#this is right up my occult alley

[softerpixels]

ykw the sims team may have nibbled...

[lotussimscc]

My Favorite Downloadable Sim Creators!

If you are anything like me, you end up putting a lot of effort into your main character sim, but don't really have the energy to create the rest of the town. The townies the game creates just don't fit the world you created in your head, so you end up disappointed. Well, a great solution is downloading other people's amazing sims and using MCCC to populate them in your town! No more random ugly townies, now you have pretty people with their own stories! Here is my list of favorite sim creators (in no particular order) and a brief description about what they make:

@wildfairies (Tag/Patreon) - Maxis-Match, CC-Mid. Makes a nice blend of regular and occult sims. They all look unique and pretty without being too overly detailed or distracting while playing! Most available sims have one outfit each.

@sunnyssimming (Tag/Patreon) - Maxis-Mix, CC-mid. Makes gorgeous female sims (and one guy). She makes mostly Maxis-Match, but some hair or makeup might dip into the alpha category. Available sims have one outfit each.

@m0ckest (Tag/Patreon) - Maxis-Match, CC-Free (she has a page with default replacements she uses if you want the sims to look one-to-one). She releases townie makeovers, brand-new sims, and lots. I'm honestly pretty impressed with how good her sims look without using CC!

@pearlean (Tag/Patreon) - Maxis-Match/Custom Art Style, CC-Mid/Heavy. She has her own art style which I would say is closest to something like Telltale's Walking Dead game, which is aided by her beautiful GShade preset. Some base sims and some with one outfit.

@nikatyler (Tag/Patreon) - Maxis-Match, CC-Lite. If you want a full catalog of available sims, you'll want to check her out (seriously, 29 pages of Sims 4 downloads alone, and she has stuff for Sims 3 as well). She has townie makeovers, brand-new sims, lots, and a good mix of regular and occult sims! Most downloads have all outfits included.

@seyvia (Tag) - Maxis-Mix, CC-Mid/Heavy. She has a more cartoony art style with large eyes and expressive faces, which is right up my alley! She has also remade the Stardew Valley bachelors/bachelorettes and even has some CC-Free downloads. Downloads have all outfits included.

@puppycheesecake (Tag) - Maxis-Match, CC-Mid. They have some really creative ideas for sims, with a lot of horror/occult/fantasy-inspired ones (although there are plenty of regular sims, too!) Some downloads have all outfits, some have one, but it is labelled which is which on each sim.

@youngcozyboy (Tag) - Maxis-Mix/Alpha, CC-Heavy. Anime/cartoon-influenced, with some more NSFW downloads/pictures sprinkled in there. They have a large catalog of downloads/townie makeovers and plenty of fantasy-inspired sims (which is something I always love to see). They are Korean, so you'll have to rename the sims once you've downloaded them if you don't speak it, but that isn't a big deal. Also, their screenshots are so expressive and pretty, it really captures each sim's personality! Most sims have one outfit included.

@ladychaos (Tag/Patreon) - Maxis-Match, CC-Lite/Free. She has her own save file that you can download and use, but she also posts everything to the gallery and her Patreon! Her lots and households all have a cozy look/feel to them and have their own stories to tell. I particular love her Strangerville ones! All downloads have all outfits included.

@bansheeso (Tag/Patreon) - Maxis-Match/Mix, CC-Mid. If you are looking for some pretty occult boys (and one girl), then she is the person to go to. I love populating my town with some occult/fantasy sims, so her creations are great for my world! Their household names are in Ukrainian, but that's not a problem since they can easily be renamed. Each download has one outfit.

@fallstaticexit (Tag) - Maxis-Match, CC-Mid. Some nice looking townie makeovers along with some retired sims from their stories. Really solid additions to any world! If you do check her out, be sure to look at her Children of the Forest story, I'm very invested in it! Some come with all their outfits and some come with one.

@acuar-io (Tag/Patreon) - Maxis-Match, CC-Mid. He makes some great, unique-looking sims and makeovers. No same-face syndrome here, each sim has their own distinct face structure with some wrinkles, moles, and other details that I feel like get overlooked too often to make the most beautiful sim. Unique sims have one outfit and makeovers have all outfits.

@kharssims (Tag) - Maxis-Match, CC-Mid/High. He focuses on male sims and they look great! The perfect amount of facial details like wrinkles, freckles, and moles to keep them looking unique and like an actual person you could come across. Each download has one outfit.

@thebramblewood (Tag) - Maxis-Match, CC-Lite/Mid. While they may not have a huge catalog, I think that they have a great selection of maxis-match sims, both makeovers and originals, to choose from. My personal favorite of theirs is Bridget Bledsoe from their Occult Sim Dump! Each sim has one outfit.

Some Honorable Mentions!

@occultradio (Tag) - Maxis-Match, CC-Mid. They don't make sim downloads often, but I love the ones they have available so much. Their Mothman is one of my favorite sims in my entire gallery!

@mothelette - They don't have their sims up for download, but I gotta point out the witchcraft they perform to make their beautifully-stylized sims. Their creations are amazing.

@nefarrilou - They don't have their sims up for download, but they do create beautiful lookbooks. Occults, townie makeovers, and recreations of popular characters in media, they'll have something you'll enjoy!

[cookeybg]

The Colony Possessed - Chapter 4

Title: The Colony Possessed

Main Characters: Gotham, Bruce Wayne, Alfred Pennyworth, Dick Grayson, Jason Todd, Tim Drake, Damian Wayne

Narrators: Hal Jordan, Barry Allen, OC - Kam, John Constantine, will add others as chapters progress

Honorable Mentions: Wally West, Talia Al Ghul, Damian Al Ghul

No romantic relationships

Stuff to Know: Cryptid Batfamily, maybe a bit spooky, Hopefully a bit amusing, Gotham LOVES Batman and she always will, it's concerning

[The Colony Possessed Table of Contents]

Chapter 4 - It feeds off you, mate

“I know you’re there.” John Constantine called out to the dark, hands buried in the pockets of his beige trench-coat, legs spread shoulder width apart, smoke rising from the lit cigarette he smoked. He knew that Bats would not appreciate his presence in his city, but anything out of the ordinary, anything remotely devilish or cursed was his business so, his old pal could suck it. The alley darkened to the point where he could only see a few feet in front of him. The shadows coalesced and bright green eyes shone, no pupil, no white, just pointy green like upside down half moons. The shadows giggled, they caressed his hair, a shiver ran down his spine. “Hello.” The voice echoed against the brick walls, female sounding, soft. The pair of eyes faded in and out in the dark. “No, no,” John shook a finger at it, “I need all of your attention.” John stomped his foot on the ground and an elaborate circle with sigils lit up, causing the shadows to hiss. All at once the shadows darkened and gathered in one spot on the ground in front of him. It was in the shape of a petite woman, long wavy black hair that moved like smoke draped her back, her body the color of coal and acid eyes green eyes glared at him. “What do you want, friend.” She hissed. “Friend, eh? What’s my new friend’s name?” She tilted her head and simply said, “Gotham.” John whistled in surprised, rocking his body back and forth on his heels, “A sentient city.” He knew it! From the day he met the Bat, something wasn’t right. If he ignored his broody countenance, his sharp words, and his gloomy disposition, he could feel another presence hanging off the Bat. It was subtle and vague, cleverly hidden.

He hadn’t been sure, thought that maybe it had been something else. He had even gone to the Watch Tower after he heard of the rumors of it possibly being haunted and found nothing. Bats though, exuded something supernatural, no matter if the grump claimed to not believe in the occult. Heck he had felt it in the man’s children, in his cave, but whenever he looked too closely the thing would disappear. Until recently. The presence had gotten stronger. The proof stood in front of him, it had taken a humanoid form, no longer just an essence. Mixed with something else, something vicious. “I know of your type. Calls herself Angela. Good for a fun time but brings me trouble. What do you want with Bats?” Gotham was no longer looking at John, instead she stared at her hands the shape of long pointy fingers shrinking into dull stubs, she wiggled them. “I’m his, my Bat.” She eventually responded. John watched her as she moved her legs, feet forming solidly, toes wiggling on the sodden cobbled stones. This was going to be troublesome. A city who thought it belonged to a human. Gotham touched her face, its shadowy tendrils taking shape into a proper jawline, lips, nose and forehead. Her hands trailed down her body and she jumped up and down, her breasts bouncing. John enjoyed the show. “You’re a city. You don’t belong to anyone.” Gotham flicked her wrists and a flowy black dress appeared to cover her body, she looked up at him, her almond eyes wide. “I’m his. Fixes me. Loves me.” John nodded as if that made sense. Gotham had an innocence to her despite it existing for hundreds of years. Honestly, he had expected her to be twisted and blood thirsty with the way Gothamites lived here. With all the corruption, death and the crazies. He was surprised that it seemed it hadn’t affected her. “Let me go?” she said tilting her head. John hummed. “Not yet, gotta figure out what to do with you. Does Bats know you exist?” “They know.” Gotham pointed up. John’s eyes followed and were met with four pairs of white eyes, narrowed. They perched like the gargoyles that sat sentinel in the city skylines. He flinched at the crack of a bullet being fired. It ricocheted off the floor next to his feet. “Oy!” The circle flickered. Gotham jumped, floating up so that John’s eyes were met with hers. She cupped his face, her smile unnaturally wide, brilliantly white, and stared deeply into his eyes. Blunt fingers turning sharp, digging into his cheeks before relenting, before making him bleed. “Thank you, friend of my Bat.” She dissipated, leaving him with the ominous birds. He looked up at them, he could feel her presence within them. “Get out of Gotham.” Their words bounced off the brick walls around him, he swore he could hear the flutter of wings at their departure. “It feeds off you, mate.” John said, to no one.

Sorry for the not updating, been having a rough few days (weeks, I guess). Been wanting to write but couldn't get myself to move. Anyways, I will be updating a few of my other fics now, I hope you enjoy them! <3

[nikatyler]

🦇 13 Deadly Nights of CAS 🐺

So you're looking for an October challenge? Got ya! A successor to my last year's 28 Bloody Nights of CAS is here!

You can start posting whenever you'd like! I'm personally gonna start on October 1st and then I'll spread out the posts all through October. All occults are welcome! (even though I'll be doing mostly vampires, if you know me you're not surprised at all haha)

There's no right or wrong way to do the prompt, get creative 💜

Make sure to tag your posts so I can see and rb them and definitely let me know if you'll be making videos/tiktoks etc of these! (I know I will, just throwing that out there 👀)

Also: If last year's longer Bloody Nights are more up your alley, you can totally do that too, doesn't matter. Maybe do both if you feel like it? Pick and choose and mix them up? Idk, I'd love to see any take on these.

👻 Prompts transcribed below 👽

1) Fan of the Supernatural

2) Perfectly Disguised

3) A Timeless Beauty

4) Born Monstrous

5) Child-Faced Hunter

6) Gone Missing

7) Broken Angel

8) Devoted Guardian

9) Motherly Creature

10) In Broad Daylight

11) Undead Superstar

12) Midnight Nightmare

13) Survivor of the Horrors

[simtleman]

Okay, so I'd be liying if I say I didn't roll my eyes when the Life & Death EP was announced... I'm not an occult kinda simmer so I felt like this gorgeous 1920s short hairstyle was going to be the only thing about it I'd be interested in.

However, after building myself a mansion that took me way too long and investing some time in setting up the right enviroment for my gameplay, I feel like I can confidently say this might be one of the best EP we've gotten since Cottage Living.

The foggy, mysterious, dark academia vibe Ravenwood is showered in is totally up my alley. I even found myself enjoying the gameplay itself (which doesn't really happen very often in TS4 EPs for me, to be honest) with the whole bucket list thing, the Alice plotline and the delicious references to TS2. Yes, we old school simmers appreciate details like that.

Plus (and I know this is one of the reasons people are upset about, because they feel like EA is milking us once again... which of course they are lol), seems to me like this EP works pretty well with the Paranormal stuff pack if you have it and serves for a great storyline.

What do you guys think, are you enjoying it so far? I'm glad EA finally seems to be listening to us and actually putting some effort in the releases... let's hope the strike continues on!

[melsie-sims]

Sharing Some Simblr Love! 😍💜

Since my queue is a bit lacking right now I thought it'd be fun to share some of my favorite Simblrs to binge-read at the moment, in no particular order!

@payte // Princess Legacy Challenge & Ryan's Legacy. I'm a bit behind but I will catch up soon on both!

@pixel-bloom // Their Postcard Legacy is amazing! I'm particularly fond of stories/gameplay posts with lots of dialogue!

@eurosimmer // Bloom Legacy! The gameplay and storytelling style is just totally up my alley.

@cyazurai // Also really invested in her Princess Legacy and her newest BACC over on her other blog (The next @).

@etherealedensims // Cyan's new occult BACC!

@samssims // I'm just a HUGE fan of Princess Legacies right now, okay?

@pixelnrd // I'm so fond of her Decades! I've been following her for a really long time! There's so much diversity in her characters!

@aheathen-conceivably // Another Decades that I'm obsessed with! I'm not completely caught up but it's on my to-do list!

@nitrozem // Cute, quirky sims and really aesthetically pleasing screenshots! Really love their builds/decorating style!

@keoni-chan // I'm so thrilled that Angler's Bay (Sims 2) is back! Definitely worth checking out!

@the-hippiesimmer // I think we discovered each other during Boop, correct me if I'm wrong. I love Sims 2 Pleasantview gameplay and this one is brand freakin' new!

@iolesims Her Sims 2 Stornaway BACC definitely inspires me with my Sims 2 gameplay! I'm obsessed!

@rena-sims // I've definitely shouted out Rena before but her Sims 2 BACC is definitely one of my faves to read through!

I could literally go on forever! I love so many of you! 😍🥰

Boopity boop! 🐾

[emotionally-imbruised]

Wandering Souls

A/N: Hello lovelies! Long time no see, hope you are all doing well. I know I kinda fell off the face of the earth HOWEVER for spooky season this year I decided to make a small comeback of sorts by rewriting one of my old fics on here. The one I went with was Wandering Souls, an old vampire fic that was actually painful for me to reread all these years later lmaooo BUT here she is rewritten with an orignal fmc and, in my opinion, soooo much better than before. I hope you enjoy and would love to hear your thoughts!

Word Count: 4.7k

The cool Autumn air nipped at Josie’s skin, making her shrug more into the bulky wool scarf she wore while making her way home for the evening.

Despite her resentment toward the time of year, Josie couldn’t deny that she loved the beauty October displayed around New York City. The shift into colder weather was always more tolerable with the warm decorations and colours of Fall before the inevitable miserableness Winter brought along soon after.

Too bad, for Josie, the wonders of October were ruined by the dreadful celebration everyone else seemingly looked forward to at the end of the month.

It was Halloween. But, despite the festive decorations and people rushing around to get last-minute candy or items for a costume, Josie tried to ignore it.

October 31st marked yet another full circle the earth made around the sun, indicating another year passed since Josie’s world was flipped upside down… over 200 years ago.

She continued through the bustling streets of New York, dodging other pedestrians and walking around the slow movers she didn’t have the patience to be stuck behind. They wreaked of blood. Every one of them. It was borderline overbearing as Josie was forcibly reminded that it’d been weeks since she last properly fed. Good thing she’d had over two centuries of practice of not giving into that bloodlust and ripping into a stranger's neck right then and there. Instead, she cut away from the crowded sidewalk and turned down an empty alleyway she knew as a shortcut back to her apartment.

To a typical human woman, walking alone down a dimly lit path shortly after nightfall had taken over for the evening screamed danger. To Josie, it was nothing. After all, she was the bloodthirsty predator in this situation.

The sound of her heeled boots meeting the pavement echoed with each step, becoming louder as she walked further into the alley. She was no more than 10 minutes from being home, however, a shift in her surroundings made Josie be on high alert.

A cool breeze blew past her, whipping her hair around while any debris littering the alley remained undisturbed. Then the air went cold. Josie wrapped her arms around her torso, shivering at the sudden temperature change, but kept her cool while she ignored the feeling of being watched. The eeriness remained as she glanced over her shoulder in search of the presence she so greatly felt. Whatever was following her wasn’t human, she would’ve picked up on their scent if they were and could tell whatever lurked was still near despite not being visible.

Josie could identify most creatures by their scent, but this one was masking theirs, leading her to believe they knew what she was or it was something she’d never encountered in her long lifetime. New York City was full of the supernatural. Vampires, Witches and Werewolves just scratched the surface of the occult entities that existed amongst the humans.

Although she primarily kept to herself, Josie knew many other vampires who roamed the same city as her. A few were in positions of power and fame, living in the global public eye but keen on keeping their true nature unknown to humans. On the other hand, Josie had no desire for anyone’s attention and often created aliases to give to any human colleagues or acquaintances she made. She always had her bases covered for watching her own back and keeping under the radar, which had her wondering why she was being watched.

There was no chance Josie was going home while being followed. She hadn’t determined whether or not whatever was near posed any threat to her, but still, she kept a straight face as she continued walking.

With each step, her surroundings became more eerie and Josie felt the invisible presence behind her keep up easily. She was calculating what to do next while waiting for a chance to make a move and attack first, and then she felt it. The presence was closer, falling in step behind her. Josie knew she had to act.

Without a second thought and faster than any human could see, she whipped around to grab ahold of who was behind her. It wasn’t until she had them pressed against a nearby brick wall that she finally got a good look at them, and once she did, annoyance took over.

“Oh, for fuck sake,” Josie hissed through gritted teeth and harshly pushed the light curly-haired man back against the wall again by his neck. “You know better than to sneak up on me, Harry.”

“Josephine, always a pleasure,” Harry greeted cockily, his British accent sounding like velvet as he flashed his infamous dimpled grin. “Never can be a simple reunion with you, can it?”

“It’s been 10 years,” Josie seethed as she gripped tighter.

“Oh, don’t be a drag. Better late than never, right?”

“God, you’re such an ass.”

Josie wanted nothing more than to smack the smug grin off Harry’s face, but instead, she kept her composure and even loosened her grip on the other vampire’s neck. Unfortunately for her, though, Harry took that as a second of vulnerability.

In the blink of an eye, Harry grabbed Josie’s arm and pulled her toward him, spinning them around and making Josie groan as he pushed her against the wall just like she’d done to him moments before.

“Get off of me,” Josie snapped then pushed Harry away. He just laughed in response, looking stupidly handsome as he did so. “What the hell do you want?”

“I’ve missed my best friend,” Harry pouted as Josie walked away. “Can’t I just drop in for a visit with her because I feel like it?”

“Not when the last time I saw you, you snapped my neck and then disappeared without a trace. For 10 years, need I remind you. Some best friend.”

Harry groaned as he followed after her.

“You’re still bitter over that? How many times do I have to apologize?”

“You haven’t apologized,” Josie stated in annoyance, then turned around to face him. “I haven’t seen you since it happened, asshole. Now, you only come looking for me when you’ve royally fucked up, or you need something. So, which is it?”

“I do not,” he grumbled, making her scoff.

“Yeah, right.”

Harry rolled his eyes.

“I’m here for a celebration, actually,” he replied then paused while he reached into his jacket pocket and pulled out a small blood bag he must’ve stolen from a hospital with a sad tiny drawing of a candle taped to it. “Happy Birthday!”

“Not my birthday,” Josie muttered then took the bag from him and ripped it open. Once she was finished draining its contents into her mouth, she tossed it into a nearby trashcan.

“Thanks for sharing,” Harry huffed, making Josie smirk. “And, yes, it is. It’s Halloween. Also known as our birthday.”

“No, your birthday is in February,” Josie corrected and Harry rolled his eyes again. “You know I don’t celebrate our birthdays on Halloween 'cause it’s not our birthday. It’s the day we died, Harry. 200 years ago.”

“And you don’t look a day over 100.”

“I can’t stand you.”

Josie turned on her heel and started walking away again, earning another annoyed groan from the other vampire.

“Josephine,” Harry called as he easily caught up, then grabbed hold of her arm and turned her back to look at him. Once they were face to face again, Harry held her gaze, then sighed.

A familiar silence fell between them. It wasn’t awkward. It never was between them given their long past together and they both just needed a moment to take the other in after 10 long years apart. Eventually, it was Josie who broke that silence.

“You know I hate being called Josephine,” she said, shuddering at the formal use of her full name.

“I do,” Harry agreed. “But I’m not just anybody.”

He was right and was well aware that no one would ever have the same significance to Josie as he did.

“Why are you here, Harry?”

“I’ve missed you. It’s been a long time. Too long, Jose.”

Josie gave him another once-over while he was not so subtly roaming her body with his gaze as well.

“Your hair is longer,” she told him. “It looks good. In a messy, greasy kind of way.”

“Bet it’d look better with your hands running through it,” he replied and swiftly snaked his arm around her waist, pulling her toward him.

“No beating around the bush this time, hm? You’d love for me to give in to you that easily, wouldn’t you?”

“I mean, it has been 10 years.”

“That it has.”

“We could go back to yours. What do you say?”

“I say,” Josie started and moved to brush your lips against Harry’s teasingly. He exhaled as she moved away slightly, then gently placed her hands behind his neck. She let her fists tangle into his curls for a moment before quickly moving one hand to his chin, and twisting his head to the side until there was a sickening crack. Harry’s body went limp, and Josie let it fall to the ground, then stepped over it and continued on her way home as if nothing happened. “That payback is a bitch.”

About an hour later, Josie was curled up on her favourite chair reading a popular book she’d seen on TikTok about a Fae and human falling love when Harry burst through her apartment door.

“Ok, I guess I deserved that,” he stated then cracked his probably stiff neck. “I don’t remember you ever playing this dirty. I’m impressed.”

“And I thought I’d have at least another hour before you woke up,” Josie muttered then set her book down.

Harry rolled his eyes as she stood and crossed the small space between them, brushing her shoulder against his before heading down the hallway to her bedroom.

“Where are you going?” Harry asked, then followed after her.

“I’m changing into something comfy,” Josie replied before switching on the bedroom light and walking over to her dresser.

“Why? It’s Halloween. We should go out.”

“No.”

He groaned then flopped onto her bed, moving his gaze to stare at the ceiling. “When did you get so boring?”

“Not boring, just tired,” Josie answered as a matter of fact. “I mean, you can leave if you want.”

“Haha, funny,” Harry snarked, then leaned onto his elbows to look at her better. Josie smirked as she pulled the long-sleeved shirt she’d worn all day up and over her head before tossing it into the dirty laundry basket by the doorway. Harry’s eyes remained glued to her as she did this and made no attempt to cover it up.

“Like what you see?” Josie asked while unbuttoning her jeans and shimmying out of them. She didn’t miss the way Harry’s gaze roamed over the red lacy underwear ensemble she wore.

“Nothing I haven’t seen before,” he replied then adverted his attention from her briefly. “Doesn’t really faze me anymore after 200 years, y’know?”

“Hmm,” Josie hummed in disagreement, glancing down at his lower body. “That boner says otherwise.”

Harry shifted awkwardly onto his side, trying to hide his increasingly visible bulge but remained quiet. Josie smiled to herself triumphantly then turned her back on him and unclasped her bra. The material slid down her arms before falling to the ground with a small thud. She then opened the second drawer of her dresser and pulled out an old worn-out Led Zeppelin t-shirt from the 70’s to slip on and cover herself up with, doing the same with a pair of pyjama shorts right after.

“So that’s where that shirt went,” Harry whispered into her ear, suddenly away from the bed. “Looks better on you than it did on me.”

“Flattery only gets you so far, Harry, you should know this by now,” Josie said before moving around him to climb onto her bed, pulling the duvet over her lap as she leaned against the headboard. “Now are you going to tell me why you’re actually here or not?”

“I want you,” Harry replied suggestively making Josie raise an eyebrow at him in question, Harry paused for dramatic effect as he sat back down on the bed. “To come with me. Y’know, go somewhere new. You’ve been in New York for a long time, and um-.”

He trailed off awkwardly and looked away, clearly thinking about keeping all the details of his unexpected visit hidden from Josie.

“No,” she argued and glanced at him suspiciously. “I like it here, why would I leave?”

“Well, as vampires, it’s, um, good for us to move around,” Harry stammered, keeping his eyes from meeting hers. “So people don’t notice us, right? You’ve been here for a while, soon people will notice.”

“And I’ll deal with it when it happens,” Josie responded and continued to study his odd body language. “If it happens. I’ve been here for nearly 12 years and have done well enough to keep people off my trail about not aging. You never cared about me staying in one place for long before, why now? Is there something you aren't telling me?”

“I… Nathan’s back,” he murmured, almost hoping Josie wouldn’t hear, but her enhanced hearing picked up on it.

“Nathan,” she repeated, then pondered for a moment. She didn’t think she knew anyone named Nathan, but realization and panic soon settled in. Josie took a shaky breath while Harry’s gaze finally met hers again. “Nathan from home. The man responsible for both of us dying and becoming vampires.”

“That’s the one.”

“W-what did he want?”

“Well, after he had someone snap my neck, tie me to a chair then stab me with some wooden stakes when I wouldn’t answer his interrogation… I didn’t get the chance to ask,” Harry explained and started fiddling with the throw blanket draped at the end of the bed. “Was kinda focused on getting out of there.”

“Fuck,” Josie whispered then mindlessly crawled across the bed towards him. Harry flinched slightly as she reached to touch his cheek, but she didn’t pull away. Instead, she moved his head until his eyes met hers. “You’re ok, though, right? You got away and we don’t have to worry about them. We’ve avoided him for 200 years, it’s gotta be alright.”

“I wish it were that simple,” Harry replied with a shrug, then leaned into Josie’s touch as he placed his hand over hers. “I knew he’d been trying to track me down for some time, but I didn’t think he’d actually find me seeing as we’ve done so well in avoiding him for so long. That’s why I stayed away. I didn’t want to lead him to you.”

“That’s why you disappeared.”

Harry nodded.

“He’s already killed us once, Josie. I assumed if I stayed away from you, it’d keep him away too. That you’d be safe.”

“You’re an idiot,” Josie stated before leaning her forehead against Harry’s. “Fuck, Harry, he could have killed you. Let him find me. I’m the one he wants dead.”

“He wants both of us dead, actually,” Harry corrected. “Still has a grudge against us for ruining your betrothal to him all those years ago.”

“And now it’s come back to haunt us.”

Josie sighed and pulled back, but Harry put his hands on hers to prevent her from getting too far.

“Hey,” he spoke softly and inched closer to her, making her feel all kinds of things. “We’ll be ok. I lost them somewhere in Austria over a month ago. Haven’t seen any sign of him or his people since.”

Josie’s undead heart pounded as Harry stared at her intensely. She naturally felt better and safer with him present regardless of the circumstances and just having him back ignited a dull fire within her that was impossible to put out.

“So, what now?”

“We wait. It’d be best to stay under the radar until we see if he does anything.”

“And do what in the meantime?” Josie asked.

Harry let his eyes roam her body again.

“Well, I could think of a few things,” he said and Josie knew exactly what he was implying.

“You’re ridiculous. What an insane thing to suggest after dropping the bomb of us being hunted by a psycho vampire.”

“Are you saying you don’t want to?”

“Well, no,” Josie responded. She couldn’t deny the sexual build-up she felt the moment she saw him again and before she could change her thoughts, Harry leaned in and caught her lips with his in a kiss.

“Great, so we’re on the same page,” he mumbled against her lips as he shifted closer to her then deepened the kiss.

It wasn’t long before Harry’s hands gripped Josie’s waist, then slid to her thighs so he could guide her closer. Soon enough, Josie was straddling his lap and after a few moments of making out, she was the first to pull away.

“Mmm,” she groaned as he squeezed her ass, then kissed him again. “It’s been a long time since we’ve done this.”

“Too long,” Harry responded.

Soon he lifted Josie’s t-shirt over her head and tossed it onto the floor. Once that piece of clothing was discarded, Josie helped Harry remove his own before he started sucking on her neck, making sure to leave love marks all over her in doing so.

“We always fall back into the same routine.”

“Well, what we’re doing is what got us into our current predicament with Nathan, innit? It's kind of foolish for us to think anything would change after 200 years of doing this. Still unsure why you picked me over him.”

“I was young, human, and stupidly in love with my best friend,” Josie explained, then shook her head. “Not with some rich asshole my father sold me off to marry. My sneaking around with you while my marriage to Nathan was set in stone probably wasn’t the smartest idea, but everything about that engagement was forced. I didn’t want to be with him and I couldn’t let myself give into a life of misery being the wife of such a horrible creature. My father would be rolling in his grave at how everything played out.”

“You were everything to me,” Harry replied, the seriousness in his voice surprised Josie.

“Harry-.”

“I mean it, Josie. What happened to us?”

Tears started burning Josie’s eyes, but she refused to cry as she took a deep breath.

“I think we figured this would be easier,” she answered, motioning her hand between them. “No strings attached. This way neither of us is tying the other down. We’re free to do whatever and whomever we want. That doesn’t change what I’ve always felt for you, but nothing was the same once we died. Forever is a long time and we’re already stuck with one another whether we like it or not.”

Harry looked at Josie thoughtfully before reaching his right hand to cup her cheek, before leaning in to kiss her deeply again.

“Haven’t been with anyone in over 200 years that makes me feel the way I do when I’m with you, Jose,” he muttered against her lips. “Almost enjoy tasting you as much as I enjoy the taste of blood.”

Josie moaned as his other hand started fiddling with the waistband of her shorts.

“Mmm, you just want to get in my pants.”

“Well, yes.”

“Typical,” Josie chuckled, then tangled her hands into his hair again.

Soon, Harry flipped the two of them over so he was on top, smirking as he took her exposed upper body in before him. His hands rested on her waist, but he wasted no time moving them to her breasts so he could massage them as he leaned down to kiss her once more. Harry’s mouth slid to Josie’s jaw, leaving a trail of small kisses in his wake until he reached her neck, his favourite spot. The gentle curve of where her neck and shoulder met was somewhere Harry loved giving extra attention to and this time was no different. He grazed his sharp fangs against her sensitive skin before leaving two small punctures that filled with blood. But, as quickly as the blood splotted, it was gone as Harry licked the red liquid away.

Josie’s eyes fluttered and she moaned with pleasure as Harry began sucking on that same spot all while grinding his body against her. She wanted, no, she needed more from him but before she could do anything about that craving, a shuffle sounded from the living room, startling her.

“Did you hear that?” She asked, her eyes locked on the doorway to her bedroom, as though someone may burst through it.

“No,” Harry whined, then moved his mouth down her collarbone. “I didn’t hear anything. You’re just on edge.”

Josie considered his words for a moment, thinking that maybe she was overreacting, but then the faintest footstep made one of the old wooden floorboards of the apartment creak. It was a noise Josie couldn’t ignore with her amplified vampire hearing.

“There’s someone here.”

“Josie.”

Josie didn’t respond as she zipped off the bed, picking up her t-shirt from where it was balled up on the floor and putting it back on faster than any human could even comprehend. Harry groaned but was beside her instantaneously, his t-shirt back on too. Josie watched him for a moment before letting her gaze fall to the prominent bulge that remained in his pants, a smirk tugging at her lips as their eyes met again.

“Don’t start,” Harry whispered harshly, making Josie snort a small laugh.

“Wasn’t gonna,” she said, then stepped toward the door.

Harry was quick to stop her, though.

“No chance you’re just about to walk out of here without a plan of attack in facing whatever is out there.”

Josie blinked at him but remained silent as she opened the door and entered the hallway, disregarding his words entirely. Harry groaned at her stubbornness but followed after nonetheless.

The two vampires slowly and quietly crept down the hall toward the living room, not wanting to alert anything that may be waiting for them. Once they reached the entryway into the living room, Josie peaked around the corner and found the place empty without a single thing out of place. She scoffed and stepped further into the room searching for any indication that an intruder was there, but found none.

Josie felt annoyed at her paranoia but was relieved there was nothing to worry about as she turned to face Harry again. However, before she could speak, a sharp wooden stake whizzed through the air toward her. She dodged the stake quickly, watching as it missed making contact with her body by mere inches and following it with her gaze as it continued soaring through the air until embedding itself deeply into the couch behind her.

Snapping her gaze back to the shadowy corner of the room the stake emerged from, Josie watched as a male vampire she didn’t recognize stepped into the faded lights seeping in from the large window and threw another sharpened piece of wood in her direction, fast. This time, however, Josie didn't dodge the attack. Instead, she reached up to grab the stake out of the air as it approached her, then swiftly rotated it in her hands before chucking the weapon right back at the man, nailing him in the gut.

“Are you kidding me?” She yelled at the unknown vampire, watching as he groaned in pain and then fell to the ground. “I just bought that couch, asshole!”

“Josie, we’ve got bigger things to worry about than furniture,” Harry stated. Josie looked over to see him in an all-out brawl with another vampire, this time a female, she still didn’t recognize. Low grunts left their mouths as they began rolling on the ground desperately trying to get the upper hand against the other.

Josie huffed, annoyed with the situation before turning back to her opponent as he cried in pain from yanking the stake out of his stomach, then stood back up. With an aggravated sigh, Josie ripped the other stake out of the couch and sped over to the man. She grabbed him by his neck, not giving him a chance to react as she forcefully pushed him against the wall like she did to Harry earlier that evening.

“Dick move,” Josie said to the vampire before stabbing her weapon into his chest, making sure it hit the exact spot she knew would kill him once and for all.

Letting the man’s greying, lifeless body slump to the ground, Josie then turned to help Harry out with his goon. However, she only took a few steps toward them before a strong force slammed into her side, making her topple to the ground, hard. She struggled against the hold the new attacker had on her and let out a whimper of pain as he straddled her waist and aggressively pinned her wrists down with his hands.

“My, Nathan wasn’t kidding when he said you were a looker,” the nasty-looking vampire spoke up, making Josie scrunch her face in disgust. “May have to keep yourself.”

“Hm, and I see Nathan still has to send others to do his dirty work for him,” Josie spat, then moved her knee up to meet his groin, using all the strength she could muster. The man let go of her wrists as he groaned in pain and moved back from her slightly. Josie was ready to take this opportunity to finish him off, but then Harry appeared behind him and stabbed another stake into the man’s heart through his back. The newly deceased vampire fell to the ground beside Josie and she quickly glared at her best friend disapprovingly. “I could’ve handled it.”

“You’re welcome, Josephine,” Harry replied simply as he held his hand out to help her stand up.

Josie took his hand but still rolled her eyes as he pulled her into a standing position.

“Y’know, a ‘thanks for saving my life, Harry, I don’t know what I’d do without you’ wouldn’t kill you to say.”

“Well I wouldn’t say the second part of that sentence, that’s for damn sure,” Josie responded, then brushed past him. The bodies of three dead vampires were scattered around her apartment and she was severely annoyed by it. “So, what now? We can’t stay here. Nathan clearly knows where we are.”

“I know,” Harry stated firmly. “We need to leave the state.”

“The state? No, that’s not necessary. I have another place near the Canadian border, we can go there.”

“No, absolutely not. Do you hear yourself right now? Josie, Nathan knows we’re here. There’s bound to be more men where these guys came from, and they’re probably not too far from here. It’s too risky to stay so close.”

“But-,” Josie tried to argue but was cut off.

“No buts,” Harry stated. “God, just stop being so damn stubborn for once in your life and listen!”

His raised voice caused Josie to raise her eyebrows at him in surprise.

“Well now you’re just rude,” she scoffed and made her way to the broken-down front door of her apartment, ignoring him.

“Oh, don’t be like that, Josephine, I’m trying to help you,” he groaned and ran his hand over his face aggravatedly. “We’re in this together.”

“Maybe I don’t want to be in this with you, Harry! You’ll just piss off afterward like you always do. That is if we even make it out alive this time.”

Harry took a deep breath and studied his best friend momentarily before speaking up again.

“You’re not going to make this easy, are you?” He asked, and Josie shrugged. A smirk soon formed on his mouth, one that Josie used to love, but the laugh that left his mouth made her want nothing more than to just smack the stupid look off his face. She went to say something else but his striking green eyes met hers, making her freeze. “Then I’m sorry about this, Jose.”

“What the hell are you talking about-,” Josie began but was cut off abruptly when Harry sped behind her and locked her into a chokehold. “Harry, don’t! If you snap my neck again I swear it’ll be the last thing you do.”

A deep chuckle rippled through Harry and vibrated against Josie’s back as she struggled against his hold.

“Sorry, love, but it’s for your own good,” he stated smoothly. “I’ll see you in a few hours.”

Josie continued to fight and Harry let her for a second longer before he twisted her head to the side with a sickening crack, and everything went black.

[thecowplantwitch]

After lurking for the longest time on my fellow Aussie @alxandergoth and her AMAZING occult legacy challenge posts, I have finally decided to give it a go myself.

This is our founder, Elizabeth Strange! I'm so excited to play through this and hopefully post some cool stuff along the way. I adore all things occult in the sims so this is right up my alley :)

[wouldntyou-liketoknow]

Sol Magee

(For a little extra context about this character, go here.)

My very first fanego based off of Ash from GtLive

Since EldritchPlier has a human friend/ally/follower, it’s only fair that LeviathanPat gets a mortal companion, too. (After all, I created him—along with Caliban and my other EgoPats—because I wanted some characters to parallel some of Mark’s egos.) This means Sol gets some sick bragging rights due to being one of very few humans who can hang out with L.P. without the risk of death or insanity.

Her friendship with L.P. revolves around The Abnormal Orchard, a macabre museum built on the primary portion of L.P.’s territory on Earth. On top of showcases a collection of preserved specimens and oddities (many of which are the results of L.P.’s “experimenting hobby”), it also doubles as a  horror/surreal art gallery (many of which come with some nasty old curses). 

In fact, Sol actually came to the museum before they ever even met L.P.. She inherited the property a couple months after the former owner—a relative of hers—died under very strange circumstances. (That’s a story for another day, but let’s just say professional morticians were…a little shocked. Flabbergasted, you might say. Bamboozled, even.) 

If you’ve read this story of mine, then you already know that L.P. was kept imprisoned in an underground cavern for at least a few millennia. However, despite all the distance between him and other living entities, he still had a strong psychological connection to his territory. So, of course, he can sense pretty much everything that goes on in/around The Abnormal Orchard. Meaning he sensed when Sol arrived. It didn’t take very long for her to hear his voice in her head while she moved into the private suite that was built close to the museum itself. 

Now, irl Ash is nothing if not the personification of “Be Gay, Do Crime” and Sol here is no different. Much like Cruz, they have a disturbing knack for being casual when faced with the supernatural. Only, Sol has even more unconventional energy when it comes to their projects. Enough unconventional energy to have ended up genuinely impressing L.P. (Yeah, that's right! Sol is the type to go for LEATHER JACKETS instead of CLOAKS for rituals!)

Interactions between the two of them were symbiotic at first, but that still managed to grow into legit casual bonding (as casual as you can get with an outer monstrosity, that is). All the while, L.P. decided to teach Sol the ins and outs of occultism, whereas Sol put rituals/offerings together for him.

When L.P. finally managed to escape his prison, the first thing he did (after taunting the unfortunate characters who released him by accident) was travel to The Abnormal Orchard and officially meet Sol in person, who welcomed him with open arms and helped him make a proper lair in the building's attic.

In the way of a ceremonial tool, Sol has a trusty flint-striker knife! Yes, it's smaller than Cruz's gut-hook skinner knife. NO, YOU SHOULD NOT UNDERESTIMATE IT BECAUSE OF THAT. It's absorbed plenty of paranormal juju from all of Sol's shenanigans; it can cut much, much deeper (and therefore draw much more blood) than you'd think. Oh, and its striking half can produce both simple sparks and lashing flames. Just depends on circumstance. (Also, Sol would totally go out of her way to use rainbow flint for the striking. Because, again: "Be Gay, Do Crime...")

Macaroon ain't the only vaguely cat-shaped monstrosity out here! Enter Charcoal: Sol's questionable emotional/moral support, based off of irl Ash's very own Charlie! Where Macaroon was a gift from E.P. to Cruz, Charcoal was a stray alley cat that L.P. guided Sol to find and take in. One complex-yet-strangely-wholesome ritual later, she learned that some cats out there have apparently evolved from DRAGONS. (Hey, c'mon, I've gotta keep a fire-theme going.) Since Charcoal is allowed to roam The Abnormal Orchard at pretty much all hours, he has a glamor to wear around humans other than his owner. But when it comes to rituals, black fur pulls away to reveal a dark scaled, horned, fire-breathing, wyvern-esque wing and barbed-tail having lil' beastie.

Their ritual protection mask is heavily inspired by this one I just happened to find one evening. Of course, I don’t want to plagiarize, so I had to make a few tweaks to the design-concept in my head. For one thing, the eye-holes would come with a pair of small glass lenses; that way, the user can still see without risk of going blind or having their eyes turn into baby-heads or whatever.  For another thing, rather than leather, the material would likely be painted porcelain or something similar—since irl Ash and Matt were both theater kids, I wanted to reference those classic masquerade costumes. And for a final thing, it comes with the outline of a mouth. Specifically speaking, a toothy mouth like the one of this other mask. Here’s the catch, though: Sol’s mask would have a combination of smile on the left side, and frown on the right side (again, to reference classic theater masks. Specifically Comedy and Tragedy).

@sammys-magical-au @inkbedou

[berrypass-de-murdler]

3 - 11 New Aegis, Old Crimes

WAH

NOT AGAIN, AND IT'S CAPITALIZED THIS TIME!

DON'T READ THE EPISODES WITHOUT READING THE BOOKS!!

All Logico can see is blackness. But he can feel a soft breeze on his face, much cleaner air, and his fingers twitching… he has hands!

LOGICO: I… have hands… IRRATINO: Just a little more…

Logico opens his eye slowly. He’s in a cot, surrounded by plants, with a giant skylight overhead, and most importantly, Irratino.

LOGICO: …Irratino… IRRATINO: You’re awake. Thank god, you’re awake!! 

He clutches onto his hand and cries.

IRRATINO: I don’t know what happened… I don’t know what was wrong with me! How did I… Logico I don’t… LOGICO: Nnh… quit being hysterical. Where am I? What happened… IRRATINO: I didn’t trust Dr. Crimson, so I brought you to the New Aegis medicinal facility. You’ve been asleep for five days… I knocked you out so hard… LOGICO: Mmmmmwhatever. Dr. Crimson is still alive?... IRRATINO: Forget that, Logico, how are you feeling? I’ve been worried sick, I haven’t left your side… LOGICO: My goodness, so needy. [pats Tino] I suppose you knocked some sense back into me, because I forgot why we were fighting in the first place. Come now, let us resume our usual activities. IRRATINO: Like murder? LOGICO: … HONEY: A MURDER, A MURDER, OH NOOOO! This is such a bad look for my town! LOGICO: I thought you were the mayor of our town. HONEY: [scoff] I can be both! 

Superfan Smoky is dancing around, and gets right up in Logico’s face.

SMOKY: Murdle is the best movie EVER! I just watched it again last night! LOGICO: …So? SMOKY: YEEEEAAAAAAAAAAAHHHH

He flies weakly with his little wings. Aubergine walks out of Kitschy Kitschy Killing with a pot of soup. 

AUBERGINE: Easy there, loaf! I just about dropped this whole thing! [drops the whole thing] Logico! Buddy! You’re out of the coma! I thought you’d be gone for months!

The soup corrodes the concrete and slowly burns it away.

LOGICO: Yes, hello Aubergine… I’d… like to forget what just happened. I have an average, everyday murder to solve.

Ever since Logico first visited here quite a long time ago, Mayor Honey has been obsessed with the supposed UFO crash site. It seems very likely that he’d kill a bit to boost publicity. Unfortunately, Logico can’t call him out right then and there, even though he’d very much like to.

Smoky runs into a shop called ‘Magick Toys’, and the boys follow. 

IRRATINO: I’ve never been too fond of this store. LOGICO: Really? It seems up your alley. IRRATINO: No, I was never keen on the idea of giving potentially powerful occult artifacts to children without any training.

Logico rolls his eye loudly. Smoky knocks a bag of purple glittery sand off a shelf, and immediately falls into a blissful slumber. Irratino gestures to him madly, but Logico has already left. He draws a marot card for himself anyway, and does a squishy smile at what he reads.

The last place Logico checks is The Mysterious Cave, home to an unpleasant memory. But the memory only worsens, as the cave has been turned into a tourist attraction, featuring artwork recreating the scene of Logico and Mr. Shadow! He can’t even speak looking at this - there’s a crowd of humans pointing and gawking! 

IRRATINO: Logico, where are you?

He sees him staring paralyzed at the cave.

IRRATINO: Oh no…

He picks him up and carries him away. Logico still refuses to speak.

IRRATINO: Logico…

Tears goop from Logico’s eye, but he doesn’t move. Smoky waddles up to him and shoves his giant nose in his face.

SMOKY: Naww, what happened? IRRATINO: …That fucking museum. S-Sorry, I… shouldn’t use that language- SMOKY: [quietly] I gotta help Logico figure out that I did the murder! HEY LOGICO! LET’S GO LOOK FOR CLUES!!! LOGICO: Jesus- what… do you want, Smoky. SMOKY: I found a cool clue! Look!

Logico examines some fingerprints.

LOGICO: …Smoky. You do realize that this blatantly points to you being the culprit, right? SMOKY: [fake gasp] Oh no! NOT ME! 

He winks at Irratino, who shrugs.

SMOKY: I did the murder, so I could be in the next Murdle movie! Did I get in? LOGICO: ……I don’t know, Smoky, ask Hollywood. And go to jail… SMOKY: YAY! Now everything’s bett- JAIL?!

Honey comes wandering up, clapping.

HONEY: What a FANTASTIC conclusion brought on by Deductive Logico, the most wonderful man! There’s something I want to give you SPECIAL ACCESS to - do you want to see the SONIC OSCILLATOR?? IRRATINO: YES! LOGICO: …No.

Irratino runs after the dumb monkey, even though Logico knows this is a death sentence.

The end! 

There are a couple things wrong with this picture too

I don't like this episode sob

The power of Goat Lord compels you!

See you next time murdlers!

[cartoonscientist]

schizo stuff that doesn’t fall within the strict definition of a hyperfixation or special interest but definitely aren’t neurotypical behaviors:

-maintaining lifelong romantic and sexual relationships with fictional characters to the point that you identity certain characters as “yours” as opposed to just being characters you like or are attracted to

-on the other side of the coin, projecting heavily into certain characters and continuously producing highly niche and specified fanwork about them (hey everyone, here’s chapter 73 of my canon compliant AU where Herbert West is receiving 80s era treatment for bipolar disorder and gastrointestinal issues)

-just being super into stuff like transmission towers or lucite high heels or wholesale produce stores and googling them and taking photos of them for your album and everyone knows you have to stop and look if you see one (this is borderline bc non schizo people do this too, but the intense satisfaction and comfort similar to stimming that comes from engaging with these things is something that i think is unique)

-expanding on that, you can feel that certain things have “vibes” or “spiritual significance” that other people can’t detect or only notice when you bring them up, or you get the sense that some places are “portals” or “thin spaces” and seek them out to the point that a vacation to a small unremarkable town can be engaging for you because the little streets and alleys are full of these special places

-basically having a “magic system” or some kind of divination/occultism based on your interests and the recurring themes in your life. you may be able to “read” them passively even when not actively psychotic. we of course never talk to non-schizos about the guidance this provides, or they may feel uncomfortable and concerned and feel the need to confine us.

-the experience of assigning a whole complex rock opera plot to an album you really like and then you tell someone about your interpretation expecting them to go “oh my god dude that blows my fucking mind you’re so right” but instead they’re like “what the fuck goes on in your brain I want to know”

[esupurisupremacist]

[Street Gacha] Chapter 2

Written by 木野誠太郎

Ruka: U~h... In the end I haven't chosen one...

When I was picking up instruments, I felt a some kind of attachment to every one of it, so I couldn't choose between them.

I don't care if it's a "hand-me-down'' from a senior, but maybe it's better to buy a new one...

Suzu: I don't mind that, but when I graduate, you'll be alone with Shizu as a second year student.

If you don't improve by then, you might cause trouble for Shizu.

Ruka: I-I don't like the sound of that that...but I think I'd like to be a little more careful in my decision.

Suzu: Hm. It is true that I struggled when choosing an instrument for the first time too. I decided that my instrument would be the bass, but i am still quite confused

There's still some time. I hope you'd have enought time to think about it until you're is satisfied.

Ruka: Yes, I will...!

By the way, Suzu-senpai. There's still time, so why don't you go shopping at another store?

I don't have many opportunities to walk outside with Suzu-senpai. I was thinking that I would like to try on the clothes that Suzu-senpai wears...

Hehehe. I want to be able to wear cool clothes like Suzu-senpai. Doesn't it suit me?

Suzu: Isn't it okay to try anything? The clothes I'm wearing are just my temporary appearance outside of the stage, so I don't think it's something people would admire...

Oh, and I have enough clothes, so I don't plan on buying new ones. Is that okay? I can watch Ruka shopping from a distance.

Ruka: Suzu-senpai, you really don't have any money...

...KYA~?!

Hayate Yogiri: Wow~! If you'll walk while looking away you'll run into a danger!

Ruka: I-I'm sorry! I'll apologize, please don't take my money!

Hayate: I don't do such things... Are you guys from the light music club...?

Suzu: Oh. Isn't that Hayate Yogiri from "Allies of Justice"? It isn't usual for me to meet you in a place like this.

Hayate: Kuromori-senpai is here too. As we both work part-time at an amusement park, I find it rather strange that we meet in the city. Even in the park, you often spend time changing clothes in the lockers, don't you?

Ruka: Huh..? This person is the one who watched Suzu-senpai changing her clothes...or is she an acquaintance of Suzu-senpai?

It's true that the school newspaper often features her as an "ally of justice.'' I feel like Suzu-senpai and the "ally of justice'' are the polar opposites...

Suzu: Ah. Although we are in different departments, we work part-time at the same amusement park. Being a salesperson is hard, but working behind the scenes at a hero show seems to be even harder because it involves physical labor.

However, I don't think that we are "polar opposites'' in the sense of being hostile. It's the health commissioner's fake virgin who is avenging me, isn't it?

Hayate: "Justice'' is a belief that has nothing to do with "good'' or "evil.'' It's not that they're opposing concepts. Well, it doesn't mean that we're good friends, though, right?

Ruka: Eh, I see...?

By the way, why is Yogiri-senpai peering into the back alleys? Even though you're an "ally of justice,'' you seem to be sneaking around somehow...

Hayate: Ah. That's what it is... First, I want you to look at the back alleys. Oh, she won't notice, please be quiet.

Mizuki Futaba: ......

Runa Hiiragi: ......

Ruka: Oh... Those girls... I've seen them at Kimisaki Academy, but who are they? They seem to be having fun talking to each other.

Suzu: Mizuki Futaba from the occult research club and Runa Hiiragi from the lacrosse club. Both are mischievous, and their notoriety has reached my ears as well.

Hayate: Yes. And when that infamous guys are secretly meeting with someone, I can't leave them alone as an "ally of justice.''

Ruka: A-are they evil people?

Suzu: It is difficult to measure people as good or bad. But if those two were to conspire to do something evil,

It wouldn't be surprising if a major event like the "Dark Culture Festival" where we performed in the past were to occur.

Ruka: Oh! Have you seen it? She handed her a package! What on earth can be inside?

Hayate: Hmm. The secret meeting, the package. She probably is planning something, but what the hell could it be..?

[fairysbookshelf]

The Honey Witch by Sydney J. Shields

Book Stats:

Rating:⭐⭐⭐⭐(3.5/5)

Spice Rating:🌶️🌶️(2/5)

Tropes: Cozy Fantasy, Occult Romance, Lgbtq+ romance

Publisher: Hachette Book Group

Summary:

Marigold has always known she is different. She has never enjoyed the highs of society, she much rather run thru the woods. So, when her grandmother starts to die and she must now take over as the Honey Witch and protect the magical isle that her grandmother has been living on forever. Only problem? Her family has a curse placed on it and now Marigold can never fall in love. Marigold, who just got her heart broken, doesn't think this really is a issue, until she meets Lonnie, who turns her world upside down.

Review:

Okay, so let's start with the good things? I absolutely LOVE the cute cozy vibes this book brings to the table. Also the cover? SOOO PRETTY!

There is some really great representation in here. Grief is explored, in many different ways and shows how many people deal with such. Its such a hard topic to address in books, because if you don't do it right, then the whole thing just seems inhuman. I think the author nailed it perfectly, in showing how exactly the characters are effected, each in different ways. Second, there are several LGBTQ+ relationships that are shown. Fantasy novels are constantly picked on for the lack of diversity in the community so it's definitely a nice change.

The writing style & diction is truly amazing. I truly felt transported to 1800's England.

The book was such a hard one to get thru. It truly is a interesting concept, but it was struggling to hold my attention. I think it may be a "Me issue" as I always struggle with slow paced books, but I also think it's maybe because of the plot.

So, full disclosure, I am not sure there is a plot? Just a lot of relationship fluff..... The overarching conflict was there, but it wasn't really over arching. It was mentioned in the beginning, maybe once in the middle, and at the very very end. It was more about the relationship between our two FMC's then anything, which if your into that, this book will be right up your alley. But for me, this book was advertised as a cozy fantasy with a romance SIDEPLOT(capitalized for a reason people!), so can it still be that when it's only mentioned a couple of times?

The characters, they were just, fine. Nothing special, nothing crazy, just fine. They have chemistry, I will give the author that, and just enough backstory to not make you question things but not enough to truly make them feel realistic.

I think if you are looking for a more romance heavy book, with a dash of magic this book could be perfect for you. That being said, it was just mid for me, which sucks because I really was looking forward to it.

[dnpanimationstudioclone]

Sam's Bedroom Discussion🛌

Sam's old room was def really interesting and memorable. With the spider web bedframe, the Chinese Lamp and all the music stuff she had. Ngl alot of it felt pretty punk and alternative rock which isn't bad. It def gave off vibes of someone who's serious and into different, obscure and usually darker things. But for my Sam I wanted to push her more to tradtional goth and also give off a kinda lighter side in terms of personality.

This is my Sam🦇

Made her walls a lighter but still neutral shade of purple to contrast with the floor. Also I can imagine her parents only let her have the walls in a light shade as really dark rooms can end up absorbing heat and don't want her to accidentally overheat.

Added more green as it's a part of my Sam's palette more and because it's good with purple and red. It also shows her love for ghosts and nature more💚

I added a lot of antique Victorian furniture and decor I imagine Sam would've restored and/or repaint to fit her tastes more. Very gothic and also eco friendly to use and restore older things.

My Sam LOVES ghosts so I added more ghost things in her bedroom such as a the lights, the books on ghosts and other cryptid related stuff, Ghostbusters picture and Ouija board👻👻👻

Added plants and other nature themes things for our nature lover Sam. By her window there's a venus flytrap(OG Sam actually had a pet flytrap in her greenhouse) a cactus in a Día de los Muertos skull pot and a pearl plant in a cauldron pot, like a bubbling cauldron. Beside those are purple leaf plant, African violets and a succulent. I was def going for plants that'd fit with Sam's gothic aesthetic and personality.

Gave her a coffin shaped Shelf. At the bottom, added a variety of books to show her love for the dark and macabre such as ghosts, vampires cryptids, Jewish Mythology, Occult and Junji Ito. The book that says “Hidden Worlds”, was inspired by a suggestion @a-sterling-rose​ made in reference for the unknown realms. I added a Junji Ito manga as it's said OG Sam was into anime and I can imagine horror anime and manga such as Junji Ito's work would be right up her alley.

In the middle crystals(Onyx and Amethyst), a chest with a Tree Of Life symbol on it and a geode. Crystals and gems r often used for protection against dark forces. I can imagine in the chest perhaps more stuff for spirit protection related things or something. The Tree Of Life is a religious symbol used in many religions, including Judaism and can symbolize many things such as infinite knowledge and even the afterlife and connection between earth and Heaven

On the top, Tarot cards, a crystal ball, Ouija Board and the little statue on the top shelf’s a Golem, a being of Jewish folklore(She totally made it herself out of clay). @wsoupofpain​ helped show me what to put on its head, it means "death" in its dormant form. I also was pushing to show more of her Jewish heritage in her room✡️

And on top of the shelf a gargoyle.

Made her window frames black and theater style dark red curtains.

Added fleur de lis symbols on her bed frame. Also added webbing on her pillows and darker parts on her bed sheets. Also on her frame a spider plant in a spider themed pot. Some version she had a canopy but I didn't want it to block the other details and when I tried it, everything felt smaller to me.

Replaced the skull doll she had for a bat plushy I headcanon her Bubbe(Grandma) made for her🦇💖 My Sam's fav animals r def bats.

Added cute bat slippers which she also had in canon beside her bed.

Gave her a nightstand, with a Tiffany lamp. To show she's in a well off fam, perhaps something thatd been in the family for a bit and cause it reminded me of a tree.

Added a vanity with a little stool. Girl deserves a station to apply her gothic charm on. Added a candelabra, a jewelry case, a mortar and pestle(for DIY facial and other beauty treatments) and skull makeup brush. And beside the vanity a Bat Jewelry holder, for some of her necklaces and chokers. Some of them Jewish symbols such as a Star of David, a blue evil eye and a Hamsa Hand🧿✡️

Above her vanity I added framed vintage horror movie posters. Dracula, Ghostbusters and Friday The 13th. @mylifeisweirdok suggested the vintage idea!

Replaced her British Flag tapestry for a moon cycle tapestry. The night in general and the moon's very popular in gothic culture but also plays a special symbol in Judaism. The Jewish Calendar following Lunar months and even having a monthly minor-holiday celebrating the arrival of a new moon. Rosh Chodesh🌔 a minor-holiday which also is very special for Jewish woman, the holiday being a reward for the woman who refused to surrender their jewelry for the creation of the Golden Calf idol. The moon has also often been associated with feminine energy and cyclical change.

Gave her a Victorian style floral carpet.

Replaced her Chinese lamp with a Medeival Chandelier. The candles along with the ones by the vanity aren't real and in fact solar powered. To avoid fire danger🔥

Gave her glow in the dark ghost strung lights. Great for a scary ambience in the nighttime👻

Also I can imagine she has a little crafts closet full of art stuff and other stuff she's found like from junkyards, forests etc to make something out of it and perhaps somewhere stored a scythe .

Danny-WHERE DID YOU GET A SCYTHE!?

Sam-From the Farmers Market. It was surprisingly cheaper than the produce.

What do you think? What do u think of OG Sam's room? I'd love to know?

[volfoss]

Leaving it up to Tumblr to choose my next comic chronology in like... 2 months when I'm free of green lantern (2 months is not very generous I fear)

Reasoning under the cut :3 (very long)

Duke- pretty short (less than 200 issues), I really like his character from what I've seen of him. I think it will also be hell (as is the nature of most batman adjacent chronologies) but it'll be worth it... Nice and short one and also swag character

Jefferson- 1. Black lightning is very fun early on and 2. I've already made the spreadsheet so I just have to read it. He's just like... A very cool character and I like him a lot so far. I just am gods scaredest soldier with long chronos (which his isn't too bad but it's ALSO batman adjacent and those are so scary)

Barbara - my best friend Babs but also if I have to reread the killing joke I AM killing Alan Moore ok. In theory I love her SOOOO much. In practice I think the fact I'm having to keep a "how bad is the disability rep" counter next to each issue says a lot. Unfortunately. Also already made this spreadsheet but I think it would be a very bad and good time.

Clint- again in theory would be fun. He seems right up my alley but alas if I have to see Tony Stark I do fly into a blind rage. And unfortunately I think he appears a lot... And also unfortunately I think I would suffer due to blonde man disorder ok (as I always do)

Silhouette+Aaron- package deal bc they're siblings. I've already started this one and then stopped because whoever is writing the early stuff SHOULD go to hell for what they're doing. For those unfamiliar, silhouette is one of the only heroes I've ever seen using forearm crutches (pretty awesome) and her power is that she can kind of travel via shadow iirc? Which would be really cool if they didn't like... Make her lose all her clothes and mobility aids when she's doing this. Which is why I quit. But she's very very cool minus that (and in my mind... I know she's written better later on) and her brother is his own can of worms (in... Definitely a way). In theory tho I rly gotta get through their stuff

Theodore - first off: I am a FIEND for marvel 70s horror comics. Second off: he is better than swamp thing. Third off: his big red eyes. But to be serious though like .. the Steve Gerber and Gerry Conway era of man thing is SO good and like .. political in an interesting way. I just need motivation to get around to it. Also he's cutesy ok!!!

Jason Blood- another consequence of the 70s horror era fan but this guy has CRAZY lore. He's a medieval knight who got possessed by a demon thanks to Merlin and then he's just lived through the centuries and become an occult guy. Reasons why I stopped this one - sometimes old horror comics are bad and horrible. And also a like 60 issue Garth Ennis written series. But I do really wanna finish his stuff bc he's like .. DC's version of Hellstrom (which. Genuinely awesome character, if you're interested in older horror comics def check his original run out <- my plug for my silly husband hellstrom who sucks so much or whatever. He's rly good tho seriously)

Jennifer - I've already made her spreadsheet and started it but the writers are soooo fucking bad most of the time. It's actually horrific. Pros for her- pretty good character when written well (her hellcat series stuff was REALLY nice for me. But I'll always hype up patsy walker aka hellcat at any chance) cons for her- the misogyny ... And my reward for finishing it is watching the she hulk show. So take that as you will

Dracula- I started his stuff bc I was PROMISED Gerry Conway (who is like.. one of my top 5 writers. He does amazing old horror comics and made a bunch of very cool characters). And then he left like 2 issues in and it went downhill. Some of the same authors who did some of the good (other marvel vampire who is redacted for my own safety ok) issues did stuff for drac. In theory this would be silly campy 70s horror comics fun. In practice oh my god I am gaining new authors to hate so bad...

[pandorasboxofhorrors]

2023-#4: Response to “The Thing in the Fog”

My last written bit for 2023 was going to be a neat sci-fi continuing the Mekon’s story (see 2020-#4: Eight Ball to Corner Pocket and 2021: #3-A Relaxing Interlude). However, the best plans of mice and men usually end with human skeletons and fat mice. I heard from another Tumblr user responding to this year’s true Halloween tale, 2023: #2-The Thing in the Fog. This Tumblr user shared a strange and spooky story, best told in his words:

“The online posting you referenced involving Burlap Man’s disappearance was not accurate. I know this because I wrote it thirty years ago. Here is a more accurate account of what really happened.

“If you happen to have been in Chicago in the summer of 1995 and you frequented the Lakeview neighborhood, you might have stumbled across an urban legend. This urban legend was real and was a horror beyond imagination, as Lovecraft put it. I had retired in 1991 after a hectic career as a newspaper reporter. It was the bad economy of the early 1990s, and that I was past retirement age, which sent me into retirement. I had worked as a newspaper reporter in many cities - and for an extended time in Chicago. I seemed to be cursed to regularly be assigned stories that led to the occult, cryptids, or worse. These stories led me to the things people do not want to know about. In the early 1970s, I was called back from vacation to work on a news story involving murders with the victim’s blood drained. You can probably guess where that went.

“I had a good run as a reporter in Chicago, but that ended after a story about an underground storage company. I sort of stumbled upon “something” in the lower levels of a very deep facility. I barely escaped with my life. Unfortunately, some government bigwigs were involved with the storage company, and I found myself out of a job because lizard-brained bigwigs wanted the story silenced. After I retired, I returned to Chicago and tried to avoid anything off kilter. Luckily I had some money, from investments in a robotics tech company I investigated in the 1970s. I was physically in good shape, and I really did not look my age. I sure looked like I was in my 50’s - but certainly not 73. I should mention that I was born in 1922, so I guess I am sort of 101 now. There has been no diminishment and very little aging. I have had to lie about my age for years. The only explanation I have is I once walked into a magic circle of a “youth drainer” and interrupted her spell. It’s either that or my vitamin brand is right.

“Anyways, the only problem was that I was restless. So I took retail jobs in eclectic shops in Lakeview. I worked with some odd people with blue hair and random body piercings. It was interesting, and I did not fit in since I was older. I used to walk down Clark Street after work and often buy a cigar. I eventually ended up working for the cigar store for the social interaction, since it was either that or chess with Ron, an old coworker. It kept me occupied, and after a few months I heard about something that caught my interest.

“I heard about this Burlap Man, and he was known to be lurking in the area at night. He was described as being just as you described him, almost seven feet tall and four feet wide. He wore stitched burlap sacks over his entire body and head, but you could see his beard. Some people said when they saw him at night he was so terrifying that they were paralyzed in fright. So I prolonged my walks after work, and after about a week I saw him in a dark alley. I could not believe what I was looking at since it very much appeared like something from a previous story I worked on decades ago.

“Twenty years previously, I worked on a news story about a man permanently asleep being studied at a Chicago university. This man was intentionally dream deprived, and this somehow allowed him to physically manifest a deadly Cajun boogeyman out of his own nightmares that dwelled in the sewers of Chicago. I returned to this same university and learned that they were performing a similar sleep study, with another dream deprived permanently asleep man. The difference this time was that the sleeper was not Cajun: the dreamer was just dreaming up a real life boogeyman. This new boogeyman was a lot smarter than Pere Malfait, its Cajun counterpart.

“This dreamt up boogeyman understood its existence, and it knew it needed to be free of its dreamer and have an independent existence. To that aim, it found victims late at night, removed them back to its lair with the broken shopping cart, and devoured them to make its body more of matter of this world. My online account was accurate in that I followed him back to his lair, but it sure was not a SUV. When he took off the burlap sack he was not a muscular man underneath; his body was only partially formed. About a third of his body was composed of black shadow, the rest was forming new flesh from what he consumed. There was a beard, but no eyes. He saw me and I soon found myself unable to walk, frozen in place. This boogeyman exhibited psionic ability. He could induce paralyzing fear or make people ignore him, which he did to the police when you encountered him. I am not new to facing such horrors, and I took out a small crossbow I have had ready for decades which was blessed to slay rakshashas, and I have given it a lot of use. I figured that the dreamer had summoned up the boogeyman, and his weakness was known to be light and fire. Two burning crossbow bolts to the chest did not harm him, and he was very close to me by then. I fired a last bolt at a shadow section of his arm that was not solid matter, and he immediately let out a terrible moan and was dispelled like a ghost, with its shadowy ectoplasm melting away into nothing, the formed fleshy parts of his body hitting the ground. I made sure the fire left nothing.

“When this was over I posted that bit online you saw so it would be known that Burlap Man was gone in case anyone else was hunting him. I did not expect to still be here thirty years later. I am sending this to you now since we live in a time when outlandish things are commonplace, and no one will ever believe ever this. But I do recommend to any readers: never underestimate what can lurk in the shadows, if you can imagine it, it probably exists somewhere, or will exist someday, or exists right now and is watching you.”

CK, October 2023