#tct

[readerattheend]

Has this been done? Probably.

Cale: "I will perform acts of service, deliver timely words, and devote my time to the care of people around me. Of course, I am doing this ingenuinely so that I can use them. Surely they will not mistake these behaviors for true kindness and affection and devote themselves to me."

Cale: "By Talos this can't be happening."

[spacizia]

A drawing to celebrate them being canon… (the brainworm returned)

imagine them just standing there talking about nothing for 3 hours straight

———

Bonus:

[castingpods]

The Bright Sessions: Consolidated Lore and Timeline

TBS oops TMI

Footnotes: double-click the footnote number in the text to jump to the footnote (this may not work on mobile, sorry!), click the link that s

After a month, countless relistens of the podcast, at least a cumulative 5 readings of The Infinite Noise, 3 readings of A Neon Darkness, and 3 readings of Some Faraway Place, my best friend and I have created this monstrosity of a google document that compiles the entire timeline of the entire bright sessions universe.

This 26k-word document contains every major event that happens in the bright sessions, the bright sides, the am archives, the college tapes, and all three books in order of when they happened, along with some extra details about the characters that we wanted to throw in there. There are also footnotes adding relevant details and commentary. This is designed mostly as an outlet for our current hyperfixation, but we thought we'd release it on tumblr so that anyone who might find it useful for whatever reason can access it.

Full credit goes to @thelaurenshippen and @thebrightsessions for creation of this world, and we strongly recommend everyone go out and buy merch, support the producers with monthly donations, or recommend the show to a friend so that Atypical Artists can keep making shows that inspire people like us. Thank you :)

[mawsnclaws]

Big vampire quietly teasing their little partner, pressing their claws against their partner's sides as they raise them to their mouth. Big sharp teeth glinting in the dim light of their room, chuckling quietly as their partner shutters and flusters. They've been eaten dozens of times before... but that doesn't make this any less exhilarating.

[zazujoy]

My deepest held TBS Theory™ is that Indah and Sadie are Atypical, and Mark’s ability is essentially a post-evolution version of theirs. Mark likens his ability to a radar for Atypicals a few times, including in this exchange with Damien:

—so I don’t think it’s completely far-fetched to draw a link between him and the other characters who describe an ability to sense Atypicals. 

I could make a stronger scientific case for it if I had a better understanding of epigenetics, but to throw in just a tiny bit of real world reasoning here, I do know there are tons of things that can lead to the same genetic material being expressed differently. That’s what I think is happening with these characters: they all have the same genes that code for an atypical radar/mimic ability, but various epigenetic factors lead to Indah and Sadie having a pretty low-key expression of it in the form of their “Atypical radar” while Mark has, obviously, a lot more going on. 

That’s actually how I’d argue all atypical ability evolution works: the genetic material for an evolved ability is always there, but only Sometimes do the stars align for it to be expressed. I would definitely say the trauma Caleb experienced as a teenager played a role in how his ability changed down the line.

I don’t think this type of ability evolution is super super common. Beck kind of acts like it is (“the line between empath and mind manipulator is gossamer thin”) but quite honestly I think he is generalizing based on his one (1) experience. 

Part of the reason I don’t think this is, like, a common and expected thing for all empaths is that for three seasons straight, we see Dr. Bright regularly meeting with a. an empath who is deeply concerned about manipulating people, and b. a true mind manipulator obsessed with finding someone like him. She never once mentions anything like the evolution Caleb experiences in The College Tapes, even in her private notes to herself. (Obviously I know the real-world reason for this is that when Lauren was first writing those early seasons she hadn’t yet decided that Caleb’s arc would lead where it does, but I’m trying to play within the fictional world here.)

And on top of that, Wadsworth actually does allude to something like ability evolution, when she says this to Green:

—establishing that such evolutions are on the AM’s radar to an extent, but as a relatively new and unexplored phenomenon. And she specifically places empathy into her category of abilities not worth studying, establishing that she is not aware of this empathy/mind-manipulation connection. 

All of this to say: I think ability evolution is something that happens with multiple abilities, not just with empaths, and I think it’s something The AM knows only slightly more than nothing about. 

I think the quickest argument against the theory that Mark’s ability is a version of Indah and Sadie’s radar would be that Mark seems to be the only person with his ability, while Indah and Sadie’s thing is more common, but I’d argue the evidence supports that:

Most people’s abilities don’t evolve. I think there are a lot more regular empaths out there than Caleb/Blackwell-style manipulators, and a lot more regular dream divers than ones who developed an ability to astral project, etc. 

Joan and Ellie had never met or heard of anybody like Mark, but that doesn’t mean no one else like him is out there—-Joan and Ellie had also never heard of empaths evolving an ability to project emotions outward, but Beck had, years before it ever happened to Caleb. The AM doesn’t know everything there is to know about Atypicals, and a lot of Atypical people, both as individuals and as separate organizations/communities, make a point to avoid The AM’s attention. 

So I think it’s completely reasonable to believe that a lot of factors in Mark’s life/environment led to him developing a mimic ability at an early age, while neither Indah or Sadie ever did. But someone could, theoretically, have a radar like Indah’s for years, and then later in life start to be able to mimic Atypical abilities, in much the same way that Caleb had an empath ability for years and later developed an ability to push emotions onto others. 

[beehivedemocracy]

Mark and Oliver being officially coined as boyfriends was kinda on my 2025 bingo card

[lizapproved]

i'm not arguing with a man with pretty brown eyes, whatever you say gorgeous

[8ttached]

pretty laced dress

pairings - fontaine x blk woman

warnings - 18+ smut minors dni!! bathroom + mirror sex, oral (fem receiving) overstimulation, not proof read, aave mentioned in story.

word count - 830

a/n: hey guys!! i just wanna say thank you for 100+ followers?! i feel so honored to have so many people enjoy my writing thank you thank youu!! im trying to ease my way back to being more active on this account and having you guys know a little more about me but just know my reqs are definitely open right now so help a sister out with recommending some writing prompts (smut or not id be glad to write them) but dont hold it over my head i still have a life yall (T0T)

summary: it's your anniversary night with Fontaine and as you guys are getting ready to hit the road, your boyfriend couldn't get enough of the black lacy dress you slipped on. after seeing your boyfriend get needier by the minute he realizes you two have a little time to spare.

(reblogs and comments are most definitely appreciated!!)

“Hey baby, can you help me with this dress?” 

Today marked your 2nd year anniversary with fontaine and what better way to celebrate than a nice dinner between the two of you. This was your second time trying on this dress. the black, thin, tight dress that complimented you in every way. From your deep skin tone to your delicate curves, that dress had your name written all over it. There was one problem though, the zipper. The cheap zipper on the back of your dress. Not only was it hard to zip up yourself, but when you tired, the zipper would never budge. Which is why you called fontaine into the shared bathroom

You were too focused on the zipper to notice your observant boyfriend standing by the door, quietly admiring you from head to toes. By time you got impatient you turned to the door getting ready to yell out for him again only to get startled by the tall, male figure leaning on the door frame. 

“Holy shit Fontaine don't scare me like that!” your freshly done nails laid on your chest while you catch your breath. “My bad ma, whatchu need help with?” Fontaine asks, his hands slowly wondering on your hips. “Can you zip the zipper in the back?” ignoring your boyfriend's rough hands wondering from your hips up to your waist. “Mhm” he lightly nods, his hand not leaving your waist. The zipper started from the bottom to the middle of your back and Fontaine loved it. He loved how well it complemented you. Your glistening, defined back, the gold necklace clasp that hung down the back of your neck, he loved Everything. Sure, he was quiet, but his thoughts were sure loud as hell and It took everything in him not to blow your back out right then and there.

He took his time zipping up your dress, admiring what everyone else wanted but definitely couldn't have. He hums quietly. “You so beautiful baby.” you cheese at the compliment. “Thank you baby.” you smile looking towards him through the mirror, noticing his eyes glued on your back. “I could blow your back out right now.” he whispers in his raspy voice. You gasp. “Fontaine!” you yell out. “what, I can't admire you right now..” he trails off as he gets distracted. He observed how your dress hugged your curves, how it shaped your ass perfectly. He really could stare at you for hours. “Ya think we got a lil' time to spare?” you feel his warm breath on the crook of your neck before you feel light kisses from his thick dark lips. The only thing he did was breathe on your neck and already he has your ass under his spell. You take a deep breath eagerly nodding your head. “Uh huh.. but we have to be quick” You take a deep sigh. 

“Then lemme not take this time for granted.” you feel his light grin against your sensitive neck

There you were, bent over the bathroom sink getting your pussy eaten by the starved man behind you. The bathroom was filled with muffled moans and high-pitched whimpers. “fuck taine!” your spread legs caused the dress to stretch from the floor. “Mhm, my perfect lady, you’re so sexy” Fontaine mumbles against your soaked pussy as he grips your ass tightly earning a shaken hum from you.  “Mm- I'm gonna-”

“Mhm, There you go, let it out, baby.” 

his vibrated praise sends you through your 1st orgasm. after what felt like only minutes you were losing your mind. From the Hickeys and bite marks all over your neck and collar bone, your ass stinging from each smack and passionate grip, to your man eating your sloppy pussy as if he hasn't eaten in days. all of it was becoming overwhelming. “t-too much taine please..” you whimper as you grip the bathroom counter, desperate for support. Throughout the orgasms you’ve given out, he didn't let you catch a break, let alone your breath.

 “Mm mm, i know you can take a baby, i know you can.” he slips his middle and ring finger inside your sloppy cunt. 

Everything felt intense but so good. Everything Fontaine was saying was going out one ear and right out the other until you felt a smack against your ass.

“Taine- gonna cum again!” you yelled out. Arching your back, pleading for more. 

“Thats right ma, let it all out mhm i got you” 

was all you could hear before you clashed into yet another orgasm.

the ringer on your phone interrupted causing you to fall back into consciousness. “Just in time” Fontaine whispers as he pulls your lacy black panties back up and your dress back down over your ass. You look up at the mirror noticing his obvious boner in his pants. “Wait, taine what about-”

“i can wait till later tonight” he kisses your temple, grinning at you. 

“Now fix ya self up, we gon be late.” and so you did.