#mari apparently writes things

[murphycooper]

ozark really expects me to believe jonah would do ruth dirty like that huh?

[gwynfish]

not trying to throw shade, but i am low-key not a fan of how everyone is so super negative about - not the series itself but quite specifically elrond? sure, it's amazon and it'd be foolish not to remain sceptical, but this whole situation is veering too close to the edge for me. that edge that turns the "debate" into hate and painful for the actor and the people putting effort and energy into his costume and make-up, yk, people that might be affected by the overwhelming negativity and who really are trying their best

[mrskurono]

about characterizations like i love that post where its like every other take of this character is wrong, my take however, is correct and very sexy

Everyone else writing *insert fav character* : terrible, writing privileges revoked, go back and try again

Me writing said character: Immaculate. Perfect. They should hire me full time

[heavenlyborne]

[ustrinamor]

Me the other day, wanting to write Katriel but I haven’t read the actual novel so I’m scared I’ll butcher her characterization: oh I....better....not....

*hours of research leads to me discovering that the characterization in the book was all over the place and not even entirely present for Katriel and she is reduced to tropes and is more defined by her looks than her personality in the eyes of the narrator and her potential is wasted under a male-centric lens*

Me, rubbing my grubby little canon divergent hands together:

*to the tune of Ghostbusters*

When a badass girl

is ruined for the male gaze

g u e s s   w h a t   I ’ l l   u s e ?

*＊✿❀✿＊* *＊✿❀❀✿＊* *＊✿❀✿＊*

・.・゜゜・ H E A D C A N O N S ・゜゜・.・

*＊✿❀✿＊* *＊✿❀❀✿＊* *＊✿❀✿＊*

[lifesizehysteria]

I know I haven't been blogging about it but I have been writing. I'm making really good progress on something and have a couple ideas stewing. Idk why I got so stuck on that smut but putting it away for the time being seems to have been the right choice. My muse has taken me somewhere else and it seems to be a good thing. I'm sure I'll be back to that other one in not too much time. It's one I really want to write for you guys. It's just not the time right now and forcing it never works.

[darthstitch]

Professor Mysterious and Professor Wet Cat

This is my take on that Dreamling post making the rounds about Hob and Dream being uni professors and that Hob is surprisingly NOT the prof who overshares and Dream is the one who inadvertently does.

Buckle up, kids, let's have some fun with this. Also, gentle reminder: NOBODY TELL NEIL. SHHHH!

This time around, Hob's using his proper name, Robert Gadling, because it's been a while since he's trotted that one out and he kinda likes the seeming rightness that the once upon a time near-illiterate medieval peasant that he'd been was now teaching at a rather prestigious university. However, he's not prone to sharing much about his personal life to his students. He's still warm and friendly, but he's cautious about letting Certain Things slip.

Hilariously, the things that do slip end up making him everyone's favorite university cryptid. Sometimes Hob slips into Middle English when he's stressed or emotional. Sometimes he might use odd old-fashioned sounding oaths like "God's wounds," "Holy Jesu," and "Mother Mary's teats" (this last one sends everyone into spasms of laughter).

The literature department ADORES him because they can always drag Professor Gadling off to read Chaucer in its original form or even medieval French, his pronunciation perfect and dead on. Shakespeare is the only thing he'll flat out refuse to read because in any universe this Fuzzy Blue Alien's gonna write, his hatred of the Bard is the stuff of legend.

The students universally agree that Professor G is basically British Indiana Jones, because he's also known to have lethal expertise in medieval weapons. There's been more than a few fantasies inspired during the booked-solid outdoor demonstrations where he works in tandem with the other medieval history professors to show everyone how medieval weapons worked. Apparently, his favorite weapons are the longbow, the bastard sword and daggers.

Obviously, this all leads to Professor Gadling being the campus crush and his relationship status is a matter of hot speculation even if he's made it perfectly clear he was not about to violate his ethical standards or position as a teacher. It still doesn't stop the fevered fantasies of more than a few grad students, though. But that's all they're gonna get.

And then, there's the new literature teacher, Professor T. Murphy.

To everyone's disappointment, Professor Murphy is only going to be at the university for a limited series of lectures. Word of mouth spread fast, and his classes were now booked solid and he was going to be asked to return, once his apparently very busy schedule is cleared.

7. Of course, he's an instant campus crush, with the "Goth angel" looks, the Edward Cullen jokes are definitely flying and there's more than a few students melting after they heard him speak. "That Voice" is always referred to in capital letters and it's well deserved.

8. "Campus crush" turns to "Official Precious Blorbo" once the students all discover that behind the whole regal and imperious Goth Prince vibe that he gave off, was an adorkable darling wet cat who was just completely gone on "my beloved." If he's discussing a love sonnet or poem, there's definitely going to be a reference to "my beloved" or "my dearest" or "my love." It's never sickeningly cloying and the sweet tiny little smile that takes over his normally serious face is like sunshine. The kilig feels are real.

9. He's also forever worrying that he's not enough for "my dearest" as he's rather painfully aware "of my lack in human graces" - which everyone translates to "OMG HELP I HAVE THE SOCIAL SKILLS OF A SCRUNKLY WET CAT." He frets that he's somehow failing his beloved, who is infinitely sweet and thoughtful and caring and that Professor Murphy is the selfish one, really, who doesn't deserve the man.

10. The students, of course, immediately ADOPT him. Tesco ice cream runs are done, YouTube videos on cooking and invites to kitchens are extended so Professor Murphy could practice making something that is "not a catastrophic culinary disaster unfit for human consumption." There was a session on the language of flowers, which everyone had enjoyed. For a while, flowers with significant meanings were presented to sweethearts and lovers all over the uni. There's an unforgettable after-class meeting in which the craft-inclined students teach Professor Murphy how to knit and crochet and he was really rather proud of the scarf he had created.

11. Professor Murphy's raven had been rather entertained playing with the yarn scraps. The students learn that the raven's name is Matthew.

12. And then, dashing, mysterious Professor Gadling finally peeks into Professor Murphy's class.

"The things I do for you, myne owne hertis rote. Bloody Shaxberd."

"But you do read him so very well, my love." And there it was, that tiny, soft, sweet smile, now aimed in Professor Gadling's direction.

Professor Gadling sighs and puts a hand over his chest. There's a very familiar scarf draped over his neck. "God's wounds, dove, warn your poor, long-suffering husband before you do these things."

"What 'things,' dearest?"

Professor Gadling waves his arms helplessly. The scarf slips a little, offering a tantalizing view of a purplish mark on his throat. "That thing!" He looks appealingly at the students, who are now all stifling their delighted giggles. "Look at him! My heart can only take so much!"

And that was how everyone found out that Professors Gadling and Murphy were actually happily married.

Incidentally, the Shakespeare reading, in which both professors took part, was a true kilig apocalypse. Instant campus legend.

[whatislife1babydonthurtme]

Things in Stranger Things season 4 (Volume 2) which did not make sense, were forgotten or simply pissed me off.

❗️Spoilers obviously❗️

The whole town was convinced that there was a cult going on and people got up looking for Eddie and seemingly the rest of Hellfire Club because they were convinced it was a cult. Did they just give up? They never showed up again. Also the parents didn't bring this up at the end when everyone was reunited.

Why did Mike believe that the painting was for him and El when he clearly read the letter that said Will was painting it for someone he likes. Additionally, how the fuck did Mike not notice his supposed "best friend" sobbing in the car right next to him? You can clearly see him look in Will's direction but he just doesn't do anything.

Is the police just... dead? Where are they? Why are they not actively going after Jason's crew

Where is Owen? Is he alive? Why did he say that he could get El back in Hawkins in 2 hours tops if the Cali crew said it would take all night to get back, was he gonna call a private jet or something??

Where is the military? They went to that lab and then were never heard of again.

When Nancy was Vecna'd, she was in the laboratory. Why???? She had nothing to do with that place. Why wasn't she robbed from facing her own fears and traumas at the start of volume 2? Also when she got stuck in front of those doors which were blocked off by planks, they were push doors. Why did she rip off all of those planks if she could've just pushed the door and crawled in between those planks. Maybe I'm getting something wrong here but that just seems like such a hard thing to miss while writing the script...

Why did only Jason and his buddy go to Lucas and Erica when he had a whole team? Were the other guys just watching tv?

Vecna survived being transported to another reality and being hit by lightening so much that his skin peeled off, but can't handle Steve and Robin throwing a molotov at him? Or a shotgun? Really?

Did they leave Eddie's body in the upside down? Why is nobody mourning him besides his uncle and Dustin? I thought Mike, Lucas, Steve, Nancy, Robin and even Erica cared.

So El can bring people back from the dead now? That's not telekinesis, that's Mary Sue magic. What's next? She can share her powers with anyone she wants and then they can make people fly with the jerk of a wrist?

We still don't know why the upside down is stuck on the moment Will was taken. With the way this was brought up in volume 1 it really seemed like this would be answered in volume 2. But of course not, because Will Byers just kept getting sidelined in every way possible.

How come it was leaked that 5 people would die in volume 2 but the only important characters who died were Brenner (papa) and Eddie. Max died but she was brought back to life because apparently Eleven can do that now. That's not 5 is it? Or did they count the people in that helicopter who were trying to shoot Eleven?

Were we supposed to care about Brenner's death???? With how the cemra kept focusing so much on him? I was glad to watch him go!!

The timeskip of 2 full days in the middle of the climax???? Wtf was that??????

Mike being a complete asshole to Will these past 2 seasons was just for no reason then? He is JUST an asshole??

Were Robin, Nancy and Steve just choking on those vines for like 15 minutes or was the time where Eleven struck Vecna actually a lot shorter than that?

They actually forgot Will's birthday, I hoped they were just joking but they really forgot. He was the only character with a canon birthday within the series (until they talked about Dustin's) but clearly they care so little about Will that his entire existence is forgotten.

Wasn't the upside down toxic? Why is everyone just fine inhaling the shit?

The queerbait. No, gay people didn't bait themselves. Netflix, the Duffers, and the actors were actively promoting Byler and hyping up Will's sexuality when in reality Byler is just doomed, not just as a romance but as friendship as well. And Will did not explicitly come out to anyone. People are STILL in denial that he's gay and that's exactly why you make characters come out instead of keeping it "up to interpretation wink wink"

Will calling Mike the heart of their group yet Mike's the one who broke their party up the most.

Mike saying he instantly fell in love with Eleven when they met, as if he didn't tell her to shut up, go away and stop being weird back then.

Mike saying his life started on the day he met Eleven, the same day Will went missing, in his face. When Mike said before that the best thing he had ever done was befriend Will in kindergarten.

So did Vecna create the Mind Flayer or did it already exist? Cause if Vecna created it that's so goddamn lame and it adds no new mystery.

The continuous stereotypes and suffering/deaths of outcasts, poor people, queer people and people of color. One black character plays basketball and the other is a sassy one-liner. The brown guy is a funny weed man with barely to no relevancy to the plot. One lesbian gets a lazy background ship with a girl who is an exact copy of herself and the gay character is living in a painful unrequited love story and used as fuel for the main straight couple, without even being given a canon coming out scene. All this while the straight couples get together and have tons of moments together. Eddie who is poor, is seen as a cultist, dies and nobody besides 2 people mourn his death. Max, another poor character who had already lived through trauma and abuse, dies, gets brought back to life, is now comatose, probably crippled, and maybe permanently blind.

Will's endless suffering. He just can't ever be happy can he? Wtf is wrong with the writers...

Did the Russian crew just end up at Hoppers cabin like that in 2 days? No problems whatsoever? Wow that's convenient.

Hopper hugs Mike but not his new stepsons?

Not one, not two, but three jokes about Hopper once having been fat because he's lost weight in the prison.

Comments had some great additions and I came up with some more too so here's more:

Nobody showed up to Lucas' game when he had a very valid reason to want to play, and it was never brought up again. They all stood him up.

Eddie's death was so rushed and predictable. I saw it coming as soon as he said his whole "I'm a coward I run away I'm not a hero" speech. It's typical "I'm a coward so I'll die a hero" foreshadowing which is overused and just horrible. And in the end he didn't even save anyone, it was completely unnecessary. Eddie deserved to live.

Eleven not being able to win the final fight until she got validation from her boyfriend. Why was she not allowed to do this by herself?

The military watching the pizza van drive off and then do nothing about it? I thought they were experts at tracing and tracking, but nope, they just gave up after Eleven escaped the underground lab.

Just the Cali crew being sidelined so much when they once were such interesting characters (besides Argyle)

Steve saying he always loved Nancy and never moved on despite him telling Robin in season 3 that he didn't like her anymore. Let Steve move on and stop having Nancy jump from boy to boy, hurting them both in the process.

Just a nitpick but the sound design was so overly dramatic at times? Like Brenner LITERALLY snapped a pencil and the sound design was like ☄️💥🔥

Tell me what I missed cause I'd love to add it on this shit list.

[futureshawolhearts]

Teacher AU 6/? This is from Suho’s perspective, sorry it’s so short. (~1K)

He continues on with how well Kibum’s doing and how good he looks now that he’s eating every day and other things that Suho stops listening to. Minho keeps laughing and every time he does, Kibum just beams and leans in closer to him.

( @taespoon-of-sugar @ethereal-minho )

When Suho arrives at Changmin and Kyuhyun’s apartment, Kibum and Minho haven’t arrived yet. Changmin answers the door excitedly but his face immediately shifts to disappointment.

“It’s just Suho, babe.” he calls to Kyuhyun.

“Oh so Minho gets an unofficial boyfriend and now I’m chopped liver?” Suho asks, handing Changmin the (required) bottle of wine in his hands. Changmin laughs at the comment and lets Suho pass him into the apartment.

“Suho you know I love you in the most non-romantic sense but this is literally better than any and every soap opera I’ve ever seen.” Kyuhyun says from the kitchen. Suho had come a little earlier than normal so Kyuhyun’s still finishing making the last of the snacks.

“Honestly though, I don’t think they could be any more oblivious to each other if they tried. Did he tell you about what happened when Kibum was sick??” Suho gushes, sitting on the couch facing Kyuhyun.

“You know, as a gay man in a gay relationship, I’ve seen and heard a lot of gay things during my life. And Minho taking care of Kibum and singing for him and holding his hand while sharing the same bed definitely takes the cake for the most unknowingly gay thing, if not just most generally gay thing.” Changmin states as he puts the wine in the fridge.

“If we’re encouraging them to be drunk together, you need to stay away from Minho, honey.” Kyuhyun reminds Changmin. “The last thing Kibum needs is to hear Minho gushing to me about how wonderful you are.”

“Honestly, if he’s not equally mushy with Kibum, I’m going to sue him for getting me emotionally involved for nothing.” Changmin states.

As they wait for them to arrive, the three recount their most cherished embarrassing memory of Minho. Though Minho and Changmin had been friends for a long time, it wasn’t until that Changmin and Kyuhyun had begun seriously dating that the four of them started getting together to drink. Usually, Minho would be the one to hold back and make sure that everyone got home safely. On one particular day though, Changmin took that responsibility. With a little encouragement, Minho had quickly gotten much drunker than the others. In his altered state, he confessed very sincerely that he’d long had more than friendly feelings for Changmin and that he was very heartbroken when he and Kyuhyun had started dating. He made it clear though that he was still fond of Kyuhyun and was doing his best to move on so they could all stay friends. The other three were surprised not only at the confession itself but also how selflessly he had taken the apparent heartbreak. Since then, their marker for whether or not Minho was drunk was how much attention he sought from Changmin; Suho is very interested to see if he still seeks Changmin out or if instead he turns his attention to Kibum.

Eventually, the two show up with two bottles of white wine. Per usual, Changmin is pouring while Kyuhyun gives his unnecessarily long spiels about the history and characteristics of the wine. Changmin makes sure to pour more wine into Minho and Kibum’s glasses; if they notice, they don’t say anything. Suho does his best to watch the two to see what happens while still being discreet. As one bottle turns into two bottles turns into three bottles, he watches them scooting closer together and glancing at each other. Soon enough, the two are completely wasted. They’re honestly an adorable sight: they’re sitting somewhat normally, though both are resting their heads on the back of the couch. Minho’s got his sweetest sappy drunk face going, eyesmiles and high cheeks at maximum, and Kibum looks the most relaxed that Suho’s ever seen, maybe even on the brink of happy; their cheeks are matching shades of pink. Minho holds his hand out and seems to be aiming for Kibum’s chin but misses and lands on his shoulder.

“Kibummie, you’re all peaches again. Pretty cheek peaches.” he drawls.

Kibum smiles and says an attempt at a thank you. Suho glances to where Kyuhyun’s supposedly rinsing glasses in the kitchen and sees him intently watching the romance attempt to unfold while Changmin keeps trying to coax kisses out of him. Both scenes are equally cute and hilarious to Suho, though he’s glad to have Kibum and Minho as something new and refreshing to watch. Changmin brings them glasses of water and Minho reaches for his hand.

“Changmin, you’re my friend favorite.” he says, giggling. Changmin smiles fondly.

“I know I’m your favorite friend, just don’t tell Kyuhyun, ok?” he whispers, holding a finger to his lips. Minho giggles again and mimics Changmin’s pose. Changmin goes back to the kitchen and Minho turns his affection back to Kibum.

“Kibummie,” he starts, patting Kibum’s shoulder. “You’re doing so good. It’s taken a tong lime to get settled but you’re a good teacher and if I was still in school I’d want you to my art teacher.” He continues on with how well Kibum’s doing and how good he looks now that he’s eating every day and other things that Suho stops listening to. Minho keeps laughing and every time he does, Kibum just beams and leans in closer to him. Kibum is just closing his eyes and letting the compliments wash over him, attempting thank yous after each one. It’s clear to him that the two of them are too sleepy now to make it back to their own apartment, so Suho goes to the kitchen to listen to the action plan Changmin’s making up. When it’s all said and done and everything is cleaned up, Changmin and Kyuhyun retire to their room. Suho’s doing his best to get comfortable on his couch. Kibum is on the other couch, already falling asleep. Minho, being the youngest and not able to fit on either couch to sleep, is on a sleeping bag on the floor between the two couches. Kibum’s arm is hanging over the side of the couch and Suho watches Minho reaching out to try and hold his hand.

“Minho, are you still awake?” he whispers.

“Mhm.”

“Be honest with me, do you like Kibum?”

There’s a pause, like Minho’s checking that Kibum’s really asleep.

“I do. I really do.”

[flagellant]

Another Small Essay On Why Capitalism Is Bad: Greco-Roman Empire Textile History Edition

The term muslin to refer to a form of fabric is loosely owed to the travelogues of "famed" "explorer", Marco Polo, who would "write" about his "expeditions" into "untamed" and "savage" lands filled with "exotic"--

Yeah, sorry, no, I can't fucking do that. Absolutely not. I'm not being polite about this: Muslin is a fabric which gets its name from Marco Polo being racist, and we actually have no 100% guarantee on where the origination of the fabric that came to be called Dhaka muslin actually was from. Polo claimed it was from Bangladesh, but Polo also claimed a whole lot of things about the Iranian harams which he never actually saw, so...

The point is, if you know much about fabric, you might hear the word muslin and think of a very coarse and thick, scratch fabric, usually undyed. It's kind of like the textile industry's version of scrap paper--you use it to test designs, to pin shit in place for specific things, and all sorts of other, lovely versatile uses during the production stages that you really do not want to budget actually good-shit textiles for.

Yeah, no, that's not what muslin used to be. Cleopatra wore muslin. Muslin was so important to the culture of Grecian/Roman religion that it was the only fabric allowed to be draped across statues of Aphrodite in her main temples. You might be asking, "Inneskeeper, what the fuck are you talking about? Did Cleopatra and Aphrodite just have terrible taste?" Well Cleopatra allegedly might have had a thing for Antony but ANYWAY, no, Dhaka muslin (I have to call it this bc it's the only words we have for it, sorry) was fucking insane.

Before I go into this, I need the uninitiated to understand something about how textiles actually work: What fibers you are using for your cloth, how fine those fibers are, and how skilled you are at weaving those fibers together into cloth. There is a reason that the Fates were spinners, weavers, and cutters; there is a reason that Pallas Athene, goddess of Wisdom, was a weaver; there is a reason that throughout history, if you look for beauty, for value, for war, and for skill and time--you find it in the shape of making cloth.

This is because it's fucking HARD. And it gets exponentially harder the thinner your threads go to weave. Because sure, smaller and smaller threads means a finer cloth, better draping, and a stronger fabric--but it means you have to spin your thread ever more thin (and this risks snapping or fraying the fibers), and even if your threads are perfect, you now have to take the time to weave all these spiderweb-thin things into a bolt of fabric. The finest cloth in all the world has always been the cloth with thinner threads and higher threadcount. Period, end of story. All value of actual fibers is rooted, at the end of the day, in how good a fabric you can make with them, and the answer to "how good a fabric can I make with this fiber" is always dependent on "Well, how's it spin?".

So, with that small brief aside on textile history, function, and economy, let's go back to muslin. Modern day muslin is scrap paper of fabric, as said, remember. But in antiquity, Cleopatra wore it. Aphrodite wore it. The Byzantine Emperors wore it. Even the English wanted to wear it. That's because Dhaka muslin was so fine a fabric, so diaphanous, that you could wear a full gown made out of it, and look as though you were completely butt-ass-naked.

We have many epistolary and apocryphal reports of Dhaka muslin's scandalous nature because of this. Apparently without exaggeration, anti-public indecency laws had to be put into place to prevent the above scenario from happening. But the value of the muslin was insane, and that's because the labor and skill required to weave a fabric that fine was mindboggling then and impossibly moreso now.

See, the reason we aren't all handweaving our shit anymore is the Jacquard Machine. Joseph Marie Jacquard invented the predecessor of what is now the modern weaving loom machine, industrializing the weaving process and allowing humanity to do in minutes what it took months to do prior. You know, only at the cost of all control of delicateness and integrity of the cloth. See, when working on the loom as a human, you can account for the fragility of the threads you're working with. Not possible, really, with a Jacquard Machine. So textile quality has gone down this past century or so because of it.

That's the main reason why we can't really guarantee we can replicate Grecian chiton fabric, btw. Even beyond the precise mix of linen fibers and such, and even beyond the delicacy of handwork needed, it's a matter of industrialization killing the heart of weaving and why you'd ever want to bother. Jacquard machines can work miracles and so on and so forth, and the cloth is flawless and, sure, it's fine and all. It's just not art. And it makes textile historians' jobs infinitely harder as the tools they need--both literal and the human hands--grow more and more difficult to discover as years go on.

===

Anyway that's where I have to call it at least for now, because I can't afford to just randomly ramble on much longer about dead textiles. There are currently various textile houses trying to figure out how to reverse engineer Dhaka muslin with varying degrees of success, but we aren't ever going to know for certainty if we've done it because the only "good" surviving records are from a racist man who regularly sensationalized his """"nonfiction"""" to sell more copies.

If you found this little mini off-the-top-of-the-head essay interesting, I'm currently a college student studying fashion design so that I can cause problems for governments about it and would love if my encyclopedic knowledge of trivial bullshit could at least buy me a Starbucks because I have classes at 8 in the morning and they don't end til 4:30pm this term and who decided this was okay. Like really

Anyway my payment info is as follows

Paypal.me/tatteredveil

Venmo: @ItsTheInnkeeper

Cash: $ItsTheInnkeeper

ko-fi.com/inneskeeper

[boombox-fuckboy]

Hi @rec-rewind, I hope you don't mind I make a post for this. I know you like Unwell, you've heard TMA, and you're listening to Archive 81 (if season 2 was more your thing). Here's 30 other horror pods for you:

Alice Isn't Dead: A truck driver travels America, telling stories of her strange encounters while looking for the wife she had thought was dead.

A Voice From Darkness: A radio help line for all your strangest and most disturbing troubles. Host Dr. Ryder takes calls, answers questions, shares strange history, and discusses ongoing supernatural problems around America.

The Blood Crow Stories: Each season is it's own horror story. S1 is tapes from a doomed cruise ship in WW2, S2 is a religious horror western, S3 is a cyberpunk with demons, and S4 is the occult and old-time movie studios.

The Deep Vault: Dead Signals' (Archive 81) other podcast, following survivors of a crumbling world in an underground bunker, complete with robots, ai, cosmic entities, etc.

Dining in the Void: Heads up for initial pacing issues and rough audio, but the issue is resolved, and I enjoy other aspects of the show enough to disregard. A group of strangers are summoned to a space station for a party, and promptly locked in with various horrors and an ominous countdown, until they can work out who the host is.

Dos: After You: A charming young hitman leaves home to travel Europe, hoping to track down, and kill, the god he fell in love with.

Down: A group of scientists and explorers are put in a submarine sent down an apparently bottomless pit in Antarctica. Nobody likes what they find down there.

Duggan Hull: After her friend/ex-girlfriend goes missing, a young woman tries to track her down and ends up in the middle of a strange and disturbing small town mystery. Fantastic piece of cosmic horror. (Not on Spotify)

Hello From The Hallowoods: A powerful entity visits your nightmares bearing stories of the people, in varying states of human and alive, who inhabit the Hallowoods, through horrors and joys, and as their lives begin to meet. Super queer.

Hi Nay: Supernatural horror following a young woman named Mari, who's babaylan (shaman) family background draws her into helping people with various horrific supernatural problems around Toronto. Formatted as phone calls to her mother telling her what's happened.

The Hotel: About a supernatural hotel that kills people, and the weird staff that make it happen.

How I Died: Work recordings of a forensic pathologist who can see ghosts, when he moves to a new town and encounters a strange sequence of murders.

I am in Eskew: Personal accounts from a man living in something that very much wants to be a city, and an investigator who was, in her words, hired to kill a ghost. Creatively horrific stories with a gentle voice and ambient rain. Rougher audio initially but not uncomfortably so.

Janus Descending: A xenopalentologist and a xenoarcheologist investigate the abandoned ruins of an ancient alien civilisation and find more than they bargained for. Listen to the supercut for this one. Really clever use of a strange format: you hear her recordings first to last, and his last to first, and it's all the more heartbreaking for it.

The Lost Cat Podcast: A man befriends strange entities, loses bits of himself and drinks an awful lot of wine while looking for his cat. Unique and fun writing that's stuck with me, yet just the right hint of cliché to make it satisfying in the moment, too. Soft and cosmic horror. (Not on Spotify)

Mabel: Series of voicemails from an elderly woman's caretaker, to her unresponding grandaughter. Horror/mystery with a slow slide into poetic lesbian fae body horror.

Maps of the Lost: An audio guide book to the strange people, places, and happenings of Britan. Lovely soothing voice, more supernatural or new weird but horror enough for this list.

The Mistholme Museum of Mystery, Morbidity and Mortality: You're led through a museum of strange artifacts by a sweet audio tour guide AI, who will tell you the story behind each one. More new weird but there's plenty horror in there too.

Old Gods of Appalachia: Tales from the 1800s and 1900s of an alternate Appalachia inhabited by witches, old gods, and entities beyond understanding. With the air of being told stories around a campfire, these tales are connected by individuals or places, seperate but not detached. Any character is disposable, but none are treated with less respect than they deserve.

The Petrol Station: Strange and unsettling stories from a young woman working at a 24 hour petrol station in a very remote british town. Only 5 episodes, but I am hoping for more.

Red Valley: British cryogenic conspiracy comedy horror with some truely gorey sfx at times. Not my sense of humor personally, but it is enjoyable regardless and well made.

SAYER: Several sophisticated AI bully you into completing an array of both mundane and horrible tasks.

SCP: Find Us Alive: First, you don't need to know anything about SCP to enjoy this. A research team gets trapped in an underground research facility when the complex collapses and the building is dragged into a pocket dimension. The tear it was designed to study begins creating tiny copies of itself, generating strange entities the team needs to deal with. Oh, and the entire situation physically resets every 30 days. And yet, this is genuinely also an office comedy.

The Sheridan Tapes: In 2018, famous horror writer Anna Sheridan went missing leaving behind a collection of strange tapes. Listen along as a young detective with his own strange past tries to work out what happened to her. Cosmic horror.

The Silt Verses: In a modern world where gods are both commercialised and banned, two followers of an outlawed river god go on a pilgrimage. Great worldbuilding and tasty body horror. Same creators as Eskew (further up this list)

Station Blue: Isolation horror following a maintenance man who sets up an antarctic research base ahead of the main crew. Based on the creator's experiences with her own untreated mental illness but also there's some cosmic fuckery and light body horror.

Video Palace: Guy (and his wife when she has time) hosts a personal investigation into a collection of video tapes generally considered an urban legend, after he finds one and begins sleep talking.

The White Vault: A repair group sent to a research base near Svalbard gets trapped inside as an unending snowstorm rages, decides to take a nosy at the tunnels under the base, and find some disturbing things. Fantastic audio and a fun cast of accents and languages.

VAST Horizon: An agronomist travelling to a new world wakes from cryo to find the ship empty, off-course, and damaged. With the guidence of a malfunctioning AI, she tries to work out what happened and how to stop the situation aboard from getting worse.

WOE.BEGONE: A man's curiousity gets the better of him as he begins to play an alternate reality game of a different kind. The challenges are brutal and disturbing, but for the prize on offer, it might just be worth it. Single most endearing asshole lead I've encountered, very funny, very gay, and the music slaps.

Hopefully at least one appeals.

[sehnsuchts-trunken]

Okay, Mary, hear me out. Something semi hot with Riven x reader [girlfriend/fiancée/wife] where the others tease them or are annoyed with them and they bicker.

obviously yes. semi hot is basically the only thing I can write. even all my fluff ends up like that. but like now that I officially have permission :))))) im gonna have so so much fun with this holy

also um, triggerwarning ig??? like somewhat spicy ig

(good lord this gif is doing things to me)

fml I'm so single

"Riv", you breathed, tightening your grip on his hair. You'd been dragging your fingers through it, grabbing fistfuls, and it looked worse than a bedhead. Worse in a 'hair sticking up in all directions' way, not worse in a 'less attractive' way.

"Riv", you repeated. He groaned at you, his breath meeting the already sensitive skin of your throat. Yours hitched, if only for a second. "Riv, my phone's ringing."

It actually was - it had been for a minute now, then stopped, then started again. Someone was clearly desperate to reach you.

"Why did you not put it on mute?", he asked, muttering, pressing another kiss to your neck before raising his head and grabbing your phone from the bedside table.

"I forgot", you grumbled, still a bit breathless. Well, this was a mood killer. Riven raised his eyebrows as the display lit up.

"What the fuck could be important enough for Bloom to call this relentlessly?"

Your eyes widened.

"Shit!", you cursed, grabbing your phone from him in a hurry. "We wanted to meet up with everyone!" You scrambled to pick up.

"Hey Bloom!" You faked a smile, even if she couldn't see, pinching the bridge of your nose and closing your eyes. Riven was chuckling in the background, already back in his familiar position on top of you.

"Where are you?", she thundered into your ear. "You were supposed to be out here half an hour ago!"

"I know, I'm so sorry", you lied (you could barely feel very sorry at all when Riven was focusing on your neck again). "Riv and I got caught up in... work up here, we completely forgot."

You tilted your head just a little to the side so that he could reach a bit more of your skin. He laughed softly.

"Work", Bloom snorted at the other end of the phone. "Sure."

Riven bit down gently. Not having expected it, you sucked in a breath.

"Yeah", you stuttered, barely able to keep your voice steady. "Anyway, we, uh, we can't- we can't make it anymore, you guys have fun though!"

Your eyes almost flew shut by themselves as Riven concentrated on another sweet spot, raising his hand to brush his fingertips over the hickeys that were turning purple already.

"Ew", Bloom let out. "I don't want to be part of some weird phone sex thing. See you later."

She'd hung up before you could even react, and you just took your phone from your ear and held it in front of your face for a second, disbelieving that she'd actually just said that.

"Did I sound like I was fucking moaning or what?", you asked, dragging your free hand through Riven's hair and somewhat forcefully pulling his head up so you could look at him. He raised his eyebrows - whether at your question or not, you weren't quite sure.

"A bit", he chuckled, making use of his new position and kissing your lips now. Apparently he'd mutilated your neck enough.

"A bit?", you huffed, raking your nails along the back of his head. "Fuck you."

If possible, he raised his eyebrows even higher.

"Don't", you warned. "I know what you're about to say, so don't. Just kiss me again instead."

For once in his life, he actually did not say it. For once, he actually did as you asked. And just kissed you. Again and again and again after that, until you were breathless, and his name fell like a prayer from your lips whenever he gave you the freedom to gasp for air.

[newtonsheffield]

There's been a lot of discussion about why Kate might think Anthony is still marrying her out of Obligation even after well...

And let's take a look shall we, Let's take a look at what's really happening to Kate during this scene because Simone Ashley's performance is so nuanced and beautiful, apparently I write essays on it now.

So this Kate, we know has been repressing what she wants since her father died, and if you wanna think about why she's done that and why she feels this responsibility I have a small (large) treatise on her relationship with Mary that sheds a bit of light on it.

Anthony, less than 24 hours before this, held her so close, and as good as admitted that he felt something, asked her to admit that she felt something too, asked her to deny what was between tham, and yes she didn't say what she felt, because Daphne walked in and she was I think still very confused about it, but look at it. Look at the way she leans her head against his and responds to his touch.

,It's obvious she's feeling something.

And I think, she genuinely thought that when this... charged moment to say the least had passed between them, there is no way Anthony would propose. She thought she had time.

And even so, when the moment arose. She tried to take it. When Edwina said that she believed Anthony's affections could be engaged elsewhere she tried to say something.

Should she have tried again, later? Probably. But there's a reason she didn't.

She genuinely thinks when Anthony calls out wait! He wants to talk to her, and the look on her face when she says his name

She's surprised, yes, but as it continues, she takes an eager step towards him, she wants to talk to Anthony, to figure it all out, to tell him that yes she feels something, and the rest she'll figure out later. and instead

So what happens is, in these moments, she rationalises what happened. Last night something passed between them and it changed nothing. These feelings that have been growing inside her, feelings that finally after years and years of putting other people first, of putting Edwina first: She was going to use as a knife to cut at Edwina with. To take what Edwina wanted from her because she felt and she thought Anthony felt it too. Those feelings? They mean nothing.

They're just another thing to be pushed down and repressed, like everything else she's not let herself have, because if he could marry her sister after what had passed between them, how could it mean anything real at all? Anthony could have asked her to be his wife. There's no reason (she knows of) why not? But he chose. And it wasn't her.

Which brings us here. To the single most heartbreaking moment of the season

Yes, she wants Edwina to be happy. And Edwina can be, because Kate will repress this. She has rationalised this. Like every other feeling she's had, and even when it feels as if she'll never be the same, never breathe without wanting him: She can't have it.

Because this too shall pass.

[chironshorseass]

there’s something that bothered me so much about leo valdez that i think i finally want to get off my chest. i just want to start by saying that he was definitely never my favorite character from hoo. he may have been (at least i really liked him during tlh) but there’s this thing that happens with mexican characters (also latam characters. but i’m specifying w leo here) that makes me wanna punch thru a wall. and it has been bugging me SO much, esp when i got into the fandom, and actually fuck this. i’m so used to latine characters being treated this way that i didn’t bat an eye, but im gonna come clean now.

so um. yeah…..ok. first and foremost the fact that he comes from an abusive family is so goddamn gross. i’m so tired. i really am. like why can’t there ever be a depiction of a latine character in a happy, supportive family? u know, the grand majority of mexican families would never call their nephew “devil child” after the mother died. the fuck. something very characteristic about mexican families is how they stick together. u ask me or anyone else what’s the most important thing in ur life and they’ll say family. lol. there r actual psychological studies of this; if rick actually did his research, or actually paid sensitivity readers to analyze and help in the process of developing all his characters that were part of a minority group hoo would’ve been veeery different, but i digress. the fact that r*ck tends to demonize women of color (grandma zhang, aunt rosa, marie levesque) is also another matter, but it plays into the reason as to why leo’s backstory is so fucking shitty, esp taken that all of the main latine characters in his books (reyna leo and alex) come from abusive families in which they are pushed away in such traumatizing ways??? yeah that helps our situation here a lot haha doesn’t it 😋

and it’s actually funny how rick didn’t bother at all w research lol bc then it translated into the fandom on an entire cringe level. cringe fest. festivities all around. where’s he from? yeah, mexico, but what state? michoacán? jalisco? yucatán? cdmx? where???? why is he so attached to his culture if he’s a fourth generation chicano? why does he talk in the world’s worst interpretation of spanglish? why WHY does he act like that????? why’d sammy end up in the us anyway?? that could actually be quite important in terms of family history so naturally alsoimportant to his character. ricarda really gave us the bare minimum AND a walking stereotype, which is so quirky omg omg i’m so glad i’m being represented here!!

so yeah, this goes to my third point: the way he acts. shut the fuck up about him being so obnoxiously flirty it starts to bother everyone. shut the fuck up about him being the misogynist of the group. rick writing him as the spicy latino bad boy supreme who is also cringe and adorable is so wrong on sooo many levels. and then fandom making that his entire personality. um. literally how do i explain that im scared of going outside. how do i explain that when i see a man looking at me and im about to get in my car i close the door and lock it fast. how do i explain that approximately ten women die in my country from gender-based violence each day. how do i explain that mexican culture is sexist as fuck as it is? and add that to the way the usa-american media portrays us? absolutely disgusting how we r constantly bombarded w sexualized versions of ourselves (of everyone btw. not just women). and also the fact that leo’s a minor who’s love interests are primarily immortal fucking goddesses? and taken that he’s the flirtiest and the more “risqué” of the seven, and taken that he’s a mexican boy, deeply traumatized, who apparently has a defense mechanism of cringe flirting who apparently says mamacita is…..no. an old white man wrote him like that. a gringo wrote him like that. and he’s a minor. and he calls his female friends, his gf or whatever, “mamacita”.

it’s actually so sad that he had so much going for him—how he cares deeply for his friends, how he tries his best even tho he expects failure, that he’s incredibly smart and may tell bad jokes bc he wants to see people smile but he’s not the best people person anyway—but still he was reduced to this “adhd mess” who says things in badly redacted spanish un ironically and who was paired off w a fucking goddess bc apparently that’s the way to solve things (the calypso thing is another can of worms). it’s sad that he will be remembered as this annoying prick, bc it’s true, he was annoying but i rly do think it came primarily form rick’s racism and lazy writing. like cmon leo as a character had so much potential i might cry!!! and it’s disappointing that a lot of the fandom fed off of the worst parts of it all anyway to create the nightmare that is fanon leo valdez. did i expect it? yes. was i ever surprised? no. i just really wanted to say this finally and i really wanted to address the general sense of the issue leo has going for him, so thx to anyone who read this monstrosity of a rant mwah.

[poisonousquinzel]

yall, y'all, there's a whole part in this book where Harleen's trying to hold little group therapy sessions with some of the female inmates and Ivy is one of them and in the last session Harleen gets drugged via her tea and while they're all originally against her, Pamela saved her in the end after her defense and adamant protests to the idea she was using them.

I’m hallucinating. It didn’t happen. “Oh, but it did happen,” Pamela Isley said, no longer bored. “You’re not hallucinating.”

How did I speak aloud and not know it, Harleen wondered, watching as Pamela got up from her chair.

Pamela was smiling as she came toward her. “Did you know that roots can break through metal pipes buried in the ground? Even crack the foundation of a house?”

All the women were getting up now. Then Pamela was looming over her, with more vines growing out of her hair. Harleen’s cup slipped out of her fingers and fell on the carpet with a distant thump.

The tea, Harleen realized.

“You know, I’m a doctor, too, even if it’s not the kind you are,” Pamela said. Her low voice was practically a purr but there was nothing soft about her expression. “Brand new Dr. Harleen Quinzel. It’s so obvious this is your first job.” She gave a short laugh. “What did you tell yourself you were doing—trying to make a difference? Striking a blow for the looney sisterhood? Or can you actually admit you want to use us Looney Ladies of Arkham to get famous by writing a trashy true-crime book?”

“No! Stop!” Harleen pleaded. It was an enormous effort to speak but she had to get through to them. “I didn’t want to use you—I wanted to show how you’ve all been used! By the police! By the justice system! And most of all by Batman!”

Harleen saw Pamela Isley push herself in front of the other women just as everything went black.

“How did I get out of there in one piece?” she asked.

“Pamela Isley,” Dr. Leland replied, refilling the glass for her. “She saved you.”

Harleen shook her head, thinking she hadn’t heard right. “No, Isley was the ringleader,” she said, sipping the water more slowly this time. There was still a funny taste in her mouth from the tea, or whatever it had been. “She freed the others so they could all attack me.” She felt for her necklace and discovered it was still around her neck: another miracle. “Mary Louise was hitting me with this incredibly heavy doll when I passed out.”

“The doll’s head was stuffed with rocks,” said Dr. Leland. “Pamela Isley loathes and despises all of humanity, singly and as a species. But apparently she loathes and despises you less than everyone else. Quite a lot less. She held off the others and called for help. All four are confined to their cells indefinitely. And, needless to say, they won’t be participating in any more group sessions. Nor will any other patients.”

“But I don’t want to look weak,” Harleen said. “I won’t have any credibility with the patients if they think Pamela Isley can knock me on my butt whenever she wants.”

“Don’t worry about Poison Ivy,” Dr. Leland told her. “Remember, she hates you less than the rest of us. That’ll work in your favor. A lot of inmates follow her lead, and they’re not all women.”

And then when that stupid rose shows up in her office, she's thinks it's from Ivy at first and I'm

This was meant to bring her joy. It seemed like forever since anyone had done something like that for her.

Get a grip, girlfriend, said a small, sensible voice in her head. It’s a flower, not a pile of gold bullion or the Hope Diamond or even a pay-raise. Did you notice that’s a plant? Remind you of anyone?

All the little hairs on the back of Harleen’s neck stood up. Would Pamela Isley—Poison Ivy—try something else so soon? Or was it a peace offering? Sorry we tried to kill you. I won’t let it happen again.

Oh, God, what if Poison Ivy didn’t merely not hate her but wanted to be friends? What would that be like?

Imagine.... imagine how things would be different if it was from Ivy and it was a like little potted Rose plant (so the little plant would actually be alive) I cannot, I physically cannot function

[auspicious-lilana]

nah cause you write adriens character a little TOO well.

part two with jealous mari? 👀

You haven't specified which story I'm doing part 2 of so I'm going to guess it was "Late" and I hope you enjoy if I'm right! Also so sorry for the long wait.

Link to Part 1 for those who haven't read it -> Late

Summary: While you and Adrien had gotten close in your relationship, Marinette seems to not see things the same way. Warning: Angst with comfort.

"I don't get it!" Marinette loudly groaned, her head slamming down on her desk as Alya sighed from her seat on Marinette's bed. "I've been trying hard to win his heart, and she manages to have it that easily?"

"All fair in love and war," Alya reasoned, "It sucks, but you can't come between two people who like each other. You have to think about Adrien's feelings you know? I talked to Nino about it, he seems head over heels in love."

"And this new Ladybug!" Marinette looked at the news, Nadia talking about another victorious win from our famous heroine, Ladybug.

"As great as the old Ladybug was, I think this new one is doing a pretty good job too." Alya hummed, looking through her blog. "Next time I see her I wanna get some questions. Like why did she have to step in for the old Ladybug?"

Marinette knew why she had to give up her miraculous. It didn't mean she was happy about it. Especially seeing how Chat Noir seems just as, if not more, smitten about his new Ladybug. Almost like she was never in his life to start with. She couldn't be selfish, she was getting too emotional and it caused her to get akumatized too frequently. She was risking her miraculous falling into Hawkmoth's hands.

But ever since she did give it up, and this new Ladybug came along. It was as if everything was taken from her. Tikki, Chat Noir, Adrien Agreste.

"I have to go," Alya suddenly announced after getting a text, "Mom called family emergency. See you tomorrow!" She rushed out.

"Bye. . ." Marinette tiredly mumbled, heaving herself up. She couldn't just lay around. She needed some air before all this negativity starts to suffocate. She stepped out on her balcony, taking in the scenery of Paris. Watching pedestrians walk by going on with their life as if this new Ladybug was always their heroine. Heck, even her statue got remodeled to fit this new girl.

Paris didn't need Marinette Dupen Cheng as their hero. And apparently, Adrien didn't need her either. Speak of the devil. She noticed the pretty celebrity Y/n L/n walking with her arm around Adrien's, appearing to have been going by her parent's bakery for some treats.

They looked so happy together. Adrien looked so happy, with her. She felt her stomach start getting twisted as the bitter feeling of jealousy started settling in. Why couldn't it be me? Why was she great? She because she had a bit of fame? What was so special about Y/n? . . . I really need you, Tikki.

Droplets fell on her hand as Marinette snapped out her thoughts before she realized that it wasn't raining. She continued watching the couple, Adrien leaning down to whisper something into her ear and she laughed in response, shoving him lightly as they turned the corner, out of sight.

Marinette stepped back leaning on the wall and sliding down as she couldn't hold in the tears from her heavy broken heart she wished she did things differently. Wished she was a better Ladybug. Wish she didn't stutter so much. Wish she didn't push him away. She wished she didn't waste her chance at love.

____

The next day, Marinette decided to take a walk out to avoid worrying her parents about her locking herself in for most of her days.

"Marinette?" Luka waved, "Nice to run into you, are you doing okay?"

"Luka? Oh, yeah." Marinette gave an empty laugh. "Absolutely perfect. Not completely ruined or anything."

"Well, we're close to a really delicious ice cream stand, do you maybe, want to get some, with me?"

Marinette weighed her options. She really did like Luka. He was a great guy. But she didn't want to burden him.

"Or not, that's okay."

"No, no! I'd. . . I'd love some ice cream." Marinette didn't know what came over her. What was she doing? Whatever it was, she just couldn't stand seeing him disappointed.

"You don't have to force yourself, I can handle rejection."

"No! I want to get ice cream, As a matter of fact, I was gonna get some but it's better with you!" Marinette lied.

"Well then," Luka stepped to stand next to her, "Let's get some ice cream." He smiled, Marinette only now realizing was he always this charming?