#its free baby. for martha

[mamawasatesttube]

a soft place to land

T | 3.7k | martha kent & tim drake, timkon | happy birthday tim!

Thanks to Martha Kent, Tim celebrates his birthday for the first time since his father's death.

“Happy birthday, dear! This is for you.”

Martha sets the cake on the dining table, smiling. She’s better a decorator of pies than cakes, but it’s simple, a dark chocolate with mocha icing. Conner said Tim prefers desserts that aren’t too sweet. She meant to wait until Conner got home to present it to Tim, but with how he keeps checking the Metropolis news, it seems like a good time to give him a distraction.

Tim drops his phone to his lap, completely forgotten, as his eyes go wide. “Oh! Kon told you…?”

“He did, yes. Said you two would do something together for it, but since he had to step out for a little while…” she trails off, then shrugs. “It’s quite alright if you don’t want it as a birthday cake, though.”

“I don’t really—um—I usually don’t really do anything for my birthday,” Tim says, looking down at the cake as though he’s not quite sure what to do with it. “Uh—thank you. Sorry, I should’ve opened with that. Thank you. It’s—it’s very nice of you to do this; you didn’t have to…”

The poor thing is floundering, Martha realizes. She softens, reaches over and rests her hand on his shoulder fondly. “It’s no trouble, dear. It’s your birthday! We don’t have to do anything grand, but it’s nice to celebrate a little with family, isn’t it?”

{ read on ao3! }

[marcyvamp1re-blog]

ITS EVOLUTION, BABY !

pairings ⸺Yandere! Justice League! x Inmortal!Fem!reader.

couple of today! ⸺Yandere! Kal-El x Inmortal! Fem! Reader

This is a Headcanon!

sinopsis ⸺ You had seen it all. From the first whisper of life in the primordial oceans to the deafening buzz of the modern era. Every advancement, every innovation, a heavier burden on your shoulders. Nothing surprised you anymore; everything was predictable and monotonous, so you found refuge in a small apartment in the heart of Metropolis, away from the bustling human nonsense.

Until one day a flying bus crushed you.

warnings ⸺ Dark Themes, Dead, Religion, murdering, Disturbing Content, Unhealthy Obsession, Discrimination, War, Street Fights, Gaslight, Suicide, Violence, Blood, LGBT Content, Kidnapping, NSFW, Sexual Content, Mental Illness, Addiction, Torture, Corruption, Isolation, Trauma, Phobias, Paranoia, Manipulation.

A/N — Bah, just another story pulled from my imagination after dancing all afternoon to Pearl Jam songs while cleaning the house.

This land is mine, this land is free

I'll do what I want but irresponsibly

▪︎Your immortality is neither epic nor glorious. You were not born from the stars or from scientific labs. There was no cosmic ray, no magic potions, no caped heroes to save you. Your existence is simple, without ornamentation.

▪︎You are water.

▪︎Or, to be more precise, you were a microscopic being living in a drop of water attached to a wandering meteorite that roamed through the void, in the infinite silence of space, before arriving on Earth. In that tiny liquid bubble, you were happy, surrounded by other beings who knew neither pain nor time. Everything was calm.

▪︎Until one day, your home plummeted toward the planet you would come to know as Earth.

▪︎There your true evolution began.

▪︎Millions of years passed, and you witnessed it all. You observed the first spark of life in the primordial oceans, the giant reptiles crawling across the continents, and the hominids standing upright on two legs. With each evolutionary cycle, you adapted, but you always remained, indifferent to the passage of time. Nothing truly affected you… Until Martha appeared.

▪︎Martha was your youngest daughter, for now. At eighty years old, Martha was the only thing you had left in this world that no longer mattered to you. Time, that relentless enemy that did not touch you, was wreaking havoc on her. Wrinkles adorned her face, her hands trembled as she knitted. But she made you feel something you thought you had forgotten: humanity. Martha kept you anchored to a world that had become irrelevant to you.

▪︎You did not live in Metropolis with her because she had her own life, and you spent your time wandering to every corner of the earth. Aimless and without a home to sleep in.

▪︎But you decided to visit her when you learned from her husband that she was in the hospital. It wasn’t serious, but she was the most important thing you had, and even at eighty years old, she would still be your little sweet baby.

▪︎Your journey was calm; listening to rock bands and old songs relaxed you. Nothing could disturb your zen state.

▪︎But then came the bus. The fucking bus.

▪︎An empty bus flew out from a nearby building, a flash of blue and red, and chaos erupted in the streets. Superman, facing Lex Luthor, knocked a bus right onto you. One second of distraction and you were crushed, like a puppet torn to pieces.

▪︎Your blood spilled onto the pavement and the broken glass of your car, which was now nothing more than scrap metal.

▪︎Superman, the defender of justice, landed right next to your car, using his infrared vision to see your mangled body inside the vehicle.

▪︎His face filled with horror.

▪︎Why always an innocent person? A choked sob, his eyes full of remorse as he saw you, a pool of blood and broken bones.

▪︎It was not the first time he had a lapse, but it was the first time it cost a human and innocent life.

▪︎The worst part was that you were young, with a long life ahead of you, and his carelessness took that gift away. What would happen to your family when they found out? How would they feel knowing that Superman, the so-called greatest hero, couldn’t save you?

▪︎He was devastated.

▪︎Until, to his surprise, you got up. Your body began to regenerate, bones rejoining, skin closing over the wounds. Superman watched you in disbelief, his hands trembling.

▪︎“Can’t you really be more careful?” you said, your voice filled with exhaustion, brushing off the dust as if nothing had happened. The hero was left speechless. You were immortal.

▪︎That was where it all began.

A/N - And well, this is just a little Headcanon that might turn into a series (hopefully not, because it would be way too long)

I’ll upload more soon, as well as another DC Yandere series. I’ll also post a few updates to explain some things—no need to read them, but it would be app

P.S.: If you’re a reader of the Silly Little Bat series, don’t worry. I’ll upload chapter three soon.

Don’t forget, if you want to request something, the shop is open

Take a bath!

[gay-dorito-dust]

Isekai Reader, looking at the half-bitten cookie: .....

Isekai Reader, looks at Damian and Duke: Are you guys sure none of you put anything in here?

Alfred, checking their temperature: I was with them the whole time and any type of liquid that should not be in my kitchen is strictly prohibited

Isekai Reader looks at the transparent couple behind the two boys: I think I saw Bruce's parents... am I high?

Damian: what are you blabbering at?

Isekai Reader: Ya deaf boy? I said I can see your grandmother and granfather from your father's side who is behind you

Alfred, concerned(a bit hopeful too): are you sure?

Martha looks at her husband: How bout you tell him this so he can believe you dear, he is the only one who knows of this

Isekai Reader: hey Mr. Alfred wanna know what miss Martha told me?

Alfred: I'm afraid I don't know would you care to?

Isekai Reader: Wanna bet?

.....

Alfred:....

Alfred, clears his throat: Ahem, I will appreciate it if you don't tell this to any of them no matter what the cost

Isekai Reader: Don't worry I won't traumatize your already traumatized grandkids even more

.....

Bruce: should we send you to a therapist?

Isekai Reader: you're coming with me then

Bruce: absolutely not

Isekai Reader: Then no♥️

Isekai reader either high as balls or actually seeing ghosts? More news at 5.

Isekai! Reader/ you: after all you’ve been through, have any of you ever been to therapy before? Like genuinely gone and or considered going?

Bruce: I’m rich

Dick: once or twice but then I remember that I have to open up. No thanks.

Jason: why pay for therapy when killing crime lords and drug dealers is completely free.

Damian: therapy is beneath me.

Tim: what’s that? Never heard of it.

Duke: I missed one session! One!

Isekai! Reader/ you: if I had money I’d open up a hospital and shove you all inside it. not you Duke, you’re my favourite right now.

Duke: :)

…

-I love this concept, thanks anon-

Isekai! Reader/you: *seeing Martha and Thomas again as they watched over Bruce* fuck sake I’m high again.

*martha and Thomas resting their hands on their son’s shoulders, smiling at him*

Isekai! Reader/ you: *feeling a little sentimental* awww. They’re watching over their baby boy. *smiles softly*

Bruce, noticed: why you smiling.

Isekai! Reader/ you: just remembering how stupid you looked when dressed up as nightwing.

Bruce: Dick and Jason showed you the pictures?

Isekai! Reader/ you: that suit was struggling to keep itself together and I thought your whole asshole was going to fall out if honestly is what your after.

Bruce: it was a phase! *buries head into hands*

Isekai! Reader/ you: that’s what they all say, but you dressing up as a bat and beating people so bad they’re left in a comatose state has to be the longest phases you’ve been in. Ever.

…

Jason: *does anything*

Isekai! Reader/ you: I can take him.

Duke: in a fight right?

Isekai! Reader/ you: :)

Duke, scared: in a fight right?!

Bruce, from a distance: STAY AWAY FROM MY SON!

Isekai! Reader/ you: I WILL FUCK YOUR SON WHETHER YOU LIKE IT OR NOT! HES TOO FINE TO BE LEFT SINGLE! ITS CRIMINAL!

Duke: …

Bruce: …

Jason: :)

…

Bruce: what you got there?

Isekai! Reader/ you: a big ass plushie that’s half my body height. *picks said plushie up and squeezes it*

Damian: are you a child?

Isekai! Reader/you: unlike you I had actually got to experience a childhood…at least I think…I can’t remember most of it but I’m sure that’s normal.

Bruce: …

Damian: …

Duke: I’m pretty sure that having gaps in your memory in regards of your childhood isn’t healthy nor a good reflection on your childhood. I could be wrong though so don’t take my word for it.

Isekai!reader/ you: …consider this healing the inner child with a rich man’s credit card.

[sbrinnie]

Even if you bribe a kid into accompanying you, there is no guarantee that said kid would behave, there are negative guarantees if the kid is Richard Grayson.

Of course Bruce could just leave him at the Manor, but his helicopter parenting keep too many terrible scenarios of what might happen with his kid and, most importantly, he would have no excuse to leave the galas early. Taking Dick to the galas was for his benefit more than anything else. But he also knows that if he takes that path his responsibilities double.

Dick needs to be entertained, which is no problem, even though Alfred has a no-screen policy, Bruce is delighted not to be entangled in any unfruitful small talk and just have conversations with his son ward all night.

Dick doesn’t like any of the other kids from high society, so Bruce is prepared to have a child-shaped koala with him all night. They just need to get to 9 o'clock, and then Bruce can excuse them because Dick is tired.

The real problem was the speeches, oh my god, the speeches.

They were too long for Dick’s attention span, and there was not much a napkin could do to distracted someone, they couldn’t talk, or it would be seen as disrespectful (they did it once, and this led to Alfred scolding them both). So, the solution they found was Bingo.

Dick's family used to play Bingo with him while traveling with the circus. “The showman will forget his lines,” or “The clown will have its nose stolen by a baby,” or even “It will rain” – anything was on the table. The bingo cards were made beforehand by them and could list at most 10 things they thought would happen while in the city. Whoever got the most correct wins and could ask for anything they wanted.

Alfred found the idea genius. He did something of the sort with Bruce when he was younger, trying to distract him while Martha and Thomas mingled with the society. By that day beyond, the Waynes had a bingo card for almost every gala they attended. It also served as memory game, trying to remember everyone in high society, and made both of them train their stealth. No one could know what they were doing or the game was lost. The most common to appear was “Drakes will not go” since they were always traveling, and “Kate will be late” once they knew their cousin would do everything in her power to not make an appearance.

The rules were simple: 1 - Behave, if there’s anything but a well behaved appearance the game is over; 2 - The events can not be provoked, you can’t influence the outcomes; 3 - No one can know what they are doing.

Even Barbara got to play! Alfred described it as a gladiator's fight, both having competitors' souls and hating to lose for one another; the end of the night, when the points were counted, sounded like a deputy election. Jim almost never went to galas, but he was glad they were having fun, he was content with free babysitting and a entire day to himself.

And so, the tradition carried on. By Jason's first gala, Dick was so excited that he even spent the night before at the manor helping him complete his card. Soon enough, they noticed the great sibling bonding time in that. Sadly, Bruce had lost his spot in the competition but was happy his kids were having fun together. Tim received his at a patrol before the gala from Dick and just went, “Oh, that’s what you guys were doing all along?” He admits it was his funniest night and less stealthy bingo ever. The Drakes were seated two tables away from the Waynes, and Dick couldn’t stop glaring at him every time Tim made a point. “Just how the kid predicted a whole fight between two mistresses?” The first place was never more difficult to win.

Cassandra and Stephanie almost couldn’t contain their laughter when they scored “Mayor will say ‘and’ at least 27 times,” poor guy got more nervous by each laugh and the point was almost lost because “he started to gag more because of them”. By Damian's time, it was a day’s thing preparation. The whole family was entangled in gossip about high society; they knew about pregnancies, affairs, money laundering. Damian found the game nonsense and refused to play, but they could see him perking by Dick's shoulder to see if he got the point or not.

When Jason was back from the dead and in civil terms with the family, he was given a card by mail and small instructions on the back. Somehow, Jason got the second-highest score that night. When Duke came by, it almost looked like a cambio house! They started to make chips to know how many times someone won (also a attempt to accompany Bruce to the galas with more frequency) and they were exchanged it regularly, it could also be passed down for favors with each other. Bruce and Alfred were the only final line; they cashed the chips for days without patrol, favorite foods, bigger allowances, etc.

They are pretty serious about their game, Cassandra has the most chips but only use them to scape shores, Tim is the champion six galas in a row and Dick as not won a game since he was 17.

[darkcrownninja]

MOS Pa Kent and MAWS Pa Kent

I find the polar opposite depictions of Jonathan in these stories incredibly fascinating.

MOS Jonathan shields and separates Clark from anything related his heritage, including things like his ship and powers. Encouraging suppresion and caution in Clark.

Actively telling Clark to hide his powers and never use them, scolding him whenever he used them. He is a man terrified of the world taking his son away from him, specially knowing he has no real way of protecting Clark from anything that may seek to harm him. So he encourages him to hide himself and avoid drawing any attention.

He is a more jaded and cynical man, immediately assuming the world would attack and try to kill his son (he ended up being right, which is its own can of worms), would try to rip his miracle child, his star baby away from him.

He only sees a world that would harm the child he so desperately seeks to protect, that child he loves more than anything.

MAWS Jonathan is the complete opposite of his MOS counterpart. He is the one that encouraged Clark to discover himself, to make contact with the ship, to practice his use and control of his powers, even turning that into a game a young Clark could enjoy.

He is aware of the shock Clark´s existence will create but in the end he has faith in humanity seeing Clark for what he truly is, someone who just wants to help others.

He is more optimistic and cheerful, thinking of the best and encouraging other people to do so too.

In MAWS, Martha is the one who is the one who wants to keep Clark away from anything alien, the one that clings to him and wants to keep him hidden.

While Jonathan is cheerful over Clark deciding to go public and help people, Martha is the one that is slightly reluctant (though not to MOS Jonathan´s level, like letting yourself get killed by a tornado because you don´t want your son to expose himself is extreme though somewhat understandable) to let him go, though she eventually gets on board and creates his trunks.

This dicotomy is reflected on Clark´s abilities.

Flight is one of his most characteristic abilities and it often serves as a metaphor for Clark feeling free and accepted, it comes in moments where Clark learns to love and accept himself.

So it is interesting to see how in MAWS it is one of the first he obtains while in MOS it is one of the last ones. Showing the difference in how their settings and enviroments reacted to them.

MAWS is honestly amazing and I am incredibly glad we got this adaptation of the Superman mythos. It is so unique and refreshing. I can´t wait for season 3.

Regardless of its flaws I genuinely love MOS and its depiction of the Kent family. Its different from what we are used to in comics and tv shows, but it offers a unique take on the Kents dealing with Clark´s powers. At the end the day Jonathan is just a father terrified someone will hurt his child and he won´t be able to protect him.

Anyways this ramble has lasted enough, love both pieces of media to bits.

[specialagentartemis]

Black Women writing SFF

The post about Octavia Butler also made me think about the injustice we do both Butler, SFF readers, and Black women SFF writers by holding her up as the one Black Woman Writing Sci-Fi. She occupies an important place in the genre, for her creativity, the beauty and impact of her writing, and her prolific work... but she's still just one writer, and no one writer works for everybody.

So whether you liked Octavia Butler's books or didn't, here are some of the (many!!! this list is just the authors I've read and liked, or been recommended and been wanting to read) other Black women writing speculative fiction aimed at adults, who might be writing something within your interest:

N. K. Jemisin - a prolific powerhouse of modern sff. Will probably have something you'll like. Won three Hugo awards in a row for her Broken Earth trilogy. I’ve only read her book of short stories, How Long ‘Til Black Future Month? and it is absolutely story after story of bangers. Creative, chilling, beautifully written, make you think. They’re so good and I highly recommend the collection. Several of her novels have spun out of premises she first explored through these short stories, most recently “The City Born Great” giving rise to her novel The City We Became. Leans more fantasy than sci-fi, but has a lot of both, in various permutations. 

Nisi Shawl - EDIT: I have been informed that Nisi Shawl identifies as genderfluid, not as a woman. They primarily write short stories that lean literary. Their one novel that I’ve read, Everfair, is an alternate-history 19th century that asks, what if the Congo had fought off European colonization and became a free and independent African state? Told in vignettes spanning decades of political organization, political movements, war tactics, and social development, among an ensemble of local African people, Black Americans coming to the new country, white and mixed-race Brits, and Chinese immigrants who came as British laborers.

Nnedi Okorafor - American-Nigerian writer of Africanfuturism, sci-fi stories emphasizing life in present, future, and alternate-magical Africa. She has range! From Binti, a trilogy of novellas about a teenage girl in Namibia encountering aliens and balancing her newfound connection to space with expectations of her family; to Akata Witch, a middle-grade series about a Nigerian-American girl moving to Nigeria and learning to use magic powers she didn’t know she had; to Who Fears Death, a brutal depiction of magical-realism in a futuristic, post-war Sudan; to short stories like "Africanfuturism 419", about that poor Nigerian prince who’s desperately sending out those emails looking for help (but with a sci-fi twist), and "Mother of Invention" about a smart house taking care of its human and her baby… she’s done a little bit of everything, but always emphasizes the future, the science, and the magic of (usually western) Africa.

Karen Lord - an Afro-Caribbean author.  I actually didn’t particularly like the one novel by her I’ve read, The Best of All Possible Worlds, but Martha Wells did, so. Lord has more novels set in this world—a Star Trek-esque multicultural, multispecies spacefuture set on a planet that has welcomed immigrants and refugees for a long time, and become a vibrant multicultural planet. I find her stories rooted in near-future Caribbean socio-climatic concerns like "Haven" and "Cities of the Sun" and her folktale-fantasy style Redemption in Indigo more compelling.  And more short stories here.

Bethany C. Morrow - only has one novella (short novel?) for adults, Mem, but it was creative and fascinating and good and I’d be remiss not to shout it out. In an alternate-history 1920s Toronto, scientists have discovered how to extract specific memories from a person—but then those memories are embodied as physical, cloned manifestations of the person at the moment the memory was made. The main character is one such “Mem,” struggling to determine who she is if she was created from and defined by one single traumatic memory that her original-self wanted to remove. It’s mostly quiet, contemplative, and very interesting.  (Morrow has some YA novels too. I read one of them and thought it was okay.)

Rebecca Roanhorse - Afro-Indigenous, Black and "Spanish Indian" and married into Diné (Navajo). I’ve read her ongoing post-apocalyptic fantasy series starting with Trail of Lightning, and am liking it a lot; after a climate catastrophe, the spirits and magic of the Diné awakened to protect Dinetah (the Navajo Nation) from the onslaught; and now magic and monsters are part of life in this fundamentally changed world. Coyote is there and he is only sometimes helpful. She also has a more traditional second-world epic high fantasy, Black Sun, an elaborate fantasy world with quests and prophecies and seafaring adventure that draws inspiration from Indigenous cultures of the US and Mexico rather than Europe. She also has bitingly satirical and very incisive short stories like “Welcome to Your Authentic Indian Experience” about virtual reality and cultural tourism, and the fantasy-horror "Harvest."

Micaiah Johnson - her multiverse-hopping novel The Space Between Worlds plays with alternate universes and alternate selves in a continuously creative and interesting way! The setup doesn’t take the easy premise that one universe is our own recognizable one that opens up onto strange alternate universes—even the main character’s home universe is wildly different in speculative ways, with the MC coming from a Mad Max-esque desert community abandoned to the elements, while working for the universe-travel company within the climate-controlled walled city where the rich and well-connected live and work. Also, it’s unabashedly gay. 

And if you like audiobooks and audio fiction (I listened to The Space Between Worlds as an audiobook, it’s good), then Jordan Cobb is someone you should check out. She does sci-fi/horror/thriller audio drama. Her works include Janus Descending, a lyrical and eerie sci-fi horror about a small research expedition to a distant planet and how it went so, so wrong; and Descendants, the sequel about its aftermath. She also has Primordial Deep, about a research expedition to the deep undersea, to investigate the apparent re-emergence of a lot of extinct prehistoric sea creatures. She’s a writer/producer I like, and always follow her new releases. Her detailed prose, minimal casts  (especially in Janus Descending), good audio quality, and full-series supercuts make these welcoming to audiobook fans. 

-

Nalo Hopkinson - a writer who should be considered nearly as foundational as Octavia Butler, honestly. A novelist and short story writer with a wide variety of sci-fi, dystopian futures, fairy-tale horror, gods and epics, and space Carnival, drawing heavily from her Caribbean experiences and aesthetics.

Tananarive Due - fantastical/horror. Immortals, vampires, curses, altered reality, unnerving mystery. Also has written a lot of books.

Andrea Hairston - creative and otherworldly, weird and bisexual, with mindscapes and magic and aliens. 

Helen Oyeyemi - I haven’t read her work but she comes highly recommended by a friend. A novelist and short story writer, most of her work leans fairytale fantastical-horror. What Is Not Yours Is Not Yours is a collection of short fiction and recc’ed to me as her best work. White is for Witching is a well-regarded haunted house novel. 

Ashia Monet - indie author, writer of The Black Veins, pitched as “the no-love-interest, found family adventure you’ve been searching for.” Magic road trip! Possibly YA? I’m not positive. 

-

This also doesn’t include Black non-binary sff authors I’ve read and liked like An Owomoyela, C. L. Polk, and Rivers Solomon. And this is specifically about adult sff books, so I didn’t include Black women YA sff authors like Kalynn Bayron, Tomi Adeyemi, Tracy Deonn, Justina Ireland, or Alechia Dow, though they’re writing fantasy and sci-fi in the YA world too.

And a lot of short stories are out there in the online magazine world, where so many up and coming authors get their start, and established ones explore offbeat and new ideas.  Pick up an issue (or a subscription!) of FIYAH magazine for the most current Black speculative writing.

[eyecan02]

Imagine If We Could've Gotten Some Bloopers Exclusively with Just Beetlejuice and Lydia's Scenes Together

Therapy Room Scene

-babyjuice pops out of Winona followed by a long silence before they burst into laugher-

Michael: -picks up the baby puppet by the scruff of its onesie- I'm fairly sure any baby Winona might have in the future will be way cuter than whatever the hell this thing is.

Winona: -grins- Thanks...I guess!

Beetlejuice Summoning Scene

-Beetlejuice ogling Lydia's chest-

Winona: -teasingly- What are you looking at, Michael?

Michael: Whaaat? -laughs- It's IN the script!

Bonnie and Clyde Scene

Take One

Beetlejuice: You and me are like Thelma and Louise. Dammit. Let's go again.

Take Two

Beetlejuice: You and me are like Sonny and Cher. Fuck. One more time.

Take Three

Beetlejuice: You and me are like Snoop Dog and Martha. Yeahhh. Nailed it.

-Winona laughing as she lightly hits his shoulder-

Rory's Lies Exposed Scene

Rory: Lydia's, what's going on?

Beetlejuice: Awkward. -tosses book in Rory's direction-

Winona: -snorts- I'm sorry! I'm sorry! Time out! Are we implying that Lydia had an affair with Beetlejuice while with Rory?

Michael: -winks at Winona- In Beetlejuice's head, they did. Hey, I'm just saying, Lydia gets a free pass if she was unfaithful to a guy like Rory. Win Win, why don't you look at me on the next take? To really sell it and make the influencers think some scandalous affair is unfolding in front of them?

Winona: Will do!

Beetlejuice Possesses Lydia to Sing to Him Scene

-Beetlejuice puts his hands on Lydia's shoulders-

Beetlejuice: -sings- Oh nooo!

Winona: Time out! What if he gives Lydia a brief kiss in this scene? I think this movie needs a kiss between the two.

Michael: I don't mind.

Tim: Loved all your pitches, but we can't film a kiss. Sorry, Win Win.

Winona: -mumbles- I'll just write about it in my fanfic later.

Michael: Hey, I liked that last one you wrote. It was spicy. Send me another one tonight.

Beetlejuice Kisses Lydia's Hand

Michael: This is for you, Winona. -kisses Lydia's hand-

Winona: -squeals- Yes! -pumps fist in the air- Yes! Yes! That will be in the final cut, you hear me Burton?!

Tim: Will you keep me up all night with your whining if I don't?

Winona: Yes.

Tim: Then it will be in the final cut.

Bed Ending Scene

Michael: This feels weird. I usually tend to sleep on the left side of the bed. Can we switch?

Winona: No can do. I sleep on the left too.

Michael: How do we do this? Should I just cross my arms behind my head? Or lean my chin on one hand maybe?

Winona: Don't worry about arm/hand placement. Why don't you just pull the covers all the way to your neck?

Michael: Is that supposed to imply a ghost can actually get cold...? -smirks- Or that Beetlejuice is naked under the covers?

Winona: Yes.

[evilwickedme]

This wasn't asked for because nobody in their right mind would ask for this but this is a fic rec list of fics I cannot stop rereading

Just started yet another reread of Inimitable Verse by deniigiq and I fully plan on rereading their into the multiverse series which occasionally crosses over also - this is a Spider-Man/team red focused series, think comics canon infused early mcu-spidey since only homecoming had come out for a non substantial amount of time they were working on the series and the daredevil stuff is explicitly tv show AND comics. Also the multiverse series is how I got into Murderdock and therefore how I got into Spider Gwen

Unpretty's Sorrowful And Immaculate Hearts series which is just a loosely interconnected series of DC fics. My personal favorites are Empty Graves, in which Martha Kent keeps killing time travelers trying to kill baby! Clark; any of their clois fics but especially Third Wheel; and Anti-Social, which is a social media fic mostly about Tim and Bruce that made me cry laughing. Catch Bruce trying to get Walmart's employees to unionize. Also shout out to unpretty's only fic with Jason in it, it looks awesome but is tragically incomplete

This particular Reverse Robin AU which put in the work to reverse every single younger generation and is chef's kiss I LOVE this version of Tim he's wild

Both of Shoalsea's fics are in constant rotation for me I talk about Into The Brighter Night all the time in the tags of reblogs and stuff it truly lives in my head rent free. Anyway Tim gets kidnapped by aliens and the batfam have to watch as yj98 saves him and it's angsty and funny and such a good take on what could have been if the new 52 hadn't happened. And Compassion Builds No House is about Tim and Pru from Red Robin. Ugh they're both so good

Speaking of Clois (I did you've just forgotten this by now) brilliant (like a confession) by kathkin (penny-anna on the hellsite) is so fucking good I'm. Okay. Anyway it'll be listed as inspiration if/when I finally post my two person love triangle fic for them

I'm too anxious to catch up on this before it's done but jumble sale chic is hands down the best spideydevil fic series despite and because of the omegaverse

Make A Little Birdhouse In Your Soul is my favorite take on Jason, period, and has a lot of fantastic Damian stuff going on too. It's updating every few weeks still! Sometimes more often! I love you bacondoughnut it's me JustGail the person who will not stop commenting on your fic you're stuck with me forever

I lied above Rumspringa Murderdock is what got me into Murderdock but that series is second place. I found this one while scrolling through the tv show's mattfoggy tag, thinking I was safe

Speaking of Murderdock mattfoggy, The Lawyer All the Wickedness was written early on in spider-gwen's history and so diverges from canon really early in ways that I think are super interesting and creative

Oh also straight on 'til morning by merils (Tumblr url mamawasatesttube) does SUCH a great job unpacking Kon's trauma and building up healthy relationships around him including a budding timkon romance and yeah it makes me sad and happy at the same time

We're getting into poisonivory territory so just trust if you like the pairing and poisonivory is writing it you'll like it. Ok rapidfire

Like A Handprint On My Heart mattfoggy soulmate au with a twist

Will You Still Love Me Tomorrow? Damijon future fic/au. Jon came back from the future when both of them were 19. Demisexual!Damian at its best. Damian's terrified of being abandoned by Jon again and it made my heart hurt

I feel like I've already recommended every JayRoy fic by poisonivory and genuinely I do reread them all, sometimes in order of publication if I'm in a particular mood. Maybe the one I've read most though is I've Got the Feeling You're the Right Thing After All which is about Roy and Jason starting a fwb thing while Roy still harbors old feelings for Dick. Can't see anything going wrong here lmao

Mmm this post is long enough so I'll leave it at just superhero fic for now but I do in fact have the ability to do a whole post just for the Witcher or Leverage so I might do that. Anyway thanks for following me on yet another burst of insanity it will happen again

[handern]

I was a little confused by the Murderbot Diaries timeline since the books aren't numbered so I made a little chart, hope it might be helpful :

0 – Compulsory (short story : set after Murderbot hacked its module but still worked for the company, some time before it met the All System Red crew)

1 – All Systems Red (Novella : first story part 1 aka ‘trying to get my stupid clients away from planet monsters AND murderous humans’)

2 – Artificial Condition (Novella : first story part 2 aka ‘two bots pretending to be one human for a job interview meet some grad students who got fucked over by capitalism’)

3 – Rogue Protocol (Novella : first story part 3 aka ‘I did not care if these humans and their pet bot lived or died Murderbot said, caring deeply as it turned around to help strangers’)

4 – Exit Strategy (Novella : part 4 and finale of the first storyline, aka ‘well well well, if this isn’t the consequences of everyone’s actions including my own’)

4.5 – Home : Habitat, Range, Niche, Territory (short story : set right after Exit Strategy, from DrMensah's POV)

6 – Fugitive Telemetry (Novella : published after Network Effect, actually a flashback, aka 'Murder on the Preservation Station Express')

5 – Network Effect (the novel : published before Fugitive Telemetry but currently the latest point in the timeline. 'aliens aren't real and bots can't have babies, right?')

7 – System Collapse (novel. Will be published in November)

There is also a third short story "Obsolescence", set in the Murderbot universe, but long, long before the time of Murderbot and co. It's available in a free anthology "Take us to a better place"

The 6 books are available as audiobooks, ebooks and hard covers on Martha Wells' website

[bruciemilf]

#like - ill be very transparent. sometimes i write fem bruce solely for harvey or clark eating pussy content KSKSKS #but thats very much achievable with trans bruce so

!!!!! ohhhh pleasepleaseplease give us a few headcanons/some content!! there's not enough trans!bruce out there esp. with harv and clark!

OH MANNN. MAN. MAN. so!! I don't know If you had a set preference between nsfw or sfw and/or harv an clark hcs,, so I think it'll be a mix for both!

Warnings/tags: Degradation, housewife kink, dirty talk, name calling, breeding kink, daddy kink mention, size kink

Transitioned early; Martha, Thomas, and Alfred were as discreet as a star family gets in Gotham City, where the media's eyes never shuts. Which is never enough.

They couldn't pay rich people, media people to ignore the Bruce before the Real Bruce. But if you cared about your life even a little bit, and you didn't want to die under Thomas' scalpel, you kept your mouth shut.

Bruce got in a stage where he was cis passing enough that people didn't think twice to call him a man; I feel like he grew up around healthy examples of masculinity, but when you're in college? You try to make up for your lacks.

There's a subgenre of sexism among men tbh, that its like, specifically To them; It's like, misogyny in the open, but they victimise eachother about it.

Bruce can't quite understand why drinking and hooking up and getting blasted without even worrying there's a pill in your drink is necessarily masculine. It's certainly a privilege, thought, and he's a bit (a lot) bitter abt it

Also most def carries testosterone shots on his batman belt that he accidentally injects instead of adrenaline like, all the time.

Oh, and testosterone and estrogen? Free in Gotham. Courtesy to Wayne Enterprises

Bruce not giving a wet fuck about gender norms in the slightest bit; He'll rock a coral pink tennis skirt and shiny, peach perfumed lip gloss.

He'll rock divine silk dresses. He'll look angelic with motor oil smudged on his cheek from breaking into the autoshop.

And he doesn't really care who has what to say about it, because Harvey Dent? Can't peel his eyes off of him, and that's enough of an achievement for Bruce.

(Nsfw HCs ahead!!!)

Harvey always always worries he might say the wrong thing; the wrong name, (they have a very soft spot for Princess and Baby)

Harvey calls him Baby Girl while Bruce worked him hard with his hand and mouth, dragging holy noises out of him with just a few tugs, and Harvey apologizes profusely

" My masculinity won't shrivel up and die because of a name, Harv. Even I'm not that fragile. "

Bruce is a big time virgin but no surprise there; Have you seen that man. He falls apart at a few words and gets wet so easily it's ridiculous.

Batman riding Harvey's thigh while he's supposed to interrogate him? It's more likely than you think

That being said, he's big on degradation; Harvey calls him a perfect little slut and Bruce's brain goes fuzzy and dim. I'm sorry, but Battinson has huge " pls just break me and take care of me after" energy I am PROFITING

With Clark it's almost the same, because personally? Mean Clark. Mean Clark who'll grip Bruce's diamond sharp jaw and make those strawberry lips pucker. Just to watch those pretty eyes roll back. " Aww. Are you that needy, darlin '?"

HARVEY AND CLARK AND BRUCE? biggest housewife kinks. I'm sorry, don't shoot the messenger, they SPECIFICALLY told me to tell YOU that they love Bruce in a pink apron, legs spread open on the kitchen counter while they're " having dinner"

THE BREEDING KINK???? Bruce rides the hell out Harvey/Clark, making an absolute mess on their laps, whining, squirming, sobbing up a storm because he DEF cries during sex, and he's begging so sweetly

" please-- please, can - can I have a baby? Please? Pretty please? For me, daddy? For daddy's little wife?"

He's very persuasive when he wants to be

And as the tags mentioned; Bruce has his legs spread open wide more often than not.

If he's not laying on his back, getting the soul slurped and licked and milked out of him, he's most definetly riding Clark's or Harvey's faces and I'll die on that hill.

Harvey/Clark love how fucking Big they are compared to him. They love Bruce is small enough to move around, but big amd strong enough to grope and manhandle. Praise kink is on Heavily. " That's a good boy. "

This man's pussy makes Harvey/Clark CRY. They're completely addicted to him. Bruce is all day everyday getting spread on princess pink sheets, lingerie shredded, heels digging in his partner's back and getting SERVICED like he deserves

Pillow princess 100%%%

He likes hard stuff, but he's Very fragile in the after-care process. He's ashamed of ask for it because he's affectionate, or starves for it anyway, and doesn't expect to receive it because he didn't until Then

But it's all so soft, after. Gentle kisses. Harvey/Clark carrying him around everywhere, not minding clingy arms or sharp nails squeezing their shoulders. They're happy to hold that big baby for hours

Gets the baby he wants but like. Of course it's conceived in the dirtiest baby making sex you'll ever hear of. RIP Harvey's old DA office/car and Clark's family barn

That's all folks!!!

[mamawasatesttube]

ended up doing... neither? something else... (attempting ma kent pov for the first time ever)

“Conner did mention to me that you don’t like celebrating it much,” she says, gentler. “If you really don’t want to, I can put the candles up and we can just call this a regular dessert when he gets back.”

That makes Tim look up from the table. For a moment, he looks like a lost little lamb, and Martha suddenly wants to pinch his cheeks and coo over him. “He said that?”

“Well, yes.” Martha squeezes his shoulder. “He didn’t say why, just said not to do anything much. I asked him if a cake would be alright, and he said it should be, but if he guessed wrong…”

“No! No—it’s fine. It’s—it’s very nice.” Tim exhales, squaring his shoulders, and smiles at her. It’s small, but genuine, at least. “I just, uh… I haven’t done anything for my birthday since my dad died.”

“Oh,” Martha murmurs, and a swell of sympathy rises up in her chest. She remembers the first years after she lost her parents, how she clung to Jonathan and wondered how she’d ever feel warm and happy again. “Dear heart.”

She reaches for him, pulls him into her arms slowly enough that he could back away, if he wanted. She’s always thought of him a little like a skittish animal, though he’s always been sweet and eager to help out around the farm. It’s just that sometimes, she’s caught him watching her and Conner tease each other and laugh in the kitchen with such wistfulness it takes her breath away, even now. Like he’s at the window, stuck on the outside and looking in.

Now, he’s frozen in her embrace for just a moment before he sinks into her, his bony chin coming to rest on her shoulder. It takes him another moment to bring his arms up around her, but when he finally does, he curls his fingers into the back of her shirt and holds on fiercely. She squeezes him back twice as tight, and doesn’t pull away until he does.

After several heartbeats, he draws back. His face seems a little more open than before, his eyes shining; he looks down at the cake again with a tiny, adorable smile.

“Is that why you’re here, and not in Gotham?” Martha asks him gently, her fingers grazing over his elbow. “You’re always welcome, of course, but when Conner mentioned it’s your birthday this weekend, I wondered why you didn’t want to spend it with your family, there…”

Tim’s smile turns a little sardonic, tinged perhaps with the slightest edge of bitterness. “No, I try not to spend birthdays in Gotham.” He looks, for a moment, like there’s more on the tip of his tongue, but swallows it back down.

half of me wants to bang out a quick lighthearted silly core four fluff piece for tim day. the other half of me wants to bang out a quick moody introspective tim and all his fucking issues character study for tim day. since i can't decide i suppose i shall simply do neither. alas!

[bluerosefox]

[2023 Prompt List 1][Here] [2023 Prompt List 2][Next] [2023 Prompt List 3][Next]

|Why Ra’s Would Summon the Ghost King (Also Twins AU) [Part 1] |Danyal, Danny, Phantom [Part 2] |WIP [Part 3] |Bio!Dad Jason and Bio!Mom Jazz (With Oc!Kid or Son!Danny) |Ghost Gotham (With Bonus Ghosts Martha and Thomas) |Danny Says Clone Rights |Robin’s Haunted Halloween (Feat. Ghost King Danny and Ghostly grandparents Martha and Thomas) |Library Cryptid Danny |Twins to Trio? (Dani mistakes Damian as Danny, and Damian learns his twin might not be dead) |Twins AU BUT WITH ANGST! |Mom!Dani (Square up Superman) |Free Flying Graysons (Feat. Ghostly John and Mary Grayson) |Comes in Twos (Twins! Jason and Danny die on the same day) |Foreboding Words of Warnings (Feat. Competent Ghost King Danny) |Across My Memories (Feat. Ghost King Danny, Ghost!Prince Jason) |Consorthood Via Combat (Feat. Ghost King Danny, and Danny dating any Bat of your choosing) |Wrong Number Au (Danny sends a rant text to Tucker... Only its not Tucker) |Todd and Phantom, Mostly Ghostly Shenanigans (Danny and Jason try to get out of the GZ together and bond) |Ellie “I WILL bite you” and Danny “He’s just a baby” Fenton (Deaged Danny and caretaker (and tiny bit feral) Dani (Ellie) watch out Gotham, she’ll bite.) |Double Troubles (another Damian and Danny twin au but they wanna see how long their families notice they switch places) |Everything, including the bride. WAIT, BRIDE?! (Dead Tired pairing, Tim now regrets being a smart cookie as a kid and solving a magical puzzle box while Danny regrets beating Pariah Dark cause he got the old King’s bride now as his own) |CAT Ghost INSTINCTS (Damian brings home a... interesting new acquaintance who has some interesting... quirks) |Peek-A-Boo Champ! (Jazz and her baby being taken by a cult. Jason coming to save them. And Uncle Danny being the best at peek-a-boo) |Teeny-Tiny Kitten (Danielle ‘Ellie’ makes a wish and later gets found by a certain cat and bat) |Same As The Day I Lost You (Mix de-aged Danny, and siblings!Damian and Danny, add in some teleporting/portaling when the bats are fighting the League and you get this idea.) |Cuckoo Clocks (Clockwork sends a certain RR a sticky note during his solo run to come find Phantom and later find him) |The (Not) Normal One... (a reborn/reincarnted Danny idea where he’s the normal one in the batfam... only he’s really not.) |Dip and Kiss (Jason totally would kiss the person who ended the Joker in an Oscar worthy movie moment) |The Trouble With Time Travel Guilt (Danny starts an AITA thread due to his guilt over the future that will never be, he trauma bonds with fellow heroes and time travelers over it) |Friendships Between Realms (YJ and Danny Shenanigans Being Peek Friendship) |Misunderstandings and Miscommunications (Danny panics and runs, good Fenton parents want their son home, well meaning but not knowing the full picture best friends, on a war path Jazz and the maybe wooing of RH, and the DCverse getting caught in the middle of the chaos) |A Little Robin (Danny gets stuck in a Robin doll/plush and winds up in Gotham) |Kid's y'know? (Youngblood wants to be an astronaut this time, and Danny... Has to stop him from running amok the JL Watchtower) |Gothamites Never Really Rest (Johnny was a crime alley kid, Kitty was the daughter of a mob boss, and Jason was a kid they pseudo raised before their deaths. They meet again when Kitty and Johnny return to Gotham and find budding crime lord named Red Hood)

[uncomplicatedbookreviews]

Author: Martha Wells

Series: Murderbot Diaries (#4)

My rating: 10/10 ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Goodreads: 4.39/5

Date Read: December 2023

"I don’t want to be human." "That’s not an attitude a lot of humans are going to understand." ----------------------------

Plot Summary: Murderbot travels back to Preservation Station after discovering that her old owner, and possibly friend, Dr. Mensah is in danger and it might be partially Murderbot's fault. Murderbot must navigate it's biggest security challenge to protect Dr. Mensah and the rest of the Preservation expedition team long enough for the evidence against GrayCris to stop their murderous plans.

TL:DR: A high octane conclusion to the first story arc of the Murderbot series. This book delivers on both the action sequences seen in the previous installations as well as the emotional inner monologue of a robot figuring out what it means to be a 'person'.

Characters:

Murderbot, Dr. Mensah, The Expedition Team - They're all back baby and better than ever! All of our favorite characters from the first book in the series return in this one to provide support to Murderbot's final stand against GrayCris (and maybe some emotional support too, but we don't talk about that.)

Thoughts and Feelings: These books just never stop hitting and I love every second of it. One of my favorite things about the first four novellas that make up the original Murderbot Diaries is the fact that they manage to span a wide range of book archetypes. The first one was a pure action adventure where Murderbot is fighting forces of evil to save it's humans, the second and third book spend some time delving into the murder mystery/thriller type of events while Murderbot investigates the shady dealings of GrayCris and ultimately help save human lives, and this fourth one comes across as part political thriller because it revolves around protecting Dr. Mensah and ensuring that GrayCris is punished for their actions. With A LOT of action of course.

This book brings Murderbot's experiences as a free agent back to it's beginning with the Preservation team and it resolves a lot of the questions that have appeared throughout the previous books. Most impactful for me is the fact that Murderbot is forced to reckon with the fact that it legitimately cares for Dr. Mensah and the Expedition team beyond a contract obligation to keep them safe. Murderbot cares for these people, that is uncomfortable for Murderbot, but it has to learn to allow that discomfort to persist because it's not able to completely turn away from them. Murderbot self identifies as this cold and calculating machine that is dangerous and it fights against the reality that it has feelings just as intensely (and maybe more intensely) as the humans it is surrounded by. Reading about Murderbot's inner thoughts and processing, or lack of processing of these new emotions is fascinating. I find Murderbot highly relatable at times. The inability or unwillingness to face interpersonal relationship struggles and inconvenient emotions is something I think people can identify with.

The action of these books is wild, fast paced, and it hits the mark every time. Ultimately I am happy that there are more books in this series because there is so much more that I want to see explored.

[spacefunclubs]

Actually makes me so upset looking up YouTube and Twitter in the Doctor Who and David Tennant tags and seeing so many transphobes and bigoted losers complain about the latest specials being "woke" over that small scene of Fourteen asking the Meep its pronouns and the metacrisis resolution between Donna and Rose.

It's actually so disheartening, seeing so many people missing the fucking point of Doctor Who, and these are also the same people who shat on Jodie's entire run bc BWAAAA, WAHMAN NO BE DOCTOR!!1!1! and lord knows what's gonna happen when Ncuti's run finally begins and what he'll have to endure with these bigoted losers with a huge ass victim complex. Doctor Who is a show that has been vocally anti-fascist since the beginning with episodes reflecting the UK recovering from the effects of WWII with the Daleks being a metaphor for Nazis, feminism, or hell, even episodes in the new run of Doctor Who way back when it started in 2005 talking about themes of slavery, government corruption, and even subtle LGBT+ themes with Jack Harkness being an openly flirtatious bisexual, Bill Potts being openly lesbian, and hell, even Martha being the first black companion in Doctor Who history (Bill being the second). Not to mention the Twelfth Doctor, who these "fans" claim they stopped watching the show after he regenerated but completely gloss over this fact, sucker punching a racist who was harassing Bill. Not to mention the Doctor as a whole character growing more love and empathy with every new regeneration and not being afraid to emotionally express themselves with love instead of having to hide it, something these "fans" fail to have or even see and understand. So yeah, your "pwecious wittle show" has always been this way, believe it or not!!

And I am SO tired of seeing posts of these bigots asking how much David Tennant got paid for saying that pronoun line or even seeing dumbass video thumbnails of David Tennant saying stupid shit like "RIP DOCTOR WHO" when these assholes gloss over the fact that not only would his character (or any incarnation of the Doctor in general) would HATE these types of people, but also David in general. This whole year, he has been openly showing his support for the LGBT+ community, ESPECIALLY trans and nonbinary folks, between pride pins, the "Leave Trans Kids Alone" shirt, and even voicing his support at certain conventions. AND not to mention his lips were on Michael Sheen in the last season of Good Omens this summer (and his character being a genderfluid demonic entity similar to the Doctor) AND even WAY before that (Richard II) AND playing a trans woman A WHOLE 3 decades ago WAY BEFORE his Doctor Who fame. So no, he wasn't paid to do this shit, he's been doing this for FREE, which is what it costs y'all to not be an asshole. And, not to boast, but when I met him at New York Comic Con last month, I felt so safe around him even with just those few moments when I met him. He's the most kind, humble, gentle hearted soul on this planet and basically the only celebrity I stan bc of all this, so no, I don't think he would support your ideals bc you're just sad and pathetic chronically online cry babies that never felt a touch of a real person.

So fucking tired of dudebros feeling like they're entitled to their "pwecious wittle show" over being "woke" (which BTW, that word has been so overused to death, I don't even think these people know what it even means anymore and just use it as a meaningless insult) when really, they're just coping and seething over the fact that this show ain't for them and wanna be angry for the sake of being angry. So by all means, fuck off and take your anger elsewhere bc we clearly don't need it and it's making me and every other sane fan uncomfortable with your unprovoked anger. It's a trend that I've seen grow between this fandom, the Star Wars fandom, or any other geek-centric fandom online ever since Trump was in power, and it's really sad to see this type of bigotry grow in fan spaces like this. Y'all are better than this, get some help.

[shouldyouwakethewriteblr]

What made you choose the tag for each of your OCS? What specifically about that lyric made you feel like making it their tag?

Thank you for the neat question! 😊 Many of the tags are honestly at-risk of being changed, but all still hold messages, so I don't mind sharing. :)

'long way down to the bottom of the river' (sally)

Sally's tag is from 'Bottom Of The River' by Delta Rae. The tag itself is pretty self-explanatory with the river being a significant part of her storyline. I also associate her heavily with a lot of blues music, for some reason.

'losing grip of what I thought I knew' (martha)

Martha's tag is from 'Who Am I' by Besomorph. I chose the line to allude to Martha's ongoing identity crisis, as well as her need for certainty being turned on its head. I associate the song with Martha's relationship with both her mother and 'God'.

'are these vultures overhead?' (sylvester)

Sylvester's tag song is one of my favourites. It is 'Circle Nine' by Galt Aureus. The song itself symbolizes Sylvester's eventual fate and rescue. The tag itself references vultures (being the symbol of his mother's gang.) To me, this gives the image of Sylvester hallucinating his family and friends all around him.

'baby lion lost his teeth' (john-ira)

John-Ira's tag song is from Your Bones by Of Monsters and Men. The song, to me, gives thoughts of John-Ira trying to keep his loved ones together in the thick of it all. The tag itself, to me, symbolizes his goodness being taken advantage of.

'try a little topsy-turvy' (prudence)

Prudence's current tag is pretty new. It's from 'Upside Down' by Paloma Faith. I love this song for her, as it brings to mind Prudence defending her own unseriousness and identity, the tag itself being a lyric that felt especially playful.

'delicate in every way but one' (annie)

Annie's tag is one of the few I'd like to change eventually, but it's still relevant. It's from Lorde's song Glory And Gore, which I imagine as her justifying the company she keeps. The tag itself is as simple as 'I am not all that I seem'

'I belong to here' (rosfridur)

Rosfridur's tag is from Play Dead by Björk. I love the song for her for its otherworldly feel (the accent doesn't hurt either) and I associate the song (particularly the lyric in the tag) with her accepting and almost being resigned to her relationship with the red.

'i've taken a week to feel free' (bill)

Bill's tag I desperately want to change, but haven't come up with anything, yet. His tag is from Empty by Letdown. and is meant to represent how quickly he altered his entire life out of desperation. I still like the song for him, but I'd like something harder-hitting in the future.

'melodies and trees hang by my side' (amos)

Amos' tag is from 'No Place In Mind' by Justin Nozuka (an insanely fitting song for him.) The tag symbolizes his finding purpose and almost companionship in music and travel, and how he doesn't seem to need much else.

'every little hour that I spend' (orie)

Orie's tag is, funny enough, 'Make It Work' from the movie 'Jingle Jangle.' Forest Whittaker's character in the movie reminded me a lot of Orie and so I thought I'd nab one of his lyrics from the film to reflect that.

'when does the reason become the blame?' (simeon)

Simeon's tag comes from 'Just A Man' by Jorge Rivera-Herrans. The song was suggested to me and I almost threw up, haha. The tag was only really chosen because it was a short enough line, but the whole thing is very on-par with his storyline. Gets me emotional thinking about how Simeon was just a teenage boy who'd lost his remaining family when the Fossers began-- and how all he'd wanted was a safe place to build a new family, but had to be the one to create that place through ugly means.

'cause she's just like the weather' (flossie)

Flossie's tag could also do with a change. The song is 'Landscape' by Florence + The Machine, and I chose the tag because I loved the song for her, but couldn't find a short enough lyric that really stuck. The following lyric is 'can't hold her together,' which makes the whole thing make more sense. The whole song is, to me, symbolic of her emotional frailty.

[monstrousproductions]

I trust your taste

Can you recommend some fiction books? Fantasy is highly appreciated!

Oooh what a sign of trust!! OK so I don't actually read a huge ton of fantasy, so I'll do my best with a couple of non-fantasy that I just can't resist mentioning at the end.

Also, this got... a bit long... so I'm putting it under a Read More lol

A Wizard of Earthsea by Ursula K Le Guin - classic fantasy about a boy who becomes a great wizard. I realise this is likely one you've already read, as a fantasy fan, but it's a classic for a reason! Absolutely beautiful, and really powerful for me as a Quaker because of its rejection of the idea that fantasy must always be about The Goodie winning over The Baddie by doing killing better than them. If you've read it already, read it again lmao Also there's a new audiobook that came out a few years ago read by Kobna Holdbrook-Smith which is just brilliant.

The Fifth Season by NK Jemisin does come with a decent load of content warnings so do tread carefully if necessary, but it's also the best fantasy I've read in YEARS. The book is split over three different narratives in a world where magic users are an oppressed class, and again the audiobooks are amazing, read by Robin Miles.

Meanwhile I very much do NOT recommend the audiobook for Assassin's Apprentice by Robin Hobb, though I did enjoy the book when I read it. The audiobook is, I believe, read by an American putting on what he thinks is an English accent, and um. Well. It sure is something. It's pretty classic fantasy too, and one of those books that you're like "what in God's name do you mean, this wasn't intended to be gay??"

The Heavens by Sandra Newman always makes my rec lists because it made me cry a lot and it's just very beautiful. Again the narrative is split, one taking place in an alternate, utopian present and one in Elizabethan England, with the narratives linked by the fact that the Elizabethan stuff is happening in the dreams of the woman in the present.

My favourite book ever is Fire & Hemlock by Diana Wynne Jones, it's about an unlikely friendship between a girl and a young man with lots of fae things and that brilliant blending of magic and reality that DWJ does so well. It's so much my favourite that when I recommend it to friends, I ask them to please not tell me if they didn't like it - just pretend you didn't read it haha Honestly I recommend any DWJ, but F&H is my baby <3

Lud-in-the-Mist by Hope Mirrlees was one of those books I read once that just stayed with me. It's about a Perfectly Ordinary English Town that sees an influx of fairy fruit and has to deal with that, and while I'm fuzzy on remembering the details, I know I loved it!

And then because I actually read more SF than fantasy as a general rule, here's a jumble of SF titles that I adore (though I'll spare you the waffle!):

the Imperial Radch triology by Ann Leckie about a troop carrier who becomes a person (she also has a fantasy book - The Raven's Tower - if that appeals more and all her audiobooks in the UK are read by Adjoa Andoh who I would simply die for)

the Murderbot Diaries by Martha Wells, about a security bot who becomes a person (audiobooks are read by Kevin R Free, of Nightvale fame, and they're brilliant)

This is How You Lose the Time War by Amal El-Mohtar and Max Gladstone, about two soldiers in warring time-travel factions sending letters to each other (also made me cry)

To Be Taught If Fortunate by Becky Chambers, about space researchers who change their bodies to adapt to the worlds they find and what ethical issues they come up against

The City We Became by NK Jemisin, about people who become living avatars of the different districts of New York to fight an alien presence (also a good audiobook - Robin Miles again)

All Our Wrong Todays by Elan Mastai, about a man from a utopian timeline suddenly stuck in our timeline instead (good audiobook too)

Station Eleven by Emily St John Mandel, about a travelling theatre troup in a world where civilisation collapsed after a terrible pandemic (obviously tread carefully wrt how upsetting that might be for you!)

And then it isn't SFF in any strict sense but The Man Who Was Thursday by GK Chesterton (Simon Vance does the audiobook I like) is just very very fun and good and I like it a lot. Also the Lord Peter Wimsey novels, for the same reason!