#love ya <3 (nefarious)

[neko-chan-13]

Tormenting Rem by going through one single tag and liking everything on his blog with it.

[starburstbubbleswitch]

MINORS OF THE TICKLE COMMUNITY!

Gather 'round if you please children, there is yet another announcement for you. Whether you read or not I can't control, but at least it's out there and ya hopefully realize we ain't trying to be jerks for no reason. ANYWAYS!

When we, the adults of the community, tell you "Do not interact/follow"(DNI/DNF) IT'S NOT BECAUSE WE ARE TRYING TO BE RUDE OR PUT A DAMPER ON YOUR ONLINE PRESENCE. It is 1000% a SAFETY ISSUE.

What some of y'all might not realize is that, interacting with adults this way can be SUPER HARMFUL in more ways than one. Let me explain:

1. POWER IMBALANCE:

Now I'm sure y'all have seen this a gazillion times over but may not fully understand what that means. As much as y'all may disagree and say "I don't bend to peer pressure so this doesn't apply to me." You're right, partially, because we aren't your peers. We are older, by society standards we are your elders, those you look up to and, like it or not, we are those you are swayed and influnced by. You try to fit in to appear grown or mature. I'll say it now:

Hang onto you're childhood for dear life because honey the struggle doesn't get easier just cuz you're older; quite honestly IMO it's worse because the consequences are worse and society has less sympathy for you. That phrase "They're just a kid" saves ya more than you know.

Anyways back on track here; with tickling, it IS an intimate thing, whether most believe so or not. Now I don't mean intimate as in "sex related". A lot of people try to slap "intimacy" and "sex" in the same box when intimacy itself is the umbrella subject and sex is a subcategory. Just because someone doesn't view tickling in a "arousing light" shall we say, does not negate the fact that it is INDEED an act of intimacy.

So this is clear: INTIMACY. IS. NOT. JUST. ABOUT. SEX.

DEFINITION OF INTIMACY:

Intimacy: a close, familiar, and usually affectionate or loving personal relationship with another person or group.

While this may seem fairly innocent in definition, with online strangers you don't know and have never met, this can be highly dangerous for both parties.

2) LEGALITY ISSUES:

Minors y'all might not realize this, but if something happens to y'all because of "online interactions" with adults, y'all get abducted/run away/ just flat out disappear, we could end up on that suspect list.

We could be jailed and stuck on a "child predator" registry without even really talking to you. But because we didn't block you, or we might've been unaware of the fact we were talking to a minor when there's no age in your bio anywhere, or heck even if we were unaware ourselves of the intimacy/power imbalance issues, we are in the running for being someone that influnced you or could've taken you. Bottom line: WE COULD GET IN HUGE TROUBLE.

3) MENTAL HEALTH:

As I said before, we are adults and not your peers. Because of this factor, we could seriously influnce how you view yourself and how you let others treat you.

We could have a certain control over you and you wouldn't know, you could take it as someone just being friendly or someone who is finally treating you "like a grown up" and not think twice. They completely alter your thought process and self esteem without you being aware of it.

Obviously you could say "that's not everyone". Again you're right it's not everyone. But the problem is, you don't know which ones have nefarious and disgusting intentions and who doesn't. Your parents/guardians can protect you from a lot, but with most of y'all having cellphones/internet access from the time you're like 5 years old, there's not much they can do to protect you from the online world. So you need to protect yourselves and one way of doing that is not interacting with adults.

We know y'all just wanna be included and ya want validation that your not "a weird kid" for liking tickling or that you aren't "childish" by getting conformation from an online community or adults that like it as well. But in the end, stick to interacting with your peers for those things. I know it may not seem like a big deal when your friend on here is only 5 years older than you at 20 or that at 17 it doesn't seem like such a problem when your chatting with an 18 yr old but the reality is that, it is. It's a giant problem and can cause a world of hurt for all involved.

THIS GOES FOR THE ADULTS TOO, BUT MOST OF YOU SHOULD KNOW BETTER BY NOW AND IF YA DON'T, NOW YOU HAVE AN EXPLANATION TO DERIVE FROM.

So in summary:

MINORS: Don't interact with adults/ageless blogs

ADULTS: Don't interact with minors/ageless blogs

[bastardtrait]

Scooter Legacy 2020 - generations 1-9

ya know, I was gonna make individual posts about the old generations of this save, since they're coming here from their old home on dreamwidth, but I'm really lazy so we'll just go with the one. a primer post. why not.

for a bit of background, I started this save in the middle of the start of the pandemic, right after completing another legacy, and I blasted through this thing in like, 2 years? I had never felt so fuckin productive. let’s ignore the fact that stopped playing for 1.25 years after generation 8 though. okay.

to the shock of nobody, each colour-coded generation had some story that eventually just devolved into pure gameplay. listen when i tell you i'm a one trick fuckin pony, i mean it. here's what happened:

Generation 1: Percy Scooter and Sebastian Park. my founders. Percy was the sheltered only child of a rich old Chinese woman who hired Sebastian to be her butler and personal service worker. awkward enemies to lovers plot ensues. they had 2 kids: Ollie (who died as a child) and Josie.

fun fact: I was looking at my timeline and it makes perfect sense that Percy's mother, Francie Chen, would've been the younger sister of Chen Ruiyang (Lucky Legacy). they even had the same last name. so I made that canon. duh.

Generation 2: Josie Scooter and Matangi Silva. childhood friends. Mat left town to become a vet, and Josie tracked him down to continue their fledgling romance they had as teenagers. they also had a fuck ton of animals, one of which was the iconic Mayor Whiskers. they had 1 kid: Randy.

Generation 3: Randy Scooter and Collin Pix. Randy, Collin and Ripp Grunt from TS2 were roommates at a college that psychologically broke down students before selling them to aliens for Nefarious purposes. it was kind of a lot. they ran away to Sulani and had 3 kids: Willow, Xander and Landon.

Generation 4: Landon Scooter and Toro Katalunan. childhood friends that reunited as adults that tackled off the grid living together. their friendship and eventual romance persisted through awkward misunderstandings and island ghosts. they had two children: Kai and Sully.

Generation 5: Sully Scooter and Ori Delgado. Ori guided Sully through the jungle in the search of a cure for the genetic condition they were born with (I also brought this up during my flop reclaimed roots legacy). kissing ensued. they had three children: Luca, Brianna, and Damián.

side note: I also started a side story about the Strangerville mystery that coincides with this generation. this family went on to spawn Dakota Dinh, co-founder of the Lucky Legacy. it's all circular y'know?

Generation 6: Damián Scooter and Hari Rotan. I fucking hated this generation because it was Eco Lifestyle. I don't remember the story and I don't want to. they had two kids: Laila and Yasmin.

Generation 7: Laila Scooter and Kawahara Koichi. Laila, a giant fucking twat, goes to university and makes enemies with everyone except the anti-social weirdo that loves robotics. then they terrorised Evergreen Harbour together. they had one child: Xavier, who they sorta neglected ngl lmfao

Generation 8: Xavier Scooter and Fayrouz al-Dimashqi. my FAVOURITE! generation. Xavier, a traumatised individual, moves to San My and has his icy heart opened up by the warm and welcoming Fayrouz. unfortunately, he died before his time, leaving Fayrouz a widow. they had one child: Kaleb.

Generation 9: Kaleb Scooter and Natasha Deleon. Kaleb and his gf Jaesha, family vloggers, are pressured into a wedding for their viewers, which is being planned by Natasha, Kaleb's childhood friend. they run away together from Kaleb's livestreamed wedding. they had three kids: Aaron, Evan, and Naomi.

which leads us to where we are today, with Naomi and Taryn forming Generation 10, and Dexter about to launch Generation 11. let's see where this goes next!

[skele-bunny]

Ello!! Loved your Cumulus hc, definitely keeping them for nefarious purposes (Cumulus content i hold dear) Hope ya having a good day/night so far! :D and thank you for taking my requests hehe. A small hc that came to me just recently is that i feel Phantom might have real soft fur but he does not take care of it properly and at some point Special drags his ass off to get properly taken care off, maybe even the doves get involved seeing Special fumbling with the new summon like he's a rowdy cat but with wings that keep flapping against Special's face. Fluff ensues ✨

-🎃

Gonna try and include the Ghoulettes in more "Thinking About" posts for you, pumpkin!! 💪💪 I'm doing good! I've had a good day today :3

Also oh my gawd yesssss!!!! Maybe it's like a trail down his neck the goes right in-between his wings, so not only does he not take care of it but more difficult to reach it. Refuses for anyone else to touch it!! It's sensitive!!! But Special can't stand looking at the matted mess while doing back shots. He's helped with Cowbell's fur TOO much!

So when Phantom is called in for a doctor's appointment, and it's just Special holding up a bucket full of shampoos and a comb, Phantom goes to run until Gaia is blocking the door. Phil is literally wrangling this little bat to the best of his abilities.

"I'M GONNA STRAP YOU DOWN STOP MOVING- DID YOU JUST BITE ME?!"

Special trying to hold tom down only to get a face full of wing-slaps, spitting as the little "teeth" keep swiping on his lip—moving back just enough Phantom runs again

Thenn here comes Sarra, putting Phantom in air jail and letting him squirm all their energy out. "Nnooooo..."

"Yessss." Sarra tutting him and carefully laying him on their stomach. "You need to take care of yourself, little void. Allow others to help you in your time of need."

Phantom is whining the entire time as he feels Special spraying down his fur and wings, then scrubbing so many soaps, shampoos, and conditioners in. It's a good amount of fluff, Phil sitting on Phantom's legs while brushing out each knot and cutting the matted parts that can't be saved. Eventually, Phantom starts calming down and loves the feeling, purring under their breath and slowly being pulled to sleep.

By time he wakes up, he's in a ghoul pile with the Doves, Special, and Bell. His wings doing little stretches and accidentally hitting Bell that wakes him up. Phantom just staring at this fluff ball with a skeleton head, but they can't help himself and runs his hand on Bell's fur and it's a "woahhh" moment xufgvihib Cowbell just giving a jaw clap and laying back down, his own hand going to Phantom's back to touch his own now soft fur.

Needless to say, he starts letting them take care of his fur (refuses to learn it himself bc he loves being pampered)

[lilianade-comics]

PERENNIAL is the tale of legendary warmongering fairies brought back from the dead by a tyrant for a nefarious purpose. It's a super cool project of my friend's and you should go check out her art! (this is a special happy birthday message for @painted-blackbird! Love ya girl!!! your OCs are awesome!! <3)

[also, COMMISSIONS are OPEN!]

[richincolor]

If you're looking for a few books to get you into the Halloween spirit this week, we put together three book lists earlier this year:

3 YA Black Horror Books for Spooky Season

Haunting Reads for Your TBR

Celebrating Women of Horror

And in case you've already seen all of those lists, here are six more books that came out recently that might also fill your Halloween needs:

The Forest Demands Its Due by Kosoko Jackson

A Lesson in Vengeance meets The Taking of Jake Livingston in this page-turning YA horror/fantasy set in dark academia about a queer Black teen who discovers the sinister history of his boarding school and the corrupt powers behind it all. Regent Academy has a long and storied history in Winslow, Vermont, as does the forest that surrounds it. The school is known for molding teens into leaders, but its history is far more nefarious. Seventeen-year-old Douglas Jones wants nothing to do with Regent's king-making; he’s just trying to survive. But then a student is murdered and, for some reason, by the next day no one remembers him having ever existed, except for Douglas and the groundskeeper's son, Everett Everley. In his determination to uncover the truth, Douglas awakens a horror hidden within the forest, unearthing secrets that have been buried for centuries. A vengeful creature wants blood as payment for a debt more than 300 years in the making—or it will swallow all of Winslow in darkness. And for the first time in his life, Douglas might have a chance to grasp the one thing he’s always felt was power. But if he’s not careful, he will find out that power has a tendency to corrupt absolutely everything. A high-octane mystery of murder and magic for fans of Ace of Spades, House of Hollow, and Get Out!

And Don't Look Back by Rebecca Barrow

Harlow Ford has spent her entire life running, caught in her mother’s wake as they flit from town to town, hiding from a presence that Harlow isn’t even sure is real. In each new place, Harlow takes on a new name and personality, and each time they run, she leaves another piece of herself behind. When Harlow and her mom set off on yet another 3 a.m. escape, they are involved in a car accident that leaves Harlow’s mother fatally wounded. Before she dies, she tells Harlow two things: where to find the key to a safety deposit box and to never stop running. In the box, Harlow finds thirty grand in cash, life insurance documents, and several fake IDs for both herself and her mom—an on-the-run essentials kit. But Harlow also finds a photograph of her mom as a teenager with two other girls, the deed to a house in a town she’s never heard of, and a handful of newspaper clippings discussing the disappearance of a woman named Eve Kennedy, Harlow’s grandmother…relics of a part of Harlow’s life she never knew existed. With these tantalizing clues about her mother’s secrets and the power to choose her own future for the first time, Harlow realizes she has two choices: keep fleeing her mom’s ghosts or face down the nebulous threat that’s been hanging over her for her entire life.

Mermaids Never Drown: Tales to Dive For edited by Zoraida Córdova and Natalie C. Parker Feiwel Friends

14 Young Adult short stories from bestselling and award-winning authors make a splash in Mermaids Never Drown - the second collection in the Untold Legends series edited by Zoraida Córdova and Natalie C. Parker - exploring mermaids like we've never seen them before! A Vietnamese mermaid caught between two worlds. A siren who falls for Poseidon's son. A boy secretly pining for the merboy who saved him years ago. A storm that brings humans and mermaids together. Generations of family secrets and pain. Find all these stories and more in this gripping new collection that will reel you in from the very first page! Welcome to an ocean of hurt, fear, confusion, rage, hope, humor, discovery, and love in its many forms. Edited by Zoraida Córdova and Natalie C. Parker, Mermaids Never Drown features beloved authors like Darcie Little Badger, Kalynn Bayron, Preeti Chhibber, Rebecca Coffindaffer, Julie C. Dao, Maggie Tokuda-Hall, Adriana Herrera, June Hur, Katherine Locke, Kerri Maniscalco, Julie Murphy, Gretchen Schreiber, and Julian Winters.

Brooms written by Jasmine Walls & illustrated by Teo DuVall Levine Querido

It’s 1930s Mississippi. Magic is permitted only in certain circumstances, and by certain people. Unsanctioned broom racing is banned. But for those who need the money, or the thrills...it's there to be found. Meet Billie Mae, captain of the Night Storms racing team, and Loretta, her best friend and second-in-command. They’re determined to make enough money to move out west to a state that allows Black folks to legally use magic and take part in national races. Cheng-Kwan – doing her best to handle the delicate and dangerous double act of being the perfect “son” to her parents, and being true to herself while racing. Mattie and Emma -- Choctaw and Black -- the youngest of the group and trying to dodge government officials who want to send them and their newly-surfaced powers away to boarding school. And Luella, in love with Billie Mae. Her powers were sealed away years ago after she fought back against the government. She’ll do anything to prevent the same fate for her cousins. Brooms is a queer, witchy Fast and the Furious that shines light on history not often told – it’s everything you’d ever want to read in a graphic novel.

The Changing Man by Tomi Oyemakinde Feiwel & Friends

A teenage girl is pulled into investigating the truth behind her new boarding school’s decades-old legend in The Changing Man , this debut Young Adult speculative thriller by Tomi Oyemakinde Face front. Watch your back. BE BRAVE. If it was left to her, Ife Adebola wouldn’t be starting at Nithercott School. Because despite her being in the Urban Achievers scholarship program, her parents can barely afford the tuition. No matter who is trying to be friends with her, like her classmate Bijal, or how much the prestigious boarding school tries to pull her in, Ife is determined not to get caught up in any of it. But when another student, Malika, begins acting strange, Ife can’t help but wonder if there’s more going on at Nithercott than she realizes. Could there be any truth to the school’s decades-old legend of the Changing Man? Is there any connection to the missing older brother of her classmate, Ben? As more questions arise, Ife has no choice but to team up with Ben and Bijal to investigate. But can the trio act quickly enough to uncover who is behind everything, before one―or all―of them is the Changing Man’s next victim?

The Grimmer by Naben Ruthnum ECW Press

The small-town mysteries of John Bellairs are made modern with a dash of Stranger Things in this spine-tingling supernatural horror-thriller. After his father returns from treatment for addiction, highschooler Vish ― lover of metal music and literature ― is uncertain what the future holds. It doesn’t help that everyone seems to know about the family’s troubles, and they stand out doubly as one of the only brown families in town. When Vish is mistaken for a relative of the weird local bookseller and attacked by an unsettling pale man who seems to be decaying, he is pulled into the world of the occult, where witches live in television sets, undead creatures can burn with a touch, and magic is mathematical. Vish must work with the bookstore owner and his mysterious teenage employee, Gisela, to stop an interdimensional invasion that would destroy their peaceful town. Bringing together scares, suspense, and body horror, The Grimmer is award-winning author Naben Ruthnum’s first foray into the young adult genre. This gripping ride through the supernatural is loaded with vivid characters, frightening imagery, and astonishing twists, while tackling complex issues such as grief, racism, and addiction.

[cheeseballsack]

PART ONE OF THE STORY OF OUR LITTLE GROUP !! 🍁🍓

“mmh..” ares mumbled to himself. why is he here? he feels he’s just as normal as the other kids… but deep down, he knew he wasn’t “normal”. with a sigh, he walked into the camp hall. ares notices how loud everything is. that really got him irritated. the mess hall was full of kids running, talking, and screaming. ares made his way to the counselors office without having a breakdown, new record!

“oh, hi! you must be ares! come on in!”. ares turned his head to where the voice came from, it was a woman. she was tall, slim, nice-looking?..

“oh. hi…”, ares replied. the woman smiled, “cmon ill show you to your cabin!”. ares quickly followed her to end his awkwardness. few minutes pass and he’s at his cabin.

ares studies the room. there’s two boys. one bed empty, signifying there’s another boy to come. he wasn’t very excited for more people. he saw the first boy; jet black, slightly long hair and tanned skin. he smiled and waved at him. he looked and acted friendly. the other boy on the other hand, was not very friendly looking. he was quiet, cold. the detail that really caught ares’ eye was the color of the boy’s hair and eyes. it was different. he had long white hair and eyelashes and eyebrows, enough proof to believe it’s real. and he had red eyes. pale red eyes. it made the boy look he jumped out of a fantasy book.

the boy with the long hair was brushing his overly long hair and the boy with the black hair was just sitting there, staring at ares. “guys!” the counselor woman said, that got everyone’s attention. “everyone meet ares! he’s gonna be part of your cabin, okay?”. the other two boys nodded. “ares, meet castiel!” she said.

“hey man.”, castiel said. ares nodded. he wondered, “why is he here? nothing about him looks wrong..”. the counselor woman continued, “and that is octavian!!”, pointing at the white-haired boy. octavian didn’t bat an eye. ares didn’t care. he just wanted to get this camp over with.

“ok boys! ill leave you to it! have fun!!”, the counselor woman said before leaving the cabin. the next few minutes were filled with silence and awkwardness once again. it stayed like that until castiel started a conversation.

“why are ya here?”, he asked. ares looked at castiel. he didn’t want to sit silence for 3 months, did he? “im autistic. my parents sent me here because they thought i was “mentally ill” or something.”, ares replied. castiel smirked, “but why though? you seem so smart.”. ares unknowingly blushed and smiled. no one ever said he was smart. everyone always assumed he was dumb due to his autism. castiel noticed ares’ blush and grinned. they laughed together for a few minutes until danger struck.

“FUCK YOU!” a boy yelled before shutting the cabin’s back door. he was surely a scene. covered in blood and dirt. he was a dark skinned, light eyed boy. it complimented him. it also made area intimidated, scared. “what happened?”, octavian finally asked to the boy. “THAT IDIOT NATHAN WANTS TO ALWAYS PICK THE SHITTIEST FIGHTS EVER!! HES SUCH A DUMB CUNT!”, the boy yelled. ares covered his ears, the noise was too much.

“and who the hell is this?”, the boy asked aggressively while pointing at ares. castiel shot up, “do you ever talk like a normal person, you bitch?!”. the boy looked at castiel in anger, “who the fuck do you think you are? i wanna know his name! not your love for him, FAGGOT!” the boy replied. castiel pushed the boy to the ground, “don’t EVER call me that.”. ares watched in horror, tears in his eyes. he felt he was gonna have an attack. his eyes darted around the room, he saw octavian glancing at him with sympathy. at least he understood how he felt right now.

few minutes later. everyone is quiet. no fights, or yelling. just quiet. the boy who started the fight spoke, “well, i never got to introduce myself. im nefaris. that’s octavian”

“..i-i already was introduced—

“shut up.” nefaris interrupted. he looked at ares. “you never told me your name. what is it.”. ares looked up and blankly said, “ares.”. nefaris scoffed “you’re so dry. idiot.”. castiel spoke again, “shut up, will you?”. nefaris smirked at him, “not if you do first, gay boy.”. castiel rolled his eyes and laid down on his bed. it was 9 P.M., the crew would come and tell them its time to go to sleep in a few minutes anyway.

it’s now 10 P.M., everyone is already asleep. ares is still awake. his thoughts spiraling. “this is gonna be a long 3 months… hopefully we get along.”.

hopefully

[seelestia]

Analyzing word choice is a hobby I've had since I was 12 (song lyrics>>>). Here are my favorite sentences from your latest work and why (all statements are /srs /gen unless stated otherwise).

BUT FIRST! A message from our sponsor:

Mirei Has the Vocabulary of a 6th Grader (aka words that impressed me):

• Plentitude

• Relish

• Grime

• Pristine

• Cognizant (what does this one mean????)

• Innocuous (imma have to pull out Google...)

• Languidly (the longer this list grows, the more I feel humbled 😔 /j)

• Nefarious (IK WHAT THIS ONE MEANS... I think ._.)

BACK TO OUR REGULAR PROGRAMMING :P

Aventurine:

• "Sure, the pillows are extremely comfy but he always has a preference for things with much, much more value."

When I read this line I SQUEALED bro finds me more valuable than a pillow I'm FLATTERED !!

• "His witty quips are as feather-light in weight as light-hearted they are in intent."

Connecting the lightness of his remarks because they're not serious to the lightness of his heart because he feels content and playful SO GENIUS OMG

• *That whole angsty flashback leading up to this sentence* "Although he deems himself unworthy, an ugly grime on your pristine existence that still insists on cradling him --- but despite it all, he finds this last melody to be his favorite so far."

I'm imagining a rust stain on a glimmering silver vase and I just *heart breaks* NO AVENTURINE YOUR THE POLISH THAT LET'S ME SHINE ON BRIGHTER DAYS.

The consistent days of bliss and peace brought on by the love your life after years of unrest and turmoil. It is similar to the last chorus of a sad song, isn't it? Carrying a lighter tone than the earlier verses, an ending happier than he thought he ever deserved (PLEASE I LOVE ANYTHING AND EVERYTHING MUSIC RELATED 😭)

• This whole paragraph: "the light of noon greets your eyes... Penacony's limited edition perfume kisses your nose."

Tell me why I could PHYSICALLY feel every sensation omg Lia your descriptions are so VIVID

• "...instead, aventurine's arms reestablish their hold on you. Hooking you closer to him as if to wring out whatever proximity is left..."

i LOVE this line lemme tell you why cuz we often hear/read proximity being "squeezed" out until space becomes "tight" but metaphors become weaker the more they are used and yet you EXPERTLY AVOIDED THAT BY USING A VERY SIMILAR BUT DISTINCT VERB ("wring out") WHICH KEEPS THE ORIGINAL MEANING BUT GIVES IT A SLIGHTLY DIFFERENT IMAGE (I could grasp the utter *extent* to which there was no space between us cuz it felt like he had twisted every last drop of air out from a towel) THUS MAINTAINING THE IMPACT OF THE METAPHOR !! I'm probably reading WAY too much into this BUT I CAN'T HELP IT IT'S UNIQUE AND EFFECTIVE AND PERFECT !!!

• "Aventurine knows [you can never be too stern with him], yes, and he gives you an A+ for effort each time."

*GIGGLES* <---- me anytime I receive validation, even if it's from a fanfic (PLEASE praise me/hj)

• "He has half a mind to pinch his skin, as if to remind himself that this is real. He can feel your giggles tickling his skin as if to tell him in return: yes, you are."

Odelia I cannot exaggerate when I say this line made me fall in love with him. Perfect way to end his part.

I couldn't do the writing for the other characters cuz this is SO MUCH LONGER THAN I ANTICIPATED BUT IT WAS SO WORTH IT !!

Truthfully I had thoughts on EVERY SINGLE SENTENCE, it genuinely feels like every word was carefully considered and I loved all of it. You really outdid yourself with this fic and clearly MANY other people agree (THE AMOUNT OF NOTES OMG) oke gonna go study for my pre calc exam see ya !! ^•^

[ in reference to this! ]

mirei.... UR JUST LIKE ME FR! /pos. i also like analyzing and annotating my fav books!!! so to have it done for me makes me wanna sob happy tears. i'm glad it helped broaden ur vocab! english isn't my first language either so it's nice that we get to trade new words together ‹3

( yapping abt my thought process while writing aven's part in i'll show you (if you'll let me). under the cut 🙏 )

extra: speaking of innocuous!! that paragraph was one of my favs in aventurine's part. i used that specific word bcs he knows that u don't really mean it / are actually that annoyed when ur pushing his face away - so it's harmless and doesn't offend him in any way, thus considered innocuous!

moving on to ur delightful commentary !!! LOL if ur flattered, then his goal is a success. the man's a sneaky flirt even in his inner monologue... ur falling for his inescapable charms 😔 /j

THANK U! i was a little proud of that line bcs there is a nuance in meanings despite the presence of “light” in both feather-light and light-hearted. and i wanted to tie them together !! sososo, thank u for noticing aaaa ‹3

LMAOOO the way u simplified the angsty flashback pfft. hoyoverse dumped a bucket of angst in the mixing pot when they designed him 💔 a personal take on aventurine: he thinks of his past as ashes from a flame on the verge of going out (it's him, he's the flame). he doesn't think of it as a burden, rather as a symbol of the innocence he once had. he is content with bearing those ashes using his own hands. but when someone learns of it, tries to hold his hand through it, he can't help but feel like his ash-stained palm will ruin the purity yours has.

AWWW thanks :'( i still think my skills in terms of describing realistic stuff (compared to abstract emotions LOL) are lacking, but it's smth i'm trying to work on. +++ did u know? the penacony's limited edition perfume is a reference to an official skit abt aventurine's timeline! u can find it here.

it's like a towel. u gotta wring out every single drop of water left until there's none - except the water droplets are a replacement for personal space. it's giving “this is mc, they like their personal space. this is aventurine, he also likes mc's personal space.” energy LMAO. i hc him as clingy in the morning with his messy bedhead and groggy voice... (<- can't continue otherwise i'll melt at the domesticity)

THIS SMUG MAN !!!! ahem, he may or may not be patronizing us but that's ok. it's a compliment and he means it ‹3

THANK U AGAIN ( ;´ - `;) one thing abt me is that i loveeee writing the ending in my works. it's one of my fav parts to write. i treat it as an opportunity to either tie everything up nicely or do a smart & ironic callback or to put in a revelation / monologue that leaves me feeling smth after i proofread it. bcs if i feel smth from reading that then hopefully, it'll make my readers feel smth too.

^^ ANYWAY back to the context of the point above: i find that ending line to be heart-wrenching??? in a bittersweet way. this ending line also ties back to a line in an earlier paragraph: [ you question whether it could be nostalgia or instead, silent awe at a reality he never imagined could ever be his. ]! so u could say that in aventurine's part, the concept of his disbelief - over having you as a source of happiness in his life; is it truly a reality and not a dream? (and being reassured by you that this is, in fact, a reality) - is somewhat consistent in the background. it is intentional ><

NONONO, THANK U!!! this analysis has so much thought put into it and that alone is beyond enough for a silly little writer like me. i can't even express how much it matters to me that u took the time to write this and tell me ur thoughts! it's the best kind of feedback a writer can ever receive 🤍 having my writing get annotated.... i'm truly living the dream!!! T_T

[lucifers-horror-harem]

More Alan questions (because I like him & you):

• How would he be with a partner who is yandere, like him? But like, maybe in a slightly more low-key way?

• How would he be with a partner who doesn't really put up with his yandere stuff? Like, they still want to be with him, but they confront him when he's being too yandere, and insists on working through their issues through actual communication and building trust? (Essentially, someone who's like "We're building a healthier relationship together, or we'll die trying")

• What's his favourite flavour of ice cream?

Anon ur gonna make me blushhh 🥺 :3 I'm so glad u love my bastard man 💜

Oh he would be absolutely flattered. Like you're stalking HIM? Baby he's been stalking you too! Oh my gawdddd meet cute LMAO But in all seriousness Alan really just wants someone who is devoted to him in the way he would devote himself to his partner, with their complete body and soul. So having a partner who is just as obsessed with him as he is them he'd be all head over heels. He might put a guard up for the beginning, just to make sure you aren't just into him for his money or any other nefarious reasons. He needs you IN in and once he deems you to be telling the truth he's all in.

A partner not putting up with his yandere tendencies but still wanting to be with him would be interesting to say the least. On one hand, you've shown that you love him and want him, but on the other hand he HAS to be in control. If he can't be in control of the situation or not know where you are or put such an intense level of trust that he's not there with yet, he's going to have a bad time. He would certainly try, don't get me wrong. But I think unless he's got some sort of leg up or a way to protect himself if things go wrong and you reject him or he finds out something about you that would hurt him, he would be fixated day and night and not be able to do anything unless he knew what was going on. It's a huge problem for him because trust is something he has had shattered by everyone in his life at least once. I feel like unless you're understanding with some level of surveillance which would then be lessened over time the more he trusts you, or completely aren't into voyeurism/exhibitionism it really won't work out with him. Especially cause this man essentially craves control both in and out if the bedroom. If things don't end amicably then weeeeeeellllll ya know how things tend to go on that front lol

I fucking LOVE the whiplash I got between the last two questions and this one LOL So I imagine Alan as a man with many tastes. He's got a secret sweet tooth that is hard to get a handle on if you aren't careful, especially if you love to bake. He loves many different flavors of ice cream but I think he would always trend towards something with chocolate. Any time he is offered a choice for chocolate he will go for it nine times out of ten. A simple soft serve swirl, chocolate fudge ripples, chocolate pieces like are in Panda Paws ice cream, brownie bits, hell get some caramel or peanut butter in on the mix and he's happy. If there's a chocolate cherry mix he would go for that too. Maybe try to make sure he doesn't overload on sugar because he will act like a kid in the candy store and get a huge stomach ache because he can't stop lmao

[malifiquemakes]

Hiii!! Random questions: 1. If you were a supervillian, what would your "nefarious" goal be? (For example to destroy capitalism or protect old growth forests or smthn lol) 2. Favorite mythological creature? 3. If you could teleport, where would you go? Have a great night /day!!! I love your art and writing!!

-Seoz (from my main)

Hi Seoz! Thank you for the ask, great questions <3

If I was a supervillain I would go full baba yaga and be a weird crone in the woods. My nefarious goal would be getting tf away from life's obligations, and I'd curse anyone who tried to make me care lol

2. Gotta love a good unicorn, running around looking fabulous and goring people with their sick horns.

3. To visit my online friends! Timezone will no longer be a hindrance to us going insane about fictional men.

Right back at ya buddy, thanks for playing!

[lonepower]

oh I completely forgot to actually post my one single liveblog post i just saved it as a draft lmao. anyway if anyone wants my realtime Romulus Thoughts (tl;dr it's good) here ya go~

oh hey it starts on my birthday!! already a good sign <3

the audio quality on this cam is only a little bad but i cannot understand anyone for Shit. the 2 identical british dudes especially are basically speaking Peanuts Parentsese. i've been spoiled rotten by the shift to streaming and need my subtitles ))):

i really like this actress, she reminds me of someone - daisy ridley or summer glau maybe? she's so cute uvu

oh i want her and Pretty Hair to kiss so bad. she looks like she's shaping up to be the final girl though so i should probably not get too attached to anyone else, rip

ohhhhhhhhhh here we go

man I REALLY wanna know what their homeworld is like. I mean like the actual original world they came from instead of whatever time travel shit or w/e that prometheus was on, idk i blocked it from my memory. anyway there's so much about their design & behavior that seems like they're meant to be amphibious/semiaquatic to me? they're about the right size to fill the same niche as sharks or crocodiles, too...... did hr giger actually think about this stuff or was he just like "hey you know what would be fucked up"

rip bald girl we hardly knew ye. you were facehugged on all those posters anyway so i'm glad you weren't interesting

awwwww, no, man, don't, don't do that, that's not cool. why do we gotta do this. cmon. fuckin nightmarish

 

I'M A SHAM. A FRAUD. I HAD TO DOUBLE CHECK THE ROOT ON WIKTIONARY AND THE PLAGIARISM MACHINE WAS RIGHT. MY CREDIBILITY IS RUINED

girl go see a gynecologist or something i don't think that's a normal pussy pH

hnnNNnggH i'm ngl though that was. hot. also a very satisfying death for my least favorite character. i hope it hurt as much as it looked like it did 🤭

LAUREL IS CANON????? man she was a fun oc i should play around w her some more. love me some xeno gene therapy gone wrong. better hope the canon version doesn't fuck you up the same way<3

LMAOOOO NOT 2 MINUTES LATER!!!! EXACTLY THE SAME WAY! i'm so delighted my cringe nae nae river-tam-expy science-experiment mary sue is explicitly canon compliant now. this is great. oh my god.

Oh This Will Go Well

•HAROLD.............................

oh this is a Cool setpiece that seems very ill-advised

...yep. nicely foreshadowed, too

• HEL FUCKING LO??????? 👁️👄👁️

XENOMORPH YURI REAL. GOD I WISH THAT WERE ME

okay wait on slowmo rewind #4 that's actually the one from before? i'm no less jealous but slightly more confused. xenomorph yuri is still real thank you god 🙏🙌

ohhhhhhh that's why. yeah that makes more sense lol.

oh to be tenderly rescued by a terrifying alien who's only saving my life so they can use my body for their own nefarious ends. who said that

NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO THEY WERE IN LOVE YOU DICK!!!!!!

also the bishop echo at the beginning was cute but this one didn't land. you can do better. :\

while we're still on the subject tho: i think we do need an Enemy Mine scenario with a xeno now. the yautja got one with scarlex. it's time. i deserve it

Oh here we go. xenomorph yuri real round 2(????)

HEY WAIT NO WHAT THE F U C K

honestly this is just an accurate representation of what normal human pregnancy sounds like to me. having a little creature burst out of your ribcage killing you instantly is Vastly preferable tbh

i think this thing is less unsettling than the newborn but only barely. like 0.4% less unsettling. what the fuck

average white man behavior

i like my idea better tbh. Pretty Hair deserves to be monsterified and Final Girl deserves a terrifying mutated alien gf. we could have had it aaaaaaaaalllllll

I DO appreciate the obvious resurrection parallel though. my black sheep most beloved getting the legitimacy & recognition it deserves 😔✊

in conclusion WE ARE SO FUCKING BACK. resurrection and avp will probably always be tied for my favorites and tbh I would rank 2 a little higher as well, but this was solidly middle of the pack which is a gargantuan fucking improvement. the main thing is that it was Actually Recognizably An Aliens Movie which, after the prometheus/covenant nightmare, is honestly the highest praise i can give. thank GOD

[murderbirds]

To claim my rightful place pt.5

Oswald was wrong. He had to be. Ed understood why he would be angered by the existence of the international police, but it wasn't their fault that some pokemon trainers used their money and influence for nefarious reasons. In fact, if there wasn't so much crime, maybe they would be able to focus on solving that instead. The problem was, evil teams just continued appearing in Gotham.

“You don't truly believe that.” Ed jumped as he heard the voice coming from behind him. He stopped the autopsy he was working on and glanced behind his shoulder. Nothing. He shook his head. Just his imagination. “You wish.” He looked around again. Still nothing. “C'mon, Eddie. Don't tell me you have forgotten about me. We used to be so close, remember?”

“No, I don't.” The scientist said as he got back to work. “You aren't real and those were just tactics created by a 10 years old to learn how to deal with his abusive father.”

“Ogerpon didn't seem to think so.”

“She humored me! Because she loves me! Besides, you are wrong! Just like Oswald. I respect him and I believe in him for most things, but not this. I'm sure that, if Galavan is as bad as he says he is, the police will get to him eventually.”

“Uh huh. You know, if I remember correctly, you wanted to kick him out a week ago and now, because he opened slightly towards you, you are crushing on him even harder than before.”

“I'm not crushing on him!” Edward shouted just as the door of the morgue opened and an officer stepped inside.

“You, what?” The man, who went by Lieutenant Harold asked.

Ed blinked a couple of times, “crushed- uh,” he looked down, “the body! He- he was killed by having something crush his skull!” He pointed at the injury on the corpse's head.

The lieutenant frowned, not fully believing. “Right, whatever you say, Nygma. I guess Dougherty is right, you are losing your mind.” He chuckled and placed a clipboard on a desk. “Boss asked me to deliver this to you.”

“Thank-” the door shut on Ed's face, “you.” The scientist sighed.

“Hey, Ed, the poor have it, the rich have it and if you eat it you die.”

Ed groaned, “nothing.”

“That is what you are for these people. Better to crush on Cobblepot than suck up to a bunch of assholes that couldn't care less if you dropped dead.”

“That's not-” he went silent as voices spoke outside.

“What were you doing in there with creepy Ed?”

“Just delivering some papers. He was talking to himself again, can you believe it?”

“Really? Of my Arceus, how long until he loses it fully and just starts an evil team of his own.”

“I give it six months.” Both voices laughed and Ed let his face fall.

“Idiots. I mean, to make an evil team, ya need people willing to follow you, and you don't even have that, do you, Eddie?” Ed looked to the side, tears coming to his eyes.

“Say,” one of the officers outside said, changing the subject, which Ed was very appreciative of, “is it true what people are saying? About some new pokemon living in the catacombs beneath Gotham?”

“Honestly? No one really knows. The guy Nygma is analyzing was apparently down there and he was found with some weird injuries.”

“Weird how?”

“Like, so violent that there is no way a wild pokemon did that, even the rabid ones. Has to have been a trainer that instructed their ‘mons, either that or I really, really don't wanna meet whatever lives down there.”

Ed's eyes widened. “Did you hear that?”

“Crazy pokemon living in the caves beneath Gotham? Kind of hard to miss it. Wait- Ed, don't tell me that you are planning to tell Oswald that-”

“It's a good plan!”

“No, it is suicide!”

Ed shrugged. “Or an opportunity.”

1-2-3-4-5-6-7-8

Full story

[mytrogblog]

54. #ThelmaPart2

Kuche broke the silence. Coming from the lap of her mistress and echoing the Trog’s command, Kuche’s ear-splitting bark was a direct hit on little ole Thelma. After collecting herself, she leaned in toward this yappy critter and said something soft yet chilling in Afrikaans. I swear the translation was something like, “Go ahead, make my day, you twat, twat, twat.” 

Kuche halted her bark and quivered. The Trog crossed her bulging eyes, folded her arms around her dog and pushed her chair back from Thelma. “Humph,” she scowled. I know it’s not funny, but… it was. Ya see, the Trog’s chair jiggled and needed fixing. And as she pushed back, it crumbled beneath her. Plop went both Borbala and the “twat.” 

Thelma knew how to make an exit and did. I stepped back as she rounded the kitchen corner. Get out of the way, Sally, I thought. Almost out of view, Thelma made a swift one-eighty and returned. Peering down at the flattened Trog she said, “Don’t ever tell me to shut up, again.” Then, stuck out her two middle fingers vigorously and sashayed to her room. 

Poor Waldo. Didn’t know what to do. He scrambled to pick up his employer, hefty as she was. But the Trog refused help and ordered him to get back to work. Me, I pivoted and scurried out the door for breakfast elsewhere.

And that was that. Or so I thought.

There’s only one food the Trog is opposed to… Brussels sprouts. Hates them. Both their smell and taste. You’d think someone with her nickname would be a Brussels lover. But not this Trog. Thelma, on the other hand, loved them. She grew up on them and they originate from her hometown of Brussels. They were her main course on her first few nights here. That was until she got an unwanted note shoved under her door. Thelma had shared the decree with me, “DO NOT COOK BRUSSEL SPROUTS IN MY KITCHEN. PU. IT IS CAUSE FOR EVICTION. BF”

The Nuthouse had been eerily calm all day after “the incident.” Maybe, it would just all go away, I thought. Midwest thinking. Hope springs eternal. I so wanted Thelma to stay. 

She was a breath of fresh and unusual air.

But about 3:45am that next morning I woke up to a rustling outside my balcony. It was unnerving… was Hugh back? Nahhh. An animal, maybe. Cleopatra wandering the grounds? HA! Grabbing my flashlight and bat for light and safety, I inched myself stealthily out until I reached the railing. Leaning over it, I saw two figures on the porch with big sacks over their shoulders. They didn’t see me. Dare I flash the light? Yup, I do dare. Ever so briefly, yet long enough to catch their drift. WHAT!?! It was Waldo and Thelma in black hoodies. WHAT were they doing? 

No longer frightened, I shined the light near them, but not on them. Waldo squatted and buried his head while Thelma stuck her neck out and signaled me to shush with her super finger. 

What else could I do but abide by Thelma, so I gave her a thumbs-up and killed the light. But it didn’t mean I wasn’t going to check out their nefarious activities. Sly as a fox, I snuck down the stairs so as not to awaken the obvious butt of this mischievous jig, the Trog. 

As I got to the bottom stair, I slightly teetered. Reaching down to see what was the cause… you guessed it, a smooshed Brussels sprout. I peeled it off my foot and dropped it on the floor. Pick it up later. The house was dark so it was hard to see. Shining my flashlight across the living room, I bravely followed the path all the way to the kitchen. They were everywhere. The Nuthouse was a field of baby green cabbage. 

I made my way to the front door, kicking the little round balls out of the way. Treading very lightly, I opened it without a speck of sound. The two tricksters were active in the front yard, throwing the Brussels on the lawn, in the trees and in the bushes. Oh, this was a sight to see. Again, I wanted to wake Doho to share another classic Nuthouse moment but couldn’t. Too much possible noise. Consequently, I just watched with glee, solo. Thelma noticed my presence and walked over to me. 

“Can I help?” I fervently whispered. “Oh no, I forbid it,” she denied me. “Don’t want you involved. Go back upstairs. We’re almost finished. Just need to toss a few sprouts in the pool.”She started to walk away, then came back. This seemed to be a habit of hers. “This is the last you’ll see of me or Waldo. And you never saw us tonight. Understood?,” she warned me. “Understood,” I saluted. So, I just stood there as Thelma placed a couple sprouts on top of each Gargoyle’s head, winked at me, then vanished into the night. 

[boredymcbored]

Let's Vent

cause IDK if this will see the light of day but I'm upset.

You're sad. You're miserable. You're so easily fixable too. But only indulge in the sad huh?

Like my mess of a room. My weight gain (I'm surprised I'm not more upset at that for all the work I've done). Your loneliness. Cause you were lead on by a woman to join a friend group that you desperately needed (nefariously). Then were lead on again by a woman to join a friend group you desperately needed (genuine?). And you can't step away cause you're So Dang Likable! (TM) and you also love those people and need them cause you're so dang lonely.

Which is also your fault. Cause even after seeing two close friends in caskets, you can't get over your guilt of not being there the last couple of years for your HS friends and think it's best to remove yourself from their grace cause they're better off without you. Even though they keep saying they miss you.

And it's not just your highschool, but college friends too. You know of one person that always forgives your proclivities to self isolate and still be there but you can only text him sports ball shit. Still haven't told him when you'd call back btw. And yes he's your best friend the world has ever gifted you, but he's not yours. For that reason.

You can't even get solace from your incredibly worried mother cause she is quarantined from you because you actually decided not be be a recluse and hang out with friends. But they tested positive for covid. Now you're cut off from the person that can smell your sadness from miles away cause you can't even socialize with friends right before leading you to more isolation. At least you dodge her looks of pity and concern a few days, huh?

And now you beg for a sports ball team you like to be playing a game so that you can dissociate with the parasocial environment of twitter and reddit to FEEL at least somewhat fulfilled in the social department right? But it's social junk food and you know it. The artificial connections that you formed are not meaningful and you can act like it adds validity to some type of work that you've done in the past cause PREVIOUSLY people noticed it but now you don't have much of an aura of notability now do ya? Probably cause you're not on TV and only seem to be doing the same couple jobs with no career growth.

Not that you even want that growth do you? Cause you could be applying but are letting something that potentially ruined your ability to smoothly get hired or just traverse through the world weigh on you. And TBF the weight of that will now stick with you. That INCREDIBLY stupid thing that was non consequential has been a dark cloud over you for 3 years and won't go away cause of forces out of your control. ONE thing you can't control in this vent.

But you can control how fucking sad you get when you don't answer work questions right away and your mind starts to replay the words you've found hard to push out your mind "You can never do shit. You don't do shit". That woman that was supposed to support you, that you went through hell and shame to earn, told you that shit after you gave up so much of your self to help her, while you were fucking spiraling. And she broke you, didn't she? All the confidence that you were just starting to rebuild brick by brick was once again laid askew. You still haven't built it back either. From doing the world to barely being functional, that shit broke you in ways that you still are struggling with today. Guess you don't do shit after all.

My brain isn't rational rn. It'll say things that aren't all the way true or are heavily influenced by my loneliness, my anxieties, my fears and general unhappiness that I have rn in life. It's bringing up all my childhood traumas and insecurities to front and center stage and I just ... And it's no one else's fault that I'm feeling this way. But I feel neglected. And scared. of what i'd do. And my rationality. It's stopping me from being dramatic. Like right now I'm screaming to myself BITCH STOPPPP being so dramatic. And knowing my goofy ass, even with all my tears and fears, I smile as I write this..

But I know it's coping. It's self soothing. It's just me playing survivor man. Les Stroud at your service. Spending 7 days in the deep Andrea mindfuck wilderness. Scary, I know.

Cause the instinct to call for friends. Or call for help. Has taken over by the big bad that is my mind. And it's winning. And eating my life away. By doom scrolling. Making content and never releasing it. Having ideas and never doing it. Good ideas too man. So much creativity. And a gift. Ruined by a brain hungry to dim the light I'm holding on for dear life.

This is not a cry for help. I've been a lot more sad. A lot more crazy. Nothing is like being in the bathroom of my dorm after continuous isolation and identity issues, just trying to rip myself out of my body and away from the negative voices that were screaming at me to hurt myself. Everything was so grey then.

I still see color. I can find joy in the media I consume, despite the immense guilt I feel afterwards for not doing much else but that. Steph Curry is playing well? That makes me happy. I streamed. That was pleasant as well.

I feel like a waste of space but there's SOME rational part of me that reads all of what I wrote and KNOWS it's a lie. And I pray that I never lose that voice cause it's a DAMN good voice. I know I am the reason for most of these things, but not even in a bad way. In a way I can fix if I work on myself, one step at a time.

I just need hope to pull that out. And idk where to find it. I'll have to be the one to pull it, I know. I just need.. I don't know. But I need. And I feel pathetic for being so needy. And wanting. And being so unstable. But I NEED. And I don't know where I've gonna get my need from..

I just hope I find it soon.

[wyrmfedgrave]

Pics:

1. The "Vril-ya Bazaar & Fete" was a fundraiser that failed spectacularly! Its founder & organizer actually became bankrupt!! But, it marked the 1st genre fan convention - beating all others by some 40 years...

2 & 3. Posters for the "Iron Sky" movie series. Not the best intro to the Vril-ya & their nefarious plans.

Author: Edward went to several British private schools. While still a student, he fell in love with a mysterious "Lucy D" - who 'disappeared' 1 day!

She had actually been forced into a ruinous marriage...

3 years later, she wrote him to say that she still loved him - &, that she was dying!!

This drove Edward into a melancholic state. But, a visit to her graveside, brought him out of his depression.

Edward then had a brief affair with Lord Byron's ex-mistress, one Lady Caroline Lamb!

In 1827, he married a fiery Irish lass. Their extravagant lifestyle forced him to become more prolific.

But, the stress of such an output caused Edward to grow irritable & become negligent of his family, which led to violent quarrels with his wife.

It was no surprise when they divorced in 1836.

Edward had originally been a Liberal politician - until he retired, due to the repeal of the Corn Laws.

But, his friend - Benjamin Disraeli - 'converted' Edward & he returned to politics as a Tory!

As a writer, he anticipated & 'satisfied' changes in public 'taste.' Yet, none of Edward's plays have 'endured' any great fame...

Edward's historical novels were all weighed down with meticulous details - but, they sold.

The best are "The Last Days of Pompeii" & "Harold, Last Saxon King."

Then, Edward tapped into the British audience's fascination with crime & gangster works, bringing a new type of realism to his readers.

At this time, Edward's best known for a satirical verse novel attacking Lord Tennyson, the British poet laureate!!

Edward also wrote the unsuccessful historical epic "King Arthur"...

Though elevated to the Peerage, his critics attacked him unmercifully, leading to Edward's rep taking a sharp dip!

The worse of it was being labeled a "silver fork" (novel about high class manners & fashionable lives) polisher!!

By nature reserved, Edward's growing deafness kept him out of the public's 'eye.'

He lived alone, going to continental spas for his declining health...

Among Edward's many honors are the Orders of, both, St. Michael & St. George!

He was even offered the Greek throne!! Which had been left vacant by King Otho's abdication...

Edward wisely declined.

In January of 1873, he complained of sharp pains & "horrible noises" in his ears...

Days later, Edward went totally blind!!

This was followed by a series of non- fatal epileptic seizures.

Edward would die, in his sleep, on January the 18th. A victim of a lifelong ear infection that finally reached his brain.

Output: Of Edward's interesting & unique firsts, we have:

1. 1832's "Eugene Aram" a history based, psychological crime thriller that raised a storm of protest - for Edward making the criminal the hero of the tale!

2. 1833's "Godolphin" where Edward tackled the occult for the first time.

3. 1837's "Ernest Maltravers" & its companion "Alice", both of which blend metaphysics with auto- biographical observations of the time's high society.

Legacy: Stories of weird civilizations had been common for centuries. But, they had all been treated as fantasies.

Edward added sci-fi elements atop of "Race's" fantasy tropes.

Even vril had a scientific explanation, rather than being a magical or super- natural force.

Also new was 1891's "Vril-ya Bazaar & Fete", the world's 1st known genre fan convention!

This sci-fi party was held at the Royal Albert Hall in London. Which was all decked out in Mid-Eastern motifs.

The show featured special guests & performances, costumed folk & stalls selling Vril merch - like Bovril (bovine plus, vril), a beef drink!!

There were even winged mannequins floating overhead!

Definitely a party to visit - if you have a time machine...

In 1947, an escaped German scientist claimed that some prominent Nazis were members of a "Vril Society."

In time, other folk also came to believe that the Vril-ya were a real civilization!

The Nazi "Thule Society", influenced by such tales had helped create the Nazi Party & its horrible ideology.

But, these occultists lost their power when Hitler assumed control over Germany.

However, ideas from "Race" still persist in modern Nazi circles...

It has also spread out into other media. Case in point, the "Iron Sky" movie series.

In particular, the 2nd film - which steals the title, the underground world, an unlimited energy & a plan to eliminate humanity.

But, the enemy are actually reptilian (from UFO myths?) shapeshifters (from Native American myths?) led by a T-Rex riding Hitler!!

(Sigh... It's things like this which let's me know that deep fakes aren't really a new idea. They've been a literary trope or device for quite some time.)

Legacy: Like Plato's Atlantis, Edward's murderous Vril-ya are a cautionary tale of what not to imitate.

Of course, the opposite happened.

Readers missed the point & vril took on new life - as a psycho-electric or bioelectric 'treasure' to be found & used!!

[darkficsyouneveraskedfor]

Hue and Cry XVI

Warnings: non-consent sex and rape (series), pain/wounds, mild violence.

This is dark!medieval!Bucky Barnes x reader and explicit. 18+ only.  Your media consumption is your own responsibility. Warnings have been given. DO NOT PROCEED if these matters upset you.

Synopsis: Barnes lashes out in his grief.

Note: So, it’s not over but most of you guessed that :)

Thanks to everyone and thanks in advance for all your feedback. :)

I really hope you enjoy. 💋

<3 Let me know what you think with a like or reblog or reply or an ask! Love ya!

The sun cast a sardonic light on the cold winter morning. The first flakes of snow fell the night before but glistened as they melted away with the unexpected bloom of light on the horizon. The men began digging at dawn for the interment, a pit to be unmarked and unseen. The woman would be buried as any servant was; without any formality or fanfare.

Lord Barnes dressed in black, the sole attendee of the service. He had dragged a priest from the castle chapel to say some ordained words. The men climbed out of the six-foot hole as the cart was led over by two others, the wooden box atop it.

They lifted it, lifted her, and maneuvered it down into the grave with ropes. The holy man recited his verse but the duke did not hear them. He was only torn from his own grief as he heard footsteps on the crisp grass. He looked over as the foreign baron came to stand beside him, his dark eyes ahead of him as the men began to shovel dirt onto the wood. The sound was harsh in the early hour.

“Go,” Barnes growled, “you aren’t welcome here.”

“Well,” Zemo said, “how is that? After all Werner did for you; for her. I should like a proper farewell.”

“You didn’t know her,” Barnes hissed.

“Oh, I didn’t, but are you so sure that you knew her so well?” Zemo challenged, “you knew what you wanted from her--”

“Shut up! You don’t know what you’re talking about,” Barnes lifted his chin and turned to face his foe, “I will not tell you to leave again.”

“I owe you no obedience, my lord,” he said flaty, “I think you’ve misunderstood that entirely. The ground we stand on is even. I am beholden to you for nothing. Given that it was my physician who saw to her comfort in her last hours, I’d say you--”

His voice was cut off by the hand at his throat. The duke throttled the Baron with his only hand and backed him away from the grave as the dirty continued to rain down. He marched him across the grass as his blue eyes burned with a selfish sort of hurt.

“I am not stupid. I know you came to rile me and you’ve done just that so go! Go before I put you down beside her,” Barnes shoved him away so that he stumbled.

Zemo stood and touched his throat as a rare glimmer of anger flashed across his features. He raised his chin and fixed the fur collar of his cloak. He nodded as he set his jaw and peered past the furious duke.

“She is free now,” Zemo said, “from you most of all.”

The baron turned away and strode from the green. The duke turned and watched the diggers as they kept at their work. A lump lodged in his throat and he lowered his head. He could not deny Zemo’s words, in fact, they sank so deep his heart ached. He knew as all did that her death was bloody on his hands.

🏰

Lord Barnes watched from the window as the line of carriages rolled through the castle gates. He was smug at the Baron’s premature departure but he didn’t truly feel any better than he had the day before. He expected the knock at the door and he was not surprised by who drew him away from the window.

The door opened before he reached it and his sister blustered into the chamber. Rebecca snarled as she came to face him, of the few who could match his own temper. Her nostrils flared and hardened her soft features as she glared at him.

“You’ve ruined it!” she spat, “you’ve ruined it all! He’s gone and it’s all your fault, you dunce!”

“I ruined it? You really think you could have trusted him? I merely saved you time and gold,” Bucky scoffed as he shrugged her off.

“You are so conceited. Don’t you realise we need this alliance? It’s much bigger than your little maid!” She barked, “oh, all this just to fu--”

“No, no! Shut up!” he spun and pointed at her face, “you don’t speak of her. Your or anyone else.”

She reeled and chortled. She rolled her eyes and put her hands on her hips. She licked her lips sourly and shook her head, “Better yet, I will not speak to you again. You have until the end of the day to leave the capital.”

“Are you mad?”

“I’m serious,” her brows arched, “Samuel agrees with me. You will go and you will not return. Go back to your castle and be alone and bitter as you always wished.”

Barnes huffed and mirrored her own fury, “fine. I told you, I never wanted to come here.”

“So it is my fault now?” she snipped.

“No, your majesty,” he said dryly, “how could anything ever be your fault?”

“Don’t,” she warned.

“Oh, queen’s are so powerless,” he rebuffed, “how every woman in the realm must pity you.”

“You’re a bastard,” she sneered.

“We both share the same blood, the same flaws,” he slowly walked back to the window, “you will see in the end that I did you a favour. That man cannot be trusted.”

“Oh, do get over yourself, brother,” Rebecca snapped and the slam of the door marked her exit.

Lord Barnes stared down at the wintery grounds then up at the grey sky. It was due time he went home. To be alone. For good this time.

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Flickers of light skimmed beneath your eyelids. Distant memories, dwindling dreams, and unheard words. 

The pain came first. The agony down your left arm and hip, the way it rippled through you like a crashing ocean against the shore. The ragged breaths grew to groans as the ground moved beneath you, rattling like your bones and your head. The noise of horses and wooden wheels in the dirt. The smell of leaves and oak. The feeling of life come back to you.

You could not move your left arm, it was bound and even if it was not, you couldn’t have lifted it. Your left leg was in similar shape and your entire body was bound in pain. The confusion laced your mind and kept you from thinking too deeply as you realised you were in a box, the darkness broken only by the thin wisps of light between the hammered boards.

“Hello?” you called, your throat dry and sore. It hurt to speak and your lungs squeezed terribly.

You bent your right arm, your shoulder straining as you did, and hit the lid. It did not budge and you hit it harder. Your uncertain strikes turned to a steady and frantic pounding as the blackness began to suffocate you. You had to get out. You would die in there. Or were you already dead. You realised what you lay in; a coffin, and your stomach dropped like a boulder.

The wheels stopped and the ground stilled. You were on a cart of some sort and footsteps tramped into the dirt and murmurs stirred outside. There was a thump on the lid and suddenly it lurched upward as it was pried off. 

Swathes of light flowed in and blinded you. You stilled and stared up as a figure stood above you and another appeared at the other side of the casket.

“Ah, finally,” the accented tone slithered, “I feared the dose was mistaken.”

You blinked until Baron Zemo came clear to you and shielded your eyes as they watered. You gasped as another shattering pain overtook you and gasped at the sheer torment. The other man, thin and tall with lines around his eyes and across his forehead peered down and reached to check the bandages around your left arm.

“She cannot sit in the carriage but we can arrange for her to recline in there, yes, my lord?” he asked as he felt your forehead, “there is no fever. She is past the worst of it.”

“We can arrange it,” Zemo nodded, “do get her a blanket. We really should have done so before we nailed the top on.”

“Yes, my lord,” the tall man hopped down from the cart and returned with a thick fur coverlet. Zemo tucked it gently around you and as he brushed your arm, you cried out.

“I… I should be dead,” you rasped, “how--”

“A trick. On the gods, on fate… on your Lord Barnes,” Zemo smirked, “oh, do not fear, he hasn’t any idea of your miraculous perseverance. Let me assure you he is most miserable to believe you dead.”

“Why?” you asked as the lid of the coffin was moved away and you heard others moving around. The stench of the horses made you shudder and brack back the scene; the clopping hooves, the roaring crowd, the pulsing of your heart, your maddened laughter.

“You know, I never desired anything more from Lord Barnes. What happened between us was an act of war. We were soldiers but he could not see it that way. I am an understanding man but I am not without reason. If he cannot be civil, why then should I?” He said smoothly, “I came to your kingdom to serve my own and I cannot do that with him snapping at my throat, so I will go home.”

“But why--”

“Patience,” he bid as he lifted a gloved hand, “I could not have factored you in if I tried. You are the most unexpected creature. What you did… well, that sent a very clear message to me, one that I heard.” He looked around and clasped his hands together as he leaned his elbows on his knees, ”I will not claim it to be entirely selfless in my deed, in fact the idea of the deceit does more for me than it could ever do for you. To think of Lord Barnes in his misery, that pompous man.”

“What--Where are we going?” you asked weakly as the wariness crept up on you once more.

“The Tower Zemo,” he said plainly, “in my homeland. You should recover there and then we will decide what to do with you.”

“What to--”

“Nothing too nefarious, I assure you. I should like to avoid the depths of Barnes…” he sniffed, “I don’t expect you to trust me, lady, you would be a fool to and you do not seem one to me. Foolishly brave and perhaps obstinate but not a fool.”

“I--how am I to thank you?” you croaked.

“Don’t do that just yet,” Zemo rose as men approached and suddenly the coffin was slid off the cart.

You were carried around the side of a carriage and set down again. The men worked carefully to remove you from inside the casket and you screamed as they did. Zemo spurred them on and apologised for your discomfort as they transferred you to the lid of the coffin placed to stretch between the seats of the carriage.

The tall man draped the fur over you again and checked your splints and the layers of bandage hidden beneath the loose wool gown. He called for some water and helped you drink. Then he was handed a chest and stirred around for a vial.

“This is Werner,” Zemo said as he sat on the empty part of the bench and the carriage door shut, “he did see that you survived and that you died in the eyes of your master.”

“Oh… thank you,” you looked to Werner as he urged you to drink from the vial.

“Just a sip, miss, for the pain,” he bid.

You did as he told you and reclined again with a grumble. He sat opposite Zemo who watched you with a cryptic expression.

“It will be a long journey,” he said, “and likely longer for you. It would be best if you kept calm and did not stress yourself. You are still… fragile.”

“I feel it,” you closed your eyes as fatigue shrouded you.

“You would,” Zemo said, “sleep is best for it, isn’t that so, Werner?”

“Sleep numbs the pain,” Werner assured, “sleep lets the body heal itself.”

“And sees the time through,” Zemo yawned, “besides, what else is there to do?”

Your breath eased along with the pain and slowly you sank back into the void. You let it embrace you as you forgot about the Baron and his odd physician, about the Duke and the life before. You welcomed sleep as you had death and yet, you were relieved to be alive.