#i love halloween its fabulous

[fruitcoops]

Best Beloved

Day Thirteen: our final day of Fic O'Ween 2024, brought to you by the most special girl in the world. She was spared a spooky movie, as she did not partake in the midight margaritas for obvious reasons. Characters (except our leading lady) belong to @lumosinlove, and MASSIVE massive thanks to @noots-fic-fests for organizing another wonderful year <3

Day 12 movie: Beetlejuice (1988)

Movie theme of the fest itself: Nightmare on Elm Street (1984), with a sprinkling of Freaky Friday (2003) for our dream-hopping, out-of-body experiences. I hope you enjoyed reading and following along as much as I enjoyed writing these!

HAPPY HALLOWEEN!

“How is it?”

“…working, but don’t tell him.”

Lily took a pointed sip of her hangover cure (courtesy of James) and rested her elbows on the kitchen island. Remus joined her a moment later, laying his whole head on his folded arms and abandoning his own concoction to the side. The ‘Whale of a Time!’ novelty mug from their Alaskan summer trip bore a cheerful orca waving its fin, directly at odds with his general aura of headache melancholy.

“I wonder what she dreams of,” he mused, muffled by the thick sleeves of his hoodie.

Below them, Hattie’s paws gave a twitch.

“Seems important,” Lily agreed. She braved another sip. It was disappointing how well the awful thing worked.

Remus hummed, and tilted his head slightly to the side. His eyes remained on Hattie’s side, rising and falling in an even pattern ever-so-rarely interrupted by a huff. Her nose wiggled; he smiled. “Nah. She’s got nothing to worry about.”

“Evil squirrels,” Lily pointed out.

“They steer clear.”

“Rival gangs?”

Remus’ next breath was a laugh. “She has never met an enemy.”

Lily frowned. “Delayed dinner?”

Remus paused, blinking slowly. “Maybe. Aw, look, she’s chasing something.”

Fuzzy black paws picked up the pace. Quick flicks, back-and-forth, scraping just her smallest nail along the floor in tiny, inch-long crescents. Hattie’s nose wiggled again, searching for whatever eluded her in the land of beautiful dreams inhabited by the best-loved creatures. Even her eyelids fluttered.

“Hattie,” Remus called softly. “What are you doing, Hat Trick?”

Hattie’s tail gave a thump. She settled with a last hard puff that flexed her nostrils. Her paws fell quiet, save for one last stretch.

--

Hattie was having the most fabulous dream.

Her people, all her people, wandering about—then home, after discovering several dropped crackers when people started leaving. A car ride and bedtime and scritches and treats snuck under the table to her and every last one of her people petting her all night long, even through the thick Dad Shirt she had been put in before they arrived.

(That part was confusing. They had so many Dad Shirts in the house boxes, in all sizes. They got thrown into the weird bags with interesting smells and went out with her dads every day, but they always came home smelling like unfamiliar laundry and not the sweaty strangeness of their playing-with-friends clothes. Also, Hattie wasn’t usually dressed in Dad Shirts. Everyone else found it very funny.)

And now! Now she had a butterfly, big and yellow and bouncing just ahead of her snout. She had jumped at it first, then pranced after it, and now she was allowed to run-run-run across soft, flat grass.

It was wonderful.

--

“She was so goddamn cute in Pads’ jersey last night—”

“Oh my god, I know, I died when he brought her down in it.”

Lily buried her laughter in the rim of her cup. “It’s uncanny.”

Remus grimaced briefly around the dregs of the Emergen-C-Gatorade-Tums-Pedialyte smoothie, but his fond smile returned without issue. “It’s so…” He trailed off, shaking his head. “From day one, I swear. The eyes?”

“The hair!”

“It’s dead-on.”

“Sorry for leaving lipstick on her forehead.”

Remus shrugged one shoulder. “It blends in. She’s fine.”

“Animal testing,” Lily joked.

“The glitter, maybe.”

“The margs took over. I’m not liable for my actions.”

Their mutual wince made Remus pinch the bridge of his nose. “Yeah. Jesus, yeah, and they were so good.”

“It makes me so mad,” Lily mumbled into the cuff of her hoodie. “Like, come on, at least make it taste like danger.”

“That salt rim.”

“The fucking salt rim! French sea salt? Are you joking right now?”

“And the sugar sprinkled on the top.” Remus shook his head with a noise of faux disgust. They sat quietly for a few minutes. Outside, garage door hummed. Remus leaned over and knocked their shoulders together. “Thanks for coming over this morning.”

“Your husband actually begged mine to heal him.”

“And he did. You should keep him.”

Lily gave him a disbelieving look. “He’s not going anywhere.”

--

The butterfly led Hattie over bubbling streams and gentle slopes just meant to be sprinted down. The wind ruffled her fur and carried the bird songs right into her ears, no effort necessary. She was out of breath. It didn’t matter. The butterfly was right there—she almost had it.

--

“Hi, boys,” Lily rasped as the door to the kitchen opened.

James barely glanced up from kicking off his tennis shoes with a bag in one hand and coffee in the other. “Boo. Trick or treat?”

“Treat.”

“Everything bagel with scallion cream cheese.”

Lily buried her moan in the countertop and reached a blind, grasping hand out across cool marble. Wax paper crinkled; a soft greeting followed, then a kiss to the back of her head. She squinted in the low light of late morning as James paired it neatly with a second to her forehead. “I love you.”

“I know.”

“Dearly. Endlessly. Forever.”

His cheeks pinked. “Back at you.”

“Mhm.”

Remus was halfway through his own bagel when she looked over. Her stomach rumbled in pure jealousy.

“Oh,” Sirius said happily, pointing past them. “She’s dreaming.”

--

Triumph. Hattie rolled onto her back and stretched her legs out as far as they would go, each toe flexed and every joint extended. It would be better with belly rubs, but a wiggle of her shoulders in the moss was more than enough to satisfy.

The butterfly hopped between her back paws, then up to the front. It tickled the pads and the fur between them. She tipped her head to the side for a better look at the fluffy bits of its wings, but a flop of her paw startled it into the air.

The butterfly set off again, this time toward a rich green forest. Hattie leapt up with a bark and a bound, and didn’t look back.

[ofmdrecaps]

10/31/2024 Daily OFMD Recap

TLDR: Taika Waititi; Samba Schutte; Nat Torres; Kristian Nairn; Linds Cantrell; Dominic Burgess; Vico Ortiz; Fan Spotlight: Our Flag Means Fanfiction New Show; Halloween; Adopt Our Crew OFMD Themed Spooky Season Prompts; Love Notes;

Alrighty lovelies. So this edition is a lot later than it should be because I wanted to get permission from fans to include their absolutely beautiful work! Thank you to everyone who allowed me to share-- and please oh please if you'd like to share yours I'd love to see more of your beautiful creations-- from costumes to pumpkins for Halloween!

PS: Happy Boop Day to all who celebrated here on Tumblr!

= Taika Waititi =

Well, Taika and Rita really did steal the halloween show, I tell ya. Look at these awesome Legend of Zorro costumes!

Source: Getty Images

Source: Rita's Instagram

= Samba Schutte =

Samba and family went for something out of this world for Halloween!

Source: Samba Schutte's Instagram

= Nat Torres =

Nat asked a very important question on Halloween!

Source: Nat Torres Instagram

= Kristian Nairn =

Hey! Did you know Kristian did an interview with Instinct Magazine ?

= Lindsey Cantrell =

Our darling set decorator went as Selena Gomez from Only Murders In The Building (another show Lindsey worked on!)

Sounce: Linds' Instagram

= Dominic Burgess =

Happy Halloween from Jeffrey Fettering! He gets to dress up in all the cool costumes year round!

Source: Dominic's Twitter!

= Vico Ortiz =

Vico's put up more OFMD BTS for S2 on their Patreon! Some sneaky previews below! Vico's Patreon.

Source: Vico's Patreon

Source: Vico's Patreon

== Netflix Requests! ==

Your daily reminder from our dear crewmate aproperpirate to put in those netflix requests! https://help.netflix.com/en/titlerequest

Source: A proper pirate on Twitter

== Fan Spotlight ==

= Our Flag Means Fanfiction =

While not specifically OFMD related-- it's brought to you by Our Flag Means Fanfiction and it's spooky! New podcast by the folks who brought you OFMFF about Haunted Hollywood! Check it out on their linktr.ee!

Source: Our Flag Means Fanfiction

= Halloween =

Since Halloween always gives us such fabulous costumes I really wanted to share some that popped across my feed! LadyLiu7 on Instagram was kind enough to share her Blackbeard Costume, which I have to say, is INCREDIBLY bad ass. Thank you so much for sharing it with us!

Source: LadyLiu7's Instagram

One of our very active and amazing crewmates, politestmenace over on twitter also dressed as Ed this year, with bonus mini-menace as Kevin from Time Bandits! (Jemaine even sent some praise!) Thanks for letting me share this awesomeness dear!!

Source: Politest Menace's Twitter

Another one of our wonderful crewmates -- _gentlebeard over on twitter went as one of the Skeleton Mermaids! Check out this stunning costume! It was so impressive David re-tweeted it! Absolutely fantastic job Chelsea! Thank you so much for letting me share this with the crew!

Source: _Gentlebeard's Twitter!

= Adopt Our Crew Prompts =

Our Fan-Tabulous crewmembers over at @adoptourcrew kept up the engagement by asking folks what kind of cool OFMD stuff people were into for the spooky season and I was so happy that some of our crewmates were cool with me sharing because LOOK AT THE TALENT ON THIS SHIP!!!!!

Source: Adopt Our Crew's Twitter  Like seriously, how do you all manage to get this so intricate! ITS AMAZING and SUPER SPOOKY. I would have loved to see it in person! Great job Sarah!!

Source: Habitvol6's Twitter

Oh and this extremely cool mermen skeletons decoration!? EXCUSE ME!? Poison2Princess over on Twitter knocked it out of the park with this one!!

Source: Poison2Princess on Twitter

OH and just by the way, check out this fabulous flag pumpkin by AsYouWish311 over on Twitter! It's so hard to carve pumpkins, and you DID NAIL IT! So hard! Frenchie would be proud!

Source: AsYouWish311

Tumblr keeps deleting my edits-- but Check out this SUPER BADASS PUMPKIN THAT JENN on bluesky made! Look at that!!! It looks like a title card! You are amazing luv!

Source: Metavenhorst on Bluesky!

== Love Notes ==

Hey there lovelies! I hope you all had an absolutely wonderful spooky couple days! Halloween is one of my favorite times of year because everyone gets to be so creative, and expectations are dropped even if it's just for an evening!

Please oh please remember to take some time for yourself soon if you didn't get to these past couple days! You need to recharge too. Sending so much love your way -- take care!

Source： MyEasyTherapy

[americasass81]

Basement Lovers

Warnings 18+ for the following:- Dubious Consent, Spooky Halloween Vibes, Mention of A Loved One’s Death, Implied Witchcraft, Implied Murder / Human Sacrifice, Loss of Virginity, Oral (Female receiving), Fingering, P in V Sex, Multiple Orgasms.  Seriously do not read if any of this upsets you, the warnings are there for a reason. Feedback is welcomed and any mistakes are my own.

By proceeding you are acknowledging that you are over 18 and are consenting to the content below the cut.

Author’s Note 1:- Flowing from my muse as part of this spooky season, it seemed by the time I was finished this fic lent itself to a totally unspecified male character so I simply went with it.  Hope anyone that reads it envisions their own character and likes the result.  A special thank you also has to go to the fabulous @caplanbuckybarnes whose Titles For Caplan Writing Challenge makes a very welcome appearance here too.

Author’s Note 2:- Flashback scenes in color.

Synopsis:- Coming across a strange body in the basement of an old abandoned mansion you quickly discover that not all myths belong to the past.

Pairings:- Unspecified Male Character x Female Reader

Total Word Count:- 4,052

Leaving home and setting out on your walk as you normally did, the autumn evening and the cooling breeze welcomed you always like a well known lover and eased away the tensions the daily grind of that work and life had left behind.  And the children running to and fro in all the various costumes of the Halloween season only added to the magic.  A magic you yourself would soon come to experience.

Smiling and waving at the passing parents who acknowledged your presence with the same cordial greeting before taking a left turn off the main road and heading towards the older part of the neighborhood, a whisper on the breeze caught your attention and sent an eerie feeling creeping down your spine, but as usual looking around you, you saw nothing and simply shrugged it off as part of the holiday atmosphere before heading off on your walk once more.  Except you didn't get very far and there was definitely something to see after all.

Standing outside the old McHenry house now on Blackthorn Lane, the eerie feeling seemed stronger here but it was nothing compared to the compulsion that now moved you up the driveway towards the entrance.  A path no one in living memory had ever walked before.  Placing one foot in front of the other now, while looking around curiously as the very air seemed to shimmer and sway all around you, your hand coming up to rest upon the doorknob fully expected to find the thing locked.  But that was not the case however.

Turning at your touch and opening now of its own volition, you turned your head back towards the road, fully intending to walk away from this unnatural occurrence, but it seemed the house had different plans.  Calling out to you in a way no other place ever had, your curiosity now overpowered every sense of self preservation that had been drilled into you by those that had gone before you and so stepping inside you really should have been freaked out when the door slammed shut behind you, but your attention was focused elsewhere.

Gazing around the foyer now at an inside that looked far better maintained than the grounds outside, the beauty and grandeur once present here was still evident for all to see ... even beneath the layer of dust coating everything like a protective lover.  Hell, even on closer inspection, you could see that the years hadn't really claimed this place at all.  Walking now from room to room as a feeling you couldn't explain compelled you forwards, the windows were all still somehow intact and the floorboards showed not one sign of wear or decay.  It was remarkable actually.  What would have proved even more remarkable you imagined, had you ventured upwards, would be the fact that the roof overhead was still as pristine as the day the first slate had been placed upon it, but fate it seemed was calling you in a totally different direction.

Having made your way throughout the ground floor and right back to where you had started, a door now visible on the wall beneath the double staircase that definitely wasn't there before completely held your attention in a way that should have told any sane person to get the hell out of there.  But then it was the failure of that very instinct earlier that already led you here and found you now opening this door too to see what lay inside.  Which would end up being a most terrible mistake.

Walking forward now and ignoring this door closing too as if in a trance, the stone steps appearing before you didn't seem to register the danger you were in.  For the house seemed to have you now.  Continuing downwards now, one foot at a time, your eyes widened in both shock and surprise as the scene before you tapped into an old memory your grandmother had shared with you as a child and confirmed all that you now saw before you.  The legend was true.

Seated in the middle of this basement type room on a throne cast in the most elaborate of materials, the man chained to its armrests however had to be none other than the last known occupant of this opulent manor.  And the last known sorcerer from centuries ago if the stories were to be believed.  Reaching back through your memory now to the week before your grandmother had died, the girl you were then recalled in vivid detail the tale she had spun that you had simply chalked up to an old woman's fanciful imagination.  But that it seemed was no longer the case.

Speaking in hushed tones then that only came about with age, the woman you loved so dearly had painted a picture of a vibrant town that prospered far beyond the other towns and times around it until one day the truth of its success was finally laid bare and the decline which reaches all at last took hold there too.

Explaining how the story went of a neighborhood seamstress stumbling upon some strange ritual taking place within the bowels of McHenry Manor, your grandmother continued to explain that a group of skilled local women supposedly versed in the arts of witchcraft entered the Manor after hearing her report, performed some type of ritual of their own and were never heard from again as the Manor's grounds somehow sealed themselves shut to all who tried to enter.

At least, that was the official version.

Watching your grandmother's eyes light up now as so many kids did when they knew something no one else did, your grandmother beckoned you closer now so she could impart to you one last secret it seemed before time finally claimed her.  What she had never told you before, what no one in your life or surrounding neighborhood had ever told you before it seemed, was that the mansion was far older than you had ever known and it was an ancestor of yours that had not only been one of the women responsible for its current condition, she was also the only one to walk free from that cursed place.

A place you had now entered.

Coming back to the present now and looking back on the story in a different light, you still couldn't understand what all this meant and what it had to do with you.  But it seemed there were still mysteries here to unravel.  Walking around the room now while blatantly ignoring the figure obviously trapped in its center, your hands coming in contact with an invisible barrier as you reached out to pick up something off a nearby table told you there was definitely more to your grandmother's story than just the creative ramblings of an old woman.  For one, not a speck of dust lingered here as it did in the rooms above you.

Trying various other spots now along the table, cabinets and bookshelves still as pristinely preserved as every other part of this odd building, the invisible barrier still halting your progress might have triggered your frustration if a burst of inspiration didn't suddenly occur to you however ... the man on the throne?  Was it possible somehow that he could be the one thing in this whole room that you could actually touch?

Holding onto this thought now while silencing every other thought and instinct that screamed at you not to follow through with your idiotic intentions, your feet brought you closer and closer to the center of the room and the vision now waiting there.  For there was no other way to describe him.

Not one for putting much stock in looks if you were honest and wholly unskilled in the art of dating, sex and all that came with it, you would of course have to be both blind and stupid not to admit that the man now seated before you, untouched by time, was nothing short of stunning.  Tall in life, if his seated posture was any indication, his dark hair, striking cheekbones and all round muscular frame offered a rare insight into the man he must have been in life and the presence he no doubt commanded in every room he must have entered.  But what of him now?

Walking in a circle around the throne now while taking in the chains that ran from his wrist to the chair he occupied in death as he had in life, your mind still couldn't comprehend that this was the same man.  How could it be?  The story had seemed weird and fanciful enough when your grandmother had shared it with you.  And now, here you stood before someone supposedly far, far older than you and yet ... he could so easily be someone with whom you could see yourself sharing a life.

Which probably explained why your hand now rested against his cheek as your fingers caressed the startlingly soft skin beneath them.  But perhaps the most startling thing of all was the result this action brought forth as the stranger's eyes now opened and locked with yours as if trying to reach out and connect with your very soul.  And perhaps that might have happened if his actions that followed didn't pull you from your musings.

"Witch, I can smell your magic," the stranger croaked out suddenly before continuing, "dormant as the ashes of ancient times, but no matter.  Wherever the spark is present, I still have the power to reach out and harness it."  Rising from his throne then as the chains still held him to it, your mind screamed at you again to run, but your legs didn't seem to want to cooperate to that extent.  Taking one step back instead for every one he took towards you, the snapping of the iron as they reached their maximum length seemed to be just the catalyst you needed to fire you into action.  However, your handsome stranger it seemed had other ideas.

Murmuring words you had never heard before, words in fact no other human had now heard in centuries, the barrier that previously kept you from his possessions now somehow extended to keep you from the door, but it wasn't this occurrence that frightened you at this moment.  No, instead it was the niggling force working its way throughout your body that somehow now caused you to not only turn around and face your captor, but take you right back towards him.

Screaming at yourself now to fight whatever was happening, though no words were ever heard, your legs finally halting your movements just within his reach told you somehow that this was his doing.  And that was even before the man spoke again.  "Ah yes," he still croaked as his slender fingers now came up to caress your cheek in the very same manner yours had done to him earlier, "I can see her in you.  Your ancestor.  Can feel her in you too," he continued with a smirk and if nothing else had scared you thus far then this action definitely did.

Evil in a way you couldn't describe, the smirk, coupled with those same fingers roaming over any part of your immobile body his reach could now access, it was his next words that wormed their way into your heart and froze it solid.  "She was with child.  Did you know that?" he asked as he still caressed your skin before revealing the final details of the story your dear departed grandmother was never privy to.  Standing her ground and refusing his advances and promises as each of her sisters fell before him, your ancestor it seemed had given the last of her power to bind him forever to this place, but not before he had cast one last spell himself.  A terrifying one he now took pride in revealing to you.

Reaching for her stomach as her own hands closed around his wrists and forged the chains that kept him rooted to this spot, his words invoked an ancient and powerful curse that in turn bound him to her bloodline.  Promised in time would come a child, ignorant in the ways of magic, but destined to be his forever by the mark that sealed her fate.  A mark he now revealed to you as his hand formed a fist below your throat and tore your top clean in half.  There above your belly button now, as it had been your whole life, his fingers tracing the crescent moon birthmark brought you back to yourself and the shocking implications of all that he had just revealed.

You were meant to be his.  But how was such a thing even possible?

No one in your family that you knew of possessed any magical ability and the birthmark he so reverently spoke of had never so much as raised an eyebrow among anyone that had seen it.  Surely if such a curse had been laid upon your ancestor someone in the family would have known about it.  Been watching and waiting for it.  Surely to simply ignore it would have been the height of foolishness.  After all, if your ancestor was as powerful as this man and your grandmother had seemingly believed surely she would have left a warning for those that came after her that such a grave threat hung over every one of her female descendants.

Unless!  What was it he had said about her giving the last of her power to bind him to this place?  Could it be she had thought that no longer having magic would save her descendants from whatever he had done?  The laugh you let escape your lips at this little insight now told both you and the stranger how foolish that miscalculation had proven to be however, for it seemed the stranger had won, your ancestor had lost and you would be expected to pay the ultimate price.  But what was that price exactly?

Raising your head to look at the stranger now, though his fingers never left your mark, your voice caught in your throat at your first attempt at speaking, but a quick cough soon found his full focus back on your face as you now began to question exactly what lay ahead.  And his answer made you wonder if the curse itself hadn't invisibly dictated aspects of your life you had never even considered.  For it seemed your lack of experience could be laid at his feet.

Explaining now that you had the power to free him, while he had the power to awaken gifts you never even knew you possessed, it seemed a kiss was the key to this whole thing ... your first kiss.  Bound through spells older than the oldest of gods, you giving yourself to him, body and soul, would complete the ritual and meld your souls together in a way that made both of you stronger than the parts that time had currently separated.  But you had to agree.  A choice your ancestor had refused time and time again it seemed, leaving you now having to choose to walk your own path like her or embrace the one she had unknowingly thrust upon you.  Which didn't seem like much of a choice really given that you couldn't seem to leave this place.

Grasping onto this particular thought now and shocking the stranger as you turned around and walked away from him, your hand reaching out for the door once more and still finding it blocked from the same invisible barrier you suspected still held you here, you now returned to the stranger and asked the only question that truly seemed to matter.  "If I refuse to help free you this barrier will keep me trapped here forever, right?" and the smirking nod he sent your way was the only confirmation you needed that your life as you knew it was well and truly forfeit.  Which now left only one course of action available to you.

Moving forward now and placing your lips against his, what had started out as something weird and clumsy soon changed to something completely different however as the man before you took control and deepened the kiss into something you knew you could never have initiated on your own.  Biting your lips gently before his tongue sought entry and began to twirl itself with yours, his hands now pulling your body flush against his made you suddenly aware of everything your young life had so far been missing out on.  And it seemed this revelation only made you yearn for more.

Twenty-four years old now and already past the age that most of your friends had begun to experiment with all the hidden activities their bodies had been designed to experience, it seemed your earlier conclusion had been correct ... the spell invoked all those centuries ago had somehow suppressed your natural urges if the sounds emanating from your body now were any indication.  Panting, moaning, whimpering and sighing as his kisses grew harsher and your bodies now began to grind against each other, you were about to push him away in a much needed attempt to suck some oxygen into your over exerted lungs when his weight suddenly pushing you down to the floor brought a whole different thought bubbling to your mind ... the chains that held him were no more.

Free to ravage you now in whatever depraved manner his years of captivity saw fit, it still seemed that he alone was in full control of the situation unfolding all around you as the concrete floor below you and his weight above you didn't quite seem to crush you in the manner you would have expected.  But that still didn't bring you the relief it should have, for now there was nothing between you and the man that meant to claim you.  And that's exactly what he set about doing.

Removing your clothes as he did his own, his lips, tongue and teeth now began the same manipulation of your body as they had with your mouth and the experience was one you knew you would never be able to recreate on your own or with any other.  Sucking here.  Licking there.  Biting, pulling and squeezing with just the right amount of pressure to make you question whether the experience was pleasurable or painful, the moisture leaking now from between your legs left no doubt at least as to how your body felt.  It was coming alive in a way it never had before.

Reaching out towards his own body now as you tried to find something to ground you while his skillful ministrations continued to pull you apart, his hips now grinding against your intimate area brought what he had planned into stark focus however and you suddenly found the strength to push him from you at least enough that you could now see the face of the man who was determined to make you his own.  But were you ready for that?  It seemed you would either have to get ready pretty fast or convince him of your fears and doubts however if the rod now glistening beneath his legs was any indication.  For it seemed he was well on his way to getting things started.  But it also seemed he wasn't totally ignorant of what the intricacies of the spell had entailed however, as his eyes now followed yours to his dangling member and the implications its growing size meant for you.  

"Don't worry darling, I'm well versed in using this tool and preparing all equipment properly.  It may hurt slightly at first," he cautioned as his fingers now rested against your cheek in a gesture meant to reassure, "but I promise the pleasure and power on offer will soon obliterate all memory of any discomfort our coupling creates," he continued and this time as his lips connected with your nether region instead of your mouth all concerns your mind had previously conjured seemed to disappear as it now tried desperately to keep your lungs working while also trying to find the words to express the feelings assaulting every nerve in your body from the sensations working their way from his mouth to your flower.  But it seemed you couldn't really describe what was happening.

Holding down your hips with one hand as his tongue and teeth manipulated a particularly sensitive spot between your legs, you could now only pant out shallow breaths while murmuring the word yes over and over and over again as first one finger and then another entered your private field and connected with parts of you you never knew existed or were even capable of creating the reaction this man was now pulling from you.  But you knew you never wanted him to stop.

Reaching towards his head now and locking it in place with your hands and thighs, he somehow took your participation as consent and doubling his efforts, the scream that ripped forth from your throat at the same time your body spasmed and liquid gushed from your garden into his waiting mouth told you that this must be what a full body orgasm felt like ... and you didn't think you could survive another.  But it seemed your companion couldn't give a rat's ass what you thought.

Continuing to stimulate your flower as wave after wave of orgasmic bliss radiated through you from head to toe, you were too far gone it seemed to notice his manhood replace his mouth, but not too far gone apparently to remember the words his lips had spoken earlier as he thrust it home in one fluid motion and a scream tore your soul apart when a white hot pain traveled along every nerve ending you possessed and threatened to rip all conscious thought from you, leaving nothing behind but an empty husk dedicated now to nothing but his pleasure.  But it seemed that was a mild exaggeration.

Remaining still within you and shushing your pain with soothing words that sounded vaguely like those one lover might speak to another, your bodies remained connected as one until suddenly the fullness within you became more than both of you seemed able to handle and your hips began to nudge his own all by themselves.  Taking this as a sign now that you wanted more of what he had to offer, your shallow breaths and whimpered sobs soon gave way to slapping skin and ancient words as the man above you ratcheted his member in and out of your pussy while a magical glow spread forth from your birthmark and ignited a fire within far more penetrating than the one that triggered your meltdown when his erection had torn through your maidenhead.

Continuing to pound into you now over and over and over again as one orgasm ended and another one began, his words eventually died on the air at the same time his balls and cock tightened like a coil before releasing burst after burst of warm cum against your now well used walls.  Swearing and groaning out above you now as those same walls clamped down hard around his shaft and milked him dry of every bit of his essence he had to give, his body now collapsing atop yours was indication enough that the man was spent.  But you however still seemed to have some wits about you.  Rolling him off of you onto his side now, though he still somehow managed to remain inside you and as a result brought you with him, you would have asked him what the future now held, but something told you the answer to that was pretty obvious.

Gazing at him now as the haze which held him earlier had somehow slipped away as a result of what both of you had just shared, the feeling between your legs, the memory of what both of you had just done and the sparks now lighting up your fingertips told you one thing loud and clear ... you were not your ancestor.  Giving into your desires and the knowledge that had been kept from you your whole life, you had chosen your own path and for better or worse you would walk it now beside this man for however long forever lasted.

[hibischush]

Ik we’re months away from the month of October and spookiness. but could you please make one where s/o is a huge halloween enjoyer, and takes juniper, celine, march, hayden, and adeline to those really fun but scary haunted house rides? 🎃

Oh, never fear, my dear, for the spooky month of October is always near! 🦇 (well, 4 months. close enough). Halloween is my favorite time of the year, so I do not mind indulging in it early haha 🌺

Juniper

Juniper's appearance and occupation literally screams Halloween

After getting to know you, she jokes that you only got together because she is a sorceress

Juniper also quite enjoys Halloween since she can literally just go as herself and the townsfolk don't suspect anything

However, being in a relationship with you means she is forced into stepping her Halloween game up

You two are THE couple on Halloween

You both look fabulous in costumes and you both put a lot of time and care in costume design

And while Juniper loves when you compliment her and smother her in love, she absolutely loves showing you off on Halloween

(Because you can show her off any other day, right?)

Joking. She knows this is your day to shine based of how much you adore it

When it comes to the fun Halloween festivities like rides or haunted houses...

She's actually terrified of them

Of course she never tells you this, she has to keep her image up

But its also partly because she doesn't want you to worry about her when this day is so special to you

She'll act all tough going through a haunted house with you, but even you know that with the death grip she has on your arm that she's scared

She jumps, flinches, and will not hesitate to scream

If you are able to, she can and will jump into your arms

If you aren't able, she'll hide her face into your shoulder while holding onto you with great strength

Afterwards she enjoys the adrenaline high with you, and despite hating the actual going-through-the-attraction, she will continue to do it for years to come for you

Celine

Another Halloween Enthusiast

I hc that Celine like to make her own clothes

She 100% is crazy about making costumes

With you, that craziness is turned up to 1000%

You both spends days, even up to a week, preparing your costumes together at her cottage

You both make it a date and will talk and snack on treats she made while sewing

Couples costumes ✅✅✅

Since she enjoys gardening, she helps grow pumpkins and other autumn crops for the town's spooky decorations

Combined with your efforts, the town looks totally enchanted after you both help decorate

While Celine loves the aesthetics of autumn and "cute" spooky things, she does not enjoy being scared

That being said, she does not go out of her way to go on those intense rides

The most she'll do with you is a regular haunted house, but she'll have to hold your hand the entire time and won't look up from the ground

But that disappointment is made up for how much effort she puts in things like corn mazes and bobbing for apples

Literally you ain't never seen someone bob for apples quite like she does but you fall in love with her over and over again whenever you see her lmao

She loves the corn mazes too, even the ones with "spooky" things

"Haunted corn mazes and haunted houses are two very different things!"

It really just gives her an excuse to walk to you closer and maybe sneak off to give you a few smooches because you just look too dang good in that costume you made

March

Ah March. The resident hater

He's not that big of a fan of Halloween before you two met and began dating

But you indoctrinated him into the Halloween Lover's Club

March is still not nearly as passionate about Halloween as you are, but most of his enjoyment of the holiday is just seeing how much you enjoy it

Idk if movies exist in Mistria but March definitely would love watching horror movies with you

He would dress up with you, but he almost dresses, modestly?

Like not a bad costume, just decent

And it's not out of carelessness, he just wants you to be the one who shines

He really enjoys going on those intense haunted house rides with you!

Even though he's scared out of his mind (He tries not to show it) he loves the thrill of it

It makes him feel a lot better being there with you too

He's definitely the type to accidently punch a scare actor too LMAO

He's just trying to protect you he didn't mean it

March enjoys leaving the haunted house with you, the rush of relief is something unmatched, especially when holding hands with you

He just loves to look at you and see the wide, satisfied grin you have

At that point he'll have to pull you in to give you a gentle kiss on your forehead

He likes to eat caramel apples with you afterwards and maybe take a glass of spiced apple cider, too

Hayden

You though you were the biggest Halloween enjoyer? Hah

Hayden is insane with his love for Halloween

Your combined love for Halloween is what confirmed your soulmate status lol

Hayden goes all out with decorations, his costume, the vibes, the treats, and the scares

You two are going in and out of the most frightening attractions one by one like its no big deal

You two eat up getting scared

Side note, Hayden definitely laughs after being scared

He also loves to tease you if you do get scared

⬆️This often bites him in his ass because he will literally scream so loud if you sneakily tap his shoulder while walking through a haunted house

He is holding your hand the entire way through these attractions and would jokingly sweep you off your feet to "protect you" from the "bloodthirsty murder clowns"

He also loves the corn mazes and other things like bobbing for apples

Or sneaking kisses in at said corn maze

Basically just think about what you would do and Hayden is already five steps ahead and lovin' it

Adeline

Adeline is probably the only person who remains neutral about Halloween even after she begins to date you

Don't get me wrong, she will still respond warmly to you and your shenanigans and support you, but most of the festivities are just okay to her

With one large exception:

Adeline loves pumpkin carving

And she's crazy good at it

Like think Faberge egg type of intricate with her designs

She likes to set aside an evening where you two can carve pumpkins together near the fireplace in the manor, sipping on warm beverages and eating sweet treats

She thinks it's pretty fun to dress up with you, too, but her costumes are pretty tame compared to your extravagant costumes

She's hesitant to go into haunted houses but she'll go with you because she feels so safe with you

Adeline is hiding beside you most of the time

But after leaving she enjoys hearing about what parts of the haunted house you liked

She just likes listening to you, particularly if you're talking about your passions

Her favorite part about Halloween is being able to snuggle up to you in bed and hear you talk about everything the two of you saw and experienced that day, all the while thumbing the back of your hand lovingly

Y'know I was thinking while writing that it kinda seems weird to have those crazy haunted house rides in Mistria?? Like it doesn't make sense to have such modern engineering. Then I realized we can literally use magic in the game and all was resolved.

Also sorry if there are any spelling or grammar mistakes! It's later for me than usual while writing this and post-work brain sometimes can't comprehend English

[heavensmortuary]

hey this is out of nowhere but. I'm a little obsessed with clowns in all shapes and genres, and I keep seeing The Crow or whoever he is from your movie The Crow and having all my instincts activate with no actual knowledge to chew on. so. who is he?? why the clown paint?? what is its function in the story?? EYES

also he is goth and fabulous. 10/10 design

HI HI HI

yes yes it's my favorite movie WAHOOO

He's a man who comes back from the grave to avenge his fiancee, and himself, on the anniversary of their deaths, on the night before Halloween, Devil's Night. He loved her so much that by some force, he was brought back to life but only for a night. His soul is connected to a crow that accompanies him (the reason being, in the movie, that crows carry souls to the underworld when people die).

The clown paint is based off of stage comedy face paint (not as in funny comedy, as in a Greek story type of comedy.) as the sad character archetype :] It's also to scare the people he's hunting down; he's looking for justice after all. He's also a kind character (to the people he doesn't have beef with lmao), and being a clown by proxy, it reflects that part of his character as well. He was also in a rock band, so it might be a nod to theatrical makeup used by goth bands. lots of reasons :]

yes absolute best goth design out there 10/10

[theselfshippingwitch]

It is Halloween. Someone knocks on your door. You open it to find a skull in a floating robe, holding out it's hands. Red candy in one, blue in the other. Take the red and you will be turned into a child (in your choice of costume) for three hours, to trick or treat. Take the blue and you will have infinite candy for three hours, and an infinite parade of children (living and ghosts) to hand candy to. Which do you choose?

i could have just answered this like i was supposed to but then a fic idea happened and i wrote more than i ever should have about this

It was Halloween night, and as usual Violet was preparing for her annual Halloween party. The horror novel writer threw the biggest and most premiere Halloween event for all of the most famous and notable people in the country. Amongst all the commotion from all of her caterers, decorators, and event planners, there was a knock on the door. Violet, already dressed in her Halloween costume, a fabulous black ball gown with a black and purple tulle skirt and purple and black striped witch’s hat with sparkling silver spider web adorned black cape, went to open the front door of her and Ray’s home.

Before her (and about one foot above her) floated a skull. Its red cape seemed to be wrapped around nothing, and when two hands lifted from the darkness inside they seemed to appear from nowhere. In the two skeleton hands were one piece of candy each. One was red, and one was blue. There seemed to be a whisper inside Violet’s head. “Take the red and you will be turned into a child (in your choice of costume) for three hours, to trick or treat. Take the blue and you will have infinite candy for three hours, and an infinite parade of children (living and ghosts) to hand candy to.” Violet picked the red candy.

It had the taste of the watermelon-flavored hard candies that were her favorite as a child, and as she closed her eyes to savor that long forgotten flavor, a red mist swirled around her body. She shrunk down shorter and shorter, and her ornate costume turned to a much more simple dress. The only part of her costume that remained unchanged was the hat. When she opened her eyes again, her front porch was empty of any sort of apparitions. All that was left was her Halloween decorations. Her very big, very scary Halloween decorations. Her snarling werewolves with bloody fangs and vampires with glistering red eyes and bloody handprints and skeletons littered all around. Little Violet shrieked in terror, bolting back inside the house. She didn’t think at all about how strange the circumstances were, she just wanted to find the one person who made her feel safer than anyone. She ran straight into Ray’s arms.

Ray, still in his ghostbusting uniform after a very busy work day, didn’t know what to make of this crying child at first. He was used to children having this innate trust in him. Kids loved the Ghostbusters, after all. So it wasn’t too out of the ordinary for him to have a frightened child running up to him. He didn’t hesitate to stoop down to her and put a comforting hand on her shoulder. But he couldn’t help but wonder what this child was doing in his house. The little girl had the same wide brown eyes and little curly q’s of brown hair that he had seen in pictures of Violet as a child. “Hey, calm down, sweetie, everything is alright.” he cooed gently. Her panicking seemed to stop just from the sound of his voice, the same way Violet’s always did. “Now, why don’t you tell me your name?”

She sniffled. “V-Violet. It’s me, Violet!”

“Violet. You have the same name as my best friend! My Violet is my favorite person in the whole world.”

“But Ray, I AM Your Violet!” she stamped her little foot, getting frustrated. “There was a ghost at the door, and-and he told me he would turn me into a kid again so I could go trick-or-treating tonight, but. I-I’m too scared!”

Ray scrutinized her little face. She really did look like Violet, but as a little child, about six years old. And honestly? She was just about the cutest little girl he had ever seen. He hoped that if he and Violet ever had babies they would be as cute as she was when she was a baby. He held out his pinky. “Do you pinky promise you're not telling fibs?”

“I promise!” She curled her little pinky around his much larger one. He smiled, and lifted her up into his arms as he stood up straight. “Well, alright, let’s go trick-or-treating!” he announced.

“You believe me?” Violet asked.

“Of course I believe you! You pinky promised!”

Violet giggled, She was so glad there was an adult who understood the sacredness of a pinky promise the way she did. Ray’s logic made perfect sense to her. But then she frowned, thinking of all the scary things on the front porch. She buried her head into Ray’s shoulder, wrapping her little arms around Ray’s neck. “But we can’t go back outside! It’s scary!”

“Aww, Violet…” He rubbed her back comfortingly. “How about I hold you and carry you until we’re away from the scary things?��� He felt her nod her head in his shoulder, and carried her upstairs to get a pillowcase to collect candy in. “How about we use your favorite purple unicorn pillow case to put the candy in?” He held out the pillow case in question. Violet lifted her head up and then snatched the pillow case with her little fingers. “Yeah!” she cheered happily, but then put her head back down. Meanwhile, Ray carried her down the stairs, lost in thought. He was a little worried about his girlfriend. As adorable as she was like this, he obviously didn’t want her to stay this way forever. And, he was suspicious about the ghost who did this to her in the first place. He was glad he had agreed to give the party guests an up close and personal look qat his equipment, as that meant he still had it all with him. He found Violet’s personal assistant, Steffi, in the front foyer. “Um, you might have to stall the party guests for a bit.” he told her.

“Where is Violet?” she asked.

Little Violet, still hiding in Ray’s arms, poked her little face up and waved.

Ray held her tight as he walked out of the front porch and down the front walkway, trying not to laugh at the fact that Violet really was now afraid of her own Halloween decorations. He hadn’t realized how much of a scaredy cat she was compared to how he knew her now. Once they were on the sidewalk and out of sight of the spooky decorations, he put her down. She smiled up at him and took his hand. “C’mon, let’s go!”

Ray figured they could trick-or-treat their way towards the firehouse, where Egon could take a second look at Violet’s…condition. Violet made her way up to every front porch slowly and said her “trick or treat?”s shyly. Ray realized what a quiet little girl she must have been for her whole childhood. She hadn’t been much different when they had first met. He recalled how little she said to the other guys when he first introduced her. But she was always easy for him to talk to. He wondered if maybe he was the first person in her whole life that made her feel that confidence. How much had changed for her, even since he had first met her. Now this shy little girl was hosting the biggest Halloween party of the year, and he wanted her to get back to it. “Violet?” he asked her. “Did the ghost who did this to you say anything about how long it would last?”

“Oh yeah! He told me three hours!” Violet announced proudly as she took his hand again. It had already been one hour.

Violet rang the doorbell at one house and a young woman in a tight black dress with a matching long black wig answered. She barely heard Violet say “trick or treat?” and she threw candy into her pillowcase, never taking her eyes off of Ray. “That’s a great Ghostbusters costume. You know, I just love a man in uniform…” she batted her long eyelashes at him. Violet lifted up her little foot and stomped down hard on the woman’s foot. “Mine!” she screamed at her, before running into Ray’s arms. She “Hmph!”ed as Ray hurriedly carried her down to the next street over.

“So, what do you think?”

Egon stared at the screen on the device Violet was now attached to. She chomped happily on the candy she had collected (and Ray had inspected, of course). “It was definitely at least a Class 9 or higher. Only a demigod or an entity with even greater power than that could have such a powerful, yet concentrated control over time. But, what I can’t figure out is why.”

“Maybe there are some ghosts out there who like us after all!” Ray guessed. “I mean, she hasn’t been harmed in any way, and according to the read-out the effects really are temporary. It looks like there’s nothing to worry about!”

Violet and Ray trick-or-treated their way back to their house. At that point, the pillow case was so full that it was now Ray’s job to carry it. But, Violet still insisted on collecting more, and Ray couldn’t bring himself to say no to such a cute, happy little face. By the time they made it back, it was about five minutes until Violet changed back. “Did you have fun, Violet?” Ray asked as he held the little girl in his arms.

Violet nodded. “This is the most fun I’ve ever had, Ray.” She hugged him. “But now I wanna go to the party!”

“Violet, I’m not sure that’s such a good idea…”

“Nooo, I’m going!” Violet wiggled her way out of Ray’s arms. As she reached the top of the stairs above where most of the guests were gathered, the strange red mist began surrounding her again. She grew taller, and her costume changed back into the one she had on before. By the time the partygoers could see her, she was in the middle of the red mist that now filled the room, a fully realized, confident woman who was their hostess, the woman everyone came to see, the woman Ray adored.

[nitrateglow]

Halloween 2023 marathon: 9-11

The Slumber Party Massacre (dir. Amy Holden Jones, 1982)

A serial killer breaks free from jail, but the local high school population could not care less. There's sex to be had and joints to be smoked at the latest slumber party. Anyone not invited to the party either aims to crash it (the horny high school boys) or stay at home trying not to think about how uncool they are (the new girl who's better at basketball than her catty peers). All will be drawn together once the killer makes his way into town with a handy power drill that totally won't be used inappropriately.

I saw this movie for the first time earlier this year and immediately fell in love with its goofy charm. Apparently, it was written to be a parody of slasher tropes. The movie isn't played for broad comedy, but the humor is ever present in both overt and subtle ways. There's also a blend of cattiness and affection between the female characters that reminds me of the sorority house dynamics of Black Christmas, and the dialogue is often hilarious.

However, for all the humor, there are some creepy moments. The Driller Killer's "love" monologue is skin-crawling-- even if it is followed by a glorious parody of "the killer should be dead but isn't" trope.

This is one I love showing to other people. Everyone usually falls over laughing by the end, so it's a great group movie, but even alone, it's a fabulous time. You can currently catch it on Tubi for free.

Eyes of Laura Mars (dir. Irvin Kershner, 1978)

Controversial fashion photographer Laura Mars starts having psychic visions of the murders of her associates right as the crimes are being committed. She and everyone she knows become suspects of the slayings. The police find it particularly interesting that Laura's photos, which pair high fashion with images of murder and violence, resemble the subsequent crime scenes. Confused and feeling guilty, Laura teams up with cynical investigator John Neville, hoping to track down the killer before she or anyone else she loves becomes the next target.

This is a new-to-me horror film I caught on Tubi. All I knew about Eyes of Laura Mars is that it was directed by Irvin Kershner, a journeyman filmmaker best known for The Empire Strikes Back, and written by John Carpenter (though tampered with by many before shooting began). The movie is essentially an American spin on the Italian giallo genre. You have the familiar setting of the fashion world, sexy models who become murder victims, a hapless protagonist drawn into the mystery, and some very nasty kills.

There's a lot I like about this film, but in the end it didn't completely work for me. Maybe it's because unlike the best giallo, the movie doesn't have that otherworldly, psychedelic vibe that makes an audience able to swallow the sillier parts of the story. This is a very grounded, gritty presentation of New York City, making the more outrageous things in the film (like the unexplained psychic powers) stand out and not in a good way. Faye Dunaway's performance also verges into unintentional camp, with her wailing like she's in a 1940s melodrama much of the time. And I love melodramatic 1940s movies with appropriately overheated performances, but when the rest of your story is trying to be more realistic, that approach just takes me out of it because it doesn't gel. (Don't even get me started on the final twist, which I can't decide if I find laughable or clever.)

And yet, this is hardly a bad film. What frustrates me so much about it is that there's a lot that's pretty great. The supporting characters aren't the deepest in the world, but they are likable, so when they got picked off, I actually felt something. The movie also has an appealing time capsule element in its presentation of NYC during the height of the disco era. The fashions and the music are dated in the best way.

Despite my complaint about Dunaway's campy moments, Laura Mars is an interesting protagonist. She takes her art very seriously despite the derision she receives from her critics. She doesn't allow anyone to push her around, be it her boozy ex-husband, hostile reporters, or the police. She clearly loves the models, make-up artists, and other associates who work with her, and Dunaway does well lending a genuine sense of bereavement to the character as her social circle gets picked off one by one. However, I feel like the movie doesn't do much with her and she doesn't really have an arc.

I just really wish this film were a better version of itself. However, I can definitely see myself rewatching it someday, so maybe knowing the twists will make me better appreciate what is there. I don't know.

The Curse of Frankenstein (dir. Terence Fisher, 1957)

From adolescence, Baron Victor Frankenstein has had one dream: to cheat death. He and his research partner Paul Krempe delve into the mysteries of life, managing to reanimate a dead dog. Paul is satisfied with this achievement, but like a Disney Princess, Victor wants more. Like, creating a superbeing from bits and pieces of corpses more. This does not end well. At all.

It isn't spooky season without some Hammer Horror. I really have a hard time picking a favorite Hammer film, but The Curse of Frankenstein is definitely up there. Peter Cushing is so perfectly amoral and charming as Victor Frankenstein. I love Colin Clive in the Universal movies, but Cushing is my favorite in the part.

I've always admired how this movie sets itself apart from the Universal series without overdoing the opposition. The Universal movies were influenced by 1920s German expressionism, whereas the Hammer films go for more of a Victorian gothic meets explicit (by 1950s standards) sex and gore vibe. The sets and costumes are always wonderful in these films. I really love Cushing's glorious jackets, particularly the emerald green one.

<spoilers down below-- beware!>

Curse is also interesting for its frame narrative with Frankenstein telling the story from prison the hour before he is to be guillotined for his crimes. No one believes there was ever a creature and Victor wants everyone to know that, hey, he didn't commit ALL the murders. What's most fascinating about the frame story is the way it presents Paul, Victor's former tutor and research partner. Throughout the story, Paul is an unheeded voice of conscience tormented by the crimes Victor commits to achieve his goals. It's also implied Paul is in love with Victor's fiancee Elizabeth, and that this passion ignites further resentment against Victor on Paul's part because Victor clearly does not care about Elizabeth at all but is going to marry her anyway.

The film ends with Victor begging Paul to tell the authorities about the Creature, but Paul acts as though Victor is insane or just making it all up. He doesn't want to save Victor-- but is that because he wants to see justice done? Or is he also tight-lipped because he wants to secure Elizabeth for himself and knows she'll feel too duty-bound toward Victor (who supported her and her destitute aunt during Elizabeth's childhood) to break off the engagement unless the groom-to-be is, well, headless? It's a wonderfully ambiguous touch and it makes Paul more than just a nagging moral center.

<spoilers over>

Anyways, this is a perfect Halloween movie. Don't miss it if you've never seen it!

[catre33]

My favourite books in my personal library: (in completely random order)

The Little Prince by Antione de Saint Exupery. 111pg

'The little prince lived alone on a tiny planet no larger than a house. He owned three volcanoes, two active and one extinct. He also owned a flower, unlike any flower in all the galaxy, of great beauty and of inordinate pride. It was this pride that ruined the serenity of the little prince's world and started him on the interplanetary travels that brought him to earth, where he learned, finally, from a fox, the secret of what is really important in life.'

OH, my heart-. This absolute journey of a story is impossibly dear to me. I always pull it out when I need a reminder to grow old, but never grow up; and how stupid grown-ups can be. I've read this at least 7 times and watched the corresponding movie at least 5 times. It puts such a thrilling perspective on things I have had to fight with myself whether it should go in the fantasy or philosophy section. Sometimes we all need to remember how simple the world really is.

High Maintenance by Jennifer Belle 351pg

'Liv Kellerman has just left her cheating husband and--more tragically--their fabulous duplex with its Empire State Building views. Now Liv--alone for the first time in her life with few marketable skills, and crammed into a crumbling "fixer-upper" in Greenwich Village--is contemplating her next move...'

This book is HILARIOUS. I read it during my first and only trip to The Big Apple and finished it in the hotel room on the 2nd day (if I remember correctly). High Maintenance made the trip so much more thoughtful, and the people-watching much more interesting. People-watching in New York is already AMAZING, but I was able to better imagine the story behind the dude doing pull-ups on the street lamp (no joke). And it honestly made me think more than it made me laugh.S

tonewords, A Ghost Story by Pam Conrad 130pg

'The first time Zoe met Zoe Louise, Zoe was four years old. Zoe Louise was more than one hundred. From that day on--living in the same house, separated by a staircase and a century--Zoe and Zoe Louise have been an important and permanent part of each other's lives. Now Zoe is older. And although Zoe Louise never grows up, she is changing in dreadful, frightening ways. Time is running out for Zoe's best friend--and Zoe is the only one who can help her. To do so, she must travel back one hundred years in time and somehow alter the past. But in changing the past, must she also change the present? If she saves her friend's life, will she lose Zoe Louise forever?'

Stonewords is an annual fixture in my life. Though it doesn't in my book classify as a thriller it's still a ghost story and my favorite thing to read late on Halloween night. It's also one of the only books that use theoretical time travel that I will tolerate (mainly because it doesn't try to explain it away but rolls with the ideas). The character development is refreshing, as it is not in the ways you would originally expect.

The Da Vinci Code by Dan Brown 489pg

'An ingenious code hidden in the works of Leonardo da Vinci. A desperate race through the cathedrals and castles of Europe. An astonishing truth concealed for centuries...unveiled at last.'

This book is an absolute constant stream of 'I should have seen that coming!!!' I mean, are you kidding me?! Twists and turns left and right, never quite knowing where you are for a couple of paragraphs, and riddles hidden in the page headers! And an absolute wonder as a mythology lover having grown up in a Mormon household. The recognition of pagan beliefs and traditions that have become such essential parts of Christian culture is incredible. The Da Vinci Code rivals Good Omens as my favourite book of all time.

Please Ignore Vera Dietz by A. S. King 323pg

'Is it okay to hate a dead kid? Even if I loved him once? Even if he was my best friend? Is it okay to hate him for being dead? Vera's spent her whole life secretly in love with her best friend, Charlie Kahn. And over the years she's kept a lot of his secrets. Even after he betrayed her. Even after he ruined everything. So when Charlie dies in dark circumstances, Vera knows a lot more than anyone--the kids at school, his family, even the police. But will she emerge to clear his name? Does she even want to?'

This was a surprisingly recent read; and though it took a little bit to get into it, I was entranced. It was really just an erratic puzzle coming together much slower than I would have liked it to, and it was terribly easy to relate to Vera's desire to please be ignored. I have to be honest; I grew as a person, reading this book. You get to know the dead kid more than you think you would. It is altogether nowhere near what I expected, and more than I thought I'd ever need.

Scarpetta by Patricia Cornwell 579pg

'Leaving behind her private forensic pathology practice in Charleston, South Carolina, Kay Scarpetta takes an assignment in New York City, where an injured patient in Bellevue Hospital's psychiatric prison ward has specifically asked for her. While Scarpetta examines him, she listens to one of the most bizarre stories she has ever heard. Oscar Bane says his injuries were sustained in the course of a murder...that he did not commit...' (the blurb is paraphrased as it is the longest blurb in history sorry)

Not only is this book written by one of my favourite milfs, but there is also a very homo romantic subplot that I could not get enough of!!! (pg354 AAAH!!!) Scarpetta and everyone around her had me hooked from the first words (which were 'Brain tissue'). There is nothing I could do while reading this but live the plot. The incredibly emotive writing dragged me along for a rough but worthwhile ride.

Frogkisser! by Garth Nix 372pg

'Poor Princess Anya. Forced to live with her evil stepmother's new husband, her evil stepstepfather. Plagued with an unfortunate ability to break curses with a magic-assisted kiss. And forced to go on the run when her stepstepfather decides to make the kingdom entirely his own. Aided by a loyal talking dog, a boy thief trapped in the body of a newt, and some extraordinarily mischievous wizards, Anya sets off on a Quest that, if she plays it right, will ultimately free her land--and teach her a thing or two about the use of power, the effectiveness of a well-placed pucker, and the finding of friends in places both high and low.'

I bought this book from an elementary school book fair when I was maybe 10 years old, and it must be one of my most 'loved' paperbacks with all it's been through. It has been in the hands of family and friends and calls me out in ways I will never admit. Frogkisser! is a beautiful story with the perfect doses of snarky and silly weaved throughout every character. I used to know the plot so well that I would open to a page at random and read it just to cheer myself up. Now it's a nostalgic symbol of my childhood; not just of the good parts, but a basis of the good parts.

Skellig by David Almond 182pg

'Michael was looking forward to moving into a new house. It was all going to be wonderful. But now his baby sister's ill, his parents are frantic, and Dr. Death has come to call. Michael feels helpless. Then one day he steps into the crumbling garage. What is this thing beneath the spiderwebs and dead flies? A human being, or a strange kind of beast never seen before? The only person Michael can confide in is his new friend Mina. Together they carry the creature out into the light, and Michael's world changes forever.'

This was also a very recent read and oh my goodness gracious aGnES NUTTER, WITCH! I didn't know what to do with myself after it. I... I can't even explain it. It's a once-in-a-lifetime experience, to read this book for the first time. I was helpless in dreaming of angels and owls and clay and death and life and everything in between. I could never possibly do Skellig justice, so I'll leave it at this. Read it, and you'll know what I mean.

Notes: Good Omens is not listed here as it lives in my schoolbag, not my personal library. Coincidentally, all books listed were paperbacks LMAO

[grnolan]

A Non-Exhaustive List of Stuff to Watch During the Strike

Everybody has a backlog of things to watch, but for everyone who is like me and routinely looks at that backlog and goes "but none of those hundred things sound interesting right now", here are some recommendations.

If You Have…

NETFLIX

Avatar The Last Airbender: Animated/Fantasy; 3 seasons; A teenage chosen one reawakens 100 years into the war he’s meant to stop. If you somehow are on Tumblr and haven’t seen this show, give it a try now.

Cunk on Earth: Documentary; 1 season; A very serious documentary that very seriously tells the story of the history of human progress.

Glow Up (2019): Competition; 4 seasons; Aspiring makeup artists compete for opportunities in the industry.

Nailed It! (2018): Competition; 7 seasons; Nicole Byer and Jacques Torres laugh with people who are not bakers as they try to bake extremely complicated desserts in less time than professionals could do it.

Wynonna Earp (2016): Western Horror; 4 seasons; The cursed descendant of famous lawman Wyatt Earp hunts demons in a small Canadian town alongside her (canonically bisexual) little sister, a US Marshall, an immortal Doc Holliday, and a (canonically lesbian) local cop.

HULU

Domino Masters (2022): Competition; 1 season; A competition show where teams build Rube Goldberg devices primarily focusing on dominos.

Holey Moley (2019): Competition; 3 seasons; Increasingly ridiculous mini golf holes where the ball can go into a water hazard but the people go in much more frequently.

Lego Masters (2020): Competition; 3 seasons; Teams of two build complex Lego designs based on each week’s theme.

Primeval (2007): Sci-Fi; 5 seasons; British scientists and government officials discover fluctuating portals to various time periods, which release dinosaurs and other creatures into the modern day. You’ll watch the first season and go “idk why this is considered good” and then all the other seasons will happen.

DISNEY PLUS

DuckTales (2017): Animated/Adventure Comedy; 3 seasons; A reboot of the 80s show of the same name, but with better character development and better treatment of its female characters.

The Owl House (2020): Animated/Horror Comedy; 3 seasons; An Afro Latina human girl is on her way to summer camp to be taught “normalcy” when she goes through a portal and finds herself in the Demon Realm. She decides that it’s way better than camp and stays. Friendship, family, love, and PTSD ensue.

MAX

Baking Championships: The Baking Championships (Kids Baking Championship, Halloween Baking Championship, Holiday Baking Championship, Spring Baking Champion Championship) are all a nice heartwarming fun time.

The Great Pottery Throw Down (2015): Competition; 5 seasons; You know how chill and fun GBBO is? Imagine that but with pottery.

CRUNCHYROLL

RWBY (2013): Animated/Fantasy; 9 seasons; A group of girls join a school to train for hunting monsters and fighting crime with cool weapons that are usually some sort of melee weapon and also a gun. The animation gets better with every season.

NO STREAMING SERVICES

Board Game Club: An ongoing series on the No Rolls Barred YouTube page; a bunch of people get together and play board games. This probably sounds like it would be boring but it is absolutely fantastic.

Critical Role: YouTube; 2 completed campaigns, 1 ongoing; A group of voice actor friends get together to play Dungeons and Dragons. Increasingly well-produced over time.

The Lizzie Bennet Diaries: 100 episodes; An adaptation of Pride and Prejudice that takes place entirely over vlogs. Very funny, handles the confines of a vlog setting fairly well, and Ashley Clements (Lizzie) is fabulous.

Video Game YouTubers: Particularly Let’s Plays, speedruns, and challenges. I personally enjoy Pokemon challenges like by FlygonHG, and Super Mario Odyssey Hide and Seek by a bunch of different Mario streamers is great fun.

[farehamflorist]

You have all seen the lovely dogs, and my fabulous chicken (which makes me smile every time I look at it - they have also taken orders for more) created/made by the guys at Fareham Men's Shed but I've not yet introduced you to Bruce: The Moose! 🫎

Because of how successful they have turned out, I asked Chris to created me some pieces for halloween, so along with Bruce, I have also added the mini trial versions of the ghost, witch and bat - there's a spider too but I broke one of its legs so haven't got around to painting it yet.

He's also made some wolf heads for one of the local scout groups; yes, I did pinch one from the box he had ready to be glued together!

[evita-shelby]

Hiya, same anon who requested the professor. Just to tell you that I LOVE it. Its fabulous. I'm obsessed. Is there a potential for more? Hope you're having a good day. And fun question ...are you dressing up for Halloween this year and if you are what are you going as?

Thank you 🖤 i am glad you liked it.

Idk if there might be a part 2, usually it comes on its own lol

As for Halloween, I don't really celebrate it so i won't be dressing up.

[kellkie0722]

Check out this listing I just added to my Poshmark closet: Bradford Exchange ITS THe Great Pumpkin Peanuts Illuminated Tree.

[halloweenforemos]

-55 days until halloween-

[ September 6th ] or seven weeks too! we made it another week :)

also 4 days until Mikey Way’s birthday!!

god i love him 😔

[applesdrowned-a]

tumblr  sucks  001.

[the-rat-woman]

thoughts about saw iii (2006)

8/10

i liked this one better than 2! but not as much as the first. i dont have as much to say as i did the first two since a lot of the main stuff kinda carries over from those first two reviews.

i liked

amanda was absolutely fabulous in this film and i really loved her! lots of very interesting characterisation

the traps were way more interesting than the second movie!! im surprised that i didnt hate the rack at all, i found that one to be quite interesting and a very tense scene

the practical effects were very good! stuff like the bones splintering and shattering was fascinating

not so great

i found this film very difficult to follow along with. idk if its because i had to watch it over a few days or because im just bad with names and faces but i got kinda confused and at the end i really didnt know what was going on. why did they make the test with the bomb and the chains impossible? why did amanda freak out like that? what did john mean when he said that he was testing amanda? ill google an explanation anyway

i felt like this one leaned a wee bit too much into the nastiness. the machine that pulled her ribs off was interesting but definitely a bit much, i had to look away. same with the dead pigs that was just. gross ew id rather not have watched that bit

overall still a good film! gotta watch the next few quickly so ill be caught up in time for halloween.

thoughts about saw (2004)

8.5/10

i rly rly liked this movie! honestly before this i hadnt really seen any horror movies at all. not a big fan of being scared honestly,, but this one was so great! its great for me because even thouhg its a horror film its not really a “scary film”, like it wasnt meant to make me feel scared rather than focusing on the characters being scared. thats what i think anyway. it was super morbidly fascinating (my fav kind of fascinating!!). i dont rly like specifically live action bloody violence n stuff (im fine with the illustrated/animated kind) but this film i think had a great balance of it. most of the nastiest stuff like the sawing scene and the shotgun trap was offscreen which i appreciate. i thought the guts in the reverse beartrap scene looked pretty funny though. that scene though was so ffgsgshdhsgsgahe. u know what i mean. hurts my face just to think about it. wait was that girl the amanda character i’ve heard about or is that a different amanda. anyway. the characters were great too! not the biggest fan of larry he cheated on his wife boo thats bad but i still felt emotions over him. adam i dont even know why he was in there. but i felt so bad over him. during that scene at the end where he was pulling at larry and sobbing and crying and begging him “dont leave me here” i did cry. those police officers too i was sad when he went to the one that got his throat cut and held him for a moment. when he went away to catch the guy i was thinking “nooo hes bleeding out dont leave him what if he dies alone” he survived anyway but still that was sad for a moment. the ending too i loved the twist! i wasnt paying full attention so i did have to google an explanation but once i understood it i was like woah! thats so cool and clever and i love this movie!!!! yay!!!!! the Torment Mechanism!!!!!!! lets break all our bones!!!!!!!!!! nobody is gonna wanna read this ugly ass text wall of a post but eh. gotta get it out of my skull or else itll be rattling around in there all night

tldr middle aged men doomed yuri (or however old they are) and blood violence death hurray!!!

[viviennevermillion]

Things to do with Vil

notes: reposting bc I’m deleting my archived sideblogs. can be read as platonic or romantic.

contains: vil schoenheit x gn!reader

warnings: none

Sipping tea and eating cake tbh. I mean, have you read his lab coat story? This man is overworked and constantly trying to hold an appearance, he’ll be glad to just sit down with you and drink a cup of his favorite tea in a dim lit room, preferably in the evening. I headcanon Vil as one of those people who can’t relax during daytime because he’d feel like he should be productive instead so just bring him a cup once the sun has set and he’ll comply a lot easier. He’ll refuse to eat the cake at first because of the calories so he will just longingly stare at it for a solid 15 minutes until you convince him to try it.

Let him do your hair and make up and pick an outfit for you. This one’s pretty obvious. You can always rely on his beauty skills and when Vil takes care of your looks you can guarantee it’ll look fabulous in the end! Additionally Vil just loves showing off said skills and being creative. Just let his brain work its magic. He’ll be very considerate of what qualities, passions and unique characteristics you have and will try his best to make you radiate those on the outside. It’ll be like making art for him. Especially if he knows you well it’s like a challenge for him: “How can I portray the identity of this person through their appearance?” And we all know Vil loves a good challenge. Make sure to compliment the final result too! Because in the end showing off fashion is a lot like serving a dinner you cooked; you just want the people you made it for to enjoy it and to acknowledge you!

As I’ve said Vil loves a good challenge and some friendly competitions! Got a huge wardrobe? Access to a large shop full of clothes? Drawing skills? A website where you can put outfits together? Take turns giving eachother prompts! Whether it’s Halloween or afternoon at the beach or dark academia, just try to work with the topic and portray it with fashion. Vil enjoys comparing the final results and seeing how your result and interpretation of the motto differs from his own, even though he’ll be highly critical (forgive him, he means well).

Go to a restaurant together. Let Vil pick the restaurant. And for the sake of Azul and the tweels make sure it’s not Mostro Lounge. Because Vil is a Gordon Ramsey level of critical. But if he does like the food it’ll be a calm and enjoyable atmosphere.

Major headcanon of mine is that Vil just loves deep conversations and long debates. As long as it’s not one of his fields of expertise he’s actually really considerate of your opinions and arguments. He doesn’t mind having his perspectives challenged once in a while. Despite being slightly superficial at first glance, Vil is more than capable of appreciating an innovative mind and some casual critical thinking. Give him your thoughts on beauty standards in our society! Discuss the education at NRC! Debate Epels views on gender roles! Pick a topic you like and know stuff about. Vil’s gonna talk and he’s gonna like it. I feel like he gets those types of conversations rarely and as much as he loves his career, he’s around superficiality way too much and some balance will do him good!

Go to the theatre! Theatre kid Vil is lowkey canon by now. I bet he loves dressing fancy in the evening and watching an interesting play with you. Will quote it later on. And ofc discuss all the behind the scenes stuff and how the script was portrayed and the costumes etc. Rambles about this for 2 hours.

Same goes for the cinema. Hell, he’s in the Movie Appreciation Club. He’s an actor. Out of respect for you and the other customers he won’t comment on anything during the movie but you can bet he’s going to hold you a presentation about it right after.

If you play an instrument or can sing, perform a duet together. Just the two of you when no people are around. Let Vil pick a song he vibes with. If you two are dating and get a good recording it’ll be his ringtone but psst~

Vil’s aesthetic sense is so strong, he can’t help but project onto things like poetry, art, landscapes, symbolism etc. constantly. Vibes and atmospheres have a bigger impact on his mood than he would like to. Chances are there are some of those things he associates with you. Go to art museums. Take a walk in the beautiful nature. Sit down in the library and read something together. This is also how you get him to be emotional. Vil is a very private person usually but sit in front of the Pomefiore dorm at night, look at the stars and read the legend of the Beautiful Queen together and chances are he’s going to offhandedly mention childhood memories or his father. Especially when it’s night time and he’s tired. He’s gonna regret this in the morning but you won’t soooo

If you’re close enough and he’s comfortable letting his guard down around you honestly just let him be silly and chaotic once in a while. He needs it and he also deserves it. Have a pillow fight. Make some stupid puns. Look at memes on Magicam. Gossip about the teachers. Vil’s honest, natural laugh is beautiful and he’s doing it way less than he probably should.

Study sessions! Vil will help you out in subjects you struggle. He’ll ask for your feedback in subjects you’re good at. Both of you will be more calm and motivated in each other’s presence while studying.

Believe it or not - cooking. Don’t get me wrong, Vil won’t get his hands dirty. He’ll wear gloves the entire time and the maximum he’s willing to touch anything messy is when he’s seperating an egg. Want him to make dough? No chance. Doesn’t touch flour. Or wash the dishes. Or cut onions because the crying would ruin his makeup yk? But he’ll cut the vegetables for you and stir the pot and decorate the plate and then he’ll look at the final result like “I made this” with a neutral smile but you can see the pride in his eyes.

Honestly just let this man relax and be a normal 18 year old once in a while.