#make an adorable post and I will pull a horror story out of it.

[notbecauseofvictories]

I've seen that "the immortal loses their loved one but not their loved one's family; what if the immortal stayed close, followed them down the generations?" post a dozen times, and I understand it's intended to be sweet---but every single time I see it, all I can think is that it's straight-up the beginning of a horror story.

[bamsara]

Have you seen cannon Eclipse yet?? Will Ruin be effecting how you portray them in SL?

(Ruin spoilers) Long post!!! Sorry I rambled klsdhglksd plus I pulled out some of my older art so it's a bit of a ramble post about Eclipse and how I write/draw them / the duality of man (robot) / and SL's AU universe

Most likely not since a fully-booted-up Eclipse in SL wouldn't be too terribly different from what I could work with coming from Ruin. I've already made several art pieces and writing drafts about the 'scary looking but sweet' Eclipse type more than the murder murder murder scary kill kind having to do with the virus's invovlement, so I think this developement is actaully pretty steller for me

Not to say my Eclipse won't be a bit more intense than what was shown in the DLC, but I think it still works out

I mean Look at my doodles and writings of Post-Solar Lunacy Eclipse and how they act: you've got your spooky behavior that comes from Five Nights At Freddy's being a horror game + based off of the DCA's behavior + general alternate universe junk :

and then your silly goofy:

I've always adored the Duelity of Man (Robot)

So basically: Ruin DLC will probably not affect how I write Eclipse at all because from the short few lines we got from them kinda already alligns with how I see Eclipse behaving, at least Post - Solar Lunacy. Sweet boy.

Eclipse's dialect is a bit different in the ruin dlc then how I've had it planned but I think that's okay too, considering how I had their dialect/manner of speaking pretty down similar to how Sun & Moon were speaking in the DLC at least (the short sentences, phrases, occasionally long ones) although this is kinda just a writing flow choice / au character interpretation thing that's a personal preference, since I personally have Moon less verbal than Sun and Sun a lot more talkative in my fics than even the og Sun in Security breach.

Appearance wise? Nothing really changes! The hat and sunrays combo can switch inbetween having a hat or just having sunrays (like how arcade game Eclipse just has sunrays, but character model Eclipse has Moon's hat) and it really just depends on the scene and/or if the DCA was already wearing the nightcap as Eclipse makes an appearance.

I'm keeping the four-arms deal. Best thing the fandom came up with and love it when they do that for characters. Insert 'i just think its neat' image here.

Solar Lunacy has been and still is a AU universe so like said before, some aspects of canon are choosy to whatever I think makes a good entertainment story and all, so not too worried about sticking to canon all that much. Yippie for transformative and creative expression!

THAT BEING SAID, I absolutely fucking adore the glimpse of personality we got from the few scenes of canon Eclipse in the Ruin DLC and it fits an idea of character in my head for them, so I won't really need to divert from the original draft too much for Eclipse!

I'm really happy ahh!!!!

[radioisntdead]

Ways to piss off an Italian

Alternatively three ways to cartoonishly piss off an Italian

Hazbin hotel x reader [Platonic]

Warnings:

Italian stereotypes, just jokin' around this is all in good fun! I put an Imp OC of mine in as the reader assistant! She just pops in and out to stir things up! Reader's learning to cook other types of food because they've hadn't had to cook for themselves in ages they just had others do it. Ending is a little off but we don't talk about that I finished this at 6 am I need sleep, Angel isn't that pissed mostly dismayed

Good evening folks! This is a side story with Eldritch horror reader and Angel dust because he's Italian, this is somewhat inspired by my own bit of how my younger self made it her mission to piss off Italians because of that Italian TikTok duo back in 2020-2021 [???] She did not succeed as she did not know any Italians and all she did was eat spaghetti noodles with anything but a fork.

this is also the 100 followers special! Now at the time of posting we are FAR past that at 207! but better late then never! Thank you so much for the support, I genuinely did not think this many folks would like my silly little writings, I adore getting y'all's requests, comments, and just appearing in my inbox genuinely it makes my day thank you! And I hope you enjoy!

Angel Dust took great pride in his Italian heritage and culture, as he was truly Italian.

Unfortunately he lived with a centuries old Eldritch horror who may or may not have lived in Europe during the bubonic plague and didn't understand the more "modern'' Italian or Italy at all, and others that didn't understand the "sacredness" of the Italians.

🍝The spaghetti.🍝

You took over cooking in the hotel, you and Alastor had begun fighting over the kitchen, whoever got there first got to cook and today, you were victorious.

You were exploring new recipes you had thus far made spicy tteokbokki and Korean corn dogs, some type of curry that was sonic blue, teriyaki chicken, hummus and other things! You experimented with different flavors, seasonings,

These tasty things would've ended you if you ate it back when you were alive and not dying of the bubonic plague.

Anyways, you decided to give making spaghetti a try because you were in the mood for something fairly easy to make.

As you perused the recipe book while humming along to the songs playing from Alastor's radio show, you nodded noting down the ingredients before pulling out the phone that the little Imp that worked for you had bought you insisting you should have one to contact her instead of hunting her down at random and dragging her away.

You squinted as you scrolled through the few contacts you had until you reached said imp's phone number and slowly texted her a barrage of ingredients to buy.

Cece carefully opened the hotel doors and skittered over to the kitchen, having memorized the route since she delivered ingredients to you almost daily at this point.

You grinned as you took the ingredients from Cece's hands turning around to place them on the counter while she pulled up a chair and sat down waiting for the inevitable "Dear Cece can you cut this" or "Dear Cece can you stir this"

You washed off the tomatoes before slicing in an x and blanching them, you peeled the tomatoes after and diced them up before putting them aside to cut up yellow onions, you gathered them up and placed them into a pan, sprinkling in salt to unleashed the onion liquids and sweetness.

You added in some prechopped garlic and let it saute.

While that was happening you took the tomatoes and crushed them, once done you combined the tomatoes with the rest letting it simmer.

You added other components like herbs, basil and a little olive old at the end just for fun.

You filled up another pot with water to boil, sprinkling a twinge of salt and stirring it in.

You brushed your hands on your apron, as you scooted around to find the box of spaghetti noodles, grinning you opened it and take out the pasta.

It was at this unfortunate moment Angel dust decided to waltz on into the kitchen, intending to see what was for dinner and maybe snag something to munch on, you held the dry pasta over the pot, both hands gripping the ends

"Hey tentacles, what's for- WHAT THE FUCK!''

"Good evening Dearest Angel! I'm making spaghetti!"

You said unfazed as the pasta snapped in half and dropped into the pot as Angel dust watched in pure horror.

"Why would you do that?!" Angel asked, his voice pitched as he asked arms gesturing to the pot of sad broken pasta boiling away.

"Make spaghetti? I didn't think it was such a controversial meal"

"No! You broke the pasta! That's like the biggest sin ya can do! What is wrong with ya?"

"We're already in hell, I don't think sins matter much here," Cece popped in, you jumped slightly forgetting the imp was there.

"They do when it comes to' fuckin' pasta toots!"

Angel dust shouted before promptly turning around and leaving the kitchen, leaving you completely confused and Cece amused, unfortunately her amusement turned into irritation as you asked her to grab the ground beef and roll it into balls so you could cook them because meatballs.

During dinner time your spaghetti was a hit!

Charlie complimented your cooking saying you outdid yourself while Vaggie was grabbing a second serving, Sir Pentious enjoyed slurping up the noodles, Niffty kept stabbing the meatballs foe whatever reason, Husk seemed to enjoy the meal however Angel dust had one pair of arms crossed while he reluctantly ate, it was good he could admit but he knew the sin that you had committed while cooking, he knew that innocent pasta had been broken.

Angel dust almost died a second time when he walked into the kitchen later that night for a midnight snack and witnessed a probably drunk Husk eating leftover spaghetti pasta with ketchup because the sauce you had made was on a higher shelf in the refrigerator and he didn't feel like climbing.

🍕 pineapple pizza time.🍕

You and Alastor had... For lack of better words got into a little fight over the kitchen, tentacles, shadows, mild mind control and other things were used until Vaggie stepped in and separated the two of you,

It was decided that pizza would be ordered for the hotel, much to Alastor's disapproval.

Cheese, pepperoni, pineapple and ham, and supreme were the pizzas ordered unbeknownst to Angel dust since he was coming back to the hotel from a hangout with Cherri.

"Angel! Welcome back we ordered pizza!" Charlie said waving the spider over as Vaggie placed the pizza boxes onto the table.

"Great! I'm starvin'!" Angel walked over just in time to see the box containing pineapple pizza opened up.

"Nevermind I'll starve."

"We have other pizzas Angel."

Vaggie did not get paid enough to deal with this, she didn't even get paid!

Angel dust was extremely disappointed in you, you were the one to suggest getting pineapple pizza because you quote, "Never had it before and wanted to try it",

You were well over a few centuries old, you weren't a child, you had gone to hell and become an overlord that rained terror for a couple of years and therefore you should've been able to tell that pineapple on pizza was a crime against humanity, so what if pizza wasn't a thing during your time, it was a thing that came to be while you were down here!

He had later lectured you about it, it was amusing to you! You were a feared overlord and yet this little Italian guy had the gull to lecture you, this was normal in families right? To not be afraid of each other? How wonderful!

The lecture eventually switched over to Husk who was eating pizzas folded which was just weird because he was just tasting the crust! What about the cheese? The sauce? THE SAUCE HUSK? DO YOU NOT TASTE IT?

Husk was too sober for the lecture, Alastor found it amusing though.

🇮🇹Italian PowerPoint presentation 🇮🇹

"Alright tentacles, we're havin' a intervention!" Angel dust said throwing his hands down on the coffee table as you sipped something from a teacup, probably tea.

"Is what you dragged us here for? This shit?"

Husk was here, how did he always get dragged into these things? Niffty was beside him trying to stab a roach, Charlie and Vaggie were out of the hotel, Alastor was hell knew where, probably doing radio stuff and Angel dust had somehow tracked down your assistant and dragged her there.

"Oh! Whatever for dearie?" You asked head tilted as you placed your cup on the table,

"You've committed so many fuckin' crimes in the past week! Ya' broke the pasta before puttin' it in the pot! Ya' put cream in the carbonara! Ya ate pineapple on pizza, I get we're in hell but are ya fuckin' kiddin' me?-" Angel moved his arms around to empathize his point "Not to mention that little fusion stunt, ya' deranged octopus!"

You hummed thinking about the meals you've made recently before responding, "I don't think I made anything bad?"

"You decided to put tomato sauce, cheese and pepperoni on cooked ramen and stuck it in da' oven and ate it."

"It wasn't as good as the little people on the interwebs said."

"OF COURSE IT WASN'T GOOD IT WAS A CRIME! IT CAME OUT OF THE DEEPS OF HELL."

"Eh, it wasn't that bad" Cece popped in to stir the pot, Angel slowly turned around becoming slightly more spidery

"The fuck did ya just say?"

Cece shrugged, "Food's expensive and I need to eat."

Cece was picked up and thrown on the couch with you as Angel dust set up a PowerPoint presentation about the history of Italian food and whatever else, You did not want to be here you'd rather be drinking your drink in peace, Husk didn't want to be here he'd rather be drinking, your hellborn imp assistant didn't want to be here, she's never going to Italy she didn't need to know this and Niffty, well she's still stabbing things on the floor.

By the time Charlie and Vaggie returned you had zoned out completely and your mind was elsewhere, Niffty was napping on your shoulder, Cece had escaped by asking Angel if garlic bread was Italian and while he went on that tangent she ran out abandoning everyone.

Husk was more dead inside then per usual, he wasn't paid enough for this, the first hour was fine but this had been going on for five hours at this point, how did Angel dust manage to drag this PowerPoint presentation out so long?

Vaggie shut it down after it was realized that you weren't responding and they thought you had somehow died,

You did not die and you eventually snapped out of it when a white cloth was put over you in order to hide the body.

Good evening folks! Thank you for turning on in! I hope you enjoyed, my apologies for taking forever to get this out, if your wondering why it feels like there's a missing gap that's because I wrote a whole lil' thing of reader and Alastor combining forces to annoy Angel and I accidentally deleted it.

I'm gonna rewrite it eventually and add it to a different fic with Eldritch horror reader, also If your wondering why I have an imp OC in here there is a reason with Eldritch horror and their family complex you'll see eventually

I'll be getting the readers backstory which will be the 200 follower special out [hopefully] soon so tune on in for that! Thank you again have a wonderful day!

[gallus-rising]

mp100 horror fic recs 👻🎃

For a while now I've been thinking about mp100's amazing horror potential and how it really doesn't get enough attention. SO! For the spooky season why don't you settle down with a nice scary story ;D

All of these fics are complete and have no shipping. I've only linked 1 fic per author so this list doesn't get bloated, but all of these wonderful authors have other fics just waiting for you to read them ❤ Some definitely freaked me out more than others, but I'm not gonna give any particular ratings since "scary" is so subjective. All fics are properly tagged and you know your own limits better than I do.

Also feel free to add on your own recs!! My general reading preferences and parameters when making this list is only a small sampling, so please share any and all of your favs ❤ Hope you enjoy!

If you see an "N/A" instead of a Tumblr UN that means there wasn't one linked in either the fics' notes or author's bio. If you know the author or are the author yourself feel free to let me know so I can edit the post :] And now in no particular order I present:

The Immeasurable Dark: @tinkertoysdamn Immediately breaking my own "no ships" rule just this once because I can't resist a good House of Leaves inspired story! If you've read HoL is you know what's up. If not expect a fucked-up house and impossibly large spaces, funky text formatting and footnotes, maybe a minotaur. Ship featured is background established serirei.

a pilgrimage: @tooomuchtofu Divine Tree arc bad ending. Told from the PoV of an unnamed worshiper on their first visit to "the capital" aka an overgrown Seasoning City. Uses second person pov wonderfully to build the dread.

And Who Is Killing Me?: @sammisafetypin Koyama beats the shit outta Mob a little harder than in canon, hospitalizing him and delaying the 7th Division rescue arc by [TIME NOT FOUND]. The Awakening Lab kids are so minor I tend to forget they even exist, but oh my god does this author make you care about them! This fic is written with great suddenly swapping PoVs that keep you feeling off kilter without making you lose track of the story. It's the longest fic on this list by far but 100% worth every second of it. A real gut punch.

Adoration: (N/A) The Divine Tree takes a particular interest in Reigen. I don't think I've ever seen anyone properly touch on how creepy the Psycho Helm constructs themselves are like this fic has. God, those things freak me out so much. Features "shipping" in the sense of a sentient broccoli becoming fixated on a guy. Keep in mind that the Psycho Helms look like Mob if you think that'll squick you out, but for me personally it added to the horror.

Similarities: (N/A) Reigen receives a fucked up email. Ends on the sillier side, but BOY is that email fucked up!

The Water Ran Clean: @bandtrees A Mogami-mentors-Mob AU and a damn fine one at that. Love the sort of fragmented style it's written in, and the exploration of Mogami's fucked up moral code is great. There's some Choice viscerally described imagery here 👌👌 Features a drawing of Mob covered in blood just in case that freaks you out; but worry, it's not his :]

An Outlier Among a Sea of Common Denominators: @hebezunet A rewrite of the early Divine Tree arc that asks the question we've all been too scared to consider: What if the brainwashing was like cordyceps? In particular I want to highlight the opening scene where after eating the broccoli powder cookies Teru has to physically rip florets out of his body to resist being brainwashed. Very gnarly stuff.

Prison Surveillance: (N/A) Touichirou was a very bad boss so Hatori pulls a The Ring to torment him in Psychic Supermax Prison. Was written pre-season 3 so Hatori doesn't work for the government.

Stairs: (N/A) Reigen and Mob have a job in the woods. There are some stairs. Inspired by an r/nosleep story which the author links to if you'd like to check that out as well.

Fight, Flight, or Fraud: @cowardlybean So everyone's got a really specific supernatural fear, right? Something that could absolutely never happen in real life but when you see it in media it freaks you the fuck out? Mine is someone I know being killed and replaced by an evil doppelganger and I'm the only one who knows. I've not seen anything since The Magnus Archives that's properly captured that fear like this fic, which is some of the highest praise I can bestow.

In Quicksand: @ghoststrawberries Reigen catches a nasty cold and by that I mean he gets possessed. Very fun the way Reigen's train of thought and feeling shifts around as the evil spirit tries to influence him while he's unconsciously resisting it. The scene where the gang realizes Reigen's been possessed is a real "OOOOOH, SHIT!!!" moment, but I won't spoil ;D

Playing Human: (N/A) Espers and psychic powers might not be real but spirits are. Poor baby Mob is a ghost possessing his own dead body. Features Dimple as the bad guy.

Mithridatism: If I may be so self-indulgent to list one of my own fics here :3 Absorbing evil spirits while still alive was actively killing Mogami and I wanted to dig into that! Features my Signature™ (lol) "HEY, DON'T EAT THAT!!" style of body horror.

[hyperfixatedcatlover]

The Beauty's Rebirth Prologue

So, this is my first post! This isn't going to be an Aeon x Reader, though I may sprinkle in some scenes of that in the future. I have been cooking this idea since I started playing HSR and I wanted to try writing it out. It will be a yandere type thing so here we go.

TW: Body horror/mod, obsessive behavior, non-con/dub-con touching, implied child abuse, fem!reader, aeons being meanies. Don't like? Don't read. I do not condone or support these behaviors IRL and enjoy!

Prologue (You are here) - Chapter 1 - Chapter 2

"I have a story you might like."

You peek over the schedule you're reading, careful not to move your head as you make eye contact with the woman behind you in the mirror curiously. She seems to notice this as she smiles kindly.

"It was a story all of us were told on my planet growing up. It's about the Aeon Idrila the Beauty. THEY favored my home planet before THEY disappeared"

"Then your planet must be popular with that one group, the Knights of Beauty. Right?"

She makes a face, as if she's tasted or smelled something extremely foul.

"Those Knights hardly visit our planet. When they do, we never tell them anything, and make sure they leave town sooner rather than later."

"Oh. Why? Does it have something to do with the story?"

"It does, would you like to hear it?"

"Well, if you can't tell the Knights, why can you tell me?"

"It's much more interesting than looking at your schedule."

You smile at that faintly. 'Suppose she's right,' you think to yourself.

"I'm all ears."

"Once upon a time, the Aeon of Beauty, Idrila walked the stars. It was said that THEIR beauty outshined all, but I'm sure you know that. What most people don't know about, however, is how THEY disappeared. You see, the other Aeons adored THEIR beauty, just as humans who walked THEIR path did, but the Aeons were capable of things that a human could never do. Yaoshi the Abundance wanted THEIR beauty to live forever in THEIR domain of constant thriving.

It's dark. You're walking and walking, the greenery never stops. It's overflowing

It's growing faster than you can run.

It's trapping you

You can't move.

Four arms cradle your waist while another pair stroke your cheek and comb through your hair as you become a decoration in the greenhouse.

"The Hunt wanted THEM to be THEIR prize for hunting the Abundance."

The plants feel like they've entered your bloodstream.

Your veins have thorns and the flowers have long since covered your eyes.

There's a loud sound of shattering glass and thundering hooves

A cold metal arm grabs you and pulls you up by the waist

You don't realize you're screaming in pain until your mouth is covered

Your veins are shredded

You can feel air forcing itself into your divine lungs

Your eyes are gouged out from the flowers being torn

You are brokenly whimpering on the steed of the being that 'saved' you

"The Elation loved messing with Idrila to see THEM cry."

The voices surround you

Phantom touches come from every angle

You see things that aren't there

You don't know what's real and whats not

Did the extensive healing get to you?

A being of many masks cackles as you cower in a corner

"The Destruction wanted anything that could attempt to challenge THEIR beauty to be destroyed"

You stare into the golden eyes

The fragmented arms held out as if welcoming you to shower in the golden blood

They approach

You grow ill

As the golden threatens to drown you, you run

"When THEY finally ran, THEY realized the true horror of the stars and the greed of those who run them. To be free, THEY called upon THEIR only friend, The Harmony to give THEM a chance at another life…"

Surrounded by darkness you call upon the last of your power and draw out your core

With a steady hand, the steadiest it has been for a long time, you shatter it

Pieces flow into objects around the world

Hairbrushes, mirrors, sewing needles

The one main piece of you looses its golden shine as it floats to the only friend you've ever known, watching with sad eyes

THEY cradle your soul as you fade into nothingness, leaving behind one last wish

'Be free, little beauty.'

"And now, THEY are waiting for THEIR reincarnation, to get THEIR chance at living without fear of… oh my dear are you alright? You look terribly pale!"

You shiver as you blink rapidly.

"I- I'm fine. Just, nerves, and thirst."

The kind hairdresser fetches a bottle of water from the fridge in the dressing room with a straw and watches you drink with steady and slow sips.  She then begins to add the final touchups on your hair. As you cradle the water, you try to explain what those, moments in your head were. 'Were they memories? They felt like dreams more than anything. Maybe I have been working too hard.'  As you think, she continues.

"And that is why we never tell the Knights of Beauty this. They want to bring THEM back, while we want to leave THEM alone. THEY suffered from THEIR beauty being pursued."

"Huh. Sounds familiar." The memories of you childhood house that never felt like a home, the pain, the torture, the self-hatred, memories you wished would stop coming back.

"Done!"

You look up at your reflection, the intricately styled hairdo frames your face perfectly and matches the violet dress that flows behind you like a waterfall perfectly. Before you get a chance to breathe, your manager opens the door.

"You look great but you've gotta get out there! You're gonna be live in T-minus 3 minutes girl!"

You try to say you need a moment but your tongue gets stuck in your mouth as she drags you down the set and drops you off. She gives you a thumbs up as she runs off and the stage hand next to you waits to give you your cue.

"And now everyone, the moment you've all been waiting for!"

A rich charismatic voice says over the speakers in the sound stage. You see a small video of him standing in front of his desk as he addresses the live audience.

"From rags to riches, this girl has climbed the ranks of the intergalactic fame pyramid faster than  anyone. With her looks singlehandedly saving the modeling agency she first signed for, it's no wonder that the press has deemed her the 'Modern-Age Idrila The Beauty!' So put your hands together for the one and only [Y/N]!"

You put on your best smile as you walk out, ignoring the buzzing in your mind that something bad will happen soon. You let the host escort you like one would royalty to the couch as the spotlights blind you. You smile with the pearly whites that everyone adores, knowing that your value to the world is purely from your appearance. That your beauty everyone praises you for is nothing more than a curse.

Live free, Little Beauty.

[loquaciousquark]

hello quark! i've gotten to the szarr palace again in bg3 and am now super curious about tavish and astarion's thoughts about amanita szarr and vellioth! i imagine personally that astarion had no idea amanita even existed, and that finding out about vellioth's rules might give him a knee-jerk but ultimately conflicted rejection response—something about how those rules are why cazador treated him so poorly, so he rejects them on principle, but also his life experience has been such that he actually agrees with them... it'd be a tangle for him to try to work through, i think, but what about you? what are your thoughts?

I! LOVE! THIS! QUESTION!! Thank you so much for asking!

I definitely agree that Astarion had no idea Amanita existed. That Cazador had turned a full vampire and then imprisoned her in their attic; that she was resisting her compulsions and defying Cazador's orders; that a powerful vampire hated Cazador as much as Astarion did? No way. No way does Cazador ever let Astarion or any of the other spawn even get a hint of her existence. I don't even know if she knew very much about them, actually; I think if she really thought there was someone she could help or someone she could ally with in this very lonely, isolated existence, her journal entries wouldn't have been quite so despairing.

(Sidebar: I adore the tragedy of the attic in the Cazador mansion being the only place that allows in some shafts of light. I bet he did that to her on purpose.)

After finding out about her existence, I think Astarion would be conflicted at first, then decide that if she's abandoned them all, he's not going to waste another thought on her. He didn't know her, she didn't know him, and if she fled without helping them, he's not going to worry about where she's gone. He'd have even less of an interest in her outcome than his siblings, I think, and those relationships are already contentious at best.

Now, Vellioth--I think that's another story. Finding out that Cazador, who has effectively set himself up as god-emperor to the spawn, the source of all pain and pleasure and the total sum of their universe, couldn't even come up with his own base set of rules? Finding out that Cazador is just one more link in an endless chain of suffering?

Man, I think it'd be rough for Astarion. I can easily see him going in a circle of laughing at Cazador for being a pathetic copycat -> a pathetic copycat enslaved me for 200 years -> does that make me even more pathetic than I originally thought -> is my escape therefore worth less in the grand scheme of justice -> no, what I did was great and good -> Cazador was pathetic but he was also powerful -> it is admirable that I killed him and therefore he must have had intrinsic value as an enemy -> Cazador was powerful in his own way even if he stole from Vellioth -> Cazador stole everything from Vellioth & was nothing more than a pathetic copycat, and so forth. Exhausting!

Once he got over the initial surprise, I do think he would have looked back at his time under Cazador and wonder if it needed to be reframed. The account of Cazador's impalement is horrifying. The brutal murder of Cazador's friend (Cazador had a friend!) is horrifying. And at the end of that horror, Vellioth still made Cazador a full vampire.

What does that mean for Astarion? Did Cazador really think he was being merciful by only imprisoning him for a year? Would Cazador have ever fully turned him if the ritual hadn't come into play? Probably not--probably he's just as cruel as Astarion always thought he was, and likely even more, but I think it's one last element of rug-pulling viciousness from Cazador to Astarion right at the end, one last time. Cazador dies, and Astarion can't even be unquestioningly happy about it.

As far as Astarion internalizing those rules, I think post-Cazador's death, he has a kneejerk rejection of anything like them for himself, just like you say. I do think if he's not checked by Tav/his LI, he may unconsciously lean into similar rules for them (see: the nearly identical ruleset he gives a turned Tav after Ascending), but I think a spawn Astarion with a healthy relationship could be coaxed out of that mindset given enough time & support.

An incredible question. Thank you so much for asking! :D

[neteyamsmainbitch]

PROTECTOR —

‘if you’re scared, i’m on my way.’

neteyam sully x omaticaya!reader.

— you can always count on neteyam to get you out of tricky situations.

warnings: slight violence, probably a couple uses of bad language idk, fluff.

authors note: i haven’t posted in two months lol, this was rushed but i didn’t feel like fixing it.

—

neteyam has been there for you more times than you can count, whether it was known to you or not.

it was no secret that neteyam inherited his fathers need to protect the people he loves, you specifically.

he was always protective of his family but he always had a drive to constantly make sure you were okay.

anytime you got so much as a scratch, the poor boy blames himself for letting his beloved mate endure an injury.

although he can be a little too protective at times, you adored how safe you felt around him, when you're in his arms, no harm could ever come your way. he would never allow it.

neteyam felt at peace knowing you were safe and sound in the warmth of his home.

except you weren't.

you were currently hiding among the bushes from the sky demons that invaded your beautiful planet. you thought you had it under control, but you couldn't slip away quiet enough.

"come on out, i won't hurt you" quaritch speaks with a sickening laugh, anger bubbled inside you as you remembered the horror stories spoken around the village, all origin from him.

he destroyed your life; he was the reason you were alone on this planet.

you gripped the knife in your hand, it happened to be the only weapon present. you were ready to pounce, to get your revenge but a shock ran through your body as a strong arm grabbed you by your neck, pulling you from your hiding spot.

you struggled in the RDA soldiers grip as he held a gun at your head, presenting you to his colonel, "aren't you a pretty thing" the colonel spoke through a disgusting smile.

you curse at him in na'vi language, to which he only chuckled at.

"where is your leader, jake sully?" his teeth were gritted against each other.

"it's embarrassing that you're still obsessed with him even after all these years" you spat back.

a scowl was evident on his face as he repressed his question, now with more aggression, "where. is. he."

you only hissed, you would die a thousand tortuous deaths before betraying the sully family.

"i like it when they're aggressive" his teasing made his face even more punch-able than before.

just then you heard a rustling through the bushes, all the soldiers looked around at their surroundings. you took this opportunity to contact neteyam via voice comms.

"old lab, hurry" was the only sentence that i could manage to get across, you prayed to eywa that he heard.

and he did, he didn't have time to tell anyone where he was going. blinded by his protective urge and rage that anyone would dare lay a hand on his beloved.

his heart pounded the entire ikran flight to his destination, thoughts invaded his mind. what if he couldn't get there in time?

what if you were already dead?

the thought of seeing his mate lay on the forest floor, lifeless eyes and a stiff body was a sickening sight to imagine, his stomach twisted in disgust at the mere thought.

he could only pray to the great mother that he would get there in time.

his ikran landed silently on the cliff side, his feet were quick yet stealthy as he navigated the forest, one goal on his mind.

get to you.

he hide behind trees, eyeing the situation. and there you were, still alive, a gun to your head as you backtalked the holder. neteyam internally face palmed at his fiesty mate, still can't help but get smart even as a bullet is threatening your life.

"you know, i could just take you back to headquarters and keep you as my pretty little na'vi." quaritch stroked your cheek which he earned another hiss in return.

this was neteyam's turning point.

he moved through the trees in silence, he had a good angle. he drew his bow back and shot his arrow right through the throat of the man who held you under his gun.

all the soldiers immediately went into action, guns up and frantically searching for the attacker. while neteyam kept moving, effectivly shooting every fake na'vi with his deadly arrow.

as quaritch got flashbacks from his fight with neytiri, he quickly fled, leaving the girl behind.

when everyone cleared out, neteyam went to you. falling to the ground together, he held you tightly against his chest before pulling away and examining you for any injuries.

"are you okay? what did they do to you?' a million questions ran out of neteyam's mouth at a unnatural pace.

you grasped his face between your hands, looking into his beautiful golden orbs, "i am okay ma'neteyam, thank you for saving me."

he kissed your forehead before resting his against yours, "don't thank me for this, you know that if you're scared, i'm on my way."

"i am never letting you leave my side again" neteyams arms crushed you as he now rubbed his face where your neck met your shoulder, "i thought i lost you, i was afraid i was too late."

neteyam was disappointed in himself for not being able to get there before you even had a gun to your head, he kissed your face all over, trying to erase the image of you struggling under the weapons of those demons out of his mind.

"i am okay now, neteyam," you reassure the boy who was on the verge of shaking, "now let us go home and rest, does that sound good?"

[strawberryxfieldz]

Garden of Eden (Wally x Reader)

a fluffy Wally/Reader one-shot I posted on my AO3 and figured I’d post on Tumblr!

since my main Wally/Reader fic has a darker plot, I really wanted to write some fluff for the puppet man. no experiencing the dreadful horrors here! Just pure fluff and stuff. short and sweet! Enjoy! @:)

CW for eye contact (yknow how it is)

Welcome Home Masterlist

When you wake up in the morning, you always have the assurance of Wally’s presence beside you. He had a sleep mask on and pajamas but you knew he wasn’t really asleep. Wally didn’t really understand the concept of sleep and took to repeating “I’m sleeping” over and over again in a hushed whisper that lulled you to sleep at night. Right now, though, he was simply smiling, hands folded on his chest.

You leaned over to pull his sleep mask off his face and press a gentle kiss to his forehead. “Hey, sleepyhead.”

“Oh!” His face lit up with delight. “You’re awake!”

You cuddled into his side, resting your head in the space between his neck and shoulder. He smiled and put an arm around you, hugging you closer.

“Yeah…” you replied with a tired groan. “Five more minutes before we get out of bed, though. I’m still sleepy.”

“Take your time, my love.” Wally kissed your head as you lay there, peaceful and happy in his arms.

You weren’t sure what you did to deserve this life with Wally but you certainly knew you loved it. You loved that you realized your feelings for each other, that you moved into Home with him, and that you were able to start off every morning like this.

Soon, you’d be out of bed and in the kitchen, helping each other make pancakes. Perhaps some would burn—Wally wasn’t the greatest cook—but you would laugh it off. At some point, you’d push back Wally’s long blue hair that liked to cover half of his face when down. He didn’t enjoy having to go without his pompadour (he used to hate you seeing him like that especially) but he was used to it now. You’d told him enough about how pretty you found him without all his hair products until he believed it. When his whole face was revealed, you gave him a loving, sweet kiss that he'd lean into with a smile.

After, you’d find yourselves underneath the big apple tree in your yard, humming songs and telling stories. Wally’s hair was done by now, and he had a sketchbook in his lap as he doodled many things, including you. You, meanwhile, were doing your best to make a flower crown. Julie taught you how to the other day. Unfortunately, you didn’t seem to be a quick learner.

“It’s not coming out right,” you whined, disappointment high in your voice.

Wally glanced up from his drawing to look at you. “Here. Let me see.”

You handed him your sad attempt at a flower crown with a frown. Wally didn’t hesitate to put it on his head and he gave you a small smile.

“How do I look?” he asked.

You suppressed a laugh at seeing the ridiculous mess of already-unwinding flowers sat atop him.

“The most.” You leaned over and pressed a kiss to his cheek. “Just as always.”

Wally smiled warmly at you, a bit lovestruck, and you couldn’t help but kiss him again, this time on his mouth.

Being a puppet, Wally didn’t exactly have lips to kiss, just felt. It also meant he didn’t understand the concept of kissing. He knew it was a declaration of love and, by now, he knew it was one of your favorite ways of giving affection. Still, he didn’t actually kiss back so much as press his face against yours as best as possible and make a ‘mwah’ sound when you leaned away. You considered it kissing, though, even if he did it wrong. He was just too adorable.

“You’re the one who's the most, darling,” he cooed.

You felt something ignite in your chest when he called you that. ‘Darling’ being his surname made it all the more flustering.

“But you’re so beautiful,” you insisted. You moved to cradle his face with your hands and he instantly stilled. “Here…” You kissed his forehead. “…here…” You kissed the space between his eyes where a nose would be. “…and here…!” You quickly pressed another kiss to his mouth.

“Mwah!” Wally said enthusiastically when you pulled back.

You giggled and scooted closer beside him. He rested against your side, leaning his head against your arm.

"What're you drawing there?" you hummed after another minute or two.

Wally held up his sketchpad proudly. He was only working with a few crayons and there was nothing but scribbles on the page, yet you were able to recognize your likeness pretty well between the lines. 

"You!" he replied with a sappy smile. "It's my favorite thing to draw, after all!"

You immediately threw him into a hug. Wally was much more accustomed to hugs thanks to his fellow neighbors but still went limp in them. It was like embracing a warm ragdoll, and you'd think Wally didn't like it from his lack of reciprocation if it weren't for the happy hum he made when his face was pressed against your shoulder. 

"Wally, you're so talented," you told him as you leaned away. "I'm so lucky."

Wally beamed back at you before continuing to color, content. You let him draw, relaxing in the relative silence between you, mind still whirring. As peaceful as the moment was, you couldn't help feeling dismayed. 

Wally did too much for you. He was always making art for you, his greatest muse, and he learned your ways of physical affection for you, even if he still didn't understand it all too well. There had to be something you could do for him in return before you felt like a totally inadequate partner to him. You racked your brain as you sat there, quiet, listening only to the sound of Wally's crayons moving against paper. That gave you an idea and you bit back a cheery smile as you made sure to store it away in your thoughts for later.

A few days later, you found yourself in the living room of Home, putting the finishing touches on your masterpiece. Well, okay, 'masterpiece' was a bit of an overstatement. In front of you, sitting atop a pile of old newspapers was a lump of clay very generously deemed a ceramic sculpture of an apple. There were too many bumps in the wrong places and the stem was leaning too far in one direction, making it askew, but it was still an apple!

At least, this is what you told yourself as you leaned back to examine your work. You put a finger to your mouth thoughtfully.

"I don't know..." you talked out loud to yourself. Then, remembering who you were with, asked, "What do you think, Home?"

Home made a sound that sounded like a door squeaking. You were pretty sure that was a good thing.

But, before you could mull over it any longer, you heard the front door open. You shot up from your spot on the couch, taking the ceramic in your hands and hiding it behind your back. A moment later, Wally walked in, a slight smile on his face that grew bigger upon seeing you.

"Hi, love!" you greeted, trying to seem as not suspicious as possible. "How was hanging out with Julie and Frank?"

"Fun." Wally nodded. "We chased a lot of butterflies. Frank got mad when I asked if I could keep them."

"Aw, I'm sorry."

"It's alright." Wally shrugged. "Friends shouldn't be caged in anyway. They should be flying free."

You smiled at the sentiment and leaned in to kiss his cheek, only to stop when he spoke again.

"What do you have behind you?" he asked, genuinely curious. 

You leaned back suddenly with a nervous smile. "Huh? Oh, nothing!"

"Can I see it?"

You rolled the ceramic in your hand, feeling every lump and crevice with a frown. Yet, you looked into Wally's big, black eyes, soft and caring as they stared back at you intently, and couldn't help but give in.

"Okay. Fine..." you sighed as you pulled the apple out from behind you. "It's, um, a thing I made for you."

You held it out to him so he could see it, bracing yourself for his reaction. 

Wally's eyes widened and his mouth parted with a small gasp. "An apple?"

"Yeah! It's made out of clay," you explained. You watched as he studied it before carefully taking it into his own hands. "You know, I figured since you like staring at your apples but they eventually all go bad... I'd make you one that never goes bad!"

Wally was quiet for a moment and his whole face brightened. "It's perfect!"

He walked over to the mantel and placed the ceramic there gently as you continued.

"Really?" Your smile twitched. "I know art is kind of your thing, I'm not as good at it but I just thought I'd do something for you since you do so much for me and-"

Wally smiled before pressing his mouth against the side of your face, effectively cutting off your rambling. You relaxed when he made a 'mwah!' sound as he leaned away. 

"I love it," he reassured you, voice soft. 

"Oh." You let out a sigh of relief. "Good."

"But why would you think you have to make something for me, silly?" Wally tilted his head. 

You looked down, suddenly feeling sheepish. Wally gingerly took one of your hands with his, giving you an encouraging nod. In return, you gave him a warm smile.

"I don't want you to think I'm inadequate," you replied with a shrug. "Because you're so talented and nice to me and all these other things and you deserve the best!"

Wally chuckled. You couldn't help but smile more at the sound of it, slow and monotone. You loved his laugh.

"You are the best," he told you, rubbing your hand with his thumb. "You're the most, darling. Your love is more than enough."

You felt a bundle of emotions begin to take over you, all so overwhelmingly happy you could hardly even fathom it. Gratitude, comfort, and pure love rushed through you as you continued to stare adoringly into those beautiful eyes. You wanted to jump for joy, hold Wally close to you and never, ever let go, and see to it that you made every day of the rest of his life perfect and full of love. Maybe then he would be able to feel a fraction of the amount of adoration you had for him and understand just how much he meant to you. 

Instead, you frowned playfully. "See what I mean?! You're too kind! It's not fair!"

Wally just laughed again. 

[the-writer1988]

Happy Anniversary To The Greatest AU Ever!

Two years ago today was the beginning of a series that I never thought that I would become obsessed about.

I am, of course, talking about TWO TANGLED SISTERS series written by the amazingly, talented (and rather aptly named) @twotangledsisters

Cassandra had never really been a favourite character of mine but over the years she has blossomed to become one of mt favourite Tangled characters outside Eugene and Rapunzel. I adore New Dream.

But what made me like this series in the first place?

the characters

the plot

These two things were fundamental in my enjoyment of the series. What if Mother Gothel had never abandoned Cassandra and she grew up with Rapunzel in the Tower? There are so many unique ways this idea could go but makes this AU rewrite so great is how original it is in Cassandra's origins.

Why was Gothel, arguably an old woman, willing to carry a child? What was the reason for it? This is never really adequately explained in the tv series, but this AU makes it even better!

Cassandra has a purpose. A purpose that is fleshed out and explored in this fic series.

The pairing of Cassandra and Lady Caine - quite a late addition in the planning of the story - was a STROKE OF GENIUS! Lady Caine's introduction came in the third main fic of the series titled: THE CORONATION.

Seeing how Caine goes from hating the royals to gaining a bit of respect for them and witnessing the love between Cassandra and Caine grow is beautifully written!

To be able to pull off such a rare pairing takes talent and @twotangledsisters has loads of it!

This fic series has everything you could want in it from an AU rewrite!

Rapunzel fans will be happy!

Eugene fans will be happy!

Lance fans will be happy!

Varian fans will be happy!

Friendship, family, adventure, angst, horror, hurt, comfort, romance and so much more!!!

Each story in the series is crafted into arcs, and this pattern has continued throughout the series.

I have been traumatised by a certain chapter in the S1 finale fic THE PRINCESS, THE PIRATE, AND THE PROSECUTOR. You very well know what chapter that is!

I wouldn't have missed this series for the world.

I would recommend this series to anyone looking for a good AU rewrite, who loves all the characters, loves the idea of trying something new that is out of their comfort zone, and wants to be dragged into a well crafted story from which there is no escape!

This series is my obsession. Every chapter gives me life.

Please, even if you are dubious, give the Two Tangled Sisters series a try!

Even if you do give it a go, you don't need to read all the side-stories! You can just stick with the main fics!

Here is a list of all the fics and the order you should read them in:

Two Tangled Sisters

Two Princesses (up to end of chapter 10)

What About Food? (first 2 chapters)

Surprise Birthday

Two Princesses (chapters 11-18)

Dot-Pox

Pear, Apple and Eugene

Two Princesses (chapters 19-22)

The Coronation

Within The Walls of Corona

Marmalade Moon Night

The Day of Hearts and Avoidance

A Birthday Is Supposed To Celebrate A Person

The Frostwork Festival

To Rule A Kingdom

The Alchemists Seach

The Princess, The Pirate and the Prosecutor

Vardaros and the Tower

What about Food? (final chapter)

Magic and Artefacts

High Tide Dream

Marmalade Moon: Couple Costumes

The Great Tree

The Past We Try To Forget

Shimmering Stones and Uncertain Destinies

Return to Corona

A Single Princess

The Path Mother Set Out For Me

Duty and Family

The Search For The Celestials

The Search For The Celestials is currently posting. The series is now in its S3 era and has deviated a lot from canon. Do not give this series a miss. Give it a go! It is honestly worth it!

[drowningindango]

you might have made a post about it before but im dumb and dont know how to look ykyk- UHH- do you have any madaobi fic recs? your honor i looooove themm

especially darkfic, anything focusing on madaras manipulation and psychological torture of obito or just the more messed up side of it. i love when theyre complicated and messy and madara is madara and obito has that little cute bit of stockholm syndrome that makes his adult self so adorable

Well, anon, I can definitely try :) and, no, I haven't made a rec post before as far as I remember

I know you said darkfic, but since you didn’t specify whether you’re comfortable with nsfw (sex) or triggering topics, I’ll add some warnings for the individual fics anyway. 🤔 (Please also check the tags of the fic before reading)

I’m also tailoring this list to your interests mostly.

(So if anyone else wants to ask for madaobi recs that go into a different direction, like wholesome fluff, horror, any other genre, hit me up xD my personal taste goes more into the direction of them being like yin and yang, push and pull, give and take, where the power dynamic can be flipped in the blink of an eye)

oh, uh, and if you click on the fic titles it'll link you directly to the fic

Rec list:

Between Black (narzissus)

Nsfw, sexual content, canon compliant. Can definitely recommend this one for you. :)

find your way by moonlight (blackkat)

A fic that really got a nicely written messed up dynamic between them. Multiple warnings here: Obligatory nsfw and dub con/non con warning. madaobi is not the main ship of the fic and is not the endgame!!! And as far as I remember, it gets cut off very early in the story. The reason I still recommend the story is because it got exactly that complicated stockholm syndrome and manipulation going on that you want, and the story dives right into that with the first chapter. (And it’s deliciously good). …I admit that I’ve literally only read the madaobi parts xD

Sealed off (Glove)

A short fic by my good friend Glove (who has written a lot of madaobi fics and I can warmly rec them all, but I picked a few that fit your taste specifically). 💕 Sfw, gore. Features the seal on Obito's heart.

Eye to eye (Glove)

No sexual content, but non con intimacy. Very manipulative. Another short fic.

Promise of spring (Glove)

Warning: mentions of mpreg and forced pregnancy. No sexual content. Definitely contains psychological torture for Obito xD

Longing (Nalyra)

This one has other ships besides MadaObi (mind the tags), if you dislike that, skip this one. but 👀 it sure got aaaaall the manipulation, messy relationships etc. aspects for madaobi. And it does it well. Warnings: nsfw. It's smut. Lots of it. xD

Your Warmth Burns Me (DualDreamer)

Idk, I'll be so bold to throw in my own fic here, even though I don't know if it falls even remotely under your parameters. It's definitely not a darkfic. But it's dealing with complicated feelings Obito has and it's veeeeery short. Sfw.

Enquiring_angel

This is my secret tip where I don't give a hoot about the parameters. xD Read any fic that's by enquiring_angel!!!!!!!! Just scroll through the madaobi tag on ao3 and if you see that name, click on it. She has such an amazing grip on the characters, I love her writing so much.

Secret tip: use online translator to read fic

Madaobi has a lot fans in the Chinese community on ao3. Can’t read Mandarin? Use a translator! Often the result will be a bit clunky but I found that once you get used to it, your brain can bridge the gap (like names that get messed up by the translator, or any grammar/sentence structure issues). There are some real gems out there. <3

Finally:

Otherwise, I can only recommend looking on ao3 by yourself. If you filter out any languages you can’t read (and maybe add some tags you prefer), the number of madaobi fics is small enough and not too overwhelming to navigate. (There are probably some fics I missed because I didn’t read them/they’re not up my alley, but might be to your liking?)

I hope this list helps out for a start. ^^

[lorkai]

Chapter I; Family

.⁠｡⁠*⁠♡ A/N: After literally a year I've finally finished writing the first chapter and the second is half-way done. But rereading this I realize I was being too demanding on myself, this chapter is fine. And despite the immense delay, I hope y'all like it as I do. I'll post it later on AO3 as well, the link to my profile is in my pinned post if you want to read it there btw. → Necromancer Au masterlist here.

.⁠｡⁠*⁠♡ Warnings: Mc was written gender neutral but in the original idea Mc was a man. So uh if there's any typo about their pronoun pls let me know and I'II fix it, I proofread two times but sometimes something can escape me. Also Lilith's alive.

.⁠｡⁠*⁠♡ Word account: 3K

.⁠｡⁠*⁠♡ Tagging: @dicetheroll @sunshinebea (It's been quite a while so I understand if you no longer want to get tagged in this.)

Traditions can be boring sometimes. But you absolutely adored the holiday tradition with your beloved demons, sitting in the living room before Christmas dinner and telling horror stories. Well, it wasn't just horror stories that were told on that day, there were jokes, challenges and various pranks going on, it was certainly your favorite day and you wouldn't trade it for anything.

Discreetly you watched the faces of each of them react to the tale of terror Lucifer was telling so intensely, clutching your cup of hot chocolate as you listened.

The fire in the fireplace lit his dark hair and his dark voice carried the same touch of drama even though he had already told several stories throughout the night, you watch as the older demon adjusts his glasses over his nose and takes a deep breath before continuing his unhappy tale. His grave words escape your ears as you can only thank whatever deity your path and theirs have crossed, because they were your family and they became very important people to you. You loved them and you knew they loved you too.

They were people you could no longer imagine living without. Each of them was special in their own way and they all brightened up your mornings, even if they were yelling or fighting as early as six o'clock sharp. You still managed to find joy even in the midst of your irritation through the chaos they created and dragged you into.

Beside him, Mammon lets out a loud scream and throws himself on top of the person closest to him for comfort. Everything happens in slow motion in your vision, he and Levi roll off the couch onto the floor and both struggle like fish out of water, completely in the middle of a senseless panic. The avatar of greed hugs his brother's torso with all the strength he has while the avatar of envy tries to flee. And a round of laughter spreads across the room like the hot fire that runs through their bodies and you try not to laugh so hard to spare them some dignity, but it's impossible once your gaze and Lilith's meet. And you burst into loud laughter as Satan helps them back to their feet.

"Grow up, Mammon." Asmo sneered in a cynical chuckle. His muffled voice was almost a whisper between the fabrics of the scarf he was wearing, and he burrowed deeper into the covers for a source of lingering warmth.

He resembled a kitten wrapped like that and Solomon seemed to have thought the same, pulling him closer and whispering something in his ear that made him laugh softly. They finally embraced again, Asmo resting his head lazily on the sorcerer's chest as the other man played with the demon's peach hair.

There's a certain simplicity to the gesture that almost makes you envious. Almost. You know you could throw yourself on top of both of them and snuggle into Solomon's chest too. It wouldn't be the first time after all

Belphie laughs at his older brother, hiding his laughter in his hands. The youngest of the brothers squirms in his seat and with the same malice as ever, places his cold foot on Mammon's bare ankles, which makes him jump once more and glare at him.

"Why did you do that?" Mammon, embarrassed and mumbling something under his breath, came to sit beside him again, so close that their knees were touching as Belphie laughed along with Satan. The avatar of greed sneaked a path to where your hand rested and wrapped it in his, warm, comfortable and your fingers fit together as if your hands were made for each other. You didn't say anything, sparing him embarrassment as you watched his reactions to the story Lucifer kept telling.

If anything, Mammon would rather work full time to make honest money than sit there and listen to one more tale of ghosts, goblins and fairies that makes him shudder all the time. But he didn't dare to oppose that tradition, not when it marked a really special period for each of them. The day you definitely went to live in Devildom with him and his brothers.

What was utterly ironic, however, was that at the end of the night he would most likely seek comfort in your room even though he knew that was precisely where the spirits he feared sought refuge.

You were a necromancer after all and everyone knew it.

"What, um... what happened next?" Luke asked, his eyes sparkling with curiosity. His heart clenched at the pessimistic thought that something might have happened to the fictional people in Lucifer's history.

Avalanche shadows and enraged mystical beasts were reflected between his blue eyes - few details you were paying close enough attention to remember, the youngest of the angels almost didn't want to think about the end of the story, but Simeon's hand on his shoulder gave him courage enough to keep still and wait.

  There was an expectant pause in which a smile graced the morning star's lips and he continued promptly after Barbatos poured him some more melancholy coffee. "To this day, they say that if there's a storm and you're walking around the mountain, you can see her spirit wandering aimlessly, looking for her children." Lucifer finished with a sigh, running his fingers through his messy hair, and then ran his eyes over the faces of each of his brothers and their guests.

He seemed satisfied with the collective shock that spread and then looked at you, searching for some surprised expression on your face or something, only his pride kept him from pouting when he realized he wouldn't have any of your expressions.

Stories like that didn't scare you for a long time, precisely because you've been dealing with situations like that since you were just a child. Still, the impact hit you hard when you processed all the information, not because it was scary, but because it was sad to imagine a woman who died during an avalanche and left her children helpless behind, on the verge of certain death that would befall them in the absence of her protection. It was just sad and yet, real. Just like so many ghosts who came to you begging to help their children, to tell you they were dead, or to offer solace.

If someone asked you how you see death, you knew exactly how you would answer. Melancholic and real. Things you loved during your life, things you were proud of, and all your deeds would be forgotten, buried in an endless round of study and work, of pain and hardship, of arrogance and greed, regardless of whether they were a good person or not. But it was also scary and cold, and bad for those who couldn't move on.

Whispers of approval at the story ran between the brothers. Lucifer was, much to Satan's displeasure, a very good storyteller. He confided in you once about how he tucked his brothers and sister into bed and told seven different stories every night when he was just a young archangel. In your mind a cute image popped up whenever you remembered that; just a young looking Lucifer putting little kids in their beds, tucking them in, kissing their foreheads and reading silly stories. It was hard to imagine him doing such trivial things when he was always so serious and austere all the time.

At least, you thought, after all the years that had passed he started acting more carefree like he used to be, according to what Mammon told you.

Five long years have passed quickly since you first came to Devildom as a mere exchange student, and in just a few days it would be six years. You still marveled at that fact on Christmas nights, mainly because everything was so different and surreal. You never imagined that talking to Lilith that day would take you so far away from human things and show you something unique, but here you are, happy, complete and feeling accepted among them. Thing humans would never do because they don't accept different people and you know it.

You remember all too well what happened when your so-called best friend found your grimoire and all the rumors she spread about you. Just because she was afraid of the unknown instead of trying to understand it. And mostly, you remember what your parents and doctors did to your older brother, thinking about him even after so long still makes your heart ache. How do you get over something like that?

"You forgot one detail, Luci." Lilith said suddenly. She was leaning over a small table, selectively choosing the sweets she would like to eat and then cramming as many as she could manage into her mouth at once. The lack of manners made her brothers all laugh at the way she resembled a squirrel with her cheeks puffed out, but even the embarrassment on her face didn't stop her from eating.

"The woman tends to follow the person she sees. So to get rid of her, you must guide her to the light, it's, um, pretty similar to what my kid here is used to doing since they were just a little sprout. Oh, how proud I am of them, you all should see them in action!"

The comment in a maternal tone warmed your heart and you almost wanted the former angel to wrap you in one of those warm hugs that took all the anxiety away, just like she did when you were just a child. But you restrained yourself and made a toast in her honor, raising your cup and drinking away with a goofy smile on your face.

"Come to think of it, how come we've never heard a story from you, Mc?" Satan asked. A cat pad was draped over his arms as he clutched it to his chest, the fabric mimicking the warm fur of a kitten. The blonde sipped his hot chocolate while waiting for you to respond with great interest in the topic.

But you knew he was just waiting for a chance to ask you to tell the story you briefly mentioned a few months ago.

On the one hand, it was true that they didn't know much about your histories or past in general. The brothers knew only brief details that Lilith told them when asked what kind of things you had been through together, some sad ghosts wandering and asking for help, the sound of footsteps on the floor of your room during the night and figures that you always saw out of the corner of your eye. But it was always fanciful, almost a sugar-coated lie.

And on the other hand, you didn't know if you'd like the idea of recounting all the thousands of sad and brutal cases on a night like the one when you celebrate family and unity. And there was so much blood and pain and torture in them that it could turn the stomach of anyone listening.

You could almost feel the presence of the people you've helped coming back to you, their hands rubbing your back or their warm breath on your neck, urging you to tell their stories, coaxing you to talk about what bothered you about each one of them. But that sensation only lasted a second and then your gaze hardened and you focused your attention on the flames devouring the charcoal and the crackling sound they made.

"I'll let you decide if you really want to hear such stories, but I must warn you that they are violent." You said it wisely. Then you leaned over and poured yourself some more hot chocolate, taking small sips to savor every drop of that precious liquid you hadn't had in a while. "I already have one in mind, in case the answer is positive. Not too violent and not too quiet, good enough for the Christmas mood."

"It's a must to have you tell the next story Mc, I can't stand listening to Lucifer talk all night anymore." Satan growled. The emerald eyes were focused in your direction, then quickly his focus returned to what he was drinking and to something Solomon had commented on some kitten post on Devilgram.

Lucifer rolled his eyes and began dramatically massaging his temples across the room, his melancholy coffee still curling upward in steam. And seeing that, Belphie quickly joined Satan just to make Lucifer's headache worse.

"I fully agree!" He suppressed a yawn before continuing to speak in a soft tone. "We've heard many stories told by Lucifer, Simeon and Barbatos. It would be nice to hear one that actually happened."

Leviathan and Mammon, however, seemed oblivious to everything going on around them. The two were playing a new game together that had just been released. The name was The Nephellim's Deal or something like that, you weren't sure, but you knew that several important figures for the history of Devildom were present in the game. Various wars, deals, and betrayals were elements you remember Levi talking about for several minutes.

Perhaps if you have time, you'd play it later and then you could compare your opinions on the game.

"Yummy sweets, they remind me of the ones we ate on our trip to India." Beel muttered suddenly, swallowing all the sweets on the tray and licking his lips so that not a single grain escaped him. You looked at Barbatos at the exact moment he trapped a sigh in his throat and smiled imperceptibly, tired and still wearing his white apron.

The poor demon has been baking cakes and pastries since early morning. You didn't have as much aptitude as him when it came to cooking, but your hands were aching after helping him for so long, the knowledge of his techniques, however, was too interesting for you to let a chance like that pass. Besides, you couldn't trust Solomon with cooking and you couldn't ask Luke to stay in the kitchen all day when you knew he wanted to play in the snow with the others.

Simeon smiled kindly. "I know you liked them so I brought these sweets directly from India, Beel."

At that moment Beel seemed to be hit by a cupid's arrow and he smiled widely. "Thanks Simeon. They were delicious."

"Boys, make up your mind please, Mc is impatient." Noticed Lilith. The angel was arranging the stockings over the fireplace in a specific way as she hummed her signature slow song, she almost seemed to float in the large coat that Lucifer always wore over her shoulders, smiling smugly as she managed to get her brother to hand over his favorite coat to her. "Don't torture my poor child too much or they'll get cranky."

You suppressed a giggle and waved your hand. But there was as always a ring of truth in her words, the brothers took ages to agree among themselves and the heady heat of the flames was enough to make sleepy sighs leave your throat and have you second-guessing whether you want to stay in the classroom or return to your quarters and sink into the comfortable, fluffy bed for a nap before Christmas dinner.

You let your head fall on your own shoulder as you waited for a statement from your other friends, humming the same song that Lilith was humming minutes ago, but more brighter and faster.

"I'll be happy to hear any stories, but I'm going to put Luke to bed first." Simeon signaled to the young angel who was sleeping in his lap. He got up and walked away towards the guest room that was given to him slowly, looking as tired as the others. And you swore you heard a yawn coming from him, but the sound was buried by Levi who let out a scream at that moment.

"Watch where you're going, Mammon!" He scolded his brother. "Why I'm playing a precious game like this with you?"

"It's not that I don't want to, it's just that ghosts and spirits are a darker topic than the horror stories we hear." Solomon stared at a fixed point, lost, he too had had his experiences with the supernatural. Instinctively he took his hand to Asmo's curls and twisted strands of his hair with his fingers, calmly patting Asmo's head, making the demon of lust purr violently. "But if you guys want to, I'm all for it. The only time I heard you tell any stories was during our practices together and they were all so short."

Lucifer turned to Diavolo and Barbatos with his eyebrows raised in mute question. But before they could even say anything the sound of the main doors opening made everyone fall silent and look at each other, noting that five people were still missing from their little celebration. Their voices and footsteps echoed down the hall quietly as if they owned the place and the shrill sound of Thirteen's laughter reached the room long before them.

And like a good host, the Morningstar calmly got up and went to meet his late guests. The sound of their happiness echoed in his deep voice as he greeted them warmly, you could hear the smile on his face.

And you took the opportunity to get up and stretch. Your feet were numb, but your mind seemed more awake and obviously the memories were resurfacing as well as Lilith, who was already smiling. She rubbed her hands together in an exaggerated manner and like a mother, she began to fix your hair and the collar of your shirt. "I kind of miss those times really, I always enjoyed running around and having fun with the ghosts."

"Are we going to tell the story about the drunken ghost? Or should we tell about the dancer and the mimic? So many stories to tell, I'm excited!" Lilith excitedly quoted the stories she remembered, counting on her fingers, her eyes shining in a special way as the faces and names of those people passed like a blur in her head, it's been a few years since most of them will happen. Those memories were as precious to her as they were to you and not for a second did you doubt that this wasn't the case, after all it was because of you that she had come back to life.

For the third and she hoped it would also be the last she was revived - but without dying this time, she was back in the world of the living, now as a half angel, half demon. One white wing and one black wing. Until now you didn't understand what went wrong with your reanimation spell to have caused this. But as long as she was alive and healthy, you assume it doesn't matter what she is. Plus she was now like Morgana, a nephellim.

She was finally back to life and that was all that mattered, you, her and the brothers could live happily ever after now, with nothing to worry about, with the exceptions of the usual chaos and silly fights that made everyone laugh.

You wouldn't trade it for anything.

"So… what do you intend to tell us?" Asmo eyed the two of you with interest, another purr leaving his lips as Solomon continued to rub his scalp and leave warm little kisses on his forehead. He looked sleepy, but curious enough to keep listening to you. "Oh, I already know! You could tell me how you met Lilith, for example."

"Or the story involving the S." Belphie smiled like he knew something his brothers didn't. And he sent you a particular look, a look that already communicated what he was thinking at that moment. He wanted to hear that story. For the third time…

Spoiled brat! You throught, smilling.

Lilith let out a laugh and gave her brother a shove with her shoulder. It was her way of telling him to be quiet, but you could already tell by the way everyone was looking at the two of you that their curiosity had been piqued by the comment made by the demon of sloth. They wanted an epic tale with spirits.

"What kind of story is this?" Beel asked his twin brother, stifling a small yawn against his hand. "Is it a scary one?"

It depends. You assume that human nature was more frightening than the facts that occurred, but yes. That was one of the scary stories you didn't like to remember, it reminded you that ordinary people at first sight could nurture bad thoughts and commit even worse crimes.

"Okay, let's tell the story of S." You took a deep breath and smiled, watching how the fire lit up the face of everyone present in that room. You were all about the dramatic effect.

And you sat in Lucifer's armchair, turning his coffee cup in your hand before you decided to taste it to see if it was good - big mistake, the taste was horrible for humans and Solomon laughed in your face almost like a little boy who won his favorite candy.

You were sure that he already tried the drink. "Awful, an outrage, I don't know how he drinks it! Uh-huh, completely insane, bitter, there's a distinct bitter that's really good, but this one? Bad…"

Barbatos laughed too. "I think you forgot, but the coffee of melancholy turns bitter when a person who likes you prepares it."

Oh yes. It makes sense.

Despite being strict, Lucifer was very soft with you. So sweet you didn't even have to eat candy to taste sugar on your tongue. You continued drinking his coffee with a chuckle.

But a clearing of his throat caught your eye and an unimpressed Lucifer glanced in your direction, a smug evil smile growing on his lips as he returned to his conversation with Hesperus, his counterpart and Nightstar, and his daughter, Morgana.

You didn't know what they were saying, but it seemed important as Diavolo glanced in their direction for a brief second.

The other guests began to sit in the vacant seats, Mephisto and his brother, Iblis, whispering softly and laughing, leaving several gift boxes under the Christmas tree and looking in the direction of the other people. You knew why since Mephisto had asked you what kind of things the brothers would like as gifts. But Thirteen was already heading to the coffee table for something to eat while she struck up a conversation with Beel, an elegant scarf draped over her shoulders perfectly enhancing the outfit she wore.

"So, uh, I suppose I can start?" You whispered to Lilith uncertainly, but the girl shrugged.

"Just a sec. Here!" Morgana handed you a small package. An unexpected gift and you smiled in her direction, thanking her softly.

"Uh…Okay." You muttered uncertainly. You left the box in your pocket and rubbed one hand over the other, waiting for everyone to settle down to hear that story. Mammon and Levi were still playing high enough to interrupt the immersion of the story, so Lucifer took their D.D.D and stuffed it in his pocket, sending them a severe look as they opened their mouths to complain.

At that moment Simeon returned, still drowsy, and sat down in his place. With everyone paying attention to you, you let out a long sigh and closed your eyes letting all the memories of that first event come flooding back. Everything you felt, everything you saw and lived, and with a smile you began to narrate the events.

"At that time I was six and my family was moving to the countryside..."

[vanillash0r3s]

crisp autumn leaves

(not a horror story, just a lil one for fun :3 )

It was a late night in October, I sat in my dark room with nothing but the sound of rain to comfort me. I was alone, with no friends, family and some work acquaintances. This sad reality is unfortunately routine, I lack the motivation to fix that. The wind and rain mix outside, making for a beautifully haunting lullaby. I look over at my clock, it is currently 12, the witching hour. I could very well go to sleep, and get my much-needed beauty sleep but, I have an itch. My body and mind want to be out in the wet October rain, I know I have nothing better to do, so I do. I light my candles, so I can see where my jacket and umbrella are, and then I grab them.

I then blow out my candles and continue with my midnight journey. I walk down the stairs of my apartment complex, I do so quietly as to not wake up any of my neighbours. The howling wind is pulling me, it makes me feel tranquil. I open the old wooden door of my apartment complex and stare at the street lamps, I wish we would have no street lamps. I would adore seeing the stars by themselves, they could light up the entire sky, filling it with cosmic beauty, and yet we have these man-made lamps.

They do their jobs, yes, but I dislike them. I decided not to decide tonight. The wind shall be my guide this evening. I take a deep breath and listen to the wind whispers. It tells me to go north, so I shall comply.

I pass the post office, the grocery store and my favourite antiques shop, such a shame that it's closed at this time of day. I glance at the soggy fire coloured maple leaves, on the ground. It makes me smile, the wind decides to lead me into the park. I am the only one there, I feel lonely yet content.

I close my heavy eyes and take a deep breath, I fall into a soft trance. I might not have any companions, but I am okay with that. As long as the birds sing, as long as the seasons change and as long as the flowers keep blooming, I am not alone.

[roseofcards90]

Ah, before I forget. What were your overall thoughts on Link Click? Like, s1 vs s2, favourite characters or arcs, that kind of thing? ^^

Omg!!! I'm so sorry about the wait 😭 I was trying to get all my thoughts together so I can type something coherent here so it's not just me rambling about how amazing the show is LMAO

Link Click spoilers below btw!!!

First off, I just wanted to say the overall mystery??? Executed very well! I was definitely not expecting both Tianchen and Tianxi to have powers (I thought something else was going on like they both swapped places/identities or something 😭), but it makes sense since they're siblings and they're meant to parallel the Shiguang duo! Even in the first season, I assumed it was only going to be one person that was the culprit behind the murders, but the show pleasantly surprised me with that! The siblings themselves were also just pretty tragic omg 😭 that whole flashback sequence with them being the foxes in the story, and Tianxi slowly sees Tianchen go down his dark path was so good. You already saw that post I made about them, but yeah I love tragic and doomed siblings as a trope it's great <3

One of my absolute favorite parts from the whole show tbh is the entirety of Season 1 Episode 11. That was a perfect final episode to end things off on and tease a season 2. Like the nonstop twists they kept pulling??? Like how they first initially present Emma's death as a suicide as a red herring but it turned out to actually be the case is so much more impactful and tragic than just having her be another person who was possessed by Tianchen. That whole scene with her and CXS on the bridge OUGHHH IT BROKE ME 😭 THAT WAS SO WELL DONE!!! The song, combined with the montage of all the people he and Lu Guang helped, him talking her down from ending it all and reaching out his hand to her with the sunshine rising above him...EMOTIONAL DAMAGE FR. Like I knew it wasn't going to end all happily, but the emotional impact was definitely there. And that ending omg — having Qiao Ling, one of the main characters we've gotten attached to and love dearly, be shown to have stabbed Lu Guang was brutal, especially for Cheng Xiaoshi 😭 the angst that came out of that and Qiao Ling feeling guilt for hurting Lu Guang even if it wasn't really her was all really heartbreaking. That whole thing, as well as Qiao Ling knowing what Lu Guang did to save Cheng Xiaoshi's life, really makes their relationship pretty rocky but also interesting!!! I want to see more of their duo together since the show has had plenty focus on Qiao Ling with CXS and CXS with LG, and also angst I want to see them both go through the horrors while CXS is standing there like :D LMAO

I would definitely say that Cheng Xiaoshi is my fave character out of the whole cast. I absolutely adore everyone else don't get me wrong, but I think what makes CXS so special and unique to me is how they made empathy one of his core defining traits. Because he’s lived through so many different lives and experiences, he just has a lot of compassion and understanding for all kinds of different people, and that's pretty admirable! Idk, I don't see that often much, especially in a time travel story of all places, but the premise works here very well along with how CXS is initially characterized as a very easygoing person who wants to help people at his core.

As for other stuff exclusive to season 2, I'm very curious to see what direction they'll go in for season 3 just with the way season 2 ended with that bombshell lol. When a season 3 does roll around, I hope we get more character exploration on the guy who's seemingly the main antagonist, Liu Xiao. I know we got some characterization with him because of his past with Tianchen, but I would love to see more of him and what his plans really are with trying to "bring more parallel lines together". Also Lu Guang betraying his own rules to save Cheng Xiaoshi I don't have anything else to say other than GOOD SHIT!!! I love it when characters are hypocrites I love it when characters in time travel stories break time itself to save the person they love <333 it's like crack to me I swear lol.

Other extra things!!! Soundtrack absolutely amazing, I've been listening to all the ops and eds on spotify lol. Character designs, voice acting (I watched the original Chinese version), and overall animation was amazing. High marks all around for me fr!!! I think personally I enjoy season 1 just a bit more? Only because that final episode was beautiful for me and I loved seeing all the different clients the duo had, but in terms of overall plot, I would put season 2 above season 1.

[docholligay]

Marrowbone

Thank you so much to @iscahwynn for buying this from me for my mother's birthday trip! I am happy to say this is SOLD OUT FOR THE YEAR. (And I have no idea if it'll come back next year--I don't think I have a major trip to help with) In October, I'll be doing Hero, and in November, I'll be doing Parasite. Keep your eyes peeled if a book is of interest to you, and then after I get my schedule done, there may be some other ancillaries!

This is a Spanish horror film in English. That isn’t me saying that everything inspired by a different film is stealing it, this is me saying a Spanish writer and a Spanish director made a film in English, and it is very Spanish in feel and in the sort of “scare” we’re offering up. Me putting that in quotation marks makes it seem like I don’t appreciate Spanish horror but Spanish horror is in fact my very favorite if we have to pin down extremely large and broad swaths of movie by country. However, I understand why a movie like this would not necessarily be appreciated by a lot of fans of horr or casual horror watchers. It’s pensive, it’s slow, it doesn’t have a lot in the way of actual ‘scares’ because that’s just not, by and large, what Spanish horror films DO. If someone is looking for a film that involves a lot of the American style of extreme tension and release (Which I also enjoy. This is absolutely not me dogging on American horror.) then this film really isn’t for you. 

BUT, if you love the idea of pursuit in an emotional sense, of the walls closing in and reality coming for you as you attempt to hide from it, this might be right up your alley. Is it as good as The Orphanage? No, I’m not sure I think it is. It’s really missing some of those ‘pop’ moments, like “toca la pared’ in its driving force, and I think a couple of the characters feel a little half-formed, but it is a deeply enjoyable film if you are a fan of this style of horror film

Horror is always a difficult medium because what horror is and means to people is so different. It’s like comedy, only I would argue that people seem to realize more easily that comedy is extremely personal. Horror is the same. Not just ‘what scares you’ though that as well, but ‘what are looking for in a horror? What does that mean to you?’ 

So, Me: In horror I generally want a supernatural base for a story, and I prefer it to say something, though i am totally fine with “Isn’t this fucked up?” as long as the tension is well balanced and i don’t feel insulted. I tend to prefer ghost stories where there is some sort of explanation for the haunting, as is more common in European and American stories, and truly adore possession stories. When it comes to what i like horror movies to be about, many things, but I’m very fond of memory, and history, and guilt, and what the idea of a person is. 

All this to say that in many ways, this is tailored to me. 

Jack is this axis upon which the family spins, even long before his mother dies, the stable and straightforward one. Each of the siblings has their own role, but it matters that Jack is the one to survive because in truth he’s the only one that could survive. And with his mother dead, he has to keep this massive secret. I would argue with a great many parts of this whole “We have to hide that our mother is dead to the extent that we cannot fucking leave the house in rural Maine” and as someone who has lived in rural America most of my life, I am not sure that it holds up in narrative court, but ultimately it’s not so distracting that it pulls me out of the story. It’s part and parcel of how the story has to work, though it DID make me figure out they were dead. Jack is under immense strain, though, even before they die. It’s plucking at the fabric of his mental state long before his father comes and kills everyone. 

(For all being confused by the fact that he can’t do anything until he’s 21, the age of majority in the US was not 18 (I would argue it still is not, but that’s a different post entirely) in the US until 1971, in the wake of the Vietnam War and specifically the draft. Not that he would have been in much better shape in the UK--the age of majority became 18 there only in 1969.)

But when they ARE killed, they come back to save his life (according to Jack’s version of them*) and they are all aspects of Jack. It’s important to remember that Jack is actually doing everything for himself. So, Jane is the nurturing aspect of Jack’s self, the one who cooks and cares and soothes, Billy is his anger, his ability to destroy and to kill--at the end, it’s the voice of Billy that goes, “let me do this”--and of course Sam is his innocence, Jack’s need to be protected and cared for, the part of him that is afraid and young. On a rewatch, it’s actually pretty easy to see how their personalities change to fit these incredibly broad strokes after they die, because our memories of people are not those people. They are the coastal outlines of how we remember them. Jack is saved by the aspects of the people he loved. 

I want to DO something with the idea that the family escapes England, runs from it, to come to America, and the exact same trouble that they had in England follows them here. The same murder and abuse and pain comes for them anyway, a sea between them. And the mother is from Maine, or her family is. I’m not sure what to do with all of that, but it feels like that’s so much work to simply be a coincidence. But I’m not just not sure what to do with it. I could do a whole idea about the very formation of America, about this idea that is very much a part of the building of the American idea where your history is anew the second you step over the border, where you are far enough away from the ‘old world’ that you can escape its horrors. But you can’t. It comes for you, it comes down the chimney, it kills the things you love, and is this part and parcel of the inescapable horror of Where You Come From? I don’t know that I LOVE that as an answer, it feels imperfect to me, but I feel like that’s such a very specific choice, especially with taking the money from there, that there has to be something in it. 

And I mean, that doesn’t have to be specifically about the US and the UK, you could say the same thing about Spain and Mexico, to bring it back to the writer/director, where there are so many good things about the US/Mexico, but also horrors that have been inherited from the UK/Spain, and it is impossible to live in a house that was built for people across the shore and to keep out the horrors. 

On that note, let’s talk about Tom, who is a little mustache-twirling for my tastes in a movie that is essentially about escape and memory and how we choose to live with tragedy.  I’m not sure if this has anything to do with The UK, sure, but specifically England--and this family is specifically English--and the US have a really difficult history, we are family of a kind, but we can also resist each other and be pretty cruel to one another. This feels like a kind of anger, a kind of resentment that no matter how well you do, no matter how absolutely ruined Jack/the UK is, he’s preferred for what? Suffering in silence instead of wanting more? ALSO ALSO, and I don’t know that the writers even knew this, but it could be something about how the well-being of the UK has, for at least the last 70-odd years, been tied in a large way to the well-being of the US. The two worst recessions in the Uk before the pandemic were tied to US CRISES. The recession in the early 00s, the worst in the UK since WW2, was tied to OUR subprime mortgage crisis. In the 90s? Tied to our savings and loan crisis. We are inevitably fucking tied to each other, and also we hate each other. I was going to write something else, but I’m getting off-track, and I don’t know if I think this is totally supported by the narrative, but I want to do something with Tom that is more than ‘mean antagonist’ and so I’m standing here before you with a list of recessions in the Uk going “Is this anything?”

I actually think Anya Taylor-Joy is a bit wasted here, as her character requires very little, and is mainly an accessory and an idea to everything that is happening. Maybe I’m underselling it--it’s completely possible that without Taylor-Joy, the character would become so weak and one-dimensional as to be annoying, and she never really does that, she feels unexceptional and real, and that is enough. 

This is by design, of course. WE are Allie. We immediately fall in love with the family and are kept emotionally distant from the reality of their situation. We understand things only as they come to us through Jack. We have to rely on his version of events. Remember the ‘reveal’ is through his little book. We choose to believe him, because like Allie, we love him. 

So Iscah asked me what I think of the ending and specifically what I think of the idea, as put it “that it seems to be cast as positive” that he is still seeing his family. Do I think it’s being cast as positive? I don’t know if I do. I do think it is designed to put him in sharp contrast with his mother, who has everyone step over the line and forget everything that came before, and even when Jack himself does this, it’s to forget something instant and specific. I think part of what’s it’s saying is that what his mother attempts is impossible. That our pasts and our presents are impossibly tied up in one another, and to set it aside is going to end in tragedy. And, in fairness, maybe that makes it correct that Jack’s still living ‘with’ his siblings. 

 It’s certainly not being cast as fully negative, I’ll give you that all day long, but I don’t know if I fully agree that it’s being cast as positive. It’s sort of cast as neutral. If it were cast as positive I’d argue that he would be living a richer, fuller life. When we come upon him, we don’t even really interact with him, Allie comes upon him sleeping on the porch, and wakes him up. There’s no indication that he’s helped by the haunting of his siblings. There’s no indication he ever leaves the house.  Now, could he someday end up having a good life, with something he enjoys doing, and marrying Allie, fixing up the house, al the things he’d like to do? Sure, perhaps. But also could he end up essentially always sitting on that porch staring into the field. 

I do think that is the point, actually. That he could go either way, now. That he has decided, and Allie has decided, that living with the denial of what’s happened is better than living with the reality of what has, and whatever happens after there is still up to them. He was going into town and making cakes and selling things and all that when he was hallucinating his family as alive, so there’s really no reason why he can’t learn to repair plaster and lath while Billy holds the ladder or whatever. I realize I’m being a little flippant about it, but I think when you’re dealing with being, we’ll just call it odd for the sake of casting a wide net, you can learn to live with it, and learn to be a reasonably happy person with it, most of the time. You may not do everything the way other people do, but you can learn to make it work. 

In all, I really enjoyed this movie, but I don’t know that I would say it’s a slam dunk. The characterization really leaves something to be desired, and while I am absolutely making things out of it, I have no idea how much of that is based in intention and how much of it is simply me seeing what I’d like to see. The dialogue is sometimes very stilted, and while I think the idea is fantastic, I think the execution needs a little massaging. All that said, I love this kind of movie and so I would happily recommend it to anyone else who ALSO likes this kind of movie. 

*This brings me to a very very interesting point, which is: Do they come back, or are they only figments of Jack’s imagination? You might say, ‘Well, Doc, the doctor says that he’s nuts, and even you said that every single one of them is an aspect of Jack.” Listen just because I said something doesn’t mean I’m not going to argue with it literally five minutes later, and also, this could be something that almost BECOMES a possession narrative. Is there a chance that he 

On that note, I don’t actually think the narrative believes this or backs this, because we have Allie physically and literally see his father, but an interesting idea that his father is also an aspect of himself and he killed his siblings under the pressure of caring for them. Note that I don’t think the story bears that out and I don’t think that’s the intention of the film, but it’s an interesting thought experiment. But it’s at the bottom because I don’t think it’s ‘real’.

[just-my-latest-hyperfixation]

for that writers ask game!!

🥺

🛒

🎶

🤗

👐

🥺 Is there a certain type of moment or common interaction between your characters that never fails to put you in your feels?

Oooh, so many honestly. I often end up making myself feel feelings when writing (which is why angst is hard, i get all mopey about it). 😅

Something that always gives me warm fuzzies, though? When they make each other realize the good qualities in each other that they themselves are unable to see. The “I wanna try and get at least a little bit closer to the person you see in me” of if all. The “if you believe I can be like that, then I can”, aaaw 🥹

🛒 What are some common things you incorporate in your fics? Themes, feels, scenes, imagery, etc.

Hm, I feel like a try a lot of different things and dynamics and premises. I go feral when they are all possessive and borderline obsessed with each other, so you'll see that trope sneaking in a lot. 😅

Some other tropes I adore writing are bitch4bitch (it's about the banter), found family, and angst with a happy ending (the worse the horrors, the bigger the reward) 💖

🎶 Do you listen to music while you write? What song have you been playing on loop lately?

I'm one of those weird ppl who write in silence (the brain can only focus on so many things at once), but music is still very important to my stories. I have a list of songs I associate with each, like a mini soundtrack, and I'll often listen to them *before* writing to get myself in the mood. 

Lately I've been daydreaming about my mob boss Eddie ficlet and listening to this one a lot. 

🤗 What advice would you give to new fanfic writers that are just getting started?

Write that self-indulgent shit! Even if your inner bully tells you it's silly, or that it's been done a million times over, or that nobody will want to read it. If you are in love with the idea and writing the story brings you joy, that joy will shine through. 

And after you’ve written that self-indulgent shit, post it! I was so, so scared when I hit that “post” button for the first time, but the only thing I regret now is that I didn't do it much, much sooner. 

🤲 Would you please share a snippet of a wip?

“Hey,” Steve makes his way inside slowly, ducking around the graduation gown on its hanger by the door. “Wayne called me, said you wouldn’t come out of your room? Ceremony’s starting in half an hour, what are you- Eddie? What’s wrong?” 

Because he has just spotted Eddie, huddled on the mattress with his back against the wall, arms wrapped around hunched knees, trembling hand still clasping the stupid cap. Steve is in front of him in an instant, mattress dipping under his weight. His hands cup Eddie’s face, tilting his head up, and Eddie knows he should pull away, he really should. Still, he’s helpless to do anything but let himself sink into Steve’s comforting touch, his familiar scent. 

Ask me stuff!

[readnburied]

What I Read in January

Target: 11

Read: 3

This is probably the most embarrassing wrap up of my reading and blogging journey but there was a lot happening during the month which is made it difficult for me to sit down and read properly. I’m not an audiobook person so reading a book took longer than usual. But I still managed to read three really great books and here are their names. 

Rouge by Mona Awad

This book is a stand alone and is Mona Awad’s newest release which follows the life of Belle (Mirabelle) who is obsessed with being beautiful just like her mother. But after her mother’s sudden death, Belle has no choice but to go back to her mother’s place, a beautiful ocean-view property with neighbors that have more secrets than they’re aware of. Not to mention the secret salon that can make one beautiful in exchange for a small price, which Belle doesn’t know she’d agreed to pay. 

I love Mona Awad’s books. And this one blew my mind just like her previous books have done. Everything from the world of fashion and beauty to the weird horror that is her style, it was all perfection. I wouldn’t write too much about my feelings and opinions in this post as this book was my favorite of the month, so it’ll have more information in a separate book review. But if you haven’t read this book yet, you need to pick it up right now and binge read it. 

Unbroken by Paula Morris

This is book 2 and the conclusion to the Ruined series and follows up with the main character Rebecca Brown who is once again pulled into New Orleans due to circumstances out of her control. But this time, she has no intention of getting into ghost drama. She just wants to spend time with her family and Anton whom she hasn’t seen in so long. However, the ghosts of New Orleans have other plans and Rebecca would soon realize that when a ghost wants something it won’t stop until it had it. 

I loved the entire gothic setting and atmosphere of this book just like the first one. But unlike the first book, this one was more on the sweet and adorable side because of the ghosts starring in this volume. And there were a few things which seemed kind of far fetched but it’s a book about ghosts so I don’t mind that much. I had an incredible time reading this book and I’m kind of sad there aren’t more books in this series. 

Nightshade Revenge by Anthony Horowitz

This is book 14 and the final book in this riveting series that follows Alex Rider who is on a mission to destroy Nightshade—the biggest terrorist organization in the world—before they kill him. And when he finds friends in unlikely places and people show their true colors, Alex has no choice but to travel to the world of Wild West and take a chance on his own rodeo if he had any chance of living. 

I was actually sad reading this book as it’s the last in the series and the story that was always with me through my teenage finally comes to an end so reading this was bittersweet. But I’m glad I read it and as always the author did not disappoint. However, I would say the ending felt a little rushed to me and I think the book could’ve used two or three more chapters. But I’m definitely going to miss this series because it holds a lot of sentimental value for me and always will. 

So these are the books I read in the month of January. I know it’s not much but I’m glad what I read I enjoyed. Have you read any of the books listed above? Do you plan on reading any? Do let me know and I’ll try and focus on reading more books for the next month.