#we are frenemies at best (i actually feel like it is actively working against me but giving it the benefit of the doubt)

[dead-rabbit-comics]

sometimes i get so into solving technical issues or finding a way to do something i forget about doing the thing by the end of it.

this is from

i wanted to

maybe play with some quilt layouts and i didn't like any of the free software i found for it and i do not enjoy drawing geometric shapes and filling them in and there's too many things to try out and it seems inefficient anyways and-

figured i need to get more practice with vectors anyways and familiarize myself with inkscape because it's open source and wonderful and so fucking ugly and i need to establish a strong bond so its ugliness becomes endearing to me lest i become enslaved by a*obe

struggled my way through learning about cloned tiles to a sloppy but functional way of working, discovered so many interesting functions and... forgot to play. BUT I REMEMBERED TODAY! :D

[thegirlwithataser]

My thoughts on Criminal Minds: Evolution 16x7: What Doesn’t Kill Us

I’m on mobile so I can’t put a cut so please just be aware: SPOILERS BELOW

Ok, first a foremost, I actually liked this episode. I thought the unsub storyline was engaging, I really liked the Bailey and Prentiss dynamic, I’m also actually really loving Bailey as a character and his addition to the show, and I like how it shows the devolution of Sicarius.

But I’m pretty pissed at the storyline they’ve given Garcia this season.

Ignoring the fact that I am a Garvez shipper so I’m biased, I don’t think it fits Penelope at ALL. She worked with the families of victims for years, she’s incredibly familiar with the role of supporter in this kind of situation. While she does have a tendency to sometimes be a little over invested, I don’t think she would ever cross a line with any of those individuals. This is why her relationship with Tyler makes very little sense to me. They’ve sort of dived right into this romantic subplot completely ignoring the power dynamic at play right now. He is actively grieving and in a dark place. Therapists routinely advise against entering a new relationship when you’re in a mental space like Tyler is, and Penelope should be very aware of this.

On top of that, Emily explained to her very clearly why she can under no circumstances be romantically involved with Tyler and working the Sicarius case. Agents cannot become involved with material witnesses while a case is ongoing. It’s unethical and a conflict of interest. As Emily pointed out, this is the kind of thing that could completely tank a case. This case is already on incredibly thin ice as it is, as we saw explicitly this episode. I just don’t believe that Penelope would risk all of that completely for Tyler Green. Not because I don’t believe the feelings are there, but because there was absolutely no reason that they couldn’t have been close friends and confidants until the case concluded. There’s no reason that they couldn’t put a relationship on the back burner until they solve the case.

Now, for the Garvez of it all. I don’t really understand why they would retcon Garvez? We know that Luke and Penelope did in fact go on the date that he asked her out on in the season 15 finale. We have gotten exactly one line in reference to this: “One dinner three years ago. We thrive as frenemies.” from Penelope, and nothing else. Luke emphasizes that they’re friends, not enemies, but nothing more than this one moment. They have provided absolutely no explanation for why Penelope and Luke did not work out.

Beyond that, we have seen very little of Penelope and Luke interacting this season. In season 15 they were practically best friends. She was Luke’s confidant, the one who watched his dogs and knew his secrets, he dropped everything to help her on his day off. They were close. Now, we hardly see them together. They don’t interact much in group settings, and aside from the start of the season, they don’t have any one on ones.

The thing that gets me, is that they could have easily written Luke and Garcia as a couple this season. As Emily points out, agents dating is not expressly forbidden, and I would be willing to bet that this is doubly true if they were together prior to one agent returning to the bureau. There is paperwork to fill out and Emily says that ‘sometimes’ transfers happen, but i doubt that a transfer would happen in this case. Agents on the same team typically can’t be involved because it can affect their judgment. If you’re in the field with your significant other, you’re more likely to have protective blinders on which can be dangerous and put yourself and others in jeopardy.

The thing is that this wouldn’t necessarily apply with Luke and Penelope. He’s a Supervisory Special Agent. He’s in the field, working the case. When he’s in the field, being forced to make difficult, split second decisions, he wouldn’t have his attention split. He would be able to put all of his focus into the job because Garcia doesn’t operate in the field. She’s not a Supervisory Special Agent, she doesn’t go through the physical evidence, she doesn’t conduct interviews with suspects, she doesn’t go into the field unless required to for a technological reason and even then she is not actually “in the field”. She’s a technical analyst, and 9 times out of 10, operates entirely from inside the FBI offices. There would be a relatively low risk of a transfer being required because while they work together, they do completely different jobs. And there’s no risk of power dynamic either, Luke is not her boss, and Penelope is not his.

They could have written them as a couple and nothing about the main storyline of the season would have to change. Tyler Green would even still be incredibly relevant, and he and Garcia still could have become close friends. Luke would still be able to ask her for her help at the beginning of the season, he would still be able to be involved with the Tyler interview, Garcia would have reacted just as emotionally to the bomb going off. It would have been entirely possible to Luke and Garcia to be canon in the show without it throwing anything other than the Penelope/Tyler romantic subplot off.

The thing about that, as well, is that I’m pretty certain that the subplot exists at least in part to throw another obstacle in the way of the team for when they do arrest Sicarius. Tyler’s evidence has been an integral part of the investigation, and Garcia was the one that went through that evidence and pulled out what was useful. As Emily pointed out, that becomes a huge conflict of interest when it comes to trial. I’m not certain that Garcia would even be able to testify about her findings because of all of this. There’s already a ton of obstacles in this case, the latest being that the Attorney General has officially closed the Sicarius investigation. In order to find and arrest Sicarius and ensure that he gets charged, their investigation needs to be completely air tight. They’re already massively breaking the rules by continuing to investigate, and a conflict of interest could be what brings the whole thing down around them.

Overall, I’m very disappointed with this aspect of the season. I actually really like Tyler Green’s character, and I like that Penelope seems very happy with him, and when I ignore my Garvez thoughts, I would actually be very happy with them. Except for the professional and personal ethics violations. That’s the part that I absolutely cannot move past. It makes no sense for Penelope to be involving herself with him in the middle of this case. Had they waited, and built the relationship up slowly so as to avoid the conflict of interest and to allow Tyler some time to heal, I would be okay with it. But they didn’t, instead they jumped right into it, cause a whole myriad of problems both currently and down the line, and I just don’t understand the reasoning for it.

Let me know if you have any thoughts on this, my inbox is always open and I’d love to talk more about the season.

[midnightraine131]

Helloooo raine! For the ask game: 1, 7, 11, 15, 19, 20, 24, 26, 30, 33, 38. (Good night, for when you decide to go to sleep!)

Thanks for the ask, Moon!

what are 3 things you’d say shaped you into who you are?

My rebellious nature, frenemies in high school, and my brother, who always take my side even when the world is against me.

7. what scares you the most and why?

Roaches and centipedes like, come on, they are effin' disgusting.

11. what do you consider to be romance?

When it's hard to stay mad at someone.

15. what do you think of when you hear the word "home"?

Growing up with white-collared parents, I spent most of my childhood alone in a five-bedroom house. My parents stopped sleeping in the same room, so that was not the kind of environment I could call 'home.' On the other hand, my husband grew up in his grandparents' care, with a very strict grandpa. Despite our upbringings, we are trying our best to be less fucked up. Okay? 😅

PS: My parents aren't divorced, they just chose to become housemates. LOL

19. favourite thing about the day?

Early morning, around 8 am or so. That is when my brain is mostly active. I usually write my fics in the morning before going to work.

20. favourite things about the night?

From 11 pm onwards, it's my sacred hour of peace and solemnity.

24. what's one thing you're proud of yourself for?

I can finally express these weird ideas in my head, and people are actually reading them. LOL

Joking aside, I've never been this expressive before I started writing fics. Now, it has become a hobby that keeps me sane.

26. fave colour and why?

Brown/nude colors. Idk, these colours make me feel calm.

30. what's one thing that never fails to make you happy/happier?

Going for a morning walk on a Sunday, or grabbing a coffee and wasting time spacing out on a park bench.

33. any hobbies?

Reading autobiographies or memoirs. Listening to music.

38. fave song at the moment?

Is it Over now? by Taylor Swift has been on repeat on my Spotify since 1989 (Taylor Version) came out.

[anxiousstark]

S2 06 | Frenemy

BIG MASTERLIST | TW REWRITE

Stiles Stilinski x Reader! Half-sibling!Mccall

Word count: 2260

Warnings: Mentions of injuries, murder, swearing (always).

A/N: This is more likely a filler chapter. I swear as chapters go on they get better! I’m so excited for those ones to come out!

↪ PLEASE RESPECT MY WORK. DON’T COPY, TRANSLATE OR CLAIM THEM AS YOURS. NOT ON THIS WEBSITE OR ANOTHER. ALL RIGHTS ARE RESERVED.

"Couldn't get anything out of Danny." Scott got inside the Jeep after talking to the said boy, who was in the back of an ambulance. After I told them that Jackson was the kanima, they both ended up following him into a gay bar. Of course, not being a boy meant that I had to stay in the Jeep.

I was trying not to sit on Jackson as he was laying down on the back seats while I sat down on a little space in the middle, clutching into the front seats. Not safe.

"Okay, can we just get the hell outta here now, before one of my dad's deputies sees me?" Jackson had done some shit, and almost everyone inside ended up paralyzed or not being able to breathe properly. That's why now the outside of the club was full of ambulances and cops. Before Stiles could start his car, the Sheriff pulled over in front of us. "Oh, my God. Oh, my God. Could this get any worse?" As soon as he said that, Jackson started groaning, moving his head. Stiles turned around, yelling. "That was rhetorical!"

We started getting nervous. "Get rid of him." Scott bit his lower lip.

"Get rid of him? We're at a crime scene, and he's the sheriff."

"Do something." Stiles got frustrated by his friend's words, moving his arms aggressively on the air, and going out of the Jeep.

"What are they saying?" I asked the other McCall. Sometimes I was able to listen to conversations that were off my hearing range, but I couldn't control it, and I didn't know how to 'activate' it.

Jackson started groaning again, asking where he was. Scott asked him to be quiet, but he continued moaning, trying to sit up. "Not sorry about this." I punched him on the face. He fell unconscious. "That's for trying to drown me two times!" I grinned. To be honest, that felt great.

He sighed. "He told his father that he is gay."

I chuckled. "Not dressed like that." I could feel my half-brother's eyes on me, grinning. "What?"

"That's exactly what Mr. Stilisnki said."

After telling his father that they were there to accompany their friend Danny, we were free to go. Mr. Stilisnki saw me in the back of the car, sending me a smile while Stiles adjusted his body on his seat. I greeted him back, waving my hand.

"Uh, what about your house?"

"Not with my mom there. We need to take him somewhere where we can hold him long enough to figure out what to do with him. Or long enough to convince him he's dangerous."

"I still say we just kill him." Stiles looked through the rearview mirror, glancing at me, avoiding his best friend's gaze.

"Honestly," I interfered. "He tried to kill Stiles, and he tried to kill me two times so, payback is a bitch." The Hazel-eyed boy snickered at me, and I winked which made him blush a little, which in return made me blush.

"We're not killing him!"

"God, f - Okay, okay. I got an idea."

"Does it involve breaking the law?"

"By now, don't you think that's a given?" I sighed.

"I was just trying to be optimistic."

"Don't bother."

Stiles's idea was probably the worst. But at the same time, quite a good idea, and the only one we had. He stole the vehicle that was used to transport criminals to prison.

The three of us were in the woods, Jackson still unconscious while we tried to talk about what we had to do next.

"I'm going to go buy something for him to eat." He claimed that he would be fast due to his werewolf's abilities. "Keep an eye on him." We both nodded.

"So, you were trying to tell us that Jackson was the Kanima?" Stiles asked while resting his back against the trunk of a tree. I nodded, laughing a little. "I'm sorry. We were so busy freaking out that we didn't listen to you."

"It's okay, Stiles." I crossed my arms over my chest, trying to keep my body warm. "I wasn't sure if he was the Kanima." He glanced at me confused. "I mean," I swallowed. "I was almost entirely sure that it was him, but I had another person in mind."

"Who?"

"Me." I gulped again, a lump forming on my throat. It could still be me.

"You aren't the Ka-"

"We don't know that." I interrupted him. "Okay, last night, it was Jackson. We all saw him, but what about the other things that happened?" My hands went to my head, grasping my hair between my fingers. I stared at the ground, trying to ignore Stiles's gaze on me. "The times I drowned or that I was there with you guys, it's obvious that it was Jackson. But what about other times? At night nobody would see me. Jackson wasn't conscious of what he was doing. It could be the same with me." I finally looked him in the eyes. "There could be two Kanimas, Stiles. We were scratched by the same beast. We both are abnormalities and-"

"I'm stopping you right there." His hands grabbed mine, trying to take them off my hair so I wouldn't hurt myself. "You aren't THAT thing. Derek told you, he told you that you didn't smell like him. He would have told us the other night that you were one. You aren't a Kanima. I'm so sure. I'm sure you aren't." His eyes studied mine. "You aren't like that, okay? You have fought with us, not against us." I nodded my head. His thumbs were caressing my wrists. His voice was now a mere whisper. "We will find which amazing creature you are." He sweetly smiled at me, and I couldn't help but beam back.

"Thank you," I murmured.

His right hand stopped holding my left wrist, going to my cheek, caressing it. I had a tiny scar from fighting with the kanima. His eyes went from my eyes to my mouth. My heart started beating like crazy, and I was sure I could hear his own heartbeat. Both of them seemed to go at the same quick pace.

Whatever was going to happen was interrupted by Scott coming back with sandwiches, and Jackson shouting. I bit my lower lip, and Stiles groaned in frustration. "Let's go." Scott went back to school, trying to discover why Jackson would try to kill Danny.

"Scales? Like a fish." Jackson stared at us.

"No, more like a reptile. Um, and, uh, your claws have this liquid that paralyzes people, and you have a tail."

"I have a tail?" He calmly asked.

"Yeah, you have a tail."

"Mm. Does it do anything?"

"No, not that I know of."

Jackson moved forward, thankfully he was strained by cuffs, but I still got defensive thinking that he could hurt the boy sitting next to me. "Can I use it to strangle you?"

"Yeeeeeah, you still don't believe me. All right. The night of the semi-final game, what did you do right after?"

"I went home."

"Are you sure about that?" I asked while crossing my arms over my chest, resting even closer to Stiles. Our thighs touching.

"Yes, you idiot." He snapped at me, spitting. I glanced disgustingly at him, wiping my cheek. "What the hell else would I do?"

"You tried to drown her in the ice rink." Stiles pointed at me. "You attacked me and Derek at the school, and you trapped us in the pool," He again pointed at me. "Tried again to drown her. You also killed a mechanic, right in front of me, by the way. That was lovely. And one of Argent's hunters. Oh, and last night, you tried to kill Danny."

"Why would I want to kill my best friend?

I answered before Stiles could. "Well, that's what Scott's out trying to figure out right now."

"Mm. Well, maybe, he should be trying to figure out is how he's going to pay for a lawyer when I prosecute your asses all the way to jail!"

"All right, well, tell me this. On the night of the first full moon, what happened?"

"Nothing." He gazed at the floor. Bad move, Jackson. I know you are lying. "Nothing happened."

Allison had come to the forest, searching for us. They knew. Jackson's parents knew that he was missing. It seemed like Stiles texting him with Whittemore's phone hadn't worked out. This meant that we were completely fucked up.

"If Jackson doesn't remember being the kanima, he's definitely not gonna remember stealing Danny's tablet."

"Why would he steal the thing if he doesn't even know what's on it?"

"What if someone else took it?"

"Then somebody else knows what he is."

"Uh, which could mean someone's protecting him."

"Like the bestiary says, 'the kanima seeks a friend', right?" I wanted Allison to shut up. My mind was going crazy. Someone was trying to protect Jackson's identity.

It felt like my mind went back to the store; the first time I stepped in Beacon Hills. We both got attacked by the same creature, but what we were was modified by our minds. As Jackson had said before; everything had to with our mental health. I could tell you mine was fucked up. So could I be the one doing whatever it took to protect Jackson's Whittemore identity?

If he didn't have any memory of being the Kanima, why would I have any memory of helping him out? It could be me.

"Okay, hold on. So, somebody watches Jackson make a video of himself turning into the kanima, and then just erases part of it so he wouldn't know? I mean, who would do that?"

"Somebody who wanted to protect him?" My hands started trembling, my legs shaking. Stiles seemed to know what was going on as he clutched my hand discreetly, using his strength to keep me standing.

"There's something else. You said the only thing you found online about the Kanima it's that it goes after murderers. What if that's actually true?"

"No, it can't be. Tried to kill all of us, remember? I don't know about you two, but I haven't murdered anybody lately." I chuckled. He squeezed my hand, fingers now interlocked.

"But I - I don't think that it was actually trying to kill us. Remember when we were at Isaac's the first time, it just went right by us, didn't it?"

"You're right, it just ran off."

"And it didn't kill you in the mechanic's garage."

"Well, yeah, but it tried to kill me and Derek in the pool." He made a gesture with his head. "And it tried to kill her."

"Did it?"

"It would've. It was waiting for us to come out."

"What if it was trying to keep you in?"

"Why do I feel so violated all of a sudden?" Stiles' body shuddered.

"Wait," They all gazed at me. "Maybe it didn't try to kill you, but it tried to kill me. Two times if I'm correct."

"Three if we count when it threw you off the roof and you landed on me," Stiles added. I playfully glared at him, he apologized while stuttering.

"Did it tho?" Scott asked. His eyes went to our interlocked hands, a little grin forming on his head, but quickly disappearing. "Let's forget about the roof, okay. The water, both times in the water." He continued when he saw that the three of us were completely confused. "You said when it forced you inside the water, it demanded you to breathe, and you were able to do so."

"Gosh," Allison nodded. "It was trying to help you." I was dumbfounded. "I mean, okay. Maybe not the best way to help you out, but he was trying to show you what you are or what you can do."

I peered at Stiles who was now looking at me. "Now, I'm the one feeling violated." He nodded, grinning, moving a strand of hair out of my face. The simple touch made my heart speed.

Stiles suggested that we should kill Jackson, again. But Scott said something that made us think. He had risked his life to save us from Peter Hale, and we had to try and help him. The McCall boy mentioned Lydia, my fingers started trying to get away from Stiles's hand, but he grasped it firmly. Uh?

Scott and Allison went back to the car, wanting to have some time for themselves. I felt bad for them. Knowing they were meant to be together, but also being ripped apart by the Argents. I had heard Scott sob some nights in his room, while softly whispering how he wanted to be able to live harmoniously.

"Maybe we should tell our parents." Stiles snapped me back to reality. "Before anyone else gets hurt. I don't know." His dad was the only person he had, I meant blood-related.

I sighed. I couldn't completely understand. But know, I had Stiles, Scott, Allison, and even Lydia. I would do anything that I could to protect them. My heart ached thinking about something terrible happening to them.

I stepped closer to Stiles, my arms going around his waist, embracing him. My head resting on his chest, closing my eyes while I felt the vibrations of his chest as he hummed, pleased, hugging me back.

But our moment was interrupted. Jackson had escaped. A thought came into my mind. What if the Kanima was not being protected but controlled?

.

.

TAGLIST: @og-baby-ob14 - @savemypostcards - @cas-loves-pizza - @used-avocado - @mvrylee - @bilesxbilinskixlahey - @honeydoll-stark - @arieltheworldisamess - @softpeteparker - @kit-kat-katie99 - @thatsuperherosidekick - @bexbetterxthanxwords - @big-galaxy-chaos - @littlemiss-forgotten - @enchantedcruelsummer - @coldfreakeggsexpert - @merla123 - @sammypotato67 - @weirdowithnobeardo - @maggiesblogsblog - @itskindyl - @bobo-bush - @moongoddesskiana - @multifandxm353 - @irwxnhugsx - @xoprincessmel - @iclosetgeek - @andreagf956 - @niawoods - @anerroroccurrrrred - @perrytheplatypus11 - @trustfundparker - @nmriia - @steve-harringtonnn - @trustfundparker -

People in bold means it doesn’t let me tag them.

[snowdice]

Folds in Paper (Chapter 2: Green Light)[Folds in Time Universe]

Fandom: Sanders Sides

Relationships: Janus/Patton, Remus & Roman, eventual Logan/Virgil (maybe more)

Characters:

Main: Janus, Patton, Remus

Appear: Remy, Emile, Virgil, Logan, Roman

Summary: Janus, a disillusioned senior agent working for the Time Preservation Initiative, struggles to find meaning in a world where time travel could change everything about your life’s history in less than a moment. When time distortions start popping up, threatening the timeline and the fabric of reality as he knows it, it becomes a race against the clock to fix the damage before everything unravels. And the problem with time travel… you never how long you have before the clock strikes 12 and your time is up.

With a partner who has more mysteries in his past than Janus had anticipated and an enigmatic free agent time traveler mucking about time always with a clever pun or a time appropriate pet name on his lips, Janus will need to figure out what went wrong with time, and more importantly, how to fix it.

Notes: Time travel AU, mystery, enemies to lovers, alcohol

“Gatsby believed in the green light, the orgastic future that year by year recedes before us. It eluded us then, but that’s no matter – to-morrow we will run farther, stretch out our arms farther…” (F. Scott Fitzgerald in The Great Gastby)

This is a fic I’ve been writing on study breaks that you have probably all already seen at this point. I’ve slightly edited it for wording and grammar, but not for content from my previous posts. Feel free to send in asks to direct it because I’m not 100% sure where this is going and you can help decide if you feel so inclined! You can see the process I went through to build this at this link.

Part 1

The morning was just as torturous as Janus had expected it would be. He chewed through another pop-tart, this time bothering to actually check and see that it was a cinnamon-sugar one and drank three cups of caffeinated orange juice. Then, he waved his hand through the air and selected the first saved location on his device. He popped up directly behind his desk where he’d been standing the night morning before.

Someone, probably Remus, had shut his integrator down. He swiped a finger across the power button, and it flickered back on, scrolling through its morning start up routine.

The machine scanned through all of the data in the three main system it was connected to and sorted all information into things that concerned him, could concern him, and did not before then sorting the first two categories into order of importance. As it did, he set up his screen reader so he would hopefully not start the day with more of a migraine than he already had. It took about 3 seconds for everything to turn on and settle.

Sitting down in his desk, he dismissed the notification that Remus had finished and submitted the report from their mission the day before, before looking through the next things on his list. A mission had been scheduled for him today, and the details were in his inbox. A piece of time travel technology had been accidently dropped by an archology student in the 1890s during a trip. It was an earlier model of emergency time travel given to time travelers that would dump them back into the Registration Office in the year they originated. It wasn’t extremely dangerous, but could pose some problems, especially if someone who didn’t know what it was activated it.

Surveillance agents had tracked it down and found that it had been picked up by a local and sold. Though no one from that time had known what it was, they had identified that it was made out of a precious metal and it had been crafted into an expensive necklace. Janus and Remus were supposed to retrieve it today. It had been pinpointed that the most opportune time for the extraction was 1923 during a masquerade ball held by those who had bought the necklace. It was a fairly low stakes mission.

He wasn’t set to leave for another couple of hours, so he clicked through the rest of the important notifications and then set off to meet his missions coordinator, Rhi, in her office.

Rhi and Janus got along fairly well. She was a well put together woman who took her job incredibly seriously. It was fair as her job was to organize all information and materials from every other department and make sure the agents she was assigned to got and understood all of it. A mistake from her could lead to an agent’s death or something far worse.

This, of course, made her relationship with Remus… interesting to say the least. Janus could never place whether they were nemesis, frenemies, or mortal enemies, and he doubted he would ever know.

“Okay, but it’s the 1920s America,” Remus was already in her office arguing when Janus arrived. “There were so many gangsters! I could be a gangster. I would make a fantastic gangster! Just give me a gun, a snazzy suit with a white hat, and a buttload of alcohol. I will be running Chicago with Al Capone in five minutes.”

“Al Capone didn’t become a crime boss until 1925 and you are going to 1923,” Rhi said, sounding bored, “you aren’t going to Chicago, and as I have already stated, your cover is already decided.”

“But-”

“It is nonnegotiable, Agent Clockson,” she said firmly. Remus pouted, but seemingly accepted his fate.

“May I come in?” Janus asked.

“Please do,” Rhi said. “You have been to the 1920s before, correct?” she asked Janus.

“Yes ma’am.”

She tapped the screen on her desk in response. “In the last two years?”

“About two months ago,” he responded. She tapped something else.

“Any blacks, reds, or yellows?” she asked.

“All green.”

“Great. Do you need a refresher course on basic cultural or linguistic procedures?”

“No.”

She pushed one more thing and then swiped the check-in document over to him. He glanced at the report stating he’d had no incidents of any level the last time he visited the 1920s and had opted out of the optional refresher course, and then pressed his finger against the screen to sign it with his fingerprint.

The document returned to her side of the desk automatically. “Okay,” she said swiping another document from her left over to be in front of her. She twisted her wrist to copy it and slid copies to Janus and Remus. “Here are exact details on the time, place, and event you are going to, as well as details about your cover.” Janus scrolled through his quickly. It wasn’t as detailed as some he’d had considering this was a brief in-and-out mission, but he still took care to memorize everything on the page.

As he and Remus read through their things, Rhi got to her feet and turned to the storage compartments behind her desk.

She grabbed out two packages and when they’d both signed that they’d read and understood the paperwork, she slid them across the desk to them. “These have everything you need,” she said. “Clothes, money, and an invitation to the party you’re off to attend. You are to get changed now, have a last check in with costuming to make sure everything is in order, and then report to decontamination in 23 minutes. You’re set to leave in 38 minutes. Any questions?”

“How much-?” Remus started.

“None, agent,” Rhi said.

“But-”

“No alcohol,” Rhi said. “It is the prohibition era in the United States anyway.”

“Like there’s not going to be alcohol at the rich people party,” Remus said sullenly.

She pressed her lips together. “It is an in-and-out mission,” she said to both of them, and then turned to glare at Remus. “Do not get arrested.”

“I don’t know,” Remus said joyfully. “I think I still have room for a 1920s mug shot on my wall.”

“Behave,” she said, “or I’ll report you for the cat you smuggled in from the 1800s.”

“You’d never,” Remus said. “You enjoy the cute pictures of Diesel Fuel I send you every day too much, and you know it!”

“Just… don’t get arrested.” She turned to Janus. “Don’t let him get arrested.”

“I’ll do my best,” Janus promised, standing. “Now come on, Remus, we need to get changed.”

“You just want to see me naked,” Remus replied with a wink, but he did stand.

“If I see you naked one more time in my life Remus, my eyeballs will fall out of their sockets,” Janus said, waving to Rhi as he pulled Remus out of the door.

“Kinky.”

Janus’s eyeballs almost did fall out right then and there with how hard he rolled them.

They got changed quickly, Remus complaining and saying if he couldn’t dress like a gangster, he should at least be allowed to wear a flapper dress. Janus had long ago learned to ignore his ramblings. He did seem enthused about the included mask for the masquerade. It was a silver fox shaped mask with green accents that reminded Janus of the Egyptian God Anubis.

Janus’s own mask, on the other hand, was only designed to take up the left half of his face. It was mostly golden with a black swirled design. Attached to the side, there was a plume of golden tipped white feathers. He had to give it to the costuming department, they did have good taste.

Once they were both dressed, they were poked and prodded by one of the costumers to make sure everything was accurate, fit right, and had been put on correctly.

After that, they went to the decontamination area to have themselves and everything they were taking with them sterilized so they didn’t accidently take any pathogens to the 1920s. They also received an oral vaccination to be sure they didn’t pick up anything from the 1920s and bring it back.

Then they were ready to go. The correct time-space coordinates had already been sent to their timepieces. With a push of a button, they were off.

Want to read more? Click below!

AO3 Part 3 Part 4 Part 5 Part 6 Part 7 Part 8 Part 9

[mhdiaries]

Wave 2 Cleo de Nile Diary

Ninth Month 15th Day

I didn’t sleep very well last night at all. I had this dream that I was about to lead the Fear Squad onto a stage where we were supposed to perform in front of an undead JV audience with millions of monsters watching all over the world. Only when I looked back Frankie had forgotten her arms, Draculaura had a tiny bat body with her normal sized head and Deuce had turned the rest of the team into stone. He kept saying, “It’s okay we’ll take them home and they can live in the garden with the other gnomes.” Then I realized I was wearing a lunch lady outfit and my pompoms had turned into gravy ladles. Fortunately, I woke up before we had to perform. I told father about the dream and he said, “Uneasy lies the head that wears the crown.” Well, perhaps I should lessen that unease with more team practice.

Ninth Month 20th Day

Ghoulia yelled at me today and I must admit that it sort of hurt my feelings. She was sitting by herself in the creepateria drawing something in her notebook and I was going to ask her to sit with the rest of us. When I said her name though it startled her, and she slammed her notebook closed. Then she said, “Oh my ghoul!” “Can you please take your own notes and give me just a moment of privacy?” Then she turned her back on me and started drawing again. I think what hurt my feelings the most was not that she yelled at me but that she thought it wasn’t her company I wanted. She apologized later which I accepted, of course. I like having Ghoulia around because I absolutely trust her. I wish I could tell her that but it’s just not done. I am royalty after all… although perhaps I need to learn to make exceptions for my friends.

Tenth Month 7th Day

Spectra… leave it to her to make a mausoleum out of a molehill. I saw Deuce at the end of the school day, and he told me how everything started. He wrote a song for my upcoming birthday celebration and he wanted Operetta to put it to music and make a recording for me. Of course, there have been thousands of songs composed in my honor but this was different… anyway so Deuce goes into the band room with Operetta and starts reading her the song. Spectra floats through and misinterprets what’s going on, like she always does, and all of a sudden the whole school is in full scale gossip mode. Before I know it I’m being dumped by Deuce and getting back together with Clawd. She even had the audacity to ask me for a comment! I was so angry I shouted at her in Ancient Egyptian… probably a good thing since what I said was not exactly befitting royalty. I even cancelled Fear Squad practice because I totally couldn’t focus. I know that Clawd tracked Spectra down and tried to reason with her but that actually made things worse because if she thinks she’s being persecuted she gets even louder about what she thinks the “real” truth is. I appreciated Clawd trying to stand up for me though. He is an honorable wolf and under different circumstances maybe we’d still be together but undue speculation is something which commoners concern themselves, so I’ll stop now.

Tenth Month 12th Day

Why is it that Headless Headmistress Bloodgood wants us to dredge up the past? The last thing I want to do is write about how my family went from ruling the greatest dynasty ever to being betrayed and dethroned by people we trusted. I will not write about that because even after so many thousands of years it still hurts. What to write then? I have the ability to charm snakes – not with a stupid flute – but I can speak to them and they will do what I ask them to. It’s not something I do all the time – I mostly just use it when Hissette crawls inside a shoe I want to wear and won’t come out. No, I’ve never used it on Deuce although I have been tempted a time or two… just kidding. He likes me for who I am, why would I want to ruin that by manipulating him? I must also wear some of my wrappings at all times otherwise… well it’s not something I really wish to think about. Father also has quite a collection of amulets and charms that will work only for those in my family. Of course, they usually also come with a curse if you overuse them.

Tenth Month 16th Day

I’m beginning to think that allowing Purrsephone, Meowlody and Toralei to stay on the Fear Squad was a mistake. My sister brought them onto the team, she always was a cat person, when she was the Fear Squad captain. If they weren’t so athletic and graceful I would have kicked them off when I became captain, despite my sister’s insistence that I keep them. They definitely have their own agenda and even though on the outside they act like they are sold out for the team I do not trust them. I think if something “better” came along they would leave me up the Styx without a Charon. I even overheard them making fun of Ghoulia one day which they totally denied when I confronted them about it. I on the other hand have one agenda; making the Fear Squad the best it can be. If they get in the way of making that happen I hear Lagoona is looking for new members on the swim team.

Tenth Month 22nd Day

I got an email from Nefera today. Ugh… haven’t had that name haunting over my head since she graduated. Just writing it after so long sends chills down my spine and not in a good way either. She said that she was up for five magazine covers and a spooks model contract. She was also up on all the MH gossip and what was happening on the Fear Squad. Wonder who she’s getting all her information from… not. Of course she gave me a whole list of things I was doing wrong and what I needed to do to fix them. As the older sister she is entitled to correct me if I do anything “unbecoming to one of royal birth.” I am entitled to sit quietly and listen which I did, a lot. The Fear Squad is not about royalty though and as a past captain she is entitled to her opinion but I’m no longer entitled to sit quietly and listen. It’s my team now and even though we haven’t yet won the awards her teams did I believe that we can and will. I don’t know why she should care anyway since her email made it sound like she’s one step away from ruling the world. If I were in her place what’s happing at high school would be the last thing on my mind.

Tenth Month 25th Day

I ran into Clawdeen at the Maul today. We both came out of a dressing room wearing the same thing. I braced myself for some sarcastic comment but she just looked at me and started laughing. I don’t know why but I did as well and before long we were both sitting on the floor of the dressing room howling with laughter. We got kicked out of the store and ended up at the food corpse sharing a basket of fries. She told me that Clawd told her the real story behind our breakup and I told her that I was sorry for not being honest about the situation from the beginning. She apologized too – for not confronting me directly and getting the true tale. We hung out for a while and mocked some current fashion trends and then before we left Clawdeen stuck out her hand, “Frenemies?” she said. “Frenemies,” I said as I shook it. While it is doubtful that two “alphas” can ever be more than that, not have Clawdeen actively against me is a step in the right direction.

[yossariandawn]

FDTD for the fandom and Audrey/Nathan (Haven FTW) for the ship!

thanks for the ask @fortysevenswrites! I’m really glad I remembered Haven now, I just added that to the fandom list today. And this is also half of yours, @meredithharlow. 💖💖💖

FDTD Fandom:

Favorite character: TIE between Kate and Seth.

Least Favorite character: Sex Machine, no contest. I try really hard to understand even deeply unlikable characters, heck, I even actively enjoy deeply unlikable characters, BUT THIS GUY. If the show hadn’t treated him like he was some hilarious joke, while having his evil actions rooted in such a real world way, maybe I would feel differently.

5 Favorite ships (canon or non-canon): SethKate! Freddie/Margaret if they can get their shit together. Hmm after that, it’s all non-canon I guess, I do love the DRAMA of Richie/Dakota as a Dark!Ship (but probably just onesided on Richie’s end, but I could be convinced on Dakota’s end by some truly excellent writing, since we don’t know a ton about her) Scott/Kalinda sounds adorable, for two people who never even interacted. I truly believe the maid and the desk clerk at the Dew Drop Inn are the very best of crotchety old friends, so maybe that can be my fifth. You know they just sit around complaining about all the guests all day, and what more do you need out of a relationship than that 🤣

Character I find most attractive: Seth Gecko, the handsome devil.

Character I would marry: Oh my gosh lol. I’m not sure I’d want to marry anybody here, for different reasons, but I guess if I had too, I’ll go with Seth again.

Character I would be best friends with: Kate, and I would get along with Margaret and Ximena too. And Seth would be entertaining in a train wreck kind of way to have has best friend. WAIT, CAN I HANG OUT WITH UNCLE EDDIE AND DO CAPERS? Uncle Eddie it is.

a random thought: Richie didn’t get a traumatic flashback in the Labyrinth, and I’ve been thinking so much about that. I’ve basically decided it has something to do with the purity of the mind stuff that made him a good candidate for the tests, but I haven’t worked it all out in my mind yet. IT’S HIS BRAIN BARRIER, AMIRITE, @alwaysupatnight​? 😂

An unpopular opinion: Carlos seems to get a fair amount of (understandable) hate, but I really liked him as a villain! He did very villainish things, and was entertaining to watch in my opinion. And I also didn’t mind his season 3 character reboot, I enjoyed the fact that he was so changed in a mysterious way. I stll think it would be a mistake to trust him, but I liked the uneasy (and I think temporary) alliance we got at the end of the season.

my canon OTP: SethKate!

Non-canon OTP: Let’s go with Scott/Kalinda, cause I want him to get some romance at some point, and the landscape is pretty bleak for him canon wise.

most badass character: bunch of badasses in this group, so this is a tough one. I’m going to say Kate because she is the one I would least like to have to plot against. She is quite the force of nature when she needs to be.

pairing I am not a fan of: Kate/Richie, I see them as fundamentally platonic at the end of the day.

character I feel the writers screwed up (in one way or another): I wish we’d seen a lot more of a lot of the characters, but I’m not sure I would count that as screwing up so much as the show prioritizing some people over others. Freddie in season 3 didn’t land right for me personally? And I would have loved to see Ximena and him teamed up nonromantically and have her stay alive.

favourite friendship: There aren’t a ton of friendships in this show, mostly family and uneasy alliances, but I would have loved Scott and Richie as frenemies. I would 100% watch them have side adventures while snarking at each other.

character I want to adopt or be adopted by: I want to adopt Scott, because I worry so much damn much about that kid. I don’t know if I could help him, but I WOULD TRY MY BEST OKAY.

Audrey/Nathan behind the cut!

Audrey/Nathan Ship:

I haven’t seen the last five episodes yet, since I fell behind ages ago, and I always mean to go back and finish the series, but the mythology is SO DENSE that I also feel like I need to rewatch it from the beginning first so I can follow it properly. So while I have a general idea of what happens, I don’t know the nitty gritty of the ending.

when of if I started shipping it: I liked them from the start, but what really pushed me over into actually shipping them together was the “Nathan can feel Audrey” reveal. HIS FACE. The way it complicated their attraction and budding friendship IN THE BEST WAY.

my thoughts: I love them separately, too. And this whole thing is my thoughts, so I don’t know what else to add.

What makes me happy about them: PARTNERS. IN LOVE. WITH SO MUCH RESPECT AND UNSPOKEN UNDERSTANDING BETWEEN THEM, AND THEY BOTH JUST CARE ABOUT EACH OTHER SO DAMN MUCH. I have a type, what can I say lol.

What makes me sad about them: THE RESETS. Oh my gosh, that made me so sad. Memory loss stuff always hits me so hard.

things done in fanfic that annoys me: I never really read enough to pick up anything that annoys me about them. I’m not an OT3er with Duke, and I know that had some popularity.

things I look for in fanfic: I read like all the fic right after the touch reveal, and I loved all the different takes on how she found out about it, and what they decided to DO about it. Other than that, just general togetherness, as long as it’s well written.

My kinks: partners solving problems together, competence, lots of touching, sharing their traumas, trusting each other, Nathan being a bit crazy when it comes to saving Audrey, Audrey doing the right thing anyway.

Who I’d be comfortable them ending up with, if not each other: If Nathan flat out died, I could be convinced of Audrey/Duke in the earlier seasons (pre Jennifer) but it would have been kind of a dark ship, and Nathan would have to be permanently off the table. But I do prefer Audrey and Duke as friends. Nathan would never love again though, let’s be real.

My happily ever after for them: Together, Audrey remembers her time with him and no more resets, and they solve crimes and keep the Troubles at bay. Also BABIES, because we know how much Nathan wants babies. He would be such a great stay at home dad while they were little, too.

who is the big spoon/little spoon: they take turns, but Nathan is such an snuggler, there’s no way there isn’t constant spooning going on.

what is their favorite non-sexual activity: Solving crimes after eating breakfast in bed!

[fellintotartarus]

i think we partied too hard

on ao3!

i'm obsessed with one night stand amy gets pregnant fics rn (literally don't ask why... shut up) I'm also VERY MAD about the green book win (it was a category filler?! roma deserved it shut up) so you get this, i guess.

Jake sat with his head on the table groaning. He had spent 29 hours awake, running on 2 hours of sleep, and he could not crack this case. Amy sat next to him in the same fashion, in the same situation.

 After 29 hours of looking at the same case board, interrogating the same perps, and running the same routes, they were no closer to bringing down this mysterious drug lord. The clock ticked teasingly in the corner, reminding them of the time elapsing that they couldn’t solve the case.

 All of the sudden, Jake’s head snapped up.

 “Ames,” he whispered. “It’s the sister.”

 Amy’s head shot up. They stared at each other before smiles crept onto each of their faces. They solved it.

 —

 That night, the whole squad went to Shaw’s to celebrate. They were waist deep in shots, pints, and, in Holt’s case, Charbonay. It was a sloppy drunk kind of night.

 Four-drink Amy had come out to play. Terry tried to get another drink in her so that she would stop terribly winking at everything that walked, but the bartender had cut her off and was watching them with a hawk eye. They wanted to stay more than they wanted five-drink Amy, so they let her horniness run rampant.

 Jake was not a heavy drinker, but this case closing was a cause for celebration, so he was wasted. He didn’t have a tiered drunkenness scale like Amy did, but after six drinks he was strangely flirty as well.

 The rest of the crew was very weirded out by their gross and alcohol-fueled vibing, and they gravitated away from Jake and Amy into another corner.

 Soon enough, Jake and Amy were sitting huddled up at the bar, steadily drinking enough to keep them at the “horny-drunk” level.

 “Jake, you know something? You’re super hot. I totally would sleep with you, but I’m too much of a chicken to say that,” Amy slurred, poking his chest (surprisingly firm, she might add).

 “Whaaaatttt? You’re the sexiest ever. Every time you wear that red dress it makes me suffer because I just wanna lift up the skirt and fuck you in it,” he breathed in her ear.

 The conversation had taken a significant turn from playful flirting to very serious dirty talk, and it was reflected in their proximity to each other and their heavy breathing.

 Amy moaned under breath. She took a nibble of his earlobe and whispered lightly, already grabbing her purse, “Do you wanna go back to mine?”

 Jake stood up abruptly, nodding, wobbled a little bit, and grabbed her hand. They half-ran to the door, giggling the whole way.

 —

 The next morning, Jake rolled over to find the good lump on his mattress only to find a foreign bed and a warm barrier with its arms wrapped around him.

 Confused, Jake groggily opened his eyes to find a very naked Amy Santiago sleeping peacefully next to him.

 His eyes went wide and he gasped slightly, causing Amy to stir and open her eyes. As soon as she saw him, her reaction was about the same as his.

 After a few tense seconds of just looking at each other with surprise, they simultaneously sprang apart and let out yelps.

 Amy, realizing they were both naked, tugged the sheet over her body, leaving Jake’s (very nice, she had to say) body exposed. He gasped and grabbed the sheet and pulled it over himself, leaving Amy’s (extremely sexy, he thought) body exposed. It was a slight battle of tug-of-war before they gave up and starting mad-grabbing for their clothes on the floor. Amy found her underwear pretty close to the bed, but, holding her boobs in place with her hands, she found her bra in the hallway, and her pantsuit on the couch. Jake was luckier to find all his clothes in the bedroom.

 They met in Amy’s kitchen.

 “So we... uh...” Amy trailed off. She was visibly tense in the shoulders.

 “Seems like it,” Jake laughed awkwardly a bit, bouncing on the balls of his feet.

 A pause. Then, suddenly, laughter filled the apartment. They were belly-laughing, the good kind of laugh that left you aching. Tears welled in their eyes.

 “Was I any good?” Jake choked out through laughs.

 Amy stopped laughing and said seriously, “I don’t know. You were my first.”

 Jake stilled. “Wait, Ames, really?”

 A laugh forced its way out of Amy’s throat. “No! Oh my god, who do you take me for, a 30-year-old virgin?”

 “Jesus, you scared me!” Jake laughed.

 “Okay, well, I’m glad this isn’t weird and all, but I am majorly hungover and would like to take my day off,” Amy said.

 “No, yeah, got it. I was just on my way out.”

 They shared a genuine smile as Jake walked out the door.

 Amy lay in bed later that night and texted Jake.

 To: Jake Peralta

Isn’t it... weird that we aren’t weird?

 From: Jake Peralta

not rly tbh. the way i see it is we have a funny inside joke now. also i literally remember nothing.

 To: Jake Peralta

Yeah haha. Makes sense. Definitely don’t remember anything either.

 The thing was, she did. Or, well, she had evidence. She woke up with the mat in her hair that she only got when she had sex in her favorite position, she had the good ache between her legs of being well-fucked with a big dick, and her clitoris was really sensitive, meaning multiple orgasms. She didn’t entirely like the conclusion, but Jake must be really good at sex. Gross (Or was it? her brain said). She wondered why she couldn’t stop thinking about it, until she realized that it was weird now. She had made it weird by remembering.

 Or maybe it was the way he made her laugh like nobody else, or the soft curl of his hair flipped to the side, or his strong arms holding her as she slept away the morning.

 Amy blushed and shook the thought out of her head for the millionth time that year.

 At his apartment, Jake lay awake with memories flooding back. Jake had the rare gift of retaining memories slowly when he blacked out, and he had never been happier. Besides the obvious, Jake was mind blown that Amy freaking Santiago had given him the best sex of his life. She was such a nerd, it seemed impossible! Just remembering the night’s activities sent a shudder down his spine and warmth through his core.

 But it also begged the question: was it just the sex? Or was it also the halo of light around Amy’s face when she laughed, or the way her hair shone softly, or her adorable hate face reserved only for those who had invoked a pure form of hatred from a cinnamon roll of a human (looks like a cinnamon roll, could actually kill you).

 Jake wondered for the millionth time that year why he couldn’t stop thinking about her. She was his colleague for Christ’s sake, his frenemy within the precinct. They competed constantly and bickered more than an old married couple.

 Jake sighed, punched the good lump into shape, and fell asleep.

 —

 Jake and Amy’s work relationship hadn’t changed much at all, except now they seemed to have a lot more to laugh about. Every once in a while, they would be sniggers coming from their desks from a seemingly new inside joke.

 The main thing that changed, however, was the way they looked at each other. Their glances would linger while the other wasn’t looking, and there was something unidentifiable in their eyes. It was soft, and it was absolutely torturous. The rest of the squad had bets on the outcome of this newfound grossness.

 Jake’s deniable crush on Amy had spiraled into a full-blown infatuation. He thought about her constantly, texted her when he wasn’t with her, and even improved his life to please her. He cleaned every week, he sold his unnecessary stuff, and started chipping away at his debt. It was a goddamned miracle.

 Amy found herself thinking about Jake too much for it to be normal. She always suspected that she liked him as more than a friend but was always able to tamp it down and ignore it. Not anymore, she thought with a sigh. Now it was like everything he did was the cutest thing. His smiles always sent her into a soupy mess, and every time they touched by accident it was like electricity running up her spine.

 Then one day, a month after That Night, it became impossible to not think about him.

 She woke up that morning feeling nauseous for the second day in a row. She violently vomited a few times and then lay against the cool bathroom floor, the cogs turning in her brain.

 Idiot, she thought to herself.

 After nervously checking her period tracker and seeing that she was a week late, she immediately called Jake.

 “Hey, I was just about to call you to see if you could meet up for coffee before work. I wanna talk to you about something.” He sounded hopeful and groggy, like he had just woken up. But Amy was not concerned about that right now.

 “Peralta,” she whisper-yelled through the phone. “Did we not use a fucking condom?”

 She heard shuffling on the other end of the line. Then, Jake’s voice rang clear and awake. That obviously had gotten his attention.

 “Ames, what are you saying?” he said nervously.

 Amy pinched the bridge of her nose and exhaled slowly.

 “I can’t stop puking and I’m a week late,” she said softly. “Jake, I think I’m pregnant.”

 Silence.

 Then, after a beat, “Okay. Get dressed and meet me at the CVS on the corner by your apartment. Everything’s going to be okay.”

 Amy wiped away some stray tears and did as Jake instructed. She found him waiting at the entrance of the pharmacy. When they made eye contact, his eyes lightened, and a small smile crept onto his face. He held his hand out for her to take. It was corny, but Amy really appreciated it.

 They navigated through the store, finding the pregnancy tests, and Jake insisted on buying the most expensive one to put Amy’s mind at ease.

 They stepped into the bathroom together, receiving strange stares from the employees, and Jake turned to the corner while Amy peed on the fancy test (Why was she comfortable with him in there? God, she must really like him). Then she set a timer and they waited.

 Standing there in the bathroom waiting for the timer to go off, Amy turned to Jake and asked, “What did you want to talk to me about?”

 Jake raised his eyebrows. “Oh, right. That.” He sighed. “Well, I guess now’s as good a time as any.” Awkward smile. Deep breath.

 Amy waited with bated breath for what she thought (and hoped) he would say.

 “So, after That Night, I, uh, realized that I like you. And I wanna be with you. Romantic stylez. Stylez with a z.”

 Amy was shocked. She knew she felt the same way, and that she wanted that, too, but their life might be about to get really complicated.

 A part of her brain told her that it would make things simpler if there was a baby, but another part thought of Jane the Virgin and how complicated Mateo’s life became with on-off parents.

 But heart and mouth seemed to be ahead of her brain because she found herself saying, “Me, too.”

 Jake smiled so genuinely it hurt Amy’s heart. She smiled back and, before she could think, pulled Jake in for a tender kiss.

 If Jake had to describe it, he would say it felt like taking a deep breath after too long under water. Kissing Amy was like coming home and smelling your pillow after being away. Kissing Amy was like heaven.

 If Amy had to describe it, she would say it was like pulling on a soft shirt straight out of the dryer. Kissing Jake was like a fresh, warm binder and a clean apartment.

 Then the timer went off.

 Amy pulled away and made eye contact with Jake. There was panic and worry in her eyes.

 “Deep breath,” Jake said reassuringly.

 Together, they looked down.

 Not Pregnant.

 Amy could almost cry with relief. She let out a breath she didn’t realize she had been holding.

 She looked up at Jake, who also looked pretty relieved. He caught her looking and tried explaining.

 “I would’ve been a good dad. Y’know, if that was the case. I would have stayed and cared, I’m not—”

 Amy cut him off. “Jake. I know. I don’t doubt it even for a second. But relief is fine. I am definitely not ready, and you probably aren’t either.”

 Jake smiled pulled her in for another kiss, only for Amy to stop him.

 He looked worried and said, “Oh, shit, did I mess something up?”

 Amy laughed. “No, you goof. It’s just that we are definitely not going going to make out in a CVS bathroom.”

 “Oh. Oh, okay good. Geez, I thought I fucked up for a second.”

 “No, Peralta. We’ll be fine.”

[ireadyabooks]

New Year, New Books!

Happy 2019, book nerds! Now that we’ve cleaned up the confetti from New Year’s Eve, it’s time to get serious about some resolutions: reading as many books as we possibly can in 2019! 

If your TBR pile needs some love, we’ve got you covered. Here are some of our faves coming your way in early 2019! 

The Love and Lies of Rukhsana Ali

Available January 29th

Seventeen-year-old Rukhsana Ali has always been fascinated by the universe around her and the laws of physics that keep everything in order. But her life at home isn't so absolute. Unable to come out to her conservative Muslim parents, she keeps that part of her identity hidden. And that means keeping her girlfriend, Ariana, a secret from them too. Luckily, only a few more months stand between her carefully monitored life at home and a fresh start at Caltech in the fall. But when Rukhsana's mom catches her and Ariana together, her future begins to collapse around her. Devastated and confused, Rukhsana's parents whisk her off to stay with their extended family in Bangladesh where, along with the loving arms of her grandmother and cousins, she is met with a world of arranged marriages, religious tradition, and intolerance. Fortunately, Rukhsana finds allies along the way and, through reading her grandmother's old diary, finds the courage to take control of her future and fight for her love.

Amazon

Barnes & Noble 

IndieBound

Spin

Available January 29th

Even in murder, the music lives on. When rising star Paris Secord (aka DJ ParSec) is found dead on her turntables, it sends the local music scene reeling. No one is feeling that grief more than her shunned pre-fame best friend, Kya, and ParSec's chief groupie, Fuse -- two sworn enemies who happened to be the ones who discovered her body. The police have few leads, and when the trail quickly turns cold, the authorities don't seem to be pushing too hard to investigate further. But nobody counted on Paris's deeply loyal fans, ParSec Nation, or the outrage that would drive Fuse and Kya to work together. As ParSec Nation takes to social media and the streets in their crusade for justice, Fuse and Kya start digging into Paris's past, stumbling across a deadly secret. With new info comes new motives. New suspects. And a fandom that will stop at nothing in their obsessive quest for answers, not even murder...

Amazon

Barnes & Noble

IndieBound

The Deceiver’s Heart

Available February 26th

In this sequel to the instant New York Times bestseller The Traitor's Game, Kestra Dallisor has finally gained possession of the Olden Blade. With the dagger in her control, she attempts to destroy the tyrannical Lord Endrick. But when Kestra fails, the king strips her of her memory, and leaves her weak and uncertain, bound to obey him. Heartbroken, Simon is desperate to return Kestra to the rebel she was, but refuses to use magic to heal her. With untrusting Coracks and Halderians threatening to capture and kill her, and war looming on the horizon, Kestra and Simon will have to learn to trust each other again if they have any hope of surviving. But can a heart once broken ever be healed?

Amazon

Barnes & Noble

IndieBound

The Music of What Happens

Available February 26th

Max: Chill. Sports. Video games. Gay and not a big deal, not to him, not to his mom, not to his buddies. And a secret: An encounter with an older kid that makes it hard to breathe, one that he doesn't want to think about, ever. Jordan: The opposite of chill. Poetry. His "wives" and the Chandler Mall. Never been kissed and searching for Mr. Right, who probably won't like him anyway. And a secret: A spiraling out of control mother, and the knowledge that he's the only one who can keep the family from falling apart. Throw in a rickety, 1980s-era food truck called Coq Au Vinny. Add in prickly pears, cloud eggs, and a murky idea of what's considered locally sourced and organic. Place it all in Mesa, Arizona, in June, where the temp regularly hits 114. And top it off with a touch of undeniable chemistry between utter opposites. Over the course of one summer, two boys will have to face their biggest fears and decide what they're willing to risk -- to get the thing they want the most.

Amazon

Barnes & Noble

IndieBound

Pretend She’s Here

Available February 26th

Emily Lonergan's best friend died last year. And Emily hasn't stopped grieving. Lizzie Porter was lively, loud, and fun -- Emily's better half. Emily can't accept that she's gone. When Lizzie's parents and her sister come back to town to visit, Emily's heartened to see them. The Porters understand her pain. They miss Lizzie desperately, too. Desperately enough to do something crazy. Something unthinkable. Suddenly, Emily's life is hurtling toward a very dark place -- and she's not sure she'll ever be able to return to what she once knew was real.

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Last of Her Name

Available February 26th

Sixteen years ago, rebellion swept the galaxy known as the Belt of Jewels. Every member of the Leonov royal family was murdered--down to their youngest child, Princess Anya--making way for the Union government to seize power. But Stacia doesn't think much about politics. She spends her days half-wild, rambling her father's vineyard with her friends, Clio and Pol. That all changes when a Union ship appears burning through the sky, bearing the leader of the Union, the Direktor Eminent himself, who declares that Stacia's sleepy village is a den of empire loyalists. Even more shocking, the Direktor claims that Princess Anya Leonova is alive--and Stacia is the lost princess As their home explodes into chaos, Pol smuggles Stacia to a hidden escape ship, leaving Clio in the hands of the Union. With everything she knows threading away into the stars, Stacia sets her heart on a single mission: She will find and rescue Clio, even with the whole galaxy on her trail.

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That’s Not What I Heard

Available February 26th

What did you hear? Kimberly Landis-Lilley and Teddy Lin are over. Yes, the Kim and Teddy broke up. At least that's what Phil Spooner thinks he overheard and then told Jess Howard, Kim's best friend. Something about Teddy not liking Kim's Instas? Or was it that Teddy is moving to Italy and didn't want to do long distance? Or that Kim slid into someone else's DMs? Jess told her boyfriend, Elvis, that he needs to be on Kim's side. Especially if he wants to keep her as his girlfriend. But Elvis is also Teddy's best friend. Now, Kim's run out of school for the day. Jess is furious. Elvis is confused. And half the lunch period won't talk to Teddy. Even the teachers have taken sides. William Henry Harrison High will never be the same again!

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Tell Me Everything

Available February 26th

Your secret's safe...until it's not. Ivy's always preferred to lay low, unlike her best friend Harold, who has taken up a hundred activities as sophomore year begins. But Ivy has her own distraction: the new anonymous art-sharing app, VEIL. Being on the sidelines has made Ivy a skilled observer, and soon she discovers that some of the anonymous posters are actually her classmates. While she's still too scared to put her own creations on the app, Ivy realizes that she can contribute in an even better way -- by making gifts for the artists she's discovered. The acts of kindness give her such a rush that, when Ivy suspects Harold is keeping a secret, she decides to go all in. Forget gifts -- Harold needs a major party. But when her good intentions thrust her into the spotlight, Ivy's carefully curated world is thrown into chaos. Now she has to find the courage to stand out... or risk losing everything and everyone she loves most.

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Mike

Available February 26th

Mike is the imaginary friend and projection of a repressed wish that won’t go away until Floyd confronts both his greatest fear and greatest desire: to succeed. MEET FLOYD. He's a tennis star. Possibly good enough to win Wimbledon one day. MEET MIKE. He's... different. Apart from anything else, Floyd seems to be the only one who can see him. But Mike must have appeared for a reason. And finding out why is perhaps the most important thing Floyd will ever do...

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Sorry Not Sorry

Available February 26th

Janelle and Alyssa used to be friends. Best friends. They knew each other's deepest secrets and went through the hardest times together. But that was then. Now? Their status is somewhere between frenemies and full-on rivals. Janelle is all about making a difference in her community, while Alyssa reigns over the shallowest girls in school. Until the day Alyssa collapses and is rushed to the hospital. Suddenly, everyone knows about her declining health and race against time. And, in a stunning twist of fate, the only person who might be able to save Alyssa's life -- is Janelle. But will the girls' bitter past get in the way of their futures?

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Brawler

Available March 26th

Eddie MacIntyre--Mac to a handful of friends--is Pennsylvania's most promising wrestler. His future is bright with scholarship offers and the dream of helping his struggling mom. But then comes a fateful match at the state championship, when his famous rage consumes him and he assaults a referee. In an instant, Mac loses all he and his mom have worked to build since his abusive father was locked up years ago. Facing arrest, Mac runs away to another town, where he is taken in by a shady promoter who has followed his career. He recruits Mac into Brawlers, an illegal underground fighting ring run by a gangland boss. This is a bloodsport that has no rules . . . but offers plenty of reward. Mac teams up with Khajee, a girl with the fighting skills he'll need to learn to survive . . . and her own dark past tying her to the head of the ring. Together the two must figure out their place in a world that hasn't been kind to them . . . and forge a future that could be.

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Quarantine: A Love Story

Available March 26th

Oliver wants a girlfriend, and there's a girl back home who might be interested in him. The problem is, he has to spend his spring break on a volunteer trip in the Dominican Republic. Flora, on the other hand, isn't really looking for a boyfriend. She just wants to end a miserable spring break visiting her dad and her new stepmom in the D.R. The solution to both their problems? Get back home to New York ASAP. Sadly, they won't be getting there anytime soon. Their hopes are dashed when Flora's impulsiveness lands them in quarantine -- just the two of them. Now, the two teens must come together in order to survive life in a bubble for 30 days. In that time, love will bloom. But is it the real thing, or just a placebo effect?

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I Don’t Want To Be Crazy

Available March 26th

This is a true story of growing up, breaking down, and coming to grips with a psychological disorder. When Samantha Schutz first left home for college, she was excited by the possibilities -- freedom from parents, freedom from a boyfriend who was reckless with her affections, freedom from the person she was supposed to be. At first, she reveled in the independence . . . but as pressures increased, she began to suffer anxiety attacks that would leave her mentally shaken and physically incapacitated. Thus began a hard road of discovery and coping, powerfully rendered in this poetry memoir.

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Dear Ally, How Do You Write a Book?

Available March 26th

Have you always wanted to write a book, but don't know where to start? Or maybe you're really great at writing the first few chapters . . . but you never quite make it to the end? Or do you finally have a finished manuscript, but you're not sure what to do next? Fear not -- if you have writing-related questions, this book has answers! Whether you're writing for fun or to build a career, bestselling author Ally Carter is ready to help you make your work shine. With honesty, encouragement, and humor, Ally's ready here to answer the questions that writers struggle with the most. Filled with practical tips and helpful advice, Dear Ally is a treasure for aspiring writers at any stage of their careers. It offers a behind-the-scenes look at how books get made, from idea to publication, and gives you insight into the writing processes of some of the biggest and most talented YA authors writing today.

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[sailorportia]

Fictober Day Twenty-One: Impressive, Truly

Anime: Little Witch Academia

Pairing: Hannah England x Akko Kagari

A/N: This one is super late and super long and probably needs work. y i k e s

“Impressive, truly,” Ursula said, tears in her eyes.

"You kids did a bang-up job," Croix said, raising a glass in honour of the cast and crew. She was giddy enough for everyone to question just what was in that glass of hers.

The cast and crew raised their own glasses in celebration, kicking off the after party. The play had been a tremendous success, going off without a hitch. The stage production was impeccable and the actors were flawless. Hannah and Amanda had given their best performance yet ("The definitive Beatrice and Benedick!" Croix proclaimed), and the audience swooned and sweated at the romance and drama between Akko and Diana's Claudio and Hero. Their practice sessions had eliminated the problems in their performances, but the resulting side effects couldn't be ignored.

Diana could see a gap between Hannah and Akko, as well as the tension that filled that gap. She approached her roommate and shook her from her absentminded state.

"Is something on you mind, Hannah?" she asked. "Or perhaps someone?"

Hannah squinted at Diana suspiciously.

"I apologize for my atrocious timing the other night," Diana said. "I interrupted you two at a critical moment—"

"W-w-we were just practicing," Hannah stuttered.

Diana chuckled. "I've walked in on your "practices" before..."

"Hey!" Hannah blushed furiously. "Don't bring that up! Especially not around Akko!"

"Naturally. That matter is between you and Barbara." She took a sip from her glass. "Very private. I can see why you wouldn't want Akko of all people to know..."

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"It means that you recognize that Akko has the same capacity for jealousy as you do," Diana explained. "Tell me, are you still jealous that I'm the one tutoring Akko rather than you?"

Hannah pouted, downing the rest of her drink before answering. "Why do you ask?"

Diana frowned. "Have you given up on our little competition? I expected more from you, Hannah."

"I... I haven't... I..." Hannah had been too focused on Akko to think of a way of usurping Diana's place in Akko's heart. She may have beaten Diana for the lead role, but her rival had stolen the role opposite Akko. But Akko practiced with me, not her, she remembered. I'm getting closer to Akko. And there's also... that...

It was as if Diana was reading her mind. "I suppose you've made some progress," she said mildly. "After all, I've never kissed Akko under any circumstances..."

"D-Diana!"

"Oh, there's no need to get so flustered over a kiss that resulted over a dare. Are you still feeling awkward over that?"

Hannah her head away. "Not saying."

Diana chuckled at her friend's childishness. "When was the last time you said a word to Akko that wasn't written by William Shakespeare?"

"B-before we practiced the other day..."

"By the Nine Olde Witches," Diana sighed. "Go talk to her, Hannah. Or I swear I'll tell Amanda about your short-lived crush on her."

Hannah didn't need to be told twice. She made her way over to her friend. "Um, hello, Akko," Hannah said shyly. "This party sure is lively, huh?"

Akko nodded. "Do you wanna... go somewhere quieter?" Her tone implied "somewhere we won't be overheard."

"Sure." Hannah tentatively placed her hand on Akko's arm, and once she was sure Akko wouldn't shrug it off, she led Akko to a nearby room the cast had been using to change in and out of their costumes as well as storing them. The pair sat down on a bench near a closet used to store the costumes.

"You were great in the play, by the way," Hannah said, desperately reaching for something to talk about. "Really fantastic."

Akko laughed bashfully. "High praise from the leading lady. I couldn't imagine anyone else in the role."

Not even Diana? Hannah thought. "I've never really thought of myself as a leading lady," she said. "I've always been more of a side character." She wasn't just being modest; she had long felt unable to escape the confines of Diana's shadow.

"You're more important than that," Akko said. She realized as the words left her mouth that she ought to have said "no one is a side character," but what she said felt right.

"Th-thank you." Hannah wasn't sure what to think about that comment.

They smiled at each other and silence fell between them. Not an awkward silence, a pleasant one. They held each other's gaze until they were overcome by embarrassment, their eyes diverting to rest on each other's bodies—costumes. Hannah thought Akko was dashing. Akko thought Hannah looked beautiful.

"See something you like," Hannah joked. Not that Akko would be looking at me in that way...

"I-I was just looking at your dress," Akko lied. "Croix really outdid herself with your costume."

"It may look pretty, but this thing is a nightmare," Hannah said. "Akko, would you be a dear and help me out of this dress?"

"What!?"

"What?" Hannah was confused until she saw the look on Akko's face. "I mean can you unlace it for me! I didn't mean—" Hannah was too embarrassed to say what she didn't mean.

"Oh, um, right." Akko got off the bench, kneeled behind Hannah, and began unlacing her dress. A shiver ran down Hannah's spine as she felt Akko's fingers against her back. She slipped out of the costume, thankful for the slip she'd been wearing underneath.

"Thank you, Akko."

"N-no problem." Akko fidgeted, unsure of what to do when there was a pretty girl sitting in front of her wearing a tiny wisp of a dress. She frantically searched for something to distract herself. In true Akko fashion, she managed to do the exact wrong thing to divert her attention.

"Your hair is a bit messed up," she said, reaching out to brush it back into place.

Hannah was about to stutter out thanks, but she realized Akko was actively playing with her hair. She ran her fingers through the auburn tresses, toying with the ends. "A-Akko!" Hannah wasn't sure if she wanted Akko to stop or not.

"Your hair is so soft," Akko said idly, twirling her fingers through Hannah's hair. She became aware of what she was doing and started messing it up on purpose.

"S-Stop!" Hannah giggled. She ought to have been mad at Akko for tangling up her hair, but she could only think about how it felt to have Akko's fingers on her, trailing through her hair... "I'm going to get mad, you know."

"Haha. I'm sorry." Akko straightened Hannah's hair out again, stroking the strands back to normal. She brought her fingers down to the ends of her hair, accidentally brushing the bare skin of Hannah's shoulders, eliciting an embarrassed squeak.

"Aah! I'm sorry!" Akko yelped. "I should probably change too." She removed her own costume—an arduous affair due to its similarity to Croix's outfit. Underneath her costume she had been wearing her sleeping outfit, a t-shirt and shorts. However, the only thing Hannah registered was—

"...legs..."

"Wh-what?" Akko realized that Hannah was currently mesmerized by her legs.

"Y-you have... really nice legs..." she absentmindedly stroked Akko's calf. "Do you work out?" Akko is... actually kinda hot, isn't she?

"I mean, I did a lot more sports and physical activity before I came to Luna Nova, and—aaaaaa! Hannah!" Akko wriggled as Hannah prodded and pinched her leg. "C'mon! That tickles!" she laughed. "I'm warning you!"

Suddenly the girls heard the sound of approaching voices and the girls realized that the two of them were alone in a room together, half-dressed with Hannah's hands on Akko's leg.

"Someone's going to see us like this!" Hannah said, panicked.

"Quick," Akko said. "In here!" She unceremoniously dragged Hannah with her into the closet that held the extra costumes. No sooner were they hidden than the door slammed open and two people entered. Unfortunately for Akko and Hannah, they were stuck standing between two dresses, face-to-face and altogether too close for comfort—but moving posed the risk of making noise which would tip off the interlopers.

"I just want to talk," Diana said.

"Yeah, well maybe I don't want to talk, Cavendish," Amanda replied.

"Then what do you want, O'Neill?"

"Who says I want anything?"

"You're being obtuse."

"And here I thought I was being acute."

"You really are impossible. What I'm trying to say is—" Diana spotted Hannah and Akko's discarded costumes in front of the closet and her famously brilliant mind connected the dots.

"What?" Amanda demanded. Diana deftly directed her frenemy's attention to the abandoned costumes with her eyes. Amanda smirked and winked at her.

All of this occurred without Hannah and Akko's notice.

Diana and Amanda proceeded to argue about seemingly nothing for an exhaustingly long time. Akko and Hannah didn't so much as suspect that their friends knew they were hiding in the closet. They were distracted by their proximity to each other, their rising temperatures, their hot breath dancing on each other's skin...

"How long are they going to do this?" Akko whispered. "I can't stand here much longer..." Hannah's too close! she thought. I can see everyone of her little freckles! Even the ones on her shoulders, and... I need to get out of here fast!

"Just hold on, okay," Hannah hissed. "We don't want to get caught in this situation!" I can feel my legs brushing against hers, but I can't move! she screamed internally. Those legs of hers just aren't fair! She slipped her hand in Akko's and interlaced their fingers to reassure her.

Eventually, Amanda and Diana stormed out of the room, high-fiving once they were out of earshot.

"Thank the Nine," Hannah breathed. "I thought they were going to argue forever."

"I thought we were goners." Akko sighed with relief and relaxed, leaning against Hannah, who squeaked at the sudden contact.

"A-Akko!" The closet was sweltering and by then the two girls were beginning to sweat. They were in no state to be this close. She's too close! I can't handle this!

"I just need a second," Akko said slowly. "I'm a little light-headed." Why are my knees so weak all of a sudden? She rested her head on Hannah's shoulder.

"Oh, okay," Hannah said weakly. Her head was swimming as well. I can't turn Akko down... She squeezed Akko's hand gently, rubbing her thumb over Akko's.

Akko blushed. Hannah's so sweet. She drew away from Hannah. Even in the darkness, with only a sliver of light from between the closet doors, Akko could see that... "You're really pretty, Hannah."

"Wh-what are you saying all of a sudden!?" Hannah knew she was pretty. Lots of girls were pretty. But hearing it from Akko—especially right now—was more than she could bear.

"I mean it Hannah," Akko insisted. "You're really, really pretty." She looked almost hypnotized, her eyes clouded, her lips slightly parted. She looked at Hannah as if she was the only girl in the world...

"D-don't look at me like that," Hannah said, voicing the absolute opposite of her feelings. She didn't want Akko to look away from her. She didn't want Akko to look at anyone else. "If you keep looking at me like that I'm going to..."

"You're going to what?" Akko asked, already knowing the answer. Hannah was making the same face she was during their practice, their near-kiss. She let go of Hannah and placed her hands on either side of Hannah's face so she couldn't look away. "Hannah..."

"Akko..." She couldn't resist any longer, and Akko offered no resistance herself. She did the only thing she could do; she closed her eyes, threw her arms around Akko's neck, and kissed her full on the mouth.

Their first kiss had come too soon, like taking a bite from unripe fruit. At that point their fledgling feelings had yet to develop into conscious desire; the kiss had only confused them and pushed them further into denial.

They had no such inhibitions now. Hannah kissed Akko passionately with the intent of permanently burning the impression of her lips into Akko's memory. She wanted all of Akko's attention, and Akko was only too happy to comply.

Akko was besides herself with joy. She had somehow charmed Hannah from an enemy into not only a friend, but someone who couldn't look away from her. She never would've imagined she'd be making out with Hannah, but since when did her life ever go according to expectations?

The two girls said nothing, thought nothing. They gave themselves over to their repressed attraction and enjoyed the ride. Akko's kisses were tentative at first due to inexperience, but she quickly got over that. Hannah kissed her relentlessly, pulling her close to her body as Akko tangled her fingers in her hair. Their was little finesse to their kissing, but it wasn't that kind of make out session anyway.

They emerged from the closet half an hour later, when the heat and stuffy air became too much to bear. The girls were slick with sweat until Hannah gracefully magicked it away and cooled them down. Without saying a word, Hannah and Akko changed back into their uniforms, stored their costumes properly and returned to the party.

They were beyond flustered at this point; they were comatose. Once the emotional high wore off, the logical parts of their brains tried to process what had just happened and hit a wall. They were incapable of articulating a response or acknowledging what had just happened. The only indication that something had happened in the hour they were missing from the party was the way they clutched at each other's hand, strained with nervous tension but unwilling to let go.

[wackygoofball]

Moodboard: Jaime x Brienne - Bartender AU

Jaime Lannister tends to think that his Brightroar Bar is perhaps not the fulfilment of all of his childhood dreams, but it is a project that is entirely his. He bought it, he renovated it, and now he serves the drinks he came up with, plays the music he likes, and no one, not even his own father, gets to tell him differently.

However, he is in for a surprise when he sees a familiar face winding up at his bar, nursing a beer in the loneliest corner of the whole building.

“Wench?!”

“Jaime?!”

“What are you doing at my bar?”

“What are you doing to even have a bar?!”

Still rather shocked, the two settle down. They fell out of touch after college. Jaime went to the military before returning to get his degree, which is why they ended up studying together against the odds of their age difference. To say that they were frenemies at the time is likely an understatement as they were short before wrestling each other to the ground over shared projects half the time. However, as time progressed, they found out that they shared at least a few things, including a certain dissatisfaction over having to stick to the respective family businesses, even though both had other dreams. Jaime was still bemoaning his time at the military which ended abruptly following the Aerys Affair, whereas Brienne wanted a more active job that fitted her more than sitting around in business suits that didn’t fit her.

“And how comes you are in King’s Landing now? Last time I remember you went back to Tarth to run the business back home,” Jaime comments.

“Life changes.”

“Very specific, wench.”

“It’s not like that was ever your forte back during our days at college either.”

Brienne has to leave soon thereafter, though Jaime makes sure to invite her to have an “actual drink” next time she comes here. Once the bar is closed and Jaime wipes the tables another time – he really has to stop hiring good-for-nothings off of Crakehallslist – and can’t help but wonder about Brienne. He felt tempted a number of times to call her up after they bid farewell following the graduation, but in the end, he never gathered the courage.

Then the accident happened, and after that, Jaime didn’t find the will for much of anything.

Even living seemed too bothersome by that time.

However, something tells him that there is much more to Brienne’s demeanor than simply being overworked. She looked sad in his opinion, and it still rubs him the wrong way, the same way it did back at college.

He is pleasantly surprised when Brienne returns to Brightroar Bar the very next evening. To show off, Jaime does his tossing routine, though the woman only ever snorts at him for it. Jaime won’t let that stop him, of course, he does love a challenge, after all, and the wench should know better.

However, no matter his best efforts as the bartender, a very special group who is supposed to make people talk about everything weighing heavy on their minds, Brienne won’t reveal much other than that she needs a bit of time to ponder those life changes.

Jaime eventually decides to take a different approach with Brienne, which is to tell her about himself and how he ended up owning a bar: After a car accident, his right hand was permanently paralyzed. Jaime soon slipped into depression to the point that he had thoughts of suicide. He didn’t show up at the office anymore, and his father showed little understanding for the circumstance that his eldest seemingly couldn’t pull himself together, just wouldn’t function. To drown his sorrows at the bottom of a drink, Jaime went to a bar and that was when he saw the bartender do a performance, tossing the drinks around, entertaining the audience, having a good time. It was then that he said to himself that he could do this as well, even with just one hand. So he ordered the material online and once it arrived, started training, breaking many glasses in the process, but after some time, Jaime discovered his joy for it and along the way, he found joy in life again, too. He had people come over to his apartment again to serve them drinks, but his father didn’t give much on that. Jaime eventually had enough, used his money and bought a bar, and has since accepted the spot as the family’s failure.

“It is quite liberating. Once you have disappointed big time, people tend to have fewer expectations, I realized.”

And apparently, that confession, long after the club is closed and the tables are all wiped, does the trick as Brienne opens up to him as well:

“I wanted to try something else after college. I went to work in the North, with the Starks.”

“Yuck.”

“Still that old family feud?”

“Totally.”

“Anyway, I really liked it. It was closer to the job profile I had in mind for myself. It was more active than what would have awaited me back home. However, it didn’t last long… because Cat, Ned, Robb, and Talisa passed away. So I felt obliged to stick around to see after the girls, Sansa in particular as she needed some advice of how to run the family business. But then I massively messed up negotiations in the Riverlands. By the time I came back to Winterfell, Jon had taken up on the family business and I realized that I was… kind of obsolete. My work was done, and I was still alright with that. Bu then I received a call from my father to inform me that he had a heart attack while I was busy around the Riverlands and Winterfell.”

“So why are you in King’s Landing, then?”

“I am handling all affairs including travelling, so that my father does not get any ideas. He used to fly back and forth, no bother, but now I have to make sure that I handle those matters. Frankly, I would rather be in Tarth now, to be by his side, but there is a business to run.”

“So that is why you feel so down that you take refuge in my bar?”

“It appears I am not the only one.”

“What is that supposed to mean?”

“Well, you seemingly got that bar only just to hide away.”

“Woman, I am a sensation, alright? I never shied away from the spotlight.”

“No, but from the dear family.”

“I am the son fallen from grace.”

“You know your father would take you back in a heartbeat. You are his favorite.”

“But I don’t want to go back.”

“Which is why we are the same in that regard,” Brienne tells him. “Both hiding away in a bar because we can’t seem to cope.”

“Cheers to that,” he scoffs, holding up his glass.

“Cheers,” Brienne agrees, clinking hers against his, taking a long sip.

Over the course of the next weeks, the two use their evenings to reconnect over some many drinks and cocktail puns that Jaime seems to have by the dozen. While Brienne is hesitant at first to dedicate a bit more time to her private life again after she focused so much of her efforts and time on the job and checking up on her father, spending time with Jaime proves to be the counterbalance she found lacking in a long, long time.

Jaime has to realize that the spark he felt maybe was between them back during college is still quite strong, and he tends to think that maybe he should have made a move earlier. However, now is the time, so Jaime gathers his courage at last and invites her over to his place, rather than his bar.

And it appears they do mix well once they forget about their troubles and enjoy the here and now in each other’s company.

However, trouble is not far away as Brienne is supposed to move back to Tarth soon enough, whereas Jaime has to come to realize that Brienne has the rights of it: He has to face his father and the responsibilities he neglected in favor of healing himself by doing something only just for himself.

And so it may be that they will soon have to share their last drink together for a long time all over again…

[superduperfandomgirl]

Yin and Yang: The Story of Burr and Hamilton

To start off, a note: Hamilton the musical is a beautiful work of pure genius on Miranda’s part, and I’ll love its themes, songs, and characters ‘til my dying days!  However, it is also historically inaccurate, so this text post is only about the musical.  Anything I say in reference to the characters and events in Hamilton is confined solely to Miranda’s work.  Thank you!

Now, on with the show~!

Alexander Hamilton first appears in (surprise surprise) the opening song “Alexander Hamilton”.  But his most important song concerning his approach to life comes as the third in the musical: “My Shot”.  It is a fast-paced, exhilarating anthem to how hard he has worked to get where he is and how hard he is willing to work to get where he wants to be.

Aaron Burr has to wait a little while longer for his chance in the spotlight, but he finally gets his opportunity to shine in the beautiful, thoughtful piece entitled “Wait For It”.  In this song, Burr explains how he is willing to wait and bide his time until he can seize his moment of greatness.  There are a few components to this strategy, some of which are revealed in earlier songs:

1. “Talk less, smile more.”

He hopes to charm the people around him enough until they give him a shot.

2. “Don’t let them know what you’re against or what you’re for.”

He doesn’t want to give anyone anything to use against him, so he doesn’t have outwardly spoken political beliefs.

3. “Wait for it.”

The titular component, this one involves waiting until you eventually get your chance to rise.

While Burr’s hesitancy is less motivational than Hamilton’s persistent drive for many, it is also more inspirational for others.  For those who feel like they are being left behind in life, it can be invigorating to know that you are not alone.  There are others who are willing to wait for their chance to rise as well.  Meanwhile, some fans find Hamilton’s relentless fighting and writing encouraging, as it shows that you can go places if you just work hard enough.

But which of these lifestyles is better?  My answer: Neither.  Let me explain.

(Oh geez, that sounded pretentious.  Turn on the “Beginning to Sound Like Logan From Sanders Sides” alert.)

Anyway...

I’m going to sum up the frenemies’ contrasting methods with these phrases: “Wait For It” versus “Work For It”.  Now, let the battle begin!

Burr’s “Wait For It” strategy is very much emotionally driven.  He likes control over his life (”I am the one thing in life I can control”), and he is afraid of messing up his parents’ legacy.  So, he waits and waits for his spot in the Revolution and in life to open up...except it doesn’t.  Throughout the first act, he is rejected again and again.  Even worse, he is made fun of for his "Wait For It” tactic by pretty much everyone in the musical.  You can feel his frustration with his position in life, especially in comparison to Hamilton, grow over the course of the first act.  This all culminates in the last song (”Non-Stop”), where Burr expresses both frustration and awe over Hamilton’s non-stop writing and accomplishments.

In the second act, Burr slowly starts to gain more confidence.  In “The Room Where It Happens”, Burr finally figures out what he wants: to be the one making the decisions.  And he knows how to get it: by not waiting for it but taking it.  From then on, his tactics shift.  He “Works For It”.  As the second act progresses, he becomes more and more politically active, as can be seen during “Schuyler Defeated” (in which Burr even credits Hamilton for inspiring his change in strategy).  Burr doesn’t give up the “not holding political beliefs” part of his strategy, but he does use Hamilton’s fighting for what he wants technique, which leads to Burr teaming up with Jefferson and Madison.  Together they try to take Hamilton down through the Embezzlement Scandal Gone Wrong in “We Know”.

After that, things start settling down a bit.  Burr is doing well, Hamilton is in ruins.  Everything’s fine.  Then, comes “The Election of 1800″.  Burr almost becomes president, except Hamilton sweeps the rug out from beneath him.  Burr had finally been achieving everything he had ever wanted, but Hamilton once again foils him.  This time, it wasn’t even Burr’s faulty tactics (except the “talk less, smile more” portion, but even that was something voters were fine with before Hamilton endorsed Jefferson) that failed him.  It was his frenemy, the one who (in Burr’s mind) was responsible for all of Burr’s political pursuits going awry.  

Tensions build from there, and we all know what happened in “The World Was Wide Enough”.  Burr acts; he doesn’t wait because he assumes Hamilton will do what he’s always done...not throw away his shot.  But in a twist of fate, Hamilton “Waits For It” and Burr “Works For It”, and both of their lives are ruined forever. (Side note: The fact that Burr sings a tiny reprised version of “Wait For It” at the end of “The World Was Wide Enough” is a magnificent touch by Lin Manuel Miranda!)

That is Burr’s story.  He went from “Waiting For It” to “Working For It”, and neither did him any good in the end.  Now, it is time for Hamilton’s side of things...

Unlike Burr, Hamilton has a lot more success with his “Work For It” tactic.  In the first act, he ascends through the ranks of the military, gathering friends, allies, a wife, his wife’s sister (awkwwwward), and a boyfriend- I mean, best friend.  Yes, totally.

Hamilton forges a reputation for himself in the first act, ending with the song “Non-Stop” in which he is at the top of his game.

Then, comes the second act.  From whence all emotional turmoil comes.  “Work For It” seemed like a great idea, until you have to constantly work just to stay ahead of your political enemies.  I’m sure your wife won’t mind if you ignore her for a couple more days, that’s fine.  Did you know her sister is coming to visit, the one you write pretty flirtatious letters to?  Better not go on vacay with them, bad political shit could happen while you’re gone.

Instead, bad personal shit happens.  He acts rashly and foolishly and sacrifices his marriage and political career by not saying no.

But let’s go back a second before we get to that...

In the second act, Hamilton is politically thriving.  Although it takes a lot of rap battles, he manages to get his debt plan through.  In a strange twist of fate and a wonderfully written narrative moment, this occurs in “The Room Where It Happens”.  For Burr, this song is fraught with jealousy and lifestyle changes, but for the Hamster, this is the song in which Jefferson and Madison give Hamilton the votes to pass his debt plan in exchange for them getting to decide the location of the nation’s capital.  Craziest of all, Hamilton actually achieves this by using part of Burr’s “Wait For It” technique - the “talk less, smile more” portion.  He charms his way into getting what he wants, instead of fighting tooth and nail as usual.  He sits down for dinner with his worst enemies, and they come to a compromise, something that would previously have been unthinkable to stubborn Hamilton.

Hamilton uses “Wait For It” and, for once, it works.

Afterward, Hamilton reverts back to his usual tactics, and they work moderately well (mostly because he has “Washington on [His] Side” ;D).  Until the storm hits...

In “Hurricane”, Hamilton has to figure out what to do about the rumors of him embezzling money from the government.  So, he decides, “Working For It” (or, rather, “Writing For It”) is his way out.  He will “overwhelm them with honesty”.  The “wait for it”s in the background during the ending of the song are absolutely magnificent, telling Hamilton to “Wait For It”; to not act for once in his life.  He should have let the rumors die down and not dignified the school-yard taunts with a response.  Instead, he made his second biggest mistake (sleeping with Maria being his first) and wrote...The Reynolds Pamphlet.

By the end of the play, Hamilton has lost almost everything, only recently having regained Eliza’s trust.  He continues to “Work For It”, but he has almost no outlet for that due to his political career going down in flames.  Not to mention he loses his son because he advises him to proceed with the duel, instead of stopping the ridiculous affair to begin with.  The only major benefit his strategy causes is his rejection of Burr, and even that didn’t go exactly to plan.  He “Waits For It” in the end and dies as a result. (Side note, again: The fact that many of the lines from “My Shot” are repeated in Hamilton’s final thoughts in “The World Was Wide Enough” is again a wonderful, wonderful touch by Lin!)

So, where does this all leave us?  “Wait For It” worked for Hamilton once upon a time, but it never helped Burr succeed.  “Work For It” pushed Burr to the top, but it also caused him to act too hastily.  It helped Hamilton rise, but it sent him crashing just as fast.

I personally think that neither “Wait For It” nor “Work For It” are effective systems on their own.  In and of themselves, they would theoretically work fine, but the attitudes they inspire in their users tend to lead to destruction in one way or another.  As Burr would say, “We rise and we fall”.

BUT if these two ideas were combined together, it’s possible they could balance each other out.  Like yin and yang, on their own they are imbalanced, but together they are strong.  If someone was ready to act and do whatever it took to achieve something but was also cautious enough to think through whether that action was worth doing, maybe they could lead a long, powerful life that wouldn’t end in them going down in flames.  I give to you all...

GENERAL WASHINGTON (the moment you’ve been waiting for, here comes the general)!

That’s right.  In the middle of writing this, I was only going to provide a hypothetical situation of someone with that balance.  But then, I was like, “Waiiit, there is a guy who balanced action and inaction and was able to retire peacefully for it.”  In the musical, Washington is calm and collected, but as shown in “Stay Alive”, he’s also ready to act whenever it is needed.  In Act 2, while everyone is fighting like children, he hears all sides of the argument and makes a rational decision based on them.  Sometimes he has his own opinions, but he keeps them to himself so he can let other people try to convince him otherwise.  He comes into things with an open mind and leaves with an action-based plan.  He is the “best of both worlds”.  He even knew when to step down and let someone else lead; something others have a lot of trouble with. (Looking at you, Georgie)

To conclude, action and inaction go hand-in-hand, and one system should not be held above the other.  They are like two sides of the same coin.  Without one, the other will not work properly (I mean, imagine handing a coin with only one side stamped to a cashier.  They’re not gonna accept that shite).

                          Together, however, they can go far.

Anywhos, thank you for listening to my long ramble!  If you couldn’t tell, I love Hamilton, so I would love to hear your thoughts about the musical or this post!  Love you all~! <3

[theseventhhex]

Illuminati Hotties Interview

Sarah Tudzin

Despite the pluralized nom de guerre, Illuminati Hotties is the creative outlet of Sarah Tudzin - a producer, engineer, and burrito aficionado hailing from the sprawl of Los Angeles. Armed with bright white shortveralls and a rotating line-up of Sarah’s bffs, Iilluminati Hotties has been lighting up stages across SoCal since Fall 2016 with playfully interweaving guitar lines, relentless rhythmic momentum, and strikingly self-aware vocals. Lauded as local “tenderpunk pioneers,” Illuminati Hotties has perfected the blend of sweetness and ferocity, of celebration and despondency, on their fantastic debut album, ‘Kiss Yr Frenemies’. At first listen, Illuminati Hotties is a sun-drenched, irreverent volley with the onset of adulthood, but as the listener dives deeper, they will find an earnest consideration of musical phrasing and deliberately crafted wordplay regarding the complexity of love, loss, and skateboarding… We talk to the delightful Sarah Tudzin about vocal takes, vegan pizza and Cardi B…

TSH: How would you sum-up your approach for new music with Illuminati Hotties?

Sarah: The creative process with Illuminati Hotties is very much like a job where you have to show up every day and be available. I’ll write songs even though I feel they suck at times - it’s important to always keep at it. Also, being observational about the world and the people that I know helps with my songwriting too. I feel like I’m always aware of what’s happening around me and writing it down.

TSH: Did you feel at all compelled to delve into current events not related to your personal viewpoints with ‘Kiss Yr Frenemies’?

Sarah: I guess there’s not so much current events covered on this album. I think you have to be pretty brave to write about that stuff. Sometimes when I’ve tried to write about bigger picture kind of things it gets a little contrived sounding. I definitely have a lot of thoughts about serious world issues but this record is a lot more personal and more detail oriented.

TSH: Throughout this excellent record you touch on being a young adult as well as financial struggles - you’re very much pulling from real scenarios and what you know...

Sarah: Totally. In one sense it’s the easiest subject matter to write about because it’s what you know, but there are songs that are sort of written from another person’s perspectives on this album too. But yeah, this record is consisting of stuff I’m familiar with and nothing on the album is sort of from a wildly different mindset at all.

TSH: This record involved you having to really take on so many creative roles too...

Sarah: Yeah, this whole record is really a product of myself. I wrote all of the parts and did a lot of studio legwork as well as producing. Other than some guitar parts, most of the bass and some background vocals, I played everything. It was really more of a product of the studio than the band in a room figuring things out.

TSH: Was it quite a challenge to form the track ‘Patience’?

Sarah: Oh my, that was one of the hardest songs to make. Writing the song actually felt natural but making the music for it was really challenging. I was working on this track until the very end and it just wasn’t feeling good for a long time. I remember just banging my head against the speakers for a long time and looking at my computer blankly, but I was eventually able to pull it together in a way that made sense at the last minute.

TSH: Was ‘Declutter’ the natural choice as the album closer?

Sarah: I think so. That’s one of the older songs on the album which I recorded live with Mike who plays piano. We played in the same room and it just seemed to make sense as the closer. It just sort of bookended the album in this sort of melancholic way and it felt like a different lens to look back on all the previous songs.

TSH: When it came to tracking your final vocals was there much tweaking done?

Sarah: I definitely did a lot of production on my vocals except for ‘Declutter’ being an exception. I could have done it for days and days, Colin my producer was hitting record for me whilst I was doing the vocals and he was good at telling me when I should stop, otherwise I would be chopping vocals takes for weeks on end. There is definitely a natural and fun aspect to my vocal performance and I’m not a trained vocalist by any means, it’s definitely just a form of delivery for me.

TSH: What are the main incentives that you bear in mind when Illuminati Hotties perform live?

Sarah: There are a lot of challenges that I personally come into contact with when I’m performing live just because I come more from a more studio background kind of place. For me, it’s been a sort of revelation that I could even perform my songs live because I much preferred for the longest time to be in the background. My main concern when we perform live is the band feeling good and us having fun and hoping that the audience feels really comfortable too. I actually do this thing where I close my eyes and imagine a single spotlight and that I’m totally alone onstage, which weirdly enough helps me to feel concentrated and it helps the softer moments of my performance too.

TSH: Are non-musical factors often seeping into your songwriting?

Sarah: Oh yeah, definitely. Most of what consumes my music is other things that I’m into and things that I observe with my friends or my family. Reading is definitely a big influence for me and I’m sure some movie references make their way into my work too. I guess everybody does the Netflix thing a lot as well. I’m not ashamed to admit that I really do like watching The Bachelor and The Bachelorette, they are my guilty pleasures, ha!

TSH: You’re also a big animal lover judging by your tour diaries...

Sarah: I love animals! They are so sweet and sometimes I feel we are undeserving of their sort of love. We happen to see a lot of great animals that are a welcome break from reality when we are touring.

TSH: Pizza is also a must for you?

Sarah: Hell yeah! I love pizza! You know, I’ve actually been allergic to dairy my whole life so I am on the hunt for the best for best vegan pizza everywhere I go.

TSH: On the road, the band has also been unwinding via drone flying activities...

Sarah: Oh, that was so cool. Nathaniel our guitar player got a drone when he moved to Los Angeles, he purchased it on a whim just to get himself outside to explore new places and he brought it with him on tour. Anyhow, whenever we saw a real cool stop-off and we had time, we would pull out the drone and let it rip. It’s really cool because we’ve ended up seeing stuff that we wouldn’t have seen just from the highway.

TSH: Since illuminati is in the band name, I have to ask your views on any recent conspiracy theories that you may have come across...

Sarah: Ah, that’s a good question! I think that there is always this weird undercurrent with the most famous people at the highest echelons of fame and how they are secret illuminati members. You often hear that all these huge music stars are so high up because of their allegiance to the illuminati. However, I don’t know if any of that is true. Nonetheless, it kind of sounds cool and it could be interesting to be a part of it.

TSH: Also, as far you’re concerned the worst part of the new Cardi B album is when any of the men are singing or rapping...

Sarah: Yeah! The new Cardi B record is shockingly amazing. I don’t mean to sound like a hater, but I just wasn’t expecting to be as blown away after all the hype. But yeah, I just feel that she gives up two minutes of songs to others dudes and they can’t deliver like she does.

TSH: What are your main ambitions for the band as you look ahead?

Sarah: I just want to keep writing and get back to the output process of things and see what comes out next. I feel a lot relief having finally completed this album since it’s been on my hard drive for so long! There’s a lot of touring to look forward to in the near future and I just hope that listeners can connect with the record. My next step is to try to figure out how to get the next album rolling and I can feel that it’s sort of simmering in me. I’m look forward to embracing the whole album making process once more.

Illuminati Hotties - “(You're Better) Than Ever ”

Kiss Yr Frenemies

[super--dale-blog]

Frenemies  (part 4)

Part 1 Part 2 Part 3

request new material here!

Taglist: at the bottom

Description: Archie begs the reader to join his and Jugheads road trip, and then ditches last minute.

Word Count: 3184

A/N: Sorry this is so long! I wanted to wrap it up so this could be the end of Frenemies (But I can also do a part 5 of when Jughead and the reader go back home idk). 

The beach. You had been driving for two and a half days with Jughead to arrive at the beach. After the first night, you two didn’t know where you were supposed to be going or what you were supposed to be doing. Archie had only told you a little bit of information, wanting the three of you to take it day by day.

With that being said, you had secretly hoped for something with a little bit more…pizzazz. Maybe a big city, or a cheezie tourist attraction. But here you two were, on a beach, in a quiet little town with the population just hitting one thousand.

Now, you can’t deny that the past few days with Jughead had been absolutely amazing. After the initial struggle of having the two of you around each other, you both realized that the other wasn’t so bad after all.

You had ended up holding hands almost the whole drive to the beach.

In this quaint little town, the two of you had pulled into the parking lot of a tiny motel. The vacancy light was on, glowing red. You walk in, and request the double room (although, both you and Jughead had a strong feeling that one bed would go unused tonight).

When you walk in and see the window, with the view of the ocean below, you smiled softly.

“Want to go for a walk?” Jughead asks. You nod.

And there you were, the both of you walking down the small, narrow path to the unoccupied beach below. Taking your shoes off, you let your toes sink into the sand, feeling relaxed. The wind picked up, and your sundress blew around at the force of it.

He grabs your hand, a gesture that feels almost normal now, and you both begin to make your way down to the waters edge. You let the water hit your toes, loving the coolness. The both of you trek down the beach, taking a seat on a cluster of large rocks. The waves crash against the rocks, misting the both of you.

“You know,” you start out “This place is extremely beautiful. I wonder how no one knew about it before.”

It was silent for a second, and you look over at Jughead. There was a sort of sadness in his eyes. Before you have time to ask what was wrong, he explains.

“I actually did know about it,” he says, looking out at the horizon. “This would be the prime vacation spot for my family when Jellybean and I were little,” at this, you grab his hand. “We stopped coming a few years before my mom left. We actually stayed in that motel, we’d come down to this beach.”

“What else would you do?” you ask, slightly happy that he was able to confide in you.

He smiles at this, giving you a grateful look. “This is where I’d learn to love writing. I was only ten at the time but a ten-year-old has an active imagination. We’d also stop in at a little restaurant up the road, once on the way into town and once on the way out,” at this, his smile falters “I don’t even know if it’s still around, it’s been 4 years since we’ve been here. But my parents, they’d always get a slice of peach pie. They’d say it’s the best in the country. Jellybean and I would share an ice cream sundae. She hated the cherries so I’d always eat them all.”

There’s a silence between the two of you, and you assume he’s done.  You take a glance over at him, noticing his eyes becoming glassy with tears. He furiously blinks them away.

“There’s also a really cool camera shop here, we found it during our last year. I’d spent almost the whole vacation in that shop, getting the best tips from the guy that worked there. And the sweets shop, that was Jellybeans favorite. She loved their handmade gummy bears. Always would get some for the road.” He says. You nod, waiting for him to continue. When he doesn’t, you speak up.

“We could go to those places, if you want. Grab some dinner and then go look around in the shops and stuff. We could recreate it, kind of. I know it would be so much better with your family here but – “

“I am really thankful that you’re here, actually. I wouldn’t feel comfortable with anyone else. Even Archie.” He interrupts, and you blush. “Sorry for laying this on you, and sorry for not telling you what I had planned. I just felt like you wouldn’t have wanted to come. It was selfish.”

You laugh a little, “Jughead, I don’t think it’s selfish at all. I am really happy that we did this. There’s no better way I would’ve wanted to spend my road trip.” You say.

He wraps his arm around you, pulling you in for a little side hug. The both of you sit like that for a second, before he pulls away.

“So, wanna go get dinner?”

“This place is so cute,” you gush, walking into the little restaurant. You both stand at the podium, waiting to be seated.

“Well, bless my heart, its Jughead Jones in the flesh!” you hear being called across the room, and you both turn to see a short, chubby woman fast walking toward you. She had jet black hair that was pulled back in a bun, and a kind face that was void of any makeup. You look up at Jughead, to see him smiling. It was the widest you’ve ever seen on him, and it made you insanely happy.

“Pam!” he says, holding his arms out and pulling her in for a hug.

“It’s been too long! How have you been?” she asks, and then her eyes move from his and find their way to you. You blush softly. “Is this your girlfriend?” Pam asks quietly, but you could still hear her.

Jughead doesn’t answer for a few seconds. “No, we’re just friends.” He says, and quickly changes the subject. “But I’m good, how are you?”

They get into a conversation, but you can’t help but overthink things. Just friends? You thought. Maybe you were misreading signs and signals. You thought that Jughead had thought of you more than just a friend. You shouldn’t even be complaining. Three days ago you hated one another. At least it’s not hate.

“(Y/N), Jughead, lets find you a table yeah?” you hear your name being called, and snapped out of your thoughts. You nod.

Pam starts walking away, towards the corner booth. Jughead gestures for you to walk ahead of him, and when you look up at him you see him smiling at you, eyes filled with pure happiness.

Once you two sit down, Pam hands you the menus and grabs your drinks. You quietly look over the menu, scanning the items. It seems like these are the type of dinners your grandma would make, nice and warm and made with love. You decide on the pot roast and potatoes, and set the menu down. When you look up at Jughead, he’s already staring at you.

“Thank you for this.” He says quietly, a hint of a smile on his face.

“Why are you thanking me?” you ask, and he shrugs, grabbing your hand and playing with your fingers. He wouldn’t meet your eyes.

“Just for coming with me, for being so understanding. For just being there. Not many people are there for me. And today just…shows that you care.”

“I’ll always care, Jug. I mean, we may have hated each other less than a week ago,” you joke “But I’m not that heartless. I care.”

“Why didn’t we like one another, anyways?” he asks, and you gasp.

“You can’t tell me you don’t remember. You got upset at me for finding your name slightly amusing and decided to throw mud on me!��� you say, jokingly.

“I threw mud on you? That seems like a stupid reason to hate me.”

“Jughead it was my absolute favorite shirt at the time! And you stained it! And embarrassed me in front of Archie!” you say in defense, and he laughs.

“And look, Archie is still your friend.” He says, and his eyes soften. “Me too?” he asks quietly.

Before you even have time to answer, Pam comes back over to take your order. You tell her what you want, and she rushes off in the back to put the order in.

You were about to answer Jughead’s question (one that you didn’t know how to answer, because your head and heart were battling against the other over your feelings), but your phone started ringing. When you looked at it, you groaned.

“It’s Archie.” You say, about to hit the red ‘decline’ button. Jughead stops you though.

“Answer it, (Y/N). You should just emphasize how great of a time we’re having without him.” He snickers, and you roll your eyes.

“You’re such a child,” you say, but hit the accept button anyways “Hello?” you say, and you can almost hear the red headed boy smiling into the phone.

“(Y/N)!” he yells, and you had to pull your phone away from your ear. “How are you? I’m so sorry about this whole situation, what did you two end up doing?”

“You’re an ass,” you say, but continue “We’re good, actually. We honestly are just hanging out. Grabbing some dinner.”

“Wait, you two didn’t kill each other yet?”

You sigh. “No, Archie. We didn’t kill each other.” Before you can hear Archie’s response, Jughead pulls the phone away from your ear.

“Yeah, we’re actually like, best friends now. Sorry man, you’ve been replaced.” He says into the phone, but after a few seconds his face turns beet red. “N-no.” he stutters, “Here’s (Y/N).”

You take the phone from him, sending him a confused look. “Hey Arch, gotta go. Our foods coming. Bye!” you make an excuse, hanging up the phone. “What did he say to you?” you snicker, motioning towards his face which was getting lighter.

“Wouldn’t you like to know.” He says, and you stick your tongue out at him.

By now, your food has arrived, and you both dig in, savoring every bite. There was almost no interaction between the both of you, the food too good to wait. Once you were both finished, Pam comes over, clearing the plates.

“So, any dessert for the two of you?” she asks, and you were shocked when Jughead said no.

“Actually,” you interrupt “Can we get an ice cream sundae? With two spoons?”

Pam nods and scurries away, and you look over at Jughead. He’s giving you a look, one you’ve never seen before.

“What?” you asked shyly, and he shakes his head.

“You’re great.” He says, and it’s your turn to blush. You both sit in silence, then, him still playing with your fingers, both of you staring into each others eyes.

Pam comes back, setting two spoons down and then the sundae. She gives you both a knowing look, before leaving.

The first thing Jughead does is pull the three cherries off the sundae, popping them in his mouth one by one. You watch, a small smile on your face. When he turns to look at you, his eyes widen.

“Did you want some?” he asks after swallowing “I’m sorry that was so ignorant of me. I’m just used to doing that first.”

You giggle, making him blush. “No, no. It’s fine. I’m not the biggest fan of cherries anyways.”

You both dig into the sundae, keeping your silent composure. Once you were done, Pam comes back over, handing a separate receipt to both of you. Before anything, Jughead immediately grabs yours. You frown.

“Jug, I can pay for my own dinner.” You say, and he shrugs.

“Yeah, but just let me do something nice for you, for once.” He says, and you can’t protest that. You just nod, as he grabs his wallet and stands up, walking to the front counter.

Pam walks over to you when Jughead was away, sitting down in his empty seat.

“So, (Y/N),” she begins “How long have you known Jughead?”

“Since the summer after third grade,” you say shyly, wondering where she was going with this.

“Okay, and how long have you liked him?” she asks, and you almost choked on air at the accusation.

“Sorry, what?” you ask, and she laughs.

“I can see the way you two look at each other. And you were holding hands the whole time. You can’t tell me that you two don’t feel that way for one another.”

Your face blushes red, and you can’t even think of a reply before Jughead comes back.

“What’re you two talking about?” he asks, giving each of you a look. Pam smiles, standing up.

“Oh honey, wouldn’t you like to know.” She said, patting him on the shoulder. “It was so nice to see you, Jughead. Come back soon!” she says, giving him a tight squeeze, knowing that we were ready to leave. He nods.

“Will do, Pam.” He says, and she walks off to go serve other customers. “Ready, (Y/N)?” he asks you, and you nod. He holds his hand out to you, helping you stand, but not letting go after you’re on your feet.

You both walk out of the restaurant, still hand in hand.

“So, what was Pam saying to you? Your face is still red.” He snickers, walking back in the direction of the motel.

“Wait, don’t you want to see if that camera shop is still open? We can go!” you say, avoiding the subject. After a second, Jughead sighs and turns around, walking the other direction.

“That isn’t getting you out of answering my question, nice avoidance though.” He says. You roll your eyes.

“She just thought we were in a relationship, or liked each other, or something crazy like that.” You say, trying to play it off as nothing.

“But you blushed when she said that, which means you must have to feel that way about me!” he teases, and you scoff.

“Yeah, you wish.” You say. You could’ve sworn you heard a small ‘maybe’ muttered under his breath, but you couldn’t be certain.

You walk the rest of the way in silence, the sidewalk transforming to a small board walk. There were different shops there, with a Ferris Wheel and neon lights – just like the carnival. You smile, but when you look up at Jughead he’s frowning.

You can see his reflection in the abandoned storefront window, the outline of stick-on letters spelling “New and Used Cameras!” on the dirty glass.

“Oh, Jug. I’m sorry.” You say, and he sighs.

“It’s fine, (Y/N). I wasn’t banking on it being open anyways. Just a little sad seeing it all…empty.” He says, pulling you away from it. You don’t say anything else, knowing that Jughead wouldn’t want to talk about it.

You two walk down the boardwalk, Jughead pointing to different stores and reminiscing about his memories. You don’t say anything, letting him explain every detail for you.

Suddenly, he’s pulling you in a different direction. “We didn’t get to go on the Ferris Wheel at the carnival so…” he trails off, stopping at the end of the short line for the ride.

You both wait in line, and when you’re about to get on, he asks the guy that runs the ride if our car could be stopped at the top.

“It’s one of the prettiest views I’ve ever seen.” He explains, and helps you into the ride car. You were the last two on, and once the seat is checked you are lifted into the air. The ride goes around twice, before slowing down and stopping, you two sitting at top.

Jughead was right. This view is breathtaking. The sun is setting, splaying pinks, purples, and oranges all over. The water is a deep shade of blue.

“You’re right, this is gorgeous,” you say, and sit for a few seconds more. Before the ride starts to go again, you turn to him “If this is one of the prettiest, what’s the absolute prettiest view you’ve ever seen?” you ask, and he looks away shyly, before answering.

“You.” He says, and your eyes widen. You definitely weren’t expecting that answer, and as the ride makes its descent, you try to think of something to say.

 Nothing was coming to mind, though, and as you both step off the ride, you awkwardly begin walking back towards the motel.

Your heart is beating fast, still in shock from the bluntness of his words. It can’t be true can it? Does Jughead really think I’m the prettiest view? Could that even be humanly possible? What’s even going through his mind right now?

You walked yourself through the past few days, the bickering in the beginning, followed by the fully intentional cuddle session last night and earlier this morning. All the sweet words, hand holding, truthfulness. Everything coming to mind bringing butterflies to your stomach.

You were so wrapped up in your thoughts that you didn’t realize you were already back at the motel, the sun just finished setting behind the horizon. Jughead uses the keycard to unlock the door, and you both walk in. The door shuts behind you, and he turns around.

“I’m sorry.” He said. You must’ve looked very confused, because Jughead continued “I shouldn’t have said that. I was so wrapped up in the moment, and just thinking back to the past few days, I dunno. I just don’t want my stupid, impulsive words to ruin whatever we have… or had.”

Your mouth opens and closes, almost fish-like, as you try to find the words to say. The only thing you wanted to do to the boy was kiss him.

So you did.

It was a sweet kiss, just a little peck, three seconds at most. The second your lips touched his you felt a shock, and when you pulled away its almost like your breath was pulled away too.

You both stare at each other, not making any type of sound, shocked at your bravery. And then, suddenly, Jugheads hands were on your face. They pulled you closer, his lips teasingly hovering just above yours.

When this kiss happens, it’s full of passion. It’s harsher than before, but you welcome it. Your heart was about to beat right out of your chest and your stomach wouldn’t stop doing flips. It was so blissful, so peaceful. Your heart was on Cloud Nine and you never wanted to come down.

You both pull away at the same time, the need for air a more pressing matter. He rests his forehead against yours, breathing deeply. It’s almost like this was how things were meant to be. You two, here, now.

And the rest of the night went on like that. Laying in bed watching cheezy movies, cuddling closer to one another and the occasional kiss (or make-out session) here and there. And in that moment everything felt perfect.

A/N: OK SO I can finish it here or I could make part 5, where Jughead and the reader go home & its just nothing but fluff. Let me know!! 

FOREVER TAGLIST: @superhero-lover101 @murderyoursoul @serpentqveen @lotte142 @gemmielii @zombiewerewolfqueen @tegan-and-or-sara @fandomlover03 @cassilynn16 

[mhdiaries]

Diary of Cleo de Nile

Our royal recollections are not for the eyes of commoners. 

Ninth Month 15th Day

I didn’t sleep very well last night at all. I had this dream that I was about to lead the Fear Squad onto a stage where we were supposed to perform in front of an undead JV audience with millions of monsters watching all over the world. Only when I looked back Frankie had forgotten her arms, Draculaura had a tiny bat body with her normal sized head and Deuce had turned the rest of the team into stone. He kept saying, “It’s okay we’ll take them home and they can live in the garden with the other gnomes.” Then I realized I was wearing a lunch lady outfit and my pompoms had turned into gravy ladles. Fortunately, I woke up before we had to perform. I told father about the dream and he said, “Uneasy lies the head that wears the crown.” Well, perhaps I should lessen that unease with more team practice.

Ninth Month 20th Day

Ghoulia yelled at me today and I must admit that it sort of hurt my feelings. She was sitting by herself in the creepateria drawing something in her notebook and I was going to ask her to sit with the rest of us. When I said her name though it startled her, and she slammed her notebook closed. Then she said, “Oh my ghoul!” “Can you please take your own notes and give me just a moment of privacy?” Then she turned her back on me and started drawing again. I think what hurt my feelings the most was not that she yelled at me but that she thought it wasn’t her company I wanted. She apologized later which I accepted, of course. I like having Ghoulia around because I absolutely trust her. I wish I could tell her that but it’s just not done. I am royalty after all… although perhaps I need to learn to make exceptions for my friends.

Tenth Month 7th Day

Spectra… leave it to her to make a mausoleum out of a molehill. I saw Deuce at the end of the school day, and he told me how everything started. He wrote a song for my upcoming birthday celebration and he wanted Operetta to put it to music and make a recording for me. Of course, there have been thousands of songs composed in my honor but this was different… anyway so Deuce goes into the band room with Operetta and starts reading her the song. Spectra floats through and misinterprets what’s going on, like she always does, and all of a sudden the whole school is in full scale gossip mode. Before I know it I’m being dumped by Deuce and getting back together with Clawd. She even had the audacity to ask me for a comment! I was so angry I shouted at her in Ancient Egyptian… probably a good thing since what I said was not exactly befitting royalty. I even cancelled Fear Squad practice because I totally couldn’t focus. I know that Clawd tracked Spectra down and tried to reason with her but that actually made things worse because if she thinks she’s being persecuted she gets even louder about what she thinks the “real” truth is. I appreciated Clawd trying to stand up for me though. He is an honorable wolf and under different circumstances maybe we’d still be together but undue speculation is something which commoners concern themselves, so I’ll stop now.

Tenth Month 12th Day

Why is it that Headless Headmistress Bloodgood wants us to dredge up the past? The last thing I want to do is write about how my family went from ruling the greatest dynasty ever to being betrayed and dethroned by people we trusted. I will not write about that because even after so many thousands of years it still hurts. What to write then? I have the ability to charm snakes – not with a stupid flute – but I can speak to them and they will do what I ask them to. It’s not something I do all the time – I mostly just use it when Hissette crawls inside a shoe I want to wear and won’t come out. No, I’ve never used it on Deuce although I have been tempted a time or two… just kidding. He likes me for who I am, why would I want to ruin that by manipulating him? I must also wear some of my wrappings at all times otherwise… well it’s not something I really wish to think about. Father also has quite a collection of amulets and charms that will work only for those in my family. Of course, they usually also come with a curse if you overuse them.

Tenth Month 16th Day

I’m beginning to think that allowing Purrsephone, Meowlody and Toralei to stay on the Fear Squad was a mistake. My sister brought them onto the team, she always was a cat person, when she was the Fear Squad captain. If they weren’t so athletic and graceful I would have kicked them off when I became captain, despite my sister’s insistence that I keep them. They definitely have their own agenda and even though on the outside they act like they are sold out for the team I do not trust them. I think if something “better” came along they would leave me up the Styx without a Charon. I even overheard them making fun of Ghoulia one day which they totally denied when I confronted them about it. I on the other hand have one agenda; making the Fear Squad the best it can be. If they get in the way of making that happen I hear Lagoona is looking for new members on the swim team.

Tenth Month 22nd Day

I got an email from Nefera today. Ugh… haven’t had that name haunting over my head since she graduated. Just writing it after so long sends chills down my spine and not in a good way either. She said that she was up for five magazine covers and a spooks model contract. She was also up on all the MH gossip and what was happening on the Fear Squad. Wonder who she’s getting all her information from… not. Of course she gave me a whole list of things I was doing wrong and what I needed to do to fix them. As the older sister she is entitled to correct me if I do anything “unbecoming to one of royal birth.” I am entitled to sit quietly and listen which I did, a lot. The Fear Squad is not about royalty though and as a past captain she is entitled to her opinion but I’m no longer entitled to sit quietly and listen. It’s my team now and even though we haven’t yet won the awards her teams did I believe that we can and will. I don’t know why she should care anyway since her email made it sound like she’s one step away from ruling the world. If I were in her place what’s happing at high school would be the last thing on my mind.

Tenth Month 25th Day

I ran into Clawdeen at the Maul today. We both came out of a dressing room wearing the same thing. I braced myself for some sarcastic comment but she just looked at me and started laughing. I don’t know why but I did as well and before long we were both sitting on the floor of the dressing room howling with laughter. We got kicked out of the store and ended up at the food corpse sharing a basket of fries. She told me that Clawd told her the real story behind our breakup and I told her that I was sorry for not being honest about the situation from the beginning. She apologized too – for not confronting me directly and getting the true tale. We hung out for a while and mocked some current fashion trends and then before we left Clawdeen stuck out her hand, “Frenemies?” she said. “Frenemies,” I said as I shook it. While it is doubtful that two “alphas” can ever be more than that, not have Clawdeen actively against me is a step in the right direction.

[syrupwit]

Letter for Multifandom Horror Exchange

Hello there, and welcome to my letter for Multifandom Horror Exchange 2020! I appreciate that you’ve taken the time to read this letter. I hope that it will provide you with clarification, inspiration, or at the very least a bit of entertainment. Although I’ve written more for some sections and less for others, rest assured that I would be super excited to receive a gift for any of my requested fandoms, characters, pairings, or horror types.

Please see the table of contents below:

Likes

DNWs

Fandom: House (1977)

Fandom: Invader Zim

Fandom: The Magnus Archives

Fandom: Too Many Cooks (2014 Short)

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Likes

A long list of my general likes can be found here.

When it comes to horror, I tend to prefer psychological explorations, suspense, and disturbing implications to explicit gore and violence, although I’m definitely not opposed to more graphic content. I love ominous atmospheres; building, lingering senses of dread; and landscapes and environments that interact with and express the characters’ fears, anxieties, and griefs. I especially love horror with supernatural elements -- ghosts and hauntings, monsters and cryptids, eldritch deities and their cultists, magic and magic users. I’m also a big fan of cosmic horror, and the sense that characters are pitted against amoral, indifferent forces that might not even recognize them as significant enough to be hostile towards but that are nonetheless damaging to human life. Additionally, I really like dark comedy, gallows humor, and horror with a more comedic / parodic / satirical slant.

While I typically prefer hopeful or bittersweet endings for my requested characters and pairings, please go for it if you have a great idea with a darker ending.

Some horror media I have really enjoyed but am not requesting for this exchange include the short stories of M. R. James and JS Le Fanu; William Hope Hodgson’s Carnacki, the Ghost-Finder stories; Clark Ashton Smith’s Averoigne stories; “The Night Ocean” by R. H. Barlow and H. P. Lovecraft; the connected-ish novels The Red Tree and The Drowning Girl by Caitlin R. Kiernan; the parody / pastiche novels of A. Lee Martinez; My Best Friend’s Exorcism by Grady Hendrix; and the movies Suspiria (1977 version -- haven’t seen the new one yet), The Others (2001), and Kwaidan (1965). Also I really love Garth Marenghi’s Darkplace. I don’t know if listing all that helps, but there it is.

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Do Not Want (DNW)

Underage sex

Character or ship bashing

Hate speech or in-depth onscreen depictions / discussions of bigotry

Harm to pet animals, or any graphic animal harm (fighting a giant evil wolf or something is fine)

Characters having consensual sex when they are not attracted to each other

Noncon that goes against a character’s in-fic orientation

Bestiality

Scat

Necrophilia

Sexual activity involving worms / spiders / insects

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FANDOM: HOUSE (1977)

Requested Fanwork Types: Fic -- Not Emphasizing Sexual Content

Requested Horror Types: Dark Fantasy, Folk Horror, Gothic Horror, Psychological Horror

Requested Characters/Pairings: Auntie & Gorgeous, Auntie/Fantasy, Kung Fu/Sweet

If you are not yet familiar with House or are looking for a refresher, this fanvid by AbsoluteDestiny hits most of the high points: Rock Lobster [YouTube link]. The basic plot is that seven girls visit their classmate’s aunt in the countryside for summer vacation. While initially charmed by the aunt’s quaint manners and old-fashioned home, they soon discover that something is very wrong. Things get weirder and weirder as more of the girls disappear and the aunt’s past is revealed. Innovative art design, a bangin soundtrack, and a kaleidoscopic array of surreal, absurd events and images make this film a memorable, exuberantly strange experience. Also, the aunt is hot, and you can quote me on that.

*** PLEASE NOTE THAT THE FOLLOWING RELATIONSHIP SECTIONS INCLUDE MINOR SPOILERS ***

Relationship: Auntie & Gorgeous

I’d love to learn more about the dynamic between Gorgeous and her aunt. How long had Auntie planned to prey on / possess her? Did they truly have any interactions while Auntie was alive? After the film’s ending, is there anything next for them? I’m a big fan of Subtle Menace and Vague Yet Troubling Implications, so scenes of Gorgeous going about her daily life while receiving odd letters from her aunt absolutely would not go amiss. And what’s up with the cat?

Relationship: Auntie/Fantasy

The postwar generation gap and feelings of alienation between younger/older people are major themes in House. I think this finds a lot of expression in the relationship between Auntie and Fantasy, Gorgeous’s best friend who is prone to daydreaming and ill-equipped to grasp the full tragedy of Auntie’s life. One of the concluding scenes of the film involves a possessed-by-Auntie Gorgeous holding Fantasy’s head to her breast and petting her hair while she cries; I guess that’s just very interesting to me. I love UST and ominousness and weirdness, so please go for it if you have an idea that involves any of those things for this pairing. 

Relationship: Kung Fu/Sweet

These two are just cute, and a little sad. Kung Fu is the action girl of the friend group, and Sweet is a gentle, polite girl who Kung Fu feels she has to protect. Unfortunately Sweet gets attacked by futons and trapped in a clock, and then Kung Fu is eaten by a lamp. What might happen in an AU where they survive, or where the house consumes the courses of its meal in a different order? Is there a “wandering through dreamland” element to the nightmare dimension where they’re trapped at the end? Perhaps the body horror from the movie is played straight, and Kung Fu’s head and legs continue to move independently of each other though they share the same mind (agh). Who knows?

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FANDOM: INVADER ZIM

Requested Fanwork Types: Fic -- Not Emphasizing Sexual Content, Fic -- Emphasizing Sexual Content

Requested Horror Types: Institutional Horror, Paranormal Horror, Science-Fiction Horror, Survival Horror

Requested Characters/Pairings: Dib/Zim

Like a good chunk of people in the fandom right now, I had my teenage love for this show revived by last summer’s movie. There’s something irresistible to me about the blend of snappy comedy, unapologetic pessimism, and hints of a more complicated universe that we just barely get to see. For this exchange, I’d be thrilled with a story that retains the lighter elements of canon, as well as something that explores a darker take on things. I haven’t read any of the comics yet, but feel free to include stuff from them if you like.

Relationship: Dib/Zim

Apparently this is my OTP. Yeah, I don’t know either. The enemies to frenemies or lovers dynamic is one of my favorites. I particularly enjoy these two as outcasts who fruitlessly seek validation from indifferent or hostile societies via their rivalry when they’re the ones who really understand each other best. I prefer their relationship to end up a positive thing for both of them, if with some rough territory along the way. Like a good chunk of ZADR fandom, I prefer this ship aged up to late teens or young adults, but feel free to write them canon age as well -- just no underage sex, please.

For each type of horror I’ve requested, here are some ideas I have:

Institutional Horror: The world of Invader Zim is full of unpleasant and draconian institutions -- for example, the Crazy House for Boys, or Dib’s school with its underground classrooms. Irken society itself is one big dystopian horror-fest on pretty much all levels.

Paranormal Horror: The supernatural is another canonical feature of this universe. <3 Does Dib get in over his head investigating strange phenomena? Does he raise the walking dead again, get grounded for it, and have no choice but to stand by helplessly while his zombies overtake the city? Does Zim acquire an unwanted tenant in the form of a ghost, or a mysterious artifact that promises to grant all his wishes? There are so many options.

Science-Fiction Horror: Haunted ships and abandoned research stations, the yawning emptiness of deep space, eldritch monsters beyond the stars... Dib and Zim can encounter all of these and pretend not to be scared out of their wits by them. Also! Killer robots, sentient computer viruses, experiments gone wrong? Anything you like.  

Survival Horror: These two would make great survival horror protagonists on their own, but I also really like the idea of them being thrown in a situation where they have to work together to make it out. I really like the idea of Zim and Dib being pitted against a more serious antagonist or challenge than those they encounter in canon, and of them realizing that, despite the many canonical instances of mutual attempted murder, neither actually wants the other to die. (And then getting out with a new understanding of their importance to each other! Or ending miserably. Either way.)

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FANDOM: THE MAGNUS ARCHIVES

Requested Fanwork Types: Fic -- Not Emphasizing Sexual Content, Fic -- Emphasizing Sexual Content

Requested Horror Types: Cosmic/Lovecraftian Horror, Folk Horror, Institutional Horror, Paranormal Horror, Religious Horror

Requested Characters/Pairings: Gerard Keay, Mary Keay & Gertrude Robinson, Mary Keay/Gertrude Robinson, Trevor Herbert & Julia Montauk, Sasha James/Michael, Martin Blackwood/Peter Lukas

As a rule, I’m not into podcasts. I sat down with the first episode of this series about a month ago and became obsessed within two days. (I am now caught up through Season 5.) I love the unique worldbuilding, and the way the horror feels really genuinely horrifying and modern and immediate even when it’s one of those rad historical episodes, and all the characters, and the plot, and aaaahhhhhhh I love it. I’d just really like to hear more about this universe (and characters), and all the terrible things that can happen in it (and to them).

Character: Gerard Keay

Poor, doomed Gerry Keay. I want to know more about his adventures! Canon divergence, pre-canon, something set nebulously present or post-canon -- I’m here for all of it. I ship him romantically with pretty much every character except his parents, and platonically with every character including his parents; in particular, I like him with Gertrude and Jon. If you’d like some slightly more specific prompts, here are a few:

Trevor and Julia using Gerard as a monster manual, pre-Season 3. Did they ever run into something he couldn’t identify?

AU where Jon keeps his page instead of destroying it.

Working or traveling with Gertrude, trying to relax after a taxing case but getting pulled into another one.

Teenage Gerard chasing Leitners and getting in over his head.

Relationship: Mary Keay & Gertrude Robinson | Mary Keay/Gertrude Robinson

Grouping the platonic and romantic ships together because I like both and am mostly just interested in seeing these two interact more. “Dubiously (a)moral older women on orthogonal sides of a conflict, also one of them semi-kills the other” is, like, a dynamic that could have been tailor-made for me.

Mary Keay is so deeply creepy -- her statement in “First Edition” gave me legitimate shivers. Her quest for power and attempts to control the Entities are really interesting to me, and I enjoy how they contrast with Gertrude’s more utilitarian, less openly self-serving approach. Gertrude, on the other hand… I just fuckin love Gertrude. The frail old lady exterior hiding a ruthless will and a spine of magically reinforced steel -- I swoon. (I should note that I really like stuff that explores the more vulnerable and messy sides of badass / competent characters, especially female characters. If Gertrude locks up her heart and throws away the key, etc., what could make it strain its chains...? Or, uh, something like that.)

Relationship: Trevor Herbert & Julia Montauk

Yes! Obnoxious monster hunters!! I’m intrigued by their intuitive understanding of each other and strong bond despite the age gap and different life experiences. Do the demands of the Hunt ever interfere with their partnership? What sorts of gnarly, gross, twisted, chilling, or darkly funny situations have they gotten into over the course of their travels? I love them as happy monsters in comic, if gruesome, circumstances, but I’d also be down for something exploring the darker or softer sides of their work and relationship.

Relationship: Sasha James/Michael 

I was mad interested by Michael’s introduction in “A Distortion,” and Sasha was so brave with him. I’m a huge sucker for the trope where a supernatural creature protects or helps a weak ordinary human, even if it’s for a price, and for any monster romance along those lines. Perhaps these two have other encounters between their first meeting and Sasha’s murder, or an alternate first meeting? Perhaps Michael rescues her from the Not!Them? Or perhaps, in an AU, Archivist!Sasha has a very different sort of relationship with the Distortion? Or something else...?!

Relationship: Martin Blackwood/Peter Lukas

A later addition, but I couldn’t help myself. I love how amiable and sensible Peter acts even as he’s carrying out dread errands, and I felt for poor Martin dealing with Peter’s weird corporate speak and technology issues. There’s so much potential for comedy, angst, and multi-layered horror with this pairing -- the Lonely is such a strangely seductive concept even as it’s terrifying, and Peter’s relationship to it is very interesting. Peter, himself, is very interesting. Martin, I’m just very fond of, all his courage and scheming and petulance (and codependent tendencies). I’m down for pretty much anything about this pairing.

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FANDOM: TOO MANY COOKS (2014 SHORT)

Requested Fanwork Types: Fic -- Not Emphasizing Sexual Content

Requested Horror Types: Cosmic/Lovecraftian Horror, Killer Horror, Psychological Horror, Survival Horror

Requested Characters/Pairings: Character of Author’s Choice

The “Too Many Cooks” short can be watched for free on YouTube.

I remember watching this when it came out. I watched it again when I saw it in the nominations for this exchange, and yep, STILL CREEPY AS FUCK. ❤︎❤︎❤︎ I love the genre parodies in this short almost as much as the gradually eroding realities / intensifying horror and strangeness. I would love to hear more about this nightmare world and how an individual character might experience it. Really, I’m up for almost anything here. :D