#and tell little carmen stories about curses

[bewitchingbaker]

If they had a kid meme for @hunting-songs ! HEY JO ONE OF MY FAVORITE PROMPTS FOR CHARACTERDESIGN! JOOOOOOOO!

Name:

Carmen Legato Luna

Gender:

Female

General Appearance:

Carmen is a tall young woman possessing light brown skin. The young musician inherited her mother's hair, though she does have her father's curly pattern and often ties it in a ponytail. Carmen has a cute nose like most Lunas along with a pair of dark brown eyes that occasionally emit a purple hue when she uses her abilities.

Their daughter tends to favor rather minimalist outfits (plain t-shirts, leggings or jeans, and basic sneakers) though she does have a soft spot for her father's vintage band merchandise. Carmen can often be found wearing some form of a baseball hat or badanna.

Personality:

Carmen Luna is a kind, a patient young lady with a passion for music history. At first glance, she can come off as shy but really she's listening to your heartbeat to see what kind of person you are. Like her parents, she can be pretty mischievous and silly.

When she's not helping Chris at the bakery or joining her mom on her adventures, Carmen likes to play her various instruments (her favorites are guitar, flute and SP-404) and learning as much as she can about music. She tends to favor documentaries and novels.

Special Talents:

She's a multi-instrumentalist, and her specialties include guitar, flute, and percussion. While not an expert, the young Luna shows proficiency in nen, gravitating towards enhancement for her hearing.

Who they like better:

Carmen likes both of her parents equally, though she likes Chris just a little more cause he's a bit more lenient on things.

Who they take after more:

Senritsu, especially her love of music and desire to travel.

Personal Head canon:

Carmen, like her mother, ends up traveling the world for work (I'm thinking as historian or potentially a dj). Although she does so in a car she inherited from Chris.

Face Claim:

Erin Kellyman

[@hunting-songs]

[forzalando]

boo’d up

summary: a night out enjoying some haunted houses leads to a few surprises pairing: oscar piastri x f!reader (Y/N, use of she/her), implied pairings of alex x charles, rebecca x carlos, & carmen x george wc: 1.6k warnings: descriptions of a haunted house (including darkness, tight spaces, screaming), mentions of being afraid/panicking, cursing author's note: guys i had this idea (because this is based on a true story/real-life experience where i was Y/N in this exact scenario except it was not a hot guy/oscar piastri, it was a young woman and i scared the absolute shit out of her). so i took a lot of creative liberties here. anyway! this is completely un-edited and complete garbage but i couldn't get it out of my head and i haven't written in 12 years. i figured it was time. go crazy!

It was a cold October night; the wind whistling through half-barren trees caused a slight shiver to trickle down your body.  The sun had set on the drive to your destination – an old farm in the middle of nowhere, which your friends had pointed out multiple times was a recipe for disaster. You shamelessly pulled the upcoming birthday card to get them to agree to the weekend activity: a haunted house compound you’d read about online that had impeccable reviews – four different houses for $40 was a deal you couldn’t pass up.

A massive, dark, dilapidated house stood in front of you – your first haunted destination of the evening. Screams from inside pierced through the air and sent waves of uneasiness and excitement through you; you’d fallen prey to falsely advertised haunted houses in the past, so you hoped with all your might that these did not disappoint.

“I should’ve stayed home,” Carmen grumbled as she pouted behind you in line. “It’s freezing, dark, and I have a million things I could be working on.”

“Oh, come on, Carm,” you teased, lightly punching her arm. “You’re telling me this isn’t your ideal Saturday night?”

“It’s definitely mine,” Rebecca chirped. “I love Halloween – all the creepy crawlies, scary movies, witches, chainsaw-wielding psychopaths. And candy, can’t forget the candy.”

You laughed and looked around at your small group, your smile faltering a bit when your eyes landed on Alex. She’d wrapped herself up tightly in her sweater, and you could tell she was trying her hardest to put on a brave face, but you saw right through the façade.

“Alex, we don’t have to do this if you don’t want to,” you urged. “I promise you, it’s absolutely ok.”

She shook her head quickly, linking her arm through yours. “I’ll be fine – it’s all fake, right? And I’ll just hold onto you the whole time; I’m still betting that you’re going to be the most scared out of all of us, even if you disagree.”

“Well, we’re about to find out,” you sang, pulling Alex forward to follow Rebecca and Carmen into the menacing-looking house.

Immediately upon entering, you were plunged into complete darkness. The hallways were just wide enough to walk through sideways – if you tried to walk straight, your shoulders scraped against the walls. People were incessantly banging on the walls beside you – screaming and shouting in your ears, your face, following you as you tried to shimmy as quickly as you could through the maze.

You could feel your heart rate kicking up, and each time someone banged on the wall and screamed near you, it began to beat even faster.

In the midst of your panic, you realized Alex’s hand was no longer in yours. You reached back blindly until you were gripping her sweater-clad forearm and started pulling, but surprisingly, pulling with very little movement.

“Alex, move faster,” you pleaded, growing more and more impatient, more panicked. It felt as if she was trying to keep you from running, trying to pull you back and keep you in that godforsaken house. Either the latter or she had suddenly gained a shit ton of muscle, preventing you from pulling her along with ease. “I’m scared, okay? You win, I’m terrified. Now, please try to keep up, I can’t see a goddamned thing.”

The horrors seemed endless – it was still pitch black, and the further you went into the house, the smaller the hallways became. As soon as you started to think you’d never get out and would be stuck in that nightmare forever, you saw streaks of moonlight ahead and burst through a black curtain into the cool, night air.

Gasping for a breath, you dropped Alex’s arm and started yelling as you spun to face her.

“Alex, what the hell – oh my god, you’re not Alex.”

Stood behind you, rubbing their wrist, was an impossibly attractive guy around your age with floppy brown hair and a look of concern on his face.

“You’ve got a hell of a grip,” he mumbled, a thick Australian accent hitting your ears. “Think you might have bruised me.”

You could hear Rebecca and Carmen snickering somewhere behind you, “Yeah, Y/N, you bruised him.”

It took everything in you, but you ignored your friends and focused your attention on the handsome stranger before you.

“I am so, so sorry; I thought you were my friend, and I was panicking just a bit, trying to get out of there as fast as I could. Plus, Alex was afraid before we even got in the house and – wait where is Alex?”

You started looking around frantically, convinced that you’d left your friend stranded in that abomination of a haunted house, only to hear her giggling and chatting with someone just a few feet away.

“It looks like Charles rescued your friend,” the handsome stranger shared. “Since you were too focused on ripping my arm out of my socket.”

“I said I was sorry – ” you started to say, but as you turned back towards him, you noticed a smirk of amusement on his face.

He put his hands in the air in surrender and laughed, “Hey, I’m just messing with you; no actual harm done. I’m Oscar, by the way.”

“Y/N,” you whispered back, feeling a sudden wave of shyness come over you now that the initial shock was wearing off. “And I really am sorry, I hope I didn’t freak you out too much.”

You froze as he stepped closer to you and lowered his voice. “Can you keep a secret?”

Nodding in response, you held your breath as he leaned in even closer to whisper in your ear. “That was absolutely terrifying and I’m glad I had you guiding me through.”

Heat rose up your neck as he pulled away slowly, a soft smile on his face and kind eyes to match.

“Well, I’d use the word guiding very lightly,” you laughed. “More like yanking or heaving, well, trying to. I could barely move you, and I was pulling with all my might. You must eat some serious amounts of spinach.”

“Spinach?”

“You know, Popeye? The sailor man? I’m strong to the finish, cause I eats me spinach?”

He shook his head and your cheeks heated in embarrassment – Popeye? Really?

Before you could die of humiliation and make one of the houses actually haunted, he bumped his shoulder against yours and laughed.

“Must be an American thing – I’m new here.”

“Well, maybe I can show you around,” you offered, bumping his shoulder right back. “I’ve been told I’m a great tour guide.”

“I’d like that very much. Maybe you can start by taking me through the rest of these houses? You can hold my hand – just in case you get scared again.”

He spoke with all the confidence in the world, but his cheeks and nose were flushed a gorgeous pink that you could see even in the moonlight.

You slipped your hand in his and turned your attention back to your friends, who were watching with wide eyes.

“Leave it to Y/N to accidentally almost kidnap a complete stranger in a pitch-black haunted house, and they turn out to be her dream guy,” Rebecca teased. “Looks like Alex found someone too – what did we do wrong, Carmen?”

Before Carmen could answer, two voices shouted from behind and caught everyone’s attention – two more devastatingly handsome men running towards your group.

“Hey, sorry we’re late, Carlos got us lost,” a British voice rang out.

Out of the corner of your eye, you saw Carmen and Rebecca smile giddily and high-five each other. Before walking over to the newcomers, they winked in your direction and whispered simultaneous “thank you’s”.

You winked back and squeezed Oscar’s hand a little tighter before leading everyone towards the next house.

“I think this next one is clown-themed,” someone mused from behind, causing you to stiffen.

“Clowns?” You whispered, your steps slowing to a near stop.

Alex giggled – “See, Y/N, I told you that you’d end up being the most scared! You should’ve listened to us when we tried to change your mind about coming!”

You turned your gaze towards Oscar, his eyes already on you and that adorable pink blush still prominent on his cheeks. “You know what, I’m actually really glad we came, even if I hate the dark, hate tight spaces, hate clowns, and will probably hate whatever else comes after that.”

“I’m glad you came too,” Oscar replied, adjusting his grip to link his fingers through yours. “And don’t worry, I’ll protect you from any clowns.”

“Mate, you’re terrified of clowns,” Charles ribbed. “You literally said on the way here that if there were any clown-themed houses, you would leave.”

“Gee, thanks, Charles, you could have just kept that to yourself for the sake of my pride.”

“We can protect each other,” you offered. “Or if it’s too much, we can grab some seriously overpriced snacks and wait for everyone else to go through the rest of the houses.”

“How about we face our fear but if either of us screams at any point in the house, you let me take you on a date?”

“I mean, we’re both afraid of clowns, it’s bound to happen,” you acknowledged.

He smiled at you; a heart-stopping, full-mouthed grin, and clarified, “Exactly.”

As soon as you stepped into the haunted house, only one foot each in the door before anything or anyone had even popped out, you both let out blood-curdling shrieks.

taglist: @scuderiahoney @lam-ila @nebarious @chocolatepoetryfun @maxlarens @coff33andb00ks @katsu28 @sof1shticated @viikysmile @scuderiarossa @littlegrapejuice @alexxavicry @priopp123 @wobblymug @ctrlyomomma @ladystardust05 @reiofsuns2001 @foreveralbon @anaviieiraaa

taglist post: here!! if you’d like to be added!

[queers-gambit]

Campus Breakdown

prompt: ( requested ) after a hard day, at least you can come home to him.

pairing: Carmen 'Carmy' Berzatto x female!reader

fandom masterlist: FX's The Bear

word count: 1.6k+

warnings: reader's a graduate student, cursing, small angst but mostly small hurt bigger comfort.

The door slammed shut in a forceful rattle, making Carmy perk up from his place on the couch. "Baby?" He called, setting aside the magazine you left behind.

"Carmy?" You sounded confused, exiting the foyer to round into the living room. "Hey, what're you doing home so early?"

"Uh, pipe burst at work, left Fak t'deal with it," he sniffled, muting the television. "What's up with you? Or do you always slam doors happily around here?"

You sighed, "Sorry, I just - it's been a day and a half, you know?"

He pouted dramatically, offering, "Wanna tell me 'bout it?"

"It won't fix what happened."

"No, but it might help get it off your chest, filter a little emotion."

You nodded absently, "I think I might want a glass of wine first - maybe two."

He felt a surge of empathy in his chest, knowing that distant look in your eyes and the way your entire demeanor seemed absent, distracted, exhausted. Work often kicked his ass, too, so there was an understanding after so many nights you had let him rant and rave about whatever went wrong - it was only right to return the favor.

Carmy readjusted the pillows and coffee table, leaning over to light the scented candle you kept there; grabbing a blanket to prepare for you. When you entered the living room, you had stripped out of your pants and was pouring a glass of wine, leaving the bottle on the cleaned-up coffee table; sighing when you dropped onto the couch.

"All right, pretty girl," Carmy chuckled, pulling your feet into his lap. You readjusted with a small grumble as Carmy then tossed the blanket over you, but left your feet out for him to massage. "Tell me what happened today."

You held up a single finger, downing more than half your glass of wine. Carm's brows perked up, blinking in shock before nodding slowly when you swallowed. "Today. Fucking. Sucked," you told him.

"I can see that, and feel it - your feet are knotted," he noted, working his thumbs into the meat. "Did you sit down at all today?"

"Well, no, 'cause I had to work alone today," you groaned. "Lisa has mono, Brittany had to make up some exam, Benjamin apparently had a meeting with the bursar's office, and Stacy literally stood outside, fighting with her boyfriend - like what!?"

Carmy offered you a stale look in reaction to your story, "She get docked?"

"Well, yeah, I mean, I kinda had to; she didn't bus a single table, she didn't talk to a single customer, like, the only other person working with me today was Carl and he was in the kitchen the whole time."

"Doesn't sound exactly fair..."

"It's a shitty campus diner, Carmy, 'fair' isn't exactly in their vocabulary, but the tips are semi decent 'cause we have that 'drunk rush special'. Oh! Wait! That's not all," you hummed, taking another gulp. "'Cause why would anything go right on a day I worked the entire floor alone? Right?"

"What else?" He asked, turning in his seat so he could face you directly; still massaging your feet, but leaning his cheek on your bent knee to remain close.

"The fucking register went down."

"You mean the only one in the whole place?"

"Yep, of course! 'Cause why the fuck wouldn't anything go right?" You scoffed. "And it's not like any of this was, like, hidden, you know? It was very obvious I was working alone, the register was fucked, but do you think that made anyone empathetic towards the situation? No, of course not, they wanted to just pay their bills and leave. Which I fucking get! But like, what!?"

"What'd you do?"

"Took cash only," you shrugged. "ATM was still up and running, so it was on them," you wiped you eyes, sighing deeply. "Still bitched the whole time though, complained to whoever listened. End of the night, that new manager even docked my tips, you believe that?"

"Hold up - for what?" Carm snapped.

"Customers were that pissed, Carmy, so a few of them dined-and-dashed, someone had to pay," you whined, head tilted back. "Like I did any of this on purpose? Like I went and unplugged shit myself? Like I wanted to make my life significantly harder? Do people even fucking think by themselves now? Where's the empathy?"

"Nah, they definitely lack in that department," he chuckled. "Know what I'm gonna say, right?"

"Hmm? Oh, Carmy, no," you groaned, "I'm not working at The Beef."

"It's ten times better than where you work, baby," he pouted. "And I could use someone with experience like yours with the customers. Richie's not always the best 'face of the store', you know?"

"No, Carmy," you refused sternly.

"C'mon, why not?"

"You as my boss? And boyfriend? Fuck no!"

"I'm literally so nice!"

"Yeah, that's exactly what Sydney says," you laughed, nudging his stomach with your foot. "Baby, no. Listen, I appreciate it, I really do, but I get ten times the tips at that shitty diner than I would at The Beef, and it's right on campus so I lose literally no time."

He sighed, "You're only, what? A year out from your Masters?"

"Just about," you grumbled with a pout.

Carmy chuckled, "C'mon, baby, don't torture yourself. Get a new job."

"I'm not, I'm just - " You cut yourself off with a sigh, hating that advice (as if it were just so simple), shaking your head and finishing your wine. "I'm just dealing with my current circumstances, I'm sorry I came home in a bad mood - "

"No, hey, wait," Carmy sat up, reaching for your cheek to hold, "I didn't mean to make you feel as if I was shutting you down. Baby, I always want you t'talk to me, okay? I just mean, there's something better out there, and you deserve better than that place. I hate seeing you so stressed out," he pouted dramatically, making you snicker lightly.

"You're one to talk," you reminded softly, sitting up so you could nestle under his arm. "You're stressed out, like, more than 90% of the time."

"Hey now, we're talkin' about your day, not mine," he deflected with a small chuckle. "What if I asked around a bit? You know, a different server job? I can check out places close to campus, but you'd get much better tips and better customers at a nicer place."

You groaned, "Now that sounds nice." He chuckled with you now. "I mean, it's bad enough I have to deal with those creepy frat boys in class, but in the diner, I have to play nice 'cause they tip with daddy's money well if I don't shut them up. It'd be nice working somewhere they couldn't even afford t'walk into."

"See? I'm good for something."

"You're good for everything, Carm, shut up," you laughed, leaning up to kiss his jawline. "I'm just tired of this whole 'pay your dues' bullshit. You know? I get having to suffer a little to build a better character, but for fuck's sake."

Carmy pouted, "Sounds like a second glass of wine kinda rant?"

You pouted back at him, nodding, both mockingly making little noises as he lifted from his sitting position to snag the bottle of wine. You smiled as he poured, watching his face, loving the effect he had on you; feeling calm and serene, and it wasn't the alcohol. When the bottle was set aside again, he tugged your legs over his lap and laid one of his arms around your shoulders; keeping you snuggled close and under the blanket.

"What else happened?" He asked softly, kissing your temple.

"I don't want to sound like I'm just bitching."

"How else do you expect to blow off steam? Huh?" He countered. "You're not bothering me, I want to hear this, baby - all of it. So, lemme recount, yeah? Okay, so, you worked alone your whole shift with only the frycook in the back, the cash register went down, and that made a buncha customers all pissed off. Enough that a few dipped off and you had to cover their bills. But the ATM was good, so they could still pay cash, but they were still being dickheads, yeah?"

"Mhm," you hummed, halting yourself.

"Nuh-uh, c'mon, what else?"

Tears sprung to your eyes as your head lulled onto his shoulder. "It was just a really shitty day, Carm," you whispered, giving a small sniffle. "Guys are grimy and gross, they garnished my wages 'cause of those dashers - I told you. It was a fucking shit show! Oh, and a few bulbs blew all within 10 minutes of each other - like fully snap, crackle, and pop, blew out. So, I had to call the electrician, he took over 2 hours to get there, so, part of the back dining room was darker and this group of guys all decided to sit back there - it was so fucking creepy!"

Carmen frowned, listening to you rant and rave about how overworked and under appreciated you were. He held you tight, raking a hand through your hair, tracing invisible patterns on your upper arm; keeping you close as the wine slowly sunk into your blood. You grew less lucid by the passing hour, mostly the exhaustion sinking in, but Carmy didn't mind.

He just adjusted you both on the couch so he was laid out with you safely tucked between the cushions and his body. You had long since changed subjects; going from shitty work conditions to sports to your coursework load, then to The Beef, breezed over whatever Richie's daily attitude was about, then quietly debated if Carmy was taking the weekend off to spend it with you. Now, the TV was the only light on in the apartment, wine bottle empty, you resting on Carmy's chest; his arms tight around you, blanket tangled around your legs, both speaking quietly into the night before sleep claimed you both.

requesting rules and masterlist

The Bear masterlist

[moonlight-sonata99]

Walk the line

Trigger warnings: domestic fights,talk about addiction, suicide mentions. Loss. Alot of cussing.

No.1

Mikey

Carmy Berzatto x reader

A/n: I love carmy bro - but yea, this is uh..a passion project, honestly. I haven't wrote in a hot minute. But..I feel confident. Btw. This story will focus alot on addiction, not the Reader specifically, though. But her dad.

Slow burn/angst/comedy

The sounds of furniture falling and glass breaking behind the door as it Slams open and her face is red and her chest rises up and down quickly as the man behind her on the floor his cheek red from the hit he received from his daughter as his wife stands beside shocked, unable to move the only sound was them getting their stuff and leaving before making their way out the door they looks back and points their finger at the man who's cheeks are red his left a bit bloody

"Dont fucking talk to me unless you've been sober for a year. you hear me?" They breathe out as their mom calls out to them as they turn their back to their parents and rush away. Only leaving the cries of their mother and their father left on the floor as the sound of the ambulance gets closer and closer. 

That was a while ago.

Since then, i think i've done well. Maybe. Got a job at some restaurant,the boss is cool. The coolest boss I might have had Honestly. Micheal Berzatto, AKA… Mikey, I've known him about… maybe a few months now? It's been a while since I've been "away" from home, anyways yea. Been working at this cool joint called the beef. Everyone feels like one big friend group. Yeah, it's really nice. I got a nice apartment, too. Well, " nice" is better than any other house that deadbeat ever got us.

 Anyways, yeah. I hope you've been well ma. I sent you money with this. Don't try to send it back. And don't let that asshole see you with it.

I'm doing good, So don't worry.

With much love. 

"Hey,speaking of assholes, what's the big deal with this brother?" You ask, looking down at the piece of onion you were cutting as mikey cooked behind you. 

"Asshole? Ooh you mean my brother carmy? " He replies, keeping his gaze on the meat. 

"yeah"

"Well there's a lot to say about him " he breathes out but a smile can obviously be detected in his voice 

"Well then tell me about him genius" 

"hes not your type " Tina chimes in as the rest laugh,

"Thats not- Okay, maybe that's why i asked. But if you really say so, " you reply, shrugging and putting the knife down and leaving the onions to grilI as - you turned to look at him. But he kept his back to you as he began to speak.

"no yeah- Carm… little brother Carmen. he's a chef in some fancy restaurant, nice right? " He admitted, watching the knife gliding through the meat smoothly.

"for real?" you gasped out looking at his back,

"for fucking real."

Remembering when that had happened. Mikey had a smile on his face when he spoke about his brother. Later on, you learned the two weren't on speaking terms. A part of you cursed yourself out of even having the gall to ask about a slightly  sensitive topic, but another part of yourself felt...good to know at least he didn't hate his brother, Who'd want to hate their own siblings? 

You knew better than to intervene.

It was february 21st, as you gathered your sweater, in the corner of your eye, you noticed Michael sitting in his office looking at a small white envelope. 

"Hey, mikey," you guy, as you knocked lightly before entering his office, and he looked up his eyes, meeting yours.

" hey- " he coughed  " hey whats up? " he said, rubbing his nose with the tips of his fingers. 

" I should be asking you that '' you reply, putting on your bag.' You okay ? You've been… out of it these past few days. '' You say, tilting your head slightly.

"Im good" he mumbles out his hand over his mouth as he nods. 

" Okay … if you ever need anything, just call me. Okay?" 

" Gotcha," he says as you nod and make your way outside.

"hey uh be careful " he yells out as you heal out the door and the leans against his office door frame as you turn your head back to look at him.

" Yeah you too mikey" 

Hey ma, me again. It's been a hot  minute since I sent you a message. in terms of like… talking. i just wanted to check up on you. Make sure everything is okay, y'know? i'll be honest. I haven't been doing so well. if were being honest…  I lost a friend. a good friend. Mikey, he Uh… Comitted  suicide. and i don't know how to feel. Well,I feel sad. I spent… all week crying. 

Yea i have brothers, but Mikey felt like the brother I never had.

due to moving so much as a kid, i didn't have any friends.

no girlfriends, boyfriends.

i didn't want any if i'm honest.

but Mikey changed that.In terms of friendship I mean.

i remember when i first met him, i was about to blow him off because he was pestering me about his  restaurant. i mean, i was working for Petes sake. But he was loud,

and i gave in.

after that he let me into his family, albeit made of people working in a restaurant.

you know that thing when Companies say their employees are family and it's usually bullshit??

Yea,Mikey always meant that shit. 

 

Ritchie told me his brothers were coming to take over. I'm not sure how to feel about it . The asshole didn't even come his funeral. Anyway, yeah, that what has been up with me. Sorry for suddenly dumping all of this on you.

i lost a good friend. 

A/n: I really like writing for this series, honestly. Please tell me if you guys want more :]

[halastar05]

ALRIGHT JUST PLAYED ROT IN PARADISE WITH A FRIEND

So! Me and @xinnamonbun just finished playing Rot in Paradise! And obviously I have thoughts.

So spoilers/rant under cut:

…

OKAY SO EXPECTANTLY I LOVED THIS GAME!

As always with Studio Investigrave games the characters and their interactions definitely did not disappoint, there were so many funny scenes and lines of dialogue here! I love just seeing friend group shenanigans, each of the individual characters were amazing too! I especially loved June and Vonnie! All in all very fun characters I wanna learn more about (NEED TO KNOW HOW THEY MET, I feel like it was Highschool…)! I also like the way the characters get twisted by whatever curse is taking place on the island. It feels like it’s specifically turning a trait of theirs inside out. First of all, Macoy brings up early on how he really doesn’t like violence or resorting to it, however once the rot takes effect, he slaps June (And we can tell the curse is only just starting here since he does apologize and seems surprised at his own actions). The game brings up a few times how open Carmen usually is, however once the rot takes effect she becomes very closed off and refuses any help while also verbally lashing out a few times. Vonnie is admittedly a little harder to pin point, but I wanna say it’s how orderly she usually is, which then gets tossed out the window once the rot takes effect, making her much more messy and sloppy (not to mention getting a midnight snack does not seem in character for her). The rot completely twists them, making them almost unrecognizable to June.

Like always I loved the art, however it was a different style (to me it seemed closer to Rix’s art style, aka the co developer for the SIG games, but that might just be me). Trust me I still LOVED the art, especially how well the creepy scenes were done, and how goofy some of the sillier scenes were! Also was in LOVE with all the colors, especially since they could get dreary so quickly to emphasize the tone, the art at the end of the game with June specifically BROKE ME.

I did really like the story! However it admittedly was a tad confusing. I really like the metaphor of knowing when to hold on and let go of friends. I personally do think that it was mostly the rot that made them toxic, but it definitely still makes the metaphor work pretty well and really makes you feel for June. The desperation at the end, she just wants to hold on to them even if they hurt her, before having to make the horrible decision of letting go. It’s a lost cause, the survival ending is realizing that, while the death ending is holding on so hard in an attempt to salvage it that you simply drown with them. In one ending you die together, in the other you survive alone. The only thing that confuses me it the curse itself. Even though I agree that it’s not the true focus of the story and the mystery does make things a lot more tense and scary, more or so for the sake of an AU though I kinda wish I knew more TvT

But overall I did LOVE this game. Absolutely in love with this friend group as well. Also loved being able to actually play the game instead of having to use a play through for once! It was a pain to set up but god it was so much fun to play through and voice act, especially with a friend!

Alright I think that’s it now, got aus to work on-

[itsdappleagain]

tagged by @emily-prentits THANK YOUU THIS LOOKS SO FUN

1. how many works do you have on ao3?

18!

2. what's your total ao3 word count?

141,974 words...which is a little embarassing considering jo, who tagged me, has 59 works and only about 30,000 more words. evidently i like my longfics.

3. what fandoms do you write for?

carmen sandiego 2019! 17 of those and one (1) original work that i dont mention in this post at all

4. what are your top 5 fics by kudos?

the cardinal and the kitten - 325 kudos

say you'll share with me one love, one lifetime (let me lead you from your solitude) - 164 kudos (we call her the phantom au for short)

simple are the ways of love (simple as the touch of another's hands) - 156 kudos

Upon the Sword - 154 kudos

Everything is a Lie - 127 kudos

5. do you respond to comments?

Most of them yes!! I LOVE getting comments I screenshot and save every one I get.

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

Hm- I guess it depends. Hellscape ends with Carmen's internal monologue just before she gets mind-wiped by VILE, but its technically no angstier than canon. they gave you life (and in return you gave them hell) is pretty angsty the whole way through and examines Carmen's trauma.

Those are both little one-shots, though- I usually end my reigns of terror within chapter fics pretty happily if I can manage it. The Phantom AU (linked above) ends in a dark place but leagues brighter than it seemed to be heading towards. It isn't a terribly neat and happy ending, and it tells a story of trauma and attempted suicide and the road to recovery from these. Let's go with that one.

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

In Love Is A Locked Cell Door Chase Devineaux and Crackle happily start making out in a jail cell and live happily ever after!

Ok, being serious-

For a one-shot, simple (linked above) starts happy and ends happier.

For a chapter fic, Choice ends with Carmen, Julia, and Gray all living in a very happy polycule pardoned from the law with full emotional control of their lives which is fun :]

8. do you get hate on fics?

@emily-prentits used to leave passive aggressive comments on my wattpad and we would fight in the comments sections 💀now we're partners so make of that what you will. but anyway, no serious ones, no!

9. do you write smut? if so, what kind?

No, not really! I have a few "fade-to-blacks" or skip-overs without any detail. The one time I tried writing smut it was really forced and hard for me to write...doesn't help that I've never felt sexual attraction in my life so I don't know about that. Curse you asexuality for taking papertiger handcuff sex away from the world.

10. do you write crossovers? what's the craziest one you've written?

No, I'm not a fan of crossovers

11. have you ever had a fic stolen?

I've had one or two...heavily referenced. Not in bad faith, but it was funny to see a lot of my plot and prose mannerisms reworded in a younger author's fic. I think they credited me as inspiration or gifted it to me both times so its not a big deal.

12. have you ever had a fic translated?

I have not!

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

If FRANTIC FANFIC! counts, which it shouldn't lol. Also the polycule is working on something :3

14. what's your all time favourite ship?

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

I have an au where paper star and black sheep escape VILE together and go through a sort of friends to lovers to enemies deal as carmen (renamed cardinal here due to never escaping in the boat the way she does in canon), though influenced by paper star at the start, eventually finds her inevitable path of good while paper star slips into a chaos that cardinal just can't stomach

ill paste a snippet here that i wrote but its a little bit long and complex and i dont have a ton of motivation for it

16. what are your writing strengths?

ABILITY TO MAKE READERS SUFFER

17. what are your writing weaknesses?

cohesive plot...lord help me i cannot plan a fic to the end before i post chapter 1 and it bites me in the ass all the time

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

if there's a small amount of it, i usually write it as-is in the other language and use external sources or context clues to explain it. if a lot of dialogue is in another language, I'll put it in brackets and write it in english!

19. first fandom you wrote for?

carmen sandiego. still going lmfao

20. favorite fic you've written?

that's really hard- i'm going to do top three in no particular order SORRY

Love, Carmen - this was the first or one of the first fics I ever wrote. it put me on the map a little bit (wattpad..) in terms of writing and boosted upon the sword and choice when they came along. it was really fun to just be young and writing after finishing all two released seasons of the show. i still like it a lot. its just cute and simple.

the phantom au - what a labor of love. i've had other fics (evil carlotta series, cough cough) that have been long and complex but those strayed into meandering and pointless and i lost a lot of motivation. phantom combined my love of theater with my favorite show and my hunger for angst angst angst. it was super fun to write and, at the risk of sounding vain, i pulled off a very hard to pull off trope at the end and i think i did it well. i think if you read any one of mine, this highlights a lot of my strengths.

the cardinal and the kitten - this is a popular one of mine that kind of serves as an updated love, carmen. i really enjoy how i wrote carmen and julia playing off of each other and my dialogue is very strong in this one.

okay, sorry about how long that was i treated it like a professional interview. i had a lot of fun writing this instead of working on a very important school project

[snarky-bee]

oc tarot asks! moxie: the magician, the star, the sun. renata: the fool in reverse, the hierophant in reverse.

The artist formerly known as [redacted] aka Moxie: The Magician: How does your character unleash their creativity or resourcefulness?

Ha, well, I think she is very creative when it comes to sneaky problem solving, quick witted with a lie on the tip of her tongue and a tall tale. She's great at making up a tall tale whether to accomplish something like sneaking in somewhere or literally just to see if people will believe her. It's just fun. She had to learn to be resourceful after running away from home, so coming up with grifts like totally BS fortune telling or selling something cheap and pretending it is magical is well within her skillset too. Also she used to do pottery with her wife. Creative and fun!

The Star: When has your character been most hopeful?

Once: when Ayla came into her life and rescued her from the witch's curse (which sounds so absurd to type but a witch turned her into a badger so yeah thats a meet cute). And suddenly a totally different path in her life opened up for her. What if she followed Ayla. What if she came to the grove and she was part of a community instead of fending mostly for herself.

Twice: when a little goblin invited her in as family and promised a home upon return from their adventures. Another grove, another community and a very similar open heart.

Thrice: sitting around having tea with friends who swore to keep her safe and whole even in all her sadness. She was not alone

The Sun: When does your character sit back and enjoy themselves?

as much as possible! It's been hard a bit recently, but enjoying company and talking and sharing stories and laughter and playing games is when moxie is happiest of all. she's such an extrovert so she seeks company out whenever there is time, seeks out ways to have fun - shopping (loves clothes) or talking with someone over a shared drink or meal pretty much whenever possible. She would happily skip out on doing work for fun instead (see sitting on the counter while everyone else cooks so she can chat the whole time) Renata Calabria:

The Fool in Reverse: When has your character acted recklessly?

Kissing Aristide. Kissing them again (in public outside a bar!). Having sex with Aristide a second AND a third time. Renata thinks saving Ari's life was reckless but in her heart there was never another option to her.

She 99% of the time thinks over everything before doing it. But also it was pretty reckless to let her girlfriend pierce her nipples for her. While tipsy. Call that idiot teenage brain syndrome.

The Hierophant in Reverse: When has your character’s personal beliefs been challenged?

When Ari told her that Carmen's death wasn't her fault. That still needs to be challenged more to be honest. She can't see that it is Crow brainwashing that made her do it, she only sees that she was the one with the knife. And in that she really thought no one could truly feel love for her after that. But Ari proved that wrong so completely that it still astounds her when she thinks about it.

[princesssarisa]

Sleeping Beauty Spring: Happily Ever After: Fairy Tales for Every Child – Sleeping Beauty" (1995 animated series episode)

Happily Ever After: Fairy Tales for Every Child was like an animated musical counterpart to Shelley Duvall's Faerie Tale Theatre for children of the '90s. Each episode, narrated by Robert Guillaume, adapts a classic fairy tale or fantasy story with a star-studded voice cast, blending irreverent humor with sincerity. But what sets this series apart from any similar series is that each story takes place in a different culture. Highlight episodes include a Chinese Little Red Riding Hood, a Caribbean Goldilocks and the Three Bears, a Native American Snow White, African versions of Jack and the Beanstalk, The Frog Prince, and Beauty and the Beast, and Latin American versions of Hansel and Gretel, Cinderella... and Sleeping Beauty.

This retelling of the tale takes place in an imaginary Latin American seaside kingdom. The dialogue is peppered with Spanish words and phrases, and the voice cast consists entirely of Latino and part-Latino celebrities: Marie Barrientos as Princess Rosita, Ricardo Montalbán as King Carlos, Lucie Arnaz as Queen Maria, Paul Rodriguez as Jesse the Jester, Jacob Vargas as Prince Luis, Carlos Mencia as his squire Poncho, Carmen Zapata as the Seventh Fairy, Vanessa Marquez as all of the other six fairies, and musical theatre/opera singer Julia Migenes as the villainous fairy Evelina.

Apart from the Latin American setting, the plot faithfully follows the traditional story. King Carlos and Queen Maria yearn for a child, comforted only by the slapstick comedy of their clumsy jester, Jesse. But at last, Princess Rosita is born. To her grand christening – a fiesta with flamenco dancing, salsa music, and a feast of arroz con pollo and ropa vieja – the king and queen invite seven good fairies, portrayed as middle aged and elderly women with tiny wings. But the hideous old fairy Evelina goes uninvited because she shut herself away in a tower long ago and is presumed dead. Of course she comes anyway, and after expressing her offense a grand musical number, she curses the princess, but the pink-clad Seventh Fairy softens her curse from death to a hundred-year sleep.

Sixteen years later, as in the Cannon Movie Tales adaptation, the whole kingdom is dressed in rags and patches because no new cloth can be made without spinning wheels. Princess Rosita knows that spinning was banned due to an old prophecy, but doesn't know what that prophecy is. When her parents go out a tour of the kingdom, Jesse the Jester promises to look after her. But he promptly knocks himself unconscious on a column, so Rosita is free to explore unknown parts of the castle. Of course she finds a tower where Evelina waits with a spinning wheel. King Carlos, Queen Maria, and Jesse are distraught when they find Rosita sleeping, but the Seventh Fairy arrives and puts the rest of the kingdom to sleep too. Over a hundred years, a dense jungle grows around the castle.

At long last, Prince Luis and his nervous squire Poncho arrive. They've heard many legends about the old castle, but finally an old man tells them the true story. When they ride into the jungle, the trees miraculously part, and soon the prince finds Rosita and kisses her, breaking the spell. A fantastico wedding is celebrated with new clothes for everyone, Evelina "goes all to pieces" with rage (her tower explodes with her inside it, leaving just a smoking ruin), and everyone else lives happily ever after.

While the animation isn't the most sophisticated, its lively, colorful, stylized aesthetic is memorable and charming. It perfectly suits the balance between humor and heart that the script offers. As in most episodes of this series, there are two featured songs, the brief "Good Fairies' Song" and Evelina's "Que Es Esto" ("A party without me? Surely you jest-o!"), both infused with the local color of the setting.

I recommend not only this episode, but the entire Happily Ever After series to anyone who enjoys seeing fairy tales told with fresh, colorful new spins, and especially to children of different ethnic groups, who will enjoy seeing themselves in the classic tales.

@ariel-seagull-wings, @thealmightyemprex, @faintingheroine, @reds-revenge, @paexgo-rosa, @comma-after-dearest, @the-blue-fairie, @themousefromfantasyland, @thatscarletflycatcher, @fairytaleslive, @autistic-prince-cinderella

[pogidoow]

Frozen Creative Notes Volume 2 Part 1 | Chapter songs edition

Volume 1 | Chapter Titles edition

Some more extra content for the few readers who actually listen to the chapter songs or songs I sneak into the story.

Spoilers ahead up to chapter 15 so read at your own risk!

Chapter 1 Song | Firestarter by The Prodigy: The Prodigy is one of my all time favorite bands so it was only right to start the story off by making one of their songs an intro to Frost as a character. The moment Firestarter came on, I thought "this is Frost" because it foreshadows her personality and temper, along with the past she's known for, and hints that she's bringing that trouble with her. Additionally, I found it cool that there's a "Hey" repeating throughout the song. It's like she's greeting the TF141 as she joins the team, saying "Hey, I've arrived to complicate your lives."

2. Chapter 2 Song | it’s ok, you’re ok by Bonjr: although, it's an instrumental song, the title is relevant as it's what the officer says to little Frost once he finds her ("It's ok, you're ok. You're safe."). It's the first bit of comfort she ever receives from another person.

3. Chapter 3 Song | Conspiracy by Paramore: Frost finds out that the team lied and knew about Doberman before her transfer. Then, Price went behind her back and invited Keegan to join them on the mission. At this point, she still doesn't trust the team and realizes that the power she had as a solo operator is now fading. She begins to understand that she depends on the decisions of the team.

4. Chapter 4 song | Arrow by Surf Curse: This song is about what's going on inside Frost's head. It's the first time readers get a glimpse of her vulnerability, the way she deals with all the trauma she carries with her, and how bad she is at understanding her own emotions.

5. Chapter 5 Song | Night out by Radiator Hospital: Oopsie. This was just straight foreshadowing of what happens to Sergeant Bo.

6. Chapter 6 Song | It's All So Incredibly Loud by Glass Animals: We're inside Frost's head again. She's struggling with the loss of Bo and her guilt.

7. Chapter 7 Song | Tears by Boy Harsher: History repeats itself. Price asks Frost to join Las Cuchillas again. The song focuses on her discomfort at the thought of going back and foreshadows the origin of her knife throwing skills ("follow the knife").

8. Chapter 8 Song | Knife Prty by Deftones: Once again, a simple play on words. Frost takes on the members of Las Cuchillas, stealth-style with knives. The song foreshadows Frost's successful initiation and Carmen's pining for Frost in the following chapters.

9. Chapter 9 Song | Ese Hombre by LA INDIA: I fucking adore this song. Basically, the whole song is about a horrible man the singer is in a relationship with. She spits at his face, devours him. It's iconic. BUT although she hates him, he is still her man. This is how Carmen sees Frost. Frost has done her wrong, but she's still her Cocaina.

How can you not love it? She goes off lmao.

10. Chapter 10 Song | Reckoner by Radiohead: Aww this one. This one makes me siiiick. We're in Soap's head now... That sweet idiot. Soap risks his life to see and check on Frost while she's out with Las Cuchillas. The main reason for this song choice is the melody. It's as if I'm listening to Soap's desperation to save Frost in a form of a melody, how his thoughts and his heart tear at his helplessness. There's also this very simple line that perfectly explains his need to protect Frost at that very moment:

11. Chapter 11 Song | Summer Again by The Wytches: Frost loses Carmen. The grief is too much for her. She decides to leave. The whole song is just... just listen to it. It's an incredible musical depiction of vulnerability and pain. I feel like someone is tearing my heart open when I listen to it.

First line: Frost never got to tell Carmen how much she actually did care about her, second line: Frost is sitting on the floor with Carmen's body in her lap, third line: Frost decides to run away

12. Chapter 12 Song | Bad Timing by dEUS: Pretty self-explanatory. Frost comes back, only to find Soap and Jazz in her room. We all remember this one. Ouch.

13. Chapter 13 Song | You Do Something To Me by Paul Weller: The team goes on a team building trip. She's still in denial, but Frost realizes she has some kind of feelings for Soap since she is bothered by Jazz and they have a brief tense moment after the volleyball match. Beautiful song.

14. Chapter 14 Song | Vale by Maribou State: Frost starts pining for Soap, badly. She's barely holding herself together next to him, especially on the beach after the kayaking accident. The song shows Frost's internal vulnerability, excitement and realization that she does in fact, feel him.

15. Chapter 15 Song | Die On A Rope by The Distillers: Love the energy of this song and thought it would be awesome for an action-packed chapter. Also, a pretty literal play on words. Ghost and Frost are stuck on a cliff. Ghost urges her to jump to him but she's reluctant to do it. Will she jump? Will they die on a rope if she does?

---

That's it for Part 1. Let me know if you'd like Part 2!

[maninthemiroh]

INTRO

Hi, I'm Kittithorn! I go by he/they/it pronouns and I'm a kemetic, asexual, homoflexible, and afab Thai-American boy of color (about everything but white; my ancestors weren't fucking with Europeans). Anyway, I'm a shifter, K-Pop stan, anime fan, and V-Kei enjoyer.

Before you follow: I have autism as well as DID, OCD, and Tourettes. Additionally, I might curse quite a bit and vent post, maybe. Please, soft-block me to unfollow, inform me if I make you uncomfortable, and tell me if you need trigger/spoiler warnings for anything.

Don't interact if: You fit the dfi basis, are NCT ot21 or less (I don't support Taeil, but I do support LuSungTaro), anti reality shifting, Seunghan, eaJ, my artists or J-Rock/K-Pop/etc. as a whole, pro-Isreal, an akgae/regular solo stan/sasaeng, RCTA, InSomnia, a proshipper, support the Dream SMP, Nicki Minaj, Doja Cat, Hyuna, or go by an ethnic name that you don't biologically identify with.

More specifics below the cut :]

DR masterlist

My ult stan list: Block B, Cravity, E'Last, Exo, JustB, NCT, P1Harmony, Seventeen, SHINee, StayC, SuperM, and The Boyz.

My regular stan list: ATBO, Bae173, BoyNextDoor, BLITZERS, BtoB, BTS, DKB, DKZ, eaJ, Enhypen, Epex, Everglow, (G)I-dle, Kard, Kingdom, Luminous, Monsta X, nine.i, OneUs, OnlyOneOf, Omega X, RIIZE, SB19, SF9, Stray Kids, Tempest, The Rose, TRENDZ, XIKERS, TxT, TVXQ, WEi, and ZeroBaseOne.

Groups I'm learning about: &TEAM, CIX, BOY STORY, Kep1er, NTX, ONE PACT, ONF, TNX, XODIAC, Vanner, VeriVery, and YOUNITE.

Disbanded groups that I still support: 1Team, Cherry Bullet, CLC, D1ce, D-Crunch, GFRIEND, IZ*ONE, Mirae, miss A, NU'EST, TFN, and TO1

Bands I listen to: Ashmaze., Beyond, Black Panther, Bomb at Track, BUCK-TICK, Daylotus, DazzlingBad, Deadmans Espirit, DEVILOOF, DEXCORE, DEZERT, Dir En Grey, 魚條, Flesh Juicer, Galaxy Express, Guckkasten, gulu gulu, 刺猬Hedgehog, Jiluka, kluaythai, L'Arc-en-Ciel, Lucy, Madmans Espirit, Malice Mizer, Miserable Faith, Moi dix Mois, New Pants, Ninth in Pluto, No Party For Cao Dong, OneWe, Plastic Tree, Retrospect, Royz, Sorry Youth, Sweet Mullet, 董事長樂團, The Darkest Romance, the GazettE, VAMPS, Versailles, XAAXAA, XANVALA, Xdinary Heroes, etc.

Other media I like: Alice in Borderland, Avatar: The Last Airbender, Boku No Hero Academia, Black Clover, DC in general, Brooklyn 99, Carmen Sandiego, Cookie Run, Criminal Minds, Danganronpa, Dead by Daylight, Death Note, Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba, Descendants, Dungeons & Dragons, Elementary, Ever After High, Fantastic Beasts & Where to Find Them (fuck JKR, tho), Genshin Impact, Girl from Nowhere, Gravity Falls, Haikyū!!, Harry Potter (see previous parenthesis), iZombie, Jujutsu Kaisen, Little Nightmares, Maze Runner, Miraculous: Tales of Ladybug & Cat Noir, Monster High, My Little Pony, NCIS, Peanuts, Pokémon, Resident Evil, Riverdale, Saiki K, Scooby-Doo in general, Scream, Soul Eater, Spiderverse, Tales of Arcadia, The Amazing World of Gumball, The Dark Pictures Anthology, The Umbrella Academy, The Quarry, Total Drama, Until Dawn, and Vox Machina, etc.

[redheadbigshoes]

“Lipstick sapphic” trope (a feminine sapphic) and the movies/shows books about it

*Reminder that all the media included here does not necessarily portray the characters as something positive, this is just about which media has this trope.

*Pls check parental rating if you’re a minor.

MOVIES:

Lesbian characters: 88 Minutes, 100 Girls, Alto, Bit, Breaking The Girls, But I’m a Cheerleader, Jack & Diane, Life Blood, Life Partners, Margarita, Margarita with a Straw, The Roommate, She’s Gotta Have It, Dear White People.

Sapphics: Alena, Carmen Y Lola, Compulsion, The Duke Of Burgundy, Elena Undone, Gia, Girls Like Magic, The Guest House, Kaboom!, Loving Annabelle, The Perfection, Princess Cyd, Room in Rome, Rough Night, Saving Face, She Hate Me, Side Effects, Steam, Summerland, Thelma, We Are the Night, When Night is Falling, With a Kiss I Die.

Trans characters: Bit.

Bisexual characters: Chasing Amy, Colette, The Haunting, Jennifer’s Body, Kiss of the Damned, Kissing Jessica Stein, Love Is Not Perfect, Sappho, Sweet Sweet Lonely Girl, The White Orchid.

LITERATURE:

Lesbian characters: Last Night at the Telegraph Club, Manifestation, Odd Girl Out, Rollerskater, Tell Me How You Really Feel.

Bisexual characters: Hani and Ishu's Guide to Fake Dating.

Sapphics: Just Juliet, Of Fire and Stars, Zara Hossain Is Here.

TV:

Lesbian characters: American Horror Story (Asylum), Batwoman (2019), Chasing Life, Dark Desire, Das Boot, Degrassi: Next Class, A Discovery of Witches, ER, Nancy Drew (2019), Riverdale, Supergirl, The Owl House.

Bisexual characters: All Rise, The Boys, Heroes (season 4), Pandora, Spartacus: Blood and Sand.

Sapphics: Almost Family, The Baby-Sitters Club, Buffy The Vampire Slayer, Burden of Truth, Cold Case, Control Z, Cursed, Dickinson, Don’t Look Deeper, Dracula (2013), Euphoria, The L Word, The Magicians, Orphan Black, Pretty Little Liars, Sense8, The Sex Lives of College Girls, Shadowhunters.

Trans characters: Euphoria, Sense8.

[dancingsunflowers-ocs]

Okay, this is very important (to me), can you tell me more about Bianca, please? I came up with so much for Marlena and you added so much more amazing stuff, I gotta know what Bianca is all about.

Thank you for the ask @carmens-garden!!! 💕

Bianca Wright’s fairytale counterpart is Snow White from the Grimm Brother’s story ‘Snow White and Rose Red’. I haven’t thought of much for her yet, but in the Enchanted Forest, she and her sister Rose Red/Marlena had a very close relationship, and were very close with their mother too, as they all lived in a little cottage in the forest. She eventually falls in love and marries Prince Edward, after he turned back into a human.

In Storybrooke, during the curse, she and her husband Edward both work as office secretaries for Regina Mills, and also Edward keeps an eye on Regina’s finances in her vault, unaware to both Regina and his wife Bianca that he’s been using the money to go partying and drinking.. Bianca and Marlena although they see each other in passing, have no awareness/acknowledge that they are sisters. She does knitting, crochet and bake in her sparetime, and dreams/wishes about leaving her boring secretary job to open up her very own bakery shop where she could bake sell her own cakes and pastries.

[youvebeenlivingfictional]

Barky's

Part Three of If You Can’t Take the Heat

The Original | Masterlist | Roll With It

Pairing: Carmen ‘Carmy’ Berzatto x Reader

Rating: M (though it may have explicit chapters in the future)

Notes: Not beta-read. Chapters are more loosely connected than solidly structured.

Warnings: Fluff, mostly; cursing. A lot of cursing.

Summary: You’re halfway through the night before you notice him. Well—Notice them. Carmy’s tucked away in a little booth, glancing between the two people he’s with, and you.

It had started as Barkeep’s—a little bar that other neighborhood bartenders would go to to unwind. But with the thick accent many of the patrons sported, the sometimes slurred mumble of someone on the phone home to tell their wives where it was, it got shortened to Barky’s. The name change had been made official back in the 80s—which was the last time anything about the fuckin’ place had been updated.

The bartop is a dingy brown formica that’s probably always looked like shit. The stools are covered in red vinyl, peeling around the edges, and under around the seats turn. The booths are covered with the same material. The tables have crude messages carved into ‘em; the surfaces are ringed permanently from where people have ignored coasters, or used them as frisbees to whack at their friends across the bar. 

The patrons are mostly older guys, barfly regulars, but you and Frankie have been working to bring in more people—newer people. There’s room for growth in the damn place, you both know it. And tonight, you’re proving it.

It started with one of your friends coming in and asking for one of your favorite drinks—a Ramos Gin Fizz. It’s a finicky little recipe, but one that you can manage quickly enough. Frankie takes a video of you tapping the glass on the counter, and the rise of foam lifting above the glass’ rim before stabilizing around the straw, and posts it to their story, then their twitter, then the bar’s instagram. 

It’s only a few minutes before people begin to trickle in, asking for the foam drink. 

“How much is that?” One of them asks. They’re on the younger side for the bar—mid 20s, if you had to guess. You know what they’re probably paying at other bars—far lower than the menu’s average drink price of $6. 

“Special’s on the menu for $15,” You tell them. They don’t even flinch, just nod and ask for two. 

“On it.” 

You’re halfway through the night before you notice him. Well—Notice them. Carmy’s tucked away in a little booth, glancing between the two people he’s with, and you. You lower your eyes to the drink you’re making, trying to block out the glare of a few people filming you on your their camera, no doubt making a post for Instagram. You lightly tap the bottoms of two glasses against the counter, smiling at the slow, “Whooooooa—AYYY!” That arises from the group around you as the foam rises above the glass, and stabilizes. 

“Alright, alright,” You chuckle, passing them over to the people across the counter and taking the proffered cash. “Who’s next here, huh?” 

-- 

“Hey.” 

In the ten minutes since your break has started, you’ve hoped that Carmy might come over and say hi, but instead, you wince at the sound of your boss’ voice. 

“Sup, Mack?” 

“The hell do you and Frankie think you’re doing?” 

“Our jobs?” 

“Look,” Mack braces one hand on the back of the booth, the other on the table. “Lookit me for a sec.” 

You brace yourself, setting your water down before you do as he asks. Mack is a short man, with a square jaw buried beneath his bulging cheeks. His eyes are beady and small, and dark as he peers at you through his thick-rimmed glasses—Aviators that he probably got back in the 80s, wore through the period when they went out of style, and then came back in again. 

“We don’t do those things here. You wanna make your fancy drinks, you can find somewhere else on the avenue to do that.” He softens just a touch, though you force your expression to remain flat. “The people that come in here are good people. They like you. I know you like them.”

“This doesn’t have anything to do with liking or not liking. You’ve got good space here, Mack, you could be doing more. Adding more stuff to the menu isn’t gonna stop anyone from getting their usual. If you treat the customers like numb-nut beer-swillers, then that’s how they’re gonna order.” 

Mack’s lips press into a thin line. 

“Watch it, alright? And don’t charge that much for a special again.” 

“They paid it,” You point out, turning back to your fries. 

“...Just don’t,” Mack sighs tiredly, straightening and wandering away. You pick at your fries, stomach twinging with irritation and inadequacy. You huff, standing and bringing the plate back to the counter.

“I’ll be back in five,” You lean over and tell Frankie. “Just need some air. You good?” 

“I got it,” Frankie reassures, waving you away. “Five minutes.” 

You smile, pursing your lips and blowing them an air kiss before heading out the front door. The scent of cigarette smoke catches on your nose, and you absently turn toward it. You freeze when you find Carmy there, cigarette in hand, brows raised in surprise. Neither of you move for a moment, each staring at the other like a deer in headlights. 

“...Hi,” You greet finally. 

“Hey.” 

You walk a little closer, shoving your hands in your pockets. 

“Come to check the place out?” You ask, nodding back toward the door. 

“Yeah. I didn’t uh—That is, I didn’t know you'd be working tonight. Just wanted to take a look.” 

“It’s only fair. I saw your workplace, now you’ve seen mine.” 

“Yeah.” Carmy nods, then lowers his head as he raises his cigarette to his lips. You’re ready to excuse yourself, to take a walk around the block to clear your head, but before you can, he says, “That drink, the gin fizz.” 

“Yeah?”

“That shit was fire. It’s actually why we um—Fak saw it on Instagram.” 

You smile, shifting from foot to foot.

“You all get one?” 

“Richie got beer.” 

“Mm.” 

“He was missin’ out. But maybe next time, right?” 

You smile a touch bitterly. “I doubt it.” 

“Why’s that?” 

You pull in a short breath, wincing. “Mm…Long story.” 

“...Wanna tell it to me tomorrow?” 

You brows raise. It’s been nearly a week since your first date, and communication between the two of you has been pretty scant. 

“Think you can wait that long without the suspense killing you?” You tease.

Carmy shrugs. 

“I can try.”

Tag list: @bobawithpomegranate​​ ; @brandyllyn​ ;  @artemiseamoon​  ; @amneris21​ ; @buckybarneshairpullingkink​​ ; @backoff-imreading​​ ; @quietpainter​​ ; @milf-trinity​​ ; @distinguishedfilipina​​ ; @peoniarose​​ ; @missredherring​​ ; @estrela-rogers​​ ; @silkiers​ ; @sammiekay01​​ ; @velmalav​​

[arty-shadow-morningstar]

Con Man's Daughter

Posting this because there isn't enough biodad! John Constantine content.

[Masterlist]

(Part 2)

-----

I feel like this should be a Damianette story or just platonic relationship after Jon got aged-up to seventeen and Damian wanted a friend his age but doesn’t want to admit it.

So basically there is this big bad in Gotham using magic that Batman was fighting at the time and enlisted John Constantine to help out.

John realizes that the villain is using a Miraculous.

“Oh. I think I know how he gets his powers. And lucky for you, Bats, I know an expert on this special brand of magic.”

And he did the smart thing and called up Marinette who at the time was already Guardian and was looking for other lost Miraculouses like in the Treasure Hunter AU I wrote.

He calls her at a really bad time. She was in the process of being chased by the guardians of the place. Monsters and evil spirits.

“Hello, Dad. What do you need and can you do it quickly?”

“Hey, sweetheart, it’s me. How is my little cupcake up to these days?”

“You called at a bad time.” Gunshots.

“WAS THAT A GUN I HEARD? WHERE THE HELL ARE YOU, YOUNG LADY?!”

“Somewhere in Japan. Getting a Miraculous. And why can’t you call me to check in on me and not ask me to help you with whatever mess you got yourself into.” More gunshots sounds and it was telling that Marinette was using a gun.

“Where did you get a gun? And don’t you have school?”

“It’s summer break. Don’t worry Maman and Papa know. Well, the fact that I am in Japan anyways.” Marinette sounded a little out of breath. Roaring and horrifying sounds at the other end. “Can we do this later?”

“As it happens, there is a villain going around Gotham with what I think is a Miraculous.”

Swears on the other end.

“Oi. Watch your fucking language, young lady.”

“How about a No and move the fuck back, old man. I am coming over right now.”

“Old man? I am not that old-” as a magic blue portal opens up in the Bat Cave.

And a red Chinese dragon comes out with someone riding it.

Its rider was a black-haired girl. She had a trench coat similar to Constantine's. I imagine her with a fedora. Like Carmen Sandiego style but not red. Sometimes red but only when she has to steal it from a museum or high security places and she leaves a name card with the name Carmen Sandiego. A sword strapped to her back and a dagger to her thigh.

She had a gun in her hand which she used to shoot the monsters as it was halfway through the portal and yelled out the spell to close it.

“Brilliant entrance but you are in lots of trouble, little lady. What were you thinking about going to another country unsupervised? And isn’t there still a butterfly problem in Paris?”

“One, I wasn’t unsupervised. I had Tikki, a billion years old being and a sort of god. Two.Well, it got boring trying to track Hawk-bitch down. And I found this legend about a guy with a Miraculous who disappeared in the temple and thought hey, more miraculous could mean another edge to defeating Moth-man.”

More bickering and John grounding Marinette who was acting very nonchalant about it.

Okay, at this point, I should say that Batman and Robin are in the background trying to make some sense.

Batman is surprised to find out that Constantine has a daughter who is also involved in magic like her Father but an apparently more specialised kind called the Miraculous. He is a little miffed that he didn’t know about John having a daughter. He did consider it weird at first that she had a slight french accent unlike her father’s Liverpool accent although she pronounced some words like he does.

He also connected some dots that she is also the Parisian heroine, Lady Rouge who Wonder Woman introduced to the League a while back and had declined to join the Young Justice or Teen Titans until everything in Paris was resolved.

Damian on the other hand was suspicious of the new arrival and came to the same conclusion as his father about the daughter thing.

Batman after a few minutes, clears his throat.

The Constantines stop arguing.

“Bonjour. Batman. Robin. Pleasure to meet you. I am Mari Constantine and yes, I am this homeless looking man’s brilliant daughter.” “Hey”

“Well, Mari. Your father thinks you can help us with this new criminal turning Gotham upside down. Literally in some cases. He said that you might be able to help us.” Batman said as he pulled up zoomed in picture of the Miraculous.

Mari looks through the Miraculous grimoire and tells them all about it and power-ups, basically the most effective thing to defeat the guy is to get the Miraculous off them. Plus a spell that would make the Miraculous ineffective if casted within a certain radius of it.

“Thank you for the information, Mari. Constantine, let’s go.”

Mari made to follow them.

“You young lady are grounded and staying here.”

“I don’t need another supervillain using the Miraculous which are my responsibility as Guardian to retrieve them for their own misuse and wreaking havoc on the city. And what if there is an akuma in Paris? I can’t go there if I am grounded in the Batcave although it is a cool place to hang out.”

“You can portal back to Paris but you are not going to follow me. Understood?”

“yes. crystal”

“Good. After me and Batsy get the Miraculous, you can do your Guardian duties.”

Damian snickers. Until Batman cut his mood short, “You are staying behind too. Robin.”

“But Father, why? I am much more capable than Constantine.”

“Hey!” Both father and daughter.

Damian is staying behind too because of the Miraculous power or other reasons and keeps an eye on Mari.

Damian stays behind and there were some protests about mari mad about having a babysitter and Damian doesn’t want to be a babysitter. Despite the two of them being around the same age.

“I got an eye on you so no funny business.”

“Okay, Dad, I am not going to have sex with Robin.” Mari said with a shit- eating grin. Robin definitely didn’t blush.

“I hate you sometimes.”

“I love you too, Dad. Go save the world. Byee.”

John eyes her suspiciously because she is not one to give up that easily usually.

He casts a spell to watch her as they leave. and which she totally knew about.

“So...I have one question.”

“Tt, ask and don’t bother me anymore.”

“Is Batman Bruce Wayne?”

Damian looks up, totally caught off guard.

“I am going to take that as a yes.”

Puts sword at her neck. “How did you find out?!”

“Opened up Google Maps and saw that we are under Wayne Manor. Connected the dots. Also I already knew when Dad made a bet with me once to find out Batman’s secret identity but he never did confirm it for me. And can you please not tell your father about this? I don’t feel like being interrogated by the Bat in the future yet.”

“Father must know about this.”

“I saw you looking at Scarlet here. An animal lover then? You can give her some belly rubs. She deserves it after helping me outrun those monsters.”

His silence was brought. To pet a dragon.

One thing after another and he ends up bringing out his pets-Jerry the turkey, Goliath the dragon-bat, Titus- and her introducing him to her other pets like a hellhound, griffin and other mythical creatures who mostly roam free but come to her when she calls for them and also the kwamis, at least the ones who came with her.

After 30 mins have passed, “So Robin how do you feel about disobeying our fathers?”

“I am in.”

“Depends. Are we going after the (villain's name) ?”

“Yes.”

Awesome montage of them getting rid of the spell John casted and flying out of the Batcave on their respective giant flying pets to the villain’s base.

Meanwhile, their fathers are not doing so well and are trapped in a death trap. John can’t say the spell because the villain made him unable to talk.

“At least, the kids are staying put.”

Cut to Damian and Mari jumping off their pets and onto the roof. Taking out the guards posted there and going into the building all sneakily and also taking out the guards that come their way.

They dropped into the room where their fathers and the villain is.

“Why am I not surprised?”

Villain starts an evil monologue about his mastermind plan to which Damian cuts it short by trying to cut him down with his katana. Mari goes to deactivate the death trap.

They are evenly matched with Damian’s training and the Miraculous.

Mari steps in as Damian was about to be killed. Taps on the shoulder of the villain and when he turns around, gives an awesome right hook that knocks him out.

Takes away the Miraculous and curses him. Wiped the dude’s memories of it.

“When I said stay in the Batcave, I meant stay behind at the Batcave. What point of being grounded, don’t you understand?”

“You mean, Oh, Mari, light of my life, my wonderful daughter, thank you for saving my ass. You are the best.’ by that, right?”

-----

Mari and Damian exchanged numbers and email addresses.

As she was about to leave the Batcave, “It’s been nice meeting you, Mr. Wayne.” and leaves with a wink.

John ‘ungrounds’ her for the look on Batman’s face.

-----

After this, Marinette and Damian become friends who bitch and vent to each other about their alter egos and various villains of their respective cities. (In codes, just in case) They also share updates about their pets and love of drawings.

They have that type of friendship where they trade favors. Mari calls Damian to Paris sometimes to help out with the akuma of the day and Damian sometimes calls her in when Bruce doesn’t let him go investigate a case so he can sneak out by magical means or as back up for when his brothers were too annoying to deal with.

It’s summer break so no missing school.

John and Bruce are aware of their friendship and some of the shenanigans the pair gets into behind their back.

-----

-----

Right. how this all started...

John and Sabine first met when the latter was still in college somewhere in France. John was tracking down a demonic entity which was targeting Sabine for some reason and she was the next target.

John saved her life and exorcised the demon. There was a heat of the moment thing and they had a one-night stand. There were a few more flings and hook-ups after that night.

And nine months later, Marinette Cheryl Cheng-Constantine was born.

When Sabine first found out, she called John to come over and he thought that it was a call for another hook-up and was very surprised to find out that it was not and that he was going to be a father.

They both like each other but do not want to be in a relationship together so they both remained as friends and John agreed after some strong-arming at the very least to meet his daughter before he goes to do his job. And pay for child support. And help Sabine during her pregnancy.

Pregnant Sabine was someone you don’t want to mess with. And John has never met a demon or anyone scarier than her.

He was at first not into meeting his child and there was a self-pity party he threw himself with how the child was going to live a bad life because he was the dad and how he destroyed every good thing in his life.

That’s why he is going to meet the baby once and leave maybe a letter and the occasional birthday present and stay out of their life. Forever.

The day Marinette was born and it took one look into her eyes for the HellBlazer to fall under the spell and all of his plans to stay out of her life to burn away.

At first, he tried. He really tried but he couldn’t do it.

Lasted 4 months before he came back, wanting to place protection spells on her and sigils around the house to keep away the forces of Heaven and Hell and other entities so they won’t use her against him as a bargaining chip.

Sabine calls him to babysit. He could have refused and Sabine would have easily found a babysitter. He moans and whines about how he is a great mage and not a bloody babysitter. Sabine retorts that it is actually called parenting since he is Marinette’s father. He grumbles but in the end, agrees.

The great John Constantine is wrapped around the little girl’s finger.

He was around for some of Marinette’s firsts. Her first word was “John”.

It made him cry. He wasn’t a good man and he doesn’t deserve someone this precious. His daughter doesn’t deserve someone like him as a father but fate made it that way and what can you do about it.

After an exhausting week of doing the usual and coming back from Hell, he saw that Sabine had sent him a video. It was Marinette taking her first steps.

Chas swears that in all the years that he has known John Constantine he has never seen the man look so happy.

------

When Tom came into the picture, John was there to take care of a toddler Marinette while Tom and Sabine went on dates.

Insert John threatening a much bigger Tom while holding a baby Marinette with wide eyes and hugging a teddy bear with the same coat as John’s. (It was something Sabine brought on a whim and to tease John when he came around.)

Tom is supportive and treats Marinette like his own flesh and blood.

John resolved to leave for good now that Tom would be there to be a father figure for Marinette.

That plan fell into the drain the moment he was going to leave for what was supposed to be the last time before Sabine pulled him back and knocked some sense into him.

His face was a big giveaway. Sabine knows that despite his claims of being a terrible father for Marinette, he was a good one and damnit she was going to make sure that Marinette would get to know her actual father.

Tom later made an awkward talk with John about how he was not going to replace John’s role as Marinette’s father.

Marinette was the flower girl at Tom and Sabine’s wedding. John was there too.

During bedtime, John would read her stories and use his magic to make it come to life. Although he would feel a little drained afterwards, it was worth it to see her smile.

Sometimes he told stories about his tamer adventures. (After cutting out some of the inappropriate bits)

------

When Marinette was about 5 or 6, Sabine was out on an errand and Tom was at home with Mari and helping her with her homework. There was a crash downstairs at the bakery. Tom went down to check it out to find John lying on the ground.

With a weak cough, he said, “Close the door. Close it.” Before losing consciousness

Tom did before a man with pitch black eyes slammed against it.

Thankfully John had installed heavy wards around the bakery when it first opened.

They held against the demon on John’s tail. Tom brought John inside and unsure of what to do, grabbed a rolling pin on the counter.

The man outside started pounding on the glass door and every time his hands touched the door, light glowed outwards, showing the invisible magic barrier around the bakery. Sparks and steams fizzled with every pound.

Despite the reddening and burns of his hands, the not-human didn’t slow down.

“ʝօɦռ....ʏօʊ ӄռօա ȶɦǟȶ ɨȶ'ֆ օռʟʏ ǟ ʍǟȶȶɛʀ օʄ ȶɨʍɛ ɮɛʄօʀɛ ɨ ɮʀɛǟӄ ȶɦʀօʊɢɦ ȶɦɛֆɛ աǟʀɖֆ. օռƈɛ ɨ ɢɛȶ ʏօʊ,” He laughs, the sound sends chills down the large man’s spine, “ȶɦɛʀɛ ǟʀɛ ֆօ ʍǟռʏ ȶɦɨռɢֆ ɨ ɦǟʋɛ քʟǟռռɛɖ ʄօʀ ʏօʊ.”

Tom knew that Marinette’s father was a con man. Come on, Master and Practitioner of the Dark Arts and Occult. But he was a good father nonetheless despite all his flaws and Sabine liked him enough so that was good enough for him.

Before today, magic was just the sleight of hands and use of fancy tools to sell the illusions. Now, with a could-be-a-demon knocking on his door to get to the father of the girl he sees as his daughter, he’s not so sure.

“Tom? Qu'est-ce qui se passe? (What’s going on?)” A little voice came from the stairs, “Dad!” Marinette padded across the floor to the body of her passed out father.

She shook him awake and there were a few soft slaps to the face.

“Dad, what’s happened?”

John mumbles, “Demon…. possessing some rich guy….. Exorcism…. Doesn’t like me very much…Don’t worry...wards going to hold.”

John manages to stand before falling down and Tom catches him before he hits the floor. He has a concussion. Tom turns to Marinette, “Go, Hide and don’t come out until It’s safe.” which she did

Unfortunately, a while later, Sabine returns from her night out and the demon upon seeing Sabine. “ɛӼƈɛʟʟɛռȶ..”

The demon possessed Sabine and the previously possessed dude hit the sidewalk with a thud.

“ɨռȶɛʀɛֆȶɨռɢ....” The voice coming out of Sabine didn’t sound like her mother which scared Marinette a lot. “օքɛռ ȶɦɨֆ ɖօօʀ օʀ,”the demon pulled a knife out of thin air, ,“ȶɦɨֆ ɮօɖʏ ɢɛȶֆ ɨȶ.”

Tom hesitated until the demon put the knife on Sabine’s neck and put enough force for a thin line of blood to be shown.

He opens the door and the demon knocks him out. Stepping over his unconscious body and looking down on it, “ʄօʀ ȶɦǟȶ, ɨ ǟʍ ɢօɨռɢ ȶօ ʟɛȶ ʏօʊ ʟɨʋɛ ʊռȶɨʟ ɨ ǟʍ ɖօռɛ աɨȶɦ ʝօɦռ, օʄ ƈօʊʀֆɛ.” and cackles. The sound was so wrong and unnerving and little Marinette tried very hard for her sobs not to be heard.

Too bad the demon had super hearing. “Come out, my little blossom. Maman is home. Why don’t you come out and give me a hug?”

It sounded so much like her mother and she nearly believed that it was her mother and not some entity in control of her body.

But she knew better from John’s stories of dealing with demons and how they would use the voice of loved ones to lure them out and into a trap. (Definitely not something one should tell as a bedtime story but Marinette was very different and had an unconventional childhood with John Constantine as her father.)

Wait...she got struck with an idea but she wasn’t sure if it would work.

Before she could do anything, the door of the cabinet she was hiding in was opened and she was dragged out.

The demon lifted her a few feet above the ground by the collar of her dress.

It heard Marinette saying something. “աɦǟȶ ǟʀɛ ʏօʊ ֆǟʏɨռɢ ƈɦɨʟɖ, ֆքɛǟӄ ʟօʊɖɛʀ?”

“Exorcizamus te, omnis immundus spiritus, omnis satanica potestas, omnis incursio infernalis adversarii, omnis legio, omnis congregatio et secta diabolica.” Marinette was now screaming the words at the top of her lungs. She repeated the spell over and over again with fierce determination.

John, being his paranoid self, taught her the spell for an exorcism, just in case. Demons spared no one, not even a girl.

It screamed “NO….” as Sabine’s body contorted in strange angles before a dark shadow seemed to be dragged down into the ground. It made a desperate attempt to possess John before it was pulled away and disappeared. There was no sign that there was a demon attack.

After John woke up, he managed to piece together that his 5-years-old (Sorry 5 and a half) daughter sent a demon back to hell.

He was a very proud dad. (He was a tad worried about the consequences from this event and demons hold one hell of a grudge. He wanted his daughter to live a very safe and happy life. The bakery’s wards also need an upgrade.)

He also got the job of explaining what he actually did to Tom. And lots of reassuring.

Sabine, on one hand, was not happy that Marinette knew how to do magic. That is until John told her that he did it just in case so she can protect herself and later it was agreed that Marinette can learn some Magic spells and charms to better protect herself and when she is older, she can decide if she wants to continue or not.

----

(Part 2)

[redgoldsparks]

June Reading and Reviews by Maia Kobabe

reviews below the cut

I Kissed Shara Wheeler by Casey McQuiston

Chloe is a bisexual teen, child of lesbian moms, born and raised in LA before being relocated to Alabama for high school. She's gotten through four years at a small private Christian school by finding a tight-knit little circle of queer theater nerd friends and starting a fierce academic rivalry with the perfect, blond daughter of the school principal, Shara Wheeler. Chloe and Shara are in competition for valedictorian, and Chloe is DETERMINED to win, so that Shara will experience being a loser for the first time in her seemingly flawless life. But then Shara corners Chloe in an elevator, kisses her, and disappears on prom night, leaving behind a series of cryptic clues as to her whereabouts. Chloe ends up teaming up with two unlikely candidates, Shara's boyfriend (the football quarterback) and Shara's neighbor (the school's resident stoner bad boy) to try and find her before the end of the school year. I enjoyed this book so much. The mystery is engaging, and the exploration of being a queer teen in a religious Southern town tugged at my heart. Chloe is a smart and satisfying main character, and her insights and blindspots were equally fun to read.

Vox Machina: Origins by Matthew Mercer, Matthew Colville, Olivia Samson and Chris Northrop

I have not watched any Critical Role, and only know the characters vaguely from internet osmosis. This comic introduces six of the lead characters as they separately investigate the mystery of a swamp district where people are dying at unusual rates. Some say it's a curse, but if so, it seems like it was intentionally engineered. The book struggles overall with too much dialogue per page and the visual problems of including characters with extreme height differences together in panels. It's fairly obvious this was adapted from an audio-only original source. But the fight scenes are engaging, the humor is strong, and the three half-elf characters in particular get to show their personalities and begin to reveal their backstories.

Call Me Nathan by Catherine Castro and Quentin Zuttion

Translated from French, this graphic novel tells of a young man struggling with the wrong puberty, being teased at school about his sexuality and gender, and coming out as a trans man. It contains short scenes from the POV of all his immediate family members that tripped me up a little because there's no obvious divide to mark when they begin or end. But overall I enjoyed this story of a young person finding himself and gaining comfort and freedom in his own body and life.

In the Dream House by Carmen Maria Machado

This book deals with a heavy subject, an abusive lesbian relationship, and its aftermath. I had been intimated by its contents and unsure if I would read it. But I loved Machado's short story collection, and when I picked this book up I was surprised by how small it was, just under 250 pages. I was also surprised and delighted to discover that it is written as a series of essays with footnotes. I am easily drawn in by the whimsy of footnotes, and the structure intrigued me. Then the book sucked me under its spell and I read the whole thing in under two days. The writing is extraordinary, shifting tenses, shifting format from memoir to literary analysis to history to fairy tale. It is amazing that a book about a claustrophobic, fear-laden relationship should be so easy and enjoyable to read. It called to mind another book that I waited a long time to start and then ultimately loved, Know My Name by Chanel Miller. Both of these illuminate a terrible experience and pull back the layers of shame and secrecy to present it as it was in the clearest, most concise form. So there will be a record; so that others who experienced similar will know they are not alone; to open up space for conversation and understanding. But in many ways In the Dream House is nothing like Know My Name because its formatting is so central and its many references so interwoven with the memoir passages. These pieces reminded me of These Are Loved Letters by Ames Hawkins and Dead Collections by Isaac Fellmen, two book which mix ephemera and epistolary portions into the body of the prose text. What I am trying to say is that In the Dream House is a fascinating, captivating, and at times heartbreaking book which I will be thinking about for a long time. Some quotes that stuck out to me: "Memoir is, at its core, an act of resurrection. Memoirists re-create the past, reconstruct dialogue. They summon meaning from events that have long been dormant. They brain the clay of memory and essay and fact and perception together, smash them into a ball, roll them flat. They manipulate time; resuscitate the dead. They put themselves, and others, into necessary context." "Putting language to something for which you have no language is no easy feat."

The Sugared Game by KJ Charles read by Cornell Collins

This second book picks up pretty directly where the first Will Darling novel left off, and for the first 1/4 or so I was worried it might be repeating some of the same emotional arc of the two romantically-tangled poor-communicating leads from book one. But then the plot takes a pretty dramatic turn, and once Will and Kim are again facing a common enemy (this one dangerously closer to home) I became very invested. The story leaves the pair in a MUCH different place than where they began so I am very curious about what will come next...

Legends and Lattes by Travis Baldree

I liked this so much, I read it out loud to family and friends on a road trip about 2 weeks after reading it to myself! 

Frizzy by Claribel A Ortega and Rose Bousamra

A very sweet, short story of a pre-teen wrestling with beauty standards and family pressure to conform to lady-like behavior. Marlene loves running around, playing with her best friend, and looks up to her cool Tía Ruby. She does not love the weekly salon sessions her mom insists on every Sunday. Her Tía Ruby wears her hair natural- can Marlene figure out a way to tell her mom she wants do the same? I got to read an ARC of this comic and loved the nuanced conversations of anti-blackness in beauty standards and how well they were woven in to a very warm, loving, coming of age tale. The art is very charming, with a lot of soft pinks, golds, and browns. It gave the book the feel of a summer sunset.

Space Trash vol 1 by Jenn Woodall

The first book in a series, this comic opens in a grungy boarding school on the moon where teen girls slouch through an education which includes propaganda about how the Earth is a ruin and they are very lucky to live in a moon colony instead. Stab, Yuki, and Una keep themselves entertained by dying their hair and brainstorming band and gang names. A fight with a rival clique leads to the reveal of a dangerous secret hidden in the school, and the girls pledge themselves to a massive project, not realizing their movements are being monitored more closely than they realize. An intriguing beginning; I will definitely be keeping an eye out for the next volume! I love the punk space aesthetic by Silver Sprocket artist Jenn Woodall who brings this world vividly to life.

[memento-morri-writes]

hiii Morris!! Because you wanted WIP asks!

for any WIP you'd like:

describe one of the seasons (can be our seasons or if you have created them, then perfect as well!) tell us about the temperature if it rains a lot or not, what is the overall feeling associated with it etc

tell us a little about your favorite building (is that a thing? idk I'm writing about buildings all the time with itbt?)! is it new, is it old? is it beautiful or just ruins? does it have any kind of tale behind it, like a myth or a legend or even a curse??

what happens when a child is born? is there some kind of party and celebration or the day goes as always and it's not relevant? how are birthdays celebrated??

is there any festivity as an excuse to make and receive presents (think Christmas or Valentine's Day for example!)?? what are the usual gifts exchanged?

what is the most common profession in any of the countries/kingdoms/regions?? is it hard to become one? how long is the training/studies?

talking about studies, how far can a person go in terms of study achievements? are there an equivalent to Doctors or university careers? or is basic education the maximum?

do nursery rhymes exist? is there anything specific that is said to kids when they go to bed (ex: "don't let the bedbugs bite!")

have a good day/night!

- Carmen (@/ink-fireplace-coffee)

Hi Carmen!!! Thank you for the ask!!! You know I love massive asks.

describe one of the seasons (can be our seasons or if you have created them, then perfect as well!) tell us about the temperature if it rains a lot or not, what is the overall feeling associated with it etc.

So, I'm going to talk about Fall in Anvia, of ATQH fame, since that seems to be the WIP of the night. (Plus it's my most developed WIP in terms of worldbuilding.) Fall in Anvia is a really busy time of year. It's harvest season, or the end of it, and given that so much of the kingdom is centered around agriculture, there's a lot going on. Harvesting crops, selling them or sending them off to be sold, preserving perishable crops (making jams, jellies, etc.), making sure any kind of structures (barns, houses, silos, etc.) are ready for winter. But it's also a rather festive time of year. Since a lot of Anvia holidays are celebrated with food and/or dancing, there's usually large feasts, sort of a potluck style, in villages and towns as a celebration of the harvest. Also, dancing. It doesn't get super cold in Anvia ever, but it does start to cool down a bit in the fall. Longer sleeves, thicker fabrics, maybe even light a fire near the end of fall. Put blankets out on the beds, etc. Fall is one of the rainier seasons, along with spring, but it's more of light showers compared with later spring/early summer thunderstorms.

the rest under the cut, cause this is already long!!

tell us a little about your favorite building (is that a thing? idk I'm writing about buildings all the time with itbt?)! is it new, is it old? is it beautiful or just ruins? does it have any kind of tale behind it, like a myth or a legend or even a curse??

So, I suppose my favorite building in the world of ATQH is Fallon's Palace. It's pretty old, having been built over 200 years ago. However, it's been updated and redecorated over the years, so while the exterior is old, the interior is in great condition. (So is the exterior, but stone lasts a lot longer than wood and fabric.) It's very beautiful!! Large light stone, arched windows, a few towers and turrets.... It's absolutely beautiful. And combined with the fact that it overlooks the Royal Gardens, which are said to be the most beautiful on the Continent.... It's a sight to see. There's not a story behind the castle itself, at least not an interesting one. The old castle was small and falling to pieces, so they built a new one. However, the Gardens do have a story! They were built by Fallon's grandmother, Queen Maeve, as a wedding gift for her wife, Lady Adelia. They took so long to complete that they wound up being more like an anniversary present a couple years later.

what happens when a child is born? is there some kind of party and celebration or the day goes as always and it's not relevant? how are birthdays celebrated??

In Anvia, a child being born is always a cause for celebration, so long as nothing goes wrong. Usually the family is left alone for the first week or so, to allow the new parents to spend time with their child and also to adjust to their new schedule. If they're a farming family, others will help do their work for that time. After that week, friends, family, and neighbors start dropping by to meet the new child, congratulate the parents, and give any gifts they might have. (Sort of like a baby shower, but not everyone at once, and spread out over time.) Birthdays are celebrated, like most other events in Anvia, with food! Usually the birthday person gets to choose the meal, or is surprised with their favorite foods. The scale of the celebration varies. Some people just want a quiet meal with their immediate family or close friends, while others might invite the whole village. It's all up to the birthday person.

is there any festivity as an excuse to make and receive presents (think Christmas or Valentine's Day for example!)?? what are the usual gifts exchanged?

People traditionally give gifts around the Winter Solstice, which is celebrated along with the summer one. It's in the winter of course, so it's a bit like our Christmas, if you live in the Northern Hemisphere. Colder temps, maybe snow. Cozy time around the fireplace with warm drinks and your loved ones. There is no one traditional gift, and generally any gift with thought behind it is seen as a good gift. What might be a bad gift to one person or family might be a great one to another. So, basically, the value of the gift is judged by the receiver. Since it is in the winter though, people tend to give gifts that can be used during winter. Knitted shawls and blankets, for example. Canned fruits or jam. If you're on the wealthier side, perhaps nice liquor or cards or board games or books. NOTE: that was all just about Anvia, as it would be a novel on its own to talk about winter in all three kingdoms.

what is the most common profession in any of the countries/kingdoms/regions?? is it hard to become one? how long is the training/studies?

In Anvia by far the most common profession is a farmer. Usually small-scale, producing largely for yourself and your family, and sellng any excess products locally. In terms of more lucrative careers, there's a large range of craftspeople and artisans in the larger cities. Exactly what kind of work they do or training they take varies from person to person, but some examples include tailors, shoemakers, leatherworkers, etc.

talking about studies, how far can a person go in terms of study achievements? are there an equivalent to Doctors or university careers? or is basic education the maximum?

For most people in Anvia, they get a basic education in their home town, often from their parents or a community member. In larger, wealthier cities, there may be an organized school, but that's not the norm. Literacy is very common, and so is basic knowledge of mathematics (addition, subtraction, multiplication, division), for the most part. Additional knowledge, particularly more specific career-based knowledge, such as artisan work or healing, is usually gained via apprenticeships. Noble families may hire tutors for their children, particularly in things such as music or arts. Universities do not exist, as there are no careers that truly require them. Most careers are more based on practical knowledge and experience, and sitting in a classroom would not be half as helpful as hand-on experience. In general, the people of Anvia are well-educated, but large educational institutions don't exist.

do nursery rhymes exist? is there anything specific that is said to kids when they go to bed (ex: "don't let the bedbugs bite!")

Not a nursery rhyme, per se, but I did decide a long time ago that some variation of "Where Have All the Flowers Gone" exists in Anvia. Fallon's mother sang it to her as a child, and that's not uncommon. The lyrics fit with Anvia's history, specifically the war against Oryn over a century ago. In my world, the song originated from there, and has remained a part of the culture.