#my favorite genre of spook of all time

[muzsmocsing]

Fantastic botanical body horror? In MY crackhead danmei? More likely than you think!

[crunchycrystals]

neverafter episode 4 has kind of sealed for me that this is 1000% up my alley

[lunarxcity]

High Lords and High Jinks

- azriel x day court!reader

- synopsis: when rhys and helion try to set up their right hands and closest friends things don’t go according to plan…

—

I'm lost, correction I’m hopelessly lost. What kind of person even gets lost in a library? You see, I was tasked by my high lord and very ambitious boss Helion to find a book on firedrake lilies; they were native to the day court but suddenly went extinct about 1100 years ago, and they haven't been seen in Prythian since. Well, it seems to me that this book is even more elusive than the flower. Why does the high lord of night possess the only book in existence on this flower, only found in day might I add, and why does he keep it in his secret underground library, and why is this library an entire mountain? Helion couldn’t have sent someone else? A visit to the night court to grab a book is beneath my pay grade, but again these days I don't know what isn't.

I'm pretty sure I passed that shelf ages ago, I can’t even tell they all look the same. This library feels like a maze with books cascading down what seems to be a never-ending row of shelves that almost act like corridors, twisting and turning into a path that takes you deeper into the library, filled with even more towering shelves lined with more books. The very kind librarian sent me to the botany and herbal remedies section, but she failed to mention that the “section” is about half a floor. I have been looking for hours(I don’t even know how long it’s been since I’ve been trapped underground looking for this cauldron-dammed book all day).

Don’t get me wrong I love books, I spend half my time reading and the other half playing glorified babysitter to the most dramatic high lord that ever was and ever will be. The day court prides itself on our libraries. We have everything from books on the history of ancient creatures that once roamed this land, to banned cookbooks (they had to be permanently deshelved due to certain recipes that had a tendency to explode), and my personal favorite, the risqué romance novels, which are now found at every library in day due to the high lord and his royal aid having a penchant for the genre. Apparently the only book we don’t have is one on a day court flower of all things. Leave it up to Helion to send me to a whole other court with minimal directions and no explanation on why he needs this specific book. It feels like I have spent an eternity searching, I haven’t even found the right section on extinct plants, and I don't even know where I am anymore, mother save me-

My thoughts are cut off by a tug on my sleeve. I look up and see nothing. No one’s there. Interesting... I start to make my way down the shelves when I feel another tug. This one is much harder, I start falling forward and am immediately pulled backwards, which saves me from the fall. I try to find the culprit of this surprising attack, when I, again, feel a gentle tug at my sleeve. I look down and see this cloud of smoke? No, it’s not grey and opaque; it’s as black as ink and solid as if it is untouched by the light. It cuts through the air like a whip, fast and smooth.

I’ve read about these before, but shadows rarely tend to make themselves known. Rhysand’s spymaster is a shadowsinger is this one of his little spies? Are the shadows friendly? Are they sentient? The shadow stops its frantic swirling and looks at me; well, it feels like it’s looking at me as much as a shadow can. I reach out to touch it, and it darts away behind a shelf, seemingly spooked by my touch. A piece of shadow is still visible peaking out from behind the shelf, and I stand still looking at it. “Take as long as you need. Trust me, I will be here for a while.”

I continue searching the shelves, ignoring the shadow in an attempt to ease its skittishness. I look back to the shelf it was hiding behind and notice its absence. Without my knowledge, the shadow made its way back to me and has been circling my ankles. The whisp of shadow then starts swirling around me excitedly before making itself at home on my wrist.

Curious little thing it is, it’s almost like a pet. “Any reason you're pulling on my wrist, or are you just as dreadfully bored and hopeless as I am? I swear I should’ve made Helion get that book himself. He’s probably off partying with Rhys cauldron knows where.” The shadow responds by swirling around my wrist faster and begins to tug me forward. “Oh, so I'm just supposed to follow?” The shadow becomes almost alive at this commend and yanks me forward with a rough force. Tripping over my feet, I let the little shadow drag me through the identical-looking shelves. “Do you even know where you’re going? I’ve been here for hours and all I’ve managed to do is get lost and get manhandled by a shadow. I don't even know where you're taking me if or if you're supposed to be going around unsupervised, pulling strangers through the library. Oh my gods, I'm losing it. I'm talking to the shadow.” The shadow gives one harsh yank, and suddenly, everything goes black. The shadow threw me forward directly into a hard mass. “I find the shadows to be good company; they don’t have a penchant for annoyance, I can’t say the same for most people.”

The mass is talking? I step back and can now see that the mass is a person. Probably the most beautiful individual I have ever laid eyes upon. He has strong, dark features, the build of a warrior, and golden hazel eyes that feel as if they’re looking right through me. The cobalt siphons, the fighting leathers, and the wings tucked into his back tell me he must be an Illyrian. The shadows that seem to ooze from his very being tell me that he must be the one and only shadowsinger of the night court. He looks like night incarnate. His aura is dark, beautiful, and dangerous. I’m from the day court, I know how to appreciate the sun, but there’s something about him that has me reconsidering the allure of the moon.

I have only ever heard of him from Helion, the tales of Rhysand’s shadowsinger, the elusive spymaster that's one with the shadows and has repeatedly turned down Helion's offers to join him in his bed chambers. Helion will then sulk for the rest of the evening, leaving me to deal with cheering him up. I have never been so embarrassed or in awe. Have I been staring at him this whole time? I’m probably staring. Should I say something? I just caught sight of his wings; they span the entire width of the shelves. Oh, I'm most definitely staring.

“Pardon my frankness but what’s the spymaster of the night court doing in the botany section of the library? Don’t you have some super serious spy business to attend to?” He quirked his brow, seemingly amused by my question. “And what’s one of Helion's lackeys doing here looking for a book on firedrake lilies when they haven’t been seen on the coast of day in over a century?” I feel my face start to heat up. “I’m not Helion's lackey , and I will have you know I am much more than that you- wait… how did you know that they're found on the coast of day? You have my book!" Immediately correcting myself to match the levels of politeness and poise expected of a member of Helion's court, I respond in my politest tone, "May I please get it? My high lord is requesting it for research purposes” I swear if this shadowsinger does not give me this book I’ll-

“No can do. My high lord is also requesting this very book, and since this is his court, his request takes precedence.” He starts to smugly grin, that overgrown bat, I wish I could wipe that grin off his stupid, smug, handsome face, wait, no focus. “Well, I am an esteemed guest of this court, so out of pure courtesy, should I not receive this book? We can call it payment for your shadow almost tripping me on the way here.”

At this remark, his gaze shoots up to his shadows, his eyes narrow, and he scans the shadows until he finally finds on the culprit that dragged you here. He starts to squint at it menacingly, and it darts away from his orbit, right behind you, cowering from its master like a child that just received a scolding. “Me and my shadows will have a discussion about that later. They rarely leave my side. You must have coerced them with your day court charms.” He says offhandedly. “So you find me charming?” It slips from my tongue and I curse myself for spending most of my time with Helion. At this he goes silent. Blank stare. I have not met a courtier I couldn’t win over, but he is giving me nothing. He just meets my stare with his mildly annoyed gaze. A minute more of silence... I will not be ignored by this shadowsinger.

“I demand you hand me this book at once.” I stare him down. “There's that day court charm”, he sarcastically replied under his breath. This is a losing battle. I look back at the shadow, the shadow looks at me, and I whisper, “Can you get me the book, please? Your master appears to be in a brooding mood today and cannot extend his guest the courtesy of his cooperation.” The shadow gives a slight nod and darts out from behind you. “I can hear you, you know? The shadows won’t turn on me they are apart of my very being and follow my will.” He finally says. “Oh, you were meant to hear me, and who knows, maybe the shadows got tired of their master's lack of manners and chivalry.” The shadowsinger scowls and was about to reply when, to his complete and utter disbelief, the shadow comes back with the book in tow. I don’t even need the book anymore. The look on his face was enough satisfaction for me. The shadow, while helpful, is still mischievous, placing itself right in the middle of us.

“You’re not going to make this easy for me are you?” he asks looking down at me with competition burning in his eyes. “Not even for a second.” I grin up at him meeting his eyes with just as much intensity. He gives a half smile back, a second passes, and you both lunge for the book.

Somewhere above two high lords are clinking their glasses doubled over in laughter over their little scheme. “My money is on her. I tried to spar with her once, and I was on the floor in less than 30 seconds with no idea how I got there.” Helion says while filling his glass with more wine. “Well, mine is on Azriel. He has years of Illyrian training, and is the most competitive person I know, he won’t lose a wrestling match over a book. He’s my spymaster for a reason.” Rhysand jokes. “Well your spymaster is oblivious to what’s right in front of him. Do you want to make a wager? I wager that she gets the book one way or another. Are you a betting man Rhys?” Helion mischievously asks. “I have known Azriel for centuries and I can’t see him losing a measly fight over a book. You have yourself a deal. Winner gets to make the loser do anything they want within reason.” Helion grins and reaches his hand out, “Deal.”

What started out as an intense sparring session eventually turned into a glorified game of tug-o-war. After exhausting themselves with physical combat, they now both had both hands on the book trying to tug it out of the other's grasp. Azriel's gloves had ended up on the floor, along with a few stray books knocked from their shelves, and an innocent chair that was caught in the fire. She looked up at him, visibly exhausted and asked, “Are you ready to give up now?” He looked back, equally exhausted, and responded, “Never.” Her hand started slipping as he tugged, causing her to grasp at the top of the book, right where his hand was. The minute their hands touched, his eyes went wide. He just stared with a kind of stillness that one only acquired through years of spying. He was deathly still and almost seemed to blend into his shadows which were erratic swirling all around the both of us.

Something flickered through his eyes. Fear? Acceptance? What could he be thinking of to elicit such a reaction? I looked down at his hands and saw the burn marks that were etched into his skin. I immediately jumped back, scared I triggered something. He had the same idea it seems, and dropped the book the same time I did. “I’m sorry-“ we both said at the same time. After a few seconds of silence and him just looking at me and analysing me? He took the first step forward and picked up the book. I thought he was about to take off when he looked at me and walked over and put it in my hands, not sparing a second glance to the book. “But your high lord-“I started. It was like a flip was switched. The brooding, stoic, smug demenour of the shadowsinger suddenly melted away to reveal a soft-spoken, kind, and shy individual. I probably looked visibly confused because he started speaking. “You’re right. I haven’t been very cooperative or courteous. You’re a guest of Rhys, and as a member of his inner circle, I haven’t been very welcoming. So, let’s start again. My name is Azriel. Here is the book that you require for your research. If that's all you're here for, it would be my honor to give you a proper tour of Velaris and formally welcome you to the night court.” He drops to one knee and bows to me and I swear my heart stops. What just happened?

“RHYS DID THAT JUST HAPPEN?” Cassian, who started watching halfway through screams. “Yes, quiet down-" “OUR BROTHER HAS FINALLY FOUND HIS MATE. LET'S BRING BOTH OF THEM UP HERE. I'M ABOUT TO CRY. LOOK AT ME, RHYSIE. DO YOU SEE TEARS? I NEVER-” Rhys gives Cassian a look of annoyance and says, “Well maybe he could've if only he didn’t insult or fight her first. We made it so easy, we tried to set her them up but no- ” Rhysand mutters under his breath. Helion starts cackling, "He will surely have his work cut out for him after that first impression. Also, pay up Rhys, she got the book."

[hee0soo]

Don't be a Stranger - A S[e]oul Story -3-

Pairing — Kim Hongjoong x Foreigner!Reader

Summary — Hongjoong just had to use the little time he had while you were still around...

Genre — fluff

AU/Trope Info — Idol!Au, SliceofLifeAu

Wordcount — 1.2k

Warnings — none

Rating — sfw

Disclaimer: this fic is written and copyrighted by ©hee0soo on tumblr. do not rewrite or repost on any other plattforms without my permission.

ALL RIGHTS RESERVED!

The next time you found yourself standing in front of the new KQ Building was just as unplanned as the first time had been. This time however it was an official invitation by Hongjoong himself, which did not make you any less nervous then the first time.

No, it seemed that this time you actually felt even more nervous then before!

So dressed in a bucket hat, mask and sunglasses on your nose you walked up the stairs and through the door straight to the elevator.

It couldn’t be that bad seeing as you already had hundreds of messages on your phone to prove that you had yet to scare him away, yet your nerves stayed frazzled. You had gotten to know him a bit beyond the idol persona through them and he had managed to have you feel comfortable enough to share some things about yourself too. Not once had Hongjoong seemed like he was making fun of you for it, rather he had showed genuine interest in what you liked and what you didn’t. So no, him asking you to see you roughly 1,5 weeks later and with the end of your vacation looming over your head, it shouldn’t be that bad.

It was the last chance where he was able to with schedules slowly filling up again after having slowed for the time being and upon finding out when your flight back home was booked, Hongjoong had demanded to meet up at least once to hang out for a bit as he had said when he had asked if you were interested in seeing him again.

You were apprehensive at first, hanging out with one of your idols should be a dream come true in theory, yet in reality you weren’t so delulu to think that it would be as magical as tiktok edits of them made it out to be. But the selfie of a pouty Hongjoong you got after initially refusing had you melting on the spot.

So yes, americano and your favorite beverage and some snacks in hand you stepped out of the elevator and marched up to the entrance to ring the bell.

Just a moment later the face of Hongjoong appeared behind the milky glass door. You didn’t know why you had expected the woman from last time to be the one to let you in, but something about it being Hongjoong left you giddy inside.

“Annyeonghaseyo!” you chanted out joined by a shy bow and cringed at the way it sounded way to rehearsed. Hongjoong almost cooed at the spooked look on your face, immediately reaching for your arm to pull you back up as soon as you had lowered yourself.

“Ah, you don’t need to! I’m friend.” He spoke softly, his accent audible while speaking English. Pointing at the drink you held in your hands, he asked, “For me?” with bright eyes.

You nodded before handing it to him.

“Yes, I thought since you invited me, I could at least bring some snacks and coffee.”

“Thank you but you no need-“ he began and got promptly cut off.

“I wanted to, so take it or I’ll drink it!”

Pleased to see that you were comfortable enough to tease him, he took the coffee from your hands only answer in pout. “No, that’s mine!”

He skipped a few feet away down the hall, gesturing with his head for you to follow him.

The confused looks you both received from the secretary behind the desk went unnoticed, instead you followed his lead to where you guessed his studio was located.

Opening the door for you to step in first you walked in, taking a seat on the couch. Hongjoong himself sat down in his producing chair, taking a sip of his drink.

You spend the time talking about everything that came to your mind, both you and him bantering with each other like you have know the other for ages. There was no dull moment, no second of silence and not minute of thinking this was a mistake.

You could barely breath from laughing to much at his jokes and the snacks emptied gradually and suddenly it was 9 pm instead of 1 pm and Hongjoong had ordered food for both of you with some soju on the side.

The flavored alcohol had your face scrunching up because of the sweetness and Hongjoong straight up giggled in your face.

“You don’t like?” he hiccupped between laughter’s and you shook your head furiously coughing.

“Not this flavor at least!”

Handing you a bottle of water the rapper snickered at your expression.

“Thank you! And stop laughing!”

To be fair, he tried! It still took him several deep breaths to actually school his face into a calmer one. Not calm, but calmer. You could still see the amusement settling on his face as the corners of his mouth twitched upwards.

“Okay, okay! I calm now!” Another inhale. Another failed attempt.

“Yahh, don’t be mean!” you whined followed by a pouty smile.

“I’m not! I’m sorry!”

“No, you aren’t!”

“I am!”

A knock cut the banter off. Someone who you recognized as Eden walked in, a frown placed on his face when he understood that Hongjoong wasn’t alone in there. You tried to appear neutral to his presence yet polite when you greeted him quietly.

The man seemed to ignore your presence entirely as he addressed the leader of Ateez with a scowl.

“Are you planning on joining us today or…” he trailed off and Hongjoongs eyes widened at the implication of his words. “Ah, I forgot the session! I’m sorry hyung!”

“Just hurry this up and come when you are ready.”

Eden left.

Hongjoong looked at you, seemingly sorry for something you knew wasn’t his fault.

“I-“

“You have to get back to work again, it’s okay.” You smiled, reassuring him that it really was okay.

“I’m sorry…”

“Don’t be, please! I understand, I just glad that we had so much time together.”

Reaching forward to clean up the mess of snack bags and coffee cups, you got up; getting ready to leave with a heavy heart.

Hongjoong batted your hands away. Not wanting you to feel like he was throwing you out, he took the trash from your hands. “Let me-“

Your eyes met briefly and you wanted to scream at the soft look he gave you.

“Can I walk you the door?”

You nodded. “Of course.”

You took your stuff and followed him out. It seemed like he walked slower on purpose to draw out the moment of saying goodbye, trying the delay it as much as possible before wrapping his arms around you ever so carefully. It wasn’t different to when he had to pose for pictures with female idols, never quite touching you. Yet, it meant a lot.

“Don’t be stranger. I want keep talking with you…”

“I won’t.”

Taglist: @lelaleleb @roronoas-wife @vixensss @bakusatxuki

[batmanisagatewaydrug]

reading update: september 2024

I'm turning in the reading roundup a little later than usual, but booooy not for lack of enthusiasm! September was such an interesting month for books, not least of all because you'll notice that things take a spooky turn towards the end of the month. in the name of whimsy I decided that October would be the perfect time to go on a themed reading kick and read through everything vaguely spooky, scary, or horror-related on my TBR, and then I thought, hey, why wait? Halloween is a state of mind, and I want to get spooked.

(have I been spooked yet? well... eh. but there's still time!)

my point being, if you want some creepy recs, hang tight because the October reading roundup is going to be great for you. in the meantime, here's what I read in September:

My Nemesis (Charmaine Craig, 2023) - cannot recommend this brief novel enough if you like very stylized prose about very insufferable people. Craig's protagonist is a memoirist who narrates her tale of woe exactly like she's writing a personal essay that's going to do numbers on twitter, intimate from a detached and analytical distance and giving the strong impression of a person who's made a living being intensely self-obsessed and can't quite manage to turn it off. it's a fascinating approach to a story about an emotionally overwhelming friendship destroying two marriages and ending in a woman's death, all without any actual adultery ever occurring. the narrator is consciously self-conscious, unreliable in the subtle and shifty way of someone trying to take exactly enough culpability to avoid being assigned more. it's a heavily interior novel, but Craig managed to keep me gasping with surprise here and there - the stomach-twisting reveal of why the narrator is actually telling her story, for one, as well as the revelation of the work within the novel that shares its name. if you like a tightly crafted character exercise, you're going to eat this up.

Raiders of the Lost Heart (Jo Segura, 2023) - this was the romance novel picked out via poll over on my patreon for September, and if I may be honest I was NOT excited! to my mind it was the dud of the group, the one amongst the four possibilities that I was most dreading. the garish cover, improbable plot summary, and blatant Indiana Jones of it all (the male love interest is literally named Ford) was a tremendous turn off, and you know what? I was wrong for that. Raiders ended up being one of the better romance novels I've read this year, and not JUST because I've been reading an endless parade of stinkers. the characters are largely free of manufactured drama and are instead believably and sympathetically rendered, with the female lead Corrie being a particular knockout; I would love to be her friend. the plot isn't nearly as cartoonish as the synopsis on the back of the book would have you believe, or at least most of it isn't; the silliness doesn't arrive until almost the very end, when Segura decides she needs some action movie stakes in here ASAP. and while the prose wasn't totally free of the genre's worst bullshit (stop reminding me that Ford's eyes are emerald, I beg), it was for the most part refreshingly no-nonsense. I wasn't even a chapter into this book when I found myself realizing I might really like it, and as of right now it's looking to claim the title of my favorite romance of 2024 in a landslide victory. having said that someone should be in thought crime prison for titling the sequel "Temple of Swoon."

Delicious in Dungeon Vol. 11 (Ryoko Kui, trans. Taylor Engel, 2022) - man you guys Dungeon Meshi is so fucking good. what the fuck. what the hell. it's so genuinely insane that Kui is still able to weave in elements of humor that feel so organic and natural to the characters at this absolutely dire point of the game, when all of my faves are actively in so much danger - largely FROM EACH OTHER - that I'm eating my fingers. christ. some of my students who are in an LGBT book club did Legends and Lattes last month and I just kept wanting to ask if anyone had read Dungeon Meshi for, you know, a very D&D-flavored story that's actually intensely interested in dissecting the tropes of the genre alongside race and class and xenophobia and the social rules of an adventurer heavy world but god. I couldn't. because it's not gay. like Senshi I just want to nourish the youngsters but I can't because it's not gay. please everyone for the love of god just read Dungeon Meshi.

The Most (Jessica Anthony, 2024) - I'm a simple man, and I added this tiny novel to my TBR based on a blurb that really gave me nothing but "a 60s housewife gets in the apartment complex's pool and refuses to get out and it freaks her husband right out." god forbid women do anything, right? anyway, at risk of showing my whole ass I think this is exactly the kind of "disaffected adultery and divorce" book that a lot of tumblr users claim to hate, and I fucking loved it. Anthony is a brilliantly sharp writer who paces her microcosmic drama perfectly, revealing everything at just the right moment like a practiced tour guide showing us around the shadowy corners of an aggressively ordinary marriage. I love adultery and I think this book in particular should be taught in writing courses. sue me.

Dear Senthuran: A Black Spirit Memoir (Akwaeke Emezi, 2021) - I think this year I've reread more books than I have any other year of my adult life, and I'm so glad that I took time to revisit Emezi's memoir. it's genuinely like nothing else I've ever read, one of the boldest and bravest things I've ever read. Emezi's account of godhood, of coming to understand themself as a deity trapped in flesh, is absolutely unwavering, completely grounded in their certainty of their truth and proceeding from there without ever worrying about persuading others to believe them. Emezi is a storyteller's storyteller, and their story doesn't need anyone's approval. but while it can be challenging, I wouldn't call the book confrontational. quite the opposite; in many places it's achingly vulnerable, as Emezi guides you through an unabashed tour of the very worst of their heartbreak, trauma, and alienation, and the times they've nearly succeeded in taking their own life. but god, please don't think this memoir is unrelenting misery. Emezi also speaks so, SO powerfully of opulence, of love, of the dedication to their artistry ad unabashed acknowledgement that they are a peerless talent. Emezi talks about magic of writing in a way that makes me feel like I'm being engulfed in golden-white flames; they make me want to transform myself into the artist I want to be. once again: I am an Emezi stan first and a person second forever.

The Beginning and End of Rape: Confronting Sexual Violence in Native America (Sarah Deer, 2015) - listen, I'll be straight up with you: unless you're exorbitantly interested in rape law, alternatives to carceral "justice," and legalese, this is going to be a very dry read, and there are not enough narrative segments to make up for that. for my money, Deer provides a thorough overview of the difficulties faced by American tribal nations in exercising legal power to prosecute and punish cases of sexual violence, despite the staggering levels of violence experienced by women in many Native communities. I really admired the intensely tempered view that Deer (a member of the Mvskokoe nation) brings to her work, discussing the history of Native approaches to sexual violence without pretending precolonial North America was a feminist utopia and offering thoughtful criticism of proposed substitutions to imprisonment. while the rape laws of any one of the 574 federally recognized tribes in the occupied lands of the United States could be a book on its own and Deer is constrained by the need to cover as much territory as she can in the broadest strokes possible, this is a solid primer to an ongoing social, spiritual, and legal issue that too rarely receives attention outside of Native communities.

Things Have Gotten Worse Since We Last Spoke and Other Misfortunes (Erica LaRocca, 2022) - straight up I was only trying to read Things Have Gotten worse, LaRocca's somewhat infamous story of a lesbian relationship that goes extremely wrong extremely fast, but the only copy available through my library system came with two more of his short stories (the aforementioned Other Misfortunes). I'm going to save time on the two extra stories: one is an incomprehensible exercise in religious trauma and I did not like it, and the other one was silly because I, personally, simply would not get so trapped in a sense of social obligation that I let my neighbor do stupid riddles to be until I was in a guillotine. rip to that guy but I'm different. anyway, back to the star of the show. I made the mistake of browsing some other people's thoughts on Things Have Gotten Worse Since We Last Spoke and encountered a truly dizzying number of people whose takeaway seems to be that it's bad not for any stylistic reason but because it depicts two lesbians being in a relationship that's deranged and unhealthy, to which I say you should probably go watch Stephen Universe or something instead of looking for #goodrep in the horror short stories. christ. for my money, Things Have Gotten Worse is messy in the most delicious way, absolutely bonkers from start to finish. escalates pretty much instantly and refuses to let up for truly even a second. cannot believe the predatory mommy dom turns out to be the reasonable one in this dynamic, that one threw me for a loop. it's not incredible but god was I entertained.

Fledgling (Octavia E. Butler, 2005) - another reread, revisiting some of my favorite little freak vampires for the spooky season! although, honestly, the most spooky scary thing about Butler's vampires is probably that vampires look like an Aryan cult and some of them are turbo racist while the other ones insist that it's totally 100% impossible for vampires to be racist and the fact that this gets quite a lot of people killed, something that I'm sure is just a weird coincidence and not any kind of commentary that Butler was making on anything at all. what else is there to say? this is one of Butler's most elaborate explorations of inverted power dynamics, dropping codependent symbiotic sexy vampire polycule cults smack in the middle of the 21st century United States instead of on an alien planet or an apocalyptic wasteland just to really drive home how crazy this shit it. and it's delicious! I love it! what a deliciously different interpretation of vampirism. imagine the utopia we'd be living in if this was the vampire novel that had gotten big in 2005 instead of Twilight.

The Low, Low Woods (Carmen Maria Machado, Dani, and Tamra Bonvillain, 2020) - first I remembered that there are horror comics that I can include in my Octoberish reading, and then I remembered that creepy queen Carmen Maria Machado has published one with DC Comics' Black Label. The Low, Low Woods follows dirtbag teen lesbians Octavia and El in the burnt out coal mining town of Shudder to Think, a town where everyone knows that something's not quite right but no one can seem to leave. the story begins with El and Octavia waking up in a movie theater with no memory of a movie, realizing that they've lost time. the ensuing investigation takes them deep into the town's troubled history, and forces them to realize it's not just the supernatural preying on the town. I love creepy Appalachia and would definitely recommend this for any Old Gods of Appalachia fans, and I will say that so far this is the only one of the spooky reads to really get under my skin and give me a full-body shiver due to the sheer overwhelming awfulness of the implications Machado raises with the revelations in her story. I'm not usually one for trigger warnings in my little roundups, but I cannot emphasize enough that if you have a hard time reading about sexual violence, you'll probably want to skip this one.

The Icarus Girl (Helen Oyeyemi, 2005) - I've been meaning to get into Oyeyemi's large body of work (in part because Akwaeke Emezi speaks quite highly of her) and where better to start than with her debut novel? and why not now, since it was tagged as horror? ultimately I'd concede that the book is creepy but don't know if I'd quite consider myself horrified, and that's completely fine since it's an astonishing piece of prose regardless. writing a believable eight year old narrator of an adult novel is a tricky thing, but Oyeyemi pulls it off beautifully with protagonist Jessamy, effortlessly selling her as an insightful, anxious, and intelligent girl who's still utterly believable as a child. the Icarus Girl revels in the same kind of "powerless child" horror as Gaiman's Ocean at the End of the Lane, following the lonely Jessamy as she initially is befriended and then tormented by a mysterious and powerful little girl that she meets while visiting her mother's family in Nigeria. as her new friends gets increasingly malevolent and out of control, Jess struggles to account for the damage and to be taken seriously by her parents when she tries to explain what's wrong. Oyeyemi apparently wrote this book when she was only a teenager, and if she's been leveling up her craft with each subsequent novel then I have a lot of look forward to.

[last-words-ofashootingstar]

Hope you’re doing well especially with the personal matters that are going on in your life! Hope you feel better and I hope things calm down for you sooner rather than later! 🖤 happy to see you back though!

I’ve been thinking more and more about how Siren!San would be as a mate (if you don’t feel like writing this that’s totally fine! 🖤🖤🖤)

Being Siren!San's Mate

❥Siren Choi San x gn reader

➯a/n: thank you 🫶🫶 i hope my little ramblings of being siren sans mate are enjoyable !

▼・ᴥ・▼ (✯◡✯)genre: headcanons, fantasy

ಠ_ಠwarning/content: mentions of kidnapping, fantasy body transformations, fated soulmates, not proof read

⁂perm taglist: @stvrfir3 @tunaasan @marievllr-abg

Sannie canonically has blonde hair in Shells, and I don't know if I've mentioned his tail color but I think it would be a pale pink. That in mind, he's a shallow water siren as apposed to a deeper water siren, because he blends in better. (Unlike Hongjoong with red hair and fluctuating tail color, who blends in with the darker waters)

That most likely is the way he meets his mate, and not a wreck or attack. Just his mate swimming a few miles off shore and he catches a whiff and then they're gone *poof*

San, in any universe, shape, or form, is a family man so he's like an excited puppy: swims around in circles at the pool entrance of his den until his mate wakes up.

When his mate wakes up and is inevitably like YO WTF DAWG, he's calm and collected even though his heart is about to jump out of his chest. He won't crowd his mate *cough cough hongjoong* because he's deathly afraid of sending them into shock from his mark.

That being said, he's still incredibly clingy-

Angel in Shells is a lucky woman 🙏(besides the kidnapped and turned into a siren part) because let me tell you Siren!San is not letting a single hair on his mates body be hurt or even uncomfortable.

Too cold? Boom- fire. Too hot? Boom- cooling lotion. Sad? He'll sing a song! Angry? Well that's okay, you can hit his chest and cry until you tire yourself out.

That's par for the course for most sirens with their human mate I think, but San takes it seriously. He'd slap a fish if it looked at you the wrong way and yell at seaweed that spooked you on your first trip into the water. (ex. not wanting Angel to touch Joongs mate because he doesn't want her to get sick, and comforting her)

He's a lot more in tune with his emotions than you'd think, he knows it's 'okay' to be exited but he also knows that you're going through a huge shock and so he lets out his excitement by talking to you. Whether you listen or not, it really doesn't matter.

And it also doesn't matter what he's talking about- though he makes it a point to avoid talking about things that make your heart beat irregular. He sticks to tame things at first, like the tribe and how they work and his own family and his favorite spots to sunbathe just under the surface of the water (promising to take you to all of them).

He tells his mate what's to come, unlike Hongjoong who dropped his moms lore and then shut that shit down 😭

Once you start transforming, he's nearly suffocating with watching your process in pure awe.

The first time he sees his mates tail?? He's thanking the Huntress for every little moment that lead him here.

If it matches his like some mates do, whew boy prepare to be smooched to death. (Prepare to be smooched to death either way actually)

The first time you go hunting together, his cheeks are sore from all the smiling he's doing, he wants to teach you anything and everything there is- and he will in due time.

One little detail I think really fits Siren!San is that every night before bed, even when he slept on the floor in those first few weeks to give you the comfort of his nest, he'd blow on your wrist to see his signature appear- ecstatic every time knowing that you were fated for him.

The first night you do it back, both of your scales turning pink when your name mimics his, he nearly dies of pure bliss.

[oleander-nin]

Rottmnt Yan! Horror movie HC

A/N, not important: I'm just trying to push stuff out fast atp. This was not proofread at all. Any criticism is welcome, constructive or not. This is supposed to be a gender neutral reader, so if I screwed up somewhere, please tell me.

Tw: implied kidnapping, yandere themes, unconsentual touching(nonsexual), forced to watch movies(?), horror movies, my writing

Words: 1172

Summary: Rottmnt yandere headcanons about them watching horror movies w/ you

-Ollie

Mikey:

I think he’d at least tolerate horror movies.

They’re not his favorite genre, him still getting spooked by the jump scares every once in a while.

But he’d watch them, especially if he had you by his side.

There are three ways it can go.

Either 1:

You both are unbothered by the movie, and end up rooting for the villain. Mikey makes a bet with you on who dies first. If you win, you can have an hour of supervised outside time. If he wins, you have to let him shower you in affection to his heart's content without fighting back.

Only problem is, he has access to a phone. He looks it up. You can’t.

Do you take the bet?

Scenario 2:

You love horror movies.

Blood, gore, jump scares?

That’s your niche.

In this case, Mikey would just use movie time as an excuse to hold you close.

He doesn’t mind the movie, but it’s not his thing, so he ends up using movie night as a cuddling session.

Gets annoyed if you try to push him off or regain your personal space.

He’ll just turn off the movie, then continue to lay on you.

Now you have to cuddle him, and you don’t get to even watch your movie.

Option 3:

You hate horror movies.

They scare you, they upset you, you don’t like them.

Whether it’s the gore or the jump scares, horror movies freak you out.

Mikey uses this to his advantage.

Pulls you close and whispers soft nothings into your ear as you cower from the tv.

Pretends like he’s your savior when he turns off the movie, promises cuddles and your favorite food for dinner.

Makes it hard to say no to whatever he wants.

Donnie:

Could not care less about horror movies.

He’s seen worse out on the streets of New York while defending the city. Why should he care about some fake girl getting stabbed by a fake monster?

Horror movies are all stupid to him. Except psychological ones. I could see him enjoying those. He’d like the Saw franchise if it wasn’t so gorey.

You, on the other hand, could make him interested in the movie. It completely depends on your own reactions to said genre.

If you like horror movies? Cool, he’ll play one on a monitor at his desk so you're forced to spend time with him while he works.

Doesn’t pay attention to the movie much, just enjoys having you near him. Even if he forced your hand a tad bit. It’s not his fault you wouldn’t stay in the seat. Even after he went through so much trouble to set up your favorite movie, tsk tsk.

Neutral on horror movies? That’s fine, he just won’t really bring them up unless it’s a family movie night and Leo picked a horror.

Then he’s forcing you to debate the characters with him. If he’s stuck spending time with family, he’s at least going to enjoy it by analyzing the stupidity of the main character.

Makes a lot of backhand comments about the main characters and your similarities, especially if the movie has to do with a kidnapping of some kind.

If you hate horror movies?

Only brings them out on a dark night where he wants you to hold him, but you’re refusing.

Oh wow, you can’t sleep because of nightmares? Don’t worry, Donnie can hold you.

Is incredibly smug about it too.

Especially if you get clingy when scared and his plan works.

Raph:

Not a fan of them.

Will sit through them if he has too, but looks away from the TV or hides behind his phone for the majority of the time.

He already has to deal with enough fighting while taking care of New York and protecting you. Why does he need fake, purposefully scary movies to fuel his paranoia?

He doesn’t, and so he tries his best to avoid them like the plague.

Is incredibly conflicted if you like horror movies.

On the one hand, they make you happy. On the other, they expose you to unnecessary violence, gore, and possible nightmare causers.

Why would you want to subject yourself to that? You must be pulling his leg, there’s no way someone as fragile as you likes the horror genre.

He tries to avoid the subject if you are persistent.

You’d have to be really persuasive if you want to watch a horror movie.

If you are neutral?

Great. They’re never spoken of. He doesn’t suggest them, and he shuts them down if you happen to. Family movie night is ignored if there’s a horror movie going.

He doesn’t like them, you don’t seek them out, why would he try and force you both to watch one?

You don’t need that kind of violence in your life, he’s here to protect you from such topics.

Is like, the only one who will not subject you to horror movies if you hate them.

He doesn’t like them, you don’t like them, why would he subject you both to something you hate?

Plus, you might get nightmares, and while he feels all important and helpful when he comforts you, it’s not the same when it’s his fault.

Gets mad at Leo if he tries to trick you into watching one.

Pretty much all things horror are banned from within a 10 feet radius of you.

Raph will keep you safe, he promises

Leo:

Okay, I’m sorry, but Leo is such an adrenaline junkie.

He loves horror movies.

The thrill, the scares, the violence, the gore.

He’s seen it all before, so why should it bother him?

Plus, now it’s dramatic and thrilling, perfect for a movie night.

Like Donnie, he makes a lot of backhand comments about the main character and your similarities.

Is ecstatic if you like them too, finds it enjoyable to pull you close to him and just watch the movie play.

Whether he’s stolen the projector room for the time being, or holed you both in his room, he enjoys just having a horror movie playing while clinging onto you.

Likes to talk about the movie with you, and gets excited about the new plots during movies he hasn’t seen yet.

If you’re neutral about horror movies, he still makes you watch them.

Gets smug if you hang onto him during scenes you’re uncomfortable with(acting as if you have anything else to hang on to)

He likes to sit you to his side or in front of him, able to pull you close so he can whisper small threats in your ear if you misbehave in any way during your ‘bonding’ time.

He thinks it’s hilarious if you hate horror movies.

“Aww, is my poor little coward afraid of a little movie? Come here, I’ll hold you and keep you safe.”

Still makes you watch them, more for his own enjoyment of seeing you squirm.

Feels guilty when you get nightmares, but the smugness of being the one you go to for comfort makes it worth it

[ghostytoad]

🎃 ROTTMNT Halloween Headcanons 🎃

Horror Movies

Summary: The Hamato siblings & horror movies

Headcanons for: Raph, Donnie, Leo, Mikey, & April

Halloween Headcanons - Haunted House Edition

Halloween Headcanons - Haunted House (x Reader ver.)

i added a few horror movie references here and there (betcha can't name 'em all!)

Raph:

Favorite genre: Zombie horror

Least favorite genre: Gore/Torture

isn't too fond of horror movies; would rather watch action movies

he's convinced that 'based on a true story' movies are 100% real

easily jumpscared but tries to laugh it off every time

leo will tease him about his fear stink tho

believes twilight technically counts as horror

"it's a movie about vampires and high school! how'zat not scary?"

might watch horror movies alone if he's surrounded by plushies and his blanket

won't sleep all night tho

leaves the light on after a horror marathon "just in case"

Donnie:

Favorite genre: Psychological when done right; Time-loop horror

Least favorite genre: Found footage

isn't too bothered by horror movies

but plot holes will frustrate him to no end

and he WILL make his brothers listen to him rant about it afterwards

"SCOFF! he was OBVIOUSLY a ghost, literally no one else noticed him or talked to him!"

prefers j-horror (subbed even tho he understands japanese)

he doesn't have a favorite movie but he does like the japanese film 'horrors of malformed men' (江戸川乱歩全集恐怖奇形人間)

considers found footage horror movies inferior and 'lazy'

spends most of the movie criticizing the characters and making fun of the villain

was terrified of pennywise as a kid (dvd rental mix-up that went unnoticed by papa splinter)

for the longest time, he thought pennywise lived in their sewers

Leo:

Favorite genre: Slasher movies; Parody horror

Least favorite genre: Classic

he loves horror movies and binges them for halloween

joins in on donnie's commentary, which mildly annoys mikey and raph

most of leo's commentary is just making fun of his brothers

"oh hey, don bon! i had no idea you were on tv... congrats on the blob monster role~!"

finds silent horror movies to be incredibly booooring

enjoys campy 80s horror (evil dead 2, gremlins, creepshow, ect)

unironically considers killer klowns from outer space a masterpiece

is banned from picking movies bc of this

might get spooked from time to time

not that he'll admit it

nothing can shake this ninja warrior, nuh uh no way

Mikey:

Favorite genre: Paranormal/Ghost movies

Least favorite genre: Psychological

considers himself a "horror expert" and owns all the classics

likes to play "who would survive this plot" with his brothers during the movie

according to him, leo's usually the most likely to die first

has a plan for every possible zombie apocalypse scenario (that he totally didn't get from a bunch of zombie movies)

"i'm not saying that he *should*, but donnie could totally build a giant prison maze for ghosts. it'll be just like the movie!"

will occasionally watch scary movies alone in the dark

overestimates his fearlessness every time-

loves a good ghost movie but he's a bit of a scaredy cat

might need a few cutesy romance movies afterwards to feel better

April:

Favorite genre: Found footage

Least favorite genre: Slasher/Killer horror

loves a good horror movie binge and will jump on any chance to watch them with her brothers

always ready with halloween themed snacks and candies

is also a self-proclaimed "horror expert"

she knows a lot more than mikey tho

can tell you about the directors, the history of horror movies, and the stories the movies are based on with complete detail

"movie night at my place? i've got just the thing to scare y'all out of your shells~"

rec is probably one of her top 5 favorite movies

likes the idea of creating her own found footage horror movie

mikey, leo, and splinter are all on board to be in her movie

donnie and raph? not so much

[hypnogogyc]

hi i was wondering if you had any terminal velocity hcs (also I **love** your art, the way you colour is just [unintelligible noise] /vpos)

Blam triple threat TY FOR THE KIND COMPLIMENT!!! I really love the coloring part the best so im so glad you took to that alot!!

I have a couple scattered around my terminal velocity tag. Here’s some more!

- Oliver doesn’t sleep sometimes (his sleeping schedule is less a schedule and more some online wheel spinner) and likes to lay his hand on Mike’’s chest as he falls asleep so Oliver can watch and feel his pulse get ever slower and slower and he revels in both the undeniable pulse and the thin line he equates sleep to.

- Mike likes to travel. In fact he will actually go ballistic if in one place too long. Sometimes he says he just doesn’t know how to sit still. Oliver is content to follow 5am travel whims. Mike senses coming storms and chases them. His nighttime melts to his patron too, and when a storm approaches, the rumbles enter the background of his dreams. His eyes snap open in the middle of the night and shakes Oliver awake, who nods as they both dress quickly and pack for a drive.

- Mike fucking loves his car. Its kind of embarrassing how much money has gone into the old vintage machine but it’s a nice clean design minus the rainbow led lights under the rims. He didnt name the car but he commonly calls it “her” and “my baby”

- Oliver is veeerrrry very patient which leads to Mike naturally losing alot of their bits that dont end and become about endurance. Mike has switchups between instant gratification and the ability to pursue one thing uninterrupted.

- Mike has poor circulation which is a shame since Oliver is very much not making body heat. They sleep with several blankets and sometimes a heating pad.

- Oliver is on friendly terms with Simon, who knows Oliver as “my basically-kid’s VERY polite and vast aligned boyfriend” and Oliver picks up some painting from him, much to Mike’s chagrin.

- Mikes favorite music genres are rock, house, and sappy songs. Oliver likes psychedelic, edm, and anything that sounds like a halloween song.

- Mike likes any competitive or open-world game and dislikes games that time cap you daily in progression or get too grind-y. Oliver likes all things horror (he can still spook easy) and dislikes games that have over complicated lore and bad lighting

- Mike got a place with a balcony for easy smoke access, which ends up also being where he leaves and comes back often. He only ever caught Oliver there a handful of times smoking, was scandalized to know Oliver had smoked when he was younger. Then realized his lungs don’t work anymore so free immunity. His Balcony was different in all the places he stayed. Sometimes a backyard. Sometimes a front yard. Often a car. Having someone else there was one of the large invisible steps into intimacy he’d have to wrestle with.

- Oliver is an avid spender of Fairchild money. He was incredibly reluctant to at first but eventually the silks and threadcounts got to him

[goodluckclove]

WRITERS - Read More Nonfiction! (With Recs)

Okay so before I start I'm making it very clear that I don't say this as some generalized statement about how All Online People Aren't Reading Right. I doubt that's true! But based on some of the threads and discourse I see on my corner on Writeblr, it definitely seems like a lot of you would greatly benefit from expanding the scope of what you read.

I think there's probably a big stigma against nonfiction for a lot of people - there was for me for the longest time. Maybe six years ago, though, I stumbled into the genre and found that it can actually be rad as shit. It's been an invaluable form of research from people who definitely know what they're talking about, as well as a way to open myself up to new ideas.

You have chronic writers block? It could potentially be because you're consuming exclusively one genre of media. If that's the case, this will definitely get the gears turning!

Below are a collection of my favorite nonfiction books from my own shelf. The funny thing I immediately learned about suggesting more than like three nonfiction books at a time is that it does paint a kind of intimate picture of who I am. Feel free to tell me if these recommendations surprise you based on who you view me to be.

Clove's Favorite Nonfiction Books!

The Mystery of the Exploding Teeth by Thomas Morris - a collection of historical medical cases back when someone would see a doctor for a gunshot wound and the doctor would treat it with a laxative. WILD stuff.

American Monsters by Linda S. Godfrey - US cryptids! Lots of first person accounts.

Cursed Objects by J. W. Ocker - Famous cursed shit. Quick read but very fun.

The Cloudspotter's Guide by Gavin Prector-Pinney - this was written by the founder of the Cloud Appreciation Society, a real organization. It tells you everything you need to know about clouds. Fascinating.

Gory Details by Erika Englehaupt - stories and studies of more morbid and "gross" aspects of science, like the guys who stung themselves with instincts to measure the pain or that beach that feet kept washing up on for a while. Cool interviews with science people.

Fuzz by Mary Roach - wild animals break the law a lot actually and we still as a species don't really know what to do about that.

Spook by Mary Roach - an account of Ghost Believing from all sides of the argument. There was a guy who measured dying bodies to see if he could see them get lighter as their soul escaped.

Braiding Sweetgrass by Robin Wall Kimberly - an indigenous-influenced look at our relationship as a species to nature around us. Really beautiful prose from someone who I believe is primarily a botanist and activist?

All the Living and the Dead by Hayley Campbell - stories and analysis from different aspects of the death industry! Embalmers to crime scene cleaners! Super interesting!

American Afterlives by Shannon Lee Dawdy - I have. A lot of death culture books. A lot. This one talks about all the neat things people in America do with their bodies after they die in the modern age. It's fun!

Dark Archives by Megan Rosenbloom - so this IS a book on the history of Anthropodermic bibliopegy, or books bound in human skin. I'm actually midway through this now and it's super fascinating and cool. Also my wife refuses to talk to me about this so I'd love someone else to talk to.

The Secret Lives of Color by Cassia St. Clair - I read like four books on color theory and pigment for a novel I wrote a few years ago and this was my favorite. It's a look into a ton of major hues and pigments throughout history as well as a peek into the timeline of color making. Did you know making green fabrics used to be illegal?

Atlas Obscura - a fucking cool look into weird and unique spots across the globe. Every artist who works with places should have access to this. It's awesome.

Every Caitlin Doughty book they're all great. She's a modern mortician and founder of the Order of the Good Death. Just an incredible human being and a super engaging and informative writer.

If someone wants to reblog with their favorite nonfiction books and what they got from them, be my guest! Maybe someone could use a new read to get their next idea or refine what they're currently working on!

[all-about-kyu]

Summary: After a long day at the hospital, all Jaemin needs is cuddles from his babies. Pairing: cashmere lop!Jaemin x fem human!reader Tropes: hybrid au Genre: fluff, slice of life Rating: PG Warnings: storms, pregnancy, mentions of hospitals/surgeries Word Count: 822

Neo Hybridverse Masterlist || Cashmere Lop!Jaemin Masterlist

It’s late. It’s really late at night. You’re doing your best to soothe all three of your children back to sleep. A typical summer storm is rolling through your part of the city, and none of them are quite keen on the idea of sleeping right now. You’re beyond exhausted, though. Being eight months pregnant while wrangling a seven-year-old and two five-year-olds is not how you wish to be spending your night.

“Momma, I don’t like the storm. It’s hurting my ears.” Miyoung comments, pressing her hands over her fluffy ears.

“I know, love.” you try to soothe, “Hopefully, Daddy’ll be home soon, and he can help scare the storm away.”

Seojun is the least bothered by the weather. If anything, he’s doing his best to help you. He brought Chaewon her favorite stuffed animal (which he had hidden from her) in hopes that it would help calm his twin down. He bounced around the bedroom, trying to distract his sisters from the storm. All of his attempts to help failed, of course, and he ended up getting spooked by the storm as well.

A loud clap of thunder sounded through the air, and all three of them clung to your sides in bed, trying to hide from the raging storm. Miyoung lets out a squeal and hides her face against your chest. Despite her fear, she giggles when the baby kicks in her direction. You don’t even realize your husband has returned home until the bedroom door pops open, and all three of your kids barrel toward him.

“Hello, my kits.” he giggles, “Why aren’t you sleeping?” he asks while squatting down to their level.

“I was sleeping, but Chae woke me up.” Seojun grunts.

“LIAR! HE WAS SCARED OF THE STORM FIR-” Chaewon starts her tangent but then jumps into her dad’s arms as thunder claps again.

Jaemin picks up all three of them. Miyoung on his back with one twin in each arm. He playfully tosses them on the bed, listening to the chorus of giggles that they let out. You smile at their playful nature despite how late at night it is. With a hand resting on your belly, you watch the interaction contently. Seojun’s grey ears flop back and forth each time Jaemin tickles him. Miyoung and Chaewon, with their soft brown ears try to escape the tickle monster that is their dad. Everything feels so warm and happy.

“I gotta go get changed real quick. These clothes smell like the yucky hospital.” Jaemin explains, “I’ll be right back to cuddle with you five.”

“Five?” you question with a giggle.

Jaemin leans over and kisses you softly, earning disgusted noises from your kids, “Five.” he confirms, placing a hand on your belly.

“Technically, she’s not here yet, so it’s more like a two-for-one situation.”

“Only a few more weeks.”

With that comment, Jaemin disappears into your closet to change into something much cleaner and more comfortable. After a twelve-hour shift as a pediatric surgeon, he absolutely needs to decompress. Cuddling with his babies and wife is exactly what he needs to do. When he comes back into the room, he sees Miyoung already curled up beside you, half asleep. The twins are still pretty hyper, but you’ll always blame that on how high-energy he is too. Before he can process what the two five-year-olds are planning, they’re each clung to one of his legs. Seojun is wrapped around his left leg while Chaewon is on his right. Jaemin drags his feet along the hardwood flooring trying to get to the bed. Both twins giggle excitedly as he does so. The moment he reaches the bed, they both detach and jump up onto the plush mattress. Jaemin climbs into the bed beside you. All three of the kids relax finally. Miyoung is already snoring lightly against your shoulder while the twins wind down finally.

“Pheromones?” you question. Jaemin nods, “How was work today?”

“Actually, not horrible. Two successful surgeries for those little ones I told you about the other day. Then a lot of planning for tomorrow and those surgeries. I’m actually really worried about-”

“Let’s talk about that when we don’t have three kids in our bed.” you interrupt. “Let’s just cuddle for now. We all need it.”

Your husband nods and starts gently stroking Chaewon and Seojun’s ears, lulling them to sleep. The storm starts to calm down outside, and you find yourself leaning your head onto your husband’s shoulder. Miyoung is fast asleep on your left, Chaewon on your right, between you and Jaemin. Seojun is contently curled up on Jaemin’s chest. Moments like these will always be treasured to you. No matter how long they are or how far in the past they may become.

“I love you.” Jaemin mumbles sleepily, “Thank you for giving me these four miracles.”

“I love you too, bunny. Get some rest. It’s been a long day for you.”

COPYRIGHT STARLITMARK 2023© ALL RIGHTS RESERVED — reposting/modifying any fic or piece of original writing posted on this blog is not allowed. Translations are not permitted. 

Networks: @kwritersworld​ @k-vanity​

Tag List: @raibebe​ @jaehunnyy​ @umbralhelwolf​ @wooyoungmybelovedhusband​

[baileypie-writes]

Could you please make a platonic one shot of a gender neutral reader joining Battamonda on his Halloween hijinxs also dressed up as a Halloween cure (I'll let you decide which one)? Just pulling tricks, stealing treats, spooking kids and having a sweet time.

That episode is one of the best things I've watched in a while, I absolutely love it, everything about it so cute especially the stuff with Cure Pumpkin :3

A/N ~ Sure! Hope you enjoy!

~Trick and Treat~

Battamonda + GN!Villain!Reader

~~~🪲~~~🪲~~~🪲~~~

Fandom: Soaring Sky! Precure

Fanfic Type: Oneshot

Reader: Gender neutral, a villain

Relationship: Platonic

Genre: Fluff, comedy

Rating: PG

Synopsis: After finding out that Battamonda has a mischievous plan for Halloween, you decide to join him.

Warnings: Stealing(Battamonda and Reader), scaring children(Battamonda and Reader)

~Masterlists~

~Soaring Sky! Precure Masterlist~

This fanfiction takes place during episode 39, “The Great Witch Yoyo and the Halloween Party”.

~~~🪲~~~🪲~~~🪲~~~

Sitting atop of a large building, with your legs dangling over the edge, you watched the event happening on the ground with pure excitement.

Today was Halloween, so everyone was running around in silly costumes, while giving and receiving treats. You desperately wanted to join in on the fun, but felt Skearhead might get upset at you for messing around. So instead, to your despair, you stalked the partygoers from above.

Suddenly, you spotted a familiar head of green hair a fair distance away from the crowd.

“What’s Battamonda doing here?” You pondered. Deciding to find out for yourself, you snapped your fingers, teleporting directly behind him. The man didn’t notice. He was too busy chuckling mischievously. “Battamonda!” You called out to him.

He let out a high-pitched shriek in surprise. He spun around, quickly hiding something behind his back. “(name)! What are you doing here?”

“I was gonna ask you the same thing.” You glanced at the object he was attempting to hide. It was quite obvious that it was a pumpkin. You could clearly see it poking out, it being too big compared to the size of his body. “What’s with the pumpkin?”

“It’s nothing! Leave me alone!” He whined like a teenager.

You scoffed. “Battamonda, I know you’re planning something.” Your tone was scolding. He gulped nervously, and a bead of sweat rolled down his cheek. After a long, dramatic pause, you completely switched up. “And I want in!”

“Huh?” Battamonda exclaimed, too surprised to form actual words.

“Whatever mischief you’re planning, I wanna come with you!” You said.

“What? Really?” He asked, thinking you’re jesting.

“Yeah! Halloween is fun, and so is causing trouble!”

“Oh, okay!” Battamonda smiled brightly, and revealed the pumpkin from behind his back. It was actually a jack-o-lantern; a face having been carved into it.

“So, what’re we gonna do?” You asked, leaning in.

“We’re gonna dress up, and steal all the treats! And, we’re gonna say we’re Pretty Cures so that the actual Pretty Cure’s reputations will be ruined!” His smile grew into an evil one as he clutched the pumpkin tighter.

“So we get to ruin the Pretty Cure’s lives and get treats? Heck yeah!” You cheered.

“I know, right? Now, watch this. Battamon-mon!” He snapped his fingers, and began to transform. His outfit changed, reminiscent of how the Pretty Cure’s did. It changed into a cool green leather vest, with black pants, gloves and a yellow ruffle. “A tricky pumpkin who loves treats. Cure Pumpkin!” And with that declaration, the jack-o-lantern fell onto his head, completing his look.

“Wow! You look so cool!” You admired while clapping. Cure Pumpkin bowed, clearly liking the attention. “My turn!”

With a snap of your own fingers, you transformed yourself as well. Long, white ribbons covered your face, arms and legs. You wore a stylish (favorite color) shirt and black pants/skirt with a ruffle. Your hair turned lighter and more styled. And finally, a large bow appeared on your neck.

“A sneaky mummy who loves treats! Cure Mummy!” You announced.

“Ooh!” Cure Pumpkin admired.

“Why, thank you!” You bowed. “Now, let’s go get some treats!”

~~~~

Your first targets were some pumpkin cookies from the Pretty Holic store. There was a line of children already waiting, but of course you guys didn’t care about that. You both walked up to the lady who held the basket.

“Give us some too!” Cure Pumpkin demanded, and you both snatched a cookie.

“Hold on! You have to wait for your turn!” The lady scolded. She gasped when she got a good look at the two of you. “What?”

“Trick and treat!” You both yelled. While the lady was frozen in shock, Cure Pumpkin snatched the whole basket.

“W-what are you guys?” She stuttered.”

“I’m Cure Pumpkin!” He introduced himself.

“And I’m Cure Mummy!” You did as well.

The two of you struck poses. “And we’re Pretty Cures!” And with that, the two of you dashed off laughing. “Happy Halloween!”

Once you were a far enough distance away, you stopped to catch your breath. “I didn’t know sabotaging could be this fun!” You said.

“Right?” Cure Pumpkin laughed. Suddenly, a group of four small children began walking nearby. They held large bags full of candy. The two of you looked at each other, and didn’t even need to say anything to know what you were going to do.

You snuck up behind the kids, completely silent. Slowly and carefully, you raised your arms up. “RAAAAAHR!” You both roared loudly.

“AAAAHHH!” All the kids screamed, dropping their candy bags. They didn’t even notice as they ran away, continuing to shriek.

“Let’s go!” You cheered, grabbing the bags. You held out two of them to Cure Pumpkin, to which he happily took. “Wanna sit on the roof and eat?”

“Sure, why not?” He shrugged. Snapping your fingers, the both of you were transported to a rooftop. You wasted no time sitting down, and stuffing your faces with candy. As you did so, you pointed out more potential targets for your hijinks.

“You think the actual Pretty Cure will come soon?” You wondered.

“Eh, probably. But whatever. We’re still having fun and eating treats right now!” He said.

“Yeah, you’re right.” You pulled a two lollipops out of your candy bags, and gave one to him. “Cheers?”

Cure Pumpkin chuckled, and hit his lollipop against yours. “Cheers.”

~~~~

In the end, the two of you were stopped by the Pretty Cure. But you weren’t too upset. After all, you still had plenty of candy left! And the fun you had will forever be your favorite memories of Halloween!

~~~🪲~~~🪲~~~🪲~~~

~~baileypie-writes

[settsplitt]

fic questions! how about 4, 11, 39, and 59?

👁️👁️ I am two business days late to answering this I apologize deeply

4. Where do you find inspiration for new ideas?

Erm...idk tbh. I think a lot about baseball. And the men who play it. And sometimes this evolves into creation. I am extremely vulnerable to the narratives. And sometimes things happen in games that I just can't help writing about.

11. Link your three favorite fics right now

oooo ok this one's fun!! This is not a baseball fic but I was rereading down by the brazos today and wow what a fic!!! One of the old hockey rpfs that got me back into fanfic a couple years ago. This is um..also not baseball but one of my favourite f1 fics and one that I am so grateful that I get to see grow and develop because its written by my lovely friend is sympathy is a knife. A reader insert fic for people who don't like reader insert, an amazing exploration of what the genre can be, all beautifully written and viscerally real.

now finally, an actual baseball one. I've been thinking a lot about strike out looking lately. I don't know if it's the time of year, the uncanny feeling of no baseball, or just that I need it right now. But yeah. All time fav, current fav, a wonderful creation.

39. Share a snippet from a WIP

this is a lil something I wrote today from the time begins on opening day prompt i am still working on!

And then Adley gets hurt and they won't put him on the IL but he’s not really catching either, and James resigns himself to the grind. He’s missed it, in a way. The routine of catching every day, the meetings, the stretches, the strategy, thinking about every man in the league like a doe just waiting up ahead, what will spook them, what will keep them subdued in the box just long enough for the kill. He thinks about his pitchers, too. Corbin with his big eyes that always flick down just before the pitch, Cade and his heaving chest, the bullpen like something wild, reining them in with a steady glove and pitch decisions they don't know how to make. He’s missed managing a staff, managing their expectations and their dreams and the breaking ball they so desperately want him to call for.

59. Does anyone in your personal life know you write fic? if not, would you tell anyone?

Um well! My ex bf betas a good chunk of my fics. He's the only person I know irl who knows about my secret double life. He knows nothing about baseball and formula one but he's a pretty good little cheerleader and gives good feedback. I don't think I would tell anyone else though, not unless they were a certain level of freak. Idk if they would understand the baseball rpf beauty.

I have a migraine rn so sorry if any of these answers don't make sense. Thank you for the ask <3 my deepest apologies it took me so long to answer 😔

[hee0soo]

...and it started with Airpods! - A S[e]oul Story -1-

Pairing — Kim Hongjoong x Foreigner!Reader

Summary — Visiting Seoul had always been your dream, and now that you were there you planned on using every second on exploring. The subway however might have made a lasting impression...

Genre — fluff

Wordcount — 2.1k

AU/Trope Info — Idol!Au, SliceofLifeAu

Warnings — none

Rating — sfw

Disclaimer: this fic is written and copyrighted by ©hee0soo on tumblr. do not rewrite or repost on any other plattforms without my permission.

ALL RIGHTS RESERVED!

You weren't sure what you had thought when you booked that flight to Seoul. Nothing probably, at least if your mother had anything to say about it.

"What would you even do once you got there, huh? You don't know anyone, nobody is coming with you and you barely speak the language, so what do you want there?" Is what she had asked when you were over at your parents place for dinner. The slightly raised eyebrow of hers at practically every decision in your life, something you had long learned to ignore, glaring right back at you as you had simply shrugged and continued eating your food.

But now, now that you were here, walking through the streets with Myeongdong with several bags of skincare, souvenirs and a roll of kimbap in your hand, you couldn't care less about what your mother had said. You were simply happy to be where you were now, not one regret clouding your mind as it had done several times in moments where you had been alone in your apartment.

The masses of people that you would have despised on a normal day, suddenly didn't seem so bad besides the occasional man or woman randomly standing in the way.

It was fascination how the change of scenery left you so much more relaxed and happier then at home where your life in comparison seemed dull, boring and lonely. Your work being the same every day, the studies you had started not even in the slightest catching your interest anymore.

Of course you knew that this wasn't going to last longer then just a few days, but for now you simply basked in the feeling of being where your heart had pulled you for so long.

Humming along to the music playing through the speaker that was fastened on the outside of the store you were walking past, you looked up into the night sky as you took a bite from the roll still in your hands. It was already late and you could feel the tiredness settling in your bones, the jet leg weighing you down more then you had ever thought possible as you made your way to the subway station.

Compared to the busy street, the station was surprisingly empty. It was a relief to be honest, giving you the chance to take a short breath without being scared to accidently walk into someone and making a fool out of yourself just as the familiar tune of an incoming train arriving at the station. With hurting feet you dropped on to the nearest empty seat with no intention of getting up before you had to.

You popped your earphones in, the first tunes of your favorite songs filling your ears and making you relax into your seat. Eyes fluttering close as you took a breather alongside the calm rapping of Mingi's Fix off Project. The emotions of the song flooding your tired mind and you didn't even take notice of another passenger sitting himself down next to you.

He busied himself on his own phone, eyes flickering to the side in a hesitant manner. Carefull to stay in his own seat. A mask was covering his face, only showing his dark brown eyes and messy black and white hair.

The subway stopped abruptly at the next station, causing you to lose your balance for just a moment and knocking you into the man next to you. Startled he looked up, spooked eyes staring into yours and you had to stop yourself from reacting.

Dark eyes met y/e/c ones.

“I’m so sorry!” you apologized profusely with a well meant bow to the man who’s face you recogniced even with half of it covered by the mask he was wearing as said mans voice was ringing through your earphones now.

The idol waved you of with gentle bow of his head, eyes sparkling in the light of the subway.

“It’s okay, don’t worry.”

The moment was over as fast as it had come but it was enough to leave your heart racing in excitement. It felt like it was going just as fast as the subway speedibg of to it’s next destination just to come to another stop when the Announcement said that you arrived at Hongik University.

Hongjoong quickly got up with another last glance and bow before exiting the train with fast steps. Knowing that you were close to the KQ building you guessed that he was going to the studio to get some work done.

Only after the doors had closed again did you notice the little airpod case being left behind on the seat Hongjoong had been sitting on. They had to be his, as you were sure that they weren’t there when you had sat down before him. So they had to be his!

Hesitant you reached for the case. What were you supposed to do now?

You couldn’t leave them there. Your consciousness not allowing that, but you also couldn’t keep them.

You rolled it in your palm, noticing the little 8 drawn on it with sharpie surrounded by music notes and it made you smile in amusement. Yeah, they definitly belonged to him.

Releasing a tired sigh, you put the airpods in your pocket just as the announcement of your exit station rang through the speakers of the train.

Walking through the night gave you a sense of calm that you needed to sooth your frazzled mind, the encounter with one of your favorite Idols having left you reeling. And it was only when your head hit the pillow, freshly showered and ready to sleep that you felt your mind calm again.

You looked over to the side where the Airpod case was sitting on a small desk the hotel room provided, right next to your bag you always took with you while exploring Seoul.

They were almost mocking you in a sense, asking you what you were going to do with them now that they were in your posession. It was funny how you let yourself be made fun of by an inanimate object like this while sleep fought to win you over. Your eyes finally closing for the night.

Rushing through the busy subway station of Hongik University you passed through many people. Trying ang sometimes failing to not run into anyone else on your way through Hongdae.

The airpod case seemingly burning a hole into the pocket of your jeans and causeing sweat to collect on the inside of your hands. Sweat that you tried to wipe of every minute or two.

You didn’t know if this was a smart move. You didn’t even know if you would get far enough to execute your plan that you had thought about over breakfast this morning while drinking a cup of orange juice.

After all, you didn’t think KQs staff would willingly let a random person inside their building just because she knocked at their door.

You didn’t think it was a particularly good plan but you couldn’t think of any other way of getting the airpods back to their rightful owner so it was either this, keeping them or gwtting rid of them. Neither of the last two options were something you could agree on so this was it.

Arriving was the easy part, but actually walking up the stair and ringing the door bell, that was a whole different struggle. The people walking past must see you as an idiot as you stood there for some time, looking left and right, hesitating to actually walk up to the building while looking like you would keel over any second until you finally maaged to hype yourself up enough to actually do it.

You felt hot all over. Face burning as you walked through the hallways of the new building KQ used now.

“You’re fine. You can do this.” You exhaled with your finger hovering over the door bell infront of the milky glass door with the giant grey KQ logo on it and with a wave of bravery you pressed down.

For a moment nothing happened until the slender figure of someone appeared behind the milky surface and the door slid to the side.

The woman seemed confused and you couldn’t fault her for it.

“Hello, can I help you with anything? Do you have an appointment?” she spoke with an accent but otherwise clear english.

“Uhm – yeah, hi. No, no ughh appointment I just wanted to give you this?” you said, making it almost sound like a question when you pulled out the Airpods from your pocket and held it out for her to take. Her face furrowed more in confusion, but her eyes brightened in recognition.

“I, met one of your idols yesterday in the subway and uhm- he- he dropped them in the subway while leaving… I didn’t steal them or anything, I promise!” you rushed out to give more context on why you had them in the first place.

“Can you step in for a moment? Follow me to our desk and I will try to get someone who can variefy what you are saying.”

You closed your hand around the case when she didn’t take it, only offering you to come in and follow her. Your heart dropped at the mention of stepping foot inside the company. Nodding you hesitantly came in.

The glass dor slid shut behind you.

“Please wait here by the desk, it will be just a moment.” She said politely, yet didn’t wait for an answer before rushing the other way, leaving you standing there while the woman behind the desk was staring at you with a perfectly plucked eyebrow raised.

“Hi…” you said quietly with a head bow.

She didn’t answer, just looking down again at the papers in front of her.

*Great* you thought at her blatantly ignoring you. Gripping tightly onto the airpods to ground yourself.

Unintelligable whispers reached your ear as the first woman came back with someone.

The two-toned hair was messy on his head just like the night before but he seemed for more rested now than then.

His eyes widened just like yours did at the confrontation you didn’t expect.

“I’m sorry for letting you wait, I just need Hongjoong-ah to confirm if these really are his. Could you ahow them again, please?”

You did. You almost threw the airpods at him, the little 8 and music note visible on the front.

Hongjoong studied them for the moment. His eyes widened at seeing his airpods in your hand and you gave you an almost blinding smile.

“Yes, they mine! You found them?”

You chocked at a nervous, “Yeah! You dropped them in the subway yesterday!”

“Thank you, so much! You were next to me? That was you?”

“That was me, yes.”

Hongjoong reached over the desk, the woman on the other side not sparring either of you a glance as the rapper reached for a pen and paper to scribble something on it.

He handed you the paper when he was finished.

“As a thank you for, Atiny?” he winked with a teasing smile.

Surprised that he knew you froze. “Thank you - ?”

“y/n!”

“y/n…”

Just as you wanted to answer, the woman who had let you inside, cut you off.

“Thank you for bringing those back, now, can I escort you out.” Even phrased as a question you knew that it wasn’t mesnt to be one. She wanted you out, not wanting to risk getting herself or Hongjoong in trouble for letting a stranger inside.

Bowing to the idol as a goodbye, you followed her out. The piece of paper he had given you still in your hands.

You only dared looking at it once you stood back outside, thinking that it might have been his autograph as a thank you, however your heart stopped when you saw the series of numbers written on it.

~Text me? :D~

[thecathulhu]

CoaDE posting again

My favorite plot twist in a game I've played is in Children of a Dead Earth. See like most of the games I play its not supposed to HAVE a plot twist, or even a plot for that matter. I more or less expect some weirdness from linear, story-driven games, but CoaDE is a sandbox spaceship fightin' game. You build a soda can with death lasers and fight it against other soda cans with death lasers. The "story" mode is basically just a combination tutorial and scenario challenge. Its a series of tests of your orbital death machine engineering and piloting prowess, the descriptions and dialogue before and after missions is expected to exist but its not expected to be substantial, important, or good. Its a pleasant surprise when it doesn't suck ass and is even kinda interesting, but most importantly provides the justification for whatever arbitrary restrictions you're under in the mission. So its a complete surprise when the end of the last mission and the credits hit you with the twist.

SPOILER: The player is not just involved in but pivotal in committing a genocide. On first playthrough its out of nowhere but then you look back at several of the earlier missions and then it clicks. The motive, means, and opportunity all slam into place. It turns out that all the dialogue has not been directed to the player but a player character. Its a spaceship game so you never see any people, just the ships, and all the dialogue is directed to the, "Captain", with no name given until the end. But at the same time you find that you're a named character you find that you're the president's daughter and all of a sudden it makes sense why a new captain who needs a tutorial while doing a live mission was sent to do so many difficult and dangerous things all over the solar system. Even the order and type of missions make sense. Your first mission is as a glorified HEO uber driver, and only after you succeed are you given combat missions, and even then its like two before you're put into real combat. You're a faildaughter! One who is given a cushy job close to home so mommy can keep an eye on you, and its only AFTER you've proven yourself AND when your nation is desperate that you are ALLOWED to be a Real Captain. Even then you're instantly put to task on spook shit. Executing traitors, or extracting informants with blown cover. Rescuing a dedicated nuclear missile cruiser that the enemy was REALLY keen on destroying for some reason. At the end it all comes together. The final mission is suspiciously easy, turns out it was basically just a mop-up operation against an already broken enemy fleet. In context its you, the nepo-baby, being given the glory on a silver platter while the real work happens elsewhere. Turns out that missile cruiser you rescue is kept out of real combat afterwards and is only used to NUKE YOUR ENEMY'S HOMEWORLD. This is AFTER their fleet is destroyed, rendering them defenseless. None of this could have happened without the player. Its YOUR engineering chops that made this entire thing possible. Most games in this genre never question why you're building and flying warmachines, but for some reason CoaDE sees fit to slap every aspiring engineer with the lesson that you're amazing work does NOT exist in a vacuum (metaphorically), and that if you make weapons they WILL be used, and WILL be used for evil.

[amadmadmadworld]

31 Days of Horror

Day 1: The Blair Witch Project

Starting off with one of my all time favorites. I love it for two reasons:

1) it’s such a fantastic film of course. I mean, it’s a cult classic for a reason. It established the found footage genre for crying out loud.

2) a more personal reason is this one story associated with it: it came out back when my parents were still dating, so my parents went to see it at a drive-in a couple months after it came out (September). They liked it, but two things went awry. First, they were staying at Mom’s parents’ farm, which was in the mountains of rural Virginia. So they were nearly in the middle of nowhere, surrounded by forest, very much like in the Blair Witch Project. Poor Dad had been spooked by the movie and was not keen on going home to that at night, so he and Mom got a hotel room. Which probably benefited Mom too because of the second thing that went wrong that night: she got sick halfway through the movie. I mean, really sick. Throwing up and all that. And she was still sick afterwards. After that night, she went to the doctor. As it turned out, Mom wasn’t actually sick. She was pregnant. 9 months later, on a quiet night in May, in an empty maternity ward, Mom gave birth to a redheaded baby girl. Who just so happened to be Yours Truly. Yep. So, basically, I exist because of The Blair Witch. Is it really any wonder I turned out the way I did? And why I went and saw the sequel Blair Witch in theaters for my 16th birthday?