#so up my alley that I think it will resonate with me so well and I’m really excited for it

[sadgirlautumn]

Crazy how it’s not April 19th already 😔

[marie-swriting]

Falling - Katherine Pierce

Masterlist

Summary : The heartless Katherine Pierce is falling in love with you but she's scared of you.

Warnings : vampire!reader, The Vampire Diaries canon violence, mention of torture, angst, happy ending, implied sex (no actual smut), maybe some grammatical mistakes as English is not my first language, tell me if you see some or if I missed any warnings.

A/N : I've finally had enough time to write another one shot! So sorry for taking this much time, it's still be complicated for a bit but I'm hoping everything will be coming back to normal very soon!

Word count : 3.4k

French version

Song inspiration : Labyrinth by Taylor Swift

Katherine’s eyes are set on your figure as you’re laying down on your stomach, the sheet covering half of your naked back. Katherine turns around in the bed and faces you, she admires every inch of your face that isn’t hidden by the pillow, from your closed eyelids to your lips, those lips she loves to kiss so much. Katherine gets lost in her contemplation and reminisces about the first time you met.

Chicago was plunged into the colours of the night while you were behind a bar which wasn’t very frequented. You were feeding when the sound of heels hitting the paved ground caught your attention.

“I wanted him to be my diner.” Katherine's voice resonated in the alley.

“Too late.”

You let go of your prey, letting the man fall before turning around and finding Katherine; your eyes were wide opened as your exclaimed:

“As I live and breathe, Katherine Pierce!”

“I see my reputation precedes me.”

“The only vampire who’s escaped from Klaus for more than 500 years, it’s something rare. Really impressive.”

“I know.” Katherine had smiled proudly.

“May I ask why the infamous Katherine is doing in Chicago?”

“I’m visiting. I’m enjoying the free time I have while Klaus is busy with the Salvatore brothers and my pathetic doppëlganger to have some fun. Do you know any interesting places to fill up?”

“You have in front of you the perfect tour guide. Three hundred years of experience under my belt.” you had told her, getting closer to her.

“Show me the way.”

You two had matched so well that Katherine had found her way into your bed the same night. 

Following your meeting, Katherine stayed one month in Chicago with you and she even ended up considering you as a friend, a friend with benefits but a friend nonetheless. In your presence, Katherine feels safe, protected, something she hadn’t known for half a millenium. Thanks to you, Katherine always has a smile on her face, you make it your personal mission to make her break a smile.

Of course, Katherine isn’t someone who stays put. She had ended up leaving town and promising you to come back. 

And that’s what she did that night. She came back to Chicago after five months away from you because she missed you - though she’d never admit out loud.

As you shift position in the bed, your arm makes its way to Katherine’s waist, bringing her closer to you and also snapping her out of her daydream; Katherine enjoys this touch more than she’d want to. She let herself go to your embrace while inhaling your body scent with her eyes closed; whilst she engraves it in her memory, Katherine feels her heart beating a bit faster, something that hadn’t happened in a while - she always makes sure it doesn’t happen. Katherine’s thoughts are all over the place, searching for an explanation nevertheless the conclusion is unanimous. With dread, Katherine thinks: 

“uh-oh, I’m falling in love.”

She can’t accept it. She has to avoid these feelings. Love never works when it knocks on her door and she doesn’t want to lose you. She cares too much about you to ruin what you have so Katherine does what she does best, she picks up her clothes and runs away, leaving you alone in your big bed. 

Three months have passed since Katherine ran away. You’ve tried calling her, she’s declined all your calls. Katherine does everything to forget about you whereas all of your thoughts are focused on her. You don’t understand what happened; sure, sometimes she can be busy with other things so she doesn’t pick up the phone but she always calls you back. She always called you back. You worry about her, fearing she might be in danger. You don’t have any other explanations in mind so you’ve started looking for her. You need to make sure she’s okay.

From one supernatural creature to the other, you slowly get information on Katherine’s whereabouts. Katherine quickly gets notice of your actions and she makes it harder for you by putting you on the wrong track. She still needs some time alone as a way to be sure her feelings for you are gone. She can’t let them take a bigger spot in her heart. Katherine is lost in the labyrinth of her mind as she wants to repress the feelings that only want to be expressed.

However, you’re stubborn and know how to get what you want, you manage to find her a month later. 

You wait for Katherine at her apartment. You don’t know when she’ll get back though, you know you won’t let her slip through your fingers, you have to talk to her.

Katherine ends up coming home in the middle of the night. As her guard is always up, she knew something was wrong before she opened the front door. Carefully, she comes in and she sees a figure laying on her bed, Katherine speeds up, ready to attack but stops the second she realises it’s you.

“You’re freaking dumb! I almost ripped your heart out!” she screams, running a hand down her face.

“Why are you ignoring me?” you blankly ask.

“You should leave.”

“No. Not until you answered me.”

“I have nothing to tell you.” Katherine affirms, crossing your arms on your chest.

“Katherine, why are you ignoring me?”

“Because you’re annoying.”

“Tell me the truth.” you order, irritating her even more.

“Oh my God! Why do you insist so much? I owe you nothing.”

“I was worried about you! I thought something happened to you! I thought maybe Klaus hurt you.”

“I’m doing fine, you can go now.” she tells you, showing you the door.

“I’m staying.”

“Leave me alone, Y/N.”

“Answer me, Katherine.” you say, mad.

“I want you to leave me in peace! We had fun, it was nice but I want to move on so stop being clingy.”

“That’s it? Without a real reason? Everything was great and you woke up last time and decided to leave and never look back?”

“Exactly.” she replies, her voice deprived of any emotion.

“I don’t buy it.”

“Believe whatever the hell you want, I don’t care.”

“I know you, you’re hiding the truth.”

“If it was possible, you’d be giving me a headache right now.” Katherine sighs, rubbing her temples. “Leave it, Y/N!” she snaps.

“No, I’m not gonna ‘leave it’. You left without saying a word, you ignored my calls and you gave false information so I wouldn’t find you.” you enumerate, your last information taking her aback. “I might have never been on the run, but I know how you work. I know you’re running, from what I don’t know but you’re running from something.”

“You’re talking non-”

“Am I?” you cut her off, desperate. “Because it’s exactly what you’re doing. As soon as something you can’t control happens, you run away, you isolate yourself from everyone. You might not be used to this, but you matter to me so I want to know the truth, I want to know what’s wrong so I can be here for you. Don’t shut me out, talk to me.” you beg, taking a step toward her. “I’m here for you.”

You catch your breath once you’re done talking. Your gaze is set on Katherine, waiting for her to react, she doesn’t. Katherine is too preoccupied with being shocked to do so. Never had someone ever cared that much about her. She doesn’t know how to react. Only her heart does. It beats a bit faster whilst the feelings she’s been shoving down explodes once more in her chest. 

“Oh no, I’m falling in love again,” she wonders. 

She thought she had the situation under control, that she’d be able to protect herself like she always has yet, you make it hard. Katherine wants to protect herself from love. Stefan, Elijah and other people, it always ended badly. No matter how much she tries to stay in control. She accepted she isn’t meant for love so Katherine can’t give in now, not even when you do everything to keep her close to you.

Katherine takes a deep breath then her face is emotionless as she drily replies.

“I don’t want you, here or anywhere else. I’m perfectly fine on my own. I don’t get how you could think for one second that you mattered to me. You’re nothing to me so go away.”

Katherine’s words are like a stab in the back. Your eyes stings and you try your hardest to not tear up. You look at her one last time before slamming the door of her apartment behind you.

When Katherine is alone, a sob almost inaudible escapes her lips. She looks up, hoping no tears will fall. She didn’t fight for five hundred years just to crack now for something so insignificant! She is Katherine Pierce. She survived to the cruellest original, she can’t let herself breakdown because she doesn't want to fall in love. Though, the pain in her heart doesn’t help. Katherine tries to ignore it by thinking it only hurts this much right now before the pain eventually softens. It has to. Katherine breathes in then breathes out. It’s only a hard time to pass, she will forget about it quickly. That’s what she tells herself but a part of her knows she’ll be getting over you her whole life. The bond you have is too rare to be forgotten that quickly.

You haven’t talked with Katherine in the past six months. You miss her. You wish you had never lost what you had. You had never felt this for no one before. You knew being close to Katherine wouldn’t be easy. A lot of people told you to stay away from her because she only brings pain nonetheless, you didn’t listen to them. At first, you were glad you formed your own opinion. The minute Katherine lets her guard down, everything becomes easy and you spend an unforgettable time. However, when she creates walls, everything becomes painful. You wish you could talk to her again, but she hasn’t shown a sign of life since you left. Furthermore, you are the one who always makes the effort, it’s her turn to prove she cares about you. 

As a consequence, you go back to your daily life like it used to be before you met her, even if your heart bleeds from her absence. Some things seem more insipid, like the nights you spend alone, the walks you do in town without having someone to tell your historical facts. You struggle, though it’s slowly getting easier. 

One night, while the streets are lightened up by the lampposts, you notice a woman from afar. You have to look at her for a few seconds to recognize Claudia, she had helped you to find Katherine. She nods before disappearing behind a car which drives past her. You follow her whilst you’re searching for the reason why she’s here. As soon as you enter a dead-end alley, Claudia stops and faces you.

“Why all this mystery?” you question, joking.

“I have information on Katherine Pierce.”

“I found her six months ago, you’re late.” you tell her, starting to leave.

“She’s been kidnapped two weeks ago.” Claudia informs, your stomach twists upon hearing that.

“It’s impossible. It’s Katherine Pierce we’re talking about.”

“That’s what I was told.”

“And is your informer reliable?” you ask, searching for any trace of lie.

“Quite reliable, yes.”

“Who kidnapped her? Klaus? One of the Salvatore brothers?”

“No, it’s Everett Ackland.” Claudia says, this name sounds familiar. “Katherine caused him some problems two hundred years ago. He wants revenge.”

“Why does he keep her alive, then?”

“Katherine caused him problems with Klaus. He hopes he’ll make amends by giving her to him.”

Following her sentence, you remember what Katherine had told you about Everett and you know he won’t sell her to Klaus without torturing her first. Worry leaves its place to anger, knowing he’s hurting the person who means the most to you.

“Where is she?”

“He’s holding her at Bloomington, Indiana. I’ll send you the address on your phone.”

You don’t add anything else and walk away. As soon as you come home, you grab a few things, including some blood bags, then you drive to Indiana. On the way, you receive a message from Claudia and you drive faster, wanting to arrive as soon as possible.

You’re near the woods when you stop the car, a few metres away from the abandoned house. You walk to a tree and break a branch as a way to have stake. With your vampire hearing, you listen and find out there are four vampires besides Everett and Katherine. Determined and angry, you walk to the house.

Silently, you open the door and start walking. The moment you’re in front of the enemies, you kill them quite easily. You guess there are young vampires Everett created for his revenge plan. By killing his minions you know he’s aware of your presence. You stay on the lookout for every noise while going to the cellar where Katherine is.

As you go down the last step, you only have enough time to see Katherine when Everett attacks you. He pins you against the wall, making you drop your stake. You answer his attack and you start fighting back. Your fight lasts several minutes until you rip his heart out, not without smiling at him. His body drops dead on the floor whilst you let go of his heart. You turn to Katherine and run to her.

“Kat’, you’re okay?”

Upon hearing your soft voice, Katherine looks up, a relieved expression on her face. You glance at her body and notice the chains tying her up on the chair but also the first signs of drying up. She needs to feed right now.

“I’m here, it’s gonna be okay.”

You keep reassuring her while breaking her chains. The second Katherine is finally free, her body falls on yours. You barely hold her whilst she holds onto you as if you were her safety net. Paying more attention to her, you realise she doesn’t have her necklace to protect her from the sun anymore.

“Where’s your necklace?” you ask and Katherine points the table in the corner.

Katherine still leaning on you, you get back her jewel and put it back on her neck then, you put her arm around your shoulders and you two walk to the car where you help her to sit on the passenger side. Before closing the door, you go  to your trunk and get two blood bags then you give her one. In less than a second, she drinks it until the very last drop. As soon as Katherine feels better, you give her the second one then you go behind the wheel. While Katherine is feeding again, you start the car.

You’ve been on the road for more than an hour.  You’re focused on the way you drive whilst Katherine still hasn’t said a word. Her eyes are lost on the landscape. You don’t start the conversation, guessing Katherine probably needs time to gather her thoughts so just like she does, you stay silent.

You’re about to enter the State of Illinois when Katherine’s hoarse voice breaks the silence.

“Stop the car.”

“What?” you ask, not sure you understood.

“I said stop the car.” Katherine repeats louder.

“We’re almost there.”

“I said stop the freaking car!”

Abruptly, you brake, surprised by her harsh tone. You don’t have the time to put the car at a standstill when Katherine has already opened the door. She quickly walks, determined. You know she can use her vampire speed at any given moment so you run to her and stop her by gripping her arm.

“Let me go.” she says, mad and taking her arm out of your grip.

“And where do you wanna go exactly?”

“I don’t know yet. I’ll see along the way.”

“It’s stupid, let’s go home.” you stop her as she is ready to leave.

“It’s not my home. Leave me alone, I can take care of myself. I don’t need you.”

“Yeah, that’s what I saw!” you retort, sarcastic. “You totally had the situation under control when you got kidnapped and you were chained.”

“I would have found a solution, as always. I’m a survivor, I can save myself.”

“It’s true you managed to save yourself for centuries but it doesn’t mean it always has to be this way. You gotta accept that sometimes you need help like right now.”

“You freed me once, don’t make it such a big deal.” Katherine exclaims, rolling her eyes.

“I’m not making it a big deal! I just want to show you I’m here for you when you need it.”

“I don’t need you anymore so leave me alone.”

“Why do you try so hard to push me away?” you question. “I know you told me I’m no one for you but we both know it’s not true. What we had was real and genuine and for some reason you decided to ruin everything. No matter how many times you try to convince me, I know it’s not true.” you insist, getting closer to Katherine. “Otherwise, you wouldn’t have wasted that much time on me. Otherwise, you wouldn’t have stayed all these nights and days. Otherwise, you wouldn’t have confessed that much about your past. Otherwise, you would have never been that vulnerable. Otherwise, you would have never searched for comfort in my arms when I came for you. So why? Why do you-”

“Because I love you!” she cuts you off, screaming.

“What?”

“I’m in love with you. I’m in love with you and it scares me.” she admits, looking at you deeply in your eyes. “Every time I allowed myself to feel those emotions, it brought me my own downfall. Every time, I ended up losing this person and I didn’t want to lose you. I’m afraid of being in love with you and losing you because I know if it were bond to happen, I wouldn’t be okay again so I preferred to run away rather than facing you.”

“I love you, too.” you confess, trying to take her hand unsuccessfully.

“Don’t say it because I told you. I don’t need your pity.”

“I’m saying it because I mean it. I love you, too and that is why I can’t let you walk away. I love you too much to lose you, too. And I know it won’t be easy because you went through awful things so you don’t trust easily but I can be patient.” you affirm, succeeding in taking her hands.

“You’re saying this right now but you’ll end up hating me like everybody else.”

“I know you. I knew your reputation well before meeting you and it didn’t stop me from getting closer to you. I learned to get to know you, the real you and it didn’t stop me from falling in love with you. I want you and everything it involves, the good sides and the bad ones. You can try to push me away as much as you want but I’m not going anywhere. I will always be there for you because I love you.”

Your hands on both sides of Katherine’s face, your eyes looking deeply in hers, your determined tone, Katherine’s heart can’t handle and starts to beat wildly. She didn’t expect this reaction from you. She didn’t expect that much conviction from you for everything you had. 

As Katherine’s eyes search for proof, even a tiny one, that you’re lying, she can only see honesty, love and the fear you have of losing her. At this moment, only a thought crosses her mind: 

“Oh, I’m falling in love.” 

She thought she was going to face another lost cause, see another love fall down, you just proved to her that this time, it could be different. This time, she can allow herself to fully fall in love without being scared, you’ll always be there to catch her.

Katherine puts her hand on yours, softly stroking it before kissing you with passion. You answer her kiss while bringing her closer to you as possible. Katherine loses herself in your kiss which, for the first time, doesn’t taste like a future betrayal but pure love.

Masterlist

[helslastangel]

My experience having 5H in Scorpio

Disclaimer: These are based on personal observations and experiences and may not resonate for everyone with these placements. If it doesn't apply, let it fly 🪽

I have many "normal" interests (makeup, fashion, hair, shopping, music, TV, etc) and I tell new people about those, but my true interests and hobbies always skewed towards dark or slightly morbid matter, so I keep them hidden. The sheer number of times I have to swallow back a Salad Fingers reference or refrain from giving my opinion on Fran Bow's mental condition in normal conversation... istg...Anyhow, due to my upbringing, I was sheltered from knowing exactly how odd I was until I left home at 18. That's when I got to catch up on some of the shows and cartoons that other people grew up on (for many reasons I don't feel like getting into right now, but "home school" and "radical religious parents" should give you a basic idea).

Thankfully I had a few friends who experienced similar childhoods, some of whom I even grew up with so I could talk about my weird stuff and they could tell me about theirs. For example, I've always been a little fascinated by blood. That whole thing with Angelina and her blood vial necklace did not gross me out at all - I found it cute and I'll die on that hill. Things like blood oaths and so on in history just capture my attention for some reason. Honestly, if the substance itself weren't a bio-hazard, I'd make art with it.

I remember talking with a friend about how I couldn't fully get into Avatar, but out of the little I HAD watched, I developed a very SPECIFIC hyper fixation with blood-bending and deep-dived the topic for WEEKS.I did not give a shit about any of the other bending abilities. Not even normal water-bending. 🫠 Just blood-bending. Idk if it's the power and control factor, or if if I'm just due for a wellness check. Who am I kidding-I have Capricorn & Scorpio stelliums. OFC IT'S ABOUT POWER.

History is another example. My favorite subject. Left unattended, I will look up every deformity that came about by royal family inbreeding or watch a fellow history nerd compile a tier list of the most brutal execution methods of all time. Once, for my birthday, my dad bought me a book called "A Left-Handed History Of The World." That was one of the few times I've felt truly seen by either of my parents. That tome was RIGHT up my alley. I'm a lefty myself and it was nice to read about so many famous and infamous people who were left-handed too. Like Jimi Hendrix - one of my favorite musicians.

I also know a wide variety of herbs, oils and flowers to use to cure or relieve many ailments by heart, and enjoy teaching people how to use those, along with basic reflexology to relieve minor symptoms during the day, so ah, there is that. Not sure how I got into herbology and such, but I do remember being horrified when one of my best friends used to regularly eat leaves off the trees on our street. We were like 7. I kept telling him he would die if he did that and he'd eat more lol. Ofc, nothing happened to him and he was never sick that I remember. So ever since then I was fascinated by the idea of using leaves to feel better.

(Yes, I smoke weed now - are you surprised? lol)

I also enjoy doing synastry readings for friends, family, coworkers, etc., when they're feeling lost or confused about a crush/friend/partner. It's always nice to see their faces light up with understanding when I explain a certain dynamic or give them advice on how to clear up recurring miscommunications. Most of what I enjoy is kinda witchy, but it's not all horrifying, lmao. Like children. Can't mention 5H Scorpio without kids coming up, lol. I was obsessed with the idea of children when I was a lot younger. I had names picked out for them, I would imagine their personalities and somehow they were always stubborn and unruly (I think subconsciously, I enjoy a challenge). In my daily life, anyone or anything in my care automatically became my child in a way. I actually wanted 6 kids at one point. Or some large even number. Babysitting was never a chore for me because I genuinely find children sweet and entertaining.

Even the supposedly misbehaved ones. They need love too. ❤️

Speaking of obsessions, I am a highly possessive person, but because I also have Venus in Scorpio + Mars in Cancer, I'm prone to have VERY strong reactions to rejection, betrayal and the like. For me, though, these are usually implosions. Being a Virgo sun, Capricorn moon, I generally refuse to let my inner turmoil get out into the public eye unless I feel like showing it.

So at any given time, I can be SEETHING inside, but look cold and unbothered.

Having 5H Scorpio is also often associated with being extremely creative, and....IT'S TRUE OMG. I love interior design and decorating, and lots of aesthetically pleasing crafts like crochet, origami, embroidery, etc. Sometimes I waste a phenomenal amount of time at work to make a spreadsheet pretty or play with the fonts in a document. I can't help it, I need to make things look beautiful and stand out.

I am easily consumed by whatever I'm into, and I guess that would be a bad thing if there were people relying on me to be emotionally present on a regular basis, but since it's just me, I get to be lost in my passions most of the time like Frankie (from the TV show Grace and Frankie, lol

𓆩♡𓆪

MASTERLIST

[ciggarettesoutthewindow]

Hoodie//Human Jake Sully x fem! reader

—————————————————————————

summary: Jake comes back home after a rough day to your shared apartment to find you rocking out in his very well-loved hoodie

warnings: nothing but fluff, established relationship, Jake being a tease

*crds to simkaswritings for this idea!!*

based off this song 🤭🤭

—————————————————————————

Jake sighed, wheeling his way down the alley to his apartment, he had a rough day and he just wanted to cuddle with his partner and unwind

He wheeled his way up to the welcome mat picked by you, he wasn’t the biggest fan of it as it was colorful and floral, but he tolerated it cause it gave a sense of life to his bare and dull flat

As he took the keys out of his backpack, he heard muffled music resonate from inside the flat

His brows knitted together as he listened more, he heard the sound of you singing and laughing

His heart swelled as he huffed an amused laugh

He fished for the key and quietly made his way into the apartment, making sure not to ruin the moment of seeing you let loose once in a while

You were always such a hard worker, barely taking breaks, and he’s so glad he finally got to see you having fun

He wheeled further into the apartment, setting the keys into the basket by the door, and setting his backpack down

He began following the sound of the music and quietly rolled into the doorway, parking himself as he watched you dance and sing

You had one leg propped on the coffee table, broom in hand as you used it as a mic

You twirled around, the hoodie of Jakes you were wearing went down to your thighs

He propped his head on his hand as he grinned, you looked so alive in his hoodie, his favorite hoodie that had been through so much

The sleeves were frayed, small little holes, small stains, and cigarette burns littered the dark grey hoodie, the strings barely holding on for dear life, and the zipper was broken in the front, in dire need of a replacement

“I’m still rocking your hoodie and chewing on the strings”

“It makes me think about you so I wear it when I sleep”

“I kept the broken zipper and cigarette burns”

“Still rocking your hoodie, baby, even though it hurts”

“Still rocking your…”

You continued to dance until you turned and saw Jake looking at you lovingly

You stopped, frozen as your face heated up in a dark shade of red

You hurriedly turned the song off, straightening yourself up

“How much of that did you see..?”, you mumbled, your lips quirking up into a nervous smile

Jake chuckled, “Enough to see my girl dancing around in my hoodie.”, he cracked

“Which- by the way- you looking smoking hot in…maybe I should see you in it more often baby girl, huh? What do you think?”, he smirked, a smug look on his face, as he leaned back into his wheelchair

You groaned, hiding your face in the hood, pulling the strings so he couldn’t see how red your face was and you biting your lip to keep from smiling

He grabbed your waist, pulling you into his lap. You squealed, laughing as he tickled you

“Jake!…ha ha ha ha!! I can’t!-“, you wheezed

“You can’t what? Hmm?”, tickling you even more, causing you to throw your head back, squirming in his grip

“I can’t- I can’t breathe!!”, you cried, out of breath from laughing

Jake laughed, pulling the hood from your face, moving your hair out of your face

You stopped laughing, taking some deep breaths

You looked at him, a large grin on your face, your eyes crinkled at the corners

He huffed, shaking his head

Your cheeks were red from laughing, giving you a rosy look which caused butterflies in Jake’s stomach

“You’re so gorgeous sweetheart…”, he said softly, flashing a toothy grin

He pulled you closer to him, sighing as he caressed your cheek

“How did someone like me end up with someone as breathtakingly beautiful as you..?”, he whispered

He wished that you would find someone who was able to take care of you better than he could, but you stayed, damn persistent about it too

“It was the hoodie”, you recalled, reminiscing as you played with the hem of the hoodie, “Remember? It was on Christmas at the park and I was cold and you noticed, loaned me your hoodie 'cause I forgot mine at home?”

Jake grabbed your hand, squeezing it, “Mhm…and then you spilt coffee on it cause some jackass bumped into you and you started freaking out even though I told you it was fine?”, he snorted

You scoffed, the corners of your mouth quirking up as you glanced down at that coffee stain.

No matter how many times Jake washed the damn hoodie that stain wouldn't come out

“Even offered to get it dry cleaned too! But nooooooooooooo…..”, gesturing your hands in a surrendering position

You looked back up at Jake whose eyes were boring into you, combing every inch of your face, taking in all the parts he cherished

He suddenly pulled you in and kissed you, holding the back of your head, caressing the small of your back

You reached your hands up, running your fingers through his hair, pulling a soft groan from him

A smiled danced at your lips, you broke from the kiss, placing a quick one on the tip of his nose

The look of pure love and loyalty that radiated from his eyes was enough to make a grown man weep, you were completely and utterly his muse

You wrapped your arms around his neck, resting your forehead against his

“But even after all these years…I’m still rocking your hoodie”

—————————————————————————

IM ACTUALLY ABOUT TO START CRYING YALL I LOVED THIS IDEA SM💀😭

[soshadysoquiet]

TUA S4 Concerns *some spoilers for what's been teased so far*

So I'm concerned about Season 4. I want to be hopeful, but I am concerned. C o n c e r n e d.

It's short. There's bits in TUA that I don't personally enjoy as much and skip, there's bits that could have been taken out and nothing would have changed... but I like having that bit of room for more: did we need the Ikea Mafia's viking foot funeral? No. But did we need it? Yes.

The ball pit. The ball pit concerns me on a number of levels, and I'm sure it will be funny, I hope it will be funny, I just hope it's relevant enough why they're in that setting to not be too gimmicky, e.g. it made sense they ended up in the bowling alley; they probably snuck out there as kids and so it was one location they would all know, but man that ball pit worries me like a sleep paralysis demon.

The potential for germaphobe Klaus (sorry that's probs not the correct term but I can't think of what it might be). I can see why he'd be afraid of death now, but is it germ/cleanliness specific? If so why? Klaus has been one of the least concerned about hygiene up to this point so they're laying a whole new framework that I hope they give sufficient depth to. I'm an OCD sufferer myself, about death anxiety in fact, and I haven't resonated OCD with Klaus before if that is what they go for - I'm open to it, just not a cheap OCD gimmick. There's So Much trauma in all these characters at this point, my worry isn't them exploring new avenues as much as not bothering to look into the trauma they've already heaped on and doing something new for the sake of it. If it's done well, I'm all for it, but there's some previous with trauma getting forgotten on TUA so...

The Jennifer Incident. Please, please let this be more interesting than a romance story.

Lila's baby. I love Lila, I don't have a problem with her being preggo etc, I worry a little that TUA tends to speed run life so what is this actually going to look like? Parenthood is such a big life changing deal that I'm curious / cautious about what they'll have done with the characters here.

Viktor. His schtick is that He's Mr Apocalypse, sadly that limits his character coming to a place of peace in some ways. But mostly just let him have an actual conversation? Please? He'll have had 6 years this time skip, if they bullshit that 'oh no one's really seen each other in 6 years' lazy ass nonsense I'll be fuming.

As above, there's been 6 YEARS here, I want to watch the characters and feel that time has passed, that they've interacted, have in jokes now, shared history, maybe not all of them but that makes it even better; have Diego and Klaus have a cleaning routine together to help Diego understand Klaus and trying to be supportive if brusque, but then defending this to his other siblings. Have Luther share some actually positive moments with his other siblings and not just have been in Sloane-hunting solitude, make him always be trying to host awkward family BBQs that the others force (or pretend to force) themselves to go to. Have literally any of the siblings be on the look out or Five's triggers for him - and better yet actually give him some now that he's had time for the PTSD to swell. I want the small nitty gritty details, I want the filling, I want to feel the expanse of time not just 'oh shit another week and there's an apocalypse and we haven't seen each other hey ho oh look a ball pit!'

Anyway, I'm hopeful, but concerned, and I'm sure I'll love it and don't intend to be negative, it just helps me to voice them. Either way, I pray for the fan fiction that follows the series most of all, the rising of the crowd to give us more of what the series does deliver and flesh out what it does not. Is it weird to almost be more excited for that?

[polyklok]

Movies I think Dethklok members would really like

No this is not based on anything I’m just in a mood™ rn

Nathan Explosion

Mad God

So, no, I did not have any ounce of an idea of what this movie was about when I originally watched it, and I’m still not 100% sure tbh but an hour and a half of these pure vibes would totally be up Nathan’s alley. The post-apocalyptic setting, all the gore, the details of the various monsters, and I think he would just really appreciate it from an artist’s standpoint as well. This movie would just resonate with him, even if he wouldn’t have a fucking clue what was going on the whole time.

Mary and Max

I’m, personally, a bit on-the-fence about this movie, but it is undeniably sweet and I headcanon Nate to be on the spectrum so 🤷

This would be, like, his guilty pleasure film. The movie he knows is for kids and is totally not brutal but he loves it anyway. The, “I do not feel disabled, defective, or a need to be cured” really hits for him every single time. He rewatches it at least once every few months, especially when he’s in some sort of emotional slump.

Mandy

Another one that just like, like, big Nathan energy, you know? He just seems like a guy to really love loose plots with trippy visuals and strong emotions attached to them. Also, this movie is so completely badass, it is certified metal in his book. He also finds the story incredibly tragic; having the love of your life stripped away from you in such circumstances really tugs at his heartstrings, but in a way that gets him pumped up rather than sad. This is probably his go-to when people ask, “what’s your favorite movie?”

Pickles the Drummer

Son in Law

Okay this is my guilty pleasure movie. I usually don’t like stoner-comedy from the 90s, but this movie hits different. Maybe I just find Crawl hot. Anyway, I’m projecting that onto Pickles. He honestly probably finds a lot of crappy comedies to be peak film, and this is no exception. Pauly Shore pretending to be a country boy for a whole movie? Hells yeah. Pickles would watch while high off his mind, laughing his butt off and going to town on some cheez-its or something. And you know what? He deserves it.

Opal

I’m counting short films because I feel like Opal is the movie for Pickles. He’d watch it on a whim, because these are not usually the types of things he enjoys, and then he’d in tears over the emotional rollercoaster he did not agree to go on. Like, he grew up in a neglective household with authority figures that were overly-selfish and projected their own problems onto the youngest one in the house, to which he had to hide within his own brain more often than not just to properly function. And then he just…watched it happen all again in the hypnotic style of Jack Stauber. The Mom’s song had him in gasping tears for a while, the way you get when a movie somehow perfectly captures your own trauma right in front of you. And the ending??? Ugh. Go watch Opal, guys, it’s on YouTube.

Nathan and Pickles both get very emotional about certain stop-motion films, isn’t that crazy?

House

Thank you to Lucy for this Letterbox review that I think he would write

Anyway-

This movie is actually so insane. It’s not scary in a horror-movie way, like it meant to be, it’s scary as in ‘What the hell is happening and why do I understand it?’ Pickles doesn’t like most traditional horror films, as the long, quiet suspense bores him and the sudden jumpscares freak him the hell out way more than they should. But he loves the campy-wacko-type horror that they were apparently making in 70s Japan. It’s just scary enough to get his heart pumping, but the pure silliness of it all overrides that, getting him in a giddy mood and excited to see what happens next.

(No I am not done but tumblr won’t let me add more pictures)

[punkitt-is-here]

ooough its punkitt thoughts on mlp season 5 wow!!

finished season 5 last night! putting Twlight in a position where she couldn't just DBZ laser beam her way out of the villain this time made for a much more thematically resonant resolution with the main baddy. Tirek was completely forgettable because the challenge was mostly just beating the shit out of him; cool animation for sure, but for a show based on its character interactions I think there could have been something a lil deeper. Putting Twilight in a spot where she straight-up cannot brute-force her way through the solution unless she and the villain come to an understanding was a smart choice on the writer's part to avoid that happening this time around.

seeing all those AUs with the apocalypses was kind of crazy and super fan-indulgent but I think after five seasons of normal horse stuff I think you deserve to get kind of wacky and fan-indulgent in some ways? like, yeah, even if it MAY have jumped the shark a lil in this season, there's still a solid 3 seasons of Lauren Faust-type beat stuff and Season 4 and 5 have some of my favorite episodes of the series so far. I get why people hopped ship around this point but as An Adult In My 20s Who Enjoys An Optimistic and Well-Written Cartoon (not the initial target audience) 4 and 5 are more up my alley in terms of situations to slap those equines in. Someone on the staff was DEFINITELY aware of the popularity of fan stories like Fallout Equestria and stuff and you could tell a lot of alternate timelines were mostly made with a "wouldn't that be a cool thing for fans to expand on?" mindset which might be offputting for some but honestly I'm a fan of Kingdom Hearts and One Piece and shit so doing things that are Cool For The Sake Of Cool is far from something i dislike on principle.

I also think that it's silly that folks felt like Starlight shouldn't have been redeemed and instead punished or something! She clearly didn't know what she was doing and, stepping outside the in-universe lore for a moment, this is once again still a show about rainbow horses aimed at kids called Friendship Is Magic. Having someone who caused an entire apocalypse because she had a friendship problem is like, ripe for the picking for Redeeming Their Ass. I felt like that montage of Starlight hanging out did leagues more for me in terms of redeeming a villain than all of Discord's post-redemption episodes combined because it actually showed The Mane 6 being charitable and kind and having fun with Starlight rather than us just being told. That's the power of a montage baby!

Honestly it felt like a series finale, in a sense, even tho I know we're far from that. I love a good wrapping bow on a good season, though, so even if it felt very ending-ish I still think it went out with a bang. good season and im very excited to see where we go next with starlight she's neat :]]]

[atariakana]

I have had a short sleep and a long think and now I am going to be sappy again:

I love this show. Nobody could have made anything more tailored to my interests if they tried, it's so far up my alley it's knocking on my kitchen door, and I knew from the title alone that it was going to be my new favorite. It is so so important to me for so many reasons, and I really am quite devastated that it wasn't renewed for a second season. But I do believe that just because something was left unfinished, that's no reason not to love what's already there. Eight episodes seems like so few when imagining what we could have had--I was fully envisioning 5+ seasons, perhaps even with 14+ episodes per season, because the format absolutely could have handled that-- but after the show's uncertain beginnings, I'm truly just happy we got anything at all. Dead Boy Detectives could have been dead in the water before it even began, and I'm grateful we got this little peek into the boys' afterlives and Crystal and Niko's journeys along with them.

The show is a wonderful rarity in so many ways--a full cast of fleshed-out and resonant characters, with amazing queer rep and female leads, beautifully crafted stories brought to life with so much thought and care, gorgeous visuals and a wonderful soundtrack and so much symbolism and little details that we have all been chewing over them for MONTHS and are still discovering new things.

And my love for DBD was only amplified by how singularly lovely and passionate this fandom is. I'm a serial fandom-hopper, and I can say that after nearly a decade of drifting from place to place that the DBD fandom is genuinely one of the kindest, most encouraging, most passionate fandoms I've ever seen, especially in such early stages. I've been inspired to draw again (difficult for me in these trying times) and even give writing a try (haven't shared anything anywhere yet--baby steps. I'm planning lots of stuff for Deadboyween, though <3). I've learned so much about so many different crafts and had the privilege of reading amazing fics and well-thought-out analysis posts and seeing so much mind-blowing art and so many gorgeous gifsets. And this is a sentiment I've seen echoed over and over, and I'm so so glad that other people feel this way, too. I jumped into this fandom feet-first after watching the show, and immediately thought: I've found my new fandom home. This still holds true--though my heart hurts a little, I'm still looking forward to making so many things about DBD and seeing all of the things you guys create, too.

My heart absolutely dropped when I heard the cancellation news, but you all made it easier. As others have said, these characters are ours now. We will write a hundred endings for their stories and then write them a thousand new ones, because that's what fandoms do, and I believe that we've grown strong enough to keep going, even if we don't get any more official content.

That was a HUGE ramble, but it was something I needed to get off my chest, so thanks for reading if you made it this far 😅 Again, I don't talk much (usually...), but I'm so grateful for you all and I hope you have nice weekends despite the news. Sending love and care to all who need it ♥️✨

[yourmumsc0ck]

NER KAR'TA (4)

"My heart"

'THE RECONCILE'

Summary: A time after the Purge, Bo-Katan runs into an old 'acquaintance' as she roams the galaxy alone

Bo-Katan Kryze x fem!ClanVizslaR

(Can be read individually)

Word count: 1.8k

"Imperial security checks ahead, have identichips ready. Imperial security checks ahead..." the monotonous drone of the announcement resonates from the speakers across the cramped street in a slightly unsynchronised echo. Being pulled along with the turbulent tide of city night goers, even Bo couldn't navigate her way out of the crowd that she had found herself so suddenly immersed in.

Despite the cloudless night sky far above, the overwhelming darkness of the atmosphere meant the permanent streams of starship underbelly lights replaced the static stars. The only sources of light at ground level came from boldly lit storefronts advertising all manners of exotic items. However, the cramped, high-walled street meant almost all of these lights were permanently obscured by curtains of passers by or sheets of stiffly vertical rain.

"Understood," a stormtrooper states firmly to member of the crowd, whose figure was covered by a low-hanging, dark robe. The torrential rain pommels off every sky-facing surface, which includes Bo's exposed head. As dripping auburn hair falls into her face and obscures her view, the former Mand'alor only catches a glimpse of the dark figure merging back into the sea of people.

Helmet firmly under her arm and cloak, Bo focuses on finding her way out of this situation: she has no identification, and any facial scan would send her straight to the ISB for definite execution. She hadn't battled this long through her life to lose at surprise ID checkpoint.

Slowly inching her way to the right side of the street, she finds herself uncomfortably close to the row of stormtroopers attentively monitoring the process. Bo knew she had to make a break for it soon.

Looking up a little, she hopes her semi-clear view of the galaxy above would not be her last. It was too soon to say goodbye.

Inhaling deeply and grasping the hilt of her holstered hand blaster, Bo steps out of the crowd and tries to slip away between two groups. Despite her efforts, it was almost inevitable that she would be spotted.

"Hey! You there!" the slight augmented voice of a trooper calls out sharply as he lifts his blaster, "Stop where you are!"

Revealing her fire arm, Bo shoots before he can, the pinpoint shot sending him into a crumpled heap.

"Stop!-"

Another falls to her blaster shot, but she hadn't expected the reinforcements to surround her with such quick coordination.

"Hands up! Drop your weapon!" the stormtrooper ahead of her yells.

Bo refuses: she won't go down so easily.

"I said: hands up-" the man continues, taking two steps forward. Bo raises her blaster quickly, ready to fire, "Drop it-"

"Stop!" a strangely familiar voice cuts through the already turbulent situation. To her left, Bo watches with confusion as the hooded figure from earlier emerges. In the fractured darkness of the street, their face is still obscured, "I am ISB Lieutenant Paxton, and this rebel is under my custody."

'Oh, kriff," Bo thinks with a sense of almost humorous dread, "Maybe I should've got myself shot."

"Sir, may I see some identification?" the nearest one asks with a deep, clipped tone.

There's a moment's pause, before the figure responds, "Yes... if you must."

Holding out the indentichip for examination, the trooper quickly stiffens and holds his blaster to his side, "Sorry, sir. Would you like an accompanying guard, sir?"

"No, that won't be necessary, trooper," the voice dismisses him, before approaching Bo in two measured steps, "This rebel will not attempt to fight me, if she knows what's best for."

"Very well, sir."

"You are dismissed," the others all hurry away. Arm suddenly twisted behind her back, Bo finds herself being pushed forcefully down a deserted alley way, winding through a maze of identically depressive streets.

"Get off me, you-" surprisingly, the supposed ISB agent lets go before even having to complete her demand. Bo watches the still-concealed figure, before asking with indigent confusion, "Who are you?"

"You are a very different woman to find, Kryze," you respond slowly, watching as her eyes search desperately under your hood for any glimpse of your appearance.

"Who are you?" she asks again, slowing and emphasising each word. You can see why she was such an intimidating Mand'alor.

"I got word from various contacts of a 'lone Mandalorian female with blue and white armour'. It had to be you," you continue, "didn't make the journey to track you any shorter. Like really, Canto Bight? Daiyu?"

Bo pauses, as if realising that this person is no ordinary bounty hunter or recruiter. However, they also couldn't be from the Empire. This time, with caution and deep thought to her words, she asks again, "...Who are you?"

You let out a slight huff: you thought she might have worked it out herself. With the rain still pouring between you like a thick, translucent pane of scratched glass, you tug down your hood and immediately feel the pummelling droplets cascading over every inch of your exposed head.

Despite being able to see her for the past few minutes, it's different to see her when she can see you as well. It had been so long, yet she and her gaze had changed so little. Both her gaze for people, and her gaze for you.

"...Mesh'la?" she takes a tentative step forwards, watching you as intently as she always did. However, this time you can see into her eyes as well (something which her heavily guarded persona used to conceal so steadfastly). She appears almost... nervous. But how could that be?

"Bo- I-" your words catch. Despite practicing a whole range of ways this could go, all memory of that preparation was lost down the gutter along with the tidal curtains of sweeping rain. As she takes another step, it's apparent that she is becoming even clearer; every curve and ridge of her face was so familiar.

"You died..." she mumbles, her face falling to a concernedly disappointed one as she almost appears to be trying to wake herself from a vision of sorts. That wasn't quite how you saw this going. You had had your fair share of near-lethal run ins with the Empire, but none that- oh...

Tenad 3 Major: a run of the mill, mid-rim trade port which had an unusually lucrative cargo going through it a few years ago. Now, to all of your sources - including your initial informant and semi-boss at the time - it was barely guarded with anything more than a couple of TIEs. Easy work. Except... it really wasn't. A few mistimed proton bombs and another volatile cargo shipment (doing what volatile shipments do) later, and the Empire had declared you dead. Or, 'perished with indistinguishable incineration' was there exact phrasing.

"Tenad was a mess, but I'm fine..." the vast burn marks from the proton blast and general anarchy said differently. However, with some backstreet modshop appointments and a few too many of those bacta viles later, and you looked significantly less like fried Bantha fodder than before. Didn't mean you felt less like it though.

"Your ear..." of course she noticed so quickly. With a face of pure concern, her exposed fingertips reach up to brush the freezing, rain-covered metal surface.

Despite keeping it exposed because you thought it looked pretty badass, you begin feel slightly insecure. What if she doesn't like it? It's not very Mandalorian, is it?, "I've been meaning to, uh, cover it up, but- but I-"

"I like it, cyar'ika," she smiles lightly, the slight tense in her jaw and static nature of her eyes telling you she hadn't done that in a while. But you loved the sight. Tracing around the shape, her finger follows down to where the metal binds back with the skin by your jaw. As she crosses the boundary, you shiver at the contact, "It's been so long... I feel like I know nothing about you anymore."

"You know everything important, cyare," you lean slightly into her touch. There's a clear Rancor in the room however, so you decide to get it over with, "I'm so sorry... about the Purge, that is... I- you..."

She notices how you get lost again, choking up at the thought of losing your home so permanently beyond your reach. For you, Mandalore was not a place; it was foremost a people. And those people were so brutally gone.

"It wasn't the planet... it was my clan; my people beyond that. I was lost, but I still slept. That was, until I hear you were dead, and I never even got the chance to protect you..." you step forward as her eyes glaze, knowing this moment of such vivid vulnerability was something she wasn't used to. You grab her free hand, pulling away layers of the rain between you until it is only a thin veil, "All I could see was your burning armour, and smoke, and a wreckage, and you just being gone, and-"

"Shh, cyare..." you reach your hand up to her rain-soaked cheek and hold it with tantalising delicacy as you ghost your finger over the edge of her cheek bone. The dim night - interrupted intermittently by dashing streaks of transport lights above - condenses and confines itself into the high-walled, cramped alley like a compressed blanket, pushing you even further together. You breath, "One day, you will balance those nights lost with ones of pure nothingness. And I will be here... if you want me, that is."

She lets out a huffed laugh, a playfully sad smile toying on her lips, "Of course I want you, mesh'la."

Your tracing stops as you fix your position. A silent conversation passes between you, just as you imagine the mystical force to allow the Jedi to do the same. It's paralysingly small between you, however the tumbling torrents of rain still find gaps to trickle through. That and half a breath of air are all that is between you.

"You still have it," you sort of blurt out as you notice the fragment of rugged, red stone you had given her as a parting gift now hanging around her neck on a black chain.

She smiles softly, though a sad tinge creeps up and down-turns her eyes a fraction, "I couldn't hope to close my eyes for a minute without it."

There's no dramatic crash, nor are jumping sparks between you. Instead, it feels homely. The familiar feeling of your closeness had been in everything but the physical nature. The lack of rain between you had left a warm silence to enclose around you like a swaddling blanket. Neither of you deepen the tantalising connection, allowing the light brushes and urge for air to bring you back to reality.

Bo finally tilts her chin down, her forehead resting on yours, "All this time..."

"I didn't live..." you breath deeply, "because I can't live without ner kar'ta (my heart)."

Aww, wasn't that cute. Anyway, that's the end so check out the rest of the series if you haven't already!!

[star-trekkin-across-theuniverse]

Shortbread, pt 1

I really need to find my creative soul again. So I looked up writing prompts on the google, and found one that instantly resonated with me and a full idea popped up.

Feel free to BUG THE SHIT out of me if I don't PROMPTLY update.

__________

You were flipping through your grandmother’s cookbook, reading the generations of recipes written in her familiar, cramped writing. You were warm with nostalgia, smiling as memories of time spent in the kitchen with her flooded your mind, the sepia-toned daydreams so evocative you could practically smell the shortbread’s buttery sweetness. With a purpose, you paged through the book and found the recipe. Scottish shortbread, your great-grandma’s recipe. 

In the kitchen, you were pleased to find you had the three required ingredients and set to work. It was a quick recipe, and it was baking in the oven within minutes. The wait for it to bake was longer, but you continued thumbing through the cookbook, reminiscing. 

When the timer rang, you could barely wait for the cookies to cool off before you broke a piece off and allowed it to melt in your mouth. Just as you remembered. You gingerly pulled the rest of the broken cookie off the sheet, and popped it in your mouth, closing your eyes and sighing in happiness.

When you opened your eyes, your apartment looked very different. Drastically different kitchen. The stove was only marginally recognizable as a stove, and you thought that might be an icebox across from it. A quick peek inside assured you that it was. The kitchen window overlooked an alley and from your suite on the 4th floor, you couldn’t see the pavement, but you could hear a racket coming from down below and stepped out onto the fire escape to see what was going on. 

A small, skinny man was holding a trash can lid up like a shield, defending himself against a much larger man. Before you could shout in protest, another large man, this one in a uniform, arrived and knocked out the aggressor. You dropped your cookie in surprise, and it hit the small man’s shield with a surprising amount of noise. 

Both men looked up at you, alarmed. You waved, sheepishly. The larger of the men let out a low whistle.

“Stevie, you didn’t tell me the dame in 412 was such a looker,” he smiled, tipping his hat. You realized as he did so that he was in a military uniform.

“I’ve never met her, Bucky,” Stevie answered.

“Well, I think your eye needs the touch of a beautiful woman,” Bucky replied and looked up at you. “Hey sweetheart, you think you could take a look at my buddy?”

“Uh,” you paused, considering your situation. You looked back into your apartment. Other than you, nothing looked out of place. “Sure, come on up.”

To be continued…

__________

@rampant-salamander, @bolontiku, @castiels-sunflowers

[allycat75]

Ok, I want to get real with you Boston Dumb Fuck.

I have been holding onto this post for a bit and the thought behind it has been haunting me for months.

While I am constantly amazed at your lack of moral fiber, when I see a fellow human in trouble I can't turn away. You look like you have just enough energy to literally put one foot in front of the other, play your part and slip into unconsciousness for the rest of the day. I have seen it before and it doesn't end well. It's a living purgatory.

But I also don't like being manipulated or being made to look stupid or crazy, so I will continue to call out your bullshit and how it is emblematic of everything that is wrong in our society. I also don't think many have called you out on your bullshit before so I am happy to provide that service. As much as I desire this to be my last rant to you, I am not naive enough to think that will happen anytime soon. The Red Knight has you tight in its grip (Side note: "The Fisher King" is a great movie to watch or re-watch. It may resonate right now).

I do wish I knew that you understood how fucked up you are and have at least a semblance of a plan of how you are going to make it right once you are free. I think the reaction from your (former) fans and even the general public was a shock to your system and you have so far to go to just come up to sea level again. If past is prologue, I fear you will just coast on your White Male Privlege and never learn the valuable lessons of this disaster. But ultimately, I am probably screaming into a void. At least I have put it out into the universe...

Early on, I compared your work in "Ghosted" to a Matthew Perry performance.

Before I continue, let me say I loved Matthew Perry and I can't believe he is gone. I always felt he had so much potential, as seen in "Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip" and "Go On", but there was always a barrier I sensed he put up, almost like it was a performance within a performance. What he thought we wanted him to be. Now, as we know, there was a mountain of insecurity he was hiding and numbing that haunted him to the end. How I wish he could have freed himself and enjoyed some true wins.

Now, I can't help but draw some additional mournful parallels to you and your current state, beyond your "Ghosted" performance within a performance.

We know you hate yourself (you were not joking during the SMA interview). You took your hand off the wheel and eyes off the road, relying only on your Captain America/internet boyfriend/dog dad persona, and wound up trapped in a blind alley. Now you are locked in this ridiculous contract.

To numb what you have become, you have disappeared into weed, at the very least. But escaping using weed is only healthy when you know what you are escaping from. When you have no tether, you are only sucked into a void where you risk not being able to return. You may say "it's just weed", but we have seen you make bad decision after bad decision and it only takes one to be life altering.

This may be hyperbolic. You may be in control of all of this and laughing at our reaction. Maybe you have mastered The Method and apply goth white makeup before you go out, have changed your diet to be sickly thin and hunch over on purpose, for your craft. But my daddy didn't raise a fool and I don't suffer them. I know when something is rotten in Denmark. I was raised to offer a hand when I could, regardless the reason or reward. So my offer is this (much of this is repeated from previous posts, but repetition is key to learning):

STOP! STOP! STOP! Your contractual obligations should be met by now. The little racist twat got press on her project release dates. That is all she deserves. If not, you need a doctor's note saying this is killing you, because it appears it is. And switching from awkwardly showing off that fucking ring or oafishly grabbing the wifey's hand in order to meet that contractual obligation to lovable, single dog dad so as to reinforce your dog food is Nazi-free has got to be dizzying; making the crazy-maker crazy. So whomever thought this was a good idea and kept you in it long after the effects were detrimental, remove them from your circle. They have no place in a healthy future.

Get help to change the behaviors that got you painted into this corner. This situation didn't come out of nowhere. Someone or many someones exploited your vulnerabilities and they could do it again if you aren't careful. And no more shushing or egoic narrative- either that is complete bullshit or no one taught you the next part of the curriculum. For once in your life, take accountability and accept responsibility for your actions.

Take the time to become healthy and strong in mind, body and spirit. And let those who still have a chance of liking you in the future miss you. You even admitted you don't make the best first impression. Lately you haven’t been making the best second, third or fourth either. Even Scarlett seems to be getting tired of you. One or two more stunts and no one is coming back. We may be talking about you, but a short term gain will mean a long term loss. Don't worry, we will remember you, and if you do the work, we will celebrate you.

Take an active role in rebuilding your life. Decide what to be and go be it. Others shouldn't care more about your happiness and success than you do. Enjoy some wins, you are allowed. Get back into the world again and see where you can make an impact (hint- it is not with ASP. I actually think that could set us all back. A good idea whose time has passed).

You were given privlege and opportunity and it is chicken shit you ran as soon as it got a little hard. Fight for your life. Others have lost their chance but you are still here and can make it chicken salad.

PS- "Cousins" is a great movie if you are wondering about the chicken shit/chicken salad line. And don't let anyone tell you the French version is better. They are just being pretentious.

[susandsnell]

@forthegothicheroine​ - the ask got deleted in a wild mishap, but here are the Which books I’d recommend to various Batman Villains! (thank you so much for this btw -- absolutely juicy question and I had a thrill imagining any scenario where I’d be in such a position as to be recommending them things! 

Harley Quinn - Fingersmith by Sarah Waters, naturally! Things not appearing what they seem, the plot twists, the self-reclamation, the romance, overcoming abuse - I think she’d really enjoy it! Conversely, I think Zola’s Thérèse Raquin would speak to her and maybe help her process some things regarding her bad patterns in criminal relationships. 

Poison Ivy - Gotta keep with the plants theme and give her The Weeds by Katy Simpson Smith, the tale of two women botanists from two different time periods whose entries framed around each type of plant and its uses explores a different theme/moment in their lives, usually relating to gendered violence and resilience to such. It’s even got a sapphic subplot, so really it’s made for her. Rumour has it that the Matt Reeves Batverse for her is planned to be inspired by Nathaniel Hawthorne’s Rappacini’s Daughter, which has me insanely excited -- so I’d throw that on the list as well. To switch gears from just the plants, I think that she’d really enjoy the sheer depth of devotion between women on display in My Best Friend’s Exorcism by Grady Hendrix. 

Riddler - I feel like any mystery novel you give the guy is going to end in “I simply would have _____, RIP to [protagonist’s/antagonist’s name] But I, Edward Nygma/Nigma/Nashton Am Different”. Guy probably went into a full rage about how stupidly Franklin Clarke from The ABC Murders got caught after all the trouble he took with the puzzle-clues. after so I think I’d give him Walter Tevis’ The Queen’s Gambit since a lot of iterations show him having a fondness for chess (and the genuine skill in the writing), and Beth’s arc with difficult beginnings, addiction struggles, resilience and alienation would resonate with him if he ever would admit to it. I also think Gogol would suit him well; I see him enjoying the humour in short works like The Nose, but Dead Souls’ protagonist really suits him as a trickster conman who entertains the possibility of doing better.

Scarecrow - Oh, this is the big one. Hardest one on the list, because Crane’s probably the best-read on the list considering his original motive of wanting to heist money to fund getting books, and his Year One backstory working this into his horrific childhood probably cemented this, so odds are he’s read most of them already, especially the classics! But I did like the suggestion in your fic The Most Poetical Topic he hasn’t read Stephen King’s Carrie, since that’s the shoo-in. I do think he’d also get a kick out of Silvia Moreno-Garcia’s works for modern gothics - Mexican Gothic and the use of the spores is up his alley in particular! Lindqvist‘s Let the Right One In with the cute little murder couple of vampire kids who absolutely obliterate bullies and find connection in being outsiders is probably his wish fulfilment jam, let’s be real. And because I’m me, I’d also insist on him reading The Moth Diaries by Rachel Klein because it’s essential reading imo and the psychological horror “is there a vampire or is it untreated grief and mental illness” plotline would tickle him. 

Two-Face - Handing him a copy of Phantom of the Opera is probably a great way to get him to flip the coin on whether he’s shooting you or drowning you, so I’d say I’d get Harvey some more legal-related literature. He’s probably a fan of Atticus Finch, so hand him a better John Grisham, a good Perry Mason tale, or Dickens’ A Tale of Two Cities especially. And of course, Dumas’ Count of Monte Cristo. We’re counting on you, Harv!!! 

Penguin - Perfume: The Story of a Murderer by Patrick Suskind was all but made for Oswald, especially the more grotesque iterations. It practically feels like proto-Burton!Oswald, although most iterations could probably get a lot out of the themes of abandonment and difficulty, the grotesque, and the ebb and flow of affections and power depending on one’s usefulness. The protagonist is even named after an animal to signify unwantedness!! But privately, I think Oswald likes his cozy mysteries too. 

Mr. Freeze - The Elegance of the Hedgehog by Muriel Barbery -- really, hear me out, because while the book is only directly about grief and a new lease on life at the end, there’s the grief throughout for a life not lived, and I think he’d enjoy its little quotidian charms and the way it speaks of finding appreciation while you’re here. Otherwise, I’d say Terry Pratchett’s Nation, which is one of the other most immensely powerful explorations of grief. It also involves quite a few scientists for his bias!! 

Mad Hatter - Lewis Carroll’s works are his bread and butter, but I’d be very curious to see his thoughts on The Screwtape Letters. Otherwise I think I’d have to hand him a copy of The Stepford Wives with a sticky-note foreword of: “THIS IS A CAUTIONARY TALE, NOT AN INSTRUCTION MANUAL”. 

[saintmachina]

since you’re offering to divine ppls love lives lol

my friend and i are both tarot readers and sometimes we exchange them for fun i asked them for a romance reading and … yikes essentially it said that a short lived and toxic romance is coming my way because i can’t decide on what kind of romance i want or deserve but last year i got a street reading in salem and the reader said i had 2 loves coming to me in the future a twin flame which would be possibly the most intense relationship ive ever had but would show me what i want and then one that’s not exactly my soulmate but would feel like it

the messages are so conflicting i’m pretty much debating shelving romance forever tbh

not sure what exactly you could do with this but hey any divine intuition would be right up my alley lol

Well let's take a look, darling!

I indulged myself and pulled a couple of cards for you, but I don't think I know you personally and don't have a strong lock on your in-person energy so if this doesn't resonate, feel free to discard it!

The Hanged Man and the Nine of Swords illuminate that you are indeed feeling troubled about this, perhaps a bit trapped by circumstance and you own anxiety, and that you're in a season of romantic stasis. Not stagnation: stasis. You're in a cocoon of becoming right now: becoming who you are more truly and becoming the person you want to be in a relationship. There's no speeding through this process. There's only the surrendering to it and letting it change you, if that doesn't sound too heavy!

if I were to turn my amateur witch's eye on your situation and the messages you've received, I would say that it's likely multiple people will flitter into your life over the coming months and offer you different possible connections. Maybe you'll pursue multiple connections, or one, or none! But I want to drive home here right now that the right choice in the one you choose. No matter where it takes you, you can trust your agency and your heart and your desires, and if you proceed with care and thoughtfulness, anyone you invite into intimacy with you has the potential to enrich your life, teach you lessons, and perhaps form a long term connection.

This is where tarot so often brings us: to the reminder that life happens in the living, in the doing, in the taking chances.

Good luck!

[kotias]

Writer counterattack - Laura's comic

I looked at my kill list for the @goodomensafterdark angst war, and it would seem that @lauramoon1987 YOU'RE NEXT

The writing below is what I imagine was the scene before this set of pages by Laura

Word count: 1087 words

Trigger warnings: implied death, graphic depiction of torture and violence.

Tread carefully.

“Well, well… the ‘prodigal son’ returns. Are you with us?”

“Yes.”

A low chuckle resonated like thunder in the dark room. “Welcome home, brother mine.”

Ding.

Aziraphale stepped out of the elevator, holding his hands behind his back, and gave only a glance at the bookshop, chuckling. “Oh, memories, memories…”

“Supreme Archangel, sir!” He raised his eyebrows as he was met with a flock of the youngsters who had, it would seem, been dispatched in the area of Soho.

“Oh, my dears, how are you doing?” he asked with a sweet smile, caressing their cheeks with his hands. 

“Aziraphale’s smiles are warmer than the Sun.”

“Show us, and they shall learn from you.”

“Of course I will.”

The Great War had taken a toll on the young ones, Aziraphale knew. Their feathers ruffled, their wings bent in sinister angles, fingers, arms missing, they looked immensely relieved by his arrival. “Not to worry, dears. I will take care of the rest here.” He passed through them, giving them all a gentle pat on the shoulders, and walked up to the bookshop to knock on its entry door.

“His bookshop is still, technically, an embassy for Heaven. He bought the land in the seventeenth century, but I don’t think he was done with the building until the end of the eighteenth.”

“Oh, Supreme Archangel Aziraphale?” Muriel said as they opened, their eyebrows raised in surprise. He smiled and gave a slight nod. “Um… may I ask why you made the effort of knocking?”

“Well, you are now the guardian and official owner of the Fell & Co. bookshop, are you not? I thought it might be a little rude to simply waltz in without announcing myself.”

“Oh- well… you will always be welcome, Sir. Do believe me, I am feeling at ease here, but this bookshop… it misses you, Sir.”

“Does it, now?” he asked, staying on the front step still. “Well…” He chuckled, with a heavy breath under his tone. “I certainly had that hope; we did spend most of our time together. But please, Muriel, humor me; are you sure it is alright if I come in?”

“W-Well, of course, Sir! Please, do come in and make yourself comfortable!”

He gave her a gentle grin and stepped inside, smelling the scents, discovering their nuances as he strolled into the alleys of the bookshelves. “I remember you liking tea, Sir, shall I brew you some?”

“Oh, that is very kind of you, Muriel, but no thank you.” His eyes settled on Machiavel’s Art of War and he chortled.

“Aziraphale thinks he’s soft, and Heaven probably agrees. In reality, I’ve seen him take arms in the most desperate situations, if only it could give his allies even just a minute of reprieve.”

“Tell me, Muriel, how are the troops looking on this side of London?”

“Very badly, Sir. We are all rather young, we had not lived through the last war… I, I cannot say the same thing about the demons attacking us.”

“Hm, alright. Thank you, Muriel, I will summon them for a talk and take the arms.” And thus he did, walking out of the bookshop, dusting himself off and calling upon the angels of the area to Whickber Street.

He waited for a few minutes for all of them to appear in front of him, all kneeling as a greeting. For a moment, a smirk dangerously starting to form on his lips, he considered leaving them in that position for the entire time they would be faced with him, but then he was stiffly reminded of his good nature. “Oh, please do stand up, you do not need to do that for little old me,” he said instead with his dulcet voice. “So, dear troops…” He cleared his throat and, waving his left hand, gave himself a more clamorous intonation. “I wished to talk to you all about the latest battle.”

As the young, naive angels watched him intently, as he stood proud in front of the bookshop, the ground below their feet started blurring out and letting out small bubbles.

“I think that you are doing an excellent job. You are all quite brave, going up against such…” He had a grim, crooked smile as hands were thrusted into chests, tentacles into throats and hairy wings into backbones, as ribs and legs and fingers were cracking before him, singing him the song of a victory they had longed for since the Beginning. “... monstrosities. Not to worry, however, I will take care of the rest for the time being. Please,” he continued in a languid voice, grasping at the hair of the closest, weeping little form and heaving them up to his face. “It is high time you rested now.”

“Aziraphale doesn’t refuse violence because he’s weak. He refuses it because if he were to let the shackles loose, everybody around him would bleed until they dried out.”

Aziraphale had a grim smirk as his fingers wrapped around the little angel’s trembling chin, two of their dark claws reaching and pressing into their bottom lip until they drew blood. The shrieks born in their chest died in their throat, leaving only the fleeting ghost of a whine. And from his stomach came the deadly chuckle collecting their remains, as the fingers of his second hand reverently cradled the skin around their left eye.

“Oh, my dear…” he breathed, “I am… awfully sorry, but you see…” The squelch of the socket being emptied made him hum with delight. “... I do need to collect those.” The bloody ball fell into his purse and, tutting at the angel’s sobs, pressed his claws around the second one and pulled, drawing a gurgling yelp out of them. “There we go, dear,” he said with a fawning voice. “It’s all over now. It wasn’t that hard, now, was it?”

The snivelling angel fell to the ground, slipping down the wall, their frail body shivering. “Oh, my… I believe you are in shock, dear.” With a wave of his left hand, he conjured a large blanket and wrapped it around them, smiling contently. “It would be very sad, now, if the cold were to finish you off.” With a sinister chuckle, he breached the space between them and pressed his cold lips on their forehead, sealing the blasphemy into their skin.

Behind him, the blood of the thousand victims he had skinned, burned and blinded alive was finding its way to the bottom of his shoes, leaving red spots on his perfectly pristine clothes.

[alinktoana]

30 day no fanart challenge

this is the meat of the challenge: no fanart for 30 days (oh wow lol) 1. drawing categories/prompts instead of IP: it can be *anything*, it can be food, hobbies/professions, folklore/mythology. eg: actual taiko drums instead of taiko no tatsujin characters, cute dinosaurs instead of yoshi, cool hedgehogs instead sonic (lol) 2. IF i happen to wanna draw fanart, it's gotta be at least 100 years old (anything before 1924) eg: drawing fanart of John Tenniel's Alice (1865) and not disney Alice (1951), Albert Lynch's Joan of Arc (1903) and not Clone High Joan (2002). ps: im not sure about famous people yet, but i think ill go with the same idea that theyd have to have been dead before 1924.

here's some stuff ive drawn with that in mind, even though i hadnt stablished the challenge yet lol

why a no fanart challenge? well well well, if this isnt another post artist alley eulogy lol

here's some background feelings: after having helped promote 2 japanese food festivals and tabled on both its artist alley's, and knowing myself, and having grown up in the age of comic/book to film adaptations and the rebootprequelsequelmagaddon, it's really hard for me not to fanart, even though i trashtalk hollywood all the time for not taking risks and doing original stuff, lo and behold, i do the same. who am i to judge _anything_ when i watched all three star wars sequels in theaters and crushed on kylux for years, i was kneedeep into hannigram, i gave money to the barbenheimer industrial complex. how can i blame RGG for not letting kiryu go when i _cried legit tears of joy_ when pirate majima was announced? (granted, it's not as bad as the kiryu situation lol but this is about ma$cots, not me lol)

i love a lot of characters, a lot of stories, im always jumping from show to show, game to game, and coming back to them. but i wanna go beyond my love for other people's art and be in love with my own, now that im at a better skill and mental state. it might not resonate as much, specially at the japanese festivals im a part of, but i wanna try. and im gonna start slow, i *am* going to draw japanese food, japanese animals, and create my tiny little scenes and see what comes up. i love stickers with every fiber of my being lol so ill always have in mind that ill draw stuff that i would wanna stick on my own sketchbooks and journals. but i need to do this, at least for 30 days. who knows what will happen later, you know? a friend of mine once said that colored pencils are like sugar, and graphite pencils are like veggies. and i feel like fanart and not-fanart is the same. we love fanart, but it's not healthy to only draw fanart... also i love people who delve into IP OCs and stuff, it always seems a lot of fun. i could try that, but i think ill cut my fanart ties cold turkey and then i can figure something out, i dont know lol i could go back to d&d character sheets lol another side note: i went to film school bc i loved watching movies. i wanted to tell stories, but i had no idea how, and i didnt think i had the talent for drawing. i started studying japanese and bullet journaling, bc i had the urge to draw, and those were the mediums that were close enough to drawing i felt i could try. and then hannibal happened, i had a roommate who was learning to watercolor, and i was like, screw it, let me draw hannigram bc i love them lol ive had the opportunity to make some movies, but logistically and creatively, they never felt as good as having the spark of inspiration, sketching, linearting, painting, printing and selling these tiny ass stickers. there is some control freakness in that, sure lol but there's also a need to build confidence in my own abilities, which sadly i didnt have a space for in movie sets... anyway, ill always mourn not having spent my teens drawing, but im making my kid self proud now <3 also i might post my new stickers at some point, i still havent made a pinned post lol but someday, you know so yeah, if anyone's reading this, ty lol TLDR: if you draw, write, sculpt, whatever, anything, and you tend to do fanart, ask yourself if you're fanarting a bit too much, if there's a way of turning your love for these characters/worlds into something different and more you.

[il3x]

I'd love to know your thoughts on pact's magic system

Inhales. Pact Thoughts... hm...

I didn't like it at first; it's much softer than what I'm used to, and Blake being a newbie to the supernatural meant that we had no clue what was going on 90% of the time. I also enjoy, just... cool flashy stuff, and pact magic seems to be misery manifest, with massive costs for small benefits besides AND you have to keep it secret. Not really up my alley. I'm afraid the June binding scene was kinda the epitome of this - it works because... Because. you Say a thing. that is the Right thing to say... Because. okay. sure i guess. no immediate result either. why did I sit in the cold with you for a chapter.

That said, it's getting better. Having some concrete cost-benefit mechanic (blood = loss of personal power = measured by tattoos, for example) helps a LOT. With that setup, the "Blake bleeds out in the cell to summon Rose" was a genuinely kickass awesome moment. Satisfying use of (soft) magic to solve an issue... well, to open paths by which the issue had a better chance of being solved.

I also like the realisation Blake and Rose themselves had recently, that Pact magic is an art rather than a science - that gives me a much better picture of how things work. World of Showmanship.

The Others all having specific weaknesses is pretty cool. I like the Others in general, they're very thematically resonant - with the "art > science" take, I wonder if they can be viewed through the "human folklore made manifest" kind of lens, like what Terry Pratchett explores a lot? I'm thinking of the Tiffany Aching books especially. Tiffany would do so well in the Otherverse.

Would love to see more interplay between the human world and the magical one. I think this is another way that Pact's magic system is getting more engaging as the book goes on. Things like goblins taking people/places that Fall Through The Cracks, and the memory of a city fire birthing a spirit... yeah!! Show me how human beliefs have real concrete impact and concrete dangers! Show me how humans and their concrete actions spawn and shape beliefs!! Tie this fantasy world into the one that matters for us! I was *this* close to inventing a fire spirit for my own city, before realising I couldn't talk about it without doxxing myself...