#afterlight 2

[catherine-112]

Me when the book/show/ is teen/kids on the run from some sort of evil (but the government is the real enemy and both sides are being effected) with the classic found family trope

[it-happened-one-fic]

Hours in the Moonlight: Persevering Afterlight - 2. A Lion's Den

Summary: You’d known that going into a vampire clan’s headquarters for the first time would be daunting, but in no way had you expected to find yourself likening it to a lion’s den. Much less when you’d wholly forgotten to prepare yourself to face one vampire in particular whom you’ve already met.

Series Type: Gender-neutral reader/ Vampire AU/ romantic/ angst/ angst with comfort/ fluff/ sfw/ platonic interactions too!

Trigger Warning: Vampire

Word Count: 2299

Hours in the Moonlight Master-List

I inhaled softly as I followed Sam up towards the massive building that apparently housed the Savanaclaw clan. It was huge, but then Rook had said that the Savanaclaw clan was the largest.

I looked towards Sam, not sure whether I was supposed to wait for further instruction as he continued walking forward in the most nonchalant manner possible. He stopped short of the door as it creaked open, revealing an impossibly tall vampire with large horns that immediately called a moose to mind.

I stared in surprise as the vampire glanced between me and Sam, his eyes narrowing warily, before his gaze finally came to rest on Sam.

“We’re here to see your clan’s leader,” If Sam was surprised by the sight of the man, he didn’t show it in the friendly smile he wore or the easy tone he used.

The man shifted slightly, his eyes flickering back to where I stood and resting on me for a moment before he at last looked back down at Sam, “He’s away on business.”

It was a stiff tone that was both unwelcoming and uncomfortable, as it made it painfully obvious that we were not welcome. 

I faltered slightly, not sure of what to do since I’d expected them to let us in immediately simply because Sam worked under Crowley. Or so I assumed he did…..

Sam was perfectly at odds with me, utterly unconcerned with the obvious lack of welcome, “Then take us to see his second. I’ve brought the Hunter to discuss business.”

I watched as the man stiffened as soon as the word ‘Hunter’ left Sam’s mouth and his gaze darted back to where I stood, doing my best to look as unassuming as possible.

I far preferred the idea of keeping my status as Hunter as quiet as possible, though I’d doubted that would be possible after Sam announced me as the new Hunter just last night. I could only assume that this fellow hadn’t been there.

But the use of my job title worked like magic, and the man was hurriedly stepping to the side, gesturing towards the door with a nervous chuckle, “Of course, right this way.”

Sam glanced back, winking at me from over his shoulder, before he followed the other man into the long hallway that led deep into the building.

The mansion appeared to be entirely made out of stone, with large African-printed rugs and numerous plants dotting the corridors. When I pictured a vampire mansion, this certainly wasn’t the gothic monstrosity I imagined. But I could hardly complain about the decor when I was distracted by the way people parted like the red sea around us.

Notably, each vampire I saw seemed to have a different set of animal attributes, confirming the idea that the members of this clan were afflicted by both vampirism and wereism.

“It’s more common to be affected by both diseases than you’d think.” I jolted slightly at Sam’s hushed words as he slowed his pace so that we were walking side by side instead of me trailing along behind him.

He looked towards me knowingly, and I swallowed thickly, wondering if it was that obvious that I knew so little about the varying clans. 

All I actually knew was what Vil and Rook had been able to tell me. But Vil had always done his best to avoid the clans and remain unaffiliated until forming the Pomefiore clan, while Rook had only ever met with clan heads when they informed him of a member who’d lost themselves to the insanity of vampirism.

I was woefully underprepared to be working directly with the clans, despite the fact that seemed to be what Crowley expected of me.

“The people of the Savanaclaw clan are incredibly persistent, and their tenacity is probably the only thing that got them through being turned into vampires when they were already werebeasts.” I listened carefully to Sam’s soft words, nodding slightly as I tried to glean as much information as possible.

“Who’re our guests, Bruce?” Both me and Sam looked up at the sound of a voice that rang out over the whispers of the vampires surrounding us. Bouncing around the stone hall so that it could be clearly heard for the hushed murmur that had surrounded us up until now.

I had to glance around a couple of times though to finally spot the speaker, a smaller man who had large, soft-looking ears and wide grey-blue eyes. He was propped up against a wall beside a closed door but looked towards us with a relaxed smile, despite the way his eyes lingered on us in a way that I could only describe as clever.

“Ah, this man brought the Hunter with him… He said he wants to talk to business,” Our guide, whom I now knew was named Bruce, straightened at the sight of the smaller man.

“The new Hunter…” I watched as the shorter man’s eyes slid over to where I stood, narrowing slightly as they briefly landed on me. And I realized that there was something about his expression that made me want to tense, because there was something there that told me this young man might be far more dangerous than the larger members of this clan who currently surrounded us.

And then, like a cloud passing over the moon, his expression disappeared and was replaced with a friendly smile as he pushed off the wall and walked over, holding out his hand, “Pleasure to meet you; I’m Ruggie.”

I blinked in surprise, briefly wondering if I’d completely imagined his previous expression and ignoring the way his eyes rested a little too heavily on me as I accepted his hand and shook it, “Y/n… It’s nice to meet you.”

His gaze stayed on me for just a moment longer, something flickering through his eyes. Something that I recognized from other vampires. It was akin to surprise. A hungry but pleasantly pleased surprise, as I thought of it. Like the one a person felt when they were hungry and opened the door and smelled freshly baked bread that they hadn’t been expecting. 

As I watched Ruggie’s gaze slide over to Sam as he withdrew his hand, I frowned to myself. He may not appear as initially threatening, but I still had the lingering feeling that there was far more to Ruggie than one might initially think. 

Especially since he seemed to be the only one here who looked at Sam like he was someone of importance.

“I’ll let the boss know you're here,” Ruggie turned away in an almost carefree manner as he opened the door and poked his head in. 

“Leona! You’ve got visitors!” There was almost something mocking in the way he called out the name that had me tensing the very instant I recognized it. 

Leona…. How had I not put two and two together?

That was the name Rook had given for the brother of the Savannaclaw clan’s head and the name he called that leonine vampire who’d been present when I’d killed that monkey-like vampire when I’d made my debut.

Ruggie looked back at us, his eyes finding mine as a sharp-toothed grin slid onto his face, “Right this way, you two. He’s right in here.”

He gestured through the doorway, and somehow it almost felt like a warning and a threat all at once.

It wouldn’t be so bad if I weren’t for that fact that I was about to be dealing with the man who’d seen me flounder around during my debut in my official capacity as the Hunter. Because the fact this was going to be him, meant I wasn’t going to be able to just coast through on the fear factor of being the Hunter. 

Sam glanced at me, his eyebrows raising slightly, before I forced myself to start walking forward. Pretending like nothing was amiss.

I couldn’t make myself look weak or unprepared in front of a horde of vampires. Especially when one of them would no doubt be reporting back to Crowley about how I handled all of this.

Sam didn’t seem like a bad guy, but that didn’t mean I could wholly trust him. Not when, so far as I could tell, he worked for Crowley, who was holding my safety over my head as a means to make me do what he wanted.

I walked past Ruggie, who was snickering slightly, like he knew exactly how nervous I was as I passed through the door. And I immediately locked eyes with those same bright green eyes that I recalled from that not-so-distant night that felt like it had been eons ago. But then I somehow doubted I would ever be able to totally forget those eyes.

And the very instant I saw the recognition flicker in his gaze, I felt exactly like I’d just walked, unprepared, into a lion’s den.

“Leona, allow me to introduce the new Hunter. This is Y/n L/n,” I fought not to grimace as Sam introduced me with a smile while I stared with no small amount of worry at Leona who raised his eyebrows at me.

I could only hope he wouldn’t spill the beans about having been there at my debut and how unprepared I’d been since I had no idea what that would mean in regards to my situation with Crowley.

If I were lucky, the masked vampire would just drop me like a hot potato, but something told me that wouldn’t be the case, and getting in trouble with a vampire whom even Vil was wary of hardly seemed like the best decision.

But then, praying that this man would play along and not reveal that he knew me didn’t seem like a terribly bright idea either. But here I stood, praying for exactly that.

It felt like seconds were creeping by until he snorted and dragged his gaze away from me to look towards Sam, “I saw them last night, when you announced them.” I almost breathed a sigh of relief when the leonine vampire spoke. His tone filled with an almost impressive amount of indifference.

“But you aren’t here just to introduce me to the new Hunter. Are you, Sam?” The vampire leaned forward, a smirk creeping onto his face as he eyed the other vampire, who stood next to me as the door clicked shut behind us. Sealing me in to witness all of whatever was about to happen.

Sam’s grin didn’t waver as he shook his head, “No, I’m not. I’m here because Crowley sent me.” He stepped forward, tilting his head in a way that made light shine in a strangely ominous fashion across his bright pink eyes in the otherwise dim room, “You see Y/n here is also working under him.”

Leona leaned back against the pillows on the bed upon which he was reclined, his gaze becoming shuttered, his gaze barely flickering my way, “Oh?”

The word rolled out of him in an easy, unimpressed sort of manner. Making him appear as if he had no reason to be concerned about Crowley’s involvement in all of this, even though I knew Crowley was in charge of all of the clans in this area. Including the Savanaclaw Clan.

Sam nodded, but said no more, and I took that as my cue and stepped forward. Doing my best to ignore my past meeting with this man as I obediently rattled off my job description: “I have been asked to evaluate each of the clans, starting with Savanaclaw. I intend to find out what is causing so many vampires to lose themselves to insanity.”

Leona’s gaze rested on me, a hint of what seemed to be amusement present in his eyes as he stared at me before he looked back towards Sam. Waiting.

Seemingly aware of what he wanted, Sam nodded. Confirming my words with a simple motion and causing me to frown.

I knew that dealing with Leona, the man who’d seen exactly how poorly prepared I was for all of this, would be difficult. Especially since everyone was behaving as if, as the Hunter, I was someone to be feared and respected. Not the sort of person who would flounder while trying to dispatch a vampire and have to rely on another vampire who’d just happened to show up to help do the deed.

Though admittedly, that entire situation would have gone better if it hadn’t been for this man’s surprise entrance while I was dealing with the vampire I’d… ‘handled’ that night.

Nonetheless, it was still annoying to know that he would hardly even deign to accept anything I said without getting it confirmed by someone else. Almost like I was a child whose words couldn’t be trusted until their parents confirmed everything that had been said.

But through it all, Sam had been watching closely. More closely than I’d initially thought.

“Well, I’ve done my job now and have other things to handle,” He inclined his head towards Leona before looking towards me with a hand landing on my shoulder. There was a glimmer in his eyes as he turned and started to walk by me, his voice dropping to an almost imperceptible whisper, “It was a pleasure meeting you, Little Imp. I look forward to hearing of your success.”

They were words that reminded me of the wish for good luck he’d offered me both when I’d first stepped into the ball and just before I'd formally met Crowley. It made me wonder why he kept being so supportive as I watched him leave in slight surprise. Feeling out of my depth, abandoned, and incredibly confused.

The door clicked shut mercilessly behind him though, leaving me alone with a vampire who now looked at me with unconcealed amusement.

If you would like to read more:

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[fuckmeyer]

How do you imagine the Cullens and Bella dressing like in your book?

similar style but slight adjustments.

Bella probably goes through the biggest change. she starts off In the Afterlight wearing jeans, band tees, chunky sweaters, & very eclectic pieces (bowling shirt ABSOLUTELY exists). in Come Nightfall she changes - she 1) won't wear anything she stole from Edward (i.e. sweaters and flannels), 2) does so much activity outdoors she's wearing exclusively athletic wear, and 3) is forced to hide her scent later on so objectively dresses WORSE with stained, mismatched thrift-store clothes. doesn't own a khaki skirt. in By Starlight, now that Edward's home, she's back to athletic wear. Edward likes this very, very much.

Edward has the same style with more color. NO sleeveless white button-up because what the FUCK. when he's hunting, he's a jeans and flannel shirt kinda guy - he'll often wear clothes he hates when hunting. (ofc, now that Bella wears his flannel shirts, he's rethinking his tastes.) otherwise, day-to-day, he's a loose slacks, undershirt, & suspenders kinda guy (think 1950s or 20s). nice button-ups and dark fitted sweaters in deep, dark colors like navy, burgundy, phthalo green. extremely lame in a cute way. light spoilers for future chaps, but this man is literally always trying to hide his body.

i picture the Cullens dressing mostly in timeless outfits and styles.

Esme adores dresses and skirts à la Audrey Hepburn. classic, chic, evergreen. she would wear neutrals the most day-to-day but adores flowing prints and polka dots when she feels in the mood :) definitely wears ratty skirts or jeans when gardening.

Rosalie's casual/business casual style has some Princess Di influences with some modern trends mixed in (thanks to Alice). keeps some greasy old jeans and overalls for her mechanic work.

Carlisle really misses wearing embroidered brocaded waistcoats & frilly shirts. thinks modern men's fashion is boring. slacks and button-ups for this man. CARDIGANS ALL DAY. misses wearing ascots, but likes scarves. god, he hates modern men's fashion.

Jasper actually loved his 90s grunge/punk era and never really left it. army boots/doc martins (with the coded laces OFC), ripped jeans, plaid shirts, band tees, beanies, leather jackets with handsewn patches.

Emmett is jeans and tees all day. James Dean kinda guy with the boots, slacks/jeans, nice white tee, bomber jacket.

Alice is a freak. she's following every trend. she says it's to keep the Cullens in the modern world (true - to their dismay, she WILL go through their closets and add/subtract items). but really, it's her way to stay connected to the present day. she has ofc rare commissioned pieces from different designers, beautiful pieces from eras long gone that she can't bear to part with (because ofc everything comes back in style), weird pieces from niche trends... but she absolutely DOES dress like she's straight from a 2000s-era issue of Seventeen. for better or worse.

[danpuff-ao3]

@hprecfest: a compilation

1. A favorite fic under 5k: An Unwanted Intrustion @babygray

2. A comfort fic: Lovers Reunited - Now with a special buff! @hereiamwithmyninjaclan, @silverdrip

3. A podfic: [podfic] Contempt @mrviran | [podfic] The Dreaming Spires

4. A fic with art: Ghosts of Christmas @vulnerasanenturmyprince

5. A non-AO3 fic: Sunrises | Reconciling Lily's Eyes

6. An unreliable narrator fic: An Escape @liladiurne | Dead Boys

7. A canon-compliant fic: The Syntax of Things @arrisha-ao3

8. A canon-divergence fic: Chrysalis

9. A rare pair fic (less than 2000 fics on AO3): Intruder | The Claiming @lqtraintracks

10. A fest fic: Something to Say @silvereye5

11. A dark fic: The Dreams We Forget (Are Those We Most Regret)

12. A WIP you’re following: The Afterlight @perverse-idyll

13. A fic with over 100k words: Nights of Gethsemane

14. A favorite series: Needs Must @silvereye5 | So it is @ogthreadbear

15. The most recent fic you bookmarked: For I Have Found Salvation @lumosatnight

16. A fic that made you laughed: Spy Glass @suitesamba | Old Dogs, New Tricks

17. A fic that made you cry: Loose Ends @arrisha-ao3

18. A fairy-tale inspired fic: Red Like Blood @likelightinglass

19. Fic with the hottest smut: Warm @perverse-idyll

20. A fic rated G: Lilac @givereadersahug

21. A thought-provoking fic: When the Rose and the Fire Are One @perverse-idyll | Niemöller, or Four Times When Harry Didn't Speak Up and Then When He Finally Did

22. An unfinished fic (hasn’t updated in 10 years or author stated it been abandoned): The Release of Sisyphus

23. A soulmate fic: Corresponding Shapes @bleedcolor

24. A holiday fic: The Christmas Hate List @lizzy0305 | The Nutcracker's Delight @perverse-idyll | Gratia Plena @femmequixotic

25. A fic rated T: a scratch for every itch @bleedcolor | The Sleeping Prince

26. A fic with an ending you can’t stop thinking about: And Mine the Gall @perverse-idyll | Penance is the Play @maeglinyedi

27. A Muggle-AU fic: Marks 

28. An under-rated fic: A Series of Events @babygray | Molly's Advice @arrisha-ao3

29. A post-canon fic: The Beating of This Fragile Heart @writcraft

30. A pre-canon fic: Buried Roots @yletylyf

31. A fav amongst favs: The White Road @perverse-idyll

[perverse-idyll]

Writing patterns

Rules: List the first line of your last 10 (posted) fics and see if there's a pattern! Tagged by @yletylyf - thank you! Most of these are itty bitty fics and out-takes, but here we go.

1. The headmaster of Hogwarts, as yet unaware he had entered upon his last day on earth, raised his thin hand to stroke the unsmiling face of the woman who had afforded him so much unlooked-for happiness. [Year of the Thestral, HP, Minerva McGonagall/Severus Snape. An excerpt from a quasi-romance novel written about them after their deaths, a fact the reader won't understand until the end of the fic.]

2. Sometimes all Severus had to do was turn thirty-plus years of repressed hunger upon him, and Harry would start shaking. [Snake Charmer, HP, Snape/Harry. Out-take. A line signaling the co-dependent and sexual nature of the relationship.]

3. When Harry made his way out to the reception desk, there was barely a trace of almond left on his skin. [Coda to "Soft Touch," HP, Snape/Harry. Afterthought to a pre-existing fic. If I'd thought about it, I might have punched up the opening line by combining it with the last sentence in the paragraph, making it both clearer and funnier to readers who hadn't read the main fic: "When Harry made his way out to the reception desk, he didn't look like a man who'd just let Severus Snape bite his arse." Oh well. Missed opportunity!]

4. At around four in the afternoon, with three chapters to go in the espionage novel she was reading – since popular thrillers provided not only diversion but an eye-opening refresher course on Muggle slang and cultural attitudes – Minerva glanced up from the page to find Wil leaning in the doorway, watching her. [Candles Lit Against the Dark, HP, Minerva McGonagall/Wilhelmina Grubbly-Plank but heavily featuring Snape. Scene- and relationship-setting, basically.]

5. It was possible none of this would have happened if not for Hermione. [The Afterlight, HP, Snape/Harry. A simple declarative sentence appears! Mildly mysterious, but since we as fans know this is a ship fic, the mostly likely suspect for the category of "this" is a relationship Harry's friends consider a mistake.]

6. Severus persisted in accompanying Harry to public events, in part because the wizarding world still needed it shoved down their throats that he and Harry were a couple. [Social Lubricant, HP, Snape/Harry. The premise in a nutshell. The rest of the ficlet just embellishes it.]

7. "You need to choose wisely when to be a dick, Potter." [Bad Manners, HP, Snape/Harry. Teensy fic. Sets the mood. Makes it clear who's speaking.]

8. Into the lives of all upstanding citizens, an occasion must fall where we fumble the biscuit and end up owing an undeniable debt to mankind. [Jeeves and the Secret Society, crossover between HP and Jeeves & Wooster, Jeeves/Wooster, Snape/Dumbledore. Establishes a different narrative voice from my usual, hints but doesn't confirm a first-person POV - although fans of Bertie Wooster will probably guess.]

9. Radiant in the wasteland of a European battlefield, the vessel of Clara's memory shrugs. [Truce, Doctor Who, Clara/Twelve-ish. Drabble. Scene-setting, suggests this isn't literally Clara but a (precious) memory.]

10. For one of her first acts as headmistress, Minerva shatters the Mirror of Erised. [Spirituous, HP, Minerva, Albus, Severus. Drabble. Establishes a postwar timeline and implies Minerva's state of mind.]

Patterns? Hm. Well, anyone who's read anything of mine, even the drabbles, can already guess I'm fiercely wedded to compound sentences and fond of opening with dependent clauses. I also default to narrative prose over dialogue. And most of these first lines have some degree of hook to them, whether I planned it or not. Otherwise, um ... I think you need more to go on if you want to analyze the more interesting kinds of authorial habits and themes.

Does anyone else want to play? Tagging @danpuff-ao3, @ripeteeth, @saintsenara, @squibstress - and anyone else, because I have to be good now and go back to work!

[trevlad-sounds]

Invisible Waves 29.

21.07.2024

Invisible Waves is a radio show hosted by Trevor Lewis exploring a variety of electronic and experimental music. This episode features music by Hverheij, Joakim Moesgaard, 2muchachos, Sababa 5 & Yurika Hanashima, Markus Reuter & Ian Boddy, Apifera, Unknown Me, and Bart Hawkins.

The show is divided into chapters with information on the following artists:

Hverheij – dark and moody electronic music from their album Afterlight (2022)

Joakim Moesgaard – Danish performance artist known for genre-bending work, track “Travaux” from the EP PCIA (2021) on Moniker Eggplant

2muchachos – Russian dream pop group, track “I’m Not Afraid Of Cold Air” from the album Natura: 2009-2012 (2024) on Not Not Fun Records

Sababa 5 & Yurika Hanashima – Collaboration between a Middle Eastern funk band and a Japanese singer, track “A Flower Called Indica” from the album Kokoro (2024) on Batov Records

Markus Reuter & Ian Boddy – guitar and modular synth collaboration, track “Gyroscope” from the album Memento (2017) on DiN label

Apifera – psychedelic jazz group, track “I Love ECM” from the album Keep The Outside Open (2024) on Stones Throw Records

Unknown Me – Japanese ambient group, track “Mirage of Ocean (Science Edit)” from the album Bitokagaku (2024) on Not Not Fun Records

Bart Hawkins – electronic modular synth artist, track “Out Of Time” from the album MIRROR (self-released)

The show also includes information about the labels the music is released on and how to find out more about the show and host Trevor.

Intro 00:00https://apifera.bandcamp.com/track/i-love-ecm Hverheij-Becoming 00:14 Chapter 1 03:28 Joakim Moesgaard-Travaux 07:26 2muchachos-I’m Not Afraid Of Cold Air 13:37 Chapter 2 18:16 Sababa 5, Yurika Hanashima-A Flower Called Indica 22:35 Markus Reuter, Ian Boddy-Gyroscope 26:48 Chapter 3 34:00 Apifera-I Love ECM 36:06 Unknown Me-Mirage of Ocean (Science Edit) 38:41 Chapter 4 41:49 Bart Hawkins-Out Of Time 47:05

[glitchytrait]

get to know me tag!

hi, yall! i was tagged by the lovely @mugtoast to do this tag, so here are my answers!

last song: All I Want by Kodaline! was really feeling those sad vibes last night lol. favorite color: pink! currently watching: bridgerton season 2! kind of obsessed with anthony's story so far tbh. last movie: Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End. i'll never get over the ending of this movie. will and elizabeth have my whole heart. currently reading: In the Afterlight by Alexandra Bracken! i'm only one chapter in because i had to take a break after the death at the end of book two lmao. sweet/spicy/savory: definitely sweet! last thing I googled: sims 4 mccc current obsession: one of my constant obsessions is Edge of Collapse by Kyla Stone (i highly recommend the series, i think everyone should read it if they can handle it lol). but right now i'm obsessed over the first 3 Pirates of the Caribbean movies! currently working on: sooo many things. emotionally, i'm trying to talk back to the mean voice in my head. physically, i'm trying to be better about personal hygiene (depression is a bitch). and creatively, i'm trying to ease myself back into old passions to see if i still love them as much as i used to!

i'm going to tag @lonvely, @zoosims, @lazyteapot, @pixeledwings, @faestelle, and anyone who wants to do this, too! <3

[papyru-roleplays]

Main Post

Other than rp's that started before this blog's creation, this is where my roleplays go!

Fallen Bravery Part 1

Testing a battle

Traveler!Frisk visits Nell

Fallen Bravery Part 2

Julia visits Sage

Julia departs from the Archives

Afterlight LatEotW p1

Afterlight LatEotW p2

Afterlight LatEotW p3

Sage vists the Mines of Tartarus

Aphis and May visit the Archives

Peripheral Illusion p1

Peripheral Illusion p2

Peripheral Illusion p3

Peripheral Illusion p4

Peripheral Illusion p5

Peripheral Illusion p6

[scorbleeo]

Book Chat: The Darkest Legacy

The Darkest Minds (Book 4) by Alexandra Bracken

Source: Google Images

It's five years after the destruction of the camps that imprisoned her and countless other Psi kids, seventeen-year-old Zu and friends … but the battle is far from over.

Seventeen-year-old Zu has made it her mission to fight for the rights of the kids once persecuted for their powers. Though they are no longer imprisoned, the Psi's face huge prejudice, and a growing tide of misinformation.

When Zu is accused of a horrifying crime, she is forced to run for her life. She travels in search of safety and answers, but uncovers a dark truth that threatens every Psi. With enemies everywhere, who can Zu trust to help her fight back?

ISBN: 9781786540614 (2018) | Source: Goodreads

Did We...Need This?

I am honestly pissed at Alexandra Bracken for writing this book. I loved the series before The Darkest Legacy and even though I did not hate this last book, reading this darkened my feelings towards this series now.

First things first, the pacing for this book was agonisingly slow. It felt like I had to read a hundred pages of nothing much happening nor developing to get a minute of action before I get back to another hundred pages of nothing much. I get it, Zu did not trust Roman and Priyanka. Roman and Priyanka did not trust Zu either. I got that very early on in the book, Bracken did not need to waste so much time developing nothing just because of that mistrust. The pacing really could have gone faster.

Also, Zu... *sigh* According to Bracken, this book took a while to be written because she was unsure of who to tell the story through. I did not like that Zu was the chosen one. This grown version of Zu got on my nerves way too many times, I was irritated by her and I loved Zu in the past. Throughout The Darkest Legacy, I just kept thinking why pick Zu? Then I think I realised why when I finished the book and had time to digest. I think Zu was only chosen to tell this story because with the way this story was moving, it could only be Zu. No one else could have brought her old squad and Roman + Priyanka together.

Even though I had a lot of issues with this book, I did like what Bracken was trying to tell readers of this series. I am someone who feels bored with a happy ending. What can I say? Ambiguous endings send me on a high all the time. I loved that Bracken was like "hell no you think a political problem like that will have a happy ending for everybody". The fact that she made Ruby wake up but we do not know if there were any lingering problems to what was done to Ruby? Or that Clancy Gray is out in the wild again. Yeah, I did seriously like that. Except, I am hoping she is done with this series, no more books for The Darkest Minds series, please.

Rating: ★★★☆☆

More on The Darkest Minds series here: The Darkest Minds (#1) | Never Fade (#2) | Into the Afterlight (#3)

[lov3-from-loserlane]

how do you get the texture for your art?

I use the Afterlight app!

First I find a grain texture I like the look of under this tan here

Then I add a dust effect

And then I put on a color shift

I mostly use the cyan/pink one but have used all 4 options at some point

The app isn’t free, so an alternative could be to use a noise brush with a dark color and play around with blending modes, finding dust textures online, and for the color shift let me give an example.

Start with 4 of your images, with an empty layer in between three of them

Fill that layer with your color and set to multiply

Repeat (you can do 2-3 colors but I ended up getting rid of the yellow later oops lol)

Set the layers to screen and about 50% opacity

Then move one a little left and the other a little right!

[maddiesbookshelves]

23 books in want to read in 2023

Thank you @midnightlibrarymouse for tagging me ☺️

1 - La Passeuse de Mots, A.J. Twice

2 - The Priory of the Orange Tree, Samantha Shannon

3 - I'm Glad my Mom Died, Jannette McCurdy

4 - Page Boy, Elliot Page

5 - Bel Ami, Maupassant

6 - 1984, George Orwell

7 - The Name of All Things, Jenn Lyons

8 - At least of of the Jules Verne I own

9 - Lore, Alexandra Bracken

10 - A Venom Dark and Sweet, Judy I. Lin

11 - Le Maître Nécromant, Carmen Messmer

12 - The Secret Sunshine Project, Benjamin Dean

13 - Les Souvenirs d'un Crabe, Alix Froger

14 - Les Orphelins du Rail, Fabien Clavel

15 - Six Crimson Cranes, Elizabeth Lim

16 - Les Liaisons Dangereuses, Choderlos de Laclos

17 - The Alchemist, Paulo Coelho

18 - Alive, Chandler Baker

19 - Les Voies d'Anubis, Tim Powers

20 - The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes, Suzanne Collins

21 - Monsters of Men, Patrick Ness

22 - Deeplight, Frances Hardinge

23 - In the Afterlight, Alexandra Bracken

Some of them are for my reading challenge, but most of them are books I've owned for a while but haven't read yet (and the last few are books I started but never finished) 🥲

I'm tagging @profiterole-reads @therefugeofbooks and @cleopatras-library 👀

Feel free to completely ignore this or make your own even if I didn't tag you!

[consistentsquash]

monthly wrapup

Short month but big month!

Reading

Finished reading Snapecase fics. Lots of awesome Snape fics. You can read them on AO3. Need to write comments but that’s going to be a March project.

Read the latest updates on The Afterlight. I am not really a WIP reader but PI’s fics are my one big exception. Like give me a good reason not to read 10K of hot Snarry mess updates. Gosh they are so messed up and perfect.  Need to write a comment which is not just GUH!!

Started catching up with Danni’s prolific February. Gray Eyes (Tell No Lies) is the hottest Draco/Sirius I have read. Also Hatefuck is perfect Snarry vibes. Also Lovestruck has tons of possessive Harry which is one of my favorite things ever. Plus it’s set in Contemptverse, my fav Snarry fic of 2022!!  HIGHLY RECOMMEND!!

Started reading ALOTO series Love & Baseball by Billsfangearring who had a prolific February with some amazing fics. Also behind on commenting.

Finished group crying with some HotD friends about the last cut piece from eldritcher’s Ossuarium. This was pretty emotional because the fic was so huge for us in the last few months. Also respect for eldritcher who not only completed 250K of the formal fic in like 2 months but also posted every single last cut/draft when folks requested it...which was an additional 320K. So we got 570K of Ossuarium and it’s honestly the best thing I have read. Sometimes fics drag on for too long or kind of drag in the beginning/middle/towards the end. Ossuarium is super compact despite the word count and doesn’t really have a single dragging moment. Absolutely phenomenal. I was also personally really sad to see it ending because eldritcher has been pretty vocal for months that this is the last symphonic cycle they are doing in fic which is why they went above and beyond. I hope that’s not the case. But it’s definitely the best series I have read. It was super thrilling to follow it from the beginning. Also really behind on commenting

Recs

10 Femslash Fic recs with 10 Age Gap Pairings with Hermione for Femslash February.

5 snapecase recs

Need to make AO3 collections for them.  Pretty behind on reccing. 

Movies/Books

I saw Cocaine Bear! Life changing. Is it any good? Nope. But it’s definitely more fun compared to MCU anything. YMMV of course.

Also finished reading The Furrows by Namwali Sepwell. Actually if you like imagery/poetry you are probably going to like this book. I liked the first half but I feel like it didn’t really emotionally connect with me after that. Which is pretty unexpected because normally I am a sucker for this type of prose. Maybe I need to read it again sometime. 

RL has been busy so I am just kind of behind on fandom stuff.  Layoffs at work but I kept my job for now which is nice. Super busy and somehow doing more work to compensate for the folks laid off... Also into capitalism sucks memes right now for some reason :D 

[literary-vandal]

hey friends, idk if anyone here follows me for my fanfic In the Afterlight/Come Nightfall (too many porn bots idk what's real anymore), but would anyone be interested in beta reading the next 2 chapters of Come Nightfall? having trouble with pacing and organization and character stuff and need a stiff slap in the face

also less pressing but still needed: anyone want to help edit/critique these books? (this rewrite is getting to be a lot for just one person...)

[fuckmeyer]

Hii

It's for the 500 words commentary, (I'm not sure of the word count sorry)

In this close proximity, I could speak in a low voice and be heard. “Are you saying we can’t be friends?” I tease with a low laugh. 

When his eyes trailed from mine, to my lips, he came to press his forehead to mine and stopped my smile dead in its tracks; my brain turned to scrambled eggs. I inhaled, ragged. Here we were again. Now all I could smell was the spice on his breath, the chill of his skin, the stillness of the air around us.  

“Hm. That is a trick question.”

“Is not.”

“Is so.”

“How come?”

“Because in an imperfectly perfect world—” His throat sounded dry. His hand traced the outline of mine. “In any other world, I wouldn’t want to be friends with you.”

Since my brain hadn’t been receiving oxygen for the last couple minutes, I couldn’t tell whether I simply jumped out of my skin or if I shifted myself even closer to his cold body on purpose. I also couldn’t help myself from saying, “Hold up. Unedit. Are you saying all this because you want to set me straight?” No response. “Or because you want...” My eyelids fluttered open to his. I blushed.

“You know by now that I should set you straight,” he said, watching as our fingers lazily laced in, laced out, reveling in the oxytocin static we produced. “And myself, for that matter. You know that I’ve tried—feebly, of course, but I have tried. At this point, I’m not sure what I can say to keep you away. Or if I would want to say anything at all. But I’m happy to try again, if you’d like.”

“That’s okay. I’ve heard your case,” I told him. “So, then. About that second question...?”

“I can’t answer what you didn’t ask.”

“Fine.” Damn him. I breathed in, heart hammering the air out of my lungs. “In a perfectly perfect world, no ‘trick question’ answer, honest: would you—kiss me? Right now? If I asked you? Hypothetically?”

His hand froze interlaced with mine. “In a perfectly perfect world?” My breath stole away in a shudder that twisted up my spine when Edward brushed my chin to the side with his thumb, placed his lips at the base of my neck. Blood simmered underneath my skin. And he whispered while he lingered there, “I...I don’t know if—if that’s really realistic.” As his nose grazed up my neck, breathing deep at my thrumming pulse point. Brought to you in part by a hammering heart clocking in at a million beats per minute. “For us.” His cool breath splayed across my neck; I shivered.

“Not what I asked.”

As Edward planted a kiss behind my jaw, a lightbulb sparked in my foggy mind. This was how vampires operated. This was how their beauty and smell and touch disarmed prey. He would sell me a dream and pull the bait-and-switch like any rational predator would. The spicy cinnamon scent. The lilting voice, soft hands. The static. If he ripped out my throat, it would take too long for me to notice and be too late for me to care.

All I could think about now was how good it would feel to have him on me, in me—teeth and venom and all.

hii, thank you for the ask!

IN THE AFTERLIGHT CHAPTER 15: MIND OVER MATTER - DVD COMMENTARY

[i was beyond feral when i wrote chapters 15-18. it was 2020. the wildfires had completely blocked out the daylight; the sky was red, the smoke was too thick to see beyond my building, & ash dusted the apartment. my partner had already evacuated; i was alone. too depressed to do my day job, i spent 12-16 hours a day microdosing LSD, listening to ragtime, playing Ms. Pac Man, & writing. & i remember this scene in particular because 1) i was SO excited, & 2) i sat at my kitchen table pounding lagers & listing out every.single.synonym related to electricity (e.g. static, spark, crackle, exploded etc.) & thinking, "holy shit, i cannot think of any other way to word their freaky connection without hinting at them being mates." i was SO nervous to post. early fans may remember my A/N apologizing for my shitty editing; i explained that i had had no time for editing as i too evacuated the area a few days later. askdlasdklsd]

In this close proximity, I could speak in a low voice and be heard. “Are you saying we can’t be friends?” I tease [OMG I'M FIXING THIS TENSE ERROR IMMEDIATELY UGH] with a low laugh. 

When his eyes trailed from mine, to my lips, he came to press his forehead to mine and stopped my smile dead in its tracks; my brain turned to scrambled eggs. I inhaled, ragged. Here we were again. Now all I could smell was the spice on his breath, the chill of his skin, the stillness of the air around us.

“Hm. That is a trick question.”

“Is not.”

“Is so.”

“How come?”

“Because in an imperfectly perfect world—” ["I would be able to kiss you."] His throat sounded dry. His hand traced the outline of mine. “In any other world, I wouldn’t want to be friends with you.”

Since my brain hadn’t been receiving oxygen for the last couple minutes [girl, seek medical attention], I couldn’t tell whether I simply jumped out of my skin or if I shifted myself even closer to his cold body on purpose. I also couldn’t help myself from saying, “Hold up. Unedit. Are you saying all this because you want to set me straight?” No response. “Or because you want...” ["me?"] My eyelids fluttered open to his. I blushed.

“You know by now that I should set you straight,” he said, watching as our fingers lazily laced in, laced out, reveling in the oxytocin static we produced. “And myself, for that matter. You know that I’ve tried—feebly, of course, but I have tried. At this point, I’m not sure what I can say to keep you away. Or if I would want to say anything at all. But I’m happy to try again, if you’d like.” [i got so caught up trying to make Edward respectful of her space that i made him a little too stubborn. it would have been better if they'd kissed in the meadow like i'd originally planned.]

“That’s okay. I’ve heard your case,” I told him. “So, then. About that second question...?”

“I can’t answer what you didn’t ask.”

“Fine.” Damn him. I breathed in, heart hammering the air out of my lungs. [<-ooh! i'm going to steal this description] “In a perfectly perfect world, no ‘trick question’ answer, honest: would you—kiss me? Right now? If I asked you? Hypothetically?”

[here's the song i was listening to while writing all the kisses. and this one. i have a pandemic playlist. oh god i'm getting feral again--]

His hand froze interlaced with mine. “In a perfectly perfect world?” My breath stole away in a shudder that twisted up my spine when Edward brushed my chin to the side with his thumb, placed his lips at the base of my neck. [canon Edward just goes for it. just takes her face & gives her a big ole smooch. what?! if you're afraid of hurting her, you should do some trial runs! practice! a kiss on the neck! a kiss on the cheek! test the waters! anyway, i framed it like this because i wanted to build more tension than there was.] Blood simmered underneath my skin. And he whispered while he lingered there, “I...I don’t know if—if that’s really realistic.” As his nose grazed up my neck, breathing deep at my thrumming pulse point. [<-my top tip for writers: never edit your fanfic when the Air Quality Index exceeds 201.] Brought to you in part by a hammering heart clocking in at a million beats per minute. “For us.” His cool breath splayed across my neck; I shivered.

“Not what I asked.”

As Edward planted a kiss behind my jaw, a lightbulb sparked in my foggy mind. This was how vampires operated. This was how their beauty and smell and touch disarmed prey. He would sell me a dream and pull the bait-and-switch like any rational predator would. The spicy cinnamon scent. The lilting voice, soft hands. The static. If he ripped out my throat, it would take too long for me to notice and be too late for me to care.

All I could think about now was how good it would feel to have him on me, in me—teeth and venom and all. [this section is not part of the original! i edited it & added to it to make it a spicy blurb for the fic's summary. LOL]

send me 500 words of my fanfic & i will give you the equivalent of a DVD commentary on that snippet

[danpuff-ao3]

@hprecfest 2/3: Days 11-20

Day 11: a dark fic

The Dreams We Forget (Are Those We Most Regret)

by Serpenscript. Harry/Severus. Rated: E. Words: 4,738. Rape/non-con. Forced infidelity. Obliviation. Mindfuck. Angst. Fairytale. Angst. 

Once a month, Harry Potter is summoned to the Ministry for personal Auror training. Afterwords, he never remembers what he learned….but he dreams of empty eyes and black hair.

It’s sad, it’s dark, it’s fucky, I love it.

Day 12: a WIP you're following

The Afterlight

by perverse_idyll (@perverse-idyll). Harry/Severus. Rated: E. Words: 45,661 (as of chapter 6). 

After surviving the Battle of Hogwarts, a long convalescence, and a short trial, Snape walks free and promptly vanishes from Wizarding society. Six years pass before he shows his face again. A lot can change in six years, and a romantically disillusioned and inebriated Harry hits Snape up for a friends-with-benefits arrangement. After all, they share an experience most people have never had: they both know what it’s like to be dead. Their liaison works surprisingly well until Harry’s reckless behaviour as an Auror leads to unethical practices and personal calamities, and things start to fall apart.

Listen, I don’t read many WIPs (I’ve been burned many times in the past), but PI???? I can’t stay away from a PI fic. I’m so obsessed already. I was SOOO hooked from the start. It’s AMAZING. Snarry done just how I like it!

Day 13: a fic over 100k

Nights of Gethsemane

by starcrossed. Harry/Severus. Rated: E. Words: 363,198. Dark. Angst. Torture. Rape/non-con. 

Harry is a prisoner of the Dark Lord and Snape, his prison guard. Completely cut off from the outside world, Harry struggles to hold himself intact as he is forced to rely on Snape for everything. Yet Snape may not be all that he appears….

This is one of the fics I’ve read most over the years. I cannot start this fic and pause while reading it, despite the length. If I’m going to read this fic, I’m going to INHALE it. 

The link above is AO3, since most people will prefer it, but I originally read it on LJ and recommend reading it there instead (the AO3 version has some formatting issues in places. I don’t think it’s egregious, but worth note). 

It’s also worth noting how friggin’ COOL this is. One, I love how true to Harry’s POV this fic is and what a very thoughtful consideration for his voice, as a teenager in a dire situation. It’s interesting how the story is told from such a limited POV, to then move onto the companion piece (Invictus) which tells the same story from Severus’ perspective. Then to read both side by side and see where they misunderstood one another, or made assumptions, or how they each viewed a situation differently, etc. This concept is one I love and what inspired me to do similar with my fics Contempt and Devotion! 

Livejournal Links: Nights of Gethsemane, Invictus, Release of Sisyphus

Day 14: a favorite series

Needs Must

by silvereye5 (@silvereye5). Harry/Severus. Rated: E. Words: 115,891 (incomplete). Works: 3. 

After Ginny Potter dies suddenly, Severus Snape is among those called in to help Potter juggle his new reality. As the other helpers fade away, a desperate and penniless Severus agrees to become the regular caregiver to Potter’s three young children. But Severus finds that the Potter household is not the sunshine and roses he’d imagined.

So many good ones out there, but it has to be this one! Deliciously angsty. A kidfic (which I’m a sucker for). Best of all is how imperfect Harry is in this story. So often I read about a soft and impossibly good Harry, so it’s good to see him as a bit of a mess and a workaholic, and his own flaws being showcased just as much as Severus’. I’m obsessed with it!

So it is

by Threadbear (@ogthreadbear). Harry/Severus. Rated: E. Words: 8,291. Works: 4. Background Harry/Ginny.

Harry Potter was getting married tomorrow. He was thrilled.

This series has so much I love. The infidelity, the angst! The breeding kink. The intensity and passion and hurt of it all. The mess of it. It aches so beautifully and I love it.

Day 15: the most recent fic you bookmarked

For I Have Found Salvation

by lumosatnight (@lumosatnight). Harry/Severus. Rated: E. Words: 7,117. Priest Severus. Muggle AU. Written for Snarry Auctoberfest 2023. 

Severus is a priest, and Harry is the parishioner who may just make him break his vows of celibacy.

Super spicy. Super sacrilegious. I’m still obsessed. Also seeing the gift notification on this one MADE MY DAY.

Day 16: a fic that made you laugh

Spy Glass

by suitesamba (@suitesamba). Harry/Severus. Rated: E. Words: 18,135. Spying. Voyeurism. Humor.

England wants to insure star Seeker Harry Potter and his fabulous broom. Enter Severus Snape, wizarding investigator extraordinaire, ready to calculate risk and assess value. Tailing Harry Potter turns out to be the job of his dreams, though he wishes it could be done without the disguise. A tale of a man’s obsession, another man’s obsession, and a heartwarming ending where everyone ultimately gets what they want – or what they need.

This fic is such a good time.

Old Dogs and New Tricks

by youcantseeus. Draco/Sirius. Rated: T. Words: 14,099. Humor.

Draco isn’t gay, he just appreciates a good looking man when he sees one. Honest! And Sirius Black is a good looking man.

This is my favorite Drarius fic! It’s funny. Draco’s voice is great. 10/10. What a good time this is.

Day 17: a fic that made you cry

Loose Ends

by Arrisha (@arrisha-ao3). Harry/Severus. Rated: E. Words: 9,865. Creator Chose Not to Use Archive Warnings. Heavy angst. Dark. Trauma. Mystery. Psychological horror.

I love you, Severus wants to say. But the timing is never right. 

DAMN YOU, ARRISHA. (But also ily.) If you’re gonna let anyone wreck your heart and soul, let her do it.

Day 18: a fairy-tale inspired fic

Red as Blood

by Likelightinglass (@likelightinglass). Harry/Severus. Rated: M. Words: 9,942. Vampires. Fairytale retellings. True Love. Snow White.

Once upon a time there was a strange and magical land. One filled with ordinary villages and ordinary people, a dark and forbidding Forest, and a castle shrouded in mist. In the castle lived an Evil King, whose court of Death Eaters did his evil bidding. And there was a curse. There was a curse, and a magic mirror, and a boy as white as snow. But first, there was a Huntsman.

I'm such a sucker for fairytale fics, and this was the first one that jumped to mind. Such a lovely story! I remember one year I read it during a hurricane when our power was out. I was worried about my Kindle battery draining, but I couldn't put it down!

Day 19: fic with the hottest smut

Warm

by perverse_idyll (@perverse-idyll). Harry/Severus. Rated: E. Words: 11,323. 

Severus still suffers the after-effects of Nagini’s venom, especially in winter. Harry knows just how to warm him up.

This might be my favorite established relationship fic ever. Not to mention, like??? Bottom!Snape?? And rimming???? And just????? Everything???? Sorry, fic too hot, brain no work. OBSESSED.

Day 20: a fic rated G

Lilac

by emeraldlove (@givereadersahug). Harry/Severus. Rated: G. Words: 1,366. Humor. Crack. Curses. Love Confessions. 

“You’re cursed,” declared Hermione. She dropped several books onto the table, scattering the flowers lying about, and took a seat. There were petals on the table and on the floor — especially on, above, under, and surrounding Harry.

It’s funny. It’s cute. It’s got flowers. I love it!

[cuberol]

Listado de foros activos [Enero]

Basados en anime o comics

One Piece

https://www.onepiece-definitiverol.com/

https://op-rebirth.foroactivo.com/

https://gameofpirates.foroactivo.com/

https://op-ascension.foroactivo.com/

Naruto

https://narutolegendsrol.foroactivo.com/

Boku no Hero

https://bokunoheroacademia.foroactivo.com/

Jujutsu kaisen

https://jujutsukaisen.foroactivo.com/

https://jujutsukaisen-rol.foroactivo.com/

Marvel & DC

https://omega.forosactivos.net/

Dragon Ball

https://dragonballr.foroactivo.com/

Bleach

https://bleach-resurgimiento.foroactivo.com/

Pokemon

https://pokemonhisuirpg.foroactivo.com/

Fate Stay Night

https://fatecaelum.foroactivo.com/

https://fatefd.foroactivo.com/

Saint Seiya

https://eternalspiritgods.foroactivo.com/

https://ss-eternos.foroactivo.com/

https://afterlight-rpg.tumblr.com/

Tokyo Revengers

https://tr-anarchy.foroactivo.com/

Chainsaw Man

https://devilsadvocate.foroactivo.com/

Basados en videojuegos

Persona Saga

https://lastsurprise.foroactivo.com/

Final Fantasy Saga

https://crystal-worlds.foroactivo.com/

Fire Emblem Saga

https://legado-de-fodlan.foroactivo.com/

https://fireemblemexodus.foroactivo.com/

League of Legends

https://the-stars-call-rpg.foroactivo.com/

Academias

https://blueberry.foroactivo.com/

Yaoi & Yuri

https://variete-yaoi.foroactivo.com/

https://setting-sun.foroactivo.com/

Ciencia ficción & sobrenatural

https://odisseyrpg.foroactivo.com/

https://renegaderpg.foroactivo.com/

https://shadowsfromthepast.foroactivo.com/

Fantásticos

https://memoriasviejomundo.foroactivo.com/

https://ethereal-cosmos.foroactivo.com/

https://asteriarpg.foroactivo.com/

https://eternalspiritgods.foroactivo.com/

https://corazondenyr.foroactivo.com/

https://ikigai-rp.foroactivo.com/

https://heartofeternity.foroactivo.com/

https://elarisrpg.foroactivo.com/

https://albion-darkage.foroactivo.com/

https://mooncall-rp.foroactivo.com/

https://thedyinglands.foroactivo.com/

Nota: Algunos engloban temáticas variadas por lo que he tenido que colocarlos donde he creído que encajaban mejor. Si por un casual algún admin viera esta clasificación y quisiera que lo cambiara de categoría no tengo ningún problema.

Nota 2: Los foros que aparecen aquí son los que presentan actividad real durante el mes de diciembre de 2022. Si alguien quiere aportar alguno nuevo que no se encuentre en esta lista agradecería que se me notificara.

Nota 3:  Felices Reyes Magos y felicidades atrasadas a los que celebraron la llegada de Papá Noel. Creo que hay que empezar el listado de este nuevo año viendo los foros de rol como lo que son: regalos. Os animo a disfrutar de cada uno de ellos y vivir grandes aventuras. La lista sólo ha engordado un poquitín, lo mismo que yo en estas fiestas tan señaladas así que... ¡traigo amor y positividad! *carraspea* Ejem... Y volviendo ya a mi talante (que te jodan, mood) habitual ¡A rolear, bellacos! *alza el puño con ira* =P