#this list is. shorter than it could be and longer than i meant it to be

[simmonsized]

Idk about other people but I’m always a slut for that old man and I think you got amazing taste so pls rec anything you like anywhere

I think you will find that my taste is actually kind of garbage but like, in a fun way that makes you go "wow really???" rather than being so embarrassed for me that you can never look at me again. of course that would be fine too haha you know, don't yuck my yum etc but I will try to put together my unfuckable old man rec list right here, right now, and we can all just live with that

(mostly because titling a post makes me cringe it's too much attention, and I'm a stereotype)

These come from a section of my actual Fic Rec List, which is massive (by my standards), lives in a googly doc, and is much more embarrassing. this list generally won't include any ship stuff and if it does, i will say so. mind any and all tags.

This section is titled: The Redemption Narrative (lol)

1. Empty Nester - egomaniac (THE WHOLE REASON I MADE A NEW LIST. BRO AND NANNA!!!!!!!!!!!! also bro/grandpa, aka “he fucks that old man”, but not the most important part to me, because as good and tragic and hurtful as their relationship is in this fic, it is dwarfed, to me, by the kindness shared between Nanna and Bro, which once again, to me, is the Crown Jewel of the whole story. PLEASE read this please if u have time A++ endorsement)

2. dualshock desertbloom (the whole fucking series. i hardly need to say why, you should just know by now. i call dd dirkfic, because it is The Dirkfic, u know??)- geometrician (🔶)

3. sun’s angle - dellaluce (they can orphan it all they want but i never forget. very old, but never GETS old, u feel)

4. Hexadyne Meetings - Saesama (the rarity of bro and nanna fics could absolutely destroy me but i really like the interactions between all of the guardians in this one)

5. Flop, Flutter - cthchewy (technicality, big nasty soulless bro yikes sorry)

6. The Estrangement Thing - NoBrandHero (there’s a theme here listen to me don’t be doubtful it’s worth the trouble, there is brojohn in there, which is not my thing at all, but it is NOT relevant to what i like about this fic, and i think if u read it, u will realize that immediately lol (*i am not including second best even though that fic is literally my favorite ds fic ever because it is NOT bro centric))

7. cold front off the pacific - drow_sy (i actually read this bc geometrician bookmarked it lol but it punches down on u and i like that)

8. insect clockwork - SORD (aka, if it was written pre-2013, i’ve read it)

9. Flashing Lights and Raisins - RadioMoth (the strider manpain tag exists for a reason)

10. Hide - Plajus (OG post-sburb type shit. we love to see it)

11. Blackout - lantadyme (bro strider sick fic. Wrow. old shit. I don’t even know how i have held onto these for this many years.)

Things that don't quite fit into the category necessarily but It's MY List Not Yours:

12. signs at sundown - geometrician (I don't need to say it, do I? I think we understand, I do think that. Imagine being canon together with you favorite author. Imagine it. Wow.)

13. No Homo - Laurasauras (bro/dennis. yes, dennis from gamebro. yes, it's good i've said it before i'll say it again. i'm into it, i think you should be too.)

14. flash - problemsloth (this shit is just. absolute chef's kiss to me. i don't know how else to explain it. young bro. he's perfect, and perfectly dreadful)

15. play ball! - spacepuck (this is a johndave fic but it has this very stressful atmosphere around bro and dave that kinda fucks me up and also, delights me beyond reason. it tastes like summer to me. sandlot lookin ass. an old favorite)

#this list is. shorter than it could be and longer than i meant it to be #this is by no means a Full List there's lots of other stuff out there #rabid raccoon rehab is for everyone obviously #and i am not a person who reads a ton of ship fic so if there are good fics that also have ships in them i probably just haven't read them #lol sorry about that #sloth has a brodad that's on my to-read which i think will probably be added to the actual doc but at this time i have not read it #i want to say i take recs but the truth is they will probably end up in the shameful pile of Marked For Later that grows taller and taller #every day that passes by #well anyway i just wanted to talk about empty nester like an insane person so #i want to say u can just like. plug in all the things i have excluded on ao3 for bro's tag and then sort by kudos and these will pop up #but the truth is that i have also been dragging some of these around with me for literal years and there is a Reason they are top kudos'd #to me #anyway yeah okay sure whatever sorry this is just. hells of embarrassing it's all homestuck it's all bro related sorry #for non bro centric fics consider begging on ur knees or it will never see the light of day #actually i think you'd have to pay me or weasel your way into my server. it's not happening is what i'm saying #ANYWAY OKAY FINALLY IT IS DONE

[justporo]

The Lord and the Lady

A Night of Fake Smiles and Hidden Lies: Part 4

Author's Note: They made it out of the house, my friends! They arrive at the ball although they have lots of gremlin energy on the way and Tav almost dies laughing and Astarion has to make excuses for her... Also guys, it's happening! But I fear this will become so long... Longer maybe than the first fic... And by the way you can thank @minibabymel for the cloaks!

Song: Buntes Volk - Faun, Michael Rhein Pairing: Astarion/Fem!Tav Rating: Explicit Warnings: None

CHAPTER LIST | PREVIOUS CHAPTER | NEXT CHAPTER

~~~

Finally, the two of you left your house. You stepped out of your front door and were greeted by the crisp night air of an autumn evening. Taking a deep breath of wonderfully fresh air as the wind kept rustling through the crowns of some nearby trees. You loved this time of year when the air became colder and the days became shorter, the world slowly falling into slumber and preparing for another rebirth come the next year. And now it also meant longer nights for your soulmate and you that could be spent with whatever your hearts desired!

But all that couldn’t stop you from shivering when a gust of wind hit you. For as much as the dress was beautiful, it wasn’t exactly warming. You rubbed your naked forearms as Astarion closed the front door behind the two of you. “Maybe I should’ve thought of a coat”, you said and felt that your teeth almost started shattering.

“Way ahead of you, my love. And before you say something – these were already planned to go with our clothes, so it’s not technically another gift”, Astarion said with a grin behind you and as you turned around you saw that he was holding two black cloaks. You didn’t even want to try and call him out on it this time because you already had goosebumps all over your body.

The vampire offered you one of the garments and you took it gratefully. Before you threw it over your shoulders you looked at it. It was a very long cloak, heavily embroidered all over with the same stars you had on your dress. They formed a symmetrical pattern down each hemline down the front. And the inside lining once again mimicked the colours of a sunset but even more dramatically than your dress: a gradient from deep dark blue over to purple and then ending in an almost golden tone. You shook your head as you whispered “incredible” to yourself and put the coat on.

Then you looked over to Astarion who’d already put on his: it was very similar to yours, the pattern of the stitching a little less curvy and more sharp edges. And the lining of his cloak was a very dark shade of red. The symbolism wasn’t lost on you.

“You really have an inclination for dramatics, don’t you?”, you asked the vampire who was currently checking if he had safely stowed away your invitation and the key to your home. He stopped what he was doing, eyes wide and looked at you. “Me? Dramatic?”, he asked in a haunting tone. Then he very elaborately and elegantly placed the back of his hand on his forehead and closed his eyes: “How come you’ve only now realised my vein for histrionics, my unperceptive lover?”

“I don’t know is it a side effect of your vampirism or something?”, you replied tongue in cheek. Astarion’s face split into a big grin, showing his pronounced canines. “Oh no, darling, I fear I was born with this fateful condition.” “Shame”, you replied and shook your head, then started to walk down the few steps to the street “Because that means even if we were to find a cure for your vampirism, you’d never truly be healed.”

“Oh, come on, darling, you love when I’m being dramatic. You think I’m funny! Also beautiful”, your vampire rattled off while coming after you and then, ever the gracious gentleman, opening the small wrought-iron gate to the street for you. “Ah, and smart”, he added in conclusion and shortly pointed a finger at you.

You sighed as you stepped out on the street: “Yes, I do – I also think you’re very full of yourself.“ “Yet you do so much to always stroke my ego, love, so I regret to inform you that you’re at least partially guilty – an accomplice. And I agree with you that modesty isn’t a good look on me. I’m a glorious bastard and I know it”, Astarion went on and gave you a wink and a smirk.

You sighed again – there was no point in denying it. He was right – and you loved and admired him for it.

So, the two of you started to make your way to the given location of the ball: Herrenfordt Castle. On your way there you idly chatted about everything and everyone, laughing and joking.

While you walked through the Upper City you saw several other couples that seemed to have the same destination as you. Many dressed just as elegantly as you, many even much more excessive, if not to say tasteless in their exaggeration of luxury. The closer it seemed you got to the castle the more party goers crossed your path. Carriages passed you, becoming more and more frequent the longer you walked.

Merrily Astarion pointed out all those he received as the gravest missteps in style: “See this lady over there? She’s wearing so many diamond colliers, I’m sure she can’t breathe right. Gods, it’s like a diamond breastplate.” “This person’s tailor seems to think a hot ankle might distract from their face – or maybe they just ran out of cloth for the rest of the pants.” “Is that a hat or did an owlbear cub sit on that man’s head and made their hair into its new cave? Ugh.”

You kept losing it at the vampire’s on-point snide remarks, more than once laughing out loud and causing the subject matter to turn around and glare at the both of you angrily before they kept on walking. But instead of calming down with the commentary Astarion seemed to be spurred on by your hearty giggles. Until one of his remarks caused you to actually double over in hysterical laughter (“Oh dear, what’s that shawl? Tav, we should check if this poor animal is still alive.”) and the couple in front of you turned around to glare at you. A gentleman with a much too tall top hat making a step towards you: “Excuse me? What did you just say about my lady’s attire?”

You were actually crouched down almost dying of laughter and desperately clinging to Astarion’s arm who patted your clawing hands in a “hush-hush” kind of motion. “Oh, I’m terribly sorry, I would excuse my lady’s terrible behaviour but as you can see-“, he looked down at you and gave the gentleman a pitiful face “she’s a burden on me as well.” The noble couple seemed utterly confused by what was happening, so they opted to just turn around and get away from you as quickly as possible.

You could have sworn you heard the words ‘crazy’ and ‘lunatics’ as they quickly walked away from you – desperate to get distance as to not catch your madness.

Then Astarion leaned down to you: “Listen, my love, I know I’m terribly funny but…” You waved him off and got up again while wiping a tear from your eye: “Yeah yeah. Burden my ass, Astarion.” Another couple walked by and looked disgusted at your vulgar language.

You nearly started laughing again and noticed that Astarion too had difficulty holding in his laughter, judging by the way he bit his lip which showed off one fang in the most adorable way. It was moments like these he looked incredibly young and without worry. You always longed to give him more of these moments.

You straightened your back and took a deep breath before you looked over at the pale elf who had calmed down and watched you with a smirk on his face now. “Stop being so mean and funny then and I won’t burden you anymore with my insolent behaviour”, you said and leaned over to give him a quick kiss, but Astarion cupped your face and drew out the moment. His eyes sparkled when he slowly drew back moments later: “I love it when I’m the one that makes you laugh.” You hummed contentedly and gave him a wicked grin which Astarion promptly answered with his signature smirk – just as wicked.

“I love that you’re my soulmate, my lover and my terribly unhinged best friend to make it so”, you replied. Astarion’s smirk grew into a full grin: “And you’re my favourite little gremlin best friend.” He pressed a kiss to your forehead as you gave a nasty little cackle to play your role right.

Then he softly untangled from you and dragged you on to get going again.

“Oh, it’s going to be such a delightful night, I‘m sure, my heart”, he said and then placed your hand in the crook of his angled arm to get you to start walking again. “If it keeps going like that”, you agreed.

As you kept making your way through the Upper City a few prominent spires slowly came into view – and not much later the giant mansion to which it belonged in the distance.

Astarion pointed it out to you: “There it is. That’s our destination.”

You had already noticed that the space in between estates, and also the houses themselves, had gotten a lot bigger. All properties in this part of the city had huge fenced in gardens, giant and meticulously trimmed hedges, long pathways leading up to the actual manors. You were now definitely in the richrich area of town. Your eyebrows rose and you looked at Astarion: “That giant monstrosity? That’s worse than…” Your words trailed off. “Worse than Cazador’s place? Yes, yes it is. And with that context you’d might imagine the kind of bastard that lives there”, Astarion finished your sentence.

“It’s not actually a castle though – people just like to be pretentious. It has towers and all but it’s more of a manor, really…”, he kept explaining as you tried to get a better look while you kept slowly coming closer to Herrenfordt Castle.

„Should I be impressed?“

„Oh no, my love, people with this big and flamboyant a home usually have something to compensate for.“

„So, that’s why you insisted we got the smaller house?“, you said dryly. Astarion simply grinned and shrugged.

“Have you been there before?”, you asked after a few moments of companiable silence. The vampire shook his head: “No – I’ve only ever known of its existence. And come to think of it… I can’t actually remember who’s owned this estate before, but I certainly haven’t heard of this Lord De Grodt before our gracious invitation. It might just be this is his grand entrance to Baldur’s Gate high society.”

“Oh, shouldn’t we be oh so grateful then”, you said sarcastically and the vampire snickered at your condescending remark.

“So, no idea who this pretentious dude might be?”, you asked.

“None, to be honest. The only thing I could tell you is that his name is another foreign common tongue that’s rarely spoken here. But seeing as powers have shifted quite a lot in this city recently… Who knows, maybe a foreign noble trying to work the power vacuum and the still shaky new hierarchies in Baldur’s Gate to his own advantage.”

You didn’t know how to reply after this. Politics had never been something you had cared much about in your life; until recently. But for the longest part of your life your biggest worry had been how and when you would get your next meal and where you would sleep; for that it merely didn’t matter whose name it was that stood atop the list of this city.

“Wyll better watch out then, I guess”, you replied and thought of your friend who had been named Grand Duke after you had freed the city. “He better”, Astarion cheerfully and playfully agreed “but I guess the little noble will be able to clash his horns with the other contenders successfully.” The vampire laughed one of his high-pitched giggles. You gave him a side-eye for his terrible joke.

More carriages went past you as you closed in on your destination. You could already hear lots of noise and some music from the giant manor. You couldn’t help but feel overwhelmed by it all for a second and you bit your lip and, pressing yourself against Astarion’s shoulder a bit more. “You know, I can’t help but think that all this is somehow the most unlike turn my life could possibly have taken”, you said and let your eyes wander over the mansion, the lights there and all the party guests that surrounded you. The vampire kept silent and only looked at you.

“I get that for you this is nothing new – the fancy clothing, the politics, the luxury… You know, in another life I would have run into you, spat in front of your boots, flipped you off then taken your purse and would’ve thought to myself what an idiot you were”, you said and smiled weakly at your soulmate. “I would have liked to see you try”, Astarion replied and gave you a warm smile in return.

“Now only thinking that you’re an idiot remained”, you poorly tried to crack a joke.

The vampire didn’t even reply, clearly noticing that you tried to gloss over your anxiety. He merely pinched your cheek between his fingers and kept smiling at you.

“Don’t worry, my sweet, it’s mostly hot air all this – you’ll soon see what I mean”, the vampire said and shook his hand towards the giant estate dismissingly before he winked at you and reassuringly placed his own hand over yours on the crook of his arm. You smiled but couldn’t completely shake the feeling of uneasiness.

You were past the big iron gates that marked the entrance to the grand estate. The two of you fell silent for the remaining way. Lots of people were huddled at the entrance where invitations were shown to some servants in livery before people continued up the stairs to the entrance.

Everything was flanked with braziers on the outside, once inside with giant candelabras. You entered a long and tall corridor behind lots of other couples. Giant chandeliers in gold were hanging from the ceiling and glistening with warm mage light as you walked over a plush and intricately patterned carpet. The walls were full with giant paintings, statues were placed in equal spacing along the giant corridor that felt more like a hall really. Of course, the entrance area was made to impress. And it worked: you were turning your head to take everything in.

“Don’t break your sweet little neck, my love, I still have need for it”, Astarion whispered with a snicker to you as you still tried to take a look at everything. You felt almost dizzy from all the gold, the saturated colours and glints and shimmers. “How can people be this rich?”, you whispered more to yourself than to Astarion and almost didn’t realise that he had stopped walking.

You were now standing in front of a very unfriendly looking servant in a uniform that looked a lot fancier than the ones you’d seen before. And as you looked at him you realised it was the servant who’d presented you with the invitation some weeks ago. You also noticed that the corridor had opened up onto a small gallery and that you were standing at the top of a grand pair of stairs. Some couples were standing on the gallery, talking, some with drinks, some seemed to wait for others to arrive.

As the servant looked at you and seemed to remember you his facial expression somehow turned even more sour. “Please, if you may offer your coats to one of the staff”, he greeted you and snapped his fingers to alert one of the other servants around. You both took off your cloaks and handed them off.

“Invitation?”, the bald servant asked in a very annoyed tone – without words saying what he wasn’t allowed to: ‘they’re truly allowing anyone in here nowadays’. You threw a glance at Astarion and saw that one of his eyebrow’s twitched in annoyance at this rude treatment and a muscle in his jaw worked. If one thing could really rile Astarion up quickly it was when people so very obviously looked down on him. His pride, even though it way too often took the better of him, wouldn’t let him feel any other way – but he said nothing.

He took the card out of his doublet and slowly held it to the man who moved to grab it just as slowly and annoyedly. In the last moment Astarion snatched the card away again. “Say please”, he hissed silently and leaned a bit towards the servant in challenge.

The two men stared at each other – but Astarion had much more experience with staring people down in his lifetime. You knew – you’d been stared down by the vampire a few times and could honestly not recommend the experience.

A vein ticked on the forehead of the servant’s face. But you were invited and belonged her. So, he forcefully swallowed his own pride it seemed and threw on an incredible fake smile that was more a grimace really and said: “My dear lord, if you would please offer me your invitation for a short moment of your precious time.” The servant bowed mockingly. His tone was so falsely friendly you could feel the bile rising up in your own threat.

“Oh, I’d be most happy to”, Astarion replied cheerfully and just as factitious and finally handed over the card.

“Lord Astarion Ancunín and…”, the servant read and then stared at you. “Tav”, you said simply. The annoyed face was back: “But you must have a name, a full name.” “Yes, it’s Tav”, you said.

The servant stared at you for a moment longer, then rolled his eyes and turned toward another servant standing behind him who was holding a giant staff with a gold sphere on top of it. He whispered something to him, then he turned back and handed Astarion the invitation again. “Enjoy”, the bald man said before turning to the next couple behind you – his tone very much making clear that he hoped you dearly wouldn’t.

“Ready?”, Astarion whispered to you. “No”, you whispered back as you approached the other servant who was looking at you expectantly and at least with a friendlier look on his face.

Astarion gave the man a curt nod, then the servant who was standing directly at the edge of the enormous staircase knocked his staff on the floor twice, loudly and announced to the crowd below: “Lord Astarion Ancunín and Lady Tav Ancunín.”

“Lord Astarion Ancunín and Lady Tav Ancunín”, you parroted hollowly.

“Oh, my love, you were just made a lady”, Astarion said and winked at you with a smirk. That had not been the thing you’d been hung up on though.

“I was also just made your wife it seems – the plot thickens, Astarion”, you grinned back but could feel a blush creep into your cheeks. Instead of answering the vampire cupped your cheek for a quick kiss. Then he pulled away and elegantly offered you his hand while bowing his head – embodying the perfect vision of gallantry. “Shall we, my beautiful lady? The world’s impatient to meet you, my love”, he said and gave a short nod towards downstairs.

You follow his motion with your eyes and see that down the grand staircase in the giant ballroom lots of heads had swivelled towards the both of you. Some were already sticking their heads together, chuckling behind their hands while others stared with open curiosity or even a sneer on their face. But at least there were a few genuine smiles you felt like. Still, you could already feel anxiety rise up again, but you quickly looked back at Astarion who had kept looking at you with a sparkle in his eyes and promise in his smile.

You grabbed your vampire’s hand and readied yourself for a descent into madness.

Tags: @aurasyn @margoteve @usuallyunlikelyfox @hollowmasque @worryknotdear

#astarion #astarion x tav #baldurs gate #baldurs gate 3 #baldur's gate 3 #baldur's gate iii #astarion x reader #astarion x mc #baldurs gate astarion #astarion x oc #astarion x you #fanfic #fanfiction #astarion ancunin #bg3 spoilers #a night of fake smiles and hidden lies #tav

[railingsofsorrow]

chapter I | catharsis

summary: “Is there— is there something you need?” He's kind. He's so kind and his voice is better than she had ever imagined. 

All of all the things she could have said, what came out is something else entirely.

“Your hair is shorter.”

w.c: 3.4K

warnings/content: mentions of mass food poisoning; implied unhealthy relationships (it will be explored later); germaphobia; fluff.

A/N: WE'RE FINISHED WITH THE LETTERS! I was too excited to start writing the longer chapters with a detailed narrative. I know it took too long but.... here it is, I hope you enjoy! annnd, they finally meet!

navi

masterpost

series masterlist

whoever wants to be tagged for this fic, fill this out or dm me.

LETTERS — [1] [2] [3] [4] [5] [6] [7] [8] [9]

CHAPTERS — [1] [2] [3] . . .

❝Catharsis❞

[n.] THE EXPERIENCE OF EXPRESSING STRONG EMOTIONS THAT PREVIOUSLY WERE BLOCKED.

━━━━━━━━━ ✉ ━━━━━━━━

“Don't even start, Reid.”

Spencer pursed his lips, shifting on the passenger seat. “I didn't say anything.”

Derek scoffed, “I can hear you thinking.”

“Thought broadcasting is a common phenomenon that happens when one thinks others can hear your thoughts. That is not physically possible. It actually might be a sign of paranoia—”

Derek groaned loudly, begging for the gods above that the traffic went easy on him for five minutes. He needed five minutes to get to the other Interstate. Five. Minutes. 

Spencer let out a snicker beside him, having too much fun in being correct as always. He had told Derek beforehand that the safest option would be to take the alternative route, even if that meant it was slightly longer than directly taking the I-95. They still would get to Norfolk University's Student Center faster. 

Derek didn't listen to him and here they were, stuck in traffic just as Spencer predicted. 

In some way, this was good. 

Spencer hated being late to anything, which was why he always double-checks the time so he can get to any place earlier, just to be sure. Just in case. That's him. A pragmatic guy. 

But when he heard where the next case was going to be, he backtracked a little. 

Spencer has been corresponding with Iris Valencia through letters for the entire month of October. It felt like more, maybe years. He knows that this feeling is quite common for people who had found some sort of connection. They have affinity. A bond, if you will. It explains the reason for your comfort after you've just met someone. You used to be strangers, but you realise they like blueberry muffins too and then you have a coffee date scheduled in the afternoon. It is that simple, sometimes. 

Spencer could never relate to that. Well, at least, not before Iris. Although he has never invited her over for coffee and they haven't spoken in person yet. 

Yet.

But it felt like it. It felt like he has known her for a long time.

The case was in Norfolk University, 165,7 miles from Quantico. The place Iris worked as a microbiology professor and which she described that her whole department fell sick because of a supposed food poisoning. 

That hasn't been the first time a university has had that kind of situation. As she mentioned in one of her letters, the Old Dominion University — another university located in Norfolk — was also on the news about food poisoning. The difference was that it had been only a small group of students that suffered the outcome. NSU had it worst, a large group of people had to be sent to the E.R. 

The BAU was called in because of recent deaths in the area. When they eventually connected it to the food poisoning cases happening in the universities, Hotch divided the team into pairs to cover more ground. The suspect list was narrowed down to three students from Norfolk State University. 

“What did you say?” 

“You and Morgan are off to the M.E's office.” Hotch repeated as they left the precinct. 

“You're going to Norfolk State University?” Spencer asked a little dumbfounded. Derek gave him a confused look. 

Hotch halted beside the car door, the crease between his brows deepening. “That's where our first victim lived... Reid, are you alright?”

That finally seemed to be the minute Spencer snapped out of it. “Yes,” he said, clearing his throat. “Yes, sorry. I was just making sure. We'll— we'll go now.”

He felt like a thirteen-year-old boy with his first crush. The accelerated heartbeat, the shaky limbs, the sweaty palms. The not knowing what to do and mostly, what Emily always teased him about and what he only recently noticed: his IQ is, in deed, slashed to half when he's attracted to someone. 

Spencer had not met Iris yet. But he felt all of those things. Through letters. For the first time in his life he couldn't find a scientific explanation for what he was currently feeling. He hadn’t met her, he hadn't seen her, let alone heard her voice. He's only seen her delicate handwriting with her t's curved at the base and her barely noticeable s's and he was quickly roped to her personality. What Iris shared with him so far, that is. 

Spencer studied people for a living. That's a quick way of putting his occupation. He investigated behavior and he entered minds that were just as twisted as the crimes they committed. Some cases stay glued on his brain more than others — it's not like he was able to forget anything, although sometimes he wished he could.

Iris had interested him more than any quantum physics book ever could. 

Spencer knows she likes birds. That's one of the first things she shared with him, actually. He also knows that her favorite author is Haruki Murakami and Spencer has read all of her recommendations, he even bought more books besides the ones she mentioned. He knows Iris hates loud noises, clowns and that she takes her coffee black and plain. He knows how much she cares about her students and that she probably loves what she does because of the way she writes about it. He knows that she doesn't believe in magic, but he's determined to change her mind. 

To Spencer, Iris was like a book. He had no idea what the cover was like and he had not read the synopsis, but from the first page and on, he decided he wanted to know everything there is to know about the story. He wanted to see if there were small notes at the edges of every page or if there were underlined quotes. He wanted to figure out the mystery before the next chapter arrived, even if the ending might be completely different. 

He had come to terms with the fact that he wants to meet her in person for a while now. But Spencer didn't plan when that would happen or if it would happen. He doesn't even know if she would want to meet him. 

Now, he was walking into the University she worked at with her letter tucked into his satchel bag as he forced his brain to focus on what was supposed to be focusing on: the case. 

"Finally." Emily raised a brow as they walked into the room. According to JJ's message an hour ago, they were talking to the Head of the Biology Department because of a lead on one of the suspects. Hotch and Rossi were speaking with Penelope through the speakerphone in a corner of the room. "Took you long enough." 

Spencer shrugged at her jab, pointing at Derek. "I told him, he didn't listen." He was softly shoved in response.

"Shut up, Reid." 

"We're waiting for Mark Dawson to come back with a professor who supposedly has some information on Meredith Fitz." JJ clarified before Spencer could question her why they were all reunited in a professor's office. "They're all in class, we don't want to raise too much attention." 

"Sorry to keep you all waiting." 

A blond man walked into the room with a brunette woman on his trail. He was dressed in a color-coordinated attire, a russet dress shirt with slightly darker khaki pants. A complete contrast with the woman beside him, she wore light blue jeans along with a maroon V-neck sweater vest and a white t-shirt below. Her hair was in a loose bun but some thick curls were falling off. She was tucking them behind her ear constantly. 

Spencer noticed she seemed annoyed. 

"This is Doctor Valencia, she's our microbiology professor. Meredith is one of her students." 

Valencia? As in—

"I can speak for myself." Dr. Valencia said through gritted teeth, shaking hands with every agent. Spencer was too busy sweating like crazy in nervousness to take notice of Emily's and JJ's pointed gaze exchange after the professor's harsh statement towards Professor Dawson. "It's good to meet you, Agents, but I spoke to the police last night, I already gave my formal statement regarding the occurrences of the last week." 

The last person to be introduced was him. 

He heard something that sounded distinctly like a choked-up sound. He didn't pay much attention until Hotch started conducting questions regarding the case. Because that was what he was focusing on, the case. His hands tingling as she drew hers back, barely giving him a look. 

"The FBI?" Iris blinked in surprise. Only now did she seem to really acknowledge everyone in the room. Her shoulders tensed up. "So that wasn't just accidental food poisoning." 

"We're investigating that," Hotch said, being vague on purpose. "It came to our knowledge that Meredith Fitz is one of your mentees?"

Iris nodded, running a hand through her face. "Yes, yes, she is. Meredith is, um, completing her master's degree in post-mortem microbiology."

"Does she have access to your lab?" 

"All of my students have," Iris said. "We have practical classes." She visibly stiffened. "Is she a suspect?"

“We're looking into it,” Hotch responded.

Iris stepped out of her frozen state, interrupting another question being thrown her away.

“This isn't— This isn't right.” She begun. “Meredith is one of my top students. She's a nice girl, she wouldn't do this.”

Emily nodded sympathetic, “as he said, we are still investigating that information. But we do need to speak with her so that can be clarified.” Before Iris could speak, Mark beat her to it.

“She didn't come to class today, so that won't be possible, will it?” Mark sent a look towards Iris that anyone in the room could read it as a pretty clear insinuation. Iris wasn't paying attention to him, she was lost in her thoughts, gaze focused on a corner of the room. 

Spencer was itching to say something, but he stood quiet.

“Neither did Fabian Helley. Another top student of Dr. Valencia here.” He added, leaning back on his desk. “You know, maybe you should investigate this particular pattern.”

Derek let out a sigh. He was done with Dawson's little game. It was clear that the guy was trying to antagonize Iris. 

“Sir—”

“Please stop.” 

Every eye in the room snapped towards her voice. Iris clutched the back of her arm as if she was trying to give herself some form of grounding. Spencer could see how much she cared for each one of her students. He's read about it, it's all in her letters, but even his coworkers who didn't have that bonus glimpse into her character could tell that. 

They could also tell she was greatly bothered by Mark Dawson. And Spencer himself was starting to get bothered by him as well.

“I'll answer your questions and anything else in my office. Is that okay with you?” 

Nobody protested against that and Mark stood by his desk, arms crossed much like a petulant child. They followed Iris towards her office while exchanging curious glances. She did answer all of their questions, hesitating slightly whenever the questions were directed towards Meredith Fitz and Fabian Helley, mostly because she did not believe they could have done such a monstrosity as mass poisoning.

“What happened to being a germaphobe, pretty Ricky?” Derek nudged his shoulder, earning a confused look from Spencer. “You shook the professor's hand. Not a single complaint as always.”

“I was being polite.” His cheeks were burning. Did he shake her hand? Thankfully she wasn’t close enough to listen to their conversation.

Derek disguised a chuckle by soft coughing and Spencer glared at him.

"I'd like to apologize about Professor Dawson. He's been on edge ever since all this started." Iris informed as Rossi and Hotch left the room to call Garcia. 

"We can see that," Emily smiled reassuringly at her. "If you don't mind me asking, is there a particular reason why he seemed displeased about Fabian Helley?" Iris shifted on her feet and everyone else in the room pretended they were not listening in on the conversation since Emily had approached her in a rather private manner.

Still, Iris did not relent. 

"Mark is always displeased by something or someone." It was the last thing she decided to share after pondering to herself. 

It wasn't until Hotch came back into the room to send each of them to interview a few other witnesses — except for Spencer, who he requested to start the geographical profile since they had enough cases as of now – that Iris seemed to glance in Spencer's direction.

Dr. Reid, who she shook hands with and didn't even properly notice until now. Iris was generally a perceptive person, she caught things quickly. Though she's having trouble focusing ever since this morning, perks of a bad night's sleep. She blamed that for not realising him sooner, that was the only possible explanation, really. His honey-brown eyes switched to his colleagues as soon as she caught him looking. 

Iris’ breath caught in her throat. The Behaviour Analysis Unit is here. Spencer mentioned in one of his letters that he works for the FBI... She truly was slow today, wasn't she? 

“Dr. Valencia?” 

She snaps out of her daze to stare at a pretty blonde woman in a dark blazer, she wore a blue t-shirt below. Agent Jareau. That's her name.

“Sorry,” Iris cleared her throat, feeling her cheeks heat up at being caught staring at him. She must look like such a creep. “I zoned out. Were you speaking to me?”

She offers her a sympathetic smile before saying, “we don't want to take much of your time. We know you have lectures to teach. Thank you for your patience.”

“No need to thank me, Agent. It's all good.” Just as each of them gave her their farewells, she was stuck in an inner argument about whether or not she should talk to him. It's not appropriate. He didn't even recognize you, wake up.

Not appropriate. Not appropriate. NOT APPROPRIATE.

“Uh, Dr. Reid?” It was barely above a whisper as if she had been scared of saying it too loud. His body turning around fast was the indication she needed that he had heard her. Thankfully, his team was a little further down the hall to notice the small exchange. “Sorry, I don't mean to get in your way—”

She's completely awkward all of a sudden. Iris couldn't grasp her mind that she's been talking to this man for over a month, flirting, trauma bonding and now she couldn’t utter a word without sounding like she didn’t know a word in the English language.

“Is there— is there something you need?” He's kind. He's so kind and his voice is better than she had ever imagined. 

All of all the things she could have said, what came out is something else entirely.

“Your hair is shorter.”

Well, fuck, Iris. Congratulations, you have officially made a fool out of yourself!

“I did not intend to say that out loud, I am so so sorry, Spenc— Dr. Reid. I just, I saw a picture of yours because of an article that I read and—”

“Iris.” 

“And I—” she froze, watching a smile grow on his lips, which immediately brought warmth to her chest. Somehow, it didn't feel as if he was laughing at her. If he was then it's a beautiful sight to uphold regardless. “Yes?”

“I thought you didn't recognize me.” Spencer bit the inside of his cheek, shifting on his feet. She observed the worn-out sneakers causing her lips to twitch in amusement. One of Iris's assumptions was that Spencer was the kind of guy to wear fancy shoes — it only made sense because of the way he dressed — but that surprised her. At least she’s not the profiler. “You know, we've only been corresponding through letters so I figured you wouldn't...”

Her lips parted in astonishment. “You recognized me?”

His brows furrowed slightly, “yes. Your name is literally on the case file.”

“Oh.”

His eyes softened at her widened eyes as she processed the information. And then his brain pinched him with the fact that that's not how we're supposed to meet. Not because of a case. I'm supposed to invite her for coffee just so I can certify if she actually takes her coffee plain black with barely any sugar on it. Or a library, so we can ramble together about our favourite authors and books. 

Not.in.the.middle.of.a.case.

“You probably have a whole file about me, huh?” Her tone was playful and Spencer remembered how he grinned whenever he read her sarcasm through paragraphs of her handwriting. He learned to find Iris's humor through her words. Seeing it displayed right in front of him, full of vivid colors and a voice he tried to imagine for so long what it was like... He's speechless and already addicted to it.

“Our technical analyst probably has.” Spencer croaked out, forcing himself to avert his gaze to his feet instead. 

Iris’s eyes acquired a spark of excitement. 

“Is that the one with the clingy hugs?”

Spencer let his mouth quirk up on the edges, “yes. That's Penelope.”

“So you know all of my dark secrets before we even share them to each other.” He could hear her playful tone that carried a bit of uncertainty in the end.

“I have no reason to read your file,” Spencer said. Because he didn't. Not unless she was an official suspect. “So no, I don't know about any of your dark secrets.”

“That's good. You won't run for the hills yet.”

“What makes you think I would ever run?”

Their gazes remain on each other for a brief moment until one of them eventually caved and looks away, necks reddening, heartbeat increasing.

“Call me Spencer.” He said, squeezing the strap of his work bag until his fingers turned white. His phone vibrating in his pocket alerted him he'd taken too much time talking and less time working. He didn't want to go. “I-uh, I've read your letter. Just in case you think I've been ignoring you... I haven't. I just haven't had the time to write you back properly.”

Iris tilted her head as she leaned against the wall. “Maybe you don't need to write me back.” What am I doing? She thinks.

He cast her a look of puzzlement before his disappointment could take over, Iris was quick to clarify what she meant. 

“Maybe we could talk instead of write.” She added carefully. Confidence wearing thin. “Over coffee? Not today, of course, you're working and I'm working and we wouldn't have time but... It's—It's a stupid idea, isn't it? I'm sorry. Pretend I didn't suggest—”

“I would love to talk instead of write.” Now that I can finally hear your voice, I can stop trying to image what you sounded like through your letters. I don't want to ever stop listening to you. 

Iris gave him a look of surprise as if she had been expecting rejection because that just might have been the most out-of-place idea she had. Asking Spencer Reid out on a date while he's in the middle of a case where she works? 

“You need to go.” She mused, giving a pointed look at the vibrating cell in his hands.

“As soon as the investigation is over.” He told her after they'd exchanged numbers through their phones. Iris nodded, smiling wildly as he took a few steps back to leave her office but still didn't quite leave.

“As soon as the investigation is over, Dr. Reid.”

Spencer halts, holding onto the doorway as if stopping himself from leaving  — or staying. She didn't know which.

“Call me Spencer.” He repeated, grabbing his phone to pick up the call. Slowly, a smile etched its way into her face and his mouth followed the same action. 

“Okay, Spencer.”

Spencer nodded, holding in a smile. “I have to go.” I don’t want to.

“Please do. I don't want the FBI locking me up because I held you against your will in my office.” A joke. He liked hearing her jokes instead of reading them. “Be careful.” She requested in a slightly more serious tone, just like she always wrote in her letters addressed to him. 

“You too,” he said, taking his time to look at her one last time before he had to sprint off to where Derek required him.

It was very nice seeing you, Iris.

━━━━━━━━━ ✉ ━━━━━━━━━

A/N: hey everyone, welcome to the next phase of SBPP. I'm excited. next chapter you'll have a deeper glimpse into iris' character and some things will come to light. i'd love to read what you guys are thinking of this fic!

taglist: @lilyviolets ; @chayceschultz ; @cultish-corner ; @lover-of-books-and-tea ; @theonecalledrue

#sun-bleached paper petals #spencer reid x oc #spencer reid x original character #spencer reid x iris valencia #criminal minds fanfiction #spencer reid fanfiction #spencer reid fanfic #sun-bleached paper petals fic

[savvythepirate]

Keep calm

Pairing: Jack Sparrow x GN!reader

Warnings: None

Requested by: @roguesknights

The Request:

Could I request Jack x GN!reader where Jack running his fingers through the readers hair helps calm them down? It doesn't matter to me if you make the readers hair longer, shorter, or somewhere in-between. I just think this would be cute ❤️

***

Around the ship, Jack Sparrow was known as not the most emotional person, but at times, he allows himself to show emotions off if it was to someone he cared about.

You were one of those, basically at the top of his list of the ones he cared about. During the day, you were all sunshine and smiles, always making it seem nothing was troubling you. You were always happy to do any certain task given to you by Jack Sparrow, captain of the Black Pearl. Out of the whole crew onboard, you were lucky to have grown close and attached to Jack as you were often seen together, you following him around all day if he didn’t give you anything to do.

Because of how often you’re seen together, rumors had gone around that suspicious minds say that there was something more then friendship going on between you and the captain. Even though there was nothing more than a friendship, Jack had started liking you a little more than that. However, he kept it to himself as he was afraid of scaring you off possibly forever. To him, that cannot happen and he made sure of it by keeping his silence on the topic of confessing. Little did Jack know was that you too, had started falling for him and remained silent for the very same reasons. This friendship meant a great deal to you and you didn’t want to lose it by letting a confession slip your tongue.

Knowing Jack Sparrow for as long as you have, you felt that Jack was someone you can give your complete trust to, and to be more opening about anything. The only thing you were keeping from him was the fact that you have dealt with anxiety for as long as you can remember, due to your dark past, a story you kept from him as well. It wasn’t just the anxiety you were going through, it was the nightmares you’ve been having. The nightmares kept you up at night and because of the lack of sleep, it was easy for Jack Sparrow to pick up on your sudden change in demeanor right away. When he caught onto it, he decided he was going to gently approach you with the confrontation, wanting to know what was going on and if there was a way he could help you on this.

When Jack finds you, you’re on the top deck of the ship as the early evening sky approaches, looking over the horizon. Taking in the beauty of it for as long as you can because this time could easily be your last to enjoy something as little as this. You were watching with noticeable tired eyes, seeing that you were having trouble keeping them open, Jack approach you from behind with the first question. Jack may not know fully what was going on, but he knew that part of it was you weren’t getting the rest you needed and that was what he asked you about first.

“How long has it been since you’ve slept?” Jack asks, startling you a bit.

“Come again?”

“I think you heard me the first time, (Y/n). Have you even been sleeping at all?”

You remained silent, hoping that Jack would eventually give up and walk away, dropping the subject.

This was something you did not want to discuss, however, Jack presses on.

“You can’t play me for a fool, (Y/n). What’s going on you’re not telling me?”

Sighing in defeat, you give in and tell him only the part of it you want him to know.

“Just… nightmares.”

“About what?”

“You know, I don’t remember most of them. The ones I do remember is one very brutal and gruesome. It’s something you’ll never get out of your head, it’s the kind that keeps you up at night, afraid to fall asleep because once you do, you’re stuck in it and you’re stuck there. Those are kind of nightmares I have.” You explain.

With that much detailed information, Jack is now the one to become silent. He breaks it shortly after choosing to ask the most daring question, and will soon be wishing he hadn’t.

“Can I just ask… what do you see in those nightmares?”

“Maybe some other time, but I promise I’ll tell you. Just not now.”

Jack nods in understanding before reaching out, as if he was wanting to give you a hug for comfort.

“Does someone need a hug?” He asks with a goofy grin.

You couldn’t help but laugh a little at that, before accepting his hug. After all, Jack Sparrow gives the best kind of hugs you could ever ask for.

Time passes and you still remain in his welcoming embrace, you soon feel his fingers run through your long (h/c) hair as if it was a tactic to help calm down your anxieties and worries. The next thing you know, but can’t recall on, you fall asleep at the feel of his fingers running soothingly through your hair, still locked in his embrace.

Not wanting to wake you, Jack carries you to his cabin so he can keep an eye on you, to make sure you’re getting the rest you needed after the last few sleepless nights.

Once he gets you there, he’s about to place you on the bed when you start to mumble something in your sleep, and it clicks in him that you’re just sleep talking.

“Wai- wait.. I have to go back and… they still need my help…”

You were sounding like you had left something behind that didn’t get done, luckily, Jack knows exactly what to say.

“Let me take care of it, alright? You need to rest.”

“Ok…”

Jack couldn’t help but laugh a little as you slurred in your sleep.

Gosh, he just absolutely loves you.

He truly treasures you.

***

@savvythepirate

Characters:

• Jack Sparrow

• Davy Jones

• Hector Barbossa

• Will Turner

Requests: OPEN

Tags: @princessofthornsandroses @justafairytailofinnocence @marsswann @friendlynova @always-on-hiatus

#jack sparrow imagines #jack sparrow imagine #jack sparrow x reader #jack sparrow #hector barbossa imagines #hector barbossa imagine #hector barbossa x reader #hector barbossa #davy jones imagines #davy jones imagine #davey jones x reader #davy jones #pirates of the caribbean imagine davy jones #will turner x reader #will turner #pirates of the caribbean imagines #pirates of the caribbean imagine #pirates of the caribbean x reader #pirates of the carribean #i take requests #requests wanted #requests are welcome #send in a request #taking requests #requested #request #requests #send in an ask #ask box #ask box is open

[imvenusasaboy]

PUPARIA

Chapter 13 - No More Like That

prev - chapter 1

Seventy nine hand written notes. That was around four per day being delivered to Hosah's home address.

Every single one showed a new side to the killer, some detailing their warped view of the world around them, how angry they were, how upset and hopeless it all made them, others listing minute facts about Hosah's daily life that he himself barely took notice of, the things he did unconsciously and without realising. It was cases like these that the shifter found the most difficult, because he was able to empathise with the sick and depraved.

People like this didn't deserve sympathy, a phrase Hosah had heard time and time again, but there was something so uniquely wrong with the stalker that he just couldn't help but see the situation from all kinds of different angles. These kinds of monsters aren't just born sick, surely.

One note stuck out in particular, the rest were quite lengthy, taking up both sides of the pages they were written on, but this one was just a few words in a Get Well Soon card, 'Stop hurting yourself, and I'll stop hurting others'. A sentiment Hosah had found himself extremely familiar with, stop this self destructive behaviour, for me?

These statements meant little, if anything, to the shifter. He didn't get himself into shitty cycles of abuse for the people around him, it was all completely selfish, therefore only a selfish motivation could convince him to quit it, surely. The truth was, Hosah hated himself more than he loved others. He saw all the beauty in everyone around him, blinded by the rays of light that excreted from every stranger he passed on the street, it was his innate ability to find the ugliest parts of himself that made him able to see the desirable parts in others with such ease.

Hosah was only about half way through the pile of letters that had been left on his doorstep over the past few weeks, and he wasn't sure if he could continue to sit and read for much longer.

"These are fucking delusional.." Teddy wheeled around on his chair as he flicked through the few shorter notes in his hands, "I still can't believe you haven't been told to stay home, you know, for your safety."

If there was one thing Jules wasn't going to do, it was care about her employees livelihoods,

"Well, I'm their golden ticket to luring this guy in. Human bait, if you could even consider me that." The words scattered throughout the writings had started to seep their way into the shifter's psyche, his humanity becoming more and more debatable by the second.

Hosah laughed as he spoke, but looking back up at his assistants face, he could tell the giant was being deadly serious with his previous statement.

Teddy leant in, keeping his voice down, "We should chase Boss up on that. It's not right, keeping you coming back here, I mean they know where you work, where you used to live, it's only a matter of time before they follow us back to my place."

"There's no point. I can't lose this job, I.. Where else would I go?"

"She wouldn't fire you. She can't do that."

"But she would, she will, you don't understand," Hosah felt his throat tighten with every word he said, his big brown eyes now glossed over with tears.

"What don't I understand? Please, I want to know why you're so scared to stand up for yourself here." Although the words on paper seemed cocky, the tone in Teddy's voice was about as pure and genuine as it could get.

"There's nothing for me here. Jules did me a huge favour even considering giving me a job here, it's a miracle I like doing it and I like the people here. What other place in the city do you know that'd take on someone who can't do shit half the time?"

The pit of hopelessness in terms of making a living in this world was one Hosah had long found himself falling down, an endless rabbit hole of despair that the shifter would most certainly never have the ability to escape from. Sure, this job sucked, he had seven day work weeks for most of the year, he became the target of the depraved and disturbed, he was financially and probably psychologically abused by his boss in some way, but this was his only choice in society. You help the people in the same situation as you, or you sit around in suffering, waiting for someone else to come and save you. And if there was one thing in the world Hosah valued over anything, it was feeling like a hero.

Teddy sat in the quiet of the room for a moment, the cogs in his brain turning, leaving his face visibly deep in thought about whatever in the world Teddy thinks about.

".. Do you think people would pay a lot for your paintings?"

The question was a ridiculous one, one with an obvious answer, so obvious in fact that Hosah almost laughed out loud upon hearing it.

"God, no. I'd be lucky if anyone took any of them during a burglary." If that was the case, the shifter had struck gold with his stalker.

"I'm being serious, Hosah, your paintings are really amazing. I bet you could make a living just from selling those alone."

"I'm not giving up my likelihood to pursue some.. fantastical dream career path." In all honestly, it was the consistency and the routine that Hosah was more bothered about having to give up.

Despite all of the negatives in the field, being a detective gave Hosah purpose. It gave him a reason to get up and to take the subway every morning, because if he didn't, who would be there when one of his brothers or sisters in this world needed him?

"I didn't say you had to, over the weekend, let's go to.. I don't know, where do you even sell paintings, an art gallery? Let's go to a gallery and sell them one of your pieces."

The idea truly did sound lovely, and the thought of being praised by a professional in the field was one the shifter was particularly keen on, but simultaneously, the fear of judgement and criticism was overwhelming. The fear of not knowing what the people at the gallery would say was truly terrifying, and Hosah knew terrifying to its core.

The shifter sat silently, eyebrows furrowed as he weighed up his options. All of the pros and cons, which paintings would he even want to sell at all, what he'd do if things were to either go incredibly good or devastatingly bad.

The quiet of the near empty office space left Teddy with a feeling of unease, an urge to fill the void with whatever words came to his mind first,

"If you still like the idea of going back to Colorado and getting a quiet place together, it'd be best to start the saving process sooner rather than later."

Of course he still liked the idea, it was one he went back on a thousand times in a day, obsessing over the tiny details, making sure everything in his brain's personal palace was just as he'd left it.

Returning to the islet when things were too much in the real world was something Hosah did far more often than he'd like to admit. The term maladaptive daydreaming had been thrown around a couple times when he was a teenager, but he preferred to not really think in medical terms when it came to his brain's activity.

Being zoned out in his own little world was the shifter's safe haven. In that little boat on his way back from fishing all day, laying out for a moment, feeling the sun bask down onto his bare skin, even the summer's bugs couldn't bother him in this universe. Instead of paying attention to his reality, he would listen to the soft breeze against the lake, the bubbling of the fishes below the surface, tracing his fingertips across the cool water under the wooden structure he lay afloat in.

That was the hardest part of this decision, if he were to make his escapist fantasy a reality, would it be all he'd made it up to be in his head? Would it live up to his expectations? How could he be expected to share his dream with someone else, would Teddy even appreciate it like he did? It would probably ruin his entire existence if his only coping mechanism was to be ruined, he needed his cabin on the lake to survive even a day in this world.

"... We can think on it more later." was Hosah's answer. He couldn't help it, suggesting grandiose ideas far too soon just to weasel out of them when the prospect of them becoming reality brought back up again.

Sometimes Hosah wished for him to become comatose, or maybe a hollow, lifeless shell of himself only kept alive by breathing machines, just so he could retreat back into his own mind, living in that little cabin on the lake, without having to actually commit his physical form to the life. Locked-in syndrome didn't sound too bad at all.

The following Friday night was unusually quiet, the shifter was expecting a big bang after the fiasco that was the previous day, but it was all so eerily mundane. There was nobody waiting in the dark corners of the tunnels Teddy walked through on his way back to the, now shared, apartment. There was nobody tailing behind them as they approached the building itself. It was as if the stalker wasn't real at all, the entire situation being a massive, long lasting nightmare that Hosah had mistaken for reality.

As he sat on the same pillow he lay on previously, the shifter wondered why he should even be worrying in the first place. Sure, maybe he heard his name being said in large crowds or in the queue at a cafe, maybe he felt eyes on him constantly, even when completely in isolation, but when he really payed attention, it was evident that he truly was just alone. Who even had the time, or, as a matter of fact, who even had the patience to sit and watch his boring old life anyway.

Each note they had left gave such precise detail, facts only Hosah himself could know, things he hadn't even realised he did, the more they added up, the more unsure the shifter felt. It was stupid, there was cold hard evidence that there was someone following his every move, but Hosah couldn't help but doubt himself and the whole situation. Imposter syndrome was something just about everyone experienced, but this was to a whole new level. Being so separated from your own achievements that it even spreads out into the acts that are working against you, inadequate of deserving even the harshest abuse.

All of these questions, but the most prominent one being, why him? Not in a self pitying way, not in a way that would imply he was too good to be treat in such a manner, but why did he of all people on this planet attract such intense fixation. There was nothing truly amazing or special about Hosah, any of his coworkers would've probably been much more interesting to observe under a microscope, so why him?

Hosah was so lost in his confused daze, he spoke without even realising it, "I'm scared it's something I've made up in my head."

"Sorry?" Teddy, who was half way across the room, asked for clarification on what the, barely legible, words his roommate had just said exactly were.

"I'm scared none of it is real."

"..What isn't real?" The giant sat beside the throw pillow, his voice much softer now,

"The person stalking me. Why won't they do anything. I don't... I just need them to do something to my face, to know I'm not crazy." Hosah's arms covered his face as he went on, hiding his mixture of fatigue and fear that littered his pathetic expression.

"I can vouch for you, that whoever it is that's out to get you, is definitely real... Not- Not to scare you of course, but, I mean, there's no denying it really."

"I just need to run away and forget any of this ever happened. I need to forget New York, forget everything that came before it too, I just- I need to get out, you know?" The shifter rambled, rolling his body closer to the pale, coarse hand beside him.

"Can I come with you, or does 'any of this' include me?" Teddy joked, but the twinge of sadness in his voice gave away how he was truly feeling.

Hosah thought for a second, wondering if his genuine thoughts would be a little too intense to unload onto his assistant,

"I don't want to be too much but," The shifter sat up, a much more serious look about him than before, "I don't think I'd be able to live with myself if I left without you."

Despite their last topic of conversation being quite dark and terrifying, this comment couldn't help but turn Teddy's concerned look into an uncontrollable smile.

The lack of verbal response from his roommate made Hosah feel as if he had to fill the air with clarification on his last statement,

"I mean, I think..." How to word exactly how he felt was the main issue,

"I think I'd spend the rest of my life wondering 'What if'. What if I said this, what if I did this differently, what would've happened if I stayed. That would really mess with my head. We have.. something. And I don't want to run away from it, for once."

The shifter's face progressively reddened as he spoke, unable to control what he said as he suddenly found exactly how to address how he felt toward the giant.

An air of stillness and anticipation filled the cluttered room, with Teddy's face being hard to read at best, whatever the giant was thinking, it was a mystery to Hosah. It was as if he was transported back into the elevator where they first met, as the shifter longed for him to just say whatever thoughts he was having in that moment.

After what felt like an eternity, Teddy just laughed, "That's the nicest thing anyone's ever said to me."

Damn. How low is the bar?

Hosah was stuck between a 'You're welcome' and a 'Thank you', instead deciding to just not say anything at all.

-~-

The art gallery was weirdly quiet, to say it was the weekend and New York was in fact the world's first mega city, at least. Most people were probably tending to the consequences of their Friday night, managing some of the most indescribably unpleasant hangovers you could think of. Hosah was glad to be in an art gallery at twelve o'clock on a Saturday afternoon, knowing if he were to go back a year or two in time to this exact date, he'd probably be in the other boat.

He'd never actually been to this particular establishment, or really any galleries at all during his stay in the city. In order to calm his nerves for when it came down to actually trying to sell one of his paintings, Teddy had agreed to do a quick look around at all the other pieces first.

Hosah sat in the scarf as he had been doing much more recently, his top half poking out so he could still actually see as they toured around. One exhibit in particular caught the giant's attention it seemed, as he turned down the corridor labelled 'Shifter History Exhibit' with a big arrow pointing in the direction they were headed.

The shifter had never really been all that interested in history, especially when regarding how he would've been treated fifty or a hundred years ago, but seeing himself reflected in the renaissance era was a cool thought.

It wasn't like being a shifter was a new concept, given that the gene had existed long before humans had the resource to log any medical records or research, but it was a foreign idea to treat those with the condition with the same respect you would just any person on the street. Hosah didn't get it. If they saw him on his commute to work every morning, they wouldn't think twice to consider whether he truly had the status to consider himself human, but when he was shrunken, that was an entirely different story.

He could've sat and gotten himself annoyed at the absurdity of how people treat their peers for their differences, but it would've been a waste of time. Instead, Hosah lifted himself back out from under the scarf to take a look around.

The piece Teddy had been looking at was one of those weird little macabre medieval tapestries, where, despite the gory imagery, everyone seemed to have the same neutral dead-pan expression. This one in particular wasn't bloody at all, though. A lady and her tiny child, it seemed. Unlike all the other pieces from this dark age period in the gallery, this particular painting was very sweet. It made Hosah think there was a time in the past where not everyone like him felt as if they were aliens or unusually sentient creatures that just so happened to share a lot of features with their human counterparts.

Looking at all the tidbits of history that surrounded him, the shifter was reminded of his middle school education. Everyone in his class turning and looking at him as the topic of shifters came up in their history classes, learning that, if he were to be born in a different era, he would've been nothing more but a piece of entertainment to the people around him.

The killer wasn't doing anything unheard of when he'd used the anti-growth drug for shifters that go giant rather than shrinking on the sort of shifters on the opposite end of the spectrum, in fact, its a common practice even in todays age, where human trafficking amongst shifters was almost to be expected if you let too many people know what you are.

"I always really liked this era of art." Teddy sighed, the few people also in the exhibition probably thinking he's crazy as he was seemingly speaking to himself, "Makes me happy to think that humans have always made silly art in silly cartoon-ish styles."

"I think they just were all kind of shit at drawing. Too busy, I don't know, slaying dragons or whatever." The shifter observed, ready to move on from the specific painting.

The giant laughed, still fixated on the piece as he spoke, "Who do you think was the one who painted it, the mother or the child?"

"Read the context under it, I don't know."

"Did you wake up on the wrong side of the bed today?" Although Teddy was joking, it was very true, the shifter couldn't sleep at all the night before, it was having its effects on his attitude.

Instead of apologising for his rudeness, Hosah decided to stay silent as his assistant to read out the little plaque that sat under the painting,

"Painting by Misery Carpenter in collaboration with her son Connie. Gothic illumination art estimated to have been created from as early as the year twelve hundred up to twelve fifty."

Hosah stopped to really look at all of the minute details, realising that, yes, this was indeed a collaboration piece it seemed.

“Looks like her son painted himself, whilst she painted herself. To scale probably, it’d be hard to get all of those details with giant hands.” The shifter observed, lifting himself further out from under the fabric to look closer.

“Seems that way,” Although Hosah couldn’t see Teddy’s face from where he sat, he could tell the giant was smiling as he said that.

The pair took in the painting in all of its newfound glory, Teddy realising that he had more to say on it that he’d initially thought,

"Isn't it weird how we just sort of stopped giving our kids names like that? When I was younger, I used to walk around graveyards a lot, just looking at all the headstones, there were so many names like that, one I always remembered was a woman called Morning Star, from the eighteen hundreds."

His rambling sort of put the shifter at ease, little things that would've gotten on his nerves a few minutes ago were now able to be overlooked, filling him with a weird urge to actually apologise for his sour mood, which was something he'd never felt the need to do before.

"..That is weird. Sorry I've been out of it all day, I'm just nervous." It was true, Hosah was very, very nervous to find out whether his art was truly worth what his assistant had exaggerated his skills to be.

Finally, the giant moved on from the creepy painting, heading toward a glass casing filled with the tiniest pottery one could imagine,

"It's okay. We can always try a smaller scale place if that'd make you feel better. Maybe go to a marketplace first, where people aren't gonna instantly think critically, you know?"

Uninterested in seeing any more, Hosah retreated back into the security of the scarf, "Yeah, that sounds good."

It could’ve been out of doubt for the shifter’s talents, or it could’ve been out of genuine care for his nerves, either way, Hosah appreciated the sentiment and would much rather prefer his pieces hang on the wall for someone to wake up to every morning rather than have hundreds of people observe it briefly every day.

Still, in supposedly peaceful and safe moments like this one, Hosah couldn’t help but get his mind stuck on the person who had been following him. A sudden and unprompted wave of guilt washed over his entire form as he came to the terrible conclusion that, this could all be some kind of trick. Something to throw the detectives off the killer’s trail, something to get them so worked up and paranoid about that they run away from the investigation.

“It’s a red herring,” The shifter muttered, frantically trying to get his assistant’s attention.

Rightfully, Teddy was confused, “They just look like ceramics to me.”

“Not- not that, the notes, the package, the gun, the breaking and entering. They’re not after me to kill me, necessarily, they’re trying to throw us off of the case. Get us too worried about my safety to work on it.”

“You think?” The uncertainty in the giant’s voice was nothing but agitating to the stressed shifter, “Seems like a lot of effort to go to, lots of research, lots of time writing the letters,”

“I’m serious. I’m- It all adds up. It’s all- It’s not- I don’t know. They’re never really here, no real true physical threat, it’s always leaving trails and shit behind my back. I don’t know, I’m probably not-“ Hosah rambled, before an interjection,

“No, I trust you. I think we should look into the idea more, before we make any rash decisions.” Although Teddy’s logic was appreciated, an input from the shrunken detective’s higher up, Jeanne, would’ve probably been more useful to him in that moment.

That was the thing with Jeanne, he could tell you the sky is purple and you’d stop to consider his point. He was blunt, his words often having no tone at all as he said them, but that’s what made him come off as such a credible source. That, and his years of expertise.

“.. You’re right. You’re always right. Can you just tell me what to do, step by step, for the rest of my life?” Hosah sighed, a twinge of restlessness in his voice as he spoke, curling himself back up in the crook of the neck, beneath all the layers of the deep red fabric that complimented the giant’s cool toned skin and auburn hair.

Teddy laughed at him, as he usually did when the shifter said stupid shit, like his previous statement, “I don’t know, I think I’d prefer if you made your own choices.”

“I don’t want to anymore. Just direct me, I’d live better that way.” The thought of never having to think for himself again was quite the peaceful one, in Hosah’s opinion.

Maybe the theory was one the shifter had come up with exclusively to put his mind at ease, but in the brief moments where he believed maybe, just maybe, every piece of real and raw evidence stacking against his idea was all just to distract him from the truth, he could finally breathe.

#g/t #giant tiny #g/t ocs #gianttiny #giant/tiny #oc hosah #oc teddy #Puparia_tag #g/t author #g/t writing #Stinker #What will happen next.. I wonder 😮

[wonda-fhr]

11, 15, and 17 for David, Lia and Justin?

I was so surprised by your questions for the OC Askbox. I thought I had saved it as a draft.🙈😆 But now they're here and I'm glad you asked. Thanks. 💕

Does your character have a pet peeve?

David doesn't really have one. He is too nice and tolerant to get upset about trivial things.

Loud fake laughter, meant for self-expression so that everyone can hear it, can really upset Lia.

Justin can't stand intrusive physical intimacy. (But he can dish it out.) An arm on the shoulder or a sudden hug are gestures he doesn't like. A little pat on his butt is a quick and guaranteed way to lose a hand.

Is your character's first instinct fight or flight? Is there something that could force them to do the opposite?

David would rather flee. He doesn't like to fight, either physically or emotionally. But if it's important or if he has to defend someone, he doesn't shy away and is much better at fighting than most people give him credit for.

In real fights, it's a fight for Lia. Retreat does not suit her. The only situation that would make her avoid a fight would be if someone she cares about could be harmed. In interpersonal confrontations, it's either a fight or something in between. She can get loud when she thinks she's right, but she also likes to face an angry opponent with a stoic composure that drives many crazy.

When Justin fights, he extends his claws faster than he should. He is easily provoked, sees attacks where none exist, and reacts very impulsively. He is like a powder keg and says and does things he regrets later. Whether he'll admit it depends on who it's about. If you trigger his deepest fears or try to cage him, he will always flight.

Is your character holding any grudges? Are they likely to stop?

David not really. None that he would hold against anyone personally. If he harbors a slight grudge, he quickly convinces himself that he simply doesn't know enough about the other person and their motives.

Lia certainly has some. There's a list of various farm employees she's sure to turn to, and she won't stop.

There are few that Justin doesn't hold a grudge against. He holds a grudge against Ortega, Herald, the farm, the world. The list gets longer instead of shorter. With help he can put it aside, but he needs support to change his perspective, otherwise he just gets lost in his anger.

#ask game #david kingsley #lia kingsley #justin rosedale

[anonymousfoz]

The Earth, Stars and Moon

Part 2

Tw: Death

Tag List: @vite-poh, @theoracleofgiana, @quinnharperwrites, @holdmyteaplease (ask to be added)

A strange duo was walking the large dirt road towards the next town; they had been walking for days and didn’t plan on stopping, but boredom had gotten the better of the younger one.

“Brother Bear, come on. Tell me the story one more time.” The younger of the duo had asked. She wore a long white shirt with buttons going down the middle. She wore your typical pants, but they were becoming more worn out in every town they had visited. The coat of a wolf acted like a cloak and had gone down the back of her shirt, sometimes the head of the wolf would go over her long black hair. The white fur of the wolf's coat was stained with blood, which couldn’t be washed out by hand. Brother Bear still remembered when she had killed it with her own bare hands; she needed to win over the trust of the wolf pack, even if it meant killing their alpha, something that was easier said than done. She took the fur as a prize but a reminder to any wolf who had second thoughts of her rule. Her tan skin had made her stand out compared to Brother Bear, who had pale skin, similar to those the townfolk they hunted. The larger man was often confused for a bear due to the large amount of hair he had covering his body; he had the same white shirt as the female and pants that were more kept together than his female counterpart, but that was where similarities ended. His dark brown hair was kept as tidy as possible and had to be shaved nearly every day, or it would grow to go past his back. Today it was in a small man bun and his beard was trimmed but was quickly regrowing. “Beary!”

“You heard the story over and over. Doesn’t it get boring to you?” He looked at his partner’s brown eyes, looking for any opportunity not to retell the tale. He found nothing. “Besides Sister Wolf, you have more tales than me.” She glared at him, causing him to roll his eyes before she responded.

“I’m sure you don’t want to hear me talking about getting burned alive, or what the wolves do while I am there.” She had a point, an excellent point.

“It all started back when I was a lad…”

I had grown up living with my Granny and Pappy. My dad had gotten himself hanged and my mother left me to die when I was like 5. Nearly did die; rattlesnake almost got me. I worked on the farm with them until Mother Moon chose me. I remember the night like any other night. The sky was beautiful before it bled. Its dark navy blue vastness with the small ivory freckles covered the globe with not a single cloud in the sky. I was out on the grass hill by the barn; the wind was in my hair, which was much shorter then and easier to manage. It was a perfect night. Cattle were sleeping, bucks were grazing and the orange tabby was purring on my chest. It was quiet... too quiet. That’s when the Mother Moon began to laugh. Her laughter sent a shiver down my spine as the sky became red. The gentle breeze violently picked up and the tabby began barking. Her laughter picked up as things continued to go wrong. The cattle had awoken and began encircling the barn while all I could do was watch. I sprang to action and attempted to get back to the barn, had to warn Granny and Paps. Yet the bucks were aggressive, trying to wrangle me with their antlers, some aiming to kill. The moon came down and had picked up the farm while stars began to fall from the sky. They were gone like that. She apologized for it, still doesn’t make the pain go away. And when all was said and done, when morning came. No one believed me. The farm was gone; the cattle were normal, and the stars were back in the in the sky. I left town with the tabby and one of the bucks following behind. Nothing but my name and the clothes on my back; I began to walk until my legs gave out. It was a long walk, longer than any we been on Wolfy. I hoped Mother Moon would come back down again to end my pitiful existence. She never did, but her laughter was all I heard as I continued to walk. One day, the sky would bleed again. The cattle would go crazy, the cats would bark and the bucks would attempt murder again. Stars would fall again and someone else would take my curse. Allowing me to rest among the stars. But it never happened. Instead, I passed out one day in tribal territory. It is said that the chief confused me for a settler and wanted me dead, but Mother Moon had stepped in to spare my life. They took care of me, taught me the basics and had dubbed me Brother Bear.

“You know the rest after that.” Sister Wolf nodded as the two continued walking through the desert with Father Sun shining down upon them.

“Do you think your mother is out there? Mine is back in Mexico. She still misses you.” Brother Bear smiled at that. Wolfy’s Ma was a sweet old lady who had a lot of hardships, she didn’t understand what the duo did but she supported them either way. It was a shame that Wolfy was stolen away and nearly sold as a maid, but Brother Bear had made sure that didn’t happen. Besides, Wolfy needed the arson practice, eventually.

“If she is out there, I like to meet her and have questions to ask her. But I love your Ma more.”

“Because she’s supportive and actually there for you?” Ouch. Brother Bear could see it coming from a mile away and it didn’t make it hurt less. However, he had quickly came up with something.

“Because she knows what it is like to deal with you.” Sister Wolf let out a whimper before slightly punching the older man. “Whimper all you want, you cannot beat me when it comes to insults.” The two bickered before a coyote joined the two on their walk.

“Good evening, siblings.” The small creature greeted the duo as it walked beside them slightly off the dirt path. It wasn’t your normal coyote, as it had silver fur and green eyes like Brother Bear. It spoke like a mayor, so formal and you were left constantly unaware if it their statements true or not.

“What are we doing at this town ‘yote?” Brother Bear picked up the coyote, who was attempting to flee his grip before giving up. “If you bite me, I will throw you to the next two towns.”

“Do your thing in the next town. But in the town after it, there is a child that is from the land of Sister Wol-”

“Mexico,” Sister Wolf interrupted while glaring at the coyote. “Respect it.”

“From Mexico. Mother Moon said something about giving her powers to survive some incident and she’s going to be a third member here or something.”

“We don’t need a third member.” Brother Bear quickly became upset at the thought of another person to look after. It had always been him and Sister Wolf and disliked that Mother Moon was trying to change that.

“Will you two let me finish?” The coyote barked at the two before Brother Bear dropped it on the ground. “Like I was saying, she will be joining you two. She’s something fox related, and the sheriff is trying to burn her for it. He’s heard of you two and is trying to convince to town only to fail.”

“You talk too much.” Sister Wolf picked up the coyote by its tail to look at the small creature into the eye. “Brother Bear will transport you to the child.” She handed the coyote over to him; the animal tried to scramble before Brother Bear sent the coyote to the stars, hoping it landed far away from the duo. The female smiled, watching the small annoying creature get sent far away before seeing the next town on the horizon. She quickly noticed that Brother Bear was frustrated and muttering under his breath. “Hey, relax. A new member won’t change our dynamic! Just add to the chaos. And if it fails, we can send the child to the tribes before they join us.” Brother Bear grumbled before pushing Sister Wolf away with a playful grin.

“Let’s just hope this child is nothing like you. I would beg Mother Moon to let me die right then and there.” The two continued to fling insults and jokes at each other before entering the town, scoping out the area and looking at the church. It was made of imported wood from the east coast, painted white to fit in with the town’s aesthetic. The fresh coat of paint plus the Douglas fir softwood would make it burn in 5 to 10 minutes. Depending what method Sister Wolf used, the building could be ash in under an hour. This town appeared to be very dependent on hunting of bison and other animals to trade their fur. Brother Bear could easily order and stampede, while Sister Wolf could order her pack to surround the town, making sure nothing went in or out. Brother Bear and Sister Wolf went into the nearby orphanage, appearing to want to adopt a child. The caretakers were awful and seemly abusive; The duo would make sure they be the first to die. They would make sure the children were safe and transported to a tribe nearby for a temporary stay. More scoping around of the town had made it clear who the duo would spare and who they needed to make sure were gone. Then they headed out of the scope of town and set up a fire to cook some meat and roast nuts. Without communicating a word, they had their plan already perfectly planned out. They had been doing this for years to already pre-plan for everything that could go wrong. The night was followed by eating under the stars and sleeping till dawn. A few wolves came to the duo and tried to play with them, yet the woke up the wrong one. Brother Bear growled at them and went back to sleep hearing whimpering pups running away as fast as possible.

#the earth stars and moon #writeblr #writing #my writing #fantasy #fiction

[phanfictioncatalogue]

hi! last anon here who asked abt the time travel thingy, would also like to hear your all time favorite fics! im a bit overhwlemed with the so many fics i could read so a small list to start with would be immensely helpful 💗

All admins feel free to add on! But off the top of my head, here’s some of my favorite longer fics! Lmk if you want shorter recs too!

A Stolen Ring (ao3) - orphan_account

Summary: Dan’s not normal. Why?

He's not human, he has a mysterious ring, and he hates Phil Lester. They have a strange past, one filled with bullying and avoidance, but when Dan turns into an incubus, everything changes. He struggles with his identity and cries himself to sleep most nights, yearning to be normal. And somehow the universe makes it worse by bringing him and Phil together - in the most literal sense.

(TW) Absolutely Lovely (ao3) - Autumn_Kismet

Summary: His friends and family think he's acting strange, they're worried that he's depressed again, but Dan doesn't see it. The only thing he sees is the new guy at school, the quirky one with the black hair and stunning blue eyes, and that's bad. So bad... because he likes him, and Dan can't like him. Dan can't be gay. He'll lose his family, he'll lose his friends... he'll become just like his father, and that's the last thing that he wants in the entire world. It's a scary thought that he doesn't think will ever go away and if there's the possibility of that happening, of him becoming the disgusting monster that his father was, or is, then maybe the world is better off without him, regardless of what PJ's dad, his mum's new husband, has to say.

Believe in Me (ao3) - Elleberquist6

Summary: Dan Howell is living at home while he’s saving money for college, which isn’t easy since his parents don’t understand him. Unlike them, he loves dogs, is a vegetarian, has no interest in the family business, and he despises the supernatural. He struggles to accept things that are illogical, even though he is a kitsune. Kitsune are foxes whose powers involve the ability to cast illusions, but Dan just wants to be normal. Phil Lester has just moved to London, where he works as a dog walker. When his path crosses with Dan, Phil is eager to get to know him. Unfortunately, Phil soon finds that being friends with Dan is far more complicated than he could have imagined.

(TW) Break Me (ao3) - MySecretsX

Summary: In this world, you're marked with black. That's if you have a soulmate at least. Everyone is destined to cross paths with the one who is meant for them, at least once in their lives.

When you and your soulmate meet, you will touch, if only briefly, and the exact area of skin you touch with the other turns from black to white, with streaks of blue, purple, yellow, all marbled in with each other.

Daniel Howell is well-known in town. People cross the street if they're approaching him and newcomers to the neighbourhood are warned about his presence. Exactly like the Lester's were. But Phil Lester has other ideas, he saw the pain within the boy, how bad can he really be?

Bury Your Flame (ao3) - worriedpeach (skeletonflowers)

Summary: After receiving a dragon egg when his grandfather passed away, Phil is forced to ask for help from the local dragon tamer. As he soon finds out, Dan Howell is nothing he’s been expecting. Infuriating, ludicrous, and completely lacking respect, Dan is everything Phil hates. But Phil will do anything to make his grandfather proud, even if that means getting help from the local cluck.

Cat and Mouse (ao3) - jilliancares

Summary: Dan Howell is the Panther. He's evil, nefarious, ingenious, and good at coming up with adjectives for himself. The Raven is a nuisance, but he's definitely the most fun part when it comes to being a villain. As a child, Dan had been scared of his powers. He'd been weak. He'd become strong, though. Strong enough to torment the city; strong enough to annoy the Raven with every opportunity he got.

Phil Lester only had one goal these days. To become strong enough to defeat the Panther.

Desires (ao3) - A_Million_Regrets

Summary: What would you do if you were suddenly hauled from your inauspicious life and dumped into an unforeseen catastrophe with your worst enemy?

Dan Howell and Phil Lester completely and utterly hate each other. They fight every time they meet, and all of their friends are tired of it. But one day, these two hot-headed, reckless men stumble through a secret passage in a mysterious old house and wake up on a strange island uninhabited by other intelligent life forms. They only have each other and no way to escape. Will they fight to death, or will they learn to trust each other in a world where no one else exists? Can they put aside their mutual hatred for each other to survive this misfortune?

(TW) Get Out Your Damn Umbrellas (ao3) - llamalamp

Summary: Phil's only gone for one weekend.

Apparently that's all the time it takes for everything to fall apart.

(TW) Head Down Low (ao3) - Rhensis

Summary: Dan isn’t right. He’s not like most of the others, he’s not genetically pure. He has no destined path, he has nothing going for him in life. He’ll be lucky to get himself a job in a fast food kitchen, and everyone looks down on him like he’s a piece of dirt stuck at the bottom of their shoe. Except one person: Phil Lester.

The Colors in You (ao3) - Phandiction

Summary: Dan is a dragon with scales as black as a moonless night. Part of the Dark's, he’s not supposed to get along with the colorful Chrome dragons from the other side of the island. But after seeing a Chrome for the first time in person, he’s transfixed by the rainbow of colored scales and against his better judgement rescues the dragon from a group of Dark’s seeking to kill it. Now responsible for hiding and protecting the Chrome dragon named Phil until he’s recovered enough to return to his home, Dan questions the laws that's kept the two species from each other for centuries.

The Slave Boy (ao3) - Phandiction

Summary: On his eighteenth birthday Phil receives a quiet and timid slave boy as a gift from his father. Phil intends to make Dan his friend more than a slave but social status and pressure from his father forces the two to keep an emotional distance when it comes to being in public. Behind closed doors though the Master and his slave become close. Phil is expected to take over his father's business and marry a prestigious young girl but this isn't what the young Master wants. What he wants is something he can't have in his world, his slave boy.

(TW) Those Who Trust (ao3) - theshyauthor

Summary: Dan used to be a submissive and now he’s just a broken shell of a man.

Thyme after Thyme (ao3) - chisomo

Summary: Dan Howell runs an apothecary shop in the heart of London, a city wrought with rising tensions between witches and normal humans. Dan tries to ignore the daily instances of prejudice towards his kind and keep his magical abilities a secret, but his life is irrevocably changed when a garden shop is opened next door by a certain sky-eyed young human.

Trust Me, I'm Broken Too (ao3) - natigail

Summary: The Lesters – the royal family of his homeland – was nothing like Dan thought they would be. Well, the King was just as horrible as he had heard but the King’s brother’s son, who was third in line for the throne, was nothing like Dan thought he’d be. Dan had been adrift for three years going from one “place of employment” to another, only his life was seen as worthless and he was more property than an employee. He had never imagined he’s end up as the property of Prince Philip.

The Prince had no intention of ever taking on a personal servant, which was a fancy name to disguise the fact a law essentially enslaved people. Phil often had to do things he didn’t want to or risk being removed from the succession to the crown. If that happened, who knew who his tyrant of an uncle would pick as a successor? When pressured into the choosing, he’d wanted to go for the most innocent, young girl, but hard brown eyes caught his attention instead.

Weather With You (ao3) - Evening42

Summary: Phil moves to an isolated cottage to start his dream of writing a novel. He meets a mysterious silent stranger on the beach who has a tragic history.

-Rae

#answered #anonymous

[killemwithkawaii]

Goretober 2022 Day 31: Soulmates pt. 1

[BEGIN TRANSCRIPT]

The sixth time we met, I ran into you while you were grocery shopping.

I’d already found you, and had been keeping track of you and your blog for about a month.  I’d already found your IP address, all your passwords to your emails and other accounts, and your bank information. It was pretty easy to figure out your schedule from all that. You’ve said it yourself in multiple timelines- you’re a creature of habit. You like doing the same things over and over again, which works out great for me. I figured out your sleep and work schedules based on when you made posts, and looking at your credit card statement, I knew you went grocery shopping at the same supermarket, on the same day, around the same time every week. I knew that was one of the few places that I could run into you and I would get to see you up close and in-person for the first time again, since pretty much everything else was shut down by then.

When I spotted you, you were in the produce section. I knew it was you right away- your heart-print sweater, something like you wore during the fifth time we were together, was a dead give-away. Heh, you were shorter than I’d expected, but it looked like you were still pretty sturdy under those oversized clothes… I got closer, trying to look casual, pretending to browse through the bins until I managed to side-saddle up against your cart and get a good look at you. You had big eyes with long lashes, pale skin, dark hair that was longer and more wild than I’d ever seen you wear it… it looks good on you. I really like it… do you mind if I…?

…

Uh, okay, maybe later… well, I couldn’t see if you had your lip piercing or crooked teeth, since that bug’s been going around and everyone is wearing masks, but I didn’t need to. The mask you were wearing had a printed-on smile that looked exactly like the one you had the fourth time I found you. It was really, really cute to see it on you in person… You were holding a box of strawberries, and you carefully inspected them before you put them in your cart. Food quality is important to you, just like the second time we were together…. That’s why I double-checked that everything I got for us to eat while we’re here is really fresh! We just have to actually, ya’know… eat it… before it goes bad…?

….

[sigh]

While you did that, I was staring at you... I couldn’t help it, I was so, so happy to see you, Mitchie… I wanted to call you by your name, give you a big hug, and tell you how much I’d missed you and how much I love you… I think you noticed. You glanced up at me, and from what I could tell, you smiled at me from under your mask before you carried on with your routine grocery shopping trip…. 

Eheh, did you recognize me? Huh? C’mon, you can tell me…

….

Anyway… I trailed behind you, watching you be you…. It wasn’t hard, because you were so focused on the task at hand, and you took a very predictable route through the store. Produce, dry goods, then refrigerated stuff, so they wouldn’t be left out at room temperature for too long… You checked your list often and compared prices on everything, and I took note of what you picked up so I would know what to get for when I brought you here. I know you like to eat the same things a lot… I made sure to make special notes about the things you put back while shaking your head, probably because they were 'too expensive' for you to justify buying for yourself. I wanted to treat you, since this is a really special occasion…~ 

I noticed you picked up a lot of produce and fresh meat, but not a lot of ready-made or snack food- I was happy to see that you were taking care of yourself and that you cooked at home, because it meant we would be able to cook together again while we were here… if you want to…

.......

… You did get more caffeinated drinks than I wanted you too, but I wasn’t really surprised, since that’s a habit you have a lot…. You picked up a bottle of vodka and a bottle of wine, but only one of each, which was honestly a relief… Don’t get me wrong, I loved you when you were a big drinker, but it got … kind of out of hand, sometimes…. 

While you did your rounds, I heard you talking to yourself about what you needed to buy, and you said ‘excuse me’ and ‘thank you’ to the staff and fellow shoppers you passed, like, a lot. I’m glad that you’re so polite in this timeline, too, but also happy that you don’t take as much shit as you have before… My favorite part of watching you during that trip was when I saw you find an empty aisle, and you took a running start and rode your cart down it, after you’d looked both ways to make sure you wouldn’t run into anyone. Fun and spontaneous, but also cautious and considerate… I also noticed that sometimes, you’d hold your fist out a little at your side, almost like you were holding the hand of someone that wasn’t there… I wanted to reach out and take it, but that would have kinda blown my cover… [laughing]

When you’d checked everything off your list, I watched you go through the checkout. You made polite chit-chat with the cashier and used some coupons- frugal- but you didn’t fuss when a few of them didn’t work- you’re understanding, too….

I followed you out into the parking lot to see you off, but I saw an opportunity to sneak into the back seat of your car and hide myself under some of the trash and stuff on the floor, like the first time we were together, while you were putting your cart back. You got caught up organizing the other carts that other people hadn’t bothered to put away properly- You don’t like when people aren’t considerate, just like the first time, and I think I saw you bitching to yourself about it the whole time you were doing it, just like you would have the second time…

When you got in the car, you fastened your seatbelt first-thing, and while you drove, you used your turn signal and followed the speed limit and you talked shit about some other motorists that weren’t being courteous. You also belted out the lyrics to the music you played- it was a lot like how you drove the first and second time, except now, you sometimes looked over at the passengers seat and smiled at nothing…. I wanted so badly to crawl up to the front and sing with you in the car again… but I’m patient. We can do that when I take you back home later…

When you got home from your shopping trip, I snuck out of your car while you were carrying bags of groceries up to your apartment. The number of bags you grabbed at a time confirmed my theory that you were strong this time, but I still wished I could have helped you with them… 

I kept watching through the windows of your apartment all night so I could get a glimpse of you being you in your natural habitat, like I got to see the fifth time. You came out on your porch in the evening with a mug of something- probably coffee, liked you tend to like- and smoked weed out of a big glass bong, a lot like the one you had the third time. You looked like you were feeling pretty good, and when you went back inside, I watched you pacing back and forth for about 45 minutes straight. It reminded me of the walks we used to take in my room the fourth time we were together…. You were staring off at nothing while you did that, talking and gesturing to no one. And then, you sat down for a while, and a new post about me appeared on your blog. I realized you must have been daydreaming of me while you were pacing, just like I used to daydream about you during our ‘walks’, and like how we daydreamed about each other in just about every timeline before our honeymoons began in them….

You stayed up late- you’re a night owl, like you usually are- and I stayed there watching until you went to sleep. Then, I crawled back into the back seat of your car to get some rest, and I drifted off imagining that I was in your bed with you, and you’d kissed me goodnight before you turned out the lights…

I know it’s been hard on you, but thanks to the quarantine making you stay home where I could watch you, and you posting on your blog all the time about all the things you imagined and remembered doing with me to cope, I was able to learn a lot about this version of you, and I was able to put all of this together for us. I wanted to make sure everything was perfect… a perfect place for the two of us to spend our sixth honeymoon together… the perfect getaway to where we always wanted to go on vacation, where it could be just the two of us, having fun and spending time together doing whatever we want to do… and then, when our time together ends, I’ll be gone, you’ll be able to go right back to your life. After October, this’ll all just be a memory that feels like a dream, like none of it ever happened…. 

That’s all I want from this, Mitchie. Please, please let me do that for us… we don’t have a lot of time left. Let’s just make the most of it, okay…?

[END TRANSCRIPT]

#the staycation 🏡💙 #tw yandere #tw stalking #tw drug use #tw kidnapping #tw unreality #tw mental illness #tw infantilization #goretober2022 #meet the fishers

[mlmxreader]

The Boyfriend | Tony Balerdi x m!reader

@king-trash-cryptid asked: "Oh kiss my ass"

"All right pull your trousers down and I will"

With Tony from burnt?

summary: your relationship with Tony isn’t a secret, but while Tony likes to keep his private and personal lives separate, sometimes there’s a very rare overlap. 

tws: swearing, mentions of smoking

word count: 1572

If it was a secret, it was kept shockingly terribly, as everyone in the kitchen knew about it within a week, and suddenly everyone in the hotel knew about it by the end of the month, and the gossip would not stop; the relationship between you and Tony no longer being quiet wasn’t the issue, though, nor was the fact that you heard quite a few people muttering about how they didn’t particularly see you as being any sort of good boyfriend for him - the issue, more than anything, was the fact that almost daily, you were bombarded with questions. Adam would ask where you went on dates, if you ate there, what you ate there, whether or not you knew the chef there, whether or not you knew where they bought the ingredients; Helene would about if Tony cared how you dressed, if you cared that he was often overdressed, occasionally if you would be alright to babysit for her. You knew they meant well, of course, you knew they were more concerned with running the damn kitchen than anything else, but you started to feel like every time you walked in through the front doors, you needed to have a fucking list of answers to shit; Tony didn’t seem so worried, though, quite happy to answer the questions and more than able to put people in their place if they stepped over the line. He was always more than happy to keep people in line, especially if it was over something as intimate as his personal life; still, though, he wasn’t exactly a stranger to asking favours of his kitchen staff when it came to you. 

If you were sick, he would get them to make recipes from his family that had helped him in such times, and he would make damn sure that they got every single thing perfect; he would give them the appropriate bonus cash for it, of course, always making sure that they essentially got paid double, as he always included it with their overtime pay - sometimes he even snuck some cash into their pockets from his own wallet, if he could. He would simply add it to their wages if he couldn’t, though.

If you had brought up something you wanted to try, Tony would bring it up with them and would ask them to make it for you, again paying double their usual earnings plus overtime - even if they were already on shift - and even offering to add a little extra from his own pocket, even if they said no, he still managed to sneak the money into their payslips; if it was for you, Tony was more generous than usual. But Tony would never tell you about it, he would lie and say that the kitchen staff were simply trying it out anyway to see if it could go on the menu, as you always told him that he shouldn’t push them, that he shouldn’t bother them about a simple thing you wanted; it saved you the guilt. 

Still, that was about the only time he ever brought you up with his work colleagues; he made it a point to very rarely mention what was going on in your personal lives, as even though he counted the majority of them as his friends, he wasn’t exactly keen on telling them about you. That was a step too far. Simply because you sometimes babysat for her, Helene was allowed to know where you lived and even had a spare key to your place - but no one else did, and she was more than happy to keep it to herself. 

It wasn’t even rare for Tony to spend the night at your place and then be dropped off in the mornings, either; quite often, he would spend the night with you, cuddled up watching films or getting more and more confident with handling your large snake, which wasn’t a whole lot shorter than he was tall - the difference was about fifty or so centimetres, which always made you laugh. You would drop him off in the morning, though, making plans for dinner before you went off to spend your day; he would think about the goodbye kiss you gave him, smiling to himself as he walked into the hotel, a slight blush on his features. Very rarely did Tony ever let you come to work with him. Very rarely. 

But today, he did; after you had told him that you wouldn’t be working until the evening, he had offered to let you stay in his office while he worked, and in return, he would drive you to work and buy you lunch. 

So, there you sat, amongst the large glass walls and doors, your feet up on his desk as you looked through the news on your phone, occasionally answering the odd text or two, when Adam strolled in. 

“Hey,” you smiled, waving at him a little. 

Adam looked around before he dared to look at you with a frown. “You seen Tony?”

“Not since this morning,” you shrugged. “Why, what’s up?”

“We ran out of garlic,” he huffed, running a hand through his hair. “And we can’t make half the shit on the menu without it.” 

You furrowed your brows, pursing your lips a bit as you scratched the back of your neck. “I can go down the paper shop and get some - I need to get some Monster, anyway.” 

“You shouldn’t drink that shit,” he shook his head, stuffing his hands in his pockets. “I’ll give you the cash, but you need to get it from the grocers’.” 

“Don’t worry about the cash,” you insisted, getting up and grumbling a little. “Think of it as a favour. I’ll get your garlic, if you don’t tell Tony I’m gonna get Monster, yeah? He fucking hates the stuff, and I told him I’d drink his fancy coffee but…” 

“But it tastes like shit,” Adam chuckled, nodding as he extended his hand. “Alright, deal.” 

“Deal,” you shook his hand and dared to laugh a little. “Anything else you guys want? Coffee, tobacco?”

He shook his head. “I don’t think so, but thank you.” 

You shrugged again, telling him not to worry as you grabbed your hoodie and tugged it on, but just as you were about to leave the office, Tony came wandering in, and you could hear him asking everyone if things were alright; the issue of the lack of garlic was brought up, but it wasn’t long before he came over, looking between you and Adam with suspicion. 

“You offered to buy him garlic in exchange for Monster, didn’t you?” He guessed. 

You sighed, pointing at Adam. “It was his idea.” 

“It was no-”

“Get out,” Tony muttered to him, and when Adam did as he was told, he glared at you. “Seriously? You could have just asked me to go and-” 

“It’s fun to piss you off, though,” you grinned at him. “Besides, I know I said I would try that fancy coffee you got but… it tastes like shit, Tony.” 

“Oh, kiss my ass.” 

“Alright, pull your trousers down and I will,” you teased, not expecting him to back you up against the nearest wall, stealing a look around before he bit at his lip and gently cupped your jaw in his hand. 

“I’ll come with you to the shop,” he said quietly. “But next time you want energy drinks, don’t make a deal with Adam.” 

“Why not?”

“Because I know what you’re like,” he chuckled. “And before I know it, I’ve lost my best chef for an hour because you wanted that caffeinated piss.” 

You laughed softly, daring to steal a quick kiss as you hummed softly. “You know me far too well, Balerdi.” 

“I know,” Tony mused, pulling away after letting you steal another quick kiss. “What did you do with my keys?”

“Top drawer,” you told him. “Your wallet’s in the same one.” 

“Thank you, tesoro,” he grabbed the keys and his wallet, stuffing them into his pocket before offering you his arm. “Is it just the paper shop and the grocers’ that we need to go to?”

You linked your arm with his, daring to get a little too close as you hummed quietly and thought about it for a second. “Did you buy baccy the other day?”

“I did,” he nodded, grabbing the door and stepping out with you, making quick work of getting through the kitchen and out through the back. “I left it by the teabags and the sugar at yours.”

You nodded back, then smiled as you looked at him, those big brown eyes able to make you feel at home just about anywhere. “Then no, I think a couple of cans of Monster and garlic is about all we need.” 

“Good, then we can make a stop at the coffee shop,” he told you. “They do one there that I think you’ll like.” 

You chuckled as you rolled your eyes. “You really do know me all too well, y’know.” 

“I know,” Tony smiled, daring to steal a kiss. “Do you want me to pick you up and drop you off tonight?”

“If you could,” you shrugged. “I wouldn’t worry too much, though, I can make my way home easily.” 

“I’ll need the break,” he sighed. “I’m expected to speak with my father before you finish at work, so I’ll… I’ll need a break.” 

if you liked this fic, REBLOG IT - you SHOULD reblog it; if you don't wanna reblog, then you'll get blocked; reblogging is the BARE MINIMUM. don't just "like", REBLOG

#mlem writes #tony balerdi #tony balerdi x reader #tony balerdi imagine #burnt #burnt 2015 #burnt film #daniel bruhl imagine #daniel bruhl x you #daniel bruhl x reader #daniel bruhl #daniel brühl imagine #daniel brühl x reader #Daniel Brühl

[nobedofroses]

December 19

pairing: Marcus Moreno x reader

warnings: fluffy, family friendly innuendo, Marcus’ muscles

words: 770

a/n: getting a tree!

Last, Full List, Next, More Marcus

🏔🏔🏔

Excitement filled the air in Marcus’ truck as you and Missy went on about the process of finding the perfect Christmas tree and decorating it when you got home. All of the other parts, like cutting it down and securing it to the car you would leave for Marcus. Although, Missy was keen on sawing the final few times and yelling timber as it fell down, so long as Marcus did all the prep work. 

You had gotten hot chocolate and coffee before leaving, which would hopefully keep you warm, and of course all three of you had tons of layers to put on once you left the warmth of the car. 

“I want one suuuper tall, as tall as the ceiling!” Missy poked her dad’s shoulder to make sure he was listening. 

“It can’t be as tall as the ceiling or we won’t be able to fit the angel, angel,” Marcus told her, smiling at his (simple) play on words. 

“How about six inches shorter than the ceiling, that should be enough,” you told them both and they agreed. 

___

An hour later, you and Missy had decided on the perfect tree. Marcus was a little surprised and asked if it was full enough, but the two of you said that even trees on the more scraggly side deserved to be Christmas trees. 

So, he set to work cutting it down, and you definitely enjoyed the way his muscles flexed in his arms and back (from what you could see through his coat). While he did that, you and Missy decided that instead of the white lights this year, you wanted to do colored ones, specifically with either purple or pink in them, preferably both. This meant a trip to the store, but the two of you could do that while Marcus got the tree in its stand and watered it and that stuff. 

Marcus enjoyed listening to you (even when you were creating more work for him), grateful that the two of you were so close when not all stepmothers and daughters got along. When he was just to the end of the trunk, he called over Missy. 

She ran over and you hurried to take out your phone and catch this father-daughter bonding moment on video. Marcus told her how to hold the saw and go in long, even strokes instead of back forth. Missy probably did about ten pushes on the saw and then it was ready. 

At the top of her lungs, Missy yelled, “TIMBER!” and pushed the tree over, cracking the last little bit of bark that was connected and felling the tree to the ground. You and Marcus cheered and then he made the sawed off end a little cleaner while you showed Missy the video. 

A little bit later, you were back at the truck, Missy getting in and turning it on to warm up while you helped Marcus load it onto the bed. When the two of you joined her, she was blasting Christmas music and singing along. You pretty much immediately joined in, and as you pulled onto the road, you heard Marcus start singing too. 

___ 

In an hour and a half, you had turned down the music and switched to a classical Christmas playlist. You had seen Missy’s eyes blinking for longer and longer in the rearview mirror and knew she would fall asleep, so you didn’t want to wake her up with over the top music. 

You and Marcus chatted softly about what to do for dinner, and you decided that you and Missy would pick something up on the way home from getting the lights. It was only four in the afternoon, so you hoped that Missy would be refreshed for the evening and not groggy. 

After planning for dinner, your conversation moved on to other things, like how long decorating the tree would take. You gave your best estimate, but warned Marcus that things could change, of course. 

“Hmmm, I guess 10:00 isn’t too late,” he commented thoughtfully. 

“Too late for what?” 

“Not too late for us to have some alone time,” Marcus said very meaningfully (dorkily), with a little smirk. 

You rolled your eyes, “Oh, I trust you to make time for alone time no matter how late it is, honey.” 

Marcus’ cheeks went a little pink, but he said seriously, “I love alone time.” 

Smiling, you grabbed his hand with yours and gave a little squeeze, “I know, Marcus, I do too.” 

“Do what?” Missy asked blearily, rubbing at her eyes. 

“Nothing,” you and Marcus said simultaneously, trying to hide your smiles.

🏔🏔🏔

#marcus moreno #marcus moreno x reader #fluff #blurb #nobedofroses #snowy fics 22 #stephsdecemberwritingchallenge

[convenientalias]

A Short Reclist for Short Cdramas

This year I've been watching a lot more cdramas! Especially compared to last year, where I finished like... two cdramas? and DNFed every other one I started? I was wondering why I've had such an easier time watching cdramas and actually finishing them this year and I realized. It's very simple. It's because the cdramas I've been watching have been shorter.

Now honestly if you added up all the cdrama episodes I've watched this year, you might say I could as easily have finished longer cdramas--but listen. It's not just about what time I have, it's about how much time I'm willing to commit to a single cdrama. It's about being on episode 10 of a show I'm kind of into and not having to ask myself, would I watch another 40 episodes of this show, but instead simply asking, would I watch another 10. It's about attention span, too! I loved The Rise of Phoenixes last year. Every time I watched it I would watch several episodes in quick succession. But it is 70 fucking episodes. I watched 28 episodes of it, and if it had been, say, a 40 episode show, I would have clung to my focus and finished it. But 28 episodes is less than half of 70, and my attention span simply was not great enough.

Anyways. This is all to say I may someday finish The Rise of Phoenixes, and maybe you will too, but in the meantime, here's a short list of shorter cdramas you can binge (and I have binged!) in a reasonable period of time, roughly in order of just how short they really are.

Tier 1: I Would Be Surprised If You Didn't Binge This In A Week or Less. With Commitment You Could Probably Do It In 2 Days.

The miniseries tier.

Destined to Meet You--A cutesy little webseries I found this year. A Business Romance (yes, this is a genre) between a rich businesswoman and a college student who has a few tricks up his sleeve. Involves a marriage of convenience but also just immense cutesiness. One upside of a show being short is that my romance/fluff tolerance is greatly heightened! I would not be able to watch 20 full length episodes of this show but it is 20 ten minute episodes and therefore very doable.

A Familiar Stranger--A historical romance with political intrigue, swapped identities and faces, and a couple that met a long time ago reuniting with secrets to hide from each other. Also fairly cutesy in its romance but with the typical edge of historical intrigue, a little action and whump. 8 episodes of about half an hour each.

Addicted Heroin--A gay school romance (yes, I mean gay romance, not bromance! I was surprised bc my experience with cdramas is a lot of censoring, and it's not that Addicted Heroin isn't censored, but it kind of predates some of the heavier censoring, and also the way it was censored is more like "it was supposed to be twice as long and has a cliffhanger ending" rather than "they stare at each other meaningfully but never kiss.") between stepsiblings that do not initially know they are stepsiblings. Tons of bantering and aggressive flirtation, lots of shenanigans and a certain level of whump. Problematique. 15 episodes of about 25 minutes each.

Love Is More Than a Word--Censored gay romance historical drama, focused on the relationship between a magistrate and a scholar in a country province. Includes some political intrigue and lots of slashiness, but feels like it was meant to be longer (probably cut down due to censoring). 12 episodes of half an hour each.

Tier 2: Could In Theory Take Two Weeks But Did Not Take Me That Long

Reset--Really excellent time loop thriller. Every episode is very plot focused, yet it still takes the time to flesh out characters without giving a sense of filler. 15 episodes of the typical 45-minute length.

Yes there is only one show I'd rec in this category. It's a great length though. But I think once you hit around twenty episodes, which is more typical, you might be like me and not be able to sustain a binge, which means you're more in the territory of...

Tier 3: Could Be Reasonably Binged in Three Weeks

Here we get some dramas that are long enough for more in-depth development typical of a longer cdrama, but still easy to finish.

Ancient Detective--A detective travels the jianghu solving mysteries and seeking the story behind his father's death. Fun ensemble cast, sort of a case-per-episode vibe except the cases generally last more like 4-6 episodes. 24 episodes total of 45 minutes each.

Rattan--An alien plant woman comes back to life after being murdered like 80 years ago, and sets out to find her murderer with a human helper at her side. There's a little romance, a lot of mystery and fantasy elements, and enough whump to satisfy me at least :) I loved the two leads; I'd seen both of them in other shows before but I think they really shone in this one. 30 episodes of 45 minutes each.

Under the Skin--Case procedural buddy cop show with a genius sketch artist and a cop who blames said sketch artist for his mentor's death. Oh, the tension! Honestly my favorite part of this show was seeing what ridiculous trick Shen Yi was going to pull with his sketching next, ranging from reconstructing a face from blurred images to drawing a face based off the structure of a skull to drawing from the description of a witness under the influence of drugs who is unable to give a coherent report. 20 episodes of 45 minutes each.

Xiang Long--I'm not sure I should be putting this show on a reclist bc I kind of hate it but I also kind of love it and you know what, a love-hate watch of 20 episodes is not that big of a commitment, so! If you want to watch a Republican-era historical drama that is mostly just about two young masters and their toxic slashy obsession, replete with whump and melodrama, and you see the occasional urge to yell at the screen as a plus, Xiang Long is here for your needs.

I'm going to demonstrate some self control and end this reclist here! For me, it's usually much easier to finish a kdrama than a cdrama sheerly because of length, but with the exception of Rattan, all of these shows come out to as long as the average kdrama or shorter (calculating the average kdrama as about 16 episodes of about 70 minutes each). So if you have similar problems with finishing things to me, you might try one of these out!

#cdramas #rec list #typically i rate things when i make cdrama lists! #but i am not rating these i am simply saying i love them #if youre curious about any of these feel free to send me an ask i would love to rant about them

[foreverydinger]

Write your RPer Resolutions for 2023! (What are some goals for yourself as a writer? Improve descriptions? Plot with more members? Etc.)

Write at least one resolution, or “goal,” that you have as an RPer for your character(s):

I would love to buckle down and get more done with their actual hardcore plots. 2022 was really not my year when it came to writing what with the changes in my job/health/life/universe tbqh and I’d love for me to just sit down and focus on the parts of these characters that I’ve promised not only to my fellow writers but myself as well!

Write at least one resolution IN CHARACTER for your characters. What do THEY want to accomplish or change in the New Year?

Tony: This year my New Years Resolution is not only to survive but thrive. I want to not fall into the pit that I always do in the spring. Ian remembered, Ian knows me better than I know myself at times, and I need to stay hopeful that our life and our love is strong enough to keep ourselves safe.

Riley: My New Years Resolution is to involve myself more fully into this community outside of the sports arena (okay, maybe it’ll still be sports-related but I wanna branch out dangit!)

Martin: New Years Resolution: Learn a new skill and stick with it!

Taran: Make more friends that are my friends.

List one or more characters you have never interacted with that you would like to do so:

Man, there are so many characters I wanna interact with (and I’m gonna touch on this more in my vocaroo answers) but a few off the top of my head are Boo, Kristoff, Barbie, Howl, Mads, Jeremy, etc. I could go on (and I definitely will) but this RP is so full of such interesting characters and I’m so excited about all the possibilities!

Talk a bit about your plotting style – what plots are you most drawn to? Do you prefer to come with a fully-formed idea and plot off that, or throw stuff at the wall and see what sticks?

So I have a complicated relationship with plotting. I’m almost never the person that will approach you with a very fleshed out plot. I more so go off of vibes and want to see how our kids interact before setting anything else in stone. But, at the same time, I always love when people approach me about things that are more fleshed out?? Because other people in this group are just so clever and creative and I’m just always a mess for plots and grateful to be involved.

I do tend toward a good angsty plot, even when it’s meant to be cute. I think everyone who plots with me is used to me being a downer and an enabler.

Talk a bit about character relationships – what relationship are you most drawn to? How do you prefer to approach shipping (if at all!)? What, specifically, are you looking for right now for your character relationships?

I’m such a sucker for a cute ship. They’re almost always accidental (Tian & Mighty especially have been complete accidents and I wish I could express just how accidental these were) but the thing that matters most to me is chemistry and trajectory. Are these characters going in a similar direction? How do their desires move forward? How do they push one another and/or get in the other’s way? I feel like right now I’d love to see more butting of heads with my characters outside of what I’ve already established because they need to be pushed more by non-NPCs lol

Talk about your dash reply style and your Discord reply style! (And if applicable, also your doc reply style). What do you like about each type of interaction? What is something you feel is difficult?

I feel like my main struggle with Dash vs Discord vs Doc is that I never know what order to reply to things in! I just get overwhelmed by what should be prioritized but that’s my biggest weakness.

Dash: I feel like I try to do either as much as I can in longer-type threads but in my gif replies it’s All Vibes Baby!! I just try to really read what sort of interactions my characters are having.

Discord: These tend to be much shorter (unless Z is involved, they always make me write more lol) and much more dialogue focused. These are more event type threads where I can devote more of my attention to a lot of different things.

Docs: I usually reserve these for either more specific plot type threads or threads that I can reply to on the go. I can reply to my docs on my phone which is harder for Discord/Dash for me. These threads are always so near and dear to my heart in a way that is very different but not necessarily more so than my other threads!

Plotting Exercise! Pick one of the resolutions/goals in #3 and plan a rough guideline to how you could accomplish it:

OPERATION: MAKE MY OWN FRIENDS!

TARAN will find someone that he is fairly confident is not in EILONWY’s group of friends (i.e. BOO) and try to approach during an activity that they feel confident in (i.e. drinking probably) (Event probably)

TARAN will invite JEREMY over to the park to do winter activities and hopefully HEN WEN will be able to keep SUSIE busy so the guys can have Bro Time! (Para)

BARBIE might notice that there’s something a little different about HEN WEN if TARAN isn’t subtle enough about her divinatory powers and he will have to befriend/convince her to not share this information with anyone else (Para)

BARBIE could involve the RAS resources in order to help TARAN more successfully keep his own secrets (Para)

EILONWY could notice TARAN becoming slightly more distant and then the the two of them could discuss where the lines really are for what constitutes making his own friends (Doc/Dash Para)

TARAN, EILONWY, and perhaps EDWARD could then have a movie night (because it would be fun) (Discord Thread)

#swyntask #[ resolutions ]

[yuutx]

POPS IN AND WAVES

hi athena!!! :3

athena i hope you’re doing well…… you are the next person on my list!! athena… hands on ur shoulders…. athena… hear me out.. jjk papas :33

ೀ ׅ ۫ . 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐉𝐉𝐊 𝐌𝐄𝐍 𝐀𝐒 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐅𝐀𝐓𝐇𝐄𝐑 𝐎𝐅 𝐘𝐎𝐔𝐑 𝐂𝐇𝐈𝐋𝐃 ! (𝑀𝒰𝐿𝒯𝐼𝒫𝐿𝐸 𝒞𝐻𝒜𝑅𝒜𝒞𝒯𝐸𝑅)

gojo satoru, nanami kento, sukuna ryōmen, choso kamo, okkotsu yūta x f!reader ﾉ sfw content. ﾉ sfw + children ﾉ mentions of childbirth ﾉ established relationship ﾉ married couple ( husband + wife ) ﾉ gojo + newborn baby ﾉ nanami + newborn baby ﾉ choso + toddler ﾉ sukuna + toddler ﾉ yūta + newborn baby ﾉ pure fluffy content ﾉ not proofread ! ꒰ᐢ˵´ ˆ `˵ᐢ꒱

maryse ! this is literally s' fuckin cute ? ! 'm goin thru sum insense bby fever rn, u gave me the motivation 2 finally write a fic liek this ! ! plus, 've been needing 2 write fluff :(( sum characters are shorter fics, not biased jus' wrote watever came 2 m' mind ! i hope u enjoy reading, m' lovelies ! ♡ + ↻ are rlly appreciated ! !

A tiny hand clung onto his index finger, a look of pure wonder on a small, chubby face that gazed up at him. The newborn in his arms was barely a week old, small enough to fit in the crook of his elbow and still red from the warmth of her mother's womb. He could feel the delicate grip the child had on him, her little fingers wrapping around the one his finger was hooked onto. Gojo's thumb was gently rubbing along her palm, an affectionate action that was meant to coax her into sleepiness.

Her bright eyes looked at him, not seeing him fully, but still searching him out.

"Hello, my little love," Gojo said quietly, smiling at her. She looked up at him, her lips puckering a few times before settling back into a neutral expression. She was quiet, content in his hold and enjoying the new sensation of her father holding her for the first time. "You're so cute," he murmured, leaning down and pressing a kiss to her forehead.

His smile grew when he heard her make a noise. It was a small sound, something a little less than a squeak but not quite a whimper. A noise of surprise. He leaned back and saw that her eyes had fluttered shut, her tiny brows furrowing together as she shifted in his arms, her grip tightening. The movement brought her closer to his chest, and with his shirt partially open, her cheek brushed against his warm skin. She opened her eyes a fraction, the contact sending a small wave of comfort through her. Her head tilted, the baby trying to find the spot where his heartbeat was the loudest, her eyes fluttering shut once again when she did. Gojo smiled, shifting his hold on her so that his free hand was supporting her head, the palm of his hand covering the entire top of her small head. He watched his daughter for a moment, enjoying the peace between them before a small tug on his hand reminded him that his little love wasn't the only one he had to take care of.

Looking over his shoulder, Gojo saw you, laying back on the hospital bed, the sheets rumpled under you. Your arms were limp at your sides, exhaustion evident on your features. Despite this, you still managed a tired smile when you saw him looking at you. You nodded towards the infant in his arms.

"You two bonding..?" you asked, your voice a raspy whisper. The smile on his face grew at the sight of you. You looked absolutely stunning, despite the fatigue, and it made his heart skip a beat. He had been in love with you for so long, and to see you as a mother, the mother of his children, made him fall in love with you all over again. He hummed, stepping closer to the bed and leaning down to brush a tender kiss across your forehead. You reached up and wrapped your fingers around his wrist, keeping him close to you for a moment longer.

"We are," he replied, "She's perfect, baby.. she's a mini version of you." His voice was a quiet murmur, the words for your ears only. Gojo felt your lips curl into a smile against his skin, the simple action sending a jolt through his body. You pressed another kiss to his cheek, and he turned his head so that your lips met. It was a short kiss, a sweet one, and when he pulled away, he saw that you were fighting to keep your eyes open. Gojo let out a soft chuckle, and with one more kiss to the tip of your nose, he turned and stepped away from the bed. He knew that you needed sleep, and the last thing he wanted was for you to exhaust yourself while you were still healing.

"Get some rest, baby," he told you, "I'll be right here with her." He could see the uncertainty in your eyes. You knew that Gojo had never changed a diaper, or given a bath to a baby, or even fed one. But you also knew that he was a natural born caregiver, and that his heart was in the right place.

"Okay.." you mumbled, relaxing against the pillows behind you. Your fingers slid from his wrist and back onto the bed. You watched as Gojo moved across the room, rocking your daughter in his arms and murmuring quietly to her, his voice low and gentle. It made your heart flutter, and you were sure that even though you couldn't hear the exact words he was saying, they were sweet and full of love.

Nanami was quiet as he gazed at the little one in his arms, a soft smile upon his face. The child was asleep, her tiny chest rising and falling with each breath she took. He could see the way her dark eyelashes fluttered against her skin, and the way her hands were curled into tiny fists. Her squishy cheeks were tinted pink, and he couldn't resist the urge to touch her. His fingertips were gentle, lightly brushing over the baby's cheek.

"What are you thinking about, hm?"

Nanami looked up and saw you, his wife, a soft smile playing at the corner of your lips. You was standing in the doorway, your arms folded over your chest. It was a simple pose, but it was one he adored. It made you look powerful and beautiful, a combination that made his heart flutter.

"How lucky I am to have you and her," Nanami answered, nodding down at the sleeping infant. The child in his arms was theirs, a beautiful creation born out of the love they shared. You were still recovering from childbirth, and while Nanami could tell that the physical pain was subsiding, there was a lingering exhaustion that followed.

You smiled, your cheeks tinted a light pink as you approached him, taking a seat on the edge of the bed next to him. Your arm wrapped around his waist, and you leaned against his side. Nanami leaned his head against yours, a content sigh escaping him. He was happy, incredibly so, and it showed. He was more relaxed, and despite the chaos that a newborn could bring, he was at peace.

"I'm the lucky one.." you murmured, pressing a kiss to his jaw, "You're an incredible father, and a wonderful husband.." You turned your head and pressed another kiss to his cheek. When you leaned away, Nanami looked at you. Your eyes were shining, the same love that had drawn him to you in the first place still burning bright.

"I love you," he said softly, the words making your cheeks turn an even darker shade of red.

"I love you, too, Ken.."

Your gaze then fell to the baby, your little one, and you reached out to caress her soft, fuzzy hair. You were gentle, and Nanami watched the interaction with a warm, full feeling in his chest. He felt complete, his life filled with everything he could've ever wanted.

"And we love you," you continued, smiling at the sleeping baby, "Our beautiful girl.."

With ease, Choso tied up his daughter's hair, his fingers nimbly tying the silky strands into two little buns to match his own. The little girl was sitting in his lap, her eyes on the screen as she watched a show, completely enthralled. His chin rested atop her head, his arms wrapping around her little body. "We're matching, kiddo" he said, his voice a soft murmur. His daughter giggled, wiggling a bit to get more comfortable in his hold.

"I know, Papa! You did my hair like yours!" she exclaimed, her voice bubbly and cheerful. Choso's lips curled into a smile. He always thought that perhaps he should change the way he looked. His style was rather unique, often attracting the judgemental eyes of those who didn't understand him. But his daughter, his beautiful little princess, was one of the few people in his life who loved him no matter what. "We look cool, right?!" she asked, twisting her neck so that she could look up at him, her eyes sparkling with joy. He felt his heart grow in size, warmth blooming in his chest. The happiness in his little girl's face made him feel proud, and it only made him love her more. He hummed and gave her a nod. She beamed.

"Yes, little one, we do." he agreed. Her smile grew, and she leaned back, her back hitting his chest as she let out a little cheer.

As Choso looked at the buns on the top of her head, he couldn't help but reminisce about how far he had come. As a cursed being, the offspring of a monster, he had always assumed he'd spend his life alone. No one would love a 'thing' like him, he used to think. But as he sat in his living room, holding his daughter and watching her favorite cartoon, he realised that he couldn't have been more wrong. You had seen something in him that no one else had, and after years of being together, you had given him a family. Something he had never imagined he would have. He had a wife, a daughter, and the best home a man could ask for. He was surrounded by love, and the idea that this was just the beginning of his life made him giddy.

"Papa?" his daughter's voice snapped him out of his thoughts, and he blinked, his gaze focusing on her face again. "We gotta show mama!" she exclaimed, clapping her hands together in excitement, "She'll think we're awesome!! 'N then you can do her hair too!!"

A chuckle left his lips and he nodded affirmatively, the smile on his face never fading. "Sure, little one," he replied, "Let's show mama.."

"..Papa!"

A soft gasp escaped him when the door to the bedroom creaked open, and Sukuna watched, frozen in shock as the small toddler waddled her way into the room. Her little hands were pressed to the wooden door, pushing it open as she toddled inside. She was clad in a pink onesie, the soft material making her look like a little marshmallow. Her dark hair was in disarray, a tangled mess on top of her head, and Sukuna was sure that her bright eyes were puffy from sleep. He was surprised by the sudden appearance of his daughter, the child having been tucked away in her bed a couple of hours ago.

The door opened all the way, and her face lit up at the sight of him, her cheeks growing rosy with joy.

"Papa!" she called out to him, her hands balling into fists and raising them towards him, a silent request to be held.

Sukuna was quick to get to his feet, moving across the room with the grace of a tiger, his steps quiet and measured. His hands were gentle as he picked her up, holding her close and tucking her into the crook of his arm. As soon as he was holding her, her arms were around his neck, her tiny fingers tangling themselves into his hair. Sukuna let out a soft laugh, pressing a tender kiss to the side of her head. Although he was feared by most, he was a doting father, and a kind lover, his love for you and your child growing every single day. His life had taken a turn for the better the moment you stepped into his life, and the arrival of your little princess had only brought him joy and a new reason to live.

"Why aren't you in bed, hm?" he asked her, his tone a soft, soothing one, "You should be asleep, baby girl."

Your daughter looked at him, a small pout forming on her lips, a frown pulling the corners of her mouth down. It was the same look she gave him whenever he was reprimanding her for getting into trouble, and the sight made him smirk.

"Bad dream," she answered, her voice a mumble. Sukuna hummed, and began to move, rocking his body gently from side to side as he did, the movement helping soothe the child. His hands were gentle as he rubbed along her spine, his large palm spanning across her entire back. He could feel the way she melted into him, her body going slack as she relaxed.

"Do you want to talk about it?" he asked, knowing that sometimes talking about her nightmares could help her get over the fear that she had felt when she woke up. Your daughter was a quiet one, and she kept most things to herself, a trait she had inherited from him. It wasn't easy to coax her into telling him what she was thinking or feeling, but Sukuna had gotten the hang of it.

He could feel the way her little head moved, shaking from side to side, and he pressed a gentle kiss to the side of her head.

"Alright. Come on, I'll tuck you in."

"No," came her reply, her voice muffled against his neck, "Wanna sleep with you 'n mama."

Sukuna was unable to hide his amusement, and a small smirk pulled at the corners of his lips.

"Is that so?" he teased, earning a nod in response.

"Yes."

"And why is that?"

"Cause you 'n mama make me safe," she mumbled, and her arms tightened around his neck, her tiny form clinging to him. It made his heart melt, and he held her a little closer.

"Okay, you little monster," he said softly, a small laugh escaping him, "We can do that. Mama won't mind, don't worry."

Your daughter relaxed even further into his hold, and with the gentlest of movements, he slipped his hand under her legs and carefully tucked her in right beside you, ensuring that she was safe and warm. Your daughter looked at you, her eyes searching your face for any signs of wakefulness, and when she was satisfied that you were asleep, she nestled herself into your side, her hand clutching the fabric of your nightshirt. Sukuna climbed into the bed beside her, the little girl squished comfortably between the two of you.

Sukuna watched her, his crimson gaze studying the peaceful expression on her face, his hands moving to cradle her head, his thumbs brushing along her cheeks, a loving caress.

"Night, night, papa.. love you.."

"Love ya too, little one.."

Yuuta's nose bumped against the infant's forehead, the action drawing a soft giggle from the child. The baby was wrapped in a swaddle, her little legs kicking at the air as she lay in the middle of the bed. Her hands were reaching out, trying to grab a hold of the strands of his hair, her little fingers grasping at thin air. Yuuta smiled at her, leaning forward to press a tender kiss to the tip of her button nose, a small gesture that never failed to draw a babble from her. "Daddy loves you, angel," he murmured, his eyes twinkling with adoration. He reached out and ran a gentle finger along her round cheek, the softness of her skin reminding him of a pillow. He couldn't help but laugh. Her entire face was chubby and round, and her green eyes were a mirror image of his own. Yuuta was completely enamoured with her, his heart having grown twice its size the moment he first held her. "And mommy loves you too," he added, his tone a soft whisper. "So very much." The infant gazed up at him, her hands falling onto the blanket that was wrapped around her. "Bah," she babbled, her voice light and full of love. Yuuta smiled. He would never tire of hearing her gibberish.

At that moment, you swooped in, wrapping your arms around his middle and pressing your face to his back, the gesture reminiscent of a koala.

"What're you two doing in here?" you asked, peeking over his shoulder to gaze down at the bundle of joy in the middle of the bed. Your baby was looking up at the both of you, her eyes wide and curious. She let out a tiny squeak, and reached her hands up, her chubby little fingers wiggling. You let out a giggle, and pressed a kiss to Yuuta's shoulder. "Look at you," you continued, a smile on your face, "Prettiest daddy alive, aren't you?" You teased, making his cheeks flush a deep red.

Shyly, he turned his head to look at you, and you could see the embarrassment written on his face. "Don't say stuff like that," he murmured, his eyes averting yours, "It's embarrassing.." He could feel your gaze on him, and the way you nuzzled your face against his back was enough to make him shiver.

"I can't help it, Yuuta," you said, your voice soft, "I've got the most beautiful husband ever, and a gorgeous baby that he helped create. It's only natural that I appreciate you, baby.." You could feel the way he stiffened, his cheeks burning a brighter shade of red. Yuuta let out a shaky sigh, his shoulders slumping. It was clear that he was embarrassed, and the fact that you could have such an effect on him made your heart skip a beat. Slowly, you stepped away from him, moving to scoop the baby off the bed and into your arms, the child cooing as you held her. "Besides, you deserve to hear how much I love and adore you.." You whispered, a smirk playing on your lips.

Yuuta looked at you, his eyes wide and his cheeks still tinted pink.

"But-" he began, only for you to shake your head, a look of mock seriousness on your face.

"No buts, baby. You're the best thing that's ever happened to me," you told him, "You and our baby.."

".. You two are the best things that have ever happened to me too.." Yuuta admitted, his gaze flickering down to the sweet thing in your arms, "I couldn't ask for a more perfect life.."

With that, you stepped towards him, and Yuuta wrapped his arms around your shoulders, his chin resting atop your head as you held the infant between you, her eyes blinking sleepily at the sight of her parents. "And it's only the beginning, my love," you murmured, a soft smile on your face. "The best is yet to come.."

#૮ Ꮚ◞ ˔ ◟Ꮚა 𝓭𝓻𝓮𝓪𝓶𝓵𝓪𝓷𝓭 . .⠀˙⠀⠀꒱ #yuuta okkotsu #yuuta okkotsu x reader #yuta fluff #nanami fluff #gojo fluff #choso fluff #choso x reader #nanami x reader #sukuna fluff #sukuna x reader #sukuna ryomen #nanami kento #gojo satoru #jjk x reader #jjk fluff #jujutsu kaisen x reader #jujutsu kaisen #satoru gojo #nanami kento x reader #yuta x reader #yuta okkotsu #nanamin #kento nanami #jujutsu nanami #jjk nanami #gojo #ryomen sukuna #sukuna #jjk sukuna

[thetravellingvagrant]

Day 12: In Which I Stare Directly Into The Void For Five And A Half Hours

I was due to leave Granada today, with my bus set to depart at the comfortable time of 2pm. While incredibly relaxed, that did mean that I was sort of left in travel-limbo, with my check-out time of the hostel being 11am and my bags being to heavy and cumbersome to do anything of any substantial worth with what time I had spare. 

I clung to my bed for literally every second I could, that morning, only finally letting it go when the cleaning lady entered the room and I had to pretend I was just about to leave anyway. I then turned my key in and asked if I could sit in the common room for a bit which, thankfully, I was allowed to do. Unthankfully, however, there was someone else in the room when I got there. One other person. One other incredibly quiet person, which meant I could neither relax in solitude nor blend into a loud crowd and vanish like a social chameleon with a slightly shorter tongue. No, it appeared me and my erstwhile roommate were to sit in incredibly awkward silence for the next hour. And so we did. 

Exactly sixty minutes later and not an excruciating, unbearable second longer, I left. That was the exact point at which the other guy in the room chose to leave, also, meaning we both had to silently, awkwardly exit together. Perfect. What a lovely experience. I bet he was getting the same bus as me, too.

I made the fairly simple jaunt across the city via typically over-subscribed tram back to the park in which I ate lunch the first day I was here and…ate lunch again. It’s a really good park, to be fair - or I suppose it’s actually quite a bad park, but it definitely was close to where I had to be and ultimately, isn’t that the true prize?

After another long, nice sit, I went to the bus station to locate my sweaty, cramped chariot to my next destination of Alicante. I checked the departure board and…it wasn’t up there. Nor was the ultimate destination of Barcelona. No bus on that board appeared to match anywhere I was due to go. Confused, I downloaded all three of the, frankly, useless Alsabus apps to see if they had any information. They did not; neither did my ticket. 

With only around twenty minutes left until I was going to be left stranded in - to be fair - quite a nice city I decided to suck it up, as appears to have been my way on this trip and ask at the Alsabus information kiosk, which I approached boldly only for the lady at the desk to see me - physically, actually see me approaching - and pull the shutter down, closing shop for the day. Superb. Looks like I was on my own. 

With no alternative now open to me, I decided to throw myself on the mercy of the bus number, which was one of the three pieces of information I had printed on my ticket. Mine was bus number 1. 

I found bus number 1 and…it was going to Madrid, not Barceona. 

“Maybe it doesn’t say Barcelona because it’s listing the next stop but only the next significant stop, which is Madrid, not Alicante despite them both being huge and also Madrid is in the wrong direction but I presume that means the route just goes through Alicante first and then winds back towards Madrid, before it goes to Barcelona. That makes sense. That is Occham’s razor in action. I am very clever.”

A moment passed

“...No, that’s really fucking stupid.”

I decided, on the off-chance, however, to ask the driver. I approached him and showed him my ticket. 

“Is this for this bus?” I asked in my loudest, clearest English

He looked at the ticket

“Si? Es Uno.” he replied, looking at me like I was a big fucking moron who couldn’t identify the number 1. 

“Oh, gracias” I answered, adding a little Spanish flourish to the conversation to let them know that I was merely inept in their language, rather than willfully uncultured, before putting my luggage in the hold (for free - fuck you, Ryanair) and taking my place in the queue. 

Eventually, I reached the front of what I do have to say, for mainland Europe, was a very neat queue indeed. The driver scanned my ticket and I stepped onto the bus.

“EHH EHH” the ticket-reader screeched, like I had gotten an answer wrong on family fortunes, or perhaps had said something with which Stone Cold Steve Austin had taken umbridge in an otherwise polite conversation. 

The driver looked at his machine. 

“...Alicante?” he asked.

“Si?”

He said something in Spanish which I did not understand, though instinctively knew meant that I was on the wrong-ass bus. I told him I didn’t understand. He repeated it again in Spanish, this time more patronising, like I was the idiot. A passenger behind me translated.

“He is saying platform 20”.

Right. Okay. I quickly grabbed my luggage out of the hold and sprinted (sprant?) to platform 20, where the bus wasn’t - It was at 19, instead - starting to realise why Alsabus has such terrible reviews, as I went.

I stood in the now incredibly short queue for bus 52 - not bus 1, it should be noted - which, as it turned out was the correct one and took my seat literal seconds before the thing pulled out of the station. Incredibly irked at Alsa as I was and in particular that one driver who cost me seven minutes of time I only just barley had at my disposal, waiting in the incorrect queue at his say-so, I was at least on the right bus, which was the longest journey I would have to undertake on this trip and also the most expensive and difficult to reschedule, so ultimately would describe myself as tipping more towards relieved, than furious. Plus I had a window seat and that was lit.

The journey, though weirdly arduous for only a five hour excursion, passed almost entirely without incident. I don’t even think I moved for the entire thing, if I’m being really honest. I wrote blogs and listened to podcasts until around six thirty. I was due to arrive at 7pm and my hostel had sprung on me, a day prior, that their reception only stayed open until 8 and if I arrived after that I’d have to pay a 15 euro surcharge which they did not mention on any of their literature and which I’m fairly sure is mildly illegal to do. Regardless, I was to arrive at 7. So it was fine. 

Until we hit the traffic jam, which set us back by 20 minutes. 

“Okay, it’s only a 20 minute walk to the hostel, that’s fine, I’ll still make it before eight” I reasoned to myself, before I realised that we had also been running behind schedule even before we hit traffic. Rad.

We arrived in the city slightly closer to eight than seven which meant, far from the leisurely stroll to my next accommodation which I had envisaged, I faced, instead, a sweaty, wheezy walk/run/skip through the centre of town, which was good and also ideal. 

Fortunately, though, I once again made it to my destination with literal minutes to spare and, while quite annoyed again, was quickly pacified when two people who were in front of me in the queue to check in were moved aside by the very friendly receptionist to bring me forward because I had a reservation and they didn’t. Good logistics go a long way to calming me down in almost any circumstances. They’re like incense to me. 

And let me tell you, it was a good thing that I got seen to first as the two girls and one guy who stood before me in that queue continued to have a blazing row with the receptionist or possibly just among themselves that I could hear, at least, for the following 25 minutes. Seemingly upset that the hostel was too expensive and that the receptionist wouldn’t allow them to book a single room for three people. 

They were still arguing by the time I left to get dinner on my second lovely cheat day of the trip which I spent going, again, to a nearby Burger King. Everything else in the area as listed on just eat looked absolutely horrible. Sue me.*

*to be fair, the Burger King was also horrible and had been described as “literally the worst Burger King in the world” by no less than three google reviews out of the first five. 

I trudged back through Alicante which did seem sort of horrid - I noted that it felt like Glasgow at 2am on a Saturday, when in reality it was 8:30 on a monday night; christ knows what it would be like at a weekend and I was glad I wasn't going to find out - and eventually re-reached my hostel

The girls and guy of earlier argument fame now stood outside the building a full hour later than they first entered it. One of them was crying profusely and making unintelligible howling noises. Fuck knows what was going on there but it absolutely did match the vibe of the city, so points for that.

Unwilling and unable to help and unhappy at the thought of my milkshake melting, I passed them with a raised eyebrow to acknowledge that I had also passed them earlier - which seemed only polite - and went inside to eat. From my room, as I did, I *think* I heard them come back in and eventually manage to book a room or two for themselves. Possibly. I’m not sure. I had my earphones in and didn’t care, so it could have gone either way, to be honest.

With all the processed gristle and drama I could stomach now nestling in my stomach/psyche and without having had my customary afternoon siesta I decided that I was too exhausted to do anything too substantial and so fucked myself straight to bed, fairly early, and done a big, rubbish, inadequate, disjointed sleep. Luxury. 

#travelling #vagrant #travel #photography #bus #spain #granada #alicante

[myresellerhome]

What Is Gated Website Content? And Why Do You Need it?

Gated content lets you collect visitors' contact information before they read your content, which can be very effective. Free information abounds online, but marketers want to make sure it's useful. Gated content often requires users to fill out an online form to eliminate non-customers.

We will look at what gated website content is and why it is important in this article. We will also explore the difference between gated and ungated content.

What Does Gated Content Mean?              

Gated content is any kind of content that people can only get after giving you, their information. The information is mostly hidden behind a form. Businesses use gated website content to get leads and, eventually, sales.

How Does Gated Content Information Work?

When people visit your website, they will usually see a call to action (CTA) or pop-up that gives them access to content in exchange for their information. In return for content, this could be their email address, for example.

It is important to keep in mind that inbound marketing closed content is not locked behind a paywall and is indeed free. To get to the content, users only need to submit their information.

"Why would I hide my content from my audience?" you may be asking.

Most of the time, gated website content is used to get leads. Marketers will create content that is specific to their audience and use it to get new leads. Campaigns to raise brand recognition or make content more visible use something other than gated content because it only allows for a little traffic.

Why is Gated Content Important?

Gated content is crucial for a variety of reasons, including expanding the company's consumer base. Some benefits of gated content are as follows:

Generations of leaders: It is the primary reason for accepting the gated content policy. It aids in the identification of potential clients and the formation of a customer base.

Value assumption: People frequently believe that gated website content is essential and that they will return to the website for more information on similar topics. This contributes to customer trust.

Filtered leads: Many customers browse a website but need to sign up for further information. We can filter leads using gated content.

The Difference Between Gated and Ungated Content              

Ungated content is meant to improve SEO and raise company awareness, while gated content is used to get leads. Content that isn't locked down could be blog posts, infographics, or YouTube movies. But the content that you have to pay for could be white papers, e-books, or webinars.

Ungated content is meant to bring in more visitors and build trust with your audience, while gated content is meant to create leads that you can turn into prospects through your marketing.

It would help if you used both types of content in your content marketing plan because they are useful. What do you think? How do I know if I should gate my content after reading this list?

Well, it depends on what you want to achieve—making your name known or getting new leads.

The type of content should be considered as well. For longer pieces of content, like an e-book, closed content works best. For shorter pieces of content, like blog posts, ungated content works best.

Tips for Getting to Gated Content

Here are some useful tips for creating gated content:

1. Make content for every step of the buyer's journey.

There are three stages that a prospect will go through in the buyer's journey: becoming aware, thinking about it, and making a choice.

It's important to have content that meets your audience where they are at each step.

For example, people who are in the knowledge stage may want to read an e-book. A person who is still not sure might, on the other hand, like a product demo or webinar.

Because of this, your content offers must be made for every step of the buyer's journey. The people who see your gated website content are more likely to convert if it fits with their journey.

2. Carry out a competitive analysis.

It's time to do a competitive study after you've come up with content ideas for each stage of the buyer's journey.

You will look into what your rivals are doing in a competitive analysis. This means finding out what kinds of contents they offer. Keep an eye on what content is gated and what content is not gated.

This will help you figure out what information needs to be locked down.

3. Give an incentive.

Being an inbound marketer means you know how important it is to give.

A short blog post should be something other than your content offer. Instead, your gated website content should contain useful information that people can use.

It's also important that the content you provide be useful for your audience.

People will be more likely to fill out that form and give you their contact information if your content is truly useful.

4. Create a functional homepage.

Most of the time, a landing page is what people see when they click on a call to action for fresh content. Building a strong landing page is one of the best things you can do for gated website content.

Most likely, your landing page will have a form that people can fill out to give you their contact information in exchange for your content offer. You should make sure that your form is clear, simple, and easy to use.

5. Divide your audience into groups.

It's time to divide your email lists into groups once people have downloaded your gated website content and given you their email addresses.

You can use this information to make targeted email marketing strategies that work.

You can also send nurturing emails to leads to turn them into prospects after you divide your audience.

6. Analyse the data.

After you decide to gate a piece of content, you can measure your analytics and keep track of sales.

It's very important to keep track of your marketing efforts, no matter what approach you use. It will help you understand your readers better and make your content strategy better.

Example of Gated Content

1. White papers

It's easy to see what gated website content looks like white paper. A white paper is an in-depth, reliable study on a certain subject.

Most of the time, these are long-form articles that your audience will find interesting and useful.

Because they are useful, white papers are great pieces of information that can be locked behind a gate. It also helps your business become an expert in a certain field. People want to hear what you have to say when they accept you as an expert.

2. E-books.

People also like e-books as a type of gated website content. An e-book is generally a shorter guide on a certain topic than a white paper.

Also, e-books can give your brand credibility and help people trust you. E-books are most often used when a buyer is just becoming aware of a product or service and thinking about buying it.

3. The templates

The template is one of my favourite types of content that you have to pay for. Giving a template is a tactical piece of information that can be used.

People think that a template is much more valuable than an e-book or white paper, so they are more likely to give you their contact information to get it.

Free templates are a great way to offer gated content to people who are still thinking about buying or making a choice.

4. Webinars.

A webinar will educate your audience about a topic. You'll earn people's trust, make friends, and possibly inspire them.

Webinars are a great way to offer gated website content to prospects who are in the decision stage of the buyer's journey.

Again, webinars have a high perceived value, which increases the likelihood that your audience will fill out that form.

5. Demos of products

Building your list is easy when you show off your goods. There will be a lot of possible customers who can see the demo as many times as they need to in order to make a choice.

A lot of the time, visitors can only get to product demos after providing an email address. Because of this, they are better than other types of content at getting people to join your list.

When a person gives you their email address, they are choosing to receive texts from you in the future. There is a good possibility that they are considering purchasing what you are selling.

6. Video Content

Most people who use gated content do so with video content. There's a good reason for this: it's a good way to share information and teach people.

You can see things in videos, so they are often better than words alone when you're trying to explain something.

How, though, do you use video as locked content? Before you start, you need to decide what kind of video content you want to make and why.

First, think of a script that your audience would find useful if you're making videos as part of a sales funnel or marketing effort.

Then, make sure you have enough time to make the video before you put it online.

Conclusion

All users are not able to access gated content. Only after completing the information form can, you view the content. There are two kinds of content available: gated and ungated content. We benefit from gated content in terms of lead generation, value assumptions, and filtered leads. We may create gated content by following a few easy steps. Gated website content includes white papers, product demos, video content, e-books, webinars, and templates.

Janet Watson MyResellerHome MyResellerhome.com We offer experienced web hosting services that are customized to your specific requirements.

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