#still not as bad as PG&E

[yakotta]

PG&E killed 85 people and then raised our rates. And then they would just cut the power any time there was wind so they wouldn’t get fined for killing more people so everyone was paying more money for more blackouts. Great system.

it was weird living outside california for the first time and learning that in most locations people DON'T have personal beef with their electrical utility??? massachusetts was like "eversource: it's fine? i don't really think about it." meanwhile i'm pretty sure everyone in california loathes pg&e passionately

[thatsparrow]

me and my mom after (checks watch) 58 hours without power

[zmediaoutlet]

Hey Liz! Have you ready any good spn fic lately? :)

I have, and in fact I've been spite-reading. Have a curated wincest rec list you could share with anyone you like:

Bad Blood by astolat

Rating: E Word Count: 3,718 Summary: "Fuck me or I'm going to die isn't the world's best pickup line."  // "I've heard worse," Dean said. // "You've used worse," Sam said.

Original post date, 02/22/2007

Reccing because: No wincest primer would be complete without an astolat rec. You probably get fined by the Wincest FCC, otherwise. The flaw in astolat’s wincest, if we’re allowed to say such things about our saint and founder, is that Sam and Dean would sometimes fall into the whole thing super easily — this fic dispenses with that problem with a good ol’ classic dose of evil sex pollen, and if magic makes them do it then it could be a hell of a lot worse than how delightfully they do it here. I’m laughing out loud just remembering one of the scenes. Joys.

Coast On Through by philalethia

Rating: NC-17 Word Count: 7,857 Summary: A post-first-time fic. With a lot of sex.

Original post date, 12/22/2007

Reccing because: This is a true all-timer wincest fic. Though the characterization is of its 2007 time, the Winchesters still feel like themselves, and more important feel like adults who are trying to navigate their very odd circumstances. A real classic of the brothers-with-benefits genre.

Keep Our Minds on the Sum of Each Other by lazy_daze

Rating: E Word Count: 9,593 Summary: N/A; provided tags are Bodyswap

Original post date, 12/26/2007

Reccing because: What a cheerful fuckin’ fic this is, for a fic about incestuous fuckin’. This takes the apocalyptic stakes and reels them back to a just deeply entertaining romp. Not too worried about the plot and much more worried about how hot these two are when they slam together, it’s a refreshingly non-angsty take on what it means that you just want to slurp on your brother wholesale.

Filthy Mind by rivkat

Rating: E Word Count: 26,384 Summary: Dean acquires unwelcome nightly visitors. Set post-Hell, without details as to how that happens.

Original post date, 10/07/2008

Reccing because: RivkaT is perhaps the all-time understander of the Weird Affect of Dean Winchester (As Played By Jensen Ackles) and the entirely destabilizing effect that affect has on the world. A real reality-warper. This fic deals with non-con and dub-con and who-knows-what-con and everything in between in a way that is more thoughtful than tawdry (although you can certainly enjoy the tawdriness as presented and the fic does not judge you for that). It also, thrillingly, deals with Sam’s alarm about the whole thing in a way which is fairly unflinching: he wants and does not want to want and also just really, really desperately wants-- Fans of Sheila’s analysis will probably enjoy this one. 

seeing double by candle_beck

Rating: PG-13 Word Count: 5,127 Summary: Dean has a concussion and his better senses come and go.

Original post date, 04/24/2009

Reccing because: I know there are more famous and more favored c_b fics, but this one is such a supremely perfect scene that it should be at the top of all c_b rec lists. It isn’t the catastrophic misery or assholery or intensity of some of the other big hitters but this just has this searingly true and singular experience coursing through it: to wit, that Dean is hurt and Sam is upset and then sorry and then in love. Which isn’t a half-bad summary of Supernatural itself, really. 

The incestuous courtship of the antichrist’s bride by fleshflutter

Rating: NC-17 Word Count: 48,000 Summary: Sam is trying to become the Antichrist in order to save the world. He has a small army of angels and demons, he has an adoring cult, he has a work of prophecy by Jack Kerouac, and he has Dean. Things are going pretty well until he accidentally signs Dean up as his Beloved Consort, a role that requires sex with the Antichrist on an altar. And that's when things stop going pretty well. Also, the soundtrack to the Apocalypse sucks.

Original post date, 06/08/2009

Reccing because: It is so, so rare to find crack fics that work. This is crack treated like crack and also taken entirely seriously, which is a rare balance to find. When it needs to be horror it works, when it needs to be ridiculous it works, when it needs to be hot as fuck it works, and never has the phrase ‘apocalyptic cock’ been so appropriate and so wonderful in context. 

I’ve Got A Hand For You by Edwardina

Rating: E Word Count: 14,938 Summary: Sam's inexperience is showing, and Dean helps the best way he knows how.

Original post date, 03/12/2010

Reccing because: This is underage par excellence, as wonderfully weird and vaguely creepy and hot and alarming as it should always be. Dean’s 19 and Sam’s 14 and they should not but they are, and if that isn’t just a summary of Supernatural as a whole I don’t know what is. On the face of it this is a vaguely gnasty first time fic, but what sets this one apart is how earnestly real it is — the grimy-but-not-OTT reality of the details, Sam’s goofy kiddishness being complicated by the reality of what hormones are and do, Dean’s too-cool-ness alleviated by the fact that he’s nineteen and therefore still an idiot, trying earnestly to help and getting it wrong and getting it very right, all at the same time. The attention to detail here just knocks me over with a feather. Gorgeous work.

Two Part Invention by De_Nugis

Rating: T Word Count: 6,938 Summary: Dean settles down, Sam finds him, they settle some things.

Original post date, 12/25/2010

Reccing because: I very much appreciate a fic that, on the face of it, seems like an OOC premise, and then as soon as you think about it for fifteen seconds you realize — oh, of course, of course that’s how it should be and how it would go. This fic delivers on that feeling in spades. There’s a deep appreciation here for how complicated Sam Winchester is and how strange and hard it would be to have his life, and zero judgment, really, for what he and Dean have to do to make that life tenable. I appreciate the subtlety here so much.

Top This by leonidaslion

Rating: E Word Count: 4,076 Summary: Dean's sure he's a top. Only problem is, Sam's pretty sure that's his job …

Original post date, 04/10/2011

Reccing because: Is this crack? It surely is. Is it PWP? You bet. Is it in character? To be honest it hardly matters, but despite the context and conceit it does manage, somehow, to kinda feel like Sam and Dean Winchester from the canon of the show Supernatural, and that is a trick that earns it a spot on this list. Especially the way Sam goes slightly smug there at the end. Delights.

It’s the Blueprint of Your Life by queenklu

Rating: E Word Count: 38,400 Summary: Sam jerks awake in the middle of the night and everything goes to hell. Well, not literally, though Dean is staring down the barrel of less than a year before his deal comes due. In the midst of dealing (or not dealing) with his impending death, a killer ghost ship, and Bela showing up out of the blue, Dean also has to figure out what’s going on in Sam’s head to make him so twitchy, why he’s suddenly breezing through this case while writing endless notes in a notebook he won’t let Dean see. Damn it, Dean thinks, This is gonna take a lot of chickflick moments.

Original post date, 10/09/2011

Reccing because: Time travel fic is fun as hell, and time travel fic that just soaks you in dramatic irony is even more fun, and more importantly time travel fic where the time traveler doesn’t have all the answers is best of all. Very little is better than Dean being somewhat at sea and Sam loving him fiercely and this fic delivers that in spades. I could only wish it were a little longer, which is a very, very rare statement from me.

The Fall Will Probably Kill You by killabeez

Rating: M Word Count: 6,773 Summary: Set between 7.04 and the aftermath of 7.07. Dean is not as okay as he'd like you to think. Neither is Sam.

Original post date, 11/06/2011

Reccing because: This fic is thoroughly in and of and intensely about season 7, which I adored and which doesn’t get enough credit from the fandom. It deals with the Sam’s Insanity arc in a way that’s angstier and ficcier than the show itself but it does so in this stupendous and murderously flat way. Dean is at his wit’s end and Sam is, too, but Sam’s finding a way to deal with it, and Sam will not compromise on what dealing with it means, and we’re all just forced to live with it. Fantastic reading experience, especially for the almost literal jumpscare you get about 2/3s through.

The Hunter Games by theproblematique

Rating: NC-17 Word Count: 92,601 Summary: When the infamous Winchester bad luck strikes twice in quick succession Sam and Dean are forced to compete in the most brutal reality TV show ever created. It’s impossible to escape the battlefield, hiding can only be temporary, and alliances inside those dark, bloodstained woods last about as long as it takes for the other Hunter to figure out how to use your weapons. And then kill you with them.

Original post date, 06/22/2012

Reccing because: This is a true all-timer wincest AU fic. We’re mostly all familiar with the source material, but this work blends the universe of the Hunger Games with the characterization & destiny of the Winchester boys in a way that’s extremely satisfying. The author’s other works are recced more often, but this piece is more deserving of a place as One Of Those Reclist Fics.

Kevin Tran for President by glovered

Rating: T Word Count: 11,714 Summary: Dean comes back from Purgatory to find Sam working as a barista at a coffee shop near Princeton, watching over Kevin Tran.

Original post date, 10/04/2012

Reccing because: Sometimes you just need a post-Purgatory fic that isn’t brutal. This story’s a light-hearted trip-along froth like most of glovered’s work, but there’s something in specific about this unfraught coming-together that makes it incredibly readable. Dean and Sam aren’t entirely on the same page but the relief of reunion makes everything else fade a little into the distance, and the charming little job they find themselves on here gives enough of an excuse for them to figure some things out. Also probably the best Cas & Meg side characters in a fic, so there’s that too.

Clear and simple and plain by Trojie

Rating: E Word Count: 1,893 Summary: After Sam gives up the Trials, things start getting better.

Original post date, 10/26/2013

Reccing because: This is a post-Trials fic where things don’t go incredibly wrong, which is a nice AU to sit in for a while. What’s impressive about this story, written in the time it was, is that it manages to presage the ~s11 era marriage very well indeed, in tone and vibe and even some content. They’re in the bunker and things aren’t perfect, but they’re together, and that’s a kind of perfection of its own. It isn’t sugary but it’s the kind of adult complex sweetness that makes one feel better, anyway.

hello by allwellandgood (formerly askance)

Rating: T Word Count: 4,128 Summary: There's a woman at the grocery store named Evelyn who always rings him up on the days he ventures out for food and she knows him, or likes to think she does. I hope you're not too lonely, she'll say. He chooses not to tell her that his dead brother sleeps at his feet every night. He'd rather not be the cause of her inevitable heart attack.

Original post date, 08/11/2014

Reccing because: So Dean’s dead. Everyone dies at some point. This fic is a beautifully soft and tender and bitterly kind way to deal with that. You feel Sam’s loss deep in your chest but it’s okay, because this is the world of Supernatural and there are options, and the relief he gets pours over like cool water. Not enough, and it’s not fixed, but it’s not as much of a misery as it was.

The Time Traveler’s Brother by amypond45

Rating: R Word Count: 55,458 Summary: Dean's life is turned upside down the night his mother dies. But that's also the night a mysterious grown-up version of Dean's brother first appears in his life. While Dean grows up, "Old Sam" is often there, especially when Dean's father isn't, and as Dean learns what the future holds, he begins to question everything his father has taught him about who he is and what he is supposed to become. Can Dean find a way to save his little brother from his own future? This pre-series AU follows Dean from age four to eighteen.

Original post date, 02/26/2015

Reccing because: It’s rare to have an AU so thoroughly engage with what the alternate universe it constructs means for characterization and plot. This does something outstanding with the Sam and Dean (and Deans) created by the conceit, but also uses that conceit to do something entirely new with the canon plot that just flips me over every time I remember it. There are some fantastic character insights here, both complimentary and not, but I’ll never be over the specific scene of young!Dean looking up at older!Dean and being disappointed. That’s him, that’s our little angst machine.

The King of Imperfections Takes Back the Prince of Mistakes: a fairy tale by britomart_is

Rating: E Word Count: 4,822 Summary: And they lived happily ever after.

Original post date, 06/06/2016

Reccing because: The summary is pretty much the summary and that’s such a relief, sometimes. They’re awful and stupid and they’re in love and love isn’t enough except it is, and they’re so friggin’ MARRIED in the most wonderful and dorky way. They have good-bad sex and they have idiot arguments and they’ve made it. Back in 2016 this seemed like the best possible option. Reading this story feels like reading 4800 words of relief.

Raw Food Diet by themegalosaurus

Rating: E Word Count: 2,959 Summary: Sam has one more meeting today. This one isn’t in his diary; not the public calendar everyone at the firm can access, nor the private one on his cell.

Original post date, 02/14/2019

Reccing because: If you were looking for depressing and almost revolting Lebanon AU, you’re in luck. This is serial killer!Dean at his worst and Sam Jobs at his (still slightly martyred) almost-worst and it’s the frankly gross and logical conclusion to: what would it mean, if those two horrible shitheads were still together, somehow or some way? It’s always almost a relief when fic manages to do a not-happy ending and this definitely does that. Refreshing, in its way, though you might want a shower after.

Ions in the Ether by nigeltde

Rating: E Word Count: 10,860 Summary: When was the last time you trusted happy.

Original post date, 03/12/2019

Reccing because: For any s2 obsessives as our author here is, this is a deep and alarming and inside-out dive into the obsession with a brother and with monstrousness and with what’s true and what’s not and also can you tell the difference, after all. A murky swirl through a shithole town, this fic picks and pries at wincest-as-concept in a way that’s somewhat achy and alarming and is overall delightful, if you’re willing to take the time to think about it. Plus Sam’s hot, which is of course a bonus.

there will be better days by deadlybride

Rating: E Word Count: 9,430 Summary: Sam and Dean settle into their heaven.

Original post date, 11/24/2020

Reccing because: I’m crass. But also I can’t think of another fic that feels as much like heaven as this one and I wanted heaven on the list.

[spiralinghours]

“Personal Assistant” pt 2

Fandom: Saw franchise

Characters/Pairings: Mark Hoffman x reader (afab)

Rating: PG-13 (? for this part anyway)

Tags: switchy dynamics, pet names, brat behavior, light daddy kink

Summary: More indulgent drabbling about Hoffman’s secretary being a pain in his ass.

Author’s notes: By “switchy” I mean Hoffman likes to play boss but he also acts simpy and “Anything for you, baby”… And the secretary/reader is very “Yes sir” with him, but takes pleasure in lightly manipulating Hoffman into letting her do what she wants, no matter how much it annoys him.

Pretty much just entertaining myself with these at this point.

Probably has spelling errors, whatever.

“I told you, Hoffy, my computer isn’t working. I gotta finish checking my e-mail. It’s part of my job, isn’t it?” You kicked your heels around giddily, stiletto stems nowhere close to reaching the ground. The wiggling little movements elicited a grunt from the hulking frame under you, hunkered down on his hands and knees. Somehow you had sweet-talked your way into using your boss as a chair. Just for a quick moment, of course.

“‘Hoffy’,” he scoffed in a near whisper. “You mean ‘sir’, don’t you, baby?”

You were feeling particularly bold today—particularly obstinate. But it wasn’t with any ill intent. You were just playing around. And he couldn’t pretend that he didn’t find your small bratty streaks somewhat endearing.

“Maaaaaaybe,” you mocked, biting out the tip of your tongue.

Hoffman turned his head up enough to see the face you were making, grunting with more frustration a second time. “That’s enough, honey. Daddy’s back hurts. You can finish checking your e-mails later.”

“But I’m sooooo comfortable,” you giggled, crossing your arms. You were laying the brattiness on thick. “You’re so sturdy, Hoffy. So cushy too.”

You had become so wrapped up in your own diabolical glee that the sudden drop jarred you severely.

Hoffman was now standing, hovering above you as he reached down to scoop you up by the waist. In a swift procession, he had pulled his office chair under him and draped you over one of his knees, making the whole act seem effortless. He was a strong bull indeed.

“You’ve been particularly irritating today, sweetheart,” he started through gritted teeth. While still dopey and soft, a warning intensity cut through his glare. “Are you trying to make things difficult? Are you trying to get in trouble?”

“N-no, Hoffy.”

SPANK!

He clicked his tongue. “Now, now. I know you only call me that when you’re trying to get on my bad side. You trying to be a little shit to Daddy?”

You shook your head, fully lying. A tiny smirk couldn’t help but crack through. You loved taking the piss out of him, draining the smugness out of his expression.

SPANK!

“Out loud, babydoll. Talk to me.”

“Yes, sir,” you giggled, though voice a little hesitant and reserved. The throbbing sting on your ass was an indication to cool it. But you wouldn’t.

At this point, your velvety black pencil skirt had been raked up to your lower back, revealing strappy, complicated garters running over seamless, pink panties. And, of course, a reddening behind.

“Oh, so you’re actually going to be honest with me now, huh sweetheart? Well, that’s very kind. But you were kinda pushing your luck, weren’t you? You can always use Daddy as your teddy bear—I’ll be whatever you want. But when I tell you to stop and you don’t? It’s not very nice, is it?”

There was that almost fatherly tone of disappointment. It tore you up a little. And also riled you up.

SPANK!

“Hoffman!” There was a hollow voice ringing at the closed door accompanied by rapid knocking. It sounded like Fisk.

Hoffman hurriedly slid you off his lap, at which point you slithered underneath his desk. You took in the view of his shiny black shoes and the way his rounded lower belly pressed into the edge of the desk.

Fisk had already entered, his conversation with Hoffman muffled and uninteresting above the wood surface you hid under. It seemed like mundane trial scheduling was the topic of discussion, so you decided to entertain yourself.

You lifted your chin past the edge of the rolling chair, reaching your teeth to graze Hoffman’s thick side. Even though your bite through his shirt fabric was tender enough, you felt how he jolted, immediately slinking a hand down to swat your face away. It was funny how you could hear the brief shift in his breath, but he managed to keep cool—voice low and dull as ever.

The footsteps at the front of the desk abruptly trailed out, door clicking behind. Uh oh, you were definitely in trouble now.

“Think you’re funny huh?” Hoffman’s eyes looked down with those unamused lowered lids. “I dunno what would be worse: more spanks or me canceling dinner tonight… But now that I think about it...”

“Don’t cancel dinner,” you fake-whined, jutting your lower lip out. You crawled out from below and stood up.

“Fine. But knock off this annoying shit. I’ll be good to you if you’re good to me, babydoll.”

“Yeah?”

“Yes ma’am,” he mumbled against your sternum as he pulled you close where you stood in front of him. “Anything you want. Just be a little nice.”

“I can’t promise that.”

“I know,” he exhaled.

[mixelation]

wait hold on. i figured out the best* way to deal with jiraiya subconsciously writing his teammates fucking in reborn au

*best, as always, means funniest

okay, so. tori is trying very hard to go back to her old fannish ways wrt icha icha. the PROBLEM is that she's "too young" for it. kushina sees no problem with a young girl exploring her sexuality via dumb novels and loans her copies, but basically everyone else gets super fucking weird when she tries talking about it to them.

tori: hey did you see the new fan comic strip in-- (KAKASHI SLAMS HIS HAND OVER HER MOUTH)

kakashi: (nervous laughter) why does a kid know about that???

the konoha fanclub won't let her in. she's tried a henge a few times but there's enough ninja in the club she gets caught. she has to do a lot of convincing and sweet talk to buy fanzines or her own copies of the books. she meets jiraiya and even he is like ".....why don't you look me up again when you turn 18" and then kushina attempts to murder him

so she turns to OTHER franchises to look at. rpf. bad tv. itachi's library of completely stupid paperbacks. in fact, i realized this Solution because i was looking through old posts and one was talking about a book series about a kunoichi turned into a cat and then adopted by the missing-nin she was assigned to murder, which for some reason i named "kitty girl stabby ninja." it's PG-13 rather than E, so tori reads the first book of what is allegedly itachi's favorite series and then attempt to talk to him about it, and he's............ bad at it. like he's just bad. at conversation??

not to be deterred, tori is like "okay, fine, THIS is my fandom now and i'm going to start a book club" and itachi is just of like "okay?" and she goes to deidara first and then kakashi and then some random icha icha fan club people she barely knows because she doesn't have real friends. all of them are like "that sounds completely stupid" and she's like THAT'S THE POINT. then the whole idea gets completely out of her control because kushina finds out and wants to join as a team thing and tori is like NO, NO COMMANDING OFFICERS AT THE FUN SOCIAL EVENT-- but somehow they end up at kushina's house and so the goddamn hokage is also there. smiling. with snacks. the two normal people tori tried to pull from her failed forays into the icha icha fandom bail because would you willingly go talk to your hokage about a stupid as fuck romance novel for teenagers? while other famous ninja like kakashi and itachi* are there, judging???

*don't try to explain to them uchiha itachi is the source of the club or that kakashi likes icha icha for the romance and not the raunchy parts and barely needed convincing to read the catgirl romance book, it will confuse them

toward the end of the inaugural meeting deidara asks tori if people still hate her fics and minato is like "if you want writing tips, i can invite jiraiya to the next one :)" and tori is going to kill both of them. yes, even the hokage. maybe ESPECIALLY the hokage. she doesn't even really LIKE stupid kitty girl stabby ninja she just wants to do fun fandom stuff okay!!!!

jiraiya shows up at the next meeting anyway because he wants to "scope out the competition" and he makes a very dramatic speech analyzing why ninja romances appeal to civilians and how he's very cleverly using his spy skills to infiltrate civilian spaces and figure them out psychologically--

itachi, sounding genuinely confused: i thought all your plots and characterizations were just projections of your complicated relationship with Tsunade-hime and Orochimaru

Jiraiya: (SHOT DEAD)

jiraiya has to leave immediately to go rethink his entire life and maybe drink himself to death, but tori is touched itachi apparently listened to her at some point u_u

[mcgnagallsarmy]

Spuffy style Reading Challenge - #28: Alphabet Soup Challenge #2

A:

At Ease by The Danish Bird [NC-17]

Even with her eyes closed, Buffy would recognise this place in a second, and for a moment she wondered if she truly had ended up in a hell dimension this time. One that had doomed her to an eternity of Doublemeat Palace workdays. Buffy felt her lips moving, heard her own voice speaking, and as she opened her eyes she decided that a hell dimension definitely wasn’t ruled out just yet. “Welcome to the Doublemeat Palace, how may I help – “ She stared into Riley’s scarred face as she completed her sentence. “– you.” Her mom, Sunnydale, her home, Spike – There are many things Buffy misses in her life, but if she had gotten the choice to revisit a day that had already passed, this would so not be it!

B:

The Bad Penny by OffYourBird [R]

Six years ago, Buffy made a home in a new dimension with a Spike who defied every rule to be by her side. Now it’s time to put to rest unfinished business in her original dimension. However, a visit there quickly turns apocalyptic, and at the heart of it is the two vampires who set Buffy's original journey in motion, and both of them have a lot of explaining to do.

C:

Christmas Date by bewildered [NC-17]

Christmas Eve in Cleveland, 2004. Holiday request from Dark. Squeaking it in for the end of the Christmas Season. (It's only the 9th day of Christmas! That counts!)

D:

Drive by Holly [NC-17]

Freshly turned and very grumpy about it, Buffy finds herself in a weird place. One where her friends smell like food, her former mortal enemy smells like heaven, and the so-called love of her life has made it clear that killing her is on his to-do list. Throw in some overly zealous army guys and this is not Buffy's idea of a party. So she and Spike decide to hit the road at least long enough to figure out why neither of them can hit anything else. And since they're both single and free, well, Buffy wouldn't say no to a distraction from the never-ending laugh riot that is her life. And Spike can be very, very distracting. Good thing soulless vampires can't fall in love or she might be in trouble.

E:

Embers by Dusty [NC-17]

Spike's the best boyfriend. He fulfills all of Buffy's fantasies. All of them.

F:

Favor by EllieRose101 [NC-17]

Spike asks an impossible thing of Buffy––and is stunned when she says yes. Could he really have gone up in her estimation?

G:

Golden Hour by kennedynoelle [R]

Response to a challenge set by emilise: Spike never came to Sunnydale during the first few seasons. The first time Buffy sees him is during The Harsh Light of Day, sunbathing on campus adorned with the Gem of Amara. Oh no, she thinks, the pit of her stomach dropping and sending tinglies all over, he's hot. They start dating, Buffy unaware that her new boyfriend is a member of the undead. Of course, she has to find out eventually…

H:

The Halloween Series by spike_spetslayer [NC-17]

Buffy and Spike make an unbreakable pact during their first real confrontation in Season 2. Story includes spoilers from season 2 through season 7.

I:

If I Loved You Less by MillennialCryBaby [NC-17]

How long had Spike been gone? 147 days. 148 at midnight. Except maybe today won't count?

J:

Just to Reach You by Sunalso [R]

Post-Series. Spike and Buffy have been a couple for almost two years. The honeymoon is over and together they're discovering they still have a lot to learn about themselves, each other, and how this whole "normal" relationship thing works.

K:

Kaleidoscope by Lirazel [PG-13]

"Can you tell me, is this love that I'm seeing?" One by one, the people in Buffy and Spike's lives try to add up the obvious.

L:

Let it Burn! by Axell [Adult Only]

Her eyes followed the blood. Summers blood. She counted the drops. Ten. Then it stopped. If Dawn dies, I’m through. I don’t want to live in a world if these are the choices. Slowly, her head rose up. Their eyes met. Green and amber. A look passed between them then a nod. Her own voice echoed into her mind. I’m counting on you. To avenge her. Us. He made a promise. Until dusk will swallow them all.

M:

Melting Fire by Freecat [R]

Set right after Dead Things. The night after, all he wants is talk. The night after, there’s nothing she wants less than talking. And suddenly they find themselves in another dimension; one that Buffy can’t leave. There’s only one way to get her out. A way with consequences.

N:

Night Swimming by Geliot99 [R]

An unexpected heatwave in mid-March is reason enough for an impromptu pool party for the Scoobies. But when Richard takes a second stab* at winning Buffy's affections, Spike is all too keen to show her how much fun night swimming with a vampire can really be… *see what I did there? Set between 'Older and Far Away' and 'As You Were'

O:

One Step Away by violettathepiratequeen [PG]

Spike knows the way she dances. Not even Faith in Buffy's body can fool him.

P:

Pardon My French by Girlytek [R]

In retrospect, it was probably a bad idea to let Buffy perform a spell in French. Begins at No Place Like Home.

Q:

Quake by Holly [NC-17]

Following Tutor. Riley's kiss did nothing for her, which clearly means her night with Spike didn't take. But since the world is probably ending, Buffy decides one more lesson couldn't hurt.

R:

Rock Solid by Passion4Spike [NC-17]

Buffy comes to some realizations about herself, the nature of her love, and her feelings for Spike on the eve of the biggest fight of her life, but will it be too little, too late? Spoiler Alert: No, it won’t.

S:

Something Blue's Clues by cawthraven [PG-13]

Willow is just fed up with the way Buffy and Spike act around each other. What are they, five?

T:

Timelines,Schmimelines by bookishy [NC-17]

When Buffy’s sent back to her first year of college to retrieve an artifact for the future, she ends up on the day of the first inaugural Christmas Party at Casa del Xander. Or, time travel meets its greatest match, and that match is alcohol.

U:

Under The Influence by NautiBitz [NC-17]

A few nights after their engagement spell, Buffy has to watch Spike. Problem is, a psychedelic demon may have just spritzed her with a mind-altering substance. Will Spike seize the moment? Or will they just end up naked? HMMM.

V:

Vampire In Charcoal by Geliot99 [NC-17]

Hiring out her mother's art gallery for classes had been a stroke of genius, but when the life model for the upcoming class comes down with the flu and an extremely unsuitable replacement is found last minute, Buffy is faced with a lot more of her nemesis than she was ever anticipating.

W:

where the shadow ends by disco-tea [R]

For 147 days, Spike and Dawn grieve Buffy. This is a story of a vampire and a Key who try to cope with the loss of the one person who meant the most to them…and how they became a family along the way.

X:

Xerox by Holly [R]

Spike and Buffy leave Angel a parting gift.

Y:

You Learn by bramcrackers [Adult Only]

When Buffy learns about Angel’s history with Drusilla, she can’t ignore how he seems to keep everything about his past to himself unless forced. How can she love someone she doesn’t even know? A trip to a local mage later, she’s plunged headfirst into Angel’s entire sordid history in a series of visions. And dealing with all of that would have been a hell of a lot easier if Spike hadn’t somehow been pulled into it, happy to add the color commentary.

Z:

Zero by kantayra [NC-17]

Trapped together in an icy prison, Buffy and Spike find one way to turn up the heat.

[kybelles]

for the choose violence ask game: 10, 16, 18!

HELLO BABY!!! sorry in advance since this is all about DAMEN DAMEN and DAMEN cause duh... ik it's not a trendy expression anymore but he really does live rent free in my head 💔

10. worst part of fanon

OH DEAR..... yk i'm trying really hard to not sound deranged and delusional but i feel like there are so many skewed interpretations of damen even though the books are literally from his pov. here are some of them:

a. "damen is an unreliable narrator" i've literally gone to battle with people over this take cause NO HE'S FUCKING NOT?? you say 'damen didn't see laurent's good qualities and was overly judgemental of veretians' i say damen not fucking with his captors who's been nothing but awful to him doesn't mean he was unreliable!! it wasn't like laurent was a golden angel and damen willingly hated on him for nothing. book 1 laurent treated him horribly and damen had every reason and right to not trust him or find him honorable.

b. "damen was a fuckboy who discarded the people he slept with the second he was done with them before laurent" breaking news: if someone sleeps with a lot of people that means he has no respect for them and is bound to treat them like shit! the lack of canon evindence doesn't matter!

(if the take is about damen not being in love with his partners before laurent then i'm on board!! it's the implication that damen was an inconsiderate sex partner that boggles my mind cause... did we read the same books?)

c. "damen is actually bad at sex" is a take/joke(?) i've seen MULTIPLE times and it never fails to make me think what a fucking stupid thing it is to say ❤️

d. "damen learned empathy from laurent" ????? lmao. anyways...

e. "damen was lazy and kastor picked up his slack" is everything ok with your eyes? when's the last time you've seen an ophthalmologist?

f. "theomedes neglected damen" damen literally spends page after page reminiscing about his father's words, advices and their last days together. he also says theo was the only parent he knew all his life and since someone needed to raise him to be this fascinating gentle giant... 1+1=3???

g. any interpretation where damen is some sort of neanderthal who is a selfish spoiled and clueless oaf who needs to be educated by girlypopboss laurent OR where he lets laurent walk all over him and has no agenda of his own. just... no.

16. you can't understand why so many people like this thing

any setting where laurent is downright cold and rude towards damen FOR NO APPARENT REASON and yet damen is still obsessed with him, again for some mysterious reason??? not to sound like some know-it-all condescending bitch (tho i suspect to some degree i'm already infamous and some ppl dislike me bc of it 🥺 oh well...) but i think most people forget damen only started giving laurent the time of his day once laurent started showing him basic deceny during pg. i really don't think he'd be interested in someone who rebuked him at every chance and showed no interest at him.

(some ppl give jokaste as an example to excuse this but damen only says jokaste wasn't easily courted aka she didn't immediately jump into his bed (which is admirable omg... i wouldn't be as strong...) he never said she aloof towards him)

18.it's absolutely criminal that the fandom has been sleeping on...

THE FACT DAMEN IS A HUGE NERD!!! seriously, who listens to FOUR HOURS of poetry in one sitting... we all tend to focus on his martial insterests but ik my boy is also a sophisticated man 💅

[sunnydaleherald]

The Sunnydale Herald Newsletter, Wednesday, November 13

AMANDA: I think we got punished. BUFFY: What? KENNEDY: (nervously) We, uh...we followed her. And it was- VI: It didn't work out. BUFFY: You guys, it was a trap. It's not her fault. That could've just as easily happened to me.

~~End of Days~~

[Drabbles & Short Fiction]

BtVS Triple Drabble: Broken-Hearted by badly_knitted (Cordelia, Xander, PG)

Home Coming by Skyson (Buffy/Giles, E)

Desperate and Chained by JammySmut (Buffy/Spike, E)

Bloodbath by Apache Firecat (Buffy/Spike, R)

Family by Apache Firecat (Buffy/Spike, PG)

Home Again by Apache Firecat (Buffy/Spike, PG-13)

Sacrifice by Apache Firecat (Buffy/Spike, PG-13)

Buffy's Chosen by Apache Firecat (Buffy/Spike, PG-13)

Worthy of Her Choosing by Apache Firecat (Buffy/Spike, PG)

Mic Drop by Apache Firecat (Buffy/Spike, G)

[Chaptered Fiction]

Many, Many - ch. 1 by Nixiet (Buffy/Giles, E)

Streaming Life - ch. 1-2 by VerticalCouch (Giles/Jenny, Giles/Ethan, Giles/Jenny/Ethan, G)

When Faith Came to Town - ch. 1 by red_jacobson (Faith, Buffy/Xander/Cordelia, E)

Please Hold- My Soap is On by once_in_a_while (Giles/Spike, M)

The Shadow Within - Ch. 1 by Fmfan1980 (Faith, F/F, F/M, E)

[Podfic] Tatters - ch. 1 [reading of Tatters by Martha] by SEF_podfic (ATS ensemble, Stargate SG-1 and The Sentinel (TV) xover, T)

A Series of Fortunate Betrayals - ch. 2 by the_big_bad (Buffy/Spike, R)

The Big Bad...Poodle? - ch. 3 by EnchantedWillow (Buffy/Spike, R)

Mysterious Destinies - ch. 21 by EnchantedWillow (Buffy/Spike, NC-17)

First Love - ch. 3 by Spikesgirl28 (Buffy/Spike, NC-17)

Masquerade - ch. 3 by Holly (Buffy/Spike, NC-17)

Be Back Before Dawn - ch. 16 by Blissymbolics (Buffy/Spike, NC-17)

First Love - Ch. 3 by Spikesgirl (Buffy/Spike, Adult Only)

Revelations - ch. 6 by Niamh (Buffy/Spike, NC-17)

Eyes Forward, Monster - ch. 1-8 [collection of one shots] by Desicat (Buffy/Spike, Adult Only)

[Images, Audio & Video]

Artwork: i love you. no, you don't. but thanks for sayin' it. by tenderjock (Spike, worksafe)

Artwork: ive seen some of ur black buffy posts and theyre AMAZING... by pzyii (Dawn, worksafe)

Meme: [Willow] by paperpuzzles (Willow, worksafe)

Moodboard: moodboard: wesley x fred by courtillyy (worksafe)

Moodboard: moodboard: fred x wesley x gunn by courtillyy (worksafe)

Gifset: iwryfanficmarathon's 20th anniversary bangel + locations ↳ cemetery by ptieuca (Buffy/Angel, worksafe)

Gifset: [Buffy and Spike in Season 5] by clarkgriffon (Buffy/Spike, mostly worksafe)

Gifset w/script: ANGEL ✦ SCRIPT TO SCREEN ⇥ 3.13 “Waiting in the Wings” by cangelgifs (Angel/Cordelia, worksafe)

[Reviews & Recaps]

I find Showtime (episode 7x11)….bad? by Forward_Activity1473

[Recs & In Search Of]

Fic recs: Myriad Recs [Spuffy and Cangel fic recs] by apachefirecat

ISO: thequeenofsastiel needs some Spangel songs.

ISO: samandcolbyfan is looking for Caitlin and Barry or spike and Buffy RP anyone?

[Fandom Discussions]

Send me a ship to rate! [Buffy/Cordelia] by takaraphoenix

I would argue that Buffy is somehow even more [the most character ever] by paperpuzzles

Ask answered: does Zuko [from Avatar] remind you of Angel at all? by fishyupmywishy

POLL: Spangel or Spuffy? by thequeenofsastiel

POLL: which Buffyverse unpopular opinion do you at least partially agree with? by ohrupie

POLL: a little bit of a ship war but like... just for fun? best Buffy ship? by terapsina

What If: They said no? [to Wolfram and Hart] by nightshade and others

The First [was not a good Big Bad] by No_Introduction_4136

James Marsters Cameo (discussion) by nooneormaybesomeone

Anyone still listening to Rewatcher? [the podcast] by ewdayvid

Blu Rays on EBay [bootleg and discussion of HD and DVD] by bcakebeefcake

Jane Espenson episodes - what do you think of her humor? by foreseethefuture

... all the times someone asked [Buffy] what she/we should do. I found 18 by diehardnick

The greatest missed opportunity... [full BTVS and ATS crossover] by SnooSongs4451

[Spike gives you a choice:] staying dead, or being a vampire. What do you choose? by quoththeraven1990

Who has the best quotes in the show? by AnyNeck1885

[Buffy and Faith and fighting styles and Buffy vs. The Beast] by cigarettesonmars

Tara holding the Tower tarot card by rfresa

Five by Five - AtS S1E18 [how does Angel enter the apt?] by Physmo55

Dead Things [Katrina and injuries] by CleanUpOnAisle10

Wesley's most fierce "rogue demon hunter" moment, followed by hunger by sirtch_analyst

What's your headcanon for Angel and Buffy's reunion in S6? by porkchop_2020

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Join the editor team :)

[spiritualfeelings]

Blog Post #5

How do you think race is different online compared to real life?

Race is different online because people think there are no consequences and feel invincible since it is online. There are many instances online where racism is promoted and laughed at since it is online they feel like it's not a big deal but it does affect people negatively. 

How does the term referring to Asians contribute to racism in media?

It contributes to racism in the media because it shows the promotion of a racist term as the title of a video game. In “ The Revenge of the Yellow-faced Terminator”, it states, "a game that is patently offensive in its racial humor and, even worse, shows great ignorance about its very own subject matter: East Asia and ninjas" (221). Proud of its ability to ignite conflict, 3D Realms continued to promote its racist and sexist agendas” (Pg.4). This shows that even the creators of the game did not realize even the name itself was contributing to racism. They still decided to promote it even with backlash.

How does a merit system relate to real life?

The episode of Black Mirror titled “Nosedive” shows the usage of this merit system which rates people based on interactions. It shows how your rating in society dictates your life. Compared to real life where we show our personalities through social media. If you have a good presence on social media people will like you, if you are more of a bad presence people will hate on you. An actual example can include apps like Uber and Doordash, where their ratings are vital to their success. If they get a 1 star it affects how people view them as opposed to someone who has 5 stars.

How does cultural racism show up in video games?

Cultural racism is shown through many video games. As I talked about earlier video game creators often promote and intentionally show racist and sexist things in the game. A good example is GTA the video game where they show racist and sexist scenes, often disguised as banter and this is a game that has been bought by millions and millions of people. In those games, they often amplify stereotypes and when millions of people are tuned in to play especially kids this will start to affect their brain and how they see the world.

Kolko, B. E., Nakamura, L., & Rodman, G. B. (2000). Race in cyberspace. Routledge.

Ow, Jeffrey A. “The Revenge of the Yellowfaced Cyborg Terminator: The Rape of Digital Geishas and the Colonization of Cyber-Coolies in 3D Realms’ Shadow Warrior.” Asian America.Net: Ethnicity, Nationalism, and Cyberspace.

Wright, J. (2016, October 21). Black Mirror: Nosedive. Netflix.

Nakamura, Lisa. “5 Types of Online Racism and Why You Should Care.” TEDxUIllinois, 19 Nov. 2015, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DT-G0FlOo7g&t=24s

[peoplepersonoaktree]

Is this how I reply to comments like this? Idk. Anyway~

@banana-pancake5 if you actually wanted me to answer this, here-

HOLY CRAP THIS IS GONNA BE LONG-

Hopefully not too long- I'll try not to rant too much, we'll se tho

so, the Au is your basic, “what if Mikey wasn’t able to open a portal?” Au, which has been done a whole lot, I know, but oh well. I’ve been working on it since like, July and I’ve only gotten to pg 19, so idk if I’ll ever finish it.

so, one day, in like, mid June, when I first started actually trying to draw the turtles, I started drawing a thing in this little baby sketchbook I have, based on the song “Georgia” by Jonah Kagen. And then I sent it to my friend. And then it grew and we eventually came up with this and this entire storyline. We just kinda plotted this thing out where like, two weeks after the invasion, Donnie starts getting these weird visions of Leo in the prison dimension because why not, and tries to get him back with Casey's help or whatever because he thinks that these visions mean that Leo's still alive. Here’s the original pictures because I think they can be in here-

Idk. I didn’t know how to draw clothes and still don’t 😃👍

I don’t think I’ll ever post the comic on tumblr or anywhere because I probably won’t ever finish it, but if I get to a certain point in the comic, (which is way far away) maybe I will. Idk.

*Cough* and then I also have a mini thing where I turned them all into mushroom people but that's a whole different thing-

NOW TO THE KID’S SHOW WHICH IS THE PART I’M ACTUALLY EXCITED ABOUT~

Like I said in this post, my friend texted me at like, 2 am on a school night, and was like, "Hey, hey hey... wanna write and animate a kid's show w/ me??" and I said heck yeah because I definitely have time for that. I asked her if she had any idea for what it would be about or anything like that and she did not, so we just kinda... pulled something out of the ground the next day and I ended up getting obsessed.

So, the kid's show...

We haven't figured out a name for it because we're both indecisive, which is... bad if you're trying to get something done. But we got characters and half a storyline settled!

So, the show is centered around four main characters, Atlas (A deer), Fern (A fox), Nutmeg (Mouse), and M I L D R E D (a chickadee). They're also in the post linked above.

The show would be about these four, going on little adventures, exploring the forest where they live, discovering odd creatures (thinking about adding in a few Acorn Creetchurs because that would be fun) and just living life

but as the series continues, the colors start to get more muted and the backgrounds start to get more gray, as if the life is being drained out of the forest.

one day, while exploring, they come upon this odd sort of... black goop that's spreading across the forest floor, infecting and killing everything it comes into contact with. Then, the four of them have to find a way to stop the spread of this odd goop. This goop represents pollution/deforestation, and we have a few ideas for how the goop started, one of my favorites being that it's controlled by some sort of animal spirit that grew up in a heavily polluted area and died at a young age because of the conditions and the only reason it's spreading is because it wants to be able to breathe fresh air and drink clean water for once, but it can't, because everything it touches immediately becomes polluted.

We both went into this knowing absolutely N O T H I N G about animating, so it'll probably be a few years until we're actually able to do anything with this, if we do anything with it.

That- that little animation is the most I can do with animation. That's the best I got.

[doberbutts]

I do appreciate that the Barbie movie appears to be mostly aimed at teenagers + adults though.

Obviously a lot of kids will see it, that's who Barbie as a brand is aimed at, but the PG-13 rating is nice in that it will appeal to the generation that primarily played with barbies. I'm sure plenty still do, but it's not quite the cult following it used to have as most of those people are now late teens/adult age. They could have just made a live action Barbie dream house rated E for everyone movie and chose not to.

As an adult, I'm stoked to see it. 🤷🏻‍♀️ I know it's just to make money and sell toys, propaganda, etc but it really is getting me hyped to see a hyper femme silly little movie a la Legally Blonde again.

Barbie has been a popular toy since 1959- the majority of people by definition who grew up playing with Barbies are well out of late teen/early adult age. Appealing to the older demographic while still having available movies for the younger demographic is really nothing new to capitalism- the MCU exists but so does the Avengers cartoon.

My point is not "Barbie movie capitalism bad", it's "those who are saying that are missing the point that most of these recent movie releases yes even the ones you like are doing literally exactly the same thing". There's roughly a million Lego movies, you think those aren't to sell toys????

[adamwatchesmovies]

Five Nights at Freddy's (2023)

While I didn't enjoy this film, that doesn't mean you won't. No matter what I say, the people involved in this project did it: they actually made a movie. That's something to be applauded. With that established...

It took so long for the Five Nights at Freddy’s movie to materialize that two knockoffs beat it to the finish line: The Banana Splits Movie and Willy’s Wonderland. The thing is, neither of those films was particularly good, so the wait could’ve been worth it. Unfortunately, the long-awaited feature-length adaptation of the video game by Scott Cawthon is yet another heartbreak. In fact, it’s even more of a letdown than the others because this is the film you’ve actually been waiting for, rather than the store-brand substitute.

Freddy Fazbear’s Pizzeria, a once-successful Chuck-E-Cheese-like entertainment center with animatronic mascots who sang, played music and entertained guests, was shut down in the 1980s after several child disappearances. In the present day, Mike Schmidt (Josh Hutcherson) struggles to make ends meet while taking care of his younger sister, Abby (Piper Rubio), and agrees to work as a security guard at Freddy Fazbear’s. Mike is still traumatized from the disappearance of his younger brother many years ago. Every night, he revisits his memories of that fateful day through his dreams, hoping some new detail will emerge and allow him to figure out who took Garrett. On his first night at Freddy Fazbear’s, he has a different dream, making him wonder if the mystery surrounding the abandonned building might help him get some answers.

I should begin this review by telling you that I only have second-hand knowledge of the game. I know what it’s about, I know the characters but I’ve never played. One thing I know is that it’s a horror game whose frights are primarily jump scares. This makes the film’s lack of scares - particularly of jump scares - stunning. If there was one movie that could’ve used long, tense stretches of someone in near darkness wandering through corridors while the audience waits for something to pop up out of nowhere, it was Five Nights at Freddy’s. Instead, we get a plot that frankly, was ill-conceived from the start.

One of the major issues with this film is the storyline with Garrett. When we meet Mike, he’s so mentally unhinged he violently beats a man he thinks is kidnapping a child. You’re supposed to think “Oh no! Poor guy! He's so messed up!". Instead, you begin suspecting the mechanical bear with gears for brains is smarter than him - you’re right. Of all the jobs Mike could’ve gotten, security guard is probably the worst one. See, he insists on going to sleep at the same time, every night. Before he goes to sleep, he stares at a photo of the trees from the park where his brother went missing and listens to the sound of birds. Mike believes that we actually remember everything we see and that if you can’t remember just yet, you can unlock your memories by visiting them through your dreams. You want to feel bad for him because his parents are dead now, leaving him alone to take care of his sister but he’s an irresponsible menace. You don’t sympathize with him at all.

Mike won't win you over even after the film introduces the picture’s villain: his estranged aunt Jane (Mary Stuart Masterson). She wants custody of Abby so she can collect those monthly government child tax checks. You're wondering why she's necessary. Aren't those killer robots the villains? Well, she's included so she can hire a bunch of dumb-dumbs to break into Freddy Fazbear's. It's no surprise that they all get turned into hamburger meat and no, you won’t see anything shocking even then, as the killer mascots go through the trouble to clean up after themselves once the carnage is over. PG-13 horror can work. It doesn't here.

I cannot overstate how baffling the "missing brother" backstory thing is. It's more nonsense than sense, particularly once Mike realizes what happens in his dreams can carry over to real life. It's all building up to a mystery so easy to deduce you'll feel like a galaxy-brained genius. Not only is it obvious; it's clumsy. Loads of exposition is delivered point-blank by police officer Vanessa (Elizabeth Lail) and the ending is as convincing as this film is gory, which is to say not at all. At least Matthew Lillard as Mike's career counsellor seems to be having fun.

What's the worst thing about Five Nights at Freddy's? It might be this running gag that comes up a few times and then again during the end credits. I say that because it shows director Emma Tammi - who probably did her best while the executives pushed and bullied the junior director into making this watered-down would-be spook-fest - knows the premise would've been perfect for a horror-comedy. Instead, it's unintentionally funny at best - there's a scene in which one of the killer animatronics takes a cab ride(!!!) - and boring at worst. I'm sure die-hard fans will think it's great but that's only because of the name that's been slapped onto the poster. Five Nights at Freddy's is a colossal, disappointing mess.  (April 6, 2023)

[eva-reviews]

The Invisible Life of Addie LeRue by V. E. Schwab -- A Review

Trigger Warnings: Death, starvation, suicide attempt, depression,  drug addiction, alcoholism, mentions of sex, mentions of oral sex, mentions of rape, prostitution, emotional manipulation, abusive relationship, war, imprisonment, mentions of WWII, sexism, grief, homelessness, family trauma, mentions of homophobia. 

My Rating 

10/10. My best friend has been telling me to read this for 3 years, and I finally got around to it. And let me tell you, it did not disappoint at all. The way that I felt Addie's pain, joy and fear was incredible, and the little twist at the end was so good. The characters developed and evolved so well. Since Addie has lived 300 years, it does give you a lot to work with, with how she can change, grow and develop. Same with Luc, he was such an amazing character. He is definitely the epitome of chaotic neutral, satisfying his own needs before others, but by no means evil. He has his rules and he plays within them. Luc is neither a villain nor hero. I really love morally grey characters, they are so much fun, and because they are neither good nor bad, you don’t really know what they will do next. 

Overview

Addie LeRue asks for a wish she doesn’t understand the consequences of. Being able to live forever and be remembered by no one, is a sure way to become a living ghost. Still determined to find adventure and love, she wanders around in the big wide, ever-changing world, completely alone. Well, except for Luc, who asks every year if she has had enough, asks if she is ready to rest in exchange for her soul. And every year, Addie declines, continuing on to spite Luc. Their back-and-forth game of lies, testing, and gentle touches goes on for three hundred years, until, someone remembers her. And her once lonely existence is not so lonely anymore. 

My Thoughts 

This whole book revolves around time and feeling like you don't have enough of it. Addie asks for more time saying “... so scared of the years rushing past beneath my feet. I do not want to die as I’ve lived, which is no life at all … I want more time” (pg 46). Luc comments how humans need more time when he is showing Addie how different they are. He states “The vexing thing about time is that it’s never enough. Perhaps a decade too short, perhaps a moment. But a life always ends too soon.” (pg 333). This is something I think everyone can relate to, I’m constantly hearing, ‘Time is flying’, ‘I can’t believe how fast they grow’, or ‘It's already been a year?’. Even for myself, it feels as though every year is passing faster than the last. You always need more time, more time to learn, to love, to live. There will never be enough time “God, what he would give for just another day” (pg. 422). It can be really depressing to think about, how, we as humans only have a little to accomplish so much. But it can also be so invigorating because we don't have a long time we have to do things that matter, that we enjoy. After all, we won't always have the time to do so. 

“Because happiness is brief and history is lasting, and in the end, everyone wants to be remembered” (pg 351) 

Everyone can relate to this quote. No matter who you are or what you do. People want to be remembered. Whether it is through graffiti, books, inventions or art, people want to leave a lasting impression. 

Luc is neither a demon nor a god, Luc has no gender and he is absent of appearance. He simply appears how you want him to appear. For Addie, he is tall dark and handsome. We first meet Luc when Addie feels as though her life is falling apart, she prays after dark and he is the one who answers. When Addie says what she wants, he originally declines “I am not in the business of charity. You ask for too much. How many years until you’re sated? How many, until I get my due?” (pg 47). This deal does nothing to benefit him. It isn’t until Addie says he can have her soul once she is done with it, that he agrees to it. Every anniversary, Luc shows up. Whether or not he makes his presence known, he is always there in the shadows. It originally starts so he can ask if she is ready to give him her soul, to make her cave, saying “Come give me what I want, and the deal will be done, this misery can end” (pg 117) Addie denies him, just to spite him. This continues on for years until it is no longer just to taunt Addie, but it becomes a form of a relationship. Not only is Luc the only person who remembers her and sees her once a year, but Addie is there for Luc. Whether Luc realizes it or not, he desires connection, and Addie has been there for multiple lifetimes, much longer than his normal deals last. 

Henry's curse is for people to see what they want to see. I think that this is something that so many people can relate to. We want to fit in, we want people to like us, and especially, we want the people who we love to be proud of us. Henry goes through his life, before Luc, becomes a disappointment, his brother is a doctor, his sister is an art critic, and Henry dropped out of college. He is the black sheep of the family. His ex-boyfriend, whom he loved and deeply missed, wants him back, Robbie says “You were different, we weren’t a fit … You didn't know what you wanted … You have to know who you are. Back then, you didn’t” (pg. 276), but Henry knows that his feelings are not his real feelings. We all want love, and the things that we will do for love can be drastic, “You want to be loved. You want to be enough” (pg.248). When you know that they don’t love you, they love the idea they have created for you, sure, it feels nice in the beginning. But it doesn't last long, it is not real, and sometimes it can hurt more than not being loved. Because it isn't you. “Henry has no idea who he is, and now, neither does anyone else” (pg 276).  

Throughout Henry and Addies time together, Henry made a point to record Addies life. So people could remember her and speak her name. A year after Addie's disappearance, Henry published her biography as a work of fiction. Not only was he able to keep the memory of Addie alive, so people could, in a way, know her, but he also found something to do. Instead of feeling like he is existing for no reason, just taking up space. I thought it was such a cool idea to have us read the whole book, looking at it as if it was all fantasy. And having that reveal that it was a biography. It really makes us as the audience feel as though we could be part of this world, as we would never remember seeing Addie, and this is a book we just read. And we can really resonate with Bea’s anger at the end of the book when Addie just disappears, we also feel that anger/loss that Addie and Henry are not able to stay together. 

Conclusion

I loved this book. I thought it was so interesting how it jumped around from times. Sure it was a little confusing at times, but it was able to make us understand why Addie would react a certain way, or how it affected her. I think this would be a great first book for someone new to fantasy, as it is low fantasy. Meaning it takes place in our world, with our history. You should definitely read this.

[redjaybathood]

this one is a short one, Jason, Talia, PG-13/R (joker dies here so the rating is mainly bc of that). if possible, I will continue it, if not, then not. If I do, I will do my best to make it a shipping fic. i will probably fail, but. anyway.

Jason kills Joker with a single shot to his head.

It rings in his head, along with his laugh; the last laugh. Killing joke. Haha, Jason mouths, downing the body in the flammable solution - dead, motionless, soundless, colorless in the darkness of the warehouse. There’s only Jason, his killer (his victim), and 50 gallons of that thing Joker was buying here to put in Gotham central water supply. 

Outside, though, there are people Jason didn’t kill yet. He killed some, yeah, to have this moment. And also because who on Earth would sell Joker this kind of thing? Where did they get it? Who did they kill to get it - what it was even intended for, who was supposed to die - all those questions and Jason hears people who could answer them trying to get inside. The metal doors are singing with lead ricocheting off them. 

He looks down at a silver lighter in his hand. Squeezes it. It’s hot now, in his hands. It will be hotter still when he sets Joker and everything around him on fire. And he is tempted to stay here, to open those doors, allow as many of the thugs outside as would be dumb enough to walk into his death trap. And set the world on fire.

Jason sighs and shoots grapple to the second floor. From there, it’s a short way to the window and outside. Before he’s out, though, he does drop the lighter.

The ensuing explosion shatters all windows not only in the warehouse but the cars nearby. The door is blown off, and the men who were there to bargain with Joker are mostly knocked out.

It’s easy to pick them off one by one. He gets a short version of the story in under five minutes. The long version is not for him - it’s California, he figures Manhunter can take over. He conveniently drops them off - worse for wear, but nothing ER wouldn’t fix. They will be overcharged and, if they didn’t make living selling very dangerous people very dangerous things, he might have felt bad for them.

Probably not, considering what this stuff was intended for.

Gotham.

Jason went to the motel he left his duffle bag. Checked the phone - a missed call. Only one person knew this phone number. He didn’t call Talia back right away. Just went into the bed, under covers, in the clothes, with shoes on (his mom would kill him! Talia, too, would wake him up immediately and make him change, and scrab his body down, and change sheets, before allowing him to rest at all. Bruce, though, used to just take the shoes off and tuck the covers around him. But what’s the point, if he’s not here now. What’s the point if there’s no point in thinking about Bruce at all). 

He most certainly doesn’t allow himself to think about Bruce - Bruce doesn’t deserve - a phone is ringing - Talia - see, he made it, he didn’t need her help, and he didn’t need B r u c e 

When he wakes up, Talia is in the room. Talia is in the bed. He switched from lying on his back to curling on his side so he could put his hand on her knees, half-hugging them to himself. His not fully opened eyes slide shut again.

Talia is in the room? He propels himself up, taking the offending hand away from her, and scatters backward on his hands. Something changes on her face, but he's not awake enough and panicking too much to figure it out. He hugged her. He's pretty sure, whatever illusions he has, Talia shares no such daydreams. And people probably were killed for less.

"I brought coffee," she says, pointing at the bedside table with her chin.

It's not laziness, now that he takes her in, he sees she's looking tired. No makeup, a regular braid. Casual sportswear. Blue circles.

"But you hate coffee," he says, just as he is going for it.

She never ordered it herself, any of the handful of their rendezvous. And commented once, when he bought it, in Bulgaria, that he ought to sleep more and drink more water, instead of using something that will just trick your brain you feel okay, while it dehydrates you and makes you addicted to itself.

"I do. But it's not for me, is it? We have a long road ahead, and I am not going to get behind the wheel after driving through all night."

Jason complies, leaving the questions to after he did jump-start his brain and washed his body. He probably still has Joker's blood and brain matter on hi... On second thought, shower first and coffee later. And, he tells to himself heading to the bathroom, questions much much later.

One of the downsides of being as tired as Jason (he really needs to, what was it, keep regular hours? Sounds fake but it is supposed to work), is that by the time a shower in lukewarm water cleared his head, he realizes that he didn't take clothes with him. He's not shy or anything, with Talia probably seeing him before - he wasn't washing himself before she bathed him in Lazarus' waters. But all he has is one towel. It seems like profanity. 

Okay, he tells himself. Sighs and opens the door - but Talia is out cold, in the less than sterile bed of the roadside motel where Jason already spent a night. In his battled gear. Something he never thought she would do. Despite her understanding very well the realities of life, of Jason, it always seemed like filth never touched her.

He’s frozen for all of three seconds, no more, when Talia turns to the exit and with her back to Jason. Yes, it’s good she’s asleep - she looked like she really needed that, and he certainly could use the time to fix his mistake and get dressed finally, and did she say she drove all night? Here? To him? For him? Why?

After he takes clean clothes out and puts the dirty ones in - it’s okay, there’s nothing else in the bag, except for a spare gun and a magazine - he takes the coffee. There are no thoughts in his head, he feels kinda empty, kinda… just breathing with the same rhythm as Talia is calming him down. He wasn’t even aware of the tension before it let him go. He just breaths, and drinks, and looks at her, the dark hair on the pillow, the hand that looks so soft, white high-tops stretching from under the covers. Pale pink tracking suit. He would never believe she could wear something like this.

It suits her. She looks younger - and not that being older is bad; but she looks less like she has the weight of the world (or, at least, an International terrorist organization/cult) on her shoulders. 

After a while, the coffee is gone, but Talia is still asleep. He thinks about taking her to the car in the princess carry, but he doesn’t know where to go anyway. He doesn’t know where Talia wanted to take him, and he has no idea where would he go if she was not here, anyway.

So he sits on the floor beside the bed and waits for her to wake up.

[your-god-empress-lavender]

Patches

I'M MAKING PATCHES! HAH! YEAH! Anyway, I'm a bit excited presently because not only have I found a way to make E patches at home that give 200µg/day (each), it's actually very easy to do and relatively cheap (and should give similar yields if testosterone is used). Okay, so, because I love starch so much, it (again) is starch based (please note however, while corn starch may work, it is relatively low amylopectin, so it will likely work worse than potato starch or tapioca, so keep this in mind when you attempt). While I'm still working on refining the recipe, here's the gist of what I've gotten to work so far:

Make a powder of starch and estrogen with 2/3 – 3/4 teaspoon of starch per milligram of estrogen. When calculating how much estrogen you put in, estimate how many days you expect to keep the patch on in the same place (I would do no more than 3), take that number and multiply by 200µg (0.2mg) and then again by the number of patches you intend to make from that batch, and finally add 0.2 milligrams extra. So, 2 patches that I want to last me 2 days would simply be 2•2•0.2 which ends up with 0.8 milligrams, plus 0.2 getting us up to 1 milligram. Since it's really hard to weigh out that low of an amount, I recommend mixing a measurable amount of estradiol with your starch in either this ratio or simply a ratio that allows for easy serial dilutions into the concentration we want.

Mix glycerol (glycerine) with water in a 50/50 ratio such that the final volume is roughly equal (or slightly above) the volume of the dry mix you are using.

Take the desired amount of dry mix and mix it thoroughly with the appropriate amount of wet mix. Spread this evenly onto a 3.5x3.5cm piece of cloth (can be cut out of an old piece of clothing), put the cloth piece on top of a piece of paper that is just slightly larger, then put it in the microwave (paper side down) to heat for 10 seconds. It should come out quite hot and very sticky.

Once it cools down enough to put on your skin, you can do that, and that's it. You now have 1 or more patches that should stick to your skin for up to 4 days (likely only 3). And aren't watertight, so unless you want to cover it in cellophane/plastic wrap, you probably can't wear it in a shower, so be sure to clean yourself in other ways or make it with less estradiol so each patch/batch of patches lasts you one day and put it on immediately after you shower.

FYI, the dosing information for transdermal E (patches) is such that the µg/day is roughly equal to the amount of circulating E there is in your system in pg/mL (the normal unit for measuring E levels in a person). And to add to the complexity, the amount passing through the skin changes depending on where it is. You get the best yields where skin is thin and soft (more often than not), but worse elsewhere. Good locations include: under the arm (anywhere from armpit to end of your ribs but on that under arm space), your rear, your abdomen, the under side of your knee (though a lot of movement may decrease how well it sticks). Bad locations include: upper thigh, arms, and your shins or below. Be safe and happy transing that gender!

[amuseoffyre]

Fyre’s OFMD fic masterlist - Anniversary edition :)

Well, it’s been a year and the pirates still have my whole heart and brain. 560+k later and still going strong.

SERIES/COLLECTIONS

Immersion ® - 13k A series of short soft scenes of Stede and Ed being soft, featuring the clothing swap, Ed’s introduction to the lavender soap, some shaving and bath time

Toxic (E) - 7.3k Izzy has an urge and Calico Jack knows just how to scratch it, whether Izzy likes it or not. (Please heed all warnings and tags if you venture into this series)

Penetrative Gays (E) - 13k A silly series following every post-e3 stabbing incident in the smuttiest possible way :)

Turning Tides ® - 81k My novel-length speculative season 2, picking up immediately after the end of S1, featuring everyone, multiple POVs, drama, shenanigans and fuckeries galore.

Storm Surge ® - 62k My second novel-length series and my speculative S3, following on directly from Turning Tides. Even more POVs and far, far, far more fuckeries than you can shake a stick at.

Our Flag Means Death - JanAUry (Mixed) - 17k A series of 1k one-shots based on the Jan-AU-ry prompts list

Write It Through As a Crew (Various) - 12k A collection of 1k prompts/one-shots/missing scenes from Turning Tides and Storm Surge

ONE SHOTS

The Biblical Sense (E)  - 2.6k The first time for the lads, written before David Jenkins dropped 9 & 10 and irreversibly hurled me into pirate hell.

Ties that Bind ® - 3.3k Stede has an extensive ribbon collection and Ed realises it’s a way for him to feel vulnerable. Shibari-with-ribbons.

Bit of a Clothes Horse (E) - 9k Written in collaboration with Aivelin - the missing scene where Stede helps Ed get ready for the fancy party boat. And all that comes after ;)

Type ® - 2.3k Mary Allamby Bonnet gets a bit of a fright when she finds a scary-looking man with a sword in her front room.

Magnolia (E) - 5k When Ed - no, the Kraken - catches Stede Bonnet, he wants to use him and ruin him, but it… doesn’t quite go to plan.

Fancy (E) - 7k Written in collaboration with Aivelin - After a successful raid, Stede and Ed find some unexpected enjoyment in some interesting items of clothing.

Co-Captain Duties (E) - 3.5k After the treasure hunt, Ed tries to use bath time as a way to drop a less than subtle hint that he wants to… push forward their relationship.

Maketh the Man (E) - 6.6k When Blackbeard is captured by Hornigold, Izzy Hands is forced to turn to the only person who might be mad enough to be able to save him. Naturally, Stede rises to the occasion.

Sweet/Tart (E) - 4k When Stede returns to the Revenge, he brings a little sweet treat to try and win Ed over

A Beginning (M) - 2k Sometimes, you meet a nice girl and you get along and you start to think maybe yeah, this one might be something special.And then she murders your boss’s favourite husband.

In Slumber (E) - 15k When Stede admits he might find Ed attractive, even asleep, Ed encourages him to pursue that train of thought with his full and enthusiastic consent.

Regulations (PG) 1.2k “It had to go”

Accord (R) - 2.6k Crossover with Black Sails - James Flint comes seeking an alliance with Blackbeard

Adrift (R) - 7k Canon-divergence AU where Chauncey catches Ed instead of Stede at the academy

Bits (R) - 4k Ed Teach’s not-good very-bad week after he hears about Stede Bonnet’s demise   

  NON-SERIES LONG FIC

Thunders of the Upper Deep ® - 4.4k - WIP Started as part of mermay. Only this is were-mermay and Ed is the kraken :D

Renaissance (E) - 26k What if Ed heard that gunshot in the woods that night?

Bark and Bite ® - 75k Vampire & werewolf AU - take s1 and sprinkle in a generous dose of supernatural nonsense and that’s this fic.

A Good Impression (R) - 17k WIP What if Stede had accepted Izzy’s invitation to the Queen Anne’s Revenge?

Lady Trouble (R) - 23.5k WIP The runaway wife of a wealthy landowner, Stede Bonnet Allamby set out to find adventure and freedom on the high seas. Things did not go as planned…

Don't Tell Mama (E) - 93k WIP Drag/Burlesque Social Media AU - Stede Bonnet runs off to be a cabaret Emcee and crosses paths with the bone-weary Drag Impresario Lady Blackbeard

Wonder of Infamy (R) - 3.3k WIP My anniversary fic :) It’s already 20k written and rising rapidly.