#unrelated but ryan looks SO GOOD here

[theghoulboysblog]

i am making this puppet history - mystery files crossover my entire personality by the way. shane madej and the professor both ganging up on ryan?? they’ve made a personal living hell for ryan on his own show and i fucking love it.

[glassamphibians]

how did you read so many books??! that’s so cooll

do you have a favorite from this year? :)

most of my reading is done by listening to audiobooks while driving/doing chores/etc! I moved to receiving at work this year too which means I get to listen to books while I unpack books for like seven hours straight it rules. For physical books i literally just always have one on me and take it out whenever i can.

I read so many good books this year I Cannot narrow it down to just one so I'm doing ten under the read more <3

GLASS AMPHIBIANS 2024 FAVES BY GENRE KIND OF IF YOU SQUINT:

A Master of Djinn by P. Djèlí Clark: This book is just so vibrant. I was immediately in love with steampunk Cairo and the protagonist, Fatma, is easily one of my favorite female characters of all time. You need to read everything Clark writes i am so serious.

The West Passage by Jared Pechaček: this Expertly conveys incomprehensible enormity and humbling smallness in a way that i have never read before!!! Possibly one of the most unique fantasy novels I've read AND each chapter has beautiful illustrations done by the author! huge for fans of Piranesi or Monument Valley.

The Spear Cuts Through Water by Simon Jimenez: also one of the most unique high fantasies i've ever read this was fucking insane. An experiment in perspective and world building that honestly made me a danger to other people driving do not handle large machinery while trying to follow this. This is a love story to its blade-dented bone.

Parable of the Sower by Octavia Butler: Duh. Post apocalyptic novels full of spiteful, unrelenting optimism and compassion are the most important things in the world. genre ever. idk what else to say like its octavia butler of course its gonna be on here

A Mask of Flies by Matthew Lyons: one of those horror novels that i desperately need to see made into a movie. For some reason I started this thinking there was no supernatural aspect and jesus christ was i wrong there's a Creature in here!!!! a very gross and scary and weird one!!! So action packed with a disgruntled, dislikable female protagonist I would literally follow to the ends of the earth she's so kick ass.

The Bog Wife by Kay Chronister: a more literary horror novel that i can really only describe as damp. I seriously considered dunking my copy in a creek so its appearance would better match whats going on inside. This fucked up family dynamic and decaying, sodden mansion was so up my alley, and Chronister's prose was so easy to fall into.

Enter Ghost by Isabella Hammad: An actress returns to Palestine and ends up involved in a contentious production of Hamlet in the West Bank. Hammad's prose is unreal. She published a speech on Palestine and storytelling this year that goes perfectly with this book. The protagonist's relationship with Palestine is beautifully explored I could not put this book down.

Detransition, Baby by Torrey Peters: This is an extremely introspective, character driven novel about transfemininity and motherhood that I read in march and have thought about at least once a week since. Peters captures the messiness and complexities of queer identities so perfectly. She has new book coming out in 2025 that i am frothing at the mouth waiting for.

In the Dream House by Carmen Maria Machado: A memoir and a poem and a horror novel and a film criticism and a choose-your-own-adventure story and so much more. Machado plays with genres and tropes in order to articulate her time in an abusive lesbian relationship. Incredibly creative and addictive read, Machado is so talented. My mom had to stop me from trying to read this while waiting for a wedding to start.

The Women's House of Detention by Hugh Ryan: Researched with so much care and time, this follows the history of this prison and the lives of the people who were incarcerated there. Some are famous, like Angela Davis, but the vast majority of its inhabitants were forgotten. Ryan specifically follows queer individuals and looks at how the Women's House of Detention impacted the queer history and culture of Greenwhich Village. Must read for anybody interested in prison abolition.

there were a billion trillion more phenomenal reads this year i love u books i love u reading xoxoxoxo

[dem0nguy]

Ive been infected by the AU bug (Ive got like 5 different AUs for MB now help—)

HOWEVER, this does give me an excuse to ramble about said AUs >:3

So how bout I ramble about the one I ever-so-conveniently drew art for?

MUTANT BUSTERS STEAMPUNK AU :DDDDD

Ima be honest, I originally created this just so I could put the sillies in fancy outfits. But then I added lore…

(The outfits in question:)

(Before I start ima just say that none of the characters go by their aliases, bc it just wouldn’t make sense here (and like, their names are cool and get no use in the show, they need use >:/ ))

So Jim(Sheriff) and Ryan live in a poor rural town in the middle of nowhere. Ryan works as a blacksmith, and Jim is an aspiring inventor (he’s not very good at the inventing part… just the ideas.)

Ryan wants Jim to learn how to be a blacksmith like he is, because it’s a reliable job and he doesn’t see Jim going very far in his inventing career.

Obviously, Jim doesn’t listen to him.

On one particularly boring day, an aspiring entrepreneur/inventor rolls into town. He introduces himself as Max(Shooter) Kojima, and says he’s looking for someone to help jumpstart his business with him. Jim quickly volunteers, but Ryan stops him, and forces him to come home.

Jim, however, is a persistent little bitch. So he sneaks out at night and joins up with Max; who gives him a prototype bionic arm as a gift.

Somewhere along their journey, Max reveals that he stole a powerful source of energy contained in a gem (*cough* MORPHONITE *cough*) from the lead entrepreneurs, Wart and Verruca, and plans to use it for his own inventions.

Jim is honestly so awed by the gem that he doesn’t care if it was stolen or not.

(At this point, Ryan has realized Jim is missing. So he sets out on a mission to find him)

Unfortunately, Max and Jim were not the only ones after the gem. Vegan-Su and BP steal it from them, so the two set off on a mission to get it back.

When they finally confront Vegan and BP, they explain that the gem was created by their father (Dr. White) and was stolen from him. So they were trying to get it back. But Max and Jim don’t care, and just as they’re about to walk off with the gem; Alexander(Brutux) steals it from them. All four then decide to work together to get the gem back.

Alexander works for Wart and Verruca, and was sent to go find the gem. But he doesn’t actually know what it is, nor the importance of it. When Jim, Max, Vegan, and BP catch up to him, they explain that the gem was created by Dr. White. Alexander then proceeds to fanboy about Dr. White and join the group.

(Jim and Max were gonna steal the gem back, but now they’re in too deep to get out so yk….)

(Also unrelated but Jim and Max are gay for each other bc you don’t just run off with a man in the middle of the night and NOT fall in love with him.)

The five start on their way to Dr. White’s place, just before they reach it, Jim gets a letter. The letter states that Ryan has been kidnapped by Wart and Verruca, and if the gem isn’t returned to them, he will be killed.

So they change course, and head for Wart and Verruca’s business place: Panic Mechanics (I’m so good at naming things/j) They make the trade for Ryan (who thoroughly scolds Jim, but is thankful for being saved.) Then unsure of what to do next, they head to Dr. White’s place.

(Dr. White is kinda like an inventor with questionable ethics and a weird way of doing things. He’s relatively well known, but his unpredictably doesn’t make him “famous” per se. His books are what most people (including Alexander) know him for.)

When they arrive, Dr. White explains that Wart and Verruca will try to drain all the energy in the world using that gem, so everyone has to come to them for power/inventions. (Capitalism, yay)

So they head right on back to Panic Mechanics, just in time to stop Wart and Verruca’s plan, saving the world. (AND THE GAYS GET TO KISS >:D)

That’s pretty much all, thanks for listening to me ramble! :3

[storiesofsvu]

Happy Thursday!

The preview for mothership looked super good so here’s hoping!!

Unrelated, but ugh I overcooked my chicken tonight. One day I’ll get it right LOL

Was that mike doyle?!

IT ISSSS!!!

Im taking this as confirmation that ryan o’halloren is still alive and well!!

Ohhhhh god here we go. dad really believes this shit? Ugh.

See… accusations like this are why no doors closed when you’re alone with a student exist. No doubt the conversation with the door closed was the kid coming out/asking about being gay, so privacy but STILL. Especially if the teacher is publicly out at the school, he honestly wouldn’t let that happen.

Ngl, high key crushing on Riley too… *sigh* we’ll just add another man to the old man crush list of the week, shall we? (the other one’s Bobby from 911. I dunno what it is about him but its making me weak)

Jfc right after I say that he fucking parkour’s over a goddamn fence… SIR! I’m trying to focus

Oh go this confrontation scene is gut wrenching. The swat/whatever guys were literally about to just go right for the kill, the kid doesn’t really get whats happening. Thank god for shaw.. jfc

Okay is the little convo with lieu about the foster mom the explanation of how they’re legally talking to the kid (who is a minor) without an adult or attorney present?? Cause they can’t get the foster mom? So that counts?? Cause he’s a foster kid??

I mean.. this kid is showing major remorse. (though with his rap sheet who fucking knows lol) he does look hella scared. Props to the actor.

Is Shaw feeling something here? Is he gonna be straddling the line on this one?

OH MY GOD SAM IN THAT FUCKING PLUM SUIT?!!? PLEASE

Ah yes, shaw is on that side. PLEASE! FIGHT NOLAN! He deserves it. Notice how sam didn’t say anything? Notice how she lingered for a second and gave shaw a look? YES MA’AM STANDING UP for shit.

NOT L&O USING BARBA’S OFFICE FOR A JUDGE’S CHAMBERS. Jfc. That office has been used as so many different things it makes about as much sense as olivia’s apartment.

THIRTEEN!!?? Jesus. Yeah this is messy. All kinds of messy. I hate it all.

I REALLY want an episode where Sam gets to go absolutely feral. Like… we just get a quick close up of her face and have to read the subtext when she doesn’t agree with what the men are saying. Casey, Alex, Barba, they’d all get to snap but Sam hasn’t gotten there yet and I need to see it. I need her working a case on her OWN. Or even just away from Nolan, do a semi-crossover ep where it’s a sex crime that twists into a murder so her and carisi are working together on the case…

OH DAMN now the principal’s in on it?!?

Yeah the principal needs to be held responsible for *something*

This is so one of the tricky cases cause it really doesn’t feel like proper justice for the husband, the kid still killed someone. Who knows if he *actually* knew it was loaded or not? Both parties are responsible for something but figuring out punishment is where it gets super tricky….

$10 says the husband kills the kid before this is all over

Ah. Okay. Well yeah this kid deserves to go to prison for sure. He be lyyyyying

Wait… shaw just walked back into the courtroom and sat back down? Is he waiting to tell the ada on purpose??

There’s so much subtext going on in this episode and I hope we’re gonna get explanations about it lol

Okay… how come when shaw withholds evidence its totally fine and no one’s like, yelling at him, but when casey does it she gets suspended??

I fucking missed what Shaw said about why he’s seeing this case with blinders, like, I heard the bit about him and his brother being split up into foster care but I missed the next bit and now im confused

Okay, dick wolf jump scare. Happy Halloween.

Wasn’t ready for the scene to cut to black like that…

SVU

Okay.. that was an interesting open…

Is ‘sexstorted’ an actual word?

God Mariska looks good. Whoever’s been doing her wardrobe and hair and makeup this season is killing it

Well..bronx svu.. we’ve seen how they run things, that’s really not a surprise they fucked up her case… lol

How old is Ruby supposed to be? Cause this girl could literally be like 16 or 28 I have no idea lol

I really like Silva. Actress is good, she popped up on 911 the other ay I was watching it, I hope she sticks around a decent amount of time

UC VELASCO? WERE GETTING SEXY UC VELASCO!???

Also the look on Fin’s face when he was all “Mexico city huh?” LOL

Okay, in love with the little banter between Velasco and silva

LOL what is with Terry and his expensive watch obsession?

Christ he’s so fucking sexy this is NOT fair

As if this bitch doesn’t have a lock on her phone

Okay I get wanting to get this guy, but shouldn’t Velasco have stayed in the van? This very well could have been yet another middle man and he should be keeping his cover…

I definitely understand Kelsey wanting to spin it in order to keep her job/reputation and shit but something doesn’t sit right about lying about being a victim while being the reporter covering the story.

Yeah that money’s gonna take a long time to get back girlie… but at least there’s some kind of a happy ending coming for her

okay, overall liked mothership better tonight but happy to see the full squad back on svu

[welcometoparis]

LOCATION: Outside Wicked's Rest TIMING: Recent PARTIES: Paris SUMMARY: Paris has been a lab experiment for three years... until today. CONTENT WARNINGS: Memory loss (brief mention)

“I’m nothing if not merciful,” Ryan decided, circling the lamia like a shark. “So I think I’ll let you go, hm? Let you live among humans for a little. See if you can’t integrate.”

It was another day of rigorous testing, poking and prodding, and unrelenting torture. Paris was tired, and the fight for survival, that urge to keep fighting, that light was going out. Every day, they forced him to shift into his reptilian form, and it felt like there was no chance of escape. For the last three years, this was all he knew. It was miserable, it was unending, and more than anything, it was all his fault. He’d trusted that man, that Ryan, he’d believed there was good in humans. He was wrong, so so wrong.

The anger in Paris had been building, bubbling until it pushed him over the edge. One moment he was in a cage, trapped under the gaze of multiple scientists, the next his vision was red, he’d torn his way free, chest heaving as he stood in the middle of a room full of scientists that hadn’t stood a chance. His hands were coated in the blood of others, the anger thrumming through his system. “My, my what have you done here, little lizard?” A familiar voice called out from the doorway, and the lamia whipped his head around to meet Ryan’s disappointed gaze. Paris swallowed. “I…” he trailed off, what had he done? He didn’t remember any of it, nor was he sure he wanted to. “Well, you certainly can run,” Ryan spoke, taking a slow step forward toward Paris, who snarled in response, lowering his head as his tail swished back and forth. “But I could also take you down here and now.” The hunter decided, leveling a crossbow right at Paris’s chest. 

“Shift, lamia.” The hunter commanded, and Paris did as was instructed, pain radiating through his body as he shifted into a human form. “I’m nothing if not merciful,” Ryan decided, circling the lamia like a shark. “So I think I’ll let you go, hm? Let you live among humans for a little. See if you can’t integrate.” Paris blinked owlishly, not trusting his voice to speak anything other than an angry scream. 

“I do not wish to…” Paris found himself saying, accented and hoarse from years of not speaking. “They will hunt me, as you do.” Paris decided, eyes narrowing as his eyes were trained on the crossbow the hunter wielded. “True,” Ryan responded with a shrug of his shoulders. “But isn’t that the fun?” Ryan lowered the weapon at last, then motioned to the doorway, to freedom. “Well then, little lizard. This is your chance.” 

Paris looked from the doorway to the hunter, having half a mind to tear the hunter down where he stood, but too fearful to do so. Ryan was the one wielding a weapon, not him. Well, then again, Paris was a weapon, now wasn’t he? 

The lamia stared down the hunter for a long moment. Why was he letting him run? Paris stepped toward the hunter, and Ryan raised his weapon once again. “Ah, ah!” He tutted, waving a finger with his free hand. “This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. I’m giving you a head start.” The hunter once again motioned to the doorway. “Know that wherever you go, I will follow. One small slip-up and I’ll take you out. You’re on a short leash, little lizard. And close your mouth, you’ll swallow a fly.” 

Paris closed his gaping mouth. He had a decision to make. He looked to the doorway, then back to the hunter. No matter where he went, this man would be watching him one way or another. But freedom, no matter what it tasted like, was far better than the lab he’d been subjected to for all these years. So he nodded his head. “I will take this offer,” Paris spoke slowly, taking a slow step toward the door, toward freedom. “I will stick to these rules.” Another step. 

“Down the hall, there’s a pair of scrubs. Put them on, no one wants to fucking see that.” Ryan motioned to Paris’s nude form. Yes, humans wore clothes, didn’t they? Silly rule, that. Still, he did what the hunter said, finding his feet carrying him down the hall and throwing the scrubs on, then barrelling out the front door into the shining sun that made him reel backward.  He recalled other prisoners talking of a town called Wicked’s Rest, of a place where people like them were able to blend in and live. This, he could find. He would find. Another step forward, another step to freedom. Still, there was a voice in the back of his head that told him that this wasn’t his doing, that Ryan had a hand in what had happened. He didn’t remember. He wasn’t sure if he wanted to remember. But he did know this: He was free. And that was more than enough for now.

[lakesparkles]

helloooo lakesparkles! im here, with more lis + animal content (+ fun facts!) also donttt feel pressured or lik you have to draw any of this! i literally just enjoy talking abt lis and animals

chloe has hyena vibes (they yell, they're very sociable, also, they like to sit in mud)

steph has african wild dog vibes (somehow they're even louder than hyenas yet equally sociable. also the have MASSIVE EARS)

alex is just generally any sort of mustelid (including minks, tayras, ferrets, badgers, skunks, and stoats) because they're really tiny but are mean as fuck and will take down animals many times their size

(unrelated, hope your day has been going well!!)

Ohhhhh hi!! I'm so happy with this because I also love talking about animals and LiS, so thank you!!

Reading it gave me so much inspiration. I don't know how I didn't think about hyena Chloe before, it fits her PERFECTLY and she would look very cool, I'm imagining her with blue spots/stripes. It also gave me a random idea of an aarwolf Chloe, but maybe it's just because I like aardwolves.

I used to LOVE african wild dogs when I was a kid and Steph would be amazing as one!! I really want to draw it now because I have such a clear image of her in my mind.

About Alex, YES !! I especially like skunk Alex! Omg these all are exactly the type of animal she would be. Even as a tiger I draw her small because I can't see her any other way. She's the hardest one to choose an animal for, I already made three versions (tiger, kodkod and bird) and I plan of doing even more because it's fun. I also want to draw her, Steph and Ryan as cats and dogs someday, but I didn't decide their breeds yet (just a Great Pyrenees for Ryan).

(thank you!! I have terrible cramps, but other than that I'm in a good mood. I hope your day is good too!! :D)

[taiblogcomics]

Muddying the Waters

Hey there, unrelenting accrual of clowns. Let's do some Countdown this fine summer's day, huh?

Here's the cover:

…Oh. Well. Pretty sure I've seen art like this on DeviantArt. Like, a lot of art like this. But regardless! Maybe it'll at least sell this issue to folks with that fetish. I dunno! I've occasionally bought a comic coz I have the hots for whatever superheroine's on the cover (usually Rogue). Maybe it works for other fetishes too! Anyways, of course it's clay because it mentions Clayface in the blurb down there (which is not included in the trade I'm reading from, by the way), but personally I think it looks more like chocolate pudding. Again, not my fetish, but if it's yours, does chocolate pudding increase the appeal more or less than clay~?

Okay, new recap rule: If a character appears on the cover, I should mention them first. Unless otherwise for theming purposes. So Mary Marvel is stuck with Black Adam's powers and also in Clayface. Jason Todd and Donna Troy have been stuck with locating Ray Palmer. Pied Piper and Trickster are stuck together after killing the Flash. Karate Kid is stuck in the past in the JLA's custody. Jimmy Olsen is stuck on how to use his powers for good. And Holly Robinson is stuck in a women's shelter after going on the run. And we're stuck reading this for another 42 weeks~

Okay, so you remember how last time, I ended by being all "I'm counting Bart's death as this series' fault even though technically it didn't happen in this comic"? Yeah, so this issue opens with a graphic recreation of the Rogues' murder of Bart Allen. That's a lovely way to open a comic. I bet all the quicksand fetishists who picked up this issue for the cover really regret it now, and so do I! And it doesn't matter that this is quickly revealed to be a nightmare that Trickster's having, that doesn't absolve it of depicting it!

Pied Piper and Trickster are in the custody of the Suicide Squad at present, under arrest for the Flash's murder. I wasn't aware this is what the Suicide Squad did, but I didn't know Multiplex was a member, so fair enough. Anyway, Deadshot explains that the pair are chained together with a high-tech handcuff. If it's pulled too violently, the pair of them will get an electric shock. And if too far or damaged/removed… The shock will be lethal. It might not be brain bombs, but it's still the Suicide Squad's go-to solution to all problems!

We cut over to Gotham City, where we get some crazy upskirt shots of Mary Marvel. I'm not quite sure how old Mary is in these, but she was discharged from a hospital on her own, so she must be at least over 18. Still, the introduction to her in this comic is the entirety of her thighs. Anyway, she's checking out the site of a recent explosion, and who should be at the scene but the Riddler? She immediately assumes the worst and flies off with him, but at this point in DC history, the Riddler has gone straight, and he spends the entirety of the next page explaining this to Mary until she finally puts him down. Physically, I mean, though I suppose she continues putting him down emotionally as well.

Over in Metropolis, at the women's shelter, the artist is clearly not done drawing women's thighs, as we watch Harley Quinn exercise on the balance beam while she and Holly Robinson talk. So this is actually a start of an arc for Harley Quinn to go straight (much like the Riddler a page previous). This would more firmly take hold in about 7 years, post New 52. But they were already laying the groundwork here! Anyways, long story short, Athena sought out Harley to make her assistant director of this women's shelter and lend guidance to these women. But Holly is still suspicious, because Athena is a literal god, what's she getting out of this?

Now then, in a new location for once, Jason Todd and Donna Troy decide to start their search for Ray Palmer by checking in with the man who took over his identity: Ryan Choi, the All-New Atom. I haven't read Ryan's run, but i should change that some time. Personal reminder! So it does mean I don't know these supporting characters. But they postulate that since Ray went sub-atomic following Jean Loring's incarceration to Arkham Asylum, he must be in the Palmerverse. Ah, man, I don't think Into the Palmer-Verse is the animated blockbuster you think it'll be, DC. Nah, actually it's what they call the sub-atomic universe in DC, like Marvel's Microverse. Hey, he discovered it, he can name it after himself if he wants. That's a scientist's privilege. So Ryan Choi joins the party!

Back on the ground, Riddler and Mary Marvel follow a mysterious trail of dirt leading from the crime scene. They discover a back alley where the trail stops. Riddler deduces that this isn't dirt at all. Instead, it's clay. And Clayface attacks them from behind, giving us our cover shot. Except Mary doesn't even get sludged, she dodges it while Riddler is the one mucked. Mary does the Flash tornado move and sends Clayface into space. She thinks it's fine, he was just dirt. As Riddler uncovers the stolen goods, he recommends that Mary should seek out a mentor in things magic, if she doesn't know her strength so strongly. Or anger management

Speaking of Gotham, no one goes around Gotham without Batman's notice, and you see him up above, eavesdropping on Mary and Riddler. Karate Kid approaches him from behind, and without looking up, Batman says "People who sneak up on me usually regret it." He's letting Batman know that the Legion is about to depart to the 31st century, and Batman's like "Don't let me keep you."

Karate Kid starts a bit where he wants to let Batman know what an honour it was to fight a skilled martial artist like him, and Batman retorts that "I lost once, it wouldn't happen again in a rematch." Karate Kid leaves in a huff, because he wasn't trying to rub Batman's nose in it. Batman smugly watches him fly off, mumbling something about "Did you expect a sidekick offer?" And I don't know why he's smiling other than that Batman is kind of a dick sometimes.

Speaking of being a dick sometimes, we cut over to the Daily Planet offices in Metropolis. Jimmy Olsen's musing to himself about his powers, wondering why he can't get them to activate at will instead of just under stress. He's also doodling some costume ideas, but when Lois comes by, she wonders what all the art is for. Jimmy hastily provides a cover-up of a comic strip idea he's pitching to the paper. Here's where the dickishness comes in: Lois then offers her opinion on his art, then says Jimmy should stick with photography. All Jimmy can manage is a weak "Good one, Lois."

Back over with Piper and Trickster, Trickster requests if there's any way they can be cuffed separately, and Piper takes this as a homophobic insult. Deadshot isn't stupid, and knows Trickster would try something the moment he was uncuffed. Trickster's all like, "What? No!" in the least convincing way possible, even when he points out they confiscated all his tricks. When they don't reply further, he uses his tongue to remove a false tooth implanted with a bomb. But, like, you look at this thing and it has a huge screw-like spike and clearly went down into his gums like a real tooth. That seems painful as hell to remove, especially without using your hands.

Trickster spits his nasty tooth-bomb straight up, where it explodes, knocking the whole transport around. And despite that one of the guys guarding them is Multiplex, a man whose powers are being able to make copies of himself, the two of them manage to push past him. Note also that Trickster hasn't communicated this plan at all to Piper, and he's just following Trickster's lead. The pair pushes past them and slams their way through the door and exit the transport. And the comic ends with revealing why this was a dumb plan: the pair of them fall out of an airborne plane and are plummeting to the ground miles below.

So, hey, remember when I began this review questioning why the Suicide Squad were arresting and detaining individuals? That's because I forgot Salvation Run was a thing, which was another tie-in miniseries to Countdown. Seriously, this whole maxi-series is just setup for other tie-ins. Not a lot else happens in this one aside from that, it feels very incidental. Clearly they had to do the fetish cover because there was nothing else interesting in the comic. Though I think this is the first issue with all six plotlines getting a scene, so that's something novel, at least~

[unlimitedhorsepower]

Omg I made a post about Italian-American Ryan proof entirely out of my ass, all source: dude trust me and how his old workplace looks like venice but that lion of venice thing is making me lose my mind. That's so funny. Katsura does mention apollon medias "griffon" as why Ryan should be let to have wings despite not being able to fly but I choose to believe in this lion of venice truth since it doesn't exactly detail how he ended up coming up with the idea in the 1st place

I know some of katsuras thoughts because I got to leaf through the rising katsura art book a while ago and it mentions inspirations for Ryan's suit (I machine translated the text so I can't get the exact wording but the general gist so this isn't 100% factual), including "he kind of has poofy pants with white stockings and gloves like a prince" and that it fit better for him to be gold and navy instead of gold and black due to the navy fitting better with white stockings and gloves, and that with facial design of the mask he added the blue border to make the white stand out and that its kind of like a "masquerade mask" when seen from the front and its true, it kinda covers the upper part of his face.

Which all was kind of funny to me yet unrelated to everything but now I'm like wow. He's just dressed for the venetian carneval obviously... you can take the man out of Italy but not the Italy out of the man<3

My solution for his anglophone name is that he's italian-american since he always struck me as a bit of a funny anime american stereotype in the first place (egotistical, loud, blonde, etc). To me he is Mr. Worlwide...

Anyhow, the art book also mentions that the wings activating/glowing are his good luck mode (the translation was awfully unclear but this is how I understood it), and it shows a timeline of sketches of him making the shoulder pauldrons bigger and bigger until he just decided to go fuck it and straight up add wings for him instead

Here's some images out of the book

I think that because mattia is an Italian name he should just be Italian and speak Italian fluently. Ryan should be hanging out with barnaby and mattia and be like Italian pride<3 randomly and mattia gets excited and speaks to him in Italian while Ryan is like oi oi, now barnaby doesn't understand us... and Barnaby (a genius) is like oh mattia taught me plenty when we were children! It's alright:)

Now Ryan has to face his demons (can understand perfectly but can't reply fluently bc his parents didn't speak with him in Italian enough bc god damn their son is kinda insufferable sometimes). Ryan is getting an identity crisis because why can Barnaby speak Italian better than he does. He has to excuse himself expeditiously. He left his stove on yknow and his iguana misses him, and he's so damn busy

Kotetsu offhandedly mentions that he knows an Italian guy and Ryan is like omg...it's Me. And kotetsu goes like mattia:) he's bunny's friend. And Ryan is crying and throwing up mentally like he's literally right here.... fuck this gay anti-italian earth etc

Some Italians can't speak Italian fluently and they're valid (daily affirmations)

So me and the T&B discord have deduced that Ryan is Italian

Keep reading

[cobra-creampuff]

How To Build Character Quickly

It can be hard to make a well-rounded, dynamic character when you don't have a lot of narrative space to do it in. Maybe you're writing a short story, or maybe your background characters need some development. So here's how I do it.

Character Through Implication

A great way to add some depth to a character efficiently is to include small, seemingly insignificant background details that can illustrate a lot about their background or personality through implication.

In a real battle one does what one must, and the enemy will do the same. Tyr may be retired from war but he remembers that.

These two short lines share a lot of information with the reader about Tyr’s past. From this, the audience can assume that Tyr used to be a soldier and that he likely has experience fighting for his life. They can infer that Tyr probably has taken life. From these lines it’s also possible to guess that Tyr is probably an older man, past his prime. Condensing all of that into just two sentences for a Point-of-View character helps keep the pace of the story quick and allows the reader to get to know Tyr without distracting from the current events.

Thando blinks. They take off their glasses (purely cosmetic) to look harder.

Here, pointing out that Thando’s glasses are cosmetic implies that they are committed to their sense of style. It also provides a way for the reader to assume some aspects of what that style is. This gives Thando some depth of character unrelated to the scenario they’re in, making them feel more like a real person with a life beyond the story.

Ackermann could probably toss Arnold Schwarzenegger over his left shoulder for good luck, but he’s in [juvie] for stealing the dogs off of owners who put them in fights.

Telling the reader Ackermann’s crime illustrates who he is as a person and makes him endearing and relatable even though he doesn’t move the plot. The audience can tell from these lines that Ackermann is kind and has a strong, if possibly alternative, morality. It also shows that he is likely not a threat to the Point-of-View character, and leaves room for the reader to have curiosity about him.

Use Relevant References

This is best when writing for an established IP, sequel, or for a piece that takes place in the real world, so that the reference makes sense to the readers.

The particular reference you use tells the reader about what kinds of things a character is knowledgeable about, what they think is important or that everyone knows, and their sense of humor.

"Meg Ryan called. She wants her wig back." [dialogue from IT Chapter 2]

This line of dialogue tells the reader (or in this case, viewer) that the character speaking is into movies, specifically probably 80s romances, that he has opinions on how other people look, and that he uses humor during confrontation.

I can't find the quote, but in Shameless (US) season 4, Mickey calls someone the name of a famous tennis player. I don't remember it, and it's not in any compilation videos, because the player referenced was no longer playing. So that tells us about Mickey that he's a little out-of-date, and that even though he's making a sports reference he's probably not actually a sports fan.

I find these methods to be really effective for adding depth and realism to my characters, and they're also fun and memorable both as a writer and a reader!

Feel free to hit me up if you have any questions!

❥ Jack

[plaidbooks]

Love Comes to Those Who Wait - Chapter 3

A/N: This chapter finishes the set-up, and moves into the plot. Hope you all enjoy!

Masterlist / Last Chapter

Tags: general SVU talk, stalking, break-ins

Words: 1888

Taglist: @witches-unruly-heart  @beccabarba  @thatesqcrush @itsjustmyfantasyroom @permanentlydizzy @ben-c-group-therapy  @infiniteoddball @glowingmess @whimsicallymad @lv7867 @storiesofsvu @cycat4077 @alwaysachorusgirl  @glimmerglittergirl @joanofarkansass @caracalwithchips @beardsanddetectives

Somehow, you managed to make excuses all throughout the weekend as to why you couldn’t meet up with Ryan. But you noticed in all your extensive texting that you had no idea how long he was staying in the city. Anytime you asked, he’d brush it off, giving vague amounts of time like “oh, just a little while” or “maybe a few more weeks.”

By the time Monday came around, however, your mind was once again focused on work. You spent most of Monday at the courthouse, prepping with the ADA, Rafael. Trial was nothing new to you, but this case was a huge scandal—a high-profile case that Rafael wanted air-tight. Hence his extra preparations as a precaution.

“And you’re positive there’s nothing in your past that the defense can bring up? This lawyer—Noonan—I’ve never faced him before, but I heard he’s a shark—”

“Relax, Rafael. You’ve known me for over four years now; there’s nothing ‘in my past’ for the defense to use against us,” you explained calmly. You were used to the counselor’s nervous habits; he rarely showed his anxieties on the surface, but he normally became more agitated and snappier the closer it got to a big trial date.

He gave you a look. “Are you sure? You never dabbled in women’s protests, or anti-capitalism movements?”

It was hard not to laugh at his paranoia, but you knew he was being serious, and he’d only get mad if you joked. “I’m positive. The only thing they can ‘use’ against me is the fact that I’ve been in SVU for five years. If I have some sort of ‘bias’ for women victims against multi-millionaire scumbags who think they can assault anyone they want—”

“Please don’t say that on the stand…or outside of this conversation right here, right now,” he said, cutting you off. You gave him a look of disbelief, but he added on, “both you and I know that that’s ridiculous. But if someone heard you say it and took those words out of context, the defense can and will use it. You know that this place leaks like a sieve.”

You held your hands up in mock surrender. “Okay, fine. I have nothing in my past the defense can use to say I have a bias one way or another.”

“Good, good…. Do you mind coming with me to my office? I wanted to make some notes, then try a new angle with the questioning; shouldn’t take more than a few hours.”

You groaned. “A few hours?” When Rafael held your gaze, you sighed. “Fine, but you’re breaking out that expensive bottle of scotch I know you hide in your desk, and we’re getting food—I’ll buy.”

The corner of his mouth twitched up. “You drive a hard bargain, detective, you but have yourself a deal.”

It wasn’t a far walk from the courthouse to Rafael’s office, but even so, it was the middle of January, and you shivered, even with your coat on.

“Cold?” he asked. Before you could brush it off, he shrugged out of his jacket and placed it on your shoulders.

Grateful, you wrapped the jacket closer around you, using Rafael’s body heat to ward off the cold. “Thank you,” you muttered, teeth chattering as you both hurried to One Hogan Place. Once inside the warmth of the building, you passed the jacket back, thanking him again before pulling out your phone to order food.

***********************

Tuesday morning, you were in court, testifying. Sonny was in the gallery for emotional support—plus the fact that you were going to go interview a victim on an unrelated case after your testimony. You were happy with all the extra prep Rafael had you go through, since the defense did use the angle of your years in SVU as being a bias.

You refuted that, explaining the evidence as you had found it in a calm, cool voice. You were secretly proud of yourself for holding it together; like Rafael had said, Noonan was a shark. But you refused to fold to the pressure of his accusations.

Once free from the stand, you and Sonny left the courtroom. You walked a little away from the courtroom, staying professional until you were out of earshot of anyone who may be listening.

“You did great up there,” Sonny commented once deemed far enough away.

You smiled over at him. “Thanks—Rafael and I prepped late last night. Guess it was worth it with the questions Noonan asked.”

You both exited the courthouse, and you took a deep breath of the chilly, winter air. Sonny took the lead as you followed him to his squad car. As you walked, though, your phone chimed with a text. It was a number you didn’t recognize, and the message seemed weird.

Four men? Not getting enough? it read.

“Everything okay?” Sonny asked, dragging your attention back to him.

You pocketed your phone. “Hm? Oh, yeah, just one of those stupid spam messages.”

“Ah, I hate those,” he replied, scrunching his nose in displeasure. Once at his car, he said, “how about we get some lunch on the way? My treat.”

“Yeah, sounds good,” you answered. But the text message was still in the back of your mind.

**************************

On Thursday, you awoke to a barrage of texts from the unknown number. They were all still worded oddly, but it was starting to feel more personal than a simple spam number.

A whole four men, yet no wedding ring?

Four men, but you sleep alone….

How many men are you going to ensnare in your web before you settle down?

Do they know you’re so ‘friendly’ with the others?

Stop flirting with them all.

You weren’t sure what the hell they were referring to, and you vaguely wondered if you should get TARU to track down the phone’s owner. But if someone was indeed watching you, then it was probably a burner phone, anyways.

Instead, you decided to block the number and move on. You weren’t sure who the “four men” referenced were, so there was no need to cause alarm at the precinct. Besides, you knew Olivia would put a tail on you, and probably ship you home to remain until they found this guy, which was unacceptable; you had work to do.

The rest of the day seemed quiet, normal, and Friday was the same. In fact, you forgot completely about the weird texts by Friday evening, as you came home from work. That is, until you unlocked your door and pushed into your apartment.

It was like a tornado had hit; paper and debris were scattered across every surface. Some of your wall hangings were on the floor, glass broken, and the couch cushions had been tossed away from the furniture.

You unholstered your gun before you entered carefully, aiming as you scoped out your home. The kitchen was a disaster, as was your office, the bathroom, and your bedroom. Nothing was left in its place as you cleared room after room. But there was no sign of an intruder still left.

With shaky hands, you pulled out your cell phone and called Sonny. You tapped your foot as it rang, filled with a nervous energy.

“Hey, what’s up—”

“Someone broke in, Sonny. I need you here, now,” you said in a rush.

“What?! Are you okay—”

“Fine, well, no, I’m not. I’m…I’m shaken up and I really need you here, please,” your voice broke on the last word.

You could here shuffling on the other side of the call, and a door close. “I’m on my way—five minutes, tops,” he replied. The sound of a car door showed that he was already in his car, and you heard him start it.

“Thank you.”

“Want me to stay on the line with ya until I get there?”

“No, I’ll be fine. Just hurry, please.”

“Will do. And hey, stay safe. I’m on my way.”

The call ended, and you shook yourself, trying to shake off your fear. You made your way to your windows, but they were still locked. How the hell did someone break in? The door had still been locked, and the only people with a copy of your key was your parents, Olivia, and Sonny, and none of them would break in. Maybe someone stole your parent’s key? But then how’d they know it was to your apartment unless….

You had a stalker. Those text messages made more sense now; you were being watched. You tried to think of who the “four men” could be…who did you spend the most time with? Sonny was the obvious, along with Mike. You met up with Rafael every now and again for dinner and drinks—usually to work—but the fourth? Fin? One of the other attorneys? You hardly saw any men outside of work—they were normally either coworkers, victims, or suspects.

You wandered through your destroyed apartment as you thought but came up with nothing for the fourth man. Sighing, you stooped to pick up some papers. It was impossible to tell if anything had been taken yet. You noticed in your initial search that your gun safe was thankfully unharmed, and your important documents were still safely inside.

There was a knock at your door, and you jumped. “It’s me,” Sonny’s voice came through the wood, but even so, you checked the peephole. Once confirmed, you let him in. His eyes went wide as he took in the damage to your place—he had been over often enough when he cooked you dinner to know what it normally looked like.

“Holy shit,” he muttered, before looking at you. A silent conversation passed between you before you threw yourself into his waiting arms. You were determined not to cry as he held you protectively, but you did melt against his familiar form. You felt safe in his arms, surrounded by his cologne and a scent that was entirely him.

He held you for a moment longer before leaning you back, hands on your shoulders. “Pack a bag—you’re staying with me until we can talk ta Liv about this.” There was concern deep in his bright blue eyes, and the lines on his forehead, as he looked at you.

You nodded; you didn’t feel safe anyways. Sonny followed you to your room, where you packed a bag with clothes. His eyes trailed over the devastation, and he walked over to check your locks, too.

“They must’ve unlocked my door. Though, how they relocked it, I don’t know…. You still have the key I gave you, right?” you asked.

Sonny took his car keys out of his pocket. “Yep, right here,” he replied, holding the key up—it was an Islanders key that you got specifically for him.

You nodded, then continued packing, and planning to text your parents. It was silent as you worked, but you could tell Sonny was thinking about something. When you glanced up at him for an explanation, he just shook his head.

“They even dumped out your dirty clothes hamper…what the hell were they lookin’ for?” he asked softly.

The thought had gone through your head, and what scared you was that you had no idea. “Dunno,” was your one-word reply.

Next Chapter

[trulyinspiringmovies]

Firestarter (2022)

“Firestarter” is a hot dumpster fire.

Charlie is a girl with pyrokinesis. She gets her powers from her parents who also have powers. She learns to control her emotions because they trigger her powers, but lately her coping techniques haven’t been as effective. One day, she blows up a bathroom door and makes her existence known. Now she must run away with her family from the government agents that her parents were avoiding all her life.

The trailer for this movie looked garbage, but it could never have prepared me for what I saw tonight. I think the heart of the problem for this movie is how lifeless it is. This movie was made by people that are devoid of any form of identity. This is the movie equivalent of serving your guests raw tofu for dinner. It sucks too since I really feel like this could’ve been molded into something actually worth watching. The puzzle pieces were all there, but instead of connecting them, the filmmakers never bothered to take the pieces out of the box. Ryan Kiera Armstrong as Charlie is good for a child actor, but is given the impossible task of carrying an entire movie. She can never fully sell scenes that require powerful performances to invest the audience. Zac Efron truly feels like he’s just here to earn a paycheck. Everyone else is just miscast. Let’s start with John Rainbird. He’s supposed to be this unstoppable mercenary, but the moment he opens his mouth, he loses any intimidation points he might’ve had. His super-average guy voice paired with the bland script makes for a performance that almost put me to sleep. It’s so evident that the movie wants you to think Dr. Joseph Wanless is this pseudo-crazy and eccentric old genius, but the way they go about it is just sad. He’s playing with colored sand while in a wheelchair, but Kurtwood Smith puts almost nothing into his performance. When he talks, there’s this weird dissonance because he’s doing weirdo acts, but talking like a regular guy. Gloria Reuben as Captain Jane Hollister also phones in her performance. Her character is meant to come off as confident but ruthless, but ends up coming off as someone who just thinks that they’re more confident than they actually are. This movie is littered with generic characters played by unenthusiastic actors. I mean, kids just bully Charlie for no reason. There’s a scene where a group of boys on bikes roll up to Charlie randomly and start harassing her. Were they so bored that they came up to a little girl a couple of years younger than them and start picking on her? It’s just so thoughtless that it’s frustrating. What’s also frustrating is that the bullies, in the beginning, are unrealistically mean to Charlie. I mean, they throw balls at her head in front of the teachers and Charlie never provokes them or even talks back. Real-world bullies would feel bad or get bored and stop, but these bullies are unrelenting. Also, the teacher that’s meant to be the nice one to Charlie doesn’t say jack shit to the bullies for throwing a ball at her head. Instead, that teacher turns on Charlie as soon as the explosion happens. I’m nitpicking at this point, but it’s only because this movie is just inept with every single frame. The visual effects look bad. The characters are generic and written like fake humans. The story feels like it's sleepwalking like the living dead. Things like security for the secret government facility being nonexistent or Rainbird saving Charlie for no reason make this movie exhausting to talk about. Mark my words. This is a bad omen for Peacock the streaming service. There’s a reason why no one has a Peacock subscription.

★

Watched on May 19th, 2022

[heejinnien]

i.jaebum & p.jinyoung | crimson roses part one

word count: 3k

pairing: jaebum x reader x jinyoung

synopsis: when y/n’s sister is murdered, she’s forced to evaluate everything that she thought she knew.

genre: mystery, witsec au

warnings: the reader is in a club (they’re old enough to legally be there), murder, gore, imagery used to describe the reader tripping over and finding a dead body, probably incorrect portrayal of the witsec program, there’s a mildly disturbing nightmare

rating: pg-17

author’s note: this is part one of the walking on sunshine event! it focuses on summer beginnings. i was partnered with @dreamystuffers​, and credits to them for the amazing moodboard! thank you @birbdae​ and ryan for being my beta readers. seriously, thank you for filling in all the spaces where i wrote blah blah 

“I freaking hate Tzuyu.”

You groan, dropping your head in your hands. Sympathetically, the bartender slides a glass of water towards you, accepting the grunt that you emit afterwards as a sort of thank you. You pause in your wallowing to take a long sip of the icy liquid, feeling the pressure in your head lift slightly.

“Rough night?”

The bartender’s smooth, baritone voice carries over the loud sounds of the club’s music, and you wince at his words.

“Something like that.”

The bartender looks as though he’ll say more, but he’s cut off by the sound of a high, feminine voice ordering another drink. You’re grateful for the distraction, sliding a wad of bills over the counter and slipping off of the metal stool. You appreciate the kindness he has shown you, but you really need to start looking for your sister.

Slowly, you begin to weave through the throng of clubgoers, searching for anyone who moderately resembles your sister. You wince as an elbow connects with your stomach and bite back a curse when a heel stabs your toe. Still, there is no sign of your sister.

Pushing your way to the far side of the club, you lean against a wall, panting slightly, and pull out your phone. The LED at the top signals that nobody tried to call or text you while you were struggling to navigate a mob of drunk clubgoers, and a knot of worry tightens itself in your stomach. It’s been over an hour since you last saw your sister. She left you at a booth with a few of your mutual acquaintances to go dance, and you haven’t seen her since. Giving them an awkward smile, you had slid out of the booth to go sit at the bar. You were more polite to them because they were your sister’s friends than anything, and you know you hadn’t been imagining the awkwardness that had settled into the air once your sister had left.

You quickly swipe through your phone, silently praying that Tzuyu will answer and tell you she took a cab back to your shared apartment and she forgot to tell you, or that she’s actually been in the bathroom constipated this entire time.

“Hi, this is Tzuyu, I’m busy right now, which is why I didn’t pick up…”

With a groan, you turn your phone off. Pushing yourself off the wall, you weave your way to the bathrooms, opting to begin your second search there. Unsurprisingly, the small metal stalls are empty. You cringe as your shoe sticks to an unknown substance, exiting the bathroom and mind racing about where Tzuyu’s whereabouts could be.

A cool breeze winds itself around you, tousling your hair gently and you freeze.

A breeze?

You turn away from the rest of the clubbers, following the hallway deeper into the building. The further you go, the darker it gets, and a second chill sets upon you, one unrelated to the cool breeze.

Heart pounding, you turn the corner and see a cracked doorway. The soft light of the night greets you, and you feel a spark of relief. Maybe her phone died and your sister went out this door to leave. You quickly hurry out the door, pushing it open and turning down the alleyway.

You’ve only gone a few paces, pulling out your phone to dial your sister again when your foot collides with something hard. Your arms flail as you attempt to right yourself, but you go down, your elbow colliding with something soft and your chin colliding with the hardness of the asphalt.

Letting out a groan, you try to push yourself up by pressing your hands against the ground on either side of you, but they slip. Something wet and sticky coats your hands, and confusion fills you as you blindly reach around you for your phone. Your fingers connect with the cold metal, and you’ve scarcely turned on the device and activated the flashlight before you’re greeted with the mutilated body of your sister.

It takes you a second to register that the loud noise you hear is your own screaming.

You stare blankly ahead of you in shock.

Vaguely, you hear someone talking to you, but it’s like you’re underwater, all the sounds around you muffled. The image of your sister is frozen in your mind, your fingers trembling as you grip the blanket that someone wrapped around you tightly.

You think back to the last time you saw her, only a few hours ago, smiling and joyous and alive.

If she were here with you right now, she would have something comforting to say. She’d always been the more level of you too, somehow able to keep calm even in situations when you’ve felt panicked. But she’s not.

It should have been me, you think bitterly, rocking back and forth.

“Miss L/N.”

A hand settling on your arm causes you to jump and pull yourself out of your trance. Dumbly, you look at the hand, using it to trace your way up the unknown person’s wrist and arm until you can see their face. Concerned eyes stare back at you, and you force yourself to listen to what the unknown man is saying.

“I’m sorry to say this, but your clothes need to be bagged for evidence.”

You blink, unable to process the man’s words. 

“Miss L/N, please. I know you want us to catch whoever did this to your sister, and we’re trying our best, but we need to bag your clothing as evidence.”

The mention of your sister clears the fog that has settled over you, and you nod. Weakly, you stand, following the man as he guides you to a restroom. He hands you a bag and a stack of clothes, instructing for you to change into the new set and bag the old clothes.

Robotically, you do as he tells you to until you’re changed into a sweater several sizes too big and a pair of jeans that cling to your legs tightly. You splash water on your face, staring at yourself hollowly in the mirror. You hardly recognize yourself, a foreign, hollow look in your eyes. Get it together, Y/N, you chide yourself. You can cry about this later. For Tzuyu.

Taking a deep, shaky breath, you turn, exiting the bathroom with the bag of your old clothes in your hands. As soon as you exit, several furtive glances are sent your way. You furrow your brows in confusion, and a new, unknown man hurries over to you. 

“Please follow me quickly, Miss L/N.”

“I don’t understand.”

The man doesn’t respond, hurrying you through the station and down a hallway until you’re stopped in front of a closed door. A plaque centered on the door  reads “Sergeant Park.” Not wasting the time to knock, the man pushes open the door, taking the bag from your hands and ushering you in.

“Miss L/N, I’m so sorry about your loss.”

Hearing those words makes your throat tighten again, and you force your feelings down. You look around you, noting the awards adorning the walls around you. Two men stand inside the office, both wearing grim expressions. The one who spoke is seated behind the desk, and he stands, gesturing for you to take the free seat opposite him.

“There’s something we need to talk to you about.”

“My sister was a good person, she wasn’t mixed up in anything — ” You protest.

“That’s not what this is about.” The man opposite you, Sergeant Park, you assume, holds up his hand. “Time is crucial here, so please just listen to what I have to tell you.”

You nod, throat clogging from fearful anticipation.

“The Black Rose is the name of a powerful crime syndicate who’ve been running for the past few decades. We’ve tried our best to stop them, but they have connections everywhere.”

“My sister — ” You spring to your feet.

“Miss L/N. Please.”

You sink back into the chair, cheeks burning and thoroughly chastised. Once you’re seated, Sergeant Park continues.

“We’re not sure who all is involved with them, but what we do know is that they mark every kill, and they never kill without reason.”

Your thoughts race as you hear the unspoken words. “And my sister was marked,” you deadpan.

Sergeant Park nods grimly, and a hysterical laugh bubbles up within you. It dies instantly at the serious expression on Sergeant Park’s face.

“That’s ridiculous.”

Sergeant Park purses his lips, speaking slowly. “Until we know for sure, we need you to go into witness protection. We promise that we wouldn’t make you do this if we weren’t sure that your life is at serious risk. Mr. Im?”

Sergeant Park gestures to the other person in the room, who you assume is Mr. Im. Until now, he’s been silent, and you almost forgot that he’s here. He gives you a gentle smile.

“Please, call me Jaebum.” His tone is soothing, and you want to trust him. Still, you bite your lip, hesitant.

Sergeant Park speaks again. “Mr. Im will protect you the entire duration of the program. I promise that you’re in good hands. You guys will leave tonight.”

Alarm bells ring in your head. “Wait, tonight? I don’t understand. I still have finals, and what about my life here — ”

“Miss L/N.” Sergeant Park fixes you with a stern look. “I understand that things may seem intimidating right now, but I need you to do your best to do what we say. You could be a key role in this investigation, and Mr. Im is here to ensure that no harm comes to you. I know that this isn’t ideal, but please just let us protect you.”

You look from Sergeant Park to Jaebum. The latter gives you a reassuring smile, and your head still reels from all of the events of the night, but you find yourself nodding.

“Okay,” you breathe. “Okay, what do I have to do?”

“You keep twisting your bracelet.”

Jaebum’s voice pierces through your mindless thoughts and the dull monotony of the journey. You have been driving for the better part of the night, your thoughts still racing as you try to process everything. You look down at the bracelet Jaebum is talking about, and even though it’s dark you know what he’s talking about.

“My sister gave it to me,” you say simply.

“It must be pretty important to you, then,” he observes, eyes never straying once from the road.

“Something like that,” you say, assuming that’s the end of the conversation. Seconds later, Jaebum speaks again.

“Look, Y/N, I know that a lot has happened in one night — ”

“Please don’t,” you whisper, voice cracking. You clear your throat, staring out the window at the dark shadows of the landscape. “Don’t try to act like you understand how I feel. Twenty-four hours ago I was just a college student, and now…”

You swallow thickly, a lump forming itself in your throat.

“You are still just a college student, Y/N.”

“You know, aren’t you supposed to be using my new name?” You force yourself to change the topic, looking at Jaebum out of the side of your eyes.

Jaebum coughs awkwardly. “We aren’t there yet, and I thought that using your real name would make you more…comfortable with me.”

You scoff, but don’t speak. Awkward silence fills the car, interrupted only by the occasional sound of the night from outside your car window.

You remain like that for the rest of the ride. Everytime you think about saying something, you bury it, not wanting to show interest.

After a while, the road turns to dirt. The car bounces along the new road, and you can’t help but feel even further isolated from your old life. Jaebum pulls down a narrow driveway, and then the car stops, bathing a small cottage in the car’s light. Jaebum turns off the car’s ignition, and as you open the car’s door, you can hear the soft sound of waves crashing. Sand crunches beneath your shoes as you take in the sights around you.

You hear the sound of the trunk close, and seconds later Jaebum rounds the car, duffel bags gripped in his hands.

“This is it,” Jaebum says.

“I guess so,” you agree, exhaling nervously. You follow Jaebum up the cottage’s steps, hovering uncertaintly as he unlocks the front door. Following him inside, you squint against the bright  yellow lights of the cottage.

You’re standing in a small living room. To your left is the kitchen and what you assume is the dining room, and to the right is a hallway. Jaebum leads you down the hallway, setting one of the duffle bags in front of a plain, unassuming white door.

“This is your room. Mine is right next to you.” Jaebum knocks goofily on the door in front of him, and you let out a short laugh.

“Okay.”

You grab your bag, pushing open the door to the room. You pause in the doorway, unsure. “Good night, Jaebum.”

A moment passes, and then you can hear the smile in his voice when he says, “Good night, Y/N.”

“Tzuyu! Where are you?”

You’re in a meadow, tall stalks of wheat reaching your shoulders. You frown, trying to remember how you got here, but you can’t. Alarm bells ring in your head, and you push through the stalks, searching for your sister.

“Tzuyu! Tzuyu! Where — are — you?”

Your voice is reflected back at you, distorted and garbled. Panic rises in you, bubbling hot like lava, and you begin to push through the stalks around you faster.

Finally, you stumble upon a clearing. A flock of birds takes flight, and your eyes scan the clearing, frantic. A body lies on the ground unmoving, and you run towards it.  Deep in your gut you know who it is, but that doesn’t stop the gasp that leaves you as you clearly identify the girl lying there.

It’s Tzuyu.

The sight of her body makes you freeze, and before you can stop it you trip. When you regain your bearings, you’re back in the alley again. You blink, trying to orient yourself, and as you do Tzuyu’s hand shoots out, wrapping itself around your wrist. A scream gets choked in your throat as your sister sits up,  smile stretching too wide for her face.

“Why didn’t you save me?”

“Tzuyu, you’re hurting me,” you cry, trying to pry your sister’s grasp from your wrist. She only holds on tighter, other hand shooting out and wrapping itself around your throat.

“Why didn’t you save me? Why didn’t you SAVE ME?”

A scream tears its way out of your throat, and you shoot into a sitting position, clutching the comforter you had admired just hours earlier against you. Your breathing is ragged, and dimly you hear heavy footsteps. Seconds later, harsh light floods your room and you throw your hand against your forehead, shielding your eyes from the intrusion.

Jaebum’s eyes are wild as he takes in your room, the way you’re sitting up, clutching the comforter against you. His muscles relax as he ascertains that you are physically safe, eyes softening at the sight of you.

“Are you okay?”

You nod, embarrassment beginning to seep through your previous horror.

“I’m sorry, had a nightmare.” You force yourself to laugh, the sound an octave too high to be believable. “You can just go back to your room, everything is fine.”

You swallow forcefully, staring down at the comforter and picking at a thread that has unwound itself from the careful stitching. Silently, you yell at Jaebum to leave. You’re not sure how much longer you can stand being mortified, discomfort seeping into the air around you.

After a long pause, you hear the gentle click of your door close. You don’t bother to look up, instead electing to close your eyes, sure that by the count of ten, he’ll be gone.

You’ve just reached eight when you feel your bed dip, and strong arms wrapping themselves around you. You stiffen, eyes snapping open to glare at the offender.

“You don’t have to treat me like a baby, I told you that I’m fine.”

“It’s okay to be weak you know.”

To your immense horror, you feel your eyes begin to well. You blink rapidly, trying to untangle yourself from Jaebum’s presence, but he holds on tightly. Before you can stop it, all of the emotions of the past twenty-four hours hit you, crashing against the gate that you had shoved them behind. The emotions you felt at your sister’s death, the emotional burden of having to suddenly end your old life and going into hiding suddenly become too much, and before you can help it tears stream down your cheeks. You gasp as you struggle to breathe, everything suddenly just becoming too much.

Time goes by without either of you realizing it, and neither of you know how long you remain in that position, Jaebum patting your back lightly as your grief pours out of you. After a few sniffles and swipes across your eyes you let out a groan, pulling away and digging the heels of your palms into your eyes.

“God, I can’t believe I just did that.”

“It’s okay, everyone has to let go of emotions at some point.” Jaebum gives you a gentle smile. “You should try to get some rest.”

“Will you stay with me?” Jaebum’s eyes widen, and you quickly scramble to backtrack. “I mean, you don’t have to — I don’t know what I was thinking — ”

“Of course I will.” Jaebum cuts off your ramble, smiling brightly. “I’ll just bring in a blanket from my room and sleep on the floor — ”

“You can share with me if you want. I don't mind; we both need a good night sleep, right?” You blurt quickly, panting slightly as you finish your question. Jaebum simply laughs, running a hand through his hair. He climbs onto the bed and lays on his side, patting the bed next to him. Shyly, you crawl next to him, laying down and trying not to think about the position you’re in too deeply.

Wrapped in the comfort of Jaebum’s warmth, you close your eyes, focusing on the gentle sounds of your breathing. A sense of tranquility washes over you, and you finally fall asleep.

send an ask or dm to be added to the taglist!

[altr5312916195]

The Ghoul Boys' Pizza Party

“I can’t believe I let you dupe me into coming to a children's pizza place, Ryan. You really got me on this one.”

Shane told his partner as they stood outside of the abandoned building.

“Okay, yes it’s an odd place to be, but you know there’s been some stories since the opening of Freddy’s.”

“Oh, do tell.”

Shane said, feigning interest as they approached the doors.

“There’s legends of child murders, shady business and family affairs. A few of the restaurants went up in flames.”

Ryan explained. The pair walked up to the doors with the owner, and their crew behind them. The man unlocked the doors.

“Not this one though?”

“Not this one.”

Ryan confirmed as the man pushed the doors open.

“Have fun dudes, I’ll see you at six.” He chuckled.

He handed them pale blue button ups, a golden security badge sitting on top of the folded shirt.

“Great!

Let’s try not to die in a fire.”

Shane said, as he pulled on his shirt, fastening the badge to it.

“No promises.”

Ryan told him, being the first to step inside, buttoning his shirt.

“Oh look at the confidence!

The swagger ole’ Bergara has tonight.”

Shane chuckled as he walked behind.

The door clicked behind the crew as the owner locked them in for the night.

“I got a good feeling about this one.”

Ryan looked back at Shane with a smile.

“As in we’ll find some ghosts, or we’ll be ghoul free and you’ll go home and sleep well?”

“I’m not so sure yet.”

He noted, while dragging his hand across the damp wall. He found some light switches along the way and flicked them on. The overheads failed to power up, but the stage lights flickered on.

“Oh I truly hate that.”

Shane noted as the stage lit up, getting a good look at some tattered animatronics.

“Yeah that’s.. Not what you want to see.”

The Boys stepped to the edge of the stage, while the big three loomed over them.

“So tell me about the lore here. What are we looking at, I seem to recall child murder.”

Shane broke the silence.

“Yes! Lore..”

Ryan broke out of his trance and looked to Shane.

“Fredbear’s Family Diner opened in the early 70’s.”

“Oh they beat Chuck E?”

“Sure did.”

“The old cheese miser, they beat em to it.”

‘No one said they did a good job though.”

“Oh of course not..

Child murder isn’t good for the business,

Ryan c’mon! You should know that.”

“Hey, don’t jump ahead now hold on. So the little restaurant does well on it’s own for a time. It’s owned by one guy, guy decides it’s time to branch out.”

*chuckles* “Does guy have a name?”

“He does.”

*Gasp* “He does!”

“It’s Henry.”

“Henry, no last name?”

*laughs*

That is correct.”

“Oh that’s- *laughs* Wonderful.”

“Right so he teams up with this man.”

“Oh a partnership!

Does he have a name?”

“William Afton.”

“A last name too! What a lucky guy!”

*chuckles* “His full name is in the police report”

“But not Henry’s? He builds this business

From ground up and they don’t even give him

A proper name. What horse shit.”

“The disrespect is real.”

“It is!”

“It gets more real when you find out Afton’s

Pinned for henry’s daughter’s murder.”

*Laughs* “What? No you’re

Fucking with me.”

“Shane, I'm so serious.”

“Stop.”

“Honest to god.”

“That douche, that british douche!”

“Wha- *wheeze*

Why’s he a brit?”

“I just get the vibes.”

Ryan laughed it off, but continued on as they walked the table filled room.

“Freddy Fazbear’s opens about late 70’s right?”

“Things are going steady? No dead kids?”

“No dead kids, then!”

*chuckles* “Oh no..”

“See this is when Henry’s daughter goes missing.

Charlie.”

“That’s her name?”

“Charlette, yeah.”

“Oh okay, that douche Afton kills her.”

“Exactly, and hides her body

In one of the suits.”

“No!”

*nods* “Henry builds these things

And ole Afton thinks it’s a burial ground.”

“What a dick. That’s a new level

Of disrespect Ryan.”

“But wait! *laugs*

He kills five more kids.”

*laughs* “Ryan, that's not funny.”

“Shane, you're laughing too.”

“Well of course! Your delivery

Was so nonchalant.”

*laughs* “So five more kids.”

“Into the suits?”

“Yep.”

“Unrelated to Charlie?”

“Exactly.”

“But why?”

“He never told.”

“So he was taken in for this?”

“Then released because

They never found the bodies.”

“You’re kidding?”

“No, and then after Henry..

Well he kills himself.”

“Henry did? Oh god..”

“Right, Afton takes the rights.

Opens a new Freddy’s.”

“That douche bag..

He’s evil Ryan.”

“Truly, it’s scary.

But he opens this place,

Circus Baby’s.

His own daughter dies by

His animatronic, Baby.”

“That’s Karma.”

“You’d think.

You know his son dies too.”

“Who let this man have kids?”

“His dead wife..”

“OH MY GOD” *laugs*

“How’d she die?”

*laugh* “I’ll give you two guesses.”

“Sweet Satan.

Man’s got the worst luck.”

“Well, yknow

Maybe don’t murder children for funsies.”

“Fair point.”

There was a metallic creek behind them as they walked the restaurant.

*soft chuckle*

“Oh no..”

“I-

I’m not turning around.”

*laughs* “Please do,

We’ll turn around together.”

*Deep breath*

“Okay.”

“One.”

“Two..”

“Three.” The boys turned to face the stage once again.

“Ryan the bear moved.”

“Freddy.”

“Oh, Mr Fazbear himself.”

“The big man..”

Freddy’s eyes glinted as they shifted to gaze at Shane and Ryan.

“You’ve got to be kidding me.”

“Shane.. There’s a child in there.”

“A real one?”

“Unfortunately.”

“Can’t be.”

“What?”

“I said what I said.”

“I- wha-

Alright, okay.”

“Can we sit, and finish the story?”

“You’re not scared?”

“No.”

Shane simply told him, and pulled out a dusty chair. Ryan sat next to him, and sighed. Though his eyes often darted between Shane, and Freddy.

“Fine..

So Afton has a few restaurants running.”

“Despite Henry killing himself.

Got it. Douche.”

“Well the first Freddy’s shuts down.

Not because of missing kids, but faulty walk around suits.”

“Faulty walk around suits,

What did a worker almost die

While handing out cake?”

Ryan starred at his partner silently. Shane laughed.

“They did?”

“That’s when they finally bring Afton in.”

“And then let him go?

Five kids, dead.

Business partner, dead

Worker, dead.

They let him go.”

“It’s insane, but yes.

So they shut the first Freddy’s down.”

“This one, right?

They rebuilt it in the 90s right?”

“Yeah, some things happened in between.

Five kids, spring lock accident, bite of 87’.”

“A kid bit someone?”

“An animatronic bit a security guard.”

“Oh.. Oh well that’s us tonight.”

Shane gestured to the pale blue shirt, gold badge shining in the dim light of their flashlights.

“That’s.. Foreboding.”

“Unfortunately, yeah.

You know they’ve gone through

Team of animatronics

After team of animatronics.

They finally decide to put it all to rest.”

“Everything closes down?”

“All of it.

Years later, Afton’s off the grid.”

“He’s dead?”

“That’s a theory.”

“A game theory, got it.

Now we’re here.”

“Right.”

“Let’s get hunting then.”

Shane stands up, and Ryan follows. He looks down at his watch.

“One thirty A.M.”

“Five more hours.”

Ryan sighs nervously. They move from the main dining hall into a hallway. The dim lights of the stage stay behind them. They turn into a new room, a small stage in the middle.

“Who’s that?”

Shane pointed to the red fur, and yellow eye that peaked at them behind a purple curtain.

“That would be Foxy.”

“The pirate.

Chica, Bonnie.”

“And a puppet.”

“Where is that one?”

“Storage.

Lot of people think Charlie is in that one.”

“Oh fun, gotta love living in a box forever.”

Shane walked to the tiny stage and reached out for the curtain.

“Dude! Stop what’s wrong with you?”

*chuckles* “C’mon it’s fine.”

He pulled back the curtain. A sharp creak rang out as the silver hook fell on Shane’s arm. He hissed in pain and pulled back.

“I fucking told you!”

“So the gears are loose, Ryan.

Shut up, I’m not dead.

Just give me a bandaid and an alcohol wipe.”

“We’re gonna need shots after this..”

“Oh please.”

Shane scoffed as one of the crew walked over and wiped at the cut with a small wipe, and slapped a bandaid over it.

“Good as new!”

Shane smiled, and thanked the crew member.

“Now, how bout a good ole spirit box?”

Ryan sighed, and pulled out the spirit box, setting it on one of the tables next to them.

“Alright Foxy, it’s gonna get a little loud in here.

Bet you’re used to it from all the screaming kids though.”

“Well he hasn’t been around em in a while.”

“It has been a bit.”

Ryan clicked the spirit box on. The loud shuffle of noise began as everyone listened in anticipation. Seconds passed and Ryan sighed again, disappointed.

“Nothing! C’mon Foxy boy, you got nothing to say?”

The room was quiet save for the radio channels shuffling.

Then something broke through.

“Save them.”

Ryan’s eyes widened as goosebumps hit his arms.

“No.”

*chuckles* “That.. that was the clearest thing

We’ve heard..”

Ryan looked at the tattered red fox and stepped back.

“Shane what the hell was that?”

The words “Save them” struck the cold air again.

Shane laughed, albeit nervously.

“The kids need help Ryan.”

“Shane stop.”

“Ryan they need you.”

“Shane it’s not funny.”

“It’s a little funny.”

Ryan picked up the spirit box, and turned it off. He quickly ducked back into the hallway.

“Oh come- Ryan come on.”

Shane followed him out. They continued down the corridor.

“Shane it’s not funny,

There’s kids in there.”

“You can’t believe that.”

“You don’t?”

Shane hesitated.

“No, I don’t.”

A dim light at the end of the hall led them to an office.

Computer screens lined the wall.

“I’m sorry I can’t find it

Easy to joke about these kids.”

“Ryan stop.. It’s fine. It’s what we do.”

They looked to the screens as they argued and Ryan stopped mid sentence.

“Chica’s gone.”

“What? No she’s no-”

On the main screen, the stage, there was only two animals up there. Freddy, and Bonnie.

A crash came from the kitchen.

“Is the whole team in the office?”

Ryan asked, and counted the members in the room. They were all there.

“Shut the doors.”

Shane fumbled for a door, there was none. Just a hole in the wall. He muttered in confusion as he hit the red button labeled door. A metal door came slamming shut.

“I don’t think that’s very safe.”

“But the animatronics outside are?”

“Pick your poison Ryan.”

“We are going to die here..”

“Oh stop! *laughs* We’re fine.”

“Shane I don’t think you understand!

So many people died here.

Kids, nightguards, shift managers. Families, Shane.”

“Ryan, it’s not true.”

Ryan shook his head, and turned to look back at the screens on the wall. Shane put a hand on Ryan’s shoulder.

“Come on, Ryan..”

He laughed awkwardly, while Ryan shrugged his hand away.

One of the monitors glitched, coming back to show Foxy in a new position.

“It moved.”

“I see that..”

“What do we do?”

“Nothing, we watch them.

What time is it?”

“Three.”

Ryan sighed, and sunk into one of the roller chairs by the desk.

“Ryan what are we doing?”

“I don’t know! Okay?

We’re stuck here until dawn. Let’s just ride it out.”

Shane sat down next to him, and watched the computer screens. The main screen glitched as Bonnie moved off stage, leaving Freddy alone.

“Shane, why do you think they’re moving?”

“They’re programmed that way aren’t they?”

“You think they do that at Chuck E Cheese?”

“Well, yknow..

I don’t know. I’ve never been in this position.”

Ryan shuffled around again for the spirit box and clicked it on.

Shane groaned and flinched as the sound screeched through the small room.

“Oh you love to hate it..”

Shane joked as Ryan shushed him. Shane pouted and sighed, leaning back in the chair. More banging came from the kitchen.

“Let’s eat.”

“Ryan.. *laughs*

Ryan the chicken is gonna eat us.”

“Shane..”

“I’m sorry I can’t help it.”

Footsteps echoed down the hall, and Ryan turned off the box to hear them better. Things went quiet until something slammed against the door. Ryan jumped back with a shout, and Shane pointed his flashlight towards the window.

In the window a purple shadow stood smiling.

“It’s Bonnie.”

“I see him, Shane.”

“What do we do?”

“Everyone stay still, maybe it’ll go away.”

They both spoke barely above a whisper. Minutes passed as the bunny stood unmoving. Humming echoed through the halls.

“Ryan..”

“I know.. I-i know.

What time-”

“Four.”

“This is our purgatory, Shane.

We’re done for.”

“Don’t be so pessimistic.”

After what felt like hours the hulking form finally turned to leave.

Ryan sighed in relief.

“See?”

“Don’t jinx it Shane.”

“I’m sorry.”

He went quiet, eyes falling back on the screens as they watched Bonnie roam the halls. Chica had found her way back to the stage, Foxy was unmoving.

“Why are they moving? What do they want with us?”

“Stop asking questions I don’t have answers to!”

Ryan huffed out. He looked down at his feet, the golden badge glinting in his eyes as a thought hit him.

“William always came in dressed as a guard.

That was his MO.”

“And we’re the guards. What if they’re

scared of us?”

Ryan looked at Shane, dumbfounded.

“What if they are scared of us?”

“One hour left.” Someone from the crew informed.

“We have to get back to the front doors.”

A soft beeping began to ring out. Shane looked around for the source. In the corner of on of the screens a small red battery flashed in time with the beeping.

“We’re losing power.”

“To what?”

Shane shrugged.

“We’re not going to make it.”

“We’re going to make it.”

Something slammed against the door, a dent being pressed into it.

“We don’t get paid enough for this!”

“It’s Foxy, that bitch!

“Shane, you'll make him angier!”

“Yeah? Well he can suck it!

That’s right!”

“They’re kids!”

“Oh please..”

Another slam rang out, as the beeping grew louder, more urgent.

“Five thirty.”

“Shane what do we do?”

“We’re going to get to that door.

He’ll go away soon.”

The banging grew louder, and Ryan moved to cover his ears. He shrank back in his chair, eyes shut.

Despite all this he heard something in the back of his mind as images flash in his head.

It’s me

“Shane!”

Shane stood up, standing between Ryan and the door. The banging stopped. The fox walked away. Ryan relaxed a bit. Until the power went out, and the door opened again.

“We’re going to run for it.”

“We cannot do that!”

“We can.”

Shane grabbed Ryan’s arm and booked it down the halls, dragging Ryan behind him. Foxy wasn’t far off on their steps in the hall.

“Ryan run faster!”

“I ca- I can’t!”

He choked out. His eyes were on the small crew behind them, worried of who may be left behind. Chica met them at the end of the hall as she stepped out from the kitchen. Shane narrowly avoided hitting her dead on and led them into the main room.

“Look there’s the door!”

Ryan laughed in pitiful fear, and small relief. Until Bonnie stopped them in their tracks.

“Oh god, oh fuck.”

Chica, and Foxy had the crew trapped, the doors barely out of reach. All of the voices grew louder around them. Ryan clutched his hands over his ears, his eyes shut tight. He could feel his heart beating out of his chest, and Shane’s tight grip on him released.

“Shane?”

Ryan asked, refusing to open his eyes.

Shane looked at the animatronics as they circled the team. They were so close he couldn’t let it end like this. But he also couldn’t reveal himself. He panicked, his eyes began to turn a deep red as he looked around for another way out. But those kids, they wouldn’t get out of his head. They were so loud.

“OH JUST STOP IT”

He screamed, and they listened. The voices were silent, and Ryan opened his eyes. Shane grabbed his arm again and yanked him to the doors.

The owner opened them up just as Ryan and Shane made it back outside. Though Shane was prepared to barrel through the glass if necessary.

Ryan fell to his knees as they finally made it to the end, and laughed in morbid relief.

“Hey! You guys made it! Did ya have fun?” The owner smiled at them.

Shane helped Ryan up, and glared at the owner. He ripped the badge off his shirt, and slammed it against the man’s chest.

“We’re suing.”

[astonishinglegends]

Ep 209: The Phantom Horse of Greensboro

And I looked, and behold a pale horse: and his name that sat on him was Death, and Hell followed with him. And power was given unto them over the fourth part of the earth, to kill with sword, and with hunger, and with death, and with the beasts of the earth.

– Revelation, Chapter 6, Verse 8, King James Version

Description:

Many of us have taken an adventurous expedition to check out some local, notorious spot to see if we could witness or sense some evidence of a past famous or infamous incident.  Most of the time, one only returns with a minor anecdote or pictures of an ordinary location bereft of anything noteworthy.  The more realistic purpose is not so much to find a ghoulish memento but to imagine what it must've been like to have been there when it happened.  But what if such an outing starts with strange coincidences and ends with the adventurers enduring a paranormal event seemingly unrelated to the original incident?  This is the sort of tale we'll hear from our good friend, graphic designer, and illustrator Tommy Beaver about the time some friends went to check out the scene of a horrific crime that happened in Summerfield, North Carolina, almost 13 miles northwest of Greensboro.  On June 3, 1985, the incident in question occurred when at the end of a murder spree and police pursuit, Fritz Klenner and his first cousin, lover, and accomplice, Susie Newsome Lynch, ended their standoff detonating a bomb in their Chevrolet Blazer.  Klenner and Lynch had blown themselves up along with Lynch's already deceased two sons who were in the vehicle rather than face arrest.  The site of this shocking finale was what the friends were hoping to explore, but their souvenir was an unsettling experience they'll never forget.  Strangely, a mysterious white horse suddenly appeared to encounter the group, except that this creature may not have been a horse at all.  Many people have claimed to see a spectral white horse, and the ancient Britons believed a sacred white horse was one's ride to the afterlife.  Yet these friends may forever wonder, as will we, what was the connection of this beast to the tragedy if there is one?  And if this wasn't a horse as we know it, what sort of monster haunts the location of one of North Carolina's most ghastly crimes?

Location:

The intersection of Strader Road & North Carolina State Road 150 in Summerfield, near where Fritz Klenner and Susie Newsom Lynch blew themselves up in their Chevy Blazer after a crime spree and police pursuit on June 3, 1985, and where Tommy’s friends saw the mysterious “horse.”

Location Video:

Reference Links:

Illustrator and Graphic Designer Tommy Beaver’s website, tommybeaverdesign.com

“Summerfield slaughter 30 years ago ended in deaths of couple, two sons” from the Greensboro News & Record

Bitter Blood: A True Story of Southern Family Pride, Madness, and Multiple Murder, a novel by Jerry Bledsoe, 1988

The púca, pooka, phouka of Irish/Celtic folklore

The kelpie of Scottish folklore

“Horses in Celtic Mythology” from Transceltic.com

“Have ghost HORSES been captured on video? Teenagers believe they spotted ethereal equine scene at one of Britain's most haunted sites” from DailyMail.co.uk

“Phantom Horses” on real-british-ghosts.com

Related Books:

Please help out our good friend Stan Gordon, by purchasing his books on Amazon and Barnes & Noble – you’re gonna love ‘em!

At Barnes & Noble:

Silent Invasion: The Pennsylvania UFO-Bigfoot Casebook

Astonishing Encounters: Pennsylvania’s Unknown Creatures, Casebook 3

Really Mysterious Pennsylvania: UFOs, Bigfoot, and Other Weird Encounters, Casebook 1

SPECIAL OFFERS FROM OUR SPECIAL SPONSORS:

FIND OTHER GREAT DEALS FROM OUR SHOW’S SPONSORS BY CLICKING HERE!

Mint Mobile – After years of getting ripped off by “Big Wireless” providers, there’s finally a better option. Mint Mobile is the affordable, premium wireless service that you buy online. To get your new phone plan for just $15 bucks a month, go to MintMobile.com/AL

Squarespace – Have something you need to sell or share with the world but don't have a website? Or maybe that old website of yours could use a serious style and functionality update but you don't think you have the time or money to pay someone to do it? Well, now you can do it yourself, stylishly and cost-effectively in very little time with Squarespace! With their large gallery of beautifully designed templates, eCommerce functionality, built-in Search Engine Optimization, free and secure hosting, and award-winning 24/7 Customer Support to guide you along the way, you'll be up and running on the Web in no time, with flair, ease and a choice of over 200 URL extensions to make you stand out! So what are you waiting for? Go to Squarespace.com/LEGENDS for a free trial and when you’re ready to launch, use the Offer Code "LEGENDS" to save 10% off your first purchase of a website or domain.

The Great Courses Plus – There are so many benefits to lifelong learning, which is why we love The Great Courses Plus! Learn about virtually anything, now with over 11,000 lectures on almost any subject you can think of – from history and science to learning a new language, how to play an instrument, learn magic tricks, train your dog, or explore topics like food, the arts, travel, business, and self-improvement. And all taught by world-leading professors and experts in their field. Their app lets you download and listen to only the audio from the courses or watch the videos, just like a podcast. Switch between all your devices and pick up right where you left off. Available for iOS and Android. So what is your purpose this year? What new things will you learn? Don’t miss out on this great deal! Sign up right now for The Great Courses Plus to start your FREE TRIAL and find out! And for a limited time, our listeners can save 20% OFF the annual membership! But this limited-time offer won’t last long, and it’s only available through our special URL and you don’t want to pass this up, so go NOW to: TheGreatCoursesPlus.com/LEGENDS

Best Fiends – If you’re looking for a fun way to pass the time while engaging your brain and enjoying breathtaking visuals and a gripping story, your answer is Best Fiends! Best Fiends is a casual, matching puzzle game that the whole family can play, but really made for adults, and you don’t need to be a gamer to be great at it! You can also play it the way YOU want to, wherever you want, and as much or as little as you want! Collect cute and funny cryptid-like insect creatures while battling silly slugs as you advance through stages in the Best Fiends world. Connect with friends and family through Social Media and challenge them to beat your levels or help them along. This unique puzzle game doesn’t require the internet, so it’s great to play offline while traveling or commuting, and Best Fiends has thousands of levels already, with new levels, events, and characters added every month – it’s hours of fun right at your fingertips and it never gets old! With over 100 million downloads and tons of five-star reviews, Best Fiends is a must-play! Download for free on the Apple App Store or Google Play. That’s FRIENDS without the “R,” Best Fiends!

BetterHELP – Is there something interfering with your happiness or is preventing you from achieving your goals? BetterHELP will assess your needs and match you with your own licensed professional therapist. It’s not a Crisis Line, it’s not self-help, it’s professional counseling done securely online, and you can start communicating in under 48 hours. There’s a broad range of expertise available that may not be locally available in many areas, but this service is available for clients worldwide. You can login to your account anytime and send a message to your counselor. You’ll get timely and thoughtful responses plus you can schedule weekly video or phone sessions so you won’t ever have to sit in an uncomfortable waiting room as with traditional therapy. BetterHELP is committed to facilitating great therapeutic matches so they make it easy and free to change counselors if needed. It’s more affordable than traditional offline counseling and financial aid is available. BetterHELP wants you to start living a happier life TODAY! Read the testimonials that are posted daily. Join the over 1,000,000 people taking charge of their mental health with the help of an experienced professional. In fact, so many people have been using BetterHELP that they are recruiting additional counselors in all 50 states! This podcast is sponsored by BetterHELP and Astonishing Legends listeners get 10% OFF their first month at betterhelp.com/astonishing

Credits:

Episode 209: The Phantom Horse of Greensboro. Produced by Scott Philbrook & Forrest Burgess; Audio Editing by Sarah Vorhees Wendel. Sound Design by Ryan McCullough; Tess Pfeifle, Producer, and Lead Researcher; Research Support from the astonishing League of Astonishing Researchers, a.k.a. The Astonishing Research Corps, or "A.R.C." for short. Copyright 2021 Astonishing Legends Productions, LLC. All Rights Reserved.

[janesramblings]

Nancy Drew 2x9 Review/Thoughts

spoilers below!!

Oh poor Bess

Dang even though she’s sad her outfits still look amazing

Awww Ace is such a good friend

Also platanchor sleepovers are something I didn’t know I needed until now

“That’s what it sounded like when the Marvins texted me” oh sweetheart that’s what it sounds like when anyone texts you

Of course Nancy needs them

Okay Nick standing there and glaring at the mirror is not scary why did I get scared

Odette’s hatred for Nick is hilarious

Wait wait unrelated but do Nick and George have a house now?

“I give you permission to au revoir” I know that it’s probably not good to have Odette in George’s body but she’s really growing on me

“No I’m not au revoir-ing” I love this show

It took Nick a minute to figure out what the shroud was didn’t it?

I love that the intro still has to do with Lucy Sable

Nick is making some good points here

“They took a banana cream pie” lolll

Nancy looks so done. Some of this has to do with Amanda’s relationship with Ace right? Not just the fact the the shroud is gone?

“Like a flower I’m... I’m in bloom” god Ace is a dork

“You’ve got a crush and now I’m gonna die”

“She doesn’t” Gil is such a brother

I’m sorry murdered??? Good grief

Nick is defending/protecting George in a way he never did for Nancy, I’m so happy for them

Awww George trusts Nancy. They’ve come so far

Why doesn’t Carson just legally adopt the entire Drew Crew?

“He’s got no boundaries” Gil is such a brother that’s something my brothers would do

Oh my gosh that’s so sad Rosemary sounded amazing

Ooo even Ace doesn’t know if he has siblings. 

“shh.”

“You shhh”

You know if Ace didn’t exist I’d ship Nancy and Gil

Oh we see that spin Gil we know you like her

Is an opening statement really gonna help Bess out?

Awww Carson knows what he’s doing and it’s very sweet

Woah that was scary I didn’t expect that guy to move

Something tells me there’s a supernatural element at play here

Okay I’ve got to say Nancy and Gil work well together 

Um excuse me why does this guy have their mother’s painting in her basement???

Odette schooling Nick on limestone is amazing

“Be done with it” Odette is a queen

Yeah it’s supernatural

I completely empathize with Gil but ahhhh George can’t die

Okay why does this show use the “person standing behind you creepily” trope it’s so scary

Nancy and Ace in the art gallery should not be this cute

“That’s a shame ‘cause we’d heard great things about your restrooms.”

Awwww Carson’s so sweet and if this is Bess’s step towards being some sort of lawyer (maybe a child protection lawyer because she had a rough childhood??) then I wholeheartedly approve

Okay so when exactly are we getting a scene of Carson legally adopting Bess after he shows her that the Marvins suck anyway?

Spider monkeys?? I love this guy

This painting thing is freaking me out

Gil listen to your sister I can speak from experience they are always right

Yes Odette is mean but like,,, Nick so is George sometimes

Yikes George heard that??

This had better be Odette and not George

“If it please the court and... even if it doesn’t” future lawyer Bess to the rescue!!!!!

Awww Nick really loves her

Nancy... you know you can... stand farther away from Ace right?

THANK YOU Ace for pointing out that Gil was willing to kill George

Awww Nancy knows his lucky pullover if that isn’t love then idk what is

“I know you too,” awwwwww

I had to mute my laptop for a second during that scene and just looking at their faces without seeing what they were saying made it so obvious they’re in love

Nancy’s holding Gil’s hand

That’s not right

Oh and now Ace is kissing Amanda

That’s also not right

“Better not be my brother” “No it... it’s mine”

EXCUSE ME you’re ending the episode on that 

trailer time!!

Why does Tamura look like that?

Why is that the start of the trailer

Please tell me he isn’t Ace’s brother

Although that would be interesting

Wait slow motion?? What???

“Is Nancy in trouble?” why has that question become Ryan’s entire personality?

what is happening?

normally I’d break a trailer down but I honestly have no idea what the heck is happening

[alj4890]

Prompt Request

(Thomas Hunt x OC*Amanda) taken from A Second Chance storyline with the prompt, things you said when you thought I was asleep as requested by @krsnlove​

(Thomas Hunt x OC*Amanda) in a Choices Red Carpet Diaries drabble.

A/N I had a few ideas about this prompt for these two in this particular AU and finally decided on this one. I always loved how awkward Thomas starts out as a father in this particular AU, even though Kathleen immediately adores him. I thought this prompt would be perfect after Amanda tells him they are now expecting twins.

@lxaah11​ @alleksa16​ @penguininapinktuxedo​ @blackcoffee85​ @stopforamoment​  @hopefulmoonobject​   @krsnlove​   @annekebbphotography​ @hopelessromantic1352​ . @sunflowergirl05​  @desireepow-1986​ @greywitchyshots​ @lilyoffandoms​ @moodyvalentinestories​ @emceesynonymroll @my-heart-beats-for-ya @aworldoffandoms @ab1901  @flyawayboo @i-bloody-love-drake-walker . @trappedinfanfiction  @kate-mckenzie @cordoniaqueensworld @everythingmarvelsherlockspn

Masterlist

Introduction

"Pregnant?" Thomas breathed. "Are you certain?"

Amanda handed him one of the ultrasounds. She rocked back and forth on the balls of her feet while keeping her hands behind her back.

He stared down at the alien like creature, unsure what he was exactly looking at.

"That's the first one." She said softly.

He tilted the photo, squinting at the lumpy potato like figure.

She placed another image on top of that one. "And this is its twin."

Thomas froze in the midst of hoping this new image would actually resemble a human baby.

"Twin?" His eyes searched her face to see if she was joking. "We're having twins now?"

She nodded, waiting on him to say how thrilled he was. "Quarantine has been a very productive time for us."

Thomas collapsed on the sofa while looking once more at this plot twist they had created.

Amanda bit her lip and eased down beside him. "You are happy, aren't you?"

"I am, exceedingly so." He placed his arm around her, hugging her close to his side. "I'm simply in a great deal of shock." He blinked a few times as the images blurred. "I expected us to get pregnant since we were trying but nothing remotely like multiples crossed my mind."

"Aren't you excited?" Amanda prodded. "You missed out on so much during Kathleen's infancy and toddlerhood. Now you'll get to experience it with double the fun."

"Twins." He repeated. "We're having twins.

Thomas caused a startled laugh to escape her lips when he surprised her with a passionate kiss.

"You," he smiled at her, "are the master of surprises when it comes to our children."

*************

"When will they get here?" Kathleen asked. "Will they look the same? Will I have two brothers or two sisters?"

"Hold on, sweetheart." Amanda laughed at all the questions that were tumbling out. "We won't know for a few months what they are. But they should be here later this summer."

"I can't wait!" Kathleen studied the ultrasounds then glanced at her mother's stomach. "I wish we could see them."

"We might not be able to see them yet, but that doesn't mean we can't talk to them." Amanda explained. "I used to talk to you all the time when I was pregnant."

Thomas lowered the pregnancy book he was reading. "Isn't it a little early for them to hear?" He flipped a few pages back. "Says here that the ears don't develop until around fourteen to sixteen weeks."

"That never stopped me." Amanda shrugged. "I was talking to Kathleen from the moment the pregnancy test came out positive."

"You were?" Kathleen beamed at that. "What did you say?"

"All sorts of things." Amanda cuddled her close. "I would read books to you. Tell you what I was doing. Shared stories about my life. Pleaded with you to let me eat my favorite foods." She made her daughter laugh when she tickled her. "And you let your opinion be heard loud and clear on that last one."

"What should I tell them?" Kathleen asked.

"Whatever you want." Amanda replied. "You could always introduce yourself. Talk about your day. Anything, really."

Kathleen leaned down and said hello. "I'm your sister and I like..." She went through all the different things she liked from dance classes to only ketchup on her hamburgers.

Thomas watched her with a soft smile on his face. He didn't know which he loved seeing more: Amanda's unmistakable joy or Kathleen's sweet excitement.

"Aren't you going to talk to them, Daddy?" Kathleen asked.

He hesitated. "Of course."

His two ladies simply stared at him in anticipation.

"Right now?" He thought it was a little silly to talk to his wife's slight baby bump. "I think I'll wait until they can clearly hear me."

His wife and daughter both had identical expressions of confusion with just a hint of disappointment on their faces.

Unable to take another moment of letting either of his ladies down, he moved over to the couch and cleared his throat.

"Good evening." He searched for something else to say.

"Talk through Mommy's bellybutton, Daddy." Kathleen told him.

"It isn't a microphone." Amanda's belly trembled with her suppressed laughter.

"It might be." Kathleen scrunched her shoulders while smiling at her parents. "Daddy, tell them you make movies."

Feeling heat rise up the back of his neck, Thomas tried to follow her directions as he spoke a few more times.

He felt ridiculous.

Sensing his inability to think of topics to discuss, Amanda told Kathleen that it was bedtime to end this awkward session for him.

After accompanying them upstairs, Thomas escaped to his study under the guise of needing to work on his upcoming online lecture series.

*****************

Later that night, he climbed the stairs to check on them.

Kathleen was fast asleep with her fairy lights on a slow twinkle speed. He gently tucked the covers around her, grinning when she snuggled further under them.

He then went in search of Amanda.

Thomas found his wife already asleep in their bedroom. He carefully removed the novel she had been reading from under her hands and marked her spot for her. He reached to turn the lamp off but paused when his attention drifted down to her stomach.

With one last glance to make certain his wife was asleep, he knelt by her side of the bed and started to talk to their unborn children.

"Forgive me for that lackluster introduction earlier this evening. I'm not certain how we should go about this. I've never enjoyed one-sided conversations. Lectures are fine, but it does help to see the person's face while speaking directly to them. Not that it is either of your faults that you can't interact with me yet. For all I know you are responding in some manner and I am simply unaware of it."

He rubbed a hand down his face as he struggled to find something worthwhile to say to his children. "In case I forgot to mention who I am, I'm Thomas...your father." He softly groaned at his unrelenting awkwardness. "Of course, that is most likely a given since you already heard my voice and those of your mother and sister."

He checked once more to see if Amanda was still asleep before continuing. His gaze touched on her lips parted in sleep, her long eyelashes, the rosy tint of her cheeks.

With a smile dawning on his face, he leaned closer to her belly. "Perhaps I should tell you about how I met your mother."

He lowered his voice. "It was late one evening at a party. I should pause here and state for the record that I usually don't enjoy attending those type of events. But it was hosted by someone I actually consider a friend, therefore I was forced to accept the invitation."

He rolled his eyes at the memory of Ryan wearing him down. "Back to the party, I was standing off in a corner in an attempt to avoid another confrontation with a woman I had previously dated." He cleared his throat. "That might need to remain between us. Your mother is unaware of the reason why I was hiding out in dark corners that night. Anyway, I happened to overhear an argument from a couple that were a few feet away from me."

"Well, I thought they were a couple." Thomas muttered. "But in reality the man was a friend of your mother's and one who shares my dislike of crowded events."

He paused there so that he could carefully climb into bed without disturbing Amanda.

"Where was I? Ah. Yes. One look at your mother had me tempted to leave my hiding spot. There was something about her that I have never been able to find a clear explanation for. There still is that something that captures and holds my attention with little effort on her part. It isn't simply her beauty or her personality. Perhaps it is some combination of the two along with that mysterious element that continuously draws me to her. You will most likely notice it too once you are here with us."

He tilted his head in thought. "I wonder if you will inherit such a trait." Smiling at the notion, he continued. "So there I was, ready to take a chance of being caught by a woman I didn't care for just for a chance to meet a woman I was instantly attracted to. And it seemed that fortune smiled once more upon me."

He could see the memory so clearly in his mind: Amanda's glittery black dress that shimmered in the light with each movement. The intelligence in her eyes as she quietly observed the party. The peacefulness she somehow exuded while laughter and conversations filled the air.

"Her friend left, claiming to need a drink if he was to endure another hour or two of the party. Your mother then moved further into the shadows near where I was to sit down. There was an empty chair next to her and I asked if I might join her."

When Amanda shifted in her sleep, he lowered his voice. "When she smiled at me, it seemed that all I had been looking for in life was finally in one place. I knew in that moment that this chance meeting was something special. I decided then and there to waste not a single second in doing my utmost to charm her into my arms. And lucky for me, I succeeded."

He noticed how late it was. "I will go into further detail about my winning your mother another night. For now though, know that you both are a part of the best thing to ever happen to me. First off was falling in love with Amanda and winning hers in return. Discovering I had a daughter came next. And now you complete the very definition of my happiness. I will do all within my power to be the father you both need." His lips curved into a smile. "And I can't wait to meet you."

Thomas pressed a feather light kiss to Amanda's stomach and then a tender one to her cheek. Muffling a yawn, he left the bed to change clothes in their bathroom.

When the door clicked shut, Amanda opened her eyes.

"See little ones. I told you your father is endearingly sweet." She whispered. "He just needed a little more time to show it."