#finally get to read rosemary's baby

[ssinnabar]

New books and deck

[nadjasnandor]

I've really enjoyed your quality gif-sets over the years, and felt less devastated by this season & the show ending because of your liveblogging & commentary :' ) thank you for sharing your love of this show!!

🥺 I'm so glad my blog helped a little!! Thank you for your lovely words! 💜 We'll always have these silly vampires and the joy they've brought us.

[pathologicalreid]

little duck | s.r.

in which Spencer is too excited about his first Halloween as a dad to remember he's supposed to be celebrating his birthday

margotober masterlist

who? spencer reid x fem!reader category: fluff content warnings: jareau!reader, birthday party, halloween, dias des los muertos, roslyn talk, this IS my ffofa family but you don't need to read it to read this (just know that reader and jj have beef), mostly wholesome content, babies and having babies, the spencer reid dilf agenda! word count: 1.53k a/n: is this any good? not sure. it's definitely cute though.

Your eyes flickered around the kitchen, trying to spot a familiar mess of brown curls that you’d lost track of about an hour ago. “Hey,” You said to Penelope, putting an arm around her shoulders, “Have you seen my husband anywhere?”

The blonde shook her head, taking the opportunity to glance around the house to see if he was hiding in plain sight, “Haven’t seen him,” she shared a look with Emily, who shrugged, “Did you check outside?”

Shaking your head, you sighed while picking up some trash from the counter and setting it in the trash. “No, thanks though,” you flashed them a small smile before continuing your way around the house, he wasn’t in the office or the library either.

The house was decorated in a hybrid celebration of Spencer’s birthday and Halloween. Décor for the latter had started going up in September, but the fake spider that Spencer put in the guest bathroom still made your heart race. Balloons fluttered in the air while you strode past them, “Hey, there’s the lady of the house,” your head snapped up.

“Hi Dave,” you greeted Rossi with a hug, “How are you enjoying the party?”

He lifted his glass of punch up, “Other than the fact that I’m not sure how you got the punch to turn green, it’s a beautiful party. You’ve outdone yourself.”

Thanking him, you promised to come back and chat once you found Spencer, who was still missing. As for the punch, you were under strict orders not to tell anyone how the punch had turned green, but you knew that Spencer had used spinach as a natural food dye. Personally, you were avoiding the liquid like the plague.

Finally checking outside, the only thing you found was Matt’s older four chasing each other with glow sticks while their father watched on. Kristy was inside with Rosemary, who wasn’t quite old enough to chase her older siblings yet. You smiled at the thought that maybe next year she’d be able to join the big kids.

Henry and Michael were on the playset, the older of the two trying to impress his younger brother by crossing the monkey bars. You waved at Michael on the swing before closing the door behind you, turning around to continue your search in the house, jumping when you found someone behind you. “Oh,” you hung your head in shock, “You scared me.”

Your sister smiled at you, “Sorry, I saw you looked like you were searching for something, I wanted to see if you needed anything.”

JJ made your chest ache. Every time she offered to do something for you or surprised you with a gift, she continued to get into your good graces, but it just reminded you of your broken bond. Shaking your head, you looked around the living room, “I’m just looking for Spencer.”

Recognition flickered in her eyes, “He went upstairs with Amelia about ten minutes ago. I didn’t see him come down.”

You sighed in relief once you knew where your husband and baby were, “Thank you.” Making your way to the stairs, you turned and spoke up again, “And J, take some leftovers home! I really don’t need all of it.”

Hopefully, you could convince everyone to take at least something home. Throwing parties was a curse, there was always too much food. You made your way upstairs, checking the master bedroom before peeking your head into the nursery, finally finding Spencer.

He was sitting cross-legged on the floor with Mila propped up in front of him, still learning how to stand unassisted. You leaned against the door frame, watching Spencer adjust her Halloween costume as she stared at him in wonder.

It was a tradition in your family for your mom to make the costume for Halloween, at least the first one, and Spencer was more than willing to adopt any tradition available to him, especially if it involved Halloween. You gave your mom free rein of the costume idea, so you shouldn’t have been surprised when she showed up before the party today with a baby duck costume in tow.

She was blowing raspberries at him while he brushed some feathers out of her face, “We’ll have to trim some of those, honey,” he spoke to her gently. He had refrained from putting the hood over her head, either because he didn’t want to ruin the tiny ponytail she had sticking up from her head or because he didn’t want her to get too warm, but she seemed more than content to be dressed in the bright yellow outfit.

You were thankful that she’d be comfortable in the costume because the rest of the week would be jam-packed. Tomorrow night was the FBI trunk or treat, then a Halloween party at Rossi’s, then actual Halloween, and then a Dia De Los Muertos party at Penelope’s to round off the week.

Honestly, you weren’t sure who was going to be more exhausted by the end of the week, you or Mila.

Eventually, you caught the gaze of your eight-month-old, who reached out and made grabby hands at you, exposing your location to Spencer, who turned his head to look at you, “Hey,” he said, still holding her upright even though his eyes weren’t on her.

“Hi,” you greeted back, unable to take your eyes off of the baby. More specifically, you were unable to take your eyes off of her costume.

You took a seat on the floor across from Spencer, who helped Mila off of her feet so that she could crawl to you, “Go see mama,” he urged her gently, watching as her tiny arms and legs carried her across the floor.

Once she reached you, she pushed herself up on your leg until you scooped her up, settling her in your lap and raising your eyebrows at him, “You know there’s a party going on downstairs.”

“I had noticed that, yes,” he answered, neatly folding the hood of Amelia’s costume and setting it in a pile.

Adjusting the bow on top of her head, you craned your head down and kissed the side of her head—she gurgled in response. “Did you know that they’re all here for you?”

Spencer smiled slightly, “I knew that too.”

Mila continued to babble while you looked at your husband curiously, “And yet,” you started, “You’re up here, putting her Halloween costume on while you should be at your birthday party.”

“I just wanted to see her in it,” he confessed, eyes flickering down at his daughter in her baby duck costume.

You had to admit, she was heart-achingly cute in the handmade costume. You were so happy when your mom brought up making the costume, not wanting to ask right out for it.

From the day she was born, Amelia was surrounded by family, you and Spencer made sure of it. She was cuddled up in the hospital with a blanket that Penelope crocheted. Even her nickname—Mila—had been granted to her by Derek’s daughter, who couldn’t quite swing the three-syllable name at the time.

There was a pit in your chest that was brought upon you by the symbolism of the costume, you often wondered what life would be like if your eldest sister was still around. You wondered what she’d think of your baby’s middle name—Rose—and if she’d think it was cool. “Hey, Spence?” You whispered, carefully standing up with Amelia in tow.

“Yes, my love?” He responded, following your lead and getting up off the floor, taking the baby from you, and changing her into pajamas.

You hummed behind him, taking the discarded costume and folding it up, placing it on top of the dresser until you needed it tomorrow. “Happy birthday,” you told him for the nth time today.

He smiled at you, resting Mila on his hip before he turned back to you, “Thank you.” Spencer leaned over and kissed you, the action receiving a coo from your daughter.

Laughing softly, you cupped her head tenderly, “It was a pretty good year, huh?”

Spencer pulled you into his side, you being held in one arm, and Mila in the other. “Yeah,” he murmured, “This one was definitely a favorite.”

Becoming a parent with Spencer was a dream come true, there was nothing you could think of that would top this year. Tilting your head back, you looked up at him, “So, what are you going to wish for this year?”

His gaze flittered down to the baby on his hip.

You shook your head immediately, “Pick something else,” you said, giggling at his silent suggestion. To you, it felt much too soon to think about another baby, and you knew Spencer was mostly joking. The two of you had previously decided on waiting.

Spencer sighed in response, looking between you and Mila, “More of this,” he answered, “The three of us, together.”

Raising your eyebrows, “Avoiding a party together.”

“As a family should,” he affirmed, beaming at you.

You were smiling so much that your cheeks ached, and you nodded your head in the direction of the door, “C’mon, there’s a cake downstairs with your name on it. Literally.”  

[ohmystaxk]

For there is beauty | Chapter Two: Progress takes time

[MASTERLIST] | [CHAPTER 1] | [NEXT]

Tags/Warnings: No Viktor in this chapter, Academy burnout, Jayce taking care of Reader, Jayce is so touchy, Cait and Reader being girls (I love my babies, your honor!!), Accidental fake dating, Accidental flashing, Not Beta Read.

Summary: After meeting Viktor at the library, it was time to head back to Jayce and Cait. Another day in your routine, just like any other, except you started feeling the effects of burnout after months of working hard.

Suddenly, Cait asks a question that makes you answer in a very shocking way. Why did the girl have to be so curious?

I have created playlists that I encourage you to listen to while reading (spotify, yt music and apple music) this fic!

spotify yt music apple music

Tracklist:

1. Vienna by Billy Joel 2. Matilda by Harry Styles 3. Birds of a feather by Billie Eilish

You knocked on the door three times. The books were still in your hands as you heard footsteps approaching from the other side. The door slowly opened, and in front of you stood Jayce as he looked behind him. His cologne was the first thing you noticed, perhaps it had been the sudden start to your day, but you did not remembered him wearing that cologne. He finally turned his head your way.

“There should be a pencil there somewhere.” He spoke to who you could only assumed to be Cait. His eyes met yours, and his teeth flashed as he smiled. You always liked the tooth gap on his front teeth, and you especially liked how sharp his canines looked. “Hey, you’re back!”

“Told you I wouldn’t take long.” You shrugged, tilting your head to the side waiting for him to let you in.

Jayce nodded, he leaned over and took your books from your hands. “Come in, eat your food before it gets cold.”

He smelled like bergamot, with a hint of rosemary and cedarwood.

“Are you wearing the cologne I gifted you?” you asked with a grin. To that, the man nodded with a frown.

“Yeah. I ran out of mine.” Jayce opened the door wider, giving you space to walk in. “You have good taste.” He kicked the door closed behind him.

“When do I not?”Jayce laughed as he trailed right behind you.

You reached your workbench and sat down on the stool. He put down the stack of books on the table.

When you placed down your bag, you started fishing for your notebook. The man turned around and headed towards Cait, the girl had sat down on a stool next to Jayce’s workbench, taking a bite from her food as she seemed to write things down on a piece of paper.

“So, Cait.” You started, placing down your notebook and a pile of your research notes on the table; your pencil had been the last thing. “No strange women today?” You could not help the grin that appeared on your lips.

“Nothing to report.” She said once she finished her bite.

“Good.” You nodded with a smile when Jayce narrowed his eyes at you.

“Well, except that he didn’t get a discount this time.” Cait leaned over the bench, writing some more.

“Oh, really?” You opened your notebook, flipping through the pages.

“The lady at the counter was not there today.” Cait then took another bite.

“She was sick,” Jayce explained and grabbed his food, as well as yours, and walked to you. “So, the older lady was in today.”

“What a shame, could’ve tried charming her pants off to save yourself a pretty coin.” You reached for the book on top of the stack, but Jayce placed the food in front of you and pushed the stack away from your reach.

“A bit more decorum, please.” Jayce tilted his head towards Cait. You raised your hands and smiled at him with tight lips, guilt on your features.

“My bad.” You said, crossing your leg on top of your thigh, and putting your hands down to fix the wrinkles on your skirt.

Jayce’s eyes followed your movements and then quickly shifted back to your food.

“Please eat before it gets colder.”

With full stomaches, the three of you began working. You and Jayce talked, and he would write on the chalkboard as you looked at the notes you wrote the day before. During that time, Cait would work on her homework, sometimes speaking up to ask for some help here and there. It was a routine, one that worked so well between the three of you. Jayce would sit down once in a while, his back to the bench as he leaned back, his elbows on the surface. You would stand up and pace around the room with your notebook in hand and your pencil tapping your forehead. Then the words began to look foreign as you tried to read them again, and again. You sighed heavily, turning around too quickly and tossing your notebook and pencil harshly on your workbench.

You walked to the glass door of the balcony, opening the doors, and going to lean over the railing. At this point, sunset was beginning to set. Time always went by faster when working on Jayce’s project. The complexity caused your brain to shut off the outside world. You decided it was best to simply take a break out there, the fresh air hugging your lungs so well.

Then you glanced to the horizon, from where you stood you could see parts of Zaun. A chill went up your spine, you could hear your father’s voice in the back of your mind. ‘ We have to work five times harder than they do. We have to show them who we are.’

A hand came to your lower back, you felt another shiver as you felt fingers trailing up to rest between your shoulder blades.

“You doing okay?” Jayce leaned his arm against the railing, leaning close to you.

You let out a sigh.  Closing your eyes tightly.

“It still feels surreal.” You let your head hang low.

“What does?” Jayce’s hand went down to your lower back, staying there as he leaned over even more.

“Making it out.” You said, the words tasted wrong in your mouth. “I know how much my parents have worked to give me a good life, one better than the one they had in Zaun.”

Your mind brought you back to when you were only eight, hiding behind the door of your bedroom as you heard your father talk with someone.

“Do you think this is easy? Do you think I am not scared ?” Your father spoke, hand slamming against the old dining table . “I have a wife and daughter to take care of, my priority is them. I care about this place! But I will not put them at stake here, I was given an opportunity, so I will take it.”

There was silence, a deafening one as you heard your father’s heavy breathing. Followed by a heavy sigh.

“I know.” The voice came from another man, you don’t remember his name anymore.

“I am tired of working in the mines, V. I am tired of coming home and barely being able to make ends meet with the poor fucking excuse of a payment I receive. Zoila is growing sick, I need to get them out of here.”

“I understand.”

“Do you?”

“I don’t want to disappoint them.” You whisper, holding the rail tightly with your hands.

“You don’t,” Jayce says back softly, his hand traveling to your right shoulder, giving it a reassuring squeeze. “They know how hard you work, just how much you put into your studies.”

“I have worked on this for months, Jayce.” You turn to meet his eyes, and you want to look away. He looks deep into yours, he shows a softness and worry in them. “The words are all meshing together, they don’t even make sense.”

“You have to remember why you are doing this. Progress takes time.” He smiles gently at you, giving you a small shove.

You notice the sun starting to set, the golden glow making his skin vibrant. His eyes are even lighter, they shine like honey as they stare back at you. You can’t help when your eyes fall on his lips, a nice plumpness to them. You force yourself to glance back at him, but his eyes seem a bit darker now.

“I’m heading home!” Cait’s voice breaks you out of Jayce’s hold. You turn to look at the girl as she looks up from her spot, her eyes widening a bit. “It’s getting late.” She points out.

“I’ll walk you home.” You say, turning around and heading back inside. “I will work on this tomorrow.”

“I will take her home. Is closer to my place.” Jayce spoke from behind you.

“I want her to take me.” Cait put her bag across her chest, and her bright blue eyes stared at you. “If that is okay?”

Jayce stopped next to you. He looked at the girl before looking at you, he placed both hands on his hips.

“Sure can, Cait.” You said with a smile. You started grabbing your bag and putting everything you needed back inside. “I will probably stop by my parents’ on the way back.”

When you finally had everything ready, you turned around, bumping into Jayce.

“Don’t get home too late, alright?” You said, and took a step to the side, but he was just looking at you, his head tilted to the side. You frowned, narrowing your eyes as his eyes softened a bit. Oh, of course . “You are impossible, Talis.” 

You rolled your eyes before you stepped on your toes and leaned forward, placing a hand on his chest for support. You could see a smile forming on his lips as you placed a quick kiss on his cheek.

“That’s better, doll.” He placed a kiss on your cheek. “Say hi to your mom for me.”

You slapped his chest and stepped back. It had become a habit of his since he was fourteen, to kiss your cheek goodbye. ‘ My mom told me it’s polite .’ He had told you that it was something older people did when greeting or when leaving where his mother was from. And it is something he always did from then on.

“Tomorrow around the same time?” You walked past him.

“Yeah, I will pick you up. Will you stay over at your parents?”

“Yeah.”

Cait and you were not far from her home, the two of you talked the whole way there. You asked her about school and how that was going. She asked you about your research and noticed how stressed you looked back in the workshop. You joked with her, and you even stopped on the way to grab pastries for the two of you. Caitlyn liked being around Jayce, and so did you, but even you were aware of how nice it was to just be around her. Just two girls talking about everything and nothing at all. She was smart, witty, and always so curious. And for her, it was nice to just be able to ask you about things only you understood.

“Oh! And you should have seen her face when I shot right in the center.” She smiled big, her eyes widening as she spoke. “The target was so far, and I still hit it .”

“That’s great!” You shoved her playfully, smiling wide as you could not help but laugh at her enthusiasm. “I told you, no one will be able to mess with you.”

“Thanks,” She took a bite from her pastry.

“So, when do you have your next lesson?” You took the last bite from yours.

“Next week.” She cleaned her lips with a napkin.

“Well, you have to tell me how that goes.” When you said that, she nodded, but not before she went quiet.

Cait looked at you, then looked away. She held her pastry closer to herself.

“Is something wrong?” Your voice softened, frowning as you leaned down a bit to catch her face. “You can tell me, you know?”

“How come-.” She paused, looking your way this time. “How come you and Jayce are not together?” Her question made your brain go blank.

You stopped in your tracks.

“What?” You laughed in confusion.

“I mean, you two are always together. As friends . But, you like him, don’t you?” The question finally settled, and your heart started beating fast as you felt heat rush to your face.

“A-are you pulling my leg?” Another laugh escaped you. “Real funny, Cait.”

“No, I mean…Jayce always talks about you, all the time . And when it’s just you and me, you also talk a lot about him.” She explained.

“That’s because we care about each other. Friends talk about one another.” You walked to the trash can near you, and dumped your napkin.

“Do you talk about me?” You suddenly choked on your spit.

“W-we do…” She narrowed her eyes at you. “Okay, you got me there. But Jayce and I are just friends , we have known each other for years now. And yes, we are always around the other, but it’s because we are lab partners, we work together.”

“He is always a little too close to you.” She grimaced at the words.

“That’s how Jayce is, he is just a big…physical-touch type of person. Me, on the other hand, not so much. But he is always so…touchy?”

“Three ‘buts’ so far,” She took another bite and placed a hand on her hip. “I saw you two at the balcony, that seemed pretty close.”

“He was trying to comfort me. Listen, Cait. You have not seen Jayce when he actually likes someone. He is all smiles and compliments, he uses every charm in the book. He gives them this…stupid smile that shows his teeth, and he laughs as he tilts his head while he gives them the eyes -.”

“The eyes?” She frowned with confusion.

“Don’t worry about that.” You quickly realized where you were heading. “I don’t like Jayce. And he doesn’t like me, we are friends.”

“Well, it sounds to me like you do.” She shrugged with a sly smile.

You rolled your eyes, more heat on your face this time.

“Let’s get you home before your mom gets someone to come looking for you.” You looked away as you started walking again. Then you heard a gasp, you turned to look at Cait.

“You do like him!” She said a little too loud for your liking, pointing a finger at you. You quickly signaled her to keep quiet.

“No, I do not.” You shook your head.

“Yes, you do! For how long?” She ran to the trash can and threw her pastry away.

“Okay, I am going to keep walking.” You heard Cait quickly sprint your way.

“Why are you trying to avoid my question?” She frowned. “He likes you, I can tell.”

You sighed heavily and brought a hand to your face.

“I don’t like Jayce.” You felt your heart throb painfully as you said that.

“Why not?” She walked in front of you, turning to face you as she walked backward. “It’s not like you are not always jeal-.”

“Because I already have a partner!” You blurted out, both of you stopping in your tracks. The two of you stared at each other in shock.

“What!?” She frowned as she stared at you in utter confusion.

“Huh?”

“D-does Jayce know?” Her voice lowered, leaning forward as if the conversation was now a secret.

“N-no, he doesn’t and you can’t tell him, alright?” You pointed at her.

Why does she have to be so curious?

“Why not?” She crossed her arms at you.

“B-because…” Fuck, why would Jayce not know? You wanted to hit your head against a wall. “Because you know how he is.” Great work, genius.

“Which is?” She narrowed her eyes, arms still crossed.

“He is protective, he will want to know them, maybe even test them or something.” You wanted to keep walking, to get back to your parents’ house and fall face-first on the couch.

“Who is it?” Cait asked, and you should have known she would. “I won’t tell him. I promise.”

You knew people, you had a couple of friends from the Academy. But you were sure Cait knew most of them from when she would tag along with you and Jayce at the Academy, it had to be someone she didn’t know. You tried to think, of someone, just anyone. Then there it was, your mind flashed you those amber eyes you would see during lectures, of that pretty shade of brown hair, and of the two moles adorning his face.

“Viktor.” You said, feeling proud of yourself for quickly coming up with a name.

“Counselor Heimendinger’s assistant?” As soon as she said that, you felt your heart drop to your stomach.

“You know him?” You felt the heat from your face completely leave. “H-how?”

“I have seen him whenever I go with my mother to some meetings.” She scratched the back of her head, head tilted to the side as she raised an eyebrow. “Is he not…a bit too quiet?”

“Just a little, but he is nice.” You shrugged, a guilty smile on your face. Please forgive me, Viktor. “But, you can’t tell Jayce! O-or mention me to Viktor.”

“Well, I don’t talk to Viktor. But, why should I not mention you?” This time you started walking, and Cait followed you immediately.

“I will tell you later, let’s just get you home.”

When you woke up the next morning, you almost forgot you were not in your apartment. The old bed creaked as you stretched out your limbs, the springs digging into your ribs. You sat down on the bed, your old room was still how you left it when you moved out. Old posters of science fairs, drawings, and paintings you and your mother made together. On your nightstand sat two picture frames, one of you and your parents when you were about fifteen. The other was of Jayce with an arm wrapped around your shoulders, both of you with big smiles as you held a science fair award; you were sixteen, and was Jayce seventeen. You kept forgetting to take them with you.

You stood from your bed, your mother’s night dress falling down your thighs. You walked out of your room, the smell of food overtaking your lungs, making your stomach growl. You turned the corner to the kitchen and immediately paused. Seated at your kitchen table was Jayce, a cup of what you knew to be coffee in his hand. Your mother was at the stove, she laughed as Jayce said something to her. You normally did not care about what you looked like in the morning, Jayce was used to seeing you in your nightwear, but your mother was a different story. The nightgown was long, but not too much, it was loose, but the color was off-white, and it was too thin for your liking. It was the first thing your mom had pulled out of the drawer, you were just supposed to sleep with it. You took a step back; you still had time to go and change.

Then the wood floor creaked under the weight. And Jayce turned to look your way, a smile on his face.

“Hey, you are finally awake.” He looked back towards your mom, but not for long. His eyes flicked a little too quickly towards you.

Don’t say anything. You mouthed at him, widening your eyes while you pointed at him.

Jayce cleared his throat, his eyes falling on the nightgown. You knew he would not shut up about it, and would probably tease you later. It was your mom’s fault for not simply giving you a shirt and pants, or at least something of your dad. Well, no, you should have just dressed up before coming out here.

“Good morning, baby. You woke up right on time.” Your mom was still facing the stove. “Jayce here was telling me about the progress on the Jet Tech.” She waved the wooden spoon around, and some liquid flew in the air.

“Hextech, mom.” You sighed. “Good morning.” You looked back at Jayce and to your surprise, he was still looking at you, but when he realized you saw him. He cleared his throat again, focusing his attention on his coffee.

“How about you take a seat and I can-.” Your mom cut herself off, you looked at her and watched as her eyes were wide, quickly making her way to you. “Actually! Help me with something.”

You frowned as your mom grabbed you by your shoulders, turning you around and making the two of you walk back toward your room.

“What do you need-.”

“Baby, the dress is a bit too see-through.” She whispered to you, and you immediately felt your face grow hot.

“What!?” You choked out, trying to look behind you, but Jayce was downing his coffee.

“I’m sorry, I didn’t notice which one I gave you.” You hurried to your room, swinging the door open and going straight to the mirror.

“Is this even meant for sleeping?” You spoke with horror as you noticed how sheer the dress was.

“Well…” Your mom leaned over the door frame, also looking at your reflection.

“I don’t want to know.” You hid your face in the palms of your hands.

“I will go and serve you both some breakfast.” She closed the door behind her.

It was no wonder Jayce was staring, even with the loose fabric, you were able to see underneath it. With dark lighting, it looked normal and modest. Just, not with the sunlight coming from the kitchen. You had practically flashed Jayce on a random morning, at your parents' house. You groaned into your hands.

What a way to start the day.

Taglist: @mommymilkers0526 @crvcified-kinx @night-fall-moon

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[whorediaries-09]

don't blame me;

pairing- priest!remus lupin x reader warning(s)- illusions to sex, dark themes. (let me know if i should add more). [this is a dark fic. your media consumption is your choice and i'm not responsible for it. please do not continue under cut if you're uncomfortable.] a/n- i found this in my drafts. i have no idea why this wasn't published yet but okay.

ps- not using my regular taglist since this is a topic many people can be uncomfortable with.

little train inspiration (for god's sake please use headphones) 700 followers celebration post.

' and baby, for you, i would fall from grace, just to touch your face. '

remus slowly read the verse, the thick spine of the bible tucking into the flesh of his thighs.

'amen,' he said, speaking his final lines of the verse. the sound from his lips was blinded over the noise of the hinges of the church door opening. he snapped his head, eyes darting towards the entrance. the soft sunlight peaked through the glass, creating a beautiful kaleidoscopic effect.

'hello?' his voice echoed through the empty church. when his eyes met yours, he couldn't stop but dawn his eyes upon yours. you were clad in the white clothes you regularly wore when you went to the church. but there was something different around it. perhaps an extra sinch at the waist which highlighted the curve of your breasts. or was it the sunlight behind you making a halo like effect which made you look like an descending from heaven.

'oh, it's you,' he gathered, his fingers raking over the bible, closing the hardcover. 'come on in, then,'

'am i interrupting anything?' you asked. your voice was soft, like cool breeze blowing after the first rainfall. he chuckled.

'no, no you're not interrupting anything,' his statement ended, clashed with the sound of the door closing. you walked towards him, twiddling with your thumbs, your eyes transfixed on the statue of jesus.

'do you need something? i can leave you in peace if you prefer.' he said, standing up and dusting his clothes. he wasn't wearing his usual robes. he had opted for gray slacks paired with a soft blue shirt.

'no it's fine,' you walked towards him. 'i actually like some company, when i pray,' he smiled, his gaze smoothening down on your form.

'no no, i understand,' he said walking towards you, his thumb raking over the rosemary beads in his palm. 'lots of people prefer company in the church. physical company anyway. he,' his index pointed towards the stature of jesus, 'is always here.'

'a constant companion,' you said, recalling his words from a few months ago. 'i remember that. you enlightened me with that information during our gospel interpretation session.' he chuckled softly,

'i'm surprised you remember i said that. that was quite a few months ago,' you nodded, twisting your fingers together.

'speaking of which,' he whispered, so as to not let his voice echo. 'erm, you have been missing for a few weeks.' you stare at him, your eyes glossy.

'are you mad? that i've been missing?' he moves forward, waving his hands quickly reassuring,

'no no, not mad at all. i just,' he pauses, as if choosing his words carefully, 'missed your presence. and our discussions afterwards.' you let his words register into your senses. it's quiet as the sun settles, the blue hue of the sky meddling into a beautiful orange.

'there are other people who come to the church, mr. lupin.' he takes a deep breathe. it's serene, the way his name spills off your tongue.

'yes, but it gets quite boring with the same old people and the same old interpretations. you're intelligent...you're curious. i enjoy your fresh air of understanding.'

'you don't mean that.' you laugh. he sighs, letting his tongue dart over his teeth.

'oh no, i mean that,' he twiddles with his thumb, running his fingers through his locks with his other hand. he rubs his neck, drawing your attention to a small patch of ink on his neck.

'may i ask you the reason of your absence? it's none of my business of course,' his stale amber eyes pierce into you, as if trying to scan for answers.

'i got a few days off work. so i wanted to go on a little vacation.' you say.

'oh, i see, i'm glad you're out there having some fun. i'd do the same in your position. especially with the weather we've been having recently,' he emphasizes. his eyes wander about, as if searching for words, looking for phrases to let the conversation continue. 'i understand your need for freedom.'

you let the words hang in the air, tasting the freshness of the newly spoken sentences. you watch his nicely polished shoes, before you bite your tongue, meeting his eyes, allowing yourself to drown in the burnt amber color of them.

'do you mind it? the freedom? the fun?' he stands silent, as if speechless. it was extremely difficult to keep a man like remus lupin dumbfoundedly silent.

'no,' he says, 'i don't particularly mind it. i've...dedicated my life to this... this is my calling.' he laughs a little, a bark like laughter echoing through the walls. 'besides, i live my life through hearing your escapades.'

'i think you should live life a little. i'm saying this because i consider you my friend.'

'you do?' he says, softly biting his beautiful pink lips. 'well i consider you a friend too.' you nod.

'not many, erm, consider me other than someone who's a priest or think of any... friendly interactions, so... i appreciate that very much.'

you twiddle with your thumb, tucking a stray strand of hair behind your ear. your mind floods with screams as you think of the next question you want to ask him. your heart thumps loudly in your chest, the heat of the blood curving through every inch of your body.

'can i ask you a question?'

'of course, you can ask me anything.'

'have you kissed anyone before?' it's vague, short yet straight forward. a slight pink tint overcomes his pale skin, his tongue tying up in knots before he processes his answer.

'oh, i- yes. i have kissed people before.' he licks his lips. 'though, in secret. we're not...uh meant to have relationships but... everybody needs company...sometimes.' you hum softly at his answer, minutely surprised at the lack of a reaction. then, you frame your next question, almost like a child so free of sin. you are, if partly so.

'do you consider it a bad thing mr. lupin?'

'no,' he laughs. 'i don't consider it a bad thing. i enjoy your curiosity.' he moves forward, a few painful inches away from you. it's as if he can feel the heat from your body. he enjoys it. 'and, neither do i think you're going to tell on me or anything, but yes, i have had companies of a different nature, too.'

the gasp ends in your throat. it's as if he reads your mind.

'i'm not such an extremist that i condemn that kind of thing. carnal desires are...human. the lord created us with them. so why should we deny ourselves?'

'isn't it wrong? a sin? perhaps you... don't mean it.' you say.

'no, i do mean it. to want intimacy is such an intricately human thing it isn't...wrong to want it or engage in it.'

'i've wanted intimacy, desired for it. for so long, mr. lupin, but i find myself stranded. because nobody expresses it back. perhaps you can tell me how it feels, with your experience of the humane carnal desire for intimacy,'

'oh.. well we've established that we're friends but... is that really something you should be asking a priest? you're a curious little thing aren't you?' you smile paired with a little nod of your head. you truly are curious.

'well,' he pauses, looking into your eyes, trying to search for something. 'if you must know, i haven't had any complaints. i've been told i give a rather...satisfactory performance.' he laughs. 'but, it has been quite some time.'

'oh. how long?'

'almost eight months so uh..nearly about a year, roughly,' he whispers, as you move closer. you're close enough for his warm breath fan over you, letting goosebumps kiss your skin.

'i think... i'll also be a satisfactory performer in bed,' you say. he laughs his eyebrow tilting.

'oh you think you are? your confidence is very cute.' he says, moving closer. you watch his pupils dilate, as the distance decreases between your bodies. something takes over him, as his breathing turns erratic, his heart palpitating. 'although,' he continues, 'the matter of one's performance in bed is highly subjective.'

'i can show you, the performance. i want to feel the intimacy, how it feels to be wanted, mr. lupin.' you say, almost begging. his hands twitch and your body aches for the touch of someone you've never felt before.

'i guess i'm sure you would like to find out, but...we shouldn't... we really shouldn't,' he feels his nerves turning shoddy as tries to not drown into the depth of your eyes. he says it, trying to convince himself more than you. but how can he when you look so pretty, like dew strewn across fresh grass. you jut out your lower lip.

'don't you find me pretty mr. lupin?' his eyes widen, his palm cradling your cheek. his thumb runs over your cheek and he enjoys the warm flush of your skin upon his touch, the goosebumps on your kissing every inch of your body.

'no, you are very beautiful. i mean it. apart from your intelligence, your beautiful mind is what...drew me to you.' he watches you melt into his touch and words and knits his eyebrows. 'but, we can't, we really can't, someone could just walk in.'

perhaps that's what excites you. the idea of someone walking in, the idea of somebody catching you. perhaps it's the sin that excites you.

'please,' you beg, your eyes glossy with an unsatiated lust, the carnal desire for intimacy, for his touch. 'please, remus, i need to know.' he takes a deep breathe, as the warm blood rushes between his legs.

he grabs your face, touching his temple with yours. 'fuck it,' he whispers, capturing his lips with yours. he's the priest, he needs to enlighten you with the knowledge you beg for, the experience you beg for.

perhaps it's sinful, but when his tongue meets yours, swallowing the sounds from your mouth, there's no sweeter innocence than his gentle sin. he'll be a poison ivy just for you, just to worship you at the shrine of his sins.

[darkinfinity]

Happy 28! Here are all the fics I read and enjoyed this past month!

☁ Call out my name by lesbidirection (E, 101k)

Apparently, it's bad PR to fall in love with the omega you hired to help you through your rut.

Harry Styles begs to differ.

A soulmate AU where two lovers find each other entirly by accident, featuring photoshoots, Gucci suits, too many takeaways, having sex and feeling sad, an alpha who feels lost, and the omega that finds him. It shouldn't be this easy, but it is.

☁ don't be afraid to love (and love again) by @voulezloux (T, 83k)

All Louis’ life, he’s known he’s been different. There’s always been something at odds about how he felt.

As the eldest daughter of seven kids, he knew something was wrong with his body. Something was off, he just couldn’t quite put his finger on it. His mum dressed him in dresses and tights, plaits in his hair as he wandered around with the local neighborhood boys. They called him a girl, called him she and Rosemary when his name is Louis. He had told the boys as such, but they would tell him Louis is a boy’s name, not a girl’s.

Louis is a boy. He knows he is.

or the one where louis is trans and afraid, harry is cis and brave, and being 100% yourself is easier said than done.

☁ Wither & Bloom by @dizzy-pixie17 (E, 65k)

No one knows that legendary Harry Styles is an omega. The record label, the fans, and even his family have no idea, leading to a very isolated and very lonely life for Harry. He knows it's for the best. Otherwise, he'd never have the career he wanted and he contents himself in the knowledge that he's not the only one. But when Harry injures his voice during a performance, his manager hires a new vocal coach to help put him to rights. Cue Louis Tomlinson, the sweetest, sexiest, kindest alpha in the world, stepped right out of Harry's dizziest daydreams. While Louis tries to figure out why there's something so incredibly un-alpha-like about 'Alpha-King of Pop' Harry Styles, Harry is busy trying to control his omega's undeniable urge to throw himself at the object of his infatuation.

Amid an accidental misgendering, getting slick in public, tour bus snuggles with awkward boners, and unprovoked drops, Harry will have to choose whether he wants to keep living a lie for the sake of remaining in the spotlight or if he'll sacrifice everything to be with the man he loves… Assuming Louis ever comes back.

☁ Give me love by @falsegoodnight & @soldouthaz (E, 41k)

Despite being an omega, Louis’ always had a blatant dislike of alphas.

Or, Louis doesn't feel like a good omega, Harry doesn't remember how to be an alpha, and they figure it out together.

☁ Freeway of love (in a pink Cadillac) by @mizzhydes (E, 33k)

Louis was on his way to Miami to visit an old friend. Harry was going there for a little R&R and take in the sights and sounds. A sudden upgrade in seating brought these polar opposites together. The universe works in mysterious ways and they are unknowingly about to embark on an adventure they will surely remember for a lifetime.

Prompt 107: Sugar daddy AU inspired by this tweet: “going to sit next to the richest looking middle aged man on my flight and scroll through my nudes for three hours straight” with rich daddy Harry and bratty baby Louis

☁ this brokenness inside me might start healing by @loveislarryislove (T, 29k)

Louis grew up in a tiny town, where everyone knew everyone -- or at least, they think they do. Then he left, and became a successful singer-songwriter, a star that everyone in the country knows -- or at least, they think they do.

But when Louis returns home for the birth of his first nibling, he meets a librarian who doesn't know him at all. And that's all Louis could ask for.

☁ Cuddlebug by sun_flowr (Not rated, 19k)

When the call from the adoption agency finally calls, Harry and Louis are surprised to discover that they have been tentatively paired with a young pup named Rami, who suffers from a multitude of issues stemming from the abandonment he’s suffered. But no matter the challenges, they know they will do everything they can to care for and love this pup as if he was their own.

Prompt: a/b/o established relationship where they finally go adopt a child and find a toddler with touch depri/abandonment issues and they build him a nest and comfort him

☁ Stars will align for us by @2tiedships2 (Not rated, 15k)

"The serial monogamist is single," Niall said by way of introduction when he sat down across from Harry in the canteen.

Harry sipped his chocolate milk. "What are you going on about?"

"Your alpha dream boat," Niall said. "That tiny little footie player? I heard from Hannah that he's broken it off with his boyfriend so he’s single and ready to flamingle. Now's the time to make your move."

Harry sipped his chocolate milk harder to keep himself from replying.

Or the one where Harry is an omega at a loss of how to get past his pining and gain the attention of Louis…especially considering the alpha is always in a relationship.

☁ now i'm tracin' all my steps to you by @alwaysxlarrie (T, 5k)

Of all the things Harry was prepared for this summer, Louis Tomlinson and his wonderful, wonderful scent isn't one of them. It probably shouldn't be as shocking as it is that it makes Harry want to nest. There's only one slight problem -- Harry and nesting aren't exactly on familiar terms. At all.

This does not stop Harry from borrowing ("borrowing") Louis' things all throughout summer, though. Oops?

☁ Send me your pillow (the one that you dream on) by fairytalefemme (G, 3k)

Harry is embarrassed to realize he's nesting but can't stop stealing Louis' things for his nest.

Short fluffy o/o gaybo drabble with lots of cuddles and softness and sock stealing <3

[yallthemwitches]

Some Headcanons for Jily/MWPP that I will probably never use in a fanfic (so they will go here)

--Lily is pretty proud to be a muggleborn actually and tries to keep up as much as she can with particularly witch/mystical coded books and movies (which were very popular in the 70s). She's a fan of LOTR and (as stated in CitW) has watched Rosemary's Baby. James also is really interested in these things (sometimes byway of Lily, others just because he finds it amusing) and him and Sirius often enjoy when Lily shows them a particularly awful depiction of magic in muggle films. Lupin also really enjoys a good showing of "American Werewolf in London" once in a while. ( Maybe I will make a "marauder's favorite muggle movies list one day....")

--^ I sometimes have this outlandish idea that Lily was so good and charismatic about explaining muggle culture to her peers that Dumbledore considered offering her the Muggle Studies position after she graduated. This of course was derailed by the war. But Dumbledore himself was quite amused with Lily's knowledge and often attended when she would organize midnight showings of Wizard of Oz for a laugh in the common room. ( It was Dumbledore's favorite muggle film)

--Included in CitW but both Lily and the Marauders love listening to muggle music as well. The Beatles obviously, but Led Zeppelin and Bowie were also huge favorites ( Led Zeppelin being the reason Sirius knows what Lily was reading when he catches her with"The Hobbit" on the grounds one day---effectively shocking her). I like the idea that back before the war, the three broomsticks would have shows and during their 7th year Lily and James would sneak out to go to them (despite breaking head boy and girl duties). McGonnagall and Dumbledore were very aware they did this but never stopped them.

--I think Lily would have listened to basically everything. She really liked punk music as much as she liked the Beatles and this is what Sirius and her bond over a lot.

--- Remus ( without James' knowledge) would visit Lily on breaks semi regularly. Being half-muggle, he had a phone and had no issue being integrated into a muggle environment. For a while Lily's parents pushed for her to date him ("He's such a sweet and calm boy!") but she always shot it down, embarrassed that her parents couldn't understand that a platonic friendship was possible. Petunia felt ambivalent toward Remus which is better than she could say for any of the other Marauders.

--^ Lily had strong suspicions about Remus being a werewolf since back in 3rd year as Snape was constantly going on about it. Being his friend, she often tried to test the waters and give him little hints whenever they were together. Notably, she once played him The Cramps' I was a Teenage Werewolf and watched him get so uncomfortable, she dropped her prodding entirely.

---Lily initially felt worried about being welcomed into the Potter family. She was a muggleborn after all during a time where hating people of her birth was in fashion. Even if the Potter's themselves didn't care, their ties to other Wizarding family's might and she didn't want to cause problems. This was very quickly dispelled by James and his parents during her first visit there.

---Before Vernon knew she was a witch, he really took no issue with Lily. He even thought for a bit that his girlfriend was being harsh on her younger sister who, to his understanding, was shipped away to some hippie school in the country while Petunia got "a quality education." He pinned her as one of those "new age, drug loving, free loaders" until Petunia finally told him about her being a witch. From then on he went through varying stages of being afraid of her, then despising her---finally fully accepting Petunia's view that Lily was nothing but a freak who somehow mucked everything up every chance she could. ( probably will make it in to my fic)

--Peter had a bit of a crush on Lily and for this reason was quite scared of her. He didn't EVER want to tell James and when he was left alone to talk to her, he got so nervous he never really got much out. Lily found this amusing and cute, but didn't catch on that it was feelings but rather that he was just socially awkward. She often treated him like a little brother.

--I go back and forth on this a lot, but many people tried to date James and Lily at any given time. There was a while where rumors spread that Lily and Remus fancied each other ( much to James' dismay) but otherwise both would either go on some meaningless dates or outright dismiss any pursuers. This isn't to say that either of them let feelings get the best of them and snogged a person or two in their 4th or 5th year--it just never amounted to much.

--Slughorn loved Lily so much that he let her use the potions classroom after hours to practice and study ( being a prefect she never got in trouble for being out after hours). In the early years Snape and her would do this together, but by the 5th year, Lily had full dibs and would spend hours in the middle of the night working on things while listening to music. Once or twice James and the marauders( under his cloak ) would catch her there and James would want to linger a bit too long in secret to watch her sing along as she cut her ingredients.

Very Niche Hot Take incoming!

--Lily was a Manson Family supporter* and this can be directly tied into her troubled feelings about Snape becoming a death eater.

*After 1969 and the murder of Sharon Tate, many people ( including famous artists and writers like Joan Didion and John Waters) came out in support of NOT Manson himself, but the girls who were ultimately imprisoned for life for their acts. Their logic was that Manson had preyed upon very young girls who came from broken homes or were otherwise homeless or lost in life. He showed them compassion, love, and seduced them with a free thinking life where they could have power---as long as they followed his every word. Of course this brain washing ultimately led to the murder of innocent people. It's a very compelling argument about the power of human charisma and cults and is still debated to this day( John Waters' remains friends with the Manson girls behind bars and often speaks in court in support of their release).

I think this would have struck a cord with Lily as she watched her closest childhood friend turn to darkness. Snape also came from a broken home where he had no agency; of course he was seduced by the power that came with dark magic. I think this argument to "hate the orchestrator and not his puppets" gave Lily hope that he could "come back" one day.

--Lily and Sirius developed a very slow burning, but strong friendship. During the war and especially after the birth of Harry, Sirius would stay with Lily while James had to go on Order missions and would often be found curled up in dog form at the foot of the bed when Lily and Harry slept.

--During their 7th year, their friendship was also already strong and Sirius would often be seen wrapping his arms around her or her giving him a quick kiss on the cheek. Despite this causing some whispers, it was ultimately clear they had a very tongue and cheek platonic relationship. At the early stages of their friendship, Sirius would try to intentionally bring up uncomfortable or awkward subjects to see if he could make her squirm, but lily was always a on board and Sirius deeply respected that.

--Sirius was a great dancer and him and Lily danced often together (and roped James in too by the end)

If I think of more I'll update this list. I might make a NSFW too, we will see ;)

[jomiddlemarch]

call understanding thy kinswoman

“Here,” Mary said, pushing a steaming mug in front of Rilla after hurrying through the ordinary polite exchanges required of a greeting, even among family. “Drink this first. You look green around the gills and I don’t fancy explaining to Jem why his baby sister ended up in a puddle on our sitting room floor.”

“We’re in the kitchen,” Rilla said, turning her face away from the table. Feeling the nausea rise in her throat, hardly daring to take a deep breath. “I can’t drink your coffee, it’s too strong—”

“It’s ginger tea, silly. And if you faint here, I’ll still tell your brother we were in the sitting room, not at the kitchen table. He’s been at me to get a girl to help and I don’t want one—”

“You’d lie about something like this,” Rilla asked. She reached forward and picked up the mug, inhaled the spicy scent of the ginger tea. She gestured with a little nod of her head at the scene, Mary across from her at the well-scrubbed table, all the pots and pans gleaming copper in the dull, cloudy light of a dull, cloudy afternoon that hadn’t made its mind up yet to rain.

“Of course. If the lie was what was needed. What James— what Jem needed,” Mary said. Rilla recalled Mary called Jem by his Christian name, the only one he’d allow to do so, though he’d given their mother a quelling near-glare when she’d remarked on it. Mary gave Rilla a familiar look, one that sized her up in a moment, though it was fonder than it used to be, an alteration Rilla attributed to Mary’s affection for Jem. “It’s Ken you want to talk about. Go on then.”

“How did you know?” Rilla said. She sipped at the tea, willing it to do something. Ginger was said to help. She’d learned though, that many things people said would help a difficult situation weren’t the least bit helpful and that people, with the possible exception of Una and Rosemary Meredith, had an endless supply of suggestions. Mary most often held her tongue around the Blythe family, but she wouldn’t hold back if you asked her opinion.

“You’d have gone to your mother if you were fussed about morning sickness or having the baby,” Mary said. “It would’ve been a gift, to give her something like that to occupy her. If you wanted some coddling. You’re here instead and it’s certainly not for my shortbread. Nan’s away and Jerry’s crippled because of his back, nothing else. She wouldn’t be much help and you don’t want her pity.”

“Mother’s useless,” Rilla said. Admitted. “And Nan’s a priss and always has been—”

“Finally,” Mary muttered under her breath.

“But it really is that Jerry’s wounds are all just physical. Sometimes I wish, I think, maybe if Ken had lost an arm or needed a cane, it would be better. Easier,” Rilla said.

“Maybe. Or maybe he’d be like he is now only with one arm of his jacket pinned up or walking around like an old man before he’s turned thirty. There aren’t any bargains to be made about this, Rilla. Nor wishes.”

“He came home and he said, he asked me, ‘Are you Rilla-my-Rilla?’ and I said yes,” Rilla said, looking down into the crockery mug. It was sturdy and practical, like her sister-in-law, and her own mother would have blanched to serve a cup of tea in it, let alone her sister. There were no tea leaves to read, so she looked back up and found Mary watching her, a little half-smile on her lips.

“Are you bothered by your answer or his question?” 

Rilla laughed in spite of herself.

“Dad says you’re wasted as a doctor’s wife, that you ought to be a barrister.”

Mary smiled and though there was no flush in her cheeks, her expression warmed, her fair hair suddenly seemed richer in tone, more like the narrow gold band on her fourth finger.

“Your father’s twice as fanciful as your mother is and I’ve heard her go on to Bruce Meredith about fairies and mayflowers more than I could ever believe,,” she said. “Being a doctor’s wife suits me fine. Jem will be home in a few hours, though, and I’ve his supper to see to, so if you do want to talk, you might be getting on with it.”

“He’s not himself. Ken. He’s not who he was when he went away. When he asked me to wait. He’s not mine, even if I’m his,” Rilla said, all in a rush. She felt queasy again, unsure why, neither explanation a comfort.

“Couldn’t be, could he? Especially since he came home and others didn’t. Walter,” Mary said. “I think he’d hate it, Walter, how he’s a saint now and Ken and the rest of them, they’ve got to be men all the time and tell us it’s all in the past, it was worth it. Cheerful, determined. I’ve never wondered Shirley won’t come back to the Glen, I’ll tell you that much.”

“I don’t know what to do,” Rilla said.

“There you go. That’s what you needed to get to,” Mary said. It was rare to be praised by her and Rilla was surprised how much she liked it. How much it was a balm. “Can he sleep?”

“Sometimes. Not well. He has dreams, he won’t talk about them,” Rilla said.

“I won’t say anything,” Mary replied. “To anyone. Certainly not your brother. He can’t sleep either. He cries sometimes, without ever waking up. You won’t say anything about that.”

“Oh,” Rilla said. “I didn’t know—”

“He doesn’t want anyone troubled. I’m the only one who won’t let him get away with that. Which is partly why he married me,” Mary said.

“I don’t know why Ken married me,” Rilla said softly.

Mary chuckled, but it had none of the wry mockery of her usual laughter.

“You poor pet. I forget, sometimes, how young you are.”

“I’m only six years younger than you, Mary, not a generation,” Rilla snapped.

“When I was six, my ma hung herself and my pa slit his wrists,” Mary said. “You were always precious. I wasn’t, not to anybody, not ‘til Jem anyway. Ken married you because you were the dream he had that kept him alive in that absolute hell in France. Because you wrote to him and you raised that baby and because you’re the happiness he always thought he wanted. You’re easy on the eyes too, but I’ll grant him that it’s easier to fall in love with a pretty girl than a plain one.”

“You can’t marry a dream,” Rilla said.

“No, you can’t. Nor live with one. They came home, however they did, and for a while, anyway, I suppose it’s up to us to figure out how to be more than that. It’s harder for you, because of your families and how you had that crush on him and he had that memory of you in a party dress in the moonlight to go by. Jem didn’t have any dreams of me to get in the way,” Mary said.

“Is this how you talk to Jem?”

“I’ll thank you to keep your nosy questions to yourself,” Mary retorted. 

“I only meant, is this how you help him through?”

“It doesn’t matter. You have to find out how to talk to Ken and I haven’t any advice about that man. Well, I’ve a little. I think he’s got to feel guilty as sin to have come home with just a few scars and everyone expects him to write some masterpiece and he won’t want to let anyone down. I bet it’s hard to have any ideas after the trenches and it’s hard to write when your hands tremble.”

“How did you know?”

“Jem’s do, sometimes. I’ve learned to look for it. Get Ken a typewriter, that’s my advice. Tell him about the baby before you tell your mother. Promise him you won’t call it Walter. Say you want some ordinary name that no one in your family’s gotten all tied up with sentiment and honor. John. Margaret. Maybe Alice, like Alice in Wonderland.”

“My grandfather’s name was John,” Rilla said. Grandfather Blythe, who’d died before she was born.

“Everyone’s grandfather was named John,” Mary said.

“I suppose that’s nearly true,” Rilla said and smiled. 

“Nearly true’s good enough more than you’d think,” Mary said. “You should come round for dinner here sometimes. We can let them go sit on the porch while we gossip about Faith Drew while we make some tea to go with the cake you bring. I heard she bobbed her hair and she smokes and Bertie don’t care. ‘Scuse me, she calls him Will, like we all don’t remember him being a holy terror and his ma hollering his name Bertie Shakespeare for him to come home.”

“You’ll serve my cake?” Rilla said. It was the biggest surprise, as Nan had already passed along the gossip about Faith’s hair and her modern ways. Fast, Susan said, frowning and Rilla, who had never thought it possible, had found herself nodding along. 

“Susan won’t give me her recipe for plum cake and it’s one of Jem’s favorites. He’ll have two slices, enormous ones, if we’re there for Sunday dinner and she puts it out,” Mary said. “He’s greedy for sweets now, though he hates to admit it.”

“Jem’s greedy?” Rilla said.

“Oh yes. He’s all sorts of vices. I’m sure Ken has his as well. You’d do well to find out which ones,” Mary said.

“To help him overcome them?” 

“To love him for them,” Mary said. 

[eggcatsreads]

All the books I've gotten so far! I might get more once the Mothman Festival actually starts tomorrow, but these are all the ones I've gotten before then.

I saw the "Local Author" tag on these first two books, and spooky books are my forte, so I ABSOLUTELY had to grab Stix and The Hills Know by Breanna Leslie! Hopefully I'll have the energy to read them while I'm at this cabin in the woods,to really sell the vibe!

My mom wanted to know what on earth we were in West Virginia to find, so I got her Monsters of West Virginia by Rosemary Ellen Guiley at the Flatwoods Monster Museum so she could learn for herself.

While in Sutton, I also grabbed Sasquatch by Jeff Meldrum at the West Virginia Bigfoot Museum so I could learn more, since my Bigfoot knowledge is woefully lacking.

Today at the Mothman Museum, I alao grabbed:

Bridging the Tragedy by Bill (phD) and Jacqueline Kousoulas, since I have quite a few Mothman books but not this one (I even accidentally have two copies of The Mothman Prophecies by John Keel, with two separate names for them, lol!)

Cryptids, Creatures and Critters by Rachel Quinney, since I needed the art in person.

And finally, the Crème de la crème, Mothman Baby! by Elias Barks and Zoe Persico, as it was simply too cute to pass up!

(To quote Chris Fleming - "I know it's for babies, but I NEED it!")

Can't wait to dig in to these books, and hopefully I'll find more treasures tomorrow and Sunday at the festival

[thebestestbat]

Top Books of 2024

The Vampire Lestat by Anne Rice

Serious Weakness by Porpentine Charity Heartscape

Parable of the Sower by Octavia Butler

An Exchange of Hostages by Susan R. Matthews

Let The Right One In by John Ajvide Lindqvist

Rosemary's Baby by Ira Levin

Captain Ni'mat's Last Battle by Mohamed Leftah

Frankenstein in Baghdad by Ahmed Sadaawi

Foreigner by C.J. Cherryh

Bonus +1: Blood on the Tracks by Shuzo Oshimi

my final #stats on my reading goals this year:

i had a secondary goal of reading books with more colorful covers this year, since last year's book roundup was basically black and white...it gets a little gray-toned but i'd say i succeeded!

[thecarnivorousmuffinmeta]

Do you think breaking dawn went off the rails or was Vampire Baby the logical next step for the series? If not, what do you think the logical next step would have been?

This really isn't a question you should ask this blog for a few reasons:

I greatly differ in opinion than most Twilight fans and probably won't give you the answer you want on any topic

This blog isn't about Meyer or what people wanted from the series. It's about the series as is and trying to make the jigsaw puzzle fit together without relying on outside knowledge.

But I guess i can give it a go.

Did the Series Go Off the Rails?

Depends who you ask/what the point was supposed to be. For a YA series, it was a slap in the face, but it was after a series of several slaps in the face.

Twilight was the normal-ish, starting book, you had your romantic lead, your main character teenage girls can project on, you had people hating on it but at the time they hated on the way they hate on things like Barbie: because it was too girly.

"Real Men Vampires Don't Sparkle!"

(Yes, there were other people hating on it for much more legitimate reasons, but that was the big one you heard from people who didn't know anything about the books.

It's the one you still hear, actually.)

Then you get New Moon, which by all accounts, was a suicide novel on Meyer's part. The male lead dumps the main character, we don't see him for the vast majority of the book, the main character slinks into an insane depression that she never recovers from until the end of the book, and we're introduced to an entirely new cast of characters, a new supernatural thing, when all Bella as a character wants is for the Cullens to come back.

Now, they marketed it well, it became a love triangle. NOW JACOB IS AN OPTION! But if you look at what Meyer wrote, Jacob was clearly never an option even in New Moon. Bella dumps him the second she has a hint that Edward may have returned (Carlisle's car in front of her house). Even in Eclipse, Bella never really debates her choice, is just sad as she realizes she loves Jacob too but not enough to give up Edward and stay human.

It was a novel that I'm sure had her publishers asking, "What the fuck, Stephanie? Where's Edward? WHERE'S EDWARD?!"

Eclipse gets us back on track a little bit. We now have our male lead back, our female lead is dating him again, they have renewed conflict in the form of the secondary male lead and the love triangle and this new-born army thing in the background no one actually cares that much about. It's still a weird book, but it's relatively normal.

Then we get book four, Rosemary's baby, and the publishers died. Just died. Teenage girls don't want to read Rosemary's Baby. They don't even know how to market this anymore, it's not even a fucking trilogy like normal book series, they just say "It's a Saga! PLEASE BUY!" and promote nothing about its actual content.

My point is, though, the series was always off the rails. Twilight alone has insane shit in it, easily overlooked especially when you're thirteen, but it's fucking insane.

New Moon though was certainly something an ordinary series would never have done.

To say it went off the rails at Breaking Dawn is like thinking there were rails to begin with and not just Stephanie riding a missile waving a cowboy hat, "YEEEEHAAAAAAAAAW"

What Was the Next Logical Step?

Eclipse would have ended with Bella and Edward's wedding, Jacob shows up to offer his farewells and it's bittersweet, we never see Bella become a vampire. Just her hope for the future and knowing she's finally a Cullen.

That's how a normal series would have ended.

However, a normal series never would have gotten us to that point, would it?

[terrainofheartfelt]

liz, I'd like some adorable dair hcs, please and thank you 💛

it would be my pleasure, my dear 💛💛💛

dan proposes with an empty box, because he knows that blair is a control freak and wearing jewelry forever that she didn't pick herself freaks her out. people who don't know them very well will side-eye the story but anyone who actually knows these two weirdos thinks it's really sweet

they spend every Sunday morning having coffee and croissants in bed and doing the Sunday crossword together. or, they try to beat each other to answering each clue

slightly related, they are banned from van der humphrey scrabble games, because they get too competitive and too horny to play with others

in a comedy of errors, Nate finds out Blair's pregnant before Dan does (he's out of town on a book tour, Blair finds out while he away and is wigging) and then Nate has to pretend that Everything Is Cool even though he's a literal human golden retriever and is just so happy for them. he keeps it a secret though. when they tell the rest of the gang he's like "FIRST! I knew first! I knew the entire time!"

in any universe I hold in my head, they live in Paris for at least one year, possibly more.

once in an interview, Dan discloses that Rosemary's Baby is his and his wife's "Valentine's Movie" and the internet is like "????????"

in his late 20s, Dan starts getting ocular migraines while trying to read and write and brushes them off, so Blair is the one who kicks his ass all the way to the optometrist. He's fine, he just needs glasses. (blair thinks they're really, really hot)

on their first anniverasry (paper) they each give the other their preserved Nenette ticket stub, because they tried to throw it away, but just couldn't. saps. Blair frames hers and Dan hangs it in his home office. Dan puts his in a custom shadow box that sits on Blair's desk at work.

Once, in a dedication or social media caption, Dan calls her “The Ingrid to my Humphrey, the Waldorf to my Statler, the Harry to my Sally.” the biggest issue she takes with that is "I am Meg Ryan. Always."

speaking of social media, every time Dan and Blair post photos of themselves or sappy things of each other, Jenny leaves the same comment: gross.

(obviously at this point they're all cool with each other but Jenny is a little sister and also loves a bit)

sometimes Blair will like and/or quote tweet thirst tweets about Dan because she loves to cause problems.

Red wine makes Blair Bonkers Horny and far enough along into their relationship Dan learns to just roll with it and prepare himself mentally.

I discussed this at length before in dms with nads @mysteriesofloves which is that Blair has a system of pet names for Dan. *keira knightley as elizabeth bennet darcy voice* kitten for every day, my love for Sundays, and bunny, but only on very special occasions

and finally, to bring it back to the wedding rings, both are engraved. Blair chooses for Dan's band: bread, light, & shadow (based off of Neruda) and Dan chooses for Blair's: still days & hurricanes (based of von Radics)

[samwisethewitch]

Let's Talk About Religious Appropriation and Christianity

In my previous post, I talked about why religious appropriation matters and why it genuinely impacts pagan communities when culturally Christian authors take our gods out of context. Now I wanna talk about why it doesn't go the other way.

Religious appropriation is when someone from a dominant religious group misuses symbols or practices from a marginalized religion. (Reminder: marginalized means an identity or group is treated as insignificant or pushed to the periphery.) There is an element of power imbalance to appropriation.

In the United States, where I live, Christianity is the dominant religious group. Even Americans who are not practicing Christians themselves are culturally Christian -- they were raised in a culture where Christianity is assumed to be the default. In other parts of the world, the dominant religion may be another faith like Buddhism, Islam, or something else. I will be talking about Christianity in this post because that's my experience, but just remember that this isn't about theology so much as social influence.

Someone living in a culturally Christian society might use Christian symbols or elements in their art for a lot of different reasons. It might be a sincere expression of faith because the artist is a Christian (see: C.S. Lewis). The artist might use Christian symbols because they are widely known and will be easily recognized by their audience (see: It's a Wonderful Life). The artist might use Christian symbols outside of their original context or in a subversion of that context to create comedy (see: Dogma by Kevin Smith) or horror (see: Rosemary's Baby). And finally, they might use those symbols as a critique or satire of organized Christianity (see: Children of the Corn).

In any of those cases, it's highly unlikely that the depiction in this media property is going to overshadow actual Christian practices. Christianity is one of the most widely practiced religions in the world. There are over 2 billion Christians globally. 63% of Americans identify as Christians. (And that number is at an all time low! In older generations, it's higher!) And because of the built-in hierarchy of Christianity, there are designated spokespeople who can speak up to set the record straight.

For a real life example of this, let's think about The Da Vinci Code. For those who don't know, The Da Vinci Code is a thriller novel written by Dan Brown. A major plot point in the story is the reveal that Jesus Christ had sex and fathered children with Mary Magdalene, which is considered a heresy by most Christians. The Catholic Church specifically had a huge negative reaction to Dan Brown writing about them spending 2,000+ years intentionally covering up the fact that Jesus fucked.

And The Da Vinci Code had a HUGE impact on pop culture. The book has sold over 80 million copies in 44 languages. The movie stars huge actors like Tom Hanks and Sir Ian McKellan and was the second-highest grossing film of 2006. The massive protests drew even more media attention. This story was a very big deal for a couple of years.

And yet, most people in America and other culturally Christian countries still know that, in Christian lore, Jesus died without marrying or fathering children. Even people who have read The Da Vinci Code or seen the movie can usually recognize that the whole Mary Magdalene thing is fiction. Even if someone did come away thinking Jesus getting it on with Mary Magdalene was historical fact, they're likely to encounter other media at some point that will depict Jesus as unmarried.

More people do not believe Jesus fucked because of The Da Vinci Code. It has not significantly changed popular perceptions of Christianity, or even of Catholicism. This is because Christianity, and specifically the Catholic Church, are huge institutions with both the power and the platform to set the record straight.

Marginalized religions do not have that kind of power or platform, which is why religious appropriation is a much bigger deal for us. In general, you can't appropriate something from a dominant cultural group.

[doctorstrangereview]

0079: Doctor Strange #182

Cover Date: September 1969 On-Sale Date: June 10, 1969

We're at the end of the Nightmare arc and the penultimate issue of this initial run of Doc's solo book. Roy gives Gene a lot to work with. He gets to go crazy with the weirdness and gives us two great two-page spreads. We get a special guest villain in the Juggernaut who's taking a break from the X-Men and doing a multi-verse tour, stopping by the Dream Dimension.

We pick up with Doc being subdued by his own Eye of Agamotto which has been seconded by Nightmare. Wong and Clea are watching through Agamotto's Orb while keeping an eye on his psychic shell which is growing dimmer. Nightmare then does the typical villain thing, telling Doc his plans. Somewhere Syndrome is shaking a finger at our favorite Dream Demon. Gene gives us his first two page spread of the issue.

That's just lovely! So Nightmare plans to smush all of history together and create a world where everyone is in constant fear giving him lots of fuel to create even more nightmares. He then prepares to wipe Doc from existence. Someone yells his name.

Our second guest villain has entered scene.

Cain is so awesome he needs a full page to announce himself. Mr Marko derives his power from a ruby from extradimensional demon Cyttorak. The red/purple color scheme is very appropriate. Nightmare wants to know why Juggy's in his house. Even Roy knows not to give Juggy the usual flowery dialogue that permeates this mag.

Juggy's presence in the Dream Dimension is no accident. Doc has brought him here to help him out with Nightmare. Doc wasn't as helpless as we thought when captive of his own amulet.

A little flashback and we see Doc enticing Juggy to do his bidding.

Back in Greenwich Village, Wong and Clea are watching the events when the doorbell rings and it turns out Doc has received a telegram. How many kids reading this wouldn't know what a telegram is? Hint: It's not a smartphone app. The telegram will be a plot point later on so Roy and Gene give it a page of it's own.

As an aside, this issue was released just a couple of days before the one-year anniversary of Rosemary's Baby's release. It did well enough to still be in the public consciousness. While it seems innocent, the name on the telegram is important.

Juggy and Nightmare continue to battle while Doc looks on. Juggy seems to hold his own, but tables keep turning. Gene gives us the next two page spread. It's a clever use of embedded panels as a timeline of the battle.

The next phase of Doc's clever plan goes into action. Doc recaptures his Eye of Agamotto and escapes his confinement. Juggy and Nightmare realize that Doc isn't where they left him. They find Doc, they think and team up to clobber him. Devastating twin blasts fire at Doc. But it's not actually Doc, but an image.

Clever Doc! Look what he did!

Clever Doc! But it wasn't really necessary. Eternity was faking! He could have escaped at any time. At this point Eternity has had enough and sends Nightmare and Juggy away. Doc has a good laugh.

Without any more words, Eternity sends Doc home. Clea macks on Doc for a while and Wong tells him about the telegram that arrived and looks concerned. They all have a look and the name on the telegram has changed. It's now addressed to Dr. Stephen Sanders. Eternity has done Doc a little favor. When he blurted his name out to a bunch of drunk New Year's revelers Eternity realized he compromised himself. Now Doc has a real secret identity! Doc and Clea toss the telegram aside and look out the window. Don't worry, we'll find out what's in the telegram when it kicks off next issues excitement!

As far as I can remember, this is the final use of the psychic shell device. It seems to be a Roy Thomas creation and he abandons it after this issue. Roy will continue to write Doc in the Defenders for the next few years and return to a future Doc series in a couple of decades. More importantly Roy has continued his attempt to transform Doc into a more traditional superhero. He's got a tight costume and a secret identity now. Unfortunately the next issue is the last. Doc will guest star in a couple of other titles and be temporarily retired.

As for the issue itself, it's exciting and well written. Roy and Gene make a great team. It's a shame they won't have more time together. I'm not sure why they included Juggernaut. He wasn't a favorite and the X-Men title wasn't selling particularly well. Perhaps someone thought the two titles could try and pick each other up. The story is written well enough that Mr. Marko's presence doesn't feel shoehorned in. The resolution was pretty original. Doc completed his mission to rescue Eternity even if he didn't really need to. Eternity waves the enemies away like flies and solves a potential issue for Doc. The hero didn't have to beat his foes into submission. It's atypical at least. Lastly, Doc's address is confirmed. It turns out that was Roy Thomas's address.

[mylifeinfiction]

Rosemary's Baby by Ira Levin

The thing to do was kill it. Obviously.

Roman Polanski's Rosemary's Baby has long stood atop my list of the all-time greatest horror films. Yet, somehow, I had never read Ira Levin's book. Now that I've fixed that—and immediately revisited the film—I have to say that not only is the film the best horror film ever made, it's also one of the very best, most faithful literary adaptations ever put on screen.

Okay, but what about the book itself? Well, Levin's prose reads so naturally that we can't help but get completely caught up in the horrors of the story. The pacing is so calculated and the events so rooted in reality, that despite knowing exactly where this is going, it's still impossible not to get caught up in the terrifying desperation of it all. The fear and paranoia growing in Rosemary, too grows in us, and it all builds so palpably to a deliciously wicked finale.

9/10

-Timothy Patrick Boyer.

[lantur]

Recent listens: Traumazine and Good News by Megan Thee Stallion.

Recent reads: I'm almost done with Jade City, by Fonda Lee. It's been incredible. I haven't been pulled into a series so completely since The Poppy War trilogy. I'm excited to start Jade War soon!

Recent recipes: Pasta e fagioli (Once Upon a Chef), chicken adobo (Recipe Tin Eats), chana dal (Cook with Manali), rosemary roast potatoes (Ina Garten), Korean tacos (Natasha's Kitchen).

Recent good things:

I had a great time seeing @broomchickabroom and @northshoretragedyeagle over the weekend for cookies and cuddles with Westin. :)

Delicious homemade tea and coffee lattes

Watching The Mindy Project with Derek

Brushing Westin every morning, which makes him SO very happy

The thought that has persistently been on my mind for a month now is, "What's next?" I'm done writing my novel and am in the final design steps before release. I'm ready for my next major personal and professional goals, and I'm proud of the steps that I've taken to begin making those goals a reality.

Today I made an appointment with an OB-GYN so that she can help walk me (and Derek) through the questions and process associated with having a baby while also having PCOS (a hormonal condition that can impact fertility). The appointment isn't until March. It's going to be hard to wait to have all my questions answered, but I'll do my best.

I'm also in the exploratory early stages of applying to grad school for a MSW (masters in social work). My manager and mentor is extremely supportive of the idea and how it could help me in the 30+ years of career I have ahead of me.

For one reason or another (major depression, anticipatory grief, grief), I was truly in survival mode until I turned 31. I could only get through one day, one week, one month, at a time. It's only been in the very recent past - like, in the past few months - that I've realized I now have the capacity to plan for the long-term future. Not just next year, but next decade+. I had to examine what I wanted for myself. I wanted to open way more doors in my career. I wanted to be a mom. Now, I'm working on making that happen. :)