#IMAGINE IF SUPERNATURAL WAS A HORROR-TRAGEDY

[thelonelyshore-if]

Meet me at the cabin. Please.

You weren’t sure what to make of it. A cryptic late night text sent from your younger sibling, begging you to meet up at your family’s old lake home. The plea for help was as concerning as it was confusing. As far as you knew, neither of you had set foot in the cabin in a decade. You had your hesitations, but Willow seemed desperate. You couldn’t help but oblige.

Everything goes downhill fast when Willow's research into childhood ghost stories lands you in a town that doesn't exist. A town where people go missing at an alarming rate, where things that aren't quite human run businesses with hungry eyes, where time runs differently.

A town you can't leave. 

Something about Easthaven is wrong. A supernatural fog permeates the town, so thick you could choke…but you’re one of the only people who seems to notice it. You’re quick to realize the fog keeps the residents ignorant, keeps them passive, keeps them trapped. When people who have long since gone missing start coming back home, you realize Easthaven’s mysteries go deeper than you could have ever imagined.

Explore the magic and the horrors of the small town of Easthaven, team up with the few others who can see through the fog, and do everything you can to make your way back home.

The Lonely Shore is an 18+ supernatural horror story (and mystery) inspired by works such as Midnight Mass, The Mist, Scarlet Hollow, and Gravity Falls. A story about how sometimes places can feel like people, how easy it is to do terrible things for those we love, and how small towns have a way of eating you alive.

FEATURES:

Play as male, female, or nonbinary; trans or cis. Choose up to two sets of pronouns or input your own. Customize your appearance and develop your personality throughout the game. 

Romance or befriend a cast of characters. Options for ace and aro routes, as well as three polyamorous paths.

Customize Willow, your younger sibling. Select their gender and determine what your relationship with them is. Will you rebuild a broken relationship? Or let a good one go down in flames?

Explore the world of Easthaven, a town that exists outside of time, separated completely from the rest of the world. A place where tragedy is mundane and death is around every corner. Encounter the Fog, the source of all of Easthaven’s horrors.

Build up to one of five distinct magic styles as your character comes to life; including necromancy, clairvoyance, manipulating the Fog, becoming something monstrous–or suppressing your magic instead, having it come out in uncontrollable bursts.

Solve the mystery of the Returned: citizens who have been missing for months, years, decades but who have recently started coming back home.

CHARACTERS:

Jaylen 'Jay' Jones (M/F)

A veterinarian-in-training and member of the town's Search & Rescue team who has seen Easthaven's horrors firsthand. A kindhearted but wary person who cares more about keeping people safe than they do about solving the town's mysteries. They're tired of losing people.

Yasmin Bakir-King (F)

The local librarian, a fiercely clever widow with very little patience for nonsense. Very outgoing, she's one of the most well-known figures in town. She starts the story unaware of Easthaven's dangers but very quickly gets thrust into the middle of the town's latest mystery.

Amir/Amara "Croft" (M/F)

A reclusive, ill-tempered horror author who just so happens to be the town's latest newcomer…until you show up. Croft came to town with their share of secrets, and there's nothing in the world they want more than to escape Easthaven.

Beck Dawn (genderfluid)

Fun-loving and reckless, Beck is an adrenaline junkie who can't seem to stay out of danger…despite being completely unaware of the town's secrets. A magnet for trouble, it's no surprise Beck lands right in the middle of Easthaven's latest mystery.

Ravi Singh (M)

Easthaven's local mortician. Ravi is easygoing and quick to laugh; though sometimes his humor leans towards the macabre. But his easy smiles don't cover up his almost chilling comfort with the Fog; nor do they get rid of the pile of skeletons in his closet.

Perri Loveless (M/F/NB)

Runs one of Easthaven's three radio stations. In the day they play music, and at night they host a supernatural-themed call in radio show, The Lonely Shore. Perri is an enthusiastic (if a bit awkward) person whose theories tend towards the unbelievable. It's unfortunate that, despite all of their theories, Perri has no idea what's actually going on in Easthaven.

And…

"Willow" (M/F/NB)

Your little sibling. Flighty, impulsive, and outgoing; their fascination with the occult is what lands you in Easthaven. Your relationship can range from best friends to sworn enemies. Will they be able to save you from the mess they've made?

LINKS:

DEMO | ROs | Content Warnings | Extras

( current wordcount : 225,095 without code )

[physalian]

What No one Tells You about Writing Fantasy, #2!

I did this list about 7 annoyances about fantasy, but I write in this genre for a reason! Fantasy knows no bounds, it can encompass all other genres within it. You can write a fantastical murder mystery, fantasy horror, fantasy romance, political drama, slice-of-life, comedy, whatever you’d like!

Whether it’s urban or high fantasy, supernatural or scientific, here’s seven great benefits of writing in this genre:

1. No modern means of communication

Unless you’re writing a world with phones or phone-adjacent devices. Phones and instant communication seriously inhibits the plausibility of dramatic irony and tension when you have to keep coming up with reasons to keep your characters from calling or texting each other everything they know. It’s exhausting, I tell you, and such a relief when phones aren’t a factor.

With that said, without phones, you have complete freedom to design your own magical channels of supernatural FaceTime, as weird and zany as you want. But without instant connections? Your character who knew too much can’t pass on the intel before they die. Your hero team can’t call for backup in their darkest hour. Otherwise easily preventable tragedies and deadly miscommunications are now very real.

2. The Monster Allegory

Fantasy and sci-fi tend to overlap more than they’re set apart, and in that overlap sits the monster allegory. Everything from werewolves to vampires to witches, reapers, demons, angels, goblins, trolls, wraiths, fairies, mermaids, ghosts, to Eldritch horrors and your classic Hollywood cast of mummies, creatures from the black lagoon, and Frankenstein.

Most of the time, the monsters aren’t just monsters, they represent a monstrous aspect of society the author wants to challenge and caricaturize in a fun and entertaining way. Or, the monsters are the good guys and the humans are the real terrors. Or, you’ve got two kinds of monsters to allegory two human sides. Sometimes they represent metaphorical demons, like vampires often representing addiction and werewolves repressed identities.

What all of this boils down to is the hyperbolic nature of science fantasy that allows you to go over-the-top with your metaphor and allegory in a way that a book grounded in reality just can’t.

3. Magic Systems!

Do you love world building? Do you love filling pages upon pages with your cool and unique set of superpowers you want your characters to have? Do you dream about your fight scenes and dramatic slow-mo shots?

Then Fantasy is for you!

There are zero limits to how you want to define your magic system. You can go classic with the familiar archetypes of elemental magic, wizards, sorcerers, and witches. Or you can step off the beaten path and design a whole new funky system of power sets. Best part? Your readers will have an awesome time imagining themselves with those powers, and debating endlessly about how it works.

4. Real-World Politics, who?

Amazon’s Rings of Power was twice-doomed when they only got the rights to adapt the appendices of The Silmarillion and when they decided to inject current political problems into a timeless story written purposefully to be divorced from those politics. You *can* write about human politics, but in fantasy, you don’t have to. You *can* interpret Lord of the Rings to be an allegory about the World Wars, but no matter how hard you argue, it wasn’t written with that intent.

Which means: Even if your story is set in the reality-adjacent fantasy version of 1543, you are free from the following: Racism, homophobia, sexism, religious bigotry, mental health bigotry, gender norms, anti-feminism, toxic masculinity, and more. “But that’s how it was-”

Nope. This is fantasy. You built this world, you decided to keep in the discrimination. Or… You can fill your fantasy world with a rainbow of gays, POCs in power, women in power, men unafraid to be compassionate and caring, a religion that doesn’t foster hate and division, the list goes on. You. Are. Free.

5. Nothing is too “unrealistic”

Both that you will always have people whining about how X would never happen so write the book you want to read, but also because fantasy is fake. Fairies aren’t real. Mermaids aren’t real. There are no rules for how they must be written and that’s how we have so much variety with so much room for interpretation by so many creators. Twilight made how much money writing about vampires that sparkle like diamonds in sunlight and crack like marble?

This is fantasy, it’s supposed to be unrealistic. Yes, your plot should make sense, but don’t be afraid to get weird. Write at least some of your story dependant on those fantasy elements. Write a story that can’t just be told in the real world minus the spectacle. Don’t be afraid to be sincerely fantastical and weird. People love weird. People love loving weird.

6. You are in complete control

But you do still need to research, unfortunately. Unless this is urban fantasy that depends at least a little on the human world, yours is completely your own to govern like a god tweezing weeds from their garden. You get to design your own geography and weather patterns and seasons. Your own countries and kingdoms and politicians. Your epic pre-canon fantasy war and the stakes that it was fought over. Your species, races, and ethnicities.

It’s a shame that a movie like Avatar (2009) set out to be this wholly unique take on aliens with music completely divorced from earthly bonds, new languages and a visually and culturally distinct alien species… and ended up a largely generic blue Pocahontas in space. It forgot that it was fantasy and didn’t go weird enough. They have horses, monkeys, wolves, rhinos, and deer just re-skinned with some extra limbs and colors. It’s pretty but it’s so, so shallow.

It could have become a cult classic like many a positively *weird* 80s off-beat fantasies, and now it just… exists. It makes a whole lot of money but its impact on the cultural zeitgeist is negligible. I’m the only person I know that can name every major character in the movie, and I’m no Avatar obsessor. They had complete creative control, and this is what they did with it. Don’t be Avatar. Take your creative freedom and run.

7. Even if it has been done before, do it again

You can say this about any genre, particularly romance, but fantasy and sci-fi, by the gatekeep-y nature of their fans, can be a lot less forgiving when it comes to claims of “unoriginality”. No one hates Star Wars more than Star Wars fans. Fans of these genres can get… concerningly attached to their favorite stories (mostly because the people who like them had only their fictional heroes to protect them from very real bullies).

But Game of Thrones exists because the author likes Lord of the Rings and went “yes, but what if it was an R-rated parade of misery?” Dungeons and Dragons exists because people wanted to roleplay in an LotR-esque world. Legolas and Gimli single-handedly defined what a badass elf and dwarf looks like in high fantasy. And people still gobble up media ripping shamelessly, or even good-naturedly, from this one story.

So on my other list, I argued that the sum of your parts is still original, even if the components aren’t. On this list, I implore you this: It’s not stealing or appropriating to write another Legolas if you love Legolas. Everyone loves Legolas. How many generic buff action heroes do we have and love? How many Hallmark romances tread the same predictable path? Who gives a damn if it’s unoriginal? Just make it entertaining and have something fresh to say in the end (or don’t, that’s fine too), and people will read it.

And when people say “Oh, you mean like Legolas”, take it as a compliment, not an insult. Yes, exactly like Legolas. Here’s my new elf because I adore this other book, now watch him go on a new adventure that I wrote for him.

[zmediaoutlet]

Hi Z!

Happy Wincest Wednesday!!

how do you see their soulmate relationship, especially in the later seasons?

hello, and a happy wincest wednesday to you and yours <3

hm, how do I see their soulmate relationship? As... canon? Like. The foundational basis of their characters and the show and the only thing that remained a supportive spine through those long (sometimes very long) 15 years?

But I guess that's a cop-out, haha. It's a little interesting -- I know there's a burgeoning preference for 'oh what a big tragedy supernatural is,' the kind of Family Horror element of it all. And yeah, it is, in one sense. Literally destined by literal actual fuck-off God to be the protagonist of this horrible story of blood and death and failure and everything always going wrong, and no rest, because in a serialized story there always has to be another horror -- another problem to fix, another crisis to live through -- and it was true in-universe much as it was true for the show itself, lol. Watch out, Sam and Dean -- it's sweeps, and someone's probably gonna get stabbed.

But especially once s11 came and their relationship settled into steel -- it just... isn't presented as a horror. It's just not. Sam-and-Dean-together is the correct answer, as presented in universe, and it's not being given as like a darkly ironic dessert for a lifetime of miseries, or the last shit cherry on a shit pie. It's a genuine source of joy for both of them. Not fluffy romcom style joy, but more of that hammered-thin gold of people who've been through the worst (literally, in both their cases, beyond the worst things ever imaginable), and have come through it, and in the end still choose each other as a place of safety, and happiness, and home. And it's not gothic melodrama necessarily, either -- it's making each other grilled cheese and making fun of each other's hair and just the humdrum everydayness of being alive, which is honestly where the show shines brightest for me. It's the being destined for each other, and all the nature/nurture that forces them together, but also the active choosing every day to climb into the same car (and, arguably, sometimes the same bed) and literally just want to be together.

Parks & Rec had that little motif with Leslie & Ben where they'd tell each other I love you, and I like you. Sam and Dean love each other, but that's kind of paltry beside the fact that they just really genuinely like each other; and they could leave (well, Sam could), and there have been dozens of very real opportunities, and despite everything -- they don't. They prove it in the post-15.19 montage, where they could've chosen not to hunt -- Sam could've gone off and got that "real life" he kept mentioning -- but of course they didn't, because: they just like each other. They just like each other, and they prove it, every day. I've seen real life marriages that work less well. That's soulmatism par excellence.

[jaylleoo14]

guys, hear me out

i just had the most BRAIN BOGGLING IDEA I JUST NEED TO SAHRE

Imagine:

You're set to marry Jade due to your families being able to benefit from the marriage, though you've only ever met Jade a couple of times during the meetings hosted regarding your pre-planned marriage. During that time of discussion in his manor one day you come across a single painting, looking at it you can see another person who looks just like Jade but with some differences. Upon staring so long Jade notices and comes up to approach you. You ask who this person is because you don't ever recall there being another son in the family and if that was him. Jade shakes his head, saying how it was his dead brother Floyd and the atmosphere around you get grim and you feel awkward now from the sudden drop. You ask how he died and Jade explains how he too was supposed to marry off, however was killed off in an unfortunate accident when his assigned bride tried to run off. Ever since then, what Jade had said about his brother sticked inside your head and you felt a gnawing feeling in your chest for having the knowledge of his deceased brother. One night you had a dream, a weird one. You and Jade were out in a creek, and from afar you can see that it was you, but you are also currently watching you and Jade from afar. Though upon closer look as they turn to face each other, something seems off. Jade looked, different. Something about him seemed different. You feel yourself going cold as you watch you and a different looking Jade hold hands, looking at each other. His smile slowly looked more eerie and disturbing, his sharp teeth shining under the moon light in full view. When suddenly, he turns his head at YOU, the you watching all this happen. You feel your heart drop, your eyes widen as you and him lock eyes. He pushes the you that you can see next to him aside and starts trudging forward and you feel yourself stuck in place, trying to get away. A low laugh escapes his mouth, but it doesnt sound like the Jade you knew.

"Ehhh~? Is this the shrimpy that's going to marry my brother? You're so tiny!"

He's mere inches in front of you now, his tall figure wrapped with ragged grooms clothing towering over you. Is this... Floyd? There's a red soaked bloodied line around his neck, its edges jagged and frayed of skin and you're frozen in fear.

"Hmm? Are ya scared?"

He leans forward, your faces lining up as you stare back at him with terrified wide eyes.

"Ah, Jade's lucky. His bride aint runnin away. Heard Jade was talking to you about me, it's rude to stare ya know hehe"

Okay but like, i might make this an actual story AHHHHHHHH><

A ghost groom Floyd trying to snatch you away from Jade! You're stuck in the horrors of the supernatural and an unwanted marriage, an eventful tragedy of who can take your hand and seal your fate. Hehehehehe who knows, perhaps Jade is actually head over heels for you and you never knew, but what about Floyd who you've piqued his interest? His last bride ran off and ended him, so he still needs a bride to put him at peace. GAHHHH the ideas are splurging ><

[kingdomoftyto]

Hi, happy spooky month, I have a ✨manga rec✨!! And in the spirit of the season, it's a horror story! >:3c

I want to spoil as little as possible because I went into this manga essentially COMPLETELY blind and, honestly, imho, I imagine it's the ideal way to experience the story. I literally first heard about it from a random youtube comment on a video about an entirely different manga--one which, mind you, had VERY different themes, which colored my preconceptions and added to the surprises for me later on!

ANYWAY, what I mean by all that is I'm going to start with the simplest possible summary of the premise, and if that's intriguing enough for you to give it a shot, then I recommend diving right in!! But, if you still need more of an in-depth, slightly spoilery rec? Then I'll gush a bit more under a cut to see if I can hook your attention.

With all that out of the way,

The Summer Hikaru Died is a horror/supernatural story about a high school boy named Yoshiki whose best friend (Hikaru) went missing in the mountains outside of town. What comes back is... something else. It looks, acts, and talks like Hikaru, but it's not him, and Yoshiki is the only one who seems to notice.

The only other thing I knew going in was that the commenter made a brief mention of the "Hikaru"-thing protecting Yoshiki, which seemed odd but intriguing alongside the rest of the premise.

So if that's enough for you (plus the fact that I'm telling you I haven't stopped thinking about this story since I read it two weeks ago), then please check it out! There are only 5 volumes so far!! Suffer through the wait for the rest with meeeeee ಥωಥ

More spoilery extended rec below the cut:

📣THESE MOTHERFUCKERS GAY*!!!📣

📣GOOD📣FOR📣THEM!!!📣

I know what you're thinking, and YES, it appears to be BL between the TIMID HIGH SCHOOL BOY and the ELDRITCH HORROR WEARING THE SKIN OF HIS BEST FRIEND.

And it's SO GOOD.

No SERIOUSLY, for real though, I had NO inkling going into this that it was even in the realm of possibility that it would involve romance

Let alone a nuanced, slow burn, VERY QUEER romance layered with ruminations on grief and identity and one's relationship to society

(ON THIS NOTE, I must advise up front that I DO NOT KNOW if this story will end in tragedy... It's still ongoing, after all! BUT, I think either way it will be an amazing story and... maybe I'm just delusional, and though this may be considered spoilery in itself, the most recent chapters have me optimistic that we might indeed be on track for some sort of happy ending... eventually.)

Anyway, I cannot express enough how incredible it was to uncover this aspect of the story organically without knowing about it beforehand. Born and raised in a rural village, Yoshiki is deep in the closet, and that's reflected in how subtle the hints are at the beginning. Over time, it starts to become clearer and clearer, but always with a layer of plausible deniability, at least if you're not expecting it to take such a queer turn. ("Hikaru" literally makes a ton of "no homo" style jokes early on, which... god don't get me started--)

As you might guess, Yoshiki had feelings for the real Hikaru before his disappearance, and ooh boy does that affect how much the grief and guilt and fear play into things. It's delightfully fucked up.

So yeah. I 100% expected the plot of this manga to revolve around the intrigue of the monster finding out Yoshiki knew its secret, the fear of not knowing when the monster would strike next, etc, but NO! That particular "reveal" happens within the first 10 pages, and then the entity just kind of... lives the life of a high school kid! He's kind of a little shit, but for the most part, he's a nice boy! Yoshiki is the only one who knows who "Hikaru" really is, but much of the tension comes from him having to come to terms with that, rather than the fear itself.

...and also the OTHER horrors and mysteries. There's tension there too, considering it's where the actual plot lies, lmAO. Just because "Hikaru" isn't a totally evil monster doesn't mean there aren't a lot of grotesque and scary things in here. Most of this manga I would classify more in the "supernatural" genre than "horror", but in those moments it DOES delve into horror, it goes pretty damn hard. I remember more than one moment where I felt sharp regret about reading it in the dark at 2 a.m. 💀

Still, if you dare, it's worth the read. I can't recommend it enough.

P.S. I wouldn't say it's a "funny" manga but it does nonetheless have an amazing sense of humor. There are a handful of actual jokes and gags that did have me rolling, but more importantly there's an unspoken, implicit acknowledgement of how absurd this all is, in that way only good self-aware horror can achieve. Take the main character Yoshiki for example. The image I used of him up above? The unsettling camera angle, the haunted look in his eyes? That's just how he always looks. The panel after that one shows that all he's looking at on his phone is a text from his sister reminding him to pick up wasabi flakes.

P.P.S. There's apparently an anime adaptation coming out sometime? I'll probably watch it, but I expect something will be lost in translation. We'll see, I suppose.

*- To be precise: Yoshiki is gay. The creature that takes Hikaru's place has a more nuanced (and alien) perspective on sexuality, and... I'll leave it at that.

[tomboyjessie13-artblog]

This was something that I had been thinking about for quite a while and drew out at Program on Thursday and finished on Saturday morning at 6 AM.

It would've been done on a Friday night, but I got distracted by my little sister playing "Catherine: Full Body" after buying it, as well as going to the edit this several times in order to make it look good lol

That being said, this is what I would imagine what would happen if Medea got her own OVA as mentioned in this post I made 6 months ago: Link

It would play out like an episodic series similar to the "Stardust Crusaders OVAs" and "Thus Spoke Kishibe Rohan", and it's all retold in flashbacks from the perspective of an older Medea in a similar vain to "Persona 5", hence why we have Part 6!Medea up there.

Synopsis: ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Shortly after her daughter was framed and arrested for arson in 2011, Medea sought out the Speedwagon foundation for assistance, there the foundation's agents asked that she recount her experience with DIO and his gaggle of Stand users during her yearlong stay in Egypt.

She proceeds to tell them of what had happened in 1988 as requested, the following events took place a year before the events of "Stardust Crusaders".

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The story's genre is: Action, Supernatural, Drama, Horror, Crime, Tragedy, Psychological

Opening theme: "Suna no Wakusei" by Kenshi Yonezu feat. Hatsune Miku

Ending theme: "Drive" by The Cars

BTW that drawing of Midler is fanmade and was founded on Pinterest without a link to the artist, if anyone here knows who the artist is, please let me know so I can give proper credit. The other images are founded on Jojo Encyclopedia, and Medea King and Eris Raitt belong to me

[yaoisex]

Welp. My eyes are watering because I just sat down and read all the translated chapters of Hikaru ga Shinda Natsu in one sitting (25 chapters so far).

I actually knew nothing about it until a few hours ago...

I happened to see a post about it on Chill-Chill Twitter a couple of days ago, but I scrolled past it and didn't bother reading about it.

And just earlier, while checking the news on MAL, I saw this manga is getting an anime and went "aHA!"

Seeing it on the Chill-Chill Twitter obv meant it had something to do with BL. So I went exploring 🧐. Found out it's not really BL but Seinen, Horror, Mystery, Tragedy and Supernatural (but you could say it's also kinda Shounen Ai in a way. Chill-Chill refers to it as 'Bromance Horror'). The other genres are not really my cup of tea, but I was somehow intrigued.

I decided to read the first chapter before making a post. And... well... here I am. After reading ALL the chapters so far ^^;;. How did that happen??

Tbh this post was supposed to be about the anime and possible cast. I saw there were a couple of PVs with different seiyuu, that were posted long before the news about an anime. So I watched some of the PVs. The first one I watched was with Hirotan and Tsugu. Actually at first glance (before reading the manga and watching the PV), I thought they'd suit the characters but vice versa, aka Hirotan as Yoshiki and Tsugu as Hikaru. But after watching the PV I realized they were perfect as the reversed roles from what I thought at first.

After that I watched the other PV with a different, less familiar cast, and also tried watching some of the voice comic they did for that. I must say I wasn't feeling them as the characters very much. Maybe because I heard the Hirotan & Tsugu one first, or maybe because I'm less familiar with these two seiyuu, I just wasn't feeling their version.

So anyway, the cast for the anime is unknown yet, they only announced it's getting an anime. I wonder if they'll keep some of the cast from the PVs (there were also Ucchi & Junya ver. and KENN & Maenu ver.).

(Btw I don't know if that's just me, but the art style of the manga reminded me a little of Harada's style, and also some other mangaka's style but I can't put my finger on it atm.)

P.S

It might sound funny, but I can actually imagine Chiaki as both characters. Like, he could totally nail both Yoshiki and Hikaru, if that was a realistic option. Also, Hikaru reminds me a bit of Jintaro (visually) so that doesn't help with me imagining his voice as Chiaki's lol. He's good in dialects too, so he could do really well imo.

I actually saw some comments on the announcement tweet hoping Chiaki or Ucchi would voice Hikaru.

I do wonder if they'll choose for the anime a less known cast or a more veteran cast.

I guess there'll be a continuation to this post when they finally release the cast! ;D

I'm excited to say the least! From knowing nothing about this manga to be fully invested after a couple of hours.... well, never underestimate the power of otaku! ^____~

[newbiespud]

The Case for Hayden Tenno

At the end of my Let's Play of Dark Sector - the spiritual lost lamb of Warframe's long, tangled development history - I went into why I thought Dark Sector still has a grip on the minds and imaginations of those who know about it, sprinkling comments to the effect of "Oooh, is this going to tie in to Dark Sector?" below every Warframe content update, despite the game itself being a pretty mid-to-bland 2000s console shooter that wouldn't be worth the emotional investment on its own. During the credits of Dark Sector, I had just played the game for seven hours straight, and while I had the full theory in my head, I don't think I communicated it very clearly due to how tired I was. So let's take another stab at it.

Hayden Tenno, the protagonist of Dark Sector - both the 2004 concept video and the 2008 game - is, on a meta level, an astonishingly tragic figure among video game protagonists. He worked hard and did his job and stuck with the project all the way to the end, even through all the executive meddling, and it's a crime that he hasn't gotten more recognition for his loyalty and service in the aftermath of the success of Warframe, in the universe in which he was originally meant to be the star. The man was robbed of his glory by unfortunate circumstances, but he showed up anyway.

Like, look at the timeline in terms of an actor playing in a movie or a TV series. Hayden Tenno signs up for this sci-fi series called Dark Sector. They shoot the pilot and everything and start pitching to investors. The word comes down: Not another fucking sci-fi series, we're not going to compete with Halo, make changes or you're not getting funding. So this slapfight goes back and forth and the end result changes the entire concept from sci-fi cosmic horror to modern-day supernatural horror. Hayden is lucky he's not ordered to wear an eyepatch in a World War I setting.

Any actor who signed up for the original sci-fi concept would be well within their rights to say, "Nope, this is not what I signed up for, this is a completely different project, I'm leaving." But Hayden doesn't do that. He's still signed up to be the protagonist of "Dark Sector," and even though "Dark Sector" is extremely different from what he originally acted in and shot, he's gonna be the protagonist of "Dark Sector" anyway.

In this analogy, Hayden Tenno is not some legendary actor. He signed up for a sci-fi B-movie, he ended up in a supernatural B-movie, and he delivers a B-movie performance. But he shows up and does his job without complaint or putting on airs, and he does what needs to be done to get the project out the door and for the studio lights to stay on. Absolutely steadfast and loyal from beginning to end. And after that exhausting saga, knowing that a sequel is deeply unlikely, he retires as a video game protagonist and moves on, fading into obscurity.

And THEN, irony of ironies, that original concept gets revived at the studio four years later, reimagined with a new cast and new structure, and it takes off like wildfire. Warframe. Without Hayden Tenno. The executives had been wrong and the original creators of the concept had been right. Hayden Tenno got shunted into a borderline unrelated B-movie for nothing, sacrificed a potentially star-making debut for a cult not-even-classic.

Is all that accurate to say? Not exactly, there's no telling that Dark Sector in the mid-2000s would have performed as well as Warframe over the 2010s. But it makes for a compellingly tragic meta-narrative when you look at the role of Hayden.

This is why I think Dark Sector has a clutch on people's imaginations once they learn about it. Because it's a legit tragedy that Hayden hasn't gotten a piece of the Warframe pie after working so hard and sacrificing so much for the concept initially. On a meta level, his hard work and loyalty as a character deserves a reward, maybe in the form of a cameo or even a remake that can fit in better to the Warframe eternalist multiverse.

Is a grand comeback for Hayden Tenno likely? No, but it would make the perfect happy ending to this tragic tale, and that's why Dark Sector remains so compelling.

[justadumbasskid]

Have any of you ever played “SOMA”?

Its plot isn’t too important to the point I’m trying to make here, but one particular tragedy associated with it can also be projected onto the hit new indie show “Digital Circus”

Of course, spoilers abound for both media.

In the beginning SOMA. The protagonist is diagnosed with a terminal illness in his brain. He signs up for an experimental treatment in which a scan of his brain is taken via a complicated machine through a headset of sorts. About a hundred(I think?) years later, he wakes up in a new body in an underwater facility after an apocalyptic event.

During the tail-end of SOMA. The protagonist has teamed up with the facility’s residents to launch a digital program into space holding copies of their consciousnesses to live for eternity in a digital paradise away from the hellscape that Earth has become. Only...he wouldn’t get to come with. The digital paradise holds a COPY of his consciousness. Not the one he is currently using. A copy that was pasted into the digital space via the brain scan. Not transferred.

I believe that The Amazing Digital Circus is much the same. The characters found in TADC are unable to escape the program...because there’s nothing to escape TO. They are copies of a living human’s conciousness pasted into the digital realm through a brain scan perhaps. Their real human selves got up, took off the headset, and kept living their lives. Unintentionally trapping living, thinking copies of themselves inside the program.

Caine mentions that he lied about the exit, because he’s not done with it, and doesn't want the characters to see it yet. He doesn’t know what to put on the other side of the exit door out into the void, but he is BUILDING a place past the exit to satiate the desire for freedom of these trapped human personas. But as an AI inhabiting TADC, he doesn’t know what to actually put on the other side of the exit aside from the dull, anti-human, liminal office space of the C&A corporation that he has likely only seen through CCTV footage, or something.

Anyway, I wanted to introduce the fandom to this more...unique take on the "body transfer" horror genre that SOMA introduced. In such a scenario, Pomni's human self isn't sitting catatonic with a headset on, Jax didn't physically get sucked into the computer through supernatural means, and none of the characters are dead in real life. Just imagine it; a human persona with none of the memories, abandoned in a place they do not understand. With an AI as their guide that barely understands them.

[laf-outloud]

AAs and hellers are so ridiculous with their screaming, crying and throwing up because Dean died in the finale during a hunt and Sam went on to have kids and die old. This is literally what Dean has said, in one way or another a few times, was his perfect ending. Dean actually went out doing something he loves, get to say goodbye to the person he loved most, cooled his heels in heaven for the duration of one car ride (in the car which he loves more than anything except Sam, and maybe his parents), before being reunited with the person he loves most. Yes, it’s still a tragedy that he died young, but this is supernatural, it’s the happiest ending fans were ever going to get.

AAs are big mad that Dean wasn't the final boy, and didn’t get his apple pie life. But, he didn’t even want a traditional family anymore by the end of the series. He hasn’t wanted that since Lisa and Ben. It was never going to happen. And if Sam had died before Dean, he’d rot away in the back of a pool hall, probably overweight and bloated from too much booze and burgers. That’s what (realistically) we would have seen if Sam died first. Or Dean would have just gotten more reckless until he committed suicide by monster. Then both brothers would have died young, which is a bigger tragedy. However, Dean dying unattractive would have been the worst thing to ever happen to the shallow little AAs, so that might have been amusing to see.

It’s like genuine brothers fans and Sam girls are the only fandom people who even understood the characters. I think the GA got it for the most part but were just disappointed in how Dean died.

Yep! Jensen even said Dean would die wasting away at the back of a bar. People like AAs and Hellers who expect fiction to be written precisely how they want lose out on the opportunity to stretch their imaginations and consider other viewpoints.

Supernatural was a horror show, first and foremost, therefore, it stands to reason the finale was never going to have rainbows and honeybees. SPN started with death and two brothers and it ended with death and two brothers. That's all there is to it.

[where-the-warren-ends]

Welcome to the warren

Call me Fiver—he/him pronouns. I’m a boy (FtM) navigating life with ADHD and autism, and I’m always excited to make new friends. While I keep my age private, I am above 18 so minors please do not interact with me, this Warren is a safe space for everyone who respects boundaries and enjoys a mix of creativity and chaos.

I also love creating OCs—building worlds, characters, and their stories is my biggest passion. So, whether it’s Star Wars aliens or clown-themed misfits, expect a lot of imaginative content here.

Feel free to reach out on Discord (broken_warren)—though it’s about as reliable as a warren during a storm, I love connecting and chatting with cool folks!

Here in the warren, I post:

Incorrect quotes (expect absurd humor and chaos)

Stories and world building (currently working on my own Star Wars species and more!)

Fanfiction (I'm not very good at the moment and please do not expect anything sexual)

These are a few of my favorite things:

🐇 Watership Down—I live for the balance of hope and tragedy. 🌌 Star Wars and Star Trek—two galaxies, infinite possibilities. 🎮 Undertale—nothing hits quite like it. 🎃 Horror movies—especially Saw and slasher classics. 🤡 Clowns! From circus whimsy to terrifying chaos (yes, I love ICP and Big Top Burger). 📖 Percy Jackson—still my favorite demigod world. 🎵 Weird Al—because parody makes life better. 🧩 Retro media and oddities like Clockwork Orange, Black Christmas, and The Muppets. 🖌️ Making OCs—crafting characters is my favorite way to build new worlds.

Boundaries for the Warren (DNI)

This warren is a safe and respectful space. Please do not interact if you are:

Proshippers or ship real people in any way. NSFW/k!nk accounts, fetish blogs, DDLG/ABDL, or anything sexualizing agere.Minors, thinspo/pro-ED accounts, or pro-self-harm spaces.

Supporters or fans of:Hazbin Hotel, Helluva Boss, Vivziepop content.Dream SMP, Wilbur Soot, or the Dream Team.

The Good Doctor, MHA, Stranger Things, Owl House, supernatural and the coffin of Andy and Leyla fans DNI

Anti-agere blogs, or people who demonize personality disorders.

Zoophiles, pedos, MAPs, or creeps of any kind.

Let’s keep this warren safe, kind, and creative—a space where everyone can feel at home.

Welcome to my blog. Let’s share stories, explore new worlds, and burrow into some wild adventures together!

[DNI banner made by @natsuki-bakery ]

[nellasbookplanet]

I'm so sorry but I'm going to talk about supernatural in the year of our lord 2023, because I just finished good omens season 2 and the way these shows occupy a very similar space in fandom attitudes is driving me insane.

In so many ways, good omens feels like what supernatural could have been, had they actually committed and not flailed around with like 15 seasons of queerbaiting and the most unintentionally funny ending imaginable. You have the demons and the angels, armageddon, team free will vs god's master plan, years of pining and repression and no personal space and small declarations of love. But good omens does it with genuine vulnerability and comittment, not as bait or comic relief or last minute bury you gays. But, because it’s big and well-known and allows itself time and nuance to get where it’s going, so many people really treated it horribly before the drop of season 2 for not immediatelyand explicitly giving them what they wanted.

Like, after the end of season 1 you could really feel the way spn damaged viewers treated them as the same thing. It’s like people were so prepared to be tricked that they came in highly on guard and defensive. Thing is, this manifested as taking anything other than the most bland, on the nose and immediate gay rep as the creators queerbaiting and trying to worm their way out of committing to 'real' queer rep. Gaiman refuses to confirm your 'they are gay men' headcanons? Clearly him being a coward and not the characters, explicitly, being neither gay nor men. Characters have a very close relationship but no kiss? Clearly queerbaiting and not an affirmation of ace/aro relationships, queerplatonic relationships, or even plain old platonic relationships.

There is so much hurt from years of stereotypes and queerbaiting and bury your gays that any attempt to tell a complex queer story - one where relationships take time, or where they don’t always happen, or where horror or tragedy strikes, become nigh on impossible. It becomes hard to distinguish subtext used to be genuine and subtle and queer-friendly from subtext used to queerbait and make fun, and rather than making the effort to tell them apart and giving stories a chance (and taking the risk of getting hurt) all rep must be distilled into the epitome of 'gay' before it’s accepted as good, because that way you cannot be tricked. Hell, just the way it’s referred to as 'rep' rather than 'characters' is telling.

This is noticeable in the way spn fan spaces talk about Cas, too; he’s always 'the gay angel', never the bisexual angel (despite having had female love interests) or the asexual angel (despite being largely uninterested in sex) or the nonbinary angel (despite not being human and on occassion using female vessels as well as male). Does Meg Masters mean nothing to you. Just. Please allow stories their nuance and their time and their right to not always cater to your ship in the exact way you want (or at all) without declaring them bait. It makes you look very silly when you come crawling back the moment a kiss happens.

[pinkbussycunt]

Imprint: Caleb/Alcide

@alphastoworship

When vampires revealed themselves to the world, humanity was gripped by fear. These ancient beings, long hidden in the shadows, claimed to seek peace and equality amongst humans.

It was a lie. The Vampires craved control, not harmony. No longer content to lurk in darkness, they aimed to rule openly. To quell suspicion, they introduced "True Blood," a synthetic blood substitute, insisting it would eliminate their need to hunt humans. Desperate for peace, humanity welcomed them into society, blissfully unaware of the horrors that lay in wait.

True Blood wasn’t synthetic; it was human blood, harvested from captives in hidden blood farms around the globe. These secret facilities turned people into cattle, with many disappearing without a trace. The vampires continued their hunt, reveling in it while maintaining a facade of civility.

When the truth emerged, it was too late. A global broadcast unveiled the vampires' brutality as they slaughtered a prominent human rebel on live television. The message was clear: total dominion. Any resistance was met with public executions.

Humanity had unwittingly surrendered its world. But they weren’t alone in this fight; the vampires’ war on humanity also threatened other supernatural beings long hidden from view.

Witches, torn between light and dark, were the first to take sides. Those aligned with light joined humanity to restore balance, while dark witches sided with the vampires, seduced by promises of power and chaos.

Then came the werewolves—ancient enemies of the vampires eager for a chance to wipe them out. No species hated vampires more.

Yet the vampires’ most coveted foes were the faeries. Embodying the essence of life itself, their blood was the most potent substance a vampire could consume, making them nearly unstoppable. The blood of faerie royalty was the ultimate prize, granting vampires immunity to sunlight and the ability to create powerful hybrids.

The vampires’ obsession with capturing the faerie royal family was their final gambit for domination. If they succeeded, no force on Earth could withstand them. The balance of nature was thrown into chaos, and the supernatural world teetered on the brink of collapse.

King Oberon, ruler of the faeries, recognized that while his people were the most powerful, they were also physically fragile. To protect them, he sought the help of the werewolves, known for their unmatched strength. He approached Alcide Herveaux, the most powerful alpha, and proposed an alliance: protection for the faeries in exchange for an endless supply of faerie magic for the wolves.

As part of this pact, King Oberon made a personal request: Alcide would personally guard his newborn son and heir, Prince Caleb. The infant was breathtaking, with dark red hair and adorable dimples. More importantly, he carried the cradle of life within him—the rare ability to bear the next generation of faeries. His deep brown eyes seemed to pierce Alcide’s very soul, forging an incredible, unimaginable and unbreakable bond between them.

The alliance between faeries and wolves was more than just political; it became a symbiotic relationship. They established a colony where faeries and wolves coexisted, protecting one another. The wolves defended the faeries, while the faeries shielded the wolves with their magic.

Alcide was entrusted with the most important task of protecting Prince Caleb. Baby faeries aged rapidly, and within a month, Caleb had transformed into a striking young man with auburn red hair and earthy eyes that always sought out his giant protector. The two became inseparable—training, eating, sleeping, and playing together.

With each passing day, their bond deepened, evolving into something much more than duty or friendship. For Caleb, it was a magical connection he couldn’t fully articulate, but it grew stronger with every moment spent by Alcide’s side. He couldn’t imagine life without the King of the Wolves.

But tragedy struck when the vampires discovered the faerie-werewolf colony with the help of dark witches and launched a massive onslaught. Outnumbered, the two species were easily overwhelmed. Caught in dark magic, neither faeries nor werewolves could withstand the vampires' onslaught. Many wolves were captured, some faeries slaughtered, and others enslaved.

Caleb, with royal faerie blood running through his veins, possessed the power to unleash a radiant light capable of destroying the vampires. Yet Alcide, prioritizing Caleb’s safety, took him and fled deep into the forest, determined to keep his charge out of harm’s way.

They traveled into the heart of the forest, reaching a secret encampment meant for Caleb in case of absolute necessity. The camp rested beside a hidden lake, surrounded by fruit-bearing trees and abundant prey for Alcide to hunt.

It was just the two of them, hidden away until they were truly needed. The grounds were protected by powerful faerie magic, cloaked in invisibility. While safe, this meant Caleb had to adjust to a life of solitude. Thankfully, the great wolf king of the forest was there to keep him company.

Months had passed since their retreat. Though still weighed down by grief, Caleb was slowly finding his footing in this secluded life. He and Alcide fit together like pieces of a puzzle, their bond growing deeper with each shared moment.

The loss of their kin hung heavily in the air, but in Alcide’s embrace, Caleb found solace. His feelings for the towering werewolf had blossomed into something undeniable. He could see the flicker of mutual affection in Alcide’s dark eyes, a silent acknowledgment that sent his heart racing.

Caleb was all too aware of what was expected of him as a faerie prince. His duty to carry on his lineage had been drilled into him since birth. Yet, as he sat there, he couldn’t shake the notion that being a prince felt increasingly irrelevant. He was simply a faerie who had fallen for a werewolf, and for the first time, he felt free to embrace that truth.

However, this taboo subject weighed heavily upon him. Cross breeding between species was expressedly forbidden. Supers of different races were not meant to mate. Each species had a roll to play. They were suppose to continue their own races, not put nature out of balance by trying to make a new one. The consequences could be dire, with a union like theirs being viewed as sacrilege and abomination by both tribes. With all that in mind, Caleb understood the risks, but he knew exactly where his heart belonged and who it belonged to.

The world had shifted. His understanding of duty had transcended after witnessing the destruction of his people. With every passing day, the weight of tradition felt less significant compared to the bond he shared with Alcide.

As the sun dipped below the horizon, signaling the arrival of a full moon—the rare pink supermoon—Caleb felt an electric energy crackling in the air. This moon was a powerful force for both faeries and wolves, signaling the onset of “the bloom,” a time when faeries were at their most fertile and uncontrollable desire surged within them. He sensed Alcide’s impending rut, the animalistic pull drawing them both closer together.

In the soft light of twilight, with the rising moon illuminating their secluded camp, Caleb found himself ready to surrender completely. He watched Alcide finish his daily boarder patrol, his heart racing at the sight of the rugged alpha.

“Can you feel it? Can you feel her?” he asked softly, stepping closer, drawn to Alcide like a moth to flame. “I can feel her coming. I know you feel her too. Before anything happens, there’s something I need to share with you.”

Caleb’s smile lit up the night, a beacon of warmth in the growing darkness. He reached up to gently caress Alcide’s face, a silent plea for understanding as he prepared to reveal the truth he had held onto for far too long. He was ready to say what he needed to say, but he needed to know that Alcide was ready to hear it.

[farshootergotme]

Thinking of doing a horror AU of Batfam.

Actually stuck upon the idea when trying to get past the ethical issues with the Baby Robins (or kid heroes in general) and the logic issues with the no-kill code.

The Rogues are supernatural monsters - like folkloric entities or creepypasta creatures.

The heroes are the Guardians - tasked with protecting human world from the things that go bump in the dark.

Joker, Bane, Two-Face etc as supernatural creatures that haunt the city.

The Guardians are technically human - but mostly technically.

Sure, no superpowers or anything, but...

Okay, their injuries heal a little faster, a little more perfectly, than it should be possible.

They are able to land hits more precisely than should be possible - for a normal fighter, there is little real difference in strength between a knockout blow and a lethal one in the heat of a fight, which is why in real life a lot of dumb fights end in tragedy. But the Bats somehow manage the precision - well, the ones who try, that is.

Alfred and Bruce has stopped aging. They think Dick and Jason have too, but they are still chronologically young enough that it is tough to tell. Tim is trying to figure out if it is all the coffee stunting his growth or if he actually stopped aging at seventeen.

The Robins are taken in young for training because a kid with Guardian Potential is going to be the target of every spooky thing out there - they need to be able to fight.

The Rogues can't be really killed - the best that can be done is to bind them in Arkham Asylum for a while, but sooner or later they will escape. They are entities born of Gotham's own soul, they will always return.

So the only ones the Bats can kill even if they opted to are the henchmen.

While some of them are nasty enough to get a death sentence - so we can still have Red Hood going after some - they can be held in jail and sent away for life unlike the comic rogues who has the Arkham revolving door.

So the Bats do have a logical - and moral - reason to let their opponents live. It's not like killing the goons will stop the next Joker rampage. Jason/Hood can still want to kill because he feels the goons deserve it for working with monsters...

Not to mention the sheer horror of going toe-to-toe against things that should not exist in a sane world...

That's a cool idea! Reading it I kind of imagined this AU looking slightly like The Boy Wonder (2024) comic. The way the Joker, for example, was portrayed was actually scary. All the villains looking something like that would be great for a horror AU.

And I like the idea of the batclan being true guardians of the city. I do wonder though, do the rest of the heroes keep their powers? Or are they also just slightly superhuman but not quite like the bats? Are the other cities in the same state as Gotham? Or each city has its own creepy theme?

[shadcwcursed]

[ greta onieogou | she/her ] Another face is seeking safety in New Orleans. Make sure to welcome PHOEBE GARIN to the home of the resilient. Rumor has it that they are an 30 year old BANSHEE, who is one of the SURVIVORS but we’ll keep that a secret. They are said to be FINICKY, but that’s all a façade to cover up their COURAGEOUS nature. We’ve heard that they can be found listening to LOST by WITHIN TEMPTATION, which sums them up pretty well. Let’s hope that they can find a way to survive this harsh new world. 

𝐂𝐇𝐀𝐑𝐀𝐂𝐓𝐄𝐑 𝐏𝐑𝐎𝐅𝐈𝐋𝐄:

𝐅𝐔𝐋𝐋 𝐍𝐀𝐌𝐄: phoebe garin 𝐍𝐈𝐂𝐊𝐍𝐀𝐌𝐄: pheebs, phee 𝐀𝐆𝐄: thirty 𝐁𝐈𝐑𝐓𝐇𝐃𝐀𝐓𝐄: august 5th 𝐇𝐎𝐌𝐄𝐓𝐎𝐖𝐍: tbd 𝐂𝐔𝐑𝐑𝐄𝐍𝐓 𝐑𝐄𝐒𝐈𝐃𝐄𝐍𝐂𝐄: new orleans 𝐎𝐂𝐂𝐔𝐏𝐀𝐓𝐈𝐎𝐍: investigative reporter. 𝐀𝐋𝐈𝐆𝐍𝐌𝐄𝐍𝐓: neutral good. 𝐓𝐄𝐌𝐏𝐄𝐑𝐀𝐌𝐄𝐍𝐓: tbd.

𝐀𝐄𝐒𝐓𝐇𝐄𝐓𝐈𝐂: DARK ROOMS AND NOISE-CANCELLING HEADPHONES, TRUE CRIME PODCASTS, LONG SHOWERS, FLOWERS ON GRAVES.

𝐓𝐑𝐈𝐆𝐆𝐄𝐑 𝐖𝐀𝐑𝐍𝐈𝐍𝐆𝐒: death tw, kidnapping tw, torture tw

𝐇𝐈𝐒𝐓𝐎𝐑𝐘:

With a mostly stable home and parents that loved her, Phoebe Garin had everything she needed to thrive. Tragedy, however, had other plans. From therapists to priests and everything in between, her parents tried desperately to find relief for their child from horrific nightmares and premonitions to no long-term solution.

Over the years, she found every answer she could, embracing her powers despite their horror. This desire to learn herself brought with it a love and a knack for research. She was more resourceful than she would have imagined. Ultimately, she got her degree in journalism, then later a job as a reporter.

As the OEA's reign and influence grew, Phoebe fights back in the way she knows best: with words. She is gathering evidence of the OEA's corruption of society and government, the cruelty of their methods, etc in order to expose the truth to mankind.

However, her vigor for the cause led to her own downfall. In an attempt to revive the old banshee experiments and pull Billie Mikaelson back into the hands of the OEA, Phoebe was captured as both a new entry into the program and bait. Death called, as intended, but instead of being lured, Billie and Briggs sent Asher Simmons inside the headquarters to retrieve the banshee from her vision and bring her home before her fate met that of Billie's.

𝐇𝐄𝐀𝐃𝐂𝐀𝐍𝐎𝐍'𝐒: ⭒ writing an exposé on the OEA and their corruption in hopes to counteract their propaganda ⭒ hosts a weekly podcast to educate humankind on the supernatural and how they really are ⭒ teaches a self-defense class at least once a month ⭒ visits the graves of those she fails to save and makes sure they're well cared for, often leaving flowers. Ironically, the cemetary keeps her sane. ⭒ having mastered many of her powers, she is eager to take Billie under her wing to teach her how to not fear the possession but embrace what the power can do. ⭒ more tbd.

𝐂𝐎𝐍𝐍𝐄𝐂𝐓𝐈𝐎𝐍𝐒:

PARENTS: tbd. RELATIONSHIPS: billie mikaelson (banshee mentee/friend), asher simmons (hero/friend), more tbd. SIBLINGS: tbd. EXTENDED FAMILY: tbd. WANTED: tbd.

[elenavr13]

The Beginning of the Horror

Darkiplier x Reader (not DA)

Warning: None

*Y/n is a part the film/production crew Wilford works with. For one of Wil’s productions, he involves one of his “old friends”, Darkiplier. They take residence in Dark’s mansion for the time being. Unbeknownst to  Y/n, a certain entity has been watching them & listening to them talk to themselves about horror books & movies for the past week.*

*Playlist: Baby, You’re a Haunted House- Gerard Way, You’re So Creepy- Ghost Town, Nervous- Lola Blanc*

Y/N’S POV

The library is the perfect place for an introvert to avoid people. Everyone else wants to party & be loud. I’m not completely opposed to that sort of behavior but I prefer someplace quiet like the library which no one seems interested in. They would rather have their faces in their phones, games, & TV instead of a book. Oh well, their loss. Luckily, Wilford doesn’t require my attendance to his “mini parties”. If he needs me, he can text me but I know he isn’t going to for the rest of the night; we completed everything we needed for today. The rest of the day is just down time which I personally spend in the old, dark academia, book-shelved room.

Words from the slightly yellowed paper paint a scene in my mind as my eyes travel over the text. The scene is one from The Woman in Black. I watched the movie when I was little which is why the title caught my attention. I couldn’t recall much from the movie but it had unsettled me then so I hope the story could still deliver that scare factor now that I was older & could understand more of the tragedy.

The book weighs in my hands as I sit on the velvety, Victorian, claret-colored loveseat. My imagination suddenly halts when my left ear perceives a low purr. The hum sends a cold shiver down my spine for a split second. Playing it as my mind messing with me since I am reading a horror book, I expect to see nothing so when I look over my shoulder & come face to face with Dark instead of emptiness, I jump.

A small chuckle escapes his lips. “I was beginning to think you were incapable of getting scared. I guess I’m more frightening than all the serial killers & supernatural poltergeists you read about.” He creeps around the corner of the small couch & takes a seat on the open space about half a foot away from me. I straighten my posture right before my body becomes stiff. I don’t know how to act around Dark. I never really interacted with him, then again, neither has anyone else. The little space between us doesn’t help my nervousness either. I have grown unaccustomed to any physical contact or close proximity with anyone excluding Wilford. Dark’s approach definitely catches me by surprise. I figure it would be rude to stand up or move to another seat so I remain seated & push my anxiousness to the back of my mind.

“What do you mean by ‘incapable of getting scared’? I am too capable of feeling fear & dread.” I question. Yeah, I don’t get scared easily but how do you know that? I never told you.

“Well, you sure don’t show it. You read & watch all these horrifying, morbid tales like they’re nothing. Instead you predict them, laugh at them, & correct all the characters’ mistakes even the murderer’s.” How do you know all this? I don’t have the slightest clue who you are yet you seems to know me fairly well. “If I didn’t know any better, I’d think you had experience in homicide.” A huff of air escapes my mouth. I want to laugh at his last statement but his assessment of me distracts me from humor.

“How do you know all this?”

“You come in here every day after dinner or just whenever you have down time including late into the night to search the shelves, find a horror book, & read it. If I’m not mistaken, you are on your sixth book now. You also watch short horror films on your phone if you don’t want to read. It’s not too hard to know your view on the stories considering you talk to yourself & the characters.”

“You could just say you were stalking me.” My lips form into a smile. I shouldn’t enjoy the fact that someone finds me interesting enough to stalk especially because I have read enough stalking stories to know that they never end well, but I do.

“I wouldn’t necessarily call it ‘stalking’. This is my house & you are a guest. I am only making sure you don’t break anything.”

“I guess that makes sense, although, I think it’s more of the others who would break something.”

“Yes, but you are the one who goes off on your own. Don’t think I trust you as much as Wilford does.” We both smile.

There is a moment of silence before I speak again. “I’ve only been here for a little over a week & you’ve picked up that much?”

He smirks & shifts his body so he is completely facing me. His fingers interlace together & he leans back into the corner of the furniture. Black, ebony eyes look me up & down. If I wasn’t completely self-conscious before, I definitely am now. “How long do you think I was behind you for?”

“Maybe a minute or two.” His smirk grows wider.

“Guess again.” Dread fills my chest. Do I really want to know this answer?

“I-I don’t know.” I don’t want to guess again. If I guess something big, he will laugh but I also don’t want to go up by increments of five or ten if it is big. He remained quiet, waiting for a real answer. “5 minutes?” He shook his head. “10?” He drew circles in the air with his pointer finger. “20?”

“Give or take a few minutes but yeah.” He laughs. His genuine smile complements his face well. To be honest, he is pretty attractive. His obsidian eyes, smokey black hair &, deep bass voice captivate me. His blue & red aura accentuates his pale complexion while his lead grey, form-fitting suit enhances his charm & handsomeness. It doesn’t matter what I think though, this interaction will most likely just be a onetime thing. Even if we do get close, we probably won’t keep contact once this production is finished. As soon as I don’t see or work with whoever it is, no matter what kind of relationship I have with them, they forget & replace me. That is just my life. “Do you really not scare easily?” His voice snaps my out of my trance.

“Uh, I-I don’t. I’m not sure why but I don’t. It doesn’t matter what I read or watch or hear; nothing really scares me. & when something does, I obsess over it so much that I become desensitized to it.”

“Like what?”

“Oh, uh…abandoned amusement parks. I guess those never really creeped me out but I just love the aesthetic & ominous, eerie atmosphere of them. Oh, & submechanophobia which is the fear of partially or fully submerged man-made things but, specifically submechanophobia with animatronics. I mean, looking at them is fine but imagining if they break down & you have to go into the water to fix them or if you fall in the water while you’re on a ride or something…you can’t see the gears or anything underwater so…” I let out a small laugh. “I still like them & they are still disturbing. It’s just that they no longer incite the same reaction as the first time I saw it.” Once I come back from my rambling, his stunning eyes pierce mine, inducing my vision to dart to the book resting in my lap. With his arms crossed across his chest, his attention remains trained on me, intently studying me. I read stories ranging from unsettling: a poltergeist that just disturbs a family, to bloodcurdling: a heinous serial killer playing with their victim before gruesomely ripping them apart. None have ever sent a chill down my spine just as much as this situation has. Dark’s undivided attention on me tops any horror story I have or will ever read.