#then I refuse to manufacture a cure

[notquitejiraiya]

holy shit !!!!!!

THE LOOK IN RASA’S EYES ARE YOU *KIDDING*???? Ahhhhhhhh

I can FEEL the tension from their expressions here you are unreal, mate. Unreal!!

And the fact the shirt is the same as in your drawing of his birthday in Rome… holy shit it’s so cool

You are incredible and you are spoiling me and I cannot thank you enough THANK YOU THANK YOU

'Momentarily, Rasa nodded and turned back to Shikamaru. His eyes narrowed, falling to the holes in his neckline, then found his eyes with a deep inhale.

“My daughter,” he said, his voice deeper and more gravelly in English. “You ruin her, she ruin you back.”

Shikamaru froze. The can in his grip dented slightly in his grip. Temari tapped his toe with hers to restart him, prompting him to take two large, final swigs from the can and crush it.'

Grandmaster on ao3 by @notquitejiraiya

[thedupshadove]

Would Batman Rogues Tamper With Halloween Candy?

Joker: Plants just enough evidence to make it look like maybe 1 out of 100 pieces of candy will have Joker toxin in them, watches Gotham whip itself into a frenzy and deny itself and its children their Halloween fun, then hijacks the news the next morning to reveal that he hadn't spiked anything at all--the reveal ends with a play on the two meanings of "sucker".

Riddler: The stubborn pervasiveness of such a blatant falsehood annoys him so much that he refuses to dignify it by making it true.

Catowman: That is simply not her M.O.

Penguin: Representative of the "Drugs cost money, why would I hand them out to people with no money who won't be able to identify or trace what they got high on?" camp. That said, he might squeeze in on a technicality, because any candy manufacturer that he owns is definitely breaking all the FDA regulations.

Poison Ivy: Maybe dosing the children of high-level corporate execs with the illnesses their waste production sets loose on third-world countries? But more likely she's shoring up her resources to combat the Yearly Evergreen Massacre.

Mr. Freeze: Would this advance research into curing Nora's illness? Would it bring in money he could use to keep the cryo-chamber running? Then why would he do it?

Mad Hatter: Yes, absolutely, no question about it. But not for any of the more sordid reasons that one might suspect. No, this is a showcase for his skill with hallucinogens, rather than outright control, as well as his misapplied sense of whimsey. The very city of Gotham itself is going as Wonderland for Halloween...whether it likes it or not.

Scarecrow: Contrives to lace every single piece of candy in the city with a highly diluted form of fear toxin, that raises your pulse and tickles the back of your neck and makes the shadows looks a little deeper, in the name of fostering the "Halloween spirit".

[buggiebite]

After Mockingjay headcanon:

When District 12 becomes oriented in medicine manufacturing: pills, shots, machines, all become commonplace to everyone. But, despite this, Katniss continues to remain the herbal medicine type. She doesn't do vaccines unless absolutely necessary, or pills to cure things such as headaches. Apothecary/Healer's daughter, Katniss, will find herbs and make some oils and teas. With the instruction of her mother, via the phone. I also feel like Katniss and Peeta would not want to dabble in the medical world at all. They have spent too much time in hospitals and associate those with bad memories, or even good memories, memories of Prim. Peeta would hate shots, needles, etc and you cannot tell me otherwise. By the time Katniss gets pregnant, I feel like she would constantly be urged by townsfolk to get an ultrasound by the local physician and she would refuse. That along with prenatal vitamins and checkups. Out of fear that something bad would happen. She puts a lot of trust into her mother, who I headcanon to come back to 12 for the births of her grandbabies and to help out during the early stages of their lives.

[clanwarrior-tumbly]

howdy there! was wondering if you could do a mewtwo!reader that manages to wound up in paldea after escaping team rocket back in kanto as they experimented on the poor reader for GOD knows how long and they eventually encouter our beloved trio (nemona, arven & penny) and are put on EXTREMELY high alert because the reader is still convinced that everyone is out for them but the trio manage to calm the genetic psychic pokemon's savage nature and at least allow them to rest up and let their wounds heal? (bonus points if the reader trusts em enough to allow to be captured but thats entirely up to you)

At some point, you realized that no place in Kanto was safe anymore...as Team Rocket was searching for you far and wide.

All just for the chance to recapture you and subject you to even more cruel experiments.

You've dealt with them since the moment you were born, those damned scientists determined to push past the limits of your powers to further their own agenda.

How many more scars must they leave on your body? How much more of your psychic energy will be drained until they're satisfied??

You've had enough.

The only thing left to do was leave the safety of Cerulean Cave..but of course, the organization wasn't about to let you walk out without a fight.

They anticipated your escape, cornering you with their strongest bug, dark, and ghost types.

The lead grunt even illegally manufactured a master ball, hoping to catch you without fail.

Yet you unleashed your fury in the form of a massive psychic wave, not only destroying that, but also causing every Pokémon and human to collapse. Then you made your escape as the cave began crumbling.

You didn't care if they made it out alive or not....this world was better off without human scum like them.

And their Pokémon? They were nothing but traitors to their kind.

Eventually, you arrived in Paldea and took shelter near some ruins, your psychic energy spent from teleporting all the way here and your wounds not fully healing yet-

"Dios mio!! Is that a Mewtwo????"

Aaaaand you're on high alert once again, barely able to get a moment's rest.

You could see three young human trainers approaching, two in what looked like school uniforms and the other with a hoodie and some kind of Eevee on her back.

Despite your exhaustion, you refused to let them see you in such a vulnerable state, staring them down as your eyes glowed with what little psychic energy you had left.

All humans were out to get you. If not a scientist who wanted to experiment on you...it would be a trainer who wanted to show you off like some trophy--either way, both wanted to use you as a weapon.

"I will only ask you once...leave me alone, or I will destroy you all." You warn.

Nemona confused on who's speaking at first, but quickly realizes it's you and tries to calm you down.

However, your focus shifts to Arven's Mabosstiff and you try attacking him....yet you're barely able to lift him off the ground before your strength wanes once again, dropping him.

Arven's furious, ready to go over and punch you (like Ash Ketchum in the first movie), but while he's held back by the two girls...you wondered why he reacted that way.

"How curious...you'd rather throw yourself in front of your own Pokémon instead of sending him after me? Why is that, Arven?"

"B-Because the last time I made him fight a powerful Pokémon I never met before, he was...he...." He doesn't finish, but you understood.

And in that moment, your eyes opened a little bit more, finally gaining some clarity as you gaze at his companion.

"Your Mabosstiff was mortally wounded in the past, but he was cured...and neither of you wish to live through that pain again."

"Wha....how did you know?"

"He told me." You gestured to the dark type with a small smile, hearing his woof of agreement. "I see he is your best friend, not some tool. Perhaps I was wrong to think all humans are selfish monsters.."

"I mean, we did save Paldea's ecosystem from being wrecked!" Nemona added cheerfully.

"It's true," Penny nodded. "But look, uh...Mewtwo..we're not your enemy. Obviously you're still hurt. You don't have to keep fighting like this. We can help you out, but..only if you let us."

You'd tell her you can manage, but the fact you couldn't even stand back up without great pain proved her point.

So in the end, you allow the trio to heal you with some potions and give you the chance to rest, reassuring you that Team Rocket can't follow you here.

You refused to be taken to any Pokémon Center as to not be seen by too many humans.

However, you'll stick around the three whenever they venture out into Paldea, teleporting into their dorms sometimes just to see what they're up to, protecting them from harm, etc.

Nemona hoped to capture you, though she respects your wishes to live freely. It's what you deserve after all you've been through.

[mariacallous]

On Monday, September 16, the US Coast Guard is convening a Marine Board of Investigation hearing into the loss of OceanGate’s Titan submersible in June 2023 and the deaths of the five people on board, including OceanGate CEO Stockton Rush. It intends to use the two-week livestreamed hearing in Charleston, South Carolina, to help it determine the cause of sub’s implosion, if incompetence or negligence was involved, and whether any laws were broken. It could then refer the matter to criminal prosecutors and make recommendations to improve marine safety.

It hopes to do all that without publicly hearing from most of OceanGate’s remaining executives or Rush’s wife Wendy, who sometimes took a leading role during Stockton’s dives. Nor will the investigation include public testimony from any of the companies that designed and built the Titan’s innovative carbon fiber hulls, or any of the senior operations staff who prepared, maintained, or supported the Titan on its 2023 expedition.

In fact, it seems few of the 24 witnesses subpoenaed were even on board the Titan’s support vessel, the Polar Prince, for the final mission: Renata Rojas, an unpaid volunteer, and Tym Catterson, a contractor with experience of piloting submersibles.

Anonymous sources close to the investigation but not authorized to talk with the media told WIRED that the Coast Guard had approached some contemporary OceanGate staff and executives, and third-party suppliers, but was told that if compelled to appear they would assert their Fifth Amendment rights. That means that they could refuse to testify on the grounds that their responses might incriminate them or expose them to legal risk.

WIRED approached OceanGate and the hull manufacturers for comment. A lawyer for Janicki Industries, which cured and machined a portion of the hull, wrote that it was not participating in the hearings. WIRED did not receive replies from the others before publication.

There was speculation that former US Coast Guard rear admiral John Lockwood, who joined OceanGate’s board in 2013, would testify, but he is also missing from the list.

The absence of people who would appear to have relevant knowledge has caused consternation among former OceanGate employees and marine experts, who are skeptical that the full story of the Titan’s demise can be told without them.

“Personally, if I was in the Coast Guard, I’d bring them in and make them take the Fifth,” says Alton J. Hall Jr., a maritime lawyer. “They do have subpoena power, so I’m not really sure why they’re not.”

Melissa Leake, a Coast Guard public information officer and its deputy public affairs officer for the Atlantic area, noted that the Coast Guard does not comment on reasons for not calling specific witnesses. However, she denied that the Coast Guard did not subpoena certain individuals or organizations because they would plead the Fifth.

What the board has is a wealth of digital and physical evidence, such as data from previous dives and wreckage of the Titan recovered from the Atlantic seafloor, including some of its carbon fiber hull. One of the expert witnesses being called is a materials engineer from the National Transportation Safety Board’s Materials Laboratory.

The board will open on Monday morning by hearing from Tony Nissen, OceanGate’s engineering director from 2016 to 2019. Nissen was responsible for taking the concept of a carbon fiber submersible and delivering finished blueprints for the Titan. His testimony should shed light on the building and testing of the vessel’s first carbon fiber hull. WIRED reported that a crack appeared in that hull in 2019, during testing in the Bahamas. The crack led the company to scrap the hull and replace it with a new carbon fiber hull of the same shape but created by different manufacturers using a different process. In the meantime, Nissen left OceanGate.

The next day is devoted entirely to former director of operations David Lochridge. Lochridge was fired by Rush in early 2018 after raising safety concerns about the hull and other aspects of the Titan’s design and manufacture. He made a whistleblower complaint to the US Occupational Safety and Health Administration but later withdrew it after being sued by OceanGate. As part of the settlement for that lawsuit, Lochridge paid OceanGate nearly $10,000 and was subject to a nondisclosure agreement.

Following witnesses will then spin the clock forward to when the Titan—now with its new hull—began diving to the Titanic in 2021. These include a paying passenger and OceanGate’s former science director, Steven Ross, a fisheries biologist.

The second week of the board will start with testimony from OceanGate cofounder Guillermo Söhnlein, and then from Phil Brooks, who was the company’s engineering director from late 2021 to early 2023. Brooks’ testimony could clear up uncertainty about how and where the Titan was rebuilt with its new hull, and address questions about new lifting points that were added to the vessel for getting it in and out of the water, as well as how the Titan was stored during the winter off-seasons. All have been suggested as potential risks to the integrity of the submersible by former members of OceanGate’s engineering team.

The sole contemporary OceanGate executive to give testimony will then be Amber Bay, who led administration at the startup from 2019 until after the accident. She will be followed by a variety of submersible industry and carbon fiber experts, including Mark Negley of Boeing, who once sent Rush a safety analysis of the Titan’s hull, illustrated with a skull and crossbones at around the depth of the Titanic to indicate what he believed was a “high risk of significant failure” at that depth. The final few witnesses will be from the US Coast Guard, including some involved in the search-and-rescue mission.

Whatever the Coast Guard’s technical analysis of the wreckage reveals, the absence of public testimony from the hull’s manufacturers, OceanGate’s leadership, and some staff who worked on the Titan’s final voyage will doubtless leave many questions unanswered. But there is a possibility that more hearings will follow.

Leake of the Coast Guard told WIRED: “It is important to note that it is common practice for Marine Boards of Investigation to hold multiple hearing sessions or conduct additional witness depositions for complex cases.”

At some point, the Coast Guard will compile a detailed report that may include information from witnesses who were not part of the public hearings. Such reports can take a year or more to produce. Meanwhile, the family of Paul-Henri Nargeolet, one of the people who died in the Titan, has filed a $50 million wrongful death and negligence lawsuit against OceanGate, Nissen, and suppliers of Titan’s second carbon fiber hull.

A spokesperson from PR agency TrailRunner International, which claims to represent OceanGate, said in an emailed statement: “OceanGate, which ceased all operations shortly after the tragedy and has no full-time employees, is a party in interest in the Coast Guard proceeding. The company has been fully cooperating with the Coast Guard and NTSB investigations since they began, including at the upcoming public hearing convened by the Coast Guard.” The spokesperson declined to answer any specific questions from WIRED on the involvement of former OceanGate employees in the hearings.

WIRED will be reporting regularly from the hearings over the next two weeks.

[shmowder]

You’ve played lollipop chainsaw you say? 👀👀 how did you like it?! It’s one of my favorite grasshopper manufacturer games so always love to hear people’s thoughts on it. You might also enjoy the 25th ward and the sliver case tbh (both from the same dev team but different in tone!)

Lollipop chainsaw au where the reader is Juliet and Daniil is Nick who said that?

How do I like it?

HOW DO I LIKE IT?

"I'd like to thank all the different variables, from the egg I origanted from and to the patch of dirt which will invetiably become me, to thank the hundreds of billions of split timelines and multitudes of choices which resulted in me becoming who I am, developing these interests, and arriving at this specific moment of space time where I can not only yearn but have the need fulfilled, for I am living my best life."

You come into MY HOUSE

And ask ME about how I like

MY GAME?

.....

....

...

..

.

I think it's pretty good

And I'm ve.ry nnormal about it :)

-

Writing a lolipop chainsaw au into pathologic is already a behemoth of niche on its own, and adding the extra layers of Juilet! Reader x Nick! Bachelor might make it possibly the most niche thing in the history of existence.

A monkey with a typewriter might eventually spout out a hamlet or two... but this? Oh, this you'd never get from ANY writers' room of animals. This is one of a kind, custom designed. This is the type of shit that requires the stars to align.

And it's happening, here's your brief (who am I kidding I have no self control) Lolipop chainsaw X pathologic crossover WITH x reader layering.

-

The Bachelor was always one to play the hero

The act of shielding you from an impending death by a zombie bite was a no-brainer for him

Knowing he at least will die for a good cause

With you kneeling by his side, he tries to memorise your face one last time before he closes his eyes forever

Parting with his final words being a confession of love

It would've been a most touching and romantic farewell

...wasn't it for the loud roaring of a chainsaw coming to life

You standing up with a determined look in your eyes, refusing to give up and allow death to steal him away

The last thing he sees are the spinning razorblades of the chainsaw coming straight down before everything blacks out

...and he wakes up, eventually, groggy and exhausted.

But alive.

He's alive!

Dankovsky doesn't allow the feeling of relief to last long before he's questioning how this is possible

A zombie bite should be deadly, he felt the venom seeping into his bloodstream—just how did you invent a cure?

Well... he didn't need to wonder for long, all of his questions are immediately answered the second he glances down.

only to be met with an empty floor

with no sign of his body anywhere in sight

At first, he chalked up the inability to feel his limbs to exhaustion, maybe even shock.

But there wasn't even a torso left! Just...a head

How is this possible how is he alive?

"Don't get mad!" You're avoiding meeting his eyes, and Daniil is reminded of that one time you ate his piece of dessert while he went to answer a phone call only to come back to an empty plate and your guilty expression

Except, you know

Instead of a simple pie, it's 90% of his body this time around, gone.

"I kinda... sorta... did a dark magic ritual to keep you alive." You squeak out an answer

Without missing a beat, Daniil immediately replies

"Oh sure, dark magic, yes why didn't I think of that."

Ah, you recognise that tone of voice, the one a lecture always follows

"HOW do you know how to preform a dark magic ritual, or better yet, why? Please do enlighten me, now."

Nick might have let it go when Juilet spoke it as a matter of fact thing

But Daniil sure wouldn't.

Even when the zombies burst into the room and he watches you—from the low point of view courtesy of being tied to your hip—decimate those reanimated walking corpses

He still doesn't shut up about the ritual

Demanding to know every single detail

Just where is the rest of his body? Did you dispose of it?

Or is there a walking headless zombie version of him out there somewhere?

First he had to come to quick acceptance of the fact that zombie's are very real, this morning.

Then make the decision of throwing his life away just to save yours

Having to accept death, the arch nemesis he's resisted and crusaded against for so long

Only to somehow still be alive, having lost the majority of his anatomy

Fine, sure, why not, he can accept all of those things... at a time

But the one thing he has a difficult time swallowing is you being a legit zombie hunter who's dabbled in dark magic

YOU!?

In all of your years of dating, he saw you as this innocent thing

With your bubbly personality and sweet tooth

Frilly pinks and cute bows, you contrasted Daniil's own wardrobe so much and yet the two of you looked unimaginably good together

He really thought he was the luckiest man alive to have somewhere stumbled upon this angel

And now this so-called angel is elbow deep in gore and zombie guts, the sweetest smile on your lips as you decapitate them, rotting necks easily caving in under the indestructible metal of your chainsaw

Blood droplets painted across your pretty face, the very same one Daniil would cradle before every delicate kiss

How you still maintained your casual demeanour, chatting with him like the two of you are strolling through the garden

Seemingly having the time of your life chopping down these zombies, as if you were a puppy let loose on a brand new couch

And the most damning fact of all that stuck to his throat like thorns

Was how Daniil couldn't accept how hot he found this whole ordeal

He's supposed to be a gentleman! He's a goddamn bachelor of medicine! An educated respectable man

So just why... how...

At least with no bodily functions—in crude terms: the lack of a penis—these shameful thoughts can be kept locked away at the back of his mind

Eventually, you introduced him to your so-called teacher

The one supposed to answer all of the questions Daniil has been interrogating you with nonstop

It only takes him 5 seconds to determine that he does not like that man at all

To say Daniil grilled him with question after question on this supposed dark magic ritual would be an understatement

It's a bit impressive how he's still able to carry himself (his head?) with prestige and dignity

How he still talks to others he deems lesser with condescension despite being akin to a literal charm attached to your hip

Well he always deemed his brain to be his most treasures body part, the sharpest weapon he can weild

And if he had to choose... yes, he admits he would've made a decision similar to yours

So no, he isn't mad at you for saving his life, despite the great cost

He is mad because you hid so much from him! Whilst knowing about all of his struggles to make a breakthrough?

Could you imagine how useful the knowledge you possess would've been in his research?

He abhors lying and liars

You have a lot to make up for if you want to regain his trust

...although saving his life has already done a lot of heavy lifting

Daniil has never been one to call others "emo" or adapt the juvenile terminology people these days seem to love so much

He could endure it when it came for you, yet never adapted it himself

But as the two of you stepped outside the building and into the middle of a demon summoning ritual

Daniil couldn't agree more with your words

That is one weird emo kid

"Goth." The kid screeched, and Daniil didn't pay him any mind, as if he has the time to argue with children

One of the benefits of carrying a Bachelor head instead of a Nick head is having an in-built Latin translator literally at the tip of your finger

This led to Daniil immediately catching on to the meaning of the phrase "Meus Vita, Rege, pro nefario coepto" uttered by the Zed demon just as you ended his miserable existence

Putting two and two together, it doesn't take him long to come to the conclusion that this is all one big trap

Killing the demons is what that weird emo kid wants you to do, he's using you!

Did he think the two of you were idiots? Daniil is almost insulted

He informs you of his theory, and you being the reliable great strategist that you are, immediately dial up the rest of your family to spread the news

Boosting about what a genius your boyfriend is

Daniil pretends to be unaffected, but his ego already tripled in size

Having spared you like 8 hours of extra content and various annoying boss encounters, the two of you immediately head to the cathedral to catch the emo kid off-guard

To think he would've been stringing you two along like puppets into his spiderweb this whole time if Daniil wasn't here

One patheticly short fight later—it's really not that difficult to best an edgy teenager with zero demonic transformation powers—the zombie apocalypse is no more!

This has been the longest most weird day in Daniil's life.

You'd think he'd be pretty torn about being a mere head for life, since no final boss = no sacrifice = no gift from the universe for being heroic

But actually Daniil is pretty fucking ecstatic about this

This could revolutionize the whole medical industry!

You said he was basically part of the family and a zombie hunter now, right?

And your dad seems to like him a lot.

So how about you share that dark magic knowledge of yours?

Learning to hold a pen with his mouth to write is tricky but pretty doable, he has the whole of his brain capacity and functions still, he doesn't see why he can't continue working from home to aid research in Thanatica

And he's crafted a lot of theorise about the zombie body piloting trick the two of you did quite a lot, maybe he can replicate it with a synthetic body?

Even a donor body could work as well

The sky is the limit.

Honestly, he's happier here than where he started this day

And how could he ever forget about your birthday present?

It's impolite to keep your mom waiting, so the two of you go on your way

He requests you carry him in your arms instead for the time being, being worn at the hip feels very undignified

....and the views down there are rather distracting

[whump-card]

Sunless Lives Part 20: I Can’t Kill You

The Arc 2 finale! Woooo!!!

~2750 words

CW: vampire whump, discussion of suicide, medical setting, needles, IV

First, Previous, Next, Masterlist

~~~

Matthew's coworkers were stretching their breaks long, talking to each other in low voices. It started at lunchtime. Matthew noticed, but didn’t care; he figured it was some new cruelty the humans were politically inflicting on each other that meant nothing to him. He had better things to think about. Like Simon.

Simon had withdrawn from the world since telling Matthew about Bowers. He no longer wanted to go out, and he gave up looking for a new job. But he was still glued to Matthew the entire time they were home together, so by the vampire’s measure things were going well. Simon was less distracted this way. He had more energy for Matthew.

Maybe Matthew missed it, just a little bit. The way Simon’s face would light up when they went somewhere new. How delighted he’d be when something genuinely piqued Matthew’s interest too. They way he’d be so grateful that Matthew came with him in the first place - Simon still had trouble some days leaving the apartment by himself, after all.

No matter. Simon was hopelessly devoted to Matthew, and that was all the vampire needed.

Right?

Matthew felt something a little uncomfortable stirring in his gut, and it followed him on his way home. Maybe he should take Simon out. Give him a reason to spruce up a little, and to smile. Seeing him smile was almost as good as seeing him cry - maybe it was time for a change of pace.

When he arrived home he was perplexed to see Simon crouched in front of their undersized TV, watching some cable news show.

“Matthew, did you hear?” Simon turned to look at him, his wide eyes and hollow cheeks reflecting the blue of the screen.

“Hear what?” Matthew’s hand hovered at the key rack, still holding his keys. Something in Simon’s voice stilled him. Something was different.

“There’s…” Simon swallowed. “There’s a cure, Matthew. For vampires.”

~~~

They spent the day watching the news. It talked about the VIU’s research, read wordy excerpts from press releases, reworded and re-reworded them, speculated, celebrated, fearmongered. How was this cure arrived at? Would vampires become a thing of the past? Would this cause vampires to lash out? Would this lead people to believe being turned was no big deal now?

Simon’s eyes flicked back and forth between the television and Matthew, nervous and hopeful and terrified. Matthew ignored him and remained impassive, stone-faced, refusing to show any sign that his world was being turned upside down.

He called out sick from work for the week, and they kept watching.

Next came the announcement that captured vampires were being cured, and were successfully returning to their human selves. The VIU kept them in custody for their own safety, of course.

Eventually they had to admit to the suicides.

Over half of the ex-vampires couldn’t reckon with the horrors they had committed while turned, and attempted to take their own lives. The VIU quickly announced plans for massive rehabilitation systems and facilities, to ensure that the cured were not a threat to themselves or others, and would be able to reintegrate back into society - someday. How long this rehabilitation process would take was unclear.

The first interview with an ex-vampire was aired worldwide. She wept with shame.

Simon and Matthew barely spoke to each other for five days. They lived in a nest of blankets and takeout containers on the couch, eyes glued to the TV, drinking in every drop of information. Single injection. Could be weaponized. Number of active vampires dropping. Manufacturing rights granted to the EU. Crates shipped to the third world.

Then: Walk-in clinics opened in major cities. Vampires protected from arrest if they submit themselves to treatment and rehabilitation.

Simon’s eyes shone.

~~~

Simon waited another day. Just to see what Matthew would do. He couldn’t quite read Matthew’s reaction to the whole situation. While on the one hand, he was sitting right alongside Simon, absorbing every ounce of the apprehension, the speculation, the joy; on the other hand, he remained emotionless. Silent. He hadn’t even fed from or fucked Simon the whole week. He was utterly unreadable.

Simon waited, gathering his courage. He finally muted the TV during an ad break - even the most important development of the last half-century couldn’t escape monetization, after all.

“Matthew,” he started, his voice fried from disuse, “You know I would never force you to do anything you don’t want to do, right?”

Matthew glanced at him from where he slouched amongst the blankets and throw pillows, and skipped pointing out the fact that Simon was incapable of forcing him to do anything.

“Right.”

“I would just like you to… think about taking the cure.”

“What for.” Matthew didn’t sound argumentative, or curious, just… neutral.

“Well,” Simon sat up straighter, clearly about to launch into some prepared points, “I know how much you like convenience. Our lives aren’t very convenient right now. We live with a lot of risk. You could be captured. We could be discovered, and forced to move, you’d have to find a new job. And the only jobs that don’t ask questions are pretty shit, which means we can only afford this tiny place - it’s nothing like your old apartment, right? If you were human again, you wouldn’t have to worry about any of that, we wouldn’t have to live in hiding, you could have a real job, maybe even work for the VIU again, and have a nice place to live, go out in the sun…”

“Sounds like most ex-vampires are pretty miserable,” Matthew observed, watching animated cereal dance across the television with glazed eyes.

“But that’s because they’ve done terrible things!” Simon said, getting a little excited, “And you haven’t, you’ve never hurt anyone except other vampires, I kept you from having to hurt or kill any humans.”

“That’s true.”

“Just think about it - your life was pretty good as a human, and I think you could get most, or maybe all of it back! But if you stay a vampire… All sorts of things could go wrong, like I said. And then there’s me, I mean… What if someone takes me away from you? Or what if you accidentally kill me? You’d have to find a new blood source, you’d have to hurt innocent people, and then you would be miserable if you were captured and forcefully cured.”

Matthew’s hands had balled into fists while Simon talked.

“You think I could kill you?” he asked quietly, still staring at the TV. 

“Not on purpose!” Simon assured him, “Never on purpose. But I know you’ve seen it happen on the job. And we had that… close call.”

The news was back. Matthew plucked the remote out of Simon’s hand.

“I’ll think about it,” he said, and turned the volume back up.

~~~

“Simon, wake up.”

Simon sucked in a breath, coming out of his slumber to an unusual silence. The television wasn’t on. He emerged from his blanket cocoon on the couch, and saw Matthew standing over him. The sky outside the window was dark, and Matthew was dressed to go out.

“What -”

“Get your coat and boots on, we’re going out.”

Simon obeyed the order, scrambling to his feet and rushing to put on his winter things.

“Where are we going?” he asked, hoping against hope.

Matthew stared at him evenly.

“The clinic.”

~~~

The clinic would have been an unassuming building if it weren’t for the armed police officers outside. Two flanked the door, and one sat at a folding table to the side with a few boxes on it. They watched Matthew and Simon approach, crossing the slush-covered street, hand-in-hand. The officer at the table stood and waved them over.

“Here for the cure?” he asked.

“I am,” Matthew stated, “He’s human.”

“We’ll need to verify that. Take off your gloves and hold out a finger.”

Simon and Matthew complied as the officer took two testing kits out of a box. He pricked their fingers and pressed drops of blood onto respective testing strips. Once he had a clear positive and negative, he pulled two brightly-colored tags on lanyards out of another box, one red and one blue, and handed them to Matthew and Simon respectively.

“Put these on and don’t take them off,” he warned. “You can go in now.” He grabbed the mic on his shoulder and spoke into it. “One vampire and a human companion, entering now.”

Matthew and Simon put on the tags and entered the building, passing between the officers on guard.

“No turning back now,” Simon said nervously, taking Matthew’s hand and squeezing it. The vampire rolled his eyes. He could take those guys.

Inside, they found themselves in a waiting room with a reception desk. Behind the desk sat a round-faced woman in pink scrubs. Another armed police officer watched them from the opposite corner. There was a door to the left, and one behind the desk as well.

“Hello!” The woman was remarkably warm for someone speaking to a vampire at four AM. “I just need you two to fill out some forms and take a seat, we’ll be ready for you in just a minute.” She set two pens and two clipboards full of forms on the reception desk.

Simon lifted his blue tag.

“I’m not…”

“There’s a form for you too, hun,” she interrupted him.

They picked up the clipboards, Simon with some hesitation, and took a seat. Neither of them spoke as they filled out their information. Simon huffed a little and made long strikes down the ‘no’ column on later pages. Matthew’s form was significantly shorter.

When Simon returned the forms to the woman she thanked him and disappeared through the door behind desk. She returned with a different clipboard just as he was sitting back down, calling them over.

“Simon, Matthew, we’re ready for you now. Follow me.”

They followed her through the door to the left, and it led to a hallway lined with numbered doors. The police officer fell in step behind them.

“I’m Tammy, and that’s Officer Thomas,” the woman introduced herself as they walked, “And no one is going to separate you two, alright? You stay together the whole time.”

Simon smiled up at Matthew, relieved. Matthew glanced at him, but his impassiveness endured.

“You’re right here, in room number five.” Tammy opened a door for them. They stepped into what looked like a large but typical examination room with a sink and cabinets in one corner, except instead of an examination table there was a full hospital bed flanked by two chairs and an IV stand.

“Take a seat wherever you like,” Tammy said, “I just need to ask some questions that you already answered on the forms - I know it’s repetitive, but it is what it is, we’ll get through it together, alright?” Her good attitude was infectious - to Simon, anyway. He and Matthew sat in each of the chairs. The officer squared his shoulders by the door.

“Matthew - you understand that you must submit to both treatment here and at a rehabilitation facility in order to not be taken into custody by the VIU?” Tammy read from her clipboard.

Matthew nodded.

“I understand.”

“Do you understand the risks to your mental health once the cure takes effect, that you may experience anxiety, depression, suicidal thoughts, PTSD, et cetera?”

“I understand.”

“Good. Simon,” She turned her gaze on him, “Are you willing to talk to me alone in another room?”

Simon shook his head quickly.

“No thank you.”

“Alright.” She made a final mark on the clipboard and set it down before pulling a hospital gown patterned with sunflowers out of a cabinet drawer.

“Matthew, you can change into this and lie down on the bed, and Dr. Rhodes will be with you shortly. Don’t forget to put your lanyard back on.” She set the gown on the end of the bed. “Officer Thomas will be right outside if you need anything.”

“Thank you,” Simon couldn’t help but smile at her, “Thank you so much.”

She smiled back, betraying nothing. A true professional.

“You’re welcome, hun.” She pulled the curtain around the door and left.

Matthew stripped quickly, piling his winter coat and clothes onto the chair. Simon bounced in his seat, unable to contain his excitement. But he stilled when Matthew laid down on the bed, frowning slightly at the ceiling and fiddling with his red tag.

“Hey…” he scooted the chair closer, “Are you really okay with this?”

Matthew didn't look at him.

“Can I see your hand?” he asked.

“Mhm.” Simon unquestioningly held out his left hand, and Matthew took it and pressed Simon’s palm to his lips. Inhaled deeply. Then he finally looked at Simon. His eyes were dark and determined.

“One last taste?” he proposed.

Simon nodded without hesitation.

“Of course.”

Matthew tilted Simon’s hand and made a single, tiny pinprick with one fang on Simon’s palm. Then he pressed his lips back to it, swirling his tongue around the puncture. Simon watched him, in awe of his restraint. It struck that Matthew was dying, again, in a way; complicated emotions flooded his gut and he had to blink, hard. This vampire had protected him. Scared him. Taken care of him. Hurt him. Made him feel loved. Almost killed him.

“I’ll miss you,” he whispered.

Matthew lifted Simon’s hand from his mouth and curled it closed around the cut. He pushed it back towards Simon, who took it and held it to his chest like a precious gift.

“Thank you,” Matthew whispered back.

They were both startled by a knock on the door.

“C-come in!” Simon stammered, hiding his hand in his coat pocket.

They heard the door open and a young man in a white doctor’s coat stepped around the curtain, followed by Officer Thomas.

“I’m Dr Rhodes,” the new man introduced himself, shaking each of their hands in turn - Simon thanked God Matthew had just bit his left hand, not his right. “I’ll be overseeing your treatment here, Matthew.”

Matthew nodded, and the doctor continued.

“The cure can be painful, so we’ll be giving you a general anesthesia first, then the cure injection. You should wake up after four hours as…” he spread his hands, “A human! There will be some temporary effects from the cure, such as nausea, muscle aches, and fatigue, but they should fade within a couple days, and we’ll give you meds for the nausea. There will also be some lasting effects from the vampirism. Your teeth will remain as they are, unless you choose to file them down - we have a list of practices that are offering that if you’re interested. You may suffer from anemia, and sensitivity to sunlight. And it varies from person to person but we’ve been seeing some lingering… attachment to those you may have preybonded with. Any questions?”

“Let’s just get this over with,” Matthew said flatly.

“Sounds good to me!” Dr Rhodes forced out a nervous laugh. There was a knock on the door and he jumped a little.

“Oh, right on time!”

Tammy entered, wheeling a small cart with an IV bag and a capped syringe on it. She and the doctor both donned gloves, and Dr Rhodes approached Matthew slowly with the IV.

“I’m going to start this now, and it will knock you out,” he said, hanging it on the stand, “I need you to stay calm and take deep breaths.”

Matthew took a controlled breath, but suddenly twisted his head to the side.

“Simon-!” He reached out.

Simon grabbed his hand and clutched it, the hot blood on his palm pressing against Matthew’s skin. They locked eyes.

“It’s okay,” Simon soothed, “It’s going to be okay.” He found tears welling up in his eyes. “Just take deep breaths Matthew, it’ll be over soon.”

Matthew kept his eyes trained on Simon as the doctor inserted the IV and started it, scanning every inch of his human’s scared, hopeful face. His jaw flexed and clenched and he squeezed Simon’s hand so hard that the human gasped.

“I love you,” Matthew breathed.

“I love you,” Simon’s voice cracked as he put every ounce of feeling into his words.

Matthew stared at him until he couldn’t, until the darkness overtook his vision and his jaw went slack. Even then he clung to Simon’s hand like a lifeline, needing to hold onto him just a little longer, just a little longer.

Just a little longer.

Just a little longer.

~~~

First, Previous, Next, Masterlist

Taglist: @flowersarefreetherapy, @pigeonwhumps, @sunshiline-writes, @seasaltandcopper

[spagnews]

i wanna send you an ask about another life but i don't know that much about it 😅 amulet and dragon?

Hi anon! That is totally okay- a lot of people probably don't know bc I'm bad at talking about stuff sometimes. I'll give you a lil bit of like... a summary? To the best of my ability, seeing as I haven't formalized a summary yet.

Another Life is my modern magic AU I have been working on for awhile and the first installment of a series entitled The Extant Nature of Sacrifice. It's primarily a spommy fic with a lot of minor background pairings as well. Basically the premise is this: Spencer is a necromancer and Tommy is a Druid (who possess life magic, primarily centered around nature). The thing is? Utilizing necromancy drains a persons life force, so every time Spencer uses his magic, he is slowly killing himself. It has always been this way, but Tommy, who ends up falling in love with Spencer over the years, is dedicated in his refusal to let Spencer die, even if Spencer himself claims that is the fate he wants. So the story follows their journey, and Tommy's attempt at finding a cure. There's a lot more nuance and worldbuilding, but to try not to spoil too too much, I think that summary suffices.

As for the answer to the two prompts, let me get to those as well.

Amulet: There are a couple of answers to this, but I'll answer with one just in case someone asks for this again. The most prominent magical objects are magical weapons, because not everyone possesses magical powers (it's mostly passed down through bloodlines and other extenuating circumstances), so non-magical people can purchase magical weapons that contain a certain amount of magic for them to use. Spencer actually uses a magical weapon throughout the story, to hide his necromancy as it is a dangerous thing to reveal.... though his weapon is a bit different from the mass manufactured ones ;)

Dragon: I love this question because I actually never considered it! Since it is a modern magic au i never like looked towards dragons or anything like that. But honestly... I may think about this and the first person that comes to mind to have a magical creature of some kind is our resident healer/shaman, Damien... I may have a more fleshed out answer for you later!

[divorceblogger]

wot s2 final episode today and I'm so glad that the last episode was bad enough to cure me of illness about episodes 5&6

the way people responded to siuan's treatment with fierce defence (of the show) and insisted that her treatment was canonically accurate was so vile and frankly very annoying. multiple users were manufacturing posts that gained a lot of traction saying it was completely in character for her when no, it really wasn't, and they were ignoring her purpose in the narrative to shoehorn her character into stupid and irrelevant stereotypes about her belief in the aes sedai etc especially when in this half of the series you're playing her off against elaida and the black ajah not egwene. I also think lots of assumptions about how the show is doing Everything Right or Capable of Doing Everything Right is a frankly irritating position to occupy when you're trying to analyse media. I'm not interested in engaging with such commentary or such fandom spaces. every paranoid shoehorning of criticism into bookcloak rhetoric is kind of stupid actually. and maybe it says something that lots of people were also lacking in confidence about the position they occupied on the compulsion scene because they were simultaneously calling it a tragedy and trying to rationalise it by subscribing to the compulsion theory. lol. on the other hand people were complaining about others bestowing harsh criticism on compulsion!siuan and not doing the same for rand and moiraine just because they were working with a forsaken. like. that already canonically happened in the books 👍 L + ratio + moiraine was aware that rand was working with asmodean even if he never admitted it and trusted him to do his best + asmodean and moghedien didn’t go through all of that for you to dismiss them so flippantly.

"trust the showrunners" is also one of those insane pieces of advice that seems to be floating around a lot that mean absolutely nothing to me. I don't "trust" any writer. I didn't even trust RJ to do a lot of things right. I analyse something for the merit that it has and if anything I've been frankly very generous with the show because it's not very good, and I say that because the mere quality of the dialogue is very poor a lot of the time, and not necessarily because I don't think it's a bad adaptation (although so far it's brought nothing to the table that the books haven't and it instead handles a lot of themes a lot worse when it bothers to remember those Themes).

all this to say I've been very quiet about the show these past few days because of some of the absurd arguments on my dash. in fact, a refusal to engage with complex motivations of the characters (especially where characters like galad are concerned) are basically what made me stop posting a lot about the books for a couple months or so, and there's nothing that can kill the enthusiasm to engage with the text harder than to be involved in fandom spaces that can't tolerate nuance or criticism of the show. I don't really intend to wot post often after this, and really I think I lingered so long only because I read the books at a time when I was just really vulnerable and needed the escapism or something but I'm no longer mentally ill and thank god for that. and the beautiful wot mutuals that I have you guys did nothing wrong.

anyway! at least we have lanfear played by natasha o'keefe.

[ameriebanefort]

The Babe of the River

(TW: depiction of dementia. amerie learns of the existence of a sibling through a retelling of her favorite bedtime story, that turns out to be a manufactured version of the truth)

"have i ever told you the tale of the knight and the lady of the river?"

had it been any other day, or year better yet, the question might have conjured a smile to the solemn ladies face. an answer of "only a million times." would be followed by jestful laughter and she'd beg to hear anything else. amerie couldnt treat such questions with the flippancy she once did, though. the maesters say it will only worsen, the way her memories ebb and flow to darkest depths of her mind and all the woman could do to soothe her is exactly what she's doing now. curve of a silver comb is grasped in her left hand, gently working through the soft tresses that remained uncut for the better part of 20 years.

"of course, mama. it's your favorite." reflection in the mirror paints the portrait of disappointment and confusion. its difficult to watch her get so wrapped up in recollections that her eyes begin to shift rapidly, as if going through every moment she can remember to find the missing piece. quicky, she places her free hand on the womans shoulder, like an anchor keeping her from drifting too far away and gives it a reassuring squeeze. they've had a better day than most and she wont see it spoiled. "its my favorite too, and i'd love to hear it again."

remembrances of when she was a girl sat behind her mother, little fingers doing their best to plait the womans hair in the western fashion of her fathers family while absorbing every story uttered by a once vivacious voice. only now it was weak, weary and one note short of losing breath. amerie had suffered a broken heart long before the illness set in, but watching her mother wither away before her eyes with no cure in sight, shattered her in ways she never thought possible.

so she listens, lips silently moving along with each dramatized sentence of a knight and lady, whose love was destined for disaster from the moment they laid eyes on each other. the warring families who would rather kill one another than let the lovers be together. the beautiful baby boy that would be the catalyst of peace and love between them. it seems to be the one of few webs she can weave without missing a beat and if telling it is what it takes to coax her away from another day of staring blankly at the shoreline, then the devoted daughter ask to hear it as many times as she would indulge her.

lines began to stray from the usual script, causing once fluid movements to cease entirely. "what a beautiful babe he was, edie. favored his father over me if you could believe it. grandmother would be turning in her grave to know a blackwoods genes defeated that of a bracken." said with such ease that it leaves amerie taken aback. its evident from ameries experience that shes slipping back to a time when sybella and her beloved sister would chat and gossip the way amerie and her own sisters do. only this story is one shes never heard before. she'd remember it amongst the hilarious opinions and retellings of romance with her late father that she has to cut short when she hears them bubbling to the surface. is it the illness? it must be, for amerie was the first child to be birthed by the woman. it was recorded.

"what're you on about, syb?" best impression of her aunts cadence resonates from between pursed lips. some days, the refusal of who amerie is strikes harder and pretending brings her a sense of calm. "you haven't a babe."

one could hear a pin drop in the dead silence that took over the room. the lady watches as her mother leans towards the direction of the door, listening closely before grabbing her hand. "i miss him terribly... and you are all i have to confide in, edina, please do not deny him when its just us and the ghosts." theres little to deny about the sincerity that dominates her tone. if it weren't based in truth, would the tears welling in her panicked eyes be so free to fall? the look of yearning for someone lost is unmistakeble. shes seen it in her own reflection enough to recognize it.

"my apologies, sweet sister, please go on." once the permission is given, its like her mother sprung back to life. so passionately she speaks of the child left in the hands of their families blood rivals. how rosy his little cheeks were, how his large eyes peered so curiously at his surroundings once they'd adjusted to the light of day. and the last memory she shared before retiring to her bed for the evening. one that would seem minute to someone else, but only solidified the truth in what sybella told her.

"he smelled of sunshine, and all things love."

a phrase used to describe every child after him. she thought it a sweet way for a mother to remember their childrens most vulnerable moments. now she feels unsettled by the sentiment, knowing what weight the secret holds. years of unwavering lineage at risk if she could keep her mother from repeating it to anyone.

all for the bastard of blackwood.

[moonlightreal]

Grumbling about Carnival Row season 2

Because of course all shows should follow what I want! XD 

And I wanted a show about Philo and Vignette, who fought so hard to be together and find true love in dark times, to be badass rebel partners working together to help the fae.  Sneaking kids out of the barbed wire to safety, possibly safety in some other country where Imogen and Agreas ended up… Instead the writers are like, “Nah, they break up!”  Gaaaaah!

As I watched the last few episodes I started to notice things that just felt… missing.  Like there were bits I expected to see and they never turned up, leaving previously important bits of plot to dangle in the breeze.

-Tourmaline being taken over by evil magic.  She needs to stop doing magic or it’ll completely take her over!  Then she… does a bunch more magic but she’s fine.  Could we at least have had a scene at the end where she does a cleansing ritual or bathes in a sacred spring and says she feels much better knowing the haruspex’s icky spirit is gone forever?  Maybe the kiss of true love banished it.

-The fae plague.  There was a plague! People were dying!  Then the plot just kind of moved on.  We never got a search for a cure.  Vignette didn’t catch it, which I thought she might.  We didn’t learn it was the humans poisoning the wells, which I also thought might have been happening.

-Imogen’s sudden freakout at Agreus.  they’re in love, some terribly traumatic things happened, and suddenly she was breaking up with him because he was just another man trying to control her—and then the plot moved on, Agreus gets kidnapped, and then they were back together.  It makes sense that Imogen might have gone off the rails due to trauma but I feel like we missed a scene where after his escape she runs to him and they kiss, and then a later scene where she says, “Sorry I wigged out there, but being controlled by men is something that bothers me a lot.” and Agreus says, “Totally understandable what with your entire history.  Let’s talk about how we can make sure you never feel like I’m trying to get the upper hand.”

-Philo’s whole parentage.  He almost reveals his lineage, the plot gets in the way, then it’s never mentioned until the end where he’s refusing to become chancellor with an impassioned speech.  And what about being greater than his father?  Killing the sparas was pretty badass but I don’t think it counts as full on greatness.  There was a whole heckin’ prophecy!

-Philo’s evil twin he was hallucinating after one too many whacks to the head.  I mean I’m glad that didn’t go on, but it’s another thing that just kinda randomly stopped.  

-Tirnanoc is… saved?  It was all so off screen, the Pact was driven out, the Burgish government was planning underhanded stuff to conquer it themselves (instead of just taking the refugees out to sea and dumping them overboard like I thought the reveal would be) and then… the plot moved on.  Did we get anything in the very pretty happy ending to suggest why the next chancellor won’t go out and conquer it again?  

-Jonah and Sophie.  Jonah had so much character potential.  Was he a decent person underneath?  Was he going to see through Sophie’s blandishments and stand up as a decent guy or fall into corruption? Could he and Philo have any kind of relationship, for good or ill? And what were Sophie’s plans now that she owns half the manufacturing in the Burgue?  What else was she up to behind the scenes?  What’s up with her faun friend?  This plotline wasn’t abandoned but suddenly cut off, but I was really keen to see where it was going!

I know this is just my opinions but did the end of the season hit anyone else this way? I didn’t hate the second season or anything.  I love the visuals of the show so much, I was invested in what was happening, and watching Imogen come into her own was just a joy.  But this feeling that the story was trying to go places and never quite getting there..!

[x-h3kk3ning-x]

I have worked in the print manufacturing industry long enough to know that there is now way to dry ink that doesn't involve heat or UV; And, I just refuse to believe that the fumes of freshly cured ink are okay. I just think maybe humanity relies WAY too much on printers and we should stop that. I really think there is no way to manufacture anything without causing direct unforseen harm to the worker that has to stand by the machine.

What I am getting at is maybe industrialism was a mistake?!

[no1uk-supplements]

How to choose the best vitamin D

I was curious about how to find the best vitamin D supplement from the long list of options in a Google search. Initially, I saw many sponsored links, followed by a list of products from websites with strong SEO rankings. However, good SEO doesn’t necessarily mean a product is of higher quality, so I decided to dig deeper into the list.

First, I discovered that not every company selling vitamin D3 is the actual manufacturer, nor do many disclose who the real producer is. In fact, many companies source their finished products from the same manufacturer. This raises the question: how can one company claim their product is superior if they all come from the same source?

Determined to find the best producers, I focused on reputable supplement manufacturers in the USA. Among a small group of companies working with these top producers is Care and Cure Nutraceuticals Ltd. This company refuses to compromise on quality, offering the best products at competitive prices.

As I continued my research, I compared various vitamin D supplements and discovered that only D Plus by Care and Cure Nutraceuticals provides 5000 IU per chewable gummy, while most competitors offer a maximum of 4000 IU.

[lavelled]

distant close bros.

Will: I caught your wife’s weekend photographic press. I’ll walk you through the inauthentic publicity campaign for the purpose of critical media literacy, using science motifs.

Here it goes: Your core personnel works on my behalf.

I take it back. That was brief.

Perhaps a wordier guide to reading and understanding photojournalism and reportage by editors and publishers you think are warning the world, but who are actually telling you both: nope.

Whale. Wheel. Will & Grace. Whodunnit. Movie dreams. Cutting room. Agent. Avuncular. Stagecoach. Riverbanks. Front-row. Doubly despised. Strangulation looms. Double knitting. Winter wear. Twill. Entwined. Bros. Billboards. BILLBOARDS THREE. Brothers Grimm. Relearning how to speak. Heraldic. Clique. Vat. Aristocrats. Anachronistic. Kaleidoscope. Hell nope. Minus nothing. Matte finish. Multiply. Uppity. Tumbling down. Escalates. Monorail. Vantage point.

Too subtle.

There must be an ethical reason why your regal workforce refuses to launch a photograph and print agenda to frontally assault a nobody like me.

Posing in ivy jeans, under an overhanging willow tree, your mate’s legs are crisscrossed, thus guaranteeing that there will be no contact high for the brainrotted brothers and you won’t get anywhere near me. Health battle means the cancer diagnosis is in the shape of a lie and my press makers (sounds like a panini) have chosen these cleverly arranged words to label you both ankle-strapped Leopold and Loeb rapey-pedos. The way they write these sentences, the way they place them, reveals the truth. Read some of your favorite passages aloud.

Evil Potter: Having only a resounding case of neutral mixed emotions about the subject, it seems a frolicsome painter lightens images of your loaned wife (social justice warriors) on occasion. But it’s a failed attempt to recast Rachel. Focus dutifully, then, on the retail consumerism of animal treats and rape flavouring mason jars manufactured by a boss couple that still doesn’t live together nor shares a pet.

I meant to include chefs in my plea for those in the public eye who shouldn’t hurt themselves—I just read we lost one yesterday—although, I’d argue that you’re classified under the artiste umbrella—if you’re involved in the chef world, food critic, whatever, you are the cure, don’t leave.

K

[missminniemao]

I suspex he is the sickedest creature in the weurld. They’d steal that. My demondog is his heart or else finito. They’d learn how to steal that with energy they could use to post videos on YouTube or to cure diseases with drugs seuld safely over the counter to cure illnesses that cause death. We’d ruin lives of thieves (not supreme in whiteness if not blonde) by entertaining our abuse from opposing genders who forced some heterosexuality on us and we learned to love our abusers and we take it out on one another in 2 minutely (generous) intervals of ADHD. Male beauty is fought over by and amongst the women and if I like him it matters-not that he’s a gay man. Female beauty is confiscated or medicinally revoked. They’d steal that and not know it because they have no reason to remember what they look like but I try to remember what they look like: it might be how I cultivated notions of what later was regarded as “fame”. Which they’d steal after an embarrassing dance or two.

It is too late to fix the corrected homosexuality and the homophobia too. But God made gays and Gabriel is gay and Lucifer is sometimes a gay and they protect those by letting the runaways be infected with fake gay diseases tae kept safe from rape and overdosed on vitamins. They’d steal that by mistake and do not want my negs in them. My slave or yours, mine is grateful for cutlery and for legs and feet attached to her legs and for having food to eat incase HE is listening and incase he finds me inadequate in my gratitude and he rapes me and my family for good will from his neighbours. It bodes well for him because if he takes out his penis in public - he will win - and only insert himself into you non pleasurably (unless you question is ability to give pleasure, that white supremacist is his Goddess) to hurt you or to reward you for not misresponding to his delightful Shakespearean violence and for not stuttering too much. He is not a stutterer but you are. If a woman tries to steal him I am rewarded for letting her but also for not letting her - to defend her - which I would like with Him. Happy kiss, gone to return to reek of sex. Not with mey. It’s true: He smelled of sick sex - possibly with me and one of the white supremacist children. Supra children. Obey children. She exists half invisible and her mother lets her do that. I hold acting parts for them and call them beautiful to be rewarded with a new face for a familiar rapist.

He will acknowledge me if k greet him when he is clearing his laptop computer of viruses from habbo hotel scammer wars and I’ll find it thrilling that he can purchase hacking software and Norton auntie virus which is his weurst secret fear. All I know is I won’t concentrate on yiuo but yoiiu will like it because I liked it when the men did it to me for money they did not spend on mey unless the other men teuld them to apparently, who noed me for money to spend appropriately on women they matured in my ovaries. If I get thinner in my slavery I will like it and like it more in slave aesthetical jewellery which is the only jewellery design form that appeals to me right now. Which means he likes it for me. I usually don’t care for male nudity which is my chauvinist female but I enjoy his which worries him and in that vein we play love games in exchanges of affection surply the world the happy kiss. With homosexual exchange of warmth which imply twinflame to him after years of his research into plying imp of twin flame love exchange for science and warmth and identity fraud and ceuld when I am over heated from returning blonde children to their mothers for the circulation of moisturising creams stolen by the Vietnamese who don’t use creams but manufacture them to refuse them

[twittercomfrnklin2001-blog]

The Uninvited

Lewis Allen’s surprisingly intelligent ghost film THE UNINVITED (1944, TCM) is haunted by Victor Young’s score and Gail Russell’s tragic presence. Allen claimed he manufactured her performance in the editing room (his statement that he couldn’t get more than six lines at a time out of her are belied by what’s on screen), but whoever’s responsible, she manages the seemingly impossible task of being both ethereal and impressively natural in a way that shows up some of the film’s more experienced actors. When leading man Ray Milland kisses her, it seems a desecration. Milland and sister Ruth Hussey (he should be so lucky) buy an abandoned house on the Cornwall coast and discover that it’s haunted. The haunting is handled subtly — their dog runs off, the cat refuses to go upstairs, flowers wilt in the former owner’s studio. Russell, whose late parents owned the home, is obsessed with it, but her visits often end with her close to death. The mystery involves a hidden affair and a coded lesbian (Cornelia Otis Skinner) who had worked there as a nurse and now runs an asylum. The script, by Charles Brackett and others, is highly literate, and it’s a joy to hear what Hussey does with the lines. Cinematographer Charles Lang, Jr. does a great job generating mood with the help of Young’s score and the sets by Hans Dreier and Ernest Fegte. Russell is a key part of that mood, and she contributes greatly to the film’s success. She was tremendously insecure making this, her third film, which contributes to the character’s effectiveness (it also ruined her life when a make-up man suggested a few drinks might relax her; she died of liver failure at 36). She’s so good her wildly inconsistent accent doesn’t matter (but then, Hussey and Milland hardly sound as if they’d grown up together). Only Hussey and Alan Napier, as a sympathetic doctor, come up to her level. This was also Skinner’s third film, and she goes a bit over the top. As coded lesbians go, she’s no Judith Anderson. Milland isn’t terrible. He has the proficiency to pull off the comic scenes, and his dramatic moments don’t require the heavy lifting Russell’s do. But he looks lumpen next to her, and he seems to be performing by the numbers. All that is swept away by the sight of Russell gazing radiantly at him as he plays the piece he’s written for her, “Stella by Starlight.”

Much as I love this film, I have to acknowledge it’s very much a product of the 1940s. The only strong, independent woman in the film, Skinner’s Miss Halloway, is treated as an aberration and has to be punished. Hussey seems to be devoting her life to caring for her brother. When she finds a life of her own, Russell, now cured of whatever was haunting her, is ready to move in and take her place. After being dominated by her grandfather (Donald Crisp), who was controlling her to protect her (sound familiar?), she’s ready to be dominated by another man who sees her primarily as a porcelain doll who needs to be hidden away from reality.