#karen starling

[fairyprank]

Things between Augustine and Karen are getting series, so we went out so Karen's brother could get to know her better.

[viioggvl]

DC taking place in the 80s-90’s is so special to me. Like all the music they would listen to, how they would talk to each other?? It’s so cute.

Wally: *reading comics while Nirvana plays on his Discman* Skin the sun, fall asleep..

Dick: Dude, are you listening to Nirvana’s song, uh, what’s it called?

Wally: ‘Dumb’? C’mon dude, it’s all that and a bag of chips!

Roy: As if.

Donna: I do not understand? What is Nirvana? And what is that musical machine?

Garth: Don’t look at me! We don’t have this in Atlantis either.

Karen: It’s a Discman, it plays music with CDs. It’s da bomb!

Donna: And Nirvana?

Roy: *shrugs* One of those wannabe singers.

Wally: *gasp* Don’t go there, mister! You’ve been listening to Nirvana when you’re in Starling!

Dick: *cackles*

Roy: Oh, eat my shorts, pansy ass!

*everyone starts laughing *

(I was doing a project on DC characters, when I forgot if there was a timeline or not, so I made up that everything took place in 80’s-90’s and I had to look up 90’s devices and 90’s slang..)

[thereadingchallengechallenge]

🔎 YA Under the Radar 7 🔍

I have been working on this list in the series all year 😂 it just took me that long to read a decent amount of underrated YA - but I got there in the end and I'm pretty happy with the recs on this list 🥰

there are rainbow flags next to LGBT+ rep, wheelchair symbols next to disability rep and koalas next to Australia YA simply because there's a lot of that on this particular list

so take a gander and maybe consider picking up a title or two (or ten) in 2024 to support lesser-known authors and books 😊

Take Me With You When You Go by David Levithan & Jennifer Niven 🏳️‍🌈

Margo Zimmerman Gets the Girl by Brianna R Shrum & Sara Waxelbaum 🏳️‍🌈♿️

Imogen, Obviously by Becky Albertalli 🏳️‍🌈

To Break a Covenant by Alison Ames 🏳️‍🌈

It Looks Like Us by Alison Ames 🏳️‍🌈

Scout’s Honor by Lily Anderson 🏳️‍🌈

Grace Notes by Karen Comer 🐨

The Sky Blues by Robbie Couch 🏳️‍🌈

Blood Moon by Lucy Cuthew

After Dark With Roxie Clark by Brooke Lauren Davis

Blind Spot by Robyn Dennison 🐨

Melt With You by Jennifer Dugan 🏳️‍🌈

The Lake House by Sarah Beth Durst

Where You See Yourself by Claire Forrest ♿️

What We Harvest by Ann Fraistat

All Eyes On Us by Kit Frick 🏳️‍🌈

When We Were Magic by Sarah Gailey 🏳️‍🌈

The Lightness of Hands by Jeff Garvin ♿️

Then Everything Happens at Once by M-E Girard 🏳️‍🌈♿️

The Buried by Melissa Grey 🏳️‍🌈

Because of You by Pip Harry 🐨

The Lost Girls by Sonia Hartl 🏳️‍🌈

Howl by Shaun David Hutchinson

The Weight of Blood by Tiffany D Jackson

Jay’s Gay Agenda by Jason June 🏳️‍🌈

Out of the Blue by Jason June 🏳️‍🌈

Riley Weaver Needs a Date to the Gaybutante Ball by Jason June 🏳️‍🌈

Girls Like Girls by Hayley Kiyoko 🏳️‍🌈

The Honeys by Ryan La Sala 🏳️‍🌈

Luck of the Titanic by Stacey Lee

It Will End Like This by Kyra Leigh

Extasia by Claire Legrand

Ryan and Avery by David Levithan 🏳️‍🌈

Starlings by Amanda Linsmeier 🏳️‍🌈

The Drowned Woods by Emily Lloyd-Jones

A Scatter of Light by Malinda Lo 🏳️‍🌈

We Didn’t Think It Through by Gary Lonesborough 🐨

Sadie Starr’s Guide to Starting Over by Miranda Luby 🐨

None Shall Sleep series by Ellie Marney 🐨

The Girls Are Never Gone by Sarah Glenn Marsh ♿️

Our Last Echoes by Kate Alice Marshall

These Fleeting Shadows by Kate Alice Marshall 🏳️‍🌈

The Narrow by Kate Alice Marshall 🏳️‍🌈

Dark and Deepest Red by Anna-Marie McLemore

Mask of Shadows duology by Linsey Miller 🏳️‍🌈

Sugar by Carly Nugent ♿️🐨

All Our Hidden Gifts trilogy by Caroline O’Donoghue 🏳️‍🌈

The Life and (Medieval) Times of Kit Sweetly by Jamie Pacton

Lucky Girl by Jamie Pacton

The Vermilion Emporium by Jamie Pacton

Accidental by Alex Richards

Some Kind of Animal by Mar Romasco-Moore

Luminous by Mara Rutherford

The Poison Season by Mara Rutherford

The Midnight Lie duology by Marie Rutkoski 🏳️‍🌈

Can’t Take That Away by Steven Salvatore 🏳️‍🌈

When You Call My Name by Tucker Shaw 🏳️‍🌈

If You Still Recognise Me by Cynthia So 🏳️‍🌈

Our Year of Maybe by Rachel Lynn Solomon ♿️

Breathe and Count Back From Ten by Natalia Sylvester ♿️

Cold by Mariko Tamaki 🏳️‍🌈

Outrun the Wind by Elizabeth Tammi 🏳️‍🌈

The Weight of a Soul by Elizabeth Tammi

Wild and Crooked by Leah Thomas ♿️

Violet Ghosts by Leah Thomas 🏳️‍🌈

The Comedienne’s Guide to Pride by Hayli Thomson 🏳️‍🌈🐨

The Siren, the Song and the Spy by Maggie Tokuda-Hall

Sweet and Bitter Magic by Adrienne Tooley 🏳️‍🌈

Sofi and the Bone Song by Adrienne Tooley 🏳️‍🌈

Nothing Sung and Nothing Spoken by Nita Tyndall 🏳️‍🌈♿️

The Spirit Bares Its Teeth by Andrew Joseph White 🏳️‍🌈

This Is the Way the World Ends by Jen Wilde 🏳️‍🌈♿️🐨

Where You Left Us by Rhiannon Wilde 🏳️‍🌈🐨

Two Can Play That Game by Leanne Yong🐨

Katzenjammer by Francesca Zappia

[horror-dykes-blog]

List of Books I Read While Working Nights At an Acute Mental Health Hospital That Weirded Out My Coworkers When I Explained the Plot

Bloom by Delilah S. Dawson- lesbians and cannibalism

The Entire Locked Tomb Series by Tamsy Muir: lesbian necromancers in space with no reliable narrators

Final Girl Support Group by Grady Hendrix- not really weird but explaining the meta final girls plot was hard and I fumbled it I think

Starling House by Alex E. Harrow: it's family trauma and cycles The Book

Blackwater by Michael McDowell: Evil Mermaid Except You're Definitely Rooting For Her

The Southern Book Club's Guide to Slaying Vampires by Grady Hendrix: it's what it sounds like except even cooler imo

My Best Friend's Exorcism by Grady Hendrix (I was on a kick, okay?): what it sounds like except they should have been lesbianing it up at the end and they weren't and that was disappointing but the rest of the book 10/10

Swamplandia! by Karen Russel: wow these siblings tore my heart out i love them but also WOOF look at a TW/CW list before you read it

The Whitehall Manor Books by L.V. Pires: First book, LOVED. Cursed family? LOVED. The other two books? Eh. Honestly, don't bother

[cutesyscreenname]

I'd Be Home With You

One Shot

Pairing: Joel x fem!OFC

Summary: Based off the song In A Week by Hozier ft. Karen Crowley. On patrol, Joel and his love are attacked by clickers. They aren't so lucky this time so they do what they've always said they would if they both got bitten.

Word Count: 712

Warnings: death, decay, suicide, general angst and sorrow. I cried editing this.

A/N: I'm sorry I don't know why I felt compelled to write this. I hope its well done enough to make up for how deeply sad the story is.

We lay here for years or for hours

Your hand in my hand

So still and discreet

So long we become the flowers

We'd feed well the land

And worry the sheep

All is quiet in the vast expanse of tall grass and wildflowers. The prey have skittered into hiding, the predators have had their fill. Scavengers have circled and gone away. All that remains is the fanned blanket of fungi weaving across their still forms, pushing up around their entwined fingers gone stiff.

The first comes out of nowhere, shoving her to the ground in an instant. She presses against its chest as the thing writhes and gnashes relentlessly above her. She can't risk reaching for her weapon and give way to the force of it's weight, clearing a beeline between herself and its gaping maw.

The dull scrape of a knife sheathed in its skull, followed by the creature slumping away from her trembling body, brings only a second of relief.

"Joel! Behind you!"

He's older now, still strong as ever but just a hair slower then he once was and this brief lapse in reflex costs him everything. He manages to shoulder the monster onto the forest floor and she takes her opportunity to return his favor, sinking her blade between its unseeing eyes.

The sun's midsummer kiss nudges the vegetation to rise around them, unsuccessful in waking the pair from their cool slumber.

She sees it on him first, the teeth marks. Hearts flailing with adrenaline, neither feel the impact of their combat.

"Joel-" she chokes on her lover's name, tears already careening down the slopes of her muddied cheeks.

He notes the gash on her hand as she reaches for him, soft brown eyes turning to vivid umber, catching the setting sunlight as they wet with the agonizing realization.

"Joel you're bit."

His voice is low, broken. "You are too, baby."

The flies, the flowers, the crows, and the cordyceps. They dance together in harmony, taking what they need from the stillness. If there was anything to give back, their silhouettes refuse it kindly.

After minutes, maybe hours, their tears slow and still in each other's embrace.

"Okay baby. We talked about this. We're going out together. Just as we were, we ain't turnin'."

She nods slowly, hands cupping his saltwater scruff.

"I know baby. Just like we always said. It'll be alright."

"I ain't missin' this time." He says it to reassure her, so she won't fret that he might go mad all alone.

Hand in hand, resting on a plush bed of blooming pasture, eyes on each other's finding peace in what they find there, one last time.

"It's time, baby. I'm goin' home with you."

"I love you, Joel."

"I love you, darlin'."

Hammers pulled back, cool steel placing a goodnight kiss on their temples, counting together.

"3...2...1..."

Starlings scatter to the horizon.

When they didn't return that night from patrol, the search party began immediately. Joel's brother takes the lead, panic only sated by taking action.

It takes nearly a week, the groups rotating shifts and pushing out further each pass, until they find them.

The meadow is eerily silent, the tips of boots in grass catching the eye of the man who gives the alert.

Tommy comes running at the commotion before he's being held back by his fellow searchers.

Let me through right now that's my GODDAMN BROTHER! THATS MY FUCKING BROTHER LET ME GO!

There's nothing to be done, the narrative clear as day as mushroom caps blossom through the wounds at their temples.

Joel always knew things never turn out as planned, but since meeting her he felt certain that he would always end up where he was meant to be.

As the last light slips softly below the treeline so goes their essence back to the stars, ready to again run the race into each other's arms, footing surer with each pass through the cosmos.

They've done it time and time again, stardust and atoms cut from the same cloth.

He knew he would always end up home with her.

And they'd find us in a week

When the cattle show fear

After the insects have made their claim

After the foxes have known our taste

I'd be home with you

I won't lie I've been shit at keeping track of the everything tag list so I'll just tag who I think might like it 😬😬😬:

@pedgeitopascal @mylostloversbookmarks @atinylittlepain @ladamedusoif @avastrasposts @ssuperficialspacecadett @swiftispunk @pr0ximamidnight @wannab-urs @iamasaddie @jksprincess10

[wealmostaneckbeard]

Track 1: Welcome to the Neighborhood by Brian David Gilbert

A Gestalt resident decides to kill their annoyingly creepy Replika neighbor. A new Replika replacement is ordered and takes their place.

Track 2: Well, Well, Look Who's Inside Again (cover) by Kat Rampage

A resident laments being in lock down

Track 3: we like watching birds by Brian David Gilbert and Karen Han

A pair of gestalts express their love and appreciation for all the varieties of replikas that serve the Eusan Nation. They deliver bones to their "bird god" who is a Falke unit and she is very confused.

Track 4: In Your Light by Gotye

An Adler unit sings about how much he loves his Falke

Track 5: Business Man by Tom Cardy

A Starling unit attempts to infiltrate a gestalt gang. Her disguise is terrible and the gestalts let her know. They all come under fire from a corrupt Protektor.

Track 6: Look Who's Inside Again - Instrumental by ZFM

We check back in with that one resident in lock down. They've developed a fun hobby to pass the time.

Track 7: Go Ahead and Cry by Metric

A Eule unit gets high and performs a little song and dance for her co-workers. It's a little sad and silly but everyone loves it.

Track 8: I'm alone in my apartment by Brian David Gilbert

A different resident is also trapped in their home. They decide to rewatch a propaganda movie. And be anxious. And talk to themself.

Track 9: Get Louis Theroux It by Tom Cardy

A gestalt journalist with Bioresonant abilities causes a reality warping cataclysmic disaster.

Track 10: Nothing Worth Loving Isn't Askew by Lemon Demon

A gestalt political dissident sings a love song to their defective replika cell mate.

Track 11: I Will Remember You by Metric

A pair of actresses dressed like Ariane Yeong and Elster perform an abbreviated retelling of the original subjects tragic romance.

Track 12: Eclipse by The Blasting Company and Little Star

The real Elster sings a love song to the real Ariane Yeong.

[cr1msonpeak]

A PRIVATE, VERY LOW ACTIVITY MULTI MUSE BLOG, BY FRANKIE ! [ SHE / HER / 24. ] PRIMARILY FOUND ON JANESSA IVES. [ INBOX + PINTEREST. ]

rules are simple, same as on my other blogs! this is just a small, no pressure space for me to write and test out muses that i want to try my hand in. if i follow you, it likely means we know each other through one of my other blogs [ @shadowedvales, @long-song or @dragonskept ] so you know how things roll with me. if i do happen to follow you, and we don't know one another elsewhere, you can find detailed rules on any of the blogs listed above, but it's really just common sense guidelines. don't be a dick, don't use problematic fcs, etc etc. i do use deceased face claims, as i do not believe in erasing the hard work of cory monteith and naya rivera in their respective roles. if you would prefer me to go iconless for threads with said characters, let me know!

RE HARRY POTTER: please let it be noted that jkr makes me sick to my stomach. in no way shape or form do i support her, and despite loving aspects of her creation and some of her characters, i do not affiliate them to her writing, nor any of her beliefs or views. i do not believe that writing her characters on a silly little site like tumblr proves that i support her or any of her views. for the last two years i have actively avoided the fandom on tumblr, and in my day to day life, even having it in my own dni and putting my collection into storage, but i no longer wish to do this where tumblr is concerned. this is my safe space after all, and i am going to enjoy myself. saying that, i will be tagging any harry potter content under harry potter / as i'm sure some of my mutuals would prefer that.

RE STRANGER THINGS: all muses are heavily affiliated to my own portrayal of jane ives, and as such i will not write them against any other jane portrayals. this is nothing personal! i have been writing jane for 5+ years now, and she's simply a very important character to me, and i would never be comfortable writing with another. my stranger things characters featured here are very canon divergent.

PRIMARY:

alison cooper, bbc's ghosts. she / her. late twenties. straight. charlotte ritchie.

bloom peters, winx club. she / her. teenager. pansexual. karen gillan. (not affiliated to fate.)

the captain, bbc's ghosts. he / him. eternally forty - five. gay. ben willbond.

cinderella tremaine, disney's cinderella. she / her. early twenties. pansexual. dianna agron.

corinne d'artagnan, barbie and the three musketeers. she / her. eighteen plus. lesbian. jennifer morrison.

the doctor, doctor who. he / him. ancient. panromantic. matt smith. (previously @long-song-a / @long-song. please read before interaction.)

eden starling, barbie in a christmas carol. she / her. early twenties. lesbian. sarah goldberg.

esmeralda la chanteflurie, disney's the hunchback of notre dame. she / her. early twenties. lesbian. gratiela brancusi.

princess fiona faireway, shrek, original character. she / her. verse dependant. pansexual. rachel hurd wood, emily carey, olivia cooke + kate winslet. (must read before interaction. i will never write in the shrek franchise.)

frankie stein, monster high. she / her. sixteen days old. pansexual. natalia dyer. (gen one based but open to writing with gen2/3 portrayals.)

harry potter, harry potter. he / him. verse dependant. bisexual. daniel radcliffe. (very headcanon based. please note that my default ship is harry + luna, though i am open to exploring others! harry returns to school post war for his final year, and has every intention to follow his auror path. after graduating and beginning the training, he realises he can't cope with the in-field work, and takes a few years off to live a quiet life. he takes up the post of defence against the dark arts at hogwarts in 2004.)

hiccup haddock, how to train your dragon. he / him. early twenties. bisexual. freddie highmore and jamie dornan.

jack kelly, disney's newsies. he / him. twenties. bisexual. jeremy jordan.

katherine "kitty" higham, bbc's ghosts. she / her. eternally twenty - one. pansexual. lolly adefope.

peter pevensie, the chronicles of narnia. he / him. late teens. bisexual. william moseley.

teresa ives, stranger things. she / her. thirties. bisexual. charlotte ritchie. (rather than going catatonic, after the shock therapy terry falls into a deep coma. she begins to wake up when jane connects to her through the void in season 2. it takes a long time for her to properly heal, and she deals with constant migraines, but she does eventually move into hawkins with becky to care for jane.)

sophie bone nee l'congié, bbc's ghosts. she / her. eternally forty - two. lesbian. chloé delanney. (info found here.)

SECONDARY:

anastasia romanov, anastasia. she / her. early twenties. pansexual. fc tbd. (influence taken primarily from the animated film, with some musical influence. i do not intend to disrespect the living romanov family, or any of the history, which is why my portrayal is firmly fantasy based.)

blaine anderson, glee. he / him. teenager. gay. darren criss.

catherine beadnall, barbie in a christmas carol. she / her. early twenties. pansexual. tba.

cedric diggory, harry potter. he / him. teenager. straight. robert pattinson.

evie grimhilde, disney's descendants. she / her. late teens. bisexual with feminine lean. sofia carson. (influence taken primarily from the first film and book series.)

fleur delacour, harry potter. she / her. verse dependant. bisexual. clémence poésy.

graham humbert, once upon a time. he / him. how old is anyone in ouat fr. straight. jamie dornan.

humphrey bone, bbc's ghosts. he / him. eternally forty - five. straight. laurence rickard.

lydia deetz, beetlejuice. she / her. teenager. lesbian. elizabeth teeter. (musical based with film influence, however not affiliated to beetlejuice beetlejuice.)

rapunzel, barbie as rapunzel. she / her. eighteen. pansexual. tba.

robin, bbc's ghosts. he / they. eternally twenty - two. ??? laurence rickard.

sam owens, stranger things. he / him. sixties. straight. paul reiser. (if you know me, you know that st4 is not canon at all to my jane, nor is the appalling downgrade of sam's character. sam is based only on his s2 portrayal, with my own hcs relating to jane. he becomes an advocate to help her life a normal life, and sets the ives family up well, trying to help heal the horrors of their past by making their future a little easier. he works excessively to help fix the mistakes and risks dr. brenner made in his time.)

TERTIARY:

bill potts, doctor who. she / her. early twenties. lesbian. pearl mackie.

finn hudson, glee. he / him. teenager. straight. cory monteith.

gwen cooper, torchwood. she / her. late twenties. bisexual. eve myles.

giselle andatale, disney's enchanted. she / her. early twenties. pansexual. amy addams. (not affiliated to disenchanted.)

kali prasad, stranger things. she / her. early twenties. bisexual. linnea berthelsen.

rebecca ives, stranger things. she / her. thirties. straight. amy seimetz.

santana lopez, glee. she / her. teenager. lesbian. naya rivera.

[dreammakcr]

( okay! for new followers, this is a full list of muses that are not on my muse page yet. <3 )

lilith - a court of thorns and roses (OC rhysand’s sister)

medusa - greek mythology

isobel - baulder’s gate 3

vidia - disney’s tinkerbell

balthazar - supernatural

johnny gat - saint’s row

han solo - star wars

leia organa - star wars

padme amidala - star wars

helios - greek mythlogy

nora west-allen - detective comics

barry allen - detective comics

dorothy gale - the wizard of oz

angelica schuyler - hamilton

eliza schuyler - hamilton

olivia pope - scandal

jasper frost - the royals

eleanor hestridge - the royals

alosa kalligan - daughter of the pirate king

eelyn - sky in the deep

mirabel madrigal - encanto

dolores madrigal - encanto

barbie - barbie

artemis - greek mythology

rose dewitt bukater - titanic

alice liddell - alice madness returns

will turner - pirates of the caribbean

elizabeth swann - pirates of the caribbean

nessarose thropp - wicked

penny lamb - ride the cyclone

sandy olsson from grease

betty rizzo from grease

willow rosenberg from buffy the vampire slayer

kal from halloweentown 2

marnie piper from halloweentown

juliet starling from lollipop chainsaw

william gracey from the haunted mansion

sadie adler from red dead 2

arthur morgan from red dead 2

teddy lupin from harry potter

roxanne weasley from harry potter

fleur delacour from harry potter

calliope from greek mythology

richard castle from castle

kate beckett from castle

hilda spellman from sabrina the teenage witch

sabrina spellman from sabrina the teenage witch

jason mendoza from the good place

tahani al jamil from the good place

amren from a court of thorns and roses

jake peralta from brooklyn 99

velma dinkely from scooby doo

fred jones from scooby doo

daphne blake from scooby doo

shaggy rogers from scooby doo

phoenix winchester from supernatural (OC daughter of Cassie and Dean)

miss honey from matilda

matilda from matilda

jessica day from new girl

maxwell sheffield from the nanny

(young) blanche deveraux from the golden girls

merope gaunt from harry potter

janine teagues from abbott elementary

aurora dubois from sleeping beauty

anne sallow from hogwarts legacy

poppy sweeting from hogwarts legacy

tom riddle from harry potter

jeffrey winger from community

troy barnes from community

annie edison from community

river song from doctor who

helena bertinelli from detective comics

dinah lance from detective comics

princess yona from yona and the dawn

clover ewing from totally spies

magdalene defoe from repo! the genetic opera

amber sweet from repo! the genetic opera

shilo wallace from repo! the genetic opera

carmen cortez from spy kids

ami mizuno from sailor moon

gretchen wieners from mean girls

karen smith from mean girls

prince phillip from sleeping beauty

helen parr from the incredibles

rei hino from sailor moon

danielle de barbarac from ever after

deena johnson from fear street

laurie strode from halloween

gale weathers from scream

sidney prescott from scream

samantha carpenter from scream

[ao3feed-irondadspiderson]

My Darling Starling

https://archiveofourown.org/works/52394842 by paisparker “Athletes, socialites, actors— These people pay a hundred grand annually to have their name put on a list of who’s allowed entrance, but how much do you think they’d be willing to pay to keep what they do in here a secret?” “So that’s your price? Blackmail material?” “Do we have a deal?” ; Sex, Money, Drugs. These are the pillars of power in society, and no one knows it better than politicians and the people of Hollywood. Harley Keener is beginning to fall into the second category, and he’s not spared from learning this the hard the way. Words: 2495, Chapters: 1/?, Language: English Fandoms: Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel Movies) Rating: Explicit Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings Categories: M/M Characters: Harley Keener, Peter Parker, Tony Stark, Harry Osborn, Pepper Potts, Karen (Spider-Man: Homecoming), Aldrich Killian, Johnny Storm, Aunt May Parker (Marvel), Happy Hogan Relationships: Harley Keener/Peter Parker, Harley Keener & Peter Parker, Harley Keener & Tony Stark, Peter Parker & Tony Stark, Harley Keener & Peter Parker & Tony Stark, Harley Keener & Harry Osborn, Peter Parker & Harry Osborn, Pepper Potts/Tony Stark Additional Tags: Alternate Universe - Celebrity, Alternate Universe - Actors, Harley Keener-centric, Hurt Harley Keener, Peter Parker is Tony Stark's Biological Child, Protective Peter Parker, Drugs, Explicit Sexual Content, Blackmail, Alternate Universe - Hollywood, Mutual Pining, Slow Burn, Angst, Angst with a Happy Ending, Money is The Root of All Evil, Gay Harley Keener, Parent Tony Stark, Tony Stark Acting as Peter Parker's Parental Figure, Not Harry Osborn Friendly, Emotional/Psychological Abuse, Dubious Consent, Consensual Sex, Alternate Universe - No Powers, Parkner Endgame, (SEPARATE SITUATIONS), Assassination Plot(s) read it on AO3 at https://archiveofourown.org/works/52394842

[fairyprank]

.😱🦇

[dreaminmetaphors]

With a Lemon Twist

Even in the darkest night, I'm a bright-sider kinda guy, smiling under starlight.

The glass is half-empty because I'm hydrated.

And the worse things get, the stronger I become.

So trust me when I say: the best part of the worst of humanity

Is that you can improve yourself by removing an aspect of their strategy.

Take their playbook with a grain of somersault. Give it a swirl with a lemon twist.

Seriously. I want you to study failure so you can repeatedly ruin the recipe when you reproduce it.

Take the guy who always supplies a reason he never really needed for why he quits:

"That's it! I can't find a synonym for cinnamon, so I'm gonna sin again. Screw this noise!"

See me grinning? Because I found a loser's life hack, only I quit at quitting.

Why settle for a deeper reason when an idiot excuse suffices to hear yourself make mouth word noise?

Say what? Yeah, those days you just need to hear yourself say it aren't about making sense of anything at all.

So say, "That's it! I already got caught in the rain, so why would I kill myself today? I'm over it!"

Ready for another? You know that guy who never misses a chance to buy his ticket?

Dashes to the store before they drop the lotto balls like it's a New Year's Eve event?

I can borrow that tenacity and point it at something with purpose more than playing with matches.

I keep vigilant eyes open for those four-leaf clover friendships.

I'm not just going online, bubbling in numbers and waiting around to be found.

Speaking of matches, you can mix and match fail-style strategies (this is the next level)

Just as easily as you could with good things multiplying like... hip-hop turntables built out of legos {record scratch screech}, feel me?

Two negative numbers give the same positive product. That's just math.

The dismissive asshole at the party who stomps your story because his ego's a vast emptiness?

Aaaand that person who gets walked all over whimpering and whispering, "but I can change them"?

Let's say someone tries to apologize for hurting me, I can answer: "Cool story, bro," and not accept it.

DJ Lego, rewind that back: I do not accept apologies.

I can acknowledge it and keep faith that they can change

Without the <slap> "lemme see that on replay" <slap> "here I am, hurt again" <slap> lifestyle.

The only thing I accept is changed behavior.

I volunteer as tribute only so far as, "Here, lemme be a consequence you remember.

Maybe ruining this relationship with me will help you be better next time.

Because you being on your journey is not an excuse to murder mine."

I do this every day, take negativity from people who never have anything nice to say,

Let that remind me to mind the details because the devil is in there already.

Then I crossfade that fluffy new age white privilege-y "everything is meant to be" mentality,

Fold it up like an extra napkin in my back pocket, and produce a prayer more like...

Radio telescopes listening for an alien invasion:

"Hey, if you're out there, I want to believe, but...

In the mean time I'm gonna default-operate as if I'm the only hands you've got down here."

Truth be known, some days I don't feel like sticking around to see it,

But that's when it's time to apply Karen-level defiance!

The glass gets half-full as I pour quiet contemplation like good hydrations.

Then I'm back in action again:

Bright-sider on the darkest night, smiling under starling.

The worse things get? Well, I guess the better I'd better be.

[gay-salt-amber]

Headcanons of the vice dorm leaders dealing with a Karen? I like to see how Trey acts-

Trey and Jade were buying baking stuff and Jade was dressed kind of flamboyant and a Karen started spewing whatever and Trey hands Jade his coffee and goes off on this woman. Jade def gave him many cuddles as a thank you

Ruggie has worked way to many customer service jobs and is ready to go off on any Karen the minute he gets off the job and it is 100% maliciously motivated

Jamil.... kalim had to be the one to do the confronting cuz the moment the Karen said something bad about Ace or kalim or both, he was about to use his UM out in public which he never does

Ortho turns off his filter mode

Rook swears them out in French and neige is rapid fire with translating it all

Lilia has had their fair share of Karen's and was more then happy to ignore them but starling was with him and starling will defend lilia to the ends of the world despite lilia not needing it. Lilia is so in love omfg

[thereadingchallengechallenge]

Read in December 2023

what better way to end the year than with a reading spree 🥰 I got through so many wonderful books this month and was able to give my TBR a good clear out before the new year too. I even managed to write some reviews lol

here's to more wonderful reads in 2024!

Series read:

Monk and Robot by Becky Chambers

A Psalm for the Wild Built - DNF

A Prayer for the Crown Shy - DNF

Familiar authors:

Imogen Obviously by Becky Albertalli - 4/5 (audio)

The Lightness of Hands by Jeff Garvin - 5/5

Last Night at the Telegraph Club by Malinda Lo - 5/5 (audio)

A Scatter of Light by Malinda Lo - 5/5 (audio)

You’ll Be The Death of Me by Karen M McManus - 3/5 (audio)

Heartstopper Volume 5 by Alice Oseman - 5/5

The Vermilion Emporium by Jamie Pacton - 4/5

Wild and Crooked by Leah Thomas - 4/5

The Spirit Bares Its Teeth by Andrew Joseph White - 5/5 (audio)

Other reads:

To Break a Covenant by Alison Ames - 3/5 (audio)

After Dark With Roxie Clark by Brooke Lauren Davis - 3/5 (audio)

I’ll Let Myself In by Hannah Diviney - 5/5 (audio)

All Eyes On Us by Kit Frick - 3/5

The Return by Rachel Harrison - 3/5

It Will End Like This by Kyra Leigh - 3/5 (audio)

Starlings by Amanda Linsmeier - 4/5 (audio)

The Drowned Woods by Emily Lloyd-Jones - 4/5 (audio)

Some Kind of Animal by Mar Romasco-Moore - 4/5 (audio)

Even Though I Knew the End by CL Polk - 4/5 (audio)

Accidental by Alex Richards - 2/5

You’ve Reached Sam by Dustin Thao - 3/5 (audio)

Cleat Cute by Meryl Wilsner - 4/5

[prairiedeath]

do not sleep, my starling, sleep my doe. she is wrapped in curtains, laid in snow

[readingaccountability]

am back and didnt really stop reading, just stopped posting!

general updates:

i surpassed my 2022 reading goal of 75 books!!! my total ended up being 81

sticking to the same 75 goal for this year since it felt really comfy - good balance between keeping me focused and not making me read uncomfortably fast

reviews are no longer going to be under a readmore because to be honest i started doing that back when i had a lot more to say, lol

now, a current snapshot from last update post to now

read during the end of 2022:

dracula - bram stoker

interview with the vampire - anne rice

the monster of elendhaven - jennifer giesbrecht

the death of jane lawrence - caitlin starling

my sister, the serial killer - oyinkan braithwaite

blood oath - christopher farnsworth

who is vera kelly? - rosalie knect

peaces - helen oyeyemi

the charmed wife - olga grushin

sleep donation - karen russell

providence - matt barry

deformations - sasha dugdale

the great mistake - jonathan lee

hummingbird salamander - jeff vandermeer

lexicon - max barry

lavender house - lev ac rosen

mr penumbras 24 hour bookstore - robin sloan

the monsters we defy - leslye penelope

sourdough - robin sloan

the suitcase clone - robin sloan

a restless truth - freya marske

the starless sea - erin morgenstern

black powder war - naomi novik

read since the beginning of 2023:

the atlas six - olivie blake

the atlas paradox - olivie blake

the big ship at the end of the universe - alex white

hell bent - leigh bardugo

how high we go in the dark - sequoia nagamatsu

am reading:

blitz - daniel o'malley

goliath - tochi onyebuchi

[the-book-queen]

Hide your wallets, it’s that time again! #TBQsBookDeals

Your Wednesday thread of #romancedeals is ready, FREE to $1.99. Happy shopping! 📚❤

    FREE ✦ The Difference a Dare Makes by Alyssa Clarke

Wallflower gets caught in a compromising position with a roguish Duke.

Historical Romance (MF) | https://amzn.to/41Sld24 

FREE ✦ Counting on the Cowboy by Karen Foley

Injured military hero/K9 handler returns home + wildlife rehabber who had a crush on him when they were teens.

Contemporary Romance (MF) | https://amzn.to/3LtJtCl 

$0.99 ✦ The Delicious Series by Stella Starling

3 books, including:

~ Bakery owner + banker

~ Bookstore owner + fake dating

KU Title

Contemporary Romance (MM) | https://amzn.to/3L1Rzki 

$0.99 ✦ Hero's Instinct by Fiona Quinn

Second chance. He's an ex-SEAL, she's a CIA officer.

Romantic Suspense (MF) | https://amzn.to/3HdmtoK 

$1.99 ✦ So Wild a Heart by Candace Camp

Hedonistic Earl agrees to a marriage-in-name only with a rich American heiress, but she has other plans.

Historical Romance (MF) | https://amzn.to/41OSBXI 

 Putting these lists together takes time. If you appreciate this content, please consider buying me a Ko-Fi. http://ko-fi.com/danielletbq