#We went to watch another episode tonight and then we found out THEY TOOK IT OFF WHAT THE FUCK

[simp-ly-writes]

A Shadow Company Visit (pt.4)

PSA: This can be read as a standalone.

Pairing: Commander Philip Graves x Reader & Shadows

Summary: What happens when you get kidnapped?

Warnings: 1500 words, ANGST with a HEA. a bit of overprotective themes, mentions of children.

A/N: We are in for a long one folks with this chapter, thank you @unicorngirly1, for the ideas!! it appear that this series just keeps on giving ahahaha; my asks are open as of the publication of this chapter for those with ideas as well!

Masterlist | Taglist | edited.

A Shadow Company Visit Series (pt.1) (pt.2) (pt.3) (pt.4) you are here

↳ Waving the driver goodbye, you enter the home and lock the door behind yourself, a beep sounds as the door opens and closes: signalling your entrance.

↳ Getting your child ready for bed, you curse underneath your breath as you notice a light left on in the bathroom. Thankfully Philip was not tonight home to see this since it was a major pet peeve of his

↳ Removing their little shoes and socks as they stir slightly when changing them into their nightwear, you flick the baby monitor on alongside some white noise before tip-toeing out of the room so you could bunker down for the night as well

↳ Placing your phone on to charge on your nightstand you undress, wash yourself up and place yourself into some home clothes before making your way downstairs. The security system beeps to your presence once more as you cross over the front door sensor and make your way towards the kitchen

↳ Feeding the dog alongside yourself, you finish your day by sneakily watching the next episode of some reality TV show you and your partner were addicted to before finding yourself falling asleep on the couch with the dog laying at your feet

↳ Yet unknowingly, as you were sleeping a group of masked figures triggered the alarm system that night- waking you up with an abrupt fright to the beeps as your dog roared to attack, their past training flooding their system before they fell to the floor and you heard yourself scream in tune with your child upstairs

↳ Your hands went to secure the gun taped underneath the coffee table, Philip had placed various weapons around the house for a moment like this yet he was not there that night as your limbs got tied together and a bag was placed over your head, the system beeped one last time upon your exit

--

↳ Philip was on a mission with task force 141, left unknowing as to the panic that had been brewing at the headquarters awaiting his return

↳ Shadows move around in a panicked state, preparing for a war; The night patrol that was supposed to secure the perimeter of the commanders home-lot had not returned alongside the assisting squad sent later in the night and as the higher-ranking unit appeared, the situation and the child kneeled over in grief from atop the stairs had spelled destruction and overwhelming grief amongst the Shadows

↳ Many of the high ranking shadows were already praying as they awaited the commanders outburst. Yet the mental torture of trying to stabilize the dog found in the home while sending the child to the hospital over their minor bruises was already taking a toll and would forever outweigh anything else coming their way

↳ The intelligence service teams were already working overtime as they called in a favour from the British SAS and to say that Laswell lost her shit on them was an understatement over her best friend...

↳ As Philip shook hands with Farah as another mission was completed successfully, smiling and giving his fellow Shadows each a pat on the back alongside some words of praise they all cheered while boarding the plane for the ride back

↳ Yet Graves stopped when he heard your name being yelled down the phone line by Laswell, he knew something had to be up and as she blew up on him for not protecting you better, the commanders eyes darkened as he took in Kates outburst while he strapped himself into communications while boarding the plane set for home

↳ "Shadow-01 how copy? Shadow-01? Commander? Commander Graves Sir?!" The voice yelled down the line, pure panic stricken in their vocal cords.

↳ "This is Shadow-01"

↳ The line goes silent as dread hangs in the air as Graves' mind floods with possibilities and images of pure horror flash to the surface as he grips the gun tighter to his chest

↳ "Commander... we have your child in recovery alongside the dog. Both are alive and breathing. Your partner... hasn't been located since 19:00..."

↳ The information laughs mockingly in Philips face as he cannot believe what he heard earlier to be true, looking around the plane, all shadows refuse to make eye-contact with their commander as they witness pure rage overcome his form

↳ "FUCK" is screamed in distain as the commander rips off the headset and breathing becomes laboured. His chest rig feels all too tight against his form as does the metal of the seat digging into his thighs and then coldness rushes over his entire being

↳ Placing the headset back on with a whiplash of emotional outburst to downright composure, the commander signals back to headquarters, "I want a full report as soon as I am off with god-damn plane, not one detail misplaced with Laswell and her crew waiting in the boardroom. Shadow-01 out."

--

↳ Once arriving back on base a hoard of members are awaiting for their Commander, papers in hand and speeches, they get Philip back up to date as he rallies squads together, addresses the intelligence services and suits up in angered silence waiting to strike

↳ They had to wait until night for the technical advantage, and to say that the commanders wait was restless would be an understatement, this man was pacing up and down the halls and punching walls, ripping apart his desk while sitting and silently crying at your own as he bandaged his shaking hands

↳ The watch you gifted him beeped as he stood up from his chair and hurriedly marched over to the awaiting vehicles. Slapping the roofs car thrice and wheels spun out the gate that he didn't have the heart to laugh fondly in remembrance at

--

↳ The cleaning of the alleged house was swift as was Graves deadly precision, their pleads for forgiveness fell on dead ears as he calmly made his way through the house, Shadows following his every order as task force 141 shook the place in search of the ringleader

↳ Entering the office space, Graves sees red as you have a guns barrel pointed into your skull as the grip your hair, moving your body into their compliance

↳ Your captor opens his mouth, showing the yellow teeth and chapped lips that were soon overridden with blood as a shot rang out in the room, another followed soon after through their heart as you partner didn't have the patience to hear any of it

↳ Your legs gave out for under you as the final shot was placed. Your skin being corrupted with blood as Philip shoved his gun into an awaiting Shadows hands as he knelt down beside you and signalled for the team to secure the perimeter of the house for evac

↳ You reached your hand up to his face, unlocking his helmet as it fell on to the floor, your bloodied hand rushed to settle his hair in comfort as his eyes closed and he moved to kiss your palm

↳ Taking some supplies from his vest, he cleaned your hands and wiped your face of the blood it held, apologizing softly as you winced from the bruising that had formed from the captors strong hold on you

↳ Helping you to stand, you wobbly made your way to the doorframe, holding it to steady yourself before becoming swept off your feet by the commander, the Shadows waiting by the door smiled brightly at you as you gave them a small thumbs up causing them to chuckle back at you

↳ Being placed in the back of the SUV, you saw Laswell with her arms wide open awaiting your presence. A tear falling softly down her cheek as she felt you in her arms, whispering how thankful she was that you were still in her life

↳ While being checked up on at the hospital, Philip refuses to leave your side as you pressure him into taking basic meals and a shower, guilt eating him alive as his memories flash back to those moments.

↳ In the meanwhile, task force 141 hand you a plethora of kind messages both through texts and letters for your speedy recovery, Laswell is happily taking over as godmother- watching over yours and Philips child and dog happily

↳ The Shadows place balloons, flowers and other small offering around your room as a couple stand watch outside and move on rotation even though their commander has asked them to take their leave many times by now, you feel loved by their devotion to protect

╰┈➤ A/N: thank you all for the support on this series!

A Shadow Company Visit Series (pt.1) (pt.2) (pt.3) (pt.4) you are here

#Shadows x reader #shadow company x reader #graves x designer!reader #cod x reader #cod mw22 #cod mwii #cod modern warfare #cod mw2 #cod x you #cod x y/n #cod x gn!reader #philip graves x reader #graves x reader #graves x you #phillip graves #phillip graves x reader #phillip graves x you #philip graves #philip graves x you #fanfiction #fanfic #simp-ly #simp-ly-writes #cod fanfic #cod mw #cod #cod graves #commander graves #shadow company

[andejoe]

since I started with "humans are space orcs" it gave me a doubt...How would the Aliens react if they watched a marathon series like "Criminal Minds" together with the human crew?I mean, the series is basically, Humans hunting Humans who hunted humans...

Phlyk guarded the door to the rec room. Lynn had warned him of their activity for the night. Phlyk had spent enough time listening to human insurance claims to know that any show humans called ‘potentially disturbing’ was likely to be horrific.

Only those with a human escort were allowed past Phlyk. Some looked nervous, others appeared confident. Phlyk thought they were all fools. Whether or not they thought they were prepared didn’t change the fact that humans had some of the most creative minds in the galaxy. Not many realized the dark side creativity had.

Once 1900 hit, Phlyk shut the door. He didn’t want to listen to whatever the humans were watching, but he didn’t move from his position guarding the door.

Not a minute later, the door behind him flew open as the first viewer ran for their lives. Whatever human show was being played, it took it’s first victim quickly.

The next person didn’t leave until around the 30 minute mark. They weren’t running, they were shaking much too hard to run. They stumbled away, leaning heavily against the wall to continue.

Another ten minutes and a scream made it through the door. Phlyk threw the door open, and wished he hadn’t.

On the large screen, a small red haired human held a bat as another small blonde haired human frantically scrambled backwards.

Children.

The revelation hit Phlyk as quickly as the next one. That one child was trying to murder the other. Phlyk watched, frozen in horror as one child stalked his prey. Phlyk wanted to close his eyes, but the terrified sobs from the prey child held him still. He needed to save this child, but he knew he couldn’t. The film had been made a long time ago, and he couldn’t change the events anymore than he could breathe underwater.

Right before Phlyk thought the stress of watching this would kill him, an adult human came out of nowhere, catching the predator child off the ground. In an instant, the predator child went from menacing to ferocious, upset that his prey had been taken from him.

With the prey safe, Phlyk forced himself to shut the door. He leaned against the wall next to the door and covered his face. He knew better than to look inside. He knew better than to watch a human show. He knew the image of the dead eyed child predator would haunt him for many nights to come.

“Hey Flick?”

Lynn poked her head outside. Criminal Minds ended behind her, the next episode getting ready to play. Lynn found Phlyk on the ground, hiding behind himself.

“Hey, it’s alright. I know you came in at a pretty intense spot, but it’s OK. The little girl lived. They caught the bad guy,” Lynn said.

“A child was murdering children. You’re watching this, for fun?” Phlyk asked.

“Not every episode is like that. Mostly it deals with adults hunting other adults. But yeah,” Lynn answered.

Phlyk nodded. “Why?”

“Why do we watch?” Lynn asked.

“Yes. Why watch horrible things?” Phlyk asked.

“Well, it’s like a safe way to think about the dark side of human nature. We’re all capable of that, but we’re not all wired that way. It’s scary to think about, so we like to watch it,” Lynn tried.

A voice from inside the room floated out, almost joyously. “Also because Morgan is hot!”

Lynn chuckled. “That too.”

Phlyk knew he wouldn’t understand tonight. He was also even more determined to protect others from this. “I am well. Continue your movie night. I will be here.” And Phlyk knew he wouldn’t open that door again no matter what he heard.

#humans are space orcs #humans are space australians #humans are dumb #humans are weird #humans are deathworlders

[trsf-theblog]

Anna Milton

I'm watching the Anna episode, and I've got so many thoughts for this one. My first watch through, I struggled to like Anna after she remembered she was an angel. In part because she becomes a lot more stoic - she became who she used to be, and the human version of her seemed to just be...gone. I think Anna would have been way more interesting as a mix of human with a lifetime of angelic memory. And she gets a little more like that while she's talking to Dean on that car trunk in the Yard. But there's still too little of that human she used to be left in her personality for me. It made that whole sex scene between her and Dean feel...empty? Anna had so little personality once she became an angel, and approached Dean with the same lack of personality, so it didn't feel...erm...passionate. Let's call it that. As someone who identifies as ACE and also thinks there is way too much sex-for-sex's-sake in our media/entertainment, it bothered me on my first watch through. It bothered me less with time, but it always seemed out of place. (OMG, also, can we PLEASE talk about how she puts her hand over Cas's handprint? Like?!!? SHE WOULD KNOW WHAT THAT WAS. That made the whole thing seem very...hmm...like a pointed message to her former suboridnate 🤣) ((As does the kiss she gives Dean, which the show very purposefully cut to Cas's reaction for. Like. You don't cut to another guy's face mid-kiss for no reason.)) (((Personally, I think it was a way to start showing Castiel's...weakness for humanity. Not necessarily romantically, but for sure in curiosity. It fits too when later everyone shuts their eyes when Anna gets her grace back expect Cas. He's staring at her with such open curiosity and awe. I'm pretty sure it took way fewer episodes for me to fall in love with Cas, but this one cemented it))) Anyhoo, back to Anna! I struggled with her more and more every episode she was in because she just went more and more stoic-angel. And what a bummer! She had soooo much potential to be a cool, involved character. I never understood why they didn't use her more. Second thought - Part of me wants to have gone further into why Anna chose to fell, especially with the possible rising tension in the upper ranks of Heaven with the Apocalypse coming. It seemed like a perfect opportunity to lay groundwork for Heaven being the bad guy. Anna either found out more than she wanted to know or just got a sense Heaven wasn't what it was supposed to be. They show could have sprinkled a bit of that in and made Anna more of a key player in being on the humans' side when the time came. Third part! Oh My God. Why was Dean sooo damn interested in her after he found out she was an angel. He was a bit flirty when she was human, but guys, it like...tripples once she reveals she's an angel. He does the whole half-smirk, green-doe-eyed smile around her allllll the time. Guys. Dean is so hot for angels, and the second one came along with them female looks, he was ON THAT 👀 Aaaaaangel kiiiiiiiiiiink. That's our boy!

Lastly, can we talk about Alistair knowing how to exorcise Cas? I don't fully know why that hit me in the good-storytelling bits, but oh boy did it. And I love that Dean saves him from it. You could argue it's kinda just nature for Dean in a fight, but that was Alistair he was taking on. The whole point of that battle was to let the angels and demons fight each other (and get out of the way), and he couldn't let Alistair "kill" Cas. I love how early on that friendship was being written. They could have had it be Sam or Dean or Anna who got Alistair off Cas, but nope! They picked Dean 😁 Anyhoo, that's my ramble for tonight! I'm supposed to be writing (I haven't written anything in two weeks 😭) but since I'm stuck on the damn Morton House (seriously - have I ever told you guys I don't like writing Sam when he's away from Dean? THEY are supposed to be the co-dependent ones, dammit 🙄) I thought hey, I'll post here! At least I'm keeping those writing/Supernatural/fangirl vibes flowing. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ So! Help me get some planning gears in motion. What do you all want to see out of Anna in TRSF? I have one idea at the moment, but I don't know if I'll go that way, as it conveniently takes Anna out of the story. And I juuust ranted about how much I did not like the show for doing that🤦‍♀️ She'd get to live happily as a human at least! But the more I think about it, the more I know she has potential as a character. I also know that the Muse and I have a habit of shying away from the women on the show Dean gets busy with. A small part of me thinks "NO, he's for Cas, back off ladies!", but that's me fangirling and I know that. A bigger part of me doesn't want to write him getting intimate with other characters (although for some reason, Cassie and Lisa don't trigger this at all - just Bela and Anna). The largest part yet is actually just angry and holding a grudge against the show writers for the amount of queer-baiting we got followed by under-developed and sometimes forced-on-us relationships, particularly with Dean.

Hmm, that's probably why Cassie and Lisa don't trigger this issue. Those relationships well developed and had purpose/fullfillment in them. Plus, the characters were well written and had depth! But Anna's relationship with Dean felt especially forced. And so my default planning definitely went towards avoiding her. Heeey, look at me writing out my thought process until I reached an understanding! Now I know why I want to avoid Anna, which means it's time to get the Muse working on the exact opposite 🤣 And that ramble got away from me. Go back to telling me what you all want to see from an Anna story arc in TRSF! Please and Thank you in Advance for all ideas and inspiration! 😁

#supernatural #8.years.of.silence #fanfiction #the road so far (this time around) #dean winchester #castiel #anna milton #s4e10 #spn

[saltygilmores]

Thoughts While Watching Gilmore Girls Season 2, Episode 15, "Lost And Found", Aka The Bracelet Has Breached Containment, Aka BraceletGate, Aka QuarterOnAStringGate, Part 4

As we round the bend and reach the shitty middle of the shitcircus that is Lost and Found, may I remind you what Dean, Lorelai, and Rory are going to war with Jess for:

I need a Quarter on A String prequel . I need the origins of this quarter and the sheer power it wields over pathetic people like Dean and Lorelai. It is fascinating to ponder. I mean, I know what a quarter looks like, but still, Is there someone with editing skills who can lighten this shot for me so we can have a better look at it? #Please Or maybe the Forresters took a family vacation, intending on leaving their son Dean at some distant gas station, never looking back, but before dumping him he got one of those pressed penny souvenirs they sell at rest stops.

(of course Dean first gave it to Rory outside when it was pitch dark so she would have to be like, oh yeah this is so nice Dean. Because she can't see a damn thing, and maybe in the moonlight it looks kinda pretty, but then when the sun rises Rory's like oh, it's just a fucking quarter. A quarter that now carries a heavy burden as it must be affixed to my wrist at all times or I'll face the wrath of Dean the Butt and My Mom The Butt).

Here we fucking go. Keep in mind Rory only cares so much about the Rest Stop Penny because Dean will be angry that she lost it. That's it. Why Lorelai cares so much about the RSP is a question only wise men can answer.

Jess quietly observing the freak show. I suppose asking for change from a dollar and punching a hole in a coin took a small amount of effort on Dean's part, but "made" is pushing it.

Ancient Technology/Discontinued Snack Food observation break!

Lorelai agreeing out loud that Dean's anger would have consequences for Rory that are too terrifying to contemplate Instead the Gilmore Girls GPS sends Lorelai right past "We Both Readily Agree That Dean's Anger Is Nothing to Mess With" Bouelvard and reroutes her to "it's okay he'll just make you another one" Street. Yes, I'm sure he can have another one made. Next time Clara's girl scout troop meets at his house he can give them a Quarter on a String arts and crafts project. For about the 200th time in just 1 and a half seasons, Rory tells her mother that Dean has an anger problem. Lorelai assures her that Dean will understand. Rory asks Lorelai how she can be so sure. Lorelai responds: "His track record points to him being understanding." A view of Lorelai's brain circuits:

But enough about your sexual fantasies again, Lorelai. I like the part about rendering Dean Forrester blind though.

Please hobble Lorelai GIlmore's knees with the rake. And now, a break down of how this episode and Teach Me Tonight are virtually the same story. -Something happens to Rory that is troublesome (loses her bracelet/ minor car accident) but Rory cares less about what happened to her than Lorelai does. Lorelai immediately dials the minor incident up to 11.

-Luke offers Jess up without his consent to either perform or receive some kind of service from or by one of the Gilmores (gutter slopping, tutoring). Lorelai reacts to these suggestions as if her very life is in danger. -The inatimate object at the center of the war was "made" by Dean (his car and his QOAS). -Dean will get mad at Rory for something happening to her that was no fault of her own -Lorelai becomes absolutely hysterical -Rory is like it's not THAT bad, I'll be fine Mom, maybe you're over reacting just a skosh -Lorelai is like you are not fine, daughter of mine! -The accident and the lost of the QOAS was not due to Jess being malicious or because he just likes to steal Rory's stuff and crash her cars but try telling Lorelai that -33 Year Old Lorelai Gilmore declares war with a teenage boy, has him exiled from town -Jess Mariano contemplates where his life went wrong and quietly wishes he was still living with his negligent alcoholic mother and her parade of abusive boyfriends (oh, right, that actually happens after TMT). We cut to Lorelai at work where she is crawling around on her hands on knees on the dirty motel (I'm sorry, INN) floor looking for Rory's bracelet under her desk. I guess Lorelai is like her own boss, she doesn't have someone above her, like a manager or something to tell her to stop loafing and looking for quarters while on the clock and demote her back to housekeeping duties. She also asked Michel to help her look for the QOAS and he is not amused. Great job Lorelai, making Americans look ridiculous in the eyes of Europeans, like we need any more of that. L: I turned the house upside down! Rory is having a heart attack! It's just awful! Rory having a heart attack:

When I tell you I am physically, literally WHEEZING over Lorelai Gilmore's dramatics. I completely forgot the Jess and Luke Looking for An Apartment b-story at the beginning of this episode. This episode is like slogging through mud so that plot feels like four years ago. Seen below, a Historical Curiosity: The birthplace of the Quarter on a String.

I love when Luke uses casual swear words. A much needed "Ass" in these trying times. This show could use more of them. Ass ass ass ass! Luke goes into one of his famous Nuclear Rants about the cost of apartment living (deposits! pet fees! parking fees! laundry fees!) so I guess Jess isn't going to be getting that seperate bedroom he was desperately hoping for. Whether its a rant about the pitfalls of marriage or shopping malls or rental properties or red meat, Luke Danes has his finger on the pulse of society.

Luke Danes appreciation. God, I appreciate you so much. I mean that in a totally non sexual way. Thank God you exist.

Okay, I forgot about Lorelai and Luke go looking at apartments together in this episode, which I remember to be quite enjoyable and full of delicious tension. Praise the lord, we have filler! I repeat, we have filler!

Lorelai leaves work in the middle of the day to go look at apartments with the local diner owner. In my gritty Gilmore Girls reboot titled The Hollow, the Independence Inn will have been purchased by some major hotel chain and Lorelai would be a victim of the first round of layoffs. We cut to Luke and Lorelai touring an empty apartment, where Lorelai offers to lick Luke's face. The real estate agent mistakes Luke for Lorelai's husband and Lorelai plays along and this whole scene is just....edible.

Luke: Yep, 14 years from now, I'm totally gonna make this crazy bitch my wife and even briefly consider reproducing with her. God, Lorelai is so downright tolerable and at times enjoyable to watch when she's sexually harassing Luke but her interactions with everyone else make me want to claw out my brain matter with my bare hands. But this tension right here??

Lor: What's wrong this place? Luke: It's too big. I don't need two bathrooms. Lor: Yes you do. And you and Jess will kill each other if you stay where you are. I gotta hand it to Lorelai. Because at least she's been advocating for Jess getting his own bedroom and bathroom. We know it won't happen, but the effort has not gone unnoticed. Can't wait for this minor bit of goodwill she's earned with me to be dashed to smithereens in the next few moments. Lor: It's a two year lease. Luke: Yeah, but who knows how long he's going to be here. Lor: Why? Did something happen? Oh, NOW you care about Jess. You're just trying to get in his uncle's pants. Luke: Even if he does stay, it'll only be for another year, and after that he'll go off to college, or Attica prison. Wrong on both counts, Lucas, but YOU go to jail (I think in season 5 or 6?) Still trying to figure out why everyone thinks Jess is a criminal. Although I believe with every beat of my cold black heart that Jess does eventually get his GED and go to college. Luke is sad about the fact that no matter what,Jess is going to leave him in the next few years, leaving Luke back at square one, living alone forever in this new apartment. I think the fact that he can admit, if only subtly and in his very emotionally closed off Luke Danes sort of way, that he would be lonely without Jess is nice. Even if he does think it'll be because he went to prison.

Or some crazy bish who turns her house upside down looking for a QOAS. You're fucked, Lucas. Still haven't arrived at the rotting meat of this episode. To be continued.

#denise rewatches gilmore girls #gilmore girls #rory gilmore #jess mariano #milo ventimiglia #gilmore girls season 2 #lost and found #luke danes #anti lorelai gilmore

[thegettingbyp2]

Love your ff! Can you write a few knoxville x reader in which he cheated on her and she caught him but, with time, the reader forgives him? Thank!

Screw Up

A/N: I've never written anything like this before so I hope this is okay! Writing sad Johnny is one of the hardest things I think I'll ever do!!

When you decided to jump into a relationship with the one and only Johnny Knoxville, you quite literally jumped head first. It was early 2002 and everyone was basking in the success of Jackass. You and Johnny had met on set while you were visiting your best friend, Chris, and had quickly become close, spending as much time together as you could, ending up in the two of you, much like everyone else had predicted, getting together.

For the first few months of your relationship, you were both floating on cloud nine; and then the “honeymoon” phase came to an end and all of a sudden you would both start to get irritated with each other over the smallest things.

You first started to suspect that Johnny might be cheating when he stopped asking you to visit set with him as much and he would start to come home late but you always shook the fear away, knowing that he was busy with the film and the fact that he would quite often go out for drinks with the rest of the guys at the end of the day. Besides he’d always come back home to you and cuddle up to you, peppering you with kisses.

One day, you were sitting on the sofa in the living room of the flat you and Johnny had brought together, scrolling through the channels on the TV until you found an episode of Jackass being played so you put it on and sat back with your coffee, giggling to yourself as you watched Johnny attempt to jump across the “LA River”. Watching him on the TV, you realised that you hadn’t seen your boyfriend since he had left for work the morning before; you got a text from him telling you that he was crashing at Steve-O’s for the night because filming went on late. So, you got up from your seat from the sofa and put your shoes on and grabbed your coat before heading to set.

‘Hey, (Y/N),’ Ryan exclaimed when he saw you walk onto set, running over to you and pulling you in for a hug. ‘Does Knox and Pontius know you’re here?’

‘Not yet, I thought I’d drop by and say hi to everyone. Do you know where PJ is?’

‘Yeah, he’s in his office, said something about having to write up a stunt before it gets approved so he’d actually probably love the distraction right about now.’

‘Thank you!! I’ll come and hang out for a bit when I’ve seen PJ,’ you said as you heading in the direction of the offices. You walked along the corridor until you saw the closed door at the end which you knew belonged to PJ. Knocking lightly, you opened the door and froze when you saw Johnny standing behind his desk, lips connected to another woman’s neck. His hands were gripped onto her legs that were wrapped around his waist and her hands were making quick work of his t-shirt as you watched it be discarded in the corner of the room.

The sound of the door opening made Johnny open his eyes and upon seeing you standing in the doorway, he pulled himself away from the other woman, quickly making his way around the desk to look at you, eyes filled with guilt.

‘(Y/N), I - ’

‘I’ll sleep somewhere else tonight,’ you said quietly as you made to walk out of the room.

‘What? No. (Y/N), we can,’ Johnny began as he reached out and took hold of your wrist lightly, stopping you from leaving.

‘PJ, please,’ you whispered, cutting him off and refusing to look at him at letting him see the tears that were pooling in your eyes. ‘I just need to be on my own tonight.’

He let go of your wrist without a word and let you leave. You walked back the way you came, walking straight into a body. You started to apologise before you looked up and saw Chris standing in front of you. One look at your best friend had you bursting into tears and letting his arms wrap around you, comforting you as best as he could at the moment.

‘(Y/N), hey, what’s wrong? Ryan said you were going to see Johnny so I thought I’d come and say hi.’

‘Can I stay at yours for a few nights. I can’t be around PJ right now,’ you asked, stepping back to look at him and bringing your sleeve up to wipe the tears from underneath your eyes.

‘Yeah, no problem!’

---

You had been staying at Chris’ house for the past two weeks, still not ready to face Johnny. That isn’t to say that Johnny hadn’t tried to talk to you, he’d been ringing and texting you constantly. He hadn’t tried coming to Chris’ house yet because he didn’t know that’s where you were; he thought you might be staying with Chris but when he asked him, Chris had covered for you and said that he had no idea where you were staying.

You and Chris were both laying on the sofa watching comfort films in amongst a huge pile of blankets when you heard the knock on the door. Chris paused the TV and groaned as he stood up and headed to the door and you stayed snuggled in the blankets, blood running cold when you heard Johnny’s voice.

‘Chris, come on man, I know she’s been staying with you, just let me talk to her. Please.’ You heard Johnny say from the door.

‘She doesn’t want to talk to you,’ Chris said simply, ‘and after hearing what you did, I can’t blame her. She told me what you did and I told you not to hurt her.’

‘I know and I hate myself for hurting her, punch me all you want but I know what I’ve done, I just want to talk to her and for her to come home,’ Johnny replied.

‘She’s not ready - ’

‘It’s fine,’ you said, standing a couple of paces behind Chris, still wrapped in a blanket. You couldn’t help the tug at your heart when you saw Johnny; he looked like he hadn’t slept since the day you caught him with the other woman and his eyes were bright red as if he had been crying. When he looked over Chris’ shoulder and saw you it was as if he could finally breathe again and when he started to speak, every word was directed at you.

‘(Y/N), please, I know I don’t deserve a chance to explain myself but I need to talk to you.’

‘(Y/N), if you want me to tell him to leave, I’ll do it, it’s down to you,’ Chris said, turning his body to face you, still handing in between you and Johnny.

‘No, it’s fine, I want to hear what he has to say, thank you though,’ you said to Chris who, after looking at you for a little longer to make sure this was really what you wanted, stepped to the side and let Johnny in.

‘Thank you,’ Johnny said, walking over to you. You simply nodded in response and pulled the blanket tighter around you, all of a sudden conscious of being in a room with Chris and Johnny.

‘I’m going to head out to Ryan’s for a bit, give you two a bit of time on your own to talk. Call me if you need me to come back,’ Chris said, aiming the last sentence around Johnny to you before closing the door quietly behind him. You and Johnny were then plunged into, for the first time since you’d known each other, an uncomfortable silence.

‘Do you want something to drink?’ You asked, feeling the need to break the ice.

‘I’m good, sweetheart,’ Johnny replied, the pet name rolling off of his tongue naturally, making your heart clench, having missed all of the pet names he would call you. The two of you quietly made your way through to the living room where you both sat down on the sofa, keeping a bit of distance between you. You watched as Johnny made to move closer to you but stopped himself at the last minute, clenching his fists at his sides so tightly, you could see his hands shake slightly.

‘So,’ you trailed off, feeling the need to say something but not knowing what you needed to say.

‘(Y/N), sweetheart, I am so sorry,’ Johnny said quickly, filling the silence. ‘I screwed up. I’m not here to ask you to forget about it because I don’t want you to forget about it, I don’t deserve that, I deserve to have you hate me for what I did to you when I promised that I would never hurt you.’

‘Who was she?’ you whispered as you looked down at your hands, fiddling with your fingers. From the corner of your eye you saw Johnny make to reach over to take your hands in his, something he always did when you started pulling at your hands, but he quickly pulled them back again.

‘One of the set assistants. I don’t even know her name. God, I’m a prick.’ He said, running his hands down his face as even more guilt set in.

‘Why did you do it?’ You saw Johnny flinch slightly at your question and you knew that he was hating every second you were making him talk about it but you couldn’t help it, you needed answers.

‘I don’t know. We’d been fighting more, which in no way does it make what I did okay, and I guess I was just trying to get my frustrations out.’ He couldn’t meet your eyes as he spoke and even though, it hurt to hear him talking about him cheating on you, you couldn’t help but feel bad at how guilty he was feeling. You slid closer to him on the sofa, far enough that if he was to move his knee, it would brush yours.

‘Come home.’ Johnny said, his head shooting up to meet yours, when he noticed that you’d moved closer. When you looked at him, you could see the tears that were threatening to fall and you felt tears prick in your own eyes. ‘Sweetheart, I’m miserable and I know that I deserve to feel this way, I know that I shouldn’t even be here and that you should kick me out right now but, God, (Y/N), I want you to come home. I miss waking up to you in the mornings when I’d feel you curl into my side and bury your face in my neck while we would play rock, paper, scissors over who had to leave the bed first to go and make the coffee. I even miss boring Sunday afternoons where I’d sit watching my cartoons and I’d just hold you against my side while you read your book and you would try to tell me what was happening in your book and it would just go straight over my head. I know I don’t deserve to have any of that back but I can’t help it.’

‘Hey, stop it,’ you said thickly as tears had begun to stream down your face as he spoke and you reached out to take his hand in both of yours. His eyes closed softly as he felt your skin on his again and he breathed out shakily as tears started to fall down his cheeks. ‘You need to stop beating yourself up. Yes, what you did was awful and it hurt me more than anything or anyone has ever hurt me before but you don’t deserve to beat yourself up about it, okay? Neither of us were innocent in this.’ Johnny tried to interrupt you after your comment but you didn’t give him the chance, gripping onto his hand tighter. ‘If we hadn’t been fighting as much, this probably would never have happened.’

‘I’m so sorry,’ he said brokenly. ‘If you need more time I’ll give you however much you need, just please say that I haven’t ruined this for good.’

‘Well I have missed the way you make coffee in the mornings,’ you said quietly, smiling slightly at him.

‘Sweetheart, I’d make the coffee in the morning every day for the rest of our lives if it meant you’d come home,’ he said, leaning closer to you.

‘I guess I better pack my bag then,’ you said and before you knew it, Johnny had wrapped his arms around you and dragged you into his lap, hugging you tighter than he had ever hugged you before. ‘I missed you,’ you whispered into his neck as you clung to him, feeling your body relax against his for the first time in what felt like years.

‘God, I love you,’ he whispered back, his hand resting on the back of your neck, holding you carefully against him. You pulled back slightly which made him frown before he realised what you were doing. Bringing one hand up to cup his cheek, you pulled his face closer to yours and met his lips in a soft, wet, tear-stained kiss.

#johnny knoxville imagine #johnny knoxville x reader #johnny knoxville #jackass

[queenmiarys]

Good day people, I hope you all had a wonderful start to your New Year and it continues. I want to thank everyone who takes the time to read my work, and thanks to all who like it. Please excuse any typos or grammar mistakes

Book: TRR

Summary: Aliania returns to the Palace and she and Liam spend time together. The newcomer confesses her feelings to Drake.

Pairings: Liam x Aliania (mc), Drake x Riley (oc)-kinda

Rated:M

🍋

Word Count 3, 025

All characters belong to pixelberry, but Aliania Perez belong to me

Warning: Strong sexual content, Drinking and deception. This content is for persons over the age of 18 and older. You are advised not to read if you're under the age of 18

Song inspiration for Liam and Aliania

I would like to thank @dcbbw for pre reding and doing some editing for me and giving me some good ideas, I really appreciate it.

Song inspiration for Liam and Aliania

Song inspiration for Drake and Riley

Blinded Lines, Part 2

Liam and I were in a weird place:Two days after making love, he announced that he was looking for a wife; he ended our relationship, saying that I needed to give Drake a chance. I can hardly look at Drake without feeling super guilty. I tried to be a good girlfriend to him, but I can't when another has my heart.

It’s been almost two months since the last time I was at the Palace. Drake and I were walking down the hall, and there he was looking all good. It looked as if Liam had been working out more or something. He stood with a dark headed woman named Riley, Drake told me as we approached them, whom I avoided speaking to. It seemed as if time had stopped. I couldn't breathe.

"Please, can someone get me some water?'' She said just before passing out.

Drake went to fetch the beverage, while Liam stayed with Aliania. He asked Riley to get Bastien.

"Aliania are you okay?”

"Thanks but I got it. Enjoy your little date."

"We need to talk, meet me in our room later? Please, Aliania.” before she could answer Riley and Bastien emerged.

"Are you okay Ms. Perez?" Bastien asked

"Yes, I think I just need something to drink, although I haven't eaten anything today. Oh, there's Drake now."

"Sorry it took so long, I got you something to eat and drink. I know you, Perez; when you are stressed you don't eat.”

Liam let Drake take over, after all she was Drake's girlfriend. He got up and walked over to Riley, wrapping his arm around her. My blood was boiling, I closed my eyes so I wouldn’t see them

Drake and I made our way to his room, where I laid down for a while after I ate the food he got me; when I woke up, at 9pm, Drake was watching me sleep.

"Oh my God, Drake! I slept from 3pm until now?" Omg Liam, he probably thought I stood him up.

"I need some fresh air, I'm going for a walk. "

"After your episode today do you really think that's a great idea?"

"I'm okay."

"I can come with you." She placed her hand on his arm."

"Drake baby, while you’ve been amazing today, I just need some space please don't take it personally. "

------

I wandered down the hall, and as I reached the east hall, I took a deep breath as I got closer to the door. I opened it, and there Liam sat shirtless, I must say he looked so sexy his muscles were more tone then before.

"Hey, my love, I didn't think you'd come. We need to talk.” He was wearing my favorite Creed cologne, while smooth jazz played softy in the background .

"Are you okay? Or did you just want get me away from Riley? He smirked

"I am okay as long as I got the job done, she's not really into you.

"How do you know she's not?"

"I'm pretty sure the way she looked at Drake when he returned says it all."

"Really? So you're not just jealous over her liking Drake?"

"I'm not, because I love you and only you."

"Can you stay with me tonight?" I haven't been able to touch you in almost two months! Please stay? I need you."

"I will, I miss you so much, let me just text Drake and tell him I went home."

________________

Riley sent Liam another text but still no response

She made it down to bar to see Hana and Maxwell already there.

It was late, and Drake found himself at the bar. Not alone; Riley and Maxwell and Hana were all there. Drake smiled a greeting to the others, feeling happy he had a chance to see Riley again

"So, where's Li?”

"I'm not sure,he's not answering my calls or text.

"So no Aliania tonight?" Max asked.

"She went home."

"Are you sure?" Max asked

"Beaumont, what do you mean?"

"I saw her car outside, that's all."

Maybe she took a cab." He didn't say anything to the others. but he had a feeling that his girlfriend was lying about something.

He tapped her a quick text

_______________

"You like what you see?" Liam asked with a chuckle. "That's the third time you’ve looked at me like that."

"Well I must admit, you looking damn good." She smiled.

"Honestly, I been hitting the gym extra hard for last few weeks now." I try my best not to think of you and Drake and no matter how hard I try,all I see is him touching you and doing other things and it drives me crazy. "

"Honestly we only been together once since the last two months, I ended up stopping him right in the middle, you had announced that your looking for a wife, I had to really process this

"I love you too, but are you sure? I mean, I know you don't want to ruin my relationship with him, but I made this bed. I gave in to loving you, so I must face the consequences of losing my best friend."

"I believe he'll be mad, but there is a certain person who can pull him through, I'm telling you Riley really likes him, she likes you but it's not the same as Drake."

" It's okay, I don't have feelings for Riley meeting her in NY, I mean for most part it was to try to get over you, I didn't know Maxwell would convince her to come here."

"You really have no feelings for her?

"Aliania my love, honestly I only have eyes for you, I know what's expected of me but I don't know if I can do it if your not by my side.

"We've been here for over an hour. I'm hungry, how about you?"He asked.

"I could eat something. I want scallops, roasted potatoes, and mixed greens”. He looked up at her and smiled.” What? I didn't eat much today."

Someone brought the food up.

Riley watched from a corner of the hallway.

She remembered when Maxwell gave a tour, he said no one stayed in that wing of the Palace, but she was curious to whom was using it. Making sure no one was around, she pressed her ear to the door; she made out Liam's voice, but she barely heard the female's voice. Riley hung around the doorway for about 20 minutes until she saw a guard walking the wing’s hallway. He asked her what she was doing there.

She replied she had gotten lost, which wasn’t a total lie. When the guard led her to her room, she saw Drake was knocking on her door.

________

"There you are Brooks, don't tell me you got lost again. Well, you'll learn.”

"Yeah, I was for a minute, but Spencer showed me the way.Thank you Spencer."

"So do you want to go get some real food? I heard a new American restaurant just opened up in the Square. It’s called Wayne's Chicken and Waffles.

"Sure,I’d love to. I really haven't ate much, because a certain someone stood me up for dinner." He won't even answer my calls or texts."

"It's something you might need to get used to; I mean, if you marry him he is the king and gets very busy at times."

"Do you think he's seeing someone?"

"Why would you ask such a thing?"

"It might be my imagination, but he seems kinda distracted. I don't have his full attention."

It crossed her mind when he changed. Liam was getting to know her, but today he cut their date short as soon as Aliania came around. But that couldn’t be the reason because Aliania was with Drake.

How could she choose him over Drake? Riley thought.

She and Drake ate, then went to the beer garden where they spotted Maxwell with a female.

"Drake, can we speak?" Max asked

"What's up, Beaumont?"

"What the hell do you think you're doing with little Blossom?

"What? We’re just friends, nothing more."

"Are you sure? I believe she likes you. I caught her checking you out the other day."

Drake tried not to look excited about Riley checking him out.

"Beaumont why don’t you and your date join us, you'll see for yourself nothing is going on. "

------

After a delicious dinner, Liam and Aliania watched a movie before falling asleep. Aliania woke up around 2am. Liam had been watching her sleep for about an hour, sitting in a chair next to the bed. "Hey, why are you over there?"

"Just watching the most beautiful woman in the world sleep.I couldn't sleep with so much on my mind lately, especially you my love."

She smiled. "You've been on my mind as well. I can't stop thinking about you, no matter how hard I try. I had a dream that you married someone who wouldn't let you see any of your friends. This lady was so evil towards you. Drake woke me, saying I was cursing in my sleep. Don’t look at me like that, we didn't sleep together. He just thought I would sleep if he was there, and I did for a minute but after he woke me I couldn't go back.For weeks now this social season has been bothering me."

"I'm sorry to worry you, it's just I need to marry and have an heir; it would fulfill my duties, but what I feel for you is not just a duty, I'm actually in love with you." You consume my every thought. "Enough about that, let's focus the rest of our night on us."

Come here my love?" I miss everything about you, no other can compare."

She sat in his lap, and he wrapped his arms around her while caressing her breast. He moved his mouth, kissing her neck and nibbling her earlobes a whimper escape her, he continued to get her worked up, She felt her body relax under his touch. He scooped her up and took her to bed. Her eyes closed as he dipped between her legs.

It had been almost two long months of not touching her, seeing her; he wanted to make her never want anyone else but him. He worked his tongue before inserting his finger deep inside of her; he worked his finger making her come multiple times.

He knew what he was doing.

He smiled as she came a fourth time.

"Shit, Liam! You are an amazing lover. I want to taste you, please?"

Aliania wrapped her lips around him, stroking him up and down. She loved satisfying the man she loved. Liam looked in her eyes as she took him all in.

He was now ready.

He pulled her up and flipped her over, licking her from the back before he slipped inside. "Damn baby, you're so wet and you feel so good."

"Yes, my king! Oh yes! I missed you too.”

He had her lay on her back as he entered from the side. She loved every inch of him.

He pulled out and rolled off the condom. " I want to feel you, If that’s okay. I have another condom if you say no.”

"Yes, My king she said almostout of breath. I've been wanting to feel you.”

He slipped back in and she wrapped her legs around him. He pulled himself into standing position while holding Aliania in place,he could feel himself getting harder, he started lifting her up and down they both could feel every inch of each other, she closed her as his movement because more rapid and faster, he was definitely in the zone, she tried to protest saying she was too heavy, but he just laughed." My love, do you know I lift weights heavier than you? He said a little out of breath.

He walked the room while pumping inside her a few more times before he could feel his own release coming, Both collapsed on the bed after Liam laid her down. After all, Liam was 6'4 and she was only 5"3.

"That was incredible." Liam praised.

"Yes, my king it was."

"My love, please don't feel guilty. I can tell you that you do."

"Sorry, but I can't help it, my king. I mean, what we're doing is not right yet we can't stay away from each other.You can't stand to see me with him, and I can't stand to see you with any other woman. We need to tell him because I want to just be yours."

"I'm only yours, my love. I've tried to move forward, but as long as you're around I don't see that happening. I only see us getting married, us having children, us together forever."

—---

Riley and Drake returned about 4 am, both tipsy but not too drunk. Once they got to Riley's room, she stood for a minute.

"Thank you, Drake. My date abandoned me, and you came to my rescue. I know at first you hated me, but I hope we're good now."

"Brooks, why do you believe I hated you?”

"Well you're so mean sometimes Drake, I just assumed.”

"Look Brooks, I'm sorry if I made you feel any kind of way. I had to get to know you first. See, the world I lived in for all my life wasn't the best, so my walls are always up.”

She took Drake's hand. "Please don’t get mad at what I'm about to say?"

"What's that?"

"Ali doesn't deserve you, she's not good for you. How could she have a man as incredible as you, and not value you." It wasn't a question, it was a statement.

" But you just met her, Riley. You don't know her."

"I don't need to know her.I know plenty of women like her, and she doesn't deserve you.”

Riley stood on her tiptoes and kissed Drake; he pulled back. "Brooks, you know I have a girlfriend."

She let out a sigh. "I know, but I can't help how I'm starting to feel for you. I mean I've tried to fight my attraction to you, I've tried giving Liam a real chance. But honestly, his heart is somewhere else. It seems like he forces himself to spend time with me."

"Brooks, what are you talking about?"

"Well Liam is sweet, but he only kisses me on the cheek. I went to kiss him and he pushed me away, like he’s keeping me at arm's length because he's waiting on someone better to come along. He's canceled a lot of dates he's planned with me. It's like he's sabotaging finding a wife."

"Interesting, Brooks. Li is usually a smooth operator."

Drake laughed out loud. “Look, it's almost 5; I’d better be going. Get some rest okay?”

"Okay, I will and thank you for a good time. I wish we could have gone further." She winked before disappearing into her roo.

The wheels in Drake's mind started turning: The way Perez reacted when she saw Riley with Liam; how she had been behaving the last month. She had definitely been keeping him at arm's length. Since Liam’s announcement two months ago, Perez hardly wanted to be bothered.

He found himself at Liam’s door. Drake knew Liam got up around 5am, but no answer. He was still standing in front of the door when the maid arrived to do her morning cleaning.

"Good morning Estelle?" "Is Li having a meeting this morning?”

"I'm not sure, Mr. Walker. His Majesty did not stay here last night; I came earlier and his bed was not slept in.I just went to get a few things; since His Majesty is not here, we will deep clean his quarters.”

"Oh okay, I'll let you get to it."

It didn't make sense, Liam not in his suite.

Riley was with me, that's the only woman he's showed any interest in.

Perez had disappeared.

Max said her car was still here. She said she took Liam asked someone to take her home after what happened earlier

That explanation came through in a text that she had sent Drake after he texted her about her car. He got to his room, and crashed down on the bed, for a few minutes before taking off his clothes. He fell asleep, forgetting to shower.

Iit was now 5:30.

Riley on the other hand, couldn't sleep. All she could think about was who Liam was with.She also thought how nice it would have been if the kiss she laid on Drake had been returned. She thought of how good Drake must be in bed.

He was so fine. She could see his ripped chest through his shirt he wore.

Riley got up and made her way to east hall; this time when she got to the room, she was in luck. That was most definitely Liam leaving the room. But, she wasn't prepared for what she saw next.

Stunned and in shock, Riley stood with her mouth open in disbelief.

Aliania came to the door with a very revealing nighty on; there was no mistaking that they were indeed involved with each other.

Author's note: hello everyone I would like to ask what Riley's next move should be?

Confront Liam or Aliania?

Confront both?

Go to Drake?

If you don't like any of those ideas please, tell me your opinion of what Riley should do next you can inbox me or leave a comment.

----

@bebepac @shewillreadyou @mom2000aggie @tessa-liam @ao719

#Spotify #Liam x mc #Drake x oc #TRR #blended Lines #betrayal #king of Cordonia

[danielscarcello]

Field of Lucid Dreams

Because I had a hard time getting my novel picked up, I decided to publish my short stories — my collection of coincidences — as a blog, hoping I would gain some traction that way. And before I even wrote a single post, a series of events proved this was the right choice.

At the library where I work, a book came across my desk, called Proof of Heaven, which was about a neurosurgeon who has a near-death experience and describes his vision of the afterlife. It was inside a box full of donated books. I stacked the donations on a cart to shelve them when Sarah, one of my colleagues, stopped me.

“Got one more for you,” she said. She handed me a picture book called Holly, which had a black cat on the cover.

As I filed away the books, I picked up Proof of Heaven and flipped through it. I found a withered prayer card tucked in the book, on page 24; someone must have used as it as a bookmark and forgot about it. I opened the card with one hand, while holding the book open with the other, and one word on the page, from this passage, happened to catch my eye.

Then, out of nowhere, I shouted three words. They were crystal clear, and heard by all the doctors and nurses present, as well as by Holley, who stood a few paces away, just on the other side of the curtain.

“God, help me!”

Holley.

Sarah had just handed me a book called — Holly. I put down Proof of Heaven and picked up Holly, and the first sentence said that last November, we lost our 14-year-old cat named Holly.

That was when Marianne came to mind. Marianne’s birthday was on November 14th. Her father died last year, after a long, grueling illness.

Instead of putting Proof of Heaven on the shelf, I kept it aside for her.

She texted me a few days later: “So I guess I have to read that book now. Last night, this lady at work mentioned that baseball movie, Field of Dreams. Later, I watched this YouTube video, and it mentioned Field of Dreams too. The crazy thing is that the video was about near-death experiences — just like the book.”

“Holy shit!” I wrote.

When I thought about Field of Dreams, I remembered this strange this little episode that took place the night before.

“Here’s another baseball coincidence for you,” I wrote. “Last night I was at Pita Land getting shawarma. I was standing in line, watching TV, and a headline flashed across the screen: ‘Jays sign new infielder Isiah Kiner-Falefa’. But I caught it so quickly that I could have sworn it said infidel, not infielder. I stood by the TV, waiting for the headline to loop back around, so I could see what it actually said. And his name sounded just like what was on the menu — Falafel.”

She sent me a laughing emoji.

“It’s interesting,” she went on. “I never get any signs from my dad, and I want one so badly.”

A few days later, it was New Year’s Eve, and I spent the night at Robb’s place. At one point, he put on the new Dave Chappelle Netflix special: The Dreamer.

Thinking about Field of Dreams, I listened to his monologue, my eyes fixed on the screen.

In your life, at any given moment, the strongest dream in that moment wins that moment. I am a very powerful dreamer. I dreamed tonight as a fourteen-year-old boy, and I’m living it as a fifty-year-old man…

This gave me such a renewed sense of determination to publish my collection of coincidences online. Even if no publisher in the world wanted my book, I would still chase my dream.

And so, the next day, I set out to write my first blog post. I closed my eyes and waited for an idea to come to me. My thoughts went back to Pita Land, and I remembered how on that morning, at work, a bunch of us were talking about obscure horror movies; someone had brought up a documentary about the Donner Party, the group of American pioneers who were trapped in the Sierra Nevada mountains and resorted to cannibalism to survive. Now, just before I saw the headline about Kiner-Falefa, I noticed — for the first time in all the years I’d been eating shawarma — one particular item on the menu: Beef Doner.

With a shudder, I started jotting all this down, wondering how I would string this together into a something worth reading. At first, I couldn’t figure it out, and so I took a break. With obscure horror movies on my mind, I started scrolling through YouTube, looking for something to watch. Then I found a channel called Renegade Films.

At random, I clicked a video called “Who Let Him Make This Movie?”. The movie, which I knew nothing about, was Babylon. As it turned out, much to my delight, Babylon was directed by Damien Chazelle — whose name echoed Dave Chappelle.

When it was over, another video on the channel, right next to the one about Babylon, caught my attention: “The Perfectly Logical Reason This Director Ate His Shoe (inspiring)”.

The director was Werner Herzog. It was about the time Herzog promised Errol Morris he would eat his shoe if he finished a movie about pet cemeteries he was working on. And, as I later read on Wikipedia, “In 1978, when the film Gates of Heaven premiered, Herzog cooked and publicly ate his shoe.”

Pet Cemeteries. Holly. The lost cat. Proof of Heaven. Gates of Heaven.

In other words, the perfectly logical reason this director ate his shoe was so that it would serve as a call to fearlessly chase your dreams. He said:

If I abandon this project, I would be a man without dreams, and I don’t want to live like that. I live my life, or I end my life with this project. All these dreams are yours as well… we have to articulate ourselves otherwise we would be cows in the field.

Field of Dreams.

My head was spinning. Finally, I read the Wikipedia page on Field of Dreams. And the first paragraph absolutely blew me away. Field of Dreams was based on a novel by W.P Kinsella called — Shoeless Joe.

The Perfectly Logical Reason This Director Ate His Shoe.

Frantically, I kept clicking all the links on Wikipedia, writing down all the connections I found — including the fact W.P Kinsella wrote a book called Butterfly Winter, Proof of Heaven had a blue butterfly on its cover, and Werner Herzog directed a movie called Fitzcarraldo, about a man determined to transport a steamship over a hill in the Amazon basin in order to build an opera house.

Field of Dreams gave us the phrase, “If you build it, they will come.”

If you build your website…

– they will come.

Finally, I jumped back to the Wikipedia page for Field of Dreams. In the movie, Ray, who was unable to reconcile with his father before he died, hears the ghost of “Shoeless” Joe Jackson tell him to build a baseball diamond in a cornfield. If you build it, they will come. Throughout the film, Ray sees the ghost of “Shoeless Joe” and other dead baseball players. Then, during a game, when the catcher removes his mask, Ray recognizes him as his father as a young man.

I stopped reading at that point, and I thought about something Dave Chappelle said:

You have to be wise enough to know when you’re living in your dream, and you have to be humble enough to accept when you’re in someone else’s…

All this time, I thought the coincidences were all about my writing, my blog — my dreams. But then I remembered what Marianne said about her father. And I knew I had to be humble enough to accept this wasn’t for me. It was for her.

#spirituality #spiritual disciplines #coincidence #mysticism #religion #motivation #personal development #personal drama #personal diary #novel writing #autofiction #literature #literary fiction #literary quotes #writing #literary agent #blog #blogger #lucid dreaming #psychology #psychonaut

[blu-joons]

Script Reads ~ Yook Sungjae

A gasp came from you as you read over the script that Sungjae had been given for his latest drama, stunned by what was unfolding between the two main characters. He had only read through it once himself, but judging by the look on your face, he could tell exactly what you’d read over, having been warned about the scene.

“Are they expecting you to act this?” You asked him in surprise, shaking the script that was in your hand. “Why is your character so needy?” You then questioned as you read over a few of his lines for a second time.

Sungjae shook his head as he took the script from you to go through them with you. “He’s not needy Y/N, he’s desperate, he’s a guy in love who just wants the girl of his dreams to listen and realise that he loves you.”

“But she’s not interested, look at how cold she is.”

His head nodded back at you, with the script for the next episode still being finalised, Sungjae couldn’t tell you what happened next. As much as he wanted to solve your confusion, he couldn’t, wanting for it to be a surprise for you too when you eventually got to read through that script too.

“I so wish that I was able to visit you on set and watch you act this out,” you laughed back across at him, “I could never imagine you saying any of these things in real life.”

“Why don’t I show you?” Sungjae then suggested, poking his hand against your arm, “we’re not doing anything tonight, why don’t we read through my script together and act it out.”

“B-but I’m not an actor?” You reminded him with a shake of your head, nervously looking over the many lines that were on the script. “How can I act this out, especially acting with you too? You’re a professional, and I’m just…well, I’m just not an actor.”

Sungjae through his arm around you, desperate to give it a try. “Just trust me on this one, I bet that you’ll be better at it then you give yourself credit for. If you’re really bad, then we can stop, but I thought you wanted to see needy Sungjae.”

Your head nodded as Sungjae innocently smiled across at you, “I’m intrigued by needy, or desperate, Sungjae, whichever one you’re actually supposed to be playing.”

Before you knew it, Sungjae was moving some of the furniture around in the living room to make things more believable. He grabbed his second script copy from his bag so that you had one each, allowing you to stand away from one another as you acted.

“Do you want me to set the scene for you?” He offered, “a bit about your character?”

“I think I can act as if I’m not interested in you.”

Sungjae’s eyes went wide at how cold you were, already fitting the bill of your character. Truthfully, he couldn’t tell if you were being serious or not, worried how believable you really would be able to make it that you weren’t interested in him.

As soon as Sungjae told you to start reading your script, your smile dropped, glancing across at him with a stone-cold expression. “Why can’t you see that I’m the guy for you?” Sungjae told you, full of passion and hurt just like he was supposed to.

You couldn’t help but be slightly surprised by how good of a job he did, even with his opening line. Although you always knew how good of an actor Sungjae was, hearing it in person never failed to surprise you.

As your character remained silent, Sungjae took a couple of steps towards you. “It’s like our friendship means nothing to you, all the years that I’ve been here for you and now you’re telling me you don’t have feelings.”

“I don’t want to be like that Sungjae,” you yelled back, turning away as his hand went to reach out to hold onto your arm, “we’re friends, that’s all it is.”

His head shook as he dropped it to look down on the floor, letting go of a shaky breath as his character found himself on the verge of tears.

“There’s no one else that I want to be with,” he tried his best to tell you, “you’re the love of my life, the only person that I can see myself being with. I’ve waited too long to tell you this, and I just can’t wait any longer anymore.”

As he spoke, you couldn’t help but gulp. Sungjae made it feel real, not just for you, but for himself too as he suddenly stepped forward and pressed a kiss to your lips. “It doesn’t say on here that he tries to kiss her?”

“I know it doesn’t,” he smiled, “I just added something in.”

Your head shook as Sungjae dropped back out of character, wrapping his arms around you and pulling you tightly against his chest.

With your eyes still looking at him, he began to explain to himself. “Saying all of that, I felt like I needed to kiss you, it was true, even out of character too.”

The smile on your face turned up as he spoke sincerely across to you, “I could tell that you really meant it too, you weren’t really in character then, were you?” You asked, left unsurprised when his head shook in reply to you.

He knew that he was supposed to stay in character, but he couldn’t help but mean it too when he looked across to you as Y/N rather than as the character he wanted you to play.

“I mean, you are the love of my life,” Sungjae confessed, feeling himself get slightly nervous, “and I really couldn’t imagine myself being with anyone else but you, you’re my best friend, my favourite person in the entire world too.”

“You’re normally so good at staying in character,” you teased him.

He was well known for keeping a straight face, but around you he just couldn’t. Just watching you made him smile, even when you didn’t intend to.

“It panicked me for a moment when we acted that, that it was real,” he whispered, “as if we were just friends and everything between us had just been some sort of dream for me.”

You smiled weakly back across at Sungjae, brushing your hand through his hair, “maybe that wasn’t the best scene for the two of us to try and act out. It felt real for me too, scarily real as if the two of us really just still friends, like we were all those years ago.”

Sungjae matched your smile, “I’m glad that we’re not like the couple in the drama, I’m glad that you liked me back and we were able to start a relationship, I’ve never regretted it.”

Your head nodded in agreement, “just tell me one thing, do they end up getting together by the end of the drama?”

“You know that I can’t give spoilers.”

A heavy sigh came from you, “I promise that I won’t tell anyone, but you can’t expect me to wait for the drama to air to find out now.”

“Alright,” Sungjae chuckled, “but if I find out that you’ve told anyone what happens, I’ll tell the producer it was you.”

“I promise I won’t say anything, just spill.”

“Let’s just say, it’s a happy ending.”

---

Masterlist

#btob #bto imagine #sungjae #sungjae imagine #yook sungjae #yook sungjae imagine #btob reaction #btob scenario #btob sungjae #btob drabble #btob one shot #btob fluff #sungjae reaction #sungjae scenario #sungjae drabble #sungjae one shot #sungjae fluff #kpop #kpop imagine

[fanficwriter284]

Breathing

This took forever, so I hope you like it! Let me know what you think. This is to make up for the lack of stories I had today.

The ringing in his ears grew louder as his vision died out and transitioned into darkness. He was numb from the pain. He heard faint screams in the background but in all honesty, he really didn't care. All he wanted to do was lay on the concrete. His breathing grew heavier and heavier with less frequent breaths. Eventually, he let the darkness take him, and the pain went away for the time being.

Tiffany had found him laying there. His body was limp and beaten the only to prove he was alive was his faint breaths. Tiffany screamed and cried. She immediately called 911 and waited for the ambulance to arrive. She didn't know if he was gonna make it through the night in his severe condition. They finally arrived and took him in putting him on a stretcher. Tiffany hopped in the vehicle as well and stayed by his side. They rushed him to the hospital and took him to emergency care, leaving Tiffany in the waiting room. She remembered the twins were home still asleep, so she decided to call a friend to go check up on them.

"Hey, Mary. Sorry I didn't mean to disturb you at this hour. Sorry, but I was wondering if you could go to our house and stay there for a bit and watch the twins. Chucky and I are in the ER right now. You will? Thank you! The key is buried underneath the plant on the side of the door."

Tiffany hung up the phone, her hand still shaking. She waited there for about 5 hours. Her worry for her husband grew each hour keeping her awake.

"Mrs. Ray?"

"YES! That's me! Is he ok?"

"He's unconscious but stable. His injuries are severe but we think he's gonna pull through for tonight"

Tiffany sighed in relief and wiped away a tear on her face.

"Is it alright if I see him?"

"He's not conscious currently but I don't see why not. This way"

She followed the nurse to her husband's room and froze at the sight of him.

"I'll leave you two be"

"Oh Chucky"

Tiffany approached his bed. He looked so lifeless, he had an IV in his hand and tubes in his nose. She stayed at his bedside and listened to the beeping coming from the machine. Normally Chucky would complain about the noise about how loud it was but instead, he was silent only his breathing was audible. She stayed with him for about another hour and had to force herself to leave.

"Bye Chucky. I'll be back soon. I love you"

"......................."

Tiffany shed a tear and left closing the door behind her. He went back home and was greeted by her kids swarming her with questions.

"Thank you for watching them. I hope they weren't any trouble"

"No, No problem at all"

She pulled Tiffany to the side and asked him about how Chucky was doing.

"He's stable"

"That's good. Well, I gotta start heading home to my husband. Let us know how he's doing further down the line."

"Yeah, I will. Bye Mary Ellen. Take care and thanks again"

She left giving the twins a wave goodbye and left.

"MOM! MOM! MOM! Where did you go?"

"Where did you head off too?"

"And where's Dad?"

"Uh. I'll tell you two later. I need to head back to sleep"

She didn't wanna tell them what had happened that night. Tiffany headed to her room and cried to sleep.

A few hours later, she woke up from her sleep. She went back downstairs to find the twins watching Spongebob and laughing along with the episode. She made lunch and told the two of them to set the table. She set the bowls of soup down and the three of them sat down. They all noticed the empty seat at the table.

"Mom.......Where's Dad?"

"Where is he?"

Tiffany froze and remember the horrific state he was in.

"Uhh. Your Dad.....Well.....He. Your Dad's in the hospital right now."

"W---W----What"

"W---What"

"WHY!"

"He got into a fight and he got hurt pretty bad."

"How long is he gonna be gone?"

"I---I---I don't"

The twins sighed and felt tears form in their eyes.

A WEEK LATER

Glenda had become sad and more temperamental and closed off. Glen on the other had become clingy and never left Tiffany's side.

"Glenda, honey you need to eat."

"And Dad needs to be home," He said crossing her arms.

"Glenda, I know you miss your Dad but----"

"WHEN'S HE COMING HOME!!!??"

"Glenda----"

Glenda had tears running down her face she couldn't hold them in anymore.

"I WANT MY DAD BACK!!! I WANT MY DAD!!! I WANT MY DADDY!!! I WANT HIM HOME!!!"

Glen also began to cry and hugged his mom tight.

"Hey, it's ok. Your Dad's a fighter. He'll come home soon"

Tiffany pulled both her kids in close and hugged them tightly. Tiffany also cried a bit, she deeply missed him. She missed all his smartass remarks and his presence. She hated sleeping in her bed next to an empty spot where he was supposed to be.

A Few Days Later

The hospital called and they cleared Chucky for returning home. He had woken up and was well enough to return home. Tiffany rushed over and went to pick up Chucky. Mary Ellen watched the kids once again while Tiffany went to bring Chucky home.

"So you guys excited to see your Dad?"

"YEAH!"

"YES!"

Tiffany pulled up to Chucky's room and opened the door to his room.

"Tiff!!??"

"CHUCKY!!!"

Tiffany ran over and hugged him.

"Ow. Careful Tiff. Don't break me. Haha"

"Sorry Sweetface"

"Nah you're good."

Chucky had a broken leg and a few broken ribs. His lip was busted a bit and the bruises on him healed.

"I missed you so much. You had me really worried"

"Sorry. And yeah I missed you two"

She kissed him for a while and let their heads touch.

"Tiff, can you pass me my crutches?"

"Sure, here"

"Thanks Babe"

The two of them got in the car and drove home. On the way there they chatted, about how life was when he was gone.

"So how have the kids been?"

"They took it pretty hard. Especially Glenda."

"Hm"

They finally arrived, home. Chucky grabbed his crutched and made his way out. He stood in front of their house. Home Sweet Home. They two went inside, the kids were upstairs playing with Mary Ellen. Mary Ellen came down stairs and say the two of them.

"Glad to see you back on your feet Chucky. Or should I saw foot?"

"Thanks, Mary. And Thanks for watching the twins"

"It was my pleasure."

She left the house and went home.

Chucky decided to go hide in the corner and wait for the twins to come downstairs.

"KIDS!!! Come downstairs!"

She heard pounding footsteps come down stairs.

"WHERE'S DAD?!!!"

"WHERE IS HE???!!!"

"Kids, your Dad needs another week in the hospital"

"WHAT"

"NOOOO!!!"

Chucky quietly snuck his way behind them and stood behind the two of them.

"Wow, you two really did miss me huh?"

"DAD!!!"

"DADDY!!!!"

They both lunged into him and cried.

"I MISSED YOU SO MUCH!"

"I MISSED YOU DAD!"

"I missed you too kids"

"DON'T EVER LEAVE US AGAIN!"

Chucky held them both close.

"I won't I promise"

#Chiffany #chucky #chiffany #childs play #charles lee ray #raysforever #tiffany valentine #chucky x tiffany #glen and glenda #chuckyxtiffany #Glen Ray #Glenda Ray #glen ray #glenda ray

[evelyn1056]

This was in my head for a while now so why keep it longer.

"Roll the Dice" Alternate (bad) ending/ What if King Dice thought of something better than "....[Y]ou go straight to the mystery prize room. Yay."

Here's how it goes. Everything goes the same as in the episode all until Cuphead breaks the dice. King is now thinking of a way how to trick the people into thinking there's something good about breaking the two big dice still being related to the game. That's when he got an idea.

"Ahh, Dang it. I guess I lost."

"That's actually a good thing. When the dice shattered that means you get to go to the not-secret-anymore bonus round. You get to face off one last challenge."

"there's a bonus round?"

"Yes... We had some incidents trying the dice out so we made a secret bonus round just in case they came off again. But, before we get on to the bonus round, We'll be right back."

Dice winks to the audience once more and goes to the phone again but this time to call a party store.

"Yes, hello. This is King Dice and I would like to buy some balloons, an air pump, and darts fast."

He hangs up and like the police in "Root Packed" the stuff arrive at the studio quick. Dice hurried on pumping air into the balloons, placing 5 in a shelf thing and drags the shelf to the stage.

"And we're back. This Cup fella will now try to hit the balloons with these darts. If he pops all of them then they get to go to the mystery prize room."

He gives Cuphead 10 darts (twice the amount of balloons)

"pfft this is easy, I had a whole win steak back at a carnival, like man was I getting fans-"

"Just throw the darts already,"

Cuphead throws the darts and ended up winning.

"CONGRATULATIONS, You just won. Now go into the prize room to collect your prize."

With an Evil grin Dice watches as Cuphead went running to the prize room, all excited, and closing the door behind him.

"That's all for tonight folks, take care and GOODNIGHT."

The audience cheered as the curtains closed.

Meanwhile with Cuphead:

"huh, this ain't a prize it's just an old machine. HEY, THERE IS NO PRIZE IN HERE, YOU HAVE ME IN THE WRONG ROOM! OPEN THE DOOR!"

Cuphead tries to open the door but failed he was going to run towards the door to break it down but unfortunately the machine already took the soul from him. He was dropped to the ally and just sat there for a good amount of time.

Back to the studio:

"hey kid,"

With everyone gone and Mugman still in shock he snapped out of it when he heard the voice.

"Oh sorry Mr. Dice... Where's my brotha?"

"He went through the secret exit in the prize room. I suggest you should follow."

"No thanks, knowing him he probably wondered off. Well bye Mr."

Mugman left to find Cuphead and made Dice's plan for him fail but he was more interested in Cuphead anyways. Mugman went outside to look for Cuphead and he found him wondering by the bridge and hugged him

"Cuphead, there you are I've been looking for you."

"I'm pleasant to see you too"

Mugman realized he wasn't the cheery cup he knew.

"you ok?"

"never better"

"Cup, I don't like this new you. SNAP OUT OF IT!"

"I'm fine, like you"

Mugman grew suspicious of it and he noticed, and just assumed, that the devil must have took his soul while he was still frozen back at the studio.

"Oh, Cuphead I'm so sorry. This is all my fault. I should have never let my stage fright take the better of me. Don't worry once I find a way I'll get your soul back. Just hang in there."

Back in the studio:

King Dice left for another phone call but this time to the Devil again.

"It's your number 1 calling again."

"Dice, Let me guess, you-"

"Caught that cup, yes I did, how'd ya know?"

"You know henchman, the lil purple, chubby demon? 'hey'"

"Probably."

"He is a huge fan of your show and he never misses an episode."

" Can't see why not"

"He just told me that lil cup just went into the prize room."

"Indeed he did."

"I'm proud of you for not disappointing me. This is why you're my number 1."

"I know. But just one question, what about that lil fella with the kid?"

"Oh I'll deal with him if he tries something. But you should keep an eye out just in case since I'm very busy."

"Of course, boss. I will keep an eye out"

The phone call gets hung up and the episode ends here with King Dice, and/or the devil, laugh evilly as the outro begins to appear. Technically the next episode is just Mugman trying to find a way to get back at the Devil for stealing Cuphead's soul and getting the soul back to Cuphead.

(I hadn't seen the full table read but I seen pictures/clips of it and I just realized this sounds a lot like the episode that's coming up soon. Those who know ya know.)

Anywho, Dice ain't fired & replaced and Mugman is on a quest now. That's all. I honestly have no idea what to officially call this alternate ending but I feel like either:

Winning game

Rolling Sixes

(Get) What's comin' to ya

Or

Playing the price

(tbh I may or may not make an event with this very ending.)

#the cuphead show #mugman #cuphead #cuphead devil #king dice

[hoodievixen]

The Voice of God [Steven Grant/Marc Spector x Priestess!OC] Part 12

Summary: Steven and Godeleve thought they finally found some normalcy with each other. Little did they know they would drag each other further into the mysteries ands secrets in their lives. (Godeleve can see and talk to Gods - mainly the Greek kind)

Word Count: ~ 3k

Warning: cannon typical violence, I think there’s swearing - idk if there’s swearing, mentions of alcohol, Moon Knight spoilers, author has forgotten what a normal conversation is after the end of the world, no beta we die like men

A/N: I’m alive! If you didn’t see my updates, my mental health took a nose dive so a took a break, quit my job (twice), and got my medication adjusted. I’m doing better. I wrote some of this chapter months ago, so if part way through the tone completely changes, that is why. This chapter is also a bit longer than other, cause half of it is an episode written out, something I hate doing yet curse upon myself so often. I also hate reading stories/chapters like that, so you get more.

Part 11, Part 13, Master List

The boat ride to Mogart's had been tense between marc and Layla. Both had secretly wish Godeleve had been there, thinking her presence would have lessened the atmosphere. But most likely she would have made it worse, saying something out of turn, or playing both side, riling them up even more. But she had parted from the two, having her own way to get into Mogart's. She said it would be easier to sneak in as a pair and a single than a group of three. Yet before deciding said group, she disappeared.

"Remember your name is Rufino Estrada," Layla reminded Marc as the two walked further into the yard, though it seemed more like a fare ground.

Marc was scanning through the crowd, trying to spot Godeleve. He knew she was a fan of disguises, so it would make sense for her to be hard to spot. Still he wanted to know where she was at when it came down to it. "Right," he responded to Layla, "We just got back from our honeymoon in the Maldives."

"That's an interesting little detail to give them."

Layla was not having it, "I'd tell them you worked in a gift shop, but they'd never believe me, would they?"

As the two approached the El - Mermah field another man in a black suit approached them. "Bek," Layla greeted him.

The bodyguard looked up and down the couple, scanning them for any threats. "Layla," Bek greeted her, a tinge off of indifference.

The two went into a hand clasp of a greeting. "It's been a while," Layla said, sounding friendly.

"Good to see you too," he responded finally making direct eye contact. "Right this way."

"Thank you," Layla said before following the man in black up to the wooden fence around the ring.

"He's looking forward to seeing you," Bek commented, "After Madripoor I'm sure you two will have a lot to talk about." He led them past the line of armed men, of body guards. "However you are not is only visitor tonight." Beck nodded over to a familiar figure leaning against the wooden fence, a glass of wine in her hand. She hadn't even bother changing her clothes. Still the limited clothing showing she was a foreigner and the dark head dress blocking her face.

"Excuse me for a moment," Bek said, heading in the direction toward Godeleve. "Mr. Mogart will be with you shortly."

The two kept their distance from Godeleve, as they were nothing but strangers right now. "So what?" Marc scoffed, filling in the silence as they waited. "This joker put on El- Mermah games in his backyard, for fun?"

"No, he gets private lessons from the best in his backyard, " Layla retorted, stressing her annoyance at Marc.

Marc didn't know how to respond to that, not having expecting that from this guy. "Cool." Marc watched the guy as he prepared to greet them "I like the robe."

"Layla. Come in," Mogart called out to them. The couple walked out onto the sandy field. "Such a delight to see you."

"You two," Layla said, returning the mans handshake.

Morgart then leaned down to her hand. "How have you been?" he asked before kissing the back of her hand.

Layla didn't react to it, being used to the greeting. "Good. Thank you for having us on such short notice. Even with another visitor." Layla glanced to look at Godeleve, seeing that she was now walking around the outside of the fence, a man in a black suit following her.

"Oh please," Mogart said with a smile. "I hope you realize you need no excuse to drop by. And they..." his eyes glanced over at Godeleve, "Was a spur of the moment business meeting. I'll introduce you before out deal is over."

Layla nodded to him, before bring her attention to Marc. "This is my husband, Rufino," she introduced him, placing a hand on his shoulder.

"Nice to meet you," Marc said, holding out his hand. Marc spoke in an English accent. While his alter spoke in one all the time, he didn't not sound confident speaking in one himself.

"Pleasure," Mogart said. But he tied his robe before shaking marc's outstretched hand.

He then started leading the two across the field, towards his house. "I hope you understand, this is more than a collection to me," Mogart explained. "Preserving history is a responsibility I take very seriously."

Layla softly laughed. "I self - appointed responsibility that you alone were able to enjoy, no?"

"Well, I prefer to see it as a philanthropic effort at preservation," he defended himself.

"Which I say you do quite better than some museums," a soft voice said, slowly approaching. She was speaking in yet another accent. French this time.

Mogart turned around wearing a soft smile. "Yes, you would be one to know," he commented. He held out a hand toward to woman who was approaching. "Layla, you ay have heard of her. You both work in similar fields. This is Lythraceae. "

"Don't feel bad if you don't," Godeleve, no Lythraceae, said. "I assume you deal with Egyptian antiquities, while I deal more with Greek and Roman." She gave them both a smile. In her eyes there was a single glint of familiarity. No one would have been able to expect they knew each other.

"While your name dose sound familiar, I wouldn't have been able to place it," Layla answered. The two met in the middle and shared a handshake. Even then not even a wink of recognition in her eyes.

"With introductions out of the way," Mogart started, stepping between the two. "What has you interested in this piece?"

"Well..." Layla started only to be interrupted.

"I'd like to hear from your husband, if you don't mind," Mogart said, gesturing to Marc, who had been taken off guard by such a request. Everyone was watching him, all excepts Godeleve who's gaze was off somewhere behind them and something else on her mind.

"I think - I think I'd like to take a look," Marc stuttered out, sound oh so suspicious. Still Mogart let them take a look.

Godeleve stayed out, set to keep Mogart and Bek mildly distracted while they did what they needed to do. "It is quite a piece," she commented.

"Indeed," Mogart agreed, trying to be hospital to a guest and possible future business associate, while not taking his eye of the couple.

"So few mummies still exist, crazy how people used to eat them," Godeleve commented off handedly.  

Of course Mogart knew what she spoke of, however Bek did not. "What?" he asked, turning his attention to the art thief.

Godeleve nodded. "While not so much as ate them, as consume."

"In Victorian England they would consume mummies for their 'mystical properties'," she explained. "As well as cocaine for a cold. So not a good track record."

Layla left the pyramid and joined the group. " He just need a couple of minuets in there alone," she explained, as she also stopped Bek from going in. " 'cause...Yeah. He is... He's praying." she terribly explained.

"Do the old god still even listen to the plead of humans?" Godeleve questioned. If anything she new how to change the subject. Layla gave her look, which could  be played of as confusion, but was more so checking if Godeleve was alright.

All was going fine until they saw Marc actually handling pieces. Guns were then drawn. However due to her not known of being involved, Godeleve had no gun pointed to her. Still both Marc and Layla were held at gin point. She could only just stand back and wait until something happened. Only do unto him what you see him do unto others. Those were her instructions, so that was what she was going to stick to. She is not in the proper state to question morals, instead have someone choose them for her.

Of course then he had to arrive. "What ever they've told you, I'm sure I can offer you something much more tangible." Harrow brought the scarab from his pocket and held it out to Mogart. It even started levitating, show it's magic. "Why settle for a clue, when you can have the treasure."

Layla tried to reason with him to not trust Harrow, but he was not having it. She even told him about Harrow's plans of slaughtering millions. But it was clear that something had happened in the past to cause him not to trust her.

"Please, there is no need to descend into violent accusations," Harrow butted in. "Each one of you has so much more in common than you know." Slowly he approached the group.

"Layla, you keep thinking that distance will prevent the wounds from your father's murder from reopening. But something stands in your way. Your husband doesn't tell you the truth.

And Marc, you don't tell her because you know that if you do, she'll see you exactly as you see yourself, as unworthy of love."

His gaze then turned to Godeleve. "I'm going to stop you right there," she interrupted him. "Cause I know anything you know about me, it's from Zen. Which is very rude that they shared that stuff. I don't go around sharing their dead name."

"Godeleve, you are actually someone I feel pity for. So desperate to be human, yet you have no idea how."

Her once relaxed postured turned stiff. "I believe I'm a better human than you will ever be. I know the worth of a life and free will. Those are nothing but minor sacrifices you will make to reach your goal. You are a closed minded fool with a silver tongue and a broken morals. You hate the gods, but how I see you are no better than them. Currently you are just trying to sew animosity between us, but we will all still be united by our hatred of you."

Harrow disregarded her, instead turning his attention to Mogart. "Anton, the lore surrounding these relics, I offer proof that it's real."

"So can I," Godeleve said in the background. "Not like there's a fucking god on you roof right now." No one payed attention to her.

"This sarcophagus dose not belong to anyone."

Said god on the roof caused the light to flicker and the wind to pick up speed. "Do it - summon the suit," he told his avatar. Marc only glared in his direction. "Give them what the deserve."

What do they deserve? Godeleve wondered. To her knowledge they were but greedy art thieves. Not much worse than herself.

Harrow already started to chant. His cane now lighting up purple and the wind started howling. Godeleve started approaching. As purple smoke started swirling, she put her hand down on the cane. It had been her first time touching it. It sent a shock into her hand, similar to a mild tazze, yet she kept her hand on it. "I believe that is enough proof," she said. Harrow finished the chant, now keeping eye contact with the Priestess.

The purple smoke surrounded the sarcophagus destroying it. Godeleve had taken her hand off the cane, and curled it into a fist. None had expected such a loud crack to come from a punch of a woman of such a short frame. While Harrow himself had not show such aggression towards a person, one of Godeleve's duties was to protect the sanctity of burials and bodies. Destroying a sarcophagus could easily justify some minor assalt.

"You hold no respect for the living or dead, do you?" Godeleve spat as both Harrow and Mogart's men surrounded her.

While they were distracted Marc took the opportunity to summon the suit. Moon Knight could be seen perched at the top of the pyramid that now held a destroyed sarcophagus.

Harrow had already made his exit.

Bek and Mogart were quick to follow.

Godeleve was quick to break free of the pair of men holding her. She twisted back other their arms into an uncomfortable position any further and something would break. With her hands touching the skin of their wrist she said a quick sleeping spell. Sigils lit up on the back of her hands, something she had prepared previously to properly preform said spells.

She glanced over to Layla who had picked up a gun from a body that had a crest dart stick out of it's back. With no hesitation Layla fired at retreating figures. One fell to the ground.

While she knew Marc had no qualms with killing, Godeleve had yet to observe it herself. Nor would she had expected such actions from Layla, who has experienced a great lose. Godeleve could help but question decisions, both those of the ones she serves, the ones she is working with, and her own. But she didn't have a moment more than for thoughts to enter her mind.

A line of guard on the other side of the field started firing at them. Godeleve threw herself to the ground, rolling into the shadows. She emerged behind the center man. she leaped onto him, covering his mouth with her hand. as he was stumbling backward due to the sudden extra weight she mumbled the sleeping spell yet again. She hadn't thought her approach through fully as the man fell asleep he feel back, landing a top her.

The ones besides him had noticed and had their guns aimed at her, once she would free herself from their comrade's body, they would fire away. Though none of them had expected her to melt away into darkness.

A hand emerged from the shadows behind one man. It gripped onto his ankle and he himself melted into darkness, only to appear a mile away on a street corner.

Godeleve then appeared in front of a man at the end of the line. Before he could fully comprehend the sudden appearance she kicked the gun out of his hand. She brought her hands down onto his just as she said the last symbol of the spell.

She then ducked to avoid the projectiles sent by Marc. She let out a low hiss and shocks hand like she was trying to get something off of them. Such frequent repeated use of the spell was causing the sigils to burn.

She looked back to see Moon Knight had knocked all the guns out of the mens' hands. Godeleve burred her hand into the dirt of the field. All the guns on the ground were swallowed by shadows and spit out into the river.

He then came running in to take care of them. It would have been a pathetic fight even if they still had all their guns. In the middle of it, Marc froze. Holding a man in a chokehold the suit changed. No longer was it the ceremonial garb, but not a white three piece suit.

"That's it," he called out, with a true English accent now. "Alright. Time out."

Godeleve stood up, looking at him dumbfounded. "Steven?' she wondered out loud.

"Oh hello, don't think we've been properly introduced," he said.

She wasn't sure how to take that. Sure she had been wearing a wig, lenses, and a heavy amount of make up during the entirety of their relationship. Yet Marc had been able to recognize her, though he didn't believe it. Steven had had to have heard her name, he had to know it was her. Did she want him to know it was her...?

The sound of horse hooves interrupted her thoughts. One was heading right towards her. Instead of running or rolling out of the way, she stood her ground. At the last moment, she leaned to the side, grabbing onto the reigns. With the momentum of swinging herself onto the horse, she knocked of the rider as well. "I do not know how to ride a horse," she commented to herself, "But now's a good time to learn."

Another rider was charging at her, his stick held out to knock her off, she just ducked beneath it. Godeleve was quickly approaching the fence, and didn't know how to turn. She did have an idea on how to stop. She pulled back harshly on the reigns. While it did stop the horse it did buck her off, and Godeleve fell into the dirt with a thud and a groan.

As she clambered back up off the ground, she turned to see Marc had control of the body again. There were three guys surrounding him. Each with a spear through him. Had he not had the healing suit, he would be dead, They had the intentions to kill. She could have the same for them.

In her hands appeared a gun, one of her own. While the rifle had a scope she did not need it. Three consecutive shots ran out. Each struck true. Two to the heart, and the final to the head.

All that was left was one final rider, and Mogart who was now mounted as well. Layla ran out onto the field, hopping the destroyed fence. She easily fired and struck the rider, having him fall of his steed. However Mogart struck her from behind.

Marc now having removed the spear from his body threw a dart at Mogart, hitting him in the back. The horse still went on even as the rider slowly fell off.

Both of them looked to Godeleve who had her gun now pointed to the ground. "You couldn't have done that earlier?" Marc asked.

"I have my rules," she explained plainly. A loud howl echoed through the night, though it was closer to a growl. Godeleve swore she recognized the sound. But no matter what it was it was the beast summoned by Harrow's magic that she needed to deal with.

She returned her rifle to wear it had previously been. "I have something else to take care of," she sighed as she hoped over the fence and walked into the mass of trees.

#moon knight oc #moon knight spoilers #Moon Knight #moon knight x reader #moon knight x oc #moon knight fanfiction #Steven Grant #steven with a v #steven grant x reader #steven grant x oc #marc spector #marc spector x reader #marc spector x oc #Layla moon knight #layla el faouly #Khonshu #the voice of god series

[exploring-colours]

•2•

Rayne, Harper, and Toby were sat on the living room floor around the coffee table, working on a large puzzle. It was a Wednesday, so dinner was Grilled cheese with tomato soup and Tater-tots. The tradition started somewhere around 4 years prior, even before Rayne became an official part of the Landon family, they would come over Wednesday nights to build puzzles watch movies and have sleepovers. Once Rayne moved in the tradition stuck, becoming a weekly comfort that all the Landon's looked forward to. Wednesday evenings were always filled with joy and laughter and true familial comfort.

Rayne let out a triumphant squawk as they found and placed the piece the three siblings had been racing to find. They smirk and laugh a small cackle, "You cannot defeat me, I am the puzzle lord!" they announce in a mockingly boastful tone. Harper responds swiftly by throwing a tater-tot at her adopted sibling, hitting them square on the nose. "Ooh, try me I bet I can catch it in my mouth!" Toby states excitedly. With a huge grin Harper throws a tot, hitting toby directly on his forehead. "I don’t know Harp; I think you might have missed his mouth." Rayne says giggling, they toss a Tater-tot and Toby catches it in his mouth. The three erupt into cheers and giggles.

Eventually Raynes adoptive parents come into the living room with trays of grilled cheese and a pot of tomato soup. The family moves to their chosen spots around the room, grabbing sandwiches and bowls of soup. "What are we watching tonight?" Their dad said as he reaches for the remote. "We could watch Firefly again." Rayne suggests sandwich in hand. " All for Firefly?" Their mother asks. All three siblings and their father put up their hands. "It is unanimous!" Their father declares dramatically. He finds the old Sci fi tv series and puts on an episode.

•••

The next morning was much like others, Rayne was awoken by a screaming clock and Harper took ages to pick her outfit. The three siblings ate breakfast, made lunch and then were off to school. The drive was filled with music by Panic! At The Disco. School seemed to be as boring as any other day. Thoughts and images of art and ideas for the future rattling around Raynes brain. Meeting with Harper at Hank, still off in another world they hardly speak through the drive, by the time the pair are home and Hank is parked Raynes in autopilot. Drifting into dissociation Rayne is pulled into the depths of their mind, bathed in memories and thoughts.

 Light softly falls from the windows into Raynes childhood bedroom their head off in the clouds, they distantly hear footsteps. "Are you off in La La Land Sweetheart?" A woman’s voice says softly. The memory dissolves and Rayne is distantly aware of their mother’s voice softly calling their name. "Earth to Rayne!" They hear as a hand waives Infront of their face. Shaking their head softly they look up to see harper with her hands on her hips. "Were you even listening to what I said?" She asks with an eyeroll.

"Err, no sorry." Rayne responded rather embarrassedly; they glanced around to see they were in the kitchen. "Okay. So.." Harper leaped into a brief recap of her rant, apparently, she had been talking about the girl shed been texting. She prattled on for some time, explaining how Chloe had the prettiest smile, and her southern accent made everything she said sound so sweet. Harper went on explaining for several minutes about how although Chloe may be very sweet, she's also Firey and passionate.

"Anyways, we are planning to go to Barnes and Nobels on Saturday. Can you drive me there?" Harper asked, cheerily. "Sure." Rayne said with a grin as they moved to the fridge and retrieved two Dr. Peppers, handing one to Harper they hopped up onto the table beside where their adopted sister was sitting. "Are you going to tell me where you drifted off to?" Harper questioned gently nudging Rayne with her shoulder. "Just, you know, thinking." Rayne replied taking a sip of their pop. "Deborah again?' Harper asked her voice soft yet serious. Rayne nods, a shadowed expression falling across their face.

 "Do you remember when you first moved in, and you got the nose ring?" Harper said softly, a concerned look on her face. "You were so scared, but once you got it you were so excited." She continued, her concern morphing into fondness. "Remember when I let you cut my hair?" Rayne said a small grin appearing on their face. "Oh gosh, you looked so bad!" Harper said with a laugh. "And Mom was so mad!" She continued while giggling. "Harper Beatrice Landon! What did you do to your siblings’ hair!" Rayne said in a shabby impression of their mother’s voice. At that the two descended into giggles.

•••

That night Rayne snuck out of their room to the fire escape, they climbed down the metal steps, when they reached the ground, they tie their mask over their mouth and nose then pull their hood up to hide their face. With a bag of art supplies hanging from their shoulder Rayne walked a familiar path, one they haven't taken in what felt like years. Past familiar lampposts and trees, shops, and buildings that they once passed every day. They walked through alleyways and streets, following the long untrodden path that had been carved deep into their memory. Turning a corner Rayne arrives at their old neighborhood.

♦♦♦

A tall brick wall surrounded the perimeter of the small neighborhood, the houses spaced neatly along the streets look expensive and modern. Walking around the outside edge of the wall Rayne finds a blank area within the heavy amounts of tagging and graffiti. Putting on their headphones and starting a playlist Rayne starts setting up to paint. Taking a deep breath they let their mind drift, memories of their childhood come flooding in. Long bottled-up emotions poor out through their art as they work. Brush strokes and spray paints start to transform the wall as Rayne slips into a memory.

Rayne sat picking at their dinner, the lace details of the blouse they wore scratching against their skin. Their father at the head of the big table, and their mother to his right. The room was pristine a dull colour pallet giving it an expensive look. The clink of forks on plates rang loudly in the voiceless room. "Abigail, how was school today?" Their father said in his gruff voice. "It was fine." Rayne mumbled back. "Abigail! Do not mumble and fix that slouch!" Their mother said sharply shooting a stern glare towards Rayne. "Sorry mother." Rayne apologised, quickly sitting up straight. "Abigail you must act like a lady; you are 15 good men don’t marry slobs!" Their father stated gruffly.

Rayne hated that name, they didn’t want to be a lady, or be married off to a good man. They just wanted to be themself. Taking a deep breath Rayne looked at their parents. "Mother, Father, I want to tell you something." Rayne stated, their voice shaking. "Well go on then." Their father said with a wave of his hand. "I don’t want to be a lady." They stated with gathered courage. "Young lady!" Their mother chided sharply as their fathers’ gaze sharpened. "I..., I'm trans." They said, their voice trembling. Their father quickly pushed himself up as their mother gave a shocked look. "I will not have my daughter be a transexual slob!" He shouted. "You are a lady, and you will act like one! I will have no disgusting queers in my house." He continued. "Father please, I'm gender fluid. I don’t want to just be a lady." Rayne softly pleaded.

"This is because she's been hanging out with that dyke Landon girl." Their mother accused cruelly, a sneer on her face. "There will be no fags under this roof and certainly not in this family!" Their father stated sharply grabbing them by their braid he dragged them out of their seat. "Get out of this house little girl, I can't even look at you." He said sitting back down and looking back to his food. "Mother, please!" Rayne begged grasping their mother’s hand from where they sat crumpled on the floor. "How pitiful, Disgusting girl you are no daughter of mine." She snapped ripping her hand away and slapping Rayne across the face.

Heartbroken Rayne ran to their room, grabbing a bag they shoved as many cloths in as they could. Hastily packing their things Rayne grabbed their phone from underneath their dresser drawer. They grabbed the first pair of shoes they could find and yanked them onto their feet. Rayne ran out as fast as they could. Backpack over their shoulder, they made it to the front door where their father stood. Halting their tracks, they stood looking to their father in fear. "You disgusting idiot child, are a disgrace to this family. And a shame to god's name." He said, his words dripped with hatred. He brought his arm up and struck Rayne hard twice across the face. Pointing towards the door he yelled in fury. "Get out!"

Rayne ran out of the house as fast as they could, their face drenched in tears stung from the blows. They went as quick as their legs could carry them. It felt like they ran for hours, the sky had darkened, and rain began to fall. Raynes entire body hurt, but still they ran. They ran until their foot caught on something and their ankle twisted bringing them tumbling to the ground. Scraped and bloody Rayne limped to an alley where they collapsed in a heap. As the reality of their situation set in, they sobbed, they felt devastated and terrified. They cried until they couldn’t, and their entire body ached, remembering their phone they grabbed it from the pocket they had tucked it in. Quickly they dialed, holding their breath they waited as it rang.

The phone rang four times before Harper answered. "Hey man, what's up?" She greeted happily. Rayne searched for their voice but finding nothing they only cried. "Hey, Rayne buddy what's wrong, what happened?" Harper asked panicked. "C-can..., can you come get me?" Rayne replied softly stumbling over their words. "Yeah, yes of course. Where are you, are you home?" Harper responded sounding worried. Looking up Rayne relayed the street names. "Okay I'll get mom, we'll come get you stay there ok." Harper assured softly. "H-harp could you maybe stay on call?" Rayne asked quietly between sniffles. "Yeah dude, yeah of course." She agreed.

♦♦♦

Soon after Rayne was in a car with Harper and Mrs. Landon. They vaguely remember Harp rubbing their shoulder reassuringly. When they got to the apartment Harper helped Rayne to the couch while her mom went off to find a towel and first aid kit. When Alina came back, she draped the towel over Raynes shoulders. "Sweetie, can you tell me what happened?" She said softly sitting next to Rayne on the couch and gently rubbing their shoulder. "He kicked me out." Rayne spoke softly, as they explained what happened. By the end of Raynes explanation both Harper and Alina were gently hugging them.

Alina pulled slowly away from Rayne and brought the first aid kit into her lap, "Rayne sweetie, may I take a look at your injuries?" She said, her motherly gaze falling on the rapidly developing bruises on Raynes face. Rayne answered with a small nod, they lifted their skirt a bit and gestured to their injured ankle which had swollen slightly. Alina checked over their ankle which was lightly sprained, then cleaned up the rest of Raynes injuries. That night Rayne stayed with the Landon's.

♦♦♦

As the memory faded Raynes eyes refocused, often they never had an actual plan for what they painted they just liked to see where their mind brought them. Their hands worked seemingly with a mind of their own, the lines and shapes and colours slowly morphed into an image of a young girl in a flower dress reaching out for a balloon. Her braided hair depicted to be blowing gently in the wind. For almost an hour Rayne continued to work, immersed in their music and their art. When they finished, they signed the painting and began packing up their supplies, once everything was returned to its rightful place Rayne began the trek home.

As Rayne walked hands in their pockets and hood up with their bag slung over their shoulder. The Stand by Mother Mother playing in their headphones, lost in their music they didn’t notice the approaching pedestrian until they walked right into them. Stumbling back from the collision Rayne looked up to see a blonde boy, he looked about their age and he had his hands up in surrender. "Look man I don’t have any money!" The boy said franticly. Confused by his odd words Rayne pulls off their headphones letting their hood fall to their shoulders. "Uh, what?" Rayne asked dumbfounded. "I don’t want your money." they continued bluntly. "Oh man, I'm sorry I thought you were a mugger!" the boy quickly apologized. "Err, its uh, my bad, I wasn’t exactly looking where I was going." Rayne explained embarrassedly.

 "I'm Dylan" the boy said sticking out his hand. Rayne looked at his hand for a second then looked back up at his face a with a half-faked smile responded, "Um Rayne" they moved to take his hand but thought better and instead clarified, "My name is Rayne." They awkwardly stepped back and cringed internally as they did so. "Hi then Rayne." Dylan greeted, retracting his hand he smiled and gave a slight nod. "Um hi?" Rayne asked, very confused. Dylan glanced down at his wrist checking the time, an expression of shock spread across his face. "I need to go! Sorry again for running into you!" he apologised quickly, stepping around Rayne he gave a quick wave and began running the direction he had been originally heading. "Bye." Rayne responded softly as they looked towards his back, noticing the death star on the back of his hoodie. With a smile Rayne turned and continued walking, returning their headphones to their ears as they did so.

The returning journey felt even more familiar to Rayne, having made the trip many times in the years before they moved in with the Landon's. They walked quickly, confused by their odd encounter. Rayne wound their way back through the streets and alleys towards the apartment, ducking into the alley with the fire escape. They climbed back up quickly, carefully avoiding steps that creaked.  Climbing back into the apartment Rayne slipped off their shoes and padded quietly back to their bedroom. Setting down their bag and changing into pjs Rayne moved quietly to avoid waking the sleeping Harper. They climbed up the ladder to their bed and crawled under the blankets.

#lgbt fiction #lgbtqia #my writing #lgbtq community #exploring colours #reading

[translationandbetrayals]

Chainsaw Man's anime and why it fails as an adaptation

I LOVE CHAINSAW MAN I LOVE CHAINSAW MAN I LOVE CHAINSAW MAN.

And with that said, I hate the Chainsaw Man anime,

It's nothing to do with the artstyle, far from it, I think the still images look BEAUTIFUL, I LOVE THE MUSIC, all the tracks hit hard and help with the "feel" of the story, and I also really like all the different endings per episode they made, it's one of the first times Mappa used freelancers in a big way for their anime, they'd go on to implement this in great lengths for the Jujutsu Kaisen season 2 adaptation which is making numbers right now, I see Chainsaw Man as kind of a test for a lot of things, and that's got a lot of value, but it's also exactly where my praise ends. See, Chainsaw Man is kind of a movie, even in the manga you can tell Fujimoto's love for cinema, the panels are framed in such a way you can tell he was thinking of a movie scene, the tons of references throughout also scream for his love of the medium (I mean, Chainsaw Man's opening is like FULL of references, here's a video recounting all of them https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ow0eoZJ1QvA), so naturally the adaptation took this as well, but maybe they went overboard with the fidelity, they don't really innovate at all on the original manga, apart from 3 scenes which I can remember, they don't add anything to the story, but weirdly enough they took some scenes out for some reason? Like the muscle devil in the original manga, which was a really weird thing to do in my opinion since it was a valid scene that showed Denji's character, the scene goes like so in the manga, right after Makima finds Denji and picks him up, they get into the car and go buy some food cuz Denji is hungry AS HELL, when they get to the food place a bloodied man comes out of nowhere and says a devil took his daughter into the forest, Makima says they can help cuz they're devil hunters, Makima tells Denji to go hunt the devil for her cuz otherwise her udon (food) is gonna get cold, she also says she's heard that dogs who aren't useful get euthanized, scared, Denji runs into the forest looking for the devil, and sees a little girl who tells him her dad hits her and that this devil saved her, the devil reminds Denji of Pochita when he first found him, remembering that Pochita is practically dead now, he doesn't want to kill the devil anymore, but he also doesn't wanna get EUTHANIZED so he tells them both to run separate ways, then the devil reveals she's taken control of the girl (cuz he's the muscle devil and can control any muscle he touches) and is gonna do bad things to her when he gets rid of Denji, so Denji goes modo diablo and cuts the devil up into pieces, and says he'll sleep tight tonight knowing he killed a piece of shit like him, so he does, the girl is freed, and Makima tells Denji he's a dog she can use, Denji replies with a woof (same), and almost faints into Makima again, saying he got a bit anemic from the blood loss turning into a devil consumes, he also tries to explain how he got turned into a chainsaw man to Makima (even though she knows perfectly how and who Pochita is, but she's deceiving Denji by playing dumb), Makima also tells us she can tell Pochita is inside him, and that her nose is "really good", Denji gets happy when he hears this.

Makima points out how funny it is he calls soggy udon delicious, being completely oblivious to Denji's ABSOLUTE TRASH life until this point (orphan and broke), after this the chapter plays out exactly like in the anime. Pretty much everything stays the same except for the muscle devil, which is why it's a big head scratcher as to why they removed it, it showed Denji's willingness to follow Makima's orders for one reason or another, in the anime she just says "Useless dogs get euthanized" and Denji just gets scared, here we see him running headfirst into danger over getting his potential new life taken away, we also see him getting tricked by the girl, showing how easily tricked he is (which is important many times in the story as he constantly gets tricked) and we also see just how little Makima cares about him unless he does as he's told, here we see PERCECTLY the master - pet relationship they have for the rest of the story, we get none of this in the anime, and while it doesn't hurt it too much, it's a really weird decision apart from the argument that MAYBE the time was already too tight with only 12 episodes, but the decisions they keep making throughout the anime makes this hard to believe. So they take out this scene right? In change, what do they give us, what do they do with this free space they now have, well pretty much nothing, Chainsaw Man's pace when a fight isn't going on is pretty slow, like a movie, at times it's dialogue heavy and really shows off a lot of random things going on, specially in the earlier parts of the story, but we also gotta remember, watching an anime is a way different experience than reading a manga, the pacings are different, WAY different, and most adaptations adapt to this by adding scenes or removing scenes to favor moments happening or not happening, like Jujutsu Kaisen, that changed the entire place of an arc, the hidden inventory one, to adapt it better and make it more understandable, they also add scenes to make the characters feel deeper and emphasize all the tragic moments, in Chainsaw Man, they try to give us a little slice of life moment, but it's too little too late, in the manga we don't feel like the characters don't interact that much due to how fast the days and events happen, in the anime, they kind of drag out, making it all feel slow and heavy with not much happening, this is fixed in my opinion with the last 3 chapters, but that's like, 3 thirds of the anime poorly executed. In the end, I don't think it's a truly BAD adaptation, but GODDAMN it could've been better, there's so much in the manga to adapt that'd look so cool, yet they give us this perfectly serviceable but not great 12 episode anime, I know why this is, Mappa has been overworked to hell for the past like 2 years, but a part of me wishes they had given this more love, hey at least Jujutsu Kaisen is getting all the sweet juicy love and ideas they didn't put into Chainsaw Man. TLDR:The Chainsaw Man adaptation doesn't adapt it just copies and pastes, go read the Chainsaw Man manga instead bro it's peak.

-Javier Salinas

#Anime

[hauntingthechateau]

Sunday November 5th

High of 11 low of 8. Rainy morning but patches of sun in the afternoon. Clear evening (could finally see the stars walking home).

Yep, that breakfast at 9 again. Got up and got my start with a shower and chai tea at home and dragged my feet for a while before heading to the studios to kill a little time before breakfast. Breakfast is wonderful as always and its just great having all these wonderful new souls to meet and chat with about things big and small, heavy and light; I really feel some friendships coming on 🥲. I ate an excellent pastry breakfast which helped my poor upset stomach, and then took a second helping down to the stables as lunch so I wouldn’t have to walk back up in the hill in the rain mid day and interrupt my work flow.

Then I got to work.

I organized my space enough to get to work, finished hanging the rest of my panels, and then I grabbed a small one and got to work on it. All in all I got the first pass done on five paintings, and also blocked the dark darks and shadows into another seven. I was either stingy or forgetful when packing my fluid paints because I didn’t bring a yellow ochre or a burnt umber and I’m missing them both dearly, so I went down to the supply closet in the Chateau when I had a lull in my productivity to see if I could find myself some. Yellow ochre was no problem, I even found a large bottle of artists’ quality fluid yellow ochre which has been treating me very nicely. Burnt umber for some reason was more illusive! I found a very crusty, little old tube of Windsor and Newton and after searching all the bins, finally found a larger tube of Amsterdam. Gave myself quite a fright when I found that I had what appears to be either oil or slow drying acrylic on my hands while I was wearing my victorian tweed which in regular life I try not to even bring near the studio with me, but here I was wearing it absentmindedly while going through old bins of paint 😬. I whiped most of it off on my apron and it doesn’t appear that I got any on my jacket… Phew. Back at the studio, I found without real effort I couldn’t get the cap off the Windsor and Newton so I gave myself a glob of the Amsterdam and went back to painting… man what crap! The Amsterdam is hardly pigmented, its so translucent. I sometimes forget what a treat these Tri-Art fluid paints are, I’ve come a long way from when I was okay with using Amerstam paints and I had no idea, in my memory they weren't this bad! 

Anyway, I did all that painting and felt pretty satisfied by the end of then day. Headed up to the Chateau around 6:30 to chat with people until our 7pm meal time. Dinner tonight was a pork soup (that had some special French name that I admittedly didn’t catch), along with a greek salad, a carrot slaw, buttery rice and thyme roasted potatoes (and baguette with EVERY meal, obviously). The meat in the stew was in BIG chunks but shredded apart with a spoon. It was luscious and fatty and I think cooked with a healthy amount of white wine. The carrot slaw was also a pleasant surprise, I think I ought to start making that at home! For dessert was a big ole birthday cake for Claudio’s birthday! We sang and had candles and everything, it was great! The cake itself was a white coconut cake with white chocolate icings and a message written in chocolate chips, it was delicious! 

After dinner we stayed and chatted a while longer over wine, I got a nice cotes du rhone out of the wine cave that may be my favourite yet! It’s got a lute on the label and gold foil, so it feels fitting that this would be my wine. I excused myself around 9 so that Craig and I could watch taskmaster together. The walk home was clear and the sky felt HUGE with all the stars, so many stars. Got ready for bed and then we watched the show together over discord and that was really nice (good episode too). Good to see his face, I know he’s stressing about getting things done for their cabin weekend coming up this Friday. So long as its not cancelled, I know he’ll have a great time. I’m glad he gets to do some more camping and I can’t wait to see the pictures! I got to say hello to Shrew who apparently has been depressed since I left which just hurts my heart! I’m glad I at least have a cat to pet while I’m here.

Went to bed at a good time and could barely keep my eyes open while I was reading my book. I’ve decided to switch my journaling to first thing in the morning in my studio while waiting for breakfast and this tactic seems to be timing out perfectly. Back to a normal sleep schedule and a good routine! 

Xo

[snowmuttgetsweird]

3/6/23 (I do this at midnight almost every night so I'm just gonna start dating it for the day I'm writing for instead of for the day it actually is. Makes more sense to me.)

I woke up a little late, but I still took that walk in the morning.

I decided to head to Half-Price Books. There's a quicker route I can cut through to get there faster, but I took the long way there because I like the scenery better. Outside, they put out these carts of Clearance books that are usually like, $2-3 dollars. I found two I was interested in before I walked in, but I didn't buy them, and I kinda regret it now, so I'll prolly go again tomorrow to see if I can still snag 'em. They also have a copy of The Selfish Gene by Dawkins for $7 bucks, which I've heard is a pretty interesting read. I actually went looking for pseudo-sciencey stuff to do research, but didn't really find anything that caught my eye, and I was starting to fall further behind in my "schedule" for the day. I try to start clerical stuff like contacting clients, updating my trello, checking my spreadsheet for new commissions, and posting to Twitter, FA, and Itaku no later than 10, and it was almost 11 when I got home.

First book was Survive the Night by Riley Sager. It's a Noir Thriller. Basically a cat and mouse between a girl and the guy giving her a ride as she starts to suspect he's a murderer and her horror movie-addled brain plays tricks on her.

Second book was To Fetch a Thief by Peter Abrahams. It's a Noir Comedy told from the perspective of a PI's german shepherd dog named Chet. He's partially anthropomorphized in that he seems effectively as intelligent as a human being, capable of understanding human speech and possessing human reasoning skills. It seemed cute, and was only $2 bucks, so I was thinking "why not." I dunno if I'll actually pick it up though.

Besides that I just made breakfast (everything bagel with cream cheese), worked for a bit, made a lunch for my roommate who skipped breakfast (half a kielbasa with some peppers and onions in a basic stir fry sauce over rice; leftover Panda Express for me), watched some OK KO while we ate, made some afternoon half-caff coffee for myself after, worked some more, and then eventually warmed up dinner (leftover american chop suey for the roomie [sorta like hamburger helper?], leftover pot roast over rice for me). I usually stop working by 8 PM, but went ahead and kept going till 11 cause I promised a client some linework before the end of the night. Watched a few episodes of Bluey with my roommate (he hasn't really seen most of the first season so we're starting it over- did 1-3 tonight), and then just watched some videos before deciding to go to bed.

Pretty uneventful day, as most weekdays are. I generally felt pretty good throughout. I listen to music or videos for background noise through my eardbuds while I work. Recently started actually paying attention to my Spotify "Discover Weekly" play list and it's actually been nice- added a lot of new stuff to my Liked music, which I usually just shuffle, but a lot of that has been getting pretty stale these days.

Not much else to say really... I think I'm just gonna watch a couple youtube videos, brush my teeth, and crash.

Another walk tomorrow morning to grab those books I think- at least Survive the Night, before someone else snatches it up.

Night.

[nx-communicato]

* 1/24/23•21:45

Here I Go Again

Well, I’ve done it to myself once again. I don’t know why I can’t turn it off or resist it. After my meeting with the pastor, wherein he had blessed me with a healing prayer, I was feeling really good Physically as well as Spiritually, I stopped and picked up some groceries (fruit & poke), and then returned home in high spirits. Then my Momp texted my sister, brother, and I. It was something nondescript about lost/found government documents, but I unread it and it seemed to indicate that they would be all joining up to escape the coming apocalypse but would not be bringing me along for the ride. So I hastily tried to encode an SMS back asking if I could go too. I went walkabout and drifted into the social Interweb to see if there were more clues, and everything seemed to indicate that the end of days was indeed to be nigh, if not tonight. But, I was receiving encouraging words for a change, so I stopped to wish chef a happy birthday, and then once again hurried back home to get Tiger and pack so as to be ready to go. Checking in on noti’s, it seemed like the elusive rollya’ghostya gang was going to be out en force as well and were looking forward to a reunion. And so, once again, my ever trusting and hopefu heart had convinced myself that I was finally going to meet up with you and everyone and it was all going to work out. I stopped what I was doing (packing a suitcase to be prepared), showered and shaved (in pretty good time too), got dolled up this time so I would be presentable for meeting people (that’s how much I had convinced myself), and then…in typical fashion nothing but a slowly saturating realization of — nothing. I stumbled upon your 42517 5318 Fb and saw that you had completely severed ties with 356712 1257420 (maybe I’m projecting, but I took that as me) some 9 hours earlier. Then I watched the first two episodes of 7107 Future, knocked on another neighbors door to no avail, which leads me to… now where I am in the darkness with no direction, aimlessly walking down the only road I’ve ever known… like a drifter, I was born to walk alone {thank you, Whitesnake}. So for those keeping track, that’s three times today I deluded myself into a full top-off of confident hopefulness only to have it almost immediately leeched right out of me. F?<# demons, I can torment and torture myself way better than those candy-a$&es.

Oh well, with any luck maybe Ragnarok will happen soon (but we all know how lucky this ducky is) !?!

#impossibledream #nothingelsematters #£y617736uv #y #unawarewolf #mongrullible #L8N8 #NoCompassNoMap