker | Stream Appearance headcanons

I'm in so much pain rn it's not even funny, imma take some pain killer and sleep. Reblogs always welcomed. Request are open!

Partner streams with Hasan are very chaotic in general. However nothing would truely match the partner reveal twitch stream I imagine the stream would have “Secret special guest” or something in the title. I would start out as a normal stream, personal life, politics, and so on until it's about 2-3pm. The entire time He’d be staying that there is someone coming later, and they need to be on their best behavior . When talking about his personal life at the start of the stream he’d mention that his partner is staying over and swiftly moving on, not an uncommon thing for him to do, so nothing was really thought of.

When you show up, he introduces you by saying “Chat, introducing to you, for the first time on any platform, my partner.” Queue chat losing their collective mind, and starting to ask any and all questions they can think of. He’s incredibly watchful of chat during this time, and instantly banning anyone who sends a chat saying or implying something rude about you. This is also followed by the obligatory Joe Rogan video that he makes girls watch when they first appear on stream.

After the reveal stream I can imagine you becoming a recurring person, mostly tiny cameos. Like, every so often your hand will pop into frame to hand him something, water or food. It always causes him to stop what he’s in the middle of doing at that moment and thank you, he could be knee deep in a 10 minute stun lock and just have to hand him a water bottle and he’ll come to a full stop until you leave the room at which point he’ll pick his little rant back up.

I can also see stream bits that include you. Painting streams (more on that later), movie reviews, true crime, and other react andy things are not uncommon things for you to be on stream for. For example he would let you just rant about any movie you’ve watched, recently or not, for like thirty minutes. Like, yes girl, explain Tinkerbell and the Great Fairy Rescue to chat, they’ll love it.

Or he’ll get you to watch older reality TV shows, and videos that pertain to your interest. You know these J-Aubery mini-docs that he’ll watch, he’ll also get you to watch them. Anytime something comes up that you don’t understand, he’ll make sure to pause it so he can explain it to you until you do. If you are watching something and he doesn’t get it but you do, he does expect you to explain it. Sometimes he’ll have you explain things to him on stream just because he likes to show off how smart you are to chat.

Sometimes when you go to give Kaya some pats, you hover in the background. Mainly when you're interested in what he is watching/doing or when you’re trying to figure out just what he’s going off about, I can only imagine how confusing it must be to walk into the middle of him being stunlocked by some chatter.

He will absolutely make fun of how short you are, no matter your actual height, because man is built like a brick house and everyone is smaller than him.

I almost forgot about IRL streams. Please find a way to go on any and all IRL streams with him. Especially if it’s some kind of shopping stream. Take every chance you can to fix his fashion sense, it’ll never take but you should still try.

He’d also take you to Shitcamp and the Streamer Awards. I know they are not his live streams but he likes you being there. You’re not really a contestant or anything, but you take part in certain games and activities. Chat loves seeing you in the background, not really participating but still being iconic.

[valc0]

Hannibal rewatch and Baldur's Gate 3 ramblings

I recently re-watched the first season of Hannibal after almost 8 years and since I’m now deep into another fandom (BG3) I analyzed some of the themes of the show and how parts of it could tie in with the story of the game, particularly when it comes to the Dark Urge.

I’m also doing a review because why the hell not. I divided the text into sections for convenience, so if you want to read only the review or are exclusively interested in my speculating ramblings on BG3 you can easily do that.

It’s a long one so let’s start.

REVIEW

THIS REVIEW IS NOT SPOILER FREE AND WILL GO INTO GREAT DETAILS ABOUT THE TWISTS AND PLOT POINTS OF THE SHOW.

If you didn’t watch it and you like thriller/crime/horror please do yourself a favor and watch this show now!

I’ll start by saying season one, to me, is almost perfection. It’s 13 very well crafted and acted episodes and almost none feel like filler (almost but we’ll get to it). The crime of the week structure is integrated with the horizontal themes of the season seamlessly and the story avoids exploring too many parallel plots, making the theming very cohesive.

I remember watching this show for the first time and finishing season 1 in about 2 to 3 days, but I’d never think the same would’ve happened a second time. The first 5 episodes had me in a clutch from the start. Every character is fleshed out and extremely well written, the acting is impeccable, the writing is phenomenal and the visual, even when getting symbolic, never seem gratuitous or nonsensical in their use of analogies and dream-like visions.

The photography is also phenomenal, with great use of contrast that makes the image and scene clear even though it's set in the dark or at night.

If I had to rate the season I think I’d definitely give it a 9/10, and the 9 is only because of two small things that I figured I’d get out of the way first:

(I must remember whoever is reading this that these are my opinions, they don’t mean to offend anyone else differing opinion. You’ll see what I mean in a second.)

Alana Bloom x Will Graham is forced, comes out of nowhere, and makes Will act out of character most of the times.

I’m not getting into ship-fighting, this is not about shipping, I like Hannigram but I have no dog in this fight so this is totally not about it. Episode 8 is great, it has one of the best kills in the whole season and Will deteriorating stability makes for great lines and visuals, other than a lot of tension since he can no longer be predictable and ends up disrupting Hannibal plans.

And though I could attribute the way he acts towards Alana as something he does because of this deteriorating mental state, it doesn’t really feel like it. He seems very present during those scenes and acts weirdly romantic for the reclusive stray-collector, whose primary hobby is fishing and who’s been plagued by visions of death in the past episodes.

I would have rather see them to grow more of a non-romantric connection that may or may not have become romantic in later seasons. It all seems a bit rushed imo.

I also know they are setting up the Alana x Will x Hannibal. Which I’ll be honest I don’t remember liking the first time I watched it...but we’ll see.

2. Episodes 9 and 11 slow the show and kind of drag the pace.

Episodes 9. The totem of bodies is a very striking and memorable visual, but the crime in itself is very bland and the killer only gets a 5 minute scene towards the end which is anticlimactic and kinda too much tell with too little show. It’s honestly a shame because the murders in the previous episodes were very well crafted and paced. This one, not so much. I understand the need to connect the themes of “legacy” and “family” with Abigail’s actions but I feel like there could have been better ways to do that in previous episodes.

Episodes 11. I loved the whole Chesapeake Ripper fake-out, but I’ll be honest I don’t think I needed a whole other episode of Abel Gideon’s story. Didn’t really care for the plot of this and the pace was a little too slow. Good things about this episode are the ending with Hannibal at his most manipulative, and the fact that it starts Chilton’s comedic chain of misfortunes– which cracked me up the first time I watched the show because come on!! this guy is awful and can’t catch a break, you love to see it.

Now that the “bad” is out of the way let’s talk about the good, which is honestly everything else.

Episode 1

Banger of a pilot. Everything for the rest of the show is set up in only 42 minutes if you can believe that. Characters are fleshed out, themes are placed, conflicts are started. By the end of the episode all you want is MORE. I have very little else to say other than the pacing of this one should honestly be studied, a lot of modern series would need the lesson imo.

Episode 2

Interesting case with a lot of great scenes that reinforce the characters and their relationships. You get a first glance at how campy? the show can be, which is honestly something I love, I’m kinda tired of the “realistic to the point of boredom” trend I’ve been seeing lately. Freddie Lounds is properly introduced as the disrupting force she is and we get a jumpscare that made me curse. Sorry, did I forget to mention I’m watching Hannibal and I cannot stand horror? Lmao

Episode 3

LOVE this episode, the way this show makes you feel powerless as you watch the events unfold knowing full well what is happening and who is responsible...amazing! I love Abigail’s character and the very innocent and pristine way she is portrayed when you know later on the truth will come out is chilling.

Episode 4

I remember how grim I found this episode the first time and the feeling returned the second time around. Hated the killer with every fiber of my being and the fact that she kinda looks like Catherine Tate made me die a little. Also the scene of Hannibal making himself a family through gaslighting and creative use of drugs and lies was amazing.

Episode 5

I loved this crime and the way the episode paces the killings. The angel symbology was great, I’m a sucker for catholic and religious themes tied into vicious crimes. The series also introduces Bella, Jack’s wife, which I’ll be honest I don’t remember having a good ending...I don't remember exactly how, but I know I will cry.

Episode 6

Favorite episode by far, the tension in the flashback scene is palpable and when you see Miriam looking at the sketch with the silhouette of Hannibal pacing towards her in the background AAAHGGG- RUN Miriam OMG! This is the episode where you realize how absolutely scary Hannibal’s physicality can be. Mads Mikkelsen is 1,83 (5ft 11) but he feels like a giant in those scenes, like you can do shit about it.

Episode 7

The episode’s case is a botched transplant one and it’s just okay, nothing too spectacular, but the way this series makes me hungry should be concerning, since I just watched Hannibal kill and butcher people who slightly wronged him to make a feast out of them. I’m sorry, whoever is directing the shooting of the food is doing a good job, okay?

Episode 8

My second favorite episode yay! I love this kill because it’s so over the top. Also the visual of a person played like a cello is haunting just as much as the sound they decided to give it. “He had to open you up to get a decent sound out of you.” okay Will go off?!?! A bit sad they took this murder from Hannibal since I believe it was his in the books, but the end fight was worth it (though when Tobias started swinging his impromptu cello string weapon I did cackle because omfg calm down)

Episode 9

See section above

Episode 10

I shat myself watching this episode with all the horror vibes I’m dying please, I’m watching this through my fingers like a baby. I did love this episode though, and the final twist of Hannibal going to such lengths to be sure he leaves NO ONE behind is terrifying. Dr. Sutcliffe even agreed with him and didn’t show signs of wanting to betray or rat him out, and yet in the big scheme Hannibal still found it better to kill him. Scary stuff.

Episode 11

See section above

Episode 12-13

Putting these together because they are the finale and are closely linked to each other. There is no real “crime of the week”, though Georgia Madchen dies at the start of episode 12 and Abigail...dies at the start of episode 13. Will continuously declining psyche is very well portrayed, you really feel powerless with him as his brain keeps betraying him over and over at the worse possible times. Also Hannibal fake-empathy is so uncomfortable to me...knowing the lengths he’d go to manipulate the situation after seeing all the “behind the scenes” is chilling. All in all it’s a good finale though it really doesn’t feel like one. By the end Will managed to see Hannibal’s true colors, but I don’t think he’ll fully understand what he’s fighting against until he actually sees Hannibal in action, so it does feel inconclusive in a way. We do get Hannibal funny naked fursona is all its glory though so, big happy for me!

Now let’s get in my current fixation and tie in some of the themes of Hannibal with Baldur’s Gate 3. YAY!

BALDUR’S GATE 3 – Dark Urges, Bad Dreams and Worse Influences

Let’s get something out of the way first.

The Dark Urge is a very flexible and versatile character which is mostly – if not completely– shaped by the player. We get to decide if they refuse the Urge, with the bittersweet realization they still took all those lives and will have to deal with that guilt. OR we could make them machines of slaughter and death, embracing their father’s plan for them to be the killer they were made to become.

There are other variations of this and from what I’ve seen many Durges have very different characteristics depending on how the player interpreted and played the game.

This to say, all of the following dissertations on BG3 and the themes of Hannibal are my personal view of MY Durge or the way I see the character in general, which is extremely personal and could crash with someone else’s interpretation or headcanon. Keep that in mind while reading, if you see me using absolutes or if I forget an “imo” at the end of a sentence, remember this is ALL In my opinion, none of this is to be considered as a general and all-encompassing statement for every Durge out there.

That said, you’ll be surprised to know in my interpretation the Dark Urge isn’t Hannibal, what’s funny is that the Dark Urge isn’t Will either.

Durge is both characters at the same time, and depending where they are in their journey, this may change.

In the case of Will, towards the end of the series you get a more “start of the game” Durge. The memory loss, the confusing thoughts, the haunting dreams and then this weird hellish creature (Sceleritas Fel) guiding them. By this point Durge is still a victim of their circumstances, they can’t really grasp who or what they are and their mind is in complete shambles.

I can see a Resist!Durge in this scenario, someone completely horrified by their actions starting to question who they are, what they did, and if they can ever change. This point in the game isn’t spelled out as much, the narrator often refers to it but the real extent of psychological damage a Resist!Durge must face is left completely to the player’s interpretation, that’s why I think Will is such a great starting point to understand and visualize the character of Durge from a distant POV.

With Hannibal you get a more pre-tadpole pre-Orin-meddling Durge. Someone who knows what they’re doing and how to get what they want. I personally never saw my own Durge as this calculating, something in the feral way the Urge gets to the character in game made Hannibal a tad too composed to fully be an inspiration for Durge, but I’ve also seen other people Durges as cool and collected killers, and the comparison in that case works really well.

Another interesting characteristic of Hannibal we can see in Durge is the twisted way he thinks in relation to others. Hannibal calls himself Will’s friend, and I believe he’s genuine in his affection since the way he helps Will is in done in earnest.

This helping though, it’s monstrous in all sense. Hannibal lies, literally gaslights Will, meddles with his head and denies him medical help. He manipulates him into killing, only to watch what unfolds simply because he needs someone who understands him. By dragging Will deeper into his world and making him a killer, Hannibal cultivates what he perceives as Will’s true nature and potential, making the man a suitable friend for himself.

It speaks to Hannibal narcissism that he would consider helping someone as making them more like him. But then again that’s also why Hannibal is so drawn towards Will, because he thinks differently and he IS different from him. He doesn’t have the same amount of interest or even respect for someone like Tobias, who’s probably the most Hannibal-like killer we get to see in season 1.

He needs the challenge, he needs to feel in control. And ultimately, though not in an usual sense, Hannibal needs a friend. He is lonely.

This works a lot for Durge in the sense that they may or may not corrupt people around them. As a player we get the choice and power to influence how companions act and react, and this kind of duality of “I like them, I want to help them” and “I want to make them like me” is a good motivation to give a Durge who may, for example, ascent Astarion, or turn Shadowheart more towards Shar, or give Gale a power complex (more so than he already has) ect.

BONUS! And then came Durgetash

In episode 1 Hannibal visits Will and brings him breakfast. While they chat in a honestly beautifully lit scene, this exchange happens.

Hannibal: You know, Will, I think Uncle Jack sees you as a fragile little teacup. The finest china, used only for special guests. Will: How do you see me? Hannibal: The mongoose I want under the house when the snakes slither by.

Did I mention I love Durgetash? Did I mention I go completely feral over unhealthy dynamics and specifically this kind of dynamic?

“The mongoose I want under the house when the snakes slither by.” is an amazing line for Gortash because I do believe the reason he wanted Durge to side with him was that Durge was extremely good at being undetected, and even more so skilled at killing the right target at the right time.

I love the idea of Gortash using Durge as a shield/weapon, and Durge using Gortash to economically sustain and socially shield Bhaal’s cult. I love to think their relationship was born because they were useful to each other and that in this completely selfish ecosystem they somehow found company.

Because I’m sure Durge pushed back. I’m sure they realized they were being used and didn’t like it one bit, and Gortash kept Durge around even though they may pose a threat, for the same reason Hannibal keeps running circles around Will. Gortash needs a challenge. Being head of Bane’s cult means that other than his God, no one else is above him, and I think a man who’s been fighting his whole life to gain control would feel a bit lost when this control is automatically given to him without a fight.

In the same way I think Durge would yearn for something more, something different than what they’re stuck with, which is a dying cult forced to hide beneath the city, and a jealous and over-zealous sister who I’m sure tries to kill them once a week. I think they would get pulled in by the promises Gortash would make. To rule together, above ground, for once not having to hide, getting back the power Durge feels like belongs to them.

The similarities I found between these characters are way more than these but I think I’ll have to make a part 2 of this once I’m done re-watching season 2. I’m aware the series has been out for a while and I’m sure people already made way more interesting and in-depth analysis. I still hope you liked my little morning ramble that turned in a full on essay on the subject.

Thank you for reading!

[swiftieblyth]

Odair’s Miracle: JaberJays

warnings- same as the others (I don’t feel like writing it lol)

The three started running as the fog hit all of them, causing them to fall and scream in pain as they rolled down a hill.

Finnick screamed in pain and continued as Peeta and Katniss put him in the water until the pain went away.

“I’m sorry about Mags,” Katniss said a few minutes later.

“She was never gonna make it. So…” Finnick trailed off as he saw the monkeys swarming around them.

He carefully reached down and grabbed his trident.

“Peeta,” Katniss called.

“Yeah?” He asked, looking back to her.

“Walk over here slowly.” The monkeys started to circle them and close in around them. “Get to the beach!”

The group fought the monkeys, killing everyone that they could. (Finnick looked really hot as he impaled them with his trident)

Finnick kept fighting them off as the others took the morphing to the beach.

🔱🔱🔱

Finnick went into the ocean and caught some fish with his trident and went back the the beach.

Peers and Katniss were talking as Finnick ate his food thinking about his family, and how he couldn’t wait to get back to Y/N.

They heard a women scream and they all looked up.

“That’s new,” Peeta let out. They all stood up and watched a giant title wave come from the other side of the arena and stop at the beach they were on.

“Someone’s here,” Katniss let out, grabbing an arrow.

Finnick watched as three bloodied figures made their way onto the beach. “Johanna?” He asked, running to her. “Johanna!”

“Finnick!” Johanna called.

“What happened?”

“Well… I got ‘em out. We were all the way deep into the jungle where I thought it was gonna be safe. That’s when the rain started. I thought it was water. It turned out to be blood.”

“Tick tock,” Wiress let out, walking up to Johanna.

“Hot, think blood. It was coming down. It was chocking us.”

“Tick tock.”

“We were stumbling around, gagging on it, blind.”

“Tick tock.”

“That’s when Blight hit the force field.”

“Tick tock. Tick tock.”

“He wasn’t much, but he was from home.”

“Tick tock. Tick tock. Tick tock.”

“What’s wrong with her?” Katniss asked.

“She’s in shock.” Beetee explained.

“Tick tock.”

“Dehydration isn’t helping. Do you have fresh water?”

“We can get some.”

“Just,” Johanna started, trying to get Wiress to stop.

“Tick tock. Tick tock.”

“Listening. Stop it!” Johanna yelled, nicking her to the ground.

“Hey!” Katniss yelled, running over. “Lay off her!”

“Just sit down!” Johanna yelled. She turned around and Katniss held something to her neck. “Hey! What are you doing?”

“Hey, hey, hey!” Finnick yelled, running up to them, grabbing Johanna and moving her from Katniss.

“I got them out for you!” Johanna yelled.

“It’s okay. It’s okay,” Finnick let out holding her, as Peeta came up and grabbed Katniss.

“Let me go, Finnick!”

“For me? What does that mean?”

“Let me go. I’m fine.”

🔱🔱🔱

“This entire arena seems to be laid out like a clock,” Katniss explained as they walked back to the center. “With a new threat every hour, but they stay only within their wedge. It all starts with the lightning. Then the blood rain, fog, monkeys. That’s the first four hours. At 10 that big wave hits from over there.”

“Wiress,” Finnick let out, walking passed her. “You’re a genius.”

“Look?” Peeta said. “The tail points to 12.”

“that’s where the lightning strikes at noon and midnight,” Katniss explained.

“strikes where?” Beetee asked.

“That big tree.”

“Good.”

“Hickory Dickey dock,” Wiress let out, sitting down on the rocks. “The mouse ran up the clock. The clock struck one, the mouse ran down. Hickory dickory dock.”

The group was talking about the clock when they heard Wiress gasp. They all looked up to see her get stabbed, Katniss quickly shot and killed her killer. His sister and running and Johanna quickly pushed Katniss out of the way and killed the sister as Finnick started fighting with someone else, before he grabbed Peeta and held him back so he wouldn’t get hurt.

The arena started spinning and Finnick grabbed onto the rocks, and then Beetee.

Once it stopped, everyone went running to Katniss who had just gotten back up.

🔱🔱🔱

The group got back to the beach and hid led around as they talked.

“So besides Brutus and Enobaria, who’s left?” Katniss asked.

“Maybe Chaff.” Peeta let out. “Just those three.”

“They know they’re outnumbered.” Finnick explained. “I doubt they’ll attack again. We’re safe here on the beach.”

“So what do we do?” Johanna asked. “We hunt ‘em down?”

They heard a girl scream and Katniss bolted up at the voice that followed.

“Katniss, help me!”

“Prim! Prim! Prim! No!” Katniss yelled, running in the direction of the voice as Peeta and Finnick ran after her, Finnick trident in hand.

“Katniss!” He yelled. “Katniss, wait! Katniss! You okay?”

“Finnick!” He heard Y/N scream.

“Finnick! No! It’s not her!”

“Y/N!” Finnick yelled, running in that direction.

“Finnick! Help! No, baby please not yet! Help!”

“Y/N! The baby!” He yelled.

“Finnick! It’s not her. It’s just a jabberjay. It’s not her.”

“Well, how do you think they got that sound?” Finnick asked, as the tears formed in his eyes, worried about his wife and baby. “Jabberjays copy. Come on! Come on!” He yelled as they started to get attacked by them.

“Finnick! Finnick! The baby! Not yet! Please baby not yet! Help! Finnick!”

🔱🔱🔱

“Are you okay?” Johanna asked a very shaken Finnick.

“Yeah, I’m fine. I’m fine.” Finnick let out as he worried about his family. His wife, and his supposed to be unborn baby.

“How’s Finnick?” Katniss asked as Johanna sat down next to her.

“Not to good. He won’t admit it though. Mags volunteered for Y/N to keep her and the baby safe, but know Finnick’s not sure if she’s safe. Live is weird. He had her come to the Capitol with him because she didn’t want to be alone, but the night of the interviews, she got on a plane back home. Or at least that’s what we thought.”

🔱🔱🔱

The group made their way to the tree and got to work.

“we don’t want to be anywhere in the vicinity when this hits,” Beetee explained. “You two girls, go together now. Take this. Unspool it carefully. Make sure the entire coil is in the water. You understand? Then head to the tree at the 2 sector. We’ll meet you there.”

“I’m gonna go with them as a guard,” Peeta explained.

“No, no, no. You’re staying here to protect me. And the tree.”

“No, I need to go with her.”

“There are two Careers out there. I need two guards.”

“Finnick can protect you just fine on his own.”

“Why can’t Finnick and Johanna stay with you?” Katniss asked. “And Peeta and I’ll take the coil?”

“You all agreed to keep me alive till midnight, correct?”

“It’s his plan. We all agreed to it.” Johanna called.

“Is there a problem here?” Finnick asked.

“Excellent question,” Beetee stated.

“No. There’s no problem.”

🔱🔱🔱

“Johanna, where are you?” Finnick yelled, running to find her. “Johanna?”

Finnick ran until he got back to the tree. “Katniss where are you?” He yelled.

he stopped when he saw Katniss ready to shoot him.

“Katniss. Remember who the real enemy is. Katniss, get away from that tree! Katniss get away from that tree!”

[cloudwhisper23]

It had been a long time since Jeremy had reason to comfort anyone. When his younger sister had gone missing in 1985, Jeremy was too steeped in his own grief and frustration to be of any help to his family. His step-father thought so too and had kicked him out of the house for his negligence.

Jeremy had been too preoccupied in 1987 to comfort the parents of the children going missing. He'd been terrified of the animatronics, and it turned out his fears were warranted when they'd attacked him. During his day shift.

Now it was 1993, and Jeremy was once again working behind a desk, clicking through cameras and watching for danger. It was nice to have a day shift, he supposed. And these animatronics did not leave the stage at all. But Jeremy could still feel the itchiness of his face from the pain they'd caused six years ago. The animatronics may have been long gone, but the scars remained.

The shift was easy enough. Arrive at 6 a.m., relieve the night shift, and unlock the doors for the kitchen crew when they arrived at 10 a.m. No need to worry about animatronics in the morning since their free-roam turned off like clockwork. Jeremy could understand why the room had a certain odor in the mornings sometimes. He had worked a nightshift before, after all.

The thing he hadn't anticipated was a near-hysterical high school student curled up in a ball under the security desk. Jeremy peered at the boy, fiddling with the hat on his head. "Kid?"

The boy shuddered as he gasped air into his lungs. "Is it 6 a.m.? Is it morning?"

"Yeah, I'm here to take over. Do you need a minute?"

The night guard crawled out from underneath the desk, nodding weakly. Jeremy grabbed one arm and helped him up. He reflected that this was exactly how he'd reacted after his first night.

Jeremy wrapped his jacket around the kid as he sat down in the chair. "First night on the job?"

The kid nodded. Jeremy flipped through the cameras quickly, ensuring all the animatronics had returned to their places. Everything was fine, but there were clear tears in Foxy's curtain. That wasn't Jeremy's problem, thankfully. Parts and Services would handle that, just like they'd handle the seemingly broken camera.

"I... I don't think..."

"You going to quit?" Jeremy replied, absently pulling his keys from his pocket. He figured there was no way this kid was sticking around for much longer. Jeremy gave him a week at best.

"I don't want to have to do this," the kid said quietly.

A sharp searing pain shot through Jeremy's entire body. He identified it quickly, realizing it came from behind him. From where the kid was sitting. He stabbed me? Jeremy thought to himself as the keys fell from his hands.

"Nothing personal," the kid said, but the terrified undertone was long gone. "I just needed a way to get your keys."

Jeremy leaned heavily on the security desk, reaching one hand toward the phone.

"I cut the line. Maybe you'll survive. Or maybe not." The kid hesitated for a moment. "My boss might decide you don't deserve to live."

When Jeremy stumbled to the floor, he cursed his luck. Of course the killer was back. Of course he had help this time. And of course they'd choose today to steal his keys and prepare their break-in patterns. No one came in on Sundays. The place was completely closed, save for the security guard. That meant this kid and his child-killing boss had plenty of time before the next guard arrived in six hours.

Jeremy wasn't even originally supposed to work today. Fritz had been fired a few days prior, and Jeremy's boss practically had to beg him to cover. Maybe Jeremy could last until the next guard arrived, but he didn't think it was likely.

The tell-tale sound of the power plummeting seemed to echo in Jeremy's ears. Lights out, he thought to himself as the music box started up in his ears. He couldn't see Freddy, but he'd worked here long enough to hear the rumors. Freddy always got up and moved when the lights went out. He always came straight for the security office unless it was after 6 a.m. Jeremy assumed that whatever was going on had broken Freddy's normal routine.

The bear wasn't coming for him though, much to his surprise. He could hear the terrified scream of the other security guard as Freddy sought him out. Always after the night guard, Jeremy thought to himself, feeling his blood soaking through his shirt and pooling around him.

When he opened his eyes again, he didn't expect to be staring a golden bear in the face. He laughed, a gurgling sound as blood filled his throat. "You're not real," he told the animatronic.

One eye gleamed white, studying him. The animatronic didn't move, didn't speak, but it continued to occupy the space in front of the desk. And suddenly the animatronic did move, reaching out to brush the hair from Jeremy's face.

"You were a victim?" the animatronic said in a voice rusty from disuse. It sounded too small, too frightened, to be coming from such a large animatronic.

"We were all victims," Jeremy spat blood, rolling away from the animatronic. "Just let me die in peace."

"You don't deserve to die." There was an underlying fury as the animatronic rose to its feet, scooping Jeremy up in its arms. "We will fix you."

"I don't need fixing," Jeremy whispered, but he had no strength to resist the giant bear.

The carry reminded him of the last time he'd been near an animatronic. All the animatronics at the last restaurant had tried to kill him. But the Bonnie model from the back room hadn't. The old, worn, faceless Bonnie model. Jeremy didn't recall the other models appearing at all though. Just Bonnie.

Maybe it had been sympathy, or maybe it had been something else, but the animatronic rabbit had fought off two of the toys by himself, giving the rest of the staff an opportunity to drag him out of the mess.

The bear carried him gently, like he was something precious. The same delicate way Jeremy had wished to be held as a child in the thralls of nightmares.

"I must be imagining things," Jeremy mused to the yellow fabric of the bear's suit.

"This is real, I swear," the bear replied.

"Who are you?" Jeremy asked, swallowing back another mouthful of blood. "I've never seen you before."

"They buried me. They wanted to forget. They wanted to keep the children from getting nightmares," the bear muttered. "My name has been mostly forgotten. But I remember well enough. You weren't the first bite."

"I'd love to meet the other guy. Compare notes," Jeremy replied, eyes fluttering shut again.

"You already have," the bear whispered, but Jeremy was no longer conscious enough to hear him.

[allthefandomthings55]

Life in the Limelight

Chapter 3

Spencer’s POV

After my text conversation with Y/N, I got back to work. All I had to do was hope that we didn’t get a case in two days. I hopped off the elevator and walked to my desk and greeted everybody as I went. As I sat at my desk I started to do paperwork that had been piling up. 

“Hey Reid, my man,” Derek said slapping his hands on my shoulders. 

“Oh no, what do you want, Derek?”

“Nothing, I just think you should come out with me this weekend. Maybe Saturday?”

“I don’t know, Derek, I think I’m busy Saturday.”

“Ok Pretty Boy! What are you doing, hmm? Are you going to watch some obscure movie? Maybe reading a whole bunch of obscure books?”

“Yeah, actually I was thinking about going out and getting lunch after going for a walk in the park then going to an early movie then going home and reading some books.”

Derek, JJ, and Emily seemed surprised for me to have a detailed plan ready. “Ok Reid,” Emily starts, “Are you going with anyone?”

“No, I’m not. I’m actually kind of excited to go out by myself and enjoy life.”

Everyone was staring at me, trying to read my micro-expressions but I knew they couldn’t. “Everyone in the meeting room in five,” Hotch said as he walked passed us. After everyone left to go to the meeting room, I let out a deep breath. I hope this case doesn’t take us out of state and doesn’t take us long. I don’t want to miss my hangout/date with Y/N. I walk up to the meeting room to see everyone sitting there. 

I take my seat and Garcia starts the meeting, “Ok friends we have trouble in our backyard. First victim, Alyssa Caldwater, was last seen leaving her job at 10:30 last Tuesday night. She was found dead two days ago in an alley, and get this, completely naked. Then just yesterday an Amanda Clarke was found in another alley about two blocks from where Miss Alyssa was found. Also they were both strangled to death then stabbed 30 times postmortem.”

“So,” Emily started, “we’re clearly dealing with someone who has extreme aggression problems.”

“Yeah, they might also be impotent. Maybe that’s why he stabbed them,” JJ commented.

“You know, because of the overkill, we’re definitely dealing with someone who is really fit, or is on some kind of stimulant drug that would give them the strength and energy to do something like this,” I said. 

“Well, it seems like this guy is speeding up. One girl dumped two days ago and another one dumped yesterday.” Rossi added.

Hotch spoke up, “Either way we better get down to the D.C. field office and help them figure this out. Everyone at the cars in 10 minutes.”

I got worried because I don’t know if we’ll be done in time for my brunch with Y/N so I decided to call her. 

“Hello?”

“Hey Y/N, how are you?”

“I’m good, Spencer, I’m just leaving rehearsal. What about you?”

“Uh, I’m ok. Look I hate to do this, but my team and I just got a case and I don’t know if it will be done by Saturday. Luckily it’s here, well in D.C., but close enough, right?”

“Oh,” she sounded disappointed, “well that’s ok. I mean you can’t just let people die, right? How about this, we’ll play it by ear. What I do for work is really flexible so I can meet you really anytime I want. Within reason though.” She chuckled after that sentence and I liked the sound of it. I honestly didn’t even know what to say. “Spencer? Did I say something wrong?”

“No! I mean no you didn’t. I just haven’t always had people in my life that understood my situation.”

“Oh believe me I get your situation. Don’t be nervous but I really need to tell you something when we do get to meet. It’s nothing bad, but I think it’s important that you know.”

“Ok, yeah no worries right? But I have to get going to solve this and hopefully I can make our time and date.”

“Yeah you go catch a killer, Spencer. Good luck.”

“Thank you. Bye,” and I hung up the phone. I made my way downstairs and before I got off the elevator I took a deep breath and made my face neutral so the team couldn’t read me. 

As I walk out of the elevator I see the team waiting for me. “Petty Boy! What took you so long?”

“Uh, I just had to make a phone call.”

“Really? To whom?” I decided to ignore him and just follow everyone else and get into the SUV.

[whereianonymouslypostfics]

Silver Springs Part 4

Pairing: Wanda Maximoff x reader

Word count: ~9.5k

Summary: Wanda tries to leave her mob life behind to start a family with you

A/N: The crack has begun. Things start to happen. Enjoy. 

Chapter Warnings: Mentions of illness and cheating, use of medical jargon. 

Your day at work flies by which is both a blessing and a curse. You’re so busy that you barely have time to think about what happened last night. You’re not on edge until you take Boone out into the yard to exercise for a while. You go between watching him run around the fenced in yard and looking around you for someone watching you. You don’t see anyone, not that you expected to see anyone who’s stalking you. You very rarely see the people, mostly Bucky, that Wanda has following you, and today is no different. You figure that if there’s anyone on your tail other than Bucky, he’d know about it. Still, you take Boone back inside after only about 10 minutes because you get a little antsy just sitting around. That and you feel a headache coming on. You groan and roll your shoulders as you head back in. You only have about an hour until you can leave.

Wanda had been on the phone for most of the day. She was getting irritated because she was calling people in an attempt to get the impossible done. She wanted bulletproofing within the next 48 hours and unfortunately all of the money in the world couldn’t speed up this process. Unfortunately, it was an availability issue and her supplier could have it produced by the end of the week, but not installed until mid-next week.

This of course isn’t good enough, but as Wanda resorts all the way to Plan D, she realizes that she just has to cut her losses. She’s certain that she won’t get you to stay away from home for that long, but maybe you’ll agree to a little bit longer than you’d initially discussed. Hopefully you liked being around family again.

Wanda’s about to call her first supplier back to confirm that the timeline works for her when she gets a call from Bucky. She answers immediately because he only calls if it’s urgent. She tries not to panic too much as she waits for the bad news.

“Bucky, what’s happened?”

Bucky immediately realizes he should have just sent the redhead a text, but he’d been in a hurry. He was getting ready to follow you as you and Boone leave work. You had left a little earlier than expected because you had a headache and you wanted to get to the compound before it was too bad. You weren’t sure if Wanda would be waiting there for you, but all you could think about was lying down.

“Sorry. Nothing’s wrong. I was just calling to let you know that we’re leaving now.”

Wanda looks at her watch before she mutters a curse under her breath. She hadn’t realized how late it was, and she still had to pack. She sighs as she does quick math and realizes that she won’t be there until later tonight. She says this to Bucky who just claims that he’s got it handled, and Wanda believes him. She just doesn’t like the idea of not being with you while all of this is going on. She figures she can finish this one last thing and then pack up and leave.

“Okay, I’ll be there hopefully in a few hours.”

By the time you and Bucky make it to the compound your headache is near excruciating. You don’t get out of the car immediately and despite Boone’s protests, you stay with your head against the wheel for a solid minute before Bucky comes up to figure out what’s going on. You groan as you turn off the car and reach for a pair of sunglasses before you open the door and let Boone out.

“You okay?”

You shake your head as you step outside and close your eyes with a sigh. Bucky’s already opened the back door to unbuckle Boone and grab his leash as you try to not vomit from the sudden wave of nausea that hits you.

“I have a killer migraine and need a nap. You didn’t tell anyone I was coming did you?”

Your question is answered when you watch him look over your shoulder. You don’t have time to brace yourself for whoever it is when you feel someone run into you and wrap you into a tight hug.

“Y/n!”

You can’t help but flinch at the volume, but you smile nevertheless as you attempt to turn around and greet your friend.

“Good to see you too, Yelena. We need to catch up after this migraine goes away.”

You watch as the blonde squints before looking between you and Bucky as she grabs your bag from you and starts to lead you inside.

“You heard her Bucky, go away.”

You can’t help but laugh as Bucky rolls his eyes and just follows behind you with Boone’s leash in hand.

“Ha ha. Very funny.”

Turns out the compound hasn’t changed that much. You don’t pay much attention to anything but the length of the elevator ride up to your floor as you squeeze your eyes shut.

“Sorry you feel like shit.”

You smile before you shake your head and mutter that it’s fine. You wish you could take the time to catch up with your friend and tell her all about what happened, but you are getting closer and closer to being unable to stand.

“Thanks. I’ll come find you later when I feel less like death, okay?”

When you and Yelena arrive to your old room the blonde hands you your bag and Boone runs in as soon as you open the door.

“You better.”

She leaves and you close and lock the door behind you. It’s a habit and you don’t think twice as you hurry through the main room and over to the bedroom.  You flop down on it gracelessly. It’s been cleaned for your arrival and you bask in the smell of clean sheets as you try to think about nothing but feeling better. You sigh when you hear Boone jump up on the bed next to you and you don’t have the energy to tell him to get off. You toss and turn for a while trying to figure out what’s better for your headache. The pillow over your head blocks out the dim light coming from the window, but it makes your pulse louder, clearer and you eventually just give up and curl up into a ball under the covers.

 You fall asleep after about 20 minutes of feeling your pulse pound behind your eyes.

Wanda arrives at the compound near 7 o’clock with Steve and what she hopes is enough clothes to get you through the week. She rolls one of the suitcases, Steve has the other two, toward the elevators. She’s already texting you to figure out where you are when the elevator dings and the doors open to reveal someone on the other side.

“Welcome back, sestra.”

Wanda smiles despite her exhausting day and the stress headache brewing, and she hugs her brother tightly. They hug for a little longer than normal before Pietro backs off and shoots his sister a worried look.

“As nice as it is to have you back for a while, I wish it was for better reasons.”

Wanda nods with a sigh as she agrees with the older Maximoff’s sentiment. She had been meaning to visit at the end of the week, but the shooter had forced her hand. As much as she hates to admit it, she’s worried that she can’t keep you safe and this is the safest place she knows.

“Agreed. We’ll have to catch up once I’m settled.”

Pietro nods as he grabs his sister’s suitcase despite her protest before leading her into the elevator. She sighs with another smile as Steve follows them in before the doors shut. Wanda takes a closer look at her brother and notices that he’s dressed up a little more than she’d expect. She knows this isn’t for her and she smirks slightly.

“Important meeting today?”

Pietro looks confused for a moment before Wanda pointedly looks him up and down. Pietro tries to cover up his nerves with a cough, and he shoots Steve a glare when he notices the blonde grinning.

“Uh, actually I have a date later tonight.”

Wanda’s a little surprised and she doesn’t hide it well, but luckily her bother doesn’t take offense. She knows he’s a catch, despite his arrogance, but he’s also almost as paranoid as she is. The fact that he’s stepping out and dating is a little unexpected.

“Really? Do I know them?”

Pietro shakes his head before saying that it’s casual, and Wanda doesn’t have a chance to question this before the elevator sounds again signaling their arrival. Wanda just nods thoughtfully before she steps out onto the floor that she hasn’t seen in months. She glances back at her phone and frowns when she realizes that you haven’t responded. She decides that she’ll wait to get unpacked, and she’ll simply drop off your things before searching for you.

“Well, I hope you have fun. I look forward to hearing all about it.”

Pietro blushes again before waving his sister off and changing the subject quickly.

“Yeah, yeah. We’ll see. Where’s your lady? I thought she’d come visit her favorite Maximoff.”

Wanda would usually roll her eyes but she’s a little shocked to hear that you hadn’t made the rounds yet. That was typically the first thing you did when you arrived at the compound. You’d say hi to everyone and this included her brother despite his over-the-top flirting and occasional egotistical behavior.

“Let’s find out.”

Wanda opens the door to their rooms and is met by silence as she walks inside. She doesn’t have to wonder where you are for long when Boone comes barreling out of the bedroom to meet them. He is in full guard dog mode until he spots Wanda and he starts to wag his tail as he runs over to her. She pets him for a moment before she heads to the bedroom to see what you’re up to.

Pietro and Steve trail behind curiously, but they don’t want to get in the way as Wanda hurries to check on you.

“Y/n?”

She realizes that the lights are off and you must be sleeping. She’s about to leave you be when she spots you tossing and turning on top of the sheets. You’re sweating and breathing hard and it takes Wanda a moment to figure out that you’re not having a nightmare. She’s seen those before and this is different, but she doesn’t spend too much time overthinking it as she rushes over to you.

“Y/n, what’s wrong? What’s going on?”

Wanda quickly reaches out for you and her panic only worsens when she feels how hot your forehead is. She doesn’t notice Steve step inside when he hears how worried Wanda sounds as she finds one of your hands and squeezes.

“Detka, it’s Wanda. Can you open your eyes for me?”

You weren’t sure if Wanda was really there until you feel her grab your hand, and your eyes fly open. You’re sweating profusely and you feel like your heart is going to jump out of your chest, or just plain stop with how quickly it’s beating. You can’t find the words to communicate this so you guide Wanda with a shaky hand to your chest so she can feel for herself.

When Wanda rests her hand against you and feels how fast your heart’s racing, she turns around to find Steve. She hadn’t expected him to be in the room already, but she’s glad that he’s nearby when this happened.

“Steve! We need to get her down to medical.”

The trip downstairs was a blur and you were barely conscious by the time you arrived. Steve had carried you the entire way while Wanda followed with both Pietro and Boone in tow. Pietro was on the phone making sure the best doctors would be downstairs by the time they got there, mentioning who  was on their way. Whether she liked it or not, Wanda had become good friends with some of the doctors that worked for her. She’d had to see them more often than she’d care to admit or tell her wife, but she was eternally grateful that one of her favorites was waiting for her when she arrived.

“Dr. Palmer.”

The other redhead immediately steps forward and motions for Steve to set Y/n down in the bed that’s already surrounded by nurses.

“Wanda. Tell me what happened.”

Wanda is about to speak up and tell her all that she knew which unfortunately wasn’t much when Bucky storms into the room. He looks a little harried and Wanda has to stop herself from yelling at him to try and figure out what happened to you. Instead, she looks back to the doctor with a sigh as she looked between you and Bucky.

“I just got here to find her feverish and incoherent. I don’t know what happened to her.”

Bucky is quick to speak up as he turns to Dr. Palmer and the nurses who are getting you hooked up to various monitoring equipment. You are still unresponsive when someone puts a large needle in your arm, and unfortunately Bucky doesn’t have much to add.

“She had a headache when she left work, but she was fine otherwise. She didn’t even leave the clinic today.”

Wanda is about to ask more when she hears her name being spoken in a near whisper. She turns to see you looking at her with a pained expression. She walks past the doctor and everyone else to reach your side, and you flinch slightly as you’re poked again for blood, but you speak up before Wanda can go off on someone. She’s always at her worst when you’re concerned, and you don’t want her to snap at some poor unsuspecting soul.

“What is it, Y/n?”

You look to Bucky before meeting your wife’s worried gaze again. You hold up a hand and Wanda’s quick to grab it before lowering them both back down to your chest. She takes a moment to take in your warm skin and how just beneath it she can feel your slightly slower, but still racing heart.

“I’m okay, Wands.”

Wanda meets your earnest gaze and has several arguments on her the tip of her tongue, but you anticipate this and beat her to it. You take a deep breath before you bring your wife’s hand to your lips with a smile. You kiss it in an attempt to placate her before you whisper.

“My lunch tasted a little weird, but I was hungry, so…”

Wanda’s eyes widen at your words and she immediately scowls at the idea of someone poisoning your food. She looks to Bucky who is already nodding in understanding. He needs to run an errand.

“Find out who’s responsible for this. Take Steve with you.”

You shoot your friends an apologetic look that they miss as they near run out of the room. As the door opens Boone is racing through it in search of you. Pietro had hung back with him since he wasn’t allowed inside, but he quickly scurried after him as the shepherd charged into the room. He came in growling and several people jumped, but you just held out your free hand for him.

“Boone, settle down bud.”

Wanda turns to her brother before speaking rapid fire Sokovian with him. You miss most of it while you pet your panting and whining dog, but you notice when they’re finished as Pietro starts to leave.

“Where’s my favorite Maximoff going?”

Pietro can’t help but smile at this while your wife rolls her eyes at you. He walks back toward your bedside and smiles at you and reaches out for your other hand.

“Good to see you, kid. Sorry you feel like this. We’ll take care of whoever did it.”

You don’t miss your wife’s near-murderous look as she thinks about what she’ll do to whoever is responsible for this. You try not to think about that right now as you grab your brother-in-law’s hand with a smile. You look at him again and almost laugh at how he’s dressed up for maybe the third time since you’ve met him.

“You clean up nicely. You have a date or something?”

You and Pietro talk for a while as the doctor and nurses discuss your blood work and treatments. You don’t pay a lot of attention to it because you’re too tired to really care. That and you know that you’re safe here. Wanda wouldn’t let anyone do anything to harm you here. You look around briefly for Boone and when you don’t find him immediately you frown. Wanda seems to realize this and she just smiles before motioning to underneath your bed.

“He’s under there. Keeping watch.”

You smile at this and open your mouth to respond when a sharp pain in your head makes you cringe. You curse and close your eyes before taking a deep breath to push away the pain. You suppose you should be sleeping. Wanda seems to realize this and Pietro does too because he leaves shortly after with a hug and a promise to check on you soon.

“Have fun on your date.”

He smiles at you before he looks to Wanda and nods toward the door. She is reluctant to leave you, but she does need to talk to him before he leaves for a while. Wanda looks back to you and smiles when she sees Boone’s reappeared from under your bed.

“I’ll be right back, detka, okay?”

You nod and watch as the twins disappear through the door. You take a moment to look and see what you’re being treated with before deciding to take a nap.

“Let me handle this, Wanda. You stay with Y/n until she’s feeling better. I’ll have Bucky call Christine with whatever answers he finds, okay?”

Wanda wants to argue because she would love nothing more than to put a bullet through the head of whoever drugged you. However, her desire to make sure you’re safe and well-taken care of overrides this at the moment. She sighs in defeat before she nods in agreement. She doesn’t need to handle this personally, she just needs to make sure it’s handled, and since she’d tasked Steve and Bucky to do so she knew it would happen. She hugs her brother goodbye before returning to find you and Boone cuddling. His head is resting beside your leg and you have a hand on his head while you sleep soundly.

She just sighs as she moves one of the chairs closer to you and sits down to watch you sleep. She doesn’t know how long the staff will put up with Boone being in here, but she figures she can give him a little bit longer before she banishes him. She watches you breathe steadily as you sleep and her thoughts begin to run wild as she considers what the hell could be going on.

She knew that she shouldn’t have let you go into work today. Last night should have clued her into how much someone wanted to reach you. Not just the person stalking you at work, but someone shooting up the house to try and kill Boone. Then this? Wanda wasn’t sure why someone wanted to get rid of you so badly but it terrified her. She wasn’t one to run and hide with her tail tucked between her legs, but she needed time to make a plan. She had to figure out who was calling the shots on all of this, and that started with calling her prime suspect.

Despite having just told her brother that she would let other people handle it, she knew she had to be the one to confront this particular person. He wouldn’t respond well to someone else going on her behalf, so she promised that as soon as you were up again and stable, she’d tell you her plan and hopefully return before you miss her.

Strucker had not been expecting Wanda to change her mind and insist on meeting today. It was very late, and he didn’t really have time today, but one didn’t keep someone like Wanda Maximoff waiting without consequence. He was curious as to why she wanted to meet after insisting that he give up on any communication.

He’s sipping on a bourbon when Wanda walks into the bar. He immediately realizes that she’s tense, and she spots him quickly and heads over to his table. He’d ordered her a drink, but he’d be shocked if she actually drank it. Not only was she deeply paranoid, but it seemed like she wanted to get right down to business.

“Strucker.”

Wanda slides into the opposite side of the booth with barely a nod of acknowledgement. It took a lot for her to not come in here guns blazing so to speak, and she took a deep breath as she looked to the smiling man across from her.

“Ms. Maximoff this is quite the surprise. May I ask what changed your mind?”

Wanda takes a moment to study the older man across from her. He seems as smug as he usually does, but he also appears genuinely curious. Whether or not he knows what’s happened, or if he’s played a role in it, Wanda can’t tell. However, she knows that she can’t just sit back and be on the defensive anymore.

“I haven’t called you to talk about business. I haven’t changed my mind about that, Strucker, but I do need to discuss something with you.”

Strucker’s confusion turns to intrigue almost too quickly for Wanda to notice, but she sees it and presses on before he can speak. She glances behind Strucker to the two body guards she’s planted to keep things on the up and up.

“Someone’s been stupid enough to try and hurt my wife, twice, and I can’t help but wonder if this particular person is just a spiteful business partner who can’t take no for an answer.”

Wanda watches quite the emotional journey as she glares at the man in front of her angrily. She waits impatiently as he comes up with a response. He struggles to find the words and he eventually just shakes his head with a seemingly ingenuous expression.

“I had no idea. No-nothing to do with this I assure you, but I’ll see what I can find out.”

Wanda simply stares at him for a full minute as she tries to determine how honest he’s being. Strucker’s always been a little difficult to work with. Although he has claimed to be in agreement most times, sometimes he feigned being cooperative and tried doing things his own way. It infuriated Wanda to no end, but she wasn’t sure if he would betray her outright. She especially wasn’t sure if he had the balls to do something like this. He had to know how it would end for him.

“Now why would you do that?”

Wanda sits up and eyes the older man curiously as he answered without hesitation. He almost laughed but he held back because he could tell that the redhead wanted blood and he didn’t want to give her a reason to go after his.

“Because even though I had nothing to do with this I want to remain on your good side. You might be retired Mrs. Maximoff, but you are still a formidable adversary.”

Wanda scowls at this despite how truthful. She briefly wishes he could talk like a human being instead of some ass-backwards politician, but that’s a battle for a different day. Or if she does as she says she will, for never. She eventually caves with a sigh as she eyes Strucker suspiciously. Despite his claim, Wanda knows that he won’t be doing anything for her without a little something for himself. She’s not sure if she’s willing to give it to him.

“I already have people on it. What makes you think I need your help?”

She’s not bluffing. She has nearly a dozen people working around the clock to figure out who snuck onto her property last night, and who could have poisoned you today. So far, she’s heard nothing about either, but she was going to check in as soon as she left here. Strucker simply smiles widely at her and she has to remind herself to keep her gun holstered when he laughs harshly. Her glare goes ignored as he drains the rest of his drink before raising an eyebrow.

“Would you be here if you didn’t need my help?”

Wanda grits her teeth before sitting up so she’s closer to being on his level.

“I’m here because I was—am fairly certain you’re involved. I’m just not sure how yet. The timing is too coincidental for you not to be.”

At that Wanda stands up to leave but before she can step away from the table Strucker’s speaking again. She stops short and briefly contemplates shooting him for what he says next.

“If it’s any consolation, if I was behind this, your wife would already be dead.”

Wanda digs her nails into the palm of her hand and grits her teeth as she turns back to see Strucker looking at her with a straight face. He’s telling the truth and despite how much she wanted him to be the answer, she realizes right then that he wasn’t responsible for this. He was competent enough to get a job done the first time. This unfortunately left her back at square one.

You’re still asleep when Wanda returns. She doesn’t go to see you immediately because she has to check in with a few people first, but she makes sure to ask Bucky how you are doing as soon as she sees him. He’s going back and forth between medical and Pietro as they try to get to the bottom of things. Apparently, she wasn’t hiding her anxiety well and Bucky picks up on it immediately as they both head toward the elevator to Pietro’s office.

“Y/n’s doing, okay?”

Last report was that you were sleeping, but stable. You’re being treated for pain and your bloodwork came back consistent with heavy metal poisoning, so you were being treated with an antidote for that. Apparently, it was now just a waiting game while the toxins left your system, but this wasn’t enough for Wanda. She wanted you feeling better now, despite how irrational and unrealistic it was. She also wanted whoever was responsible to pay.

Bucky nods as he presses the button and waits for the doors to shut in front of them. The compound is bustling as usual, but he can tell that Wanda’s only got one thing, rather one person on her mind right now.

“She’s resting. The cameras in medical are working, and Boone’s still under her bed.”

Wanda can’t help but smile at this. She knew it was going to be difficult to get Boone to leave you alone. He was very overprotective when you were sick, but luckily, he was well behaved enough to just sit and keep watch. Bucky’s brought him water and food, but he mostly left it alone. He’d probably try to get him to go out on a walk later tonight if he’d tolerate it. Wanda knows that she shouldn’t let him stay in there, but a tiny voice in the back of her mind is telling her to not leave you alone. So much has happened in a short amount of time and she doesn’t want to risk anything else.

She glanced up to see what floor they were on and she started to tap her foot impatiently. She wanted to get this over with so she could wait for you to wake up, but she could only do so much to hurry things along. She tries to remind herself that you’re safe here, and that you have people looking after you. Even if they can’t be her at the moment.

“Nat said that she and Yelena were going to visit her too. I think they should be back soon.”

Wanda almost forgot that she’d asked her friends to try and track down the man who had snuck onto her property last night. She looks to Bucky again with a frown as she recalls what he’d told her. Upon visiting the restaurant that you got lunch from today, he found that it was closed early for an undisclosed reason. He was working on figuring out who works there and he plans on visiting them first thing tomorrow to question them. Wanda had wanted to do this herself, but the amount of terror she’d inflict upon someone who may not have known what they were doing would be too much. Not to mention she didn’t want to draw that much attention to herself.

“Did they mention finding anything out?”

“It was fucking Rumlow!”

Wanda frowns as she looks back to the image on the television in front of her. She’s with Yelena, Nat, Pietro, Steve and Bucky in the older Maximoff’s office reviewing the security footage from last night yet again. Yelena swears that she can recognize the man, but he’s practically covered from head to toe. Wanda opens her mouth to say this, but Yelena is determined.

“I’m positive. I’ve seen the fucker run away from me enough times.”

Wanda looks around and sees that Steve and Bucky don’t look convinced. Pietro looks unsure and Nat just shrugs at her. She sighs before shaking her head and asking a question that no one really has the answer to.

“If it is Rumlow, why did he miss? “

It’s no secret to anyone here that the brunette was good at what he did, and the likelihood of him missing a shot, even at night with the weather was highly unlikely. He was experienced and should have killed Boone if that was his goal. Everyone seems to be on the same page and despite not liking it, Nat shakes her head.

“Maybe he wasn’t trying to kill him. Maybe it was a warning.”

Wanda scowls at this and opens her mouth to speak but Pietro beats her to it. He’s just as unsettled as she is, but he’s getting angrier about it than her.

“The person stalking Y/n at work was also a warning. What about her being poisoned? Like you said, Wanda, if Strucker was behind this, he wouldn’t give Y/n so many warnings.”

Wanda nodded in agreement because if she only believed one thing that Strucker told her tonight, it was that he wouldn’t have failed to hurt you if he’d tried. Wanda’s still trying to come to terms with this while figuring out who is actually behind the incidents.

“Agreed. I don’t think it’s Rumlow, Yelena.”

She sees the blonde is about to argue, so she does her best to pacify her without getting too bogged down.

“But in case we’re wrong, let’s circulate this picture.” Wanda gestures to the screen that has the best image of the shooter from last night with a frown.

“In case someone recognizes him.”

Nat nods and mutters something about having Vision do it, and Wanda just nods. She doesn’t want to tell him too much, but she knows that Nat will be discrete.

Pietro looks to his sister who is deep in thought and he walks around his desk to reach out for her. She stiffens slightly before relaxing at the hand on her shoulder, and she turns to her brother with a tired sigh.

“What about you, sestra? How are you holding up? What’s your plan?”

Pietro knows that his sister is worried. The fact that she’s here and not at home confirms this. That said, she would have likely brought Y/n here after what happened at work yesterday. The point was that his sister was dealing with something that she wasn’t used to. Usually, she was on the offensive and if someone targeted her, she took them out first. Unfortunately, this time she wasn’t the target, and she didn’t know who to go after. Her prime suspect was a bust, and you’re in a hospital bed recovering from being poisoned. Wanda’s out of sorts and she needs someone to tell her that she’ll figure it out.

Wanda takes a moment to look around the room at her family before smiling slightly as she turns back to Pietro.

“Being here helps, but it’s only temporary. Hopefully we’ll figure this out before Y/n grows impatient.”

A couple of them smile at the thought of you getting restless and wanting to go back to work. As much as they hate what happened, it has bought Wanda more time to figure things out. Knowing that you’ve been targeted multiple times will make you more lenient, but you won’t stay hidden away forever. Yelena smiles at the thought and shrugs.

“We can keep her distracted.”

Wanda can tell that Yelena means trouble by her tone and she is about to warn her off when Bucky’s phone rings. He answers it and listens to someone speak before responding calmly. “We’ll be right there.”

He hangs up before looking to Wanda as he stands up straight. There’s a lot to unpack in the short sentence he was told, but now isn’t the time. They need to get to medical now.

“We need to get downstairs.”

Boone shifts slightly from where he’s lying under your hospital bed. He’s been there for a while and he’s getting restless but he stays alert in case you need him. He eyes the food and water bowl in the corner of the room and considers going to get some when he hears something above him. He listens before sitting up carefully as the noise continues. Boone sneaks out from under the bed and sees you shaking slightly in your sleep. He whines when it becomes more violent and he’s barking loudly when your monitors start to alarm.

He starts to bark again when people suddenly run into the room. He recognizes them from before and just watches anxiously as they rush to your side and reach for a drug by your bedside.

“She’s seizing.”

“Get me 20mgs of midaz”

The nurse who administers it watches the clock and you simultaneously, and after 15 seconds of you continuing to seize, she calls it.

“I need another half dose, and someone page Dr. Palmer.”

Boone is watching intently as one person runs to grab their phone while the other two stay by your side and continue to administer antiepileptics. Your seizure has been going on for nearly 90 seconds before you finally respond to the third dose of midazolam. Boone whines from where he sits off to the side watching as you still and start to breathe normally again. The monitors you’re hooked up to have returned to their normal monotone beeping and Boone finally lies down but still watches you carefully.

When Dr. Palmer arrives about 5 minutes after you’ve settled, the first thing she notices is Boone’s sitting beside you with his head resting on your shoulder. He’s not in the way, but she can tell that her staff are slightly wary of him. She’ll have to address that after she figures out what happened to you.

“Dr. Hale, what happened?”

The blonde stands a little taller as she addresses the other doctor. Taylor Hale is a first-year resident who’s specializing in neurology under Dr. Palmer, but she spends a few nights a week here at the compound assisting with the redhead’s research as well as treating some of the patients. She hadn’t expected to treat anything more than a few agents who got banged up, so she was surprised and fairly horrified when you came in. Of course, she knew who you were because no sane person would step into this building without knowing who was in charge here. Granted, you weren’t one of the two Maximoffs that were in charge, but you were married to one of them and by association you were important.

“We were watching the monitors in the lounge, and everything looked normal here, but then we heard barking. A few seconds later Dr. Maximoff’s heart rate spiked to over 100, and we came in to find her seizing.”

The blonde continues to tell the story, and mentions how many doses of midazolam you got before responding. Christine frowns at this and looks to the medications that you’re currently receiving. She has to step closer to the bed and Boone as she does this but he just watches her closely before she takes a step back. The redhead takes a moment to think about what she’s been told, and she steps over to where she sees Boone’s food is and grabs one of the treats sitting next to it.

“So, Boone barks when she starts seizing and it lasts for how long – 90 seconds?”

All three of the others in the room nod in agreement, and Christine looks back to you before posing another question. She’s curious about what they think because although she has a pretty good idea, she knows that they might not. They’re here to learn and since you’re not in any immediate danger right now, taking a minute or two to teach this won’t do any harm.

“Now, can you think of reasons why Y/n would have a seizure?”

The three of them pause to think about it before one speaks up.

“Heavy metal toxicity causes it”

“How?”

Another speaks up to answer. “The uremic toxins build up from the metabolism of metal.”

She nods before turning to Dr. Hale who hasn’t said anything as she thinks about what Dr. Palmer might be getting at.

“Correct, but would we expect this after dialysis is complete and the uremia is resolved?”

They thought about what your blood work looked like post dialysis and shook their heads. Your liver, kidney and hemogram values were all normal.

“What could currently be a potential cause of excitation of her CNS?”

Dr. Hale speaks up quickly before she does what Dr. Palmer did and reassesses the fluids they have you on.

“Re-exposure through enterohepatic recirculation.”

Dr. Palmer nods before she walks back over to Boone and holds out a treat to him. He turns and sniffs it before accepting it gently.

“Good boy, Boone. Exactly, so what do we do about it?”

Silence.

“Redialyze?”

Christine shakes her head. “Not necessary and not without risks.”

Dr. Hale is already doing the math as Dr. Palmer pulls out her phone.

“We just need to keep giving her the chelating agent for the half-life of the toxin.”

She nods before dialing Bucky to let him know what’s happened. She knows that this place will be flooded in minutes, but for now she takes a moment to take in the silence.

“Calculate the dose for the suspect metal and I’ll check it after I call Mr. Barnes.”

It is almost 4 in the morning, but she has a feeling that he, as well as the rest of the team is still up trying to solve this mystery. She’d thought about how close someone would need to get to Y/n or how much they’d need to give her in food to get her this sick. Her thoughts are cut off by the sound of Bucky’s voice.

“Hey.”

“Bucky hi. Can you and Wanda come down here?”

Even though Bucky had told her that her wife was stable, Wanda still near ran down to medical with the brunette on her heels. She’d been surprised to hear that Christine was still here, or that she’d come back. This usually only happened if something went wrong, and with this in mind Wanda tried to remain calm as she walks into medical. She passes a few other patients who are sleeping before she arrives to your room to see it more crowded than she’d expected. One doctor was setting something up with your fluids while Christine looked at your chart again.

It wasn’t until Wanda turned to look at you that she saw Boone. He was still sitting by your bedside with his head resting on the mattress. He looked tired and Wanda knows she needs to give him a break.

“Christine, is everything okay?”

The other redhead turns around at the sound of your wife’s voice and she hears Boone start as well. His collar clinks loudly as he sits up and gives Wanda his full attention. She hears Bucky stop behind her to listen to the answer, but she doesn’t pay him much mind as Christine nods and Wanda nearly sighs in relief.

“Yes, everything’s okay. She had a seizure about 10 minutes ago, but we’ve started her on something that should help neutralize the toxin for as long as it’s in her system.”

Wanda frowns at the news that you hadn’t just been sleeping peacefully. She’s feeling guilty for leaving again and she looks back to you and sees that even in sleep you seem tense. You’re sweating and your brow is furrowed the way it does when you think too hard. Wanda finally turns to Boone and holds out her hand to him with a small smile.

“That’s good to hear. I hope he hasn’t caused too much trouble.”

Wanda looks back from petting the yawning dog to the two doctors who are shaking their heads. The blonde is changing your fluid bag and running the line through the pump as Christine smiles at Boone who sits while panting happily with his tongue hanging out of his mouth. He nudges Wanda’s hand with his nose when she stops petting him but he quickly turns to lick Bucky when he starts to scratch his back.

“The sm-smartest boy.”

“Not at all. He actually picked up that something was wrong before the monitors did. He’s very smart.”

It’s as if Boone knows that he’s being talked about and he practically preens when Christine says this. Wanda smiles proudly while Bucky laughs at this. Despite it being true. He’s about to ask how long until she expects you to wake up, but a quiet groan cuts him off, and all five heads whip around to look to where you’re starting to stir.

You mumble under your breath as you fight to open your eyes and see who’s around you. You’d heard voices that you recognized but couldn’t place immediately, but suddenly you’re surrounded. Boone is quick to jump back towards you and nose at your hand with a loud whine that makes you cringe. Wanda reaches out for you next and she feels her heart clench at how cold your hand is and how pained you look.

“Open your eyes for me, detka, and I’ll get him a little brother, or sister.”

You don’t open your eyes immediately, but you squeeze your wife’s hand with a small smile as you think about what she’s saying. You’re not sure who else is in the room with you, but if you had to guess it was Bucky and a doctor. You blame your drugged, fatigued state for what you say next, and although Bucky coughs awkwardly and the doctors look away to give you a modicum of privacy, Wanda just smiles at you.

“I thought we were already working on that. IVF or whatever.”

Wanda laughs at this before she shakes her head as she reaches out to brush your hair behind your ear. Her smile widens when your eyes open and you blink away some of your sleepiness. You smile at her and reach out for the hand that’s against your cheek with a sigh. You both miss the short exchange between the doctors as they read each other’s mind. Dr. Hale makes a note to herself to test your blood for one more thing once she’s back in the lab.

“We can talk about that later, Y/n. Once you’re feeling better.”

You nod before you turn your attention to the others in the room. You scratch Boone behind his ears and boop his nose as you greet everyone else. Bucky nods at you while you struggle to clear the sleep from your eyes.

“Dr. Palmer. Dr. Hale. Thank you for your expertise. And your drugs.”

Christine laughs softly at this as she moves forward to greet you with a friendly smile. The two of you have seen plenty of each other over the years, but it has been a while since you’d been down in medical. This might be your third time being down here for your own injuries instead of anyone else’s. Usually Nat and Yelena’s.  

“Always happy to help, and congratulations.”

You smile appreciatively before saying something to that affect. You stifle a yawn as Dr. Hale leaves to run that test for Dr. Palmer. She nods to the three still in the room before disappearing quickly. She takes a deep breath before straightening out her coat with a sigh. She was a little surprised that you knew who she was, but then again, she really shouldn’t be. Despite not being as present as Wanda had over the years, she knew you kept tabs on your friends who ended up down here for whatever reasons.

Taylor stops in the lab and quickly moves to the fridge that has your blood in it. She stops suddenly when the lights flicker for a few seconds leaving her a little disoriented. She waits until they stop before looking through the labeled tubes until she finds yours.

She spends a little longer finding where the hCg detection tests are. They’re not normally run here, or rather she doesn’t typically do it, so it takes a few minutes for her to find them. Once she does, she takes your blood and gets the test set up.

She’s about to drop your blood into the supernatant when the lights flicker again.

“What the…”

Wanda frowns as the lights flicker once again. She’s not sure what’s happening, but she knows that the power going out will cause more problems down here than anywhere else. Bucky reads her mind and excuses himself to go investigate and make sure the backup power will work. Once it’s just you, Wanda and Christine, Wanda turns to the other redhead and asks the questions she’s been wrestling with all night.

“So how do you think this happened?”

Christine sighs before she gestures for Wanda to take a seat in the chair beside your bed. She does after moving it closer so she can hold your hand, and you smile as you try to fight your fatigue enough to hear what the doctor has to say. You have your theories, but you’re not the expert by any means.

“I believe that you were poisoned Y/n, and since you mentioned your lunch tasting off it makes sense that would be the source. Did you get your food yourself?”

You shake your head because as you’d promised Wanda you hadn’t left the clinic. This also meant that Bucky didn’t leave it either. You’d asked someone who was already going out to grab you something. You say this and Wanda doesn’t want to ask but she needs to consider all of the options. The other redhead seems to be on the same page and she waits for Wanda to speak.

“Who brought you lunch?”

You frown at the question because you don’t remember who you asked. You think about it for a moment before you come up with a name.

“One of the assistants said he was going out. Tyler, but he’s been there forever Wands. It wasn’t him.”

Wanda seems to consider this briefly before she shakes her head. She doesn’t want to argue with you, but she will be looking into him as well first thing tomorrow. Christine just nods at this before Wanda mentions that she’ll follow up at the restaurant tomorrow.

Wanda and Christine talk for a little while longer, but you’re drifting in and out of sleep. Boone’s returned to his place by your side, and has rested his head on your lap in what looks like the least comfortable position possible. You don’t notice though and you also miss Christine leaving you and Wanda alone. Your wife considers her next move before she reaches out for your hand again.

“Y/n?”

You open your eyes to see Wanda standing over you with a questioning look. The lights have dimmed and the way the light hits her hair from behind makes it look like its glowing and you smile.

“Do you want me to stay with you for a bit?”

You nod immediately before taking a deep breath and moving over as much as you can without exerting yourself too much. You still groan in effort and Wanda frowns in worry, but she doesn’t get to protest before you turn back to her with a grin.

“Come sit my dear.”

Wanda just rolls her eyes at you but moves quickly to occupy the space you’ve made for her. Boone shifts slightly before resting his head down right next to yours. You turn to kiss his forehead before turning back to your wife. It was a tight fit, but when you wrap your arms around her to pull the redhead close you don’t care. You breathe a sigh of relief as you close your eyes and rest your head on Wanda’s shoulder.

“Is this okay?”

Wanda hums in approval before she scoots back so she’s even closer to you. She yawns as she too closes her eyes and decides to try and take a nap. It’s obscenely early and she needs to sleep. Granted she’d thought she’d be in her own bed, but she’d rather be here with you than alone in her own.

“I love you, Y/n.”

You smile against Wanda’s neck before you kiss her cheek. “I love you too, Wands.”

Wanda isn’t sure what wakes her up at first. She’s sore from sleeping on an uncomfortable bed, but she’d been tired enough that it hadn’t mattered. She opens her eyes and realizes the lights are back on but you’re still asleep. There’s a low sound accompanying the background noise of your monitors, but it isn’t until Wanda turns to face you that she realizes what it is.

As soon as she sees you’re still asleep, she sees Boone sitting up straight with his ears back and a look of fierce concentration on his features. Wanda frowns in confusion as she turns to see what he’s growling at and she nearly curses under her breath when she spots Vision standing in the doorway.

“Wanda, I apologize for waking you, but I have urgent news.”

Wanda rolls out of bed as quickly and carefully as possible before she tries to make herself look presentable as possible. She had slept in the clothes she wore yesterday and her hair was a mess, but she couldn’t do much about that right now. She sighs as she runs a hand through her hair and takes a couple of steps away from you so as not to wake you.

“It’s alright, what time is it?”

When Vision says it’s nearly 10 Wanda’s jaw drops in surprise. How did she sleep in so late, and how had no one come to wake her up already? She doesn’t get to think about this much before she leads Vision out of the room. She doesn’t want to wake you up and as the two of them walk towards the elevator, Wanda takes out her phone to text Bucky. She asks him to check on you soon before she turns her attention to Vision who’s looking more eager than she usually sees him.

“What did you find out?”

Wanda hadn’t seen the older man for a while. In all honesty she was avoiding him because she had so much going on, and he was still a little clingy despite everything. She waits as he presses the button on the elevator before turning to her. He’s frowning but Wanda can tell he’s not upset.

“I’ve confirmed that it was Rumlow that trespassed on your property the night before last.”

Wanda’s eyes widen in surprise and she curses the fact she has to apologize to Yelena as she walks into the elevator. She thinks about what this could mean with a nod but she has to make sure he’s positive before she starts down that road.

“You’re sure?”

Vision nods without hesitation before mentioning that someone recognized his gun from the video and he’s since confirmed it. Wanda groans at the idea of having to deal with Rumlow. He is a pain in the ass and he hates her; he always has. She also realizes that either Rumlow’s gone rogue, or Strucker had lied to her face. She scowls at the thought and Vision seems to realize what she’s thinking and he coughs nervously before continuing.

“Yes, well there’s more. I had someone go back to the restaurant that Y/n got lunch from yesterday and it turns out it was delivered by a driver who didn’t tamper with the food. So, she must have been poisoned another way.”

Wanda walks out of the elevator before turning to the older man with a confused frown. This doesn’t make any sense. Based on what Christine found, you’d ingested the poison, so if it wasn’t your lunch, how else could it have happened. She sighs as she keeps walking with a groan. Her day is already starting to get out of hand.

“I’ll check with Y/n once she’s up to see if we’ve missed anything.”

Vision stops walking as soon as she says this, and Wanda stops short of reaching Pietro’s office to turn and look at him. She figured her brother would want to know whatever Vision found out, and she’s also eager to figure out if he’s found anything else out about your stalker/poisoner.

“There’s one more thing, Wanda.”

She waits for him to continue, but when he doesn’t, she gets a little frustrated. She’s sore from sleeping in an unfamiliar bed, she’s still a little tired and she’s getting more stressed by the second. She starts to close the distance between Pietro’s office and she waves Vision along.

“What is it? Come on, let’s see if Pietro’s in.”

Wanda’s surprised to feel Vision grab her hand and pull her to a sudden stop before she can knock on the door. She whips around to face him with a scowl and he immediately drops her hand, but she’s still pissed. She doesn’t get a chance to tell him off before he’s apologizing and confusing Wanda even more.

“I’m sorry – it’s just, I don’t know if you’ll want your brother to hear this.”

Wanda’s shooting Vision a bewildered look and that prompts him to finally spit it out. She’s not sure what she expected him to say, but this certainly was not it.

“While looking into the possibility of someone at work poisoning her, it was discovered that Y/n had an affair.”

Wanda had to fight the sudden urge to slap him across the face for suggesting such a thing. She also had to hold back her instinct to say the first thing that came to mind, or rather scream it. She knocked on the door to her brother’s office a little harder than necessary.

“That’s bullshit. Who told you that?”

“Come in!”

Wanda doesn’t wait for Vision to answer and she flings the door open and steps inside her brother’s office with a face like thunder. Pietro looks up and immediately is put on edge by his sister’s expression, but he doesn’t have time to ask her what’s wrong before Vision comes scurrying in after her.

“I’m sorry, Wanda, but my source is reliable.”

Pietro frowns in confusion as he looks between a frazzled Vision and a near murderous Wanda. He decides to speak up before someone, Vision most likely, gets slapped.

“What’s going on, Wanda?”

Wanda takes deep breath before she shuts the door behind Vision and turns to her brother. She moves to lean against one of the chairs in front of his desk before glancing at him and then turning to glare at Vision.

“Vision was just about to tell me why he thinks Y/n had an affair.”

 Part 5

[aroaceconfessions]

Okay, okay, I had a mega brainwave in the last 10 minutes and I figured this blog would be the most efficient way for the most people to hear it as possible.

So most people desire a romantic relationship, right? That's what all the books and TV shows and goodness knows what else say. You know this and I know this.

And when a couple break up, people tend to take that literally, i.e. their hearts become broken. You can see in media of all types that relationships equal a whole heart, and breaking up leaves that heart split in two halves, ripped up through the middle.

So, what does that mean? My mega brainwave is that it implies people don't contain a whole heart by themselves. People walk around with a ripped open half-heart in their chests, which is why they're always looking for a relationship - they can feel the rough edge of their heart and they desperately want to smooth it over, to make it whole.

And the difference for Aro people - and Ace people, to a lesser extent - is that while they do still only have half a heart, it's not ripped open through the middle. It's a raindrop. There's no other half that could even theoretically make it "complete" because it's perfect they way it is. They have no edges to smooth out in the first place.

And if, for whatever reason, an Aro person feels compelled to enter a romantic relationship, they only end up getting hurt because the jagged edge of the other person's heart is rubbing against them. Maybe the poor Aro person can't understand why they don't feel complete. They try harder to make their heart match the other person's, give up more of themselves, but it never works. It was doomed from the start. They only end up cutting their own heart open.

As an Aroace person myself, there's this one lyric from the song "Killer" (artist: The Ready Set) that always stuck with me. It goes: 'this heart ain't built for two'.

And that's what I think makes us so cool.

Next time it rains where you are, and you're feeling alone in the world (we've all been there), pause and think about all your cool Aro and Ace raindrop-heart friends out in the world, living their best lives.

And, most importantly, have a nice day. Signed, your friend.

Submitted April 16, 2023

[a-reader-and-a-writer]

Yes to that comic version of Bruce! 👏 (what did you think of the bale batman and battinson?) Jensen is a bloody good actor but I just can't process him as the bat I look at him and my brain just says 💗soft💗 I liked the bale batman- although I can't see him as batdad but I can somehow see battinson trying to parent lol Jon Bernthal would make a killer batman for sure. I find it soo hard to fancast and I always end up changing my mind

Who is your Alfred? I love Michael Caine Alfred and I quite liked the Alfred from the Gotham TV series

I can't unsee Brenton Thwaites as Nightwing like in my mind the way Hugh Jackman shall forever be Wolverine and Ian McKellen is forever Gandalf, Brenton Thwaites is now my forever Nightwing. I really really want a Nightwing movie so bad. Have you seen the YouTube Nightwing series?

I've never heard of Tanner Buchanan before, but yo the green eyes sealed the deal there 💚 I find Jason the hardest to cast tbh

Griffin Gluck!! Have you seen locke and key? that's the only thing I've seen him in, Felix Mallard was in it too, I can sometimes envision Felix as Jason sometimes not, I've not seen a fancast before that has made me be like yes that is 100% Jason, I liked the hbo titans version of Jason but only as the hbo titans Jason if that even makes sense, little dude did so good in that role 👏 but anyways sorry for the Jason tangent lol !Griffin Gluck Tim Drake hell yeah! This is partly crack partly not but mostly crack but I can somewhat see Rebal D as Tim Drake the energy in his YouTube videos is at times very Tim to me

I wish dc would even just make a short mini movie, like 15 mins long, about Bruce trying to be a responsible father and damian just being damian 🤣

I know the ages for this arent right but oh well lol, I think I'd fancast Chance Perdomo as Duke, Emma Stone as Steph and Violet Orlandi as Cass, for the life of me I can't come up with anyone for Babara? (I love Violet as Cass, she's not even an actress but she could sooo do it)

Thanks for giving your fancast!! And 10 000% yes to the Wayne Family Adventures it's so perfect, I need to start reading that again. But yeah if you have anymore casting ideas for the batfam or villians etc I'd looovee to hear!

Hi anon!!! This is an AMAZING ask!!! Thank you so incredibly much for taking the time to send it! 🥰

This answer is going to be a bit lengthy so I'm going to put it under the break. And I am planning on doing another post of fancasting like this one for the extended Batfam members so I might not address all your points here, but they will be coming very soon! 😘

First of all, I am a big fan of both Bale and Pattinson's portrayals. I have a hard time picking a favorite because their approaches to the character are so different and yet both valid. I am VERY interested to see what they do with Battinson moving forward since this first movie is still early in his time wearing the cowl where he is still figuring out what Batman should be. And I would LOVE to see him get a Robin in the sequel (preferably sticking with Dick like the canon) but we shall see!

I'm not sure if you've seen The Boys, but Jensen's portrayal of Soldier Boy is all the proof to me that he could nail portraying Batman. And his range in Supernatural (from being a gruff and heartless hunter one minute to breaking down in a softer, protective emotional side the next) solidifies for me that he could switch between Batman to Batdad when needed. And he's charming as hell so Bruce wouldn't be a problem 😂

I'll have my new fancast of Alfred on my next post, but from previous ones, Michael Caine is always my Alfred. I think Andy Serkis is a great version of Alfred for Battinson and is what that Bruce needs (and his performance is great as always) and I enjoyed Sean Pertwee in Gotham (once again, a great interpretation for what *that* Bruce needed). However, Michael Caine was my first live-action Alfred and he was SO PERFECT, I don't think he will ever be topped as my favorite.

To be fair, I think Brenton Thwaites had the look for Dick and I think he could have been a good choice if the show was different, but for me, I can't get over how much Titans tone and interpretation of the characters/stories rubbed me the wrong way. None of the characters felt accurate to me based on their comic counterparts and the studio just tried to be too edgy and dark. The perfect example is the "Fuck Batman" moment. It was all over the trailers and just seemed like something they wanted to push to be like "this ain't your parent's Robin" but they pushed things so far it didn't even feel grounded in the characters I love. (don't even get me started on the Red Hood plot line).

I have seen the Nightwing youtube series and they do a really good job with it! My hope for this new direction of the DC movies and the fact The Brave and the Bold will focus on Bruce and Damian's relationship is that it means they'll include Nightwing and maybe mention Tim now working with the Titans (you don't want to include too many characters in the first movie which is the problem a lot of superhero movies have made lately). And I also want a mention of Jason but not have him returned as Red Hood yet which would be its own movie later.

Speaking of Jason.... While Dick is my first Robin and will always have a very special place in my heart because of that, Jason is my favorite. I just love how complex and rich his character development and story is. I also find casting him really difficult because of that. However, I do think Tanner Buchanan has a good potential. I've seen him in a few smaller roles, but I know he is a main character in Cobra Kai so he does have experience with fighting he could bring to the role (I haven't seen the show but I did watch clips on youtube). And as you pointed out, those green eyes are a big plus!

I think Curran Walters does a good job in Titans for what the show wants of him, but once again, it's just not my Jason and I rage quit season 3 😂 (though I watched clips of key Red Hood moments from later in the season)

Tim is always the hardest member of the main Batfam for me to write or cast just because he is the one I have the least knowledge or experience with outside of fanfics. However, I still really like him as a character and think he has a lot of potential in a movie or show. And I haven't seen Locke and Key (though it is on my list because I LOVE Aaron Ashmore)

I am excited with the prospect of having Bruce and Damian together in The Brave and the Bold, but I am also very nervous about how they will characterize them. All the Batman projects since Batman Begins have skewed very dark and I don't think that works well if you bring in the whole Batfam (if they just want to add Dick with Battinson, I think that could work but not expanding it to the whole gang). But James Gunn's comments about making the new Superman movie more about kindness feels like it will be a brighter, lighter version (more like the Christopher Reeve movies than the Henry Cavill ones) which I feel is more accurate to most comics, so I am cautiously optimistic for the Batfam in these movies. However, the canon and fanon versions of the Batfam don't always match (neither does the canon version between comic writers), but I am still hopeful for the more loving version we want, and is portrayed fairly well in the DC Animated movies.

As for Duke, Cass, Steph, and Barbara, I'm going to include them in my next post so you will have to wait a little to get my thoughts on them as well as a few others😉

Though because you brought up ages I will mention that all of my castings are based on if I were making a movie or show today. There are a lot of different people I would have loved to have in these roles in the past that are unfortunately just too old at this point.

And just another shout-out to Wayne Family Adventures because it is everything I ever wanted from a Batfam comic/story!!! Plus, the art is so perfect! Yes, the comic is a lot of fan service, but it is really funny while also being deep and emotional at times. It never loses the heart of the characters and you can tell there is so much love in the project and for these characters. If we could get a show or even a web series of this version of the Batfam, it would be a dream come true!

[oonajaeadira]

hello fellow scout!

to celebrate the coming of the ASHNADO, i'd like to know:

who is a stringer team at capture the flag:

Joel, Dieter & Dave or Frankie, JaviG & Pena?

Beefro👌🥩💜

Okay, beeffriend. I have to tell you a story. So yours was the first asknado ask I got and it was before I saw the pedroscout post so I can't tell you how long I sat here trying to figure out what ASHNADO was an acronym for. I'm like, is that the name of the Corona campaign? What are the titles of the upcoming Pedro projects? What am I missing???

So I let it sit for a moment and then went through my feed and I'm like. Oh. OHHHHHHHHHHH *headsmack*

This is in no way to single out the typo, but it is in every way to illustrate the clown show of me sitting on my couch in a post-12-hr-day stupor going... durrrrrrrrr for like 10 minutes.

*smh at mself*

Okay. Then we get to your question. I don't know what capture the flag is, because I'm a dummy at sports. But now I know because Google's a hell of a thing.

Joel, Dieter, and Dave are the winning team.

See, over on the other team you've got Frankie who is going to be the strongest player. He's able to think ahead and strategize. But he does have Javi G on his team. Javi's gonna try real hard, but he doesn't have the right footwear and he's going to be really polite and hesitant about possibly running into someone or getting tackled or something. And then you've got Javier, and he's got better things to do. He's not going to run unless he absolutely has to. He's probably just going to let himself get caught so he can sit out for a minute and smoke.

Over on our winning team? Dave's a lot like Javier in that he probably finds this a waste of time. But if he's here, he might as well commit to it--the faster everyone wins, the faster this is done. With that attitude, he's able to get Joel into the same mindset and they go into predator mode, taking down the other team in duet one by one like a pack of lions on a herd of gazelles. I mean, Dieter is there too and he's a fuckup, but he's also a wild card. If you get him on a day where he's game (read: a coke day instead of a pot day), that boy will run. He won't even make a half-ass attempt of chasing anyone, but he's fast enough to not get caught and that keeps him out of the trench.

The game is over in 1 minute 29 seconds tops, Joel and Dave taking out Javier first who shrugs and heads to the sidelines, then Javi who goes into panic and throws his hands up over his face as the two killers come at him at once. The other minute and 13 seconds is the two of them trying to corner Frankie who is way too fast and only gets caught because he runs into Dieter who just stepped out of the restroom and into his path.

[irregularincidents]

Over the course of 25 years, Albert Pierrepoint killed between 435 and 600 people, with his last being in 1956. He was Britain's most prolific hangman, and in late 1945 he was brought to Germany with a specific task: Executing Nazis.

A private man, both Albert's father and uncle had been hangmen before him, and over the course of his career he killed a variety of people, conventional criminals, serial killers (plus an innocent man a serial killer had framed for his crimes), and spies.

He didn't particularly like advertising his side-gig as someone who killed people on behalf of the state (for obvious reasons), but due to his reputation for efficiency (anecdotally he would figure out in his head the length of rope required to kill someone as quickly and relatively as possible just by eye) General Sir Bernard Montgomery, one of the senior figures in the British armed forces during WWII announced his involvement to the press.

Arriving in Germany, Albert was first assigned the task of executing the captured Nazi war criminals that had been operating the Bergen-Belsen Concentration Camps, including such people as the 22 year old Irma Grese, nicknamed Hyena of Auschwitz by her victims. He hanged the women individually, the men he hanged in pairs. Reportedly starting with the younger criminals first, under the reasoning that they would be the most scared.

Pierrepoint travelled several times to Hamelin, and between December 1948 and October 1949 he executed 226 people, often over 10 a day, and on several occasions groups of up to 17 over 2 days. After the Belsen executions, he was moved on to Nazi sympathisers, including the American-born fascist William Joyce, who had been granted the nickname Lord Haw-Haw due to his broadcasts across the English Channel in a fake posh accent trying to convince the British to surrender. He died 3 January 1946.

It is notable, however, that despite some claims to the contrary, Pierrepoint was not the hangman assigned to the war crime trials at Nuremberg (which fell under the jurisdiction of the Americans). It's notable in contrast to Pierrepoint, whose grim expertise in killing people with rope was such that he was hired to teach his methods to hangmen in Austria (reportedly their method was to let people strangle to death rather than their body weight breaking their necks like they did with his way), the American hire... err... wasn't that?

In fact, in contrast with Pierrepoint's... for lack for a better word consideration for the people he was killing, the American's choice, John C. Woods, had no prior experience as a hangman (reportedly lying that he had served as one as back in the US... in states where state-backed hangings had been phased out decades prior), and was notably at being kind of terrible at it? While Pierrepoint was all about killing people as quickly, painlessly and quietly as possible (both for the benefit of the prison staff as well as the victim), Woods deliberately botched executions to make the Nazis suffer as much as possible. Under the gallows operated by Woods, Nazis would dangle for minutes as they slowly strangled to death. Which considering the crimes that they had been convicted of, fair, but the contrast between the two men is fascinating.

Not least due to their later perspectives of their careers, with Albert returning to Britain and operating as a hangman for a further decade or so to retire to the pub in Preston that he had bought with the money from his executions back in the 1940s which he ran with his wife, Annie Fletcher.

It's notable that in the years following his retirement, he became opposed to the death penalty in Britain, and his obituary would quote his option opposed to the idea that capital punishment deterred crime,

'If death were a deterrent,' he wrote, 'I might be expected to know. It is I who have faced them at the last, young lads and girls, working men, grandmothers. I have been amazed to see the courage with which they take that walk into the unknown. 'It did not deter them then, and it had not deterred them when they committed what they were convicted for. All the men and women whom I have faced at that final moment convince me that in what I have done I have not prevented a single murder.'

Albert passed away in a nursing home in 1992 at the age of 87.... while with his former colleague John, his own view of his time as a hangman was a lot more glib.

I hanged those ten Nazis … and I am proud of it … I wasn't nervous. … A fellow can't afford to have nerves in this business. … I want to put in a good word for those G.I.s who helped me … they all did swell. … I am trying to get [them] a promotion. … The way I look at this hanging job, somebody has to do it. I got into it kind of by accident, years ago in the States …

For his part, John would himself die in 1950 at the age of 39, when he accidentally electrocuted himself to death while stationed in the Marshall Islands.

[lordelmelloi2]

I haven't finished reading the event TLs, I'm on like partway through day 4, but so far my thoughts:

Aoko has no idea what she's doing as a magician right now. I feel like she's actually in way over her head. I don't know if the intrinsic and carefully considered/acknowledged weight of humanity is something she fully comprehends.

But as things are that's why she's so isolated from the other Magicians. Because of the huge mana costs of True Magic + how carefully you have to calculate everything, you can't just frivolously use it. I admit that I haven't fully and entirely read Mahoyo bc of computer constraints but I know that her stint with borrowing experience/time from the future was a risky and crazy stunt.

I made this pic years ago prior to the TL being released LOL:

What I figure is that we are at 10+ years in the future and she still has not gained the experience she needed. So the debt remains unfulfilled.

We see in this event Aoko has this habit of just using her True Magic capabilities without thinking of the debt she's incurring or how to fix it. In other words: she really doesn't fully comprehend the scope of her own abilities or the mana balance she is running up. She's using mana, but where is the mana coming from? So she's racking up a debt that's growing.

So each day she ends up dead at the hot springs - she says in the first one she took the killer and threw them somewhere else where they're harmless (another debt incurred). It's already implied that they have to be a sizable foe to take out Aoko.

Fujino states the following: "Good and bad people alike contain something so scary that seeing it qualifies as a sin. Aozaki must have seen what the living musn't. A glitch in the boundary between life and death. The bottomless abyss born of human society. That which can only be escaped by being killed."

Sidenote, given that we have KnK characters here filling in roles, but the KnK timeline doesn't match up with this time period (Mirai Fukuin takes place in 1998), I'm inclined to believe that Fujino and Shiki being here is meant to be significant -- it's also possible they were summoned to this singularity, that's not unusual for them to be here in this place, and Fujino even states that Shiki's room is quiet as hell even though supposedly she's with her family (and we all remember Mana being loud and curious af), I have reason to believe Shiki might just straight up be here. Fujino might just straight up be here too. Fujino is already part of the Counter Force, which we know is chasing down Aoko for her True Magic. Shiki being connected to the Root being here at all... I have full reason to believe this isn't roles being filled in here, and that Fujino and Shiki are just Actually here.

So what I figure is going on here is: Aoko's debt for her magic is catching up with her -> that's the calamity of the star. Her achieving the fifth magic and doing what she did in Mahoyo was a lot of fucking magical energy and she needs to pay it back or figure out what to do with it or Something. Something tangible and real and not just a "I'll figure it out later" immature short-term solution. She hasn't reached the experience necessary to make up for it --> she has to either speedrun it, but she probably fails -> she gets flung into the Abyss (shorthand term I use to describe the concept of humanity's depravities/you could say it's similar to the concept of Angra Mainyu but I feel that Angra Mainyu (the guy) is different than this. This is more akin to like a Lost Will type Garden that Morgan has, hence Oberon being the Insect of the Abyss....etc. etc. maybe need more elaboration) -> she's inexperienced and she dies.

OR given that older Soujuurou is mysteriously gone, she meets Soujuurou and he kills her because that "five minutes of Soujuurou's death" has to go somewhere... God idk.

I think overall what we know is: Aoko's magic fuckup is coming to a head now, the Counter Force is literally here, I think the will of Gaia is literally here also because she fucked with the balance of mana too badly, she doesn't understand the weight of humanity fully either and is maybe being made to understand it so she can take better responsibility for her actions... and she's also engaging in her own sort of time loop nightmare that she isn't even fully comprehending because she doesn't recount memories effectively enough. God. Lol

[hippiemisfit]

Hush (J.K.) 3

*banner made by me

Chapter Three- Police

pairing: jungkook x oc reader

word count: 1,591

warnings: mentions of death, intimidation, fear, manipulaiton, scary jk

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He pulled me all the way back to my house and threw me on the ground next to the box. "Now we are going to try this again and this time you are going to do as I say. Or next time I won't be as nice."

I nodded my head and tried to grab the box. "Why did you kill him?" I asked. 

I was met with no response but I know he heard me.

Ugh whatever.

After struggling for what seemed like 30 minutes, I was finally able to lift the box with all my might. I knew I wouldn't be able to hold it for long so I sped walk over to Carter's house and sat the box on his doorsteps.

I already feeling for the poor soul who was going to open it, either his mom or dad or worse Carter. I bet their reaction would be no different than mine. 

I walked back to my house and of course the hoodie figure, I got to give him a name, was gone. I heard a car come around the corner and saw that it was Carter's. I ran inside and closed the door peeking outside the window.

I watched Carter get out the car, reach into the back to get his shoes, and head to the front door. He looked down at the box and tilted his head to the side.

He bent down to open it and I dreaded watching him open it. I wanted to look away but I couldn't find it in me to. He slowly lifted the tops of the box and when it dawned on him what was inside, he turned and puked all over their grass. Once he was done emptying the contents of his stomach, he dropped his shoes and ran inside.

I quickly shut the blinds and fell down on the floor, tears streaming down my face. I can't believe that I helped cause him so much pain. I should've just called the police but I was given no choice and now that I have helped moved the box, does that make me an accomplice?

My mind raced as my inner monologue screamed at me to get up off of the floor but I couldn't bring myself to.  

.............................................

I guess I fell asleep on the floor because when I woke up it was getting dark outside. I got up off the floor and looked outside to see a couple of police cars sitting outside Carter's house. I see they called them. I saw two police officers walk out of their house and head towards mine.

Shit what do they want?

They knocked on the door,"Hello. Ms. Mahj is it. Can you open the door and let us in? We just have a few questions."

Ugh, just breathe in and out. They don't know that you moved the box. Just open the door.

I opened the door and let them in, leading them to the dining table.

"Where are your parents Mahj?" one of them asked as they sat down.

"They are out of town right now, they'll be back on Monday. Um do you guys want anything to drink?" I asked shifting back and forth on my feet, my nerves not letting me take a seat just yet.

"No thanks," the other one said. I nodded and sat down across from them.

"My name is officer Briggs and this is my partner officer Flanningan, we just have a few questions and then we'll be on our way," I nodded in understanding.

"Ok," he said pulling out a notepad," first question where were you between the hours of 10 pm and 12 am last night?"

"I was here last night," I said.

"Do you have anyone who can confirm that?" I shook my head. I saw him jot something down.

"Ok. Do you know anyone who would have something against your neighbor?"

"Which neighbor?" Yeah, you ain't about to trick me.

"Conner, he was found dead this afternoon. He body was cut up and put into a box."

"Wow um no I can't think of anyone who had something against him. You know other than the silent killer, you know he just goes around killing people for no reason. I mean he probably doesn't even know him and just decided to kill him anyway. I mean I don't know," I rambled out, wringing my hands together.

The cops looked at each other and then back at me," Um, ooook. Miss, we're going to have to ask you to come down to the station for further questioning. It seems you know more than you let on," they got up from their seats," Let's go."

I got up and followed them to the door, but stopped. "Hold on, can I put some food in my dog's bowl. I don't know how long we're going to be."

They nodded their heads and I went to the pantry and opened it. I looked down to get his kibble when I saw a pair of black shoes right beside it.

I slowly rose my head up and came face to darkness with the man who was currently ruining my life. I went to scream when his gloved hand covered my mouth and pulled me in the closet, shutting the door.

"I see that you don't do well under pressure. That's something I see we are going to have to work on. Now you've got two options. The first one is that I go out there and deal with those two officers who probably suspect you of murder.

Option number two is that you go out there and leave with them. But let's just say I'd advise you to take option number one.

I don't really think you'll like what you see as a consequence of your actions, even though for me it'll be very enjoyable. Trust me. Now I'm going to remove my hand from your mouth. The only thing you need to say is the option you are choosing ok."

I nodded my head in understanding. He moved his hand from my mouth and I reached down to grab Poco's food.

I turned and opened the door and whispered back," I guess I'll take my chances with option number two."

I walked out and closed the door. I put food in Poco's bowl and went with the police officers outside.

They escorted me to their car and I got in the back. I looked back at my house and I could see hoodie face staring at me through the window. Damn and I just left Poco in there with him.

..................................................

When we got to the precinct they took me into one of the interrogation rooms and left me by myself. You know the one with the one way mirror. The two officers came in and sat down, and one of them placed a tape recorder down on the table.

"Now Mahj, we're just going to ask you a few more questions and if you answer them truthfully we are going to let you go. If we feel like you are lying then we're going to ask you more questions until you tell us the truth. OK?"

I nodded my head.

"Ok well let's get started. When we were back at your house you said something about the Silent Killer. Now were you trying to say that he was the one who killed Conner?"

I nodded my head," Yes that's what I was trying to say."

He nodded his head and turned to look at Flannigan," Ok and how do you know this?"

"He told me."

His eyes bugged out," He told you? That means that you've been in contact with a serial killer. How long has he been contacting you?"

"Since last night and then again this morning, oh and he was also there before we left. He was hiding in the closet."

"He was in the house?!" Officer Flannigan asked.

"Yep."

"And you didn't say anything to us because?"

"He told me not to and I knew that I would be safe if I came with you two. I don't know why but he's obsessed with me for some reason. I don'-" the lights started to flicker.

Next thing I know both of the officers are convulsing on the ground. I raced over to their sides and started to bang on the glass. "Hey! We need help in here! I don't know what is wrong with them!" I yelled.

Nothing happened. "Hey! Is anyone even in there?!" I heard the chairs scrape behind me so I turned around to see both of the officers sitting back in their chairs.

Officer Briggs turned his head to face me,"If you are done banging on the glass, can you retake your seat." I looked at him like he was crazy. "Wait weren't you just- I know you were- am I going crazy?" I asked rubbing my hand across my forehead and headed back to my seat.

There was something off about the two of them. Like they weren't themselves.

"Ok Mahj, next question. Do you enjoy pissing people off or is it something you just do because you can't help it?"

My eyes widened,"What?"

He leaned closer to me and said,"Do you enjoy pissing people off or is it something you just do because you can't help it?" but this time he said it like I was a little kid and he was trying to explain something to me.

"Why are you asking me this?" I asked leaning back in my chair.

"I gave you two options and I told you that you wouldn't like the consequences if you chose the wrong one," he put his head in his hands,"So here we are," I saw a glint of green in his eyes,"let's have some fun."