#who is straight up ready to murder. we love evil ladies in this house

[drawnfamiliarfaces]

is that disney-esque artstyle, peter parker look alike PILOT RANDY CUNNINGHAM???

also ngl i kinda dig Viceroy II and Deputy Mayor Kranski

+bonus Bible designs

[sunkisseddaffodils]

hi i would like to dorequest onewould like a bbc sherlock, in 1890, in which he meets and falls in love with the reader

Pairing: Sherlock x female reader

Genre: au, historical

An: thanks for requesting!! Hope you like it ☺️

-

The rain splattered against the windscreen of a horse-drawn carriage that was arriving up the driveway of a grand Georgian estate. It was early in the morning, so foggy and cold that upon stepping out of the carriage Sherlock could see his breath in the air. He hastily jogged towards the front entrance but he didn’t even have to knock when a petite and somewhat dishevelled lady came bounding out of the manor. She was in quite a distressed state when she introduced herself:

‘Good morning, sir. I’m Y/N L/N, the housemaid. Please do tell. Are you from the police?’

Sherlock tried his best to be comforting as he nodded 'yes' and asked her to show him to the scene of the incident. Y/n lead him up two flights of stairs and then into a private study. As soon he entered the room, his mind was already awhirl with theories. Books were scattered across the room, having been thrown from the large shelves. A vase lay broken next to the desk in the centre of the study. The window behind the desk was smashed into pieces. But the main focus of the room was the man with bruise marks all over his neck, sitting dead in the antique desk chair. It was the owner of this estate, Lord Williams. This was why Sherlock was here. He was here to solve his murder. Sherlock was darting about the place, inspecting every inch and corner. The housemaid, Y/N, was standing silently in the corner, sniffling to herself, grieved at the loss of her master. Suddenly, she murmured something. Sherlock snapped around to look at her.

‘Look… look at the window’

The detective ran over to her and then did as she recommended. Shortly, he knew what she was referring to. The window had been broken from the outside. That inferred the murderer had entered into the house through this room. He looked at the housemaid, curiously.

‘How did you know that?’

Y/N was fiddling with the straps on her bonnet as she answered.

‘It’s obvious, is it not?’

The door was shoved open with a colossal force by a man with a wiry face escorted by two other men. The fury in his voice echoed around the room when he saw Sherlock’s presence at his crime scene. They were the actual police inspectors meant to be investigating this murder.

‘May I ask what you are doing here?.’

The detective inspector may have been a substantial amount taller and broader than Sherlock, but the latter had no problem walking right over to him and standing his ground.

‘Despective Inspector Lestrade sent me.’

The two loathed each other.

‘You have no authority to be here.’

The detective inspector and Sherlock were having a staring contest waiting for one of them to break. Tactically, Sherlock withdrew and conceded, sitting down on a chair nearby and then stated:

‘Well, if you think you are capable of solving this, then go ahead.’

He proposed this while gesturing to the room before them which had hundreds of clues lying in wait of what had happened when Lord Williams was killed. Sherlock knew for a fact that they weren’t sharp enough to find them all. The detective inspector simply laughed in his face.

‘There’s no need. I’ll think you’ll find we have the murderer in this very room.’

Abruptly, the two accompanying men turned to Y/N, their rifles pointed straight at her. Her eyes widened in shock, putting her hands up defensively.

‘Y/N L/N, we are arresting you on the suspicion of the murder of Lord Williams. You do not have to say anything but it may harm your defence if you do not mention when questioned something you later rely on in court. Anything you do say may be given in evidence’

And with that they restrained her, eager to flee the manor and reprimand her in custody. Before this could happen though, Sherlock pressed his back against the door to the study firmly, determined to stop them from making an idiotic error.

‘Wrong!’

The detective inspector pursed his lips, having had enough of Sherlock’s obstinance.

‘Remove yourself from the door!’

Sherlock disregarded his order.

‘Tell me, inspector, what motive does Y/N have?’

He sighed, thinking that if he could answer this one question then he could be out of this damned estate and off to lunch.

‘It doesn’t matter about the motive. She was the only was in the house when he was killed. There’s no one around this house for miles. She was the only one who could have done it.’

Sherlock remained in front of the door, ready to humiliate the detective.

‘Yet again, incorrect. Inspector, you see but you do not observe. So again, tell me, what is her motive?’

His eyes sparked with rage, practically spitting out his answer.

‘She must have gone mad. She is a woman after all.’

Slowly, Sherlock sauntered over to the inspector and pressed a finger on his chest accusingly.

‘Although Y/N may impart the image of being a simple, little housemaid, she has a lot of intelligence. Far more than I can say of you.’

Sherlock ignored the evil glare radiating from the inspector as he passed him to walk over to where Y/N was being restrained and smiled at her encouragingly.

‘So, Y/N, why don’t you inform us of why it could not have been you who murdered Lord Williams?

Y/N, who had just about recovered from the panic of being arrested, coughed slightly and caught her breath. Her voice breaking as she deduced to Sherlock and the others from what she saw around the room.

‘You can tell that window was broken from the outside by the glass laying all over the floor inside this room. Why would I need to break into the house when I already live here? Continuing, the size of the bruise marks along his neck suggests they were done by someone with large hands, most likely a man.’

As Y/N was making her case, the detective inspector looked at each of the clues and found that she was making sense. Whether he liked he not, Sherlock and Y/N were right. Rubbing his eyes, he signalled for the two policemen to let Y/N go. Whilst, he and his men were going to inspect the rest of the house, he ordered the pair of them to leave the house immediately or he would have them arrested for obstructing a murder investigation.

Since that stressful day, two months had passed. Y/N was no longer working as a housemaid but solving crimes right alongside Sherlock Holmes. He solved the cases, she wrote about them in the newspapers afterwards. As time went on, this odd feeling towards Y/N kept creeping up. At first, he didn’t understand what it was. But then he knew. He was afraid to say it was love.

[whatareyousearchingfordean]

Imperium Locus

Summary: Dean wasn’t supposed to feel the way he did about Donna Hanscum. On paper, the pair were never meant to be, but what happens when he dares to let his guard down.

Pairing: Dean Winchester x Donna Hanscum

Word Count: 5.7k+ (I’m so sorry)

Warnings: Language, show level violence, character death

Square Filled: Enemies to Lovers

Author’s Note: Written for @spngenrebingo​.  I honestly have no idea where this came from. Probably because I’m absolute Winscum trash. I have no regrets. Also, I’m not 100% sure this is even enemies to lovers. I tried though, therefore none of you can criticize me. I hope you all enjoy this, as always I love to hear what you thought. xoxo Alex. 

Check out Alexandra’s Library for more works by yours truly!

A camera flashed outside the main door to Imperium Locus as clients flooded inside. The lights inside were low, reflecting against the crystal that hung from almost every open space of the club. There was chatter from the locals intertwined with the jazz that the band created from the stage. 

“Mrs. Scott is a tramp, everybody knows that. Well, except for Mr. Scott.” Laughter rang out around the table as Dean was making his rounds. He made eye contact with his buddy at the table, squeezing his shoulder and bringing him up to stand next to him. 

“Hey, Garth, how about we keep the gossip for the column, eh? People are trying to enjoy themselves tonight.” Dean patted down his wrinkled tie and raised a single brow at the journalist.

“You won’t have to worry much longer Dean. I’m working on something big right now, you’ll see.” Garth’s words were slurred as they came from his mouth. “They’ll all see!”

Dean once again patted his friend’s shoulder, leaving him to be with the group he had shown up with. Garth was always on about how he had some big story that he was working on, and it almost always ended up as some sort of fluff piece in the local paper. Dean had no worries about the strange fellow he called a friend, but it wouldn’t hurt to cut him off before he could no longer walk straight. 

As he made his way to the bar, a shot was slid across the wood and into his ready hand. Dean tipped it back, allowing the whiskey to burn down his throat. Ash stepped down the way to wipe the counter in front of his boss. 

“Only water for Garth from now on, okay? He can come to me if he’s angry but I don’t need him getting himself into trouble on my account.” 

“Got it, boss.” Ash nodded his head once at the club owner before refilling his shot. Dean threw it back again without hesitation. “By the way, isn’t Jo supposed to be on by now?”

Both men turned their heads to the stage devoid of the Imperium’s star performer. Though it wasn’t unlike her to be a little late to the stage, her absence never sat right with Dean. He glanced down at the watch on his wrist and hummed, “Yeah, let’s give her a couple of minutes.” 

As Dean spoke, the lights dimmed in the club as the stage lights grew. The head of his jazz ensemble came onto the stage to announce Jo’s arrival, and the crowd broke out into applause and whistles. 

“What a dame,” Ash sighed from beside Dean. 

“She gets ‘em every time.”  Dean agreed. The pair of them watched the charismatic woman charm the crowd like she did every other night since joining the staff at the Imperium. Jo was the secret to Dean’s recent success with the club. Ever since the paper did a column on her show, people from all around the greater area were coming to see her perform. The small, spirited woman had a way with the music that captivated even the most skeptical and frazzled customers. 

“Dean,” Ash’s face fell as he glanced towards the front door. Dean caught his gaze and followed it, only to be hit with the last thing he wanted to deal with tonight. His place was more packed than ever and more than that, he wanted a peaceful evening that didn’t end in a bloodbath. 

Walking in the front doors of his club was none other than Fergus MacLeod, the notorious jackass that pretty much owned the town just a mile south of Lawrence. He was flanked by his usual henchman, Gordon Walker. None of that pissed him off more than the woman on his arm, Donna Hanscum. 

Donna was a girl that had grown up right here with his little brother Sammy. Just a few years younger than himself. She was quiet and kept to herself in school mostly but what had always caught his eye was her beauty. Her soft blonde curls were always in place and her mother never failed to pick out a dress for her that didn’t bring out the amber in her eyes. She was a sweet girl. That is until she married Doug. Somehow, that was where it all went downhill for the young woman. Ever since her association with Doug, the pair had been attached to MacLeod’s side. Even after Doug left her, Donna stuck around the vile man that Dean assumed was less than human. They were the dynamic duo of Pleasant Grove, ironically enough. But everyone knew of the back door dealings they tried to hide. Not to mention all the trouble they have caused the Winchester family. Fergus wanted to take over Lawrence, where the real money was to be made, and he had tried to use John’s death as a means to get inside. Dean had been warned by his father of the MacLeod’s long before he was murdered, and had sworn to protect Lawrence from them at all costs. So that’s what he does, protects the town he loves from the evil they can’t even begin to comprehend, and now, here MacLeod was, in his late father’s club, and that pissed Dean off. 

“I’ll take care of it, but call for Benny.” Dean tapped the bar with his knuckles before pushing off of it and leaving Ash to head to the back of the house. Dean licked along his lower lip, his eyes narrowed at the people in his house. Donna caught his line of sight, her head tilting up and a sly smile appearing on her lips when she realized he was staring at her. She pulled on her sky blue gown as she went down the steps into the lounge area, the slit in the satin reaching far higher than anything Dean had seen before. 

Fergus gripped her elbow and guided her to a table behind Gordon. The henchman tapped the shoulder of the paying customers at the table and shooed them away with a tip of his hat. He pulled out the chair for Donna who sat down next to the man that was evil personified. Her eyes still on the green-eyed club owner. 

“Well well, if it isn’t little Cassie Robinson.” Donna turned her attention away from Dean and towards Fergus, where he now had the arm of a young woman trapped in his grasp. “You have the money you borrowed from me?”

“Not yet, but I have something in the works.” She flashed him a brilliant smile, but one that was laced in fear and embarrassment. Her eyes averted back and forth, hoping no one in the area was paying any attention to her predicament. 

“Not yet? Well, that was a glass of mighty expensive champagne I saw you drinking over there.” Fergus’ lips twitched into an evil smirk. 

“Well, a lady has to keep up appearances.” 

“Your appearance is gonna suffer if you don’t get me my money. Twenty four hours.” His voice dropped dangerously low and Cassie ripped her arm from his fingers. A frown fell onto her face as he sneered at her, the young woman stomping off without another word. Donna looked away as Cassie passed her, ashamed that she couldn’t help the poor woman. She couldn’t even save herself, so what was she to do for Cassie?

The young woman in trouble knocked into Dean’s shoulder as he passed on his way to MacLeod, and he watched her run off with a sigh. 

“Can I help you?” Dean stopped next to Donna, his eyes on the man whose vile leached out into the atmosphere around. 

“Wow, Dean Winchester. What a pleasure.” MacLeod did nothing to hide the sarcasm in his voice, a smile still on his lips. Dean pushed back his suit jacket and slipped his hands into his pockets as his gaze flicked to Donna for half a second. “You know I actually thought this was my club for a while, considering that’s my singer up there.”

“Oh, I’m sorry to inform you, but your club is down the road,” it was Dean’s turn to smile now, “The one lacking customers.”  

“Hmm, funny.” Fergus pretended to ponder over his thoughts. “Give me my girl back, and I’ll let you live.” 

“Jo is free to do whatever she wants, and she wants to stay here.” Dean turned as he spoke his next words, his forefinger pointing towards the main entrance. “You, on the other hand, are free to go.” 

MacLeod laughed, an earnest chuckle, “You know this club had such class when your father ran it. You know it’s too bad your mother and John had such a horrific accident, I mean your mother was always so,” Fergus licked his lips, his eyes narrowing, “Hospitable.” 

“I think it is time for you to get out of my club, or I will throw you out.” All hint of amusement was gone from Dean’s face. His blood was boiling underneath his skin, and it took everything in him not to sock the man staring up at him. 

Fergus didn’t take his eyes off Dean, both men were intent to size the other up. “Gordon,” 

Dean turned just in time to see Gordon smash a bottle against the table, holding up the jagged edges to the club owner’s face. Dean didn’t back down, his jaw ticking as he stood his ground. The music around them faded away as all eyes in the club had been drawn to the commotion. Even Jo stood watching with bated breath from the stage. 

“Hey,” Benny now stood at the entrance to the club, his gun resting in plain sight on his hip. He was flanked by Dean’s other right-hand man, Castiel, who also was accompanied by his piece. “I think that’s enough for tonight.” 

Gordon dropped the glass with a small nod from his boss, who stood then, taking his coat from Gordon and slipping it back on his shoulders. The three walked by Dean, all eyes on them as they made their exit. Fergus paused in front of Dean, looking out towards all the hesitant faces. “Thanks for the lovely evening.” He sneered before continuing out. 

Donna stopped to watch him return to her, letting him pass by out the door. Her gaze landed on Dean one last time and he couldn’t help but wonder if he detected something in her eyes this time. Was it fear? Or maybe it was a concern? Either way, it set Dean Winchester on edge, and that was not an easy feat. 

Dean followed them until the trio disappeared behind the doors, turning back around to his still silent club members. “Sorry ladies and gentlemen, round on the house!” Dean flourished his arm towards the stage. “Jo Harvelle!” He signaled towards the band to start up again, wanting nothing more than for the little scene with MacLeod to be over with. He took a deep breath as the attention turned back to his star performer. 

~

The Mercedes rolled to a stop outside MacLeod manor as a fog settled in the small town. 

“Give us a minute, Gordon.” Fergus caught the eye of his driver in the mirror and waited for him to exit the car. Donna turned her attention on the man, a confused tilt in her brow. Fergus took a deep breath and looked off out the opposite window. 

“I saw you making eyes at Dean tonight,” he stated. 

Donna forced a smile on her face and breathed out a chuckle, “I was doing nothing of the sort.” 

“I know what I saw, don’t make a liar out of me.” Fergus gripped her bicep in his stubby fingers, his nails digging into her soft flesh. The pair exchanged equally heated stares, Fergus with his teeth bared and Donna on the verge of tears. “You are only still alive right now because you have been useful to me. The second that changes, you are done. Now go to bed.” 

Fergus leaned over her to push open the car door. The blonde climbed out of the Benz without a word, her heart hammering deep in her chest. She knew his words were not just a veiled threat, but a promise. 

Gordon pushed open the gate as he pulled the toothpick from between his plumps lips, “I believe you, Donna, I know you only have eyes for me. Sweet dreams,” he sneered, taking it upon himself to smack her behind as she walked past him without comment. 

~

The crowd inside the Imperium was thinning as the night came to a close. Dean helped Garth out, making sure he headed in the right direction towards home before coming back inside. 

“Last chance,” Cassie purred as she walked up to the eldest Winchester, handing over her fur shawl to him. 

“Good night, Cassie,” Dean smiled as he helped her into her shall. “Oh and Cassie, those were nice days we had.”

“Sure they were,” she sighed. “Sorry I had to break your heart.” And with those teasing words, she was gone, her smile faltering as she exited the club. 

“Are you sure you can still handle your whiskey, Chief?” Benny came up behind Dean as he watched the dark-skinned woman go. 

“Yeah, I’m sure. Why?” 

“Cause you just let Cassie Robinson walk out of here without paying her tab.” Benny held up the slip of paper to his boss, a quirk in his brow as he stared at the frowning man. Dean took the slip from between Benny’s fingers and ripped it in half. “Wow, I’ve been working with you for over ten years and I have never seen you tear up a bar tab.”

“Ah, she’s just down on her luck. Mark my words, Benny, someday Cassie Robinson is gonna change the world.” Dean patted his buddy’s shoulder and walked off to make sure his employees began their closing duties for the night. He slipped off his jacket as he set out to help clear the tables and go through some of the night's paperwork. He was leaning against the bar, rifling through his mail when the doors opened, revealing the long legs of Miss Hanscum. The club owner pushed off the bar and made his way to stop her before she could get too far inside. 

“Sorry, but we’re closed.” He breathed out as he came up the three stairs to the foyer. 

“I know,” she smiled. “My car broke down.” 

“Right, so you can lure me outside and Fergus and his goons can work me over.” Dean cocked his head, stopping a safe distance from the woman before putting his hands into his pockets. He straightened his shoulders. “No thanks.”

As Dean turned to leave, Donna raised her voice, “Fergus isn’t with me.” she cast her eyes down to where her feet were planted, the silver of the straps a sharp contrast to the dark tile below. Dean turned back to her, an incredulous look in his eye. He did not believe the lady standing in front of him. He had seen all too well with his own eyes the things that those two got up to. “Promise.”

The two stared at each other for a second, though it felt like minutes to Dean. Donna had a glint in her eye that was making his stomach churn, but there was something about the upturn in her smile that calmed the storm inside him. For some reason, he believed her. “Let me grab my coat.”

Donna led Dean outside to the street just in front of the Imperium as he slipped his hat onto his head. A sleek black Mercedes Benz was parked right against the curb, identical to all the others that the MacLeod legion used. He assumed it was a loaner for her. 

“Let me see what I can do, I’m not really the mechanic type,” He drawled as he lifted the hood to the car. The tall man bent over the engine, peering inside and fiddling with some things that seemed out of place to him. “The advancement of these things is amazing. How much did this set you back?” 

“Oh hundreds,” Donna leaned against the cool metal, watching as Dean’s white button-down stretched over the muscles of his arms. Dean smiled to himself, knowing damn well this woman next to him had no clue how much the car in front of him truly cost. “What about you? What do you drive?” 

“I don’t, not ready to give up on old fashion walking.” Dean turned to catch her eye as he finally succumbed to the fact that he truly had no idea what he was doing. A silence fell between the pair for only a moment before Donna spoke. 

“You know, no one has ever stood up to Fergus like that before,” Her words were nothing more than observation but even she couldn’t hide the curiosity that lingered beneath them. 

“That right?”

“Mhmm, and to be perfectly honest, I think that confrontation made him respect you. That’s how he judges people, you know, are they weak or are they strong? It’s his way.” Donna turned her back to where Dean was puzzling at the engine of the car, her gaze off in the distance down the road. 

“It’s not my way. I’m a kind man unless you give me a reason to be otherwise.” Donna turned to look at him as he stood up straight, seeing the sincerity in his eyes as he spoke. A bashful smile replaced his serious face, “I’m sorry, my Uncle Bobby was the mechanic in the family.” Dean reached above his head and closed the hood of the car. 

“It’s okay, leave it. But you wouldn’t mind a good old fashioned walk home, would you?” Donna mocked his earlier tone, offering him back his coat that she held in her arms. 

“Sure,” Dean slipped the coat on, stumbling over his next words. “I can do that, where do you live?” 

Donna peered behind her, her eyes going south down the main road in Lawrence. “That way.” 

“Alright,” Dean agreed, coming to walk next to her as the pair made their way down the street. 

The moon was high in the night sky as they made their way out of the sleeping town. There were no other pedestrians on the street as they reached the bridge on the outskirts of town, the last obstacle before leaving Lawrence. The string of lights hung along the white bridge, bringing the wooden walkway to life in the night. 

“I don’t know how I feel about the war,” Donna mused as Dean watched his feet moving against the aging wood. “I mostly just worry about our boys. I could fight you know, or be a nurse. What do you think?”

“I guess,” Dean hummed. Donna wanted more out of Dean than one-word answers. The man that had always been an enigma to the young blonde. He had taken up duty looking after his city when his Daddy died and he did it well. It was like she had said, no one had ever stood up to Fergus as he had, not even John Winchester.

“Do you think I’m pretty?” She blurted out, hoping to God that he didn’t leave her alone on that bridge in her idiocy. 

“I don’t think I know you well enough yet to say something like that.” 

“Well, you certainly don’t talk much yourself. Why would you agree to walk me home if you weren’t going to talk?” 

“Not much of the gabbing type.” Dean’s voice was even as the woman pushed him. Sure he had agreed to walk her home, but he wasn’t ready to open up his heart to the woman. After all, the only thing he was sure of was she worked for MacLeod. That meant that she was a threat. 

“What’s a girl got to do for some interesting conversation?”

“Fine,” Dean stopped his trajectory and adjusted the hat on his head. Donna continued on a half step before she noticed he had stopped. She turned to look at him, the deep look in his eyes making her smile falter. “Tell me, why do you associate yourself with a guy like MacLeod? He’s scum. Everybody knows the types of things he gets into. People disappear around him. And yet, you let him own you.” 

“Nevermind,” Donna husked out, a grimace now on her face. 

“Oh no, now you said you wanted to talk. Here I am walking you home, against his wishes I’m sure. I’d just like to know.” Dean shook his head at the woman as she attempted to evade the conversation she had started. 

“It’s a long story,” 

Dean looked off to the road ahead of them, “I’ve got time.”

“I was in love once, Doug was my whole life. But he was also an idiot... and a dog. He got into trouble with Fergus, money trouble, and I being a naive young lady threw myself on the fire to save him.” Donna admitted without hesitation. It felt better than she could ever explain to tell someone how far she had fallen. The pair continued towards their destination as she explained to him the turmoils of her life. 

“You’re a slave,” Dean stated.

“I’m an employee,” she tried to correct him but even she didn’t believe her own words. 

“Call it whatever you like, a dog is still a dog.” Dean was fighting every instinct in his body telling him to reach out and touch her, instead choosing to ball his hands up inside his pockets. 

“What is a girl supposed to do? I laid my life on the line for a man that ran off as soon as he thought he was free of me. I haven’t been free for most of my life.” Donna explained, the tears welling up in the corners of her eyes. 

“I’m not sure if you expect me to help you with that,” Dean worried.

“I’ve made my bed, Dean. More than anything I need to feel the freedom of the wind in my hair, but I can’t expect anyone but myself to do that for me. I don’t need some-”

“You are,” Dean interrupted her tirade. 

“I beg your pardon?”

“Earlier you asked me if you were pretty. You are.” The pair locked eyes as he said the words aloud. “But it’s your heart that makes you beautiful. 

“Thank you,” Dean couldn’t believe himself that he had blurted out that admission. In the small amount of time it took him to walk her home she had somehow wormed her way into his heart. Maybe he bled for her a little, understanding the loss she must have been feeling, or perhaps it was the fact that he now understood every action she had ever taken since walking into Fergus’ life. Donna was a fool, but she was not a cold-hearted person. “This is me.”

Both of them stopped outside the apartment on Main street. It was just as quiet in this town as it had been in Lawrence. “No one else knows that story about Doug, not in the whole world. Just me, him, and now you.” 

“I won’t say a word,” He promised. Donna gave him a soft nod back in thanks. “You know, there is a sign above the door in my club, it says ‘stay awhile, have a nightcap’. Maybe you and I could do that sometime?” 

“Have a nightcap?” 

“Whatever you’d like.” He mused. Donna and Dean shared playful smirks on their faces, both of them equally unsure of what had transpired though they may be for different reasons. But there was something stirring deep inside Dean’s belly, and he couldn’t have stopped his next words even if he had tried. “Would it be alright-”

“Shut up and do it already,” Donna chuckled and Dean had to shake his head at that. What more surprises could this woman possibly have in store for him tonight? 

He leaned into her, Donna meeting him halfway in a pressed kiss. It was short, but it left something burning inside him. “Good night, Donna.” 

Donna nodded, turning without another word to enter her home. Neither of them noticed Cassie Robinson in the shadows. 

~

Three cars were parked across the bridge just outside of town, their engines running, ready for a quick getaway. The lights from their headlamps are the only thing illuminating the night. 

“Just had to go snooping where you didn’t belong, kid. That’s what will get you killed.” MacLeod was standing in the middle of the bridge, eyeing up the scraggly reporter that was bound and stuck into a cement bucket. The henchman around him laughed at the horrendous snide, eager to appease their boss at whatever cost. 

“Stop it! What is this?” Fergus turned his head as Donna came rushing towards him. One of his henchmen moved to halt her advancement. “Get your hands off me,” She shoved him aside. 

“What are you doing here?” 

“I followed you here. I had a feeling you were up to something, but I never fathomed…” Donna trailed off. Somewhere deep down she always knew the truly horrendous things Fergus got up to in the night, but she let herself believe it was all a lie so she could sleep at night. 

“What about you? How’s Dean doing, whore?” Donna stumbled back from his words as if they had physically assaulted her. 

“He killed John Winchester. I said I was on to something and I was right. He murdered him.” Garth spoke up from his confines, his mouth already bloodied. Fergus hollered to shut him up and the henchman obeyed, giving two swift punches to the gut. 

“Is that true?” 

“Go wait in the car!” Fergus ordered, but Donna was far too lost in her distraught, instead choosing to grab his arm.

“Is that true?!” She bellowed this time, only to be treated to a smack across her face. Donna stumbled on her heels, her hand coming up to wipe away the blood now on her lip. Fergus ordered her to the car again, looking back to his previous task. Donna took her opportunity and ran. She ran straight to the first person she could think of for help. 

Dean was preparing his club for the night’s festivities when she came barreling through the door. The clicking of her heels on the tile caught both his and Benny’s attention.

“They have Garth, they’re gonna kill him.” She blurted out. 

“What?”

“He found out that Fergus killed John.” Dean’s eyes went wide before his gaze was lost somewhere far off in the distance. “Dean I didn’t know, I’m sorry.” 

Dean was fishing for something under the bar before she could even try to explain herself. He pulled out a small gold box, flipping the lid open to reveal a single revolver. “Benny, go. Find Cas and get back here.”

“Chief, what are you doing?” 

“Let’s just go,” Donna whined. 

“Listen to her. Cas and I can handle this.” Benny tried to reason with his boss. 

“You’ll get hurt.” Donna tried again. 

“He hurt me when he took my father away from me. He’s hurt everybody, including you. He needs to be stopped once and for all.” 

“Oh, Dean,” Donna’s tears were making tracks in her makeup along her cheeks as she took in the one man that could help her even if she didn’t think that she needed it. 

Dean looked back at Benny, nodding for him to go before walking past Donna and out of the club. But they were too late. A car came towards them on either side of the road effectively blocking their escape plan. 

Gordon climbed from the car first, “Get over here, Donna.” He ordered. “Donna now!” 

“She’s with me.” Dean stood his ground, blocking Donna from the man now stalking towards them. Gordon laughed a good laugh before reaching for his pistol. Dean was faster on the draw, pulling the trigger of his revolver before Gordon even knew what had hit him. He hit the ground hard, blood soaking his gold shirt as it poured from his wound. Dean walked over, kicking Gordon’s dropped gun from his reach. 

“Why does everything always have to be so messy?” The sound of a car door closing had Donna and Dean snapping their attention to the other car. Dean aimed his gun at Fergus, unrelenting in his stance against the man. 

“Alright,” Fergus put up his hands and turned around, an evil smirk on his face. “Not even I would shoot a man in the back, Dean. That’s not true, I’ve shot several men in the back. Most of them deserved it, but I wouldn’t recommend you do it. Cause I have a surprise for you.” 

Dean’s attention was diverted to the car door opening again, this time revealing a grim Cassie Robinson. The confusion was all it took for Dean to let his guard down for a moment, giving Fergus ample time to reveal his own weapon. Dean was forced to relent, putting his hands up and dropping his gun. 

“That’s a good boy.” Fergus laughed. “Alright Miss Robinson. Finish your job and your debt is clear.” He sneered as he offered the gun in his hand to her. She took the metal weapon with shaking fingers, continuing to keep it pointed at Dean. 

“I’m sorry, Dean.” 

“Cassie, we’ve all had hard times. You don’t have to do this.” He was stepping backward away from where she was shaking. 

“Yes, I do. I should have done this a long time ago.” A smile etched itself across her face before she spun around and pulled the trigger on the weapon only to be met with thundering silence. 

“Yeah, I thought so,” Fergus mused. He reached out and slapped Cassie, sending her barely onto the wet concrete below. Donna gasped as he turned back to her and Dean, another gun already in his hand. 

“If you want something done right-” The sound of the gun being fired rang out in the small city street. Benny threw himself onto Fergus in that same moment, not having enough time to draw his weapon before Fergus had discharged. Dean flung his weight towards his gun to point it at Fergus. Both Benny and Dean had him in their sights, guns trained on his head when a small whimper of Dean’s name had him spinning around. 

Donna stood there, clutching her abdomen where warm blood was now pouring out of. “Donna?” Dean reached for just as she collapsed, both of them falling to the ground. “I’ve got you, I’ve got you.” He tried to reassure her as her eyes no longer focused on anything. “It’s okay, you are gonna be okay.” She was gasping as she looked up at him, her body fighting to live. 

“We are gonna leave, yeah, just you and me,” Dean had one hand pressed against her wound and the other was cradling her head, forcing her to look up at him as he spoke. “C’mon.”

Donna sucked in one last breath, uttering a soft exhaled “I love you,” up at the man cradling her in his arms. Dean dropped his head as the heavens opened up above him, letting down the rain that had been in the forecast all night. Her body was now limp in his arms and he no longer felt the need to fight the tears in his eyes. He leaned in to rest his forehead against hers, his eyes falling shut as he did so. 

“You’re free now, Donna.” He whispered to her before a sob racked his body. 

A hollered shout of his name had him snapping his head up, unaware of where the voice had come from. The thunder shook the world around before he heard it again. With the blink of his eyes, his little brother Sammy came into view, the world suddenly much brighter than it had been before. 

“Dude, why do you even agree to watch movies if you are gonna fall asleep?” Sam had kicked down the footrest of Dean’s lounger. He had to blink a few more times to allow his surroundings to come back to him, the credits of the black and white film Sam had chosen for movie night still playing on the television. 

“I wouldn’t have agreed if I knew you were gonna pic this boring shit.” Dean groaned, the reality now crashing over him. Sam frowned at his older brother before stalking off without cleaning up, leaving Dean to deal with the mess. 

The eldest Winchester rubbed the sleep from his eyes, his heart pounding in his chest. There was this emptiness in the pit of his stomach that the dream had left behind, a nagging feeling that he knew all too well. Unfortunately for him, this wasn’t the first time Donna had found her way into his dreams, and he was sure it wouldn’t be the last. 

The hunter wasn’t exactly sure when it had all started. Time had always been hazy to him, but now as he found himself lucky to live another day, time was meaningless. Maybe it was then that the plucky sheriff from Minnesota had found her way into his heart. Dean had let his guard down a long time ago, and with it went the walls around his heart. Donna had a way about her that never failed to make him laugh, and she sure knew the storms raging in his head before anyone else. Donna was a badass and everything he could see himself needing in a woman. The only problem was that he couldn’t let himself have her. Not when the universe's largest target, God himself, was out for his blood. No, she deserved far better than a broken hunter who likely won’t even be able to save himself in the end. 

Dean stretched out his limbs as he climbed from his chair, his body creaking from years of abuse. The hunter couldn’t be bothered with what his brother had left in the movie room, instead, flipping the light off as he exited, his mind elsewhere as the black and white credits droned on in the now dark room.

Forevers: @polina-93​​ @22sarah08​​ @callmekda​​ @hobby27​​ @​tranquility-or-chaos​ @dawnie1988​​ @awesome-badass-cafeteria-sauce​​ @sleepylunarwolf​ @stiles-stilinski-24-dylan​  @akshi8278​ @superfanficnatural​ @malfoysqueen14​ @deanwanddamons​ @waywardbeanie​ @emoryhemsworth​ @talesmaniac89​ @winchest09​ @katehuntington​ @flamencodiva​ @janicho88​ @anathewierdo​ @ellewritesfix05​ @mrsjenniferwinchester​ @jensengirl83​ @lyarr24​

[twilightknight17]

Today on P5S, we’re taking a nice relaxing dip in the hot sprin--

Fukuoka, Kyushu! The plan was to keep going straight through to Kyoto, but Makoto was hurting from all the driving, so we pulled over with the intention of spending the night in a proper hotel and having a good meal. Which, of course, means ramen, because we gotta try the local ramen in each place. ^_^

Even Morgana wanted to try, though he requested that Akira blow on it, first, because “feline tongues are sensitive.”

The plan was to stay in Fukuoka until Makoto was feeling better, but Zenkichi called and basically said we had to get to Kyoto right away. So after a night of sleep, we got up the next morning, and we finally learned why Haru hasn’t been driving, despite having her license.

My wife has a lead foot.

Apparently no one but Joker and Queen ever drove the Mona Bus, because everyone but Makoto seemed extremely surprised.

Supposedly it was eight hours to Kyoto. We were there by noon.

Anyway, this old bar is apparently Zenkichi’s safe house, if anything ever goes wrong on an investigation.

He’s tracked the list of names that we found in the lab back to a politician called Jyun Owada, who was apparently a Shido supporter. This guy would benefit from changes of heart, and one of his supporters is the CEO of Madicce, Mr. Akira Konoe. They determine that Owada wouldn’t have a Jail himself, but that he’s probably getting Konoe to influence people for him. Which means that, since Sophia sensed a Jail in Osaka (that we missed because we were all screaming at Haru’s driving), it’s most likely that Konoe is a Monarch.

So my dart hit the board, I just gotta see how close to the bullseye.

Zenkichi heads to Osaka for a meeting with Konoe to try to get his keyword, and convinces the kids to stay behind. They need to rest and recover so they can be at their best for the Jail. Plus, he’s put them up in the nicest hotel in Kyoto! Which means it’s time to go to the hot springs!

The boys are having a lovely time relaxing. Even Morgana’s chilling on a rock with his tail in the water, basking in the chance to really unwind.

.......Atlus. We need to have words.

Not only was this absolutely unnecessary...

It’s the exact same scenario as P3. We’re even in the same goddamn city. If I thought Gekkoukan would be willing to spend 40K per person a night, it might as well be the same hotel.

Apparently, the boys went in right before the time switched over, and didn’t realize. And now, once again, they’re up for an unjust execution. At least Yosuke and Teddie were actually peeping in P4.

Personally, I think a better plan would have been to start yelling, “Who’s there?” as soon as the girls came in. Sneaking just makes it look like you’re up to something nefarious. It was an honest mistake. And really, trying to get out without causing a scene isn’t a heinous crime.

We don’t see who knocked over the thing that got them caught, but they do get caught. There’s no gameplay here. Defeat is inevitable. And...

The girls jump immediately to accusing them of being perverts. Never mind that they’re wet because they just got out of the damn hot spring. And the boys try to explain. They try their best. They explain that they didn’t realize the time had switched. They explain that they’d gotten locked in without noticing, because the men’s side doors lock when it switches over. “It was an accident,” Akira says, plaintively.

And Makoto looks at these boys that she’s fought alongside for over a year. The ones who risked their lives to save her and everyone more than once. The teammates that she stood beside as they shot a god and saved the entire damn world. The ones who, on this very roadtrip, stepped in to defend Haru from Natsume being a harassing jackass... And she says...

She sounds actually angry.

And she beats them up.

For an honest mistake.

I know this is a trope, but in this particular instance, it’s stupid, and it feels incredibly out of character. None of the boys deserve this, but Akira least of all. He’s your goddamn leader; he’s done more for any of you than anyone else. He’s been falsely accused of shit over and over, and now he has to deal with it from his own teammates?

For shame, Atlus. Shitty writing, especially because this event is never going to be brought up again. Was this supposed to be funny? Because in this situation, it wasn’t at all.

...now that I’m done being cranky, let’s go check how Zenkichi’s meeting in Osaka is going.

Hm. Nowhere, apparently, because Konoe’s gone for the day. Weird. Zenkichi had an appointment and everything.

Now let’s check on... well fuck.

Commissioner Kaburagi, Zenkichi’s boss, is summoned by the commissioner general and the previously mentioned Owada. This asshole is claiming to have evidence that the Phantom Thieves are behind all the changes of heart. They hacked into EMMA!

You’ve got a lot of fucking nerve, when you’re the one behind this.

.......maybe this lady is better than I thought.

She says that there’s not enough proof, and that they need to look into things more. The commissioner general counters that the Thieves are going to be tried for murder. Because apparently they killed that poor man at the Okinawa facility after they learned how to get into EMMA.

Kaburagi knows this is bullshit and wants to investigate more, but they basically tell her to do it or else. And promise that she’ll be commissioner general one day. After the current commissioner general launches his political career with the capture of the Phantom Thieves, of course. And she’s just going to follow orders. Never mind. God. I didn’t misjudge her at all.

Konoe goes on TV and announces that they’re shutting down EMMA temporarily, because the Phantom Thieves hacked it and stole personal information. He also informs everyone that they murdered one of his employees. Zenkichi and I had the same reaction, which was “WHAT?!”

Look at this asshole.

Zenkichi realizes what’s going to happen and takes off for Kyoto. Cut to that night, where there’s an entire fucking squad of police outside of the hotel in riot gear. For seven teenagers. Zenkichi shows up and basically pleads with Kaburagi to stop and think, because the real mastermind is still out there.

Kaburagi snaps back with, “You mean like with your wife?” and Zenkichi shuts up. Low blow, lady. She also points out that he seems very attached to criminals.

Before Kaburagi can have the police storm the place, Zenkichi yells for the kids to run, and gets arrested for it. The kids make it to the safe house, but when they find out about the arrest, they want to go after him. They end up agreeing to let Makoto handle that, and then we get a look at King Asshole himself.

I hate how nice this man’s office is.

And I’m kind of afraid of EMMA.

Good luck with that, though. You’d have to break them first; you can’t change the heart of someone stable enough to have a persona. Not that this fuck would know that.

God, he’s like if Shido and Maruki had a fucked-up kid. He wants his own personal team capable of entering the metaverse and changing people, to make the world “better”. Holy fuck.

Somehow I don’t think you’re the one in the right, when you’re talking about making us a “sacrifice to bring about [your] new world order.”

So the next day, the Thieves get a text from Akane’s phone number, that basically says she’s been kidnapped. It’s clearly a trap, but they all agree that they have to go. According to the text, if they want her back, they need to come to Inari Taisha.

Also known as Fushimi Inari, the largest Inari Shrine in Japan. I’ve been there.

I have literally been right there. I have a picture:

And so the kids head into a Jail based on Fushimi Inari where the keyword is “Phantom Thieves”, and I try not to explode from sheer glee because oh boy I thought I’d have to wait a lot longer for this and also I didn’t expect it to be somewhere I know.

Eeeeeeeee~

They find Akane tied up and all go running towards her. Futaba trips, and before she can catch up, a huge cage snatches up the rest of them, because surprise, the Jail Monarch is Akane, and she’s absolutely ready to lord it over them.

Meanwhile, Zenkichi is getting beaten up in interrogation and taking it like a champ.

But it’s okay, because Makoto called in a favor. <3

Futaba managed to get back to the safe house, and Zenkichi met up with her there after Sae got him released.

So you know that bit in P5 where the phan-site poll hits 100% belief and we summoned a demon the size of a skyscraper? That’s Zenkichi right now, except he’s hitting Maximum Dad Energy and I’m pretty sure he’s going to summon his persona.

There’s a cool stealth sequence where you have to sneak by a bunch of shadows, because Zenkichi doesn’t have a persona. Futaba runs navigation for him, but it’s so funny because he... sneaks like a regular person. He doesn’t leap into cover with superhuman speeds.

It might have been cool to play Zenkichi With A Gun, but stealth mode was fun, too. XD

And then the confrontation with Akane. She gives the Thieves a choice of who wants their heart changed first, but before anyone can stupidly volunteer, Zenkichi shows up, and a few more things get revealed. Most importantly, the fact that Owada is the one who killed Zenkichi’s wife, and Zenkichi got death threats directed at Akane if he didn’t stop investigating. No fucking wonder he couldn’t solve the case. But Akane is too disillusioned to listen, because she doesn’t understand. And Zenkichi is forced to confront that at some point, he compromised his morals, telling himself he was doing it for Akane.

This line wasn’t sung, but I kind of wish it was, considering who his persona is. :P

Zenkichi admits that he might have been wrong. But he was doing it to protect the only family he had left.

“But at least I know what makes a person evil. Evil only cares about itself. It’s the mark of a man who would bring another to ruin and dare not show remorse.”

And his awakening was badass.

Shitty picture, but his literal shadow had glowing eyes while it was forming the contract. It was so cool. :D

Wolf is awesome. After beating up a whole hoard of shadows by himself, Akane got away, the Thieves were freed, and we all went back to the safe house to rest. And I swear, you take a nap for one hour, and cannot get any peace. XDDD

Thank you, darling. Now I gotta figure out what deck that’s from.

So that was today. Technically I only played for like...2 and a half hours?? But god, we hit the hot springs and everything just flung itself directly off a cliff and all I could do was hold on.

I have so many thoughts about things!!! But I need to see more first. But this has been fantastic overall.

[vtscasefiles]

Case File 563-7

Trigger warnings: blood, gore, death, infant death, guns, gun violence

[Editor’s note: this is one of VT’s shorter cases. It does not have a happy outcome. You have been warned.]

Case begun: 1/12/20**

Case concluded: 1/13/20**

Case locale: [REDACTED], Nevada

Marked as Closed

From the outset, this case stunk. Even Ramona had misgivings. She practically begged me not to go. “VT, there’s something wrong here. I don’t know what, but I just have this feeling.”

“It’ll be fine.” I’d assured her. “It’s a simple shakedown. It’s just a spirit. It’s nothing too insidious.”

Famous last words.

This case came to my from a friend of a friend. It was a simple haunting, the spirit was pestering a young family. Nothing a few sprinkles of blessed water and a liberal application of smudging couldn’t fix. Worst case, I’d have to exorcise.

Still, Ramona’s words bothered me, so I packed up a few extra goodies. Salt, my saint bone necklace (It’s only a toe bone, don’t ask where I got it.) and a few rounds of my most potent ammunition. I don’t want to say what it was made out of, due to the...questionable nature of how it was sourced. Point being that they’d deal with anything short of a god.

My friend, [REDACTED AT SUBJECT’S REQUEST], met me at the bus station. My car was out of commission, due to it being a piece of shit. Though [REDACTED] was more than happy to loan me their car.

I really wish I’d listened to Ramona.

I arrived at the client’s house around noon. They were a friendly enough couple. Due to ongoing SC investigation, I’m only going to refer to them as Husband and Wife. I could get in a lot of hot water if I put their names out there and someone fucked up the investigation.

Husband was tall-ish. Only a scant few inches taller than myself. He was your typical, hipster fella. Too tight pants, a band tee with a band he listened to “before it was cool” and a scruffy little beard with an overly manicured mustache. Wife was more my speed, though. Overalls, splattered with paint and a tank top. We love a handy lady.

They welcomed me graciously, introduced me to their newborn, who shall be known as Baby. She was a cute, little thing...even I could admit that and I hate babies. They scream, puke and shit, usually at the same time. Not for me, nope. Even so, I held the kid at their insistence and the girl just...stared. I couldn’t help but pull faces until the child started to laugh.

So, maybe “hate” is a strong word.

They took me to the room where their little spirit friend was causing the most havoc. It was to be Baby’s room. A crib settled in a corner, toys strewn around for the child’s amusement. A light fixture shaped like a unicorn.

Oh, and let’s not forget the words “HELP ME” painted on the wall in bright, yellow paint. Perfect décor for an infant, right?

“So, Husband.”, I’d said, turning to face him, Baby still in my arms. “We going for an escape pre-school motif or something?” he laughed a strained laugh.

“We didn’t have this problem when we moved in.” he said, rubbing at his eyes beneath the glasses that I don’t think he actually needed. “After Baby was born everything sort of...escalated.” he shuffled his feet and frowned. “We don’t want to move. We put a lot of work into our home, VT.”

“Well.” I said, foisting Baby off into Wife’s arms. “It might be a wandering spirit...might even be a kid. They tend to gravitate towards new parents, in hopes someone can help them. I’ll come back tonight to see if we can’t contact the spirit and figure out what’s going on.”

“Tonight might be...problematic. We have a little ceremony planned for Baby.” she said, smiling and dimpling in the *cutest* way. “All the neighbors will be there!”

You see where this is going now, right? Fuck, I wish I had.

“I mean, so long as it isn’t in this house. Large gatherings might upset the spirit.” I said, softly. Baby was already dozing in her mother’s arms. “If it has to be here, I can always come afterwards.”

They agreed and [REDACTED] had me drive them home before I took the car to their motel. I was scheduled for another walkthrough around ten, tonight. That gave me time to shower, check my gear, take a nap and check my gear, again.

Then it all went to hell.

It’s no secret that most PEs are riddled with ink. I’m no different, but all of mine are on my back and upper arms. It took time to learn which portion of my skin would react to whatever was in the air. 

The dead center of my back, right on top of the upper portion of my spine, lit up like fire. Usually, it’s a small, specific spot, but it felt like there were three or four of the small, inked runes lighting up at once. 

Necromancy.

Blood magic.

Demonic presence.

Those are the big three tattoos. If one of those goes off, I know I need back up. If all three go off...run. Just run. Necromancy in of itself isn’t a strictly forbidden art in the SC, but blood magic is. Demons, on the other hand...well, they’re just like other members of the SC. Some are good, some are bad and some...some need a hot lead injection right between the eyes.

That tattoo only lit up in the presence of a demon with evil on the mind. Feeling the pain in my back, my fight or flight responses kicked in. I strapped Peace to my thigh, shouldered my bag and made for [REDACTED]’s car.

I made it to the house at 9pm, a full hour before I was due. Cars were lined up down the block, so I just parked in a vacant driveway. I could apologize later. My phone jingled it’s clarion call and I answered immediately. I always answer Ramona as quickly as I can. “VT!” she was practically in the midst of a panic attack. “I was scrying and I had to call. VT, you need to come home now. Whatever case you’re on, drop it.”

“There’s a kid in there, Ramona.” I protested, eyes on the lit up windows of Husband and Wife’s home. “I can’t walk away.”

“VT, you don’t even like kids. And honestly...all I saw was blood. I hate to say it VT, but that child is probably -- “ “I know!” I shouted, the burning in my back getting all the more intense. “I know. Look, I know I don’t like kids, but that doesn’t mean I want to let one die. If there’s anything I can do, I have to do it.”

Ramona went silent, and I waited. “...I’ll pray to the spirits for your protection, VT. Come back to me alive, okay?”

“You got it.” I responded, my finger making for the screen to terminate the call. “Bye, Ramona.”

“Wait!”, her sudden shout stilled my hand. “Give ‘em hell.” I smiled and terminated the call.

The time for subterfuge and lockpicking had passed. I emptied a box of Elinor’s “special blend” into my pocket and checked Peace’s cylinder. Everything looked ready.

I bolted for the door and hammered on it. No answer. No sound beyond the door. I kicked, just next to the deadbolt and only got a wonderful jolting sensation that sent me limping and cursing in a circle. 

I wasted no time in stepping back to the street and running, full tilt, for the nearest window and diving straight through. I felt the glass slice open my arm as I covered my head for protection. 

I rolled across the carpet as I landed and came up with Peace in hand. Nothing. No one. The house was completely empty.

All of these houses were built the same, so it was a fair guess this place had both and attic and a basement. My leg still smarted, so the thought of climbing stairs up didn’t appeal, so I resolved to check the basement.

It’s always fucking basements.

The door was easy enough to find, right beneath the stairway to the second floor. It was locked, so with some creative ingenuity, I had it open.

[Editor’s note: Creative ingenuity means VT shot the lock off.]

The instant that door swung open it felt like someone had pressed a branding iron to my back. I ignored the pain and sprinted down the stairs, slamming into a wall as I reached the bottom.

The metallic scent of blood hit me with all the force of a sledgehammer to the nose. Corpses. Corpses everywhere. All in various stages of decomposition. I recognized Husband and Wife, not by their clothes, or faces...but by their hair. Wife’s golden mane of unruly curls and Husband’s stupid little manbun. (Why don’t they just call them buns for fuck’s sake?)

Every corpse in here wore the same robes, bore the same jewelry. I recognized the design. They worshiped Death. Not Elinor’s Death, the supposedly nice lady with the kid. They worshipped violent Death. 

They worshiped murder.

I fought valiantly to keep my dinner in as I saw what they’d had on the altar in the center of the room. I lost.

I couldn’t bring myself to unwrap the bundle that had no less than thirteen or fourteen daggers sticking out of it. The amount of blood on the altar told me, if the daggers didn’t, that they’d finished their sick little ceremony.

Baby was the sacrifice.

Human sacrifice has been a thing since the dawn of time. So has child sacrifice. It’s become taboo in the SC, due to the fact that pure innocence is a force so powerful that it often rages out of control. 

Doesn’t stop a few fuckwits from using it and dying for their trouble. I felt no sympathy, in fact I’d dearly hoped their deaths were slow.

“Do you want to kill them?” a voice, so sweet in my ear, practically lulled me straight to sleep. “See them suffer? I can make that happen. I can make every sick fuck out there pay for the wrongs they do.” it was my voice I was hearing. “We can slaughter them all. Val, we can -- “ That snapped me out of my daze. “Only my mother calls me Val.” I said, squeezing Peace’s grip. “And I hate that bitch.”

I turned and saw who’d been whispering. It was a mirror image of myself, albeit a perverted one. My features were too fine, too distinct. It was like someone took my face and stretched it over my bones. It smiled in a way that if I ever say that expression on my own face, I’d lay down on some train tracks and wait.

“What? You don’t want to make them suffer? They killed an infant, and for what? Power? To summon something they shouldn’t? C’mon, VT, we both know better.” the mirror me scoffed and threw up her hands. “You do this job because you like the blood.”

“Not really.” I said, conversationally. I knew what this was, this was what they’d summoned. After killing it’s summoners it still wanted more. There was only one way to deal with something as malevolent as this. Deprive it of power. “I do this job because it pays the bills and I was born into it. Plus, I just so happen to be very good at what I do.”

“Murdering living things? Banishing non-living things?” it asked, grinning.

“No. Dealing with trash like you that only exists to hurt others.” I smiled right back. “So, I suppose you could call me a glorified garbage woman.”

That pissed it off. It’s face warped into an unholy mask of fury and it lunged. When a demon takes on a form, it’s trapped with that form’s physical ability. The demon was just as strong as I was, with none of the training. Meaning it’d be dangerous, but manageable. 

It grabbed onto me and we both tumbled to the floor. Peace skittered away from my grip as the demon slammed it’s fists into my face. I felt my nose break and my lip split beneath the melee onslaught. It seemed to notice the gun and lunged off of me to make a wild grab.

I took my chance. The instant it’s weight left me, I made a wild grab for it’s hair and yanked. It screeched it’s rage and continued to paw for the gun as I mounted it’s shoulders and slammed it’s face into the concrete floor again and again and again. I couldn’t kill it, not with my bare hands. The more effort I wasted on the demon, the stronger it’d get. I shoved to my feet and aimed a hard kick to it’s ribs, leaning down to grab my gun. The demon was already on it’s feet, thick, black blood oozing across my distorted features. “Yes...yes...fight. Struggle. Feed me.”

“Nah.” I said, wiping my bloody, broken nose on my sleeve. “It’s garbage day, bitch.” I pointed Peace dead at the demon’s head and fired. My ears rung with Peace’s gunfire scream. The demon’s head was decimated and it’s true form started oozing out. A thick, gray mist that hung in the air and screamed. I couldn’t very well shoot that.

A demon can’t be killed. Some make physical forms for themselves, examples being incubi or succubi. Some take on forms of those they find aesthetically pleasing. Some take on the forms of their victims...but when the body dies, their true self escapes. The dingier looking the cloud, the more evil the demon.

And this bitch looked like pollution. 

I made for the stairs, determined not to let the demon try and slide it’s way into me. Possession is tricky enough to deal with, I didn’t want to cause another PE more trouble than they already had.

The second I topped the stairs I realized I’d made a mistake. Someone was already waiting.

And she was the most beautiful woman I’d ever seen. Her skin was olive in coloring and flawless. Her hair hung about her like a veil made of pure shadow. Her eyes glowed an unearthly green, devoid of pupil. I barely even noticed that she was wearing a billowing robe that seemed to want to suck me in.

“Run.” I panted, trying to push past her to no avail. “Demon. Very angry demon.”

She smiled, softly and nodded “I know. Please, stand aside, VT.”

VT? She knew my name?

She brushed by me, leaving my skin like ice. I couldn’t move, speak or think. I don’t know how long I was standing there, staring into space. A horrifying screech pulled me from my hypnotic trance and sent me barreling down the stairs. The demon was trying to cling to the pipes that ran along the ceiling of the basement.

The woman was inhaling it. “Stop!” I shouted, grabbing her shoulder “It’s going to kill you!” she paid no attention, continuing her upsettingly long inhale. “Stop!” I shook her, but too late. The last of the demon had just vanished past her full, stupidly kissable lips. 

Fuck.

She coughed, swallowed and smacked her lips. “Unpleasant.” she said, rubbing her throat. “But slightly tangy.” she smiled and looked to me. “You’re covered in blood, will you be alright?”

I wiped the blood from my face and nodded. “Yeah, nothing serious. What...are you?”

The woman laughed and I felt my stomach drop. “Oh, silly, little girl...you know already, don’t you?”

That’s the first time in my life that being called a silly, little girl was a turn on. “No.” I whispered, softly. “I have no fucking idea.”

She laughed again and approached the bundle. One by one she pulled the daggers free. I take no shame in saying that I looked away. I just wanted to go home, at this point. When I was finally able to look back at the woman she held a baby in her arms. No. Not a baby. The Baby.

The bundle was still slack and bloody on the alter, but Baby was sleeping peacefully in this woman’s arms. Either I’d gone crazy or --  “Its her soul.” the woman said, conversationally. “It had been locked up in here as bait for the demon.” she caressed the infant’s cheek with a finger.

“No!” Husband’s voice sounded off like a gunshot. “No, you can’t do this to us! We command you.”

The room was packed. The robed figures were all standing atop their corpses, slowly approaching the woman still toying with the sleeping infant. Wife spoke next “She was our ticket to immortality! To godhood! You can’t stop us! We own you, now!” they weren’t paying any attention to me...and the woman wasn’t paying any attention to them.

A voice I didn’t recognize rang out “Kneel before your masters!”

That brought the woman from her trance. She didn’t look angry, only mildly annoyed. “Kneel? Own? Command?” she asked, frowning. “No one commands me, fools. I cannot be contained. I am not some dog on a leash.” she snapped her fingers and the spirits all dissipated with a clarion scream. “This is tiring.” she said, shaking her head. “It’s my granddaughters’ birthday party today, can I not get one hour’s peace?” 

“Who are you?” I asked, taking a step forward. “What are you?”

The annoyance fled her face and she smiled, sweetly. “I said you already know.”

The entire world dropped from beneath my feet. Primal fear exploded through my being as every atom of my being screamed at me to run. Run and never look back. “Death.”, I whispered, causing the woman to laugh. “Elinor’s Death.”

“I am everyone’s Death, child...but you may call me Isali.” she smiled. It was a smile only a mother could possess. “My...husband gave me that name. Isn’t it so strange. You exist for so very long by one name...and someone gives you another. One that you love with all of your being.” her eyes met mine “You know that well, don’t you...VT?”

VT. Ramona had given me that name and I’d latched onto it with all my might. “Yes.” I whispered, nodding slowly. “I do.”

“Do tell dearest Elinor I send my regards.” she said, enveloping Baby in her robes. “Oh, the corpses here have your payment for this job. You may empty their pockets, if you wish. I believe it shall more than cover your expenses.”

“Isn’t that...disrespectful?” I asked, feeling squeamish at the thought of looting corpses.

“Are you implying they are deserving of respect?” Isali asked, an elegant eyebrow raising. That was a fair point. I immediately started to rifle though the corpse’s belongings. She watched me, carefully as I did. “I must go. My granddaughters will be ever so upset if Grammy isn’t in attendance. VT, we will meet again.”

“Wait.” I said, pushing to my feet, still waring with that primal desire to bolt. “Elinor...Elinor said you have a son? How?”

She laughed, brightly and shook her head. “Love, child. Love.” she looked thoughtful for a moment then turned her back to me. “Come with me.” she took a step forward...and I followed.

The world went topsy-turvy, and my brain felt like a block of ice in my skull. When my feet stopped moving I was at Ramona’s bedside. Alone. I didn’t know how much time had passed, or if any had passed...but Death -- Isali, she knew what I wanted more than anything in the world at that moment. And gave it to me.

I pulled back the sheets to Ramona’s bed and crawled in next to her, snuggling up to her back and trembling. Even in her sleep, Ramona’s a caregiver. She rolled and threw an arm over me, squeezing me close. Come morning, she raised hell for my staining her sheets with my blood. Isali was never mentioned.

Case closed

[judgement-free-sideblog]

Blood, tears and sea breeze.

Warnings: ANGST, mental health issues, graphic depictions of violence, blood, cursing, mentions of sexual assault, mentions of sex, substance abuse.

Summary: The not so peaceful town of Broadchurch face dead again, while Alec Hardy continues his journey to redemption will this school teacher be the key to solve the mystery or just another victim of the ever watching evilness that seems to reside in the town.

Chapter 1

Chapter 2

Chapter 3

Chapter 4

Chapter 5

Chapter 6

Chapter 7

Chapter 8

Chapter 9

Chapter 8: I knew

The morning of the third day since Jonathan Norbury's body had been found had started roughly for DS Miller, she hadn't have the chance to talk to Brian, neither as the SOCO nor her boyfriend, since the work in the cottage had turn into an all night venture, and with the time pressure on them finding any evidence was the most important thing at the moment, even more than date night with her and Freddie

And on the other hand she was grateful he didn't showed up, because that would imply she had to respond to his proposal to move together, and she would say yes, of course since Tom and Freddie like him and she was actually having strong feelings for him, and then she would have to tell it to Alec, and she couldn't do that to him, no yet at least.

They haven't been together that long and yet she could remember every afternoon working late in his house, with Daze pretending to not knowing anything but still making a nice dinner for the two of them, their silent walks on the beach where their silences said more than any loud scream.

But that was the problem with them, even when she hate to remember Joe, at least they fight there was more to their relationship than the silent understanding of loving each other, the biggest proof was that when she asked him to stop he simply said yes, and they move on, and they just resume their neverending friendship just like that.

That's why she couldn't move on with Brian, because that would hurt him and made him more emotionally reclusive, she just hope that Brian would be patient enough to wait for her.

A knock on the door make her stand up in a jump, she took her coffee mug and kiss Freddie and a reluctant Tom goodbye and wave at his father, before meeting his friend at the door.

"Morning" She said with a smile that was received with a dead stare like every time. "You look well rested" she joke and he only rolled his eyes at her before taking the coffee mug from her hands and taking a sip.

"The victims mother is at the station, apparently she saw the news and came all the way from London to claim his son's body" Alec said once he was inside the car.

"Yeah, well she is probably going to be difficult to deal with, Paul says they are wealthy people who own a major franchise of electronics shops" Miller said putting on the seat belt and starting the car.

Clementine Norbury was already waiting for them in the office, she was dressed in a tailored black pantsuit, and had short blond hair just like Jonathan, and the sad look of a broken heart in her blue eyes.

"Mrs. Norbury I assume?" Miller Said entering the office.

"Clementine is fine" She said extending her hand to her and then Hardy.

"I'm sorry for your loss madame, your husband call this morning announcing that you would come and asking about the case, and I'm sorry but we can't discuss anything about the case with you" Alec said trying to be polite.

"That won't be necessary detective, Hardy was it? I'm here on behalf of my son more than my husband" She said calmly.

"Excuse me?" Miller said confused since she was ready to have to calm down a posh entitled lady and this was completely different.

"I knew" She started and she took out her cellphone from her purse and put it on the desk "I knew my son was being unfaithful to Y/N, and I'm concerned that person could be responsible for what happened to him"

"Did you know this person? Clementine?" Alec ask coming out from behin the desk and sitting next to her.

"No, my husband and I, we were not thrill when he start dating a woman from Broadchurch, no offense" She said and Miller fight the urge to roll her eyes at her "But then we met Y/N and the positive impact she had on him, and I truly believed he was finally on the right path" Her voice crack for a moment.

"The right path? Instead of what exactly?" Hardy asked.

"He was a rich and handsome young man in London, what would you expect?" She said and Ellie knew her first instinct had been right "My husband send him here as punishment but a mere year later he was a changed man all because of her friendship"

Ellie walked out for a moment to make tea for the woman, remembering how Y/N had said she was only marrying him in London to make Clementine happy.

"And you didn't like Miss Y/L/N?" Alec ask the woman, remembering something he had read in Y/N's diary.

"She is a lovely woman, but if I'm honest I don't understand why my son was with her, but he was and in the end I just want him to come back home, and if that little town teacher would make it happen I was not opposing to their wedding" She said honestly, something Hardy respected but she was still an awful person.

"Mrs. Norbury when was the last time you saw your son?" He asked after a pause. "From the train station surveillance tape we know he never take the train last Tuesday, weren't you suspicious that he didn't showed up at home?" He said and start looking trough the folders on his desk.

"We are not going to look good on your provincial fearful of God eyes detective, I know" She started "But no, I was not worried because we knew he had been seeing another woman for the last six months and she had convinced him to finish his relationship with the teacher is simple, that's how life works, he ask us to cancel the venue like a month ago, and I was under the impression he would break up with her"

"But he didn't, did he change his mind again?" He finally found the picture he was looking for and look at it waiting for her to respond.

"He called me Monday morning, he said he regretted cheating on her and that the wedding was still on, and that this woman, whoever she was might take things badly, but that he was sure it was over"

"You didn't know? Not even her name? I mean she must have been important since she convince him to call off the wedding" He asked and make a sign to Miller to don't interrupt them since she was coming in with the cup of tea.

"She was a fling, I never thought he will cancel the wedding to marry the other woman, she only remind him he was not made to be a husband, and he wanted to be free, he always said she was not important, so I didn't ask"

"Clementine, do you recognize this?" He said showing her the picture of the crushed ring and the engagement picture they took from Y/N's cottage "Is this the same ring as this one?"

"Where did you find that? Jonathan said some stole it when that girl had one of his attacks two weeks ago, is my wedding ring" She said visibly shocked.

"It must have been hard to listen it was lost, were you mad at your son Clementine?" Hardy said pointing at his face.

"Of course I was mad, but not with him, I call her and I might have told her that well that she was not the woman for Jonathan... but at the time I thought they will be breaking up"

"And what happened next? Why didn't they break up?" He asked now looking straight in her eyes.

"I don't know, after that night he was acting weird. He got mad at me for calling her, he started to second guess his choice, he felt guilty about something, at the time I thought he felt guilty for cheating but now I don't know" She said now fully crying.

"Thanks Mrs. Norbury, that will be all, we will be in touch if something new comes out" Hardy said and Miller gave her the tea, she took two sips and composed herself before she could speak again.

"My son was not always a good man detective, but he didn't deserve to be killed, please find who did this" She stood up and walk away.

"Did you knew?" Ellie asked once she was away "Thay they have fight about the ring?"

"It was a hunch" He lied, remembering his promise to Dr. Florence about the diaries. "But it seems that something else happened that nigh"

"I know, otherwise he wouldn't have send the girl to her psychiatrist right after, do you think the side woman might be guilty?" She said taking the picture with the crushed ring.

"Maybe, first we need to found out who that was" He said and then he add more to himself "Why do they always have to be cheating?"

"Well I assume not all men in Broadchurch think like you" She said with a sad smile.

"This one is freaky!!" Brian said entering the room with unannounced and showing them a folder.

"What do you mean?" Hardy said a little surprised by the term he used to describe a murderer

"The blood remember?" He said showing him a picture of the living room after they remove the body. "I believe that was too much blood for a guy that was strangled, and it was"

"Brian, please go to the point before Hardy's head explodes" Ellie said looking at her friend loosing his patience.

"Al right, the blood on the floor had been frozen, it was the victim's blood but who ever did this collect about two pints of his blood and save it to set the crime scene"

"That's..." Alec was trying to find a word to describe the new information.

"Told you, freaky" Brian explained that the prints coming from the beach were in fact Norbury's but nothing much coming from the Cottage. "His house is something else, those guys were into weird stuff" He said and showed them the other folder and, the provocative underwear and sex toys that they recovered from the laundry basket in the victim's bathroom that Miller had overlooked.

Hardy felt uncomfortable looking at those pictures, not sure why, and he suddenly remembered.

"I need you to check those for DNA" He said. And both of them look disconcerted at him. "They might belong to the other woman" He add and Miller immediately understand.

"Other woman, what do you mean, you think these are not his fiance's?" Brian asked confused.

"We have evidence that he was cheating on her, and this woman might know something about his murder" Ellie explained.

"Well in that case, he might had it coming, he was already engaged, this lad must had been crazy to cheat on her" He said and Ellie smile thinking that maybe not all Broadchurch men were idiots.

Brian left with Miller to have lunch and Hardy hurried to lock the door and take out Y/N's diary, he scan the pages until he found what he was looking for.

Monday, April 15, 2019

11:00 pm. I feel like a child telling you this, but after dinner I tried to... oh my god this is stupid. I tried to have sex with Jonathan and once again he rejected me, is not like is super important but it has been like two months now, you are right doc, after he comes back we will have counseling together

He was disgusted to know that Norbury had been cheating on Y/N, so shamelessly on his house, but this might lead them to find whoever killed him. And he was starting to feel wrong about not telling Miller the truth about the diaries, then his thoughts were interrupted by a knock on the door and he put the papers away quickly before opening the door.

"I'm sorry to interrupt Sir, but we found the victims car on an abandoned parking lot, with his suitcase in it" Harford said with excitement.

"Ok, let's go check it out" Alec took his jacket. "You can drive" He add to Katie disbelief.

"You want me to go? Shouldn't I call detective Miller?" She said unsure about what was happening.

"If you don't want to go, sure call her" Hardy said stopping for a moment.

"No, I want to go, sure let's go" She said and walked next to him to the cold morning.

.

Tag list:

@allonsymexgirl @laciesaito @tf18unipups

[beatrice-otter]

Yuletide Recs 2019

Happy Yuletide, everyone! First, I got a delightful little fic written for me: promenade.  My Fair Lady, Eliza Doolittle and Mrs. Higgins.  Wonderful story.  Mrs. Higgins was superb, and Eliza's reactions to the English upper class abroad are perfect. Here are some other fics I have enjoyed: 4'33"--John Cage The Sound Of A Yuletide Fic Not Being Written. There sure are a lot of cars going by.  Great meta look at writing, and 4'33" The Addams Family (movies) An Addams Family Contract (Written in Secret, Signed in Blood).  “I’m an Addams,” Debbie protests indignantly. Immediately after making this statement, Debbie realized that it was true.  (Or, Wednesday wants to exorcise Debbie. Debbie wants to kill Wednesday. A negotiation begins.)  This is AMAZING and hysterically funny, and the thought of Debbie and Wednesday working together is TERRIFYING. Don't I Deserve Love (and Jewelry).  The plan to win Wednesday’s friendship did not start well. She shared her admiration for the girl’s blowtorch, then hinted about her own childhood affinity for matchsticks and fire accelerants, but Wednesday was unimpressed.  Do better,” she said before lowering her hockey mask and stalking after Pubert. Honeymoon in Transylvania.  Ahahahaha, this is wonderful.  Gomez and Morticia vs. the TSA! Alien Series A Room with a Crappy View. 17k of Ripley and Hicks awesomeness post-Aliens. This is an absolutely AMAZEBALLS fic, and I LOVE it. I love that they deal with their trauma. I love how they wrote the Colonel, doing the best she could on the evidence she had and how frustrating that was and yet, when you look at it from her POV, what better way could she have handled it? The action is great, the relationships between Ripley and Hicks and Bishop were awesome, this is an absolute treat. All About Eve Getting Back to Being a Woman.  Karen knew enough not to go to New Haven.  Never let it be said that Margo Channing doesn't know how to take care of her friends.  I love this. I could just hear Bette Davis and the others saying their lines, and the ending is perfect--I think Karen and Lloyd will be able to have a much better relationship after this, if he's willing to accept and live into the changed relationship. Till I have the possession of everything she touches.  Addison DeWitt/Eve Harrington and their daughter.  VERY well done Addison perspective. Aubrey-Maturin series. Vent de Boulet.  Jack & Aubrey, Teen.  The aftermath of Stephen's escape from the French interrogators at Port Mahon.  Wonderful portrayal of the relationship between them and natural consequences of their trauma-filled lives. Babette's Feast Body and Soul.  After the French dinner, a new normal established itself among the faithful. Ballet Shoes A Long Way from the Cromwell Road.  Petrova visits Pauline in Hollywood after the war ends. Bletchley Circle Logical Recovery.  After the showdown with Marta Magro at the warehouses, Jean, Millie, and Lucy embark for Glasgow to find Eliška. Archival research, an extended stay with Jean's cousin, undercover rescue missions, and much emotional processing of past events ensue. Cabaret Infinite Variety.  London, 1950. Clifford has coming looking for Sally. Instead he finds a girl who may or may not be her – or their – daughter, the reclusive former Master of Ceremonies, and an annoying parrot. He becomes part of their strange household, full of love and bickering; sorrow, pain and music. No-one will tell him where Sally is, or even whether she’s alive. No-one will tell him anything. Except the parrot, who tells him that life is a Cabaret.  Oh, wow, this is painful but SO GOOD and the ending is perfect. DC Teen Titans From Cold to Fire.  "Do you want to go out with me?" "What?" Young Justice Getting Stupid in your area.  Hang-time includes considerations of evil clones and taking down a newly raised lich lord.  Love the banter. Die Hard Your Answers Please.  “Come on, kid,” McClane said gruffly. “This place is fucking depressing. You’re coming to stay with me.” Enchanted Forrest Chronicles Best Served Cold.  In which Antorell causes trouble in the Enchanted Forest, and Cimorene and Alianora make an amphibious new friend.  Hilarious, I love Ribbita! Ghostbusters Better Than Roses. Janine dates. It's...something. The Goblin Emperor Imperial (non) Immunity.  Csevet doesn't get sick. Maia's not so confident. Light a Mourner's Candle.  The Archprelate finds a chaplain for Maia. Against a Sure Winter.  When the opportunity arose to become one of the four ceremonial bodyguards for the new Emperor, Cala Athmaza volunteered. He didn't fully realize what he was letting himself in for, but he knew in his heart he had made the right choice. Sugar Lumps.  Maia spends some time with his horse. Greek Mythology beauty, her artificers.  Shortly after their wedding, Aphrodite sustains a small wound.  Really great Aphrodite/Hephaestus dynamic. a thing of beauty, golden.  Olympus’ one-century wonder appears in Hephaestus’ workshop between one strike on his anvil and the next..  Another really great Aphrodite/Hephaestus fic. Hancock yeah I know the shortcut, rather take the long way. Ray daydreams a New York that looks a lot like something out of an old Daredevil comic - towers looming over the city like cragged, jaded sentries, impartial to the neon kaleidoscope of chaos churning along below them. Hancock roosts on the tallest, craggiest one of course, brooding as he watches the slow pulsing heartbeat of the city below him. Ready to dive off his perch and into action with the first cry of distress, and there’s probably lots of those in a city like New York. Lots of zooming around, saving people, saving the world. Hopefully with slightly less metaphorical middle fingers to the world. And less alcohol. Ray’s not an idiot though, and one sparkly life-changing month doesn’t just fix people. History RPF 15th Century. these late eclipses.  Anne Neville, like others of her line, is born with a gift.  I LOVE the way magic is brought into this, it melds so well with the history. 19th Century/German folklore The Bargain.  Bettina finds a secret door at her grandmother's house, one that leads to something very unexpected. The things she learns as a result change her life in small but important ways. Imperial Radch Still Left in Want of Mercy.  The Republic of Two Systems is about a month old. Seivarden is having yet another crisis - can Mercy of Kalr get her through it? Maybe, with the crew's and Fleet Captain's help.  Interesting Ship perspective. high above the trees.  An unexpected embassy. Really excellent, probably the best way I've ever seen "Awn Lives" done. The Incredibles Life of a Superhero, Junior Grade.  Fortunately, this was Tuesday night training, not a real villain-chasing experience. Jonathan Strange and Mr. Norrell The Magicians of Starecross Hall.  Being a series of interludes in the life of John Segundus, newly practical magician, in the year following the disappearances of Messrs. Strange and Norrell. Including: a new school for young magicians, explorations of the King’s Roads, Lady Pole’s alarming needle-work, unanticipated trips to Faerie, and John Childermass.  I love this story!  How the school got started, and 'Miss Wintertowne' (although I do think she would style herself 'Mrs' Wintertowne, because she is married and up through the 18th Century 'Mistress/Mrs' vs. 'Miss' had as much to do with age and experience and such as it did with marital status) and how she uses embroidery as a kind of art therapy.  I love the slow burn, and I love the stuff about exploring the King's Roads and Faerie.  It is excellent and awesome. Lilo & Stitch The Dance.  Lilo peeked out from behind the curtains and looked over the stage. A Little Princess Discipulae.  "I just realized," Sara said. "Becky, I could have a tutor now. I could hire someone to teach me anything I wanted. All the things that are hard to learn alone from books — Greek and Latin, Sanskrit, algebra, anything I wanted. What would you learn, Becky, if you could?"  Really great look at what their lives could be like post-canon. Marvel Captain Marvel Take my hand (and we'll march to the front lines). There's a dream Vers has sometimes. this youthful heart can love you. Carol waited a week before she left with the Skrulls. Space Cases.  Monica tried many other times to win her mother over to a pet. A rabbit, a pony, a parakeet. This is not any of those stories. This is the story of Monica Rambeau and a Flerken named Goose.  Or: Why Nick Fury is never allowed to babysit ever again. The Tesseract's Wife.  A straight line is not the shortest distance between two points: non-linear snapshots of a love story. Fly Me To The Moon.  "It's a vacation. Like spring break," Carol says. Monica's eyes widen. "Really? So we can hang out? What are we going to do?" "Well," Carol says, leaning back in her chair and flashing that old, familiar smirk. "I thought we could go to the moon." Into the Spiderverse i got you.  Miles thinks he's hiding the truth about Spider-Man, but one unfortunate night, it comes to light. one last leap.  Telling his parents he's Spider-Man is a leap of faith Miles can't bring himself to take. My Life to Liv.  Liv survived her encounters with her interdimensional Spider-nemeses, of course. So what's next for her? Interdimensional Phone Pals.  Gwen Stacy is many things, but open to friendships isn’t really one of them.  Or,  Five rules Gwen makes for herself, and how Peter B. makes her question them. Into the Spiderverse/Murder, She Wrote Spider, She Wrote.  Miles and May visit her old friend Jessica in Cabot Cove. Mulan (1998) the proper order of things. Great outsider perspective. The Mummy After the Mummy.  London was becoming Rick's least favourite place, and not just because of all the rain. Loving Evy was one thing: figuring out whether she loved him back after the Egyptian heat faded away was something else. Where's a good rising of the undead when you need one? Don't worry, Jonathan found one.  Lovely fun adventure. Course Correction.  Jonathan really is serious about staying away from tombs and mummies this time (except trouble always seems to find him). Good thing Ardeth is there to help him stay on-track. Travelers by Night.  Very quickly, Jonathan weighed the odds. On one hand, potential death, whether by armed bandits, a mummy’s curse, or people who looked like bandits and who were very angry about someone unleashing a mummy’s curse. On the other hand, potential riches, home ground, and topics of conversation other than what happened at school fifteen years ago and who got it in the neck where. Murderbot How I Spent My Vacation Between Survey Missions. What happens when ART reunites with Murderbot during another break between research survey missions? Media gets viewed, of course, but there might also be some bad news for more shady corporations. Situation Normal.  Hi, I said, along with amusement sigil 159 = wave. It seemed a little inadequate, but what do you say to the ship that radically altered your appearance, helped you figure out your past, and also threatened you with terrifying weapons? Amusement sigils seemed like my best bet. My Fair Lady Here We Are Together.  Eliza and Freddy are working together. Henry isn't happy, and makes sure everyone knows it. One Day at a Time what they say about the young. Without the kids around, it feels like everything has changed, except for all the other things about Penelope's life that could change, too. a return to normal.  Penelope and Schneider's Friday night plans fall through, so they have a movie night instead.  Very sweet. Persuasion. The Pen in Their Hands. Five letters that were written, but were never sent, aboard H.M.S. Laconia. (And one that was.) Smooth Water. “If I wanted easy comfort, I should not have become a captain’s wife.” Wonderful Austen voice. A Step Not Taken.  What if that day at Lyme had gone just a little differently? Peter Wimsey The Duke's Parlormaid.  A story in correspondence, with detective interruptions.  Really captured the feel of the books and all the character voices. Poirot The Mice Will Play.  When Poirot returns unexpectedly from a case, he finds out something new about Miss Lemon. RED The One Bathtub.  “I did have dinner plans,” Han said, grudgingly, and so Victoria kicked the door in and graciously allowed Han to be the first into the bathroom. She understood the pain of missed reservations. Rivers of London Through All the Years, This Is My Home.  At night, when the rest of the staff and most, if not all, of the masters were asleep, Molly would wander the moonlit halls and remember what fresh air felt like on her skin. Of Molly, of Thomas, and of the years they've spent together - and of the Folly, strong and everlasting.  Lovely Molly perspective. Peelian Principles.  "You're very calm about this," Seawoll said on the fifth day.  Nightingale's perspective on Peter's time as a hostage, and REALLY AWESOME. UXB.  When one the deadliest weapons of the Blitz threatens London once again, Peter finds himself on the front line.  Wonderful casefic, just perfect. Saved! Conversation Starters. Cassandra and Roland have five important conversations. Sense and Sensibility Realization and Renewal.  As Marianne recovers, Elinor and Colonel Brandon find themselves drawn to one another. Sense8 Blue and Gold.  Wolfgang comes home with Kala and Rajan after Paris. Finding a place with them. Star Trek: Rihannsu Day Comes Up New.  "I have done something spectacularly stupid," Arrhae said.  This is a wonderful extension and meditation on what might happen past canon.  Ever since I first read The Romulan Way as a teen, I've wondered what happened to Arrhae in the end, and the subsequent books were great but didn't answer the ultimate question.  This doesn't either, but it suggests something further, which I appreciate. Terminator Movies A Fistful of Sarahs.  The sky cracks open, and Sarah watches herself tumble out of a rift in the space time continuum. She’s older than she is now, and she’s got a lot more scars, and she’s carrying the biggest and weirdest looking gun Sarah’s ever seen. with all the hope in my heart (and doubt in my mind). Sarah Connor has done this before. Dani has not. Post-Terminator: Dark Fate. Fate, the Future, and Other Sons of Bitches.  Sarah and Dani hit the road. Winnie the Pooh In Which Pooh Hunts for the Meaning of Christmas.  Pooh finds a mysterious envelope pinned to the door of his house. In Which Eeyore Loses His Tail Again, Or At Least Plans To.  It's a bright, sunny day, and Eeyore has a plan to make it tolerable. Now if only his friends will cooperate.

[tingleparker]

Chapter 1; Fire at will

Mob!Noah Centineo x reader (AU)

Word Count: 1.9k

Summary: Y/n lives a normal, basic life but on one fateful day, she saw something that would change her life completely. With her life changed, the only path she has to go down is one that intertwines with the Mob King; Noah Centineo.

Warnings: Death, blood (?) & slow chapter.

Little to no Noah in this chapter, its more about Y/n’s backstory.

Series Masterlist | Masterlists | Previous part

________________________❤️_______________________

Regression to the mean;

No matter how bad things get or how good, it will always come back to the middle. Everything will balance out, when there's good there's bad and when there's bad there's good. What happens if the scales become so uneven it comes crashing down?

Growing up for Y/n was something you see out of a typical teen movie; a white picket fenced house with a loving family. There wasn't a fault in her life, she loved her childhood and her whole life; so far. The scales for Y/n were so unbalanced; that one fateful night, it all came crashing down to the middle.

It had been a few months since Y/n had seen her parents, who she loved so much. Being an only child meant she stuck to her mother and father a lot growing up, that helped with her relationship with her parents. She had moved out at the age of eighteen and had been living by herself for four years now and everything had been going good so far. She had friends, a job which she liked and can visit her childhood home every once in a while; which was what she was doing tonight.

~

It was a couple hours drive to her parent's house, and upon arriving Y/n got hit with a gut feeling. You know when you just know something big is going to happen? That was what hit her as she stepped foot on the worn out doorstep of the house. It felt like something was shifted and it felt weird, awful even. Y/n ignored it and shrugged that feeling off, she was just going to open the door to her benevolent parents like usual. With shaky hands she fumbled with her keys and unlocked the door, not hearing much movement from the other side. Placing her hand around the doorknob, she cautiously twisted it open; pushing the door ajar. With the quick glimpse of darkness, Y/n figured her parents were out or upstairs sleeping, though it was only eight o’clock. She then pushed the door open fully to see a sight she did not imagine she’ll ever see with her own eyes.

There stood her father splattered in blood, gun in hand and a look of evil in his eyes as he looked up to see his very own daughter. Y/n's mother laid there in a pool of her own blood just in front of the man who she thought loved her, eyes rolled back and evidently dead. Y/n felt like she couldn't move or even breathe, she couldn't comprehend the gory scene in front of her.

“Y/n…” Her father's voice spoke out cutting through the pin drop silence of the house.

Her eyes flickered from her murderous father to her lifeless mother to all around the living room. She caught the eyes of the neighbor through the window, eyes frantically calling for help. Y/n’s eyes flickered back to where her father was when she saw the old lady neighbor making a phone call; hopefully to the police. Her father took a couple of steps towards her, Y/n not moving but gripping onto the doorknob until her knuckles turn white.  

“W-why?” Her voice shakingly asked, wanting this all to be a nightmare. She took a couple steps back, formulating a plan to get out this situation as cleanly as possible.

“I can't let you leave.” His voice boomed throughout the void house.

His arm raised, pointing the already bloodstained murder weapon towards Y/ns head. In that moment Y/n couldn't call the man in front of her, her father anymore. It wasn't a bad dream, this was her nightmare reality, her scales balancing out. Her heartbeat quickened even more if that was even possible. She didn't want to have the same fate as her mother, that was laying there behind the monster of a man, that she once called her father. Before anyone could move, the sounds of sirens broke the deadly silence. Y/n silently thanked the old lady who lived next door. As the murderer heard the sirens, he quickly lowered his arm and pushed past Y/n knocking her to the ground before swiftly running into the night.

Y/n crawled over to her mother who laid there, taking hold of her cold hand. Y/n did not know what else to do but cry, she hunched over the lifeless body of her mother and let the tears flow. As the police arrived, they were greeted with the scene of a grieving daughter. The police took Y/n in for questioning, and she told them the complete and utter truth of what had happened that night. She wanted them to find the monster and let him pay for what he had done.

~

Y/n’s whole life changed after that night; she planned a funeral for her mother and spent the next few months grieving. One day Y/n was fed up of how her life had turned for the worst, she wanted to move on and that's what she had planned to do. That night Y/n booked a flight to Los Angeles, far away from what she had once called home.

Now here we are, in LA, trying to start a new life and forget about the dark past. Y/n had looked online and found a place to stay; a shared apartment with a roommate. Arriving at the building, that she would now call home; Y/n followed the instructions from her new roommate and stood in front of the door. She took a deep breath before knocking on the wooden door that led to her new place. The door opened, for Y/n to see a pretty blonde standing on the other side.

“Y/n right?” She asked opening the door wider, as to say ‘come in’.

“Yeah. Freya?” Y/n responded while walking into the apartment; taking the space in.

The two already knowing a brief amount of information about each other due to texting about the apartment beforehand.

“Yep! Welcome to your new home, your rooms through there and to the right.” She informed before walking over to the couch and sitting down.

Y/n thanked Freya before following the path to her room, opening to see a decently sized bedroom. She placed her suitcase and bag down before changing into comfier clothes. She didn't bring everything with her, hence the one suitcase and bag; but she wanted a change and she was going to restart to get that. Jet-lagged and tired, Y/n crawled into the bed and sleep easily consumed her.

“W-why?” Her voice shakingly asked, wanting this all to be a nightmare. She took a couple steps back, formulating a plan to get out this situation as cleanly as possible.

“I can't let you leave.” His voice boomed throughout the void house.

His arm raised, pointing the already bloodstained murder weapon towards her head. Without another word, he pulled the trigger.

Gasping for air, Y/n woke up with sweat running down her forehead and back. Breathing heavily, she calmed herself down after the nightmare that she got every night. Though the memory did not go exactly like her dream, Y/n wonders what if it did happen like that. The memory still haunts her and what makes it worse is that after all these months, they hadn't even caught the monster that had murdered her mother. So like every other night, Y/n tossed and turned trying to fight away the demons haunting her mind with the evil reminiscence.

~

The next few days went by quickly; Y/n got to know Freya more, she explored the area and she even found a job at the bar a few blocks away. It wasn't the ideal job Y/n wished for but it was a job that paid, and that was what she needed to start a new life. She was surprised to see an email from the manager of the bar, accepting her job as a waitress there. Her first day on the upcoming Monday which actually was tomorrow.

“Let's go out tonight!” Freya exclaims as she walks straight into Y/n’s room.

“I start work tomorrow Frey.” Y/n states not looking up from your phone.

“Exactly, we should celebrate.” Freya reasons rummaging through her roommate's closet, pulling out a body-con dress and throwing it onto the bed.

“C’mon. The clubs only a few blocks away and we’ll be back in no time.” Freya continues, trying to coax Y/n.

Throughout the few days she’d been here, Y/n figured out that you couldn't really go against Freya. So Y/n actually contemplated going out, it was a good opportunity to go have fun and for once in a long time; relax.

“You promise we’ll be back soon?” Y/n warily asks, slowly sitting up on her bed now.

“Pinky promise.” Frey says sticking out her pinky towards Y/n who wraps her own pinky around hers.

Y/n grabbed the dress that had been thrown on her bed and went to change into it after Freya went to her own room to get ready. The black fabric stuck to her skin in all the right places. Y/n chose to put on some basic makeup and grab a pair of short heels before walking out of her room. She figured Frey was still getting ready when she didn't see her out of her room yet, so Y/n sat on the couch. After a few minutes, Frey walks out of her room stunning as ever and ready to go. The two called a uber just so it wasn't a hassle. The pair arrived at the club, the bouncers granting them entrance after showing their ID’s.

“C’mon! Let's start off with a toast!” Freya shouts over the booming music before dragging Y/n through the mass of dancing bodies and to the bar area.

Of course, Frey ordered two shots to start the night and made a loud toast to Y/n’s new job, which she laughed at but followed; downing the alcohol. The events after began becoming a blur, Freya ordering more drinks before heading out on the dance floor straight after. Y/n however, stayed sat on the stool, slowly sipping her alcoholic beverage, the effects starting to spot in her brain. Y/n didn't know how long she had been sitting there for but eventually, she was introduced to someone who captivated her with his enigmatic smile and magnetizing charm. His eyes like a swirling sea of mocha, those brown orbs compelling you like a spell.

“Hey, you new here?” His voice spoke, not shouting but enough to be heard over the music.

Y/n turned to look at the man sitting next to her, already staring at her with a curious glint in those hypnotizing eyes. Y/n raises an eyebrow, confused on how this man knew she was new; as it was a club that had a mass of people always inside. Maybe it was just the way she acted or a stab in the dark.

“How'd you know?” The woman asks, taking a sip of her drink. Her eyes wandering all over the alluring stranger.

“I own this place sweetheart, plus I would remember a pretty face like yours.” The answer rolling off the man’s tongue smoothly, resulting in a slight blush crawling up Y/n’s cheeks.

“I’m Noah.”

                                      ~~~

Next Chapter (Coming Soon)

[dimples-of-discontent]

13x16 thoughts (from Paleyfest)

(I may need to go back and refine later but these are my post-Paleyfest notes on 13x16.)

I loved this episode!! It was a ton of fun. It was slapstick and silly but did some heavy lifting too. Honestly, it worked the way a lot of our favorite crack episodes did and alluded to at least one of them explicitly (”Changing Channels,” obvs, and I think there may have been more subtle references to others).

I’m too tired to do a full meta analysis but here’s a kind of bullet recap, first of the most plot-based elements:

The plot turns on the fact that the Scooby Doo world, suddenly, ends up functioning like the world Sam and Dean inhabit. The boys enter the cartoon assuming all usual cartoon rules would apply (and Dean’s ready to have a rollicking good time with them) only to discover that the first murder in the haunted house is real. Ghosts are real. Death is real. Sam wants to tell the Scooby gang about it from the get-go but Dean wants to protect them and preserve their innocence.

It’s already obviously about childhood, and losing it, but Dean makes it explicit by talking about how much he loved Scooby Doo because no matter where their dad had dragged them it would always be on. They were his friends and constant companions. He is really being thrown into the best part of his childhood….and you can see why it would be the best because it’s probably his fantasy and deepest wish that the ghosts, demons, etc. of the world he inhabits would turn out just to be bad guys in masks, death wouldn’t be real, etc. It’s Dean safe place in childhood because it takes his actual life (ghost hunting) and makes it safe and even fun. Dean wants to keep his safe place safe and is shocked and horrified when the rules of his universe invade.

It’s Sam who wants to tell them the truth about monsters from the word “go” even before it’s been revealed that death can come to Scooby Doo. (Dean laments, heartbreakingly, that it doesn’t matter if he dies…what’s important is that they make sure Scooby doesn’t die because clearly he’s such an innocent creature.) Sam, who did not have his childhood cut as abruptly short as Dean and who did not have to seek solace in a cartoon world because Dean helped him make a safe space in the real world, doesn’t see the point of lying about ghosts being real. Dean, who worked to keep Sam safe from this knowledge for YEARS of his own stunted childhood by acting as a parent, does want to keep the gang in the dark because he wants them to retain their innocence. It’s a huge lampshade to the different experiences Sam and Dean had as children and as sons.

They do eventually have to tell the Scooby gang and, wonderfully, it induces an existential crisis in them. Watching Daphne question the existence of God based on what she has inferred about the afterlife is amazing. It is not what I expected. Dean brings them back from the brink by reminding them of all the good work they had done before.

I’m going to tell the ending now and then double back to some other observations: the phantom they are chasing is the ghost of a small boy who is being manipulated, through a cursed object (a pocket knife given to him by his beloved father before he died), by an unscrupulous man (the real estate agent who we met in the beginning) who unleashes the boy’s anger on whoever he chooses for his own purpose…to scare people off of property he wants to buy. This way, the villain of a typical Scooby episode actually becomes the villain of this SPN episode…the evil real estate developer.

Before heading back to their world, where they burn the pocket knife and free the ghost, Dean convinces Sam and Cas to lie to the Scooby gang and tell them that they were right initially–ghosts aren’t real. He goes so far as to stage the unmasking of the cartoon villain (the one from the original Scooby episode) and helps them to explanations involving wires, cornstarch blood, etc. Sam is grumpy about it but does it anyway. It’s crucial to Dean that they leave the Scooby gang as they found them and not saddle them with the world the Winchesters live in.

Let me just reiterate…the ghost that has been terrorizing them is frightened little boy. Who kept a pocket knife (much like the one we see being used to carve the Winchester’s initials into the Impala) as a token of his dead father. His father is symbolized and memorialized by a weapon. The weapon is the object the little boy is tied to and that another man–a bad man–can use to manipulate him into hurting others because “I just get so angry sometimes.” To be free, the knife (weapon, father’s legacy) has to be burned. There are closeups on a very sad Dean while this happens (some sad Sam and Cas too).

It is blindingly obvious that the little boy, who is wreaking havoc on the cartoon safe space of his childhood, represents Dean. To stop the destruction Dean has to let something go (he starts the episode referencing Elsa and EXPLICITLY SAYING THIS LINE I CAN’T EVEN). Something that is keeping him angry. Something that is tied to his father. Something that can be used to manipulate him, employed as a weapon to hurt other innocent people (Mark of Cain/Demon Dean plot lines). Dean is full of anger and of self-loathing and it’s coming from the same source. That source is toxic masculinity. Let it go, Dean. Let it go.

Is it also tied to issues of sexuality? I think so. I’ll reflect a little bit below, but I wanted to do the whole plot-based analysis first.

And now the less plot-based stuff:

Ok, so can the ghost represent repressed sexuality/a different form of masculinity? SO MUCH YES. Point one: Cas is the only one who stops to take a look at the ghost and is thisclose to seeing through it’s big ol’scary disguise and finding a vulnerable child. He stops and squints at it, Cas-style, and says “I’ve never seen a ghost wear such a ridiculous costume. Unless…” and then he reaches out to it, starting to push aside the veil only to be pulled away. Now if that isn’t metaphorically precisely what Cas did, and does, for Dean and his performing facade I will buy a hat so that I can eat it.

Point two, there is a scene where the ghost is chasing everyone through a series of doors on either side of a hallway (you know the scene…they run across the hallway, doors open and shut on either side, feet flying everywhere). They successfully shut the ghost in a closet with iron chains, though it’s close to breaking out. Daphne presses her body up against the door to hold it. Dean checks her out very obviously in a way that is both superfluous to and inconsistent with the plot. This means that the silhouette of a conventionally sexy woman is QUITE LITERALLY holding the closet door closed on the ghost. Metaphorically, it shows how Dean is able to use his attraction to conventionally sexy women to hold back what’s haunting him…attraction to men, ideas about a certain type of masculinity. Does it work? BIG FAT NO. The ghost breaks out anyway. (<Puts on professor cap> Have you guys read “The Beast in the Closet”? It’s by Eve Kosofsky Sedgwick and is about “intense male homosocial desire as at once the most compulsory and the most prohibited of social bonds.” It’s about Henry James’s work but I think you would all dig it. <Takes off professor cap.>)

I wanted to start with that because I can tell that people are going to be very upset about Dean’s excessive flirtation with/pursuit of Daphne. And, yeah, I almost injured my eyes by rolling them so hard at some of the things he says. BUT THAT’S THE POINT. What he’s saying is a child’s idea of how a grown man would act with a woman he likes. And it bears a great deal of similarity to how Dean does act sometimes. We call it performing!Dean and wonder to what extent Dean is conscious of his performing. Given this episode I’d say..maybe .not that conscious? I feel like the overstated heterosexual dudebroness was done specifically to give us an over-exaggerated literal cartoon version of heterosexual Dean to compare to regular Dean so that anyone who doesn’t know Dean performs in his own life will have a lens through which to see it.

Also, Daphne is his childhood crush. OF COURSE he’s going to act like a moron around her. If I encountered [insert childhood TV crush here…for me it was Kevin from “The Wonder Years” for whatever reason] I’d act dumb as fuck! But you have to remember that she represents innocence for him…it’s established that all the Scoobies do (heh - puns!). Even if he’s kissing her hand or putting an arm around her or whatever there is no danger there, just like there’s no danger in the ghosts. Sexuality to Dean isn’t scary in Scooby Doo because it’s simple: it’s just a girl he likes. Except, just like how the ghosts are also dangerous, the love plot isn’t going to be that simple or that straightforward (heh - straight). You see where I’m going. Dean would rather be in a universe ghosts weren’t real because it’s safer and easier and kind of a fantasy land but they ARE real and he will have to deal with them; Dean would also rather be in a world where he was a suave, irresistible ladies’ man because it’s safer and easier and a kind of fantasy….but he’s not. Jensen even said so in his interview. Granted, Jensen’s comment may have just meant that Dean’s not suave like he thinks. But the actual episode draws a parallel that’s pretty damn clear.

Another reason to not worry: Daphne is zero interest in Dean at all. She has negative interest in Dean. Her lack of interest in Dean has created a void that is sucking all the air out of the room. She may not even know that Dean is hitting on her. She is so focused on Fred that no one else exists for her as a romantic interest. They are so obviously a pair, even though they are never shown to be together as a couple explicitly.<Stares directly into the camera like I’m on The Office.> Can Dean not see that? Is he blind? Well, he does see it, but he thinks Daphne is “settling” for Fred who represents a kind of masculinity that makes him uncomfortable (more in a sec). In point of fact, no one is romantically interested in Dean in this episode…unlike Sam who gets a lot of appreciation (and an eventual kiss) from Velma.

As for Fred, Dean begins by really hating him (so much that Sam remarks on it) and when pressed about why he attributes it to Fred’s self-confidence despite things like his “stupid ascot.” Dean comes to like and admire Fred and, ultimately, have the confidence to wear an ascot himself BECAUSE HE LIKES IT. It didn’t make Fred less of a man. It doesn’t make Dean less of a man to wear it with his plaid shirt. Fred helps Dean along the way to some self-acceptance. It’s nice. Fred is there to serve as a contrast to Dean’s overblown notions of what is “masculine” and offer another form of masculinity that is, manifestly, still appealing to the ladies.

Now, remember the Scooby Doo universe doesn’t have sex in it. It’s a cartoon. And they bend those rules only the tiniest bit here. All of Dean’s advances and even his jokes are PG. That innocence on the part of the Scoobies is played for laughs, Daphne remarking that Dean is silly for not knowing that “boys and girls don’t sleep in the same room” for example, but it’s also integral to the plot. (There are some other jokes too and, for a glorious second, I thought that they were legitimately going to reveal that Daphne and Velma were a thing but sadly not.) No one would want to ruin the Scooby universe by telling them about sex…not even Dean. Again, it contains a child’s conception of relationships.

I’m imagining some people will also be upset about how the episode treats Cas. I was especially stung that, right at the outset, Dean says flat-out that “Cas is basically a talking dog.” I made a noise of indignation that made people look at me. BUT let’s also remember how much Dean loves that talking dog. He’d die for him. He wants to protect him at any cost. He doesn’t want to spoil his innocence. So, yeah, that’s not a nice thing to say but it’s also not the whole story. Cas is grouped with Scooby and Shaggy the whole time and he bonds with them, SMILING (ALERT ALERT CARTOON CASTIEL KNOWS HOW TO SMILE) AND LAUGHING when he has to leave. He thanks them for showing him the importance of humor even in dangerous times. I think it’s a good lesson for Cas and his real affection for them reminds me of what a soft character he is inside, wanting to get a cat or save monkeys or keep bees. That’s been missing from Cas lately (even though I do LOVE bamf!Cas) so maybe this will help him recall it.

I want to say again that Cas is the one who can see through the ghost and its “ridiculous costume.”

Interestingly, both his entrances (his first appearance after Fred and Dean take off to drag race; when he reunites with the boys in the haunted house) frame him as a scary villain. The first is from behind and you just see the coat billowing out (though this did remind me of the girl running the drag race in “Grease” which…lol); the second he’s silhouetted in a window, approaching it in the rain, and is then covered with a sheet before he’s “unmasked” by Dean and discovered to be a friend. This is…pretty much Castiel’s character progression always. Looks like a threat but is discovered not to be.

Once they get back to their regular world Dean makes a remark about how that was the most fun he’s ever had “including that time with the Cartwright twins.” Cas studies him and asks “What did you do with the Cartwright twins?”. There’s a long beat in which Dean looks shifty and grins and shakes his head and turns away. Sam says “I don’t think I want to know.” Cas says nothing. Cas does want to know. This is new and part of a general progression that @amwritingmeta wrote a great analysis of where Cas is becoming able to think something like Forget that sacred oath…I must know what Dean did with those twins.

There was probably more, you guys, but it’s super late for my poor body clock. Please feel free to pass this on to anyone you think would like it but bear in mind that a) there are MASSIVE SPOILERS, b) this is just my interpretation of the episode, and c) I only saw it live once so my details may be wrong.

I thought this as a fantastic episode the more I think about it and I’m SO EXCITED to hear your thoughts!! <3

[angelblumes]

food ment. Helllooooooo ugh would you like me to beat her up perhaps end up like her namesake, og mischa?(jk im not a (cannibal)) time to bust out the therapy voice tho , you will find your people and they will love you. Ok. ok wtf is happening? are we like the same person or something? wellbutrin buddies ❤ my room needs to be clean and moved the whole sha bang but I cant😔 life needs to be lived and such. I hope you arrived safely and happily and that everything is slightly better for you than it was last message and that you didn't get too carsick. my power went out today for like 3 seconds everything turned off everything , it usually takes alot for that to happen for my house just because its old and other reasons that I dont actually know. I've had a jam out session yesterday, it was so relaxing 😌 🙌 danced my little heart out to them guys I told you about. There's something abt the murders in hannibal that just does it for me... the artistry of it all. I love it when we talk outside of the 5 daily things too!!! hey, did you get that 'you're so mature for your age' as a kid or 'you've got an old soul' ? whats ur thoughts on that? I personally cant really imagine saying that to a kid maybe its a generational thing? ok 🙄😁 I like commentary ive been watching reactions? on youtube its a guilty pleasure, also I've been getting into some reality tv. Wife swap is crazy I love it alot and then the dating ones because ofc. whats one of the 1st reality show you remember watching and not hating? Honey Boo Boo and I Am Jaz (I think?) were my top two choices of reality. maybe a rewatch is in order for me. ok daily things um a guitar got brought into my house today i... its very.. it made me weirdly happy I love music and its instruments. thank goodness tbh my med were just a little later than usual, the pharmacy gave me emergency 3 days for they can figure out whats up because this is the second time we are having the same problem 😅 I had the best brownie of my life, it was store bought but like from the bakery fav dessert. I got this "new" shirt on so comfy, its tie dyed splattered different blues with an astronaut and nasa logo in white, its cute but also like 3? sizes too big (its a hand me down) dont worry abt the guy if a next time happens ill be ready for it 💪 it will go down, I personally know the man's family I will ruin his life if it comes down to it (we live in a town idk if it's small)or realistically just sic my family onto him. I found out my cousin has a gf now and is apparently very much happier than she was with her ex man (who made awesome cheesecake btw off topic tho) gay people stay winning, I did not know she was not straight tho so happy little surprise 😁 jeez its a lot of words uh I hope you're doing good and you had a good sleep and other nice stuff happen to you and you had a good trip🌷🤟🤙❤

HELPPP u are an angel. thank u❤️. and right exactly. normalize thinking fictional murders are artistic or something . thinkin abt how i used to think criminal minds murders were interesting but never had the right words so i'd just be like "woah he *kills them weirdly*? cool"😭. BUT YEAH i did get that all the time omfg "ur so mature for ur age!!" like thanks it's because i have issues and problems 💀....hmm i hate reality tv HAHA. this gc i'm in was just talking abt wife swap the other day how crazy !! idk if i've EVER liked reality tv .... i like watching commentary abt it (like uhh cody ko's stuff) but watching it myself... nope😭. daily things lets see!!! i went to the baltimore aquarium:) i was exhausted tho. saw that a tiktoker i like (hello fem will graham cosplayers...) went there a few days before me. how funny! i wish we had met and fallen in love or something. i went to bed at 5pm yesterday and slept til 3am. then went back to sleep from 6am to 10am. i think my new adhd/anxiety meds are the cause. sadly. cuz they work! but by making me too tired to be nervous or start thinking too much🥲. i'm tired 24/7 already and thats not helping LOL! i had this fancy meal ok multiple fancy meals and it was really nice. i got chesapeake chicken (haha like chesapeake ripper am i right?!?) and it had crab but i'm crazy i'm crazy i didn't eat the crab. the texture was soooo bad. anyway at another place i got a burger bc i'm lame i don't eat seafood (besides shrimp. which i am allergic to.) and i ate almost the whole thing and my friends mom said she was proud of me😭❤️. i always feel so guilty after eating a lot and that made me feel good. i've started watching more vampire video game play throughs. what can i say. vampire masquerade: bloodlines did something to my brain where i like vampire games now. it's the same guy which is cool. i dont like finding new youtubers becuz i've never kept up w whose problematic or not... like what if i get really into someone and mention it and someone's like oh yeah he preys on women. wtf. like umm cry? is he a youtuber? is he evil? cuz i was looking for a pathologic gameplay and he had one and i was like hmm... he sounds familiar. he has probably done something ? maybe? mm lastly.... i read this hunger games hannibal crossover WEEKS AGO but it's just still on my mind. i don't particularly love the hunger games but it's only bc i don't really know a lot abt it. i enjoy it but i've only seen the movies and read the first book (until rue died. never picked it up again after that! i cried a lottttt) and there's like an absurd amount of hannibal crossovers. i guess bc hannibal would totally rule in the hunger games. like come on a CANNIBAL? the uh.. capitol? they'd go crazyyyy for that. the fic itself wasn't even that groundbreaking or anything i have a lot of criticism for it tbh but it opened my brain to the concept. i have another one opened in a tab but it's super long so i haven't made much headway. i want one where it's like.... the one where the old winners come back for a game! and then they escape😈. but in the one i read will and hannibal sort of just escape anyway in a normal hunger game. like ok cool but i don't think that's plausible. but then how would it work ? like could will win a game on his own? maybe i should write my own fic. but then i'd have to understand what happens in the hunger games /j. ugh ok i was thinking abt that one scene where idk they do the little hand signal thing and drag katniss away and go to shut the door like right as they shoot that guy in the head. THAT WAS SO CRAZY. or when katniss shoots the lady instead of president snow and then everyone just descends on him💀 i feel like there's a level of nuance and understanding that i just don't have so i say "woah! cool :)" i hope ur doing well too ily❤️❤️💗

[yoshimickster]

RRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRwby volume 5 episode 9 Recap-LETS GET TO DANCIN’!

Hey y’al how’s your week, I saw Coco and it was AMAZING-anyway-MICKSTERECAP!

HA-WE START OUT WITH-

The Branwen camp! Where absolutely NOTHING bad is going to happen!

1:35

Raven: MAN-I love my sword, so shiney, so not going to criticize me for being a terrible mother which I am SO not!

SHE THEN-goes out to see Salem’s followers WHO AT THE MOMENT WERE-

2:00 Just...standing....huh. They are a LOT more patient than I thought a villain team would be. Good on them!

The two groups than have a back and forth...right before Raven says THE BEST ZING OF ALL TIME!

3:30“Two children you tricked into following you, a disgraced Atlesian scientist, and a surname so obvious in “Fall” you probably picked it yourself”.

DAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAMN-that was ICE cold!

4:20 OH MY GOD-Vernal is the Spring maiden, who saw THAT coming, except for  everyone when Rooster Teeth ruined it in the intro.

The Spring Maiden THEN-

4:58 ...makes a Storm...huh. I know we saw her lightning before, but was anyone else thinking her powers would be plant based? Although Cinder has fire powers, but  Autumn had win-HOW THE HELL DOES BEING A MAIDEN WORK?! EXPLAIN MORE OSCARPIN!

5:52 DAMN-Dr.Piccolo, you scary! I feel like he wants to strangle me with his robust mustache.

So they need Vernal to unlock the relic deally bop in Haven, and they ain’t given her ANY slack on this decision.  I’m sure they’ll come to a logical agreem-

7:17 Raven: I want my brother dead.

JESUS CHRIST LADY-you are the WORST!

Also she says “He arrives at Haven”, a quick SLAP to the face for all of us to remember that this all takes place during different points in time and it is in NO WAY a major whiplash for my continuity loving brain.

SO HERE’S THE SKINNY-Leo invites Qrow to a Moon party, White Fang takes out Haven and Qrow dies-EVERYBODY EVIL WINS! BUT-right before the handshake-

Dr.Piccolo gives her a look t hat will in NO way inspire shippers. Don’t lie, you know who you are, and you are SCUM! Man I do that joke a lot, I’m repetitive, I should just DIE!

9:34 HA-she burns his hand, funny. Its funny banter like this that makes me forget these guys are helping Satan.

Cinder:So...you don’t completely expose your hand either huh?

Raven: NO way girl, gotta protect my hands from getting dry.

Cinder: OH MY GOD-I know, I have the BEST moisturizer for my surprisingly old ass.

Raven: I can all ready tell this is gonna be a GREAT team up.

9:53 After...almost TEN minutes of talking, we FINALLY zoom back to the Belladonna household where the shit is STILL going down!

10:00 Its an ENTIRE family of housecats I tell ya.

He then straight up MURDERS one WhiteFanger, then takes anothers spear and throws it at Corsec-THE MOMENT he shoots a fireball with his not-magic wand and-OH SHIT-Ghira’s got crackle! WE’VE REACHED CRACKLE FOLKS!

Fennec then pushes him with a wind-wand where we see-

Oh shit oh shit oh shit-PLEASE-don’t do Ghira like this! HE’S JUST SO COOL!

SUN WUKONG MOTHER FUCKERS-saving Belladonnas like a BOSS!

Then Corsec rips off his hood to REVEAL-

10:32

A....very stylish haircut! Looks nice, I’m glad he takes time to groom himself in between planning acts of terrorism.

AND THEN-the Albain brothers who are just regular brothers  in a van the movie make a FLAMING VORTEX ATTACK-

LOOK AT THAT SHIT-that’s straight out of Avatar yo! Thankfully Sun BLOCKS that shit!

10:41 Dear GOD-his hands move fast! Well...in this regard at least, he’s been an ALMOST perfect gentleman to Blake...still needs to stop jumping on her though-HER HEAD-I mean, oh its way too easy to make him sound like a perv.

Ghira than bring up they gotta save the SHIT out of Kali, so Blake goes out LEAVING-

11:25 FUTURE FATHER AND SON IN LAW FIGHTING DUO! Kick the SHIT out of those fox dudes I weren’t sure were married or not until a while ago! Oh man this is gonna be awes-

11:34 AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAND we cut to Raven moping...gee, WHAT COULD SHE BE REGRETTING?!

Oh wait, Vernal says she be SPYING on team Mean. What’s going on up in this?

Oh...it looks like SHE is going to steal the relic while the bad dudes fight Team RWBYJNR...while not telling said team her plan....okay this bitch is STUBBORN, JUST WORK WITH THE GOOD GUYS DAMMIT-just make it Autobots vs Decepticons, not Autobots vs Decepticons vs Cybertrons! THAT’S HOW YOU GET JHIAXUS DAMMIT! Anyone...here get that reference? CLEH-whatever.

13:35

A-CUT-TO-

Qrow drinking alone, but no good coming of it, less of course your talking to him noooooooooooooooow. Anyone get that reference either? LISTEN TO MUSIC DAMN YOU!

13:46 THEN CUT BACK-to house Belladonna, god damn that was a short scene. One would even say it was placed there oddly and the pacing of this show is making me INSANE! Still love it, but come on learn how to serialize.

BLAKE-then rushes through her larger than I thought house, looking for her mother who is HOPEFULLY not dead, and we end it with-

-the most in-TENSE stand-off of ALL time! 

With that, good mix of plot and action, albeit I feel the pacing was a BIT confusing at times. Have fun in hell wandering if Kali is alive folks!

[crowleyellestair]

Leonard Snart- Profiler

AN/ This is a sort of Criminal Minds- Flash crossover. 

Masterlist

Summary: You worked for the BAU and you were the top profiler, and you met the flash by figuring it out. Now you’re on team flash, and you are now the person to make or break the team.

“Okay. Thank you Spencer. I miss you guys! Bye.” You put the phone down, and look at the rest of the team. The new team. Team Flash.

“What is it Sherlock?” You smile at Cisco’s nickname for you, and shake your head. 

“They won’t be able to make it out here for us, but Spence is always okay with me calling him for advice. We’re on our own for this one.” 

Harry walks over and clasps his hand on my shoulder,

“You’re all the help we need.” I give a respectful, curt nod. I was apart of the team, but at the same time, I was fairly new and I didn’t feel ‘in’ yet. I have helped out alot, but I can’t do too much. I could figure out how to find the people, or know who they are based on the crime scene, but other than that not much. I’m only on this team because I transferred to CCPD, figured out it was Barry, and asked him. 

Cisco ripping open a new bag of twizzlers catches my attention. We make eye contact, and he smiles while throwing me two. I smile back and plop into my spinning chair. I start to spin, and push of the desk, propelling me back, away from the desk, and into someone. I stand when the chair stops, and I come chest to chest with one of the most handsome men I have ever met.

“Careful sweetcheeks. People get hurt when they’re this close.” He softly, slowly blinks, his piercing eyes looking back at me. His smirk not fully reaching his eyes. 

I sit back down into the chair, and slide back to the desk.

“Snart. What are you doing here?” Barry’s body showed defensive actions, but I could tell it was somewhat for show. 

“I need you to take someone in for me.” Cisco, Harry, and Barry looked very confused. He rolls his eyes, “This guy named ‘Double Down’. He showed up at my place last night, and said he had Lisa.”

“Then why didn’t you stop him?”

“Because his body is made of cards, and did magic or something to disappear.”

“Actually, if his name was Double Down, it could be referring to gambling. And you must be Leonard Snart, so it’s someone that knows you. Otherwise he wouldn’t have really known that Lisa is an obvious pressure point of yours. So we’re looking for a gambling un-sub, who is seeking vengeance. Kidnappers only show up to the family in someway if they want a ransom, or some form of payment. And in this case, I think he might want your life. Do you know of anyone who sounds like that, that you know?” 

Everyone was quiet.

“Who the hell is she?” Leonard looked mildly impressed, yet offended. 

“A former BAU agent. She’s the CCPD’s first profiler.” Cisco sounded excited, but I keep eye contact with Snart. He was so beautiful. 

“Charming.” I smile, but he doesn’t return it, “It sounds like Jeremy Tell. So how do we get him?” 

“This is a terrible idea.” Len’s hand is cold against the small of my back. His hand was pressed against my bare back. The dress I was wearing made me slightly uncomfortable, and his touches weren’t helping. Nor was his attitude. 

“Barry’s leg is severely injured, and I have bagged over one-hundred serial killers. I think we’ll be okay. But the lack of confidence in me is kind of messing me up right now, so if you don’t mind,” I stop and look him dead in the,”Shut up.” We keep walking till I spot our target. I stop Len again, “You seem like a cool guy, but you seem like your emotions will get the better of you, so let me do the talking.” 

He shakes his head,

“No. That’s my sister-”

“Exactly. And I will save her. I didn’t mean to, but I may have slightly psychoanalysed you. I know you love her more than your own life, and because of that, you’re prepared to do something stupid. Let me do the talking.” He still has a hard exterior, “Please?”

He sighs and nods, but his eyes are threatening. I nod, understanding that if Lisa get’s hurt, so do I.

We both fall into our persona’s, acting like a gambling couple, but him being the support, and I the gambler. 

We make our way over to the table, sitting across from Jeremy who’s holding Lisa close to his side. She looks to Leonard, them exchanging eye contact before she breaks it off, and looks at me. I nod respectfully, and she doesn’t look confident in me, probably because she think’s he’ll trade me for her. And that was an option Len came up with, but the team shot it down. 

She’s dress in a beautiful gold gown. Jeremy has a ‘Phantom of the Opera’ thing going on, with a nice suit and A white mask. Leonard is dressed in his best. A double breasted, dark blue suit. I had on a black dress that fit snug against my curves, but had an opening down my back and a slit on my right leg through the floor length flow of the skirt. 

Len was to the right of me, and I could feel his clenched hand on my bare thigh. I push his hand with my leg, and he looks at me. His face tries to soften, and it does a little. I try and tell him to calm down just by body language, and it seems like ha got the memo. 

We’ve only met three days ago, but I think we make a pretty good team. I know he’s the enemy, but damn, I love being around him. 

“Are you ready to pay, Leonard?”

“We’re actually at an impasse, Mr.Tell.” Both Lisa and Jeremy look at me with confusion.

“Who the hell are you?!”

“I am the middle man.”

“Snarts a man. He can face me himself.” Time to do what profilers do best. I lean forward a little, and look him dead in the eyes.

“You like to be in control, don’t you, Mr.Tell? That’s why you’ve dragged us into this galla you threw as a cover for Leonard’s and maybe Lisa’s death, am I correct? It’s your venue, your rules, your kidnapping. But you’ve made a mistake. You don’t control Leonard’s thoughts or actions.You wanted the satisfaction of revenge do much that you didn’t think it all the way through.”

Tell tightened his grip on Lisa, and a small gasp came out of her. Leonard was about to stand, but 

i put a gentle hand on his thigh. 

“What are you talking about?!”

“If he says no, you don’t get the satisfaction.”

“Then I’ll kill her!”

“But then you have nothing to hold against him, and he would have the right to kill you.”

“He wronged me first!”

“But not by blood! You’re obviously mad because he won in a card game and took a lot of money or a jewel from you.” He loosens his grip on Lisa.

“So what are you suggesting?”

“A rematch. If he wins, he gets Lisa. If you win- well. Then you get Leonard.”

He smiles, and sits quiet for a minute. He nods, and pulls out a deck of cards, and starts to deal. I pinch Leonards leg, and stare at the cards. 

“I want to play with house cards.” Yes! He got what I was trying to say! Seriously, we need to team up after this.

“No.”

“Why not?” Leonard’s voice is dripping with venom. I interject.

“Are those your cursed cards?” Jeremy looked surprised, “Word is, is that they merged with your body. I’m assuming they can be taken off. That’s an unfair advantage if you have cards in your favor.” Lisa speaks up,

“How would you know that it’s those cards?”

“Because his mask is white. It’s plastic, but it has fabric to soften his edges. He wants to be in control, but he also wants to impress, or feel needed by ladies. That’s why he took you instead of his well known partner- Not that you’re not well known. I’m not going to lie, I’m actually a fan of the ‘Golden Gilder’. You’re pretty empowering.” She smiles, and nods.

We call over a waiter, and get a house worker. 

I deal the cards. Both sides agree to me dealing, since it’s very hard to cheat as the house. But I went to magic camp for two years, and I need to use those tricks for my job.

I trust Leonard to an extent, but it’s his and his sister’s life on the line, so I cheat. Using some tricks from magic camp, I slip him a king and a queen under the table, passing it off to the others as me just being ‘handsy’. He has a jack and a ten- all cards are the suit of hearts.

Tell smirks, and puts his cards face up on the table. Lisa looks worried.

“Straight flush. Looks like I win.” I look worried as a facade. Try and show the target that you don’t really know what’s going on to limit suspicion. 

Leonard puts his hand down, showing a royal flush- which is the best hand in the game. 

The next few hours were blurry. I remember his cursed cards flying towards Leonard, and me jumping in front of him.

“Seriously screw that guy man. I didn’t even get to keep the cards.” Len chuckles,

“But they’re cursed.”

“So?!” I slowly roll the tank top over my torso, the ten card cuts scattered over my torso making it hard.  Snart looks guilty, seeing me struggle. He walks over and helps pull the shirt the rest of the way down.

“In my line of duty, I’ve been shot, kidnapped, fought, and disabled bombs. These ten marks just at to the conglomerate of scars I already have. Plus, I don’t see scars as a bad thing. I’ve gotten these scars from something evil, like a murderer, bomber or rapist. But I get them because I try and stop them from hurting others. I get the scars so somebody else doesn’t have to. So don’t beat yourself up. I saved you so you and Lisa can be together. That’s the whole reason we were there in the first place.”

Leonard nods and smiles, going quiet for a minute,

“Thank you.” I smile,

“I mean, if you’re really feeling bad about it, you can repay me. You. Me. Dinner. Doesn’t have to be fancy or anything, but I’d like to see you again.” Len smirks and starts to walk away. 

He’s about to walk out of the door, when he pulls his parkas hood up. He stops for a split second, not looking back. His voice like velvet in my ears,

“Tomorrow at eight. Wear something just as beautiful as you did tonight.”

And with that, he walks off.

[letterstothemidnightsociety]

It’s been a wild few weeks but surprise! I am back and I am still watching two dudes beat up ghosts and look pretty. It’s Supernatural! 

Alright so here I am on the penultimate disc (thanks Lemony Snicket) of season 2 and at this point in the series we should be ramping up for the season finale. If you look back at this point in season 1, that meant putting the Winchesters under heavy fire (with the one funny episode), but this season it feels like they’re more interested in philosophical, emotional ramping than action ramping (with one funny episode). 

So many FEELINGS!

And you know what? I gotta hand it to Kripke and Co., cuz they figured out what worked in season 1 (brothers and feelings) and they leaned into it this season (brothers + feelings = 15 seasons). It’s a little hit and miss, but the core of season 2 is all about the line between Monsters and Men. I say hit and miss because we have spent a LOT of time on Dean this season but these episodes are all about Sam. And Dean’s arc is very different from Sam’s. Dean’s emotional arc is all about how he’s done with hunting, he’s done with sacrificing, which is WILD if you think about how early in the series this is. And yeah, it does, it does tie in to Sam’s troubles but it just doesn’t feel as clean as it could. Maybe it’s just because they spend much more time on Dean’s feelings? Maybe it’s cuz I personally pay more attention to Dean that I feel this way? But also, consider: the ep where Sam seemingly goes off the rails is all about Dean’s internal struggle with whether or not he can waste his own brother, even if his brother is evil now. We don’t ever see the fallout from Sam’s point of view. Sam was possessed at the time, he didn’t really go darkside, but also, Sam was possessed at the time??? And we don’t see any emotional fallout from that?!?!?

Nah, we’ll just end on this cringy joke about a girl being all up in Sam for a week and deflect away from our problems, nbd.

Kripke has mentioned in interviews that he thought the mythos of this season was muddled and that the psychic children plotline doesn’t really land because we never see Sam struggle with whether he’s good or not. At this point in the season, I definitely agree. They do give dialogue to Sam to remind viewers that he’s struggling with who he is, but they don’t devote enough screen time to it to make it feel like it lands. Dean’s struggle to keep Sam alive hits a lot heavier, but that may have more to do with that face and that g- d- lip quiver. 

Damn you and that lip quiver Jensen Ackles. Oh wait, this show already did!

Now we’re gonna make an abrupt turn into Sam’s emotional arc for the series. See, for the next few episodes we’re gonna follow a bunch of Monsters, right? By surface level definition, they are all text book Monsters, but they aren’t Villains, and that’s a big distinction. Because a lot of these characters are fundamentally good people, but they’re also the thing that the Winchesters have sworn their lives to hunt, so, like...how do we deal with that? 

First up we have “Roadkill”, which I like as a deviation from the regular format. There’s a lot of this tinkering going around this season, or at least, those are the episodes that stand out the most to me. I of course love Tricia Helfer (as a sort-of-but-not-really Battlestar Galactica Fan). This episode straight up brings us back to that key question this season: Are All Monsters Evil? Sam consistently draws a pretty clear distinction between Monster and Bad Guy, Dean consistently does not. Sam makes it clear that he has to believe there’s a line because if #YesAllMonsters are evil, and Sam’s abilities/destiny make him kind of a Monster, the logic follows that he’ll become evil too, or perhaps already is. 

In this ep we see Helfer as Molly, a woman who slowly comes to realize that she is a ghost who has been haunting the same stretch of road once a year for twelve years. I think Helfer totally crushes it. I think Molly as a character is hella interesting. She comes across as a pretty realized person rather than just a caricature. There’s a lot of heart in her and I appreciate that she handles The Truth pretty well, both when Sam and Dean tell her about the hauntings and then later when they reveal that she has been dead for over a decade. She asks good questions, like where DO those ghosts go once they’ve been busted? And she represents our philosophical conundrum - she’s a ghost that they have to bust, but she’s not evil. She’s not even really that bad. She’s just stuck here and can’t figure out how to move on. By the logic of the show, if she sticks around for too much longer she’ll start to get corrupted, but for now she’s just a scared, lost, woman trying to find her husband. She even starts to sympathize with the actual bad guy of the episode, a man she vehicular-manslaughtered but who comes back every year to torture her. 

And in the end, she finds peace! This is the second ghost this season that they actually lay to rest, not just defeat, and it’s nice. I think it’s nice. 

Is it odd that, for an episode that should hit so close to Sam’s internal struggle, the whole story is told from Molly’s POV? Again, I loved it, I love seeing the Winchesters from an external point of view, but it is...interesting...

Then we get “Heart”, which just digs deeper into the themes we got in “Roadkill.” 

This time, our Extra of the Week is another unwitting Monster. Emmanuelle Vaugier plays Madison, a kind of kickass lady who is really getting her shit together. She’s dumped her bad boyfriend, she’s killin’ it at work (lol), she’s out with friends, she’s a homeowner - this chick is LEGIT. And damn if she doesn’t know what she wants. Almost from the minute that Sam steps into her house she is into him, like, into him. She knows exactly what she’s doing when she dumps that basket of panties in front of him to “fold” them. Their chemistry together is good and honestly I was pretty thrilled for both of them when they got down to business. 

Good for you, you crazy kids! Good for you! 

But tragically, Madison is also werewolf. She’s completely oblivious to the fact that she is definitely murdering people on the full moon. When Sam finds out, and then finds out that Madison is not only unable to control her transformations or murders, but also unaware of what’s happening entirely, it’s another blatantly obvious metaphor for what Sam is dealing with - do supernatural powers make me a monster? Does being a monster make me evil? Does it count as evil if I’m not in control of my actions? And I love that this forces Dean to re-evaluate his stance as well. Cuz see Dean (and I love the guy) views things in very black and white terms, rarely asks questions and is 100% ready to kill this girl because she’s a Monster, full stop. Sam throws this back in his face with the line “So me you won’t kill me, but her you’re just gonna blow away?”, reminding us that Dean’s attitude is pretty damn hypocritical. And I say all of this as a Dean stan who loves watching that lip quiver, but also I am much more in agreement with Sam’s line of thinking on this - we can make a distinction between Monster and Evil in this show. I think ultimately, Dean starts to do this too, but just not in this episode. 

To their credit, they do try to save Madison, but failing that, they realize that Madison can’t be saved and so she’ll have to be put down - they can’t save her, so they have to kill her, if you will. It’s a surprisingly emotional climax and got pretty heavy at the end when Sam - who’s trying to figure out if he is worth saving - has to...what do we want to call this, a mercy killing? An execution? I don’t know, it’s mostly just a hell of a gut punch. A well done gut punch, but a gut punch nonetheless. 

The first lady that Sam bones since his fiancé and then you’re just like, and now you KILL her! Damn, show, what is WRONG with you?!?

I have to point out that we end the episode on Dean’s face. Like, I’m not mad about it, I am thrilled that on the list of Things That Work, Kripke and Co. were like, oh yeah, gotta put in as much Sad Dean Face as possible, but also, this was Sam’s episode? So shouldn’t we...get one final shot...of Sam? Like, I’m not crazy, right? They’re really pushing Dean this season, right? Who is this season supposed to be about?!?!?!

This is it! This is the last shot of the episode! This Sam-Centric Episode!

And then after all that heaviness and spiritual questioning, we get our Funny Episode. Meta Episode? Doesn’t matter. 

“Hollywood Babylon” is A+ Great and I love it. I love watching shows about shows, it is my jam. Watching this time, I did wish they’d thrown in more niche? Like, I just felt like the inside jokes could have been more inside, but also, Dean was SO happy in this episode, I didn’t even care. We so rarely see anyone in this show be happy, it’s nice that they get a break sometimes. It’s also weird that Sam seemed to get the most break? As in, he was getting a break from this episode entirely, especially since the last episode was a pretty heavy emotional arc for him? It’s a weird choice, but not something I really noticed because I was distracted by Dean working his way up from PA to Grip in like, a day, and I was just so proud of him. Anyway it was nice. It was NICE!

He’s doing SUCH a good job!

In this episode, our super special Extra of the Week is another lady, the fictional actress Tara Benchley played by Elizabeth Whitmere. I should probably stop using the term extra, by SAG/AFTRA standards she’s (probably?) a Guest Star, but honestly aren’t they all background extras in the lives of the Winchesters? Anyway, I appreciate how they portray Tara. They could very easily have written her to be a real piece of work. She could have been a whiney diva, she could have been a ditz, she could have been any number of Actress Tropes, but she seems pretty even-keeled. She has a certain amount of clout on set, she is friendly with the crew, she’s given a character trait that’s shared by real life actor Jensen Ackles - they really do treat her with a surprising amount of respect for an episode that goes real hard on producers and studios and horror generally. And she doesn’t die! So that’s a plus! But she does sleep with Dean which is...I mean...also a plus? I don’t know. I love Dean but I sometimes wonder how much sex he’s actually had? Like, if you told me it was 75% exaggeration, I’d believe you. Unimportant side head cannon. 

And then our final episode on this disc, “Folsom Prison Blues”. About time those boys went to jail, honestly. 

What can I say? The boy looks good in a coverall.

We get the return of Henricksen in this episode which is fun! We get a pretty kickass public defender, Mara White (Bridget Ann White), who is also fun! And we get Prison Dean, which is maybe the funnest. 

I like the twist with the prison warden - where you think that he’s going to be all aggro and corrupt and it turns out that he’s actually, like...looking out for his charges? In a...In a nice way? I guess? He wants the ghost to stop killing the people in his prison is the only fact that we get in the script, but it leads me to believe that he takes his job seriously and he wants second chances and better lives for all the cons in the yard and that makes me happy. He is also another in a long line of father figures that would have done a better job raising Sam and Dean, but that’s not important. And yeah, some of the cons are probably in here for good reason, but Lucas seems real nice and Tiny literally has a conversation with Dean where he explains that he’s basically just a product of bad parenting + Low Self Esteem, so on a low key level this episode is saying the same thing - just because these prisoners are technically “monsters”, does it mean that they have to die? Does that make the killings in this prison right? Everyone from Dean to the Warden seems to think not. Side note, that story from Tiny sounds eerily like Dean’s own life experiences, so he should probably have paid more attention to it but I guess he was busy getting cardiac arrest from a ghost so whatever. 

If this story wasn’t just RIGHT on the nose. 

Cuz that’s right, we have a psycho lady vigilante ghost! She does not believe in second chances and is killing cons from beyond the grave with her heart attack powers. And if we look at the low key metaphor tie in that the episode might be trying to make here, then you could argue that the show is coming down pretty hard on this one - just because you’re a Bad Guy doesn’t mean you’re a bad guy! Stop shooting first and asking questions later Dean!

It’s not your fault, bb, you were raised by a dumbass. 

And all of this buildup leads to...”What is and What Should Never Be”, possibly one of my fav episodes for Reasons, but guys it’s another SUPER heavy Dean episode, you could even say that Sam, the real Sam, isn’t even in, like 75 - 80% of it before we...get...to...Sam’s season finale? You know what, that’s next week’s problem. 

As much as I’m enjoying the stand alone episodes for this season especially, the mythos/arcs here are kind of a mess. I think the 20 ep seasons are instrumental to why audiences love the show, so I don’t want to take episodes away, but I do feel that a shorter season could have streamlined this season arc better. With fewer episodes, you have to focus your story so much more and sharpen your storytelling that Dean’s Arc and Sam’s Arc would probably feel more connected if they tried telling it in 8 - 12 episodes instead of 22. But then we wouldn’t have gotten the show that lasted 15 seasons, so would the trade off be worth it? Maybe some day we’ll find the alternate universe where Kripke waited 15 years to bring his series to Netflix and we got 5 short seasons of something completely different

[wildflowerwattpad0217]

Tortured Soul: A Harry Potter Fanfiction. My Reaction After 2 Years.

This post will be full of spoilers for my fanfiction. So here’s a link if you want to read it.

Tortured Soul

Masterlist

Each Paragraph is a about a single chapter.

I couldn't spell Lucius for the life of me. Rip into him Athens. This was probably one of the first Fanfic I was truly proud of. The twins are quite protective of her. I started it out in the second year because I felt like starting out in the first year is kind of pointless to her story.

At least they took it super well. Yes, call Lockhart out on lies. Don't you dare memory charm her.

When the Gryffindors have an attack Slytherin. Draco has been punched by his cousin. Athens is in shock over the Chamber of Secrets. The Golden Trio just found out who her father is. She just told them what was in the Chamber. She just figured out she's a parseltounge.

Hogwarts knows she's a parseltounge now. People are saying she's Voldy Moldy's daughter. And I made an oops. I had him say his name not "he-who-must-not-be-named". Ope she used Draco's full name. He's the one who told the school, that little shit. Fred just got called out for having a crush on Athens.

Athens is big depresso because since secret got out everyone has been treating her like shit, except Fred and George. Athens has been petrified. The spelling mistakes tho.

The Balisk is dead is the cure has been brewed. Okay, Dumbledore, straight to the point then. She's got scars tho and Dumbledore's worried? Why did I write that? He put Harry in abusive home and didn't even try to get him out. Her mother wants to see her.

She is officially in our third year. If I was rewriting it I probably would have separated each year by acts just to make it more organized. When Dumbledore trust Athens. Yeah that is funny a little more daughter getting along with the son of the people he killed. The twins just found out about the cruciatus curse and they're pissed. So in this chapter Fred finally asked Athens out on a date and she accepts but fun fact, this story was supposed to actually have the love interest speed Draco but then I realized that was incest and I was like oh it'll just be one of the Weasley twins, it'll be fine. Because I was more worried about the storyline and then I was the love interest.

Did I give Athens an evil twin sister? yes I did. It's spices things up. I forgot I made her have a death wish. Athens calling her cousin out on his bullshit.

Lucius lying out his ass. Her twin is alive. Samara really is an evil twin. She has the makings of a serial killer. I still hate Snape. Especially when it comes to Neville. He parents were tourtured by Bellatrix Lestrange, Athens' mother, and his boggart is his potions teacher. Athens boggart is her sister. Remus is worried af. She has proof  of Sirius's innocence. Draco is so protective of her. She had a nightmare amd woke up bloody.

How would it have even had been possible for Samara to cast to killing curse on her when she was nine? Samara got in jer head and attacked her. Like Dumbledore would actually care lmao. Bellatrix still wants to see her daughter. She's going to do it. First date with Fred.

Lucius's supervising the conversation. It's one of those join or I kill everyone you love situations. Dumbledore wants to her to become a double agent. The twins don't like the idea of it at all. Fred and Athens are dating now. Horcruxes.

She got rid of the diadem, with quite a bit of ease, surprisingly. She has a 10/10 relationship with the twins.  She knows Remus is a werewolf.

She just met Sirius and he asked her to tell the truth about him to Harry. Harry can be an idiot sometimes. Athens received a summons by the ministry.

We are starting out with emotion warning. Ron just found out Scabbers is Pettigrew. I feel bad for the boy. Snape said something he probably shouldn't have... Fred took her wand. I love Athens' respond to, "You are a disappointment to your father." "Good, I love to disappoint him." I love that. Samara just killed her sister, through her mind. Dumbledore's speech about her death though. Not Draco rallying everyone against Voldemort because Athens is dead.

So, Death in this story is kinda an OC that is also in another one of my stories, Avenging Riverdale, I had an odd idea to try and connect my stories through this singular entity. Lucius Malfoy didn't even show up to the funeral. She's a tiger. That didn't age well in the Carol Baskin era. Everyone is shook. She had a nightmare about what fully happened when she died.

Her secret is out. Sirius you did know. That I'm not Sirius I'm Athens lmao.

That nightmare, damn. And another one. Fred ad George are there after Sirius contacted them. She had another nightmare.

Why did I put so much on Athens's plate? Another nightmare. She had a meeting with her mother.

Quidditch World Cup. The first have is basically fluff. Until she gets kidnapped. Molly is turning against her.

Hi Samara. Athens has been gone a week. She escaped. There are a few things jn this chapter if I were to rewrite it.

The two other schools show up. Mad eye (Barty Crouch Jr) is about to get an ass whooping by Athens. Tbh I would pay for that.

Dobby has a glock. Dobby is Thugg. (I'm sorry. I had to Dobby appeared.) She told them because she had to. I forgot I made Samara the Champion for Beauxbatons amd for Hogwarts best make it 3 with Cedric, Harry and Athens. Athens is seeing red, thank Merlin for Harry tho. I italicize and bolded calmly. Another nightmare. I hate Rita Skeeter with a burning passion. She walked out of the interview because all she wanted to talk about was her family.

Samara admitted Athens is more powerful and Voldy Moldy wants Athens by his side more then Samara because she happens to be more powerful than him too. Samara just said that she's not going to make it out of school year alive. Draco made badges. She just found out dragons was the first task. why is she just so chill about the fact that a teacher just turned her cousin into the ferret. When Dumbledore uses you as a confidential informant. He wants her graduate early because he wants her to take the lead finding the horcruxes.

CHARLIE. Athens questioning if this is torture and the dragons. Athens turned the dragon to a bird. She partied all night with the Slytherins. Now she's hungover. Pansy making fun of Athens for being a lightweight.

Athens asking Harry not to tell Sirius about her getting drunk. Fred and Athens going to the Yule Ball together. Another nightmare. Athens giving Draco a task.

We love a prank. Wait, I don't remember who asked Samara to the Yule Ball. Athens Bertha Riddle. Samara Dean Riddle. They had an argument in front of everyone. The whole great Hall. Crabbe was the one to ask Samara to the dance. Fred is missing. Champions meeting without Samara.

She told Cedric about the nightmare. He didn't believe her and now he's dead. Voldemort is back. Letters from Athens.

Samara is dead. Dobby to the rescue. Everyone is asking about the letters.

The proper good-bye. She went to the Dumbledore's Army meeting. Yes, verbally kill Umbitch.

Christmas. Warning Sirius about his death. Bellatrix called Samara's death collateral damage. Athens is so salty. She died again, saving Sirius. Bellatrix is laughing.

Athens really just came back from the dead and was like I got to get out of here. Damn right your loyalties lie with your friends. Dumbledore deciding to bring Harry on the hunt for horcruxes. Dumbledore has accepted his death. I made an oops. So one of the Athens nightmares was Dumbledore's death and it included her sister so I kind of copied and pasted the scene for getting that her sister was in there so you have a little Cameo from her sister in there.

They are looking for the locket. It's her birthday. She received a warning from Draco.

So Samara's there? That does get annoying. Something bad happens and people immediately look at you, getting ready to point the finger. Ah yes the tiny scar. The Ministry has fallen.

Harry and Ron really under estimate Athens and Hermione sometimes. The fight at the Café. They ended up at the house where the ring was destroyed.

Athens is getting pissed at Ron. Athens just punched him in the nose. Now she plans to drink 100 year old Fire Whiskey. Another nightmare. Athens is having enough of their petty bullshit. Fred was going to propose at the wedding.

Ron is leaving. Godric's Hollow. Creepy old lady Ms. Bagshot.

Her biggest fear is her father killing Fred. Ron's back and has the sword of Godric Gryffindor. To the Lovegood house. Athens defending Luna. The Tale of The Three Brothers. Athens proving Hermione wrong and that the Deathly Hallows exist.

Murderous Athens though. Samara isn't alive. They had someone drink a polyjuice potion to freak Athens out. Athens insulting the snatchers is hilarious. Malfoy Manor. Athens being kind of worried about Draco. Athens lying about finding the sword just so Hermione doesn't get tortured. She just died from being tortured by her mother. Death is a sassy bitch. Only death she didn't see coming, Dobby's.

Fred and George are at the beach house. Athens is grieving. Athens is now Fred's fiance. Athens is right you never make a deal with the goblin. She is dreading dressing like her mother so much. When Athens inherited her mother's hair. She's scaring Ron with how good she is acting like her mother.

The thief's downfall, luckily Athens looks so much like her mother. She just scared herself. Sometimes I forget she can technically talk to dragons like she did for her first task. That Doctor who reference though. They got out safely but Voldemort knows that they broke into the bank. They are going to finish this tonight. Dumbledore's brother, Abuerfourth. Athens and Hermione are going to kill the Carrows.

Draco has been helpful. Snape knows that they're there Athens and Harry were spotted in hogsmeade. "Am I late?" I love Athens. Draco standing up for his cousin. It's time to go fight the last battle in the second wizard war.

"Fred said be careful. This is not being careful" she just killed herself to talk to death. Fred just died. She really just called her father the biggest idiot she ever met. When death raises Fred from the dead. "That is fiance thank you very much." Voldemort is dead. Athens won the duel.

When Fred, George and Draco become close because of you. The wedding. I love them so much. Athens is pregnant? Athens is pregnant. It was female twins.

Overall, it was good. One of my better books. But I should've put a trigger warning. So 7/10.

[pachathegreat]

Day 4: Halloweentown

Hey guys! Welcome to day 4 of The Shinning. Today we look at the beloved Disney Channel classic, Halloweentown. Released in 1998, starring Debbie Reynolds, Kimberley J. Brown, Joey Zimmerman, Emily Roeske, and Judith Hoag. 

Now I grew up without cable or internet, and didn’t get it in my home till freshman year of high school so I missed out on a lot. I managed to catch some Toonami and early Adult Swim, but missed 90′s Nickelodeon stuff and Disney Channel stuff, so Halloweentown was not a staple of my Halloween growing up as a kid. I was stuck watching whatever scary movie my older brother would rent, and I was really sensitive to horror movies as a kid cause I got it in my head that they were documentaries for some reason.

ANYWAYS 

Halloweentown seems to be a staple for a particular age of people. I could kinda see it, it’s not the most terrible Halloween based kids movie, certainly better than Ernest Scared Stupid in a lot of ways. Let’s get into it!

So the premise is fairly simple, yet a little unique. The movie follows the three Cromwell siblings (which honestly, pretty bad ass magical name, just works y’know?). The oldest is Marnie, middle child Dylan, and youngest Sophie who are banned from celebrating Halloween by their stern, but loving mother, Gwen. Gwen doesn’t want the kids partaking in anything resembling the weird, the strange, or occult, which is a bummer for Marnie cause she’s showing early signs of gothism (it’s a disease where you wear all black and develop a stick up your ass about this whole “being alive” thing). Dylan is a shitty little kiss ass, and Sophie is the sweet one. 

Marnie and her mom argue the merits of celebrating Halloween, with Sophie saying very vague things as to why she won’t let them go out on Halloween, and around now is when you pick up that there’s something up with the whole family, that would probably be a much more simple issue if Sophie sat her kids down and explained what the situation was, and why she doesn’t want her kids to celebrate Halloween, but no, it’s the 90′s and we haven’t found a way around complex situations that could be avoided with simple solutions. 

Sorry, just venting, you watch too many shows on the WB/CW, you notice a pattern (looking at you Arrowverse, and Supernatural...and practically every show on that channel). 

Anyways, through early photoshop comes...DEBBIE REYNOLDS! I know, I was just as surprised as you. First Eartha Kitt then Debbie Reynolds, classic leading ladies popping up where you least suspect them, and y’know what, they do some damn great work in each one. Back to Debbie though, Debbie comes off the bad SFX Magic Bus and heads over, a magic bag in tow to Gwen’s house, and as it turns out she’s Gwen’s mother! We can figure out where this is going, yes? Gwen is a witch too, and her children are also magically inclined, but Gwen refuses to teach them any magic cause her deceased husband was human, and she wants to raise the kids as human.  

No real mention if that’s what dear old dad wanted before he died. No cause is mentioned besides the fact that he was human. 

Debbie Reynolds, who plays Aggie (she wasn’t just being Debbie Reynolds, though it would explain how amazing that family is) has come to ask her daughter for help. Back in her home of Halloweentown, the inhabitants have been acting strange, kinda evil, then disappearing. Gwen wants nothing to do with any magical business, and tells her mom that she’s just being paranoid. What Gwen and Aggie don’t realize is that Marnie has heard all of this, the magic, the snide remarks I made toward the goths, all of it!

Marnie has taken it upon herself to go and help her grandmother, and also learn magic cause apparently this is her last chance to learn it before her powers disappear, I dunno, they got some weird rules in this world. 

So as Marnie is planning on sneaking out, Dylan tags along, despite everything about him indicating he’s not that type of character. So they both sneak onto the magic spooky bus and are transported to the magical realm where monsters, ghosts, witches, and all that live peacefully away from humans. They meet the mayor, who may or may not be a the villain. They get to grandma’s house, and convince her to that they could help, and that Marnie can learn a thing or two.

Also it’s mentioned that time moves differently in Halloweentown, but honestly, it feels like so made up. I know this a movie where we have a skeleton cabby, and a tooth fairy dentist working on a vampire, but seriously, their idea of time is kinda arbitrary compared to our world.  

So as the kids and Aggie are going around the town, we learn and see more of the town, kinda got the vibe that this would’ve been the closet America got to Harry Potter cause we have a hidden magical world, a young hero who learns of their powers before they’re adults, and a bunch of other magical shit going on. Mind you, the first Harry Potter book was released in the States about a whole month before this was aired. What’s the point I’m trying to make? None, just kinda interesting y’know. 

While this is going on, Gwen has figured out the kids have snuck out, and heads to Halloweentown to get the kids. Once she gets there, we see that her and the mayor had a bit of thing before she met her kids’ dad. She tries to get them back, but can’t get a bus back so quickly. This leads some time for Marnie and her mom to argue about why her mom would keep this part of culture away from her and her siblings, and that they had a right to know. Gwen responds with pretty much the same reasoning she gave Aggie. To be honest I was with Marnie this whole time. As a person who was raised with only one aspect of my cultural background, you don’t feel as a whole of a person as you should. But her would like totally disappear if she didn’t even learn anything so I guess I have it a bit better. 

Honestly Gwen’s reasoning is weak. 

So at this point our villain makes his appearance, making the inhabitants into assholes and then freezing them, getting them ready for something, for some reason. Aggie tries to face him off alone, but Gwen steps in to help, and even takes a shot for her mom. The shot freezes Gwen, and the next one gets Aggie. Before Aggie freezes completely she urges Marnie to finish the spell that could save the town.

This leads to the weakest part of the film. The kids go on hijinks and adventures getting the ingredients for the spell’s recipe. Some of it is okay, most of it is boring. So after the kids get the stuff together, they put it into this talisman. The kids head to the center of town, where our villain reveals himself to the public, and says his plan. Kinda. He wants to make everyone evil and attack the humans for some reason. The motive isn’t really clear. The villain then reveals himself further (don’t worry, this is Disney), to reveal that he was the mayor the whole time! Gasp!

Pretty obvious the whole time. Only made more obvious by each appearance of the guy. Marnie is able to reserve the evil curse and unfreeze everyone. And with the whole family putting energy into it, they murder the mayor in front of the whole town. Yay! Evil is vanquished, death to the bourgeoisie! Yay, he’s vanquished or whatever, the family goes back home, Gwen has decided that she will in fact train her kids in magic, with grandma Aggie coming around more often to help out and assist. 

So some things off the bat, I may sound like I’m shitting on this, but I actually enjoyed it. The cast is nice as a whole and isn’t reliant on just one actor like Ernest Scared Stupid was with Jim Varney. Well maybe except for Dylan he played the typical 90′s nerd and wasn’t that likable. I blame the 90′s for that, not the actor, kid was just trying to make a buck. 

Debbie Reynolds was a such a sweet lady and knows when to hold back, and when to chew scenery. When she has that stand off with the villain, you can hear her voice is taking a more dramatic tone and how she acts in that scene has some nice subtlety. Her talent is missed. 

The music in this is just very 90′s. A lot of xylophone’s and “spooky” music. Also random crows throughout the movie. The story has a little more than what I would think for a Disney Channel movie. LIke to hide that big of a secret was interesting to see, it’s just a shame that it didn’t pay off in the end. Like there should’ve been real consequences to Marnie finding out she was a witch or a believable reason for Gwen to keep this from her kids. The mayor’s motive was pretty much “ah fuck it, let’s be evil you guys!” and that weakened the movie to me. Either than that the dialogue is a lot better written for the kids than it was for Ernest and it can be funny. Sometimes it isn’t, but it has it’s moments. 

Also there was a PENTAGRAM shown and called as such on DISNEY Channel. Listen I’m amazed that Gravity Falls got away with the pseudo-occult stuff it did, this one straight out put a pentagram in the movie, and it’s an accessory that Marnie wears throughout the film. 

The makeup in this is really cool. It’s practical look for the wear, but it makes them to be a believable living being in this world. Some seem to have really big round chins. Don’t know if that was the actors or the make up. Just something I noticed watching this. 

I can see why this would be a staple for kids growing up. It has definite charm to it, and it’s not dripping in that 90′s cheesiness that Ernest had. Of the two live action films I’ve covered this week, this is the better one, and I wouldn’t mind watching it again. Kinda want to see the other ones now too.

Okay guys, that’ll be a wrap on Halloweentown. Next week it’s one I have seen before and I know that I actually like this one! 

Hocus Pocus is tomorrow! 

[dfroza]

An ancient Letter that illuminates spiritual truth

conserved for us to know, here & now Today

and this is from Today’s reading for September 2 in the Letter of First John where we see our True identity in Love as children of Light:

What marvelous love the Father has extended to us! Just look at it—we’re called children of God! That’s who we really are. But that’s also why the world doesn’t recognize us or take us seriously, because it has no idea who he is or what he’s up to.

But friends, that’s exactly who we are: children of God. And that’s only the beginning. Who knows how we’ll end up! What we know is that when Christ is openly revealed, we’ll see him—and in seeing him, become like him. All of us who look forward to his Coming stay ready, with the glistening purity of Jesus’ life as a model for our own.

All who indulge in a sinful life are dangerously lawless, for sin is a major disruption of God’s order. Surely you know that Christ showed up in order to get rid of sin. There is no sin in him, and sin is not part of his program. No one who lives deeply in Christ makes a practice of sin. None of those who do practice sin have taken a good look at Christ. They’ve got him all backward.

So, my dear children, don’t let anyone divert you from the truth. It’s the person who acts right who is right, just as we see it lived out in our righteous Messiah. Those who make a practice of sin are straight from the Devil, the pioneer in the practice of sin. The Son of God entered the scene to abolish the Devil’s ways.

People conceived and brought into life by God don’t make a practice of sin. How could they? God’s seed is deep within them, making them who they are. It’s not in the nature of the God-begotten to practice and parade sin. Here’s how you tell the difference between God’s children and the Devil’s children: The one who won’t practice righteous ways isn’t from God, nor is the one who won’t love brother or sister. A simple test.

For this is the original message we heard: We should love each other.

We must not be like Cain, who joined the Evil One and then killed his brother. And why did he kill him? Because he was deep in the practice of evil, while the acts of his brother were righteous. So don’t be surprised, friends, when the world hates you. This has been going on a long time.

The way we know we’ve been transferred from death to life is that we love our brothers and sisters. Anyone who doesn’t love is as good as dead. Anyone who hates a brother or sister is a murderer, and you know very well that eternal life and murder don’t go together.

This is how we’ve come to understand and experience love: Christ sacrificed his life for us. This is why we ought to live sacrificially for our fellow believers, and not just be out for ourselves. If you see some brother or sister in need and have the means to do something about it but turn a cold shoulder and do nothing, what happens to God’s love? It disappears. And you made it disappear.

[When We Practice Real Love]

My dear children, let’s not just talk about love; let’s practice real love. This is the only way we’ll know we’re living truly, living in God’s reality. It’s also the way to shut down debilitating self-criticism, even when there is something to it. For God is greater than our worried hearts and knows more about us than we do ourselves.

And friends, once that’s taken care of and we’re no longer accusing or condemning ourselves, we’re bold and free before God! We’re able to stretch our hands out and receive what we asked for because we’re doing what he said, doing what pleases him. Again, this is God’s command: to believe in his personally named Son, Jesus Christ. He told us to love each other, in line with the original command. As we keep his commands, we live deeply and surely in him, and he lives in us. And this is how we experience his deep and abiding presence in us: by the Spirit he gave us.

The Letter of First John, Chapter 3 (The Message)

to be accompanied by these lines of inspiration from Today’s reading in the Psalms and Proverbs:

God is my King from the very start;

he works salvation in the womb of the earth.

The Book of Psalms, Poem 74:12 (The Message)

The day and the night are both Yours—

You fashioned the sun, moon, and all the lights that pierce the darkness.

You have arranged the earth, set all its boundaries;

You are the Architect of the seasons: summer and winter.

The Book of Psalms, Poem 74:16-17 (The Voice)

For the Eternal is a great God,

and a great King, supreme over all gods.

Within His control are the very depths of the earth;

the mountaintops too—they all belong to Him.

The sea belongs to Him, for He created it—scooped and filled it—

with His hands He made the dry land—every valley and mountain.

Come, let us worship Him. Everyone bow down;

kneel before the Eternal who made us.

The Book of Psalms, Poem 95:3-6 (The Voice)

My son, if you accept what I am telling you

and store my counsel and directives deep within you,

If you listen for Lady Wisdom, attune your ears to her,

and engage your mind to understand what she is telling you,

If you cry out to her for insight

and beg for understanding,

If you sift through the clamor of everything around you

to seek her like some precious prize,

to search for her like buried treasure;

Then you will grasp what it means to truly respect the Eternal,

and you will have discovered the knowledge of the one True God.

The Eternal is ready to share His wisdom with us,

for His words bring true knowledge and insight;

He has stored up the essentials of sound wisdom for those who do right;

He acts as a shield for those who value integrity.

God protects the paths of those who pursue justice,

watching over the lives of those who keep faith with Him.

With this wisdom you will be able to choose the right road,

seek justice, and decide what is good and fair

Because wisdom will penetrate deep within

and knowledge will become a good friend to your soul.

Sound judgment will stand guard over you,

and understanding will watch over you as the Lord promised.

Wisdom will keep you from following the way of evildoers,

of those who twist words to pervert the truth,

Of those who reject the right road

for a darker, more sinister way of life,

Of those who enjoy evil

and pursue perverse pleasures,

Of those who journey down a crooked path,

constantly figuring out new ways to trick and deceive others.

The Book of Proverbs, Chapter 2:1-15 (The Voice)

to be concluded by the paired chapter in the Testaments (with 1st John 3) and a time in ancient History when Jeremiah was falsely accused and arrested:

King Zedekiah son of Josiah, a puppet king set on the throne by Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon in the land of Judah, was now king in place of Jehoiachin son of Jehoiakim. But neither he nor his officials nor the people themselves paid a bit of attention to the Message God gave by Jeremiah the prophet.

However, King Zedekiah sent Jehucal son of Shelemiah, and Zephaniah the priest, son of Maaseiah, to Jeremiah the prophet, saying, “Pray for us—pray hard!—to the Master, our God.”

Jeremiah was still moving about freely among the people in those days. This was before he had been put in jail. Pharaoh’s army was marching up from Egypt. The Chaldeans fighting against Jerusalem heard that the Egyptians were coming and pulled back.

Then Jeremiah the prophet received this Message from God: “I, the God of Israel, want you to give this Message to the king of Judah, who has just sent you to me to find out what he should do. Tell him, ‘Get this: Pharaoh’s army, which is on its way to help you, isn’t going to stick it out. No sooner will they get here than they’ll leave and go home to Egypt. And then the Babylonians will come back and resume their attack, capture this city and burn it to the ground. I, God, am telling you: Don’t kid yourselves, reassuring one another, “The Babylonians will leave in a few days.” I tell you, they aren’t leaving. Why, even if you defeated the entire attacking Chaldean army and all that was left were a few wounded soldiers in their tents, the wounded would still do the job and burn this city to the ground.’”

When the Chaldean army pulled back from Jerusalem, Jeremiah left Jerusalem to go over to the territory of Benjamin to take care of some personal business. When he got to the Benjamin Gate, the officer on guard there, Irijah son of Shelemiah, son of Hananiah, grabbed Jeremiah the prophet, accusing him, “You’re deserting to the Chaldeans!”

“That’s a lie,” protested Jeremiah. “I wouldn’t think of deserting to the Chaldeans.”

But Irijah wouldn’t listen to him. He arrested him and took him to the police. The police were furious with Jeremiah. They beat him up and threw him into jail in the house of Jonathan the secretary of state. (They were using the house for a prison cell.) So Jeremiah entered an underground cell in a cistern turned into a dungeon. He stayed there a long time.

Later King Zedekiah had Jeremiah brought to him. The king questioned him privately, “Is there a Message from God?”

“There certainly is,” said Jeremiah. “You’re going to be turned over to the king of Babylon.”

Jeremiah continued speaking to King Zedekiah: “Can you tell me why you threw me into prison? What crime did I commit against you or your officials or this people? And tell me, whatever has become of your prophets who preached all those sermons saying that the king of Babylon would never attack you or this land? Listen to me, please, my master—my king! Please don’t send me back to that dungeon in the house of Jonathan the secretary. I’ll die there!”

So King Zedekiah ordered that Jeremiah be assigned to the courtyard of the palace guards. He was given a loaf of bread from Bakers’ Alley every day until all the bread in the city was gone. And that’s where Jeremiah remained—in the courtyard of the palace guards.

The Book of Jeremiah, Chapter 37 (The Message)

my reading in the Scriptures for September 2, day 74 of Summer and day 245 of the year: