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breitzbachbea · 2 years ago

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dk if you’re taking asks for it but. 17 and 18 for the writer’s ask game? 😳

I am always taking asks that give me an opportunity to blabber about my writing process! <3

Weird Questions for Writers

17. Talk to me about the minutiae of your current WIP. Tell me about the lore, the history, the detail, the things that won’t make it in the text.

You actually caught me WIP-free for the first time in 7 years! 😳 I finished all of my big projects this year. I’m currently working on the outline for the Irish Problems rewrite, but I am still waffling around a lot and there isn’t much to tell, I’m afraid. And if I started to talk about the history of Irish Problems, we’d still be here tomorrow. That’s for another day, perhaps.

However, this is why I waited for the prompts of hwsrarepairweek to drop! I had a lot of fun with it last year, so I’ll hopefully be able to participate in it again this year! I’ll keep the ships to TurGre, SicIre and GreSic again, but here are the ideas I had so far:

Writer & Artist: I may finally be able to deliver a scrap for the Neighbourhood AU for @needcake that I never had the time to write for 👉🏻👈🏻 It’d be about Sadık reading his poetry at the monthly “Everyone can come and read their pieces for 10 minutes to the interested public” event of the local literature club. Little does he know though that Dilan told the twins about him doing this and that after he told Herakles he would have liked to study Literature, Herakles talked about it with the twins, who in turn told him about the event. Either way, it’s shortly before his reading when Herakles either comes in or Sadık spots him, so … little time to panic and wonder what the hell he is doing here. Afterwards, he is also contemplating whether or not he should sneak away and never bring this up again or if he should walk up to Herakles, but Herakles takes the choice off his hands. They talk a little bit about it and Sadık asks him if he liked it. Herakles gives the evasive answer of “Well, I liked it better than that one guy’s crime short story.” Sadık laughs, says that guy (Gilbert) has been trying for so hard for so long, but maybe some things aren’t meant to be. Wanna grab a coffee? So they grab a coffee <3 I suck abysmally at writing poetry … and I would have to research Turkish poetry/poets … but it’d be interesting and I can probably weasel myself out of writing the actual poem.

Historical: Since me re-using the topic of my term paper worked so well last year, I thought why not do it again! It’s a bit trickier than it is with the curse tablets at Bath, but I finally realized I should put my knowledge about the Siege of Syracuse to good use! It’d be SicIre again, set in the Imperial Rome AU, but many years later. Not only did they move to Ostia, but they also moved into Herakles’ domus, while he found his calling working on his villa rustica. Michele contemplates another trip to Syracuse, his home, and Harry wants to tag along this time. They talk a lot about the city and Michele goes on and on about its beauty. To illustrate his point, he gets out his books which talk about it, which would include some texts like Plutarch mentioning both the Siege of Syracuse and Marcellus’ ovation, where he paraded around its spoils. It’d be bittersweet, too, if they talk about family. Michele’s mother may or may not be alive anymore and Harry hasn’t heard from his family ever since he left Hibernia, basically.

Supernatural: Sicily Is A Monstrous Island, Baby!!! I’d love to put my book “Creature Fantastiche di Sicilia” to good use and Michele tell Herakles about some of the ghastly inhabitants of the island. I’d set it some time, like weeks, months or even a year after last year’s GreSic oneshot. Whereas in that one they were in Herakles’ house, now they spend the night in Michele’s mansion. Perhaps Maria, Michele’s mother, has gone off with the twins elsewhere for a few days; perhaps they are simply asleep, in which case Michele would take extra precautions to not wake the twins. He’d also suspect them behind every moving shadow, since they’re two ne’er-do-wells and tricksters. They’re also, like, 13 or 14, so complete little shits. He probably tells Herakles the story when he hired Alessia, an older teenager that recently started to work for him, to scare the twins into believing that there ARE bedtime monsters like the Grecu Livanti, who will get and eat them if they don’t wise up real quick. Nothing about that plan went as it should have been, Michele apologised for it all profusely in the end, Alessia will still never let the twins hear the end of it. However, the house isn’t haunted by Alessia, or the twins or a Grecu Livantu … it is haunted by the memories of Michele and Herakles making out in his childhood room. It’s haunted by the people who built it and whose burden Michele yet chose to carry, not strong enough to do the right thing. It is, if anything, haunted by a Turnatu. A body that just couldn’t stay dead … someone who crossed back over from the other side, only to drain the living he left behind of their energy … If the last drabble was about the comforting shared past of language, this one is about the horrid, personal one of ghosts.

Pirates & Mermaids: IT’S CORSAIR AU TIME BABY!!! I’d have to research so much for this one, but I want to write it soooo badly 😭 I think the mermaids would be metaphorical, though, and would lend themselves as an excellent metaphor for some parts of the story. You see, the idea behind this one is that in the 16th/17th century, Omar and Timothea ran away from home. Not intending to do their poor mother and father any harm, but Omar had fallen in love with one of the crewmates of an Ottoman corsair ship and wanted to be with her. Thea came along for the ride and to help her brother out, of course. Either way, Natasa asked Herakles to go after the twins, so he embarked on the journey to find them … and promptly ends up on an Ottoman Corsair ship, but not on his own volition. Its captain is Sadık, who takes a liking to this stowaway and his pretty face. I actually don’t have a concrete timeline for this AU, or anything resembling a plot, but that are some points that definitely happen in the story. Hijinks ensue, which also include a Sicilian taverna owner, a brief cameo of the Spanish navy and, in a much more central role, their allies, a bunch of Irish Pirates! This story has got it all, baby! Either way, for the Oneshot, I’d set it sometime after these events though, when Herakles sails on the corsair ship for work reasons and … perhaps companionship? They start talking about sirens and joke a bit about how Omar had indeed been lured to sea by Dilan. Ah yes, those Sirens … “But perhaps, it fits the story better if it was he who lured her in? Spotting him from the ship, watching from atop the rocks … there certainly is something very tempting about your kind …” Sadık says and perhaps an arm snakes around Herakles’ waist …

Fantasy: I was thinking about using this SicIre scenario for rarepairweek anyways and this AU is a) literally called the “Myth AU” and b) I don’t know what is going on there anymore. The timeperiods are all a hopeless mess, there’s normal humans but also, Paddy is a giant, Charlie is a changeling, Tahir a sorcerer and the Bontade twins are the sons of Hermes. Whatever the fuck it is, it should be able to qualify for Fantasy. And because I am dying to tell this story to someone else, you’re also getting the rundown of what happened before the actual Oneshot idea but is tied to it. So, here is the rundown: 1. Tahir is currently working on magic portals, however he keeps being interrupted by Charlie’s changeling fuckery and the twins’ semi-divine bullshit, because the Irish and their friends LIVE to frustrate the English 2. Tahir asks Robert if he wants to make him a very happy man, which Robert sure does want to, but he'd also kill Charlie for just the pleasure of it. 3. A plan is hatched, Arthur, their king, is involved and it goes as followed: Robert, as a loyal knight to Arthur, will be sent as a delegation, alongside with some other knights, to the Irish castle. They cannot refuse them on the grounds of hospitality. So they get in and when Charlie one night sneaks around, like the twins, to see what is going on, Robert finds him and … just splashes a potion on him. Charlie is mightily confused that that’s the only thing Robert has done. He doesn’t like the smug expression and the predatory grin on his face when he tells him: “Oh, you’ll just … wait.” 4. Charlie continues to be confused, but starts to feel strange over the next couple of days … more aggressive, more anti-social, less able to control his powers and his strength. Because! What they don’t know! The plan was to craft a potion that would bring out Charlie’s changeling nature in full force. Thusly, if he then rampaged through the court, nobody could fault Robert for taking care of the problem! He was out of control! The beast had to be killed before it hurt anyone, as tragic as that is! 5. However, when the rampage eventually happened, they did not bank on the Irish REFUSING to let Charlie go. They did not bank on a good old “I know you’re still in there” fight! Harry just beats the SHIT out of Charlie, while he also gets the SHIT beaten out of him, invoking their brotherly bond! We grew up together, remember? Side by side! I’ve known you all my life and this isn’t you! I know my friend’s still in there! I KNOW IT! 6. And it works! Probably just when or before Robert has had enough and still tries to bring the plan to fruition as planned. Either way, the English are found out and get back home with their tails between their legs, Robert both incredibly disappointed with himself and also simply frustrated that all this ordeal was for nothing, stifled so shortly before he got the pleasure of finally shutting that annoying little fairy up once and for all. In the meantime, Harry contemplates how to handle the aftermath of the situation in the evening, while Michele already sits in bed and does some reading. It's here we get to the actual Oneshot. So Harry asks Michele for his opinion, Michele says You should ask your men, not me, your politics isn’t my lane now as guest of the court, is it. And Harry says, true, true, but as he slips underneath the sheets, he says that it would be his lane to advice the King as a King’s consort. And in my head, I just have Michele staring into nothing, past Harry, elated but surprised, a blush on his face and Harry already either cuddling him or kissing him, while he says: “Oh? I’m the King’s consort?” And then we’ll either have a bit more serious discussion about Michele’s future and role at the court or just some absolute teeth-rotting SicIre fluff, perhaps with some spicy fading to black <3

18. Choose a passage from your writing. Tell me about the backstory of this moment. How you came up with it, how it changed from start to end. Spicy addition: Questioner provides the passage.

God, that question. I’ll be honest with you, I forgot most circumstances under which I wrote most of my stories. I think it’s also because good moments often come to me on the go, later get implemented into the work and then polished a bit. Or I’m often working on scenes for at least two days, sometimes longer, because I rewrite them when I come back and didn’t like what I wrote last.

One of the clearest moments I still have in my memory is … tbh also very foggy, but I remember sitting on my bed and being up very late for a schoolday, writing with my daylightlamp right in front of me and probably chugging Soda. And you know what I wrote? Irish Problems, Chapter 4, Scene 2 The one where Paddy has to squeeze himself into the Mito. THAT is the one I still remember.

I still have the “raw draft” document for Italian Affairs, aka the document where I dump all ideas for a scene as they come to me. I actually got lost for a while, rereading bits and pieces I had written for the draft that never made it into the story … I am actually surprised how many ideas I had before I ever reached many scenes! It’s also such a great testament to how fundamentally the tone of the story changed over time; a lot of these snippets are so much goofier, contain so many more asides for the sake of asides. Here is an example – From a scene that was described like this in the outline: “Okay let's figure out how to drive on italian streets. Very very gay moments between Charlie and Marco, also - they took the baaaiiit ~”

"Nice cabrio." "I see, someone finally found each other." "Ach hör mir auf!" [Oh, stop it, you!]

You know which scene this is? Chapter 17, Scene 1. The Chapter called “Running Beneath”, the scene that starts in Charlie’s Porsche, just after they picked up Marco. The dialogue snippet above was about them running into Francesco during the chase sequence, where they would have actually talked with one another. Charlie would have complemented Francesco’s car, while Francesco would have commented on Marco clinging to Charlie. It would have been comedic banter, good-natured.

Here's what the scene looks like in Chapter 17:

They both kept silent. Not for long however, as Charlie looked around. It was a mystery how he, or Marco, hadn’t noticed the car in the lane next to him yet. You didn’t overlook a Ferrari, much less when its white coating blazed in the autumn sun. And yet, only now he stared at Francesco Belfari’s face, barely half a meter away from him. “Fuck,” he said. The other two followed his looks. Marco jumped; Charlie heard his legs shuffle on the backseat and felt the vibrations as his head collided with the headrest. “Ou, fuck,” Marco cursed and asked in the same breath: “Where did that bastard come from?! We’ve been staring behind us all the time, the traffic was so thick that if he’s here, he must have been behind us before! What the fuck?!” Charlie threw a look at the traffic light, but it was still red. When his look went back to Belfari, the other was letting down his window. He looked at him with a smile on his face. His eyes were hidden behind sunglasses. He wagged his hand down. “What?” Charlie whispered. “What in the hell’s this shit about?!” Marco asked. “Whatever he wants to tell us, I don’t want to hear it,” Harry said. “Let’s get out of here before him!” Charlie’s eyes snapped back to the traffic light in the same moment Marco said: “Go!” This time, he was readily colour blind and ran the yellow light.

Quite the tonal difference, huh? I don’t think I ever realized how much my stories have matured ever since their conception. I’ve came a long way, truly and I think it’s very interesting to see all the components. Yes, my writing skill has improved since I started, but Francesco’s character also has changed as the years went on. My focus regarding what the story is about has shifted. Writing isn’t just the words on the page; it’s every thought behind them. But you can only approach and unpack them if you have words to put on the page, which I think it is very important to keep writing. Yes, maybe you aren’t equipped yet to tackle a certain story. Yes, maybe you will write something you will think about differently in a few months or years. But if you didn’t know what you were focusing the first time around, you cannot shift the focus anywhere else. If your characters only ever existed in your head, they will never get the chance to grow into fully fledged fictional people. You have to let them take baby steps on the page. So keep writing, keep writing messily, keep writing with all the care in the world, but don't stop.

#beareplies #writing #ashley #that is a super long answer but I was so excited about that idea I had for the Myth AU #I don't have enough Charlie and Harry quality content I cannot wait for returning to the main series #also man what a blast to the past that IA document is ...#You never realize how much you really grew until you look back #I am glad I abandoned the goofiness tbh #of course not overall. I will always write funny things. but I am glad it is overall more serious.#I love to write tense moments love love love it I love that there is something deeper and more meaningful to my story universe #and Charlie and Marco argueing about the red light before the snippet I posted is so much funnier than the raw draft #don't derrive comedy from stock interactions between friendly enemies.#derrive comedy from Italian traffic <3 #storie nostre #harry #miche #charlie #robert #tahir #arthur #hera #sadık #thea #omar #dilan #natasa #gil #sicire #gresic #turgre

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amethystroselilith · 4 years ago

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Intertwined Fates (Chilumi/Zhonglumi) - Chapter 3

Uni is still hell ngl .-.

Can be read in ao3 here

SUMMARY: Lumine feels like everything's falling right back into place as she looks forward to hers and Ajax's new chapter of their lives.The past stays in the past, right?

WARNING: Please be informed about the change of rating! This chapter includes ChiLumi smut, er, I'm not used to writing smut so I hope this one turned out fine... I'm more of a fluff writer but I wanna write new things :)

“Wow, sis, getting married twice while your older brother had never even popped the question to anyone.” Aether whistled after Lumine told him about her engagement, “A really beautiful ring too.” he was holding Lumine’s hand, observing the jewellery.

Lumine had already told her twin all about what happened on the very same day she got engaged, however, they didn’t really talk too long cause 1) Aether was out shopping with Keqing and 2) Ajax wanted to pull Lumine back into their little bubble again.

They are currently preparing for the day, Aether prepping the fresh fruits for their baked goods’ filling and toppings, while Lumine take notes of the special orders due for the day.

Lumine smiled warmly as she looked at the ring, “It was crafted by Ajax’s parents. I mean, it’s still annoying what Mom did, but at the same time… It just… I mean… It’s like…”

Aether smiled softly at how giddy his sister is acting, he never seen her this excited ever since… she started dating Zhongli. He never doubted his sister’s love for Ajax, but he could see the slight anxiousness in her eyes behind her smile when she announced they’re dating. Aether was worried he gave her bad advice about following her heart, but seeing the glow her sister is emitting, he can rest easy.

“Everything’s going to be alright again?” Aether finished for her.

“Yeah.” her face turned soft, “I love him so much,” she whispered as she held her hand to her chest, softly caressing the ring.

“Looks like I have to wait until I can propose to Keqing.” Aether chuckled, putting fresh fruits on a bowl for later use.

Lumine tensed at the realisation, “Oh my god… Were you…? Aeth, I’m so sorry…” she squeaked a bunch of apologies before Aether stopped her.

“Nah… Not really, I was just thinking about it though,” Aether said before sighing, “But then Keqing announced about a big business project and you know how she is, she’s going to be so busy for months.”

Lumine hummed, knowing full well of her brother’s workaholic girlfriend, “Well, it can be a nice little surprise after.” she suggested as she started lining up cupcakes for their displays later.

“I suppose so,” Aether thought about it, “but I guess I’ll start worrying about that when the time comes.” he shrugged.

“Knock, knock!” a cheery voice arrived.

“Xiangling, hey.” the twins greeted with a smile.

“Was there something wrong with the desserts we delivered?” Lumine asked.

Xiangling’s restaurant was just beside them, which gave Xiangling the great idea of working together, the twins share their desserts with her, she makes café meals for them. Xiangling, however, is usually very busy during work hours, only coming to visit when something is urgent.

“Oh, no, they’re amazing as usual!” Xiangling walked to Lumine, Guoba hanging on her back, before giving her a big hug, “Just want to say congrats to your engagement!”

Lumine’s eyes widened, “A-ah, how did you know?”

Xiangling looked at her with a confused expression, “Your mom posted a picture of her and Qiqi playing with a caption, ‘Spending time with my beautiful grandbaby to give her mother and my future son-in-law a break’. The last part is kinda weird if you ask me, but the comments are full of congratulations to the newly engaged couple so I assumed…”

The twins sighed, of course, their mother wouldn’t respect their privacy. Lumine wondered what would’ve happened if they didn’t actually become engaged, but Lumine knows this is probably her mother’s doing of pushing her into it. She's glad she made the choice for herself.

“I was hoping to ask everyone to dinner at your restaurant so Ajax and I can announce it ourselves but it looks like mother beat us to it.” Lumine sighed but smile after, “But thanks, Xiangling! I appreciate you coming here just for me.” she said after giving her a hug, giving Guoba pats when he whined for it.

“Well, also wanted you to know that we hold wedding receptions too. I hope we’re fancy enough for your mother.” Xiangling teased.

“With your face and restaurant all over the news, I’m sure mother will be kissing your ass when she sees you.” Aether snickered.

“Well, she may do that, but if she ever did something out of the line to you guys, I won’t hesitate to fight her,” Xiangling said with a serious expression, Guoba growling to add effect.

“Thank you, guys.” Lumine chuckled.

“Much appreciated.” Aether smiled, “Here, have some Pie Mon, on the house.”

Xiangling’s eyes sparkled, Guoba drooling behind her, “Oh my god, you know I can never resist this. I’ll be sending something extra special for your lunch!” she grinned before taking the dessert, “Well, I should head back to prep work, can’t leave Dad alone in the kitchen because he always ends up terrorizing the whole staff.”

“Of course, of course.” Lumine chuckled, “Thanks, Xiang!”

They all said their goodbyes before Xiangling left.

“Speaking of staff, do you think it’s time to promote…” Aether began talking about their staff members as they work.

The door once again opened, and Lumine can’t help freeze when she was met with cold eyes.

“I guess you’re finally replacing my brother,” Xiao stated coldly before taking his eyes off her and starting on doing his share of prep work.

It received a glare from Aether and a frown from Lumine.

While Xiao has always been quiet and reserved, he and Lumine had become close when she started dating Zhongli. Xiao had always been protective of Zhongli but after seeing how much she affected her brother, how much happier and brighter she made him, Xiao can’t help but love and respect her as well. They became close, and Xiao treasured that bond.

When his brother died, Xiao tried his best to be Lumine’s rock, it’s what his brother would like, but Xiao was grieving as well, it wasn’t an easy task to stay strong for himself and his sister-in-law, so he was glad Ajax was keeping them both afloat. Ajax was someone Xiao respects as well, he was there for him and his brother, helping them every way he can. Xiao thinks his brother is blessed with Ajax and Lumine.

That was until Xiao started seeing some things changing.

How their touches aren’t platonic anymore.

How Ajax’s kisses aren’t playful anymore.

How Lumine’s heart isn’t with Zhongli anymore.

Xiao felt sick when they announced their relationship, while their friends congratulated them, he excused himself, left them and went to Zhongli’s tomb. He felt so angry, he ranted how Ajax betrayed him, how Lumine replaced him, how unfair it is for everyone to just forget about him. And then he started sobbing, crying about how he felt so alone ever since Zhongli left him.

It was different ever since that day, while he tried to stay civil, even tried acting friendly as they interact with work, Xiao just can’t help but feel bitter and angry every time Ajax would visit Lumine. He knows they talked about it, knows Lumine asked Ajax to tone down the affection when he’s around. That’s just how Lumine is, putting others before herself.

‘Shame it didn’t apply to Zhongli.’ he thought bitterly.

“Xiao, Zhongli would want Lumine to be happy,” Aether stated, receiving a pleading look from Lumine to let it go.

“I’m sure he’ll be way happier knowing he wasn’t replaced.” Xiao simply stated, not looking at anything but what he was doing.

Aether was about to defend Lumine, but his twin stopped him.

Lumine sighed, “Xiao, I know you don’t agree with Ajax’s and mine’s relationship, but please never say I replaced Zhongli.”

Xiao glared at her with a hiss, “But you did-”

“Zhongli has a place in my heart, and he always will.” Lumine looked at him straight in the eye, “I love your brother so much, and I will forever.” she said, “It’s just there are some things we can’t help.” she sighed, “I have to admit, I was unsure of being with Ajax before, but as I come to terms of accepting my feelings, it made things so much better. He helped me get back on my feet again, take care of Qiqi, make me feel happy again. There are just some things we can’t control, but that doesn’t mean we’re replacing Zhongli.”

Deep inside, Xiao knows that, he’s just having a hard time accepting it.

Xiao broke the eye contact, sadness replacing the anger.

Lumine put down her utensils, before walking to Xiao. He flinched away when she tried to touch him.

“Xiao, you may hate us for that, but please remember that Zhongli will always have a place in our hearts. Also please remember that you have a place in our home as well,” she said softly, making Xiao look at her.

Lumine smiled, “We’re family, and we always will be. Just because Zhongli is gone, it severed our bond, you know? You’re still a brother to me, and I’m sure Ajax feels the same way.”

Xiao stayed quiet, but he didn’t move when Lumine tried to pull him to a hug.

“I miss him,” Xiao said quietly.

~~~

“Will he be alright?” Ajax asked in worry, an arm folded behind his head while the other wrapped around his fiancée.

“I didn’t receive any cold treatment after, though he is a bit hesitant when approaching me. I guess we should still tone it down whenever he’s around, Aether also suggested an outing for us, make sure Xiao remembers that he’s still part of our family even without Zhongli. For now, Chongyun said he and Xingqui will cheer him up.” Lumine said fingers playing with Ajax’s shirt.

This had always been part of their routine, after putting Qiqi to sleep, the two of them will just cuddle on their bed, talking about their day or anything really.

“Hm, I feel a bit guilty for not contacting him often. He seemed to despise me ever since we came out, but I guess it’s also time for us to have a talk about it.” Ajax sighed as he remembered the angry glare he managed to catch from Xiao before he left.

“We can’t really blame him. Zhongli was the one who raised and cared for him, so it’s just natural he’s very loyal to him and can’t stand the thought of his brother being replaced. I already talked to him about it, but I think it’s going to take a bit of time for him to understand that.”

The atmosphere suddenly felt so heavy, as usual, whenever Zhongli becomes the subject of whatever they’re talking about. Despite their assurance that they’re not replacing Zhongli, there’s still the lingering guilt deep within them that resurfaces when it comes to Zhongli and their relationships.

Sensing this, Ajax stirred the conversation to a much lighter topic, “Xingqiu’s all over the news today.” he said talking about Xiao’s roommate who’s a rising author, “Looks like he finally has his breakthrough.” he chuckled.

“Oh yeah, our customers were also talking about it. I should purchase one soon actually.” Lumine hummed, “Speaking of which, by the way, we need to help them look for another apartment.” she added with a sigh, “Razor said it was the 8th time Bennett almost burned down the whole building and the tenants just can’t take it anymore.”

“...Didn’t they just move in there a month ago?”

“...Yep…”

Ajax chuckled, “To be honest, at this point, I think it’s more practical to just buy or rent a house lot more than a condominium building.”

“That’s what I told them, I’m pretty sure they’ll look into it considering it’s the fifth time they’ve been evicted this year… and we haven’t even reached half of the year yet.”

They stayed quiet for a while, just enjoying each other’s presence.

Ajax’s soft breathing was lulling Lumine to sleep, that was until she felt the hand on her waist start playing with the waistband of her shorts, a finger playfully circling around the skin under it.

“So... I made sure I locked the door this time.”

Lumine can’t help but laugh at that.

Last time, they were in the middle of an intimate moment. Both so close to their peak and desperate to reach it, Ajax can’t help but feel lost in the pleasure as he listened and watched Lumine, that was until the sound of a doorknob turning joined the sounds of skin slapping skin.

Both are thankful for Ajax’s fast reflex, quickly grabbing the covers to hide him and Lumine, just in time a sleepy Qiqi reveals herself, having been woken up by a nightmare. The blonde had quickly grabbed her robe that was hanging from their bed’s headboard, grabbing whichever undergarment she could find, which happened to be Ajax’s boxers, before taking care of their daughter.

Lumine ended up sleeping in Qiqi’s bedroom and Ajax had to spend the night with his right hand.

Not a great experience if Ajax is being honest.

“Really now?” Lumine teased, but not stopping Ajax from laying her on her back as he towers over her.

“I mean, why not?” Ajax hummed, gently attacking the spot on Lumine’s neck that makes her weak.

“Wasn’t complaining,” Lumine murmured gasping when he starts nibbling on the spot.

Ajax hummed approvingly, “In that case, allow me.” he whispered in her ear before she felt his hands tugging her shirt off.

He pulled away for a bit, releasing another pleased hum as he admired his future bride.

“You’re so beautiful,” Ajax said softly, hand gently caressing her cheek before kissing her lips, deepening the kiss to further express how he feels about her.

Lumine’s arms found their way around Ajax’s neck, a hand going to his hair while the other tracing shapes on his back.

“Off.” Lumine breathed out as soon as they pulled away, a hand impatiently tugging on his shirt.

“Whatever my lady wants.” Ajax chuckled before pulling his shirt off.

Smaller hands began exploring his abs, tugging him back for a kiss.

Ajax began trailing kisses to the spot on her neck, sucking and biting just enough to leave a mark before heading to her collarbone, giving it the same marking treatment.

Lumine shivered at the sensation, much more so when she felt a hand rubbing her side, “Ajax…” she moaned when the hand explored further up, gently cupping a breast.

“Ajax!” she squeaked, back arching when he suddenly gave her nipple a pinch, feeling her core heat up as the shot of pain turned into pleasure.

After leaving another mark, Ajax made his way to her other breast, kissing around the nipple before paying attention to the stiff bud. Lumine arched her back at Ajax’s touches, mewling softly as she buried her hands in his hair, tugging softly when she felt him grazing his teeth on the sensitive flesh.

Ajax could never be tired of the sweet noises Lumine makes, especially when she uses his name.

Wanting to hear more from his beloved, he began trailing kisses down to her stomach, his thumbs hooked on the waistband of her short, sliding them off her smooth legs with her underwear.

He sat up, his eyes turning a darker shade of blue, tongue slipping out to lick his lips as he admired the blonde goddess once again.

She was breathing harshly, face and body flushed as she stared back at him, her own eyes matching the lust with his’.

“Lumine…” he moaned, before diving in for a kiss, moving his hands to cup a breast each.

Lumine groaned as he tugged on her nipples, her head and back arching a bit, giving Ajax a perfect opening to assault the other side of her neck.

Ajax decided to mark more of her skin as his lips began exploring her chests, leaving a mark once in a while. He stopped at the area just below her breasts, his hands sliding down to her legs as he sat up to admire his work.

Just when he thought his lover couldn’t look any more perfect…

His dick throbbed painfully at how enticing Lumine looks full of his marks. Possessiveness flowing through him and urging him to mark his territory more.

He was about to, but Lumine gave out a needy whine with an arch of her hips, feeling hot and bothered when his hands were grabbing her waist, thumb circling her hip bones when it could be working on another part of her.

“Getting impatient, aren’t we?” Ajax teased as if his hardness isn’t begging to be buried in her.

“Just need you.” she whined at the ache of her core lacking attention, “Please.”

And that was all Ajax needed to hear before he moved a hand between her legs, gently tracing her wet slit before he began rubbing her clit with two of his fingers.

Lumine gave out a sigh of relief before moaning softly, tugging Ajax back to her to crash their lips together. He swallowed her moans when his fingers slid down to enter her, slowly pumping them in and out, making her roll her head back on her pillow as she bucked her hips, urging her lover to go faster.

Ajax did not disappoint, curling his fingers at the spot he knew so well that would drive Lumine crazy. His mouth began marking all over her neck and chest again as he picked up the pace of his fingers, groaning softly when he felt her clenching around him, imagining how great it would feel around his cock.

“A-Ajax… I-I’m gonna…” she panted out, hips grinding back against his fingers as she chases her climax.

His thumb reached for her clit, intensifying her pleasure as she released more of the noises Ajax loves so much.

He left her chest to look up at her, watch her come undone on his touch, “Go on, love. Come for me.”

And with the last curl of his fingers against that spot, Lumine’s eyes widened, hips spasming as she released the pleasure that they built up.

Lumine’s pleasured expression and the way her cunt tightened around his fingers almost had him coming. He pulled his fingers out of her, removing the last of his clothing and wrapping the hand that was inside Lumine around his erection, coating it with her juices as he stroked himself for some relief.

Once Lumine had recovered from her orgasm, she gently pulled Ajax, making him lay beside her. She grabbed him for another deep kiss, her hand on his shoulder moving down to his chest, abs, then to his hard on, replacing his hand with her own much to Ajax’s appreciation.

It was her turn to swallow his moans as she began to stroke him at a good pace. Ajax pulled away from a kiss, groaning appreciatively when Lumine tugged him in that particular way. Instead of chasing his lips back to hers, Lumine decided to explore the expanse of his chest, giving him some marks of her own, his skin isn’t easily bruised as hers so she couldn’t match the number of marks he left on her neck and chest.

She’ll just have to make it up by marking up his back later with her nails.

“Lumine…” Ajax hummed in anticipation as he watched Lumine made her way down to his cock, eyes locked on each other’s when she hovered over his tip.

Ajax swallowed, biting his lip as he adjusted his position, he always loved watching her take him. His hand reached up to caress her cheek, feeling her lean into his touch before moving his hand to her hair, nudging her closer to his aching prick as an encouragement.

She didn’t disappoint as her tongue slid along the slit, making him thrust in her warm wet mouth. He released a sigh of relief as she immediately went right up to work, bobbing her head up and down, tongue swirling around the tip when she reached it.

Ajax is a gentleman. He really is.

But as he watches and feels Lumine hungrily sucking his cock, not to mention the way her eyes seemed to be waiting and begging despite the unshed tears that are beginning to build up whenever she takes him down her throat, Ajax just can’t help but grab her hair and push her down as he thrusts his hips up.

“Fuck!” he hissed as he felt her swallow and tightened around him, moaning loudly when he felt the vibrations from the pleased moan she’s making.

Turned on, Lumine could feel her core aching again, making her sneak a hand between her thighs, teasing her clit a little bit before dipping two fingers between her folds, trying to match Ajax’s pace as she imagines and anticipates for his cock to be buried in her later.

The sensation and visual is just enough for Ajax to desperately fuck into her mouth, the wet choking noises egging him on to his release.

“I’m… I’m gonna…” he panted as tried to stop himself from being rougher than he already is.

Lumine hummed, looking at him with pleading eyes to give it to her.

And who is Ajax to deprive her of that?

With one final deep thrust, he spilt in her throat.

After making sure to swallow every drop of him, Lumine pulled away, wiping the excess with the back of her hand and a satisfied smile. Ajax released a groan before pulling her on top of him, grabbing her hand that was still buried inside of her. They gave her wet fingers a brief look before looking at each other’s eyes and with a smirk from Ajax, he took her fingers in his mouth, moaning at her taste as his tongue greedily swirls around the digits, “Delicious.” he licked his lips after releasing her fingers with a pop.

“Ajax…” she whined when she felt him harden again, his tip teasing sliding against her slit at their current position, “Please…” she gasped out when he reached down to continue rubbing himself between her folds.

Ajax flipped them over so he was on top, kissing Lumine again as he slowly entered her. They pulled away with a groan, Lumine from the pressure and Ajax from the tightness. As a petite woman, Ajax tries to be patient as he waits for her to adjust to his rather sizable length. It usually takes Lumine a while to get used to being full of him, even if they made love a couple of times already.

Ajax kissed the tears from her face, “You’re doing great, baby… such a good girl…” he showered her with praises, groaning quietly as her nails scratch on his back.

Once he felt her hold on him loosened, he slowly pulled back, only retrieving a small inch of himself before pushing in again at the same pace, hoping the shallow thrusts could help her adjust quicker as his resolve to just not ram himself inside her slowly wither away.

Luckily for them, Lumine doesn’t mind a bit of pain in her pleasure as she daringly thrusts up to meet him, making them both moan.

Ajax cursed under his breath before taking it as a signal to pull farther back before sharply thrusting in.

Lumine gasped, clawing her lover’s back as she tried to keep up with him, it didn’t take long for her to fall behind though, letting Ajax take control as she took it like a good girl.

As Ajax began to feel confident he wouldn’t hurt her, his thrusts became stronger, pulling almost all the way out before slamming back inside, losing control of himself as he listened to Lumine’s cries of pleasure.

He hissed when Lumine started biting his shoulder, whether to mark him or quiet her cries, he doesn’t care, he loves being marked as Lumine as much as he loves marking her.

“Lumine… feels so good inside you…” he panted between his thrusts, getting lost in the pleasure of her cunt gripping him as if greedily trying to suck him back in whenever he pulls back.

Lumine just mewled in pleasure, failing to form coherent words when Ajax is hitting her spot dead on, causing her to tighten, and at one particularly sharp thrust against that spot, she screamed his name, nails digging through his back as she came, her hips and cunt spasming around him.

“Fuck, Lumine… I’m coming…” he moaned in her ear, being careful not to spill inside her.

Lumine seemed to have other plans though, once she felt Ajax readying himself to pull out and spill himself between her legs like he always does, she locked him in place with her legs.

“Baby, I don’t think I can last much longer,” Ajax warned as he gave her a look.

Lumine pulled him closer so her mouth was against his ear, “It’s okay… Don’t you think it’s about time Qiqi gets a playmate anyway?”

Ajax gasped, his eyes widening at Lumine’s words.

The thought of Lumine pregnant with his child was just enough for him to give one final thrust, burying himself as deep as he can before releasing his seed.

Lumine gasped, whining out his name as she felt him fill her up. It was enough to send her over the edge again.

Ajax can’t remember if he ever came this hard before, or felt something as amazing as now. He had always pulled out before, respecting Lumine’s wishes to avoid getting pregnant. While this obviously won’t get Lumine knocked up immediately, Ajax can’t help but feel elated that Lumine wants to expand their little family.

Once he’s done, he slowly pulls out, laying beside Lumine before wrapping his arms around her waist, “I love you so much.” he declared before kissing her forehead, “But… are you… are you really…? That wasn’t just something to get me off, right?”

Lumine chuckled as she turned to her side to look at him, “Nah, I just miss feeling pregnant.” she teased.

“Mm, I can definitely help you with that.” Ajax grinned, the thought already filling him with excitement. He may or may not be growing hard again as he pictures Lumine and her belly swollen with his children.

Lumine laughed before moving closer, “In all seriousness though, yeah, I think it would be nice to give Qiqi some siblings, no? I’ve always wanted 4 kids.”

“Hm, I kinda want more… Wanna compensate and bump that up to 10?” Ajax grinned.

“Ajax!” Lumine gasped with wide eyes.

“What? I originally wanted 20.” he laughed at her horrified look, “I’m kidding, I think 4 is a great number. Though, I know you won’t be able to resist me- ow!” he flinched when she pinched her but still laughed after.

“You’re such a dick.”

“You love my dick.”

“Okay, that’s it, I’m sleeping in the guest room.”

“Can you walk though?”

“...Fuck you…”

“Sure, let’s get to work on those babies.”

“Ajax!”

Ajax burst out laughing, “Okay, I’m sorry, you’re just so adorable to tease.” he said before pulling her close to kiss her pout away.

Lumine just huffed but smiled, she just loves this man so much. Tiredness came to her soon, with a yawn, she made herself comfortable on his chest, “Hm, you’re lucky I love you so much.” hummed before tiredness took over her.

Ajax smiled softly, placing a soft kiss on her hair,

“I definitely am.”

~~~

He stumbled as he runs.

How could he not? He felt like he’d been running for eternity non-stop.

But how could he not? The mysterious woman is growing closer and closer as he forced himself to run as fast as he can. She doesn’t seem to feel unreachable anymore, she just stays there as if waiting for him.

And as her face became clearer and clearer, how could he not want to run into her inviting open arms and that warm smile on her lips?

“You’re almost there.”

His golden eyes widened at the sound of the voice, and for reasons he couldn’t understand, he grew desperate, ignoring his own harsh breathing as his lungs struggle to keep up with him, ignoring the tears falling from his eyes as he starts to feel the chains that had been weighing him slowly disappear every time she grew closer.

“You can do it.” she encourages, “You’re almost home.”

Home.

Closer and closer she grew.

“Welcome home, my love.”

He jumped into her arms.

Everything all went white.

“...Doc… Doc, he’s finally waking up!”

#chilumi #zhonglumi #chilumi/zhonglumi #genshin impact

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peachcitt · 3 years ago

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Hi! You've mentioned on Discord that you read a lot of books, and I was wondering if you could rec some? Either your favourites, or ones that had a big impact on you/your writing 🥺

yes!!! all my favorite books generally affect my writing style, and often after ive finished reading a really good book, i'll write something and end up emulating that book's style (either on accident or on purpose haha). sometimes on my ao3 you'll find in my author's notes me saying what book i just finished, and if you read or know those books, you'll probably see me mimicking certain aspects of style

for other reccommendations/more in depth descriptions of book plots, i also have a reading list that i posted this past winter on my writing blog that you can check out, and im planning on posting another one at the end of the summer!! (in fact ive already started the list lmao)

the list will be structured as follows: book or series name, author, and a couple reasons why i like it. in addition to this, i will put stars by author's names if i have read other books by them and greatly enjoyed them.

without further ado:

The Grishaverse by Leigh Bardugo*

this has got to be my favorite series of all time. i love bardugo's capability to write complex characters and complicated plots, and i really like the way she structures her books. the series is just so artfully done and when i finished it i was so perfectly satisfied and so perfectly sad because i mourned the fact that it was over

I am the Messenger by Markus Zusak*

literally my favorite book. this is the book i tell people is my favorite if anyone asks. i love zusak's casual humor alongside his ability to write such heartbreaking and heavy moments in just little scraps of images. it's a romantic book without being about romance - it's about love and kindness and how powerful those things can be be, and that shit gets me every time. i have reread this book so many times - yearly since i got it, i think, and i got in middle school, i think. im in college now. and every time i reread it, i get something different out of it

The Chaos Walking Trilogy by Patrick Ness*

i think about these books constantly. these were the first books i read by patrick ness, and, now that ive read some of his other books, i know in classic patrick ness fashion, these books haunt me. patrick ness has this uncanny ability to take genres you think you know and twist and warp them until you're on the edge of your seat trying to figure out what will happen next without the safety net of genre supporting the story. in addition to that, his characters are always wonderfully flawed - he puts real people into fantastical situations, and it's fascinating and always an emotional and satisfying read

The Alex Crow by Andrew Smith*

dude i think about the alex crow so much. i said i normally call i am in the messenger my favorite book, but every so often i'll say this one is because i just love it so much. the alex crow is just so bafflingly weird but the teenage boy main characters are so real and gross and hilarious. andrew smith has the amazing knack for writing weird as hell plot lines and telling stories that are about everything, all at once, while still making it about one thing. that doesn't make sense, but if you read the alex crow (or his other book i've read called Grasshopper Jungle that is actually on my summer list) then you will know what i mean. the alex crow is so many things, and i love all of them

I'll Give You the Sun by Jandy Nelson*

i used to read a lot of ya romance and, to be honest, the stuff i used to read was not all great, but this book absolutely changed the game and probably made me raise my standards exponentially. the timeline of this book is so creative, and it's done in such a way that it leaves you wondering how the timelines will reconcile. in addition to this, both romances in the book are so interesting and loveable, and the relationship between the two main characters (who are twins) is an amazing thing to see unfold. this is a peak ya romance book, and i can't recommend it enough

Holding Up the Universe by Jennifer Niven*

another ya romance, and i have to say the romance in this book is so beautifully done. generally, this is just a really sweet book that gave me butterflies, to be quite honest. i think niven has a really good knack for writing characters that are diverse and a little strange but all have their own distinct personalities that mingle really interestingly with each other.

Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe By Benjamin Alire Sáenz

this one is an obvious choice, and for good reason. aristotle and dante is just a classic queer novel, and it's earned its place as such. it's a poetic sort of book, and i love the voices of the characters, as well as the pictures of the world we get through ari's voice. this is a visual book written in text - i think a lot about the steady, careful romance of the book and the way sáenz makes ari an unreliable narrator by artfully excluding his feelings from scene descriptions and dialogue tags. it's such a creative and heartbreaking technique that i often find myself wanting to do

The Leviathan Trilogy by Scott Westerfeld

oooohh this trilogy changed me. for starters its such a weird, creative concept - alternate history steampunk and biopunk world war I. like doesn't that sound so interesting?? and this trilogy's main characters are so easy to love - and watching their relationship unfold and develop is so endearing. also, my copies include these wonderful illustrations (which i think might be in all copies?) that really let you put images to the weird fantastical things westerfeld included into the world.

The 7 1/2 Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle by Stuart Turton

this book was actually on my winter book list, and i read it so fast and so obsessively because i wanted so badly to know what was going to happen. the plot absolutely pulled me in, and the first line - "I forgot everything between footsteps" - stuck with me because just look at the way that's written!! it's so artful and intriguing, i was just dying to know what would happen next. the timeline is this amazing maze that as i read i couldn't help but admire how long or how much turton had to plan in order to make everything line up in just the right way. it was a fascinating book with so much to say - im really looking forward to reading it again

The Starless Sea by Erin Morgenstern

this book was also on my winter book list, and it just absolutely enraptured me. its witty, quiet sort of voice was amazing to read, and the imagery instilled into every scene made it seem like everything was so real, just right there for me to touch or smell or taste. the plot of a secret huge magic library really roped me in, and i think this is a love story for people who read, people who love stories, people who love the magic of a library.

Meddling Kids by Edgar Cantero*

cantero's works are just so creatively written - not just by plot or character standards, but by style standards, too. meddling kids is great not just for its complex, loveable characters or for its fantastical, dark, and mysterious plot, but also for the weird and intriguing liberties cantero makes with style. in his other books, too, is the switch between snarkily written prose to stage directions to video or audio transcripts, and it makes for such a visual sort of book - i mean, i could easily see any of cantero's books being made into a film or series because all the material is right there. cantero's creativity with style is so intriguing to me, and because of him, i've become more familiar with playing around in style in an attempt to create something as interesting as his novels

and that's all i'll put down here now!

i mentioned it a little, but probably my biggest style references are leigh bardugo, markus zusak, edgar cantero, and andrew smith for various reasons that i am more than willing to talk more in depth about if anyone is wondering<3

thank you for asking im always willing to talk books :')

#ask #miabrown007 #book rec list #book recs #long post #I ALWAYS TALK SO MUCH WHEN IT COMES TO BOOKS IM SO SORRY #someone: what are you favorite books? / me (vibrating at the speed of sound):#anyway if anyone is truly curious about my style references just send me an ask and i will answer!

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magioftheseas · 4 years ago

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It's pretty difficult for me to explain why I dislike the abuse theory for TBHK so much,, but I just do?? What are you reasons if I'm allowed to ask?

I do kind of hint at it in some of my meta but like...

It basically boils down to Tsukasa’s age, presentation, and overall characterization.

Tsukasa was very young when he died, like 13-14. He was a child. If a child is so troubled at that age that they abuse their sibling of the same age, there’s something seriously wrong with their environment. You can’t just make the choice that he’s abusive at that age lightly as it brings to question how the hell he developed that behavior (which wasn’t present when they were younger if the Festival chapter is anything to go by) and what the hell the exact upbringing of the twins are. Basically, despite being the easiest assumption to make, it’s in fact the most loaded and the most unnatural.

Tsukasa’s personality and characterization later makes it even worse. Tsukasa, yes, is a little shit force of destruction, but he acts and is presented in a way that emphasizes childishness. He’s hyperactive, curious, impulsive, cheerfully carefree, and often doesn’t dress himself properly. While Hanako and Tsukasa are both the shortest of their respective trio (not sure about Mitsuba, sorry bby), look at how much shorter Tsukasa is with Sakura+Natsuhiko compared to Hanako with Nene+Kou.

Natsuhiko and Sakura are among the older kids in the cast, yes, but the decision to put them next to Tsukasa in contrast to the HanaKouNene group still noticeably gives off a different vibe. Rather than a group of friends, we have what obstensively looks like babysitting, which makes Tsukasa’s youthfulness stand out even more. And AidaIro finds other ways to emphasize that quality, so it’s intentional.

Like look at these images.

Tsukasa’s more twisted behavior is not a secret to the audience by this point. It’s made clear that Tsukasa can be cruel very early on, and yet AidaIro insists on drawing him this cutely and endearingly. There’s far more art of Tsukasa looking wide-eyed and innocent than there is of Tsukasa’s more dangerous and alarming side. Even more notably, Sakura and Natsuhiko respond to this side of him with less fear and more...

Pictured: Me holding back the cat.

Of course, yeah, Sakura and Natsuhiko do find him intimidating at times, but isn’t it pretty fucking weird that they’re so calm when handling him? That they (well, Natsuhiko) can pick him up and even hold him back without hesitation? Hell, Sakura has been shown to hit him without consequence. If Tsukasa’s really so villainous, you’d think the characters he’s spent the most on-screen time with would be...well...terrified of him, but they’re mostly just exasperated by his antics as if they’re not even worth being all that concerned with. They treat him as lesser.

Even when Mitsuba (the only explicit victim of Tsukasa we have besides that rip blowfish) appears, Tsukasa being treated that way by Sakura and Natsuhiko doesn’t change. Hell, they reprimand him for his behavior and try to make Mitsuba feel more welcome.

These two are technically underlings, yes, but despite deferring to Tsukasa for the rumor-spreading, they themselves manage Tsukasa on a personal level. Tsukasa’s not in control when it comes to the casual interactions. It may seem like I’ve derailed a bit, but here’s the thing.

Abuse is about control. Why, then, is Tsukasa so willing to tolerate the way he’s treated? He’s not even bothered about it, and takes it all in stride. Even if you could argue that’s just because Amane was more passive, well... First of all, it’s just theorizing.

Second of all, bringing up the festival arc again, Amane was perfectly okay with leaving Tsukasa alone, and Tsukasa was perfectly okay with being left alone.

And this is literally the only bit of insight we get into specific relationship dynamics when they were alive.

That’s actually another reason why the abuse theory just...doesn’t hold water.

Tsukasa being Amane’s abuser is the easiest assumption to make.

Why, then, is AidaIro so vague about the dynamic the twins had in the past? Why is it this ambiguous even 70+ chapters in? It’s not like we couldn’t have shown Tsukasa in the festival arc or in any kind of flashback at all. Tsukasa doesn’t even get a mention by Tsuchigomori.

That amount of mystery makes me think that there must have been more going on and that the easiest assumption to make regarding their relationship is, just that, a simple assumption, shallow and inaccurate due to a lack of information. That Tsukasa’s childishness gets more emphasis than his cruelty also makes me wonder.

There’s also that...when it comes right down to it... Hanako is also super fucking shifty and dubious when it comes to his actions and planning, hell he’s arguably more dubious than Tsukasa because while Tsukasa is transparent with Sakura and Natsuhiko, Hanako is...christ, he is very fucking not. Hell, remember what I said about how abuse is about control? Hanako’s controlling. Tsukasa’s more flexible. He’s perfectly alright with having “Amane” make other friends, including girlfriends, and doesn’t interfere in the slightest with Hanako’s relationships. He doesn’t even interfere with Mitsuba. He does not care if Kou and Mitsuba hang out to the point where he happily leaves them alone for considerable amounts of time in Picture Perfect.

I said easiest assumption, but in reality, in full context... Tsukasa being his brother’s abuser would be jarring. At this point in time, Tsukasa just not only isn’t given a lot of control and capacity for intimidation (due to his relationship dynamics with Sakura and Natsuhiko), there’s too much ambiguity regarding the twins’ past. And, like, he hasn’t even taken on the main antagonist’s role since...the Hell of Mirrors. Which is the current midpoint of the series. Given he hasn’t shown up at all in this current arc, that gap between now and then is probably going to get even longer.

Narratively, the abuse theory just doesn’t click. Metatextually...

It would reflect pretty badly on AidaIro, I feel, to go that route. It’s incompetent to go not only the first route people would assume (despite making it a complete mystery for 70+ chapters). It’s irresponsible to knowingly present an abusive character in the same endearing light that Tsukasa has been shown. Yes, Tsukasa is still a dubious character, but why present him like this if you’re going to eventually double down on his horridness? Wouldn’t you want to, idk, build that up? Show like, an escalation? Commit to him being an enemy that the audience is meant to not only dislike but also fear?

Why would you do this if not to eventually subvert expectations?

AidaIro has glorified shittiness before, but that’s usually with the romantic leads (Hanako and Akane). Tsukasa doesn’t have a single romantic cell in his body. One intention that there sure as shit isn’t is making Tsukasa appealing as a guy. He’s like...a child. A baby. Most readers aren’t going to consider him dateable despite being the same age as Hanako, who is very often idealized as a love interest. Not even on a bad boy level. Tsukasa’s just way too baby. So, even if I’m super cynical, I just don’t think AidaIro would make these kinds of decisions in their writing.

#Magi answers #meta #anonymous #tw abuse #long post #For me personally though it really is just Tsukasa's age alone that makes me super resistent to the idea #It's just such an abnormal situation to the point of feeling forced #AidaIro might be in shit graces due to previous events but if Tsukasa's abusive then just...#Their writing choices would be baffling to the point of incomprehensible???#Like what the fuck???#critical #kinda

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dustedmagazine · 4 years ago

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Ian Mathers’ 2020: We’re stuck inside our own machines

I’ve had a song I loved in high school and haven’t thought much about since stuck in my head. The song “Apparitions” by the Matthew Good Band is a fine example of the alt rock of the late 90s; if you grew up then but somewhere down in the states (or elsewhere) instead of my southern Ontario you may well have your regional equivalents, and like this one they may not resonate terribly strongly outside of their time and place. It popped back into my head after a long time recently and of course 2020 has changed it a little. A song that as a teen I felt keenly as about loneliness (albeit also about how technology can feed into that) of course now plays on my nerves as another small piece of art about the way that most of us (those scared and/or responsible anyway) have only that relatively narrow, technologically mediated connection to the people we love. All of us, artists and listeners alike, are trying to fit our feelings and art and selves down these little connections, with some success.

On a personal level, 2020 wound up being stressful in ways we couldn’t have predicted even after the pandemic hit. In circumstances that could have seen governments on this continent support those unable to work (and those who shouldn’t have to), support those workers who are truly essential, support workers and renters and even landlords and small businesses, instead we got a near-total abeyance of those governments using the resources we provide them with to save any of us. On a personal level my wife and I were lucky enough to be able to work from home (not that it didn’t come with its own forms of stress, and now that I’m off until January I have several work/stress-related illnesses to recover from) but still saw friends and loved ones lose good, used-to-be-sustainable livings overnight, saw family businesses succumb to a near-total absence of effective government support after months of trying to keep above water, etc.

It is probably no surprise that this is not a situation conducive to listening to music, let alone writing about it; I have deliberately and happily kept busy on behind the scenes stuff at Dusted that I could still manage but looking, at the end of the year, at the amount I managed to actually create is demoralizing if not at all shocking. I’m not sure I think next year will be ‘better’ in many important ways, although at our job there is a growing feeling among coworkers that next year has to have some work/life balance because 2020 was, maybe more than anything else, unsustainable.

That’s not to say I didn’t spend a lot of time and emotion on music this year, and if nothing else constant sleep deprivation, stress, and panic meant I was probably open to being deeply moved by all sorts of art even more than normally (it’s gotten to the point where I can’t even read a sad or moving twitter thread out loud to my wife without getting teary, which is kind of… nice?). Funnily enough the band that did the most to keep me sane didn’t really put out anything in 2020. Personal favorite, Low, instead started, in early April, getting on Instagram with something they called on whim “It’s Friday I’m in Low.” With one brief break they have now done by my count at least 35 shows (catalogued here, by the way), every Friday at about 4 my time.

Admittedly it’s easier for Low to pull this off than some bands, since the 2/3 of the trio that sing are a married couple (they’ve had a couple of socially-distanced backyard shows with bassist Steve Garrington, but he’s mostly been isolating elsewhere). These shows have seen the band’s Alan Sparhawk take a mid-set break to do follow-up phone interviews with the acts featured in the COVID-curtailed touring bands series Vansplainingthat they started on YouTube, or just to give a tour round their vegetable garden and talk tips. It’s seen Alan and Mimi Parker draw on their impressive, 25+ year body of work (averaging 4-5 songs a set, I don’t think they’ve repeated themselves yet) and talk a bit between songs about pandemics, politics, song choices, and whether Alan should grab his bike helmet this time.

They’re not the only musicians out there speaking love and sanity (and playing music) into the strange digital interzone filled with hate and disinformation where we’ve all been forced to gather while locked down, but they were and the most consistent and steady signal being emitted each week. No matter how tired I was from work or what new symptoms I’d developed or what horrific thing I read into the news, even if I had to take an emergency nap while it was actually airing, every Friday the show was there. Once things do return to something more like normal, it’s one of the few things I’ll unambiguously miss about this weird-ass year.

So if that makes an argument for Low as my band of the year (admittedly again… it’s not like Double Negative has aged poorly, either), that does a disservice to those 2020 records I did connect with; even if there are still literally dozens I have to go through, many of which I expect to love, my top picks this year (if as unrankable by me as always) hit me as hard as any top pick in recent years did. So here I present a quick and informal top 5, which the rest of my top 20 following in alphabetical order. Here’s hoping for more time and space in 2021 for music, and even more than that, for more support for those who need it from those who could have been providing it all this time. (The Matthew Good Band, incidentally, always did best with their ballads. “Strange Days” is another I’ve had in my head these days; the image of moving “backwards, into a wall of fire” has stuck with me since the 90s and it’s never felt more grimly appropriate.)

Greet Death — New Hell

New Hell by Greet Death

This one is, in some sense, cheating; it came out November 2019. But that just means it’s the latest winner of my personal Torres Prize for Ian Being Late to the Party (so named because becoming slightly obsessed with Torres’ Sprinter just after I sent in my 2015 list was the first time I noticed that one of my favorite records of each year tends to get picked up by me just after I call it quits on the year, no matter how long I try to wait). This very doom and gloom slowcore/metal/(whatever, just know it’s heavy) trio at first felt very much like my beloved Cloakroom (whose Time Well has also won a Torres Prize) but sure enough nuances revealed themselves. Back in February it felt almost a little too negative, but then the rest of 2020 happened. And the extended burns of “You’re Gonna Hate What You’ve Done” and the title track remain searing.

Holy Fuck — Deleter

youtube

Probably the record I’ve been trying to write about the longest in 2020, and the one I’m most disappointed in myself that I just couldn’t get the requisite paragraphs together. It’s a wonderful effort from the consistently great Toronto resolutely human-created (and —mediated) dance music quartet, one that both feels like a summation of everything they do well, and with the addition of some outside voices (including strong turns from the singers of both Hot Chip and Liars) a step forward at the same time.

Spanish Love Songs — Brave Faces Everyone

Brave Faces Everyone by Spanish Love Songs

As the year got worse, this roar of defiance only got more crucial for me to hear every so often; I was a big enough fan of it, even after writing it up for Dusted, that when they solicited fan footage for a subsequent music video you may just be able to get a glimpse of me in it. (I’m the one in a “No Tories” t-shirt.) My punk rock-loving twin brother was the one who introduced me to Spanish Love Songs and we were supposed to spend an evening in June screaming along to them live in a packed, sweaty room. I need that in my life again.

Julianna Barwick — Healing Is a Miracle

Healing Is A Miracle by Julianna Barwick

It’s a sign of what 2020 has been like here that even just this album title leaves bruises, and while I privately worried Barwick would have a hard time following up 2016’s sublime Will (probably my favorite record that year), it seems that continuing to take whatever downtime she needs to keep focusing and refining her particular muse has once again yielded amazing results. Anyone who thinks they know what a Barwick track sounds like should really check out, say, “Flowers”, but much of this record absolutely sounds like Barwick, just even better than before. She also boasted my wife and I's favorite streaming concert of 2020, an absolutely gorgeous rendition of this album with Mary Lattimore showing up.

Phoebe Bridgers — Punisher

Punisher by Phoebe Bridgers

I joked on Twitter recently that I have far too nice a dad (and far too good a relationship with him) to be as obsessed as I am with Phoebe Bridgers’ “Kyoto”, but here we are. Like most of her generation, Bridgers’ social media presence ranges from shit-posting to inscrutable, but even though things are often just as hard to figure out in her beautiful songs (as they often are in life), there’s an emotional clarity to them that can just grab you deep down. Couple that with seriously impressive songcraft and the progress from her already astounding debut Stranger in the Alps and more than anyone else in 2020 I’m excited to see just where the hell Phoebe Bridgers is going to go, because it feels like she’s talented and hardworking enough to go just about anywhere and drag a lot of our hearts with her.

Other Favorites

Aidan Baker & Gareth Davis — Invisible Cities II

Anastasia Minster — Father

Deftones — Ohms

Hum — Inlet

Kelly Lee Owens — Inner Song

Mesarthim — The Degenerate Era

Perfume Genius — Set My Heart On Fire Immediately

Protomartyr — Ultimate Success Today

Rachel Kiel — Dream Logic

The Ridiculous Trio — The Ridiculous Trio Plays the Stooges

Sam Amidon — Sam Amidon

Shabason, Krgovich & Harris — Philadelphia

Stars Like Fleas — DWARS Session: Live on Radio VPRO

Well Yells — We Mirror the Dead

Yves Tumour — Heaven to a Tortured Mind

Five Reissues/Compilations/etc.

Aix Em Klemm — Aix Em Klemm

Bardo Pond — Adrop/Circuit VIII

Charles Curtis — Performances & Recordings 1998-2018

Coil — Musick to Play in the Dark

Hot Chip — LateNightTales

Ian Mathers

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dammitadolfnomorecake · 4 years ago

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Once Bitten, Twice Stupid prt 183 prt 2

Shiro snorted humourlessly

“He threw it in my face. When you woke up, he threw it back in my face that you wanted to die. He didn’t do anything...”

“What did you expect him to do? To turn me into a vampire? Between being a werewolf and a vampire, being a werewolf has to be the better option. Or can’t you care about me the same you used to, now I’m a wolf?”

Shiro snorted again

“I asked him the same thing. If he couldn’t love you as a werewolf and that’s why he’d prefer you die”

“No wonder he’s so mad at you. You know he’d be devastated if I did. He just... he wanted me to come back so badly...”

This was awkward. All Shiro seemed to really talk about was Lance. Not Curtis... his actual boyfriend

“How’s Curtis?”

“Up and down. Coran said it’d take some time for his mind to adjust. Why?”

“He’s your boyfriend and he’s a friend. Do I need a reason to care now?”

“No. I just... never mind”

Keith was sick of this. He wanted to have a normal proper conversation with his brother

“If you have something to say, say it. If you regret making the choice then tell me. You keep talking about Lance and when I try to ask you about Curtis, you brush it aside. I don’t get what you’re thinking when you don’t talk to me”

“I don’t regret making the choice to save you. What I want is for you to be happy, and it worries me that you’re rushing into things with Lance again”

Who was rushing? He and Lance had a ton of issues to work out

“Lance and I aren’t rushing. Last night was the first night he let me sleep next to him again. We’ve barely hugged. Forget kissing and sex stuff... We’re both trying to figure out how to keep things going between us because we love each other”

“I just don’t want you being hurt”

He was already hurt. He’d been hurt and that’d led to this whole bloody mess. The demon had been contained all along. Lance nearly lost the twins and nearly lost him on top of it. Now he was a werewolf and his own brother hated himself for turning him into one. All Keith wanted was for everyone to act normal, but he couldn’t handle normal right now. He could barely handle whatever he was.

Scratching between Kosmo’s ears, Kosmo thumped his tail lazily. Would he enjoy being a wolf the next time it happened? Would he remember it? He couldn’t be scared of what had happened. That was the new normal, though it did scare him that he didn’t remember

“Right now, the only thing hurting me, is that you can’t forgive Lance. My ego already thinks of him as my mate and it’s fucking crazy. I have to wear glasses or I see way too much. I’ve got Lance’s hoodie on because everyone smells too much. Look, I know I was a dick when you came to see me. I know because I couldn’t stop the words coming out my mouth. I was so damn angry. All I wanted to do was break things. I can’t take but what I said, and it sounds like a cop out to say it was ego talking. I’m glad I’m not dead. I’m glad I’m going to know my twins, even if that scares me now more than ever. I don’t know how to be a dad and now every action I take has to be careful. It’s almost too much to cope with, then Lance... God. He’s fucking frustrating. He doesn’t hate me. He doesn’t blow up. He’d rather self destruct than hurt me. I know I’m being impatient but I don’t know how to keep my head up when you two aren’t talking. I don’t know a lot of things anymore and half the time I don’t feel like the old me is still in here”

“That’s part of the reason I want to bring you home. I want you to know I’m here for you. I want you to rediscover all those things you love”

That sounded a lot like Lance. He’d copped a peek at Lance’s white board and print outs. Lance had made all kinds of notes he thought might help Keith and activities he thought might help him adjust to life as a werewolf. For some reason there was a printout of a page about London, with a Chinese menu taped to it. He didn’t get it, and he didn’t want to question it when Lance had put so much work into it.

“I appreciate that. For now, I feel like I need to be here. I couldn’t handle a room filled with our friends. I don’t think I could handle crowds”

Shiro raised an eyebrow

“You’ve always been bad with crowds”

“Ha ha. You’re not very funny”

Huffing, his brother crossed his arms. Shiro’s wounds from that day still looked bad. Maybe he didn’t want to talk to Curtis about it because Curtis blamed himself too much as it was. They really needed to talk it out... and now he was sounding like Lance. Lance loooooved talking things out

“I thought I was hilarious”

“Try harder, old man”

“Maybe you should accept my sense of humour for a change?”

“And give into your lameness, I think not”

Some how the tension had started to lift from shoulders. He still wanted very much to hit his brother, but Shiro was trying to make an attempt at normalcy

“You’ve always been lame, kiddo”

“I’ll remember that next time I wolf out”

Shiro’s heart gave a particularly hard thump, interrupting its strong and steady rhythm. Hearing heartbeats... was so weird. Lance’s being so slow in comparison

“Shiro, don’t be like that”

“I didn’t say anything”

“No, but you thought it”

Keith didn’t want to admit he’d somehow had become a lie detector, not when Shiro had a right to his personal thoughts and feelings

“The idea of you... It worries me. That someone will label you as a threat and someday they’ll come for you”

Coran couldn’t protect him and Lance forever. He’d assured Lance so many times that he’d be there to protect him, now he’d have to give some real thought to how to protect himself

“They’d be foolish. Three werewolves, one a hunter, and a vampire. It’s not like the first time we came here”

“You hated Lance so much. I remember you sulking the whole time because you couldn’t just kill him on the spot”

“After Adam... Lance was just another vampire that deserved to die. If I’d killed him, I wouldn’t have all of this... I know he’s changed me, but I think in some ways it’s for the better”

“He’s changed all of us”

“This is true. Will you talk to him?”

Shiro brought his hands up to scrub at his face

“I don’t know what to tell him. I was disappointed he’d give up on you so easily. I was disappointed that he didn’t take care of himself after his body started aborting. I was disappointed he spent every moment by your side, but didn’t seem to care that much about Curtis as he never really asked for us to come see you. And it hurt. He was cold as he told me you wanted to die, almost as if he enjoyed knowing how much it hurt me. Your brainwaves were stable initially. You never came out from going under. Then suddenly you got worse. I wondered if he’d given you his blood out of desperation, but Coran said no. He found traces of Lance’s DNA in your blood stream, dead cells... that didn’t turn you. It made no sense but I still wondered if that was why you didn’t wake up”

“That’s probably because I kissed Lance when his lips were bloody. The way Coran explained it is that there needs to be that intent to turn for the curse to take. Lance never wanted me to turn. He’s probably been beating himself up...”

Stopping mid-sentence, Keith looked back over his shoulder. Shiro frowning as he followed his gaze

“What is it?

“Lance and Curtis went out the back to have a talk...”

“I should...”

Shiro really shouldn’t. Lance was mid-apology as Curtis tried to stop him. This hearing too much thing sucked

“Leave them. They need to talk. Sorry, I can’t remember what I was saying”

“I thought werewolves were like vampires”

“If we are, then I haven’t really noticed it much... Rieva said she’d tell me more. Apparently werewolves have adapted rapidly in the last hundred or so years, but there’s certain things that are important”

“Like?”

“Just because we turn into wolves doesn’t make us like them. We’ve steadily become more human than wolf. Things like that. It’ll be handy to know for future hunts”

“Then you’re coming back?”

Yeah. Lance had been right about him still needing his job. As long as Shiro was still working, he couldn’t leave his brother to be put in potentially life threatening circumstances

“Yeah. I mean, it might take a bit longer, but... I need to be doing something. I want to protect my friends and my family, including you. The thought of anything happening to you... I couldn’t stand it if it was caused by my wavering back and forth. I want my kids to not have to worry about werewolves and vampires, or their friends being hurt... This is all subject to whether you and Curtis will let a wolf partner with you”

“You can’t be any worse than Matt”

“I don’t know. Matt is like a technical genius”

“You have your own qualities too”

Keith’s ego growled internally at Shiro. Lance would have jumped in to defend him, telling Shiro how manly and skilled he was. Keith didn’t really know what to defend himself with

“Thanks. I feel like you just handed me a participant trophy for nothing”

“Nah, you’re fine. So I really can’t tempt you to come back home?”

“I’m sorry... but for now, I think this is where I should be. When my ego settles I’ll come stay for a bit... provided things are going well with the twins”

“Did Lance talk to you about them?”

“A bit. You know, we still have a nursery to finish”

“I’m allowed back in there?”

“I won’t bite...”

“That’s all I ask. Reckon there’s any cookies left?”

“You know Hunk. He’ll have three other stashes with him”

“That’s true...”

The conversation petered off comfortably. He’d talked to his brother and Shiro did seem kind of wanting to make up with Lance... Hopefully they’d make up today. He still had so much to talk to Shiro about, but for now, he was content getting back on even footing with his brother.

#oncebittentwicestupid #once bitten twice stupid #ashratherose

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aion-rsa · 4 years ago

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The Best Creepy Horror Movies

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Creepy isn’t the same as scary.

Of course horror movies can be scary simply by using loud noises and sudden movements to make their audiences jump, but creepy is harder to pull off. To be effectively creepy, a film needs to establish a certain atmosphere; it needs to draw you in and make you care. It needs to give you something to think about when you’re trying to drop off to sleep at night; to make you wonder whether that creaking noise down the hallway was just the house settling or something lurking in the shadows. Creepy stays with you. It gives you goosebumps.

Here are 85 of the best horror movies (in no particular order) to chill your bones. Enjoy the nightmares.

Us (2019)

Jordan Peele’s follow up to his award winner Get Out is another social horror. While it might not be quite as accomplished or coherent as Get Out (the end is a bit of a mess) Us is arguably scarier than Get Out as a family staying in a holiday home find themselves tormented by evil replicas of themselves. It’s a film that keeps you constantly on edge with the performances of the main cast – Lupita Nyong’o, Winston Duke, Shahadi Wright Joseph and Evan Alex – absolutely pitch perfect and never less than convincing as good and evil versions of themselves.

It Comes At Night (2017)

Though the marketing material was somewhat misleading, featuring the above scary-looking dude (who really isn’t a big part of the film at all), It Comes at Night, from director Trey Edward Shults is a claustrophobic slow-burner that insidiously ramps up the creep factor. Joel Edgerton plays the patriarch of a family holed up in a cabin in the woods to escape an unnamed wide spread virus. But when a man, his wife and their young child arrive seeking shelter his family life is disrupted. A coming-of-age horror with one of the bleakest endings around.

Mr. Jones (2013)

Nobody knows who Mr. Jones is. The artist is a recluse, but his bizarre sculptures have made him world famous. When a documentary maker and his girlfriend stumble across what looks like his workshop, they become obsessed with finding out the truth about Mr. Jones, but the truth isn’t particularly easy to stomach.

Games

20 Scariest Horror Games Ever Made

By Matthew Byrd

Movies

Best Modern Horror Movies

By Don Kaye

One of the most stylishly shot found footage movies you’ll ever see, the makers know the rules of the genre well enough that when they break them, it adds to the story rather than detracting from it. Also, those scarecrows are petrifying.

Under the Shadow (2016)

Set in war-torn Tehran in the late 1980s, Under the Shadow sees a would-be doctor battling the forces of evil for her daughter (and her sanity) even as everyone around her flees to safer ground. The juxtaposition of earthly and unearthly threats makes this a uniquely terrifying film, and Shideh (Narges Rashidi) is a wonderfully complex and sympathetic heroine. Not many films could make a sheet of printed fabric terrifying, but Under the Shadow manages it.

Gaslight (1940)

Bella (Diana Wynyard) thinks she’s losing her mind. She keeps losing things, and the lights in her house seem to flicker, even though her husband Paul (Anton Walbrook) tells her he can’t see anything wrong. Plus there are those footsteps upstairs… Just from that description, you might think that Gaslight will turn out to be a haunted house story, but the real explanation for all the weirdness is far more sinister than that. Walbrook does sinister like no-one else.

The Babadook (2014)

A character from a terrifying kids book comes to life to haunt a single mother (Essie Davis) grieving for the loss of her husband in this beautiful, sorrowful meditation on depression and despair. Top-hatted Mr. Babadook with his horrible, terrible grin is of course creepy as all, but Noah Wiseman as her needy and uncontrollable child gives him a run for his money in creepiness.

The Clairvoyant (1934)

Maximus, King Of The Mind Readers (Claude Rains) performs amazing feats of clairvoyance on stage every night in front of adoring audiences. The problem is, it’s fake – the mind-reading is all done through a secret code Maximus has invented to communicate with his assistant wife, Rene (Fay Wray). But one night, he meets Christine (Jane Baxter), and his abilities become real. He really can predict the future. If you’ve already guessed that’ll turn out to be more of a burden than a gift, you’re right. Gorgeously shot, wonderfully acted, this is a creepy delight.

Sleep Tight (2011)

The second Jaume Balaguero film on this list is just as bleak and horrifying as the first: Sleep Tight sees a concierge secretly breaking into the homes of the people he’s supposed to serve to try to make them as miserable as he is. When Cesar (Luis Tosar) finds one tenant is harder to upset than the others, his behaviour escalates until he’s committing unimaginably grotesque crimes against the poor girl. The ending will have you shuddering in your seat.

Lake Mungo (2008)

This strange found footage film from Australia takes the format of a mockumentary focusing on the family of a dead girl who think there are supernatural goings on surround their house. It owes a debt to Twin Peaks in its odd neighborhood vibe, and the twisty plot holds many surprises, as the movie wrong foots the audience time and again. It’s creepy throughout but by the time you finally discover what’s really going on it’s not only terrifying but emotionally devastating too.

Dead of Night (1945)

Probably the best horror anthology ever made, this Ealing Studios production includes five individual stories and one wrap-around narrative. The wrap-around sees a consultant arrive at a country home only to find that he recognizes all of the guests at the house – he’s seen them all in a dream.

Movies

A Short History of Creepy Dolls in Movies

By Sarah Dobbs

Movies

Annabelle: Real-Life Haunted Dolls to Disturb Your Dreams

By Aaron Sagers

Spooked, the guests start recounting their own stories of the uncanny, each more unnerving than the last. Well, except for the one about the golfers, but that one’s just there for light relief before the film hits you with the scariest ventriloquist’s dummy ever committed to film. Just excellent, all round.

Hereditary (2018)

One of the most truly harrowing movies of recent years is Hereditary, the feature debut from Ari Aster. Toni Collette stars as a mother trying to hold together her family in the aftermath of a tragedy while around her supernatural goings on begin to escalate.

Movies

Hereditary: The Real Story of King Paimon

By Tony Sokol

Movies

Hereditary Ending Explained

By David Crow

Hereditary has been called The Exorcist for a new generation, though it’s so much more than that. In fact at times, Hereditary is almost too scary, so oppressive is it’s escalating anguish and dread. This one is pure nightmare fodder.

Nina Forever (2015)

Rob (Cian Barry) can’t get over his ex-girlfriend. Nina (Fiona O’Shaughnessy) died in a car crash, which is bad enough, but when he tentatively begins a relationship with his co-worker, Holly (Abigail Hardingham), he finds himself haunted by Nina. Literally. She materializes in his bed every time he and Holly have sex – she might be dead, but she’s not letting go.

“Creepy” doesn’t feel like a strong enough word to describe this film – “devastating” might do it. It’s a sensitive and horrifying portrayal of grief, with a sense of humour as dark as the inside of your eyelids, and some extremely upsetting gore. Brilliant, but not one for the faint-hearted.

Robin Redbreast (1970)

When she moves away from London to a tiny country cottage, Norah (Anna Cropper) expected the change to be a bit strange, but nowhere near as weird as it ultimately turns out to be. As she gets to know the locals, she finds herself being pushed towards a relationship with karate-loving Rob (Andrew Bradford), and while she’s initially game, she soon discovers that her choices are being made for her. It’s a little bit Wicker Man, a little bit Rosemary’s Baby, and a lot of creepiness.

It Follows (2014)

Inspired by a reccuring nightmare director David Robert Mitchell had in his youth,It Follows is a clever, freaky take on the slasher movie, featuring, well, a sexually transmitted ghost. Maika Monroe plays a young woman haunted by a shape shifting spectre after a sexual encounter who slowly but relentless trails her everywhere – the film plays with the audience expertly, making us guess whether background characters could really be the monster. Ultra modern and highly effective, this one will leave you jumping at shadows long after the credits roll.

The Masque of the Red Death (1964)

A tyrannical landowner is plagued by, well, a literal plague in Roger Corman’s adaptation of an Edgar Allan Poe story. Vincent Price plays the Satanic Prince Prospero, who rules over his village with an iron fist, condemning people to death for the mildest offence and abducting any woman who takes his fancy, but all of his evils come back to haunt him when he throws a masked ball and Death shows up. Fittingly, it’s got the hallucinogenic quality of a fever dream, and the various incarnations of Death are wonderfully creepy.

As Above, So Below (2014)

A group of explorers heads deep into the Paris catacombs, only to find they’ve gone a little too deep and stumbled into an alternate dimension that might actually be Hell. It’s a brilliantly over the top concept, and the way it plays out is incredibly eerie. Yes, it’s found footage, and yes, it’s a little bit on the silly side – it chucks in quotes from Dante and a few too many sad-faced ghosts – but some of the scares along the way are properly frightening. Suspend your disbelief and let it freak you out.

Oculus (2013)

Eleven years ago, Alan (Rory Cochrane) bought an antique mirror… and then died, along with his wife. According to the police, they were murdered by their 10-year-old son. According to their daughter, the mirror is haunted, and something supernatural caused their deaths. Now Tim (Brenton Thwaites) is out of prison, Kaylie (Karen Gillan) wants to prove he was innocent by conducting an experiment on the mirror… But inadvertently puts both of them in danger all over again.

Books

“God God – Whose Hand Was I Holding?”: the Scariest Sentences Ever Written, Selected by Top Horror Authors

By Rosie Fletcher

Movies

A24 Horror Movies Ranked From Worst to Best

By David Crow and 3 others

It’s chilling. The way director Mike Flanagan plays with reality, building unbearable uncertainty through camera angles and false memories, makes this film both incredibly scary and impossibly sad.

The Witch (2015)

After being cast out of a New England plantation for not interpreting scripture in the same way as the colony’s elders, a family strikes out alone, and soon discovers how inhospitable their unfamiliar new home country can really be. The Witch is a period piece, and the language is suitably archaic, but don’t let that put you off: it’s a brilliantly chilling portrayal of Puritan life, where belief can mean the difference between life and death, and horror is only ever one failed crop away.

The Amityville Horror (1979)

The Amityville Horror is the haunted house story. If you were only ever going to watch one haunted house movie, it should be this one, because this is the archetypal story: a family moves into a house where horrible murders happened, and then bad things happen to them. It manages a lot of things later imitators didn’t, though, which is that it makes the Lutzes’ decision to buy the house make sense, and also builds the horror slowly, so that they almost don’t notice when the things going wrong in the house switch from annoying issues to outright horror. If you’ve moved house in recent memory, this one’ll hit you where it hurts.

The Conjuring (2013)

If you were only ever going to watch two haunted house movies, the second one should definitely be The Conjuring. James Wan’s ode to ’70s horror has plenty in common with The Amityville Horror, but it also has plenty of ideas of its own – and at least half a dozen moments that’ll make your heart leap into your mouth.

Movies

The Conjuring Timeline Explained: From The Nun to Annabelle Comes Home

By Daniel Kurland

Movies

Horror Movie Origin Stories: Directors, Actors, and Writers on How They Fell in Love With the Genre

By Rosie Fletcher

The camerawork, the music, the cute kids stuck in the middle of epic spiritual warfare… it all adds up to a completely terrifying experience. You’ll probably need to sleep with a nightlight for a week afterwards.

The Changeling (1980)

George C. Scott stars as Dr. John Russell in this classic ghost story, which is a favorite of The Others director Alejandro Amenabár. Following the tragic demise of his wife and son, Dr. Russell moves into a rambling Victorian mansion to compose music and pick up the pieces of his life. He’s soon being woken by relentless booming sounds coming from the heating system, precisely at 6am every day… Then there’s the old “apparition in the self-filling bath” trick (actually, this may be the first time this happened onscreen, but it sure won’t be the last).

Movies

Dog Soldiers: The Wild History of the Most Action Packed Werewolf Movie Ever Made

By Mike Cecchini

Movies

The Best Horror Movies to Stream

By Alec Bojalad and 1 other

This is one of those movies which hits up all the clichés: people go into the dark, gloomy attic to search for clues, and to the library to look up old news archives on the microfiche; they visit the graveyard, and finally, hold a séance (which is overwhelmingly creepy). The eerie soundtrack and skilful storytelling result in a film which peels back its mysterious layers slowly for a satisfying finish.

The Hallow (2015)

If you go down to the woods today, make sure you don’t steal anything or break anything, or the Hallow will get you. Tree surgeon Adam and his family move into an ancient farmhouse to start sizing up the land for developers and quickly fall afoul of the supernatural creatures lurking in the trees, which turns out to be a really bad idea. This film’s got it all: foreboding mythology, grotesque body horror, and the most amazing line of foreshadowing dialogue you’ll ever hear.

The Uninvited (1944)

A couple of Londoners holidaying in Cornwall stumble across a gorgeous abandoned house on the seafront and immediately decide they want to buy it. The owner, a grumpy old colonel, is happy to sell it to them on the spot, but his granddaughter is reluctant. Turns out the house has got secrets, and, yeah, a ghost. The dialogue in this film is incredible in a very 1940s kind of way, and the tone can occasionally be accused of jolliness, but it’s also got its moments of proper creepiness. Best enjoyed with a glass of sherry.

Saint Maud (2019)

One of the best movies of the year, Rose Glass’s feature debut is a study of a young palliative care nurse who starts to believe she’s on a mission from God to save the soul of her dying patient.

Movies

Saint Maud and the True Horror of Broken Minds and Bodies

By Rosie Fletcher

Movies

Saint Maud Review: Elevated Horror That’s a Revelation

By Rosie Fletcher

It’s a film about conflicts between mind, body and soul, but it leans her into genre territory as Maud (Morfydd Clark) hear God talking to her directly and punishes her own body in an attempt to feel closer to her spiritual side, while the cancer riddled Amanda (Jennifer Elhe) celebrates her body as it lets her down. Shot in Scarborough everything about Saint Maud is unsettling right up to the indelible finale. An absolute must watch.

Crimson Peak (2015)

Director Guillermo del Toro insists that Crimson Peak isn’t a horror film but is, instead, a gothic romance. That doesn’t mean that it isn’t creepy as all get-out, though. When aspiring author Edith Cushing (Mia Wasikowska) meets charming baronet Thomas Sharpe (Tom Hiddleston), she falls madly in love and agrees to move back to his ancestral home, Allerdale Hall – aka Crimson Peak. But the house is crumbling and full of ghosts, and Sir Thomas’s sister doesn’t seem terribly friendly, either…

Movies

Best Modern Horror Movies

By Don Kaye

Movies

Lake Mungo: the Lingering Mystery Behind One of Australia’s Scariest Horror Films

By Rosie Fletcher

Del Toro’s visual flair is in full effect here, and every frame of this film (even the scary ones) are stunningly beautiful to look at. It’s a treat.

Baskin (2015)

A group of cops answers a call from the middle of nowhere and unwittingly stumble into something that can only be described as ‘a nightmare’ in this skin-crawlingly nasty Turkish horror. Abrasive, aggressive and deliberately difficult, this is the kind of film that burrows deep into your brain, only to resurface later at the worst possible time. Then again, by the time you’re stranded in the middle of nowhere with only dead colleagues and Silent Hill-style monsters for company, you probably don’t need memories of a horror movie to freak you out.

His House (2020)

A Netflix movie which could make a mark come award’s season the directorial debut of Remi Weekes sees a Sudanese refugee couple seek housing in London only to find themselves haunted by ghosts of the past and present. This is proper horror and it’s creepy as hell but it also leans into the horror of the refugee situation with the two marginalized, restricted, and treated as outsiders from the start – it’s a powerful but uncomfortable watch.

Host (2020)

The defining horror of 2020 – written, shot, edited and released on Shudder in just 12 week – Host is so much more than a lockdown gimmick. Following a group of friends who decide to do a seance via a Zoom chat, this ingenious movie trades on the real life friendships of the cast and crew and the absolute ubiquity of the video software during isolation. It’s seriously creepy too, utilising visions in the shadow but later some seriously impressive stunt work. Director Rob Savage and writer Jed Shepherd have signed up for a three picture deal from Blumhouse on the strength of this movie which absolutely needs to be seen.

The Haunting (1963)

Not to be confused with the remake of 1999, this retro gem not only features some classic sequences of spooky happenings, but a philosophical take on the paranormal. As John Markway says, “The preternatural is something we don’t have any natural explanation for right now but probably will have someday – the preternatural of one generation becomes the natural of the next. Scientists once laughed at the idea of magnetic attraction; they couldn’t explain it, so they refused to admit it exists.

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Dr. Markway (Richard Johnson) is investigating the mysterious Hill House, whose inhabitants often die in odd circumstances. With him he has Luke (Russ Tamblyn), the cynical heir to the home, the psychic Theo (Claire Bloom, way too cool for school) and Julie Harris as Eleanor, who has some ghosts of her own but figures a free stay in a mansion is as close to a holiday as she’s going to get. Markway is pleased the ladies haven’t done any research into the bad reputation of the house “So much the better. You should be innocent and receptive.” (The old dog.) This is a great, character-driven story with a dry sense of humor, and a mysterious heroine who feels oddly at home with the supernatural.

Unfriended (2014)

A cautionary tale about the dangers of cyberbullying, Unfriended achieves the seemingly impossible and manages to make the standard sound effects of everyday computer programs terrifying. The whole story is told through one character’s desktop, so you get to watch as she Skypes with her friends, posts to Facebook, or picks something to listen to on Spotify. The details are fascinating, and it’s kind of brilliant how the filmmakers manage to express so much about a character through her browser bookmarks and the messages she types, but doesn’t send. Once the horror kicks in, though, you’ll be too scared to notice much more of the cleverness.

Shutter (2004)

Jane (Natthaweeranuch Thongmee) is driving back from a wedding with her boyfriend Tun (Ananda Everingham) when she hits a girl – in a panic, they leave the body lying in the road and try to get on with their lives. They start feeling rattled when Tun’s photography is blighted by misty shadows and they both suffer from the odd hallucination which seems to show that their hit and run victim (Achita Sikamana) isn’t resting in peace.

Where would horror films be without photographic dark rooms? Even in the digital age, the dim red light and slowly emerging pictures remain classic tools of terror. Not to mention the room with rows of jars containing pickled animals, and the surprise homage to Psycho. This story has it all. There are also touches of dark humor throughout (the praying mantis is a recurring motif) and one of the most bone-chilling scenes has a hilarious payoff.

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Directors Banjong Pisanthanakun and Parkpoom Wongpoom skilfully create real characters and have the ability to communicate some of the most powerful and eloquent moments without dialogue. The mystery deepens as more sinister evidence comes to light and the climax is truly chilling. This is one which will stay with you long after Halloween.

Spider Baby (1967)

The Merrye children live out in the middle of nowhere, with only one another and their family chauffeur, Bruno (Lon Chaney Jr) for company. Which is for the best, because they’re all afflicted with the family curse – a bizarre quirk of genetics that causes members of the Merrye family to begin to de-evolve once they reach a certain age. When some distant relatives come to visit, intending to challenge the kids’ right to stay in the house, things go sour fast. It’s a horror comedy, this one, but if you’re not a little bit creeped out by Virginia (Jill Banner), the Spider Baby of the title, and her spider game, well, good luck to you.

What Lies Beneath (2000)

Robert Zemeckis directs Michelle Pfieffer and Harrison Ford in this glossy supernatural thriller, with predictably high quality results. Clare and Norman Spencer live the perfect life – especially now their daughter has left for college and they’re enjoying empty nest syndrome. But the neighbors are causing some concern – especially when the wife disappears and Claire believes she is trying to communicate with her from “the other side.”

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Zemeckis has admitted that this is his homage to Hitchcock, and true to form, the suspense builds deliciously slowly. When Claire starts seeing faces in the bathtub (where else?) she goes to talk it over with a psychiatrist. A session with a Ouija board proves that somebody is trying to contact Claire, and it’s not long before she’s stealing keepsakes from grieving parents and reading books with chapters helpfully entitled “Conjuring the Dead.”

The result is a strong movie whether you’re enjoying the ghost story or the “Yuppies in peril in a beautiful house” aspect of it (and it doesn’t hurt that Michelle looks luminously beautiful).

Cat People (1942)

Serbian immigrant Irena doesn’t have a friend in the world when she meets Oliver. He’s kind and attentive and they soon fall in love, despite Irena’s lack of physical affection. She’s convinced she’s living under a curse that will mean she’ll transform into a panther and kill any man she kisses, and despite seeing a (deeply inappropriate) psychiatrist, she can’t shake her beliefs. Oliver is initially patient but eventually finds himself falling for his much more reasonable colleague, Alice. There’s no way this love triangle can end happily and, well, it doesn’t. Cat People is sad as well as eerie, with an increasingly paranoid atmosphere enhanced by skillful shadow play.

The Nameless (1999)

Five years after her daughter Angela went missing, presumed dead, Claudia starts getting weird phone calls. A female voice claims to be Angela, and begs her mother to save her. A series of weird clues leads Claudia to investigate a weird cult… but when things slot into place too easily, it seems like someone might be luring her into a trap. Thematically, The Nameless is similar to Jaume Balaguero’s later film Darkness; there’s a similar feeling of hopelessness and despair, a creeping horror that doesn’t let up, topped off with a horribly downbeat ending. Brrrr.

Dead End (2003)

The Harrington family are driving home for Christmas when they decide to take a shortcut. Obviously, that turns out to be a bad idea. Picking up a mysterious hitchhiker is an even worse idea. Dead End isn’t a particularly original movie, and it does have a truly awful ending, but there’s something about its characters, its atmosphere, and the way it tells the well-worn story that’s really effective. And creepy, of course.

The Others (2001)

Every ghost story introduces an element of uncertainty: are these things really happening, or are they in your head? Like The Innocents, The Others is partly inspired by Henry James’ novella The Turn Of The Screw. Grace (Nicole Kidman) has turned being neurotic into a fulltime job; her children apparently suffer from a sensitivity to light, which means the gothic mansion they inhabit must be swathed in thick curtains at all times. This makes things difficult for the new servants, who have turned up in a most mysterious manner…

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Grace’s daughter has an imaginary playmate called Victor; her insistence that there are “other people” in the house vexes Grace until she begins to hear them, too. A piano playing by itself, shaking chandeliers and some truly traumatic hallucinations add to the panic as Grace questions exactly who she is sharing her home with. The tension builds to almost unbearable heights before a truly haunting ending. An intelligent script with a superb twist, quality acting and an atmospheric set (complete with graveyards, mist and autumn leaves) – what more could you want in a creepy movie?

Night of the Living Dead (1968)

“It is happening, and no one is safe.” Night of the Living Dead features some of the most brilliantly ominous radio broadcasts in all horror. When a group of strangers end up trapped in an isolated farmhouse together after the dead begin to rise, no one is in the mood for making friends, and it’s their own prejudices and stubbornness that leads to their downfall. (Well, that, and the fact that no one realized getting bitten by a ghoul would lead to death and reincarnation. Oops.)

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The zombie imagery is some of the most haunting ever committed to film, as vacant-eyed ghouls wander in and out of the shadows, chewing on dismembered body parts as they lurch around, constantly in search of fresh meat…

Candyman (1992)

Say his name five times into a mirror and the Candyman appears. Despite his sweet-sounding name, that’s not something you really want to do: Daniel Robitaille was a murdered artist, stung to death by bees in a racist attack, and so he tends not to be in a good mood when he shows up. Set in an urban tower block, this film demonstrates that horror can strike anywhere, not just in spooky old mansions in the middle of the countryside. It’s gory, grimy, and really quite disturbing.

M (1931)

A child murderer is stalking the streets of Berlin and, as the police seem unable to catch him, tensions run high. In an attempt to stop the nightly police raids, the town’s criminals decide to catch the killer themselves, and a frantic chase begins. Though there’s no actual onscreen violence, Peter Lorre is amazingly creepy as the whistling killer, and there’s a sense of corruption pervading the whole film. (Since both Lorre and Fritz Lang, the director, fled the country in fear of the Nazis soon after the film was made, it’s tempting to speculate on what M might be saying about Germany at the time, which only makes it all the creepier.)

The Blair Witch Project (1999)

An early example of the found footage genre, The Blair Witch Project has been aped and parodied by everyone and their grandma, but there’s something unsettling about it that hasn’t quite gone away. Most of the film is improvised; the actors are really filming the scenes themselves, working from a loose outline of the plot, but without prior knowledge of what half the scares were going to be. That ambiguous ending lets you make up whatever explanation you like for the events of the film, which means whatever the scariest thing you can think of is, that’s what the film is about.

The Orphanage (2007)

Laura (Belén Rueda) is returning to her childhood orphanage with her husband and son in order to open it as a care home for children with disabilities. She’s busy, but still has time to notice that seven year old Simón (Roger Príncep) has found an imaginary friend, Tomas. He might have a sack over his head, but what’s a little creepy mask between pals?

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Simón is adopted, so it’s only a little odd when a social worker shows up without an appointment. It’s slightly more odd that she’s snooping around in the shed at night. During a daytime party, Laura has an encounter of her own with a masked child, and then experiences every parent’s nightmare: Simón is missing. What follows is the story of a mother who takes the search for her son to the limits of her sanity. Geraldine Chaplin makes an appearance as the medium who conducts possibly the most spine-tingling of all onscreen séances, and there are some truly terrifying shocks during Laura’s search for the truth.

Director JA Bayona makes every shot count; the movie is visually beautiful as well as fantastically sinister. It’s a bona fide horror film but the ending might make you cry.

Ring (1998)

Ring isn’t a perfect film. It’s a bit too long and ponderous and there’s a bit too much irrelevant mysticism in there. But in terms of pure creepiness, it’s pretty damned effective. The idea of a cursed videotape was brilliant – who didn’t have zillions of unmarked VHS tapes lying around the house at the time? – and that climactic scene where the image on the screen crossed over into reality is bloodcurdling. Sneaky, too, since it managed to suggest that no one was safe. Especially not you, gentle viewer, because didn’t you just watch that cursed tape, too? An awful lot of people must have breathed a sigh of relief once their own personal seven-day window was over.

The Innocents (1961)

Based on Henry James’ The Turn of the Screw, this film sees a young governess heading out to an isolated old house to take care of two young children who appear to be keeping secrets from her. Their previous governess died, along with another of the house’s servants, but their influence still seems to be lingering about. Or is it? Just like in the original story, it’s possible to read the ghosts either as genuine spectres or as the fevered imaginings of an over-stressed and under-sexed young woman. Either way, though, the film is terrifying.

The Skeleton Key (2005)

In a decaying house on an old plantation, an old man is dying. Caroline is hired as his carer, but although her job should be simple enough, she begins to suspect that something weird is going on – especially when she finds a secret room in the house’s attic filled with spell books and other arcane bits and bobs.

Is the old man actually under a spell? Why does he seem so terrified of his wife? And might Caroline herself be in danger? The Skeleton Key is one of those films that’s far better than it has any right to be; it slowly ratchets up the tension to a crazy finale and ends on an incredibly creepy note.

Insidious (2010)

Insidious uses just about every trick in the book to creep out its audience, and for some people, that might seem like overkill. There are lurking monsters around every corner; there’s a child in peril; there are wrong-faced nasties; and there are screeching violins every five minutes. On repeat viewings, the plot doesn’t quite hold up (halfway through, the film switches protagonists, which is baffling) and the comedy relief seems grating rather than funny. But the carnival atmosphere, the nods to silent German Expressionist films, the demon’s bizarre appearance, that dancing ghost… there’s something brilliant about it, nonetheless.

Dark Water (2002)

Part of the initial wave of soggy dead girl movies, Dark Water is occasionally very daft, but still effectively creepy. Yoshimi Matsubara is a divorcee, forced by circumstances to move into a crumbling apartment block with her young daughter, Ikuko. Their new home isn’t in the nicest of areas, but it might be alright if it weren’t for the leaky ceiling – and, um, that creepy little girl lurking in the shadows, the one who’s never there when you take a second look. Directed by Hideo Nakata and based on a book by Koji Suzuki, Dark Water might not be as terrifying as Ring, but it’s still pretty eerie.

A Nightmare On Elm Street (1984)

The effects are dated, and the sequels utterly killed Freddy Krueger’s menace, but the first A Nightmare on Elm Street film is still creepy, in its way. The premise is amazingly disturbing – a dead child molester is attacking children in their dreams – and, combined with some of the deeply weird nightmare imagery in this film, it’s more than enough to give anyone a few sleepless nights. All together now: one, two, Freddy’s coming for you…

Uzumaki (2000)

Slowly, inexplicably, a small town is taken over by spirals. Some people become obsessed; others are killed, their bodies twisted into impossible positions. Uzumaki is a live action adaptation of the manga of the same name, and it’s incredibly weird. Unspeakably weird. Visually, it’s incredible, although the green filters look less interesting than they used to due to overuse by every horror and sci-fi movie since. Still, most films don’t go to the extremes that Uzumaki does.

The Devil’s Backbone (2001)

Yup, it’s another soggy dead kid movie, but this time the kid is a boy and the action is set in civil war-era Spain. A young boy is sent to a creepy orphanage, where the other boys scare one another by telling stories about the resident ghost, Santi, who was killed when the orphanage was bombed. Written and directed by Guillermo del Toro, this isn’t your average ghost story – it’s a companion piece to Pan’s Labyrinth, but it’s much more of a horror movie than its better known counterpart.

The Vanishing/Spoorloos (1988)

Saskia and Rex are on holiday when Saskia suddenly, inexplicably, disappears. Rex dedicates his time to trying to find her, but to no avail. He can’t move on, can’t live with the uncertainty, so when Saskia’s kidnapper reveals himself and offers to show Rex what happened to her, his curiosity wins out. It’s a simple yet eerie story with an utterly devastating ending.

Audition (1999)

Takashi Miike’s Audition is more often described as extremely disturbing rather than creepy, but if you can get over that ending (which, let’s be honest, most of us watched through our fingers or from behind a cushion while shouting “NO NO NO NO NO” at the screen), the rest of the film may well creep you out. It starts off slow: a middle-aged man is thinking about dating again, but rather than trying to meet women via traditional methods, he holds a series of fake auditions for a non-existent movie. He meets Asami, a shy dancer, and starts wooing her – but Asami isn’t as sweet and innocent as she seems. Pretty much every character in this movie is an awful person, and the way they treat one another is disturbing on many, many levels.

One Missed Call (2004)

Also directed by Takashi Miike, One Missed Call is a parody of the endless string of soggy dead girl movies made in Japan at the time. But somehow it’s still really creepy. The premise is that, as the title suggests, teenagers are receiving missed calls on their mobile phones. The mystery caller leaves a horrifying voicemail: the sound of the phone’s owner screaming in agony. And since the call came from the person’s own phone, and appears to come from a few days in the future, it’s clearly a sign of impending doom. Sure enough, the kids all die just as the missed call predicted. There’s a nasty little backstory about evil little girls, and a bonkers televised exorcism, and generally, it’s a great film whether you love or loathe stories about scary dead kids.

The Last Man on Earth (1964)

You might’ve thought about how you’d survive the apocalypse, but have you ever stopped to consider whether it’s actually worth doing? In The Last Man On Earth, Vincent Price is the only survivor of a mysterious plague that’s turned the rest of humanity into walking corpses, hungry for his blood. Every day, he tools up and goes out to kill the bloodsuckers; every night, they surround his house and try to kill him. It’s a dismal way to live, and a depressingly eerie film. It’s based on Richard Matheson’s novel I Am Legend – so skip the Will Smith adaptation and watch this instead.

A Tale Of Two Sisters (2003)

Part melodramatic family drama, part psychological horror, A Tale Of Two Sisters is all scary all the time. When a pair of sisters return from a mental hospital, having been traumatised by their mother’s death, they find their new stepmother difficult to adjust to. The nightly visitations from a blood-dripping ghost don’t help, either. But as always in these kinds of films, nothing is what it seems – you might need a second viewing to get your head round the ending.

Night of the Hunter (1955)

Robert Mitchum might have claimed not to be interested in movies or acting, but he’s great in this. As Harry Powell, a bizarrely religious conman, he’s terrifying, whether he’s preaching about the evils of fornication or chasing the children of his latest victim across the country in an attempt to steal a stash of money he knows they’re hiding. The use of light and shadow in this movie is just stunning; the first time Powell arrives at the Harper house is a particular highlight. Robert Mitchum’s singing voice isn’t half bad, either.

Peeping Tom (1960)

Peeping Tom was so controversial when it was released that it effectively ended director Michael Powell’s career. It’s violent, voyeuristic, and since it tells a story from the villain’s point of view; it’s entirely unsavoury. And it’s wonderful. It looks great, it has an amazingly twisted (and tragic) plot, and Carl Boehm is brilliant as Mark, the awkward, mild-mannered psychopath who feels compelled to murder as a result of his father’s deranged experiments. (That’s not a spoiler, by the way – but if I told you how he killed his victims, that might be.)

Psycho (1960)

Happily, 1960’s other movie about a disturbed serial killer was less of a career-killer. Alfred Hitchcock’s Psycho is wonderful, sodden with guilt and tension right from the opening scene. It’s a shame that so many of its twists are so well-known now, because watching this without knowing what was going to happen must have been brilliant. It’s still great – beautiful to watch, genuinely tense and frequently unnerving – but it has lost some of its shock value over the years. (Also, the bit at the end where the psychiatrist explains everything in great detail is utterly superfluous.) Anthony Perkins’ final twitchy, smirky scene is seriously creepy though.

City Of The Dead / Horror Hotel (1960)

Getting the timing of a holiday wrong can have disastrous consequences, as City Of The Dead illustrates. Nan Barlow is a history student who, under the tutelage of Christopher Lee’s Professor Driscoll, becomes fascinated with the history of witchcraft, and decides to visit the site of a famous witch trial… but she arrives in town on Candlemas Eve, probably the most important date in the witches’ calendar. Um, oops.

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City Of The Dead is often compared to Psycho, and there are enough similarities between the films that you could assume it was a cheap rip-off – but though the campy US retitling supports that assumption, this was actually made before Hitchcock’s motel-based chiller. It’s definitely creepy enough to be worth watching on its own merits.

Village Of The Damned (1960)

For no apparent reason, one day every living being in the English village of Midwich falls unconscious. For hours, no one can get near Midwich without passing out. When they wake up, every woman in the village finds herself mysteriously pregnant. Obviously, their children aren’t normal, and something has to be done about them… Based on John Wyndham’s novel The Midwich Cuckoos, Village Of The Damned is more of a sci-fi movie than a horror movie – but it’s super creepy nonetheless.

Dolls (1987)

Re-Animator director Stuart Gordon toned things down a bit for this creepy fairy tale, but not much. When a group of awful human beings are forced to spend the night in the home of a couple of ancient toymakers, they soon get their comeuppance at the hands of – well, the title gives that away, doesn’t it? You’ll never look at Toys R Us in the same way again.

The Woman In Black (1989)

When a reclusive old lady dies in an isolated house out in the marshes, a young lawyer is sent to sort out her estate. But there’s something weird about her house, and the townspeople aren’t keen on helping sort things out, either. The TV version of this movie is far, far creepier than the Daniel Radcliffe version; there’s one moment in particular that will etch itself on your brain and continue to creep you out for years after you see it…

The Perfume of the Lady in Black (1974)

Beautifully shot with a great score, The Perfume of the Lady in Black is a dreamy, unsettling film where nothing is ever as it seems. The wonderfully named Mimsy Farmer plays Sylvia, a scientist haunted by melancholy and hallucinations. She’s never quite recovered from her mother’s suicide, and when she goes to a party where talk turns to witchcraft and human sacrifice, her sanity starts to unravel. But are her problems really all in her head, or is there something else going on? The film doesn’t reveal its secrets until the very end, when all that creepiness pays off spectacularly.

May (2002)

May was always a weird child, and unfortunately she’s grown into a weird adult, too. Unable to form any meaningful relationships with the people around her – not even a class of blind children she thinks might be kinder to her than the people who can see how strange and awkward she is – May decides she’ll need to take this “making a friend” business into her own hands. Dark and twisted and incredibly gory, May is as sad and sweet as it is creepy. A lot of that is attributable to Angela Bettis, whose performance is adorably unnerving.

Nosferatu (1922)

In this unauthorised take on Dracula, the evil Count is depicted not as a tragic or romantic anti-hero, but as a horrifying embodiment of the plague – complete with an entourage of rats. Max Schreck makes a brilliantly weird-looking vampire, all teeth, ears and fingernails; his shadow is especially unnerving. Although the ending as presented seems a little abrupt, it’s conceptually horrifying – as is the fact that, due to a copyright claim filed by Bram Stoker’s estate, all but one copy of this movie was destroyed back in the 1920s.

Vampyr (1932)

In a spooky old inn, Allan Grey is visited in the night by an old man who leaves him a gift-wrapped book, with instructions to open it only on the occasion of the man’s death. Which turns out to be soon. The book explains that the town is plagued by vampires – and, helpfully, gives instructions on how to kill them. Vampyr is an early sound film, so while there is some sound and a little dialogue, most of the silent film conventions are still in place. It has a fairly straightforward, Dracula-esque story, but the plot’s not the point. It’s a deliberately strange film, full of disembodied dancing shadows and weird dream sequences; there’s something almost otherworldly about it.

Dracula (1931)

Bela Lugosi is the definitive Dracula. With his eerie eyes and wonderful accent, he’s brilliantly threatening as the charming Count, but despite his iconic performance here, he’s not the creepiest thing about this film. Nope, that honor goes to Dwight Frye’s portrayal of Renfield, the lunatic spider-eater under Dracula’s control. He’s amazing, all awkward body language and hysterical laughter. Lugosi’s oddly cadenced speech has been emulated and parodied a zillion times, which takes away some of its power; Frye’s performance, on the other hand, is just downright disturbing.

White Zombie (1932)

A year after Dracula, Bela Lugosi starred as Murder Legendre, an evil voodoo master, in one of the first ever zombie movies. The zombies here aren’t flesh-eating ghouls but obedient slaves, working tirelessly in Legendre’s mill. Even when one of them tumbles into a grinder, work doesn’t stop. When the plantation owner goes to Legendre for help winning the heart of the girl he loves, he’s handed a dose of the zombie potion – and now the only way to break Legendre’s spell over the innocent girl is to kill him. Lugosi is suitably menacing, and the drone-like zombies are properly eerie.

The Cursed Medallion/The Night Child (1975)

For a few years, in 1970s Italy, Nicoletta Elmi was the go-to creepy kid. She pops up in Mario Bava’s Bay of Blood and Baron Blood, and in Dario Argento’s Deep Red, among others, but she’s never more creepy than she is in The Cursed Medallion. Here, she plays Emily, the daughter of an art historian who’s making a documentary on demons in paintings. She’s given a medallion but, as the title suggests, it’s cursed, and she ends up possessed by the spirit of a murderess. It’s atmospheric, lovingly photographed and, of course, Elmi is awesome in the lead role.

The Descent (2005)

A group of friends go off on a spelunking holiday, but get more than they bargained for when it turns out that the caves they’re exploring are dangerous in more ways than one. There’s enough time spent on character development that you really feel it when the group starts to get thinned out; there’s some incredibly painful-looking gore; and there are some amazingly freaky monsters. Watch it in a darkened room to make the most of its wonderfully claustrophobic atmosphere.

Paranormal Activity (2007)

The shine might’ve come off this movie because the Paranormal Activity franchise has become Lionsgate’s new one-every-Halloween cash cow, but there’s something deliciously creepy about this movie. Rewatching it now, even knowing when all the scares are coming, it’s still chilling. In a neat twist on the traditional haunted house story, Paranormal Activity’s entity haunts a person, not a house – so its victim can’t just pack up and move. The found footage conceit is used to great effect, making you stare intently at grainy nighttime footage of an empty room, straining your ears for distant footsteps, before making you jump out of your skin with a loud bang. (Pro tip: the movie has three different endings, so if you think you’re bored of it, try one of the others.)

Ju-on: The Grudge (2002)

So much of the effectiveness of a horror movie comes down to its sound design. A well-placed creak, groan, echo, or jangle can make the difference between something completely normal and something terrifying. New scary noises don’t come along very often, but Ju-on: The Grudge managed to come up with something unlike any other scary noise you’ve heard before. Its ghost makes a weird rattling, burping groan as she approaches; it’s kind of like a death rattle, kind of like a throttled scream, and it’s creepier than anything you’ve ever heard before. The film is relentless, light on plot and heavy on jump scares, but it’s that noise that’ll stay with you.

Julia’s Eyes (2010)

Julia and her twin sister, Sara, both suffer from the same degenerative disease – one that causes them to go blind. When Sara undergoes experimental surgery and subsequently kills herself, Julia suspects foul play – and, indeed, something weird seems to be going on, with whisperings about an invisible man lurking in the shadows. But as Julia gets closer to the truth, her own eyesight suffers more and more…The film restricts our vision almost as much as Julia’s; it’s almost unbearably claustrophobic, and ultimately heartbreaking.

The Eye (2002)

Another film about eyes and the horrors of going blind, The Eye follows Mun, a classical violinist from Hong Kong, as she undergoes an eye transplant. Although the transplant seems to be successful – Mun can see again – something isn’t right, because now she can see dead people. And most of them are terrifying. The ending is vaguely preposterous, but the rest of the film is creepy enough that it’s forgivable.

Zombie Flesh Eaters (1979)

Lucio Fulci’s unofficial sequel to Dawn Of The Dead features perhaps the creepiest zombies ever committed to film. When a boat turns up in New York harbour with only a zombie on board, investigative reporter Peter West sets out to find out where the boat came from and what’s going on. He ends up on the island of Matool, where the dead are returning to life to eat the flesh of the living… and they’re really, really gross. Zombie Flesh Eaters was initially classified as a video nasty in the UK, and it’s not difficult to see why. Its atmosphere elevates it above your average exploitation movie, though; there’s something really melancholy about it.

[REC] (2007)

When a local news crew decided to tag along with the fire brigade for an evening, they probably didn’t realise they’d end up fighting from their lives in a zombie-infested tower block. Co-written and co-directed by Paco Plaza and Jaume Balaguero (yup, him again), [REC] is a decent enough zombie movie, until the final reel, when it reveals an even more terrifying ace up its sleeve.

Let Me In (2010)

Although remakes are usually terrible, Matt Reeves’ take on this unusual vampire story was both respectful of and different from the original and, for my money, it’s creepier. Lonely tween Owen doesn’t have any friends until the equally strange Abby moves in next door. They embark on an odd friendship/proto-romance, but Abby has a secret: she’s a vampire. The use of a candy jingle is, against all odds, really eerie, and by paring the story down to its most essential elements (and getting rid of that daft cat scene) Let Me In makes for a scarier watch than Let The Right One In.

Carnival Of Souls (1962)

After a traumatic accident, weird things start happening to Mary. A strange man seems to be stalking her, though no one else can see him, and she feels irresistibly drawn to an abandoned pavilion out in the middle of nowhere. Once upon a time, the pavilion housed a carnival, but now it’s just an empty building… or is it? There’s nothing surprising about the plot of this movie to a modern audience – you’ll have the whole film worked out within about five minutes – but it is gloriously creepy. The climactic scenes at the carnival are pure nightmare fuel.

The Shining (1980)

Probably the most effective of all the Stephen King adaptations, The Shining plonks Jack Nicholson down in the middle of a creepy hotel and lets him do his thing. Nicholson plays Jack Torrance, a struggling writer who gets a winter job as caretaker of The Overlook Hotel, where the isolation and/or ghosts send him out of his mind. There are so many creepy images in this film: the twin girls who just want to play, the woman in room 237, the lift full of blood, and, oh, lots more.

The Cabinet Of Doctor Caligari (1920)

Appropriately, watching The Cabinet Of Doctor Caligari feels like slipping into a nightmare. Caligari’s cabinet holds Cesare, the sleepwalker – a catatonic oracle able to answer questions of life and death with eerie accuracy. Is Caligari a hypnotist, a murderer, or both? It’s a strange story, made stranger with a twist ending, and rendered impossibly creepy by the Expressionist production design. The weird, distorted hand-painted sets give the film a crude, unreal beauty and, if anything, the passage of time has increased the film’s creepiness, because it’s so utterly unlike modern films.

The Exorcist (1973)

An obvious choice, but The Exorcist is genuinely scary. It’s deceptively simple: the filming style is realistic, the locations are ordinary-looking and, by comparison to more modern horror movies, there aren’t many elaborate effects or stunts. But the film makes every scary moment count. It’s atmosphere is oppressive, claustrophobic – there’s an ever-present sense of dread throughout. It ought to feel more dated than it does, but even now, the demonic makeup and scratchy voice of the possessed Regan gives me goosebumps.

The Omen (1976)

Damien is probably the ultimate creepy child. Adopted by the Thorns when their own newborn dies, it doesn’t take long for his dark side to emerge: Damien is the Antichrist.

There are so many iconic moments in this film, so many things that have shaped both the horror genre and our culture’s idea of evil; something about this film really struck a chord, and even now it’s pretty effective. Every death scene in this movie is memorable, but the suicide of Damien’s nanny at his birthday party particularly stands out.

Ghostwatch (1992)

Originally shown on UK TV at Halloween, Ghostwatch scared a whole generation shitless. It’s presented as a live broadcast, starring familiar BBC faces: Michael Parkinson plays host, while Sarah Green and Craig Charles report from the scene as a normal family recount their experiences with the terrifying ghost they’ve dubbed “Pipes”. The shadowy figure of a man is glimpsed several times throughout the show, some appearances more obvious than others, and as viewers call in to share their own stories, things get weirder and weirder…Okay, this isn’t technically a film, but it is so amazingly creepy and brilliant that it couldn’t be left off the list.

The Wicker Man (1973)

The Wicker Man is a wonderful mishmash of genres: it’s got humour, horror, singing and sex. It frequently teeters on the edge of absurdity. But at heart, it’s deeply creepy. When devout Christian Sgt Howie visits the isolated community of Summerisle, he thinks he’s investigating the abduction of a little girl – and the villagers certainly do seem to be acting suspiciously. But as his investigation continues, it becomes clear that something entirely different is going on. Howie runs headlong to his doom, and its final scene is downright spine-chilling.

Suspiria (1977)

Suspiria is Dario Argento’s finest hour. It’s eyeball-meltingly beautiful to look at, all unnatural neon lighting and ridiculously lavish set design; the music is cacophonous, a never-ending wall of sound that doesn’t let up; and the plot is, well, it’s functional enough.

Suzy, an American ballet dancer, flies to an exclusive dance school in Germany only to find herself in the midst of a murder investigation – and something weird is definitely going on with the teachers. If you haven’t seen Suspiria in a while, treat yourself to the Blu-ray. There’s nothing restrained about this movie, nothing ordinary; it sneaks up on you and worms its way into your brain. It’s brilliant.

The post The Best Creepy Horror Movies appeared first on Den of Geek.

from Den of Geek https://ift.tt/2TEzi2f

#aion-rsa #Den of Geek

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eponymous-rose · 5 years ago

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Talks Machina Highlights - Critical Role C2E76-77 (September 10, 2019)

Our guests tonight: the twins! Laura Bailey and Liam O’Brien!

Announcements: The next episode of Between the Sheets will feature Felicia Day, and will air Monday, September 16th at 7 PM Pacific! Reminder: no CR this week (Matt’s off in Stockholm), and no Talks Machina following that! In place of Talks will be a livestream in which a tavernkeeper character that will appear in the animated series will be designed with the community (there’s a poll on the website)!

Episodes 76 and 77: Refjorged and A Tangled Web

Brian: “I was trying to harmonize, but there was no melody.”

Stats for this week’s (these weeks’?) episode(s): “bread” was mentioned 52 times. Episode 76 had the 300th natural one of campaign 2, and the 100th Message spell was cast. Ten days passed between Caleb’s talks with the Scourger. Jester cast Sending nine times. 14 DM facepalms, tying the record!

Changes with the new character art? Everyone bounced ideas back and forth several times. Laura: “Liam made fun of me because I took the longest.” She wanted her to look more and more like the Traveler, “like a Traveler cosplay”, and she wanted her clothes to reflect her growth recently. Caleb’s dirt was “a hiding mechanism, and that’s exposed, so it’s gone”. He was going for “frazzled” in the first one, and then more “grim” in the second. Brian: “A surprising character choice.”

Laura and Liam start replying to questions in character as dolls.

Jester’s not expressing her darker feelings to the group “mostly because I’m not aware that it’s nothing to be ashamed of.”

Caleb isn’t sure that Essik trusts him in the first place, and he doesn’t really trust Essik either. “I do think that Essik maybe likes the cut of my jib.” He thinks Essik may be trying to get him under his thumb, and he thinks he might potentially be a mole. Laura: “Wouldn’t it be so great, though, if Essik just wanted a friend?”

From Jester’s perspective, the Traveler’s followers can’t be a cult because he’s actually a god.

Caleb feels like they’re smart enough to stay ahead of whatever Essik might be planning, and he thinks they can play all sides (in a positive way). “They can meet the needs of the different people that they’re dealing with. He’s trying to actually broker some sort of a peace.”

Essik telling Jester there was nothing he wanted to learn from her definitely hurt her feelings, even though she wanted to hide that. “She doesn’t know who she is right now. That’s starting to register in her brain.”

Cosplay of the Week: an amazing Yasha! (on Twitter: Jobieleecos, photographer Topheroriel)

Caleb has been thinking about the Scourgers for years, wondering. “He didn’t spend time with the full-blown Scourgers as a student, he was on his way to being one.” He was curious about what kind of state someone would be in, knowing what he’d been through. He wanted to know if anyone who’d gone through that would be a lost cause, and he wanted a sense of what Astrid and Eodwulf might be like now. “He understands that he was manipulated. He still has lots of personal blame, but he understands that he was abused. If he has any hope for himself, he has to offer the same hope to her. To any of them.” Caleb would be quicker to absolve Yasha than he would himself.

Jester fully believes that the Gentleman is her dad, and she “fully knows” that he doesn’t care, but she thinks she can convince him otherwise, and she’s “not about to let everybody else know that there’s somebody out there that is shitting on her a bit. She doesn’t want to admit that.”

There’s an unfortunate and very giffable interlude into an exercise program. Liam: “Can’t wait until my kids are teenagers and find this show.”

Caleb has a lot more confidence about facing his past. “Absolutely. He has very powerful friends, and they’re in the pocket of a queen. They have a lot of assets now, and he’s learned a lot and can do a lot more than he was able to.”

Laura does think it’s weird that nobody else can see the Traveler, “because he’s so very there.” Dani: “He’s, like, all up in your grill.” Laura wonders what Commune would do for the Traveler, since Jester can just sit down and talk to him anytime.

Fan Art of the Week: a flowered and broken Fjord! (on Twitter: Kingcael)

Caleb made himself and not anyone else in the M9 look like Trent during the Seeming, partly because he didn’t want to look him in the eyes and partly because it made sense to cast himself as “enemy number one”.

Jester’s been acting a bit more like the mom friend, because “her example for people that help, outside of the Traveler, is her mom, and so she tries to emulate that.”

Jester thinks Traveler Con is going to be a “really awesome celebration, where probably the Traveler will ask her to host a few panels, maybe there will be a rave, I don’t know. We’re still figuring it out.” Liam’s just picturing it as Burning Man with more green cloaks.

Talks exclusive: Brian was Frumpkin all along????

Being the one to scry on Yasha is really hard on Jester. “It’s hard to be the one that everyone relies on to be the messenger.” Laura enjoys it, but it’s a lot of pressure.

“Jester does feel like she’s doing a pretty lousy job of getting more followers.” Laura’s “had some talks with Travis” about picking the Wildmother. “The Traveler would have been a GREAT patron for a warlock.”

Dalen’s Closet Questions! (SPOILERS FOR CAMPAIGN ONE!!!!)

Stats! Vex is the only member of VM to get a HDYWTDT on both Sylas and Delilah. Grog called Derrig four names other than his own (including Dmitri).

Liam knew in advance that Sam intended to use his Wish on Vax, and he was glad to have a chance to think about it ahead of time. “I would have been freaked the fuck out if he had just sprung that on me.” Sam checked in with both Matt and Liam. Liam felt like he was coming in as an NPC.

Laura feels “fuckin’ awesome” about being responsible for both Briarwoods’ deaths.

The bone on Vax’s shoulder was supposed to be a physical manifestation of the tattoo he got of Keyleth’s antlers. “He is in a metaphysical mystery box.” From Vax’s perspective, time could have been passing differently. “He’s not just in Connecticut, he’s dead.” Laura points out that it was a lot harder “for him not to be just Vax. Nothing we said, nothing we could do, would change that. You can’t have that back.” Liam: “All of their decisions, but especially his decisions, had to have costs.”

Laura mentions that she feels like this was probably the last VM one-shot; it felt like a solid ending.

From the get-go, Vex was worrying about Vesper more than anything. “In no way did she want to say that out loud to Sylas.”

Liam: “I could accept everybody dying except for Vex.” Laura wonders if Vax would’ve left the Raven Queen if that had happened. Liam won’t speculate.

More Derrig info? Liam shares the names of his wife and kids.

Both Sam and Marisha thought they were Taliesin’s best man, and Sam had a speech written for Percy instead of Vex and had to rewrite it really fast. Laura: “Prior to the show, it fully felt like we were getting ready for a real wedding.” Laura thought ahead of time about what to say vow-wise, but didn’t write it down. “When it was time for it, I almost fully blanked on what I was supposed to be saying.”

Laura: “We’re twins every day, Liam!”

#critical role #critical role spoilers #long text post #talks machina #talks machina spoilers #cr1 spoilers

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mauserfrau · 4 years ago

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Eyeshine, Part 4 - Bordertober

Hey, the twins are still on their ship and OH MY CRAP WHAT JUST HAPPENED.

Claustrophobia, some violence and lots of yelling... but not about what you think.

Parts 1&2

Part 3

Troy worked until his eyes refused to stay open and he caught a sharp screw under the nail of his forefinger. He sat there, staring at the tiny wound until he felt his head tipping forward in another fit of his body trying to sleep.

He picked himself up, staggering on his bare feet and toeing his way to the bed. No need to hit the lighting controls. His sister had done that the last time she’d gotten up to piss. One of the Djira warbled at him. He stared at it an instant before pressing one knee to the mattress.

Tyreen growled. “Get back to work, asshole.”

“I-I can’t,” said Troy. “I’m too tired.”

“Why?”

“‘cause my back hurts and I’ve been up for… I forget.” The clock made no sense when he stared at it.

The straggle of that thought gave his sister time to act. She rolled over, definitely spreading herself over the bed.

Troy looked down. He saw himself curled up on the floor, like he had the last time he tried to sleep, anyway.

The floor wasn’t something he wanted. The bed looked so right. He could feel his bones resting there. But instead he knelt and he joined the image of himself. His skin prickled as he did.

He was off his feet. He was down. He could rest. He’d slept in less comfortable places. At least here there was nothing to eat him in the night.

Time passed. He was so close to resting.

On the bed, Tyreen snickered. “What, give up already? Aren’t you mad, Bro?”

“What’s the point of being angry with you after what you did?” Troy spat.

Then he waited in this weightless space between himself and sleep.

It wasn’t like he’d forgotten. Their last night on Nekrotafeyo simply hadn’t risen in him, hadn’t bitten since the first jump wet sideways. Yes, that was his fault.

But it was hers they were out here at all, hers he had a bruise on the tender part of his back, hers he wasn’t in his saggy old bed listening to the rain beat across the vault where he’d grown up.

His heart stung.

They were going to die out here.

And that would probably be her fault for making him leave all sudden-like and him with no choice, none at all. He could though… he could always wait for her to make sleep sounds. He could put the crystal cables around her neck or a hunting knife between her ribs. It would be so easy. She’d suffer less than he would, fading away without her.

Troy opened his eyes. He stared at the red spreading down his arm. Beneath it lay this gleam that ran deeper than his skin or even his sinew.

Tyreen’s marks went on for fathoms. They weren’t the same as his. And neither were her birth scars much like his at all.

The two sets still interlocked.

Troy hated himself for thinking of hurting her, but he hated having so little choice in so much that had happened to him in his short life.

He wondered, last of all before his heart shuddered and he slept, if his father had hated himself too, telling some stranger about wanting so badly to leave the place that had made him famous.

Tyreen screamed.

Troy smacked his knee on the side of the bed scrambling to his feet. He almost spun out onto the floor.

Her pupils were blown. She clawed at the wall at the foot of the bed. Didn’t seem to see him. Didn’t seem to know there was anybody there.

She kept saying his name though, now her words bled into focus.

“Troy! Troy! Something’s wrong! Troy! There’s noise! Troy!”

“What!” He couldn’t hear anything over her. None of the emergency lights had tripped.

She stared at him. He felt it in his gut-- she couldn’t see him. Not in any reasonable way.

There was this weird rustling beep. He didn’t recognize it.

When Tyreen heard it, she clutched her ears and she screamed. So loud it made tension flare in his neck. It passed. She barely caught her breath and she tore at the wall, scrabbling across the seams, searching for something she could break. She snapped and tore and threw herself when that did nothing.

He was trying to talk, words slamming together. Calm down. Her name. Over and over until she finally blew past it, the thing that had set her off.

“Let me out! I can’t take it anymore!”

“Tyreen, stop!”

In a helpless surge of reflex, Troy grabbed her around the middle and tossed both of them over onto the bed. She fought with him, still shrieking. He got her fingers and her teeth in his face, her fist hard enough on his temple to draw out stars. When she tried to bring her knees up he smacked her down as hard as she could. She was still saying it the whole time: “Let me out! I want out! Stop it! Get off me!”

“No! Quit it!”

All at once she went still. She had him by the hair with one hand, the other drawn back for a blow, shuddering now that she’d stopped. The light came back in her eyes.

Troy blew in her face to try to get her to breathe.

She seethed and fell back, settling on what was for her a pretty half-assed slap.

On the console, the alarm sounded again.

Tyreen gasped. She covered her face with her palms and fought to squirm away.

Troy pulled away from her, little by little, trying not to startle or leave her much room to hurt herself. She got very still once she had no more of his weight on her waist and he chanced sliding the rest of the way, hoping he could make it to the console before the sound came again.

A single notice flicked on the screen.

He read it three times to make sure he knew what it said. Then he told her. “The cycler overcompensated for all of the toilet flushing. We’ve got a few too many pounds of air pressure in here. I just need to decompress a little.”

Tyreen looked at him, her face blank.

“It’ll take a few seconds, but it’s gonna make a hiss towards the bottom port side. OK?”

Rather than answer, Tyreen curled herself into a ball, covering her ears.

Troy could only count that as yes. The venting sound started as a scuffle and some of the animals perked awake. The hiss lasted perhaps five seconds and then the vent shut off automatically with a chime.

His sister sagged as if the muscle tone had drained out of her.

Troy walked back to the bed. “You’re really scared, huh?” he said.

Tyreen didn’t answer.

“You could have said something. I don’t…”

One more shiver passed over her, then she drooped to the side.

Troy, tired again after the adrenaline hit, went back to the floor.

She was in the water closet again when he woke up. Troy suspected she’d been there a while, still as everything felt around him, though that might have been the tightness rising in him.

He needed his sister to feed him. She wasn’t there. He waited and had some bread, trading one sensation to ease another.

Whatever they had to eat on Pandora, and Dad had made it pretty clear that was nothing ordinary people were supposed to enjoy, Troy wanted it. Even if it made him sick the first time. He did. Besides, he wasn’t ordinary, sitting there wondering if he could enjoy food after so long eating what he had rather than what he wanted.

He was wasting time to waste it. He washed off his face at the water cycler and watered the animals. A few of the hexlings were starting to droop. He might be able to tempt them with some of his bread if it came down to keeping them alive longer than Tyreen had anticipated.

It might not. He crawled back to the console and the up-ended jump drive. As tired as he’d let himself get last night, he was going to have to recheck his last hour of work. He just needed to remember what that had been. That or start over.

Fuck. He didn’t want to start over.

Besides, if that happened, then what if there was still just nothing besides a perfectly fine jump drive that didn’t work?

There’d be Tyreen.

He considered listening to the recording once more while she was occupied. Hearing Dad’s voice was at least familiar. Kind of. It was something he recognized in the quiet, fuming strangeness of the shuttle among the stars, though after last night…

There were ordinary things here too among the noises, including the clack of his screwdriver.

Troy stood. He moved to go to the water closet door, intending to knock.

Tyreen stamped out right before he did. She stared at the spread of equipment for a long while. Her marked hand twitched towards one of the spare electrical probes.

In the end, she placed herself in a corner and stared up at the ceiling since the lights were still on low where Troy had left them just in case anything too bright might bother her this morning.

#bordertober #border-tober #borderlands 3 #fanfic #fanfiction #Calypso Twins #tyreen calypso #Tyreen being Tyreen #troy calypso #Troy Calypso PoV #backstory #some violence #claustrophobia #angst

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mychemicalficrecs · 5 years ago

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hey i don't know if there's many fics like this, but i'm an absolute sucker for that friends-to-lovers trope and i was wondering if you could suggest any. i remember especially liking one called "sweatshirt serenade" by nsfwfrerardx on ao3 (i think), and i'd like to know if there were more of that out there. don't really care about explicit or the length.

Hi Nonny!

There's tons of friends to lovers fic out there! A lot of the more canon compliant mcr fic probably has this trope, actually.I hope you find something you like on this list!

Friends to Lovers

Sweatshirt Serenade by nsfwfrerardx, Frank/Gerard, 15k, Explicit. Frank has a crush on his best friend's older brother. Said brother takes his virginity. Basically smut!

Release the Bats by Sena, Ray/Mikey, 10k, Mature. Sure, Mikey's a vampire, but Ray's okay with that. He's still Mikey, after all, still Ray's friend, still dorky and sweet and funny and amazing and, yeah. Maybe Ray likes him as more than just a friend.

Kiss it Better by Sena, Frank/Mikey, 8k, Explicit. Mikey's not a violent guy, but Frank makes him want to punch a fucking wall.

Heart Wrapped in Clover by Sena, Frank/Mikey, 19k, Explicit. Everbody's got their not-so-secret secrets on tour. When you live out of a van, you just can't help but notice things that you shouldn't talk about if you don't want to embarrass your friends or start a fight. Frank wishes sometimes they talked about things, though, because he's dying to ask if anybody else has noticed that sometimes, Mikey wears panties.

Won't Know 'til You Begin by knight_tracer, Sena, Frank/Mikey, 24k, Explicit. In which Frank is an accidental pervert, Mikey sleeps with Fabio, Gerard is much too sincere when talking about pain sluts, Ray is terrible with women and great with guitars, and Otter's got really bad taste in music. Alternately, the one where Frank realizes he has a thing for Mikey, Mikey realizes he has a thing for guys, and they're both adorably stupid failboats.

All That Shit Seems To Disappear When I'm With You by gala_apples, Frank/Patrick/Mikey/Pete, 26k, Explicit. Frank’s been attracted to Mikey for awhile, a feeling that he’s kept carefully to himself. Other people don’t have the same compulsion for secrecy. On the first day of school there’s a short angry boy standing at Frank’s locker, condemning him for making Pete’s life hard. September quickly turns into a month of bad decision making as Frank, Pete, and Patrick deal with Mikey not feeling the same way they do. Except, that’s not true. After all, none of them have actually asked Mikey his side of things.

Sing the Revolution by turps, Frank/Gerard/Mikey, 19k, Mature. A high school AU about brothers, best friends, boyfriends, and a lot of cross-dressing.

You Only Hear the Music When Your Heart Begins to Break by Solarcat, Frank/Gerard, 14k, Teen And Up Audiences. Frank has high school figured out. His mom has given up arguing about the amount of time he spends in Gerard's basement, and he doesn't actually care if people think it's weird that he and Gerard hold hands in the hallways and go to the bathroom together. The only thing Frank cares about is figuring out why Gerard's suddenly avoiding him -- because what's the point of losing your virginity on Prom Night if you can't tell your best friend about it in the morning?

With Words I Thought I'd Never Speak by brynnmck, Frank/Gerard, Lindsey/Gerard, 11k, Explicit. It's like being with Lindsey has switched on some sort of current inside him, and when he gets up onstage it comes crackling out, lighting him up, sparking off the sweaty upturned glowing faces of all the kids out in the audience, and he couldn't shut it off if he tried. And Frankie is, well, Frankie, only turned up to eleven, somehow, flailing all over the place like a downed power line, leaving a trail of blissed-out destruction in his wake. And his face in Gerard's crotch.

Black Market Blood by autoschediastic, Frank/Gerard, 17k, Explicit. Frank's so fucking freaky he's potentially wigging out a fucking vampire.

see your moves by morphosyntactic, Frank/Mikey, 1k, Explicit. The thing is, Frank has been waiting a long ass time to get in Mikey’s pants.

Buzzed by synonomy, Frank/Gerard, 6k, Mature. "You should," Frank gets out between snorts, "you should cut your hair." "What?" Gerard wheezes. "No, it's just - it's all stuck up." Frank shuffles forwards on his knees and then his hands are in Gerard's hair. Gerard's laughter dies down abruptly. Frank's fingers are surprisingly gentle on his scalp, ruffling it up, carding through it. "We'd probably have to wash it first, though," he says thoughtfully.

Picture of Health by brooklinegirl, Frank/Gerard, 11k, Explicit. They've been on tour for less than a week when Gerard sees Frank hooking up with the dude from Twin Atlantic.

your money where your mouth is by endlessnighttimesky, Frank/Gerard, 2k, Explicit. "If you have to go to the ER after this you won't blame me, you mean?" Frank grins. "I take full responsibility," he agrees. "Now put it in me, baby."

Mostly Dead by ky_betty, Frank/Gerard/Mikey, 20k, Rated R. Frank and Mikey get turned into vampires and Frank's not sure he can deal with being a monster.

Whatever I Want (Whatever That Is) by brooklinegirl, Frank/Gerard, 9k, Explicit. The first time Frank walked in on Gerard going down a girl in the dressing room, he was pissed.

Between the Wish and the Thing by ciel_vert, fleurdeliser, Frank/Gerard, 24k, Explicit. Gerard has been in love with his best friend and bandmate for years. It sucks. Especially because he's convinced himself that Frank does not feel the same. But a series of events including a long overdue break from touring, gastroenterology specialists, a new puppy and a visit from a know-it-all brother and his smart-as-hell wife, make Gerard question his assumptions.

Choice by silentdescant, Frank/Mikey, Frank/Gerard/Mikey, 1k, Mature. Frank can't keep his crush a secret.

Kicked In The Balls by ladyfoxxx, Frank/Gerard, 4k, Explicit. Baby's first bandom fic. Of course it's all about the stagegay.

you weaseled your way into my heart (and ferreted out my feelings) by akamine_chan, Frank/Gerard, 5k, Mature. You gotta watch out for those bands with umlauts.

straight up by Trojie, Ray/Gerard, 26k, Explicit. Ray will one day blame years of the kind of friendship that involves one person opening the other person up to a host of new, exciting life experiences they wouldn't otherwise have got, and the second person in return spending a lot of time hovering in the ED trying to remember the street names of colourful pills, for what happens after he walks in on Gerard in their hotel room.

I'm Not Sleeping (Trust Me) by Dira Sudis (dsudis), Frank/Gerard, 12k, Explicit. They didn't get any sleep while they were making the "I'm Not Okay" video.

For a Different View by impertinence, Ray/Mikey, 50k, Explicit. AU. Ray Toro is a girl, Rae, but MCR is still just MCR.

#frank/gerard #frerard #ray/mikey #rikey #frikey #frank/mikey #frank/patrick/mikey/pete #frank/gerard/mikey #lindsey/gerard #ray/gerard #fic rec list

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coolveraverto · 4 years ago

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Treacherous

Summary: Meet Lyra Bones: She has best mates losing all sorts of virginities, her step-sister-to-be is out to ruin her life, she spends every weekend helping Hagrid feed the thestrals (and whatever else he manages to bring onto Hogwarts property), she has an embarrassingly massive crush on Lorcan Scamander, and Albus Potter wants to make a deal with her?

Harry Potter Fanfiction ~ Albus Potter/OC

Chapter 1:

I’m eating my dinner in The Great Hall when Jess Jordan, one of my best friends and roommates, flips off the Gryffindor quidditch captain as he saunters by our table and makes a snide comment towards her.

“I call it as I see it, douchebag.” She tells him, not even bothering to look over her shoulder at him.

Joel McLaggen stops in his tracks, some of his Gryffindor quidditch posse behind him. I start munching on my chicken wing, happy for some entertainment with my meal. This should be good.

“Maybe you should get your eyes checked then. It would explain why you always look like shit.” He says.

Oh, Helga.

Jess rolls her dark eyes and takes a big ol’ bite of her shepherds pie. “Take your complaints to the Headmaster and piss off. I’m eating.”

Margo, my other best friend and roommate, and I share a smile beside each other. We both know that Jess can handle some jerk - she’s done it a million of times since she’s become the Quidditch Commentator in our fourth year. Some people take their quidditch a little too seriously if you ask me. . .

“Slag.” He retorts and begins walking towards the Gryffindor table.

Oh no he did not!

Without thinking I flick my wand and McLaggen’s black pants slide right down to the floor, causing him to trip and fall on his face, his undies out for everyone to see. The entire Great Hall erupts into laughter.

“Oh, Helga - does his undies say tuesday on them?” I wonder out loud whilst grinning like mad. This only causes my friends to laugh even harder.

Lysander Scamander sits beside Jess. His dark blond hair is a big mess and his yellow and black tie is a bit crooked. I look over at the Gryffindor table just as Louis Weasley, looking just as disheveled, sits with his Weasley-Potter clan. He and Lysander have been dating since they got drunk at the end-of-the-year party last June and snogged in a broom closet.

“Did I just see McLaggen’s knickers?” He asks and tries to take a fork-full of my mashed potatoes. I smack his hand away.

“Yes. But I bet his isn’t the only you’ve seen tonight.” Margo replies with a smirk.

Lysander’s cheeks turn red. “Oh, sod off. But I’m curious, did you have an ulterior motive to do it or were you just bored, Jess?” He asks the raven-haired girl beside him. She rolls her eyes at him.

“Why do you just assume it was me who had done it?” She wonders.

Lysander shrugs. “I don’t know, because you’re the hot-headed one of us?”

“Oh, really?” Jess literally growls and Lysander looks at Margo and I with a see-I-told-you look. “Well, you’re wrong. It was Lyra, actually. So suck it, Scamander.”

Lysander’s jaw drops. “Merlin’s beard. Why?”

“He had it comin’.” I tell him.

Lysander nods his head, taking this as a good enough answer and starts eating bread rolls. He and I have been best friends since before Hogwarts when we met at a Christmas party hosted by our parent’s mutual friend. I always thought of Lysander as more of a brother.

But his twin brother, Lorcan?

I always always had a horribly embarrassing crush on him.

Without even thinking my eyes immediately find Lorcan at the Ravenclaw table. He has his own group of mates, including my crazy soon-to-be-step-sister Indigo Patil, but he’s most certainly the smartest, the nicest, and the cutest of them all. With those dreamy, wistful-looking blue eyes and white blond hair that always fall in those eyes. . .

Ugh. How could I not be into him? Too bad he will never feel the same way about me. Every time I try to talk to him I always sound like a complete flobberworm! Nobody but Margo knows about my harbouring crush; Jess would just tear the mickey out of me if she knew and Lysander would probably feel super weird if the girl he thought of as a sister fancied his actual brother.

“Helloooo! Earth to Lyra!” Lysander snaps his fingers in front of my face with an amused expression.

“Huh?”

“You were spacing out again. And drooling.” He tells me. Margo giggles.

“I was thinking of pumpkin pie.” I say because they know how much I love pumpkin pie. And now I really do want pumpkin pie.

“Of course you were, you goon.” Jess replies half-heartedly. “We were discussing the Halloween party. You, Margo, and I should really talk about costumes. And decorations.”

“Okay. But I promised Professor Hagrid I’d feed Fang tonight while he’s away on important travels. So I’m not sure when I will be in bed.” I tell her and she nods her head understanding.

“And I have my lesson with Trelawney.” Margo murmured beside me.

“What about me? I don’t get a say in anything?” Lysander asks with a pout.

“Nope!” Jess replies with a smirk.

“Wow, thanks.”

“Did you get the password for the Room of Requirements from Louis?” I ask him.

“Yes, I did. And I got enough Firewhiskey to last us ten years probably.”

“Then we’re done with you. Leave us.” Jess tells him with a wave of her hand, dismissively.

He flips her off. Affectionately, I swear.

Fang nearly knocks me to the ground the second I step inside Professor Hagrid’s Hut. He’s taller than me (which isn’t much considering I’m only five feet) and he slobbers happily all over my hands and trousers.

I giggle. “Hello to you too, pup.”

He barks in response and I scratch behind his ears before making my way to turn on the lights.

Wait. The lights are already on. I didn’t turn them on, did I?

Hmm. I guess I did!

Fang follows me as I go to the closet that I know Professor Hagrid keeps Fang’s food in. His tail wags faster. What a funny pup! And yes, he’s pretty old but all dogs are puppies in my book, no matter their age.

As I’m filling his bowl, a creaking sound comes from behind Professor Hagrid’s bedroom door. And muffled voices? It can’t be Hagrid, can’t it?

Helga Hufflepuff. I will die if he is with . . . a lady in there.

I’m quickly making my way to leave when the bedroom door swings open and it’s not Hagrid. It’s even worse.

It’s Albus Potter.

“What are you doing here!?” We both ask each other. At the same time.

He looks peeved but he looked that way before he even noticed me here. He moves a hand through his messy dark hair and his Slytherin tie is hanging loosely around his neck. He’s very attractive. But a total jerk.

No thank you.

Well, not like he’s ever asked but he’s so not my type. Maybe more of Margo’s type. She has a thing for “bad boys”.

“I’m here because Professor Hagrid asked me to feed Fang while he’s away tonight.” I tell him and cross my arms. “Clearly you got whiff of him being out tonight as well.”

The corner of Albus’ lips turn up slightly. “Did you just say ‘whiff’?” He asks, just as a figure emerges behind him. Eleanor Zabini. A sixth year Slytherin that I’ve never spoken to but Margo (being a Prefect) has complained about for always breaking the rules.

“Oh thank Merlin. It’s just a Hufflepuff, I was afraid it was someone important.” She says.

Um? Ouch. That’s so rude.

Still, I don’t say anything back. It’s not really my style. . .

She turns to Albus. “Can we get out of here? This place reeks of dog.”

“Yeah, I’ll catch up with you.” He tells her and she sneers at me while walking past.

What did I do to her?

Once she’s gone, it’s just me and Albus Potter standing across from each other in Professor Hagrid’s Hut. And I realize he’s looking at me. Well, more like studying me. His brows are furrowed and he’s got this hint of a smirk on his face. Over the years, I’ve noticed he always has a hint of a smirk on his face.

I’ve never really spoken to Albus Potter before but everyone knows the Potter-Weasleys. Especially the kids of Wizard Savior himself. James is a year older, a Gryffindor Quidditch star that now plays for the Finches. Lily is a fourth year Gryffindor who is probably even crazier when it comes to Quidditch than James is. And Albus is in my year, a Slytherin Prefect whom I’ve shared classes with but was never partnered with. I know he has tea with Professor Hagrid every Tuesday because Hagrid has mentioned it.

“You’re not going to tell Hagrid about this, right?” He implies.

“Uh, excuse me? And why the bloody hell not?”

“He’ll tell my parents and I can not deal with that right now.” He says. “So could you just not tell him?”

I narrow my brown eyes at him and say, “He has a right to know. What you did was very disrespectful.”

Albus sighs. “Another reason I don’t want him to know. Come on. I’ll give you whatever you want.”

I look at him in surprise. “I don’t want anything. But. . . I won’t tell him, but if I catch this happening again you give me no choice but to let him know. He deserves that much respect for trusting you, you know.”

“Great, now I’m getting lectured by a Hufflepuff.” He says and rolls his eyes. Um. Excuse him?!

“Wise words from someone who was just begging me to keep a secret.”

He snorts like I’ve just said a joke. “Good point, Bones.”

“You know me?” I ask flabbergasted.

“Yup. Lyra Bones. Hagrid talks highly of you. . . Pretty sure you’re his favorite student.” He explains.

I already know this but still - it makes me smile.

“I better get going. . . “ He trails off.

“Oh, um, yes. Me too!”

Then we awkwardly bump shoulders trying to walk out the door at the same time. He lets me go first and I mumble a thank-you.

He walks a few steps behind me and once I’m closer to the castle, I run. Embarrassingly.

“He was shagging Eleanor Zabini in Professor Hagrid’s bed?!” Jess is bewildered.

I’m sliding under the sheet of my bed in between her and Margo’s respected bedposts. Their jaws all but dropped when I told them what happened. I waited until after we discussed our Halloween costumes to tell them, which they were pissed about. Apparently when it comes to ‘juicy gossip’ as Margo calls it, it comes first.

“Well, I don’t know if they were shagging. . .” I falter.

They both give me a get-real look. Albus Potter has quite the reputation. He ‘hooks up’ with girls but doesn’t date them. I’m not quite sure why but everyone knows this. The bloke has never even held hands with a girl before.

Margo shakes her head. “That’s so. . . skeevy. Even for him.”

“Yes.” I affirm.

Jess shrugs. “He’s Albus Potter - what did you expect? I just can’t believe your virgin eyes walked in on it.” She says with a shit-eating grin.

“I did not!” I yelp and throw a hufflepuff-crested pillow at her which she catches easily.

We’re all laughing until Margo takes that familiar sharp intake of breath and her blue eyes go glassy. Jess and I immediately hurry to her. She stares off into space for what feels like half a second.

Then she comes back to us. I hand her a bottle of water from the mini fridge we keep in our dormitory. She takes the bottle and sips water.

“Did you see something awful?” Jess prods her. I give her a stern look over our friend’s blonde head but she ignores me.

Margo shakes her head. “No but I saw something. . . insane. Crazy. Unbelievable-”

“Seriously, Margo. Just say it.” Jess interupts her, annoyed.

“I saw Albus Potter holding hands with a Hufflepuff girl.” She says.

“Woah.” I say.

Jess’ eyebrows fly into her hairline. “Are you sure?”

Margo rolls her eyes. “Yes I am sure!”

“Well, I’m just asking. You know sometimes the things you see don’t happen, or it doesn’t mean the way you think it does.” Jess tells her abruptly.

“Who was the girl?” I ask Margo, trying to avoid any kind of argument between them. Lysander is right when he said that Jess is the hot-headed one of us. Sometimes it’s a wonder how she got sorted into Hufflepuff, but Jess Jordan is quite possibly the most loyal person alive so I think that’s why.

Margo bites her lip. “I don’t know. I couldn’t see her face.”

“As much as I love to hear about Albus Potter’s future love-life, I’d much rather sleep. Goodnight, girls.” Jess climbs into her bed and draws her curtains around her.

I stand up from Margo’s bed to slide into my own but she grabs my wrist lightly. Her beady blue eyes are staring up at me. In a hushed tone she says, “It was you.”

“Huh?”

Her eyes flicker to Jess’ bed and back at me. “The girl he was holding hands with was you. I didn’t want to say anything in front of her because well. . . you know how she can be.”

“Okay,” I mutter and slide into my bed beside her. I don’t take Margo’s visions too seriously because most of them never come true and she’s usually wrong about them. It’s why she spends so much time with Trelawney so she can learn more about them.

Also - me and Albus Potter????? Helga Hufflepuff, get REAL. That will never ever happen.

“And you looked truly happy.” Margo says.

I scoff. “I am happy, Margo.”

She pursed her lips slightly before smiling warmly at me. “Goodnight, Lyra.” She says and flicks her wand to turn out the lights.

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