#karissa speaks

[nevertoparadise]

the ultimate girl blogger guide

disclaimer: these are my own personal preferences. this “guide” is supposed to be a fun little board where I recollect all my favourite little things and connect them all together. this could be used for inspiration to anyone who wishes to understand the life of a rotting girl blogger with daddy issues who’s addicted to cinema and music (aka me). this is actually just an excuse to introduce myself.

୨୧ movies: the virgin suicides, girl interrupted, buffalo 66, marie antoinette, palo alto, priscilla, malena, kids (1995), waves, gone girl, pearl, the love witch, black swan, prozac nation, white oleander, sharing the secret, valley of the dolls, christiane f, helter skelter, vivre sa vie, a woman is a woman, to the bone, sixteen candles, lolita, melancholia, billy elliot, speak

୨୧ music artists: lana del rey (lizzy grant), amy winehouse, radiohead, air, jeff buckley, mazzy star, fleetwood mac, slowdive, cocteau twins, sade, hole, the cure, pink floyd, led zeppelin, sex pistols, nirvana, massive attack, lalleshwari, black box recorder, autumn’s grey solace, oasis, beach house, nicole dollanganger, heart, boris, you’ll never get to heaven

୨୧ albums: ultraviolence, blue banisters, did you know that there’s a tunnel under ocean blvd (lana del rey), in rainbows, amnesiac (radiohead), grace (jeff buckley), moon safari (air), bare trees, kiln house (fleetwood mac), after hours (sarah vaughan), so tonight that I might see, among my swan (mazzy star), within the depths of a darkened forest (autumn’s grey solace), live through this, celebrity skin (hole), mezzanine (massive attack), surrealistic pillow (jefferson airplane), tell mama (etta james), seventeen seconds (the cure), the wall, wish you were here (pink floyd), mothership (led zeppelin), how does that grab you? (nancy sinatra), planet waves (bob dylan), blonde (frank ocean)

୨୧ books: the bell jar (sylvia plath), the perks of being a wallflower (stephen chbosky), lolita (vladimir nabokov), white nights (fyodor dostoevsky), the virgin suicides (jeffrey eugenides), girl interrupted (susanna kaysen), speak (laurie halse anderson), metamorphosis (franz kafka), of human freedom (epictetus), elvis and me (priscilla beaulieu), a room of one’s own (virginia woolf), madame bovary (charles flaubert), devotions (mary oliver), east of eden (john steinbeck), the stranger (albert camus), i malavoglia (giovanni verga), i who have never known men (jacqueline harpman)

୨୧ girl blogger icons: lana del rey (lizzy grant!!), sofia coppola, kirsten dunst, lily rose-depp, alana champion, nina sayers, effy stonem, amy dunne, lux lisbon, layla (buffalo 66), karissa love, nicole dollanganger, snejana onopka, vlada roslyakova, alida simone

thank you for reading, xoxo

[mixing-bowl-of-stories]

Selcouthian World Building: Accents

Accents, similarly to our own, vary from place to place.

While Montezian (English) is the most common language, due to colonization and genocide, it’s not the only language to exist.

Morganian (Latin/Latin Based languages such as Spanish, Italian, Romanian, French, etc.) is another, more uncommon language.

Here are the general accents of The Crux:

Pandora: Hiraethian (Queen’s English)

Noah & Owen: Colonized Montezian (Unspecified American)

Constance & Ambrose: Colonized Montezian (Northern American)

Karissa, Lilith, & Josiah: Colonized Montezian (Midwest American)

Amy, Chance & Barbara: Borderlands Accent (Southern American)

Now what exactly is “Hiraethian”?

It’s the rarest accent in all of Selcouth.

It really only originates in some of the oldest families left from a long since destroyed and abandoned kingdom

It’s considered an accent of Maveth only, since he still speaks with his accent

Which of course makes ppl suspicious when mediums say that Maveth has the same accent as the De La Dáinn family

But there’s no actual proof of that and the family has done plenty to cover their ties to Maveth outside of being his most active and loyal worshippers

But overall, the De La Dáinn and two other families are the only three who have the accent

Mainly it’s known by the Hiraethian Accent because nobody actually knows the name of the kingdom the accent originated from, as there’s very few records from that time.

So Hiraeth is a fill in until they can find the name of the kingdom.

Hiraeth being the word for: a homesickness for a home that never was or that you can’t return to

[screamintoad]

Lost Souls

Chapter Ten

A time long forgotten

  A piece of a blue gemstone fell to the ground in front of a young girl. She gently picked it up and examined it in her hands. Her dark hair fell in front of her face but, a pale hand brushed it back behind her ear. “This is a weird rock, sir.” She stated. The girl turned to see a cloaked person sitting beside her. She blinked and there perched was a white crow. “It is not a rock, Laserie. It is one of the Gods Shards. That one in particular, can be used to speak to gods.” The crow explained. 

  Laserie’s eyes replicated the night sky as they widened with marvel. “That’s incredible. Do you speak to gods?” She wondered. The crow chuckled, its echoey voice replied, “Well, yes. Because I am one.” It shifted back to its more human appearance. It held out its hands to show off 5 more shards, each one a different bright color. Laserie pointed to them, “The stories say there are only 5 shards.” She said. The god nodded, “It is for the safety of this world, but as a founder it is you and your brother’s duty to know the ways of this world.” The girl pursed her lips, “Alius says that we have a duty as well, but…we’re still trying to figure out how this world works.” The god made the shards vanish, except for the one that Laserie was holding. “Who are you?” She asked. “They call me,”

  “The Keeper and The Narrator.”

*****

  The sun has finally risen. Émeric stood awake while Karissa rested under a tree. Wynter sat on a boulder not far away from them. Lying in his lap was a worn down journal. Its pages were yellowing and frayed, the leather bounding was starting to wear down, yet he couldn’t find it in himself to part with it. 

  The horse was still with them. It lowered its head down to sniff at Karissa’s hair. “Hey.” Émeric called to it, it raised its head to look at him, “Don’t look at me like that. That’s not food.” He chastised. Wynter chuckled at his poor attempt to talk to the animal.      

  Émeric side eyed him, “Was that a laugh? Were you laughing at me?” He directed to Wynter who was covering his mouth, “No no, I merely found the scene funny.” “Mhm.” Émeric hummed. He walked over to Wynter to see what he was writing. On the pages were scribbled notes of the details from the past few days. “You bring that journal everywhere with you.” Émeric pointed out. Wynter nodded, “I…don’t like forgetting things. I actually need to get or make a new one.” He closed the journal and held it up to show all the details on it. Émeric looked at it for a moment before walking off.

  His sigils began illuminating a deep red as dual daggers materialized in his hands. He flipped them in his hands and started doing various movements. Wide swings, plenty of footwork, always shifting which side he struck the air with, it wasn’t textbook perfect work but it was enough for him. The sound of a flock of birds flying out of the trees made him pause. He looked at Wynter who was staring off worldly into the trees. “We need to go.” Wynter stated. Émeric nodded. 

  Wynter jumped to his feet and paced over to Karissa. He leaned down and shook her awake, trying to ignore the way his hands shook. She rubbed her eyes from being shaken awake, “Everything alright?” Her voice drawled from tiredness. “We need to get moving.” “Right…” Wynter helped her up to her feet as Émeric gathered up their belongings and the horse.

  More hours passed but finally the group could see the mountain range that Arianrdom is located in. “Mountains…is Arianrdom close?” Karissa asked. She was riding the horse now while the other two walked. “In a way. It’s situated in those mountains but it’s not as close as it seems and getting in may be difficult.” Émeric explained. “Because of the location?” Karissa inquired. “And the people. They tend to be more organized than the nomads but they’re less open for discussion.” He replied. “Arianrdom is originally a military fortress from war-faring days, ‘The Unbreakable’, it was called. But it has grown to be a town and home for folk from many walks of life, primarily arial.” Wynter explained. 

  Karissa nodded along as they made their way down the hill. “Is that why you trusted Zyrian so quickly?” She wondered. Wynter shook his head, “I recognized him.” He answered flatly. Karissa used her hand to cover her eyes from the bright sun. “Open for discussion isn’t how I would describe the nomads.” She commented. Émeric shook his head, “That was nothing. I merely handled it poorly. If Lariat hasn’t let Arianrdom know of the plan then you might need to get in on your own in the beginning.” Karissa’s face dropped for a moment. She understood why, they were ghouls after all. But, nothing has gone right thus far so she hopes that this will at least go well.

  Her curiosity won. “What is the commander like?” She wondered. She noticed the way that Wynter glanced at her before returning his gaze straight ahead. “Honestly? Tough, in a… caring way. She basically raised me, yet she has her position for a reason. She taught me everything I know, she’s like a mom to me.” Wynter explained. “Do people like her?” Wynter’s face twisted like he tasted something sour. “That…depends on who you ask. The ghouls in her military like her. Whereas pretty much everyone else, does not.” Karissa clumsily dismounted off the horse. “She sounds like an interesting person. Or actually just kinda scary.” She was caught by surprise when she heard the sound of a stifled laugh. “Are you laughing?” She asked. “No!” Wynter explained. “That was definitely a laugh.” Émeric joined in. “Nothing is funny.” Wynter attempted to defend himself. “But-“ “I didn’t laugh!”

*****

  The land was gray and windless. “I have a proposal.” Desdemona’s dead voice spoke up. Below her lay a woman’s body. Its skin was a shade of blue, the black hair long and thin. “You don’t say!” A breathy voice rang out. “I can give you a second chance at life.” No reply came for a moment. “What is the cost?” The voice asked. “You work for me.” Desdemona replied simply. “Lend me your abilities and time when we ask. As well as…”

  “Your life.”

*****

  Rosary woke up in a cold sweat. She gasped and shot up in the bed. “Welcome back.” Lariat greeted her with a monotonous tone. “…Back.” Rosary mumbled, “Lariat. Did I…” she turned to see Lariat sitting on a chair across from the bed. The room was warmly lit from the various candles and lanterns around. “Get struck down by the Blood Reapers? Yes.” Lariat answered. “I died again.” Rosary muttered. “You did. Desdemona brought you back. We both knew that you alone wouldn’t have been enough to deal with them.” Rosary examined her hands, a hint of fear was in her eyes. “I can still be useful.” She stated. Lariat nodded, “You don’t get that choice. You WILL be useful.” She specified. Rosary’s laugh was raspy. 

  She looked down and noticed she was wearing a simple nightgown. “If my clothes didn’t make it then I highly doubt that my weapons did.” She commented. Lariat nodded again, “Be grateful, most come back without anything and are told to deal with it.” Rosary rolled her pearlescent eyes at the statement. She grazed her fingers along her forehead where she was shot by the arrow. She sighed, “If only there wasn’t such a nasty scar.” 

  The scar in question was in the shape of a jagged star and the flesh was a dark and murky shade. “Desdemona and Thornsdottir want a word with you.” “Of course.” Rosary retorted. She stood up, with a groan while she stretched. “One of them was your boy, correct?” She asked regarding the Blood Reapers. Lariat’s face hardened into a glare, “No.” a stern reply.

  A knock at the door drew their attention. “Come in.” Lariat announced. The room went cold as Desdemona walked in, followed by Thornsdottir. Rosary’s heart dropped as she thought they were standing outside of the door listening in on them talking. “I see you’re finally up.” Desdemona commented. “About time as well. Many things have happened since you…went down.” Thorndottir interjected. Desdemona’s eyes sharpened, “Is this how you will present yourself to the Life Weaver?” She questioned with an accusatory tone. Rosary looked at her gown again before winking, “If it wants me to~” Desdemona glared and held up her hand as claws formed where her nails would be. Lariat rushed forward and smacked Rosary upside her head. “Alright that’s enough from you. Don’t worry, I’ll find her a proper outfit.” She assured her. Thornsdottir scoffed, “None of you are understanding how dire the situation is.” Lariat deadpanned, “You’re correct. You being at perfect kicking height is a dire situation.” Rosary clasped a hand over her mouth to stop herself from laughing. Desdemona’s mouth fell agape as Thornsdottir slowly turned more and more red. Fueled with anger he stomped out of the room.

*****

  Red soul strings intertwined around Eskilea’s hands. Garnet lay on a cot unresponsive. His body was alive but, he wasn’t alive. Eskilea shook her head in defeat, “The strings are damaged. I can’t get him to respond. The body is stable but I don’t think he’ll be able to recover without…help.” Luca tsked as she listened. “You can use soul magic can’t you? Aren’t you meant to do miracles?!” She reprimanded. Eskilea remained straight faced, “You used a crystal umbra bullet. It’s meant to disrupt the strings, not the body. I can only heal the body.” She explained. Luca threw her arms in exasperation. “Well then, what can heal soul strings? If not you or something else?!” 

  Stood beside the makeshift door, gears began turning in Zyrian’s head. “Your umbra.” He spoke up, “Can you reverse it?” He wondered. “Reverse? I lost my eyes to be able to use soul magic. I am not a soul reaper, and even so I only know of one that’s capable of that. Where did you hear about it?” Eskilea asked. Zyrian avoided looking at her as he answered, “I…I read about it. In an old archive. Reversed umbra can repair actual soul strings, can it not?”

  Eskilea struggled to find an answer. “Well-yes but it’s nearly impossible to-“ “Who’s the soul reaper that can?” Luca interrupted her, “The one who can do…whatever it is. Where can I find them?” She interrogated. Eskilea scoffed, “What don’t you understand? You CAN’T.” 

  “Where can I look for them?” 

  “Luca…” she spoke her name like a warning. 

  “You wouldn’t have mentioned it if you didn’t think there was a chance.” Luca’s lip quivered but she bit it. She exhaled then continued, “If this is the only way for me to get my father back, then tell me what I need to succeed.” She was almost pleading but she couldn’t show weakness. Especially not now. Eskilea sighed, “You won’t find him in Ru’an. But the mountain guard might have more information on his whereabouts.” She explained. “Arianrdom.” “Yes.” Luca didn’t take a second to answer, “Then that’s where I’m headed.” Zyrian cut in now, “Then I’ll go with you!” He offered her a toothy smile. She had an almost disgusted look, “Don’t slow me down. Don’t get in my way. Get ready to leave immediately.” Zyrian’s eyebrows creased. “Eh hem,” he coughed into his hand. “I believe that you’re forgetting something.” He held out his arms to show off his wings, “I can fly.” Luca looked at him up and down, the longer she looked the more nervous he got. “My points still stand.” She finally said. Zyrian clicked his tongue, “M’kay off we go, I guess.” It was at this point that he began thinking, he will probably regret everything leading up to this.

[dandylion240]

A woman smirked as she laid aside the magazine she’d been perusing as three frantic men rushed past her towards the nurse’s station. It gave her a delicious thrill to watch the situation she instigated unfold before her. She felt eyes watching her, which only served to boost her pleasure. It was the young blond with the pouty lips whose eyes were pouring into her as if trying to remember where he’d seen her before. She got up and slowly approached the nurse, the heels of her shoes clicking loudly on the hard tile floors of the waiting room.

She asked for information on the condition of her nonexistent husband, letting her voice carry over to the trio. She wasn’t Miss Fish nor was she Karissa Drake, banished merprincess. She was plain old Myrtle Pie, fine red hair in a long braid behind her back. Frumpy too large overalls and baggy sweater. Unrecognizable.

She walked past the distraught parents as a couple of plains clothed officers approached them. Pain stabbed her temples from the pressure required to clench her jaw shut to keep from laughing out loud as she heard one of the officer’s begin to speak.

[spurgie-cousin]

I take your Rod/Collins cross over and raise the Satu Gonzalez/Karissa Collins cross over.

Satu Gonzalez is a Swedish/Finish family blogger who never really speaks about religion, just that she believes in something.

She is a mother of 11 children, which is the only thing she seems to have in common with Karissa.

I was shocked

I've never seen that one, but if she's a professional influencer I have to believe she knows better than to collab with other influencers without researching them. So to me what that says is, she endorses Karissa and her homophobic/sexist bs, and I'd be wary of her even if she isn't openly like that also.

[bluelikesapphire]

So I only plan reading about 20 books next year, since I will be too busy for more, but I still want to try and fill as many spaces as possible. Also, I don't want to plan my reading so precisely, since I get all of my books secondhand or from the library, and not everything is always available, but I still put a little thought into it.

First, there are some categories I see as freebies, since they already fit my natural reading habits: Literary Fiction, Published before 1950, Historic Fiction, Science Fiction, Fantasy, 20th century Speculative Fiction and Recipes (2025 is the year I will master risottos)

Now to the other categories

Short Stories: Sommerhaus, später by Judith Hermann

Sequel: There are a few things I might pick up, but what I definitely will be reading God Emperor of Dune by Frank Herbert

Childhood Favorite: The Neverending Story by Michael Ende

Indie Publisher: Here I have no book picked, but it will be something by the publisher Elfenbein. I respect what they do so much, and it is a real passion project

Manga: Dungeon Meshi time

Animal on the cover: Either This Is How You Lose the Time War by Amal El-Mohtar (birds) or The Blunderer by Patricia Highsmith (I own a copy with a husky on the front)

Set in a Country You Have Never Visited: Kim Jiyoung, Born 1982 by Cho Nam-Jo

2025 Debut Author: This one will be tricky, since my library is very slow to add new releases, and when they do the wait time is forever, so we'll see what I get, but I have been looking at Julie Chan is Dead by Liann Zhang and Homeseeking by Karissa Chen

Essay Collection: Six Memos for the Next Millenium by Italo Calvino

Romance Novel: Half a Soul by Olivia Atwater

Horror: American Psycho by Bret Easton Ellis? Maybe? We will see how that goes, because Horror stresses me out so much. I'm fine with Dracula and Frankenstein etc., but I want to do this to read more varied books so that would defeat the point (also I reread both of those this fall already)

Published in the Aughts: Gut gegen Nordwind by Daniel Glattauer or Kafka on the Seashore by Haruki Murakami

I skipped the nonfiction ones for now, because there I just want to see what speaks to me in the library (same for the librarian recommendation obviously), although In the Dreamhouse seems like it would be right up my alley, so I will also keep my eyes open for that at the secondhand bookstore

Also I haven't looked into Award Winners yet. I thought Martyr! won something, but that was just a finalist. Oh well. I will read it anyway for a different category

2025 book bingo time 📚

want a completely arbitrary set of reading goals for 2025? want to try something new in your literary diet but don't know where to start? just like a challenge for the sake of a challenge? just love a good game of bingo?

boy do I have something for you!

for anyone planning to participate, please know that I LOVE attention and talking about books, so I would be STOKED to be tagged on any and all updates about what you're reading or planning to read. I'm so, so excited to see all the different ways these prompts get filled, especially if and when they bring people away from the kinds of things they normally read. not to mention snag some new reading recs myself, hopefully!

and of course, I want to know whenever somebody gets a bingo - and ESPECIALLY if somebody fills the whole board! I don't have any prizes for you, but I can offer a sense of accomplishment :)

note that this is designed to be played as 1 book = 1 space, so even if you read, say, a fantasy graphic novel published in 1923 from an indie publisher that has a bat on the cover, you'd only cross off one space. I'm not a cop and I'm not in charge of what you read, so if it sparks more joy to check off multiple spaces per book then go nuts, but I am throwing that disclaimer out there.

EDIT: the 2025 book bingo challenge is now also on storygraph, thanks to @obi-wann-cannoli!

wondering what some of these spaces mean? seeking a couple recommendations to get you started? no idea what a zine even is, let alone how to make one? worry not! I have a guide to all 25 prompts, including recommendations + an example of what I'll be reading throughout the year to fulfill each space. read on beneath the cut!

Literary Fiction: I find that a lot of people are reluctant to check out literary fiction, as it’s often written off as not being about anything but adultery and divorce. If this is you, I implore you to take a chance, acknowledge that adultery and divorce are compelling sometimes, and also remember that lit fic has a lot more to offer than that. At Writer’s Digest, Michael Woodson describes literary fiction as “less of a genre than a category,” which “focuses on style, character, and theme over plot.” My recommendations include Raven Leilani’s Luster, Ocean Vuong’s On Earth We’re Briefly Gorgeous, and Melissa Broder’s Milk Fed. 

I’ll be reading: Martyr! by Kaveh Akbar

2. Short Story Collection: You know, a bunch of short stories together in one book? It doesn’t get much more self-explanatory than that. Could be a collection of stories by a single author or an anthology—it’s up to you! I recommend checking out Mariana Enríquez’s The Dangers of Smoking in Bed (translated by Megan McDowell), Nalo Hopkinson’s Falling in Love With Hominids, and Kim Fu’s Lesser Known Monsters of the 21st Century. 

I’ll be reading: Your Utopia by Bora Chung and translated by Anton Hur 

3. A Sequel: It could be one that you’ve been meaning to get around to, one that’s not releasing until 2025, or the sequel to something you read to cross off another space on this very bingo sheet!

I’ll be reading: Heavenly Tyrant by Xiran Jay Zhao, sequel to 2021’s Iron Widow 

4. Childhood Favorite: Go back and read a book you loved as a child, tween, or teen! There’s no wrong answer here; anything from a YA novel to a picture book would be just lovely, and I can’t wait to see what people pick for this option! I’m not sure which of my old favorites I’ll be revisiting yet—should I go for the warm and fuzzy Casson Family series, or straight towards the mindfucky sci-fi of Interstellar Piggy? Or maybe I’ll go see how Artemis Fowl holds up...

5. 20th Century Speculative Fiction: For those not familiar with the term, speculative fiction can encapsulate science fiction, fantasy, and anything else that falls into the unreal. You’re spoiled for iconic choices here: the 20th century gave us Le Guin’s Left Hand of Darkness, Atwood’s Handmaid’s Tale, Butler’s Parable of the Sower and Kindred, L’Engle’s A Wrinkle in Time, the beginning of Pratchett’s Discworld series, Diana Wynne Jones’ Howls’ Moving Castle, and countless others.

I’ll be reading: Dawn by Octavia E. Butler, love of my literary life 💜

6. Fantasy: Fantasy comes in a thousand different shades, from contemporary urban wizards with day jobs at the office to high fantasy spellslingers chasing dragons away from castles. Some examples I’ve adored are N.K. Jemisin’s The Killing Moon, C.L. Polk’s Witchmark, Fonda Lee’s Jade City, and Nghi Vo’s Empress of Salt and Fortune.

I’ll be reading: The Adventures of Amina al-Sirafi by Shannon Chakraborty  

7. Published Before 1950: This one could not be more straightforward if I tried. You have all of human history (or at least, all the parts that have surviving literature), just not the last 75 years. Dig deep! 

I’ll be reading: Rebecca by Daphne du Maurier, published in 1938 

8. Independent Publisher: Did you guys know that just five publishing companies (Penguin Random House, HarperCollins Publishers, Macmillan Publishers, Simon & Schuster, and Hachette Book Group) are responsible for 80% of books published in the US each year, and 25% of books globally? Break away from the big five and see what some small presses are putting out! If you need some ideas about where to start, check out this list of nearly 300 independent publishers with notes on what kind of books they put out!

I’ll be reading: Taiwan Travelogue by Yáng Shuāng-zǐ and translated by Lin King, from Graywolf Press

9. Graphic Novel/Comic Book/Manga: Despite my personal obsession with Batman, the world of comic books is sooo much wider than Gotham City—or anything else that DC and Marvel have to offer. If superheroes aren’t your speed, check out the Southern gothic of Carmen Maria Machado and Dani Strips’ comic The Low, Low Woods, splash around in Kat Leyh’s graphic novel Thirsty Mermaids, or stop waiting for a new season of Dungeon Meshi and go read Ryoko Kui’s manga, translated to English by Taylor Engel. 

I’ll be reading: The Fade, by Aabria Iyengar and Mari Costa

10. Animal on the Cover: Yes, yes, don’t judge a book by its cover—but do go find one with a critter on the cover and give it a read! Absolutely no other requirements here, get silly with it.

I’ll be reading: Shark Heart by Emily Habeck

11. Set in a Country You Have Never Visited: Fiction or nonfiction, doesn’t matter so long as it gives you a little glimpse of a country you’ve never visited in real life. If you’ve somehow visited every country currently recognized in the world, then I guess you get to go read something set in space.

I’ll be reading: A Magical Girl Retires by Park Seolyeon and Kim Sanho, translated by Anton Hur 

12. Science Fiction: A genre just as diverse as fantasy, with a little something for everybody! I recommend Becky Chambers’ Long Way to a Small, Angry Planet for those who want to kiss an alien in the stars and Jessamine Chan’s The School for Good Mothers for those who want a surveillance state dystopia that hits much closer to home.  

I’ll be reading: Womb City by Tlotlo Tsamaase

13. 2025 Debut Author: Read a book by someone who’s releasing their first book in 2025. Fic or nonfic, any genre, no further requirements. Not quite a free space, but pretty close!

I’ll be reading: Liquid: A Love Story by Mariam Rahmani, coming out March 11

14. Memoir: Per Wikipedia, a memoir is “any nonfiction narrative writing based on the author’s personal memories.” Some are funny, some are heartbreaking, some are both! I recommend Carman Maria Machado’s In the Dream House and Roxane Gay’s Hunger, because I tend to lean heartbreaking! 

I’ll be reading: Crying in H Mart by Michelle Zauner. Again, I like heartbreaking!

15. Read a Zine, Make a Zine: Not familiar with zines? No problem! Check out some of these digital archives for inspiration, and then craft your own zine with this simple guide (or do it your own way, I’m not in charge of you). 

Internet Archives: https://archive.org/details/zines

Gay Zine Archive Project: https://gittings.qzap.org/ 

POC Zine Project: https://poczineproject.tumblr.com/ 

Library of Congress: https://www.loc.gov/collections/zine-web-archive/ 

16. Essay Collection: Like a short story collection, but it’s nonfiction now. Some of my favorites include Samantha Irby’s We Are Never Meeting in Real Life, Elaine Castillo’s How to Read Now, Aimee Nezhukhumatathil’s World of Wonders, and Cathy Park Hong’s Minor Feelings.

I’ll be reading: A Little Devil in America: In Praise of Black Performance by Hanif Abdurraqib 

17. 2024 Award Winner: What award? Any award you like! And boy, there are tons to pick from. Any book that won any award in the year 2024 is free game. If you need some places to start looking, check out some of these:

Lambda Literary Awards, for excellence in LGBT literature: https://lambdaliterary.org/awards__trashed/2024-winners/ 

The Alex Awards, for adult books with crossover appeal for teen readers: https://www.ala.org/yalsa/alex-awards 

Ignyte Awards, celebrating diversity in speculative fiction: https://ignyteawards.fiyahlitmag.com/2024-results/  

Women's Prize for Fiction (self explanatory) https://womensprize.com/prizes/womens-prize-for-fiction/

Others: https://www.bookbrowse.com/awards/ 

I’ll be reading: Biography of X by Catherine Lacey, winner of the 2024 Lambda Literary Award for Lesbian Fiction

18. Nonfiction: Learn Something New: I know very little about archaeology, anthropology, or any other fields that involve studying ancient cities, but Annalee Newitz’s Four Lost Cities: A Secret History of the Urban Age was some of the most fun I had with nonfiction in 2024, because every page brought a brand new discovery. For 2025, find a nonfiction book about a topic you don’t know ANYTHING about, and learn something new!

I’ll be reading: Cooling the Tropics: Ice, Indigeneity, and Hawaiian Refreshment by Hi’ilei Julia Kawehipuaakahaopulani Hobart

19. Social Justice & Activism: Read a book about a social issue, the history of an activist movement, or brush up on a guiding philosophy or ideology. Arm yourself with knowledge, besties, because I have a feeling we’re going to need it! if you need a good place to start, why not try Angela Davis' Race, Women & Class, Mariame Kaba's We Do This 'Til We Free Us, or Molly Smith and Juno Mac's Revolting Prostitutes?

I’ll be reading: White Feminism: From Suffragettes to Influencers and Who They Leave Behind by Koa Beck

20. Romance Novel: Listen to me. Fucking listen to me. I mean a ROMANCE. NOVEL. Not a novel that incidentally has a romance in it. Romance novel, motherfucker. Go check out the romance section and have some whimsy as two people fall in love through the most contrived series of events ever conceived. If you really need a romance that makes you feel smart (that’s still sexy and messy as hell), try Akwaeke Emezi’s You Made a Fool of Death with Your Beauty.

I’ll be reading: Go Luck Yourself by Sara Raasche  

21. Read and Make a Recipe: Could be a cookbook, could be a recipe you yoinked from the New York Times, could be something your grandparents lovingly wrote down by hand. Could be as complex or as simple as you like, just make something tasty! Some cookbooks I’ve enjoyed are Sohla El-Waylly’s Start Here, Dan Pashman’s Mission Impastable, and John Wang and Storm Garner’s The World Eats Here.

22. Horror: Slashers, zombies, haunted houses, creeping paranoia, you name it! It’s time to get spooky and scary with all kinds of things going bump in the night. Maybe this is the year to finally keep up with Dracula Daily? Not for me, I'm not doing that, but you could!

I’ll be reading: I Was A Teenage Slasher by Stephen Graham Jones

23. Published in the Aughts: A throwback, but not too far back. Read something published between 2000 and 2009. Maybe it’s time to finally get into Twilight? (For legal reasons, that’s a joke.)

I’ll be reading: The Sluts by Dennis Cooper, published in 2004

24. Historical Fiction: You know, fiction that takes place in a bygone era! Please remember, this isn’t just about reading a book that’s old; we have a separate prompt for that! This is about reading something that takes place in the past relative to the time it was written. Pride and Prejudice is historical to us, but was contemporary when Austen wrote it. Think of Brit Bennett's The Vanishing Half, Markus Zusak's The Book Thief, or history + a bit of fantasy in book's like R.F. Kuang's Babel.

I’ll be reading: The Yiddish Policemen's Union by Michael Chabon

Bookseller or Librarian Recommendation: This one is fun, and something I always like to do when I’m travelling and visiting a new bookstore. Ask a bookseller or librarian to recommend something they’ve liked, and check it out! If going in person isn’t feasible, many bookstores and libraries have staff picks on their websites, and the Indie Next List is a monthly list of independent booksellers’ favorite new releases. 

I’ll be reading: The Last Report on the Miracles at Little No Horse by Louise Erdrich, which I bought at Erdrich’s bookstore, Birchbark Books, this summer :)

lastly: tagging people who asked to be tagged to make sure they didn't miss this! @thebisexualwreckoning @perfunctoryperfusions @reallyinkyhands come get your bingo sheet!

[mcvoices]

Episode 1: Here I go, CVAP!

Hey, it's MC....Voices!

Uhmmm... this is new to me. I've written a lot of essays, poems, stories, even songs, a lot of narratives that I could think of. But this, this is the first time that I would actually write a blog. So yeah, hoping whoever reads this will stick up with me until the every end.

Great day! This is how I would start my day or like a week now, including what I would say in this blog. I'm MCVoices, you could call me by that name or could be MC. I'm an aspiring voice artist, currently exploring more of my interests here and there. This blog, would absolutely talk about those interests while I joined the Certified Voice Artist Program here in the Philippines - currently in Batch 26 this 2024.

Joining CVAP is a really great opportunity for me. I really think that this program is the best place to hone my skills and turn my passion into profession and to think that it could be really one of my hobbies as well because I am really into using my voice. I really wanted to know, to learn how to use my voice well. Whether it's for voicing characters, doing voice overs, dubbing, and a whole lot more. So, here's a look into my journey throughout the program and the incredible experiences, my thoughts, reactions on what we did during the sessions that came with it.

As I dive into Week 1 of the Certified Voice Artist Program, I find myself intrigued and full of excitement with how I gained knowledge, practical exercises, and invaluable insights from industry experts.

Understanding the Role of a Voice Artist

The first step was all about understanding the basics. We were introduced about what it means to be a voice artist. Sir Navi Garcia, provided us with his inspiring story on how he became a voice artist, how he started from scratch up until being a trainer as he is now. He shared his personal experiences and strategies for staying on his ground, improving skills, and maintaining a good mindset. One of the most inspiring message that I got throughout the session was with the Pochology "Someone out there need to here your voice."

Every voice has the potential to reach someone, could be to touch a hearts, to provide comfort, to inspire change. It's kind of heart warming and this phrase resonates deeply with me, especially as I embark my journey to become a voice artist. And in order to be successful in doing this, I need the confidence. The confidence to step up, to speak up, to voice it out. Confidence is built through practice, perseverance, and embracing feedback. I really think that the field of voice acting is ever-evolving, and continuous learning is essential.

After the morning session, I realized that I am always inspired by people, but then, I really should be inspired by myself the most. I should be. Since that session, I realized that my voice is not just a tool for personal expression but it has means to reach, connect, and impact others.

During the afternoon session, we did a practical activity wherein we have to introduce ourselves within my BR group. My group that includes - Ton, Gracy, Cath, Marco, Keysie, Seb, Karissa, and Flamm alongside with our Guardian Mentor Mr. A, Mentor Jon, Mentor Mark, and Sir Ron as our Watcher. We introduced one by one during the breakout session, and then we decided to create like a party list introduction during an election. I really enjoyed doing it, it was really fun to actually be with them and create memories with the rest of the group. We presented it first and ended up laughing with our jokes and how we perform, we actually did a great job. I was having fun, really.

In conclusion, Week 1 really left a big impression to me. I've gained a lot, learned lot, had fun with the rest of the group, voicemates, with the hosts and people in charge during the session. As I continue this journey, I am really excited to apply these lessons, grow my skills in this dynamic and creative field, take this opportunity to lead me for greater purposes. We all have something with us, a reason, a purpose, and a voice and that there is always someone out there who needs to hear it. So, I will embrace it and share them with the world- because you never know who might need it and how much they might need to see and hear exactly what I do.

For now, stay tuned for more blogs about my CVAP journey! More updates as I progress through the program and share more insights and experiences from my journey to becoming a Certified Voice Artist!

from me to you,

MC

[bowl-of-shortness]

Barbara and Pandora chilling together. Pandora mentions how she used to date this one guy who was a real asshole and Barbara goes:

“If you meet him again you wanna know what you should do?”

“What?”

“Shoot his ass with your damn rifle.”

“!!! I can’t!”

“Why not?!”

“Because I’m a noble, if I do that to another noble I’d get in a world of trouble…”

“Oh shit. Well, alright.”

“…I mean you can do it if you want so long as you don’t get caught…”

“You’d let me?”

“…yes. I would.”

“Consider it done then.”

Also for the record, I should probably mention accents for these two lol

Everyone in the De La Dáinn family including Pandora and Maveth have British accents.

While Chance and Barbara have southern U.S. accents.

Amelia speaks in a Transatlantic accent (half British half American sounding)

Nathaniel, Nico, Natasha, Josiah, and Lilith, Noah, Ambrose, and Constance all have your typical nondescript American accents, altho each one varies, for instance Noah sounds like he’s from the north.

Karissa has a British accent as well, although hers sounds more from Lancashire than Pandora’s (which sounds more like what you’d expect when you hear “British accent” aka received pronunciation as I think it’s called.)

[lakecountylibrary]

Book Rec: All the Dangerous Things by Stacy Willingham

Audiobook (10 hrs) narrated by Karissa Vacker

Isabelle Drake hasn't slept in 365 days. That's how long it's been since her son Mason vanished from his bed.

Isabelle is a realistic character who is conflicted about her past and the present, and her anguish really comes through in this novel. She is a desperate mother, willing to do just about anything to find out what happened to her child.

The novel does flash back to Isabelle's childhood, but the passages are not confusing. It's always very obvious if the character is remembering or in the present.

I was a little surprised at the ending. It challenges the reader to explore one's own morals. What would you do if your child went missing?

I liked this book. The writing is solid, and it the pace is just right. It's not high literature, but if you are a fan of domestic mystery/suspense then you may enjoy this novel, too!

The narrator is able to pull off a convincing male voice, but all the male characters sound the same to me. This did not take away from the story, because there are few instances of more than one male character speaking at the same time.

See more of Brenna's recs

Check out All the Dangerous Things

[atlanticcanada]

N.S. woman who murdered daughter granted more temporary passes from prison

A Nova Scotia woman who murdered her daughter in 2008 will be getting more temporary passes to leave prison.

The Parole Board of Canada has approved additional escorted temporary absences from prison for Penny Boudreau.

Boudreau is serving a life sentence with no parole eligibility for 20 years for killing her daughter Karissa Boudreau.

According to the decision, dated Jan. 18 2023, Boudreau has been granted four escorted visits to a close personal contact for a total of seven hours each, including travel time.

The parole board has also approved 12 escorted personal development contacts to attend church or related activities, for four hours’ duration, including travel time.

In making its decision, the board says it reviewed numerous victim impact statements and letters opposing any additional freedoms. When referring to the feedback the board received, the decision states, in part:

“Collectively, they speak to a deep sense of loss and grief, be it family members, friends and/or the community at large. That grief and opposition to your release continues to this day.”

The decision states that RCMP in the area where the family contact will take place has voiced opposition due in part to public reaction.

Karissa Boudreau’s body was found in February 2008 on the banks of the LaHave River in Bridgewater, N.S. The 12-year-old was reported missing about two weeks before her remains were discovered. Her mother held an emotional press conference with police while her daughter was still considered a missing person. Boudreau later admitted to strangling her daughter with a piece of twine and leaving her body by the river.

The decision states Boudreau will be closely supervised on the visits by a non-security Correctional Service of Canada staff member, contractor, or volunteer.

It further adds: “You are not considered an escape risk. To reoffend would likely take a number of highly unlikely variable to be in play, namely access to a child when in an unhealthy state of mind and relationship. None of that is currently happening and your institutional behaviours do not preclude your release. “

The board previously approved several escorted temporary absences in 2018, 2019 and 2021.

from CTV News - Atlantic https://ift.tt/o3CUzAl

[mixing-bowl-of-stories]

What are the relationships like with between the Crux? What about the Crux with their families?

Alrighty, this’ll be long so bear with me, this took me a while because I had to write sm

Anyways these are from the perspective of everyone a few months after the group is established.

Pandora:

-> Noah, “I don’t mind the murder but I do mind your declining mental stability. I worry about you, a lot, I want you to be okay.”

-> Ambrose, “Big brother :)”

-> Constance, “Big sister :) (despite us being the same age)”

-> Nico, “I’m always here if you wanna learn the basics of necromancy, you are my buddy :)”

-> Nathaniel, “why are you so mean to me? :(“

-> Natasha, “Very overprotective, feels like home in a way…”

-> Lilith, “How do you have any sexual attraction to anyone and everyone like how does that work?”

-> Karissa, “I like your singing voice!”

-> Josiah, “you are in a similar situation that I am and I appreciate you not hating me bc of the misconceptions surrounding Maveth.”

-> Barbara, “Crux mum”

-> Owen, “Crux dad”

-> Chance, “I like your accent funny man >:)”

-> Amelia, “Fellow noble *nods in understanding*”

Noah:

-> Pandora, “Why do you care so much about me…? Worry about yourself some more will ya…?”

-> Ambrose, “Quiet, but I speak enough for the both of us. You’re a good listener”

-> Constance, “Stop nagging me.”

-> Nico, “Coward… but maybe that’s okay sometimes.”

-> Nathaniel, “*glares in mutual “I’m a huge dick to everyone but don’t want to admit it” energy*”

-> Natasha, “I don’t really know you.”

-> Lilith, “I see, so you’re trying to seduce everyone because you have issues. Understandable, I’ll leave you to it”

-> Josiah, “ugh, holy people…”

-> Karissa, “Banger tunes my fella”

-> Owen, “Idfc if he’s not my real dad he’s still my dad in my eyes.”

-> Barbara, “The cooler mom”

-> Chance, “I like your gun >:)”

-> Amelia, “…thanks for giving me the sleeping tonic”

Ambrose:

-> Pandora, “You need help. And badly.”

-> Noah, “I like our conversations, but there’s still a lot you won’t tell me.”

-> Constance, “Please be careful…”

-> Nico, “Don’t be afraid to yell at someone, sometimes that’s the only way you can defend yourself.”

-> Nathaniel, “Address your daddy issues, thanks”

-> Natasha, “You seem to be in the shadow of a role you never wanted to be in to begin with. I… I get that.”

-> Lilith, “Are you good? Like emotionally?”

-> Josiah, “I hope you don’t view me as something horrible because of my connections to Avantee”

-> Karissa, “You tell some pretty awesome stories, I hope you find your parents. Mine? Yeah no I don’t care about my parents.”

-> Owen, “I’m so sorry for all you have to deal with in this group.”

-> Barbara, “I respect someone who is willing to murder people who hurt them while still maintaining their confidence and dignity”

-> Chance, “I don’t know how to feel”

-> Amelia, “thanks for the medicine.”

Constance:

-> Pandora, “You’re not okay, even if you like to act and think that you are.”

-> Noah, “You aren’t okay either, address your shit please.”

-> Ambrose, “I am being careful! Stop hovering! >:T”

-> Nico, “I like your staff. Looks cool.”

-> Nathaniel, “you may be a dick to everyone but I think I know why, I’m always here if you wanna chat.”

-> Natasha, “I want to shake your hand in mutual understanding about being forced into the role of our parents.”

-> Lilith, “hm. That’s someone who is using their good looks and charm to cover up the fact that they’re lonely”

-> Josiah, “Don’t even think about mentioning Avantee or Vin’nyla.”

-> Karissa, “Adopted little sister.”

-> Owen, “I’ll help to make things less painful as much as I can.”

-> Barbara, “why couldn’t you have been my mom damn it?”

-> Chance, “idk how to feel.”

-> Amelia, “ohhh, can you teach me some alchemy?”

Nico:

-> Pandora, “Hey you’re like me, maybe we can like, help each other out?”

-> Noah, “why are you so obsessed with electricity and fire…? Also please stay away from me, you scare me.”

-> Ambrose, “scary…”

-> Constance, “Very protective but still kinda scary”

-> Nathaniel, “You don’t have to be like mom…”

-> Natasha, “You don’t have to be like dad…”

-> Lilith, “please stop flirting with everyone. Even if it does sometimes get us out of bad situations”

-> Josiah, “You’re pretty cool, you know a lot about the gods.”

-> Karissa, “I like your stories, reminds me of mom to be honest.”

-> Owen, “ah… why are so many of you scary?”

-> Barbara, “not a huge fan of your gun… or Pandora, Noah’s, or Chance’s guns for that matter.”

-> Chance, “You feel safe to be around, which is weird because you’re kinda loud”.

-> Amelia, “you’re like, the only person who actually gets me besides Karissa and Pandora”

Nathaniel

-> Pandora, “Great. Another person willing to do the gods’ bidding. For both your and my sake, I hope the god of death changes his mind.”

-> Noah, “*glares in mutual “I’m a huge dick to everyone but don’t want to admit it” energy*”

-> Ambrose, “Get off my ass will you?! Demonic ass…”

-> Constance, “What is it with the demons in this group and wanting to boss me around?”

-> Nico, “Make up your mind.”

-> Natasha, “Stop sucking up to dad.”

-> Lilith, “Gross.”

-> Karissa, “Another demon, great.”

-> Owen, “Finally, someone who actually listens”

-> Barbara, “You listen but I’m not sure I like you.”

-> Chance, “Get away from me cyborg.”

-> Amelia, “Thanks for patching me up I guess.”

Natasha:

-> Pandora, “The next champion of death? Maybe you could help me?”

-> Noah, “Reckless fool.”

-> Ambrose, “A friend and ally”

-> Constance, “Also a friend and ally”

-> Nico, “Pick a side, please.”

-> Nathaniel, “Stop trying to force me to be like mom when you already so badly want to be like her.”

-> Lilith, “Could you teach me how to flirt/get into a relationship. I have someone I might like…”

-> Josiah, “You know a lot about the gods, maybe you could help me too?”

-> Karissa, “Your music sounds great, have you heard of soul singing?”

-> Owen, “That’s one hell of a hammer. Keep it away from me please.”

-> Barbara, “You’re pretty cool, still kinda scary though.”

-> Chance, “how are you not dead.”

-> Amelia, “Oh I guess that’s how he’s not dead”

Lilith

-> Pandora, “You feel… no sexual attraction??? How is that possible??”

-> Noah, “You’re murdering your abusers. Okay, I’ll leave you to it my dude.”

-> Ambrose, “Shit he knows doesn’t he?”

-> Constance, “Shit she knows doesn’t she?”

-> Nathaniel, “dude literally stop being an ass to everyone.”

-> Nico, “I could help you with your confidence if you’d like!”

-> Natasha, “oh I could totally teach you how to pick up a partner uwu”

-> Josiah, “Hey dude, you alright? You haven’t been right since Asterope reached out…”

-> Karissa, “You hide behind your bubbly persona when you’re really hurting…”

-> Owen, “Pour me another shot old man! >:D”

-> Barbara, “Badass woman, love it.”

-> Chance, “ayyy! Fellow alcoholic!”

-> Amelia, “Doctor lady. You’ve seen shit haven’t you?”

Josiah

-> Pandora, “You’re in a similar situation that I’m in, but you seem to be less equipped than I am. Maybe I could help?”

-> Noah, “You are a very scary man. I don’t take kindly to how much you engage in murder, but your reason is honorable at least.”

-> Ambrose, “Maybe tieflings aren’t as bad as I thought…”

-> Constance, “You fight for what’s right, I was wrong about you.”

-> Nathaniel, “You need to look in yourself and address why you feel so angry.”

-> Natasha, “I know what it’s like to be in someone else’s shadow…”

-> Nico, “You’re conflicted, but that’s alright. You’re not supposed to have everything figured out.”

-> Lilith, “I’m fine…”

-> Karissa, “You’re getting better at using fire in combative ways!”

-> Owen, “You are a criminal…”

-> Barbara, “You are also a criminal…”

-> Chance, “I think you’ve had divine intervention. No normal person would’ve survived your injuries”

-> Amelia, “I’m sorry that people of my beliefs have tried to kill you, your distrust of me is founded and I respect it.”

Karissa:

-> Pandora, “You’re super cute! Love your hair :)”

-> Noah, “I’m glad you like my music!”

-> Ambrose, “big brother”

-> Constance, “big sister”

-> Nico, “I could play you a song if you’d like, just to ease the nerves”

-> Nathaniel, “Wow, rude.”

-> Natasha, “Maybe I could take your mind off of the situation for a little bit?”

-> Lilith, “Got any new songs? I was thinking we could sing about each of the members of The Crux once we know them better!”

-> Josiah, “thanks for keeping Lilith and I grounded Josie”

-> Owen, “yikes, scary…”

-> Barbara, “scary but in like, a mom way.”

-> Chance, “You seem like you have plenty of stories to tell, tell me them all! I want to sing about them!”

-> Amelia, “Thanks for the fire resistance but I’m a tiefling lol.”

Chance:

-> Pandora, “Champion huh? Ain’t you a special snowflake.”

-> Noah, “I respect what you’re doin’ kid, I’m all for it.”

-> Ambrose, “It’s the quiet ones that getcha”

-> Constance, “Yeah yeah stop badgering me…”

-> Nico, “My guy, you need to toughen up a little bit like your brother”

-> Nathaniel, “Okay maybe not that tough”

-> Natasha, “Go your own way kid, don’t stick in the shadow of your daddy”

-> Lilith, “Now that’s a way of life I can get behind”

-> Josiah, “A religious man, I respect that.”

-> Karissa, “You mind tellin’ me what your life used to be like, sounds interestin’ :)”

-> Owen, “That’s a whole ass criminal right there”

-> Barbara, “Glad to see you’ve improved Barb.”

-> Amelia, “For a “witch” you’re a pretty nice person”

Barbara:

-> Pandora, “Another rich kid… at least you don’t seem to be as bad as the others.”

-> Noah, “Hon I appreciate what you’re doing but uh, ya all right?”

-> Ambrose, “You and your sister are alright.”

-> Constance, “callin’ me out for bein’ an ass. I respect that.”

-> Nico, “hon you need to grow a thicker skin, I’m not expecting you to be perfect at first though.”

-> Nathaniel, “Well aren’t you a bundle of issues? I’m here when you wanna talk little boy.”

-> Natasha, “Another follower of the god of death? Seems we might get along.”

-> Lilith, “Be careful who you trust sugar.”

-> Josiah, “I hope the paladin thing works out for you.”

-> Karissa, “Running away and joining a group you never intended to be a part of… sounds familiar.”

-> Owen, “Lord, please take care of yourself. I’ll uh… I’ll kick your ass if you leave me with all these kids by myself.”

-> Chance, “Good to see you, Sheriff”

-> Amelia, “Glad we got to you before those townsfolk did.”

Owen:

-> Pandora, “You’re one of Diana and Alexander’s kids, aren’t you?”

-> Noah, “Sorry about your mom, kid.”

-> Ambrose, “I hope your brother sees the wrong in what he’s doing…”

-> Constance, “I hope you learn to detach yourself from your parents”

-> Nico, “Try not to be scared of everything kid, there’s too much good in the world to be scared of everything.”

-> Nathaniel, “…”

-> Natasha, “See yourself for who you are and not what you think you should be.”

-> Lilith, “You can have alcohol so long as you clean up after yourself.”

-> Josiah, “You and your sis are polar opposites”

-> Karissa, “Try to be a little more cautious, there’s still some shitty people out there.”

-> Barbara, “Yeah yeah, I’m trying…”

-> Chance, “Good on you for surviving, I can help you with your prosthetics if you’d like, got a few of my own actually…”

-> Amelia, “Thanks for helping with the pain, I appreciate it more than you know.”

Amelia:

-> Pandora, “I wish I could fix your situation… I wish I had something to fix your undead-ness”

-> Noah, “You aren’t human, are you?”

-> Ambrose, “I have just the thing to help you with your muscle pains!”

-> Constance, “I have something to help you in you and your brother’s fight against your literal demons”

-> Nico, “Ohhh! That’s a creative way to build a prosthetic :0”

-> Nathaniel, “You’re so reckless and yet so careful”

-> Natasha, “I have a mana potion if you need it for practice”

-> Lilith, “You’re not getting a health tonic after this, you get drunk too much, and I need those tonics for something else.”

-> Josiah, “I may have something that could help with the visions if you’d like…?”

-> Karissa, “A fire protectant potion just for you!”

-> Owen, “I wonder if the health and regeneration tonics are helping him…”

-> Barbara, “You’re pretty healthy! Good job!”

-> Chance, “stop being so careless you jerk >:T”

[screamintoad]

Lost Souls

Chapter Fourteen

Arianrdom

  “Yo, you with us girl?” The tall woman bent down to examine Karissa’s face. Wynter pat her shoulder a few times. “Didn’t Ruth fix ya?” “I…” Wynter sighed. “They did. She’s just still trying to get her bearings.” He replied. The woman quirked a brow at the uncertainty in his voice. “A’ight. Neither of you look like much. Certainly not with those potato sacks on.” Karissa finally noticed that her and Wynter’s clothes were almost identical. “Where’s your sword and armor?” She wondered. He shrugged, “They took it.” He stated flatly. “They said I could get them back once we got cleared to stay.” The woman hummed in acknowledgment. She stood straight and proud as she led the way. Her strides radiated quiet confidence that complimented her sharp features. “Come along.” She called behind her, “Let’s find you some clothes and some food.” Wynter was the first to follow her as Karissa turned back to where they had come from, “What about…Onyx?” The corridor that they emerged from was completely empty.

  “Hurry up, girl! We don’t have all day.” Karissa hurried to catch up with them. 

  The warm sun was a gift to feel after the previous events. “You’re a girl, no? Do you have a name?” The woman asked. The sunlight reflected on her hair in a way that showed off the darker gray streaks amidst the lighter shade. The black capelet around her seemed like an odd choice to wear in the end of summer but Wynter kept quiet about it. “Karissa.” “Karissa. Simple enough. You can call me Araceli, catchy I know.” As they went down some stairs the wind picked up and under Araceli’s capelet he noticed severe scarring on her back. He stopped in his tracks as he was taken aback for a moment.

  She is an arial. An arial, who’s wings were clipped. A sight that takes him back to his childhood, or, whatever remains of it.

  Karissa quite literally pushed him to keep moving. Without missing a beat, Araceli continued speaking. “So, Karissa, got any special powers I should know of? We were expecting the Blood Reapers but not a soul reaper. The mage left a message detailing that a shard would be delivered to here. Yet, not by what or who.” Wynter should’ve spoken up to correct her on the nickname but, she wasn’t wrong. He merely got too used to not having to be a part of a feared duo. He focused back on the conversation. “…Only that the Life Weaver itself might chase the one with it. He got that part right, at least.” “I don’t know the full extent of my powers. I’ve only recently been able to use them at all. When we had the encounter with Vhae-the Life Weaver, I was able to use my soul strings to conduct…electricity? I think?” She rubbed her right arm where she remembers the scars are, “It took a lot out of me though.” “Electrical energy.” Wynter finally spoke up. “The shard turned the kinetic energy from you manipulating your soul strings, into electricity. That’s what it simply did. Specifically, it amplifies what’s already being emitted.” Karissa gripped his shoulders, “You’re just now explaining that?” Wynter’s eyes sharpened into a glare as he pried her off of him, “It hasn’t come up until now.” While Araceli merely nodded along. “Well then. We have two rules in Arianrdom. Two main ones, at least. Should be easy to memorize.” The continued walking across different bridges, “If you stay here, you can’t be a threat or a nuisance. You’re lucky that Arianrdom’s council already discussed your usefulness as soon as you arrived, and Ruth backs this up.” She threw them a hard look, “But we have little tolerance for anything, or anyone, who can directly harm our people or mission. So I hope this isn’t the case with those powers of yours…understood?” “Yes.” 

  “I don’t want a reason to antagonize you both. You seem alright, Wynter, Karissa.”

  “Thank you ma’am?”

  “…Thanks?”

  Araceli led them across multiple canopies. Various other people passed by them and waved to her, some addressed her as “Captain”. Wynter nudged Karissa’s side to get her attention, in a hushed whisper he spoke, “When we get Émeric, we have to talk about what happened in the forest.” She nodded, “Definitely. I’m still trying to rack my brain around it all.” He straightened up and they continued walking until they came to a covered hut. Araceli walked over to the woman sewing together some fabric and gestured towards the two. Without any questions the woman smiled and walked over to them at the doorway. She waved them inside and looked them both up and down. She walked around them, keeping her brown wings close to her body to not accidentally hit them. “I’ve got just the things for you both.” 

  In a flurry she pulled pieces of clothing off of racks and shelves and shoes from what Wynter assumed is a back room. When she handed them the change of clothes, Wynter finally got a better look at her face. She wasn’t as sharp as Araceli, her round face a stark contrast. Her facial markings were also different, instead of two triangular shapes under her eyes was small circles. Braided into her hair was a gray feather. 

  When they finished getting changed Araceli spoke up, “My boy said you saved his life.” Karissa’s eyes widened at the memory of the arial from the night prior, “He did?! But we didn’t really-“ “Said you protected him somehow. I believe him, kid’s the honest type. For that I thank you all.” The two remained silent, neither of them use to being thanked. As Karissa used a ribbon to tie her hair back she asked, “So…how is Aleksha?” Araceli waved off her concern, ”He’ll be fine. Nothing some rest can’t fix.” Karissa finished tying up her hair. “Can I see him?” She wondered, “I’d like to thank him. He saved me, too.” Araceli shrugged, “I don’t see why not. It’ll be a while before we figure out what to do with you both, anyways.”

  They followed her back towards the house until Wynter finally piped up, “When can I see Émeric?” For once the woman froze, “Who?” She asked, concern present. “The other ghoul that entered with us, I’m worried about him. He tends to be more…aggressive.” He explained. “Entered…with you, you say?” “Yes.” He replied sternly, “Is he okay?” Araceli rubbed her temples, “Well, fuck.” She groaned. Karissa and Wynter looked at each other in a way that said, “Is that a no?”

*****

  Deep in one of the mountains, Émeric stood chained to a wall as one of the arial who found them last night…interrogated him. 

  “How old are you, boy? Twenty? Forty?” The supposed general’s voice was rough. Whether he spoke like that to everyone or just ghouls, Émeric couldn’t figure out. “Should I even call you “boy”?” The chains wrapped around Émeric’s arms tightened and burned where his sigils were yet, he remained silent. The general harshly gripped his face, “How many people gave their lives for that face of yours.” “…None.” Despite the pain he felt Émeric refused to seem weak. His body was ridden in bruises and scrapes. “Liar.” The general’s face hardened. “Liars, all of you.” 

  Ah. So it is ghouls.

  The general swung a punch at Émeric’s side at his ribs. No reaction other than a wince. “I won’t kill you. Not yet, at least. But I’ll make sure you regret ever entering these mountains.” 

  He then kneed him in the stomach. “Do you have a family? Do you even know the concept?” Émeric thought about a familiar face but still didn’t reply. As the general grabbed his dagger out of his belt a hand grasped his shoulder. “Dalyn.” Araceli’s voice was laced with frustration, “Dear. Let’s have a chat, shall we?” She grabbed his ear and dragged him away to talk but Wynter made out a bit of her scolding.

  “Next time you decide to use our guest as a punching bag-“

  As soon as they passed by, Wynter rushed to Émeric. “How hurt are you?” He asked as he reached out to his face to inspect his wounds. “I’m fine.” “You’re bleeding!” “It’s nothing, Wyn.” The chains loosened and finally let go of Émeric. It was as if all of his strength gave out as he dropped to his knees. Wynter reached out his arms to help keep him steady. Karissa rushed over with a green jacket, where she got it from they didn’t ask. 

  “It has been brought to my attention that you are both this lady’s responsibility.” Dalyn’s voice broke out. “What?” The trio questioned in unison. Araceli stood beside Dalyn with her arms crossed and a proud smirk gracing her features. Whereas Dalyn looked like he was being forced to say these things. “And she is Araceli’s. So, you will be allowed to stay in Arianrdom as honored guests. Until a decision is made for further action.” He explained. Dalyn stared at Émeric as he finished speaking.

  “Don’t push your luck.”

[shdocws]

i just remembered, 7 fucking days till i see stray kids.

[tvnacity]

and I’m feeling extra valid abt being ace in this chili’s tonight

[spurgie-cousin]

Can u imagine how terrified those kids were screaming to God? Mandrae must just go along with her

This isn't a new thing with them, they're probably used to it tbh. For Christians who put a big emphasis on the holy spirit, charismatic works (yelling, dancing, collapsing, speaking in tongues, etc all while praying) are done in exchange for gifts from the holy spirit (in this case, a healing) and I'm pretty sure Karissa and Mandrae were that flavor of Christian when she took them to actual churches, but I could be wrong. So they've probably been doing it their whole life.

But I'm sure it is scary to have seen so many things happen to your brothers or sisters and done this to help them, only for something else to go wrong or for the situation not to be resolved even though your mom keeps insisting that it is. And how confusing.

[summersblood]

i usually don’t care if people have different opinions than me, but i will freak out irrationally if you say scream 3 sucks. you have to understand that scream 3 is the pinnacle of cinema, and it’s personally my best friend! if you speak out against it, i will come into your home and sit on your chest until you stop breathing.