#which is something that robert definitely lacked

[navree]

If Aegon got the chance to actually rule , do you think he would be a bad or a decent king? Judging by how he takes everything seriously in the book , i doubt he would be like Robert as most of the fandom believe so

Yeah, I don't think he would have ended up like Robert. Robert's whole deal was that he was a good warrior but incredibly ill suited to the role of being a king or any kind of ruler/administrator, and that whenever he tried to get involved in things, that's when problems happened (wanting tourneys, bankrupting the realm, getting in crippling debt with the Iron Bank and with the Lannisters, deciding certain policies and making certain appointments). Aegon doesn't have that, there's nothing to necessarily suggest that he was badly suited to be king, just that he wasn't well suited to be king, and there is a difference. You can be not good at something without being actively bad at it. Robert was actively bad at it, because that's not who he was as a person, and I don't think Aegon would be.

It's hard to tell what Aegon would have been like as a king in the long term, because his entire reign was dominated by wartime, and being in government during wartime versus during peacetime are two incredibly different things (again, Robert was a great wartime leader, shit peacetime leader). I don't think Aegon would have been a magnificent king by any stretch, some decisions he made make that clear, like firing Otto for Criston because he valued militarism over Otto's diplomacy while Otto's diplomacy was working, just taking longer, which speaks to a certain desire for immediate gratification in politics that lines up with who Aegon was as a person. But he also does show an ability to listen to the people around him and a desire to follow their judgment, it's just that he's also willing to ignore them when he thinks the situation calls for it and he doesn't have anyone with a strong enough personality to really put the kibosh on that (if Tywin had been his grandfather for instance, Aegon probably would have been more tractable). I think Aegon would have likely had capable administrators on his Small Council, and likely would have listened to them and followed their counsel for most of the time.

If Aegon had won the war decisively and was able to rule into a decently long reign of peace, I think he'd have been all right. He would have likely been able to restore some order to the Kingdoms, though how extensive that would have to be depends on when we imagine he wins the war, not to mention whether or not we're factoring in a reality where there was no war and he got to be a regular king from day one. He'd probably have a reputation similar to some of the lesser known Targaryen kings, a good enough ruler who had counselors who did all right by the realm and didn't make anything abjectly worse, while not necessarily making any great strides in betterment or in grand achievements. Literally, just an All Right That's Fine kind of guy.

[mynameismckenziemae]

Underestimated

Robert ‘Bob’ Floyd x You/Reader/OFC

Summary: Being mistreated isn’t uncommon for a woman working in a male-dominated field, but Bob isn’t going to let it slide when he witnesses it happen to you.

Warnings: 18+ MDNI! Smut, oral (m receiving), p in v, military/mechanical inaccuracies (I’m assuming), misogyny, etc.

——————————————————————————

For as long as you can remember, people (men) have underestimated you. Starting with your older brothers thinking you were an easy target, though they quickly learned that wasn’t the case. Next, your math teacher overlooked your intelligence because you were female. Your guidance counselor tried to persuade you away from the Navy after graduation because you weren’t tough enough for the military. The RDC laughed in your face the first day of boot camp, saying someone of your stature would never make it through; it sure felt good to see the smile fall from his face when you received ‘Outstanding’ marks in your physical readiness test.

But just because you were used to being underestimated; doesn’t mean it doesn’t get old.

It’s been two months since relocating to your hometown to be the lead aviation structural mechanic of North Island and none of the men you oversee have warmed up to you. The look of disappointment on your crew’s faces when you were introduced was obvious; your name was gender-neutral so they were counting on a male. You hadn’t expected them to befriend you, but you did expect respect; which was definitely lacking.

“A little help over here,” you call out, struggling to not lose your grip on the intake part you were trying to replace.

“Hello? Can someone help me?” You ask again a few minutes later, muscles trembling as it slides further off your shoulder. Not only would it hurt like a bitch if it lands on you, but it’s also not a cheap part if it bends or breaks.

“Equal pay for equal work, sweetheart. You can’t do the work yourself, you shouldn’t be here,” Jackson, the smug asshole, replies while the others chuckle in agreement.

“Fuck,” you grit out, trying not to panic as it begins to fall. But strong hands are helping you guide it into place. The same hands that have been on your mind since he dwarfed yours when he shook it on your first day.

Your attraction to the rest of him has only grown in the time since, along with your feelings; you adore his sweet, quiet demeanor. Natasha keeps telling you he feels the same way about you, but you haven’t built up the nerve yet to make a move.

“I’ll hold it here while you attach it,” Bob says softly near your ear. Your heart races as you do so, getting close enough that you can smell his signature leather and clean laundry scent.

Bob’s brows furrow as he watches your arms shake from the exertion. “How long were you holding this up?”

“About 5 minutes,” you reply, catching him shaking his head from the corner of your eye.

You’re done a moment later, sighing in relief when you put your arms down.

“Thanks,” you say as you set down your screwdriver and wipe your hands. You can’t help but notice how good he looks in his flight suit.

“No problem. Why didn’t you ask for help?” He asks as he wipes off his own.

“I did,” you sigh. “The boys here uh…aren’t too fond of me being their supervisor.”

“Why not?” He asks, perplexed.

“Because I’m a woman,” you reply with a shrug. “They don’t think I’m right for the job because I ask for help with lifting sometimes. Among other thing so I’m sure.”

His expression quickly turns angry.

“What’s up, Floyd?” Jackson says, smacking Bob on the shoulder. “If you need something worked on, you’re better off coming to me.”

���Why’s that?” Bob asks, shrugging his hand off and turning around.

“Come on, you know a woman’s place is in the kitchen, barefoot and pregnant,” Jackson jokes.

But you’re not laughing. Neither is Bob.

“A woman’s place is wherever the hell she wants it to be, Jackson. I know you’re an idiot but I can’t believe you’re dumb enough to say something like that in front of me, but also your female commanding officer. I haven’t been impressed with the way you,” he stops and looks at the rest of the guys that have gathered around, “any of you have been treating her since she started but refusing to help her is going against direct orders. Not only could she have been injured, but the part she was holding costs more than a year’s salary for you.”

He steps closer to Jackson as he continues. “I’ll leave it up to her if she wants to report it, but if I ever see you disrespect her again, you’ll have to deal with me.”

You’re suddenly feeling hot and flustered as the crush you’ve been harboring intensifies as sweet, shy Bob defends your honor.

Jackson visibly gulps, nodding before he looks at you.

“Go home for the day,” you say with a glance at the clock before you begin to clean up your bay. “All of you are dismissed.”

“Look, I’m sorry-“ Jackson starts but you cut him off.

“Save it, Jackson,” you sigh. “I’m not going to report you, but I will if it happens again.”

“Yes ma’am,” he replies before scurrying away.

Bob follows you as you wash your hands in the sink, scrubbing the grease off. “Sorry, if I overstepped. I know you’re more than capable of standing up for yourself. I just can’t-“ he starts but you interrupt him as you dry your hands.

“You didn’t overstep. I appreciate it,” you assure him as you look over his shoulder to make sure everyone’s gone.

You take a step closer, bringing a hand up to play with the zipper of his flight suit.

“Thank you,” you murmur as you pull him to you for a kiss.

He freezes as your lips touch his, but only for a moment before he kisses you back; the tension that’s been building snapping in an instant.

“I’ve wanted this since the moment I laid eyes on you,” he breathes as you kiss down his neck, groaning as you nip his collarbone.

“Me too,” you murmur against his neck before pulling back to take his hand. “Come on.”

You lead him to the parts room, unlocking the door and pushing him against it once closed, gasping into the kiss when you feel his thick erection pressing against your stomach.

He groans when your hand finds him next, palming him through his flight suit. You shiver before pulling down the zipper, wanting more of those delicious sounds.

“What are-oh God,” he sighs when you fall to your knees, flicking your tongue over the wet spot on his boxerbriefs to taste the precum.

“Wanna taste you,” you say, hands pausing by the waistband of his briefs. “Can I?”

You continue when he nods, gulping when his size is revealed to you. “So big,” you murmur, meeting his eyes as you lean forward to lick the precum beading.

“Fuck,” he whispers before his head falls back against the door with a thump and his hands fist at his sides when you suck him into your mouth.

You bring a hand up to stroke what can’t fit in your mouth and unzip your own coveralls with the other, slipping inside and between your legs to give yourself some relief. Your eyes fall close with a moan as you circle your clit.

“Oh-oh my God,” he gasps when you moan, his eyes zeroing in on what your hand is doing. “Are you touching yourself?”

Your eyes open and take in his wrecked expression before you hum around him.

“Ah…w-wait,” he pants, guiding you off him and to your feet. “I almost-I don’t wanna cum yet.”

You smile as he spins you, pressing you to the door. You shiver as he leaves wet kisses down your neck and whimper when he sucks your nipple through the thin material of your sports bra.

“Next time,” you promise, stopping him as he starts to kneel. “Right now I want you inside me.”

He inhales sharply at your words and nods as he reaches for his wallet, pulling out a condom.

“What are you doing?” You ask with a giggle as he puts it under the light while you slip your coveralls off.

“Making sure it’s not expired,” he replies with a chuckle. “It’s been in my wallet for a few years. It’s good for a few more months yet.”

“Good,” you reply, watching as he rolls it on.

You wrap your legs around his waist when he lifts you and lines himself up to your entrance.

Your mouth finds his as he pushes inside you, and you whimper at the sweet stretch.

“You feel like heaven” he whispers before trailing kisses to your shoulder as you adjust, withdrawing to push back in when you’re ready.

Now it’s your head that thunks against the door as he fucks into you at a steady pace, grunting softly into your neck with each deep thrust.

He pulls back to watch you through lust-heavy eyes as he wets his ring and pointer fingertips before sliding them between you to circle your clit. “Feel good?” He asks, voice husky.

“So good,” you moan, clenching around him as your release starts to build.

“Good,” he nods, “I want you to cum for me, can you do that?”

“Y-yes! Fuck, I’m close,” you whine, your hands scrambling to find purchase on his shoulders as your orgasm rapidly approaches.

He leans in for another kiss and the change of the angle is all it takes for you to fall over the edge with a throaty moan.

Bob’s hips stutter and he fills the condom with a deep groan when you clench rhythmically around him.

He sets you down gently once you’ve caught your breath, making sure you’re steady on your feet before removing the condom. You pull your underwear back on while he zips up his suit.

“What are you doing tonight?” He asks as he kneels, helping you step back into your uniform.

“I have a date with a load of laundry,” you joke. “Why, what’s up?”

“Think it’d be upset if you rescheduled?” He asks, leaning forward to press a kiss just above your bare knee, then halfway up your thigh as he pulls up the fabric. “You said I could do this,” he places a wet kiss to your clit through your underwear before continuing to rise, “next time. So I was thinking I could pick up takeout and we could have ‘next time’ tonight?”

“I like the way you think,” you reply with a smile, leading the way out of the hangar.

——————————————————————————

A/N: Thank you @lexixstewart for the idea (again!) You have such good ideas! I hope you like it!

As always, any interaction is appreciated but I love hearing what you think in comments/reblogs!

Sorry if you’re not a Bob girly, but I’ll add my taglist here:

@mamamaystbr

@its-the-pilot

@dizzybee03

@sweetwhispersofchaos

@shanimallina87

@blindedbythelightt

@getmyprettynameoutofyourmouth

@phoenix-rising-starbird-one

@mrsrobertfloyd5

@charmedkim

@k-k0129

@bellaireland1981

@hookslove1592

@amiets2

@nero4te

@eli2447

@atarmychick007

@vixenobrian

@86laura11

@hisredheadedgoddess28

@dempy

@angelbabyyy99

@buckysteveloki-me

@djs8891

@mizzzpink

@daggerspare-standingby

@mrsevans90

@littlezee80

@emma8895eb

@jessicab1991

@devil-angel-winchester

[albert-kafka-camus]

Tagged by @sopheadraws 👑👑👑

(I love music games so much!!!)

I would like to inform you all that my playlist is 66 hours long and I have a diverse palette so I am not responsible if The Cast Of My Little Pony Equestrian Girls 2 covers a Frank Ocean song or something

1. Johnnie Taylor’s cover of Vienna (by Billy Joel)

Okey this is insane this would be so good it would be different but still preserve the original feeling (I need this actually)

2.Hadestown Broadway Original Cast’s cover of Rehab (by Amy Winehouse)

ANOTHER MASTERPIECE like the fates would kill those ‘no, no, no’ s. Like this would be a fates heavy song with others chiming in and I would be obsessed thank you very much 🙏🙏

3. Rachel Zegler’s cover of Alejandro (by Lady Gaga)

I have never heard her sing a song badly but this song won’t go well with her voice. I think an acoustic version with harmonies would be good tho. (The more I imagine a soft acoustic version more I want it)

4. Billie Eilish’s cover of Hound Dog (by Big Mama Thornton)

no

5.Robert Cray, The Robert Cray Band’s cover of No More Rain (In This Cloud) (by Angie Stone)

I think it would be good but I feel like he would make small changes to the instrumentals don’t know what else to say about it

6. Lana Del Rey’s cover of Dance With You Tonight (by Laufey)

I think it would be different definitely darker/moodier but I love the original too much so I kinda think she wouldn’t do it justice especially if it was live cause I feel like the way she sings and the playfulness in her voice is very integral to the songs whole identity

7. Beyoncé’s cover of Forgiveness (by Rina Sawayama)

weirdly a huge YES from me I think she would lower the sound of the instrumentals and focus on her vocals which she would destroy (of course)“Sometimes I blame you sometimes I don’t��� especially could be very lemonade

8. Hozier’s cover of Diamonds and Rust (by Joan Baez)

amazing. no notes. perfection. hozier covers are my mental health treatment

9. (again!!) Hozier’s cover of WAP (by Cardi B, Megan Thee Stalion)

I am conflicted…. slay?

10. (again!!?!!) Hozier’s cover of Nothing You Can Take Away From Me (Boot-Stomping version) (by Rachel Zegler, The Covey Band)

I interpret this as Hozier’s formal apology after the WAP incident (Handsome Squidwardian event for sure) He would do justice to this song, (very him) I would go insane if this was real

+11. (doing another one because hozier took 3 spots jdkdkdkdjsj😤✊) The Cast Of Hamilton’s cover of Dumb & Poetic (by Sabrina Carpenter)

I regret my choice to do another one and I don’t listen to Hamilton often so only thing I can think of is Lin Mal Miranda impressions on tik tok that are then used to make unserious gay ship edits so obviously.. 10/10 this is what the industry is lacking thank you for coming to my conference 🙏🙏📈📈👆👆😘😘

@simplysummers @angelhummel @freddieslater @bansheeheart @inlovewith-icecream

Also @ anyone who sees this and wants to ✨

[monayen]

you said something about Nyon being one of the better head givers ... what about the rest of them ;3 ? maybe rank them PLZZZ - 🦋

Pussy Eatin' Headcannons (lol)

➷ Paring - Multi x Fem!Reader [Randal's Friends / Ranfren]

➷ CWs - explicit afab reader, oral (f. recieving) / cunnilingus, biting / marking, fingering

a/n - oh this is everything to me thank you for this ask. also throwing in the ratmen and satoru because i errr uhh CAN DO WHAT I WANT. i actually had a bit of a hard time ranking them specifically as i feel like #6-4 can be interchangeable if you think hard enough. but this is about eatin' pussy so have ur own thoughts frens

(from worst to best)

Tied for last place: Ratmen 3-5

These guys likely wouldn’t even know what to do with a pussy in their face

They’re used to rushed quickies, as they’re always afraid of being caught

Way too fast and sloppy when eating you out, leaves a mess of your own wetness all on their faces

It won’t be all that satisfying, so don’t expect to cum anytime soon. Because of that, they'll probably tap out after a while

They definitely prefer receiving head over giving it—after all, they’ll finish much faster than you. A shame, really

8. Micheal Jr

Like Ratmen 3-5, he lacks the time and experience to properly eat you out. The only reason he ranks higher is his sheer enthusiasm to do so

He wants you to squeeze your thighs around his face and tug his hair

Still messy and too quick, but with the right training and time, he might actually be decent at it. But that won't ever happen

7. Nyen

Rarely gives you oral which automatically puts him at a low spot

Which might be for the best, considering he ends up using too much teeth most of the time. Like he has literally bitten your clit before :(

His hands will also dig painfully into your hips and sides when he grasps onto you, which could make it hard to focus on the already sorta uncomfortable head

Definitely prefers fucking your throat and he’s clear about that

6. Randal

The neediest head you’ll ever receive. Laps you up like a dog and leaves you a sweaty, sticky mess

Loves come swallowing and is determined to lick up every last drop of wetness that leaks out of you

The 69 position is a must for him. Fucking your face while his tongue curls inside of you? The best (aside from actually fucking you)

"Head for head?” is something that unironically leaves his mouth way too often

Genuinely cannot get enough of it. Tires you out and still will stretch out his tongue for another round

Enough that it can actually be exhausting to deal with his constant need for your pussy to be in his face

Also bites, duh

5. Sebastian

Reluctant at first, wouldn't have ever propositioned if you didn't

Not because he thought it was gross or weird, just nervous to perform poorly and make a fool of himself

His inexperience makes him a bit awkward and clumsy, but his earnest desire to please you makes up for his lack of skill

Actually not bad at all when he gets into it though. Let his nerves settle and he’ll eat it like he's starving (which he is)

Likes for you to sit on his face and grind against him. Listen to his shaky whimpers against your flesh as he struggles to breathe properly. Don’t worry, he likes it!

4. Robert

Doesn't have an exact preference for giving or receiving, so a nice plus!

Again, he just has the similar problem the rest of the ratmen have: lack of time / opportunity

Though inexperienced, he’s much neater and more patient than his ratmen counterparts—not that it’s saying much, but it’s still an improvement

Has a tendency to nibble and gnaw at your skin, can get a bit too enthusiastic about it sometimes (ouch!)

Give him multiple tries to learn where the clit is, how to combo his tongue and fingers, and how to find a proper rhythm and I think he’ll do quite well :)

3. Satoru

Similar to Randal in how he loves to eat you out. Practically lives for it

He wants to try every single position possible (which is more than you think) and learn all the things that make your thighs shake

Never stops talking, even with his mouth full—mumbles against you, breathless words garbling out as he showers you with praise. He just can’t help it, you taste too good to stay quiet!

Again, can end up being a bit too much to handle if you're sensitive

A lot more accommodating than Randal though, if you need a break, he'll let you. It can be tiring to be folded with your legs in the air as he sucks on your overstimulated clit. You sweet thing ^^

2. Luther

Very delicate. Almost far too careful, treating you like a five course meal

Every part of you is so precious to him so he makes sure his long fingers and sharp teeth won't ever hurt you

His tongue likes to move in slow, deliberate strokes, thumb rhythmically rubbing against your clit as firm hands grip along your inner thigh

His ability to focus on a specific task means he’ll be down there for a while, so just keep your legs steady on his shoulders, pet ♡

1. Nyon

Gives the best head.

Doesn't complain, doesn't wait for you to initiate, isn't too fast or slow, knows all the right spots and patterns

He picks up on what you like quickly. Incredibly attentive to your tastes, loves to see you melt and moan when he eats you out just right

Secretly prides himself on making you come just from his mouth. Why shouldn't he? He tries very hard for you, Родная<3

Gets so much satisfaction from giving. Fully devoted to making you feel good until you’re completely spent

He doesn’t tend to ask for anything in return, content enough with just settling his face between your thighs. Ignore that wet spot on his crotch… you just get him so excited when you tug at his hair!

[vivalas-vega]

will you marry me? // dagger squad x reader

howdy y'all !!! this was a random idea I had well over a year ago that I never actually finished and just found when clearing out my wips and thought it would be a fun little thing to post, so please enjoy the dagger squad and what engagement ring I think they'd pick !!! I didn’t even intend for it to be a recurring thing that the proposals don’t go to plan or are silly but I guess it’s just on brand for them lmao

Bradley 'Rooster' Bradshaw

this man is all about the classics - I mean, look at his bronco... he wanted to get you something simple with a bit of a modern twist. he's also a very sentimental man. he'd play it casual all week leading up to date night but surprise you by taking you to where you had your first date, whether that's a restaurant or a bar or the beach, and after the most perfect evening he'd propose with his mom's ring. because he's bradley and incredibly thoughtful, he'd also want you to have a ring that's only yours and I think he'd surprise you with that one randomly -- maybe after celebrating the engagement in bed that night, or the next morning over breakfast. you end up wearing Carole’s ring on your right hand (sometimes putting it around a necklace of hers Bradley also gifted you when you want to keep it extra safe) and your new ring on your left.

Jake 'Hangman' Seresin

Jake is all flash, but that doesn't mean he lacks substance. he scours your pinterest board for weeks and asks all your closest friends for their input, but at the end of the day he trusts himself to get it right because he knows you like the back of his hand. you deserve only the best, and he wants you to park your pretty butt on the beach when he's flying by and to be able to catch a glare from the rock he put on your finger. he'd either propose in the ice cream aisle at the grocery store (which surprises him as much as you) after watching you hem and haw over which flavor to get and deciding to get all three - or, he'd go all out and plan the perfect vacation to a destination that's been on your bucket list and research the most romantic spot in the whole country and really there's no in between.

Robert 'Bob' Floyd

our sweet man of few, but impactful, words. his ring choice and proposal is no different. he wants to get you something beautiful and unique, but neither one of you are known for being frivolous. he picks something modest that shows how well he knows you and how much he loves you. something about him screams christmas proposal - either at his family's snowy farm early in the morning before anyone has a chance to sweep you up in the festivities or in your shared home before heading to Mav and Penny's holiday dinner. either way, its just the two of you wrapped in your own bubble and you tease that Bob should be writing the proposals for hallmark movies because what he says is so perfect. you'd open a suspiciously wrapped gift you think is the worlds lightest pair of shoes but to your shock you find a ring, and Bob always regrets not setting up a camera to capture the priceless look on your face.

Natasha 'Phoenix' Trace

Natasha never thought she was one for marrying until she met you, and she'd definitely get you something beautiful and intricate without sacrificing delicacy. she'd plan the perfect evening in and cook your favorite meal, but absolutely ruin your favorite cookies and while she's flustered and panicking over a sheet of what looks like coal you're just laughing and gazing at her with this dumbstruck look that translates to you're such an idiot and I'm so in love with you and when she catches it she can't help herself and it just flies out, really she nearly yells and you're just standing watching her fumble to get the ring out her pocket not realizing you'd already said yes before you even saw it.

Javy 'Coyote' Machado

Much like Jake, he wants to get you something flashy but he was drawn to this one in particular because the band reminded him of airplane wings and he liked the idea of you not only having a token of his love on your hand every day he's on deployment, but one that has a little piece of his second love too. I think he'd definitely plan a big elaborate proposal but Jake's got a big mouth and didn't know you were at the bar and asks if he popped the question, only to see horror on Javy's face and you standing right behind him so he was really forced into it but of course you said yes because it was chaotic and imperfect and everything you could ever want.

Mickey 'Fanboy' Garcia

Mickey would definitely want to get you something a little funky - neither one of you are known for being super traditional, but that doesn't mean he doesn't want you to have the perfect ring. true to his nature as soon as it's in his possession he's a little too excited to wait to plan something out and while you're all snuggled up watching star wars for the hundreth time he just blurts out that wants to marry you and when you look at him in shock he thinks he's ruined it and offended you by not doing it properly but once you get your wits about you all you can say is 'of course I'll marry you, you big idiot'

Reuben 'Payback' Fitch

I think Reuben leans more towards the classics as well, but with a little something extra. your relationship has always been sweet and fun and lighthearted, and your proposal is exactly the same. he takes you to the putt putt course you had your first date at and proposes in front of the windmill, and you can't keep it together long enough to say yes because he dropped the ring in the hole and even when he retrieves it your 'yes' is hard to decipher around all your laughing.

[xxavengingangelxx]

Graves Defragged 1/?

As promised, here is the first part of deconstructing Graves. This part touches on the first half of the psychopath traits I want to discuss. Below is my take! I am NOT licensed to make these decisions. This is just for fun. It also touches on why I write Graves like a heartless mf'er in my longer fics. Because Graves is a heartless motherfucker.

Not proofread. I'm posting this before going to bed cause it's the only time I got between working 60+ hours a week, house chores, keeping hubby fed, etc.

To touch on my sociopath vs. psychopath post earlier, there are some in the field who argue that a sociopath is made and a psychopath is born. We don’t have enough information on Graves’s background to see whether or not he’s shown the same callous disregard for human life, disregard for rules, and narcissism earlier on. But he certainly shows those traits now.

And we do have this:

Graves: "That uniform was a limitation. I shed that skin..." Soap: "Like a fuckin' snake-" Graves: "Like a fucking soldier, son." — Soap confronts Graves about his past.

Let’s assume Graves was born a psychopath. It’s certainly possible. And if Adler is his father, then he’s got the genes for killing, anyway. Yes there are theories that say there are genes for criminality but I can post more on that later if y’all are interested.

How many traits of a psychopath does he actually have? Based on the behavior, we’ve seen, quite a bit!

Robert Hare, a Canadian psychologist, created the Hare Psychopathy Checklist (known today as the Hare Psychopathy Checklist Revised). Let’s go through the items with our crush man Graves in mind. Each of these items is rated a 0 if it does not apply, a 1 if it kind of applies, and a 2 if it definitely applies. They are added up at the end. Max score is a 40.

Item 1: Glibness and superficial charm = 2

You’re kidding me, right? Graves is the man of charm and glib. His good fuckin’ looks certainly help him out.

Image credit: @Vault21 on Tumblr

Remember Dark Water? Yeah…they trusted each other like brothers. Soap even hugged Graves! Graves had them  (and us) fooled because not much later he betrayed them like they were enemies.

Item 2: Grandiose sense of self-worth = 1

Graves is narcissistic. We can all agree on that, right? He thought he was too good for the Marines, that the Marines were not good enough for such a special person like himself. And I could be wrong here, but he is massively successful, likely a billionaire so doesn’t he get to be a little narcissistic?

Item 3: Need for stimulation/proneness to boredom = 2

Graves was so bored in the Marines, one of the toughest branches of the military, that he saw his uniform as a limitation and sought out to make his own company of mercenaries who don’t really answer to anyone. Also, how many CEOs do you see in the field like Graves is? Close to none. He lives for getting shot at and chased. He has a scar on his face to prove it!

Item 4: Pathological lying = 2

Is this even a question? Graves lied so well to 141 that they trusted him and saw him as a brother in arms. Also, remember the scene from Congress?

Image credit: BabyZone on YouTube.

Which leads me to…

Item 5: Conning/manipulative = 2

Phillip Graves is a conman. If you look up conman in the dictionary there’d be a picture of Graves or there should…it’d make the dictionary less boring. According to Google’s dictionary, the definition of conman is, “a man who cheats or tricks someone by gaining their trust and persuading them to believe something that is not true.” I can think of a few examples. Again, Dark Water

Image credit: Wallpaper Cave

Also, the Congress scene where he lies (about WAR CRIMES) like he’s talking about the weather.

And when he pulled the rug out from under 141 in Las Almas.

Which in turn takes us to…

Item 6: Lack of remorse/guilt = 2

Graves betrayed 141, the men he had fought next to, defended, befriended all while gaining their trust.

All while smiling about it!

Image credit: halgalvv on TikTok

Look!

Image credit: Call of Duty Wiki

Which also reminds me of the war crimes Graves committed in Las Almas. Some argue that Graves cleaned house by killing off people who were supporting the cartels but based on what I’ve been told there were children in this town as well.

This also brings me to the topic of Graves’s Shadows. These men are okay with war crimes. Shadows are okay with killing people just because Graves said to. In one (or more?) of my fics I portray Shadows as I see them: callous and even sadistic with how they agree to torture a prisoner of war (POW), going so far as using rape as a weapon if Graves gives the word.

Are there some Shadows who can’t engage in this kind of behavior? Perhaps. So Graves knows which men to pick to carry out war crimes. At least that’s how I see it.

Psychopaths have physical differences in the make up of their brain that make them UNABLE to feel guilty, remorse, or fear. So when I hear people asking how serial killers and other criminals deal with their guilt, I say they do not because it doesn't exist to them. They have no idea what guilt is.

Remember: It’s not that psychopaths choose not to feel/ignore guilt. It’s that their brain is completely INCAPABLE of this emotion.

You might be asking why/how: Psychopaths think the same thing about you…how can you feel guilt? Why would you want to?

Item 7: Shallow affect = 1

Only because we are unable to see how Graves functions emotionally away from the battlefield. My forensic psychology professor said that psychopaths have 2 emotions: rage and joy. Have you seen Graves portray anything else, really? In another fic, Graves supposedly says he loves OC. Like he even knows what that means. He doesn’t. He loves controlling her and abusing her, yes.

If Graves had a kid like he does in the same fic, he doesn’t feel much affection towards him. He just likely sees him as an extension of his partner. A future soldier, someone Graves can start training from young. Something he can use to control and keep his partner in line.  That child, from the moment he was born is seen as an asset by Graves. Plus, there are some good chances that kiddo might have inherited Graves’s genes that pass on his psychopathy. And even if that child does not, there’s a good chance he could develop as a sociopath because he’s not likely to see much more other than Graves continuing to abuse and control his partner and battlefield conditions.

Item 8: Callousness/lack of empathy = 2

This relates to a lack of remorse. You might ask how can Graves not feel empathy for how 141 must feel after he betrayed them? Because, like the shallow emotions and lack of remorse, Graves’s brain cannot do it. He doesn’t have the neurons for it. He doesn’t have the brain structure for it. It’s not that Graves chooses not to feel or ignore empathy. He CANNOT. It’s almost like asking someone with very low math ability to do a PhD in physics. It’s not that they’re lazy. They do not have the aptitude for it.

Graves does not have the aptitude for remorse or empathy because he doesn’t have the brain structure that makes that happen.

He think's it's funny.

Image credit: Einstein Ibraheem on YouTube

Item 9: Parasitic lifestyle = 0

Finally, one that does NOT apply to Graves. This man refuses to depend on anyone. He’s a fucking billionare that can get whatever the hell he wants whenever he wants it.

Item 10: Poor behavioral controls = 0

Hear me out! Graves is not impulsive. Lots of psychopaths are due to limitations in a part of the brain called the prefrontal cortex as well as other parts to include the limbic system. Graves is not limited in that manner. He plans, he’s meticulous, he’s detailed, and he gets away with a lot of shit because of it. Graves is not impulsive. Get him mad and he might smack the shit out of you (more than once if you make him mad enough) but when it comes to important decisions, he takes his painstaking time.

So fear we are up to the score of 14! He has scored positive on 14/20 possible points.

More to come!

[0bticeo]

j. sims, e. bouchard | knowledge is a double-edged sword

part two of four. (part one.) (part 3.) (part four.)

summary:

a low hum. there’s something sharp in elias' smile. his gaze feels like it’s cutting you open. you hold your ground, unblinking, watching him and his annoyingly handsome face. 

“you’re wearing a mask, dear.”

“aren’t we all?”

wc. 3k

tw. reader's creeping paranoia, shockinlgy nothing smutty happens in this chapter, manipulation, graphic description of eyes, mild ptsd, nightmares, elias bouchard being a creep.

working in the archives has always been… a little off, for a lack of a better word. you are supposed to research and archive statements regarding “supernatural happenings” in a world where said supernatural has been swiped under the carpet, dismissed with a haughty scoff. still, it pays well. which is why you find yourself clocking in day after day. 

your colleagues… you don’t know what to make of them. not really. sasha’s been… off. you think there’s a void in the shape of her roaming about the place. she’s calm and focused. formal. has trouble logging in her computer - that’s… not right.

martin seems to be taking it well enough for someone who’s spent the past two months sleeping in the archives and then getting attacked by worms. sounds silly. definitely wasn’t. you think there’s much, much more to him than meets the eye and and accept the cups of coffee he hands you with a warm smile. you mean them. you like martin. his poetry a bit less. 

tim… is silent. he’s lost his smile. you haven’t fallen victim to one of his pranks in ages and fear you won’t ever have to worry about a sketchy statement being one of his little jokes. you feel anger bubbling inside of him at the mere mention of having to work in the archives. yet…

yet he’s helping you. 

the library is a quiet affair, the muted sort of silence that hangs like a comforting blanket over your shoulders. dust flutters away in the air, drawn by your steps. tim’s sigh cuts through the silence like a knife.

“why are we doing this again?”

you tuck back a book in its shelf. thankfully, not a leitner. still, nothing to do with architecture.

“because it is our job, tim.”

he scoffs.

“yeah, right. i wasn’t aware it involved risking my life.”

“look, you’re not forced to help me. if it makes you feel better to slack off, then i’m not stopping you.”

he laughs, mocking, almost cruel. the pressure at the back of your neck is near unbearable. you want to scream. you want to tear something apart.

“look at you! acting like everything’s normal! three months ago, you were bleeding out on my lap! how can you-”

“it’s either i focus on something else or i go mad.” you snap a book shut with a sharp intake of air. “you won’t like me mad, tim. now shut up and help me find robert smirke’s books, will you? i’m pretty sure they were there, but-”

his hand clasps around your wrist. 

“hold on. why are you looking for smirke’s books?”

“follow up on a statement involving urbex in the former church of saint james in west hackney. built by, you guessed it, robert smirke himself.”

you watch a flash of… something in his eyes. it looks like guilt in mourning, and you’re itching to pry, pry him open and unearth whatever secrets he keeps buried under a thick layer of good humour turned bitter. 

“it should be around here.”

you end up with three heavy volumes in hand, none of which feel like they’ll help with erin gallagher-nelson’s statement. then, something catches your attention. a small leather volume, tucked away behind the books you’re currently holding. tim’s already on his way out, much to your chagrin. you don’t feel too guilty when you reach for the small little book and tuck away those he’s helped you find, neatly ordered in their rightful place.

the little book in your hand is… not a leitner, which is a relief as you are not wearing gloves. no, it’s bound leather, with no title in sight. you open it, carefully, cradling it against your breast like something fragile, and cast your gaze upon its first page. the juts out in ink far too dark for its age.

the fears that bind us.

turn another page and see the summary. fourteen entries, neatly labelled. the Web. the Dark. the Spiral. the Buried. you pause.

the pinprick pain at your neck sharpens. you’re Watched. there’s nobody but you in the library, but there’s something, watching, always watching, and you can make eyes in the corners of the shelves and they’re peering down at you and they Know you’re starting to suspect something’s terribly wrong with this place and-

thud.

the book falls from your trembling hands. dust rises up, clings to the hem of your trousers. you stare at the dull, unassuming little leather cover and feel its magnetic pull. you Know there’s more to it than it lets on. you pick it up.

(somewhere, the chittering mass of the many-legged mother of puppets spins a chain of events into motion, weaving a pretty plan.)

*

these days, stepping in the institute feels like being strapped down to a vivisection table and having your brain prodded at. it’s oppressive. you become aware of just how many eyes there are in the institute. coworkers from other departments glancing disinterestedly at you. strange motives in the nooks and crannies of the wooden doors and shelves and corridors and floors, eyes half-lidded. pictures and their faded edges, you, tim, martin, jon and sasha (?) huddling close, smiling. portraits - jonah magnus, high and mighty, immortalised in his seat of power. you think his painted lips are curled up a little more than they normally are. you’ve seen that floating smile before.

you take to having your lunch outside of the institute. you find you can breathe easier through the sharp cold of london’s winter air. needle-sharp, it pierces your lungs, scrapes your throat with every mouthful of curry you swallow. you don’t mind. you have jon to huddle close to, no matter how much he rolls his eyes and tells you to take a warmer coat with you. still, he wraps his arm around you and intertwine his fingers with yours.

tim and martin make no comment - you do feel the weight of their gaze on your shoulders as you make your way back to your desk ten minutes sharp after jon comes back to his office. doesn’t matter. by now, you’re used to being watched.

you’re growing tired of it.

going home is no relief - that damned gaze is there, too. you clench your teeth and turn all the mirrors around and tuck away what little pictures you have. your breathing stutters in your throat. there’s a cork board on your wall, now, and you think of the one that lies in jon’s office, red strings stretching and stretching and it still doesn’t make sense. not yet. 

gertrude’s dead - somebody’s murdered her, three bullets, bang, the body falls, bang, bang just to make sure the old bat is dead, a waste of an Archivist. 

jon wants to know who. he tells you, fingers threading through his hair, tape recorder still running, that it could be anyone at that’s been working at the institute since five years. you’ve been hired two years ago, so you’re good, but tim? martin? sasha? elias?

(you’ve pressed your lips to jon’s and sworn to help him, forehead pressed against him in the sweetest oath.)

there are scraps of hastily jotted down notes, pictures faded at the edges. recurring people from statements - gerry keay, michael shelley, simon fairchild, prentiss, salesa. hilltop road. recurring themes, artefacts you took pain to research, asking sasha for help - she did work in artefact storage before, right?

(her smile was sharp when she nodded. too sharp. she laughed as she led you to the basement floor, something like a deadly private joke. you didn’t ask for her help again.)

you take a step back and stare at the board. the strings make no sense, red over red over red, and you have an eye staring back at you, unblinking, thread burned in your retina. 

smirke’s book lies open on your couch. your cat wisely stays away from it. you’ve named him socrates for a reason. you wish you could be blessed with the sage’s foresight.

fears bind you. there’s a classification, Entities that sometimes bleed in the corners of this world, out-of-sight-but-there. you’ll only notice when they strike. when they show themselves, when you realise there’s something terribly wrong with the stranger’s edges peering out of an alleyway, anglerfish luring its prey. poor smoker’s fate. 

a classification. fourteen primal fears straight out of the lovecraftian mythos. the stranger. the Spiral - think of michael, smile curling endlessly in all his sharp edges, laugh like an alarm bell ringing long after he’s gone. the Corruption - jane prentiss and her loving smile and worms burrowing in her flesh and in yours. 

the Eye.

you take in a sharp intake of air and read. 

IT KNOWS YOU.

*

you cannot move. you’re crushed by the sheer magnitude of the structure spreading around you in concentric circles of power. panopticon. he who stands in the centre watches and knows all. is there anyone at all in its centre?

you. you’re kneeling, skin bare and bruised and scraped, the stone harsh and unforgiving, scraping the tender skin of your knee. humidity seeps in through the open pores of your skin. 

you can’t see. it’s too dark, the penumbra stretching and stretching for miles, near corporeal with how thick it is. you think it might be reaching out for your eyes with too long fingers, chipped claws sinking below your eyelid to rip them off. 

you startle.

eyes.

so many eyes, staring at you from the darkness encasing you, with no eyelids so they do not blink. there’s the dreadful suspicion that their optic nerves join, mingle into something you do not want to see. ocular globes, little gelatinous spheres surrounding you, Watching you, Knowing you. you, on your bloody knees, heart stammering under your ribcage like a chased rabbit, your bare flesh cold, cold, cold. 

it’s cutting you open, scalpel gazes making careful, careful incisions in the marrow of your psyche. they’re carving open your head, your skull a neat, organic little box housing the grey matter of your brain. cerebrospinal fluid drips down your cheeks.

you shudder. you can feel them, Watching, Knowing, the mere thought of it a burning streak in your consciousness, they’re picking you apart, they Know what you’ve done, how you break-

you only start screaming when you look up and See.

you startle awake with a shuddering gasp, trembling so badly you can’t even make out the familiarity of your bedroom. breathe in. the darkness isn’t cloying, the street lights worming their way beneath your shutters. breathe out. you can hear the cars running, the nocturnal hustle and bustle of london’s night life. the chatter, the laughter. 

you let out a trembling sigh and run your hand over your face. you find it damp with sweat and tears. a beat of silence. you rest your forehead on your palms, hands gliding down until the heel of your palm is over your socket and you push there until you feel the bone, the gelatinous fragility of your eye. it is not the first time you have these dreams. you wish you could sleep.

you trace the edges of your temples, those you know were left gaping, those you know had been wrenched open- closed. no scar. only those on your thighs, on your forearms, on your hands from these wretched worms.

you close your fingers, nails digging in your bandaged palm and feel a pinprick of pain. the other side of the bed is cold and empty. you glance at the analog clock on your bedside table. the time blares, angry red flashing 5:32 in your retina. three hours left before going to work. 

you get up from the bed and set about changing your sweat-soaked sheets. you’re not going to fall back asleep. might as well get ready for work. you do, body set in autopilot. breakfast. shower. lather hydrating cream over the expanse of you. disinfect the many, many patches of scarred tissues left by the flesh-hive. get dressed - black tailored pants, cream crispy ironed shirt. a spritz of perfume. white flats. a quick glance in the mirror - there you are, the epitome of professional perfection, little miss trust-me-i-have-everything-under-control. 

you don’t.

you’re tired. so, so very tired. exhaustion settles like a heavy weight in your bone marrow, anchors you down until your whole world is clouded. foggy. you don’t remember the last time you’ve pushed the door to the archives without a thin veil clouding your eyes. 

you think of the Narrator, unnamed, bone-deep tired, staring emptily in the camera in a film you can’t say the name of. first rule: you do not talk about it. second rule: you do not, talk about it. everything’s a copy of a copy of a copy.

as it goes, you push the door to the archives, step inside the quiet room, shrug off your coat at your designated desk, and go about making yourself some coffee. nobody’s there to plot your bloody murder as you blankly explain that, to you, tea is nothing but bland leaf juice. not that tim or martin would bother these days.

it’s quiet. nobody’s here to see you climb the stairs to the break room on the second floor. the one used by the human resources department. lucky bastards. bastards, period. refusing to hand over the necessary funds to buy another coffee machine for the archives after the first one broke during prentiss’ infestation. and they say their mission is to foster a safe work environment. such a shame your morning murderous urges are only quelled by your second cup of the day.

you grab a mug and press the button. whirring rises in the dry silence of the room. slowly, slowly, the mug is filled up. you inhale and feel your shoulders relax by half a fraction. the heavenly scent of grounded coffee beans percolating feels the room and you find yourself smiling. it doesn’t ease the fogginess clouding your mind. it will do.

large window panes offer a wide overview of the streets below, the early morning fog clinging to humid asphalt, the rare cars passing by. you let out a slow exhale, your breath clouding the window.

your mug is ready.

“is that one for me?”

you startle.

elias bouchard stands behind you, hands clasped behind his back, picture perfect manager in a crisp suit - too stiff, too out of place in his employee’s break room. he’s wearing a phthalo green suit, the one that brings out the green-grey of his eyes. your favourite. and he’s waiting for your answer, you realise after an embarrassingly long amount of time.

there are two mugs in front of you. you blink.

“oh. oh, yes.”

you hand him the first mug and reach for your own. he thanks you with a floating smile and takes a sip. a low hum. 

“so you do have taste.”

you blink.

he’s reclining on a table, watching you. you and your impeccably ironed shirt, cradling your mug like one would something precious. you and the bags under your eyes, so dark they might be embedded in the preciously thin skin below your eyelids.

you snort. 

“just because i have a massive sweet tooth doesn’t mean i’d put sugar in coffee. i’m french, not a complete barbarian.”

you earn a quiet chuckle. something like satisfaction purrs inside of you - you made him laugh, the sound low and rich and deep.

“one might argue that you are, in the literal sense of the term, a barbarian.”

“one might argue that the etymological definition of a barbarian doesn’t apply to me, as i speak your language.”

you watch him, from over the steaming rim of your mug. something like… elation flashes in his eyes. the thrill of debate, maybe.

“do you, now?”

you tilt your head to the side, eyes narrowing by a fraction as you assess him. the perfect curl of his lips in that damning razor sharp half-smile. the relaxed slope of his shoulders. the soft stillness of his long, gloved fingers on the table. the glint in his green-grey eyes, daring you to take the bait.

you do, crossing your legs at the ankles, leaning back against the window.

“at first glance, yes.” you point an accusatory finger towards him. “but you, monsieur bouchard, don’t like sticking to first glances and faux-semblants, you’re sharper than that.”

a low hum. there’s something sharp in his smile. his gaze feels like it’s cutting you open. you hold your ground, unblinking, watching him and his annoyingly handsome face. 

“you’re wearing a mask, dear.”

“aren’t we all?”

he shakes his head.

“it’s convenient, isn’t it? not to have to bear the weight of your mother tongue.”

your shoulders tense. there’s that pinprick pressure at the back of your neck, standing poised and sharp against your vertebrae. he’s watching you, needle-gaze pinning you like a butterfly to a wall. 

“it’s a pain. english and french bleed into one another too much and it messes up my syntax.”

“you’re deflecting.”

“wasn’t your question rhetorical?”

silence. it feels like a loss. one beat, two beat, unsteady, hammering wildly like your heart, beneath layers of flesh and fabric, all perfectly controlled thank you very much.

he’s before you before you know it, close, close enough for you to smell his cologne - something sharp and cold with a faint hint of ink. you raise your eyes and meet his gaze. you think there’s a faint glow to it, irises flashing green for the briefest moments. 

“you’re hard to pin down, my dear.”

you can feel the heat of him, creeping closer and closer as he leans down ever so slightly, one gloved finger curling under your chin, tilting your head up, up, up until the angle makes you wince.

“coming from you, i’ll take that as a compliment.”

a low hum. the building pressure at your nape has you clenching your teeth. then, finally, he lets go, apparently satisfied with whatever it is he’s found in you.

“thank you for the coffee. it has been most… insightful.”

with that, he leaves, and you stand alone in the break room, coffee mug now cold. even without the unbearable weight of his gaze on you, you feel watched. the only thing remaining in the room with you is the portrait of jonah magnus, peering down at you with storm-grey eyes. somehow, it feels familiar.

you want to scream. you gulp down your coffee and leave an empty mug behind.

[great20sworld]

LIVING THE DREAM

A Viktor x Reader fanfiction

Author's note: Chapter 1, Chapter 2 and Chapter 3 are available in my Tumblr page along with summary.

Chapter 4: Friendly Faces...probably

________________________________

Human instincts and epinephrine fuelled actions were two things not to be underestimated. Sometimes you improvise on the stage, sometimes you stand up to that one person you hated from the beginning, sometimes you ace your job interview and sometimes...

You lift an entire building's portion. You didn't know you could have lifted a huge hunk of concrete with nothing but your bare hands without getting crushed to pieces. You just knew the kids couldn't. Although, the staring faces of the spectators wasn't something you were prepared for. The lack of applause or any signs of approval from the crowd made your social anxiety worse and you kept your head low, too shy to meet their gazes. Were there any familiar faces there? Who knows. You set aside the slab of concrete and shake out the dust, sneezing from the particles.

"I told you, right?"

The Chronoporter buzzes, making you laugh at the meek response to such a cataclysmic event.

"Yeah... That was awesome!"

"According to my calculations, you can bear atleast 28.5 times more force than back at Earth."

"Damn, I could lift an elephant..."

"Or a building." Mechanical laughter chimes.

"Yeah, yeah... let's get out of here though, people are staring..." You say hastily, shaking away the rubble which your feet were harmlessly buried in.

You quickly make your way out of the scene, opting to move behind the building, rounding the corner.

"HELLO...! PLEASE! WAIT UP!"

A high pitched call made you stop in your hasty retreat and turn to the source of sound. It was a woman in a dress, with an apron lightly dusted in flour, and a small boy clinging to her hand. She was smiling brightly as she approached you, and you noted the sweet aroma of cakes and frosting surrounding her. You couldn't help but smile at her.

"Yes...?" You say softly as she stops before you, the child staring at you wide eyed.

"You...you saved my son!" She said, looking at you like you hung the moon and stars.

"Oh... It's... it's nothing..." You laugh nervously.

"How are you so strong?" A smaller voice interrupts you, and you look down to meet the pair of cute wide eyes of her son.

"Um...I...well... Vegetables. Yes. Definitely. Eat your veggies kid!" You chuckle, looking anywhere but them.

"Please.... You are a godsend... How can I ever repay you?" The woman says, suddenly holding your hands in hers.

"Oh...um... it's really nothing, just..."

"Miss, please don't say no... I don't have much but, may I offer you some tea and cakes, atleast?" She implores, pointing behind her, where you saw a very adorable bakery, with some delectable looking snacks.

Your stomach rumbles.

Well... it's not like you had anything better to do and, lifting buildings is hard work.

"Heh...I don't see why not, since you are...insisting.." you giggle softly, rubbing the back of your neck with your hand, flattered by the way she brightens up.

_________________________

"My word Gina, these are scrumptious!" You exclaim as you bite into another fluffy cake, the frosting melting in your mouth.

"Aw, aren't you a sweetheart-thank you Y/N..." Gina smiles as she brings you a croissant next.

"....I almost feel sorry eating these, these should be payed for..." You blush, embarassed.

"Nonsense, Y/N, you saved Robert... How could I ever charge you for some sweet treats when I owe you my life?" She grumbles playfully, looking at you. "Though...I...I am really curious..."

"Yes?"

"How...?! Richard couldn't lift the crates in which the items for bakery arrives, and he's a trained sailor... How did you lift that?"

"...."

"....vegetables." you gulp.

"...."

Gina smiles, her eyes crinkling at the corners. "Alright, keep your secrets. Vegetables it is."

You smile gratefully.

"Psst... Y/N we have a problem..."

The Chronoporter says, making Gina look surprisedly at the watch dial. You panic, immediately covering it with your hand. "Eh...give me a moment, my watch is going stupid...." Giggling nervously, you turn away from her, pushing the 'mute' button on the Chronoporter.

"How dare you mute me, you puny human." Text appears on the dial and you sigh, shaking your head. "My battery is running low! Charge me!" The next texts makes your stomach drop. As if to prompt you further a small charging wire extends from an outlet at the side to your hand. If the Chronoporter dies, you're done for, stuck here.

Maybe Gina can help you, somehow?

"Hey... Gina..."

"Yes...?" She smiles.

"Do you have a...umm..."

You hesitate. There are no electrical appliances here which requires electrical outlets, right?

"....any what?"

"Any...uh... power sources... My...um...watch is dying."

"Your watch? I...don't have any clockwork batteries..." Gina says, cocking her head slightly.

"No...no, not batteries. Any... Power outlets? Something that can...uh...channel this electricity through an...electrical receptacle?"

Gina confusedly shakes her head. "I...I...didn't understand..."

"No... nevermind Gina..." You sigh dejectedly, looking at the tea swirling in your cup as you mix in sugar.

Gina hums softly in thought. "I think I know someone who can understand though... Maybe he can help you!"

You look up expectantly.

"He was just here sometime ago... He went up there..." She points to the site of the explosion, now loitered by enforcers.

"He did? Is he an enforcer ?" You look at the top of the tower, already standing up.

"No... actually he works in the academy!" She says excitedly, standing up with you.

"Ah..." A scientist, was he? Maybe this person really can help you. Probably help you out on finding your way back too.

"What's his name?" You ask, starting to walk outside.

"Viktor. His name's Viktor."

Your breath hitches. Could it be...?

"V-viktor...?"

"Yes! You've heard of him? Oh, I suppose he is an important figure, being the assistant of the dean and whatnot..."

"The...the one with a cane?" You stutter.

"Yes, him!" She beams.

It is.

Your heart thrums in your chest, and you can feel your cheeks turning red like a cherry. You'll have to go find the Viktor.

Oh gosh.

What have you gotten yourself into?

You feel a giddy sensation in your tummy, which were definitely not the cakes, as an idiotic smile creeps its way to your lips.

So this is what normal people felt when someone mentions their crush. Being the recluse you are, this is new. You look up. If you hurry, you may be able to witness something you knew would happen shortly- iconically.

You turn back to Gina, a bright smile reflecting her own finding home in your face now. "I think I'll go find Viktor there, then."

Gina nods enthusiastically. "That will help you! Oh wait... Before you go...!"

She turns to pack something for you to take along with you. Before she handed the bag to you, however, you refuse.

You are flattered beyond words at the generous offering.

"Oh Gina you don't have to... All I ask is... Can I visit, to talk...again?"

Your voice is gentle. Vulnerable, for you sincerely hadn't had such a pleasant interaction with anyone in a while.

You like her a lot.

She smiles brightly like the sun. "Ofcourse! Anytime, Y/N! I would love the company!"

_________________________

Well.

You had made many good decisions in your life.

This...

Was not a prime example.

Atleast... This was one of the better places to be lost at when compared with where you were when you arrived. You shivered slightly.

The inside of the Academy of Piltover is a labyrinthine marvel of opulent corridors and towering archways. Each hall, seems to lead to another identical passageway, making it nearly impossible to distinguish one from another. Lecture rooms, laboratories, and hidden alcoves are tucked away behind ornate doors, each marked with cryptic symbols. The air hums with the energy of countless inventions, yet for all its brilliance, the Academy feels like an endless maze.You wander through its winding corridors, each turn leading to more confusion, the echo of your footsteps keeping you company, and Chronoporter's irritating reminders to charge it. You were pretty sure you're on the top floor, but which door could it be?

Suddenly, you hear rhythmic footsteps, multiple sets of them approaching. Turning, you see a few enforcers walking, or rather, marching to a particular door. Wow, how convenient! You eagerly follow them behind, when suddenly a hand on your wrist stops you and pushes you back.

"Hold it! Where do you think you're going, miss?"

You turn around, to be met with an enforcer, a grouchy one at that. For crying out loud, did trouble follow you around? You let out a resigned sigh, lifting your gaze to meet his intimidating one.

"Is there a problem, officer?" You say, in your sweetest honey tone.

"Miss, you were seen entering the premises through... unconventional ways, from the blocked path in the fissures of the underground- from zaun."

You gulp at his accusatory tone.

"You have been involved with the explosion caused by those from the undercity. Therefore, you are to be taken under enforcer custody."

"Wait, no! I wasn't..." You start, but the enforcer seems to be repugnantly scrutinizing your old clothing, mistaking it for something straight out of zaun, covered in dust and muck after what you've been through.

"Please you have the wrong idea..."

"Is there a problem here?"

It came from behind you. That voice...

The clipped accent, the steady strong flow of calm beneath the turbulence of brilliance and smooth articulation reaches your ears like a melody.

"Sir... This lady... She is one of the suspects..." The enforcer says.

"I don't think so." Click of a cane meeting the ornate marble floors accompanied his footsteps.

"What do you know sir?"

"I believe, if she were indeed a culprit, she would run away from this building, rather than linger." The voice continues. Your feet found it extremely hard to turn and face him. So you stayed planted to your spot, not turning to look at the source of the voice which made your cheeks blush. The enforcer was silent, as the voice continues. "Also, she doesn't seem to be in possession of the stolen items from the break in."

"Besides, eh, you are supposed to assist in confiscation of these magical artifacts, aren't you officer? Sheriff Greyson awaits you inside." You could sense a smirk in the voice, your heart flutters in your chest, like a butterfly sensing pollen nearby.

The enforcer seemed to falter, stuttering lightly, indignant. He lowers his cap slightly covering his expression and walks past you, as you let out a sigh of relief.

"Oh and officer...!"

The accentuated voice calls out, "do remember that false accusations lands the accuser in trouble too, essentially ."

You hear a petty huff from the enforcer, as you bit your lip to stiffle an amused laugh, and let out the breath you didn't knew you were holding.

As the enforcer leaves however, you are faced with another issue.

Oh... oh goodness.

The cane taps comes closer...

Past you...

stopping right before you...

Your gaze is fixated on the floor.

"Miss, you should know better than to enter enforcer surveillance zones without good reason..."

The melody of his voice envelops your auditory senses.

Your gaze travels upwards to meet his gaze.

____________________________

Chapter 5 available NOW in my Tumblr page.

[theanxiousghostartist]

TMAGP 19 SPOILERS UNDER THE CUT

Gonna try and organize my thoughts and theories here; sorry if I ramble!

Sam/Celia Conversation:

So Celia and Sam are both looking into alchemy. Sam said that he started through the Institute, who was "...pretty deep into all this stuff." Celia, we know, was specifically looking into transference and spiritual substitution of elements (from Sam's recognizing of the symbols). This gives us more support for the 'Celia is Celia from TMA' theory (which I'm on board with). It's nice to have more evidence for that!

Also, the idea that Sam is "going to drop the Institute research???" Buddy, you might try, but I think Chester (rn I've theorized that they're Jon from TMA) has other plans for you 😭

Case:

I was surprised, at first, with the date on this (1684), since Augustus usually does the older cases, and Chester usually focuses on the Institute, however, I feel like it makes more sense with the statement's content. So it seems like Issac Newton was doing some... unethical experiments that involved creating "seeds of knowledge" that resulted in the subject being turned into a knowledgeable tree (?). First off, I love the Frankenstein vibes off this case. Second, this case sorta feels like an explanation of what happened in Episode 3 with Dr. Webber. He stumbled into the garden, ate some fruit, and began turning into a tree/plant. Newton definitely seems to be marked by the Eye, especially with his thirst of knowledge and the experiment's results being described as:

"It lay down as if to sleep whereupon it grew ever more peaceful and still. I almost believed it dead, poisoned by my companion, but then 1 saw something far more distressing. The creature was taking root. Strands of its mottled brown hair were extruding downwards between the floor, seeking the dark earth below. Then, too, its back began to sprout, radiant branches unfurling and thickening before me, reaching upwards towards the sunlight with a seemingly insatiable desire.

The dog then opened one eye and stared at me and this was the most disturbing thing of all, for that orb was also shimmering with that unnatural light, but more than that, it looked upon me and it knew me not as a beast knows its master but as one man knows another and though such a creature must by all natural law lack that essential and ephemeral anima that is required for such awful knowledge tell you here Robert, it saw me and it knew me."

The author of this letter (Robert) recommended that they use "the Protocol" against Newton. He described the Protocol at the beginning of this letter as some kind of way to destroy knowledge. My theory, at the moment, is that the Magnus Protocol stemmed from the "Protocol" discussed in this statement. It was the reason that The Magnus Institute was burned down. The archivist either got too close to the truth (like Gertrude did in TMA), and they (along with the Institute) had to go, or (more likely), the archivist figured out the truth and burned down the Institute aligning with this Protocol (basically what Gertrude was trying to do).

Alice/Sam Conversion:

Sam is finally putting everything together, yay!

I hope that he doesn't spiral like Colin and maybe can get some help from Chester?

Lena/Gwen Conversation:

Honestly, I love Lena's arc with Gwen starting at

"I don't care about you being mean to me. Stay away, please."

and now going to

"Welp, F you too. I'm tired of your crap. But also, I still care about you since I need to protect my staff, which includes you."

I can't wait to see these two interact more!

Alice/Colin conversation:

Colin feels like S2 Jon from TMA. He's very paranoid while trying to figure out the truth. Colin's goal is not to be seen. He doesn't want "him" to know what he's found out. Now, this "him" could be Newton (assuming he is living on through an experiment or by being an Avatar), Chester/Jon(?) (in the computer/technology), Augustus/Jonah (?) (in the computer/technology), Fr3D1 (the system, could be an entity or avatar), or maybe someone related to "mummy and daddy Stasi." After a quick Google search, Stasi is a nickname for the State Security Service of East Germany that existed from 1950 - 1990. Established by the USSR, the primarily worked in surveillance and espionage. I wonder if this is a reference to the Eye? Or maybe a specific Avatar?

Furthermore, in Colin's mini rant, he says,

"Not that anyone cares as long as it all balances, right? Not too much mercury or the world ends, not too much sulfur or we all go mad..."

I'm going to break this down, bit by bit, because he's got a lot of information in here.

"Not that anyone cares as long as it all balances, right?"

This seems to be referencing the property of equal exchange or the idea that no thing can come from nothing.

If you've watched/read Fullmetal Alchemist, you might be familiar with this. My mind immediately went to the scene where Edward is preforming the ritual with Alphonse to bring their mother back. The ritual failed, with Edward losing his left leg and Alphonse's body deconstructing. Edward had to sacrifice his right arm to tie Alphonse's soul to a suit of armor so he would not die.

I wonder if a sacrifice like this will be required by a character to save another or beat a foe.

"Not too much mercury or the world ends..."

This, I think, is tying alchemy to the entities, specifically here, the Extinction. Mercury, a toxic element (in its gaseous form), can cause organs to shut down and impair the nervous system and is one of the seven metals of alchemy.

"Not too much sulfur or we all go mad..."

Again, this seems to be tying alchemy to the entities. Sulfur, in alchemy, represents the evaporation, dissolution, exapnsion, and the soul, and as a chemical, is low toxicity (mainly toxic as dust) and may cause irritation or burning, but, in the human body, it is used to build DNA. At first, I thought this was being tied to the Spiral because of madness. However, this could be tied to the Web, with the idea of building DNA and expanding, like how the web works. They build the foundation of their web, and then they expand their ideas and manipulation, either by handing the job over to other entities or by settley nuding situations in order to get the desired outcomes.

My current theory is that alchemy is going to be used in the rituals for the entities and as a way to create avatars. Basically, it's will be similar to how Leitner's function in TMA.

Anyway, this was a great episode! I really want to do more research on Alchemy now, lol. Sorry for the ramble. 😅

[aro-geo-turtle]

MALEVOLENT PART 48 LETS GOOOO

Oh boy coughing up blood! That’s funnnnn

New characters: Barnabus and Gerard…and the absent Lord Everard. And now Friar Halbrook and Langward.

I’m worried about that “lesser house of god” comment. Alter to the great old ones hidden away somewhere maybe??

This feels like the start of a murder mystery, is this about to turn into a modern mystery?

I vibe with this Barnabus guy, I like him.

Lol cartoon villain beard

Alia Showl—don’t like that comment about her “maintaining decorum,” just what is she capable of?

Has…has Arthur just accidently joined the proto-Order of the Fallen Star??? That’s what this sounds like

Halbrook’s first name is Dorian, oooh he’s a polymath and scientist? That’s rad

Oh no now we find out what kind of person Arthur’s impersonating, what’s it going to be? “Aristocratic, captivating, and clever, your ability to fit into most any situation and do whatever you see is necessary…debate, beguile, manipulate.”—well that’s not too bad. Arthur certainly is clever and the people constantly becoming obsessed with him would probably call him captivating. He’s also very adaptable. The one thing I’m not sure about is the manipulation part, Arthur doesn’t usually think things through enough to really manipulate, lol.

The French guy, Gerard, is an architect. Reminds me of TMA’s version of Robert Smirke. Langward is a doctor, maybe he can help out Arthur! Barnabus is an astronomer and an alchemist??? RAD. And he apparently has…visions?

This is definitely the start of the Order of the Fallen Star

BLACK STONE! Well our quest just got a hell lot easier.

Wait no ok, I was wrong. The Order already exists, Langward is involved with it.

…but we’re not going to see the stone until tomorrow. Somebody’s about to get murdered and/or steal the stone for themselves and this is going to turn into a mystery. 100% certain on this.

Hmm yeah the ring thing is an interesting dilemma. That’s going to come into play later

I love how comfortable John is when giving confident advice and instructions to Arthur about what to do and say

Ahahahha what god do you follow Arthur? which one? One’s certainly been giving you instructions that you’ve been automatically following this entire time! I’m so curious about what John would have wanted him to say. …I’m not so sure saying that you’re an atheist is going to go over very well in this time/place/with this person.

…yeah, about what I expected.

Hah, maybe John can make up for Arthur’s lack of manipulative instincts

This is a murder mystery, this is a murder mystery!!! It’s been too long since Arthur got to be a proper detective, this is going to be funnnnn. Arthur’s picking up my vibes. Love this analysis

Aaaaand there it is! Here we go folks!

The friar was probably in bed at the time of the crime, but Arthur and john can’t confirm it! John you should have let Arthur confirm his location. …though waiting longer before going to the scream for help might cast suspicion on Arthur himself.

Oh yeah the death vision power! Honestly its been so long since that came up that I forgot it was something that they had. But they’ll still have to prove to the group that whatever they see is true

Langward is the victim, that’s interesting. And the friar is deeply suspicious. I look forward to whatever excuse Arthur is going to give for why a prince is also an excellent detective and why he should run this investigation

So Gerard is with the Order as well, and by Everard’s smile, he knew this, but didn’t out it to everyone earlier. Why? Seems almost as if he wanted Gerard to admit it himself. Now there’s two rings in play! Check the corpse for the order ring.

I’m with john, having the ring is way too dangerous. Still, having dallied that long is also dangerous, especially if anybody finds it. Arthur’s best bet might actually be claiming to be an order member himself or coming up with another excuse for having it

Of course there’s no ring, that’s what makes this mystery so interesting! The best way forward for Arthur is to be as honest and open as possible.

Arthur’s trying to piss off Barnabus for some reason, see if he slips up and reveals something in his rage? Arthur definitely can be manipulative sometimes actually, he just doesn’t get much opportunity to show it in this show

Oh that’s despicable Arthur. poor Barnabus. Still, it’ll buy Arthur time to figure out what really happened and they aren’t going to do anything to Barnabus on that much evidence.

Yeahhhhh Arthur! rally everybody, organize them! you’re the expert here, even if they don’t know that

I’m worried about Everard stepping out for a moment, even if he has the excuse of going to get Alia.

“Do you believe you are a decent man?” UH THAT’S OMINOUS.

Ok Everard exposition time I guess. OH is the black stone gone? Is this why he’s acting weird? …ewwww.

WAT. Okay she’s telekinetic I GUESS?

Okay maybe the stone isn’t gone, but that doesn’t explain why he’s acting like this. …it sounds like he gets something about of showing the stone to others and that makes me anxious that he’s planning to sacrifice them to it

DAMN EVERARD JUST DUMP THAT ON EVERYONE. …why is Barnabus smiling?

NOW I HAVE TO WAIT A MONTH TO SOLVE THE MYSTERY! I’M NOT GOOD ENOUGH AT MYSTERIES TO FIGURE IT OUT NOW! Ahhhhhhh noooooooo. I love this episode. Glad to see Arthur doing some detecting again.

[spooky-things-au]

First chapter is out! Woo! (Also posted here under the cut)

Spooky Things

Season 1. Beginning

Episode 1. The vanishing of Ross Lynn

Chapter 1. The basement kids

It was late evening of early November 2012, the sun has long since set and night has stepped behind the reigns over small town of Frightville. Street lights were brightening the streets of town with their weak, yet stable light, showing the last bits of recently passed Halloween decorations the few people still hadn't taken off.

The people were passing by, some going to switch on night shifts, some coming home from day's work... while some just wanted to have last bits of fun at local club before new work day next morning...

But as busy as those few people were, it could not compare the slightest to the commotion that was happening in the lonely mansion on far East of the town.

A person in red robe with many holes on hood ran through the twisted corridors deep underneath the town, trying to get away from... whatever was following behind them.

Soon enough, they reached the door, getting out buncy of keys out of pocket, starting to try find one from the door.

All while the sound of footsteps were getting closer... and closer...

Click!

The light seemed to flicker through one of holes, as the person pulled the door open.

They were ready to bolt through the corridor and put of the front door to the safety of outside world... when they realized the sound just... stopped. They could've sworn it was there just a moment ago. It was just around the corner! Where did it go?

Did it get tired of chasing them and went after somebody else?

But then, the person heard weird clicking noises to their side...

Needless to say it was the last thing they heard.

A crayon fell onto floor, before another one was picked up, with a small hand starteing to make first lines across snow white paper.

At seven years old, Wilbert Wonder was a normal child, really. He loved drawing, playing and getting on people's nerves, many also said he was very smart! Sure, some people would say he was lonely, but he never complained about that. He had his parents! (But they worked a lot) He had Grandpa! (But he was too old to really play with him) He had..!

Okay, he didn't really have friends his age. He wasn't exacly one to shy away, but other kids tended to avoid him for some reason (definitely not because he lead an army of stray cats to school once. Yep! Definitely not that!) BUT EITHER WAY. Will never took his lack of friends to heart.

His one friend was more than enough! Especially with who that friend was.

"Something is coming..." A voice started in so familiar mysterious manner, it had long since became part of his life. "Something hungry for blood..."

Will left his drawing supplies on the carpet, walking to the table. Susie was narrating yet another D&D compain with her friends. The four of them long since decided it should be Susie to do so. Mainly because she was a girl, which meant she wouldn't have her voice cracking in middle of narration.

Will stood by her side with wide eyes and bright smile. He could barely understand the rules of their game yet... but he liked hearing his sister telling these fantasy adventure stories they all were on. They were almost as good as the bedtime stories, their mom would tell them! (Almost.)

"A shadow grows on the wall behind you, swallowing you in darkness..." Susie continued her story, paying no mind to her brother. "It is almost here..."

"What is it?" Ross, one of boys and Susie's best friend, spoke first, he was sitting across the table from the siblings.

"What if it's the Demogorgon?" Roy smirked from right side of table.

"Oh, crap... we're so screwed if it's the Demogorgon..!" Robert's timid voice finished for them.

"It's not the Demogorgon." Roy replied, a bit annoyed with fourth's fright.

"An army of troglodytes charge into the chamber!" Susie announced, pushing a couple of figures onto the board.

"Troglodytes?" Robert asked, surprised with this turn of events.

"Told ya~" Roy smirked once more, crossing his arms, when Robert made his confused face, making other two boys laugh.

Meanwhile, Susie was pulled down by Will, who whispered something in her ear. The girl's eyes widened and mischievous smirk crossed her face as she nodded. She then sat back straight up, letting Will climb onto her knees, so he could reach the table as well.

"Wait a minute!" She suddenly said, getting attention from her teammates. "Did you hear that? That... that sound?"

"Boom... boom..." Will joined in, bouncing excitedly on his seat. "BOOM!" The youngest yelled again, slamming the table with his small hands, before breaking into giggling.

He would often do that when they played. Again, he didn't grasp most of the rules yet, but the older kids always let him join in for sound effects. The boys were now again paying attention to them, when Susie went back to the story.

"That didn't come from the troglodytes..." She started to tell again. "No... that... That came from something else..."

Then, both siblings shared the look, as Susie reached for the figure, slamming it onto the board.

"The Demogorgon!" Both siblings exclaimed, which followed by groans from other three kids.

"We're in deep shit..." Roy whispered into his hand, preparing himself for the battle.

"Ross, your action!" Susie announced, looking to the raven-haired boy, who suddenly looked at her in shock.

"What!?" Ross asked.

"Fireball him!" Roy yelled to his friend.

"I'd have to roll a 13 or higher!" Ross argued back,

"It's too risky!" Robert added, before turning back to Ross. "Cast a protection spell!"

"We don't have time to be a pussy, Robert! Fireball him!"

"Cast Protection!"

"The Demogorgon is tired of your silly human bickering!" Susie, a frown forming on her face, said again. "It stomps towards you!" The continued as yet another "Boom!" was heard from her brother.

Ross stayed in his chair, thinking over his next move. The monster was infront of them and, as the wizard of the team, it was his role to protect them from creatures like this... and now, his friends and team depended on him.

But despite the seriousness of their situation... Ross then found himself amused by the fight between other two boys. Roy was too impulsive, he was a textbook example of "fists first, brain later", as Susie loved to put it, while Robert was taking too long with deciding on things, trying to get the safest option, that often would be death of them, be that outside of the game.

So, he always thought it was the best course of action that role of wizard was given to him. He loved his character and . Over their fights on what to do next, they managed to distract each other enough for him to make his decision...

"I'm casting fireball!" Ross finally announced, preparing to roll the dice, before letting it fall onto the board.

But what he didn't mean to do was to throw the dice to hard, it flew over the board.

"Oh, shit!" Ross whispered to himself, as four older children got off the table. Susie sent Will back to his drawing, while she joined the boys to find the game piece.

All over the screaming of "Where is it!?", "Is it 13!?" and "I don't know!" a voice of an adult woman was heard from the upstairs. She was calling for Robert, who eventually managed to hear her over his friends' arguments. But only when she went down to the basement to check on them.

"Robert, your brother's here to pick you up." The woman said, looking between the five children and the chaos that was going on in her basement.

"Miss. Lila!" The four older kids whined, looking to their babysitter the woman.

"Please! We lost the dice and we're in the middle of a campaign!" Susie said for the boys, who went back to their chaotic search.

"You mean the end? You said you needed fifteen more minutes..." Lila continued, sighing out. Just like the kids, she didn't want this to end. She enjoyed watching the five of them for their parents... not to mention the children themselves were a great company...

It was too lonely to live alone.

"Please, Miss. Lila, twenty more minutes!" It was now Robert the one to plead for some extra time, pulling his best puppy dog eyes.

"Children, this is a school night." Lila said again. "Come on, it's already almost Becky and Will's bedtime." She sighed, gently putting hand around Robert's shpulder. "Come on, sweetie, you ca finish it next weekend..."

"But that'll ruin the flow!" The blonde boy continued to argue.

"Robert-"

"I'm serious, Miss. Lila! The campaign took two weeks to plan! How were we supposed to know it was gonna take ten hours?!"

That made the two stop in their tracks, as Robert covered his mouth, when a young adult man, very similar to Robert, came from around the corner. He was holding a little girl in his arms, already asleep.

"You’ve been playing for ten hours?" The man asked, rasing eyebrow.

"Rad!" Robert perked up at the sight of his older brother. "Do you think we could-"

"I think we should listen to Miss. Lila on this, Robert." Radford said, cutting his brother off. "Come on, Robin is waiting in the car."

Robert saddened, but sighed out, admitting his defeat. The shared look between four older kids, silently deciding to finish this session on finding the dice to learn what became of Ross' attack. The boys took up on themselves to do that, while Susie went to help Will get ready to go home.

"Dumb piece of junk..." Roy mumbled to himself.

"FOUND IT!" Ross yelled from across the room. "It's seven."

Robert made a face, hissing slightly on the sound of it. "Ouch."

"Well, Susie didn't see it. So it doesn't count." Roy shrugged, sneaking the leftovers of pizza into his bag.

Few minutes later, the five kids made their way into the front yard, where Roy's bike was. While there, Ross heard Rad talking with somebody on his phone.

"By the way, Rob, didn't your brother start to date somebody?"

"Yeah, this new guy..." The blonde boy crossed his arms. "Kevin P... something..." He frowned. "I don't like him, he's kind of a jerk..."

"Well, your brother can be one as well." Roy shrugged, getting a light hit from Susie. "Ow! Why!?" He looked back to him.

"He's not like this!" Robert stood on his brother's defense, still looking at his friend. "Remember, when he dressed as an elf for the Elder tree campaign?"

"It was before he went to college!" Roy argued back. "And that was... four years a-"

Roy stopped mid-sentence, when lights from around them blinked for a second.

"What?"

Then there was a honk from the car, making Robert sigh out and wave to his friends.

"Later, guys" He said, before going to his siblings.

Roy then followed the suit on his bike, towards his own house. It left Ross, Susie and Will together. They all lived in walking distance from Lila's house, so they always assured the older woman they didn't need help getting back home. While the youngest of three was talking about getting ice cream in way to their home, Ross decided to spill the beans.

"It was seven."

"Huh?" Susie, getting distracted from her brother, looked up to the raven-haired kid.

"The roll. It was seven..." Ross repeated, throwing his bag over his shoulder. "The Demogorgon got me." He explained, before offering the girl one last smile. "See you tomorrow."

"Bye..." Susie said back, before turning back to her brother.

The two bid their goodbyes for the evening, as they both went their separate ways towards their homes.

But little did they or Roy or Robert that this would be the last day of the lives as they used to know them...

@crossover-enthusiast @catsockpuppet @spookuzm @ferfbish @sunny6677 @momentokori @nottapossum

[decepti-thots]

Really enjoy your post about Optimus holding onto skewed views of his relationships. I think a lot about how soon he started calling Megatron a friend when they interacted maybe twice and said interactions weren't exactly pleasant. How he undermined Bee and treated him as just another politician while calling him friend. How we don't really see him have much of a personal or pleasant relationship with Prowl and he calls him friend. There's so much distance between Optimus and the people important to him, and we know he knows that, but he doesn't talk as if that distance is there most of the time. By the end of IDW1 it really felt like he didn't have any friends at all even though a lot of characters would probably say otherwise. The character we see have the most significant legitimate friendship with Optimus (in my opinion) is Senator Shockwave. And even he had ulterior motives.

This is EXCELLENT anon, exactly right IMO. A lot of the Megatron-Optimus stuff in particular I think is a peculiar byproduct of phase two writers (lbr, mostly Roberts) attempting to make IDW Megatron-Optimus into something that more strongly resembles the kind of dramatic narrative that exists in other continuities but realistically just does not make sense in IDW at that point; obviously the easy one to point at is TFP, but actually this also is a situation where Marvel G1 and G1 generally actually does also have that vibe, if you take into consideration the lesser-known prose stories for Marvel especially. And it has this fascinating knock-on effect in IDW of creating the dynamic you're highlighting here, which honestly is much more interesting than if Optimus had had those genuinely close relationships, and which I think Barber is able to kind of work with more deliberately in his later work in the comics. He's constantly trying to create these connections retroactively, to fill a gap because the gap exists in the first place. Hell, at one point in the exRiD/OP stuff he calls Soundwave 'old friend', and like. They are not old friends. But Optimus certainly would have known of Soundwave, and you can see how the narrative would get constructed, out of the need to have some kind of interpersonal continuity he would otherwise totally lack. It's like he so lacks strong interpersonal relationships he substitutes symbolic ones by way of the war, almost. It's all he has after a certain point! Those ideological touchstones, in place of actual connections, some of it self imposed, some of it externally forced on him.

A lot of the real tail-end stuff with Optimus in IDW is about constructed narratives and their power and how they can constrict the people trying to live within them, and I think it fits perfectly with this, honestly. IDW Megatron and Optimus weren't ever actually friends, but they both understand how they could have been, and in their own way they both try and create narratives in their post-war lives that allow them to explore that now they've made themselves into people who cannot properly connect to anyone around them. (I really dislike the LL 'Megatron goes off to the functionist universe' stuff for various reasons, but one thing I actually do think is potentially fascinating is the way it allows him to live out a fantasy of actually knowing Orion, just because it highlights how he never did in the way the audience might assume by default.) And even pre-war, the way Orion lived his life- essentially as someone who did not understand his own complicity in the downfall of things and the structures of corrupt power until it was too late- did not create any long-term interpersonal connections. He can mostly only imagine them. He wants them, but he can't find a way to make them, so he tries to turn those imagined connections into reality just by saying them.

And again, it's definitely accidental, but it's weirdly fitting that the one other character he actually does have any canonical basis for an 'old friend' thing with... leaves. Which is Ratchet. It's weirdly fitting I think that Ratchet, who actually knew him in some intimate capacity pre-war, who is his old friend, is the person who is explicitly like 'no, I can't stay here anymore because there's no room for me' and leaves him, not unkindly, but definitively.

[syrena-del-mar]

La Pluie meets Nora Roberts

This week we open up with a shot of Saengtai (who is slowly learning to believe that maybe having a "soulmate" isn't all that bad) reading Nora Roberts.

Now as a former teen Nora Roberts aficionado, I immediately clocked that Tai was reading the first two books of her MacKade Brother quadrology. For those that are unfamiliar with Nora Roberts and this series, it revolves around four brothers, with each brother having their own, separate novel. So it's a little on the nose that Saengtai would be reading this series out of the numerous ones that Nora Roberts has published, especially the books that are based on the oldest and second oldest of the four brothers.

All four novels of the MacKade brothers takes place in Antietam, which if you have any knowledge on the American Civil War, you will likely recognize for being home one of the bloodiest battles of the war. While each brother and their lovers attempt to forge a connection, there is a supernatural element with the restless souls that still haunt Antietam.

The one that Tai was reading was one Robert's bundles, which included only the first two novels, centering around the first two brothers, Rafe and Jared.

I'm going to give a brief synopsis of both books below, before doing a bare minimum dive of the significance I think La Pluie was attempting to draw.

The Return of Rafe MacKade

Here, the main protagonist is Rafe MacKade, who had left his hometown years prior after making a name for himself as the handsome, hot-headed, rebellious, good-for-nothing second-oldest MacKade brother. He's the black-sheep out of the four brothers, yet the incident which drove him away from Antietam, 10 years prior to his return, was one where he was attempting to protect a woman from her abusive boyfriend so he turned to punching the crap out of the man; but y'know how rumors develop in small towns. He returns to his hometown after 10 years as a successful businessman, something that townsfolk couldn't believe which shut them up about all the gossip they used to spread about him. He buys the local haunted house to turn it into a B&B, which in doing so leads him to meet his heroine, Regan, an antique dealer that is helping him decorate the B&B.

At first glance, Rafe and Regan seem to be complete opposites, with Rafe being a 'rough-around-the edges' type of guy and Regan, an elegant and classy dame. Rafe, while being the typical loud-mouth 'alpha-male' guy that is stereotypical in 20th century novellas, you come to find out is just a guy that is unable to fully articulate his own emotions and understand his developing feelings for Regan. Regan, on the other hand, for all her elegance, is a bit arrogant and unapologetically opinionated and definitely not looking to get into a steady relationship, much less with Rafe. They're both two incredibly stubborn individuals that are always butting heads, which leads to both miscommunication and a lack of communication, but they slowly start to learn that they actually need each other, even if they try to deny it.

The Pride of Jared MacKade

The second book revolves around Jared MacKade, who currently works as an attorney who, unlike his hot-headed brother Rafe, is much more level-headed and collected, yet just as prone to being purposefully ignorant to his romantic emotions. Jared is the oldest of the four brothers and had previously been married but ended up divorced, which lead to his distaste and shrewdness when it came to love. His story with his lead, Savannah, first starts when he meets her to let her know that her father had left her some inheritance. Savannah, having been disowned by her father as a teen and kicked to the curb due to her pregnancy, understandably pissed and initially wants nothing to with Jared.

Both Jared and Savannah are stubborn as mules, but their instant connection was undeniable. Jared was a traditionalist in love, which created some conflict due to Savannah's past and what she had to do as a teen mom to survive. The connection between them was palpable, within their second meeting they were already all over each other, making out. Yet, for all their connection, they're both initially a bit skeptical of doing more than toying around. Both Jared and Savannah had to overcome their own obstacles, Jared and his prejudice and Savannah and her hidden insecurities (that arose when she started to work alongside Regan), but despite their rocky road with love, they find a way to make it work.

La Pluie in connection to Rafe and Jared

There are some very obvious parallels that I believe La Pluie is attempting to draw with having Saengtai reading the MacKade tetralogy, but I also think there are some running themes that may be hinting at the future development for our Saeng brothers and their love interests, Phat and Lomfon.

First, the obvious parallel of the four MacKade brothers with the four Saeng brothers.

Second, the first novel, I'd like to argue, seems to hint at the future for Lomfon and Saengtien. From what we've seen so far, much like Rafe MacKade, Saengtien is perceived by almost everyone in his life to be brash, hot-headed, and rather incompetent. We've seen this from how Tien's own mother treats him and even from how Lomfon treated him in the first couple of episodes. Similar to Rafe's brashness, Tien's own brashness tends to spill out either in protection of his family, particularly Tai, or in the midst of his own confusion regarding what he wants. And just like Rafe, Tien is only starting to learn to comprehend the feelings that he's developing when he's with Lomfon. Tien has taken it upon himself to be the backbone for Tai and his family, that in turn he has sacrificed a part of himself. Instead he turns to his brashness as a mechanism to appease everyone, a shield and a distraction of the pain that he is also incurring while caring for everyone.

Lomfon on the other hand, while he seems to have a good grasp of his own self, seeing how he works independently but never seems to be ostracized, rather (seemingly) he chooses who he surrounds himself with, he also hides himself. Lomfon, similar to Regan is opinionated, especially when it comes to the idea that the one you hear during the rain is your soulmate. I'm sure in a society that has attempted to find reasoning to the deafness, that sentiment is likely taboo to express, yet he's willing to against the norm to create his own happiness, much like Regan did in opening her antique shop.

If Rafe's story is anything to go by, I wouldn't be surprised to see Lomfon strongly denying his developing feelings regarding Tien, as he's still primarily focused on Tai. Lomfon's seems to be developing some kind of feelings towards Tien, if the small head caresses and playing with Tien's hair is anything to go by. His feelings towards Tien seem to be slowly developing, even if he doesn't fully realize it. Meanwhile, I think it'll take Tien something big or in the heat of passion to get him to confess to Lomfon his growing feelings, especially once he realizes that Lomfon wants to get in between Tai and Phat. Tien, the ever-sacrificial loving brother that he is, will always put Tai and his happiness over his own, even if that means that he has to argue and destroy his budding friendship with Lomfon.

Tien let's himself be still, let's go of his prickly exterior, only when he's around Lomfon. He needs Lomfon, to provide the quiet energy that allows Tien to just exist for himself and nobody else. Now it's time for Lomfon to figure out how and why he needs Tien as well.

Frenemies-to-lovers is sometimes an even longer slow-burn than enemies-to-lovers, but it's okay, we can play the long game. I have hope that they'll get there.

Thirdly, the parallel of Jared and Saengtai, really comes to their demeanors and their anxiety that develops from impressions of failed love, yet they are still classic romantics at heart. Saengtai, similar to Jared in the beginning of his book, has been burned by the illusions of love. Yet, both, once they meet their soulmates, instantly feel some level of attraction to them. Their attraction is palpable to both of them, but attempting to overcome their own fears and prejudices, even when everything seems to be outwardly alright, can rock the boat.

It's going to be interesting here to see if Phat has some hidden insecurities that arise when he realizes that he has some potential competition. That just maybe Saengtai could be swayed by the man who shares the same interests and that solely being his soulmate may not be enough, even if, for all intents and purposes, he may be the right person for Tai.

Phat and Saengtai obviously feel a spark and found an immediate connection, but it'll be interesting to see if their relationship will end up in shambles, like Tai's parents, or will their bond only serve to be strengthened beyond the idea of just being soulmates.

[littlewestern]

What was your design process for Pilot? I really like the little detail of the silver leaves on his collar.

Sure thing! So Pilot's design is an ongoing, evolving thing (as all my designs inevitably are) but he's existed for over a year now and I've drawn him so many times since then it's a little hard to remember what the idea at the beginning was like, but I will do my best!

Before we get to the outfit, I do want to talk a bit about his basic character and how I worked it out because it's a little amusing. I remember thinking very strongly at first that I wanted to lean away from the sleek, silver, speedy streamliner personalities I'd seen elsewhere. Coming from ttte, the fast engines in that series tend to be haughty and overly proud of their speed as if that were the only measure of an engine's usefulness. I wanted to turn the wheel hard away from that type of characterization so I decided right away that I wanted Pilot to be humble, down-to-earth, and well-aware of his limitations. (This turned out to be a great instinct, as it fits extremely well with the engine's backstory, though I didn't know that at the time.) So right off the bat I knew I wanted something that communicated a certain level of approachability and... almost a guilelessness, I suppose. Someone who you could play for a fool, but why would you when he's so sweet?

I had also decided that Pioneer would be silvery and old-fashioned, so I wanted to go in the opposite direction for Pilot, dark hair and eyes to offset Pioneer's lighter appearance.

I had also just come off binging House MD.

I think this is a great example of why its important to become familiar with your own creative process and how your influences manifest in your work as an artist. This won't help you avoid the embarrassment, but at least you can get out ahead of the cringe accusations lol.

Anyway, once I had a firm template in mind for the type of character I was writing, then I could drill down on the specifics. I leaned into the Robert-Sean Leonard look hard and started pulling from other actors who had once been cast for their boyish good looks but were starting to age out of them.

(Left) More Robert-Sean Leonard and that breezy flyaway hair he's just a little too old to be rocking. I also definitely stole Pilot's furrowed eyebrows from him, but this was mostly because the way the E5 windows lean, they always look mildly worried!

I was also enchanted by Tom Hulce's (right) open but slightly world-weary and harrowed look, and I nicked those deep under-eye bags for my train too. Pilot's nose is based on the E5's impressive snoot, but also mine, which bows out in the middle and I think gives my face... personality! The silver streaks in his hair came from the idea that all Zephyrs, given enough time, will go completely grey. Pilot hasn't gotten there yet, and he'll probably be able to stave for a long while. Service life keeps you young, and Pioneer went grey prematurely.

Okay, with that out of the way: On to the outfit.

The E5s are a great class for their distinctive, themed names. Silver Pilot and Silver Mate are... Well, in retrospect, they're probably based on naval terminology (Why not 'Captain' & 'Mate'? I don't know). I didn't know that at the time, and honestly lacking his B unit, it doesn't super matter. He's an aviation Pilot now, although through the inevitable design drift and desire for quicker sketches, this often gets lost or forgotten, but that's on me. The idea of his uniform is still canon unless I change it, I'm just lazy and I like to draw him in casual outfits!

You can see the aviation influence right away. I didn't want to use a specific airline's uniform, so I kept most of the design elements vague. I opted not to go for the doubled-breasted coat, as it felt too formal and I had given Pioneer a double-breasted already, though he's since lost that as well (I gave it to the submarine instead lol). I also hadn't yet designed the Zephyr pin that would later show up on Pilot and Pioneer's uniforms in later drawings, so the double-wing pin was ad-libbed. It looks like this, and is based on the old Zephyrus Burlington logo.

The leaves on the collar are laurels, and are a nod to his train's Greek and Roman mythology naming, even though by the time of the E5s it had mostly been lost. Pioneer also has them, being the first of the Zephyr trains.

Also note their nose herald pins. I actually own this pin myself, because I didn't realize it existed as a real pin you could buy when I drew these. The three stripes below the tie are a visual nod to the E5's distinctive black nose stripes, red in the 60s but corrected to their original 40s black sometime in the 90s when Pilot started doing excursions off IRM property.

A few changes I've made since these drawings I made in 2022: In retrospect Pilot's sleeves should have four stripes, not three. Also, his cap is gone from most of my later drawings, but Pioneer also has a cap he just doesn't wear often. Hats are warm, easily lost, and generally not worn indoors. I envision the cap to be for special museum events.

All this old art is making me cringe. Here's a more recent sketch to show you how far we've come.

Thanks for the ask!

[quetzalpapalotl]

The only IDW I’ve read is MTMTE/LL, and I want to read more, specifically about Optimus. I only know him from Prime, and there, he’s the Superman-like hero, can do no harm kind of guy; I was hoping to see a different take on him. Where do I start for comics that focus on him?

Hello! So glad to have this question! I looove IDW1 Optimus and it's my interest to spread that, lol. When it comes to IDW1 Optimus, many writers have different takes on him, but John Barber is really the one that defines the character, or at least it is if you're interested in OP because of my blog. So the short answer is to read the exRID and Optimus Prime ongoings.

That being said, MTMTE is a far more self-contained story than the rest of the entries in the continuity. Barber's stuff not only gets a lot of crossovers and side stories, but Barber is known for being continuity-obsessed (same), and his Optimus is very much written as a reconciliation of all the interpretations of the character in the comics, taking even the negative implications others ignored and dealing with them face-on. The reading is definitively enriched by context.... but also I'm not gonna ask you to read all of IDW1 because a lot of those comics are... boring at best tbh, and I understand reading comics just for lore is not everyone's idea of a good time, haha.

So I prepared for you a Optimus-focused reading order for IDW1 with little explanations for each entry. Because Optimus is such an important character, his path crosses with many plotlines, so I tried to make it so you would be able to get a full, mostly-coherent story, while also keeping the focus on him. Just keep the following in mind: I am biased. This skips most, if not all, of phase 1 (comics published from 2005 to 2011) because I personally judged it not worth it in an attempt to lower the number of comics (so many). This also skips all the series and crossovers where Optimus doesn't feature prominently (so none of the Windblade series or things like Revolutionaries) so you will lack context for some stuff but I think you should be able to pull through. Finally, there will be issues of exrid/OP where Optimus doesn't show up, but it's all part of the storyline, and also Barber writes about Optimus not only as a person but as an ideal, his influence speaks even in his abscence.

Stormbringer by Simon Furman

An ancient evil awakes, Optimus deals with it while remembering the events that led to Cybertron dying. Nothing to write home about, you can skip it, but it's a quick read and it will give you a taste of how Furman writes Optimus (I'm skipping everything else by Furman btw), which was a heavy influence on JRo (from Marvel) and Barber. You can skip it if you want.

The Transformers (2009 ongoing) by Mike Costa

This is a big jump, so for context: previously the Decepticons did a full scale invasion of Earth as well as almost wiping out the Autobots thanks to intel from a traitor. Eventually the Autobots managed to come on top and defeat the Decepticons. Now the Autobots are stranded on Earth, humans have a terrible opinion of Cybertronians and Optimus wants to make reparations. This series presents a lot of interesting stuff that Barber will expand on. Unfortunately, Costa was (by his own admission) not invested in writing Transformers and it shows, particulary, he doesn't understand Optimus' appeal enough to make something interesting with it, but it was still an influence on Barber. There is some good stuff, but I'm afraid to bore you before getting to the actual good stuff. So you can skip it or come back to read it later.

Chaos Theory by James Roberts

These are issues #22 and #23 from the Costa ongoing, in case you decide to skip it. This is the one thing in phase 1 that you must read. We get a more complex take on Optimus, a look into his relationship with Megatron and their past. It introduces JRo's not-at-all controversial idea of making Orion Pax a cop (if only there was a writer that would later deal with the implications of that).

Autocracy by Chris Metzen & Flint Dille

A radically different take on Orion from JRo, this series is set in the past and shows us a bitter Orion who sees no good sides anywhere in the events that lead to the fall of Zeta Prime. Look, I like this in retrospective, but I don't think it's good on its own, feels very edgy for edge's sake (I have a lot to say about this, actually). Still a dear friend likes it so maybe you will. Either way, Barber will later write an arc that feels like a direct response to this that's one of my favorite parts of OP's character so it's worth a read at some point.

The Death of Optimus Prime by James Robers & John Barber

A single issue that serves as a prologue for the sister ongoings. after using the matrix to save the day at the end of Costa's ongoing, Optimus awakens to a rejuvenated Cybertron. The neutrals come back home and Optimus wonders about his place in peacetime.

Robots in Disguise #1-9 by John Barber Robots in Disguise annual

We see how Bumblebee and co. try to deal with an unstable peace on Cybertron. OP only shows up in issue 6, but since you will eventually have to read all of exRID, may as well read the beginning. Also Arcee shows up, and she will be as important for the themes as Optimus himself, so again, might as well.

More Than Meets the Eye #9-11 by James Roberts More than Meets the Eye #36 Spotlight: Orion Pax

It will do good to revisit Mtmte's Shadowplay arc as we see more of Orion's backstory and his relationship with Senator Shockwave. It may be a long jump, but since we're not focused on Mtmte itself, might as well complete JRo's stuff and read issue #36, where Team Rodimus travels back in time, in that issue we see what Orion is doing after angering Sentinel with no Senator to protect him, now under the guide of Zeta. All of this important for OP's character and for Cybertron's political backstory. Then in Spotlight: Orion Pax, we see Orion working under Zeta-now-Prime and his perspective on current issues.

Monstrosity and Primacy by Chris Metzen & Flint Dille

Following Autocracy, these two series shows us Optimus struggling with his newly-adquired Primacy. Suffer from a lot of the same issues as Autocracy, but in my opinion they're less pointlessly edgy. They don't have as much relevance, however, so you can skip them if it feels like too much.

Robots in Disguise #10-22 by Jonh Barber

We're back to the main series. Again, Orion only shows up in issues #10 and #19, but the same as above applies. Also this will lead up to...

Dark Cybertron by John Barber and James Roberts

A crossover event between the two ongoings, which honestly fits much more better on exRID than it does on Mtmte. It consists of 12 issues, of which #1 and #12 were published on their own, and the rest were published as More than Meets the Eye and Robots in Disguise alternatively, but you can find it all compiled in one volume. Orion has some important moments here, including retaking the name Optimus Prime (but was that really such a good idea?).

Robots in Disguise #28-34 by John Barber

After Dark Cybertron, Barber leaves most of the stuff on Cybertron to Mairghread Scott and takes us back to Earth. Optimus is now at the center on this series and will remain there. Here we start to see his struggles in trying to maintain peace, which will only get more complicated.

The Transformers #35-#38 (2014 ongoing, exRID) by John Barder

This is the same series as Robots in Disguise, expect they reduced the name to just The Transformers to avoid confusion with the comics for the Robots in Disguise 2015 cartoon. That's why we refer to the whole thing as exRID.

Punishment by John Barber

A miniseries where Optimus returns to Cybertron and tries to track down a Decepticon serial killer. Here Barber lays down some themes he will keep revisiting fot the rest of his work. Optimus faces some questions and we see how his self doubt is really taking a toll on him.

This is the first part of the Redemption of the Dinobots trilogy, followed by Redemption and Salvation set later in the continuity. Those two don't feature Optimus and so aren't on this list. However I want to say that they showcase the best of Barber's work when not restrained by editorial mandates, so I do recommend them.

Combiner Wars by John Barber & Mairghread Scott

A crossover similar to Dark Cybertron published across two series, this time between exRID and Windblade. Strascream schemes so Camminus will be indebted to him, Windblade and Optimus use OP's Prime clout to try to diminish his influence (this will surely not become an habit for OP). As questionable as that is, Prowl thinks is not enough and takes matters into his own hands. I think it does a good enough job depiste all the To Sell Toys mandates and either way, it will influence what's to come and we get to see the reason for Prowl and OP falling out

The Transformers #42-#55 (exRID) by John Barber

We continue with the Earth plot. Optimus keeps struggling with peace and makes more questionable decisions. Should he leave Earth alone or is he obligated to protect it? How do you protect that which doesn't want yout help?

Titans Return

A sort of crossover, it opens with a one-shot which is followed by exRID #56-57, and then Mtmte #56-57. For our purposes, you don't have to read the MTMTE chapters, but if you did while on your own MTMTE read you may want to revisit them now with context.

Revolution by John Barber and Cullen Bunn (+others)

Okay, this is where we start with the Hasbroverse crossovers. A six issue series (from 0 to 5) backed up by one shots from every individual series featured. This isn't impossible to follow, but it does drag because it features a buch of characters and plotlines a Transformers-only reader won't care about and the writing isn't great. It does feature some "WTF, Optimus" moments (as in, on purpose), Optimus learns humans are not so defenseless and it is kinda relevant, so you may still want to read it. If you do, make sure to also read the Till All Are One: Revolution one shot (and might as well add the The Transformers one because Thundercraker is in it and he's great, and again, the Mtmte one so you can read it with context this time).

Optimus Prime #1-8 by John Barber

We start phase 3 with an arc that's a favorite of mine. Optimus plays with fire to get Earth to join the Council of Worls for its own good. We also get flashbacks of Orion working under Zeta pre Autocracy and pre Spotlight. Barber recontextualizes Autocracy!Orion, deals with the cop thing in ways JRo didn't dare and explores why me made the choices he did without trying to wash his hands.

Transformers Annual 2017 by John Barber

I don't know why this isn't labeled as an Optimus Prime annual, but whatever, it takes place after issue #8. Optimus and Pyra Magna have talk.

Optimus Prime #9-10 by John Barber

We get what I think is one of the most touching issues followed by learning more about the history of Cybertron.

First Strike by Mairghread Scott and David A. Rodriguez (+others)

More crossover fun! I honestly can't tell you how easy this is to follow without having read Revolutionaries (not featured on this guide). Again it's kinda relevant, some of this is a consequence of Optimus actions, leads to Unicron being awoken, and it does have some key Optimus moments, this time by Scott rather than Barber, if you want to see what she does with him. It has the tie-in comics, Optimus Prime: First Strike and Transformers: First Strike by John Barber (the laters follow the former, despite having different names) which don't feature OP a lot.

Optimus Prime #11-14 by John Barber

We see what Optimus' followers get up to while OP is busy in First Strike and then what follows after that event.

Optimus Prime annual by John Barber

Thundercraker tries to make a movie about Starscream (who is in jail after confessing to all his crimes in the Till All Are One annual), it's great.

Optimus Prime #15-21 by John Barber

Barber starts to pay off things he has been building up since exRID as Unicron approaches.

This is the recommended order for what remains (all by Jonh Barber)

Unicron #0 Optimus Prime #22 Unicron #1-4 Optimus Prime #23-24 Unicron #5-#6 and finally Optimus Prime #25

Unicron is here to make Cybertronians face their legacy. Optimus arc comes to an end. OP #25 is my favorite comic issue. I hope you manage to get there, and if you do, let me know what you think!

I hope this was helpful. If you get confused by lacking context, it may help to check the continuity notes section of whatever issue you just read in TFWiki's page for it. And as always, feel free to as me more questions!

[latibvles]

Poet you have now unleashed a monster in me as well with the Mouse Hole crossovers. I’m dying to hear more about all of it but for right now, I need more details about Lena and Andrew Haldane. Idc if it takes the least realistic aus but I need them together

WE ARE SHAKING HANDS ANON, I LIKE THE LOOK OF THEM AND LENA DESERVES NICE THINGS. LIKE THE HANDSOME MARINE CAPTAIN WHO'S WAR ENDED JUST A LITTLE TOO EARLY JUST LIKE HERS. We are pulling from The Pacific School of Andrew Haldane Survives His Headshot which isn't the craziest leap to make. I am after all the person who looked at the 100th and said "you know what they need to do? Ride dragons." So... not the craziest thing to suggest. More of Lena & Andy under the cut.

So Lena is... very clearly not from Massachusetts, but you know who is?

Crank who she is very good friends with. And Jo, who she is also very good friends with.

And so Lena Connolly, post-war mechanic, is on her way up to New England, possibly to help Jo get her stuff from her parents' place to move in with Rosie. Or maybe she's just coming up to say hi to her two favorite people after a while of not seeing them. Both things are very Lena, because as we all know: she's a team player.

Maybe the car Lena's got right now isn't the most reliable thing, but it's all she's got for right now — and she's good at fixing them. It should be able to last her from Brooklyn to Boston: a mere four hours, right? Right?

Wrong. Maybe she hits a pothole too hard on the way up or something. But something is definitely knocked out of place and so she has to pull over to fix it. Sputtering exhaust, the poor thing's on its last legs.

Will that stop her from getting all up under the hood to try and fix the problem herself? No.

Will that also stop Andrew Haldane, who's finally coming home after being stuck in the Hospital Carousel for months, from asking his brother to pull over to see what's going on? Absolutely not. Doubly so because this person is half bent over under the hood of the car.

All of which to say — Andy Haldane meets Lena Connolly with a smudge of oil on her cheek, and her hands, frizzy-haired and huffy. Maybe he's making heart eyes about it. Shut up. Anyways she immediately goes on prattling in irritation about what's wrong and how she can't fix it before catching herself.

Robert offers to drive to the nearest telephone to call a tow company. Lena has, well, her stuff in the car so she doesn't want to leave it. Andy Haldane is now volunteering to wait on the side of the road with a complete stranger 98% because it's the right thing to do and 2% because she's pretty.

if I had a dollar for every blonde pacific man I paired with a ginger I'd have two whole dollars which isn't a lot but—

I think it starts as small talk really; curiosity about how she knows so much about cars, which leads into her being a mechanic, which lends itself to "I used to work on the big birds," and "Really?" and "Flight Engineer, 100th Bomb Group" and "Captain, Fifth Marines."

They don't dive into the nitty gritty details. Lena doesn't ask about that pink scar tissue on his temple and the hair that's shorter than the rest of it. Andy doesn't ask about how one of her fingers is just that much shorter than the others.

But he does make her laugh to take her mind off the tragedy that is her current mode of transportation (more like the lack of it). He does offer to take her wherever she's going (which is more like Robert doing it, because Andy isn't quite ready to be driving yet. But he'll gladly sit in that passenger's seat).

"Do you always offer rides to strangers down on their luck on the side of the road?" and "I feel like if I answer that you're gonna poke a hole in it no matter what I say."

Did I mention he likes making her laugh? Did I mention he's definitely got a crush?

They do get to Jo's, eventually, after Robert comes back and late afternoon is ebbing into early evening. Jo's frazzled and she does not recognize Strange Blonde Man with her at the door but Lena assures her that she'll get the full story later.

Lena also isn't shy when she likes somebody, so Andy does in fact get the New York number and not just the Boston one.

Which Andy calls, when she gets back to New York — her dad picks up first though, and she's giggling and apologizing half-heartedly over the phone.

It's a lot of phone calling and sometimes letter writing until Lena comes back up again. Because I can't escape the friends-to-lovers allegations. I also just think that Andy and Lena first kiss at Cape Cod? Sign me up, quite frankly.

I also think that calling someone at 2am because you can't sleep because you are Haunted™ is a look and by a look I mean the Andy/Lena look. Maybe he can't drive all the way to The Bronx but he'll definitely take the train when she's having a particularly hard time in the bleak midwinter.

My kink is couples who kind of have their shit together but are also just a really good team as well as lovers can we tell yet? Because they make a very good team. And Lena has fully committed herself to getting grease stains on that man's cheeks for years to come