#worms zone magic trap

[euniexenoblade]

Favorite music of 2023 :)

I've found myself dealing with a wave of writer's block, and in my desire to get past it I've decided to write whatever I can. Some people said they'd be interested in me talking about my favorite albums of 2023, so here's a short write up about albums I really liked and I hope everyone will give a try.

I found 2023 to be a pretty spectacular year for weird and interesting music. With artists like Lil Yachty doing a neo-psychedelia album (fantastic, give it a listen) and Avenged Sevenfold doing some progressive avant garde adjacent metal album (I think people are wrongly hating on it, it's spectacular), it shouldn't be too surprising to imagine that the bands the mainstream hasn't really heard of are making wild soundscapes unlike anything you've ever heard.

Kicking this off with one of my favorite Korean bands, Parannoul released two albums this year and they were spectacular - both in my top 10 of the year. Parannoul are a wonderful shoegaze band that create these songs that almost feel hypnotic, they create this dream like state for their songs in ways no other band seems to be able to. After the Magic, their third album, is no different in this, but brings a new warmth, brighter instrumentation, and just in general doesn't feel as self loathing and depressed as previous works. The other release, After the Night, is a live recording, which shows that the band can produce the same dreamlike style on a stage, but do it even better. My second favorite album of the year, this live album is so incredible, zoning out to the 46 minute "Into the Endless Night" while high was probably one of my favorite experiences of the year in and of itself. (Also, if you do chose to check them out, please listen to To See the Next Part of the Dream, it's one of my favorite albums ever made.)

Using Parannoul as a sorta link between things, I also found that they worked on a song on the new Turquoisedeath album, Se bueno. I won't claim to be an expert on drum and bass, but I had a killer time listening to Se bueno. When I discovered Se bueno, I also discovered a few other, more abrasive, albums that I kind of group together in my head. Namely Chaser by femtanyl (digital hardcore) and Sisterhood by lostrushi ("digicore" feels like a frantic version of trap). If you like this kind of music, give them a try, all three are on my list.

Everyone's top albums of the years seem to have their one and two spots stolen away by Javelin and Scaring the Hoes. Starting with the latter, Scaring the Hoes by JPEGMAFIA and Danny Brown is cool as hell. Beats unlike anything I've heard in hip hop before, and the flows of both men really bring it all together. It's a great album (it's my third favorite of the year), but I also think some focus on some other hip hop titles might be cool. Integrated Tech Solutions by Aesop Rock is just as impressive and interesting and deserves your attention. Alongside that Michael by Killer Mike is a fantastic listen, though it doesn't compare to the previously mentioned two, it's still a great album that deserves your time - he won those awards for a reason. The man got arrested at an award show, the least you can do is stream his album once.

Now, as for Javelin by Sufjan Stevens, it's a great album, but it's also such a sad album. His pain is horrible, and he does a great job at making you feel it. However, the music never really hit me like other albums of the year had. The lyrics murder your heart, but I'm a tad past gay pains and want gay joys. Which is why I want you all to listen to Ultra Paradise by Angel Electronics. Half Ada Rook of Black Dresses, half Ash Nerve (I doubt you know him) this is a trans and gay power pop album that's just beautiful and fun. Songs like Return to the Sky and One Thousand and One Nights are fun ear worms, and the rest of the album just has a level of repeatability and a level of joy and fun that most other albums this year didn't have. Is it as technically impressive as Javelin? No. But, shit, it's nice to be happy for once.

Continuing off of this idea, in 2023 we saw transphobia become horrifically rampant, the right wing are really intent to get rid of us. You can't avoid how much this world hates us now and it makes you want to just scream. It creates this feeling of anger, a desire for violence, like we're past being sad and nice and understanding. In 2023 the Hirs Collective put out an album on par with that emotion. We're Still Here is an aggressive grindcore album put together by trans, gay, queer people in general. My favorite release from the band to date, it's fantastic to see Hirs screaming "We're still here!" as the world tries to erase us. This is my favorite album of 2023, please listen to it, please give Hirs your money, they deserve it and you deserve their music.

A few more albums I wanna recommend that I can't really think of anything in depth to say: God Cum Poltergeist by Crisis Sigil (Ada Rook) is a fantastic grindcore album, Goodnight, God Bless, I Love U, Delete by Crosses is a fantastic synthpop adjacent album and I got to see it performed live and it's amazing music, Reborn Superstar! by Hanabie. is a great Japanese metalcore album, and go listen to Kikuo Miku 7 for some rad Hatsune Miku bullshit.

My top 50 music releases of 2023:

We're Still Here by Hirs

After the Night by Parannoul

Scaring the Hoes by JPEGMAFIA & Danny Brown

Dogsbody by Model/Actriz

Desire, I Want to Turn Into You by Caroline Polachek

After the Magic by Parannoul

Goodnight, God Bless, I Love U, Delete. by Crosses

God Cum Poltergeist by Crisis Sigil

uma by betcover!!

Ultra Paradise by Angel Electronics

Reborn Superstar! by Hanabie.

No Joy by Spanish Love Songs

Saved by Reverend Kristin Michael Hayter

Live in Japan by Mass of the Fermenting Dregs

93696 by Liturgy

Resistance and the Blessing by World's End Girlfriend

Kikuo Miku 7 by Kikuo

Javelin by Sufjan Stevens

Integrated Tech Solutions by Aesop Rock

Poil Ueda by Poil & Junko Ueda

Enola Gay by Asia Menor

Upal by Kostnateni

The Loveliest Time by Carly Rae Jepsen

Michael by Killer Mike

Exul by Ne Obliviscaris

Hellmode by Jeff Rosenstock

Hometown to Come by Minhwi Lee

Life is but a Dream... by Avenged Sevenfold

Chaser by Femtanyl

Sadness / Abriction by Sadness / Abriction

O Monolith by Squid

But Here We Are by Foo Fighters

Stone by Baroness

History Books by The Gaslight Anthem

Why Does the Earth Give Us People to Love? by Kara Jackson

Rookie's Bustle by Ada Rook

Futility by Yakui The Maid

Let's Start Here. by Lil Yachty

The Age of Pleasure by Janelle Monae

Bee and the Whales by Galileo Galilei

Zach Bryan self titled

Everything is Alive by Slowdive

Let's Hope Heteros Fail, Learn, and Retire by Alice Longyu Gao

Se bueno by TURQUOISEDEATH

Yoshitsune by Poil & Junko Ueda

Perfect Picture by Hannah Diamond

January Never Dies by Balming Tiger

Jenny From Thebes by The Mountain Goats

Never Falter Hero Girl by Katie Dey

Sisterhood by lostrushi

[ekat-fandom-blog]

Dani becomes a demon hunter. At least, that's what she calls it. Really, she started learning magic after leaving Amity. After she became an adult, she started using what she learned on her travels to hunt down, trap, and con demons into causing chaos in the infinite realms. (which is an odd experience for the demons.)

She's finally reached Gotham. A significantly troublesome demon has decided to use the city as its playground for a while, and she was going to force it to stop.

Batman had called Constantine to check out some unexplained phenomena happening throughout Gotham for the past few months. They get really close to figuring out the source of the disturbances when they run into Dani in ghost form. They're immediately suspicious of her. She offers to help them with the demon as long as she gets to talk to it first.

When they get to it, they are immediately attacked by the demon. As they're all starting to realize that the trio are going to win, Dani stops everything. She and the demon start negotiating, with Batman and Constantine arguing in the background. Eventually, they come to an agreement. The demon will go to this other place to cause chaos approved by Dani, while Dani doesn't assist Constantine in turning them to dust. The two promptly disappear, leaving Batman and Constantine confused and suspicious.

Later Bruce meets Dani in her human form at a Charity Gala she manages to worm her way into. The two hit it off and decide to meet each other again.

During their date, Constantine calls and informs him that the lady they worked with has been "reforming" demons. (just conning them into visiting the ghost zone and they need a few years of alone time because of how awful the place is. Why don't their rules make sense? Why are there so many friendlies? How come they don't need to eat, but when they provide food it's either really good and not poisoned or alive and sentient?) He also tells Bruce that she goes by "Dani Phantom". Which is remarkably similar to Dani Fenton.

[adrenaline-revolver]

Midnight and alone for the oc ask meme you reblogged ✨

I realize that I didn't list who all I have ocs for so I'll go with my Tav (Ereldra) and my stranger things oc (Sammy)

Midnight-What keeps your OC up at night? Do they have nightmares? Fears? Anxieties? What do they do in the small hours of the morning when they should be sleeping? Ereldra: Besides the obvious brain worm issue they worry about hurting the ones they care about. Ereldra is a drow with a noble background so she was reared in a very harsh environment and constantly reminded that she was only alive because she showed magical promise. While she's always been a bit of an odd duck personality wise with other drow she still has a bit of a superiority complex because she's used to viewing people as hers. If she was simply kind to someone they might be targeted and she would be punished for her weakness. If she established that this human, elf, or whatever was hers then they would be far safer. Because of this she had many 'pets' growing up. Her 'pets' were always kinder to her than other drow and she was already above ground before she realized that they may not have genuinely liked her as much as she thought they did. As a result she's always afraid that the love she feels is a misguided ownership and she's afraid that she doesn't really know of a different way to love.

Sammy: Prior to being rescued from the hellscape their brain has created within the hellscape of the upside down they lay awake knowing it's all fake. He's really trapped in a long forgotten sensory deprivation chamber. He's not really in some idyllic family where Samantha from Bewitched plays his mother and Hawkeye from M.A.S.H plays his father. He's not really in an idyllic version of Hawkins where the past and the future melt together just the way a little boy would want them to. He can't ride your hoverbike down to the soda shop or the library. He can't go visit Sheriff Taylor for advice. He can't go see your friends. Because it's not real. Some days he might forget it's not, but it's still just fake. Even after he's rescued he still stares at the ceiling and wonders if this is just another dream.

alone: How does your OC deal with loneliness? Have they ever been completely alone before? How do they act when there's no one around to see them?

Ereldra: Ereldra had the issue of being alone in the crowd for years. Her parents barely had a hand in rearing her and the people who did couldn't be seen speaking to her in public. Then when you combine a slight difference in looks (copper hair rather than white) and a softer personality she was just too different for other children to want to be around outside of being unkind. After leaving the Underdark she was entirely alone for a few years. She found it to be less lonely than a large ballroom where she could feel unkind eyes criticizing everything about her.

Sammy: After being rescued he deals with loneliness poorly. Without someone there his worries about being forgotten start to amplify and he can barely breathe. He can't even sleep alone. He tries his best to be subtle about it, sort of like a cat pretending to just coincidentally be in the same room as you all the time. But if you were to just slip out on him and not tell him when you plan to be back and who to call if you're not back right then at best you'll come back to find him zoned out completely. At best. If he's given a warning and a task he can focus on, preferably something both mental and physical like sewing or his physical therapy he can handle being alone for a decent period of time.

[3d10fire-damage]

Colors That Run Highlights 49

out of the frying pan, into the water

Roughly half of the Breakfast Club awoke that morning rather hungover, dragging their feet back onto the road toward Foaz. Kattie clung to her parasol for every inch of shade against the harsh Fire District sun, and Jericho did his best to assist Avi.

On the first night, Kattie agreed to take first watch and encountered some sort of dog-like lizard creature, which offered to her some cactus juice. She took the juice and, upon drinking it, became a little silly. After spending the rest of her watch in that condition, she roused Avi for his watch and went to sleep, leaving Avi a bit confounded by her strange behavior.

During Avi’s watch, he discovered a newly formed small hole in the ground, and studied it with his Light cantrip. Then he heard some shuffling within Kattie’s tent, and spotted another little creature that looked like a hamster with a top layer of spiky rock/gems. It was basically a Pokemon. It was shuffling through Kattie’s bag, trying to steal some gems she obtained from the worm the group fought back in Old Fuero.

Avi used Stone Shape to trap the creature for the time being, not wanting to outright kill it or... deal with it, really. He then roused Valor from sleep for her watch and informed her of the creature in Kattie’s tent so she could handle it. (This whole time btw, Fea was awake obviously but not being helpful in keeping watch whatsoever.)

A rather befuddled Valor cast Speak with Animals to have a talk with the creature. She attempted to negotiate with the creature, and eventually Kattie woke up to join in the negotiations as well. The creature agreed to bring its own gem to exchange for Kattie’s worm gems, which it wanted to eat (Sableye lookin ass). While it was gone retrieving its trade item, Valor admonished Kattie for partaking in cactus juice from a strange lizard-dog. Kattie didn’t seem very regretful, and apparently had named the creature Jaxster and had decided to keep it around. Valor continues to be befuddled. The Sandshrew returned to the tent, dragging along a diamond (good enough for Revivify!) and exchanging it for Kattie’s gems.

Once dawn arrived and everyone was awake, Kattie fed Jaxter and introduced him to the rest of the group. Calypso had a Dog Girl moment with him, finding the kicky leg and everything. She then asked if anyone wanted a shower, and used some Leawei magic to produce a nice little rain shower for (most of) the group. Afterward Avi regaled Jericho with the night’s shenanigans, while Fea cautiously approached Jaxster and tried to pet him. And... it went well!

At the border of Harmonce’s Water District, the party discovered a tiefling merchant arguing with a handful of water genasi and sea elves. Sensing the opportunity to sip some tea, Avi cast Calm Emotions on the group and asked what was going on. To keep the party covert (or as covert as a strange group like TBC can manage), Avi and Calypso collaborated on a lie that Avi was a (clueless) tourist being escorted around Harmonce by the rest of the group. Team Aqua wanted to see the group’s IDs, so they obliged.

The party began to move along, but once Calm Emotions ended, the merchant and her adversaries began quarreling again. It was overheard that Team Aqua found the merchant awfully suspicious, and crowded her in and tied her up. They wanted to bring her into custody (kinda like a citizens’ arrest) for “lying” about being a merchant. Kattie stepped back into the conversation, growing irate with their bigoted behavior, and Avi cast Zone of Truth. All of the water people failed the save and so they were stuck to the truth.

After some more back and forth, Kattie and Avi moved to untie the tiefling merchant, and as a result an altercation began. Thankfully, due to strength in numbers and, well, strength, TBC knocked out Team Aqua and freed the merchant. Calypso KO’d two of them at once by slamming their skulls together, and Fea finished up by pants-ing all four of them and tying their pants around their ankles. The merchant, Oren, was thankful and asked what the group’s deal was.

Oren offered the group a ride the rest of the way to Foaz, as well as some items from her merchant wagon-- Oren was carrying potions, paper birds, equipment, and spell scrolls. 👀 It appeared Oren was working with the Rising Tide as a supplier, so it was good TBC intervened when they did. After picking out some items from her stash, Calypso and Fea talked with her about Harmonce and the state of things outside it. She mentioned that Harmonce’s people were generally disgruntled about not having a Champion like the other continents-- in turn, they told her that maybe it does, in the form of that weird dragon they encountered on the sea.

Meanwhile, Avi and Kattie debated with Valor about her so candidly announcing their alignment with the Rising Tide. They felt she should keep something like that more lowkey, considering the dangerous state of Harmonce.

(the things pulling the cart, btw, were these cactus-cow sort of creatures)

Along the way, it was Valor’s birthday! Slim wished her a happy birthday via Sending Stone (afterward, Calypso asked to use the stone to bother him tomorrow). Valor seemed a little resistant to celebrating, refusing Calypso’s offer for a casting of Create Shower just for her. Fea said she would craft something of glass for her soon (and later, quietly put a little glass swan in her bag). There were some jokes about Valor being an old lady now as well. Despite her apprehension to celebrate and be the center of attention-- happy birthday queen :)

Foaz! The city stretched along the coast, extending partly into the water. It was very crowded, which stressed out Avi. Calypso angled straight toward a street food vendor, purchasing two helpings of fried and spiced fish on a stick. The group referred to the address given to them by Thedda (and asked around for directions) and headed to a very tall apartment building to search for Gloam.

Upon arriving at Gloam’s door, it was evident that something drastic had occurred. The door was dented and damaged and hanging on by a thread-- probably forced open. Calypso listened for any sign of someone inside, then walked in, soon followed by the others. The apartment was trashed, evidently having been turned over and scavenged. The handful of books left on the shelf sported ripped out pages (Avi took what he could salvage though), and the kitchen was fouled up by very old cheese left sitting out. The party moved gradually into the bedroom, which was the most trashed of all.

The bed was overturned and bloodstained in places. There was a broken lute, its wood spread across the floor. The dresser was ransacked and colorful clothes were strewn about, but there was also a chest off to the side, appearing untouched. Avi used Find Traps to confirm the chest was trapped, and Kattie used Dispel Magic to remove it safely. No subjecting the rogue ranger to the dangers of manually disarming it. After discovering the chest was locked, Calypso got out her thieves’ tools and picked the lock.

The chest at first appeared empty, but Avi more closely inspected it and found that the spoils were under the false bottom. There was some money, a diamond, some potions, lute strings, paper birds, a journal, a pair of Winged Boots, Bracers of Defense, and a jar of Pennyroyal mushrooms. Calypso didn’t touch Anything in chest, lest she risk breaking her contract, but the others took the stuff and distributed it. If Gloam was dead, he wouldn’t need it anymore. If they found him alive, they could return it to him.

Valor gave the bracers to Calypso and pocketed the diamond (Revivify), while Avi took the boots, as well some of the clothes littered about. These things were a bit big on him, as they were sized for a firbolg, but the boots at least would resize for Avi once he was attuned. Avi also took Gloam’s journal before new boot goofin’ for an audience of Jericho.

From there, the group split into teams to ask Gloam’s neighbors for their insight on what happened. Fea and Calypso went next door to meet a woman and her loud, tiny dog. Surprisingly, Calypso made it most of the way through the conversation before asking to pet the dog (he barely tolerated it). Fea and Calypso learned that the Harmony Guard made a very loud entrance into Gloam’s apartment and, the woman presumed, escorted him out, though she didn’t actually see him with them. Since then the property manager hasn’t heeded her questions/complaints about the absolute racket in the apartment that happens occasionally in Gloam’s absence.

Kattie and Valor went to the door on the other side of Gloam’s place, and were greeted by a grimy bachelor named Ichibod. Using some deception, Kattie was allowed to come inside the very trash-laden apartment (Valor refused and returned to Avi and Jericho, as she was Disgusted). Kattie learned from her weeb informant that Gloam was simply one of many people lately getting brought in by the Guard for flimsy reasons, like vaguely suspected treason. Ichibod figured that he was probably in Prison City by now.

Everyone regrouped in Gloam’s apartment and considered their next move. First order of business would be to message Thedda and get her thoughts on the situation. Then came the concern of getting Gloam out of prison if he was in fact locked up. Possibilities were tossed around: getting arrested intentionally, gathering info from the guards at Prison City (using HG cred for that, and seeing if Gloam was maybe executed), and getting only part of the party thrown in prison so they could provide insider info (concerns there regarding abilities curtailed by having arcane focuses/equipment taken away), and someone using Eve’s Teleport card to get out before they got locked up if gathering info proved problematic. Maybe even a prison riot?

prison city next time aaaaaaaaa

[ventureskybird]

Homm vii resoures

It can be viewed online or downloaded as a PDF. The GameSpot Dark Messiah of Might and Magic Game Guide by Matthew Rorie is your best resource if you are stuck in the single-player levels. The Mage (by Psychobabble): The Defiant Mage | The Liberation | The Triumvirate | The Alliance | Zehir's Hope The Ranger (by maltz and Psychobabble): The Refugees | The Emerald Ones | The Defense | The Archipelago | The Vampire Lord The Warlock (by Infiltrator and maltz): The Clanlord | The Expansion | The Cultists | The March | Raelag's Offer The Necromancer (by Rapier): The Temptation | The Attack | The Invasion | The Regicide | The Lord of Heresh The Cultist (by Robenhagen and Angelspit): The Betrayal | The Promise | The Conquest | The Ship | Agrael's Decision The Queen (by Robenhagen and Angelspit): The Queen | The Rebellion | The Siege | The Trap | The Fall of the King

Ylaya's Quest: The Spy | The Break | The Meeting | Dragons | The Decoupling Wulfstan's Defiance: The Border Zone | The Ambush | The Guerrillas | The Brothers | Laszlo Heroes of Might and Magic V: Hammers of Fateįreyda's Dilemma: Rebels | Suspicion | Duncan | Negociations | Choices To Honor Our Fathers: Collecting Bones | One Khan, One Clan | Father Sky's Fury | Mother Earth's Wisdom | Hunting the Hunterįlying to the Rescue: Dark Ways and Deeds | Tearing the Veil | Summoning the Dragons | A Flamboyant Exit Will of Asha: Last Soul Standing | The Grim Crusade | The Bull's Wake | Beasts and Bones | Heart of Darkness Heroes of Might and Magic V: Tribes of the East (Foreign languages titles/map names are available here.) Stronghold: No Country for Orc Friends | The Good, the Bad, and the Bloody | The Barbarous Seven | A Wormful of DemonsĮpilogue: Tears such as Angels Weep | Dark with Excessive Bright Inferno: Angel, Angel, Burning Bright | Fearful Symmetry | In the Forests of the Night | The Marriage of Heaven and Hell Sanctuary: The Fury and the Mire | The Winding Stair | The Blood-Dimmed Tide | Death-In-Life and Life-in-Death Haven: Something is Rotten | Fair is Foul and Foul is Fair | Tempt not a Desperate Man | A Battle Lost and Won Necropolis: In the Wake of Adversity | Towards the Within | Circumradiant Dawn | The Spider's Stratagem Tactics advice and guides available from here Might and Magic: Heroes VI: Shades of Darknessĭungeon: The Other Elves | The Call of Malassa | The Quest for the Unkown Tear | The Doom that came to Kronos Summary & Walkthroughs by cjlee in our F orums | Every Dog has its Day | Lost Stories Ivan: The Stuff of Future Memory | The Dream of What Could Be Sylvan: The Griefs that Fate Assigns | Perils of Waves and War | The Very Counterfeit of Death | The Portals of Flickering Dreamsĭungeon: The Fathomless Glare | The Shadows of Men's Thoughts | The Essence of Purest Poison | A World Which Now Trembles

Necropolis: Something Irreversible | The World Which Detachment Renounces | The Wages of Secrecy | Thoughts and Intentions | Those Last Few Steps Stronghold: A Very Ambitious Hatred | The Only Freedom a Slave Knows | No Peace in This World | True to Ourselves Haven: A Dissolute Audacity | Blind Instruments of Fatality | The Blessings of Freedom | A Feast for the GodsĪcademy: The Story of the Wizard and the Djinn | The Story of the Lost Daughter | The Story of Princess Ghali and the Four Suitors | The Story of The Flower of Dolor If you need any help with a scenario, browse the Round Table forums or create a new topic.

Whether you are a newcomer having problems with a particular map or a seasoned veteran aiming for the best score, walkthroughs can be useful to you.

MM+H: Sergey Rozhenko aka GrayFace NEW Homepage.

MM+H: Sergey Rozhenko aka GrayFace Homepage.

Heroes 3.5: Wake of Gods Portal (Czech).

Handbook Heroes of Might & Magic (Russia)).

Flamestryke's MM7/MM8/MM9 recovered sites.

Wands are Normal 8, scrolls are Master 5. Hello, somewhere between fighting wasps in Alvar and then entering the dungeon with a thousand doors. The problem is, I don't think I know how to create a binary file using lua, and I'm unsure why a binary. Main improvements and changes - What will be the differences? - Events Editor - Diplomacy - Beta in. Monk get real power only after 2nd promotion, because crucial skills of unarmed and dodge. Verdant's "Cycle Of Life" rings for completing the various mainline final quests - other than the +20.

[finadgaming]

Worms Zone Magic Trap - Worms Zone a Slither Snake Full Trapp Game | Wor...

[dylanobrienisbatman]

TBR!

Aka, Tailored Book Recommendations! TBR is, you guessed it, a fully personalised book recommendation service! Sign up, fill out their questionnaire (extensive, and you can always edit!), and wait for your carrier pigeon email with 3 recommendations to arrive!! You can also get hard copies of the books mailed to you, if you prefer! So far, they’ve stepped just outside of my comfort zone and recommended me things I wouldn’t have picked myself but I think I’m going to love!

Velvet Was The Night - Silvia Moreno-Garcia

Noir mystery meets historical thriller in this new book from Moreno-Garcia. Set in 1970’s Mexico, the story follows a secretary who accidentally gets involved in a dangerous lot to take down students protests after her neighbor goes missing.

Recommended based on my interest in the author (also suggested Certain Dark Things, Gods of Jade and Shadow, and Mexican Gothic) and my interest in historical fiction! Definitely not something I would have thought to pick up but I’m super interested!

We have always been here - Lena Nguyen

A ship psychologist watches her crew descend into paranoia in this science fiction thriller. After being trapped onboard by a radiation storm, this crew of specialists begins acting increasingly erratically. Even the androids are affected. And as the walls begin to close in on Dr. Park herself, she realises that nothing - not the ship, not the crew, and not even the planet - is what it appears.

Recommended based on my love of sci-fi! Never read a thriller before, but the premise is so interesting and I’m stoked to dig in!

A Marvellous Light - Freya Marske

This historical fantasy novel features a bit of everything: magic, adventure, mystery, and romance. When an administrative error leaves Robin as the new liaison to a hidden magical society, he discovers an extraordinary reality that has always been hiding just beneath the surface of the British Isles

Recommended based on my love of fantasy, historical fiction, and dark academic, plus my request for LGBT romances or characters!! Very excited!

Phoenix Extravagant- Yoon Ha Lee

Phoenix Extravagant is a Korean inspired Sci-fi/Fantasy that blends the genres to create a story unlike any other. The story follow Jebi, a painter blackmailed into joining a top secret government program to help bring mechanical dragons to life.

Recommended based on my preference for sci-fi/fantasy, and my request for different cultural inspirations in those genres! Also, written by a trans author of colour and includes LGBT characters! Definitely the most off the wall rec so far but it seems very cool!

Finna - Nino Capri

Ever thought stepping into IKEA is a bit like exploring an alternate universe? Finna takes that concept to a whole new level when a worm hole opens up in a big box furniture store and the two most recent employees learn it’s their job to go rescue the customer who fell through it. To make matters worse, they also happen to be exes. This novella is a super fun take on speculative fiction.

Unique world building and characters, plus speculative fiction? Let’s do it! Never read a novella before, but this concept is so funky I have to try it!

Light From Uncommon Stars - Ryka Aoki

This novel combines sci-fi and fantasy to incredible effect. A family of alien refugees running a donut shop and a renowned violin instructor paying off a deal with the devil find their lives intersecting and are finally brought together by a runaway trans music prodigy searching for belonging. The disparate threads of this story come together to create something truly original.

Talk about out of the box and off the wall!! But I’m always down for SFF stories, and this one sounds weird and cool!!

If anyone has read any of these I’d LOVE to hear your (spoiler free) thoughts! I love the books I’ve been suggested so far, and plan to continue with TBR going forward! Absolutely recommend to anyone trying to broaden their bookshelves and find new, unique books to read!

[coldkryptonitecupcake]

“Abomination”, Ch. 17

  Narvuk ran his hand over the crystalline monolith, watching as soulfire danced under its surface. "Zivath, can you scan these? Perhaps there's something about them that makes them... special." She nodded her shell and a blue cone of light shone out, encompassing the statues one after the other.

  "Looks like standard molecular structure, only real difference is a small amount of... wait, that can't be right." Zivath shook her shell and re-scanned one of the statues as Narvuk cocked his head at her. "I'm getting trace amounts of sterile neutrinos in these!" She flitted over to her Guardian, who looked puzzled. "Right, sorry. Sterile neutrinos are normally found near sites of Taken activity."

  The implications dawned on Narvuk, and he stepped closer to the statue, laying his hand against the cold idol. "I feel nnothing. But these" - he gestured to the faces carved into the top of each statue - "look familiar. There mmust be something that gives names to themm."

  "The soulfire inside, it sounds like words. Eir, Ur--"

  "-- Xol, Yul." Zivath looked over inquisitively as Narvuk finished with her. "How do you know those?"

  "Thosse are the names of the four Worms. They gave our king the Logic, and it is the pact with them that compels us to fight and kill. If our own worms are not fed, they consume us from inside. We kill to survive, not simply to kill," Narvuk explained without looking away from the statue. "None of us asked to be thrust into a life of wwar, as no Guardian asked for a second life. But my people have chosen their path. Now, can we return to the task at hhand?"

  Zivath's shell drooped for a few moments as she turned away to a different statue. "Um, well, there's runes carved in the base of this one. They read 'Visage... of the... Disliked'? No, hold on... Unfavored! 'Visage of the Unfavored'. Aaaaaand this one" - she flew to the third statue - "has runes as well! It says 'Visage of the Scheme-Mother'. Those titles aren't in the database, which is odd. We accessed the World's Grave years ago, so we shouldn't be missing anything."

  She glided back to Narvuk, maneuvering under his arm to get a closer look. "The titles are not familiar to mme. Little Light, I amm sorry for being... terse. My people... they are lost, and none can see it." Zivath half-turned to him, then returned her gaze to the stone. "Zivath, please. I did not mean to dismiss you. I--"

  "Look, I'm trying to translate what may very well be a viral language here, so maybe hold on a minute," she snapped. After a moment of tense silence, the Ghost spoke up. "Final runes translated. 'Visage of the Warpriest', it says."

  "That one, I know. The Warpriest was one of Oryx's champions, and fed the king's worm through conquest and slaughter. He conquered five hundred and eighty-five worlds, salting them with ash and painting the void with fire. According to the Vanguard's own rrecords, he died shortly before the king."

  "If you don't wanna join them, bug, I'd recommend you drop the sword," a familiar voice called form behind the two. They turned as one, and before stood DeMarcus. On either side of him were the six Guardians Narvuk had seen in the hangar. The Knight noted the Warlock on the left as the same one who had questioned DeMarcus' plan. "I gotta thank you, bug. An accident in the patrol zones, that's one thing. But here on the Shore, ain't no rules but Spider's. And he doesn't much care for meddling in Lightbearer business, unless it messes with his," DeMarcus mocked, drawing a hand cannon from the back of his waist and aiming not at Narvuk, but at Zivath. His companions unholstered their weapons as well, though they pointed at Narvuk.

  "Let's be honest, bug. You were never gonna be one of us. Just 'cause you got a Ghost, doesn't make you a Guardian, just makes you lucky. Deep down, you're just another Knight in the wrong place at the wrong time. Now, drop. The sword," he finished. Narvuk extended his arm to the side and let go, the Cleaver thudding to the ground.

  "DeMarcus, just get it over with already. We're not here for you to monologue," the Warlock scolded, glaring at his friend from the corner of his eye. "We've been here too long already."

  "I'll do it when I'm ready, Edal, got it? Just keep your gun on him," DeMarcus barked, turning his attention back to Narvuk. "Now, bug. Sienna and Poppy" - he spit at the ground, and Narvuk clenched his jaw - "may think you're alright, but me and the boys here? Well, general opinion is you're a walking time bomb. Probably a trap from your great-aunt, in fact." DeMarcus' face lifted in a smug grin. "Bet you thought no one would find out, huh?"

  Narvuk was puzzled for a moment, then the meaning became clear. "Hhow did you... Sienna." The Titan nodded. "Hrnn... well, you sseem to be holding all the... corpses?"

  "I think you mean cards. 'Hold all the cards'," Edal interjected. DeMarcus shot a glare at him as Narvuk nodded thanks.

  "Cards, then. Hhow are you going to pplay them, is the question," Narvuk half-mocked, gesturing invitingly to the group. "Yyou clearly aren't scared to face me wwith allies, but can you stand on your own?"

  DeMarcus stormed forward, stowing his cannon. "Titan's need only the strength of the Light! You're nothing without the girls behind you!" He balled his fists and shifted into a fighting stance. "Bet they didn't teach you how to fight without your fancy magic sword in those tunnels you bugs love so much, huh? C'mon, you ugly son of a--"

  DeMarcus' inevitable stream of insults was over before it began as Narvuk's rock-hard fist crashed into his chest, caving it in instantly and sending the Titan flying back. One of the Hunters ran to where he landed and crouched. After a moment or two, he looked back to Edal and shook his head. A Ghost materialized above the body and pulsed with Light, and DeMarcus shot up with a gasp. The Hunter offered him a helping hand, but he batted it away and stood shakily. "Cheap shot, bug," he spat, advancing once more. "This time, I'll--"

  "Do nothing, Lightmonger," a raspy voice finished form above the Guardians. Their gazes snapped to the cliffs in unison and were met by at least four bright eyes for every Guardian. Narvuk hid a small grin as he recognized the speaker: the Vandal that had spoken to him earlier. As he looked around, he noticed that the rest of the Fallen from before had returned as well, all armed with shock pistols or wire rifles. "Drop weapons, or we shoot-fire." The demand was followed by the sound of charging wire rifles.

  Edal and the others hesitated for a moment, glancing at DeMarcus before slowly placing their guns on the rocks. DeMarcus stood, fuming with clenched fists, in front of Narvuk. The Knight simply stared down at him, neither willing to back down. Edal came up behind his friend and laid a hand on his shoulder. "DeMarcus, let's go. We can't start a fight with the House of Spider, and you're not in a good state of mind right now anyway. Let's go home." The Titan glowered at Narvuk for a moment before turning, marching past his companions, and transmatting away.

  The rest followed one by one until only Edal was left. "Narvuk? I- look, DeMarcus doesn't speak for anything close to a majority of Guardians. If he tries something else, shoot me a feed, alright? I've got practice reining him in," the Awoken said, more than a hint of apology in his melodic voice. Narvuk merely nodded, and Edal vanished.

  A Vandal wearing the red and gold of the House of Light dropped down next to Narvuk and said something in Eliksni. It stared at Narvuk for a few seconds, awaiting a response, then realized its mistake. "You save-rescue us. Much thanks-gratitude, Hive," it rasped in broken English. "Mithrax Light-Kell will hear-learn of this, that we may help-aid you."

"Think nothing of it, ffriend. I did what hhad to be done."

  "I am called Vytkos. I am in your life-debt. You will always-breathe have an ally in House Light. For now, we must return-go to our Kell." With that, Vytkos and her fellow Fallen disappeared, along with those from the House of Dusk. Spider's Vandals simply began walking away, leaving Narvuk and Zivath alone once more.

A/N: Hey, guys! Sorry this chapter took so dang long! School has been a bit hectic, and I've been slacking! But here we are, at the end of chapter 17! Only a few (relatively) more to go, and then it's on to the sequel (yes, there's gonna be a sequel)!

[creativerogues]

Player’s Guide: War-Torn Locales...

Much of Eastern Carthisia is still recovering from the many wounds brought by the Cult of Lolth and the Spider Queen herself, and while many still live a profitable life in these lands, there are still signs of a war many people would rather forget...

A forest of petrified or awakened trees.

A field of petrified soldiers or other creatures.

A haunted hill or barrow mound.

A giant crystal shard protruding from the ground.

A battlefield where lingering fog occasionally assumes humanoid forms.

An ancient tree containing a trapped spirit.

A dead magic zone (similar to an antimagic field).

A battlefield where the broken bodies of soldiers refuse to decompose.

A battlefield that contains no bodies, only the clothing and weapons of thousands of missing soldiers.

A battlefield that contains hundreds of elven skeletons, some with long talon-like claws and bestial teeth.

An abandoned hamlet ransacked of goods, with bodies thrown into piles of skeletons. 

A series of tunnels dug by purple worms and abandoned by its Underdark denizens.

A dark, supposedly abandoned town that fog seems to permanently loom over.

An elven outpost at the side of a small mountain, now nothing but rubble and a set of shallow makeshift graves.

A dam of petrified wood and rubble, now partially collapsed.

An overgrown section of woodland, with druidic symbols decorating its border and plantlife.

An old hunting lodge adorned with the skulls of elves.

Four perfectly-circular craters within walking distance of each other. 

A battlefield that contains the perfectly preserved bodies of elves, dark elves and numerous forms of wildlife, all drained of any moisture.

A field of crops in which a large stone sits alone, marked with ever-changing markings and surrounded by ritualistic patterns in the dirt.

[the-wintershade]

in another life (I surely was there)

pairing: loki x reader summary: he wants to create a new world and he needs you -- loves you, but love is corrupt and he fails to realize the corrosiveness of his affections. wc: 3.1k+ genre: slightly angsty, dark, unhealthy desires, villian!loki

The first thing he learns is there is always darkness in the dawn. 

Thrown onto the ground after portaling to Joutenheim, he cowers in the face of danger and death but swallows the unnecessary emotions with a pearly grin. There’s nothing that grin can’t repair, can’t magically fix. 

They speak, the giant’s red stare burning holes in Loki’s perfectly concocted excuse. He bites back his unrestrainable irritation and partial embarrassment and continues with the facade hoping that they’ll grant his true desire. 

….

He watches it in your face. 

Your eyes zone onto his and he feels the anger, hurt, disappointment vibrating in the air around you — even if you are several feet in front of him. Your chest heaves, blood stains your brow crimson, and your eyes curl with darkness, conjuring every hateful emotion available to you. 

But you smile at him, lips painted red. And it’s the smile that frightens him the most. 

It’s not a smile of joy like he’s used to, but a smile with the promise of retribution, with the inkling of death and the promise of a deep, chilling anguish. 

He knows he shouldn’t have left. And you turn away from him, throwing yourself back into the slaughter, defending the innocent while he watches, rooted in place, afraid — not by you but for you. 

…

You ignore him. 

Even when beaten to a pulp and unable to lift a leg muscle, you refuse his help. It is the captain who carries you to the safety of the jet as you cling to consciousness. 

He feels how desperately you sway between life and death and hovers around, wanting to fight the man of black with a sharpened scythe. He can’t take you away, you still have sinners to punish, breakers of justice and righteousness to cleanse. 

Your work here can’t be done. It’s barely begun. 

He watched you go into the fray, punching wildly, impacts of limbs constantly striking you, repeatedly, without stopping. He would have stepped in if you hadn’t been so, so—

Your eyes peel themselves open and a moan escapes your mouth and it’s like he’s breathing again for the first time. They don’t stay open long enough; he needs to feel that wrath inducing stare pin down. But he can relax. You’ll pull through, he’s sure of that. 

….

He finds out quickly that everything won’t go back to normal with flowers...or chocolate...or a gem refined by the dwarfs. 

Nothing brings you back to him and he eats every present he brings you with no eye contact, no acknowledgement, and no indication that you’re aware he’s here. 

He feels hollow, invisible, a ghost to forever haunt an unbeliever. 

Bandages nearly obscure your face and now he feels horrible for leaving you and the others to fight the demon spawns of some alien race. He may have made a terrible mistake there but he couldn’t comprehend how you could ignore him so well. 

He couldn’t understand how you frosted over in one day and now you were an impenetrable block of ice that no amount of warmth and care and heat he produced, you wouldn’t crack. 

He was supposed to be the heartless one, not you. This was wrong.

…

“Why are you avoiding me? Why are you trying so hard to be as far away as possible?” He breaks the tension in the air, splitting the unspoken rule of silence established when it was just the two of you in a room. 

It wasn’t like him to talk about motivations or ideas behind doing things. It wasn’t like him to bring up conflict. He was doing a lot of things he wasn’t used to doing now. 

You glared. There was nothing in your eyes that gave the inkling of a promised answer. 

He took two steps forward and you crossed to the other side of the room. 

He felt it then. The split, the divide, the chasm that had opened between the two of you. 

You wanted nothing to do with him. Nothing at all. And he was still holding onto who you used to be. Both stuck in limbo. Both trapped in each other. 

Instead of saying anything, you exited the room and Loki just stopped and stared. Maybe it’s time to give up. Maybe it’s time to let go. 

…

You fall through the air. 

And you smile. 

That’s the first thing he finds strange. The second is your obvious lack of concern for your own safety. Because you used to warn him all the time to protect himself and be careful, always with a hidden undercurrent in your words. 

Loki wasn’t good at emotional attachment so he brushed away your warm eyes, easy to fall into, and did whatever. 

Now he feels what you must have felt when he was being reckless. Uncertainty. Fear. 

The wind whips your hair and Loki only hesitates a second in horror before catching you and teleporting you to solid ground with him. 

He holds you firmly, but you still refuse to pay him any mind. “Don’t—“ he breathes raggedly, as if he’d run a mile in the past few seconds. “Don’t ever do that again.”

He watches you fragment. The walls you’ve carefully built fall for a moment and only a moment before those soft, open eyes shift into a predatory, hateful gaze. 

You shake out of his arms and weave out of his reach. “You should have let me fall.” You toss over the back of your shoulder and it’s the first time Loki can remember the echoing staccato of hurt. 

…

He doesn’t leave. Not this time. Not even when the whole team is beaten senseless. 

Not even when his skin is turning all shades of black and blue and his legs crumple under the strain. Not even when this battle is going so far left that he’s certain that you’ll all be overrun.

He bites back the bile worming its way through his throat and cuts down another monster, a twisted creation he likely had some involvement in sending there. His fingers ache from gripping harder than necessary on the handle of his knife. He lets them flex, breathing against the tight cage he forced them into.

He’d missed it. It was too late for any reaction as it sunk into his abdomen. 

He couldn’t scream. Oh no. He wouldn’t give them the satisfaction of a whimper or a plea for forgiveness. He was already light years past that now. 

Besides the quick response of his limbs that move on their own to drive his weapon down to the hilt into their throat, the pain is still there. Blooming. Spreading faster than he anticipated. 

The monster had gotten him good. Better than he could have done while he was paying attention to you.

You were like Tyr himself, a devastating figure of little remorse and brute strength. He knew what that power could do to a person. Its fuel lies in the deep recesses of the mind, midnight ebony and bloodstained red colliding to produce a substance of deep scorching pain. Yours spilled right out of you; it was like he could see it. Like it had a tangible shape, a shadow that clung to you, echoing your movements like a spectral warrior.

And it was impressive and so out of character for you. 

Loki was awed by you once again and that awe led to his own demise. Figures.

He’s not bitter about it all, hitting the ground, watching vermillion soak his clothes and bury into the earth. He’s not devastated that his one true wish might not be fulfilled. 

He’s thankful. For the first time in his life, he’s grateful to watch you become the force he knew you always could be. 

He’s just sorry that he might have been the catalyst for such change.

…

“Loki.” Your face contorts in determination and a firm pleading. “Loki, can you hear me?” He would have thought this was the afterlife, the final test, the final trial to make everything right before he would inevitably be sent to hell. Then he saw the red smeared against the corner of your mouth and knew, oh, I’m still breathing.

He sees no traces of real concern on your face and his own falls at the absence. He just wishes he could make it all right. That he could change that stupid wish he’d made so many weeks ago.

But he was bound. 

There was nothing he could do to get out of it all. He’d be stuck until the plan was fulfilled. 

“Don’t die, okay? Just-” He watches your face contort in a mixture of pain and anxiety. For the first time in a while, he believes that he may be able to peel the darkness back, beat his doubts and the voices in his head warning him that all this will be for nought.

But they always return, always creep along in the back of his mind, circling like one of Odin’s devout warriors, ravens ready to devour a meal.

He’ll lose you, one way or another. 

And that terrifies him more than the blue skin and red eyes he knows he has. It scares him more than his brotherhood with the giants of old and their unnatural complexion — his unnatural appearance.

He’s doing this all for a reason, a purpose that he can see, but others can’t. He doesn’t fool himself that you’ll be able to see it too.

“Hold on.” Your words warm him. He doesn’t feel the sting of the cold when you’re near. He can trick himself and believe that he’s human, not the being of frost that hides beneath the pallor of his glamour.

And when your hand slips into his own, bolstering ice with flame, he breaks in two. He’ll lose you. He knows you’ll leave him too.

…

He can feel you there, right next to him in recovery. He’s well aware of the scorn that the members of earth’s defenders have given you. 

He almost wishes that you would run away from him, cast him off like everyone else does. But a bigger part is thankful that you stayed, even if it’s selfish, even if the end will be bitter.

Your hand is right there next to him. It lies limp on the bed, your head lolled to the side in your slumber. His hand crosses the space separating you from physical contact and grasps your hand in his.

You stir, eyes blurry and dark, waiting, coiled and ready to spring. Gently, he brings your hand to his lips. He feels the darkness stir underneath and in a few days time, everything will fall into place.

He’s just sorry it had to be this way.

“I love you.” He’s not lying when he says it. He’s not saying it because it will win you over, not because he feels obligated to. He’s saying it because it’s the truth. 

There’s no grin to hide behind, no smile to cover up a trick. Just him and you and the truth.

Your eyes widen but the guard is still there, the walls are still up. He notices the black splotches in your irises recede for just a moment and then the moment’s gone.

The Avengers think it’s a side effect of a monster bite and the black veins, spiderweb bruising, and your general temperament will return to normal. But it won’t. You’ll be consumed and if you don’t fight your way out, you could die.

But he doesn’t see that in your future.

You’re too strong.

Your eyes watch his, waiting for the trick, for the moment the cat is out of the bag. When you don’t see one, your hold on him tightens. The words never come out of your mouth and he’s not sure that you can fully reciprocate his words, but you feel something and it’s strong enough to keep you within reach.

He’s thankful that you’ll share this moment together, that maybe this memory won’t be soiled when the change happens.

…

You’re gone.

The change came a few days later and Hel was right there, as was originally discussed, ready to take you for when the time came, when the final days of asgard were in sight.

He flashed that charming smile at his sister and tired to bargain with her. He knew that not seeing you was apart of the plan, that for this to work in accordance with the frost giants he would have to avoid seeing you.

But that wasn’t enough for him. He was greedy, what could he say?

It’s why he was doing this all in the first place.

For the greed of power, of recognition, of the world paying attention to the insignificant brother next to the heir to the throne. It was for the world to forever know his name. He was greedy and selfish; he wouldn’t deny that.

But he was even more greedy when it comes to you. He didn’t want to let you go. He would fight, tooth and nail, to hold onto you.

But Hel, holding your almost completely corrupted figure from falling to the ground, refused. She said no.

You were her warrior now and you’d be a powerful force at that.

And then she sank into the underground, dragging you, her slave, down with her.

The hole in his chest grew that much larger and without trying to, he fell to the grass where you just stood, gripping it firmly in his fingers, feeling the gap between you grow that much larger.

…

It’s been years now. Odin is dead. Ragnorak has begun.

His face is bloody and he no longer hides who he is, no longer denies his true self from the world. 

His skin is a deep cobalt and his eyes burn like rubies set ablaze. He runs with his brothers, no longer ashamed, no longer afraid of the wrath of the Asir. He’s free to burn down his false home as he chooses and Hel has brought her warriors.

The thought of you crossed his mind a few times, wondering where your face would be in the crowd, what powers you would have, how dark and twisted you might have become.

He still feels horrible, but it was for a purpose.

Somehow he hopes he’ll live long enough to see you again, when this is all over, when he’s able to explain everything.

…

“Loki?” He cradled your broken body against him, smoothing the hair and grime from your face. The black lines receded from your face and you were no longer a demon. Loki now looked like the frost giant he was. It was truth to truth, no cover ups or falsities. “Why did you abandon me?”

Abandon?

No, he didn’t abandon you. He helped you work towards a higher purpose. He endowed you with something greater.

“No, no. I didn’t abandon you, (name). I helped you. I made you something greater.” He watched your eyes unfocus and waited before you were able to speak again.

“You lied and corrupted and hurt me. You made me a monster who does horrible things. You dragged me into a war that had nothing to do with me.” You lolled your head over in his direction, the ebony lines weaving in and out of your pupils. “You killed me. My death is your fault.”

He almost dropped you. This was nonsense, slander. You couldn’t be serious. You had to see it his way now. This was necessary. The world was evil and abandones others, but he was there to make it right again.

The world needed a new world order. He was going to give it to them.

“No, (name).” He pulled you closer and gazed deeply into your eyes. “I love you. I want greatness for you. I need you here with me.”

You laughed, laughed harder than you should be able to while on the brink of death. Your hand came up to cup his cheek. “You were always the gullible brother.”

You transformed in front of his eyes and in your stead, Hel stared right back at him. “Like my little performance? I thought that your broken human would be a great way to fool you.”

She streaked against the ash on the ground and Loki stood up, watching her with malice. As he made a dash in her direction, he ran into a bubble, a forcefield of power locking him in. A cage. Another cursed cage.

“You didn’t really think that you’d come on top of this battle.” She smirked and then scoffed at the shock on his face. “You’re too weak brother. You’re too naive. You think you know everything when the person you should have been asking about death was me.” His eyes burned and stinged. “If you want to wipe the slate clean and rule this new world, at least pair with the right person to accomplish your goals. The frost giants never needed you; they needed me. I am going to rule this new world while you sit here in this prison for the rest of eternity.”

He slummed, defeated, tears of shame ready to coat his face. “Oh, and while we were on the subject of your precious little human, you should know that she was wonderful. So much potential, so much power and strength. It’s really a shame that she fell. I was fond of her.”

She smirked when he crumbled. “Tootles, darling.”

Waving, she walked away into the darkness, into death, what she lived and breathed, while Loki sat, in the remnants of Asgard, wondering how he could have thought that this was going to end up any differently.

And as he turned, he found you, sprawled on the ground, a hole in your chest, eyes staring right at him asking, how could you, how could you, how could you? 

I love you, I love you, I love you.

…

100 years have passed and he still sits in this forgotten cage in a forgot era. He’s let out from time to time, completing one job or another, but he’s eventually locked up again, doomed to live a lonely existence.

He still sees that face. He still sees your eyes that used to shine.

Loki knew you were aware that he was up to something, that he’d betrayed you somehow, that your story and his were intertwined forever. 

And then he sees the darkness take shape, how you’re taking risks you didn’t used to, how your nature changed.

He realized that’s love. That’s what it does to people. Love won’t save, love will corrupt. The name of love means nothing, trust means nothing, and he was foolish to think that you would understand.

But he would find another.

Maybe someone a little stronger, a little purer, and a little more in love with him. Maybe he’d find someone who understood and in the next 500 years, he’d be able to win this time.

Maybe the 6th attempt would be the charm.

a/n: hi, it’s been a while. I hope you’re taking care of yourself and taking the time you need.

I love you. It’s good to be back. 

~Ruby

[dayjaspeaks]

Full Moons of The Year

this year, it is my goal to keep track of the upcoming full moons 🌕 it’s not a secret that us witches love the moon, and it’s just so important to be prepared to harness the power of the full moon phase especially to amplify our powers and make for some amazing changes... full moons of the year also have names that were originally used to track the seasons and the year by native americans

JANUARY 10th 🐺 WOLF MOON - full moon of January. in north america, native american tribes called this moon the wolf moon. many believe the name was derived by the howling of wolves, which intensifies during the first 2 months of the year as wolves enter their breeding cycles. also, during the long, cold winter months, wolves would come closer to human settlements in search for food, making them more vocal and visible. / shedding and cleansing takes place, the old year is released and the energy of the new year is beginning. protection magic, personal development, meditation and focus work, and letting go ♑️

FEBRUARY 9th ❄️ SNOW MOON - full moon of February. since the heaviest snow usually falls during this month, native tribes of the north and east often called this moon the “snow moon”. / this is a time for soul searching, taking an inner journey. self love magic, accepting responsibility for past errors, forgiving yourself, and manifesting future plans ♒️

MARCH 9th 🐛 WORM MOON - full moon of March. around this time of year, the ground begins to soften enough for earthworms to reappear, inviting the birds to feed, a true sign of spring! roots start to push their way up through the soil, and the earth experiences a rebirth as it awakens from the winter slumber. / this a time for new beginnings and exploring new territory ♓️

APRIL 8th 🌸 PINK MOON - full moon of April. native americans called april’s full moon the pink moon. the appearance of the “‘moss pink”, or wild ground phlox (early spring flower) was inspiration for this. / this is a time for gathering and growth, a time for starting things, and manifestation ♈️

MAY 7th 💐 FLOWER MOON - full moon of May. this full moon marks a time of increased fertility, temperatures becoming warm enough for safely bearing the young, a near end to late frosts, and plants are in bloom. / this is the time for nourishment in all aspects, mentally, physically, emotionally, a time to pay attention to your needs and the needs of those you love ♉️

JUNE 5th 🍓 STRAWBERRY MOON - the full moon of June. the last full moon of the spring. this name originated with the algonquin tribes in the north who knew it as a signal to gather the ripening fruit of wild strawberries. (also called honey moon or mead moon) / a time of understanding and being in tune with the flow of life. this is the integration of the yin and yang within us all ♊️

JULY 5th 🦌 BUCK MOON - the full moon of July. a buck’s antlers are in full growth mode at this time. also known as thunder moon because thunderstorms are so frequent during this month! / a time to look at your life and think carefully, making plans for the future, a time to take a look at what’s important and what deserves your time and attention ♋️

AUGUST 3rd 🐠 STURGEON MOON - the full moon of August. native americans knew the giant sturgeon of the Great Lakes were most readily caught during this time. also called corn moon. / this is a time to lay to rest old hurts and emotional pain that you have been holding onto that is just extra baggage weighing you down. this is a time to release and move on, a time to be open and flexible ♌️

SEPTEMBER 2nd 🌽 CORN MOON - the full moon of September. this is the time of harvesting corn. also called the barley moon, as this is the time to harvest and thresh ripened barley. also called the harvest moon. / whatever you started in the beginning of the year, or summer is time to be completed. tie up loose ends, trim stray edges, and pay attention to what you have left undone. look to the future with a clear conscience and a clean slate ♍️

OCTOBER 1st 🏹 HUNTERS MOON - the full moon of October. this full moon is one of only two full moon names that is not tied to a specific month, instead this moon relates directly to the corn moon or “harvest” moon. / a time to build, to begin, to create, to start something and flow into a new way of being, also a time to shed old, useless habits ♎️

OCTOBER 31st 🧿 BLUE MOON - the second full moon of October. the blue moon is rare as in the phrase “once in a blue moon”... it’s an extra full moon that occurs within a season. / a time to take risks, and push yourself past your comfort zone!

NOVEMBER 30th 🐀 BEAVER MOON - the full moon of November. this is the time of year when beavers begin to take shelter in their lodges, having laid up sufficient stores of food for the long winter ahead. during the time of fur trade, it was also the season to trap beavers for their thick, winter ready pelts. / a time to look at what makes you tick, and to acknowledge what’s working in your life, and what doesn’t work. it is a time of honesty and going over everything you do and how/why you do it ♏️

DECEMBER 30th 🥶 COLD MOON - the full moon of December. native american tribes gave this name to the full moon of december because this is the month that carries in and holds the cold winter season. holds the longest nights of the year, which are near the winter solstice and Yule. / this is the time to cut away all that is unnecessary or negative in your life, just as the dead branches are cut from a tree or plants are pruned to help them grow new shoots. you can not progress with extra baggage in the way. be open to exploring new possibilities ♐️

[katrandomwrites]

Wierdly Human

Alternate title was "Jon the Archivist is Kinda Hot"

Little in between snippets from the assistants and their impressions of Jonathan Sims.

I declare this a fluff and humor only zone! Episode 160 can kiss my butt.

You can also find this on AO3 under the same title.

I got the inspiration for this from a tumblr post about Jon being a clean boy despite crawling through hell and back but I think the writer deleted it because I spent forever looking for it and couldn't find it :n: Also 2 Drink Jon is a reference to 2 other fics I've read so his wild ass is not mine.

Supplemental Headcanons at the end.

--

Pre-Show

There was somebody new at the Institute. 

He was short and dark with black hair neatly trimmed and styled. A pair of browline glasses perched in front of wide brown eyes that seemed to absorb everything around him.

“Hey, uh, Tim,” Martin whispered as he leaned over to where his coworker was digging through a drawer, “Who’s that?”

“Hm?” Tim’s eyes widened as he looked up, “Oh shit, he’s cute.”

“Not helpful, Tim.”

“Um, I think he might be Daniel’s replacement. I think his name is Joe or something,” Tim swallowed, “I wonder what modeling agency Bouchard raided for him.”

Martin elbowed him in the ribs hard, his face going as red as his hair, “Shut up!”

“But look at him, Martin! He has to have a skincare routine an hour long and don’t tell me you didn’t notice that those trousers are bloody tailored. I see you looking at his arse!”

“SHUT UP!”

”What are you two fighting about now?”

Both researchers jumped away from each other as Sasha popped up behind them.

“Hot new guy,” Tim said, earning another jab and a hiss.

Sasha looked at Martin and grinned, “Short, scrawny, Persian, and angry?”

“He’s Persian?” Martin stuttered before slapping a hand over his mouth.

“Yeah, I got to talk to him during his follow up interview. Smart guy but kind of grumpy and super awkward. We got talking about foriegn food and he offered to give me his grandma’s recipe for chelow kababs,” Sasha said.

“What’s his name.” Tim asked, looking back at where the new guy was glaring at a row of filing cabinets with several drawers ajar.

“Jonathan Sims.”

--

Pre Episode 44

Basira watched as Sims limped away with the tape clutched to his chest like a lifeline before sighing and heading out to the car where Daisy was waiting.

“Well?” Daisy asked, “How’s our favorite murderer?”

Basira swatted her feet off the dash, “He looks like he hasn’t slept in 3 weeks and recently got hit by a car.”

“I wasn’t asking about his nasty, worm-eaten face, Basira,” Daisy said, “Does he know we’re watching him?”

“I don’t think so -put your seatbelt on- it seems like he’s more invested in what’s on those tapes for now. I get the feeling he’s more worried about watching the people he works with than us.”

“What a sad little librarian. I’m looking forward to how he managed to kill Robinsen without getting his ass whipped.”

“She was old.”

“Yeah, but Sims looks like he’d get knocked out by a light breeze even before he got munched on by some nasty fucking bugs. Did you see the surveillance from Robinsen’s initial investigation? I went back through to track Sims and watched him struggle move a box that was in front of a filing cabinet for a solid twenty minutes; the big ginger guy had to move it for him.”

“That’s-” Basira snorted, “That’s pathetic.”

Daisy grinned, “He has to be one manipulative bastard to get anything done.”

“Is that your theory?”

“I mean look at you.”

“What about me?”

“He gives you the puppy eyes once and now you’re smuggling him tapes from the evidence locker? I have never known the great Basira Hussain to ever cave to a suspect’s wishes in my life- and don’t say it’s to keep a closer eye on him. We have less illegal tactics for that.”

Basira opened her mouth to argue but found that Daisy had a point. She really only gave into suspects if the circumstances were dire. This was technically classed as a low priority case.

What was going on here? 

--

Post Episode 76

Melanie flopped dramatically onto Georgie's couch and let out a long winded sigh.

"Oh?" Georgie asked from the kitchen door.

Melanie sat up slightly to let her sit down before plopping her head down on Georgie's thigh, "I had to go talk to Sims at the Institute again."

"How's Jon?"

"A fucking bastard is what he is."

"Well I knew that," Georgie laughed, gently beginning to brush through Melanie's hair with her fingers.

"I don't know, he's was wierdly defensive and I think he was trying to gaslight me about one of his new assistants."

Georgie paused her brushing, "I haven't seen Jon in a while but that seems… out of character for him. He's a grump, sure, but I've never known him to be a bully -on purpose that is."

"Yeah, well…"

The pair lapsed into a tense silence.

"Would it make you feel better if I show you a picture of Jon in university that he is very embarrassed about," Georgie ventured after a few minutes, "He's still mad I have it.~"

Melanie twisted her head back and grinned, instantly breaking the tension and sitting up to look at the phone screen presented to her.

On it was a picture of Jon passed out, mouth wide open and drooling, on the ugliest couch she'd ever seen.

"He still owns that couch by the way," Georgie said. Melanie waved a hand in her face to silence her as she took in the details.

Jon was in a pink crop top that Melanie was sure she'd seen in Georgie's closet, union jack boxers, gladiator sandals, and The Admiral was planted square on his chest, though he was about half the size of the fluffball that roamed the flat now. Surrounding them where piles of papers and books on the paranormal.

Melanie began to cackle.

"Our friend group used to call him '2 Drink Jon' and this was after he'd done four shots in the kitchen and decided to lecture us on how ghosts are bullshit and he could beat one in a fist fight," Georgie elaborated, "I'm still not sure when he ended up in that outfit but honestly, if we had recorded his rant he probably could have used it for his Masters thesis."

Melanie wheezed into her shoulder as tears began to stream down her face.

"2 Drink Jon was actually a lot more charismatic than sober Jon. This one time he almost had us convinced that he could talk to plants after two gin and tonics, granted we were also drunk but-,"

"Stop, please," Melanie wheezed, "I'm dying."

"Gosh, one of these days I'll have to tell you about tequila and the alien conspiracy. Randall could almost recite the whole speech from memory."

Melanie fell off the couch.

--

Post Episode 109

Julia and Trevor exchanged a look as the Archivist powered through the spiciest Thai food they could find without even breaking a sweat. 

It was supposed to be a joke, spiking Jon's food, the cashier had even given them a panicked look at the restaurant and Trevor's eyes had been watering the whole way back to the safe house. They'd even waited by the door in case Jon tried to make a break for the case of water bottles in the car but he just unwrapped the plastic fork and dug in without even asking for a drink.

Julia picked at her own food but couldn't quite manage to eat it and glanced back at Jon, "Are you sure you don't need a water or anything?"

Jon looked up for a moment, his eyes were more alive than they had been all day and practically sparkled in the shitty fluorescent light. He shook his head and instead reached for another packet of chili sauce to add to his food.

"What the hell is he," Trevor whispered to Julia in horror.

"I don't know but he's definitely not normal."

--

During Episode 132

Daisy had misjudged Jon. She'd grossly misjudged him.

She flexed her fingers around his, ignoring the way the sand dug into her skin, and gently pulled him closer. The man she'd called prey gave her a soft smile and compiled, pressing against her side like she'd never held a knife to his throat, like she hadn't just admitted to planning his murder before she was trapped here.

Daisy turned her head awkwardly and dug her face into his shoulder savoring the human contact, her tears soaking into his shirt.

The Hunt in her blood tried to sing, tried to fight the Buried, "Safe, Mine, Pack, Protect", it echoed faintly.

Jon said something and began to move, pulling Daisy forward along with him.

"Safe, Mine, Pack, Protect"

Hours past as they shimmied through the coffin, the pain of being scraped and crushed was overpowered by the sheer ecstasy of moving more than an inch every few days.

"Safe, Mine, Pack, Protect"

There was a door, Jon tucked himself under her arm and pulled her up the stairs to the blinding lights of the institute. She ducked her head down to his shoulder again and grimaced as her joints popped and groaned.

"Jon, you stupid idiot! What did you think-"

Daisy looked up to the person she thought she’d never see again and smiled.

"Hi."

--

Post Episode 132

Martin had horrible timing really. He just needed to pee, was that really too much to ask?

Of course it was. The universe hated him.

So instead of slipping into the private bathroom upstairs which was magically broken, he had to go down a level and walk in on Jon shaking dirt out of his clothes.

Martin was going to die here but at least he'd die happy.

Jon didn't even seem to register that someone else had joined him (thank the Lonely) so Martin took a second to sneak a guilty look before darting back out and hiding for 40 years.

Jon was painfully thin. Martin got the idea that he could count every vertebrae and rib if he was allowed and even at a glance he could spot the sunken area where at least one rib was now missing.

Worm scars and burns were peppered up his back along with a few moles and freckles. Little red marks circled his chest in a way that Martin immediately recognized as being from the black fabric crumpled at Jon's feet.

And to top it all off, much to Martin's delight, were a set of three black gears tattooed down Jon's right shoulder blade. Sasha had mentioned once that she had gone out for drinks with Jon when he first started and they'd managed to get on the topic of tattoos. Tim had spent months trying to get Jon to show it to him before 'giving up'.

Martin stepped out and stood in the hall for a moment, red faced and giddy, before stumbling off in search of another bathroom.

--

Somewhere between Episode 132-154

"Hey, guys?" Melanie called.

Daisy and Basira glanced up to see Melanie holding a giant plate of the best smelling food they'd seen in weeks. Steam wafted up into her very confused face.

"Did either of you make this? I went to ask Martin and I can't find him."

"I didn't make it," Basira said, "Daisy?"

"I once made spaghetti and lit it on fire.

Basira grimaced and walked up to Melanie, "Kebabs, Tahdig rice, flat bread, and jam cookies. Those are Iranian dishes, or Middle Eastern at least.”

Daisy looked at Basira, "How do you know that?"

"Took a foreign cuisine course focused on middle eastern food a few years ago," Basira said as she made her way to the kitchen area with the group in tow.

Sitting on the table were three more huge plates of food and two empty plates sitting in the sink. Martin was standing next to the table with pure confusion on his face.

"Did you make this?"

Martin jumped and looked at the group, "Uh, no? I really only do pastas… this is a little outside my skill set. I think-"

"It could be a trap," Daisy interrupted, "Maybe it's laced with something?"

"No, I'm pretty sure-"

"Could be, but who would go to this effort, the Web?" Basira said.

"Guys, it was probably-"

"It was the Archivist!" Helen exclaimed from behind them, somehow having opened her door without making a sound and scaring the shit out of them, "He is an excellent cook."

"Bullshit," Melanie wheezed, setting her plate down before she dropped it.

"No, she right," Martin sighed, "Jon actually cooked something similar a few years ago for a company thing. He gave this whole speech about how grandparents immigrated here from Iran, well Persia at the time, and his grandma made him learn to cook what she called 'real food'."

"You mean to tell me that Jonathan Sims, the skinniest guy I have ever met, can cook like this," Basira said in disbelief before cautiously sitting down at the table with the rest following suit.

"He called it his grandmother's curse," Helen provided cheerfully, "He said that no matter what he does,  he always makes far more than he needs and never has people around to give it to. So he just never cooks."

"You talked to him?" Melanie asked. Daisy began to pick at a plate and made a sound of confusion and delight at the taste.

"Oh yes, he even let me help by getting things off high shelves!"

"This is amazing," Daisy said in disbelief before grabbing a fork and beginning to eat in earnest.

"It is! Jon and I had a lovely chat and I'm not much for 'real' food these days but he really convinced me!" Helen declared, spinning back around to re enter her door, "And I must say it was delightful."

"Huh," Basira shrugged and began to eat.

Not bad.

--

Post Episode 159

For the second time since he woke up, Martin pinched himself. He had to be dreaming, the smaller body smooshed up against his chest and the boney limbs clinging to him had to be a figment of his imagination.

Jon huffed in his sleep and burrowed deeper into Martin before settling again. A few stray rays of the morning sun slipped through the blinds highlighting Jon’s gray hairs and the raised edges of scars that trailed along his skin.

Gently, Martin carded his hand through the wild mess of hair, marveling at how soft it was despite everything. Jon sighed, leaning into the touch without stirring.

He could stay like this forever, with Jon safe in his arms and the dangers of the world outside, away from his happiness.

"Wha' time?" Jon mumbled, stretching before re-draping himself over Martin. He looked up and the light caught his eyes in a way that Martin could see all the blue heterochromatic spots in Jon's left eye through dark, heavy lashes. 

"Doesn't matter," Martin whispered as he pulled him closer, "We have all the time in the world."

--

Supplemental Headcanons: - Jon is a 3rd gen Persian/Iranian immigrant. His grandparents on his dad's side moved to England post WWII. (Persia became Iran in 1979) They took the last name Sims during immigration. - His mother was full blooded English. - He can out cook 87% of the local grandma's when he really gets into it - He built an unnaturally high tolerance to salt and spice as a kid to keep people from taking his lunch or trying to mess with his food and now thoroughly enjoys spicy foods. - Jon does care a lot but his grandma never taught him to show it in any other way but tolerance and mute acceptance. It's hard to know where you stand with Jon because of this. - Was a runner while in school. - Was forced to take violin lessons as a kid and Georgie taught him some piano in University. - Jon is and always has been feral little man though he is more bark than bite (unless he's under the influence of something). He learned it from his grandma. - He's one of those drunks that often wanders/ runs away from his drinking group. He has strong drunk college girl tendencies. - He changed his middle name to Ulysses when he got his first name legally changed because he’s a nerd. - Jon has had the same pen pal since he was 10. They are one of the few points of normalcy he has left. - Jon and Daisy are trans mlm and wlw solidarity. Fight me.

Fun Fact: Sims means "the Listener" which seems almost too on the nose.

[begitalarcos]

100+ Years of Horror

This is not a definitive list. These are just the films I believe every Horror fan should see at least once. I’ve excluded any sequels that I didn’t feel needed including. I hope you enjoy.

For @mechamag​

1922 – Nosferatu

1925 – The Phantom of the Opera

1927 – The Cat and the Canary

1931 – Dracula, Frankenstein

1932 – Freaks

1933 – The Invisible Man

1934 – The Black Cat

1935 – The Bride of Frankenstein

1939 – The Cat and the Canary

1941 – The Black Cat, The Wolfman

1942 – Cat People

1945 - Dead of Night

1953 – House of Wax

1954 – Creature from the Black Lagoon

1955 – Night of the Hunter, Les Diaboliques

1956 – Invasion of the Body Snatchers, The Bad Seed

1958 – The Blob, Macabre, The Fly

1959 – House on Haunted Hill, The Tingler, The Killer Shrews

1960 – 13 Ghosts , Black Sunday, Eyes without a face, Peeping Tom, Psycho, Village of the Damned

1961 – The Pit and the Pendulum

1962 – What ever happened To Baby Jane?

1963 – The Birds, Black Sabbath, The Haunting

1965 – Repulsion

1966 – Island of Terror

1967 – Wait until Dark

1968 – Night of the Living Dead, Rosemary’s Baby, Spider Baby

1970 – Mark of the Devil, The Bird with the Crystal Plumage

1971 – The Cat O’ Nine Tails, Let’s scare Jessica to Death, What’s the matter with Helen? A Bay of Blood, Play Misty for Me

1972 – Ben, Children shouldn’t play with dead things, Deathdream, Don’t torture a Duckling, The last house on the left, Night of the Lepus, What have you done to Solange?

1973 – The Crazies, The Exorcist, The Legend of Hell House, Sisters, The Wicker Man, Don’t look now

1974 – Black Christmas, Deranged, It’s Alive, The Texas Chainsaw Massacre, Vampyres

1975 – Shivers, Trilogy of Terror, Jaws, Deep Red, The Stepford Wives

1976 – Alice Sweet Alice, Burnt Offerings, Carrie, Eaten Alive, The Omen, Squirm, To the devil a daughter, The town that dreaded sundown, The Tenant

1977 – Audrey Rose, Day of the Animals, Demon Seed, Eraserhead, Exorcist 2: The Heretic, The Hills have Eyes, Rabid, The Sentinel, Shock, Suspiria

1978 – Damien: Omen 2, Dawn of the Dead, Halloween, I Spit on your Grave, Invasion of the Body Snatchers, Jaws 2, The Legacy, Magic, Martin, Piranha

1979 – Alien, The Amityville Horror, The Brood, Phantasm, Prophecy, Tourist Trap, When a Stranger Calls, Zombi2, Nosferatu the Vampyre, Salem’s Lot

1980 – Alligator, Altered States, The Changeling, City of the Living Dead, Fade to Black, The Fog, Friday the 13th, Hell of the Living Dead, The House on the Edge of the Park, Humanoids form the Deep, Inferno, Maniac, Motel Hell, Prom Night, The Shining

1981 – An American Werewolf in London, The Beyond, The Black Cat, The Burning, Dead and Buried, The Entity, The Evil Dead, Friday the 13th Part 2, The Funhouse, Galaxy of Terror, Halloween 2, Happy Birthday to Me, Hell Night, The House by the Cemetery, The Howling, My Bloody Valentine, Omen 3: The Final Conflict, The Pit, Possession, The Prowler, Wolfen, Scanners, Blow Out, Ghost Story

1982 – Alone in the Dark, Basket Case, The Beast Within, Cat People, Creepshow, Friday the 13th Part 3, Halloween 3: Season of the Witch, Madman, Pieces, Poltergeist, Q: The Winged Serpent, Tenebrae, The Thing, Visiting Hours

1983 – A Blade in the Dark, Christine, Cujo, Curtains, The Deadly Spawn, Eyes of Fire, The House on Sorority Row, The Hunger, Mortuary, Nightmares, Sleepaway Camp, Videodrome, The Dead Zone, Twilight Zone: The Movie

1984 – C.H.U.D., Children of the Corn, The Company of Wolves, Gremlins, Night of the Comet, A Nightmare on Elm Street, Razorback, Silent Night Deadly Night, Firestarter, Starman, Ghostbusters

1985 – Cat’s Eye, Day of the Dead, Demons, Fright Night, Ghoulies, LifeForce, Phenomena, Re-Animator, The Return of the Living Dead, Silver Bullet, The Stuff, Cut and Run, The New Kids

1986 – Aliens, April Fools Day, Chopping Mall, Critters, Deadly Friend, The Fly, From Beyond, Henry: Portrait of a Serial Killer, The Hitcher, House, Invaders from Mars, Little Shop of Horrors, Maximum Overdrive, Monster Dog, Night of the Creeps, Poltergeist 2: The Other Side, Rawhead Rex, Terrorvision, The Texas Chainsaw Massacre 2, Trick or Treat, Troll, Vamp, The Wraith

1987 – Angel Heart, Bad Taste, Creepshow 2, Dolls, Evil Dead 2, The Gate, Hello Mary Lou: Prom Night 2, Hellraiser, The Hidden, House 2: The Second Story, The Outing, The Lost Boys, The Monster Squad, Near Dark, A Nightmare on Elm Street 3: Dream Warriors, Opera, Prince of Darkness, Predator, Stage Fright, The Stepfather, Street Trash, The Witches of Eastwick, Lady Beware, Fatal Attraction

1988 – Bad Dreams, The Blob, Child's Play, Dead Heat, Elvira Mistress of the Dark, Fright Night Part 2, Hellbound: Hellraiser 2, Killer Klowns from Outer Space, The Lair of the White Worm, Maniac Cop, Night of the Demons, Phantasm 2, Pin, Prison, Pumpkinhead, Return of the Living Dead Part 2, The Serpent and the Rainbow, Uninvited, Watchers, Waxwork, They Live

1989 – 976-Evil, The Church, Grim Prairie Tales, The Horror Show, Intruder, Leviathan, Night Life, Pet Sematary, Shocker, Society, Warlock, Dead Calm, The Forgotten One, DeepStar Six

1990 – Braindead, Bride of Re-Animator, Child’s Play 2, The Exorcist 3, Frankenhooker, Graveyard Shift, The Guardian, Hardware, IT, Jacob’s Ladder, Misery, Night of the Living Dead, Nightbreed, Predator 2, The Reflecting Skin, Sundown: The Vampire in Retreat, Tales from the Darkside: The Movie, Tremors, Two Evil Eyes, Arachnophobia

1991 – Body Parts, Cape Fear, The People under the Stairs, The Pit and the Pendulum, Popcorn, Scanners 2: The New Order, The Silence of the Lambs, Sometimes they Come Back

1992 – Army of Darkness, Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Candyman, Demonic Toys, Dolly Dearest, Bram Stoker’s Dracula, Innocent Blood, Sleepwalkers, Spilt Second, Man Bites Dog

1993 – Body Bags, Carnosaur, Cronos, The Dark Half, Leprechaun, Return of the Living Dead 3, Trauma, Kalifornia, Man’s Best Friend

1994 – Brainscan, Cemetery Man, The Crow, Death Machine, Hellbound, In The Mouth of Madness, Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein, The Stand, Wes Cravens New Nightmare, Wolf, Interview with the Vampire

1995 – Castle Freak, Demon Knight, Lord of Illusions, The Mangler, Mosquito, The Prophecy, Species, Village of the Damned, Screamers, Dolores Claiborne

1996 – Bad Moon, The Craft, The Frighteners, From Dusk till Dawn, Jack Frost, Scream, Tremors 2: Aftershocks, Mary Reilly

1997 – An American Werewolf in Paris, Anaconda, Campfire Tales, Cube, The Devils’ Advocate, Event Horizon, I know what you did last Summer, Mimic, The Night Flier, Nightwatch, The Relic, Quicksilver Highway, The Ugly, Wishmaster, Kiss the Girls, Se7en, Perfect Blue

1998 – Blade, Deep Rising, The Faculty, Ringu, Strangeland, Urban Legend, Vampires, Sphere

1999 – Audition, The Blair Witch Project, Deep Blue Sea, The Haunting, House on Haunted Hill, Lake Placid, The Mummy, Ravenous, Sleepy Hollow, Stigmata, Virus, The Sixth Sense, Idle Hands

2000 – American Psycho, Bless the Child, Blood: The Last Vampire, Cherry Falls, Final Destination, Ginger Snaps, Hollow Man, Ju-On, Pitch Black, Python, Versus, What Lies Beneath, The Gift, The Cell, Shadow of the Vampire

2001 – The Attic Expeditions, Brotherhood of the Wolf, Dagon, Jeepers Creepers, Mulholland Drive, The Others, Session 9, Thir13en Ghosts, The Devil’s Backbone, Frailty, From Hell, Hannibal

2002 – 28 Days Later, Blade 2, Bubba Ho-Tep, Cabin Fever, Dog Soldiers, Eight Legged Freaks, Ghost Ship, May, Queen of the Damned, Resident Evil, The Ring, They, The Mothman Prophecies, Red Dragon

2003 – Darkness Falls, Dream Catcher, Final Destination 2, Freddy Vs. Jason, Haute Tension, House of 1000 Corpses, A Tale of Two Sisters, Undead, Underwold, Willard, Wrong Turn

2004 – Alien Vs Predator, Club Dread, Dawn of the Dead, Dead & Breakfast, Exorcist: The Beginning, Ginger Snaps 2: Unleashed, Godsend, Saw, Shaun of the Dead, The Village, Taking Lives, The Forgotten, Enduring Love

2005 – 2001 Maniacs, The Amityville Horror, Constantine, Dark Water, The Descent, The Devils’ Rejects, The Exorcism of Emily Rose, Land of the Dead, Wolf Creek, Hard Candy

2006 – Abominable, All the boys love Many Lane, Black Sheep, Fido, Final Destination 3, Hatchet, The Hills have Eyes, Slither, The Woods, The Host, Silent Hill, The Tripper, Wild Country

2007 – 28 Weeks Later, 30 Days of Night, 1408, Grindhouse, I am Legend, The Mist, My Name is Bruce, Nature of the Beast, Paranormal Activity, Primeval, REC, Skinwalkers, Teeth, Trick r’ Treat, An American Crime, Rogue, Funny Games

2008 – Book of Blood, Cloverfield, Deadgirl, Diary of the Dead, Let the right one in, The Midnight Meat Train, Mirrors, Quarantine, The Ruins, Splinter, The Strangers, Eden Lake, Outlander

2009 – Case 39, Grace, The Haunting in Connecticut, Heartless, The House of the Devil, Jennifer’s Body, The Loved Ones, Orphan, Pandorum, Splice, Triangle, Zombieland, Carriers, Dread

2010 – Black Swan, The Crazies, Exorcismus, Frozen, Insidious, The Last Exorcism, Let me in, Primal, Tucker & Dale Vs Evil, The Wolfman, Troll Hunter, Devil

2011 – The Awakening, Don’t be afraid of the Dark, The Innkeepers, Livid, The Thing, The Woman, The Rite

2012 – American Mary, Bait, The Cabin in the Woods, The Devil Inside, The Possession, Prometheus, Sinister, Byzantium, Compliance

2013 – The Conjuring, Evil Dead, Jug Face, Mama, Under the Skin, Only Lovers Left Alive, Warm Bodies, Horns, Hansel and Gretel: Witch Hunters, Contracted, Stoker

2014 – Annabelle, As Above So Below, The Babadook, Deliver us from Evil, A Girl walk home alone at Night, Life after Beth, Starry Eyes, Tusk, It Follows, Goodnight Mommy, The Voices, Digging up the Marrow, When Animals Dream, Gone Girl ,The Remaining, Late Phases, Cub

2015 – Crimson Peak, Krampus, The Lazarus Effect, Maggie, The Visit, The Witch, Bone Tomahawk, Green Room, Regression, The Devil’s Candy, The Lure

2016 – The Autopsy of Jane Doe, The Belko Experiment, The Boy, The Conjuring 2, Don’t Breathe, The Eyes of my Mother, Split, The Forest, The Love Witch, The Neon Demon, Pride and Prejudice and Zombies, Raw, Train to Busan, The Void, What We Become, 10 Cloverfield Lane, A Cure for Wellness, The Shallows, Pet, Hounds of Love

2017 – IT, Get Out, Mother!, The Killing of a Sacred Deer, The Ritual, Thelma, Veronica, It comes at Night, Life, Gerald’s Game, Revenge, 1922

2018 – Annihilation, Halloween, Hereditary, Mandy, Mom and Dad, The Nun, Overlord, Possum, A Quiet Place, Suspiria, The House that Jack Built, Bird Box, Apostle, The Meg

2019 – Brightburn, IT Chapter 2, Midsommar, Ready or Not, Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark, Us, I am Mother, Crawl, The Dead Don’t Die, Extremely Wicked Shockingly Evil and Vile, Glass

[kikimcras]

( melissa barrera. cis female. she/her. )  /  LETICIA VILLALOBOS ORTIZ has been with the group for one week and is currently doing their part in the community as a scout. while here, thirty year old has created the reputation of being irreverent & capricious, but can also be known as solicitous & coquettish. in a sticky situation, they will resort to flight mode and their current weapon is a ka-bar. 

trigger/content warnings: parental death, murder, traumatic birth, drug use ( brief mention ), abuse.

everyone calls her a miracle as if somehow being born from the body of a dead mother is a celebration more than it is a tragedy. she is called miracle so often that she thinks it’s her name until the age of five when she goes to school and no one calls her name at attendance. thank god her mother had written out her name--leticia--plainly in the baby book she was saving, or maybe her grandmother really would’ve named her that–miracle, milagros.

leticia sounds like another girl’s name. a girl whose mother is alive and well. a girl whose mother tucks her in at night with stories and songs and goes to sleep in a bed with a father instead of lying six feet underground in a cold box of wood trying to outlast the worms and moles. leticia has a grandmother who puts silk ribbons in her hair and makes her pozole on cold, winter nights. she buys her love with pretty dresses and a doll each time she makes an appearance on the latest tv special with her grandmother. it takes years before she learns this is not a normal way to grieve. there are so many vhs tapes of interviews on oprah and specials on court tv in abuela’s closet that they trump the years she’s been alive on earth. yolanda ortiz makes a monopoly, a dynasty, atop her daughter’s suffering.

it’s not until leticia is twelve that she learns the full story. she’s made so many appearances on television that she’s practically a celebrity–a child star–but she has grown up knowing only that she sprung from her mother’s dead belly like pegasus from the slain body of medusa. so strange, it was almost immaculate. her grandmother had always compared her sweet mother to santa maria. it only lived to serve that in childbirth, she shared that magic. instead, leticia learns that her mother had answered an ad in the paper for free baby clothes and supplies. so clever in its innocuous offer, even the most cynical of her mother’s loved ones would have fallen into that sweet trap–flies to honey.

this is what she learned.

the canonized gabriela ortiz went to 241 nw westbrook dr at 1100 on a tuesday in september. she parked her car in the visitor space of the apartment block and went upstairs to meet ana hernandez and was greeted with a hug and the scent of fresh coffee when she entered the apartment. the two sipped their coffees and talked about the challenges of pregnancy and, for gabriela, impending single motherhood ( oh, but she had her mother to help ). for ana, her husband was anxiously awaiting the birth of a son–if that’s what they ended up having. neither woman knew what she was expecting.

when gabriela told ana that she had an appointment to keep, the generous woman left the kitchen to grab the things she’d promised her–things, she explained, that were doubles of hand me downs from her sisters. ana hernandez returned, not with a box of baby things, but with a knife. leticia shuts the tape off then and does not revisit it until the age of fourteen, where she learns two things. one, that her mother was a fighter. and two, that she was cut from her mother’s stomach with the clumsy skill of a woman who’d never deigned to carve her own turkey. it explains the scar that runs through her hairline, just above her ear. it explains her grandmother’s obsession with tragedy. it tells her nothing about herself and she refuses any more interviews or appearances. she refuses any of her grandmother’s plans for her future. she learns, like her mother, to put her trust in people who are as clever as they are unworthy.

the only thing that makes leticia villalobos feel like she can breathe is running and getting high. she doesn’t give a shit about organized sports, but she loves the feeling of the wind blowing the salt of sweat and rain off of her face. she falls in love several times. she gets her heart broken several more. every person is an opportunity to find some piece of herself. every person is an opportunity to be loved for some other reason than being a miracle. girls like leticia are symbols. like the virgin she represents hope; like the virgin, she is given no identity of her own.

tired of her antics and disobedience, her grandmother sends her to live with some cousins out of state. leticia thinks that her grandmother will have a much easier time controlling her narrative without the burden of a teenage girl. their cousins don’t have a lot, but they at least have their own business–one that’s not built on immortalizing her mother’s death. there are so many kids there already, that everyone just seems to act like she’s always been there. she misses her alone time sparingly, more than overjoyed to have found unconditional love in a house that is always full.

high school is an easy place to make the same pitfalls and mistakes, but leticia survives it. she helps out at the family store and avoids her grandmother’s calls. there’s no real desire or funding for college--though she could go on her grandmother’s dime if she wanted to drown in so much blood money. instead she makes her own way, working at the local gym until she can afford to pay for yoga and personal trainer certifications. she runs everyday and gets her own apartment. life is, despite her propensity for betting on the wrong horse and searching so desperately for love, pretty great.

until she gets the call.

yolanda is much older than she remembers upon her trip back to the hospital. she is not the intimidating matriarch that once rapped her nails on leticia’s shoulder during interviews to prompt a correct answer to a question that was meaningless to a little girl. instead, she lies in a hospital bed like a husk or a ghost and it’s almost enough to make leticia regret leaving until she goes to the house and sees the shrines to gabriela ortiz and not a single shred of evidence that gabriela’s miracle ever lived at all. 

she packs up the house, making it ready to sell as yolanda’s remaining days lesson. she doesn’t take calls from her loved ones or turn on the tv after she passes. her grief, as different from her grandmothers as the sun and moon, necessitates solitude. she doesn’t touch the phone, tv, or internet for three days and, when she does, it’s too call 911 in response to the sound of someone breaking in. there is no one on the other end.

leticia survives by doing what she loves best. she runs. she spends days running and sometimes it feels as if that is all she does. by the time she reaches the woodbridge safe zone, she has been running for years. running away, running for her life, running to feel like a person again. now she runs for a new kind of home. and, she wonders, if it will ever feel as full of love as her cousins’ house once did. she thinks, perhaps, those things are long gone.

[thecreaturecodex]

Great Old One, Kyuss

“Dungeon 135 Cover” by Wayne Reynolds, © Paizo Publishing.

[Kyuss here is a milestone in a number of ways. He’s the last of my Age of Worms conversions. He’s my first CR 30 monster, which is as high as CRs get in Pathfinder RPG. And he’s my 650th unique entry in the Creature Codex!

These statistics are based primarily on the Dungeon Magazine version of Kyuss, but toned down. Kyuss didn’t need four different spell lists. The spell stowaway ability is a feat from the 3.0 Epic Level handbook, which I gave to Kyuss since in my game, one of the PCs loved to abuse time stop. The resultant battle, in which a PC soloed the Wormgod for 4 rounds and survived, is still talked about around my table more than a decade later.]

Great Old One, Kyuss CR 30 NE Aberration This immense giant is composed of thousands of writhing worms woven together in a mockery of the humanoid form. It cloaks its form in a ragged gray robe, and immense orange eyes glow hatefully under its hood. It carries a bladed mace in its hands.

Kyuss The Wormgod, the Worm that Walks, the Parasite Divine NE male Great Old One of decay, undeath and apocalypse Domains Death, Destruction, Evil, Magic Subdomains Catastrophe, Decay*, Divine, Undead Worshipers avolakias, nihilists, the duped Minions wormtouched undead, overworms, Kyuss wormswarms Unholy Symbol A human skull with green worms pouring from the eyes and mouth Favored Weapon executioner’s mace *Clerics of Kyuss can use the Decay subdomain to modify the Death domain

Kyuss, the Wormgod, is the architect of apocalypse and the creator of a panoply of undead. His ultimate goals are to usher in the Age of Worms, an era in which all mortals are converted into undead and the world is a writhing nightmare. He has very nearly succeeded in these goals, but was thwarted by great heroes and cast once more into imprisonment. But Kyuss stirs in his tomb, and the Age of Worms may begin in a far-away planet or plane.

Kyuss is perhaps unique among the Great Old Ones in that he was once a mortal. An executioner of a jungle city in a cruel theocracy, he clawed his way to the role of high priest and then priest-king. Obsessed with immortality and despising the frailties of flesh, he experimented with spell weaver magic and the green worms which now bear his name. In a mythic ritual, he stripped the life force of an entire empire and poured it into his own body, hoping to achieve godhood. Kyuss failed by inches, achieving eternal life but becoming a writhing thing instead of an ascendant deity, trapped in a shard of indestructible black stone. It is this shard that is both Kyuss’ sanctuary and prison, and from which he emerges to wreak ruin on the world.

In his millennia of study and plotting, the Parasite Divine has discovered a pernicious way of increasing his power. Rather than gain worship directly, he does so mostly through fear and deception. A number of cults founded by his monstrous minions or his few true humanoid believers shroud Kyuss’ true nature in layers of lies, allowing him to sip from the power of belief provided by the unknowing. Even knowing Kyuss’ true nature and that of his plots is not enough, for Kyuss draws energy from creatures fearing him as surely as he does from those worshiping him. If Kyuss were to achieve his goals and achieve true divinity, he would be a powerful and dangerous god indeed.

In combat, Kyuss is nothing short of ruinous. He combines a variety of necromantic spells with blows from an immense black mace. Even if disarmed, his physical attacks are horrific—he can engulf a foe and strip the flesh from them in seconds, returning them to a hideous parody of life as one of his scions. Kyuss rarely fights alone, calling on broodfiends, wormdrakes and powerful undead of many kinds to serve as distractions and cannon fodder.

Kyuss    CR 30 XP 9,830,400 NE Huge aberration (Great Old One) Init +22; Senses blindsight 300 ft., darkvision 120 ft., Perception +53, true seeing Aura unspeakable presence (300 ft, DC 42), zone of desecration (120 ft.) Defense AC 45, touch 45, flat-footed 23 (-2 size, +12 Dex, +25 insight) hp 752 (35d8+595); fast healing 30 Fort +28, Ref +25, Will +34 DR 20/-; Immune ability damage, ability drain, acid, aging, cold, critical hits, death effects, disease, energy drain, mind-affecting effects, paralysis, petrification, single-target spells, sneak attack, stunning; SR 41; 46 vs. divinations Defensive Abilities amorphous, immortality, insanity (DC 42), negative energy affinity, spell stowaway Offense Speed 50 ft., burrow 50 ft., climb 50 ft., swim 50 ft. Melee Mace of Kyuss +43/+38/+33/+28 (4d6+27/19-20x3) or 2 slams +40 (2d8+16 plus grab) Space 15 ft; Reach 15 ft. Special Abilities channel negative energy (25/day, 10d6, DC 42), create spawn, devastation beam, engulf, mythic power (10/day, surge +1d12), thanatoic nightmares Spell-like Abilities CL 30th, concentration +45 (+49 casting defensively) Constant—freedom of movement, nondetection, tongues, true seeing At will— create undead, create greater undead, greater dispel magic, greater teleport, harm M (DC 31), nightmare M (DC 30) 3/day— control undead (DC 31), disintegrate M (DC 31), finger of death M (DC 32), quickened greater dispel magic, quickened harm M (DC 31), empowered horrid wilting (DC 33) 1/day—mage’s disjunction (DC 34), power word kill M, summon (level 9th, 2d4 broodfiends or wormdrakes, 100%), wail of the banshee (DC 34), wish M Spells CL 20th, concentration +35 (+39 casting defensively) 9th—astral projection, energy drain (DC 36), gate, miracle, overwhelming presence (DC 34), quickened slay living (DC 32) 8th—antimagic field M, quickened divine power, fire storm M (DC 33), greater spell immunity, quickened inflict critical wounds M (DC 31, x2) 7th—blasphemy M (DC 32), destruction (DC 34), ethereal jaunt, mass inflict serious wounds (DC 34), quickened prayer, quickened protection from energy, repulsion 6th—blade barrier M (DC 31), forbiddance (DC 31), harm M (DC 33), mass eagle’s splendor, plague storm (DC 33), quickened spiritual weapon M, word of recall 5th—dispel good (DC 30), flame strike (DC 30), greater command (DC 30), scrying (DC 30), quickened shield of faith, slay living (DC 32), unhallow 4th—air walk (x2), dimensional anchor, inflict critical wounds M (DC 31), sending, terrible remorse, unholy blight M (DC 29) 3rd—bestow curse (DC 30), blindness/deafness (DC 30), contagion (DC 30), inflict serious wounds (DC 32), invisibility purge, magic circle vs. good (DC 30), prayer M, speak with dead (DC 32) 2nd—bull’s strength, darkness, death knell (DC 31), hold person (DC 29), make whole, resist energy, silence (DC 29), spiritual weapon M 1st—bane (DC 30), deathwatch, detect undead, divine favor, entropic shield, protection from good (DC 28), sanctuary (DC 28), shield of faith M 0th—bleed (DC 29), detect magic, guidance, read magic Statistics Str 42, Dex 34, Con 45, Int 38, Wis 41, Cha 41 Base Atk +26; CMB +44 (+48 grappling); CMD 76 Feats Combat Casting, Command Undead, Craft Magic Arms and Armor, Craft Wondrous Item, Empower SLA (horrid wilting), Greater Spell Focus (necromancy), Greater Vital Strike, Improved Critical (executioner’s mace), Improved Vital Strike, Lightning Reflexes, Mythic Spell Power, Power Attack, Quicken SLA (greater dispel magic, heal) Quicken Spell, Spell Focus (necromancy), Spell Penetration, Vital Strike Skills Acrobatics +50, Bluff +50, Climb +62, Diplomacy +50, Escape Artist +50, Intimidate +53, Knowledge (arcana) +52, Knowledge (dungeoneering, nature, planes, religion) +49, Perception +53, Sense Motive +53, Spellcraft +52, Stealth +42, Survival +53, Swim +62, Use Magic Device +50 Languages Abyssal, Aklo, Avolakia, Draconic, Infernal, telepathy 300 ft. SQ compression, otherworldly insight Ecology Environment any land or underground Organization unique Treasure double standard (Mace of Kyuss [+3 unholy vorpal executioner’s mace], other treasure) Special Abilities Channel Negative Energy (Su) Kyuss can channel negative energy as per a 20th level cleric. Create Spawn (Su) Any creature reduced to 0 Int by Kyuss rises as a scion of Kyuss under Kyuss’ control immediately. Devastation Beam (Su) As a standard action, Kyuss can fire destructive energy in a 600 foot line. All creatures and objects in the line take 17d12 points of damage that ignore all hardness, damage reduction or energy resistance (Reflex DC 42 half). A creature reduced to 0 hit points by this blast is destroyed utterly and can only be returned to life with a miracle, true resurrection or wish spell. The save DC is Charisma based. Engulf (Ex) If Kyuss grapples a foe, as a swift action, it can cause a swarm of worms to squirm over the grappled creature. These worms deal 5d6+24 points of damage and 3d6 points of Intelligence drain and the creature is nauseated for 1 round. A successful DC 44 Fortitude save negates the nausea and halves the Intelligence drain. Kyuss can only have one embraced target at a time, but it does not have to continue grappling in order to maintain the embrace. If Kyuss moves more than 5 feet from the swarm or dismisses the swarm (a free action), the swarm dies. Any area attack that damages the swarm or any severe or stronger wind effect that affects the swarm's target kills it. Immortality (Ex) If Kyuss is slain, he explodes in a fountain of worms—all creatures within 30 feet take damage as if exposed to his engulf ability (Fort DC 44 halves). Any scions of Kyuss created by this effect are free willed. Kyuss then reforms on another planet or plane over the course of 1000 years, trapped in a monolith of black stone until the time is right to reemerge. Spells Kyuss casts spells as a 20th level cleric. He does not gain access to domain spells or domain abilities. Spell Stowaway (Su) Whenever a creature within 60 feet of Kyuss uses time stop, he can act normally within the duration of the time stop, as if he had cast it himself. As neither he nor the caster are frozen in time with respect to each other, each can target and affect the other with attacks, spells, or other effects they create, though they cannot affect other creatures within the duration of the time stop. This ability functions even if Kyuss is flat-footed or unaware of his opponent. Thanatoic Nightmares (Su) Kyuss can use his nightmare spell-like ability on any creature that has ever taken ability damage or drain from an undead creature, or been infected with a disease by an undead. In addition to the effects of the nightmare, the target must succeed a DC 42 Will save or become infected with the seed of undeath. It takes a -4 penalty to all saves against necromancy spells, negative energy effects or the special attacks of the undead. If slain by an undead creature with the create spawn ability, it rises as a scion of Kyuss instead. This effect is permanent unless removed by remove curse or a similar effect. The save DC is Charisma based. Unspeakable Presence (Su) Failing a DC 42 Will save against Kyuss’ unspeakable presence causes the victim to be overwhelmed by a sense of doom—it takes a -4 penalty to all attack rolls, saving throws, skill and ability checks and weapon damage rolls while it remains in the area. Zone of Desecration (Su) Kyuss emits a 120 foot aura that duplicates the effects of a desecrate spell. He counts as a shrine to an evil religion for the purposes of the spell.

[finadgaming]

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