#they would make awesome wallpapers

[perfecttenth]

looks like MARS16/MARS SIXTEEN is the one that makes all those raw as hell kinnikuman prints

[petit-papillion]

What a photo!

Charles on track during the COTA race weekend | 2024 USA Grand Prix

📸 Circuit of the Americas

[em0puppy]

@mischiefburns !!!!!!!

Nuzi Kisssss

Quick Nuzi pic. Went a little artsy. Not sure how I feel about it, but hope you guys get something out of it at least. Enjoyyyy Commission Prices/Info Here

[evie-sturns]

Matt Sturniolo Boyfriend Imagines

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warnings: NSFW near the end! mentions of anxiety, nothing else really just cute fluff

summary: cute lil imagines if you were dating matt!!

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this man’s whole camera roll would be you, he’d take pictures of you whenever he thought you looked cute and would sometimes set them as his phone wallpaper

he would 100% buy you whatever you wanted, you need a new bag? he will have it sitting on your bed in under an hour, he loooves to spend money on you to show how much he loves you

you would def have to be the person in the relationship who says “i love you” first because he’s shy and doesn’t know how to tell you/doesn’t know when the right time is and doesn’t want to scare you off

he doesn’t show it but he definitely loves resting on your chest and being held by you when you two fall asleep together 😭, but he definitely also loves to hold you and cuddle you

he makes absolute DISASTERS in the kitchen but he serves them up proudly and you have to pretend it’s good - “here we are baby! finally finished the dinner”… “oh matt it looks awesome! but what are those, uh.. clumps?”

when he has anxiety attacks he shuts down and locks himself in the bathroom to calm down, so you just have to knock softly on the door and wait outside until he’s ready to let you into the bathroom to comfort him and calm him down as you guys just sit on the bathroom floor

if your ever struggling or sad this man gets INSANELY touchy, like he will come over to your house and just lightly rub your thy and back, or trace circles on your forearms. whatever he can do to let you know he’s here and listening he will do.

if you two get into an argument he will always apologise first no matter who’s in the wrong, like he will show up to your front door with puffy eyes holding a bunch of flowers and you have no choice but to forgive him, like how couldn’t you with him looking in your eyes for forgiveness as his hand shakes

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NSFW!

the first time you two hook up with each other he would definitely praise you and guide you through it the whole time, he would maintain some of his self control and go gently so he doesn’t hurt you

he hates choking/rough hair pulling because he wants to make sure you aren’t being hurt or uncomfortable so he makes sure to only hold your hair sosososo gently

after you guys have fucked a few times he would establish a safe word, and as soon as you have one he would go crazy when you guys are fucking, he would 100% slam into you when he’s getting close but then feel guilty after as he looks at your shaking legs spread across the bed

this man is the literal definition of aftercare, after he fucks you hard he would rub your back and tell you how good you took him, and he would carry you bridal style to the restroom and lay you down in the bath, grab a warm damp towel and gently rub the insides of your legs gently and check that your okay “are you sure i didn’t go to hard? did i hurt you baby?”

he would defo PANIC if he accidentally cums inside of you, even if you were on birth control he’s super afraid of getting you pregnant, you would have to assure him hundreds of times that it’s okay 😭😭

after he cleans you up after sex he would bathe you, dress you, and put you in bed, he wants to make sure your comfortable and satisfied afterwards, then he would hold you tight as he crawls into bed beside you and give you more words of affirmation “you took me so well baby” “you did so good” “i’m so proud of you sweetheart” as he rubs the inside of your thigh

if you got on top he would instantly switch to sub as he watches you bounce on him, like this man would me whining, groaning, whimpering mess as he digs his hands into your waist to guide you up and down

that’s all!! y’all lmk if you want a chris version:)

[robsheridan]

Sisters of the Solstice. Sweden, 1975. Rumors swirled for centuries about a secretive community of women who harnessed the power of the Solstice for dark magic that granted them eternal life. Hushed whispers called them a coven of witches and warned of ritual sacrifice, cannibalism, walking dead, communications with the devil, and a bloodlust towards any man who would dare enter their territory… but was any of it true? By the 20th century, the Sisters had long been relegated to a dusty old myth, until photographer Sera Clairmont published these photos in her Spectagoria magazine.

Clairmont gave sparse details about her time with the Sisters of the Solstice, saying she was only given access to their rituals under a vow of secrecy. “These women have only ever asked for privacy,” she wrote, “and because they protect that fiercely, they are called evil. Are they practitioners of magick? Certainly. They give themselves to the earth, and the earth returns them to life. One cannot make such exchanges without sacrifice, but that is their way. Many generations ago, these women turned to the dark arts for protection when the world of men would offer them none. Men hurt them, so they adapted to survive. That the Sisters found the devil a safer bedfellow says more about men than it does about the Sisters. And as the soil grows their bodies anew, Midsommar after Midsommar, don’t be surprised if Mother Earth is taking notes. After all, who has a world of men hurt more than she?”

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NOTE: This is a work of fiction created by me. This alternate reality horror story is part of my NightmAIres narrative art series (visit that link for a lot more). NightmAIres are windows into other worlds and interconnected alternate histories, conceived/written by me and visualized with synthography and Photoshop.

If you enjoy my work, consider supporting me on Patreon for frequent exclusive hi-res wallpaper packs, behind-the-scenes features, downloads, events, contests, and an awesome fan community. Direct fan support is what keeps me going as an independent creator, and it means the world to me.

[harveyverse]

Hey I just saw your pony and Johnny wallpaper and I love it!! If u have time (and feel like - no pressure obvs) making one for the Curtis brothers that would be awesome! I’m good with any pic you would like I’m sure it will be awesome!

absolutely!! i made a few, i hope there’s at least one that you like <33

if there are any specific outsiders photos or characters you’d like me to turn into a wallpaper, let me know!! or if there’s any other sizes/layouts you want :)

[kthecritter]

Hii I love your work!! If I could possibly get a computerkin wallpaper featuring the Dell CRT Trinitron Monitor 16 Inches 1000HS Ultrascan Series MODEL D1025TM 1998 (SO sorry about the long name) or just old 90's computers in general, coding, and dull greens and blues, that would be amazing thank you!!

And if you could possibly tag @soapy-ocean-dragon, that would be awesome too!

here you go @soapy-ocean-dragon , I hope you enjoy! very specific kind of computer, but surprisingly able to find it and make it look good :)

[sugurugetofavoritemonkey]

How would the dynamics between getos relationship with his s/o change once he meets and now takes cares of mimiko and nanako? Like would he begin to prioritise them over his s/o or would it just be really fluffy and cute parenting situation going on?

Thank you for your ask, I love this sm ! 🫶🏻💗

I am absolutely in loooove with all the Suguru’s writing ideas I’m recently getting in my ask box, they’re all so freaking awesome 🥰💓 Welcome here and remember that feedbacks are always appreciated, sending a lot of kisses to you all ! 🌸

I think that once Suguru meets and now takes care of Mimiko and Nanako, the relationship dynamics with his sweet s/o won’t change one bit. Like you said, it would just get better. Suguru would still love you as much as before, and at the same time, you and Suguru will take care and love immensely the two little girls that he brought home. Simply put, it’s like a new big family with you four and it’s just pure love, laughs and happiness everyday with you, Suguru, Mimiko and Nanako.

Mimiko and Nanako will call you mama really quickly, just like they did with their sweet papa Geto. I imagine it would happen when you four go out to eat some Ice Cream and as you ask the girls which flavor they want, Mimiko and Nanako would finish their reply with a natural « Please mama ». It took you 2 seconds to register the fact that they considered you as their sweet mama, just as important as their papa Geto. Suguru notices the little tear at the corner of your eye as he puts a kiss on your cheek with a grin, finding your emotional face to be the cutest thing as you just appreciate this pleasant moment with your family. Mimiko and Nanako were as much your daughters as Suguru was your soulmate.

One night, Suguru had come back home after a very long day at work, and was trying to be as silent as possible as to not wake up his beauties. Little did he know that his three girls had fallen asleep on the couch as a Disney movie was still playing on TV. You were just between Mimiko and Nanako, with your arms on their shoulders as you held them very close to your body, sharing your warmth like a protective mama. Suguru took a few minutes to just admire the three of you sleeping so peacefully against each other. And after taking a few pictures with his phone, which will soon be put as his wallpaper, Suguru had carried his adorable wife and girls in his arms to put you all in bed, under a warm cover.

If you have long enough hair, Mimiko and Nanako would braid it like they do with Suguru’s hair. Sometimes the sweet girls would put some pretty flowers in your hair during the process, under the advise of their papa Geto, who perfectly knows which flower is your favorite.

Vice versa, you would make them different hairstyles everyday, putting colorful accessories in their hair while calmly humming a lullaby to them. Mimiko and Nanako will proudly show your work to Suguru when you’re done, the sweet papa asking them to turn around so that he can see every details of their hair, smiling at the three of you while telling the girls how beautiful they are and praising you on how well you did, his adorable wife.

When Suguru kisses you during the day and the girls see it, they would scream out loud happily « Papa kissed mama ! », making you blush at their sweet innocence, while Suguru puts an arm around you waist to bring you closer to him, with a loving grin on his face.

One day, the girls and you had decided to prank your husband by hiding all of his hair ties. It was hard for Mimiko and Nanako to hold back their laughter, as they watched from behind you, their papa searching for his precious items all around the house. When Suguru comes to you, asking if you saw them, you would nod innocently, telling him, « Sorry love, haven’t see any of your hair ties », but the little giggles of your daughters easily betray your lies as Suguru starts to chase you around the house with a laugh. « Give them back to me, you little thief », Suguru easily catch you as he decides to tickle you until you confess where you hid them. Mimiko and Nanako would then jump on Suguru, as to make him stop tickling you, the little girls laughing as much as Suguru and you as they try to defend you, « Stop tickling mama ! »

Yes indeed, his three precious girls, were brightening Suguru’s life in the sweetest way.

🤍 Suguru Geto Masterlist 🤍

[wxnheart]

𝐏𝐨𝐥𝐚𝐫 𝐎𝐩𝐩𝐨𝐬𝐢𝐭𝐞𝐬 - 𝐌𝐢𝐠𝐮𝐞𝐥 𝐎'𝐇𝐚𝐫𝐚 𝐱 𝐅!𝐁𝐥𝐚𝐜𝐤 𝐑𝐞𝐚𝐝𝐞𝐫

Miguel's brooding nature clashes with your bubbly and upbeat personality. If it was anyone else, it would more than likely grate on his nerves but you're one of the few exceptions.

If someone were to ask Miguel to name one thing he admired about you, the first thing he'd say is your ability to roll with the punches, especially when it comes to dealing with his more apprehensive nature. Whereas he tends to ponder and think and sometimes overthink situations, you're of the "let's cross that bridge when we get there" variety. He harbors a gentle envy over the fact that you can navigate life so easily.

But really, it's helped to ease his anxiety. Somewhat. He can't help but worry. You always say it's gonna be okay and to date, you haven't been wrong.

And no matter how many times you admonish Miguel, the poor bastard will work himself ragged; you're always there to spoil and love on him while he grumbles that what you're doing is completely unnecessary. He's secretly enjoying it, though. He enjoys it more than he'll ever let on because it's a temporary respite from the past.

Self-care is a must in your life. It's integral to keeping your vivacious personality thriving. You have no issues taking a break for however long you need or spending the day in bed. This... is a foreign concept to Miguel. It took some cajoling once―he couldn't resist your smile and pleading even if he tried―for him to stay in bed with you longer than he usually does... which resulted in him falling back asleep. Which resulted in him grumbling and worrying about that. You weren't bothered, though. He needed that extra rest. "Besides," you'd say teasingly, "you're so cute when you sleep." And when you're at peace and not carrying the weight of the world on your shoulders.

But of course, he is. Of course. It's the bed hair. You got enough pictures of him mid-yawn to prove your point. And no, gorgeous, the lock screen wallpaper stays.

Speaking of self-care some more, let's talk about Sunday Funday, yeah? Whenever he's free on that day, you make him join. Because it's awesome. And what's your idea of Sunday Funday? Well, it goes a little something like this: a nice, refreshing bubble bath accompanied by a hydrating sheet mask followed by your favorite comfort snack/meal. Now imagine this big man sitting in a tub full of bubbles with a sheet mask on and just brooding. And judging you for making him do this. Yeah, you never thought you'd see the day, but here he is. His skin has been feeling softer and firmer, though... but don't tell ANYBODY about this.

There's always an adventure to be had or something to do. Not a day goes by when you don't pull Miguel out of his comfort zone for the better. Not a day goes by where he thinks about your positivity and he tries to apply that to his own circumstances. You always try to help him see the world as a glass half-full than half-empty. And he tries. God, he tries.

But if there's anything Miguel looks forward to at the end of the day, it's the chance to just... collapse in your arms and just rest there. With his head buried in the softness of your boobs and your nails gently scratching his scalp. And his worries seem so... far away.

And then you remind him that Sunday Funday is coming up, and you can't help but to laugh at the resounding groan you got in response.

[ghsotsl]

People who are seeing this, enjoy my lovely ramble about video games/video game graphics!

Now, I just wanted to start off with saying that I think it's kind of crazy how advanced some games are. Starting with the character designs all the way down to the game itself, it's kind of crazy. I recently thought about this because of a screenshot I took from Devil May Cry 5. I just can't even explain how beautiful this looks to me.

I currently have this screenshot as my wallpaper on like everything. I've always loved how the Devil May Cry game's look. Of course, most of them are pretty old so they don't look insanely modern, but they're still so fun to look at. I love the scenery in Devil May Cry 4 when you get into the forest.

This section just makes me so happy. It almost gives this feeling of comfort even though they made an attempt to help it seem abandoned. This forest reminds me of those liminal spaces for some reason. It's just the small things that bring me that comfort. Of course, Nero sticks out like a sore thumb in this area, but I still really enjoyed seeing it while playing the game.

Another game that I LOVE the scenery to is Resident Evil: Village (8). The game itself isn't great (I know I'm sorry 😭), but I still enjoyed looking around while playing. The small details that they really paid attention to helps it a lot. There are some things that were added that most probably don't notice, yet the section would be different without it. I know this is a basic answer, but my personal favorite area is Castle Dimitrescu.

Like-- LOOK AT THIS?? It looks absolutely beautiful! The fog, the lighting, the models. I just love it so much. The things Capcom does for their games, especially the Resident Evil ones, is insane. Their RE Engine is such a cool software (that I suck at using!) I just really love Capcom. Their games are great gameplay wise + design wise. They're an awesome game making company, and if you don't know much about them (you probably do because we're here but whatever), I really recommend checking out some of their games! New and old games both seem to still really get that good feeling you get from playing a video game.

Thank you for listening to my ramble. 😁

[pluto-sims]

Dino Daze Patterns

so with the new items from the latest pack, so too came a wealth of more cute patterns - and of course I'm going to recreate and recolour them >:)

as always, you can use these for all the cc-making your heart desires. there's both photoshop pattern files and seamless pngs, with 20 total different colourways. If you make anything with them, it would be awesome if you could tag me purely because i'd love to see what you've made! I'm gonna be making some wallpapers with them myself >:)

details and downloads under the cut!

Details

Recreation of the dinosaur pattern that came on items in the Growing Together pack, with 19 additional colour variations

Available as Photoshop pattern files (should also work in Photopea) and seamless PNGs. If you'd like a different format, lmk!

This is not CC - just a resource for you to use for making some lmao.

You're free to use these to make whatever you'd like - credit is always appreciated but i'm not gonna hunt you down if you don't lmao, just do not put anything made with these patterns behind a paywall. that includes early access or using sites like adfly. thanks!

as always, please let me know if there's any issues at all, and if not, i hope you enjoy these!

Download: Patreon / Google Drive (both 100% free to everyone, always. SFS is not working for me at ALL rn im so sorry)

[lvvcian]

Hope you have a nice day/night 👋 Can I order a rottmnt headcanon where leo and donnie have a female partner who has multicolored eyes like douma's :D

Te saludo desde México🇲🇽👋

☆ First reuqest, screaming crying and kicking my feet c: I apologize for changing readers gender, I don't write female readers but I liked idea so much I had to write it!

☆no tw! here (good old fluff headcanons); gn!reader

𝐑𝐢𝐬𝐞! 𝐃𝐨𝐧𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐥𝐥𝐨 & 𝐋𝐞𝐨 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐬/𝐨 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐡𝐚𝐬 𝐦𝐮𝐥𝐭𝐢𝐜𝐨𝐥𝐨𝐫𝐞𝐝 𝐞𝐲𝐞𝐬!

I really like the thought of Leo having a thing for colorfull and shiny things. He hoards them somewhere in his room, like some box or on the shelf and shows them off to anyone he meets!

So when he meets you, someone with beautiful and colorul eyes Leo can't help but take interest in them. I mean cmon, it's not common for someone who has such awesome eyes to come into his lie!

I can see him having your eye colors as a wallpaper totally not a tik tok trend or just have a theme in those shades !

He stares so so much into them! He can't help it, just can't. He can be training, hanging out with the brothers or doing something important : he will stare or take a look at your eyes. Just for a second... or two. Or maybe a few minutes

At random times, while he's being on a rooftop, and sees something that would match your eyes his mind goes "Oh this color would make their eyes even brigther." and thoughts like that.

Loves when when your eyes bright up when you see something you like : like a cat or a dog walking by you or when you tell him about this new superhero movie you saw earlier this day

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Donnie is something else. Instead of complimanting you and telling how pretty your eyes are he just says "Stop it. Stop staring at me with those beautiful, majestic, breathtaking big eyes. It's distracting me."

Secretly adores when you look at him. Do it, don't mind his stupid comments, stare at him with those eyes of yours (maybe you'll get him to go to sleep, this dude needs it)

I can picture him looking at you but the moment you notice it he's denying everything. "Yeah yeah 'cause you didn't stare at them for 10 minutes like you were hypnotised or something" - his brothers were teasing him about it all the time (specialy his twin, he is THE WORST)

Him getting distracted when he's working with how bright and shiny your eyes get when you're staring at his monitors. All the codes, projects and plans mirroring in your eyes... dream come true.

Says something like "Your eyes have some weird... colour... unnatural even. I shall do some tests to see why you have such eyes... No other reason, really"

Holds your face. definitely, 100% sure

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☆ Sorry if it's too short, first time writing for these characters ":). I hoped you enjoyed it though! I did enjoy writing it for sure!

☆ Hope you have a good day/night <33

[robsheridan]

The November 1975 issue of SPECTAGORIA profiled the magazine’s own Samhain Gala, a lavish and mysterious party which editor Sera Clairmont held in various “sacred” locations at the beginning of each November. The event was said to be a decadent celebration of the end of the harvest season which Clairmont described as “a transference, from one state of being to another.” Guests included a melting pot of models, close friends, occult colleagues, and according to Clairmont “certain other visitors, who have to come from adjacent spaces to partake in the evening’s rituals.” Indeed, the food and drinks and phantasmagorical entertainment were followed late in the night by a series of ancient rituals to “open passageways,” to “return to their own realms the demons and spirits who danced with us in the mortal plane this Hallowe’en.” She implied that some guests would leave the night “transformed,” and some “might never return.”

Of course, as with many things in Spectagoria’s curious history, no one is entirely sure how much of Clairmont’s parties were real, and how much they were more of her elaborate photo shoots. And that was probably the point. In an interview with Playboy earlier that year, Clairmont was asked how “real” the imagery in Spectagoria was. “Maybe it’s all real,” she replied, “maybe it’s all staged. Who cares? If reality is what you’re caught up on when you read Spectagoria, you’re missing the point. Reality as a tangible objective truth is one of the most insidious lies we’re told. Spectagoria is a spinning mirrorball that catches the singular light of what you think is real and reflects it back as the true nature of the universe: Disinterested in form or logic, splintered into a thousand chaotic versions of itself, moving faster than you can comprehend, overlapping and intertwining across the topography of matter and time; confusing, illogical, terrifying, and beautiful. You can to try and make sense of each individual piece until you go mad, or you can step back, open your mind, and see the glistening tapestry it becomes when the tracers blend together… and you can dance in it.”

Clairmont took no further questions in the interview.

Previously:

Spectagoria: Vaporgoth, 1985 part 1 / part 2

Spectagoria: The Swimsuit Issue, 1978

Spectagoria: Apocalypse in Pink, 1983 part 1 / part 2

Spectagoria: Sisters of the Solstice, 1975 part 1 / part 2

Spectagoria: Phantasm Road, 1974 (Introduction)

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NOTE: Spectagoria is an ongoing work of fiction created by me. This alternate reality horror story is part of my NightmAIres narrative art series (visit that link for a lot more). NightmAIres are windows into other worlds and interconnected alternate histories, conceived/written by me and visualized with synthography and Photoshop.

If you enjoy my work, consider subscribing to my free newsletter to stay up to date on my projects, or supporting me on Patreon for frequent exclusive hi-res wallpaper packs, behind-the-scenes features, downloads, events, contests, and an awesome fan community. Direct fan support is what keeps me going as an independent creator, and it means the world to me.

[richincolor]

Group Discussion: This Ravenous Fate

As we near the creepy time of the year, we figured vampires would be awesome for our group discussion. This Ravenous Fate was an excellent pick and was definitely an impressive debut from Hayley Dennings.

Publisher's Summary: It's 1926 and reapers, the once-human vampires with a terrifying affliction, are on the rise in New York. But the Saint family's thriving reaper-hunting enterprise holds reign over the city, giving them more power than even the organized criminals who run the nightclubs. Eighteen year-old Elise Saint, home after five years in Paris, is the reluctant heir to the empire. Only one thing weighs heavier on Elise's mind than her family obligations: the knowledge that the Harlem reapers want her dead.

Layla Quinn is a young reaper haunted by her past. Though reapers have existed in America for three centuries, created by New World atrocities and cruel experiments, Layla became one just five years ago. The night she was turned, she lost her parents, the protection of the Saints, and her humanity, and she'll never forget how Elise Saint betrayed her.

But some reapers are inexplicably turning part human again, leaving a wake of mysterious and brutal killings. When Layla is framed for one of these attacks, the Saint patriarch offers her a deal she can't refuse: to work with Elise to investigate how these murders might be linked to shocking rumors of a reaper cure. Once close friends, now bitter enemies, Elise and Layla explore the city's underworld, confronting their intense feelings for one another and uncovering the sinister truths about a growing threat to reapers and humans alike.

Content warnings: Scenarios involving emotional abuse, obsessive compulsive disorder, anxiety, suicidal ideation, violence, murder, and mentions of a race massacre.

Our discussions can be a little spoilery so beware!

As we often do, let’s start with the cover and the design of the book. What stood out to you all?

Crystal: I haven’t seen a final copy, but the ARC has a gorgeous cover and I loved the pattern on the endpapers and chapter divisions. A hint of that is at the top and bottom edges of the cover. It incorporates the lotus that is found in the Saint family seal. There are a lot of details to notice, but to me the overall effect drips with passion, blood, and danger.

Audrey: What I loved most about the cover design is that when you look at it closely, it screams historical vampire book. There’s the hint of art deco-style wallpaper, the opulent jewelry, the roses, and of course blood splashed everywhere. It was either going to be vampires or a murder mystery, and it turned out to be both! That’s fantastic design by Nicole Homer and art by Colin Verdi.

K. Imani: Yes Audrey! You truly know what you can expect from the novel based on this gorgeous cover. My favorite part of the cover is the roses that are white tipped with red which, to me, symbolizes the tarnishing of innocence. Layla’s specifically as her innocence was taken from her when she was turned into a reaper and Elise’s throughout the novel. The dripping jewelry is just beautiful.

Setting plays a huge role in this story. What particular places stood out to you? Or what aspects of those places made an impact?

Crystal: The Cotton Club was a place that really caught my attention, particularly as Layla compared it to a circus. The way that white people looked at and treated Black girls on the street was significantly different than how it happened in that space. It also pulsed with light, music, life, and debauchery so of course it was intriguing.

K. Imani: Being that the novel was set in Harlem is what drew me to the novel initially. 1920’s Harlem is one of my favorite historical eras because it was such an amazing time of Black art and culture and so any novel that is set in this time period makes me happy. I love the mention of all of the different neighborhoods described as they were way back then as it was described as the Harlem that I’ve seen in pictures.

Audrey: Like K. Imani, I really enjoyed that it was set in the 1920s. This Ravenous Fate did a great job of depicting the highs of the Roaring Twenties (advances in tech/science, the glitz and glam of clubs/speakeasies, a booming economy, etc.) while also making sure we got to see the lows, too (unethical medical experimentation, lynchings/race massacres, organized crime, corrupt politics, etc.). Seeing 1920s Harlem from a Black (fictional fantasy/horror) lens was fantastic, especially since a lot of common perception of the 1920s is very white. I also appreciated Elise’s occasional asides comparing her treatment in Paris vs Harlem as a Black teenager despite her family’s wealth.

The vampires, or reapers, have a lot of similarities to those from other tales. Was there anything you noticed that made this unique among other vampire lore?

Crystal: What fascinated me was the give and take. The reapers take the blood, but they can also share things through the process. There is pain, but also attraction and pleasure. There seemed to be a heightened amount of sensuality in that experience of taking and giving.

K. Imani: You know I love vampires so I loved Dennings’s take. I liked that they didn’t have to drink to kill, that a bite doesn’t necessarily change a person, and that they can use their bites to heal. I also loved that the reapers can eat! It showed that the reapers were still human, but really needed a different food source to sustain their bodies. This was such a fun and unique take on vampire lore and Dennings absolutely killed it.

Audrey: I haven’t consumed a ton of vampire content, but I really liked how the prologue told us flat out that the reapers were made by people in what would become the U.S.: “She was remade with spite. The first of her kind, her humanity stripped away and pumped full of poison and depravity in a laboratory. … She was as new as America, a reincarnation of its greatest evils, comfortable in corporeal sin.” That set the tone so well for more unethical medical experiments and corrupt people doing terrible things to cling to power and try to impose control over others.

The characters experience a lot of death and violence, but this is also a love story. What did you enjoy about Layla and Elise’s complicated relationship?

Crystal: I definitely appreciated the many layers of their relationship. The friendship and time that they’d had together over the years made everything hold so much more weight. The anger was stronger, but so were all of the emotions. One line that really got me from their early days was, “You’re my best friend. I don’t want to do life without you.” The stakes were pretty high between them.

K. Imani: I had mixed emotions about their relationship because there was so much hurt between them, but there was also so much love. Like Crystal, I appreciated how they had to learn how to trust each other and be open with each other in order to solve the mystery. Their story is a lesson in forgiveness and moving forward. To have that in a YA novel, a vampire one at that, was lovely.

Audrey: I loved that they had been such good friends and then had real, painful reasons to become enemies and be separated from each other. I loved that to varying degrees they both still missed their earlier relationship and hated that they missed it. Watching Elise and Layla learn how they each had (and hadn’t) changed as they tried to solve the murder mystery was a treat because we got to see the longing they had for their shared past—and eventually what they had for each other in the present as they got to know each other in the present. I like that it took quite a bit of time for them to admit their feelings for each other.

Another very interesting relationship of an entirely different kind is that between Elise and her father. Thoughts?

Crystal: I hope that not many readers can connect to such a relationship, but I’m afraid there are a lot of folks wandering around who have put a lot of effort into reshaping themselves to please or impress a parent. The mental and emotional gymnastics of trying to please him and keep believing the best of him were pretty intense and frustrating to watch.

K. Imani: The only word I can come up with is oof. Their relationship was so toxic and I felt so sorry for her. Like you said Crystal, I hope not many people can relate to the relationship but we do know of folks who try so hard to fit into their parent’s expectations that they start to lose themselves. I actually feel like Layla and Elise’s relationship was somewhat of a nice counterbalance because they had to work to build trust in each other and that brought about Elise’s confidence, allowing her to see how horrible her relationship with her father was. He was just such a horrible man that everytime he was in a scene I just wanted him gone.

Audrey: Oh, Elise’s dad made me so upset. I didn’t realize at first that something was wrong in Elise’s point of view, but about the point where he named her his heir, I started realizing that things were actually much worse than a stern 1920s dad being disappointed in his kid. The slow building of cracks in their relationship hurt, especially once it became clearer to me that her dad was keeping her in the dark about important information. I was so relieved when Elise finally admitted that her father wasn’t the man she had thought he was.

What’s next on your reading journey?

Crystal: Another thriller that I have on my list is Looking for Smoke by K.A. Cobell. I’m also looking forward to reading Abdi Nazemian’s newest release Desert Echoes. On a lighter note, I’m also eager to get my hands on Guava and Grudges by Alexis Castellanos. I tend to gravitate toward books featuring food and especially when that food involves baked goods.

K. Imani: I just finished reading Love Requires Chocolate by Ravynn K. Stringfield (look for my review) and have yet to decide on my Halloween reads yet, but I’m sure I will soon.

Audrey: The Witch of Wol Sin Lake by Lena Jeong is next up on my YA reading list. I’m also hoping to pick up a horror title or two for October—I’ve got my eye on The Hysterical Girls of St. Bernadette’s by Hanna Alkaf.

If you want more information about the book and the writing of it, you can listen in on a discussion with the author here:

[qulizalfos]

[runs in after abandoning my blog all week and throws this on the table] HAPPY BIRTHDAY WAYLI @wayward-sherlock PLEASE ACCEPT THIS FICLET AS A SYMBOL OF MY GRATITUDE TOWARDS HOW FUCKINF AWESOME U ARE ALWAYS <3 I AM IN LOVE WITH YOU BTW!!! anyways i hope u enjoy 2k of college byler shenanigans :) mwah

home (is wherever you are tonight)

“Oh, my God,” Will says, sitting forward, face alight in ways that terrify Mike. “There’s another reason, there’s a huge reason you're here, you—” “It’s Valentine’s Day, right?” The shift in Will’s expression is instantaneous. It might’ve qualified as comical, too, if Mike’s heart wasn’t about to explode.

You’d think Mike would have scrounged together a better sense of how to backpedal when he’s about to do something incredibly stupid. 

He’s trying not to think too hard about how quickly they rattle off in his head, the world’s most inconvenient list of reminders. What is wrong with you? We’re just… not in the mood right now. You’ve been on the bench all year. Not for the first time he’s gritting his teeth and wondering if it would have been entirely too much to ask for him to have acquired, by now, some intricate sixth sense for recklessness. He’s well aware that there’s no cosmic cure against the potency of his own mistakes, but he’d take anything to help him generally steer clear of these specific situations.

Encounters with murderous, eldritch entities ought to do that to a person. In his —for the record, totally impartial— opinion.

No goddamn dice, he thinks as he raises a fist to knock.

Maybe it is different, he supposes, because he’s less consumed by a wave of defensive volatility and less likely to bury the truth at the first sign of scrutiny, recoil at any chance of being left behind, and more willing to stop before he gains too dangerous an amount of momentum. It still happens, obviously— (case in point: now, loitering in an empty corridor, bland wallpaper finding a way to make it look like it’s laughing down at him, shifting his weight as he waits) he’d just convinced himself he had it more under control.

It’s ridiculous anyway. This whole thing is clearly careening towards a setup for a copious amount of slip ups on his part. But, it’s whatever.

Will’s probably out, anyway, he considers, belatedly.

It’s Valentine’s Day, —granted, a Wednesday evening dragging by with a sluggish, hazy quality— but a significant date all the same. Will is, Mike hedges, almost definitely out, maybe with the mystery guy in their joint history lecture, whose name Mike neglected to wheedle out of him last week. Maybe they’re both walking home from some fucking café, and Will would be getting cold like he does when the threat of snow looms at every waking moment, and to make matters worse, the other guy might do something sickeningly romantic like wind his scarf around Will’s neck, all while Mike’s standing at his dorm door like an idiot.

It’s possible he’s not very committed to the whole “breathe” thing El suggested, the day before the sky turned blue again, the day he was most convinced it never would again.

He threads a nervous hand through the disaster-prone section of his hair, hoping to smoothen it out, as he lifts his clenched hand, setting his face in concentration and aiming to knock one more time, and—

He has to flinch back to avoid accidentally punching Will in the face with his knock. Needless to say, that would be pretty counterproductive.

Will. Standing in front of him, soft furrow between his brows, loose sweater, lips parted.

He’s beautiful.

He shoves the thought to the side. It’s not the safest one to have when Will is less than two feet in front of him.

“Mike?”

It hits him about an hour too late: Maybe it’s ironic, how this holiday, composed entirely of spontaneous lovesick bullshit and cordiform chocolate boxes, doesn’t warrant him showing up at someone’s door unannounced. Not when it’s already 7pm.

It isn’t that he hadn’t brought that into consideration, just that now it’s not just an inkling in the back of his mind he has to ignore if he has any hope of getting ready with minimal distraction, but a real, pressing concern, and—

Will’s face splits into a grin, and the thought vanishes as quick as it came.

“Hey,” Mike tries, too hastily. The longer Will stands, just blinking at him, the further Mike burrows his hands into the pockets of his jackets.

He snaps out of it fairly quickly, and the expression has melted into something pleasantly surprised. Mike can work with that. He’s done much more with much less. “Uh— hi.”

“Are you busy?” Mike cranes a neck to peer around Will’s shoulder, unsure of what he’s looking for but appreciating the lack of anything all the same. “If you’re busy, I’ll totally come back, to— fuck, maybe not tomorrow, you have that—”

“Mike.”

“Yep.”

“I’m not busy,” he says with bright eyes, stepping back from the door to accommodate him. “I— don’t just stand there, come in, of course I’m not busy. Why, what’s up?”

“Thought maybe you were off at a candlelit dinner,” Mike remarks, because it’s easier to get out than the other thing, kicking off his shoes and trying not to think too hard about Will, the same Will in the same shadowy alcove as him, whose expression is tinged with fondness, at dinner; with warm lighting and a muted hum of chatter and someone else sitting across from him. “With the fancy napkins.”

“I think I would’ve mentioned the horrors of scraping together enough money for anything like that,” he says, and Mike’s efforts at miming cradling the aforementioned, hypothetical napkin receive a raised eyebrow. “Seriously, is something going on? If Max—”

“Nothing’s happening,” Mike tells him, passing him out and swiveling around to keep walking backwards, reversing into the couch and pretending he didn’t whack his knee as he drops onto it, picking at the edge of the nearest cushion, sprawling out as much as he can manage to. “Which is precisely why I’m here. Well, one of the reasons.”

Will hums, folding his arms and leaning on the back of the couch, contemplative. It has no right to be as endearing as it is. “Are there a lot of reasons?”

“I’m not allowed to visit you anymore?” Mike jokes. “Should I have called and given you a week’s notice?” He sits up, relishing the back and forth. “Should I—”

“No, you’re just… I dunno.” Will pokes his shoulder and skirts the couch, settling in the space Mike makes for him. “You seem nervous. Like there’s something you’re not telling me.”

Shit.

Mike lets out what may be considered as the fakest laugh he’s ever mustered, darting his eyes away and plastering on a frown. He gives a half-hearted attempt at an unconvinced, hopefully somewhat assuring scoff, tugging free the crease that’s formed at the ankle of his jeans. “What makes you say that?” he asks. He’d like to describe it as nonchalant. Maybe he’s not as good at hiding as the boy in front of him, but he’s been sidestepping the obvious for what feels like his whole life. He’s had more than enough practice.

“Oh, my God,” Will says, sitting forward, face alight in ways that terrify Mike. “There’s another reason, there’s a huge reason you’re here, you—”

“It’s Valentine’s Day, right?”

The shift in Will’s expression is instantaneous. It might’ve qualified as comical, too, if Mike’s heart wasn’t trying its damndest not to explode. Again, counterproductive.

Will’s mouth drops open a little, the line of his body stock still, and just hovers there, close enough that the warmth of his breath brushes Mike’s face, and the room slips into little more than a backdrop. Mike searches his eyes for a sign that’s not there. He lifts a hand from where it’s resting on a dark green cushion, weighing the implications and consequences of reaching out against the part of him that doesn’t want to consider technicalities until far, far later. The moment stretches, engraving itself into Mike’s memory. 

And then it shatters.

Will slumps back, clearing his throat twice in rapid succession, and the corners of his mouth quirk up in diplomacy. “I mean, you’re not wrong.”

Mike’s throat feels unreasonably dry. “Nope,” he says, omitting any mention of the crisis he’d had marching down the hall, questioning whether he’d gotten the date wrong and everything would blow up in his face tenfold, and just drumming his fingers against his thigh.

“So—” Will frowns, “what are you trying to say?”

This was all going much smoother during the numerous rehearsals in his head. “It’s Valentine’s Day,” he parrots, trying not to think about Will’s sharp inhale too much, “and I haven’t done something on Valentine’s Day for years, and you’re free, and I’m free, and…” he trails off, searching for the right words. “I don’t know, I thought we could hang out.” 

Silence.

It’s about to backfire, he can sense it, so he rushes to add: “In solidarity.”

“Right,” Will says, faraway. Mike sort of needs to run outside and scream for an untold amount of time.

“Doesn’t have to be super special,” he says, sensing the need for a prompt change in subject. “Unless you want it to be special, but I just figured— like, what were you gonna do before I came?”

Will glances at him once, quizzical, but drops it. 

—

It’s a short walk from the dorm to the closest Circle K, and one spent wrapped up in pleasant, amicable conversation, catching up on the various aspects of each other’s lives that aren’t entwined already, and about halfway there Will stoops to tie his shoelace. As Mike waits he considers how scary it could be if he dwells too long on how noteworthy the most mundane tasks become in Will Byers’ company.

They wander inside, Mike leaning on the door to open it for Will in what he hopes is a courteous manner, and trails down an aisle beside Will, the faint beat of a trashy pop song barely covering the echo of their footsteps on the tiles.

“Just the sodas?” Mike checks, swerving to avoid a display stacked high.

“Yeah,” Will says, nabbing a coke and gesturing to the fridge. “Take your pick.”

Mike reaches for a 7Up.

“Knew it,” Will says, something indecipherable in his tone. And then he’s extending a hand, covering Mike’s for a split second — long enough for an odd sensation to bloom in his ribs, but short enough for him to want to say, fuck it, and tangle their fingers, but Will teases the can out of his grip, leaving Mike with a cool smear of condensation on his palm.

“We can pool our resources,” Mike quips as Will deposits the cans on the counter. The cashier flicks a lazy glance at them and tells them the price. “I have a quarter.”

“Generous of you,” Will observes, producing a crumpled dollar note from his back pocket.

They settle on a wall outside, and Mike kicks the solid stone intermittently with his dangling heels, sipping away as Will starts to talk. The sky runs like spilled ink above them, perforated with only a smattering of stars and a few dark clouds, but Will is bathed in the gold ring of a streetlamp. There’s a lull in conversation, but it’s fine. Mike’s content to stay here all night.

“This was nice,” he says, in lieu of everything else.

Will bumps against his shoulder. “Yeah?”

A tiny droplet of rain lands on Mike’s nose, and three more freckle more of his exposed skin. A low fizz kicks up, drilling into the gray landscape surrounding them, and more dots pepper on the wall.

“Yeah.”  Will turns away. Mike scans the area around them, but they’re alone save for a few empty chip packets strewn across the concrete. Will’s gorgeous. Mike can’t explain it, but he knows when warmth floods your veins it’s a sign that merits extra morosis, and his intentions are in the right place, and it’s so hard to steer himself in any direction other than pitching forward and propping up a hand on the other side of Will’s jaw. Mike doesn’t let himself think too much of it as he presses a kiss to Will’s cheek.

It’s as short-lived as it is sweet: Will’s answering gasp, all wide eyes and questions in every line of his face, the beads of rain on his skin, near lucent in the orange lighting, the tickle of his bangs getting in Mike’s eyes a little when he turns.

And then Will’s breaking away to set down his Coke, and closing the gap between them.

Truthfully, Mike didn’t know that kissing could feel like this. It seems like something so untouchable, so far from what’s in his own comprehension of the world, that finding this kind of warmth could happen, but Will’s slinging an arm around his back and all coherent thoughts promptly dissolve in the now steadily falling rain. 

[shoto-chann]

Hiii!! I honestly love your fics so much!! If you have time, please consider writing lee todoroki with ler ojiro! (Just like your tumblr-wallpaper hehe). I love the intense tickles (just like what you did with bakugou and jiro, it was beyond awesome)!! Thank you so much in advance (P.S. please no foot tickles)

Thanks! I appreciate this so much! And don't worry, there will be no foot tickles here :)

Being A Kid Again

My Hero Academia

Lee:

Ler:

Summary: Todoroki wonders why Ojiro acts so happy and childish all the time in the dorms, and Ojiro shows him why he does and why Todoroki should as well

Todoroki was scrolling through his photos, trying to figure out which photo he wanted to make his lockscreen. He's been at this for two hours, and he's made no progress at all. He had been thinking of just taking another photo, but he wasn't sure what kind of photo he wanted to have. "Damn it, I didn't think finding a photo would be this hard." He said with a frustrated tone. The whole entire reason he couldn't find a perfect photo is because he has nothing but business photos. He only kept pictures of homework and notes on his phone. He didn't have a single photo of him or his friends on his phone. He wanted to have one, but he didn't understand why anyone would do that. He'd have to ask one of his friends.

Turns out, Todoroki didn't need to get up because coincidentally, someone knocked on his door. He looked up from his phone. "Come in." The door opened, and Ojiro walked in, a huge smile on his face. "Hi, Todoroki." "Hey, Ojiro." Ojiro closed the door behind him and sat in a chair next to his friend. Todoroki couldn't help but notice the smile plastered on Ojiro's face. "What's with the huge smile?" "Oh, it's nothing. I just pranked Sero earlier, and I couldn't stop laughing. His reaction was priceless." Ojiro started laughing again. "Here, I have the video." He showed Todoroki the video of Sero's reaction of the prank. "You scared him with a blanket, a mask, and a fake knife?" Todoroki asked. "Yeheah." "You dressed up as Ghostface to scare Sero?" Ojiro only nodded and laughed again. "Hohow are you not laughing? That was hilarious." Todoroki only shrugged. "Seems a little childish." Ojiro composed himself after a minutes of laughing and looked at Todoroki.

"Childish? What do you mean?" "That prank was a bit childish, and to think that someone fell for it...it's just weird." Ojiro tilted his head. "So? What's wrong with being a bit childish? We're still kids ourselves, so we should live like one, shouldn't we?" Todoroki thought this was a good point. They were hero students in training, but they were kids overall. But still...

"That's true, but we're in a professional environment." "Since when has that stopped us? Kaminari acts like a child all the time, Midoriya loves showing his childish side every day, and even Bakugo has shown a softer side a few times." That statement made Todoroki skeptical. "Bakugo? Having a softer side? I don't believe that." "It's true. Just ask Jirou." Ojiro scooted closer to Todoroki. "Look, we both know we're kids, and we have to live life as much as we can. It's okay to be a kid every once in a while." Todoroki only shrugged. "I guess." Ojiro raised an eyebrow and grinned. "You don't sound convinced, Todoroki." Todoroki knew that tone too well. He knew Ojiro picked up that tone from Midoriya. "Ojiro, don't even think about it." "Think about what?" Ojiro asked as if he wasn't planning anything. "I'm not thinking of anything, Todoroki." "I know you are. You have that look in your eye." Ojiro only chuckled. "You're crazy, Todoroki." Todoroki scooted away to the edge of the bed, ready to run. "Ojiro, don't do it. I swear, if you even think of ti-hahahaha!" Ojiro didn't let him finish as he used his tail to lightly tickle his left side. Todoroki jolted to the right, only for Ojiro to lightly tickle his right side. "Ohohojiroho!" "Yeeees?" Todoroki fell backwards on his bed and tried to cover his sides, but Ojiro just pinned his hands above his head using his tail. He used his hands to start full on tickling his sides and tummy. Todoroki laughed and squirmed in place, trying to make the tickles less intense for him. "Whahat the hehehell, Ohojirohoho?!" "What? I'm a kid, remember? I'm just living like a kid, kinda like how you should be." He responded as he sped up the tickling. "Thihihis ihihisn't ahahaprohopriahate!" "Wow, you're starting to sound like Iida." Ojiro teases.

Todoroki tried kicking Ojiro, but Ojiro just pushed his feet away and sat on them. "That wasn't very nice, Peppermint." He smirked and made his way to Shoto's ribs, increasing the peppermint's cute laugh. Shoto just wiggled and wiggled in place as Ojiro's fingers tickled every inch of his rib cage. "Stahahap! Ohohojiro!" "Hmm...only if you agree to stop acting like an adult all the time." "Buhuhut-" Todoroki was cut short when he felt Ojiro's fingers on his palms. "FINE! I PROHOHOHOMISE! I PROHOHOMISE!" Ojiro laughed at Todoroki's immediate response. "It was just getting good too." He playfully whined. But Ojiro stopped as he promised to let Todoroki breathe. He knew Todoroki didn't like being tickled for too long, and he didn't wanna go overboard with the tickling. The half and half hero took some deep breaths for a few minutes, a wide smile plastered on his face.

"Now was that really so hard?" Ojiro teased. "Shut up" Todoroki said, playfully pushing Ojiro, his smile never leaving. "Although, I will admit...that was pretty fun." Shoto said after a bit. "I'm glad to hear that. Now do you understand why it's important to be a kid sometimes?" "Yeah. I do. I completely forgot what I had on my mind before all that happened." Just then, Todoroki's phone dinged. He checked it and saw it was a message from Iida.

Iida: Todoroki, can you and whoever else is in your room keep it down? People do not need to hear all of that noise while they are trying to study. Please and thank you. -Tenya Iida

Todoroki chuckled. Then he checked his lockscreen and remembered what he wanted to do, a frown slowly removing his smile. Ojiro caught note of this and tilted his head curiosly. "Is everything okay, Sho?" "Yeah. It's just I remembered I wanted to change my lockscreen earlier and wanted to ask someone for suggestions." Hearing this made Ojiro smile. "Ohoh, I have just the thing for you."

Ojiro and Shoto spent the rest of the day taking funny pictures together and with their other friends. They also played funny pranks on each of their friends (including Iida, who had later tickled them for disturbing his studies). After the day ended, Todoroki went through his new photos of today, finally realizing why people have pictures of their friends and funny moments. After careful consideration, Todoroki ended up choosing a photo for his lockscreen: the photo of him and Ojiro tickling each other like the kids that they are.

*Sorry this story is so short. I'm trying to catch up with all the asks people have sent me, so they may not be as good as they were in the past. But I will try my best to make them great stories

That's all for now. Until next time,

❄️🔥 shoto-chann 🔥❄️ out