#we all BEEN in spooky month hell since then

[vellichorom]

my friends & i have big thoughts about bob,,, THUS! i draw our respective interpretations !!!! as you do

TOP DRAWN LAST NIGHT WHEREAS THE BOTTOM WAS DRAWN IN NOVEMBER '22! LOOK AT THAT

( ft @thedoodlecorner's " Vel " & @lemoneychicken's " Borpse " ~ )

[ivoryrebellionmess]

Spooky Remorses III

Part 1 Part 2 Part 4

Summary: You dated Jax for a year and a half, it was great. You fought sure, but that's a given if you´re both stubborn (and he's constantly in danger). Gemma didn't like the relationship, and she made sure that it ended. Now, months after the breakup, your friend takes you to a Halloween party that just happens to be SAMCRO´s.

warnings: 18+, mdni

A/N: hiii so sorry for taking this long. hope you like it <3

tw: foul language, kinda hooking up with your ex, jealous jax, smoking,a little bit of spice, alcohol, gemma being mean af

Word count: 5.4k

Jax cursed the moment it happened, light and noise snapping him into reality. Anger and frustration bubbled up inside him again as he took a step back, missing your touch immediately. It was too late to hide what had been happening. Just in case you thought otherwise, Tigs face as he studied the both of you made it clear. His demeanor went from shock to amusement in a matter of seconds. He knew he had interrupted something.

A sly grin spread around his mouth as he teased. ¨Well, well…what do we have here?¨. He was slurring, clearly drunk, which meant the little common sense he usually had would be nowhere to be found.

You could not have though of a worse moment for him to be running his mouth. Not that you tried, your mind was working on finding an explanation for what you´d been doing out there. None would be beliavable.

Even if he was tense, Jax managed to sound casual, ¨It ain't what you think, man¨. You studied him, he really did seem calm. You could only pray you looked half as composed as the blonde.

It probably didn't matter, since Tig´s motivation seemed to be pushing Jax´s buttons. He eyed you, taking in your divelished state, and nodded towards Jax, ¨Looked like were about to rip each other's clothes off in public, brother¨. 

The bluntness (and accuracy) ripped a surprised chuckle from your throat. Jax shot you a warning glare, he didn't need you egging Tig on. His brother took a step closer, ¨Come ooon, what were you really up to?¨. He was teasing, the answer was obvious. About as obvious as Jax´s anger. 

Only then you noticed the cigarette, carefully placed on the picnic table. Needing something to do, you took a drag.

Jax´s voice turned your attention back to them. ¨I said it wasn't what you think. We were just talking¨ . You could tell he was trying to control his irritation, and you wondered how much more he could take before doing something stupid. Something else, the voice in your head reminded you, everything that had unfolded against that picnic table had been stupid. 

Once again, the door opening shed light and noise on the parking of the clubhouse; a very different scene unfolding this time. Chibs came out laughing and screaming, ¨Is the screaming match over or do I still get to watch some?¨. He had clearly been ready to get a jab at your fighting with Jax. Wich only made Tig smirk, shooting back, ¨Oh, I bet they were about to scream¨. 

Even if you had stayed away for months, their mannerisms didn't surprise you, and they sure as hell didn't scare you. Your reply was punctuated by the drag you inhaled, ¨We were just having a smoke¨.

The small time out you had awarded yourself had actually calmed you down, your voice coming out almost normal. As if your biggest desire wasn´t hearing Jax moan your name. 

The tension between you did not go unnoticed by the scott, it seemed to amuse him. ¨Just a smoke, aye? Looks like a lot more than that¨.

To that, you only shrugged, not daring to let your eyes wander to Jax. ¨So maybe it was a smoke and a talk, so what¨. Jax was silent, trying to keep his expression neutral. It was hard to do when all he could think about were your thighs around his head. The little capacity for logical thinking he had knew his brothers would not buy your lies. Nobody would. Even if they didn't, he needed them away, he needed you alone again. Maybe you'd still be caught up in the heat of the moment and he could get you into bed. Or anywhere really, as long as no one could interrupt. The longer they stayed there, the longer your brain had to racionalize how bad of an idea having sex with him was.  So he breathed deeply before speaking, ¨Yeah, a talk and a smoke¨. 

Chibs clearly read the situation and nodded, never losing the grin on his face. As he started walking back to the party, Tig decided he had not had enough fun yet, poking again. ¨Whatever you say brother¨. He patted Jax on the back after mocking him. That successfully riled Jax up, his warning was low. Grunted. ¨Watch it¨.

You could see the anger in his shoulders, the way his jaw was clenched, his knuckles white. You looked over at Chibs for help, there was no need for the situation to escalate. But nice as he was, he was still a Son, and he would not get between his brothers. You were starting to get anxious, the shift in the atmosphere was noticeable. Not playful anymore, no one was grinning, no one was laughing. 

¨What's the matter Jax, cant handle some friendly banter?¨. It made you cringe, you took a step towards them before you could think about it. 

Blue eyes went to you for a second, his muscles tensing. He knew why you'd done it, if Tig kept it up it could very easily lead to a fight. As much as he didnt want that to happen, his brother was pushing his buttons, all of them.

¨You know I can handle it¨, his teeth clenching, ¨We´re not here to have a pissing contest¨. He was trying to avoid the fight, he really was, you could tell. 

So you looked at Tig, who seemed to be having the time of his life. He raised an eyebrow at you, wondering if that was an easier route to bothering Jax. As soon as his blue eyes landed on you, you regretted ever moving. Jax´s patience was probably running short after your little ¨talk¨. It always was, to be fair. But someone coming for the people he cared about, that was his weak spot, even on his best day. ¨Just having some fun, brother¨. 

You looked at the blonde man, his smoldering gaze already on you. He could see the worry in your eyes, and it somehow helped him keep it together.

A fear set in your stomach that it was only the calm before the storm.

He took a deep breath, and with his exhale came a low growl, ¨You´re playing with fire¨.

You couldn't help but bite your lip, his growl going right to where you needed him most. Even if it was subtle, Jax noticed, even now he had an effect on you. His eyes darkened, his anger growing. Angry that you also had an effect on him, angry that his brother had interrupted, angry that he let you go. 

The short interaction had not gone unnoticed by Tig, who had apparently decided what his winning statement would be. ¨I´d like to play with that fire, if you're not gonna finish what you started¨. He hadn´t meant it, not really, hadn't even looked at you.

That didn't matter.

Not to you.

Not to Jax. 

Before you could speak up for yourself, Jax stepped forward, ready to start an actual fight. You caught his arm, trying to stop him. He turned to look at you, ¨He needs a lesson¨, he grumbled. Worry was dripping from all of you: your eyes, the hand on his arm, the fingers gripping his skin. There was a plea in your eyes.  A plea to prove to you that he was different from what he used to be. A plea to give you a reason to stay. You came even closer, your chest touching his back, and whispered against his shoulder. ¨Baby, it's not worth it¨.

He could feel your body pressing up against him, your breath on his neck, the way ¨baby¨ had fallen from your lips,...

He wanted to prove to you that he could be different. So he let out a deep breath, slowly. Frustration and desire burning within him. You were right. It wasn't worth it. 

You felt like you could finally breathe, you let your head rest against Jax´s back, your hand absimentally running up and down his forearm. 

It didn't last, Tig couldn't help himself, letting out a last jab as he turned around. ¨Guess you two lovebirds going to make up now, you're welcome¨. You dropped your arms yo your sides, muttering under your breath, ¨For fucks sake Tig¨. And you truly couldn't blame him when Jax finally grabbed him by the collar and punched him. 

His anger brought out the worst of him, slamming his brother against the wall. Tig had pushed and pushed, and was now getting the fruits of his hard labour. Watching the fight unfold, you mentally prepared yourself to clean up Jax after. This was what you´d been dreading since Tig came out. It was scary how quick you seemed to be able to fall back into the violent routine. Instead of freaking out, you were making a list of the injuries Jax would have, and how to patch him up. You were freaking out too, of course, in the background.

You could take the sight of a few punches and minor injuries. But then the fight started to escalate, you turned to Chibs. He was worried, and yet he hadn't moved and he wouldn't. This was a matter between Jax and Tig. But at least he seemed worried, right?

They were both covered in sweat, their faces bloody and their breathing ragged. Still didn't look like they were willing to give in. Well, they would stop, one way or another. Against your better judgment, you stepped closer. Close enough that they could accidentally hit you. 

¨Aye, stop that!¨, you just pretended not to hear Chib´s warning. You heard him get closer as well. And you were not the only one. 

The bloody men looked up at you when they heard Chibs yell, surprised at your closeness. They had been so focused on each other they hadn't noticed your approach. Tig´s eyes showed disbelief and something close to pride, Jax´s darkened. He was bothered, what a surprise. 

Your eyes were sternly going from one set of blue eyes to the other, ¨You two done now?¨. Tig chuckled at your bravery, treating them like misbehaving children. Jax´s eyes softened, as he wiped blood from his lip. ¨Yeah, we´re done¨. 

They got up and hugged it out. Unbelievable. 

¨Great¨, you held your hand to Jax, ¨C´mon, let's get you cleaned up¨. You knew the gesture meant something to the guys who were a part of the club. It meant something to you too, it just happened to be something different. You did not give a flying fuck if they took this a sign of a great old lady or whatever. You hoped neither did Jax. He looked at your hand, at you, at his brothers. He knew the other bikers were sizing up the situation, he didn't care right now. All that he cared about was the way you were looking at him, the way you cared for him. So he took your hand, allowing you to lead him. 

As you walked you looked at Tig, ¨You good?¨. He nodded, smiling. ¨Nothing I can't handle, doll¨.

You didn't smile back, instead giving him a piece of your mind. ¨Don't ever speak about me that way again¨. It wasn't a warning. It wasn't a threat. It was a statement.

You then turned to keep walking, straight to Jax´s room, knowing the route by heart. His hand was still on yours, neither of you cared about the outrageous amount of looks you were getting as you entered the clubhouse. He only cared about the way your fingers were intertwined. You only cared about repeating to yourself: this was the last time you did this. You didn't believe it. His hand in yours didn't let you believe it. It was such a small gesture. And yet it felt like so much more. 

As you entered the room, he shut the door, enjoying the darkness and silence. His eyes were roaming your body in front of him. Your soft voice stopped a string of ungentlemanly thoughts. ¨Wheres the first aid kit?¨.

He started to walk to the bathroom when you scoffed. ¨Sit, where is it?¨.

He wanted to get it himself, to not let you win, but his body craved something else. Jax made his way to the bed as he answered with a sigh, ¨You know¨. You did, you knew a lot, maybe too much. So, with that, you made your way to the bathroom and opened the cabinet where you knew you´d find what you were looking for. 

Taking a deep breath, you made your way to stand between his legs, leaving the first aid kit on the bed. You brushed the hair out of his face to examine the damage. He let you, simply looking up at you. 

Jax could feel the heat from your body, the tingle of your fingers against his forehead, a familiar feeling started to settle in his stomach. 

¨You won't need stitches so that's good¨, you seemed unaffected by the closeness. But the way your fingers were tracing his face certainly affected Jax. He had seen this before, you switching into nurse mode as a way to cope with the anger his injuries caused you. 

¨How´s the rest of your body feeling? Any cut I need to clean up urgently?¨. Even if he understood what was happening, he couldn't help but feel disappointed that you weren't closer, caressing him…treating him as a lover instead of a patient.

But you were not his lover, not any more. He wasn't fooling himself either, this was how you´d acted most of the times you had had to patch him up. 

No matter how you looked, your head was swirling with a million thoughts and feelings: this is a mistake, you shouldn't be here, leave now, you promised to yourself you wouldn't do this again, look at him, he is so pretty, he needs you now, no he doesn't, he's an adult, he did this to himself, it's not your responsibility to fix him. 

It was his smooth voice that stopped your brain, ¨Uh, rest of me is fine. Nothing serious, just some scrapes and cuts¨. He was trying to calm you, seeing right through your facade. It did not work, riling you up even more. 

Your voice came out sharper than you mean to, ¨I'll say if it's serious or not¨. Not giving him time to reply, you grabbed a gauze and disinfectant. ¨This is gonna sting¨.

Jax swallowed nervously,  whether that was because of the pain to come or your cold attitude you didn't know. When he looked up at you his heart skipped a beat. ¨Go ahead. I can take it¨. Something about his bravado bothered you, it seemed like he was proud he could take a few punches. ¨Yeah well, you don't have to¨ you started cleaning a cut in forehead ¨That was stupid¨.

He didn't answer right away, or at all for that matter. He did, however, wince when the disinfectant touched the wound. Not a sound came from his mouth. That did not mean he was still, at all. It wasn't only the pain, it was your closeness. Jax wanted nothing more than to grab your hips and pull you into him. Even if you were acting cold, you used to straddle him when you were dating, letting his hands roam your body.

Not this time. This time was aseptic on your end. It was a defense mechanism, you couldn't let yourself fall into this routine again. You still remembered the anxiety, the sleepless nights knowing he was in danger, the fights, the jealousy. And worst of all, his mother, a constant presence in his life, undermining your every move.

Maybe you could´ve taken it if it had just been the memories from months ago. Maybe. But now? After what had just happened? All of those got mixed up with his rough breaths, his lips on yours, the taste of his kisses. And you couldn't help but yearn for it to happen again. That bothered you the most, the good parts of relationships usually weighed more on you than the bad ones. 

And the good parts with Jax were great, he was caring, attentive, you could have named a million qualities. But nothing mattered more than the way the world didn't seem to matter as long as you were together, the way your stress dissipated as soon as you saw him, as soon as your hands were on his body. With Jax living such a dangerous life, that had been especially addictive. The absolute relief after he came back from every run. 

The bad had been there too, of course, now more present than it had ever been since the breakup. You´d been in this position way too many times, patching him up after a fight that could've been easily avoided. Yes, you agreed that Tig had it coming, but only because you knew Jax, he had little to no control. The only way he knew to defend himself was violence. At first, you thought you could fix him, teach him another way,...

But there was no other way if you were a Son. 

How you managed to make your voice sound emotionless despite your internal turmoil, you didn't know. ¨Was it worth it?¨. It was an unfair question, you knew, but you didn't care. After realizing the harshness of your jab, your hand instinctively went to his cheek, then following a route of its own to tangle in the hair at the back of his neck. 

Jax tried to speak, but the words kept getting stuck on his throat. Or in his head. What was he supposed to answer? He knew what you wanted to hear, but he wasn't sure he could give that to you, not without lying. So he was honest, ¨I don´t know¨.

Using the leverage of your hand tangled on his neck, you tilted his head to look at a cut on his chin. ¨Typical¨, you scoffed at his answer. Clearly you weren't happy with it. 

This time, when the gauze grazed his skin, the blonde hissed. Focusing on the feeling of your hand touching him made the pain slightly less…well, painful. He could see the frustration in your eyes, and it made him feel guilty. Guilt was not what his tone showed when he retorted, ¨It´s not that simple¨.

When your eyes locked on his, your cold mask was gone, something much deeper replacing it. ¨Yes it fucking is¨, your voice trembled as you wiped the blood under his nose and checked that it wasnt broken. Even through the pounding in his ears, he could tell the tremble of your voice had nothing to do with weakness or sadness. Maybe in a second level. But the surface was plain anger. Maybe mixed with something else? That much he could not decipher, the pain in his head more present with every passing second. 

Your brows furrowed as your eyes zoned in the cut you were dreading the most, the one on his lower lip. You tilted his head and held him steady as you cleaned him up. His breath hitched. He looked up at you. You were beautiful, concentration evident on your face. He had no doubts now, he knew he still loved you. He knew he would never stop. You could have, should have left. But you were there, taking care of him. Did you still have feelings for him? Had he completely messed up, or could you work things out?

The second the gauze made contact with his skin, those thoughts stopped. All of his energy focused on not flinching, not making a sound. You caught onto that, you always did. And you rolled your eyes, you could not believe he was still playing tough. 

Jax eventually winced, his eyes finally leaving yours. It did soften you, it shouldn't but it did. So you blew a little on his lips, hoping it would alleviate his pain. Your voice was barely above a whisper when you said ¨Sorry¨. 

Jax closed his eyes, letting himself enjoy the feeling of your breath on him. He missed you, having you close, your touch,... When he opened his eyes, he saw the conflict in yours clear as day. There was anger, frustration, and something else.

You took a step back. You saw his hand run down his leg, on its way to get a hold of you, to stop you. A sigh left your lips as you sat next to him and extended your palm, ¨Gimme your hand¨.

His knuckles were bloody and already starting to bruise. For some reason, you wanted to cut him some slack, so you teased him. 

¨We also had not done this in a long time¨. Placing his hand on your thigh might not have been the greatest idea. Without even thinking about it his fingers wrapped around your knee. The squeezee brought back so many memories, memories a part of you wanted to repeat. 

He answered lowly, ¨No, we haven't¨. You could hear the smile on his voice. 

Maybe it was the familiarity of the scene, but your mouth moved before you could think. ¨Sure didn't miss this¨.

It took Jax a few seconds to process your words, eyes burning into your thigh. He noticed your flush, the way you seemed to be having a hard time keeping it together. He chuckled softly at your jab, moving his hand up. ¨You never complained about it before¨.

A smile crept into your lips, no matter how much you tried to stop it. ¨I was too busy complaining about the fighting to also complain about patching you up¨.

You were both smiling now, his hand higher and higher, closing in the hem of your dress. The tension, a mix of anger and desire, thickened the air. Most importantly, it made it hard to focus on anything else. The sting of the disinfectant was still there, nothing compared to the pain in his chest. He knew his teasing tone would get to you, ¨And here I thought you enjoyed nursing me back to health¨. 

It bothered you, mostly because it was partly true, you did enjoy it. ¨I wish I didn't need to¨. A pang of hurt crossed your eyes at the sight of the cuts in his face. That was also true, you wished he´d stop getting himself in situations like that. 

The ache in your eyes made Jax want to pull you into his arms and take care of you. Instead of doing that, he squeezed your thigh harder. ¨I know¨, he fought the urge to lean into you, ¨I´m sorry¨. 

You took a deep breath, Jax though you seemed to be trying to be composing yourself. ¨So, who's been cleaning you up these last few months?¨. You´d finished cleaning his knuckles but made no move to let go of his hand.

¨No one¨. Jax looked over at you. ¨I´ve been doing it myself¨.

You shook your head, stifling a laugh. A bitter one. ¨So fucking stubborn¨.

As you examined his hand, the other flew to your thigh. His fingers gently caressed your skin, eyes looked on yours. The next time he spoke, his voice was laced with playful defensiveness, ¨I prefer the term independent¨.

You enjoyed the banter, the playful jabs. You were still trying not to smile when you looked at his blue eyes, ¨Bite me-¨.

His hand started tracing patterns on your upper thigh, the hem of your dress didn't seem to be a barrier anymore. The other one caressed the back of your neck, making sure your stare didn't leave his. But it did, you were looking at his lips, they were now wearing a smirk. 

¨Is that a dare or a request, darlin´?¨.

Shaking your head as you untangled yourself from him, you laughed. ¨Okay¨, you got up and stood in front of him, ¨Take off your shirt¨.

Jax let his eyes explore your figure, letting out a low whistle. He got up and obeyed. You told yourself you were studying his bruises. It was a lie, your eyes had immediately gone to his v line, then slowly made their way up, studying every inch of his exposed skin. 

You still managed to scoff when you saw his grin. ¨Drop the cockyness, I have to check the cuts¨. Your eyes betrayed you once again. His neck. His arms. His hands. His hips. Thankfully his voice stopped your train of thought, which would lead nowhere good. He shouldn't have sex in his condition, you had to get your shit together. ¨Sorry, sweetheart. Can't help it with you looking at me like that¨. You smiled, shaking your head. 

For the second time that night, a door opening interrupted an intimate moment between you. Gemma stood on the doorway, hands on her hips. Everything about her screaming I´m not happy about this. 

¨Hey baby, need help cleaning up? I heard what happened¨. The vibe was as tense as it could, she did not acknowledge you, and you did not acknowledge her. She had been the reason you two had broken up, so you clearly were not happy about her presence. 

Jax seemed to deflate at his mothers presence. He swallowed, realizing how the scene looked. The intimacy was palpable…until four seconds before. After a few moments of Jax not answering, you took initiative on the conversation. ¨Everything's under control here¨. 

At the sound of your voice he seemed to wake up, ¨Yeah, she was helping me¨.  Gemma's eyes slowly made their way to you, icy and sharp. ¨Was she now?¨. You squared up, ready for a fight. 

Jax took a step towards you, knowing how ugly things could get between you and his mother. It did nothing but rile you up, ¨I guess I was faster¨, the than you was left unsaid. But understood by all. 

Gemma narrowed her eyes, taking a step into the room. ¨And what's that supposed to mean¨.

If anyone who knew you had to say what your biggest flaw was, the answer would be unanimous. You were mouthy. So, as expected, you snapped, your voice higher. ¨Just saying, I was here cleaning him up first¨.

The other woman puffed, ¨Been taking care of him longer than you have, sweetheart¨. She looked about ready to throw a punch. You were scared she might. So was Jax apparently, since he stepped in front of his mother. 

¨Stop, both of you. This is not the time or place¨. You looked at him, wondering if this was him stepping up for you. For the first time. So you stepped back and tried not to make it  worse. You could see his shoulders relax slightly, then turning to Gemma. His voice was dripping with authority, ¨Mom, I appreciate your concern, but she's right. She was here first and she´s the one taking care of me. I want her here¨.

The authoritative voice was hot, but the fact that he was defending you? You could've died on the spot. So many thoughts started filling your head, ways to thank him. Jax saw the look in your eyes, slightly darkened and full of hunger. 

He looked back at his mother, ¨Maybe you should go, let us finish here¨. Your gaze went to Gemma, genuinely curious as to how she'd react. Her jaw was clenching, she knew she'd lost this fight. That did not mean she had to concede graciously. She turned, leaving the room and slamming the door. 

Jax sat back on his bed, running his hands through his hair. ¨I swear, she´s gonna give me a heart attack one day¨.

Your voice was calm as you sat next to him, rubbing his back, ¨I hope not¨. A low moan left his lips when your hand landed on his back. 

¨Ain't no one I'd rather have give me a heart attack than you, baby¨. His laugh was a low rumble. A rumble left unheard by you, his sentence awakening something in your stomach. He could see the effect of his words on you, a lazy grin appearing on his lips. Jax leaned into your touch, ¨What´s going on in that pretty little head of yours?¨, his voice was soft. 

¨Nothing¨, your hand came across something wet. Blood. ¨You have a cut there?¨. You were already reaching for the gauzes. 

¨Must´ve gotten it in the fight, I´m all banged up¨. He smiled at you, eyes sparkling. ¨But I´ve had worse, darlin´¨.

The gauze already going over the wound, you didnt loose a beat. ¨Yeah, well, you´re about to¨. You loved the comfortable place you were at right now. Jax did too, a laugh making his chest rumble. 

¨You´re full of sass tonight, aint´ya?¨.

That took you by surprise, you´d always been sassy. Especially around Jax. ¨Wasn´t I always?¨. The hand on his back went up to his neck, and there you felt his shoulders go up and down as he laughed. 

¨Nah, not like this. You´ve always had a tongue but tonight, sweetheart? You´re just going out of your way to give me a hard time¨. You scoffed at that, shaking your head. ¨Maybe you deserve it¨.

Jax´s eyes sparkled with mischief, ¨Oh yeah? And what do you think I deserve?¨. His voice got lower, and you felt it on every part of your body. Some more than others. You got up and threw the gauze in the trash, then kneeling in front of him. ¨You´re going out of your way to piss me off lately¨.

He loved this vision of you, fiery, feisty and ready to snap at him. He lowered his face closer to yours, and purred ¨And how am I doing that exactly, baby?¨.

¨You´re trying to get me all riled up¨, as you looked at his naked torso you saw bruises forming, ¨Fuck Jax-¨.

He chuckled, trying to dismiss your worry. ¨Come on, darlin´. Not the first time I´ve been all banged up…also not gonna be the last¨. He pulled you up, hoisting you onto his lap, his body warm against yours. 

You caressed his face, ¨That's the problem, I can't handle you getting hurt over and over again¨. His expression softened, his heart aching. Jax knew you were worried about him, he knew you cared. You knew that too, that was the problem.

¨I know¨, his voice was soft, ¨But this is my life¨. He was tired, you could tell. And if you were being honest, you did not want to have this conversation. So you didn't. You got up and looked at him, he was a mess.

¨You should take a shower, you look like shit¨. His laugh warmed your heart, his eyes were sparkling.

¨Ain't you a sweetheart, telling me I look like crap¨. But as he looked down, he realized he did. ¨Guess you´re right, not the prettiest sight huh?¨.

¨Not right now¨, you were still laughing when you signaled the bathroom door, ¨Go on, I'll bring you something for the pain¨. 

Jax shook his head, but got up and started walking to the bathroom. He appreciated your honesty, any other woman taking care of him would´ve lied. Not you, you straight up told him he looked like shit. He loved that. He loved you. ¨I´ll go shower, but you better bring some good painkillers¨. His tone was lighthearted.

¨Oh yeah, you´re gonna need them¨, you couldn't help but tease him as you made your way to the door. 

Jax rolled his eyes, pretending to be bothered. ¨You´re enjoying this way too much¨. With that, he stepped closer. You smiled, not stepping back. He kept going until he was towering over you. He was wearing a smug smirk, that could be very good or very bad news. ¨You just love seeing me like this, don't ya? All banged up, needing your help, ...¨

Bad news it was then. Your demeanor changed radically, playfulness long gone. ¨No, I don´t¨.

His smile faded, knowing he had ruined the moment. ¨Sorry, darlin´. I was trying to lighten the mood¨. One of his hand traveled up your arm, caressing you. 

¨I know, I´m just messing with you¨. You laughed lightly.

He mirrored your smile, ¨I swear, you´re gonna be the death of me¨.

As he started walking to the bathroom, he looked at you over his shoulder, ¨Gonna stick around while I shower? Make sure I don't faint?¨. The domesticity of it all was drowning, not necessarily in a bad way, but it was a lot. You winked, ¨Sure¨.

¨No peeping¨, he gave you a stern look before closing the door. 

[regretevator-confessions]

If you can tell who this is, don’t out me please. I just want this out here. Also fair warning, I yapped a lot and this is directly about the server, since I lurk a lot in there. Sorry!

Some of the mods in the server feel.. very eh to me? A lot of threads that have been closed for “arguments” could’ve been solved with a simple working of striking or deleting the argument so it doesn’t absolutely murder the suggestion. It’s kind of upsetting to see that.

I think my main issue with this method as well is the fact that someone could do targetted harassment, say that someone is “possibly ableist” and then not get striked ALONE on that.

The only reason they were ‘possibly ableist‘ is because they “insulted his intelligence” by saying “real smart fella we got here”. That’s not ableism in the slightest I feel. Allowing people like this to roam the server, where they could throw around shit like that just because they were offended, is generally not that good of a strategy. It’s a great way to cause accusations and drama though.

Locking the thread instead of genuinely handling the situation and person who was targeting harassment (because people didn’t agree with his opinion, btw. he was public about ❌ing a suggestion so he could grief and the suggestion was to literally prevent griefing with a specific special floor, you figure it out. of course people aren’t going to agree with jack the griefer here.) is a very odd and unfair way of handling the situation. Why did that persons thread have to be locked for someone elses actions? Why kill an entire suggestion for that? There was one arugment in that thread. That one guy. And the entire thing gets shut down. How disappointing.

Also, he came into the suggestion saying it was a “skill issue suggestion” after he blocked the op, the op had blocked him back as well, so there was really no point to doing it. He was purposely causing shit at that rate, which should’ve been handled. but it wasn’t.

The server mods genuinely tire me sometimes. When it comes to handling things they’re not the best. Tickets go unanswered for days— which is especially bothersome to me personally.

Also the fact that some of the devs / VAs have several strikes or actively have made jokes that are banned in the server (ex the person in workshop having a 9/11 banner & Gregoriahs VA saying a 9/11 joke on donator stage) is insanely hypocritical. Whatever your stance is on these jokes are, I hope you can at least agree with it being heavily hypocritical and that they shouldn’t be made in a huge server like that.

Can’t make a KMS joke in that server either, but Stat saying kill yourself can certainly make it onto the starboard and not be taken down! It’s pure hypocrisy at some point. I don’t know, I don’t understand.

I really just wish that server was handled better. It feels like a mess they can barely control otherwise. I feel bad that they have to even deal with it— because it feels like a nightmare, but also I just feel concerned for the way the server is handled because of that bit.

They definitely need more mods at the very least. That server is way to big for that little amount of moderators.

..Also, why is Dandy’s World not unblacklisted yet? I don’t like the game at all, but at the very least, I know those assets were replaced and the drama is over. The whole reason of it still being blacklisted was the assets being in-game still, but they’re gone.

(+ Apparently Sr Pelo is blacklisted as well despite it not being listed anywhere? When emotes were being suggested, Spooky Month was shot down because ‘Sr Pelos a bad person’ when I don’t even know what the hell thats about. Spooky Month is literally everywhere I can think of so it stands out to me that specifically Axosun has a issue with it.. because of.. something???)

.

[hlficlibrary]

HL Fic Library 💕 Established Relationship

Remember to leave kudos and a comment on the fics you enjoyed to show your appreciation! You can find our other recs here.

💕 We Are Only Just Beginning by @afirethatcannotdie {E, 129k}

In the dim light of a dorm kitchen, Harry Styles meets a boy who flips his life upside down. Three years later, he's a senior in college, ready to take on the world with the love of his life by his side. And then Louis Tomlinson admits he doesn't know what he wants to do after college after all, and Harry's world flips again, this time not so pleasantly. He can't imagine his life without Louis, but he's starting to worry he might have to.

A college AU featuring lots of domestic sappiness, waffles, tattoos, late nights and early mornings, and above all, Louis and Harry against the world.

💕 Been Together Since Way Back When by @alivingfire {E, 95k}

Louis Tomlinson is a law student with a simple but effective four step plan: 1. Finish law school. 2. Get hired somewhere awesome. 3. Marry his best friend and boyfriend of two years, Harry. 4. Live happily ever after.

Harry Styles doesn't know what he wants to do with his life, where he wants to go, who he wants to be, or if he even wants the college degree he's almost completed. All he does know is who he’ll be with forever, as long as Louis wants to keep him around.

Or: the painfully realistic college au where everyone's poor, lovesick, tired of school, terrified of the future, and still having the greatest times of their lives.

💕 Such Good Luck by @casuallyhl {E, 66k}

Louis smiles at Harry’s words, leaning into his touch. “Tell me again.”

Smiling, Harry takes Louis into his arms. Pressing gentle kisses to his face, Harry murmurs, “In six months’ time, I will have my twenty-fifth birthday. On that day, my portion of the inheritance will become legally mine. And I plan that very day to announce to my family that I have found love.” Harry chuckles as he runs his lips lightly along Louis’ cheekbone. “That, in fact, I found love when I was twenty-one years old, and that I have loved and been loved every day since.”

Or, an Edwardian AU where Harry is a young aristocratic lord and Louis is a working class dairy farmer. Secrets are a necessary part of their relationship, but Louis has one that could topple their whole world.

💕 Swallow My Words (series) by YesIsAWorld / @louandhazaf {T, 41k}

Senior year is stressful. On top of balancing school work, family, and friends, Harry's lacrosse team is vying to win the state championship, he's not sure where he's going to college yet, and he has a secret boyfriend that no one can know about.

💕 yeah, he's a looker (but i really think it's guts that matter most) by devilinmybrain / @thedevilinmybrain {E, 40k}

Five times Oli was asked to do something that was outside of his job description, and the one time he didn't have to be asked.

💕 Lover Boy by @brightgolden {E, 27k}

“I’d love to meet your lover boy one day,” Lottie says suddenly as she pours Louis a whiskey on the rocks after their dinner.

OR Where Louis wants to tell everyone about his relationship with Harry, but his boyfriend clearly thinks otherwise.

💕 Spellbound by lovelarry10 / @chloehl10 {T, 22k}

Louis’ a shifter. Harry’s a witch. The only problem is, they’re hiding those things from each other.

Will they be able to keep their secrets hidden at the most spooky time of year?

💕 You Were Mine by @brightlyharry {E, 20k}

Harry and Louis hardly speak to each other unless they're fighting. Harry has ran out of ways to try to repair their broken marriage and Louis can't be bothered to even try. When the loneliness becomes too much, he joins a new social media app. It doesn't take him long to make a new friend on there that helps pull him out of his solitary hell. The more they talk, the more Harry finds comfort in his anonymous friend. He is smiling and laughing again for the first time in months.

He soon discovers that Louis is smiling again too, and it's not because of him.

💕 Dance Me (to the End of Love) by @phdmama {E, 19k}

You would think that it's a simple process - you meet, you fall in love, you get married. But when you add one lawyer and one overly-competitive high school teacher to that equation, it's no longer a straight line from beginning to end. Or the story of how a simple proposal becomes a competition where no one loses in the end.

💕 On Thin Ice by @neondiamond {E, 16k}

As the goaltender for one of the best hockey teams in the world, Harry never expected participating in his second winter Olympics would be so eventful. His hidden long-term relationship with the captain of their biggest rival team may have something to do with it.

💕 Another One For The Road by @reminiscingintherain {T, 15k,}

She looked up at Louis with a smile. "Congratulations Louis. You're pregnant." "Oh fuck," he said softly, before his eyes rolled up into the back of his head and he promptly passed out.

Or the one where Louis' on tour when he finds out the hard way that men can get pregnant too....

💕 Wild As You by bluegreenish / @greenblueish {M, 9k}

As much as Harry had not been overjoyed at the prospect of leaving Minnesota behind and starting high school in rural central Nebraska, it had definitely changed his life in ways staying at his childhood home never would have. Within days he had found fellow students to sit with at lunch, within weeks he had considered them friends, within months he had learned to love Nebraska, and within four years, he had wildly fallen in love with Louis Tomlinson.

or, a story about how Harry figures out whether the ideal of a house with a white picket fence in the suburbs of a medium-sized city is what he wants, or whether Louis' sheep ranch is the home his heart really desires.

💕 caught up in your love affair by @disgruntledkittenface {NR, 8k}

“And the corgis took to you straightaway,” Harry remarks.

“That’s true,” Louis chuckles.

  “I’ve spent the last 29 years being barked at,” Harry deadpans, jerking his hand toward Louis, “this one walks in, absolutely nothing.”

 Louis outright giggles at that, saying, “They were just lying on my feet during tea.”

 “Wagging tails,” Harry says, shaking his head.

 “It’s because they don’t understand flirting,” Louis tells him, “you can’t charm them the way you do everyone else.”

Royal AU. Prince Harry announces his engagement to Louis Tomlinson in an interview with longtime friend and BBC host Nick Grimshaw. Inspired by Prince Harry and Meghan Markle.

💕 So Much Left to Say by myownspark / @myownsparknow {M, 7k}

Harry remembers Louis stalking along the Cougar’s sideline as the final seconds of the game ticked away. He was apart from everyone, with his arms crossed and his head down, sort of fragile looking even in his pads and helmet. Harry’s fingers actually itched to hold his hand, just as they do now. He holds the phone up to take a selfie and smiles into the camera, trying to ask Louis a question with his eyes. (Are you really okay? Tell me the truth. I bet you’re sitting on your bed, playing Madden, sulking. If you want to see me, I’ll come. I know you better than anyone. You’re sad. I’d like to come.) He pushes send.

(Harry and Louis play for rival high school football teams, and when they play against each other in the Homecoming game, someone has to lose.)

💕 As one we are everything/We are everything we need by louloubaby92 / @louloubabys1992 {M, 5k}

Harry finally marries the love of his life. He's got the mating mark, he's got Louis' ring on his finger.

And now, he's on his honeymoon. Louis is but a door away, waiting for him.

Honestly, he doesn't understand why he's nervous.

💕 Tuca Tuca (ILikeYouILikeYouILikeYou) by @persephoneflouwers {E, 4k}

The San Francisco getaway AU, where Harry is needy and Louis has a flight to LA in a few hours.

💕 sensitive to pressure by momentofclarity / @gaycousinlarry {E, 4k}

Harry’s breath stutters on its way up his throat, his cheeks heating more with each step as Louis gets closer and Harry can’t move. Feet stuck to the carpet, heavy and unwilling, unable to shuffle away or take control, stuck in place and waiting.

💕 Gonna Dress You Up In My Love by @fallinglikethis {T, 3k}

Harry decides to take up knitting. He's horrible at it. Louis wears everything anyway.

💕 lying close to you by @nouies {NR, 2k}

Harry’s been living for twenty-five years but he’s only felt alive for the past two.

[goodomenscalendar]

What is this? | Submit your own event or tag us! | Be sure to click through to the original post for the latest updates! Last edited: October 12th.

Ending Events

Good Omens Holiday Exchange | Prompt Claims close Oct 4th

The Good Omens Holiday Exchange has operated every holiday season since 2005, so by now it's something we consider a fandom institution-- and you could be a part of it this year! Sign-ups are closed, but you can still claim a prompt to fill for someone else! - @goexchange-mods - Claims List -

GOAD Fall Ball Kink Thrall | 18+ | Sign-ups close Oct 31st

Autumnal kink roulette split into two sections. One 'edge' event taking place over a month of writing or drawing. One 'heat' sprint style event weekly on the sub (over the posting period). Prompts sent out November 1st! - @goodomensafterdark - Reddit -

Good Omens Fairy Tale Bang | Posting continues!

This is a Good Omens Mini Bang themed entirely around Fairy Tales! Writing your own or adapting a favorite! All versions of all Fairy Tales and Mythology are welcome! Featuring both SFW and NSFW content. - @fairytalegobang - AO3 Collection -

DIWS: Silver Screen Bang | Posting continues!

The Good Omens Silver Screen Bang brings writers and artists together to retell a movie through a Good Omens lens! AUs and fusions welcome! Featuring both SFW and NSFW content. - @do-it-with-style-events - Twitter - AO3 Collection -

Good Omens Theater Bang | Posting continues!

A Good Omens bang dedicated to theatrical plays and musicals! Featuring both SFW and NSFW content. - @gomens-theatre-bang - AO3 Collection -

Ongoing Events

Chill Omenstober | Runs all month!

A chill list of Good Omens themed October prompts filled with lots of break days. Feel free to use with any form of art! Good luck and have fun! - Prompt List -

Ineffable Kinktober | Runs all month!

A month-long prompt list full of truly Ineffable kinks! This isn't a challenge, do as many or as few as you are inspired to! - Prompt List - Twitter - AO3 Collection -

Inktober | Runs all month!

Classic Inktober: make a drawing in ink, and post it! Inktober is about growing and improving and forming positive habits, so the more you’re consistent the better. - Prompt List - Twitter - Reddit -

Whumptober | Runs all month!

Whumptober is a month-long, prompt-based creation challenge (think: Inktober, but whumpier). There are 31 official themes this year - one for each day of the month - which can be used, skipped, or combined in any way you’d like! - @whumptober - AO3 Collection -

Upcoming Events

Thwarting Wiles Zine: Vol 2 | 18+ | Applications open Oct 5th

A bottom!Crowley Good Omens zine. This is an 18+ zine, so no minors will be accepted. - @thwartingwileszine - Twitter -

Ineffably Grey Zine | Pre-orders open Oct 18th

From the Grand Opening in 1898 to modern times, follow this Demon and his Angel on their adventures, and the routines that surely follow at a table for two for An Evening At the Ritz! All proceeds donated to The National Center for Transgender Equality. - @ineffablygrey - Twitter - Instagram - BigCartel -

The Ineffable Society: Langhorne, PA Meetup | October 19th

A free-to-attend Good Omens fandom meetup in the States. Just outside Philadelphia, PA. All ages welcome; under 18 must attend with guardian. Masks required in our Event spaces—help keep your fellow fans safe! - @theineffablesociety - Twitter -

Good Omens Spooky Bang | Posting begins Oct 28th

A spooky Good Omens bang to kick off the autumn season! Whether it's Aziraphale pumpkin-picking, a pumpkin spice latte coffee shop AU, or Hell hosting a Halloween bash, you're invited to the Spooky Bang! Featuring both SFW and NSFW content. - @spooky-bang-good-omens -

Ineffable Secret Angel Event | Sign-ups TBD

When you register for the event, you will be randomly assigned to another participant, who will not know they have been assigned to you. You will then create fanart or write a fanfiction for this person, which you will present to them as a winter gift! Join the Good Omens Reference Library Server to participate! - Info Post - Discord Server -

On The Horizon

Keep an eye out for these works-in-progress in the coming months!

Good Omens Frames | @gomensframes Good Omens Monster Bangers Bang | @gomonsterbangersbang

[about-faces]

I'm still loving Gotham Nocturne and I wish it was getting the love/respect/attention is deserves. I've spoken several people who haven't been reading the current Detective Comics run because they're Batmanned Out (good lord, do I get it) and they see it as just another attempt at some kind of "ultimate Batman story with Batman fighting the ultimate evil," which I strongly disagree with.

THAT SAID... as time has gone on, and the story seems to be reaching its finale, there are a few things that stand out of me as problems with this epic storyline.

1.) It's one of the most egregious examples of "writing for the trade paperback." This simply isn't a story that's meant to be read month-to-month. It's too slow, with too little "happening," at least on the superficial level. Paradoxically, it's NOT a story that should be binged! The best comparison that comes to mind is Better Call Saul, since that's the only other example of serialized media that's meticulously slow-paced yet INCREDIBLY RICH for those willing to engage with it on its level rather than expecting it to be Breaking Bad (or in Nocturne's case, a typical Batman story.) Ram V is capable of writing super-engaging monthly issues, as the fantastic Rare Flavours proves, but that brings us to...

2.) The story is sprawling. Maybe even TOO sprawling. When it comes to people who are sick of Batman, I try to sell them on the fact that this story is about GOTHAM AS A WHOLE, right down to the villains who call it home, and how everyone there is as intrinsically a part of Gotham as Batman is. But ensemble stories like that are tricky, and it makes the focus feel all over the place at times, with alternately too much and too little attention being paid to the main players, Batman included. It's a balance that was handled beautifully with Batman: The Audio Adventures, but it seems a bit more awkward here. Again, it's hard to pull off!

Like, we have characters pop up and then vanishing without explanation. We got Azrael back in the AzBats armor for the first time in decades, like, holy shit! That should be a HUGE development! And then, poof, he vanished! There's simply no time to explore Jean-Paul's character because there's so many other things the narrative needs to explore.

This feels like it would have really benefited from a companion series, something to focus on the characters the way the backup stories have done, but just more so. I think about how Peter Tomasi would write companion books to the main big storylines written by Geoff Johns, Grant Morrison, and Scott Snyder, and how he'd focus on character, which always enriched the greater "big important storyline." Which, in turn, also brings me to...

3.) The backup stories have really lost a lot of their punch since they stopped being written by Si Spurrier and were taken over by Dan Watters. Watters is incredibly capable, make no mistake, and his Cheshire/Lian Harper story is one of my favorite parts of this entire saga. But by and large, his tales focus more on the spooky and weird sides of what's happening with Nocturne, whereas Spurrier's stories were more focused on characters navigating the weirdness of the events. As a result, Spurrier gave us what I consider to be some of the very best stories about Jim Gordon, Harvey Dent, and Victor Fries ever written. I really miss those, and how they enriched Ram V's (possibly overly-ambitious) narrative.

Ultimately, Gotham Nocturne feels like the Batman equivalent to an arthouse film, which means it's going to be appreciated by a handful of nerds while leaving most other fans cold, and I can't really blame them. If anything makes me sad about all this, it's how all this incredible character work with Bruce, Harvey, Victor, Talia, and others is going to be ignored. Hell, it already is, given the complete lack of acknowledgement we've seen in other Bat-books for what's going on in Nocturne.

At this point, I just hope it sticks the landing in the finale, because I want to be able to have a complete, satisfying epic to recommend to people who want something a bit richer than the typical "guy in Bat costume punches clown" stories we usually get.

[cloveroctobers]

FAR FETCHED — Roman Reigns [October Prompts] 🧡

A/N: Idk I didn’t expect Roman to beat everyone else but it was close and I’m not mad about it lol! Y’all been waiting on a part 2 from me since that one thing I wrote back in May and this unfortunately is not that lmao…I had a title picked out and everything and even started writing but its just not working for me! Which is why I always say I don’t do part two’s! Still hope you guys like this little spooky piece though! 🧡

S/N & WARNINGS: also inspired by my old fav show—charmed, which I’m binge watching during this lovely season! I was more of a charmed girlie while the rest were Buffy girls 🤷🏽‍♀️ + dark! Roman & themes + language ofc! Also the fact that this is dropping a little before October??? Originally y’all weren’t getting this until Tuesday but…I had time okay! Also I apologize if the bit of Samoan I used is incorrect!

PROMPT IS FROM HERE & I’m using: Prompt #644: “Can we go on one date without you causing someone trauma?” - “Babe, I’m a demon. What do you expect me to do?”

O⸝⸝⸝)-⃝⃤ O⸝⸝⸝)-⃝⃤ O⸝⸝⸝)-⃝⃤ O⸝⸝⸝)-⃝⃤ O⸝⸝⸝)-⃝⃤ O⸝⸝⸝)-⃝⃤

Being involved with a demon was many things but it’s not like you could have done much to hide it. Not when the upside was slowly getting used to all sorts of creatures—other than human—that came out to play on this side of town whenever they felt like it. And certainly not when many knew your man as Thee Roman Reigns, chief of the underworld. Well it was speculated and those that knew that rumor…were not wrong! You knew him as his human name, actually held him as he died some years ago as Joe Anoaʻi and come back as Roman. “Joe,” was what he wanted you to call him since that’s what you once knew, although that part of him was killed by the hands of his human mother.

Yeah…it’s as fucked up as it sounds but you both dealt with it in your own ways. Roman claimed that joe was still in there, that he felt most like what he once was when he’s with you. His parents lied about his true identity for years and sure his father did some things that were questionable but Joe never would have thought that his father’s species was also running through his blood as well. Joe can say that he didn’t blame his mother for being upset about it all but he was her son, he didn’t ask to be this way.

It was something she deeply regretted, coming from a family of Italian hunters apparently—something she thought would never kick in or even trained to have the skill. Hunters (besides the cops) weren’t as common in this side of town but the world shifted when she tried to kill her son. Once Joe found out what he was considering that he was brought back to life in the underworld…he had to have that difficult conversation with his father, his siblings, and various of family members…which meant the world as he once knew it…changed drastically.

Joe never thought hell was the place for him…so he didn’t spend much time there…(in simplest terms, yes the underworld was a part of hell but apparently there was even a lower level and that’s where the worse of the worse took place and where Joe had to do things he would never tell you about) only when he had to handle business. One thing Joe and Roman had in common? Was handling shit.

He especially loved you calling him by his birth name when you screamed out his name, officially joining the mile high club on your way back home. (On the upside, since you were very much human!) Half of the time he came up from the underworld on business, October and May happened to be his most busiest of months up here but figured you could use a trip away from daily life, which you had no problem tagging along to feel the Florida air and see the palm trees.

The vacation glow was one of many glows, Joe enjoyed to see on you but knew once you got back to life in town, your stress levels would be back on high. You were more paranoid with life here since you had all sorts of feds and hunters questioning you about your involvement with Joe. They knew he was supposed to be dead, had his family under careful watch, even had a warrant out for his father’s arrest—it was a shame on their part—not having a inside person in the underworld who could inform them that Mr. Anoaʻi already unfortunately passed on, soul and all.

Sika was always on their radar for as long as you’ve known Joe, along with his uncle Afa. Those brothers had no problem raising hell—no pun intended—on the upside but to them it was all in good fun. Never would you have guessed that it had to do with what they truly were. There were many secrets in this city, sure there were a few museums that told the history of this town but most locals deemed it as myths and to boost its appeal. It was more of a village back then before transforming to its now busy city life centuries later.

The pests and hunters best bet was you, knowing your history together and how you were the one who tried to hold onto Joe as he clung to life. They loved bringing that traumatic memory up and even suspected that you managed to take his body from the morgue. Sometimes it was a little funny, which you learned to see the humor in as time went on and Joe came back into your life. Laughter was one of the main things that kept you sane to be honest! They just didn’t get it, they didn’t have the power—no fed or Hunter did—to take Joe down.

“Can we go on one date without you causing someone trauma?” You scowled after tossing the front door back to your Victorian that you inherited from your late grandmother.

Joe causally strolled into the house as if the both of you weren’t drenched from the autumn rain. Slamming the door behind him, you then used the wallpaper covered wall for support while you began to pluck off your heels.

“Babe, I’m a demon.” Joe replied with his hands clasped in front of him, “What do you expect me to do?”

You scoffed, hanging your damp rain coat up and placing your bag on the side table, “you’re half,” you argued before stomping towards the kitchen, “which means you’re not a hundred percent evil and he was just some kid—

“Fuck all that, he was trying to flirt with what’s mine as if he doesn’t know who I am. So? I showed him exactly who I am.” Joe answered as he pulled back one of the island chairs to sit in comfortably.

Pulling out the jug of leftover cider you spin back to face the bearded man, “He didn’t know any better and you could have sent him into cardiac arrest with what you pulled. Not only that?! What if he would have called it in and we got swarmed by the cops?”

Joe laughed with his shoulders, “I pretty much got most of these businesses on lock. The gyms arent my only holy grails but you shouldn’t worry so much…because if you are…maybe you should take the move to Florida where you’ll be better protected.”

Majority of his family (and yours) was still there so it only made sense to him.

It was a conversation as old as time. Once you came to terms with Roman actually being alive and being what he is, which also took lots of processing, he immediately wanted you to leave this town. He knew the small amount of family that was still here, about an hour away, can handle themselves but you were mostly out here on your own. The feds already tried to take his mother before he made the decision to bring her to the underworld himself. It wasn’t something his father ever wanted but Roman had a choice to make and he still protected his own. He didn’t like you questioning him about having his mother “locked up” in his own prison but he preferred to have her under his own care than waiting for a death sentence by those only trying to expose them all.

The only thing he shared was that she did ask about you as much as you did of her.

“Who’s going to protect that kid?” You question around the rim glass while Joe sends you a blank look.

Joe thought it was all fun and games to scare the mess out—what you keep calling—the harmless college kid. Yes he was a little too touchy and overly friendly as your server but most people didn’t try Joe regardless of what they knew of him and solely just off appearance. You weren’t picking sides like Joe tried to throw at you in the passenger side on the way back home, you just didn’t let the kid’s flirtations get to you. You knew your man was getting aggravated the more his eyes focused on the kid touching your shoulder and his jaw tightened.

You weren’t sure who you should have felt more sorry for, that almost broken plate Roman was cutting into or what the kid was about to experience.

The specs of sea foam that swirled in place of Joe’s usual brown should have been enough of a giveaway but you tried to ease his frustrations with your hand placed in his instead. The last straw was when the kid asked what you two were getting into after dinner—it was more directed at you mind you—as if you didn’t just get in from a flight. So what did Joe do?

Let the monster out.

His eyes were what changed first, from dark brown to that bright sea hue. It was always insane work watching it change right in front of you, how the hue almost swirled like a used paint brush being dipped in water. You let go of his hand while his nostrils flared, quickly grabbing the utensils out of the way while he sharply set his eyes on the young man that stood closer to you. Your mouth opened ready to warn the server that you were ready for the check but a deep haunting tone commanded the young man to look Roman’s way.

That’s when you heard the sickening cracking of Roman’s skull splitting down the middle and you quickly closed your eyes and turned your attention elsewhere as Roman was on demon time.

“Maybe you should go and marry him since you’re still worried about him.”

Your brows raised at the jab as you set the cup back on the island, “you know what, maybe I should since the asshole I’m looking at, that I’ve been dating for years won’t give me that type of commitment.”

He knows he shouldn’t have said that, his hand going out to grab your wrist as you’re ready to exit the kitchen and get away from him. Joe’s been working your nerves but not the good kind lately. This was also a conversation that’s been had plenty of times, back when he was a football player, you had to deal with all sorts of women throwing themselves at him, which fed his ego but he always reassured you that they weren’t what he needed or wanted.

That was back when you were just friends. Friends that looked at each other with such adoration and would do anything to make each other happy. It wasn’t much longer after that he asked you to be his forever and that’s what it felt like. You just didn’t have the legal papers and Joe’s always knew how much a union that special mattered to you. He respected it then and thought about it himself, even got input from those closest to him but as he embraced this new life, the rules changed.

They always did.

“You know I love you more than anything right?”

You rolled your eyes, “don’t start that shit with me tonight, Joseph. I don’t wanna hear it.”

“Oh, it’s Joseph now?”

“Yeah.”

“It’s like that?”

“Yup, it’s like that.” You stated, which made Joe huff and get to his feet while still holding onto your wrist.

His hold moved to grab both sides of your neck, tilting your head to meet his stare, the darkest of brown but with the right amount of warmth in the center, just for you.

“…it would make me the happiest man alive—well—

He chuckled while you lightly shake your head in his hands, “I told you it would complicate things for the both of us because we would automatically have to clear it with the underworld and I don’t want to put you through that.”

What was there to clear when he was the number one ruler? You didn’t get it and he kept leaving you in the dark about it. You knew when Joe was hiding something from you.

“Right…it’s feeling like that’s what you’ve been doing lately since you found out what you truly are. Telling me instead of discussing it with me.” You inform, “I understand that you’re the man in charge down there but why would we have to go through all that when I know you still have some sort of pull here too. We could always elope?”

That still included paper work and he was supposed to be a dead man…who still lurked in the shadows from time to time and could never be found when he wasn’t hiding by the feds or hunters.

“There’s nothing wrong with that but I know that’s not the kind of wedding you dreamed of.” Joe says to you gently, “…and I wish I could give that to you. What we have now is genuine, always will be…going forth with that step could potentially ruin everything. I don’t know what else to tell you.”

Your blood felt like it was inside of a kettle, whistling and boiling away. Sure there were things you could never understand about the underworld, not even google could tell you the real deal and you knew a few witches in town but you weren’t sure how much you truly wanted to know anyway! However, ever since Joe became Roman and the chief, things were starting to feel further from your grasp.

“You keep telling me a whole lotta nothing, Joseph.” You try to look away but Joe’s not having that.

He nudged your face with his thumbs back to meet his eyes but he can tell you’re upset, “hey, don’t get snappy over something you don’t get. You’re the best thing that’s ever been in my life and I would be a dumbass to not want that on paper. I just need you to trust that if I can find a way to make this work, without us both getting hurt…I’d do it in a heartbeat.”

You repeated, “without us getting hurt?” Followed by a frown, “do you mean that literally?”

This was the most he hinted about marriage in the underworld. Usually he would do his best to dodge it, which actually hurt your feelings sometimes. Why wouldn’t he want to marry you?

Little did you know it wasn’t like that at all.

“I said too much—

“Joe!” You call his name as he steps back from you and it’s your turn to get in his space.

He puts his back to you, pushing the chair back in and starts pulling off his suit jacket, revealing a sleeveless black t-shirt underneath. He always ran hot, especially with his new transformation.

“What aren’t you telling me? I mean I’m not jumping through hoops to be the queen of the damned or anything and none of those other demonic bitches better not be either—

Joe feels his lips quirk up in his amusement as he chuckles, glancing at you over his shoulder, “rings of fire are a thing there but I already told you, nobody compares.”

Tilting your head to the side you reply, “So…there are bitches down there that I need to press?”

Joe laughs, “…Who?”

“I know that’s right because I’ll dig my way there if I have to.”

“Now who’s doing the most, huh?”

You flick your hair behind your shoulder with a roll of your eyes. It’s not like you blamed Roman for acting that way, there were things you didn’t understand as a mortal and half of the time you didn’t want to, you just wanted him to be careful and to keep loving you. Sika’s actions caught up to him in the end once he fled back to the underworld after what his wife pulled. At least you weren’t splitting yourself in half or releasing parasites from your face to get others to back off…even if you had that ability you don’t think you would have pulled that shit, especially if people were looking for you.

Joe’s pulling you back into his arms again, lips pressing to your forehead as he rubs your back. Being in his arms was the best place you could ever be but part of you was beginning to feel: if you had to be in the underworld to be his wife, you’d consider it. No matter how much it hurt, you’d do it all for Joe.

Which is why you pushed that thought alone to the back of your mind, knowing you were about to get his bloodline involved to get some answers as you pulled Joe towards the stairs.

“Oh I get to stay tonight? No banishing me?” Joe teased as you start going up the stairs with his fingers interlaced with yours.

You scoff followed by a big yawn, “don’t push me,” you joke, “it’s a new night and the flight is actually catching up to me so I need my body pillow.”

As you got to the second level of the home, joe is squeezing you again from behind, his lips pressing a kiss in the bare space between your neck and shoulder. “Alright, I’ll allow you taking advantage of my body slide since I love you so much and wouldn’t want to give it to anybody else, even when you’re the biggest brat I know.”

He using a free hand to give your backside a nice slap, loving how it bounced back just for him. He licks his lips at the sight while you playfully elbow him the closer you get to your bedroom.

“Ou te alofa ia te oe ma loʻu loto atoa ma loʻu agaga.” You say to him as you turn to him in the doorway of your bedroom and you knew by Joe’s pretty grin that he always appreciated you using his native tongue.

Your arms go up and around his neck when he leans to place his lips right on yours, soft lips always so gentle at first but firm enough to let you know his intentions of love, his beard pricked your face, noses brushed against each other, with his scent smothering you just the way you liked it while you breathed him in, and his hands went to your hips before he leads you into the room for the night.

And as he lays with you on his chest wide awake in the dark of the rainy nightfall, peacefully listening to the sound of you breathing, he knows just how much you love him and that’s what terrifies him the most, now knowing at what cost.

Joe wouldn’t allow you to give up your soul to the underworld in order to be his eternal wife, it was only a matter of time for himself considering this is partly what he was meant to be but Roman?

Was another story.

That was a internal battle within itself.

O⸝⸝⸝)-⃝⃤ O⸝⸝⸝)-⃝⃤ O⸝⸝⸝)-⃝⃤ O⸝⸝⸝)-⃝⃤ O⸝⸝⸝)-⃝⃤ O⸝⸝⸝)-⃝⃤

Continue with my October anthology prompts here.

[ccspostagebox]

Okay I'm just going to dump my thoughts here on Spooky Month 6 and it's ending.

SPOILERS BELOW.

Alrighty. So. From what I can tell and what others have already said, it was implied that Father Gregor had become a sacrifice for The Eyes after the cult practically threw him to the wolves.

However, I feel like there might be one of possibly two ways this goes.

1. He's actually been killed off. (And why I think that might not be likely. I am a death denier at heart </3)

* Since Father Gregor is starting to uncover aspects of the town that may begin to unnerve some of the residents there, it would be wise of them to get rid of him to prevent backstabbing and to prevent suspicions of what's really going on behind the scenes.

* Nobody seems to really trust Father Gregor except Skid and Pump (even though they do seem rather hesitant to trust him as well, said trust likely majorly broken when Moloch was turned to stone/dust.). And, well, nobody is going to bat an eye about a guy they barely know, right? However, this can create issues as the residents may be suspicious of where the "random guy" has gone.

*I suspect The Eyes may have a bigger part for Father Gregor to play in the cult or in the town, yet I cannot begin to speculate what that role may be yet.

2. He has been...changed.

*I personally feel like some people focus on the more physical aspects of being "sacrificed" when it comes to this scene near the end. While being a sacrifice can mean being physically slaughtered or killed, it can also mean giving up something of extreme value to you or surrendering, which is more on the mental or emotional side of things. I feel like Father Gregor may have been harmed partially physically, yet had the most damage done with "sacrificing" his own faith to surrender to The Eyes. This would be evident in his expression and body language. He is looking into the face of what is practically a god himself. If you were in his position and saw a being in much higher power and control than you, tell me you would not be scared shitless. I guarantee most of us cannot claim as such.

* In his body language, he doesn't really appear to me as if he is offering himself up to be killed. It seems more like an act of peace. He knows he cannot win with any use of protest or violence like he did with the demonic possessions of Moloch using the residents. He is getting on his knees and opening his arms as a sign of peace, a sign of surrender. This man has seen the face of God, and is not going to risk anything by a simple wrong move or action. It looks to me more like a plea for mercy, a plea for The Eyes to have a speck of pity for him. Dude is fucking terrified, and he knows that his plea may go fully unanswered as he is left to be lamb to the slaughter.

*In this absolutely beautiful credits art in the ending, it depicts Father Gregor clearly reaching towards The Eyes, as if seeking for help or assistance before he is possibly brought to Moloch's underworld. The contrast of the cult being a "heaven" vs Moloch's underworld being clearly "hell" makes me wonder if The Eyes may actually decide to have mercy on Father Gregor. He has clearly been shown to have mercy on the misguided and naive (E.g. Skid and Pump.), yet also displays traits of being poor on judgement of whom to "save" (e.g. Bob Velseb), making them practically insane by the end of their run or course. The way Father Gregor has wings and reaches for The Eyes makes me think that perhaps The Eyes plans to make him a secondary leader or main spokesperson for the cult. After all, even though nobody knows him that much, would you not take a highly respected man of a God's word as the truth? Many people, especially the residents of the town, may be much more likely to give into the cult's demands after its been "approved" by a man of faith.

Of course, these are just my thoughts, nothing is concrete. We can only go off of the tidbits we are given so far.

[ehveerivv]

TL;DR we decided to make stupid people choices and got stupid people prizes

So, for a while now our friend DJ has been begging to tag along with us on a trip to a place called the witches circle. It’s a cemetery in the next town over and it’s SPOOKY. For the most part we said we wouldn’t go back under any circumstances. For safety reasons mostly. Every now and again I want to go back but there’s a limit on how many times you can visit for most people and my girlfriend isn’t keen on me going back.

Ironically the town we were in is under Salem Township…tucked away on a backroad in the middle of nowhere called Sharp Cemetery. It’s off the side off a curve by scary tall trees that I have never seen with greenery on them. As far as we have researched it’s a public cemetery as well. It’s called the ‘Witches Circle’ for some alleged witches that are buried there and for some alleged group of kids trying to do rituals there. That’s where most of the grave defiling and the rubble comes from.

The first time I went I was with @otmxghosty, and Tree (friend listed in my masterpost/guidpost) because I have an awful habit of finding stuff to do at odd hours of the night and begging Ghostie to take me. Ghostie isn’t a fan of going to cemeteries we aren’t familiar with, but I’m almost always down to visit new ones. We went and it wasn’t that bad, some crackling and animal sounds. Not bad but gave all of us the creeps.

The very next night after that we were sitting in Ghostie’s dad’s Prius waiting for @thorne-5658 to get out of work. I’d like to note this was the first time I went and did anything outside of work with her..and boy do I want a do over for that one 😬 we had a curfew of 2ish am so we figured “fuck it’s let’s go BACK to the Witches Circle” bad idea.

So we did.

And it was AWFUL.

We went using the buddy system, Ghostie and Tree, my girlfriend and I, for safety. We weren’t intending to do rituals or defile anything, just take a look and see what we can see. There’s a lot of children’s graves there—young children, sadly. One of the one I saw was a little boy’s grave. I think if I remember right he was only a few months old in the back corner. I remember seeing small toys and pennies around the grave too. We also saw a few that had jewelry and a couple of dolls too. I’m honestly surprised with the amount of vandalism that there was anything there.

Many of the graves are broken, stamped in the ground, one of them even has a giant red paint splatter that some people claim is blood (there’s no way it isn’t paint, it’s still red and didn’t sink into the gravestone) there’s also been claims of seeing a women all in white and one of the passed grave keepers. He’s said to be an old man and some people say he’s got a dog with him.

We hadn’t been there long the second night, I was looking at the little boy’s grave trying to read it from a safe distance (I don’t like the idea of stepping on someone since it’s rude) we were all getting ready to leave when out of the trees just over the fence behind me—I was facing the entrance and my girlfriend—there was a VERY loud scream. Not like a raccoon screech or a buck screaming, more like a grown man screaming in pain (but with the decibel level of a banshee) as if they’d been shot or something. Blood curdling fear type of scream.

Tree got a little turned around and started to run further in, Ghostie had to grab her and yank her towards the entrance. My girlfriend started to also run out…and my stupid ass fucking stood there trying to figure out what it was before she yanked me along with her. I wanted to know what the hell made that sound. We have our theories, but we still aren’t 100% sure.

On the way home we saved the ever loving shit out of ourselves while most of us were crying and shaking the whole way back.

My girlfriend’s stepdad gave us all a once over and sent us home (lol) and none of us really slept well that night. He also said that we can really only go a maximum of 4 times before shit starts getting weird (like it hadn’t already) and that if we go back we shouldn’t take anything home with us (obviously)

Typically we would go to a cemetery closer to where we lived at the time. We knew what was there, nothing super bad or angry (no private property, so we could go whenever) and we know to be respectful and not to touch anything. No touching, no stomping around/walking over graves, etc. Just to look or walk on the paths.

We agreed to take DJ recently (Ghosite and I’s 3rd time and DJ’s 1st) and it was a HOT MESS. He wanted to go for his birthday and we went. We figured a 3rd time wouldn’t hurt as long as we don’t go back a final time. I talked it over with my girlfriend, and the deal was that we could go as long as we came back in one piece and showed up to our shifts tomorrow for work..And not go back again after this, because it’s probably a bad idea in the first place.

(Spoiler she was right as usual)

After work Ghostie and I picked up DJ we went over the rules: don’t. touch. anything, don’t take anything, don’t leave anything, if you feel like you should leave, YOU LEAVE, if you think you hear something, you leave. Everything has to be kept in its place so we don’t break anything, and be mindful of how loud you are.

We used the buddy system again and all stuck with each other. Just to look, say we visited with DJ, and leave.

There was some rustling in the bushes but that was probably a raccoon or another animal and that’s not what bugged us, until we heard it screech (unlike the first time this actually sounded like an animal) so we booked it out of there.

Once we got to the road I swear up and down I heard a man’s voice clear as day yell “you aren’t supposed to come near us” but in a pained voice. It also didn’t sound like it came from inside the cemetery. It sounded like it was behind the truck out on the road. The road in the middle of BFE with no houses for at least a few blocks. DJ and Ghostie swear they didn’t hear it—I know I’m crazy but I’m not THAT crazy. I heard it. We threw our flashlights and whatnot into the truck bed and drove off. I sprayed the car inside and out with smudge spray since we didn’t have sage or a lighter.

Everyone’s home now, Ghostie and I are putting together a document of what we heard to keep record and compare it with the last time and we’ll put it up on our new shared blog at some point soon while we make a new batch of spray.

We fucked around, found out, and now I’d like for this migraine to stop. I’d actually rather have one of my regular ocular headaches, this shit sucks.

I have no idea what “us” implies and I don’t intend on finding out,

[black-arcana]

HALESTORM Is '70' Or '80 Percent' Done Making New Album: 'We're Excited About It'

In a new interview with PK of Louisville, Kentucky's ALT 105.1 radio station, HALESTORM frontwoman Lzzy Hale spoke about the progress of the recording sessions for the band's follow-up to 2022's "Back From The Dead" album. Lzzy said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "We've had three separate sessions in the studio with — we're making a record with [producer] Dave Cobb. And he's actually a huge closet metal fan, and so he's really excited. And so we're making this great music, but we're constantly touring. So we've had, like, three different sessions in the studio. We're probably — what? — 70, 80, maybe, percent there. We have a studio in our house and so I'm doing a lot of the finishing touches on vocals and sewing everything up, doing solos and all that. And then we get back in in December to just say, 'Okay, this is good.' And then, yeah. And then there we are. So we're excited about it. We really are."

Cobb has shared in nine Grammy wins, including four for "Best Americana Album" and three for "Best Country Album". He's also been named "Producer Of The Year" by the Country Music Awards, the Americana Music Association (twice) and the Music Row Awards, and has been a Grammy nominee in the category.

Lzzy previously talked about working with Cobb earlier this month in an interview with "The Morning After With Nic & Big J" on the 100.3 The X Rocks radio station. She said: "It's been a really crazy whirlwind making [the new album]. We ended up going in with Dave Cobb, the producer. And it's something completely different than what we've ever had. We literally rolled in with all of our baggage, all of our songs, our riffs, the whole thing, and he's, like, 'No, we're not gonna do any of that. We're just gonna start.' And I'm, like, 'What? There's no plan? What's happening.' And it's kind of beautiful 'cause all of us are very ADHD, and we're locked together in this house in Savannah, Georgia, which, if you've ever been to Savannah, Georgia, there's no scene. It's a spooky historic town with a lot of Spanish moss. And we're locked — literally I'm saying locked, because we locked the doors — we're locked in this house full of every piece of equipment you could ever need. It's all set up. The board is there — everything — and we're all unsupervised. Which I can't tell you the last time that has happened making an album — probably since the first record, [when] we were all living in an apartment together. So, all of our inner children are screaming and we're all just getting into the sandbox and playing, 'Hey, I brought some LEGOs. You brought a rocket. Let's see if we can get it to space.' And so all of this stuff has really been coming together in such a weird and organic way, to the point that it's very much peeling back the onion of what is HALESTORM.

"My brother [HALESTORM drummer Arejay Hale] and I have had many moments while making this record where we look at each other and we're, like, 'This reminds me of when we were 14.' It's just wild," Lzzy added. "So, I'm very excited for everyone to hear it and I'm excited for it to be done. And so hopefully we wrap it up in December and get get it the hell out — out of my house. [Laughs]"

Elaborating on the songwriting process this time around and how it was different to some of HALESTORM's previous records, Lzzy said: "I think that the big lesson in the front of the race here that has been answered is that usually the weirdest ideas are the best. And sometimes it's the things that you don't think are very good that everyone collectively is, like, 'No, that's actually great.' And I think that that's been the beautiful thing is that the four of us, even though… I mean, my brother's 37 — he's the young gun, but we're all in our early forties — and we've been doing this a long time together. And so to have that kind of reconnection to who you are as people and as friends and really having that kind of come out in the music and it not be this kind of assembly line, like, 'Okay, Lzzy wrote 12 songs. We all really like 'em. Let's record 'em.' Or, 'Hey, we have this collection. And we have a month to be in the studio. Let's just go and bang it out.' We've really kind of taken the time to really let the music tell us what to do and honestly let our weird brains tell us what to do, because we're all terrible adults [laughs], and I think that we were never meant to be. So it's been nice to just kind of have the freedom to do whatever the hell we want and then worry about the consequences later. [Laughs]"

This past July, Arejay was asked by The VORTX Podcast with host Ethan Jackson about HALESTORM's decision to work with Cobb this time around. Arejay said: "It's always good for a band to, if you want your sound to evolve, bring in some fresh minds into it. And the cool thing about Dave is that he's a total hard rock and metalhead at heart. A lot of his most successful projects have been a lot of country, a lot of alternative — I mean, he's all over the spectrum — so when works with us, you can tell… There's a really great mutual respect between [us], 'cause we've been doing this long enough and he's been doing it for so long. We've been a huge fan of his as well, so there's a lot of mutual respect between the two of us, and you can feel it in the room."

Asked if he and his HALESTORM bandmates set a date for themselves for when they want to be done with a record, Arejay said: "It used to be a lot more stringent in the early days. 'Cause when you're trying to get the band off the ground, you really wanna kind of keep that momentum going. But our last couple of records have been a little bit more laid back, which is nice. It kind of gives it room to breathe. It gives us time to like really assess where we wanna go. And definitely COVID changed everything."

On the topic of whether the HALESTORM members do more work remotely now or if they still all get together in the studio and collaborate on ideas in one room, Arejay said: "Oh, it's so much more effective for us to be in the same room. I think it kind of forces you to just… I guess we work well under pressure, 'cause, going back to your last question… We definitely feel the pressure to get the album out at a certain time, but what really cranks up the pressure is the fact that we're leaving Nashville and going to Savannah for only a set period of time, 'cause Dave [only has certain] windows [of availability]. And it really forces us to just dig into your gut and just pull things out. And when we're all together in the room and Joe [Hottinger, HALESTORM guitarist] starts playing around with the riff and I start jamming with them, things just come out, things just happen. There's a magic there."

In June, Lzzy told Decker of the rock station Razor 94.7/104.7 (WZOR) that she and her HALESTORM bandmates initially "got a lot of pushback" from their team about the prospect of working with Cobb. She recalled: "We were saying, 'Oh, wouldn't it be cool to do a record with Dave Cobb? Because that would be something that nobody would really expect from us. And I bet you he would come up with some crazy ideas. Don't know the guy, but let's figure it out.' And everybody on our team was, like, 'No, no, he's too busy. That's not you. He's got this stuff going. He's got, like, nine Grammys with Chris Stapleton. That's not your scene.' And so we kept pushing back. We're, like, 'No, no, no. Just ask him. Just ask him. We can handle rejection, but just ask him.' And so finally, our A&R guy at our label is, like, 'Fine, I'll reach out. Whatever. Just stop bugging me.' And so he reached out, and then he called me, like, the next day. He's, like, 'Hey, I heard back from Dave Cobb. And guess what? Not only does he absolutely know who you are, but he's been wanting to make a record with you for, like, seven years. And he has a plan already of how he wants to do it.' And we're, like, 'What? This is sick.' So anyway, we went to go test the waters, and we go into the studio. And look, I write every day. When I die, there's gonna be so much that everyone has to sift through, just gibberish songs, all that. So I always have, like, a bank with me, like, 'Here's riffs, here's songs, here's subject titles, here's poetry.' And he was, like, 'No, no, no. We're not gonna do anything that you already have. Nothing.' I'm, like, 'Uh. What?' And he's, like, 'No, we're just gonna start.' Everyone's sitting in a circle and we're, like, gonna kumbaya. So everyone got an instrument, like, 'All right. So what are we feeling today?' I'm, like, 'Is this a therapy session?' And we ended up — it's crazy, 'cause then we'll like grab on to something 'cause of that pressure of, like, 'Well, I was thinking about this as this is happening.' 'Cool. Let's go there.' And so he has this amazing instincts that are very, like, you can't see it when you're in it. And then, as soon as we start like putting stuff together, we kind of zoom out and, like, 'Oh, wait a minute. This is so wild and awesome and exactly what we do.' So it's very strange. But we're all very free. And then the other thing is that while we're writing it, we're recording it at the same time. So these tracks are, like, us discovering the song for the first time as well as we're performing them. There are some things that we're performing them all at the same time. There's one track in particular that we completely forgot to put the click track on, and we did like three takes like that, and then we're, like, 'Oh, wait. We don't even have a click going.' Arejay said something, like, 'Were we supposed to have like a click track so we all are on time together?' And everyone's, like, 'We didn't even notice it was gone.' And so we did another take with the click. We're, like, 'No, we like that other one better.' So there's stuff like that. A lot of weird surprises. There's a lot of space. And we're really excited because we're not going country or anything like that, or Americana. This is such a new — it's got so much teeth, and it's so different than what we just did with 'Back From The Dead', but in this almost weightier, heavier way. And the lyrics are — I'm tackling subjects I've never tackled before because I'm having the freedom to do so. So I'm very excited."

HALESTORM and I PREVAIL recently embarked on summer 2024 co-headlining tour. Produced by Live Nation, the trek kicked off on July 9 in Raleigh and ran through August 17 in Las Vegas. HOLLYWOOD UNDEAD and FIT FOR A KING served as support. The tour was also the catalyst and the creative spark for HALESTORM and I PREVAIL's collaborative track "Can U See Me In The Dark?", which was released in June.

"Back From The Dead" has tallied over 100 million streams worldwide. Rolling Stone called the title track "a biting but cathartic howler about overcoming all obstacles," and that song as well as "The Steeple" marked their fifth and sixth number ones at rock radio, respectively. Associated Press said the album "will definitely be in the running for best hard rock/metal album of the year." Their previous album, "Vicious", earned the band their second Grammy nomination, for "Best Hard Rock Performance" for the song "Uncomfortable", the band's fourth #1 at rock radio, and led Loudwire to name HALESTORM "Rock Artist Of The Decade" in 2019.

Fronted by Lzzy with Arejay, guitarist Joe Hottinger and bass player Josh Smith, HALESTORM's music has earned multiple platinum and gold certifications from the RIAA, and the band has earned a reputation as a powerful live music force, headlining sold-out shows and topping festival bills around the world, and sharing the stage with icons including HEAVEN & HELL, Alice Cooper, Joan Jett and JUDAS PRIEST. Additionally, Lzzy was named the first female brand ambassador for Gibson and served as host of AXS TV's "A Year In Music".

[popculturebuffet]

Pirate Month III Finale: Garfield's Halloween Adventure (Here Comes Garfield) (Patreon Review for Emma Fici)

Arrr me hearties and welcome to the FINAL instalment of Pirate Month. I gotta say this may be our best yet: while I had my doubts going in from the weirdness of the wiggles to the heights of pirates 2 this has been a lot of fun and reminded me of the possiblity of this.

Speaking of which we're ending on a high as we return to Here Comes Garfield my look at garfield's career in specials and film. We'll be taking another break next month, like muppet maddness emma's allowed me to be flexible, but rest assured i'm having a lot of fun with these and while I consdiered doing Garfield In Paradise as I wanted some summer fun.. I ultimately couldn't deny what fit here best. Don't worry we have just the right treat for halloween though.. after all halloween's all about putting on another face.. and garfield's had 9.. or shall we say 13.

On that tease for next time, let's talk about the special before us. Garfield's Halloween Adventure is his fourth special, and i'd say one of the most remembered. While Garfield's other holiday specials have failed to catch a ton of attention outside garfield fans and those who grew up with it, Halloween Adventure seems to get talked about more.

It's easy to see why: Halloween Adventure is the best of the three. Christmas is awesome and I talked about why last month, having a ton of heart and a clear perosnal bent from Jim Davis, and Thanksgiving... sure does exist. But Halloween both perfectly fits the season and garfield all at once: it's got all the coziness of halloween from trying on costumes to carving pumpkins to the eerie yet fun atmosphere of trick or treating.. and all teh scares with a few smaller ones spread about, nothing too severe.. and then a spooky enough final act that comes out of nowhere and just.. works. While garfield woudl take a genuine stabs at horror later with a segment in the 9 lives book and a week of strips where he wakes up to find the house long abandoned and john and odie long gone, this is more just some fun. As Davis himself said, it's more a regular garfield story with some scares at the end for four year olds. IT's a fun, breezy specail I can't wait to break down.

We open on a crisp and cozy halloween morning around 5am as we get the debut of a legend: On the TV Binky the Clown wakes Garfield for exercises.

Binky is one of the best garfield recurring characters, played by John's va Thom Huge. While he started here he'd quickly become a key part of garfield and friends when it aried, showing up regularly, having tons of fan support and even making it into the strip

I was also shocked to find when looking him up on the garfield wiki he has his own burger chain binky burger, which seems to show up more than he does

It's also amazing how much of the guy was down from the start: his hammy personality, catchphrase of "HEYYYYYY KIIIIIDDDS", antagonism of Garfield and general obnoxious hostility. Despite not being physically present you can tell WHY Garfield hates this guy most of the time and why Davis and co brought him back for Garfield and Friends. He hasn't been properly brought back since, likely because Thom Huge retired though he did make cameos on products in the garfield movie. He feels like a protypical Krusty the Clown: children's tv host, merchandises himself to hell, has run ins with the main characters but firmly existed before him. I think the creators just had similar childhoods growing up with tv clowns and took them in diffrent directions: Krusty is enthusastic on screen burnt out and kinda sleazzy off while Binky is ALWAYS on, just as much of a dick as krusty but that kind of manic. As seen above in the strip even when he's being a dick it's clear he takes his craft VERY seriously.

So Binky making fat jokes, calling people who don't exercise worthless and generally being the clown prince of dickheads is both deeply entertaning and causes Garfield to change the channel... only to change it back when Binky mentions candy. Garfield's reminded it's halloween and wnats to be in shape to get candy dosen't he.

We launch into our standard Lou Rawls opening number and as usual it's a lot of fun. This is the Night is a fun song about going out to trick or treat. The man never failed to make his song the best minute of the special. And he's got another later lucky us.

So Garfield does what he does best.. harasses john, scaring him so he ends up wearing a pumpkin on his head as is his lot in life. I do like how this special really leans into one of my faviorite aspects: Garfield is more than anything John's spoiled son. The age varies, usually he's a bratty teen but here he comes off more like a big kid, and that sponebobian flexiblity really works for the character. Garfile dhas a blankie and flights of fantasy btu generally just vegges out and spends all johns money. He can be a kid or a teen depending on what joke works better and his status as a cat means which one dosen't firmly matter.

Anyways garfield decides to get candy candy candy, and soon runs into odie who scares him using the same pumpkin what ended up on john. Naturally he dosen't find it amusing. I hadn't noticed before but the first half of this special is a nice slow burn: for the first 2/3 it's just normal garfield stuff but on HALLOWEEN, and the holiday fits him well: it's all about spooky stuff, which he's been shown to love when it's not real as garfield watching late night double features is a recurring thing in the strip, and excess, which is his whole deal.

So to get more of that candy candy candy, Garfield enlists odie, who true to form is too stupid to know wha thalloween is so garfield says dogs help cats get candy candy candy. And just to go ahead and tackle it, Garfile'ds regular increasingly manic shouts of CANDY CANDY CANDY are amazing and a testiament to Lorenzo music's talent

Speaking of testiaments to Lorenzo music's talents, the next musical number, of three is what should I be and it's one of only TWO times Garfield sings in the all 12 specials. And Lorenzo makes a meal of it it's a fun song about how he could be whatever he wants from a "an astronaut a robot a king or a clown or a alien creature going out on the town" with some nicely spooky image of garfield as a vampire bat or a big black halloween cat. It's a fun jaunty number and cute as hell.

Eventually, and the reason why we're here, Garfield settles on pirates. His pillaging John's Lasanga is both predictable and shocking of him to not you know, have some ready. IT's late enough in the characters history he should just accept this is his fate to feed a cat Lasanga and move on with his life.

So with that our heroes head out into the night, and garfield threatens a woman who only gives him one.. and she takes it seriously as garfield won't murder over much, not worth the effort but he will murder anyone in his way of food Jon included. He once strangeled the guy for not getting up to feed him

And that was year one garfield. I'm suprised John's neck isn't in a brace forevermore from that.

So after getting plenty of candy we get our final musical number, as Lou Rawls sings for garfield that the one thing he's not is a scardy cat, my faviorite song of the special. I love his smooth vocals and the sheer weirdness of this section as every trick or treater garfield unmasks, trying to prove to odie it's just kayfabe bro is some sort of monster. I mean come on guys when else are they going to get out and party, get candy or go to an I hate my ex party. Let em have their fun.

So with that Garfield has a scheme as he notices another neighborhood across the river and a small boat and being a pirate decides to set sail. This goes as poorly as you'd expect as they soon get lost.

This is where the last act kicks in and it's a doozy: okay so for the last act the pirate stuff ramps up and it's why I couldnt' resisit including it. while Garfiled wearing a pirate costume is frankly enough to fit pirate month, Wiggles having about 5 minutes of pirate nonsense sure did, it's this last part that made it essential. It's an act dripping with atmosphere gorgeous animation and one creepy old man.

So garfield knocks on a house and decides when he dosen't get an answer to sneak in at night and wreck up the place. Instead turns out there's a person there an old man lit only by fire light alone in a creepy old mansion. Garfield's reactoin is an understandable

But the old man tells them to stay. He's played by tv and film vet C Lindsay Workman who just had a perfectly deep booming voice.

It's here he regails us with a tale: 100 years ago some pirates hid their gold swearing everyone to secrecy.. including a lowly cabin boy

Yup. They vowed to come back in 100 years to get back their gold. And tonight's that night. Garfield decides wisely to RUN RUN BITCH RUN USE ODIE AS A SHIELD RUN but our dynamic duo find the old man stole their boat and now there's a ghost in this home, and it's not better than being a alone. Since this house is haunted and that's not the way tehyw ant it garfield hides but gets found out in a quick gag. The ghosts.. look amazing using rotoscoping to give them this nice pale blue look as they search for their gold. It's a fun tense sequence as our heroes barely escape jumping for it and taking it to the river, dipping in the water.. only for Garfield to realize he can't swim. Sadly he hadn't learned a crucial fact just yet he'd learn later that year.

Thankfully odie has the strength of a mack truck and lifts him. We get a genuinely touching ending too: the pirates get their gold.. and Garfield, in a move he FULLY admits is out of character and casues him some pain... gives Odie his fair share of their candy, as the old man left it behind.. either after the pirates murdered him or he retreated back into the depths of hell.. or into a hosting gig s he's later shown hosting a pirate movie marathon.

And so with that button Pirate Month ends and so does this special. Halloween Adventure is possibly the best garfield specail, only slightly behind babes and bullets, a fun heartfelt and breezy thrill ride that gets halloween and garfield just right while throwing one small bit of heart in at the end that works. IT's funny, spooky and good stuff

Ranking wise...

Next Time: With this gone and september off what will we do for the actual halloween? Well as I hinted when you've got 9 lives you've got nine ways to loose as we look at BOTH major versions of garfield's nine lives: the original book and it's special adaptation.

[where-are-the-spooky-gays-2]

*materializes into existence*

Hey there :D

I haven't sent an ask in... I don't remember. This is very long.

Calling this the QPP Fae AU.

(cw/tw: mention of death & dead parent, implied/referenced mistreatment & alienation, possible grief and denial, disappearance/missing person, not being believed, abandonment issues, fear of being alone, fear of vulnerability & trusting others, massive anxiety mention, hunters, mention of questioning ones humanity)

Spooky Gays in a qpp. One is a human, the other is some fae creature in disguise. Not the ones ya think.

Fae Virgil not wanting to deal with most humans can they're really mean and weird and why did one of them just down chemicals for a media challenge, huh??

Human Remus being his feral, chaotic self & Virgil genuinely believing he's a fellow fae. No human does that shit, you have no shame, sir, and don't give a shit about human rules, ain't no way you're a human. Remus is very much not like his peers at all, but he loves himself for it. The weirder he is, the better. He rather be alienated from those strict jerks.

It's not like he wants genuine connection, haha, shut up

Remus tells Virgil that actually he's human, but he thinks being mistaken for fae is the best thing ever. Virgil does not believe him for a while before just accepting his human is just a massive feral weirdo.

Virgil and Remus end up in a qpp/partnership. They slowly show trust and vulnerability to each other & find out things about one another. Like Remus' fear of being alone or his abandonment issues that may or may not being related to his missing twin brother who's being missing for almost six months by now. Or like Virgil's massive anxiety bc of unfair shit from other fae & meanie humans/human hunters. Also his fear of trusting others bc he's so used to be betrayed and hurt. They help each other out w/ their things.

And maybe h/c qpp turns into a mystery and thriller as they search for Remus' missing brother, Roman, who disappeared right after a trip into the woods and hasn't been seen since. Remus believes he's still alive somewhere but no one believes him. The townsfolk held a memorial/funeral that Remus refused to attend bc "he's still alive, what are you doing, we have to find him, idiots". Virgil is the only one who kinda believes him bc lots of ppl disappear into the woods and end up in the fae world, it happens a lot, so maybe he's there? So, Virgil uses his fae connections to help look for him & he and Remus look in Roman's fave spots in the woods. As this happens, Remus tells stories of when the twins were younger and they'd go camping w/ each other & how they'd play pretend a lot & when they played make believe Re chose to be a Duke & Ro chose to be a Prince & their mom Rhea would pretend with them sometimes and pretend to be this epic Dragon-Witch or some badass queen. And yus, Rhea is named after the actual mother of Romulus and Remus from the myth.

On this goes, and they find Roman. Not how you'd think. Maybe he'd be dead, maybe he'd be in the fae world. It's neither, kinda. They discover that Roman is, in fact, fae himself and is a changeling with a human form. Which raises so many questions of how the fuck that happened, does that mean Re and Roman aren't actually biological twins, but he's still his brother right, you're still my twin brother, how did he figure that out, he's more human than Remus is, how in the hell? Ya see, all those questions are put off bc Remus found his lost brother and hugs him so tight that he could break him if he wanted. The twins hug each other tightly and Virgil watches fondly in support from the background.

Turns out, Roman started questioning his humanity and discovered he may be fae, so he staged a 'mysterious disappearance' and ran off to figure himself out. He discovered himself, who he really is, what he really is, and he has missed Remus so so much. Remus is like "you asshole why did you tell me they said you were dead pls never leave again I missed you you bastard" and yep, more brother hugs for these two. Virgil and Roman meet, and Ro of course teases Re over having a partner in the most sibling way possible and everything turns out okay! The most likely to be fae isn't fae, and the other "normal" ppl are actually fae and Remus has everyone he cares about again (excluding his Mom cause she's dead but eh).

Anyway, Roman made friends with a fae Logan and Patton & made rivals with a witch/sorceress transfemme Janus. Remus is the only full-on, not magical, human in this entire group. Which is the funniest shit ever.

Oh yeah, and Rhea was a single Mom when she was alive. Best Mom Award, fr. Took the twins camping & indulged them in their interests (to a healthy degree). One of the few who ever supported Remus for being himself.

So, a qpp Dukexiety idea that leads into a mystery about fae, brothers, and transfemme witches. About family and most Dukexiety being dorks together as they go on this journey.

Hope ya enjoy!

Heyo! :}D That literally sounds S O fucking cool I L O V E L O V E L O V E E V E R Y T H I N G about this oml!!! There's S O much I already adore it's got Mystery, Fantasy aspects, The Spooky Gays adventuring and being absolute dorks and trusting to each other, Hilarious concepts (Forever cackling at both the fact that Ree is chaotic and unhinged as shit to the point where Vee doesn't even believe him when he says he's human at first and that the poor Emo Fae's QPP is literally the only non magical person in the group don't worry the C H A O S makes up for it Bud XD) The perfect amount of A N G S T and F L U F F ratio, Wholesome Creativitwins moments (Rhea is forever a Queen for raising such wonderful sons <3) Twists, and just ahhhh I desperately N E E D this <3!!!

[acefaun]

Does anybody miss our old days ( few months ago), when we were active? When we were interacting with each other?

YES 🥺 Lord, that was the best time.

The post-Renaissance boom that might be going on under my nose? I've been thinking about how sad it is, that I've been basically non-existent on Instagram for the past couple years which I used to thrive on, and I haven't been on Tumblr in forever. 😵‍💫 But I'm slowly, very slowly working on a funny mother's day fic at least. So, ✨ we got something in progress. I'm tryna get back into it!

I'm also trying to get back into actually reading fics, because inspiration feeds inspiration, ya know? And people got nice things I've never seen. But I haven't had time to just sit and read. I've still got a fun Hobbit book I haven't been able to pick up!

But to be fair, I didn't have 2 jobs a few months ago... Now I suddenly had to pick up slack and work a morning job and run a business in the afternoon. And my banner came out nice for the business! We even have cool work tshirts now that I'm selling.

Along with those two jobs, I also got a girlfriend last month. 😚 I never thought I'd date someone with a child, but here I am. 👀 It's fine! We've been besties since high school so it seems like it was a matter of time. I was already named the nanny of the little bean so now I'm just even more part of the family. It's a nice emotional recharge when my jobs get to be too much. I suggest an emotional-recharge girlfriend for anyone in need.

She's got me started watching Hazbin Hotel with her. And I've been on a Alastor/Lucifer kick lately.

Alastor because scary deer man. Spooky radio demon. 🥴

Alastor=Deer Me=Faun Alastor=Me

And Lucifer because... Well, King of Hell, am I right? 🔥💕 Powerful King man. Sad fallen angel dude that sings beautifully and has a quirky fixation? I want.

But yes! 🥺 Once I finish all this extra business prep stuff, I hope I have more free time to be creative again. I'm writing a total of two sentences a day at this point and I'm not getting anything finished. But I have unwritten ideas and plots and that's what counts right? No? It only counts if it's posted and readable. ✨ I'll get there eventually.

Until then.... Let's just say what great fandoms we have and hope our patience can last a bit longer before our next mental breakdown! ✨

[leiflitter]

The Quotable Catton

Putting some of this one under a cut for NSFW reasons. Felix is a yappy fucker in more ways than one.

“Clean bill of health. Apparently I am a little deficient in vitamin D, but I'm sure you can help with that.” [...] “Also had a delivery notification, so how about I be a gent and carry those bags for you? And you can make a big fuss of me when we get back to the car for being awfully brave. I didn't even complain when they took my blood- well, complain much… Then, when we get home, I can stab you a bit.”

Chapter 53

“That's a risk I'm willing to take. I've got very good lawyers, Ollie.” [...] “They'd get me off, but I'd far rather you did, you little tease.” 

Chapter 53

“Eenie meenie miney mo, catch a tiger by it's toe, if he squeals let him go…” [...] “Cock out, boyscout.” 

Chapter 54

“Oh, come off it, Oliver. You think you're subtle? I see you looking, you know.” [...] “I know you're bent, mate. I must say it'd be nice to get a blowie from someone who actually likes cock.”

Chapter 54

“Don't play coy, Ollie, it's a cock. We both have ‘em, and we both know you're about ten seconds away from begging for me to stick it in one of your holes. What was I saying…? Oh, right. So. If Lu comes home and I'm balls-deep in your arse on the bloody dining room table, then what chance do either of us have of getting away with it? But… Well, that's what you want, isn't it? Fucking hell, are you always this much of a shameless slut, or is it especially for me?”

Chapter 55

“Ollie, you're too bloody sexy and it makes it very, very hard for me to be a twat to you.” 

Chapter 55

“Right. Where were we? I promise I'll be so impolite, Ollie… Alright. You're a shameless slut. Right.” [...] “That's… Oh, shit. Line, Olls?”

Chapter 55

“You can leave, you know. I'm just going to follow you. Easy peasy… and I think I said that you can leave if you get sick of us, so unless you're sick of me…”

Chapter 56

“Me and Ollie are up to his parents’ for New Years, so you can all have a ghost party if you'd like. No snogging any long-dead Cattons, Venetia, I don't care if you're dead, it's still incest. I, um. I miss you all.” [...] “I wish you could, you know, give me a call or pop back for a visit in the summer? If you can, then… Let me know, but not in a spooky way. I love you.”

Chapter 56

“Look, Olls, I know I'm not divorced yet, and it's been… a month since Oxford, and not even two weeks of you being here, but I want to. I'm sorry I don't have a ring and I'm not on one knee, and it's not romantic but I really, really mean it. How about it?”

Chapter 56

[rosemaidenvixen]

Wittebane

Ao3

tw: description of cadavers, canonical levels of Philip Wittebane creepiness

Easing it up as gently as she could, Luz pried open the window a crack, just enough to peek inside. Finding nothing but darkened rooms and silence she slid the window open the rest of the way and crawled in. Dropping soundlessly to the carpet, she turned and reached down to help pull Willow in after her. Two more figures followed Willow and soon all four of them were standing in the dark living room.

Luz pulled out her high beam flashlight, relying on your phone only to drain the battery so you didn’t have it at a critical moment was a rookie mistake, a column of bright white light cutting through the gloom. Willow and Amity grabbing their own flashlights and doing the same “Alright let’s try to find the basement then we can search top to bottom,”

Boscha scowled, she didn’t have a flashlight, just her bat in its case resting on her back with the strap around her shoulder “Remind me why we’re breaking into some old guy’s house again?”

Luz, Willow, and Amity all shared a flat look. They’d never planned on including Boscha on their expedition, but Boscha had found out about their plans at the last minute and threatened to expose them unless they included her.

Amity pulled in a deep breath through her nose and stepped towards Boscha with a look of measured patience on her face “This house belongs to the Wittebane family, when the original owners died they passed it down to their sons, Caleb and Philip Wittebane,”

The four of them moved through the room, guided by the beams of their flashlights, searching for a door that would lead to the basement.

“Apparently they were close growing up, but then Caleb and Philip had a big falling out where Caleb left and never came back, ever since Philip’s been living here by himself,”

“Really? What happened?” Boscha said, clearly curious despite herself.

“The story is that Philip didn’t approve of Caleb’s fiance,” Amity continued “And wasn’t shy about saying so,”

“Over here guys,” Willow spoke up, holding open a door to dark stairs leading down.

Without hesitating they all headed over and started trooping down the stairs, Willow and her flashlight in the lead.

“Ok…” Boscha said slowly, her and Amity bringing up the rear “But then why are we breaking into this Philip guy’s house?”

“Because eleven months ago Caleb and his wife were in a car accident where they both died,” 

“Again, what does that have to do with us?”

“Because less than a week after they died the morgue was broken into and their bodies were stolen,” Luz spoke up this time “They found the wife right away, whoever stole her body just dragged it out to the parking lot and set it on fire, but no one knows what happened to Caleb’s body. The police suspected Philip, but there wasn’t enough evidence to get a warrant,”

Even with the only light coming their flashlights Luz could see Boscha’s face become noticeably paler as they reached the bottom of the stairs “So we’re here to…”

“We came to see if Philip stole Caleb’s body, and to see if we can find it,” Willow concluded.

Boscha’s face was gaunt as they swarmed around the small basement space examining the walls “Well there’s clearly nothing here, water heater, washer and dryer,” she cleared her throat “So let’s just go back upstairs and–”

“Hang on,” Amity cut in “I think I found something,” 

The three of them gathered in around Amity, who was standing in front of a brick wall.

“I think there might be a–”

The wall shifted and swung inward, revealing a door cut out of the section of brick.

No one moved, no one spoke. They’d all agreed to come here but actually finding this was a game changer.

Luz swallowed hard but then stepped forward, flashlight at the ready “Let’s go,”

“Are you serious!?” Boscha hissed “You want to go inside the spooky basement tunnel, oh hell n–”

“We’ve come this far,” Willow stepped up to Luz’s side “I’m seeing this to the end,”

Amity joined them “This could be dangerous, but if I leave now I’m always going to wonder. And if worst comes to worst there are four of us and one of Philip,”

Boscha shut her mouth, face red, but she joined them at the mouth of the tunnel all the same.

They headed down the brick hallway. It was so narrow and twisty they had to go single file, and even with their flashlights they could never see more than a foot in front of them at a time. After a minute they turned a corner and the tunnel opened up into a large room, the flashlight beams bouncing off of metal and glass furniture fillinging, the four of them cautiously spreading out into the space.

The room was rectangle shaped, all four walls brick. Most of the floor was concrete but up against the wall furthest from the door the concrete abruptly dropped away into dirt leaving a bare space against the far wall. A bunch of shelves were lined up haphazardly against one of the side walls, well not really shelves more like bare metal racks loaded with boxes and books, bottles and cans and other seemingly random objects. 

Next to the other side wall, as close as possible to the dirt while still being on the concrete, there was a twin size bed frame with a mattress made up. Crisp beige sheets with hospital corners and a pristine white pillow. A towel, t-shirt, and a pair of shorts folded with stark precision lay on the end of the bed. A metal tub full of water, shimmering in the beam of Luz’s flashlight, sitting on the concrete by the foot. 

The sight, while mundane, was bizarrely out of place, seemingly belonging in a hotel or a dorm room rather than a dingy basement, landing straight in uncanny territory.

Luz shuddered once at the sight then turned away.

She had to focus, they were here to find Caleb’s body, not puzzle over Philip’s weird guest room set up.

As she looked away, she spotted a desk pushed up against the wall right next to the door. Several tables set up with what looked like lab equipment surrounded it. And something else…

“How– how could this Philip guy hide all this down here!?” Boscha said incredulously. 

“I think this is an old bomb shelter,” Willow spoke up “Depending on when it was built it might not even be on the house’s blueprints,”

Luz was only half listening, stepping closer to the desk, spotting several open books on it. The books looked old old, handwritten in a language that Luz didn’t recognize, with several pictures that Luz could only describe as anatomy diagrams, and a series of pictures that looked like someone being buried alive but backwards. Shaking her head, Luz tore her gaze away from the books and continued on, honing in on a soft buzzing sound. Moving between the tables, Luz spotted a minifridge sitting on the floor crammed between two of them, humming with electricity. Crouching down low, Luz reached out and pulled the door op–

Bright light flooded the dark space as she scrambled back with a shriek, sending all the others rushing over.

“What’s wrong Luz!?” Amity called out “What did you…”

Shocked silence settled over them as they spotted the contents of the fridge. Staring and staring like they couldn’t believe their eyes. Which if the others were anything like Luz, they absolutely couldn’t.

Bones. Dirty white wrapped in plastic stacked neatly on the small set of shelves each with their own unique label, but all with the initials ‘CW’ scrawled on them.

CW-Skull

CW-Hand r.

CW-Hand l.

CW-Ribcage

CW-Spine

CW-Femur r.

CW-Femur l.

Seeing something so macabre and gruesome organized with the cold precision of storing leftovers made her stomach turn.

“Oh my god he actually did it,” Boscha whispered “Philip Wittebane stole his brother and skeletonized him!”

“Guys,”

“Oh man this is so messed up,” Luz scooted away from the fridge, still unable to tear her eyes away.

“Guys,”

“And what’s with the bed!?” Amity hissed “This is all so–”

“Guys!”

They all whipped around at the urgency in Willow’s voice. She was standing in the dirt, the beam of her flashlight illuminating a pale branch sticking up out of the ground–

The realization hit Luz like a punch to the gut.

That wasn’t a branch, it was a hand, thin fingers as pale as moonlight poking up out of the dirt.

Amity covered her mouth, smothering a small gasp, from off to the side she could see Boscha turning green. 

Luz couldn’t move, couldn’t breathe, heart beat hammering. It was bad enough that Philip had chunks of his brother in a fridge, then he’d just dumped the rest in–

Wait…

Moving slowly, Luz turned back towards the still open fridge, then back towards the dirt plot illuminated by Willow’s flashlight. The fridge. The dirt again.

“Something’s not right here…”

“Yeah no shit!” Boscha hissed “There’s body parts in a fridge and more in the–”

“No, I mean, both of Caleb’s hands are right here,” Luz gestured towards the fridge, bags labeled ‘Hand r.’ and ‘Hand l.’ still sitting there on the top shelf “So that hand in the ground can’t be…” she trailed off but Amity was quick to pick up.

“If…if Caleb’s in the fridge, then who’s buried in the…”

No one said anything, horrified silence settling over the four of them as they stared at the fingers poking up out of the dirt, leaving the whole room as silent as a grave.

Which was why they all heard the thump coming from the narrow hall so clearly.

Luz whipped around, more thumps–

Footsteps

Coming from the hall, her heart shooting up into her throat.

“Over here!” Willow whisper shouted “Behind these shelves,”

The four of them scrambled between the metal racks, angling to conceal themselves behind the boxes and books stacked on them. Cramming into the narrow space and killing their flashlights seconds before the footsteps reached the room, overhead light on the ceiling flashing on. The four of them blinking in the sudden brightness.

Blood rushing in her ears, Luz cautiously peeked around the box on the lowest shelf. 

A man with long ash-blonde hair pulled back–

Philip Wittebane

Stood by the desk just a few feet to the side of the doorway, setting various grocery bags on top of it.

Luz ducked back just as Philip stepped away from the desk, moving towards the dirt section of the room. They had to hang tight, wait for Philip to leave and then make a break for it, just had to make sure he didn’t spo–

“I’ve waited so long for this day,”

Philip’s voice rang out and all thought stopped.

“I’m so excited to meet you,”

Luz’s blood ran cold, completely frozen on the ground, feeling Boscha trembling from where she was pressed into her side, a roaring in her ears as she waited for Philip to step around the shelves and–

A crunch echoed out in the basement, followed shortly by another, then another.

It took a few seconds for Luz to realize that the sound was shovel meeting dirt.

She risked another peek around the box, heartbeat still thrumming. Philip was standing in the dirt, shovel in hand, leisurely digging away.

Wait….was Phililp talking to the dead body buried in his basement? That was seriously messed u–

The fingers poking out of the dirt twitched and her mind went white.

Suddenly she realized the pictures in the book weren’t backwards at all.

Luz watched, heart booming and mouth dry, as Philip set the shovel aside and grasped the fingers, pulling the buried figure up.

She had no idea what she expected for a body a weird old man pulled up out of the dirt in his basement, but whatever it was, it wasn’t this.

It was a boy, around her age, maybe a year or so older, gangly and gawky. Pale skin and long blonde hair smeared with dirt, but between the angle and Philip standing in the way she couldn’t get a clear view of his face.

Releasing his fingers, Philip put a hand on the buried boy’s shoulder, leading him away from the dirt and onto the brick.

“Brace yourself,” Philip spoke “This will be cold,”

There was a sudden splash of water, sputtering and a strangled gasp from an unknown voice, Luz getting a glimpse of rivulets of water running down the concrete to soak into the dirt.

“Come now you’re fine, no need for dramatics,”

Luz still couldn’t see them clearly, but she heard the rustle of fabric, caught glimpses of Philip ruffling a towel through damp blonde hair, of him picking up the shorts and t-shirt from the edge of the cot.

“Wha,” the boy spoke again “Wha hih–”

Philip made shushing noises, the sound making Luz’s skin crawl, and pushed the boy’s shoulder down to seat him on the edge of the cot.

“Wha,” the boy mumbled “What is…”

Philip chuckled “Only minutes old and already starting to speak, you truly are a miracle,”

“Wha…what is…” Philip held a hand to his mouth, silencing him.

“I understand you must be confused, I will try to explain things the best I can,” Philip raised a strand of blonde hair on a single finger “But first something must be done about your hair,”

Philip reached into his pocket and pulled out a hairbrush, seating himself behind the boy on the bed, nudging his shoulder to turn him ever so slightly. Raising the brush to run it through the boy’s hair.

It was just hairbrushing, nothing inherently gross or weird about it. There were a lot more gross and weird things just in this room. But something about the scene in front of her gave Luz the willies.

“I always admired my brother Caleb growing up,” Philip spoke “He was strong and courageous and the best brother I could have asked for, but then he fell into sin and temptation and ended up losing his life because of it,”

A pause of the bristles in pale hair “Fortunately I was able to preserve the best of him and use it to craft a son, you,”

“M– me?” the boy stammered.

“Yes you, I crafted you from the dirt the same as the lord crafted Adam from the dust. I suppose in a way you are my brother’s son, which makes me your uncle,”

“Un…cle?”

Philip chuckled, a sound that could be called warm if it was in any situation besides this one “Yes I’m your uncle Philip, Caleb always said that if he had a son he’d name him Hunter, so that will be your name,”

“Hunter…”

Philip tucked the brush back into his pocket and stood “My brother may have fallen prey to temptation, but I won’t let the same happen to you,”

A click and a metallic clink echoed through the room. 

“No need to worry, this is just until I know I can trust you. Now you must be hungry, I’ll go fetch you some oatmeal,”

Philip turned and walked out of the room.

As soon as he was out of sight Luz felt fingers dig into her shoulder.

“Let’s get out of here before old man Wittebane comes back,” Boscha hissed in her ear.

Moving with a calmness she didn’t feel, Luz slowly stood and peeked around the shelf.

“Luz what are you doing!?” Amity whispered.

“You remember Azura book six, where she broke into the warlock’s cavern?”

Amity gasped “And found the minotaur he’d summoned!”

“Do you have to do this nerd stuff now!” Boscha snarled.

Luz ignored her, cautiously taking a step out from behind the shelves.

All the townspeople told Azura that the warlock’s minotaur was a being of pure evil that served the warlock and terrorized villages on command. But Azura was able to see that the minotaur wasn’t evil, he was just a prisoner of the warlock. And she used her power to set him free.

Stepping fully away from the self, Luz took a deep breath and approached the…boy sitting on the bed.

“Hey….how’s it going?”

She’d never met Caleb Wittebane, but she’d seen pictures of him on the news when the morgue robbery happened. And now that she could see the boy’s face clearly the resemblance between him and Caleb was undeniable. His hooked nose, the shape of his jaw, his tangled blonde hair. Pulled into a low ponytail with a single lock hanging down in his face, perfectly mirroring the graduation photo that the newspaper had printed.

Had Philip styled his hair to look just like his dead brother’s? Because that was all kinds of creepy.

She also saw the metal cuff, wrapped in fabric padding, locked around the boy’s wrist. Connected to a chain that was bolted to the brick wall next to the bed.

“Hi there, my…my name is Luz,”

He stared back at her, face blank “...my name is Hunter,”

She stopped two feet away from him. This close she could see that the resemblance was strong but there were differences as well. Subtle things, magenta eyes, pointed ears. Nothing grotesque, but things that had no place on the human body. The combined effect landed squarely in the uncanny valley.

Stop it Luz he might look strange but that doesn’t make him evil, he still deserves help.

From behind she heard footsteps approach.

“So…Hunter,” Amity spoke up “Don’t worry, we’re going to get you out of here,”

Hunter didn’t say anything, just blinked back at her.

Willow took a seat on the cot next to him, gingerly grasping the chain with one hand “We need to get the key before Philip stashes it somewhere we can’t–”

“I’ll get it,”

The three– four of them turned towards Boscha.

“Are you sure?” Luz asked.

Boscha slid her bat out of its case, smacking the end against her palm “Trust me,”

They watched Boscha make her way back down the narrow brick hall, bat in hand, until she vanished from view.

“Are you sin and temptation?”

Luz, Willow, and Amity all simultaneously jumped and snapped their heads in Hunter’s direction, the boy flinching under the force of their combined gazes “Un…uncle Philip said that outside was sin and temptation, so are you…”

Luz glanced at the other girls, the three of them sharing an uncomfortable look.

“Hunter…” Luz took a seat on his other side, making sure to give enough space to not crowd him “I know Ph– your…uncle said that, but I promise you it wasn’t true,”

Hunter just stared at her owlishly.

“Yeah,” Willow spoke up, Hunter’s head swiveling in her direction “There are bad things out there, but there’s plenty of good things to. And staying locked up like this is no way to–”

A crash and a shout and suddenly Boscha was sprinting in out of the hall. Breathing hard and bat clutched in a white knuckled grip, the end smeared with red.

“I got the key but we gotta go now, I knocked Philip out but I’m not sure how long he’ll stay down,”

She tossed the key to Amity, who swiftly leaned in and unlocked the cuff from Hunter's wrist. Allowing Willow to pull him to his feet, the five of them dashing back through the dark tunnel.

“Go go go!” Luz led the way as they sprinted up the basement stairs back into the house proper. Not even bothering with the window, all thoughts of stealth gone now, making a beeline for the front door. Tearing it open the five of them racing out into the night.

Amity outpaced her, dashing into the bushes where they stashed their bikes. Pulling them free from the shrubbery and handing them out before mounting hers.

Luz quickly glanced around at the others, seeing them all mounted on their bikes with Hunter seated on Willow’s handlebars, and pushed off, the four of them pedaling with all their might back up the road.

As they climbed a hill the others quickly outpaced her, Willow taking the lead even with carrying Hunter. Confident that the others were safe, Luz paused at the top of the hill and risked a glance backwards.

Philip Wittebane stood at the edge of the porch, one hand bracing himself against the railing, the other pressed against his temple. Blood spilling out between his fingers and running down his face. 

Blue eyes pierced through the darkness, glaring straight down into her soul with a look of pure hatred.

A violent shudder coursing through her, Luz turned back and started quickly peddling to catch up with the others, the four sets of wheels with five passengers speeding off into the night.

[popentertainment-moviereviews]

APARTMENT 7A (2024)

Starring Julia Garner, Dianne Wiest, Jim Sturgess, Kevin McNally, Marli Siu, Rosy McEwen, Amy Leeson, Scott Hume, Andrew Buchan, Kobna Holdbrook-Smith, Rosy McEwen, Nikkita Chadha, Julia Westcott-Hutton, James Swanton, Brooke Walter, Hannah Morley, Patrick Lyster, Dylan Baldwin , Mellanie Hubert, Anton Blake Horowitz and Eva-Marie Kung.

Screenplay by Natalie Erika James & Christian White and Skylar James.

Directed by Natalie Erika James.

Distributed by Paramount Pictures. 104 minutes. Rated R.

There have been a ton of horror films over the years that have ripped off Roman Polanski’s classic 1968 horror film Rosemary’s Baby (I’ve seen at least two which stole scenes from it in just the last few months), so it is kind of a surprise that it has taken so long for an official reboot of the movie.

Apartment 7A is not a remake of Rosemary’s Baby – it’s actually a prequel – but the film is based on Ira Levin’s classic novel (as was the 1968 film) and has a very similar storyline and old-fashioned style to the original. In fact, it seems that the movie was originally conceived as a remake as written by Skylar James, but when that project didn’t take off, writer/director Natalie Erika James reconceptualized the story to show the happenings in the Bramford, a mysterious old apartment building in New York. (As with Rosemary’s Baby, the Bramford is filmed in the famous Dakota on Central Park West in the Upper West Side.)

In fact, the makers of Apartment 7A are being a bit coy about the connection, not really pushing the fact that it is a part of the Rosemary’s Baby story, particularly not in its very generic sounding title.

However the lead character Terry Gionoffrio did appear, briefly, in the Rosemary’s Baby novel and film. This film is that woman’s backstory. (I won’t go into details as to how she fits into the original storyline, because that could be considered a bit of a spoiler for Apartment 7A.)

The basics of horror cinema have certainly changed a whole hell of a lot since Rosemary was released in 1968, and interestingly Apartment 7A sort of settles into the old-fashioned, more measured, spooky vibe of its predecessor. Which makes the film rather interesting, if occasionally a bit slow-paced for modern audiences.

We meet Terry (Julia Garner) as an aspiring Broadway dancer. During a performance, she badly injures her foot, leading her to have to stop her promising career for a period of months. (The accident becomes so well known that on Broadway she is broadly referred to as “the girl who fell.”) She tries to hurry herself back to work before she is ready by using painkillers, eventually becoming addicted to the pills.

After a particularly humiliating audition, Terry follows the producer Alan Marchand (Jim Sturgess) to his home at the Bramford. When she is unable to get through to him, she passes out due to her drug use. She is brought in the building by a sweet-seeming older couple named Roman and Minnie Castavet (Kevin McNally and Dianne Wiest), who quickly offer to put Terry up in an apartment that they own. Of course, if you have seen Rosemary’s Baby, you know that the Castavets have ulterior motives. (Wiest, in particular, does a stunning job of recreating the character as played by Ruth Gordon in the original. Close your eyes and you may think it was the same actress.)

In fact, their plans for Terry are very similar to their later plans with Rosemary. In fact, according to this storyline, the satanist residents of the Bramford have tried similar acts several times with multiple women.

None of it is completely surprising – if you are familiar with the original story, you have a pretty good idea how it will all end – but Apartment 7A is still an interesting chapter of the tale.

Jay S. Jacobs

Copyright ©2024 PopEntertainment.com. All rights reserved. Posted: September 19, 2024.