#lets get spooky my lads

[engie-ivy]

(If it's three prompts, can it be three times as long?😋 Fix-It Halloween fic! Happy ending, promise!)

@wolfstarmicrofic 23rd, 24th, 25th: Fidelius Charm, Skeleton, Spooky

792 words

Remus hates Halloween, but maybe it's time to get over that hatred...

All's Well That Ends Well

“Uncle Moony, uncle Moony!” Harry comes rushing into the living room.

Remus puts away his book. “What is it, lad?”

“There are skeletons next door!” Harry exclaims.

Remus chuckles. “They're not real, Harry. They're Halloween decoration.”

“Decoration,” Harry repeats. “But decoration is fun, like flags and balloons. Skeletons aren't fun.”

“No,” Remus agrees, pulling Harry onto his lap. “But for Halloween, the decoration is supposed to be spooky.” He tickles Harry's sides and the boy giggles as he squirms. “Halloween is the scary holiday.”

“Scary,” Harry mumbles. “Uncle Moony, what is the scariest Halloween you ever had?”

Remus’ breath halts.

1981

“They can't be, they can't be…”

“The whole house is blown to bits. They're gone, Remus.”

“No. No. The Fidelius Charm, and Sirius, he…”

“He betrayed them, Remus.”

“No. No, he wouldn't. Not James. Never James.”

“There's no other explanation.”

“Just let me talk to him. I'm sure he can explain. Somehow. Just let me talk to him. Please.”

“He's on the run. Which just confirms his guilt. The Auror department as well as the Muggle police are all searching for him.”

“Muggle police…”

“Peter bravely went after him once he realized Sirius betrayed Lily and James. However, once cornered, Sirius blew up an entire street, killing Peter and nine Muggles.”

“Peter? Peter’s gone too?”

“I'm so sorry, Remus.”

“No. No. Sirius is not a… not a… Sirius is not a murderer.”

“We didn't think he was a traitor either.”

Remus swallows. “I'll have to think about that, Harry,” he replies, somehow managing to force a smile.

Harry pouts for a moment, but then he pipes up. “Can we put up Halloween decoration?”

“Oh, I don't know. I'm actually not such a fan of…”

“Pleaseeeee, uncle Moony, pleaseeeee.”

“Oh, alright then.”

1981

There's a knock on the door.

Almost in a trance, Remus goes to open. Whatever is on the other side of that door can't possibly make tonight any worse. He freezes once he sees who's on the doorstep.

“Sirius.”

“Moony, I-”

“No, don't call me that! You were the Secret Keeper, Sirius. How are they dead then, Sirius? How?”

“Moony, I can explain.”

“No. No, you can't. You can't explain betrayal and you can't explain murder!”

“It's not like that, Remus.”

Remus pulls out his wand. “I should hand you over to the Dementors right now!”

“I wouldn't do that if I were you,” another voice suddenly says.

“What's this then? Halloween decoration? I thought you hated Halloween?”

Remus looks up from where he's reading his book on the couch. “Well, apparently, I hate saying no to Harry even more.”

“Ha, I know what that's like. At least I can play the indulgent godfather-card.”

1981

“J-James? You're… You're… You're alive?”

“Peter was the Secret Keeper,” James wastes no time in saying. “At least of Godric’s Hollow. But we had our suspicions about Peter, so Harry, Lily and I were actually staying at another safe house, of which Sirius was the Secret Keeper.”

“When Peter indeed went and betrayed Godric’s Hollow to You Know Who,” Sirius continues. “Instead of James, Lily and Harry, he found an ambush waiting on him, set by Dumbledore and the most powerful members of the Order.”

“So when the house blew up, it was only He who got hurt,” James concludes.

Stunned, Remus looks from James to Sirius to James and back to Sirius. “And the Muggles, the murders…?”

A dark look appears on Sirius’ face. “Unfortunately, in my anger, I made the mistake of going after Peter. He blew up a street and disappeared into the sewer as the rat he is. I wish I could've saved those Muggles…”

A clattering sound brings Sirius back to the present, and he looks at Remus who has just dropped his wand on the floor.

Remus flings himself forward and wraps his arms around his two friends, relief flooding his body. Whatever is to come, they have each other.

Sirius gives Remus a kiss and sits down on the couch next to him, letting his head rest in Remus’ lap.

Remus kisses him again, just because he can. “How was the game?”

“Great. The Harpies won. Though James and I are still a little scared of how fanatic Lily gets,” he shudders. “Thank you for watching Harry. The Potters’ insist we come over for dinner tomorrow.”

“Ah, good. No offense, but I'd pick James’ cooking over yours any day.”

Sirius barks a laugh. “None taken, and same. Hey,” he then says, reaching out and cupping Remus’ cheek. “If you're really getting over your aversion for Halloween, maybe we could take Harry trick-or-treating?”

“Yeah,” Remus replies. “We could do that. I think I really am getting over my hatred for Halloween. After all, all’s well that ends well.”

[junos-jrabbles]

can i request playing a horror game with sniper… or scout

Of course!!!! I love this request so much thank you for sending it in <33 (did sniper and scout because they are The Guys of all time) Sorry this took so long!! love y'all <3

Spooky Time with the lads!!

Sniper

Would LOVE the resident evil games, dear god somebody bring this man to life, please, he needs to see chris redfield, needs to experience the joy of getting that stupid chess piece puzzle in the second game right.

Big fan of sorta niche horror games, can easily imagine him starting muttering about how a game’s mechanics were ‘directly taken from’ another game from like forty years ago you’ve literally never heard of. Probably almost exclusively uses knives and rifles, this man does not know the word "medium" LMAO

Quick time event hater, can’t find the keys quick enough, usually gets messed up. But subsequently, five minutes later, pulls off the juiciest, most amazing tactic you've ever seen.

“I don’t… Really get why they’ve got to mark everything with that ruddy yellow paint, like, I’m not blind…” This is followed by him repeatedly walking into zombies because ‘the brightness is too low’ TAKE YOUR SUNGLASSES OFFFF

Would definitely go out of his way to set the mood, assuming you guys are playing in his camper, probably on his TV (i love the 1970s let’s just play pretend…), he’d have all the lights off, and maybe a candle on, would probably play spooky music on his phone and almost shit himself when an ad plays.

Would have the time of his life, honestly, a night in playing games with you would probably be a great way to top off his day, but he definitely suggests some spooky games you guys could play outdoors, flashlight tag being top priority (he thinks it's funny as hell chasing you around in the dark)

Scout

Screaming. Endless SCREAMING.

Would definitely be the kind to run directly at a threat, screaming, and immediately start yelping like a trod on puppy when Shit Happens.

“AY! AY- NO! NAH, C’MON!” Viciously mashing buttons on the controller. “WE DON’T PLAY LIKE THAT ‘ROUND ‘ERE C’MON MAN! I DON’T WANNA FIGHT YOU! Well- Nah- okay, I do- COME HERE.” Looney tunes style monster chasing him into a room immediately turns into him chasing the monster out of the room.

^^ Absolutely a controller player, if the game doesn’t support a controller, he’s probably not playing. (He likes knowing that if he gets mad enough, he’s got an easily Throwable Item at hand /j!! He'd just find it way easier, less buttons to mess around with.)

He is definitely gritting his teeth waiting for jumpscares the ENTIRE time, especially if you decide to play a more atmospheric game. He's wincing when he has to walk around a corner,

Would absolutely be sloooowly shuffling up against your side, he’s not scared, no, what? No, definitely not scared, man! He’s the coolest Bostonian this side of… not Boston! Shaddup!

Completely misses almost EVERY quest objective, but is adamant that he knows what he's doing at all times. Eventually, after half an hour of him searching for an item, you have to vaguely guide him towards it.

If the game has weapons, you best believe that if there's a bat, he's using it, but will also rant if it breaks. "Wh- Whaddaya mean it broke in like... uh- Three swings?! That's DUMB! Man, I know I swing hard, but, c'mon!" ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ btw I just wanted to say to anyone who's reading this, thank you :) thank you anon for this request, thank you to everyone who's liked, reblogged, and commented, you're all so kind <3 and also some of the reblog tags I've gotten literally have me GRINNING!!!!! :D << me fr!! Hope you're all well, sorry this is short, my silly ass probably gonna write some more Sniper stuff soon :3

[anantplayingdnd]

In honor of pride month I want to hear about how queer you made Barovia please and thank you.

For my game:

Strahd is a bisexual king right out of the book, which is awesome.

Rahadin is asexual, but not in like, an ace kind of way. Like in a single-celled organism kind of way.

Ireena is aroace! A decision partly inspired by a certain pool of water (iykyk), and also because she’s a little bit my self-insert. A PC hit on her in like session four and was immediately told, “Do not ever speak to me that way again.” She’s iconic and I adore her.

IZMARK. IZ. GAY. And madly in love with the druid. Unfortunately Izmark does not know he is gay. He believes it is very normal to lovingly stare into your homie's eyes and look down at his lips and imagine what it would be like to kiss him. And it is very normal to comment on how attractive your homie is, cause that's just what bros do.

Vollenta is a beautiful lesbian who refuses to let the fact that she is married to Strahd change the fact that she is a lesbian and nobody will tell her or her pile of bodies otherwise.

Ludmilla is on the ace spectrum. I mean, come on. She's with the guy for power and grant money. She says she loves him, and they're definitely intimate, but she's the kind of girly to take notes before during and after, you know?

Escher. What even needs to be said about Escher. He's Ravenloft's resident twink and proud of it. He's a little lonely and can't stop thinking about the boy he was in love with when he was young, who is now old and grizzled from age, while Escher himself remains the same age he was when he betrayed his lover and chose Strahd instead, but like... he's also pretty and immortal, so who cares?

(Escher Bonus Content: Two moms! They loved him very much and were upsettingly supportive of his decision to become Strahd's newest consort)

Anastrasya: idk she's dead pre-campaign in mine so if you came here looking for commentary on her you will not get it.

Ezmerelda is a trans lesbian! She's gorgeous and I adore her. She's just so confident that she can kill Strahd on her own and I think she's right for that. I knew I wanted her to be a love interest for one of my PCs, and it just so happens that the player in question has a type.

Danika is also bi, and she's very happily married to her wonderful little husband. This hasn't come up in the campaign at all it's just something I know to be true in my heart.

The Abbot: Gender! Fluid! Call them whatever you want. He/him when you want to play on ideas of masculinity in religious circles, they/them when you want to make them seem undefinable, she/her when you want your PCs to reflect on how much mom trauma they all have :)

Sergei is straight but that man loves the queer community so much and he deserves an honorable mention.

Arrigal is gay and very pissed that the party keeps knocking on his wagon door at 3am. His ex-husband/current boyfriend has been coerced into co-parenting a child with the cleric.

Edit: FORGOT ABOUT THE RESIDENT SPOOKY SPECTRAL LADS BUT TO BE FAIR THEY ARE CANON AND MY PARTY ISN’T THERE YET

There's definitely others but these are my versions of the little guys. I am so interested to hear other people's takes on them.

[pleasantviewrainfall111]

Copperdale Academy ♥️

It's me, hi, indecision it's me!

When I woke up this morning and saw that the lovely @neishroom was looking for teens, I was beyond hyped and knew that I'd spent the day crafting and choosing little fella's for her to play with.

I obviously can't JUST make or pick one Sim. No, that would be normal. I have to make fucking six, because I'm me.

And since I couldn't decide for myself, I figured I'd share them all and let Nei pick whichever one she likes best!

Be it all, one or even none - all up to you, babes. 😊

Akira Ikeda - He/Him; Pan; Mt. Komorebi

Akira is your not-so-average lad from Mount Komorebi.

He was raised by not one but two mums - Ayame and Samsara - who more than dote on their baby. (Yes, he's very spoiled. Yes, he can be a bit of a twat. But he means well....?)

Thanks to his mum, Akira is interested in all things surrounding engineering and science. He may not look the part, but he can be rather geeky and he'll gladly hold a lecture about the proper way to assemble a servo. (No, he'll not stup until he's done, no matter what you say.)

Devante Zanders - He/Him; Bi; San Myshuno

Devante - Dev to his friends - was raised in San Myshuno and is exactly what you'd call a city boy. He loves the streets of his home town almost as much as he does dogs.

Dev likes sports - any sport, he'll play pickle ball, he'll play football, he'll surf, jog or run the treadmill. It doesn't matter to him as long as the company is good.

And, keyword company: Dev is quite the charmer. Ever since his toddler days, he's had an easy time making friends and gathering hearts wherever he steps with his laid back vibe and disarming smiles. But only those he truly trusts get to see how much of a goofball my guy really is.

Kareena Advani - She/Her; Demi; Tomarang

Born in Tomarang and raised by one dragon of a mother, Kareena doesn't remember the last time she just got to let go and chill. Every single day is spent bowing to her mothers whims and demands - good grades, good performances, good behaviour, good everything. Maybe then she'll finally be worthy of her mothers love.

Deep down, she doesn't want or care about any of these things. Kareena seeks to enjoy her life and go with the flow, until she's old enough to start a family herself. And once she does, she swears she'll do everything to be a much better mother than her own.

Jiajia Ouyang - She/Her; Lesbian; Ravenwood

Let me tell you - this girl may look all sweet and demure, but don't forget that she's made in Ravenwood ™️. So while she does love little, fluffy creatures and all things soft and cozy, she's also absolutely obsessed with ghosts and any other spooky shit. Thanks to that, Jiajia doesn't scare easily and is likely to react with fascination to any urban myth or ghost story.

Be aware: It's not super easy to become her friend. The best approach would probably be to treat her like on would a crow. Yell "Hey, look at the cool rock I found!" and she'll be by your side, longinly staring at whatever trinket you show her now.

Gracie Lou Freebush - She/Her, ???, Del Sol Valley

Grace - try and call her Gracie, and she'll knock out your teeth - grew up in the lower parts of Del Sol Valley to a deadbeat single dad. Thanks to that, she's always been selfsufficient and never relies on anyone else. Her motto? If you want it done, do it yourself and if it's too hard, get tf over it.

She tends to be a loner, despite her loud and confident demeanour, and getting to know her may be quite difficult. You're just as likely to run into walls as you are to find a way around them, so best stand back and listen to her play the guitar until she decides it's time to like you!

And a little bonus duo that likely won't be picked since they're kind of a package deal, but I wanted to share nonetheless:

Floortje van der Bijl - She/Her; Straight, Brindleton Bay

Mats van der Bijl - He/Him; Bi; Brindleton Bay

These blonde cuties are Floortje and Mats, your average twins from Brindleton Bay. The two of them couldn't be more different - at least in character - but they're as close as they come. Having never met their parents, they're the only blood-family they know. I specifically say blood family, because the two of them grew up in a very loving foster home, meaning they've always had good people surrounding them.

Floortje is ambitious and goal oriented. She doesn't quite know where she is headed, but she'll do everything to make sure she has all her options open. In her free time, she loves hanging out with friends or playing the violin - something she's loved ever since she was a child - and, if the mood strikes her, she may even throw down a mat and do some yoga.

Mats, however, is less motivated. All he really wants to do is dance and he knows he doesn't need to get good grades to do that - much to his sisters chargrine. So he usually just practises or chills, whatever he wants more at the time. He's barely hanging on, all things considered, but it could be much much worse. And, luckily, he can always rely on his sister to kick his butt whenever necessary.

[celticbotanart]

ALRIGHT, since Halloween is just around the corner and this blog is ALSO about sharing and talking about my full-time hyperfixation (music), I want to make some recommendations of "unusual" or just unknown songs that very well fit the theme! I've mentioned before that I love making thematic playlists and that I have rules for them everything (it's serious shit!!), so I wanna share some of the songs featured in my "Ecclectic Halloween" playlist. The two basic rules I applied for that playlist are:

The song MUST include anything supernatural, spooky, bizarre, "murder/serial killer", classic creature and so on

The song can be of ANY genre; is it metal? Prog? Disco? Electronic? Soundtrack? COOL, ALL ARE WELCOME!

Let's get started!

1 - Rainbow - Tarot Woman

As an unapologetic 70s dad rock advocate, I HAVE to start with one of my fave bands of the genre! The song begins with a DOPE synth/keyboard solo, and then iconic Dio (the one Dio from Jojo's Bizarre Adventure was named after) comes in with a bunch of cryptic imagery, like the predictions the tarot woman is telling him as she turns the cards side on:

Something in the air Tells me to beware - No, no, no! Her love is like a knife She'll carve away your life - So go, go, go! Beware of a place, a smile on a bright shiny face I'll never return, how do you know? Tarot woman! But I don't know, I don't know!

2 - Blackmore's Night - I Guess It Doesn't Matter Anymore

From the same breed of the first song, cause Blackmore was the guitar player / composer for Rainbow - except that Blackmore's Night is a project he made way later (late 90s), with his wife Candice Night, who sings all the songs and composes with him. This song is about the CLASSIC tale of someone giving a lift to a mysterious woman they found wandering at the side of the road; when they get to the place she wanted to go and asks to leave, the driver turns around! And the lady, she's suddenly gone!!!!!

Standing in the rain, the cold and angry rain In a long white dress, a girl without a name She stood beneath the light, Glowing like a candle bright I guess it doesn't matter anymore (...) Finally she spoke, 'come pull off the road' Saying she was headin' home I turned and she was gone, I was all alone

3- Loreena McKennitt - The Bonny Swans

You might be asking: "Oriel, what the fuck, why is soft spoken-christmas songs-traditional folk medieval instruments Loreena McKennitt in this playlist at all??? With a song named like THAT?? What is so scary about pretty glorified ducks anyway?" - And to that I'll say right off the bat this is the most metal song in the entire playlist, and I say this unironically. This song is inspired by an old ballad and it tells about a girl who was drowned by her own sister out of jealousy of her betrothed; the sister kills her so she can have the lad for herself. It already has murder, as you can tell - but it gets WORSE, as the body of the drowned girl floats down the river and is found by a miller's daughter; a passing-by bard then uses the dead girl's bones and golden hair to make a harp that plays on it's own, possessed by the dead girl's spirit???? She (as the harp) asks to be taken to the court, the bard takes her, and AS A CURSED HARP MADE OF BONES the dead girl outs her sister as her murderer, in front of the entire family and the court. Look. If this isn't METAL AF, I don't know what ELSE can be. The "bonny swans" from the title comes from the comparison Loreena makes of the pale girl's body floating in the water, to swans swimming along. kkkkkkkkkkk JESUS.

He made harp pins of her fingers fair With a hey ho and a bonny o He made harp strings of her golden hair The swans swim so bonny o He made a harp of her breast bone With a hey ho and a bonny o And straight it began to play alone The swans swim so bonny o He brought it to her father's hall With a hey ho and a bonny o And there was the court, assembled all The swans swim so bonny o He laid the harp upon a stone With a hey ho and a bonny o And straight it began to play lone The swans swim so bonny o

4- Sting - Moon Over Bourbon Street

Probably one of the most fun songs in this, because it's a song written by Sting, inspired by Anne Rice's "Interview With the Vampire"! The song is under Louis' PoV, and he laments his current condition as a vampire and also as a man of god, as he wanders through New Orleans's streets. This Sting's live performance of this song (the live in Berlin, 2010) is my favorite by far - there's a whole ass epic orchestra and even a theremin! hehe

I pray everyday to be strong For I know what I do must be wrong Oh you'll never see my shade or hear the sound of my feet While there's a moon over Bourbon Street It was many years ago that I became what I am I was trapped in this life like an innocent lamb Now I can never show my face at noon And you'll only see me walking by the light of the moon

5- AQUA - Halloween

Yes, THAT AQUA - turns out they DO have more songs other than Barbie Girl, and they actually slap - I was there in the 90s, when the Deep Eurodance Magic was written. I LOVE this one because it has such a fun vibe, and obviously, inspired by the "Halloween" movie franchise - Lene plays as the girl alone at night who receives a call from René, playing as the psycho who's after her. They even act that scene at the begining of the song dsjfhjsdgf so cool!

The sound of shoes, a shadow that moves Something odd is tic tac ticking Someone's in here, I'm so full of fear The telephone is ringing!!

6- E Nomine - Das Tier In Mir

ONE OF MY ALL-TIME FAVES IN THIS PLAYLIST. E Nomine was (?) a German electronic music project who DARED to mix in dark techno/trance beats AND CHANTS IN LATIN, as this deep-voiced dude sings/borderline-raps in German. ITS HARD TO EXPLAIN, BUT I PROMISE, ITS SO SO SO DOPE. They also sang about all sorts of religious / dark fantasy themes - they have an entire album based on the Bible, which I promise, they made it a LOT MORE RAD AND COOL than it sounds; and another album about the supernatural and all kinds of creatures, like vampires, ghosts, werewolves, demons. "Das Tier in Mir" or "The Animal In Me" is their "werewolf" song - it starts off with this kid singing in Latin about the forest, and the moonlight, and the song goes on with Deep Voice Dude singing under the werewolf's perspective; it even features a dramatic transformation sequence!!

[Latin]The forest is hidden, in the moonlight, My home is the forest In the starlight (...) Dark clouds and dark thoughts, The full-moon night smashes my barriers down. The animal desire that I massacre comes in me. I feel this bloodlust here and now. Deep in the night the twinkling stars, A sweet smell is drawing me into the distance. But careful if my passion gets aroused quite gently in the night And the hunter wakes up in me! (Translation from here - it's rather clunky, but that's the gist of it!)

7- E Nomine - Mitternacht

Yep! Another one by E Nomine, BECAUSE THEY JUST SLAP TOO HARD. "Mitternacht", or "Midnight" is pretty much about the Witching Hour, all the spirits comes out when the bell strikes midnight!! This one is SUCH A FAVORITE of mine because it sounds EXACTLY what a DJ would play as vampires dressed in fancy, old outfits and masks waltz around in a haunted, opulent manor

When the gondolas are in mourning and the dead's lament resounds horror is breathing down your neck When the clock starts striking cold thick fog is touching you gently ...midnight! [Latin] midnight, dark night, cruelty of the soul the bell is ringing twelve times ...midnight! (Translation from here - same from previous song, kinda clunky but we get it)

8- Dead or Alive - Something In My House

Another classic banger with the catchiest fucking tune ever, by You-Spin-Me-Right-Round-Baby-Right-Round Dead or Alive, sung by ICONIC genderfucker wizard Pete Burns (the Gender Envy of him in this video is real). I have to admit, this one is SLIGHTLY cheating on my rules, cause the "something in my house" in question is not anything supernatural - it's a metaphor for a gone-wrong relationship, lol. Ngl, I think this is kinda fucking brilliant. But like, the spooky, Halloween-y vibes are all there nonetheless: wolves are howling, Pete is singing in an old castle and looking 200% like a vampire. Even if I'm cheating a little, it still fits!

There is something in my house - my house, It's just a ghost of a long long dead affair, There is something in my house - my house, I just keep a hearing you runnin' on up my stairs, But you're not there

9- League of Legends - Fiddlesticks, The Harbinger of Doom

Finally, some soundtracks! I don't play LoL, but I absolutely love some of the character's themes, and Fiddlestick's is one of them! For what I've got, Fiddlesticks is like this ancient, nightmare-ish Freddie Krugger-like entity, and BOY, does the song reflect exactly THAT. It SOUNDS like a horror movie, and I'm obsessed about it!!

When fields lie calm and wind stands still (Run home, run home) As the crows make night of the fading Sun (Hide now, hide now) When the trees do bow, as if they weep (Stay down, stay down) Though its light beckons forth, a melody calls out (Too late, too late)

10- The Alan Parson's Project - The Cask of Amontillado

And!!! Last but not least!! Closing this playlist with THIS ULTIMATE DAD PROG ROCK BANGER, which as you can see, is inspired by Poe's tale "The Cask of Amontillado". In fact, the entire album where that song comes from, "Tales of Mystery and Imagination - Edgar Allan Poe", is inspired by his work. Yeah there are also songs on "The Raven" and "The Fall of the House of Usher" too for example! It's just so cool! But "The Cask of Amontillado" is by far my favorite, specially with the instrumental part at the end, ughhhh <3

By the last breath of the four winds that blow I'll have revenge upon Fortunato Smile in his face I'll say "come let us go I've a cask of Amontillado" (...) You who are rich and whose troubles are few May come around to see my point of view What price the Crown of a King on his throne When you're chained in the dark all alone

This is definitely a long ass post, and I really had to cut it even shorter bc of Tumblr's dumbass video limit, but that's alright. I might even put up a part II, hehe I hope you like the Halloween-y songs recs!!

[illuminopseudonymous]

The Radio Demon is Dead

Alastor: Ya-da-ya-da

Alastor: It is a good day to be not dead!

Vox (firing a pistol): Pow! You are dead!

Alastor: I am dead!

(Vox chuckles.)

(Vaggie approaches the scene)

Vox: Oh shit (throws away the gun)

Vaggie: The radio demon is dead!

Alastor: Yes (Jambalaya)! I am dead!

Vaggie: Why is the radio demon dead?

Vox: I dunno.

Alastor: I think it was...

Both: Shush! You are dead!

Alastor: Okay! (dies)

Velvette: What's up, you buggers? Who's up for a... What the bloody hell just happened?

Vaggie: The radio demon is dead!

Velvette: The radio demon is dead?

Vaggie: Correct!

("Correct" jingle plays)

Vaggie: So, did you see the murderer?

Vees: Nope. Sorry, mate.

Vaggie: (pounds spear on ground) I will find him, I will capture him, and no one will ever die again!

(applause)

Velvette: Well, that's nice

Vox: I am damn proud of you.

Sir Pentious, surrounded by Egg Boiz: ATTENTION!

(rushes over)

Sir Pentious: The radio demon is dead!

Vaggie: We know!

Sir Pentious: Who killed him?

Vaggie: We don't know.

Sir Pentious: I will find clues!

(Slithers around the ground, finds a tommy gun)

Sir Pentious: What's that? (picks it up) A weapon? (points it at the group) That thing is why the radio demon is dead!

Others: The radio demon is dead?

Sir Pentious: Yes! (slaps table) He died!

shock.jpg

Rosie (from afar): Incoming!

(Carriage tramples Sir Pentious, Rosie emerges)

Rosie: Move! Now!

(Rosie pushes the others to the side and kisses Alastor)

Alastor (rising into the air): AHAHAHA (explodes)

Rosie: In my medical opinion, the radio demon is dead!

Velvette: Well, what happened?

Rosie: My professional opinion? The radio demon was killed!

panic.jpg

Rosie: I don't think it's anything to worry about.

Vaggie: Well, what now?

Valentino: Clippity-clop, motherfuckers! Boom!

Vaggie: Mierda

Valentino: Look at this! The fuckin' radio demon is dead!

(beat)

Valentino: What do you think of that?

(beat)

Vaggie: (clears throat) Yes, yes. Val?

Valentino: Yes?

Vaggie: Go home!

(Travis waves from a nearby car)

Valentino: Oh, come on! Pfft. Fucking unbelievable. No seriously, fuck all of you!

(The car crashes with Val in it)

Vaggie: All right, let's get back to the point. (spins spear)

Alastor (poking his body with his staff): I think the radio demon is dead.

Others: The radio demon is dead?

Rosie (turning around): Val, I will heal you! (car explodes with Rosie nearby)

Alastor: Seriously, who killed Alastor?

Cherri Bomb (chugging booze): It was me!

shock.jpg

Cherri: Yes! (shoots coke) I did it like this! (throws a bomb at Velvette)

Velvette: (fucking dies)

Cherri: Whoop dee doo!

(everyone is terrified)

Cherri: That was a joke, lads.

Everyone: canned laughter

Cherri: (slurp) It was y- (belch, points at Vox) Him!

Vox: How did you know?

Cherri: I didn't! (belch) That was a joke too!

Cherri Bomb: (fucking dies) Oh, I'm dead.

Vox: (maniacal laughter) That's right! It was me!

Vaggie: (insults in Spanish)

Alastor: But why?

Vox: Because you're spooky, boy. And another thing, you're ugly.

Alastor: Vox, stop!

(argument noises)

Vaggie: (shrugs. It's tradition)

Alastor: Vox!

Vox: Damn it, Alastor, fuck off! You are dead!

Alastor: No, you! Ha!

(A big gaping pit of ominous tentacles swallows Vox)

Alastor: You are dead! Not a big surprise)

Vaggie: Well, that was idiotic. Off to find brain bleach! (leaves by jumping off a cliff)

Alastor: I am alive! Feels good.

Alastor: Yes, this is stupid.

[yakuzabrainrotlive]

I have had NO time to play lately fr. And when I have played, I've been growing Ichiban's social network, picking stuff off the ground and taking pictures. AND killing hundreds of evil santas at the mall because their money yield levels are nuts and I want good gear.

But. I HAVE also made progress with the main plot too. And have had time to... process it a bit.

Yeah, I got to The Reveal :) I am Suffering :) Got to the beginning of chapter 5.

So. What witty lil' thing am I supposed to say here? Like... fuck. Just. Fuck. It shattered my heart to see him break the news with this smile I can't interpret. I mostly see a man who's accepted his fate and made his peace with it, which would be in-character considering... well... *gestures at this man's entire life and then the way he was in Gaiden*. I feel like I'm sadder and more bitter than Kiryu himself is about the whole situation. Or maybe he's just hiding his true feelings very well.

I hate the fact that Kiryu's disadvantaged position in society as an orphan keeps hurting him even this late in life. It feels so unfair, it hurts, it's... incredible writing.

....yeah. Not even remotely surprised. This is just Kiryu in a nutshell. Always looking for people in need of help, a job that needs to be done, a cog he can help turn. He's always looking for a purpose; something to keep him going. And while that's something most people want, I feel like Kiryu is always living to be able to benefit other people. Very noble, but not healthy.

The start of Y3 felt like the closest we'll ever get to him properly settling down and BREATHING for once. I can never go back to that game without breaking down, huh.

THANK YOUUUU ICHIBAN WE'LL BE DOING EXACTLY THAT ❤️ we'll drag that old man into the hospital kicking and screaming if we have to ❤️❤️

Ichiban's overall reaction to the reveal surprised me. I know he's VERY compassionate and caring, but he felt so genuinely distressed it was almost shocking to me. I know they had like... mutual respect and trust going on in LAD, but I didn't get the vibe that they were THIS close. Maybe I have to go back to their shared cutscenes from LAD again. Or maybe Ichiban just feels that strongly, especially after this brief... thing they've had here in Hawaii. Nothing wrong with that at all. We love and respect Ichiban in this house.

Ichiban and Tomizawa... hmu. I will give you soup and warm cinnamon rolls. No questions asked, no need to pay.

Kiryu... please, for the LOVE OF GOD, let them help you. Let someone help you. No, don't just let them help you help others, LEAN ON THEM.

Love to see how effectively Ichiban brings out the sass in Kiryu. This dynamic is peak. They're so silly together.

*banging on my apartment walls* LET ME OUT!! LET ME OUT OF HERE!! PLEASE!! HAVE MERCY 😭😭 I don't wanna see Kiryu like this!! I'm gonna throw up!!

We're in chapter 4 and I wanna crawl into a hole to cry. I am NOT going to survive this game.

:)

ANYWAY YAYYYY!! New party member ^_^ she's SOOO cool, she's STAYING.

Okay so I already kinda have a team I really like and everyone works well together?? How the hell am I supposed to pick 3 people when the old squad (besides Eri, RIP my MVP queen 😔) is definitely coming back as well? Tomizawa and Chitose have grown on me so I don't wanna bench 'em, and I will literally be 6 feet under before Kiryu even looks at the bench, so... I'm in trouble 😭

I'm gonna have to see if Tomizawa and Chitose can be built around Ichiban and Kiryu, or if others will fill roles better. If anything's gonna make me bench 'em, it's going to be my hyper-optimizing, excel-sheet making brain that loves to make my teams as BROKEN balanced as possible.

OKAY ALSO. That better not have been it for the Barracudas. Like, for real. They were portrayed as SOOO spooky and dangerous and they honestly felt like The Threat to me. Are they really folding this early? I hope not.

THE SQUAD HAS ASSEMBLED! So pleased to have a full team ^_^

[valscodblog]

"Trick Or Treat!" Simon Riley x Oc

SO IT'S SPOOKY SEASON Y'ALL AND I LOVE ME SOME SPOOKY SEASON FUN SO HERE'S A HALLOWEEN FIC FOR Y'ALL!!

I SUMMON: @needa-sum-luvn @thebunnednun @skauni @staytrueblue (dk if you even want a tag on my fics that dont have price but oh well) @seconds-on-the-clock @writing-with-moss

Warnings: Maybe possibly ooc simon?..I just write him happier that he has a family-okay?!nothing else ,It's just some good ol' fluff bc they have kids here. SUCKY ASS ENDING BC I GOT TIRED AND I HAVN'T SLEPT IN LIKE-TWO DAYS OKAY??? IM SORRYYYYYY :(

"Mom! Get ready! We're all all ready!" James shouted, running into his mother's bedroom. Ruby and Simon were putting on each other's pumpkin heads and Ruby laughed. "We are getting ready, James. Calm down. Trick or treating starts in thirty minuets. We have time, Amor." Simon just chuckled and grabbed his pumpkin head. He put it on himself and smiled when it was on. "Damn...when was the last time i hid my face around the house, Lovie?" directing the question to Ruby, who sighed and shook her head. "Years...and this better be the last time!" "Yes ma'am."

Ruby nodded and said, "Jeez...how do you see out of these?" as she looked around in her pumpkin head. "I dunno, Ma," James said, shrugging. The ten year old then ran out of the room to see if his sisters were ready or not. "HEY! SISSIES! YOU READY-?"

"GET OU', JAMES!" "MUMMY! JAMES DIDN'T KNOCK!"

Oh dear lord....Ruby walked out of her room and sighed. "James..." "I said sorry, mom!" "Okay. Girls, he's said sorry. And are you two ready?" Both the girls nodded. "I'm mike!" "And I'm Sully!"

Simon poked his head into the rooms and his daughters screamed. "MOM-BEHIND YOU!" Ruby laughed and said, "It's your dad, kids. Calm down." Sapphire blinked and then asked, "Is it, Mum?" Ghost took of his mask and said, "Aye, Saphhie. Jus' me." Saphhire giggled and said, "Dad, mum said you were gonna be a ghost!" Simon huffed, "No-I'm the pumpkin king. Mum's the queen of the patch." Ruby rolled her eyes. "Oh, you kiss ass." "You love it." "Mhh, debatable." "How? I gave you three kids-four if you count me knowin' Jay since 'e was a lil' bloke." Ruby sighed softly and said, "Yeah..okay. You win, Mi Amor." and she went over and rubbed his left arm gently. Simon put his pumpkin head back on and said, "Now, if ya lot are ready, lessgo get sum candy, yeah?" and just then Jason waddled in and shouted, "Sugar!" with his hands up. He was in a matching air force costume with his older brother.

James ran over to him and said, "Hats on backwards, dude. Lemme help you, ha ha!" and he grabbed his brother's hat and put it on the right way. Jason laughed and said, "Mate, your fifteen. You should not be this excited over Halloween." James quirked a brow up. "Oh, no? Well too bad, little man. Unlike some of us I want to enjoy my youth." "Oh SHUT IT! Just because i wore ONE pair of air forces!" Daisy shouted, storming out of the room. James laughed and said, "That, Lad, is how you take the piss." Jason laughed too-before Ruby hit them both round the head. "GO! say your sorry, Ninos!"

James ran downstairs shouting out the words, "I'm sorry, Day! Please come out and gimme a hug so ma don't kill me!" Daisy shouted back, "DONT BRING MUM OVER HERE-" James found his sister eating the cupcakes that were meant for her and Sapphire's birthday party. "...If you let me have some of the frosting i won't say anything at all." "Oh, piss off!" "MMMHHH-" "Okay! Okay! Here!" Daisy shoved a cupcake towards him and he took it. "Thanks, sis." "Whatever, James." "Ey-no. That's a big no-no. I'm not James to you, Kid. I'm 'Jamie'." Daisy groaned. "Why are you like this?" "Cuase. I can be. Hey, don't get so worked up, yeah?" "...You sound like Tio Rudy." "Muy bueno. I admire Tio Rudy y Alejandro." "...Yo tambien." "So you do know Spanish?"

Daisy and James froze. Uh oh..."Heyyy, Mum! What brings you here, aye?" "Daisy. Kate. Riley." James paled along with his sister. "It was me, Mom. I told her she could have a few before we left." Ruby looked her son over and said, "Your a bad liar, Son. Never make it in the force like that." James sighed and said, "I don't wanna go into the Air Force, Ma! I wanna go into the SEALs." Ruby shook her head. "Diffrant names, same concept...You kow, I dont-" "Ma. Not now. You were about to give James the beating of his life."

Ruby turned around and saw Sapphire there, holding her dad's hand. He shrugged. "I dunno wot's goin' on but I wanna see," Simon said. Ruby slowly turned around and then she laughed. "Simon, baby...why the fuck-" Simon shut her up by throwing a bag full of fake cobwebs at her. "RUN KIDS-"

and cue the kids running out the back door and into the backyard. "QUICK-THE WOODS!" Jason shouted, running up and tree. James copied and helped the girls up into the thick oak tree's branches. Ruby ran out after her husband and he threw off his pumpkin head but tripped over his untied shoelace. "Fu-" "Gotcha!" Ruby shouted, trapping her husband under him. He took off her pumpkin head and kissed her. "Sorry?" Ruby gave him a once over and then broke out a smile. "...Fine. Your lucky I love you, Amor." "Very lucky otherwise I'd be six feet unda right about now, aye?" "Yeah."

and James gagged. "BLEUGH! Gross, you two! Hey-UNCLE ALEJANDRO!" James shouted, jumping down from his branch. He landed on his butt but recovered quickly and ran over to his uncle. Alejandro was dressed up as Dracula and his husband, Rudy was Frankenstein. "Hols, Tio!" "Eyy, Mi hombre! Que paso?" "Ehh, same old, same old." Ruby walked over and smiled. "Hola, Tio. Thanks for making it down for the girls' birthdays." "Ahh, no problem, Mi Corazon! I love my girls, just as much as they boys, don't worry, Jaunito." James groaned. "Tiooo, it's James, not Juanito!" "Your middle name is Juan, no?" "...damn it, Ma!" "Ale, Mi amor, dont provoke him."

So he talks. "Hello, Rudy," James said, not even looking at him. Rudy sighed. "I tell him one war story and he's salty three years later," Rudy mumbled. James turned and looked at Rudy dead in the eyes. "You betrayed Mi Mama...you think I'm going to forgive that, Pen-" "James Juan Alejandro Riley!" And James shut up. But he still glared at Rudy and Rudy looked at Ruby and asked, "You did for give me, right?" Ruby smiled and said, "Yes I did. There, you heard it James, and that was when I was known as Delta twelve. Long before I was Jewel."

James said, "But Ma, dad says-" "And your father wasn't even thought of, nor heard of, at this time James, so it doesn't matter. Besides! It taught my ass a lesson." James huffed and said, "Fine." Simon walked over and loomed over his son. James felt a shiver go down his spine and his heart picked up pace. "I-I uhm, I mean, yeah okay! It's forgiven!" Rudy looked at Simon and asked, "...Que paso con su esposo, Rubia?" Ruby's eye twitched. "Just because he's called Ghost don't mean you get to-" "Ey. answer me." "...Nada."

````````````````````````````````

"Trick or treat!" Jason held up his candy bag and Anna filled it, "Your brother's s'cute, Jay!" Anna said as she gave James a small kiss on the cheek-which he wiped off. "An!" James groaned through his teeth. She laughed and said, "Sorry. I'm French! It's custom!" James sighed and said, "It's fine just-my uncles are right there!" "Aww, Okay! Here, take an extra twix." James starred as she put in a party sized twix bar into his candy bag. "...How many kids?" Anna blinked, "Huh?" James grabbed her shoulders and grinned. "I swear im gonna marry you so long as you provide me with chocolate. So how many babies?" Anna blushed and said, "James!" He laughed and kissed her cheek.

"See ya 'round, Love!" Anna huffed, "this is why England and France went to war..." James just waved her goodbye and sped off to the next house. Jason's feet were getting tired and he was wondering where his mom and dad had gone off to. "Jay. Where's mum and pa?" James shrugged as they walked. "I think in the house, why?" "Cos..." "You miss 'em? Wanna find the girls and Rudy and go back?" "Yeah-I'm tired." James nodded. "Oye, Tio Ale! We're done here, bags are full and everything." Alejandro nodded. "To the jeep!"

Jason must've lied when he said he was tired because that boy took off towards the car. "Wha-Hey! You said you were tired, the hell, kid!?" James shouted as he ran after him, his long legs catching up to his brother easily. Jason giggled and touched the car first. "I win!" "No fair, you didn't call the race, boy!" "You didn't call it last time, so-" and Jason stuck out his tongue. James rolled his eyes. "Fine. You get front seat." Alejandro shook his head. "You kids are somthin' else...kinda like your mom and her siblings."

"...Mom has siblings?" Alejandro gulped. "Used to...one sister. and one step brother." "What happened?" "brother died and sister moved away and cut off coms-err connections with us." James sighed. "I miss auntie Reina." "I miss her too." and the Jeep started. They all drove in silence until they reached the house. The girls were on the porch, eating and talking with their friends. They waved to the boys walking up to them. "Party's starting now that your here, guys!"

Alejandro nodded and walked inside to allow the kids to talk. However, James didn't want to talk. After hearing about his aunt again, he felt...odd. Ah, it was his sisters birthdays! This was a worry for another day. He forced a smile onto his face and said, "Race you lot into the house!" and started running. His little sisters caught up fairly quickly, "Where to?" Daisy panted out, just like her father would've. "Kitchen counter-" and off she sped.

Daisy slapped the counted and then stood straight up. "Dang-I'm fast!" she shouted, throwing her arms up happily.

Ruby took a look at her kids and sighed softly, wearing her pumpkin head. "...I dont know what im going to do with you kids." Simon laughed silently and whispered, "Love them until we die?" Ruby shook her head, "Love them even after we die."

[iobartach]

okay! this has been a LONG time coming, so brace yourselves for this... we're gonna talk about that injection scene from ats.v so comic purists especially please don't hunt down my ass for what i'm about to put out into the universe 😂

....so ..... let's talk about ... atsv's injection scene ;

what was intended by it? fuck knows, waiting for sony to send answers on a postcard. buuuut, for my take, let me be clear on the interpretations / meanings that i'm not gonna perpetuate ;

it's not rapture. i'm drawing a HARD STOP under that thought. noooo thankkk you.

it's not the source of his spider powers. we're staying true to our Cronenberg-inspired metamorphosis horrific-ness here 😎 even if more... recent reinventions of miguel shown in the comics would tell you he willingly opted to make himself half-spider, i ain't subscribing to it. (miguel's perspective on his transformation probs deserves its own hc post eventually! stay tuned!

so... if not this... what then? well...

i'm gonna posit that the injection(s) are a way for miguel to manage his 'condition'

for that, lemme do a little recap / reminder;

following his accident, miguel has experienced a multitude of changes. one of the most prominent changes is that he's become an obligate carnivore / hypercarnivore if you will. which means, meat is his new bff - he'll crave the calories, he'll eat it cooked or even raw, especially if it placates his tendency to gnaw when starving. and when he does eat, he tears and swallows chunks - not really a chewer any longer.

whiiiich introduces a new issue; anything plant based? loses its appeal to him. it's a slow progression, too. he'd start with reducing portions. taking a bite or two. leaving the rest. until there's next to no greenery left on the plate, when he knows he needs the nutrients they provide.

and ooh, it's actually gets a level worse than that : )

not only does he stop eating vegetables, fruits, *maybe* fungai? idk? but wellll his own mutated body might even stop producing the important stuff like vitamin c, and things of that ilk ! so ... what's a hybrid to do? how's he gonna make up the difference and get the nutrients he needs? ( especially when you consider... whilst he doesn't eat often, due to a combination of altered metabolism and slowed digestion rate, he could eat and consume calories in the magnitude that could make a damn saiyan blush --)

but, even so, it won't make up for the deficiencies 😔 so what's a spooky spider lad to do?

Come up with a solution, duh!

Yesss, baby, we're talking supplementation! operating in a similar manner to a diabetic needing insulin, or someone with B12 deficiency, for the all important food stuffs that miguel has perhaps tried, and tried again to consume, he's gonna turn to science for a lending hand, load up on what's either missing from his diet now, or that which his body simply can't absorb any longer

And, in addition to this, these shots are important in another sense 👀

they help miguel to manage his spider tendencies

since the way i've approached this with my earlier hcs is, well, tl;dr my mig's human / spider dna isn't a 50/50 split, it's gradually veering more towards spider as the years pass

this means that, it's a bit of a perfect storm brewing; lack of nutrients + behaviours & tendencies that he is likely chronicling by the day is ... a recipe for trouble! i can bet that miguel by himself can ... manage / hold himself together ... to a point, but, to paraphrase a friendo; have you ever met a hangry person? there's a limit to everything!

and we've seen miguel breach that limit already, during the miles chase in atsv. if ya had a bingo card for just about the worst everything happening in a single day? that card probably got filled UP during that chase! 😔 perhaps stress also played as factor there was well - the dude's carrying a LOT on his shoulders!

anyyyway! back on topic! let's expand the supplementation too - let's also throw in some sort of hormones? i know this is a whole science in itself, and ain't scientist 🥹 so i'll leave this a bit more broad, and say that they also play a part in stabilising miguel, ground him, so he won't go chasing a kid across the city... .ahem 😔

leading on from this, though, i wanna add some last things here. i know, i'm... meandering here , but lemme say;

take note of the intensity of miguel's eye colouration!

r e d - sorry, but you're shocked, buddy, best of luck surviving 💀

scarlet / bright red - feeling aggro, but holding enough of himself together to not act on his impulses

garnet - the default, feeling spidery, but also feeling human as close to a harmonious state as he can manage for the most part

dark brown - the goal!👀this is potentially a state that achieved after he injects himself. it floods him with a calm like nothing else he's ever felt. it's when he feels the most human again, a memory that's easily forgotten when you've got fangs and shoot webs from the back of your hands!!!

and it's with this last point, with the brown eyes, that i wanna bring this home with the little ritual miguel develops; after takin an injection, he'll make a point of brewing the strongest cup of black coffee that he can manage. a rare treat these days for him... especially given that caffeine does not agree with spiders. 💀

so yeah!!! thanks for reading through this ! 👋

[humunanunga]

10 fandoms 10 characters!

Tagged by @clannfearrunt hiiiiiiiiiiii 👀

1. Tsukasa from .hack//SIGN. I didn't even notice until my late 20s that I'd been making characters inspired by them all this time. But listen. This lost child could fit so much mental illness but they made it out okay and I'm so happy for them. They got friends, a girlfriend and a whole new dad who all got them out of not one but two abusive situations. They were also my first queer rep in fiction. Lesbian? Transmasc, nb/gq? Transfem, even? Doesn't matter which take you run with, there is no cishet explanation for Tsukasa no matter how you look at them.

2. ...I was gonna say Sans Undertale, but you know what? W.D. Gaster, because I love the thrill of the hunt (the speculation about the mysteries surrounding him). Spooky man. Talks in wingdings, the mad lad. Gotta be my favorite sleep paralysis demon. I love cosplaying him. I can't wait to find out if or when we'll learn more about him through Deltarune.

3. Lancer, speaking of Deltarune! What a good boy, he's just a lilguy, his laugh is dopamine. I want to squeeze him like a marshmallow. I love him like I love my cat who begs to be held like a baby. Lancer is baby, no really, he's got so much growing ahead of him to get as tall as his deadbeat dad. (I know what you're thinking. Why didn't I say the other guy from Deltarune? Because we've already talked at length before about everything that makes him such a compelling character. Let the baby boy baby take the spotlight this time.)

4. Calliope from Homestuck. I don't have much to say that couldn't be said just from looking at that cherub. So gender. So very gender.

5. Tanaka Gundham, from Danganronpa. Definitely one of the most characters ever. I fucking love that guy.

6. Mutou Yugi from YuGiOh. I'm just really proud of him. I also love that his thematic dragon is Gandora. Holy shit.

7. Nephrite (centipeedle) from Steven Universe. She skrunkly.

8. Garry from Ib. We know they're going through it, but they were a good chaperone to Ib regardless and we like to see that.

9. Sigh............. Xion. She's the reason Kingdom Hearts was the first video game to make me cry.

10. Number ten, number ten... how about finishing with a problematic fave... Ebel Alfie from Purgatory 2. Reluctant protagonist just wanted to go home and be an angsty emo highschooler, instead gets a demon girlfriend and dragged along to start a revolution. Hilarious.

I'll tag @mini-binni, @child-of-crows, @cryptidbisexual, @fangenstein, @marismolotov, @photochoco, @probablyaposer, @talkingsoup, @ufohh and @wolfgirlakita

[alittlesliceofcucumber]

Hello again

Hi everyone! So... it’s been a while. I’ve sort of been lurking for a while but I want to get back into using this blog again. Obviously that means reblogging stuff I love but I was wondering what else do you want from this blog. It’s been so long that I’m a little bit anxious about suddenly reappearing again.

Do you want spooky!lads to return? (there’s still plenty of asks in my inbox but is that something you’d like me to continue even after so long?)

Do you want to hear some of my original music? Or hear about my dnd campaign? haha that’s what’s kept me busy most of the time (as well as uni)

Please let me know! also hi guys i missed you how have you been

[seriousbrat]

Seriousbrat, you know what celebrates the end of #bratsummer? Halloween. I have prepared for you a series of spooky themed maurauders questions:

- Which marauder is most likely to enjoy ghost stories?…and who’s really scared of them?

- Who’s the most likely to enjoy fancy dressing (that’s british for “costumes”, I believe)?

- Party at the common room! What are they dressing up as?

- Who borrows/nicks their friends clothes the most?

- Who’s always letting friends borrow their stuff?

- Who’s the most likely to have befriended Nearly Headless Nick? (I know it in my heart it was Remus, champion of the lonely and misunderstood, but give me your take)

- Who’s the most superstitious?

- Who’s the most squirmish around blood? Who’s the least?

- Last but not least, what are each’s biggest fears?

Hell is empty! All the devils are here! See you next time.

Sorry for the delay in answering! also omg i hadn't even started to think about halloween yet. here it's been the city's official 'festival' so that's partially what I've been busy with/recovering from lol.

let's get stuck in!

- Which marauder is most likely to enjoy ghost stories?…and who’s really scared of them? So I think Sirius enjoys telling them the most-- mostly because it's funny to get a reaction out of Peter, who is ofc the most scared. Though I think Remus would be surprisingly good at telling them.

- Who’s the most likely to enjoy fancy dressing (that’s british for “costumes”, I believe)? Haha yep, fancy dress! I think it's James, who would go all out and make everyone go along with it. Sirius would definitely have the most low-effort costumes of all time.

- Party at the common room! What are they dressing up as? So as I said Sirius is very low effort, but you also have to consider that the lads are skilled in human transfiguration. I think Sirius would give himself a beard, go shirtless, and he'd go as Dumbledore on a beach holiday.

James would definitely have something complex and funny, verging on try-hard. Probably some weird thing like "Wimbourne Wasps beater if all the balls got magically stuck to his robes."

Peter and Remus would be fairly basic. They'd either go along with whatever group theme James proposed (I can see them all doing Hogwarts professors or specific portraits around the castle) or do something classic like magical creatures. I'd like to think Remus would ironically go as a werewolf but idk if he'd have the balls tbh.

- Who borrows/nicks their friends clothes the most? Peter, who has few scruples about these things. It would be more like he can't find clean socks so he dips into his friends' dressers.

- Who’s always letting friends borrow their stuff? James absolutely, he is very generous with his belongings- it helps he has the most belongings.

- Who’s the most likely to have befriended Nearly Headless Nick? (I know it in my heart it was Remus, champion of the lonely and misunderstood, but give me your take) I can see Remus, but the thing is I think it's James. Nick is very proud of Gryffindor's achievements and James is their Quidditch star and a popular student, I think Nick would gravitate (literally) towards him the way he does with Harry.

- Who’s the most superstitious? Peter, absolutely. He'd definitely be Ron-like in this regard.

- Who’s the most squirmish around blood? Who’s the least? Peter's the most, Remus the least. I feel like turning into a violent monster monthly probably puts everything else into perspective.

- Last but not least, what are each’s biggest fears? I'm going to focus on more psychological fears since probably everyone's main fear is dying/their loved ones dying in the war.

Remus is obvious, he clearly fears his own condition and specifically being discovered or hurting someone. Deeper than that, I think he fears rejection very strongly.

Peter also fears rejection, but moreso exclusion or abandonment.

James I think fears insignificance or irrelevance. He fears that he secretly isn't good enough.

Sirius is kind of a tricky one for me. Maybe he fears becoming like his parents. I also think out of all of them he fears betrayal the most.

[hannahwatcheshorror]

TALK TO ME (2022)

😿 Kangaroo left for dead

Teenagers playing dumb games and winning dumb prizes, ghost edition. This movie is like a fresh take on Ouija (without the Ouija). A fascinating and spooky concept played out in an addictingly believable way. Worth the watch.

(Trigger Warning Self Harm, Suicide)

⭐⭐⭐⭐

This movie has such an interesting, crickley, crackly, creaky hook because growing up we (or at least my generation) played with Ouija boards like it was Candyland with absolutely no regard for how serious the content was. In fact, most of the time, playing Ouija was accompanied with a “true story” about someone who died by playing the game “wrong” but my friends and I would still play and barely glance at the rules or anything like that. So I am totally sold on the concept of this hand being a parlor trick and a party game because kids are dumb and we were all kids once (and we are all dumb at least once, some people twice even!).

The premise is, you hold the ceramic hand (there may be a mummified hand inside, spooky!) and ask the spirits to talk to you, then when one appears before you, you casually invite them inside your body. But don’t let it happen for over 90 seconds. Also you need to be strapped to a chair when it happens, but everything is totally fine. Our main girl, Mia, is game to try right away. At first I thought she wanted to try it to talk to her dead mom but she is just a wild woman who is game to trip a little without drugs I guess? Anyway she goes over 90 seconds (whoops) so now things aren’t going so great for her…

BUT that doesn’t mean the fun has to end, right? Because everyone still wants to get hand jobs. (Wait. I mean.) They want to talk to the hand. (That’s better.) So they all go to Mia’s friend Jade’s house and do more hand stuff. (Hannah, stop.) ANYWAY it is all fun and games until Riley, Jade’s 14 year old brother wants a turn and he is just too young, but Mia says fuck it and lets him try. Riley supposedly contacts Mia’s mom so Mia won’t let him break contact so he stays connected for two minutes apparently? And he starts to self harm, he is slamming his head into the table, it is wild, he tries to rip out his own eye. Jade comes back just in time ‘cause Mia is stuck still after hearing from her (maybe) mom.

Riley is hospitalized and that whole family is mad at Mia, (yeah) while Mia is trying to deal with how she sees all these creepy things going on (like her mom scratching at all kinds of surfaces) and Mia even sucks on some toes(?) because what is scarier than a foot fetish? The teens finally become wary of the hand but aren’t sure what to do and don’t realize how far Mia is descending into madness. Mia thinks her mom is telling her what to do so she stabs her father after a BLACK SWAN type hallucination where she thought she was fighting him off but he wasn’t even there at first.

Then she goes to the hospital because she thinks the only way to save Riley from eternal suffering is to murder him. Jade once again comes in clutch, finding Mia’s dad and getting to Riley just in time but not Mia, who very possibly sacrificed herself at the last second, before the insanity fully took over, and threw herself into traffic instead of the young lad. Mia is in darkness but she walks towards a light and an outstretched hand, a man sits at a table and says to her, “Talk To Me.”

My biggest issue with this film and its resolution is that they only randomly said that Riley seemed to be getting better but he also broke the rules like Mia and stayed under spirit control for longer than 90 seconds so I don’t know that he is actually okay or safe. That seemed a little too throw away and I worry about that sweet boy who cared so much for his friends suffering eternally for no good reason. Otherwise this was a compelling film with a bittersweet ending.

[makuta5200]

TAGGED: 10 Characters You Identify With!

Tagged by good pal @gordhanx with this one!

Jack Skellington - Probably my number 1 when it comes to self-identifying characters. Aside from being tall, lanky, and loving Halloween, I tend to get curious pretty easily about things and like to, like many, hyperfixate on things for a good long while. Friendly and good to his people, with maybe bit of weirdness for good measure - me to a T, always!

Hideki Motosuwa - the actual crown prince of anime protagonists, you can fight me on this. Hideki is just a good lad, I've always admired how the most normal of dudes is out there just doing his best for the robo-girl he picked up off the streets. Bit of a goober, kinda gets hit with "The Horny" from time to time, but means and does well at the end of the day.

Jonathan Crane/Scarecrow - if Jack is my heroic side, Scarecrow is the villainous counterpart. Equally as gangly and spooky, but with an even greater desire for the creepy and the macabre. Was also bullied a wee bit as a kid, so seeing a supervillain take his revenge on his former aggressors really hit when I started getting into comics.

Honda-San - anyone who's worked retail can relate to Honda, imo. The day-to-day stress of the 9-to-5 grind can really get to you, but you also gotta appreciate the few good instances like cool coworkers and respectable patrons - however few and far between they may be.

Ruler - With every passing year, I kind of get more snippity, more annoyed, just all around more crabby. I have a low tolerance for ignorance, failure, and unkindness, and most ESPECIALLY not being given the respect and dues I feel I've deserved, especially when it came to working retail in the funny haha 2020 era. Ruler embodies what happens when a hard-working individual is pushed down and the resulting animosity that arises from that kind of treatment.

(Oops got a bit too real there)

Scanty - Kind of a stickler for rules, can let little things build up and annoy me, and I won't lie, kind of developed a bit of a temper over the years. Is why I find her so pretty though ooooooo

Youka Naze - Youka represents a lot of what high school me used to be like. An overworking studier who put their all in their work but would get frustrated when it didn't amount to the results that I wanted. Just a lot of pent of angst and nihilism that, while I don't feel any more, DID exist in me a long time ago, and I related to it a lot so it'd be foolish not to include her as someone I DID once relate to strongly in the past.

Patchouli Knowledge - Mostly in regards to her status as a librarian, which is what I am! I like chill, relaxing, quiet atmospheres, and so long as you abide by the rules and keep it down, we can be chill. I'll get snippy if you don't.

Kobayashi - Again, usually pretty chill but do very much care for those close to me. I can be reserved and professional but the moment you get some drinkie-drinks in me I can be a bit of a goofball, all the ready yap your ear off with an interest or 12 of mine.

Harvey Bullock - I swear I'm usually not so angy, but... you know the world just kinda makes me mad lol. Harvey's sarcastic, drop-of-a-hat temper flows into me whenever I get behind the wheel of a car. I BECOME Bullock. Also a bit of a foodie, always hungry.

And that's it for me! Not tagging anyone, but do it yourself if you feel so inclined!

[7ban-sama]

Why does Amane choose his name hanako, I understand yako choosing misaki but why hanako of all things, why the specific spelling in kanji that means flower kid

Ooh, you know, incidentally, I've been dwelling on the name "Hanako" lately...

The kanji (花子) is actually pretty typical, for "Hanako"... Let's say, it's one of the most classic spelling of this name? Building off of that, the myth of "Hanako-san of the bathroom" (トイレの花子さん) is actually one that has existed in Japan for years, and in it, the name is commonly spelled like that. From a writing perspective, Iro-sensei is just maintaining the ah, iconography of the name, I suppose?

I've talked before in a previous ask about how the "Jibaku" in the title is evoking several things at once. Well, I think Iro-sensei is the sort that likes everything to feel multilayered, so even the usage of "Hanako-kun" is conveying something very particular. Hanako is a very feminine name (as flower names commonly are; think of names like Daisy or Rose) — so appending -kun to it is a little bit strange... My wife and I have joked, it's sort of like, if the story was starring Bloody Mary… but the twist is that Mary is a boy, and we call him, Little Lad Mary, or something… Lol. This is one of those things western fandom might be missing out on, due to culture discrepancies. We read Hanako, and it perhaps doesn't stand out next to Natsuhiko as a very girly name. To the point where I don't really blame anyone for not keying into it; it's not so intuitive for us.

I mean, I myself have had to really internalize what the experience of reading the title could be like, for a native speaker. You're looking at Hanako-kun on the title, and then seeing this spooky cursed boy sitting on a toilet. And you're like "-? ? .. ?? Hanako... toilet ghost, but boy-? And, self bondage???" (lol) There's just ah, a different first impression when picking up volume 1, I think.

Now, to get into the in-world reasons for why Amane uses Hanako... Well. The thing is, we haven't actually gotten a very direct explanation on what Amane feels about the name. Feels quite shrouded in mystery still... perhaps, it's not something we'll know the truth of until we are able to learn about what Amane went through that made him become a mystery in the first place. For now, all we can do is infer...

Logically, we can say the name Hanako comes from the rumor of "Hanako-san", which is something that could have existed before Amane even died. The mysteries can be swapped out by other individuals, as we see with Mitsuba, who becomes the new "Hell of Mirrors". It seems the rumor itself doesn't suddenly change, despite Mitsuba being a wholly different person. And, beyond that, perhaps there was a different entity before that tengu that was the Hell of Mirrors... etc. So, a possible explanation is that the name Hanako was one that Amane inherited once he became No. 7.

Though, we do have examples of mysteries with titles that allude to their specific circumstance... such as the Misaki Stairs and Shijima-san of the Art Room. Questions that arise from this are: If a kaii replaced Yako or Shijima, would the rumor stay the same? What were the rumors for No. 2 and No. 4 before theirs existed? Were there any at all...? I suppose, we don't know how long there have been 7 mysteries guarding the school. In any case... I wouldn't totally rule out the possibility that Amane himself is the origin of the Hanako-san rumor. For whatever reason, his actions in the past might have created Hanako-san. Shijima-san's rumor is a product of misinformation about Mei's death, so it might not have been Amane's choice how people perceived certain events.

I try and keep my mind open to the possibility, at least... though, if you want my personal opinion, I'm leaning more towards the former. I assume that Amane just inherited the role of No. 7, and the rumor associated with it was Hanako-san. The reason is... before meeting Nene, I'm not sure who else would even be calling him Hanako-? The mysteries are relatively distant from one another, and typically refer to one another by their numbers. I would say Tscuhigomori is the mystery that knows Amane the most personally, and deep down, I think Tsuchigomori simply sees Amane as... Yugi Amane. To Tsuchigomori, Amane is the same as when he knew him in life; he's been frozen in place here, never moving on. Tsukasa meanwhile knew Amane best, ostensibly, and was close with him through most of his life... and only ever calls him Amane.

I'm of the belief that Amane himself, does not closely identify with the name Hanako, before meeting Nene. I think it was a business name... I think it was even, kinda funny, like, Lol, girl's name... sure. He's amicable to wearing thigh highs and letting Nene dress up his hair, nor does he really fret about being gender-swapped, so it's not like having a "girl's name" would bother him much. It must feel very inconsequential...? He's only being regarded as Hanako-san on the rare occasion a soon-to-be-dead student summons him. Otherwise, he's Nanaban-sama to his co-workers... and internally, I think he's Amane... er, in a compulsive way-? Like, he can't control this remnant of his past life... Tricky, since there is a bit of compartmentalization happening; I do think Amane thinks of "Yugi Amane" as having died and no longer "really" existing beyond that death... What he is now, is something different and unrecognizable (... or, so he thinks.) At that point of dehumanization, he probably doesn't regard his current self with any name. Maybe he is just, a kaii, a mononoke, a murderer... etc.

Upon befriending Nene... I think that Amane wasn't taking their relationship so seriously. Her referring to him as Hanako-kun was kind of cute, funny, novel. He WAS obfuscating his identity, after all, so maybe it was ideal for her to see him this way. (Amane himself wouldn't have even let Nene know he killed someone in the past, let alone his real name...) So, performing as Hanako became something he does specifically for Nene's sake. This comes packaged with representing the mysteries as more close than they are, his job as more heroic than it really is, etc. I would say at this point, Amane starts to imagine a divide between Amane, living boy, and Hanako, the ghost that came after.

However, over time, the identity of Hanako-kun became more sentimental than Amane would ever have chosen. This was never supposed to be... more than, a flimsy front, a mask he wears, your silly bathroom ghost friend. That's why he's confused in Picture Perfect, with Nene's insistence that Amane-kun is the same as Hanako-kun. These should be separate things — Amane shouldn't be the same as Hanako! But... of course, they are, because he's the same as ever...

Haha, it's all kind of convoluted, but I like how much it makes one reflect on identity... Whether you personally identify with something or not, the urge to split yourself up, but also the way that you're always... yourself, even after things change... *wiggles fingers* Pretty cool, right? Often in posts, I'm kind of wrestling with how to refer to Amane, and how to keep things consistent enough to not be suuuper confusing... but it's hard! The names Amane and Hanako can be useful in tandem. It's such a Vibes thing, at times.

I typically default to Amane when referring to him as... the character, the entity of Amane, across many worlds/timelines. The entire history of the character, is "Amane" to me. Whereas I think of Hanako as more specifically encompassing the time he's spent with Nene! It's really Nene that has made Hanako more than just a title... though deep down, ig the real endgame of this would be regarding him as Amane...? [personal blatherings here...] Anyhoo...

We're surely due for more information on this topic someday. My wife has even mused on why the name Hanako is used for him... It's something to really contemplate-!!

[denimbex1986]

'3.5 stars out of 4

Andrew Haigh’s latest film “All of Us Strangers” is a gentle and intimate personal ghost story about loss, grief, loneliness, and love. Starting with a supernatural story premise, the movie gradually delves into the troubled state of mind of its lonely hero via its delicate mood and loving details, and it is quite touching to see how its hero comes to deal with his longtime emotional issues along the story.

At the beginning, the movie succinctly establishes the lonely and isolated daily life of Adam (Andrew Scott), a TV writer who has been going nowhere in writing a new screenplay. While he is struggling during another day without much progress at his small flat in London, a little incident suddenly happens, and that is how he encountered a guy named Harry (Paul Mescal), a lad who incidentally resides on the sixth floor of their apartment building. While it is clear that there is some instant attraction between them, Adam hesitates even though Harry is virtually flirting with him, mainly because he is more occupied with finishing whatever he is going to write.

It seems that Adam’s new screenplay is inspired by the childhood memories of his deceased parents, who unfortunately died when he was only 12. Probably for getting some more inspiration, he decides to go to their old suburban neighborhood, and we see him visiting several familiar places including the house where he and his parents once lived together.

And then something strange occurs to him. At a neighborhood park, Adam notices someone quite familiar to him, and he soon follows after this figure, who willingly invites Adam to where he lives with his wife. It turns out that this figure and his wife are none other than Adam’s father and mother, and it goes without saying that they are not living people at all, because they still look as young as they were at the time of their unfortunate death in addition to living in that house as before.

Despite the spooky aspects of this inexplicable happening of his, Adam chooses to spend some time with his dead parents because he has really missed them a lot for many years, and his ghost parents are glad to see how much their son has grown up since their death. To them, Adam is still a little son they raised together, and Adam is happy to experience their loving affection again regardless of whether his ghost parents are real or imagined.

Not so surprisingly, Adam’s homosexuality becomes an issue to talk about between him and his ghost parents, who have some struggle in accepting that their son is actually a gay even though they are aware of how things have changed during last several decades. At one point, Adam’s mother inadvertently hurts her son’s feelings a bit during their private conversation, and that reminds me of when my mother, who is still in the denial of my homosexuality, often tells me that I will be quite lonely without marrying a girl someday.

In case of Adam’s father, who evidently loves and cares about Adam as much as his wife, he comes to have a honest conversation with Adam about not only Adam’s homosexuality but also some emotional distance between him and Adam. Admitting that he was not always there for his young son who often needed his support during that time, Adam’s father sincerely opens more of himself to Adam, and I must say that I envied Adam a lot as because I have never had a really honest conversation with my father, who will probably never accept my homosexuality for the rest of his remaining life.

Feeling much happier than before, Adam becomes more active about his own private life. When he comes across Harry again, he lets Harry into his flat, and they soon move onto the next logical step once they clearly discern their growing mutual attraction. As he did in his little breakout film “Weekend” (2011), Haigh depicts the sexuality of his main characters with considerable realism and intimacy, and I was amused a bit by a little sticky detail during one particularly after-sex scene, while wondering whether Haigh used the same material he previously utilized in “Weekend”.

Haigh’s screenplay is based on Japanese writer Taichi Yamada’s 1987 novel “Strangers”, which was already adapted into Nobuhiko Obayashi’s “The Discarnates” (1988). If you have ever read Yamada’s novel or watched the 1988 film (I only watched the latter, by the way), you will surely know a substantial moment of surprise waiting around the end of the story, and Haigh and his crew members including cinematographer Jamie D. Ramsay pull that off with lots of emotional resonance coupled with some phantasmagorical qualities. While we come to look back on what we have observed from Adam and a few main characters around him, we also come to know and feel more of his sadness and loneliness, and the quiet but sensitive emotional moments during the last act will move you more than expected.

The four main cast members are pitch-perfect in their nuanced acting. While Andrew Scott, who received the Best Actor award from the National Society of Film Critics for this film in last month, ably holds the ground as the heart and soul of the film, Jamie Bell and Claire Foy are simply fabulous as Adam’s ghost parents, and Paul Mescal, who has become one of the new interesting actors to watch since his recent breakthrough Oscar-nominated turn in Charlotte Wells’ exceptional film “Aftersun” (2022), brings genuine tenderness to his seemingly thankless part in addition to clicking well with Scott throughout the film.

Overall, “All of Us Strangers” is another powerful work from Haigh, who has steadily advanced during last 13 years after drawing our attention with “Weekend”. Like “45 Years” (2015) and “Lean on Pete” (2017), the movie shows Haigh’s considerable talent in intimate character drama, and it is certainly one of the main highlights of last year.'