#laura baker deserves all the good things

[separatist-apologist]

Neon In The Nighttime

Summary: It's the end of the word as we know it. A west coast baker and the drummer of a metal band team up in Boston, MA thinking they're one of the last few people left alive after a viral outbreak turns those infected into blood hungry monsters.

Their destination: Los Angeles, California- the last place Lucien's eldest brother was living while gearing up for a presidential run. Lucien is desperate to escape the memories of his past life and what he had to do when his wife, Jes, became infected. Elain wants to try and reclaim the fractured pieces of the life she remembers before everything went to hell.

Read on AO3

Before:

Something was blocking the tunnel. 

Tapping her fingers against the steering wheel of her car, Elain wondered how much longer she’d be trapped in the dark. The orange glow of the lights bounced off her tinted windows, casting long, looming shadows against the dark interior. She’d turned the radio off a good ten minutes before, frustrated with the upbeat pop music pouring through the speakers while she remained frozen in place growing more frustrated by the second.

She had no cell service in the tunnel that might have passed the time. No way to tell her father she was running late or to call a friend and complain. Just Elain and her thoughts—and lately, Elain had been trying to avoid those, too.

Everything was falling apart. Trapped in the dark, she supposed now was as good of a time as any to reflect on her many failings. Elain had mapped out her entire life when she’d been ten years old. Sure, she’d done it in glitter gel pen and maybe she’d had to adjust some things—she was never going to be princess of any country, and thank God for that—but for the most part, those loopy scrawled plans were tattooed on her brain.

Finish school.

Get married.

Have kids.

She’d finished school, she’d gotten a rather good job at a museum which had helped her finance her even better job at the bakery she owned. And she was supposed to be getting married, too. That was where the shiny paint on her shiny life started to peel away. Graysen wasn’t a bad man. Not really. Disinterested, sure. And married to his tech job, absolutely. He was also very obviously in love with his best friends girlfriend, though he would have denied it if she’d accused him of such.

Again. 

Her father was sick, had picked up some virus he couldn’t shake and Elain hadn’t complained at all when Feyre and Nesta had called, asking if she’d go check on him. 

He’s getting old, Nesta had said, her implications clear. Maybe he needed more supportive care now that mom was gone. Someone should arrange that. And though both Nesta and Feyre were far closer to their fathers Virginia Beach home up in New York City, it had been Elain, all the way from San Diego, who’d flown back to handle it.

She hadn’t even been mad like she might have been in the past. Elain needed to clear her head of Graysen and her impending marriage. Did she want to be married to a man that couldn’t remember her birthday but could drop everything to pick up Laura from the airport on a random Tuesday afternoon? And did she want to always be competing with someone so effortlessly beautiful? What happened when Laura and Tom broke up? Would Graysen throw their marriage away, kids and all, for a shot at his dream girl? She felt insane. Pressing her forehead to the steering wheel, Elain accidentally honked at the person in front of her, which led to a rolled down window and a middle finger pointed right at her.

She deserved that. Sighing, Elain fiddled with the radio, ignoring the static until finally there was music again. California Girls could blow her, actually. She didn’t change the song, though her mood only worsened. Uphead, someone laid on their horn, likely just as furious as she was becoming. 

There was traffic and then there was whatever this was. Someone going too fast, staring at their phone, and now they had to wait for a tow truck to make its way in. Elain missed nothing about this place. Three cars ahead, someone had opened their door and was yelling something at another driver. 

The song ended abruptly, sooner than she remembered. Only half paying attention, Elain didn’t catch the first part of the of the radio jockey’s joking words.

“...Chesapeake Bay Bridge is still closed due to a pile up. If you can, take another route, folks! It doesn’t look like it’s gonna clear anytime soon.”

Elain emitted a soft scream, shaking her steering wheel beneath her white knuckle grip. Of course there would be an accident, and while she felt for the people involved, she also hated them a little, too. Elain might have voiced this somehow, might have joined the people just leaving their cars had the strangest thing not have happened.

Someone was running. Weaving through traffic without a shirt and stained with a substance Elain couldn’t see well. The guy who’d left his own car a few up shouted something at that bare chested woman.

And in true, New England fashion, she screamed in return. High pitched and furious, garbled from whatever substance she’d likely ingested. Elain was surprised when the woman lunged for him, slamming him up against his car.

“Did she…” Elain watched, heart pounding as the strangers mouth latched to the angry mans neck. Shaking her head, the woman shook him around like a dog with a rabbit, ripping his throat out with her teeth. Too late, Elain realized it was blood staining her bare chest. 

“HEY!” The guy in front of her got out of his vehicle, brandishing a gun. “Lady! Get off him!”

Elain screamed when that gun was pointed, when the sound of a bullet echoed through those dark tunnel walls. He was close enough he’d aimed well, hitting her square in the chest, for all the good it did. She lunged again, teeth sinking against his forearm.

“BITCH!” he roared, shooting again. Elain couldn’t drag her eyes away from the way her head seemed to cave in around itself or how blood splattered in every direction, including her windshield. 

The man in front of her turned, wild-eyed and terrified, still holding the gun in one hand. His arm dripped blood to the asphalt below. 

“I…” Elain only shook her head through the window, wincing when more shouting and more bullets echoed from somewhere in the distance. What was happening? Dread prickled along the back of her neck, keeping Elain strapped beneath her seatbelt even as another blood soaked interloper raced through the parked cars in the tunnel. 

That person was shot down, too. More people had begun to flee their cars, turning back the way they’d came rather than wait to see what—or who—might step from the darkness. Elain hesitated. Leaving seemed foolish—she had miles before she was above ground again, and beyond that, this was a rental. But on the other…there were three dead bodies now lying between her car and her destination, and no possibility she was going to see her dad that day. 

And when the man with the bleeding arm pounded against her driver side window and said, “You and me, lady. Let's go!” Elain unbuckled herself, cut the ignition, and got out of her car. 

“You’re not a nurse by any chance?” he asked, eyeing her hopefully.

“Baker,” she said, not daring to look too close at the bite wound on his arm. She might be sick if she did. “What was that?”

“Fuck if I know,” he replied, wincing as he pressed at his skin. “There was nothing in those eyes, though. Just…she was like some kind of fucking zombie. Never heard of a drug that did that to people.”

Neither had Elain. “Should we leave our cars?”

“Look, it’s your funeral if you stay,” he said, looking over his shoulder. Fear laced his every word, and though this man looked like he could handle himself, something about the way he clutched that gun made him seem small somehow. “But I’m not sticking around to find out what that bitch was on, or if she brought more friends.”

His words were punctuated by the sound of loud, terrified screaming and more bullets from people like the man standing in front of her. How many people in the tunnel had brought a gun? And how many would use it before the day was over? 

“My name is Elain,” she told him, slamming her car door behind her. An exodus of people was happening as others, clearly shaken by the death happening so close to them. It was easy to fall into step with the others, to wind among the cars still hoping to get to their destination.

“George,” he replied, wincing again. “She fucking bit me good.”

“Let’s get you out of here,” Elain told him, glancing at her cell phone. No service still, which shouldn’t have surprised her. “We can call for 911 when we’re above ground.”

“You’ll tell them—”

“Yeah,” she agreed, catching the relief flood his face. “It wasn’t your fault.”

“Always wondered what it would be like,” he confided. Orange gilded the guilt not lining his weathered face, casting him in a near demonic light in the dark. “Killing someone, I mean. Used to think it would be like the movies.”

She was going to be sick. Forcing herself to keep walking, Elain pressed her lips together.

“It’s not,” he confided, his voice cracking. “It’s nothing like the movies.”

A cruel part of her wanted to tell him that anyone with a brain could have guessed that. Of course there was a peculiar kind of horror to taking another life, deserved or otherwise. It wouldn’t have helped the man beside her, pallid and slick with sweat as he was. He looked as though he might fall to his knees and begin sobbing, and Elain didn’t think she was equipped to help him. 

They lapsed into an uneasy silence. No one spoke as they walked, eyes focused straight ahead. More people joined, leaving car doors open to walk with the crowd and when the sound of bullets echoed behind them, shoulders tensed and children wailed, but not one person said another word.

The man beside her had begun to shuffle by the time they’d reached the entrance. Elain was exhausted and wrung out, checking her phone every few seconds, desperate to get a text to her sisters.

Something is wrong in Virginia. Someone attacked a man, ripped out his throat. I’ll check on dad another day, planning to come home. Can one of you meet me at the airport?

Beside her, the man doubled over, grunting as he slammed to his knees. Elain hated how she hesitated, hated even more that part of her wanted to leave him there. She wasn’t the only one. The crowd parted around them like water against a rock, though she and a few others had halted, trying to decide if they’d drag him out or not.

“Are you okay?”

He looked up at her, the sunlight casting his pale face in stark relief. Only his eyes were illuminated, the rest hidden in the orangy darkness of the tunnel.The blue of his veins seemed to bulge while his eyes, once a lovely shade of green, seemed to be bleeding red. 

Elain took a step back while he slid that gun between them. The metal bounced off her flats, resting between her two legs.

“Kill me,” he whispered, eyes locked on her. “Do it.”

Elain shook her head back and forth, bile rising in her throat. The people who had stopped to help were now backing away from them both, their own fear so stark, so pungent she could taste it on her tongue. 

The stranger—George, his name was George—lunged for her, mouth open and Elain screamed. Elbows slammed violently to the asphalt, jangling every nerve in her body. Elain reached for the gun, pressing the barrel to his forehead as he came atop her. In the daylight, Elain could see how red his gums were, how stained his teeth had become, or maybe always had been. Like he’d spent a lifetime smoking or something was rotting him from the inside out.

He snapped his jaw shut, the tendons in his neck practically bulging.

“Please,” he growled, his voice hoarse as if he’d been screaming. “Please, before I—”

Whatever light existed, whatever soul people possessed, winked out like a light. If she hadn’t been sprawled out on the ground, she wouldn’t have seen it. Elain didn’t think the people in the semi-circle around them had caught it. But George—the man who’d killed already and come to regret it, vanished and left behind nothing but a shell. Blood tinged teeth snapped at her like a rabid dog desperate for nothing but a taste of her skin. 

She didn’t let herself think about it. Finger on the trigger, Elain squeezed, eyes closed tight. George fell to the ground, still twitching, eyes still wide open and staring. 

And he’d been right.

Killing was nothing like the movies.

Now: 

LUCIEN:

When the world went to shit, it had the decency to do it all at once. There was no soft whimper, no slow decline but merely a burning wildfire that spread hot through cities and killing indiscriminately. Lucien recalled those early reports of a virus and the warnings to isolate, to stay indoors and wear a mask whenever they needed to go out. And he remembered the endlessly opining of politicians, unconcerned with anything but reelection and their own bank accounts, getting on television to argue it was the end of America if they had to shut down for even a day.

How right they’d been, in the end. America as Lucien knew it was over.

A month after the first reports of what had happened in Virginia, the lights went out on the east coast and never came back on. He’d been touring with his band, The Exiles, at the time and had been desperate to get back to his wife. Lucien had driven until he couldn’t and walked the rest of the way—all the way to Boston, where Jes had been waiting.

Infected.

And Lucien would never forgive himself for what he’d had to do. Vacant, lifeless and yet still moving, still seeing—she’d tried to rip his throat out and Lucien had killed her. Had left her body bleeding in the kitchen of their shared apartment, bought with the money his label had given him when they’d sold their record. 

He hadn’t known if he could  touch her long enough to bury her and in the end, he’d simply left her behind. And for months afterwards, he’d camped out in the building across the street, alternating between wishing he had the guts to kill himself, crying and screaming and destroying the now empty walls he was trapped in, and devising a plan.

The last time he’d seen his elder brother had been in Los Angeles. A Senator of California gearing up for a third run and thinking of presidency, one day, Eris had urged Lucien to relocate to California.

It’s safer out here. 

Eris had been one of the few people in those early days arguing it was better to be safe, to distance socially rather than lose lives needlessly. And if Eris had survived the early days, Lucien knew he’d still be alive now. A year had passed since Lucien had come back, a year since he’d last looked at Jesminda’s empty brown eyes and pulled the trigger of the gun he’d stolen off a body in Georgia. 

He couldn’t keep going like this. Jes wasn’t coming back, and the life he’d once fought so desperately for wasn’t, either. This new world was something else, something new and terrible and still beating its putrid, stinking heart.

And fate, if such a thing existed, had decided to spare him. What good was it to sit in an apartment that had once belonged to someone, staring out a window missing the wife who had died while he’d been fucking around on tour? There was no saving Jes, and maybe no saving himself, either.

But he couldn’t kill himself, and he couldn’t spend another New England winter without heat. The streets had been empty for weeks by the time Lucien stepped into the muggy, summer weather. The scent of rotting sewage was overwhelming, gagging him the moment he was outdoors. Pulling the neck of his black shirt up over his nose, Lucien made his way down the sidewalk toward a parking garage. He had keys in his hand, stolen from the family apartment he’d been squatting in. 

He prayed for anything but a minivan, and in the end was rewarded with a black pick-up truck that had three quarters of a tank still. It wasn’t enough to get him to California, but it was enough to get him the fuck out of Boston.

He’d always liked camping. Maybe he’d get a tent, fuck off to the wilderness, and hike his way to California when he ran out of gas. The thought pulled Lucien from his self-loathing just long enough to convince him to stop at a large box store for supplies. He had no money, and needed none, either. The lights were off, the door barricaded, and the parking lot long abandoned. Lucien was used to it. 

Prying open the sliding glass doors, Lucien didn’t bother offering a greeting. He’d used to in the early days, back when people had taken to squatting in stores where there was an abundance of available food. Violent gang wars broke out over non-perishable items and anyone with sense moved on. There was no sense in losing your life over shelf-stable green beans, after all. 

Lucien exhaled, ignoring how the store smelled like mildew and how light didn’t penetrate through the filthy windows anymore. There had once been a deal on strawberries—two for five—back when you could walk in and get a plastic container on your way home from work. There was no produce left, either eaten or rotted away to nothing. Flies buzzed around his head, swatted as he continued down the aisles, ignoring food in favor of a rolled up sleeping bag and somehow, a rather nice tent untouched, and yet dusty, in the box. Lucien pulled it all apart just to be sure there were no missing pieces and when he found there wasn’t, he almost smiled.

Almost.

Because behind him, the sound of a hammer pulled. He hadn’t heard whoever was lurking until he felt the cold kiss of steel against his temple. Swallowing his fear and the urge to thank this person for putting him out of his misery, Lucien very slowly raised his hands. “No harm done.”

“Yet,” came a delicate female voice. “Turn around. Let me see your eyes.” Slowly, Lucien turned only to be confronted with the most beautiful woman he’d ever seen. Whatever he’d been expecting, it wasn’t her. She looked as if she should have died in those early days of chaos and the gun still pressed to his head seemed wildly out of place in her fair, slender hands. 

Brown eyes flecked with gold surveyed him, her full lips pressed in a thin line. Her golden brown hair was twisted off a, frankly, stunning face with a pretty pink ribbon. Tight, black leggings and an oversized Who's Your Laddy shirt told Lucien this woman had likely been living here a while, picking through whatever was left—which seemed to be the seasonal clothing, if nothing else.

It worked for her, though. 

Still crouched to the ground, Lucien waited for her assessment. “How do you feel?” she demanded, eyes sweeping over his form. 

“Besides the gun against my head?” he asked pointedly. She didn’t bother to look sorry, though she did pull it away. Lucien didn’t even blame her for it—this was how she’d survived, surely.

Shoot first, ask questions later. “I’m not sick.”

“I’ve heard that before,” she replied, her bottom lip wavering a little. He rose, drinking her in as he showed her his hands.

“Want to check me for scratches?” “If you’re lying, you have maybe an hour. Two if you’re lucky. I’m so tired of killing, just…just go,” she whispered, looking up at him through dark, thick lashes. 

“I’m not. I promise,” he added, unsure why it felt important he do so. “My name is Lucien.”

“Elain,” she replied, tucking the gun beneath her arm. Lucien was tempted to take it from her and didn’t want to risk a bullet between his eyes. 

Elain took a step back while Lucien gathered up his open tent box and the rolled up blue sleeping bag. There was a purple one just beside it, the last one on the shelf. He grabbed that, too, just for good measure. 

“Elain,” he repeated, wondering if she’d join him in California or he’d leave her here. A slithering sense of relief filled his empty chest at the thought of company—of someone to talk to after a year of raging silence. “Where are you from, Elain?”

That bottom lip quivered again. “San Diego…or Virginia Beach, technically. I was visiting my dad when…”

Lucien tried not to think of the horror. Ships of infected sailors had come in through naval ports, while travelers had tracked it through airports. Major naval bases had been hit just as hard as major cities, and Virginia Beach was still considered point zero for the outbreak. 

“Ah.” 

She fell into step beside him, trailing him toward the now empty registers where he could leave his equipment and grab some food, too. “How did you end up here?”

“I caught a ride with someone,” she admitted, her pretty eyes glassy in remembrance. Another friend she’d had to kill? “My sisters were in New York City.”

Lucien doubted they still were. One of the last images he’d ever seen was the chaos in the city—the infected running after screaming civilians, ripping people to the ground with their teeth. Eating them alive, feasting on the living. Lucien closed his eyes in a desperate attempt to banish the memory. He didn’t want to think about it, or what had happened to Jes while he’d been away. 

“I doubt anyone is still in that shit hole city. Even the rats have probably gone by now,” Lucien said with a shrug. Elain trotted after him, grabbing red plastic basket helpfully.

“Where are you going?” she asked him. 

“California. My brother was out there—I’m going to find him.”

“How do you know he’s still alive?”

Lucien sighed. “Eris is like one of those nuclear bomb proof roaches. There’s no way he’s dead. If anything, he’s probably the leader of some doomsday cult.”

“My sister Feyre was like that. Maybe they found each other.”

Lucien could only shrug. In a different world, a different life, he might have offered her a shred of hope or comfort. Now, though, all he had was frank honesty. Her sisters were probably dead, just like his brother, and only the fear of being alone kept them from admitting it to themselves.

“You want a ride?” he asked before he could think better of it. Elain reached toward a dusty shelf and slid every can of pinto beans into her arms before letting the cans tumble into the basket.

Lucien took it from her, certain it was miserably heavy.

“To your cult leader brother?” There was a hint of humor to her words that almost made him relax.

“Or to start our own,” he replied, offering her half a smile. “I’m not picky.”

“What are you, then?” she asked, peering up at him with curiosity. Her gun was still tucked beneath her armpit, a reminder that for all the sweetness oozing from her lithe form, this woman was a killer.

A survivor.

“Tired of talking to myself,” he finally admitted. What else was there to say? Lucien didn’t know what he was or even who he was anymore. A drummer in a band that no longer existed. The youngest son of a dynasty that could be traced further back as far as most European royalty. A husband who’d taken the life of the very woman he’d sworn to protect. 

Was he a survivor, too? He didn’t feel like it, but maybe he was. Maybe by virtue of standing before her, arm laden with beans and the gun she carefully set atop her cans, Lucien, too, was a survivor. 

He knew he’d be disappointed if she said no, though. 

Elain offered him a shy smile. “Alright, Lucien. But I get to lead the cult. None of this co-leader stuff.”

He grinned.

“You’ve got yourself a deal.”

#elucien #elucien fanfic #this is JUST LIKE holy ground except everything is on fire and everyone is suffering

[welldressedllama]

“Good Trouble” and “All American” for that show/fandom ask thingy por favor??

Wow, you really just came out swinging huh? Asking about my two favorite shows. Go off I guess.

Did you guys ask for explanations? No. Are you going to get them? Abso-fucking-lutely. And by explanations, I mostly just mean me rambling.

“Good Trouble”

Favorite female character - Alice Kwan. That woman is fucking hilarious. And very kind. She deserves the world.

Favorite male character - Gael Martinez. Duh. I mean *waves hand in the general direction of our resident sexy bisexual artist with a heart of gold.* I rest my case.

Favorite season - Season 1. Season 2 was great, and season 3, because this show is just phenomenal, but season 1 was really interesting. Watching Callie deal with her clerkship and the trial and with Marianna forming Byte Club? A+. Plus it was when we were first introduced to all these wonderful characters so for that I will forever be thankful.

Favorite episode - Okay, any episode with the moms is equal parts hilarious and heart-warming. The birthday episodes never fail to be a hoot and a half. I am partial to Malika’s birthday episode though, 2x06 “Twenty-Fine.” No, it is not purely because of Gael dancing to “Hot-N-Fun.” Yes, it is largely because of that. I am but a simple human, do not judge me.

Favorite cast member - I don’t particularly know anything about any of the cast members. I follow some of them on Instagram, and they all seem nice I guess? Sherry Cola’s funny.

Favorite ship - Gael and happiness. My guy has had a real rough go of it for the last *checks watch* ever. Alice and Ruby are kinda cute though.

Character I’d die defending - Alice, because we all know she ain’t gonna do it herself.

Character I just can’t sympathize with - Jamie I s’pose?

Character I grew to love - Davia. I wasn’t a big fan of her in the beginning. She could be rude and annoying, but over the course of the series we’ve seen her big heart and good intentions. And she’s funny, and something about her relationship with her mother just reminded me of me with my parents, so that helped a lot.

NOTP - Callie and bad decisions. Which is a shame, because that’s her most recurring ship. I honestly quite like Callie, and I think she largely has the best intentions, but her execution often leaves something to be desired.

In terms of actual ships though, I’m actually not a fan of Callie with Gael or Jamie. I don’t think I would call either a full notp, and between the two I like Gallie more than Jallie, but I still don’t particularly like Gallie. Callie and Jamie have similar lifestyles and interests, sure, but they’re values are so different. Why the hell is resident progressive Callie Adams-Foster dating ex-Republican-turned-Independent-but-still-very-conservative Jamie Hunter?? Like, it’s always been clear they don’t see eye-to-eye on a lot of things.

“All American”

Favorite female character - Olivia Baker. She has such a big heart and is so human. And Samantha Logan portrays her flawlessly.

Favorite male character - Jordan Baker. No, it’s not just because of his face. I really like the Bakers y’all. Baker twins interactions are the best interactions.

Favorite season - They’ve all been really good? Maybe season 1. This sounds crazy, because I honestly couldn’t care less about football, but I kinda liked how it really followed the team in their journey to state while still showing the other storylines. It felt a bit more straightforward. Seasons 2 and 3 got a little complicated, which makes sense, but there was just something about the simplicity of season 1 that makes me feel all warm and nostalgic. Season 1 did the best jobs balancing all the characters, football, and the drama.

Favorite episode - “Protect Ya Neck” - 2x10. So much happened this episode. A lot of drama, but also, that cotillion?? So much fun. We got to see some rarer dynamics, which was cool. But mostly just for the dance, because hello. And Baker family hugs, my greatest weakness.

Favorite cast member - I don’t know a lot about any of them really. I’ve watched a lot of Daniel Ezra’s “The Hangout” videos with the other cast members, and I think they’re all funny and entertaining and really enjoy their interactions.

Favorite ship - This is not a romantic ship. But a pair that I always really enjoy is actually Laura Baker and Spencer James. It’s rare we really get to see them really interact, but the little things like her hugging him immediately, her saying “the one thing [Billy, Grace, and I] can all agree on is how much we love you” to him in the season 2 premiere, her inviting him to family dinners even after he moves out? Beautiful. It’s very much a familial dynamic, and I just really appreciate it. 

Character I’d die defending -

Character I just can’t sympathize with - Asher’s dad. I think his name’s Harold? Either way, he’s just the worst. No explanation needed. Grandpa Willie isn’t great either.

Character I grew to love - ??? Honestly, almost every character on that show has my heart. I can’t think of one I love now but didn’t in the beginning.

NOTP - Honestly, maybe Ashlivia? Like, don’t get me wrong, they are both very pretty, and they have some cute, fun moments together. But they also have a lot of issues. I’m honestly not a big fan of Asher. He has a lot of potential, but I feel like he doesn’t live up to it. He has a lot to work through, and until he does, I don’t particularly want him with my girl Olivia. I did really like them as friends though.  

#good trouble #all american #alice kwan #gael martinez #olivia baker #jordan baker #the baker twins are the best twins #llama says #laura baker deserves all the good things #anti jallie #I guess?? #a lil bi furious #mutuals

[cloveroctobers]

October prompts — 4. Jordan Baker ; All American

Prompt: ❛ get in loser, we’re going to spirit halloween. ❜

WARNINGS: mentions of mental illness and not the correct way to cope with it? + language ofc + dark comedy + corniness

A/N: this sat in my drafts for forever and I kept going back and forth with writing this. I’m not all that satisfied with it? Or at least the ending portion. Just know there won’t be a part two for this one lol but I’m excited for October 25th!

•*•*•*••*•*•*•*•*••*•*•*•*••*•*•*•*•*•**•*••*

You’ve been in a been in a funk since October hit and that wasn’t really expected of you

Actually it was more so around the end of September? If Jordan really thought about it but regardless

It was your birthday month and usually you celebrated the entire month but by day 3 jordan realized something was up

Usually it might take some time for it to click but once it did, Jordan was quick to address the issue

When he pressed you about your constant mopping you blamed it on Mercury ricochet or something you said !

Half of time jordan wasn’t sure what the hell you were talking about but that’s the thing, you were talking less and jordan began to wonder if he did or said something stupid to make you act this way

Until he realized this was around the usual time your SAD kicked in

Jordan tried to be understanding around the time you were diagnosed with this since it seemed like you didn’t have a great support system when it came to your family

Even your own grandmother who dealt with postpartum when she gave birth to your father tried to shame you and accuse you of, “making this up for attention”

Which wasn’t healthy and just plain ignorance and not something you needed

It was the first time Jordan’s ever seen you break down before

And the bakers suggested you move in with them for awhile but your grandmother and father weren’t having it—so it appeared that way

Your father didn’t have a backbone when it came to your grandmother since it felt like he blamed himself for the way his mother felt after he was born

So he let her get away with talking to you reckless until Laura threatened that she would get social services involved if they didn’t allow you to take a break from what was supposed to be your safe space

Your grandmother was a woman from the south and didn’t take to threats lightly and was definitely ready to whoop ass at Laura’s entitlement

However you were your father’s child and he wanted to take care of you and if this could be beneficial to you, then so be it

So you lived with the baker’s for a couple of months until your grandmother passed and your father needed your support in return

While you came to his aide you were struggling to heal on your own when you didn’t need to

Things would be great and then they would get extremely low for a couple of months, that’s how it usually worked

It all rolled in quickly since there was so much going on but Jordan didn’t like to make it seem like he was keeping track of you, that would seem too controlling? Obsessive? And that was the last thing he wanted to be to you

He didn’t catch you before you left school and he even asked Reggie if he’s seen you in which he replied that he tried to offer you a ride home in class but you declined so he took that a little personally since you basically dissed him and his one true love—his car

Reggie was a trip but it came with the football territory

Jordan couldn’t even hate Reggie every time he flirted with you because that was all just a front. Most of the guys on the team weren’t complete assholes, sure they had a good percentage but underneath all that testosterone they were sorta good guys

Except for like 3 of them, 3 of the guys were major dicks and deserved to be cancelled

Anyways, Jordan make it his mission to find you before Reggie got any bright ideas and pulled up on you walking home, headphones in your ears, gaze someplace far far away

It took jordan to leave his hands on the horn to get you to jump back and go to kick his car but you realized who was trying to get your attention

You pulled mereba from playing in your ear to stare at jordan awaiting, “what?”

“Get in loser, we’re going to spirit Halloween.” His eyes crinkled as he said this to you

The fatigue in you took minutes to register this, “Jordan…what’re you talking about?”

“Why go home when we can do something much more entertaining and spooky?” He wiggled his fingers at you

You yawned, “eh, I just wanna crash.”

“But you love spirit Halloween.”

“I’m just not feeling it, J.”

Jordan bargained with you, “okay, okay. Just get in, I’ll drive us around, sing you a lullaby and maybe take you home.”

“Yeah…that doesn’t sound suspicious at all.”

“You’ve known me for how many years?”

“That’s my point, dummy.”

“You know I’m trying to do something nice for my best friend but instead they insult me.”

You shrugged with a sigh before Jordan unlocked the doors for you, leaning forward to push the door open for you

Slowly you walked over to the car and sat down, strapping yourself in and throwing your head back

Jordan nodded his head back, “just relax, let the breeze flow through your hair and enjoy the ride. It’ll be worth it, I promise.”

Little did you know, it would be

In the middle of nowhere they had set up a spirit Halloween in pretty sketchy area, no shock there. You drove a solid 45 minutes from the hills to some small county area where you saw a jack in the box which was probably a good ten miles from where spirit Halloween sat in a plaza all by itself

The parking lot was not full, at all. There were four, maybe five cars in the lot but the bright lights did shift your energy a bit as your eyes set on the skeleton next to the sign

“Looks like we’re first in line.” Jordan poked your cheek which you slapped his hand away as he chuckled at your reaction

“You sure we won’t be the only ones? What time does this place even close?”

Jordan checked his Apple Watch, “doesn’t matter. It’s four pm and it’s ours, let’s go!”

He hopped out of the car and ran through the parking lot, leaving you to slowly follow after the tall teen. He spun backwards, almost tripping over the curb as he wiggled his fingers at you, taunting you to catch up

You leaped onto the curb and went to shove at jordan’s shoulders, laughing as you both now walked side by side with Jordan locking his car before heading to the sliding doors

It smelled like strong cinnamon candles in the entry way and the carpet felt rough underneath your shoes before you hit the tile

Your eyes were wider than before taking in the large figures that towered over both you and Jordan in the entry way and Jordan jumped up to send a playful punch to the figure

“Don’t break anything, I exceeded my credit limit this month and don’t have any money to pay for you this time.”

“This isn’t about me babe, this is about having the time of your life tonight.” He winked while you rolled your eyes

He tossed an arm over your shoulder leading you to a pathway as you glanced around at the scenery and for any sign of people or at least workers but found none

The both of you came up to a pathway which was covered in smoke with a sign that said, “high voltage” as you walked through

“Ready to get shocked to life?” Jordan glanced at you stopping a few spaces in front of it

“Um no? do you have a pain kink that you want to talk to me about?”

“Har har, three!”

Three? You thought to yourself but didn’t have the time to process this as jordan slipped his hand down to place in yours and quickly pulled you forward and man did he have power in those arms?

“Jordan!” You yelped as your vision was filled with puffs of gray and the air became windy and almost difficult to breathe

Just as soon as the rush hit you it was over with Jordan erupting in laughter as the both of you now stood outside of it

You soon fell into laughter too but not without sending another shove Jordan’s way, your hand going to your chest to calm your rapid heartbeat

Soon you took the lead going to the aisles to see multiple trinkets from literal jigsaw puzzles, decorations, cups, silverware, masquerade masks, Black Plague themes, and much more

Just as the both of you were walking over to where the costume aisles were the eerie spooky music cut off and shortly so did the lights

Immediately you turned to Jordan who looked around as he was still standing in the middle of the floor, “hey! What’s going on?” He asked

Suddenly the sound of something rattling caused you to look towards the front entrance which you could see if you stepped towards where jordan stood

Your breath got caught in your throat as you watched the front entrance get completely covered by a gate locking the both of you in place

“Jordan…what the hell is this?” You gritted

Jordan swallowed, “I—I don’t know. But standing around here isn’t going to solve anything. We should find the workers? Maybe they’re closing early?”

He took a step away from you towards the front entrance where the registers sat towards the right but you gripped his hand pulling him back, “that sounds very unlikely considering we haven’t seen anybody since we walked in here. I say we go to the back and go out that way.”

Jordan didn’t argue still glancing around as it was your turn to pull him along, just as your heart was getting steady it was picking up again as you sped-walked through the aisles

It wasn’t until you were moving towards the back of the store, that jordan gripped your waist yanking you to the side as the both of you tumbled to the floor

You pulled your body away from jordan to look up at him wildly and his eyes were wide as he panted. He placed a shaky finger up to his lips to silence you and you waited

You listened to the creaking of what sounded like bones rubbing together as something began crawling by

You bit back a scream as you watched it’s legs and arms that were arched like a tarantula in black clothing pull its body by

Jordan had to place another hand on top of your mouth to help you be quiet as suddenly it’s head turned on your direction, it’s dingy yellow skin appeared as if it was melting from its face with red glowing eyes

However it did not see you, in fact it looked right over before crawling along

The both of you waited a good minute for it to be far from where the both of you sat before you scrambled to your feet to the back of the store

You wasted no time making sure the door was secured before you were met with the bodies of the workers who were slumped over

“Are they dead?” You shifted on your feet as Jordan shoved his hands into his jeans looking for his phone 

“The hell was that?” Jordan didn’t seem to care that there were other people who could or could not be dead in the room with you right now

You reached upwards to slap Jordan’s head to get some sense out of him and he winced as he met your eyes, “Jordan, I don’t know what that was but if you’re pranking me—

“What? Why would I go to this extreme to get a laugh?”

“Have you met yourself?”

“Um, I’m taking full offense to that!”

“Why are you yelling? That fucking thing might find us!”

“You’re the one accusing me of making this whole thing up…are they alive?”

You whipped your head away from bickering with your friend and moved over to the group of employees, you wanted to use your foot to nudge them but found yourself slipping on a substance that made you slide across the floor instead

You stumbled trying to find footing as you fell onto your stomach. Soreness fell over your body as jordan rushed over to you attempting to help you as you lifted yourself

The stench hit you first before you noticed the blood and when you did you let out a uncontrolled scream with Jordan trying to shush you but that didn’t work

It was the the pounding on the door that got you to stop.

“We’re gonna end up like spirits and it’s not even Halloween yet.” You cried

Jordan sighed, “we’re not giving up yet, are we?”

“What can we do? Did you see that thing? The way it was walking? Like it was doing the jerk but forwards like it’s 2009 all over again.”

“so walking forwards with broken arms and legs?”

“Shut up, Jordan.”

You took deep breaths calming yourself down while jordan kept trying to get his phone and watch to work but was met with no signal

A thud sounded as if it jumped onto the door and you got up, “we’re getting out of here. I’m not dying before Halloween.”

Jordan turned his eyes into slits but held back on commenting as you began jogging down the hallway with Jordan cautiously glancing back at the door and the workers

Well this one will be a story for the books, if you make it out that is.

*•*•*•*•*••*•*•*•*•*•*•*•*•*•*•*•*•*••*•*••*•

Continue along with my October anthology prompts here

#all american #all american cw #October prompts #Jordan baker #Jordan baker x reader #yes I’m talking about Reggie mantle lol I but I haven’t watched riverdale since the beginning of s3 #queued

[gaiapaia]

Kermit and Friends: Unhappily Vaxxed

Kermit and Friends is a show that welcomes everyone. It doesn’t matter what race you are, what culture you come from, what religion you believe in, what sexual preferences you have, or what political party you’re aligned with. That’s just one of the many things that makes KAF so special.

However, it doesn’t stop at Kermit and Friends... the show’s host, Elisa Jordana, pretty much carries this mindset into her real life. She’s willing to be friends with ANYONE as long as they’re nice, funny, or interesting. Nothing else matters outside of having just one of those qualities. Bless her beautiful heart.

Unfortunately, not surrounding yourself with a likeminded bubble can lead to some annoyances, to put it lightly.

Everything in America is politicized right now. It’s been that way since a celebrity became President and the media started obsessing over him. Instead of COVID-19 being a health crisis, it became a political tool used by both parties to cater to their voters beliefs.

Since Elisa has friends on both sides of the political spectrum, she was hearing about it from every angle regarding the vaccine. From her Democratic friends, COVID-19 is the scariest disease in human history despite none of them actually knowing anyone who died from it. From her Republican friends, the vaccination was created to kill off the population despite none of them actually knowing anyone who died after taking the vaccine.

So when it came time for Elisa to make a choice whether or not she should get vaccinated... she had friends/family members telling her she was going to die with either choice she made. Imagine how nerve wracking that must be for someone who already has severe anxiety issues? It broke my heart to see Elisa so stressed out over this.

Elisa ended up getting vaccinated. I saw on her Facebook she was STILL being criticized by her liberal friends for waiting this long... it’s so ridiculous. Thankfully though, Elisa is perfectly fine. If you give 100 million people a Tylenol pill, a very small percentage of them will get sick from it and possibly even die. The odds of that happening though are about the same as winning the lottery (that also goes for the odds of dying from COVID). The coronavirus situation is a very serious issue since a small percentage of people dying or becoming seriously ill is nothing to take lightly, but it’s so silly how political everything revolving around it has become. Thankfully Elisa can put it all behind her now and not worry about it any longer.

Claire from New Jersey called into the show to announce he was converting to Christianity and accepting Jesus Christ as his Lord and Savior. Claire even said he was getting baptized Sunday night. I’m personally all for this, I think there’s a lot of good that can be learned from Jesus’s teachings and being a believer in Him. However, Claire took it a step further and said he’s joining a sanctuary of some kind and won’t be allowed back on the internet for the next few months.

This to me is taking it a tad bit far. You don’t need a community to be a believer in Jesus Christ. I also find the internet very helpful when learning about the Bible and Christianity as a whole. To eliminate it and instead go with a group led by some pastor or two is a mistake in my opinion, but hey... maybe this will lead Claire to happiness and fulfillment. I certainly hope so. His calls and presence in chat will be certainly missed.

Claire claims the place he’s going to is like a rehab facility so he can overcome his addictions to food and porn. Elisa hilariously took intrigue in Claire’s porn viewing habits... her questions made me laugh hard. Elisa also shared that Claire was the reason Sugar didn’t co-host the show this week. I know Claire had some critical comments about Sugar in the chat last week, but I was surprised to hear it had that kind of negative impact on her. Hopefully Claire will find it in his heart to apologize and sweet Sugar will return to her Kermit and Friends family very soon. We all love you Sugar and we missed you on yesterday’s show!

T-Bob and Kleenex had a spat on a livestream earlier this week and decided to continue it on Kermit and Friends. The fight on the livestream had to do with political stuff, and the fight yesterday was just them name calling one another. It was entertaining but nothing substantial I could break down and explain.

Their fight did lead to a guy named Mark Connors calling into the show. Referred to as Mark Cruz by T-Bob, this Mark dude claims to be a multi-millionaire and a former country music star who’s friends with Dolly Parton. How someone of this status can be so obsessed with T-Bob is baffling to me. He ranted about Bob in two separate calls for what had to be 15 minutes combined. Mark even brought his wife on the line to talk about a time when Bob supposedly threatened to skull f*** her, whatever that means.

According to T-Bob, Mark “Cruz” is a statutory rapist that got off because he was friends with the judge or something like that. Bob has made it one of his life missions to expose Mark’s allegations to the World, claiming he had news vans sent to Mark’s house in Tennessee to ask him about his legal troubles. 

Who knows what’s true and what’s false with these guys. All I know is that it has to be unbelievably tiresome to carry so much hatred for another human being. There aren’t many things I like about myself, but one thing I would never change is the fact that I obsess over things/people I love, not over things/people I hate. 

Kermit made 3 new awesome friends yesterday. The first was a very nice man by the name of Chip Baker. Chip is another one of Coach Love’s associates. He is the author of The Formula Chart For Life and he specializes in positive inspiration and motivation. Chip brought that positive energy to Kermit and Friends with a glorious smile and fun attitude, not letting the T-Bob/Kleenex stuff bother him at all, even offering advice to both men.

Laura Meadows and her handsome son Culver also made their KAF debuts yesterday. Laura is an actress that’s had roles in over 80 movies/television shows ranging from Law and Order, Any Given Sunday, and lots of horror stuff. Her son Culver was singing in the background when she first joined the show and later Laura brought him on to perform in front of the camera, but he was a bit too shy. I would absolutely love to see more of Laura and Culver on KAF in the future... both seem like extremely sweet people that exemplify the spirit of Kermit.

Sigmond returned to the show to give the greatest Rhianna cover you’ll ever hear when he sung her song, Stay. Wappy also beautifully performed Lady Picture Show by Stone Temple Pilots and Easy by The Commodores. Kermit and Friends is really blessed to have these two gentlemen and their amazing musical talent on the show every week.

To end the episode, Elisa played a phone recording of her final conversation with Andy Dick. It started with Andy mad at Elisa for the publicity he received over his arrest being covered on Kermit and Friends; then when Elisa defended herself, Andy went on this self-loathing tangent saying he doesn’t deserve her or anyone else. Andy then promptly hung up on Elisa when his friends started calling for him, pretty much summing their entire relationship up in 2 seconds.

What a jam packed show it was this week. There was a little bit of everything. I’m very proud of Elisa for both facing her fears head-on regarding the vaccination shot and for doing the show even though her anxiety/stress levels had been through the roof the previous 24 hours. That took a lot of fortitude and strength, and Elisa was rewarded with an awesome episode of Kermit and Friends that everyone enjoyed.

[swissmissficrecs]

I have read your fic Ghost Stories I don't know how many times now. It's one of my favourites. And I was wondering if you knew anymore fics that take place at Sherlock's parents house? Any rating. I just rewatched the series and I think his parents are adorable.

Reply: First of all, thank you so much. That is lovely to hear. Next, to your request. I am guessing you mean the version of Mr. and Mrs. Holmes that first appeared in series 3 of the BBC show? Prior to that, there was a wide variety of representations of the Holmes parents in fics. Anyway I have gone through my bookmarks for post-series 3 fics and tried to find ones that include visits to the Holmes parents. I hope some of these are what you had in mind!

Post-series 3 visiting the Holmes parents

A Case for Domestic Propinquity by SilentAuror (32K, E, Johnlock) As Sherlock and John renovate Baker Street with Rosie underfoot, Sherlock can't help but wondering how he could possibly convince John to just stay indefinitely...

Alternative Facts by SwissMiss (10K, E, Johnlock) It was so nice to see they'd finally got things sorted. After all they'd been through, they deserved to be happy. Or: Five times people imagined what John and Sherlock get up to in the bedroom, and one time we see what they really get up to. (Although they don’t actually visit the Holmes parents, there is a scene at the Holmes house, plus this can sort of be read as a precursor to Ghost Stories so I thought it appropriate to include.)

Christmas with You by MissDavis (23K, T, Johnlock) Watch Sherlock, John and Rosie over the years as they celebrate the season as only they can. (This is a series of loosely connected ficlets, the one where they visit the Holmes parents is chapter 5.)

Damage by lifeonmars (46K, M, Johnlock) No damage could ever be truly repaired. John would not be the same.Or, what happened after the tarmac.

Gammer Gurton's Garland by Laura JV (12K, M, Johnlock) Sherlock and John try to rebuild their lives in Eurus's wake. She has one more bomb to drop.

Ghost Stories by SwissMiss (22K, M, Johnlock) Sherlock's parents think he and John are a couple. They might be onto something.

Inappropriate by SilentAuror (20K, E, Johnlock) Five times that Sherlock and John get caught having sex in public and one time that they don't.

Law Like Love by PlaidAdder (52K, T, Johnlock, Warstan, Harry/Janine) Six months after Sherlock didn't go off on that mission to eastern Europe after all, all is well at 221B Baker Street. Little Rachel is just beginning to sleep through the night. John and Sherlock are sleeping with each other. Charles Augustus Magnussen is alive and unwell and just about bankrupt. And Mary is nowhere in sight.Obviously the events of "His Last Vow" were not what they seemed. What really happened? How did we get here from there?Well, we're going to find out. Backwards.

One Good Scare by blueink3 (17K, M, Johnlock) Mummy invites Sherlock, John, and Rosie to the country for her birthday, which just so happens to coincide with the annual Harvest Festival, an event Sherlock loathes. With John seemingly making the wrong move at every turn and with ghosts hiding in each of their closets, what will it take for their (Halloween) masks to finally come off?

Side Effects by MissDavis (86K, E, Johnlock) Life is a lot better for Sherlock and John than it was a year ago. Yes, John still can't walk and Sherlock is still on antidepressants, but they're married now, and almost everything else is back to their version of normal. They have a dog. Sherlock's solving cases again. But when Moriarty learns of their marriage, he escapes from prison and takes it upon himself to make their lives miserable. Is Sherlock really up to the challenge of catching a criminal whose only goal is to make sure that he and John don't live happily ever after? (Part of a series)

The Men Who Talked Between the Words  by Odamaki (463K, E, Johnlock, Mystrade) John expected to be a father some day; he expected to have the house, and the wife and the nice suburban job. Sherlock never expected to have children, in part because he never expected to make it past 30. As it turns out, you don't get a choice. Crammed into Baker Street with a baby, John struggles with single-parenthood and his own fears, while Sherlock treads the fine line between doing too little and saying too much.

#request #rec list #series 3 #unwashedace

[suffering-and-happy-about-it]

Nicole's Rambling: The Avengers Problem (for PS4)

Let's start with the usual chanting: ❗this is my opinion, it's biased as hell (since I grew up with Marvel comic books and movies) and you don't have to agree❗

I was wondering why Avengers game gets so hated... So I took a look and I played it myself. Let’s have a look.

SPOILERS AHEAD

First off: the game isn't in any way horribly bad. It's just a button smasher with a story that has its good and bad beats. It's not memorable at all, but it could've gone way more downhill in my opinion.

At the start of the game, you meet the mighty Avengers through child fan's eyes - it's pure fanservice and let's be honest, it's dope. It was sweet, but pretty dragged, to be honest. I really didn't need to play as all five Avengers (HAWKEYE IS MISSING, AGAIN) in the first hour of the game, but sure, why not?

For the most part, you see the squad through Kamala Khan's eyes. For those who might have not a clue who the hell Kamala is; I am not wondering about why you don't know who the hell she is. She's a Marvel heroine who outed in 2013 and who will have her own spinoff on Disney+.

And again, Ms Marvel is fine, but not memorable at all. I've never, until this day, met anyone who would say that 'Ms Marvel is my favourite superhero'. I was halfway through the game before I even realized it's Ms Marvel - AFTER SHE PULLED HER DAMN COSTUME OUT. That can be due to my utter ignorance or because I heard of her so little that I can count it on my fingers. In all honesty, I loved Kamala as the story progressed, the gal's not bad at all - but as the whole game, she had good and bad beats. There were times where I wished to play as Iron Man and the game forced me to play as her... Whatever.

Let's look at the three problems I have with this game and three positives I found in the game:

0. (Technically zero since it's a personal problem of mine) The soundtrack and the voice actors:

By any means, I am not trying to say they should hire RDJ for the role of Iron Man and Mark Ruffalo for the role of Banner... But it was so hard to distinguish the voice of Nolan North (For example: Nathan Drake x Iron Man) and Troy Baker (Samuel Drake x Bruce Banner). For me, as for a PS4 gamer, it's annoying to hear the same voices again and again in every game I am genuinely excited about (Idk how Xbox players are familiar with them). Of course, there's even Laura Bailey as the Black Widow; I feel like these are the three only people who do voice acting for games these days and sure, I should've seen that coming.

Side note: Nolan North is not a good fit for Iron Man in the slightest in my opinion, but if you like his Iron Man, that's cool as well!

The soundtrack... M A N, the soundtrack. When I heard Marvel gave a green light to the Avengers game, I expected to hear at least the iconic Alan Silvestri's 'The Avengers'. Problem with this is simple: Marvel had spoiled its consumers with good and memorable soundtracks (don't you tell me you don't remember as they all gathered for the first time). Since it was Marvel itself who gave the green light for this project, which was supposed to be based loosely on the movies' and comic book success, I hoped to get all of it.

It's not Iron Man when AC/DC song isn't playing in the background as he flies through a canyon for his life. I mean, Iron Maiden are fine; but come on. COME ON. It's not the same. It's not the Avengers (WITHOUT HAWKEYE) without their significant theme.

1. IT. BUGS. ALL. THE. TIME and the combat is incredibly repetitive:

When I was little, I was a rage gamer. I could barely play Crash Bandicoot or Rayman without losing my cool. Since then, I grew up, skilled and etc. I try not to rage when playing games since it's simply not worth it.

But when you're replaying a boring mission for the tenth part and you're almost over and SUDDENLY, the game bugs out and you lose control over the character (it starts running in circles, etc.) it sucks shit. And don't let me start on the minor bugs. Like when you don't cross the platform by one pixel and the game doesn't let you make combos when you're in the air and bug into a tree when you bug into a wall, a rock, fucking nothing... Bruh. It was released in August, shouldn't these bugs be fixed by now? The game is fucking broken, hoes. It barely feels like a game ready to launch at times.

When you're so lucky that you don't bug out in the middle of doing something, the combat... It isn't bad. It's not terrible, but the Avengers deserved something better. It didn't deserve mediocre combat that repeats itself in every level. Once you find yourself good combo, you're done for. You can use it to finish the game if you will.

2. There's too many missions, too much information and too much things player has to understand if he wants to play the game properly:

Okay, this might seem to be a little confusing; I didn't understand the game system at all when I first ran it on my PS4. There's story missions, HARM training sessions, daily missions for particular heroes, faction missions (SHIELD, Pym, Stark, etc.) and character-side-story missions, and a lot more.

Trust me, it doesn't sound that hard, but once you open the map menu for yourself... Oh boy, that's a different story. And if it only was the map menu. The inventory and such aren't too collected all together either. Before you can safely tell what is what, it will take you at least a whole afternoon. Also, the fact that game just spills it on you just like that, one thing after another, it doesn't help the overall feel.

On top of that, there are MULTIPLE currencies in the game; some even involve microtransaction. It mostly is involving the customization of the Avengers, so it's not THAT big of a deal; you can get one currency by collecting boxes and stuff, but it takes ages before you can buy one single thingy.

Also, if you would like to get stuff (very useful stuff) from factions (SHIELD and Pym mainly), you have to do in-factions daily quests, which usually require to do a certain amount of things as a particular hero (you can do some quests with Ms Marvel only, some with Black Widow, it usually involves the damage dealt while playing as a character etc.). And if you forget to fetch these minies? Well, no faction points for you, bucko.

The system feels overall too complicated in the begging and even after finishing the game, I am not certain by some.

3. The gameplay of the one and only... Natasha Romanov, and the entirety of Steve Rogers:

Right off the bat: IT. SUCKS. SHIT.

This was your shot in opening our mouths and showing why Black Widow BELONGS to the Avengers in the first place. Like, sure, storywise you proved the point, but gameplaywise... That's a different story.

Out of the bunch, Natasha feels the slowest, most clumsy and overall not too pleasant to play as. Mainly is because her attacks do... Nothing. The gun reloading is basically constant when I have to put it simply and it takes about 3-5 seconds for her to even reload; which can be a matter of life and death inside the game. Sure, she can make herself invisible; but that's like... It. It's not that it would be suffering when you are forced to play as Nat... But not a pleasant experience either.

On the other hand, maybe it's just me. I have friends who told me the same about her gameplay, but maybe there's someone who enjoys the Black Widow. It's my personal with the entirety of the gameplay.

Steve, on the other hand, isn't hard to play as. It's just fucking boring. At the start of the game, I couldn't wait to play as Steve's character. He seemed to be awesome - Jesus fuck, how could I be so wrong? As I said, he's incredibly boring and dry, his skills would do the same amount of work if they even weren't there. I think that Rogers is there just for the shock value (as a value that doesn't even work in the slightest) and nothing more.

As you learn to do the tricks and combos with them, it gets slightly better and skill tree and equipment upgrades can help almost unnoticeable... But really, Steve and Natasha are the absolute worst.

Now the reasons why the game convinced me it isn't a hot mess as I initially thought:

1. The characters, dynamics, chemistry and the overall story:

Sure, it is mainly a basic plotline, a cookie-cutter one, full of cliché - Avengers have to regroup after a traumatic event and you're the one who has to find them and bring them together.

Yet it is quite interesting; the game leads you to believe that Steve Rogers is dead after an event called the 'A-Day' (which you won't believe even if the game does the hardest to make you to, constantly remaining you that 'Oh boy, Cap died, did you know that?') and the Avengers had left to exile because they were considered as big bad for the people and the country. They have their emotional baggage and the banter between Banner and Stark (though it ends too soon), is just the thing that makes them human and relatable.

Even the villains are quite compelling; not like ultra super convincing, but the game can turn around when you least expect it to; which is definitely a huge plus.

The characters were done GOOD. The dialogues are full of personality and jokes you'd expect from each one of them; Banner is a wallflower cutie, Tony fishes for compliments all the time, Natasha is the big independent woman she always was and Thor? CHEF'S KISS, I swear. It hits the Shakespearean vibe perfectly and at the same time, he still is charming and quite funny to hang around.

Every time you can listen to a chit-chat between two characters, it is a great pleasure for you as a Marvel fan. Also, I need to say that regardless of my personal issue with the dub (regarding Tony and Bruce; since they're the people you spend most of your time with), the dialogues for these two characters are on point without a doubt. And I kinda grew fond of the in-game Bruce Banner throughout the course of the game, to be honest.

There are references, jokes, inside jokes, one-liners... The dialogue was done amazingly and that's a huge   T H A N K   Y O U  to the developers.

2. The mind-blowing gameplay of... Tony Stark and Thor and AI, while not being too bright, getting stronger as you do:

In what the Natasha gameplay lacks, these two give you exactly what would you expect and way, way more than you'd ask for. Again, it mainly reflects the personal gameplay preferences of the player; let me tell you why I think these gameplays are, in my opinion, the best.

a) Tony's gadgets and weaponry: The suit itself is bloody brilliant. Once you master the ability to attack and fly at the same time, you have the moments when you can not only feel like Iron Man - but really be Iron Man. It's not even that your gameplay would suddenly become 10x easier; it significantly becomes funnier.

b) Thor's heavy fist-to-fist and Mjolnir preferences: the Mjolnir is bloody brilliant as well. Thor's combat is mainly physically based, but when you want to throw the hammer around like the madman you are, you can suit yourself. You can use the lightning if you please and you can fly if this style of combat suits you. It's all in your hands. Thor can take quite a bit of damage, which is significantly supporting you in this style. If you accidentally drop Mjolnir? Well, call it back and smash them!

Also, regarding the AI... As I said, they're certainly not the brightest sparks in the flame; yet thanks to the power getting bigger as you level up and continue with your story and a huge variety of enemies - from turrets to flying men with flamethrowers. It is just button smasher, but a pleasing one in this regard, I must say.

3. The fanservice to comic book fans, movie fans and loyalty to the property:

As one IGN review once said... "This game makes you feel like Batman." And this game more or less accomplished it as well, but diluted and stripped down. Of course, in no way I can compare this to the masterpiece to the Arkham saga; these games are brilliant.

But there are moments when the game can just drag you inside the story and tell you: "You're Iron Man now, boss. It's in your hands." And it's there. I think the only issue was that the team of devs just took too big of a bite. I wouldn't mind stand-alone titles emerging into one and big Avengers game. That would be fun as well and I would spend my time with it gladly.

To end it: it's a mess, but a good mess you might like. If I was to rate it, would be 5.1/10 Wait until it is on sale, don't rush it. I'm overall disappointed and I most likely will forget I have ever played it.

#avengers #marvel's avengers #avnegers ps4 game #avengers game #black widow #captain america #iron man #ms marvel #the incredible hulk #nicole's rambling #thor #WHERE DID YOU LEAVE CLINT #WHERE IS HE #Marvel Comics #why the fuck did you do

[flowerflamestars]

top five books overall?

This is the hardest question! But I’m going to try to be succinct.

1) This Is How You Lose the Time War by Amal al-Mohtar and Max Gladstone. 

THIS BOOK. This book ripped out my heart in the best way possible. It is equal parts intricate and aching, utterly real and completely borne of the fascinating, impossible, just barely glimpsed but flawless world it exists in. It gets love. It embodies it. Just 209 pages and every one of them perfect. I want these two to team up and write at minimum, 60 more books about literally anything they want.

2) Sunshine by Robin McKinley.

I have failed to describe why I love this book so wholly for years. It is a vampire book from before vampire books were cool- the writers extremely specific style is like nothing else you’ve ever read, and honestly, can seem really dense if you’re not expecting it. The titular character is a twenty-something year old baker who is unapologetically bitchy, somewhere between ignoring destiny and fist fighting it...and did I mention the explicitly not sexy but fascinating vampires? Also known as: the book I make everyone read.

3.  Deathless by Catherynne M Valente OR Uprooted by Naomi Novik OR The Lovers Dictionary by David Levithan (because actually, I cannot choose)

Deathless because is has sprawled in my mind for years- dark twists and harshest truths, love like blackberry wine poured after sundown looking like blood. Koschei’s whole thing you see quoted here on tumblr all the time: “Oh, I will be cruel to you, Marya Morevna. It will stop your breath, how cruel I can be. But you understand, don’t you? You are clever enough. I am a demanding creature. I am selfish and cruel and extremely unreasonable. But I am your servant. When you starve I will feed you; when you are sick I will tend you. I crawl at your feet; for before your love, your kisses, I am debased. For you alone I will be weak.” INCREDIBLE. I am also weak beyond measure for the speech that gives us the title.

Uprooted is the story that all weird girls who grew up to be women still longing for that freedom deserve. It has one (1) shaky, shitty moment, but everything about the world is my jam. I want a sequel. I want...five of them.

Lover’s Dictionary will punch you in the face. It’s not a novel- more like an extended, rage-fueled poetic frame of a story with the detail filled guts ripped out. Did yall know David Levithan used to be Maggie Stiefvater’s editor? It shows. 

4. we’re going to call this category Series I Reread too Often and have thus Imprinted On: The Complete Works of Maggie Steifvater, The Wayward Children Series by Seanan Mcguire, The Winner’s Trilogy by Marie Rutkoski.

I read The Raven Boys at the exact right point of youth where all of their ferocious energy sank directly into my veins. Everything about these books is being on a brink- childhood and adulthood, life and death, brutal summer sinking into winter, friendship that bleeds into love. 

Not all of the Wayward Children books work for me- I am particularly not a fan of Lundy’s book. But the core arcs: Jack and Jill, Kade, Christopher, Sumi and Nancy. The whole concept works for me: you have to find where you belong, and it’s okay if it’s not with your family, it’s okay if it’s not what’s right for even your dearest friends, no one can tell you where you belong. Beneath the Sugar Sky, MVP.

Do I even need to say why the Winner’s Trilogy is good? ARIN. KESTRAL. UGH. These books appear to be frothy: romance, forbidden love, covers of gorgeous ballgowns...and then you get incredibly well constructed imperialism and identity, love and understanding, war as a real and devastating happenstance. Read these books, yall. They’re smart and amazing.

5. Gideon the Ninth by Tamsin Muir.

I guarantee beyond a shadow of doubt you have never read a book like this before. Muir pulls off- without it weighing down the plot or just info dumping- what might be the most inventive, complicated, interesting world building I’ve ever seen. The story is so far from our world labels don’t come up, but she’s talked about how she pictures the characters: we have a cast full of PoC. Queerness is casual, accepted, everywhere: our main two girls are childhood enemies to lovers...(slow burn on the love bit), but it is NOT a tragedy. It IS a love story, even if the end of this, the first book, hurts so damn bad. The next book? even crazier, delivers in every way you need it to. One flesh, one end. You will not be disappointed.

Honorable mentions: The Chocolate Kiss by Laura Florand (I maintain this is LITERALLY bougie Parisian rival bakers Nessian. It is a romance novel and it WORKS.)

The Night Circus by Erin Morganstern (this book was so popular for a while peope don’t want to read it now, but seriously, its great)

The Daevabad Trilogy by SA Chakraborty (Again with the world building! There’s so much magic in these, and such DELICIOUS conflict. I made the mistake of reading the first book the week it came out, waiting nearly killed me. Also, a 10/10 love story)

The Serpent and Dove books by Shelby Mahurin (can I just scream? screaming. they are delightful)

The Green Bone Saga by Fonda Lee (Can I just: “Screw you, Hilo,” she snapped. “I can kill my ex-boyfriends myself.”)

I could go on for eighteen years but I’m going to stop- thank you so much for this ask! My next tbr is Cemetery Boys and I am so excited about it. 

[joanofarkansass]

GBBO Liveblog- Dessert Week

”I'd spend 40 days 40 nights in that dessert”, is a very true quote from Fleabag this week (you should totally watch that show btw). Lets dive in!

The intro with Matt Lucas’s head was surprising and very funny

Peter’s quarter zip!

“Key lime pie vibes”

Hermine is a great jar lady

Ban Marie seems like a metal band name

Impossible to please, thats Paul, thats Paul

If Peter is going home, I’m going to cry

His cheeks were so red when Matt and Noel were making those jokes with Mr.Spoon

Hermine’s look gorgeous

Dave’s look so neat! I really want to have one

The flavor is good though! Sorry Peter

No one except Dave seemed to do well in this challenge

For once the judges were better than Laura had hoped. 

“enigmatic gingham” thats not dramatic

1700s?!?!?!

Hermine’s face is PURE DISGUST when the judges annouced the Sussex pudding and I love it

Of COURSE you would know 

“This is evil” yes Hermine. You’re right. She is me when I’m taking a test I havn’t prepared for

A whole lemon?? What? What dessert has a whole lemon in the middle of a pastry? This is the extreme version of the yolks in the middle of a moon cake

I love how Hermine is shamelessly copying everyone

Hermine’s expression when she said she put a whole vanilla pod instead of a half was so funny. Someone needs to gif this episode

Dave, honey, I’m so sorry

Hermine!

Are any not leaking?

No one did well in this challenge. Because they didn’t specify the steaming time taking up almost the entire time!!

Poor Peter!

I love how Matt had to prod everyone to applaud Laura

Yeah Prue, they’re your favorite because YOU’RE ANCIENT! Stop bitching about them not completing your revolution-era puddings

Hermine is done with “Anglo-Saxon things” which is such a mood

Henry left in the quarter final last year too... you got this Peter

You’ve been reading this long enough to know about my blatant Peter favoritism

Hermine, throwing shade so much this episode! It looks good on you

Bubbling orange juice does not look good

Peter does like a Christmas theme

“Okey dokey and nice fast lick” -Peter

This does look like surgery

The music is sooo tence

I love how Dave is like, chilling and enjoying a snack, while everyone panics

They all did super well on this one

How are they going to bring it up to the main table?

Laura is in line for star baker today. And her expression when Paul is critiquing it is priceless

To be fair, this is a jelly cake, if any bake had to have too much gelitain you should expect it now

Peter is going home. Ugh. I think he knows it too. Fuck

Hermine could get star baker too, she’s firing on all rounds today

Hermine for star baker!!! Yes you deserve it

Marc is leaving???? I was litterally calling it for Peter. I’m so sorry Marc. You are fantastic and it’s been so fun watching you

Semi-final next week! This is getting intense

Well, this was a great episode and please leave your comments down below! I’d love to hear your thoughts and I’d love someone outside my family to talk about this with 

#gbbo 2020 #gbbo #liveblog #dessert week #marc youre adorable and deserve better #gbbo 2020 spoilers #gbbo spoilers

[sakichi56]

I just want to say that this year's Game Awards was a real mixed bag. Sure, I was happy that Laura Bailey won, and it was nice to see Troy Baker. It was really cool seeing Jacksepticeye, it was nice that they had at least 1 actual gamer presenting an award, even if it was only for Twitch streamers and not a game. And I am always happy to see Reggie.

However, did the Last Of Us 2 really need to win 7 awards? I mean, good for it, and if fans really thought it deserved those awards then fine. But I hope people weren't just voting for it in every category just because they like the game. I do not believe that Doom won a single award, despite the fact that I know a ton of people were really hyped for it before it came out. Sure, it could have just not been as good a game as people thought it was going to be, but I still feel bad for all the developers that worked on that game and probably put their all into it, only to not even get a single award because another game that already won kept getting the awards.

Though I was also happy for Among Us. It is always good to see an Indie game make it big and not just big among gamers, but big enough to beat out huge titles that are on actual consoles. Those developers looked so happy, and I'm pretty sure at least one of them even cried. That was really nice to see. I may not be a big fan of Among Us, but I do like the team behind it. The Henry Stickmin airship map and skins is amazing, I love that series. I wish it had been nominated for an award, but I knew that wouldn't happen. Congratulations Inner Sloth.

Also, just gonna say it, Nintendo, step it up. Y'all really didn't show us anything during the whole show. And the small things you did show us just weren't enough. Don't advertise yet another WiiU title being ported to the Switch, and NOT show us any of the new content. Show us something new. Heck, advertise PuyoPuyo Tetris 2. At least that is new. Or tell us something about Metroid 4! We all wanna know about that. Don't give us more Breath of the wild, we have enough of that. Oh and I'm sure some people are happy about Sephy in smash, but I'm honestly not. I feel so bad for all the Geno fans who have been wanting him in for years, and we already had Cloud, did we really need a 2nd FF rep when we could have gotten something completely new instead? Come on, give us better fighters. I love you guys and so many of your franchises, but this year was a real let down from ya.

#Game Awards 2020 #Nintendo #Among Us #ssbultimate

[wipbigbang]

Art Claims Round 4

Fourth and last round of story claims are up. At the time of this posting, 47 stories are left. These are all really fantastic stories that deserve an awesome artist. Please look into your hearts and see if you want to claim any of these. Also, PLEASE TELL YOUR FRIENDS. Bribe them with smiles and candy. I've just checked with my lawyer and it's perfectly acceptable to grab your artist friends and stuff them in a sack and bring them over here*. *Actually, my lawyer's words were more like "Don't do that." This year, art claims are working a little differently than in years past. We are using a google form to streamline things, which should make things easier both for you as participants and us mods. To claim a story, the form requires email, check in ID, and the identifying number of your first choice of story. Putting your top three choices is best in case your first or second has already been chosen. Your check in ID should be different from any fic you signed up for or any previous art claim. Please be sure you've read the FAQ before claiming.

Click here to claim a story.

Stories are listed by fandom in alphabetical order and then by the story name, with a number identifying that story (for our records).

Stories are first come, first serve

. I'll update this post as stories are claimed. Official posting dates begin on July 27th. Once all stories are claimed and all artists/authors have been notified, I will put up a sign-up sheet so authors and artists can choose their posting dates.

Authors, if something is wrong with the info for your stories, please let me know ASAP here or via email at [email protected].

See all fandoms in a google doc.

BBC Sherlock #6 Story Title: ...And All The Men And Women Merely Players Pairings, Characters: Sherlock Holmes/Molly Hooper, Mycroft Holmes/Greg Lestrade, Mary Morstan/John Watson, Eurus Holmes/Jim Moriarty; Sherlock Holmes, Mycroft Holmes, Molly Hooper, Greg Lestrade, John Watson, Mary Morstan, Anthea, Janine, Eurus Holmes, Jim Moriarty, Original Child Character(s), Mummy Holmes, Siger Holmes Rating: Mature | M Warnings: No Warnings apply Summary: Mycroft Holmes is not-so-subtly trying to make sure there's a reconciliation between his youngest sibling Sherlock and his ex-wife, Molly Hooper, by forcing them to work together on a theatre project. But it isn't all smooth sailing when his and Sherlock's sister comes back from the States with a boyfriend who is the devil incarnate...and all hell is about to break loose. #7 Story Title: A Boon For You, A Boon For Me Pairings, Characters: Mycroft Holmes/Molly Hooper; Molly Hooper, Mycroft Holmes, Sherlock Holmes, Eurus Holmes, James Moriarty, Siger Holmes, Mummy Holmes Rating: General | G Warnings: No Warnings apply Summary: When Molly saves the life of a fairy prince, she’s given the chance to ask for whatever her heart most desires, and since what she wants to do most is help others, she’s given the ability to grant boons by the prince’s eldest brother. Little does she imagine such a simple and generous wish will change her life forever... #8 Story Title: A Merry Christmas After All Pairings, Characters: Mycroft Holmes/Sally Donovan; Sally Donovan, Mycroft Holmes, Anthea, brief appearance by Sherlock Holmes and Molly Hooper Rating: Teen | T Warnings: No Warnings apply Summary: Sally and Mycroft make an arrangement to have a pretend relationship together, culminating in a spectacular break-up at a destination wedding in Hawaii. But what they intend to have happen doesn't go according to plan when pesky feelings decide to get involved. #12 Story Title: Desperate Times Call For Desperate Measures Pairings, Characters: Sherlock Holmes/Molly Hooper, Mycroft Holmes/Anthea, Mr. & Mrs. Holmes, OC pairings; Sherlock Holmes, Molly Hooper, Mycroft HOlmes, Anthea, Mummy HOlmes, Siger Holmes, OC Holmes Brother, assorted OFCs and OMCs Rating: Teen | T Warnings: No Warnings apply Summary: It all begins with an invitation to Mycroft's wedding to his PA and seven days at a resort in Jamaica, with the assumption that Molly pretends to be his girlfriend that his mother might be under the impression that he's going to propose to sooner rather than later. It ends up being so much more than that... #13 Story Title: Ever Changing, Ever Growing Pairings, Characters: Sherlock Holmes/Molly Hooper, background Mycroft Holmes/OC and John Watson/Mary Morstan Rating: Explicit | E Warnings: Major Character Death Summary: They make the arrangement to present what society wants from them to the world as husband and wife, but childhood friends Sherlock Holmes and Margaret Hooper agree that their lives are their own. But with the death of Sherlock's brother and an unexpected scandal, their marriage of convenience is shaken. Will their friendship remain intact as their marriage falls apart, or will they decide that it is in their best interest to make this a true marriage between partners instead? #19 Story Title: Neither Living Dead Nor Fully Living Pairings, Characters: Sebastian Moran/Molly Hooper, past Sebastian Moran/James Moriarty and James Moriarty/Molly Hooper; Sebastian Moran, Molly Hooper, Sherlock Holmes, OCs Rating: Explicit | E Warnings: Major Character Death, Character death is temporary, as character is turned into a vampire Summary: When Sebastian Moran inherits a building, a business and a servant from James Moriarty, he tries to live as normal a life as he can. But when Molly Hooper does the unthinkable and falls in love with him, he finds himself fighting a battle he'd never imagined he'd be in. #21 Story Title: Nothing's Changed That Matters Pairings, Characters: Sherlock Holmes/Molly Hooper, past Mycroft Holmes/Anthea; Sherlock Holmes. Molly Hooper, John Watson, Eurus Holmes, Greg Lestrade Rating: Teen | T Warnings: Major Character Death Summary: When Sherlock comes to Molly in Oxford ten years after their divorce with a favour to ask, she agrees to help. While a lot has changed some things remain very much the same...including the love that Sherlock and Molly once shared. #22 Story Title: Old Books & New Flames Pairings, Characters: Sebastian Moran/Molly Hooper, Greg Lestrade/Sally Donovan, John Watson/Mary Morstan; Molly Hooper, Sebastian Moran, Mary Morstan, Sally Donovan, Greg Lestrade, John Watson, Jim Moriarty Rating: Explicit | E Warnings: No Warnings apply Summary: When Sebastian Moran asks local bookstore owner Molly Hooper for a job, all he wants is a second chance to live the life he should have been living before prison. What Molly gets is more than a loyal employee and good friend. What she ends up with is what she had always wanted her entire life: happiness. #24 Story Title: Rectifying Past Mistakes Pairings, Characters: Sherlock Holmes/Mary Morstan; Sherlock Holmes, Mycroft Holmes, Anthea, Mary Morstan, John Watson, Mrs. Hudson, Molly Hooper, Greg Lestrade, Sebastian Moran Rating: Teen | T Warnings: No Warnings apply Summary: When Mycroft gets Sherlock out of Serbia, he drops a bombshell on him he isn't quite prepared for: after years of being gone out of his life, Sherlock's ex-wife Elizabeth has reappeared, under the name Mary Morstan. While he was off taking care of Moriarty's mess she was protecting those he cared about and helping his brother, for reasons, he finds, that she is keeping close to the vest. But when they're forced to stay in close quarters at Baker Street both secrets and old wounds come to light and, perhaps, things might turn out for the best after all. #25 Story Title: The Babe On The Doorstep Pairings, Characters: Mycroft Holmes/Anthea; Mycroft Holmes, Anthea, Greg Lestrade, OCs Rating: General | G Warnings: Child Abandonment Summary: One morning an infant is left on Mycroft’s doorstep with a note, signed by a woman named Laura. As Mycroft tries to find out who would entrust a child into his care he slowly opens his heart to the infant and lets the other people in his life that he’s kept at arms length in more, bit by bit. #28 Story Title: The Head Knows What The Heart Wants Pairings, Characters: Sebastian Moran/Molly Hooper, background John Watson/Mary Morstan; Sebastian Moran, Molly Hooper, Sherlock Holmes, Mary Morstan, Mycroft Holmes, Eurus Holmes, OCs Rating: Explicit | E Warnings: Mild violence Summary: After the revelation that there had been some plotting between Moriarty and Eurus before his death, Sebastian Moran had decided to do whatever it took to keep Molly safe...even if that meant ruining whatever the results of his ex-lover's collusion with the Holmes sister were. But after enough time had gone by, things changed, and that was when Eurus decided to strike. That was when Sebastian couldn't deny the truth any longer: Molly Hooper had become the most important person in his life...and he would do whatever it took to make sure she was safe. #29 Story Title: The Pesky Virginity Issue Pairings, Characters: Sherlock Holmes/Molly Hooper, John Watson/Mary Morstan, past Tom/Molly Hooper; Molly Hooper, Mary Morstan, John Watson, Sherlock Holmes, Tom, OCs Rating: Explicit | E Warnings: No Warnings apply Summary: After Molly's engagement ends she decides she wants to rid herself of her virginity since that was a major cause of the dissolution of her relationship with her ex. When her friend Mary suggests she knows the perfect person, things don't go quite according to any sort of plan she may have had in her head...but it has a pleasantly surprising result nonetheless. #30 Story Title: To Live Again Pairings, Characters: Pre-Mycroft Holmes/Mary Morstan, background Sherlock Holmes/Molly Hooper, past John Watson/Mary Morstan;Mary Morstan, Mycroft Holmes, Molly Hooper Rating: General | G Warnings: No Warnings apply Summary: After the events at the aquarium which leaves most of the world thinking Mary Watson is dead, Mary deals with conflicting feelings and moving on in the wake of knowing her marriage is, for all intents and purposes, over. #31 Story Title: What Could Have Been, What Will Be In Its Stead Pairings, Characters: Mycroft Holmes/Molly Hooper, past Sherlock Holmes/Molly Hooper, mentioned Anthea/Kate and Mr & Mrs. Holmes; Mycroft Holmes, Molly Hooper, Siger Holmes, Mummy Holmes, Greg Lestrade, Anthea, OCs Rating: Teen | T Warnings: Major Character Death Summary: When Sherlock dies, he leaves behind a woman he planned to marry and a child he did not know about. Mycroft is determined to take care of them both in his brother's stead, but nothing is ever as easy as one plans. That is the true Holmes legacy. BBC Sherlock/Doctor Who #32 Story Title: The Detective And The Hound Pairings, Characters: Sherlock Holmes/Amy Pond, background John Watson/Lorna Bucket; Sherlock Holmes, John Watson, Amy Pond, Henry Knight; other Sherlock characters in"The Hounds of Baskerville" Rating: Teen | T Warnings: Unconcensual drug use Summary: Sherlock and John get given a case from Henry Knight, who believes his father was killed years prior by a hound in the moors. But what starts as a much needed break from the tedium that Sherlock is experiencing turns into a case that has him questioning many things and feeling something he has not felt in a long time: the type of fear that leaves you with a chill in your bones. BBC Sherlock/Marvel Cinematic Universe #34 Story Title: A Potential Loophole To Exploit Pairings, Characters: Thor Odinson/Jane Foster, Sherlock Holmes/Molly Hooper, implied Loki Laufeyson/Darcy Lewis, Phil Coulson/Melinda May, Antoine Triplett/Daisy Johnson, Jemma Simmons/Leo Fitz and Clint Barton/Natasha Romanoff; Thor Odinson, Loki Laufeyson, Frigga, Phil Coulson, Molly Hooper, Sherlock Holmes, Mycroft Holmes, Tony Stark, Clint Barton, Jane Foster, Melinda May, Jemma Simmons, Leo Fitz, Antoine Triplett, Daisy Johnson, Darcy Lewis, Sif, Heimdall, OCs Rating: General | G Warnings: No Warnings apply Summary: After Thor and Loki leave a meeting with their mother, they start to talk about what can be done to stave off the foretold arrival of their sister, Hela, and begin to make plans. BBC Sherlock/Midsomer Murders #37 Story Title: Every English Village Has Its Secrets Pairings, Characters: Past/Unrequited Mycroft Holmes/Gregory Lestrade, Tom Barnaby/Joyce Barnaby, Sally Donovan/OMC; Greg Lestrade, Sally Donovan, Mycroft Holmes, Tom Barnaby, Gavin Troy, OCs Rating: Teen | T Warnings: Summary: When Greg and Sally get called to Midsomer County for a case, right from the start Greg knows it will be a headache when Mycroft offers him lodging (so long as he's alright with his former lover being his housemate for his time there), and it doesn't get much better when he meets DCI Tom Barnaby and immediately their Detective Sergeants take an instant dislike to each other when Sally arrives the next evening. And that isn't even getting into the actual case itself and all the secrets hidden in the village of Elverton-cum-Latterley... Black Sails #39 Story Title: a tide of hope Pairings, Characters: Abigail Ashe/Billy Bones Rating: Mature | M Warnings: mild violence Summary: "My point being, unless my crew decides that they don’t want to give me up for dead, and if what you say is true and no one will come looking for you, then we are very much stranded on this island.” Abigail Ashe awakens to find herself shipwrecked on an island. However, she is not alone. Abigail Ashe/Billy Bones, post season 3. Boku No Hero Academia/Star Vs the Forces of Evil #40 Story Title: Princess' guide (title may be subject to change) Pairings, Characters: Star Butterfly/Tenya Iida Rating: General | G Warnings: No Warnings apply Summary: A Sequel to 'An Earthling's Guide to Dealing with Mewberty' Star was serious when she offered to take Iida on a multidimensional adventure as a thank you for helping her get through Mewberty, and after hearing about the Hero Killer's capture, and Iida's own encounter with Stain, Star is more sure than anything else, that her friend could use some uncomplicated fun. Code Geass #43 Story Title: World Enough and Time Pairings, Characters: Suzaku/Lelouch and Gino/Kallen (both minor) Rating: Teen | T Warnings: Graphic Violence Summary: Six months after Ragnarok, all Kallen wants to do is protect the people she loves, even if it means betraying everything in her heart to serve a Britannian prince. Suzaku wants to reverse a mistake he made but would never take back. Euphemia is willing to risk everything of herself in order to be a better person and find a cure. And Lelouch... Lelouch wants to make the world safe for his little sister, even if it means destroying everything in his path. (The AU where the royal family controls the elements through music instead of Geass, and the Ragnarok Connection united the living and dead... by bringing back the dead.) Critical Role Campaign One/Dragon Age Origins (Awakening) #44 Story Title: TBA Pairings, Characters: Vax'ildan/Keyleth; Vax'ildan, Percy, Vex'alia, Scanlan, Keyleth, M!Mahariel, probably others from both canons, Grey Wardens from Awakening Rating: No Rating Warnings: Chooses not to use Warnings Summary: Merging of the two canons, but mainly in the Dragon Age setting with some Critical Role characters. Vox Machina finds the ancient thaig containing the tomb of the Raven Queen's champion, but in the process Vax'ildan is infected with the Blight. Only Loral Mahariel, hero of Ferelden, can save Vax's life -- but will he be willing to pay the price? Crossing Lines/Grey's Anatomy/Hawaii Five-0/Marvel Cinematic Universe/The Sentinel/S.W.A.T. #45 Story Title: This is our sanctuary Pairings, Characters: Steve Rogers/Bucky Barnes/Tony Stark, Clint Barton/James Street, Natasha Romanov/Sam Wilson, Ellie Defont-Bogard/Sebastian Berger Rating: Mature | M Warnings: Graphic Violence Summary: Clint Barton and Jim Street have been together for about a month as Guide and Sentinel when Jimmy's mom is released from prison. Clint wants Jimmy to have nothing to do with his emotionally abusive, Hydra mother. But Jimmy feels he owes Karen Street too much to abandon her, and Clint loves Jimmy too much to break his Sentinel's heart. So despite Clint's misgivings, they go to Los Angeles to visit her. The idea is to spend a couple hours with Karen and then hopefully never see her again. But what not even Jimmy realizes is how much Karen hates Clint for being Jimmy's Guide instead of her. Or how far she'll go to get her son back. Because Karen Street will do anything to get her son back. The problem is, Clint and Jimmy might not survive it. CSI: NY/Law & Order #47 Story Title: Theraputic Pairings, Characters: Eventual Danny Messer/Lindsay Monroe; Danny Messer, Mac Taylor, Emil Skoda, Don Flack Jr., Lindsay Monroe, Lennie Briscoe Rating: Teen | T Warnings: Major Character Death, Character deaths are in the past, but they were characters from CSI: NY Danny knew Summary: In Danny's eyes, the hits just keep on coming...though this particular hit may turn out all right in the end. DC Extended Universe #49 Story Title: Pairings, Characters: Dick Grayson Rating: Mature | M Warnings: Graphic Violence Summary: After Superman dies, Dick Grayson reconnects with his father Doctor Who/St. Trinian's #51 Story Title: Adventures In Unexpected Places Pairings, Characters: Rory Williams/Amy Pond; Amy Pond, Camilla Fritton, Kelly Jones, Eleventh Doctor, Rory Williams, Mels Zucker Rating: General | G Warnings: No Warnings apply Summary: After being sent to the worst school in the whole of England, Amy meets up with the man whose fault it is that she’s there, and things go vastly more differently than anyone expected. Football RPF #54 Story Title: It's A Long Way Up When You Hit the Ground Pairings, Characters: Christian Eriksen/Vincent Janssen Rating: Mature | M Warnings: No Warnings Apply Summary: Vincent's future is still uncertain, but rather than dwell on it, all he wants to do is welcome Christian home from the World Cup and find a few moments of bliss in each other's company before the world comes along and sweeps them away again. Christian, however, isn't making things at all easy, and Vincent starts wondering if maybe he has other ideas. A story about moving in, uncertainty, finding true friendships, and questioning everything about your past, present, and future. Gilmore Girls #55 Story Title: The Thing He Carried Pairings, Characters: Rory Gilmore/Jess Mariano and Luke Danes/Lorelai Gilmore Rating: Teen | T Warnings: No Warnings apply, Minor violence Summary: This story is based on a post on Tumblr pertaining to what if Jess did not go to California. It is also based on 'The Things That He Carried' by Tim O'Brien, who also wrote an episode of 'This Is Us'. It's about growth and acceptance. it's about love and relationships. It's about rising above adversity. Hannibal #59 Story Title: The Art of Her Mind Pairings, Characters: Hannibal Lecter/Will Graham, Aralie/Travis Rating: Explicit | E Warnings: Graphic Violence, Depiction of drug use Summary: A young girl was accused of murdering her entire family, but one clever psychologist got her to serve a five year sentence at a mental institution. The day she is released from the hospital, Aralie has to adjust to life beyond her past. Aralie finds that when her anxiety becomes to much she occupies her mind with sketching the world around her and losing herself in ballet. Harry Potter #61 Story Title: Lionhearted Girl Pairings, Characters: Regulus Black/Severus Snape (minor), no other pairings at this time, but future Female!Harry Potter/Neville Longbottom Rating: Teen | T Warnings: No Warnings apply, Forced Amnesia Summary: Roswitha Artemis Black had gone from orphan to heiress to daughter in remarkably short time frame, like a dream come true. Now starting her first year of Hogwarts, she faces challenges she is certain regular first years don't have to deal with -- like the castle talking to her and demanding she find and evict an artifact deep beneath the stone floors. Or how whispers of another girl, nameed Heather Potter, stir some strange dream within her. #62 Story Title: Pairings, Characters: OMC/Pansy Parkinson, Harry Potter/Draco Malfoy Rating: Warnings: Summary: Evan Potter grew up knowing two things were true: that he was the Boy Who Lived, and that because of that, it wasn't safe for his squib brother Harry to live in the magical world. He'd be an easy target for any angry Death Eater who wanted revenge. No matter how badly he wants to be an ordinary kid with an ordinary brother, his life is never going to work that way. Then it turns out that Harry isn't a squib after all. And when Evan follows him into Slytherin to protect him... well, maybe his life isn't as set in stone as he'd always thought it would be. Hetalia #63 Story Title: From Spacious Skies, To Perilous Fight Pairings, Characters: America (Hetalia); Canada (Hetalia); Germany (Hetalia); North Italy (Hetalia); England (Hetalia); France (Hetalia); Molossia (Hetalia); Additional micronations Rating: Mature | M Warnings: Graphic Violence, Invasive Medical Procedures Summary: America’s explosive appearance on the national stage sent ripples of shock throughout the world. As he grapples to find his place as the Personification of the United State of America, dark forces begin to stir once more. Sequel to"In Need of Representation". James Bond #65 Story Title: My Partner the Car Pairings, Characters: James Bond/Alec Trevelyan/Q Rating: General | G Warnings: No Warnings apply, Canon-Typical Violence Summary: James Bond's partner, Alec Trevelyan, recently died. When he goes to pick up Alec's old car, he discovers there's more to the Jaguar than he realized, and that Alec wasn't as dead as everyone thought. With the assistance of MI6's Quartermaster, James has to find Alec's body, and somehow return Alec's spirit to his body. It might be an impossible task for some, but not for MI6's best Double O's. Law & Order #66 Story Title: a moment of transition Pairings, Characters: Mike Logan/Elizabeth Olivet; Mike Logan (Chris Noth), Elizabeth Olivet (Carolyn McCormick), Caroline Olivet (I'm picturing Madeline Zima), Lucas de Motigny (OC, I'm picturing Tom Sturridge) Rating: Mature | M Warnings: No Warnings apply Summary: Caroline Olivet starts her first semester at Yale. Les Miserables #67 Story Title: We’ll take a cup of kindness, yet Pairings, Characters: Minor/Background relationships. Grantaire, Enjolras, Courfeyrac, Combeferre, Joly, Musichetta, Bossuet, Bahorel, Bahorel’s laughing mistress, Feuilly, Jean"Jehan"Pouvoir, Eponine Thenardier, Marius Pontmercy; Cosette; Gavroche Rating: Teen | T Warnings: No Warnings apply, Alcohol, mentions of marijuana, Summary: They’re having some sort of winter holiday… thing. She’s never quite sure what to call these gatherings. They're not religious, and they’re not meetings; they have regular meetings and this is not one. But, it’s not quite a party, either. It could be if they decided on a theme or reason, beyond"its cold and we’re all busy and everyone else is getting together, so let’s eat food and enjoy each other."So, it’s a thing. That works right? They’re having a December Thing. In which R discovers Enjolras can cook, Cosette tricks Gavroche into eating vegetables, Bossuet both forgets and wins at White Elephant, and having close friends is just generally awesome. Marvel Cinematic Universe #71 Story Title: till human voices wake us Pairings, Characters: Steve Rogers/Tony Stark, Clint Barton, James"Bucky"Barnes, James"Rhodey"Rhodes, Rating: Mature | M Warnings: Chooses not to use Warnings Summary: Tony is called out on a rescue mission. Things deteriorate from there. [post-Civil War sort-of fix-it reconciliation fic, de-aging (kid!Steve), action/adventure, ensemble, eventual Steve/Tony] #73 Story Title: Whoops, I slipped Pairings, Characters: Tony Stark, Steve Rogers, Clint Barton, and the rest of the Avengers in more of a supporting role Rating: General | G Warnings: No Warnings apply Summary: There's an explosion in the labs and Tony Stark finds himself in the body of a 3 or 4 year old. Unfortunately, his adult brain is calibrated for an adult body and all of the connections are scrambled, so he's in a bit a pickle. It's hard to let your teammates know that you're capable of rational thought when you can't even figure out how to operate the controls that enable you to walk and talk. Once Upon A Time #77 Story Title: The Stowaways Pairings, Characters: Ruby/Belle, Killian/Emma Rating: Teen | T Warnings: No Warnings apply Summary: On a much needed vacation, Emma and Killian find that they are not alone on the Jolly Roger. Original Works #78 Story Title: Taking Over Pairings, Characters: Original Male Character/Orc, Original Male Character/Original Male Character Rating: Explicit | E Warnings: Graphic Violence, Major Character Death, Chooses not to use Warnings, Past abusive relationship, PWP that grew plot, Summary: The King is dead, long live the King... As king's consort, Teyrin had never expected any strife. Then the orcs attacked. Now Teyrin has found himself torn between two world: rebellion against the new King of Athary is brewing in Neith. However, stuck at the castle, Teyrin finds himself falling in love not just with the Orckish culture, but with their king as well. As the consequences get more dire, Teyrin finds the stakes increasing. It's no longer just his life that hangs in the balance. Peaky Blinders #80 Story Title: A Battle Joined Pairings, Characters: Esme Shelby/Tommy Shelby Rating: No Rating Warnings: Chooses not to use Warnings Summary: "Your wife is gone, Tommy. Does it matter how?" A sprawling tale of family and deceit, love and regret, anchored by Esme and Tommy's complicated arranged marriage. Primeval (BBC) #81 Story Title: untitled role reversal fic Pairings, Characters: Nick/Stephen, Ensemble Rating: Explicit | E Warnings: No Warnings apply Summary: Nick emerges from an anomaly into a world where Stephen is still alive . . . and Nick is the person who betrayed the team by siding with Helen. Nick doesn't know if he could return to his own 'verse even if he wanted to, but finds that Stephen is reason enough to make him want to stay in this one. At first Nick is distrusted, especially by Claudia. Nick helps the ARC by pointing out the differences between his world and this one and helping them try to figure out what Helen's up to. Eventually he is allowed back on the team; this time with Stephen as the team leader. Connor and Abby welcome Nick back with open arms (even if he isn't ~their Nick) and the four of them hang out together as a team and as friends. Nick and Stephen rekindle their friendship and grow even closer until they admit that the relationship they want is far different from the one they had before. (If you're familiar with Primeval, this fic was started for the role reversal square for trope_bingo.) Star Wars Legends, X-Wing series #92 Story Title: Just Like That, Everything Changes Pairings, Characters: Wes Janson/Derek"Hobbie"Klivian, Wedge Antilles, Tycho Celchu, minor characters Rating: General | G Warnings: No Warnings apply Summary: After years of being"just friends", an imminent separation forces Wes and Hobbie to finally accept their feelings for the other, and in time, they may even admit this to each other. Supernatural #93 Story Title: Angel of the Morning Pairings, Characters: Gabriel/Christa(OFC) Rating: Explicit | E Warnings: Chooses not to use Warnings Summary: slightly inspired by the Juice Newton song of the same name. sequel to Invisible Touch (OC Edition). Things don't go as planned for our golden-eyed Archangel (do they ever?) Not every human has an Angel as a soulmate, but every Angel has a human as a theirs. Will Christa be able to accept the truth when she finds out just how deep the bond between her and Gabriel goes? Or will she reject him forever? Can true love really conquer all? Transformers Generation One #98 Story Title: Pairings, Characters: Prowl & Barricade, Prowl & Bluestreak, Prowl & Bluestreak & Barricade, Prowl/Starscream, Prowl/Jazz, Codicil, First Aid, Lifeline, Nightstalker, Accord, Trailbreaker, Crosscut, Pulse, Incidental OCs Rating: Teen | T Warnings: No Warnings apply, Chooses not to use Warnings Summary: Prowl, a young single parent, manages raising his creation, the demands of his own neglectful former guardian, and seeks to enter into a relationship. TVXQ #99 Story Title: Digital Stockholm Pairings, Characters: Jung Yunho/Shim Changmin Rating: Explicit | E Warnings: mentions of suicide, stress induced anxiety, depression symptoms Summary: Yunho has no idea why there are concerning videos of Changmin on his laptop, but it might just unhinge the volatile and complicated relationship he’s maintained with Changmin for the last decade. Set at the end of 2014, a psycho-dramatic get-together fic. Voltron: Legendary Defender #101 Story Title: An Inconvenient Attachment Pairings, Characters: Keith/Pidge | Katie Holt, Ryan Kinkade/James Griffin (mentioned), past Pidge | Katie Holt/Original Male character, Pidge | Katie Holt Shiro (Voltron) Keith (Voltron) Iverson (Voltron) James Griffin (Voltron) Ryan Kinkade Rating: Explicit | E Warnings: No Warnings apply, Trans Female Pidge | Katie Holt, Accidental Voyeurism, Summary: In the aftermath of the failed Kerberos mission, Katie Holt descended into despair. No amount of skill would give her the information she wanted, especially after being banned from Garrison property by Commander Iverson. Thus there was only one solution in her mind. She had to infiltrate the Galaxy Garrison, to be close to the source and enable her to find what she needed to find to know the fate of her father and brother. Getting in was the easy part. Being able to stay? That was a little harder. Remaining unattached so she could focus entirely on finding her family? That was the hardest part, harder than she ever could expect after years of being brushed aside. #104 Story Title: show me what you're made of Pairings, Characters: Pidge | Katie Holt/Original Male Character, Pidge | Katie Holt/Ryou Shirogane, Pidge| Katie Holt, Ryou Shirogane Rating: Explicit | E Warnings: Underage Drinking, Dubcon, Implied/Referenced Self-Harm, Ryou is Shiro's twin brother, Trans female Pidge, Transphobia, trans slurs Summary: Katie Holt, graduate student at the Taylor-Keaton Institute of Technology, was proud of the work that her father and brother did at the Galaxy Garrison. Even knowing they were going to be gone for several months at the least going the furthest any manned mission had gone, filled her more with pride than with dread. Months passed, and then days passed without word from Matt. And then she saw the news. And her world crumbled apart. (A story in five parts about mourning, denial, and coming into adulthood by throwing oneself in the deep end and struggling to stay afloat.) Watch Dogs (Video Games) #105 Story Title: Hurricane Pairings, Characters: Aiden Pearce/Jordi Chin, Marcus Holloway/Wrench (Watch Dogs) Rating: Mature | M Warnings: Graphic Violence Summary: People keep going missing in downtown San Francisco, including a member of DedSec. When Marcus and the rest of the gang start to investigate, their mission runs face first into one that Aiden Pearce is involved in too—but this time, close and personal instead of from behind the safety of a camera and a drone. When all of that piles on top of a job Jordi Chin's on, Marcus begins to wonder if he's pissed off any unloving gods recently.

#WIPBigBang #WIP Big Bang #looking for an artist #looking for artists #artists needed #artist sign up #art claims #mod post #2019

[unproduciblesmackdown]

hablerie replied to your post

“eclipse, meteor, satellite thanks comrade.....happy natl coming out...”

that last one, Felt It... or like when u should have been more vocally Hurt instead of being like :) no ur good.... handshake emoji

love my achievement of being less convenient and feelin fine with being ruder to people. i really do not need the respect of any rando i’m encountering who has no place in my life, for starters. i have the lack of patience and the temper but i Also have the curse of “so for eons you Had to Not Say things you were perfectly justified in saying to terrible people” evolution and also if i’m stressed i’m already less likely to talk anyways so sometimes you Miss The Moment. and the whole “woop accommodate everyone” reflex but i Do have the “inherent belief i Should speak my mcfreaking mcmind” and that’s something gained. love to be meaner than i used to be! im giving myself the trophy

just off the top of my head: some people who really had it coming:

various times in elementary/middle school i sure could’ve been smarter at teachers and occasionally other students

the chemistry prof at the place i went to college

the second manager/owner at my first job

the second general manager at my third job

the assistant who told me i needed to clean rooms faster at the free dental clinic. like, i’m not gonna halfass wiping down these rooms, laura. sorry if my sterilization adds a whole ten minutes onto this endeavor for you

the manager we didn’t even work for at my second job where you went store to store as vendors, who wasn’t even being rude to me b/c i was shadowing this other guy who actually knew what i was doing b/c for some reason this job was like “yeah you can start on our second busied weekend of the year, when we’ll have no time to actually train you” and anyways this one guy was going on a Huge power trip at the very nice guy i was working with that day, and he wasn’t the type to get angry about that, but i was and i quit that job soon enough anyways and should’ve gone off at him b/c i was this fucking close anyways and he deserved it

managers going on power trips not even at me but who i was about to lose it at anyhow

customers

more customers

other customers

one time i was making a delivery and trying to figure out where the crap it was b/c the address was to a cordoned-off mid-renovations building and i was trying to look it up on my phone and some 70-something lady comes up to help and then gets an entire attitude acting like it’s obvious that i was making this delivery to a fucking ship. a goddamn boat with sails docked half a block over. like, oh i’m sorry, you wanna look at this paper and tell me where they mentioned it being an entire nautical ship??? why are you being all goote samaritan if you’re gonna get shitty about it. keep walking your bichon frise or whatever. the rich people in that entire area, i swear to god

coworkers pushing the “i swear to god” limits: the person who i guess considered me amusing enough to talk to but would do things like, too pointedly call me stupid sometimes, which isn’t enough on its own for me to give a shit, but what took the cake for me was the time i had to walk away for the express purpose of Not losing my shit at her on a special day i stopped at a gas station before coming in for my shift, briefly experienced some sexual assault there, came in to work agitated and frustrated and complained about it and she chose to say “wow i can’t believe you let him do that” and a nice coworker later tried to apologize on her behalf but i wasn’t even having that lmfao like. no.

somehow even Beyond that though was the coworker guy who would just like, be a bitch to people on purpose, like the time i talked to a baker i never talked to before b/c she was bemusedly like “yeah he said [bitchly thing to say]” and i was like yeah he’s just like that at any random time?? he’ll just do that deliberately?? to anybody? anyways so after i’d worked there for like 10 or 11 months, he used our department’s computer for something and saw what is regarded-as-legally recorded as my name but obviously isn’t my name, and then walked past me and clearly Pretended to ~slip of the tongue~ call me by that wrong name. this would’ve been a great moment to just go all out cause a scene. act 2 scene 4, jackass

coworkers Just Transphobe Things moments........jesus

that’s just some of the highlights of my Saltine B/c Bitches list. in fact times where i’m like “hmm maybe i should’ve held back my temper there” are mostly times where actually my only mistake was that i wish i’d committed more to just mouthing off to everyone. like, i hate all of you, thanks so much, and prioritizing Don’t Cause Yourself Trouble has done very little for me and been a detrimental hassle. i Do have some lil victories here and there, but not nearly enough. and too often it hasn’t even been me getting to express frustration or anything, but rather “me having to keep my cool and calmly voice my thoughts while grown people like twice or twice point fifth my age (mostly men) have a tantrum 

oh yeah, and at my second job i was maybe the only (or one of two? three?) non-cis-man workers at the particular facility i was based at and we had to come in for this meeting and a women from corporate was there and so were some other men and one of them pulled something so horrendously sexist to her i should’ve just gone right the hell off then and there. so too should any of the other like forty people in the room! but. ma’am i’m sorry about your crap day. time travel back to just go “What The Fuck” very loudly and clearly. fire me bitches, i only spent like five months at that place anyways

#hablerie #honestly love to be meaner; it is way better for me. hope to continue down the rude path of speaking my mind #already i've thought of like a half dozen other occasions i shouldve been way ruder #this isnt even accounting for my owed lifetime of flipping shit on my nightmare parents

[cloveroctobers]

i was wondering if you could do an imagine where olivia is sexually assaulted and after her behaviour around the house drastically changes until she eventually tells jordan + her parents? i just wanted to see a protective, baker family imagine that focused on her :))

TW: mentions of s******* assault, trauma, bodily fluids, college parties, panic attacks, depression, etc…

A/N: took me a minute to decide if I wanted to write this piece since it’s slightly triggering for myself and can be to others. Not overly detailed ofc but I hope when I do fully get back into writing we’ll have some happy moments to come! Especially for my girl Liv.

SOMETHINGS WRONG — O. Baker

Olivia Baker felt like she could make a list of what she can now label herself as which held negative connotations:

The pill popper

The drunk

That mixed girl

The other twin

The girl with no solid friends

The boyfriend-stealer

The wannabe woke girl

And now the victim

She couldn’t get her mind to grasp that. That this happened to her, that she let this happen to her. If she was in her right mind she would realize that this isn’t something she could ever blame herself for but she knew others would, if she ever let them know. But she wouldn’t, she couldn’t.

What was supposed to be a fun weekend in Atlanta turned into a moment she wouldn’t forget. It was all fun and games, it actually felt like the one true moment in time where she felt free and happy. Surrounded by good people with good intentions, which only consisted of Spencer, Jordan, and Simone. These were her main people, her right hands, and her go-to but that seemed to fade the night her life drastically changed—yet again.

The events that occurred that night were burned into her mind in spurts. Olivia couldn’t piece them all together but she knew. She knew something was wrong with the way that she felt even though she was dressed as if nothing occurred. She knew the moment she pulled herself off the floor in her own drool to look at herself in the mirror that something was wrong. She knew it in her appearance and in the way that she felt. Her confirmations were proven correct when she decided to use the bathroom, what she felt, and what she saw.

She was gagging and struggling to breathe. Olivia Baker knew something happened to her when she realized she woke up alone on the cold bathroom floor. She was doing so well and thought she was stronger than this, how could this be added to the things of what happened to her or what she allowed to happen to her? Her mind was weak, somewhere in the night she let her guard down and now she was here. It all felt like her fault.

What will they say about her now?

Olivia’s experienced a handful of trauma in her teenage life before but THIS…this was something else. She felt like she was going to pass out again until she found the strength to let the anxiety take its course in subsiding. Pushing herself up with a huge whimper and wince, she began searching the bathroom for her phone as it was not on her body. She remembered the first thing she wanted to do was document this because as soon as she got back to Simone’s aunt’s house she was going to wash away the filth she felt.

Perhaps that was another mistake but she couldn’t erase what she felt beneath and on her skin. It felt like Olivia was moving in slow motion searching the fancy bathroom, stumbling and shoving items out of the way in search of her device. When she slipped on something in the bathroom, she failed to catch herself, her cheek colliding with the tile floor, she knew that would leave another bruise along with the rest on her body. Her eyes connected with the object which looked to be covered in what appeared to be blood.

With a shaky finger she reached out to it, and recoiled back as her finger became coated in the copper stench. That’s when the tears began to cloud her vision and she wanted to cover her cries but she felt frozen, like she did hours prior. So she cried until her body ached internally and furthermore externally, and with a shaky breath those came to a halt when she heard something rattling.

She moved painfully slow, ripping the shower curtain back to see her phone tossed in the stone shower face down. Swallowing, she picked the phone up to see that the now missed call was from Jordan. She had over thirty missed calls and fifteen text messages. Blinking Olivia unlocked her phone and opened up her camera and angled her phone before hearing multiple shutter speeds.

At least that part of her mind was still functioning. She thought to herself bitterly as she went over to the mirror once again, setting her phone down on the counter to call a Uber back to Simone’s aunt’s house.

This was just another scar in her story, she guessed. So she rinsed her face, and gave Simone a call first…feeling as if this was the best option out of the three…when all she really wanted to do was call her mom.

“Olivia!” Simone greeted, “Girl, where the hell are you? Last night was so crazy and Jordan was trying to stalk you but realized you turned off your location, which he said is something you’d never do but I figured since you went off with Othello and them you would be fine.”

It took a minute for Olivia to respond. Her vision still locked on her reflection as that name sent something through her. Making her eyes close shut as she heard the voice introduce itself with that name but she couldn’t connect the face to it. However it seemed like Simone was familiar with who Olivia disappeared off with.

“I’m in a Uber on my way back to your aunt’s house.” Olivia knew she sounded like herself to Simone but her face was stoney and she did not feel like herself…as to be expected.

Simone nodded, “okay…cool! I’m glad you got back to one of us because we were getting a little worried.”

“Worried I’d relapse?” Olivia stated but cleared her throat knowing Simone didn’t deserve the brunt of her trauma, “Please tell me Jordan didn’t call our parents.”

Simone chose to ignore that, wishing later that she didn’t—however her and Olivia were still trying to build their relationship as in-laws so they were still feeling out each other’s temperaments and personalities, “No. I persuaded him not to…although I know that would have changed if you didn’t show up at some part today and I don’t blame him. Him and Spencer are getting a little stir-crazy without you. So please bring your butt here so my aunt can take us to this flea market she keeps going on about.”

“Alright,” Olivia breathed out a laugh that felt humorless to her, “I should be there in ten according to the ride but we all know down here in the south it’s really thirty minutes.”

“Tell me about it! It’s always ‘oh, it’s right down the street!’ But why we still driving tho?!” Simone laughed, “see you soon. I’ll let the boys know you’re on your way.”

And with that they ended the call.

Olivia shoved the clothes she worn that night back underneath her bed, still unwashed and out of sight. She went searching under her bed after her black oil pastel pencil slid off her bed. It was always in the back of her mind that the clothes rotted underneath the place where she lay her head. Sleep no longer existed to her but it’s not like a good portion of concealer didn’t help hide her puffy bags.

Olivia was violated going on about three weeks now and she was expected to go on like everything was okay. That was the challenge. And it was exhausting and moments throughout her day felt like someone would hold onto her throat and squeeze for minutes at a time.

She kept up with her therapy so that nothing about her seemed suspicious. She had thoughts about her pills and the thoughts about sipping alcohol made her stomach turn—so perhaps that part was a good thing. Her dad moved back into the house so the family dynamic was shifting yet again, her mom made it her mission to not have any booze in the house and any over the counter medication that was addressed to any of them in the house would be under only her and Billy’s care.

Those wouldn’t be strong enough for Olivia anyways, and that thought alone made her laugh bitterly but she was glad someone was taking the initiative to her health. Liv was not to have any access to it. It might not have been said but Olivia Baker always paid attention to everything.

She was doing well at hiding, almost flawless in her mind; that something had changed her life for the worse. Whereas with her pill popping/partying had been out in the open and her drinking was slightly undercover, Olivia thought she was doing well acting like her assault didn’t take place—yet the signs were there however it was cautious on how to approach. She had been careless, leaving her phone unlocked when she went off to the bathroom and with iPhone’s broadcasting your memories with photo’s was what lit the flame.

Laura was sitting at the island previously with Olivia while the boys were seated on the couch watching some game. She was sipping her voss water when Olivia’s phone let out the alert, which was closer to Laura’s view. At first Laura thought they were nudes but when she picked the phone up to click on the photo’s, she felt her heart drop to her stomach. A gasp unknowingly left her lips, causing Billy to look over his shoulder at his on-again wife.

“Laura, baby? Are you alright?”

Before she could say anything else Olivia walked back into the room, rubbing the hand cream further into her hands as she made her way over to her mom. When Laura snapped her head up to stare at her daughter, Olivia immediately stopped in her tracks feeling her mother’s eyes almost stinging her skin.

“Why are you looking at me like that?” Olivia tilted her head to the side, wondering why the blonde woman appeared distraught.

Laura wanted to hold the phone up but felt a protectiveness come over her not wanting to gain the attention of the two men in the house, even though Billy already had his body turned sideways at the exchange.

“Olivia, what is this?” Laura whispered, pointing at the phone.

It didn’t dawn on Olivia right away what her mother could be possibly be talking about, in a sense she tried to forget but when she looked back at her art pieces, once she completed them in her sketch book, she realized unconsciously it’s not something you can just forget.

Laura swiped against Olivia’s phone at each picture making Olivia sharply turn her head to the side and swallow the lump that formed in her throat.

“Who’s in these images, Olivia?!” Laura didn’t mean to raise her voice, but she wanted answers.

Now she gained the attention of Jordan who broke his eyes away from the commercial playing on the television.

Olivia chewed on her chapped lips not wanting to say anything. She didn’t want anyone else adding this to their list of things to worry about when it came to her. It was ironic really, Olivia Baker was always involving herself in everyone else’s issues but pushed her own pain to the side. She vowed with Spencer that they would start to only worry about themselves this senior year and yet Olivia seemed to not do that. In a sense…she going to therapy, she was picking back up her old hobby to ease her mind but the huge problem about this was she wasn’t talking about it. To anyone.

“Olivia—

Laura seemed to take a different approach, using what she learned in family therapy to level her tone and to not make her daughter feel cornered. However she was highly concerned and she wanted to hear what she already suspected from these pictures. She kept her eyes trained on Olivia who reached out to the island to balance herself, now feeling the room spin. Laura pushed the bar stool back and went to Olivia’s aid but she flinched, ripping her body away from her mother which made Laura let out a small sob.

“What’s going on?” Billy asked, now getting to his feet.

Laura didn’t want to show Billy the pictures but with the way she was clutching Olivia’s phone to her chest made the man snatch the phone from his wife’s grasp.

Billy on the other hand was furious. He rubbed at his face and Olivia didn’t want to see the expression on his face so she kept her back to the both of them now. It was when Jordan towered over Olivia, hoping that he could get an answer out of her opposed to what their parents were failing to do, he didn’t touch her but he paid close attention to the way she was acting right now and how his father was trying not to scream in the kitchen.

Something was wrong. Jordan could feel it more than sense it from what his parents were demonstrating, and yeah they were twins but they haven’t radiated the same energy off the other since they were kids. And who’s to know that might have just been in their heads like many people tried to argue but Jordan and Olivia were extremely close as kids, they shared a whole womb together so they had to share more connections outside in the world too? Their bond was much stronger as children but they were making their way back to each other as they got older. Yes they were their own people but it’s undeniable if they said energy was never a factor in their relationship as twins.

Jordan was calm as he peered down into Olivia’s for eyes, patient, waiting for her to say what she willing to say. Everything was silent to her ears, Olivia blocked out Billy wheezing out his frustrations as he crouched down in front of the island and Laura’s cries.

Olivia felt so small.

Jordan knew before Spencer said something that Olivia was acting a little off. He tried to be better as a brother in paying attention to her as she always did for him. He was worried when she disappeared off with some kid named after Shakespeare that Simone used to spend summer’s with as a kid. Sure Simone said he and his friends were good people but they were also a year or two older, settling into the toxic part of college life. He was the last one with Olivia after they watched some performances with Spencer and Simone already on the dance floor with other people.

“You let Liv go off with these people we don’t even know?” Jordan remembers Spencer saying to him after he got off the dance floor.

Jordan didn’t like how Spencer said this to him so he replied back with, “you were just on the dance floor with someone you don’t know. None of us control my sister, Spence. She’s allowed to hang out with whoever she wants. Plus Simone says Oscar is good people.”

“That’s not what I meant and you know that man,” Spencer tried to come correct, “Simone said she only spent summers with othello,” He informed Jordan of the guy’s actual name which Jordan sucked his teeth at, “so that doesn’t mean she really knows him all that well either.”

“Are you trying to question my girl, right now?” Jordan furrowed his brows, always looking for a fight due to his impulsiveness.

Spencer raised his brows, “I’m not questioning nothing. I’m just stating the obvious. We don’t know nobody out here, we not from here. We just have to be smarter is all I’m sayin’.”

Jordan didn’t like to be wrong but he felt like he wasn’t completely wrong? Sure his big brother instincts should have kicked in stronger but he was too focused on some corny dude pushing up on Simone. That was a little foul now that he thought back on it, Olivia should have been just as important—and she is. Which is why he wanted to do right in the present.

He noticed before Layla pointed out a couple of times that Olivia was bringing out the darker fashion choices and that it was nice to see sometimes, since she “did it so well.” He noticed before Simone told him to tell Olivia that she would be over to help her straighten the back of her hair out and he noticed that she was wearing eyeliner in her waterline again.

He noticed the long showers and staying outside in the rain, he noticed she’s been slacking on her podcast and scribbling in her old sketch book. He noticed her listening to nothing but Fiona Apple, Billie Holiday, old Alicia Keys songs, and Fefe Dobson instead of her usual song choices like: Aaliyah, Jorja Smith, Billie Eilish, H.E.R., Doja Cat, and Mereba. He even fought with himself at night standing outside her closed door to say something. He did remember asking her one night at dinner, which she barely ate, if she was okay and with a smile that didn’t reach her rimmed eyes…she said she was.

To Olivia it was silent as she admitted her truth about what happened to her in Atlanta, but to the rest of the Baker’s it was loud and clear. Over the course of three weeks, she gathered it all. The memories came back when they needed to and the fact that he reached out to her twice since she returned home was appalling. Olivia didn’t know if it was the guilt—that might have been a stretch…she didn’t know the piece of shit of a person at all, the audacity, or the curiosity on his part to see what she was going to do about this. If anything. She gave no information away in the DM’s, in fact she barely sent anything back.

There was no weight that lifted from her chest as she spoke her secret into the air, she still felt pain that she tried to numb down but it just felt like another burden she inflicted on her loved ones and she hated that idea. That she caused this. Most days she felt numb but she knew anger was brewing along the horizon.

Jordan went to Olivia who stepped back, which felt like Jordan just got punched in the gut. And he’s taken a lot of hits before in his eighteen years of life but this one might have been the worse blow he’s experienced. And that’s coming from a guy still healing from a concussion.

“Oh, god. I’m so sorry, Liv I—.” She heard Her twin say to her but it sounded like she was under water.

Life has been that way for awhile now, if you truly asked her.

‘I don’t want pitty.’ Her inner thoughts hissed. That was last thing she wanted. She was now coming to terms that she wanted this emptiness to vanish, if that was what this even was. She wanted to be back to where she was or at least as a kid where she didn’t have to worry about a damn thing. She didn’t want to endure what she’s been feeling since she entered her teenage years. Olivia Baker wanted so much more out of this life but lately it seems as if her purpose was to only be handed out shitty lessons instead.

What lesson was this? To showcase how the world can take away anything it wanted and leave you to deal or not deal with the aftermath afterwards?

The anger was indeed setting in.

Olivia didn’t realize that eventually Jordan put his arms around her and she gripped onto him for dare life. Her body didn’t shrink into itself like it commonly did weeks after what happened whenever someone touched her.

Her parents kept their distance picking up on the fact that she didn’t want to be touched but her other half held onto her and that seemed to be a step in the right direction for now. Instead Billy and Laura held onto each other too, their heads whirling around with how to further provide the best possible care for their daughter.

#all american #all american imagine #all american fanfiction #all american cw #Olivia Baker #Olivia Baker x reader #Jordan baker #Jordan Baker x reader #Billy baker #laura baker #spencer james #Simone hicks #Layla keating

[phoenix-k-scriven-fiction]

Mermaids, Macking, and a Little Thing Called Murder

At the age of twenty-three, Ana has all the freedom of youth, and a goal to match: she wants to chronicle the facts and fictions of unsolved crimes that happen to be surrounded by rumors of something beyond the natural. Whether kidnappings mired in faerie tales or property destruction explained away as ghosts, there’s always both a mundane story and a magical one behind every mystery, and splicing the two together spoke to the local culture in a way that made Ana downright giddy.

Unfortunately for Ana, the research trip to Grandmarch Bay unveils something entirely unexpected: an actual mermaid. Even as her research into a death from over twenty years ago starts to turn up startling elements that just don’t fit, she finds herself circling closer and closer to the girl with the gorgeous laugh.

Ana’s still unraveling the story for her book, but those eyes and that voice and that pretty, pretty face may prove to be more of a distraction than she can afford.

Welcome to the first chapter of my original story and the first publicly-available installment of my “Fae Horizons” universe. Chapters will be released to tumblr a week after Patreon for those who can’t afford to pledge. For early access, become a patron now!

Chapter One

Ana lifted a hand to her head to keep her hat in place, squinting against the wind that tore down the coast. It didn’t take more than a moment’s thought to decide that the temperature was low enough to warrant her bomber jacket. She ducked back inside, pulled on the brown leather, and left. A glance at the skies as she stepped out of the Bed and Breakfast showed her only pale clouds and a handful of seagulls.

At least it wasn’t raining.

Sturdy heels thudded quietly against the cobblestone of the side road, just as grey and mottled as the sky. The scuffed brown toes of her boots peeked out from under swishing blue skirts with every step, and she felt a tiny bit of tension bleed out from her shoulders as she made it to the flatter asphalt of the main road. Cobblestone was nice, of course, but it was so much easier to trip on than a flat surface.

Ana aimed for the bakery, a small part of her perking up like a child when she heard the bell over the door tinkle as she stepped through. The small building was warm, and the smells that drifted over from the display case were comforting. There wasn’t anyone in sight, so she tucked her hands behind her back and strode up and down past the glass for a few minutes, taking the time to make her decision for breakfast.

“Oh!”

Ana looked up and saw a woman stepping out of the backroom and into the store proper. Early thirties, maybe, probably Latina, and clearly one of the bakers, if the flour she was wiping off of her hands and forearms was any sign. Ana smiled and gave the woman a small wave. “Hi.”

“Sorry, I didn’t hear you come in,” the woman said. “I’m Janice. What can I get for you?”

“Can I get a chocolate croissant and two squares of the banana bread?”

“Coming right up!”

Ana waited at the cash register, credit card in hand. She passed it over when Janice came.

“Sorry, but I’m going to need ID if you want to use a card,” Janice said, giving her an apologetic smile. “I know everyone here by name, so I don’t need an ID most of the time, but for strangers like yourself…”

“Not a problem,” Ana said, digging out her license. “By the way, I don’t suppose you could tell me where I could go about getting information on the town’s recent history and urban legends, could you?”

“The library might be a good place to start. Or, well, the librarian, I guess,” Janice said. “I’d also give the pub a shot, in the evening. Some of the retired fishermen have a whole host of stories, you know?”

“I figured, yeah,” Ana said, smiling in what she hoped was a flattering manner. “So… can I have my card back?”

“Sure, Miss Ga…” Janice’s smile fell as she tried to read the name. “Um. Ga—”

“Ljiljana Gavrilović,” Ana cut her off, holding back a sigh. Every time. Wasn’t Janice’s fault, though, so she didn’t really deserve the bitching. “Don’t bother trying to say it; American ears can’t pick up some of the sounds properly. Call me Ana.”

“Can’t say I’ve seen a name like that in a while,” Janice said, handing the license over and moving to swipe the credit card through. “Russian?”

“Serbian,” Ana said, pulling the smile back up. “Still Slavic, but further south.”

“Serbia…” Janice made a face like she was trying to remember something. “Like the whole Kosovo thing?”

“…yeah,” Ana said, her voice almost as flat as her expression. “Like the whole Kosovo thing. Where’s the library?”

“Down the street and take a left into Hudson Court,” Janice said, passing over the card and bag of baked goods. “Are you o—”

“Thanks,” Ana said, turning and heading for the door as she slipped the card back into her purse. It swung open with a tinkle of bells that Ana did her best to ignore as she stepped back out onto the street and headed in the direction of the library.

Of course the one thing the woman knew about Serbia was the freaking Kosovo conflict. Of course it was. Why had she expected anything else?

She slowed down after a few buildings and took a deep breath, closing her eyes. The woman hadn’t known how much of a pet peeve this was. She hadn’t deserved the rudeness. And—

Ana looked down at her hands and, with conscious effort, unclenched the one that didn’t have a paper bag of goodies hanging from it. Her nails, short as they were, had dug into her skin and left deep indentations. There wasn’t any blood or ripped skin, though, so it didn’t seem like she’d damaged herself, at least.

She took another deep breath and turned, heading for the library.

o.o.o.o.o

“The Higgins drowning?”

“Yeah,” Ana said, leaning forward and trying on a smile. “I’m a journalist, but recently I’ve been trying to do a book on deaths that had supernatural stories attached to them. Gathering basic facts on the case is first, then local legends for context, and then the actual story.”

“Hm…” the woman tapped her pen against her lips. “I can help you find the newspapers, though they’ll be on microfiche. We’ve only got the last twelve years digitized, and this was… twenty-three years ago? It’ll be hardcopy, and I can’t let you take it out of the building since you don’t have a card with us.”

“I can work with that,” Ana said.

“You might be able to get some information from the police, if you drop by,” she continued. “There’s only about two dozen people there, and they don’t get much activity in a town this small. They’ll probably have time for you.”

“Only?” Ana asked.

“We’re not quite that small,” the librarian said with a wry smile. She shifted just enough for Ana to see the nametag on her chest. Laura. Huh. “But yes, I think I can make this work. You may want to stop by the pub on the waterfront. The retirees like to talk about this sort of thing, so you’ll be able to get the local legends out of them, for your background research.”

“I figured,” Ana said with a nod. “Are there any other possibilities, or can I start with the papers immediately?”

“I think that’s a good base for now,” Laura said, getting up. “I’ll show you the newspapers you’ll want, and once you’re done with those, I can point you in the right direction for the rest.”

“Thank you.”

“Adam! Come take over the desk for a minute!”

The microfiches weren’t in the best condition, but they were still more than workable. They gave Ana minimal information, but enough that she’d be able to turn what she’d found into the bulk of the introduction for the chapter on the Higgins drowning. She jotted down the names of the people involved, from the officers to the reporters, and made a note to stop by the newspaper’s main office and see if they had some more information.

As the clock struck noon, she reluctantly finished up what she could and moved back to her computer. Much as she loved working on the book, she did still have a day job, and while she was allowed to choose her own hours, to work from home, and to travel as she wished… she nonetheless did need to actually work. She did still have articles to write for the site.

Right. So. Today’s assignment was… compiling opinions on some new brand of lipstick. It had been out for two days already, and was from a popular enough company that there were probably reviews from makeup vloggers and on the company’s own site already.

Shouldn’t be too hard, she thought, and got to work.

o.o.o.o.o

On a sunny day in late August, 1995, twenty-seven-year-old William Higgins was found dead on the beach by a family out to enjoy the weather.1 Just a few hundred feet beyond the town limits of Grandmarch Bay, the death fell into the town’s jurisdiction, and was investigated by a detective from the local police department.2 The body was severely bruised, in a manner that suggested there had been a struggle with an attacker, and covered in scratches that forensics suggested occurred around the time of death. The scratches occurred in patterns that appeared to be made by either human or animal, rather than being caused by the rocks underwater after the drowning occurred.3

Higgins’ family and friends had related to the police and reporters that he had been drawing away from them recently, and visiting a set of caves north of the town. His truck was found near the caves, but the only prints found in the area matched his shoes. The case was declared a murder, but never solved, and all suspects were released due to a lack of motive and evidence.

o.o.o.o.o

“Hey.”

Ana looked up from her computer, though it took a few moments for the last wisps of ‘chemical compositions liable to cause allergic reactions in those with peanut sensitivities’ to clear from the front of her mind. She blinked at the man in front of her. “Er… hi?”

“I’m Adam,” he said, leaning over the table and holding out one hand.

“Ana,” she said, reaching out to shake the hand. “What’s up?”

“I’m one of the librarians here,” he told her. “It’s a bit slow here right now, so I have some free time and figured I’d check in on how you were handling the microfiches. I was wondering if you needed some help with that project you were telling Laura about?”

“Not at the moment,” Ana said. “I shifted into doing some articles for my day job a few hours ago, so right now I’m working on that. I can come find you once I go back to the research project, if you’re still game to help.”

“Ah. Any idea when that’ll be?” Adam asked.

Ana looked down at her computer and tried to gauge the word count. “Hour and a half, maybe?”

“My shift’s over in two hours, so if you still need help and I’m still around then, feel free to call me over,” Adam said, nodding. “You’re not the first person to come through looking for information on that case, but I think you’re the first that’s trying to put together both the mundane facts and the stories.”

“I like fusing the two,” Ana said. “There’s a level of intrigue there, I think. Why twist the facts when presenting them as they are and then showing the stories alongside is just as interesting? It’s… I’d say it’s more of a cultural study than anything. I’m not trying to solve the mysteries, or declare that there were supernatural forces involved. I just want to know what the stories were.”

“Seems interesting.”

“It is, but I really do have to get back to work, so…” Ana gestured at her computer again, and smiled as Adam excused himself.

Ana went back to reading the health report.

o.o.o.o.o

And here I was, Ana thought as she jumped around the video from one of the beauty vloggers and tried to find the quote she’d wanted to pull, doing her best to make sure she had it word-for-word, Almost forgetting how incredibly gay I am.

It really wasn’t a good idea to get distracted by how cute the vloggers were when she was supposed to be working. That was one of the job hazards, though. Obviously.

She dropped her head onto her arms and groaned.

Holy shit, I am so gay.

“Miss?”

Ana raised her head, and met the eyes of a little girl who couldn’t have been more than nine. “Hi?”

“Are you okay?” the little girl asked.

“I’m fine,” Ana said. “I’m just a little tired. My job is taking a while to do.”

“Okay!” The little girl said, waving as she left.

Ana pushed herself up straight and tilted her head to work out the kinks. Her neck crackled, an ugly sound that was loud enough to draw the attention of the girl from earlier, but Ana put a finger to her lips and winked at the girl, who covered her own mouth with her hands and ran off, giggling. Ana hunkered down and focused as best she could, finally finding the quote and finishing off her article. With a few minutes taken to make sure her links and references were in order, she sent it off to the editor.

Leaning back in her chair, Ana stretched and groaned. Her head fell back with a heavy sigh, and she tried to reorient her mindset towards the case she’d been researching. One glance at the microfiches was enough to have her sighing yet again, and she pulled the reader towards herself to hook it up to her computer again, and moved to reo—

Her stomach growled.

Oh. She’d skipped lunch, hadn’t she? Damn. It was almost three o’clock, and the library closed at seven…

Ana sent another look at the microfiches, biting her lip. She had the time… but she didn’t really want to put lunch off any longer, now that she’d remembered to be hungry, and she didn’t want to bother Laura to get it out again later, and she didn’t always want to rely on just the PDFs she’d saved…

Biting her lip, she got to her feet and headed for the front desk. Her things were visible from there, so it wasn’t much of a risk to leave them there for a moment or two.

“Well, hello there!” Adam said as she approached, grinning. “Something come up?”

“I was wondering if you guys had a printer on hand? I need to go to lunch, but I’m not done with the microfiches, and I don’t want to bother you for them again later. I’d like hardcopies to look over later anyway, so getting them printed would be best,” Ana explained.

“I have about fifteen minutes left,” Adam said, “Which should be just enough to help you out with that. Laura! I’m gonna go help the outta-stater!”

Laura, in the middle of checking out a book for a middle-aged man, lifted a hand in acknowledgement, but didn’t look over.

“So,” Adam said as he led the way over to the printers. “Where are you headed after your lunch?”

“Newspaper office, then police station, depending on how long the first takes,” Ana said. “After that, probably tomorrow… I’ll see about visiting people of interest, especially if the officers or reporters aren’t employed anymore, and then I’ll go down to the tavern that’s apparently on the waterfront to see if any of the older fellas have the mermaid stories I came here to find in the first place.”

“Organized,” Adam said. “Do you have those microfiche files saved anywhere?”

“I got them as PDFs on my computer,” Ana confirmed. “Can I print from there?”

“No, sorry. It needs to be from a library computer, so I was hoping for a USB,” Adam admitted. “Well, I guess we can bring the microfiches and the reader over and go from there.”

“You’re the specialist here, so sure,” Ana said.

Printing out the paper copies did indeed take the full fifteen minutes, and Ana packed away her bag with a sense of satisfaction. She’d actually gotten a lot done today.

“So.”

Ana yelped, scrambling not to drop her bag and turning around.

Adam stared at her, wide-eyed. “Uh. I promise I wasn’t trying to scare you?”

Ana put a hand to her chest, willing her heart to slow down. “Holy smokes. Okay. Hi. I kinda thought you left already.”

“Sorry,” Adam said, rubbing the back of his neck. “But I figured that if you’re from out of town, then you probably don’t know any of the good places to eat. If you’re okay with eating with a stranger, I could show you someplace before you head for the police station.”

Ana squinted at him. “Like… a date?”

“Uh, no.”

“Oh, thank god,” she muttered.

“…should I be offended?” Adam asked.

“Dating while on a research trip is just a level of complicated that I really don’t feel like navigating right now,” Ana admitted. “Also… lesbian.”

“Ah.” Adam nodded for a few moments, and then said, “Trans.”

“I didn’t want to assume.”

“I’ve been on T for long enough that I don’t think most people realize it,” he said. “So…”

“I hang out in a lot of queer circles back in New York, and after a while there’s just a feel for who happens to be which shade of the rainbow,” Ana said.

“So what you’re saying is that you’ve got gaydar?” Adam said with a grin.

“And I saw the trans flag pin on your shoulder strap,” Ana admitted, nodding at Adam’s bag and laughing when she saw his mouth open and close in surprise. “So… lunch?”

“How do you feel about clam chowder?”

o.o.o.o.o

“So... small town, trans kid. It’s safe here?” Ana asked as they walked down the street, hands hanging off the strap to her messenger bag.

“Well,” Adam hedged, drawing the word out. “I grew up here, so there wasn’t really much of a choice in both being myself and being in the closet. Either I didn’t transition, or I got out of the closet. Or left, but I do like it here, so...”

“I think I can get that,” Ana said, nodding. “So everyone’s okay with it?”

“I think they just got used to it, honestly,” Adam admitted. “I left town for a few years when I was getting my degree, and I looked different enough when I got back that I just... I don’t know. College was good to me. Going away for that long means that I went through the in-between stages of transitioning in a safer environment.”

“But home is home?” Ana guessed.

“Yeah.”

Ana bit her lip, mulling over what the best question to ask now would be. “So... what did you study?’

“Informational sciences,” Adam said. “You?”

“Double major in journalism and anthropology,” Ana said. “I like writing and I like studying culture, so... yeah. Minors?”

“Hebrew, believe it or not,” Adam said, and then grinned when Ana raised an eyebrow. “What?”

“As someone who knows another language due to growing up with it,” Ana said. “I’m always weirdly impressed by people who learn one later in life.”

“I mean, I did know some growing up. Learned some from my parents and at the synagogue. This was just refining and expanding it and whatnot,” Adam said. “You?”

“Serbian.”

“No, no,” Adam laughed. “I mean, like, your minors.”

“Oh! Uh, didn’t have any room in my schedule since I was double-majoring, honestly,” Ana admitted. “I did do volleyball, though? Club, instead of division, but it was definitely enough to keep me in shape.”

“You could probably bench me, huh?”

Ana snorted. “Hardly. I could probably bench a kid, but not most adults.”

“Most?”

“Some people are smaller or skinnier than others, and I’ve got shoulder muscles for days,” Ana said, stopping to turn to Adam and flex, holding the pose for just long enough that the joke of her jacket blocking the actual view managed to soak in. She chuckled and dropped her arms, setting back off down the sidewalk. “You?”

“Track,” Adam confirmed, and then slowed down and veered to the side, holding open the door of a restaurant off to the side. “After you, milady.”

Ana blinked at him. “Really.”

“Can’t have a little fun playing with the idea of old-fashioned chivalry?’ Adam asked.

“We’re not exactly at a Ren Faire,” Ana said, but gave a shallow curtsy anyway, skirt swishing as she lifted it. She walked past him and through the open door. “Now show me this clam chowder you claimed is the best in town.”

“Damn straight I will,” Adam said with a grin, following her in.

#Queer #Lesbian #Trans #Mermaids #Mystery #Murder #Modern Fantasy #Fae Horizons #Mermaids Macking and a Little Thing Called Murder #Phoenix Files

[greyias]

Gaming Meme

Thank you @aki888 for the tag!

Not sure who hasn’t done this yet... so please feel free to tag yourself in if you’d like to play! 

1. Favourite game from the last 5 years?

Hahahahaha... Star Wars the Old Republic.

2. Most nostalgic game?

It’s a tie between Final Fantasy 6 and Secret of Monkey Island

3. Game that deserves a sequel?

Oh... I don’t know. A lot of games I wound up really enjoying and getting into were part of a series.  

4. Game that deserves a remaster?

Um, Final Fantasy 6 deserves a real 3D remastering in 3D like Final Fantasy 7 et all got. I mean, I know why it didn’t, but that story, those characters, and that world deserve the royal treatment in my opinion.

5. Favorite game series?

Monkey Island, Final Fantasy, Sims, and it looks like SWTOR/Bioware games go in there. (I refuse to choose!)

6. Favorite genre?

RPG, Action/Platformers, and adventure/puzzle type games. Mostly anything character based where you can get sucked into another world and really get attached to the cast.

7. Least favorite genre?

First person shooters

8. Favorite song from a game?

Terra/the title theme from Final Fantasy 6. It has so much emotion and just evokes adventure, mystery, and longing to me. It also has some amazing remixes.  

9. Favorite character from a game?

This always change on when you ask me, but right now? I’m so stupidly in love with Theron Shan from SWTOR. Not even sorry, I love my Disaster Spy Princess.

10. Favorite ship from a game?

Theron Shan x Jedi Knight. Just... I have so many feelings about these two idiots. I love them so much.

11. Favorite voice actor from a game?

Troy Baker, Kari Wahlgren, Laura Bailey 

12. Favorite cutscene?

y u maek me pick? Ohhh... okay, if I have to pick just one, I think right now my favorite is the last cutscene in Rishi, because it was the first time I had seen my favorite two idiots genuinely smile and be happy in the game. I have so many other moments I love, but right now that’s probably my favorite. (And I don’t even have pictures of it.

13. Favorite boss?

...I’m trying to think of non-SWTOR answers here, but that’s where my brain is at. I think for boss fights, one of the ones I find most fun is the Malgus fight in the False Emperor storyline. While it can be a little frustrating, I like the fact that it has this little hero moment built in for each member of the party. Just kind of a cool thing that really draws you in.

14. First console?

Atari somethingsomething. My brother hogged it so I didn’t get to play it much.

15. Current console or consoles?

PC, PS3, PS2, Wii, PSP, and I have a Nintendo DS somewhere. 

16. Console you want?

I’m kind of happy with my PC? But I’ll probably have PS4 envy at some point when they inevitably publish a game I can only play there.

17. Place from a game that you’d like to visit?

Tython and Odeseen. I love the forested mountaintops. 

18. Place from a game that you’d like to live in?

Maybe Inaba from Persona 4. Other than the kidnapping and murder, it seems like a nice quiet town, if a little boring. And I’d live at that tofu shop.

19. Ridiculous crossover that would never happen but would be super fun?

Final Fantasy and Disney. lololol like that would ever happen! Can you imagine Mickey Mouse and Cloud Strife meeting up to do battle with Sephiroth? RIDICULOUS AMIRITE?

20. Book that would make a good game?

The Kingskiller Chronicles seems like it would be fun! 

21. Show/Movie that would make a good game?

A serious HIghlander game would actually be quite fun. Sword combat, immortality so you heal up between battles, lots of lightning and pyrotechnics. That crazy NeoGeo game based on the animated series almost no one remembers doesn’t count. Although I’m sure they had a NES game or something too.

22. Games you want to play?

The list is too long, and my Steam library is getting out of control. About half the time I wind up watching the cutscenes or a Let’s Play on YouTube and call it a day. Although I might pick up Quest for Glory or King’s Quest because I’ve had a lot of fun watching Paw Dugan play them and other adventure games. 

23. Have you gotten 100% completion in a game?

Probably not. I get distracted easily.

24. Have you cried over a game?

Yes. *glares at every favorite for their heartwrenching scenes*

25. What power-up or ability would you want IRL?

Just let me teleport so I can be lazy and not have to sit in traffic every day, plz

#gaming meme #tag thing #meme thing #thank you for the tag!

[spookyjudgement]

GBBO 2020 reactions Episode 4: Chocolate week, in which I presume I must push through my anger as the bakers are punished for failing to do chocolate work in an un-airconditioned tent in the middle of summer.

Ew with Paul being an ass in the preview.

“Chocolate releases endorphins but that tent does not always release endorphins” is both an excellent take and v sad.

Prue doesn’t want decorations...did she mention that when they were telling the bakers what to do this round? Of course not, immediately Lina has decoration.

LOL Matt’s shots at Paul while talking to Dave. A horrible man with a beard. A perfect description of Paul Hollywood.

Oh good luck to Peter, that sounds complicated and Paul and Prue seem judgy. I think it sounds like a good idea! Figs and chocolate go well together!

BAKING’S FOR LOSERS, NOEL PLEASE NOT IN A TENT FULL OF BAKERS

Ruby chocolate returns in Sura’s brownies I should google this and figure out what it is.

Oooooh Lottie is playing it risky with the double bake...good luck with her

Hermine is doing white chocolate, I hope they don’t take shots at her for that. Paul shut up and stop psyching her out about the oven temp. HERMINE DON’T LISTEN TO HIMMMMM

It’s baking, they’re brownies, of course they’re all sweet and of course the bakers will go for sweet toppings! Prue...please don’t follow through on your rubbish pre-bake comment.

You know your meringue is done when you have a trump on your whisk, incredible advice from Mark.

Paul should be banned from the tent/confined to a chair, I hate seeing him lurking behind the bakers.

Oof Lottie has an excellently dark/realistic way of describing things. It’s very funny. Freezer drip...I feel that. I suppose now we have an answer for why bakers don’t always put stuff in the freezer.

How much you want to bet Peter’s brownies are delicious and Paul is just taking it out on him because they’re not plain brownies.

Laura...oh no...Paul is gonna shit on her for it. Prue and Paul shut up about the topping.

Fuck off Paul, he just doesn’t like ruby chocolate and will shit on people for it. I agree with Laura, ruthless.

They’re once more hitting Mark with the stupid too sweet comment. What does Paul mean about the textures comment? Is he just mad about the biscuit base at all?

Of course Hermine got knocked for white chocolate. I didn’t think her flavors sounded like too much...

It seems like they just don’t like anyone’s brownie bakes.

Paul??? Why the fuck are you coming down on Hamish for being messy at the end? They were hot? The bake was good on those.

Moral of the story is that they didn’t want the contestants to do anything but a basic brownie. Like Lottie said, they all tried something different and Paul and Prue were basic as all hell and grossed out by everyone’s brownie variations. Like...what did they think they were going to get? This is Bake-Off, they’re always talking about creativity (and this season they literally saved Rowan for a week based on ideas alone). The inconsistency from P&P is ridiculous.

Mark don’t worry, the audience knows Paul and Prue are full of shit.

Paul, fuck off with the brownie challenge was easy.

Prue stop lurking.

aksdjfakjhdf oh no babka technical.

Well, with any luck Peter will remember what it is from previous seasons so maybe at least one of them stand a chance. I don’t trust whether they’ve been given detailed enough instructions.

Make the dough. Of course.

“Here we are again trying to make rectangles out of circles” iconic words from Lottie again.

LOL SURA THIS IS ALL EXTRA IT’S TOO LONG. Nervous for her for that decision.

How much you want to bet none of them had enough time for proving and baking really. It seems like very few of them have gotten theirs to increase anywhere near enough in size.

Good to see Peter’s looks good. Even though it hasn’t risen “as much” that tells me they had not enough time to prove really.

The fact that plaits didn’t seem to correspond to their taste conclusions tells me maybe they need to think harder about their judging criteria/maybe they are shitty tasters.

“bobka” you’re a judge Prue.

askdfjhasdfkh the fucking weather during chocolate challenges I’m praying for Sura but it’s summer.

OMG NOEL AND MATT’S INTRO TO THE SHOWSTOPPER I’M DYING. No more nappy for Paul!

Ah fuck white chocolate...here’s hoping Paul and Prue don’t slam them for sweetness. White chocolate is sweet. Also the decorations...in the tent...they’ll probably make them temper.

THERE WE GO FUCKING PAUL SAYS TEMPERED AND ALSO SAYS THEY MAY START TO MELT TF DO YOU EXPECT MAN. YOU TELL THEM TO MAKE WHITE CHOCOLATE DECORATIONS ok I’m probably gonna be pissed at this judging.

You only have to be not the worst??? What a vote of confidence in her abilities Prue.

I’m afraid for Sura. We know they do POC dirty and they were explicitly like “you did badly yesterday”.

ohh I’m scared for Peter...chocolate collars...hot tent...fingers crossed

I think Hamish should take Matt’s advice. Or maybe Matt should take Hamish’s advice and do it himself.

“The directions were brilliant” no they weren’t Linda. No they weren’t. Don’t give the bearded man a compliment.

I’m glad Matt is being realistic about Prue and Paul’s sweetness bs. Call! Them! Out!

Peter, the cake-whisperer listening to his cakes.

Oh. It’s too warm. Who knew that was gonna happen. And Paul’s gonna punish them for it as though he could deal with this warmth.

We went from one hour to ten minutes in no time at all...

I’m worried, they all seem like they’re struggling with the white chocolate temps. Peter said he needed chilling time and it doesn’t look like he’ll get any.

Less is not more, I feel that Lottie!

Worried about Sura...she seems stressed. Hamish is trying to help her...but she is many stress...

I’m surprised they think Mark’s looks good? I thought it looked a little plain.

It needs more of a hero flavor??? WHITE CHOCOLATE ISN’T AN OOMPHY FLAVOR!!!!! WHAT DID YOU EXPECT!

Lottie’s looks lovely.

I don’t think Sura’s looks bad! The cakes are a little tilty but the chocolate work is nice! Oh no :’(. Paul took a jab at her recipe since she mentioned the water, really only the bottom sponge seemed underbaked though? Really worried for her.

I mean white chocolate means a darker sponge no? Why’d he slam Dave for it? I feel like everyone has dark sponge edges, they’ve just covered it up with icing!

Hamish’s cake looks cute! I’m glad he got compliments for it.

I’m glad Paul liked Peter’s cake. It seemed a little like Prue had a...more negative comment.

I actually like the way Laura’s looks? It’s like intentionally messy! Which is nice! At least they liked the taste.

I’m living for everyone making fun of Prue’s weird wiggle-moan when she tasted Hermine’s cake.

They’re being clear that they want Sura to go and I am Not Happy About It. I agree with Noel, I love Lottie and Sura, neither of them should go. No one leave the tent. Ever. Everyone bakes on.

I think I like this bunch too much/they feel a lot more level with each other from bake to bake so the bitterness for people going home is just...gonna be heightened for the rest of the competition. Glad Mark won star baker though!

Of course they’re sad that she’s leaving. This is why Sura should have won star baker week one. She deserved it then.

This group seems really close. Probs the effect of being quarantined together.

Sura :’(

#food #the great british bake off #my post #shut up rima

[dweemeister]

NOTE: The following contains full spoilers and the beginning (not the end) of a moral discourse that could not have been in my review to The Force Awakens.

Star Wars: The Last Jedi (2017)

Walt Disney Pictures is about to win the 2017 box office by releasing only nine films (in order): Beauty and the Beast (March), Born in China (April), Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 (April), the fifth Pirates of the Caribbean (May), Cars 3 (June), Jagga Jasoos (July; a Bollywood film), Thor: Ragnarok (October), Coco (October), and now Star Wars: The Last Jedi. This will be a record low – unimaginable in previous decades where a major studio might release a few movies per month or one per week. As Disney moves to make fewer films every year – this is code for only producing larger-budget franchise blockbusters or live-action remakes of their animated classics and sacrificing Hollywood’s traditional bread-and-butter of low- and mid-budget movies – Star Wars may be the last cinematic experience that might be described as communal. In a fractured media landscape, individual tastes are being catered to, but there is less that unites society. Movies catering to major movie franchise fans and “arthouse/indie” cinephiles (permit me this generalization) are less likely to play in the same theaters, and neither groups are likely to give the movies that the other group likes a smidge of attention. Star Wars, by sheer popularity and its callbacks to classic Hollywood, bridges this divide.

The Last Jedi is the eighth episode in the saga, immediately following the events of The Force Awakens (2015). Rey (Daisy Ridley), along with Chwebacca (Joonas Suotamo; the retired Peter Mayhew served as consultant) and R2-D2 (Jimmy Vee), is on a lush island on Ahch-To (bless you!) hoping to be trained in the ways of the Force by Luke Skywalker (Mark Hamill). Meanwhile, in the aftermath of the First Order’s (a splinter of planetary systems from the dissolved Galactic Empire) decapitation of the New Republic’s government in the last film, the Resistance (distinct from the New Republic’s military; think of the Resistance as a Republic-sponsored insurgency/liberation paramilitary operating in First Order territory... thanks J.J. Abrams) is attempting to evacuate from the First Order fleet. General Leia Organa (Carrie Fisher in her last screen role; none of her scenes were altered/rewritten in post-production) is in command, and underneath her are Vice Admiral Amilyn Holdo (Laura Dern) and more familiar faces like Finn (John Boyega) and Poe Dameron (Oscar Isaac). We are also introduced to a Resistance maintenance worker, Rose Tico (Kelly Marie Tran). Within the First Order, Kylo Ren (Adam Driver) is concocting a fiendish scheme as Supreme Leader Snoke (Andy Serkis) wants Kylo to use Rey to kill Luke.

Other characters that appear are: droid BB-8 (puppeteers Dave Chapman and Brian Herring), protocol droid C-3PO (Anthony Daniels, who is now the only actor to have appeared in all Star Wars films with Kenny Baker’s passing), First Order General Hux (Domhnall Gleeson), a codebreaker named DJ (Benicio del Toro), Resistance ally Maz Kanata (Lupita Nyong’o), and the First Order’s Captain Phasma (Gwendoline Christie).

The Last Jedi sometimes recalls the worst impulses of The Force Awakens, which was weakened by too closely adhering to the plot outline of A New Hope (1977). We see uncomfortably close parallels yet again in The Last Jedi: the visual similarities between the Battle of Hoth (The Empire Strikes Back’s opening) with the film’s climax on Crait, thematic callbacks to Return of the Jedi (1983) when Rey is dragged into Snoke’s throne room (dark side students betraying masters; the use of red here made me think I was watching a Vincente Minnelli musical for a moment), and small portions of Rey’s training with Luke (such as another trippy cave filled with dark side vibes; otherwise, the Rey-Luke scenes were fine). But The Last Jedi is more committed than its predecessor to developing its epic themes and attempting to critique/reconfigure Star Wars’ ethos of light and dark, good and evil. Both are honorable pursuits and depicted sufficiently, but terrible editing and a disorganized screenplay from director-writer Rian Johnson (2012′s Looper) takes too much focus away from The Last Jedi’s achievements.

Star Wars’ Manichaeism – outside the underrated Revenge of the Sith (2005) – has never been truly challenged within the cinematic saga. The best writing noting the nuances of morality has appeared in other Star Wars media: the Knights of the Old Republic video game series and, to a lesser extent, Dave Filoni’s animated television series Star Wars: The Clone Wars and Star Wars Rebels. For a series whose roots come from two closely-related genres regarded for their moral complexities – samurai movies and American Westerns – this is mystifying.

But for The Last Jedi, there is an attempt to challenge, or at least an expansion of, this duality. It is in Luke that we see this reckoning with what he has unleashed. Years ago while still rebuilding the Jedi Order, the now-reclusive Skywalker detected that the young Kylo Ren – then in training under Luke – had been corrupted by Snoke. Luke contemplated killing his student, his nephew. A tragic misunderstanding ensued, resulting in Kylo Ren’s destruction of the Luke’s Jedi temple and the deaths of numerous Jedi apprentices. Regret has consumed Luke – here, regret is not an emotion associated with the dark side, but it prevents the personal balance and peace that Jedi seek. Luke believes himself culpable in the deaths of his students and that inner turmoil has disconnected him from the galaxy-at-large, severing his ties to others who care and would remind Luke that he can still learn and grow from his failure. Mark Hamill’s criticisms aside (legitimate as they are and as much as I agree with him), this is the most eloquently-written characterization in the Star Wars sequel trilogy.

Take the third line of the Jedi Code: “There is no passion, there is serenity.” Combined with the first line of the Code (“There is no emotion, there is peace,” – which I interpret not as emotional emptiness, but emotional balance), it is Luke’s unchecked repentance that shackles him, rather than achieving the serenity Jedi seek. Eventually, a veteran of the Clone Wars reminds Luke of these lessons as John Williams’ score recalls that veteran’s motif. As the Clone Wars raged, this veteran expressed concern that his fellow Jedi – through their participation in combat – were losing sight of peace, serenity. That Jedi is Yoda (Frank Oz; the Yoda puppet, reappearing here, is the best actor in the franchise), appearing as a Force ghost to Luke in a moment of catharsis for the latter. “The greatest teacher, failure is,” he intones. Luke’s regret over his failures – even years after the fact – can still be channeled and processed in constructive ways. He takes his old master’s words to heart. By the film’s end, he finds his peace and purpose in nonviolent sacrifice, amid a binary sunset.

As far as we know, the Skywalkers’ role in the Star Wars saga has concluded. It is now in the hands of the younger protagonists, especially Rey. Rey’s parentage has been the topic of cinematic speculation since The Force Awakens debuted. With Kylo Ren intimating that her parents were wasteful nobodies who died in anonymity – he may have been lying, but let’s assuming he wasn’t for now – Rey’s worst nightmare has come true. Not only will she ever reunite with her family, but, worst of all, they abandoned her. Of our next generation of protagonists, Rey remains the most compelling of them all (Daisy Ridley is also the strongest actress among the younger cohort); her strength of character forged in loneliness and hardship. But does The Last Jedi squander a chance to explain and depict the content and any vagaries in her moral character? With Snoke manipulating the Force to connect Rey and Kylo Ren, it is suggested that the latter may still be redeemed from the dark side of the Force. What about Rey? As we see in Luke who probably had only a little more Jedi training than Rey did – considering how The Last Jedi is structured, Luke’s training with Yoda feels like forever compared to Rey’s few days spent with Luke – there are vile strands to his personality. If fewer such elements reside in Rey’s mind and heart, why is that the case? It is through understanding one’s suffering and its sources that allows for goodness. All this should have been addressed in The Last Jedi rather than in the untitled ninth episode or not at all while there is still time to consider Rey’s character for all her resilience and fear (an emotion associated with the dark side of the Force).

Alas, it looks like The Last Jedi has opened up ethical and moral gaps that will have to be filled by other Star Wars media. This probably means terminal employment for the likes of Star Wars novel writers, Dave Filoni, and Electronic Arts – that sound you heard were the screams of distressed gamers and Bob Iger laughing while thinking about all the money he will make.

For all of The Last Jedi’s willingness to tinker with its central philosophical formulae, Rian Johnson, while writing the screenplays, seems almost intent to present things in the clumsiest, least appealing ways possible. Johnson’s screenplay has an A-plot (Rey with Luke, with a little Kylo Ren), a B-plot (Resistance shenanigans with Leia, Poe, and Holdo – for brevity’s sake, I will refrain from writing about the B-plot, but I fear that Poe is about to be appointed military leader of the female-powered Resistance, despite making wrong decision after wrong decision), and a C-plot (Finn and Rose; Boyega and Tran’s performances are fine, but deserved better writing). It is the C-plot, with Rose and Finn’s exploits on Canto Bight – a casino city for the galaxy’s ultrarich - that emphasizes that heroism is not exclusive to those wielding power or part of a given lineage. Rose, arguably the moral center of the film’s starkest political messages, is an unlikely hero who has much to say and much to do against the military-industrial complex that enslaves (whether officially or unofficially), spurring perpetual warfare. Yet considering the setpieces and the confusing nonsense surrounding the codebreaker they are seeking, that message is forgotten due to screenwriting shenanigans.

Expressly political filmmaking is difficult to achieve, and The Last Jedi founders completely here (this is not even mentioning the relationship, if any, between the Resistance and the New Republic). It is one thing to make a movie where I agree with its politics. It is another to present politics I agree with so slovenly –  the Canto Bight scenes are the worst so far in the sequel trilogy, despite featuring the most detailed worldbuilding yet.

On the technical fronts, Star Wars has embraced modern thriller techniques, as seen in Steve Yedlin’s cinematography and Bob Ducsay’s editing (Ducsay’s editing brilliance in the action is offset by his inability to balance and help move the storylines – there is an excellent 90-minute movie in the film’s sometimes-plodding 152 minutes). But for a film of contested dualities, no one’s work on The Last Jedi is as respectful as those thematic angles as composer John Williams. Now at eighty-five years old, it might be easy to criticize Williams’ score as unoriginal, too dependent on the motivic structure that has defined his cinematic composing career. Yes, The Last Jedi has fewer new musical ideas than the previous film. But there are more than enough motivic variations here to rise to the caliber of what is expected in a Star Wars score.

If you have never read a movie review on this blog before, you should know that sometimes I will dive deep into a film’s score. You have been warned.

Williams sets the pace of his scoring early, with the enormous orchestrations in “Main Title and Escape”. An outstanding opening action sequence contains densely layered woodwinds and brass and thrilling string runs (even the shortest string runs will thrill the heart; for example, listen closely to the strings at 4:10-4:11; in a theater, for me, at least, that is more exciting and appealing than a pounding drum line from, say, a Hans Zimmer imitator). The last piece of action, “The Battle of Crait” is as propulsive as any John Williams action composition can be. Dualities will appear and reappear throughout:

“The Supremacy” features Kylo Ren’s blaring horns (1:41) dueling with the Resistance’s militaristic violins (0:49) before both are silenced with Leia’s theme (2:04) in a moment of terror followed by shocking (if a little distracting) uplift. Say what you will about this scene, but when Leia’s theme crescendos to heights it never has before, it works.

In “Ahch-To Island”, “The Jedi Steps” idea from The Force Awakens (0:00)  – reflecting Rey’s journey to learn more about the Force – is countered with two ideas reflecting Luke’s seclusion on Ahch-To (2:55 and 3:33... a “Last Jedi” motif?). Rey’s theme will also conflict with the latter as the movie progresses.

“The Cave” mixes dissonance akin to The Empire Strikes Back’s cave scene before giving way to the most sonorous statement of Rey’s theme (usually consonant) heard yet.

Elsewhere, “Canto Bight” (the best new composition, managing to reference “Aquarela do Brasil” at 0:59... apparently, Williams inserted his title song to 1973′s The Long Goodbye somewhere in the Canto Bight scene – why not add some John Williams meta?) is as much fun as you will ever have with Latin jazz-inspired steel drums in a movie.

“Fun with Finn and Rose” introduces Rose’s theme – a stately woodwind motif that, though underdeveloped for now (although it is given action flourishes in “The Fathiers”) – which will probably be expanded in the last film as we learn more about her. Similarly, Kylo Ren’s theme was underdeveloped in The Force Awakens, as we knew little about his own complexities. In the moments after Luke’s passing, in “Peace and Purpose”, no longer is Kylo Ren’s theme standing by itself, with just a harsh brass line and nothing underlying it. At 1:08, it has become a march, resembling in texture to Anakin Skywalker’s march on the Jedi temple in Revenge of the Sith, and noting that it is not only Luke has found his purpose in the film’s closing minutes. The “Finale” begins with a Harry Potter-reminiscent celesta (imagine a music box if it resembled an upright piano) as we see a young boy Force pulling a broom towards him. Maybe it is a motif to be developed for another time, another character, another trilogy. But after the end credits, sit back, and enjoy the culmination of all John Williams offered to audiences here. So few composers can shift audience emotions with a simple transition like he can. Do not take it for granted, because we are listening to what is likely one of the last works in a remarkable career. May John Williams score the ninth episode.

The Last Jedi concludes without the heroes of the original trilogy going into the ninth episode. Fandom turmoil regarding the totality of The Last Jedi persists for a week-old film and, I suspect, will continue for at least another two years. But this eighth episode, under Rian Johnson’s direction, makes an earnest attempt to deconstruct and reimagine moreso than J.J. Abrams – the persona non grata to many Trekkies, and who will direct the concluding episode of the sequel trilogy – has demonstrated he is capable of. Johnson’s final product is imperfect. However, this is a good film displaying its reverence for the cinematic and the franchise’s past, but making clear its dissensions and departures.

The torch-passing is complete; past idols are gone. In a few years, we will see if Star Wars can plunge further into the unknown in ways not seen since creator George Lucas was last involved in the series. Even in failure, the Skywalker saga held the attention of audiences worldwide – a triumph of creativity for thousands of people whose names scroll past in a darkened theater long after almost the entire audience has left (or, if on unscrupulous television networks, unreadable in a tiny box to begin the next movie or to insert advertising).

I end with a thought that began my write-up to The Force Awakens. It is time for those most responsible for bringing Star Wars back to theaters to become artists first, fans second. I am pessimistic they can for various reasons. I hope to be proven wrong.

My rating: 7/10

^ Based on my personal imdb rating. My interpretation of that ratings system can be found here.

Also in this series: Star Wars: The Force Awakens (2015) and Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker (2019)

#Star Wars #The Last Jedi #Rian Johnson #Mark Hamill #Daisy Ridley #Carrie Fisher #Adam Driver #John Boyega #Oscar Isaac #Andy Serkis #Lupita Nyong'o #Domhnall Gleeson #Anthony Daniels #Gwendoline Christie #Kelly Marie Tran #Laura Dern #Benicio del Toro #John Williams #My Movie Odyssey