#watcher has a bad time off-camera

[beaningeneraldenial]

"....“XD’s acolyte”, he responds, “That’s what it makes me. I will be granted immortality, my friends will live in a world of His making, in harmony and in balance”...

...

“Harmony can’t exist without chaos , George, that’s how the balance is kept!”, Phil cries out, desperation seeping into his tone, having grasped on some hidden intent with his wise, old bones. The other raises an eyebrow, expression unchanging behind his sunglasses. He opens his mouth to respond but both men are cut off as XD’s laugh bellows throughout the stadium.

“I AM the God of Chaos, Philza Minecraft”, XD directs with bemusement at Phil’s face, body hunching just the slightest bit –it’s reminiscent of a scared, hissing cat trying to look bigger than it is. If circumstances were different, Wilbur would’ve laughed. Phil looks horrified. “It is MY domain and they–” , he turns his head towards the circular top of the stadium, right where two distinct, well-known villains have perched, “–share my magic; MY power!”..."

In which XD reveals his true plans... and also his true self (both figuratively and literally! :D

[haikyu-mp4]

You're not actors

Fluffy workplace romance as a streamer with your secret husband Kenma for my workplace romance event <3

requested by @dira333. word count; 837 – f!reader

Kenma loves his wedding ring. It’s just a piece of metal, but the matching one on your finger makes him giddy whenever he sees it, even if he doesn’t usually tell you that.

Unfortunately, he has to take it off for work. Your relationship wasn’t public, so he would rather not awaken any suspicions by showing his ring on camera. He’s a private person, preferring not to have everyone asking questions about his personal life.

You have separate streaming rooms on either end of the house so no noise would overlap, and so far everything ran smoothly. Sometimes, you would have to remind him about the ring as he kisses you before heading to his streaming room, and sometimes he remembers it himself. 

And sometimes you both forget.

This time, Kenma started the stream with his ring sitting snug on his finger and as time passed, he simply couldn’t move past this one level. It frustrated him to the point of running his hands through his hair and groaning at the seemingly impossible task. As the light from the screen hit metal, it glinted in the camera.

That’s how the speculations started. Is Kodzuken married? He never answers questions about his relationship status…

You’re a streamer too, often seen doing collabs with Kenma but never in person. You worried either of you might forget to act not in love while the viewers are literally observing your every move.

This time, you streamed alone. You recently started a Stardew Valley series where the viewers got to follow the progress with your fun commentary. It was very entertaining and gained you many more followers.

And Kenma knew you were streaming, so it was difficult to hide your surprise when a shattering sound ran through the house and someone hissed “Shit!”

Pausing the stream, you ran into the living room to find your husband surrounded by broken glass and spilt soda with a sheepish look. After sweeping some of it away and making sure he was okay, you hurried back to the stream and started it again to keep playing.

You pursed your lips, trying to act as if nothing happened. Unfortunately, you’re a YouTuber, not an actor.

That’s how the speculations started. Who does she live with? Is she in a secret relationship?

Following these two unfortunate events, you had no choice but to do the collab you had planned, as skipping it would seem suspicious. So just like normal, you both opened the shooter game and acted like you usually would while playing together, as if the comments weren’t bombarding you with these different rumours and some suggested your rumours were related to each other.

While you swore like a sailor at anything disadvantageous during the game, Kenma fell into the bad habit of watching your stream instead of his game, heart eyes evident to anyone who had eyes themselves. He would eventually sober up, getting revenge on anyone who went against you and then killing you so he could win alone.

His soft voice in your headphones made a shiver run down your spine and you wished the watchers were lying when they said Kodzuken is the only one you don’t curse at.

There were several heart eyes during this stream, and it was not just in the comments.

You both stood in the kitchen a couple of days (read nights) later. Kenma had accidentally woken you up by stubbing his toe on the bed and you demanded snacks so he pulled you along to the kitchen. The two of you talked about your latest work adventures or friend gossip while tapping your feet on the cold floors, a plate of apple pie in each of your hands.

“I’ve been thinking about something,” Kenma said, holding his hand up when he knew you were about to say something like I’m happy you told me or else I’d miss it. “Maybe we should just tell everyone.”

When you looked confused, he flipped his hand around, wiggling his fingers to show off the wedding ring as emphasis. Your eyes widened. “That’s a pretty big thought, buddy, good job.”

He snorted, scooping up another piece of cake and feeding it to you. “I’m serious.”

“But I kinda like watching you try to keep it a secret,” you teased again before stepping closer and pressing light kisses along his jaw. Kenma sighed, pusring his lips and looking away with something that looked an awful lot like guilt.

“I might have just said I have a wife on livestream.”

Flashback to a couple of hours before, when some, probably thirteen-year-old, boy commented on Kenma’s apparent lack of rizz. A gen-Z concept Kenma had no interest in taking part in, but felt weirdly offended by.

“Bet you dont even pull, all the marridge rumors are so stupd.”

He would never admit out loud that it hit a nerve, but you wouldn’t need him to. It was evident. “You should see my wife, noob. She’s fucking gorgeous and plays better than whatever you pull.”

masterlist

/thank you @cottonlemonade for brainstorming with me<3

[dragonnarrative-writes]

Kinktober Day 1 - Voyeurism

Kate Laswell x Bricks (CIA Asset OC)

CW: Dub-con/Non-con voyeurism (one person is not aware they are being watched), surveillance, sex work, dirty talk, degradation, impact play, daddy kink, too many mirrors, too much setup and an abrupt ending, big dogs

“Got me Watcher?” Bricks covers the movement of her mouth by touching up her lipstick in the mirrored wall of the elevator.

“Coming in clear,” Kate answers. “Go ahead and run a final calibration on the lenses.” She marks the edges of the camera range as Bricks sweeps her eyes in a practiced pattern to confirm the fit and function of the contacts. When she crosses her eyes and sticks her tongue out, confusing the feed, Kate chuckles. “Save it for Mendoza.”

“Please,” Bricks snickers. “My best is wasted on him.”

The doors open. Two large men, Mendoza’s bodyguards, usher Bricks forward. Real professionals, Kate notes, neither of them letting their eyes linger on stunning legs or exposed cleavage. One waves a wand over her, hair to heels, and the other takes the clutch from Bricks’ hand. He rifles through it, then doesn’t give it back.

“My second best lipstick is in there,” Bricks protests, half-heartedly. “I’m gonna want that back, later.”

“You’ll get it back when you leave,” the man grunts. “Come with us please.”

“Give me doors,” Kate instructs as they proceed down the hall. The cameras flick almost aimlessly as her asset strides between her escorts, but Kate is ready. “Left again,” she murmurs, quickly tagging frames for review. “Good girl.”

Once Bricks is handed off to Mendoza, the real work starts. Dinner goes as expected. Mendoza brags and paws. Bricks is charming, flirty, and teasing. She plays every bit of her part while Kate half listens and reviews data on the guards. Contractors, she notes as Bricks titters about something. Mendoza is just oggling her tits, so Kate continues reading the dossier. Contractors, good ones. Ex-military, but unlikely to see Bricks for the threat she is. The only problem will be-

“Puppies,” Bricks coos, as two Rottweilers come trotting up to the table. “I love dogs. How old are they?”

“They’re trained as part of the security detail,” Kate states as Mendoza goes on about pedigree. “German commands.”

Bricks kisses one of the dogs on the snout. “Do they know any tricks?”

“They’re trained killers,” the mark brags. “Only listen to me and designated handlers.”

“The handler command is folge mir,” Kate provides. Luckily, Bricks isn’t able to comment on her abysmal accent. “Ruhig. Geh runter.”

It doesn’t take long for Mendoza to send the dogs away, tired of not being the center of attention. And Bricks plays him like a fiddle, drawing him all around the penthouse to give Kate sight lines, the layout, and an unobstructed view of the server room through the kitchen.

When he finally catches her, Kate cant help but snort. “Is he as bad a kisser as he sounds? Your not usually this all over the place."

Bricks doesn’t bother to hold back a soft laugh. Mendoza lifts his mouth from her neck with an almost affronted grin. “What’s so funny?”

“Sorry,” she giggles, with a peck to his lips. “Ticklish, and I just feel good with you.”

“Can I make you feel better?”

“Here’s hoping,” Kate mutters as she counts server racks in Bricks’ periphery. The woman’s laugh rings off the marble counter tops.

Kate doesn’t bother watching the feed as Bricks kisses Mendoza down the hall, eyes closed to avoid any chance he might notice her contacts. When she opens her eyes again, Kate stifles a groan and pulls out her cigarettes. Mendoza’s bedroom has an entire wall of mirrors, and another on the wall above his headboard. Bricks kisses him some more, but in no time, she’s bent over the bed, looking at her own breasts nearly spilling from the top of her dress.

She’s there for… a lot longer than Kate expected. Whatever Mendoza is doing, she looks as bored as she ever does when she’s in character. Kate decides to step in when she moans, rote.

“Oh no,” Kate chuckles, grinning when Bricks’ eyes snap to her reflection. “I know you can do better than that. If I have to watch you have sex, you’re going to make it worth my while. Get that ass in the air, lets’s see if Mendoza can’t be good for something.”

Bricks’ next moan is much more resonant. Mendoza echoes her as he bends over her back, no doubt pressing his cock against her barely there panties.

“Ask for a spanking,” Kate commands, lighting a cigarette. “Ask nice, the way I like.”

“Please spank me, daddy,” Bricks moans, holding eye contact with the mirror, staring directly at Kate.

“Good girl, there you go,” Kate purrs, over Mendoza’s tiresome noises. “Too bad he’s going to be such a shit lay. You’re right, your best is wasted on him. Say thank you.”

Bricks hisses after Mendoza gives her three quick, sloppy strikes. “Thank you, daddy.”

“Fuck, you’re a slut, huh?” Mendoza flips her, and Kate laughs to see the mirrored tiles on the ceiling. “I can be your daddy, baby girl.”

“I’m tired of hearing his voice,” Kate scoffs. “Put his mouth to use.”

Bricks opts to grab a fistful of his hair and drag the man down her body. Kate gets to enjoy the view of her, chest heaving and disheveled as she winks up at her reflection. There’s no rolling eyes - there’s nothing of interest in the room, really, and Mendoza is apparently all noise and no skill.

“Touch yourself,” Kate commands. “Give yourself a show, beautiful.”

Bricks draws the fingers of her free hand down her neck, toying with her necklace before pushing the fabric of her dress down beneath full breasts. Kate makes an appreciative noise when she pinches a nipple. The woman in the mirror moans and arches her hips into the mouth between her thighs. Her eyes go half-lidded, when Mendoza pulls away to pant against her, one hand working its way up to prod at her. He groans something about “wet” and “tight,” like he had anything to do with the first and doesn’t understand the implications of the second.

“Please,” Bricks moans at her reflection.

“Oh,” Kate chuckles, “Is he really that good?”

“Roll over,” Mendoza growls as he stands. He’s dropped his pants and underwear.

“No,” Kate snorts. “I’m not watching your bored face as you compare him to Ghost. Ride him.”

All it takes is one skilled twist of Bricks’ hips before Mendoza is lying on his back, groaning under the woman Kate could command to kill him at any moment.

But Kate simply sits back in her chair. “Finish him off before I finish this cigarette, and I’ll let you come.”

Bricks narrows her eyes at the mirror. Kate can almost hear her calculating how long it’s been since she heard the click of the lighter. And then she balances on the balls of her feet and Kate grins as she watches the woman tear Mendoza’s orgasm from him with brutal efficiency.

“Good girl.”

[an0nfr0mth3d3n]

as pessimistic as I sound I do think that something will get done, somehow. With ccs talking about it on their own streams and on Twitter, which we have proof the admins watch, even if they aren’t story admins specifically, that I do think that stuff will get fixed. Not back to normal, but fixed.

like you can’t exactly retcon a rescue attempt from Phil for Baghera and Cellbit and the others, but you can do cool stuff with it. Maybe the Watcher LET them go back, maybe they’re bugged, maybe they don’t have memories of coming back!

Maybe they’ll put create behind a paywall like the nether!

Maybe they reach out to Pierre and ask him where he wants his factory and mansion so he starts stream with a hilarious and classic “I did some off camera mining”

Maybe Bad’s spawn is inexplicably ALWAYS linked to the center of the River of Souls in the Hall of Grim, and he has to cross the river every time.

Hey fun fact about acute radiation poisoning by the way, there’s a stage in it where the person starts looking like they are all better. Maybe that’s going on with Dapper!

[eloise-t-g]

long post ahead. i wanted to respond to some of the things i've seen people saying about the watcher situation. i honestly just needed to get some of this stuff off my chest lmao.

"sorry, the bridge has been burnt and i can no longer support watcher" - valid.

"i'm happy with this compromise and will continue to watch their content" - valid.

"oh so they apologise, change nothing, and now people are happy to give them money?" - things have changed. they compromised and completely changed their plan for the new website. did you not watch the update video? they're also issuing refunds to anyone who wants one.

"i bet people who over-reacted feel real stupid now!" - some people over-reacted, but a lot of people had valid criticisms and concerns. they shouldn't feel stupid if they expressed it in a non-abusive way.

"yay, we successfully bullied them into changing their minds!" - you're ... you're proud that you bullied someone? this isn't fucking elon musk or jeff bezos. these guys aren't multibillionaires exploiting their employees. these are three youtubers who want to pay themselves and their employees a living wage, while making content they're proud of, and they made a simple fucking mistake. stop throwing around the term 'eat the rich' as though it applies here.

"the apology video is clearly PR!" - yes, watcher is a business. this is how a business responds to situations like this. they had abuse hurled at them for 48 hours straight, they shouldn't feel bad for wanting to make sure everything said in the video was 100% agreed upon and analysed beforehand.

"steven was clearly the one behind this, he should be fired or step down!" - was he? do you know that for a fact? cause from what i saw, all three of them got in front of the camera and made the announcement video together. i agree that he should step down as CEO, but only because they clearly need someone who has actual business experience leading them (if you remember, ryan and shane stepped down a while ago because they didn't want to deal with that side of the company anymore - in the same video, they thanked steven for being the sole reason watcher was still going).

"they shouldn't have been silent the whole weekend" - maybe so, but it's clear they went into lockdown/crisis mode. also, businesses aren't open on weekends. i think it's fair that they waited until monday and took their time with it. maybe they should have tweeted something like "we're sorry and we're working on an explanation", but that just would have given people another place to attack them.

"you're all being parasocial" - i've seen this used against both people who are supporting/giving the team the benefit of the doubt, and people who are against everything. a lot of people (myself included) have used this experience to realise they were developing/had developed a parasocial relationship with these men. this is a good thing - it allows us to recognise these things and make changes within ourselves.

i think generally people are more parasocial towards youtubers than celebrities in films and tv shows. YT feels like there is a barrier removed between the creators and us; it makes us feel like we know these people in a way that we don't know actors who are always playing different roles. YT makes it easier to believe we're seeing the real people, when we really don't know them at all.

"why should i pay someone who owns a tesla?" - you don't have to. also, steven has been working consistently for years. it doesn't surprise me that he has enough savings for an expensive car. people are allowed to own things that you and i can't afford.

"they're embarrassed to be youtubers" - might be true, who knows. but for me it feels more like they want to be taken seriously as filmmakers/television producers, and don't feel like they can do that on YT.

"there's clearly money mismanagement going on" - i think this is likely. i personally don't know what it's like to run a business like this, which is why i've been watching videos from other youtubers who do. since they're saying they don't know where the funds are going, i'm inclined to believe watcher's budget is way off what it should be.

"why didn't they initially say they were having money troubles and might close doors?" - i can see both sides of this. i believe they should have recognised that their audience would have been more receptive to this kind of honesty. however, if you're asking people to give you money, while also saying the venture might not work out, it doesn't engender a great deal of trust. why should i pay for a 12 month sub if it's possible watcher will fold in 6? who will be around to issue me a refund then?

"we were happy with blue and yellow text on a screen!" - valid, but it's clear that they weren't. they clearly want to push themselves further creatively. on the other hand, it definitely feels like they got impatient and wanted that future creation to start now, when they don't have the funds for it. they shouldn't have tried to force their loyal audience to pay for content the audience didn't ask for.

"i don't want to fund steven, andrew, and adam flying around the world eating expensive food." - very valid. i wonder how different things would have been if this 'Worth It' revival had come around 6 months earlier. it still would have been tone deaf in a global living crisis, but i don't think people would have been this upset. what i don't understand is them doing this show if they genuinely couldn't afford it, which is the implication i got from them announcing it just before announcing the paywall.

"why don't they move their office out of LA?" - that would be incredibly expensive, especially for a company that is struggling financially. they would have to uproot their entire lives, and would probably lose a great number of their staff who don't want to/can't move. they would have to completely start over, which is something i imagine they're desperately trying to avoid.

i think the cancel culture that has grown in popularity over the internet over the last few years has led people to believe that:

they can say whatever they want online with no consequences.

people aren't allowed to make a single mistake, and should understand that when they do, it's okay to for others to spew hate and awfulness towards them.

part of me doesn't even know why i made this post, i think i just got sick of seeing the same complaints and questions lmao.

[radioactivepeasant]

Snippets: Free Day Thursday

Adopted Dadmas: Dadmas versus Haven

The red light was blinking on Jak’s talk-box again. Damas was no fool, he knew that meant someone was spying through the floating comm -- or attempting to. Doubtless, the eavesdropper thought they were being very subtle, keeping silent whenever adults were present. As if they believed Jak would keep their presence a secret. As if they believed he would never tell.

Damas tore a circle of flatbread into pieces and used them to scoop a mixture of cooked peppers onto his plate. He pretended not to notice the talk-box hovering next to Jak’s elbow in a terrible attempt at stealth, instead choosing to engage Daxter in a conversation. He was determined to get the kid apprenticed to the head of the merchant guild one way or another. Daxter had a head for business and trade that Jak, simply put, did not. He nodded along when his friend talked, but privately Damas thought it would do Daxter good to be around adults who could encourage his interests.

Periodically, Jak cast swift glances at his talk-box during the meal. He seemed like he was expecting someone to speak at any moment -- or more like he was expecting orders of some kind. His shoulders were tense, and he was shoveling down food much too quickly, like he thought he wasn't going to have time to finish it.

"Slow down, young one. The shrimp isn't going anywhere, and neither are you," Damas admonished.

Jak didn't slow down much, but he did start chewing a little more thoroughly. Small victories. Still, he looked tired, and on-edge. Had Ashelin or the sage been badgering him again when no one was around?

The initial idea had been to lay a trap. To feign ignorance and bait the spy into speaking aloud, thus forcing Unpleasant Diplomatic Discussions with Haven's motley assortment of would-be leaders. But just now, Damas decided, the health and wellbeing of his son took precedence over strategy. And he still had the element of surprise, anyway.

"Talk-boxes off at the table, Jak," he announced, gesturing directly to the lens watching them, "This is a meal, not a media interview."

The boy flinched and looked guilty. He had no reason to; he'd been open with Damas about the demands for labor since he first returned from Haven. But then, he'd been groomed from such a young age to believe that bad things happened because he didn't work hard enough for his "friends". Perhaps he still feared retaliation for establishing healthy boundaries? Better to confront the issue head-on then, Damas decided.

"If your uninvited watcher has an emergency, they are free to petition me directly," he said, leveling a stern glare at the talk-box. "On their own time, not yours. Come on, switch it off."

Someone made a muffled sound, barely picked up by the talk-box's speaker. It seemed they were not expecting to be so casually acknowledged.

"Jak-!" the watcher tried to protest, but Jak reached for the power button.

"Right. Sorry, Pa."

Once the light had faded from the little camera, Damas nodded, satisfied. He picked up a shallow bowl with tomango in it and held it out to Jak.

"Here. You need the vitamins."

Begrudgingly, Jak took two slices, then a third when Daxter gave him The Look across the table.

The ottsel cleared his throat meaningfully.

"Pal, you gotta get better at telling those people no. They can't hurtcha!"

Jak hunched over his plate, frowning.

"I know," he muttered sullenly. "I- I do know that, okay? They just don't listen!"

Daxter sighed and his ears drooped. "Yeah...I know. Old Greenstuff only hears what he wants to hear. Always has."

With a frustrated groan, Jak rubbed his eyes. "After everything he's done, I shouldn't be having trouble cutting Samos off. Why do I keep going back?!"

"He's familiar," Daxter admitted, and not without a touch of loathing. "He was all we knew for like, our whole lives. I hate him -- I'll always hate him -- but I get being afraid to lose that last connection to Sandover."

"....yeah." Jak winced. "I um...I think you're right. It's just. It's hard."

"I know, pal."

"And he knows I have two artifacts that go with those weird pillars in the forest!" Jak continued, "What do I do when he starts asking why I haven't brought them?"

"You end the call," Damas interrupted firmly, "or you give the line to an older Wastelander. Collecting those relics serves the interests of our people, and our people will be working in teams to locate them."

Perhaps this was Jak’s fight as much as anyone else's -- this Daystar and its coming threat -- but Damas was reluctant to involve him. Wasn't losing one son bad enough? He'd never survive losing a second one!

Besides, even someone as talented at sneaking into hidden places as Jak couldn't infiltrate places locked by the Seal of Mar. Whatever the Grand Council of Haven wanted with the catacombs, it was a matter for Damas to deal with, not the boys.

Jak picked at his tomango slices almost glumly. Whether it was his own struggles with setting boundaries that bothered him, or Damas’s advice for dealing with future calls, no one knew. But Daxter and Damas both knew that Jak wouldn't keep it bottled up for long. Sure enough, after a couple minutes of mangling his food without eating it, Jak finally looked up.

"You didn't tell me you were sending other people to look for the relics I told you about."

It was almost a question and almost a complaint.

"No, I didn't," Damas acknowledged, and sipped his tea. "The topic hadn't come up between us yet. Is there something about it that concerns you?"

Jak had difficulty putting his thoughts into words. He started and stopped three times before muttering, "It's dangerous. What if someone gets hurt and I'm not there?"

"What if someone doesn't get hurt and you're not there?" Damas countered. He leaned an elbow on the table and gestured to himself almost self-deprecatingly. "Age does not grace the Spargan who is careless, nor are many years added to the foolish. Do not worry so much about people who were hunting metalheads for sport before you were even born, son."

"Admittedly," said Daxter, "We're still getting used to the concepts of adults who can actually fight their own battles. Am I complaining? Only when they decide it's "Take Your Ottsel To Work Day". But even I still go into jobs expecting to have to save everyone's butts at some point."

"Justified with the monks." Jak pointed a piece of tomango at his best friend.

"Yeah, justified with Mime Club."

Damas threaded his fingers together under his chin and watched the boys a moment.

"How about this," he offered, "If an artifact is located but not yet retrieved, I will give you the option of participating in the mission. Or, you can wait until everything has been gathered, and we will go to the pillars together."

For a moment, Jak brightened. Then he looked pensive again. "What if there's trouble? I mean. I was never really- I never claimed Haven, but they act like I belonged to them. What if me bringing another nation into their forest makes trouble for Spargus?"

"Hmph. Perhaps it is better to settle this now, rather than engage in hypotheticals."

Damas held out one hand.

"Give me your talk-box."

Jak narrowed his eyes. "What are you going to do?"

"Not your concern."

"Papá...." somehow Jak managed to sound both suspicious and scolding.

Damas remained unmoved. "Hand it over, boy."

Reluctantly, Jak did so. He cringed when the device powered on, and Keira's voice poured out.

"Jak? Are you okay? Daddy came in fussing about someone interfering with- you're not Jak! Where's my friend?!"

By the mortified expression on his son's face, Damas guessed this was the sage's daughter. The childhood friend Jak still sort of had a crush on.

"Tell your father to stop harassing my son," Damas said shortly. "Especially during hours set aside for family meals. Was he raised in a barn? In fact, ask him that for me."

"Pa, no!" Jak hissed, making a futile grab for the talk-box.

"Your son?! Who are you? Who- hey, Daddy, c'mere. You know this guy? He says he's Jak’s dad!" Keira became muffled for a moment, stepping away from her own device to drag her father over. "Why's this guy think you're harassing Jak? We've only called him twice since he left. Right?"

"Insisting he keeps his comm on at all times so that you can all monitor every moment of his day is not an acceptable use of Federation communication lines," Damas cut in. "I shouldn't have to tell you that spying on the nation of Spargus in such a way could be taken as an act of war."

"This-! This is bigger than Haven or the Wastelands!" Samos sounded flustered- even a bit nervous. "Surely you understand the claim destiny has upon Ja-"

Damas made a dismissive sound in his throat, cutting the sage off. "Pah. Destiny. I should think the recent Praxis regime and my own continued existence would be enough to call concepts such as destiny into question. As it stands, my claim on Jak supersedes "destiny" -- or more accurately, you."

"The fate of the planet hangs in the balance!" Samos cried, though somewhat subdued compared to his usual confidence. "Can't you see that?! Don't be so bullheaded, Jak is needed-"

Jak recognized the glint in the king’s eyes as mischief. Daxter looked a little too eager to see where this was going. Jak resisted the urge to cover his face in embarrassment. Why and oh why did Keira have to be the one to answer the line?!

"Oh? Are you planning to challenge me for custody of my son?" Damas bared his teeth in an unfriendly smile. "Please, by all means! The Arena is ready whenever you are."

"Pa!" Jak gripped the sides of his head and stared at the man. "Not in front of Keira!"

"Look, old man-" Damas ignored Daxter's delighted cackle. "This planet will survive through united efforts, not by sitting back and hoping one boy alone will get the job done. Now, if Haven wishes to negotiate a temporary alliance to get this done sooner, there is no one stopping them from requesting a meeting with the Wasteland Federation. In the meantime, the Federation intends to continue preventing the apocalypse with or without your participation."

"You are?" Keira cut in over her father again, sounding genuinely curious. "You mean there's more people who can get into ruins?"

Jak got up and moved to the head of the table. Damas moved the talk-box out of his reach preemptively, but Jak made no move to grab it.

"That's their whole thing, turns out. You know Krew? Yeah, everything he sold you, he bought from Wastelanders. Even the defunct power cells."

The slightly warped image of Keira on the screen flickered as she leaned closer.

"Seriously?! I could've cut out the middleman and just worked with them all this time?! Ughhhhh. Hindsight is 20/20 I guess. You want to show them my research from the palace library?"

Behind her, Samos jumped. "The what?! Keira, the library was destroyed with the rest of the palace!"

"The building collapsed, sure," Keira retorted, "But the data cores are still mostly intact in there. If you don’t mind crawling through some tight places and bringing lots of Scout Flies, it's a cinch to get the files for Vin."

Samos looked apoplectic. "Keira! That's far too dangerous for you!"

His daughter rolled her eyes. "What? Jak and Daxter can do it but I can't? Don't you trust me?"

Damas stifled a chuckle and elbowed Jak. "I like this one," he whispered. "Invite her to Spargus sometime."

Jak wished the floor would swallow him.

[cielcreations]

SCP-S14Y3R

Item #: SCP-S14Y3R

Site: H3RM1T5

Object Class: Keter

Special Containment Procedures: Keeping SCP-S14Y3R contained is becoming increasingly more difficult. She is to be kept in a one point five (1.5) by one point five (1.5) meter steel container that is one point eight (1.8) meters off the ground. The contained should be kept in a steel room, completely filled with motion sensors. These motion sensors will activate the flood lights, stunning SCP-S14Y3R temporarily. This room should be monitored twenty four/seven (24/7) in the connecting computer room. Any movement within the containment container and/or cell is to be reported immediately. If movement is sensed, staff monitoring the room shall hit the emergency red button. An alarm will blare in the room so high pitched that only SCP-S14Y3R can hear. This will stun SCP-S14Y3R, allowing exactly sixty (60) seconds to administer general anesthesia.

If SCP-S14Y3R breaches containment, the MTF (Mobile Task Force) will be deployed to sedate her and return her to containment.

Description: SCP-S14Y3R is a twenty seven (27) year old Caucasian female of Canadian descent, approximately one point six (1.6) meters in height. She is a redhead with blood red eyes, with pale white skin. On her head, she has large antlers that are pointed into spikes, blood covering them. She wears a black robed cape over a red shirt, black jeans, and black boots and always holds a diamond axe. One of her arms seem to be covered in blood constantly. Whether it is her blood or someone else's has yet to be determined.

SCP-S14Y3R is constantly attempting to escape containment. Due to this and her threat level, she must be watched twenty four/seven (24/7). She is in a perpetual state of violent rage. Any times she's managed to escape, she has killed and injured multiple people in her past. Staff has tried to terminate her, but it appears she is completely invulnerable to all forms of harm. Bullets do very little, merely slowing her down. People who are unfortunate enough to be close to her, she severs their limbs from their torso.

SCP-S14Y3R is kept calm in her holding container by the constant effects of sleeping gas. While it does not fully put her to sleep, it keeps her relaxed for the most part.

Addendum SCP-S14Y3R-1: Termination Log: Experiment-Log-T-SCP-S14Y3R-C0U4T-14089

Addendum SCP-S14Y3R-2: SCP-S14Y3R Containment Breaches - Current Count: 23

SCP-S14Y3R Containment Breach Occurrence Number 23:

SCP-S14Y3R managed to escape all staff on site. She seemed to have an idea where she wanted to go. Instead of killing every human she say, she only killed the people who seemed to get in her way. She made her way to SCP-C4N46Y, breaking into his room.

SCP-C4N46Y: Hello, Gem. Has Watcher finally decided to end this? Is it finally time?

SCP-S14Y3R: You know, you shouldn't talk about him like that. He might get mad, especially when there's cameras everywhere.

SCP-C4N46Y: Please, these idiots only know he exists because he asked me to test some of my powers.

SCP-S14Y3R:  He'll still get upset if you talk bad about him. [Laughs]

SCP-C4N46Y doesn't respond. He merely lays on the ground, smiling.

SCP-C4N46Y: Don't worry about hurting me, I'm used to it. Just make sure to kill me.

SCP-S14Y3R:  [She lifts her axe over her head] It's why they call me GeminiSLAY!

Before SCP-S14Y3R can kill SCP-C4N46Y, Agent ██████ managed to distract her long enough to tackle her. Unfortunately, she killed him, but he did stab her with a tranquilizer. SCP-C4N46Y was also forcibly removed. SCP-C4N46Y put up a fight and attempted to use his powers, attempt to get the agents to put him down. However, they secured him in a temporary holding cell while they continued working on restraining SCP-S14Y3R.

It took approximately fifteen (15) minutes for the tranquilizer to take effect. Before SCP-S14Y3R fell unconscious, she had one more message.

SCP-S14Y3R: I'm not the only one under orders to kill him. One he's dies by one of our hands, Watcher can free us. The canary must be first to fall.

SCP-S14Y3R then fell unconscious. She was returned to her containment cell, with added security.

SCP-C4N4RY has been moved to an unspecified- uN$ᴘEc¡F¡3d L0cαT¡Øn n n n n n nn nnn nnnnn nnnnnnnnnnnn-

[ End THis lOg already- ]

[thevibraniumveterans]

S2 of WHAT IF…

Ep1- “…Nebula joined the Nova Corps?”

Love the bleak opening sequence

Fascinating how Nebula narrates the context. Her “five years of isolation” hits hard.

Nova Prime siding with Ronan was a surprise

Ep2- “…Peter Quill Attacked Earth’s Mightiest Heroes?”

Cool intro; Peter leaning into his inherent powers is interesting…

The Winter Soldier being Gorbachev’s tool to contain Peter is surprising, but not unexpected…

“Does anyone have a plan?”/“I have a plan; retreat.” 😂

Thor announcing that Peter killed off all the Nine Realms except Earth; Peter needed containment to prevent him being too powerful.

Hope breaking Peter out is unexpected.

But Peter defeating his dad is a great ending.

Ep3- “…Happy Hogan Saved Christmas?”

Cool X’mas riff in the beginning music

Avengers Tower… looking festive.

Happy getting accidentally injected with Banner blood is unexpected.

Beethoven’s 9th riff playing when Darcy discovers a whole collection!

“Time for the Hammer to get nailed” 🤣

Overall, great X’mas episode.

Ep4- “…Iron Man Crashed into the Grandmaster?”

Cool that the Guardians of the Multiverse (from S1) are back!

Gamora’s origin story is a Tony Stark episode that looks to focus a bit on Valkyrie? Interesting…

Wonder what Gamora is doing there.

The little Chinchilla is adorable.

Tony with the nicknames (“Technicolor Dream Coat” is a Andrew Lloyd Webber musical reference) is hilarious

Also, Tony building a suit that reforms into a race car on command, and back, is AWESOME

Turns out, Tony inspired Gamora to be a hero.

Gamora melting Thanos, did not see that coming.

Ep5- “…Captain Carter Fought the Hydra Stomper?”

Cool Avengers team; with Carter and Janet instead of Steve and Banner.

It’s kind of what if 2012’s Battle of New York went differently. Then we pick up kind of CATWS but it’s Peggy and Nat.

Peggy’s spin-twist was really cool.

The whole reverse-CATWS but instead of Bucky gone bad and Steve finding out, it’s Steve gone bad and Peggy finding out.

Bucky as a Secretary of State? Did NOT see that coming. But makes sense that Bucky would be the one to try to bring Steve back. Truly a reverse CATWS.

The Stomper Suit keeping Steve alive, I wonder how.

Carter’s hilarious Star Wars reference to carbonite.

Also, the camera panning around Steve and Peggy, is a mirror of the Tony/Pepper one in Endgame.

Melina being part robot is also kind of creepy.

Captain Carter having a musical is hilarious too

Also, the emotional vibes kind of veering into CACW and “Black Widow” territory is quite fascinating.

Peggy disappears thru a portal, only to be greeted by Wanda.

Ep6- “…Kahhori Reshaped the World?”

Ragnarok comes early…

Also, this episode isn’t the first time we see the horrors of Spanish conquistadors invading on native land; we last saw that in Wakanda Forever a few years ago.

But when the Watcher narrates the context, it mirrors the Black Panther movie’s narrative about how the Vibranium came to Earth and ended with the peacemaking between various tribes.

Also great to note that this is the first MCU entry where nobody, except the Watcher (and Stephen Strange at the end) speaks English.

It’s really awesome that the Space Stone energy gives the people from the Sky World (who are formerly Mohawk natives from Earth) and Kahhori very, VERY interesting powers.

KAHHORI MOVED THE PORTAL TO THE LAND!! That is an insane amount of power and strength! That’s wonderful!

Kahhori and her people sinking the Spanish Armada is a sight to behold.

Ep7- “…Hela Found the Ten Rings?”

Hela suddenly being able to speak Putonghua was a surprise.

Odin says that the bearer of Hela’s crown be merciful, which explains why Hela is at first unable to lift it. Just like the first Thor movie.

I kind of wonder why Wenwu would invite Hela to wear a traditional dress; but more importantly, why does he have one ready?

MORRIS RETURNS!! Best fuzzy thing.

Hela visits Talo.

Folding paper. That’s basically Origami. IRL history has it that China has its own paper folding traditions long ago, just like Japan, but separately.

Hela being upset that Fenrir as a puppy was taken from her, is something interesting too.

Asgard, a realm of Norse legend, and Ta Lo, a fictitious Chinese fantasy realm, coming together to free the cosmos, is something I did not see coming.

Ep8- “…the Avengers Assembled in 1602?”

Tom Hiddleston as Loki narrating Hamlet? Not surprising.

Wanda summoned Carter from three episodes ago, and turns out Thor knew about this here.

But what are those portals? Wanda warns to stop them.

Wanda speaks of a lost traveler…

Tony says “Forerunner” but the caption says “person”.

Loki speaking of William Shakespeare writing about Iago in the play Othello.

Rogers Hood. Hilarious combo of Steve Rogers and Robin Hood.

Rogers and Carter double-teaming with the shield is really cool.

Where did the Destroyer come from?

Hogan throwing out all manner of old fashioned insults is hilarious 😆

Also, why is Hogan a hulk in this episode? He was one in the Christmas episode but this one?

Turns out the Forerunner is mainMCU!Steve?

The main effect is that Carter is alone again.

Strange Supreme makes an appearance. Which we leave on a “TBC” for next episode. The fact that he went to fetch Kahhori in Ep6 must mean something big is in the finale…

Ep9- “…Strange Supreme Intervened?”

Interesting; we get the full MCU theme for the title card. We never got the full theme in previous episodes.

Peggy speaks with Strange, who keeps dangerous beings inside their own little crystals.

If the Watcher is a metaphor for us, and Strange implying that the Watcher may not always be right, that means that we might not also always be right about certain things.

Peggy enters South Dakota… where Red Skull (HYDRA) exploded the Tesseract. But why would Kahhori be a danger to the Multiverse, considering Strange net with her last episode? Why is she considered a danger in this one?

Also, Kahhori now speaks English. Not odd, per se, but it helps. She says Strange is “a universe killer.” Which, in some way, he is.

Also, a dragon from Ta Lo, which kinda sells the point.

Hela being insulted that Kahhori sent the swords back is hilarious 😆

Peggy gets an Infinity Armor is pretty to cool. Also, Peggy and Kahhori vs Strange? That’s also really cool.

Peggy gets sent back to her home, but it’s an illusion, and she sees right through it.

Though, playing with the lives of so many people to face Strange, that’s a weird effect, perhaps meant to be “comedic” in a way, but comes off as cruel, which might have been the more intended effect.

Also, the characters falling to the portal just basically overpowering Peggy with their weapons? It’s very interesting because it’s not overpowering her for no reason, she NEEDS to be overpowered to stop an already over-powered Strange. She needs to be MORE than him to win.She gets Hela’s crown, a large sword, and multiple other weapons, while Kahhori uses her powers to lift Thor’s hammers and also uses the Ten Rings. Both Peggy and Kahhori MUST be overpowered to overpower Strange and stop him.

Strange becomes a huge devil monster and falls into the Forge.

Peggy goes to the Watcher.

S2E9 ending exactly as Loki S2E6 did, that’s interesting.

[dreamofmetoday]

KARINA AND RYUJIN DYNAMIC READING

overall:

so the way they became friends is because ryujin is an opportunist, she saw karina as someone who was a valuable rookie to befriend and approached her quite forwardly and quickly. you know in the first harry potter where draco tells harry, “you’ll soon find some wizarding families are better than others, you don’t want to be making friends with the wrong sort. i can help you there.” - this may as well be verbatim what ryujin said to karina if you switch out wizarding families with idols. ryujin wanted both the public and their peers to know karina was her friend and she got karina “first” (so would do things such as look in karina’s direction on camera or even name drop when they weren’t even close). karina wasn’t oblivious to what motivated ryujin’s original intentions but she didn’t mind, she actually found this really flattering and it even gave her butterflies. following this, karina naturally adopted ryujin’s opinions as her own (who’s cool and who’s not, who to trust or not trust, which boys suck and which don’t etc.) and they ended up getting along quite well. they enjoy gossiping together and like hanging out together in a “lazy” way - eating together, karaoke, those sort of things (nothing really exhausting). they might also like watching tv together or they’re both just big tv watchers in their spare time and recommend each other shows. karina also doesn’t mind showing off their friendship for clout reasons, so they’re both on the same page in this respect and it doesn’t make their friendship more superficial. they view their friendship in a sort of arrogant way, thinking they’re a hot and pretty duo who do their own thing.

how does karina view ryujin:

she views ryujin as opportunistic and mean, but not in a bad way, more so in the way where it’s like, “i’m so glad i don't have to hide my true opinions with you just so you don’t think i’m an asshole”. she thinks ryujin is genuinely trustworthy and likes that she found someone in the industry she can be real with - she views herself as a little different from other people but views ryujin the same way (viewing them both as outsiders a little). she also likes that ryujin values gaining material wealth the same way she does. she thinks ryujin is confident but sometimes over-confident. she sees ryujin as someone who gets her way, someone who knows what they want and is motivated to go out and get it. she has fears they won’t always be friends but wants to enjoy it while it’s on.

how does ryujin view karina:

she knows karina is gay or bisexual and it piques her curiosity sometimes. she wants karina to still remain reliant on her a little and likes that she was the one to show karina the ropes when karina was newer to the industry. she thinks karina is selfish, entitled and not the most ethical person but thinks when it comes to her specifically she can trust karina. she thinks karina is religious and intelligent.

[coraniaid]

I have decidedly mixed feelings about Season 4 as a whole but The Freshman is a very very good episode.

It's also, however you choose to work it out, in the top three episodes of the whole series in terms of how much dialogue Buffy Summers herself gets [see note A below]. Which makes sense thematically -- if Season 4 is about anything (note that I said if) then surely it is about Buffy attempting to answer the question "who are you?" posed by the title of one of its stand-out episodes. Who is Buffy (and what is this show about?) now that high school is over? That's a question this episode will begin to explore.

Part of the reason I like this episode so much is that it's focused on the character of Buffy herself in a way none of the other season openers get to be. Half of the focus of S3's Anne is on a town where Buffy isn't anymore and the other half is on a girl who doesn't want to be Buffy anymore; S5's Buffy vs Dracula is .... it's about ... no, I can't lie, it's just shit, sorry (and Real Me, morally that season's true opener, is certainly about Buffy in a sense but it's about her as seen through the prism of Dawn Summers); Buffy spends most of S6's Bargaining dead and as such doesn't talk that much; while S7's Lessons is focused on setting up the Dawn-focused, back-to-high-school season that, in just a few episodes's time, the writers will give up on entirely (in fact we never see Dawn's new friends Kit and Carlos on screen again).

S1's Welcome to the Hellmouth comes close to the underlying numbers of The Freshman (in keeping with the rest of Season 1, Buffy definitely has a lot of speaking time in this one), but that episode is an attempt to introduce the whole world of the show as much as it is the character of Buffy herself. By design, the Buffy we meet already knows the basics about vampires and Slaying and destinies: the exposition Giles offers is for the audience's benefit rather than hers. Even having moved to a new town, Buffy is instantly more comfortable in the halls of Sunnydale High than she is on campus at the beginning of this episode.

Only S2's When She Was Bad comes as close to being purely about Buffy as this episode does, but it doesn't score very highly among the season openers in terms of raw speaking time numbers [see note B].

That's because while When She Was Bad is about Buffy and who she is after (not exactly) surviving the events of Prophecy Girl, it's at least partly about who she is as seen from the perspective of her friends and family. So we open with a scene of Willow and Xander waiting for Buffy to get back, we have a rare scene of Buffy's parents alone together discussing their daughter, we see that (in their own different ways) Giles and Cordelia and Angel are all worried about her although she resists their various attempts to connect with her. In her absence, the gang briefly debate whether she might be posessed -- that this might not even be the real Buffy at all. There's no such confusion about the Buffy we see on screen in this episode. Giles is reluctant to help her, insisting that he's not her Watcher anymore; Cordelia has left town and goes unmentioned; somebody who watches Angel will know that Angel tries calling but Buffy doesn't find this out. Unlike When She Was Bad, The Freshman is completely about Buffy's understanding of herself. With a couple of brief exceptions near the end, the perspective and camera remains tightly focused on her: we see what she sees, and only that.

The Buffy Summers of When She Was Bad was trying to cut herself off from the world and is saved by her friends; the Buffy Summers of The Freshman is trying to make her own way in the world without a familiar safety net and -- though she is reassured to eventually realize her friends are still around and still want to help her -- she also learns she can succeed even without them. (Arguably, this is a lesson she learns a little too well.)

Also Sunday was great and should have been in more episodes (and so should Cathy and Olivia, frankly, though they do at least appear again a little).

--

[A] Per Julian Freedland's timestamp data, Buffy's top three episodes in terms of absolute speaking time are 1) S1E05: "Never Kill A Boy On The First Date"; 2) S3E18: "Earshot"; 3) S4E01: "The Freshman" . Adjusting for the fact some episodes are just more dialogue-heavy than others, Buffy's top three episodes as a percentage of total speaking time are 1) S4E02: Living Conditions; 2) S4E01: The Freshman; 3) S3E03: Faith, Hope & Trick.

[B] Technically When She Was Bad is only the fifth highest ranked of the seven season openers by Buffy speaking time, with Buffy having 23.5% of all dialogue, but there's very little difference between third and sixth here: 24.9% for Anne in third versus 23.4% for Buffy vs Dracula in sixth; compare 30.8% for Welcome to the Hellmouth and 35.6% for The Freshman and either nothing or almost nothing for Bargaining depending on whether you treat it as a two-parter or one double-length episode.

[mockedandmonitored]

New ST AU idea (+blog)

Someone suggested I should do this and here I am. This new AU is called Mocked & Monitored, a bad end sorta with the original idea in mind of "What if the Alliance lost the war.". Kinda just continued to run from there. Sorry if this is hard to read-

To start off on the different au, it splits from our favorite canon timeline, around the time where TTVman had his screen stabbed through and it's where shit hits the fan. In this universe, Sugilite Not retreating due to his own ego ends up leaving him immobile and unable to move nor teleport. This leaves the TVs to panic and try to brainstorm what to do, their largest hitter has been captured and now the Alliance is down two titans. (Undecided what happens from here, will probably expand in the future)

The Alliance pushes and tries their hardest to stay standing, however eventually the third of the titans fall and that merely ensures the victory for the Skibidi Armada. With this triumph the Armada capture the remaining living units and their resources. With the war over, the Armda rebuild society to how they see fit and that's where the AU is focused in.

The story takes place after society is rebuilt, buildings repaired and laws put in place by G-toilet and his second command Scientist Toilet. Our beloved hardwares in this new society are the lowest of the low, mere servants and labor works doing the jobs none of the normal skibidis want to do. Being less than dirt and tossed around for the resistance they gave during the war.

To avoid an uprising the hardwares were also handicapped after being captured, depending on their faction and model, they would face their own hardships. The TVmen being forced to wear essential ankle bracelets which interfere their ability to teleport and having their screens forced to show Skibidi propaganda. The Speakermen being forced to only play the anthem of the skibidis or being stuck to No music at all, many of the veteran units taking a vow of silence. Now for the faction which started it all, The Cameramen. They were forbidden from broadcasting their point of views, however there is an exception.

The Camera faction was given the choice of joining the Armada, their eyes watching their fellow hardware to ensure they abide by the rules, In return The Cameramen would live like normal civilians. These watchers are known as Whistleblowers, adorned with new uniforms and upgrades to separate them from their stubborn brethren, always keeping eyes and tabs on everything which happens.

What happens exactly when a unit breaks the rules? Shares their footage? Blast their own anthem without fear? Getting caught by the whistleblowers leads to three strikes.

First strike, more harder and grueling yet dull labor, it being from Mining to factory working in the worse conditions. Hardly are these units ever repaired or take care of, often collapsing due to the long strenuous hours without break. Second strike, depending on your faction, they clip your wings so to say, Speakermen have their components replaced to mute them from making Any sound, TVmen have their screens cracked and left in disrepair, and the Cameramen usually have their sight tampered via different means the most common result leaving them only seeing only white outlines of objects against a black background. Third strike and your sent down to the "Reeducation Center", a place which No units returns from as their old self, only rumors speculate what go on in there.

Moving back to the titans, They're still alive in this universe, if you can count their state as living. All three of them at different ends of the city kept in buildings resembling museums. Trapped within a stasis and remaining in a state of disrepair, Large statues warning those who would dare oppose the faction. Rumors however speak of the Camera titan stirring ever so slightly, giving even the slimmest hope that their titan is still watching over them and that hope is not lost. Residing in the same museum as their respective titan would be the Matriarchs, sharing their fate. The message rings out to any unit which visits their fallen leaders, "We did this to the most powerful and skilled of your units, do not underestimate what we will do to You." (Putting the ladies in Stasis as to avoid rather. . Internet ideas.)

What about Resistances? Surely there must be some units trying to band together to rise against their hated enemies. A brown coated cameraman lead the most successful uprising from the shadows in the last 20 years however, it was only a matter of time until a Whistle blower joined the rebellion and brought it to its knees. Since then there's been a special task force of Whistleblowers dedicated to look like normal cameramen to stop any rebellions from arising and making too much of a problem.

There are more little facts but this thing has become long enough. I welcome anyone and everyone to join in on this little AU by asking questions or adding their own details and spins on it! Different details and facts wouldn't be here if it weren't for other cool fellas. This askblog is made to answer inquiries and expand this little AU. Feel free to join any role play prompts and or make your own to share! That is all for tonight now, Farewell and good night.

[13thdoctorposts]

Michelle Gomez and Sacha Dhawan Panel

Please note this IS NOT word for word, but so you can get a general gist of the panel. Both Michelle and Sacha were soooooo hilarious.

Whovians of all ages got to ask both of them questions.

This post is just Michelle’s and Sachs’s part of the panel there is a seperate post for Michelle’s panel and Sacha’s panel will be up in the next couple days!

Shouting from the back…

Sacha: Oh so boring!

Michelle: security, security!

Sacha walk to the stage

Michelle : Sacha Dhawan everyone!

Sacha: I was standing up the back and I thought… this is so boring…

(in a bad Scottish accent) “oh me and Peter Capaldi”

Michelle: laughing hard (can’t understand what she’s saying)

Sacha sitting down hugging Michelle

Sacha: so how are you?

Michelle: oh you know between here to hellish

Sacha: I thought I would join you

Michelle: if you thought it was boring then you’re gonna think it’s really boring now. Ok 2 for the price of 1

Moderator: I feel like a 3rd wheel… next question

Questioner: Green wing and the book club were on when I was young, do you take responsibility for warping a generation of millennials?

Michelle: yes, yes I do. I’ve landed myself in shows that are a little different.

Questioner: Missy has her own Audio series what was it like having her as the main character?

Michelle: well obviously it’s great to not have to put up with other people, lol. It’s brilliant because it keeps me connected to a world that I was thrilled to be part of and it’s a laugh because I live in NY and they record in London, so I’m in a booth in NY by myself.

Moderator walks off stage… feels like a 3rd wheel

Sacha takes over from the Moderator

Sacha: Alright let’s ask some real questions now!

Michelle: laughing again can’t understand what she’s saying

Moderator from the question line on the floor: long time watcher first time asker (room is laughing hysterically at this point) in green wing in your office after everyone has left there was scenes of you or you character doing some amazing weird and wonderful… disturbing things, who came up with that concept that your character is doing these obscure boarder line illegal things?

Michelle: I think at that point I was still learning how to be a professional so I was still feral at that point and they would lock the camera off in my office and then let me fuck around.

Questioner: Hi Michelle…. First of all Sacha don’t come for my girl, bro,

Sacha: yes I love it

Questioner: I’m Māori bro I’ll see you in the parking lot

Sacha: I love it… god it’s turning me on

Questioner: Fuck that was…

Crowd laughing hysterically can’t hear

Questioner: What’s the best acting advice you’ve been given throughout your career?

Michelle: if you’re serious about it don’t ever give up, there’s so much rejection, and it took me so long to get where I am today. Surround yourself with like minded people. And go to the theatre I feel like the real education is on stage.

Questioner: What was it like bringing a comedic edge to such a scary character in the flight attendant?

I’m classically trained and I did an Epsom play not known for it comedic tendencies, and the review came out and said Michelle Gomez plays one of the funniest performances in the Master Builder by Epsom, and I was like WHAT? I was quite offended, I don’t know I’m being funny is my answer to your question. Miranda in flight attendant was not meant to be funny she was meant to be very scary, thank you. (Laughing)

Questioner: Sacha when I was in line for my photo I asked about the Rasputin dance and you said you were saving it, is now the time?

Sacha: is it the time? You know when I did the dance I thought it was written in the script… but it wasn’t and for some reason I thought it said ‘the master dances’ I realise now everyone who was there that day must have been thinking ‘what is he doing?’ I don’t think I’ll be able to bust those moves out again. I remember we had 5 minutes to shoot that scene and under pressure it’s amazing what shapes you throw, I remember not being able to walk the next day.

Question asker: I think that’s the best Master moment to date… both cheers and boos from the audience, and a lot of laughter.

Sacha in a deep voice: Come here my boy

Michelle in a little voice: mmmk? (About the comment not coming to Sacha)

Questioner: I’m just wondering if it’s true you and Sacha are going to do a spin off called the Masters? (Please note the answer was in jest!)

Michelle:Um… oh… deny deny deny… um maybe 🤷……….. You heard it here first… maybe.

Questioner: Sacha I was wondering how it felt when you replaced Jodie Whittaker?

Sacha: ahhhh…

Michelle: oh fuck…

Sacha: we’ll I knew about it

Michelle: oh he knew about it (The love/hate flirting they do is comedy gold, the chemistry is on point)

Sacha: I knew it was going to happen a couple months before and before I played the Master I always thought I’d love to play the Doctor, I’d love to be able to do it. But obviously being the Master I thought there’s no way I’d ever be the Doctor so it was amazing that the opportunity came up and I LOVED IT. But I did realise the Doctor has way to much pressure, the Master can come in mess things up then leave because I don’t have to worry about the mess but the Doctor then has to clean it up, so as much as it was nice doing it for a bit I was happy to give it back to Jodie.

Questioner: What are your next projects?

Michelle: We have a strike at the moment so nothing.

Sacha: I’ve got a show coming out in the UK called Wolf it’s a dark detective series with a a black comedy element to it it comes out in July I think

Michelle: and are you playing a Wolf?

Sacha (side eyeing Michelle): no, lol

Questioner: This is for both of you last time Missy interacted with a master it was the simm!master

Michelle: oh yeah 🙄

Questioner: They had an interesting dynamic my question is what do you think the dynamic between your Masters would be like?

Michelle: you’ll have to watch and see (again this was in jest… maybe letting us know to message RTD more to get on it! Lol)

Sacha: I think it’s going to be very sexual, the Master is a little bit in love with himself so

Michelle: oh my god… ok… oh yeah it would be dead sexy

Sacha: and slightly violent

Michelle: what is wrong with you…😏 ok honey 😎

Questioner: If your 2 Masters were on scene together what chaos do you think they would get up to that isn’t… that? (Again the answer is in jest)

Michelle: You’ll have to watch and see I don’t think you understand you’re getting an exclusive here. What would we get up to? Hmmm… you understand we’re actors we don’t really say the cruel stuff that’s written for us.

Sacha: what chaos would you like to see us get up to?

Questioner: I don’t know… kidnapping the Doctor doing crazy stuff…

Michelle: oh that’s what you mean, oh right yes, I see what you mean, so I’d stick him in a trunk and drive him to Paris and we’d have lunch and then we’d let the Doctor out and he’d have to get his own way home, and then we’d travel back in time and we’ll take you with us and we’ll go to the 1920s and we would be in Jazz club.

Questioner: what mundane superpower would you have?

Michelle: I hate emptying the dishwasher, I don’t mind loading it, but I don’t like rinsing that annoys me too so anything to do with the dish washer. Dishes are dumb.

Someone in the crowd; get Sacha to do it

Moderator: you know they don’t live together? Laughing

Sacha: after a night out when I’m a little drunk and I need to get home, in London getting home is a nightmare so if I could just click my fingers and be in bed

Michelle: whose bed?

Laughing so loud can’t hear what is said

Questioner: Which other masters have you meet in real life?

Sacha: I worked with Derek Jacobi, but I’ve not met anyone else, I did try following John Simm on instagram but he didn’t follow me back, that was a bit awkward

Moderator pointing at Michelle covertly trying to remind Sacha that he’s met her now

Sacha: oh yeah we’ve met (looking at Michelle)

Michelle: ummm… I did a season with John Simm, so you got 2 for the price of 1 there… I like to mess about a little bit between takes, and I thought this was very funny… John didn’t… I got someone from catering to get me a pear and I stuck it down my top, cos he had to go down and get a locket and so he pulled out the pear… because I have a lovely pear…

Questioner: that’s awesome

Michelle: I thought so.

Questioner: if you ever get a chance to meet Eric Roberts, he just came to Armageddon, I could have looked in his eyes all day long, I hope you get to meet him one day too.

Sacha: I just realised I did meet Eric Roberts actually (crowd laughs at his inability to remember the Masters he’s met)

Questioner: did could you look in his eyes all day

Sacha: no, but he’s very handsome and super lovely as well.

Moderator: did you know he had played the Master?

Sacha: I do now… (laughing) no I did, I did know (crowd is skeptical, Michelle looking off going lalalalala)

Questioner: With you Michelle we had our first female master and then with you Sacha our first non white Master, and then it feels like the Doctor is just copying you now that we had a woman Doctor and now a non white Doctor. How does it feel that the Doctor is just copying the Master now?

Sacha: I think not necessarily just with me as the Master or with Jodie, I think being part of Doctor who this time around it felt like the show creates some extreme worlds but it keeps an eye on what’s going on in the world generally and I think that’s, I’m really proud to be a part of it in that way. I’ve mentioned earlier I wanted to be part of the whoniverse maybe years earlier but actually being part of it this time round felt right and I kind of, even though I have some extreme storyline’s with Jodie about Gallifrey, I don’t know, I always thought about what was going on in the world and I think the show reflects that and I wanted to reflect that in my performance as well so I feel immensely proud about that.

Michelle: similarly for me it really felt like it was time to shake things up, why can’t the master be a woman? Be a mistress? And I felt like I got a lot of love from the transgender community and I get it, I understand it, like being an Uber nerd growing up and not feeling like I fit in, so I felt like I was paying homage to that in a big way. It felt like it was time, like it was current. Steven Moffatt always said it was the best person for the job at the time it didn’t matter (if it was a man or a woman)

*Coming soon… there will be a part 3 with Sacha… I just don’t have time to post now as I’m heading back home from this iconic trip, so Sachas panel will be a couple days away and Part 1 with just Michelle is already up.

Some random notes:

Let’s just say our little spy master isn’t afraid let his feminine self shine, lol. They have a really funny and flirty chemistry together.

They were sat next to each other at the autograph tables with a volunteer between each actor, Sacha and the volunteer swapped spots so Sacha and Michelle could sit next to each other where Michelle proceed to write on posit notes and throw them at him, and they were quiet funny together sitting there.

[aplaceinthedark]

chapter five: GETTING OUT is not ENOUGH

Summary: Down in the Shenandoah Valley, there lay a court consisting of the Grim, the Drowned, the Witch, and the Watcher.

CW: supernatural themes, ptsd, large canines, bodily injury, body horror, graphic violence, blood

Every chapter will have a different cw section. This is Bad Omens rpf, so obviously, I don't know all the little nuances of the members or their family members.

A/N: Some things are color-coded. If any of you are colorblind lemme know. 

I took in a slow, quiet breath, trying to will my hands to still as to not show the fear that was creeping up my spine one vertebrae at a time. “Was he found?” I asked, even though I had a feeling I already knew the answer. My voice shook no matter how hard I fought to contain it.

Steeling myself for her answer did nothing when it came. “No, dearie. It's been several years since he vanished into the woods. Even Nicholas has moved on.”

Probably because he knows the man is alive, I wanted to say. “But… if they never found a body… maybe he just moved away?”

Granny gave me a funny look. “Are you okay, dearie? You look like you've seen a ghost. “

I think I have. I handed her back the news article. “When does Nick come home again?”

I was done.

On my way back to my house - what used to be Noah’s house, I had learned - I tried calling Nick. When he didn’t answer, even though I knew he was with a client, I sent him a snap I had taken of the news article on Noah’s disappearance. Let him open it on his own time; I was going to get answers whether I had his help or not.

I wasn’t going to wait for Noah to come over; I was going to look for him.

I barely stopped in the house. I threw my bag onto the couch, not caring when the papers spilled out and made a mess. I then changed into some cargo pants and boots, and grabbed a water bottle and granola bars.

My eyes happened to land on an apple. Despite being angry, I grabbed one and put it on the plate outside. I looked up and waited, like it would summon the Watcher instantly - because I had no doubts in my mind that it was the Watcher I was making the offerings to.

But of course, the woods remained silent, or as silent as they could be at four in the afternoon. Then the offering would have to be for good luck, because I guess I was going to have to find Noah the old-fashioned way.

I looked up at the sky. I had maybe a couple of hours of true daylight, at least, but I wasn't going to let this stupid town's fairy tales spook me into what I could and could not do.

That's probably what Noah said before disappearing.

I groaned internally. I did not need to scare myself into abandoning this mission.

As I was about to take my first step into the woods, my phone rang. I flinched at the sound. Lighting up the screen was the picture of Nick flipping off my security camera that I had pulled from our test run. I hit ignore, but a few seconds later, he tried again. This time I just put my phone on silent.

No distractions. Time to go in.

And wouldn't you know it, nothing exploded as I took my first step into the woods. I let out a breath that I begrudgingly admitted to holding in. And then I walked in the direction that Noah had said his house - not my house - was in.

After a few minutes of walking, I realized Nick must've stopped calling, but when I checked my phone it said that I had lost service. That couldn’t be right; the house was just behind me—

No. No it wasn't. In fact, I couldn't even see my house anymore. Like I had walked for hours and not a few minutes. I didn’t even recognize the trees I had just passed.

Dread settled into my stomach, but I kept going, ignoring the rhyme that was repeating in my head; one that I had read in the library:

But if you venture far from home / If deep into the woods you roam / You’ll see what seems a moving tree / Coming toward you: that is He.

“Get a grip, Taylor,” I muttered to myself. I wasn't going to see the Watcher.

I wasn't going to get lost.

“Shit! Shit shit this shit—“ Nicholas cursed to himself as he repeatedly hit his steering wheel.

Taylor wasnt picking up their phone. He had been with a client when they initially called, and he hadn't looked at his phone until the shop was closed. And then he got the snap that made his blood freeze.

He hadn’t seen that article in years. He thought he had thrown it away, actually. Once Noah had come back, he hadn't needed the reminder of one of the darkest times of his life. Granny must’ve saved it, or had a copy of her own, or… whatever. That didn't matter.

Now here it was, biting him in the ass.

A part of him wanted to blame Noah. If he had just waited, and not “introduced himself” - Noah's words, not his, and definitely not Taylor's - he could've avoided this. But here he was, speeding back to New Hope a day early, trying to figure out how best to tell Taylor the truth.

Two hours later, he was jumping out of his car into Taylor's driveway. Their car was in the driveway, but none of the lights in the house were on. The automatic light came on when he stepped onto the porch; hopefully they could see he was there, surely. He then saw an apple was placed on the plate. They couldn't have gone to bed already, could they? It was only just past six.

He pounded on the front door, calling their name, but there was no answer. Nothing stirred past the window curtains. Against his better judgment, he tried the doorknob, and with a lurch of his stomach discovered it unlocked. He slowly opened the door, calling out again. Still nothing.

And with that, a horrible thought came to his head. What if they went into the woods?

Nicholas whipped around, staring into the treeline. That was the one rule he was fine with breaking; nothing out there scared him. Not until now. Especially now.

"NOAH!" he yelled out into the green.

Normally it took Noah a bit to appear, but with the fear in Nicholas' scream, he practically materialized out of the woods before the last echo of his name faded away. "What?" he asked, his angular brows creased in confusion.

Nicholas breathed out heavily. "We've got a big problem," he said, "and an even bigger hell to explain it."

I was irrevocably and utterly lost.

What I had thought was only fifteen minutes ago, I had given up and turned around, thinking I'd be back home before the sun sank way below the treeline. When I looked at my phone, I saw that those fifteen minutes had somehow become over an hour, and I was still nowhere near my home.

Worst of all, I couldn't shake the feeling that I was being watched.

The sounds of my boots stepping on pine needles and rocks seemed deafening in my ears. My phone's flashlight barely seemed to penetrate the darkness, but it at least gave me the ability to see where my feet were stepping. It was practically all that my phone was good for, since I hadn't found a signal ever since I stepped foot in these stupid woods.

I cursed myself for the millionth time. Stupid woods, stupid Nick, stupid boots, stupid Noah even though I've only known him for half an hour and he might not even be Noah, if Noah's dead. Oh, and stupid me for thinking this was... well, I knew it wasn't a good idea, but–

Halfway through a step, I heard leaves crunch behind me, like I had finished my step but I hadn't. I froze, a sudden chill descending over me. I could feel the eyes watching me grow stronger. My heart was pounding so bad I thought that whatever was stalking me could hear it. It had to, because I could hear it coming closer. With my heart in my throat, I turned around.

As my eyes locked with what was coming towards me slowly, my body cut all communication. No matter how much my mind screamed at me to run, my legs wouldn't cooperate. I couldn't breathe.

The only way my mind could describe it was it had to be a wolf. It was still too large to be a regular wolf, but it was way too big to be a dog or coyote. It also looked too feral. Its body was thick with muscle, its broad body covered in a light fur that shined silver in the small light from my phone. When its eyes passed over me, I caught a glimpse of a mix of dirt brown and grass green. They looked almost... human.

And those eyes were focused on me.

My knees finally gave out, and I collapsed to the ground. The spell broken, I tried to scramble backwards and get up at the same time, but I just fell onto my back everytime. The creature was faster, and soon it was towering over me. I squeezed my eyes shut as it leaned close, snarling. I could feel it's hot breath wash over me. A whimper clawed its way out of my throat.

Please... I didn't survive that accident just to get mauled to death by this creature.

Suddenly, there was a loud roar from behind me, and I heard the sound of trees being snapped. Then something leapt into the air, colliding with the creature on top of me. The void of bitter cold it left in its wake when the creature's hot and sticky breath vanished made me scream. I opened my eyes just as I heard the loud sound of bigger bodies hitting the ground.

Bodies. Plural.

My mind reeled. The wolf-creature lay on its back several yards away, but it got up quickly and shook off the debris it had collected in its wake. And standing between us–

I almost collapsed again.

The new creature had its back to me, but that didn't stop my fears. If the wolf was big, then this creature absolutely towered over me. Its movements were quick, jerking, and its joints sounded like bark being peeled from a tree. It was humanoid in shape, its broad torso covered in whorls and symbols that made my brain hurt to look at. But my eyes were quickly drawn upwards, towards the thick, branch-like antlers protruding from beneath that thick mess of long hair.

The Watcher of the Woods.

It let out a roar that sounded like it could've been words, but it was in a way that I couldn't even think of understanding. It made my head hurt just hearing them. Judging by the sound that came from the other creature, it hurt it too. But then it began backing away.

The Watcher had commanded it to leave. And it understood.

After the wolf creature disappeared, its tail proverbially tucked between its legs, the Watcher turned and faced me. It was at that moment I turned and bolted, but didn't get very far when I heard a voice in my head.

WAIT.

I stopped, freezing at the familiar voice. It wasn’t full of the arrogance that I had heard, which nearly threw me off. I also didn’t expect to see a human hand come down on my shoulder and spin me around.

“Are you okay?” Noah asked. Gone was the Watcher, but he was shirtless, showing off every inch of his skin that, from his neck to his hips, shoulders to fingers, was covered in tattoos.

I backed away, Noah letting me go easily. “What… what are you?” I asked, fear soaking my every word.

“I… It’s better if we go back to your place. It’s not safe here—“

“No fucking shit! I just got attacked by some… wolf, and… and you were some… tree thing a-and… you’ve been missing for seven years—“

“Taylor—“

“No! I’m leaving, going back to my house, and going back to fucking sleep, because obviously I’m having a nightmare!” I yelled at him, turning away.

I felt his hand grab me again, and I swung. My just connected with his cheek, and with a loud curse that didn’t cover the sound of twigs snapping, he let me go. I then bolted.

Despite my feet probably bleeding with blisters, the adrenaline from the fight had them running as fast as I could go. I didn't even know which direction I was going, as long as it was away from him and his dog. I thought I could hear him behind me, but for all I knew, it was just my heart pounding in my ears. I just had to get away; get out of here—

My foot connected with something, pulling my leg out from underneath me. For a moment, I felt weightless as I soared to my downfall. It almost felt familiar. When my body connected with the cold, dark earth below, it almost felt like hitting pavement.

But I didn't stop there. I kept tumbling, skidding across the ground as I felt every rock embed into my skin. Until my head hit something hard, and I fell into dark oblivion.

Tysm for reading! Next chapter coming soon!

[whump-me]

Martyr, Chapter 7: The Temptation of Weakness

Chapter 7 of Martyr, a novel-length sci-fi whump story about a captured Martian rebel with a secret and the renowned interrogator who has waited a decade for the chance to break him. This series is best read in order. Masterpost here.

Contains: defiant whumpee, torture aftermath, restraints, broken fingers, permanent physical damage, thoughts of death, imagined comfort/self-comfort

---

Wraith

Only once Wraith was back in his cell did he let himself make a sound. He lay on the hard floor and let his breath come in ragged gasps. The gasps turned into whimpers. He tried to swallow them back before they could become sobs, but the sound vibrated through him like it had taken off on a life of its own, sending sharp, convulsive shudders through him. He couldn’t have stopped if he had wanted to. He wasn’t sure he wanted to.

It took him a moment to realize he wasn’t crying. He was laughing.

Maybe Isadora was right. Maybe this was a game. And if so, right now the scorecard was zero to one, in his favor.

Now all he had to do was do it again the next day. And the next.

And he was under no illusions that Isadora would make things any easier on him next time. No, today was likely the easiest day he would spend in this place. Which, given how he expected this to end, meant this was officially the best day of what remained of his life.

The laughter died away, turning into a more jagged sound. It wasn’t a sob, not exactly. It was an animal noise, fury and despair and the shards of broken laughter all ground together into a vicious pulp. Along with the pain, of course. Now that he was alone in the dark, he didn’t even have his defiance to distract him from the bolts of agony that shot up his arms every time he accidentally moved a finger.

And it turned out it was a lot harder to avoid moving his fingers than he would have expected. To keep from jostling the broken bones, he would have had to lie perfectly still. And anyone who has ever tried to lie perfectly still finds out quickly that human bodies aren’t built for that.

He knew he was letting himself get into a bad habit, lying here on the floor and letting out strange pained noises he couldn’t put a name to. Before long, Isadora would come for him again, and he would need to be his tough and untouchable self again. The one who could walk into danger laughing and come out whooping in triumph, covered in his own blood. He would need to grin at her in that way that made her eyes flash with anger. He would need to come up with a witty quip or two. At the very least, he would need to be quiet, and not let out these ridiculous and vaguely shameful noises.

Dropping his defenses now meant it would be hard to bring them back up again. Better to keep them up every second, until he couldn’t anymore. Better to stand and stare at the hidden cameras, wherever they were, and show whoever was watching—hopefully Isadora herself—that she had come nowhere close to breaking him.

For fuck’s sake, it was only a few broken bones. Small ones.

He drew in a long breath, preparing to push himself to his feet. But to do that, he’d need his hands. And the guards had cuffed his hands behind him again, so lying on his side like this was the only way to avoid putting any pressure on them. He could stand up without his hands if he tried, but that would take effort, and at that moment he wasn’t sure why he should bother. He would need every bit of that strength later. Why waste it now? It wasn’t like the watchers hadn’t already seen him lying here shaking.

He couldn’t see his hands. He was grateful for that. What he could feel was bad enough. His fingers were swollen sausages attached to his palms. Useless. Good for nothing except drawing another ugly sound from him every time he twitched one out of reflex.

He still wasn’t sure how many on the right were broken. He took a deep breath to prepare himself, then tried wiggling each finger on his right hand, one by one.

By the time he was done, he had bitten his lip so hard he had drawn blood, but he had his answer. She had broken two of them—pinky and ring finger. Could have been worse. Could have been better.

That gave him a grand total of three working fingers, if he counted his thumb. Enough to feed himself, if by some miracle he escaped. Enough to wipe his own ass. Not enough for much else. His left hand would be all but useless after this, even if he got out tonight and went straight to the rebellion’s best medic to have them splinted. And he wasn’t getting out tonight.

But hey, with three fingers left, he could probably hold a gun. Maybe shoot one. Not with any kind of accuracy, granted. If he were one of the other members of the rebellion, he sure wouldn’t want to fight alongside someone who was shooting with that kind of handicap. But those details didn’t matter, because he knew full well it would never happen. He clung to the thought like a security blanket and let it steady his breathing. If he got out now, he could still fire a weapon. He wouldn’t be useless. Wouldn’t be helpless.

His thoughts drifted from the escape that would never happen to his fictitious future with the rebellion, and then to Gabriel. He should have known that would happen. He didn’t want to let himself think of Gabriel; it was safest to forget him entirely, in this place. But if he wasn’t strong enough to make himself get to his feet, then he knew he wasn’t strong enough to hold the thoughts of Gabriel at bay. So he didn’t bother trying to resist.

He closed his eyes and let himself drift away from the cold, dark cell. He imagined himself standing in the doorway to Gabriel’s study, with its soft amber light that matched his eyes. Wraith had always wondered if Gabriel had done that on purpose. Most likely not. Gabriel didn’t have a scrap of vanity in him.

Even though he knew it was nothing more than a dream he was weaving for himself, his breath caught as he saw Gabriel at the far end of the small room. Gabriel, lit by the golden lamps overhead as he sat at his desk, his hair glowing like a blond halo. He looked like an angel without wings.

He didn’t look up. He was distracted, as he usually was, hunched over his desk as he went over documents late into the night. Was it night? Wraith had lost track. It was night in his dream, he decided, because that was when he interrupted Gabriel in his study more often than not, usually to urge him to go to bed.

His vision of Gabriel paused at a noise Wraith hadn’t known he had made. Probably another whimper of pain, because Gabriel’s brow creased with worry. This wasn’t how it was supposed to go. He wasn’t supposed to carry his pain into his daydreams. This was supposed to be an escape—the only kind of escape he would get.

“Don’t be silly,” Gabriel said with a soft smile. Wraith’s breath caught all over again at the sound of his voice, so clear that he could almost convince himself it was real. “Come in already, will you? Don’t stand there lurking at the door as if you need an invitation.”

Wraith stepped into Gabriel’s study. He kept his hands tucked behind his back, because despite his best efforts, even here in his fantasy he couldn’t imagine his fingers whole, not with the pain still jolting through his fingers and intruding on his thoughts. “What are you working on?” he asked, just the way he would have if he had really been there.

And exactly as he would have responded in real life, Gabriel shook his head, his smile fading. “Don’t try to distract me. Did you think I wouldn’t notice the way you’re hiding your hands? What happened?”

“It’s nothing.”

Bottomless sorrow opened up in Gabriel’s amber eyes, like they were glass bottles cracking open to spill out all the tears the universe contained. Wraith knew that look better than he knew his own face in the mirror. Gabriel never cried—not that Wraith had ever seen, anyway—but that look went deeper than tears.

“Don’t,” Wraith snapped. “I can handle it.”

Gabriel let out a long sigh. “You did well,” he said softly.

At that gentle note in his voice, Wraith wanted to crumple. He wanted to collapse right here on Gabriel’s floor, even though he never would have done anything of the sort in real life, because he didn’t dare let Gabriel see him be anything less than strong. It was his job to be strong. It was what Gabriel needed from him, what they all needed from him.

He stood up straighter. “I did what I had to do. That’s all.”

“It’s all right,” said Gabriel, and his voice was the same dark, rich honey as his eyes, as the light that illuminated him as if from within. “You’re safe now. You can let go now—”

Wraith’s eyes snapped open. He stared up into the darkness, at the muddy gray of the ceiling. He hadn’t realized his fantasy had distracted him from the pain a little, not until it all crashed back down on him at once. His hands twitched by reflex as if to escape the tremors of agony running through them, which only shot a bolt of pain through his entire body. He let out a whimper through his gritted teeth.

He was not safe. He was not with Gabriel. His mind had lied to him, tried to get him to let his guard down, because he wanted so badly to let go—which just showed what kind of state he was in, because he almost never allowed himself to let go, not even in front of Gabriel. Only in the occasional late-night conversation that took them back to when they were boys together.

In the silence, with Gabriel’s imagined voice gone, he heard footsteps pacing restlessly outside the cell, back and forth, back and forth. He wondered if the man who had beaten him on his first day here was out there. Maybe he would make another go at it. Maybe someone else would. Maybe Isadora would come back, now that she’d given him a chance to soften up by leaving him to marinate in his own pain here in the dark.

He could not let go.

He had known thinking about Gabriel would be a bad idea. Those thoughts made him weak. He couldn’t afford weakness. Not ever, but especially not now.

But he did have weakness in him, more than he wanted to admit, so he wasn’t strong enough to banish the mental image of Gabriel entirely. He kept the vision in his head, Gabriel bent over his desk, his hair lit up like a halo. But he didn’t bring himself into the fantasy. He didn’t let himself forget where he was. He just drank in the image and let it bring him strength.

He let it remind him of what he was fighting for. Who he was fighting for.

This was why he had to win Isadora’s game. Not for himself—he was doomed no matter what he did. But Gabriel wasn’t. He knew he should be in this to protect the cause and everyone who fought for it. But in truth, there was only one person he cared about saving.

“I love you,” he said again, into the empty air. It didn’t matter that Gabriel would never hear it. The reminder was for him.

---

Tagged: @straight-to-the-pain @soheavyaburden @gala1981 @whumpacabra @sacredwrath @suspicious-whumping-egg @sonder35 @decahedron-crabclaw

Ask to be added or removed from tag list. If you want to be tagged, please ask! I don’t find it rude. I like knowing people are reading!

[waywardmillennial]

Heyyy I have so many thoughts and feelings about Steven and his shows/content right now and I would love to hear alllllll your Steven thoughts! (if you want to share obvs)

I hope you are doing okay and I am sending you so many virtual hugs right now! <333

oh my beloved Noa *hugs back* 💜 I appreciate this question and I also look forward to hearing all of your thoughts too. I just got done drying all my tears from the final Worth It trailer and I have a jumbled stream of consciousness to share - and it got a bit longer than I anticipated so settle in.

First, the ending of Worth It is a bit of a surprise, but I also understand and accept it. They really do know how to dig the emotional knife in by ending the trailer like this though T_T

Same, Steven. Same.

Interesting to note (as I write this) Steven hasn't shared the final trailer on his socials. The last that he said about WI was his comment about feeling overwhelmed on March 2nd. Makes me want to send him a virtual hug.

It was so weird how the timing of this announcement came at the same time as the Mystery Files news on Watcher - so I've felt like I've been sad while most of the fandom is celebrating. I hoped after announcing Survival Mode that the next show might include Steven, and that's not the case (and the Worth It news felt like an extra gut punch on top of this). I know we had both talked about trying to focus more on Steven in 2023 (to try to get him on the trending celebs by the end of the year) and now it's looking like that might be a bigger challenge. I jokingly said in one of my discords that Watcher is becoming the Ryan and Shane network, but it's sort of true? And as someone who is a huge fan of Ryan and Shane, and their dynamic, I am happy. But I can also be sad about the lack of Steven content. I contain multitudes.

I wish that Watcher would focus on a show that really highlights and includes all three of them (not just WW+ on patreon). Maybe that's too difficult to coordinate with all of their schedules? But it would be nice. I have seen some great ideas floating around the internet, like a travel style show where all three of them explore a city. Steven could show the boys local food, Ryan could be entertainment or local history, and Shane could find an off-beat tourist spot for them to explore. I don't know - just a thought. They all seem competitive in different ways, so maybe a game show style would be fun too.

I would also love to see a Steven and Ryan show, or a Steven and Shane show. I think there is some untapped chaotic energy in either of those pairings.

Okay, this might sound bad at first - but let me finish before you yell at me: It kinda seems like Steven is the third wheel of Watcher - BECAUSE - Ryan and Shane were making their content together and came over as a package deal, and Steven didn't have that built-in report with either of them from the 'feed. This isn't really Steven's fault. However, Watcher continuing to lean into the Ghoul Boys pairing so hard isn't helping to bridge that gap. I feel like they could do more to mix it up (also, like only Ryan and Shane going on the GMM and Smosh collabs was a little sad to me. I'm always gonna be "but what about Steven Lim" basically as often as I can).

NOTE: I do not think this makes Steven less important than either Ryan or Shane. Watcher would not be here without Steven and his business sense behind the camera, and I love all of the shows he has put on Watcher! Steven is an integral part of this channel and it would not be the same without him.

That's why his last season of Dish Granted worries me a little bit. That has always been one of my top three shows on Watcher, and I'm glad Steven has a solo show like that. But in the latest season he took such a big step back from cooking for a lot of the episodes, it felt like he's trying to phase himself out. Maybe I'm misinterpreting it, when really they're just trying to get the audience used to other faces before they premiere their own shows -- but when you pair this with the lack of new Steven shows, and him being so quiet about Worth It ending, it makes me a little anxious. Side note: I woke up with the intense desire to make a playlist of all the Watcher One-Offs and collabs they've done, and found a Steven Lim collab I hadn't seen before. I don't even think Steven ever promo'd it on his insta? He is sort of a private guy, when compared to the other Watcher founders -- remember how this fandom wasn't exactly sure when Steven's bday was? lol -- so maybe he's just a quiet little guy, and doesn't mind taking a backseat for a while.

All that to say, I know Steven is a grown man and he doesn't need me to worry about him. I get it, but I'm just an anxious person by default. Steven's content is always so relaxing and wholesome and a good time, that it's a bit scary to think of not having it as much anymore. Plus, I think that he's such a creative, thoughtful, and funny person who deserves to be seen by lots of people and feel appreciated for what he contributes to the channel (I was so excited when his Steven Eats Through Korea for 24 Hours Straight video jumped to one million views faster than most new Watcher shows do, and is still sitting at more views than the last season of PH). I hope that he sees that, and I'm sure he does because he strikes me as the founder who looks at their numbers more than the others.

I will always be here, yelling about Steven Lim's achievements, and hyping him up as much as I can. And I hope that we'll see more of him on Watcher soon!

[ikjun]

Hi i think i'm falling in love with HONGJOONG please help me. please. what are some of your favorite videos of him / all of ateez even? 🤲🏻 i am going crazy

kjuhzgtzhujik i am HAPPILY of help anon u have no idea how much this thrills me. tho there are many people who have been fans of ateez much longer, the hongjoong bias is still rare around here so i am happy about everyone joining ranks !!! hello hi !!! have fun !!!

so mandatory viewing of my ateez (hongjoong centric) experience:

deja vu mv (he serves so much raw cunt here it's insane. it changed me as a person like i was a mere casual listener but this one. sealed the deal over a year ago. i have yet to come up for air)

don't stop mv (second most insane moment in the hongjoong-fication of me. he's actually an actor it's crazy he didn't get a baeksang for best music video acting while trying to maintain 20 safety regulations. that category doesn't exist but it Should)

answer mv (this song was the only one to make me cry at my concert and i wasn't even a big fan yet .... song of ALL time tho !!! she is too good)

hongjoong's lemon tree cover (if you are in your mid-20s or older and european you will know this song. if you aren't, open your heart! he also wrote his own verse for it bc he's a bad bitch a virtuous icon)

ateez's wonderland on kingdom (i only watched one other video from kingdom but this is the most famous one anyway. took the house down as the kids would say. no survivors, i fear.)

ateez's it's live session: promise (first video i have ever seen of them perform and one of my fave ateez songs still. every session they did for this is great tho)

say my name comeback stage (kq's block b money was running out. ateez debuted with the most asinine space oddity meets metropol meets matrix group concept meant to span most of their career and releases. no one was tuning in. it was dire. they had one shot. and they delivered like the dorm was flooded and lights were all shut off the day prior. kq has to kiss their feet for this performance alone actually. ALSO. mullet hongjoong <3)

horizon comeback stage (sister release to answer. LIVES were once more on the line. this is to me their best song ever. the choreo is a feat of art and i do not say this lightly. spot some sweet and respective yeosang and yunho actions for the key parts of this song.)

hongjoong's log 1day (all of his vlogs or any ateez vlogs are easy background watching. i am not too deep into variety but whenever groups i like drop short vlogs, they're very fun ways to share non-music stuff in a way they feel comfortable with. also a man who is in such dire need of a dye job <3 he's just like me <3)

ateez wanted special 2022 (for their debut anniversary trip last year. the entire series is hilarious and shows a lot of their variety / on camera personas. hongjoong, seonghwa, and jongho were my faves here)

ateez's logbook #72 (their own behind the scenes series! i usually just watch these randomly when i have to kill time. the one during eternal sunshine promo has lots of hongjoong with mingi and jongho <3)

wanteez home appliance quiz (styled like a 90's/00 quiz show, they are fighting to win home appliances for their parents. the 98z' team chant is the meme sound of a t-rex. it's great)

wanteez friendship test (what it says on the tin!)

ateez @ sunmi's showterview (everyone was roasting mingi left centre and right but it is soooo fun overall. sunmi's showterview is hilarious)

that's it for now! i am terrible at watching mv's and big variety content, i am much more of a listener than a watcher jhgzhujik but with hongjoong i find any of his vlogs / covers / live stages are great content. ateez has also been on weekly idol and naver now usually livestreams hongjoong and yunho's season of idol radio, so these are fun to check out as well <3