#Janet's needle felting

[janetsneedlefelting]

German Shepherd is so hard to make.  Mixing different colors of wool to match the real fur color without looking dirty is tricky!  

#Janet's needle felting #janetsneedlefelting #craft #art #pet loss #handmade #Pet Memorial #pet gift #miniature #needle felting #polymer clay #custom made #fiber art

[arcticlutra]

Kon stared on in horror. It couldn't be. It couldn't be real?

Everything about this was wrong. Nothing about this made sense. It was repugnant. It was unnatural. Nothing here was right. Yet he could do nothing, do nothing with the green crystal collar at his neck.

Yet still, his eyes didn't lie as he saw Tim ponder over the blades at Dick's and Damian's throats. Jason stood to the side waiting, humbled and collared, his hood made a mockery in the form of a scarlet owl mask. The Red Hood humbled, collared and brought to heel.

Tim almost looked bored before his brothers who strained against blades that threatened their lives.

Kon couldn't move, terrified at the thought that he could fuck it all up even further, even as the kryptonite bit at his neck.

At Tim's shoulder lurked the cause: Bernard. The Serpent in the Garden that spoke honeyed words of affirmation, support and love. That spoke the machinations of Janet. Of plans years in the making. Of isolation and manipulations. Of promised futures and possibilities. Whose every needled word and serpent bite exposed an insecurity and hurt. Who carefully manoeuvred Tim into playing the assigned role.

"Go on Tim. They don't love you." Bernard kissed along Tim's jaw. "They always saw you as a placeholder. A cuckoo."

Damian wept against his austere training. A small child in a harsh world, met with an opponent far more broken and warped than he could have been trained for. One that he himself had primed and trained: a brother exiled and scorned.

"You're so right Bern...always so right." Tim murmured, pulling Bernard's fist into a kiss. "And what does a cuckoo do?"

"Please Timothy." Damian begged, for Dick's tongue had already been ripped out. "Don't do this."

"A cuckoo chick, kicks all the other eggs out of the nest." Tim stated and brought the knife to Damian's neck.

Damian felt the tears fall readily and unashamedly. The little boy was scared.

"Don't worry Damian, I'll make up a lie. I'll say you died by Ra's hand. Fighting to save us against him. But sadly your youth failed you and I was too late. Dick had already been too late..."

Damian didn't hold the tears back.

"Jason came too late as well, and we finished them off." Tim continued as he played with Bernard's hand. "They took out Barbara too. Priority target."

"Timothy...Tim...please..." Damian begged.

"Tshush...Tshush " Dick choked as he fought against the blood in his mouth.

"It will be such a shame as Bruce sees Alfred killed. He'll see it as Talia attacking. The final assault." Tim reflected as he brushed his thumb over Bernard's knuckles. His beautiful Castellan. "And as Bruce fights tooth and nail to protect his fortress...he'll see his soldiers fallen, compromised and dead..."

"Timothy...please." Damian begged as the blade dug into his throat.

"Oh Damian, you were never even a contender." Tim laughed. "You called yourself a Prince of Gotham because you were Bruce's Bastard?"

The raucous laughter and cawing of the Court made Damian shrink as far in as he could on his small frame.

"Pathetic little bastard. Bruce never loved you. You were an obligation. I was the one he trusted. Not the worst thing though, to be the trusted one. At least I'll make sure Gotham is safe. Once we've cut out all of the cancer. Heroes...villains...what is really the difference?"

"Nothing, my love." Bernard kissed into Tim's knuckle.

"You're right as always my Heart." Tim smiled, and looked to his Talons. "Talons, remove these Robins from my sights. Repurpose them for grander designs. And take this Kryptonian to my Chambers."

"I'll see it done, my Lord." The Rufous Owl bowed, and Tim nodded in agreement.

It was only when they were alone, and free of any bugs that the Rufous Owl turned to Dick and Damian and whispered. "I'll try and get you both out of here. But he's fucking unstoppable. Why the fuck did you fight?"

#tim drake #bernard dowd #timber #timbern #tim x bernard #jason todd #dc fanfic #court of owls #batman #batman fanfiction #dick grayson #damian wayne #court of owls tim #kon el kent #connor kent #timkon #timberkon

[slowroadtosantiago]

Day 24 - Sahagun to El Burgo Ranero

Only just over 11 miles today but with full packs. This next picture is representative of the day:

It was one of those days when you walked at your own pace in your own world with your playlist keeping you amused as the road was very flat following roads most of the way.

There was only one place to stop on the way and it was a bit of a way down the road so after a fitful night we packed up and had breakfast in the hostel before setting off about 7:45.

We passed through the gates of the old town and across an old bridge before starting on the main trek.

It was a cool windy morning with threatening dark clouds in the north. We each went at our own pace today. I felt tired so dropped back and just put one step in front of the other. I stuck the radio on for a bit to keep amused.

After about 7 miles we came to our coffee stop. I think everyone we knew was there - the siblings Kate and Malcolm, and we finally learned the names of the Irish/American couple we met a few days ago - Sinead and Barron. Jane administered blister treatment to Alex and we set off on our way again.

On the way out we came across a lovely climbing rose that had come out in lots of different colours.

Then it was back to the seemingly endless path by the road. This time I stuck a playlist on as Jane disappeared into the distance. She had her music on too. It’s very dusty too and our shoes and legs get covered.

We got to the hostel about 12:30. We had booked two single beds but when we got there we discovered that they had given them to Kate and Malcolm. Kate realised what had happened and came to sort it out. They didn’t have her booking at all even though she had the text proof. They did have space in the bunk room so Jane and I said we’d go there with a bottom bunk.

The albergue has a nice garden to sit in but it feels quite chilly out there today. The temperature hasn’t hit 20 today and there’s a cool wind.

The village is not very large and it looks like a Wild West setting just outside the albergue, but they did have a restaurant open. So we had another lunchtime menu del dia - smoked salmon and goats cheese salad, followed by baked cod then I had an ice cream and Jane had what looked like custard, washed down with water, a whole bottle of wine between us and bread, all for the princely sum of 13 euros each, bargain.

Jane had a nap while I had a shower and did a bit of washing. I took 4 pairs of socks with me and I only have one pair left without holes! I borrowed Jane’s needle and thread and sat in the garden doing a bit of darning. I’ll get some more in Leon in a couple of days. I also have an over shirt that I wear all the time, but it gets smelly so that needs a wash most days. We’re mainly just hand washing with the one bar of soap, I’ll treat the shirt to a hot wash in Leon.

After a rest we spent half an hour in the dining room at the hostel playing cards with Alex, then went to a different cafe in the village with her for a plate of patatas fritas and a lemonade. We were joined by Ernest and Janet who are travelling with Alex and had a pleasant hour talking about favourite musicals.

We’re back in the hostel settling down for an early night and hoping to get off to sleep before everyone comes back in for the night. The bunks are very rickety again and the slightest movement is going to make everything shake.

Hasta mañana

[janetfraiserdeservedbetter]

Pins and Needles (Chapter 6)

Pins and Needles Chapter 6

(Read Chapter One, Two, Three, Four and Five here!)

Rating: PG

Word Count: 2063

Fandom: Stargate SG1

Pairing: Sam Carter x Janet Fraiser

Summary:  Janet is a single mother and owner of a tattoo studio. Sam is a florist who has just moved into town. Janet's infatuated. Sam's a disaster gay. Flower shop/Tattoo parlour AU.

Notes: Hi y'all, I know it's been 2 years since I updated this and all I can say is I'm so sorry >.< Not long after I posted the last chapter, my mum got diagnosed with cancer, so life got thrown upside down for a while. She passed away at the end of last year and I just didn't have the brain capacity to update. Thanks for sticking with me and still giving this fic so much love.

------------------------------

The day in the life of Janet Fraiser wasn’t usually very exciting. On weekdays, she’d open the store, sometimes with Vala, other times alone. She’d sweep, sterilize, set up and then respond to emails and do paperwork until the shop opened. With only two artists, their client base consisted of mostly regulars on the weekend but they’d get the odd walk-in as well. They made enough money to get by and while the shop wasn’t making them millionaires by any means, it wasn’t breaking the bank either.

That being said, with a break in meaning that they'd need to close for the rest of the weekend, clients would have to be rescheduled and what little money they would have made that day was out the door now.

Janet leaned back in her chair with a sigh, running a hand through her hair as she hung up with her last booking. The client had been understanding and had rescheduled for another day but Janet wished more than anything that she had something tactile to be doing rather than calling insurance and rifling through the paperwork.

Around 10, the bell above the door tinkled and Janet looked up to see her daughter waving goodbye to her friend Aly. The young girl dumped her overnight bag by the door and let out a whistle as she looked over the now patched up window.

“Dang mom, I didn't know you were doing renovations,” the teen mused. Janet didn’t hide the roll of her eyes as she climbed to her feet and pulled her daughter in for a tight hug.

“Yeah, well, it’s not something I’d’ve chosen, personally.”

The pair parted and Cassie pulled a chair over to the desk, dropping into it unceremoniously. 

“Did they take anything?”

“No, the sheriff thinks they got spooked and ran off.”

She hummed, picking at her nails. 

“How was your night darling?”

The teen was telling her mother about the weekend she’d had and Janet relaxed a little, listening intently to her daughter relaying the school gossip to her. It was a pleasant distraction to the morning of admin. It felt like days ago that Sam had visited and asked her on a date. Oh god.

She was supposed to take Sam out to dinner tomorrow night. On a date. She hadn’t been on a date in longer than she cared to remember and Sam was an incredibly smart, extremely gorgeous and charming woman and Janet was old and oh god, what if she scared her off?

Cassie seemed to notice her mother’s shift in attention. With a gentle prod, Janet snapped out of her thoughts.

“Yo mom, you okay? Where’d you go?”

“Sorry sweetie, I’ve just got a lot on my mind right now.”

The bell rang again, this time signalling Vala’s arrival. She looked overdressed, as she usually did, in her leather trousers and a loose-fitting men's shirt, her breasts spilling out of her push-up bra beneath the open buttons.

“I don’t understand men,” she exclaimed, dumping her purse beside Cassie’s bag. Janet laughed gently, watching her friend plop herself in front of the desk. “Look at me, Janet. Would you not want a piece of this?” The woman grabbed her breasts, pushing them together with a frown. Janet laughed again as Cassie’s face reddened and she hid behind her hands.

“Absolutely,” the tattoo artist smirked, reaching for the latte Vala had brought her. “But I may be biased because I love boobs.”

“Mom!”

“Precisely! So why is Daniel Jackson so bloody blind to my advances? Every morning I go in there, tits out, legs practically akimbo and nothing, not even a glance. What's wrong with me?”

“Maybe you’re not his type?” Cassie squeaked, giggling.

The silence from Vala was palpable. “No, impossible.” She huffed. “Anyway, at least the other handsome man at the cafe can appreciate a work of art. Practically tripped over himself to pay for our drinks.” She looked pretty proud of herself and Janet snickered, taking a long sip of her drink. The caffeine was a welcome buzz and she relaxed a little more, watching her daughter and friend talk together. 

Janet was reminded at times like this how lucky they were to have such great friends around them. Even though Vala could be loud and immature and frustrating at times, she was a loyal and caring friend and had always been there for Janet when she needed a drinking buddy or a shoulder to cry on. Even more than that, she was great with Cassie. Being a single parent was hard and Janet always feared that she was too strict on her daughter. Jack and Vala were always there to parent her when it got too much.

It really did take a village to raise a child.

“Have you decided what you want for your birthday?” The woman was asking. The pair stood in front of the full-length mirror, Vala braiding the younger girl’s blonde curls. “What about a tattoo!”

Cassie was giggling. “Think mum would let me get a tramp stamp?” 

“Absolutely not,” Janet called but they seemed to ignore her.

“Ooh or maybe a few face tattoos!”

“Oh, or I could get my nose pierced!”

“Or your nipples!”

“She’s 15, not 25, Vala!”

The dark-haired woman shot her a grin in the mirror.

“Lighten up, Jan! I had mine done at 15!”

“Of course you did,” she muttered, unable to help the smirk that found her lips. “Besides, she has a ‘not-date’ with Damien that day.”

“Ooooh, Damien!” Vala teased and the teen blushed again, pushing the woman playfully. 

“It’s not like that! We’re going bowling with our friends!”

“Mmmhm, I've heard that one before.” She tied the braids off with a grin that both Fraisers knew to mean that Vala had a wicked idea. “Does that mean we need to go shopping for a cute, definitely not flirty, not-date outfit?”

Cassie's eyes widened and the pair turned to Janet, both grinning madly. 

“Can we mom? Please?” “Come on, Jan, how can you say no to us! Your daughter has a not-date and I’m… well, I’m going through a hard time with my love life! It’s called retail therapy!”

It would be nice to get out of the studio, Janet concluded. There wasn’t much they could do until the security company sent the footage to the police and that wouldn't happen until Monday morning. She was also painfully aware that she didn’t have anything nice to wear on her date with Sam so maybe it wouldn’t be such a bad idea.

“Fine.” The pair’s excited squeals drowned her out but she grinned nonetheless and got up to grab her coat.

-----

The mall was fairly busy. Christmas was still a few months away but already people seemed to be out trying to beat the holiday rush. 

The pair dragged Janet from store to store, taking their time rifling through every shelf and aisle. Vala couldn’t resist a quick trip into Victoria’s Secret where she got herself several new sets of lingerie; it wasn’t news to anyone that she had an Only Fans and that's how she could afford these luxuries. Tattooing didn’t pay incredibly well and a woman like Vala needed extra income to support her lavish tastes.

While she waited for her friend to finish her haul, a dark green set caught Janet’s eye. It was made of satin but black lace lined the cups and the waist of the panties; the fabric was soft under her touch and there were only two sets left. One just happened to be in her size. Chewing her fingernail, she stared at the lingerie, feeling a little ridiculous. She was a woman fast approaching her forties, looking at sexy lingerie from Victoria’s secret. If it were anyone else, she’d be right there, urging them to ‘treat themselves’ and ‘fuck the patriarchy’, but she was her own worst hypocrite.

She heard a gasp from behind her. Vala rushed forward, grabbing the set and holding it up to Janet’s torso. 

“Oh you have to!” The woman purred, admiring the colour against Janet’s tan, inked skin. “It’s so sexy! You have to.”

“I don’t know…”

“Don't be daft! It’s perfect for you!” With that, Vala was marching back to the counter and Janet had no choice but to follow her. “Now you have something spicy to wear if you ever get the guts to ask Sam out.”

The woman paid for it and handed the bag to Janet with a grin.

“Thank you,” she conceded, cheeks burning with excitement.

The trio left the mall, wallets lighter but bags full of goodies. While Vala and Cassie had been in the change rooms, Janet had found herself the perfect top to go with her lingerie; not that she thought they’d have sex on the first date but it made her feel sexy and desirable nonetheless. 

Janet would never admit it but Vala was right. This had been exactly what the three of them had needed. She was feeling calm and relaxed in a way that she hadn’t for a few days and she couldn’t wait to get home and spend the night watching movies with her daughter. Every year seemed to be flying by faster than the last and before she knew it, Cassie would be moving out and going to college. Janet was fully determined to take advantage of these moments with her daughter while they lasted.

She stepped off the travelator first, stepping out of the automatic doors into the parking lot, Vala and Cassie behind her. They’d gotten a spot only two rows from the doors and as she maneuvered past a blue VW, her truck came into view.

Her heart sank.

The passenger's side window had been smashed in and the contents of her glove compartment and centre console were spilling onto the bitumen. A few people were standing around the vehicle, gossiping. A sheriff’s cruiser pulled up alongside the crowd and Sheriff Hammond and his deputy, Walter, jumped out. 

Janet felt Cassie grip her hand as she stopped before the mess.

“This your truck Janet?” The deputy was clearing some onlookers away from the scene as Hammond approached. She nodded, trying to process the scene in front of her. Could this week get any worse? 

“We’ve been inside for an hour at most,” Vala told the man, taking up guard by Janet’s side.

“There’ve been a lot of break-ins lately,” Walter told them, stopping beside Hammond.

“Did they take anything?”

“I don’t know, I didn't get a look…” She couldnt tear her eyes away from her registration papers that lay on the concrete, the ink slowly blurring into a black blobl as water from the puddle soaked into the paper.

“Right well, we’ll have to get her back to the impound and see if we can’t find any prints.”

“How long will that take?” This was Vala who stood close to Janet, her presence firm and comforting.

“Could be a day or so. We have to call in the folks from the next county over.” So much for her date with Sam tomorrow.

The process took almost an hour. Though it appeared that the car, besides the broken window, was fine, a tow truck was called to transport it back to the impound. Vala had taken cassie home while Janet sorted it, not without complaints from the young girl.

“First your shop, now your truck. One hell of a coincidence, don't you think? Can you think of anyone that’d want to get back at you? Disgruntled family, unhappy client?”

“No. I don’t know why anyone would want to make my life miserable.” For a moment, the image of her ex-husband flitted across her mind but she shook the thought away. They had a restraining order and he didn’t even know where they lived. Still, she told the sheriff as much; she wasn’t taking any chances.

“What’s his name?”

“Sergeant Hugh Walker.”

“Alright, we’ll look into it.” The man’s gaze softened and he touched her arm gently. “You need anything, you let me know, alright?”

Janet returned the man’s smile, nodding gratefully. She watched them go, her car in tow. She stayed where she was for a long moment, letting the stress and the thoughts storm around her head, stinging her eyes. Pulling her coat tighter around her, she headed back inside to call a cab.

#stargate #sg1 #stargate sg1 #daniel jackson #janet fraiser #sam carter #jack o'neill #amanda tapping #samantha carter #teryl rothery

[gogobootz1]

You Only Live Twice Ch.6

Eddie Munson x Reader (eventually)

A/N: I’ve noticed that the Cali squad doesn’t get a lot of screen time towards the end of Vol. 1, so I figured adding a sort of side quest would be a nice way to extend the story until Vol. 2. Thus, the idea of a few road trip stops was born. The first of these stops happens to be in Vegas! This chapter is on crack, but fun.

Warnings: gambling, cursing

2.8k words

previous chapter next chapter

Argyle pulled into a gas station on the outskirts of Las Vegas. You'd been on the road for hours, and after an initial stop, the tank was finally empty. A more focused person would've clocked the needle leaning once again towards empty an hour ago, but focused was not a word you'd choose to describe Argyle. Thus, you faced a less than desirable amount of city traffic.

He'd left you all to your own devices as he pumped the gas. You'd given Will and Mike ten dollars to go look for snacks. Jonathan went to the bathroom, and you were taking a breather.

A lot had happened in the last, two days? You could hardly keep track of how long it'd been. It felt like it'd been ages since you met Eleven, since you'd seen Mary, the woman who had taken you in. You hadn't been at work or slept in your own bed. You wondered how concerned people were getting. A knock on the window snapped you out of your stupor. Argyle was looking in with concern on his face.

"What's wrong?" You asked through the glass.

"Uh, how much money do you have?" He replied, a strange look on his face.

"Well I gave Mike and Will some money for snacks," you told him and his face dropped even further, "but I've got about $30 left. Why?"

"Our tank of gas is $29."

"You're joking," he shook his head. "Shit," you cursed, "this won't get us all the way to Salt Lake." Argyle shook his head again, the concern on his face growing. You hopped out of the car, hoping that Will and Mike hadn't spent any money yet. When you opened the door of the 7-Eleven you were met with their arms full of chips. You threw your head back in disappointment.

"Are you not a fan of sour cream and onion?" Will asked, jokingly. You let out a huff.

"We're about to be out of money," you shook your head. Worry grew on the faces of both boys, "look, tell Argyle to use what's left in my wallet to cover the gas. I have to pee." You gently pushed between them and made your way towards the bathroom.

Jonathan saw you passing by, "what's wrong?"

"No more money," you said simply, pushing open the door to the women's bathroom.

On your way out you moved slowly, hardly wanting to face the future waiting for you back in the van. If you didn't get more gas money you'd find yourselves stranded somewhere in Utah, never reaching your goal. The Surfer Boy Pizza van wasn't exactly known for its fuel efficiency.

"No Janet," a voice rang out from the counter. A man stood there, speaking into the giant block of a cell phone he held to his ear. "You can't just cancel like this. We're less than two hours away from call time." He sounded frustrated and looked important in his dark grey suit. "I don't care that your boyfriend just proposed." You stopped to listen to his conversation. "Well, where the hell am I supposed to find a replacement for you in an hour? How many jazz singers as talented as you are available on a Friday night?"

You couldn't believe what you were hearing. A spectacular opportunity had fallen right into your lap. Not to mention that it was already Friday. The man hung up on Janet and finished paying for his pack of cigarettes. He walked out of the door, and you quickly followed.

"Excuse me, sir," you couldn't let this chance slip out of your fingers, not when you and your new friends were in dire need of money. He turned around quickly.

"What, kid?" He was clearly frustrated from his earlier conversation.

"I'm sorry, I couldn't help but overhear your phone call." The man looked at you with suspicion. "I'm a singer," you continued, "I could fill in for the girl who called out tonight." Your words took him by surprise, and he gave you a once over.

"You any good?"

"If I do say so myself."

"And you know the classics?" He raised an eyebrow, skeptical.

"Just about all I listen to," you assured. Clearly he was just desperate enough to give you a chance.

"Alright," he started slowly, "on the Strip there's a club called The Rialto, be there within the hour and tell them Mr. Marino sent you to replace Janet. If you're any good I'll give you a hundred bucks." Now that would definitely get you to Utah. He started walking back towards his car.

"I'll be there," you said loud enough for him to hear. As he pulled away you turned back towards the boys at the van. You weren't sure how they'd feel about this little delay, but you knew you all needed the money.

"Who was that?" Jonathan asked as you approached. Clearly they'd seen you talking to the suited man.

"Okay don't be mad," you started.

"That doesn't exactly inspire confidence," Mike said in response.

"That man offered me a hundred dollars to perform at his club tonight, his lead singer called out." You explained quickly.

"Dude," Mike started harshly, "we don't have time for this, we have to get to Suzie."

You turn towards him defensively, "we don't have enough money to get to Suzie's. This is the best shot we have at earning more." Your words didn't leave much room for argument.

"So what are the rest of us supposed to do while you're onstage?" Mike asked.

"I don't know, Mike," you said, "take a walk, jump in a pool- it's Vegas." He makes a face at you. "Do whatever the hell you want!"

"Wait, wait, so where is this club you're singing at?" Jonathan asks.

"It's on the Strip," you replied, "I'm sure we'll spot it if we drive around a little."

You managed to find it after about twenty minutes. The neon glow of the sign beckoned visitors inside.

"Are we sure this is a good idea?" Will asked.

"It's the only idea we've got. We need gas money," you told him. He sighed and look away. Jonathan seemed to sense the rising tension amongst the group.

"Hey, it's gonna be alright, okay?" He reassured. "When James is done singing we'll have enough cash to make it to Suzie. So for now let's just take a rest." The boys still looked unconvinced.

"Sounds good to me, man, Purple Palm Tree Delight is calling my name." Mike and Will groaned at Argyle's comment.

"Can we please come with you?" Will turned towards you and asked quietly.

"Uh," he and Mike were begging you with their eyes, "yeah sure. Maybe they'll give you a Sprite if I tell them you're my brothers." They heaved a sigh of relief. You went to tell Jonathan that the boys were coming with you, but it seemed like he already knew. He gave you a nod and a waved you off.

"Alright, well, welcome to Vegas, I guess." You said over your shoulder, opening the door and letting Mike grab it from behind you.

You stepped in to a dimly lit room. It was large, tables covered in red cloths scattered the floor. A few booths lined the walls, and the bar had a long line of stools. A woman in a knee length black dress approached you.

"Can I help you miss?" She asked, looking at you and your younger companions skeptically.

"Yes," you started, "Mr. Marino sent me. He wants me to fill in for Janet for the night." Her expression changed in an instant.

"Oh," she said, "we have to get you backstage then." She looked you up and down, "the girls back there will get you taken care of." You supposed you were mildly disheveled from your travels. "I'm Lisa," she introduced.

"James," you replied. Lisa made a face at this.

"We'll give you a stage name if that's alright," it was less of a question and more of a statement. You nodded along as she started leading you towards a door. You assumed it lead to the backstage area. Lisa looked again at Will and Mike.

"Oh these are my brothers," you said, gesturing towards them, "they're very supportive of my music career." They quickly gave her sweet smiles. Lisa seemed to reluctantly accept this.

"We can put them at a corner table?" She hesitantly offered. The three of you vigorously nodded. Lisa dropped Will and Mike off at a booth then led you backstage.

"They'll want to do your hair and makeup, and find a dress that fits." She looked around, clearly trying to find someone. "There you are Rhonda," she said and rushed you over to the older woman.

Rhonda looked you over then turned back to Lisa with an eyebrow raised.

"She's standing in for Janet tonight," Lisa explained.

Rhonda sighed, "alright let's go." She started walking and you quickly trailed after her. Lisa waved goodbye and went back to her duties.

Soon enough Rhonda had you dressed to the nines. The floor-length gown was a tight fit, but the matching opera gloves were gorgeous. She dropped you off in the wings of the stage without another word.

"You're going on for Janet?" Another voice asked and you turned. The man carried a clipboard and looked at you expectantly. You nodded. "Alright, the band's set to play Fly Me to the Moon, Stormy Weather, I'd Rather Go Blind, A Sunday Kind of Love, and The Way You Look Tonight. You know all those?" He asked.

"I do, yes," you nodded.

"What's your name again?" He asked. You were afraid of getting the same reaction you did earlier.

"Lisa told me I need a stage name," the man sighed and shook his head.

"Alright," he said, "after the band's done with this song I'll go out and introduce you. Good luck," he turned and look you in the eye, "you'll need it."

Soon enough he made his way to the center microphone, "Ladies and gentlemen we have a special treat for you tonight. Singing for you live is the lovely miss Sara Lynn." He said enthusiastically, extending an arm to invite you onstage. You walked towards the microphone as he exited the other side. Light applause from the audience inspired a small wave from you.

Once you took your place you gave a nod to the band. They started playing and you were in your element. Music is what you did best, even back at the lab. The notes poured out of your mouth and left the audience enchanted. Half an hour later they were on their feet giving you a final round of applause. You took a small bow, acknowledged the band, and exited the stage.

You changed out of the dress they'd provided you in a dressing room. As you left it you ran into Mr. Marino.

"That was phenomenal," he said, putting a hundred-dollar bill in your hand as he shook it. "Kid you can sing here whenever you like. Hell, you can have a permanent spot if you want it."

You laughed, "that's very kind Mr. Marino, but I really do have to get back to my family." You started heading out the way you came in, "thanks for everything."

Finally you met up with Mike and Will in the audience. They looked at you with a new sort of awe.

"Holy shit," Will said with a smile, "that was awesome."

"Thanks," you replied cheerfully, whipping out the hundred dollar bill. "What do you say we get back on the road?" You asked with a smile and an eyebrow waggle. They happily agreed.

The three of you exited the building in high spirits, making your way to where the van was. Only it no longer housed Jonathan and Argyle.

"Oh God," Mike said, "Jesus, of course they got lost in Vegas. How hard is it to just sit here?!" Will looked sort of distraught at his brother's absence.

"Hey," you got their attention, "it's okay. Let's just put our heads together and find them." The two of them turned towards you, "where would they have gone?"

"Well Argyle brags about how good he is at Go-Fish," Will started, "maybe he thought he could play it at the Casino?" His eyes moved towards the giant building across the street. With its huge fountains and glowing lights, you could practically see Argyle skipping towards it.

"Alright," you sighed, "let's track them down and hit the road." The boys nodded in agreement and the three of you made your way across the street.

Entering the building overwhelmed every one of your senses.  From the ringing sound of slot machines to the cheers of people around various tables. The smell of smoke permeated the air and flashing lights came from various directions. The three of you stopped to look around for them.

"So," you started, "where exactly do we think they are in here?" The boys didn't have time to answer before a shout came from the other side of the room.

"Wooooo, man, I'm on fire tonight!" You, Mike, and Will exchanged a glance. You knew that voice a little too well. When you followed it you saw Jonathan and Argyle standing by the Craps table. The latter had the dice in his hand and released them. Whatever he had rolled earned celebratory shouts from the other people around the table.

"Doesn't Craps feel a little advanced for him?" Will asked. You shrugged and started making your way towards the pair of them.

"Jonathan," you called out. Your voice got lost in the noise. Eventually you got closer and put a hand on his shoulder. "Jonathan," you turned him around.

"Hey, dude," he said. The red of his eyes told you he took part in whatever Argyle was smoking.

"Yeah, hey," you replied, "look we should get back on the road."

"Nooooo," he said, "no look, Argyle's on a roll." He directed your attention to the hefty pile of chips Argyle had stacked up. Your eyes widened at the sight.

"Holy shit how'd you get all of those?" Mike asked, appearing by your side.

"Oh we bumped into this old dude and he was super mean to us." The start of his story had you and the boys looking at each other in confusion. "He hit Argyle with his cane, so when he wasn't looking Argyle took the little bag of chips he dropped and we ran off with them."

"Jonathan!" You scolded. "You just took them from that guy?"

"He was rude," Jonathan insisted. You rolled your eyes.

"Fine, whatever, but it's time to go now," you said. He started to shake his head but you powered on, "wrap it up, we're leaving." 

Finally you, Mike, and Will had managed to pull them away from the table. You cashed in the giant stack of chips they'd won (despite their dishonest start), and started walking towards the exit. Jonathan and Argyle were over the moon at the $300 they'd walked away with. At least now money wouldn't be a concern. With what you earned at the club and they did at the casino, you had enough gas money to do laps around the moon.

At the opposite end of the hallway you saw an old man talking to someone who looked like they worked for the casino. "Hey guys," you said, trying to get their attention. The four of them continued their conversation. "Guys," you said louder. Finally they looked towards you, and you looked towards the old man.

"Shit," Argyle said as the man pointed a wrinkled finger towards him and Jonathan. The casino official started walking towards you, saying something into their radio.

You weren't exactly sure, but you thought stealing a bag of casino tokens probably violated some law. The last thing any of you needed right now was extra attention... or jail time.

Your plan was haphazard, but it was your only idea. From your right side a man had stood up from the slot machine he'd been playing. You quickly grabbed his collar and turned him towards you.

"Take off all your clothes and run through the fountain," you told him in a hushed voice.

Sure enough he started stripping, taking the casino attendant's attention off of Jonathan and Argyle. You turned towards the group, wiping your bloody nose. "Run," you shouted, pointing towards a side exit. They were rightfully surprised, but complied with your request.

As you sprinted across the street you knew you didn't want Argyle as the getaway driver. "Give me the keys," you demanded and he threw them your way. After everyone had piled in, you peeled out of the parking spot and sped towards the highway. As you passed the front of the casino, the boys couldn't help but direct their gaze towards the man streaking in the fountain. How you convinced him to do that, they weren't quite sure.

—————

Taglist (open): @fangirling-4-ever

#stranger things fanfiction #stranger things fic #stranger things four #eddie munson x reader #eddie munson x fem!reader #jonathan byers #mike wheeler #will byers #eleven

[cinetudeblog]

Michael's swansong in Lovecraft Country

Born in Brooklyn on 22nd November 1966, Michael Kenneth Williams left his mark on this earth as a great American actor with the most unconventional of journeys to the silver screen.

Significant Moments in Williams’ Early Life and his journey to the silver screen

While still in school, Williams worked as a temp in Pfizer pharmaceuticals. He later quit his job and dropped out of school to become a dancer, following inspiration he got from Janet Jackson’s Rhythm Nation 1814. Despite his drive, the odds were against him and for a year he struggled to make ends meet as he lived off the streets and the kindness of strangers. Down but not beaten, Williams spent the year looking for jobs in whatever dance studio or record label would have him.

Williams caught his second wind after landing a job as a background dancer for Kym Sims. This was a great foot-in-the-door because it gave him more opportunities to become a dancer on tours and music videos. By the time his credibility grew, he started working with high-profile artists like Madonna and George Michael and even got to choreograph Crystal Water’s single “100% Pure Love”.

His iconic facial scar came as an unexpected birthday present when, at age 25, he got into a bar brawl. Rather than end his modeling career, the scar actually opened up more opportunities for Williams, as he soon started getting calls to play stereotypical thugs in music videos. He even landed modeling opportunities with noteworthy photographers like David LaChapelle.

Williams later enrolled in the National Black Theatre and by 1996, played his first movie role as High Top in Bullet (1996). His co-star Tupac Shakur said in an interview that he decided to pick Williams for the role after seeing a Polaroid photo of him inside a production studio.

Career-Defining Roles he played

Williams graced the silver screen with performances that punctuated his evolving prowess as an actor. Some of his iconic roles have included:

• Omar Little in The Wire, (an HBO drama series )

• Leonard Pine in Hap and Leonard

• Ken Jones in When We Rise

• Montrose Freeman in Lovecraft Country

• Albert Chalky in HBO series Boardwalk Empire

A connecting theme across these roles is the sexuality behind these characters as gay men on varying spectrums of identity discovery. His exploration of these nuances in his character development work has helped to move the needle on discussions around the LGBTQ community specifically within the black society.

His struggles with depression and substance abuse

Much of the captivating performances from Williams’ breakout character as Omar in The Wire, grew from his method acting work. He went deep into the character study to understand his worldview and values, but along the way developed a habit of smoking cannabis. By 2004, this addiction later snowballed to include harder drugs such as cocaine.

By this point, Williams was aware of how bad his addiction had gotten and decided to seek help from a ministry in Irvington. All this happened in the middle of his shooting scenes for The Wire and in an interview, Williams recalled how much the ministry helped him in keeping it together all the way through to production.

Williams never hid his struggles with addiction from the public and even admitted on occasion that he found it hard to imagine a positive outcome from the drug-fueled spiral he was on. A driving part to this was the loneliness he felt in his personal life, and how spending money on drugs acted as a coping mechanism.

Lovecraft Country starring Williams as Montrose Freeman

Lovecraft Country premiered in August 2020 on HBO, produced by Warner Media. The movie chronicles the journey of Atticus Black, a Korean war vet, returning home to reluctantly track down the mysterious disappearance of his abusive father. Williams plays the father role, Montrose Freeman, and joins Atticus on a journey of self-discovery steeped in the supernatural.

The Significance of Williams’ story?

When asked what he learned from Montrose’s story, Williams said, “I need to take my mental health more seriously, especially in regard to the types of jobs that choose me and the characters I need to play.”

On a SAG panel interview with the rest of the Lovecraft cast, Williams expressed that the trauma and the energy from his characters go with him to real life and affect his mental health, remarking that “Lovecraft Country took [him] on an emotional and mental rollercoaster [he] was not prepared for.”

Like many actors, Williams may have been drawn to the role because of the parallels he saw between elements of his real life vs his on-screen character. In his case however, where the parallels draw on negative experiences that may require actors to dig deep into for that Oscar-winning scene, there is a residue that is left over after leaving the set. This is something the rest of the cast echoed as well in an interview when discussing what it felt like filming the period-accurate scenes steeped in racism. There is a duty of care towards the mental health of talent which unfortunately seems to be a secondary conversation for most productions. In Williams’ case, he relied on his castmates that rallied around to create a support network, referring to them as “angels who saved him during the production”.

Michael K Williams, who was 54, was found dead in his penthouse apartment in Brooklyn on the 6th of September. According to the New York Chief Medical Examiner, Williams had fatal amounts of p-fluorofentanyl, fentanyl, cocaine, and heroin in his system at the time of passing.

He will be sorely missed. 

To know more information please contact here:-https://cinetude.com/michaels-swansong-in-lovecraft-country/

[joywritesbutitsactuallymystories]

The ghost

Steve Allan was your typical Londoner. Each day was planned, the whole week through. On Saturdays he went on a walk through the park. It was getting dark, so Steve decided to take a shortcut. It was dark on the Square. Only one of the street lamps were working. Eddie was there, an empty bottle in hand.

Like I said, it was dark. Steve could barely see where he was going. It was only natural that he couldn’t see the figure, silently moving towards him. The man felt a sharp pain in his neck and started losing vision. It was over in a few seconds. He fell into the light of Eddie’s street lamp, The London Eye looming above.

Robert Constantine, the world-renowned detective, sighed. He had come to the conclusion that catching the Ghost Killer was impossible. Major Crimes was working on this case for the last year and a month, and every next murder only seemed to complicate things. A murder a month, every one different. Nothing tied the deaths together. Nothing except the murder weapon. A thin, iron needle. That was all. For all we knew, we could’ve been on a wild goose chase. And yet, they did not disappoint, once again striking.

This time around it was a middle-aged man, Steve Allan, who fell under their needle. Finally, we had the smallest of leads – Steve's wife knew three previous victims, Samantha Black, Adam Curtis, and the first one to die, Andromeda May.

Needless to say, it was a dead end. The wife of Steve, Janet Brown was proven innocent, and the famous detective without a lead.

We returned to the precinct and Robert interviewed a witness of Allan’s murder. We only had one, as none of the residents of this part of the city were looking out their windows at the time. Even if they were, they wouldn’t have seen much. Almost all the lamps in the region were broken. Edward Dean, the local drunk, was sitting in the reception. Rob invited him into the interrogation room.

“So, Mr. Dean, what exactly happened last night?” Rob opened his notepad.

“Well mister. I was sittin’ an’ drinkin’ a bottle of gatter an’ he just keeled over.” He wildly gesticulated with every word. He stopped, drank a swig of beer and continued his story. “Never did like ‘im. Deserved what happened, really.”

“Why did he deserve what happened?”

“Didn’t like his lifestyle, is all” he answered, and I knew Constantine wouldn’t get anything more out of him. We left the interrogation room.

“What now?” I asked. Robbie answers:

“I don’t know.” We return to the briefing room and continue looking through the scarce pieces of evidence we have. A latex glove, collected from the murder of Jacob Hamilton and a few witness statements. Nothing soluble, especially seeing as the glove had no traces of DNA on it, neither the murderers nor the victims. The only good piece of news we had that day was that the needle that killed Allan was the same one used to kill all the others.

But then a policeman approached me.

“You are under arrest, for the murder of Steve Allan.” He lead me out of the room, leaving behind a very confused, very hurt Robert Constantine.

~~~

To whom it may concern,

While looking through my apprentice's laptop I found this blog, and took it upon myself to bring this story to an end.

The author of the earlier texts is indeed the murderer of Steve A., as well as twelve other civilians, the list being as follows:

Andromeda May

Matthew Lakes

Robert Kilburg

Orion Jane

Inez Ilsley

Jacob Hamilton

Martha Green

Nico Freeman

Rebecca Evermoore

Veronica Davis

Adam Curtis

Samantha Black

As you can see, the last names line up in reverse alphabetical order, which suggests that the serial killer planned being discovered.

I must say, I was very disappointed in my assistant after finding out about the crimes. I don’t hide the fact that I was friends with my accomplice, and trusted them deeply. Still, this does not cloud my judgement, and I will do all in my power to make sure their rule of terror ends.

Signed,

Robert Constantine

~~~

Fools. You really thought this was over? You cannot capture a ghost. The thirteen were just a warning, a prologue to something much, much bigger. Cut one head, two sprout from the stump.

The streets of London will run red. The tower will fall, and when We are done with you, even the ravens will abandon ship.

So, lock your windows. Barricade your doors. Hold your loved ones close. For when you’ll die, you’ll die alone. And no-one will be left to mourn your ghost.

~~~

The serial killer sat in silence in the interrogation room. A smile crept onto his face. He would’ve known those footsteps anywhere. Robert Constantine, the world-renowned detective. The two friends sat opposite each other, one looked at the other with kindness in their eyes, the other one with hurt.

They sat for a while in silence, before the detective finally spoke.

“Why?” The question hung between them. The other leaned back into his chair, their smile turned into a grin.

“Why wouldn’t I, Robbie?”

They sat in silence for some time before Robert, the world-renowned detective, left the room. The place was completely empty. He turned on his desk lamp. Robert sighed, taking off his glasses. “Finally it’s all over”, he whispered to himself in relief, “Never again should I come back to this case.”

#writing #writer #writerblr #short story #jonny writes stuff

[barcforlife]

Janet W. of Janet's Needle Felting on Etsy will custom make 'felted figures' of your furpal from a portrait. View her artistic creations and read feedback from hundreds of satisfied buyers at her Etsy shop  JanetsNeedleFelting.etsy.com

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[captainwans]

DANGEROUS LIAISONS — BUCKY BARNES

pairing: bucky barnes x nurse! fem! reader

summary: in which, one of the prominent nurses of hydra gets introduced to their new deadly asset.

warning: mentions of anxiety disorders, ptsd, angst, traumatized reader, bucky in pain, memory loss, slight misogyny, don’t read it if you feel uncomfortable. 

word count: 1,6k

main masterlist!

 

  A LOUD PIERCING SCREAM IS WHAT PULLED [Y/N] OUT OF HER THOUGHTS. The pain in their voices and the roaring cries of help made the young nurse's hand tremble with fear as she treated one of the subjects from H.Y.D.R.A's upcoming project. She could feel the ground vibrate from the blaring screech echoing in the halls and diving towards the nurse room. She could feel her heart thumping loudly inside her chest, and her stomach churned.

            [Y/N]’s patient, who was mindlessly sitting onto a broken chair, snapped his fingers in front of her face, snapping her out of her daze. She looked at the subject, a frown forming into her features as she went back to work. Adding gentle touches to his wounds, she skillfully treated his arm and put one of her homemade ointments onto his gash.

            When she was finished, the soldier gave her a quick nod and was left alone with the other nurses who were bustling around her. She anxiously bit her fingernails, darting her gaze across the room as she tried to tone out their screams.

            Janet, her co-worker, and a close friend, looked at her with concern. Her eyes were clouding with worry as she gazed down at the petite woman who was fiddling with her hands, her dark locks hiding her face.

            "Sweetie, are you alright?" [Y/N] could feel a warm hand being placed on her shoulder and she flinched, her posture rigid and tense. Her hand immediately left her shoulder, the warm touch quickly disappearing and were replaced with a rush of coldness instead. "I'm fine, Jane." she reluctantly said, her voice barely above a whisper.

            Janet's eyes softened. She opened her mouth but closed it, not wanting to pry into her business. She went back to her subject, measuring their blood pressure while her worry for the young woman still lingered at the back of her mind.

            The young nurse sighed tiredly, slowly standing up from her chair and stretched her body. She could feel her bones crack which made her grimace in disgust. Sauntering towards the door, she shifted her body around, softly mumbling that she was going for a walk.

            She wandered off into the dark alley with an uneasy look on her face. She could feel goosebumps break into her skin and she shuddered, feeling a cold sensation down her spine. As she neared closer to the main facility, she could hear their screams more, making her clench her jaw. She walked towards the entrance of Arnim's lab and almost gasped at the sight in front of her.

            A young man was strapped into what looked like an electro machine, and he was screaming in agony. [Y/N] pushed her body behind the door, her eyes never leaving his state. Tears threatened to fall and she let out a small gasp as she watched them pulling the electro helmet around his head, as well as putting a gum inside his mouth to make it less painful, but by the looks of it, the gum was no use.

            The machine activated and fastened its pace, making the man cry out in pain. He sobbed and cried from the torment, vigorously shaking in his seat. He tightly shut his eyes, his screams increasing with every stimulation he received.

            Arnim Zola, who stood not too far behind the spectacle in front of him, took a look around the lab before landing his gaze on the young nurse with a soft smile on his face. "Ah, Miss [Y/L/N]. You came right in time." the Swiss scientist beamed in happiness, walking over to her with a smile, his eyes clouding with excitement.

            [Y/N], who was still hiding behind the door, tightly gripped the door handle. A small pout formed into her mouth and she looked at him, her eyes painted with fear and horror.

            Arnim brought his hand out, giving her a reassuring smile. "There's no need to be scared, my Liebling. C'mon, the others are waiting," he told her, inching his hand closer to the nurse.

            With hesitation, she carefully took his hand and released her tight grip on the door handle, leaving the door behind her as he brought her closer inside the lab. She took cautious steps and approached the others, who were impatiently waiting for the man's results.

            To her surprise, they seemed pretty used to his cries and seemed to enjoy his suffering, making her blood boil. She gave the Soviet soldiers a glare as she approached them, a look of disdain etched onto her face.

            Arnim gently brought her to the table filled with a variety of tools and equipment delicately placed on the cold steel counter. She looked down at them, frowning.

            "Sir, he won't give in. What is our next step?" a soldier asked the scientist, their glare hardening once he noticed the nurse's presence. She scowled, giving him a disapproving look.

            Arnim sighed, bringing a finger across his lips with a thoughtful look. "Chain him up, start over, and increase the levels of stimulation." was the last thing he said before leaving the lab.

            The soldiers obeyed and did as they were told and increased the volume, making an ear-piercing scream emit from the man’s lips. He gripped the chair tightly, making his knuckles white as snow. The veins in his throat bulged and his screams got louder, making her close her eyes. "You're hurting him."

            A soldier scoffed, averting his gaze away from the subject towards the female. His glowering face pierced through her like a knife was held over a fire, and she could feel her heart inside her throat. "If you can't handle it, princess, then why are you working here?" he asked, a smirk plastered onto his features making shivers down her spine as her mouth went dry, being unable to let out a word.

            [Y/N] squeezed her hands into fists and put her gaze on the table, watching the tools vibrating from the screams erupting in the room. She closed her eyes and counted, trying to block the painful noise. She clenched her jaw and squeezed her eyes shut, vigorously shaking her head.

            It felt like hours when it only took a few minutes when the torture ended. The nurse opened her eyes and worriedly looked at the man. His bloodshot eyes were glimmering in the light and sweat was slowly sliding down his rough skin as soft gasps emitted from his pink lips. His wide eyes darted across the room, panting heavily.

           The Soviet soldiers released him, removing the tools that were hatched into his body, causing the man to whimper in pain. The needles that were pierced through him were harshly pulled out. Soft hiccups erupted from his lips as he watched them detaching the helmet from his head, as well as the gum that was still inside his mouth.

            [Y/N]’s eyes were welling up with tears and she quickly blinked, avoiding any tears to fall by looking at the side, covering her face with her hair. She quietly sniffed and held her trembling hands to her face, trying to regain her breathing.

            "[Y/L/N], he's yours now." one of the soldiers said, their strict voice pulling her out of her state. She cleared her throat and nodded, muttering a quick thanks. A painful silence occurred, but she didn't dare to say anything, not wanting to act or say the wrong thing.

            She carefully landed her gaze on the man again, who instinctively looked at her, his face filled with fear and she wanted nothing more than to wrap him into a hug and whisper sweet and comforting words into his ears. The look he gave her made her stomach knot. He looked like a kicked puppy.

            The man watched her, his eyebrows were knotting tightly while his lips were parted as his breathing became more shallow and heavy when he noticed her nearing closer. His hands found their way behind him, gripping onto the chair for dear life.

            With hesitant steps, she took small steps as she slowly approached the scared man. His eyes followed her every move, afraid if she could disappear, or worse, find another way to torture him. His body relaxed slightly once he saw her putting both of her hands up, signaling that she meant no harm. His posture was still stiff and tense and she noticed his eyes were welling up with tears.

            [Y/N] kneeled down onto his level and looked into his eyes, her eyes softening. She opened her mouth, but quickly closed it, debating if she was even allowed to talk to the poor man. Ignoring her thoughts, she gave him a gentle smile. "I'm not gonna hurt you," she said in a whisper, scared to increase her voice. She brought her hand out and looked at him with another sweet smile.

            He shakily exhaled and looked at her, his eyes studying her every movement, trying to detect a lie. It took a little while for him to snap back to reality and when he did, he reluctantly brought his hand, making her smile gratefully as she gently brushed a hand over his scars, making him jerk back with a hiss. She frowned and brought her hand back, not wanting to pry any further.

            "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to hurt you." her sweet-honey voice filled inside his ears, making his tears slowly slid down his rosy cheeks as he looked down. He noticed his metal arm, gleamed ever so slightly in the dark. He watched it with knitted eyebrows, feeling the salty liquid entering inside his mouth.

             Her stomach clenched, feeling sympathy wash over her. She sighed and cleared her throat, "What's your name, sweetheart?" she softly asked, her voice lacing with genuine curiosity and kindness.

             He pondered at the question, a look of confusion plastered onto his face as his mind went into melancholia. His heart soared inside his chest, feeling panic wash over him. The man finally looked up, a dreadful look painting his face. "I-,I don't know."

#bucky barnes #avengers #marvel #mcu #avengers masterlist #steve rogers #steve rogers masterlist #black widow #bucky barnes angst #bruce banner #bucky fluff #bucky x you #bucky barns imagine #bucky barnes x oc #bucky barnes x y/n #bucky barnes masterlist #sebastian stan masterlist #sebastian stan #sebastian x reader #fatws bucky #the winter Soldier #hydra #tfatws #tfaws imagine

[dreamscaperover]

His hero

The petite red haired woman in a white coat kept poking and prodding and sticking needles into him, but for some reason, he didn't feel annoyed at her. It was the opposite - he felt in his gut that it's OK, he could trust her. More than that even - her very presence somehow calmed him down and grounded him. And God knows he needed that, with his mind going a million miles an hour trying to process all the new information he was learning about himself,  grabbing desperately at the constantly elusive shreds of memories… 

When the words came out of her mouth "this is Dr. Daniel Jackson", it felt like an anchor was finally dropped in the raging sea of his consciousness. 

This is me. I am Daniel Jackson. 

---- 

When vision started swimming from all the reading, Daniel figured he ought to get some sleep, but his mind refused to settle down. Before he knew it Jackson was walking through the door of the infirmary. It was either very late or very early (he lost track of time), and at first it seemed nobody was there, but then he heard some bustling in the lab. He beelined for the entrance and saw a familiar small figure huddled over a table. 

- Dr. Frasier, right? That's your name… 

The woman gasped and straightened abruptly.

- Ohmygodi'msosorry I didn't mean to startle you! 

She kept silent with her back to him for a long minute… Jackson heard a faint shaky breath… then she turned around. 

- It's OK Dr. Jackson. Let me guess, can't sleep? Let me give you something for that. 

She was looking at him with the same kind smile he saw earlier. Except this time, it didn't quite reach her eyes. Eyes he noticed were glistening.

- Doctor, are you alright? Did something happen? 

She looked away abruptly, hiding her face with a hand. 

- Uh, no, yes, everything is fine. 

Gut feeling told Daniel it wasn't. 

He conteplated for a bit, then walked over and sat beside her. In softest voice he could manage, he asked:

- Please, tell me. 

Still avoiding his gaze, Fraiser sat silent for a long few minutes. When she finally spoke, her voice was trembling. 

- You DIED. You died on MY watch. It was my job to save you and I FAILED. 

Jakson’s heart skipped a bit at those words.

- Dr. Fraiser, NO. I might not remember much of what happened but I know enough to understand that you did everything you possibly could. And then some.

- You don't understand… when I watched your condition rapidly deteriorating, when I saw an agony you were in… for a moment there I thought.. I thought maybe you would be better off if I… ended the pain. God, Daniel, if I did then you wouldn't get a chance to ascend. I would've stolen that chance from you!

- You didn't. 

Daniel leaned in and grabbed both of Janet's hands in his. That touch, that feel of small but strong and skillful hands brought a flurry of memories… Overwhelmed, it took Jackson a moment to regain his composure. When he spoke, his own voice was now trembling, yet determined: 

- Janet, look at me! You DIDN'T. You didn't give up on me. You fought for me to my last breath. As you always did, for everyone.

Daniel now was looking directly into her eyes, willing his words to reach his friend's heart. 

- YOU gave me time I needed to prepare. You didn't steal my chance to ascend, you gifted it to me. I'm here now because of YOU. And for that, I'll forever be grateful. Janet, you are my hero. 

#janet fraiser #Daniel Jackson #stargate sg-1 #Stargate fanfic #episode: Fallen 7x01 #these too deserved more screentime #we were robbed

[newtonsheffield]

Hello!! Life is a mess, your au is wonderful. Seriously I keep checking it every few days and ending up late to work BC I get distracted scrolling through to catch up. Loving the Lucy and Greg content, was wondering if you had the time or inclination for some content on them and their shenanigans pre-relationship? Don't get me wrong they're like my favourite couple in the series but I always loved the background of them being honest-to-god friends before they fell in love!! Anyway no stress! Have a good day! ❤️

Oh heyyyyyy!

Life is a mess, you’re right. Being an adult is the actual worst, like I didn’t ask for this and now I gotta go to work everyday?? And then decide what to eat?? And the actually make it?? Ugh it’s relentless. And I’m very flattered you see this little AU as something worth being late for work for and I will admit, I am sometimes late to work because I’m writing these little posts. What a pair we make!

Okay! I’m so glad you enjoy Lucy and Gregory!! I think they’re so underrated in the Bridgerton fandom and I have taken it upon myself to force them upon everyone!

So, per your request here are Lucy and Gregory In the early days of their acquaintance, before Lucy looked at Gregory and realised she was rather unfortunately in love with him. And before Gregory saw Lucy laughing in His brother’s house and realised he was a complete idiot.

Gregory Bridgerton had only worked at Bridgerton and Sons 4 weeks, and he didn’t know very much about the working world, but he did know this: Lucy Abernathy was the most competent woman he’d ever seen, and it was absolutely effortless. She walked with purpose around the office, her head held high managing Kate’s schedule perfectly. No one said no to Lucy Abernathy, what she needed was achieved with a firm voice and a smile, needling and wheedling what she wanted. And no one cared, everyone in the office loved Lucy. Gregory watched as she asked The man from IT who came to look at her computer about his wife, asked Janet from HR about her son John, charming everyone. And he couldn’t help but watch her, fascinated by her competence. By the fact that the pens in her pen holder were all the exact same colour, the notebooks on her desk meticulously organised, all exactly the same colour, her filing system impeccable. Why are you looking at me like that? Lucy said irritatedly one day, barely glancing up from her computer. And Gregory felt the truth slip past his lips before he could stop it I’m just learning about you. You’re interesting. And Lucy had stilled, finally turning towards him, her brow furrowed in confusion. If you were half as interested in Anthony’s filing system you’d have noticed I changed your name to Geoffrey Bridgerton 3 days ago, Have fun correcting it. And as she disappeared into Kate’s office with a sly smirk on her face, Gregory felt another surge of respect towards this odd woman. _

La la la Lucy! Gregory’s voice sing songed across the office to her. Lucy rolled her eyes spinning her chair in the direction of his desk. Yes, Gregory? How many I be of service kind sir? A smirk lifting the corner of her lips as Gregory grinned at her, leaning back in his chair, fiddling with his glasses as he said I’m bored, do you have any games you play? Lucy scoffed, turning back to her work, Yes I do. It’s called work hard and then go home, you should try it some time. Gregory’s laughter echoed across the office sending a strange little flutter through her stomach. Come on Lucy Loo! I know you do something all day other than manage Kate’s appointments. Lucy had considered carefully for a second, eyed him a little suspiciously, in the wide eyed earnestness that seemed to emanate from him, and then sighed I call it Hide and Seek. I count how many times Anthony’s eyes flick to Kate in the staff meeting. And then How many times she blushes when their eyes meet. Gregory guffawed happily, My God, Lucy Abernathy you are absolute amazing. We are betting on this this afternoon! And when Lucy left work with a crisp £50 note in her coat pocket she couldn’t help but be very satisfied with her afternoon’s work. And a little thankful to the way Anthony’s eyes had flicked to his coworker 89 times in an hour.

#bridgerton and sons au #lucy x gregory #lucy abernathy #glasses gregory honestly lives rent free in my mind #gregory bridgerton #molly's asks and answers

[janetsneedlefelting]

Double happiness! Enjoy your Sunday! 

#Janet's needle felting #miniature #craft #art #fiber art #poodle #toy poodle #handmade #cute #needle felting #doubel #wool #polymer clay #dog art

[kindcolors]

under the cut is a first attempt to write aliza leaving dbt nbncbn

A pain still pulsed through Aliza’s head, starting under the patch taped onto her face and ending at the tips of her fingers, which gripped bags as tight as they could. She trudged down the emergency stairs, an oxymoron and a leftover from what the office building had previously been- an actual place of proper business. No one checked the emergency exits anymore, leaving Aliza ample space to go up and down the many flights, quietly tucking bags into the trunk of a Strexcorp Synergists Inc. car parked on the ground floor. Aliza pressed her back to the door as she dialed Kevin; the weather should’ve been going by then.

“Liza?” Kevin chirped, finally taking the call Aliza had been trying to make for the last thirty minutes.

“You’re not on the air?” Aliza croaked into a phone older than her daughter, something so small and out-of-date Simon would pay it no mind when it was shoved into the back of her closet. She kept herself to a whisper, knowing her phone was old enough to lack a recording device but still being unnerved by the possibility of the walls around her harboring one instead.

“Nope,” He said, and Aliza heard the faint squeak of rolling chair wheels. “Why?”

“I’m leaving. Come with me.”

Kevin fell quiet. “I already told you, I can’t. I can’t leave Desert Bluffs, no matter how bad it gets.”

“Please,” Aliza’s voice dropped, on the brink of breaking the promise she made with herself not to cry. “Please. This is the last time I can ask.”

“I love you, Liza. I’ll see you when it’s safe again. I gotta get back to my show- go, don’t come back until this is all over. Tell Janet Uncle Kevin loves her.” The call clicked off before Aliza could open her mouth to speak, her hand falling limp as she put it back into her pocket. She pushed the door open with her back and threw the bags into the open trunk. Leaning against it, she took in a deep breath that reminded her of the weight on her shoulders, and how tight her ribs were against her chest that already felt like pins and needles. She hit the trunk closed with a metallic thump and ran back up the steps.

The emergency exit only went up to the fourth floor; Janet was on the fifth, gazing out a window and watching the blinking light on the radio tower as she tapped her finger against her desk. Simon had told her she could be whatever she wanted, within reason. Janet wondered if being a radio host was within reason. She had a list in her head of things she’d like to be, all with feasibility she had yet to ask Simon about. Her mother creaked the door open, and Janet smiled.

“Are we gonna play now?” She asked, showing her tiny tooth gap with her grin.

“I have another idea,” Aliza still whispered, crouching down beside Janet. “Why don’t we go on a trip?”

“Without dad? Dad said we can’t leave without him.”

“I know,” Aliza hummed, “But this is a surpise trip, and Simon will join us later, but we gotta go first so he’s properly suprised, okay?”

“Dad doesn’t like surprises.” Janet gripped her mother’s sleeve, and Aliza ran her thumb over Janet’s knuckles.

“He’ll like this one, I planned it special so that he’d enjoy it. You trust me?” Aliza held up her pinky, and Janet took in a tiny breath before hooking her own with her mother’s and shaking it in affirmation.

“Trust you, mom,” Janet nodded, and Aliza kissed her forehead before standing back up.

Aliza reached down and picked up Janet, who let out a confused whine as Aliza adjusted her hold on the five-year-old. “I have another chair in the car already,” Aliza said, and Janet calmed. A spare wheelchair was the first thing in the car, and Aliza was thankful she already had the car in order. “We gotta be real quiet so we don’t spoil the suprise, okay?”

Aliza brought a finger to her lips, letting out a small ‘sh’ that Janet mimicked. With Janet held tight to her chest, Aliza looked out into her flat for the last time, pushing through the door quickly in fear of backing out when she was so far in. Going down the only flight of inside stairs, Aliza took strained glances out into the floor, and before she could run for the emergency stairs, she spotted Daniel by himself.

“Daniel!” She called out, and Daniel paced over quickly.

“What’s wrong,” he asked, gesturing to Janet with a subtle nod. “Why are you holding her? Is your flat alright?”

Aliza’s shoulders tensed. “We’re leaving.”

“On a trip,” Janet whisper-yelled, and Aliza winced.

“A trip,” Daniel repeated, looking to Aliza’s scared eyes and matching their concern.

“If you want,” Aliza gulped, “You can come with us. On the trip.”

“It’s a surprise for dad!” Janet giggled. Daniel let out a light chuckle himself.

He ruffled Janet’s hair. “Well, I’d love to go, but someone’s gotta make Simon doesn’t get the surprised, spoiled, huh?”

“You don’t have to do that,” Aliza’s chest rose unsteadily, “The surprise is well kept, and- and we have room.”

“Well, I wanna make sure the surpise is perfect. You two go on, tell me all about you trip, okay?”

“But,” Aliza said, “You’re so young. Won’t you have more fun on a trip than here, in Strex?”

“I know what I’m doing,” Daniel said finally, patting Aliza’s shoulder and then stepping back, waving to Janet as she waved him goodbye, and Daniel disappeared down the hall. Aliza clenched her eyes closed, pecking Janet’s forehead with a flurry of kisses as she ran to the emergency exit.

Carrying Janet close to her chest, Aliza braced the stairs with the most precious cargo, and her feet ached as she made it to the ground floor, pushing the door open with a shoulder. She put Janet into the passenger’s seat and climbed into the driver’s. Starting the car was an odd feeling in her head; she hadn’t driven in so long, Simon mainly taking that job for himself whenever they went anywhere. She traced the steering wheel with her thumb as she went down the street, wondering how much of her agency and self was given to Simon as Strexcorp grew. She gripped the wheel, watching Janet wave goodbye to the rearview mirror in the corner of her eye.

Janet didn’t understand why they were riding for so long. They had turned onto Route 800 what felt like twenty minutes ago, sitting in a shared silence that Aliza broke occasionally with raspy breaths in and out.

“Uncle Kevin said he loves you,” Aliza said, and Janet nodded, thankful for the first real bit of conversation since they got into the car.

“I love him too,” Janet said, “I hope he shows up on the trip. Aliza looked back to the road, and Janet sighed. She eased her head onto the window as they went down Route 800, the funny flutter in her stomach twisting from giddiness to fear, as she took in the way Aliza’s jaw clenched and watched how tight she held the wheel. Janet saw that twist in a person’s face before they were fired and added to the decor, and she wondered if her mother had just done away with an improper employee before they left for their trip. It seemed the only logical reason why her mother was so upset. Aliza turned to Janet and softened, smiling at her as she pulled to the side of the road.

“I’m gonna do something a bit silly,” Aliza said, “I just need you to sit and be quiet for me, okay?” Janet nodded and watched her mother climb out of the car and go out to open the hood. Aliza waved down a truck, which pulled behind them. Janet huffed over the fact that she couldn’t turn enough to see who all was inside.

Aliza jogged to the truck, looking in to see a man and woman looking at her with a mix of confusion and pity.

“Where are you headed?” Aliza said before they could ask her first, and they snuck a glance at one another before the man spoke up. It didn’t matter where they were going, where they had come from, as long as it was far from Desert Bluffs.

“We’re goin’ back onto Red Mesa,” he said in a thick accent, and Aliza used her years' worth of pretending to seem as if that town name rang a personal bell.

“What a coincidence, I’m headed there too! But,” Aliza sighed, “Our car broke down. Would you be able to lend us a ride? I can pay!”

“No sense in makin’ you pay- you got a youngin’ with you! Let’s get that baby off the side of the road!” The man said, grinning as his wife smiled and nodded too.

“I got some luggage, if it’s no problem?”

“We got room in the bed of the truck,” The woman said, and Aliza scooted out of the way as they both went to get out. Aliza went to get Janet out of the car as the couple piled her few bags into the back of their truck, Janet more confused than ever.

“Awful fancy car,” the man laughed, and Aliza faked one back.

“Oh, you know how easy these things fall apart? I’ve been meaning to get an older one- more reliable!”

“You said it!” The man said, slamming the trunk closed and heading back to his own vehicle. Aliza settled Janet into the second row of the truck, and Aliza patted her head as Janet leaned against her. The bright yellow car almost blended into the sand as they set off and left it behind, the radio finally fading the alphabet channel on Desert Bluffs public access into unintelligible static.

#rambles #mywriting #long post #aliza #wtnv

[quazartranslates]

Welcome to the Nightmare Game II - CH48

**This is an edited machine translation. For more information, please [click here]**

[<<< Previous Chapter | Table of Contents | Next Chapter >>>]

-----

Chapter 48: Star Death Reality Show (XXXI) {cw: misgendering}

"Will Qi Leren be alright?" Dr. Lu, who had already run away, looked at Du Yue behind him in a panic and murmured in a low voice, "I have a bad feeling."

"Qianbei will be fine," Du Yue said confidently.

"No, let's go down and have a look. If he’s in trouble, we can help," Dr. Lu said.

"Okay, let's go." Du Yue was fine with it.

The two people studied the route to find the safest passage. Dr. Lu's sense of direction was bad, and Du Yue wasn’t much better. Two headless flies wandered around the institute and accidentally found intermittent blood on the ground.

The two walked along the blood trail, and finally found the injured Lara in a hidden room. Her injury wasn’t serious, but her spirit was not good. After seeing Du Yue and Dr. Lu, she was silent for a long time, and her voice was hoarse as she asked: "Have you seen Jing Siyu and Jing Sixue?"

The two shook their heads, and Lara sighed: "I'm afraid they’re in danger."

Lara told them what had happened after they ran away. Jing Siyu and Jing Sixue disappeared quickly, but Janet, Alex and Lara were together. They’d had an argument because Francis had been parasitized by an octopus. Janet strongly suspected that Lara was parasitized, and Lara would naturally not admit to such false accusations. During the argument, they met Leviathan, who had been thrown off by Qi Leren once before.

Janet, who was the closest to Leviathan, was the first to be killed. Alex tried to escape, but Leviathan jumped up again. Alex, who was eager to get rid of it, tried to push Lara out, and even stabbed Lara with a dagger. However, Lara had a strong will to survive. She took the dagger regardless of her injury and stabbed Alex’s vitals with a knife. She hid in a room, locked the door, and crawled away from the vents.

After that, Lara tenaciously fled the whole way, and finally came here and met Du Yue and Dr. Lu.

"We also met the monster, and Qi Leren led it away. Here's the thing..." Dr. Lu plainly told the story again, and finally asked, "We’re going to find Qi Leren. Would you like to join us?"

Lara touched the wound on her hand and nodded firmly: "Let's go."

This time, all three people were in a heavy mood. Especially after seeing the incomplete bodies of Jing Siyu and Jing Sixue, Lara cried sadly and asked aloud, "Are we the only ones left? Is Qi still alive?"

Janet and Alex had undoubtedly died by Leviathan's mouth, as well as Jing Siyu and Jing Siyue. Francis, Annie, Mark and Xue Jiahui were all parasitized. He Yi became Leviathan’s host. Only four of them had survived, and among them, Qi Leren’s life and death were still uncertain.

"Of course he’s still alive!" Dr. Lu said firmly. "He must still be alive!"

　　&&&

In the vast underground ice palace.

"Prophet, are you awake?" A blindfolded woman stood up from the chair of carved ice and respectfully saluted him. The ice and snow maids who were responsible for guarding the underground ice palace also bent over in salute.

"Soothsayer? Is it your rotation today?" asked the Prophet.

"It should have been the Iillusionist’s turn, but he had something to do, so we changed it," the Soothsayer replied.

"How is that boy recently?" When it came to the Illusionist, the Prophet's tone was clearly casual.

"Not bad, I heard that he made an interesting new friend, and he played tricks on others all day long." The Soothsayer smiled and asked again, "This time, you slept for a much shorter time than expected. Is something wrong?"

"It's not an accident." The Prophet frowned and looked up at the dome of ice and snow, but his line of sight seemed to pass through the thick layer of ice and look at the vast universe.

The blindfolded Soothsayer could not see his expression at the moment, but she could feel his inner unrest.

"Someone has discovered their original force, and that force is biased towards us," said the Prophet.

The Soothsayer breathed a sigh of relief, smiled, and said, "Isn't this a good thing? Although it’s only the first step, it’s always ahead of the other sentient beings on the starting line. Maybe it will eventually condense a half-field or even a field."

It was only the first step to discover one's original force, and it would take some difficult self-testing to condense a half-field, but this already meant that this person was about to embark on a road different from ordinary players. Any master at the field level started from this first step. Although most people would fall in the long road of experience, everyone who had reached the field level had terrible strength.

The Prophet sighed faintly: "It’s too early to talk about field condensation... Although I’m optimistic about him, I didn’t expect it to be so fast. This may not be a good thing for him. There are still too many problems in his body that have not been solved."

The Soothsayer asked curiously, "Do you know that man? What is his original force?"

The Prophet sensed the new force full of vigor and hope, and gently spoke the answer:

"Rebirth."

　　&&&

In the deep underground glacier wrapped in eternal cold, the temperature was 60 degrees below zero. When human beings were exposed to this environment, it only took a few minutes for the blood in the nose and ears to be unable to maintain circulation because of the cold, and the cells would quickly die.

This underground world without light seemed destined to be forgotten in the cold.

Crushed skull, whole body fracture, ruptured organs, internal and external bleeding... Worse than that, when falling from that height, the speed would return to zero at the moment of contact with the ground, and the body would be deformed instantly under the huge force of the impact. Even the space alien Leviathan, whose vitality was extremely terrible, was seriously injured after falling and fell into a deep sleep.

To say nothing of a human being.

Death was the only outcome.

But suddenly, something moved in the ruinous "tomb" created from broken ice.

And then moved again.

Qi Leren felt as if he was in an icy hell. Every time he breathed, thousands of ice needles punctured his internal organs crazily, which made him feel miserable. He couldn't even think of why he felt so painful and cold, or where he was.

Under this inhuman pain, he only felt that he didn't want to live any longer, but he couldn't even die.

Breathing returned, heartbeat returned, he still couldn't open his eyes, he could only move with all his might. The stones and ice blocks on his arms also moved and collapsed violently, and his sound echoed in the lifeless darkness.

Qi Leren's consciousness gradually returned, and he remembered who he was, but he still didn't realize where he was. He complained crazily in his mind that the air conditioner in his room was too cold, and that he had even accidentally fallen from the bed, and now he couldn't move.

But how could it hurt so much? It was like all his bones were broken.

Qi Leren's confused thinking leaped illogically. He saw many things, and the broken pictures rampaged in front of his eyes, but they just passed away. All he remembered was that he saw a pair of blue eyes.

Blue eyes.

Ning Zhou.

The name suddenly appeared in Qi Leren’s, which was like a spell to unlock the seal on his memories. Countless heavy memories were bearing down, which were more painful than the rose thorn stuck in his heart.

He was going to find Ning Zhou, and he was going to bring him back.

Qi Leren finally recalled his mission, and he began to struggle, struggling to get up from the tomb built from broken ice. Just turning over exhausted his strength, and he had to lie prone on the ground and breathe for a while, only to recover his strength slowly.

He noticed the time. It has been twenty hours since he’d fallen from the ice cliff. It was ten o'clock on the fifth night. The fifth day’s Best of the Day had already been announced, but he didn't know who it was. At the same time, his privacy time has been reset with the new day day, and he had another ten hours.

If you fell from such a high place, the tracking camera should be damaged. If not, the low temperature here should make it unable to work normally. But just to be on the safe side, turn it off.

"Turn off the camera." Qi Leren squeezed his voice out of his dry throat, and coughed wildly as soon as he finished speaking. His mouth was full of the fishy sweetness of blood, which made Qi Leren feel queasy.

Suddenly there was a light sound in the dark, as if a stone had been pushed down.

Qi Leren immediately took out a flashlight from the item bar and shone it in the direction of the sound.

Not far away, there is a mound of rocks and crushed ice, and a tentacle was slowly sticking out from the inside, which was extremely slow and seems to be seriously injured.

That thing wasn't dead yet? Or did it sense the breath of the living again and wake up from hibernation?

Qi Leren struggled from the ground. Although he was mysteriously resurrected, his left hand, which was bitten off by Leviathan, still didn't grow back. If he tried this again, he would only die.

But fortunately, he had a key item that had cooled down.

When the Prophet's Heart was used again, Qi Leren felt subtly different from the last time. The phantom angel falling from the sky came to him and took him away from the terrible world to the carefree Garden of Eden. Under the cover of God's grace, he didn't need to worry, and he didn't feel fear. The world was like sand in his hand, and he could easily knead it into the shape he wanted.

Heavy rocks and ice were pushed away with a flick, exposing Leviathan lying on the ground dying. This horrible monster had a red eye, and this huge eyeball was full of ferocious madness.

There was an invisible giant clock behind him, and the pointer walked quickly. As long as it finished three laps, the power he borrowed would be like the chime of midnight, dissipating all magic.

He had to hurry.

Qi Leren held out his hand and raised his palm in the void. Leviathan floated and began to roar and struggle, but this degree of resistance had no effect before the original force. Moving the palm of his hand slowly, Qi Leren felt that he could easily knead it into pieces, just like what he did to Mark's octopus.

But this was not the only way. Qi Leren felt the mystery of time and carefully explored its secret. A mysterious feeling emerged in his heart. He rubbed his fingers and the sands of time slowly flowed down in his hands.

Leviathan floating in the air as if it had been cast in magic. Its shell was rapidly aging, coated with a layer of rust, and finally it seems to be petrified. Its body was full of cracks, and finally it turned into powder like beach sand, which sprinkled to the ground slowly, leaving a golden treasure chest and a round sphere.

Qi Leren waved his hand, and these two things fell into his hands. The treasure chest was opened, which was an item.

[Lucky Revolver: There are six slots in this gun’s chamber, one of which is loaded with a bullet. Shooting at one's own temple can give one minute of absolute defense within a radius of 500 meters around the locked target, but the absolute defense is invalid for this bullet. Even if you are lucky, God will only give you five minutes. If you are not afraid of death, you can continue for another minute. Locked target: not set.]

Qi Leren immediately decided that this was of no use to him, because he would blow his head off with the first shot, and unless it was matched with S/L, it was a waste.

Disappointed, he looked at the other object, which was an eyeball as big as a bowl. The scarlet pupil seemed familiar. It was called [Leviathan's Eyeball].

What was this thing? There wasn’t even a brief introductory description, which reminded Qi Leren of another prop without a brief introduction, namely, the "Scepter of Hell", which Maria had entrusted him to give to the Prophet.

Time was running out, and the clock representing his time limit only had half a rotation left. The translucent wings behind the Qi Leren lifted him, flying over the deep underground glacier, crossing the collapsed ice tunnel, flying all the way along the coming road, and returning to the iron door at the entrance before time ran out.

"Qi Leren? You’re still alive? That’s great!" "Qianbei! Are you alright? Qianbei! How did you grow wings!" "Qi, are you alright?" The three people wandering around the door with flashlights rushed up in surprise at the sight of Qi Leren.

Prophet's Heart’s time was up, and Qi Leren landed on the ground. After the sacred power retreated, he sat down weakly and walked out of the underground ice cave with the help of the three panicking people.

"It's okay, it's all taken care of. Just in case, we should quickly leave here, seal the exits, and wait for rescue." Although Qi Leren was still in the aftershocks of coming back from the dead, his mind was clear, and he clearly commanded the three people. He was worried about whether there were any octopuses hatching in the research institute, but he was afraid to say it now, for fear that after his mouth moved, his good luck would run out.

Du Yue had great strength, and single handedly carried Qi Leren, who had lost his arm, on his back. He listened to the three people say what had happened after they’d split up, learning that after discovering that the other people had become Leviathan's food, the three people had come to the bottom of the institute to look for Qi Leren. They went in several times, but the temperature inside was horribly low. Unlike Qi Leren who had been blessed by the holy light, they finally had to retreat, worried that Qi Leren was dead.

Qi Leren didn't say that he and Leviathan had fallen off the ice cliff together, only that Leviathan had fallen off, and that he was injured and unconscious for a long time but didn't die. Finally, God blessed him and gave him strength to return to them.

Dr. Lu and Du Yue were very embarrassed, but Lara was very moved. She took Qi Leren's remaining right hand and sincerely said, "When we go back, introduce me to your teachings. I’m willing to be baptized."

Qi Leren, who had no intention of preaching at all, was in a distressing situation. One atheist has destroyed the worldviews of another atheist through acting skills and unscientific miracles—maybe more than one. Should he be sealed as a saint or something?

They left the underground research institute, blocked the exit, left the basement, and returned to the surface. The night was bright and the whole land was covered with white snow and ice. Lara, who was the first to leave the room, pointed to the sky in surprise and shouted: "Look, what is that!"

The three people raised their heads and looked at the approaching black spots.

"Is it... Is the rescue coming?" Dr. Lu was excited.

"Great." Qi Leren also breathed a sigh of relief. The copy was coming to an end, and they could return to the Nightmare World soon.

The spacecraft was getting closer and closer, and before long, they would be able to board the spacecraft safely and leave, but the spacecraft was slow to land. The four people waited anxiously, just like waiting for a late plane.

"It seems like something’s wrong." Lara stood up and looked at more and more spacecrafts that had no intention of landing. "What are they waiting for?"

A thought flashed through Qi Leren's mind: "Are they a civilian spacecrafts?"

"No, these are..." Lara said, her voice stopping abruptly.

A beam more dazzling than sunlight converged on the muzzle of the spacecraft, and the terrible energy was aimed at this planet!

Stunned, the four people watched the devastating attack on the plane beneath their feet, and they couldn't help feeling shocked. They had never thought that, after escaping death from a horrible space alien, they would finally die at the hands of their own people. In order to prevent the octopus from spreading, the army gave up the idea of a rescue landing and blasted the whole planet to pieces at a safe distance, where there was no risk of contact.

At the last second in this copy world, Qi Leren and the others were judged to have completed the task requirement of "surviving until the army arrived", and left the world in the light of the blast.

-----

Editor’s Notes: Obviously those items can only have positive results, right?

As a bonus for the end of this arc, BMBL wrote a collection of the program audience’s reactions on her Weibo. They’re posted as images so I can’t easily throw them into an mtl, but here’s the link for anyone who wants to take a stab at it: https://weibo.com/1741082525/F4b6D7Upr

-----

[<<< Previous Chapter | Table of Contents | Next Chapter >>>]

[prismatica-the-strange]

24 “No, please! Please, you can torture me all you want! I’ll let you do anything! Just don't hurt him!” (Daniel)

WHY DID I KNOW THIS WAS THE ONE THAT WAS GONNA BE PICKED?!

18+ only! Minors do not Interact!!!

Warnings: Angst, torture, electrocution, blood mention

You watched Daniel convulse on the table he was strapped to as the aliens electrocuted him again.

It wasn't supposed to go like this. The planet was supposed to be uninhabited. You and Daniel hadn't meant to ring down into the long buried ship where this unknown species lived. Their outward anatomy seemed similar enough to your's, besides the silvery, unblinking eyes.

They didn't speak anything Daniel could decipher so you weren't sure why they were doing this.

"Please," Daniel panted when they stopped for a moment, "I don't know what you wan- ah!"

"Stop!" You cried when they pressed the device to his neck again, straining against your own straps. Your sudden outburst caught their attention, "Please! Please, you can torture me all you want! I’ll let you do anything! Just don't hurt him!”

One of them tilted its head, studying you with thos silver eyes. Trying to understand your obvious anguish over the pain this other being was in.

'Perhaps they are mentally linked?' it thought. 'What one feels the other does as well.'

It looked to its companion who then removed the device from Daniel's neck.

He laid there in a daze while the beings approached you.

"Daniel?" Your breath picked up and you pulled against your restraints as they got closer.

"Y/n?" Lifting his head to see what was happening just in time to see them press the small device against your skin. "Hey!"

You felt electricity pulse into you and it was like every nerve was on fire. Were you screaming? You felt like you were screaming. But you couldn't hear it.

"Leave them alone! Stop!" You could barely hear Daniel shout over your own pain. Your muscles were contracting all at once and you couldn't breath. Just as you were sure you were going to pass out the the pulse went away.

"Y/n?!" There's panic in his voice as you gulp in air. "Y/n are you okay?"

He knew you weren't and before you could answer the pain returned with a vengeance.

Your vision blurred and tears started falling down your face.

Daniel violently pulled at his binds, shouting profanities and threats. "Get the fuck away from them!"

The creature's blank expressions only piss him off more. His wrists started bleeding from the force he'd exerted against the straps.

He knows you can't breathe, they won't let you breathe.

Eventually they stopped and you slumped onto the table.

"Y/n?" He can't tell if you're breathing, "Y/n baby, wake up-"

They press it back on your neck and your body convulses, your back arching upward.

"Stop!" He begs, "Stop! You're killing them!"

They stop and start shocking you a few more times, watching your body writhe in pain, before staring at each other.

His eyes are glued to your form, trying to tell if you're still alive.

One of the aliens produces a needle from a nearby surface.

"What is that? What are you doing?" He's helpless to watch as they inject you with something. "What did you just-"

He's cut off when you suddenly inhale deeply followed by a pained scream.

□■□■□

The next thing you remember is Daniel undoing your binds, sparks flying everywhere behind him.

"We need to move," his hair is messy and sticking to his sweaty forehead, "Y/n! Come on!"

Your limbs feel like lead and you can barely raise your arms. Your mind is fuzzy and you can't even register what's going on.

There's a screech from somewhere deep in the ship and Daniel grabs you without a second thought. He holds you tight as you make your way through the now dark ship.

When you get to the ring room you see one of the creatures on the floor, thick purple blood oozing from its cracked skull.

Daniel sets you on the floor in the middle of the rings before moving to activate them.

There's a gunshot and you see red start to mix with purple.

Daniel falls to the floor next to you just before you get ringed up.

Daylight blinds you and you feel him start dragging you to your feet and towards the gate. He's limping and blood is dripping from his abdomen.

When your eyes adjust you see dark purple splattered all over his arms and face. The ground shakes, throwing you both off your feet.

□■□■□

Waking up in a hospital bed at the Sgc was a shock, you were sure you were dead.

"Daniel."

"He's okay," Janet says when she hears your voice, "He just came out of surgery."

She pulls back the curtain next to you and there he is. He looks a little worse for wear, but he's alive.

"You two were in pretty rough shape when SG-1 finally found you, what happened?"

"I don't know."

Taglist: @mysg1spacemonkey @sgcprometheus @i-am-morrigans-apprentice @malcolm-reeds-pineapple @witching-things @reeseykins @abnormalvampire64 @girl-obsessed-with-things @gatez (I'm so sorry I forgot to tag you in the last one 😓😓)

Masterlist

#i think my tenses got mixed throughout 😑 #I'm not fixing it #Daniel Jackson #Daniel Jackson x reader #Daniel Jackson x gender Neutral reader #gender Neutral reader #gender Neutral #torture #prisma writes #prisma Answers #angst #stargate #SG-1

[novelconcepts]

I’m so pumped to see the ficlets you decide to write!

Not to start OFF will Hill House right off the bat but...Nell says Shirley almost always picked up the phone for her in the past—would you consider writing one of those conversations where Shirley actually DID help Nell?

(We don’t get a lot of it in the show but Shirley’s relationship with Nell is kind of the one I relate the most to out of all of the siblings and so it’s always the one I wonder about the most)

The phone is ringing again.

The phone, it seems to Shirley Crain, never quite stops ringing these days. It’s Steven with excuses, or Theo to say she’ll be working late; it’s the rehab center with updates that make Shirley tired, or Dad trying to patch something too long broken to even find all the pieces. It’s people, mostly, strangers Shirley doesn’t know and can’t help letting in anyway--people who are aching with loss, adrift in their own shock, saying, “I don’t have much, but I want to do right by her--is this enough? Do you have packages that could...”

The phone is ringing, and Shirley is exhausted. A fifteen-hour shift, a headache that seems only to swell when she baits it with aspirin and cold water, a creeping guilt that never entirely fades when she catches sight her own reflection. 

It’s ringing. Still. Always. She closes her eyes, taps her fingers against the back of the phone case. Flips it over. 

Nell.

Of course. 

Shirley has never much believed in sixth sense magic--in Theo’s furtive need for gloves, or Nell and Luke with their “twin thing”, or Dad’s peculiar brand of talking to shadows--but she always seems able to tell when the call is coming from her youngest sister. There’s an extra vibrato in the ringtone, somehow, when Nell is calling. An extra tremble in Shirley’s hand as she lets her finger hover over the accept button.

Oh, might as well. Nell will only call again in an hour, or two days, or next week. Might as well see what’s on her mind.

“Hello?”

“Sorry,” Nell says instantly. “Sorry, it’s late.”

Shirley’s eyes slide to the computer monitor, to the white numbers announcing an accusatory 9:07. Shit. It is. “Honestly, I hadn’t even noticed.”

“Oh.” A beat. Nell had clearly been prepared for sharp words, had clearly been ready to shield herself in endless apologies until Shirley came back to a level she could approach. Am I like that? Shirley wonders with a wince. Do they need armor to make this call? 

“What’s up, Nellie?” Too casual. Too smooth. She sounds like she’s trying to play Theo’s role, all cool eyes and darting snark. “I’m--it’s good to hear your voice.”

It is. She misses Nell more than she truly knows what to do with--misses Nell’s easy smile, the way she leans forward into a conversation with hands clasped between her knees, the furtive little looks she sends across the room to whichever sibling is making the most sense that day. Nell’s choice to move across the country had been reasonable--at least to Nell--but to Shirley, it had felt like one more battle lost. One more sibling stepping over the line to Steve’s way of thinking. 

“Nell?” She thinks for a minute the line has gone dead, that Nell has abandoned whatever worried twitch sent her hand skittering for Shirley’s name in her contact list. “Are you...”

“Sorry,” Nell repeats. “Sorry, I had--it was a weird day. Do you have those? The ones where you just...really need to hear someone’s voice?”

Someone stable, she doesn’t say. Someone who isn’t hiding out in a nightclub, or warding off the urge for a needle, or pinning all the family trauma to a butterfly board with the biggest, sharpest knives he can find.

“Bad dreams again?” Shirley asks, and Nell exhales. Laughs. It’s shaky, that laugh--it sounds like Mom did, near the end of that summer, when she’d been all dressing gowns and pounding headaches. Shirley closes her eyes.

“No. I mean, yes. Yes, I guess. Always. But no. I think I just...you remember movie nights? I miss movie nights.”

Nell, always going back. Nell, always finding little ways to dig up the past. Sometimes, it’s like this: mundane, sweet, nostalgic. Sometimes, it’s harder to stomach. Shirley is grateful she's having this sort of night, the kind steeped in monotony. 

“What movie would you watch, if you could?” she asks. She leans back in her chair, lets her muscles slacken, lets Nell’s surprised giggle drag her over the line from exhausted mother, wife, businesswoman to sister. 

“This is stupid--I can never remember the name of it--the one that used to scare the pants off Luke? You remember?”

“Going to need to be much more specific than that,” Shirley says, smiling. Luke hadn’t found a movie he couldn’t run screaming from until he was almost twelve years old, and even then, it had been a matter of stiff upper lip above actual courage. 

“The one with the sea monster,” Nell says. “And the guy--the kid from those hockey movies--”

“Magic in the Water,” Shirley intones, remembering all at once a mock sleepover in Aunt Janet’s living room, sleeping bags spread across the floor. Theo, pretending she was too old to care about a baby movie; Luke, pretending he was too old to flip out whenever the screen got even remotely dark. 

“And Luke hated it so much, she agreed to switch movies halfway through,” Nell goes on. “And she put on--”

“The fucking NeverEnding Story,” Shirley finishes, laughing despite herself. 

“Luke just screaming when the luck-dragon shows up for the first time,” Nell says fondly. “And I’m trying to remind him that’s a good guy. That’s a good thing to have turning up. And Luke just goes--”

“Why,” Shirley recalls, “would you want a dragon in your house?” She waits for Nell’s giggles to die down, for Nell’s breath on the other end of the line to level out again. “So, which one would you put on right now?”

“Easy,” Nell says simply. “The Secret Garden.”

It’s so out of left field, so perfectly Nell that Shirley bursts into laughter again. She can hear Nell grinning, can picture her perfectly: dark hair curtaining a hopeful face, eyes bright as she leans across her table or into the comfort of her couch. Nell no-longer-Crain, with a ring on her finger and a house she’s made into a home miles and miles away from anything Shirley can touch. 

“I miss you, Nellie,” she says, shutting her eyes against a surprising well of emotion. “I really do.”

“Come out,” Nell says. “Next time you get a break, fly out and stay with us. Arthur would love to see you.”

Next time you get a break. Nell, dreaming again. Nell, believing with her whole heart that life is simple enough to allow for breaks, for impulse flights, for sisterly bonding time just because it’s needed. 

“You’re okay?” Shirley says, sidestepping the invitation for now. “You’re doing all right with all that sunshine?”

“Sure,” says Nell without missing a beat. Shirley imagines her smile dipping, the tension drawing back into her shoulders as she hunches smaller in her seat. “Sure. It’s great.”

It’s great, Shirley. I’m great, Shirley. I only call because my head is ringing with monsters too big to shut out even after twenty-odd years, Shirley. 

She isn’t Mom, Shirley thinks. She isn’t Mom, muttering to empty rooms, or Dad, all vacancies and no space to rent. She’s just Nell: a heart laid open, beating too hard, waiting for someone to patch her up again. And if that never happens? If no one ever learns quite how to stitch her shut?

She has Arthur, Shirley thinks, and there’s relief in the idea. Arthur and Nell, a closed circuit. Two people with all they could need in one house. Maybe there will be kids someday, or maybe they’ll sweep in at Christmas with expensive gifts and wild laughter, and it’ll all be--it’ll all just be--

Great, Shirley. I’m great. 

She hangs up gently on Nell’s soft goodbye, and wonders why it doesn’t quite feel like Nell was telling her the truth. 

#fanfiction #ficlet #the haunting of hill house #nell crain #shirley crain #no idea how to tag sibling dynamics for this show but all the same