#nun! killer sans

[unamzi]

Nun! Killer praying:)

I had fun making the stained glass thing:D

[n-b-0-d-y]

Lol

[7roaches]

half assed killermare doodlies

[elizakai]

the boys as nuns ^///^

[rottenjestingdemon]

MORE ELIZAKAI STUFF????

Yeeahhh this is going to be my content for the next few days, fuck creativity HEEHSHE

All is based on their designs or drawings

@elizakai thanks for allowing me to post all this!!!

[deltaswapjevil]

Spooktober Day 31

Noooooooo

I missed it

I missed the deadline

I took too long typing this i realized halfway through that it was already November

Please accept my late Halloween Art 😔

Anyway today was a your choice one and I'm actually gonna start with Jared's:

He drew a bunch of different horror monsters he's created

Evil Spacecat is from a parody of Killer Clowns from Outerspace, Rosie is a possessed doll, Elf is an evil elf, Brayden Hook is a slasher from the countryside, Max Denvor is a sunken Diver killer, Gator is a gatorman killer, Snake Eye is a snake demon, Bishop is an evil priest based on the Nun, and Zoid and Pete Grisly are new to me

I did a handful hence why it's late

All from my different aus (or rather takes on AUS): Underfell, Deltarune Chapter Rewritten, and Underswap)

If you wanna learn more about CR and Underswap check out my swap au blog @deltaswap2442 where I do swap au. Been kinda inactive on there for a bit because of this but I plan to make a return

Happy Late Halloween

[ant1quarian]

Dustverse Nicknames so far:

( Very suseptible to change as I learn and the narrative grips me by the face and forces me to change things :D )

OG - Original Dust

Wreckage - Sid’s Dust

Ruins - Copyvessel Dust

Remnant -  Quellow

Clutter - Dust!Swap Sans

Riffraff - Silly dust with crown and big boots

Discard - Voidface

Reject - Tall Dust 

Cinder - Femme Dust

Debris - Idol Dust

Wilt - Bald Dust

Sprinkle - Friendly Dust

Spread - Bunny

Scraps - Saejun!Dust

Husks - Cap!Dust

Mote - Detective!Dust

Fos (Fossilz) - Diesel!Dust

Specks - Timetraveller Dust

Detritus - Biblically Accurate Dust

Olyu - Error!Dust

Fracture - Ivan!Dust

Serial - Killer-Dust fusion

Dander - Bittybat Dust

Erosion – Eldritch Dust

Smog – Smiles

Pollen – Bitty Dust

Ashes - Brother Dust

Smog – Drugdealer Dust (Always High)

Atrophy – Stabby McFeral Stabbsters

Rubble - Mttbs Dust

Malaise - Friends or Foe Dust

Scatter - Flighteningtale Dust

Misery – Transfem Dust

Mites - Middleschool Dust

Residue – Magical Girl Dust

Talc - Limbus Company Dust

Webs – Nun Dust

Grit – Goblin Dust (And his Rat, Hyacinth)

Fallout - Witherborn Dust

Decay - Avian Dust

Soot - Mafiadust

Fuzz - Cat Dust

Grain – Band Dust

Bell - Heather’s Dust – Potential Placeholder

Plague – Pestilence!Dust

Wraith – Ghost!Dust

Crow – Etherealdreamtale!Dust

Stain – Dust!Ink

Burgundy - Dust!Fell

Silt – Festivalverse Dust

Rust - Dust who yoinked Crimson’s SOUL

Closure - Dust who yoinked the SOULs (If you want, Lili)

If you are a creator of one of the Dusts and don't like the nickname, feel free to reach out and tell me to change 'em!!

Or just, y'know, tell me not to use the Dust at all. This is purely for fun and I understand that some creators don't want their characters used!

Also do you want me to tell you about the differences in the AUs between Voidface!Dust and OG Dust? (Like all of the very similar Dust's) 'cause there will be differences

[flurrys-creativity]

A stitch in time...

Pairing: Ateez (OT8) x GN!Reader; Genre: angst, horror, thriller, murder au, hinted supernatural au, mentioned detective au; Rating: nsfw, 18+, MDNI; Warnings: ghost hunting, abandoned place, trespassing, hints of being haunted, blood, puddles of blood, talks about blood, hinted murder, mentions of a serial killer/mass murderer, hinted demon possession, slight description of a rotting body, descriptions of dead bodies, OBVIOUSLY major character deaths, NO happy ending, open end... let me know if I missed something; Wordcount: 5.783

Event: @pirateeznet 2nd anniversary event; Prompt: Horror

moodboard/prompt credit: @daemour

Summary: Hunting for a ghost at an abandoned convent turned way more gruesome than any of you could have anticipated.

A/N: I feel like I suck at horror... and I feel like this isn't even closely enough horrific... well... have fun anyway. FUN FACT THOUGH! The title "A stitch in time..." is based on the proverb "a stitch in time saves nine" so I included some hints based on that proverd as well as the meaning of the number 9... the research was definitely a lot of fun and made my brain go brrrrrr...

“Why is it we’re going in the middle of the night again?”

You opened one eye, an amused smirk playing over your features upon hearing San’s question. 

The car shook gently as Yunho drove your group along a winding, uneven path towards an abandoned convent. Seonghwa guided him through the dark of the night with a map on his lap, ignoring San’s anxious demeanour completely.

Hongjoong, who sat next to Seonghwa on the double passenger seat, rolled his eyes. “You know the reason”, he grunted dismissively and made himself more comfortable in his seat again.

“I know”, San whined, leaning forward to grab Hongjoong’s shoulders, “but why?”

Wooyoung leaned over your form to pry San’s hands from their leader. “Oh, come here, my sweet little scaredy-cat.”

You opened both eyes now, watching them be all touchy and cuddly right on your lap with an unreadable expression. 

Jongho made the sound of throwing up, pretending to be heavily disgusted by their display of affection.

“The real question is, why didn’t you two want to sit next to each other? Now you’re torturing Y/N instead with your antics.” Yeosang snickered from behind, thankful he wasn’t the victim caught in the middle for once.

The two men on your lap turned their heads, looking at your face. While San had an almost apologetic and pleading expression, Wooyoung just grinned up at you cheekily. “Oh, you know Y/N secretly likes that.”

You scoffed at that, pushing his head playfully away from yourself. “You wish.”

“Oh, yes! You have no idea how much I wish for you to join.” 

“If they’re asking you to follow them, they want a threesome with you. Just a heads up.” Mingi commented, laughing at how Jongho immediately made the throwing up sounds again.

“Mingi!” San cried out, sitting back up and turning around to look at the man behind him. “You can’t just say that!”

“Worried you’re too scared to get it up?”

This time you rolled your eyes and slid down in your seat, wishing to be excluded from the fight. You closed your eyes again, drowning out their bickering voices and focusing on the reason you were there to begin with.

“We’re here!” Seonghwa’s voice cut through the discussion, directing a stern look at all the passengers around you. “Remember to be discreet. We do not want any authorities to bust our mission.”

“Yes, mom!” All of them called in unison before spilling out of the parked car. 

You chuckled softly, seeing Seonghwa’s pained smile. He truly did behave like the mom of the group. “They’re a lot, aren’t they?” You patted his shoulder and got out of the car yourself.

Yunho had opened the tailgate of the car, revealing several backpacks and equipment for the paranormal investigation they had planned.

“So this convent was abandoned ninety years ago after a massacre where eight nuns and a priest got murdered”, Hongjoong recited the information he had gathered over the past few weeks, “the other residents were so traumatised by this event that they couldn’t stand it staying near this place.”

Yeosang laughed nervously. “Nine people died back then.” He glanced around at his team. “And we’re nine people as well.”

The second Yeosang finished his observation, San started whining loudly, pouting and refusing to go anywhere near the convent now. 

Jongho smack Yeosang’s back. “Better watch out then.”

You rolled your eyes again and grabbed your backpack, hoisting it up on one shoulder. “They’re joking”, you muttered towards San as you thrusted his backpack into his flailing arms.

Wooyoung wrapped himself around the broad shoulders of San. “I’ll protect you, my sweet little scaredy-cat.” He laughed squeakily and jumped up and down, pulling San towards the building in the process.

“So much for being discreet”, Seonghwa sighed deeply. He turned on his flashlight, letting the circle of light wander over the surrounding area.

“It’s going to be alright.” Mingi patted his shoulder. “We’re far away from any town or village. Who’s going to notice we’re trespassing, huh?”

“With that blabbermouth even the capital miles away will hear us do that”, Jongho grunted, switching his flashlight on as well and heading straight for the building.

The rest followed him in various states of enthusiasm. Yunho was the last one to follow, closing the tailgate and locking the car before he tagged along.

All of you stopped at the gates to the convent, an unspoken tension weighing down on everyone.

You looked around, ignoring the roaming circles of light from the others. The surrounding woods seemed rather dense at night, the light of the flashlights barely reaching further than the second line of trees.

The old convent walls were overgrown with vines, some of them even stretching over gaping holes as the stone had caved in over time. Random things laid on the ground, grass half growing over them. Statues of angels had fallen over, their stone pieces scattered all over the place.

“Inviting”, you mumbled under your breath, pushing past the hesitating men and entering the convent grounds.

The path used to be there was barely visible - even less during the dark of the night. You stepped over some broken statue pieces, making a grimace at the crunching sound underneath your feet. You heard the others following you, their lights wandering around the area in curiosity.

“I think we should find the room where it all happened and set up some of our equipment there”, Yunho suggested, passing you with his long legs. Mingi followed close behind, already holding the EMF metre in his large hand.

When you glanced behind you, you noticed how the others also held their specialised equipment in their hands: a night vision camera, thermometers, an old radio to catch static sounds or even voices as well as a thermographic camera. 

All that in hopes of witnessing the presence of one ghost.

Before you even entered the building the first small groups had built and split up. Wooyoung, San and Yeosang stayed outside, checking the grounds for any activity. Jongho quickly ventured into the left wing of the building on his own, while Seonghwa and Hongjoong went further into the back. 

You hurriedly caught up with Mingi and Yunho, both of them walking up the stairs to the next level. 

The steps cracked underneath your weight, making you wince from the seemingly loud sound. The stench of mould and wet furniture invaded your nose. 

“Can you imagine all of this once bustled with life?”

“How lively can it be with a bunch of nuns living here?” You retorted to Yunho’s question, barely able to hide the grin on your face. 

He snorted and slowed down his pace, staying next to you and bumping your shoulder playfully. “Don’t you have to be a little more respectful on these grounds? Aren’t they holy or something?”

“Even after all this time?” Mingi joined you on your other side, looking at you two with wide eyes.

“Definitely not!” You shook your head and rolled your eyes. “Maybe the church on the east side was a holy ground but definitely not anymore.”

“Why not?”

Yunho grinned at you, heavily amused by the fact Mingi now started asking you all kinds of questions.

“To make something holy you have to cleanse it. It’s basically like showering. If you don’t shower after a while you start to stink. So do grounds that don’t get cleansed regularly. They don’t stay holy.”

Mingi made a sound of understanding, nodding his head ever so slowly while his eyes roamed around the long hallway.

You glanced at Yunho, who simply winked at you. He didn’t say anything else, instead turning around a corner and leaving you alone with Mingi.

For a while you two only walked side by side further along the corridor. Your steps and the constant peeping of the EMF the only sound bouncing from the walls. 

A cold shiver ran through your whole body. You stopped in your movements. You furrowed your brows. 

Mingi stopped a few steps further down the hallway. “What’s wrong?”

“Didn’t you feel that?” You looked up at him, confusion written all over your face. “What about the EMF? Quick! Come back here! Does it pick something up?” You ushered Mingi back to your spot, grabbing his wrist and pulling the EMF right in front of your chest.

“Nothing.”

You moved Mingi’s arm around the area, hoping to catch some sort of activity. “What?” You growled in annoyance. Did you just imagine the cold? Is your mind playing tricks on you? What just happened?

“What’s wrong?” Mingi repeated his question, growing nervous from your frantic movements. “What was I supposed to feel?” 

Your heart rate increased rapidly. Your breathing turned shallow. Your eyes darted around aimlessly and unfocused. “Something’s wrong.”

“What’s wrong?”

You blinked several times, softly shaking your head. You looked back up at Mingi. Fear evident in both of your gazes. “I don’t know.”

Before your mind caught up to your body, you already hurried back down the corridor. Something pulled you back downstairs. While you had no idea what it was, you just knew you had to be there as fast as possible.

The light of your flashlight flickered as you turned around a corner, momentarily leaving you in the dark. You rushed deeper into the building, barely avoiding broken doors and walls. 

When you turned around yet another corner, you suddenly slipped and fell to the ground. 

“Fuck.” You hissed as you pushed yourself up again. The flashlight had rolled several feets away from you, going on and off repeatedly. You raised one hand to your forehead, groaning from the dull throbbing. 

You stopped in your movements. The scent of something metallic forcing its way into your nose. At the same time the feeling of something warm and sticky on your hands made itself known. As you sat there in the dark another cold shiver ran down your back. You raised your trembling hands in front of your body, eyes trained on them. Only after the flashlight turned on once again, did you see it.

Something red coloured your hands. It dripped down to the puddle on the ground, somewhat connecting your hands to it.

Your ears started ringing. A cold sweat spread all over your skin. Your eyes unfocused. 

“Y/N!” You felt several hands pulling at your shoulders and arms. They shook you anxiously until you finally snapped out of your stupor.

“What happened?”

“Y/N?”

“Are you alright?”

“We heard you scream!”

You turned your head almost mechanically to look at them. Your eyes wandered over the seven faces staring at you. “Where’s Hongjoong?”

The men turned their heads, looking at each other and around, before shrugging with their shoulders.

“Wasn’t he with you, Seonghwa?”

“Only in the beginning!”

You looked back at your hands, trying desperately to stop the tremble inside of them. 

Wooyoung grabbed your shoulder, pulling your focus back to them. “What happened, Y/N? We heard you scre-”. His voice got stuck in his throat when he finally noticed your hands. “What the fuck?”

The others turned their gazes to your hands as well. They gasped or cursed in shock.

“Is that blood?”

“Did you get hurt?”

“Why did you ask for Hongjoong?”

Yunho walked around the room, moving his circle of light all over the place. “Hongjoong?” His voice boomed through the room, even echoing from the hallway outside. “Hongjoong? Where are you?”

No answer.

“Y/N? Please”, Seonghwa begged quietly, crouching down next to you. “Tell us what happened?”

“Let’s get Y/N out of this room first”, Jongho interjected. He forcefully helped you up, keeping his hand on your upper arm and pulling you outside.

Once outside Jongho sat you down on one of the many fallen statues. He stepped back again, leaving you some space.

The others gathered around you, nervous glances being exchanged and wandering around. Hongjoong still hasn’t appeared.

Seonghwa was the first to move again, walking up to you and kneeling in front of your form. He pulled some tissues out of his pockets, as well as a bottle of water. Without a word he reached for your hands and quietly started cleaning them.

“Do you think Hongjoong got lost somewhere?” Yeosang whispered, glancing at the others with uncertainty.

“No.”

All heads snapped to you, surprised to hear your hoarse voice. “You seem to know something we don’t.”

You nodded ever so slowly. “There’s a reason I joined your mission.” You pulled a badge out of your pocket and held it up for them to see it. “I’m a detective and I’m working on a case of a serial killer. I followed some new leads, which brought me to you.”

“What do you mean by that?” Yunho interrupted you with furrowed brows. His expression appeared cold and distant, as if he tried to control his own anger.

“Hongjoong was murdered.”

They gasped in shock, eyes widening almost comically. Some of them protested weakly, not wanting to believe one of their friends is dead. “He could just be hurt somewhere!”

“There was too much blood on the floor.” You shook your head and bit down on your lower lip. “He’s definitely dead already.”

“Shouldn’t we get out of here then? If there’s a serial killer roaming around that building somewhere?” Wooyoung questioned.

“We can’t just leave Hongjoong here!”

“HE’S DEAD ALREADY! Are you willing to risk your own life for a corpse?” 

“HE’S OUR FRIEND!”

You watched them yell at each other. Silently, you noted down within your mind every little detail you caught on. After all, your intel showed you it must be one of them. “We won’t be able to leave.”

“What?” Their arguing stopped instantly as they turned back to you. As you didn’t say anything else, a nervous tension filled the air.

“You think it’s one of us”, Jongho stated bluntly, followed by more gasps of shock.

You saw how they turned to look at you, hoping Jongho only made a cruel joke. Though seeing your serious expression their hope vanished. “What are we supposed to do now?”

“I need to go back to the crime scene. I hope to find some sort of clue who might have done it.” You pushed yourself up, quietly thanking Seonghwa for his help cleaning you up. 

“What about us?”

“You can’t go alone!”

San jumped forward and wrapped his arms around one of yours, clinging himself to your side. “I don’t wanna die here”, he whispered into your ear, looking at you pleadingly.

Seonghwa stepped next to you as well. “If it’s one of us, I agree that you can’t go alone.”

“We can’t all go”, you sighed in exasperation. “I fear we already destroyed important evidence the first time we were there.” You massaged your temples, feeling like your head was about to explode. “I also need to find his body.”

“Then let's make two groups”, Mingi suggested, “one will search for Hongjoong and the other will check the room again.”

You nodded. “Let’s do that.”

After some discussion Yeosang joined the two men, who already made it to your side, and the other four men formed the second group.

You hoped this way everyone stayed somewhat safe for now - or at least until you discovered some sort of clue to save the innocent.

“I, uh, I’ll stay outside of the room”, San whispered as he stopped in front of the broken door, staring with unfocused eyes into the dark void. He didn’t react to Seonghwa’s sweet words, asking him to come inside, nor did he react to Yeosang’s soft pulling.

“Stay in the doorway and look outside. That way you’re not out of sight.” You barely waited for his short nod before you walked into the room. You had grabbed San’s flashlight, since your own lied broken on the ground. 

You immediately started your search, checking every corner of the room. You somewhat ignored the others, too focused on your own mission. There had to be something. You had to find something, anything.

San stayed at the doorway like you told him, but your constant muttering as well as the stench of blood and mold drained the colour from his face. “I don’t think I can…” He didn’t finish his words, doubling over and vomiting on the ground. 

“He needs to get out of here!” You ordered and pointed aimlessly at Yeosang and Seonghwa, hoping either of them would help him out. 

Yeosang immediately jumped to his friend, waiting until he only gasped for air to pull him outside. 

Seonghwa on the other hand already pulled out several more tissues and handed them to San. He crouched down as well, wiping along the doorframe for a second, before he followed Yeosang and San outside.

You stayed behind, pondering over the events that happened here. You definitely wanted to talk to Seonghwa, questioning him about his actions. As far as you knew he was also the last one to be with Hongjoong, making him the main suspect in this case.

Too absorbed in your own thoughts you didn’t notice someone approaching you.

Out of the corner of your eye and at the edge of your light you saw something bloodied. Again.

A scream got stuck in your throat.

You turned around. Ready to defend yourself.

When Mingi raised his hands in an innocent manner. “Hey, there.”

You cursed under your breath, laughing awkwardly when the initial shock subsided. “My heart nearly stopped, Mingi! You can’t scare me like that!” You walked over to him, pulling him into a hug from the relief you felt.

“Sorry, didn’t mean to.” He wrapped himself around you. “I just lost the others and knew you should be here.”

You furrowed your brows in surprise and confusion. “How did you lose the others? You should have stayed together.”

“You’re on your own as well!”

You rolled your eyes with a soft chuckle. “San wasn’t able to stay near the crime scene so the others brought him outside.” You turned your head and looked over the room again. “Maybe we should follow them”, you mumbled and pursed your lips. You had to question Seonghwa, there was no way around it.

Mingi guided you outside again, where you found a retching San and Yeosang helplessly standing next to him. 

“Where’s Seonghwa?”

Yeosang pointed towards the building and you followed his finger with your gaze. 

With a sigh you rolled your shoulders, ready to confront him, when Yunho, Jongho and Wooyoung came running from the direction you wanted to go.

Wooyoung stopped in his tracks, the colour from his features draining as he stared at you with wide eyes. 

The other two kept rushing towards you, a crazed look in their eyes. “Weren’t you all supposed to stay with Seonghwa?” Yunho pointed accusingly at you and then at Yeosang and San.

“He went back in! How was I supposed to stay with Seonghwa with a retching San right over here?” Yeosang protested loudly, his hand vaguely waving over the bend over San.

“Mingi was with me”, you answered, furrowing your brows in suspicion. “Why are you even asking?”

“Because we just found his body”, Jongho interjected.

Your expression dropped, hands falling to your sides. “No”, you whispered, exhaling shakily. “This can’t be.” You ran past them, ignoring their calls and hurrying inside. You stopped at every little room, peeking inside in hopes to find Seonghwa.

“Hwa!” Your voice carried a sense of desperation as your search continued without any sign of him. “Seonghwa! Answer me!”

“He can’t.” 

You whirled around at Yeosang’s voice. Your eyes jumped between his own, trying to understand what was going on. “This can’t be true.”

“What are you doing here?” Yunho interrupted you two, staring at you with a pointed look. “Why are you over there? We found him in that room.” He pointed at a room that you had passed already.

You scoffed and crossed your arms in front of your chest. “I already checked that room. Seonghwa wasn’t in there.”

“What are you talking about?” You heard the hint of annoyance in his voice before he stormed off into that room. 

Without hesitation you rushed over to him, following him into the room as well. You ignored Yeosang who still stood there, silently watching you. “See, I told you-”

“Where did you take him?” Yunho’s voice boomed through the room. His anger finally took over and he turned around, glaring at you menacingly.

You startled from his sudden outburst, stumbling backwards and blinking several times. 

Mingi showed up behind you, followed by the others. All of them got drawn into the room by his loud voice, worried gazes switching between him and you.

“I’m asking you again. WHERE DID YOU TAKE HIM?”

You stuttered something incomprehensible, unable to form a coherent sentence or argument. You didn’t even know what to say to calm him down either. 

“How would they be able to drag a whole body around without any of us noticing? Y/N wasn’t even alone at all.” Mingi placed his hands on your shoulder, backing you up not just with his words but with his gesture as well.

“Then who did it?” Yunho stalked through the room, grabbing drawers, tables and chairs and throwing them around as if he’d find Seonghwa somewhere behind them. 

You watched him silently, thoughts already racing inside your head. You had suspected Seonghwa to be the murderer but apparently you had been way off with him now gone too. Your eyes wandered to the other guys, wondering who the culprit might be instead.

Something wasn’t adding up.

You just couldn’t figure out what.

“I’m out of here”, San muttered, still pale and weak on his legs. He didn’t wait for any response, wobbling out of the room already.

“He shouldn’t go alone.”

You watched how Yeosang followed him until he was out of your sight. In the meantime Jongho tried calming Yunho down again, promising to find both missing members with him. They left the room as well, leaving Mingi at your side and Wooyoung close to the entrance, staring at you blankly.

“What are we going to do now?”

You silently shook your head, unsure what was the best course of action. You turned your head to look at Mingi. As of now he seemed to be the only one who couldn’t have done either of the murders.

“I think we shouldn’t be splitting up again”, he mumbled and gently pushed you towards the entrance.

Wooyoung stayed where he was, his head turning almost mechanically as you passed. 

“Aren’t you coming?” You called over your shoulder. A cold shiver ran down your spine again. Something definitely was off here.

Even with Mingi’s suggestion of staying together, it appeared harder than all of you anticipated. Somehow there seemed to be always a kind of situation that pulled your group apart.

And one by one your group got smaller and smaller.

After Hongjoong and Seonghwa, Yeosang was the next to vanish.

Except for another large puddle of blood his body was nowhere to be found.

Then Jongho disappeared. 

He heard a noise and followed it. Never came back.

San currently sat down, pressed against a wall. He slightly rocked his upper body back and forth, mumbling quietly and erratically to himself. 

You tried calming him down, crouching down in front of his form. Though your words didn’t reach him at all. 

A movement at the corner of your eye caught your attention, letting you glance towards it for a second. Only when your gaze moved back to San, did your brain register what you saw.

Mingi. 

At least a version of Mingi.

Pitch black eyes. Hollow cheeks and blood streaks running down from his eye sockets. Chapped lips and an even paler complexion than San who felt sick.

The air got stuck in your throat, fear gripping at your very core. Your eyes shakily moved back, followed by your whole head.

You exhaled in disbelief, pitifully laughing at yourself and your mad imagination. “It’s you”, you chuckled and shook your head, “again.”

Except for some dishevelled clothing and hair Mingi looked just the same.

You stood up and brushed over your clothes, sending one last pitiful glance at San. “I think I’ll go look for Yunho. He’s been raging around like crazy with everything that’s going on.”

As you started to walk away, Mingi silently followed you, continuously staying one step behind you. He only left your side when you asked him to check a room here and there.

To your surprise though Yunho was nowhere to be found. At the same time you noticed something else.

It felt eerily quiet.

“Let’s head back to San”, you called out and started running towards the outside.

Your breathing came out ragged when you finally reached the spot where you had left him. 

Only to find an empty spot.

You cursed under your breath, running your fingers through your hair. “This can’t be happening.” You paced around and started chewing on your nail.

By now you had searched every room of the convent and even the outside grounds without having found any trace of the others. 

Except for puddles of blood.

You stopped your pacing, your head turning towards the church at the east side of the grounds. 

The only place you hadn’t checked yet.

Your first steps were hesitant, more like a stumble before you broke out into another sprint. 

When you reached the double doors to the church, two voices called out your name. You turned around with wide eyes, seeing both Wooyoung and Mingi running towards you.

“You shouldn’t go in there alone”, Mingi panted once he reached you.

“You shouldn’t be here in the first place”, Wooyoung hissed.

You blinked several times, trying to comprehend what was happening. With furrowed brows and your eyes switching between them two you still reached for the door, intent on opening it. 

It’s then that you noticed Wooyoung wasn’t even looking at you. His glare was directed towards Mingi.

“What’s going-”

“How many times do I have to kill you?”

Your jaw dropped open and your eyes widened when you heard Wooyoung’s question.

“WHY! Why can’t you stay dead?”

You stepped back, your weight pushing the door to the church open. You stumbled backwards, barely catching yourself.

Mingi called out to you but got rooted in his place when you reached for your weapon and raised it towards them. You moved it between the two men, desperately trying to make sense of this whole situation.

“What do you mean by killing him over and over again?” Your voice was barely above a whisper as your eyes flicked towards Wooyoung and then back to Mingi. 

“So”, you inhaled deeply, “you killed all the others?”

“No!” Wooyoung raised both his hands, a desperate attempt to show his innocence. “I swear it wasn’t me!”

Your attention turned to Mingi who stared ahead of you with a face void of any emotion. When you glanced back at Wooyoung, you noticed how his eyes widened in shock as they focused on something behind you.

Ever so slowly you turned around. You swallowed harshly.

The inside of the church was kept in pristine condition. The walls stayed a blinding white, same with the floor. The seats were aligned in perfect rows from the front to the back and the gold applications on the altar appeared as new as ever. 

There wasn’t any sign of broken furniture nor spots of mould. The only thing inside the whole room that shouldn’t have been there were six bodies placed in a circle right in front of the altar.

You clapped your hand in front of your mouth, the scream stuck in your throat. 

More blood pooled around the bodies, connecting them to one another. Their pale skin nearly glowed against the dark red of the blood. Their hands were folded in a praying manner across their chests while their dead eyes stared at the ceiling.

You turned back around to the two remaining guys. “What kind of psycho are you to do this to your friends?” You yelled and pointed your gun back at Wooyoung. “And you tried killing Mingi too?”

“It wasn’t me!” Wooyoung cried out. “Well, at least not this.”

“How am I supposed to believe you?” You glanced towards Mingi, who stayed oddly impassive to the whole situation. You mused he was in shock.

Wooyoung stepped towards you and you quickly focused back on him. “I can’t let this slide.” His eyes widened and his expression morphed from shock to sheer panic. 

The gun shot rang loudly through the air, followed by the dull drop from Wooyoung’s body hitting the floor.

You exhaled shakily. Your eyes were unfocused. 

You only got it together when Mingi started moving again.

Mingi calmly walked over to Wooyoung’s body and picked it up, carrying it over to the circle of the others.

“What are you doing?”

“Finishing what you started.”

“What I started?” You asked incredulously. You scoffed, disbelief radiating from every cell inside your body.

“The human mind is such a flimsy thing.” Mingi laughed out, the sound empty and foreign. “Can’t even remember what you did, you poor little thing.” He placed Wooyoung down on the ground, filling one of the empty spots in the circle.

Goosebumps erupted all over your skin as one cold shiver after the other ran along your spine.

This wasn’t right. Nothing of this was right.

You raised your gun back up, pointing it at Mingi this time. Dread filled your chest at the thought of having shot someone innocent. Though he said he tried to kill Mingi - more than once. So technically Wooyoung wasn’t that innocent. At least that’s what you tried telling yourself to justify the seemingly grave mistake you made.

“Explain yourself!”

“You suspected Hongjoong at first-”

You barked out a laugh. “What are you even talking about? He died first! How should he have been a suspect?”

Mingi’s head turned towards you, a boyish grin plastered on his lips. “Remember the reason you joined this expedition? ‘Cause you thought there was a serial killer hiding among us. And you suspected Hongjoong to be it.”

You bit on your lower lip, silently waiting for him to continue speaking.

“Now with Hongjoong’s death you needed a new suspect and who else to pick but his partner for everything.” Mingi stood back up, walking around the circle of bodies only for him to stop at Seonghwa’s head. “So you confronted him and killed him, thinking all your made up clues inside your head were pointing at him. But then his body disappeared and fear gripped your heart again.”

Memories flashed inside of your mind, showing you scenes of a fight and Seonghwa’s face twisted in pain. 

“Same with all the others. Yeosang, Jongho, Yunho, San.” Mingi stopped at each one of them as he spoke before he slowly walked towards you. “For each one of them you crafted yourself some sort of reason why they were the culprits and you killing them was supposed to save the others. And nobody ever suspected you. After all, slipping on Hongjoong’s blood was a great move: being covered in it nobody suspected any blood stain on you.”

Your hands started trembling as more memories of your gruesome actions filled your mind. 

Mingi placed his hand on yours, slowly pushing them down until the gun pointed at the ground. He walked around you while his hands ran up your arms. 

You shivered when his breath caressed the shell of your ear. “There never was a serial killer in this group”, he whispered in a low tone, “not until you turned into one yourself, my little mass murderer.”

You shook your head in denial, tears spilling out and running over your cheeks. This couldn’t be true. You couldn’t have possibly done all of this. “I don’t believe you.”

Mingi chuckled into your ear, his hands gently squeezing your shoulders. “Maybe you should believe your own memories. Aren’t they coming back to you? Right, you simply don’t want to trust yourself. How could it be possible for a good person to turn bad all in the name of justice.”

You shook your head again, barely noticing how Mingi guided you closer towards the circle of bodies. 

There were still two empty spots and a part of your brain knew what that meant. “You’re going to end this here, aren’t you?”

Mingi laughed again. “On the contrary. You’ll be the one to end it all.”

You looked up at him through teary eyes, brows furrowing in confusion. “I won't kill you now that I know what happened!” 

Mingi stepped away from you, walking over to one of the empty spots. “There's no need for that. This body has been dead for a while now.” He waved his hand in front of his form as if he was pulling a curtain aside, revealing the horrific state of his body that you had thought you imagined earlier on.

You slowly shook your head from side to side in disbelief. This couldn’t be happening. You simply couldn’t believe this to be true. 

You watched him sit down on the ground, crossing his long legs over one another and leaning back on his palms. He even tilted his head and grinned devilishly at you. “It’s missing only one more thing.” Mingi jerked his chin towards the second empty space of the circle.

A gasp tore its way through your throat at the indication. Yet, all you could do was shake your head mechanically. “You can’t mean that.”

“Oh, obviously I do. We both know you won’t be able to live with the guilt of having murdered eight men - eight friends.”

You desperately wished for this to be a lie, hoped to wake up from a nightmarish fever dream. Tears welled up in your eyes and your throat closed up. 

Your mind played one murder after the other inside your head, letting you relive each and everyone of it. 

Mingi layed down on the floor, laughing to himself while your inner turmoil tore you apart.

As if your body had a mind of its own, your feet carried you to the last empty spot. Your eyes wandered over the others, staring at them through a blurry vision. 

“I can’t”, you whispered, followed by a soft hiccup. You dropped to your knees as sobs tore through your throat. 

The dim light from the candles flickered around, casting shadows all over the circle. Soon the sun would rise again. Though none of the bodies inside the church would do the same.

Ever again.

© all rights reserved

Taglist: @xavi-in-kpopland​ @songsoomin

[songwolfwildblogs]

Oh god.

Sans aus expect their all youtubers. Like instead of a multiversal war it's just Twitter beef

Nightmare's gang is an improv group that does weird shit, nightmare's castle is just a place where most of their sets are

Dream is a commentary youtuber similar to Danny Gonzalez, he's just vibin

Ink is one of those art channels where they just talk about whatever over a speedpaint

Error is just an undernovela fan channel

Swap is a gaming youtuber that somehow keeps getting involved in drama despite literally doing nothing

Lust is a makeup channel so he 100% gets involved in petty drama (he has a side channel where he plays the sims)

Fell is just a guy that just gets really drunk then talks into a mic for 3 hours about fucking nothing (he isn't an alpha Podcaster he's a drunk Podcaster)

Classic is that one guy that doesn't have a channel but keeps appearing in other people's videos

Outer runs a channel that delivers daily fun facts about the stars

Fresh just randomly turns on the camera he stole to stare at it for a few moments then says a random word then turns the camera off. People think it might be an arg but no he just wants to share words he likes

Farm just kinda vlogs random shit on the farm. Not like content farm vlogs just genuine vlogs about the farm

And they somehow always get into small fights on Twitter that shouldn't matter but get overblown by those drama content mills

Also, swap and fresh at least 4 times a year goes to the hospital somehow

And nightmare's gang are often seen in party city going through shit there looking for costumes for videos and killer always ends up with either something like this

Or this

Everyone else gets like normal costumes. Then we have killer although for some reason, one of them somehow usually ends up in a nun or priest costume. Usually, they just use real weapons. They're good actors but videos become extremely chaotic in a matter of minutes

[bitter69uk]

Born on this day: true Italian cinema royalty, the exquisite Alida Valli (née Alida Maria Laura Altenburger von Marckenstein-Frauenberg – she was a Baroness! -  31 May 1921 - 22 April 2006), who boasted a spectacular seven-decade career. (Her filmography stretches from 1936 until final role in 2002). Benito Mussolini once called Valli "the most beautiful woman in the world", but don’t hold that against her! At the height of her Continental fame, Hollywood imported her hoping she’d be a “new Garbo” or “new Ingrid Bergman”. Billed simply as “Valli” she featured in Alfred Hitchcock’s The Paradine Case (1947). More successfully, Valli made an intensely melancholic impression opposite Orson Welles in the British The Third Man (1949). Back in Italy, she collaborated with all the essential art cinema auteurs of the period: Luchino Visconti (Senso (1954)), Michelangelo Antonioni (Il Grido (1957)), Pier Paolo Pasolini (Oedipus Rex (1967)), Bernardo Bertolucci (The Spider's Strategem (1970)). Particularly noteworthy: in the eerie French thriller Les yeux sans visage (1959) (aka Eyes without a Face), she is icily inscrutable as the deranged scientist’s lesbianic assistant with the pearl choker and fetishistic wet-look PVC raincoat. But while Valli clearly excelled in the realm of high culture, she was gutsily unafraid to get down-and-dirty in horror and exploitation flicks in the seventies, like Lisa and the Devil (1973) by Mario Bava, Dario Argento’s Suspiria (1977) and nunsploitation shocker Killer Nun (1979) as the Mother Superior! She even cropped up in 1976 disaster movie The Cassandra Crossing, featuring the all-star cast of Sophia Loren, Richard Harris, Burt Lancaster, Ava Gardner – and OJ Simpson! If you seek out one Valli film, make it the swooning operatic melodrama Senso (pictured) about the doomed love story between an Italian countess (Valli) and an Austrian officer (Farley Granger). It’s impossibly beautiful - just look at the composition of this shot!

[undertale-museum]

Reader [Ship]

Fanfiction

Honorable Mentions

[Last updated 14March24]

*Minors Not Permitted*

————————————————————

1. A Puzzle Just For Me

By neroli9

Sans, Reader, Muffet, OC ensemble

Mobtale 1930s, exiled royal

smut, +18, very kinky, RACK

.

2. Doom and Gloom All Up in Your Room

Trash Collector

Y/N (room owner), Dust, Horror

Domestic reverse harem

.

3. Poor Little Meow Meow

Mystique & Tall Dumbass

Y/N (vet), Killer

Fluff and Angst

eventual smut

.

4. Six Skeletons, One Store Clerk

mccloudydayz

Reader, Sans, Paps, Red, Edge, Stretch, Blue +

Domestic, multiverse shenanigans

5. The Soldier and the Carnal Skeletons

Writers_War_Zone

Sans, Red, Horror, Blue

Animal instincts, harem,

smut, kink dynamics

.

6. Dirty Laundry

popatochisp

Swapfell Sans, Swapfell Papyrus, Reader

Domestic, romance

.

7. Love Covers a Multitude of Sins

@/bubbleteasing

Red, Reader (nun)

Romance, hard to get

+18, non-con touch, skip day in park (post fire), mafiatale

.

8. Foramen? Fill me in!

@/velvetwyrme

SF!Papyrus, Reader

+18, sensual, cute, shoelace

.

9. What will you do?

Wishing Star In A Jar

Human OC, Edge, Sans

+18, smut, graphic violence, non con

.

10. Saving three Ex-cell-ent Skeletons

Recklessly Caffeinated

Reader (nurse), Sans, Red, Horror

+18, graphic violence, prison, monster racism

.

11. The Fullfilling Ordeal of Being Known

Night Time Lights

Slash (Fem!Horror), Reader

Smut

.

[chernobog13]

Tomisaburo Wakayama reprises his role as Shinkai, the titular Wicked Priest in Wicked Priest 4: Killer Priest Comes Back (1970).

This is the fourth of the five-film series, which ended with 1971's Wicked Priest 5: Breaking the Commandments. There is also a spin-off film featuring Shinkai's mortal nemesis, Ryutaro the blind priest, Whipmaster: Ballad of Murder (1970), that was released between the fourth and fifth films.

In this installment Shinkai's wanderings have brought him back to his hometown, where he wishes to pray at his mother's grave. Of course, Shinkai being Shinkai, he gets involved in protecting the villagers from a yakuza gang that's been exploiting them, which gives Wakayama-san plenty of opportunities to display his masterful swordsmanship.

Oh, and Shinkai also meets a "Wicked Nun" who may just be his match. She's a veritable hoot!

And if that weren't enough, Shinkai is temporarily blinded in an explosion, just as Ryutaro shows up to continue their duel. Shinkai has to train himself to fight without the use of his eyes; something Ryutaro is an expert at.

I really like this series, despite the rushed productions and low budgets (which is very easy to see when viewing the films). Wakayama-san, after over a decade of playing heavies, was finally letting his impish, comedic side show, and he's very entertaining to watch. Plus, he was one of the best swordsmen in Japanese cinema.

[unamzi]

I've decided the whole thing is happening in a remote village. Like, REMOTE remote.

It's near mountains and stuff with some cool forests around, they get their food from farmers in the village.

Cross won't be an angel OR a demon.

Instead, they ran away from the village they came from (cult town stuff) after some breakdown that made them do an oopsy daisy stabby real big and decided to fix their religious trauma by more religion. Like a normal person.

So-- btw this won't follow actual nun rules and stuff and instead I'm making stuff up because yes.

†-★-†

Nuns

Nightmare: head nun, she/her, transfem

Killer: second in command nun, she/he, cis girl

Horror: regular nun, she/her, transfem

Murder: regular nun, she her, cis girl

Cross: novice nun, he/him (not for long), transfem egg

~★-†-★~

Direct religious people

Dream: priest, he/him, cis guy

Ink: angel (unemployed), xe/they/angelself (he's having fun with pronouns), "gender is a mortal thing only>:((" (agender)

Error: Satan basically, he/they/sem, unlabeled

∆~★~∆

Non religious related jobs

Farm: farmer (no really?), they/he, transmasc

Outer: househusband, he/him, cis guy

Fell: gun store worker, he/it, transmasc

Classic: bartender, any pronouns, unlabeled.

Reaper: cemetery worker, they/them, agender

Swap: butcher, he/him, cis guy

Geno: morgue worker, he/she, bigender

-*~★~*-

Relationships

Outer, classic, fell, and Swap are fiances

Farm is ""single""

Bad sans poly (including Cross soon)

Dream is celibate 4 life

Afterdeath the married couple ever

Error in a secret love affair with farm

Ink is single and likes it.

Farm: I facked da devil in ma barn, Dream

Dream: 😨

-----*-----

So, how the rules for nuns and priests work.

This will be a mix of real, and made up (either cuz I don't wanna have to deal with a rule or cuz I felt like it)

Just like here, priests can't have any marriage.

They're also not allowed to lose their virginity/do any sexual act, ever.

They're not allowed to do drugs or drink alcohol (except for red wine)

Now for nuns-

Vow of chastity is still here, but only for sex. Marriage and coupling is fine, but only between other nuns.

No alcohol or smoking. (Except for red wine, again.)

No revealing clothing, except for when completely alone with person you are married to and that the door is locked and the curtains are closed.

----

If you want, please send asks to the characters asking questions!

Nun! Nightmare.

Ok so hear me out but what if the bad sanses were nuns and nightmare was the head nun (idk how nun ranks work but you get me)

Dream would be a priest with Swap being a friend of his that attends his church stuff

Ink is a random angel that's way more chaotic than they'd have imagined an angel to be

Cross is either an angel or demon, haven't decided yet. Either way she's secretly staying with our lil nuns (and if she's a demon, she's trying to become good so she can impress nightmare. Lesbian.)

[dustingrayves]

cover drawn by @lordknight​!!

DEMON CITY

Pairing; Bad Sanses poly Rating; mature Potential warnings; violence, graphic pain, non-major character death(s) Progress; in-progress AU; demons and exorcists (you can learn more HERE! (nsfw warning)) Summary; Cross is an exorcist, and this is just another job for him. And here he is, in a city crawling with demons, and murders happening overnight. The culprit should be obvious, shouldn't it? Too bad for Cross, it isn't.

                                     YOU CAN READ IT HERE!                         and HERE are extras, such as backstories etc.

[ariameko]

Angel Killer Todomatsu and Nun Ichimatsu (?

[portlandwithyou]

Album of the Year Countdown

After much hype my top seven of the year arrives. Complete with pictures, recommendations, and personal love.

7. Their/They're/Three by Their/They're/There

The highly anticipated (by me) first album from Their/They’re/There finally arrived after ten long years of waiting. Beginning an album with the stellar line “Good evening, so where should we begin?” already gives them a leg up on so many others but the album delivers in its rich sound. The very first listen of the album felt like sinking into a warm bath after a long day. This easily could have been a let down (how many bands can wait ten years to put out an album and make it worthwhile?) but t/t/t goes above and beyond by filling every moment with virtuosic guitar work and strong percussion work. Somewhat unusual is the bird thread running through the lyrics but I can let that slide when paired with memorable lyrics including the delightfully delivered “I knew it/I fucking knew it”. On every listen I am picking up on the finer details and I know there is a lifetime of listens ahead.

Highlight: All in All We All

6. You Have Got to be Kidding Me by fanclubwallet

fanclubwallet was a happy algorithm recommendation in late 2020 or maybe early 2021. She (it’s one woman with a band’s name, a thing that delights me) had put out a killer EP previously and when she announced the album I knew we were in for something good. The sense of melody and groove is so strong on this album that sometimes when listening I can’t help but move along. I must sound crazy the way I have proselytized for this album, recommending it to nearly everyone I’ve come in contact with and tweeting about it constantly. The vocals on the album, and in fact on all of fcw’s music, are softly delivered giving the strange sense that you are having an intimate moment with the artist. Even the way they are often mixed lower in the song invites you to proverbially lean in to hear everything. An intimate album I find myself falling in love with again and again.

Highlight: National TV

5. Crash by Charli XCX

(Charli XCX, Oakland CA, 03/28/22, photo by me)

In November of 2021 the first single from this album “Good Ones” came out. It was my top streamed song of 2021. I was appropriately (or maybe not appropriately) excited for this album. I bought tickets to see her in Oakland and begged all of my friends to go see her with me excited. (None of my friends would agree to go with me. I eventually took my mom; who, when seeing the line of kids all dressed up to go in, said “I’m so happy to see them.”) When Charli said she wanted to make her sellout album she delivered. While How I’m Feeling Now pushed every boundary of hyperpop music Crash delivers stunning pop perfection. This is proof that she can be anything she wants to be on top of being an already revolutionary artist. It’s a timeless album where she proves her pop star status. In my year end numbers Youtube Music proudly told me I was in the top 0.1% of Charli XCX listeners proving I couldn't stop spinning this album.

Highlight: Lightning

4. Asphalt Meadows by Death Cab for Cutie

(Death Cab for Cutie, Oakland CA, 10/24/22, photo by me)

I like Death Cab for Cutie a lot.  Like a lot, a lot. Like see them more than a dozen times a lot. This isn’t a secret. When they announced Asphalt Meadows though I was intrigued. Their last album Thank You for Today unfortunately does rank on the lower end of DCFC albums. (Just above Codes and Keys but directly below Something About Airplanes in case you were wondering and if even one person shows any interest I will rank all of them.) But something about the striking album cover art featuring two nuns looking out over a foggy San Francisco spoke to me (go figure, I'm a predictable Californian). Then I heard the single “Roman Candles” and I was in love. For this album they have moved away from the carefully crafted and high polished sound they’ve used for the last few albums. They’ve come back around to their rougher sound of their early days. Even the songs I wasn’t immediately in love with like “Wheat like Waves” or “Rand McNally” grew on me with repeated listens. Really suddenly you’re feeling deeply connected with a lyric like “the winters in Saskatchewan are so cold”. Death Cab also produced an interesting “COVID album” that instead of turning wholly introspective fights back with songs like “I Miss Strangers”. If you’re looking for Plans-style Death Cab you won’t find it here but really I prefer a band that can put out their tenth studio album and still make me feel so deeply emotional. Perhaps this is the crazy fan in me talking but this album feels like a revitalization for the band. They seem happy, healthy, and like they’re having a great time with the album and I really love to see that.

Highlight: I Miss Strangers

3. Little Green House by ANXIOUS

(ANXIOUS, Berkeley CA, 04/26/22, photo by me)

Finding ANXIOUS was a little like falling in love. Every detail is so perfectly seeded into my memory. It’s a freezing cold late February day and despite my best efforts no one will take the extra ticket I bought to the Knuckle Puck/Hot Mulligan tour. I leave work at my regular time, drive ten minutes to the venue, park in the good parking garage up the street, eat dinner across the street, and end up 2nd in line an hour before the show starts. I listen to the audiobook of Anna Weiner’s Uncanny Valley while I wait and make polite conversation with the security guard when it’s time to show proof of vaccination. When doors open I’m front and center on the barricade, thrilled for such a good position to see Hot Mulligan. Out first comes a band- they all look like they belong in a different band but when they start they blow me away. I was vaguely aware of the fact they had put out an album on Run for Cover because I get their newsletter. But these dudes are special. Live they’re loud. Really loud. And fast. And brash. But under all that is such a strong melodic sense that I’m instantly drawn in. The moment I knew I was in love with them though? The two-stepping. The lead singer has been two-stepping the whole set and between their last two songs someone from the crowd yells “Nice two step!” and without any anger at some shitty comment the singer goes “thank you” and they launch into their last song. Before I bailed from the show I stopped by the merch table and picked up a shirt (medieval style church mice? Sign me the fuck up) and because I was so struck by the whimsy of them selling a CD I bought one of them too. Little did I know I’d listen to the album over and over again for months. The lyrics cut deep. “As I’m getting older/the hate that I shoulder subsides”, “hold me as something more than a friend/but less than someone you can depend”, “and today we’re moving on/from the emptiness I sit in since you’re gone”. At times the album sounds like it has 90s alt rock influences. It taught me to love the cathartic screaming in songs. And the acoustic songs on the album are proof that they’re all around amazing songwriters. This is an amazing album where I would not change a single note. It’s not an understatement to say I love it.

Highlight: Speechless

2. Never Before Seen, Never Seen Again by arm's length

(arm's length, Sacramento CA, 10/31/22, photo by me)

Other bands would kill to have such a polished, perfect debut album. The finest Canadian emo band of our time had a high bar to live up to after putting out two much beloved EPs but somehow they did it. When they put out “Object Permanence” as the first single I knew we were in for a treat. The mixing on this album is so lush. When you listen to it wearing headphones you’re enveloped which allows you to pick out and appreciate the tiny details. And in a surprise for a debut album you can hear them already challenging themselves and stepping out of their comfort zone. “Family and Friends” utilizes a drum machine not previously heard in their work while they’ve described “Tough Love” as their “country song”. I came to these guys by seeing open live for Heart Attack Man. They’re the real deal live. In person they’re so damn good and they fill the stage without any gimmicks. Immediately after their set ended I got on bandcamp to check them out. I was lucky enough to see them again just a couple of days after the album came out and they’re just getting better and better. I can feel in my bones that they’re on the verge of total greatness. Coming out so late in the year I am still teasing apart the album and appreciating everything. I would be remiss if I didn’t mention the lyrical call back in “Dirge” which drives me totally wild, practically makes me foam at the mouth when I hear it. I could feel my brain being rewired when I first heard it. NBS, NAF is an album that I loved instantly and I am falling in love with over and over again.

Highlight: Playing Mercy

Pool Kids by Pool Kids

(Pool Kids, Roseville CA, 10/30/22, photo by me)

There isn’t an easy way to write about this album. Admittedly I didn’t even particularly like the album on my first listen. It’s not outwardly flashy and dare I say there aren’t any “hits” aka songs so much better than the rest they starkly stand out from the rest of the album. But little things stuck out to me, kept drawing me in, and the more and more I listened the more it became clear to me that this is a perfect album. It’s simultaneously a hugely technical album while also being remarkably touching in its lyrics. One morning, when I was still falling in love with the album, I became fixated on “Couch” and I listened to the song for an hour straight. The album actually has a whole thematic thing going couches but that’s beside the point. But something about the vocals drew me in again and again. From there it was easy to keep going. Next it was the lyrics of “Further”- who isn’t devastated by the line “I didn’t need a pill to make me okay”? Then the immaculate guitar work on “Almost Always Better”. Etc, etc. Until one day it was so clear to me this wasn’t just the best album of the year but an all time great album. I was lucky enough to see them when they came through town opening up for Origami Angel and I have to say they’re even more energetic live. Not many bands can accurately capture the sound of their album live, especially a hella technical album, but they have talent in spades. I love this album. And as an extra treat I just want to point out that I love that my favorite song on the album, and maybe my song of the year, shares a name with another one of my favorite bands.

Highlight: Arm's Length