#which holly book should i read next

[chihir0scheeri0s]

Just finished five survive and can i just say

red spent 8 hours in that RV and she never figured out the pattern in the damn curtains

[redrose10]

The next chapter of Cinnamon & Vanilla should be out mid-to the end of next week. We’re getting close to the end and I really appreciate all the support on that one. Here is a little sneak peak at the next story that I plan to release. As you can probably tell I’m very Yoongi biased. This one will probably just be one big story instead of a multi chapter thing, but that could change. Let me know if this is something you’d actually be interested in reading!

Inn Keeper Yoongi x Female Author Reader

Summary: You have never experienced true love which is hilarious considering you write romance novels for a living. When you end up staying at The Interlude Inn located in Holly Falls you start to wonder if maybe the answer to your newest love story is sitting behind the welcome desk. Quickly, you find out that Min Yoongi hides a lot of pain and sorrow behind his shy smiles and quick glances.

Warnings: (may get updated) Swearing, character death, very very angsty for a while, mentions of physical and verbal abuse, bullying, a really mean letter, panic attacks, eventual light smut, it will get better

Teaser Below The Cut

Once you arrived at the airport you really wished you’d done a little more research about Holly Falls. After some digging and a conversation with a very outgoing Uber Driver you found out that eleven months out of the year the town is very low key and relaxed, but for one month it is a tourist hotspot thanks to the insane amount of blooming cherry blossom trees. According to your new Uber friend, people come to Holly Falls during this month to see the fields of trees blooming in all their glory. The normally quiet town embraces the crowds providing various festivals and parades and gimmicks to draw in the guests as well as their wallets. And of course you just happen to travel over there smack dab in the middle of it all.

The driver dropped you off in the middle of the fun so with your bag slung over your shoulder you started heading into different hotels trying to book a room. In the city you could walk into pretty much any hotel at any time and book a room. You had assumed it would be same in this small town so you had decided to wait to book a room until you could see them in person wanting to get the feel and make sure you chose the right fit. You imagine in any other month it would be much easier to obtain a place to stay here, but due to the large tourist presence every single hotel was completely booked for the entire month.

You were just about ready to give up and head to the airport to see about booking a flight home when an older gentleman came up to you carrying various handmade trinkets for sale.

“See anything you like miss? All of these are under $10.”, he asked.

Politely you smiled, “No thank you. Not right now.”

You thought he had left until you saw him dangling a hand painted sun catcher in front of you. The design a beautiful beautiful cherry blossom. Trying to bite your tongue and not snap at the elderly man you again shook your head.

“Here have it for free. You seem to need a little cheering up.”, he smiled.

Reaching up you grabbed the delicate glass from him, “Thank you. I really appreciate it. I’m sorry if I came off rude. I’m just really stressed out right now.”

“Didn’t know about the cherry blossom season and now you can’t find a place to stay?”, he asked.

“How did you know?”, you replied wide eyed.

The elderly man chuckled while taking a seat next to you, “There’s always at least one person that gets stuck here with nowhere to stay because they didn’t know how crazy things can get around here this time of the year.”

“Mmh yeah that would be me this year. I need somewhere to stay for a couple weeks or I’m going to have to head back home.”

“You know there might be somewhere that still has a room available. It’s just outside all of the hubbub. About ten miles just over that hill. If you get to Taehyung’s Strawberry Farm then you’ve gone too far.”, he said pointing in the opposite direction of the festivities.

“Really? You think they’d have a room? I wonder why they wouldn’t be booked like every other place.”

The gentleman stood up from the bench you were both on, “Its worth a shot. It’s a little farther away from all the action than people like to be. Plus the owners are a little on the unique side.”

You were concerned at this statement. The last thing you wanted to do was end up being the story line of a true crime documentary.

He continued, “They are very nice people. A young man and his grandmother. They just tend to be very secluded and to themselves. It’s called Interlude Inn. You can’t miss it.”

You thanked him for the information and watched as he walked into a large group of people trying to sell the rest of his merchandise. Placing the delicate sun catcher in your bag you ordered another Uber to take you over to the inn. A familiar vehicle quickly pulled up in front of you with the same talkative man from earlier. You wondered how there weren’t any other drivers available, but you smiled as you slid in the back seat anyways.

“Leaving so soon?”, he asked.

You chuckled, “No I just need to find somewhere else to stay. Can you please take me to The Interlude Inn?”

Suddenly the man stopped, turning to look back at you.

“Miss you don’t want to stay there. Surely there’s somewhere else around here you can stay.”

“Every hotel is completely booked. If this inn doesn’t have a room then I’ll have to just go home.”

He sighed, “Alright miss. If you insist.”

He began the drive to your location. His words about finding somewhere else stuck in your mind.

“Sir?”

“Yes Miss”

“What you said earlier. What is so bad about this inn?”

“Well, the grandma, I think her name is Mae, is very sweet. She’s done the best she can with what she had. But that Min boy, he’s a little odd.”

“Ohhh…Like serial killer odd?”

The man chuckled, “No not that kind of odd. He’s just very quiet and keeps to himself, but he is polite. He’s never seemed to have any friends and I doubt he’s ever had any kind of relationship. He comes into town only a few times a year, mostly when his grandmother needs something. He doesn’t acknowledge anyone, even when they speak to him directly. People usually only stay at the inn as a last resort during this busy season.”

From what you’re hearing he seemed like just a quiet introverted person who loves his grandma. You weren’t sure why everyone seemed so leery of him.

The car pulled up infront of the inn. The large wooden sign out front verified you were indeed at The Interlude Inn. Thanking your driver you grabbed your bag and made your way up to the entrance.

The Inn looked cozy and welcoming. It was smaller than you had imagined. There couldn’t be more than three or four rooms. Off to the side you noticed a little garden with various plants starting to bloom.

On the door hung a welcome sign adorned with hand painted lady bugs and butterflies. Turning the handle you gently pushed in the door being greeted by a heavenly aroma making your stomach grumble. The entrance room which also doubled as a living room had two couches, one on either side of a coffee table. A television hung on the wall above a fireplace. In the corner was a small desk which you assume would be where you could request a room.

Walking over you noticed a younger man crouching down so he was eye level with one of the drawers. He appeared to be about your age, mid to late twenties. Black hair with a slight curl to it hung over his forehead. Beautiful cat like eyes and his soft lips formed into a deep pout. You wanted so badly to reach over and squeeze his chubby cheeks, but you knew that was a weirdness you didn’t want to invoke. He was fidgeting with a drawer that seemed to be stuck and you could here the argument he was having in soft whispers,

“Come on you stupid thing.”

“It shouldn’t be this difficult.”

“Please, I just need a pen and then I’ll leave you alone for the rest of the day.”

You chuckled hearing him begging the drawer to cooperate. Reaching into your bag you grabbed one of your spare pens and set it on the desk, “Here I have a pen you could use.”

The young man let out a sudden squeal after you startled him. He jumped backwards and landed on his behind with a loud thud.

“Oh no I am so sorry. I didn’t mean to scare you. I thought you had heard me come in.”, you apologized feeling terrible.

The poor guy sat on the ground trying to collect himself before bringing himself back to a standing position. That’s when you noticed his cheeks were a bright shade of red, making you want to squeeze them even more. The man didn’t say a word. His eyes were barely able to focus on you, instead they would move around the room before returning to you for just a second before he’d quickly look elsewhere.

“Ahh this must be the Min boy the driver was talking about?”, you thought to yourself.

[thedrunkenreadersreviews]

A brief tantrum on the portrayal of faeries.

Well, we gotta go with the green fairy for this one. Pour a very demure and mindful amount into a glass (I am so sorry).

*Sip*

Well, it has been a hot minute. And I am slowly climbing out of a reading slump brought upon me by the great letdown that was Masters of Death (more on that later). But as I was staring at my shelf (which became known as the Void for the time being) I found myself utterly enthralled by my various versions of The Folk of the Air series by Holly Black. The Juniper edition just ties that whole section, dedicated solely to all the books set in the world of Black's Faerieland, together nicely. And while I sat and stared and admired how finely I decorated the area with little mushrooms and fairy lights, I found my smile slowly fading as I thought to myself "Is this it?"

*Sip, sip*

There is a YouTuber by the name of "WithCindy" who is funny as can be, reviews books, talks about other major issues, and is just overall entertaining. Now while I don't always agree with Cindy, there is something they said when reviewing ACOTAR (which, I cannot recommend enough, their videos on that whole series are just perfect!) that I think about a lot.

Cindy, when first starting ACOTAR, asked their reading buddy,

""What makes them fairies?'"

To which the agreed-upon consensus became:

"'Basically, they're magical and have big dicks.'"

*Sip, sip*

How disappointing. Maas is not the only one to write faeries in this way, she is just one of the most popular. But many authors using faeries do this and I have become rather melancholy when thinking about faerie portrayal in literature. Which is why I think I cling to The Folk of the Air so tightly.

FIRST, let me say if you enjoy books like ACOTAR and favor that portrayal of faeries, that is wonderful! And I'm truly happy that you found something you enjoy as that is what reading should be for and I have no beef with anyone who enjoys this type of depiction of faeries.

With that out of the way: It is what I have been yearning for when it comes to faeries for so long. I crave the scary, tricky, terrifying creatures from Irish and Nordic Folklore. I want to see them be cruel and cunning, I want them to look grotesque and imbued with nature.

*Sip, sip*

Cardan, for context, IS a faerie. Like, in every way. He has powers, he cannot lie, there are wards to be used against him, he has a freaking tail! And he is not some thousand-year-old militaristic war leader with a six-pack who knows how to swing a sword. My boy is a noodle. A seventeen-year-old, moody, grumpy, noodle. And I love it! (I don't care for how so many fanarts depict him as a buff dude with a six-pack, like no, he's a skinny boy, but damn these artists are talented as Hell so I can't complain too much lol) I love how he doesn't use his powers to their full extent until book 3. I love how he is so into makeup and dressing up and caring about how he looks before he gets sloppy drunk and then smears his eyeliner all over his face. I love how he is beautiful and dangerous and sometimes downright haunting when he tries to be. I love how he doesn't always know best and how he has to find out that he can be a fantastic ruler/good person if only he tries. I love how he feels excluded from things and longs to be included in them. I love how since he doesn't have the ability to lie, he does so by telling the truth. I love that when he had a crush on the weird girl he got so angry and disgusted with himself and yet just let her tie him up.

I love how in this world, you don't know what the faeries will do next. You don't know what trick they'll play or what riddle they'll provide.

I want these faeries. I miss these faeries. They are magical and horrifying and I love them.

*Sip, sip*

The Replacement, The Call, Emily Wilde's trilogy, and Holly Black's Faerie world. I'm on the hunt for more. I hope to find more. And I hope---my goodness, do I hope---that more are created.

Because faeries are awesome.

Cheers.

*Sip, sip*

[hoseoks-reader]

Tiny Dancer, Part 1. [JUNG HOSEOK]

Tiny Dancer AU: Jung Hoseok x Y/N

Summary: Y/N has been a dancer for as long as she can remember. She started small and eventually built a reasonable following through her YouTube channel, and around 5 years ago she was contacted by the Dreamz label, that presented her with a very appealing contract. It so happened this label was a direct rival of Big Hit… which had BTS signed. Which happened to be the band where her boyfriend, Minho, performed as a back-up dancer.

She didn’t know much about those seven boys other than the fact she became good friends with Yoongi at a party last week, and they had incredible dancers. Incredible dancers.

NOTE: This is a semi love triangle kind of story. There's gonna be some angst, fluff and eventually smut (always with a warning). I hope you enjoy! You might recognize Minho from Skz, in here he's purely a dancer. Some other characters may show up during the series but it’s not worth mentioning right now. The first chapter might be kinda boring but bear with me, I have to introduce the story first ahah. I’ll be using referential pictures for outfits, makeup and such, as well as text messages. We switch povs sometimes, but I’ll always mention it.

Part 1 (15.04.2024) Don't copy or repost on other accounts. Y/N - your name Trigger warnings: loneliness, kissing that doesn’t really end in anything sexual it’s very brief.

Wordcount 2,2k

Y/N: 1 more chapter!

Is what you kept repeating to yourself for the last hour while you slipped through the book’s pages. You had to be up at 6am the following day and the hours of sleep you’ll be able to get are only decreasing but you really need to know what happens next.

You enjoyed reading. Not as much as dancing and singing, but it held a close third place in your heart. When it came to reading thrillers, well, anyone should be scared to take the book out of your hands for they might become the subject of the next Holly Jackson book. You forced yourself to close the book and looked at the time. 2am. Well, shit. Not gonna get much sleep either way might as well read one more chapter- until your phone interrupted your thought.

She hit her head with the book and put it in her nightstand. She stared at the picture of her and her dad and smiled to herself.

Y/N: You’re not here to tell me to turn the damn light off and sleep like before. Someone’s still trying to take care of me though, don’t you worry.

She tucked herself in and turned off the light. Before she knew it, the alarm would go off.

[THE FOLLOWING DAY]

You were making a toast while you scrolled through the most recent news. You took a sip of your coffee and when you were about to put your phone down it started ringing.

Y/N: Hello. Hyejin: Y/N! Good morning honey how are you? Ready for the day? It’s gonna be a long one. Y/N: Manager! I’m great (she was lying, she had maybe 4 total hours of sleep on her), excited and energized (yet another lie y/n). Hyejin: Awesome! See you in 30!

In 30- You looked at the time while you let out a barely audible “bye” and you felt the first bit of energy of that morning. You gulped the rest of your coffee and took your toast to go as you looked for your car keys. While you headed down your building and your thoughts were filled with “What if I didn’t love my job”.

You got into the car and started it in a rush. No, for real, what if you didn’t love your job and had to seat in front of a computer for the next 8h after this miserable night of sleep. You shook your head, and you felt the coffee kick in.

Y/N: Let’s go.

[TIME SKIP]

You arrived at the first part of your day: the photoshoot. You thanked whoever presented you with hair and make up because even you were afraid to look at yourself in the mirror after the rush to get here.

Your new single was very close to coming out and you had to prepare a bunch of things today. There was the photoshoot, the interview, the practice for the upcoming shows, and… Yoongi’s birthday. Oh my god. You quickly grabbed your phone.

You sighted while sending Minho a message to let him know of the plans for tonight and put down your phone giving the makeup artist a better access to your face. You praised yourself for the mental recap because you knew for sure you wouldn’t remember during the rest of the day given how tired you are and how much more tired you were about to become.

[OUTFIT AND MAKEUP]

Banger, you thought. You left the dressing room after a good second look at the mirror. You walked towards your manager who was already talking with the photographer. Hyejin immediately expressed her joy with a smile.

Hyejin: You look incredible. Photographer: Ready? Y/N: As I’ll ever be.

[TIME SKIP]

After a good hour and a half passed by, you applauded everyone and excused yourself to use the bathroom. You took the opportunity to reply to your boyfriend’s message and check your makeup. You looked at the time and saw you had had about 20 minutes until the interviewer got here. After that you had 2 hours before practice. That was enough time to eat and maybe get a power nap. You fixed your hair and left the bathroom, heading towards the room where the interview would be held. You figured you might as well stay there already.

Your phone buzzed.

You were already sat by the time the interviewer arrived and she complimented you with a smile and a bow.

Interviewer: Thank you for meeting with me. Y/N: Thank you for wanting to meet with me! Interviewer: (she smiled) I’m going to be recording the interview on my phone. Do you have any questions first? Y/N: Not really. You can start whenever you’d like. Interviewer: Okay so let’s start simple. What’s the name of the new single and what can we expect from it? Y/N: Well, it’s called “Blissful.” I think the song actually translates the feeling itself. I’ve been gate keeping the lyrics for a couple of years now, but I’ve been working on them more throughout the last few months. It brings me right into the feeling I had in my transition from “amateur” to “professional” you could say. Interviewer: So it’s about your journey, your transition in the industry you would say? Y/N: Definitely. It encapsulates the feeling I had when I could finally say that this is my full-time job. Someone recognizing my capability. Interviewer: It seems like a major recognition for sure, especially considering that at the moment you’re the only solo artist under Dreamz. Does it ever get lonely? Seeing everyone in groups and being able to do all of the things you do but together? Y/N: Sometimes. But at the end of the day I’m grateful that I even got this chance. I have amazing friends, a very supportive boyfriend. I might work solo, but I know I can rely on others at any given minute. Interviewer: That’s amazing. So I’m guessing maybe you’ll give an exclusive party with everyone once this single finally turns into an album, right? Y/N: Well, I guess we’ll see.

[TIME SKIP]

You looked at the time, it’s only 4pm and you’re already as good as dead. You were still halfway through practice, you had Yoongi’s party later, before which you had to stop home first for a much-needed shower.

You looked at yourself on the mirror. You can do it. This is what you wanted. What dad wanted for you. He fought for it. You took a deep breath and endured the next couple of hours.

[AT BIG HIT, YOUR OUTFIT]

You entered the building, uneasy, with the “yeah I don’t belong here, and they know it” kind of feeling. Not that anyone was rude. But they were indeed her rival at some level. You talked with a woman that kindly approached you as you looked lost and directed you to the correct floor.

You had been here maybe twice? But always outside or at the entrance, mostly to wait for Minho. Now you were actually inside the elevator of the building, going god knows where. As the door was about to close a hand stopped it. You almost choked on your own saliva out of surprise.

The door slowly reopened, and two men were looking back you, slightly surprised as well. Park Jimin and Jung Hoseok. This is absolutely fine. It’s not like you’ve watched these two dance about a million times.

They both entered the elevator and noticed you had already pressed the button they were going to. As the doors close Jimin broke the awkward silence.

Jimin: Hi, Y/N, right? Y/N: Y-yes, sorry- (you stuttered a bit) Hoseok: Nice to finally meet you. I’m Hoseok, this is Jimin. Y/N: Yeah, I obviously know (you laughed nervously; why are you acting like this, you’re basically on the same level??). Jimin: Oh, flattered. Yoongi has talked a lot about you! We’re happy you could make it. Hoseok: Yeah, and your work is amazing.

You were pretty sure you should pinch yourself. 6 years ago you were practicing Blood Sweat and Tears in your dad’s living room and now Park Jimin and Jung Hoseok are happy to meet you? You had to snap out of it before you scared them.

Y/N: That means a lot coming from you guys thank you.

They smiled at you and before you knew it you were already leaving the elevator. At a distance you saw your boyfriend talking to Yoongi and what appeared to be a very loud Seokjin (as expected, the soul of the party). Minho quickly spotted you and smiled.

Minho: Hey (he opened his arms to hug you), how are you? (he pecked your lips) Y/N: Tiring, but good. Yours? Minho: Same mostly. Y/N: (you gave him another kiss and turned to Yoongi) HAPPY BIRTHDAY AGAIN! (he started smiling shyly and offered you a hug) Yoongi: Thank you, Y/N, it’s great to see you again!

You let go of him as you scanned the rest of the room to see who else was there but most of the guests had already entered the room where they had everything set. You looked at Minho and held his hand.

Y/N: Do we know were the good stuff is? Minho: (he smiled), This way.

The rest of the night passed by too quickly to be honest. You met a few people, including the rest of the BTS members, Namjoon’s girlfriend (well hasn’t he kept that one well hidden from everyone so far??), as well as Jimin’s and some other friends of Yoongi’s.

Everyone was extremely nice. Especially that band you’ve only seen much of on a screen.

Namjoon was incredibly smart. Seokjin was hilarious, he spent so much time showing you pictures of the fishes he caught that you found yourself agreeing to schedule a trip with him to go fishing. Yoongi was pretty busy, but you managed to talk to him for a bit. Jimin was also pretty busy with his own girlfriend, apparently, she arrived today from a 2-week trip. Can’t blame him for not letting her out of his sight, she’s stunning. Taehyung was a lot more talkative than what I thought he would be at the beginning of the night, you just had to pull the right strings in the conversation! Jungkook quickly joined us when we started talking about painting. And Hoseok, well. I think I talked to him the most, at least for an hour. His knowledge in dancing didn’t fail to amuse me and he’s a very interesting person. Very layered I would even say. He’s very joyful but can turn from goofy to serious at any moment. And he’s a great listener.

You were arriving home with your boyfriend who would stay with you for that night, and you felt both happy and sad. Well, you lied today in that interview, and it almost came to bite you back tonight. You didn’t have friends. At least not that many. You had your boyfriend. You had Yoongi, a complete miracle that probably only happened because you two were left alone and he started making small talk. Your old school friend who hasn’t called you back in over a month. Your grandparents were 3 hours away and your best friend… your dad, was no longer with you. And seeing all off Yoongi’s friends there to celebrate him… made you happy for your friend but you would be lying again if you said you weren’t also sad you didn’t have that.

You shrugged it off and looked at Minho.

Y/N: You brought everything? Minho: Yeah (he said, putting everything on top of your bed) Y/N: (you cursed yourself for what you’re about to say) You know, this could just stop if we just finally moved in… Minho: I know but- Y/N: Yes, you live close to Big Hit, you got a good deal for the rent, you’re sharing the flat with Hyuno, I know. I was just saying, I’m not looking for a fight, I’m just tired, I didn’t sleep much last night.

This has to be the 5th time you talk about this, but you don’t have it in you to continue pushing through, at least not tonight. You got into your pjs and laid in bed.

You were about to put your phone on the nightstand when it buzzed. A hundredth times.

You felt Minho cuddle you in a spoon as you replied to the guys all giggly.

Minho: What’s happening? Y/N: The guys said they enjoyed hanging out with me and added me to a group chat! Very nice of them. (you said, putting your phone on the nightstand for good this time) Minho: Hm-Hm- (he started kissing the back of your neck and shoulder)

You couldn’t feel much from how exhausted you were, your head still filled with those silly messages. You fell asleep smiling and when Minho noticed your eyes closed he gave up whatever he was trying to start and gave you one last kiss on your shoulder, turning away to sleep.

Thank you for reading! Part 2 coming soon! Check my blog for more fics! See you soon.

[avelanlorelay]

About the pov of the next tfota book:

Nobody asked me, but I have to say it:

I want to cry just thinking about it, someone tell me I'm not the only one who does NOT want a NICASIA POV in the next book. I will always support Holly and I can imagine how horrible it is for an author to be pressured to write about something that doesn't have her heart in it. But Nicasia isn't a charismatic character, at least in my view there's no way to empathize with her and there's still a lot of resentment towards the character.

Of course Holly would write the story masterfully (please she made us read a book in Taryn's pov), but I would still prefer a new character, please I would a thousand times prefer a story about The Roach and The Bomb, much more charismatic characters.

Commercially speaking too, it would be much more lucrative if Holly wrote about a Cardan POV, which all readers dream of. It's sad, but I've seen many readers who didn't fall in love with Wren and only followed the stolen heir for Jurdan content and liked Oak a little. It's not fair for a writer to be stuck with characters and not be able to have creative freedom, no reader should imprison their favorite author like that. But PLEASE, this is a great opportunity and the perfect time to explore more characters as good and special as Jude and Cardan.

In any case, I hope the next book is a heartfelt story and that Holly is happy with its publication. Even if I don't read it, I'll support her and be happy for her. Yes, I'm suffering in advance, but what can I do when Holly has made me so obsessed with these two.

[tia-amorosa]

Sunset Died - Alto Household

Day of truth (longer Part)

It's the next morning. Vita got up early because she couldn't sleep anymore. It's probably not only her husband who is very excited about today, but also she herself. And it has become cold, very cold. Do people even want to come to an important event in weather like this? And what will they think? They still have no idea what to expect.

Despite his inner turmoil, Nick slept almost better than his wife. “Hi… Fortunately, you're not aware of too much of what's going on out there yet. I want to give you a good life. But first I have to go through my own personal hell”.

He went to the cradle and carefully took his son in his arms. Then he looked at him and smiled. “Do you think we still need this thing behind me here? I'd like to throw it out of the window in a high arc… Someone out there must have been a little cleverer than me. But I won't be taken advantage of again, I promise”.

Later. After breakfast, Nick retired to his desk for a moment. He had to mentally prepare himself for what he would like to say. But in the end, the words would come out of him very differently than he had planned. But he knew that he had someone to back him up. “we should start slowly"/ …

Nick stood up and turned to his wife. “Do you remember… For better or for worse times?”/ “Mhm. Just be the man I fell in love with"/ ‘Hm, I'm not going to get fat again that quickly’/ ”hnhn, that's not what I mean either. Confident, determined and passionate about everything you do”. he smiled a little sheepishly. ‘hn, should be manageable’.

He took his wife by the hands. Then he looked into her eyes. “You're coming with me, aren't you?”. She grinned a little “No, I was about to get back into my pyjamas and read a book. Of course I'll come with you, Holly's looking forward to spending some time with her brother”. Nick's face relaxed a little. Then he squeezed his wife's hands a little tighter. “All right, let's go then.”

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

It's not quite midday when Nick and his wife arrive at the small new town hall. And there seemed to be quite a few people there already, interested in what the man who hadn't been seen for months had to say. But for the time being, they retreated inside the building “Did you see the looks? like I killed someone”/ “just concentrate on yourself and your words”. Together they waited for the people to gather in front of the town hall.

A little later. By now, many of the residents had arrived at the town hall to hear what Nick had to say. The crowd was a little upset and many questions were asked. “Please, not all at once. I know we are in a difficult situation at the moment”. After a few seconds, things quietened down a little and Nick was able to continue.

“It is a truly great tragedy that our city has fallen victim to this terrible disaster and that many people have lost their lives as a result. I know that they were all hoping for quick help, but… unfortunately we were denied that help and it's… largely my fault"/ ‘I knew something was up’ grumbled Detlef. “ssht… stay calm”.

Nick explained how these people from outside had contacted him after the disaster. Among other things, they had made sure that no information could get out, so nobody could know that there were still survivors here. They were people with a lot of influence. And he told them about the experiment.

Beau was also very upset and had to be held back a little by his wife “I knew all along that something wasn't right here. And you let yourself be manipulated like that for your money and put all our lives at risk?“/”Beau…"/ ‘You're really scum, Alto…!’. Nick apologized for the many inconveniences and mistakes he had made over the last few months.

Nick then told them about the secret deliveries he had regularly received, which he had used exclusively to supply his family. This again caused a great deal of unrest in the crowd. “That's what I thought,” Cy said quietly. “Yes, you were right, everything came by sea and we didn't notice.”

“Look, we know we were wrong not to tell you about this, but we were under enormous pressure. I decided last night to hand over all my assets”. The residents now also knew what that meant. “Wait…and who's going to help us now? Where's your food storage, eh? This is pure selfishness!"/Nick's wife joined in briefly. “We've decided to divide everything up fairly, you'll just have to be patient.”

“And how long is that supposed to last?” someone shouted again from the crowd. “Yes, exactly, how did you imagine it would last? At some point it's all used up, and then what?"/ ‘We're aware of that and that's why I'd really appreciate getting in touch with one or two of you to work on a plan’/ ‘Who wants to make plans with you here?’ someone else said sarcastically.

Time passed and Nick tried everything to calm people down. But most of them didn't give him any more attention or trust. After all, he ignored them the whole time and didn't help them. Many left the square angry and disappointed, …but not all of them.

Seeing people leave the pitch was almost like a slap in the face for Nick. But as I said, not everyone wanted to leave straight away. Jack went up to him and looked him in the face. There was despair in it, he wasn't the only one who could see that. “You haven't noticed much of what's going on out here, have you?” Nick looked at him, almost a little shocked, and shook his head. “I'm… I'm really sorry, no”. Jack glanced briefly at Cyclone, who nodded at him. “We need to talk.”

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

@greenplumbboblover 🙂

poses by: @poses-by-bee , @aikea-guinea & others

[scarymonsters-andsupercreeps]

The Miracle We Need

Chapter 5

<-previous next->

With Kakyoin and Avdol in the hospital, Holly uses this time to regroup. However, her rest is cut short by an uncanny new enemy.

Read on AO3 here!

No warnings as far as I’m aware, only a minor nightmare mention

Chapter 5: Try My Best, Be a Real Individual

Outside of the hospital in Aswan, after dropping off Avdol and Kakyoin, the remainder of the group stood to discuss their plans.

“What do we do?” Polnareff said. He’d recovered from his blood loss, so the doctors had agreed to let him leave. His leg was bound tightly, having 10 stitches. He was to use a crutch to make sure he didn’t rip them. He wore a spare pair of baggy gray cargo pants until he could buy a new white pair.

“We can’t afford to wait around here for long. Even though Holly isn’t sick, there’s the threat of DIO becoming too strong. Every day we don’t reach him is another day he gets to grow stronger,” Joseph said, touching his chin.

“The doctors said Kakyoin’s eyes are doing well with the first aid we did, and they’re healing rapidly. Maybe we can give him a couple days?” Holly said. “Avdol will probably be ready to go in that time.”

Holly thought back to Kakyoin. The boy suffered for the whole car ride. She had felt awful about it, and tried to make him as comfortable as possible, but it was really no use. The pain he’d been in must have been unbearable. Now, however, he was already much better. Just being in the hospital had perked him up, as well as having been healed by Holly. Avdol had not been much better. He slipped in and out of consciousness, although his wounds were not as severe and had taken the Hamon better, probably because Joseph was the one who healed him. Seeing Holly do it had inspired the old man.

Joseph nodded. “That’s reasonable. We need the time to regroup anyways. We’ll stay here for two days or until Avdol is better, whichever comes first.”

“What do we do in the meantime?” Jotaro said. “Get supplies?”

“That, and rest. This will be a good chance for us to recuperate after so long without a good night’s sleep. I’ll even splurge on a good hotel!” Joseph said with a grin.

“Oh, I’ll buy some ingredients while we’re out. I’ll make everyone a big dinner to help stay strong. I’ll do dessert too,” Holly said. “Oh, and snacks for Kakyoin and Avdol!”

She saw Jotaro visibly perk up at the prospect of her making dinner. “Sure,” he said coolly. “I’ve got a few errands as well.” He adjusted his jacket, which was freshly mended from the fight yesterday. His shoulder was okay for now, but he wasn’t supposed to use it if he could help it.

Joseph checked his watch. “Alright, we’ll split up. We’ll go visit Avdol and Kakyoin around dinner whenever Holly finishes the food, so do whatever you want until then.”

Polnareff pouted. “What am I supposed to do? I have to use a crutch all day…”

“You could go book our rooms at the hotel and hang out there,” Holly said. “You should rest there if you can. Your leg will heal faster that way.”

“A nap does sound nice…” Polnareff said, pinching the bridge of his nose.

Joseph opened his wallet and pulled out a few bills. “This should cover it. Get your sleep and then meet us at the fountain in an hour or so.”

As Polnareff limped away, Holly turned to Joseph and Jotaro. “I’m gonna go buy stuff for dinner, do either of you want to come?”

Jotaro grabbed his hat. “Go ahead.” Before anyone could speak he turned and walked away, shoving his hands in his pockets.

Joseph blinked. “What’s got him in a bad mood?” He said to Holly.

She frowned. “I’m not sure. He probably need his space after that fight, though. It seemed like it was hard on him.”

Holly led Joseph down the sidewalk a ways, then realized something. “Where’s Iggy?”

Her dad shrugged. “I’m not sure, but it’s probably best to leave him be. He’ll probably follow Polnareff to the hotel so he can ruin his hair again.”

Holly cringed, recalling how many times Iggy had attacked Polnareff on the ride here. “Will we ever be able to clean up all the hair in the car? It’s everywhere.” She sighed and continued walking.

“Doubtful. How does Polnareff even have that much hair? Iggy’s been ripping it out in chunks and his goofy flat top is still untouched,” Joseph said, shaking his head.

Holly laughed. “Are you jealous, papa?”

Joseph stuck his chin up. “No! I still have a full head of hair, so there’s nothing for me to be jealous of.”

At the store, Holly pulled a list out of her pocket and studied it. The writing was tiny and covered the whole page. She took out her pen and crossed out a few items.

Joseph laughed. “You had that ready ahead of time?”

“Of course. What else was I supposed to do on that long car ride?” Holly smiled. “I was looking forward to making dinner for everyone, so I wrote down several ideas. We’ll buy whatever they have.”

“What did you cross out?” Joseph said curiously.

“Those were meals that Jotaro is neutral about. Now the only ones left are ones he likes. I’ll make one of his favorites so he’ll feel better.” She smiled, then her face immediately dropped. “Wait. Papa, does anyone have a food allergy? I didn’t even consider that!” She started to scribble more notes on the other side of the list.

“No, no! We’re all good. None that I know of. We’ve eaten tons of stuff.” Joseph waved his hands in a negative gesture.

Holly nodded. “Great!”

As Holly shopped, Joseph fidgeted. He felt antsy. It was a good thing to rest in Aswan for a few days, but whenever they were still he started to worry. The last time he’d felt like this consistently was back in his youth while training to fight the Pillar Men. He could barely even get a wink of sleep back then—the stress had been relentless. He hoped Jotaro wasn’t that way, the boy needed his rest.

One thing he’d always loved about Suzi was that she never fell for his tricks. She knew he was upset back then and was very gracious to him. He probably wouldn’t have made it if it weren’t for her constant support in combination with being pushed to the brink by his competitiveness against Caesar. He missed her. He’d call her as soon as he had time at the hotel.

“Okay,” Holly said, placing an item into her basket. “That’s the main course.” She crossed out a few more words on her list. She hoped everyone would like the dinner she chose, but there was always next time if she messed up.

After a small silence, Holly decided to ask Joseph something that had been bothering her for a long time. “Papa, do you have nightmares?” She said quietly, touching her necklace. The calming effect worked momentarily, but quickly dissipated as her anxiety grew.

“Sometimes, yeah…why do you ask? Have you been getting them?” His brows furrowed in concern.

“Pretty often, ever since I woke up. I’m wondering if it’s because I have a Stand now. I’m directly connected to Jonathan’s body, or just DIO at this point.” She pursed her lips.

“Wait, you’re having specific nightmares?” His eyes widened.

She paused, collecting herself so she wouldn’t cry. “I usually see DIO…and I see Jotaro as well. He’s always injured or worse.” Her voice caught. “It’s horrible…”

Joseph quickly hugged her. “I’m so sorry, sweetie. Have you been getting all the rest you need?”

“I think so…I’m not tired. I’m just…drained. I was so worried about Jotaro…”

“He’s fine, and he’ll be fine in the future. I promise you he’ll make it. He’s stronger than any of us could ever hope to be, and smarter too. Have faith in your son, Holly…he won’t die on you.” Joseph paused. “I know that won’t help the dreams, but I promise you they won’t come true.”

She nodded, her lip quivering. She held back her tears. She wasn’t about to cry in a public market. “Thank you, papa.” she touched her necklace again.

“Take it easy if you can…And tell me if your dreams ever change. I’m wondering if it’s an offshoot of my spirit photography.”

“If it’s that, doesn’t it mean the dreams will come true?” Holly said.

“Spirit photography can be misleading at times, and DIO has previously interfered with Hermit Purple. It’s very possible he’s doing something to you to try and break down your will. Don’t let him get to you, okay?” Joseph put a hand on her shoulder. She still felt like a little girl whenever he did that—his hands were so heavy, even the non-metal one.

“Okay,” Holly said, taking a breath to calm down. She wanted to believe him more than anything, but something about her dreams made her think they were real. She didn’t know when the time would come, but eventually she would need to save Jotaro’s life, and she had no idea if she’d be able to pull it off.

Holly trotted down the street. She was a touch late after dropping the groceries off at the hotel and making treats for Kakyoin and Avdol. Joseph had left early, saying something about going to a coffee shop with Polnareff and Jotaro. Holly was initially sad she didn’t have time to go, but on further reflection realized she didn’t really want coffee. She clutched the box of homemade sweets to her chest, putting on speed so she wouldn’t be any more late.

The buggy was parked to the side of the road, and three people stood around it. Joseph, Polnareff and…someone else. He was around Jotaro’s height, but it wasn’t him at all. The others were talking to him like they knew him. Holly assumed it was a friend they’d previously met while traveling and happened to run into again.

As she got closer, she caught a glimpse of the newcomer’s face. Her heart skipped a beat. This strange man’s face looked like Jotaro, but…wrong. Holly couldn’t quite place it, but this wasn’t her son. It was like someone had make one of those hyper-realistic wax figures of him. It was a perfect likeness, but definitely still wrong.

She didn’t know what to do. Joseph and Polnareff weren’t attacking him for now. They were probably going to try and catch him off guard and interrogate him about DIO. At the moment it meant playing along, she thought.

“Bonjour, Holly,” Polnareff said with a smile. “We were just about to leave, you’re just in time.”

“Everyone get in,” Joseph said, sliding into the driver’s seat.

“Oh, I’d rather walk,” not-Jotaro said, starting to sweat. That immediately raised Holly’s suspicions. If the enemy didn’t want to be in the car, that likely meant he’d tampered with it.

Holly decided to put some pressure on him. she grabbed his hand. “C’mon, sit with me!” The impostor’s hands were cold and clammy, unlike Jotaro’s, which were always warm from being in his pockets. Not-Jotaro also had none of the abrasions Jotaro had picked up yesterday, although he did have old scars from earlier in the journey. Holly was somewhat impressed.

“Oh, no…I’m okay…Holly…” not-Jotaro didn’t seem to realize he was supposed to be her son. She was a bit flattered he hadn’t noticed her age, but unsure what he’d thought of instead.

“Hey, don’t disrespect your mother like that!” Joseph snapped. “At least you didn’t call her a bitch, but calling her Holly is rude. You’re old enough to know better.”

“It’s okay,” Holly said cheerfully. “I don’t mind!” She smiled at him. If it was the real Jotaro, he would have looked away, but this person just stared at her like a deer in headlights.

Holly looked at Joseph, slightly panicked. She didn’t know what to do about the impostor. He winked at her. Oh, so he had a plan. She decided to mess with the impostor until Joseph dealt with him according to whatever he was plotting. He had to go along with whatever she said, right?

“Anyways, we don’t have time for you to walk. Get in the car, it’ll be easier.” Polnareff shoved not-Jotaro into the backseat.

Holly got in next to him as Polnareff sat in the front passenger seat. She noticed an orange on the seat that had escaped the bag of them on the floor. She went to pick it up, but not-Jotaro snatched it before she could.

He quickly tossed the orange out the window, pretending he’d dropped it.

Holly masked her suspicion with a laugh. “Jotaro, you butterfingers!” She said. The orange was probably significant in some way, she thought. She didn’t know how. She needed more time to observe.

Not-Jotaro gave a strained laugh. “Yeah…”

He could have at least tried with the laugh, Holly thought. Jotaro’s laugh was nothing like that, not that this person would have any way of knowing. It was almost offensive for her to see such a sloppy rendition of her beloved son.

Holly leaned back in her seat. She was just getting irritated now. She hoped the real Jotaro was safe, but on second thought, an enemy this clueless would never be able to get one over on him. She took a breath to stay calm. The best way to defeat this enemy is to wait him out, she thought.

Polnareff suddenly spotted something in the rear-view mirror. “Hey, Mr. Joestar…it’s Iggy! He’s trying to catch up to us.” He leaned towards the mirror so he could see better. “He’s got an orange in his mouth. Did he steal that?”

So Holly was right about the orange…unless Iggy was just feeling generous, which she highly doubted. Iggy probably knew something she didn’t. She had no idea what.

A moment later, the dog jumped up and squirmed in through the open window, dropping the stray orange right onto not-Jotaro’s lap before sitting down next to Holly.

“NO!” Not-Jotaro shouted.

Polnareff snatched the orange. “Jotaro, where’s your cool exterior? It’s not like you to scream that way.” He paused. “Or is it, Holly? I could be wrong.”

“Oh, it certainly isn’t…” Holly said. She grabbed not-Jotaro’s hand. “What’s got you worked up, pumpkin?”

He stared at her. “Uhh, I meant…did you no-tice that cow over there?” He pointed.

She turned and looked. “Oh, so cute! I love cows, thanks for pointing her out!” She smiled. Internally, though, her thoughts raced.

Firstly, Jotaro would have been annoyed if she called him “pumpkin.” That was irrelevant, however, compared to the orange mystery…not-Jotaro seemed to want nothing to do with that one specific orange. It wasn’t like he had a phobia…a bag of them was sitting right at his feet. It had certainly been tampered with. But in what way? It couldn’t have been poison or he wouldn’t be scared of its presence, only of eating it. Unless it was a poison that could kill by touch or smell? No, that didn’t work either. If it was a strong poison like that, Iggy and Polnareff would probably be dead, as well as the impostor since he was the one who planted it here.

“You’re acting peculiar today, Mon ami. Could it be…” Polnareff said, looking back at not-Jotaro over his seat. “…that you’re a fake?”

Not-Jotaro visibly stiffened. Holly wasn’t sure what Polnareff’s game was, but she was curious how it would unfold. Holly wouldn’t have thought to just directly confront him, or was it more of a mind game?

“Uhh, good grief.” Not-Jotaro grabbed the brim of his hat. “What’re you even talking about?”

Holly laughed. This one was actually genuine, mainly because of how bad the impression was. “He’s just kidding around, silly!” She was slightly nervous about the group’s safety if they were to let on that they saw through his disguise. She hated to interfere with whatever Polnareff was planning, but the more she thought about it, the more she wanted to play it safe.

Polnareff paused. “Ugh, I’m bored.” He lit up a cigarette and held out the box to not-Jotaro. “Do that trick you showed me, would you?”

“Trick?” The impostor said. He was sweating heavily at this point.

Polnareff pointed to his mouth as he flipped the cigarette backwards, catching it and holding it with the lit side in the back of his mouth. He puffed smoke out of his nose and grinned.

Joseph chuckled. “Hey, you’ve gotten way better! Good work.”

Polnareff successfully turned the cigarette back, snickering. Not-Jotaro cut in. “Yeah, I can do that. It’s easy.”

Holly raised an eyebrow. She remembered Lisa Lisa teaching her that trick as a child, back when Holly still thought of her as Grandma. Lisa Lisa said it came from her husband’s family.

Except, of course, Holly was taught using candy instead of cigarettes.

It had apparently become a Joestar heirloom…Joseph must have passed it down to Jotaro without Holly knowing. She had no idea how far back in the Joestar line the trick went. The thought of her ancestor Jonathan, who she’d only ever heard the highest praise of, doing such a funny thing…She couldn’t help but smile.

Although she did wish Jotaro didn’t feel the need to smoke. She couldn’t exactly blame him for that, however, with how stressful this journey had become.

“Great. Do the one with five cigarettes, then,” Polnareff said, pulling out a handful of cigarettes from the box and thrusting them into not-Jotaro’s hands.

It would be pretty funny to watch him struggle and maybe even bump into him so he’d burn himself, she thought…but she had a better idea.

Holly grabbed the cigarettes. “You shouldn’t smoke…it’s bad for you. You should know better, sweetie!”

Polnareff shrugged, sheepish. “I suppose he is a bit young to be smoking…my apologies, Holly.”

“It’s alright…it just makes me so sad as a mother!” Holly said. She pinched herself to bring tears to her eyes. “Oh, I’m sorry for getting emotional…” she faked a sob, burying her face in her hands.

Joseph glared at Polnareff, then not-Jotaro in the rearview mirror. “Apologize right now, both of you. No one makes my daughter cry and gets away with it,” he growled.

Holly rarely saw him this serious. That steely gaze was reserved for only the worst of offenses, and had only once been placed on Holly herself. She shuddered, recalling her teenage antics.

“I’m really sorry, Holly,” Polnareff said. “I wasn’t even thinking.” He put out his own cigarette. Holly felt bad. She had nothing against Polnareff…she hoped he realized she was only toying with the enemy and not actually upset with him. She’d make sure to mention it later.

Joseph shot a look at not-Jotaro that could have shredded him on the spot, or maybe melted him. “And what about you?”

The impostor froze for a moment, then turned to Holly, frantically rearranging his uncanny mannequin face into something vaguely apologetic. “I’m sorry…uh, mommy…” as soon as the last word escaped his mouth he realized his mistake.

Holly snorted, caught completely off guard. She held back a laugh, feigning more sobs. “Oh, it’s okay…I knew my little boy would understand…” she put her hands down. “I’m so proud of you…”

Not-Jotaro audibly sighed in relief when he received a positive reaction. Holly might cry from trying not to laugh. The real Jotaro would probably sell his soul before calling Holly “mommy,” especially in front of others. She could count on one hand the amount of times that happened once he was over the age of 10. She was shocked at the ignorance of this enemy. He might have had a chance of fooling her if he’d bothered to study Jotaro’s mannerisms and personality.

Polnareff slowly turned, exhaling from his nose. “Did I just hear you correctly?” He laughed. “‘Mommy?’” He laughed harder. “Are you buttering her up or what?”

“No,” not-Jotaro spat. “What’s your problem?”

“You really aren’t feeling well today, huh?” Polnareff said through a cackle. “You’re nearly 18, right? What 18-year-old still says ‘mommy?’”

“My 18-year-old!” Holly said dramatically, grabbing onto not-Jotaro’s arm. She was committed to making the most uncomfortable social situation possible. She snuggled against him. “Oh, I was so so worried you’d hate me after what happened between us…”

Not-Jotaro panicked again, as well as appearing to be very weirded out by her. “Oh, that? It was nothing…” he said uncertainly, trying to subtly shift and get out of her embrace. She didn’t want to be hugging this stranger, but it made her ruse funnier, so she’d commit. She tightened her arms.

By dismissing the intentionally ambiguous falling-out, he’d fallen right into her trap.

“Even though I got in a fight with your girlfriend back home and stabbed her with a kitchen knife?” Holly said the most outlandish thing that popped into her head, batting her eyelashes. “You finally forgive me? When we visited her grave you said you never wanted to see my face again!”

Not-Jotaro swallowed hard, probably starting to connect the dots in his head. She’d been trying to build up to him thinking she was completely overbearing and strange. “Uh…” he leaned further away from her.

“You really do?” She said, feigning a hopeful look. She hated to admit it, but she was having a lot of fun with this. She’d always wanted to be an actress when she was younger. Up front, Joseph and Polnareff shared a look, baffled.

Before the impostor could dig his own grave any deeper, Polnareff cut in. “Hey, Jotaro, how about we have an orange eating contest? Much safer than cigarettes.”

“I can allow that,” Holly said, sniffing theatrically and wiping a fake tear. “I’m so relieved you have such good friends, sweetie pie!” Yet another nickname Jotaro would hate.

Polnareff grabbed the orange Iggy brought back, tossing it upwards and snatching it out of the air. “Ugh, I hate peeling these…”

The blood drained from Not-Jotaro’s face and his mouth fell open. “Not that one!” He shouted frantically.

Holly racked her brain. What could he have possibly done to that orange to make him so scared of it? Why would he willingly be in the same car as it, in that case? Holly wasn’t familiar with the situation before she arrived, but something must have happened that he wasn’t planning on. Were they in immediate danger? She didn’t know whether to get serious.

What was Joseph planning?

“What now, Jotaro? What’s wrong with it?” Polnareff asked, arching an eyebrow.

“Uh, Iggy brought it back, right? Who knows where he found it?” Not-Jotaro gestured to the dog, who was politely sleeping on Holly’s lap.

Iggy probably brought it back because he realized he’d been tampered with. He was able to smell Geb, which meant that whatever this new enemy was up to was likely not going to escape his keen nose. Holly scratched his ears.

“It looks clean, but if it bothers you I’ll eat it. Grab another one from the bag,” Polnareff said.

Not-Jotaro froze for a split-second, paralyzed by panic. He suddenly howled in pain, clutching his stomach. “Stop the car! My stomach hurts!”

Holly’s suspicions were immediately raised. What was he getting at? “You have a tummy ache? Why didn’t you just say so?”

He folded in his seat, groaning loudly. “Ughh, I need to go now!” He fumbled with the door.

“We’re almost at the hospital, Jotaro…can’t you wait?” Joseph said.

“NO!” Not-Jotaro blurted. “No, it’s really bad! I’ll catch up later, I mean it!” He dove out of the car and stumbled to his feet.

“Hey, wait a sec!” Polnareff said, rummaging through the glovebox. “Take some toilet paper so you don’t ruin your underwear. At least be civilized.”

Not-Jotaro snatched the roll and took off running, barely remembering to thank him.

In the pause a moment ago, Holly had snuck the suspicious orange into the enemy’s pocket. She wondered what would become of him, but whatever happened, she couldn’t allow her friends to be harmed.

Holly watched him go, disappearing behind a rock in a cloud of dust. It was like something out of a cartoon.

Once he was out of earshot, Holly burst out laughing. She clutched at her sides, doubling over and wiping tears from her eyes.

Polnareff and Joseph glanced at each other as the old man parked the buggy in the hospital lot. “What’s so funny, Holly?” Joseph said.

“That was awful,” she said, barely able to speak from laughing so hard. She put a hand to her chest.

Suddenly, there was a loud blast that echoed across the horizon. It was shockingly close, and came from the same direction not-Jotaro had gone.

No way. She looked at Iggy. The orange…was it a bomb? She raised her eyebrows and the dog nodded, or at least he moved his head in a manner that could be interpreted as a nod. She didn’t know how to feel about this. On one hand she hoped the enemy wasn’t dead, but on the other hand he’d had every intention to kill them, so it was probably for the best.

“Are they doing construction over there?” Polnareff said, shading his eyes against the sun and leaning forward on his toes to try and see better.

Holly raised her eyebrows and opened her mouth to speak, but Joseph cut her off.

“Jotaro!” He called, grinning and waving at the boy, who was sauntering towards them on the sidewalk.

Holly whirled around. She was absolutely delighted to see the real Jotaro. He looked as annoyed as ever, his eyes half-lidded as he regarded them with a touch of confusion.

“Where’d you come from? Weren’t you just…?” Polnareff said, scratching his head. “Did you get over your sickness that fast?

“Good grief, what are you talking about?” Jotaro grumbled.

Holly laughed. “Hey, he doesn’t know what happened…at least explain before you joke about it.”

“Huh?” Joseph said. “Are you feeling bad again, sweetie?” He placed his prosthetic hand on her forehead absentmindedly, then realized what he was doing and switched. “You feel okay…”

“Do you have some sort of super speed ability you never told us about? I don’t know how you got from the spot we dropped you off to all the way over here in such a short time,” Polnareff said to Jotaro, raising an eyebrow.

Holly blinked. “Wait, you’re not joking?” She paused. He had fallen for the enemy’s disguise? She supposed that was understandable, he hadn’t known Jotaro for as long as Holly.

“Well, yeah…it’s a reasonable question,” Joseph said. “I have to admit I’m curious as well.”

Holly stiffened, turning to face him. “What? You too? You both thought that was actually Jotaro in the car with us?” She grabbed his shoulders. “You’re being 100% serious and not pulling my leg?”

They stared at her. “…yeah?” Polnareff said. “Who else would it be?”

Holly pursed her lips. “Jotaro, were you in the car with us just now?”

“No,” Jotaro said. He was bent over fishing an orange out of the bag in the buggy. “I walked here. No clue what any of you are on about.”

“Oh my god!” Joseph said. “Was it an impostor?”

“Yes!” Holly practically shouted. “I thought you knew…why did you wink at me?” She put her hands to her head.

“Oh, I meant it to show you I was kidding around…” Joseph swallowed. “I, uh…didn’t realize the guy in the car was a fake.”

“So, Holly, you’re saying everything you did in the car was an act?” Polnareff asked.

She gaped. “You thought it was real? I was messing with him because I thought Papa had a plan!”

“I wasn’t sure what to think!” Polnareff put his hands up defensively.

“Neither I nor Jotaro would ever do anything that just happened,” Holly said, pinching the bridge of her nose. “I don’t think we need to worry about the enemy, either. That explosion a second ago was the orange he was scared of.”

“It was a bomb?” Joseph exclaimed. “He was trying to blow us up…that’s…”

Holly sighed. She shook her head to try and get her thoughts together. She didn’t know whether to be mortified, angry, or just laugh until her lungs gave out.

Jotaro was leaning against the buggy eating an orange. Holly could tell he was enjoying watching Joseph and Polnareff make fools of themselves. “If the enemy’s out of commission there’s not a problem. Let’s go see how Avdol and Kakyoin are doing,” he said, pushing off the car and walking towards the hospital entrance.

Holly fell into step next to him. “Sorry about that. I guess I shouldn’t have betted on Papa. Polnareff I can understand, but Papa?”

“Doesn’t surprise me…They can be pretty dense,” Jotaro said. He was smiling ever-so-slightly. He offered her a portion of his orange and she quickly accepted.

“Yeah,” Holly said with a small laugh. As she opened the door, she heard a siren blaring in the distance. Turning, she noticed an ambulance racing down the road towards the ER.

As the paramedics unloaded the patient, Holly’s jaw dropped. It was the fake Jotaro as well as another small person. They were both mangled and bleeding, with some areas in temporary dressings. The two were rushed away on gurneys.

“H-his outfit—“ Holly said, completely in disbelief.

“It’s ugly as hell.” Jotaro crossed his arms, looking away disdainfully.

Holly cackled victoriously. “I knew it! That was the guy pretending to be you.”

Jotaro’s eyebrows shot up. “And they bought it?” He seemed to realize the extent of how bad the impostor’s disguise was. He looked embarrassed.

“And his acting was terrible on top of that,” Holly said. “It was a train wreck!”

Kakyoin perked up as he heard the door open, his pinkish hair swishing as he looked over. “Is someone there?”

“Yes!” Holly said, trotting over to the side of his bed. “We came to see you! How are you feeling?”

The boy beamed. “I’m doing a little better. Thank you for thinking of me.” He folded his hands on his lap, clearly trying not to touch the bandages over his eyes. “Did anyone else come with you, Miss Holly?”

“Yep, everyone’s here! Even Avdol. We brought him along since he was feeling up to a walk.” Holly grinned as the man carefully shuffled in, sitting down in a chair off to the side. He was fairly well recovered, in fact the doctors said he just needed a day or so.

“I’m glad to hear that.” Kakyoin said.

“I made you two some cookies,” Holly said, setting down the box. “They’re chocolate chip, would you like one?”

“Yes! Uh, I mean, if it’s not too much trouble…”

“Of course it isn’t! I made these just for you.” She fished out a cookie and gave it to him, lightly patting the top of his head. He stiffened at the touch. “Oh, sorry, I wasn’t thinking,” Holly said sheepishly.

“No, it’s okay…that just reminded me of my mom, is all…”

Holly turned around from giving Avdol a cookie, feeling a pang of sadness. “Aw, sweetie…” she put her hand on Kakyoin’s shoulder. “You’ll be back home before you know it. I promise.”

Holly frowned. She couldn’t imagine what the poor boy was going through. He probably hadn’t seen his parents properly in months. She doubted he’d gone back to them while under DIO’s control. Kakyoin’s resilience inspired her.

“Thank you. I hadn’t realized how homesick I was until now.” He took a bite of the cookie and chewed for a moment before completely freezing. He quickly swallowed. “Miss Holly, these are delicious!”

“Agreed!” Avdol chimed in.

Holly smiled. “I’m so happy you all like them. I wasn’t sure what to make, so I went with a classic.” She remembered something, and reached into her bag. “I brought cards. I thought we could play some games together. We’ll take turns being your eyes, Kakyoin, how about that?”

“That sounds fun,” he said. “I’d love to.”

“Perfect! How about we play Go Fish?” Holly suggested. “Uh, unless you’re too old for it,” she added sheepishly.

“No, let’s do it,” Polnareff said, sitting down next to Kakyoin on the edge of the bed. “I’m great at Go Fish. We’ll win for sure.”

Kakyoin chuckled. “I’m fairly certain it isn’t skill-based…”

“Then you haven’t seen a real expert play.” Polnareff cracked his knuckles as the rest of the group pulled up chairs around Kakyoin’s side table and Joseph dealt out cards.

After a few turns, Kakyoin spoke. “Did anything interesting happen to you guys today?”

Holly grinned deviously. “I’m so glad you asked. In fact, we encountered a Stand user.”

Joseph and Polnareff groaned in unison. Jotaro put down a pair of cards after receiving one from Avdol.

Kakyoin laughed. “What happened?”

“His ability was to shapeshift—oh, got any 6’s?—and he turned into Jotaro.”

“Go fish,” Joseph said, cringing from embarrassment as she spoke.

Holly drew a card. “His disguise was realistic but…off. I knew something was wrong right away, but I might have fallen for it if his impersonation wasn’t garbage.”

“In what way?” Avdol said, curious.

“In every way!” Holly said, smacking down a pair of cards for emphasis. “It was honestly ridiculous.”

She continued to tell Kakyoin and Avdol all about it, sparing no details. She was getting lots of laughs and embellishing the story in areas. Eventually, one round of Go Fish stretched into many, and the afternoon stretched into evening.

“I’m sorry to cut the party short, but we’ve gotta get back to the hotel, and you two need to rest,” Joseph said as he gathered up the cards after a round.

Kakyoin nodded. “I understand. Thank you again for coming.”

“See you,” Jotaro said, touching the brim of his hat as he left the room.

Joseph tipped his own hat. “Bye-bye!”

As Avdol left and Holly was about to say her own goodbyes, she looked at Kakyoin and noticed wet stains on his bandages. “Are you alright, Noriaki?”

“Yeah, I’m alright…” he said with a sniff. “Sometimes my wounds, uh…leak.”

“Oh, that’s unfortunate.” She crossed back to him and gently took his head in her hands, pressing a kiss to the top of his head. “We’ll be back first thing tomorrow.”

Kakyoin sniffed again, looking away. “Thank you, Miss Holly.”

“Of course, sweetie.” She smiled softly. She thought of the boy as another son and was glad she could be here to comfort him. She hoped to be able to get him back to his real mother unharmed, but for now she was happy to be a stand-in.

She patted his head again, and turned to leave.

Holly gently closed the door, and as she walked down the hall she heard him cry in earnest. She closed her eyes, suddenly noticing the wetness on her own cheeks.

Thank you for reading!

[narniaandthenorth]

Book series poll

Feel free to say what you liked about the books in the comments!

[audikatia]

2024 Reading Review

Overall notes:

Anna Karenina truly is one of the best novels ever. It really, honestly, truly is a classic. I know a lot of people shit on classics, but goddamn. It really deserves all the hype.

With the exception of a few truly amazing stand outs, I felt like it was a poor year of reading. I want more 4-5 starred

That being said, some really amazing books. I am never going to stop thinking about Henry, Henry.

One of my goals this year was to read more sapphic fiction, which I definitely accomplished. As per usual, it was a lot of queer reading and I'm thinking maybe I should start including more breakdowns on that.

Next year's reading goals:

I want to read all of Shakespeare's plays in order of publication. I have read most of them, but it's been a while since I've read some of them and I've neglected some of the histories. Plus, I think it'll be really cool to see the evolution of his craft playwright by reading them in order.

I am hoping to raise my average rating within the 4-5 star range.

Am I really gonna read War and Peace this year since I liked Anna Karenina so much? Yeah, I think I am

Idk, man, I'm just trying to make my way through my never ending list. I'm just gonna keep tearing my way through the waitlist at the library

Full 2024 reading list and rankings under the cut

The City We Became by N. K. Jemisin ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 

Delilah Green Doesn’t Care by Ashley Herring Blake ⭐️⭐️

Cleat Cute by Meryl Wilsner ⭐️⭐️

Patron Saints of Nothing by Randy Ribay ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 

Persephone Station by Stina Leicht ⭐️⭐️⭐️ 

Pathogenesis: A History of the World in Eight Plagues by Jonathan Kennedy ⭐️⭐️⭐️ 

Divine Might: Goddesses in Greek Myth by Natalie Haynes ⭐️⭐️⭐️ 

The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes by Suzanne Collins ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 

Legends and Lattes by Travis Baldree ⭐️⭐️⭐️ 

A Marvellous Light by Freya Marske ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

The Fury by Alex Michaelides ⭐️⭐️⭐️ 

Only If You’re Lucky by Stacy Willingham ⭐️⭐️ 

Everyone Who Can Forgive Me is Dead by Jenny Hollander ⭐️⭐️ 

My Murder by Katie Williams ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

A House with Good Bones by T. Kingfisher ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

In Memoriam by Alice Winn ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Big Swiss by Jen Beagin ⭐️⭐️

If This Gets Out by Sophie Gonzales ⭐️⭐️

Ace of Spades by Faridah Àbíké-Íyímíde ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Howl’s Moving Castle by Diana Wynne Jones ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Caught in a Bad Fauxmance by Elle Gonzalez Rose ⭐️⭐️

A Restless Truth by Freya Marske ⭐️⭐️⭐️

A Power Unbound by Freya Marske ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Sadie by Courtney Summers ⭐️⭐️⭐️

The Mysterious Case of the Alperton Angels by Janice Hallett ⭐️⭐️⭐️

Sign Here by Claudia Lux ⭐️⭐️⭐️

See You Yesterday by Rachel Lynn Solomon ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Dead Silence by S.A. Barnes ⭐️⭐️⭐️

The Foxhole Court by Nora Sakavic ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

The Raven King by Nora Sakavic ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

All the King’s Men by Nora Sakavic ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

The New Couple in 5B by Lisa Unger ⭐️⭐️

Listen for the Lie by Amy Tinters ⭐️⭐️⭐️

Murder Road by Simone St. James ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

The Sunshine Court by Nora Sakavic ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

The Princess of Las Vegas by Chris Bohjalian ⭐️⭐️

The Reappearance of Rachel Price by Holly Jackson ⭐️⭐️

The Lighthouse Witches by C. J. Cooke ⭐️⭐️⭐️

The Watchmaker of Filigree Street by Natasha Pulley ⭐️⭐️⭐️

Ella Minnow Pea by Mark Dunn ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Divine Rivals by Rebecca Ross ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Ruthless Vows by Rebecca Ross ⭐️⭐️⭐️

Rouge by Mona Awad ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Do Your Worst by Rosie Danan ⭐️⭐️

The One That Got Away with Murder by Trish Lundy ⭐️⭐️⭐️

Late Bloomer by Mazey Eddings ⭐️⭐️

You Should Be So Lucky by Cat Sebastian ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Everyone on This Train is a Suspect by Benjamin Stevenson ⭐️⭐️⭐️

Henry Henry by Allen Britton ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Home is Where the Bodies Are by Jeneva Rose ⭐️⭐️

The Screaming Staircase by Jonathan Stroud ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Mercury by Amy Jo Burns ⭐️⭐️

Time to Shine by Rachel Reid⭐️⭐️

The Drowning Kind by Jennifer McMahon ⭐️⭐️

Swiped by L. M. Chilton ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Dayspring by Anthony Oliveira ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

You Know What You Did by K. T. Nguyen ⭐️⭐️

UNSUB by Meg Gardiner ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Into the Black Nowhere by Meg Gardiner ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

The Unclaimed: Abandonment and Hope in the City of Angels ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

A Rome of One’s Own: The Forgotten Women of the Roman Empire by Emma Southon ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

She Left by Stacie Grey ⭐️⭐️⭐️

Four Eids and a Funeral by Faridah Àbíke-Íyímídé and Adina Jaigirdar ⭐️⭐️⭐️

Everyone I Kissed Since You Got Famous by Mae Marvel ⭐️⭐️

The Dark Corners of the Night by Meg Gardiner ⭐️⭐️⭐️

Middle of the Night by Riley Sager ⭐️⭐️⭐️

My Darling Dreadful Thing by Johanna van Veen ⭐️⭐️

The Midnight Feast by Lucy Foley ⭐️⭐️⭐️

People Love Dead Jews by Dara Horn ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

A Fatal Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum by Emma Southon ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Shadow Heart by Meg Gardiner ⭐️⭐️⭐️

Breaking the Dark by Lisa Jewell ⭐️⭐️

The Pairing by Casey McQuiston ⭐️⭐️

Summer Sons by Lee Mandelo ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Butter: A Novel of Food and Murder by Asako Yuzuki ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

A Psalm for the Wild-Built by Becky Chambers ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Kill for Me, Kill for You by Steve Cavanagh ⭐️⭐️⭐️

What You Are Getting Wrong About Apalachia by Elizabeth Catte ⭐️⭐️⭐️

Anyone’s Ghost by August Thompson ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Slow Dance by Rainbow Rowell ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Honey by Isabel Banta ⭐️⭐️⭐️

When Haru was Here by Dustin Thao ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Love Letters to a Serial Killer by Tasha Coryell ⭐️⭐️

Better Left Buried by Mary E. Roach ⭐️⭐️⭐️

The Heiress by Rachel Hawkins ⭐️⭐️⭐️

Murder on a Moon Trek by Diane Vallere ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Murder in the Master by Judy L. Murray ⭐️⭐️⭐️

A Collingswood Christmas by Gail Priest ⭐️⭐️⭐️

The Honey Witch by Sydney J. Shields ⭐️⭐️⭐️

Clues from the Canines by Darlene Dziomba ⭐️⭐️⭐️

The Quiet Tenant by Clémence Michallon ⭐️⭐️⭐️

Trouble in Queenstown by Delia Pitts ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Up Close and Pawsonal by Darlene Dziomba ⭐️⭐️⭐️

Fire and Dalmatian by Darlene Dziomba ⭐️⭐️⭐️ 

Help Wanted by Adelle Waldman ⭐️⭐️⭐️ 

The Raven Cycle by Maggie Stiefvater ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

The Dream Thieves by Maggie Stiefvater ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Blue Lily Lily Blue by Maggie Stiefvater ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

The Raven King by Maggie Stiefvater ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

 Opal by Maggie Stiefvater ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

 If It Makes You Happy by Julie Olivia ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

 Nightmare Before Kissmas by Sara Raasch ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

 Everyone is Watching by Heather Gudenkauf ⭐️⭐️⭐️

 Piglet by Lottie Hazel ⭐️⭐️

 A Misfortune of Lake Monster by Nicole M. Wolverton ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

 Black Sheep by Rachel Harrison ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

 Carry On by Rainbow Rowell ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

 Wayward Son by Rainbow Rowell ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

 Any Way the Wind Blows by Rainbow Rowell ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

The Mystery Writer by Sulari Gentill ⭐️⭐️

 Don’t Let the Forest In by C. G. Drews ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

 Agrippina: Empress, Exile, Hustler, Whore: A Biography of the Most Extraordinary Woman in the Roman World by Emma Southon ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

 The Royal Art of Poison: Filthy Palaces, Fatal Cosmetics, Deadly Medicine, and Murder Most Foul by Eleanor Herman ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

 I’m Starting to Worry About This Black Box of Doom by Jason Pargin ⭐️⭐️

 Anna Karenina by Leo Tolstoy ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

[goblinkuchen]

AGGGTM Series Review

WARNING: Spoilers for the AGGGTM series and book

Late last year I finally caved and read 'A Good Girl's Guide To Murder' by Holly Jackson after months of hearing my friends praise it. I really wasn't expecting to like it and was just looking for another book to read over the winter break. Much to my surprise, I loved it and finished it in one day. So, when I heard the BBC was making a series I was more excited for the show to come out than I had been with any other adaptations of books I love.

Now, I have watched all six episodes and I want to give the pros and cons of the show (based only on my own personal opinion)

Pros: To start with, the casting is fabulous in terms of appearance. Nearly every character looks exactly how I imagined them. I also think, on the whole, the acting is superb. I found the pacing mostly satisfying and I often found myself itching to press 'Next Episode' every time one finished. Although it's entirely superficial, the soundtrack was a real highlight for me. As it mostly stayed true to the book, the actual plot was very gripping.

Cons: While I understand quite a lot of cutting had to be done to the story in order to fit it into 6 45 minutes episodes, I feel so many plot points were skipped over, meaning a lot of conclusions Pip came to seemed to be purely based on her intuition. As well as this, most of Pip's answers were handed to her by other characters. I was really sad she didn't make the 'TT' discovery herself, and it often felt she wasn't investigating, so much as being fed the answers. Another issue I have, (and no shade to Mathew Baynton here, Horrible Histories was my childhood) but Elliot seemed to be so much more menacing. I watched the show with my parents and they immediately picked up on it, making them suspicious of him from the start. I think a big part of this is that parent-child and student-teacher relationships cannot be manufactured, so the conversations he had with other characters often felt stilted or weird. I also found it really interesting they completely removed Stanley Forbes from the series. While he doesn't play a vital role in AGGGTM, having him in the book really helped set him up for GGBB, where is easily one of the most important characters. I'm sure the show runners have a plan for a potential next series, but nonetheless I think they should have just included him to save time next season. Finally- this is nit picking- I wish we had seen Barney more, as he always felt so present in the book which made his death feel so much more devastating.

Overall, I was honestly a little let down by the series. However, the main cause of that is probably that this time round I knew everything that was going to happen and didn't feel suspense the way I did before. I'm looking forward to the next series, which I think will be more exciting on screen.

[whimsicaldragonette]

ARC Review: The Cursed Rose by Leslie Vedder

Preorder:

Add to Goodreads:

Publication Date: February 6, 2024

Synopsis:

The fate of a cursed kingdom rests on ancient secrets, broken promises, and fierce friendships in this gasp-worthy final book of the bestselling twisted fairytale Bone Spindle series. **Perfect for fans of Margaret Rogerson, Holly Black, and Marissa Meyer** Not all curses should be broken. Not all fairytales end happily ever after. Fi is a prisoner. Briar, a monster. Shane's a warrior. And Red is a traitor. What was once a formidable group of four fighting to reawaken the kingdom is now ruptured, torn apart by the wicked Spindle Witch. Confined to a tower with the monstrous Briar Rose, Fi is caught in the Spindle Witch’s ever-tightening web. With the Spindle Witch on the verge of finding the Siphoning Spells and crushing Andar—with Fi’s help, no less—Fi’s only hope lies in decoding the ancient riddle of the Rose Witches before she loses Briar forever. Shane is desperate to save Andar—and her partner. She’s on the hunt for a weapon left by the mysterious Lord of the Butterflies, which holds the key to the Spindle Witch’s demise. Her love for Red has only fortified. But Red’s betrayal puts her in danger from a new enemy—the Spindle Witch’s executioner, the Wraith, a witch as powerful as he is cruel. The future of Andar lies in the secrets of its past. Fi and Shane must take on the greatest lost ruin of them all—the Tomb of Queen Aurora. Filled with vicious bone monsters, new alliances, and surprises at every turn, prepare to be swept away by this taut, clever, and heart-filled series conclusion.

My Rating: ★★★★★

*My Review below the cut.

My Review:

This was a fantastic end to the trilogy and one of my favorite books of 2024 so far. I was surprised at how quickly everything from the previous books came back to me once I started reading, even though I was sure I didn't remember much. There are no obvious "this is what already happened" sections either. Once I started reading I couldn't put it down and finished it in two days.

I love how Leslie Vedder took what is on the surface a Sleeping Beauty retelling and completely transformed it, giving it a hefty dose of Indiana Jones and so much more depth than the original tale. The characters are also fantastic, complex and compelling and difficult. I was absolutely hooked from the first moments of the first book to the final moments of the last. I love how, even when things seemed to be wrapping up, there were so many surprises and unexpected moments. I never knew what to expect.

The writing is fabulous and sucked me in immediately. The magic is both beautiful and ominous. The setting is incredibly vivid as well, and there are so many scenes that would make amazing paintings.

I am sad to come to the end of Fi and Shane and Briar and Red's tale. I would love to see a spinoff series of their adventures after the events in Andar. Especially if Perrin and the Paper Witch were to make cameo appearances. I will be keeping an eye out for Leslie Vedder's next book - she's jumped onto my shortlist of autobuy authors at this point.

*Thanks to NetGalley and Razorbill for providing an early copy for review.

[seungrishair]

Help me pick my next reads!

I’ve read all the Holly Black books, which by the way, are looove.

I’ve read the entire ACOTAR series.

[fire-but-ashes-too]

Your objective: To plot a murder to subtle that not even the victim (one of your characters) knows what's happening until it's too late.

Rules: You cannot use poison, but are free to use whatever else you feel like. You cannot carry out said murder in real life (for legal and moral reasons). Simply describe how you would go about it with any specific character of yours.

Have fun!

no poisons and do irl murdering? bummer :(

BUT YES FINALLY PLEASE TAKE A SIT AND GRAB POPCORN OR LEAVE THIS POST IF URE NOT SO EXCITED ABOUT MURDERS!

this is a very cool scheme tm i thought about a few days ago (cause yes its what i do in my free time)

did u know that air, the one we breathe every day is VERY dangerous if it gets in ur lil blood system? well, now u do.

our dear victim, lets say.. giada, shes been around the dead too long theyve now infected her >:D

i was saying, Giada, as the very health attentive citizen that she is, is going to get a vaccine cause, ya know, ✨covid✨ and who she finds there to give ehr the vaccine? me ofc! (lets all take a moment to appreciate my dedition to this since i am terribly agophobic)

so, Giada sits down and i give her a nice air shot. BAM. heart attack!

its a little one tho, as a cover so i make her lay down and raise her legs to make the blood circulate better *wink wink*

the air gets around and she eventually faints. i quickly throw the empty siringe in the bin and call someone (idk like emergency button? something like that) and start "panicking".

as soon as they arrive (so very soon) what they see is a woman who didnt handle a strong vaccine well (and who already spent hours in a not so healthy environment) and an absolutely panicking nurse.

BUT, its not finished yet! the best part has yet to come!

ill let a month or so pass, the news was on the papers and shit, our next target is giada's old enemy (never even mentioned in the story but ofc she has one).

we are going to make a very touchy and badly executed murder, and what i mean by that is that well leave fingerprints, strands of hair and so on EVERYWHERE, but, but, but it wont be OUR dna! no no no! it will be giada's!

this murder (im considering an external part from the rules since the ha-bet-u-didnt-see-this-coming murder was giada's) will be a very nrmal one, like stabbing or sometihng like that.

the knife will be there etc.

then, thank u holly jackson and all the creepy and very detailed books ive read, were gonna make it seem as if the murder has happened wayyyy earlier by leaving it in a VERy hot room and absolutel NEVER moving the body.

were gonna get ourselves an alibi and take out a couple relics from a month ago: a silicone replica of giada's hands, with fingerprints and all, some of giada's saliva and a couple of strands from giada's hair.

were gonna go back to the crime scene (which is now cadaver-less) and leave proof around, possibly not seen but if we must, undercover looking like giada and leavung evidence very quiclky.

were now gonna come back with some more of giada's dna to leave on the body and put it again in the crime scene (which should be a place without security cameras) plus a sprinkle of giada's dna.

we leave the crime scene (still masked as giada) and leave the body there, brutally murdered and in plain view.

the police find it and everything leads to a dead person.

the body cant be more than a couple days old and all proof leads to their longly deceased old nemesis.

BAM.

(notes: it is very important to wear a mask, gloves, goggles and a bald cap or a silicone swimming cap while performing the second murder, preferrably all black and to be shaved as in to leave no dna behind)

the perfect and way too creepy murder!

[sugar-and-pearls]

Coraline Story

Hello! Happy Halloween!! In celebrations of this most spooky and hallowed of days I decided to give you Dearie-Ohs another preview on one of my stories.

Once again, thank you to everyone who participated in the poll. I still find it fascinating to see which of my stories people were more interested in hearing about. If you wish, please send a message about which one you picked and why, I would love to see them!

After Howl's Moving Castle, Coraline shared second place with Spirited Away so those two are the next to get a preview for. With that out of the way, lets get to the beating heart of story.

Like with my Howl's moving Castle story, this is going to take the main structure and story from the movie while adding things from the book. Out of all my WIPS (both on the poll and the ones I didn't include) this has got to be my most put together story so far, as I've already gotten to the stage where I'm writing actual chapters for it (the first chapter is near finished. Hopefully I can post it soon.)

I first started this story about, two-ish years ago. Back then I had planned to write the story within six weeks and post it in the beginning of spring. Course then I got burned out and couldn't write for a year so now I'm just taking it slow and doing a near rewrite. I did managed to post the first chapter of the original write so if anyone is interested in reading that, you should be able to if you search in the "Hedone writes" tag.

Now, on to the story

After in anonymous tip is sent in to the BPRD Merope volunteers to investigate a place called the Pink Palace, having previous history and old ghosts hidden in its walls. Unaware of its new occupants - in particular, of the new child living there. Merope is sucked into the story of Coraline,though not alone as she is accompanied by Klarion the Witch Boy.

Thus getting involved in the with the main story. I have a few scenes already planned out. My favourites so far has been:

Merope and Klarion going to the local minor fae court to investigate. For this scene I'm drawing most of my inspiration from Holly BI'm also using this as a way to explore Merope's past before she joined the Addams.lack's fae writing - mainly from her book The Darkest Part Of The Forest.

In the original book there is a scene where Coraline has a picnic with the Ghost children after freeing them. It was somewhat cut in the movie so I decided to add that in here with a few small changes.

Merope going through the door and saving the Other Wybie. This last scene I think is what actually inspired me to write this story. I remember watching this movie and wishing

It's a scary scene that has me on the edge of my seat while writing it.

I also want to use this as a way to explore Merope's past before she joined the Addams.

Like I said above, I have changed somethings since my original draft. To start, I plan on showing off my more world building/ crossover skills in this story. To make a list of fandoms I've added to this fic we have;

DC

Hellboy comics

Sandman

Ancient Magus Bride

There are more but these are the main ones so far. I plan on Morpheus being a somewhat minor character and Klarion to be a main supporting character in this.

In this story I plan on Morpheus being the love interest here.

This is one of my more horror based stories. Coraline was one of the first things that really scared me in my childhood and I wanted to bring that fear with me in this story. As such I plan on it being just as dark as it was in the book.

With all that said, if anyone has any questions or just wants to talk about this story please just ask as my letter box is always open.

With that in mind, have a lovely day or night my Dearie-Ohs

[notasapleasure]

Tagged by @stripedroseandsketchpads to post my comfort shows, but I have posted those already (though thanks to tumblr search I can't find the post on mobile. They were, uh.... The Terror; Utopia; Ghosts; Futurama; Detectorists; Atla; Ripper Street; Garrow's Law; Lupin...? Something like that)

So I will do another meme I saw doing the rounds, the recent media meme!

Currently reading: just today I finished Study for Obedience by Sarah Bernstein, as far as I can recall, the third book I've managed to finish this year. It was...compelling is the word I keep returning to. Many of the strands fascinated me: unreliable narrator filled with self-deprecation despite her clear skills and accomplishments, unspoken history of personal and intergenerational (particularly antisemitic) trauma, folkloric omens and a growing, sinister atmosphere with incestuous overtones...but ultimately it was too opaque for me. I wanted the strands to come together, or at least for the scenes with the villagers to be contextualised somehow.

Fic I'm currently reading: well, I keep going over @distressednoise 's Magaluf AU hoping there will be more :') and I really must make myself have a Lymond day and catch up with @stripedroseandsketchpads 's fic file! Also I must get on and educate myself further in @r0b0tb0y 's archive

Last song: introducing my dad to the joy of Half Man Half Biscuit - Asparagus Next Left, because there was a layby seller of holly wreaths near our new house just before Christmas, and since they ran out of wreaths they took most of the hand-written signs down so now there's just one mildly sinister arrow and the sign reading 'layby'.

Currently watching: just finished S1 of Loki, which was fun! (apart from the predictably wanky acceleration up its own MCU fundament of the Kang scenes in the last episode, now delightfully combined with the knowledge that Jonathan Majors was so bad even Marvel let him go). But I was pleasantly surprised overall, and I love Mobius. Mobius describing Loki/Sylvie for what it is was my favourite moment, because none of Mobius's pronouncements seem judgemental, just thrilled by the variety of existence, in a very Owen Wilson way :))

Though literally currently watching The Lion in Winter, which was chosen as the family NYE movie over The Green Knight.

Next on my watchlist: when I get my own telly watching schedule back I can't wait to watch Blue Eye Samurai. I should also finish Castlevania...

Current obsession: Brasso. Cassian. Brassian. I'm sorry to everyone else who is being lovely and wonderful and passionate about other fandoms and other fics in my inboxes, but they are my home right now. I've been mulling saga AU pt 2 and another canon-verse one shot today and it's made me very happy :)

Consider yourself tagged if you're reading this and want to do a meme! Say I tagged you and I will delight in reading your answers :)

[linzsaw]

My Monthly Favs What’s in my cup:

Every morning I drink iced coffee made from my one & only Nespresso machine. The past few months I can’t get enough of the double espresso blend, and then I add a bit of whole milk (happy cows only) and sweet cream. I can’t find anything better from Starbucks or anywhere else. Sometimes if I’m craving a hot drink, I’ll head to Dutch Bros for a hot Carmelizer and it is totally worth the cringy 9 minute forced convo with the DB crew. I also start my day with electrolytes, currently in the watermelon flavor. It’s surprisingly really delicious but I miss the Electrolyte Synergy blend that I was drinking for a long time, which has been sold out for almost a year now. :’)

What’s on my plate:

Dinner lately has been the laziest in America. After our trip, Drew & I either have the same ole chicken, rice and veggies, a spicy “mexican bowl” or some form of pasta, usually with Raos Arriabatta sauce. This week we’ve been stuffing our faces with Trader Joe’s frozen meals. We promise to be better next month, but we are really exhausted and the last thing we feel like planning are meals. However, for the last week of December we actually have some things planned for the holiday weekend. On Friday, we’re hitting up the town as we do every year to walk around and see the lights, and find festive little bars to try out new Christmas cocktails. We plan to spend Christmas with just the two of us. For Christmas Eve we are making our annual corn beef, cabbage and carrots because apparently we are super Irish (confirmed by 23&me which btw leaked all my genes to hackers). On Christmas we are having tri-tip, garlic & butter brussel sprouts, and mashed potatoes. The Christmas cookies we’re making this year include White Chocolate Cherry Shortbread cookies, Peanut Butter Blossoms, & Holly Leaves. Okay and now that I’ve told you all that, the Christmas cocktails we decided on this year are The Mistletoe Kiss (a vodka, soda water, rosemary & cranberry drank) and Bad Santa White Russians. I also heard that Moon X Pinot Noir from Trader Joes was really good and lately the Redvolution just isn’t doing it for me.  Let me know if you want any of these recipes, ladies. I will make sure to find GF, DF, and V options. 

What’s on my bookshelf:

I’ve finished two of the Colleen Hoover books, and now I’m reading another one of hers called Verity. It’s kinda depressing but that’s kinda the vibe as of late so I’m into it. 

What’s in my playlist:

We love the Sia Christmas album. It’s so fun and happy. Believe it or not, Andy introduced me to it lol. It’s so good!! Other songs I’ve been into are I remember everything by Zach Bryan and Kacey Musgraves. It reminds me of a family member rn which is very depressing to me. Fun to cry to. Bubble - STAYC, Surround Sound - JID 21 Savage, Baby Tate, Adora Hills - Doja Cat. 

What I’m up to:

Making our house into a winter wonderland of lights. Watching hella hallmark movies. Being seriously lazy, not working out or eating healthy. Walks with Snoop around the park. Mandala scratch off nightscapes. Reading at 3am when I was jetlagged. I had a sleep study this month too, no sleep apnea for me, back to mouth taping! It really does help with quality of sleep for me. You should try it! Also magnesium spray on my feet (shout out to Aly). This has helped with my restless leg syndrome that we’ve all experienced. This weekend, we’re making all our foods and cocktails, going downtown, driving around with hot choc to look at lights, and heading up to Rocky Mountain to hike a bunch of mountains. 

Skincare Saviors:

My skin gets so dry in Colorado, its TERRIBLE. And now that I’m saving for a house, I had to break up with my amazing esthetician, who by the way I stole this template from. I’m obsessed with Dermlogica thanks to her. I use a miscellar water if I wore any make-up. If not, I just double clease with my face wash. In the AM I’ll use my Rosehip Triple C+E Firming  Oil, followed by COSRX snail mucin essence, and a magical mix of calm water gel and intensive moisture balance. 

Love you long time,

Li