#supernatural speakeasy

[returntothefalls]

Supernatural Speakeasy

When the magical monsters of Gravity Falls find themselves banned from the town, Stan steps up to give them a place to hang out - while making a quick buck, of course.

After several drafts and a lengthy editing process, Chapter 6 of Return to the Falls is here! I’ve had this concept in my pocket for a LONG time, it was one of the first chapters I planned, and it feels so good to finally get it out. And it was such a blast to write too, hope you readers enjoy it as well! Thanks as always for those who step on in and check it out!

WKDW WHHQ ZROI ORRNV DQ DZIXO ORW OLNH VRRV’V PDLOPDQ

[sterekcollabang]

The Den

Writer: @sinnabon-cosplay

Artist: @jojorice

Rating: Explicit Relationships: Derek Hale/Stiles Stilinski, Allison Argent/Scott McCall, Lydia Martin/Jordan Parrish Characters: Stiles Stilinski, Sheriff Stilinski (Teen Wolf), Scott McCall (Teen Wolf), Allison Argent, Lydia Martin, Jordan Parrish, Cora Hale, Peter Hale, Talia Hale Additional Tags: Mafia AU, Werewolves exist, Stiles Stilinski Finds Out About Werewolves, Detective Stiles Stilinski, Argents are bad news, Warning: Kate Argent, Violence, Guns, Blood, Alpha Peter Hale, Talia Hale is alive, Kissing, Making Out, First Time Together, Blow Jobs, Fingering, Anal Sex, Peter Hale Gives Stiles Stilinski The Bite, Matter of Life and Death Series: Part 1 of Stilinski's Speakeasy Summary:

1920s prohibition “mafia” AU where Stiles is a detective who is also moonlighting as the owner of the biggest speakeasy in Los Angeles, connected to the underground tunnels bootleggers use. The speakeasy is a neutral zone, smack dab in the middle of two large mob family territories; the Argents and the Hales. One day when one of the Argents makes a move, Stiles starts to discover that they might not just be simple mobsters; they’re hunters. And the Hales, and the supernatural city inhabitants they have vowed to protect, are their main target.

[Read More]

[chronic-escapixt]

Klonnie week - Enemies with Benefits:

Blurb:

Ever since Klaus Mikaelson stepped foot in Chicago the supernatural residents left behind their carefree ways and lived in fear of the notoriously ruthless Original vampire, all except Bonnie Bennett, a rather formidable creature in her own right.

The Bennett witch caught his attention many nights at the speakeasy when she'd dance around in her short tasseled dresses.

She was aware of him all the while but had no intention of entertaining his advances, only speaking a word to him when she caught him feeding recklessly, piling bodies in the street outside the club, nearly blowing the cover of the entire supernatural scene in the city.

From then on, they had a tug of war- of sorts- Klaus verses the only witch not afraid to stand up to him. She wanted him gone and he wanted to get under her skin and he did, in more ways than one.

[thebramblewood]

Read an exclusive excerpt of "Chapter 5: The Mysterious Cal and Lily" from Tangled Vines: A Complete Investigation of the Vatore Disappearances, the bestselling phenomenon sweeping Sim Nation!

The advent of the Roaring '20s put a new city on the map. Prohibition was in full swing across the nation (though often loosely and selectively enforced), but citizens were more eager than ever to revel in excess. Producers of alcoholic beverages (including the Vatore family itself, having swiftly resumed business operations despite the loss of its future inheritors) transitioned to an outward emphasis on medical spirits while moving recreational production underground. Equally clandestine speakeasys began cropping up by the dozens, but one city's winding sidewalks, grimy storefronts, and labyrinthine system of underground tunnels made it particularly well-suited to hosting these secret locales. Soon enough, San Myshuno was the pinnacle of glitz, glamor, and elegant debauchery. All who attended a party wanted to be seen. Curiously, though, two of the names most often uncovered in tabloid archives, Cal and Lily, seemed to fully avoid the increasingly ubiquitous flash of the camera. While other frequenters of the speakeasy circuit often found their grainy black and white faces in print, providing endless fodder for the burgeoning gossip rag industry, this pair remained elusive, which of course sold even more papers. Fellow partygoers pitched first-hand accounts to the highest bidders, and readers clung onto every salacious word. Lily and Cal were always observed to arrive together, but she would soon make a beeline for the gramophone while he settled in at the bar. Nearly every report calls Lily an exquisite beauty with an almost supernatural ability for drawing men into her orbit. In some instances, partygoers describe a herd of suitors nearly erupting into fisticuffs as they competed for her attention. It is impossible to say how many of these accounts are exaggerated or even fabricated. Nevertheless, it is clear she was quite the force. At the end of the night, she would leave with her chosen companion, stupefied by his stroke of good luck, on her arm. Meanwhile, Cal would watch listlessly from a distance, nursing a glass of whiskey he was never observed to actually drink. The relationship between the two was unclear, as was his reason for accompanying her, as he seemed to have little interest in the raucousness surrounding him. He rarely engaged with other guests or even Lily herself, though there is at least one report of an argument in which he seemed with little success to be dissuading her from leaving with yet another man. One cannot help but draw parallels to a certain set of siblings with suspiciously similar names. Despite being younger, Caleb Vatore was always said to be protective over his sister Lilith's interests, even if she rarely heeded his advice. Digging into the newspaper archives at Myshuno Meadows Library unearths several more disturbing accounts. Increasingly, there were whispers that the men Lily seduced completely vanished from San Myshuno society after coming into contact with her. While there was a small spike in unsolved murder cases at the time, a concrete connection between the victims and the mysterious Lily cannot be made. In one story, which admittedly reads like a hallucinatory drug trip, Lily is described as a succubus with glowing red eyes and sharp blood-stained teeth. This account was clearly dismissed, for its revelations were never entertained further. All at once, the champagne and glitter dissolved into a more sober era, and these socialites vanished from public life just as swiftly. In isolation, similarities between Cal and Lily and the disappeared Vatore siblings may seem like mere coincidences. In truth, it cannot even be proven that they existed. No official records matching either individual have been discovered. One could argue that they were works of fiction concocted to boost sales or composites drawn from several individuals. However, considered alongside the evidence to be presented in later chapters, the theory that this duo and the Vatores are one and the same becomes too tantalizingly probable to dismiss.

[merrock]

event: Hallo-Week

location: all around Merrock

date & time: October 25 - November 3

ooc duration: same dates

It's time… to get your spook on! We know how much this town loves Halloween, so we've rounded up as many Merrockites as possible to get fun things happening in town, whether it be movies, spooky fun activities, party nights, or anything that your haunted little hearts desire.

Please note: for the kids, trick-or-treat will still be happening on Halloween (October 31st), so make sure that you have candy ready to go, to treat them right! Or else… you might find yourself getting a trick. You can go door to door, do the trunk-or-treat, or head to the nursing home to get candy!

Dive under the cut for a complete list of things happening in and around Merrock from October 25th until November 3rd, and have fun!

DOWNTOWN

bookends -- book sale on all horror novels

brownstone inne -- ghost stories in the hotel lobby (& refreshments)

cityview park -- pumpkin carving & painting contests, various craft stations set up (for adults and kids)

cobblestone cafe -- pumpkin spice everything

the holiday shoppe -- 50-75% off all Halloween decor

mack's -- special seasonal pumpkin menu

merrock railway -- haunted train ride

the mirage -- spooky karaoke in the speakeasy (come in costume!)

mods -- flash tattoos & face painting for kids

stubs -- nightly Halloween movies (see below!)

touchback -- spooky cocktails & drinks

town hall -- Halloween safety demonstrations

vibrations -- monster mash party night all week-long (come in costume!)

STUBS:

All movies will be available on the Stubs app, as well, for you to watch at home! There is a small charge for each film, but the money goes straight to the theater. Early films will play at 6PM, late at 9PM.

October 25 -- Casper, Friday the 13th.

October 26 -- Beetlejuice, Pet Sematary.

October 27 -- Addams Family, Nightmare on Elm Street.

October 28 -- Scooby Doo on Zombie Island, Psycho.

October 29 -- Nightmare Before Christmas, Scream.

October 30 -- It's the Great Pumpkin Charlie Brown, Carrie.

October 31 -- Hocus Pocus, Halloween.

November 1 -- Coraline, Child's Play.

November 2 -- The Haunted Mansion, The Exorcist.

November 3 -- Rocky Horror Picture Show, The Craft.

ALSO AVAILABLE: Monster House, Halloweentown, Goosebumps, Practical Magic, Sleepy Hollow, What We Do in the Shadows, Ernest Scared Stupid, Scared Shrekless, The Witches, Death Becomes Her, Poltergeist, Happy Death Day, Jennifer's Body, The Crow, The Lost Boys, Rosemary's Baby, The Conjuring, The Invisible Man, Trick 'r Treat, Totally Killer + more.

COASTAL AREA

anchors away -- seasonal drinks and pumpkin beer

breathe in -- yoga & pilates with the Sanderson Sisters (come in costume!)

cassidy's candies -- mega discount on all Halloween candy

from brush to canvas -- autumn/Halloween paintings exhibited

the lighthouse -- ghost stories at the top of the lighthouse

the marina -- haunted boat rides (murder mystery style)

mawk tales -- seasonal spooky mocktails all week

sea breeze -- special Halloween flavors available

SUBURBS

aster playground -- pumpkin painting, various kids games set up

benny's -- massive Halloween decor & costume sale

children's museum -- various halloween-themed activities

community center -- costume closet open for takers

the creamery -- black & blue milks available, halloween ice creams

cul-de-sac diner -- halloween-themed meals (& specials for kids)

flour co. -- decorate your own pumpkin cookies

the fun spot -- horror skate nights (come in costume!)

the great escape -- horror escape rooms

memorial library -- spooky story reads, horror book displays

pinecrest cemetery -- cemetery tours (not haunted; respectful)

treasure chest -- 50% off all fall and Halloween decor

COUNTRYSIDE

the barn at lake malory -- haunted houses; family friendly (for kids & easily scared adults who want to take it easy), supernatural/fantasy (medium), slasher (scary).

handpick'd -- specials on seasonal wines

harmony ranch -- haunted hay ride & corn maze

hideaway market -- trunk or treat sponsored by takato's (come in costume!)

lavender lane -- pumpkin, mums & fall favorites on deep discount

little chapel -- ghost stories (with surprise haunting)

north shore -- trick-or-treating with senior citizens (come in costume!)

paradise gardens -- seasonal fall/halloween displays

pet haven -- free treat to all pets that show up in costumes

pine grove gardens -- true merrock horror / scary stories

state park -- spooky walks along the trails (very kid friendly)

the wheel -- 50% off all halloween related items

ADMIN NOTES: have at it! If you want to post costumes, they can be done any time through the week, whether you're partying at Evolution, dressing up to work at your business, or just want to get spiffed up for actual Halloween. Please tag them with #merrockfashion. Socials can be tagged with #merrocksocial, as well. Please do remember to tag anything with trigger warnings if it veers into triggering things, such as excessive blood! You can do other things for Hallo-Week, like having a slumber party and watching movies at home with your bestie, roasting pumpkin seeds, going out to toilet paper someone's house (please have permission), this is the perfect time to just have fun with anything that has to do with Halloween! <3

[t4tozier]

vampire eddie hcs <3

when he’s a kid, sonia keeps him pretty secluded. blackout curtains on all the windows, not allowed to go out anywhere close to sunset or sunrise

they have artificial lighting to like. mimic the sun during the day (because he doesn’t Actually sleep all day. he just needs less sleep than humans so he usually just has a nice lil nap around noon) but he doesn’t actually see the sun until he’s 18 and moves out of sonia’s house for good

he’s allowed out of the house from 9 pm to 3 am, so he at least gets to see the rest of town, but no shops are open beyond the few speakeasy-like restaurants and stores that are specifically open for the nocturnal creatures of derry but hidden from the humans

none of the losers are specifically nocturnal, but richie’s always out at night and bill never sleeps, so they naturally spend a lot of time together

cue the reverse of the classic richie sneaking into eddie’s room at night scene because sonia rarely lets the others over but never richie because she complains that her house reeks of wet dog for the next week and eddie shouldn’t be spending time around that mutt anyway

richie once tried to sneak into eddie’s room and sonia woke up the whole neighborhood with her banshee scream

so eddie sneaks into richie’s room instead

the toziers know. they don’t care

instead of his medications being fake, eddie finds out that what sonia’s been passing off as human blood has been animal the whole time

which is acceptable, but doesn’t do vampires any favors

it’s like having fast food every day; he’ll survive, but there are better things that he should be balancing his diet out with and will make him feel better for having eaten it

after he marries myra, eddie goes back to drinking animal blood because she thinks that human blood is unsanitary and it makes him feel so sluggish and tired all the time

fast forward to post divorce yay

richie definitely lets him drink from him and it’s like a fucking energy drink because it’s like charged with supernatural energy so he can’t actually do it too often

eddie finds out that he enjoys going out during the day and will often accompany the others when they run errands just because he never got to experience that for the first half of his life

he does burn very easily so he always carries an umbrella and some sort of hat

his favorite is a big floppy sun hat because it does the best job of covering everything and richie loves to tease him for it

eddie can still eat human food but he’s very sensitive to taste so if he tries something and doesn’t like it richie will just down it. he’s a garbage disposal he’ll eat anything and then eddie can order something new :)

the first time they fucked richie was like hey eds why don’t you. come inside 😏 and eddie came. immediately.

he’ll never live it down.

[sergeantpixie]

Thanks for tagging me @forasecondtherewedwon!

rules: list 5 of your favourite books on a poll, so your followers can vote which book they think captures your vibe the best

Tagging: @morocorra, @imperpetuallylost, @randomestfandoms, @woodswit, and anyone else who wants to!

Book summaries from Goodreads below the cut:

Libba Bray's The Diviners:

Evie O’Neill has been exiled from her boring old hometown and shipped off to the bustling streets of New York City—and she is pos-i-tute-ly ecstatic. It’s 1926, and New York is filled with speakeasies, Ziegfeld girls, and rakish pickpockets. The only catch is that she has to live with her uncle Will and his unhealthy obsession with the occult. Evie worries her uncle will discover her darkest secret: a supernatural power that has only brought her trouble so far. But when the police find a murdered girl branded with a cryptic symbol and Will is called to the scene, Evie realizes her gift could help catch a serial killer. As Evie jumps headlong into a dance with a murderer, other stories unfold in the city that never sleeps. A young man named Memphis is caught between two worlds. A chorus girl named Theta is running from her past. A student named Jericho is hiding a shocking secret. And unknown to all, something dark and evil has awakened…

Ami McKay's The Witches of New York:

The year is 1880. Two hundred years after the trials in Salem, Adelaide Thom ('Moth' from The Virgin Cure) has left her life in the sideshow to open a tea shop with another young woman who feels it's finally safe enough to describe herself as a witch: a former medical student and "gardien de sorts" (keeper of spells), Eleanor St. Clair. Together they cater to Manhattan's high society ladies, specializing in cures, palmistry and potions--and in guarding the secrets of their clients. 

All is well until one bright September afternoon, when an enchanting young woman named Beatrice Dunn arrives at their door seeking employment. Beatrice soon becomes indispensable as Eleanor's apprentice, but her new life with the witches is marred by strange occurrences. She sees things no one else can see. She hears voices no one else can hear. Objects appear out of thin air, as if gifts from the dead. Has she been touched by magic or is she simply losing her mind? 

Eleanor wants to tread lightly and respect the magic manifest in the girl, but Adelaide sees a business opportunity. Working with Dr. Quinn Brody, a talented alienist, she submits Beatrice to a series of tests to see if she truly can talk to spirits. Amidst the witches' tug-of-war over what's best for her, Beatrice disappears, leaving them to wonder whether it was by choice or by force. 

As Adelaide and Eleanor begin the desperate search for Beatrice, they're confronted by accusations and spectres from their own pasts. In a time when women were corseted, confined and committed for merely speaking their minds, were any of them safe?

Megan Abbott's Dare Me:

Addy Hanlon has always been Beth Cassidy's best friend and trusted lieutenant. Beth calls the shots and Addy carries them out, a long-established order of things that has brought them to the pinnacle of their high-school careers. Now they're seniors who rule the intensely competitive cheer squad, feared and followed by the other girls—until the young new coach arrives.

Cool and commanding, an emissary from the adult world just beyond their reach, Coach Colette French draws Addy and the other cheerleaders into her life. Only Beth, unsettled by the new regime, remains outside Coach's golden circle, waging a subtle but vicious campaign to regain her position as "top girl"—both with the team and with Addy herself.

Then a suicide focuses a police investigation on Coach and her squad. After the first wave of shock and grief, Addy tries to uncover the truth behind the death—and learns that the boundary between loyalty and love can be dangerous terrain.

Nina LaCour's Everything Leads to You:

A wunderkind young set designer, Emi has already started to find her way in the competitive Hollywood film world.   Emi is a film buff and a true romantic, but her real-life relationships are a mess. She has desperately gone back to the same girl too many times to mention. But then a mysterious letter from a silver screen legend leads Emi to Ava. Ava is unlike anyone Emi has ever met. She has a tumultuous, not-so-glamorous past, and lives an unconventional life. She’s enigmatic…. She’s beautiful. And she is about to expand Emi’s understanding of family, acceptance, and true romance.

Sarah Rees Brennan's Tell the Wind & Fire:

In a city divided between opulent luxury in the Light and fierce privations in the Dark, a determined young woman survives by guarding her secrets. 

Lucie Manette was born in the Dark half of the city, but careful manipulations won her a home in the Light, celebrity status, and a rich, loving boyfriend. Now she just wants to keep her head down, but her boyfriend has a dark secret of his own—one involving an apparent stranger who is destitute and despised. Lucie alone knows the young men’s deadly connection, and even as the knowledge leads her to make a grave mistake, she can trust no one with the truth.

Blood and secrets alike spill out when revolution erupts. With both halves of the city burning, and mercy nowhere to be found, can Lucie save either boy—or herself?

[sterek-ao3feed]

The Den

Read it on AO3 at https://archiveofourown.org/works/58238842

by sinna_bon

1920s prohibition “mafia” AU where Stiles is a detective who is also moonlighting as the owner of the biggest speakeasy in Los Angeles, connected to the underground tunnels bootleggers use. The speakeasy is a neutral zone, smack dab in the middle of two large mob family territories; the Argents and the Hales. One day when one of the Argents makes a move, Stiles starts to discover that they might not just be simple mobsters; they’re hunters. And the Hales, and the supernatural city inhabitants they have vowed to protect, are their main target.

Words: 10367, Chapters: 1/1, Language: English

Series: Part 1 of Stilinski's Speakeasy

Fandoms: Teen Wolf (TV)

Rating: Explicit

Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply

Categories: F/M, M/M

Characters: Stiles Stilinski, Sheriff Stilinski (Teen Wolf), Scott McCall (Teen Wolf), Allison Argent, Lydia Martin, Jordan Parrish, Cora Hale, Peter Hale, Talia Hale

Relationships: Derek Hale/Stiles Stilinski, Allison Argent/Scott McCall, Lydia Martin/Jordan Parrish

Additional Tags: Mafia AU, Werewolves exist, Stiles Stilinski Finds Out About Werewolves, Detective Stiles Stilinski, Argents are bad news, Warning: Kate Argent, Violence, Guns, Blood, Alpha Peter Hale, Talia Hale is alive, Kissing, Making Out, First Time Together, Blow Jobs, Fingering, Anal Sex, Peter Hale Gives Stiles Stilinski The Bite, Matter of Life and Death

https://archiveofourown.org/works/58238842

[bcatrixs]

＊   𝗢𝗣𝗘𝗡  𝗦𝗧𝗔𝗥𝗧𝗘𝗥          ››         @nepofmstarters ＊   𝗙𝗘𝗔𝗧𝗨𝗥𝗜𝗡𝗚          ››         trix  &  your  muse ＊   𝗟𝗢𝗖𝗔𝗧𝗜𝗢𝗡          ››          speakeasy  type  bar  ,  manhattan   ＊   𝗘𝗩𝗘𝗡𝗧          ››          supernatural  au  

          “  crazy  how  the  definition  of  witchcraft  has  evolved  over  the  years  .  like  seriously  ,  can  you  imagine  ghosts  from  the  1800s  just  haunting  their  venue  of  choice  and  just  being  absolutely  BAFFLED  by  how  much  everything’s  changed  ?  ”  and  believe  them  ,  they’ve  been  around  a  while  and  seen  it  all  .  “  they’ll  see  a  tv  and  lightbulbs  and  accuse  all  of  us  of  witchcraft  .  ”

[cabeswaterdrowned]

Thank you @sergeantpixie for tagging me! rules: list 5 of your favourite books on a poll, so your followers can vote which book they think captures your vibe the best

But I decided to cheat and have it be 6 so that I can include 3 series and 3 stand alones, because that just felt right to me

Goodreads Summaries of the latter four books bellow (since the first two are a tumblr staple and a classic so I don’t feel the need)

The Diviners:

Evie O’Neill has been exiled from her boring old hometown and shipped off to the bustling streets of New York City—and she is pos-i-tute-ly ecstatic. It’s 1926, and New York is filled with speakeasies, Ziegfeld girls, and rakish pickpockets. The only catch is that she has to live with her uncle Will and his unhealthy obsession with the occult. Evie worries her uncle will discover her darkest secret: a supernatural power that has only brought her trouble so far. But when the police find a murdered girl branded with a cryptic symbol and Will is called to the scene, Evie realizes her gift could help catch a serial killer. As Evie jumps headlong into a dance with a murderer, other stories unfold in the city that never sleeps. A young man named Memphis is caught between two worlds. A chorus girl named Theta is running from her past. A student named Jericho is hiding a shocking secret. And unknown to all, something dark and evil has awakened…

Black Iris:

It only took one moment of weakness for Laney Keating’s world to fall apart. One stupid gesture for a hopeless crush. Then the rumors began. Slut, they called her. Queer. Psycho. Mentally ill, messed up, so messed up even her own mother decided she wasn't worth sticking around for.

If Laney could erase that whole year, she would. College is her chance to start with a clean slate.

She's not looking for new friends, but they find her: charming, handsome Armin, the only guy patient enough to work through her thorny defenses—and fiery, filterless Blythe, the bad girl and partner in crime who has thorns of her own.

But Laney knows nothing good ever lasts. When a ghost from her past resurfaces—the bully who broke her down completely—she decides it's time to live up to her own legend. And Armin and Blythe are going to help.

Which was the plan all along.

Because the rumors are true. Every single one. And Laney is going to show them just how true.

She's going to show them all.

Daughter of Smoke and Bone:

Around the world, black hand prints are appearing on doorways, scorched there by winged strangers who have crept through a slit in the sky.

In a dark and dusty shop, a devil’s supply of human teeth grows dangerously low.

And in the tangled lanes of Prague, a young art student is about to be caught up in a brutal otherworldly war.

Meet Karou. She fills her sketchbooks with monsters that may or may not be real, she’s prone to disappearing on mysterious "errands", she speaks many languages - not all of them human - and her bright blue hair actually grows out of her head that color. Who is she? That is the question that haunts her, and she’s about to find out.

When beautiful, haunted Akiva fixes fiery eyes on her in an alley in Marrakesh, the result is blood and starlight, secrets unveiled, and a star-crossed love whose roots drink deep of a violent past. But will Karou live to regret learning the truth about herself?

Blanca & Roja:

The del Cisne girls have never just been sisters; they're also rivals, Blanca as obedient and graceful as Roja is vicious and manipulative. They know that, because of a generations-old spell, their family is bound to a bevy of swans deep in the woods. They know that, one day, the swans will pull them into a dangerous game that will leave one of them a girl, and trap the other in the body of a swan.   

But when two local boys become drawn into the game, the swans' spell intertwines with the strange and unpredictable magic lacing the woods, and all four of their fates depend on facing truths that could either save or destroy them. Blanca & Roja is the captivating story of sisters, friendship, love, hatred, and the price we pay to protect our hearts.

no pressure tagging: @badthingtwice @snixx @pinkhysteria @telumendils @immaterial-pearl @quantummeep @undergroundash

[returntothefalls]

Behind-the-Scenes of Return to the Falls

I did a post like this once before covering the first two chapters, so it seems about time to do another one covering the next four chapters!  I like to think I’ve got a few interesting tidbits here at least:

IQ-tie

The working title for this chapter was “Mabel and the Smarty Pines”, which never quite sat right with me, but I had a hard time thinking of something better.  What would become the titular pun was originally on Mabel’s sweater, which said ��IQ and QT”.  But then when I was trying to think of a better title, @immaplatypus told me the similar pun – that Mabel was an IQ-tie – and it immediately stood out to both of us that it would be a much better title.

Is Trivi-o’s a lame name for a cereal?  I debated about it and decided yes, it is, and that is good.  A lame name for a lame cereal.

I did a lot of second-guessing myself about the logistics of the Sfinx and her very existence, but I’m glad in the end I didn’t let myself overthink it too much.  I’m really happy with how she turned out.

Much like the previous chapter, I wasn’t totally sure of how the heroes were going to turn the tables at the climax, and then when I separately thought up Carla’s “It’s for … arson” line in reference to her lighter, then I decided that’d be a good ole Chekov’s gun to bail them out.  But there was an early draft in which Carla piloted McGucket’s sphinx robot like an anime mech to beat the crap out of the Sfinx herself, so that’s fun to think about.

Challenge of the Hunt

The theme of the chapter always centered around the idea that there are more ways to win a challenge than simply playing along, but the finer details of the plot went through some major changes.  In one particularly bleak version, the Hunt was the ghost of a child who was abandoned in the woods and was misguidedly trying to protect Dipper and Mabel from their Grunkles, but that never felt quite right to me.

Skull Kid from The Legend of Zelda: Majora’s Mask was a major visual and behavioral inspiration for the Hunt, though they ended up being very different in the end.  My original sketches of the Hunt even included a very Majora-esque mask.

Originally instead of having a pet wolf, the Hunt was going to transform into a giant wolf-like beast themself during their chase.  I later decided that having a pet wolf to help would add to the huntsman theme, plus it just didn’t feel like a very sporting ability for the Hunt to have themself.

On a related note, if the joke wasn’t obvious, the Hunt’s wolf is named Virginia as a pun on the author, Virginia Woolf.

Originally instead of taking trophies from the losers of their game, the Hunt was going to just straight-up murder them, with it being implied that the Manotaur from the beginning was killed, but that was darker than I wanted and made it feel harder to let them off scot-free at the end, so I’m glad I had the trophy idea instead.  Plus that led to some fun Stan dialogue, so it’s a win-win!

The chapter didn’t originally feature Candy and Grenda but I was really itching to write for them and already had other side characters to focus on in upcoming chapters, so I threw them in here.  I’m really glad too, got some great material out of their inclusion.

Grenda’s middle name being “Papercut” is, of all things, a Kick Buttowski reference, where Carl Faruolo, Grenda’s voice actor, voices a former wrestler named Papercut Peterson.

The original version of the “Grenda tramples the Hunt” scene instead had her and Dipper being ambushed by the Hunt and her instinctive response being to pick up the Hunt and throw them like a shot put.  I really wish I’d found a way to incorporate that because it’s such a hilarious image to me.

The whole bit of dialogue in the pit with Stan rambling about digging out was graciously provided by @immaplatypus

I had various different ideas for the Hunt’s “trophy room”. The first was going to be something Dipper and the others stumble on while fleeing that really gets them freaked out about what the Hunt can do, but I struggled to organically fit it in and thought things were getting kind of long anyway, so instead I made it the sight of the climactic showdown with the Hunt.

For anyone not catching the joke, Stan calling the Hunt “Helen” is a reference to actress Helen Hunt.

The Carla and Soos subplot was born from this being one of my oldest chapter ideas, at a point in which I hadn’t even added Carla to the story yet, so I realized much later on that I just completely forgot to ever add her to this chapter.  And since Soos wasn’t a part of the family camping trip, then that all worked out perfectly to pair him up with Carla.  And I’m really glad it did, because their scenes were some of my favorites I’ve written so far.

Scrapped line from Soos, reassuring Carla about her place in the Shack: “Rudeness is polite in this house!  It’s just like Mr. Pines always says: get off the premises or I’ll shoot!”

There’s not really any significance to the Hunt being a deer-fox.  I wasn’t drawing from any particular inspiration, it was just two animals associated with hunting that I thought made a good aesthetic, and I think I’d been watching Hilda (which also features a deerfox) around the time I was initially sketching them.

Some other possibilities I considered for the ending cryptogram:

YOU JUST LOST THE GAME – if you get this, you’re liable for a senior’s discount

IT REMINDS ME OF THE HUNT – an obscure Fairly OddParents quote I think of daily

THE HUNT HUNTER HAS BECOME THE HUNT HUNTED – the word “hunt” really just gets used a lot in this chapter

The Sorceford’s Apprentice

Once again, Robbie’s song was spur-of-the-moment spit out by Jessica. Everyone go love up on her and her extraordinary talents.

Instead of a possum king, Dipper and Gideon were originally going to deal with a squirrel king that is defeated because Gideon is a true southern gentleman and always carries cashews in his pockets.

Supernatural Speakeasy

Here’s one passage from the town meeting that I had to cut for pacing but nevertheless love a lot:  “I’m still temporarily deprived of my wealth,” Preston Northwest said.  “And my pyramid scheme ��� I mean perfectly legitimate business – needs buyers. And I’ve already ripped off – I mean marketed to – almost everyone in town.”  He leaned over to the Pizza Guy sitting beside him.  “Hey, chum, have you heard of essential oils?”

Demusa is 100% voiced by Susan Egan.  She’s gotta be dripping with sultry like Meg from Hercules.

Pacifica was going to be obnoxious BFFs with C-Beth but then I had the idea for Gideon and C-Beth’s interaction and the concept of Demusa came to me.

A scrapped subplot would have had Mabel claim to be over the dating game, but Dipper is afraid she’ll fall back into old habits, so he tries to make her oblivious to any “dateable” creatures, which is difficult since there are now swarms of them in the Shack, and he doesn’t want another Norman situation.  I got rid of it because it just wasn’t working out smoothly and was just enjoying all the other minor conversations, but it persisted slightly in the existence of the Wolf Boy.

There are a few vague allusions here to a scrapped chapter that would have focused on Multi-Bear and his backstory.  It never worked out great and it felt shoehorned in as a continuation of old plots (namely that of Dipper vs. Manliness), so I never did much with it.  It would have involved a Russian ringmaster creating a circus of freaks and capturing the Manotaurs, forcing Leaderaur to team up with Multi-Bear and Dipper to save them.  I don’t remember my exact backstory for Multi-Bear but it was going to involve Mayor Befuftlefumpter of all people being the adoptive brother of Multi-Bear, and Leaderaur as a childhood friend of both.  It was all really weird and it’s good that it was thrown out on the curb where it belongs.

The ending cryptogram is a reference to a quote from Sgt. Frog Abridged on Youtube.

That’s all for now, hope some of you found this at least a little amusing!  Thanks so much for reading and sticking around!  And keep your eyes peeled for the sneak peek of the next chapter!

[milaswriting]

mila, hello! ❤️

first of all, congrats again for your gradutation! it is such a big milestone in someone’s life and i hope you will have an amazing day (if it’s passed already, then i hope you had a wonderful time ❤️).

i finally found some time to read the new update and what can i say? it was like receiving a punch to the gut (in a positive way). since it’s been a while since the last time i read the story, i started from the beginning and i have to say that i was really surprised to see that you added new things (or i am just that oblivious when reading, lol). you know that B is the loml (and always will be) but, recently, P is starting to make their way through my heart, so that’s who i started playing the new update with. [little spoiler ahead] they cried. that sweet, little angel cried. i’m honestly still unwell, mila. then i read B’s route and i was literally the embodiment of that meme with the elderly man clutching their chest in pain. i know i already told you this, but your writing is so powerful that not only it made me fully immerse in the story but, when reading the ro’s pov plus the whole talking to zillah, i was on the verge of my sit (btw, i saw that lots of people chose option #3 and that’s what i did too, so i’m feeling less lonely/bad about it, lol — it was really difficult to go through with it, let me tell you). i still need to play K’s & A’s, but i know for a fact that they’re routes will be just as beautiful and gut-wrenching as the other two (love me some drama). also, can i just say that i seriously loved both lili & rhys? getting other perspectives on the supernatural world/gathering some info was really interesting (also, special mention to that speakeasy guard saying: “yeah, duh, they have the golden mark” and i was like: “dude, seriously?! lol).

you know what the cruelest thing was, though?

MENTIONING STELLA & CIRO SO CASUALLY AND NO CHANCE OF MEETING THEM AT ALL.

that was really mean, shame on you, mila (i’m joking ofc, or am i? 👀)

anyway, i think it’s better for what’s left of my reputation if i’ll just stop with this nonsensical ask, lol. congrats on the update (and, again, your graduation!) and, as always, thank you for sharing this beautiful story with all of us ❤️

i hope you’re gonna have a lovely day/night 🥰

Hii, Gia! <33 Thank you so much! Graduation is a week from now so fingers crossed it’s a fun day.

And thanks so much for reading the new update, I really appreciate it and I’m glad you had fun. The fact that you’ve played through half the routes already is fabulous <33 someone else mentioned that I didn’t introduce the mc to Stella and Ciro so obviously that needs to happen sometime soon.

I love reading nice, lengthy asks, they really warm my heart. Thank again so much for your support, it makes writing so worthwhile <33

[boombox-fuckboy]

i would absolutely love a podcast rec based on my username :)

Your username always makes me think of Long Story Short Productions, but in your order it's gotta be:

Unseen

Urban Fantasy • Anthology • Supernatural

Stories from a world much like our own, from humans and fantastical beings on the other side of The Call, a mysterious force that prevents most humans from knowing, comprehending the magical world that exists interwoven and alongside it. From the shop clerk of a magic store, to a fae conman in a magical speakeasy, to a harpy dandy trying to avoid his engagement, these are all well written, made, and voiced and highly enjoyable.

[oliversrarebooks]

I just realized!! If Oliver's Rare Books takes place in the US, that means they're going through the Roaring 20s!! Jazz and Prohibition and Speakeasies! In between the World Wars!! Is any of this going to come into play in later chapters?

Interesting question! Honestly, I don't plan on touching on real world political events like the World Wars very much. Vampires and their society exist somewhat outside of human concerns, and I don't really plan to swerve into how the existence of the supernatural might've swayed the course of human history. That'd be a fascinating book, but not the one I'm writing.

There will be a nod to speakeasies later, but vampires pretty much ignore human laws so prohibition only affects them as much as it makes it slightly more difficult to get alcohol, since purchasing it from aboveground human shops is no longer an option.

I try to keep things like the technology levels, food, and fashion accurate to the 20s, though.

[nora-and-sebastian]

Writeblr Introduction

They told me I had to do Social Media but I said no, no, no Until I checked out Tumblr and realized I could like it here. I could just noodle around and be myself.

About me:

Hello, my name is Megan and I am writing under the pen name of Megan Penney

Ancient & New - Especially new here on tumblr so if you tag me for a game I might have to ask you to explain the rules to me

Recently moved back to the mainland after living on the Big Island of Hawaii for 5 years. (I had to move back because we could no longer afford to live there but I look forward to moving back some day.)

Writing: Supernatural Urban Fantasy, Fantasy Adventure, Southern Gothic Ghost Story

Mostly read Fantasy, especially Fantasy Adventure & Non-fiction

Currently reading The Golem and the Jinni by Helene Wecker

WIPs:

Whispers and Shadows - The first book in a supernatural urban fantasy book series. Nora is an obscure Seattle novelist, and Sebastian is her snarky sentient crow BFF. They discover a shadow man occupying an abandoned speakeasy in the basement of an old mansion.  Currently working on final revisions and hope to self-publish soon.

The Stones of Kiriath-Kitron - A Fantasy Adventure about a recluse with a traumatic past who is forced against her will by a geas to accompany a man on a doomed quest. I’m about ⅓ of the way through with this one.

Dancing With The Dark - A Southern Gothic Ghost Story about a malignant narcissistic woman who is in love with her own mental illness. The protagonist is her twelve year old daughter. Only a couple chapters into this one.

Untitled - Just for fun, I’ve started a litRPG adventure written in second person (you/your) present tense. The protagonist’s has awakened from a coma and his best friend is telling him (and readers) the protagonist’s story.

Poetry:

Poetry is my first love to the point that I have often said that Poetry is my Religion. It is, what I call, Intimacy at a distance. Here is one of my poems:

Between Worlds

Except by this distance How can one know Those fragile spaces Closeness hides from view The nearness only felt Far-off between worlds A greatening abeyance Stirred in sleep Brushes warm and hush Against the skin A lost continent Outstretched In its lostness Become vast Enough to hold in thought All suggestion

[harlcwes]

＊   𝗖𝗟𝗢𝗦𝗘𝗗  𝗦𝗧𝗔𝗥𝗧𝗘𝗥          ››         @lovesues ＊   𝗙𝗘𝗔𝗧𝗨𝗥𝗜𝗡𝗚          ››         harlowe  &  miyeon ＊   𝗟𝗢𝗖𝗔𝗧𝗜𝗢𝗡          ››          a  speakeasy  exclusive  to  supernatural  creatures ＊   𝗘𝗩𝗘𝗡𝗧          ››          supernatural  au  

          they  casually  lean  back  in  their  seat  ,  tipping  the  chair  back  so  it  balances  on  its  hind  legs  .  hand  toys  with  the  empty  whiskey  glass  as  they  turn  to  look  at  miyeon  .  “  i  heard  through  the  grapevine  that  you  went  on  a  date  ?  a  phoenix  or  something  ?  ”