#Soulless Rainbow community

[redkoi1]

[gerogerigaogaigar]

This is it! My last batch of reviews. This time my boyfriend supplied six albums. He is more of a singles and eps kinda guy so the album choices are kinda...

The Front Bottoms - Going Grey

The Front Bottoms have existed in my periphery for a little while now. I'll hear a song now and then but I've never sat down and listened to an album. Going Grey exists somewhere in between 10s indie folk and 00s pop punk/emo. The lyrics are solidly unsophisticated without being stupid. A love letter to immaturity. It is clearly the work of someone looking back on their younger self and fondly roasting them. The music really supports this by primarily utilizing the tendencies of immature 00s pop punk and pretentious 10s indie folk. The contrast makes the tongue in cheek nature of the music clear without ever having to signal too overtly to the listener.

Blink-182 - California

So I actually kinda like Blink-182. I think their music from the 90s is a pure and raw expression of suburban alienation. Plus Travis Barker is an unbelievably good drummer. Unfortunately this album is from 2016. Ok it's not all bad actually. Tom DeLonge has been replaced by Alkaline Trio frontman Matt Skiba and he lends a bit of that emo sound to the album which isn't really much of a jump. Barker is still capable of breakneck drum fills. And a lot of the songs have the energy of their 90s output. There is a lingering feeling though that these men are in their 40s and still singing about being teenagers. Please stop. But between big misses like Kings Of The Weekend and Teenage Satellites are songs that remind me why I liked this band in the first place. The Only Thing That Matters is a major standout track for having the rawness and speed that made me love them back in their Dude Ranch Days. California is a mixed bag, but it's honestly a lot better than you'd expect out of a 2016 Blink-182 album.

Fall Out Boy - Mania

What the fuck happened to this band? From Under The Cork Tree is one of the best albums of the 00s full of witty lyricism and catchy music. Mania is an Imagine Dragons album. Fall Out Boy have become soulless trend chasers who don't even really care about the music they make. It's generically "epic" with vapid lyrics that don't communicate anything. Someone needs to euthanize these idiots before they go making more music.

Rezz - A Certain Kind Of Magic

Rezz is a lesser known DJ and electronic music producer that more people need to listen to. She has an incredibly chaotic style that mixes dubstep, brostep, electro house, and hip hop. And if that sounds a lot like Skrillex to you don't worry. While Rezz has a lot in common with her obnoxious brostep predecessor she is also capable of composing music that isn't just nonstop sensory overload. The peaks and valleys are what make her music so engaging, a very energetic segment can easily turn right into a lower bass driven dubstep sequence. The bass is crunchy with smoother mids and high ends and there are a good number of samples. A Certain Kind Of Magic also inexplicably ends on basically an emo song which catches me off guard every time, but goes to show how a wide range of influences makes for interesting music.

Rainbow Kitten Surprise - RKS

I don't hate this. I'll admit that the whole indie white boy blues aesthetic never clicked with me, and I can point to a number of bands doing this sort of thing that I like better, but I can point to innumerable bands that I like much, much less. RKS is deeply inoffensive music that isn't gonna hold my attention too hard, but it does have a few moments that are truly enjoyable. Particularly when they let down that bombastic sound and let those bubbly clean guitar lines shine.

Kelly Clarkson - Breakaway

I've been given special instructions for this one. I have to sit in the back of a car on my way home from my friend's house while it's raining and then I have to listen to this album and feel bad. I don't have any way to do that.

What is Kelly Clarkson? Being the first American Idol winner puts her in a position where she's primed to be a golden goose for a bunch of executives. As such her options for artistic integrity are severely limited to the commercially profitable. On Breakaway Clarkson split from the Idol management to craft an album that dated to explore outside the mainstream pop landscape. The results are embarrassing.

Obviously she was never going to make good music. I would be an idiot to try and give an American Idol contestant the benefit of the doubt in regards to their artistic sincerity. Her voice is a hollow void of emotion. The lyrics are paint by number. The music shows the outline of an emotion. Kelly Clarkson is the shadow on the wall of Plato's cave. Her fans incapable of comprehending that this is just a pale imitation of real music.

So I ask again. What is Kelly Clarkson? The answer seems obvious now. Kelly Clarkson is a name that once belonged to a human being and now is the property of record companies. The name is attached to records and the records are expected to sell based on the name. The human being that once shared the name Kelly Clarkson is a shadow. Kelly Clarkson is a music career. Kelly Clarkson is the avatar of the American Idol social experiment. Kelly Clarkson is a cipher. There is no such thing as Kelly Clarkson, there is only the music. But the music is also a shadow. There is nothing here. A shadow cast by a shadow. You cannot find the artistic merit in this music any more than you can get blood from a stone.

[victusinveritas]

I could forgive a lot of things from Pete because I knew his folks and however tangentially, him (my sister was in high school FedChallenge with him and he was over fairly frequently for a few years), growing up in South Bend. He also wasn't a dogshit mayor (despite Smart Streets and some utter mishandling of various issues, but that's inside South Bend politics), and some of the things he has tried to do as Secretary of Transportation have been good...because that fucker loves trains, always has been disturbingly passionate about them. Growing up a block away from him, I get it, the sounds of the trains at night were a lullaby in our very much middle class/upper middle class neighborhood.

Anyhow, aside from all that shit, any past vague acquaintance or how friendly he's always been to my folks, I wish him nothing but cracked teeth and unfitting shoes for the rest of his existence for this comment. If you want to read the appropriately damning article from Jacobin (admittedly a partisan source, but one his father, an avowed Gramscian and hell of a fun guy, would have supported--the arguments they would get into with Joe supporting anarchosocialist views and Pete the most bland Liberal Democratic stuff imaginable often carried when walking the dog near their house, once my father and I even got roped in to refereeing one.) here you are.

Basically, he said that as regrettable as it is, keeping baby formula in stock is not the job of the US government, and then went on to defend the free market at quite possibly the worst time to defend the free market. All an opponent would need to do to win is say "I believe we should feed babies." And they would get 75% of the vote and probably their head on a coin. He could have said "Yeah, this is the price we pay for the free market and it is why some more regulation is really necessary so this will never happen again and also this country could end world hunger with just 40 billion bucks but instead we do everything but that and spend fuck tons on the military and giving tax breaks to billionaires because of outdated and never helpful Reaganite theories of economics..." He could have said anything else, but he didn't. He had to pick the most soulless (he is unique among the gay community in his lack of dancing skills unless he has somehow gotten better through lessons in DC that his husband, an absolute shite who couldn't even get a good autobiography ghostwritten, made him take) and neoliberal take. Pardon me while I vomit bile onto this Buttigieg 2020 election poster I've been meaning to trash for the last four years. He's the living embodiment of Rainbow Capitalism.

I'd vote for him over Trump (not that I've ever really thought he could win, he's simply too nerdy and rat-faced and gay, which is simply not a winning combination--none of these things would stop me from voting for him, but again, he's got a snowball's chance in hell of winning anything if he was ever nominated), but I'd also be out there in front of the White House holding the quote above with a sign on it every damn day he was in office.

Alright, rant over.

[cliffburton]

i hate the corporate side and the discourse and the plastic part of pride month. i respect the history of it and i'm grateful i have access to a world where i can firmly yet calmly state that i am a lesbian on and offline. that being said, i did not sign up for a month where bigots go on tirades about how it's "getting out of hand", online "communities" regurgitate the same 10 phrases i've read over and over to the point they're now soulless, corporations want our gay dollars, and have rainbow profile pictures to omnipresently remind us of this hell.

[batboyblog]

I would like to add, outside of what any company does, what does this rainbow capitalism means to real people. I mean I've seen more than one parent talking about how their queer kid loved the Target Pride displays. Sure it was a cynical money grab by a soulless company that clearly didn't really mean it (given what happened) but thousands if not millions of Queer Americans don't live in a big city or close one where they can go out to Queer spaces, so these kinds of little pops of color in their small town, their local Walmart or Target or their bank is very nice. And for kids, a lot of Queer spaces are for grown ups, and a lot of straight parents while being supportive don't get the need for community don't know where to look for that for their kid. So the Target display might BE Pride for some little Queer kid.

which is to say nothing of all the kids who aren't out, for whatever reason where that very visible display, or sign in their community, in a place where they go all the time serves as a statement that "yes you belong here too" again its a statement by a soulless company but when you're 13, 14, 17 whatever and scared a pop of Rainbow is truly life saving.

and to speak to Target's Pride collection in particular, having a collection of pride clothes, LGBT books, etc in stores in local communities, particularly Binders and swim tops. How life changing that teens can just go, to a store, in their local community and get things they NEED, or just want. I mean when I was young to buy gay stuff I had to wait for yearly trips to a different state, and when I was lucky irregular trips to P-Town and hope to get away from my parents and not be thrown out of stores that had an over 18 room so I could buy stupid rainbow shirts that made me hate myself a little less.

Two things can be simultaneously true.

"Rainbow Capitalism" does not in any way signal whether corporations actually care about or help queer & trans people and only serves to generate positive PR and/or free advertising from "outraged bigots." And Corporations openly displaying symbols of pride and queer/trans community serves as modest barometer on the social acceptance of queer & trans people, and business after business pulling back it's pride merch/symbolism because of right-wing backlash is not good and potentially a sign of even worse to come.

[venting-town]

I hate eternity/limited/never/timeless/time/space/spaceless/feeling/not feeling/dual/mono/infinite/finite/mortal/immortal/unknown/known/death/life/reincarnate/light/darkness/gray/rainbow/shapes/shapeless/hate/love/divine/evil/good/mixed/neutral/bad/objective/subjective/identity/identity-less/confirmation/denial/in-between/lackings/abundance//souls/soulless/redo/do/undo/saved/erased/choice/no choic/fate/destiny/realness/fakeness/unfair/fair/unique/common/average/rare/worthless/worth/aside/top/bottom/left/right/middle/reality/unreality/repeat/non repeat/honest/dishonest/opposite/similarity/sameness/different/authenticity/non authentic/thankful/ungrateful s/stuck/free/nothingness/everythingness/anythingness/somethingness/thing/reward/punish/void/full/safeness/unsafeness/ignorant/knowledge/accept/regret/deny/bargain/anger/relief/happy/vegenful/forgivn/positive/negative/neutral/variety/balance/unbalance/random/order/chaos/determine/giving up/keep going/rest/always going/never going/always ending/never ending/sometimes going/sometimes ending/absurd/relative/illogic/logic/rational/irrational/experience/imaginary/trust/no trust/community/soloness/non existence/non being/existence/being/observing/creating/participating/destroying/ignoring/judging/non judging/truthful/lying

[hiddenunbeliever1717]

Hello mortal fleshbags

I decided to make a blog--no matter how unpopular it will be--

as source of free therapy because I am an atheist. No big deal, right?

wrong.

I am "closeted" in this respect because my beloved family and social community are Christian, and if you couldn't believe it...

I am also going to a Christian college! (yay, confetti, happy explosions, rainbows-- okay maybe not rainbows) and nobody knows. Except one friend, but she's also a Christian. So, I wanted to make a place of support for those like me-- the hidden unbelievers, as well as public atheists-- to feel like there are others like them, to start conversations, and to encourage others in their experience as mortal material soulless bags of flesh and water (or fish descendants, or rock descendants, or stardust, or fizzing cans or however you chose to identify yourself)

As a secret atheist, let me just say life is isolating. Everyone who I try to talk to about my emotional issues says the same thing: just pray, trust in the lord, repent. I am speaking to people who have a completely different worldview than me, and it's not like I didn't try to force myself to believe. It's better to be honest about what you believe at least to yourself if you can't be open to others.

Like, please for the love of.... give me some real help and advice.

Also, love. It's been my idol since I was a little child, but I have the terrible feeling that I'm going to be married like three times and find my final person when I'm like 55 and have two teenage kids with separate men. Every man in my college falls into one of two categories: devout Chrisitan who wants a godly woman (nothing wrong with being a homemaker or a mother duh) or the gaslighting party whore who had several STD's that he definitely doesn't warn you about.

So, love is hopeless.

Does anybody relate to me? What do ya'll think I should do (being public about my beliefs is not an option)? Do ya'll think I should lie about my faith to my future partner, or should I find someone who wants to be secretly atheist too.

My word of encouragement to any of you: no matter where you are on your journey with your faith or lack thereof, just know that there are others who are also uncertain and feel like they have nowhere to go just like you. There are real world solutions to your problems, you don't need to pray to god to get an A on an exam, you just need to study. (Maybe I don't need to be so passive and negative about my love life, maybe I need to go out and find someone like me.) Whether or not there is a god, he seems pretty content on letting me be an arrogant piece of shit who doesn't believe in him and thinks that they can achieve anything they set their mind to, and I don't think he's gonna roll out of Heaven and try to change me. I asked. I knocked and the door wasn't opened. So back to my point, whether there is a god or not-- you really only have one life as a mortal, be optimistic. Believe in yourself. Hold humanity to a higher standard. Be nice to people. Prove christians, muslims, budhists, spirtitualists, and other atheists wrong: atheists are nice people, we do care about people, we have morals, we are consistent, and we are not intentionally missing the point or trying to argue for the sake of arguing. If we're going to hell, it's not our fault. It's because god didn't bother to give us some of that *divine* revelation.

Peace out until next time

[aseriesofunfortunatejan]

I'm seeing a lot of posts about Danganronpa S supposedly confirming ships (I've been seeing mostly wlw ones and putting aside what I'm going to say next, honestly good for yous /gen) and to be fully cynical on main - that confirms my worries about DRS being a soulless fanservice game? For reference, I was never into there being a new DR game or it not being written by Kodaka.

If these ships never appeared in canon, I don't want them to be "confirmed" by some non-canon spin-off game released by Spike Chunsoft after the creator left to do his own thing. I think headcanons are a beautiful way to explore the ships you love, and I wouldn't want a corporation to taint that for me.

I'm not sure I appreciate seeing a bonus game potentially retcon a character who was written as cishet to turn them LGBTQ. To me that's no different from your typical rainbow capitalism. And that's not even mentioning the vagueness of these "confirmations" and the potential choices made by the localisation team (we already know that one of Hinata and Komaeda's events was changed to make Komaeda seem like a creep, when the Japanese text featured Hinata being the one to try and befriend him).

Hey, Spike Chunsoft - fuck you. It's about time I said it, and not just in reference to Danganronpa S specifically. Danganronpa is your cash cow now and you have no shame in ruining its strengths to turn it into a corporate fanfic with no real story. I'm not even sure whoever wrote events of Mikan and Ibuki being friends in Danganronpa S KNOWS that Mikan killed her in Danganronpa 2 (/hyp). It's not that I don't want them to make up (or make out), but that I want it to be in a real continuation of their experiences, not a contextless environment where everything that made them them stops existing.

Of course, please take all that I say with a grain of salt, as I didn't play the game for myself. Maybe there's a very smart part of the context that validates everything somehow. Who knows? Not me at least.

Still, all that I want to say is... Making Genocider, an already kind of offensive take on DID, act out of character to please Toukomaru fans isn't as woke as you think it is. Much like I mentioned in a previous post about Danganronpa S, it's better that you let her rest in 2010 when she was written. Please write new stories about and with LGBTQ characters. Hire LGBTQ writers and actors, if you haven't already. (Also applies to characters with mental illness!)

I wish I lived in a world where Danganronpa had good LGBTQ rep to begin with, but that's just not how it is. And if we want better rep in the future, we need to stay aware and not let one of the laziest publishers I know use the community for a quick buck.

I'll be honest, if I ever play Danganronpa S, even if I see events that look like they make sense in regards to the characters in question, I won't be able to see it as anything more than a fanfic tainted with capitalism. I know very horny fanfic writers with better integrity.

Besides, the swimsuit sprite edits were lazy, create new games with real creative teams ffs.

[binding-z]

Just going to get this out there now, since I'm already seeing discourse on this, but kink, polyamory, and less "advertiser friendly" LGBT+ identities BELONG at Pride.

Stop attempting to "sanitize" our community for rainbow capitalism and corporate sponsors. Fucking soulless to sell out your fellow queers.

[skylordhorus]

another quick pride note is that yes, corporations using queer pride to sell stuff is shitty because we know its utterly performative, two-faced, soulless, and lacking any sense of community whatsoever

but im also like. not going to completely right off retail chains selling pride merch due to the accessibility it offers, especially to kids who cannot easily access indie merch online made by queer creators

i know for me, a confused queer kid whose gay rep in my personal area was like, hushed whispered rumours and a clumsily written gay couple in a minecraft machinima, the joy i would have felt seeing a little rainbow section in lidl or wherever is utterly indescribable

[15dots]

Gemina: The Illuminae Files _02

Synopsis

Moving to a space station at the edge of the galaxy was always going to be the death of Hanna’s social life. Nobody said it might actually get her killed.

The saga that began with the breakout bestseller Illuminae continues on board the space station Heimdall. Hanna is the station captain’s pampered daughter, Nik the reluctant member of a notorious crime family. Little do they know that Kady Grant and the Hypatia are headed to Heimdall, carrying news of the Kerenza invasion. 

When an elite BeiTech team invades the station, Hanna and Nik are thrown together to defend their home. Soon, Hanna and Nik aren’t just fighting for their own survival. The fate of everyone on the Hypatia - and possibly in the known universe - is in their hands. 

But relax. They’ve totally got this.

They hope. 

Quotes:

“I cannot help but wonder if the thought of saving all those lives and hopes and dreams pales in comparison to the thought of seeing him again. I wonder.” 

“▆▆ me that felt weird. Like someone threw a rainbow at my head.” 

“Patience and Silence had one beautiful daughter and her name was Vengeance.” 

“It may comfort you to know that your death while astonishingly violent, will most likely be mercifully swift.” 

“And now, born from the ashes, she’s a warrior in bloodied black.”

Welcome back to the Illuminae Files where, after reading Gemina I am left to search for my pulse and heartbeat. 

You read that right folks, I am deceased. 

But before I tell you why, I would like to put a disclaimer that this review (or whatever this is) will have spoilers. So if you haven’t read the book or Illuminae, oh well, get ready for spoilers I guess. Do not fret however, I will warn you of upcoming spoilers. You’re welcome ;). 

Also, if you haven’t read my previous Illuminae post, go check that out first or after, whatever you decide. 

Alrighty, Gemina yes, one word. 

Deceased. 

Me. I’m deceased. 

I finished this book last night and let me tell you I almost threw this book across the room. Three times. It was near midnight and I almost screamed. Bottom line, I have thoughts. Many of them. 

So buckle up kiddos, this is gonna be a long one. 

Fair warning. This book might have slightly mature themes, like drug production and use (which is very pertinent to the plot-line, iykyk), sexual innuendos, sexual tension, an annoying sexual song about lollipops... yeah you get the gist. 

Let’s start by introducing Hanna and Nik. “Highness”, as Nik like to calls her, is a daddy’s girl. If she lived in our world she would probably be asking her daddykins for dresses and bags she doesn’t even need. However, she’s a black belt. So maybe don’t make fun of her... 

Nik, on the other hand, is the typical bad boy, tall, lean, with abs, tattoos up his arms, torso and neck. Served time in juvie where he obtained such abs. But he has dimples. Dimples. He’s also, like, really funny. Like what he says...

I’ll give you an example (He’s typing this by the way): 

“So you can me all to yourself. He says winking suggestively.” 

I like him- ahem, that speaks for itself, moving on. 

This story takes place on the Heimdall space station where the Hypatia need to pass through to the Core to inform them about the Kerenza attack. Everyone is getting ready for Terra Day, getting ready to party, to get drunk, high probably as well. Hanna waits for Nik to give her her dose of drugs for ‘party favours’. Her boyfriend, Jackson, waits for her at the Atrium which is where Terra day is being held. Nik is running late because of a ‘package’ arriving at the station. Hanna gets impatient, Jackson gets nervous, Nik just gets tired because that kid sure can smoke.

Then it all goes to crap when the station gets invaded by BeiTech Industries. Remember them? The jerks who invaded Kerenza to destroy the illegal mining operation and mass murdered hundreds of people? Yeah, it’s them again with Leanne Frobisher (SPOILER), Ezra’s mum by the way, their director. 24 of their ‘goons’ are there to clean up their mess and exterminate the Hypatia and the Heimdall with a drone fleet which will hopefully, for them, eradicate witnesses of the Kerenza attack. 

People die, cry, scream. The Atrium and Entertainment Center are the areas where they are trapped in which are guarded. Hanna and Nik, on the other hand, are trapped outside with the BeiTech baddies. It is up to them to save everyone.

Like the previous book, the story is told through a dossier of files and whatnot. Their main source of communication at the start is a programme called WhisperNET then they switch to palmpads (from my knowledge is quite similar to phones) because y’know the bad guys can track em’. I have one problem, one issue that I would like to address and discuss with the publishers or whoever is responsible for the layout of this book. 

Which fool decided it was a good idea to place black text onto a near black background? I couldn’t read crap. But I don’t know if that was on purpose...

Anyways, the invasion happens and Nik and Hanna are split up from each other. Nik has a cousin, Ella, who (like Kady) is a tech wizz and tries to help the pair with opening doors and being their eye in the sky. I mean, you need a character like that in a story such as this one. 

But BeiTech are not the only monsters. There’s another problem. One that is rather... disturbing. 

SPOILERS  (it’s more gross really).

Alright, remember how I said that drugs were very pertinent to the story. Well turns out you can have drugs made from organisms ‘colloquially’ known as ‘lickers’ and it rubs me the wrong way. I was uncomfortable to say the least. And seriously, while reading the Unipedia file and descriptions of the lanima, I swear I cannot see why that had to use the word “secrete’ or ‘secretion’ so many times. 

To make matters worse, they make their entrance by slithering out of dead cows’ bodies. Just imagine the Stranger Things demogorgons in Season One in their baby forms but longer and with four heads and sharp needle like teeth crawling out of a dead cow.  Again, was I uncomfortable? Yes, yes I was.  

You see, Nik’s crime family loves making drugs from within cows’ bodies. I mean, this is some Stranger Things crap right here.

You know what makes them even more terrifying? Before killing their prey, they secrete (ugh) this fog like substance out of their skin that makes them high. Yeah, you’re high before these slime-balls kill you. So really you wouldn’t know what hit you, until the kittens and rainbows turn into black and you’re just a brainless, soulless person. They suck your face off, basically. And not in that way, you nasties. 

It was thanks to these lanima that a page scared me. Yes, a page (pg 368). What the crap did they put in this book? 

What I really enjoyed was how Hanna and Nik’s relationship progressed throughout the story. Like Kady and Ezra, they were able to joke around while under immense pressure. And to be completely honest, Hanna and Nik had higher stakes this time around. 

When they were still bantering and tip toeing around each other, I was like, “ugh, just kiss already, goodness.” I was more relieved they kissed then surprised. Honestly, it was about time they did, I almost choked on the sexual tension. 

OH and AIDAN makes a comeback and let me tell you I was so happy. AIDAN follows the movement of the lanima and it describes it in such a creepy way that shivers went down my spine. 

I do not like those lanima slime balls. Periodt. 

During the last pages of the book though, I almost had a heart attack. Can this book just let me breath? Please. For just a second. Oh my word. Just one thing after the other slapped me in the face until I questioned my sanity. Like the ending? WHAT THE FLYING CRAP WAS THAT ABOUT?

I don’t want to spoil too much for those who haven’t read the book or haven’t got the guts to do so anyway but overall, this book was just a roller coaster of a ride. No complaints. Only that the publishers and authors do something about the black on black formatting. Please, we don’t want to be squinting at pages like we need glasses (my apologies to those reading with glasses, you know the problem first hand).

Anyway, it will be a while until I can finish this series as I don’t have the third book, Obsidio. I know, sad face. But alas, I will wait after Christmas (because sales, duh) to obtain the last piece of the puzzle and hopefully I can get a break from feeling like I’m dying. But I am really enjoying this series; one of the best ones I’ve read in a while!

So, until next time. I might do small book reviews here and there so that’s good at least. So stay tuned kiddos and Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays!

Let me know how this book treated you. Or don’t. Depends on what you decide.

[gluupor]

Ally the Vampire Slayer

This is a tiny prequel to an exclusive story I wrote for the @aftgapocalypsezine. Interested in reading a full story set in this universe? Order the AFTG Apocalypse Zine which features artwork and fic by 19 contributors, with proceeds going to support Rainbow Railroad!

Allison shrugged into her leather jacket and took a last look in the mirror to make sure her hair and makeup were in order. Then she slid a knife into each boot and made sure her trusty wooden stake was easily accessible. She nodded, satisfied, and headed down the stairs.

“Going somewhere?” asked Wymack mildly from his seat on the couch as she passed him on her way to the front door.

She sighed gustily. She didn’t feel stifled, exactly, but she really had only known Wymack for a matter of weeks and he’d been hovering since Seth’s death, kind of like a gruff guardian angel. She needed some space.

This whole Slayer thing was still new to her. It was only last month that Wymack had found her and told her of her calling; the two of them had then proceeded to dust an entire nest of vampires, which was the kind of thing that quickly bonded people together. She hadn’t thought twice when he told her she was needed in Palmetto to combat the forces of darkness that were drawn to the energy pouring out of the Hellmouth. It hadn’t occurred to her until she got here that she’d agreed to move in with a much older man that she barely knew. He hadn’t made any inappropriate moves towards her, but she remained vigilant.

The majority her time since she’d arrived had been spent training. Wymack owned a magic shop (which she had considered strange—since, you know, the whole magic-Slayer-vampire thing was supposed to be a secret—until she realized it was just a “new age” shop that sold mostly weird smelling teas and candles to cover up the actual magical trade going on within Palmetto’s supernatural community) that had a training area in the back; he’d had her practicing fighting from sunup until sundown. Then, instead of patrolling for vampires, he made her sleep and eat proper meals and drink milk. It was more parenting than she’d ever experienced and it was more than a little strange that it was coming from the same man who spent the rest of his time turning her into a killer.

Other than Wymack, she only knew four people in town, all of them Wymack’s employees. Dan was his store’s manager, and was apparently a real witch who could perform actual magic. The other three employees were Katelyn, Jeremy, and Matt. Katelyn was an ex-vengeance demon (Allison was still unsure of how one became an ex-demon), Jeremy had made several jokes about avoiding him at his “time of the month” which she’d eventually realized meant he was insinuating he was a werewolf, and Matt was completely human as far as she could tell, just one that was embroiled in the supernatural.

She was still wary of all of them; they all seemed too friendly and nice to ever become her friends. She preferred a little bit of acerbity in the people who she surrounded herself with, so she didn’t always stand out as the biggest bitch in a room. There was a sharp pang in her chest; she missed Seth.

“Out,” she told Wymack. She couldn’t help how defiant she sounded.

Wymack only shrugged. “Be careful,” he said, turning back to his book.

“Don’t worry, Mr. Pointy will protect me,” replied Allison dryly, patting her trusty stake hidden under her coat.

He raised an eyebrow at her. “You’re not looking for a fight, are you?”

“No, I’m looking for some fun.”

“In Palmetto? Good luck,” he snorted.

She’d almost made it out the door before he spoke again. “Stay away from The Monster at the east end of town, would you? There are supernatural politics we have to wade through before you’re safe there.”

Allison almost demanded answers but decided she didn’t want to get sucked into a history lesson of the supernatural world which was what happened the last time she’d asked a similar question. She’d let it go and do as he asked. For now.

It wasn’t long after she left Wymack’s that she noticed she’d picked up a tail. Someone was following her and watching her, unseen in the shadows.

“I know I look fabulous, but it’s rude to stare,” she said, stopping and slowly turning.

A woman stepped out of the darkness. She was dressed simply, in a black long-sleeved t-shirt and black slacks. Her skin was almost paper white and her hair matched, seeming to glow in the moonlight. She moved gracefully, like a dancer.

“Slayer,” she said, a barely-perceptible accent tinging her voice.

“...Vampire?” guessed Allison. The woman wore a prominent, silver cross around her neck, which went against all the other obvious signs of her nature.

The woman smiled. It was a kind smile, although there was more than a hint of sharpness to it. She raised her hand and closed it around her necklace for a couple seconds. Allison could practically hear her flesh sizzling before she let go of the cross and held up her hand for Allison to see. A perfect imprint of the cross was burned into her palm. “I’m Renee,” she said.

“What do you want?” demanded Allison, reaching for her stake.

“To help,” said Renee, giving Allison pause. She cocked her head thoughtfully. “You’re taller than the last Slayer.”

“You knew her?”

“I’ve known many,” said Renee enigmatically. “I try to help them, but death always comes for them in the end.”

“Is this a situation where you want to help me by murdering me?” Allison asked suspiciously.

“How would that help you?” asked Renee, her brow creasing in confusion.

“I don’t know how you soulless demons think!”

“I am only one of those two things,” said Renee, looking amused. “I’ll leave you to your evening,” she continued. “I just wanted to introduce myself. I’ll be in touch.”

“Wait,” called Allison before Renee could slip back into the shadows. “Who are you?”

Renee’s smile was angelic, completely incongruous on a vampire’s face. “You’ll see.”

Want more? Order the AFTG Apocalypse Zine.

[rjalker]

It also need to be about combatting misinformation.

A lot of the AI art being spread about plants is actively being used to scam people (usually the elderly) out of money by selling "seeds" for plants that don't exist!

And yeah, this was a problem before with just basic photoshop of roses with rainbow petals and crap like that, but "AI" has given these scammers so many more resources and they don't even have to do anything but push a button.

There's one post that I've seen go around tumblr twice now, and who knows how many times on Facebook, of a "strawberry tree", where an AI generated image of "strawberries" are growing in a massive cluster and seeming to come from a tree.

And people on Etsy and Amazon and wherever else the cool kids are selling shit these days are using this image to sell "strawberry tree seeds" for absurd prices.

I had to explain to my elderly friend who works with the local community garden that the images are 100% fake, and if she bought those extremely overpriced seeds, she'd be getting scammed.

AI art is not just about protecting the sanctity of art made by real people -- it's about combating a new wave of misinformation that will be allowed to play out with these hyperrealistic ""photos"" that most people don't know how to tell apart, and as the technology gets better, no one will be able to tell them apart!

At some point they're gonna learn how to get the machines to stop giving people too many fingers, and how to spell actual words.

This is not just about saying AI is soulless -- it's about making sure people aren't being fed misinformation that's going to become nigh indistinguishable from reality.

I am going to hold your face so gently and tell you a secret

If we don’t want AI to replace artists and writers we can not base our argument solely on how good or bad we think the work looks and here’s why:

First, this technology is only going to get better at its job over time and someday that won’t be a valid argument any more.

Second, I already can’t tell the difference sometimes and a lot of other people (especially who aren’t artists or writers) can’t tell the difference either, especially since they’re just glancing at it and aren’t looking at it under a magnifying glass

Third, these images are trained with real people’s work meaning that it looks like their work. I’ve already seen real artists complaining that they’re being accused of making machine generated images when it just looks similar because their work’s been stolen. It could also push out new artists who aren’t quite skilled yet, their flaws could be mistaken for proof of machine generation.

I’ve seen so many tips and tricks for figuring out if a picture is generated and it’s a flawed system that sometimes works but someday those tells will be buffed out and those tricks won’t work anymore.

Some day there will be no surface level difference between the two so we need to use the human behind the art as our reason. That person is what actually makes their work worth fighting for.

[raridashdoodles]

📖 Twilight have read and graded all your stories! 📖 

However, since she's a fictional character we'll discard her opinions! I'm the one with the money, so naturally my opinions are the only one that matters.

These are ranked from best to worst and I've scored all entries based on how entertaining (or infuriating) I found them to be. If you got a good score, be very proud! I am not easy to please. If you got a bad score, then it is time for you to go sit in the corner and think about your sins. 👻

First off, the winner and best of the show:

Fic: Love, And Other Felonies Author: PatchworkPoltergeist​ Grade: A+++ Review: This is pretty much a raridash masterpiece. In my humble opinion, it far surpasses all of the fanfics the raridash community considers its cream of the crop. It has everything from great structure, wonderful characterizations and is an overall fun, creative take on the NMM-verse timeline. The world-building and lore is an added plus and a surprise (didn't expect that due to time and theme restrictions). This is an excellent romance fanfic with Raridash at the heart of its story. The two of them share close to every moment together and have to lean on each other as there is no one else to trust in this harsh dystopian world. Watching these two walk on eggshells in a society where freewill and independent thinking is punishable by death is just as entertaining as it sounds!

If I had to critic this, I'd say the story's epilogue threw me off. I feel that too much character development were lost in amnesia world and the romance aspect just didn't fit the bill anymore. Felt forced and awkward.

Runner-ups:

Fic: My Little Confession Author: Pixel Berry Grade: B Review: Very plain and simple, but it works! Story is very brief and the characters barely has any time to be introduced, but it covers the bare minimum and the characters struggles and exchanges are both endearing, cute and wholesome. Equis High seemed like an interesting place and it would've been great if you could've expand upon it. The prompt lean near the end was way too on the nose and really ruined the flow of narration! You should've kept up your integrity and make up your own ending. An epilogue for this wouldn't hurt either since the story doesn't fade out, it just kind of ends... 

Style of narration was very odd and there were several pacing issues, but I feel the creativity makes up for it! These were the kind of stories I was hoping to get out of this competition. ❤️

Fic: Zero-Sun Game Author: Undome Tinwe Grade: C+ Review: This story had some good moments, but the genres stumble over each other constantly. This isn't goofy enough to make it a good comedy and it definitely isn't serious enough to work as a good drama. There aren't any real struggles and Rainbow Dash's character is practically flawless. She knows exactly what say and how to behave in order to get Rarity under her thumb and she can predict events with 100% accuracy, averting every single conflict thrown at her with ease. The more you read, the less intrigued you become. Everything becomes dull up until the ending where everything gets weird. In a story that has references to sex, vice and regicide, giving this story such a cheesy, awkward ending just didn't feel right at all.

You should've gone full comedy and have Rainbow Dash under investigation for being a potential super villain, only for it to be revealed her actions were not a result of amorality but stupidity. Drama could’ve work too, but you'd have to lose the virtual-reality shtick as it sucks away all the tension.

Fic: The Finale Author: Mymysteriox Grade: F Review: This story is called The Finale and as promised by the title, you are indeed dropped into the climax of a big dramatic story, having no clue as to what events has lead up to that moment. Ponies are yelling and crying and then the stage play end. The main characters are real pleased with themselves for performing this amazing play, we weren't allowed to see! The problem with this fanfic is that it is barely anything but a transcript to its prompt. There's no depth, backstory or even introductions. It's an empty shell.

Fic: Every One After Author: AJtheRaven Grade: F Review: This story's attempt at entertainment revolves itself around Rarity and Rainbow Dash being as petty and shallow as possible. In short, Rainbow Dash want a trophy wife and Rarity want an obedient little pupper. These aspirations are forced to the point you wonder why the two of them are an item in the first place. Romance stories who’s conflict are the characters hating each other with the resolution of them kissing and making up in the end are by far the cheapest, dirtiest things in the world. To add on that, it completely fails to utilize the prompt in any creative manner, making this already dull story that much duller. None of the interactions carried any sincerity and every setup was predictable. 

If you had plans to write a story out of pure spite then you might as well have gone full out and write a story where Rainbow Dash struggles to dispose of Rarity's lifeless body after having strangled her to death in a fit of rage. At least that way you could’ve gotten a passing score for creativity.

Fic: The Experimental RariDash Crackfic Author: Mystic Mind Grade: F Review: Every single joke in this are like nails on a chalk board. Rarity and Rainbow Dash serves no purpose to this story and could've been replaced by literally anyone. The narrator/Pinkie Pie is obnoxious to the point you want to bludgeon her to death and the story from beginning to end is nothing but meme characters stumbling around and bumping into each other. I was surprised you didn't include a scene where Discord popped in and start twerking in front of the audience, all while promoting his fortnite centered twitch channel. There isn’t a single redeeming factor in this story... Everything is just nauseating.

This might have been a decent story if it was a straight faced drama, but with what I’ve seen from this story I kind of doubt your ability to write romance stories at all.

Fic: A Marvelous Day Author: ModdieFox Grade: F- Review: This fanfic is a big empty template that someone put a raridash sticker onto. Any character could be switched out and it wouldn't make a difference. There's no story, no build-up and nothing in this carries any weight or consequence. Everything feels hollow and manufactured. A loveless, soulless entry.

This needed to be longer (less exposition, more anticipation) and the narration should've followed either Rarity's or Rainbow's internal monologue about the ups and downs in their relationship that eventually lead them to getting married. Big pay-offs like weddings aren't satisfying if we don’t know the struggle.

Fic: Those Wedding Belle Rainbows Author: Tangerine Blast Grade: G Review: I'm at a loss for words... This is a story that relies itself on the stupidity of its characters to push itself forward. Usually I don't mind stupid characters if it's there to make them cute, but in this fanfic it exist for no other reason than to create unnecessary conflicts. The lack of common sense makes every character insufferable and every action taken and every piece of dialogue spoken are annoying and borders on infuriating. The story has no direction and spirals itself into meandering filler. The author couldn't even be bother to write an ending for this clustergack and instead he just copy&pastes a scene from Disney's Pirates of the Caribbean and calls it a day (no, I'm not joking). 

I have nothing else to say other than this is the worst raridash fanfic I've ever read in my life. This isn't your everyday kind of failure... This is advanced failure! This deserves a grade lower than F so I hereby award it with the special rating of G (standing for garbage). Kudos.

Disqualified entires:

Fic: Guiding Light Author: Gesstalt Grade: Disqualified (Doesn't follow a prompt) Review: This story tries way too hard to be poetic and mysterious, but due to its brief length it just comes off as unnecessary filler. It feels like someone opened up a book, ripped out a single page from it and presented it as a full story. Everything is vague and cryptic and you can't make sense of anything. Elements are presented with the implications that they have greater meaning but it never amounts to anything and everything just feels pointless.

Fic: Love Eternal Author: RDFan27 Grade: Disqualified (Doesn't follow a prompt) Review: In this story Rainbow Dash enters Rarity's boutique and stands still. It's a pretty ingenious concept, I gotta say! Think about it, Rainbow Dash likes sports so naturally she likes to move around, but because she likes Rarity so much she's willing to go against her nature and stand still!! It's the peak of romance!!! 

Sarcasm aside, this fanfic fails to be creative at every turn. Stories with this premise have been written over 300+ times, going back as far as 2011. I didn't like them back then and I don't like them now. This story's only redeeming factor is its ending which threw me into a laughing fit, though that wasn't a feat of writing as much as it was timing.

🌟 Those were all the stories! 🌟

Thanks to everyone who participated, hope you all had fun! Sorry if you didn't win, but not everybody have what it takes to be the best. I hope you found my critic helpful and that it'll go a long way to help improve your future stories!

If you found some of these ratings were unfair, tough cookie! This is a contest and it's not my job to hold your hand. If you don't understand the mechanics of basic story telling or just can't be bothered to write a sincere story, then you only have your own incompetence to blame. Get good or get bent, loser! 🎷

Let’s hear another round of applauses for @patchworkpoltergeist​ amazing story! 👏👏👏 Wooooo~ 

[silverfrostheart]

AnomalyVerse Chapter Three

Great. Stuck in this dumb place...Error squirmed in the chains. How had he gotten out of Canvas's chains before?? He growled looking up at the papers scattered around. "Stuck in this place and I can't destroy a single world. Figures Canvas would do this...." Error looks around, "Curse this god damn place, Curse Canvas, Curse every fucking thing! I HATE IT, LET ME GO!" he screamed as he pulled against his bounds. he looked all around trying to find a way to escape putting a plan together in his head... well trying. Errors eyes fall onto a pin on the floor, Thats it that might be just the thing. Error grinned. "Perfect." He chuckled. After a few minutes, the pink chains fell off, dissipating into paint again. "Eugh. Damn squid..." He grumbled. He looked around. "Alright, I'd better go after that asshole. With that weird time guy running around, shits gonna get weird...can't let things end up like that one time with that x bitch." Error huffed. "OK so he said he was going to see dream boy right? Eugh how the hell am I supposed to follow him to that...?" The glitched skeleton waved a hand, opening a portal. On the other side was his home, the antivoid. He walked in flopping on his couch to think. "Guess I'll focus on clocky. While inkstain runs around like a doggo with its head cut off..." He grumbled, leaning back and closing his sockets. "My my my...the destroyer of worlds looks worn out~" Error jerked up with a growl. Standing behind him with a cocky grin was a purple hooded skeleton. Error readied his strings. "WHAT THE FUCK, TAROT YOU ASSHOLE!" Error snarled. Tarot giggled putting his hood down. He walked forward a bit, the chain from his neck shackle jingling. "Aww was I supposed to knock first?" Another growl. Tarot sighed rolling his eyes. "Ugh, your no fun when you just keep growling at me." Tarot pouted, walking to errors other shoulder. "At least canvas has more entertaining reactions. And he's soulless. Which is amusing to say the least." Error pushed the odd skeleton away. "What do you WANT you damn fourtune teller?" Tarot smiled holding up an odd card. "What fucking--I DONT GET YOUR STUPID CARDS ASSHOLE!" Tarot snickered, glad he finally got the reaction he was hoping for. He turned the card around, words in clear sight. 'The Heirophant.' "The Heirophant?" Error asked. "It is the card that represents your new clock friend." Tarot hummed, making the card dissapear in a flash of yellowish purple flames. "It's A card of tradition and safekeeping the past. I know where to find him. Check underfell. It's also where canvas will be going next, once dream figures it out as well." Tarot hummed. Error eyed the seer warily. "What's in it for you?" He asked. Tarot's expression turned into one of deviousness. "Entertainment. Though I should warn you....making emotions with anger isn't always the best." He winked then threw a card to his right. A portal suddenly opened. "Toodles glitch boy!" He giggled. Error thought about chasing after tarot but brushed it aside. Underfell? Error sighed and opened a glitch portal, thankfully landing out of sight. Or so he thought. "Back again glitchbitch? Thought paint boy swatted you off from here." The black skeleton turned around to see an angry red eyed skeleton in a red and black striped fuzzy hoodie and gold tooth with a bit of an overbite. "Shut the fuck up Thorn I'm not here for your bullshit." Error hissed, pulling out his strings in case the other got the idea of attacking him. "I'm just here for some blue coated Lil freak who likes clocks." He wanted so bad to wring that little twerps neckbone....but why was he in such a rush...? "Oh him. Yeah he's here. He's asking everyone a bunch of shit." "Where?" "Back that w--" Error dashed past thorn before the other skeleton could finish. "YOUR FUCKING WELCOME YOU DICKBAG!!!" Thorn yelled after him. When he was out of sight he huffed and was about to head in the same direction when another portal opened. "Oh great..." Thorn grumbled. "Which fucking multiworld freak is it now???" He turned around to see canvas and dream. "Oh its just you two." Thorn said. "Better than glitch dick..." Canvas blinked surprised. "Error's here??? But I had him chained back up in the doodlesphere..." "Is the doodlesphere messy again?" Dream asked. Canvas grimaced. "Eheh...yeaaahh...." The rainbow skeleton laughed sheepishly. "Then he escaped canny." Canvas groaned, then pulled out broomie. "Well then let's go find him!" Canvas declared. Dream hummed in thought. "My question is ho--" dream was cut off when a large explosion and screaming sounded. "Shit!!" Thorn cussed and started running. Canvas looked at dream, both running after thorn. Thorn, Canvas, Eri and Tarot-all mine Dream-jokublog Aion-cutiegrumpycerym Original underfell-au community Original ink-comyet/myebi Original Error-loverofpiggies

[perfectcreaturerarelyseen]

To Fall for the Fae | 09 (M)

Pairing: Andrew Hozier-Byrne/Unknown Female

Genre: Fantasy, Modern, Romance, Smut, Fluff, Angst

Words: Chapter 9: 1,991

Summary: Andrew Hozier-Byrne unknowingly searches for the woman that pulled him from the bog 3,000 years ago. Unknown to either of them that in this modern world their souls are still intertwined from the life they shared long ago. She is unavailable, he’s not giving up. Will the woman that inspires his music be wooed by his songs or will he lose his chance? That’s Wasteland, Baby!

Note: A/N: This is a story requested by my best friend to be written about her favorite musician. I have been inspiried by his songs and specific lines. Any reference to his music is used in the name of inspiration and creating art. I do not own any of his music. Any reference to Hozier in this story is fictional and used by the author in the name of crafting art. I want to thank all who read it. I have fallen in love with writing this story and would love to hear from you. It will be written in installments. The finished story will be at the very least over 50,000 words. I’m getting to the smut, this story has a mind of it’s own. I’m going to stop putting language and sexual warnings for the most part. It’s rated M for a reason. Read at your own discretion. Enjoy loves.

To Fall for the Fae: Chapter 9

The funeral pyre grew. It seemed every time they came close to extinguishing the flame, there were more bodies to add to it. This fucked village remained in a standstill with the monsters in the woods as long as the Forest Father was there. ‘How long would he stay?’ was the question on everyone’s mind, as he trudged into the woods day in and day out. Often he came back out silent and covered in his own silver blood. The forest was not going to give him this win so easily, it seemed.

His arms and legs became a rainbow of stitches as Willow Woman made small dedicated Xs on each bite in every different color thread she had at her disposal. He had so many bites that they stopped counting. He’d come back from the woods, she’d sew him up, then they'd lie there wrapped in each other’s arms until night fell.

Still, the village spent every day walking on a wire. They could hear the monsters pacing at the very edge of the forest. Howling, they wanted to be released. They were hungry. Desperate for that silver blood. The Forest Father kept them at bay. They bid their time until he left. They could wait. Not patiently, but they could wait.

The Elder worried continuously. The lines in her face grew deeper and more pronounced as leaders from other villages began to bring their dead to what had become a communal funeral pyre in creaking wooden carts shiny with silver blood.

The sickly sweet smell, like rotting flowers, filled the village so often that Madison and Andrew had grown accustomed to it. As they stole among the buildings they would bring their shirts up over their nose and mouth to escape the choking smoke. At night that smell of death filled the cabin like morbid incense smoke.

He never asked for a different place to stay and no one dare off him one. Her cabin was his cabin. It was a silent agreement that all had come to terms with.

The Elder watched them grow closer and her heart ached. She was aware that she was using her daughter to keep the Forest Father anchored here in this village to protect them. The Elder however had no intention of letting her daughter become clanless. To be banned from the village, taken from her life. Not even for the Forest Father. Not even for love. Oh no, love took many a fool, but it wouldn’t take her daughter. She let them play their parts, knowing nothing about this relationship could remain permanent.

She would break their oh so sweet bubble when the time came that she needed to. Or when the Forest Father was finally successful at driving the beasts back deep into the forest where they belonged.

The beasts were like large dogs. Their fur patchy and snarled in dirty clumps. Their snouts were large and twisted, with teeth as long and thick as fingers. Their limbs twisted in painful directions always making a crunching sound when they walked. The pain of movement never kept them from chasing down any fae caught out in the open. Their eyes were pitch black, like dark pools, soulless. They glowed red in the night when they hunted those dumb enough to be caught outside the safety of a cabin. Many were run down in the night by the monsters called Cuuls. The bodies were found the next morning usually by tearful family members a few feet from their homes. It was heartbreakingly tragic to watch. There was little time to mourn. It happened so often that the villages were clamoring to establish a new type of normal during these times of terror. The villages still had to run, or they’d all be clanless soon, left to live off the land. So they cried their tears and went about their days.

The Elders of the surrounding villages met one hot afternoon after Andrew came stalking quickly from the forest yet again dripping his blood onto the grass that grew rich with lush flowers from the amount of pure fae blood spilled onto it from him. He wore another scowl and the village knew it was another failed attempt.

The other Elders railed and ranted. Why was he not doing his job? Why was he not successful?

The mother of Willow Woman waited patiently and listened to them. She knew they were desperate for results. They were scared. They stunk of their fear. She always knew this bad of a infestation would take time to tear down. Even for the Forest Father. She knew most of all that they were jealous. Jealous that he had chosen HER village to protect. That the killings had paused as long as he was there while in their own, fae were run down on a daily basis.

They finally asked the question she was dreading.

Was the Forest Father the answer or was he a sham?

She quelled their fears only barely. The Elder knew it was only a matter of time before nothing she said would calm them. Then they would say the one thing that would break her and her daughter’s heart, though for very different reasons. Her’s because she knew the killings in her village would begin again. Her daughter’s because she had fallen so desperately hard for the Forest Father. It was one simple sentence she knew was on the tip of all of their tongues.

The Forest Father should be sent away.

OoOo

Her phone chirped and she practically jumped out of her skin. They were making their way up the sidewalk wondering the city aimlessly, both so unwilling to call it a night. It was getting late, way late, later than she should be out, risking getting caught. Her mind had been so caught up in their conversation. They came so easy. He asked questions, listened, responded thoughtfully, and was always honest when she asked one of her own. She loved the feel of this. It came so...easy. They’d known each other for thousands of years. They’d loved for a good portion of those. Until they were ripped apart from each other, they had been inseparable.

It all came flooding back now as they talked and talked.

Her feet were aching in her combat boots with the golden elephants embossed on the side, as they’d been talking for several hours as they walked.

When her phone chirped it popped that little bubble she’d allowed herself to get caught up in. With trembling hands she pulled her phone out of the pocket of her black, faux leather jacket and checked it.

He watched her with trepidation as she jumped at the sound of her phone and stared down at it like it had the ability to reach out and bite her with poisoned fangs. He remembered how she had practically ran out on him the last time this had happened when they were together. He waited. Waited for her to run off like Cinderella dropping one combat boot on the pavement as she danced her way back out of his life.

...Bates is gone on business for the next 2 days. Make the most of it. You know EXACTLY what I mean...

She couldn't believe the words she was reading. She couldn’t believe the stroke of luck. Madison had been terrified of seeing The Snake’s number asking her where she was, or worse telling her he already knew where she was. Instead it was her friend giving her the green light to have a night of freedom. Or rather morning of freedom. The hands of the large analog clock on the streetlamp hanging above them read 12:30 am. They’d talked well into the morning hours. She stuffed her phone back into her pocket.

“Trouble?” The lilt of his Irish accent was beautiful and it gave her chills. She missed Ireland. There was far more open lush green space there. Less of these iron cities, erected by the humans after the age of the fae had passed. It choked her sometimes to be around this much metal and she hated it. Her body had adapted enough that it didn’t poison her to breath in the exhaust fumes from the cars or to touch the metal buildings. Still, it didn’t feel like home. Beautiful and natural in so many places. She craved it. Something wild in her broke. She almost turned to him then and asked him point blank to take her back to Ireland. She knew if she asked he’d have her at the airport in a few moments. She also knew it wasn’t possible. Madison knew what Bates would do if she ran. She knew he’d hunt them down. She also knew he’d go back on their agreement in a moment. She’d given up on having freedom a long time ago.

She was unaware she had let her left hand hang down by her side slightly swaying as an easy silence stretched between them until she felt his soft hand take it tentatively.

He knew she had every right to jerk her hand out of his grasp. It would hurt if she did. He wouldn’t stop her though.

The feel of his hand in hers. Warm, soft, solid. It set her body alight again, just that light touch. Perhaps she had given up on freedom a long time ago, but that didn’t mean she couldn’t take one night to get a taste of it.

Without thinking, because if she thought about what she was going to do she would back out, she pushed him back against the brick building behind them. He looked surprised at first but a lopsided grin spread across his face. She grasped his shirt by the collar and pulled his face down to hers until she could press her lips firmly against his. The kiss was passionate but still tentative. She deepened it until they both became frenzied. He flipped their position so that he was pressing her back against the wall. He easily lifted her off the ground, wrapping his arms around her waist and pinning her against the wall. Her clit throbbed in rhythm to her heart as he pressed the fly of his jeans against the thin lace of her panties. He was definitely hard and his cock bulged against the fly of his jeans. She wrapped her legs around his waist and his fingers roamed up and down the bareness of her thighs where her dress had ridden up.

It was dangerous out here on the street. She let them kiss a little longer before breaking away from his lips with great difficulty.

“Are you going to do me out here on the street or do you have a place to go?” His grin was infectious and she smiled back. A true smile she hadn’t worn in ages.

Instead of letting her down he threw her over his shoulder in a full caveman carry. She laughed so loudly that it rang across the empty street.

He carried her like that all the way to his hotel.

OoOo

It all rested on the head of a pin.

Their fate was hanging in the balance.

She could scarcely survive their joining.

She would not survive their separation.

Winglessly winged loved hard.

Hated harder.

It was all of nothing with the fate of the fae.

They played with fire.

A willow tree of a woman.

A black thorn tree of a man.

Neither was man or woman but something of a completely different caliber.

They burned with a fever that could only be soothed with the feeling of lovemaking.

Then they would catch on fire.

The world would be set alight.

The cities would burn.

Then as the monsters once again descended.

The willow and black thorn tree would throw themselves upon the funeral pyre.

Such was the fate of the fae.

OoOo