#just watched ep 21 and I’m! doing! fine!

[katewritesthings]

Love Me Like I Can // Chapter 1

Chapter 1 // Vibe

pairing: Joe Burrow x Singer! Original Female Character

•summary: Inspired by Scandoval and Taylor/Travis. R&B singer Diana Hayes navigates falling in love after a cheating scandal captures the attention of America and a certain Bengal.

•warnings: •warnings: Cursing. Cheating. Sexual Situations. Drinking. Drug use. MINORS DO NOT INTERACT.

January 21, 2024.

Diana was currently sitting cross-legged in Biz’s room, computer in her lap, sharing a bottle of wine with her sister. Open on the screen was the Spotify app, with Diana’s first album Get Out pulled. Avoiding the writing she was supposed to be doing, the singer was instead focusing on watching her sister unpack her new room. The activity was a welcome distraction from the feelings that usually came with writing.

The past three weeks had been hectic for the sisters to say the least. Diana had finished up all of her press obligations for Band Together and the release of her EP in the first two weeks of January and spent the past week moving her things into her new rental in New York from Boston. They had two and a half weeks before Diana’s schedule would be filled with writing and recording for her upcoming album and tour. She had thought stepping foot into the house she shared with Connor would make her miss him, but in reality, it just made her angry and sad that every memory she had of Boston was tied to him.

“So, what are you doing again?” Biz questioned, passing the bottle and continuing to hang her sweaters. 

“I’m making a public playlist with some of my songs and some songs by other people who have summed my feelings up more eloquently than I could have,” Diana explained, adding the title song to the playlist. Leave (Get Out) applied to her current situation way than she could have ever thought when she recorded it at 14. She moved on to her second album, eyes scanning the titles.

“No, I know what you’re doing. I guess I should have asked why you’re doing this instead of… yknow, writing and preparing for the songwriting session you have coming up. You record at the beginning of March, you’ve got to have material.”

“I think I’m still more hung up on the situation than I want to be and people to know about. Like, I don’t know what combination of emotions I’m experiencing, but I’m stuck,” Diana admitted, twisting her long hair into a top knot and adding two songs, “The High Road” and “Too Little Too Late” from her second album. “Like, can I write about the situation and still be angry? Can I use the songs I wrote about Connor? I definitely don’t want people to think I’m still hung up on him. I’m really just hurt by the betrayal of it all.”

“Well, I think you’re allowed to still be heartbroken about it still, Di. It’s been three months.” Biz had made her way to Diana to hand her the wine and wrap her into a hug. “This is the first downtime you’ve had since then, you’re allowed to be sad and people will be fine with that. We’re going to get drunk tonight and have fun. If you write, you write. No pressure on healing, okay?” 

Diana stared at her sister’s little finger before her own laced around it and she uttered, “Promise.” 

“Now, turn on some music, and let’s go do a shot!”

Biz indicated to follow her, so Diana did as she was told. Half an hour later, the two were sitting on the couch in their living room laptop between them, taking their second shot of tequila. Diana would be lying if she said she didn’t feel the first and the large glass of Sauvignon Blanc she had been sipping from. 

“Have you texted Joe yet?” Biz’s voice chimed, clearly trying to brighten the mood. Unfortunately for Diana, the alcohol intensified the feelings of rejection as her face settled into a deep frown and a lump formed in her throat.

“No.. uhm, his agent never got back to Cathy, so I never got his number…” She cleared her throat and gave a nervous laugh. “Which is totally fine or whatever because I almost even forgot his name.” Biz rolled her eyes, “Right,” she muttered as she took a drink of her own cocktail. She knew her sister spent at least two days googling the handsome quarterback. “Have you reached out on social media?”

“I don’t want to look desperate, Biz! I don’t even know if I’m ready for another relationship. He’s just cute and looked fun, that’s all.” Diana was still nervous about the idea of jumping into something so soon. She and Connor had been together since she was 19 and while he wasn’t her first relationship, she thought at one point he was going to be her last. The idea of starting over at 26 was scary.

“I think we should invite him and some friends to your birthday party,” Biz interrupted her self-doubt spiral to propose the wildest idea Diana had heard yet. 

“Biz, he won’t even give me his number. How would I even do that?,” Diana shifted in her seat uncomfortably. “His friends were probably just making fun of him because he likes my music.” “I wish you would stop fucking doubting yourself, Di. You’re hot as fuck and dude probably too scared to text you. You build everybody up but yourself. I wish you would give yourself half the love and grace you give other people.” Biz’s words must have sparked inspiration because Diana grabbed her laptop and paused the music. Opening a word document she began typing and humming to a beat. 

Lover girl, loving everything but herself.

Pedestals for everyone, but she’s on a shelf.Emotion comatose, you know how that shit goes.

The sisters spent the next forty minutes sending ideas back and forth to each other, opening another bottle of wine, and listening to Diana sing their ideas into the room. They had finished one song and had even been in good enough spirits to finish a song Diana had been working on before her breakup. Giggling with her sister would never get old, Diana was certain. Everything she had been through in the past three months just made her realize how grateful she was that she had her sister. When their dad died, Diana had attempted to shut everyone from her family out of her life and she was just glad Biz was too stubborn to let that happen. 

Just as the thought that Biz’s stubbornness was a positive trait crossed Diana’s mind, she looked up to see her phone in her sister’s hand and hear a “It isn’t what it looks like,” fall out of her mouth.

“Well, then what is it? Because it sure as hell looks like you’re going through my phone,” Diana shrieked, weakly reaching for the iPhone.

“I just texted Cathy to invite some of the Bengals to your party! You’re already going to be meeting Taylor’s boyfriend, might as well make it an AFC reunion,” Biz said excitedly, knowing it was too late for the text to be unsent.

Diana wanted to be angry at her sister, but she couldn’t help but feel the excitement bubbling in her stomach. 

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

February 3, 2024

Diana hadn’t celebrated a birthday since her 20th and she was nervous. Biz and her manager Cathy, had insisted on throwing her a huge birthday party to make up for the ones that she missed celebrating. Connor had always insisted that celebrating birthdays was narcissistic, refusing even to get her a present in the seven years they were together. 

The redhead was currently sitting in the back of a blacked-out Suburban, between Biz and Taylor Swift. In the third row sat Travis and Austin, Taylor’s brother,  quietly chatting about something that Di couldn’t make out. 

“Thank you again for this, Taylor,” Diana sighed, trying to regulate her breathing. “There is no need to thank me! Everyone needs a friend, Diana. Just because you’ve had some pretty shitty ones in the past doesn’t mean we can’t show you what they’re really supposed to be.” Taylor said, placing an arm around her new friend’s shoulder.

“Plus, if my intuition is right, you just might be making more friends tonight,” Taylor smiled as the car came to a stop. Diana was going to ask what she meant before the door was opened and flashes of light began blinding her vision.

Diana was still trying to get her eyesight back to normal when she stepped into the venue that had been rented for the evening. Her sister had done an amazing job, the entire room was decorated as if they had just stepped foot into a forest. She now understood why her sister insisted on her wearing the cream corseted dress that perfectly fit the theme. Diana felt like a fairy.

Looking around the room, Diana was overwhelmed by not only the number of people but who cared enough to actually show up for her. The room was a mix of people she met since the breakup and ones who have known her since before her debut album. She was almost certain she had seen some people she hadn’t even recognized!

Two hours after arriving and making her rounds, Diana found herself sharing a joint with Elijah, one of her childhood friends from Philly. The two hadn’t seen each other in years, but had picked back up like they never missed a step. The pair were in a fit of giggles when Diana noticed a group of rather large men sitting at a high top near the bar.

Diana took a pull from the join, squinting her eyes to try to make out the faces of any of the four men laughing amongst themselves. “Do you know who they are,” she exhaled the question and the smoke together. 

“Not for real, but it looks like they linebackers or some shit,” Elijah cackled, taking the joint from Diana’s hand. 

“Fuck,” she cursed Biz aloud. “That has to be Travis’ friends, right?” 

Diana was weighing the odds that any Chiefs player, other than the one who was dating her friend, would show up to her party less than a week after losing the spot in the upcoming Super Bowl. She didn’t know much about pro athletes, but based off of the way Travis was talking to Biz in the car, the team was taking it pretty hard. 

“Shit, I know him though,” Eli pointed out Travis in the crowd, heading their way with Taylor. When the couple arrived in front of them, Eli offered the joint to Travis and Taylor grabbed hold of Diana’s hand. 

“C’mon, Di! There’s some people I want to introduce you to!” Taylor’s drunken giggles filled Diana’s ears. She wasn’t sure if it was the four Palomas she had pounded since she got here, the pre-roll she just took part in, or the second-hand confidence that comes from being on the arm of The Taylor Swift, but all of her anxiety was replaced with excitement as she was pulled towards the unknown men. 

“Hey fellas!” Taylor greeted the group, “I’m Taylor and I really think you should say Happy Birthday to my friend, Diana!” 

The redhead shot her a confused look, expecting Taylor to have met these men before at least! Deep laughs pulled her out of her thoughts as a chorus of ‘happy birthdays’ filled the air.

The man that Diana didn’t recognize spoke first, “Thanks for inviting us! I’m Tee.” Offering out his hand and pointing out the other men as he said their names. “Ja’Marr, Joe, and T.B.”

“Oh! Hi!” Diana greeted more excitedly than she would if she were sober. “I saw your interview! Thank you so much for giving me a shout-out. Anyone who plays my music on live TV is cool in my book”

Ja’Marr and Tee broke into laughter as Tee elbowed Joe in the ribs and whispered something to the guys.. She wasn’t sure if it was her projecting or if she actually saw Joe blush and look away. Thankfully, before anxiety could take over Diana’s mind, Ja’Marr shouted over the music. 

“Let’s just say you’ve been on the official playlist since the LSU days with me and Joe. Ever since I met him, he been playing that Marvin’s Room cover..” 

Diana’s face burned, embarrassed about the drunken remix she had done on Instagram Live at 18. A fight with her then-boyfriend sparked a bender of prescriptions and alcohol causing her to lose inhibitions and stream from the recording studio. While she was embarrassed about the situation, she was happy her label had let her finally release more mature music after. 

“Oh, my God! I forgot you did that” Taylor giggled, swatting her new friend’s arm. “That was so Bad Ass.”

“I agree,” Joe spoke for the first time. His voice was clearer, more sure of itself than Diana remembered from the interview. And Mic’d Ups she had seen after googling him. 

“Thank you,” Diana accepted, eyes trained on Joe. One of the other men had changed topics in the brief moment their eyes had locked, but she couldn’t be sure which. The intensity of Joe’s gaze caused heat to fill Diana’s cheeks and she turned back to the group just in time to hear Ja’Marr jesting with Taylor.

“As cool as your boy is, I’m glad it’s not him in the Super Bowl. Like I said a few weeks ago, anyone but the Chiefs.”

“Hey, now. Don’t be bitter we went farther than you, Chase.” Travis’ voice startled Diana, who was doing her best to stare anywhere but at Joe. She busied herself by watching the Tight End as he carefully distributed the drinks he was carrying, an Old Fashion for Taylor and a Paloma for Diana and himself. 

After thanking Travis, Diana turned her focus back to the group. The conversation had turned to the topic of the recent football season and even though Diana knew next to nothing about sports, she found the conversation was piquing her interests more than she imagined. “And I’m not sorry, bro. I said what I said and I said anyone but the Chiefs,” Ja’Marr laughed in Travis’ direction. “Oh, so you guys have beef,” Diana questioned, nervous to show she didn’t know much about the profession of the majority of the group. Luckily the men were kind enough to explain their recent rivalry and some of the basics of the game. Well, as much as they could with the amount of alcohol that was being consumed. Before long Taylor had excused herself to say hi to someone she had recognized, Ja’ and Travis and T.B. had broken into their own conversation, moving to the bar itself. 

“So, Ja’Marr and I are wide-receiver, which means that it’s our job to catch the ball when the quarterback, or Joe, throws it,” Tee was attempting to explain to Diana for the third time. Joe was staring, finishing the last of his drink and Ja’Marr shook his head in frustration as Diana nodded her head in a way that showed she clearly had not committed the information to memory. “Man, Tee, just give up. Let’s go get us some drinks,” Ja’Marr pulled T.B. away, leaving just Joe smiling at Diana.

“So, uh, I’m glad you guys came!,” Diana blurted out nervously, instantly cringing that she had just repeated her introduction. “Well, what I mean is, I didn’t get response from the team or see you guys when I first got here.” “Oh, we lost track of time pregaming and were advised to come in through the back since the press saw some of the guests you had,” Joe smiled, simultaneously calming some of the nervousness she felt and sending her stomach into somersaults. “Apparently you’re quite the popular lady. Taylor Swift and Wiz Khalifa at the same party? Talk about Taylor Gang or die.” 

Diana laughed at the last comment. She really was blown away by the amount of people who showed up for her. She hadn’t even spoken to Cam, better known as Wiz, since their collaboration six years ago and he had shown up to support her.

“Yeah, I’m really grateful that all of these people wanted to spend their evening celebrating me,” Diana beamed. She was in a state of intoxicated euphoria that was giving her the courage to act on what she wanted, like asking Joe to leave the crowded room. “Do you want to walk to the balcony?”

A curt nod of agreement was all it took for the pair to drain their drinks, stand up from the table, and make their way to the outer edge of the room. Conversation flowed freely between the two as they walked, discussing their tastes in music, movies, and books.

“You look wonderful tonight, by the way,” Joe changed the subject, eyes scanning the dance floor where his teammates had found their home for the night. 

Diana was sure that her face was going to permanently be the color of her hair just from the presence of the quarterback to the side of her. “Thank you, you don’t look so bad yourself,” she replied.

And he did. He was wearing a pair of faded black jeans that were perfectly tailored to his muscular thighs, a black t-shirt that was clinging to his chest nicely, a brightly colored jacket and his signature gold chains, including the 9. Diana let her eyes linger on his chest longer than she normally would have before Joe’s voice broke her out of the trance.

“So, can I be honest with you?,” Joe asked, glancing down at Diana. Even in the heels she was currently wearing, the man still stood a good 8 inches taller than the woman at his side. 

“Uhm, sure?” Diana answered, unsure of what was about to come. ‘I’ve known the man for less than an hour, what hasn’t he been honest about?’ Diana thought to herself as they made their way down the hall that led to the balcony.

“I was honestly shocked you invited me after Ja’Marr’s interview,” Joe laughed, opening the door, and letting Diana step onto the balcony before following suit. 

“Are you kidding me? I’m shocked that you guys listen to my music!” Diana shoved his shoulder. “Besides, I got pressured into inviting you all since you curved me last month.” 

The redhead took a few more steps before she realized that Joe was no longer beside her. When she glanced backward, she noticed that Joe was wearing a puzzled expression.

“What do you mean I curved you,” Joe asked slowly like he was trying to put pieces of the puzzle together.

“Well, after I saw your interview, I was honestly shocked that you even listened to my music. Then Ja’Marr said to hit you up, so I had my manager ask your team for your number,” Diana explained, body fully turned towards Joe now. “I never heard back and Biz insisted it wasn’t desperate to try again too.” “You’re joking,” Joe let out a humorless laugh and shook. “I thought that was the team making fun of me after Ja’Marr embarrassed me with the interview.”

“Oh, I’m sorry. Was what he said not true?” Diana teased, taking a step toward him. “Are you not a fan?”

“No, I’m a huge fan,” Joe flushed, eyes locked with the aquamarine ones in front of him, encouraging Diana to take another step. “Yeah, what was it the Ja’Marr said? ‘Practically obsessed,” Diana’s voice came out breathier than she imagined, taking another step. She was practically chest to chest to chest with Joe, their eye contact never breaking. “To ‘hit you up’” 

That was all Joe needed before grabbing the back of her head and leaning down to capture her lips in a kiss. The action was drunk and messy, fueled by equal parts lust and alcohol. As the kiss deepened all Diana could think about was how she wasn’t close enough to Joe. Grabbing his jacket, she stepped into him again, causing him to slowly take steps backward until his thighs hit a table beside the door, filled with floral arrangements and an ashtray. Joe shifted his weight so that he was partially sitting on the table, partially leaning. Their lips moved together rhythmically until Joe pulled away and trailed kisses down her jawbone, grabbing at the tulle skirt of Diana’s dress while Diana adjusted her legs on either side of Joe’s so that she was straddling his thigh. 

Joe’s mouth worked its way towards Diana’s neck, finding the tender spot behind her ear. A wave of pleasure washed through Diana, a moan leaving her lips and hips bucking against Joe’s thigh. His rough hands ran up and down her body methodically as if he already knew what buttons to push to cause the woman before him to melt, mouth continuing its path down her cherry blossom tattoo.

Diana rocked her hips again, craving the relief the friction had given her, hands tangling in Joe’s waves. “Fuck,” she whispered, barely finding her voice. Joe pulled back, hungry gaze meeting Diana’s eyes before recapturing her swollen lips. Placing his hands firmly on her hips, he helped her find a motion that kept the moans falling from her beautiful mouth. A familiar tension, one that Diana had only felt at her own hands the past three months, was building in her stomach as she took Joe’s bottom lip between her teeth. Her alcohol-raddled brain didn’t care that she was on a balcony riding a professional athlete’s thigh, she was desperate for release and she was determined to get it.

That was until the door beside them slammed open, causing Diana to take a step back from Joe. Biz stepped through the door, calling Diana’s name. “Di! Are you out he-”

Biz cut herself off when her eyes landed on her sister, lips swollen, love bites down her neck, the skirt of her dress still in Joe’s hand. The pair looked like they had been caught with their hands in the cookie jar. “Oh! I, well, I just came to find you because it’s time for cake. We’ve been looking for you.”

Diana cleared her throat, causing Joe to let go of her skirt and stand up straight. “Right, uh, you better get in there. Can’t cut the cake without the birthday girl. I’ll talk to yo later, I guess.” Scratching the back of his head, Joe did his best to look anywhere but at Biz while he exited the balcony.

“What the fuck was that?” Biz asked, incredulously, still staring at her sister. 

“Well, I don’t know what it could have been, but what it turned out to be was a cockblock,” Diana laughed. “What happened to ‘I barely remember his name’ and ‘he was just making fun of me’,” Biz’s face finally broke into a smile. “I don’t know, Biz. I think we were just both drunk. I’m sure he was just looking for someone to hook up with, it’s probably nothing,” Diana shrugged, brushing past her sister. “Now let’s go get cake.”

After cutting the cake, the last hour of the party was a blur to Diana. Cathy, her manager, had grabbed and insisted she say bye to as many of the music producers as possible before making her own exit. Normally, Diana wouldn’t have minded at all, wanting to take any opportunity she had to suck up to the people in charge of her music. But tonight, Diana could not take her mind off Joe and his blue eyes and soft lips. She hadn’t managed to get his phone number after realizing that he never rejected her and she was hoping to see him again.

After saying farewell to the last of the label reps, Cathy advised Diana to finish up her goodbyes as it was almost time for the car to take her home. Diana followed instructions, making sure that when she found Biz and Taylor, they stayed by her side. While waiting for Travis and Austin to show up with the groups’ coats, Diana couldn’t help but continue to glance around the room for messy brown waves.

“They left right after the cake was cut,” Biz spoke knowingly, a smirk on her face. Diana’s heart dropped. She didn’t get to say bye to Joe.

“Who left?” Taylor asked, “The guys from the Bengals. Seems like Diana and the quarterback snuck off to have a little fun,” Biz cackled, “He even gave her a hickey like we’re in seventh grade.”

Before Diana could reply to her sister, Travis and Austin approached the ladies and started distributing coats before the group made their way outside and into the Suburban waiting for them. Determined to not let disappointment ruin her night, Diana decided to add songs that reminded her of tonight to her public playlist while they drove. She added “How to Touch a Girl” before moving on to her last album. Looking over the tracklist, she added “Vibe” and “Like This”,  deciding that they perfectly described the feelings of lust and excitement she was filled with earlier.

Diana couldn’t shake the feeling as she was falling asleep that she wished that she had stopped Joe from leaving the balcony. Maybe then, she would be falling asleep next to him and not squished in between her sister and her new friend.

--------

Taglist: If you'd like to be added, let me know!

@therapycat21

Ahhhh, I am so overwhelmed by the feedback. Thank you so much for liking, reblogging, and replying. I don't know if you all are interested in the spotify playlist Diana would make or media blurbs after the chapter, but I can also do those.

Thank you again!

#joe burrow #joe burrow fan fic #joe burrow fic #joey b #joe burrow x oc #joe burrow imagine #joe burrow x diana hayes #lovemelikeican #diana hayes #joe burrow series #joe burrow smut

[ridley-was-a-cat]

What I Watched This Week – 6/11-6/17

Sayonara Zetsubou-Sensei S2 - It's fascinating how this series that is jam-packed with references to a whole range of Japanese media and culture still manages to be consistently hilarious to an American watching it and missing half the jokes. As much as it is rooted in a specific cultural context, the absurd characters and situations come through just fine in translation. The unique visuals that mix several different animation and art styles only add to the experience, making this a lot of fun to watch. 8/10

Lucky Star - This 2000s comedy about a handful of high school girls definitely had its moments, but for the most part it failed to hold my attention. The main trio consists of a girl who loves anime, manga, and bishoujo games, a serious twin who's good at schoolwork, and a younger twin who's kind of an airhead, and the show follows them through a series of short, disconnected skits about their daily lives. The lack of scene transitions between skits that would take place in completely different times and places was confusing at times, as it was hard to tell when a scene ended and a new one began. Additionally, a lot of the skits just weren't very funny, especially the bits about the otaku girl's borderline pedo father being a creeper, like it's all some light mischief to perv on young girls. I'm glad I watched it, since it's often referenced and it was done by Kyoto Animation, but I can't quite call it good. 6/10

Dear Brother, Ep.21-39 - The second half of this classic shoujo was packed to the brim with drama. There were slashings, suicide attempts, family problems, questionable romantic relationships, a tragic death, and a student referendum. A lot of it was engaging to watch and revealed a lot about the characters, but a good chunk of it ran up against a few of my pet peeves, and was not super fun to sit through. In particular, there is nothing I dislike more than a disabled or chronically ill character who pushes their loved ones away because they do not want to be a burden. One of the characters does this as part of the final arc, and I just resent the idea that relying on others or needing to be cared for is bothersome and is something a sympathetic character should nobly deny themselves. I also was surprised at how involved the titular brother ended up being. That guy knew everyone. 7/10

#sayonara zetsubou-sensei #lucky star #dear brother #shoujo #shounen #anime #backlist anime #older anime

[tare-anime]

I posted 2,328 times in 2022

That's 178 more posts than 2021!

83 posts created (4%)

2,245 posts reblogged (96%)

Blogs I reblogged the most:

@thelreads

@rlbbackup

@aerequets

@agentpenguinmann

@mj-ackerman

I tagged 2,326 of my posts in 2022

#spy x family - 2,202 posts

#yor forger - 1,390 posts

#loid forger - 1,320 posts

#anya forger - 883 posts

#twiyor - 596 posts

#lol - 134 posts

#loiyor - 98 posts

#damian desmond - 79 posts

#bond forger - 73 posts

#yuri briar - 73 posts

Longest Tag: 62 characters

#please i really want to see them cooperate at the same mission

My Top Posts in 2022:

#5

My mutuals said that the t shirt Yor is wearing might be Loid's.

Considering it is several sizes too big for Yor, and she's the one doing family laundry.... it is possible that she might be accidentaly (or not) having Loid's shirt on her pile of clothes. 👀

(Or maybe incidents like in Crow's fic happened)

Anyway, I really like the idea that during her bad days, Yor finds comfort in using Loid's clothes, and Loid just let her have them.

Loid just hug her already, smh 😫😫😫😫

744 notes - Posted September 19, 2022

#4

One day in the angsty future of SxF.....

At the very first moment Loid and Yor's identity got revealed....

These sentences from them will hit different.

Twilight already know that he cannot involved his feelings, but he can't help it.

See the full post

750 notes - Posted March 17, 2022

#3

Been rereading SxF mission 59 for several times now, and I still can't stop laughing.

Especially in this TwiYor misunderstandings.

I believe Becky said this line with "suggestive tones"

Resulting Loid to spit his tea, and the man sweating bullets. He was so afraid that Yor caught the suggestive meaning, and made suggestive scenario that Loid was cheating or be a pedophile or something like that in her mind.

See the full post

990 notes - Posted February 9, 2022

#2

I love the development of Yor's character that can be seen from her interaction with Loid and Anya when she got injured.

Yor's job already makes her more prone to injury, but she also has a tendency to abuse her own body to endure the hardest hit as long as she achieve her goals.

Still, she will cover her injuries as best as she can, because she doesn't want to worry or doesn't want to tell her family anything.

Back at extra mission 2, when her guard was still high:

She completely shot down further inquiries from Loid, and run to her room, and tried her best to act that everything's fine at the following day. Completely avoiding the subject by any means necessary.

At chp 56, she did cover her injuries well, but when Loid noticed her swolen face, she just relay excuses, and didn't try to run away from the subject.

See the full post

1,061 notes - Posted September 21, 2022

My #1 post of 2022

With Spy x Family anime started to air, the fandom gain more people!! I’m so happy!!

For those want to read fics, we do have lots of awesome fanfics that you can find at AO3.

As for my own works, if you adore TwiYor (LoiYor or Loid x Yor) as much as I do, and want to read them you can go to my AO3 profile. 

Please beware of Manga spoilers if you’re only watching the Anime.

Here are some of my own favorites: 

Steps of Spending The Rest of My Life With You (series)

Tales of Mr. and Mrs. Forger (drabble collections)

Daily Shenanigans of 128 Park Avenue's Resident (Slice of Life collections)

A Flower Without Scent that Attracts The Birds (Jealous Loid!! love the trope!)

The Greatest Things Happened in My life (An AU where Yor was the one who adopted Anya first)

EDIT: whoah, never expected this post to gain this much attention. Anyway, I put several links to my all time sxf TwiYor favorite fics from my favorite authors (so I will not sound like someone who boast her own writing and have no shame, though I am 😛)

Everything written by Lacrow are amazing. These are my favorites though:

Papa's ex Girlfriend (Loid had to deal with the sudden reapearance of Karen from chp./ep. one, and keep the Forger family intact)

Forged in Fire (Medieval RPG AU)

Under Your Spell (Witch Yor and Anya, with Knight Loid and Damian AU)

Forger's first Halloween (series)

Mission Files: Family Forger (one shots collection)

The Wicked Tale of the Thorn Princess (a Fairy Tale AU) by JaMills

Your Sweet lips on My lips (8 kisses to fall in love) by Peachygirlie

Mission Complete (what happen at the end of Operation Strix) by Arthurthegatekeeper

Words, Scars, and Choices (Soulmate AU) by Arthurthegatekeeper

A Little Less Than Superhuman (Loid was sick, and Yor took care of him) by Cellwright

Chance Encounter (Eden AU) by smallestsenpai

May I (Loid and Yor dancing) by smallestsenpai

If Your heart was a House You'd be home (LoiYor hurt comfort) by calmthestorm

Mending what's Broken (Identity reveal) by LittlestFallenAngel

Of Glass and Smoke (LoiYor hurt comfort/nightmare) by Pokegeek151

Keeping secrets just to keep you (Identity reveal AU) by dancingpineaples

Scared of Loosing something that I finally found (Loid saving his family) by cloesh_scribbles

I want to lean on you in drunkness (drunk Yor, Loid took care of her) by coloredice

See the full post

4,158 notes - Posted April 15, 2022

Get your Tumblr 2022 Year in Review →

#tumblr2022 #year in review #my 2022 tumblr year in review #your tumblr year in review

[lonelier-version-of-you]

So I found out from @riverstardis‘s classic Casualty liveblogs recently that there’s an episode (S28E36) with a patient who’s a Doctor Who fan. I thought that sounded fun. So now I’m watching it, and I’m gonna liveblog, because why not.

Edit 1: I was gonna say this is the first episode I’ve seen from while Dylan was away but then I remembered it’s not, I watched another series 28 ep because Katherine Dow Blyton was in it.

Edit 2: Connie and Zoe sharing scenes, I might faint from gorgeousness overload.

Edit 3: And here’s some of our guest characters for the episode, some bloke and the young woman he’s giving literacy lessons to.

Edit 4: Jeff and Dixie!

Edit 5: Oh, it’s fucking Fletch.

Edit 6: I think we’ve just met the Whovian kid. Meanwhile, Fletch is treating a patient and bumping into Tess, and I literally do not care.

Edit 7: The lighting in the hospital in this era is really weird.

Edit 8: Awh, the kid in his little bowtie!!

Edit 9: The kid’s just fallen off a playground climbing thingy that I should know the name for, and simultaneously, his grandma’s having shortness of breath and chest pains. Oof.

Literacy Lesson Man’s girlfriend is also struggling to breathe. Another oof.

Edit 10: Nice to see Fletch has always been useless. Also, insane to think that less than a decade after this he was literally CEO.

Edit 11: Oh hi there Ash.

Edit 12: Ethan and the Whovian kid is SO cute.

Edit 13: Is this kid giving off autism vibes or is it just me?

Edit 14: Whovian kid’s mum is going to prison!! Now that’s a plot twist.

Edit 15: The Whovian kid’s grandma keeps saying she’s fine, so she’s definitely not.

Edit 16: Zoe Hanna come back to us challenge.

Edit 17: Jeff suggesting Dixie could roleplay her upcoming interview regarding a patient complaint or whatever, Big Mac shakes his head. Jeff: “I don’t know why you’re shaking your head, you’re going to be the interviewer!” Big Mac: “Why can’t you be the interviewer?” Jeff: “Because I shall be watching and giving notes!” 😂

Edit 18: Dixie is great.

Edit 19: Connie being in the same scene as Fletch feels so odd.

Edit 20: Connie and Zoe in their rivalry era!

Edit 21: Poor Whovian kid, being treated by Fletch the Bland.

Edit 22: Oh no, two of the guest characters are running on the road!

Edit 23: Welp, guest characters had a near-miss with a car but haven’t been hit yet.

Edit 24: OH THERE WE GO. A ton of fencing or something just fell on one of the guest characters. Ouch.

Edit 25: And there we go, Whovian Kid’s grandma is most certainly not fine. Also, oh hey, here’s Robyn.

Edit 26: Dixie conveniently walks by and sees the guy who had the fencing fall on him. 😂

Edit 27: The fancy camera angles while Dixie was running up the stairs for her interview made me dizzy.

Edit 28: “Sorry... I got caught up in an emergency. *brushes dust off her jacket*” I love Dixie.

Edit 29: Literacy Lesson Bloke just died, oof. And now his wife and his student are fighting. Yikes.

The good news is, Whovian Kid’s grandma is fine.

Edit 30: Whovian Kid’s mum just said he doesn’t like being with people he doesn’t know. Yeaaah, definitely autistic.

Edit 31: My goodness Connie looks stunning.

Edit 32: Noel, my love, I miss you.

Edit 33: Funny how many characters from this era kept switching jobs! Louise, Big Mac...

Edit 34: Connie asks Zoe to go for a drink with her. Zoe: “What, like a date?”

Edit 35: Ah, the staff setting it up so the kid and his family can watch Doctor Who together. Cute.

Edit 36: I mean this scene DOES look like Zoe and Connie are on a date.

Edit 37: I DO NOT CARE ABOUT FLETCH.

Edit 38: Why did Tess ever go for Fletch? She could do so much better.

Edit 39: NOEL I MISS YOU.

Edit 40: Connie in her trying to get the clinical lead job era.

Edit 41: It’s no wonder Dylan and Zoe were so close. They both hate having to do management stuff.

[lalune-sait]

the one thing I have against the show doing that long ass flashback is that it’s depriving me of lan shizui content for 30 consecutive episodes and I will not stand for this

#cql #just watched ep 21 and I’m! doing! fine! #I think it was my favorite so far #and now for the pain #the untamed #give me the juniors being chaotic please

[striveattemptfail]

Family Advice | Dick Grayson & Damian Wayne, G, 1.6k

Summary: Texts between the Wayne family’s oldest and youngest. Set during eps #23 and #24 of Batman: Wayne Family Adventures, with dialogue directly taken from them.

Read on Ao3

A/N: Please be kind—this is the first time I’ve ever posted for anything DC-related /o\ Thank you to Crizz for the beta~! Special shout out to the Manga Hoes server + anyone else who’s put up with me in the past two weeks since I started reading this webtoon lol.

All other mistakes are mine. Alternative formatting found on Ao3.

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Dick sees the message late one evening while out on patrol. He’s just finished tying up a couple of street thugs to a lamppost for GCPD to deal with when his phone buzzes.

From: Damian (9:13 PM) Richard, I need... assistance.

Dick immediately frowns, jaw clenching. Damian never asks for help—he’s a lot like Bruce in that way—so if he’s contacting Dick about something, Dick knows it’s capital-S Serious.

From: Dick (9:16 PM) Hey Damian, what is it? Is everything alright at the manor? Did something happen on a mission? Is everyone okay?

From: Damian (9:17 PM) Yes, everything is fine at the manor. No, nothing happened on a mission. Yes, everyone is okay.

He’s about to go into another round of questions when Damian sends another message.

From: Damian (9:17 PM) I need assistance for...

From: Damian (9:18 PM) Personal reasons.

He furrows his brows.

That... was not what he was expecting.

But if he doesn’t have to worry about anyone’s safety, then he’s got a role to play as the oldest brother.

From: Dick (9:18 PM) Sure! What’s up, buddy?

Dick watches the dots appear and disappear as Damian apparently types and retypes his answer. After waiting for two minutes, he hears a car rolling up down the road.

From: Dick (9:21 PM) Hey Damian, I gotta do something really quick, but let me know what’s going on and I’ll reply soon!

Tucking his phone away, Dick jovially announces, “Hey guys, Gotham’s Finest will take care of you now so I’ll be going!"

He waves the crooks goodbye, flashing a grin he knows will only annoy them (he can’t help himself over a job well done), before jumping away and lifting himself onto a nearby balcony. He then makes his way back to his apartment.

He lets Babs know that he’s done for the night and heading home, and by the time he climbs through his apartment window, Damian’s left a dozen messages. As he scrolls through, he heads over to his room after starting the coffee maker.

From: Damian (9:24 PM) My teacher says I should try making friends since the other students find me intimidating.

Dick snorts, peeling his mask off his face. Intimidating is one way to describe Damian—hellion is another.

From: Damian (9:24 PM) Of course, this is absurd because I’m a delight!

From: Damian (9:25 PM) And I *do* have friends! It would be an insult to Jon if I didn’t consider him one.

He snorts again, shimmying out of his costume and into some old gym clothes.

From: Damian (9:26 PM) However... I may admit that being friendly to others is not my strongest skill. So, I told father about it today and he recruited Todd, Brown, and Thomas to assist me.

From: Damian (9:26 PM) As you can imagine, it was completely unhelpful.

That sounds about right, Dick thinks as he heads back to the kitchen. Family of the (self-proclaimed) greatest detectives they may be, their main role model for relationships is Bruce “I work alone” Wayne and, well...

He’s not perfect at them, to say the least.

Dick may love that man like a father but looking to Bruce for any sort of relationship advice—romantic or platonic—probably isn’t the best idea.

And Dick doesn’t even want to think about how dysfunctional some of his own relationships have been, much less think about his siblings’.

Still, Damian came to him for help, so the least he can do is listen.

From: Damian (9:27 PM) Todd said he broke his friend out of prison.

From: Damian (9:28 PM) Brown suggested I find common interests with others, but apparently swords and world domination aren’t appropriate.

Dick smiles, grabbing a mug from the cabinet to pour himself some coffee.

From: Damian (9:31 PM) Father said animals might be a better topic, but Father also said I’m not allowed to join the tennis team when Thomas suggested I join a club so I think he’s just spoiling my fun.

Dick raises an eyebrow, walking into the living room with his phone in one hand and mug in another. Joining a sports team sounds like a good outlet for Damian—why did Bruce discourage it? There’s probably a good reason, but it still strikes a bit strange for Dick. He drops onto the couch with a grunt, taking a sip of his coffee as he continues reading Damian’s messages.

From: Damian (9:33 PM) (Oh, I should mention that someone on the tennis team insulted Father’s honor. I had planned to destroy him on the court until Father said I couldn’t join anymore.)

And there it is.

From: Damian (9:34 PM) Father, unsurprisingly, was the least helpful. Do you know what he said, Dick?

From: Damian (9:34 PM) He said, “trust your instincts.”

From: Damian (9:35 PM) Even Brown found the idea ridiculous!

Dick laughs out loud, unable but to agree with that. Asking a kid raised by assassins to trust his instincts is probably not the greatest advice Bruce could’ve given.

From: Damian (9:36 PM) And so, because my family is somehow filled with both the smartest and *dumbest* people I know, I decided to ask you for advice instead.

From: Damian (9:40 PM) Reply when you’re home safe. I will be waiting.

He smiles softly when he hits the end of Damian’s messages.

He’s touched that Damian’s comfortable enough with him to share his day so casually, even happier that his kid brother is asking him for help over normal kid troubles like how to make friends instead of crime-related emergencies. Calling their ragtag team of vigilante heroes his family and the sentiment that Dick gets home safely are nice bonuses that Dick gladly takes a screenshot of.

Taking a swig of his coffee, he thinks it over. Damian’s a good kid. Maybe a bit overwhelming at times, and perhaps meaner than he intends at others, but overall he’s a kind boy who just has issues letting his guard down. Not really surprising, considering their family’s lifestyle as masked and caped crusaders, plus the fact that he was raised to become a living weapon until Bruce took him in.

But beneath all of that, Damian Wayne is a good kid. He’s protective of those he cares about. He’s headstrong in his beliefs and isn’t afraid to speak for himself. He’s gentle towards those who need it (though, admittedly, they’re usually animals since he’s not quite old enough yet to deal with the victims the Bat Family rescues on a regular basis). He likes to draw. He loves his pets and his family.

Dick knows if given the chance, Damian is someone who would be a great friend.

After all, it happened with Jon. Surely Damian can do it again.

From: Dick (10:01 PM) Just got home and read through all your messages!

From: Dick (10:02 PM) Sounds like you had a good talk with everyone lol.

From: Damian (10:02 PM) Very funny, Richard. You *know* how they’re like.

From: Dick (10:03 PM) They just wanna help, buddy.

From: Dick (10:04 PM) But yeah, I know. Haha.

From: Damian (10:05 PM) So, your thoughts?

He answers honestly.

From: Dick (10:06 PM) Be yourself!

From: Damian (10:07 PM) I was hoping you’d be more helpful, Richard.

From: Dick (10:07 PM) And I am!

From: Dick (10:09 PM) I’m telling you kid, it’s the best way to make friends. A tried and true method, too—just ask the others!

From: Damian (10:11 PM) After today’s useless talk, I don’t want to.

From: Dick (10:12 PM) Lol, that’s fair.

From: Damian (10:15 PM) I’m going to sleep because I have class tomorrow. I’ll talk to you later, Dick.

From: Dick (10:17 PM) Good night, buddy. Let me know how things go tomorrow.

From: Damian (10:17 PM) Okay. Good night.

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Dick’s eating lunch at a sub shop when Damian texts him the next day. He has his BLT in one hand and is scrolling through his phone with another when the notification pops up.

From: Damian (1:11 PM) I just made a fool of myself because I followed Father’s advice.

He hides his chortle by trying to cover it up with a cough.

From: Dick (1:11 PM) Why? What did you do?

From: Damian (1:12 PM) I blurted out that I own a cow to two boys next to me.

From: Dick (1:12 PM) LOL! Bruce told you to do that?

From: Damian (1:13 PM) No, he told me to talk about animals because I shouldn’t talk about swords and world domination.

From: Dick (1:14 PM) Ah, gotcha.

From: Damian (1:15 PM) This isn’t working.

Dick swallows a bite of his sandwich, setting it down before wiping his face with a napkin. Then, he picks up his phone to type with both hands.

From: Dick (1:16 PM) Just be yourself! That’s all that matters.

From: Damian (1:17 PM) Maybe I should follow Todd’s advice and break someone out of prison.

He’s really glad he put his sandwich down because he hastily types back with frantic fingers, eyes growing slightly wide with concern.

From: Dick (1:17 PM) Please don’t do that.

When Damian doesn’t answer immediately, Dick assumes he’s busy with class (and hopefully not breaking someone out of prison—Dick wouldn’t put it past him). He’s about to leave the sub shop when his phone buzzes again.

From: Damian (1:23 PM) Mission accomplished. I think.

Dick beams, holding back the urge to whoop in celebration and pump a fist in the air.

From: Dick (1:23 PM) Good job, buddy! Knew you could do it!

#batman: wayne family adventures #batman wayne family adventures #wayne family adventures #batman #dc comics #dick grayson #damian wayne #nightwing #dc robin #batfam #batfamily #jercy attempts words #fanfic

[pallasperilous]

Fifty Ways to Lose Your Lover

{on AO3} “Despair” Studio Draft 09/18/20 DO NOT DISTRIBUTE INT. DUNGEON - NIGHT. (CONT.) CASTIEL is verging on tears, joy and sorrow fighting for dominance. He knows what he’s about to say will be enough to summon THE EMPTY to claim him forever. DEAN is still struggling to process, but a terrible understanding is beginning to dawn on his face. CASTIEL ...I love you. DEAN (tearfully) I love you, too... ...buddy CASTIEL (Sighs grimly.)

> “Despair” Studio Draft 09/19/20 DO NOT DISTRIBUTE INT. DUNGEON - NIGHT. (CONT.) CASTIEL ...I love you. DEAN (meaningfully) I know.

Haha sorry dude I’ve just always wanted to say that CASTIEL opens the door for THE EMPTY and wordlessly walks into the sweet embrace of OBLIVION. > “Despair” Studio Draft 09/20/20 DO NOT DISTRIBUTE INT. DUNGEON - NIGHT. (CONT.) CASTIEL ...I love you.

DEAN Cass, man...I...how long have you felt this way?

CASTIEL Maybe...season 6? But I would’ve... (He pauses, overcome with emotion, then steadies himself to meet Dean’s gaze.) But I would’ve totally dicked down by mid-season 4.

DEAN Are you...are you fucking kidding me? That’s twelve seasons, Cass!! Network length seasons!

CASTIEL I didn’t think you could possibly reciprocate –

DEAN I had DESPERATION SEX with KETCH, Cass. ARTHUR KETCH. I had to get a TETANUS BOOSTER after that shit!  What the FUCK!

The pounding at the DOOR abruptly ceases. 

THE EMPTY (O.S.) Hey, so, this is getting weird, I think I’m gonna take off. 

CASTIEL Wait, no–

> “Despair” Studio Draft 09/21/20 DO NOT DISTRIBUTE INT. DUNGEON - NIGHT. (CONT.) CASTIEL ...I love you.

DEAN (tearfully) Bazinga.

CASTIEL opens the door and hurls DEAN into the glistening maw of THE EMPTY. > “Despair” Studio Draft 09/22/20 DO NOT DISTRIBUTE INT. DUNGEON - NIGHT. (CONT.)

CASTIEL ...I love you.

DEAN (tearfully) I love you, too.

BILLIE (O.S.) (Muffled, through DOOR) Pay up, bitch!

THE EMPTY (O.S.) Fuck!!  BILLIE (O.S.) There’s an ATM twenty minutes from here up 281. I’ll wait.

THE EMPTY (O.S.) Uggggggh you suck. > “Despair” Studio Draft 09/23/20 DO NOT DISTRIBUTE INT. DUNGEON - NIGHT. (CONT.)

CASTIEL ...I love you.

DEAN I love you, too.

CASTIEL Oh.

DEAN ...what?

CASTIEL Uh. Wow. I just...didn’t anticipate this. I’m...not sure what to say. I kind of thought the EMPTY would, you know, take me. Before you could say anything back.

DEAN Huh. Good job on the wards, I guess.

CASTIEL Thank you.

A beat.

CASTIEL (nervous laugh) I really thought the EMPTY would have taken me by now.

DEAN Do you want me to check on her, or...?

CASTIEL If you wouldn’t mind. I just worry.

THE EMPTY (Opening door) Haha I’m fine guys, this is hilarious. Seriously Castiel, I’m super flattered that you think I could  come up with anything worse than dating an unemployed closeted dude in his forties who’s obsessed with Zeppelin and lives with his adult brother in a basement in rural Kansas, LMAOOOO enjoy couple’s therapy, bitch > “Despair” Studio Draft 09/24/20 DO NOT DISTRIBUTE INT. DUNGEON - NIGHT. (CONT.)

CASTIEL ...I love you.

DEAN (tearfully) I love you, too. CASTIEL I mean that I love you in a romantic way. Just to be clear. DEAN No, I get it. Same. CASTIEL Sexually also. I mean, probably? Not super clear on that one, but I’m open to experimentation. DEAN I am ready to explore that with you at whatever pace and in whatever way is comfortable for all involved. CASTIEL Just making sure we’re on the same page, here: this is a homosexual declaration of romantic love. DEAN Yep. Super gay. ...queer? CASTIEL No, I like queer. It’s inclusive. DEAN An umbrella term, yeah. Reclaimed and shit. CASTIEL Because, while we’re both male-presenting, and I don’t want to diminish the significance of that, I’ve got a whole potential genderfluid situation going on, maybe also on the ace spectrum, and you’re...do you prefer bi, or pan, or...? DEAN Bi works. But, you know, 2020 style. CASTIEL Right, so meaning you experience attraction to more than one gender, not just two binary genders. DEAN (finger guns) Bingo. CASTIEL This has been a very helpful conversation. DEAN Yeah. I’m so happy we finally got to talk about this stuff, man. CASTIEL So am- THE EMPTY bursts through the door, seizes CASTIEL, and vanishes again. DEAN sighs.

> “Despair” Studio Draft 09/25/20 DO NOT DISTRIBUTE INT. DUNGEON - NIGHT. (CONT.)

CASTIEL ...I love you.

DEAN Don’t do this, Cass.

CASTIEL Yeet!

CASTIEL throws DEAN against the far wall as THE EMPTY pushes through the door.

THE EMPTY Yeet?? C’mon man, this is my last scene. I don’t even have a line, I’m just a fucking special effect. Throw me a bone here. 

CASTIEL I apologize. Let’s go again.

THE EMPTY Thank you.

CASTIEL (clears throat) Yoink me, Void Daddy.

THE EMPTY Oh my god. > “Despair” Studio Draft 09/25/20 #2 DO NOT DISTRIBUTE INT. DUNGEON - NIGHT. (CONT.)

CASTIEL ...I love you.

DEAN Nice try, Chuck. Now let him go.

CHUCK appears, looking miffed. CASTIEL suddenly relaxes, like a puppet whose strings have been cut.

CHUCK Shit. How did you figure it out? 

DEAN Cass and I hooked up all the way back in 9x06, man. 

CHUCK Wh...no you didn’t! The crew just lost the light but had to wrap the sequence!

CASTIEL That’s exactly what we wanted you to think. We’ve been together ever since.

DEAN We had a vow renewal ceremony last month when we legally adopted Jack. 

CASTIEL It was very moving. 

CHUCK This is insane. You can’t do this! I control everything that happens in this universe!

DEAN Becky taught us about coda fics, Chuck. And that was all the opening we needed. 

CASTIEL Dean. It’s time.

DEAN I’m ready.

CHUCK Wh...what are you doing?

CASTIEL Your power only extends to shots that make it to air, Chuck. 

CHUCK (glancing at watch) No. NO.

CASTIEL That was a very long speech you had me deliver. Almost enough to take us to end credits. And then on to another show entirely. 

CHUCK I think it’s OUTPOST. I haven’t...I haven’t even watched it.

DEAN Jack likes it okay.

CHUCK (sputtering) You bastards. You may try to fuck with me between eps, but whatever happens to me still has to fit logically with the situation at the beginning of the next episode!  

DEAN Ah, yes. Tell me, who’s writing the next episode, Cass?

CASTIEL (with sinister resolve) Bucklemming.

The blood drains from CHUCK’s face. 

DEAN Then I’d say...

CASTIEL shakes his ANGEL BLADE out into his hand.

DEAN ...Sky’s the limit. SMASH CUT TO CREDITS. {on AO3}

#spn fanfic #spn crack #destiel #spn15x18 #spn s15 spoilers #spn bts #spn fixit #this is how I die #pallasperilous fic #pallasperilous crack #spelling it Cass hurt me more than I can say

[jq37]

The Report Card – Fantasy High: The Seven Ep 5

Through a Glass, Darkly

Welcome back to the Temple of the Earth Defiant where the girls and their magical horses (and one pony!) have found refuge from the strange, twisted, fae creatures that have been chasing them. The statue of Asha Hammerheart that Ost animated last episode is still alive and wrecking house on the remaining harpies and beasts that are foolish enough to keep fighting and the rest soon get the hint and flee. 

Ost does some healing (boosted by the ambient Hallow effect of the temple which gives everyone a short rest) and then, seeing the damage to the temple caused by erosion, starts using Mending to fix things up. Her friends help out too with Sam and Yelle being most effective--Sam by repairing water damage and Yelle by creating tree cover and other druid-y tricks. But of course, we can’t overlook Katja’s crucial addition of carving “A Horse is a Home” into one of the walls of this sacred temple. 

Anyway, the girls are nesting super hard, the horses are having their scrapbooking reviewing club (an insane thing that was established last episode) and then Sam asks a question. Did y’all mention something about a photo of me going viral? Everyone’s like yeah, but don’t worry, you looked super hot. That’s not the part Sam was worried about. What she’s worried about and what all the girls except Zelda don’t really seem to know is that Sam doesn’t really have a social media presence. So like, 180k and climbing views (as decided by a dice roll) isn’t really what she wants. She scrolls through the comments really quick and sees that they’re not awful but one person is like, “Hey that girl looks a lot like that character from that old show”. Which Sam doesn’t love. She says that she’s fine but also that, even without an Insight check, she’s obviously not. 

Sam kind of looks to Zelda to bail her out and Zelda is like, “Hey, I’m gonna delete this video.” The other girls follow suit, even though they don’t quite know what’s happening. When they have to split up to investigate, Sam has Zelda kind of bail her out again and they split up to go check a nest outside--Zelda waving off Danielle when she wants to go with. Ant and Yelle decide to check out a cache of some treasure they saw earlier and Ost and Katja stay with the horses to keep fixing the temple up. Penny initially goes with Ant and Yelle but rushes back to be with Ost and Kat when Ost discovers a hidden lock while she’s fixing a wall.

So, the girls are split up, let’s run all these scenes.

Antiope and Yelle

Ant and Yelle go see the pile of treasure (near the statue of dwarven paladin Yvonna) which they learn is like a “take a penny leave a penny” situation for weapons and items. They were left by adventures who were similarly chased here and you can take what you need as long as you leave something to help others. Like, “Oh no I only have an ice sword and I need flaming arrows.” It doesn’t have to be equivalent exchange, you just need to leave something useful.

In this space, Yelle feels a weird melancholy and like they’re within the watch of something vast and powerful. She tries to check for TK’s presence but rolls low. Antiope leaves her Kalvaxus killing shortsword and takes some really nice, white feather fledged arrows with mirror tips and an ax Kat wants as a present for her dad. Danielle takes a bandolier of potions (3 healing and 2 mystery I believe) and leaves a bunch of mushrooms. Some of them are psychedelic and Ant takes one because this is probably a good time to be high, right?

It’s not messing with her competence obviously though because she rolls a 25 on Primeval Awareness and gets a weird sense, like something is closing in on this place. And like something very powerful is bleeding, which combined with the chaos of the mountains might explain the weird harpies and the cat/dogs. But she’s high so she explains this is a very spacey, stoner way. Probably a good thing she’s with Yelle.

Sam and Zelda

Sam can fly and Zelda can basically walk vertically with her goat legs so they check out the nest. Well, ostensibly that’s what they’re doing. Really they’re just having a heart to heart. Sam thanks Zelda for saving her ass and apologizes profusely for being so short with her. Zelda gives her a huge mid-air hug and says it’s not a big deal because she knows Sam is just lashing out because she’s hurting but Sam says it’s not a good enough excuse and she’s truly sorry. It’s been her coping mechanism for so long but she doesn’t want to be that way. She tells Zelda that the Everpetals are divorcing and that she’s living alone and Zelda says that any one of the girls would be happy to have her stay with them. Sam further explains that this is a big part of the reason she’s been so broken up about the possibility of their group splitting up and Zelda immediately takes out her crystal and texts her “I’m in” in the thread, breaking Sam again. 

Since they’re in heart to heart mode, Sam tells her that she talked to her bio-mom and an agent and she’s not sure what to do. Zelda says that she’s gonna be spectacular no matter what she does and she doesn’t have to do any of them but it’s cool doors are opening for her but also Antiope and Penny are gonna be PISSED that she’s out here making side plans after she gave them so much shit for theirs. Lol, well it’s a nice moment in the meantime and we cut to…

Penny, Ost, and Katja 

While Penny is lockpicking (and also trying to teach one of the horses to lockpick because sure) Katja and Ost go talk to the statue of Asha Hammerheart. It seems to be animated with at least some level of her true consciousness from beyond the grave and that she can kind of woge into her statue when she wants, which is cool. She’s been there for like 250 years so that’s a lot of history to see. 

Ost is maybe the most polite we’ve ever seen her talking to Asha (at least to begin with lol) and they ask her about TK. Asha says she saw TK show up 12 years ago but she never left, at least not through the front door. And then about 2 years ago (right around when they were in the crystals) that’s when the harpy queen showed up. At first they were normal and then they started mutating. Also, recently, Korra (one of the other statues/heroes) saw a woman in the mountains--not TK. 

Ost then takes a page from the book of one St. Kristen Applebees and asks, “Hey. What’s the deal with our god? He never talks to us, does he just suck?” Asha--who has never talked to him even though she’s a martyred hero and literally in dwarf heaven makes some excuses for the guy but Katja scoffs at them. “If people wanna take care of you, they do.” Ost then straight up asks if Logran Soulforger is even real which sets Asha off but Ost isn’t mad AT her, she’s mad FOR her. You go and do all this cool shit to the point where you have this cool ass statue, you fully DIE for him and he doesn’t even say hi? With a 21 Persuasion check, Asha admits that yeah, she would have liked some recognition. She decides she’s gonna go do some talking to some people and leaves after getting Ost’s number but before they can ask more about the woman Korra saw (who they think is Charity). 

OK, that’s all the small group stuff! Everyone comes back as Penny finishes up with the lock and they go down into this room that’s full of polished, precious stones. This is probably where people who were upkeeping the temple stayed. While everyone else is going down, Sam feels some powerful magical pull--much like her episode 1 Lightning Lure--calling her from the top of the stairs so she goes back up. We’ll get back to her in a bit. 

Penny rolls a high check to clock what’s going on down here. First off, she finds flintlock bullets and airship uniform scraps which makes it seem like there was a battle here involving some airship guys from the Baronies. Which is not just the place of origin of Riz’s imaginary Romance Partner. It’s a cluster of nations known for high rates of monarchical turnover and renaissance style intrigue. I’m picturing just a nation of [REDACTED]s from Crown of Candy. 

With all of this stuff, Penny finds an emblem of a billionaire airship mogul named Lord Talcidimir Tallbreeze who is a friend of her dad’s. Yelle is immediately like FUCK billionaires which isn’t plot relevant but it’s nice to know she’s always on brand. 

Oh also, Penny just casually finds the Legendarium so that’s neat. 

To be safe, Ost casts Protection from Energy on Ant (who is the one who knows how to use it) and brings out her Spirit Guardian (who is a combo of her mom, nona, and Asha, with her dad’s rings). Ant checks it out and sees that there are currently no A, B, or C quests in all of Spyre. While Penny cross references the bylaws to see if there’s a way to get around this, Yelle does some druid BS that I still do not understand to use the crystals in the cave to jailbreak this super powerful magical Artifact so they can just have copies on their crystals. While that’s happening, let’s check on Sam. 

Sam goes back up the staircase where she sees Ending who doesn’t look menacing at all, just extremely sad. She’s looking out the mouth of the cave and, when she turns, Sam can see she’s crying blood. 

“What’s wrong?” asks Sam, the acid-tongued but good-hearted. “Can I help you?”

With a 25 Persuasion check to get her to talk, Ending apologizes for scaring her and her friends before. She didn’t mean to. She sometimes forgets that her very nature can be frightening and dangerous to others. She says that when she escaped, she tried to rejoin her sisters but found their mirrors shattered and them gone. Sam thought they escaped but that doesn’t make sense to Ending. If they had, why wouldn’t they have freed her as well?

Sam asks who her sisters were and we finally get true names for Ending and her sisters:

Chrona, Terra, Pyrria, Nira, Zefira, Anima, and herself, Talura (which is what I’ll be calling her now that we know). Talura is the baby, the youngest. Sam realizes she’s talking about the Eidolons and Talura seems surprised and a bit pleased that Sam recognizes them. 

Sam asks if she can hug her and Talura hugs her tightly in a very cold embrace that doesn’t hurt. Downstairs, she hears her friends (Penny specifically) freaking about about the lack of quests but she doesn’t break the hug. 

“My own sisters are struggling right now but I’m gonna stay with you because you don’t know where yours are. But maybe we can find them.”

Talura clocks that the way that Sam is being is her true nature, not the bitchiness she often uses as a shield. Then she starts to talk about her history. That she and her sisters were sealed away when the gods were done with them (Sam can relate to being used and set aside) and the only way out was death. Talura has been crying and looking for her sisters to no avail. Her tears of blood leaking seems to be what caused the monsters to mutate which is in line with what Yelle and Ant were sensing. 

Talura doesn’t think anything could have destroyed her sisters so she’s very confused. Sam offers Talura her Mirror of the Past because it almost knocked out Sam to get god-tier information but Talura presumably won’t have that problem. Talura offers her a boon in exchange for this great kindness but Sam says she doesn’t need any quid pro quo. “This is just because you’re hurting.”

Talura is supremely touched and still wants to do something for her new...friend? Sam accepts the title and says that what she needs is some help on her GED quest. Once she explains what she means, Talura again recognizes Aguefort and is like, Oh, you need a quest? I can totally help with that! As we learned earlier, these guys are kinda genie connected so it’s not super surprising when Talura very happily goes full your wish is my command.

Downstairs, a Class A quest suddenly appears in Spyre on the screen. 

Back upstairs, Talura says that it’s been too long since she got to grant a wish and seems really happy about it. Sam gives her the mirror so she can check what happened to her sisters but when she does, she totally flips out and gets super angry--not at Sam, just at whatever she’s looking at. She can hardly believe it. Sam tries to figure out what’s wrong but she just gets super big and then disappears into a puff of smoke, leaving Sam's mirror on the ground, covered in frost. 

Downstairs, the Class A quest expands across the entire globe and then the Legendarium cracks. Ost’s spirit guardian disappears because of alarm bells ringing in the afterlife. And the girls learn that a Class A quest is a quest that affects the whole MULTIVERSE. Yikes!

So anyway, they girls go upstairs to check on Sam (on a bear that Penny makes because sure) and they see that something clearly just happened with Sam. Yelle asks if she’s good and Sam is like yeahhhh I don’t think ANYONE is good right now. Sam seems like she’s about to cry and Antiope instantly forgets all the petty bullshit going on between them and rushes to make sure she’s not hurt. 

Sam gives the girls a rundown of what happened and Yelle concretely puts together what I said earlier about Talura’s tears messing with nature. 

Sam wants to check her mirror to see what Talura saw and Brennan says she can do it the safe way with risk of failure of the surefire way with risk of personal harm. She, of course, picks door 2 and rolls a 13 on her con save which means she rises into the air like Storm from X-Men, eyes wide, and then instantly passes out and goes into shock. Antiope is there to catch her as she does. 

Also, she looks SUPER hot while falling on a 31. Honestly, it’s a shame she doesn’t allow herself a social media presence. 

Anyway, we’ll get to what she sees in a bit. Yelle and Ant make sure she’s OK (she is, but the has to be knocked out for this or she won’t be able to handle it). 

Penny tells them what she knows about each Eidolon from her earlier research which is what element each goes with:

Chrona: Time (Related to astral and elemental planes) 

Terra: Earth

Pyrria: Fire

Nira: Water

Zefira: Air

Anima: Life

Talura: Death 

They also talk about TK never leaving via the front door and all this airship stuff being around. Maybe she left out the top of the mountain on an airship? Katja has the hookup with this Tal guy (she’s met him when she was younger) so they decide they need to check it out once Sam is good. 

The girls fix the Legendarium and Ost, when she goes to pray for her spells for the night, doesn’t pray to her usual god. She prays to Asha. And not only does she get her spells, she also gets a new one--Commune. 

And now let’s get to what Sam is seeing in her Vision Coma. 

She was told by Talura that the only way out of the mirrors given to them by the gods was death. And what Talura saw that drove her to do whatever multiverse threatening thing that she did was every one of her sisters walking out of their mirrors and choosing death. I will specifically highlight that the oldest sister leaves almost immediately with a small, “Oh,” of realization and Anima, the closest sister to her seems terrified before coming to a joyful realization and leaving.

And that’s the end of the episode! Join us next week when apparently there is talk of a masquerade ball?????? Brennan, you shouldn’t have!   

Superlatives 

Sam: Most Likely to Accidently Snag a Brand Deal

Did you guys ever read the Greek myth of Cupid and Psyche? Where Psyche was born so hot that it was basically a curse and she was miserable because she was so hot that Aphrodite hated her? That’s Sam. She is incapable of almost dying in a non-aesthetic way. It’s like a Pantene commercial every time. This is my favorite running gag.

Random Thoughts

Man, I have so many feelings about Sam. She’s such a BITCH in so many ways but it’s so obvious that she has a good heart. Every time she has an opportunity to be nice with no gain--helping Lola find her dog, magically turning the pages for the horses during book club, fully refusing a boon from Talura--she does. And I’m glad she gave Zelda such a sincere apology and didn’t let the extenuating circumstances absolve her because she said some pretty uncalled for things. But at her core she’s so kind and I want only good things for her. 

Also those of you who know me from my FH recaps know I’m a messy bitch for sister stuff so Talura and Sam both referring to the other maidens as her sister had me dead. You can tell when something in this show is f’ing me up when I just start directly quoting instead of paraphrasing. 

Katja being richer than Helio but having no idea what any of the brands Ost is mentioning are is peak comedy.  

As is Ant’s response to the take and penny leave a penny translation from Ost, “No, Penny didn’t come with us.”

Ost: I get service in the afterlife.

You could really tell which of the players watched Sophomore Year because the Baronies came up and all of them went into fight or flight immediately. 

Very Elsa vibes from Sam during the top of the scene with Talura. (Sam is, of course, a better sister but we simply do not have time to get into my feelings on Frozen 2 right now).

I was wondering why this season was called just “The Seven” when it dropped initially. Like, was it snappier? Did they not want to use the word “maiden”? But they still call themselves the Seven Maidens in the show so it’s probably not that. Now I’m wondering if it’s just to parallel the 7 of them w/ the 7 Eidolons. 

So it seems clear based on the reactions of the first and sixth sisters that they didn’t just “go gently into that good night” as Ant would say and ditch Talura. It seems like they figured something out. Also Brennan isn’t really a “and then they all died, the end” kind of DM, you know? Credit to my friend @camwritery for getting here before I did but the gods said the only way out was death and she is death so you know? Those def seem like puzzle pieces that go together. 

The only crit rolled this episode is a 1 by Penny which she gets to reroll as a halfling. 

#the seven #the seven spoilers #dimension 20 #dimension 20 spoilers

[steve0discusses]

Yugioh S5 Ep 21: Joey Takes A Snack at that Cray Sauce

Hey guys! The 17 yo cat with kidney disease I was out of town watching lived to see another week (she was a very good girl). Which means now I can get back to the good stuff. This episode is brought to you by the colors red and orange, and I hope you like this color, and I hope you like this after effects they CGId onto this volcano.

Anyways, they first have to do this familiar ledge fall, because, it’s Yugioh, and if there’s a bunch of lava, Tristan wants

in

that.

And then Joey decides...hey you know what? I’m gonna jet. And...it’s not the first time he’s pulled a wild card and been unpredictable, I mean none of us can really forget that time he decided to get murdered by Mai instead of going in a straight line towards the end boss last season, but this time it was kind of funny how it was hastily composed.

And off he goes, folks.

As he left, Tristan was like “Ya dummy!” and Tea was like “nono, we gotta encourage him--run Joey! You can do it! See? Now he’s gone.” and it’s like...Tea is either trying to kill Joey with her support or honestly thinks that’s good support and I can’t fully tell which she is.

(read more under the cut)

It’s at this point that Grandpa has the gall to say “Did any of you happen to catch the lore? I fell asleep during that part.” Just like my Dad when we watch any movie as a family.

Meanwhile, maybe 100 ft away from them, Joey is in mortal peril but it’s Joey, so he’ll be fine. Don’t worry about it.

In fact, this episode seems like it would have been a better arc if it stretched out more episodes because the Joey neglect happens so quickly and out of nowhere that it’s...less organic than your average children’s show. Honestly it’s kind of funny how fast the fall of Joey Wheeler happens this episode. And I think it could have been a fun interesting time if it was handled better but youknow...it’s crammed into one single episode and you’ll se what happens.

As Yugi ruminates a cool thing that would have been really interesting this season--like running into more rando’s from other periods of time than just Alexander--Tea looks across the lava highway and was like “found it.”

Back at the dragon situation, Joey starts opening his heart to this dragon and it’s like...did they originally intend for Seto Kaiba to be here? Because I guess Joey uses Red Eyes a lot, but I also skip a lot of the card games, so when I think “who likes the dragon card?” Joey is not the first one I think of.

That and like he got over his Atlantis dragon card like hella fast, right? Like totally already over that?

And also if you thought Joey would pull out his other dragon to try and communicate or get a hold of this dragon like...nah.

Back at the fort, these guys decided to ditch Joey to get to this sword at the top of a volcano to solve the riddle, and what follows is some weird ass canon.

As I’m pulling up my Google Doc with my deathcount on it, Tristan decides this is the time he won’t freakin die and turn into a robot monkey for 15 episodes.

And he makes a huge ass green dragon. You’d think this MASSIVE dragon would do more in this episode, but nah. Although he pulls out Massive Dragon, it’s like kind of worthless, so he mostly puts it back in his pocket.

And then Tea pulls this elf chick out and it’s freakin hilarious because look at her giant elf.

Like Tea is not a small person! Are Yugioh monsters all 12 ft tall???

Yugi is also all ham about fusing with his dude now. It knocked him out a couple episodes ago, but Yugi is so keen on destroying his body that he’s back in clown town. And like...took his Grandpa for a ride, I guess, although I’m pretty sure Summoned Skull has wings.

Course, Summoned Skulls insides are his outsides...and I dunno if you’d want Summoned Skull to give you a big hug and carry you around. Summoned Skull just seems like he’s sticky.

And, once they make it to the top of the volcano where the plot sword lives, we first have to visit this plot twist of the century.

YEAH.

OUT OF NOWHERE.

THIS EPISODE IS NOT LONG.

Aaaaaaand now Joey is going to try and kill everyone here. I did not skip anything, PS, Joey dipped off-screen.

PS, everyone’s reaction to “I will kill you!” was a whole lot of rolling their eyes at first being like “Joey, stawp.”

So, now that Joey’s randomly possessed by this dragon, we get a peek into what Joey’s brain zone looks like. It’s a whole lot of nothing in between his ears.

Consistent to S1 actually, when we had a bit of a Joey Brain Zone moment. It was a blank void there, too.

So apparently Joey decided, back when he was confessing his love to Red Eyes Black Dragon, that he would jump on it’s back to calm it down--and it just...fused with him. So...now he’s a dragon.

Sure, I guess. I mean...there’s really no limit on what a Duel monster can’t do, so I’ll allow it.

The team tries to just say “ah screw it” and pull up this sword themselves (you can kind of see it in this shot) and the sword just slurps into the dirt even more out of spite. Seeing that there’s a bit of a time limit, Grandpa pulls this one out of his back pocket.

Yo, Grandpa’s not even possessed. Hey, remember that time that Grandpa nearly died giving Arthur Hawkins the last of his water back in Egypt? Remember that?

Like uh, you can definitely tell this was made by a different team that may not have gotten that cue card. It may have been lost in the mail. Either way, kind of a hilarious heel turn on Grandpa’s personality here, although it does make logical sense to save most of the kids from sacrificing one kid. It’s just...that kid is Joey...so...that’s like his adopted Grandson, right?

So Yugi does something very on brand for Yugi and invades a brain.

And like...obviously Yami and Yugi would say no to this. They would never do this. Not after all the dozens and dozens of times they have sacrificed the world and everything for their best friends.

But...maybe just this one time we can kill Joey? As a treat?

So uh...Yami hella vaporizes Joey with his new powers. Luckily, Joey Wheeler has Shaggy Doo energy and just...he survives it for some reason. I don’t know why he isn’t dead, maybe because the dragon made him stronger? Eh, don’t do the math (on any part of this episode).

So Joey gets up and is like “I know the answer to the riddle!” As the sword kinda melts into the volcano and Gramps is like “Well we’re dead, actually, so no one cares!”

And Joey’s like “Look!” and he hops onto the back of the Red Eyes Black dragon and reveals this random thing:

Because it turns out, that the dragon was the real problem and not this volcano with a sword in it.

Which youknow...could have been cool if this episode wasn’t so many insane plot points so quickly. Kind of a lot of episode here. This episode could have been a whole season of a show.

Like how long was Joey Possessed by Marik in S2? Like 5 or 6 episodes? And you can see how much more successful it was at selling the story although it was a lot of the same themes and ideas. Pacing is important.

And then Joey passes out from the suit juice.

Which is when we get one more Alexander cameo, just kinda watching them leave and onto the next arc of their little journey.

They sure did put a lot of eyeliner on Alexander the great, and, being real...he may have actually been wearing a hell ton of dope eyeliner when he was alive, so this could be historically accurate, for all we know. Those old marble statues used to be painted, after all. Maybe they had dope Yugioh eyeliner down to his cheekbones? One can wish.

And like if you ever get the time--seeing what those marble statues looked like with paint on it is so freakin goofy and fun, I love it. I love that for 600 years we thought those marble statues were supposed to be naked and white but it’s like, nah man--this guy’s just wearing a skin tight breast plate and when you paint it, it’s so garish it’s like a freakin clown outfit.

But anyway, that’s all for now! Hope y’all have a good weekend, and as always, here’s a link to read these in chrono order, if you just got here!

https://steve0discusses.tumblr.com/tagged/yugioh/chrono

#Yugioh #YGO #Yu-Gi-Oh #S5 #Ep 21 #Yugi muto #Joey Wheeler #Tristan Taylor #Joey Wheeler goes evil again #Red Eyes Black Dragon #Is an asshole apparently #Tea Gardner #Grandpa Muto #A lot of orange lava #This show is so obsessed with orange #Alexander the Great #who I can't believe is canon to Yugioh lol #Episode recap #Photo recap

[biffhofosho]

Succumbing to Sybaris | Chapter Fifteen

Chapter Word Count: 5.5k

Cvr | Tr | Pr | 01 | 02 | 03 | 04 | 05 | 06 | 07 | 08 | 09 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 21 | 22 | 23 | 24 | 25 | Ep

At the brush of fingers through her hair, Amber's eyes creaked open resentfully to find Wonho’s dazzling smile waiting for her. She hadn't realized she had fallen asleep, but now that she was awake, she realized it was the first peaceful sleep she'd had in months. Seemed like an impossible thing, waking up to the face of a vampire and feeling safe, but that was exactly what had happened.

“Hoseok?”

The bright-eyed boy beamed down at her, feathering loose strands of hair back from her face. “Hey, sweetheart. How are you feeling?”

Amber stretched under the blanket, wincing at the ache lurking in almost every corner of her body. That’s what she got for fucking a man made of stone. Her waist was especially sore, no doubt from the repercussions of denying Wonho what he had needed, and she imagined there were ten little pretty bruises along her abused flesh.

“Tired. You?”

“Alive,” Wonho said without a hint of irony.

She swung her legs over the edge of the futon and glanced down at her naked body. “Did you clean me up?”

“Best I could,” he said with a nod to his ripped shirt balled up on his desk. “Hope you don’t mind. I just didn’t want you to be uncomfortable while you slept. You looked too much like an angel to be so sinful.”

Amber smiled and wrangled her locks back into a ponytail that hid her sex-hair. “What time is it?”

“Just past three. Hate to say it, gorgeous, but my shift's over.”

At that, Amber shot up and dove for her clothes. “Fuck, fuck, fuck! Fuck, this is bad. This is so bad.”

“Nothing about that was bad,” he hummed dreamily as he tugged on a fresh t-shirt.

“Everyone knows what we did in here, Hoseok!”

“Mm, probably the whole building judging by how loud you screamed that last round.”

The detective gaped at him. “Are you serious? Fuck, I’m done. I’m so done. I thought at least I’d have till the end of this case, but my career is over. Fuck.”

Wonho folded up the futon just as carefree as he did everything else and watched her with an amused grin. “Come on, Detective Spiros. You think any of us would allow that to happen? I’ll just erase everyone’s memories here, and everything will be fine.”

“Like that’s so easy.”

“It is,” he said evenly.

Her pants sagged mid-leg as Amber studied him. “What about other people like me?”

“There’s no one else like you,” Wonho added just as evenly. “Don’t worry. We’ll keep you safe.”

“Keep the detective safe who’s been hunting your brother? Yeah, sure.”

“You’ll see soon enough, Hyungwon hasn’t done anything to those women.”

Wonho said it with so much unswerving conviction that another crack widened the growing rift between Amber’s heart and her mind. She was used to her two poles always being in sync—it was how she knew she was doing the right thing—but since she’d met Hyungwon, nothing lined up anymore, and with a shiver, she realized she couldn’t trust either one.

Still, there was that last needle under her skin, the one that reminded her that no matter how much she wanted to believe they had nothing to do with Daisy and the other missing, they were still a part of it. It wasn’t a coincidence that her investigation had led her to a clan of vampires. It meant something, now more than ever considering what had happened to Evelyn Hoover.

Her heart accelerating, Amber finished dressing in record speed and was already out the door with a flippant “I gotta go.” But Wonho was a vampire after all, and he kept pace easily alongside her, even offering his hand to hold, which required every fiber of her being to ignore.

They passed the front desk, but Dami was thankfully gone, replaced instead with another blank-eyed girl who moaned convincingly on autopilot into a receiver all while she turned a page in her fantasy novel.

The moment they entered the lobby, Wonho grabbed Amber’s wrist and pinned her against the wall between both mountainous arms. To her surprise, he kissed her passionately there in the open until her senses returned and her hand shot to his throat. She dug her fingers into the firm muscles under his jaw and pushed him back, but instead of disappointment or even annoyance, she found two huge puppy eyes.

“What are you doing?” the detective hissed, glancing back toward the woman at the desk.

“I’m going to miss you,” Wonho said, the grip on his neck nothing more than an inconvenience for someone who didn’t breathe anymore. “I’m going to miss your smell. Fuck, gotta take some more of it with me. Your panties won’t be enough.”

Despite her hand pressing harder into his throat, he flattened himself against her and rolled the length of his body along hers. He nuzzled into her neck and purred as he kissed her collarbone.

“Need you all over me, baby,” he murmured as his hands knotted in the back of her shirt and smothered the rest of her compact frame with his heavy muscle. He felt so good, swallowing her body up again, and her hand dropped from his neck to his waist.

Amber’s eyes fluttered shut before she remembered herself. She shoved him back again and stood up as tall as she could. It would have been nothing for a strongman like Wonho to swat her away, but he let her win, though he unleashed a heavy sigh.

“Stop it, Lee,” she growled, knowing that the formality would hurt him but needing the distance to protect herself. “Go home. The sun’s coming up soon.”

He pouted but held the door for her as they walked into the night.

As she burst into the parking lot, Amber instantly felt that cold ripple of being watched again. She stopped and glanced around, and Wonho slowed beside her. He didn’t seem to notice anything, so the detective relaxed; after all, a vampire’s senses must be keener than hers. She was just paranoid after his public display in the lobby.

At her car, Wonho opened her door for her and smiled at her through the frame. With a gentle head tilt, he said, “You’ve got nothing to worry about, Detective, I promise. Get home safe, okay? Come see me again soon.”

He double-tapped her roof, and Amber slammed the door, thankful for the space. With Wonho, it was too easy to fall for his boyfriend-schtick, and Amber needed the perspective of miles between them.

She came home to two messages on her machine, one from Eric needling for details about her dinner with Agent Suh and another just a long reel of silence before a hang-up—probably just her best friend annoyed she wasn’t calling him back. She’d have to think of a good story to tell him considering the alternative was admitting to career-ending off-duty booty, but she was far too tired to deal with it now.

Getting restful sleep for the first time in ages had only fueled Amber’s need for more, and she tumbled face-first into her covers. She was out within moments, oblivious to the world.

She dreamed of Delphine.

Her face looked much like the one Amber saw in the mirror everyday though the eyes that stared back were matching shades of denim blue. Delphine’s chocolate hair tumbled over her shoulders and feathered in a breeze Amber couldn’t feel. Her sister was wearing the same red dress she’d disappeared in, big red ruffles on the sleeves and at her knees and a cherry rosette at the chest that accented the red gash at her neck. She was speaking, but only wet gurgles left her throat.

Her face was still, almost robotic as she spilled secrets Amber could never hear. Delphine rose one ethereal hand with the same haunting grace as she would have if she were underwater. All at once, her lips stopped moving as the breeze fell dead, and she pointed over Amber’s shoulder.

The detective turned around and realized that they were deep in the woods, night above them, around them, and beneath them. The walls of a gorge rose behind her, familiar and foreign all at once. There, far away at the top of the cliff, was a thin shadow with long limbs and sleek lines. Amber knew she’d seen it before, but she couldn’t place where no matter how hard she tried.

She looked frantically back to her sister, but Delphine couldn’t wrench her eyes from the shadow. When Amber glanced back, it was gone, but Delphine seemed to see something that her sister couldn’t, and her gazed remained fixed on the memory of the ghost.

Amber had to get them out of here. As long as that shadow was out there, they weren’t safe—she knew that.

The detective spun in a circle, but while they were on a table of rock with infinite exits all around them, deep in her bones, she felt that none of them would lead them out. They were at the bottom of a canyon, with a trail that led into darkness at either end, and Amber knew that no matter which one they chose, the shadow would be there waiting.

Instead, she turned to the only sanctuary the sisters had, a decaying stone building at the crest of the trailhead. It was covered in moss and ferns, as though it were built by Mother Nature herself. It had no roof and no windows, just empty sockets and a gaping maw where a door had once been. This place was familiar too, but again, she didn’t know why.

Amber grabbed her sister’s hand and tugged her toward the shelter, but Delphine was both light as air and heavy as rock. Amber managed to get her behind a wall, but Delphine would neither bend nor hush. She was gurgling again, her lips moving more insistently around words she couldn’t vocalize. Her blue eyes were as wide as the Pacific and just as turbulent as she worked desperately to get Amber’s attention.

“What? What is it, Della? Talk to me, please!” Amber demanded as she grabbed her sister by the shoulders. Her nails sunk into the taffeta ruffles and crunched as much from the fabric as the now-crumbling bone underneath.

In one last ditch effort, Delphine opened her mouth, but instead of an answer, out came a blood-curdling scream and a belch of smoke blacker than the darkness around them.

This time when Amber turned around, another shadow was there, and it grabbed her by the ankles. Amber tumbled to the stone floor and grabbed for any handhold, but the stones were slick with lichen, and her nails found no purchase. She thudded face-first down a flight of steps into the earth, where she was whisked up the trail faster than the wind. Behind her, Delphine watched from a window, her mouth as open and useless as the empty frame.

The air was thicker here, and Amber choked as she struggled to stop her momentum. She glared at the shadow behind her, but this shadow had a face—a sweet, round one Amber recognized instantly.

“Daisy, stop! Where are you taking me?” shouted the detective, but the girl didn’t answer. She was strong and determined to lead Amber to the tall, thin figure at the end of the canyon.

They were almost there. The air was suffocating, and Amber was dizzy. The closer they got to the shadow man, the more strength left the detective’s limbs. Delphine was just a pinpoint in Amber’s past, the only spot of color in the darkness behind her. Amber reached toward her sister, but it was pointless. All of this was pointless—the fighting, the pleading, even breathing. She was going to succumb—it was just a matter of when.

At last, Daisy slowed as they approached the top of the canyon wall, and a new set of fingers curled around Amber now. She was lifted into powerful arms, and with the last of her vision, she looked toward the face that would consume her, but it was enrobed in black smoke, same as his voice.

It was melodic and beautiful and utterly terrifying as it sang her name.

“Ambrosia…”

The edges of the dream were fuzzy now, but still, she couldn’t see anything except smoke. The shadow’s voice had shifted, morphing into two.

“He didn’t trust me, so he sent you?” complained one voice. Something about the indignance in its tone was familiar.

“You know he doesn’t take risks when it comes to her,” said the other, also familiar but far less resentful.

“Neither do I,” retorted the first. “I’ve got this. Go take care of the cleanup.”

There was weightlessness through the smoke, and Amber’s lungs cinched in revolt. She sputtered and sat up, hand clutching her throat, only to find she wasn’t in her room.

“Ambrosia, can you hear me?”

Her eyes bulged as she kicked and flailed, and the hands that cradled her under her shoulders and knees released her. She flopped back into wet grass and crawled on her belly away from her attacker, her face gathering dewdrops as she coughed.

She was tired and sore and her lungs burned. Actually, everything was burning, her skin, her throat, her eyes. Through bleary lenses, the world came back into focus. Things were no longer black but red. Everything was red and seething.

Amber rolled onto her butt and scrambled into a ball like an armadillo as her nails dug into her legs. From the shelter of her knees, she looked around and found she wasn’t in the woods at all. She was in her very crowded front lawn with thirty other people she didn’t recognize and one she did.

“Luke!” Amber shouted as she launched herself into his arms.

He held her fiercely, pressing his cheek into her crown. “Are you okay? Are you hurt? Why do you always forget your radio, damnit?”

He stroked her cheek and searched her face for any signs of damage but found only shock.

“What’s going on?”

“Your apartment building’s on fire. They got you out just in time,” he answered as he looked from the burning cube behind him to her “attacker,” who was just a hapless paramedic with high eyebrows and a big blanket that he handed to Lucas.

The captain wrapped it around her shoulders, and things suddenly came into focus. At last, Amber could make out the chaos that engulfed them. Firefighters stormed through the front door searching for other residents, water cascaded over brick, and ebony smoke billowed into the already black sky.

Things were still blurry, as much from the overlapping vividness of her dream as the smoke still in her eyes.

“How’d you get here so fast?” Amber wondered as she let her tears clear her eyes.

“I recognized your address over Dispatch. You know my place is only two streets over.”

She should have known. Lucas’s place had once been her place, too.

“Eric’s on his way, too. They’re going to take you to the hospital to check you out,” the captain continued, nodding toward the ambulance, but Amber shook her head violently.

“Forget it. I’m fine. No burns, no cuts, no bruises.”

“Amber—”

“I’m not going.”

The captain sighed. “Fine, but you are to let them check you out, and that’s an order. That suspension’s still on the table, you know.”

Lucas was so elegant in the firelight; every angle was sharpened while his voice was softened, and his eyes glowed as they studied hers.

“What happened?” Amber asked, and she realized how raw her throat was. Luckily, the paramedic waited at the ready with a cup of water.

As she drank, the captain answered, “Way too early to tell, but it looks like the fire started near your apartment.”

Amber nearly did a spit-take. “Near my place?”

“You know I don’t believe in coincidences,” Lucas said, his eyes shifting down the street.

“Neither do I.”

“I could assign a plain-clothes—”

“Lucas, no,” she snapped. “We need every boot to the pavement looking for these women.”

“What did I tell you about your invisible bulletproof vest, huh? You don’t have one, Amber, and the shots are getting closer,” he volleyed back, matching her annoyance.

She looked back toward her life now in smoldering rubble and felt the irony acutely.

Lucas followed her gaze back to the fire, and his temper burned away. He squeezed her hand in the wet grass and said softly, “I’m scared.”

Her head whipped to him at once. She had never, ever heard him use that word. “Of what?”

“Of losing you.”

She studied his profile etched in fire and forever branded in her heart, and she realized she was afraid of the same thing—maybe not the same way Lucas was, but she was afraid she was losing herself, too. Criminals, kidnappers, and killers, she could handle, maybe even vampires now, too, but it wasn’t death she feared. Losing Delphine had forged Amber anew in fire, and now she had emerged from flames again feeling a million miles from the woman she had been. Everything felt hopelessly out of control. Everything felt hopeless.

Lucas squeezed her hand again, and it jarred her from her self-loathing.

“Do you have somewhere to go?” he asked.

For a split second, Amber thought of the manor lording over the Willamette and that tower room bathed in its own firelight, but she forced it away immediately. “Yeah, Eric will let me crash with him.”

Lucas nodded. “If you need anything…”

“I know. Thanks, Cap. For everything.”

He wrinkled his nose at the nickname and let her go to thumb toward the open ambulance beside them.  “Okay, Spiros, the time has come.”

It was her turn to wrinkle her nose, but Amber did as Lucas asked and let the paramedic look her over. She was just about done when a sturdy silhouette strolled through the bedlam of first responders. Shownu found her easily, his eyes wider than she’d ever seen.

“Are you all right?” he asked, surprising her.

Amber wasn’t sure why she was surprised—Shownu was always considerate of her—but maybe it was more because she was surprised at how glad she was to see him. At the sight of his now familiar handsome face, she smiled. “You came.”

“Of course,” he said with a rare smile of his own before it faltered at the sight of soot on her cheeks and hands.

“You got here faster than Nam, and he only lives a few blocks away,” she marveled.

“I was already out when I got the call. What happened?”

“Don’t know. I was asleep, and the next thing I knew, I was out here safe and sound. The fire’s under control now, but my place is most likely a total loss.”

He appraised her blank face and smooth skin and pursed his lips. “You’re handling it pretty well.”

“I think I’m just numb, maybe to everything at this point. I mean, how much more fucked up can my life get?” Amber said with a bitter laugh. “Better knock on wood.”

“You need a place to stay?” Shownu asked, surprising her again.

“You offering, Son?” she joked before she realized he was serious, and for some reason, that realization made her cheeks burn. “I’m all good, thanks though. And thanks for coming out. You didn’t need to.”

He raised an eyebrow. “We’re partners.”

Shownu was a man of few words, but somehow he always knew the ones Amber wanted to hear.

“Look, Son, I know I said—”

But he shook his head. “I’m glad you’re okay. Will I see you at the precinct tomorrow?”

Amber smirked. “Probably today.”

“Spiros—”

“It’s not like I have anywhere else to go, do I?” Her voice wasn’t nearly as bitter as she expected it to be, and suddenly, she understood why. She studied her partner, his eyes as tense as his mouth, and for the first time, he felt like someone she could truly trust. “And anyway, maybe starting fresh is just what I need—just what we all need. Time to let go.”

It could have been the dwindling flames, but she thought she caught the glint of something a lot like hope in his eyes. With a nod, he said, “See you then.”

Shownu joined the captain at the edge of the first responder melee, and Amber headed to her car, hoping to grab a few things and maybe even a few clothes at the 24-hour grocery while the world was still quiet. Of course, her block was alive with activity now, every nearby house and apartment alight, every window blotted by nosy shadows, but beyond that, Portland was still sleepy in the early morning hours. Past the trees and hills, the sky tinged the faintest hint of lavender and silver with the first kiss of sunrise.

Mercifully, Amber’s car waited in the parking lot safe and sound, though it was dusted with ash and hose water and reeked of acrid smoke. She ran the wipers a few times before slipping out the back way, windows down and fresh air flushing out the late-night horrors.

The mindlessness of driving took over immediately, and Delphine appeared—ice blue eyes and blood red throat—in the passenger seat, a ghostly palimpsest that countered her sister’s plans for a fresh start. Grisly as it was, it comforted Amber. It had been so long since she’d dreamed of her sister that Amber had worried she was forgetting her. If she ignored the gaping hole in Delphine’s throat, it felt like high school again, like one of their midnight jailbreaks where they tore up Sunset Highway looking for trouble.

Just like in the dream, Delphine was mouthing words, and sure enough, before they’d even reached the end of the block, she raised her arm and pointed straight ahead.

A thin shadow charged toward them in the road, and Amber slammed on the brakes, but it wasn’t fast enough. She was going to hit it.

“Jesus!” she squealed as she jerked the wheel, but the car had already stalled beneath the powerful hands now splayed across her hood. The figure straightened unharmed as the headlights blared across the graceful angles of Chae Hyungwon’s face.

His hair was mussed and his chest heaved as though his lungs had forgotten they’d been long atrophied by death. He peered at the detective through the windshield with wild eyes.

“What are you doing out?” he demanded in a hiss.

“How did you—” Amber stammered. “Did you run here?”

“Go back right now,” he growled, his long nails scratching the hood.

She ignored him and instead revved her engine, but Hyungwon had pinned it in place. Confused and frustrated, Amber looked to Delphine for help, but her twin had vanished, leaving her alone with the vampire. “Why are you here, Chae?”

“My brothers told me what happened.”

“How do they know? Are you stalking me?”

“Hoseok called me. He sensed you were being watched when you left him.”

Amber’s stomach plummeted. Someone was surveilling her. For blackmail? For revenge? For fun?

“Human or vampire?” she probed.

“We don’t have time for that now. Tell me, Detective, have you been dreaming?”

Now, it was her heart sinking. Since the day she’d met Hyungwon and his brothers, they had taken turns coming to her in her sleep. They never spoke and rarely moved, but they were there, always tempting, always watching. Sometimes she would perform for them, lewd acts of exhibitionism that often saw her waking to crescendoing orgasms. Other times she would go to them, sit on their laps or embrace them, and kiss them until she woke up with drenched lingerie and an ache in her chest.

Amber expected him to be smug, but Hyungwon whipped his head violently. “Not the ones about us.”

Her hands slackened on the wheel. “How did—”

“Anything else? Tell me.”

“My sister,” she admitted, voice as hollow as the barrel of a gun. “And someone else.”

“Who!” he shouted, and her car shook.

“I don’t know.”

Hyungwon forked a hand through his long hair and asked, “Your sister, did she have eyes like yours?”

“What difference does it make?”

“Did she?” he said more firmly, and Amber blanched.

“No, okay? Jesus. Both of hers were blue. She didn’t have the split.”

In less than a heartbeat, he reached in through the window and turned off the ignition. Amber flailed and spluttered, but her keys were now in the hands of the vampire. Hyungwon’s lips were set in a tight line as he opened her door and waited for her to join him. “From now on, you’ll stay with us.”

She barked a laugh into the gray dawn. “Are you kidding me? I'm not staying in your den of snakes.”

“You'll be safer there than anywhere else,” he insisted.

“I can take care of myself.”

“And I'm sure that would be true if you knew what you were fighting, but you don't. That little piece of metal and gunpowder you love so much will have no impact on someone like us.”

“You do know something!” she said as she shot out of the car, finger pointing at his slender chest. “Tell me right now, Chae. Who is it? One of your brothers? Kihyun? Hyunwoo? Or is it Choi Seunghyun? What happened to those women?”

Hyungwon looked over his shoulder toward the chrome cap of Mt. Hood peeking just above the trees and growled. “It’s not safe.”

“I'm not afraid.”

“You should be! I am!”

In the shelter of the pines, his words resonated. Amber thought of Lucas and all he’d admitted only an hour ago, but he’d had a reason to be worried—they had history. What did she and Hyungwon have but distrust and suspicion?

“Why would you be scared?” she asked quietly.

When Hyungwon didn’t answer, lead filled her heart. It weighed her down and crushed her spirit, and none of it made any sense. It was like she was waiting for something though she didn’t know what; all she knew was that she kept being disappointed when she didn’t get it.

“That’s it,” the detective said, shaking her head as she turned toward the driver’s seat. “I’m tired. I’m just so tired of this. I don’t want this anymore, none of it. No more games, Chae. Not with you, and not with your family. Keys.”

He was at her side in a second, his hands held up imploringly. “It’s not a game. Bad things will keep happening, and I can’t stop them unless you come with me.”

Amber narrowed her eyes. “Is that a threat?”

“You don’t understand,” Hyungwon persisted.

“Help me understand!”

The vampire shook his head, his eyes tight with worry. “Answers will only lead to more questions, and none of that matters right now.”

“The only things that matter are those missing women, and I’m not going anywhere until I’ve found them.”

“Damnit, Ambrosia!” he thundered as his hand came down so hard on the car roof, it dented. “They’re not important. You are!”

It felt almost like the thing she wanted to hear yet also never wanted to hear again. She thought of Delphine, long dead but forever alive in her heart, and a tear slipped down Amber’s cheek. “Only a blood-sucking vampire would say something so cold.”

“I can’t change what I am,” he said softly. His big, dark eyes swam in the acid wash of dawn, and for the first time, Hyungwon didn’t loom over her but looked small enough to shelter in her arms. “But I can use it to protect the things that matter.”

Everything stopped in the stranglehold of the murky fingers of smoke beneath the firs. In the distance, garages squealed open and a bus trundled down Burnside Street. Behind them, firefighters shouted indecipherable orders and an ambulance wailed toward the hospital. It would be so easy to pretend she hadn’t heard him, but then she risked hearing him repeat it.

“What do you want from me?” Amber whimpered as more tears studded her cheeks.

“Nothing,” he said, his hand outstretched, “and everything.”

She felt a stirring deep in her chest, like a dragon slowly waking. The tears slowed, but they didn’t stop as Hyungwon pressed closer, once again the striking creature she’d always known him to be.

“Just stay with us,” he said as he circled her, his fingers dragging around her exposed collar. “You can have your own room. You can sleep in as late as you want. Minhyuk will make you laugh. Kihyun will make you breakfast. I'll make love to you over and over again.”

Love…

It was a word she couldn’t picture ever leaving Hyungwon’s beautiful lips, but now that it had, it was all she could focus on. He meant sex, she knew that—that’s what it was, that’s all it had ever been with any of them—but the stain of those letters lingered like tattoo ink, and a moment later, he pressed them to her throat as a promise.

Amber hadn't realized she'd been leaning into him until one of his long fingers caressed her pulse right where he had kissed it.

“Stay.”

The word reverberated in her chest until all of her vibrated with it.

She turned in Hyungwon’s arms until she was face-to-face with him. He looked so hopeful, his mouth parted eagerly and his eyes wide and bright. She shifted her weight onto her tip toes and lurched forward, her lips a hair’s breadth from that luscious freckle bullseye on his.

“Amber…”

It came from behind her, from the same shadows where Hyungwon had emerged, as a croak or more like a wet belch, grotesque and terrifying and yet somehow familiar, something she had heard shades of in her last dream. The detective swiveled in the vampire’s arms and found a hunched silhouette stumbling down the road toward her with dark purpose. The sun hadn’t yet crested the top of the trees, but the light was strong enough to see the face of the rasping creature.

“Eric!” she screamed, the rest of the world long-forgotten around her.

Her best friend collapsed the moment he heard his name, and Amber flew to his side nearly as fast as Hyungwon had to her car.

“Eric, oh my god!” she cried, huddling him in her lap. “What happened?”

His face was barely recognizable beneath the smears of dirt and blood, and his eyes were blank, nothing like the sharp, teasing barbs they always were. His shirt was torn down one shoulder, and as his hand fell away from his neck, Amber understood why. Blood spurted from a gaping hole, baptizing her in horror she’d only thought she knew.

Her scream left her lungs with the ferocity of a fire siren. She screamed so loudly her teeth rattled and her ears rang. She screamed until front doors opened and people raced onto their lawns. And when she finally ran out of air, she did it all again.

Eric clawed loosely at Amber’s wrist, and she stopped just long enough to listen.

“He—”

“Shh,” she soothed as she pressed part of her shirt into the wound and wiped Eric’s brow with her hand. “The paramedics are right around the corner. They’ll be here in a second. Save your strength, you chucklehead.”

His voice faded with a last desperate call of her name though his mouth still moved, making the same pathetic gurgles that Delphine’s had in her dream. Amber bent down, her ear to Eric’s lips, to catch the softest whispers hiccupping out of his torn throat.

“He’s… a… vampire…”

Amber’s hand tightened around the staunch at Eric’s neck. “Who is? Who did this to you? Was it Hyungwon?”

Beneath her fear and her rage bubbled something bitterer than she had ever tasted, something cold and violent and all-consuming. It squashed her soul like a granite boulder—immovable and unavoidable.

Betrayal.

But Eric said nothing anymore. His eyes closed just before a brigade of firemen and paramedics descended on the pair of them and ripped them apart like atoms, and the reaction was just as cataclysmic.

Amber felt like a part of her soul had been strapped to the stretcher across from her, and she was being forced to let it go. Words filtered in and out, like a frayed audio cable that worked only when it wanted to.

“—in shock.”

“—lost a lot of blood—”

“—transfusion—”

“Now, now, now! Go!”

Another siren wailed as plaintively as Amber’s heart, and the moment it was gone, she felt hollow. Her eyes surveyed the bedlam reflexively, seeing everything but comprehending little. Lucas was back, as was Shownu, amidst a tidal surge of strangers—some in robes, some in suits, some old, some children, some helpful but all voyeurs, and all staring as blankly as she was. But amongst the churning sea, there was one face missing.

Chae Hyungwon.

#monsta x smut #novel #succumbing to sybaris #original character #shownu #wonho #minhyuk #kihyun #hyungwon #jooheon #changkyun #lucas #nct #eric nam #Detective AU #vampire au #1990s #reverse harem #WE GO HARD YO #enemies to lovers

[st4rlabsforever]

post-episode 3 fix-it

words: 2.9k

notes: i started a long fic based on this post after watching ep 3. i cannibalized some snippets from another fic i wrote last week so if you see similar scenes, that’s why. i think this will end up being 12-15k words endgame sambucky by the end, but i refuse to post on ao3 until it’s complete. this is the first 3 scenes. feel free to comment and message me your thoughts since i’m still very much in the writing phase :)

summary: “It’s the kind of statement that should be screamed into Bucky’s face, but he’s learning that when Sam’s angry – when he’s truly angry – he’s just as soft-spoken as he is when he’s in one of his pensive moods. And he lets his anger build and build and build until it bursts in spectacular fashion.”

“I didn’t back Steve on the Sokovia Accords,” Sam says unprompted one day. They’re so close to apprehending the Flagsmashers and wrapping up this ridiculous saga.

“I don’t follow,” Bucky says.

“I was the one who refused to sign it first. Not Steve.”

Sam says it so softly that Bucky has to strain to hear him. Sam is loud and chatty and half the time he keeps up a constant stream of chatter just to get on Bucky’s nerves, but Bucky’s coming to realize that when he really wants to make himself heard, he’s soft spoken and mild. Bucky doesn’t entirely follow his train of thought, though.

The thing is, Sam is unreadable when it really matters. He offers words of comfort where needed – in Germany, after seeing Walker with the shield that wasn’t his, knowing that it had affected Bucky just as much as himself; in Madripoor, Bucky’s hand on the throat of some henchman or other, Sam’s hand on his when the Soldier’s memories threatened to overtake him; even in Riga, when Bucky’s guilt over releasing T’Chaka’s killer bubbled to the surface and Sam had checked in with him even though he couldn’t have possibly known about Bucky’s meeting with Ayo. Sam speaks with his eyes, always a searching look that leaves Bucky raw and feeling like he’s been x-rayed. I see you, is what those eyes say.

In contrast, Bucky’s words of comfort feel hollow. He knows that Isaiah is still a live wire for Sam, checks in with him after Madripoor when he can tell the conversation with Nagel weighs heavy on his mind. But he doesn’t see the way Sam does. He knows he’d missed something important because that conversation had ended in an argument and a threat from Sam to destroy the shield.

He never gets a chance to ask Sam what he’s getting at, because Torres signals to them that they’re at the drop point before all hell breaks loose.

***

In the end, after Karli and the Power Broker and whoever else decides to show their head from the emporium of supervillains are dealt with and they finally have a moment of peace, Bucky says, “The shield looks good on you.”

Sam freezes a few paces ahead of Bucky, the shield strapped loosely to his wrist.

“We make a good team,” Bucky says softly.

What he doesn’t expect is for Sam to whirl around suddenly. The look of barely restrained fury is enough to nearly knock Bucky off he’s feet. They fight without ever really fighting all the time, squabbles over who went left and who went right and who was supposed to lead and who was supposed to follow, but never has he seen Sam look like this before. The fury verges on hurt and it’s so fucking visceral that Bucky can barely breathe.

“You don’t get to say that,” Sam says quietly. His voice shakes and he closes his eyes like he’s steadying himself.

“I said I’d squash it until the mission was over, and I did. But you know what? I’m not doing this anymore.”

“Sam–”

“You don’t get to tell me what a good team is. Not after all the shit we just went through. You invited yourself to Munich, and I thought, ‘Fine. I could use the extra set of hands.’ We went through it together against Thanos and I respected that.”

Sam shakes his head. “But then you went off on some lone wolf woe-is-me bullshit, and look at where it got us. You broke Zemo out without even asking if I was down with that. You knew I wasn’t and you forced my hand. Now I’m an accomplice.”

“He was our only lead–”

“Bullshit. That field trip to Madripoor led us right back to Karli. Torres ended up tracking them to Riga anyway.”

“But the Power Broker–”

“–showed his ugly face in the end. All we got out of Madripoor was you digging up your trauma and us getting our faces plastered all over the internet. I promised Sharon one goddamn thing and I can’t even deliver on that now.”

“But I went along with it, fine,” Sam continues. “I knew it couldn’t have been easy reaching back into that headspace, doing what you did to Selby’s men.” The memory blindsides Bucky. “So I tabled it.” Sam taps out a tally with his fingers. 

“And back in Baltimore, you’d been too keyed up about Steve being wrong about you to even listen to what I had to say. Again, I tabled it.” Another tally. 

“I’ve been meeting you halfway this entire time, man, and I’ve gotten near nothing in return. You kept Isaiah a secret from me, and at first I thought you were just clueless about how damn significant it would’ve been for me to know about him.” Sam shakes his head. 

“But then we met him. You saw what they did to him. The one Black supersoldier – a fucking hero – and look what they did to him. You saw it with your own eyes and you still sat there and lectured me about what you thought I should’ve done with that goddamn shield.” 

“There’s precedent for it, you know,” Sam says. It takes Bucky a moment to realize Sam is expecting an answer.

Bucky doesn’t know, is the thing. He feels like he’s all of five years old again, put on the spot. He’s reminded of when Zemo just had to let him know about the African American experience; he’d felt chastised and embarrassed enough to pretend like he’d had any clue what themes lurked in Marvin Gaye’s work. Sam just searches him with those eyes, searches Bucky for something yet unfathomable and decides he hasn’t found it. That hurts more than anything else; Bucky wishes he could sink into the ground, make himself as small as possible. Sam doesn’t notice, or else doesn’t care, and just plows on with a scoff. 

“You don’t even know the true history of the country you’re living in. Figures.” He shakes his head. “You’re not ever going to be able to separate the shield from the history Black folks have endured at the hands of this country. Not now, not ever.”

Sam doesn’t even look angry anymore. Angry, Bucky can deal with. It would be a relief, even. 

Instead, Sam looks at him with a disappointment that somehow surpasses what Steve could have ever accomplished.

“Whatever. I tabled that, too,” Sam says. “And then after Madripoor, after we heard that doctor go on and on about Isaiah’s blood like he wasn’t even a real human-being? I said my piece and all you did was throw that shield bullshit back in my face.”

“Sam–” Bucky tries again. He’s mortified to hear the crack in his own voice.

“It’s honestly breathtaking,” Sam says with something that might be akin to genuine wonder, or maybe even morbid curiosity in his voice. “We saw the same things in Baltimore and Madripoor, but your head was so far up your own ass that you never once stopped to think all of it was just proof to me. That the shield in the hands of a Black man wouldn’t make any damn sense.”

It’s the kind of statement that should be screamed into Bucky’s face, but he’s learning that when Sam’s angry – when he’s truly angry – he’s just as soft-spoken as he is when he’s in one of his pensive moods. And he lets his anger build and build and build until it bursts in spectacular fashion.

Sam’s not even done yet. “And that’s another thing. Stealing the shield from Walker…” Sam rolls his eyes at the memory. “You want to run around with that giant frisbee, fine. That’s your business. But then you forced it on me–”

“That’s not fair,” Bucky says immediately. Desperately. “You didn’t have to accept it.”

“The whole damn country was watching,” Sam says hotly. “It was either accept it, or shit all over Steve fucking Rogers’s legacy and make myself into the villain half the country was already hoping I’d turn out to be.”

“You were dead wrong for that,” Sam says. “I stuck around until we took down Karli because it was the right thing to do. After Munich, though, this little adventure was all you. Zemo, Madripoor, the shield.”

Sam shoves the shield into Bucky’s arms, the impact so sudden that it forces him back a step.

“Since you’re so obsessed with this thing, it’s yours. Congrats,” Sam says sarcastically. “I’m sure you’ll do it proud.”

Bucky lets out a breath he hadn’t even realized he’d been holding.

“For what it’s worth,” Sam says, “Steve might not have understood everything about me. But in Vienna, when it came time to sign the accords? He was considering it. I put my foot down first and he listened.”

Sam shrugs. “Whatever you thought we were, it's not a team.”

Bucky knows where to drive the knife in to kill a man in as few twists of the wrist as possible – a brutal economy of movement and technique. But Sam...it pales in comparison to what Sam’s capable of. His weapons aren’t knives and his targets may not be made of flesh and blood, but he knows exactly where he needs to strike to rip Bucky open raw. Bucky feels like he’s been flayed alive.

“How about that long vacation?” Sam says, and claps Bucky on the shoulder. 

And we’ll never have to see each other ever again goes unsaid.

Fuck.

***

The thing about ignoring Sam’s texts was that Bucky responded if they were actually important. It just so happened that most of the nonsense Sam sent was inane prattling about his day, about his job, his sister, his nephews. Now that he’s on the receiving end of it, though, it feels awful.

3/25/21, 2:58 AM

I’m sorry.

Delivered

3/28/21, 1:51 AM

Can we talk?

Delivered

3/31/21, 3:05 AM

Let me know what to do and I’ll do it.

Read 3:34 AM

4/1/21, 12:42 AM

Or if there’s anything you need.

Read 1:05 AM

Yesterday, 1:00 AM

I’m available if you need another body for a mission.

Read 1:02 AM

A week into the admittedly one-sided exchange, Sam turns his damn read receipts on. It’s ridiculous and it’s fucking asinine and it gets under Bucky’s skin immediately. It’s a form of twenty-first century psychological warfare that he’s unfamiliar with and already can’t stand. Mainly, he hates that it makes him seem desperate (he’s not), needy (he might be, especially when he realizes with horror that he actually misses Sam’s rambling texts), and ridiculous (he definitely is, because he’s letting petty mind games get to him).

Normally, Sam would send him nearly daily updates on his comings and goings – whether he’d been in New York, D.C., or New Orleans. The radio silence is unsettling. Bucky wonders if Sam made good on his promise to take a long vacation. And then....

The thing about apologies is that Bucky isn’t sure he’s ever done a proper one in his entire life, at least nothing beyond a rote “I’m sorry” with the “let’s move on” part left unspoken. But it stands to reason, Bucky thinks, that a proper apology can’t be given if he’s not completely certain what he’s dealing with. That’s all well and good because he’s got the world at the tips of his fingers, is what Yori always said. And when he grows frustrated with reading on his tiny phone screen, the New York Public Library is only a train ride away.

Sam had mentioned precedent, so Bucky’s first search is for medical experimentation. He knows for a fact he was good at this once, a memory of Steve whining about him being too good at exams coming up unbidden. He reads voraciously. Anything and everything that might offer a clue on what he’d missed. And it doesn’t take long for him to find what he’s looking for. 

He reads with dawning horror. The Tuskegee syphilis experiments. Eugenics. God, the fucking Nazis had even modeled their race science on the American school of thought. The things that the history books left out. Some of it was even happening under his nose in the 30s, he’d just been blissfully unaware. He somehow ends up down a rabbit hole where words like `prison industrial complex’ and `school-to-prison pipeline’ make increasingly more persistent appearances. New Jim Crow. COINTELPRO. War on drugs. The way all of these horrors reached their long arms into the twenty-first century.

Bucky’s going to be sick. The memories come up one after another.

Just give him your ID so we can leave.

You think you can wake up one day and decide who you want to be? It doesn’t work like that. Well, maybe it does for folks like you.

So you’re telling me that there was a Black supersoldier decades ago and nobody knew about it.

This is what you’re not going to do. You’re not going to come here in your over-extended life and tell me about my rights.

The shield wasn’t yours to give away.

He spends the next week in his downtime reading. With the mission being over and his parole in jeopardy, his downtime mostly coincides with every day of the week.

Had Steve known?

No, he thinks. Steve was compassionate, but he wouldn’t have known because he’d taken one look at the problems of twenty-first century America and decided he’d had enough. Then he’d ran back to the 40s to live out some fantasy that simply didn’t – couldn’t – exist anymore. Had he eventually become aware of all the issues plaguing this country that they’d been able to ignore as starry-eyed kids in Brooklyn? Bucky hopes not, because that would mean he’d...no. 

A part of Bucky thinks he’s so surprised because he’d thought things – race relations, civil rights, not things, his brain amends – had been getting better in the 40s. Deep down, though, he knows that’s a lie. A 2 AM read through Howard Zinn’s A People’s History of the United States confirms it. Shady politicians. Klansmen who went back to their day jobs as cops, judges, firefighters. Mass incarceration taking its place as the new king on the throne of segregation. Evidently, 

There had been plenty of folks – white folks – raising an uproar about these hidden horrors back then. The seeds of those movements had even been there in the 30s. Bucky tells himself that he’d been raised during the Great Depression, that his family had been too focused on putting food on the table to focus on social movements, but that, too, ends up being a lie. The poorest and working class whites – some, at least – in movement and solidarity with civil rights. Not him, though. Apparently he’d had his head up his ass back then, too.

Bucky can see the bigger picture a tiny bit more clearly, now. 

Fine. So he’s been disarmed of the little lies he’d used as shields, and he also owes Sam one hell of an apology.

Somehow, he doesn’t think “I’m sorry, I was ignorant then but I read some books and now I know better” is going to cut it. Maybe a commitment to do better would work? Perhaps after Baltimore, but not now. That ship had long since sailed. Some grand act of service, then? He’s sure he can think of something Sam needs in this post-Blip world that he can provide. He vaguely remembers Sarah mentioning something about a ship and bank loan. That could be a starting point.

It doesn’t take much time to find the public records on the Wilson family business and then the not-so-public records on the denied bank loan. It wouldn’t take much for him to pry a little, not when seedy bankers were astonishingly amenable to the threat of violence. But he’s reminded of Zemo and figures that he ought not to do anything so drastic that could jeopardize Sam’s family situation further.

He snorts. Did growth that came several months late still count?

In the end, he decides to rip the bandage off quickly, which is how he finds himself in the sticky Louisiana heat with his hands shoved deep into his pockets, staring back at an incredulous Sam through his open door.

“I did some reading recently,” Bucky says. 

“Hmm.”

It’s not outright refusal, so Bucky continues.

“About, um, the things you mentioned last time. Precedent.”

“Huh.”

For someone who’s normally so expressive with his language, Sam’s one-word answers as nerve-wracking as anything.

“I didn’t fully appreciate the situation that you were in. That you’re still in,” Bucky amends.

Sam shrugs. “It’s cool,” he says in a way that doesn’t sound like he really believes it. Bucky wonders if this is a test; he feels just as lost as he did on that plane a week ago.

“Let’s do this outside,” Sam says, closing the door behind him and ushering Bucky away from it. “Walk with me.” 

They head down to the pier mostly in silence until Bucky breaks it. “I’m sorry for making it all about me,” he says.

Sam stares at him. It’s true Bucky might stare a little too much on occasion, but Sam’s stares are utterly unnerving in the way he seems to see right through Bucky when he really wants to, like he’s already mapped out all there is to know.

#sambucky #sam wilson #Bucky Barnes #the falcon and the winter soldier #tfatws spoilers

[collecting-stories]

Shane - ep. 12 - Georgia

Summary: Shane hassles you in the diner and you let slip to Daryl that you want to date him. 

A/N: Can’t believe we’re moving this far into it. 

Georgia Masterlist | The Walking Dead Masterlist

✰ ✰ ✰ ✰

You almost audibly groaned when Shane walked into the diner on Monday night. Daryl has been gone all weekend and you were quickly realizing that driving yourself around just wasn’t the same. You weren’t too proud to admit that you missed him, more than someone should miss an ‘in between’ friend as Tara had called him.  

“You know, in between a friend and a boyfriend.” She had explained after coining the term.  

“I get it.”

You were sure your mom was happy, as happy as she could be with you, because you’d been essentially only at the diner and at home all weekend. You’d even been on time for church on Sunday morning, an occurrence that was lacking lately. It wasn’t only Daryl’s absence that had you falling back into that place so close to the daughter that your mother wanted. The one who was perfect enough to fix all the problems she had. Deanna had told your mom, just like Aiden said she would. She’d called her on Friday morning to tell her that she’d noticed you driving with Daryl in his truck.  

“When was this?” Your mother had asked, holding her hand up for you to stop as you were preparing to walk out the door for school.  

“I’m gonna be late.” You stressed.  

She put her hand over the receiver and looked you dead in the eye, “move out that door and I swear to god you will not go out again for a week. School be damned.”

You waited, stood there anxiously by the front door as she cast you glancing and nodded her head and ‘mmhmm’d’ at the appropriate places. Your dad was supposed to be coming home soon from the halfway house he was living in and you’d thought maybe she was talking to him but then she hung up and turned to face you.  

“You wanna tell me why Deanna just called me and told me she saw you with Daryl Dixon.”  

“Cause he was fixing my car. I told you that, remember?” You knew you said it in that way that suggested she was dumb for asking so you weren’t surprised when she smacked you across the face. It didn’t take the sting away though and you flinched away from her when she kept on.  

“You’ve done some truly stupid things before but this really tops it, you know that! Running around town like some whore!”  

And you could’ve said something else, at least that was the inner monologue you gave yourself afterward, when you were sitting in class with Maggie, swearing that you fell in the bathtub during your shower. You could’ve said something else, maybe, but you didn’t.  

“You would know! Why isn’t dad back yet? Cause he’s not better or cause you’re still fucking your boss!”  

Tara told you after school that she had wait the weekend, until she was back from her mom’s house, before you could stay. So you put yourself on best behaviour mode, faking it through a bruised jaw and other, worse injuries, that no one could see. You rolled in late to class with a slip that said you had tripped in the shower and you continued that lie until the last bell rang and you were driving to 7-11 to meet Tara, to stay far away from your mom.  

“Monday,” she promised. “I’m back from my mom’s Monday night, you can come over then.”  

“She told me ‘as long as you’re under my roof you won’t be anywhere near Daryl’. Good then, watch me get out from under your roof. She acts like it hasn’t happened before.” You replied, whispering as you stood in the back of the soda aisle, far away from Jacqui’s eavesdropping. The last thing you needed was her telling everyone what you said.  

“Does Daryl know?” Tara asked, playing dumb.  

“No.” You replied, “and I’m not gonna tell him. If he does like me he doesn’t need to think I’m messed up.”  

“You’re not messed up, your mom is a dick.”  

“Look, I can fake it for a weekend, church, no friends, work. It’ll be fine.” You promised, “and on Monday night, your house.”

“If you need it sooner, I could talk to my dad.” Tara offered. He’d let you stay plenty of times in the past.  

“No, Monday’s fine.”  

You survived the weekend the exact way you said you would. You faked the nice girl you had strived to be in middle school and for the first three years of high school. You didn’t talk back, you were quiet, nice, you went to work and to church and it was like some kind of wonderful transformation that your mother probably attributed to herself. She’d scared you straight out of your rebellious crush on Daryl and back to the girl she wanted you to be.

But Sunday came and you were counting down the hours. Just another day and you’d be at Tara’s. Hopefully a few more hours and Daryl would be back. Tonight, thankfully, your mom had left church, changed and gone to work, which left you at the diner, closing it out with Lori when Shane walked in.  

“I know you got a thing for that Dixon boy but I think you should reevaluate your eyes.” Lori commented, coming up next to you. “Shane Walsh is mighty fine.”  

“First, Daryl’s older than you,” you pointed out. He was 23, same as Rick, and Lori was 21, a little closer in age to you. “Second, you forget your pregnant?”  

“A girl can’t look?” She shrugged, walking away as you pretended to gag.  

Shane seemed oblivious to the interaction as he came up and sat at the counter. You hadn’t seen him since the party, though both Glenn and Maggie had and they claimed he had asked how you were. You weren’t surprised, Shane always did fashion himself as something of a ‘knight in shining armour’ you could only imagine the size of his ego knowing he had effectively ‘saved’ you from Aiden.  

“Hey Shane, what can I get you?” You asked, pad and pen ready, as if you thought he was actually going to order and he didn’t just come here with some ulterior motive like Aiden.  

“You, back?” Shane asked, grinning at you.  

You rolled your eyes, taking a deep breath and trying not to say anything too awful. The last thing you felt like dealing with today was Shane. “Hilarious. Order or move Shane.”

“I’m not joking.” He replied, leaning further across the counter.  

Over his shoulder Lori was shooting you a look that you were sure could translate into ‘jump on that offer’. You groaned, folding the notepad back up and slipping it into your apron. “Listen, Shane, I appreciate you standing up for me at the party and I’m sorry Aiden was a dick, I really didn’t want to be there with him-“

“Then why were you?”

“None of your business.” You snapped.  

“He trashed my house-“

“You both trashed your house! Don’t bitch at me because you got in a fight I didn’t ask you to get involved in.” You said, cutting him off.  

“So first it’s thanks so much and then it’s I don’t need you?”

“Yeah Shane,” you continued, “I was trying to be fucking nice to you but you’re being a dick. I’m sorry I don’t have feelings for you anymore but I can’t change that.”  

“You don’t mean that.” He said, keeping his voice low. He stood up and followed you down the counter as you tried to get back to work. As you lifted the gate on the counter he grabbed the other side, stopping you from going any further. “You got your head mixed up with that loser Dixon.”  

Your jaw tensed as you glared at him, “watch your mouth.” You let go of the gate, shoving passed him to get to your waiting tables.  

The resulting noise of the gate felt like it left an echo when Shane let go as well, turning and grabbing your arm. “Just talk to me, please!”

“I said no!” You snapped, pulling your arm away, “leave me alone Shane, I said no. I don’t want anything to do with you.”  

“Shane,” Otis’ voice caught both your attentions and you looked behind the counter to the window that offered a limited view of the kitchen. Otis was standing there, dish on the ledge, staring down Shane Walsh like he could fire bullets with his eyes. You’d known Otis your whole life and there wasn’t a person alive that ever had a bad word to say about him. He was a sweetheart, burly on the outside but teddy soft on the inside. He’d watched you hold your own with Shane in the past, and with Aiden. He watched you flirt with Daryl and told you more than a few times that you had that boy wrapped around your finger whether you thought so or not. And he watched Shane put his hand on you, “Think you should leave.”  

“We were just talking.” Shane replied, looking back at you like there was any chance in the world that you would defend him.  

“Yeah, and now you’re done.” Otis said.  

No further conversation was had. Shane nodded and left, Lori shooting him a sympathetic smile as he passed by her. You wanted to tell her to have at him, you could do without him hanging around. It was good Daryl was away for the weekend cause you were itching to go to his house as you stood outside the diner with Lori while she locked up.  

“You really over Shane?” She asked, as if she gave two shits about your life.

“Why?”

“Just wondering. He seems pretty passionate about you.”

“Passionate? Try aggressive.” You countered. He’d always been that way and you thought maybe there had been a time when you substituted who he was for who you wanted him to be but you liked to think you were a little smarter this time around.  

“What about Dixon?”

“Why are you asking me all these questions Lor?” You asked. You wanted nothing more than to get in your car and go home.  

“Just wondering, I get bored at the apartment, only one there to talk to is Rick and he’s on nights this week.” She replied. He was around whenever she had doctor’s appointments or if she needed something for the baby. She was more than positive that when the little Grimes was born he would be the best dad in King County but he seemingly less interested in being the best fiancé.  

“I don’t know,” you shrugged, answering her question finally, “Daryl and I aren’t dating though so it doesn’t matter.”  

“Think he’s waiting til you turn 18.” She asked.

“No, just don’t think he’s interested in dating me is all.”  

You’d given Daryl a lot of thought since you’d started spending time with him. There were times you thought maybe he liked you. Moments when it seemed plausible that there was something but it always felt like it was right before. This build up between the two of you with nothing to show for it in the end.  

“You have dated before right?”

“Obviously.” You replied, hand on the door of your car. If she would just get in and pull away , you could too.  

“Just checking.” She laughed, finally granting your wish and getting in the car.  

You peeled out after her, driving away from your street and pulling into the parking lot of the Shop’n’Bag. You parked as close as you could for a late night, your Jeep illuminated by the overhead light. The grocery store was practically dead at 10p as you grabbed a basket and walked around aimlessly. Hungry was not the way to shop but your mom was being a bitch and refusing to buy you groceries, going so far as to label the items in the refrigerator that she deemed hers.  

The freezer aisle, flickering from one of the ceiling lights, seemed to be your lucky spot. It wrapped the wall in the far left, two large cases running almost from wall to wall in the middle and a familiar frame leaning over one of them, cart full of other quick meals and beer beside him.  

“Hey stranger.” You greeted, stepping up next to him and leaning against the case.  

Daryl straightened, the faintest of smiles coming and going as he looked over at you, “ya ain’t stalking me are ya?”  

“No, I just finished at the diner, I’m starving.”  

“Ya know they make food there.” He replied, tossing a pack of steaks in the cart and moving along, you falling into step next to him.  

“I wasn’t hungry while I was there.” When he stopped again you pulled the three packs of stovetop mac and cheese out of your otherwise empty basket and dropped them in his cart before leaving your basket under the case.  

“I ain’t buying yer food.” He said, glancing over his shoulder at you. His eyes landed on the barely visible bruise that was still on your cheek, Tara’s words clear as day in his mind. “What happened?” He asked, hand brushing his own jaw in the same place.  

“Fell in the shower.”  

“Least it ain’t those cats this time.” He replied.  

“When did you get back?” You asked, following him down the aisle.  

“Like ten minutes ago, however long I been in here.” He said, pausing to throw something in his cart, “why?”

You shrugged, “it was boring this weekend, I missed you.”  

“Musta been real boring then.” He joked, turning his face away so you couldn’t see his cheeks going red. “Ya ain’t start any fights this weekend?”

“It wasn’t my fault,” you stressed. “Deanna called my mom though, told her she saw us driving in your truck.”  

“Told ya that ya shouldn’t be hanging around me.” Daryl replied, leaning against the handle of the cart. He watched you look through jars of red gravy until you found the one you wanted, sticking it in the cart. “I ain’t buying your food,” he repeated.

“I’ll pay for it,” you insisted, gripping the other end of the cart and smiling at him. “So, how was hunting?”

“A’ight. Got a deer in the bed a my truck.”  

You stuck your tongue out in disgust, “Glad my jeep’s fixed then.” You walked with Daryl through the rest of the store until he finally decided he was finished grocery shopping and turned his cart toward the check out, only one lane open this time of the night. When you tried to put the divider down between your order and his, Daryl put it back. “Thought you weren’t paying for me?”

“Ain’t a lot a stuff.” He shrugged, “bag it yerself though.”

“What a gentleman.” You laughed; scooting passed him so you could start bagging the groceries as the guy at the checkout put them through.  

Tara had told you enough times already that you should invite Daryl to your birthday, or just tell him that you like him and want to date him. You’d thought about both options plenty, positive that they were the only things on your mind these days. But actually, mentioning those things to him were a whole other story.  

“So, I turn 18 soon.” You mentioned as you walked out to your jeep with him. His truck was parked a few spaces down, blue tarp over the bed highlighted by a parking light. “Tara and Maggie are having a party for me.”  

“Ys sure that’s a good idea?” He joked, putting your groceries in the back for you.  

“Stop! No one’s ever gonna let me live that down.” You groaned.  

“Ya gonna invite me to yer party then?”  

You perked up a little, smiling, “well, yeah. And I was thinking too, you know, I’ll be 18.” You repeated at the end.  

“I heard ya.”

“I’ll be legal.” You clarified, as if he couldn’t catch on without you spelling it out for him.  

Daryl sighed, running a hand through his hair and looking at you a little more tired than before. “This ain’t a good idea, ya know,” he said, waving his hand between the two of you, “I ain’t got a lot going on right in my life. Ya shouldn’t be dragged into that.”  

“I’m not being dragged into anything,” you replied, “I really like you, I think I’ve been pretty obvious about it and if not then I’m telling you now. I like you and I’ll be 18 and I think-”

He stopped you by holding his hand up, “it ain’t gonna happen.”  

“Daryl-”

“I gotta get home,” he cut you off, stepping away from your car, “goodnight.”

“Yeah, goodnight.” You sighed, watching him walk away to his car.  

-

Taglist: @cbarter @onemorebeautifulnightmare @mainokutan  @solllaris @twdeadfanfic @legit-emily @gigilame @sabertooth-potato @enrapturedbythemoon @oncemorewithfeelingg @thanossexual @yespleasejayhalstead @hopesxxhigh @coffeebooksandfandom @jodiereedus22 @tehfabbooty @thecaptainsgingersnap @of-storms-and-sadness @alwaysadreamingoptimist @bucky-barnes-babies @ly--canthrope @daryldixonandfrogs @jaycc7983 @easnuppa @imaginecrushes @tonystarkismyboy @watchmeaspire @harpersmariano @guccicloudz @sapphire-angel @buzzybhee @alexbealee @elodieyung @its-evita-here 

#daryl dixon fanfiction #daryl dixon fanfic #daryl dixon imagine #daryl dixon au #daryl dixon fic #daryl dixon x reader #daryl dixon x you #daryl dixon x y/n #the walking dead fanfic #the walking dead fic #the walking dead fanfiction #The Walking Dead AU #twd fanfiction #twd au #twd fanfic #twd imagine #twd fic #collecting stories imagine #georgia series

[the-indie-indian]

58 thoughts I had while watching Invincible EP 1 [Out of Context]

{Spoilers ahead}

These are some thoughts I got while watching the first episode of Invincible.

Few things before,

I love DC comics and this is my first time watching anything put out by Image Comics

I never heard of the Invincible comics and I am watching this without reading anything about the show beforehand.

So, let's begin:

1. If that security man dies I'm gonna cry.

2. " It has to be a spectacle" boy every terrorist’s motto!

3. Seriously this team is just the justice league.

4. Good on you fish out of water Aquaman.

5. But really, 2 vs 8 can't be fair.

6. OMG Louis Lane.

7. What a bratty kid.

8. Okay not so bratty, the parents are too frisky.

9. Is this a Sky High rip off?

10. My God that harassment scene. Hits too close to home.

11. Grayson?!?!?!!! Like Dick Grayson?!?!? Did they rip off my Nightwing too?!? OMG.

12. Ouch.

13. Double ouch.

14. Burger mart? Really? Might as well said “Not A Brand Name” burger store.

15. Yup, sky high

16. Why does Omni man have the speech pattern of President Barak Obama? I'm not complaining, it just makes me want to look up Obamacare again just to make sure I still understand it.

17. Excccuuuuusssse me? Lesser developed worlds? You saved like 4 people while the Justice League saved everyone there.

18. Omni man is hot though, tbh

19. I am so happy I never got the puberty talk from my parents. My Mom told all that I needed to know if I ever get my period and that's it. Thank God for sex education class. "Hair in strange places" *shudders*

20. Why does the kid have a Canada shirt? Again, not complaining, love Canada. Just confused.

21. Oh baby no

22. Oh baby yes

23. Oh baby no

24. Why aren't they wearing masks? Like superhero identity masks?

25. I really like the explanation Omni man is giving about flying.

26. OH NOOOOOOOOOOO

27. That is not........... I mean........ I know why he did it......... But still? Oh boy. I really think he should have told him he was gonna hit him. They should have had Grayson learn a martial art even before he got his powers, it could have given him a huge edge while fighting.

28. Oh his name is Mark? And can someone please tell me, is that how bullying really happens in the US? I really really wanna know. If it does, I am so so sorry you guys have to go through that.

29. Oh look, it's The Thing from The Fantastic Four.

30. I think I just read too many comics and now everything seems like plagiarism to me. Mark has the personality of Wally West and the powers of Superman and has the looks and partial name of Dick Grayson.

31. Is that Jason Todd I see with the hit me scene?

32. Would it have hurt Omni man to say, "You will son, maybe be better than me someday?” Or "I am proud of what you want to do now"?

33. Since there is so much going on, they should have just have Edna instead of this old guy. Oh I forgot, never mess with Disney. DC is fine, but nnnneeeevvveeerrr Disney.

34. Orange and yellow, yup, that's Geoforce.

35. Omniman’s costume suck though.

36. Hell no, DO NOT TALK TO YOUR MOTHER LIKE THAT!!!!!!

37. Aww

38. That's a weak sauce way of getting a superhero name. I mean, it’s technically how Nightwing got his name, but at least Superman had a good story to tell.

39. GOD DAMN IT if it weren't for the yellow that's def Nightwing costume.

40. I love Cage the Elephant

41. Crap indeed

42. I hope this doesn't end up like Man of Steel.

43. Why is the Flash Russian? Oh, I get it ( lame cuz he's always ” Rush”ian joke )

44. That IS Iris West if not for the green eyes btw.

45. Aww Manipulation (jk)

46. Why Denver? What did that city ever do to you or anyone? Just head towards the mountains and enjoy the view.

47. Won't that criminal die in space? Oh.

48. Aww poor fish king.

49. Oh that's not Wonder Woman that’s Sailor Moon.

50. If you ever can, please read Patton Oswalt's JLA: Welcome to the Working Week. You will definitely enjoy it. It's not the greatest comic ever written, but it is a really fun read.

51. Is the green lady Princess Emerald like Princess Amethyst

52. Okay she's not.

53. She's kinda Green Lantern-ish or even Danny Phantom-ish.

54. She's hot.

55. This Batman confuses me. First he has a hover board like Static Shock and now he's quippier than Jim Carrey.

56. Still hot though

57. Aren't our mountains already disintegrating? Couldn't they just have a fortress of solitude? Or an island of remoteness, or a volcano of emptiness or a sound of silence? (sorry)

58. Oh My God

#invincible animated series #dc comics #mark grayson #image comics #bad commentary #mind blown

[lonelier-version-of-you]

Alright, I’m ready to move on to S15E05 “To Absent Friends” in my series 15 Holby rewatch, although with this particular episode it’s a stretch to call it a rewatch because I haven’t actually seen any of this ep before. I also know very little about it plot-wise. This should be an interesting watch.

Edit 1: No Henrik in the intro! That is clever.

Edit 2: Sort-of Henrik cameo via phone answering message!

Edit 3: Oh yeah, this episode goes right into the drama!

Edit 4: Wow, Jonny is a bad liar. Lol.

Edit 5: I’m a bit obsessed with Lilah just telling every single consultant that her mentor said she should do her best to work with them.

Edit 6: Although Elliot himself says otherwise, I think he’d be a good acting CEO. He says he’s not the type for the job, and I agree in a long-term stint he wouldn’t fit, but I think he’d do perfectly well in a short stint. Then again, it makes sense he’d say no, as they didn’t know how long Henrik would be gone for so they didn’t know how long they’d need an acting CEO.

Edit 7: Now wait just a minute, is this patient’s mother Lisa Fowler from EastEnders or am I just prosopagnosic??

Edit 8: I was right, it’s Lucy Benjamin! Now that I know that, I can get back to the episode.

Edit 9: One thing Holby was often very good at is casting actors who look like they could be related in real life - I don’t know the actress playing Lucy Benjamin’s character’s daughter, but they really do look like they could be mother and child!

In other news, I already love Ramona the HCA on AAU. And while I love Michael, he kind of deserved it when she said this: “Just because you’re clinical lead doesn’t mean you can be a jerk.”

Edit 10: The Darwin staff gossiping about Henrik’s disappearance! Little scenes like that make the show feel so much more realistic.

Also, LMAO at this:

Jonny: “It costs a lot of money to look this bad.”

Tara: “Well, it wasn’t wasted!”

Edit 11: Chantelle, my beloved!!!!!

Edit 12: Serena in her first acting CEO era!

Also, Ric in this scene is me to the Casualty writers right now: “Look, I really haven’t got time for 20 questions. Just give me a straight answer. Who is running Holby City?”

Edit 13: Lexy?? I didn't know she was in this ep!

Edit 14: I can’t believe I’m giving props to Jonny, but it was nice of him that when Lexy said she was romantically involved with “a certain someone”, he said “let’s get you fixed up and back to them”, i.e. he didn’t assume gender. That was cool.

Edit 15: Oh, Serena is LOVING this.

Edit 16: Chantelle talking about her date with Torchwood Boy. And when Malick says she should just ask him (Torchwood Boy) out if she wants to see him again, she says: “I’m a girl. Girls don’t ask.” I’m becoming ever more convinced she was early-diagnosed autistic and had social skills classes (which, from my knowledge, do tend to include such gender-stereotyped ideas).

Edit 17: Lol okay not me saying that Lucy Benjamin and the actress playing her character’s daughter look like they could totally be related, only for the episode to reveal the daughter was adopted.

Edit 18: Oh, this Ramona is GREAT. She deserved to be a main character.

Edit 19: Good on Ramona calling Michael out for patronising her.

Edit 20: I miss Malick.

Edit 21: The Keller patient storyline in this ep is so interesting.

Edit 22: Mo’s... sleeping with a barman from Albie’s??

Edit 23: Remember when Holby had actual patient storylines?

Edit 24: Welp, my computer crashed. Now I'm gonna have to wait like 15-20 minutes for it to turn back on so I can finish the episode.

Edit 25: I can now resume my Holby viewing, thankfully.

Edit 26: Lexy’s collapsed in the multi-faith room. I’m getting deja vu.

Edit 27: Serena’s meeting with the board is both hilarious and has aged... well I can’t decide if it’s aged well or it’s aged badly. “Under Mr. Hanssen, Holby led the way in groundbreaking procedures which garnered huge amounts of publicity. And that’s fine when things are going your way. When they’re not, you go over budget, and become the focus of too many headlines. Hospitals should never become THE story - that’s how they get closed down.”

(I miss when Henrik became the focus of headlines for things he did.)

Edit 28: SERENA’S MEETING SFSFSFSF I couldn’t make this dialogue up!!!!! “This is a time for Holby to play it safe, to look to the future and ensure its long-term survival.”

Edit 29: Lexy’s getting the Herzig!

Edit 30: Chantelle has arranged a second date with Torchwood Boy.

Edit 31: Serena and Ric toasting to Henrik at Albie’s!

Edit 32: I feel like old Holby was better at developing one-off staff members than later Holby was at developing actual main characters. Karol in the previous episode, Ramona in this one, etc.

Edit 33: Okay, I looked up Ramona’s actress, she’s actually in several episodes! I’m glad to see that, because I really like her.

#holby s15 rewatch

[hullomoon]

hullomoon was very busy in may: a roundup

i was exceptionally busy this month so i thought i should do a little round up just in case anyone missed anything. well that and i haven’t had time to make tumblr posts for them all, lol

Writing

The Blouse Barn Divorce Ranch | co-author | multiple pairings | wrote rachel’s chapter | ~26k

 Hello, I am Wendy Kurtz, proprietor of the Blouse Barn Divorce Ranch, the world’s premier spot for couples looking to get a speedy divorce and connect with other soon-to-be divorcees.

 I’d like to highlight the stories of five couples, who rearranged into five other couples, from some past summer. These ten people came to the Blouse Barn Divorce Ranch with the intention of ending a marriage, and got that and so much more.

 I could recount their journeys with 100% accuracy, but where’s the fun in that? Let’s let them tell us themselves.

OR: One crazy summer in Las Vegas brings the heat and then some.

Featuring art and podfic with every chapter!

out of the mouths of babes | david/patrick | ~1.1k

Coming home from the dentist and still high from the anesthesia, Patrick accidentally lets something slip. David, panics.

 my 100th work

when i’m with you it feels like home: chapter 2 | david/patrick | 429 words

an epistolary interlude

Suited for Each Other: Chapter 4 love room  | stevie/ruth | 100 words

and i’ve known you for a long time | stevie/twyla | 574 words

While moving in together, Twyla discovers something from their childhood

if you try to hide it, it’s gonna shine even more | david/patrick | ~1k

After David performs the Number, he and Patrick have a chat

a quiet moment | stevie/ruth | 451 words

After Ruth comes home from a trip, she struggles with jetlag. Stevie helps.

stormy weather | ted/alexis | 565 words

During a storm, Alexis confesses a secret to Ted

save it from the funny tricks of time | david & moira | ~1.1k

While David helps her pack up her wigs, Moira reflects on their relationship.

Maybe, Baby: Canon Divergent Twylexis Drabbles | alexis/twyla | each 100 words

Chapter 5: Start Spreading the News

Chapter 9: Housewarming

Chapter 12: Smoke Signals

Chapter 18: Singles Week

Chapter 21: Wine and Roses

Podfics & Podcasts

The Blouse Barn Divorce Ranch | multivoice | voiced ted | 3:07:20

[podfic] Good Morning | alexis/stevie | 01:10

Stevie feels good this morning. Real good.

[podfic of Good Morning]

[podfic] Can we always be this close | david/patrick | 03:47

And suddenly, suddenly he understands what David has been trying to tell him for weeks, about letting go of expectations and doing what makes you feel right.

Or, the first time Patrick sat on David’s lap.

[podfic of Can we always be this close]

[podfic] Sunday Morning | david/patrick | 03:21

A soft, waking up in the morning ficlet.

[podfic of Sunday Morning]

[podfic] It’s Well Worth the Wait | david/patrick | 03:44

Patrick lets his hair grow out, David isn't adequately prepared.

[podfic of It's Well Worth the Wait]

[podfic] A Whole Lot to Gain | multiple relationships | multivoice | voiced ted | 12:15

A story about identity, gender, and coming out.

[podfic of "A Whole Lot to Gain" by yourbuttervoicedbeau]

[podfic] i got a feeling (there’s a miracle due) | joceyln & twyla | 07:57

 "I'm okay. Really, I'm fine." Twyla tries a strained smile. "I'm used to being alone."

 "I know," Mrs. Schitt says after a moment. Her eyes are kinder than they have any right to be. "But that doesn't mean you have to be."

When Twyla's mom doesn't pick her up from high school, Mrs. Schitt gives Twyla a ride home.

[podfic of i got a feeling (there's a miracle due)]

[podfic] Gonna Watch You Shine | johnny & stevie | 06:12

Found Family Feelings: The Johnny & Stevie edition.

[podfic for Gonna Watch You Shine]

[podfic] i had been lost to you sunlight | david/patrick | 08:05

David and Patrick have an afternoon picnic

[podfic of I had been lost to you, sunlight]

a quiet moment | stevie/ruth | 02:36

[Podvid] Dear Apartment Five | multivoice | 04:41

Notes from the Community Message Board: the residents of Patrick's apartment building have a few thoughts/concerns to share about the newest neighbors.

[Podvid of Dear Apartment Five written by blackandwhiteandrose]

stormy weather | ted/alexis | multivoice | voiced narrator | 04:13

[Podcast] Razzle Dazzle Rose Voiceteam Podcast Ep #1 - The Blouse Barn Divorce Ranch | multivoice | 1:22:07

In this episode, petrodobreva interviews eight out of the twenty-six creators of The Blouse Barn Divorce Ranch, a Tropefest 2021 fic and podfic (with art!). Listen to discover how the project came about, the processes involved in wrangling all the contributors, exciting behind-the-scenes stories, and more!

[podfic] Catfishing | david/patrick | 09:01

After some prompting from David, Fisherman Patrick reminisces about the day he found his cat, Mackerel, and brought him home.

[podfic of Catfishing]

[podfic] I’m a M*therf*cking Starboy | david/patrick | 05:43

This guy walks into Ray's and rocks Patrick's world. He's over the moon. It's the love story of the Centauri.

[podfic of I'm a M*therf*cking Starboy]

[Podfic] It’s Well Worth the Wait | multivoice | 03:54

Patrick lets his hair grow out, David isn't adequately prepared.

[podcast] Razzle Dazzle Rose Voiceteam Podcast Ep #3 - Voiceteam 2021: A Look Back | multivoice | 1:03:59

In this episode, five of the members of Team Razzle Dazzle Rosé discuss their experience with Voiceteam this year.

also, i sewed a pair of knit shorts and cut out the pattern for a jumpsuit 😅

#hullomoon writes #hullomoon podfics #schitts creek #long post

[newmusickarl]

Album & EP Recommendations

My word, the music world has well and truly spoiled us this week!

The past seven days has seen a colossal avalanche of new releases, so much so I’ve barely had chance to keep up with it all. Although this is not the full list of everything from the past seven days, here are the 16 (yes, 16!) new releases I’ve enjoyed the most this week.

As there is so much to get through the rundowns are (mostly) a bit shorter than normal and there is no single Album of the Week, instead I simply recommend checking out whichever album or track sounds most appealing depending on your preferred taste.

So without further ado then, here’s what’s good:

Californian Soil by London Grammar

It’s been four years since the release of London Grammar’s last record Truth Is A Beautiful Thing - an album that I enjoyed, but I’ll admit also left me feeling somewhat underwhelmed coming off the back of their incredible breakout debut, If You Wait. As it turns out, the band themselves were also having a tough time around that period, with front woman Hannah Reid in particular battling relentless industry sexism, as well as the persistent physical pain caused by her fibromyalgia condition. With this being the case, it is amazing that the young indie-pop trio have made it to their third album at all, let alone delivering what is their best work to date.

Opening on a grand, string-drenched Intro, the record soon morphs into the sun-soaked guitars and soaring orchestration of the album’s glorious title track. It marks an early highlight as Reid catches the audience up with the tribulations of the last few years – “I left my soul on Californian soil.” From there the album doesn’t really let up as the band move through a series of career-defining tracks – the gorgeous contemporary groove of Missing, the dance-influenced How Does It Feel, the chilled-out ambience of the dreamy Baby, It’s You and the sublime, stripped-back closer America.

However, the album’s strongest moment comes when Reid confronts music industry sexism head on with defiant anthem Lord It’s A Feeling. Beginning with some twinkly xylophone, before evolving into an atmospheric synth-laced backdrop where Reid pulls no punches:

“I saw the way you made her feel, like she should be somebody else,

I know you think the stars align for you and not for her as well,

I undеrstand, I can admit that I have felt those things mysеlf”

The cutting lyrics against some blinding quiet rave instrumentation leaves quite the impression, as does this sterling record in general. After a slight misstep, London Grammar have well and truly rediscovered themselves and they have honestly never sounded better – a truly incredible album.

If You Could Have It All Again by Low Island

Oxford electo-pop outfit Low Island are another band that have defied expectations to get to this point. This, their debut album, was not recorded in a professional music studio – in fact, the vocals were recorded in a bedroom cupboard of all places. The band themselves don’t even have a manager or a record label. In every sense of the word, they are a truly independent band. For a self-financed, self-produced effort, If You Could Have It All Again is a quite remarkable first outing.

From melodic, uplifting opener Hey Man, the record quickly jumps into spoken word electro punk banger What Do You Stand For, featuring acid-drenched synths and a dancefloor-ready groove. Fans of FIFA 21 will recall Don’t Let the Light In, with the glitchy pulse of recent single Who’s Having the Greatest Time also standing out. That said, it’s the smooth, infectious sway of I Do It For You that still pulls me in the most.

Having followed the band since their early EPs, I’ve been rooting for Low Island for a while now and this is one debut album I was highly anticipating this year. Safe to say, my expectations have been met – this is a fantastic, accomplished record, which leaves me eager to see where they go next.

The Greatest Mistake Of My Life by Holding Absence

There was a time when the difficult second album used to be a thing, but listening to the sophomore effort from Welsh rock band Holding Absence this week, I’m really not sure that exists anymore. After a dramatic and impressive self-titled debut two years ago, the band have wasted little time taking things up a notch, with this new album cinematic and masterfully produced from beginning to end.

From standout singalong anthems like Afterlife and In Circles, to the album’s epic seven-minute penultimate track Mourning Song, The Greatest Mistake of My Life shows a band pushing themselves and driving forward with ambition at every opportunity. In a year packed with outstanding rock and metal albums already, this is most definitely another one you can add onto that list. Soaring, impressive and demanding of repeat listens.

We Forgot We Were Dreaming by Saint Raymond

It’s been six long years since Nottingham-born singer-songwriter Callum Burrows, AKA Saint Raymond, released his debut album. However it seems the time away has been well spent as this long-awaited follow-up finds Burrows in fine form, with this album packed to the brim with catchy, glossily produced indie-pop anthems.

From the brilliant title track that opens the record, to the bouncy riffs of Right Way Round, Talk and Solid Gold, to more subdued and heartfelt moments like Only You, this album will have you smiling, singing your heart out and dancing your troubles away.

Flu Game by AJ Tracey

AJ Tracey may have only been three years old when Michael Jordan was winning NBA championships with the Chicago Bulls, but that hasn’t stopped him making a record influenced by the legendary icon and his famous 1997 Flu Game. Like many others including myself, grime superstar AJ Tracey spent lockdown watching the brilliant The Last Dance documentary, and this record weirdly works as a fantastic unofficial companion, but also just a great summer rap record.

McCartney III Imagined by Paul McCartney

Even if like me you completely missed Sir Paul McCartney’s 2020 album McCartney III, it’s well worth checking out this reimagining, where he has called on the help of some of his famous musician pals. This is a real who’s who line up of guest features including Beck, Khurangbin, St. Vincent, Blood Orange, Phoebe Bridgers, Damon Albarn, Josh Homme, Anderson .Paak and more, making for quite a fascinating mix of sounds and styles.

Moratorium (Broadcasts from The Interruption) by Enter Shikari

And finally on the albums front this week, genre-benders Enter Shikari have released a brilliant compilation of all their lockdown live performances, headlined by an incredible string-tinged acoustic version of The Dreamer’s Hotel and a beautifully stripped-back “At Home” rendition of Live Outside.

Tracks of the Week

Introvert by Little Simz

Wow, wow and wow again. Still fairly fresh off the back of her masterful, Mercury Prize nominated third album Grey Area, this week British rapper Little Simz released the first taste of her next record in the form of this epic and triumphant opening track. At six minutes in length, this majestic and operatic political anthem aims to grab the listener by the collar and shake them awake. Without a doubt, one of the best songs of the year so far, the powerful video for which you can view above.

Smile by Wolf Alice

The second taste of their forthcoming album Blue Weekend, Smile continues Wolf Alice’s pattern for alternating Loud/Soft releases, with this one featuring buzzy guitars, punky vocals and a hypnotic chorus melody.

Beautiful Beaches by James

Although written off the back of the California wildfires that impacted front man Tim Booth’s local community, the lyrics on the band’s latest anthem purposefully offer a dual meaning, giving hope to those dreaming of a post-lockdown getaway and fresh start.

He Said She Said by CHVRCHES

The Scottish trio made their much-anticipated return this week, with Lauren Mayberry also sharing her experiences of sexism on this arena-ready synth-pop banger.

Matty Healy by Georgia Twinn

Georgia Twinn delivers an infectiously catchy break-up anthem, inspired by an ex-boyfriend, who’s most interesting feature was supposedly looking like the 1975 frontman.

Kill It by Vukovi

Underground Scottish rock outfit Vukovi’s new single is so good, they even managed to get KILL IT trending over the weekend of its release. Masterfully produced with big bold riffs and trancey synths, this one just sounds huge.

Can’t Carry On by Gruff Rhys

The latest solo single from the former Super Furry Animals frontman is a stunning, super-melodic tune with an instant chorus you’ll be singing before the track has even finished its first play.

Ceremony by Deftones

One of the highlights off their last album Ohms, the nu-metal rockers have now delivered a cinematic new video directed by horror legend Leigh Whannell. Check it out!

Chasing Birds by Foo Fighters

And finally this week, Dave Grohl and company released a trippy new animated video for this Medicine At Midnight cut to help celebrate 420 in their own unique way. Again, well worth a watch!

#best new music #new music #little simz #introvert #london grammar #californian soil #low island #holding absence #enter shikari #james #saint raymond #vukovi #aj tracey #michael jordan #the last dance #foo fighters #deftones #gruff rhys #super furry animals #wolf alice #chvrches #paul mccartney #albums of the week #tracks of the week