#distracting myself from election results

[inkymint]

Please take this humble doodle of oikawa

[sandu-zidian]

I couldn’t end his birthday without him smiling 🥺🥺

[the-woman-upstairs]

Unintentional or not, having the Stardew Valley 1.6 update (for consoles) release on the Monday before the election was a stroke of genius. Can’t be consumed with anxiety about the election if I’m too busy starting a new farm for the umpteenth time.

[nowhere-to-go-but-here]

I completed my rewatch of Iwtv today today, and three things struck me. One, I was more deeply moved by the Loustat hurricane moment than the first time. I understood that this was not about Louis somehow magically and unreservedly forgiving Lestat for Claudia's death ( which he still played a part in, after all) just because of Daniel's reveal. That bothered me the first time around.

But this time, I realised that Louis returns to him because the entire experience of recounting the tale to Daniel had helped him see his relationship with Lestat with more nuance and understanding. Helped him realise there was so much love there that he needed to acknowledge, in spite of all the horrible things they'd done to one another. The reveal and break up with Armand was the impetus that drove him to seek out Lestat after all these years. But that hug was about a whole lot more.

The second thing that struck me was about Armand's reaction to Daniel's bombshell reveal. The reason why there is no anger there - only panic and fear of losing Louis- is because some part him has been expecting/waiting for this to be revealed for 77 years. From the meeting with Lestat in Magnus' lair to the moment when he picked up the unmarked copy of play in an earlier episode of S2... he was checking, bracing himself for the lie to be uncovered. For *8 decades*. And now that the moment is here, all he can think is 'no no no no no it's actually happening, oh god I'm going to lose him'.

The third thing is the imagery of the floating glass bookcases shattering when Louis flung Armand against the wall. Others have pointed out the fact that those bookcases, which Armand can reach easily but Louis can't are a metaphor for Armand's control, his caging of Louis. And for them to shatter in that moment when Louis breaks free... pretty neat symbolism huh?

This show, man... each time you watch you come away with something new. So richly layered and nuanced.

[laidback-thrills]

Maid or. Whatever . 🤤

[turnabout-cats]

day 121: ominous cats for ominous days

[seth-the-giggle-fish]

I voted and I didn't even get the werewolf I Voted sticker

[six-improbable-things]

One of my characters for the new planescape game I'm joining is a swords bard who plays bagpipes as they charge into battle. How do they play the bagpipes while holding a sword, you ask? Well, one hand is holding the sword, one hand is holding the bagpipes, and their mage hand is helping to play the bagpipes.

One of my other two characters for the planescape game is a dragonborn moon druid who can use their breath weapon and limited flight ability while in wildshape.

And for a holiday oneshot where we're all playing different toys, I'm going to be slime/thinking putty and be a plasmoid monk.

[mysynonym]

.

[kawaiiblue18]

Small TF One animatic as I distract myself from the horrible U.S. election results

Optimus Prime figure collection save me🙏

[literatecowboy]

The King With No Name

1. An Unconventional Princess

Part 2 here Summary: König - the king of Caldera - has been called upon by your father to choose a bride from his daughters in order to establish an alliance to keep peace over the lands they rule. When he arrives, he is enraptured by you, your father’s eldest child - an unconventional woman by all standards. He pursues your hand in marriage, doing his best to make you fall in love with him like he has fallen in love with you - much to your dismay Author's Notes: Inspired by the royalty fics I’ve been seeing around lately Warnings: Arranged marriage, eventual smut, pining, dogged pursuit of reader’s love and affection

-----

Kaustav Castle was well-positioned and well-fortified and as a result, had stood the test of time and war. Built at the intersection of three rivers on a large, grassy plain, it had served as the seed of a kingdom and a city had sprung up around it. 

Many kings had walked its halls and ruled from its throne. Blood had been spilled on its battlements and fires had ripped through the chambers but she stood strong through war, flood, and plague. 

The times were peaceful now and your father intended to ensure they remained that way, so he had invited a guest into your home. Gates creaked open and drawbridges crashed to the ground. Banners waved and fanfare played as the king of the neighboring empire, Caldera, rode his large black stallion into Kaustav Castle’s courtyard to be greeted by your father the King, and many of his lords. 

Your sisters gathered at the window above in the dining room, watching as he came into view. 

“Is that him? Why is he still wearing that hood?” Sadie asked, peering around Lydia to get a better view. She smoothed her hand through her hair and fanned herself slowly. 

“They say he never takes it off, not even in his castle. He must be quite the terrifying sight on the battlefield.” Lydia murmured, watching as König dismounted and shook your father’s hand firmly. 

“He’s so…big. The stories did not do him justice.” Sadie murmured. Her cheeks pinkened and she giggled. You rose from where you were seated by the fire, sharpening your hunting knife, and tucked the blade into its sheath at your side. 

“Let me have a look,” you grunted, pushing the curtain further aside and looking down on the scene with your arms folded. König knelt and kissed your mother’s hand through the hood - you knew she would be impressed by his chivalry. 

“You still want to marry him?” you turned to Sadie and leaned against the wall, concern etched across your face. 

“If he chooses me, I will go. He…intrigues me,” she said with a soft smile, blushing. 

“And what if he chooses you?” you asked Lydia. She frowned. 

“I know that you’ve been speaking to Lord Henry and father seems to favor him. What will you do if König wishes to marry you?” you asked. Lydia shook her head. 

“I will be making myself scarce, though I do not plan to avoid him outright like you do,” she admitted. 

“Father wishes for him to marry me and I wish for the same. I will charm him and distract him from you two.” Sadie said, a twinkle in her eye. You snorted. 

“Oh, Sadie, what would we do without you?” you said, smiling and embracing her gently. Outside, König and your parents walked into the castle. 

“I ought to leave before they get up here. I’ll be in the stable preparing for a hunt if either of you needs a break from the formality.” you offered. Your sisters bid you goodbye as you slipped into the hidden servant’s corridor and raced downstairs and towards the outside world. 

You had always been different from your sisters. Your father had hoped for sons, but when you were born and quickly followed by your sisters, he had elected to raise you like the son he did not have. While Sadie and Lydia had been raised as proper ladies and were doted upon by your father, he had raised you to ride and hunt and govern and had pushed you almost to the point of being controlling. 

Your mother was still unsure about her oldest daughter going about like a man, but as your father was in poor health and there were no male heirs to the throne, she was relying on you growing up strong enough to maintain power after your father’s death to protect her, Sadie, and Lydia.

When you reached the stables below you called out a greeting to the stablehand who waved back to you. Your family was beloved by your father’s people and you made sure to spend time socializing in the village to build good relationships with the people you would someday lead. 

“Going out for a hunt?” a voice called out to you from the back of the stable as you brought your little tan mare out of her stall and hitched her to a post. You raised your head and made eye contact with one of the lords visiting for König’s arrival. 

“Ah, good morning, Lord Marrick. And yes, I’m off to look for game before dinner. Will you be joining my father and König?” you asked. 

“Call me Ferdinand, please, my lady. And yes, I had planned to - will you not be attending?” he asked, leaning against the stable wall and offering your horse a snack. 

“I’m doing my best to stay out of sight of König,” you admitted with a laugh. “My father has offered him the hand of any of his daughters, after all, and even though I am not…conventional…I wish not to risk marriage being forced upon me.”

“Will you never marry?” Ferdinand asked, his voice softening. There was something in his eyes that you couldn’t read as he came a little closer to you. You hefted a blanket, then a saddle, onto your horse’s back. 

“No. When Father dies, I cannot risk having the control of my kingdom wrestled away from me by a man who means to harm the people,” you admitted. Ferdinand nodded slowly. 

“That is…a shame, I must admit,” he said softly. Your cheeks felt hot. You and Ferdinand had known each other since you were children and had always been close. He cleared his throat as you tightened the straps of the saddle and buckled your bedroll onto the back. 

“I have a gift for you,” he admitted. You turned and smiled at him. 

“Oh, Ferdinand, you didn’t have to get me anything,” you said. 

“Nonsense, your birthday just passed, did it not? This might help you on your hunt today,” he said, fumbling in his pocket. pulling out an item wrapped in cloth, and offering it to you. You took it and unwrapped it slowly, gasping when you saw the contents. 

A small charm on a chain laid against the leather, delicately carved from a deer’s antler and decorated with silver. It was the symbol of the goddess you held most dear to your heart - the goddess of the woods and plains. 

“It’s for good luck. I had it blessed by one of her priests in town before I came.” Ferdinand admitted, rubbing the back of his neck nervously. 

“Oh, Ferdinand, it’s lovely. I will surely have bountiful hunts with this attached to my quiver.” You embraced him warmly, smiling against his chest as he hugged you tightly. 

“Here, help me put it on!” you invited, slinging your quiver off your back and unlacing the leather at the top. You held tightly to it as Ferdinand gently laced the leather through the charm and tied it into place securely. 

“Get going now, before the sun sets!” he said with a laugh, smiling as you took your horse’s reins. 

“I’ll come see you later and tell you stories of my hunt should anything exciting happen,” you said, eyes gleaming as you led your horse out into the courtyard and prepared to mount up. 

—

König sat in the parlor with your family chatting idly with your mother and father as Sadie leaned forward attentively and Lydia busied herself in the corner of the room behind him. Movement outside of the window in the courtyard drew his eye and he watched as you led your horse outside. He was instantly enraptured by your beauty, your boldness as you waved goodbye to someone in the stable, and your strength as you controlled your horse.

“I believed you to have three daughters?” he asked suddenly, cutting off your father as he discussed local harvests. Your mother and father glanced at each other warily. 

“Yes, I do. The third is…a rather special case,” your father admitted, taking your mother’s hand. König watched as your horse nosed at your pocket and you laughed, pulling out the apple you had inside it and giving it to her. His chest tightened and he leaned forward slightly, gaze fixed on you intently. He watched the horse nibble at the apple in your small hand and imagined how it might fit in his.

“She is special?” he asked idly, his gaze fixed on you as you swung the reins around and mounted up. Your father followed his gaze. 

“I have had no sons. I suppose that as a result, I raised her as I would have a son.” The room lapsed into silence. 

König watched as you spurred your horse forward and took off at a gallop, laughing as you raced out of the castle gates and towards the open plains. His heart thumped faster in his chest and he was thankful for the hood that covered his flushing cheeks. 

“I should like to meet her.”

—

Your hunt was largely uneventful, and you spent more time enjoying the sensation of the wind flowing through your hair and shooting at random tree targets than you did hunting game. As hours passed and the sun set, you felt sure that it would be safe to return home now. Sadie had surely charmed König and he had declared his intention to marry her to your father. 

After reaching the stable and untacking your horse, you sorted everything away and fed her before bidding her goodnight. Ferdinand met you at the castle’s backdoor, concern in his eyes. 

“Your father is looking for you. König seems set on wanting to meet you - he kept asking after you at dinner tonight,” he warned, following you as you slipped inside. 

“Seriously? Do you know what he wants?” you asked, your eyes widening. 

“Just to talk, I guess. He didn’t seem interested in Sadie or Lydia at all,” he said, following you as you headed into the kitchen. 

“Fuck, Ferdinand, that’s the last thing I wanted,” you growled, snagging some leftovers one of the cooks had left for you and sitting down at the table in the corner. Ferdinand sat across from you. 

“Just lay low, okay? I’ll warn you if I hear anything else.” he offered before taking his leave. You ate quickly and quietly, lost in thought, before rising and hurrying out of the kitchen and going into the servant’s stairwell. You thought it best to avoid the main halls for now - who knew where König may have been lurking?

When you reached your room you breathed a sigh of relief, shutting the door behind you. You had failed to see the looming shadow in the hallway behind you, and as you stepped behind the partition in the corner of the room to undress, the door slowly creaked open. 

You froze - you were wearing only your underclothes - and slid your knife from its sheath on your belt which you had hung on its hook. 

“Sadie? Lydia?” You called out softly, stepping slowly around the partition. You squeaked and dove back to safety as you caught sight of the looming mass standing at your door. 

“Get out!” you whisper-shouted, doing your best not to wake your sisters sleeping across the hall. 

“I am sorry. I had to see you…to speak to you. You are a thing of beauty.” he said, his heavily accented voice almost breathless. 

“You have no right to come in while I am dressing!” you hissed, pulling your sleeping gown over your head so that you were covered and striding out into your room, your knife leveled at his chest. 

“Get out!” you snarled, jabbing at him and fixing your stance to hold your ground. 

“You are not capable of hurting me with that little thing, maus,” he murmured but did not come closer. Your hand trembled slightly as he drank you in. 

“You are even more beautiful up close.” he breathed, eyes wide. He clasped his hands together and fell to his knees. He had not felt so flustered since he was a young boy. 

“I would choose you from your sisters as my wife, maus, if you would have me. Please,” he begged softly, offering you his hands. 

“Get out. I won’t warn you again. Marry Sadie.” you hissed dangerously. His heart fluttered - he was falling for you hard. 

“If you will not agree now, you must come to know me and I will come to know you. Yes? I will come to see you tomorrow.” he breathed, the plea evident in his voice. You surged forward, pressing the tip of the knife where you guessed the base of his throat was. 

“Out.” you snarled. König got up slowly, and taking the knife by the blade gingerly, kissed your hand as it was wrapped around the handle. You jerked away, leaving him with the knife. 

“I will see you…gute nacht, maus,” he murmured, taking the knife with him as he left. Your heart thundered in his chest as you slammed and locked the door behind him. 

What the fuck?

[presidenthades]

Trying to distract myself from US election results by working on my crafting. I’m planning another bind of Daemon’s Handbook, so I’m practicing spraying edges and stenciling High Valyrian glyphs on a test book.

The glyphs, if I translated correctly, should say “Daemon Targaryen’s Book of Help to Manage Daughters of Marriage.”

If any fellow HV nerds see a translation mistake, please tell me so I can fix it before I repeat on the real thing!

[sturnioz]

currently binging ur fics n stuff to distract myself from the election result <3 how are u btw baby!!

what type of gift would shy!reader / fb!chris get for eachother on christmas?? i have soo many ideas but idk which are most accurate.

sending endless amount of love and support <3

if shy!reader were to get something for chris for xmas ... hmm .. i feel she would either ;; • save up for a specific clothing brand he likes. • or maybe even tickets to his favourite artist. • make a box and fill it with all his favourite things, even put a few joints/blunts inside that SHE rolled herself (she'll be so proud of it too).

if fratboy!chris were to get something for bun for xmas .... • probably some lingerie or toys ... (even though its clear that he did that for him) • but hear me out, he would eventually see some things in stores that reminds him of her. so anything bunny related, something to do with 'dumb books' she likes etc etc. • and as much as he finds them creepy, he would sorta try to get her a sonny angel but ends up getting her a troll doll on accident or something.

i would love to hear your ideas though (probably better than mine pls tell me)

[ashanddoodles]

"i thought we were all supposed to have a fresh start here. i can't change the past."

more bigby wolf inspired art, yippie. this time it's kinda angsty because i've been reading the comics and the poor dude can't catch a break :( it's even worse when you get to the volume that talks about his life as a wolf before snow turned him into a human. his brothers bullied him cause he was the runt and they leave him on his own when their mom dies.

anyways this doesn't really look like #twau art but i love using black and red to make things look a bit more contrasted and then messing around in a few editing apps to give the photos texture. hopefully y'all like it.

i normally don't go into so much details in captions anymore but i'm also currently trying to distract myself from the election and doomscrolling so you get this absolute yapfest as a result.

[heliza24]

Devil's Minion Rec List (Part 1)

So I recently completed a little project I set myself-- to tag and organize all of my (iwtv) A03 bookmarks. I've never been motivated to this before, but there are SO many talented writers in the Devil's Minion tag and I had bookmarked so many things that it was becoming unruly. Devil's Minion is such a fun fandom space to be, because writers are taking inspiration from the book and the show, creating AUs, writing old Daniel/young Daniel/vampire Daniel, assuming the 1970s/80s Devil Minion era did or didn't happen... there are endless variations and it's such a creative space. So it was fun to go through and sort all of the fics I like into different categories. It was also great distraction during a personally stressful time when my disability was making it hard to type and work on my own fics. And now of course that personally stressful time has become a nationally stressful time. I was initially going to write a bunch of different rec lists, each with their own topic/themes, and I probably still will do that eventually. But I thought I would start with a list of some of my all time faves in case you need some sweet vampire escapism in the wake of the horrible election results this week.

cranefucker island circa ‘82

by katplanet/ @gatoplanet

Word count: 22,365

Rating: explicit

Summary/Why I'm recommending it: This is an interactive fic, where clicking through different highlighted words takes you to different parts of the story. I love stories that use interactive or found media, and the nonlinear structure of this one perfectly captures the way that older Daniel recovers his memory of the Devil's Minion era. The individual scenes are also so beautifully written. (The one where young Daniel realizes that Armand can fly is etched into my brain).

Eighty Proof and a Lifetime

by doztoevsky

Word count: 11,003

Rating: Mature

Summary/Why I'm Recommending it: There are so many great "what happened after Dubai/How was Daniel Turned" fics out there, and I have to say that my favorite subgenre is "Daniel goes home to New York as a human and Armand follows him." (I guess I'm biased since I am also writing one these!) This is one of my favorites, largely for it's mix of lighthearted scenes and heartfelt emotions and the perfect amount of simmering sexual tension, and for all it manages to accomplish in a relatively short word count/single chapter. The image of Armand breaking down Daniel's bathroom door and using it to create a temporary coffin lid over his bathtub is so endearing and memorable to me, and there's a scene in a vampire bar that I think is just *chefs kiss* in terms of creative world building, character development, and spice level.

Unmade

Words by Klimppisoppa, Illustrations by @verimuru

Word count: 22,483

Rating: Mature

Summary/Why I'm Recommending it: This is largely based on book canon, with some TV show character flavor thrown in. What if Armand made up his mind to win Daniel back after Daniel went to live with Marius? Armand and Daniel's reconciliation is so gentle and lovely in this fic, and it really lets both characters develop a sense of agency as they separate themselves from Marius. It also has some really beautiful illustrations.

i'll ask for more time (but mother forgive me)

by @ignorethepineapples

Word Count: 3,512

Rating: Mature

Summary/Why I'm Recommending it: I think this is my all time favorite Devil's Minion fic. It's a shorter fic that uses a nonlinear structure to tie together Armand and Daniel's turning and it is achingly beautiful. The author has decided that the illness that nearly killed Armand before Marius turned him was syphilis, which can have Parkinson's like tremors as a symptom. The author connects Amadeo's illness with the AIDS crisis that was ongoing during the first part of Armand and Daniel's relationship with older Daniel's Parkinson's. This fic is heavier than some others on this list, but it is so cathartic and wonderful. I felt like this author reached inside my brain and pulled out the exact reasons these characters are important to me. It made me cry but also felt like the most healing of hugs, if that makes any sense at all.

Backroads to Sonoma

by burntcrimson

Word Count: 16,409

Rating: Mature

Summary/Why I'm recommending it: It's the 1980s, and a closeted Daniel is road tripping across middle America, surviving on gas station food and interviewing run aways and truckers to try to scrape together enough stories for a book. He picks up the hitchhiking Armand, who has a dangerous secret, and offers to drive him to California.

This fic is technically incomplete (one chapter remaining!) but the first four are SO GOOD it absolutely doesn't matter and you need to read it. This is a human AU, which I am not always into, but this author does such a good job of capturing Daniel and Armand's characterization and still maintaining Armand's aura of otherness and danger that it totally works. I honestly think this author could file the serial numbers off of this and expand it into it's own novel. The world building is so evocative, and the pacing perfectly balances Daniel's developing feelings for Armand with dramatic plot developments.

Ok, that's what I've got for you for now. If you want to check out my own Devil's Minion fics they're here. If you want to sort through my now gloriously organized bookmarks for yourself to find something to read you can do that here. Or send me an ask if there's something Devil's Minioned flavored you're craving-- maybe I'll have a personalized rec for you.

Feel free to reblog and add your own recs or reply in comments if you have a fic you think I should read. I am going to try to do more of these soon!

Also if you are one of these authors or know their tumblrs, let me know and I'll tag them.

[actonesceneone]

utterly soulless marina sketch I did while trying to distract myself from the results of the 2024 US presidential election my life feels empty