#insane things would be afoot

[doorianpavus]

Gabrielle De Lioncourt + Personal Fancasts.

[tgcg]

an open fly walking

i didnt like this one but i thought id finally air it out since its been sat in my folders for months now

TG: hey karkat

CG: YEAH?

===

TG: you ever noticed you like

TG: walk weird

CG: WOW, OKAY.

CG: HAVE *YOU* EVER NOTICED THAT I DON'T GIVE A SHIT?

TG: pff

===

TG: no listen because i got my ears scoping that shit im like a scouter for dude activity

TG: ok maybe me mentioning it to you is gonna fuck up your ecosystem or something but

TG: you have the heaviest feet of the century man

CG: I DO???

TG: just thrust them straight down into the ground like youre trying to homebrew a san andreas fault

TG: viciously tamping on tectonic plates hoping for top score on the richter scale

TG: waging war against solid particles and the basic flow of gravity

TG: i could ID those footfalls out of a million i mean it

CG: SERIOUSLY?

===

TG: i mean theres nothing wrong with it but

TG: yeah

CG: I SWEAR TO GOD IF YOU'RE FUCKING WITH ME RIGHT NOW.

TG: im not fucking with you striders honor

TG: when have i ever lied to anybody about anything

CG: NOT UNPACKING THAT QUESTION WITH YOU TODAY.

CG: BUT SHIT, HOLD ON. LET ME SEE.

TG: yeah take the umbrella go over there and just walk to me

CG: ON IT.

===

===

TG: see you just kinda slam em straight down dude

CG: THIS IS THE WORST DAY OF MY RIOTOUS FUCKING JOKE OF A LIFE.

TG: dont your feet ache

===

CG: MOOT POINT. THIS MIGHT SOUND INSANE BUT I'VE ACTUALLY HAD MY STRUT PODS FOR A WHILE. ANY KIND OF PAIN THIS WOULD'VE BEEN CAUSING WOULD BE TOTALLY FILTERED OUT OF MY SPONGE BY NOW AS BACKGROUND NOISE.

TG: damn i didnt think that through

TG: my shades

CG: ALRIGHT, GET BACK UNDER THE SHITTING UMBRELLA AND THINK ABOUT WHAT YOU'VE DONE TO ME.

TG: look ive fucked myself over here too i dont have shit to clean these with

TG: ugh

===

TG: guess its karma

CG: HOLY FUCK. HOW DID I NEVER NOTICE THIS BEFORE?

TG: i dunno but im gonna assume having a dad thats a literal crab monster is probably a contributing factor

TG: im guessing thats not a great role model for this kinda thing

TG: just conjecture i mean

CG: YOUR ENVY IS OVERWHELMINGLY OBVIOUS DAVE. AS A DISCLAIMER, HE WOULD'VE ABSOLUTELY KICKED YOUR ASS.

TG: yeah probably

CG: THAT'S PRETTY MUCH ALL THERE IS TO SAY ON THE MATTER.

===

TG: but see bro had me stringent on feather feets

TG: i bet i could slip across a bike horn warehouse with nary a fucking toot

CG: HAHA. ASSUMING YOU DON'T MAKE A TOTAL ASS OF YOURSELF, AS PER USUAL.

CG: IF YOU WEREN'T CONSTANTLY RUNNING YOUR GASH ABOUT EVERYTHING AND BEING AN INIMITABLE CLOWN I SERIOUSLY THINK YOU COULD BE ON PAR WITH YOUR CUSTODIAN.

CG: THAT IS A MONUMENTAL "IF".

TG: well look at it this way

TG: im basically doing you all a favor by being a dumbass

TG: never gonna get caught off guard by the bozo patrol

CG: WOW. GOOD POINT.

===

TG: also screw this can i use your shirt

TG: this stupid hoodie is just smudging my lenses up

TG: i cant see dick

CG: UH

CG: SURE, I GUESS.

TG: cool

===

TG: so yeah i could be prowling around like a goddamn verbal assassin sniping convos left and right

TG: but no ive got the decency to go bunp in the night

CG: YEAH.

CG: IT'S DEFINITELY COMPOUNDED BY THE CONSTANT INANE RAMBLINGS.

CG: BUT

CG: IT'S ACTUALLY PRETTY RELAXING, Y'KNOW? IT HAS ITS OWN RHYTHM.

TG: see yeah i sound it off and

===

TG: wait really?

CG: YEAH

CG: I DON'T KNOW

CG: FUCK. HOW DO I EXPLAIN THIS WITHOUT WANTING TO CRAM MY FROND DOWN MY PROTEIN CHUTE.

===

CG: IT'S LIKE

CG: A SALVE FOR MY AGGRAVATION SPONGE.

CG: YOUR VOICE IS THE HUMAN EQUIVALENT OF ASPIRIN.

TG: uh damn karkat hold your hoofbeasts i was talking about the rhythm thing

CG: ALRIGHT, THAT'S IT. I'M TAKING US BOTH THE FUCK OUT RIGHT NOW. YOU HAVE REACHED THE BAD END OF THIS CONVERSATION.

TG: you think thatd be heroic or just

CG: IF I WAS STILL GHOSTING AROUND THE RUINS OF SGRUB'S ARCANE FRIGGIN GAME SYSTEMS, THE COMPLETE LACK OF SHIT AFOOT NOWADAYS WOULD BORE ME TO DEATH.

CG: LIKE. WHEN WAS THE LAST TIME OUR THERMAL HULL LEVELLED UP, DAVE?

TG: hah

===

TG: but uh

TG: i mean we had aspirin on earth

CG: NO, NUMBNUBS.

CG: I'M SAYING YOU ARE MY ASPIRIN.

TG: oh

CG: YEAH, TAKE THAT TO THE BANK AND SHOVE IT UP YOUR 20-KARAT ASS.

===

TG: heh

TG: well get this

TG: i will literally talk at you forever for free

TG: you got lifetime priority seating for the davealogues

TG: never gotta go to the drugstore again you can just get doped up on my dulcet tones for the rest of time

TG: take that and some of this

TG: im packin punches

CG: OW, FUCK! NO! MY MIGRAINES!

CG: SWEEPS OF VEINCLOTTING AND NERVEFRAYING DOWN THE FUCKING GAPER. BECAUSE OF YOU.

CG: YOU ASSHOLE, THIS IS THE WORST THING THAT HAS EVER HAPPENED TO ME.

CG: AND YOU'RE LAUGHING.

TG: chuckle up it only gets worse from here

===

CG: BE HONEST WITH ME. DID FONDLING MY SHIRT IN THE MIDDLE OF THE STREET EVEN DO ANYTHING?

TG: barely but yknow sometimes you just gotta deal the cards youre given

TG: ill just be astigmatic for a while its cool

CG: PFF… OKAY MAN.

[backlogbooks]

Backlogbooks Bingo Challenge - Horror Recommendations (part 1)

To the surprise of no one, I'm starting off my challenge recommendations with horror! I'm getting the publication dates off of storygraph, so if I'm wrong, I take no responsibility <3

60s

We Have Always Lived in the Castle by Shirley Jackson -- Shirley Jackson! The queen! This one is such a combination of horror and humor and then horror again, about two sisters who live alone, ostracized by their town because of their family's dark past.

70s

Harvest Home by Thomas Tryon -- A very creepy folk horror novel about a family who leaves The City to come to a Small Town in new england, getting Close to Nature. Naturally, the townspeople have some dark secrets. I loved the atmosphere in this one--the slow building of dread, and trying to piece together exactly what the Dark Secret at the center of the harvest home festival is.

Jaws by Peter Benchley -- Okay, I don't know if I can actually recommend this, because to be honest with you, the movie is so much better. But also, if you're a shark movie fiend, this is a Piece Of History. Feel free to reply and argue with me if you love this book!

Carrie by Stephen King -- This book is about Carrie, a perpetually bullied girl who has the chance to go to the prom. I'm sure you know how it goes from there--but even if you do, I recommend reading the book. It's a heartbreaking horror novel, and I really enjoyed (slash hated) the way the tension mounts as you get closer and closer to The Bad Thing

The Shining by Stephen King -- Jack Torrance has a big new job as the caretaker at the Overlook Hotel during the off-season, and there's some evil afoot! Again, I feel like you know how it goes from there, but King is really so good at building dread and tension.

80s

A Nest of Nightmares by Lisa Tuttle -- Recently rereleased in the Paperbacks from Hell line, this is a collection of horror short stories that mostly center on women, with horrors both mundane and paranormal (but an emphasis on the paranormal). These stories were so creepy to me, and I really enjoyed the way that mood built. TW for rape (I can tell you which story for sure if you want! I'll just need to double check my copy to make sure I'm not misremembering)

Misery by Stephen King - He's back again! This is actually my favorite Stephen King novel (setting aside the dark tower series to make it a fair fight). Paul Sheldon, a bestselling novelist, is taken captive by his biggest fan, Annie Wilkes. Annie is like, my favorite villain I think. I've been wanting to reread this book for years because of her <3

2000

House of Leaves by Mark Z Danielewski -- Okay recommending this book does feel a little like trying to trap someone, but I love it. So! Will Navidson's house is bigger on the inside than it is on the outside; Johnny Truant is obsessed with a book by a blind man about a film that Navidson made that doesn't exist; everyone is lost in the labyrinth, including you. Please join me in this bonkers book. Conspiracy board supplies are not included, but you're encouraged to gather them up yourself as you go.

Uzumaki by Junji Ito -- Kurouzu-cho, a small fogbound town on the coast of Japan, is haunted by spirals. This is not as metaphorical as I imagined it would be when I first picked it up! The body horror in this book is insanely good, and there are some lines/images that are going to live in my head Forever. Highly recommend if you like horror manga.

2003

Come Closer by Sara Gran -- This is a fantastic possession book--it keeps you right in her point of view as she spirals down, trying to figure out if she is in fact possessed or if there's some other break with reality. I loved the "are you possessed" quiz as a guiding structure.

2006

The Ruins by Scott Smith -- Trapped in the jungle, far from home and with no way to get help, a group of friends face an inhuman horror. This had some of the most skin crawling body horror I've seen, and I loved the development of the antagonist (don't wanna say more because spoilers!). Great survival horror. What a terrible group of people to be trapped with.

World War Z: An Oral History of the Zombie War by Max Brooks -- If you love yourself some worldbuilding and zombies, check out this book! World War Z gives you vignettes about different areas of the world, and different aspects of life during a zombie apocalypse. It was a slow read for me, but I really enjoyed the details.

2007

Heart-Shaped Box by Joe Hill -- An old rock star buys a ghost online, because he's a dumbass (aka because he "has a thing for the macabre"), and has to go through hell to get rid of it. It's been years, but I remember being deeply creeped out by this book!

2010

Feed by Mira Grant -- More zombies! This one set twenty years after the zombie apocalypse, following two bloggers who are working to uncover a conspiracy behind the Infected. This had political thriller vibes mixed in with the horror, which kept a fast pace, and I loved the main characters. Eventually I may even finish the series!

2011

The Ritual by Adam Nevill -- Four old friends try to push aside old and new tensions for a reunion hiking trip. Since that's not working, they try to take a shortcut and end up very, very lost--and very deep in woods that have more than just animals to worry about. I held my breath through a lot of the first half of this book. Good for folk horror fans or people who want to be very afraid of every forest they walk into.

2013

Dark Tales by Shirley Jackson -- Shirley Jackson again! This one is a collection of short stories, including "The Summer People" and "Louisa, Please Come Home," which are some of my favorites. Creeping dread, domestic horror, and the question of what happens when your life takes a sudden, unexplainable turn. Definitely recommend the edition with an introduction by Ottessa Moshfegh!

2014

Through the Woods by E.M. Carroll -- A collection of short horror comics, with dark fairy tale vibes. I want to eat E.M. Carroll's art style, or at least cover my house with prints from this book.

Horrorstor by Grady Hendrix -- Have you ever had a nightmare about being trapped in an ikea? Or, sorry, Definitely Not Ikea (So We Don't Get Sued)? Are you tired of your retail job? This is the book for you! Haunted ikea: much more terrifying than I expected it to be.

The Grownup by Gillian Flynn -- This is a quick, 64 page story about a young woman who pretends to be a psychic to get by, and ends up being pulled deeper and deeper into a family's dysfunction when she promises to help rid their home of ghosts or other powerful forces.

Annihilation by Jeff VanderMeer -- Horror science fiction about Area X, an unexplained phenomenon where earth is returning to "pristine nature" with a horrific twist (or many of them). Our main character, the biologist, is one of my favorite characters I've ever read. I'm actually a little insane about her. Join me!

This is really long so I'm splitting it in two! Stay tuned for 2015-2019 recommendations next week :-)

And please recommend your favorite horror books for this challenge too!

[queereads-bracket]

Queer Fiction Free-for-All Book Bracket Tournament: Round 1B

Book summaries and submitted endorsements below:

Imperial Radch series (Ancillary Justice, Ancillary Sword, Ancillary Mercy, Provenance, Translation State, and other stories) by Ann Leckie

On a remote, icy planet, the soldier known as Breq is drawing closer to completing her quest.

Once, she was the Justice of Toren - a colossal starship with an artificial intelligence linking thousands of soldiers in the service of the Radch, the empire that conquered the galaxy.

Now, an act of treachery has ripped it all away, leaving her with one fragile human body, unanswered questions, and a burning desire for vengeance.

Science fiction, space opera, far future, series, adult

Dionysus in Wisconsin by E.H. Lupton (Wisconsin Gothic #1)

Endorsement from submitter: "Gay urban fantasy in Madison, WI"

A graduate student and an archivist work together to fight a god.

Fall, 1969. Ulysses Lenkov should be working on his dissertation. Instead, he's developing an unlucrative sideline in helping ghosts and hapless magic users. But when his clients start leaving town suddenly—or turning up dead—he starts to worry there's something afoot that’s worse than an unavenged death or incipient insanity. His investigation begins with the last word on everyone's lips before they vanish: the mysterious Dionysus.

Sam Sterling is an archivist who recently moved back to Madison to be closer to the family he's not too sure he likes. But his peaceful days of teaching library students, creating finding aids, and community theater come to an end when the magnetic, mistrustful Ulysses turns up with a warning. There's a god coming, and it looks like it's coming for Sam.

Soon the two are helping each other through demon attacks, discovering the unsavory history of Sam's family, and falling in love as they race to find a solution. But as the year draws to a close, they'll face a deadly showdown as they try to save Sam—and the city itself.

Fantasy, urban fantasy, mythology, romance, academia, historical fiction, alternate history, 1960s, adult

--

* quick explanatory note: while creating this post, I realized the book originally slotted to go against Imperial Radch was actually memoir. however since the bracket is already created, it would cause Numbers Problems now to remove a book without putting something else its place

I decided the fairest thing to do was:

Make a note to myself to add the memoir into the queer nonfiction bracket instead, so it can still be included when we do that one

I advanced Dionysus in Wisconsin from the preliminary to take its place. Of the books that lost in the preliminary round, DiW had the highest number of individual votes, so it seemed the fairest choice to move ahead as a replacement book

[fear8not1]

i need to weigh in on the tags of your recent reblog, let me yap for a second…

lando would for sure let oscar shave him, but he’d be soooo annoying about it forever first. like one of the two of them would make a joke about it (like lando joking he needs to change something up, like shave the goatee, or something, except he’s been saying that for at least two straight races and eventually oscar’s like “bro, if you won’t commit or shut up, i’ll do it myself”)…. except lando like… cannot stop thinking about it…. but he can’t TELL oscar that… so just brings it up continually always like “im JOKING” until oscar is like “no, i’m doing it, shut up.” and even then lando has to put up his annoyed front bc like. it’s WEIRD to THINK ABOUT continuously, right? so he complains and grumbles as he washes his face and sits on the counter and calls oscar a freak about it, but osc just rolls with the punches bc he knows lando well enough to know what’s afoot. and then oscar gets his hand on lando’s jaw and like……….yeah. yEAH. lando goes super quiet and eyes kind of glazed-over-y while oscar just like. handles him.

is this just more of my casual-sub-lando adjacent propaganda?? honestly yeah.

NO BECAUSE YOURE SO RIGHT I CAN PICTURE THE ENTIRE THING SO EASILY OMG . (also the casual-sub-lando propaganda is so accurate ..................) and then when his hair grows back oscar would notice the way lando keeps scratching his chin and grumbling about it so he just goes "aight time to shave" and goes in the bathroom. ofc lando doesn't follow because it must have been a weird one-time thing but then oscar just looks out of the bathroom like ? are you coming buddy ? and lando just follows him quietly and watches as oscar shaves himself first, then he lets him shave him again. and it becomes a sort of calming ritual every race week . and when they're apart lando just doesn't shave . i think i'm going insane ? soph this is your fault but also kind of mine but ..................

[rose-tea-and-strawberries]

So, Across the Spiderverse has had me in a chokehold since I watched it. Could you imagine a Yuu in the House Mouse au who is not exactly powerless, but her abilities are not magic-based? Welcome to the crossover that nobody asked for, and I'm gonna pretend that secret identities don't exist for a moment and that disrupting canon events from astv don't exist.

Spider!Yuu's spidey senses can tell when danger is afoot. Whenever she's on the clock, there's fewer accidents and just swings by before Goofy trips and tosses all the dishes. She can tell when either Pete or Mortimer are here.The staff can rely on her for cleaning the high ass ceilings because she can climb up walls with no problem. And her webs make the best Halloween decor.

Von Drake and Jumba being so fascinated with Yuu's anatomy and intelligence. Whether has organic webbing or made web shooters of her own, they want so badly to experiment on them (definitely not gonna try to get bit by a radioactive spider too, nope).

Jamil being torn from freaked out to having a crush on a girl with spider powers. Jafar trying to convince him that she's not an actual spider so that his ship could sail

Yuu making a web hammock to calm down the little kids in the club. Next minute she's having a strength competition with Hercules and Gaston because she can lift up to ten tons.

The clubgoers seeing her memories and freaking over the fact that Yuu has been up against so many dangerous foes and life or death situations such as the iconic train scene. It scares them even more than the overblots do.

The Parr family from the Incredible (if they're here in the au), feel so bad because she's doing vigilante work all on her own. Edna mode upgrades Yuu's spider suit to a new level with glee.

Yuu: No capes please. It's disrespectful to my image.

Edna: *sniffle* Would you like to be my daughter?

Okay okay okay first of all I'm going to vent a bit about ATSV because Pavitr my boy, my sunshine, my everything is literally so important to me like hell yeah give me the south asian/brown kid representation (now if only there was an young asian girl with a bob so I can feel better about that Dora the Explorer look my mum forced me to have throught 90% of primary school whilst all of my friends got to grow their own hair out)

Also not going to lie the only reason I'm into ATSV is because I've been a Mayday Parker stan since 2017 - like she is everything (and her backstory is just so sad like PeterMJ didn't deserve that). My favourite spider-people after Peter are his multiversal daughters because girldad Peter is everything (I actually own physical copies of the Renew Your Vows comics that are about Peter and MJ's daughter, Annie-May Parker, and they are so frickin good) but I digress...

Yes but Spider-Girl!Yuu is so cool. Thank you for giving me this idea.

I don't know if I want Yuu to have her own Guy in the Chair back in her universe and for Idia to feel jealous/threatened or for her to have no guy in the chair until she comes to twst and Ortho is like 'my time has come'

Ohh imagine the insane parkour skills she, Ruggie and Aladdin would have.

I know that being insanely smart in science is a Peter Parker thing and doesn't really apply to all Spider-People but I think she would be a science whizz (and joining the science club - making Crewel's already glaringly obvious favouritism skyrocket) and hanging out with all of the scientist characters like Prof Von Drake, Jumba, Yzma etc.

Her and Herc would be training buds. He'd see her and her heroics and superhuman friend and be like 'new best friend :D'. Phil loves the heroic potential she has and wants to train her but Pegasus and Megara are like nope and swoop him away.

Oh but imagine the beastfolk finding out about her enhanced senses and how sometimes they cause sensory overload and helping her out because they grew up like that so they know how to manage it better (I once read a fic that said that Savanaclaw showers have soaps with subtler scents to accommodate their enhanced sense of smell and like yes) whilst she's still getting used to it and has to keep it a secret back in her world.

I'm thinking back to all of the MCU!Peter Parker fics I read and all of the spider DNA tropes that tickled my fancy and I can just imagine the twst/HoM cast reacting to things like her having no thermoregulation (and going into hibernation), her purring, her being allergic/having a poison like reaction to peppermint, her having fangs (her being venomous would be cool as well - like imagine Kaa being all fanboying over her fangs and venom glands) etc..

Okay so I remember having a bunch of ideas about this but I can't recall all of them so here... 😅

[sofreddie]

Sins of the Past - Part 4

Summary: Sam and Dean work to make Y/N and Gene feel welcome. But, of course, there's always something else afoot.

Characters: Dean x Y/N, Sam Winchester x OFC Imogene “Gene” Sutton, Castiel (mentioned), Garth (mentioned)

Warnings: SAW/Soulmate AU, Angst, Fluff

WC: 2,391

A/N: I'm trying to think of something eloquent, but I'm just laughing like a madman in my mind. I really love this story! Feedback is appreciated. :)

Series Masterlist

My Masterlist

Part 3

Sam led a tour of the Bunker for Gene and Y/N, with Dean quietly following in the rear. Sam spoke proudly and confidently as he showed off various rooms throughout the Bunker. 

It started in the kitchen after a meal. Sam took them down the hall and explained things to them. After touring basic rooms like the bathroom and some storerooms, Sam showed off the Infirmary and the War Room and ended in the Library. Gene hung on his every word as he talked about the Men of Letters, hunting, and the brothers’ legacy, excited and with stars in her eyes.

Y/N, however, followed quietly but attentively, her arms wrapped around herself for comfort. She only understood half of Sam's words, and the half she did understand sounded insane. Dean kept his eye on her as Sam postured for Gene. He hated her discomfort, but she needed to know about their lives if there was any chance of them being together; and he wanted to see her honest, real-time reaction to it all.

While she showed interest in some topics and items, she seemed confused or scared about others. Sam and Gene were focused on each other, settling in at a library table to start researching and find out who had done this. It was almost like they forgot Y/N was there.

She jumped when Dean touched her arm to get her attention, almost like she forgot he was there.

“You alright?” Dean asked quietly.

She nodded, hugging herself again, her eyes on the ground.

“S’lot to take in,” she mumbled, finally meeting his eyes. “Can’t believe this is your life,” she added with wide eyes.

“I’m sorry you got pulled into this. I would never want this life for you. For anyone.”

She glanced at the others with a small smile, their chemistry and joviality warming her, even if she felt slightly jealous over how easy it seemed for them. She looked back at Dean, the smile fading as she sobered.

“Should we help?” she asked, gesturing to the others.

Dean nodded and joined her, guiding her to a seat. After explaining what they were looking for, he gave her a laptop, and she began researching with the others.

After several hours and a few drinks, they weren’t closer to finding out who did this. Sam did find spells for a demonic and angelic perimeter that would alert them if either entity crossed the invisible line they’d set out. As Sam and Gene ran off to one of the storerooms to gather items to complete the spell, Dean took a long breath and polished off his drink.

“I’m sorry,” Y/N said, breaking the comfortable silence they found themselves in.

“What the hell do you have to be sorry about?”

The deep growl in his tone should have scared her, but the confusion on his face made her chuckle lightly.

“Gene is a hunter. She knows this world,” Y/N shook her head and then laughed, confusing Dean further. “I’m just an officer manager who taught guitar part-time at a rec center. I’m no good for you.”

Now, Dean was perplexed, surprised, and caught off guard. He thought it refreshing that she had a regular job, and he suddenly wanted to know everything an office manager did, as if it were his dream job. He tried not to get overly excited that she could play and teach guitar. Maybe she would play for him? Maybe she could teach him, and it could be something they could do together.

But he was stuck on her last words: I’m no good for you.

Here she was, charming and beautiful, handling everything gracefully, and she thought she wasn’t good enough for him. He was an unemployed, alcoholic hunter. A killer that lived on the outside of society and had nothing to offer her. And she thought she was the problem?

“You’re not the problem, Sweetheart. I am. You’re sweet and good, and you’ve been through awful things and lost everything because of me. Because of who I am and what I do. I hurt you. You should get as far from me as possible.”

His words hurt her deeply. She couldn’t stand how little he seemed to think of himself. She shook her head and, taking a chance, moved to the seat next to him and took one of his hands between hers.

“From what I’ve learned, it sounds like you’re a hero who saves lives. And a hero deserves someone to love them, Dean. Someone to care for them. Someone to fight for and come home to.” She turned his hand in hers, interlocking their fingers with a small smile. “I just wish I could be more for you. A hunter or someone who wouldn’t make your life harder. Someone you deserve.”

Dean’s heart beat rapidly, her words settling deep inside of him. Here they were, two soulmates who found each other in impossible circumstances, neither thinking they were good enough for the other. He thought she was beautiful and perfect and too good and pure. He would inevitably taint her with his darkness, but in her presence, he felt light. He couldn’t tolerate her thinking she was anything less than perfect to him.

He slowly raised his free hand to cup her cheek, his thumb grazing across her cheekbone before he leaned in and gently pressed his lips onto hers.

Her eyes fluttered shut as their lips pressed together in a gentle kiss, and her body swayed slightly closer to him. Her hands found his chest, and she gasped into the kiss. She deepened the kiss, her tongue tentatively peeking out to graze in a ghostly touch against his pillowy lower lip.

He hummed as she kissed him back, the hairs on the back of his neck standing on end as heat rushed through him. Their first kiss was rushed, forced in the heat of the moment, and there was no time to process or cherish it. Now, though, it was slow, with no urgency pushing them beyond the languid pace with which they explored and connected. It left no room for anything except the connection, swelling, and growing between them.

As the kiss grew a little more hungry, Dean stood, pulling her from her chair and lifting her to sit on the table's edge. She squealed and grinned, making Dean smile before he cupped her face in both hands and kissed her harder. She moaned, spreading her legs a little to pull him closer, her arms wrapped around him, holding on tight as he made her head spin with the fever and passion of his kisses.

His arms snaked down her sides, one traveling around to hold her lower back as he pulled the two of them closer together, enveloping her as his tongue stroked across her swollen lips.

She moaned, pressing herself tighter against his warm and firm body. Her hands slid up to his shoulders, one continuing to the back of his neck as she held him to her, desperate and hungry for him. She felt frantic and calm all at once, and suddenly, there was nothing but Dean. Kissing Dean. Wanting Dean. Loving Dean. 

Wait, loving?

Dean slowly pulled back from this kiss, resting his forehead on hers as he gazed into her eyes again. A smile tugged on his lips as he sighed, slowly closing his eyes and opening them again. “I just want to be with you,” he said softly.

She nodded in agreement, her fingers curled into the shoulders of his shirt. " I want to be near you,” she said, shuddering. “I feel intense,” she admitted, her brain filter seemingly shutting down.

“Not just me then,” he smiled, his heart swelling at the feeling of her fingers through his shirt. “C’mere.” 

He pulled her down from the table and retook his chair, bringing her down to sit across his lap. One of his arms snaked around her back, the other across her waist as he held her to him. 

“It won’t be like this forever, stuck in the bunker situation. I’ll have to go back out there and fight, but I promise I’ll return to you. Then after that...S’just the four of us.”

She lowered her gaze to her lap, a bit of seriousness coming over her, “From what Sam told us, I don’t think you can promise that.” She forced herself to meet his eyes, her sorrow and worry at the statement evident.

Dean was quiet for a moment; she had him there. “...There is another way,” he said, his expression not exactly thrilled, “Sam said we could...train you and Gene up, maybe. That way, we can stick together out there.”

Her eyes roamed over his face delicately before meeting his eyes again, “What do you want?”

“I…I want to protect and keep you safe,” he said before frowning. “But leaving you both here like sitting ducks or taking you out into the field sounds crazy to me.”

“So, then, why don’t you stay? Is that an option?”

“Well, we have no choice but to do that for a while now,” he chuckled softly, one of his hands squeezing her side as he smiled, “But...we can’t stay locked up in the Bunker forever...Sam was talking about taking Gene out for dinner and...we should be able to do things like that. So something will have to give eventually.”

She lifted her hand, running her fingers through his hair and down his neck with a soft smile, “Then train me so I can be by your side,” she shrugged.

Dean looked back up at her, seeing the determination in her eyes. He couldn’t help but smirk. “You sure? It’s no picnic.”

“I don’t like it, but it’s your life. I don’t want to sit around here wondering if you’re okay or not out there. I wanna be there to help ensure you always come home.”

Dean’s smile grew, his hand reaching up to graze her cheek as he shifted his body to meet her. “I’ll make sure we get through this,” he said gently, his lips ghosting hers. 

-

It was the middle of the night, but Sam knew it couldn’t wait. He rushed through the halls, knocking briefly on Dean’s door before letting himself in, closing it behind him, “Dean, get up.” Sam said in an urgent tone, shaking Dean’s sleeping body.

Dean jolted with a start, instinctively shoving Sam back, and he bolted upright in the bed. Blinking fast, he caught his breath before frowning at Sam irritably, “Sam, what the fuck?”

“Got a call from Garth,” he hurriedly explained. “Two other hunters were attacked by angels looking for us and the girls.”

“Yeah, no doubt planning an ambush,” Dean shrugged, “With Cas against us, it’s probably no secret to Heaven where the Bunker is.” 

“Yeah, and the perimeter on the edge of town went off.”

Dean grunted, sitting on the edge of the bed and rubbing his eyes to force himself awake. It wasn’t the first time he had to wake up and work, but it wasn’t getting any easier.

“But they can’t get in. I figured we could try to get the jump on them, catch ‘em off guard before they get even closer. With the girls' help-”

“No, no, no, no,” Dean quickly interrupted, pointing a finger at Sam in warning. “Not happening.”

“Dean,” Sam protested, leaning against the desk with crossed arms. “This is an all-hands-on-deck situation. And you know they’re not just gonna hang back. If we leave them here, who’s to say they won’t go out alone anyway?”

“Of course, they wouldn’t,” Dean said quickly before frowning with doubt. “Fuck sake…” he ran a hand through his hair before sighing in exasperation. “B-but it’s crazy. Gene might be able to do something, but Y/N…”

“So we’re just supposed to wait for the Angels to arrive at our door?!” Sam protested. “If we go alone, that leaves the girls here. They could be safe, but with the bonds, they’d feel our anxiety and pain...they wouldn’t stay put for long. I mean...would you?”

Dean glared at Sam, insinuating that the question wasn’t fair. He groaned in defeat. Sam was quiet for a moment as he chewed his lip in thought. When he looked into Dean’s eyes again, Dean could see a hint of guilt and mischief in them. 

“Well…” he began, letting out a long breath. “It is the middle of the night. They’re sound asleep, and the Angels are just outside town…”

Dean raised an eyebrow, looking back at Sam, “You serious? Sneak off and leave them?”

“I don’t like it,” Sam defended. “I don’t like any of this. But I especially don’t like sitting around like ducks waiting to be picked off either.”

Dean sat in silence, thinking. The conflict playing on his heart was unbearable. Of course, he wanted to gank the Angels, and it’s one step closer to a... everyday life...potentially...maybe. That train of thought was for another time. But if he left now, anything could happen here without him knowing. 

He clenched his hand into a tight fist. He was the one who’d said something would have to give. This might be something. He couldn’t sit here and do nothing or regret it forever.

“Let’s go,” Dean said lowly, shifting from the bed to his feet.

Sam sighed, nodding. " The car’s already packed,” he mumbled, leaving the room and heading for the garage.

“How convenient,” Dean scoffed, quickly pulling on some jeans and a shirt and grabbing his jacket as he left the room.

The guys quickly and quietly checked on the girls, happy to find them both still asleep, before hopping in Baby, ready to hopefully end their stalemate. As the car exited the tunnel on the dirt drive, Dean was forced to slam on the brakes and stop the vehicle. The darkness of the night seemed to become a shroud that surrounded them, making it impossible to see even with the headlights.

“What the Hell,” Dean muttered, throwing the car in park, “You think they’re already here?” Dean asked, turning to Sam, only to find the seat empty. “Sam?!” Dean roared, looking around the car and outside. The darkness seemed to seep into the car until he could see nothing.

PART 5

FOREVERS:

@lyarr24

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DEAN WINCHESTER:

@slamminmine

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@akshi8278

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SAM WINCHESTER:

@b3autyfuldisast3r

[alto-tenure]

yeah (explanations under the cut)

Row 1:

"Artificial copy" covers both "clone" and "robot" theories; I didn't want to commit to one but I do think there are body double shenanigans afoot.

1) Kako deserves to have a violence moment 2) this is also kind of playing into the Tsukumojuuku reference

play 999 (Akane is Junpei's childhood friend. You can begin to see the connections.)

Ima's name has "present"; Kako's name has "past"; it stands to reason there will be "future". There's also other reasons for this but they make me sound kind of insane

I think this one is pretty straightforward

Row 2:

Takumi's mom has a full model & voice actress who is distinct and there's Probably something going on there considering the budget of this game

I headcanon Nozomi as a lesbian. But also even if she isn't I don't think Takumi will be able to be in a relationship with her.

This could be either a training thing or an actual real battle. Either way would work.

The prospect of there being "no true ending" has led me to believe that pursuing every ending will have some kind of consequence. Kind of like Undertale's murder route, if you get what I mean.

Yeah this one is kiiiind of a gimme

Row 3:

I think this would be an interesting way to potentially add higher stakes.

...this is also my "Hundred Line will have some thematic similarities to Undertale" agenda (though like I don't think those similarities will have been purposeful influence)

I don't think Eito is Secretly evil but I think he'll gradually degrade morally as the game goes on, depending on the route.

This is a Virtue's Last Reward reference. If you know, you know.

Row 4:

Uchikoshi is a big fan of this. I have no doubt something meta will happen.

I actually made a tierlist of which characters I think are most likely to infodump :]

this one is borrowed from a friend bc I had trouble coming up with ideas

This is a result of Kyoshika's combat video because she uses both her swords in combat actively and there will be Something about using hemoanima on a non-hemoanima weapon.

Sirei's dog form resembles Shouma's mecha. Among other things

Row 5:

The Danganronpa fans in my life have said that the hospital is sus. I agree, even though I don't have context for that.

Karua's mom is the researcher iirc. I also think this has to do with how Nozomi exists.

The intro transitions from Day ??? to Day 000 and I think it's not unreasonable to say that those are different days.

It was hard to put this into a phrase that fits in the bingo square. I do think it's true that we will be the last defense academy, but I also think every other academy before was told that they would be the "last", and were it not for the events that are going to happen over the game, we wouldn't be the last

Um. Yeah I don't think the corruption is permanent, I think they can be de-programmed.

[monstersdownthepath]

Monster Spotlight: Howler

CR 3

Chaotic Evil Large Outsider

Bestiary 2, pg. 159

These cruel, sadistic porcupine-cats are one of many non-demon natives to the Abyss, stalking its numerous environs for prey worthy of their attention. Like most Outsiders, they don't need to eat; they hunt and kill purely for the fun of it, stalking sapient victims in groups as large as 4 at a time to maximize the target's fear and pain as they're torn into from every angle. The fact they don't need to eat and instead just kill whatever they happen to come across is reflected well in their statblock; they don't have Scent or any ranks in Survival, which would allow them to track potential victims, but instead they have monstrous Acrobatics (+10 normally, +22 when jumping), Climb (+12), and Perception (+13) to--respectively--get the literal drop on creatures they spot from afar.

Howlers don't have a climb speed, but they DO have a 60ft base land speed, making them faster than almost anything they could be chasing and allowing them to move as fast as most creatures sprint whenever they're using half their movespeed climbing around or using stealth... Not that they really want to be stealthy. Yes, they have a token +6 to Stealth, but one look at their name should hint to you about what they really want to do: Howl. Constantly.

And by god, do they howl. Their Howl is three things, the first and foremost being an intimidation tactic; the supernatural sound carries for 120ft in every direction around the Howler, allowing them to use their Stealth in a completely different way than most creatures because, much like the piercing sirens of an ambulance or fire truck, it's impossible to tell which direction the noise is coming from until the source is practically on top of you. The second portion of the Howl is that it serves as the language for these creatures; they can understand Abyssal, but their own max-decibel language can only be parsed by others of their kind (and very dedicated demonic handlers). The Howl not only disorients and distresses prey, but alerts other nearby Howlers that a hunt is afoot, and conveys just what is being hunted.

As for the third portion of the howling... While they'll kill anything they come across, Howlers especially prize non-Outsiders and mortal creatures, as such creatures are vulnerable to having the Howl reverberate throughout their minds until they go completely insane. Any creature that's within that 120ft shriek radius has to make a DC 12 Will save every single round or become cursed to hear the howling for hours to come, taking 1 point of Wisdom damage every hour from there on out unless they succeed another DC 12 Will save to end the curse. There is no 24 hour immunity clause; you have to make the saves against the cursed howl every single round until you either kill the creature, silence it, or get hit with the curse.

The curse only matters, though, if you escape in the first place, something that they're not exactly willing to allow. They thankfully lack the ability to Pounce or anything similar, and despite the visible presence of some nasty claws, Howlers don't have any claw attacks! They're also kept in check by a 5ft reach despite being Large, likely because all they have is a bite attack (1d8+4) and slamming various parts of their bodies into nearby creatures to jab them with the quills that cover their forms (1d4+2).

Similarly, any creature making contact with a Howler, be it through a non-reach melee weapon, an grapple check, or a natural attack, contends with its Quill Defense and takes an automatic 1d4+1 damage that offers no chance to avoid it. Any creature damaged by the quills through any means must make a DC 14 Reflex save or have one of the needles break off and wriggle deeper into their flesh, causing an irresistible agony to surge through their body, which sickens them... meaning they have a harder time fighting back, resisting the Howl, AND stopping further quills from jabbing into their flesh and breaking off. A DC 15 Heal check as a full-round removes the quill, but only one at a time (+1 quill for every 5 points you roll over the DC), and you may have seven or eight of the things sticking out of you by the time you've dispatched the Howler and its pack!

... y'know, if you survive. They don't have the highest damage, and they don't have any resistances or immunities, but they have a very reliable source of the sickened condition (which lowers the victim's damage rolls!) and constantly damage any creature hitting them in melee. It adds up, especially if you're at a point where the DM is sending a full back and then some after you and you're making iterative attacks, sticking yourself over and over on its spines and likely shouting increasingly creative expletives as you do. Don't worry, no one else can hear your rage over the constant howling!

You can read more about them here.

[codthefishgod]

Analysis post for episode 77 of Faroff, AKA Stars: Part 2

Split below for spoilers!

Ok several of my theories got confirmed this episode so I felt POWERFUL lmao-

First off, THE WAR HAS BEEN GOING ON FOR MORE THAN THIRTY YEARS! I always theorised that the war must've been going on for at LEAST twenty years, considering that neither Fenn nor Tobias seem to remember a time before the war, and it has been shown being talked about when they were very small (it was also outright said in the first or second episode I believe, so not much of a theory lmao). It's great to finally have a canonical length now though!

Secondly, we also got some other details about the war. Battles started being scheduled four years in, and it's been a stalemate since... I'll talk more about that later, but for now I want to focus on one particular thing. Which is, that, apparently, unlike what I and I think a lot of other fans thought, Tobias doesn't actually KNOW the truth behind the war, he's just suspicious of it.

While I was kind of expecting him to know something solid, considering how the way he spoke about the war possibly not being like what they think beforehand was very matter-of-fact, like he absolutely, 100% knew it to be true, I don't mind this. It makes the plot more interesting if both the protagonists are semi-clueless about the truth behind the war. And, looking back, I suppose I should've expected this--in episode 29, Game: Part 6, Tobias does make it pretty explicitly clear that he doesn't really know what the fuck is going on with the battle plans--but even as one of ✨the most avid fans✨ (self awarded title, I'm so special /j) I suppose I can't catch everything.

Moving on... Oh dear, Fenn's response. PLEASE don't tell me they've been fighting the same battles for some twenty five years, that's absolutely batshit insane, and the excuses they come up for it are even more so. Although it is definitely extremely characteristic of corrupt politicians to act like the measures they take for their own gain are REALLY for the benefit of the people, when in reality it's more harmful than anything, so... A+ on realism, at least.

The idea that they've been so "evenly matched" for somewhere around 25+ years that the line hasn't moved at all is definitely fishy business though. What, for all those years neither side ever developed any superior technology? Never a severe economic depression, or a famine, or a drought, or anything that would've led to a side being outnumbered or unable to fund their military as well or... Anything? For twenty five years? That sounds extraordinarily unlikely. The idea that any two militaries would be so absolutely equal that neither could ever best the other, especially over this many years, is impossible, I'd go so far as to say. I think there must definitely be something else afoot here.

On a positive note, the fact that Fenn heard out Tobias' suspicions about the war without flipping his shit and yelling at him or saying he's trying to "trick" him is character development! He genuinely believes that Tobias is simply sharing his ideas with him, not trying to "plant something in his mind" like early day Fenn would've thought. It's certainly beneficial to the advancement of their relationship that Fenn is starting to accept that Tobias isn't trying to make him think or do anything, he just wants to share his side of it all. Plus, he even took a second to consider the possibility of what he said being true in earnest...he's learning! It's a little silly, but I'm proud of him.

Next up, the way that Fenn replied to Tobias asking about how Oskar feels about him being a soldier-- "His opinion is IRRELEVANT" --well, it kind of makes me think he wasn't the most approving, which is what I kind of thought in the first place. I'm not sure if the falling out was caused by a disagreement over Fenn joining the war, or the passports, or some combination of both, but I'm convinced it's one of those three things. Hopefully it'll be cleared up as the story goes on.

Another thing about that... The way that Tobi responded after hearing that Fenn no longer talks to his uncle is also significant. Tobias immediately jumping to the idea that Oskar must've been abusive, to me, speaks volumes about his childhood. I think for a moment there, he must've been thinking about his own family, and trying to relate his experience with Fenn's. Of course, Fenn's experience was quite different--him shouting "NEVER" into his ear showed that (that panel literally made me flinch irl btw, the intensity was insane)--but it just shows how much Tobias really was affected by his childhood.

I also find the progression from Fenn looking very sad, almost at the edge of tears almost, to looking very angry interesting as well. Like he might be suppressing the grief he's experiencing over losing his relationship with his uncle with what he might consider to be "righteous" anger. Fenn's got a lot of emotions he doesn't like to face, it seems.

I won't touch on what Fenn said about his dad in detail, considering it's mostly stuff we already know, but I do feel like it'll be very difficult for Fenn to get past feeling guilty for "betraying" him in his eyes, when he starts to really understand the corruption of the war and move towards not wanting to fight in it.

ONTO THE NEXT THEORY OF MINE THAT GOT CONFIRMED, FENN'S MUM DID IN FACT DIE IN CHILDBIRTH! I know that's definitely not something I should be super ecstatic about, but I did predict it, the year on her gravestone aligned rather perfectly with the year I believed Fenn to be born after all--anyhow, Fenn opening up about this to Tobias is very good. They really are starting to get really, properly, closer. Maybe they'll even be actual ✨friends✨ soon... A good romance starts with a good friendship, as the meme goes.

Finally, and if I can sacrifice all illusions of professionalism here... HOLY SHIT THAT LINE TOBIAS DROPPED ON FENN!? Bro managed to sympathise with him AND call him beautiful, all in one fell swoop! And with the way Fenn looked at him, I'd say he's definitely won his heart, hook, line, and sinker. Tobias is really something else, man. God, it was so genuine and sweet too--I'm a strong believer in the power of slow burn and building up a relationship gradually instead of just jumping into it, and I still think it's too soon for them to have a romantic relationship, but sometimes when stuff like this happens I almost want to side with the people screaming "MAKE THEM KISS" at the top of their lungs... THIS WAS A FANTASTIC EPISODE I LOVE THIS MINI ARC!!!!

Thanks for reading!

[kourabiedes]

Carmine and Kieran Roleswap AU: Teal Mask Edition

Sweet Arceus do I have a long AU for ya, because I am Very Normal about the Kitakami siblings and definitely don't go out of my way to find new ways to mess with their heads. Long AU summary under the cut! Beware all ye who enter here, for there are Ogres afoot.

There is now an Indigo Disk continuation to this!

So the most important thing to understand before we start is that Carmine and Kieran still retain aspects of their normal personalities.  A 1:1 swap would be kinda boring (specifically, boring for me). However, their life experiences have changed here and that does give us some new juicy tidbits to explore.

Sketches provided by @funakounasoul... except for the Ogerpon sketch. I made that.

Kieran is the older sibling in this scenario.  He's still shorter than his sister, but he's now older than the player character and probably has some devilish good looks.  He's generally goodnatured, and being the older sibling and having to look out for a younger sister has balanced his personality a little bit.  He's more mentally stable and mature than his standard self.  He still has a pretty huge fondness for the ogre in the old legend, admiring its independence and strength.  The major change to his personality here is that he's not as insanely shy, since he hasn't had a big scary savage sister to hide behind all his life.

Younger sister Carmine is shy of strangers and still wary of outsiders.  Her posture visually in the Teal Mask is probably kind of stooped, like she's trying to hide how crazy tall she is.  She has a bratty, slightly spoiled attitude in this scenario, because big brother Kieran is always hovering nearby to keep her out of trouble.  She appears to be the player character's age or maybe a touch younger.  Despite the initial shyness though, she's all aggression when she feels she or her family or really any of Kitakami as she sees it is threatened.  She still dismisses Kieran's ogre obsession, but chalks it up to boys liking scary things.  (You know, cuz girls never go for that kinda thing </massive sarcasm>)

The PC would meet them both for the first time in Mossui and Kieran is welcoming while Carmine glowers at you from somewhere behind him.  Kieran's all about helping your classmate get safely to the community center and probably runs off to help, or perhaps to get the caretaker.  Maybe you battle Carmine then because she's definitely not enjoying having these tourists in her fucking town.  Whatever the scenario, Kieran and the caretaker get the rest of the Random Paldean Students safely to the community center and you get settled in.

Now, for a while, things don't change much in this scenario, except for Kieran not being super emotionally unstable.  The next day, you're being introduced to the Blueberry kids properly and Kieran immediately suggests you and he pair up.  Carmine isn't thrilled but as he points out, it's not like they can pair up together based on Briar's directions to make interschool pairs.  She sulks off to find a Paldean student to deal with.  Your character and Kieran have a friendly battle and he admires your skills.  You go find the first two signboards and follow him up to the Dreaded Den more or less the same way as in Teal Mask.  Then he invites you to the Festival of Masks and you go back to the family home.  Carmine is not overly pleased to see you still hanging around, but she's unbending a little bit since you and Kieran obviously get on so well.  They only find the two masks in the shed, Kieran tries to offer you his ogre mask, Carmine stops him, you get to the festival and do some balloon popping and maybe even beat Carmine's score.

It's Ogerpon's appearance that changes the story dramatically.  At first, you are the only one that sees her, but then Kieran comes looking for you after pacifying Carmine.  Ogerpon spooks, drops her mask, and you both have a moment of shock as you realize this is not a child, this is the damn ogre.  Then Ogerpon bolts, leaving you with the Teal Mask.  Kieran is stunned  --  the ogre was so smol!  And seemed so nonaggressive!  And holy shit this mask is beautiful, except there's a chip in the big crystal!  He's excited as hell to have one of his childhood dreams materialize before him.  He wants to go after Ogerpon, but Carmine turns up at that moment.  She has deeply internalized the ancient Kitakami legend of the Loyal Three, and when Kieran excitedly tells her you just saw the ogre, she insists it can't have been, because you and he are both not fucking dead.  She and Kieran argue for a minute, long enough that once it's over, Kieran has to reluctantly admit you'll never catch up to the ogre in the dark.  He tells you to hold onto the mask and you two can go ask his grandpa about it in the morning.  You do, and it's Kieran who is with you when you hear the story of Ogerpon.  Carmine appears at one point and is shooed off by Kieran, but overhears the majority of the story herself.  Unlike Kieran, she can't believe it  --  the heroic Loyal Three, actually villains??  Impossible!  She realizes that if Kieran believes this story, he's likely to go chasing the ogre again, and probably get himself killed, a prospect that chills her to the bone.  She ambushes you both as you leave the family home and demands that Kieran (and just Kieran, she doesn't care what YOU do) not go chasing monsters, making no effort to pretend she didn't overhear the whole damn thing.  Kieran tries to correct her, but she insists you both go have a look at the final signboard, the one that reminds everyone that the ogre murders anyone it comes across without a mask on.  You go, but discuss with Kieran how the story doesn't make any sense compared to the ogre you both saw and the story Kieran's grandpa told you.  You go back mutually determined to get Ogerpon's mask back to her after gramps fixes it. 

You go off to the community center and Kieran goes home.  Something he says at home will alert Carmine to your resolve, and that kicks off the next event.  Carmine demands you meet her at Loyalty Plaza, where she makes an impassioned plea to her brother not to be fooled into getting himself murderated.  He tries to explain that she's still got the wrong impression and she blows up on him, refusing to listen to reason (he almost certainly points out that Gramps has no reason to lie to his own grandkids, for example).  Truth is, she's afraid, afraid for his life, and that's making her act irrationally.

And then a thought occurs to her, a thought that marks a huge turning point in this scenario.  It's you.  You are making her brother act this way.  You are the reason he's doing these insane things.  She accuses you directly of manipulating her family.  Kieran protests, but she's convinced.

Now, in canon, I am convinced that the venom in Kieran's thoughts is what somehow channeled Pecharunt's energy (or some variant thereof) into the Lousy Three's grave and brought them back to life.  In this scenario, imagine the same, only it's the poison of fear which is rapidly spreading through Carmine.  Her fear is being expressed as anger, but it's still fear, and it's consuming her rapidly.  Before either sibling can argue further, the grave splits open, and the Three emerge.  No one knows quite what is happening, so no one can really react effectively as they take off to Kitakami Hall.  It's only as they're already receding into the distance that Carmine realizes they must be the Three.

You and the siblings rush to the Hall to hear the news of the Three's arrival and retrieving of the other masks before going up the mountain.  Kieran starts to rush after them, but suddenly Carmine blocks the way.  She is going to save him from himself if it's the last thing she does.  You battle her and defeat her, and the idea that you are the cause of all this etches itself that much deeper.  She has no choice but to step aside, but you can feel her furious eyes on your back as you run to save Ogerpon.

Poor little ogre is getting the shit kicked out of her and you save her, driving off the Three.  She is nervous around Kieran because he smells like a local and therefore Dangerous, but while a little hurt, he is not crushed by this.  You take her back to the town (she refuses to enter of course) and consult with Kieran's grandpa.  He promises to fix the Teal Mask for Ogerpon if you and Kieran go get a crystal from the Crystal Pool to replace the chipped one, and suggests you and Kieran go pound the shit out of the Three to get Ogerpon's other masks back.  Carmine is sulking at home and overhears the conversation.  You and Kieran go to the Pool with Ogerpon shadowing you, but Carmine blocks your way at the top, angry at Kieran too now for bringing an outsider to this sacred place.  The standoff is broken by Briar also appearing at the summit, distracting Carmine.  Kieran slips past her and you stop her from following with a battle.  Ogerpon stays near you, and her presence only serves to enrage Carmine more.  Kieran retrieves a crystal cluster during the battle and you both bolt back down the mountain to give it to Gramps, leaving Carmine fuming.  He begins to work on the mask and you turn your attention to finding the Three.

You find the Three with Kieran's help and return the shit kicking they gave Ogerpon threefold, retrieving her masks.  Ogerpon becomes more comfortable around Kieran as you go.  You return to the town only to discover Carmine stole the Teal Mask after Gramps fixed it and left Kieran a message telling him to come to the Dreaded Den.  Gramps notes that she spoke with him about the story of Ogerpon before she left and seems to be disturbed by how the ogre has acted since the whole mess began  --  Kieran guesses her good sense is starting to win out over her fear.  You go back to the Den with Kieran and Ogerpon and find Carmine there.  Kieran confronts her, finally convincing her that the story of the Loyal Three was indeed wrong, and she's been wrong about Ogerpon the whole time (probably aided by Ogerpon with her sweet lil face staring like a sad puppy at her). 

Carmine finally accepts the truth of the matter, and apologizes to him and Ogerpon.

But there's one thing she hasn't let go of.  She hasn't forgiven you.  And Kieran doesn't realize that she's still hung up on that part because, while he's a lot more emotionally stable in this scenario, he's still pretty oblivious to subtle emotional cues from other people.  When Carmine walks away from the Den, it's with a venom-filled look in your direction.  Insert Heart's If Looks Could Kill here.

Inevitably, Ogerpon wants you as her human, because you're the damn hero.  This version of Kieran is disappointed, but not shattered by this.  He's spent a lot of time over the last couple days with you and the little cutie, and he's had time to get used to the idea.  It's Ogerpon's decision where she wants to go, and he lets go of the long cherished dream with regret, but nothing worse.  He does ask to have a battle with you and her in the morning, after which Briar calls to tell you to get your asses to the community center to finish the actual school trip thingy you'd probably forgotten all about.  Kieran also tells you that Carmine has holed up in her room and won't talk to anyone.

You know more or less how this ends, with Briar yoinking the Kitakami sibs back to Unova to prepare for some globetrotting and the antagonistic sibling swearing to get stronger so they can kick your ass.  In this case it's Carmine, and boy does she hate you right now.  In the end, Kieran came to no harm, and Ogerpon was not a monster, but it doesn't really matter, because rationality went out the window for her where you're concerned a while ago.  She's going to get stronger, and she's going to hand you your ass for humiliating her so often, and she's got a great idea for making that happen...

[rorykillmore]

if you have been as intrigued as i am by oz perkins' LONGLEGS (2024), here is a very preliminary shot by shot breakdown of its teaser trailer! will we discover anything profound? probably not, but there are some spoilers and speculation/potential spoilers under the cut, so if you want to go in completely blind, be mindful

maika monroe herself in our opening shot, standing in front of her crime board. which seems to mostly feature a cipher (one of what appears to be several that this movie and its marketing are using).

are we to assume that something Bad is happening in this car? probably.

next shot is cut as though this little girl is reacting to whatever is happening outside. i was squinting at whatever is on her desk because i have a feeling it may be important (for reasons mentioned later) but it is difficult to tell.

someone (maika monroe?) is doing research on what appears to be demonology or something related to it. titles of the books are 'a guide to the nine circles of hell' and 'the dark lord's hand' (both books were presumably created for the movie as they don't come up in any searches). beneath the books are notebooks in which she seems to be attempting to decode that cipher (maybe the killer is leaving our protagonist coded hints)

this opening of the book is intercut with a shot i did not include (to save space/because i had little to say about it individually) of the investigators opening a door to a dark room (murder scene?), which is a cool thematic thing. it also precedes...

also this shot is more heavily featured in this teaser with a cipher that when translated reads "hail satan" (check out the decoding work this person has done). well! if we had any doubt that these killings have some kind of religious motivation.

this is the 'guide to the nine circles of hell' book, but i can't make out the text with any clarity. to the right, perhaps another decoding effort is happening -- but i actually think this is maika trying to figure something out about the victims here. the order in which they're going to die, maybe? their locations/how they are chosen? there's a list of people's names beside a field of numbers, and she's drawing a line through some of the numbers.

starting to notice something odd with the aspect ratio - pay attention to how it swaps between standard widescreen and this more voyeuristic type of shot (you also saw this earlier, in the winter shots of the car and the girl), and we'll see if there seems to be any logic to that.

our first look at nic cage! is it scenes involving him/related to him specifically which are shot differently? maybe to induce said voyeuristic quality surrounding him and his kills? regardless: he's busy in his little workshop here. there's a nic cage interview floating around that seems to indicate that his character kills via creating cursed dolls or puppets which drive families insane in a sinister-esque fashion, which would check out here

something wicked is afoot in this hardware store (?) (i can't actually tell what is being sold here)

in presumably the same store, we see an unknown figure offer this girl some kind of small figurine (???). possibly nic cage planting one of his dolls (this is also why i was paying attention to the other girl's desk in the earlier shots, to see if she had anything similar). does he work here? (worth noting however that this is shot in the regular widescreen aspect ratio)

maika is finished with her triangle recreation.... but perhaps she is not alone

few interesting things to note here. 1) woman is getting hit in the back with an axe (in her own home, seemingly not expecting it, lending credence to the killer's MO). her murderer (husband? unsure) appears to be covered in blood. 2) she bears a resemblance to this woman, from a promotional poster and the setting looks as though it's the same one from this teaser. (cipher reads: "stood upon the sand of the sea", referring to a quote from the book of revelation describing a HYDRA, hmm)

3) a change of aspect ratio again, which immediately intercuts with....

maika flinching backwards as though bearing witness to this. could be just some misleading trailer editing, but the implication here is that she is 'seeing' these murders take place somehow. actually, maybe THAT explains the change of aspect ratio? it happens when we're seeing her "visions"?

gonna cover these quicker shots a few at a time: a shadow stumbling/dragging itself through a house as though wounded (not sure if it's the axe-in-the-back woman, because the house looks a little more modern, plus - different aspect ratio), an eerie figure in the woods (feels strangely out of place), another shot of nic cage in his workshop(?) (again with the aspect ratio switch - so if we follow the theory that these are maika monroe's visions, she definitely has some kind of direct connection TO him and not just a voyeuristic connection to his victims).

a person (i initially thought a woman, but that could actually very well be nic cage with his long, scraggly hair) slamming their head into a desk. the shot has interrogation room vibes (to me) but is too bare bones to make out for sure. maika is either... watching/interviewing (that's a camera beside her?) or this is another intercut reaction shot implying their connection.

(i didn't capture it but these shots are also intercut with images of red, gurgling blood, which seems a bit more deliberate than just an edgy choice - if there is a ritualistic element to these murders, perhaps it has something to do with blood)

i think this is nic cage again, but why is he upside down? interesting. unless i AM wrong, they actually show him a lot more in this trailer than initially assumed.

we're in maika-vision (calling it that until further notice) here again, this time to look at some kind of demonic entity (the same one we saw in that earlier shot of the woods?). this calls into question the objectivity of this voyeurism-whatever-it-is, although... obviously this film does have very clear supernatural elements, so hell, maybe nic cage IS being instructed by a demon.

another very clear intercut between maika and nic cage. is that nic cage?! it REALLY does not look like him from this profile angle, but it is possible that they've done some prosthetic work on his face (which they have been very careful not to show in full quite yet - nor do i think they should, since he is such a well known guy. you don't want your audience getting comfortable with him in this role before they actually see him.)

but i digress: another moment where the editing is implying an important connection or parallel (maika seems to be losing it a little - which i would too if i could no longer separate my identity from a killer's and/or their victims)

going forward i would pay attention to how promotional material for this movie is edited In General because they are using it as a very deliberate communicative tool at least in this teaser!

another couple of notable shots. in the first one, a woman (a nun? she seems to be wearing a habit, similar to another woman we will see later) fires a rifle into what seems to be an already blood-splattered car. then (which i didn't include) we see Maika With A Gun (hi maika), and what appears to be a car chase.

in maika-vision again, a man who has seemingly just got done slaughtering all of his cows. probably safe to call an animal harm content warning for this one, pals

ah! that WAS nic cage in the car paralleled to maika -- look at how he's dressed here. yet again they are deliberately hiding his face (also note the background - it would seem that yes, he is working at some kind of paint/hardware store).

two more maika vision shots. the first is the woman we see featured in this poster. the second is a small child who is closing a door to avoid watching whatever they're looking at. neither is having a good day!

there is a targeted amount of religious violence here, which makes sense if our killer is demonically motivated

and last but not least, nic cage murdering a guy (gender neutral) (interesting though because i hadn't assumed him to be the hands-on type given his rather indirect MO).

anyway: that's the longlegs trailer! the most telling takeaway here, in my opinion, is: how much it does actually focus on this sort of duality between maika monroe and nicolas cage and some apparent connection between them. my instinct is that that's going to be the meat of the story (although there is clearly a deeper mythology to explore too -- the cipher, the demon, the nature of the kilings).

one more thing to note: this movie seems to take place over the span of several decades. the teaser posters/captions released by neon are dated by year and reflect as much, and if you're looking for it you can see the aesthetics shift around a bit in the trailer as well.

send me your theories/observations! eager to see if anyone puts some pieces together that i might have missed.

[3lji]

the moment Mo realised that He Tian bought the motorcycle to impress him/because He Tian was jealous from @19eyebrows

- i think tian would be kind of sus about it lmao. like going out in the evening and sneaking off at lunch. mo doesn’t think anything awry is afoot he’s just scared of what elaborate thing tian is up to now lmao.

- he tian already is a fan of leather jackets so a few new ones turning up in their shared closet aren’t that strange. mo will just scold him for wasting money when you already have ten of these jackets.

- i think maybe in the time tian was ‘away’ was when he learnt to ride a motorcycle. i imagine that it was all tian could do to conjure up the image of mo when they were separated. so this time was spent putting i. place the foundations of his life with mo, should he wait for him. he learns to drive, to ride a motorcycle, to speak a few different languages, he gets his qualifications and experience he needs so he can provide for them.

- also he totally does it because he doesn’t want 1. mo riding anyone else’s motorbike 2. he would worry too much to let mo ride it by himself most of the time lmao #overprotectiveidiot. 3. insane jealousy from Brother Qui is still very much on his mind. he must wipe away any suggestion of another man in mo’s life 😂

- when the day the motorbike arriving finally comes, tian keeps looking out of the window and getting on mo’s nerves looking at his phone constantly, until a huge truck turns up. tian smirks and leads them both out of the building.

- mo is totally expecting it to be some ludicrous bed (tian and him may or may not have… damaged their current one) but no. it’s a bike, it’s a bike that teenage him would have drooled over.

- ‘you are ridiculous’

- ‘i know’

- after tian reveals he also has appropriate clothing for mo, and has done a whole lot of persuading (baby, i swear i know how to- i’ve been practicing too at He Cheng’s place-) mo will gingerly climb on behind he tian.

- ‘trust me?’

- mo might not answer, he’s blushing a bit - he tian looks huge (more than usual) in his jacket, and he can feel how warm he is, pressed so close. he hooks his chin over tian’s shoulder and presses a kiss to his jaw, his arms tighten around tian’s middle.

- he can almost feel tian’s smirk but he doesn’t have long to contemplate it as his stomach flips with the speed tian takes off.

[prismaticpichu]

*slides into your inbox, I almost slip*

you're stuck on a deserted island for a week. you have to choose between Zack or Sephiroth to spend the week with. who would you choose and why? (my phone glitched so bad as I was writing this I'm sorry if there's two of these 😭)

All good, my friend!! Only one copy received! No Genesis copies afoot here 👍

And on that note~

GAHHH WHAT IS THIS EVIL????? You’re making me CHOOSE between my two precious beans?????? What IS THIS TORTURE!!! 😭🫠

*scoops self off of floor, sniffles, composes herself*

God… there are SO many pros and cons to both Zack & Seph 😂 Obv Seph pros are that he’s prolly more clever than Zack, but at the same time is much more susceptible to going insane (in EXACTLY A WEEK LOL) and prolly wouldn’t hesitate to turn me into firewood at some point if things got desperate. Zack, on the other hand, would be loyal till the very end, but may very well eat a poisonous berry and leave me to find an antidote.

But then there’s the ENTERTAINMENT factor…— .._.

Zack.

Yeah, Zack.

I’m going with Zack 😂

Zack is still a very smart and tough cookie — PLUS he grew up in the more tropical climate of Gongaga and can prolly make do with his surrounds like a champ. On top of also having boundless stamina and energy when it prolly comes to playing games and surfing and finding other things to kill the time….? Yeaaah I think I’d take my chances with Zack vs. a grumpy Seph who’d prolly spend day after day making SOS signs with different materials and not care to just enjoy the place 😂

Adorable question!!! Tysm for asking!! x,D 💕

[lovesickramblingsofmine]

And with that another month and a half has passed, life happens but I have returned. This one maybe ain't so happy, but again, my blog my thoughts.

Fair warning, this is very stream-of-consciousness and barely makes sense. Also swearing and dysphoria afoot.

Sooooo, I feel very small and alone (I also feel far too large, but we'll get back to that). Tonight I was an hour from home with a few friends at this theater thing that this university puts on. The play was fun, I was meant to hang out with them earlier during the day as well but I cancelled that because I felt like ass and needed to rest. I've been doing that thing where I book more stuff than I have energy for and end up feeling drained by the end of Sunday.

Again, the play was nice, and there was an obvious community that was lovely to get a peek at from the outside. It sort if makes me long for a community I never took part in during my own university times. But regardless of that little detail, I was there with two friends (who I'm not really that close with) and this new person that's friends with one of my friends. It all felt really awkward. I missed being in the company of my closest friends, where being me is a no-brainer. Tonight my walls were up, I even introduced myself as my dead-name to this new person, they did not pass the vibe check. I'm sure they would've been fine but I was scared.

I'm left with this gnawing feeling of needing to meet some queer people. I'm just so damn tired, I want to sleep and I want to hang out with my friends at some house party and I want to be able to call that friend I've lost contact with and I want to be somewhere I can be myself and I want so badly to be unafraid of showing my true self. But I will have to do it scared, and by FUCK am I afraid.

I'm getting my ass kicked to hell and back by dysphoria as well, whatever god made me this tall is surely laughing because I am struggling with this fucking shit. We have this fun thing at work where we dress up to a theme every Friday, twice it's been something gender-fucky and BOTH times I've been told I'd look like a woman if it wasn't flr my FUCKING height. The first time by a kid who said they thought I was a girl at first, until they saw how tall I was. The second time a colleague told me that one could mistake me for a woman from the back (skirt and long hair) but that I didn't walk like a woman and that I was too tall. And I genuinely believe that both these people mean well, they think they're reassuring a man that they still look like a man. But FUUUCK it is messing me up. The fact my height isn't a changeable thing but rather something I'll have to learn to live with is a cruel joke and I'd like to hit whoever made it that way.

Came out to two of my colleagues, they were supportive and answered my questions of if I would be able to work there being trans with positive statements. So that's nice, but pretending to be who I was born as for eight hours a day is slowly making me insane.

Went onto a trans-friendly world in vrchat, was an incredible time. Got told that my voice passes by this random cis guy (I'd bet good money on them being an egg but whatever) which I don't buy but it's nice hearing that I'm making progress. I think I'm gonna jump back on once I get back home, I need to meet another queer person or I might lose it.

Oh another thing, was out celebrating one of my closest friends, did this using my new name... in theory. I had a near heart attack when people started giving their names and dodged the question somehow. It was great being referred to as my real name, but giving a clearly feminine name when I look very clearly male is nerve-wracking. I ended up not being able to dodge one set of these questions, but it was only with two people and they were cool about it. I think if I don't start presenting more feminine it'll hinder my progress in getting gendered correctly, but it is so damn scary.

I think that's all I've got to ramble about today, thanks for reading and have a good one, Anya out.

[mermaidsirennikita]

Share some stalking heroes 👀

HAPPY TO.

Historical:

Obviously, Valentine Napier from Elizabeth Hoyt's Duke of Sin, He Who Lives in Walls.

Mick Trewlove does a bit of stalking when he's staking out how to steal Aslyn (in order to ruin his half-brother's life) in Beyond Scandal and Desire by Lorraine Heath.

Magnus literally hunts Melissa down like a dog in S.M. LaViolette's Melissa and The Vicar (after she leaves him).

Shadowheart by Laura Kinsale has an EXTREMELY stalkery, villainous hero and I love the degree to which he's just a creep lol. Like, the heroine is all "... how does he know these things" and the answer is "baby girl, he's been watching you sleep probably". TW: the first encounter is noncon (forced marriage consummation). Kinsale is very true to 14th century approaches to consent, but Elena does very much take the reins in the rest of it.

In a different way, the preceding novel (set 10 years before) For My Lady's Heart is also a stalkery hero book. The hero is a knight whose wife left him to join a convent (lmao) and when he's dropping her off there he sees this beautiful (married) princess who notices that he's attracted to her and calls him out... but when he unexpectedly has to give up ALL his money in order to commit his wife to the order--a thing he doesn't want to do!--the princess does him a solid and gives him some cash to get on his feet. And as a result, he becomes obsessed with her, pledges himself to her, and serves from afar in her name for like. 13 years. Then they finally meet again and it turns out she's kind of a bitch! (In the best way.)

Pippa and the Prince of Secrets by Grace Callaway, of course, has Cull, who watches Pippa while she's out doing her vigilante shit and is like, ready to run interference and who knows maybe smell her hair.

Duke of Midnight by Elizabeth Hoyt of course has the truly insane and stalkery Maximus. Like Valentine, he refuses to call his heroine by her actual name lmao.

The Wolf and The Widlflower by Stacy Reid. Wolf Duke Duke of Wolverton is obviously a duke who lived with wolves for years, and after he realizes that his new shrink, a young man, is actually a woman in disguise (a fact he realizes when he SMELLS. HER. WOMANLY. SCENT. IYKWIM.) he's determined to catch her out lol.

Hotel of Secrets by Diana Biller has a hero who's admittedly a literal spy, but he does start lowkey stalking the heroine because he feels CRIME MAY BE AFOOT. And then he walks in on her... doing things alone.... and he goes "don't stop" and I lost my mind.

Again the Magic by Lisa Kleypas gives me this vibe because McKenna is so focused on revenge against Aline that it basically turns into this obsession with everything about her and what it takes to break her down. Like, McKenna gives strong murder vibes and I do find it hot.

The Dragon and The Pearl by Jeannie Lin gives me this vibe because he's like... keeping her captive for political reasons but you can literally see on the page when it starts to shift from politics to obsession lol.

Contemporary-ish:

Mafia Madman by Mila Finelli. I mean, Enzo watches Gia through security cameras while keeping her in a cage after setting up a faked death by bombing a bar after he buys in an Aperol spritz. Peak stalking.

Mafia Target--the book after Mafia Madman, m/m assassin/target... Alessio is literally stalking Giulio for months before they actually meet and he's obsessed with him and it's AMAZING.

All of Kresley Cole's Gamemaker books involve stalking but The Player is maybe the most intensely stalkery book of all time. I can't even tell you how. That would give it away. Trust and believe. This is a STALKER.

Sierra Simone writes some very possessive heroes. Mark from her Lyonesse series, though (starting with Salt in the Wound) gives strong stalker vibes. Partly because he clearly knows way more about Tristan and Isolde than either of them realize and has known it for a while lol. Also, he literally skulks around ruining people's lives, so. That's just WHO HE IS. And I do love it.

Paranormal:

Just shouting out the fact that every single IAD hero is a stalker, but special notes for Lothaire of Lothaire (on EVERY LEVEL, follows Ellie around for years before the book even begins, turns invisible to follow her around in his apartment, watches her from the shadows, has to carry her lingerie around in his pocket so he can deeply inhale it to cope); Cade from Dark Desires after Dusk (followed Holly around for years before the book began... again lmao); Trehan from Shadow's Claim (the MISTS!!!!).

Dragon Bound by Thea Harrison has a heroine who steals a penny from a dragon shifter's lair, and he literally hunts her down like a dog lmao.