#three lieutenants one braincell

[hollandorks]

haven

battinson! bruce wayne x f! reader

chapter five

Summary: After the sudden deaths of your mother and grandmother, you’re forced to return home to Gotham…and to the man who broke your heart three years ago. Back in Bruce Wayne’s inescapable orbit, you vow to get to the bottom of your former best friend’s new cold personality. But Bruce’s secrets aren’t what you’re expecting. a

a/n: I won't lie, I love this chapter, especially because it shows one of my favorite things about this reader very clearly--the fact that she only has one braincell. She's been surprisingly fun to write, even with all of the angst!

Series Masterlist

word count: 2.6k

The doors opened with a noise so loud she winced. 

When she looked up, she was face to face with a gun.

Y/n was afraid in a distant sort of way. It was, sadly, not the first time she’d been held at gunpoint pursuing a story. But the first time had been with a wire under her shirt and a whole bunch of cops around the corner. 

This time, she was alone. 

And the man on the other end of the gun was a cop. 

“Shit,” Lieutenant Gordon said and, mercy of all mercies, put away his weapon. “What are you doing here?” 

For some reason, the disappearance of the gun kicked the fear up a notch. Her heart suddenly tried to take flight. She took a deep breath, dizzy now, and managed to say, “Got a second for that interview?” Her voice was too high. Probably not the best time to crack a joke, but she obviously wasn’t thinking clearly. 

Behind Gordon was a shadow. 

No, a man. 

The Batman. 

His mouth was slightly parted, what she could see of his face…almost shocked. 

“You two look awfully surprised to see that someone followed you. The blindingly bright light wasn’t very hard to find.” She should shut up, she thought distantly. She still wasn’t sure if they could be trusted. But the fear was ebbing away, slowly but surely. 

Gordon pinched between his eyes, the movement pushing his glasses up to his forehead. 

“There’s a locked gate that requires a code. There’s barbed wire.” He sounded like Alfred when she and Bruce had gotten into something they were told not to touch or do as kids. Tired dad voice, they called it, snickering behind his back. 

She hooked her thumb in Batman’s direction. He still stood absolutely still, cape blowing in the breeze, his mouth closed now. “Followed this guy in.” 

Gordon looked over at the vigilante. “This is the girl you–” 

“I remember,” Batman said in that voice of gravel and smoke. It sent a thrill of fear through her. Actually, his voice was kind of sexy, now that she was thinking about it. 

She was losing her mind. She had barely slept in a week and she was losing her mind. She was with two men she wasn’t sure if she could trust, on top of an abandoned building where it would be very easy to kill her, and she was thinking of sexy voices. Well, one sexy voice in particular. No offense to Gordon, she thought wryly. 

“I’m also, um…a journalist.” This was directed at the vigilante. In her experience, honesty opened up more doors than it shut. She was usually pretty good at figuring out when to lie, particularly about her profession, and when to tell the truth. Or when to split the difference. She trusted her gut more often than not, and right now, she was relatively at ease. “Couldn’t help it, sorry.” 

“So you just…” Gordon waved a hand vaguely. 

“Followed the light? Yeah. I just hope it doesn’t lead to death like it usually does.” God, she needed to stop cracking jokes. She wasn’t out of the woods yet. “So if you’re going to murder me, can I please at least get a good quote first?” 

“This concerns her anyway,” Batman said, shocking her so much that she nearly toppled over the edge of the tower. And–oh shit, the tower was really tall and had absolutely no walls or rails or anything to protect her from the drop. She took a shaky step back towards the elevator, but it had returned down below. Heights had never been her friend. An irony, Bruce liked to point out, because she lived in a tower. Then that would almost always start an argument about what “irony” meant. 

“Are you sure?” Gordon said. The wind whistling in her ears made it hard to hear. She hoped the question wasn’t Are you sure we shouldn’t kill her? and was instead simply Are you sure we’re going to trust her? 

“We can always throw her over,” he said. There was something almost familiar about his voice, she realized, but then the words caught up to her. 

She gulped, dizzy again, but Gordon did a double take. “Did you just make a joke, man?” 

The Batman gave no indication that it had been a joke. She gripped the pepper spray tighter. Not that it would help her if she got tossed over the side, but it made her feel a little better. 

“He’s kidding, don’t worry. Tell her you’re kidding, she looks ready to puke.” Gordon crossed his arms, clearly not intimidated in the least by the hulking figure of the vigilante. 

“I’m kidding,” the Batman said with a cutting glance towards Gordon. “I don’t kill people.” 

She squinted at him, unable to clearly see him in the darkness. She really couldn’t tell if he was serious or not. She guessed he had to have at least some sense of humor about all of this. He was dressed as a fucking bat, after all. 

She decided to trust them. “Okay, which means I’ll be really upset if you make an exception for me. I’ll haunt your ass. Yours too, Gordon, because supposedly you’re the only cop who isn’t corrupt in this city.” She crossed her arms and shivered. As long as she ignored the sheer drop surrounding her on three sides, she’d be fine. “Though I’m not convinced yet. I’ve been gone from Gotham for too long.” 

“The force has changed a lot in a year.” Another look exchanged with the vigilante. “But I understand the sentiment.” 

Y/n glanced around, keeping her eyes on the view instead of the drop. “So no one else has ever followed you up here?” she asked curiously. She saw what she was pretty sure was a spotlight on the far side of the platform. “Because seriously, the light is a dead giveaway.” 

“His girlfriend did once,” Gordon said, and he smiled. “But no one else.” 

“Wasn’t my girlfriend,” the Batman mumbled. Mumbled. He was suddenly less scary when he sounded like any surly man denying any attachment to a woman. 

Her ears perked up. “Oh? She got a name?” 

They both gave her looks that said they knew exactly what she was up to. She shrugged, the perfect picture of innocence. It was worth a shot. 

She changed tactics. “You said this concerns me. What does?” 

“The murders you witnessed,” Gordon said. “We found ties to the Gallo family. I was coming to fill him in.” 

“The Gallo family,” she repeated. She knew this already, but better to play at ignorance in case they gave her more information. That and it hadn’t been confirmed by someone who was on the investigation team. “The mobsters in New York?” 

“The very same.” 

“Was the one who got away one of them?” she asked. Because that would be bad. Very bad. 

“We didn’t get any information out of the other three. One…committed suicide not too long ago, actually. Part of why I’m here.” Gordon sighed. “Getting rid of Falcone created a vacuum. The Gallos are just the first ones powerful enough to fill the space.” 

Falcone. She knew the name. Knew the story. Knew he’d been responsible for the deaths of Bruce’s parents. That was one death she hadn’t begrudged the Riddler–at least Thomas and Martha had gotten justice, in the end. 

The Batman turned and looked over the city. His figure cut a dark shadow across the city skyline. “Any ideas where to start looking?” 

“So you can bust some heads?” Gordon said. He was smiling. Y/n looked between them. It was fascinating. They were obviously close but this only confirmed it. She itched to take notes but she didn’t want either of them to snatch her phone. Damn, she should have set it to record when she was in the elevator. Gordon continued, “But no. We’re coming up empty so far. None of the typical informants have heard anything about the Gallo family. As far as we know, none of them are actually in the city. If they are, they’re laying low.” 

“Could you identify them again?” Batman asked. His eyes glinted in the darkness as he faced her again. She noticed he hadn’t come any closer to her, unlike Gordon who was only a couple of feet away. Instead he was near the edge, about as far away from them as he could get. Was it to make her feel better, safer? 

“Maybe, with the help of the video.” She knew eyewitness testimonies were shaky at best. And the more traumatic the event, the more unreliable the testimony could be. But a video helped and would do wonders in court. “What does this mean for me?” she asked. “Am I supposed to stay locked up forever, afraid to go out in case there’s a mob hit on me? Or even just a regular murderer trying to take out a witness? Because both of those are kind of shitty.” 

“Yes,” Batman said at the exact same time Gordon said, “Probably.” 

Her heart sank. 

“We’ve been protecting your identity as best we can,” Gordon said in a sure tone that again made her think of Alfred. She wondered if Gordon had kids. “But we can’t be sure there isn’t a leak in the department. We’re still plugging all the holes left behind from Falcone.” 

She winced. “Okay, I’ve done two bad things so far.” The Batman crossed his arms. Gordon motioned for her to continue. “First, I may or may not have been loaned out to the Tribune on special assignment to report on my own case. So the editor definitely knows my identity. And I also may or may not have reached out to a GCPD officer to be a source.” 

She heard the Batman sigh even over the noise of the wind. Gordon was pinching the bridge of his nose again. Their response made her feel like a little kid getting in trouble and it made her bristle. She bit her tongue to keep from immediately defending herself. 

“Which officer?” Gordon asked and his tone told her all she needed to know. He didn’t trust some of his fellow cops, if any. 

“He hasn’t even agreed to be a source yet, and besides I have the right to protect–” 

“Which officer?” Batman cut in, the sharp growl of his voice startling her. 

The sound of it made her spit it out. “Martinez.” 

Both men visibly relaxed. “Martinez is solid. There’s a reason I brought him with me to get your statement,” Gordon said. “We can trust him.”

“Okay, good. That’s good. See? I’m not a total idiot.” She relaxed marginally. 

“Maybe you’re just lucky,” Batman said. 

She laughed humorlessly. “Lucky? Well, buddy, you know what I was doing the same day I witnessed a fucking mob hit? Burying my mother and grandmother. And don’t even get me started on the rest of my personal life right now.” 

“He didn’t mean it,” Gordon said with a sharp look. “His humor takes some getting used to.” 

Batman mumbled something under his breath again that sounded a lot like I can talk for myself. But he didn’t actually butt in. 

“Okay, whatever. What can I do? I don’t want to be killed, obviously, and I don’t particularly like the idea of being locked in an ivory tower either, nice as it is.” What she didn’t say was that she wasn’t sure she could handle being locked in Wayne Tower with Bruce Wayne. She just couldn’t. She couldn’t be reminded of how close they used to be and the distance between them now. And all of that on top of the immense grief she experienced at unpredictable times. She never knew when she’d be reminded of her grandmother and subsequently that she was gone. Around every corner, through every doorway, was the potential for a punch to the gut when she remembered her grandmother was dead. 

“What can you do? Stop sneaking into construction sites at night, for one,” Gordon said with a soft snort. “But any information, anything, you come up with while working on this story, send it to me, too. And we’ll work with you on identifying that fourth suspect.” 

“You aren’t going to tell me to stop investigating?” 

It was the Batman who answered. “Would you actually stop?” His voice was rough on her skin, giving her goosebumps that had nothing to do with the cold or the fear of heights. 

She shrugged. “Probably not. But I don’t want to die, either.” 

“I’ll keep an eye out for you,” he said. He took a step forward. She noticed how broad his shoulders were, how sharp his jaw was, how his gloved hands were clenched into fists at his side. She really, really should have found a way to sneakily record everything. She was probably closer to the Batman than most people had ever been. 

She swallowed. “Don’t worry, Wayne Tower’s plenty secure.” 

“Still. I’ll be around.”

“That sounds a lot like stalking.” She raised an eyebrow. 

“I promise I won’t peek in your windows.” A twitch at the corner of his lips. 

“That sounded a lot like another bad joke,” she said. But she smiled.  

“Let me drive you home,” Gordon interrupted. He was glancing back and forth between them, eyebrows raised. She wanted to protest, but she doubted her luck had held long enough for her to be able to get a taxi back home. 

“What, that’s it? Two whole pieces of information and you go home? You guys don’t text or anything?” She crossed her arm. She really hadn’t gotten any more information that she didn’t have–except for the suicide of one of the suspects. If it even was a suicide. “This meeting could have been an email.” 

“Never know who’s listening,” Gordon said. He tilted his head towards the vigilante. “Besides, he’s paranoid. Only calls if he needs something. Hates texting.” 

She eyed the man in question. If he hated texting, maybe he wasn’t as young as she thought. Then again, Bruce hated texting too, old man at heart that he was. But he was the exception, not the rule. 

“I’d really appreciate it if you two kept me in the loop too. Quid pro quo,” she said. 

“For your article?” Batman asked. There was a certain edge to his words that made her think he didn’t like reporters. And really, it made sense. If she was trying to keep her identity a secret, she wouldn’t like reporters either. They were a chronically nosy bunch even when they weren’t working on a story. 

“For my life. If I survive this, yeah I’m going to write a hell of an article. But I kind of have to be alive to write it, don’t I?” She crossed her arms again and stared him down. 

“Quid pro quo,” Gordon said. “As long as you two agree to play nice.” He chuckled, like it was part of a joke. 

“Keeping her alive is nice,” Batman said. Another joke? Every interaction between him and Gordon solidified the fact that they got along well and were around each other often. No way Gordon didn’t know the guy’s real identity. But if they were as close as she suspected and if Gordon was as honorable as everyone said…no way was he going to let any hints slip. 

Her mind spun as the two men talked quietly about off the clock watches of Wayne Manor. She now had two very reliable sources for her article–if they really did keep her in the loop–and a new certainty that an op-ed for the Batman was in her future. She doubted any reporters in Gotham had spent as much time with the vigilante as she already had. Her veins thrummed with that inner fire. 

She might be able to expose a mob conspiracy and the Batman’s identity in one fell swoop. 

It was all she could think of as Gordon drove her home.

Next Chapter

taglist:

@ktficworld @grunge-n-roses5 @anon-cat-posts @projectdreamwalker @warsaur @lachillona02 @crazyunsexycool @doetic @alexiris @that-girl-named-alex @harry-bowie-mercury @vaniasagitaa @widows-writings

[hearts4youz]

"The Captains Daughter" Chapter Two

comment if u want to be added to my tag list <3 @abbiesxox A/N: Thank you all sooooo much for reading chapter one, it means a lot!! Heres chapter two. From here on out you can expect like 1-2 chapters of this to come out per week!! i'm so excited to share the rest of this story that has been marinating in my braincells for so long lmao.

Word count: 1.5k

Reader pov: You marched into the training facilities for your first session with the masked Lieutenant. You donned a hoodie and leggings, the training rooms were chilly. You walked into the changing rooms to lock up your bag, although it was highly unlikely someone would steal it, this was a military base after all. Fastening the lock around the small cubby, you took off your hoodie and threw it inside as well. Leaving you in a thin cropped t-shirt. You left the locker room and took in the smell of the training area, it was the size of a warehouse and smelled like your high school gymnasium. There were multiple different areas of the facility. A gym, featuring endless sets of weights, squat racks, benches, etc. There was an enclosed area for weapons practice, boasting many different kinds of guns, knives, and any other device used for bodily harm. The base also boasts, an impressive, multi story agility course with different obstacles at each level. Last but not least, there is a recovery room, mostly used for warmups and cooldowns.

After you took it all in, you spotted Ghost doing squats with a great deal of weight on the bar. He sported a skull print balaclava instead of the mask he wore at yesterday's meeting. He also had on tapered black sweatpants, a fitted t-shirt which hugged his muscles in a very flattering way, and tennis shoes. You walked toward him, stopping short and standing by the weight rack so you didn't interrupt his workout.

You watched as he did rep after rep of squats, face contorting more with each one, you could see his face more now with the absence of eye black he wore yesterday. Sweat dripped off his brow, his eyes squeezed shut as he finished the last rep, the bar made a clattering sound as he rested it back on the hooks of the rack. Wiping his face with his sleeve he turned to you.

"Do you sleep with your eyes open," he says abruptly.

"What?"

"Your eyes, are they always like that or am I just that impressive," he says smugly

"No- I," You start.

"Save it, lets get started."

He starts walking at a fast pace to another area of the gym, you jog to catch up. Ghost leads you to three boxing style rings.

"lets start with a spar, consider this a pre-test, I wanna see what you are capable of," Ghost gets straight to business.

You gulped, you're not a bad fighter, but he has an unfair advantage. He's at least 6'2, not to mention you just watched him casually squat 600+ pounds for reps. The two of you stepped into the ring, you tried to not let your nervousness show on your face. You weren't going to be able to overpower him, you were going to have to outsmart him, or be faster than him. Lucky for you, you used to be a competitive runner in high school, placing well in state championships for Cross Country and Track yearly. You also practiced Yoga, agility will be your friend in this matchup.

"Ready?" Ghost said.

"Yes, Simon," you taunted.

hopefully your mention of his name caught him off guard, you ran at him, faking a punch and slipping between his legs, popping up behind him. Your surprise worked, his delayed reaction gave you enough time for you to kick the sensitive area behind his kneecaps. Ghost stumbled forward but caught himself, turning to face you. He threw a punch, you tried to deflect it but he was too strong. Quickly recovering you ran at him again, trying to juke him out by performing another fake move. He must have picked up on your style quick because he stuck his leg out to trip you before you could jet by him. Realizing you lost the upper hand, you tried to stand up before he could pin you. Instead, he grabbed you by the collar of your shirt and hauled you up from the ground.

"Round two," he said gruffly

The second time around was worse than the first. You didn't have the element of surprise. He took you down within seconds

"I've seen enough," dissatisfaction present in his eyes.

"I know I did poorly, but to be fair," you tried to justify yourself.

"Do you think fights are fair?" He chastised.

"Let me tell you that none of the men you face in the field will be as gentle as I. Your little trick? Do you think an enemy soldier would even give you time to talk?" He continued, voice becoming more of a yell.

"How did you even get here?" He questioned.

"I'm not a bad shot, for what I lack in strength I make up for in speed and agility too."

Ghost raised a brow

"You've got a lot to work on in terms of hand to hand combat, but lets test your aim," He said.

Feeling more confident for this next test, you followed him over to the shooting range. The two of you entered the room, paper targets on one end, soldiers practicing their aim on another. Ghost picks out a variety of firearms. He hands you a Pistol first.

"Go ahead," he gestures to the targets.

You nodded, drawing a deep breath in and exhaling as you lined yourself up with the target 50 yards away. Inhaling again and holding it this time, you brought the gun up in front of your face, extending your arms and firing 3 shots rapidly. Two hit the center circle, one skimmed the edge between the center and the ring next to it.

You turned back to face Ghost, he only handed you the second weapon, a rifle. You repeated the same process before, this time letting the gun rest in the crook of your neck and holding it against your cheek as you fired three more shots in quick succession. All three hit the center this time.

Ghost handed you an SMG when you turned around. Holding the new gun in the same way as the rifle, one pull of the trigger fired multiple bullets, these were less accurate but still impressive. Clicking the safety on the gun, you handed it back to Ghost, he put away the weapons without a word.

"That's all for today, you are excused Sergeant," he says bluntly.

"Thank you for training me sir," You said, Mock politeness dripping from your tone.

"By the way, don't call me Simon. It's Ghost, or Lieutenant." Ghost grunted and turned to go, leaving you alone in the range. You stood for a moment, replaying the last 45 minutes in your mind. You had hoped to impress him with your marksman skills, but he seemed unimpressed. You needed to decompress, a run would relax you perhaps? You walked towards the locker rooms to change into warmer attire, the weather was cold in late November.

Ghost's pov:

The first day training the Sergeant, Y/N wasn't a total bust. I recalled the events of our session as I changed. She was a decent rifle shot, a terrible fighter though. Her use of my name was alarming, a clever move though. Soap probably told her, they talked through the meeting yesterday. Can't blame em' though, Price sure does love the sound of his own voice.

As I was about to leave the changing rooms, I spotted Y/N leaving the building, it was awfully cold outside to be going out. She had earbuds in, so it wasn't hard to follow her out the door. She lingered in front of the door for a moment, I stayed inside the vestibule leading to the outdoors. She took a breath and started jogging, turning the corner and leaving my sight.

I didn't know she was a runner, she mentioned she was fast after our spar though. Training after hours is quite admirable actually. Maybe she won't be such a letdown for the team after all.

I shuddered at the thought, Remember what happened last time you overestimated a newbies skills. I told myself. I will never let that happen to someone under my command again. Wincing at the memory, I tried to push the thoughts aside, but it comes flooding back to me

"It wasn't your fault Simon," Price

"There was nothing we could do," A doctor

"I'm sorry," Another doctor

Two lives

Gone because I authorized them for the mission

I thought they were ready

I didn't train them hard enough

I treated the two of them as friends, as brothers. I grew attached too quickly. I wasn't as close with them as I am the rest of the squad, fuck I barely knew them.

One week

One week they were here, their first mission they were so giddy, so eager to prove themselves, two boys about to become men. I remember the feeling when I was in their position.

Next, they were gone.

Never again will I let that happen to someone.

Never will I let that happen to Y/N.

For now, I'll pretend I don't care.

She can hate me all she wants, she can think I don't give a shit about her. Better that than her trusting me and me letting her down. For now, I won't care about her. Until she can prove herself worthy, I won't treat her as a friend.

Because I don't want to see a friend come back in a body bag.

[tonkatsubowl]

false love ii.

jing yuan x fem!reader

nsfw themes (cursing and stuff i think. mentions of domestic abuse and self harm. mentions of suicide. no, jing yuan aint hurting u bb girl).read at your own risk. english isn’t my first language, so please don’t mind the grammatical errors. (っ◞‸◟ c)

⪩ arranged marriage. the reader and jing yuan have an arranged marriage and she is stuck, disliking every moment of it, until...

TERM DIRECTORY ◖y/n: your name ◖e/c: eye color ◖h/c: hair color ◖l/n: last name

♡ requested tags: @nerdiel-has-no-braincells @kimura-uzuri @ieathairs (hopefully i didn't forget anyone)

part one. / part three. / part four. / part five. / part six. / part seven.

"yanqing."

"yes, general."

it was just the two of them. the general and his admirable lieutenant, speaking privately to one another upon the balcony that revealed the splendid display of xianzhou luofu. you were asleep peacefully in the other room, but because of your fears of being...hurt in the middle of the night, you were more comfortable sleeping in a private room rather in same chambers as the general's.

"do you feel safer sleeping with me? or do you wish to be given your own room, y/n?"

"...m-my own room. preferably... if possible. thank you...f-for asking."

a question like that was brought to you because jing yuan was observant. extremely observant. your flinching, your shyness, your fears of being hurt...it was all too easy of a solution. normally, he wouldn't mind sharing the same bed as you, considering it was...well, a general tradition for a husband and wife to sleep on the same bed, no? but this was different. entirely so.

"have you look into the l/n family?" jing yuan had asked his lieutenant, his voice briefly interrupted by the sound of his own sipping. the same jasmine tea that he served you before.

"yes, sir. lady y/n is the eldest daughter in her family. her bloodline is known to have successful members of the military, but only for those who are...well..."

jing yuan looked over, his eyes casting towards his lieutenant.

"...male. successful members tend to be the eldest sons of her bloodline. y/n happened to be the first eldest daughter in her entire family. each eldest son was known to be successful. but there is no history in regards to her being, well...successful in any way. according my research, there is no history of her attending education services or anything the like. it is like she was hidden up until this very moment."

"i see." jing yuan fell silent. "i trust that you have seen it too. the obvious flinching. the shyness. the fearness of getting hurt. i would only presume her family is harsh on her due to the fact she is not a man."

yanqing pursed his lips, as though annoyed with the situation. "...yes, sir. domestic abuse. it is obvious so. the faint bruises on her arms⸻hidden by her sleeves⸻say it all. what do you suggest we do, general?"

jing yuan shook his head. "nothing. we are married now, and she is my wife. she is no longer in that situation, neither will i allow harm come towards her way. however, i will...command you to do this for me."

"...? yes, general?"

"at one point in our marriage," jing yuan looks to yanqing, who remained kneeled by his side, "we would have to oblige to her family visiting in the sanctum here due to in-law traditions. once that happens, do not let them near her. be by her side."

"...yes, sir."

your eyes flutter open to the soft light of the sun beaming through the curtains. for once, you woke up peacefully rather than the palm of your father who scolded you for oversleeping. for the first time, you felt well rested. you were greeted by the soft birds that sung you awake, and the light of the radiant sky.

you weren't sure how long you were asleep for, but you...were definitely peacefully asleep. you were unused to it, but your body felt the need to rush itself to get ready...and you did so.

anxiety filled you immediately⸻what if you had to be somewhere with your husband? will the general hit you? scold you for it?

you scramble up from your bed and hurried to get dressed. you put on your clothes, and ready your hair...but you weren't quite fast enough. the knock on your door caught you by surprise, your heart racing. your mind began to overthink, fearing itself that you would get in trouble for not getting ready soon enough.

"⸻lady y/n?"

you froze, hearing another woman's voice behind the door.

"are you awake? i believe i heard your footsteps and⸻"

entered the woman, who was adorned in a house-servant attire. you began to sweat, expecting this woman to scold you or something...but you were a mess. you were already getting ready, but your hair wasn't done. ah, gosh. what will you do now?

"i...i'm sorry. i'll get ready immediately. i'm so⸻"

"huh?" the woman tilted her head, looking at you puzzled. "ah, lady y/n. you didn't have to rush to get ready. i'm here to help you get ready for the day. general jing yuan has requested me to assist you this morning, but if you do not need my help..."

"...a-ah," your face turned red out of embarrassment. you weren't used to this. you had a house servant to help you now? the house servants you lived with didn't even care about you. they also, alongside with your biological family, saw you as a useless piece of...

"...n-no, it's... it's okay," you shook your head, the ornaments in your hair that you failed to put on began to fall a bit. "i-i can get ready myself."

the house servant blinked, before her expression softened.

right. the general had informed her about something...something about you. but you didn't know about it.

there was a soft smile on the servant's countenance as she stepped closer, causing you to flinch. but she was patient with you. she had to be...especially when she was assigned to be your assistant until her last breath, or your last breath.

"milady, allow me to help you, please." she whispered in a soothing tone. you open your eyes, your shoulders easing up from her voice...you felt okay, but you were still cautious.

nodding slowly, you sat down in front of your mirror, allowing the house servant to pamper you up. you flinched every time her hands went near your face, but slowly, you were getting used to it. all it took for you was...time.

you needed time to heal, and everyone who now entered your life would be patient with you. jing yuan, especially.

it didn't take long until you were properly dressed and looked less of a mess, thanks to your house servant. you looked at yourself in the mirror, and surely enough, you looked absolutely stunning. did you believe it? no. your self esteem was absolutely terrible, and you hated yourself. you hated everything about yourself.

"you look so⸻"

ugly.

"⸻beautiful, milady."

liar...liar.

you frowned, gazing upon yourself at the mirror. you didn't believe it. you grew up hearing insults about your appearance...that you weren't enough. that you could look like a rodent so easily. a measly little mongrel. so these compliments that you were hearing...you were not used to, and it would take an eternity for you to accept these compliments.

you said nothing, but looked down to avoid your own gaze. you can't stand seeing yourself in the mirror. you just refuse to see that ugliness before you.

your house servant had noticed your behavior, and decided to change the topic. putting away your other clothes and ornaments, she looked towards you, "ah, yes. your husband has invited you for breakfast this morning. you may attend if you'd like, milady."

you blink. breakfast...with jing yuan? ah, right. you are probably obligated to attend breakfast, lunch and dinner with him now. you were mainly used to eating by yourself, but... despite having the option of eating alone, you decided to go along with it.

you nodded slowly, rising up from your seat, unused to the fancy dress you were wearing. "...okay."

"good morning, y/n." jing yuan greeted you with a smile as he lifted his own cup of tea, the scent of jasmine and eucalyptus greeting your nostrils. yanqing was in the background performing a bow towards you, but he wasn't attending breakfast.

"good morning," you whispered softly, your tone audible enough for the two to hear. you looked around for a seat, realizing that your seat was across the general's. it seems that jing yuan was allowing you some space...? or was it because he didn't want to sit next to you? was it because you were filthy?

no, no. stop. just eat. stop thinking about the negative things and just eat.

you were quiet as you sat across from jing yuan, looking down at the table... it was filled with a bunch of different foods. something you've seen before with the luxury of your wealthy family, but you always ate this alone.

"how did you sleep last night?"

you slept well, but you weren't feeling hungry at all. you were so used to skipping breakfast and eating so little, you just...didn't want to eat. yanqing and jing yuan exchanged looks, but you answered a moment after.

"i slept well," you said truthfully, "the bed is nice. it's more quiet here."

"i'm glad!" jing yuan exclaimed, beaming brightly as he took a sip of tea, "i want to make it known to you that i want you to live comfortably here and freely. my home is now your home, y/n."

your gaze slowly rises up, looking to jing yuan. it...it was a scary thought. the fact you were going to live here for the rest of your life, living in fear of not knowing who this man is, who everyone is... you felt trapped. even at the comfort of his own words, you just...didn't believe it. you believed in too many false promises in the past, and this is just one of them, you thought.

"...i see."

you didn't even touch your food yet. you just weren't hungry. yanqing took note of that. jing yuan was very attentive⸻and he was reading every motion of your body, your expression...everything.

god. what happened? who did this to you? how did you become like this? you didn't deserve this.

jing yuan embraced the silent atmosphere for one moment before clearing his throat. "...a-ahem. well, y/n. i decided to take today off to show you around this area. have you been to aurum alley? i assume you haven't been around these parts since your family lives rather far, yes?"

you nodded. it was true. you weren't really from here. it didn't help that you were more of an indoor person, too.

"i haven't been to aurum alley, no." you say, shaking your head.

"i see. well, i'll be glad to take you there, if you wish."

....honestly, the thought of going to new places⸻as scary as it sounded for you⸻was a bit exciting. you were free, now. you could go wherever you want, right? well...maybe that's what jing yuan was promising, but he was giving you the opportunity to show you around. so, you'll take this chance to see the world.

you nodded. "...a-alright." you murmur, earning another smile from the general.

you still didn't touch your food, and it was getting cold. but that's alright. progress is progress⸻and wants you to feel comfortable more than anything.

aurum alley.

for the weekend, it was always so busy. everyone was on their off day, spending time with each other and their families, and also just getting drunk too with their friends. truth to be told, you heard about this area before, but because you were so sheltered and you remained inside, you haven't really been here before.

jing yuan was escorting you, and there were many people greeting the both of you. to your discomfort of this, you were hiding behind him, clutching onto his arm...which he didn't mind at all. he was happy that you at least felt safe enough hiding behind him. jing yuan was basically protecting you, preventing these random civilians from getting close to you. the drunkards too, even. you were already going through alot mentally, so the last thing you needed was a drunk man just talking to you randomly.

"i think you would enjoy the food here." jing yuan would say as he approached a stand which was selling pastries. he decided to pick one out randomly, purchasing it, and handing it to you. you looked towards the pastry that he held out for you before you took it, bringing it up to your nose. it smelled very sweet...mixed with some chocolate bits and vanilla. slowly, you opened your mouth, taking a very tiny bite out of the pastry before realizing that it was...delicious.

your eyes lid up, your cheeks brightening with a blossoming shade of rose as you took another bite. god, jing yuan admired this sight. seeing your eyes light up from the deliciousness of a pastry he bought for you, your smile... he was happy he took you out here.

that was when you began to feel more comfortable around jing yuan a bit. he took you to several stands, showing you all the minigames, all the rewards that he basically won bought for you, and all the different types of food that were being sold. it was obvious that you were enjoying this moment...enjoying this bit of freedom you were experiencing with him. for the first time, you felt so free and so happy. all of your worries were gone⸻it was as though you could finally lean onto someone...

...or can you?

as jing yuan took you to a nearby stand, he realized that there was too many people crowding around that...and he knew you would be uncomfortable being surrounded by that many people. sitting you down at a bench, he knelt by your side, taking your hand gently. "y/n," he murmured, "there's something i want to get for you over there, but you're gonna have to wait here for a moment. is that okay?"

at first...you were a bit hesitant. you were growing a bit of separation anxiety from the man, considering jing yuan was the only person you knew at the moment. but...you decided to trust him.

what a mistake.

you nodded, pursing your lips. "a-alright. i can wait right here." you say.

jing yuan gives you a soft smile as he gets up, still holding onto your hands. "...thank you. i will be right back."

you watched as he disappeared to the crowd that was gathered around the stand, and to your discomfort, you waited...by yourself.

jing yuan wasn't that far, and you could predict that he'd probably be prioritized as a customer considering everyone knew who he was...

...but it felt like forever.

you were waiting too long⸻well, it felt like you were waiting for hours, when it only had been five minutes. but it was better than being around the crowd, no?

as your eyes cast upwards towards the sky, you admired the starry night. how the stars greeted you with their sparkling glory, how you wondered if there was another world out there...if these stars were actually planets.

...right. the night sky...it was so beautiful.

but your admiration for the stars went to an end when a hand went over your mouth. the scent of chloroform was inhaled through your nostrils, and you were immediately fallen into a sedation period of unconsciousness.

the last thing you heard was,

"think we'll finally make some money once we sell her off. her father paid us well."

[toomanywordsnllines]

Today I present to you a drabble (?) that I have put into a series and smartly dubbed ‘Three dumbasses and their obselete braincell’ Hope you enjoy :3 Based on my Hc of another reason why Roach is called Roach It’s been hours by now. Hours and Soap was going insane.

How can a one-seventy-somethin-centimeters-tall motherfucker dissapear out of thin air?!

He stomps his way into the leisure room, again.

He’s going to rip his mohawk with his hands.

Ghost, who hasn’t left his spot all the three times, yes three times he has entered that fucking room in the last hour alone – Oh, how he’s going to murder Roach when he finds him– looks up at him from his book, he’s halfway through it, Soap notices. Just one more sign of how long he has been running around the compound in circles like a cat with zoomies.

They say nothing. Ghost raises an eyebrow, Soap bites the inside of his cheek.

“Ready to be hospitalized in an asylum?”

If looks could kill Ghost would be dust on the floor. But no, instead the fucker smiles at him, eyes crickling gently at the corners and GOD Soap wishes he could fall on his lap and kiss those stupid– hot– pretty lips, but no he has a task to complete.

“Awa’ n bile your head”

Ghost hums, ignoring him completely.

Soap does as much as throw himself to the cushion besides the man in retaliation.

“What got your panties in a twist, Johnny?”

“Fuck you”

He feels the man giving him a side eye. He glares back.

“Ma, panties are very straight thank you very fucking much.”

Ghost hums again, bookmarks his page and closes the book.

A pause.

A deep breath.

“I CANNAE FIND THAT FUCKING LAVVY-HEIDED WANKSTAIN ANYWHERE!” He throws his arms up to further cement his point, deflating like a balloon after.

Ghost hums again, “here I thought Price’d gotten tired of your jittery ass–” Soap kicks him in the shin, hard, “ –and put you zooming around the place like a cat on purpose.”

Soap punches him in the bicep, hard again.

“Who’re you looking for?”

He sighs in defeat.

“Roach”

He says it in a way that makes Ghost’s eyebrows lift, amused at his clear stance of sulking like a baby. ‘Lot of contempt there, mate’

“Gary?” Ghost frowns down at him, “why’re you looking for him.”

Soap throws his hand in the air in a ‘I-don’t-fucking-know’ gesture, shrugging his shoulders for good measure “I dinnae ken, Price wants to munch his ear of or somethin’ ”

Ghost hums again.

“Okay.”

And then he’s getting up.

This time it’s Soap turn to frown, “Where ‘re ye going?”

Ghost looks at him from over his shoulder.

“To get Roach.”

His frown deepens, now adding a pinch of confusion.

He gets up as Ghost starts walking away, getting into step easily.

“You know where he is?”

"Affirmative." Ghost answers, gait never flattering, tunnel visioning down a corridor Soap passed fifteen different times (yes he counted) , (yes he also looked inside every single room AND closet). He pauses for a moment, after his brain finally catches with what Ghost has said, indignation crashing into him.

“And you didn’t tell me?!”

Ghost looks at him unimpressed.

“Did you ask.”

His mouth smartly shuts itself – ‘No he did not, in fact, ask’ – he continues his walk besides his Lieutenant, hands in pockets (But not sulking!).

They turn a corner and Ghost opens the first door – the kitchen.

The kitchen??

“I already looked in here, L.T,” and as he does another sweep with his eyes. Yep still empty.

Ghost is standing still beside him, head turning slightly as he analyzes the room – the way he always does on missions. He stops.

Soap is about to open his mouth to ask what the hell is he doing when he startles as Ghost moves his arm suddenly. Throwing with dead accuracy his book against the upper cabinets. Specifically the one closest to the right wall.

“What the fuck??”

His head spins to look at his Lieutenant in bewilderment. Did he finally blow a fuse? Lost the thread? Maybe he’s the one that needs a place in asylum?!

There’s a creak in the otherwise silent room.

And Soap swears, as the cabinet doors open and a pair of familiar brunette hair pops off, that a vein of his might, finally, pop.

What the fuck?

“What-”

“What. The. Fuck.”

Roach blinks at him.

“You better get the fuck out of there or ‘am lauching yer ass into the stratosphere. In 10– ”

Soap has never seen no one move so quickly and so clumsy at the same time, how Roach didn’t face plant is beyond him and as he gets closer he cannot keep all his rage contained.

So he grabs him by the ear and hauls his ass out of the kitchen, ignoring his complaints.

“You own me a fucking bottle of scotch. Good one too.”

Ghost watches the two idiots leave the premises, walking further inside he grabs his book and boils some tea.

He left at a good part after all. I live for Banter~

[manyreblobs]

tell me abt,,, Three dumbasses and their obselete braincell,,, and Roach pavloved Ghost real and true I was there. And Soap figures it out and falls more in love,,,,,

Of course! So! 4) Three dumbasses and their obselete braincell is the google doc that I have dubbed to be the "Ghostsoaproach silly/out of pocket/weird ideas" So I'll just write whatever GRS silly idea that comes to mind in that doc if I'm on the puter One of the fics written there has already been posted (which I completly forgor until I read it again XD). Which is this one -> :D And you can have...the whole snipet of one of the things I have written there that...Honestly I'll never make it it's own post (I get embarassed when I write silly orz) More under the break

“Man, I want some peanuts.” Soap stops. Looking up from where he was scribbling on his journal, he watches Roach make his ol' drama of appearing miserable. Laying half of the top of his body on the table. Soap hums and looks down at the bag of miscellaneous…nuts he was currently eating. “I thinks this has some peanuts,” he says while rummaging through the bag, lowering himself to look better, “I can give you som–” “NO!” Knee slamming against the bottom of the table, Soap startles at the sudden yell, curse dying on his tongue as he whips his head around to stare at his Lieutenant in pure undultered concern. Eyes wide as saucers. It would be funny to think about how fast his back had straightened at the tone to sit at attention, but at the moment his heart was about to be spit out so the humor was lost. He seems to be the only one concerned, though as Roach just looks up confused (straighter than he was at least, so maybe Johnny wasn't the only bastard getting his shit spooked). Ghost doesn’t seem to be aware (or he doesn’t care) (he certainly doesn't care) that he almost killed on of his sergeant's shitless. Not when his eyes are staring straight at Roach, digging holes into the man with the look of pure bafflement in - what's visible - of his expression. “Roach!” “What?” Soap hears Roach squeak “You’re allergic to peanuts, you fucking idiot!” Pause. Roach blinks, once, twice...three times and Soap can see the cogs turning, then he blinks again and again. His eyes widen comically. “Oh yeah!” he snaps his fingers, “I forgot.” Soap would wince at the sound of Ghost hand hitting his own face if it wasn’t for his own indignation and pure disbelief at the bampot sitting in front of him. “You forgot?!" He yells. "I could’ve killed you!” Roach shrugs, sprawling on his chair once more. “It’s not that bad.” “You…” the man standing behind Soap seems to pause, then continues slowly “you… can die from that.” This time Soap does look at Ghost when he speaks, watching how he presses both of his palms together (Soap thinks he’s not that far from praying away the stupidity out of Roach). “I mean… So can I from a bullet.” Is what Roach decides to use as... a solid counter argument. Soap’s head turns slowly to look at Roach, the last thing he hears from Ghost are his footsteps retreating– leaving. Smart Roach looks down at the bag of nuts, like he was thinking of putting his hand there, he still has the audacidy to look at Soap with a confused expression when the scot makes an indignat sound high on his throat. And ask: “What?” "..." As Soap gets up to leave he thinks, ‘Yeah… No. No amount of praying could cure that.’ He makes sure to take the bag with him on his way out “What?!??”

------------------------------------------------------------------------------

1)And now to~Roach pavloved Ghost real and true I was there. And Soap figures it out and falls more in love! Which is a fic I started working on and completly forgot to continue because ~college~ Have a lil snipet :3

The thing that he always keeps tabs on are people’s moods. It comes in handy especially in the military. A slight change of tone could be the start of a war. Right after moods. Comes, quirks. And his lieutenant is one quirky little bastard– not that he’ll ever admit it, of course, because besides quirky he also has a stick up his ass– anyway, as standoffish as the man tends to appear he’s way more expressive than people think (not even Ghost himself seems to notice that himself). Ghost, the man, the legend, has many little quirks. From obvious things like his constant need for the mask. To always stand at the back of the room in the shadows in meetings. Or to clean his weapons in a specific order– gear, long ranged guns, handguns and only at the end his knives (which are also cleaned by their own order and put away in some form of system). Or even when it comes to his eating habits and how he progresses with them. They’re varied quirks, there are… a lot of them. And they’re, well, quirky. But they all have reasons behind them So that’s why this specific one intrigues Soap to no end.

The fic is pretty short, as of right now at least (and it probably won't stray from like 1k words) But it's pretty much Soap learning that Ghost has this specific action - quirk - and it's him just trying to figure out what it is and why he does it :3 I know, not very interesting but I like to write about how other people's behaviors can impact others orz. It's fun (also my way to study a character) So there you go Ren! Hope you liked it and hope they were interesting! Sorry you got the goofy ones ashgjfhgfgfajsf

[deeptrashwitch]

I saw the template (this one) on @islandtarochips and I decided to try with the four idiots up there and Wraith was dragged into this by Alicia. Sorry for the edition hehe my computer and my abilities aren't the best, but I did my best!

(Wraith denies she ever did this or that she even knows these people, and Alicia just wheezes behind her)

FACTS I WANT TO SHARE:

Jackson might not be the youngest, but since Edward acts like he's an old man...he ends as the baby of the group.

Luke has ended with a black eye because he teases Jackson. The medic has thrown him a book, a backpack, a cushion, a shoe and even Edward's plate once (never did it again).

Since Wraith is probably the only one who isn't used to MRE's, she usually picks the restaurant for when they go outside and always says that they don't have good taste sense.

Dominique and Jackson are forbbiden of picking movies because of various incidents, while Luke and Alicia just fight for the movie every single time...so Edward chooses all the time.

Oficially the Captain, the Lieutenant and one of the Sergeants are normal people and really intelligent ones. In reality? When those three are left unsupervised and together out of duty their intelligence cancels itself, and you better start praying to any deity you can think of. (Jackson has the braincell they share most of the time, tho)

Alicia and Dominique have very different ways to keep the peace. Where the Captain tries to negociate and come to an agreement, Wraith simply uses threats to make them behave...surprisingly both methods are effective most of the time.

Edward and Alicia are the parent friends because of three reasons: Jackson doesn't have enough patience to lead with all of them, Luke is easy to distract when you know him well enough and Wraith isn't qualified to take care of any living being outside of herself.

[scribomaniatic]

Hodgson is very fond of the musical apparatus in Terror’s great cabin; Edward is not. Shenanigans ensue.

For the @theterrorbingo square “denial”

Pairing: Thomas Jopson/Lt Edward Little

Rating: Teen and up

Words: 2722

[shark-from-the-park]

Oh my goodness they are perfect.

Hodges' shark tucked under Irving's gorgeous angel as if he was a blanket.... Little's thresher somehow a disaster even in sleep... 😱😱😱😱😱😱😭😭😭😭😭😭

Oh to be in a lieutenants shark pile...

I imagine that the lieutenants sharks all sleep in the same little shark bed together with their shark night caps on and they go snork Mimimi as they sleep

👆 asks that sustain you through the week

[tanoraqui]

Hi! I see you posting all this stuff about the Queen's Thief series and it really looks like my type of literature, but I can't keep up with all the names and locations. Would it be okay to ask for a non-spoilery rundown of who, what, and where?

Hell yeah [at a delay]. So, most of the series takes place on the Attolian Peninsula, which comprises of 3 countries: Sounis, Eddis, and Attolia. There are also a scattering of small islands generally associated with the peninsula. Eddis is a narrow country in the mountains between Sounis and Attolia and only has, like, 1 small port; Sounis and Attolia both have substantial coastlines. All are monarchies. The basic geopolitical plot of the books is these three countries making peace with one another so that together they can hold off hte encroaching Mede Empire. 

It’s very low fantasy. Rifles and cannons exist, but they’re not that good yet; complex clockwork exists; steam engines do not. The Attolian Peninsua are heavily Ancient Greece-inspired, and the Mede are Persian-ish. Most importantly, there’s an entire made-up Greek-flavored mythology, as well as a Gilgamesh remix, stories of which are scattered through the books. Not only is this very neat, but the mythological figures often mirror the characters and are often vital to the plot. In fact, one of my favorite things about the series is how the whole thing feels very much like a myth in its own right, which some modern-day-in-that-world author has delved into and expanded on with fleshed-out characters and complex politics.

But you wanted a cast list. Most significant characters, in (probably) order of introduction, spoiler-free:

Eugenides, aka Gen, the central character of the series - though only the protagonist for the first couple books. Book and a half, really (the second is shared). Gen is a young progessional thief who is very good at calculating and carrying out complex and implausibly possible plans, and not always good at considering in advance consequences like “I will spend 6 months in jail” “I will have to move countries and take up a job I will hate”, “people might unironically admire and respect me, even though I don’t think I deserve it.” A wildly endearing manipulative asshole. Iconic quote: “I CAN DO ANYTHING I WANT!”

the Magus (never named), a chief advisor to the King of Sounis. Canny old soldier-turned-scholar/politician who is the first person to hold a braincell re: “we need to unite or die.” Iconic quote: “I meant convince your queen to sue for peace, not burn our navy in its own harbor!”

Sophos, later Sounis*, the Nicest Young Man to ever be a Nice Young Man. Sweet muffin. Canonical bunny. Also canonical mankiller. Iconic line: “Not on the first vote.”

Attolia* Irene, Queen of Attolia. Her people love her and fear her; her barons, for the most part, just fear her; she kicks and screams (non-literally) and throws inkpots (literally), but she does relearn how to both be loved and give love in return.  Iconic line [narration]: And she believed him.

Eddis* Helen, Queen of Eddis. There’s a mild running joke over the course of the series of mentioning that there’s nothing to do during Eddisian winters but [X], the 3 things mentioned are weapons training, threadcraft, and seducing one another’s spouses. The only one Eddis is suggested to be good at is weapons, but she’s the beloved and (almost entirely) undisputed queen of her country anyway. Iconic quote: “War, then.”

Nahuseresh, Medean ambassador, a mansplainer but competent as sneakily taking over someone else’s country while pretending to help them. More or less. Does not get an iconic line bc fuck him.

Kamet, later called Kamet Kingnamer, Nahuseresh’s slave and personal secretary. Nearsighted, translates poetry for fun, does NOT want to go on a multi-month (b)romance-building roadtrip. Does not have much choice in the matter, because he wants to be free and, more importantly, to survive. Iconic line [narration]: I noticed that a man on the dock with a duffel on one shoulder was very like Costis in poise and gait. The man turned onto the gangplank to board the ship, and my heart lifted, though I tried to squash what I thought was a ridiculous hope.**

 Costis Ormentides, a lieutenant in the Attolian palace guard. Not remotely prepared for the political snakepit he’s thrown into through very little fault of his own, oh god this poor man, he just wants to serve his queen and have a little spare money to go out for wine with friends. Why are people trying to kill him. Why is he third wheeling his monarchs making out in the courtyard. Why is he being passive-aggressively forced to learn a foreign language.  Iconic line action: *punches the king in the face*

Pheris Mostrus Erondites, second grandson of Baron Erondites of Attolia; historian and narrator of the last book in the series. Severely physically disabled, purposefully overlooked for all his life until particularly bitchy politics had him sent to the Attolian royal court (purposely on his part and on everyone else’s), very observant and twice as clever. Writes humanity beautifully. Iconic line [narration]: If I cannot record exactly what words were spoken at every moment, I can say with confidence what those words might have been, and in some cases what they must as been, as I saw what resulted from them being spoken, and can we not derive the words when we know the consequences of their utterance? *proceeds to write a historical account/novel more full of small moments of personhood and love both dramatic and casual than almost the rest of the series combined*

Relius, Attolian Master of the Archives (spymaster), trusted first within reason and then beyond it. Has many, many lovers.***

Teleus, Attolian Captain of the Palace Guard, A bit staid, but loyal, reliable, and entirely excellent at his job. Has only one lover.***

the Eddisian Minister of War, unnamed until the very end, fights with his youngest son a great deal in multiple senses of the word. 

* It’s possible that some of your confusion may stem from people taking the names of their countries as titles upon ascending to the thrones. ** Yes I chose this quote bc it’s sweet but also bc it’s SUCH a nearsighted mood. *** Direct quotes from the character list at the end of the last book.

[planetary-pluto]

spanish or vanish (tiktok made me do it)

hello. it’s me. mickey. the following story was created by me in 9th grade and is now being posted because I made the reckless proclamation “if this video gets 200 likes I’ll post the serious, gritty detective story I wrote about the duolingo owl in 9th grade

i would to clearly state that this story was written IRONICALLY. even at 14 i had some braincells.

CWs: implied crime syndicate, cops, gun violence, kidnpping, blood, general violence and the motherfucking duolingo owl. it does not end well.

this is your last chance to not keep reading. i am sorry. 

SPANISH OR VANISH

“New one, Sands.” Lieutenant James set a beefy file on Theo’s desk. “Yessir.” A coy smile rested on his face as the young detective looked up from his third cup of coffee. The lieutenant raised an eyebrow.  “Three missing. No connection. Better work fast before homicide calls dibs.”  “Yessir.” Theo grinned. “Oh and Sands?”  “Yeah?” “Get some sleep tonight. That’s an order.” 

There was no ‘yessir’ to this one. Theo only huffed and waved his boss off, flipping through the folder with routine precision. 3 vics, no relation. Olivia Shirley, Jason Abbertson, Bethany Brooks. A professional dancer with the royal ballet, an independent film writer, and a high profile CEO. No relatives in common and, at first glance, no one who’d know all three of them. The precinct door clicked shut at the Lieutenant made his exit with a quiet “Get some sleep Sands!” 

A couple minutes later, the gurgling of the coffee pot rung out the beginning of another all-nighter. 

TWO WEEKS LATER

It was a long shot. The vics only had one thing in common, an app on their phones. Duolingo, a popular program used to help one learn languages. All of them had been months off lessons but kept the app on their phone Theo’d known people who used it to help squeeze out a pass in high school french.

Only now did he realize how long it’d been since he spoke to them. 

It should’ve been a walk in the park. A quick recon of an abandoned warehouse, with backup on standby. Theo was smart, and a good shot. No one was meant to be there, worst case scenario there as a chase. 

That was not the worst case scenario. 

He didn’t plan for his phone to ring, no one called him. He didn’t plan on the warehouse being a base of operations, one of two people at most. And, if Theodore Sands knew one thing, it was that he sure as hell didn’t plan on getting shot. 

���Detective Sands?! Where the HELL are you?!-” “Lieutenant James I-” Theo’s scolding was cut short when a bang went off and pain erupted through his side. He instinctively pushed his hand to the place, only to draw it back when warm blood coated his fingers. “Fuck fuck fuck- no-” He staggered, drawing his own gun. “Who’s- who’s the-” What was meant to be a threat came out as a gurgled cough. It hurt too much to speak. 

He dropped to a knee. There were footsteps, heavy boots on metal pushing their way towards him. Then there was a sweet cloth over his face. Theo kicked and pushed against his attacker, floundering to bring his gun around to them, but his strength was leaving with his blood. 

“En Espanol.” A gruff voice hissed in Theo’s ear. What? That doesn’t make- Shut up Sands just get out of here-

A knee hit his ribs and, with a pained squeak, his world slipped away.

-

Detective Theodore Sands awoke in a dark room. He was sat against cold metal, ropes digging into his wrists and ankles. A quick jerk told him the knots were good.  Did I just get fucking kidnapped? I think I’ve just been fucking-

With that, metal door slid open. It was too dark to make out anything other than a large figure... avian? No, that made no sense. It was just the blood loss. The figure was holding holding... something. Something also large. 

“Who the hell-” Theo’s question went silent as whatever the thing was struck his shoulder. 

“Try it again.” The visitor leaned in, and Theo could clearly make it out. Whoever it was wore a large mask of the bird from the app cover. Wait- was that a mask? Is a mask meant to extend... everywhere? No. No that’s not how things work. Focus Theo, you’re just low on blood is all. But those eyes looked so real-

“Try it again.” The owl repeated, dragging its weapon down the side of Theo’s face. “This time in Spanish.”

[kaserl]

WIP Ask Game

RULES: Post the names of all the files in your WIP folder, regardless of how non-descriptive or ridiculous. Send me an ask with the title that most intrigues you and I’ll post a little snippet of it or tell you something about it! And then tag as many people as you have WIPs.

I was tagged by @annecoulmanross and honestly I think everyone I can think of has been tagged already? If you see this and want to do it though, feel free!

1. Little Takes Fairholme’s Place AU

2. Bridglar Reincarnation AU

3. Three Lieutenants One Braincell Roommates AU

4. Bookstore AU

5. Lightning

[indig0g0]

(Introduction written by @sasster​!)

Your name is Kleihe Iesgat, and if anyone asks you are definitely still in a depressive spiral from being ripped away from your home of 12 sweeps and watching all of your friends die -- Oh, fuck wait you still are reeling aren’t you? Well let’s rub some salt in the wound, shall we?

Hey! You’re a scientist, with a specialty in biology and sociology. It takes exactly 0 braincells to be able to tell that you skew your research away from trollkind and apply all of the energy you have to researching...Well anything else! The concept of alien life has piqued your interest. Anyone could write about death and terror, it was ingrained in all aspects of life, it would take someone with REAL heart for the subject to find his inspiration outside of his own species. Or. You think so at least. Maybe that’s what made everything so hard.

At 24 sweeps old you’ve lived quite the life as a successful Lieutenant Colonel! Leading a rather fruit filled research mission just a little ways outside of Alternias solar system, on a planet known as Atlas-XII. To put it very bluntly, the fauna and native species were all beautiful and breathtaking. It was not a matter of whether or not you and your crew would fall in love with the planet, but just how long would it take? No leader could stop a group of scientists from falling in love with their subject, much less a scientist falling in love himself. Everything was going well, and things were too good to be true. Until, well, until everything wasn’t! Roughly three sweeps ago, you got word from the higher ups that an invasion was scheduled to take place for Atlas-XII and all your men had to do was stay out of the attacking forces' way. Easier said than done, when your crew heard the news they decided to have a riot instead. As one does. Now you’ve become a hivehold name, where trolls tote about the story of the failure of a Lieutenant Colonel and the infamous tantrum his crew threw on Atlas-XII. No one is blaming you for falling in love with the natives or even making a life there. They mostly blame you for failing to protect your crew. You blame yourself for that, too.

Oh but the past is the past. These days, well, things are a little easier to live with now. You spend much of your time chasing down your large gaggle of alien children, and piecing your life back together as the pieces fall to you. Not everyone gets a second chance, you know, and you are eternally grateful for that. Depression does a good job of kicking your ass on the bad days, but your moirail and kismesis do an even better job of snapping you back into reality. And, hey, your wife is back now too. Maybe the future isn’t as bleak as you thought it could be, Iesgat.

It goes without saying, but we’ll say it anyway, the hemospectrum never had any like actual bearing on you, your thought process, or any of your actions. How boring? To play the game of colors. No, you’ll engage with just about anyone of any color! Lowblood? Mutated? Aliens? Hell, why not? As long as they don’t pose an actual immediate threat to your family.

When all is said and done you are a very guarded man, and anyone looking to find you outside of your moirails hive is going to be hardpressed to do it. You barely even give out your handle or even let your family use your name fully on any form of social media!

Gee, Iesgat, the way you dropped off the face of Alternia, people might start to believe you yourself were killed during those public executions. But weren’t you though?

Profile under cut

Name: Kleihe Iesgat

Age:  24 Sweeps (52 years)

Gender: Male

Power: None

Height: 6′7″

Blood Color: #1B9A82

Strife Specibus: None

Symbol:

Lusus: 2 Headed Dragon

Handle:  extrinsicCatastrophe [EC]   

Quirk: ◄◦▫║THΣ QUICK BRѺWN FѺX JUMPS ѺVΣR THΣ LѦZY DѺG║▫◦►

Extrovert/Introvert: Extrovert

Personality: Though prone to long fits of depression, Kleihe is a very social person and loves to be around other people. On good days, he spends most of his time chasing the various children in Koteus’s hive around, sparring with his friends, and even on occasion finding a new random topic to research. He’s always open to meeting new people, though tries to reserve as much of himself as he can until he knows he can trust someone. (i will add more later when i am in a more write-y mood i am very bad at describing my trolls im sorry)

[darkdumbass]

Yo, I’m not dead, just had a thing going on on Twitter and didn’t want to post it here until it was finished.

It’s a story I wrote with the help of my followers. At certain points I used polls to give them a choice where the story would go next. It turned out pretty well and it’s pretty long so I’m putting it under the cut.

This up here is the cover. The story itself is accompanied by rather quick doodles.

Big thanks to everyone who participated.

Enjoy!

One Day Off

During his stubborn race to prove he's better than everyone else, detective Gavin Reed found himself hitting a wall. At times like these it is wiser to take a step back and take at least a little time to rechage the much needed energy.

Not that detective Reed is considered to be wise by anyone, even by himself, but he has at least that much common sense. So he's taking a day off. Which, sure enough, provides him with a decision to make. What to do? Where to go?

[Amusement park] [Edgy rock concert] [Water park] [Contemporary art gallery]

The last thing he wants is to look like a pathetic loner. He needs an accomplice. Apart from the emergency telephone number, which he can't seem to remember by heart, his empty contact list includes only four other numbers. One choice worse than the other, but he has to choose.

[Old man Anderson] [The ever perfect Connor] [RK900 terminator] [Good guy Chris]

Standing outside the club with the opening act already in progress, Gavin still can't shake the surprise of his usually reserved partner accepting the invitation to go and listen to actual music. But this feeling is nothing compared to the shock of seeing the android arrive. 

"What. On Earth. Are you wearing?"

"I don't understand, detective. You told me to blend in."

"We're going to a rock concert, not starting an emo band."

"Accroding to my research--"

The baffled detective abruptly turns around and heads for the entrance, grumbling under his breath. 

The duo enters the large club, undecipherable shrieking from the direction of the stage filling their ears.

"This opening band is a bunch of clowns," Gavin remarks.

"So what now?" the android asks.

Gavin looks at him with a smirk.

[Booze] [Mingle] [Best spots near the stage] [Ditch the damn clothes, RK]

"Alcohol makes everything better, right?" the detective utters an empty laugh and hastily heads towards the bar.

RK900 curiously follows. Gavin casually orders three shots of tequila.

"Three?" the android wonders.

"Just enough to get this party started." This time his laugh is genuine. 

RK900's stress level slightly rises as he tries to predict all the things that could go wrong when Gavin inevitably gets drunk. What he didn't predict was a large man suddenly bumping into his partner. 

Gavin stumbles and his precious drinks spill, the victims being the bar counter and the android next to him. The poor man gasps, the sight of the wasted liquid gold ruining his delicate mood. He slowly turns, facing the enormous back that is the culprit.

[Punch him] [Hurt him with words] [Let it go] [Glass him]

RK900 sees a familiar expression appear on the detective's face. Gavin grabs a nearby empty beer glass and smashes it against the back of the giant's head. As if almost nothing happened, the mountain of muscle irritatedly turns around.

"Fuck, that hurt you little shi..." 

The words fade as a strong hand grasps Gavin's shirt and hurls him away. Powerless against the enormous force, his body flies into the nearest group of people. Gavin falls to the ground, taking a thin young woman down with him. Confused, he scurries back to his feet only to be greeted by a furiously looking face of who he assumes is the unlucky woman's boyfriend.

"The hell you think you doin'?" the man almost screams and throws a punch in the direction of Gavin's face.

The detective instinctively ducks. The man's fist lands on the wrong face, knocking down an innocent bystander.

Behind their backs an excited and most likely intoxicated voice roars: "Fiiiiiiight!"

A beer bottle flies over their heads, shattering in a crowd of people.

A savage fight breaks out around them, rapidly spreading through the whole club like a virus. Completely shocked, Gavin tries to comprehend the situation. Finally, when various objects start flying in different directions, he runs for safety, vaulting over the bar counter.

The quick-witted RK900 is already there, arms crossed and frowning disapprovingly at his human. Gavin isn't able to do anything more than mutter a nervous "Huh..."

"So... Do you have a plan how to handle this mess of yours?" the android asks impersonally.

[”Pff, I’ll handle it.”] [Call help] [Let’s just gtfo] [”Hey look, free booze!”]

Gavin looks around at the shelves full of alcohol.

"We stay here, have a nice free drink and wait for all this to blow over," he grins and reaches for a bottle of whisky.

RK900 sighs disappointedly. Minutes pass and people are still fighting. Every now and then the android peeks over the counter, checking for life-threatening situations.

Getting tired of the detective's pathetic fun, RK900 swiftly jumps out, moving speedily through the crowd. Gavin is left behind, too busy chugging a second bottle of hard liquor.

The android finally reaches the stage. It's empty save for some music instruments and various contraptions. He positions himself in front of the microphone overlooking the furious crowd. He pats it with one finger and the speaker emits a screechy sound. He leans his head closer.

"May I please ask you to abort all your violent activities and..." RK900 trails off when he sees his words have no impact. He clears his throat, calibrating his sound emitters. He brings the microphone closer to his mouth. In a fraction of a second the android looses his temper and roars with a booming voice: "EVERYBODY SHUT THE FUCK UP!"

The crowd freezes, people stopping mid-action resembling a paused movie. Somewhere in the distance Gavin drops a bottle.

"Thank you. Now I would kindly ask you to disperse and return to your homes or seek medical attention if need be."

The mass of people shifts as people regain composure. RK900 steps off the stage, satisfied.

But an unknown voice calls out: "Hey, where's the band?"

The android opens his mouth to answer but another voice cuts him out.

"They ran, what else do you think they did, dumbass?"

"Fuck, I paid to hear 'em and that's what I want!"

Cries of agreement echo in the hall. RK900 looks around with fresh concern. Suddenly, Gavin appears at his side, unintentionally brushing shoulders with him. The android notices a half empty bottle in his hand. He's sporting a devilish expression.

"I've got an idea," he calls into the crowd.

RK900 freezes. Whatever it is, it's going to be a disaster.

[Silence him] [Let him speak] [Drag him away] [Slap him]

--- 

It was a slow day at the DPD. Lieutenant Anderson spent it sitting behind his desk filling out paperwork. It's evening and he's working overtime. The sudden ringing of his phone startles him a little. He picks up and listens.

As the coversation progresses, his expression changes from tired to tired as hell. Some disturbance in the city? That isn't even supposed to be his job but it seems that he's one of the few people available. He has no other choice but to get in his car and drive to the scene.

He arrives and a number of police officers are already there, holding the perimeter. One of them fills him in on what's going on. Apparently, a concert was supposed to be held at the club. Somebody shoves a megaphone in his hands. He sighs exhaustedly and steps forward.

He faces a makeshift barricade at the entrance to the club. It's built out of various furniture and metal railing. He lazily lifts the megaphone closer to his lips.

"Uh, hello, this is the police."

At the sound of his voice, several heads peek out over the barricade. In the middle, two figures stand taller than the others. The lieutenant narrows his eyes to see clearer.

"Reed?"

"Anderson?"

"Lieutenant?"

"RK900?"

Awkward silence takes over as lieutenant Anderson tries to put two and two together.

He fails.

"The hell are you two doing here?"

Gavin straightens his back with drunken courage.

"Wha- isn't it obvious? We want music!" his voice breaks with the last word. It does nothing to help Anderson understand.

"The concert?"

"We paid for music so we want it!"

The android next to Gavin sinks to his knees.

Anderson's hand holding the megaphone drops to his hip. His other hand covers his desperate face.

"And I thought this guy couldn't get any worse..." he mumbles into his palm. He lets out a loud breath. "Time to do my work, I guess."

[Use force] [Parley] [Talk him out of it] [”RK900, do something!”]

The lieutenant lifts the megaphone again.

"RK900!"

His loud shout interrupts the android's silent prayer. His head turns towards Anderson.

"What are you doing? Tell him to knock it off!"

"I tried. He doesn't listen," RK responds.

"Well then you haven't tried hard enough."

RK gives Gavin a desperate look. The man notices his gaze and pats him on the shoulder.

"Don't worry, I'll get the band back," he mumbles with a comforting smile.

RK900 lifts an eyebrow at the lieutenant. Anderson gestures his hands encouragingly. RK looks back at his partner. The man is now using his hand on the android's shoulder to steady himself. He burps with a frown.

In one quick movement RK900 jumps behind the barricade, pulling Gavin down with him. Grabbing onto his jacket, he violently shakes the human, finally getting his full attention.

"This moronic idea of yours will never work. I need you to give this up before everybody here ends up in prison," he whispers aggressively.

Gavin's confused expression slowly transforms into a defiant one.

"We haven't spent three hours building a barricade for nothing!"

"You'll walk with your freedom unrestricted if you just use your one braincell."

"That's not enough," he retorts.

RK sighs wearily, "What would it take for you to change your mind?"

The man makes an innocent face.

"Depends. What're you offering?"

RK900 falls silent, thinking.

[”My soul”] [An offer he can’t refuse] [”Anything. Just ANYTHING”] [A night he won’t forget]

Finally, the android lets go of the detective's jacket and places his hands on the man's shoulders instead, bringing their faces closer.

"Gavin," he breathes softly, making a dramatic pause before  he continues, "I'll give you a night you'll never forget."

The man stares at him dumbly. RK900 slides his hands and gently caresses the back of Gavin's neck, pulling him even closer.

"I know you better than anyone else," his voice quiets to a whisper, "Your every desire."

The detective gulps. An unintelligible mumble escapes his lips. 

A playful smile lights up the android's face.

"So why don't we leave all this behind and go to your place right now?" He's practically holding the dumbfounded detective in his arms.

"Ah-hahhh," Gavin gives in.

"Perfect," RK winks and lets go of him.

After that, Gavin takes notice of very little of what happens around him, completely lost in his fantasizing mind.

Police officers swarming the barricade.

A night he'll never forget?

Old man Anderson yelling.

Desires?

Being shoved into a cab.

To his place?

At last, he comes around. Truly, the android is sitting next to him in the taxi, a tired look on his face. Their eyes meet. Gavin can't stop a dopey smile. The car stops with a jerk. Unsurprised by the man's inability to move, RK900 opens the door instead, pushing Gavin outside.

He finds himself in an unfamiliar place, completely devoid of civilization save for the faint outline of the city somewhere in the distance. He truns around, seeing the android still sitting in the cab comfortably.

"I- Uh..."

"You," RK points his finger accusingly, "will try to find some reason in that head of yours."

"Y-you said--"

"Oh," the android interrupts his mumbling, "I lied." He flashes Gavin a condescending smile.

"Not about the 'unforgettable' part though. And try not to take too long, Fowler wants us at the office tomorrow at 0600."

The car door shuts and the cab silently drives away, leaving detective Gavin Reed to his own devices.

The end.

Thank you for reading! I imagine it was easy to follow on Twitter in daily doses but only now did I realize that it’s pretty damn long! So if you made it this far, you’re my hero <3

If you’re interested in the outcome of the polls with percentage, the whole thread can be found here.

And lastly, if you want to see me ramble more, share random funny anecdotes and maybe write more stories, follow me on Twitter.

Signing off, 

Your friendly neighbourhood fanartist

[wifeofbath]

Chapters: 2/4 Fandom: The Terror (TV 2018) Rating: General Audiences Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings Relationships: Captain Francis Crozier/Commander James Fitzjames, Thomas Jopson/Lt Edward Little, Minor or Background Relationship(s), John Bridgens/Harry Peglar, William Gibson/Cornelius Hickey, Harry D. S. Goodsir/Lady Silence | Silna, Sophia Cracroft/Captain Francis Crozier, Thomas Hartnell/Lt John Irving, Captain Sir John Franklin/Lady Jane Franklin Characters: Commander James Fitzjames, Captain Francis Crozier, Thomas Jopson, Lt Edward Little, John Diggle, Captain Sir John Franklin, Lady Jane Franklin, Sophia Cracroft, Lt Henry T. D. Le Vesconte, Lt George Hodgson, Cornelius Hickey, William Gibson, Lt John Irving, Thomas Hartnell, Sir James Clark Ross, John Bridgens, Harry Peglar, Lady Silence | Silna, Harry D. S. Goodsir, Thomas Blanky, Sgt Solomon Tozer Additional Tags: Christmas Fluff, Misunderstandings, Alternate Universe - Everyone Lives/Nobody Dies, Alternate Universe - 1950s, No Homophobia AU, Fake Marriage, Mutual Pining, Secret Relationship, Three Lieutenants + Fitzjames sharing one braincell, John Diggle is a treasure, Sir John is oblivious Summary:

Every month James Fitzjames publishes his articles filled with delicious recipes, ingenious decorating tips, and tales from his country home. One problem: James can't cook. So when his boss invites himself and a famed veteran and explorer over for Christmas, James must scramble to create the perfect setting for the holidays. Only he finds the ruse increasingly difficult to keep up once he sets eyes on Francis Crozier.

Chapter 2: In which Edward is besotted, Lady Jane is suspicious, and a cow brings James and Francis closer together.

[glorioustidalwavedefendor]

Love, Death & Robots.

Can I just say, how happy it makes me, that the anthology series is back?

I mean, Love, Death & Robots isn‘t the first by a long shot … but still, I am glad that this art form is back. It lends itself so very beautifully to the telling of small stories.

I lnow I am late on the band wagon, but this is my hot take on Love, Death & Robots. Just fresh of bingeing it. No reflection just feeling … or in other words, the result of rubbing my last two sleep deprived braincells together.

It‘s just my opinion, nothing more.

On the technical side of things …

This show is fucking gorgeous. The style usually goes with the general tone of the story, all of them competently and craft fully realized. The same goes for the voice work, the sound design and the soundtrack.

On a side note, diversity is so so, could be better but could be worse … I‘d say average …

It‘s definitely NC-17. Blood, gore, violence, sex and lovingly rendered co**s. We have it all. If you are sensible … you might want to skip some of the stories …

Beware … here there be spoilers

"Sonnie's Edge"

A woman named Sonnie remotely controls a genetically-engineered monster in underground gladiatorial battles. A rich man offers her a lot of money to lose, but she refuses. After she wins the combat, he comes back to make her pay, only to discover he got things very wrong.

I really liked the concept of the story, though not so much the execution. I am just not a huge fan of the „live begins at rape“-trope and I thought that backstory element was rather clumsily handled. I also feel like we could have reached the same twist wit a different backstory …

It‘s a really great twist.

I mean, I am not to clever, maybe you‘ll see it coming a mile away … but I still think it‘s a good twist …

Carefull, gore and boobs …

"Three Robots"

After the destruction of humanity, three robots take a vacation tour around seemingly abandoned city, trying to understand how humans lived based on their limited knowledge of them and the things they left behind. The surprise comes when they met a cat.

It‘s exactly what it says on the tin. It is sweet, adorable, funny … surprisingly meta in it‘s message, without getting too heavy handed, it has kittens … I love it.

If you have problems with skulls, skip it, there a loads of it here …

"The Witness"

A woman witnesses a murder in a building in front of the hotel where she is staying. She flees from him through a surreal city.

What it say on the tin. The twist isn‘t really a surprise if you pay attention, but it‘s a case of blink and you miss it.

I like the concept a lot and the execution was alright …

Nudity … lots of it … also blood … so, if that is a no, for you … skip it. Otherwise, I really like the twist … I say that a lot …

"Suits"

A small community of farmers pilot mech suits to defend their land from an invading swarm of insectoid aliens.

Again, what it says on the tin … a little heavy handed with the characterization, but they have only minutes to establish them, so that‘s O.K. for me. The characters are all very sweet and caring … not so much a twist ending as a WTF moment.

The violence is relatively tame … maybe PG 13, if you can stomach alien blood and a major character death …

"Sucker of Souls"

Awakened by an archaeological excavation, a bloodthirsty demon fights a crew of mercenaries.

What‘s on the tin.

I really liked this one. I like the  archaeologist, I like the mercenaries, … The ending is a bit … not disappointing … but you feel a bit cheated.

I also feel like this could work very well as Terror AU, with Goodsir being the archaeologist and the mercenaries being Crozier, fem-Blanky and … maybe Fitzjames …

The actual gore … rather graphic, though the style isn‘t hyper realistic … if you‘re sensible, definitely skip this one …

"When The Yogurt Took Over"

Yogurt developed by scientists becomes sentient and takes over the world.

What can I ay? It‘s what‘s on the tin.

Rather tame, except for a few moments of very dark humor … the style is very cartoony, so … not for the faint of heart maybe, but it should be fine for most people.

"Beyond the Aquila Rift"

Blue Goose's crew—Thom, Suzy, and Ray—are on a mission to reach beyond the Aquila Rift, but an error in the routing plot causes unexpected events to happen.

Sort of, what it says on the tin … but not …

I really liked it, … not particularly gory per see except for a quick scene … but if you hate spiders, definitely stay away … also boobs …

This one would also make for a great Terror AU, with Crozier as the Captain and Sophia as his long lost acquaintance …

"Good Hunting"

In early 20th century China, a boy becomes friends with a shape-shifting huli jing after his father kills the huli jing's mother. Years later, living in a steampunk Hong-Kong, they find each other again.

I really like the idea behind this … the thought  that magic can not exists in a world full of iron and steam. I loved that concept back in Lords and Lady's and I still love it.

I just could have done without the sex trafficking …

I‘d prefer d if she‘d just gotten a new body on her own terms, … Because I really like the concept that she has to change herself completely in order to control this new magic …

Definitely not for the faint of heart … what‘s on the screen is upsetting enough … the implications even more so …

Also, lots of nudity …

"The Dump"

A city inspector tries to convince Ugly Dave to move out of his house which is located in a dump. However, Dave and his pet are not intent on doing so.

This one was wearing tapp shoes … but I still like it … its cute … and dark … sensible people … maybe skip it …

Nudity … death and gore … also a puppy …

"Shape-Shifters"

Two close friends in the Marines with supernatural powers have to fight one of their own in Afghanistan.

Whats on the tin. Short, sweet, heartbreaking … gore … major character death … Nudity

"Helping Hand"

An astronaut faces a life or death situation after an accident while spacewalking in orbit. Now she has to decide, arm or live …

This was a hard one for me to watch … not so much for the gore … there is none … but just seeing her being so brave and inventive and … so so fucked … it was a hell of a ride, for me it was worth it …

God damn she is awesome!

"Fish Night"

Two salesmen get stuck in the desert, and discover that the desert is not what it seems at night.

I love it!

I loved the concept wen Pratchett came up with it for wee free men … where he mentioned it in a throw away line … and I was angry at myself for days, that I never came up with it myself …

Spooky, pretty … bloody … there was a shark … Nudity

I was sad, but I‘ll definitely give it a rewatch …

This doesn't so much work as an entire Terror AU, but I feel like, the concept does lend itself easily to being used with Silna …

"Lucky 13"

A pilot recalls her missions aboard the dropship Lucky 13, which had already lost two crews before.

Boy did I cry at this one … bit gory … and onions, so many onions … who the fuck needs so many onions at this time of night?

But yeah, I have a thing for ships … sue me …

"Zima Blue"

A reclusive artist gives a final interview after 100 years.

I love this … the style is very stylized and lends itself beautiful to the story … ah … I think this is even something for the faint of heart … also, in my case onions …

"Blindspot"

A cyborg crew attempts to rob a convoy.

What‘s on the tin, pretty straight forward … nothing special … but I feel that is less the stories fault and more the fact that it is simply outclassed among all the others …

Violent, but cartoony … so … no idea … proceed with caution?

"Ice Age"

A couple who just moved into the apartment finds a civilization inside an antique refrigerator.

What‘s on the tin.

Really sweet, really cute … cute couple … I feel like, some of the lines could have used one more rewrite, but that is me nitpicking. I really liked it, it was awesome, definitely gonna rewatch it … I feel like this is even for the faint of heart …

It is also very refreshing to see a married couple just hanging out together … love it

"Alternate Histories"

Multiversity, an alternative history research simulation app, shows the viewer the death of Adolf Hitler in 6 different timelines on their welcome demo.

I feel like Douglas Adams came back from the dead to write this … I get defined Hitchhiker vibes.

Ah … dark, but super cartoony, so the violence is rather tame … still, not G rated, despite the style … Nudity

I liked it a lot …

"Secret War"

A platoon of Red Army soldiers hunt down the undead in the forests of Siberia.

What it say on the tin.

The style is super realistic, so nothing for the faint of heart. Blood, gore … more blood, more gore …

I liked it …

And, is it just me, or is the Lieutenant the spitting image of John Morfin?

This would make an amazing Terror AU, you pretty much only have to change the names … even the Lieutenants second gives me Collins vibes …

I hope I got all the Nudity, but there is a lot of it … not even always in a sexy way, just in a “humans sometimes are naked” way …

And that was  Love, Death & Robots.

Was it good?

Hell yes!

Do I want more?

Definitely …  though I don‘t have to high hopes for a potential second season … once burned twice shy … But I‘d be delighted if we get one as good or even better.

[nora-barnacle]

Lieutenants of the HMS Terror, c1850

I will make inseparable cities, with their arms about each other’s necks; By the love of comrades, By the manly love of comrades. Walt Whitman, A Song