#again everyone is going to picture different people and no one is set in stone except for people who actually play the characters

[johnsbleu]

hii someone asked for me for visuals of each character in hmh and tbh some people i know what they look like in my head but can't find an actor/actress that they look like but i do with some people, so here u go lmao

obviously who i picture might not be who you picture and that's totally fine! it's just who i picture in my head! if you picture someone else, let me know! i'd love to hear!

oh and also these are grown people because im a grown ass woman. i'm not gonna be like yeah i totally see sabrina carpenter as reader bc like she's 23 or something lmao i mean if you picture her, then that's cool but i don't lol anyway grown people here!

one more thing: if these people are problematic or something, do not hold it against me. i don't know half these people it's just who i picture lmao the only people i keep up with are keanu and jessica rothe.

all pics are under the cut!

ps. the last one is super controversial :/

for tess is jessica rothe. i've had her in my mind since day one of writing hmh. just everything about her is tess.

her dressed as madonna???? very tess!

jimmy is obviously the guy who plays him in the movie and that's thomas sadoski (fun fact: he's married to amanda seyfried IRL)

even though she's rarely in hmh right now i totally see sonoya mizuno as april (specially her from crazy rich asians) she has that perfect studious and cutesy look i see when i think of april (remember she's the one who researched the ~mysterious~ coin reader found in the beginning of hmh lmao)

(another fun fact her and jessica rothe were in la la land together and i didn't know that until like a year after i started writing hmh)

she's not in hmh much right now but when i think of jen, i think of arielle kebble, specially her with a bob like this. i think she's adorable! i don't know anything about her but i think she's in 911 right now??? idk i know she was in john tucker must die lmao

i see paul reiser and olivia colman (with an american accent lmao) as reader's parents. he's in stranger things and every time he says "kiddo" im like that's reader's dad!

and remember annoying matt? yeah he looks like this in my head. idk anything about this guy but i wanna punch his face lmao when i started writing matt, i knew i needed a guy who didn't look like he was 22 or something. i needed a guy who looked older and that would make john feel threatened because he's not a kid, he's a grown adult.

aurelio is obviously john leguizamo!

as for amanda, aurelio's wife, (whomst i LOVE dearly in hmh) i can't think of who i would pick to play her but i see amanda being pretty short, maybe like 5'0 and being a mid sized girly with shoulder length blonde hair.

grace is a super cutesy ginger and tony is...idk just a white kid? lmao some people i don't really think about what they look like. the people that we spend the most time with in hmh have faces to their names though for sure.

and as for reader, i picture...............no one. she doesn't have a face, which is really weird. i think being the person who writes hmh it's hard for me to picture her. i picture myself sometimes because it makes it easier to describe certain scenarios (i just picture myself doing them and write it lmao) but even then i still don't look like myself (my imagination is very nice to me and it makes me very hot when i do picture myself lmao)

reader has this ability to go from cute girl next door to being super sexy and hot and i can't think of an actress (in my opinion) who really encapsulates that. all i know for reader is that she's about 5'0 tall (only comes up to john's shoulder) and she has brown hair. and clearly because of the 'peach' nickname, she has a very nice ass. probably nice boobs too because i mean who doesn't want nice boobs lmao

i remember scrolling through pinterest one day for pics for ig edits and i came across the cutest little girl and something clicked and i immediately went..."that's ronan." obviously she's going to look different than how you all picture her (and she's still a baby right now) but to me in my mind, this is totally ronan when she's like two

bleu is the most handsomest boy, of course! here he is with chad at a showing of john wick chapter two. his name irl is bubba/burton. they ended up just calling him bubba because keanu couldn't remember the name burton. also keanu hung out with him on set of jw2 to build their bond 😭 look at his fucking pathetic little face he's so cute i love him!!!!!!!!!!!

MOST CONTROVERSIAL ONE OF ALL: JOHN WICK.

you guys might disagree with me but i totally see keanu reeves as john wick. like everything about him is so perfect for john. like his hair, his beard, his intense but soft brown eyes. he's the perfect person for john ;) he has the ability to play super dangerous and scary but also can be very gentle and soft. idk maybe it's just me though??? 🤭

anyways that's just a few people! that was fun lmao

[gatorbites-imagines]

Can you please do Slashers (Norman Bates, Patrick Bateman, Micheal, Jason, Brahms, Billy and Stu. You get the idea) with a, hear me out, a s/o who is just as if more out of pocket and crazy as they are, but here’s the catch their s/o aka you 🫵, don’t even realize how they are acting. (This was a 3 am woke up in the middle of the night with sweats kind of concept) But, do with that what you will.

💙💜🩵

Slashers x male reader

Headcanons

I don’t really know Norman, since I’ve never watched Psycho, and Patrick. I know Patrick somewhat at least a little cuz I’ve seen clips, so this is all based off wikis, so I hope it’s still good.

Norman Bates

Norman typically seems to have a more subdued and submissive personality, so for you two to be dating, his mom has to be out of the picture somehow. Maybe you guys still run the motel though.

Norman is possessive of you, not wanting to lose you. So you being just as possessive, if not more, in return, would probably tickle him pink even if he doesn’t want to express it. his second personality would enjoy it if you were just as violent too.

It doesn’t seem like Norman registers that hes got some issues himself, so he probably wouldn’t even notice that you had them too, or that you didn’t realize it either. You two are just two guys who are less than stable, but boy are you happy together in your little murder motel.

Patrick Bateman

You two would be like a house on fire, I think. Having someone just like himself if not worse, would only make Patrick more set in stone about his life and decisions. You two would end up clashing heads pretty regularly, since you both have such eccentric personalities, but then it goes back to being a loving relationship again.

You two are unhealthily co-dependent, and you just push each other to be your worst selves. Your worst, well dressed, manicured and intelligent selves. You guys are probably seen as kinda snobby or full of yourselves to everyone else, but you and Patrick have a great time.

You not realizing that you act this way would excite Patrick I think, since that’s the one up he has on you where you are more than him in every other way. It also excites him in other ways, since you are just like this, and this is who you are without all the debating on if this is right or not.

Michael Myers

You guys met at the asylum, that’s the only place I could imagine you two met. How you two got together I’m not sure, but it wouldn’t take long. You are both quiet and terrifying to be around, but it draws you together.

Neither of you talk much, which just results in you guys being able to communicate in silence. When you guys get out, it’s like a date for you two, going on another Halloween killing spree. If walking slowly around, knives in one hand, and holding the others hand in the other, counts as a date. Its romantic to you two, that’s all that matters.

I don’t think Michael himself really thinks about the way hes acting, so he wouldn’t think about it with you either. That’s just how he is, and how you are, and you go together like two misshapen bloody puzzle pieces.

Jason Voorhees

Jason is a serial killer, yes, but he’s also a nice guy if you look past all of that. So, if you are just chill like him most of the time, and partner up with him to get rid of the people who go where they shouldn’t go, then it would be a pretty nice relationship.

If you were even worse than him, then I could see him silently admiring you as you put together traps even, he didn’t think about. You not looking like Jason also means you can leave the forest to go into town and get different equipment, which just ups your game.

Jason doesn’t have much of an opinion on the fact that you don’t realize that you are worse than him, since this is also just the way he is and has been for who knows how many years. He likes that you are like him and that you aren’t scared of him.

Brahms Heelshire

Brahms is a huge fan that you are as bad as him or worse. Hes a little creep, so he would start salivating knowing you are watching him back, or seeing how you get rid of your ex on your own when they show up at the mansion.

You two are like gasoline on a fire for the other, since you just fuel the worst parts of each other in the best way, in your shared opinion. This means there’s no reason for Brahms to hide in the walls. He still likes doing it though, just so he can watch you, or you can come after him.

Like a good chunk of the others, Brahms doesn’t really register that he’s pretty messed up himself. Living in isolation for so long will do that to ya. So, it doesn’t really mean anything to him that you don’t realize how you’re acting. He just likes that you watch each other’s freak.

Billy Loomis

It excites Billy in multiple ways that you match his crazy. And by multiple ways, I mean it. It gets his blood pumping and gets him flustered to see you match his plans, or even push them further than he could have ever thought of.

You two are both horror movie obsessed bloodthirsty idiots, who both get way too excited about planning and committing the slashing. You just push each other to be worse, and to push the limits more and more. It makes you more likely to be caught, since you guys fuel each other.

To Billy its so hot that this is just how you are and that you don’t even really realize how you are acting, it’s like you are something walking right out of his deepest fantasies. But he’s has to be the voice of reason, and has to make sure you don’t let anything slip in public, just in case.

Stu Macher

Stu doesn’t seem to be the brightest guy out of the ghostface duo, so he’s probably just hyped that you match him, or go even further than him. If you go further than him, then I can imagine Stu also doing even more. Its kind of a cycle, you do something, and he follows.

It’s also what almost gets you guys caught multiple times, since you don’t really think your plans all the way through, since you both are just too excited and into what’s happening. Stu really likes the thrill of it all though, which leads to a lot of make out sessions.

Stu doesn’t really think about it much himself, that what he does is messed up and wrong, so I can’t imagine him thinking about how you act either. You two are kind of two halves of a whole idiot, and if Billy is around that he has to keep you guys on the right track so you don’t out yourselves or do something dumb.

[francesderwent]

it seems to me that our task—as Christians but also just as people who care about this country and don’t want to see it like this—is to step outside the us-versus-them, black and white thinking which elections love to encourage, and begin imagining our neighbors more generously and compassionately.

our politicians have spent the whole election cycle appealing to the very lowest common denominator—but that does not mean that when we picture our political rivals we must imagine the lowest common denominator. it does not mean that that lowest common denominator defines everyone who voted one way or another. the people who voted for the worst possible reasons do exist—people who feel genuine hate for those different from them, the crass and the vitriolic and the cruel, the power-hungry and the callous. these people are all real, and our politics has undoubtedly given them a voice. but again: I think we must challenge ourselves to hold in our minds a version of the “other” who is more human and more complicated than that. our principle should be built off of “innocent until proven guilty”—we should consider people as being politically thoughtful and well-meaning and conflicted, until we are beyond a doubt proven wrong.

the objection, at this point, would be the objection I’ve seen all over the internet: “okay, maybe people had better reasons in mind, but voting for a rapist wasn’t a dealbreaker for them.” and that’s a powerful bit of rhetoric. but, first of all, both sides were using the same arguments leading up to the election to dissuade people from voting third party or sitting the election out: “you’re not supposed to vote for somebody perfect, you’re supposed to vote for the lesser of two evils/the policies you most agree with/the party you think will most support your interests and the common good.” so it’s hypocritical to then turn around and accuse your political opponents of voting for someone who’s personally (understatement of the year) not perfect. and second of all, the notion of “maybe they didn’t like such-and-such policy or quality, but it wasn’t a dealbreaker” is actually exactly my point.

every voter has to weigh for him or herself which issues are going to be regarded as most important. as long as I’ve been alive, people have been pearl-clutchingly scandalized that others have weighed the issues differently than themselves, so the moral panic certainly is not new. but despite that, this is literally what our country is founded upon: there is no set-in-stone hierarchy of values. we all get to decide for ourselves what good is worth pursuing. note: I’m not saying this is a good thing; I think what we’re seeing now is precisely the problem with that system. but the point remains that you cannot insist on the importance of a democratic election and then be horrified that democracy will sometimes vote in favor of a good that you think is subordinate, to the exclusion of a good you think is foundational—that’s democracy for you! that’s the system! you might view it as despicably selfish and shallow to vote based on the price of eggs—but for someone who is very poor, that reasoning might appear far more serious than it does to you. what would be a dealbreaker for you might not be a dealbreaker for someone else.

everyone has to determine for himself or herself what the greatest possible good is which can be achieved by the federal government, and what the greatest evil is we should avoid. at the end of this determination, everyone ends up with his or her own little hierarchy of values. the horror of two-party politics is that unless your hierarchy lines up point by point with the platform of one of the main parties—and it almost certainly doesn’t!!—your vote will either not align with the hierarchy you believe to be right and just, or it will not have the power to put that hierarchy into practice in the real world. this is where imagining people generously and compassionately comes into play: perhaps someone’s first priority in casting a vote for the republicans was the price of eggs. now, instead of jumping to the conclusion that their second priority was expelling hated foreigners from the country or making it so gay couples lose visitation rights at the hospital, imagine that their second priority was something you agree with, something compassionately-motivated and understandable, maybe even something that wasn’t a part of the republican platform. now imagine what priorities they might have that weren’t presented as an option by either of the main parties—priorities they might share with you.

”but my morality is right!” you might say. “their priorities are misaligned and their hierarchy of values is wrong!” that may very well be true. but American democracy cannot recognize it, cannot give any more weight to the true worldview, because that would be taking sides. if you want a democratic system you have to accept the possibility that the correct and the popular might not line up. you might also say, “but they’re wrong about which policies are actually going to help them! the price of eggs won’t go down!” that might also be true. in that case, it’s sort of on the people with the good policies for failing to convince the voters.

you might feel aghast that other people weighed the things you disagree with them about as more important than the things you agree with them about. it’s an understandable feeling. but the crucial thing is twofold: one, unless you acknowledge their right to disagree with you—both in essential matters of morality and in matters of the relative importance of specific moral issues—you don’t actually believe in American democracy. and two, if we are to move forward we have to start acting as if the things on which we agree are more important to our humanity than the things on which we disagree. even if we voted based on the things we disagree on! when we interact with each other we have to focus on the things we agree on.

we have to believe that people are trying their best. we have to, when we engage in political discourse, engage with a hypothetical opponent who is not the easiest possible punching bag. and when we’re confronted with our genuine enemies—those who hate us and hate everything good—instead of dehumanizing them, we have to love them. I don’t end there as a little glittery good-feeling flourish to smooth over the difficulties, because that is the most difficult part. there is no version of this story where all the hurt and fear and division are erased simply by the “right people” winning elections. there is also no version of this story where all the hatred and sin and despair is solved by good people contentedly praying rosaries in little self-satisfied prayer groups. Our Lord reconciled the world to Himself not by the worldly power of conquest, and also not by kindliness and miracles and convincing people one by one to change their lives, but by His suffering and death. the reconciliation of our world will require our suffering, and our death to self. there is no other way out than through the radical love of the Cross—that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. He asks us to follow in His footsteps. imagining our neighbor as lovable is a good first step. loving him when he is not lovable is the next one, and the necessary one.

[tsupertsundere]

FFXIVWRITES 2024 - DAY 5 - STAMP Complete ---- 1,777 words ---- Notes: The instant I saw the prompt I knew I could do nothing but this.

��The Postmoogle’s PostPals Initiative’s aim is to unite young people across the world through the act of writing letters to each other!” Angeline Carax declared, pride shining in her voice. “Yes…” came the more uncertain reply, from one G’raha the Tia. “With the help and organization of the Postmoogles, letter exchanges between pals can reach across not only continents, but even onto other shards!” “You’ve said….” “We’ll provide all the materials, writing implements, composition books - the pilot program connecting Idyllshire and Ishgard has gone SO well we’re ready to proceed with expanding all across Hydaelyn.” “You know I couldn’t be happier to hear that,” G’raha said, his delivery less than convincing, “but… my love, I have to ask. Why am I going to be the one on the stamp?”

If his voice held somewhat more of a plaintive cry than usual, it was because he found himself up on a small raised platform in Tataru’s atelier in rather different clothes than usual for a rather different purpose. “Not just stamps,” Tataru said from her perch at her table. Her hands hadn’t stopped for the past hour they had been in here, shuffling papers and clacking around on an abacus and, from time to time, juggling a handful of lalafell-palm-sized balls with an intense frown on her face before putting them down at once and attacking something else. “There’s mailers, posters, some initiative flyers, ideally we can pass them around - “ Angeline rounded on Tataru, waving her hands to try to get her to stop, but G’raha’s tail was already going, whipping back and forth intermittently, though his placating smile grew only a touch more forced. Tataru studiously kept her head down and hummed cheerfully to herself beneath Angeline’s glare.

Angeline stepped up onto the viewing platform and took G’raha’s hands in both of hers, even as he kept talking under his voice, just to her, “Don’t get me wrong, I was so happy you asked, I just - well I certainly can’t be the right person for the job. My days of being any kind of - of figurehead, visual or otherwise, are long behind me - “

Angeline rocked forward on the balls of her feet and dropped a kiss on the corner of his mouth - he stopped short, which was the point. His eyes widened, flicked to Tataru (not paying attention), then closed when they met again for a slower kiss. “Everyone is going to be wondering why it isn’t you,” G’raha murmured when they parted, just barely. “I’m wondering why it isn’t you. It’s your project!” “It is my project. Why would I want to stare at myself over and over again?” Angeline replied, stepping forward to slide her hands along his flank, to settle them on his hips. “I’m setting this up exactly how I want it. Is that bad?” A crimson cast had settled onto his face, making him enter into competition with his hair. He shook his head quickly and flushed even harder when she smiled at him, full sun. Angeline reached up to readjust the navy cap he wore, sending the brilliant pink glowing moogle heart bouncing above his head. “Then I have a Postmoogle General to capture,” she said, and tugged him forward in her wake, again and for always.

🎐🎐🎐

The bridge that she had picked - one of the many that crisscrossed and linked the rocks, shoals and docks that made up Limsa Lominsa - reflected the sun white hot off the stone, and the sky was crisp and blue, lightly clouded. G’raha Tia was doing his best School Picture Day imitation, his arms held awkwardly akimbo at his sides, stock in the center of the bridge. “Has the boy forgotten what standing is like?” the hired roegaedyn pictomancer muttered to herself, rubbing the back of her wide neck as the white plain of her canvas radiated to beat the stones.

Angeline clapped her hands and then megaphoned them around her mouth to call to him. “Okay! Now let’s relax….! Great! Give me relaxed!” G’raha shifted in indecision, casting his gaze back and forth as if to catch some kind of inspiration, and then stiffly put his hands on his hips and puffed his chest out. “No - not quite - !” Surprised and chagrined his first attempt didn’t cut it, his hands flitted but never settled on adjusting his cap, plucking at his little necktie, gripping the bright red mailbag at his side. “We’re aiming for relaxed - !” He crossed his arms and wrenched his torso to the side, mimicking Estinien’s coolness in his mind but coming off rather more like in the throes of despair. “Relaxed - “ G’raha stared out to her mournfully, his eyes the saddest and wettest rubies that were nevertheless trying their absolute utmost. Angeline exchanged glances with the pictomancer, who with a sigh sank onto a little folded stool and settled herself in for a long day of hurrying up and waiting. Angeline set her expression into the most double plus sparkling warm supportive one but as she turned to approach her erstwhile stranded star -

The rapid padding of feet gave them a second of warning before a little body barreled into G’raha, hitting him in the small of the back and making him yelp and stumble. There was a crash and a hiss and flutter of heavy packets scattering and loose pages escaping free, and even as G’raha twisted to try to catch the young girl that knocked into him, she was Intent on using him as a springboard to lunge for her spilled belongings, a stream of expletives and complaints and invectives spiraling from without cease. By the time G’raha caught and steadied himself on the bridge’s railing, the floating pages, about seven in all, had long slipped the reach of everything but the girl’s rising wail.

A switch flipped - G’raha lifted his hands, stepped forward, and began to cast, practiced and sure. The smallest expanse contracted and in an instant-length eon, he spread his hands and with certainty the pages were neatly stacked in them, matched by a relieved smile. The girl whipped around from her position wrapped around the opposite rail so fast it sent her short braids smacking directly into her face. She shook her head roughly and when she looked again her furious expression was coated in tears - not of relief, she insisted for the record. Braid got in her eye.

Angeline wrapped her arms around herself as she watched, twisting back and forth to her own rhythm in private personal joy. There he was, that thing that could never go away, not in a hundred years or a million. One that he couldn’t even to the best of his ability hide, stamped in deep on his heart and filled with gold. That thing that she would always long to see… Lurching in from the side of (or perhaps springing from) those sentimental thoughts was a notion that made her unpeel one arm from herself, send her hand vaguely questing for the pictomancer’s shoulder.

G’raha Tia had by this point helped the girl (a shipyard’s solicitor’s assistant, as it turned out) re-gather the rather prodigious amount of bundled paperwork and notes, and to secure them more surely with package twine he handily pulled from his mailbag. It was only until his fussing began to risk demolishing her newfound goodwill did he let her go and watch her run off, wishing her luck softly and sweetly. By this point Angeline’s groping hand had long since found its mark, grabbing the pictomancer’s shoulder and slapping at it lightly but with increasing intensity until she looked up from her tomephone - but at once she caught what Angeline had. Paint hit the canvas the instant the girl trotted by them, shooting them odd looks that grew even odder when she registered what Angeline kept saying, her voice so bright and ringing Limsa’s corridors picked it up and threw it ahead of the girl on her way home - “Tell me you got that! TELL me you got that! Tell me you got that…!!”

🎐🎐🎐

G’raha, if it were up to him, would have been perfectly happy to put the whole scenario out of his mind and just enjoy getting the opportunity to have something definedly low-stakes to do every once in a while (Aymeric had spoken energetically and profusely about how much adding personally scheduled stints as the Azure Elephant helped him). Angeline wasn’t having it.

“If it were something else, maybe, but I want you to see this one.” She scooped her arms under his to hug him to her, back to her chest, then turned him and walked him forward, kicking his legs with hers. He sunk against her and groaned, taking the opportunity to press his face onto the base of her jaw, an enforced blindness suffused with her scent. He didn’t wanna.

“Omg. Calm down,” Angeline teased, coming to a stop and settling in. She caught both his wrists in one hand and settled his hips back onto hers, bundling him tight. She had a hand free to tilt his head back down but he took a deep breath of her in, sighed, and spared her the effort. Then he opened his eyes and took himself in.

The Postmoogle General stood enveloped in whirling letters emerging out of Limsa’s seagulls and clouds, bright sky and cobbles, as sturdy a pillar in the maelstrom as the quintessential Lominsan lamppost that anchored one end of the bridge. His fine navy coat had long beribboned tails to match the bow in his own, his chest crisscrossed with gold straps and medals, and crowned above all with the Postmoogle Bag in ardent red. A girl - the girl - disappears off the edge of the painting, in the flow of and leading the swirl of letters through Limsa and wherever they may be going. Wherever it may be, wherever her words and those of her fellows, they would be watched over and safeguarded, his hand still gently outstretched from having helped send her off.

The star of hope in his eye, that lit his face, that burned in him, warmth and illumination set inside a crystal case - “That’s the Initiative,” Angeline said, resting her cheek on his head and twisting and swaying with him. “That's what I always want to see, anyway.” G’raha was quiet for a long time, long enough for her to twist him a little further on one sway so she could peek at his face. It just sent him burrowing deeper into his scarf, red on red again. “I don’t think I look the best in navy, but it’s a wonderful composition,” was the model’s final comment on the piece.

[rabbitspawgames]

A few years have passed since everything crashed. The reality of the new normal is just beginning to set in when new troubles arise. Sleep, the one constant, and for some the only, escape is disrupted. Some are lost in an endless dream while others are completely deprived of it. No answers appear and the number of victims grows by the day. 

Accept an invitation into the mystery of the sleeping city. Join a partner to see their side of life; help them to embrace the best parts of themselves, or the worst. Consider your actions carefully, for they have a larger reach than you may realize. 

Features

Chasing Dreams is a choice driven Cosmic Horror set in post stock market crash 1930s America, where you can save humanity or offer them up on a silver platter to your eldritch lord.

6 LIs with their own story to explore. 

Each route has multiple endings and a variety of ways to get to each.

Not every story has to be a love story, there is the option to be Aromatic within each route.

It is your choice to believe in the strange tales you'll be told. Choose to be a staunch skeptic or a firm believer in the occult. 

While some things about the MC are set, like their job, their name and pronouns are customized to fit your identity. 

Cast

There had been a point early in her academic days where Alice was invited out to social functions, work events, and even dates. But with enough rejections they did eventually die down. Now she spends her days within either her office or her classroom, exactly as she always wanted. So why did she find herself resentful of her peers each time they returned from a lunch or an event without even asking her?

Not everyone is meant for the spotlight. Not everyone wants it. But how do you reach out to those in it, when you’ve shut yourself away?

Each and every day spent within the precinct was a test of Gabriel's morals. Watching as his so-called brothers dismiss and belittle the people of their own community. Maybe one day he would work up the gall to leave the job and find something more fulfilling.

What do you do when the ideals you built your life around turn out to be too difficult to uphold?

There was never a moment to breathe for Vivi. Everyone wanted, needed, something. Even when it wasn’t something she could provide, she still searched for a way to get it for that person. That was what she wanted, was expected, to do. But would asking for a moment for herself be too much when so many were still lacking even their basic needs?

Everyone needs help every now and then. So isn’t it our responsibility to help out whenever we can, even if it means putting aside what’s important to us?

If only there were enough hours in the day. Or some way to do more with the time he’s given. Jean is in a constant fight with the clock much to the concern of his friends and family. One more patient one more call, each and every minute life changing to those who depend on him.

Not every problem can be solved. Some stories end in tragedy no mater the effort. But if you could change the outcome, then shouldn't you always try?

For Georgia the big events in life were set in stone. Sure there were dozens of different choices and hundreds of possible outcomes, but people never change. They will always choose the same thing leading to the obvious. Why even bother trying to change it?

What will be, will be. We can change the details but the bigger picture is always the same. So why even bother?

Mason didn’t always struggle so much in life, but after the economy went to hell things just weren’t the same. He had lost what purpose he had, and it wasn’t until this plague of insomnia hit that he found it again. He was going to help those suffering through sleepless nights, and guide them into a better life.

Who doesn’t want a purpose? A reason to wake up everyday, to endure the hardships of life. What would you do to pursue it?

Warnings

This game will have: flashing lights, body horror, disturbing imagery, sensitive topics such as depressions, suicide, discussions of abuse, and depictions of drugs and alcohol. 

**There will only ever be discussions of suicide and abuse. These events will not happen on screen. 

[itsmacetheace]

requesting elaboration on slenderman being the modern day camelot

Okay I suppose a little elaboration wouldn't hurt.

I'm sure pretty much everyone one has heard about the sword in the stone (anvil) and the knights of the round table, maybe even the holy grail or lancelot and the green knight? Well Arthurian legend actually consists of dozens of recorded stories of these characters and their adventures. Much like how old mythology, people would hear stories about this fantastical kingdom and the knights there in and create their own stories that would then be spread around. This was in the early time of people making books, so we actually have a bunch of records of these stories from a bunch of different authors in a way we never quite got from legends prior to this. All of the stories kind of go in their own separate directions but borrow characters or themes or settings from the other stories, and this leads to a lot of overlap but also a good chunk of contradiction (please refer to the weird shifting love triangle between Lancelot Arthur and Guinevere, I belive this may have been one of the earliest documented shipping wars.)

Now look at the Slenderverse. While it's all spawned from just a set of pictures from a forum, people were quick to start creating stories. As they did they would read and watch stories from other creators, then things from other stories would be reused by other authors such as proxies or the operators camera distorting from marble hornets. Again, this was in part because of a shift in the landscape of media documentation with the internet making it even easier to catalog all of these stories and see them as soon as they're posted. Marble hornets is the sword in the stone of the slenderverse, the crux that everything else is based off of.

TL;DR Arthurian legend was just the first chaotic fiction, it's super cool and I'm sick of pretending it's not

[grimm-the-tiger]

Okay, so for shits and giggles I started writing a crossover between Fallen London and Sky: Children of the Light, and I suddenly realized something: these two games have a hell of a lot more in common than I thought they ever could.

They're both set in the aftermath of some great calamity (London abruptly ending up underground and someone fucking around with darkstone and finding out) that's vaguely defined and you kind of have to piece things together from context, and even then you'll probably never get the full picture. You can team up with other players, usually random strangers, to either help each other out or fuck each other up (although Fallen London's multiplayer is a lot less involved than Sky's, and it's a lot harder to push your friends off of cliffs for funsies in Sky than it is in Fallen London). There's a big glowing mountain that plays a major role in the lore, the dichotomy between darkness and light is a big deal, both games end with a big, self-destructive moment, and there are a lot of candles. Just...so many candles. The difference is that Fallen London is more cynical than Sky, and the roles light and darkness play are swapped.

So light in Sky is overall a positive (i.e. the emphasis on candles and Winged Light), and darkness in Fallen London is the closest thing you'll get to positive in this game (i.e. the darkness of the Neath protects its inhabitants - both good and bad - from sunlight, which can and will kill them eventually), with two exceptions: Eden and Stone. Eden is a big, glowing mountain at the end of the map, so it's gotta be a good thing, right? WRONG. If you go there, you will die. End of story. But you don't have a choice but to go there eventually, unless you're one of those insane people who can make do with what you can grind out during Shard Eruptions. Stone, meanwhile, is a gigantic glowing mountain at the bottom of the map who, in a world where most creatures of light are evil, is a benevolent being who grants her subjects immortality and is overall pretty reasonable (she's the hardest god to piss off in Sunless Sea, and her curse has the mildest effects). Both might also be connected to eldritch beings, or in Stone's case be the eldritch being herself (the implication I got from Eden is that it was the result of the king deciding to dabble with darkness and/or growing too greedy with light and getting smote for it, and Stone is the daughter of the Sun and a space crab. Best not to ask how that happened).

There are also candles, which in Sky are a source of light (again, light is positive in Sky, not negative) and a currency. They're a currency in Fallen London too, but trading in them advances the goals of the Liberation of Night - who seek to spread the darkness of the Neath to the rest of the universe by literally murdering the stars - and they're also deeply connected to one of the most fucked-up creatures in a world full of fucked-up creatures. You use candles to make friends in Sky, but in Fallen London, if you're looking for candles you either really need them for some reason or you're a Seeker, in which case you don't have friends anyway because you probably ate them all or something.

Is there any real connection in any of this? Probably not, I just thought it was interesting. They're also just on wildly different ends of the mood and atmosphere scale, but oddly close on the tone scale? Everyone in Fallen London has just kind of learned to accept all the weird shit that goes on there and makes the best of it, and there is some degree of hope within the setting; there's a quality called "Adrift on a Sea of Misery" that's usually your character bitching about how awful London is, but if you do something good it changes to read "Nothing has changed. Perhaps someday it will", and the recent invasion of the Starved Men (former humans with the ability to warp flesh) was repelled by a force that included London's enemies. The options for what might've happened if the playerbase as a whole hadn't been able to convince these factions to side with London are visible, but you can't play them because of a quality labeled "London does not stand alone", showing you that the worst outcome was not what ended up happening. Meanwhile, Sky is just...Sky. It's Sky. It's the happy friendship game we don't talk about Wasteland or Eden that ends on a positive - if melancholy - note.

TL;DR - weird glowing mountains that subvert the rules the games set for whether darkness or light is evil or bad are a Very Big Deal, candle grind goes brr, and Fallen London's tone is like your sardonic friend who just started antidepressants and therapy while Sky is your other friend who probably hands daisy chains out to kids for fun and secretly plays a chaotic evil halfling in DND. Go play FL and Sky.

[rainbows-and-shadows]

Rainbows Tinted Pink: A Rainbow High Swap AU Story

Chapter 1: All Sunshine and Rainbows

Ch1 - Next

Everyone knows Bella Parker and Amaya Raine’s stories at Rainbow High.

Bella was accepted at the start of the year, like any other student. Unfortunately, she was expelled halfway through her first term, after sending an unauthorised picture of her runway set for an internship application.

Amaya, on the other hand, was not accepted until later on in the term and was kept on the waitlist for enrollment. She arrived on the day of Bella’s expulsion, taking her place at Rainbow High.

But what if it was the other way around? What if Amaya was the one who was accepted first, and Bella was the one kept on the waitlist?

🌈🩷❤️🧡💛💚💙💜🤍🌈

“I texted them a zillion times!” Skyler Bradshaw anxiously glanced at her phone again. “I even called them! Neither of them are answering!”

“This is it people!” Violet Willow announced on her live stream. “For real! Our first Rainbow High test, our big runway show! And we have no runway!”

“I need to find a happy place,” Sunny Madison panted, trying to calm herself down.

“We need to find Bella,” Ruby Anderson replied, wondering where she and Jade Hunter had got to. “She and Jade are full-on missing!”

“Neither are active on their socials either! Not anywhere!” Poppy Rowan groaned, running her fingers across her headphones.

“I can’t believe this!” Skyler cried. “Our first big test, our first runway show! If we don’t have a runway set, we fail! We’re getting cut! Booted! Axed! Dead! Ahhhhhh!!”

“This never would have happened if Amaya was still here!” Sunny shouted. “Never, ever, ever!”

As if that wasn’t enough, the intercom crackled to life with an announcement from Ms Wright.

“Thirty minutes to showtime. Everyone must be in their places in thirty minutes!”

All five girls screamed in terror. They needed to find their set, and missing teammates, fast!

🌈🩷❤️🧡💛💚💙💜🤍🌈

Most would assume their doom is set in stone. However, their story didn’t start this way. Going back to the beginning, we see a completely different tale.

🌈🩷❤️🧡💛💚💙💜🤍🌈

Two girls burst through the doors to Rainbow High, Violet Willow in luxe purple, and Sunny Madison in vibrant yellow.

“Hi hi from Vi Vi!” Violet announced, on a livestream. “If you've been following me, you know what's up! We’re stepping in for day one at Rainbow High! The number one visual arts high school anywhere! So who's ready to check it-”

She cut off, staring down the hall in awe. “Woah. Do they go here?”

“No,” Sunny guessed. “Maybe?”

Down the end of the hall were three students, two girls and a boy, with an air of superiority about them.

The girl on the left, dressed in black, had beautiful rainbow eyeshadow and perfectly manicured black nails. The boy on the right, in silvery grey, had deep blue eyes and spiky light purple hair. And the last, the girl in the centre, wore a stunning multicoloured outfit, with bright lavender eyes and long lilac hair, sparkling under the light.

Each of them had lanyards around their necks, with name tags reading ‘Avery’, ‘Ainsley’ and ‘Aidan,’ followed by the title of, ‘Junior Prefect.’

“I’m sorry,” Avery smirked at the duo with a friendly manner, raising an eyebrow. “Were you staring at us?”

“No!” Violet protested.

“A little,” Sunny added simultaneously, pinching her fingers together.

Violet remained unfazed, deciding to introduce herself to the trio.

“Violet Willow. I'm shooting my online reality show, The Vi Life. I'm sure you’ve heard of it.”

“Um, no. Sorry,” Aidan answered. “And you can't film anyone here without their permission. Rainbow High’s really strict on that.”

Violet opened one of her bags and pulled out three purple clipboards and pens. “Permission forms. I have five hundred thousand followers across all social media. I'm a platform, for real!”

“Hi! I'm Sunny Madison!” Sunny jumped closer to Violet, resting her hand on her shoulder. “Violet's BFF from forever. Can you believe we both got into Rainbow High? We're like talent twinsies!”

“Right, except, maybe not twinsies,” she brushed Sunny’s hand away. “I'm a Digital Media focus, and she does Computer Animation.”

“Wait, I know your names,” Avery realised. “You're on our floor. We're three of your Junior Prefects, the upperclassmen in charge!”

“And when The A's are in charge,” Aidan began.

“Avery Styles, Aidan Russell, and Ainsley Slater,” Ainsley cut in, gesturing to herself and her friends.

“You never know what'll happen,” he finished.

“You'll find out though,” Avery assured them. “Your dorm rooms are through there, and up two flights. Later!”

The trio turned to leave, heading to another group of first year students.

“Woah. Hashtag Rainbow High goals!” Violet said in awe

“You heard them,” Sunny exclaimed, bounding down the hall with her bags. "This way, come on!”

Violet grabbed her suitcases and followed her friend over to the lifts.

🌈🩷❤️🧡💛💚💙💜🤍🌈

“What do you think the dorm room looks like?” Sunny wondered as she bounced down the hall, Violet just behind her. “Oh, it'll be so fun living together and not just down the street!”’

Sunny spotted a gold placard outside a room with her name engraved on it. “Ah, I found it!” she squealed before listing off the other names.

“Skyler Bradshaw, Sunny Madison, Amaya Raine, Poppy Rowan, and- oh! That‘s it. No Violet Willow,” her face dropped in confusion.

“I don’t get it. We requested the same room! And the form said ‘Rainbow High honours requests’!”

Violet rubbed her arm guiltily. She’d never told Sunny she’d never sent in her room request form, but she knew the truth would break her heart.

“Oh, you know what? After I filled out the form, I gave it to my mom. I bet she forgot to send it in,” she lied.

She hated lying to Sunny and loved her to bits, but she also wanted to branch out and meet new people. She shifted closer to the doors with her name on the matching placard, along with Ruby Anderson and Jade Hunter above it.

“Oh look, they put me over here,” she sighed with feigned disappointment.

“It's the worst, I know, but at least we’re just across the hall from each other! And if we each meet new people we can introduce each other too, that's more friends for us both!”

“I guess,” Sunny sighed, frowning.

“I'm so sorry! I'll tell my mom she messed up big. Let's unpack and catch up later?”

Violet slipped into her dorm, leaving Sunny alone in the hallway. She shut the door behind her, a little sadness in her eyes.

“What's up? Scared to meet your roommates?”

A girl in green grinned at her manically, her dark, graphic makeup and long metallic eyelashes adding to the creepiness of her look. Violet jumped back and yelped.

“Hah, fire!”, a red-haired girl high-fived the girl in green. “Hey, you must be Violet! I'm Ruby, and that’s Jade! We’re your roommates, and if it makes you feel better, Jade got me with the makeup too!”

“Because my makeup skills are so good, it's scary!” Jade made a claw with her hand. She paused, finally getting a good look at Violet. “Hey, you look kinda familiar. Do I know you from somewhere?”

“Well, I am Violet Willow,” she grinned. “Digital Media focus and star of my online reality show, The Vi Life!”

“Oh, that’s where I know you! You’re all over my social feeds!” Jade pulled out her phone and opened Instagram. “You’ve done tons of sponsorships with some of my favourite brands!”

“Influencer street cred! Selfie’s going on your account. Hold this!” Ruby tossed Violet a red and white high-heeled sneaker. Violet stared in awe at the tiny black details, carefully spray painted on.

“You painted this?

“Custom kicks! It's what I do. Well, one of the things I do. Perks of being a Mixed Media focus, I guess! Now come on you two, bring it in!” yup

Ruby pulled Violet closer, while Jade wrapped her arms around both of their shoulders.

“Say ‘own it’!”

“Own it!”

🌈🩷❤️🧡💛💚💙💜🤍🌈

Sunny closed her dorm door with a sigh, only to be met with an enthusiastic girl with brilliant white hair grabbing her hands and pulling her into the room.

“Hey! You must be Sunny! I’m Amaya, and that’s Skyler and Poppy! We’re your roomies!”

She pointed to the other two girls, a girl in orange sitting on the sofa and another in blue on the armchair across. Amaya sat Sunny down on the sofa, next to Poppy. Her disappointment was immediately replaced with her initial enthusiasm.

“Hi! It’s so nice to meet you all! So, I'm Sunny, I'm a Computer Animation focus, I'm best friends with Violet Willow from the Vi Life, and I have my animation series called ‘Hi Hi Kawaii’! It just hit a hundred thousand subscribers last month!”

“Jamming! I’m Poppy, Music Composition focus,” Poppy continued. “I love pretty much any style of music, but pop is definitely my favourite genre, and I also have synesthesia, which is like a blending of senses, so for me, it means I can see what I hear!”

“Amaya, and I come from a town about this big,” she pinched her fingers together. “I love fashion design, and all my friends back home say I ‘speak fashion.’”

“Wait, you're a Fashion focus?” Skyler asked Amaya. “I’m a Fashion focus too!”

“No way, samesies!” Skyler and Amaya giggled and high-fived each other.

Sunny smiled, sinking into the sofa. She may not be living with Violet, but it already seemed like she was going to be great friends with Poppy, Skyler and Amaya.

As she was lost in thought, Amaya was showing Skyler some of her designs on her phone. She then got up to grab her phone off the kitchen counter and saw it was almost time for their orientation.

“Hey, guys?” she called, heading to the door. “Our first-year orientation is in ten minutes. We should get going.”

“Coming, Skyler!”

The new roommates hurried out of the room. Just then, one of their phones dinged. They all checked to see who had got it

“Oh! It's mine,” Sunny announced. “Remember how I told you about my best friend, Violet? She just posted!”

She clicked on her notification and saw Violet's post, her selfie with Ruby and Jade.

‘Just met my awesome new roomies! @ruby-red @green_eyed_monster can’t wait to share my #rainbowhigh journey with you!’

“Aww,” Sunny frowned, sighing.

“She can still be your best friend, even if she meets new people,” Skyler consoled her.

“I know what'll make it better. I dare you to be sad when you listen to this!” Poppy pressed play on a song called ‘Turn Your Colour Up’.

“Whatever your colour,

You got a look that hits you right!

Just like no other,

You got the hook so amplify it!

Turn your colour up,

Turn your colour up, yeah!”

The girls danced through the halls smiling and laughing. By the time they reached their orientation, Sunny’s dismay had disappeared.

The room was packed with their fellow first years, each sat in groups of seven or eight. A strict-looking woman in a luxurious black and purple outfit saw them at the door and approached them.

“Good morning, girls. I'm Miss Wright. Names please?”

“Oh, Amaya Raine, Poppy Rowan, Skyler Bradshaw, and Sunny Madison,” Sunny smiled.

“Ah, Runway Group 1-4. Please sit over there with the rest of your group,” she pointed to a table up front, where Violet, Jade and Ruby were sitting too.

The girls quickly headed over to them, excited to meet the rest of their group. They were about to start talking before Miss Wright silenced everyone and began addressing them.

“Good morning first years. I'm Lou Wright, your headmistress. Welcome to Rainbow High.

Here you will learn the tenets of Glam: grit, love, action, and moxie! I’ve put everyone into their runway groups, which are also your advisory groups. The team that will make or break you these next four years.”

“You have been accepted to this school based on your talents and accolades in your respective focuses, and I expect all of you to show what got you here at every opportunity you get.”

“However, not all of you will make it to the end of the year, or even the end of the semester. Our rules are strict, and if you break even a single one, we will not hesitate to punish you, whether it be detention, suspension or expulsion.”

Everyone recoiled at that, only for Miss Wright to shock them even more.

“And the first challenge you will face: our first-semester runway fashion show. Fail that, and you can kiss Rainbow High goodbye!”

Miss Wright pushed up her sunglasses with a cool look.

“Now, each runway group will go and meet their advisor for further information. Group 1-1, to Room 85. Group 1-2 to Room 114. Group 1-3, to room 120. And Group 1-4 to Room 101. Any questions?”

“Uh I’ve got a question about our dorm,” Ruby asked, raising her hand. “There are four bedrooms in ours, but only Jade, Violet and I are here. Is there going to be another person joining our group?”

“Oh, no Miss Anderson. It is just you, Miss Hunter and Miss Willow in your dorm. We leave a number of rooms available for any transfer and exchange students, or any changes to the attendance during the year,” Miss Wright concluded, and opened the door, gesturing for them to leave. “Now, you are dismissed.”

And with that, the newly formed runway groups filed out, and headed towards their designated classrooms.

🌈🩷❤️🧡💛💚💙💜🤍🌈

“They're gonna kick us out of Rainbow High! Our lives are all over!” Sunny cried. “Oh, this never would have happened if Amaya was still here! Never, ever, ever!”

🌈🩷❤️🧡💛💚💙💜🤍🌈

And that's the beginning of this tale. Nobody could have predicted what was waiting for them, but they had no doubt it'd be the most incredible and intense journey of their lives.

————

AN: Thanks so much for reading! I was inspired to write this fic by @stellar_comet on Instagram, who made a Character Swap AU of Amaya and Bella, go check them out. Feel free to ask me any questions you may have about the story or my AU. See you next time!

[palialaina]

I told Tish I was ready for her help in making my workshop, and man.

Whirlwind Tish!

She insisted, since I have smelters indoors, that the whole thing was to be made of stone. No exceptions. I like the look of it~

Gave me the picture herself when I said this whole area was built with her in mind. She's not my type (She has way too much energy and I prefer my datemates Chill), but it was a sweet thing. Also finally found a place to put the ormu horn mount Dad gave me!

Behind the screen is a mini bathroom. That way no one has to run to the guest house to pee.

I put porches on either side of the place, just to make easy exit points no matter where you are. That felt very important. (Tish seemed impressed by that. It feels like basic safety to me...)

This side is the noisy side of the workshop. Also the warmest. I don't actually use the repair anvil that much (I prefer to pay Sifuu to do it for me, what with all her experience), but Tish said it fit perfectly into the aesthetic, so I put it out. I need to fix my glass maker and set that out too, eventually...

This is the quieter crafting stuff. The loom, the decorating table, and the main build point of the workshop. Again, this set up was Tish's idea.

Maybe I should move Einar's net thing to a different spot...

Tish dubbed this the 'You've worked too hard and can't make it to bed' corner. And then promptly passed out on the lounge for two hours. I had to get Reth to take her home. Even with that flower hairpin making her stronger, she still has moments like that.

This last bit I did myself, mostly because having a snack table in a place where you're using so much energy makes sense to me. Also kind of why I stuck a plate of sweets and a cup of water over in the 'crash corner' of the 'shop.

I later got this from Zeki's Lucky Box thing, and I swear it reminds me of a story. Something about a cursed prince, an enchanted rose, and something about love?

It's a pretty flower if nothing else, and maybe I'll remember more if it hangs out in my house. Or maybe I could go bug Caleri about it; she's the librarian, maybe she'll know what she's talking about.

And besides, I found her missing lucky quill!

Which was definitely a weird find, all things considered. People have been swearing that there's interesting stuff in the chappa burrows, so I've been trying to remember to check them out, and this time I got something really interesting. It was a fancy little pen!

While I know everyone in the village can read and write, it just made me thing Librarian, so I brought it to Caleri, teased her a bit, and she gave me one of my own! I think it was mostly to make me go away, but still.

I put it in my temple, next to the illuminated script she gave me. I'll take pictures next time, I've added some new things to the temple and I should document that for the future!

Also, Najuma came through for me again. No idea how she does it, but that aerial view is amazing and I appreciate her for it.

[humanoidalien27]

Content Warning: Salazar

....

Chapter 7

Door with No Key

   The four of you moved through Hogwarts's halls. Godric, Helga and Rowena were working together to keep Salazar distracted all day, explaining away your absence to meeting with your parents on important business from your old school.

You moved into the empty, near-dead-end room Salazar mentioned in the book.

"How far are the caverns in this place?" Sebastian asked, the light from your wand illuminating the scrap of the stone.

"According to Salazar, past this room is a long hall, followed by a winding staircase carved into the rock, then we'll reach the cavern. After that, we follow the path further down to a circular room with a door."

"That's a long way to go for a dead end," Ominis mumbled. 

He felt a little better when he woke up that morning, but he was still worried about how things were going to end. The last war didn't end without everyone coming to fight and those numbers were drastically reduced. 

You pulled on the book, which popped open the door, making the stone scrape across the floor. The path was dark and foreboding, reminding you of Salazar's secret room. 

A chorus of Lumos rang out while you led the group down the long hall that felt like it ran the length of the school itself, before finally finding the stairs, which went on longer than the hall did. 

The cavern itself was lit up with braziers as if it was travelled extensively for secrets, but the cleanest path led to a room that reminded you of the map chamber if it wasn't so far under the school and didn't have what looked like lava soaking parts of the walls. 

"This is the room?" Sebastian asked, already moving around to look at the various writing and pictures carved into the stone. 

"According to Salazar's notes, yes," you answered, eyes on the door that was scorched with past spells. 

"This place smells like burnt hair and sulphur," Ominis mentioned as he covered his nose.  

You glanced his way, seeing his discomfort as his wand pulsed at a higher rate of speed than you've seen before. 

"Do you want to head back?" 

He shook his head. "No, this is likely the only time we're going to be in this place. If this will help you, we need to stay as long as possible to try finding what you might need." 

Nodding, you looked towards the twins who seemed to have the same feeling you did, look as thorough, but as fast as possible. 

Sebastian went to the books that were set up on the table nearby, which Anne searched the walls and you checked out the door. 

Ancient magic swirled around the cracks of the door, which moved into certain pictures carved into the rock. One was of three people finding the room. The second lit up showing one person stabbing themselves and the third was two people being surrounded with a swirl that seemed dark on one and light on the other.

"Stabbing themselves?" You mumbled grabbing Ominis's attention. 

"Pardon?" 

"The pictures lighting up on the door. They're showing three people finding the room, one stabbing themselves and the other two surrounded by two different types of magic." 

"It's not stabbing yourself," Sebastian said bringing over one of the books. "Salazar already tried that and even smeared his blood on the door itself. Nothing opened the door." 

You grimaced at the rust looking stain on the stone. "Thanks for the new nightmares. What else does that book say?" 

"It says that he only saw two pictures illuminate. He seemed to think the magic behind that door chooses which it decides to let in and it doesn't want Salazar." 

"That must be the real reason he wants you to become his apprentice. To see if you can open that door," Anne said, glancing at everyone in worry. 

"And kill her afterwards," Ominis added. "Salazar isn't known to share and he'd see her as a threat once he gets what he wants." 

"Fantastic," you grumbled, your eyes travelling to the door again. "Whatever is behind that door, I don't think it's a mass of magic. It doesn't give the same feeling those repositories did." 

"Do you want to guess at what it is?" Sebastian asked. 

You shrugged while staring at the door. "I have no idea, but whatever it is, it's better off not being opened by Salazar." 

       Back in Godric's office, Rowena, Helga and Godric listened to you describe what your group found under the school. Their faces slowly slipped into concern the more you spoke. 

"You have the same magic, can't you get into that room?" 

If it was that easy you'd think you'd have taken longer to check in because you'd have already tried it. 

"No, I don't think I can. The door doesn't come with coherent instructions and it didn't show any signs of opening with me there." 

Helga looked to her fellow founders. "How do we stop Salazar from getting another magical boost without knowing how? We can't distract him forever. He's already suspicious of us for it today. I wouldn't be surprised if he checked those secret places to make sure nothing was missing." 

"Is there any other places you might have heard or known about that have strange magic or makes people feel as though it's eerie to go near?"

Godric shook his head and looked to Helga and Rowena.

"Not far from here there's a spot of land that I've noticed flourishes with magic, almost astoundingly so. I haven't mentioned anything because it's a good spot for growing plants, but you can at least look into it," Rowena mentioned, tapping his chin. 

You nodded and looked to your friends. "We still have half a day, should we?"

"I'm curious," Sebastian admitted, getting his sister to nod.

"Alright," Ominis whispered.

  

     Following the hastily drawn map, you began to recognize the path after a while.

"Am I the only one who-"

"Hogsmeade," Anne finished.

"Yeah, I always felt like it had an abundance of power," Sebastian laughed as he looked around at the plants surrounding us.

"But, I never seen any signs of ancient magic around here and I've been all over this place."

"Maybe one of the keepers already took it? Or altered it?" Sebastian offered.

It could have been plausible, but it still made you feel sort of stupid for missing it.

Warmth slipped around your wrist, before Ominis slipped his fingers between yours. "You were rather busy then. Dodging me, my parents, your parents. Working with Fig, Sebastian and the keepers. Fighting Rookwood, Harlow, Ranrok and every goblin or ashwinder who attacked. Helping anyone who called out to you."

Chuckling you squeezed his hand. "Fair point."

"You two should be sold at Honeydukes," Sebastian teased, getting hit by his sister.

"Stop it! Let them have these moments without interrupting them."

Rolling your eyes, you looked to Ominis, who had turned red.

You walked a little bit longer until you came to a spot where the plants were almost three times the size they normally were.

"I'd say it's concentrated here," Anne said kicking at the ground. "But nowhere to get into a cave or a passage, nothing."

You looked around but didn't see any signs of ancient magic either.

"Maybe you should walk around a little?" Sebastian offered upon seeing disappointment flicker over your face.

Nodding, you moved forward as Ominis's hand slipped from yours.

"We'll search around too. Call out if you find anything," Anne added.

"Okay," you said, though you weren't sure if they'd be able to find anything without being able to see it, but appreciated the help anyway.

Venomous tentacula followed your movement as you passed.

The rolling hill didn't have very many trees but the ones there were had been in a cluster.

Thinking it was the best place to hide something, you walked over seeing a few silver bubbles slipping out from under some of the bark on the tree.

Curious you reached out towards it, the bark curling away as your hand approached.

Reaching in, you felt something akin to a pedestal inside, with something small placed on top of it.

Carefully pulling it free, the tree vanished from existence as you looked down at the object in your hand seeing a golden necklace and chain with a star-like symbol.

It didn't have any magic surrounding it as you inspected it.

"Fancy meeting you here," Salazar's voice called out from behind you.

Glancing back, you couldn't see him past the trees.

"Come on out. We have things to discuss."

You quickly put the necklace on and hid it under your clothes before stepping out into the open.

Anne, Sebastian and Ominis were being held by a different student, with their wands being held by a fourth, the guy who was jealous of the attention Salazar was giving you.

"I told you that I'm not a patient man," Salazar said with an exaggerated wave down his person. "Now, if you don't want to lose your friends, it's time we came to an agreement."

....

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[ivoryblack]

Cold Autumn.

09/11/23

Today, as I am sitting and trying to put together word by word for assignments (which failed, horrendously), I decided to start a new blog; one where I can be anonymous. This blog, from today onwards, might serve as a hideous space for my busy head, or a corner where I can sit and sip my cold coffee (I don't drink coffee).

Ever since I moved to this city roughly two months ago, my wandering eyes have laid on so many beautiful things and beings; the dogs that ran freely in the park, the babies who smiled when I said hello, the old buildings that hold unwritten stories, the leaves that fall magnificently, the cold breeze that pulls me back from the warm bakery (which I end up buying pastries from every day, anyway), the busses that would stop despite the green lights because students were running late crossing the streets, or strangers who quick to offer help without hesitation. These memories may remind me of all the blessings I couldn't count whenever I start counting them down one by one in the days to come. Whenever I start to question myself or fall into despair. Whenever I cross the street mindlessly, thinking my body isn't made of bones that would crack open but of stones. Whenever I forget that I am a vinyl with songs made of everyone who knows and loves me, even for a very brief moment. And those blessings; I should not count for they are so infinite or else, I might spend my whole life doing it.

So, I intend to write every tiny piece I cherish in this blog. One day, they might form a picture and I would hang it on the wall of my dream with a coffee table underneath (again, I don't drink coffee).

And I will start by writing these stories;

In September 2023, I set foot for the first time on the green field of this university. It took me five years to finally come here; the pandemic robbed 3 years out of it. I spent a year and a half picking up all these plans and finding the courage to actually try. I did well.

In October 2023, I saw the leaves turn yellow, then orange, then brown, and then fall. This is my first time living throughout autumn. All these cute autumn Pinterest-esque clothes I've always wanted to wear since I was a kid, are now in my wardrobe. But no one knew I wore them because a huge puffer was always on top of it. It's a cold autumn here. But I love it, still.

A few days ago as I was dead hungry, I ran down from the library to a cafe to eat my cold macaroni cheese. I didn't bring my spoon with me, so I asked the male waitress if they had a wooden spoon. He said, "We are not supposed to give this away to people. So if next time you come here and ask for this, and they don't give this to you, it's because we are not allowed to," while secretly giving me the wooden spoon. Thank you.

Yesterday, I had trouble trying to use the printer for school. The printing app was faulty on my laptop. I asked in the group chat, but none knew how to solve it. So I waited and waited for 20 minutes for someone to actually have answers to this. I wanted to go to the library. I wanted to study. I wanted to finish my assignment. But the printer did not work and I was stuck in that printing station for more than 30 minutes (sucks). I wanted to cry, I just wanted to have a nice day. Was that too much to ask? (I was on my period. It wasn't me. It was the hormone). Then, a stranger came. "Here, use my flash disk". Thank you, but my laptop has a Type-C port. "Oh, I got one in my room" and he sprinted out of the door and came back in two minutes while trying to catch his breath. He took the stairs since it's faster than elevator. His room is on the 4th floor– the printing station is on the 1st. A moment later, a friend from a different building came to this printing station to help me figure out the trouble with my installer. It wasn't solved. But thank you, both of you.

Today, I sit in this library seat where I can see the sun at its best spot (not a good spot, too shiny). But I feel contented. I have not started my assignment, but I wrote something that will remind me just how far I have walked, and how much beauty of this world I have encountered on my way.

Enough wasting time, I shall go back to my paper. I will tell myself I do well, later. When the autumn is still cold.

[foundfamilynonsense]

Second person only works when it is an extended hypothetical!!

Listen. Listen. I have read for multiple literary magazines. I see some things in fanfiction. I understand second person is this alluring, interesting pov that people write in when they’re feeling deep. But second person is not LIKE first and third person. First and third person are practically interchangeable. But second person only works for a certain type of story.

I am grabbing you all by the shoulders. I’m begging everyone on my knees to understand. Second person says something about a story.

Look me in the eyes. Second person is not about “putting the reader inside the narrative”. That is not what it is for. That will not work.

Whenever I read a second person story that ~puts me in the story~ all I end up thinking is “no I would not fucking say that”. The story says “and you feel lonely” and I’m like “no I don’t.” Hell, sometimes it’s even a challenge. Like “why am I such a shitty person in this story how dare you claim I’m like this?” Even “canon character x reader” stories have this problem.

Now. That’s not to say people won’t read that story regardless. But I guarantee it is because they have taught themselves to picture “y/n” or “you” as a different character. They don’t actually see it as themselves. Nothing would change if you changed the story to first person and may “y/n” an oc. Second person does not ever put the reader in the story. That is not what it is for.

But! Second person is still interesting! Bc that is not the actual purpose of second person narratives! Second person narratives are an extended hypothetical.

Take the short story “Ranch Girl” by Mail Meloy. Written in second person. It starts with “if you’re white, and you’re not rich or poor but somewhere in the middle, it’s hard to have worse luck than to be born a girl on a ranch”

Notice how it’s starts with “if you’re white”

Let’s talk about A Small Place by Jamaica Kincaid. In second person. It starts with “if you got to Antigua as a tourist, this is what you will see”

“If” is very important here. Bc each person is their own person who makes their own decisions. But IF you make this decision. IF you are this type of person, it doesn’t matter how different or unique you are, this will happen. It is an extended hypothetical.

It’s a way of saying “the main character of this story could be you. It’s not, obviously, but it could be. If you had their life or were in their shoes this would be you.” Which is a cool way of saying “this story is inevitable. If you were in the character’s shoes, you would make the same mistake” or even “this tragedy is set in stone. It has happened before and will happen again. You would not be immune”

If this is not the story you are telling. Do not write in second person.

Sure, you can write whatever fanfiction you want that’s your decision but please. I have been on the reading committees of SIX literary magazines. In most of them, we see second person that does not start with “if” or is obviously a hypothetical we deny it there and then bc it’s going to be bad. In the others, we read the second person but agreed that second person just takes something from the stories, and it would have been better in first or third. I have written many emails saying “this was rejected because the second person added nothing to the narrative. If you would like to resubmit it as a first person story, we would love to look at it again” and those are only for second person stories that blew our socks off… except for the fact they were second person.

If you’re submitting short fiction to magazines, do not write second person unless you are writing a very VERY specific story. There is only one place it works. It will just hinder you anywhere else.

[koolcece22]

Enter Venomgirl

Ch.31

Shade’s Pov

Me and Miguel are still in the lab trying to set up the game plan on how we are going to take care of the collider. According to the data, the main collider was in the building in Alchemax HQ. The one me, Miguel and the kids were in. so if we can get to that one, we will be able to shut down the others all at once. So that one problem is taken care of. The main one. Now we need to find out who is really behind this, my guess is Andrew and Penny. I looked at Miguel who was still looking at the many files on the screen. How was he able to do that without getting a headache I'll never understand. 

He was particularly glaring at the picture of Andrew Stone, I wonder if he reminds him of someone? Then again that man is evil and causes so many problems for me and anyone with Compound R. 

I walk up beside him “I know, he has a punchable face.” I joked about getting Miguel's attention. 

“Didn’t take you as a type to jokes.”

“Well hanging with you guys does that. But, your look at Andrew like he also ruin your life or at least someone similar to him.” I can feel that Miguel was particularly oozing with hate at the guy and I'm pretty sure he never meant him. 

“He reminds me of my boss.”

“He does? That Tylor stone guy you talked about? Do you think Andrew is your boss’s variant?” I asked 

“Maybe, but if he is, he will be just as twisted.”

Lyla then pop in, 

“Well boss I called Jess, Peter, Ben,and Petra. To meet with you guys, also Hobie, Miles, and 42 came back with Agony that was left on Shade’s earth.” 

“Say what now?” Both me and Miguel said at the same time. Lyla shows Jess and Peter talking to Miles,Hobie, and 42. Also talking to Gwen, Pavitr and Peni who all of them are getting scrowled by them. Miguel sighs as he jumps down from the platform landing on all four I follow, wanting to know why those three went to my Earth.

~

Me and Miguel open the door to the room they were all in. We can hear Jess yelling at them down the hall, even Peter looks a bit upset.

 “I can believe you three went to that Earth without our permission! You know you could have been stuck there right?” Jess said soundly like a very upset mother. Then again she is one. 

“Yeah, well we try to save Agony. Zee was handling her hostage unless we helped them with making sure that one their informant wasn’t betraying them.” Hobie said 

“Yeah, he likes a big demon guy named Blackheart and why is there a demon in their group anyway?” 42 chime in. When he said Blackheart's name the room shifted mainly the emotion that came from Jess,Peter and even Miguel. It was fear. 

“You meant Blackheart?” I asked everyone to turn towards me, now noticing me and Miguel in the room. 

“Yeah? You met him.” 

I shook my head, I never met the guy, Zee told me he is the best informant they have. Then again they only have two, him and Timothy. Not like people are so keen on joining U.N.I.T.

“No, all I know is that he works for Zee. They don’t want to meet me but they have seen me which is creepy.” 

Miguel used his watch to show us a bunch of villains and their variants, he scrolled a bunch of them till he landed on a weird-looking creature. It was an all black creature, his form reminded me of my Berzerk form. 

“You saw this?” Miguel asked sounding very worry

All three of them nodded, starting to get the feeling that something was wrong and they weren’t supposed to meet that guy.

“Yeah, only different, he has red markings similar to yours tio.” Miles said

“ genial, otro problema con el que podríamos tener que lidiar.” Miguel said under his breath. 

“Ugh, ok I never met my Blackheart but something tells me he’s bad, right?”

Judging from the looks Jess, Miguel, and Peter look, he’s bad. 

“He is not usually a villain we deal with. He has more Ghostrider and Daredevil problem. But when we do have to deal with him, he is a variant we don’t want to deal with.”

“And why is he so bad?” I asked 

“He is the son of the demon named Mephisto. Another guy I hope we don’t have to deal with.” Miguel turns to the kids “if you even meet that man again. don’t try to engage with him, got it?” 

They all nodded this was probably the first time I felt the kids also taking them seriously. Miguel sighs again as he rubs the bridge of his nose.

“So where is Agony?” he turn to Peter 

“Andrea is taking care of her. Perta and Ben are also with them. if Agony tries to do anything but she looks like she is not going to try to escape.” 

“Ok I’m going to check on her, Shade will come with me. You guys continue your work and don’t go to Earth 2424. Entiendo?” 

Surprisingly, they all nodded. Me and Miguel head to the Med room while Jess still lay on the kids. I’m just glad they are ok, I will have to have a word to Zee once I get back but for now, we need to talk to this Agony.

Once we were there, Miguel opened the door and saw two other spider men. One looks like someone who would be in a gang on my Earth while the other looks like a cyborg or something. I’m guessing there are Ben and Petra. I saw Agony who was on the bed. She look chain up so she wouldn’t get away. I mean, she is surrounded by hundreds of Spider-people so I don’t think she is getting away. 

She look up at us as her eyes widen,

“You are that freaky symbiote I saw back at the gym.” Agony hissed at me, I was taken aback by what she said Kuro pop on to shoulder growling knowing I hated being called a freak. 

“ Say that to our face you kuso icky!” 

“Kuro, stop it.” Then I look back at Agony who is glaring at me as Kuro calls her icky. 

“Why half your brain is out?” 

I was about to answer till Miguel stepped in. Agony also glared at him seeing his costume remembering she fought him when Carnage captured Tempest. 

“You, you were there too. Why are there a bunch of you?”

Miguel put his hands up trying not to be a threat to her. I can feel her unease with her.

‘Don’t trust them, we need to go back .’

‘I know, but how?! We have no choice but to trust them for now.’

I grab my head from hearing the voices, their voices. Agony and her host, it was like that before. Miguel and everyone in the room must have noticed as I felt their emotion shift to concern. 

“You ok?” Miguel asked 

“Yeah…I can hear her.” I pointed to Agony who looked at me and was confused. I don’t blame her, I'm just as confused as they were.

‘ What is she talking about? ’ I hear her talking again 

“I-I can hear what you're thinking.” Agony was taken back by this. Miguel looked at me and heard as I continued. “I heard it before with her and a bit with carnage. Is that normal for symbiotes?” 

I turned to Agony or the symbiote part of her went back into her body to show us her human host, her hair was brown with some purple highlights in it and had a mole near her lip. Miguel looked at her, guessing she looked familiar to him. Well she could be a variant of someone.

“You're Liz Allen?” Miguel said, examining her. 

The woman or Liz Allen nodded and her symbiote popped out the side with a grin. It looks like a snake compared to Kuro who looks like a rabbit when she pops out. My body also looks like she or they can’t leave her body all the way too.

“Yeah? What is it to ya?”

“Nothing, it's just rare to see a Liz Allen, you usually with a Misery symbiote. I need to run some scans to see which earth you are from.” 

“Earth 8532, or that Carnage asshole said I was from.” 

I walked up to her and sat next to her. I just want to see if she ok since I'm the closest thing here, as the same as her. She was taken back by it but I can sense she calmed down quickly. 

“I overheard that Carnage and my Six on my earth were experimenting on you. Do you know Why?” I asked because I wanted to know what they did to her. Whatever they were doing wasn't good. 

“They were trying to copy me. Carnage seemed like he was working under someone so he wasn’t getting tested like a lab rat like I was.” Liz hissed the last part. I wouldn’t blame her. “They were trying to copy this Venomgirl’s powers. I’m guessing that you?” 

I nodded. I know one reason why they tried to capture me was to copy my powers since in their eyes I’m one of the strongest with Compound R. Then again why me and not Penny or Arachnidqueen. 

“Well, good news. I overheard that Zee person that someone took care of that and all the data they got from me was deleted, even the backup file.” 

“I think it was Blackheart who must have done that.” Miguel pointed out. Then he pulls up a hologram from his watch and a girl pops up. I think that Margo if I remember correctly. “Margo can see what is going on, on Earth 8532 also ready for the go-home-machine.” 

My eyes widen, wait! This is my only chance to talk to someone that likes me. They look like they have their powers down compared to me. I don’t know how but I can tell they have a good bond with each other. Something that I wish I had. I know Kuro isn’t her own but me but It's like a me that I always reject and I don’t want no part of. I want her to be part of me. 

“Wait, can she…train with me for a bit?” 

“What?!” everyone said at the same time. Even Liz’s symbiote pops out in surprise that asked that. 

Andrea walk up to me “Shade that not a good idea, they- I mean she can be dangerous.”

“I’m more dangerous than her! Look, this is the first time since this whole Collider thing started that I found someone similar to me and not try to kill me. She is probably only one I can get any answer from directly.” 

Miguel, Andrea, Ben and Petra look at each other as they fold their arms not liking this Idea. I think I know how those kids feel. 

“How about this. Give me one day with her. Please”  I begged them, Miguel sigh as he walks forward to me and Liz. 

“I will allow it but first, it is going to be up to her if she wants to help or not.” Miguel then turns towards Liz who looks confused by all this. I kind of did threw her under the bus without her say-so. “I look into your history, your earth there is Spider-Man but its Kaine Parker. We haven’t talked to him yet to join the spider society. But it looks like you haven’t caused trouble like most Agony.”

“Heh, how I'm being treated as another prisoner, I can tell. I look, I don’t think i’m qualified to help you control yours…” she eyed me up and down like she was trying to figure me out. I really am not like them. “But, you did kind of help me out. You two broke me free on Carnage’s control and those other spiders brought me here. Let's say I give you a free trial as a thank you. But that it, got it!?” 

Nodded as I grabbed her hand, shaking it excitedly, for the first time in while I was happy. Finally! Someone who can help me understand. I wish Patrick was here, he would also be excited too. 

“I will be with you two just to keep an eye on things but once the machine is done we will send you home as soon as we can, we don’t know if you not being there affected that earth’s canon.” Miguel said as he walked up Liz and removed the chains that were on her. Liz didn’t react as she just rubbed her wrist

I walked up to him “was it really necessary to chain her up like that?” 

Miguel got the sense that seeing her like that was making me uncomfortable. 

Can you blame me? 

“We are taking precautions. Symbiote are part of the spider-person’s canon and most of the time…they aren’t pretty.” 

I sigh that I understand what he meant but I feel like there should be another way. Miguel took me and Liz to the training room. It was only us three here, Miguel sat on the far end of the room, I'm guessing to give us girls some space. Liz then turns back into Agony. 

“So, what do you want to learn?”

“Oh well, I have run down something I can do.” I pointed out. I mean I know I've been like this for nine years but I only got some of my powers down to at least not turn into Berzerk every two seconds. 

“Can summon tendrils and stuff?” Agony then summoned her tendrils but they came from all over her body, same did Carnage, but his was more wild why Agony was strangely elegant. I can only summon my tendrils arms and legs. It helps with my shapeshifting. 

“Well, not all over my body like you but yeah.”  I show her that my tendrils from my arms. Agony examine my tendrils

“They look like they don’t go far compared to most symbiotes I meant. You have anything unique about you?”

“What do you mean?” 

“I can absorb chemicals that can reconstruct something useful. Anti-venom can cure anything he touches, Carnage as you know can control people and absorb.

Each symbiote has a unique gimmick.” 

“Does being half-symbiote count?” Agony laugh I couldn’t tell if Liz or Agony was the one who was laughing. 

“No, I don't think so. I will admit I have never seen anyone like you before. You were hard to sense or read. You can sense me right?” 

I nodded. I'm close to her so it is not but I feel this buzzing sense when I'm far away from her. Like she is giving off a signal on where she is. It was way worse from Carnage I wonder if because of his killer intent. 

“Hey Peter or Kain?” my attention was back to Agony who was calling Miguel guessing she thought he was Peter or this Kain person.

“It Miguel.” he said 

“Oh, ok. I can fight your friend right?”

I couldn’t help but cocked my head wondering what she meant. Does she want to fight me? 

“As long as you don’t hurt her I allow it. But if I hurt her…”

“Yeah yeah, you step in and stop me and beat me up right? I’m not like Carnage, you know? I know when to stop, I just want to see what she can do, that's all.” 

I can feel the unease from Miguel, not sure if this is a good idea, I don’t blame him since I did lose control from the last training session I was in. But, I feel better and my head is clearer now that I'm all healed up. 

‘ Are you up for it Kuro?’

‘ You know i’m always ready to fight.’

I nodded and turned to Miguel. 

“I will be ok Miguel.”

“You sure? you just got better.”

I nodded as I grew my claws and got ready to fight Agony. She smirks at me as ready herself.

“Yeah, I'm good.”

~

Third person POV

Agony made the first move by using her webbing to swing up to a nearby wall and launch herself off from it. Shade was able to dodge it but barely, she used her tendril to try to wrap around her leg but the moment Shade’s tendril touch Agony’s leg it quick retracted from the burn she felt.

“What?!”

“I told you! I can change the chemicals in my body and still have left them to test me.” Agony then shoves her tendrils into the ground which spikes quickly go towards Shade. Shade turn hand in to giant claws to slash the spike like tendrils, at the same time Agony came from behind was about to punch Shade but Shade blocked it with her tendrils 

From the far end of the training room, Miguel was eyeing the fight and he had to 

admit Shade was able to hold her own. Then again he saw her fight. She seems like she just need more practice but she is just as good as any newbie Spider person. 

‘ Focus Shade, focus !’ Kuro said as She turned Shade legs into more animal-like to give her more speed, Shade got down on all fours as she was about to charge at Agony. Agony used her webbing again and covered a spot that Shade touched causing her to stop in her tracks. Before Shade can slash the webbing off of her, Agony punches her in the back and pins her on the ground. 

Miguel was about to stop the fight till his watch went to inform him to take his medicine. But he can’t leave Shade with an anomaly. Lucky, he should be fine for the next ten minutes before his instinct takes over him. 

‘ Threat, don’t like’

Miguel shakes his head and tries to push down the thought. He should end the training so he can send Agony or Liz back. He turns back to Agony and Shade, as Agony punches Shade hard on the back. Seeing this, something inside Miguel reacts to this as the next thing he knew he got between Agony and Shade. Both of them were confuse on what Miguel was doing.

“Miguel?” Shade got up wondering what he was doing. She knows she took a nasty hit from Agony, but it was nothing she can’t handle. His back was facing towards her. She got up to touch his back till she noticed something off about him. 

“Where are your emotions?”

[back-and-totheleft]

A pinned butterfly

I recently had a chance to interview one of the most luminary directors of our generation, Oliver Stone. He was in town to talk about his latest film, World Trade Center, but we also got around to why he gave in on the version of Alexander that was released, Bill O’Reilly, his image as a director, and what his next project will NOT be (the Internet rumor mill proves incorrect again).

He walked in, sat down, and looked at the cheese plate in front of him. Stone shook his head ruefully, “I’m not a cheese eater anymore. I’ve turned against the French.” Bye bye cheese. That’s the way it goes when you’re Oliver Stone, big-time director of JFK, Nixon, Any Given Sunday, Platoon, Wall Street… well, you get the idea. He’s directed a lot.

How much of this World Trade Center is completely factual?

Oliver Stone: Well, we have dialogue between people that we don’t know, we have ghosts too. There’s some dramatic license because you’re taking 24 hours and condensing it into two.

Is this a patriotic film?

I hope it’s viewed as a film about people, It’s about America in many ways because it was America that was attacked but if the movie grows the way it should it’s a larger story. It’s about the human heart, survival, how we’re all in it together.

What makes this an Oliver Stone movie, where is your trademark on it?

That’s a tough question to answer. I view myself as changing every picture. This was what it was; there was not a lot of moving camera shots because of the nature of the story. The idea was to concentrate on the lighting throughout the day, darkest when the story is at its bleakest, as hope fades within the families.

The story deals with couples who are very rarely together on screen, was it tough to direct something like that?

Yeah, imagine at the beginning of this process talking to the actors and telling them they were going to be heads in a jar. But no, I wanted to keep it in the Hollywood tradition of a driving narrative, so you could say each of the four actors occupies a quadrant of the movie.

Why did you decide to tell this story?

I decided to because I don’t think we really know the story. We have so politicized 9/11 that we’ve lost track of what the story is. What struck me when I read the script in late 2004 was Ah-ha, I’ve never seen this. It was so fresh and true. It wasn’t like we had to make it up. There were parts that during the screening people thought we had made up, but they were true so we had to re-cut the cards to show people what they were watching was true. It was also the script. My agent read it and said I can’t get this thing out of my mind, I don’t know if it’s going to make a dime, I don’t know that I can even get it financed. I read it and had the same reaction. It was so right on and the irony is I couldn’t get the fucking job; it was another six months before they finally gave it to me.

Can you talk about the set used on this one?

We built it in the old Howard Hughes hangar. Complicated build because of the access. Walking on rubble for an hour is exhausting. I don’t recommend it; well actually maybe we could turn it into a great new aerobic exercise. We could bring people down to a rubble field and make them walk for an hour, maybe make some money.

How much of a collaboration are your projects?

Well it’s not a full democracy because then it would be like the United States Congress. You’d be having God votes every day; you can’t do it that way. But I love working with writers on real subjects. This movie was a technical nightmare to make; I can’t even begin to tell you. Plus all the calls I had to make, where were you, what were you doing? All the equipment alone, all the shit that was going on. And I had to remember it all and change it all when people remembered something else. Even in Vietnam (Platoon) I knew I had to make that movie because I was beginning to forget the details. And everyone sees different points of view too. I did pledge an oath of loyalty to do the movie within the confines and move beyond the cliches. We all paid attention to details.

Are you frustrated with still being the “conspiracy director”?

I feel like a butterfly that’s been pinned. No, I pride myself on keeping at it. I’ve been destroyed a few times, Nixon was painful, Heaven and Earth was a tremendous setback for me because that was a lot of work, a lot of energy. Alexander was probably the biggest visible blotch. Only in America and England I should say, it was top 20 abroad which was significant for me.

Why didn’t you just release the director’s cut of Alexander originally?

I think I had the attitude of "Fuck it." I didn’t want to fight that battle anymore and I did feel it was a structurally correct version.

Did you feel any qualms about being one of the first directors to tackle a 9/11 movie?

I’m glad that Paul Greengrass made his movie. I think it helped break the ice, I think it was an excellent movie. This subject matter should be done in different styles like Vietnam, there’s room for six or eight movies about this that could be very effective. But I’m glad he (Greengrass) helped break that ice though I feel we have a more traditional Hollywood movie here where you get an attachment to four characters.

Is your next project really Son of the Morning Star as listed on IMDB?

That’s not my next project, that’s an old internet factoid, I guess they want me to do that.

Did you make an effort not to stand out on this project?

Yeah, I would have been embarrassed had I stood out. It would be the wrong thing for me to get in the way of the movie but I would say that about every movie I’ve been involved in. I really feel like I’m a chameleon with every movie. I think the problem is I’ve been outspoken politically between the movies and they confuse that with the movies. If you look at JFK and Nixon they defy type. Nixon was attacked by the right wing but it was actually very empathetic towards the humanity of Nixon. JFK was neither left nor right. It’s a question mark, a radical question mark. I consider myself an independent. These political things came about because we live in this climate and it’s hurt the movies, no question. But I have a right to speak out as you do.

This is an apolitical movie though right?

Yes. It’s about the day, their feelings. It was like Platoon in that sense, we didn’t talk about LBJ there.

Is it worth fighting the right wing talk show hosts who have already made up their minds on this one?

I can only say see the movie, I don’t know what to say there, I’ve been a boogey man for them for years, maybe they’ve forgotten about me by now.

Have you been invited on the Bill O’Reilly show?

Oliver Stone: I’ve been invited many times, yeah. Many people tell me it’s a really difficult format to be heard in; I think they ring a bell!

And with that the publicist rang a bell on Ollie’s time with me.

-Laremy Legel, "Oliver Stone Talks ‘World Trade Center’," ComingSoon.net, Aug 2 2006 [x]

[naruhinalife555]

Why Hinata get all the fault ?  stop it  No one respects Naruto in two parts . Is this a good bond? And Kavaki? Naruto praises his wife When he stands in front of him it just proves how much the bond of Naruto good with Hinata.

Naruto is the protagonist the series was named after him and Hinata was always meant to be his love interest. He would have ended up with Hinata no matter what happend it was pretty much set in stone when Hinata was introduced.

It 2022 and people still hate Hinata because she is house wife. Please antis stop with the hypocrisy is not become her weak. i am not good at this kind of stuff I am gonna apologise for the bad typing in advance... But when I lurk into this fandom takes on Hinata it can get very sad, first of all I know it’s just a small part of the fandom but the things I read are very not cool, going to the point Hinata is NOT a weak person period, she is still a very good ninja at combat she just choose to stay at home and raise her kids that makes her happy! I have never seen Hinata as happy as she is now she loves her family she takes care of them she gives (and Naruto too ofc) a life to Hima and Boruto that she and her husband didn’t have she is always there for her loved ones... and some people still put her life choices down or make fun of her like “bla bla she is just a housewife” or other stuff alike is so freaking nonsense... if everyone on their universe have “just a housewife” of a mother like Hinata there would be no so many tragic pasts. You know why? Because Hinata gives love and a quality life for her kids she is a good mother a good wife an amazing ninja and I think her life choices are just as strong and as important as any other woman on the village because all of them are living their best life in their own way, all of them are doing their best and living their best. people make different choices doesn’t make anyone inferior nor superior, what matters is that those awesome women, and make no mistake Hinata is totally included on this, are strong loving and caring for their kids their husbands and their village! Hinata’s role is important, I think she is a noble soul and I won’t ever understand the bashing.There’s literally nothing wrong with her life choices and being a housewife! For me, personally Hinata is admirable just like all the other mothers on Boruto.

Hinata she is bad character? Why To Hinata deserves all this hate ?? Please girl get a life and relax  You are so fool you  even not look on manga and clear not know good the characters. Maybe iinstead of to watching in anime you are should  read manga she is more real .

mean seriously pick up a damn dictionary before yo insult a character. I don’t see people calling Naruto, Sakura or Ino a stalker despite the fact it fits them all with how Sasuke doesn’t want their attention and the way Sakura cling to him was clearly harassment.

Naruto & Hinata standing side by side holding hands in the 10 tails battle (#615) was foreshadowed 42 chapters prior during her inner monologue (#573) before they saw each other again. #NaruHina Canon facts!

NaruHina was never forced, they had their moments from start to finish they may be subtle, but it was still quite clear NaruHina was always end game Kishimoto even states he planned NaruHina since early on several times.

Naruto and Hinata actually had a wedding, they were around and happy their whole house is full of pictures with both Naruto, Hinata, Boruto and Himawari as happy as can be. Lol you wrong is Sasuke that not happy in family with Sakura

No is not sad lol you even understand something in this series?? Remember what Naruto said to Kavaki that his wife's food is good. And Bolt loves his father.  Why you inveted bullshit??That was not Kishimoto's intention at all

[Naruto rant/criticism]

Please don’t interact if you’re going to insult me for having an opinion that differs from your, I will correctly tag this post so if you’re a nh stan read at your own risk. I’m not responsible of your actions.

In the recent days I’ve really been having a naruhina hate brainrot. I’ve actually always disliked that pair since the first days I started watching this anime. But the more I think about this ship and the more I dislike it and see less reasons to enjoy it.

Yeah I used to ship ss in the past, because even if Sasuke never has been interested at least he was Sakura’s teammate and had plenty of missions together. (Well I learnt from my mistakes but that’s not the topic of this post!)

However, what do Naruto and Hinata have seriously? For being characters who got married and one of them being the mc their interactions were barely existent and Naruto having basic human decency toward her isn’t a proof of him having romantic feelings. I still literally can’t picture him being on a relationship with her either, no matter how much I try. I always used to find this ship painfully bland, boring, tasteless. I would rate it a solid 1/10 at best, and I’m on a good mood rn.

I got spoiled very early that they were going to be together at the end and even despite that when I watched the last episodes it blew my mind when I saw them going to be married all of sudden. It was so hard to believe. If they were so planned to be together since the beginning they could’ve at least given them some development idk it’s not even that complicated I don’t ask Kishimoto to write peak romance. Don’t even talk to me about "The Last" lol that movie is just laughable. It’s basically Naruto into a genjutsu and Sakura forcing him, guilt tripping him to love Hinata and telling him how much "he deserves her". No sorry but I can’t take this sh*t seriously.

Another thing, when I still was into the first episodes of the series I used to think that Hinata will have a development, she will be strong and all but I was apparently wrong as hell because she’s just as pointless, irrelevant but more annoying and her whole existence stills revolve around N-Naruto-kun 🥺👉👈. The shippuden era was the moment when she seriously started to get on my nerves. She reached a new low when Neji frustratingly f*cking died for her the the only thing she was thinking about was N-Naruto-kun’s big warm and manly hand. The audacity lmao. I would be so ashamed to myself at her place. Also there’s nothing wrong with her being a housewife, raising kids is far from being an easy task by the way but she could’ve at least done something for her clan as the "Hyuga princess", especially about the oppression and slavery that endured the secondary branch through generations and that caused the death of her cousin in front of her. But no, she got married to N-Naruto-kun, so it doesn’t matter, damn why am I even surprised, that was the only goal of her life anyway. That cute uwu girl’s """"development"""" disappointed me a lot, to say the least, I saw a lot of potential in her not gonna lie.

Poor her, she existed only for the sake of a ship that happened just for the dull sequel also more commonly known as "Boruto".

[i-care-4u]

UN VERANO SIN TI | J. HARLOW

part one | part two | part three

pair: jack harlow x actress!reader

requests are closed | masterlist

JUNE-JULY 22’

This summer was packed for you. First, your movie finally got released after a year and a half of working on it. On the other hand, there was obviously going to be a press tour on it, which includes going from Buzzfeed and Glamour interviews to even showing up to award shows. And finally, you were set to have another movie released in October, which more details will be given to you between now and mid-August.

You were pretty occupied for now, and your next big appearance will be taken place at the Video Music Awards in late August. Why the VMAs? Promotion.

Obviously, Jack was going to attend the show, with him performing “First Class” and also receiving several nominations. You were pretty excited, yet anxious after that reply that you’ve given back to the audience in Cannes.

Jack, on the other hand, went back on stage to perform in several countries. Traveling with the team was the fun part of touring, yet it felt different without your presence. The moment Jack went to Australia, he thought about the places you’d take him to. Suddenly, he remembered a conversation that you had with him about being in Australia.

-

“If you ever go to Australia for touring, you should definitely check out this place,” you got out your phone and looked up the place. You remembered the time you spent there, looking at the waves while sitting on a big stone. It was always sunny, yet cool weather when you went.

“That view looks beautiful,” Jack complimented.

“Thank you,” you posed, teasing him.

“You’re just as beautiful as those views,” Jack leaned in to give you a kiss.

-

The moment he went, he found an empty stone to sit at, and looked at the water along with the sky. “It really does look beautiful,” Jack thought.

Based on Urban’s sight, Jack looked concentrated, seeing the Australian nature.

Urban turned around to where Jack is at. “Everything okay Jack?”

“Jack?” Urban repeated until Jack turned his head to his direction.

“Huh?”

“Thinking about her again?”

“How’d you know?”

“Look around you.”

Jack was sitting on a big stone, similar to the picture that you showed him a couple months prior. It felt like a piece of you was still with him.

Urban was on his way to sit down with Jack. “You’re still not over her, are you?”

Jack shook his head, no reply given.

“I’ll tell you what, she’s coming to New York for the VMAs.”

“What?!” Jack turned around, eyes widened. Urban didn’t mention another word and walked away.

This was shocking, yet exciting news for Jack. Normally, you wouldn’t be in attendance for these music shows, declining their requests politely. Reasons for this is due to you feeling like you’re outside the box. This year was a surprise to your fans when they found out that you were attending to this years VMAs.

VMAs ‘22, August 28th, 2022

With the summer ending soon, it was about time for the award season to arrive. Tonight, it was the VMAs.

You checked in at the hotel in New York a couple days ago, yet no sighting of Jack for now. By now, you knew what living in New York is like. It was so easy to be recognized out there.

At this time, you were about to carefully step outside to take over the red carpet and later watch the show. There was already a crowd of people outside, and as you began walking, you heard everyone chanting your name. You smiled and waved at them. Some even requested to take a photo with them, in which you agreed to be in their frame.

After a having a moment with your fans, you walked back to the red carpet and this time, it was the photographer’s time to take the pictures.

You walked away from the red carpet and went inside to the venue. MTV already had the seats set up for the guests, and you were five seats away from Jack based on the photo that was posted on Twitter.

You sat down, and enjoyed listening to the live performances that were given outside the venue. More celebrities started to arrive, but you didn’t pay much attention on who was coming to the show.

-

The show was starting now, with Jack opening with “First Class.” The set for the performance looked fun, with celebrities and his friends hanging out. You smiled, feeling proud that he is having fun in his career.

While performing, Jack made an announcement where he is bringing a special guest, that guest being Fergie. They began singing “Glamorous,” and you gasped, knowing how far he’s gotten into his career. Your reaction was shown on screen on TV. You knew how much Jack loves Fergie’s music since childhood, so it was such a huge accomplishment for him.

After a few performances and awards, you got on stage to present one of the awards. Once you presented, the people got their first hands on your new movie, coming to theaters on October.

As soon as commercial break was over, you heard small muttering coming from a few seats away. It was from Druski and Jack.

“I thought you guys were over.”

“I can’t get over it Drew, I still have a soft spot of her.”

You catch a glimpse of Jack, but immediately turned to eye contact. You didn’t bother but to look the other side.

“I’ll see you in a few minutes.”

Jack didn’t want you to end it in a negative way, and he wanted to make things right again. He got up his seat, and came up to you to talk.

“Hey,” you greeted him.

“Let’s talk, yeah?”

It was a public space, and MTV does these behind the scenes clips of what happens inside the show. This interaction between you two made it in MTV’s “Stan Cam.”

You and him walked backstage, where his dressing room was located, and you guys tried to talk things privately.

“What’s up?” you asked him.

“It’s been a while,” he sounded a bit awkward, which is one side you only got to see back when you guys were dating. This showed a sign that he missed you dearly. “It’s been what, three months since we last talked?”

You nodded, “Yeah.” You stopped and stared for a moment. You knew things took a turn after Cannes, which explains the gap that you have today with Jack. Cannes was an important factor of the cause, so you decided to bring that up.

“Let me start off by saying that I did mean most of the words I said during Cannes. They were mostly about you and how we got along during our time.”

“But our scheduling conflicts-“

“I’m aware of it Jack. The truth is, I was stressed about the whole situation before even breaking up. It never happened to me before, and I didn’t know how to handle it properly, so I thought to break up instantly. I’m sorry I didn’t told you sooner, and I know I should’ve.”

You were almost in the verge of tears and Jack noticed the look that you had on your face. He reached in for a hug, and he began to pat your back.

“It’s okay, Y/n.”

Outside the door, there were incoming footsteps. A person knocked on Jack’s dressing room and announced in front of his door, “Jack you’re up in five!”

Jack looked at the door, “Shit.”

Time was running short, but you knew you had a few days left in New York before leaving for Venice, Italy for the Venice Film Festival. You couldn’t leave him in a cliffhanger, but you learned today that you were luckily still in good terms.

Before leaving the room, you made a commitment to take Jack on a date, “Before you go, how about we settle this down at a dinner, just you and me. I’ll pay, by the way.”

“That’s good, wait? I’ll pay instead!”

WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 31st, 2022

You were set to leave to Venice on Friday morning, and one of the last things you promised to do in New York, was a dinner date with Jack.

For today, you wanted to throw in a comfortable, yet classy look. Luckily, you found the perfect outfit from your luggage and threw some shoes, ahead of time. The sun was about to set, and you were in the bathroom mirror, making last minute touches into your face.

Your phone started spamming with notifications, all being texts from Jack.

Jack: I’m on my way

Jack: Where are you?

You: I’m still getting ready, hold on ☺️

Jack: You and always getting late 😒

You: What can I say, I’m the main event

Before leaving the hotel, you fixed your earrings and grabbed your purse. You called your manager, telling them that you’re leaving for dinner.

-

Taking off your sunglasses, you stepped inside the restaurant. The rich scent was one factor as to why you began eating here recently, and today was the first time you were eating here with Jack. You had a huge smile on your face, feeling enthusiastic about Jack trying out new food, especially from this restaurant.

In front of you, there was a hostess. You greeted her and she began asking you the usual questions when first arriving.

“Welcome! Table of how many people?” the hostess asked you.

“A table of two, please,” you requested.

“Of course! What’s your name?”

“Y/n L/n.” you stated.

“Oh, your guest arrived! Follow me.”

You followed the hostess as she guided you to your table. By the time you showed up, Jack was already sitting there for 10 minutes.

“The waiter will arrive soon. Have a nice evening you two!”

Jack was laughing at your late appearance. “Look who showed up late to her planned date with me.”

You dramatically glared at him, “Don’t act like you don’t take time for yourself because I know you do.”

“Well it was worth the time because you do look nice today.”

You posed, thanking him in a British accent, “Why thank you, Jackman.”

“Did you learn that for-”

“No, it’s not for the upcoming movie, Jack.”

Jack responded back with a British accent as well, “Pretty impressive.”

A waiter was coming your way and he passed out two menus, one for you and the other for Jack.

“Welcome, what can I get for you?”

You decided to eat your typical meal that you love, and you pointed the meal to the waiter, who was writing it down on a notepad. Meanwhile, Jack was carefully looking at the menu, viewing what they have.

“May I get a-” Jack paused and attempted to pronounce the name of the meal before you interrupted and helped him out. The waiter also wrote Jack’s meal down, and before he left, he wanted to verify if you guys wanted the meals that he wrote down.

“So you want these meals, correct?”

“Yes, sir.”

“Okay. The meals will be ready for you guys in a few minutes. In the meantime, enjoy yourselves!”

“I can’t wait for you to try these foods out. I promise you that you’ll never go to another restaurant again. Because this, this is so fucking delicious,” you exaggerated.

“I believe you Y/n,” Jack smiled. “After Australia, I have to give the award for best recommendations to you.”

Your eyes widen, “Wait? You went to that place?! The one with the water and the stones?”

You loved that place in Australia. It was one of the best parts of your day as you were relaxed after a long day of filming. You wanted to hear more about Jack’s experience there.

“It was so calming. The weather seemed nice, and overall a beautiful scenery. It reminded me of you when I sat down and watched the sky.”

It was happening, you believed. “You really miss my absurd commentary, huh?”

“Not just your jokes, but you in general.”

His hand started reaching for your hand. It was something that haven’t experienced for a while, and it was a heartwarming moment for you two. You looked at him, and replied, “I truly miss this.”

He was ready to ask you out again, and began confessing, like past times. “I love you Y/n. I’ve always adored you since the first time you popped up on my TV screen, and I felt like the luckiest man when I met you, and I’m sorry I couldn’t be there for you sooner. I’ll fix things this time, I promise you I’ll do anything for you, my love.”

You didn’t want Jack to feel in a similar position like you were at the VMAs. “Jack, it’s okay, don’t worry about it now. In fact, why don’t we just start over?”

You wanted to tell everything to Jack in one sitting, but you first wanted to go back to basics. Meanwhile, Jack took this is a humorous manner. “Hi, I’m Jack.”

You smiled at Jack, “I know who you are. By the way, I’m Y/n, and I am going to attend the Venice Film Festival this weekend. What about you, any plans?”

“I have a tour coming up.”

“I have a tour coming up as well, a press tour to be specific.”

“When can you be free for our next date?”

“Hmm…” you began looking at your calendar from your phone, and it has a few notes in them, including interview, events, and photoshoot dates.

“Around early October, for sure.”

“In New York?”

“Yeah.”

“Then, would you like to go out on a date with me on October 8th?”

“Of course, Jack.”

The food has arrived, and it was served to the table. You and Jack began eating, and it was a delightful night for the two. You were right about Jack, as he said that he will consider coming back to eat here again.

Before leaving the restaurant, Jack offered to pay the dinner like he promised, and left a tip by the counter. Jack then reached in to give you a goodbye kiss, the first kiss since the MET Gala in May. He got red as soon as he left,

You began walking outside, thinking about Jack and the new things you will try together now that autumn and winter is coming. It marked an end of an era, and a start of a fresh and improved relationship with Jack.