#vamps Vs The Moon

[sangaverage]

Lexsang, we have got to stop being so similar lol,

but in all seriousness, Full moons do exactly the same to me, ESPECIALY if I happen to be out in them at the time, its bearable and I don't do anything I shouldn't but it does bring out the instincts a bit.

this is actually what triggered my full awakening, I had realisations beforehand but never really came into it until this moment confirmed it all for me.

I've never really explained it in detail lol its hard to describe but I have notes of it somewhere...

Found them, For those Interested My Vampiric Awakening story (Somewhat) under the Divider (divider credit: Anitalenia)

In somewhat long story format because I'm better at describing that way, by we/ us/ him or they I mean me and my S/O

The night of October 19th 2013, Everything changed, EVERYTHING!

I remember it being sunset when we decided to take our first date, A walk to a trail that leads to a woodland, Funny first date I know... The night set in surprisingly quick that evening, I remember us gazing up At the full moon signaling the night, the darkness, my time, Probably a good time as any to start heading back home though...

Too late, it stirs, A feeling, One I haven't felt this strongly before, but oddly familiar, Wait a seccond I know this feeling!

Damn it, I've got to think of a distraction!

I resorted to, Chewing my gloves... Which somehow, in some sort of miracle, he didn't find weird, if anything it was more amusing to him!

Later that evening he decided to stay with me for a little while, and that's when I decided to tell him outright,

"So... You know those vampire questions, mostly the one where I asked if you think anything like that exists and you said maybe."

"Yes?"

"I may have asked those for a reason."

"Go on."

"So... I've been meaning to tell you, I'm A vampire, specifically, A sanguinarian."

Oh no, does he think I'm weird now?

Surprisingly, as by another miracle, He just accepts it, like no real further questions just Yep, okay, my girlfriend says she's a vampire, so what?

Untill one weekend came up where he decided to sleep over at mine and share beds for the first time. (funnily enough another full moon)

Upon groggily waking up the next morning, (mornings are not my time at all) I ask him how he slept, I was not expecting his response!

"Pretty well, untill someone bit me!"

"Wait what?" My head crooked in A confused tilt,

"Yeah you bit me!, you sat up, looked around and flumped back down for a bit, your eyes were open so I thought you was awake, but you didnt answer me, You did it again a few minutes after but this time, you sat up and went to Bite me in the shoulder, I tried to roll you off but you just bit my hand instead!"

"What? No warning noises, nothing?"

"Nope, just straight up bit me!"

"Sorry, Did I draw blood?" I ask, examining his hands for marks,

"A little bit!"

"Maybe this is some kind of vampiric bonding thing!" I chimed in as a joke,

"Didn't feel bonding to me, it Bleeding hurt!, please don't do it again, okay?"

"Again, Sorry..."

The Moon and Stuff

So a little bit ago, I read a fairly long post from an old friend in the OVC about how she had noticed that the lunar phases seem to affect her vampirism, the full moon generally being the most intense time for her hunger. Everything she had said definitely fit my experience too, though I'm not sure if I would attribute it to my psychology or something else. Does anyone else deal with this as well? If so I'd love to know some peoples' experiences and thoughts on it :)

[literary-vandal]

back on my bullshit reading the twilight saga for the fanfic and i feel a crit analysis a-brewin and i kEP THE FUCKMEYER HANDLE JUST IN CASE THIS EVER HAPPENED BOYS WE'RE BACK AT IT AGAIN-

[spiritsglade]

concept: jason todd from dc vs. vampires dying like he does in issue #6 and getting isekai'd into the middle of marvel's bloodhunt event, particularly the tie-ins with vengeance of the moon knight.

would it appeal to anyone except me? no. but i could have so much fun with it.

[italian-lit-tournament]

Italian literature tournament - Third round.

Propaganda in support of the authors is accepted, you can write it both in the tag if reblog the poll (explaining maybe that is propaganda and you want to see posted) or in the comments. Every few days it will be recollected and posted here under the cut.

First, propaganda for Ludovico Ariosto, then for Guido Cavalcanti. The quantity of material will be colossal, so just scroll down for more.

For the Ludovico Ariosto stans:

by @larmegliamori

The opposing party has brought on the big guns, I see: us Ariosto girlies, gays and they must bare our teeth and ambitions.

So, here's my two cent on why you should vote Ludovico Ariosto!

Extreme relatability: Deeply entrenched into the politics of his time (as the firstborn of ten children, of which one was disabled and other five were women), but at the same time just wanting to stay home to live of his poetry? Dare I say iconic. Perfect representation of us literature kids.

He actually managed to marry his muse, Alessandra Benucci, and did it respectfully!

Working various jobs for patron(s) he didn't particularly like? Been there, done that, got the t-shirt.

Not to mention his most widely known work, the poem "Orlando Furioso" (The rage of Roland), has all the goos stuff us modern audiences would like! It features:

A wide, diverse cast, spanning from Ireland to India, stretching probably to the (by then) newly discovered Americas;

Fantasy elements: faeries, sorcerers, giants, orcs, the first modern iteration of the hippogryph and even a fantastical voyage to the Moon!

Citations and references galore: from Virgil to Ovid, from old chansons de geste to Boccaccio!

Proto-feminism and gender studies: Ariosto's female characters, although often very feminine, are actively involved in their story arcs. The poem also features two warrior women, Bradamante and Marfisa, the former of which is the protagonist of her own subplot. Said subplot heavily relies on gender, may it be appearances or not. And let's not forget the famous tirade at beginning of the fifth canto, where the author berates femicide! If you're willing to open your heart to his writing, Ludovico Ariosto reveals himself to be a compelling, layered, modern author, and yet there's a levity to his writing that works like a balm. Vote for Ludovico Ariosto (even if only for the memes)!

I'd also like to add that Ariosto's Orlando Furioso, in the 70s, got a theatrical AND television adaptation that was too campy for its own good.

It featured, amongst other things:

- 1500s inspired costuming (it sure was... A choice but I'm not complaining)

- Mechanic horses (that literally ran on rails) and hippogryph:

- Olympia of Holland, one of the most tragic characters in all the poem, as a vamp (slay):

(Posing with Orlando/Roland in on the left, with her lover Bireno on the right)

- Astolfo literally ENTERING INTO A HOLE TO GET TO THE MOON:

The television adaptation was partly shot in the famous Baths of Caracalla, in Rome. If you want to witness this masterpiece yourself, it's on YouTube! In two parts.

Remember to always stan Zio Ludo, and vote for him! ✨

Hello everyone! For today's Ariosto Propaganda Piece, I'd like to talk about the Satire.

Those seven pieces written in terzina dantesca (because our boy Ludo knew how to pick his role models) are an interesting insight about early 1500s society and Ariosto's character and private life. They all start from an actual event in his life and enlarge towards society as a whole, often with a critical eye towards it.

The first one, destined to his brother Alessandro and a friend, starts these absolutely iconic lines:

[Quick translation: Ruggiero, if you make me so ungrateful in the eyes of your descendants, and it bears me no advantage to have sung your worth and your mighty deeds, why should I stay here, since I don't know how to cut huns on a fork, nor how to hunt games with hawks or dogs?]

A bit of context: Ariosto's first patron, bishop Ippolito d'Este, had to move from Italy to Hungary and wanted all his court to follow him. Ariosto refused because of health and family matters, and he was threatened with the loss of all the benefits he had previously granted him. Note that Ariosto was basically a kind of personal secretary to Ippolito, carrying out different important missions for him, and even risked his life a couple times to carry them out. So it's understandable he feels disappointed at his patron's reaction... and that's why, in this more "private" writings, he complains with Ippolito's ancestor, the hero Ruggiero he had extensively wrote about in his main poem.

Honestly, a genius move. Not something you see often in poetry, is it? Another reason why you need to vote for this man ;)

For the Guido Cavalcanti stans:

Propaganda in favor of Guido Cavalcanti by @eresia-catara

May I add further propaganda for Guido: He's a noble, he disdains aristocrats, he was Florence's number one Server of Cunt, he was the city's faggot, he was heretical, he went on a random pilgrimage but interrupted it and managed to be buried in a church anyway, he had an archenemy who sent some men to murder him on said pilgrimage, he came back and tried to murder him back in plain daylight, he gave zero fucks about politics, he got exiled because he was considered a menace for the city. He SAW DANTE's poetical talent, encouraged it, shaped it, and through him the whole of italian literature. Think about it. Also they became besties until they evolved to a tormented psychosexual haunting dynamic (see break-up poem) where Dante himself actually exiled him. In the 13th century his poetry anticipates so many of the literary themes of the XXth century, going from fragmentation of the self (his is basically vivisection and dispersion of his parts), to dissociation from one's own mind and body, lack of identity, irony, desecration, his poetry is full of schizophrenic-like hallucinations, reading them is truly a trip, and yet his language is profoundly meoldic and sweet. And there's also gender-fuckery. and theater, of course, because his poems develop like a scene from a theater (adding layers to the dissociation). So really he has it all guys.

The thing is, Ariosto feels very contemporary but Guido is the og relativist and unreliable narrator. His poetry offers NO truth whatsoever you only have a sequence of schizophrenic hallucinations and what he describes only seems like it's real but who knows, the narrator is dead, how can he even speak or if he's alive he's not because he has dissociated himself from his body and is only coldly contemplating his own murder. He's not reliable because he has lost his reason, his soul has crubled into pieces and each piece has fled his body. Also he hears voices, and feels a sadistic presence in his mind in the form of a woman watching him die. This man was too ahead of his time, he was too dramatic, too eccentric, but also too acute and sensible, he must have looked deranged and we love him for it. and deserves to be voted!

Guido Cavalcanti propaganda by @girldante

GUIDO CAVALCANTI PROPAGANDA ABBIAMO:

LA DISSOCIAZIONE SCHIZOFRENICA:

IL COMICO, IL SIMPATICO BURLONE, IL MEMATORE ANTE LITTERAM:

IL MACABRO, IL GORE, I SINTOMI™

IL BREAKUP TOSSICO PASSIVO AGGRESSIVO CON DANTE

in conclusione

you can find my old propaganda here, but listen, while i do respect zio ludo's rizz, a vote for guido cavalcanti is a vote for gender roles reversal, death-life liminality, medieval atheism, antisocial freaks obsessed with philosphy who imagine their pens are talking to people about their owner's suffering (what is wrong with him), eye carving enjoyers (what the FUCK is wrong with him), sons who are sacrifical lambs, people who have long swinging necks like geese (allegedly???), and gay breakups involving dante alighieri. and also, well, I don't recall ariosto wearing a miku binder. twice.

in conclusion

Guido Cavalcanti propaganda by @apis-vergilii

Here’s my Guido propaganda: @girldante and @eresia-catara have already covered the poetry reasons, and I’m here to get metatextual about the whole thing.

Simply put, this is the Weird Niche Hellsite, and Guido is the Weird Niche Hellcandidate.

We live in an era of the cynical enshittification of the internet. In a sickened sea of dying social platforms, AI slop, and every last pixel being for sale, THIS is still the webbed site where a bunch of strangers can rediscover a lesser-known medieval poet in all his angsty, gothy glory, abandon all pretense of ironic detachment or mature indifference and go absolutely apeshit over his life and work, breathlessly and deliriously creating everything from exhaustively researched essays with footnotes, to anime fan art and inexplicable photoshops. This is the place where Goncharov happened. This is the place where we stole the president’s shoelaces. This is the place where a heretical medieval Tuscan stilnovista got himself a full-on Fandom, and we are all so much the better/worse for it.

So vote for the spirit of the old internet in all its dorky glory. Vote for the joy of learning things for fun and not for school. Vote for the bizarre Florentine emo goth. A vote for Guido Cavalcanti…is a vote for all of us.

if all else fails to convince you, well, i don't recall ariosto having an historical fantasy saga centered around him where he gains clairvoyance and gets increasingly more and more manipulated by the manifestation of his generational trauma. also he gets out of his body to have epic fights with spiritual creatures.

this should be a testimony to how his cuntserving echoed through time

Propaganda by @girldante and @eresia-catara that I guess should be read together:

well. seeing as we're on topic. Was Ariosto ever described as having

les bras d'Hercule avec des mains de nymphe by a 19th century french story? It is not made up guys, he served androgynous cunt so hard it didn't go unnoticed. Guido simply suggests fluidity.

Like. Arms like Hercules and hands like a nymph.

And Lorenzo il Magnifico also Fangirled over him in a letter to the Federico of Aragon

he (Lorenzo il Magnifico!!) was simply begging him to read his poems, and that's because they are absolutely eatable in all their irreverent, elegant, goth glory.

Finally, Boccaccio wrote about him in his Decameron (VI,9) and, truly, can you say no to him:

this little ballerina? look at how sad he looks!

would you look at that! Guido Cavalcanti propaganda is publicly sponsored by thee Lorenzo De' Medici himself!!!

as for the last bit, Boccaccio's novella from Decameron, where Guido calls out a bunch of idiots through a riddle that said idiots will take a bunch of time to understand and then proceeds to abandon them jumping over a grave, was cited by thee Italo Calvino in his Lezioni Americane as an example of his conception of lightness, as in the ability to lift oneself over the heaviness of the world.

In conclusion: Guido Cavalcanti is literally your fave's fave.

[miimo96]

Tbh if this show doesn't get a 2nd season I won't be entirely upset because then they'll get the chance to maybe actually REBOOT the show and do Moon knight real Justice, because the way he was handled in this show was just not right, I mean if you wanted to appeal to a modern audience then you should've just instead either stayed true to his source material OR write him in a way that doesn't really copy other characters and makes him really relatable as well, don't just write him with the same quote unquote "comedic" formula over and over again, ACTUALLY give him a trait that makes him distinguishable and likable from other characters

for example If there's 1 thing I love about Moon knight, it's the Shit that comes out his mouth 🤣 like the guy is so random and weird that it actually makes for some great comedic moments, like I know they're just Memes but some of the shit here is so good that I HONESTLY wish it was part of his character, because it just fits SO WELL, not to mention his supernatural side is SO interesting, people tend to forget that moon knight isn't just a street level hero, he actually fights demons and monsters as well

Hell his 1st appearance was in Werewolf by night issue #32, not mention he has ties to other supernatural characters like Blade, the midnight sons and of course, the Infamous DRACULA, I feel like they really misunderstood Moon knight because he's not just Marvel's batman or Egyptian indiana Jones, if he anything he's Marvel's local Crazy person; he's a loose Canon who is willing to do anything to win in a fight, a character who is so Unpredictable that TASKMASTER is scared to fight him, a character that is so complex that his LITERAL nickname is Looney Mooney, and a character that is so obscure, that the entire premise of his books keep changing. I feel like if you wanted to make a Moon knight show, then you should've had just dived into his weird /Supernatural aspect more rather than abandoning it almost entirely and ended up sticking to his grounded side, like have him start off with fighting regular criminals and then lean into/ introduce some of his supernatural enemies like Demons, Gods, monsters, and Vamps, just to keep things more interesting, in fact HE should've been our introducing to the Supernatural in the MCU, Not Blade, not ghost rider or Whoever they originally did it with, if Strange is the mystical, Spiderman is the street level, then Moon knight should've been Supernatural

hell if ya really wanted to ya could've just probably had him go up against ancient Egyptian cult like worshippers like Sun king and Ra, that way you can still do the whole Avatar thing and have it make more sense especially for a power vs similar powers type play story with Marc being the Avatar for the MOON God and Sun king the avatar for SUN God, and with both coincidently happening to be Birds (what can I say I'm a simple guy lol )

Another thing I really wish that they could've done more would be playing more into Marc's and Konshu's relationship and had it FEEL like whether he was really real, or just a figment of Marc's imagination, like NOW you can't do that so that's out the question, but if they did I'd probably have it like he's just a voice in Spector's head telling him to quote unquote enact his "Righteous" vengeance upon people, I mean you can still probably play it off like with Marc seeing him and stuff like that and just give us the idea that if he's REALLY there or that if it's just another part of Marc's imagination, like have him really struggle with what's real and what isn't, like Did he make Konshu up or something like that when he died, or was it truly real? I think the big interesting thing about Moon knight is his Mentality and how he struggles with his other personalities and reality, all while he tries to not seem Batshit Crazy, in fact I feel like instead of going with Steven grant or any of his personalities to start off the show, they should've have went with marc himself and introduced his personalities later episodes or even start it with him as moon knight and slowly give us his origins through flashbacks so we can at least see how he got to this point

Finally i think they should've handled his power set a little better, don't get me wrong I love the idea they went with his suit being ancient armor and giving him unlimited moonerangs and weapons and whatnot but the thing that makes Moon knight REALLY cool is that he's just a guy in a suit, giving him actual Powers was a big mistake because then it takes away from all the urgency and suspense we could have if the possibility of him dying could happen, having him not being able to be Stabbed or killed was just crazy because then it makes him F*cking INVINCIBLE, mortality is what we love to see in our character's because then we can both relate and root for them when they're stuck in situations, making him invulnerable basically takes away from that and doesn't really make him all that interesting, don't get me wrong you can still give him powers if ya want, just don't make it like that if he's effing invincible or can fly like Superman though, instead have it be more like he gets Enhanced strength, speed, and durability from the moon God Konshu, that way he still can have powers and be hurt at the same time, and if or when he finally loses his powers, either by something or if Konshu's completely done with him, you can have him then Make his own moon knight suit and still be a vigilante, that way you still have Moon knight and he's more like his comic accurate self. Maybe even have the show be something like about if he still wants to be Konshu's disciple /Puppet or if he wants to just be done with everything and then have him have this whole character arc and realize that he still DOES want to do this but NOT as a servant to Konshu, he wants to act HIS righteous vengeance on people, not just be controlled to do it, he wants to protect people because he's the only who can and no else can do the job except him, tbh, that would've made for a WAY better show than what we got, hopefully they can still do it with all the popularity moon knight's been getting lately, but lemme know what you guys think, do ya agree or should they just leave things as it is?

[bitter-caf]

I have a new fanfic idea I must share to the few people who have followed me in the last month. Hi hello hi. Feel free to use it if you'd like. It's just a ramble, so sorry if it's confusing.

I need more Werewolf!Charles Rowland aus. I need Charles pretending to be Crystals dog so he doesn't have to pay Jenny rent and he'd def beg Jenny for meat scraps. Or walking around London pretending to be a stray and desperately avoiding pet control. (The amount of times Edwin has had to break him out is ridiculous, but if Charles acts friendly/pathetic enough, people throw him food). And Edwin will pet him if he's an animal (but not as a human. Charles thinks this is discrimination and complains loudly). But also the angst, werewolves in media (btw I'm going off of teen wolf canon werewolves for this au) seem to have a harder time controlling their anger and I think with Charles so full of anger, it'd be rough for him. Charles would almost definitely be wanted by police at this point, both bc of the shit him and Edwin get up to and the fact that he's technically a missing kid (bc ofc he would run away with Edwin. Also if he went back home, he'd probably eat his father or at least the kids who tried to kill him). Edwin would for sure be Charles 'anchor' (again teen wolf werewolves), as in the thing that keeps him from going feral every full moon and from biting people everytime he gets upset lol. Tho! Note: imagine they come across a "how to contain a werewolf during the full moon" guide and it's everything Derek (from teen wolf, look it up if you have no idea what I'm talking about) does during the full moon for new wolves. The restraints, that are pretty painful and dig into the skin with spikes bc it's harder to get out of something if everytime you move, it hurts. And imgaine: Charles would accept it bc what if he hurts Edwin? Unacceptable. But Edwin would maybe try then back out of using them bc this is torture and he can't let this happen to Charles. Just a nice bit of hurt/comfort there.

Then port townsend comes along and now Charles bestie is pulling away/hiding things and so the grounds pretty unsteady under Charles. He's so ready to just eat the Cat King. And later Monty. The CK likes him even less in this au bc dogs vs cats and so does Charles. It's very much a Charles- "I'm bigger than you and will eat you" and CK- "I'm better and smarter than you". From first meeting, it on SIGHT for the both of them. Tho CK does make an effort to keep Edwin between them at all times. And Edwin does make an effort to keep an eye on Charles, ready to grab him if he lunges for CK or something. (Its worth noting that Charles does listen to the instincts he has pretty often and Edwin enables and encourages him to do what feels right. Neither of them have any experience with werewolves so it works out. Which often evolves into Charles chasing things that run from him. Animals, suspects they're chasing for cases, occasionally Edwin. I just think Charles dealing with all these new animal like instincts could create some fun hijinks and shenanigans.) I just think it'd be a fun dynamic for CK and Charles.

Now is Edwin still a ghost or something else like a vampire? Tbh this would turn into more of a Being Human au if Edwin was a vampire lol but more gay and posssibly poly? And I think that would be beautiful. But if Edwins a vampire, I want it to be what we do in the shadows type vampire. Edwin deserves to be able to turn into a bat. Along with all the other powers those vamps have lol. They'd have to bring a bag of dirt from Edwins homeland with them to Port townsend and just imagine the outfit Edwin would wear if he has to go out during daylight. It would include a parasol. He would not change his outfit with the times. Just picture, him forcing Crystal to use a parasol during the day so he can hang upside down in it to avoid the sun. Charles in his wolf form next to her. If Charles has to wear a leash and collar only Edwins allowed to hold it lol. Crystal trying to convince everyone who asks that Charles is just large husky and very well trained. Edwin would not pretend to be a pet to avoid paying Jenny rent but will wait outside Crystals window. If hes seen by Jenny in bat form, Crystal calls him a pest and says she left her window open by accident. Edwin will never forgive her.

I think in terms of Edwins Hell, it could still be actual Hell honestly. Maybe before he's sacrificed by classmates, he's attacked and turned into a vampire. Or! More exciting. He's turned by a vampire and that vampire belongs to a satanic vampire cult. Which is, in fact, a thing in the interview with a vampire verse. And his Hell is them. For context, in the IWAV verse, this cult believes they are forsaken by God and now have to worship the devil bc they're vamps. They think any light at all will kill/hurt them, even candles. Along with a bunch of other crazy untrue things. They literally live in caves in complete darkness and know pretty much nothing about being a vampire. It's pretty sad and in IWAV this goes on until I think lestat meets them and goes "damn you live like this?" And he becomes like their Jesus for awhile and shows them the "light". He upgrades them, but then he gets bored and leaves and they get sad. It's so funny i love Anne Rice. Anyways, either Edwins Hell he escapes is that cult or! They sacrifice vampire!Edwin to the devil. And now he's in actual Hell. In this au, the caves they live in are somewhere in the Woods near St. Hilarion's. So either way when he escapes, it's around the time Charles is attacked by those boys and when he's running thru the woods, attacked again! by a werewolf. Oh! Maybe Charles friends are mauled to death by the werewolf and the only reason Charles survives his mauling is bc of Edwin. Maybe Edwin scares off the werewolf and brings Charles to the attic or something to try and help him. Charles is def mauled but still breathing, the bite takes before he bleeds out tho. Its a really bad night for him but Edwin still reads him to sleep and is suprised he wakes up.

Now to deal with Edwin being immortal and Charles not? Either mess with the way werewolves age, or! More exciting. They stay together anyway, with the thought of charles- "I wanna stay with you for the rest of my life" and edwin- "i wanna stay with you for the rest of your life." Very cute very wholesome. But then! Charles gets cursed somehow someway on one of their cases and welll, immortality always seems to come to those who aren't looking for it. And so now charles can't die and doesn't age lol. But theres a consequence, bc theres always a trade off. My idea is that now Charles "will never see the light of day again". It takes a bit for them to realizes it's a curse of immortality until either Charles is greviously injured or like a decade passes and they're like "charles still looks... 17???" que rigorious experimentaion. (Charles would for sure test at least some of the limits of his immortality and then abuse it. Edwin is horrified everytime, his poor unbeating heart. And his clothes whenever he has to carry a still healing charles home and hes covered in blood. Luckily he doesnt die often, werewolves are hard to kill.) and honestly when they heard that "never see the light of day", they really thought it was going to kill Charles. No, now just as soon as the sun comes up, charles is dead to the world. Like literally he will just pass out as soon as the sun comes up, no matter where he is. It's like he's a corpse. It freaks Edwin out when this happens the first few times. He legit thinks charles is dead. He certainly seems like it. But he reanimates/awakens as soon as the sun goes down. He does forget often to lay down on the couch or something before the sun comes up and will just fall over. This is probs mostly bc the window is covered in blackout curtains for Edwin.

But they for sure have either a bed or coffin they share during the day, bc of a lack of room in their space for two ofc and it's soooo platonic bestie behavior. They will be taking no comments. Crystal still sleeps on the couch tho. Would you wanna sleep in two teenage boys' bed or coffin? When you're thinking "they're probably together." Like ew no. Charles offered, but edwin was like ew. They obv both have a good sense of smell, and edwin does not want their bed/coffin to smell like her.

[barbwritesstuff]

One thing I really admire about Blood Moon vs Thicker Than is how neatly you explore humanity vs inhumanity. Blood Moon is all about finding increasing depths of humanity in the core of these so-called beasts, while with each chapter, Thicker Than reveals a little more inhumanity even in the vamps you grow close with. There is truly a monstrousness there that you force the reader to confront. It's so well done!

💙💙💙

[sunnydaleherald]

The Sunnydale Herald Newsletter, Saturday, January 18

GILES: It's the end of the world. BUFFY/WILLOW/XANDER: Again?

~~BtVS 4x11 “Doomed”~~

The Sunnydale Herald is looking for at least one new editor. Contributing to the Herald is a great way to get your Buffy on! Find out more here.

[Drabbles & Short Fiction]

Happy Anniversary, Buffy! (Buffy/Cordelia, G) by MadeInGold

Light the Way (Xander/Cordelia, G) by ArienElensar

The Lips I Used To Call Home (Buffy/Spike, G) by MillennialCryBaby

Stranger in a Strange Land (Buffy/Angelus, Spike/Angelus, not rated) by Nymue

After (Buffy/Spike, M) by MillennialCryBaby

Slumber (Buffy/Spike, E) by MillennialCryBaby

The Moon Shines Bright (So Don’t Even Think About Making Shadows) (Buffy/Faith, G) by Fictiongods

I'll crawl home to Her (Buffy/Faith, T) by Cumultus9

To Sleep Perchance to Dream (Buffy/Spike, PG) by GhostsInLove

[Chaptered Fiction]

Shadowed Suspicion Chapter 358 (Jojo's Bizarre Adventure xover, T) by madimpossibledreamer

Stay, Chapter 2/2 Complete! (Buffy/Spike, E) by MillennialCryBaby

The Road Not Taken:, Chapters 1-2/7 (Willow/Tara, Xander/Anya, Buffy/Spike, E) by TheLightdancer

Flukes, Chapters 1-5/5 Complete! (Buffy/Spike, E) by MillennialCryBaby

A truce that lasts long enough looks like peace (feels like love), Chapter 5/? (Buffy/Spike, T) by zinjadu

reciprocity, Chapter 11/15 (Buffy/Spike, E) by ChaosNina, HappyWhenItRains (ChaosNina)

Where are you?, Chapter 6/16 (Buffy/Riley, Xander/Anya, T) by RotBlau

Adaptations, Chapter 68/? (Buffy/Faith, E) by Echo126

hit rewind, Chapter 91/? (Buffy/Spike, M) by untiljanuary

Fine Wines and High Steaks, Chapter 2/? (Buffy/Faith, M) by QuillBard

After Life, Chapter 15/? (Buffy/Faith, E) by Alwaysandforevermylove

The Buffy Chronicles: Life After Sunnydale, Chapter 24/? (Buffy/Spike, E) by sweetmelodykiss

Redefine the Words, Chapter 3 (Buffy/Spike, PG-13) by violettathepiratequeen

Open your eyes, Chapter 1 (Buffy/Spike, Adult Only) by Ennoh

Brutal Honesty, Chapter 5 (Buffy/Spike, R) by EnchantedWillow

Open Your Heart & Close Your Eyes, Chapter 9 (Buffy/Spike, NC-17) by Melme1325

How to Be a Heartbreaker, Chapters 16-17 (Buffy/Spike, NC-17) by Maxine Eden

Incarnate, Chapter 31 (Buffy/Spike, NC-17) by Sigyn

Overboard!, Chapter 6 (Buffy/Spike, NC-17) by bookishy

Redefine the Words, Chapter 3 (Buffy/Spike, PG-13) by violettathepiratequeen

Met You in a Bar, Chapter 3 (Buffy/Spike, NC-17) by bookishy

Sirens, Chapters 1-5 (Buffy/Spike, NC-17) by bookishy

How to Be a Heartbreaker, Chapters 16-17 (Buffy/Spike, NC-17) by Maxine Eden

Overboard!, Chapter 6 (Buffy/Spike, NC-17) by bookishy

[Images, Audio & Video]

Gifset: What makes you think you can do anything? (Wesley vs Wesley's father, worksafe) by gothamstreetcat

Textposts: Spike is a cat: text posts pt 2 (Spike, Spuffy, ensemble, worksafe) by satinsafefromreality

Textposts: Spike is a cat: text posts pt 3 (Spike, Spuffy, ensemble, worksafe) by satinsafefromreality

Gifset: WILD AT HEART (Ensemble, worksafe) by detectivedawnsummers

Gifset: Every Tara look: S5E17 Forever (worksafe) by lovebvffys

Artwork: Wicca Witch Goddess (Willow, worksafe) by x66r9u

Artwork: Your honour they’re just my silly little guys neither of them did any murder at all (Buffy, Spike, worksafe) by innit1

Artwork: [Sketches from S4 episodes] (Spuffy, ensemble, worksafe) by zodelydraws

Gifset: Liam + Household in The Prodigal Requested by Anonymous (Angel, worksafe) by sulietsexual

Artwork: lyrics from baby, it’s fact by hellogoodbye (Buffy/Angel, worksafe) by theseandi

Crafts: My collection of Buffy keychains I made (worksafe) by x66r9u

Artwork: [Willow collage] (worksafe) by she-is-the-slayer

Gifset: Buffy the Vampire Slayer – 2.10: What’s My Line Part 2 (Buffy/Angel, worksafe) by sophsun1

Artwork: Ivory and Obsidian, Chapter 1 (Andrew/Warren, T) by GarsCrucible

[Reviews & Recaps]

Rewatch: Puppet Show Part 1 by Re-Vamped with Juliet Landau

PODCAST: Why Are They Interviewing a Vampire, Anne Rice? (S5E12) by It Stakes Two

[Fandom Discussions]

the buffyverse comics are extremely hit or miss but one things i’ve been delighted by at every turn, no matter how stupid, has been the many different iterations of spike by xaeyrnofnbe

the horrific irony of Wesley being the Judas Iscariot of s3 and betraying his friends by neros-very-first-fiddle

btvs was so smart and cool to make angel spike’s sire. btvs was also so smart and cool to make drusilla spike’s sire by laughatlocksmiths

[Buffy/Spike + fire parallels in Seasons 5-6-7] by desicat-writer

Somebody needs to explain Holden Webster by rhisardthewizard

“Why is the slayer not paid but the watcher is? That’s unfair!” YES THATS THE ENTIRE POINT!!!! THE ENTIRE POINT by yarboyandy

Spike wants everyone to think he’s a loner but he longs to be part of a team by aphony-cree

reading the buffy comics rn which are. a whirlwind to say the least by park-chimney

Other than a few seconds of dialogue in Season 5’s Checkpoint [...] is there any indication that Giles was being paid to be a Watcher? by coraniaid

My most unpopular Buffy the Vampire Slayer opinions by quasi-normalcy

Anya PISSED ME AWF S7EP15 'Get It Done' by elegantpaperoperator

Just picked up [The Lost Slayer by Christopher Golden] at a book fair, anyone read it? by MickeyCvC

S6e17 back to normal by BigDogQ94

What's your favorite moment from Angel? (the character) by General-Sherbert-220

on s3 and let me just say… [i love buffy, sincerely, but our girl needs to get a backbone] by daisie_darlin

Worst episodes with a redeeming feature by Classic-Scarcity-804

I love the college Halloween episode! by chelkke

Was Buffy really everywhere back in the day ? by Cailly_Brard7

What do you think it would have been like if Darla's was cursed instead of Angelus? by Black_Shuck-44

I actually love Dawn’s character. Unpopular opinion? by Lookintomyhazeleyes

drop quotes for the letter I & J by perfectmoonwalker

drop quotes for the letters K & L by perfectmoonwalker

An idle ADR thought.... by Eldon42

Why did Angel name his son Connor and not Doyle? by jdpm1991

[Articles, Interviews, and Other News]

CONVENTION: UPDATED | James Marsters FAN EXPO Portland 2025 Schedule by dontkillspike

Submit a link to be included in the newsletter!

[burningdarkfire]

blood moon (author's notes)

Putting this post on my resume as proof that I am committed to seeing things through to the fucking end. It might be 2024 now but here is a finished author's note for blood moon!!

It's been long enough that the below is more of a retrospective than what we usually think of as an author's note. Some of it dates back to two or three years ago, a lot of it doesn't. With the goal of finishing these notes, I recently reread the fic in its entirety, twice, and I still very much enjoyed it. That's all I can really ever ask of a fic, so I'm happy 💕

Writing Timeline

Blood Moon was a fascinating writing problem. I always knew it was going to be a long fic, longer than I usually wrote, and I also knew that I was bad at finishing long fics. I started writing in November 2021 with the promise to myself that even if I didn't finish it, I would eventually share whatever I had. I initially planned to upload chapters without editing because I suspected that it would bog me down in a lot of small details … and I was entirely correct! So here is the 18 month journey of the fic, in monthly word counts, from start to finish:

November 2021: 18723 

December 2021: (no work)

January 2022: 3591

February 2022: 2872 (finished the shadowgast oneshot, outlined the rest of the fic)

March 2022: 4353 (this is when i first thought "the ending was in sight" LOL)

April 2022: 3667 (i made the decision to edit/rewrite some chapters—at this point i had already written up to fjord meeting back up with the m9 after getting the third eye)

May 2022: 1163 

June 2022: 2028 (this was my initial estimate/deadline for finishing)

July 2022: (no work)

August 2022: (no work)

September 2022: 3371 (i copied over my existing work—up to fjord and astrid's conversation—and started a major edit/second draft)

October 2022: 1228 

November 2022: 2278 (posted the first chapter to ao3)

December 2022: 2144 

January 2023: 1876 (finished my second draft and sent to beta for edits)

February 2023: 126 (finished edits! left some very minor points to polish)

March 2023: 17

April 2023: (finished posting!)

Blood Moon Universe

Blood Moon is an original universe of mine that dates back to 2011. It has all the cliché vampires vs. werewolves vibes that I will shamelessly admit I have never grown out of. We didn't get to see a lot of it in the fic, but it's a very fertile, flexible environment—this is the fourth story I've set in this world, and even though they've all been vastly different from each other, the shell concepts have always served me well. Unsurprisingly, one makes original worlds that are conducive to the themes and motifs that one likes to write about.

Caleb and Fjord live in a dark age, where the last war between the vampires and werewolves decimated both populations so severely that the world is simply emptier than it used to be. Molly and Yasha raid abandoned manors, Caleb lives on ceded vamp territory where the wolves are also absent. Caduceus is alone in the Clay family home except for his temporary companions. Everyone is busy with their own survival, and there's no way for the scarce, scattered populations of the northern forests to repel the Shades on their own.

It was a big decision to write a story about two humans in this world, but Fjord and Caleb have always been underdog stories struggling with established powers. It's hard to imagine them any other way.

Canon-Related Concepts

One of my favourite arcs of Campaign 2 is the pirates arc, because the characters are asking themselves such deliciously heavy questions about their place in the world following Molly's death. I wanted to explore those facets of these characters. 

I've also always found it so interesting that Travis said Fjord would have left to find the third orb if the Wildmother hadn't come through for him. 

Caleb seeks an impossible magic for selfish aims, but he does it because he loves his parents. Fjord would make a deal with the devil for power, but he does it because he equates power with agency, and he wants the ability to protect himself and others. Caleb had a taste of that power, but it soured when he used it for the wrong reasons. Fjord is tasting it now, and can't imagine ever letting it go.

Related Works

Frankenstein by Mary Shelley 

The Raven Tower by Ann Leckie

The Magicians by Lev Grossman

The initial pitch of Blood Moon explicitly referred to Caleb as a "Frankensteinien" character. Pervasive in that book is the desire for a domestic life, in which love, happiness, and security are enclosed. Frankenstein loses his mother, and then loses everything else as a consequence of the actions of his grief and uncertainty. What if Caleb's desire to undo what he did to his parents outweighed everything else?

Blood Moon borrows heavily from the magic in The Raven Tower, where one can literally speak something into existence. The idea of a world where "if you say something, it must become true, or you die trying" is extremely evocative and has stayed with me. It was a beautiful way to explore how grief can change the world.

If I can be honest here for a moment, I actually no longer remember why I have The Magicians listed as an inspiration for the fic. I started Blood Moon 3+ years ago and read The Magicians shortly afterwards, and I've since forgotten everything about that book except for what it made me feel: a despair that was hard to look in the eye.

Themes

These are phrased like high school essay questions because I couldn't think of a better way to present them. These are some of the questions that I asked myself while writing:

"With great power comes great responsibility …" Perhaps the defining question of the entire story. How is the question of duty explored in the fic? What do different characters feel responsible for and how do those responsibilities compete? How would each character answer the question "What do we owe to one another?"

Magic is intention. In this world, anybody can do magic. How is the magical presented in relation to the mundane? How much agency do the characters have? What kinds of choices do different characters make? How much does magic change their perception of the world? 

The knowing is part of the price. Caleb and Fjord are both characters who don't know who they are or don't fully understand what made them. Initially, Fjord is resistant to the idea of learning more about his teacher at all. Vulnerability, he understands, is something that can only be given when you have power. What role do alter egos and second identities and our strange other selves play in this fic?

Life and death are the greatest changes of all. Caleb is determined to bring back his parents at any cost. Fjord is determined to live at any cost. Both of our lead characters have other forces calling for their dues. How are death and grief explored in this fic? How about ideas of rebirth and change? 

I am nothing like I was. I cannot teach you; I cannot protect you. The story of Blood Moon is the story of what happens when Fjord goes looking for a teacher. In fact, many of the primary relationships in this fic are a mentorship or potential mentorship between a teacher and a student. What role does learning and teaching play in interpersonal relationships? How do different characters challenge these categories?

Home is where the heart is. The residences of several prominent magicians feature heavily in the fic as their seats of power. What role does "home" play in Caleb and Fjord's lives? How do they imagine, think of, and build their homes? What happens when someone's home is destroyed or otherwise absent? 

Return. What is Fjord's relationship with the sea?

Misc. Notes

The enduring image of the fic that still lives rent free in my head is the burning house. Caleb's childhood house goes up in flames -> Isharnai's house goes up in flames -> the manor goes up in flames, and each time the axis of the world shifts just a little bit.

If you read and enjoyed the fic, please know that you have my eternal thanks. It means a lot to me.

And of course:

[ravennaortiz]

Okay maam!!! I got one for you!!! 🌙 I gotta know!!

Oooooo!!!!! This is a good one!

From the October writer themes asks.

🌙 moon: do any of your OCs have dark backstories or secrets they’re trying to keep?

I actually have a few of my OC's that fit here to be honest. Sooooo I'm going to list them all and I'll link the character boards and stories.... I apologize in advance for the length lol.

Katalina Moreno-Losa: She features in a WIP I'm working on called What Haunts the Girl (I'll link some snippets below). She is the lone survivor of a vicious assault on the Losa household when the club is out on a run. The reason for her "survival" is a major plot point so I don't want to give to much away but it does involve a love interest that neither Bishop or her mom knew about. But she spends two years being kept captive( drug addiction forms, beaten,rape) before escaping and making her way back home. Very angsty but will have a happy ending!

Snippet 1 Snippet 2

Widowmaker: She has multiple identities and desperately wants to keep them secret which is hard to do due to a certain hacker and later a certain ATF agent. She works with the clubs/crime organization and they just assume she is a dirty small town cop who goes by Lexi. Events in her childhood greatly influence the course of her life. This story showcases nature vs nurture. She features in a WIP called Keep My Secret with Juice that revolves around the later seasons of Sons of Anarchy

Snippet

Stormie Rayne Epps: Her childhood was rough. Verbal and physical abuse, her mom died and her brother Kip(Half-Sack) left for the army. This left her with her dad who eventually sold her to a friend of his who raped her and eventually got her pregnant. She ran away at 15 and had the baby. The guy tracks her down over the years and eventually he gets put in jail right around the time Stormie tracks her brother down. She packs her little girl up and goes to Charming where she slowly learns her worth and what a healthy and loving relationship is like. The story she is in is an ongoing multi chapter one

Sunshine

Chloe Morrow- . She is a ....serial killer to be honest. She doesn't like to do it but she will if anyone she loves is threatened. Between the 3 stories that are out with her in it you can account for at least 2 bodies....one of those being her dads. She also has her sites on the head of the table........

Secret Part 1 Part 2 Crime Scene

Cori Lowman- She knows what happened to her dad and has never told the club. She seeks her own vengeance but follows heavily in her dads footsteps by becoming a killer for hire.....for the Mayans. Which puts some members of the SONS in peril. I have 5 stories out with her right now but these 2 give the most direct aspects of her story line :

Revenge and Avenging Angel

Morgana Telford: Her story is set in an Alternate Universe- Supernatural( vamps,werewolves etc). Her mom sends her to Charming in the hopes her uncle can get her back on the path of their ancestors. The problem is while doing this they have to make sure no one finds out her current form as it could have deadly consequences.

Thank you for asking!

Love R!

[vertigoalice]

Concept vs Character! The concept board is what I handed over to the face up artist when I sent her Wulf’s head. She did an outstanding job and I couldn’t have done this without her. She elevated the design and brought my creature to life.

Wulfram is a Luts Vamp Moon/Juri from back in the original Delf Era. (I own a lot of them… stay tuned)

[miscellaneousman]

currently compiling a playlist of enhypen and &team songs called the ‘dark moon universe’ where i pair up songs from both groups that share the same vibe but this shit is harder than i thought and i fear this is due to the vampire-werewolf dichotomy (vamps = dark and mysterious vs. werewolves = loud and rambunctious)

[grilledcheezy92]

Oh this is Angel's first Solstice! Since last year David hadn't even shifted for them yet.

"I'll explain while we work ... No, you can put the stuff wherever you want. I trust your eye, that's why I asked for your help in the first place. I know you don't know much about the holiday but it's not as rigid as Christmas or something ... every moonbound group celebrates it a little bit differently." I know Vamps have The Summit they do for Halloween but I wonder if they also do something for Solstice 👀 maybe clan-specific. And what about moonbound elementals?

"My dad loved the Solstice, it was really special to him. I want to do it justice." 🥹

"I know I've been pretty brief so far around explaining the holiday ... together they're the one recurring event that actually impacts our powers. Each Empowered race is either Sunbound or Moonbound. It doesn't really mean much. It doesn't affect our abilities in any way or at any time aside from the Solstice. For those of us that are Moonbound, on the day of the Winter Solstice our powers spike. We get stronger, inexplicably. Magic comes easier and it's more powerful. We feel energized and revitalized." Is there a list of which magical races are moonbound vs sunbound?

Shifters, Vamps, Stealths, and Earth Elementals are all moonbound.

Fire elementals are sunbound, obviously. I think Water Elementals are moonbound too (at least that's what makes sense to me) So if that's true and elementals are split on the sun/moon bound that would make Air elementals sunbound (ooh two sunbound/moonbound couples in the DAMN crew 👀)*

"No, no it doesn't make me shift, it's not like that. The actual moon doesn't hold any sway over my powers one way or the other. I always do shift on the Solstice because it feels... incredible. It's like nothing else. It's a sacred day to every moonbound empowered. It's a time where we come together with family and friends and celebrate this gift we have."

[kaijubluedreams]

I was reminded of a """"book"""" I wrote in .... 8th grade?? For a gifted program project. It's essentially a rip off of the Twilight family but with an "original", god awful plot. It's called Tears of Blood and the main character can't even CRY on account of being a vampire, it's the secondary were-people that cry blood tears. Here are some "highlights"

were-people includes were-dogs, were-tigers, and were-wolves (including a half dog, half wolf. Also, the wolves and half breeds only go crazy for 3 days during the full moon and have to be locked up)

the villain sent the MC a letter, detailing his exact fucking plan, AND THE WHOLE VAMPIRE FAMILY ALL TOOK IT SERIOUSLY

Since they did that, the MC has to go into hiding and is brought by some were-dogs to said hiding place

on the way, they stop at a diner to eat AND LEAVE THE MC OUTSIDE, ALONE

the villain then ambushes her, ON PAGE 11, and turns her into a human because he's a vampire sorcerer who can do that

he later sends her a ken doll dressed like him and another insane letter where he says he's handsome, leading to this line:

"Does [villain] really think himself handsome? I guess he'd be alright if he wasn't trying to kill me."

He knows where she is the entire fucking week she's in "hiding"

the climactic fight between vamp sorcerer and his vampire and werewolf buddies vs the good animal blood drinking vamps (they have green eyes) and some were-dogs is slept through by the MC, because she is hiding off to the side with her husband, one of the two most powerful good vamps and one of the other vamp family members

vamp sorcerer gets run through with a sword by vamp husband, it's not nearly as cool as you imagine

oh and it ends on sort of a cliff hanger, MC didn't remember any of her previous human life (which spoiler: involved being hunted by her current husband who then turned her) and it's a "big" "plot" point through the "book". So when she wakes up from being changed back into a vampire by vamp husband again, she says she remembers everything, including her human life, AND THEN IT ENDS????

Also, all 98 pages of this is either handwritten (95% of it) or typed on a typewriter. There are also character bios for each family member (I don't even remember if they all are named in the book and I just read it), a "what's next" (3 parts from 3 different perspectives), and an author bio (where I talk about how much I like names and how important their meanings are and then say all the names in the book are just because I like how they sound).

[vampyrescript]

vamp!junhui panting and trembling before your first time together. looking down at you below him, your legs wrapped around his waist holding him close to you. he can hear how fast your heart is racing and how your blood is gushing through your veins; it almost distracts him from the arousal coursing through his own.

“you look so pretty like this,” he tells you softly, his voice cracking as his eyes fixate on your jugular. your chest rises and falls rapidly as you whisper a quiet “thank you, junnie.” junhui can’t help the way his eyes immediately dart towards where your heart is located under all the flesh and ribs shielding it. shielding it from potential threats such as himself.

your hair is laying over your forehead, your pretty, glittering eyes staring up at him as you lay patiently awaiting his next move. junhui squeezes his eyes shut in an attempt to take his mind off of the way his fangs keep trying to extend.

he knows you trust him. he knows you want this. he promised you yesterday that he’d be able to control himself, and you had told him that even if he couldn’t that you wouldn’t mind. as he recalls the moment now, he realizes it was a promise he made to himself. he wanted to promise himself that he’d be able to control his urges… but those thoughts begin slipping from his mind as he smells another wave of arousal overcome your whole body.

[apomaro-mellow]

I wanted to write somethin where Eddie’s friends were basically supportive minions and it kinda turned into an urban fantasy too

Eddie ran his tongue over his fangs while looking over the letter in his hands. Then he pursed his lips.

“You don’t think it’s too much? It’s a lot of flowery language.”

“I thought we agreed flowery would keep him from finding out its you”, Jeff said.

Eddie paced around while holding out the love letter. It was addressed to Steve. His own name was nowhere to be seen. He’d be signing it as a secret admirer. 

“Eddie, are we sure Steve isn’t using his powers on you?”, Gareth asked.

The vamp in question rolled his eyes but didn’t blame them. As far as incubi went, Steve was a pretty powerful one. But his abilities didn’t work on vampires, who had their own powers of compulsion. It was how Eddie knew the tender feelings in his unbeating heart were real.

“I’m sure. Now are we sure about this?”, Eddie presented the poem again, practically shoving it in their faces. “It doesn’t really feel like me.”

“It has enough you in it”, Jeff reasoned. “If you put too much of yourself, he’ll realize its you.”

With that decided, Eddie put the letter in Steve’s locker and waited. He was leaning as casually against the wall as he could and hoped he wasn’t imagining the blush on Steve’s face as he read it that morning.

-----------------

The first letter went over so well, Eddie sent in more. He thought he was doing pretty well on the whole ‘secret admirer’ thing until Steve walked right up to him and thanked him for the latest letter.

“How did you-?! I mean, I’ve got better things to do than write you sonnets.”

“Right, because there’s other vampires in this school who would compare me to an awesome riff that makes their fingers tingle.”

Well if he was caught, he might as well go all in. And the next step in the courtship handbook was to give him flowers. The question was what kind, which was how Jeff and Gareth found themselves in a flower shop bright and early on a Saturday.

“Duuude, it was a full moon last night, you gotta give me more warning”, Gareth complained as the floral scents assaulted his nose.

“You’ll live. Now what color should I get?”, Eddie asked.

Jeff looked around the shop. “Isn’t the type of flower more important?”

“Yeah”, Gareth agreed. “An incubus would know all about flower language.”

Despite the idea of getting a certain type of flower to communicate his feelings, it ended up being an argument between Jeff and Gareth over a blue flower vs a yellow one.

“He wears blue all the time. That’s gotta be his favorite color.”

“If you paid attention to the millions of times Eddie obsessed over him, you’d know yellow is his best color.”

It amused Eddie to no end to see his little minions help him decide on a bouquet for Steve. Eventually a decision was made. And he handed them off to Steve while picking him up for their first date.

-------------------

“I’ve heard of elder vamps who have legions serving under them”, Steve mentioned one night as they smoked atop Eddie’s trailer.

“I just got the little lambs that follow me right now”, Eddie said.

Steve hummed in response. “But between you and me, with our powers, we could have an entire horde of minions.”

“You’re so sexy when you talk about talking over the world.”

Eddie swallowed the smoke Steve blew in his face, then pressed their lips together. He had to make this man his forever.

--------------------

Gareth had procured the precious metals. Jeff had kept the fires burning. They both agreed that a blue gem was the way to go, with a dark band. Eddie had procured some of Steve’s blood.

Over the molten metal, he poured it, murmuring a spell under his breath like a prayer. Then he drew his own blood from his wrist and let it mingle with his love’s. After the forging, it was bathed under the moon’s glow for three nights. After, Eddie looked at it was a scrutinizing gaze.

“You don’t think a promise ring is too much?”

“At least 40% of people at our school would cream their pants if they got one”, Gareth said.

Jeff gave him a friendly elbow. “Steve’s gonna love it, man.”

Eddie smiled at the ring in his fingers. Such a little thing. And yet it held so much weight.

“And if he doesn’t Jeff can curse him”, Gareth supplied.

“I can”, the other nodded. “In a heartbeat if he breaks yours.”

“Don’t count Stevie out so soon boys. I’m thinkin’ this one is forever. You’re gonna have to start callin’ King Steve ‘my lord’ pretty soon.”