#Also yes Poe is one of my favorite authors

[finisnihil]

I went to eat crab legs and some old men were giving me creepy looks until they saw my Edgar Allan Poe backpack and started looking everywhere but at me and now i'm just imagining the ghost of Edgar Allan Poe hovering over me like some kind of weird guardian angel allowing a fellow Maryland girlie to eat good crab legs in peace

[storiesforallfandoms]

more than a song ~ alex turner

word count: 2937

request?: yes!

“hi lovely! i wanted to request an alex turner x reader. just something based off of the song you’re so dark by arctic monkeys. he’s been friends with you for a while but a side comment from his girlfriend (something just like she doesn’t get how they’re just friends) and it’s just snaps into place. ig just him writing the song and moments of them together. maybeeeee him jacking off imagining her on all fours 👀. something like that! thank youuuuu”

description: in which he starts by writing a song about his best friend who is much different than him, and it turns into something more

pairing: alex turner x female!reader

warnings: swearing, smut (male masturbation), kind of cheating since alex is imagining the reader and not his girlfriend (who will be a made up character, not his real girlfriend louise), also the reader doesn’t really know what alex was doing so idk take that into consideration? idk these warnings are a mess now

masterlist (one, two, three)

It all started with a comment his girlfriend, Cheryl, made.

“She’s so dark. How are you two friends?”

They had just left a night out with Alex’s bandmates and his best friend, (Y/N). It was the first time the two women had met, which Alex was hoping would go well since both of them meant so much to him. They had just barley left the bar when Cheryl made the comment.

It amused him so much that he couldn’t help but laugh a little. “Why do you say that?”

Cheryl gave Alex a look. “Really?”

He stopped walking so he could turn to face her. “I’m serious. What do you mean she’s dark?”

“Alex...she talked for nearly an hour about HP Lovecraft and Edgar Allan Poe.”

Alex waited, expecting her to explain why that was a bad thing. When she didn’t, he said, “Yeah, those are her favorite authors.”

“They’re very depressing authors.”

Alex shrugged. “I’ve never read any of their stuff.”

Cheryl closed her eyes and sighed. “She’s got a very dark personality, Alex. Like murder of crows follow her around, Addams family’s long lost member dark. It’s just weird to me that you’re her friend when she’s so depressing.”

“Hey, you may think that, but she’s still my best friend. I would appreciate it if you wouldn’t insult her like that.”

Cheryl crossed her arms and raised an eyebrow at him. “Maybe I should be questioning your friendship with her in different ways.”

It was safe to say the night did not go as planned. Alex brought Cheryl home in a tense silence. He gave her a chaste kiss on her cheek before she got out without a word, slamming her door shut behind her.

The night had definitely left a slight strain on their relationship. Cheryl had decided that she hated (Y/N) just because of this idea she had that Alex and (Y/N) had romantic feelings for one another, but Alex refused to end his friendship with her when that wasn’t true at all, and when he had known (Y/N) for so much longer than Cheryl. So, even though they decided to continue their relationship, it wasn’t exactly smooth sailing.

But Cheryl’s comment about (Y/N)’s personality stuck in Alex’s mind. He had never noticed a “darkness” to his best friend. She was just (Y/N), the person Alex had known since they were kids. But now he was thinking about the things she liked, and the way she acted and just her general personality. He found himself humming to himself around his apartment; a melody at first, but eventually lyrics started forming in his mind.

“You got your HP Lovecraft. Your Edgar Allan Poe.”

He quickly rushed to his work desk to scribble down the lyrics as they came to his head.

“You got your unkind ravens, and your murder of crows.”

He couldn’t help but chuckle to himself as he thought of Cheryl’s comment about (Y/N) being like a murder of crows. What Cheryl didn’t know was that (Y/N) had a tattoo along the backside of her left shoulder that was a flock of black birds. They weren’t distinguishable birds, but she often said it was a murder of crows since they were black birds. Cheryl would probably have lost her mind if (Y/N) was wearing anything that would’ve showed off that tattoo.

Thinking of Cheryl caused his mind to wander to the turmoil of their relationship. He looked down at the verse and chorus he had written about (Y/N) and thought about the fact that he was in the process of writing a song for his best friend when he had never had thought about writing one for Cheryl at all since they started dating. Maybe Cheryl was right to think Alex felt stronger feelings than friendship for (Y/N).

He shook his head. No, that’s not it. She’s my best friend since we were kids, and I’ve only known Cheryl for a few months. That’s all it is.

“I know you’re nothing like mine, cause she’s walking on sunshine. And your love would tear us apart.”

Alex was at his desk for nearly an hour putting the song together. He had two full verses and a rough outline for the chorus, but it still needed something more. He was toying around with more lyrics when he started writing, “You watch Italian horror and you listen to the scores. Leather-clad and spike collar, I want you down on all fours.”

“Whoa,” he muttered to himself. “Where the fuck did that come from?”

But now that he had written it, he couldn’t help but picture (Y/N) doing exactly what he had written: on his bed, down on all fours, her ass in the air.

He shook his head. “No,” he scolded himself. “No, stop. This is wrong.”

But he couldn’t stop. He closed his eyes and the image was embedded into his eyelids. He felt himself straining against his jeans as he imagined himself knelt behind her, looking down at her ass in the wear, wearing only a pair of lacy black underwear.

He groaned as he palmed himself through his jeans. The desire was far too strong to ignore. He had to take care of this, otherwise he knew he’d have a nasty ache between his legs that he would not be able to get rid of.

Just one time, he thought. Then I’ll never think of her like this again.

Alex unbuttoned his jeans and pulled them and his boxers down to his knees. His dick was hard as a rock and angry red. He hissed as the cool air touched the sensitive area. He spit on his hand and wrapped his hand around the base. His head tipped back as a moan erupted from his throat.

He closed his eyes and the image of (Y/N) appeared again. Her face buried into the pillow beneath her, moans muffled by the fabric of the pillow. Alex’s dick plunging in and out of her tight pussy, her ass bouncing every time his hips collided with it. He imagined that her moans were as pretty as her regular voice was. Picturing that pretty voice moaning his name caused his dick to twitch in his hand.

The wet sounds of his hand stroking his dick mixed with his heavy breathing and moans filled the room. His mind drifted from having her bent over in front of him to having her sat on his lap in the very chair where he was sat. He imagined (Y/N), still just in a matching lingerie set, pulling him away from his songwriting so she could climb up onto his lap and straddle him. He imagined her pulling the fabric of her panties to the side, a string of arousal connecting her needy hole and the underwear. He could almost feel the warm, wetness of her walls as she sunk herself down onto him, and her lips on his neck as she started to ride him.

“Fuck,” he grunted. “God, that feels so good.”

His desire to have her grew, even though he knew he never would. She was his best friend. There was no way she felt this way for him, too. And he definitely was not going to risk their friendship by bringing these feelings up to her. More than anything, (Y/N) was his friend and he wasn’t about to lose her all together. For now, the only way he’d have her would be in his imagination, and he was more than okay with that.

Behind his closed eyes he could see (Y/N)’s perfect tits bouncing in his face. He squeezed the base of his dick a little tighter as his jerking motions became quicker, almost more desperate. He could feel his high creeping up on him, and he was desperately trying to chase it.

In his mind, (Y/N) was leaning into his ear. In a sexy, sultry voice, he pictured her whispering, “Cum for me, Alex.”

And that was all he needed to go tumbling over the edge. He called out her name into his empty apartment as his hot cum spilled over his hand, lap, and some on his shirt. He mentally cursed to himself for not preparing more for the mess, but physically he felt incapable of fixing it. He let his head rest on the back of the chair as he breathed heavily. When he opened his eyes to finally face reality, he was looking up at the ceiling instead of at (Y/N)’s beautiful face.

There was a slight ringing in his ears as the blood flow from his brain to his dick finally went down. It was loud enough that he almost didn’t hear his phone vibrating on the desk and took him a moment to realize someone was trying to call him. He reached out with his clean hand to look at the caller ID, and his heart skipped a beat when (Y/N)’s name and face popped up on his screen.

Against his better judgement, Alex answered. “Hello?”

“Where the fuck are you?” (Y/N) asked, a joking tone in her voice. “I’ve sent you, like, five text messages.”

Alex pulled the phone away from his ear and looked at the lockscreen to see that (Y/N) had in fact tried to text him.

“Hey fucker, what are you doing?”

“Hello? Alex?”

“Quick wanking off and answer me.” (That one both made him laugh and made his heart pound harder against his chest.)

“Listen, can I come over? I wanted to talk about something.”

“I really hope the reason you’re not answering is not what I think.”

“Sorry, I was - uh - I was busy writing,” he said. It wasn’t entirely a lie. “I got really into it and had my phone on silent. Didn’t even know you were texting me. What’s going on? Is everything alright?”

“Well, I’m currently parked outside your place. Can I come in to talk about it?”

He felt his blood run cold. (Y/N) was outside his place right now trying to come in to talk to him, meanwhile he was sat at his work desk with cum over himself after jerking off to the thought of her.

This truly could not be any worse.

“Yeah! Yeah, just give me a second,” he said, quickly trying to figure out a solution to this.

“Alex, I’ve known you for years, you do not have to tidy the place up for me,” (Y/N) said.

“I know, I just need to...I just have to do something before you come in. Give me a second.”

He hung up before (Y/N) could protest any further. He quickly took off his already cum-stained shirt and used it to wipe off his hand and the area around his dick. He threw the shirt with the rest of his dirty clothes, tucked himself back into his jeans, and found a new shirt to put on. Just as he was pulling the shirt over his head, the doorbell started ringing. He quickly raced to his front door and threw it open to reveal (Y/N) stood there.

“Are you done whatever you had to do?” she asked, but pushed past him before he could answer.

“Come on in, make yourself at home,” he teased as he followed her in.

“I always do,” she said with a smirk. “You’re lucky I respect your privacy enough that I didn’t just get that hidden spare key and barge in here before I called.”

Very, very lucky for that, actually.

“What did you want to talk to me about?” he asked her as they reached his living room. “Your texts sounded serious.”

(Y/N) sighed and flopped down onto his couch. Alex sat across from her, leaving a decent amount of space between them. His mind was still reeling from the mental images from earlier that he wasn’t sure if he trusted himself to be so close to (Y/N) right now.

But she seemed very troubled, which was very concerning to him. (Y/N) always talked to him when something was wrong, but very rarely did she physically come over to his place to talk about something. He knew whatever it was had to be very serious for her to show up so suddenly like this.

“I ran into Cheryl at the store just now,” she said, looking down at her lap. “And...well...I know she doesn’t like me. I’m not stupid. I know there’s a reason she doesn’t come out anymore when she knows I’m there, and our brief run ins since we first met always include a glare whenever she sees me. Don’t even try to deny it, Alex.”

He wasn’t going to, but his mouth had been open to speak. He wasn’t even sure what he would’ve said, so he closed his mouth again and allowed her to go on.

“I saw her and decided just to try and avoid her. I expected her to do the same. There was really no reason for her to approach me when it was just her, so I thought. But she came right up to me in the middle of an aisle and she...well, the best way to describe it is she went off on a tirade about not liking me and how she wishes you would just stop being friends with me, and even told me that I should be the one to end our friendship so that she didn’t have to stress about me and you anymore.”

Alex’s hands balled into fists on his lap. He couldn’t believe Cheryl would really go up to (Y/N) like that when he wasn’t around. Like (Y/N), he figured that Cheryl would’ve just walked the other way and left her alone since she disliked her so much. But to go up to his best friend in a public and to go as far as telling her to stop being friends with him for the sake of a relationship that wasn’t even a month in was further than he ever expected her to go.

“I thought you weren’t responding because she got to you first,” (Y/N) continued. “I thought she was going to come to you with some made up bullshit saying that I was the one who attacked her or something.”

“I haven’t heard from her,” Alex said. “I guess she’s waiting till whenever I see her next.”

“Listen, I’m sorry that I’m causing this strain on your relationship - ”

Alex reached out to take (Y/N)’s hand to cut her off. The contact sent a spark through him, but he tried his best to ignore it.

“You’re not the one causing any strain to my relationship. Cheryl is. She’s the one who is feeling so insecure about our relationship that she has to go as far as calling you down to the dirt while I’m not around. I’ve tried everything to assure her there’s nothing to worry about between us, but it’s not enough for her. I think...I don’t think I can continue this relationship with her. Especially not after what you told me.”

(Y/N) looked down at their joined hands. In a soft voice she said, “She’s a fucking bitch.”

Alex smiled and chuckled softly. (Y/N) did as well, and eventually, they were both laughing at her comment.

When the laughter died down silence fell over them. Neither one of them knew how to break it, but they didn’t really feel like they had to. Silence always felt comfortable between the two of them. They never felt like they had to speak if they didn’t want to. They could just sit like this for hours and it would be fine.

But their hands were still joined together. (Y/N) was tracing circles in the back of his hand with her thumb, almost absentmindedly. He liked the feeling of her hand against his. He never wanted to let go of her.

“You said you were writing when I came?” she finally asked, looking up at him. “Anything good?”

“Oh, um, I think so? I haven’t really put it together properly. It’s just a couple verses and a chorus that I have to finish.”

“Can I hear it? Or see what you have written, at least?”

His face burned at the question. He knew he was definitely blushing by the way that a confused look creeped on (Y/N)’s face. How did he show her this song, which was clearly about her and included a line about wanting to fuck her, and not absolutely ruin their friendship in this moment?

“I-I guess, if-if you wanted to,” he stuttered. “But, um...it’s...it’s a little embarrassing because...well, you were my muse for it.”

Her face seemed to brighten. “Really? You were writing about me?”

“Yeah. There’s some lyrics...well, you’d know it was about you the song is released so I guess there’s no getting around it, there’s some lyrics that are a bit...more than friendly.”

And there it was. There was no taking it back.

He watched her face, trying to gauge what her reaction to that revelation would be. She was just looking at him for a moment, as if registering his words, before a smirk crept across her face.

“Then show me,” she told him, her voice low and sultry the exact same way it had been in his imagination.

And Alex swore he had never been more excited than in that moment.

[samglyph]

Sorry I’d like to give book recs but I suddenly realized I do not have a very wide range of books I’ve read.

Do you have any queer book recs that you’d like to talk about? I’d love to read more queer books but was never exposed to much of it as a child when I read through books so quickly

Queer books that I’ve read recently that I quite liked:

The Salt Grows Heavy by Cassandra Khaw

This is actually a horror book and only counts as a romance to me cause my brain is a bit snapped but it is romantic ok it IS what if I was a man eating mermaid and you were a gender unspecified plague doctor and we made a connection despite our mutual inhumanity. It’s also very short

The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue by VE Schwab

Ok the main relationships in this are f/m but the main characters are bi/queer (there’s a lesbian artist side character named Sam :]!)and there are quite a few lovely wlw scenes that I quite liked. Otherwise I just really liked this book I know some people found it slow but I thought the pacing was very well done and the twists felt well earned. Bittersweet, but (spoilers) had an ending that had me going “good for her >:)”

What Moves the Dead by T Kingfisher

This one’s not romantic and it’s also horror it’s just a reimagining of Poe’s Fall of the House of Usher with a non-binary protag and it’s sooo entertaining. Alex is such a funny pov character for this story.

And now it’s time to rank the TJ Klune books that I’ve read so far (all of Klune’s books are mlm romance fantasy books though I guess itlop is more sci fi) (I liked all of them but here’s my preference in order of least to most enjoyed)

3. In the Lives of Puppets

Reverse retelling of Pinocchio (android man raises a human son in a world of robots) I thought the ace rep was maybe a little heavy handed at times (I’m ace I think the author was doing his best but could’ve dialed it back to feel more natural) and some of the humor wasn’t to my taste but the relationships were sweet and as always I love Klune’s worldbuilding. When the terrible dogfish showed up I said OHHHH out loud cause I hadn’t put the premise together yet despite everything else making it so obvious.

2. The House in the Cerulean Sea

This is everyone’s favorite but I’m gonna be honest. I just thought it was really good. I thought the conflict was a little on the nose/id seen it before so it didn’t really grab me but the setting and characters SHINE. It’s so visual I love Klune’s descriptions (right off the bat even in the boring office setting I was thinking “this should be a laika movie”)

1. Under the Whispering Door

This one is my favorite. Am I predictable. Yes. Am I taking criticism ABSOLUTELY not I loved this book. I love when an asshole learns to grow as a person I love how human this understanding of death and the after life is I love how even though the book tells you the twist on the back cover it still managed to sneak up on me and tear my heart out. Good book.

[twistedtummies2]

Top 10 H.P. Lovecraft Stories

My previous two lists covered my favorite works from my favorite author, one who is synonymous with horror and mystery: Edgar Allan Poe. In truth, very few authors over the decades have had quite the reputation Poe has, in terms of macabre literature…but if there’s one author who is considered classic to the genre and has come close, it’s Howard Phillips Lovecraft.

H.P. Lovecraft was an…unusual individual, to say the least, even in his own time. To paraphrase a video summary of his life, he was not a man with issues, but rather a bundle of issues in the shape of a man. There are MANY things that have made him a controversial figure as a person, but as a writer, one cannot deny the impact his work has had. He has become almost a genre in and of himself, with the phrase “Lovecraftian” and his favorite word, “eldritch,” being used to describe all manner of slimy and unfathomable horrors in years since his passing. Lovecraft’s work hinges on what he considered “the oldest and strongest kind of fear,” that being fear of the unknown. While there are certain aesthetic elements that are a constant throughout his work, and have their own sort of superficial iconography, the real genius behind Lovecraft’s writing is the sense of not really understanding or knowing the things that we are afraid of. He creates a world where humanity is considered small and insignificant, and our universe humble and refined. His work then pits these meager things against cosmic and ancient forces nobody is able to fully comprehend. Combine this idea with graphic descriptions of rot, decay, and body horror (and a big ol’ splash of icthyophobia) and you have the basic idea of what makes Lovecraft’s work iconic.

Since I already talked about Poe, I felt it was time to give Lovecraft some time in the spotlight. So - in continuation with my series of October countdowns - here are My Top 10 Favorite H.P. Lovecraft Stories.

10. Cool Air.

This story is actually kind of funny, when you really think about it, and especially when you realize why Lovecraft even made it. It was literally made…because H.P. Lovecraft was afraid of air conditioning. No, that is not a joke. Refrigerated air was a fairly new technology in Lovecraft’s time, and was becoming more and more in-vogue for home use, especially in more heavily urbanized areas. At the time he wrote this story, Lovecraft was living in Red Hook, Brooklyn (a place and a situation he utterly despised, for lots of reasons), and this story was him effectively venting his frustrations about his living situation, while also being concerned of how the technology and even possible medical uses it could have might be abused. (Yes, because…God forbid AIR CONDITIONING lead to the end of humanity.) Once you know this, this story becomes kind of hilarious, as his absurd paranoia is present in every page. With that said, the story itself isn’t too bad: inspired by Poe’s “The Facts in the Case of M. Valdemar” (and the lesser-known story “The Novel of the White Powder” by Arthur Machen), the plot focuses on a writer living in Red Hook (gee, I wonder who that could be), whose upstairs neighbor is a mysterious physician named Dr. Munoz. The doctor is a kind and generous fellow, but has two noticeable eccentricities: he never leaves his apartment, and he has a HUGE air conditioning machine, which he runs at all hours, cranked up to the max, keeping himself and the room around him cold. When the machine breaks down…well…if you’ve read either of the two stories I already mentioned, you might already have an idea, but let’s just say, it ain’t pretty. While more funny than scary to me (unintentionally so), it’s still a tale I find interesting, and worthy of placement on the ranks.

9. Call of Cthulhu.

If you haven’t actually read much of Lovecraft’s body of work proper, this story being so low on the list might surprise you. And if you HAVE read a lot of Lovecraft’s work…it still may surprise you. “Call of Cthulhu” is arguably the most famous story the man ever wrote. It is widely regarded as the point where the Cthulhu Mythos (as the name of such implies) truly began, and in compilations of famous short horror stories, if there’s a Lovecraft story included anywhere, nine times out of ten it’s this one. Not to mention the title, itself: if you’re a big-time gamer, you’ll definitely recognize it. There’s a few video games, an RPG game, and a card game that ALL bear this title. However, in my opinion, the IMPACT of “Call of Cthulhu” is more noteworthy than the ACTUAL STORY itself. The plot focuses on a man named Francis Wayland Thurston, who - while going through the belongings left behind by a deceased relative - discovers the existence of a bizarre cult, which apparently spans the entire globe, with members secreted away everywhere in civilization. The cultists worship the ancient being known as Cthulhu: one of the Old Ones, the God-like creatures who are at the heart of Lovecraft’s mythos. He later learns of an encounter a group of sailors had with the monster…aaand that’s kind of it. The story doesn’t really have a solid plot, although it does escalate in its own way, which I admit I find admirable. However, that (plus the very, VERY overt racism present in it…which, frankly, is a problem with a LOT of Lovecraft’s work, and infamously so) I think is why I’m not AS into it as a lot of other people are. Still, it’s iconic enough to make the list, if only because of the impact of the titular creation. Cthulhu has arguably become just as iconic and notorious as many of the other great literary horror stars, such as Dracula, Frankenstein and His Creature, the Phantom of the Opera, and so on. There is good reason for this, and if nothing else, that earns this story some praise.

8. The Rats in the Walls.

Our protagonist for the outing is a man simply known as “Delapore,” who moves from America to England to take control of the ancestral estate of his family. He is accompanied only by his pet cats…and his favorite among them has a very awkward name, so I won’t be mentioning it here. Anyway, the spooky old place seems to be feared by the neighbors, but Delapore nevertheless decides to restore the aging manor house to its former glory. Things change when both he and his cat are plagued by the sounds of rats, scratching and burrowing within the walls of the mansion. To make matters worse, Delapore begins to have frightening dreams, in which he sees a demonic swineherd tending to a drove of “flabby beasts.” Deciding to rid himself of the pest problem, and hopefully put an end to his dreams, Delapore - with the help of a family friend and a couple of other associates - goes hunting for the rats, and in the process discovers a hidden passageway, leading deep down into the bowels of the Earth beneath the house. He soon discovers what appears to be the ruins of a hidden city…and a dark and terrible secret that has been in his family for ages. What happens when he learns the secret is shocking, to say the least. The story feels more Gothic in nature than many of Lovecraft’s other tales, while still having this sort of ambiguous grandness that his other works have, and contains subtle references to things that would, in later stories, be made part of the Cthulhu Mythos, which only adds to its unpleasant and unsettling atmosphere. This story is just plain creepy in the best possible way; whenever I hear the sound of mice or rats scurrying about now, I start thinking of this eerie tale.

7. Herbert West - Re-Animator.

If there is a singular CHARACTER that has become legendary in Lovecraft’s work - not a story, not a creature, not a concept, but a CHARACTER - it is undeniably Herbert West. Told in serialized format over the course of six separate short stories, “Re-Animator” relates the misadventures of the titular scientist, as he tries to create a chemical formula that will allow him to bring people back from the dead. The story is told from the perspective of West’s friend and assistant, who becomes increasingly afraid of West as the scientist’s experiments become more dangerous, and as his moral code continues to fray. While the story is morbid and horrific, it’s also very amusing…and this time, unlike with “Cool Air,” it’s MEANT to be amusing. Lovecraft wrote the story at the request of a friend, who wanted to publish it not in a horror or sci-fi magazine, but a comedy pamphlet! So, Lovecraft intentionally wrote the six connected stories as a sort of horror-comedy, mixing gory and gruesome morbidity with wry wit and deliberately over-the-top elements. By his own admission, he drew most heavily from “Frankenstein,” intending this to be a sort of satire of Shelley’s novel; while what West is doing isn’t PRECISELY the same, the parallels are pretty clear. The six-parter is also noteworthy for being one of the first appearances of what might be called stereotypical zombies: West’s experiments turn most of his “patients” into reanimated corpses, still in states of decay and decomposition, which animalistically feed on the flesh of the living. West himself, however, would be the story’s greatest legacy, as the mad doctor has become the subject of many adaptations and derivative works since, the most famous being the 1985 film starring Jeffrey Combs as the character. While there are several Lovecraft pieces I like more, this one still stands out, and is worthy of all the praise it gets and more.

6. The Color Out of Space.

Also called “The Colour Out of Space,” because regional spelling differences. Anyway, this story brings us to the heart of the cosmic-level types of horrors Lovecraft is so well-known for. It all begins in the rural town of Arkham, Massachusetts. (And yes, Batman fans, this is where the Asylum gets its name from.) A surveyor from Boston asks one of the few remaining locals in the run-down area about a wasteland region of Arkham referred to as “the blasted heath,” and why no one goes there. The local proceeds to tell the surveyor all about what happened there: of a mysterious meteorite that fell from the sky and landed on a farmer’s property. Of the strange globule, with a color no one can quite describe, they found inside of it. Of the farmer’s rise to fame and prosperity thanks to the strange event…and of the then rapid, horrifying decline of the farmer’s life, and the lives of all around him, as the cosmic horror begins to overwhelm them all. In a way, you can kind of consider this a horror version of “The Lorax,” of all things: a character wants to know why a mysterious wasteland is the way it is, and we learn that by messing with things that should not have been messed with, and not taking care to have the proper precautions, many lives were led to destruction, leaving nothing but gloom in the wake of the whole mess. Of course, giant space rocks containing mysterious and indescribable organisms don’t really compare to chopping down a few Truffula Trees, but you get the gist.

5. The Whisperer in Darkness.

The next two stories, starting with this one, are among Lovecraft’s most popular, as well as among the longest: they were actually published in serialized chapters before being released as novellas later on, a little bit like the Herbert West stories. “Whisperer in Darkness” begins when our main character, a literature professor named Albert Wilmarth, hears reports of the carcasses of alien lifeforms being discovered in Vermont. Wilmarth scoffs at the idea at first, disparaging the accounts of the creatures (referred to as Mi-Go), but changes his tune when an old acquaintance of his - Henry W. Akeley - begins a correspondence with him. Akeley claims to have seen the creatures, and later claims to have even killed one of them. Eventually, Akeley convinces Wilmarth to visit him, saying he’s made a breakthrough in his discoveries, and wants his friend to know. Wilmarth visits Akeley, whom he discovers apparently chair-ridden with a bizarre disease that affects his voice. Akeley tells Wilmarth that he no longer believes the Mi-Go are dangerous, claiming they actually want to help mankind…but the methods they plan to use are…unorthodox, to say the least. What’s interesting about this story and the horror it unveils is its layers of ambiguity: there’s a LOT of stuff here we don’t know. We don’t know if the aliens are genuinely evil or not; if what they plan to do is meant to be benevolent but ultimately misguided, or if it’s all some sort of horrifying scam. We also don’t know if what we find out has happened to Akeley was an act of cruelty or if he was as willing as claimed. Finally, we also don’t know what really happens to the Mi-Go at the end of the story: if they died, escaped and are still out there on Earth, or have fled back to their home base on Pluto. (Not even trying to be funny, that’s where their nearest outpost is located.) It’s a multi-layered and extremely unnerving story that really exemplifies the idea of “fear of the unknown” that Lovecraft was so hailed for.

4. At the Mountains of Madness.

While “Call of Cthulhu” and “Herbert West - Reanimator” likely have the most recognizable physical figures and titles of any Lovecraft story, I’d argue this was the most influential in terms of the actual story. “At the Mountains of Madness” is actually the inspiration for several other famous horror/sci-fi combos, including Ridley Scott’s “Alien” and John Carpenter’s “The Thing.” It is also what might be considered the ultimate culmination of the Cthulhu mythos, where the threads of various stories connected to the lore of Lovecraft all come together. The story tells of the adventures of a group of explorers in Antarctica, led by our main character, William Dyer. While on a geological expedition near the frigid South Pole, the explorers find what appear to be the ruins of a prehistoric city, and the fossilized remains of creatures referred to as “Elder Things.” Further exploration reveals that nearly all of the Elder Things were apparently wiped out in a race-related war between themselves and other beings known as the Shoggoths…and that somewhere, deep within the city’s bowels, an unspeakable evil that even these ancient monsters feared is still lurking. As the story goes on, it soon becomes clear that this mysterious evil - the true identity of which is never really made clear - is not all that is still alive in this ancient necropolis…and that the war between these prehistoric races may not really be over. It’s surprising that this story has never gotten a cinematic treatment, since it has been the inspiration for other great films…and with all the references contained to Lovecraft’s general body of work, you could basically call a film version of this story “Lovecraft: The Movie.” There have been rumors, over the years, of Guillermo Del Toro - who is a HUGE Lovecraft fan - making a film adaptation of the story…but with Del Toro’s reputation for picking up and dropping projects faster than I do chicken eggs, I don’t think there’s much hope for that anytime soon.

3. The Shadow Over Innsmouth. This is one of Lovecraft’s most famous tales, as well as one of his most exciting, in my opinion. Initially published - as many of his longer works were - in serialized format, the story actually ended up being one of the few novellas by Lovecraft published in proper book form during his lifetime. (In fact, it might have been the only one, but I’m not entirely sure there; feel free to correct me.) The story begins with our resident narrator and protagonist - Robert Olmstead - telling us of how he helped a government purging of the seaport town of Innsmouth, and then goes on to relate why this happened, and why he’s telling us. He explains how, while going on a tour all over New England, he was more or less forced to travel through Innsmouth…despite the fact that virtually no one ever goes there. It doesn’t take long for Robert to figure out why: he learns of how many of the people in the town worship the mysterious creature known as Dagon, and how the ones who live there don’t seem quite right. They look more or less human…at first, but as they get older, they start to develop strange features more akin to giant fish than to human beings. They also don’t like nosy visitors…so, when Olmstead comes a-calling, you can be darn sure they aren’t the most welcoming. It’s a wonderfully haunting read, with some great moments of tension. The twist at the end is also deliciously disturbing, and actually reminds me a lot of another Lovecraft tale…but that’s literally another story.

2. The Dunwich Horror.

Alongside “Shadow Over Innsmouth” and “Mountains of Madness,” I would argue this is one of the most cinema-worthy entries in Lovecraft’s catalogue of creepiness, as well as one of his most interesting. It was one of Lovecraft’s last-published short stories, and is widely regarded as one of his best; if any of his works is published in a compilation that ISN’T “Call of Cthulhu,” it’s nearly always “The Dunwich Horror,” and between the two, I actually prefer this tale. Unlike all the other stories on this list, it doesn’t have a narrator-protagonist figure, but instead is related directly to the reader, so to speak, in third-person format. It tells of a series of dark happenings in the “eldritch town of Dunwich,” a quaint little New England village where lives a kooky old hermit known as “Wizard Whateley.” One night, Whateley’s albino daughter, Lavinia, gives birth to a child they name Wilbur, but no one is sure who the father is. Wilbur turns out to be a peculiar young fellow, to say the least, as he ages exponentially faster than any human being, and has repulsive, almost Satanical features that give him the appearance of a man and a goat combined. As he grows, Wilbur becomes desperate to find a copy of the fabled Necronomicon, for unknown purposes. Wilbur isn’t the only thing to worry about, as people soon become aware of a strange and seemingly invisible…SOMETHING living in the attic of the Whateley home. I won’t give away what’s going on exactly, but the unfolding horror is deliciously disturbing, and - much like the previous two stories I mentioned - it’s also very exciting. While tensions rise, the fear escalates from a looming, ominous foreboding to shocking action and intensity. If you’re only going to read one entry of Lovecraft’s famous Cthulhu-Mythos-involved stories…then you should probably read “Mountains of Madness,” but this one’s a close second there, definitely.

1. The Outsider.

Not EVERYTHING H.P. Lovecraft wrote was related to the now-so-lauded Cthulhu Mythos. He did, especially in the earlier points of his career, write stories that were completely unique and self-contained. It is likely very ironic that my favorite Lovecraft story is exactly such a case. This little story, as far as I can tell, has no connection to the famous lore at all: it’s a complete one-off, and it is a FABULOUS one. The story focuses once again on a narrator-protagonist, this time one who has no name. He tells the reader that he spent a great deal of his life trapped in the dungeon of a decrepit old castle, forever entombed in the dark, with no knowledge of the outside world, and no memory of who he really is or where he comes from. His only comfort are some antique books he’s managed to find. In desperation, eager to see light and meet other people, he creeps his way through the crumbling castle in a perilous escape attempt, till he finally reaches the outside world. His hope and joy intensify when he comes across a bright and vibrant party…but after trying to join the party, his dream-come-true quickly transforms into a nightmare. I do not DARE tell you all what happens, because the twist ending to this story is one of my favorite twists in ANY story. The twist itself is a big part of what makes this story brilliant, but it’s also just a really well-told tale. It’s tragic, it’s exciting, it’s disturbing, and it has just enough ambiguity in it to keep you guessing as to what is REALLY going on and why. On top of that, the story speaks to its own title audience: the outsiders. I think nearly everyone has had this feeling of being an outcast or just not “part of the crowd” at some point in their lives. And while we ideally try to just do our own thing, many of us have wished we could join in the party. It’s a story that is as touching and poignant as it is extremely unsettling, and for that reason, it’s undeniably my absolute favorite of his works. There’s something personal, something unique, and something deceptively simple about “The Outsider” that so many of Lovecraft’s other pieces don’t have…and it’s all done, I should add, without a lot of the things that make his work occasionally hard for others to get into. There’s no racism, no alien words that are hard to pronounce, no complete misunderstandings of math and science…just the story of a lost and lonely soul, trying to find some happiness…and the horror he inadvertently discovers instead. It may not be as famous as “Call of Cthulhu” or “The Dunwich Horror,” but there is no doubt in my mind that “The Outsider” is my favorite H.P. Lovecraft story.

HONORABLE MENTIONS INCLUDE…

Dagon.

From Beyond.

The Terrible Old Man.

The Case of Charles Dexter Ward.

[written-wonderlands]

If possible, my I request a reading date between a nonbinary reader and character of your choice? I personally love the little headcanons and fanfic I've seen so far, and am curious to learn more about you as a writer!

EDGAR ALLEN POE X READER. (not the real author , let’s bfr.)

( fluff. )

𝓬w : gn!reader , no specific gender mentioned .

𝓬haracters : crush!poe x gn!reader

𝓕ootsteps followed yours , the sound of shoes walking against the floor filling the hallway with noise.

Eyes lock on the office door , the name plate reading ���𝓔dgar 𝓐llen 𝓟oe’. Extending your hand , two knows came down on the door. With in a couple seconds , a familiar face covered with his raven locks &&. a little raccoon on his shoulder opened the door .

“ 𝓔ddie — are you free today ? ”

Stifling back a small giggle at the dumb nickname you gave him , he shook his head. His schedule was pretty much always clear , and Karl loved hanging out with you.

“ 𝓐lright ! Let’s go then . ”

You shuffled back some ; his hand now intertwined with yours. As fingers laced together his heart started to beat , you sure were fascinating 🌀🌀..

You’ve always been, from the first day he went you. Which was — give or take two months ago. You worked as a librarian at the local library. And he was one your regulars , stopping by at least twice a week for more books. With how often he stopped by , more conversation started between the two of you. Though he was pretty shy at first. Still is. One time , he brought Karl with him— and that made your WHOLE day .

Now the two of you hang out almost every day , or at least text & call. You haven’t gone a day without hearing from him. There’s also been trust formed , he’s given you a key to his office and house. And Karl ; that little guy loves you. ( mainly because you feed him , when Poe isn’t looking ).

“ 𝓦here are we off to , this time , mon amour ? ”

“ 𝓵ibrary ! ”

“ 𝓘sn’t it closed today ? ”

“ 𝓝o one needs to know that !! ”

Amethyst hues stared into you , a little dumbfounded at first. After a second he looked away , nodding. Your shenanigans were something he’d become accustomed to in your friendship. But thinking about it legally .. couldn’t you get fired 💧 .. ? Eh .

Not too long after , you two arrived at the library , entering throughout the back entrance with your key. Now yes … you could totally get in big trouble. But hey ! There’s no cameras in here.

Flicking the light switch , the building was more dim now. You lead Poe around ; bringing him to your favorite spot in the library. It was a corner decorated with fairy lights , bean bags , pillows— overall just very comfy.

You brought out the specific book you wanted to read , The Hollow Man. A mystery novel ; something Poe would love to read. You saw the toothy smile appear on his face after reading the title .. cute .

A couple chapters into the book ; you rested your head on his shoulder. A shiver ran down his spine , blush dusting his cheeks. This whole experience had felt very out of the blue— you always took him somewhere , but never has your time together been so close and intimate.

A mumble escaped his lips , inaudible but you know you heard something. You turned to him , about to ask what he said when you noticed he was already staring at you. Suddenly the words left his mouth ; and the room was silent enough to hear a pin drop.

“ 𝓒an I kiss you ? ”

… quietness. Your blinked at him , confused. Were you dreaming ? No .. you couldn’t have been , surely. After a couple moments , you nodded with no audible response.

And that’s when lips crashed against yours , softly. Eyes fluttered shut ; engulfing the warmness the kiss had sent both of you. A couple seconds went by before pulling away— both of you staring at the other , Poe finally being the one to speak up.

“ 𝓓oes this mean .. — ”

Poe didn’t need to finish his sentence , you understood him. You understood every little part of him ; which is what he found so fascinating about you.

“ 𝓨es , it means I love you too . ”

R. — hi !!! Thank you for this request ^__^. I know it was a bit more of a hang out then date BUT,, we prosper . Possibly a part 2 to this if wanted, I’m not all that sure.

[daydream-cement]

Hello 👋 it's my first time requestiong so hopefully i do this shit right and not rant about Gwendoline Christie,

If you aren't too busy (ive been stalking your page and i know you're doing your final or maybe i was late) could you do a male reader like just a student being platonically in love with principal weems, like just flirts and either larissa just scolds them or laughs, r just got dared to do that by yoko or something, sorry if it isn't too specific i wanna let your creativity go thru (cuz it sure was on Stately Sequoia)

Breakin' My Heart (Pretty Brown Eyes)

Characters: Larissa Weems x m!reader

Authors Note: If I need to fix the tag or reader description someone pls let me know. I am new to writing fanfic on tumblr and i wanna make sure i make everyone feel included in my writing. also this was so much fun to write thank u @kichuusomalive

"Everyone watch out! Smoke show coming through." You shout from your perch on a railing as Principal Weems starts up a light of stairs nearby. You had been sitting around chatting with your friends about the eminent Poe Cup. She glances up at you with a roll of her eyes as usual.

You had started your time as a bit of a troublemaker at Nevermore, spending many days in Headmistress Weems office. Slowly you built a relationship with one another based on mutual understanding, allowing you to manifest a relationship where you were allowed to tease Principal Weems. You really did love her, but not anything more as a trusted confidant.

"Watch it, Mr. L/n." She shot back, causing you to offer her a bright smile of innocence.

"Of course, Larissa." You offer with a fake look of seriousness with a stern nod.

"I'll give you three seconds. Go to class." You knew your luck had run out for the moment. You tugged your friends sleeve as you jogged off to homeroom.

------

You had been working on homework during your lunch period when your friend elbowed you, signaling that Weems had entered the cafeteria.

You toss up a hand waving at her, "Good afternoon, Principal Weems!"

She couldn't hide her smile as she saw you waving, offering a small wave in return. Larissa was there to have a discussion with the lunch supervisor, but she took a detour to visit your table.

"How are you doing this afternoon, y/n?" She offered with a polite smile, always trying to keep it professional with you. Truly you were her favorite student at Nevermore. While you had a pension for troublemaking, she always enjoyed your sense of humor. Plus whenever you complimented her, she never had the feeling that you were actually making fun of her.

"Has anyone ever told you how beautiful you are, Principal?" You ask, narrowing your eyebrows and leaning your chin into your palm, trying to look very intentional about your question.

"Yes. You. Yesterday." Larissa retorted, with a deep breath, obviously hiding a smile.

"Sorry, Principal Weems. I just like to remind you." You nod vigorously, causing Larissa to shake her head with (fake) annoyance. Your tablemates couldn't hide their smiles at your words.

"Glad to see your sense of humor hasn't changed, Mr. L/n." Larissa turned around to return to her initial task.

You call back after her, "No humor here, Principal Weems. Just a love for the finer things in this world."

------

"I heard you are performing at the talent show this semester, Mr. L/n." Larissa stated as you sat in the armchair in front of her desk. You had simply come in to chat and catch up, enjoying Principal Weems quick wit. You had pulled the armchair up close so you could fiddle with the jar on her desk that contained a shrunken head. Weems was too focused on her computer to scold you.

"I am. Actually, I'm dedicating my song to you." She glanced up from her computer with a deep breath and a shake of her head.

"I can't wait to see." Larissa smiled, knowing that this would be extremely funny, but also potentially embarrassing if you made a scene.

"No worries. I'll keep it classy for my favorite girl." You nod with a big smile across your face, earning you a one way ticket out of Principal Weems office.

-------

You looked out across the audience as you finished your performance, looking for Principal Weems. Once you spotted her, she had one hand covering her eyes and she was shaking her head. Even from on the stage you could see the fraction of a smile that graced her lips, shoulders shaking as she was laughing.

You had prefaced your performance with saying that you were performing this song for the love of your life. Then you and your closest friends performed Breakin' My Heart (Pretty Brown Eyes) by Mint Condition.

Principal Weems met you backstage afterwards, her hands clasped in front of her. Her face was quite serious, "First off, Mr. L/n, my eyes are blue. Secondly, while I find your antics to be quite amusing, you simply cannot keep joking about being in love with me."

"Why, Larissa, who ever said I was joking?" You stood directly in front of her, allowing her to tower over you. At this point she couldn't hide her smile, she wished she hadn't found you to be such a charming kid.

"Watch it."

[princessniitza]

it’s me, hi, I’m your rcss, it’s me!

Note: I’m not Taylor Swift, but I like cardigans and think I’m pretty cool 😎

I’m so excited for you to see what I’ve been working on this month. Exchange time is almost upon us and I need to get scribbling ✏️

What are three rebelcaptain fics that you enjoy reading/re-reading?

Hope you have a lovely week! 🧡

Hey there, dear RCSS! I hope you are well <3 And I can't wait to see what you come up with too!

Re: your question, I say this every time, but this too is a tough one! (The conclusion here is that I find any question asking about favorites tough, apparently.) But let's try and answer it. Off the top of my head, I'd say:

most Rebelcaptain fics by Skitzofreak / @melyzard, although your words are mine to keep holds a special place in my heart. I just find the format / use of various messaging systems very well done and the netmails from That Doctor just send me every time. Special mention for the sequel, REBEL Y/N? (with the parts told from the mouse droids PoV), you give me something and A Love Song. Also the shadow that the desert knows because it's hilarious and I just adore how casually hypercompetent Jyn is in that one.

Long Odds by Mosylu / @mosylufanfic because I just love the dialog in it, the ease between Jyn and Cassian (and Bodhi), and the glimpse into everyday life in the Rebellion, since it can't all be secret high stakes missions. Special mention to their other fics too, like Delayed Gratification and of course Lost and Found, which I haven't re-read yet but definitely will.

Where We're Going (Fuck Where We Were) by Rifle / @rifle-yes because I guess I'm all for strangers meeting and ending up in a Situation that makes them fast-forward to being The Ultimate Team and maybe probably codependent but who cares? Or maybe it's the power of baby!Poe. Or it's simply that there is no Betrayal and very little angst in that one (which is the reason I can't put the Front Toward Enemy series here because my poor wee heart can't take re-reading that one just yet, especially since there is no part 3 to bring us a modicum of comfort ;-;).

...This is not three fics, uh. But I kept it at 3 authors! So I can say that at least I tried? 8D

[mint-berry-crunch]

HENRIETTA:3333

OOH was not expecting this one, but still, I love it!

Alright, so, Henrietta, in my opinion, was always somewhat into the goth subculture. Even as a little kid, she was never scared of the monsters that might be under her bed, and she preferred Uncle Scar over Simba or Mufasa, The Evil Queen over Snow White, etc. In fact, one year, she went as Maleficent for Halloween. Because these unusual interests of hers, her parents were worried. The first place their minds went was that she had some sort of mental illness because she wasn't "girly." (As nice as her parents are, they're not too smart.)

They got her tested, but the things they tested her for all came back negative. They made sure to test her empathy levels just in case, and, although they were just a tad lower than the average child her age, the doctor assured her parents that they were not abnormally low, and that other than that and liking "strange" things, she was a typical 4 year old girl.

She first tried on black lipstick in 3rd grade, and she instantly loved it. Over time, however, she transitioned it to a dark purple lipstick instead.

I think she's probably a demi-girl, Voidpunk and uses it/she/they pronouns. They're also omni. When it came out to it's parents, her dad brushed it off, saying it was "too young to know." Her mom, however, panicked and took away her phone, thinking that the internet "made her that way." Little did its mom know, however, it had a secret phone and just pretended to be pissed about not having one.

Her favorite author is Edgar Allen Poe. Obviously. She used to LOVE H.P. Lovecraft's books, but when she found out about all the... questionable... things he did, she was heartbroken and angry. She went cold turkey on all his books and to this day refuses to acknowledge that she ever liked his stuff.

Let's see, what else... I think she had anger issues, as evidenced by her explosive reactions to things that would make most people angry, yes, but not to the extent she gets.

She despises that her last name is fucking "Biggle," and the only people who know are Michael, Pete, and Firkle.

As of the canon timeframe, she's only got her ears pierced, but she definitely wants more piercings and tattoos in the future.

She GETS her piercings and tattoos in the future! She gets more ear piercings, a nose rings, and several tattoos, including a yin and yang, a skull covered in moss, and dolphins, as they're her favorite animal.

(Link warning!)

I couldn't find a clip of just my favorite moment of her, and idk how to edit it on computer, so I'll just say it. When Henrietta's mom walks into her room, she tells her to shut of and calls her a "conformist bag of demon jizz," which, has GOT to be my favorite insult I have literally ever heard /srs

Overall, I think Henrietta is a really interesting character, and should definitely be explored further! She's not as 2-dimensional as she seems and actually have a lot of depth! I really hope they do more with her in the future, as she's probably in my top 15 favorite characters! Thank you sm for the ask, as I really got to get all my love for my little blorbo out!

[snek-of-eden]

1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40

For the ask thingy Hehehe

cherry - what is your sexuality? bisexual!! also aceflux

lollipop - favorite makeup products? i don’t wear any huge brands (or a lot of makeup) but i love black eyeliner so so so much

daydreams - if you could be anything or anyone, who would you be? i’m pretty happy being me, but i think being a penguin would be pretty good too

october - what month were you born in? december :3

caress - do you like to snuggle? YES YES YES YES i think this is what i was born to do. my purpose, per se. i have it on good authority that i am a nice snuggler and i will always say yes to snuggles

ivory - describe your pajamas? usually a plain t-shirt or sports bra with really old winnie the pooh shorts T-T or black sweatpants

golden - favorite stationary product? i have a special fondness for uni-pin fine line 0.2 black pens

freckles - most-worn article of clothing? probably adidas shorts or my black Queen tank top (wearing it rn)

twilight - best friend? my babe teri!! they’re offline for now but they’re @belt-soup

silk - do you like k-pop? not really. i like a few songs, but i never really got into it

poppy - favorite pastel color? pale blue or purple! same colour as my hair

dimples - most attractive features of a person’s face? smile <3 and i guess just… them in general. we’re all beautiful creatures

sunkissed - autumn or spring? autumn 4eva

buttery - favorite snack? salt and vinegar crackers…. or maybe the tumblr cheese toast is because nothing can beat that

whisper - how much sleep do you get? on average about 8 1/2 hours. 9 if i try!

pencil - do you own a journal? yep, i do. and a diary

cupcake - are you a good cook? i like to think so, yeah! i’m a good baker, i can cook alright

honey - favorite term of endearment? babe, baby, bud, sweetheart, honey, take your pick ^_^ i use endearments with everyone

clouds - describe one of your favorite dreams? i hug a lot of people in my dreams!! it’s definitely a theme. i have a teacher who gives the best hugs ever and i’ve had a few dreams about them… also i had a dream once about scotty and bones from star trek being my gay dads and taking me to a concert? so strange but i loved it

velvet - who was your first crush? a boy named alexander on my primary school soccer team T-T he was so cute man. i still think about what happened to him sometimes

paper - favorite children’s book? hmmm, i used to love ‘where is the green sheep’ when i was a toddler, and it’s become a core memory :3

peaches - do you have a skincare routine? not really lol. i wash my face and sometimes moisturise or do a face mask, but yeah

mochi - favorite studio ghibli film? i’ve never actually watched one! it’s on my list though

backyard - did you ever have an imaginary friend? nope

strawberry - favorite fruit? watermelon or strawberry!

kiss - have you ever kissed a friend? on the cheek and forehead yeah haha

nightlight - do you read before bed? i used to, i never do anymore… i don’t know why, just too exhausted nowadays

shampoo - favorite scent? aniseed, vanilla and fresh rain

skin - what distant relative are you closest to? perhaps my second cousins? they’re lovely

aphrodite - favorite actress/actor? DAVID TENNANT OR ANNE HATHAWAY

cuddles - do you have any pets? i have a dog and i sometimes keep stick insects :}

lace - if you own any dresses, which is your favorite? i don’t wear dresses <3

sheets - sanrio or san-x characters? idk what this means

cream - frozen yogurt flavor? a mix of strawberry and chocolate !! can’t go wrong there

watermelon - do films ever make you cry? i don’t think so. not very often at least. really rarely

sapphos - favorite poet? robert frost or edgar allen poe

plush - how many stuffed animals do you still own? at least ten, but the only one i keep out is my kermit plushie that’s been passed down through the family

roses - what flower do you find most beautiful? lavender or pink tulips <33

sweetheart - favorite mug/cup? i have a rainbow mug my mother got for my birthday that has the same picture as the mug in one direction’s drag me down music video… i’m not a huge 1D fan anymore but i adore that mug sm

sunset - what are your pronouns? he/him right now, they/them sometimes!!

thank you so so so so much for this ask!!!! i’m on a road trip and this made for a very fun time x

[runa-falls]

20 Q's for 20 Authors

thanks for the tag @virtie333!!!

1. How many works do you have?

21 on ao3 and 84 on tumblr

2. What’s your total AO3 word count?

~78.6k

3. What fandoms do you write for?

oscar issac (mostly moon knight and spiderverse)!

4. What are your top 5 fics by notes?

surprise, surprise, it's all mig fics:

size kink

free use

something new

top tier brain

squirting

5. Do you respond to comments?

i try to but the notifs often get lost in the tide ;-; i'm better at responding to reblogs!

6. What is the fic you wrote with the angstiest ending?

"i know who you pretend I am" and step on me

they're both about unrequited love with miguel o'hara!

and

one last dance - poe dameron (TW: death)

7. What’s the fic you wrote with the happiest ending?

my turn or cocktails ??? maybe ??? they both end with cute pillow talk

8. Do you get hate on fics?

the only times i have gotten hate was with my more dubiously themed fics. otherwise i havent really experienced too much tension in the fandom!

9. Do you write smut? If so, what kind?

YES

10. Do you write crossovers?

i've written one crossover for my basil stitt fic (my ex’s tapes) where jake lockley is involved.

11. Have you ever had a fic stolen?

as far as i'm aware, nope

12. Have you ever had a fic translated?

no

13. Have you ever co-written a fic before?

officially? no, but i do like to throw ideas around with friends

see my "screaming with moots" masterlist to read all the juicy ideas we've collaborated on!

14. What’s your all-time favorite ship?

i've probably indulged the most in reylo (i know, controversial lol), but i also enjoy good bamon (damon and bonnie) fics

15. What’s a WIP you want to finish but doubt you ever will?

POOLBOY!MIGUEL AHHHHHHHH

16. What are your writing strengths?

i don't know

17. What are your writing weaknesses?

all of my fics are the same and i never read them over before posting

18. Thoughts on writing dialogue in another language in fic?

risky bc i only know english, but sometimes it's a key part in a character's life

19. First fandom you wrote for?

chris evans 😅

20. Favorite fics you’ve written?

NSFW:

cocktails* - jake lockley x reader (friends to lovers)

poe dameron x FO!reader* written with @campingwiththecharmings

scratches and bites* [unfinished series] - miguel o'hara x reader

SFW:

not him - marc spector x reader

-------

np tags: @romanarose @melodygatesauthor @campingwiththecharmings @ivystoryweaver @mccn-bcys @soft-girl-musings @spacecowboyhotch @juneknight

[necromancy-savant]

Multiples of 3 for book asks!

3. what is your preferred genre?

My preferred genre is the stuff you find in the nonfiction section that's all myths and poems

6. do you track the books you read? if so, how?

Nope; never occurred to me

9. do you have a favorite author?

John Milton \m/

12. which book will you read next?

Probably The Two Towers bc I read Fellowship, loved it, and then got distracted by like 5 other books. I need to finish reading Lord of the Rings and The Silmarillion

15. have you been/are you in a book club?

I was in a Shakespeare club in grad school! I brought in the production of David Tennant's R2 for us to watch that @skeleton-richard introduced me to

18. do you have any rules if you loan someone a book?

I mean don't write on it or like intentionally be rough on it?

21. do you prefer to read or listen?

Read. I watch everything with subtitles if I can

24. what book to movie adaptation to you dislike?

I mean one time I saw some Iliad adaptation that didn't even have the gods and was boring af but I don't remember what it was. And one time I saw about 10 minutes of some CGI Beowulf bc it was so ugly I had to turn it off

27. is there a book that scared you?

Yes. Well, recently I was having a bit of trouble sleeping thinking about the demons in Camp Damascus, but also I used to stay up late in high school reading my giant Edgar Allan Poe book and then I could never sleep. I don't even remember which ones were the scariest. There was one about a coffin on a boat that fucked me up and wasn't even that scary.

30. is there a book that changed your life?

Phantom of the Opera, then Paradise Lost, then Richard III, and I think now The Locked Tomb

33. what was your favorite childhood book?

Redwall

36. what’s the most you’ve reread a book?

I literally have no fucking clue. I've memorized all of Richard III's lines in that play. I lost count of the number of times I've read Paradise Lost about 10 years ago. I can predict the next words in my translation of Phantom and read it in its original language just because I know what it's going to say, I know all the words to Earnest and Julius Caesar, I have no clue how many thousands of times I've read Enuma Elish or Ishtar's Descent to the Underworld or anything else I've every tried or had to translate. Basically I read the same few books and stories over and over and over and over and

39. favorite quote from your favorite book?

Be then his Love accurst, since love or hate, To me alike, it deals eternal woe. Nay curs'd be thou; since against his thy will Chose freely what it now so justly rues. Me miserable! which way shall I flie Infinite wrauth, and infinite despaire? Which way I flie is Hell my self am Hell; And in the lowest deep a lower deep Still threatning to devour me opens wide, To which the Hell I suffer seems a Heav'n.

42. do you buy new or secondhand books?

I have so many books I got for free from the grad school English department that they were literally just giving away. I got a whole Faerie Queene that way. I got a complete Chaucer's works that way. One time I went in and some students were going through stuff and I was like "yo is that a fascimile of Poetaster??!!" and my classmate said, "here, it's yours: it should go to someone who will love it" and I was in Heaven

45. thoughts on separating the author from the work?

So...this gets into so much internet discourse and so much discourse within critical theory over the last like 40 years. Basically, yes, historical context matters and knowing who an author was as a person can give some insight into a text, but I'm also not going to give a currently living author money whom I don't want to support. You should read problematic stuff from hundreds of years ago to learn your history; hell, I'd venture to say that if you can do so without giving them money, you should read problematic shit written recently and today to know what it looks like and learn to draw your own conclusions

48. what book would you give someone if they wanted a glimpse into your psyche?

Richard III

[sulky-valkyrie]

20 questions for fic writers

the illustrious @barbex tagged me and I'm tagging @dismalzelenka, @pierogipie @syrupwit and @midnightprelude

1. How many works do you have on Ao3?

204, but 136 of those are 1000 words or less

2. What's your total Ao3 word count?

Over half a million

3. What fandoms do you write for?

Dragon Age, plus i have a second Ao3 account that’s entirely original fiction with a few rifts on Edgar Allen Poe and King Arthur

4. What are your top 5 fics by kudos?

Who did this to you? 

The Room at the Top of the Pearl  

Apex Predators and Other Things that Go Whump In the Night  

on wings of change  

Griffon and Peacock  

(I’m discounting New Promises, Old Consequences because I’m 90% certain it was hit by a kudos bot as I received approximately 90 guest kudos when it still had less than 50 hits)

5. Do you respond to comments? Why or why not?

I try to respond to all of them, but can get overwhelmed.

6. What is the fic you wrote with the angstiest ending?

When it comes to angsty endings, I usually only do one-shots, so it’s probably a toss up between "What have you done?" and If Your Door is Open Tonight . . .

7. What's the fic you wrote with the happiest ending?

Probably Anything for Her, Even This.

8. Do you get hate on fics?

I’ve had a few people argue with me about why something in my fics isn’t possible in the games.  SIR YOU DO REALIZE YOU ARE READING FANFICTION??

9. Do you write smut? If so, what kind?

Yes, all of it.

10. Do you write crossovers? What's the craziest one you've written?

I helped with a Dragon Age/Hades AU once

11. Have you ever had a fic stolen?

Not to my knowledge.

12. Have you ever had a fic translated?

Nope.

13. Have you ever co-written a fic before?

I have! It's a really different process, but a lot of fun.

14. What's your all time favorite ship?

Going just by relationship tags on Ao3, it’s Anders/Fenris, but it’s more accurate to say Anders/happiness.

15. What's a WIP you want to finish but doubt you ever will?

Compassion and Justice is probably the one I’m most likely not to finish, but I have written sequels to it.

16. What are your writing strengths?

Mimicking verbal styles in different characters, plus dialogue in general.  Also humor (apparently?)

17. What are your writing weaknesses?

WHAT DO PEOPLE LOOK LIKE I DON’T KNOW.  Honestly, the best you can hope for from me is skin tone and hair color/length.  I write fanfic because I can skip a lot of descriptions.

18. Thoughts on writing dialogue in another language in fic?

I’ve done it a few times, then footnoted it in the Author’s Notes.

19. First fandom you wrote for?

Dragon Age in 2021.

20. Favorite fic you've written? All I Have to Offer continues to be my favorite one-shot.

[ao3feed--reylo]

“The boy needs to get laid, as the younglings say nowadays” Padmé Amidala said calmly.

read it on the AO3 at https://ift.tt/wHsZ7kB

by MariaCelia021

Anakin gets over Ben Solo acting like a 14 year old girl and tells Ben to go undercover at the Resistance as “Matt The Radar Technician” and with the force no one will recognize him… or so Anakin tricked Ben into believing.

Words: 1824, Chapters: 2/2, Language: English

Fandoms: Star Wars - All Media Types, Star Wars Sequel Trilogy

Rating: Explicit

Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply

Categories: F/M

Characters: Matt the Radar Technician, Ben Solo | Kylo Ren, Rey (Star Wars), Rose Tico, Poe Dameron, Anakin Skywalker, Obi-Wan Kenobi

Relationships: Rey/Ben Solo | Kylo Ren, Matt the Radar Technician/Rey (Star Wars)

Additional Tags: Kylo Ren is Whipped, Kylo Ren is Matt the Radar Technician, Crack, Smut, Implied Sexual Content, Femdom, Bottom Kylo Ren, Submissive Kylo Ren, Bottom Ben Solo, Top Rey (Star Wars), Dominant Rey (Star Wars), Punishment, Ben Solo | Kylo Ren Is acting like a teenage girl, Force Ghost Anakin Skywalker, Force Ghost Obi-Wan Kenobi, Mentioned Ahsoka Tano, Mentioned Yoda (Star Wars), Mentioned Padmé Amidala, Mentioned Steve Rogers, Mentioned Mace Windu, Mentioned Han Solo, This is just crack, I Wrote This Instead of Sleeping, no beta we die like men, Jealous Poe Dameron, Finn and Rose are also in this, idk anymore, MY SANITY IS HANGING ON BY A STRING, DID I JUST PULL AN ALL NIGHTER READING AND WRITING PORN???? YES I DID, I need therapy, MAYBE I NEED TO BE IN AN MENTAL INSTITUTION, I JUST DISCOVERED REYLO PORN COMICS, IMMA GET COFFEE BEFORE I PASS OUT, That's Not How The Force Works (Star Wars), Authors favorite word is “Flabbergasted”

read it on the AO3 at https://ift.tt/wHsZ7kB

[this-was-a-terrible-idea]

ALRIGHT BEAN YOU DIDN'T RESTRICT THE BOOK RECS ASK SO HERE YOU GO: 1, 7, 8, 16, 18, 20, 23, 42, 51, 60, 62, 77, 87, 90, 91, 121, 124!! (you can skip any that you don't have an answer for and repeat whatever you want also ahhhh the ask won't let me make a new paragraph but it's @bi-bats)

😈 nyehehehe thank u for all the questions ily @bi-bats. kissing u on the forehead for this

1) a book that is close to your heart: i talk about it a lot but The Lightning Thief by Rick Riordan. the first book that ADHD problem child baby bean ever read and felt Seen in 💕

7) a book you did not finish: losing my MIND about Husband Material by Alexis Hall. i WANT to finish it but i legitimately CANNOT get over the fact that the author made one of the characters a vegan for ethical reasons after he had a whole ass Moment about a bacon sandwich and Expectations in the previous book. it is SO stupid that i can't get past this but alas

8) a book you finished in one sitting: Boyfriend Material by Alexis Hall! yes this is the aforementioned previous book to the book in the last question

16) a book you'd recommend to your younger self: i think i would be a cooler person in general if i read more gothic lit in high school. cool is a relative term btw. i'm recommending to my younger self: read more Poe

18) your least favorite book ever: okay so this one is probably a Required Reading in High School bias, but Things Fall Apart by Chinua Achebe 😩

20) a book that got you out of a reading slump: Game Changer by Rachel Reid

23) a book that is currently on your TBR: The Secret of the Grande Chateau by Dr. Cecil H. H. Mills! this one is @jayzelnut's influence

42) a book that made you want to scream by the time you got to the end: Vicious by V.E. Schwab. look at what you've done to me misha

51) a book that you found underwhelming: ACOTAR

60) a book that you think about at 3am: The Echo Wife by Sarah Gailey

62) a book with a forgettable plot but amazing characters: im being a bit salty here but The Blood of Olympus by Rick Riordan. the characters are wonderful but the plot (and in some ways the writing) of that book was mid, especially for it being the last book of the series

77) a book so useless that you could use it as a coaster: i got legitimate psychic damage from The Change Up by Meghan Quinn. i gave it a shot after i read and loved the Game Changers series by Rachel Reid bc i thought i might be judging sports romances too harshly but i was not.

87) a book with a predictable ending: is picking a romance book cheating? Red White and Royal Blue by Casey McQuinston

90) the longest book you've read: given that the official english translation was split up into five volumes, i'm gonna go with MDZS, aka The Grandmaster of Demonic Cultivation, by MXTX. i haven't tallied up how many pages it is but each volume is a decent size so i'm making an assumption that its the longest book i've read

91) the shortest book you've read: if we aren't counting the micro story Warm Up by V.E. Schwab, the shortest book i've read is Galatea by Madeline Miller

121) a book that makes you nostalgic: oh buddy, you guessed it! any of the og Percy Jackson series

124) the book you're currently reading: oh, so many. Chalice of the Gods by Rick Riordan, Last Night at the Telegraph Club by Malinda Lo, The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes by Suzanne Collins, Just like Home by Sarah Gailey. AND VICIOUS! I SWEAR I WILL FINISH ANNOTATING IT FOR YOU AAAAAAAAAH

book rec ask game!

[spaghetti-academia]

My name is Spaghetti! My pronouns are he/they, and I'm 22 years old. TERFs and bigots are not welcome here.

🏳️‍🌈🏳️‍⚧️

I graduated from college, so now what does one do with their studyblr?

On this blog, you'll find: book reviews, book memes, and other book-related stuff! I may also post stuff related to movies and TV shows, but most of my posts are going to do with reading.

Important note: I like to read non-fiction. I do not agree with every author I read. Reading their book is not an endorsement.

Currently reading

Before She Sleeps by Bina Shah

The Bible (English Standard Version)

The Death of Democracy by Benjamin Carter Hett

Democracy in America by Alexis de Tocqueville

The Devil in the White City by Erik Larson

The Handmaid's Tale by Margaret Atwood

Hillbilly Elegy by J.D. Vance

Homestuck by Andrew Hussie (look for my Homestuck liveblogging)

July 1914 by Sean McMeekin

Leviathan Wakes by James S.A. Corey

Lightlark by Alex Aster

The Masque of the Red Death by Edgar Allan Poe

Murder on the Orient Express by Agatha Christie

Secret City by James Kirchick

Sister Outsider by Audre Lorde

key: fiction non-fiction webcomic

yes i'm aware that this is a lot of books

What genres do I like to read?

Fantasy & Sci-Fi - always been a huge fan of these genres. I'm a huge sucker for interesting worldbuilding, and I'd like to read more about soft/social science fiction

History - Learning about history is super important! It reveals a lot of about why things are the way they are

Society & Politics - I studied sociology and political science in college, and I want to keep learning.

What are some of my favorite books?

The Warriors series by Erin Hunter

Wolves of the Beyond series by Kathryn Lasky

World War Z by Max Brooks

Illuminae by Amie Kaufman & Jay Kristoff

Battle Royale by Koushun Takami

I'm also participating in The Hardest Reading Challenge You'll Ever Do (HRCYED) by Qwordy!

Books I've read so far in 2024

[moonxsuncelestials]

They can hear the snickers from their dormmates, from those who worship Vil's every word, as they walk the corridors of Pomfiore. Poe understandably growls and hisses at the words, despite his master's neutral stance. Ivory had learned how to ignore them, not let their words sting.

Yes, they are odd, and these humans have no idea what the princess from The Isle is. The princess knew it, there is no denying that they have odd mannerisms and quirks, but is it so weird to always see them with a book or three in their arms? Vil wasn't wrong in how a queen should be dedicated, and diligent in their appearance and minds. Beauty will fade for mortals, it's a tale as old as time and the mind will go, but that doesn't mean one should slack off.

Well, for the princess they also just love to read. They love to study various subjects; alchemy is a huge favorite because of the formulas that remind them so much of home cooking. And it reminded them of their mother's greenhouse.

One of their dormmates sneered yet Ivory continued to hold their head high, just as Vil would have. As much as the other angered them, Vil did have a lot of good points, and it was wise to put some of what he said into practice. One day Ivory may have to take over the business from their parents, Eclipse already stated that he's happy being the muscle and has a pretty good side hustle of being a DJ during his downtime. He does have that talent and he has mentioned he's not so savvy with business, but I think I overheard Azul saying that he's wrong.

"You're mind is whirling, Master Ivory." Poe whispered only for another dormmate to call Ivory an unpleasant name. Had Ivory not petted him in the right spot, that idiot would have been seriously harmed. "Ignore these Peasants, Poe. They are not worth the aggravation, just like how the servants at Uncle's palace are beneath us. They learned and so will these, humans." Poe purred with a wicked grin, though would agree that as much as neither were going to enjoy this, these foolish peasants have their uses. As the future queen of The Isle, they knew they had to start gaining popularity among the ranks of Pomfiore; enough to cause a bit of a stir and prove to Vil that they are no potato.

Oh no. They are a wild and deadly demonic rose, and Vil will see that he must take them seriously.

"I have not spent my life reading books, My hours studying To be some desperate queen's toy Wanna lock me away? Well, by all means, have fun with that But I will be the author of this tale. So to hell with your approval, you're all idiots for thinking That I'm just another dainty flower. Well I have news for you, this flower is a demon~

(Certain as the sun) Underestimate me all this time (Rising in the east) Don't you get it? This will be my grand design! (Tale as old as time, song as old as rhyme) I'm planning all my moves, Watch me as I rise from your so-called lies~"

Poe smirked and snickered quietly as he listened to Ivory's little song. Yes, their princess will one day be queen of the land, and then? All of Twisted Wonderland, Sage Island; everyone will see that it is the silent ones that one shouldn't underestimate.