#Alison writes things

[twobirdsonesong]

@118dailydrabble Day 70: Kitchen

Buck/Eddie || Rated: G || Tags: now I'm hungry

In hindsight, Eddie should have seen falling in love in a kitchen coming.

Some of his best memories settle in the warm light of a yellow-walled kitchen, standing at abuela’s hip, trying to learn her recipe for picadillo because she’d never written it down and told him he shouldn’t bother.

“Lo sé de memoria,” she’d repeat, smiling.

Now, Buck subscribes to Así se Cocina en el Rancho and keeps bay leaf, black pepper corn, and dried chilies stocked in the cabinets. He asks Eddie to taste the Birria he’s making for the first time. Buck laughs when spicy, aromatic juices from the tender meat drip down Eddie's chin and Eddie's heart cracks open so wide it encompasses everything.

(collection on AO3)

[starchaser45]

Ik I'm supposed to hate the umbrella academy S4 but I can't it's too funny it like a sci-fi romantic comedy in the worst way possible like I haven't laughed that much in a long time and you can tell the writer lost the plot completely from e4 😭😭😭

[chobit92]

Ghosts: About Last Night

So my sister has been watching this yet again and I kinda wrote a thing. Damn. Now I have a whole fic going on in my head.

Warnings: None that I can think of just Julian being a massive perv and drunken madness.

(Mara stumbles down the hallway drunk. She swigs whiskey from a bottle. Her shirt is hanging open exposing her lacy bra. She stumbles into one of the bedrooms and puts the whiskey on the side table. She then takes her shoes and leggings off before lying down on the bed. The Captain walks in and stops dead.).

Captain: Er excuse me. These aren’t your quarters.

Mara: Um. Evening officer.

Captain: I demand that you leave at once.

Mara: Um. You coming to bed?

Captain: Excuse me?

(She pulls her shirt open further exposing a black lacy bra which her large breasts are squashed into.).

Captain: No. No. I will not abide by this drunken debauchery. I suggest you get back to your own room.

Mara: Um.

(Her eyes have drifted closed and she remains lying where she is.).

Captain: Did you hear me? I said leave now. This is my room. You have your own room upstairs.

(She doesn’t move. The Captain sighs.).

Captain: Alison!

(He marches from the room and goes to Alison’s bedroom. She is curled up asleep next to Mike who is snoring loudly.).

Captain: Alison! Alison! Wake up now! There is an insurgent in my bedroom! You must get her out.

(Alison doesn’t wake up.).

Captain: Alison!

(The Captain sighs again and marches from the room. He returns to his room. Mara is still lying in his bed.).

Captain: Still here. Now this is really taking the biscuit. I have asked you to leave.

(He walks over to the side of the bed.).

Captain: Wake up!

(He starts to sing in her ear.).

Captain: I am the very definition of a model major general.

(Mara giggles.).

Mara: You’re cute.

Captain: I am not cute. I am a commanding officer and I have given you a direct order. Now get out!

Mara: Just come to bed handsome. It’s late.

Captain: I will not-

(Thomas walks in.).

Thomas: What’s all the shouting?

Captain: She won’t leave.

Thomas: Why is she in here?

Captain: I don’t know. But she is highly intoxicated and she has seen fit to rob me of my bed.

Thomas: Oh.

Captain: Get her out of here would you?

Thomas: How am I supposed to do that?

Captain: I don’t know.

Thomas: Mara? Mara?

Mara: Um?

(Her eyes open slightly.).

Thomas: You need to go back to your own bed.

Mara: I’m in bed. Are you sleeping here too?

Thomas: What? No. You need to go back to your own room now.

Mara: Um.

(Her eyes drift closed again. The Captain sighs in frustration. Pat walks in.).

Pat: There you are. Everything alright?

(He sees Mara lying there and frowns.).

Pat: What’s she doing in here?

Thomas: I don’t know.

Captain: She won’t leave.

Pat: Oh right. Mara this isn’t your room.

Captain: No it’s no good.

Pat: Well she’s very drunk mate. Why don’t you just go up to her room and sleep there tonight?

Captain: No. This is my room and I want to sleep here.

Pat: Well...

(Julian walks in.).

Julian: Hello. What’s going on in here then?

Captain: Oh yes that’s it. Just come on in all of you. It isn’t like I want to sleep or anything.

(Julian is eyeing Mara up. He moves around to the other side of the bed and peers down at her breasts.).

Julian: Look at those for size. Lovely pair she’s got.

Thomas: Contain yourself man! What is wrong with you?

Julian: Oh come on. Like you lot aren’t stood there gawping at her yourselves.

Pat: We weren’t actually.

Thomas: How dare you.

(Mara rolls over and the shirt lifts up revealing black lacy panties.).

Julian: Hello. Matching undies. Someone thought they were gonna get some.

(Julian chuckles. Thomas tuts.).

Thomas: I’m off to bed. I can no longer partake in this spectacle.

(Thomas leaves the room.).

Pat: Yes I should be going too. Come on Julian.

(Julian is reaching out trying to prod one of Mara’s breasts.).

Pat: Leave her alone. Come on.

Julian: Oh. Why can’t I have any fun with you?

Pat: She’s passed out drunk. It’s not right mate. Come on.

(Pat leaves the room. Julian looks at The Captain.).

Julian: You lucky sod. Wish she’d come and got into my bed.

(Julian chuckles again and leaves the room. The Captain shakes his head.).

Captain: Now I am not going to tell you again. Get out now. Go back to your own room.

(Mara fidgets and slides her arm across the bed.).

Mara: Hold me handsome.

Captain: This is ridiculous. One I can’t do that and two I really just want to go to bed. Now away with you. Come on. Enough of all this funny business.

Mara: Um.

(She doesn’t move and he sighs angrily before marching from the room. He goes downstairs and walks outside. He starts to walk across the grounds. He doesn’t get very far before he stops. He sighs and turns looking back at the house.).

Captain: Oh this is ridiculous.

(He walks back to the house and goes back up to his room. Mara is still lying there. He sighs and walks over to the other side of the bed. He lies down on his back next to her and closes his eyes. A few minutes later Mara moves and her arm goes right through him. He springs upright.).

Captain: Right that’s it.

(He gets up and leaves the room. He goes up to Mara’s attic bedroom. He sighs and looks around before lying down on the bed. He closes his eyes.).

Captain: Hm.

[terrifyingstories]

"look at my mermaid. if she knew how much power she had. she could have whoever she wants. but she’s afraid. i think about what she’d be like if she was as tough as she was beautiful. you can be anything you want to be in this world, but one thing you can’t ever be is weak."

[eternity--box]

whats harder being a trigun fan who doesnt care about vashwood or a dungeon meshi fan who doesnt care abt. well any of the yaois. nvm its trigun fan

[mwagneto]

aint got shit to say for the most part..... im genuinely so devastated this show was everything to me and not only is it over the final season wasn't even that good. godddd

[sygzie]

im sorry i cannot stop talking about timepetals & taylor swift "oh i thought this is gonna be one of those things now i know im never gonna love again" YOURE KIDDING

[bandsanitizer]

.

[radiant-reid]

you should write about dad!spence finally putting his foot down and saying no to his daughter and IMMEDIATELY regretting it after seeing her cry and reader is just like “my two softies”

"More," Alison asks, reaching out for the cheese packet on the countertop. If there's one thing your two-year-old likes to eat, it's cheese.

Effortlessly, Spencer's carrying her against his hip while he helps you prepare dinner. Homemade, love heart-shaped pizzas. You're working the dough while he's on toppings. However, that means feeding her all the cheese she wants.

"Manners." Spencer corrects.

She looks up at him with her big eyes. "Please, daddy."

He hands her another handful of cheese. She has no clue how wrapped around his finger she is. It makes you laugh slightly across the counter from him.

"You do as well." Spencer reminds you, basically reading your mind. Like usual. "Anything my girls want, they get." It's not an exaggeration.

"That's why I drive such a nice car." You say with a grin. "But two-year-olds need to eat their dinner."

There's a little bit of a warning tone to your voice that Spencer picks up. You wait to see how it goes when Allie sticks her hand out again. "More please."

Spencer shakes his head. "No, baby. We get yummy pizza for dinner soon."

Allie's eyes fill up with tears as she pouts at him. Her puppy dog eyes exceed even yours and you know it breaks his heart easily. There's no way he can resist her eyes when they're the same color as yours. Everyone around her treats her the way he does, especially Aunt Penelope.

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry." He quickly retracts his statement, handing her some more cheese. It's too late for her tears and he wipes them up quickly. "It's okay, baby. I won't deprive you of mozzarella."

"You're such a softie." You laugh. "A trait you've passed on to this baby softie." You sneak a kiss on Allie's cheek when you come over to put the dough down.

Spencer pouts at you. "No kiss for me."

"I'm sorry, handsome." You give him two to make up for it.

"Gotcha." He grins at you. "You're a softie too."

[plaidos]

Was Adrienne Rich kind and supportive of trans people? If so, then obviously following her doesn’t make you a terf; but if not, then Alison Bechdel’s entire concept of feminism actually doesn’t come from her, because Alison Bechdel is not a terf. Again, listen to yourself. She went to a music festival? Who gives a shit? There’s no secret dog whistle that somehow undoes someone’s clear and unambiguous beliefs, you are no different from that woman who thought David Letterman was sending her secret messages through the tv

calling michfest “a music festival” is like calling the Unite the Right rally a cookout. there were trans people protesting outside it every day. it’s the event that the word “terf” was coined after

and Adrienne Rich was a full, mask-off terf — and you can find Bechdel’s OWN WORDS saying that she is her foundation of feminism.

you are the person with the david letterman secret letters!! you are parasocially hallucinating an alternate reality version of Bechdel who you imagine is a trans ally because you think it would be nice if that were true even though she has literally decades of writing detailing how uncomfortable trans people make her. it’s like, constantly referenced in her comics. she calls her dad a fucking “sissy”. Dykes To Watch Out For has recurring jokes about a “lesbian in a male body”. not only is Alison Bechdel a terf, you also are transphobic for not being able to recognise those things or, at the very least, limply defending any criticism of any cis white woman that cis white lesbians talk about on the principle of “that hysterical tranny must be making things up there’s no way somebody i liked could be a bigot” you literally sound like the Neil Gaiman people

[gudfornuthin]

Unexpected Comfort

Season 4!Diego x fem!reader, (past) Five x reader

! SPOILERS AHEAD !

! MINORS DNI !

Summary: after finding out the news about Lila and Five’s relationship, Y/N needs to get away from it all. Who knew she’d find comfort in the one other person broken too?

Word count: 2.65k words

A/N: ayooo. I wanna thank everyone for the support I received from my Five fanfic, it means the world to me that people read and enjoy my writing. I’m definitely thinking about ideas for a part 2, and I also have some requests I need to complete, but for now this lil thing popped into my head and I had to make it. My sweet Diego deserved so much more. There’s fluff, there’s angst, there’s a lil bit of smut (I’m trying to get better at writing that lol) so I hope you all enjoy. Feedback is always appreciated

“I’m so sorry, I didn’t want you to find out this way.”

Those were the words that came out of Five’s mouth before Y/N stormed out of the house, leaving behind the shocked faces of the Hargreeves siblings.

Five had cheated on her. With Lila. Diego’s wife, the mother of his children. She felt like throwing up. They’d created a life together, seeming to forget all about the life they had here, in the real world. Five tried explaining how a few hours to her had been years for him and Lila, but Y/N wasn’t having it. She couldn’t imagine giving up on a relationship she’d spent so long working on, like it meant nothing at all. At least they weren’t married with kids. She doesn’t want to think about how much this is killing Diego.

Having left the house, ignoring the calls from the family, Y/N continued walking for what seemed like hours. She wasn’t familiar with this side of town, and the dark streets all blended together. Had she already gone this way? Was there a bus stop she could seek shelter under for the time being? The night was getting colder and she was finding it hard to catch her breath, the tears still flowing. She knew she couldn’t continue on for much longer.

After walking a few more blocks, Y/N finally spots a bar/diner, the lights still on inside. Better than nothing, she thinks, as she slowly makes her way towards it, in desperate need of a drink.

The diner is quiet, only a few patrons scattered around, either drunk or on the verge of passing out. The bar tender nods in acknowledgment when Y/N sits on one of the bar stools, asking what she wants.

“I’ll just have a beer.”

The bar tender rolls his eyes. “What kinda beer?”

Y/N shrugs. “The cheapest one you’ve got.”

He wonders off to sort out her order, as she rests her head in the palms of her hands, closing her eyes and trying not to sob like a baby. The pain in her chest still lingers, as she can’t escape the images of Five and Lila, and the life they had made together. The life that should’ve been hers. With everything going on, she’d almost forgotten about the world ending, again. But that was surprisingly the least of her worries at the moment. She just wanted to scream, and punch and kick anything that got in her way. She needed a cigarette. And she doesn’t even smoke.

“Thought I’d find you here.”

A voice sounds off to the side of Y/N, as she slowly opens her eyes. A beer bottle stands in front of her, and she turns to her left, spotting Diego in the seat next to hers. He looks worse for wear. Red eyes, prominent frown lines, and a pouty lip.

“You look like a kicked puppy,” Y/N mumbles, not knowing what else to say.

“Yeah, I wonder why,” Diego replies in a gruff voice, grabbing for her beer and taking a swig.

The pair go quiet, listening to the soft tune playing through the overhead speakers, dwelling in their own thoughts. The two of them had never exactly been close. Since Y/N joined the family she’d always gravitated more towards Klaus and Alison. Frankly, she didn’t understand why Diego was here with her. Maybe because they were both dealing with the same situation, with both their partners being the main focal point. Or maybe he was just in desperate need for a drink too, as shown when he downs the rest of the bottle. Y/N alerts the bar tender, putting up two fingers to ask for a second round. Hopefully she can actually have some this time.

“Was I a bad husband?” Diego finally speaks up, breaking the somewhat awkward silence.

Y/N glances his way, unsure of how to respond.

She clears her throat. “I dunno if I’m the right person to answer that,” she scratches at the label on the beer bottle. “But from what I saw, you were pretty good at it.”

He doesn’t say anything, so she continues. “And you’re also a good dad. I can’t imagine how hard it was, going from one apocalypse to another, to just living a normal life. Pretending none of it ever happened. You didn’t let that get in the way of taking care of your kids. They know you’re a good dad.”

She notices the tears forming in Diego’s eyes and looks away, knowing he wouldn’t want others to see him cry. She sips her drink, the burning sensation hitting the back of her throat.

“For what it’s worth,” Diego starts, “you’re not a bad girlfriend.”

“I never thought I was,” Y/N bites back, her tone harsher than she wanted it to be. “But what are you supposed to think when the love of your life admits to having an affair?” She laughs bitterly. “With his fucking sister in law!”

“Hey, you’re preaching to the choir here,” Diego says, rubbing incessantly at his eyes. “Just tryna make you feel better.”

“Well you didn’t.”

“Yeah, I got that.”

They bask in silence again, both too stubborn to apologise for snapping at each other. They know neither of them are in the wrong. But the wounds are still fresh, and it doesn’t seem like they’ll heal anytime soon.

Almost an hour passes, along with 9 or 10 bottles of beer between them, when the bartender finally tells them it’s closing time. They both get out of their seats, leaving the bar and standing awkwardly outside in the cold, Y/N shivering having left the house without a coat.

“You cold?” Diego dumbly asks.

Y/N rolls her eyes. “Well done, Sherlock.”

Diego looks as if he’s about to say something in retort, but chooses not to. Instead, he silently slips off his jacket, handing it over to her, insisting she takes it before she can refuse. She does so, mumbling a quiet ‘thank you’. They continue standing outside the bar, watching the occasional car drive past, lighting them up every so often.

“I can’t go back there,” Y/N says. “Not yet anyways.”

It was a stupid thing to think that this could all be avoided. She’d eventually have to face Five properly, let him explain fully what happened during that time he was away. But she couldn’t. She doesn’t want an explanation, or an excuse. She just wants it erased from her memory. To forget about it all. To forget about Five.

Diego puts his hands in his pockets. “Yeah, I’m not in the mood to figure out that shit show tonight.”

He pauses for a beat, then briefly glances at Y/N. “There’s a motel not too far from here. We can grab a couple of rooms, take the time to get some rest, and figure all this out tomorrow.”

She doesn’t say anything, simply nodding in agreement, and following Diego to their accommodation for the night.

***

The pair arrive at the dingy looking motel, booking two rooms next to each other, and muttering quick goodnights. Y/N can feel the exhaustion taking over, as she sits down on the bed, and yet the thought of falling asleep makes her anxious. She can’t remember the last time she went to bed alone. It was always Five right by her side, comforting her if she had any nightmares. Which had become more and more frequent the past few weeks.

She tries distracting herself by turning on the tv, flicking through empty channels and purposely avoiding the news. She takes a shower, scrubbing off the physical and metaphorical grime. It helps her feel slightly better, but still she’s wide awake. She walks laps around the room, which isn’t much considering the bed takes up most of the space. And yet she still can’t sleep.

Her mind wanders to the man in the room next to hers. Is Diego having the same issues as she is? Or has he completely worn himself out to the point of passing out for the next several hours. Is it too forward if she goes over there and asks to stay with him for the night? He could end up giving her a weird look and slamming the door in her face. Or he could see a woman, sad and distressed, and know she’s just in need of someone to comfort her. The risk is worth the reward.

Y/N leaves her room, stumbling slightly over her own feet, the alcohol starting to take effect. She steadies herself, standing in front of Diego’s door and knocking. It takes a moment, but he finally opens, shirtless and hair a mess.

“What’s up?” He says, his voice gruff.

Standing in front of him now, Y/N can’t help but feel stupid. He wasn’t in the mood to deal with her problems right now, not when he’s still trying to figure out his own. The only thing on Diego’s mind is most likely Lila, and getting some much needed rest. This was a bad idea.

“Uh,” she shakes her head. “It’s nothing, no. I shouldn’t have disturbed you, I’m sorry.”

She begins to walk away, trying not to fall over, until Diego’s voice calls her name. She turns, seeing him standing half way out of his room, a sad expression on his face.

“Neither of us really wanna be alone right now,” he says, motioning slightly for her to follow him through the door.

She waits a second, unsure if this was the best idea. Now feeling as if they were both about to cross a barrier that neither of them could walk back through.

Taking the plunge, Y/N silently follows Diego into his room, closing the door behind her. She suddenly felt nervous, unsure as to why. Diego is already back in bed, getting comfortable under the covers, ready for a much needed sleep. Y/N looks at the bed, then towards the small couch, not knowing which one she’s welcome on.

“Diego…”

“It’s fine,” he rolls over, not looking at her. “You can build a pillow wall if it’ll make you feel better.”

Y/N nods, not wanting to admit how glad she was that she could sleep next to Diego tonight. She’d feel this way about anyone at the moment, right? It’s got nothing specifically to do with him. Her mind is racing, as she climbs into bed, hoping to fall into a deep slumber as quick as. She doesn’t build a pillow wall.

***

Barely an hour passes before Y/N is woken up suddenly by a sound. She sits up in bed, eyes bleary and watery, looking around the room with squinting eyes. The bathroom light is on, shining through the cracks, and Diego is no longer beside her.

She hears the sound again, a soft whimper, barely audible. It’s coming from the bathroom, and she can already guess who it is. She slowly scoots out of bed, tiptoeing on unsteady feet towards the door, knocking slightly. No answer. And the noise has stopped.

She knocks again, trying the door handle at the same time. It budges, as she gradually pulls it open. The sight was heartbreaking. Diego sits in a curled up ball in the corner, covering his face, and desperately trying to stop his heavy breathing. He doesn’t acknowledge Y/N’s presence, as she moves over to him, crouching down. She gently grabs his hands, pulling them away to see his red, tear stained face.

“I’ve lost everything,” he whispers, breaking Y/N’s heart more than it already was. “I feel like my life’s over.”

Y/N strokes his hands, trying her best to soothe him in anyway that might work.

“I have no purpose without her,” he continues. “I try saving the world, but I couldn’t save the one thing that matters the most to me. I’m useless.”

“That is not true,” Y/N finally replies, hating these thoughts running through Diego’s mind. “Her actions are not a reflection on you.”

Diego begins to protest, but Y/N quickly shuts him down. “I know how much you care. Sometimes I think you care a little too much. But that just proves how good of a husband and father you were. You did nothing wrong. It’s all on her. And Five.”

She chokes out the last part, almost forgetting about her own problems. They’re both going through this, together.

Y/N doesn’t even realise she’s now crying too, holding her hand up to her mouth to muffle the sound of her sobs. Diego reaches out, pulling her into a bone crushing hug, the pair needing comfort from each other more than anything.

She moves her head back slightly, kissing Diego on the forehead, then the cheek, then hesitating at his lips. Her mind feels fuzzy, as the alcohol in her system still lingers, jumping between the pros and cons of what she’s about to do. Diego makes the decision for her.

The kiss is soft at first, his moustache tickling her upper lip, the sensation of it weird but not unpleasant. She wraps her arms around his neck as he puts his hands on both sides of her face, deepening it into a full blown make out session. Y/N opens her mouth, allowing Diego to slip his tongue in, eliciting a quiet moan from her.

Their current position is uncomfortable, as Diego sits pressed up against the sink with Y/N crouched down in front of him. He pushes her back slightly, so they can both stand, never stopping the kiss. The room feels hot, as they walk out of the bathroom and aim for the bed, Diego sitting down on the edge with Y/N straddling his lap. She quickly removes her top and bra, drawing the man’s attention to her breasts. He moves away from her lips, traveling down until he’s eye level with her chest. He takes one in his mouth, sucking harshly, while his hand massages the other.

“Oh fuck,” Y/N sighs, throwing her head back.

She grabs his hair, pulling a fistful of it, forcing Diego to suck harder. She moves her hips back and forth on his crotch, desperately wanting to get out of the rest of her clothes.

As if reading her mind, Diego pulls back, moving them both higher up the bed, quickly removing his pants as Y/N does the same. Now completely nude, the pair become a sweaty mess of body and limbs, wrapping themselves around each other, and making sounds the other occupants in the motel can definitely hear.

Diego’s thrusts are meticulous, as he hooks one of his arms under her leg, pushing in and out, knowing all the right places to make Y/N scream out in ecstasy. He kisses her lips, her neck, her chest and her breasts, not wanting to leave out any part of her. He makes her feel wanted, admired, needed. Like he can’t breathe without her. It feels good. They carry on into the night, and early morning, for a moment all their problems don’t exist anymore.

***

Y/N wakes up first. Her head is pounding, her mouth is dry, and there’s a dull ache between her legs. She grumbles, the memories of last night rushing back to her in an instant. Some good, some bad, and some unforgettable. A small part of her is consumed with guilt, knowing what she did could be seen as hypocritical.

But as Diego’s strong arm wrapped around her waist pulls her closer to his chest, snuggling into her neck, that feeling washes away. In some selfish way, they both needed this. An eye for an eye, as most would say. It’s not going to end well, and she knows they’ll have to eventually deal with the consequences the same way Five and Lila did, but for now, the rest of the world can wait a while. Y/N turns around, moving impossibly closer to Diego, the man who made her feel wanted at a time where she didn’t think she was.

[notbecauseofvictories]

Just saw your post about graphic novels that intrigued you and it intrigued me too. Would you mind sharing which graphic novels have you read that you'd recommend or that affected you in interesting ways? Thank you!

When it comes to graphic novels, I tend to prefer the slightly idiosyncratic, and definitely adult. While I did like The Night Eaters, and Something Is Killing the Children (my first experience really dipping my toe in...) I learned very quickly that (a) I can't do anything with even a whiff of YA, and (b) series are not my forte. But that's okay, because this space also has a lot of artists writing and illustrating for adults, really putting the "novel" in "graphic novel."

I've talked before about Junji Ito and Alison Bechdel, so I won't repeat myself---though I do still love Bechdel's work with the unspoken, prickly edges of things; I think very fondly of that weekend I spent reading badly-translated jpegs of Ito's work, the sense of destabilization and disorientation it left me with.

A list of some other works that stand out, in no particular order:

The Third Person, by Emma Grove, which delves into the experience of someone with multiple identities, each with its own relationship to gender. Especially if you're about to read Catriona Ward's The Last House on Needless Street for book club, I think this should be a required pairing.

If you're looking for something that captures the mundane struggle of making a life (similar to Will McPhail’s In.) there are lots of options! I'd recommend Roaming, by Jillian and Mariko Tamaki, or maybe It's Lonely at the Centre of the Earth, by Zoe Thorogood. I think Roaming might be stronger as a narrative, but It's Lonely is an imaginal and imaginative chronicle of that struggle to make a life, make art---though it didn't work for me as a narrative, the visuals stand out to me as beautiful, surreal in exactly the way I like.

I liked The Underwater Welder, by Jeff Lemire, for very similar reasons---the bits about a son trying to grapple with the legacy his alcoholic, semi-neglectful father didn't land, but when the narrator dives deep into the bay and encounters an abandoned ghost town where his own used to be? That was haunting.

If you enjoy Bechdel and Grove's work, then Julia Wertz's Impossible People is similarly a delight, and grapples thoughtfully with the narrator's alcoholism; it just didn't quite land for me in the way I wanted it to.

(Is this where I admit that I did like Blink, by Christopher Sebela et al? It's very old school scifi and almost cinematic in its approach, makes very few apologies for it, but the art is so, so divine.)

One of the most idiosyncratic was Paying for It by Chester Brown; an illustrated manifesto about the values of paying for sex, and the lives of the sex workers the narrator encounters. Honestly the most interesting part of this one was the fact that Brown has clearly thought about this subject a lot, and talked to everyone in his life about it. Some of the afterwords aren't from him---they're from his friends, who watched this from the outside, and share their perspective on how Brown has chosen or defends his approach to sex.

The even better news is that there are lots of DIY artists in this space as well! I have my own favorites close to home, plus I bought multiple copies of the Kentucky Route Zero fanzine, and I was lucky enough to snag some of the work offered as part of the Shortbox Comics Fair.

In particular I loved Stevie B.'s Dr. Limos Plays God (I'm a sucker for a clone identity crisis!), Otava Heikkila's Home by the Rotting Sea (which has some very fun Octavia Butler echoes), Narsid's Last Crane (lovely, and quite sad), and also Ver's Sacred Bodies, which has the dubious distinction of making me think "this better not awaken anything in me" for the first time since Crimes of the Future.

All this to say...graphic novels are neat, I enjoy them, but it's a bit like watching a movie with subtitles. I mostly understand what's going on, but I think I'm missing some of the finer shades and nuances that would take my experience to the next level.

[glowettee]

✧ don’t trust pretty girls with dark pasts ✧ | alison dilaurentis pretty girl vaunt

these short poems + affirmations are from me, inspired by the pretty little liars character alison dilaurentis, love you all <3

✧ i’m not like the other girls. i remember everything.

✧

i am the kind of girl they gossip about in whispers, but watch in full silence when i walk by.

i don’t chase. i notice. i don’t beg. i vanish. i don’t cry where they can see me.

✧ i don’t raise my voice, i raise eyebrows. i raise suspicion. i raise the dead if i have to.

✧

i know how to smile like i forgive you, while writing your name in red ink in the margins of my diary.

i know how to leave without slamming the door, because silence? hurts louder.

✧

i’m not heartless. i’m just tired of handing it to people who treat it like a toy. and when i love now, i choose it. carefully. like a weapon. like a perfume. like a lie i want to believe.

✧

i let them underestimate me. every time. because when the mask slips, and i show them who they were really dealing with?

it’s too late.

✧

i wear pink lip gloss to funerals. i straighten my hair before revenge. i smile like i’ve never cried.

my trauma doesn’t make me fragile. it makes me strategic.

✧

i know what people say about girls like me. and i let them say it. because i’ve already said worse in my head.

i’ve already outgrown their little whispers. i’ve already survived the worst thing i’ve ever been called.

✧

i am the mirror and the smoke. the diary and the secret. the girl they tried to bury, who grew back in high heels and sharper cheekbones.

✧

every photo of me looks like a warning. every text from me feels like a dare. every rumor about me? true. or at least, true enough to scare them.

✧

i don’t exist to be understood. i exist to be remembered.

✧

i write my name in perfume. i disappear in luxury. i keep my stories locked in a locket with no key but mine.

✧

i don’t need to be good. i need to be untouchable. and i am.

✧

they’ll call me dramatic. they’ll call me manipulative. they’ll call me cruel.

but they’ll never call me forgettable. ✧

i survived things i’ll never talk about. and came out prettier.

✧

i am the mystery they’ll never solve. i am the apology they’ll never get. i am the girl they tried to erase, but every mirror still shows me.

✧

and if they think i’m done? they don’t know me at all.

✧

xoxo mindy

[liliesmultiverse]

⋆ˊˎ-•̩̩͙- *̩̩̥͙ WHAT'S A GIRL GOTTA DO? A DIAMOND'S GOTTA SHINE... home reality intro!!

┊ ➶ ｡˚ ° liliana amore evans [born sept. 10, 2004] is a world famous singer-songwriter, twitch streamer & actress. i was born in new orleans, louisiana to actor christopher robert "chris" evans & [redacted] as the 4th of six children and i am the goddaughter of scarlett ingrid johansson & anthony dwane mackie. i first started my career at just 7 years old first appearing on the showtime series shameless as maisie gallagher. at 14 years old i began streaming on twitch as a way to connect with my fans and it was during one of those streams that i announced the release of my debut album teenage dream. since childhood, i've been best friends with reneé mary jane rapp and we're constantly appearing on each other's instagram & tiktoks. she even sometimes joins my streams along with louis.

┊ ➶ ｡˚ ° my filmography

tv shows:

༉‧₊˚. shameless ; maisie gallagher (2011-2021)

༉‧₊˚. grimm (1ep) ; april granger (2012)

༉‧₊˚. stranger things ; isabella "bella" cassidy (2016-?)

༉‧₊˚. a million little things ; sophie dixon (2018-2023)

༉‧₊˚. pretty little liars ; imogen adams (2022-?)

༉‧₊˚. bridgerton ; hyacinth bridgerton (2020-?)

music videos:

༉‧₊˚. mean ; taylor swift

༉‧₊˚. i can see you ; taylor swift

༉‧₊˚. that's not how this works (feat. dan + shay) ; charlie puth

movies:

༉‧₊˚. the greatest showman ; caroline barnum (2017)

༉‧₊˚. godzilla: king of the monsters ; madison russell (2019)

༉‧₊˚. godzilla vs. kong ; madison russell (2021)

༉‧₊˚. all too well: the short film ; her (2021)

༉‧₊˚. scream ; freya tatum riley, dewey & gale's daughter (2022)

༉‧₊˚. scream vi ; freya riley (2023)

༉‧₊˚. damsel ; princess elodie (2024)

༉‧₊˚. nosferatu ; ellen hutter (2024)

┊ ➶ ｡˚ ° my discography

༉‧₊˚. teenage dream [released jan. 17, 2021]

༉‧₊˚. divine feminine [released jan. 19, 2022]

༉‧₊˚. p.s. i love you [released mar. 27, 2023]

༉‧₊˚. that's not how this works (feat. dan + shay & liliana evans) [released apr. 14, 2023]

༉‧₊˚. p.s. i love you (deluxe) [released sept. 23, 2023]

༉‧₊˚. can't catch me now [released nov. 3, 2023]

༉‧₊˚. haunted letters [released jan. 4, 2024]

༉‧₊˚. haunted letters (deluxe) [released may 25, 2024]

༉‧₊˚. kisses at sunrise [released aug. 23, 2024]

༉‧₊˚. snowfall (christmas ep) [releases on dec. 25, 2024]

༉‧₊˚. kisses at sunrise (deluxe) [releases on feb. 14, 2025]

༉‧₊˚. mrs. [releases sometime between jan. 1-apr. 30, 2026]

༉‧₊˚. killer woman [releases sometime between may 1-aug. 31-2027]

༉‧₊˚. killer woman (deluxe) [releases sometime hetween dec. 1, 2027-feb. 29, 2028]

┊ ➶ ｡˚ ° my family

༉‧₊˚. christopher robert "chris" evans [born jun. 13, 1977] is a world famous american actor. he was born in boston, massachussetts as the oldest of 5 children. he's most known for his role as steve rogers / captain america. when he was 13, his family moved to shreveport, louisiana where he met [redacted], who he immediately fell in love with. the two began dating at 15 years old and they got married in late 1996. shortly after their wedding, they moved to new orleans, louisiana and together they had 6 children including corbyn evans, liliana evans & walker evans.

༉‧₊˚. taylor alison evans [born dec. 13, 1989], known professionally as taylor swift, is a world famous singer-songwriter. she was born in west reading, pennsylvania as the youngest of 5 children. she began writing songs at just 11 years old and is one of the biggest inspirations for her niece, liliana evans.

༉‧₊˚. corbyn matthew evans [born oct. 4, 1998] is a famous singer-songwriter and former member of the band, why don't we. he was born in new orleans, louisiana to actor christopher robert evans & [redacted] as the first of 6 children alongside his twin sister [redacted].

༉‧₊˚. walker lee evans [born jan. 5, 2009] is an actor. he was born in new orleans, louisiana to actor christopher robert evans & [redacted] as the youngest of 6 children. out of all of his siblings, he is the closest to liliana.

┊ ➶ ｡˚ ° aaron perry johnson [born jun. 13, 1990] is a world famous english-mexican actor. he was born in liverpool, england to a british father & mexican mother. he has a younger sister named gemma. he is perfectly fluent in spanish & russian. i first met aaron on the set of percy jackson & the olympians while visiting my younger brother, walker, and i met him for the second time while filming nosferatu, where we became friends and he helped me break up with my shitty ex-boyfriend, asher ellis. he, along with reneé & louis, helped me get over my break up with asher and overtime we became closer. in late april 2024, we began going on dates but it wasn't until jun. 17 that we became official. we moved in together on oct. 13, 2024.

┊ ➶ ｡˚ ° my past relationships

༉‧₊˚. louis patrick james partridge [born jun. 3, 2003] is a famous english actor. he was born in london, england. he began acting as a young child. we first met when i was 13 years old and dated from jun. 28-jul. 21, 2019. we broke up because we knew we were far better off as friends and he's one of my best friends to this day. me, him & reneé are a very well-known trio. i even helped him get together with olivia.

༉‧₊˚. anna cathcart [born jun. 16, 2003] is a famous canadian actress. she was born in vancouver, canada. she's most known for her role as kitty song-covey. we first met in march of 2019 and began dating on oct. 11, 2019. we dated for nearly two years before breaking up on sept. 23, 2021 because we realized we'd both lost feelings for each other. we still speak from time to time and are on good terms.

༉‧₊˚. asher roman ellis [born may 6, 1996] is a famous singer-songwriter. he was born in dallas, texas. he began releasing music at 14 years old but didn't make his rise to fame until releasing his 2nd album in 2017. he appeared on the song my oh my in my 2nd album divine feminine and that's how we met. i quickly fell in love with him and we got together on apr. 19, 2022. for the first 6 months, he treated me perfectly but slowly he started acting differently, becoming verbally abusive and cheating on me without me knowing. it only got worse after i met aaron and asher tried demanding that i stop speaking to him but i refused. finally, on may 27, 2023 i broke up with him and moved in with renee.

[shihkas]

Alison Miller DID NOT have her license revoked

Stop fucking spreading this blatant lie around.

This lie was started by The Satanic Temple, an organization linked with Grey Faction, who routinely denies the existence of DID and inserts themselves into the 80s SRA allegations despite them not even existing at the time (not yet as a recognized institution). Alison Miller had already retired prior to this despite their claims (2). There was no license to be revoked because it no longer existed.

How many times does it need to be stated that The Satanic Temple and Grey Faction are malicious groups that routinely target trauma therapists, survivors and individuals with DID.

For fuck's sake stop using them as sources. Stop citing them. Stop talking about them in a positive light at all. These are terrible people who have said and done terrible (and, frankly, stupid) things and who are clearly not afraid of lying if it fits their narrative.

** I'm not inviting debate on whether or not Miller purports conspiracy theories, if you truly think she believes everything she writes then you REALLY need to take a course on scientific literacy. Writing about survivor beliefs and how to treat them =/= believing they are true.

[starstruck-cupid]

Secret Lover

Jason DiLaurentis x fem!Reader

A/n: I'm sorry this took so long. I lost the motivation to write and the last few months have not been great for me this will be a two or 3 part series and might not end happily, but we'll see

“Ali can't find out about this. You can't tell any of them.”

Jason had sweet moments, but those words felt like a punch in the gut. He was right, of course. He usually was. At least he was when he was sober, which wasn't often.

The fling we had that summer, the same summer Alison disappeared, was short and sweet. It was what he needed it to be. He wanted something easy with someone malleable. I was like a stray dog. I was alone, and willing to follow whoever gave me any attention. Ali knew that the second she saw me, so it's no surprise Jason did too. The whole DiLaurentis family had a knack for sensing things like that.

Jason ended it when he found someone more fit for the image he was trying to portray. It was easy for him. He never had trouble with girls. It was never easy for me, though. Especially after him. No one could ever be him.

Rosewood after Ali disappeared was hell. Nothing ever happened in Rosewood. People were afraid for a while. They thought their daughters were next. As time passed, the feelings of fear dissipated. Alison was forgotten. She became a statistic. Just another missing girl from a small town.

Jason and his parents left soon after, it was weird seeing the house next door so empty. Then Aria left. She stopped messaging a few months after she left. No one blamed her. It was just Hannah, Emily, Spencer, and the ghost of Alison’s memory. It was different, though. We all drifted and became different types of people with different types of friends. Small conversations became passing a “hello”, which turned to nothing.

/////////////////////////////<3//////////////////////////////////

Tomorrow marks a year since Ali disappeared. All of these thoughts and memories had been running through my head. I desperately wanted someone who understood to be around. Imagine my surprise seeing Aria walk out of the bathroom with a man way too old for her a few minutes into my shift.

“Aria?” shocked, I stopped in my tracks. The look on her face screams of surprise and embarrassment. The two of them share the same look of embarrassment. I couldn’t help but laugh at the absurdity.

“Come find me when you’re done here,” I say in a playful tone, shaking my head.

A few minutes later is hear the clicking of heels against the floor. Setting down the paperwork in my hands, I look up and see Aria in front of me. It feels like forever that we're sitting there analyzing each other. She looks different. No more pink streak. I remember helping her dye it in my already dye-stained bathroom with some leftover pink I had. I think it was the only time we weren’t silently fighting to be Alison’s best friend.

“I’m so sorry I didn’t say anything,” she said, finally breaking the silence.

“Honestly, I get it. I probably wouldn’t have either. How long have you been back?” I pushed a chair across the table out with my foot and finished the little bit of the accounting paperwork I was doing.

//////////////////////////////<3///////////////////////////////////

We talk for what feels like hours. She talked about Iceland, the man in the bathroom, and everything going on with her family. I talked about Rosewood, my job, the rest of the group, and oddly, Jason. Aria had messaged him a few months ago and he seemed better. I couldn’t pretend I wasn’t jealous. I could have tried, though. After Aria said her goodbyes, I wrote, deleted, and rewrote so many messages to Jason. I wanted him to know I was thinking of him. I didn’t even know if he would want that.

I gave up after half an hour. I packed up my stuff, said goodbye to my uncle and whoever else was left, and walked out. It was 11 pm, and cold. After putting my headphones in, I start walking. I felt a presence during my walk. I felt eyes on me, watching me like I was prey. I felt like my every move was being analyzed. I jumped when I felt my phone buzz. Pulling my phone out of my pocket, I see a text from an unknown number.

‘Missing your lover? Sucks for you Bitch - xo A’

What the fuck?

/////////////////////////////<3//////////////////////////////////

I didn’t sleep last night. Anxiety kept me up. Anxiety about the text and the first day of school. Walking into my English class, I was surprised to see Aria, Emily, Hannah, and Spencer. All of us were in one room for the first time in almost a year. Walking towards Aria and Emily, I take the seat in front of Aria.

“Interesting class lineup,” I jokingly say, turning towards the girls. The bell rings and I turn halfway towards the front of the room. An oddly familiar figure stands in front of the board. As he turns I recognize the man from last night. That’s the guy Aria fucked. I turn my head back to her, wide-eyed, and am met with a similar face. Her eyes get wider as her phone goes off.

////////////////////////////<3/////////////////////////////////

The rest of the day is less eventful. No weird texts, no odd interactions. It was nice to spend the day with Aria and Emily. Work was paperwork, putting in orders, and planning community events the bar was involved in.

Walking towards my house, I see flashing red and blue lights. Speeding up I see ambulances and cop cars in front of Alison’s old house. Walking up to the group of people I spot Spencer away from the group. I stand beside her, Aria appearing next to me soon after.

“I heard the cops took Hannah to the police station today,” Aria said, breaking the silence.

“Wait, you don’t think she’d ever talk about-” Spencer began to ask.

“The Jenna thing?” Hannah interrupted, “ We made a promise”