#escape from halloweentown

[1dcommunityficrecs]

Rec List: Hidden Gems!

Y'all SHOWED UP for this category and I am LOVING IT. You submitted 27 fics that deserve more love to highlight, and I am honoured to hold them up before you and say LOOKIT THESE TASTY MORSELS. They may have under 1,000 hits now, but I'm sure they won't for long!

I think this is one of the most varied lists so far -- we've got a handful of rarepairs including Zouis, Gryles, and OT5, as well as genfic, and there are half a dozen girl direction fics as well. And of course there are fics of all kinds of lengths, from under a thousand words to tens of thousands of words.

As always, please enjoy, read, kudos, comment, reblog, etc! New rec category coming soon :)

The Full English by albatross1013 (2985, Explicit, Harry Styles/Louis Tomlinson)

HSLOT has ended. FITFUS is wrapping up in NYC. Louis is waiting for his boy.

Reccer says: I had fun writing it.

HALLOWEENTOWN by justahappycloud (28700, General, Harry Styles/Louis Tomlinson) – fic post

Harry gets stuck in a town full of monsters, and Louis helps him escape. they run all over town while encountering the rest of the boys and different monsters

Reccer says: The way harry charms the entire town, and how the other boys are introduced is so fun!

i'll follow you til there's no tomorrow by liberty_barnes (12000, General, none) – fic post Warnings: depression and anxiety

the story of how a stray puppy saved Niall's life

Reccer says: Niall and the fans being inspired by each other for their own mental health journeys

(not) driving home for christmas by BeautifulWisdom (3461, Teen, Harry Styles/Louis Tomlinson) – fic post

Harry hits a dog while driving in a blizzard. Colour him surprised and woefully unprepared when said dog turns into a very bloody and very naked man.

Treat me like a queen, now you got me feelin' thrown, oh by LouisThiccSexyGlitteryAss (1765, Explicit, Harry Styles/Louis Tomlinson)

After a photography project leads her to the supposedly empty house of a beautiful woman, Harry learns that vampires are real... And devilishly good with their tongues.

Reccer says: Lesbians! Vampires!

Only for the Brave by Huggieshalo (990, Teen, Harry Styles/Louis Tomlinson) – fic post Warnings: feelings of imposter syndrome/ internalized homophobia

Louis dealing with big feelings through the process of writing OTB

You Can Let It Go by Huggieshalo (8600, Mature, Harry Styles/Louis Tomlinson) – fic post Warnings: There are multiple scenes and implications of an unhealthy/toxic family dynamic.

Harry as matilda if she followed her family and never stayed with Ms Honey

I'll knock on your door, it will save me from calling by hl-obsessed (RozaDhampir) (5790, Not Rated, Harry Styles/Louis Tomlinson, Zayn Malik & Louis Tomlinson) – fic post

Louis hears "Good Years" for the first time. Harry is there to pick up the pieces.

Reccer says: Love all the emotions in this fic. Very well written!

Remember Me As A Time Of Day by justanothershadeofblue (zjofierose) (67393, Explicit, Niall Horan/Zayn Malik/Liam Payne/Harry Styles/Louis Tomlinson)

It's the 20th anniversary of the One Direction hiatus, and the powers that be have decided that it's time for a reunion tour. 5 middle aged lads have to face each other and reconnect

Reccer says: Fabulous look at regrets, angst, smut and love

Peculiar Ugly Duckling by LadyLondonderry (3789, General, Harry Styles/Louis Tomlinson) – fic post

Loowee is a fish born to a family of FOUS fish. You’ve heard of FOUS fish, haven’t you, reader? Yes, of course you have. Fish Of Unusual Size Fish, of course.

Reccer says: I adore this fic so much. It's a very creative, humorous, and genuine story set in Eroda..

molecular by sarcangel (3862, Teen, Zayn Malik/Louis Tomlinson)

OT5 try to survive a zombie apocalypse.

Reccer says: This fic is intense from the start and tells an entire novel of an epic story in under 4000 words.

last call by neptune rising (thelesserneptune) (666, Not Rated, Harry Styles/Louis Tomlinson) Warnings: Implied/Referenced Character Death

Harry is a cheeky ground operator at NASA with a slight crush on astronaut Louis Tomlinson. On one late, calm night, they share their most personal conversation yet.

Reccer says: This ficlet pulled me in and then broke my heart (in the best way). The end packs an angsty punch that I didn't see coming.

The In-Between by LadyAJ_13 (2422, General, None) – fic post

“You wake up in a desert with an angel, a demon and a grim reaper-” “-and the accounts manager!” “-yes, alright Liam, and the accounts manager - and you haven’t realised you’re dead?”

Reccer says: I love the banter between the boys as they try to figure out the mystery of why Louis is stuck in The In-Between. The way they all argue and joke around with each other is great.

Chase by wabadabadaba (1900, Explicit, Harry Styles/Louis Tomlinson)

Louis and Harry play a game of chase during the full moon. A girl direction omegaverse fic.

Reccer says: There are not enough femslash omegaverse fics out there, and this is proof of how incredible they could be.

Remember Me (When I'm With You) by liberty_barnes (1441, Teen, Harry Styles/Louis Tomlinson) – fic post Warnings: Depression, suicidal thoughts, body dysmorphic disorder

Fallen angel Louis was cast out and angel Harry just wants him to be happy.

Reccer says: It's incredible the amount of emotion and hurt (and world building) come through in such a short fic. But there is hope and comfort to be had from angel Harry even if Louis doesn't always remember him.

The Sweet Yoke by little_obelia/littleobelia (1700, Teen, Harry Styles/Louis Tomlinson) – fic post

Harry is a nun who looks after her convent's chickens and Louis is the new vet who comes to help care for them.

Reccer says: It's so quirky and funny and completely charming!

close enough to touch, but I never cared for love by femstyles (759, Teen, Harry Styles/Louis Tomlinson)

Harry and Louis are best friends with benefits and Harry wants more but Louis (thinks) he's not interested in love. A tiny slice of a soft morning.

Reccer says: A perfect, tiny peek - soft and sweet

Stay by Maelstrom_Roots (5000, Mature, Harry Styles/Louis Tomlinson)

In the months before Louis shows up at the rink, Harry has been considering giving skating up altogether. Then, Louis comes to IceSheffield, his heart so obviously full of love for the sport, for simply being on the ice, that Harry can’t help but fall in love with it too. | Harry and Louis are competitive ice skaters who grow up together at the same rink.

Reccer says: Somehow it feels like 100k fic when it's only 5 - there's so much emotion and story packed in. Absolutely beautifully written, too.

The Doppel Effect by yeah_alright/uhohmorshedios (6500, Teen, Harry Styles & Louis Tomlinson) – fic post

Future Dystopia AU where rich people use lifelike android doppelgangers to be able to do more and get even richer and criminals have stolen the technology to create a sub-class of doppelgangers called Forgeries.Harry lives what he believes to be a simple life, until a mysterious stranger shows up and turns it upside down.

Reccer says: Fascinating story with great tension and well executed surprises. Great worldbuilding! This was probably my favorite fic from 2023. I love love love sci-fi, and this was brilliant and mysterious and creepy and I am absolutely holding out hope that the author will write a longer au of this world.

like sun on the rise by disgruntledkittenface (9000, Mature, Nick Grimshaw/Harry Styles) – fic post

Harry shows up at the coffee shop Nick works at and insists they've known each other in previous lives. Nick doesn't know what to make of her, but luckily, she goes with it.

Reccer says: Characterizations are flawless, the relationship dynamic is wonderful - sweet and funny and flirty and comfortable - and the smut is SO SO HOT

Eyes so blue, Shorts so red by nonsensedarling/absoloutenonsense (2600, General, Harry Styles/Louis Tomlinson) – fic post

Harry isn’t like any roommate Louis has had before. For one, he doesn’t know what a poem is (or skee-ball, for that matter), but luckily for him, Louis doesn’t mind answering any and all of his questions.

Reccer says: Could not be more charming! Sweet and funny and clever. This Alien!Harry is so earnest and adorable I love him so much.

Hold Steady by abrighteryellow/a-brighter-yellow (3000, Teen, Harry Styles/Louis Tomlinson) – fic post

Harry can never get his winged eyeliner right so he finally goes to Sephora where Louis helps him.

Reccer says: Wonderful writing! I love this Harry so much and everything about his interactions with Louis are just perfect. Such a sweet, funny, engaging story.

Behind Nowhere by 4ureyesonly28/evilovesyou (3500, General, Harry Styles/Louis Tomlinson) – fic post

It's the September of 1967 and Harry is curious to find out what the Summer of Love brought to San Francisco.

Reccer says: It's a sweet, tender exploration and the writer captures the atmosphere and Harry's thoughts wonderfully.

{the hs1 collection} 5 fics. 5 songs. 5 decades. by zita17/louisandtheaquarian (28263, Explicit, Harry Styles/Louis Tomlinson) – fic post

Five unrelated fics, each set in a different decade, from the 1950s through the 1990s, and inspired by a different unreleased HS1 song.

Reccer says: historical fiction, musician and famous/not famous au's, inspired by music + films. This whole series is INCREDIBLE, but the 1978 one is my favorite—the vulnerability, the pining, the musings on self vs. performance are impeccable. Plus, Harry as a mermaid/alien/glam-rock god and Louis as a leather-pants-and-platform-boots punk are genius!

Secrets I Have Held by QuickedWeen (4000, Mature, Harry Styles/Louis Tomlinson ) – fic post Warnings: Mentions of violence and guns

Peaky Blinders AU with gangster Louis

Reccer says: It's very atmospheric in the time period and world

I See You Shiver With Antici— (SAY IT, SAY IT) by homosociallyyours (666, General, Harry Styles/Louis Tomlinson) – fic post

Harry has elaborate costumes planned for each night of The Rocky Horror Picture Show

Reccer says: The author packed SO MUCH into 666 words! Gender exploration + euphoria, flirting, and RHPS!

My Kind of Trouble by Homosociallyyours (1800, General, Harry Styles/Louis Tomlinson) – fic post

Harry is a waitress at Waffle House, Louis stops by for a visit

Reccer says: I love the slow, small town sweetness of these two meeting again after years apart.

[franki-lew-yo]

You know, I had a mutual who mentioned to me that Coraline was a disappointment and I actually understand that -- you get hyped up as an adult horror fan ready to see some horror for kids and it's like "well it IS THERE, but it's not Poltergeist-level of 'this is a horror film for kids'-level scare meter. This is a scary movie for kids about kids but I don't know if I'd call it horror in the way I'm used to horror" (their definition of horror being Jordan Peele, Robert Eggers and David Lynch). This isn't someone who was really uptight abt what is and isn't horror btw like I am, they simply were expecting to be really scared and Coraline didn't scare them.

I totally get all of that.

The thing that makes Coraline and Monster House horror as much as they are very much for kids, is that these aren't just 'creepy' or 'horror adjacent' stories like Scooby Doo, TNBC, Corpse Bride, Halloweentown or Hocus Pocus. They aren't just 'kid-friendly version of horror'-films like ParaNorman and Frankenweenie are. Those movies are 'spooky' and have horror elements to them. They may have scary moments in them, but unless you are a little kid I don't think you're ever really scared by them and that's the point. They are built around horror archetypes but they aren't built on scaring you AS MOVIES. Meanwhile, stuff made for adults about children -It, Five Nights, Babadook- those things creep our adult senses out and that is in turn engaging and 'cool' to especially older kids who the movie's not made for but who absolutely are in their 'I can handle it'-phase and like testing their scare-levels.

Poltergeist, Coraline and Monster House aren't horror movies because 'it a thing that scary; kids b skared'. They aren't NOT horror movies because the main characters survive and there's no blood*, as if sad endings and gore is what makes horror 'horror. It's because they are built around the suspense, thrill and genuine feel of dread and fear of you being in the way of something dangerous (Poltergeist), you coming across something dangerous (Monster House), or something dangerous actively trying to get you (Coraline). Fear, suspense and escape is part of the story.

And really, that's what you ought to know in the case of Coraline specifically: if you were a kid, even an older kid like I was, used to the scariest thing you've seen being Oogie's death in Nightmare Before Christmas or Emily first rising and chasing Victor in Corpse Bride; if the scariest thing you were used to was being uncanny and 'creepy looking' but otherwise harmless like Jim Henson or James and the Giant Peach...you were NOT prepared for Coraline. You just weren't. You thought you were cuz you were all 'eugh I saw Corpse Bride when I was 8 in the theater' and 'I watch Goosebumps reruns I can take it-' and then suddenly this happens

and it all gets worse (BETTER) from there? That was a shock. A good shock.

Baby's first legit horror film is so important, provided they're at that age where they're ready.

*yes I know there's the scene with the guy tearing his face off in Poltergeist; you know what I mean.

[agerefandom]

Caregiver!Oogie Boogie Headcanons

gives soft hugs, if a little bit squirmy

there’s always a few bugs on you, keeping an eye out

can deny you nothing, especially if it’ll cause trouble for the other Halloweentown residents

lets you run the deadly gauntlets but secretly programs the blades so they slow down when they get close to you, giving you time to escape

spins you around until you’re dizzy and laughs when you stumble

everything is a game with Oogie Boogie: your snacks are thrown into the air and you have to catch them with your mouth

has never ever heard of a bath

lots of fried bugs and his special snake and spider stew!!! (don’t think too hard about where the bugs come from???)

lots of finger painting with paints that show up in the black light: he’s also very good at face paint!!!

[kingyo-konbini]

all I think about are au’s I’ve got a dragon au idea worked out and a summer cap au worked out and I’ve got the modern au from espresso shots and now I’m thinking about doing a halloweentown-esque au thing for october lord I worry I think too much to escape canon

[halloweentown-the-next-gen]

🔸️Halloween Fandom & RP Group

This is a group created by a passionate lover of Halloween, Autumn, and all things spooky, for all those who love the same.

Inspired by the Halloweentown movie series of the 1990's and 2000s, this is all meant to be simple and sometimes nostalgic fun, and a place for childlike enjoyment of the holiday and all the quirky things we love, a place for spooky escapism.

Join us in sharing our Halloween fandom, from shopping, crafts, decorating, news, movies, events, group activities, and everything spooky, even to our own open roleplay and short story series, come play in Halloweentown!

Join the fun!

🟣 Facebook

🟣 Discord

🔸️🔸️🔸️🔸️🔶️🔸️🔸️🔸️🔸️

🟣🟠🟢 Homepage

` ⬇️ MORE INFO BELOW THE CUT ⬇️

Have fun with other fans of everything spooky! share art, show off our Halloween displays, share spooky news, chat about movies, etc!

Very casual and laid back, and you are welcome to join to check things out before getting involved. We also have no length requirements for RP responses, should you choose to RP.

If you choose to RP, you can use your own OC or any canon character of any media that isn't already taken! There is no limit on number of characters, and we have Tupperbox and Pluralkit in the discord server for anyone to use.

We are horror-friendly but not horror-centered, with individual categories for both in the server, hoping to cater to those who enjoy horror as well as those who simply love a playful style of Halloween!

We have an ongoing short story series in the works!

🟣 RolePlay Setting (Extended)

🔸️🔸️🔸️🔸️🔶️🔸️🔸️🔸️🔸️

🟣 Short Story Series

🟣 Story Characters

🔸️🔸️🔸️🔸️🔶️🔸️🔸️🔸️🔸️

🟣 Blogs by HT Members

🟣 List of Blog Tags

Dividers by @djarrex and @firefly-graphics

[zdbztumble]

Yet Another Kingdom Hearts Revisit, Part V

This playthrough has been a blow to my pretensions of having a good memory. I'd completely forgotten that King Triton isn't the only good Disney character from outside Disney Castle who knows something about Keyblades and Keyholes. It makes perfect sense for the Genie to have some insight into them, but I really like that he knows less than Triton does. It's better for pacing reasons that he doesn't, but it also fits his character - I can't imagine that a magical being who spends so much time contemplating mid-20th century American pop culture while stuck in his lamp would keep his ancient legends straight.

Of all the Disney worlds in the series that try to condense their source films into the game, KH I's Agrabah is the most successful IMO. It's really the only level in the game that did so. Olympus Coliseum, Halloweentown, Monstro, and Neverland feature original stories, and Wonderland, Deep Jungle, and Atlantica use only pieces of their films (to greater and lesser degrees) in their stories. Agrabah has almost all the major elements of Aladdin in it: Aladdin's street rat origins, Jasmine's escape from the palace (albeit under entirely different circumstances) and her love affair with Aladdin, Jafar's scheming to take over Agrabah, the quest for the lamp in the Cave of Wonders, Genie's comedy, his freedom, and the three wishes. Even "Prince Ali" gets worked in. The only thing left out from the film is the finale where Aladdin and Jasmine get together.

Why it works here compared to later worlds in the series is that, despite using so much of the film, all of those elements are re-contextualized to fit the time frame that KH I had to work with and, more importantly, were modified to fit the needs of KH I's larger story. There's no room to fit the "Prince Ali" element proper into the plot, and if the attempt had been made, it would've been an abridged version lacking the comedic texture that makes it work in the movie, and it would have distracted from Sora's story and the plot of the League of Disney Villains. It was much better to make that a brief mention and have the three wishes applied to the battle with the Heartless.

And speaking of battling Heartless - Aladdin's in my Top 3 for Disney world battle partners in the entire series. The dude rocks. And Jafar makes for one of the more challenging two-part bosses in the game. Kurt Zisa is, for my money, the most difficult secret boss in the game, Sephiroth very much included. And that's (usually) a good thing! I like having to shift between physical and magical strategies, and I like that he's a boss that let you get good value out of the Summons (sadly, I wasn't able to duplicate my last playthrough, where I beat him with multiple Summons instead of just Tinkerbell and dumb luck at dodging his vertical spin after she bought me a free life).

Part of me wonders if Monstro and Agrabah shouldn't have been reversed in order. On the one hand, Riku nabbing Jasmine makes for a good shock and a sense of foreboding; the player knows how far gone he is at that point, but Sora doesn't. But why does Riku need the quest for the seven princesses explained at the end of Monstro when he's already captured one of them?

And I might as well cover Monstro in this post, as I don't have too much to say about him. This is one world where I agree with the complaints about KH I's platforming. I appreciate that the bowels of a space-whale should be a claustrophobic place, but the chambers are too small and too packed with crap to make the concept work in an enjoyably challenging way. Instead, it's just tedious.

Storywise, however, Monstro is a great turning point for Sora and Riku. Taking a cute Disney character hostage might be an easy way to sell moral decline, but it's so much more effective than three minutes of lore gibber-gabber by one-note pricks in black coats. And whichever executives at Square and Disney are responsible for giving the final OK to these games' plots should have made the staff re-watch this scene ahead of every scripting session since KH I. The first game as a whole works against later characterizations of Responsible Riku being the one to clean up after lazy, do-as-he-pleases Sora, but that scene and this world demonstrate most clearly how big a retcon that change was.

[anauthore]

UPDATE ON ESCAPE FROM HALLOWEENTOWN

Hello all! 

First things first, thank you. If you've read, liked, commented, or talked about this story in any way shape or form, you have supported me in some way, and I appreciate that more than anything. My story, which started out as an opening chapter describing an idea that was one of complete randomness, suddenly grew a following. Every day I was getting notifications about a comment, a heart, a message, a follow... all because of a measly fanfiction I didn't even take the time to properly plan out.

You all have given me a platform, even if it is small- and quickly I rushed to pump out more content, hoping to feed the crowd and make them happy. At first, I wanted to create a story- but, it had no clear path, and so I picked it with less than average enthusiasm. On the spot I had to create something that worked, which wasn't at all how I was used to writing. I thought of it as a good on-the-spot exercise, to help grow my writing style and skill, but by Chapter 4, it became draining and anxiety inducing. I started rushing the progress of our characters and their interactions, and the comments about that in particular started to stick out in my mind. I started to over criticize, spending hours writing out a chapter only to delete it all and start over. I was convinced that, no matter what I did, it wouldn't be an acceptable direction for the story to go in. 

And then I realized, I was right. But for a different reason.

I realized that my heart wasn't in it anymore. That all of my ideas sounded wrong because they were. Nothing connected back to the first, or even second, chapters because every chapter was written separately- and there was no planning beforehand, so planting seeds in the beginning had been a step I skipped in the writing process.

So...

I wanted to do you all justice. I wanted to make the chapters connect, to give it a plan and a sense of direction instead of uncertainty, to really make it a slow-burn. That's what I will do. But to do that, I need to re-write some things. In fact, I need to do a LOT of editing, reworking, deleting...

And to do that, I must go on an official hiatus with this story. I need to take some time to plan out a path for our main characters, to rework what I can, and get rid of what I can't, as well as start writing a cohesive story. That's why I'm making this announcement- to let you all as the readers know what I'm doing, and what's to come.

This story will be finished- and it will be better than ever. I just hope that you all will remain there with me.

Until the next update, AA

[cleopatrachampagne]

i’m reading an absolutely incredible pacific northwestern gothic lesbian romance/mystery novel (the dead and the dark by courtney gould) one of many i’ve been enjoying over the past few months, and i really gotta say that i’m usually a pretty unbothered bitch who minds her own business but i cannot stand people calling twilight pacific northwestern gothic. it’s exactly like the debate a while back over how inauthentic southern gothic feels/is from people who aren’t from the south. bc i assure you brigham young university is not a genuine pacific northwestern experience and neither is anything in twilight.

like, this novel is absolutely nailing the creepiness of hyper conservative small towns in eastern oregon (aka the maga headquarters of the goddamned world and the place where my dad escaped a literal neo-nazi skinhead cult) filled with old families and rampant corruption. another one i recently read used the sociopolitical issue of “hipster portlandia” culture, which beneath the surface of quirky leftists and food trucks is just cultural erasure, sickening gentrification and hostility against the poor, as what the gothic style monstrosity represented.

even if we brush past politics to just discuss the ecology, history and infrastructure, true authenticity is in dilapidated logging towns, the feeling you get in your spine when there’s a mountain lion watching you in the woods that you can’t see or hear, being baptized by rainwater imbued with toxic wildfire smoke, the grey fog over the cold beaches, the lovecraftian dead things that often wash up on those beaches, cities built on bones of burned cities and named after the dead leaders murdered by conquerors, covens of new age woodland witches, ghosts of pioneers, beasts of the wilds fighting against rampant deforestation, corpses of lost skiers frozen in the mountain snow and an unsettling history of geothermal and volcanic activity. not to mention the seriously disproportionate number of creepy cults which have thrived (and died) here.

maybe i was influenced by growing up hearing my parents talk about watching the air around them suddenly become thick with blinding white ash and then looking out their windows when the smoke cleared to see half a mountain just gone or the fact that the grandmother’s house in halloweentown was filmed in my grandmother’s old house or even just my own personal eerie experiences while hiking alone in the pacific wilderness but come on man.

hell, i’ve been to forks twice and my uncle’s place on the san juan islands a ferry ride from port angeles more often than that and she even has the weather wrong. the rich mythos of the cascadian culture from last decade to pre-columbus is fascinating but she just made up harmful stereotype fueled shit out of thin air. the twilight saga is a generic paranormal romance story that could be set literally anywhere. i’m an unashamed twilight fangirl but it’s about as far from proper pacific northwestern gothic as you can get so can we please stop calling it that?

[justahappycloud]

hii, 3 and 13 please! for the wip ask game

hi julia!! I'm gonna answer based on both of my WIPs bc one of them is chaptered and the other one is not and that sounds fun so let's go

3. Whose your favorite character for this chapter/fic?

in star-crossed (my fantasy fic where they're both witches from enemy covens) louis has to be my most favourite character bc while both he and harry have a developed storyline independent from each other, louis' character as a whole tugs at my heartstrings like no other. he presents himself as this cool witch that has everything under control (he's the older brother, after all, knowing what to do is his thing) but underneath all that attitude there is so much fear. fear of not being enough, fear that what he can offer is not wanted, fear that he doesn't matter. both he and harry play an important part in the story of the island they live in, but the way louis' journey and arc develops is something that is so so precious for me.

as for halloweentown (my halloween fic in which human!harry is trapped in a town full of monsters and louis helps him escape) my favourite so far is zayn. this story is shorter and a sort of comedy so it doesn't leave room for deep characterisations but gosh, i love this dumb but supportive scarecrow with. my. life. in fact, i described him as a talking burlap sack once and @moonchildreads and I still find it hard to stop laughing about it.

13. What common trope(s) do you feel are used in this chapter/fic?

in the chapter of star-crossed i'm writing now, the tropes i used so far are miscommunication, mutual pining, emotional moonlit scenes (stole this one from a tumblr list lol) and "character A looking at character B while B isn't looking"

and as for halloweentown in general we have the sweet combination of strangers to lovers, "there was only one bed", found family and the use of one (1) closet joke.

thanks so much for the ask!

★ ask me questions about my WIPs ★

[catarinaibarra]

〈 TESSA THOMPSON / CIS WOMAN / SHE/HER / 35 (1025) 〉is that CATARINA IBARRA i see coming through the portal? not surprised, i’ve been seeing the REAPER around these parts for TWO HUNDRED YEARS. i don’t know much about them but the great pumpkin says that they have a habit of being GRUMPY but their PROTECTIVE ways makes up for it. i’ve seen them working as a OCCULT RESEARCHER at OCCULT SOCIETY but everyone says they like to hang out at THE FLOUR GARDEN. alas, i guess we’ll find out more about them as time goes on but they already give me the vibes of STRINGS OF FATE, INK STAINED HANDS, LASTING MEMORIES OF LONG GONE SOULS, COMFORT IN LONELINESS, ANCIENT SILVER BRACELETS.

Penned by Mands, she/her, 26, GMT-3

THE BASICS

NAME: catarina ibarra

FC: tessa thompson

AGE (APPEARANCE): 35

AGE (CHRONOLOGICAL): 1025

YEAR OF BIRTH: 998

BIRTHPLACE: unknown

SPECIES: reaper

GENDER: cis woman

PRONOUNS: she/her

SEXUALITY: bisexual

OCCUPATION: occult researcher at occult society

PERSONALITY

POSITIVE TRAITS: protective, resilient, loyal, prudent

NEGATIVE TRAITS: grumpy, wary, fatalist, reserved

INTERESTS: history, storytelling, sweets, storms, dogs, cats

DISLIKES: surprises, loud noises, living in apartments, geese

BIOGRAPHY

( tw: death )

Catarina's memories of human life are blurry and few. She knows she was born in the year 998, and she remembers a community of people around her. The Ibarra family had five children, with Catarina being the middle daughter. The names of her parents, siblings and extended family escape her now, but their faces are still clear. They were close and caring, and she stills has love for them.

She vaguely remembers the day of her wedding, and a house built with her spouse near her childhood home. She remembers being happy. And then, she remembers getting sick. She doesn't remember dying, only what happened next.

When she woke up as a Reaper, Catarina was confused. She tried to find her way home, but soon found out what her duty now was. She took it seriously, though not without grief, and did her best to accept and understand her new role in life.

For centuries, she had no ties to any place or person. Catarina appreciated the snippets of life she got to see even while bringing death, and all of her free time went to knowing more about humans and their creations, though it was difficult to be permanently apart from them. Her time was now limitless, and she dedicated it to knowledge.

About two hundred years ago, Catarina decided to move to Halloweentown. She had heard of it for decades, and the possibility of establishing connections with other supernatural beings and building a home was too tempting. Being around for over a thousand years, felt that everything was temporary, but Halloweentown offered some sense stability.

She built a home in the town and soon started working as an occult researcher at Occult Society. She still visits the human world often, as her role as a Reaper requires, but she is in Halloweentown most of the time.

BELIEFS

( tw: death )

Catarina sees death as an essencial part of existence, though sometimes the task to end a life can be taxing for her. In over a millennium, she has rarely intervened in any way. To her, her personal feelings are also a natural part of the job, and they should never tangle the lines of fate.

Her actions as a Reaper remain neutral, even when devastating or contrary to her wishes. She accepts tragedy as a painful but unavoidable part of life. The same can't be said about her opinion on cruelty, but she carries that weight on her own, separate from the job.

Every life, human or otherwise, is precious. She remembers the faces of each soul she took, though their names might be long forgotten.

Catarina enjoys learning about cultures and the stories of people. It keeps her connected to humanity through time.

She is passionate about the preservation and remembrance of history, as something invaluable on itself and also necessary to guarantee a better future.

She has seen and experienced plenty of suffering over her extended existence. She mostly keeps that to herself, believing that she shouldn't burden others with what haunts her.

[orleans-jester]

Devil’s Night Carnival - Halloweentown

For one night only.

Halloweentown will open it’s doors to people who might want to capture a glimpse of what Halloween is really about. Or at least, what the Boogies think it’s about. Inspired by Pleasure Island, a whole amusement park is hastily built, going through the town, loop de loops over houses, Ferris wheels stretching up to the sky where someone could say hello to the man in the moon, whipping through the air at astonishing speeds, so many different rides to get one going, to entice people to come in, to watch even if they don’t have the guts to participate.

And the food. Oh, the food. Corn dogs, made with real dogs. Caramel apples - they’re to die for. Snow cones that’ll give you frostbite on your tongue. The Jim Jones special Flavor-Aid, in all sorts of flavors. No, dearies, there is no such thing as healthy food here, and any outside food is strictly prohibited.

Trick or Treat is the theme of this carnival. Barrel’s treats are to be found aplenty. Try your luck. Give it a gamble. You’ll get one or the other with every candy that you accept. Some of the treats include: ecstasy, pleasurable feelings, the tastiest thing that you could imagine, a candy that emphasizes your power, a candy that gives you a brand new power for a time, a candy that will never lose it’s flavor and you can suck on it for hours, candy that makes you beautiful, candy that gives you the best possible luck. But there are tricks too; candies that will give you a savage hunger for flesh, candies that will break your bones, candy that blinds you, deafens you, candies that make you shrink like Wonderland, candies that make your skin shed, make you bald, make you forget who you are, make you hate the ones you love and love the ones you hate, take away your powers, make you an axe-wielding maniac, turn all of your fingers into thumbs, turn you into a child or make you older.

Games? Of course there are games. Is Russian Roulette your speed? What about shooting boiling hot water into the mouths of obese men until they blow, and you can win yourself a teddy bear. Test your skill by throwing knives at the man strapped to a spinning wheel! Shoot some real ducks down, but be careful, they might fly at ya. Whack some real moles! Escape from the Killer Clown inside of our house of mirrors - he might not be able to tell where you are, but you also can’t tell where he is.

Attractions galore. Aphrodite will be working the kissing booth, if you’re feeling a little frisky. The Dance of the Dead - those that are dearly departed come alive with the zapping of cattle prods to make them dance something spectacular. The Canine Circus with collared werewolves, doing little puppy tricks for our amusement. Local rock and roll hopefuls take the stage for a chance to perform with Oogie Boogie on the next tour - but if you don’t make the cut, you’re going to get a cut.

To those who want to experience the full action, get there as the sun sets. After that, only entry is allowed. No exiting. It’s a locked-in experience that you can’t escape from until the sun comes up the next morning. The mayor and the police have made a deal with Oogie that they will overlook some disappearances if the hellions of NOLA attend the circus on Devil’s Night rather than cause issues with their town. When the sun starts it’s ascent, the effects of the tricks and the treats will wear off, but the memories of how they had been affected will remain for the rest of their lives.

[wahlpaper]

Every Heart a Doorway Review

Every Heart a Doorway by Seanan McGuire

CW: Transphobia, Deadnaming, Child Abandonment, Parent Death Mentioned, Mutilation/Blood, Death, Child Death, Skinning, Reanimation, Animal Cruelty, Swearing, Bullying, Medical Content, Disordered Eating

5/5

While I'm normally the person in my friend group to suggest books, occasionally a friend recommends one to me. This was the case for Every Heart a Doorway by Seanan McGuire. And they were absolutely right to do so! I took a while to get around to reading it, but I fell in love with it as soon as I did. It's an imaginative world of worlds with ace rep and neurodivergent coding. I'm relieved that it's the start of a series, as I didn't want to be done with it. If you're intrigued so far but not looking for a series, this novella definitely works as a stand-alone.

Every Heart a Doorway starts when Nancy is sent to a boarding school for Wayward Children. She has been through a doorway to a land of the dead, a land she felt at home in. Now she must learn alongside others like her, children who have been cast out of their world and are desperate to go back. Unfortunately, as soon as she starts making friends, people start being killed. Who will be next? Who is doing it? What's their motive? Will Nancy and the school survive long enough to benefit from what the Home for Wayward Children has to offer?

The premise of this story is a beautiful and exciting one. I love the idea that there are worlds out there perfectly suited for each person who isn't suited for Earth. This is where I sense the neurodivergent coding, aided by the author being autistic. All of the children we met felt at home in the world that they found. When they returned to the real world, they had spent so long unmasked that they couldn't stand the world they came back to. Their parents had a hard time with the returns as well. As an autistic person, it left me wondering what world would make me feel right. Perhaps one from scratch would do best, but I can't help thinking of Halloweentown from the Disney Channel Original Movie. 

Another aspect that made me love Every Heart a Doorway was the queer rep. McGuire included ace and trans rep in her novella. Nancy has a squish (platonic crush) on her classmate, Kade, who is trans. He was thrown out of his other world for it and disowned by his parents when he returned. The Home for Wayward Children took him in, though. He's not the most extroverted person, but he does immediately take to Nancy in return. Nancy is asexual and potentially on the aromantic spectrum. Her doorway world was affirming of this. Knowing that McGuire is demisexual made this representation all the more satisfying to me. I have read that the other books in the series have queer rep too. If it's anything like this, I'm looking forward to it! 

Every Heart a Doorway should be a horror novella, given the murder, mutilation, and description of some of the worlds, but it didn't come across that way to me. It's possible that my inability to imagine the gory scenes kept it from being as scary as it could be, but I don't think so. This school is for the children who want to go back to their worlds or at least want to remember them. Many of the worlds were dark, scary, or focused on the dead. The characters are comfortable with dead bodies, so it's easier for the reader to be as well. I appreciated this approach. It's not disrespectful to the dead, it honors them without turning them into a spectacle. The people at this school have a very different viewpoint than most humans, and that matters.

Seanan McGuire created a fantastical and dangerous world that offers hope and acceptance. If the idea of escaping into another realm or a boarding school for kids who have done so appeals to you, Every Heart a Doorway is the book for you. Treat the book as a doorway of its own!

[thenormalpiper]

Name: Dylan Piper Age: 28 Height: 5'10 Pronouns: He/Him Sexuality: Bisexual Occupation: Librarian Zodiac: Virgo sun, Aquarius moon, Capricorn rising Faceclaim: Mert Yazıcıoğlu

Description

The middle child, yet the oldest and only brother of the Piper family, Dylan took it upon himself at a very young age to be the responsible sibling. It was obvious from very early on that Marnie wasn’t going to take that role on herself, but Dylan didn’t mind taking on the responsibility, especially after their dad passed. He was officially the only male left in the family from that point on, and it only felt right to take the responsiblity into his own hands in order to ease the load off their mother. Dylan found it really annoying how Marnie always seemed to pick a fight about things with their mom, especially when it came to making a big deal out of Halloween, the one holiday that their mom had an issue with. Dylan preferred to not ask questions about her reasonings and to just accept Gwen's skepticism of Halloween, finding the holiday childish and obscure himself anyway. It wasn't until Dylan was about 12 when they finally discovered their true family history and went to Halloweentown for the first time. From that point on, everything changed for their family. Suddenly, Marnie wasn't the crazy one after all, and Dylan had to come to terms with the reality of having magic in their blood. He didn't want to accept it at first, but it was hard to escape it once they knew. He eventually grew more comfortable with his magic and even uses it for his own enjoyments (like speed reading), but he still prefers to stick to logic and science for the most part. Dylan doesn't let his magic define his life like his older sister does, and as the siblings have grown up it has always been Dylan who uses his magic the least.

Headcanons

Dylan is a mama's boy and always tries to stick by Gwen's side, even if sometimes she may not be right. He typically only points out when she's wrong if it'll help a situation in some way, otherwise he just leaves it be

Very loyal to his family, including his sisters. He shows his love to his family in his own particular ways; specifically, making sure they're taking good care of themselves, like eating healthy and brushing their teeth before bed. He's also very protective of his sisters, especially Sophie. It was almost always Dylan who got stuck babysitting Sophie growing up, after all.

He's always loved science and nature, but his love for books has been his number one passion forever. He majored in library sciences and considers his work his second home

Has definitely gotten through reading every book in the library at least once. The new challenge for him now is finding things he hasn't read yet

He loves camping and hiking in his free time!

Extremely sarcastic and can also be an annoying smart ass. It comes with his brotherly charm

He is a TERRIBLE flirt and struggles when it comes to dating, but that doesn't mean that he doesn't put himself out there. He really does try, really, it's just a matter of finding the right person that understands him

Has the most random and obscure facts just filed away in his brain. info dumps on people frequently without them even asking

ISTJ

[goblinboyluke]

Name: Luke Phillips Age: 29 Height: 5'10 Pronouns: He/Him Sexuality: Bisexual Occupation: Bus driver/drug dealer Zodiac: Scorpio sun, Gemini moon, Leo rising Faceclaim: Cameron Monaghan

Description

It had always been pretty obvious that Luke wasn't very happy with growing up in Halloweentown. He hated being a goblin, he hated his parents, and he hated his hometown. His parents were never really around much, anyway. They were there, fighting constantly and making up without giving Luke a second thought, but when he needed them most they never really pulled through. He learned at a young age that there was no point in relying on them. This only further built on his insecurities, despite that his parents were goblins too. He couldn't help but think of himself as hideous, unlovable, blaming that for the lack of attention he received from his parents rather than their own selfish actions. Ever the outcast, it made sense that Luke eventually found himself hanging with the wrong crowd while growing up in Halloweentown, even willing to work for sketchy people for his own personal gain. It was how he got wrapped up working for Kalabar initially, easily persuaded with the magical promise to make himself look human. From there, his association with bad crowds only continued.

Marnie Piper was a good influence on Luke, but he only really got to see her when she'd come visit Halloweentown, which wasn't enough to keep Luke completely out of trouble. Eventually, the redhead's local friends got him involved in local drug dealing. Halloweentown's drug business was a lot more intense than in the mortal world, with magical drugs that were far stronger and more dangerous than any regular drug. It was never something that Luke wanted to get deeply involved in, but once he was part of the business, it was pretty difficult to get back out.

When he eventually began to express more desire to leave Halloweentown for good and move to the mortal world, Luke had initially hoped it would be an easy escape from his current drug affairs, but instead it made things more complicated — suddenly, he was smuggling magical drugs through the portal to the mortal world, and now he had to adjust to human life and blend in, all while selling magical drugs behind the scenes. It isn't something Luke is proud of, especially now that he's spending more time with Marnie again, but so far he isn't sure he has any better options. In the meantime, he's found a local bus driving job that he works during the day, feeling more like himself now that he's in his human form and able to embrace what he's always wanted to be. Despite the bumps in the road with his current job, Luke can't help but feel it's a small price to pay to live in the mortal world.

Headcanons

There were a lot of reasons he decided to move to the mortal world. For one, he really has no connection to Halloweentown, no family ties or close friends to make him feel like he should stay. He also wanted to be closer to Marnie, missing her more after each time she visited. With his ever growing fascination of the mortal world though, no one ever really questioned his decision. Besides, who wouldn't want to live in the place where they were more attractive and more comfortable in their own skin?

Luke never has bad intentions at the end of the day, but that doesn't always mean he makes the best choices. He always proves his good intentions are there eventually, of course, which was exactly what he did for Marnie. The moment he met the witch from the mortal world, Luke became more and more facinated with human life, wishing he could always look as handsome as he did as a human (even if Marnie liked him better his natural way). Marnie is the one who used magic to make him appear human again once he was ready to leave Halloweentown, and he appreciates her for it!!

In his human form, Luke is the opposite of his usual, insecure self. He grows super cocky, self-aware of his attractiveness as a human (aka he's hot shit and he knows it!)

He was ever the pop-punk skater boy as a teenager. Still gives off that energy but more elder pop-punk energy now. He doesn't skateboard as much as he used to but it's still something he enjoys

He's still adjusting to the mortal world but he's loving it so far! He's even gotten super into social media and is gaining a decent following on Tiktok and instagram (which of course doesn't help his fat ego!)

ISFP

[hiddenwashington]

anonymous said : mw spooky season muses?

members would love to see anyone from halloweentown, the sanderson sisters from hocus pocus, the addams family from the addams family, greg and wirt from over the garden wall, the flying dutchman from spongebob, mindy meeks martin, olivia morris, liv mckenzie, and leslie macher from scream, any other muses from the purge anarchy, anyone from the craft, ben miller, brianna, rachel, or amanda from escape room, or ben hanscom, mike hanlon, or patty uris from it! if you have any other requests, members, feel free to drop them in the replies below.

[evermorehqs]

CATCHING MY BREATH, STARING OUT AN OPEN WINDOW

Jack Skellington is based on Jack from The Nightmare Before Christmas. He is a 31 year old cursed human, novelist and uses he/him pronouns. He has no powers. Jack is portrayed by Freddy Carter and he is taken.

CATCHING MY DEATH, AND I COULDN’T BE SURE

Imagine for a moment you’re stuck in a loop of constantly creating the same thing every single day. You spent 364 days sometimes 365 days a year, tasked with making Halloween perfect. The years drag by and time after time your world starts to shrink, crumble into a repetitive nightmare you can’t escape and the thing you love most in the world becomes tedious and undesirable. That was how Jack lived for many many years in the cooped up fearsome village of Halloween town, just beyond the doors of holidays. With every passing day Jack grew more restless in his bones, just itching for something new, a fresh start to warm the spot in his hollowed out chest where a heart should be. And then on the evening of October 31st one cursed year, Jack wandered out of his hometown and began to aimlessly stroll towards the forest with his companion Zero, the pair continued until dawn where they reached the doors of holidays and Jack felt compelled to explore the one shaped like a tree. Magically sucked into the world of ChristmasTown, Jack went missing and sent the entirety of Halloweentown into a frenzy of chaos trying to locate their most treasured resident. Meanwhile he was exploring the musically lit up area covered in snow and the scent of fresh baked pies, cooking up a plan of his own. Yes, Christmas seemed like such a spirited holiday but it was missing a certain Pumpkin King’s touch. Fast forward to Evermore, years after the disastrous Christmas that mentally scarred children and was spearheaded by Jack with the help of Halloweentown's residents, to the present. Where one fine morning Jack awoke to his new normal in an empty three bedroom apartment, with no clear memories of Halloweentown. Later he would fill those vacancies with two of his closest friends Saaliha Finkelstein and Zane Olson. Jack, an aspiring novelist who makes most of his money ghostwriting for celebrities has been trying to create the perfect novel for as long as he can remember. However he is struggling to find the perfect balance between suspense and thriller as all he can seem to write about is a haunted little town beyond a forest, plagued with ghouls, witches, vampires and villainous monsters from children’s nightmares that appear in his own dreams. And sometimes its a little too close for his own comfort.

I HAD A FEELING SO PECULIAR

❀ Nicholas St. North: Jack feels as if they have met before, somewhere in another life. He’s also quite ashamed to admit he is jealous of the jolly disposition Nicholas has. ❀ Miguel Rivera: Just like looking after Zane, Jack feels a compelling obligation to keep an eye out for Miguel. Something tells him the kid is capable of getting into more trouble than it seems. ❀ Velma Dinkley: If there was ever a person to consult about mysteries or books its Velma and Jack loves her take on conspiracy theories and what goes bump in the night. Maybe she could help him with deciphering his own dreams.

THAT THIS PAIN WOULD BE FOR EVERMORE