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be-missed · 2 months

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Find You Again (Drabble)

Jenna Ortega x Fem!Reader

(pictures not mine)

Summary: Four months post-breakup, Y/N "swiftly" moved on, entangled with a rising singer. Jenna, still raw from their shattered romance, covertly attended Y/N's performance at Coachella Valley Music. The echo of Y/N's new song sliced through her soul like a knife, reigniting her heartbreak with an unbearable intensity.

Warnings: curse words, notify me if there are any

A/N: This is a backstory. A new song released by Wendy, so listen to it if you can!

Song: His Car Isn't Yours // WENDY

Masterlist

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"Do you wanna go around to get some food?" Mia asked Jenna, obviously trying to get her away from the stage where Y/N will perform in a few. The both of you planned this; You will perform your first ever stage in Coachella while she watch you. But it turns out that the world has other plans for the both of you.

You broke up with each other four months ago, but you are now dating a rising singer for two months. It fucking hurt, really. It hurt Jenna so deep. She never heard from you after you dropped off her things in her house and she went away to do filming.

"No, uhm, you go ahead, I'm not really hungry" Jenna smiled timidly to her sister. Mia nodded and leaves Jenna alone at their spot, near enough to watch you clearly, but far enough to not be seen.

Five minutes later, the crowd are cheering for your opening song. Jenna was watching you sing, reminiscing those days where the both of you were in a studio and she was the only person that gets to hear your masterpiece. She wants to gatekeep you actually, she doesn't want anyone thinking that they wanted to be yours. Because you are only hers and she's only for you.

She remembers how she drives to your house, picking you up, driving fast in the highway and driving slow through the suburbs. She remembers how you were always waiting up in your driveway waiting for her car to park in front so that you can greet her. Jenna sometimes parks her car on the other side of the street just to surprise you, but hell she wonders how you still noticed where she is parked.

A tear fell from her eyes, she wiped it up fast, not wanting to be seen. She hates herself right now, she hates how she is so hung up on you while you were out there dating some dude. Jenna thought to herself, "Did some force take you because I didn't pray?" because if it did, right here, right now, she'll be on her knees begging that things aren't real and she's just dreaming.

Your voice break her thoughts when you said "So this song is for someone... that has been a part of my life. A big part actually." You bitterly smiled, Jenna saw the camera focused on you, it didn't go unnoticed that you were actually finding someone in the crowd. You continue to speak "So uhm, if you are ever here, this is for you."

Jenna is nervous, because it's either you sing a song about that dude or your gonna sing about her. But she doesn't want to get her hopes high, so she did some breathing exercises to ground herself when the intro of the song started.

You start singing the song, it was... a sad one. A song that is actually about you and her. The moon is taking over the sun making the venue a tad bit darker, making the fans lit up the flashlights on their phone.

You moved to the center of the stage, closer to the people that are watching you. Scanning every possible face that your low resolution eyes can see. Trying so hard to find Jenna, because she promised. She promised she'll watch your first performance in Coachella.

Am I supposed to find someone

Makes me feel how I felt?

I'm trying think it's time that

I try again with someone new

The stream of tears on Jenna's face is now continuous, no matter how hard she tried to stop herself, she just couldn't. No one knew the relationship that you two had, no one knew that the two of you are connected. The both of you are rising stars in each track that you take, but the both of you are still not famous enough to break the internet with some dating rumors.

Now it's eight o'clock and I'm waiting on

This good guy to come pick me up

I just wanna have a good night

He's pulling up, oh my God, I see the headlights

And he opens my door but his car isn't yours

It's not you anymore in my driveway

It isn't you drivers seat on the highway

It isn't you on your way every Friday

And I hate that it hurts that his car isn't yours, yeah

But that car isn't yours

No, his car isn't yours

Yeah

The bridge hit every part of Jenna's heart that screams your name, which absolutely every part of her entire being. After your break up, she just drive past your house just to see if you are awake, to see if your dining room light is on, or just to see you in your driveway waiting for her.

Now it's 2 AM, he just dropped me off

Asked if he could come in, I told him maybe not

Then he asked what he did, I said that nothing's wrong

It wasn't your car

The song ended in a sad beat with you thanking everybody on your team, the festival, and the audience that watched you. Sad to say, you ended your set with a broken heart. You were happy, of course, being able to perform on a big music festival with a lot of people that can support you and listen to your music. But Jenna wasn't there, you didn't see Jenna standing on her spot, rooted there like she was planted.

But that car isn't yours

No, his car isn't yours, mmm-mmm

Eh-yeah, mmm, yeah

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A/N: Chapter 3 is not still finished but here is a drabble for Find You Again. If you have any drabble ideas for Find You Again, just send it! Thanks for reading, hope you enjoyed it!

#jenna ortega #jenna ortega x y/n #jenna ortega x fem!reader #fanfic #fiction #jenna ortega imagine #jenna ortega x reader #jenna ortega x you #tara carpenter x reader #findyouagain #wednesday x you #jenna marie ortega #wendy #red velvet #wendy red velvet

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cleolinda · 7 months

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I grew up in a haunted house and I didn’t notice

This is not a story about boo ghosts or shadow people. If it were, I would have figured it out, at least.

When I say "I grew up in a haunted house and I didn't notice," you have to understand that there was a lot going on with this house. It's not the house that I've written about currently living in, the one with newspaper and soda cans stuffed where insulation should have been, the one with constant home-repair calamities. No, my childhood home was a crumbling pile of red brick built in the 1920s. Narnia was in the backyard, and the back deck was my ship on the high seas. The house was surrounded by banks of flowers, lilies and irises and roses, and it was full of creepy shit I didn’t even blink at. I loved it.

It didn't look haunted, or even particularly historical. It was almost disappointingly normal—I lived on a street with a house that had a turret, for God's sake. No, it was just old and small. There's a lot of pre-Depression houses getting torn down in these suburbs; my town has been awash in construction for the last 20-30 years as people buy up cheap old houses, raze them, and squeeze mini-mansions onto their tiny lots, all to get their kids into a good school system. It gives me a chill to think of it, but yeah, that might happen to my childhood home someday, small and plain and unassuming as it is. My pirate ship has already been renovated into an extra bedroom, the new owners told us.

When we moved into the house in 1983, though—it had clearly been renovated in the '60s or '70s; the wallpaper was hideous, and the upstairs bathroom was carpeted. Shag-carpeted. The house had closets the size of shoeboxes; my bedroom, the one with the peach wallpaper, didn't even have one. The room down the hall had four, including one cut into the wall, under a slanted ceiling tucked beneath the roof, that looked like you'd stash a witch there when the Salem HOA came by. There was a fan in the attic—well, first of all, the attic was just one more room on that upstairs floor. It was directly across from the (carpeted) bathroom, and that room (lit by one ominous, hanging bulb) was just a short corridor with storage spaces on either side, hidden behind big sliding doors. And the fan at the very end was built into the brick outer wall of the house. Like our house was functionally open to the elements, between the blades of that fan. I have no idea what the fuck anyone was thinking when they built that, and how the fuck anyone kept the wildlife out.

We certainly couldn't. Squirrels lived in the roof and bowled with acorns. It was like listening to a pinball machine at night. I have an abject horror of cockroaches because sometimes an adventurous one would fall off the ceiling in the middle night, onto me, while I was trying to sleep. (Like, try to imagine that—you’re awakened from a dead sleep by a vague, paper-light skittering sensation up and down your arm. When Pennywise comes to me, he will show up as a cockroach.) But wait! There was more! We had herds of crickets in the basement that felt compelled to jump at people. Sometimes there were centipedes! Those were polite enough to only come out at night. In the dark.

By the way, that basement was totally unfinished. I don't mean that it just had exposed beams or concrete walls. I mean that the basement had uneven, mostly shoulder-high masonry walls, and then it was just open on three sides, extending under the rest of the house. Like just dry red Alabama earth and rocks and grainy dust tumbling around in this vast, dark—it wasn't even a crawl space, a child could have stood upright in it. This child? Oh fuck no. And the washer and dryer were down there. I had to creep down there, down a rickety plank staircase, past the staring dark caverns of my own basement, through a low-lying fog of aggressive crickets, go BEHIND THE STAIRCASE, and then do my laundry there. There was also a firewood pile by an old fridge, and only God knew what was under that.

None of this was haunted. All of this was completely normal to me. This isn't even the haunted part.

So let's go back upstairs. The ground floor was lovely, homey, fine except for the time the living room ceiling fell out due to water damage. Upstairs was where it got weird. I've talked about being mildly bullied as an unknowingly autistic child; home was where I felt safe. In my bedroom upstairs, I had all those My Little Ponies and my easel with all my crayon-drawn fantasy maps and all the stories I wrote. It didn't matter if roaches fell on me in the deeps of the night; home, that's where I was happy. So when I was a young kid and I felt like a vampire was following me down the hall at night, I assumed I was just being silly.

I was aware of vampires in the 1980s as, like, the Count on Sesame Street (ah ah aaah), and Count Chocula, and Count Duckula on Nickelodeon, and the Bunnicula books that I loved. As a kid, I wasn't aware of movies like The Lost Boys or Near Dark, or any vampires that weren't broad caricatures of the Bela Lugosi look. I loved Spooky Stuff—I'm from the Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark generation—but vampires didn't scare me.

But when I had to get up in the middle of the night to go down the hall to the (carpeted) bathroom, I always had the sensation that something was following me as I was going back to my room. Something Dark. Not terribly tall, maybe not even much taller than me. And somehow, I visualized this deep in my mind as a vampire. Kind of a silly one, you know, the white-tie formal wear and the ribbon medal and the cape. I wasn't desperately scared that a Chocula was behind me, but I knew that I needed to get back to my room quick, and, at all costs, I must never look back. I must never look over my shoulder or else I would See It, something silly massing in the dark—and, brother, Eurydice would have been safe with me. Never stop running, never look back.

And I'm sure all kinds of kids develop little superstitions like this. It's probably a developmental thing, like having an imaginary friend (which I also had at some point). Even as a seven year old, I was thinking, This is silly, I'm just making it up (but not looking back costs nothing. Not looking at monsters is free). And I continued to think this, until I laughingly told my younger sister this at Sunday Family Dinner one night. We were both in our thirties at that point. And my sister started crying. Like just staring at me in wide-eyed horror, her eyes filling with tears. And she told me that when she had a bedroom upstairs, there was Something in there.

I won't belabor the exact setup, but at one point, we got it into our heads that we'd like to switch bedrooms, just for a change. I was 14, and I moved to her ground floor bedroom with the flowered white wallpaper and the big bright windows, and she went upstairs and took my room with the peach wallpaper and the cool slanted roof-ceiling (and no closet).

There were three other rooms on that upper floor (and I promise you this is important):

1) One was a small, windowless room that we used as a playroom, with weird cerulean blue carpet and sky blue wallpaper, one dim light fixture, and a little door in the wall that led to dark nothing. Like, you opened it, and you were confronted by a mass of pipes and machinery and just enough space to edge leftwards in the dark. Towards what? Fuck if I know, I sure as hell wasn't going in there. I think it was supposed to be for access to the HVAC system. I don't know. It was fucked. But when I was a young child, I had cooked for my baby dolls at our plastic play kitchen right next to that door, nbd, because apparently you put me in a creepy situation and I just go, yeah, we live like this now.

(I had not ever felt alone in that playroom, but I had also been too young to articulate that. Of course I wasn’t alone! I was with my dolls!)

2) The next room was the (shag-carpeted) bathroom. It had a big mirror over the sink counter, very typical, facing a vertical mirror that was behind the bathroom door. I've heard two mirrors facing each other can create a portal for the spirits, if you believe in that kind of thing. I once did the "Bloody Mary" thing there and nothing happened, idk.

3) The next room was the bedroom with four closets, where an older family member lived with us, and when she moved out, my sister moved to that room.

?) The fourth room, not really a room, was the dark, narrow attic.

So, Grownup Family Dinner at my current house, a few years ago: my sister told me that Something had lived in the Four Closets Bedroom with her. I'm not sure if she actually said it lived in the little Hide A Witch closet or if it was just kind of... ambient. I don't know what it looked like, or if we're talking about ghosts or Something... Darker, or what. I don't think she's entirely sure herself. She doesn't like to talk about it in detail a whole lot. What I know is that she felt it was there, and she had chosen that room to sleep in as a young teenager, and not a lot of sleep was to be had.

"I never really sensed anything, like… demonic," I said, puzzled. "Just the Chocula that followed me." And my sister was like, ARE YOU LISTENING TO YOURSELF??

"What about Rebecca??" she sputtered.

Oh, yeah: Rebecca. (A name I've changed at my sister's request.) I had a friend as a teenager who liked to mess around with ouija boards (AM I LISTENING TO MYSELF?), and we did a session at her house one time wherein we discovered that the ghost of a girl? young woman? named Rebecca lived (so to speak) at my house, and she had been murdered by her boyfriend. How we arrived at these specifics, I don’t remember, but I had told my sister about it because I thought it was interesting, and also, I was kind of a shit. My friend also decided she had her own ghost named Dusty. It was all one big [citation needed, footage not found], but it was also part of our family lore.

So, many years later, my sister told me that she had long felt—without knowing about the Chocula—that there were two spirits on the upper floor of our childhood home: the dark one, and a younger, lighter one. I sat there at the kitchen table and thought about it.

"You know, I did kind of feel like there was someone up there, when I was a kid," I said. "Sometimes I would go into the attic, and it felt scary, but like there was something there watching that was okay? Like having a lamp on in a dark room, kind of. It’s weird, because it’s just a feeling, I remember it very clearly, but I didn’t really question it or wonder."

I thought a bit more.

"Oh yeah—there was also the time I just really felt compelled to go color in the playroom by myself at midnight, and it kind of felt like someone was there."

My sister stared at me, saucer-eyed, pale. Like I'm not sure I had ever seen anyone "go white" until that moment.

"Yeah, I just woke up and had this idea—I was maybe nine years old? That it would be super cool to do stuff at night when I was supposed to be asleep, so I got a flashlight and went into the playroom—"

"IN THE DARK??"

"Well, yeah. If I had turned on the light, someone would have seen it and told me to go back to bed. So I set this flashlight on the floor and got out the crayons and colored in one of my coloring books a while. Maybe the She-Ra one?"

Thinking back on it now—of course I was sitting right by the scary door. I think we all, you and I, saw that coming.

"And I had the same feeling I had in the attic. Like someone was sitting on the floor across from me, friendly, I guess I would say female, and it was cool. Like, it was chill."

My sister looked like she was about to pass out.

"I don’t really know how I could sense this then but not really say anything about it, or even think about it, until now," I said, shrugging. "I’m probably imagining it."

I’ll throw in here that one of the dolls I had in that room was a Raggedy Ann. Like, just for extra hilarity, Wee Cleo is hanging out, coloring, at midnight, with a ghost and a fuckin’ Annabelle.

So: My sister is adamant that our childhood home was haunted. And apparently I was entirely blasé about it (maybe possessed?), but then, I was dealing with a lot of suburban wildlife. My problems with that house were far more immediate. And crawly. Nor can we prove that the house was haunted—I certainly haven’t looked up any homicide records—and I don’t think that Vibes, In Retrospect, are valid evidence on my part. But I find it interesting that I knew what she was talking about. I find it interesting that I was like, "Yeah, that was chill." And I find it interesting that when I went away to college, and I lived in a dorm suite where sometimes I’d be the only person there while my roommates were out,

I remember noticing that it was the first time I’d ever felt alone in a room.

Who was that imaginary friend I'd had?

I asked my sister to read over this, partly because I wanted to see if she’d be willing to describe the Something Dark.

"Oh, I’ll tell you anything you want," she texted back, "but that’s not how it happened."

#part one of two #me for some reason #story time with cleo #tl;dr my childhood home was fucked up and I was hilariously unbothered about it #insects cw #long post #the haunting of jones house #spooky season #halloween everyday #first look on patreon

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oosaoosaoosa · 9 months

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The Essential USWNT Friendship Series: Kelley and Sonnett

Who you are: a person who has stumbled across this post because you are gay, and/or someone who wants to get into the women's world cup and the USWNT but whose fandom experience requires knowledge of the Narratives And Friendships

What this isn’t: an endorsement of being weird to players in public spaces (in real life or comment sections, or on unlocked Twitter accounts)

What this is: a (hopefully) comprehensive collection and explanation of the (public!) friendship between two fan-favorite members of the 2023 WC squad

I know I’m missing stuff and it’s likely I’ll come back to add to this! Every time I try to add anything to this post the draft editor throws me an error message so consider this a part one. Please note this is a sideblog 🫶🏼

EMILY SONNETT

29 (as of the beginning of the 2023 Women’s World Cup)

Born in Virginia, but raised in the northern suburbs of Atlanta, Georgia

Attended the University of Virginia, graduated with a degree in Sociology

Was originally a midfielder, later converted to defense. Primarily plays centerback, but can play fullback on either side, and defensive mid

She is a Sagittarius (this is important)

KELLEY O’HARA

34 (as of the beginning of the 2023 Women’s World Cup)

Born and raised in the southern suburbs of Atlanta, Georgia

Attended Stanford University, graduated with a degree in science, technology and society with a focus in environmental engineering

Was originally a forward (and in fact won the Hermann Trophy as college soccer’s top player, as a forward) but converted to play fullback on either side

She is a Leo (I told you it was important. Twin fire signs 🔥)

THE BASICS

Sonnett’s first cap was against Brazil on October 25, 2015–she started and played all 90 minutes as a centerback (beside Becky). Kelley was on the bench.

On Feb 15, 2016 they played together for the first time! They both started against Puerto Rico and Kelley scored!

Kelley was a good mentor to Sonny immediately, her little Georgia peach padawan

They didn’t appear to really get close until winter 2016-2017, when they trained together in Atlanta during the offseason and started to hang out in a smaller group and one on one

Eventually they played on the same team (Washington Spirit in the 2021 and 2022 seasons) and won a championship together! (2021)

It was Kelley's first NWSL playoff run and her first championship, but Sonny's second championship (she won with the Thorns a few years before)

Kelley scored the game-winner in the championship final, in overtime, as a header. She does not typically score, much less with her head (she is like 5'4'' on a good day). It was insane.

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

PRE-SPIRIT

Once they were friends they were BEST FRIENDS. Kelley loves to annoy Sonnett and has since day one. Couples massage!!, training together with Moe Brian

Typical rookie/vet prank but cuter because they're besties: BOO!

They drink coffee together: Sonnett Sunday, theee Kelley O'Hara,

Sonny is secretly an artist (seriously, she can draw): Lactose Tolerant Cow

They dance together so much. Seriously, so much (bonus Rose). In the car, anywhere.

They hype each other up: Snacks at the beach, blue on navy, flexin, cutest sports girl ever, Sonnett is an undercover singer,

Even their friends have pointed out their similarities. Are they the same or are they the same?

The 2019 World Cup parade was deeply chaotic: please beer and god they drank nonstop idk how they survived, they also napped on the plane back from france with pinoe and ashlyn

they help each other out: cold towel, guest coach kelley,

They threw out the first pitch for the Braves after the World Cup (with Mal, whose husband Dansby played for the Braves at the time)

They also made an appearance at an Atlanta United game together

They were chaotic in every team picture, X,

they took on the Tokyo olympics together (feat many teammates)

they were extremely annoying in the BFF quiz while Kelley and Alex tried to win (link to the BFF quiz episode below in required viewing section)

THE SPIRITS

Sonny's e-bike is their bike, not her bike, but sometimes they biked together too

More coffee adventures, in DC this time, X + X

Mentoring rookies, but this time together

When half the Spirit got COVID in 2021 and had to quarantine at a hotel in Portland, somehow they did not get tired of each other

Exploring restaurants together

Taking pictures of each other (they called each other Rick and Morty for a while which I try to forget), & with their bikes, & with matching orange beanies, more matching orange beanies

more dancing and celebrating, even celebrating carli as a duo, celebrating moving onto the nwsl final

getting jumpscared by their own rookies...together this time

being stinky and sweaty together and generally chaotic

cheering on the braves together on kelley's couch, being very loud and annoying

celebrating the spirit championship together, X + X + schwasted dancing with Kelley's girl together, doing a tiktok with Trinity and the trophy, making memes out of their championship cellies

showing off their championship rings together and celebrating the CBA signing at Audi together

they went to DC pride with the spirits

they developed this weird euopean cheek kissing thing

clowning in huddles together and doing tiktoks with the kids

Being annoying on the player's pod they recorded with Trinity and Andi (link to the pod below in the required watching section)

Still hyping each other up, of course: nice kick!, sonny's soft spirit fingers

POST-SPIRIT

Kelley took a pic of her abs when she got cleated at the CONCACAF tournament in 2022 and in solidarity, Sonny nearly took her shirt off

still taking lots of pictures and videos of each other, mostly Kelley. (I'm putting this in post-Spirit because although we didn't know it yet, Kelley already knew she was leaving DC)

Kelley literally left the Atlanta airport during her layover to hang out with Sonny on her birthday

loving on their Spirit rookies together, even after Kelley was off to NJ, +1 (Trinity's first goal in the 2023 WWC Send-off game)

celebrating Mal's wedding together with Andi and Rose

bringing each other up in every conversation

Being annoying about Taylor Swift

Sonnett almost killed Kelley within the first 30 seconds of them playing against each other for Gotham and the Reign and Kelley thought it was hilarious

OTHER PHOTO DUMPS / COLLECTIONS

Georgia girls

Glued together in Tokyo

More Spirits shenanigans

NT Camp besties

Kelley's visit to Portland in 2019

Hyping each other up in Instagram comments

General camp/NT shenanigans including the infamous "you're so wiggly" video

2019 WC Parade ridiciulousness

More coffee! Plus a cookie (and a "cookie")

MISC PHOTOGRAPHS THAT I JUST HAVE LYING AROUND

more of Kelley mentoring rookie Sonny on the NT

Kelley and Sonny in Atlanta in 2016 or 2017 (I don't remember exactly, I also cropped Moe Brian out of this but it was 800 years ago, sorry Moe)

A moment caught in the background of a post-2019-final celebration picture

Pre-2021 NWSL championship moments: not impressed with someone's pregame speech, Sonny wore 6 for the Spirit so they were neighbors, something Sonny was saying with her mouth full was very interesting to Kelley ,

Some more Spirit NWSL championship moments: they can't believe it, Kelley was beside herself, tongues out for the gals, I would pay to know what Kelley said here, another moment where I would love a transcript,

REQUIRED VIEWING

Kelley's episode of Laughter Permitted with Julie Foudy, where a few of her best friends surprise her with an appearance, including Sonny, Allie Long and Alex Morgan

The BFF Quiz Championship, moderated by Sonnett

The Player's Pod with Sonnett, Andi Sullivan, and Trinity Rodman

1v1 with Kelley O'Hara (pre-camp 2023 WWC)

Throwing the first pitch out with Sonnett, Kelley and Mal

#USWNT #Kelley O’Hara #Emily Sonnett #FIFA Women’s World Cup 2023

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theresattrpgforthat · 20 days

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Hello! I have two (separate) genres im interested in recs for, if youve got them (though combined would be fascinating tbh): Horror and farming sim-like ttrpgs. Horror im sure is fairly common, just not in my circles (which are adventure fantasy based); farming sim though seems like it may be rarer? for that id be interested in either solo or with 2+ people

Theme: Horror Games

Hello friend, I’m going to let one of my older posts do some of the heavy lifting, and point you towards the Small Town Farming collection I put up back in 2022.

You are absolutely right that Horror is much easier to recommend, but I’ll also try and put some quick recs for solo-farming type games at the bottom of this post.

1978: The Night They Came Home, by World Champ Game Co.

1978: The Night THEY Came Home is a 1-2 player horror roleplaying game telling the story of a fateful showdown between Survivor (a clever and resilient person caught up in horrifying circumstances) and Slasher (a legendary force of evil). Using a deck of poker cards, dual rule books, varied resources, and shared play space, players will recount the events of a forsaken Halloween, zooming closer into the haunting folklore of a small Midwestern town and its inhabitants, and culminating in a violent battle for survival.

Here is a game for solo gamers and folks who want a more intimate experience. If you’re a fan of Friday the 13th, this is probably in your wheelhouse! 1978 has a win condition, meaning that either the Survivor or the Slasher will come away as the victor, and the fact that this is also a game that depends on a deck of cards means that I think this might also be a good game for folks who also enjoy card games and board games.

Vast Grimm, by Infinite Black.

EACH MISERABLE DAY THAT PASSES, THE UNIVERSE INCHES CLOSER TO ITS INEVITABLE DEMISE.

Vast Grimm is a stand-alone, art-filled, punk-fueled OSR role-playing game about the few humans remaining in a universe being consumed by growing parasitic würms.

Are you a MAnchiNe ravaged by war, pieced together with remnants of bots and the little flesh left of your body? Maybe you're a twisted biochemist shoving needles into your arms in hopes that this next fix will be the one that saves you and what’s left of humanity? Or perhaps you are a soul survivor, like a cockroach, doing whatever is necessary to stay alive even if it means the rest of your Legion must perish.

This is a game about survival, no matter how gruesome things get, humanity must survive.

If you’ve heard of MÖRK BORG and thought it was cool, and if you want the same kind of energy but in a sci-fi future full of mutant animals and horrific parasites, then you might want to check out Vast Grimm. Your characters will have to ration food, energy and ammo in an unending battle against the worms. This game looks to have a large amount of support, from expanded content, to a number of adventures, to an online character generator. For over-the-top violence, plenty of alien goo, and shambling pathetic characters that look like they might fall apart at any moment, try out Vast Grimm.

The Lost Bay, by IKO.

What Is The Lost Bay? The Lost Bay is a Suburban Gothic tabletop RPG se199X. The Lost Bay is also the name of the setting where the game takes place: a coastal suburb inspired by films and media from the 80s and 90s. In it you play as a young person touched by the Weird, an ancient force that gives you supernatural powers. You roam the Bay with your gang, its malls, arcade games shops, skateparks and beaches, and fight the Horror that has awakened.

The Lost Bay is a game for folks who like their horror drenched in 90’s nostalgia. Characters are archetypal, and each one comes with special powers. Using your powers is exciting and effective, but also brings you closer to Scars, horrible truths about the world around you that will irrevocably change your hometown.

The Lost Bay is great for planning heists, rescuing friends, and trying to get out of dodge when the going gets rough. It’s not about fighting your way out, but more about trying to keep you and your loved ones safe. A lot of game designers have had a riot putting together adventures for this game, which you can check out in this game jam. The link above is for the Kickstarter, but in case you see this game after the campaign finishes, you can also check the game out on Itch.

Flyover Country, by Headstone Hills.

Fields of wheat and corn ripple in the wind, hungry eyes peering out between the stalks. Billboards along the road advertise strange and dangerous attractions. Smiles are too wide, manners too polite, secrets buried too deep. The neon light of a diner glows in the distance, but you may never reach its doors. An empty highway stretches out to the horizon, then wraps back in around itself. This is Flyover Country.

Flyover Country is a Midwest road-tripping horror role-playing game for 4-6 players: one gamemaster, or Watcher, and 3-5 players, or Drifters. It is designed to be played in one setting and without prep. It only requires paper, writing utensils, and a tarot deck.

This is a great option for a group where the GM is uneasy about doing a lot of prep. While one person acts as the Watcher, much of the events in this game are simply generated by drawing tarot cards from a deck. Characters will also draw from the Major Arcana to determine what their secret is - and what special ability it has given them. This is a game of hidden information, and grinding your characters down towards a tragic or grisly end.

Gravemire, by Clawhammer Games.

Gravemire is a tabletop roleplaying game about death, growth, horror, and survival, based in an original mechanical framework and set in the churning waters of the Louisiana bayou circa 1894. Players slip into the roles of outsiders arriving in the town of Scarstone, a rural outpost that has been warped by a terrible transformation known as the Convulsion. Once, Scarstone was surrounded by similar towns. The Bayou once had an end. Now, unknowable numbers of horrors seep through the uncharted backwaters, strange magic contorts reality to its whims, and the settlements that called Scarstone their neighbour jut half-ruined from the mire like bones from a wound. Times have changed.

Gravemire is a pretty brutal game, not afraid to kill your character and steal their soul. The town of Scarstone is a trap; your characters wandered in one day through curiosity or the desire for adventure, but leaving the town isn’t nearly as easy. Characters are built using a point-buy system, and as you play you may acquire more skill - but you will also acquire Aversions, which sap your Willpower and inhibit your ability to muster through the worst of what the game can throw at you.

If you want to check out an abbreviated version of the game, you can check out the Kickstarter playkit here.

Under the Autumn Strangely, by Graham Gentz.

"Under the Autumn Strangely" is a storytelling game of pastoral horror priming with anachronistic Americana set in a land that Never Was.

Inspired by "Over the Garden Wall" created by Patrick McHale, players collaboratively create a world uncanny and old. Codify and encourage tonal clash as the Three Roles meld whimsy, autumnal melancholy, and dread.

Take a wrong turn on a dusty road. Follow the sign past the red barn with peeling paint. Doubt your senses.

Get a little lost.

Welcome to the Never Was.

From what I understand about this game, it works best with three players, as there are three roles that the participants are expected to embody. One person plays the Arcadian, who embodies the landscape and setting. One person plays the Traveller, who acts as a “main” character. One person plays the Terror, which grows to dominate the story. Each role can only add to to one role’s suggestions, and can only deny the other’s. If you want to mix your horror with nostalgia and a romanticized vision of the rural USA, you might want to check out Under the Autumn Strangely.

The Facility, by Galen Pejeu.

You awaken, cold and in the dark. Fumbling around by low blue lights in a coffin shaped pod. You pull yourself out of the box, and in the dark see the faces of others. You are all wearing loose fitting white clothing and laceless shoes. Hospital patients?

You peer into the dark, seeing little but hearing the sound of dripping, running water and distant machinery. You gather what you can, knowing that something is hunting you. It will be here soon.

Wait.

Can you remember who you are?

The Facility is a game for any number of players, taking on the role of ordinary people, stripped of their memories and trapped in a hostile and insane labyrinth of machines and interdimensional weirdness.

The Facility places your crew into an unknown place full of machines that want to kill you. It’s great for high-action scenes, and since your characters have lost their memories, I think the struggle to find pieces of who you are (or were) is a great way to zoom in and make the horror personal. The game is Breathless, so expect your character’s gear and/or abilities to slowly wear down over time, and for the staked to get bigger every time you pause to try and re-stock. If you want a science-fiction twist to your horror game, check out The Facility.

You Should Also Check Out...

My Shudders Rec Post

The Curse of the House of Rookwood, by Nerdy Pup Games.

Nature, Town, Farm, Villagers, by CardboardHyperfix.

Weeds in the Waste, by Meghan Cross

The Wandering Tea Garden, by AP.

Green Thumb, by Curious Frog.

The Bonsai Diary, by Sticky Doodler.

Iron Valley, by M.Kirin.

#tabletop games #indie ttrpgs #game recommendations #dnd #asks #indie ttrpg #horror

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bratzforchris · 6 months

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The House That Built Me Us

❃

Summary: In which you buying rockstar Luke Hemmings childhood home leads to a much deeper connection. Songfic inspired by "The House That Built Me" by Miranda Lambert <3

Pairing: Luke Hemmings x feminine reader

Warnings: Smut, protected p in v, vanilla sex, making out, hickeys, slightly angsty Luke, overall just really a sweet and fluffy smut/romance fic :)

Word Count: 4.1k

A/N: I'm not usually a big country music fan, but this is one of the first songs I learned to play on guitar as a kid, so I'm soft for it <3 Thank you for reading!

❃

Luke sighed as he drummed his fingers on the steering wheel, eyes glassing over as he gazed at the red stoplight above his head. He let his thoughts wander, thinking about why he was doing this. Maybe it was everything that had gone on in the last few months, or maybe everything that had gone down after the Sounds Live, Feels Live tour was just getting to his head. Either way, he found himself anxiously waiting for the stoplights of suburban Sydney to turn green.

The blond thought back to his conversation with Ashton before he’d left for Australia, recalling his friend’s words. Ashton was always the most level-headed one of the band, so naturally, he had been the first to suggest that Luke return to his roots amidst his stress. In Luke’s mind, he had moved away; he couldn’t go back to that suburb. It held too many memories, some for good and some for worse. But like always, Ashton’s reasoning had won over Luke’s chaotic mind.

“Luke, you’ve got to do something.” the honey-blond pleaded, staring down at his friend as Luke laid, wrapped in blankets, in the dark of Ashton’s guest room.

“What the fuck am I supposed to do, Ash?” he’d snapped. “Pretend that I’m fine nad everything is great when I don’t fucking know how to go on living?”

Ashton sighed, sitting beside Luke on the bed. “I know. I know that it is so, so hard right now. But I also know how strong you are, Luke.”

Luke began to sob at Ashton’s kind words, shoving his face into the older male’s chest and just letting it all out. The stress of everything; the way he’d been forced to work like a damn animal despite his loss, the way he’d let her take advantage of him for so long, the way 5 Seconds of Summer was getting absolutely blasted from all sides by the media outlets.

“...would some closure help?” Ashton whispered.

“What do you mean?” Luke asked, wiping his blue eyes that had significantly dulled with the heel of his hand.

“Well, what if you got some closure about everything that happened…y’know,” Ash mumbled, trying not to let the name engulf Luke’s temporary room in a cloud of grief. “What I’m saying is, what if you went back to Australia? Doesn’t matter how long; a week, a month, three. Go visit your childhood home. Remember why you’re doing this. LA will kill you if you don’t get out.

“Maybe you’re right,” Luke trailed off, his friend’s words settling over him. “I just. I can’t.”

“You can, Luke,” Ashton reassured him. “You’re one of the strongest people I know. Go back, see how you feel, go from there. You’re only 20, dude. Corny as it sounds, the world is yours.”

Luke had smiled at that, enjoying Ashton’s warm embrace. Once the honey-blond had left the room, Luke pulled out his laptop, scouring various travel sites for flights to Sydney.

The blond snapped back to the present as the light flicked green, pressing his foot to the pedal, zooming off before the rest of the cars. The inconspicuous Honda Civic he’d rented didn’t have great pickup, but Luke didn’t mind. Driving anything felt great after having his life dictated for so long. Maybe that’s why he was here, on this journey. He wanted to have the kind of control over his own life that he hadn’t had since he was sixteen and 5 Seconds of Summer signed with Modest!.

It wasn’t long before Luke reached the more suburban part of the city, the wind whipping his slight curls as he flew through the back roads. “I need a haircut.” he thought for a moment, before shoving it away with the wind. This was his time, not management’s. He could do what he wanted. The blond bit his lip anxiously as he turned onto the street. The street that he had called home for sixteen years; the one he hadn’t been back to since 2013. It was almost bittersweet as he turned into the gravel driveway. The house held so many memories, but they were a combination of good and bad. He could almost see him wrestling with Ben and Jack in the yard, but he could also picture the thought of ringing that doorbell, and it wouldn’t be his mother opening the door.

Luke’s curiosity overcame his melancholy, though, when he saw a white, Volkswagen Beetle sitting in front of the brick house. He quickly threw the car into park behind the vehicle, stepping out of his own car and surveying the house. There were still flowers in the window planters, but this time they were marigolds instead of daisies. The front yard was well-kept with the shrubs trimmed and various flowers planted. “Mum would be proud.” he chuckled in his mind, growing slightly sad at the image of Liz that crossed through his mind. The most prominent thing Luke noticed, though, was that the front door was painted hot, neon pink.

“There’s no way…” he mumbled to himself, walking up the steps to the front of the house.

As he walked, Luke smiled when he passed the imprints of his tiny hands on the front steps from when they’d had to redo the concrete when he was four. The pink door did get a good laugh out of him. His mum had wanted to have a pink door for years, but every time his dad, Andrew, refused, saying that a pink door was much too girly for a house with four boys in it. At the time, little Luke had agreed, but now, he had to admit that the pink suited the light brick of the house well.

The blond gathered his courage, pausing before his fist hit the wood of the door to knock. What was he supposed to say? Judging on the appearance of the house, the owner seemed to be rather friendly, but how would they react to a random stranger showing up, claiming they used to live here. Luke shrugged it off, gathering his courage and shaking his shoulders out. He quickly knocked twice, listening for any sounds of life inside the house. Soon enough, he heard the sound of a bark, followed by a sniffling noise at the door, and then human feet.

“Tunia, down.” a voice from inside said.

Luke wondered how large the dog was, but he didn’t get much time to think, because the door opened immediately after. You stared at the stranger on the other side of the door, but he wasn’t a stranger at all to you. You just couldn’t believe he was at your house.

“I…Luke Hemmings?” You sputtered out.

“Hi?” he questioned, wondering how you already knew his damn name, then kicking himself for not realizing. “Hey, I’m sorry if this is weird, but I used to live here and…”

You cut him off, swinging the door open wider to look him up and down, which allowed a white bulldog, who Luke asked was ‘Tunia’ to sniff his ankles. “What the fuck?” You chuckled. “There’s no way.”

“You know me?” he asked, rather confused, despite his celebrity status.

“Oh, don’t play dumb,” You rolled your eyes with a laugh. “Dude, you’re only in like, one of the biggest bands of the past few years.”

“Oh, uh, right, yeah…” Luke said awkwardly, scratching the back of his neck. “So, you’re like, a superfan?” he asked.

“Mmmm, you could say that,” You shrugged nonchalantly, flipping your hair over your shoulder. “Is this What Would You Do or something?”

“No,” the blond stated. “It’s more like an insanely long story. This is my house. Like from when I was a kid. I was just wondering if I could walk around for a bit and then I swear I’ll leave.”

You snorted, rolling your eyes and pulling your bulldog back from Luke’s ankles. “Yeah, right. And I’m the President of the US. This has been a weirdly charming encounter, but I need to go.”

Luke placed his foot in the doorway just as you were about to close it, a look of need etching itself into his features. “I promise I can tell you this is real. Go up the stairs to the bedroom at the back of the house. It should’ve been light blue with pink speakers when you moved in. That one was mine. It’s where me and the guys started writing our first EP. That oak tree over there,” he cocked his head towards a tree at the far end of the yard. “My childhood dog, Molly, is buried there. I know this is really weird and probably really unsettling for you, but please.” he practically begged.

You’d been teasing him for fun when you told Luke that you were a “superfan”, but now, you could see why teenage girls all over the world had fallen for him in the last few years. His begging blue eyes, along with his blond hair that was plastered to his forehead with sweat gave Luke an almost boyish innocence, while his black lip ring and overall choice of attire spoke that he was definitely a bad boy. Thinking that, you paused, opening the door a little wider once more.

“Fine. You got me,” You sighed playfully. “What’s your reason for being back here anyway? You know, when most people get back, they don’t go back to where they came from.”

Luke gnawed on his lip ring, averting his eyes from yours. “It’s a long story…”

“I have time,” You shrugged, stepping outside and closing the door behind you. “Shoot.” You told him, beckoning him to sit beside you on the concrete steps.

Luke obliged, squatting next to you and sighing. “Well, I’m sure you’ve seen it in the news,” he started. “We’re not getting great publicity right now.”

You nodded, giving him a look to encourage him to keep talking. “Go on.”

“There’s that and then…the reason this house went on the market in the first place is because Mum died and Dad just couldn’t keep up with it anymore,” Luke blew a puff of air from his lips. “Ash said I needed to get out of LA before it killed me, whatever that means.”

“I can understand that.” You said, looking up at Luke honestly, noticing the way he smiled softly at the eye contact.

“I dunno, I guess I thought if maybe I just came back one last time, I could find closure. I’m someone else out here. Have you ever experienced that feeling? When you go home, you can just be you. You don’t have to be who your boss or your friends or anyone else thinks you are. I thought that maybe just remembering what my life was like out here would kinda heal my brokenness, y’know?” he asked. “I was serious when I said I only wanted to take a look and then I would leave. I think I just need a memory to remind me of why I’m doing this. The whole “famous” thing, that is.”

You carefully placed a hand on Luke’s knee, watching his face to see what he would do. “That really sounds like a lot. But I think that’s something only you can figure out for yourself.”

You were surprised when Luke smiled back at you, the small grin dotting his slightly scruffy beard. Something was distracting you, though, and it was the small, black lip ring that graced his plump, pink lips. You almost wondered what it would be like to kiss Luke and feel the cool metal against your skin, but quickly shoved the thought away. Luke was here because he seemed almost depressed. The last thing he probably wanted was someone who was a fan wanting to kiss him.

“Do you wanna come in?” You asked quickly, trying to rid yourself of the blush and the dirty thoughts that had taken residence in you.

“You’ll let me?” Luke asked, like he wanted to believe you, but he didn't want to get too hopeful.

“Mhm,” You nodded, standing up and brushing off your pants. “Come on, pretty boy.” You joked.

“Oh, so you think I’m pretty?” the blond asked, cocking his brow with a smirk.

“Every girl thinks that. Get over yourself.” You chuckled, but there was a hint of truth to your words.

Luke blushed at your words, following you into the house once you opened the door. He stood in the foyer for a moment, slowly spinning in a circle while taking everything in. Somehow, everything had changed and nothing had changed at the same time. “You really are just like my mum.” he chuckled.

“Is that a compliment?” You asked him, wondering about the original owner of the house.

“Yeah…” Luke sighed, a wistful look in his eyes. “My mum was fuckin’ awesome.”

You touched Luke’s arm gently, eyeing him up and down. To you, he didn’t seem like the celebrity rockstar that he was. You could see the little boy in his eyes, the one that was somehow still hoping that having his mother ripped away from him was a cruel dream. “Can I say something?”

The blond nodded without speaking, continuing to wander further into the house as you followed him. You could see the awe in his face as he touched random knick-knacks, both yours and ones you had kept from when you bought the house. You weren’t quite sure if Luke was listening, but you spoke nonetheless.

“The way this house was built and decorated is kinda what swayed me to buy it…” You admitted shyly. “It was nice to see a family home with feminine elements. I’d like to have that someday.” You smiled.

“Yeah?” Luke asked, turning to look at you. “My mum had that exact same dream for years. She cut photos out of the home and garden magazines for so long. My dad was determined to give her what she wanted, so they built this place right after my older brother was born. She really wanted a pink front door, so I’m glad you followed through.” he laughed.

You smiled at him, watching as he wandered through the house with an almost boyish wonder. “You really love this place, huh?”

Luke nodded as he stopped at the base of the stairs. “I mean, yeah. I grew up here. From the day Mum brought me home from the hospital til the day I left for London,” a look of sadness ghosted the blond’s face for a moment. “I left too early.”

“Who would’ve thought that this is what a celebrity in your, or I guess their, house is like,” You laughed. “Sorry. That was weird.” You snorted, falling into a fit of giggles.

He looked at you for a moment, watching as you hunched over laughing, your freckled nose scrunched cutely. Your wavy hair was falling in your face from laughing so hard, but it was probably the most adorable, and maybe even hot, thing he’d ever seen. Wait. Did he think you were hot? Luke shook his head to clear the thought, beginning to laugh, your joy infecting him.

Once you two had gotten over your fit of giggles, you looked up at Luke just in time to see him gnawing on his lip ring. To chase any pesky thoughts of what having sex with him would be like, and to ignore the growing ball of heat in your tummy, you nodded up the stairs. “You said something about a blue bedroom with pink speakers earlier?”

Luke ran a hand through his hair, looking down at you from his 6’4” height. “Yeah. Why?”

“C’mon, I’ll show you.” You took the blond’s hand, dragging him up the stairs behind you.

To you, Luke didn’t feel like some sort of superstar. He almost felt like your childhood best friend that you’d known all your life. The one that lived across the street as you grew up together. Maybe that’s why you didn’t hesitate to practically run through the house with him trailing behind you on gangly limbs, laughing just as hard.

You threw open your bedroom door, arms out wide and spinning around. “Ta da. Do you like it? Or are you too posh for this now?”

“You turned this into your bedroom?” he asked, raising a brow. “You didn’t take the master suite?”

You shrugged. “I dunno. I just felt a stronger connection to this one, I guess. Now I know why.” You winked, sitting down on the bed and patting the spot next to you for Luke to do the same.

Luke smiled softly, tentatively sitting down beside you. “You’re cute.” he giggled softly, freckled nose blushing red as he tucked a piece of hair behind your ear.

You rolled your eyes, but couldn’t help noticing the way your body lit up at his touch. “I bet you say that to every girl.”

“I don’t, actually,” Luke whispered. “Only the ones I like.”

Before you knew it, the blond was leaning over to kiss you, his plump, warm lips meeting your own with a gentle “hello”. You gasped softly at the sudden, but extremely pleasurable sensation taking over your body. You kissed Luke back just as passionately, slowly reaching up to tangle your fingers in his strawberry-blond hair. You two continued to make out for a moment, you inching towards Luke’s lap until he suddenly pulled back.

“I…I’m sorry,” he chuckled awkwardly. “I dunno why I did that,” Luke rubbed the back of his neck as he turned cherry red. “I didn’t even ask, I’m sorry.”

“Shhhh,” You placed a finger over the blond’s lips. “Don’t talk.” You began to kiss Luke again, scooting into his lap so that you were straddling him.

The blond took that as his que, because he began to kiss you back, more heated than before. Before long, he rolled so that you were laying back against the bed with him on top of you. “Is this the bed that was in the house when you bought it?” Luke asked, laughing softly as the mattress creaked under your bodies.

“Yeah,” You admitted with a giggle. “I was broke after buying the house, okay?”

Luke laughed, kissing you once more before beginning to softly suckle on the sweet spot behind your ear, making you let out a small gasp. You wriggled under his grasp, panting.

“Oh god, Luke.” You whined.

“You like that?” he asked, leaving another hickey on your neck.

You nodded as Luke trailed his way down your body with his warm, ringed fingers, humming softly about how beautiful you were. When he reached the button of your jeans, he paused, looking down at you with wide, blue eyes. “Is this alright?” he asked, slowly moving off of you so he could unbutton your jeans.

You nodded quickly, gasping at the feeling of his skin on your own. “Yes.” You panted out.

Luke slowly unbuttoned your jeans, smirking when he looked at your lacy, white underwear. “Did you know I was coming?”

You shook your head with an immense blush, whining as he slid your jeans and panties off. “Want you to fuck me.”

“That was fast,” the blond grinned, lifting your shirt to press a kiss to your stomach. “I love it.”

He rubbed his hands across your stomach, leaving small kisses as he ran along your ribcage and up to the clasp of your bra. Luke slowly helped you lift your arms so that he could pull your top and bra off, smiling at how beautiful you looked under him and completely naked. As he hovered over you, you tugged slightly at his belt and black skinny jeans, fluttering your lashes at him.

“I was serious about having sex with you, y’know.”

Luke didn’t need to be told twice. The blond practically ripped his shirt and pants off, making out with you again. He had had the taste of your body against his own, and now he couldn’t get enough of it, especially when you were both naked and slightly heated from the exertion.

“Do ya have a condom?” he whispered huskily in your ear.

You moved to pull one out of your bedside table, giggling at the whine Luke let out when your body was no longer pressed against his, especially with the loss of contact to his growing erection. You pulled a condom out of your nightstand, rolling back over and handing it to Luke.

“Girls are always prepared.” You said, leaving a kiss on his cheek.

At your words, Luke rolled the rubber onto his throbbing dick, positioning you just so. “Mmmm, you’re already so wet for me. Don’t even need lube.” the blond hummed, running his thumb across your damp slit.

You gasped at the feeling of Luke’s fingers against your sensitive hole, wrapping your hands across his bare back. “Just do it already.” You whined.

Luke lined himself up with your hole, inserting only his tip as he watched you gasp out at how big he was. “Are you ready?”

You nodded quickly, trying to pull yourself closer to him. “Please.”

The blond slowly slid into you, smirking at the way your face etched with a grunt at the feeling of trying to accommodate his length. He began to ride you gently, admiring your face as you started scratching along his back. You were already crying out with pleasure and he hadn’t even started riding you fully yet.

Luke began to ride you faster, enjoying the sound of his balls slapping against your ass as you wrapped your legs around his waist. You two hadn’t even been at it long, but the blond was practically ruining you. His heavy moans and pants filled the room, along with the squeaks of the mattress as you cried out.

“Oh god, Lu. Need to cum.” You whined, moving your hands from his back to his hair.

Your breath had become ragged at this point, coming in short gasps and pants. Luke was squeezing your thighs with his hands, burying his face in your neck and leaving hickeys along you as he pumped harder into you. Your eyes were fluttering open and shut at the overwhelming sensation of Luke.

It must’ve been fate, or maybe just how good the blond was making you feel, but somehow, you both came at the same time, yelling out as your orgasms hit you. Your moans filled the room as you both collapsed back against the bed, breathing heavily. You were silent for a few moments, enjoying the aftermath of that wonderful sex. Luke slid the condom off, tying it up and disposing of it in the can beside your bed.

“I think that’s the most passionate sex I’ve ever had.” You whispered into the bedroom, still quite enjoying the slick feeling of your cum against your thighs.

Luke rolled over onto his side so he could look at you. “Well, I’d like to think I’m a professional.” he smirked.

“Mmmm,” You whined, snuggling into his side. “I think so.”

Luke kissed your forehead, admiring your beauty for a moment. “Y/N?” he asked quietly. “Do ya wanna…nevermind.” he hummed.

“What?” You asked, turning to look at him.

“It’s stupid.”

“It’s not,” You poked his chest. “What’s up?”

“Do ya wanna be my girlfriend?” he asked shyly.

You kissed Luke’s face, once again enjoying the sensation of his lip ring. “Yes.”

“Really?” he asked.

You nodded and kissed him once more, cuddling back into his chest. “Yep. I think you’re funny and cute and quite talented. In multiple facets.” You giggled.

Luke smiled, running a hand through your hair. “First thing we’re doing is getting you a new bed.” he laughed, listening as the mattress squeaked every time you two moved.

“I could go for that.” You smiled sleepily, the feeling of Luke holding you making you relaxed.

“Night night, Y/N.” Luke said with a whispered smile as you fell asleep in his arms.

The blond didn’t know what was going to happen in his life from here, but he did know he wanted you to be a part of it. The girl brought to him by fate.

… 5 years later

Luke held you bridal style, carrying you over the doorstep and into the home.

“Don’t drop me!” You squealed, clinging to his suit.

“Wow, you have no faith in me.” the blond chuckled sarcastically, carrying you up the stairs and into the bedroom.

You laughed, kissing Luke heavily. “I never said.”

“What do you say we recreate that day from five years ago?” he hummed, setting you on the bed.

“I think that sounds perfectly wonderful,” You grinned, undoing Luke’s tie. “Especially now that we have a new mattress.”

Luke kissed your head as he slowly slid your wedding dress off. “This house built me, and I am so beyond excited to see the way it builds us and our family,” he smiled, planting a kiss on your neck. “I love you, Mrs. Y/N Hemmings.”

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pristinekanesays · 1 year

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🦋Life Is Strange: General Headcanons

🦋 just some pretty normal headcanons

🐺 GN!Reader, no specific pronouns are mentioned!

🦋 warnings: dorky stuff, bad mental health and swearing.

🎧A/N: Been super busy lately, thanks for the loads of support though guys! Gonna be writing more for Skip because nobody's writing for him and he's actually REALLY attractive??

🦋Chloe Price:

📄It's obvious that Chloe literally adores punk rock and possibly heavy metal music. She's also a HUGE PissHead fan, from listening to Skip's demo to then asking if she can hear more of his music.

🖤She doesn't wanna admit it but she definitely sees Skip as an older brother figure, they're basically family and they have such a sweet bond together.

📄Chloe and Steph are actually pretty close in Before The Storm, from how Steph asks Chloe for permission to ask Rachel out and how she's okay with Chloe venting to her if she wanted to.

🖤Her favourite songs are Nothing Wrong - Pisshead and Everything Reminds Me Of Her - Elliot Smith. (those are all literally my favourite songs as well..oops)

📄She is actually secretly a bit of nerd, like not a huge nerd but she's played Dungeons & Dragons multiple times with Steph and Mikey before and after Episode 1.

🖤Her favourite animal is the Palos Verdes Blue butterfly, since a blue butterfly is her spirit animal but she also really likes Tiger Sharks and 100% thinks she could take them in a fight.

📄She sucks ass at cooking and Joyce has tried to teach her before but she gets bored so easily.

🖤When she got her skull tattoo, she teared up and nearly started sobbing but told everyone she knows that she was totally 100% cool + badass during it.

(hella pissed about the zero skip gifs and lack of fanfiction, he's literally so attractive?? wtf)

🎤 Skip Matthews:

📄He secretly flips people off behind their back as they walk away if they've pissed him off, will totally freak out then switch to standing still and laughing awkwardly if they turn around.

🖤Listens to Taylor Swift but apart from that he's a huge punk rock + heavy metal fan.

📄Okay now, Skip is a HUGE horror game nerd. I'm talkin' Outlast, Resident Evil, Amnesia: The Dark Descent and Silent Hill.

🖤He can cook, okay?! He doesn't look like your average chef but he can definitely serve up some good fucking food.

📄Talks shit about anyone he doesn't like with you, if you guys are together of course or really good friends, he's like Victoria Chase sometimes because oh my god is he a bitch.

🖤Apart from listening to music, he'll also listen to urban legends podcasts on his way to work.

📄Skip comes from a pretty normal family in the suburbs of Denver, Colorado with two older sisters and a younger brother.

🖤(He's such a dork, I love him.) He's also pretty into fishing and is constantly taking trips for his band when he has to.

📄His favourite animal is the Polar Bear, like yeah he'd piss himself if he ever saw one in real life but he thinks they're pretty cute online instead of them being outside his door ready to beat his ass.

🍂Kate Marsh:

📄She's very religious but also very supportive. She just wants to settle down with someone, falling in love + possibly starting a family together, sitting on the porch swing in the afternoon while drinking tea/coffee side by side.

🖤Can Kate cook? Yes, she could totally make a living out of her talent but she just isn't into that for a career.

📄She never really has anything bad to say about anyone, she doesn't believe in being mean to other people because that just isn't in her blood.

🖤Kate is sort of sensitive, she won't cry if you bump into her accidentally but would tear up if you were to raise your voice/insult her in any way like any normal person. (so don't, you asshole)

📄Listens to soft, classical music sometimes but also some indie pop now and then.

🖤She's a walking angel, her personality, her looks and smarts, everything about her is just *chefs kiss*.

📄Her favourite animal is either the Florida White Rabbit or the Harp Seal, commonly known as Saddleback/Greenland Seal, Kate adores Harp Seal's so much and is always smiling while looking at photos of them.

🖤Hobbies? Playing the violin & the piano, back when she lived with her parents she was super into gardening + cooking.

📷 Max Caulfield:

📄She's always cooped up in her dorm either studying away, practicing her guitar skills or hanging out with Warren and Chloe.

🖤Max is a proud geek, alright? She's a board game, video game, everything remotely geeky fan, 100% played Dungeons & Dragons with Warren and has a few photos of the whole thing in a box under her bed titled 'W&M DND'.

📄Has overplayed Speedy Ortiz & Syd Matters so much but surprisingly never gets bored of their songs, but everyone else around her already has.

🖤Max sucks complete, utter ass at cooking and she knows it, she'll still try her best though but she can't even make toast properly without making it suffer through the toaster.

📄She can say some bad shit about people if they're assholes but she'd never say anything about someone who's innocent/someone she knows is a good person.

🖤Her spirit animal is a Doe and while she adores it completely, she also really likes Koala's and thinks that they're absolutely adorable.

🎭 Rachel Amber:

📄Rachel is that perfect, pretty and amazing popular girl that everyone knows, she struggles with her emotions pretty bad and I can see her going to Rose for help but never really her father.

🖤She wants to be an actor, right? Then that's what she's aiming for, to be in the public eye with a smile on her face and an award in her hands.

📄Multiple public bathrooms, walls and doors across arcadia bay are marked with 'RACHEL AMBER WAS HERE' or 'R.A'.

🖤Best chef in the world, clap clap! She's honestly so good at cooking and baking, has definitely thought about being a badass chef instead of a badass actor before.

📄She can sing really good, her and Chloe made a song together which was stashed away ..kept in a safe place after she went missing.

🖤She's heard about Skip from Chloe + always thought he was a cool older brother/father figure to any fucked up kid around the campus and 100% agrees with his nerdy horror game lifestyle.

📄Rachel's favourite animal is the Red Panda, she has a photo of one on a shelf somewhere and also has a Red Panda stuffed animal.

🖤Listens to punk rock and some heavy metal if she's in the mood, she loves PissHead and Firewalk.

🎬 Victoria Chase:

📄Her schedule is nearly always full, she's either bossing Vortex Club members and others about or practicing with her camera.

🖤She secretly listens to punk rock sometimes but will roll her eyes and say 'you don't look like the type' if anyone else like her takes an interest in her music taste.

📄She's got a geeky side to her from the figures in her room to the shit she's stuffed under her bed (video games, etc) so nobody else will find out about it and make fun of her.

🖤Victoria isn't the best at cooking but she isn't awful, she's told everyone in Blackwell that she's a master chef though. There's room for improvement, she needs MAJOR improvement cooking-wise.

📄She's really good at playing the piano, photography (of course) and she can make her own outfits with the right fabrics + tools.

🖤Her favourite animal is the Cheetah and she makes that very clear, even told someone 'i could claw you like a cheetah, bitch.' once before.

📄Definitely posts stuff about positive vibes on her socials while acting like a total bitch in real life.

🎮 Warren Graham:

📄He's broken his hand before during a fight, it sounds so badass but he's hella embarrassed and ashamed about it.

🖤Listens to small bands he found through his dorky websites that he's always on and always attends their gigs.

📄(Sucks dick at cooking), will totally hype his friends up about it then laugh awkwardly and act completely clueless at their grossed out reactions.

🖤He knows Skip pretty well since Warren was already in Blackwell at the same time that Skip was working there, they've exchanged opinions about games and movies way before the first game.

📄His favourite animals are Owls especially the Great Horned Owl, he saw one at night while he was hanging with Max and watched as she took a near hour taking photos of it.

🖤He hangs out on websites nearly all the time to read about the local bands, owl sightings, when the new video game he wants so bad is coming out.

📄Has probably searched up shit like 'how to get a boyfriend/girlfriend' before.

🧨 Nathan Prescott:

📄(He looks like a bent ass banana from the fruit bowl with the weird ass way he's sitting, fix your posture man.)

🖤He's 99% busy all the time, he's either attending therapy, in class, doing stuff for the Vortex Club or doing his usual..shady shit.

📄When he's texting you or his friends, the messages are barely readable because he texts like 'CU Thre, LOL, 2nte' and adds an unnecessary amounts of ?? and !!.

🖤Nathan doesn't have a specific music taste but he does sort of like listening to heavy metal.

📄Doesn't know how to cook at all, his parents never cared to teach him and why bother when you're filthy rich?!

🖤He doesn't really care for shit other than his fucked up photography or the Vortex Club, he'll maybe sketch some stuff here and there but even his sketches come out looking severly fucked up.

📄His favourite animal is the Indian Saw-Scaled Viper, he's into some scary shit because he's a scary asshole so don't be surprised. I mean, he also likes dogs..i guess.

🖤Huge horror movie fan as well like you sit him down, turn on a terrifying, traumatizing ass movie but he just rolls his eye and stays there completely unphased.

#🤍kane's headcanons #nathan prescott x reader #kate marsh x reader #victoria chase x reader #max caulfield x reader #chloe price x fem!reader #rachel amber x reader #warren graham x reader #lis headcanons #life is strange headcanons #skip matthews x reader

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thechaseofspades · 11 months

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There is NO Drake Mallard: A DT17/DWD Theory/Headcanon

Spoilers for Ducktales 2017 and a few elements of Darkwing Duck '91

OK but hear me out. Who is Drake Mallard in the original Darkwing Duck show (hereafter: DW91)? It's the childhood backstory (if you can call it that) that we see before he becomes Darkwing Duck, and it's the civilian identity that lives with LP and Gosalyn in the suburbs next to the Muddlefoots.

In Ducktales 2017 (hereafter: DT17), Drake Mallard is an actor who idolizes the "show-within-a-show" Darkwing and lands the role in the reboot. He eventually dons the cape and cowl himself.

So DT17 Drake fits the bill of DW91 Drake in the pre-Darkwing backstory department, but what about his civilian identity? It's a vital part of the original show, but we don't really see it much in DT17.

It's time to talk about the show within the show...

What do we know about the "Darkwing Duck" show in the universe of Ducktales? Based on the references we see to specific episodes, it's obviously based on the real life DW91. But, with one big exception.

We never see Jim Starling (the actor playing DWD in the show-within-the-show) in a civilian identity. He is Darkwing Duck in all of the clips we see of the show. No "Drake Mallard" to be found. No Launchpad or Gosalyn either. The Darkwing in the show-within-the-show doesn't seem to have a civilian identity or a civilian life of any kind.

And that makes sense, since in the DT17 universe, Drake Mallard is a real person. So are Launchpad and Gosalyn. So it would be weird for them to exist in the show-within-the-show.

We'll keep this in mind for later. But for now...

Who is Drake Mallard? (DT17)

Back to this joker. Let's talk about what we know about Chris Diamantopoulos's Drake Mallard.

Now, when I say "Drake Mallard", I mean Drake in his civilian persona. Keep in mind that Drake is an actor who was born to play Darkwing, and completely commits to the bit from the first time he puts on the costume.

But what is "the bit" to him? He bases everything, including his personality to an extent, on Starling's DW. We've established that that Darkwing had no civilian identity, so it would make sense for Drake to replicate that as well.

We only see Drake Mallard (not as Darkwing) in two scenes after he dons the cape. The first is this scene at the end of Let's Get Dangerous...

When this scene popped up, I assumed it would be the adoption scene. I think many people still kinda headcanon this as a soft adoption, when Gosalyn becomes a Mallard. But the show made a conscious decision to *not* do that, because Gos doesn't need adopted. Her grandfather isn't dead. He's in another dimension.

Gosalyn made DW91 Drake Mallard who he is

The pilot episode of DW91 starts off with Darkwing Duck as a vigilante superhero and nothing else. No sidekick, no daughter no civilian identity. During the two-parter, he meets LP (a huge Darkwing fan) and Gos (the orphan granddaughter of a scientist who was killed for his invention).

Sound familiar? That's because the Darkwing arc (Arcwing if you will) in DT17 is based heavily on this show with one notable exception: Thaddeus Waddlemeyer isn't dead in Ducktales. Gosalyn isn't an orphan. Thus, no adoption.

In DW91, the adoption scene at the end of the pilot introduces us to Drake Mallard, DW's mild-mannered civilian persona. Before adopting Gosalyn, DW lived in the tower alone, dedicating his entire life to fighting crime. Now, he has a daughter to take care of.

So why focus on this scene in DT17, and specifically what's different about it? In Let's Get Dangerous, Darkwing asks Gosalyn if she'll be his crime-fighting partner. That's not something new dad Drake Mallard would ask. That's a Darkwing Duck question.

Don't be fooled by the button-up shirt. That is not Drake Mallard. That's Darkwing Duck but his costume is at the dry cleaners. Adopting Gosalyn in DW91 prompts his civilian persona, but in DT17 we don't get to that part.

Darkwing Duck in DT17 is based on the DW91 character pre-pilot

Before adopting Gosalyn, DW91 Darkwing lived alone in the tower and dedicated all of his time to crime-fighting. The ultimate commitment to the bit. As we've established, this is what show-within-the-show Darkwing was like as well, since there were no LP or Gos in that version. This is the Darkwing Duck that DT17 Drake is trying to replicate.

Gosalyn may be in his life, but they are crime-fighting partners, NOT father and daughter. Launchpad is his best friend, but they don't live in the suburbs together. As far as we know, LP still lives in Duckburg while Drake spends most of his time in St. Canard, working out of the Audubon Tower.

We never see that house in the suburbs. And we only see Drake in casual clothes one more time in the entire series...

Here's Drake, very openly talking with Fenton about Gizmoduck and Darkwing Duck business. What part of secret identity do these goofballs not understand?

DT17 Drake Mallard was an actor, and he was born to play this role. He wouldn't be careless with his secret identity. Unless, there is no secret identity at all. His hero didn't have one, so why would he need one?

All Fenton knows in this conversation is that he's talking to Darkwing Duck. Who even is Drake Mallard? Does it matter to him? Does it matter to anyone?

For all intents and purposes, Drake Mallard does not exist. After retiring from acting, Darkwing Duck emerged as the St. Canardian Guardian. He has become Darkwing Duck. He is constantly playing the role. He is not Drake Mallard. He is Darkwing Duck.

In DW91, Drake Mallard's job was to protect and raise Gosalyn.

In DT17, Darkwing Duck's job is to protect her and reunite her with her family.

These are different characters with different priorities. I feel like this was intentional. And even if it wasn't, then I am pretending that it was.

I think that about covers it? This whole thought process started out with me trying to justify as few people knowing Darkwing's secret identity as possible, but it turned into a way bigger thing. I wish Darkwing would get more official stories to explore this concept, but I guess we'll settle for super long Tumblr posts instead

#ducktales #ducktales 2017 #darkwing duck #drake mallard #gosalyn waddlemeyer #gosalyn mallard

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penn-central-official · 5 months

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Hi Jason. It's me, one of the people on Bluesky you blocked for calling you a hypocrite. I bet you feel pretty clever calling us hypocrites for moving into cities or walkable neighborhoods instead of fucking off to Amsterdam.

I'll gladly post your words here. I'm not on Twitter, I'm not a fan of Nazis. Nor reddit, I'm not a fan of reddit users either (long story). I currently live in a non walkable suburb to be close to my work. I drive to work and for some shopping. But while I am here, I have been advocating for better cycling infirstructure, and we have been getting better cycling infrastructure. I bike to pick up dinner, get groceries, visit the park, whatever. And I'm not the only one in my suburban town.

I recently moved, but I stayed in my town. I considered trying to move closer to transit to be able to go downtown easier, but instead I moved closer to the town I grew up near.

You are still a hypocrite and a coward. As for people who move being hypocritical, people's living situation changes and people move to accommodate it. This isn't rocket science.

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nintooner · 9 months

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Sometimes when my dad and I take my grandma's dog for a walk, we see houses where they've got the curtains wide open and you can see what they're watching on TV

On today's walk, we actually saw someone playing Mario Kart, and it was Double Dash specifically which was surprising. It was only one person playing and they were on Daisy Cruiser

Idk if the person playing was either:

An adult Nintendo fan, or

A kid whose parents played the GameCube back in the day and passed it down to them (similar to how I played the SNES when I was a kid even though it was the early 2000s, because my parents used to play it before I was born)

Either way, it's fun to know that there's someone in my grandma's suburb that's a GameCube Enjoyer... Makes me wish I could find people to play Double Dash (or various other games) with 😔 They exist, but I don't know how to find them

#personal crap #I always wondered if people walking past our house could see me and my parents playing Mario Party every night #(Back when we were able to before we started staying at my grandma's house 😔)#Because our TV is right next to a window at the front of the house #Some rando standing outside our house like 'Ooh they're on Chance Time who's gonna swap stars???'#Getting the popcorn out #That's a very funny mental image to me

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griseldagimpel · 4 months

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The Locked Tomb: The Cryo Project

I wanted to look at the cryo project described in Nona the Ninth in more detail, since I'm in STEM myself. (Standard Disclaimer: All opinions are my own and do not reflect my employer, etc.) All quotes from the text below are transcribed by me, so any errors are also my own.

It was me and A- and M- at the start. It wasn't that they didn't have money for a bigger team; we were simply the only ones capable of what they were asking.

Alright. So this is wildly unrealistic but is one of those cases where an author is sacrificing realism at the altar of a better story, which is fine.

In terms of realism, for a project the scope of cryo project, I'd expect it to have a bazillion people working on it, split into small teams, who are also all only working on one specific aspect of the project. Also, the person in charge of the project is usually not really in the weeds of working on developing the project.

But for the sake of the story, John and his team are the only people working on the project, which both limits the number of characters the author needs to establish and increases the stakes of the plot. And having John be in charge of the project - I'll get to that - gives him responsibility, while having him be one of the people actually working on the project creates investment. He's not just some manager handling time cards or whatever; he's actually doing STEM stuff.

By the way, I've seen fans interpret John as a failson tech bro, and no, this is wildly off base. Tech bros are all about capitalism and maximizing profits; any talk of wanting to save the world is either hype or them getting high off their own supply. John, on the other hand, is working on an actual STEM project to solve an actual problem that will actually help people. So not a tech bro.

And failsons come from money. From what we get of John's upbringing - playing with second-hand Barbies and so forth - suggests John grew up on the poorer side of things. Now, as a member of the cryo project, John is likely making some good money in his adulthood. But think "nice house in the suburbs with a second fridge in the garage", not "mansion". He's in a "can afford to buy a small boat" place financially, not a "can afford to buy a mega-yacht" place. (Failsons are also incompetent, but John has legitimate accomplishments.)

C- was brought on by the oversight execs for contracts, you know, checks and balances...

I have never as an engineer dealt with a lawyer on a project before, but from this I'm going to conjecture three things. First, it's a trillionaire (or a trillionaire's company) bankrolling the cryo project. Second, C- was brought on because the trillionaires wanted to shift their focus to the FTL ships. Thirdly, the cryo project was behind schedule and over budget.

Upper management for whatever company is employing John, A-, and M- bid for the cryo project from the trillionaire's company with an unrealistic schedule and budget. They get the contract because of that and because they have the right people. Project goes over budget and is behind schedule, but at that point, it's easier to negotiate an extension. I mean, the fate of the world is at stake. What is the trillionaire's company going to do? Cancel the project?

But after negotiating extension(s), the trillionaires have decided to shift plans. Why save everyone when they can just save themselves? They can just make FTL ships and leave.

So C-'s job is to find something that John's team is doing that could be used by the trillionaire's to break contract. That's why she's onsite, hovering over their shoulders.

Alternatively, it is possible that John, A-, and M- are contractors working directly for the trillionaire's company. They aren't direct employees, though. Otherwise, there wouldn't be need for C- to try to break the contract. (Okay, yes, I'm assuming At Will employment here, and the above wouldn't apply if John, A-, and M- were in a STEM union. But, look, the story is about trillionaires abandoning humanity to die in favor of saving themselves. I don't think it's a setting where strong unions are a thing.)

Sure, the maternity stuff wasn't totally ironed out, but we were nearly there, and the packing was perfect.

I'm going to guess that one of the specific reasons that cryo project is behind schedule and over budget is that "figure out the maternity stuff" wasn't taken into account in the original bid and has proved to be more complicated than upper management originally [unrealistically] expected.

Of course they bitched about the timeline, and they bitched about the money, but they were always going to bitch about the money.

This is true.

And this is pretty much confirmation about my conjecture that the project is behind schedule and over budget.

Our rule was, nobody knowingly left behind.

This sets up the conflict. John and his team want to do what's right. The trillionaires only care about themselves.

Even when they were constructing the other ships, we got told straight up that it was nothing. ... We even lent them G- at the time because they wanted to talk about coating.

The ships here I presume are the FTL ships.

And this supports my conjecture that the same trillionaire's company is behind both the cryo project and the FTL ships. That's why G- can be shifted between teams.

When they called me up and said the cryo project was over...

John is the one getting the call because he's in charge of the project. He might be project manager, but it's also possible that he's simply the team lead. Anyway, he wouldn't have been the one to have hired A- and M-, and he's not there boss, exactly, but he does have seniority on the project. But that's why they treat him as a colleague; because that's what he is.

He said that the official paperwork claimed they'd decided to pull back and think things through again, but he'd always known they'd reinvested in something else, he just didn't know what.

Further support for my conjecture that the a trillionaire's company was funding both the cryo project and the FTL ships. Thematically, the trillionaires decision to only save themselves comes at the direct expense of saving everyone.

The economy tanked. It hadn't been in great shape to begin with. A- was panicking because our kill-fee money was suddenly worth nothing and what if the banks crashed and that nothing went too?

Without C- to provide a justification to void the contract, the trillionaire's company funding the cryo project had to pay out a penalty fee to void it.

We got a lot of attention at first because they wanted someone to blame, wanted to know who we were. M- and A- could've walked into new jobs in a heartbeat but I was irradiated, I'd never work in the industry again.

This is very strong evidence that John was in charge of the project. That's why he's getting made into the fall guy.

#the locked tomb #meta #john gaius #nona the ninth #the cryo project #long post

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