#Knowledge Crawl 2024

[odmpublicschool]

Knowledge-Crawl – 2024″ held at ODM

Bhubaneswar: The annual exhibition ‘Knowledge-Crawl-2024’ was held at ODM Public School premises in Patia on Friday. Founder of ODM Educational Institutions. Prof. (Dr.) Aseem Ranjan Parhi, Head, Department of English, Utkal University inaugurated the exhibition as the Chief Guest and Mr. Saroj Kumar Das, Vice-Principal, Kendriya Vidyalaya-3 as one of the guests. On the occasion, the guests in their speeches opined that the exhibition is a platform for the development of inherent talents and skills of the children that can create a young scientist in the future. They opined that if the children continue their passion and strong willpower, they can solve various problems in the future and move forward. 

Founder Dr. Meenketan respected the interest of the children and congratulated them for developing their talents. This demonstration is based on science, social science and mathematics subjects. Students of classes 1st to 12th participated in the exhibition.  Director of the school Indumati Roy felicitated the guests.

More than 100 projects were showcased by the students in the second phase of the programme. In this context, the jury showcased and evaluated various projects, charts, models, short films prepared by the students. The best projects were awarded by the jury. Chief Executive Officer of the school Swayam Satyendu, Vice-Principal Dr. Sandhyarani Swain, Director of Education Dr. Artatran Mishra, Vice President Rajesh Kumar Padhi and parents were visited these exhibitions.

Article Resource: https://odishastand.com/knowledge-crawl-2024-held-at-odm/

[the-cimmerians]

It's 2024. I have been participating in fandom for 40 years. This is a ramble commemorating some history I've experienced along the way.

In 1984, I attended my first convention, and made a beeline for the one long row of covered tables in the Dealer's Room that was, according to the whispered lore of my friends, 'the one'. "um", I said, very suavely and coherently, except for how it was totally the opposite of those things, "I'm here for the... for the, uh. For-"

"Come around here," the man behind the table said with exhausted ennui, so I went around, and he lifted up the table skirt next to him and pointed to rows and rows of boxes underneath the line of tables. "It's all under here."

It was all under there. Along with about five older ladies with glasses, graying hair, cardigans. Flipping through slash zines and chatting in whispered voices like old friends (which of course they were). I noticed one of them had the good sense to be wearing kneepads. I was still too young and ablebodied to need kneepads when crawling on a carpeted floor, but I immediately found her preparedness skills to be both impressive and hot. "You're new," one of the ladies whispered to me--a bit warily, which made sense. "Are you sure you're in the right place?"

In the faint light (the kneepads lady had also come prepared with a flashlight, additional practicality hotness points for her) I grabbed a comb-bound book with a heavy line art piece on the cover, featuring a musclebound Captain Kirk getting righteously and enthusiastically plowed by a stern-yet-ebullient Spock. "This," I said, pointing helpfully at the cover, like I was trying to make myself understood in a language I had only the vaguest knowledge of. "I'm here for this."

Outside at the convention, most of the attendees were wearing large homemade circular pins that shrieked 'K/S is BS!!!'1. But underneath the table, we reveled in the forbidden.

***

In 1985, I fell very hard for Starsky & Hutch fandom. Which was simply referred to at the time as 'the other fandom', because there were only two. We were upstarts. Many fannish elders predicted that it was just a phase.

***

The 'circulating library' was a massive stack of barely-legible pages that smelled strongly of mimeograph ink. When you were on the list, you would write stories while you waited for your turn, and when the big box was mailed to you, you would read everything (new finds, old favorites), add your own sloppily-typed or hastily-mimeographed stories, and then mail the whole thing to the next person. For me, at the time, it was an extremely expensive indulgence--but my favorite one.

***

By 1990, slash fandom had grown enough that I no longer knew everyone in it, which was both thrilling and a bit daunting. A young woman at a convention waited for me after a panel I was part of (I think it was 'writing impactful smut' or something like that), and said she had a question she didn't want to ask in a group setting. I'd heard that before. I said that's fine, go ahead and ask; and she came out with: "Why do you have to be gay?"

I blinked. "Is... that a problem?"

She looked annoyed. "Yes, because your stories are on all the recommendation lists and in all the top zines, but if you're gay and I read something you wrote and I get hot from it that makes me gay, and I'm not gay."

"Wow." I grinned, I couldn't help it. It probably made me look very predatory-dyke-about-to-score-a-toaster. Whatever, it was enough to make her back away from me fast.

When I thought about it later that night, I wondered what it would be like not to be the only queer person in slash fandom.

***

By 1997, slash started appearing on the internet. Many fannish elders claimed it was the death knell of slash fandom, or dismissed it as 'just a phase'.

***

Anyway, I wrote all this for myself as a commemoration of sorts, but if you took the time to read it--thank you. Love you, fandom. I always will.

1 In those days, m/m fandom was known as 'slash', which grew from the fannish shorthand where 'K&S' meant a story of Kirk and Spock having adventures or tribulations or what have you, and 'K/S' meant a story of Kirk and Spock getting it on (Kirk divided by Spock or Spock into Kirk--it was mathy fannish humor and I was into it then and I still am now). Slash was decidedly unpopular in the fannish world in 1984, and there was a concerted effort to force slash authors, artists, and fans out of 'mainstream' fannish public life. Hence, under the table.

[duck-a-doodle]

COD Headcanons: Soft Intimacy

SFW thoughts on what would unravel the COD boys. This is my first post for this fandom, and my entry point to it was the MWII campaign and a few comics, so it might be slightly OOC. In the meantime, I will keep doing research and I hope this brings you joy! :-) -CH

Masterlist 7/14/2024

Simon "Ghost" Riley silently relishes light scratches. The kind that runs slowly, gently down the scalp or round the ears, feathering across his scapula over the thin fabric of his shirt and the underside of his arms. He shudders at getting his spine or ribs traced, head spinning at the idea of fingers so tender taking long, tantalising hours to outline all of himself, the electrifying comfort flickering his heavy eyelids. Heavy as he is, the man is quick to persuade that you rest your weight upon him during such domestic ministrations; he curses, however, at your much more compelling affections, falling prey to the charms of your worship. Slowly, but surely, he leans forth — first dropping his head to your shoulder while languid nails crawl down his cheek, then falling to his hands and soon, his elbows — gliding his head down your collarbone and onto your beating chest, where he recognises that you are most ardently obsessed of him as he is of you. “Obsessed” is much too simple a word  and “reverent”, too large an understatement. His skin is yours, his mind is yours, his breath, his tongue, and every crevice of himself he can count; a gift and homage to your hands, his temple. As he finally sinks all of himself into you with a groan and a sigh, he gingerly lifts his heavy hands, resting them warmly by your sides and over your ribs, in hopes to return all your love with the altogether humble gesture. On days which he stubbornly wishes to do the same for you, he mimics the way you touch him, in every precise manner and every exact order, seeking nooks and crannies that warm your skin or hitch your breath. He will weakly protest, however, moments which your hands reach too close to him outside of these intimate instances, causing light, inadvertent whimpers from the back of his throat.

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Captain John Price likes using his hands for carrying. “Brutish” is an adjective familiar and frequent to his bear paws, trained to caress cold, carbons steel and paint itself in red, smelling only of matches and rust.  The warmest things his hands have known are the arms and backs of his fallen men and the barrel of his heartless iron, the touch of it comparable to a Londoner’s December. You, in place of the metal, you, strong yet brittle and you, lighter to him than a C4, grenade or flashbang, are his respite, reprising over the smoke of his numerous deployments, where his hands took more than they gave. He cannot help the pliant hips and waist that fit his palms seamlessly, more harmless than the many miry grounds he trekked before — a kind, relenting texture which spoil his weathered, calloused digits with the knowledge that they are utterly malleable to you, benign to you, void of all menace. Coarse fingers drag and curl your silhouette as your mass rests weightlessly on his arms and shoulders, yielding to his calculated strength. That he can evoke a laugh or an exclamation of surprise is a source of endless pride; a gentle nudge that the Captain John Price can tickle fancy by exercising a fraction of his brawn on something worldly. He could lift your groceries, the couch, your books — but  he likes to sweep off your feet the most. Trailing your thighs, calves, the small of your back are the hands that seek reminder of his humanity, tendons and phalanges flexing with every curve it meets, venerating eyes never leaving yours which watch his display of muscle with great wonder. For you, he would carry the world. Thus, in his words, “my back is strong enough to carry both our weights for a lifetime, if you’d let me.”

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John "Soap" McTavish has developed a habit of pawing. The abundance (if not exclusive presence) of tough military equipment, smoking alloys and dogged combat routines necessitated his use of hard, impenetrable gloves. Its rugged, protective textile has unwittingly sensitised his hands to various surfaces, including bare skin. He hesitated to touch you, timorous from his own want, curiosity and the unknown. Gone are his inhibitions when graced with your guiding hands, easing the earth-riddled cowhide off his palms. Aimless hands follow your lead, pressing into you over his Henley you borrowed. Finding purchase upon your stomach, he gradually grows accustomed to the fondness of your abdomen, shortly braving his way to your chest with sturdy yet clumsy paws. A current crackles down his body as he toys with the ripples of fabric adorned by your skin, indulgence rapidly surging from his fingers to his giddy head — he is soon to be all over you, his newfound contentment switching into overdrive. Respiration turning laboured, those once shy hands grow ravenous and wayward, roaming under the influence of his enthusiasm; every sharp inhale and strained noise he extorts from you only serves to encourage him further, inciting cheeky gropes at your sides, inner thighs and behind. What would eventually drive his mind over the edge, when you finally decide he is too much, is your folding a very surprised McTavish down onto the couch over you, keeping his head to your tummy and his hands tucked to your sides, imploring him to behave himself. Chiding him to act proper was an error on your behalf; his demeanour shifts, mischief clear in his eyes as he unabashedly explores all of you, pawing at you with every naughty intent fathomable.

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Kyle "Gaz" Garrick is crazy about being sat on. By no means a foolhardy nor gormless soldier, he holds himself to high decorum with immense discipline, ever an air of diplomacy about his person. None would have imagined that a simple act as sitting on his lap would send him reeling, rendered silent for fear of speaking with neither form nor cohesion. He turns light-headed watching your thighs pool like molten lava, quads sweltering from mere contact, let alone the pleasurable tension of your weight balancing precariously off his trembling knees. Worried that his legs would tire, you made to rise, wanting to relieve him of your own gravity but you were firmly held in place; two large, veined hands anchor you resolutely onto unmoving thighs, and any attempts of persuasion, made in the interest of his own comfort, faced flat rebuffal. Gratitude towards Lady Luck nearly spills from his lips, numb with inadvertence, as you nestle your heft upon him, for want of better comfort. You mistaking his lap for an empty stool was akin to setting his legs on fire, but to make yourself comfortable against him? For a man who prided himself for his class and propriety, he quickly found himself immensely burdened with sin, and subtlety became a language long forgotten. Had he any sense left in him that was not knocked out of the ballpark by your charming self, he would not be finding himself gently playing with the hem of your shirt, folding funny shapes with the fabric between his clammy fingers. Savoury dreams of you enticed him, swimming behind his glossy eyes that are unresponsive to the lights that danced across his features. Oh, you were so much trouble to him, colouring him brazen and so very warm. He loves it, however, and you will soon find what a fiend and a devil you can be when you later use this against the soldier's poor heart.

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Alejandro Vargas will die for your scent. Tantamount to a hound, no vaquero could catch the winds of change for miles around the way he could. The smell of burning tyres against the asphalt of the streets, the oils and perfumes of the same shop houses, the settling dust of his own base, and the routine spritz of air freshener that now smelled of lemon instead of mint ever since the new hire came on duty. Where Alejandro worked, the bittersweetness of gunpowder that sweeps his olfactory is his peace, and the constant heatwave that boils a Proust phenomenon out of the hanger persists in the back of his senses, subtle yet certain. No delicate change challenged his sharpness. He has a full bible to list it all, memorised from the front to back — and though he may not be religious, he is a madly devoted man. A hypervigilance that cannot be removed must find a reprieve, and only a single odour, long seared into his mind, pulls at him not first from the mind but from the heart. You, who smelled of his blankets, you, whose shampoo and T-shirt he recognised not from the brand but from its lingering aroma, and you, who could never surprise him with your presence because the scent of you would enter the room before his name falls from your lips, and before his eyes could reach yours. You remain the only person who turned his head with such impassioned and obsessed vigour, and he knew he was done for ever since. He would press his nose deep into your cheek, your neck, or the back of your nape and find himself at home as he stood in a room full of coldhearted artillery. No proper explanation was ever given when you find a shirt or two missing over the months of his deployment, but secretly, you had always known. And like the cheek you are to his mischief, you bask in the darker colour of his cheeks when you find that mysterious missing shirt hidden in the pile of laundry from his deployment.

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Rodolfo "Rudy" Parra likes soft whispers. Such light, airy and vertiginous words that kiss the shell of his ears — they would rob the man of his joints. Everyday exchanges of each other’s day ground him and ruin him, discernible only by both your ears. While he lends his body to the field, bloody and savage, in his heart there stands a single white flag signed in your name, by his hand; in a head overrun with sounds of distorted infrared voices, caterpillar tracks crushing against gravel and of heartless iron shells dropping at two hundred rounds per minute, your quiet words remain. A man of few words must have so much thought that weighs on his tongue, until it becomes too heavy to express. Surely, you must be a godsend. The way you effortlessly loosen the words from his hardened teeth, clenched too tightly still lest a bullet comes to bite, pulls shivers from his lips and down his watery lashes. Something about your bottom lip renders him helpless, and he finds that he must rest his thumb on your lower lip to lessen the giddiness that threatens to beat his heart out of his flaming chest. Permanently latched onto the rich timber of your voice was a man desperate to preserve you, so much that he keeps all your voicemails to him and labels them by the topic, just so he can find exactly when he needs to hear, when he needs to hear it. Moments of quietude in his bunk led one thought to the next, and he often ended the day with your voice embracing the deepest parts of his soul through an old, wired earpiece, wondering if you knew what gravity you had upon him. Perhaps you do know, he believed decidedly — because when he played a new recording you sent him during his deployment, his fingers violently mashed the volume-down button of his device at your rather unique choice of words, spoken at a careless whisper. You knew he had listened to it, as the first thing he did when he returned was to hold you in your place, and return all the salacious whispers he received right back to the bane of his heart. Ten-fold.

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König has an obsession with trapping. Hugs come rare to a man of his nature; imposing, wild and unacclimated to the civilised world. When arms do find their way around him, his own snakes around them, encircling the sensation, holding it close and praying that it seeps into his skin, permeating his senses to remain seared in his remembrance. Yet, more than once, he finds the same arms, over and over, routine the way the birds must sing and the poets must write. Always your arms, by his initiative. Greed will be his downfall and he knows, and he gladly embraces his defeat, relenting to your winsome self without remorse. Never would he deem himself a small man, albeit despite the notion, he shrinks; younger and younger he becomes with you, compressed to his front as much as your skins would let, as much as his strength allows without colouring your flesh a bluish-purple, until he is but a boy cradling his most dear Bärchen, unwilling to let go. He watches with blooming gratification, the exhale that falls from your lips as you press together, eyes drooping from the pleasant pressure that grounds you to earth, all because it is he who holds you. He drinks the sight and lets the view inebriate his already intoxicated mind. On the occasion when he becomes the bear-trapped, he will amuse himself with your too-small arms that fail to close around him, and will quickly turn the tables, subjecting you to his drunken coos with an onslaught of “mein Schatz”es, “Schnuckiputzi”s and “liebling”s. Greed will be his downfall, but you must be his renaissance.

P.S.: Can you tell that I read Pride & Prejudice before writing the TF141's and König's parts? I can. :'-)

[going-to-ikea-for-the-fries]

thinking of merman gaz again so...

Again. || Merman!Gaz pt.2 (for Mermay 2024)

cw: smut, voyeurism (fingering and piv), face-sitting & cunnilingus, non-sex toys used as sex toys, dubcon elements, mermaid smut idk

Merman!Gaz who goes looking for you at the beach he found you after he realizes you two did not, in fact, mate.

Merman!Gaz who cannot find you and gets genuinely distraught and sad for a few weeks, but keeps going back to the beach nonetheless.

Merman!Gaz who, one of those times, spots a couple at the beach under the cover of night.

Merman!Gaz who can tell it isn't you, (it's not the same scent), but knows it's a human woman, and a human man, and she smells sweet and aroused, just like you had been.

Merman!Gaz who drags himself over the rocks and watches closely as the man's fingers dive deep into the woman's sopping cunt, the same way he had had his tongue inside you...

Merman!Gaz who watches how the woman's back arches and she cries out to the night sky in delight as he brings her over the edge, just like he had done to you.

Merman!Gaz who watches how they turn over on the towel, and the man fishes a large appendage from the confines of his clothes, and sits her down onto it, sinking her onto it and hearing her cry so beautifully...

Merman!Gaz who gets the realization that, unlike seahorses, it's the human male that penetrates the female to breed, not the other way around... but he can't.

Merman!Gaz whose efforts to see you again become even more desperate, attempting to find you to test the newfound knowledge...

Merman!Gaz who's fins brighten and nearly glow when he spots you at the beach again nearly a month later, alone and looking out onto the water for him.

Merman!Gaz who swims up to the rocks like before and looks at you with big brown eyes and, although you see little more than a silhouette, you crawl over to him.

Merman!Gaz whose mouth isn't quite equipped to speak, so his words sound rough and a bit foreign when he says 'Missed you', but preens when you say you 'missed him too'.

Merman!Gaz who tries pawing at your legs again, this time covered in a pair of leggings to beat the cold winds of the sea, and gets stopped by you saying 'you hurt me the other day. you can't leave me like that'.

Merman!Gaz who understands the word 'hurt' and 'leave' and pouts at you, rubbing his head against your leg like a cat, before climbing up on the rocks beside you and kissing your cheek.

Merman!Gaz who carefully brings you over his lap, over his tail, watching how you squirm a bit against the wetness and the bizarre feeling of the scales.

Merman!Gaz who kisses you softly, his wet, salty lips pressed to yours and his webbed hands holding you close.

Merman!Gaz who makes out with you sweetly and slowly, like he has all the time in the world to apologize for leaving you, showing he's no longer in a rush.

Merman!Gaz who preens and smiles brightly when your hands caress every inch of his torso, especially his strong biceps and the extra layer of fat on his tummy, seemingly pleased that you're pleased.

Merman!Gaz who helps remove your clothes and this time goes slowly, no longer receiving a warning to be 'careful', and is somehow knowledgeable enough to not drop your coverings onto the ocean to drift away, but either sets them neatly on the rocks.

Merman!Gaz who lowers himself halfway into the water, to keep his tail (and some of his scales) hydrated, but keeps his head above the rocks, dragging your exposed cunt over his mouth.

Merman!Gaz who rocks you back and forth on his tongue and lets you grind against it as he laps and sucks at your clit, watching you quiver and tremble above him.

Merman!Gaz who rips orgasm after orgasm out of you and suddenly stops and pulls you off him, and gestures vaguely, leaving you confused and worried, guessing whatever he means.

Merman!Gaz who dives back into the water, leaving you angry and frustrated, thinking he's, once again, leaving, and so you resume putting your clothes back on...

Merman!Gaz who returns so suddenly it startles you, pulling you back onto his lap and this time rips your t-shirt off your body in frustration for covering yourself again.

Merman!Gaz who stops your protests by rubbing a webbed hand over your warm, wet cunt, knowing his fingers will not fit inside, the webbing preventing them to go in further than the fingertips...

Merman!Gaz who carefully holds onto the base of a smooth-surfaced cerith sea shell and presses it slowly into your eager, winking hole.

Merman!Gaz who notices how prettily you react to the way it fills you up, the ribbing and twisting shape rubbing against the most sensitive spots in your gummy walls.

Merman!Gaz who smiles as you lay your head against his shoulder, carefully recreating the in and out motion he watched the human man perform on his partner, your moans echoing in the night.

Merman!Gaz who has no idea of your limits or of anything being too much for a human, and so goes on and on.

Merman!Gaz who keeps moving the shell slowly inside your wet walls, ripping so many moans and climaxes out of you, that it leaves you limp against his torso, with a blissfully fucked out look on your face.

Merman!Gaz who keeps his tail wrapped around one of your legs firmly, possessively but lovingly, wordlessly declaring you his mating partner, even if you won't actually breed with him.

Part 1:

[littlest-w01f]

Dark

"Shadow play" with:

The Darkling x Reader

Kinktober 2024 Masterlist

Summary: The Darkling uses a merzost creature to take care of you after an intense training session. Using you as practice for the magic.

Cw: Darkling's Nichevo'ya, oral!F receiving, Smut 18+ MDIN

a/n: fic on Ao3

After another intense training session, you felt your energy waning. You were soaked through with sweat, your body trembling slightly as you tried to catch your breath. "Aleks, I think I died..." You bellowed dramatically to your partner who sat at the nearby desk, working

As you collapse onto the soft bed, your chest heaving with exertion, suddenly, a shadow coalesced around you, wrapping itself gently around your body. It was cool and soothing against your heated skin, like a gentle caress. It began to move slowly over your curves, tracing its way up your legs before creeping up your torso.

"Oh, poor precious." Aleksander cooed, looking up from his battle plans and letters to smile at you.

The shadows continued its slow crawl across your flushed skin, teasing every curve and dip with an ethereal touch. As it reached your breasts, it enveloped them, causing your nipples to harden instantly. The sensation was overwhelming, sending shivers down your spine and straight to your core.

It continued its slow exploration, lingering on each curve of your body, teasing your sensitive skin with its cool touch. Your breathing hitched, a low moan escaping your lips as you felt yourself responding to its gentle caresses. Gliding along the delicate curve of your hips, over the swell of your breasts, and down again. Each touch sent ripples of pleasure coursing through your exhausted body, making your nipples harden against them.

"You look absolutely spent, sweetheart." Aleksander said softly, smirking, watching his shadows play with you.

Your heavy-lidded gaze met his, a sultry smirk playing on your lips. "I am... but I didn't expect my reward for a job well done would be this," You murmured, feeling the shadows continue their tantalizing dance across your body. They slid down your thighs, inching closer to the heat between your legs.

With a playful giggle, you lifted your hips slightly off the bed, inviting more contact. The shadows seemed to understand your silent plea, intensifying their touch, ripping your clothes off your sweat-covered body. One ghostly hand traced up your inner thigh, while another teased your nipple, rolling it between its fingers. The sensations were intoxicating, making you squirm beneath them.

"I couldn't help but watch you, you know," Aleksander turned the shadows into a humanoid form towering over you, "You deserve this reward."

The ethereal being hovering above you took on a more solid form, its presence now tangible yet still eerily cold. Its hands continued their exploratory journey, tracing your curves with an expertise only gained from years of intimate knowledge.

One hand cupped your breast, thumb circling your hardened nipple while the other slipped lower, teasing the wetness between your thighs. A third phantom-like appendage wrapped around your waist, pulling you closer to the edge of the bed. The air around you crackled with sexual tension, the room filled with the scent of your arousal.

"You've been watching me?" You giggled, a wicked grin spreading across your face. "Then why not join me?"

"I'm practising merzost in little forms, my love." He replied simply, "I'll join you after it is don't with you."

The merzost creature, a manifestation of pure magical energy, descended upon you hungrily. Ghostly appendages materialized from the darkness, caressing your skin with electric tingles, hands groped your breasts roughly.

Your back arched off the bed, a startled gasp turning into a moan as the creature ravished your body with its insatiable appetite. Electric shocks of pleasure zapped through your nerves with each touch, building a burning need inside you.

The being leaned down, pressing its cool lips against yours in a searing kiss. Its tongue darted out, exploring the depths of your mouth with a voracious hunger that matched the growing desire within you, you could see it, feel it, but not touch it. Its hands roamed your body freely, each touch igniting sparks of pleasure throughout your system.

The merzost entity's kiss consumed you whole, its essence flooding your senses as it devoured your mouth. Your mind reeled from the intensity, drowning in a sea of pleasure as its roaming hands left trails of electricity in their wake.

Trembling under the onslaught, you felt your body surrender to the creature's will. It pushed you back onto the bed, pinning you beneath its ethereal form. The pressure of its weight, though intangible, sent jolts of ecstasy through your core.

Moans spilt from your lips, lost in the haze of passion as it continued its relentless assault. Its hands gripped your thighs, spreading them wide, exposing your dripping cunt to its hungry gaze. With a flicker of energy, it plunged a spectral finger deep inside you, curling it to stroke that sweet spot within.

The creature's finger pumped in and out of your slick cunt, stoking the flames of your desire higher and higher. It added a second digit, stretching you deliciously as it explored your most intimate depths. Pleasure built rapidly, your walls clenching around the invading digits, trying to draw them deeper.

Ghostly lips trailed hot kisses down your neck, leaving a trail of tingling sensations in their wake. Teeth grazed your pulse point, nipping lightly as the creature worked you towards the edge. It crooked its fingers just right, rubbing against that special bundle of nerves, sending shockwaves of ecstasy radiating through your entire being.

Your hands fisted in the sheets, back bowing off the mattress as the coil wound tighter and tighter within you. "Aleks!" You moaned your lover's name who kept switching from his work and watching you get devoured by his creation

Aleksander's gaze remained fixed on the spectacle unfolding before him, his lover writhing in ecstasy beneath the shadow creature's ministrations. His eyes burned with a mix of lust and pride, witnessing the effects of his creation firsthand.

"Look at you, so responsive… So beautiful when you surrender to pleasure," He whispered to himself, stroking his chin thoughtfully. "Perhaps I should make it focus more on oral stimulation... You know how I love to hear your screams."

His musings were interrupted by a particularly loud moan from you, your back arching sharply as the creature's fingers found that perfect spot inside you once more. Aleksander's cock twitched in his pants, straining against the fabric as he watched his lover teeter on the brink of climax so soon.

Two more ghostly fingers joined the first three, you didn't even know how many hands the thing had, over your breasts, one around your throat, two holding you down, playing with your clit, pumping in and out of your drenched cunt at a frenzied pace. The pressure built to a crescendo, your body tensing as the orgasm approached.

Just as you teetered on the edge, the creature withdrew its fingers completely, leaving you empty and aching. Before you could protest, it replaced its digits with its spectral tongue, delving deep into your core. The long, slender appendage lapped at your walls, savouring your essence as it thrust in and out, mimicking the motion of its fingers moments before.

Your body convulsed wildly, back arching off the bed as waves of intense pleasure crashed over you as you moaned. The merzost creature's tongue continued its relentless assault, milking every last drop of your release as you trembled and spasmed beneath it.

As the aftershocks subsided, the creature slowly pulled away, its ethereal form shimmering with an aura of satisfaction. It hovered above you, gazing down with an almost human-like expression of contentment. Your chest heaved with ragged breaths, sweat-dampened hair sticking to your forehead as you lay there, utterly spent and sated.

The merzost creature hovered above you, its glowing form casting an eerie glow on your flushed skin. As you caught your breath, it descended once more, pressing its cool lips against yours in a tender kiss. Its spectral tongue lingered on your lips, tasting the remnants of your release, tongue going too far down your throat.

Its hands began to roam again, this time with a gentler touch. Fingers danced along your curves, tracing patterns of pleasure over your sensitive flesh. The creature's essence enveloped you, soothing your senses as it coaxed you back to the brink of bliss.

But instead of plunging its fingers or tongue back into your throbbing cunt, it shifted its focus downward. Something bigger, and way larger pressed against your entrance, teasing at the tightness waiting for it.

It pressed forward, pushing past your innermost barriers, stretching you deliciously wide. The sensation was unlike anything you'd ever experienced – a blend of pleasure and pain that made your toes curl. Each inch it penetrated sent jolts of ecstasy coursing through your veins, until finally, it was fully sheathed within you.

With your legs lifted high, you were opened wide, receiving every inch of the creature. It pulsed within you, alive with raw energy. Every thrust brought forth new waves of pleasure, causing your breath to catch in your throat.

It began to move, sliding in and out of your slick cunt, waves of delight rippling through your body, amplifying the connection between you and the shadow being.

Meanwhile, Aleksander watched with rapt attention, unable to tear his gaze away from the erotic scene unfolding before him. His eyes gleamed with excitement and admiration, both for his creation and for his girl lying beneath it, completely lost in the throes of pleasure.

The merzost creature obeyed Aleksander's silent command, increasing its pace dramatically. The room filled with ghostly sounds as it pounded into you relentlessly, driving deeper with each powerful thrust.

Each movement sent ripples of pleasure coursing through your body, making your toes curl and your back arch off the bed. You couldn't help but cry out in ecstasy, each moan echoing through the chamber and fueling the creature's enthusiasm.

Despite the overwhelming pleasure, you managed to keep your eyes open, locking gazes with Aleksander across the room. There was something intensely arousing about seeing him watch you like this – knowing that he was enjoying the sight of his creation pleasuring you so thoroughly, it was evident by his cock gripped in his own hand, stroking himself to the sight of you.

Aleksander's eyes blazed with primal hunger as he witnessed the merzost creature ravaging his lover. The rhythmic slap of ectoplasmic flesh against your delicate folds echoed through the chamber, punctuated by your wanton cries of ecstasy.

He pumped his own rigid cock in time with the creature's thrusts, imagining those same motions driving into your welcoming heat. Pre-cum drooled from the tip, smearing over his fingers as they worked in tandem with his strokes.

The merzost entity seemed to sense its master's arousal, doubling its efforts to bring you to the pinnacle of pleasure.

"ALEKS!" Your voice shattered the air as another mind-numbing climax ripped through you, the winds howling from your power. The creature's relentless pounding pushed you over the edge, wave after wave of intense pleasure crashing over you. Your inner muscles clenched and fluttered around the invading presence, milking it for all it was worth.

Through the haze of post-orgasmic bliss, you felt Aleksander replace his creations, sealing your lips together in a deep sensual kiss as you lay in your own release, his cock still throbbing hard.

He broke the kiss only to slide his hands under your back, lifting you effortlessly as he positioned himself at your entrance once more.

With a single thrust, he buried himself deep within you, groaning at the feeling of your warm, wet depths enveloping him. He began to move, setting a slow but powerful rhythm that left you gasping and moaning beneath him. "Mmm... You're perfect."

Together, you and Aleksander rode the waves of pleasure, your bodies moving in sync as if guided by some unseen force. The room filled with the sound of flesh slapping against flesh, your heady mushy from the orgasms.

"Y/n... Y/n..." Aleksander's thrusts grew more erratic, his control slipping as the pleasure became unbearable. He pounded into you with a ferocity that bordered on savage, each thrust hitting that perfect spot inside you that sent sparks shooting through your entire body.

Your cries of pleasure urged him on, spurring him to greater heights of carnal abandon. His breathing grew labored, his movements becoming more desperate as he chased his own climax.

Finally, with a roar of triumph, he found his release. His seed erupted within you, hot and thick, filling you to overflowing as he rode out the waves of his orgasm. His release spilt deep within you, marking you as his in the most primal way possible.

As the final throbs of his orgasm faded, he collapsed atop you, his weight a comforting pressure against your body. He kissed your neck softly, murmuring words of love and adoration as he gently stroked your hair.

[noctunis]

“do you think we get a star out there when we die?”

he hummed in thought for a second or two, “maybe.”

“would you look for mine if i died?”

suguru stayed silent as his grip slightly faltered, eyes still fixated on the dark sky above you, littered with stars. your head turned back to mimic his actions, your ears echoing the shuffling in your head from the rough grass rustling under you.

“sorry,” you muttered.

“i would,” he mumbled, loud enough for you to hear as his fingers tightened around yours again, feeling the way your pulse would thump a little quicker in your fingertips whenever he’d speak.

looking at him, you realized that you and suguru geto were like roadkill, two dogs playing fetch on the highway as you chased your visible breaths in the cold — you’d throw a bone and he’d bring back his heart, bloody and throbbing. that was your routine, and he never got sick of it. even when the car would come, he’d lay limp under the wheels in hopes of making it quick, at least glad that your face would be the last thing he saw.

your lips twitched into a soft smile, bittersweet and warm — something geto always understood without words. thumbing his knuckle on his first finger, your eyes trailed down to where you were connected. at times, it often felt that sex would rarely surpass these small, intimate moments the two of you would share. you’d heed his calls for comfort in the middle of the night, using your time of quietude as an excuse to sway under the stars, the bright shimmering lights providing you a sensation of serenity as only the crickets and suguru’s soft breathing was heard.

your hands would find each other even in a dark spot where nobody could see; that was the beauty of the dark, you could hide from anything in there.

“i hope you know that i really am grateful for you,” he mumbled, eyes trained on what lay above you, trying to search for certain constellations he remembered reading about ( or more so being forced to read about ) back in school, virgo and ursa major and such. he struggled the urge to hold back a smile as he felt your gaze on him once more, instead letting the feeling of content manifest itself upon his lips, only a corner of his lip quirking up.

“me too, sugu,” you closed your eyes, letting your head relax on the gross, occasionally shaking it if you felt even the slightest crawl near you on the ground. “me too.”

a small huff of air left geto’s nose in amusement, his eyes closing along with yours only for a bit, letting this calming feeling wash over him — peace, it almost felt like. suguru would do anything for you and your love, even willing to lie on the floor merely a few feet away, just to have you nearby. his hand felt warm, comforted from the abrasive cold that had enveloped him many years ago; slowly, he could feel himself melting into you, yearning for more of you.

“i would look for yours, too, by the way,” you said, causing suguru to open his eyes and shift his head towards you again. your lashes fluttered, peeking one eye open to look at the stars once more.

he felt your hand grip his snugly before you turned your head to look at him. you beamed, “your star, i’d look for it forever if i had to,” you failed to miss the way his eyes widened ever so slightly, dark pupils on display even in the dim moonlight. you would do anything for each other, you both thought, that was common knowledge in itself even non-verbally; for what is love if not offering to bring back grief, only a little bit smaller.

you watched as his tired eyes crinkled at the corners again, relaxing themselves — and for what seemed like the first time in forever, suguru smiled.

𐙚 join my taglist !! ; @sad-darksoul @kasumitenbaz ( where all my geto baddies at 💔 )

𐙚 requests are open — july seventeenth, 2024 ( 11:36 am )

[sanccharine]

loser's game | jh

pairing: jihyo x reader

genre: (questionable) comedy

word count: 6.1k

warnings: descriptions of blood, gore, violence. includes popular monsters/villains from horror movies. 

summary: when you and jihyo lose spectacularly as the mafias in the mafia game, you are both are forced to endure a horror house as punishment.

a/n: this started on feb 20, 2021... finally finished on oct 31, 2024 ·_· the banner is so serious for such a ridiculous fic, im sorry. this was inspired (100% stolen and copied) from run bts, going seventeen, and time to twice — like it is literally scene for scene going seventeen the tag. anyways thanks to my gorl indigo (@eternallyghosting) for correcting the shit out of my spelling...it was bad. and happy diwali and halloween (diwalloween if you will)

A soft curse escaped your lips as you observed the meticulously decorated building in front of you.  

Granite statues of goblins guarded the front steps, which seemed like they were a second away from falling apart. Along with their pointed ears and wrinkled foreheads, they had a grotesque grin etched across their face, more to showcase their rows of sharp teeth instead of a welcoming smile. The worst part was their eyes, hidden away from the rain by protruding eyebrows, they were caved in and greasy, making them twinkle in the night. 

The stairs were also of the same stone, splattered with what you hoped was dirt and grime, leading up to the entrance of the mansion. Beside them, led a staircase to the right side of the house all the way up to the upper floor. It was a beautiful house, truly, with its high roofs and many windows. Maybe in its prime, you would have been able to appreciate its beauty, maybe even dreamed of staying in such a place. 

However, in the darkness of the night, the pastel pink walls turned into an ugly shade of grey similar to a trodden sidewalk. It didn’t help that the paint was cracked and peeling to show the large splotches of mould. Then there were the overgrown vines spewing over the railing beside the entrance and crawling up the walls, reaching the open windows which creaked eerily with wind, barely hanging on. 

It was the type of house the protagonist of a horror movie would have to move into at the start of the film. Even with cleardistaste for the house and the knowledge of its past from the neighbours or rumours, they’d choose to stay there. The mere sight of it had you wrapping your arms around your stomach and pulling at your overcoat. 

For a random haunted house at an amusement park, they had spent quite the money to make it look…convincing. 

Beside you, Jihyo’s torso heaved as she inhaled and exhaled deeply, allowing a misty cloud to escape her lips. When she was done collecting herself, she spun on the balls of her feet as she proclaimed. “We’ll do the dishes, Jeongyeon! And vacuuming! For a week!” 

Normally, you would’ve nudged Jihyo, gesturing that you wanted nothing to do with cleaning duties. What with Jeongyeon breathing down your neck for every second of it? Absolutely not, you did not have a death wish. However, considering your current predicament, between cleaning with Jeongyeon badgering you every second or entering this haunted house of horrors, you would easily pick the former.  

Nayeon scoffed at Jihyo’s pathetic attempt at bargaining which caused you to turn as well. Next to the oldest, stood Jeongyeon with her hands in her pockets, completely relaxed at the knowledge of her friend’s imminent suffering. Beside the pair, stood Sana and Momo, who clung to each other for any sort of warmth during this late October night. However, there was no warmth in their mischievous eyes.

When Jeongyeon’s face stayed as expressive as the stone behind you, Jihyo continued with hands clasped in front of her chest. “Seriously! For two weeks, then?” 

But, of course, Jeongyeon was not easily convinced. 

“No,” Jeongyeon said with a composed smile as her eyes moved from the begging girl to you, who remained as stiff as a board. “Neither of you can properly clean. It’s just more work for me.” 

Nayeon folded her arms as her eyes flitted to the ground to suppress the cackle that would surely burst out. Jihyo’s clasped hands parted, shaking as they dropped. The corner of her lip twitched as she straightened herself, the facade of a begging innocent transformed into a character dead set on spilling blood.  

Before that could happen, finally coming to your senses, you offered. “I’ll pay for dinner.” 

Jeongyeon tilted her chin up to consider. Even Jihyo turned, waiting for you to continue. 

“I’ll pay for tonight,” you nod, resolving yourself. You need to sound confident. “Dinner at the new restaurant that opened down the street. Tzuyu wanted to go there, I’ll pay!”

Sana and Momo started giggling like schoolchildren at the thought of free food, while Nayeon nodded her head with satisfaction, convinced. However, Jeongyeon only raised an eyebrow at the offer, clearly mulling it over. The only thing that could distract the group of demons you call friends is food, they were primitive that way. You turned to meet Jihyo’s stare, which was oddly inexpressive, but all of you knew better than that. It was all just a mask, to cover the rage simmering right underneath, waiting to be unleashed. 

“No,” Jeongyeon said with a clenched half-smile, one that would accompany an apology, but she looked anything but apologetic. 

Right next to you, a shrill yowl erupted that nearly shattered your eardrum. Instinctively, you shifted and threw your arms around Jihyo’s waist. Fortunately, you’d caught Jihyo just before she could pounce and tear out Jeonyeon’s bleached hair strand by strand. Although, with the way she thrashed in your arms she was only a second away from escaping and doing just that, maybe you’d even join in. Nayeon let out that cackle while Sana and Momo continued to giggle, all at the sight of their friend going absolutely feral. What must’ve irritated Jihyo even more though was that Jeongyeon stood in the middle, completely unaffected. 

“You set us up!” Jihyo shrieked, but the ringing in your ear didn’t deter you from your task. “Jeongyeon, you set us up!”

Joining Jihyo, but also tightening your hold on her, you agree. “She’s right! You purposely put Chaeyoung as the police and Dahyun as the doctor, while Jihyo and I were the mafia. Obviously, we’d lose!”

“Lies and defamation,” Jeonyeon shook her head before placing her hand over her heart, “I did no such thing. I would never, ever, do that.”

“Or maybe you’re just bad at playing mafia!” Sana said, sticking her tongue out. Momo let loose more giggles while Nayeon let out another hearty cackle, this time, smacking Jeongyeon’s shoulder in the process.

“As if you’re any better!” Jihyo growled, panting but still caged in your arms. “As if you–”

“What’s going on?” Mina’s small voice asked as she came over, holding two ginormous sticks of cotton candy. Behind her, the three youngest members of your circle followed like little ducklings after their mother. 

Dahyun was busy counting leftover change and checking bills to see if everything was accounted for. Chaeyoung and Tzuyu, on the other hand, lugged in more carnival food—enough snacks to skip dinner. Of course, they’d never actually skip dinner. They’ve bought buckets of popcorn as if they’re out to watch a movie, which was true in a way, your misery will be their entertainment. 

Sighing at the image, you accepted your fate. 

Momo eagerly took a stick of cotton candy from Mina, while Nayeon answered. “Jihyo and Y/N are trying to weasel their way out of their punishment, you know, like a bunch of weasels.” 

Nayeon shook her head with two fingers pinching the bridge of her nose in feigned disappointment. Mina flashed her gummy smile just as a carnival worker came out to call you. Jihyo turned to offer a small bow, as your friends began to holler. The woman arrived with two selfie sticks in her hand attached to cameras and handed them to the two of you. She offered a kind smile, completely missing the dread swirling in your eyes.

“Welcome to Mysterious Mansion! Your objective is to find the four keys necessary to escape the mansion in under thirty minutes. That’s it!” She said with a small shrug and you narrowed your eyes at that obvious lie. “Once you enter, there will be a map of the mansion to your right as well as a few rules outlining the gameplay, please read them before proceeding. When the two of you are ready, just raise your hands above your head and you’ll hear a buzzer which will be the start of your time. 

“As for the rest of the group,” the woman leaned to Jihyo’s right to offer a kind smile to your already snacking friends, “please follow me to the back where you can watch them play the game.” 

When the girls hollered, you slowly turned to Jihyo’s stare. There was a mismatch of emotions passing through them, none of which you could make any sense of, apart from the fact that neither of you wanted to do this.

One last attempt at a saving grace, your eyes landed on the cost for one run of thirty minutes. It was quite pricey. “Damn guys, this punishment looks like it will be really expensive, instead I’ll just buy dinner—”

“Just go already,” Tzuyu deadpanned to your offer, her voice muddled as she munched on popcorn. 

“Plus, we paid in advance. All of us!” Dahyun added in her chirpy manner. 

“Right, of course, you did,” you muttered to yourself. “Why did I even bother?”

What were the five stages of grief? Denial, anger, bargaining, depression, and acceptance? Yeah, well it was about time you accepted your demise. Jihyo must’ve come to the same conclusion after having gone from being scared to offering to clean to going absolutely mad, completely skipping the depression stage as an odd light filled her eyes. 

“Thirty minutes, right?” You snapped to your right at Jihyo’s words. “What’s the record time?” 

“Eight minutes!” The worker said in an unnecessarily chirpy tone. “Three guys made it out in a flash, best run we’ve seen!”

Jihyo mumbled something and nodded to herself while Nayeon began to snigger, completely aware that Jihyo’s competitive spirit would be a thousand times worse than whatever was waiting for you inside. 

Jihyo offered her empty hand and you sighed dejectedly as you took it, your fingers quickly entangling. Your so-called friends giggled and howled like the irritating children they were, offering encouragement that was mostly empty. You were sure Jeongyeon had a wicked grin plastered on her face, you didn’t have to turn around to know that. 

With a camera stick in your left hand and your right in Jihyo’s, the two of you approached the steps. You tried to drown yourself in the giddy laughter of little children visiting the carnival, the same overplayed pop music blaring from speakers, and the vibrant flashing lights adorned on various rides to remind yourself that the horror house you were entering was just another ride. None of it was real, and you were not going to get hurt. As the worker put it; just find the keys and escape, that’s it. Simple. 

With a final few rowdy howls from the young college girls, the entrance to the mansion closed behind you. To say the place was dark would be an understatement. You could just barely make out the grand stairs leading to the upper floor, and by baseless deduction, you assumed there were rooms on either side of the staircase because right now all you could see was black. Jihyo squeezed your hand and you stopped staring blindly into the abyss to stare at something you could see. 

As the worker had mentioned, there was a map to your right. It was lit up by flickering yellow light and detailed both floors. There were a total of six rooms aside from the three bathrooms, the kitchen, the dining room, and the main hall. Basically, the place was ginormous—again, quite the budget for an amusement ride. The exit was marked with a large red ‘X’ on the upper floor. 

Jihyo quickly read aloud the rules as you let out another dejected sigh, bringing up the camera to glare at it, you mumbled. “You know this is all your fault?”

“I’m sorry, what?” Jihyo scoffed, turning to you before yanking her hand out of your clasp. “My fault? If anything, this is your fault?” 

“Oh, please enlighten me.” You replied, throwing your arms up, sending a scathing glare her way, though she probably couldn’t see it well. 

“If you didn’t look so suspicious, then—”

A loud buzzer sounded and the two of you froze—both of your hands had been raised, even if it was only for a second!—as the dim yellow lights changed instantly to hues of crimson. 

Jihyo’s hand grabbed yours and brought it down before interlocking fingers again. She then hissed as she took the first step. “If you didn’t look so damn suspicious, then you would’ve lasted more than two rounds and we would’ve won.”

“That’s just my face! If I smile too much I’m suspicious, if I don't smile at all I’m still suspicious! What am I supposed to do?” You hissed back, squeezing her hand tightly. Clearly, both of you have regressed back from acceptance to anger. “And what about—let’s go left—what about you?”

Jihyo turned left, dragging you along, and entered a grand dining room. In the centre of the room stood a large mahogany table, large enough to feed eight people and was neatly adorned with plates. If you squinted, you could make out the beautiful patterns on the plates and the intricate engraved details on the ends of the cutlery.

Letting Jihyo lead you around the table, you continued. “What about you, huh? The second Nayeon mentioned your name, you blew up. It was clearly a trap, and you walked right into it!” 

Jihyo sighed, leering over the table to check for a key among the silverware, and admitted. “I should’ve killed Dahyun after you were voted out.” 

Dahyun was too good of a doctor and managed to save everyone you tried to kill. If Jihyo had taken her out, that would’ve given the mafias an easy win. You grumbled your agreement while eyeing the strange baroque painting at the end of the dinner table. 

The painting was of a woman in a silk gown, glancing to her left, wholly uninterested in the elaborate platter she held. Strange since the platter held a severed head. The man was bearded, his mouth frozen agape in shock as his sockets had been carved out, devoid of eyes. He was adorned with pomegranates, grapefruits, and plums—the juice of the fruit and the blood from his neck pooled and dripped down the woman’s hands, soaking into her sleeves. What a terribly morbid painting, it disgusted you but for some reason, you couldn’t look away. Deciding to search the table along with Jihyo, you opted for one last glance. 

Probably the worst decision you’ve ever made, as your heart nearly burst through your ribcage. 

The woman’s eyes in the painting looked straight at you. 

If Jihyo sensed you crushing her hand in a panic, then she ignored it. Instead, she shuffled around, tugging you, and aggressively prodded the table with the camera stick, prioritizing finding a key over a broken hand or the camera. Not trusting your voice, you nudged Jihyo to warn her, unable to break your gaze from the painting. Of course, completelyused to your irritating behaviour, she overlooked it. Jihyo only offered low grunts, much like a caveman, when you nudged her more frantically, panicking after you caught sight of the blood dripping from the painting and onto the floor. 

Jihyo was about to reach her limit from all your nudging, especially when she was the only one trying to find the keys. You knew she was preparing to give you a verbal lashing when suddenly she went taut under your grasp. Jihyo let out a guttural scream, loud enough to break the sound barrier, and jumped a meter into the air. In response to that, a horrid screech escaped from you and as you were still very much stuck to Jihyo, you were yanked harshly out of the dinner hall. 

“There was something under—something grabbed my leg!” Jihyo repeated frantically, shivers passing through her body as she ran back to the entrance. Jihyo let go of your hand, though with a lot of difficulty, to try opening the door. No such luck because the door was locked shut.

You swore profusely, before obsessively jangling the door handle with your now free hand. Rage had quickly enveloped your fear and this was the only way to let out your frustration—bullying an inanimate object. You sent a kick to the handle after trying to slam the door open with your shoulder. When these failed, you finally acknowledged what had already been proven. “Damn it, we have to find those stupid keys!”

“Should we split up?” Jihyo asked, already studying the map, while you glimpsed at the dining room. It was difficult in the dark, but you were sure you saw a shadow moving. “How about you take the ground floor, and I’ll take the other?” 

Jihyo glanced at you as if she was offering you the better option as if she was being generous. Yeah, the ground floor had fewer rooms, but that was only because the rooms were larger. Plus, the dining room, kitchen, and the main hall were all open spaces. Your only proper refuge would be the smallest bathroom, which was at the very far end to the right. 

You were just about to decline and suggest you stay together when something—well someone—came growling from the kitchen. The two of you screamed as much as your lungs would allow you. Without a second of hesitation, Jihyo bolted up the stairs still yelling, successfully leaving you for dead.

Well, guess you would be taking the ground floor then. 

Personifying the fight in the fight or flight response, you wielded your camera stick like a bat and stood your ground. You jumped side to side on the balls of your feet, swinging the makeshift bat as the monster came to a slow stop in front of you. It was too dark for you to make out the costume and makeup, but with the tufts of fur and leaves hanging from the torso, you’d assume this was some sort of swamp monster. Perhaps you would have criticised how a swamp monster took away from the immersive experience considering you were in an elaborately decorated mansion, but at the time, you were too busy screaming to think of such things. 

“I swear I will hit you—don’t come closer!” You shrieked, with only the stick in between you and your murderer. 

Whoever this poor actor was, was probably not paid enough to do this every night, especially with the makeup and heavy costume, but right now, that wasn’t your biggest worry. If this person were to make any sudden move, you were more than ready to whack the life out of them. You could live with that. Covering their medical bills and assault charges will be a problem for you in the future. 

The two of you circled each other until your back was to the dining room entrance and you let yourself be backed into the room. However, the second your back hit a chair, you grabbed whatever silverware you could find and hurled it in your attacker’s direction. Lucky for you, the cutlery was not attached to the table, or worse, made out of porcelain. The spoons, knives, and forks clattered to the ground while you dashed to your left, moving to the kitchen. 

There was a strange bubbling noise but you decided to return to this place when you’re not so close to being killed. You exited the kitchen through its proper entrance and opened the door on the left. It was a small storage room, littered with nothing but a few discarded canvases on the floor—you don’t remember this room on the map. 

Oh, also, there was a crying woman in white, huddled in the corner. 

Greeting her with a quick bow, you immediately shut the door before you could register what you’d seen. Ignoring the violent shudder that passed through your spine, you ran back towards the main entrance, just about to cross the staircase to follow through with the plan you never agreed to when a blood-curdling scream came from the first floor. 

Your self-sacrificing instincts kicked in and you climbed two steps at a time while cursing your feet which carried your body towards Jihyo’s screams. Crashing into the first door on your right, you burst into the room screaming all the while swinging your camera stick strong enough to make baseball stars weep… only to find Jihyo backing her assailant to a corner. 

You paused, chest heaving violently, as you witnessed Jihyo in her warpath. Her hands were clenched in tight fists as she stomped forward, making the poor actor back up. She let loose those guttural gnarls that would have one’s throat grating as if someone were pulling it taut. Surely, by the end of your punishment, Jihyo would end up with a sore throat that no amount of honey could cure. Her attempt at asserting dominance slowed down to snarls and hissing before she came to a stop at the sight of surrender. You would have been impressed had she not looked completely mad. 

Jihyo heaved and moved back to the enormous bed in the room, with her eyes still trained on the poor zombie, who tried to become one with the wall. When she sat down, huge plumes of dust wafted into the air and she began coughing violently but had no energy to move away. 

Catching yourself on the door frame seeing that Jihyo had saved herself, you whimpered out. “Got all your anger out now?” 

Both the actor and Jihyo stiffened at your voice before Jihyo said. “I’m going to kill Jeongyeon.” 

You cringed at Jihyo’s hoarse voice, which was nothing but air, she seemed to speak every word as if it pained her. You close your eyes to collect yourself before asking. “Did you find a key?” 

Jihyo wordlessly raised her hand, holding a whole ring of keys, glinting in what little moonlight the tattered curtains allowed. You gasped and walked forward, reaching over the bed to take them. Ignoring the dust being released when you dropped your camera stick carelessly, you counted the number of keys. There were exactly four, all seeming to be in different colours, shapes, and sizes. One of them even had the number three on it. 

Before you could ask, Jihyo pointed behind her and croaked. “Drawer.”

You repeatedly muttered okay to yourself, giddy to finally be free from this mad house. 

So giddy, that you failed to notice the traumatised actor in the corner shaking their head when you exited the bedroom. Getting a head start, you made it down the corridor and found the room where the exit was supposed to be. You opened one door and were met with four other doors. Two to your left, one to your right, and a metal one in front of you. Otherwise, the room was completely barren. 

This was not good. All of these doors were closed meaning you had no idea what monstrosity was hiding behind them. Hearing the muttered curses and stomping, you know Jihyo wasn’t far behind. Quickly, you pulled apart the ring, separated the four keys, and laid them out in the same order with key number three in its place. The door right in front of you was clearly the exit, as it had four coloured and numbered squares with keyholes in the centre.

What do you know? The colours of the keys matched the squares!

Even then, your mind in all its excitement failed to see the obvious trap, like it had failed to predict Jeongyeon’s plans to frame you and Jihyo. You hurried and put all the keys in their respective holes, some with difficulty, with you standing in front of keyhole numbers one and two while Jihyo was in front of the others. With one last glance at Jihyo, you tried the first key.

Except that it didn’t turn. 

“No,” Jihyo mumbled before harshly turning key number three which worked. She tried turning key number four but it wouldn’t budge, she pulled it out and threw it to the ground. “Damn it!” 

Right at that moment, the door on your left swung open revealing a person with the Jason Voorhees mask and a machete to match. Once again, in unison, you and Jihyo were screaming as much as your lungs would allow. However, this time, both of you bolted out the door you’d entered and Jihyo closed the door behind you just in time, so your attacker couldn’t come. Panting, you leaned on the wall by the door, hand wrapped around Jihyo’s own hand which clung to the door handle. 

“Swamp monster, crying ghost, zombie, and Jason,” you count out as you catch your breath. “Four monsters so far, you think that’s it? Four keys, four doors, four monsters?”

Jihyo, panting herself, nodded. “Has to be.” 

“We need to get those stupid keys,” you sighed. Even panicked and running high on adrenaline, you could feel your fear giving way to frustration. You were ready to get this game over with. “I didn’t find any, but I’m assuming it's two per floor.” 

Jihyo nods again, while her attention is on the door, pressing her ear to make sense of the killer behind. But it was silent. 

“Do you want to stay here, and I can find the keys on the first floor?” 

“I’d be a sitting duck,” Jihyo shook her head. “I’ll ransack the top floor, there are still the bathrooms.”

“Dining hall is a red herring with too many clues,” you said, unsure if the room was to be misleading, but it definitely was a waste of time. “I’ll recheck the kitchen and main hall.” 

You glance back at the door and frown. 

“Give me some time before running to the bathrooms, I don’t have places to hide downstairs,” you say and gently take your hand from the door handle, shaking off your nerves. 

Again, Jihyo nodded as she leaned beside the door, taking your place. 

Nodding back at her, you headed towards the stairs. Forgoing the steps, you sat on the railing and quickly slid down, landing easily at the bottom. Your first location was the kitchen. 

You knew the swamp monster had to be waiting in the dining room for you. As well as the crying ghost in the nearby storage room. You’d take your chances with the ghost any day. Taking the route from the back, you entered the kitchen. Walking to the nearest cabinet, you tugged on the handle—it was glued shut. Nodding to yourself, you squinted at the marble counters for anything, nothing seemed to stand out apart from the bubbling pot on the stove, lit up by a flame—it was a light, not real fire. 

A shuffle in the dining room, made you snap your neck to the left. Your eyes, like magnets, turned to the eyes of the morbid painting, glaring into you. Any moment, the swamp monster would return. Turning your attention to the pit, you lifted the lid to see stagnant liquid—so the bubbling was just a recorded sound—that helped break the immersiveness. Rolling up your sleeve and steeling yourself, you stuck your hand in the freezing cold water—or what felt like water. You were grateful for the low viscosity, anything else, and you would have given up finding the key. 

Speaking of, your fingers brushed against shaped metal and pulled out a handful of keys. Cringing at the metallic clangs and clinks as you dropped the wet keys on the counter, you easily found the only key that had a number on it. 

Just as you pocketed the key, the swamp monster made itself known. 

“I’m so sorry,” you muttered and tipped the pot over. They really should glue that down too. 

Water splashed onto the tiled floor, covering the space between you and the monster. Yes, there was another door leading straight to the main foyer from the dining room, but the distraction was all you needed for time. 

Taking the back entrance again, you sprinted out of the kitchen, past the main foyer, and into the room you’ve never been to before. The main hall. 

The moment you entered you had to clasp your hand over your mouth to stop yourself from shrieking.

Every corner of the room, every shelf, every breathing space from the mantle of the fireplace to the couch to the emptyspace of the majestic piano were seated with antique dolls. Dolls of all kinds, and colours, and clothes with their glassy eyes and rosy cheeks and perfectly brushed hair. Not to mention that all the oil paintings of young girls, similar to the antique dolls taking up every inch of the walls. 

Somehow this was worse than the painting that dripped blood onto the floor. 

But much like that painting, it was like all their eyes followed you. That couldn’t be. 

The dolls’ eyes were all looking in one direction, up at the paintings. And the paintings looked up at the ceiling, following them, your head tilted up. 

If you didn’t have trypophobia before, you certainly did now. 

The ceiling was filled with magnificent glass-painted lights, barring the eye-like structures all clustered to look into a direction. Letting the hairs on your neck raise, you followed down the ceiling to the back of the room, once again met with paintings on the wall as your eyes landed on something marginally worse. 

A clown. 

Gulping so loud, you stayed frozen. 

Had the actor just waited until you figured out the eyes?

Their grin widened as their head tilted in an almost robot-like manner. 

Trypophobia and clowns were not fears you expected to gain tonight, but life works in mysterious ways. 

“Come on, man,” you hoped to sound a little relaxed, but with the way your voice shook, you’re doubtful cool confidence came across well. 

When the actor’s grin only widened, you let out a pained whine, like a child throwing a tantrum.

Regressing to your throwing habits, you glanced at the dolls. If they weren’t glued to their places, and also if they weren’t porcelain, you could kick a few to the ground as a distraction. However, touching or holding any part of the dolls matched with those lifeless dead eyes, chubby rosy cheeks, and coloured pouting lips was a thousand times more revolting than facing discount Pennywise. 

“I will swing the camera stick and I know you’re not getting paid enough to take that,” you bartered instead, both hands on the camera stick, once again like a bat. 

The actor chuckled and shook his head. “It happens more often than you think, even though it's against the rules.”

“Rules?” you question, camera stick slightly lowering. 

“The ones under the map,” he offered. 

“Shit, yeah. No, we didn’t have time to read those,” you frowned, completely dropping your stick to your side. “Assuming, we’re not supposed to throw and spill stuff either?”

“Generally, not proper etiquette but it happens,” he shrugged. The casual action was so odd when he was dressed as a horrifying killer clown. 

“Really sorry about that,” you frown deeper with a sigh but he only shakes his head, dismissing your apology with a wave of his hand. 

“You’re all good,” he smiled. Now, you knew he was trying to be friendly and accommodating, but in his make-up, his grin was chilling. It was exactly the reminder you needed. 

Lifting up the stick, almost as if going into an act yourself, you steeled your nerves. The clown followed you as he lowered himself, his eyes narrowing while his grin widened. “Where’s the key?” you asked. 

You were sure he was about to recite some quote from the source material, or just something to elevate his performance. However, both of us were distracted by the ear-shattering scream that could only be Jihyo’s. Perhaps, you’d have jumped the couch and run to her, that is if she wasn’t swearing like a sailor. 

Knowing she had herself covered, you used the distraction to run. The clown followed. 

Maneuvering in a room filled with dolls was difficult, but it was difficult for the clown as well. Following the eyes and where the clown had just been was key number two, all the eyes had been pointing towards it. Such a simple find, but the dolls and clown were such huge deterrents. 

In a sprint, you made a grab for the key notcaring as you rustledsome dolls and exited the main hall. Swamp monster, much like a game character, was waiting at the entrance to the dining room, and themoment he saw you run to the stairs, he was activated. 

“Jihyo, get to the door!” You screamed climbing the stairs two at a time and ignoring the fact that swamp monster and Pennywise himself were on your trail. Jihyo’s answer was only a snarl back, no doubt fending herself from Jason Voorhees. 

Making a quick right, you entered the room and sprinted straight to the metal door. Jihyo was in some circling match with Jason Voorhees as you slotted in key number two and turned it. When you slotted key number one and turned, the swamp monster, the clown, and the zombie piled into the room. 

“Jihyo!” You shoved open the door, which to your embarrassment, while coloured like metal, was not metal, so you nearly planted head-first into the ground when it swung open with ease. 

Catching yourself on the corroded metal railing, Jihyo followed you out and slammed the door shut. Both of you panted, staring at each other as noises from the carnival once again surrounded you. The back of the mansion was… barren to put it kindly. 

None of the money that was spent at the entrance and inside was spared for the back. It looked merely like a storage container. 

You crumpled to the floor, leaning on the railing, and sighed. Your camera stick fell by your thigh with a thunk as Jihyo closed her eyes. You were done. You made it out. 

“Well done, losers!” 

You looked over your shoulder, following the taunt and the clapping. Nayeon giggled as Jeongyeon slowly clapped from the ground. 

“Come down!” Jeongyeon said with a blinding grin as you pulled yourself up to stand. By the way, Jihyo held her jaw, you knew she was seething. However, she was far too exhausted to do anything. 

The pair of you took the stairs down and headed into a smaller shed by the mansion followed by Nayeon and Jeongyeon. Inside, the rest of your friends were gathered as well as the worker who had greeted you. The room was filled with cameras inside the mansion, two screens still transmitting from your camera sticks even as you handed them over.  

“Good job!” The worker said with a forced smile, though you glanced behind her. One of the cameras caught the swamp monster pulling off his mask and taking a seat on one of the chairs while Jason Voorhees just flopped to the floor, his head tilted to the ceiling. All the while Pennywise and the zombie helped clean their respective rooms with the help of cleaners. 

“We’re sorry,” you sighed, Jihyo only nodded, her eyes were still narrowed. She looked anything but apologetic, but you knew she was. “Adrenaline just—poof, you know?”

“It’s alright,” the worker sighs, her taut smile dipping more into a genuine one. “It happens.”

“Yeah, Pennywise said that,” you gave her a small smile. “Good experience, good game. Terrified the shit out of us.”

You ignored the way your friends laughed behind you.

“Please rate us well on the website,” you nodded as the worker pointed out a QR code printed out on the wall. 

While Jeongyeon pulled out her phone to do that, Jihyo sighed and stepped forward. “What was our time?” 

There was no point in asking. The pair of you definitely did not beat the eight-minute record. 

With a frown, the worker answered. “Twenty-seven minutes and fifty-four seconds—”

“Twenty-eight minutes,” Jihyo’s entire form deflated like a burst balloon. You rolled your eyes at her while your friends laughed. 

Instead, you asked a question that bugged you most as you studied the camera screens. 

“Where is the fifth one? Ghost lady?” 

The worker frowned as your friends became silent. Both you and Jihyo looked around to meet everyone’s faces, their expressions ranging from confusion to apprehension. 

“The one in the storage room? She was crying,” you prompted again, glancing back at the cameras to see the four monsters now all in the dining room picking up the utensils you spilt. 

When the worker cleared her throat, you and Jihyo turned back. Her face ashen as she gulped. 

“There is no crying ghost.”

any feedback is much appreciated.

a/n: i believe the house was based off of coraline house and the painting i described was judith slaying holofernes by artemisia gentileschi :] gonna go binge gose now, good day/night everybody !

tagging: @someone-who-likes-broccoli

[pedropascallme]

☆Kinktober 2024☆

Day 18: Impact play

Pairing: Cooper Howard/The Ghoul x f!Reader

Warnings: SMUT (18+ MINORS DNI!!!!) spanking, dirty talk, degradation (use of the word slut), fingering, some dom/sub undertones, if I missed anything please let me know!

Cooper’s knees dug into your abdomen, pressing against your breasts and the center of your stomach in a way that made your body feel a hollow weight from within.

But you couldn’t complain. You liked the position, bent over his lap like this.

You liked the dynamic it created.

He had all the power. You were just a rag doll; a toy. And it made your skin heat up in anticipation.

One of his hands rested on your back, while the other fell over the curve of your ass in long, sweeping motions. His palm was dry and weathered against the soft swells of your bare skin, and you relished in the warmth that emanated from him.

“Y’make it real easy,” Cooper muttered, moving the hand that was on your back to grab at the scruff of your collar. “Crawl right onto my lap when ya fuck up. Like it’s what’cha wanted.”

You bit back a whine as his hand sunk lower. His fingertips grazed your inner thigh, and the heel of his palm almost dipped between your folds.

“I’m—” You tried to counter his accusation, but there was a loud smack; a hot, stinging pain on your ass. It forced your words to dissipate into a yelp.

“Ain’t tell ya to open your mouth,” he rubbed gently over the spot he’d spanked. “You speak when ya ready to apologize t’me. When I’m ready t’hear it.”

You nodded, swallowing. You squirmed in his lap, head falling forward to look at the ground beneath the chair he sat on.

“Don’ fuckin’ move.” Cooper rasped, as if you had any choice in this position. Even if you wanted to, it would take much effort to sit up and move off of him.

It’s a good thing you didn’t want to.

His hand came down in a barrage. He hit you hard, fast, pulling back almost immediately upon the moment of contact to get his point across. He struck you until he was certain you would bruise, remember not to question his directions, not to put yourself in harm’s way.

You cried out, high mewls forced from your lungs in response to the non-stop impact.

Cooper let up for a moment, admiring his work.

The brief moment of tranquility allowed your body to acknowledge the true level of pain; it was sharp, sticking to your skin and seeping into your muscles.

It made you keen for him, arching your back enough to nudge his hand where it sat on your ass.

“Not a punishment if ya like it.” He scoffed, but he brought his hand down once more for another forceful blow.

“You’ll just have to find another way to give me hell.” You smiled. The way your head lolled off of his lap made the blood rush to your face. It felt warm.

“Not what this is,” he tsked, “’F I wanted to give you hell, I’d’a let you deal with the yao gui.” He pulled on the back of your shirt again—for the satisfaction, the knowledge that he could toss you around, but also for emphasis and to ensure you were listening. “Fuckin’ stupid.”

“I could’ve.” You retorted, and he laughed.

“Ya could’ve,” he grinned wickedly, “Now—be honest, sweetheart. You don’ do dumb shit cause y’think ya can handle it; you do dumb shit cause y’know it pisses me off.”

You didn’t answer him, writhing against his lap.

“You like seein’ me mad,” he squeezed your ass, blunt nails threatening your skin, “Ain’t that right?” When you whined, he spanked you again. “Answer me, girl.”

“Yeah,” you sighed against the pain, “Like seeing you mad.”

“Like gettin’ me mad.” He responded in a low growl, returning to smacking your ass at his rushed pace.

Your skin felt like it would tear, the strikes becoming almost numbing as the jolts distracted from the burning pain that settled when he took his hand away. It was delicious, and you clenched around nothing every time struck you.

Cooper stopped again, dragging his fingers down your ass and over your thighs. He pressed his fingers between your legs, his fingers running through your folds.

“Slut,” he spat, but there was no real malice to the accusation. “Drippin’ like this cause of a fuckin’ spankin’.”  

You hissed when his fingers brushed your clit, your slick lubricating his fingers as he kneaded against your swollen bud.

“You ‘bout ready to apologize now?” He was saccharine, toying with you the way he loved to.

With bated breath, you nodded, deciding to play it safe rather than trust your voice. He wouldn’t give you what you wanted if you spoke back out of turn.

“Go’head,” Cooper drawled, tilting his head back to watch his fingers graze your clit. “Say sorry.”

“I’m sorry, Cooper,” you whined, trying not to buck your hips against his hand. “I wasn’t—I didn’t listen. Should’ve listened.”

He huffed. “Say it like y’mean it, sweetheart.”

With a whimper, you complied.

“I’m sorry, I’m really sorry,” your words carried a sense of urgency now, eager to have him inside of you. “I won’t do it again—I’ll be good, I’ll listen, I’ll do what you tell me to, Coop, I promise. I’m sorry!”

Upon hearing your feeble cry of ‘sorry,’ he pushed two fingers into you.

“F—uck—” You weren’t expecting the intrusion so suddenly, but you pressed yourself back against his fingers and savored the feeling of the stretch against your walls.

“S’all ya needed to do, sweetheart—jus’ had t’show me how sorry y’are,” he curled his fingers, eliciting a filthy, wet sound from your cunt. “Not that I believe ya—‘won’t do it again’ my ass. But at least y’fuckin’ listened, for once. Followed my instructions.” He smirked, turning his wrist to allow his fingers to press into your most tender spot.

“I—I won’t,” you tried to argue. He was right, though—you’d continue to do as you pleased and piss him off in the process. “I promise.”

He pulled his fingers from you, bringing his hand down against your ass for a sticky smack.

“Don’ fuckin’ lie to me, girl,” he threatened with a rumble from his chest, “Tell me th’fuckin’ truth.”

You squeaked, trying to grind your hips down for some friction when he removed his hand from your core.

“I’m sorry,” you whispered, “I’ll try—try to be good for you. I will. I promise I will, Coop. I’ll try.”

He hummed, bringing his fingers back to your hole and pushing them into you again.

“Good girl,” he sounded sardonic, but you knew his praise was genuine. “Wet my hand ‘n’I’ll forgive ya.”

He curled his fingers repeatedly, punching them against the delicate spot on your front wall until the muscles in your thighs tensed.

“Cooper—” You moaned, rocking against him and letting your eyes flutter closed.

“Needy fuckin’ pussy,” he growled as he watched you grind onto his fingers. “Gimme what I want ‘nd all’s forgiven, sweetheart. C’mon, now.”

He talked you into your high, his gruff voice and the merciless movement of his fingers working in tandem to push you over the edge.

You gasped, hips stuttering against his hand and clenching around his fingers.

Cooper groaned, throwing his head back before quickly returning his focus to the way your cunt wrapped around him.

“There ya go,” he drawled, “Soakin’ my fingers. Fuck, y’squeeze me nice…”

He slid them from you with a soft squelch, and you whimpered. His hand again fell onto your ass, wiping your slick onto your curves to add a shine to the bruises that had begun to form.

You sighed, your limbs heavy.

“You’re right, y’know,” you smirked, rolling onto your side as best you could without falling off his lap, trying to meet his gaze. “I do like it when you spank me.”

Cooper looked down at you, grinning. “Well, I like it, too. Ain’t stoppin’ jus’ cause y’like getting’ put in your place.” He rubbed his thumb gently against your skin, “Hell—might bend y’over more often.”

“Please,” you hummed, letting your knuckles graze the crooked floorboards below you. “And I’ll keep trying to be good.”

“Doin’ alright, sweetheart,” he chuckled low, “Better’an alright. You’re a trooper—jus’ like givin’ ya shit. You know that.” His hand stilled for a moment. “Jus’ want’cha safe.”

You nodded, sighing happily as you sagged against his legs.

“So, y’wanna stay like that?” He bounced his knee, making you flinch and try to steady yourself. “Or are ya gonna come up here and thank me for teachin’ you a lesson?”

[waldosakimbo]

OH MY GOD Heretic (2024) has me by the throat. I feel like this one is definitely worth rewatching, because it TELLS you so much, it advertises SO MUCH right away, and it's sinister how it plays out!

Does Sister Barnes have faith? Does Sister Paxton actually believe she's seen evidence of god from, hilariously, some amateur porn? You're given the idea Sister Paxton believes more but she has no converts and no baptisms. Sister Barnes is questioning, but she's more successful. Why is that? (Is it the big sad eyes?) When they spot the teenagers in the street and Sister Paxton earnestly says "I love them," they immediately betray her. She loves the world. Its cruel. She wants to save this man. He's cruel. Faith and cruelty. Iterations. The butterfly image. The dead moths coating the window. Belief and disbelief and god damn it's tasty. Quick aside, did anyone else think he drugged those drinks or not? I worried initially, but I think it was genuinely just another one of his tests for later. Also it's insidious how Reed tells them "truths." He tells them the walls and ceiling have metal but they don't know that would block cell phones. He tells them the front door locks by a mechanism timer that doesn't come undone until daylight, (but he can switch it off). He tells them the house is wired weird. He tells them he put the aromatic pie there, he tests them, and it's so. Good! So when he tells them about religion, his motivations, his study of theology, and the challenge from Sister Barnes (the faithless? Who choses Belief and stands up to him? Who has her throat slit as the sacrificial lamb? Beautiful, tragic) is the other side of that. The flipside of the coin. Hugh Grant is AMAZING in this, because he's Hugh Granting it up but instead of a comedy, it's a horror. Unsettling to the max. Why? Because it's just the power of humanity and faith. It's JUST. The power. Of humanity. And Faith. It's nothing supernatural. It's using knowledge, history, the arts, humanity and psychology. As a weapon. Longlegs fell short for me because it was eventually supernatural and I thought it clunky and mishandled in the second half. This one? It's just humans. It's just an evil man. And it's visceral. More grounded, which makes it Terrifying. Even when faced with a miracle, we learn it's false. It's a magic trick. Even when we could pray, we're told BY THE PERSON. WHO IS FAITHFUL, that it means nothing, but sometimes it's beautiful to still pray for someone. Which brings me to the point where Sister Paxton was stabbed and praying in level...three? of his twisted Dante's inferno house? Actually, quick aside to that, I love the back and forth of quoting Spider-Man or Voltaire. Quoting Virgil or the Swamp Thing. It's again putting them on opposite sides, another mirror. But also showing the house itself as a labyrinth, yes, but specifically I think that was Dante's Inferno poster in his office, making Paxton Virgil, travelling the levels of Hell to the frozen pit/horrifying chamber of cages where he keeps other pious women, going Through to get Out. "Sister P" Is praying even though she Just said it does nothing. Reed crawling towards her, his own throat slit. But there's this moment where he's draped over her, sobbing or choking, looking for the warmth of her prayer, I think trying to feel her belief because he's been searching for it for so long and he's left empty. Before he can find peace (or kill her, did he have his knife to her throat to kill her? I think he would, but I still think he had this moment where he wished he could believe to find peace with someone, especially after seeing that interview where Grant stated backstory of Reed that he was a lonely man who lost someone dearly to him and he searched through religions to find comfort and couldn't) he's killed. He's smashed in the head with the McGuffin from earlier. Victory. Did Barnes come back? I think she was saving her strength and had one final moment to help her friend. And then that fucking ending. Is she dead? Is she alive? Was the butterfly real? Did she believe? Is it only her belief, her butterfly, or is a final hallucination before she passes? Did she make it out of Hell? Anyways, I'm going to have to see this again soon. Delicious. Horrifying. Loved it.

[peachkkuma]

welcome back to tiffany’s diary

it’s been almost a year since I stopped using this blog, so I thought I’d come on here and give a much needed update.

it’s a relief to say that this blog is outdated in terms of where I’m at rn in my manifestation journey. don’t get me wrong tho, I had the right idea. it was difficult for me to actually apply them + apply them without immediately crawling back to my old state, to the same old worries. I admitted it myself in an old entry that I was stuck in a cycle. not knowing what to do about a certain problem, realizing what to do, feeling motivated to manifest, and then back to square one.

a lot of that was because I had never really manifested anything intentionally before or my desired results. plus, I was guilty of not applying my knowledge the best I could. basically, I thought I was going somewhere. that when I squashed a doubt and felt that “I can manifest anything I want!” feeling, that I had climbed a step up on the staircase that was mastering manifestation. but I wasn’t going anywhere, I was standing still the whole time. the only real way for me to take a step forward was to apply.

and so I did.

October 2024, I had manifested for real (everybody cheered!!!). I don’t want this to sound like shit was all sunshine and rainbows or whatever, ofc there were ups and downs to it. ofc I had doubts I needed to address along the way. but what made it different from my previous “attempts” was that it wasn’t a period of stress and desperation. the “knowing” that comes with owning an assumption, I had felt that for the first time. like truly felt it. “I know it’s coming” wasn’t just something I would tell myself when I experienced a doubt, it was something I could immediately feel and then go abt my day with ease. it was something i trusted and believed in. I’d finally experienced what it was like to just assume. no crazy methods, no games, no writing it down on binder paper 333 times and then putting it under my mattress. I used visualization but not as a desperate attempt to speed up my manifestations or to make sure I receive it, but because it made me feel like I had it. and feeling like I had it felt great.

Prior to october, when this blog was active, i would read my favorite loa bloggers stress the importance of actually applying the loa over and over again. i understood exactly why it was needed— because, hello?? reading about manifestation doesn’t manifest. application does. but i always told myself, “later”. actually applying everything i knew to my circumstances, my desires, was pushed to the side. something else mattered more. assurance, confidence, motivation— a spark. i was desperate to feel a click. i craved an “i get it!” moment. after actual years of studying the loa and only just feeling like I’ve grasped it, I wanted to feel as though i had finally found the “key”. and that’s what kept me in the overconsumption cycle.

so if i could go back to last year, I’d tell myself: nothings gonna click, not from reading. the idea you have of “once i feel that eureka moment I’ll start applying” is built on misinformation. the wrong idea. things won’t actually click until you make them, by applying. when you see things go the way you intended them to go, when you’re going about your day and all of a sudden you realize that you manifested this very scenario, when you hear someone say the words you’ve imagined them saying— that’s when it’ll click. that’s when you’ll feel “oh. I get it now. I really, truly, get it now.” it doesn’t come from reading a post on tumblr, it comes from you actually manifesting.

so, that’s where I went wrong. you can know the law of assumption inside and out, you can write the book on it, and you can write 23 different guides on tumblr. but having knowledge and using it are two different things. i had gotten to the point where i finally understood the law. but what i didn’t get was that the time for understanding was over. there wasn’t any more reading to be done.

I had really wanted to feel as though I’d finally mastered the loa. it felt like every time I knew something about the loa, a doubt would creep in and I would question everything— I was sick of spiraling. I was sick of having the rug pulled out from under me. I wanted to reach a point where I js finally knew what to do. but what I failed to realize was that that point couldn’t be reached with information alone. you HAVE to test the law yourself. you need your own experiences with the loa. getting your hands dirty with the law of assumption is a huge way to not only get what you want but also have your doubts be put to rest for good. to have your questions answered and be satisfied with that answer. assurance can be achieved through first hand experience with the loa.

so there u have it lmao. now I truly have no use for this blog because I haven’t really had these huge spirals in a really long time which is what my dairy entries were based on. I don’t want to sound corny or maybe even unbelievable but it really is possible to reach a place where it gets better. you aren’t confused, lost, and in need of guidance all the damn time. obviously, this isn’t the cure for doubts. doubts are natural and are bound to occur. but that’s what it feels like, natural. not like they’re crumbling my foundation or shaking the ground beneath my feet.

you’ll save so much more time just testing out manifestation yourself instead to saying to yourself “one more post and then I’ll manifest” over and over. it’s SO much more rewarding. because once you manifest something, anything, it feels incredible. and it’s a lesson you learn from yourself, with yourself, that you won’t be able to find anywhere else.

ok thanks for coming to tiffany’s self reflection hour lmaooo

[elkian]

Not to go "let me learn you a thing, tumblr" in 2024 but I only recently realized this isn't as common knowledge as I thought so:

As someone who grew up a mile away from a bat bridge (a bridge that a bat colony lived under) I need people to understand the deal with grounded bats. All around that bridge are signs reading "do not handle grounded bats".

Short version: it's about Rabies. (World Health Organization, Wikipedia)

(If you handle ANY wild animal you need to tell a medical professional immediately. Don't handle a wild animal unless absolutely necessary and if you must, please use gloves and tools and throw away anything you can't sterilize completely.)

Bats are usually seen either 1), flying, or 2), sleeping. They can crawl, but you're unlikely to see a healthy, happy bat just chillin' on the ground. If you get a bat roosting under your roof/nearby tree/etc., you should alert animal control and leave the bat alone. If it got lost on its way home then it'll fly back once it's done sleeping. This happens sometimes. If not, you absolutely do not want to be handling the bat, see below.

As mentioned, healthy, happy bats do not usually chill on the ground for long periods of time. If there is a bat on the ground and it does not want to get off the ground any time soon, it is time to call animal control.

There's a number of reasons why the bat may be grounded, and one of those reasons is rabies. It's not a 100% guarantee, but it's not a gamble you'll want to be taking.

Rabies is 100% lethal without medical intervention.

Any wild mammal interaction carries a risk of passing rabies. They don't have to bite you, either- scratching you with claws they've licked or drooled on, or open cuts on your skin coming into contact with fur they've groomed, carries a risk! This is also bad news for your pets, which may in turn pass rabies to you.

I'm not going full PSA on this (so to speak) because I am not a doctor but if there is any, any chance you have come into contact with a rabid animal, you need medical help. Not "I can't afford it so I'll sleep it off", not "some vitamin C should be enough", your options are 1) seek the aid of a medical professional or 2) die horribly. Even the extremely rare cases of people surviving without rabies shots, they did so with intensive medical care anyways. Rabies is lethal, and it's contagious.

Don't handle grounded bats.

[goodfish-bowl]

Never Really Knew (DP x DC)

DP Side Hoes Week 2024 Master Post

Day 5: Dani - self-defense

Summary: There were plenty of things she knew, but it was all things that had been downloaded into her head. There was very few things that Dani had actually experienced in her extremely short life. Dani’s trip after being freed from Vlad goes well until it takes a turn into Gotham, New Jersey. Takes place after "Kindred Spirits", but before "D-Stabilized".  

Word Count: 2173

AO3 Link

Dani had known that traveling by herself would be dangerous. She knew it in the same way she knew advanced mathematics and classic literature. It was knowledge she had but had never experienced, programmed and downloaded into her head. She knew a lot of things this way, and very few things the other way. Dani had wanted to experience everything, to learn the way everyone else did. But she hadn’t known, not really, just how dangerous this task would be for her. She doubted Danny knew either, or he probably wouldn’t have let her go. 

Dani wasn’t having any trouble with money, so to say, Vlad’s credit card covered that, but there were very few places that would both accept credit and let a 12-year-old rent a room for the night. So while she was good on food and any other thing, shelter was a lot harder to manage. It had been fun, at first, buying a tent and camping equipment, and staying at parks while she explored the area, but yet again, a 12-year-old couldn't rent out a campground, so it was a bit riskier every night she stayed. If she stayed in the wrong place or too long, she would get chased out. She lost a few tents this way. She lost a few more to thefts that happened while she was out and about. 

The campground was fine when she was just about, but they weren’t always an option, like in the bigger cities, where she was now. Normally, Dani was able to keep her head low, and hang out on a rooftop for the night, but that wasn’t really a good option with vigilantes of Gotham frequenting those spaces too. She had to find a different place to sleep for the night, which she supposes is what got her into this whole mess too. That and not knowing, to an instinctual degree, that she should not have come to Gotham all alone. 

Dani had bunked down for the night in one of the many abandoned buildings around, even setting up her cot and some of her other camping equipment. This was not where she had woken up. 

Dani woke up with a full body ache and a piercing migraine, and immediately curled up on herself with a soft hiss. Everything hurt. Slowly, as Dani came to, her senses faded back into focus. It smelt generally terrible, like BO and urine, along with the faint tinge of mold and cigarettes. There was the sound of someone else crying near her, whimpering, and the more distant sound of laughter. She could feel the bare concrete under her as it tried to drain away what little body heat she actually produced. Her tongue tasted vile in her mouth, still full of fuzz with a metallic aftertaste in the back of her throat.

Dani was locked in a dark, generally dingy cell, with the only light coming from a yellow street light that managed to crawl in through the basement window, and a white fluorescent light that climbed under the door. There were a few other kinds locked up in here with her, in various stages of crying or passed out. Some of them were hurt, bad. Dani had been kidnapped in the worst city to be kidnapped. 

Slowly, feeling her whole body protest, Dani pushed herself to a kneeling position, drawing the other kids' eyes to her. She gave them a shaky smile that probably looked closer to a grimace. Dani felt her clothes and found that all the belongings she kept in her packets were gone. Darn, no more credit card. No more anything, really. Well, that sucked, but it wasn’t like they could keep her here for long, ghost powers and all that. Dani should get out as soon as she can, and run for the hills. She was sure whoever had captured her wouldn’t even notice one less child.

Dani strained her ears to listen to the voices from under the door, but a sniffle from one of the other kids in the room stopped her in her tracks, shutting down her plan of running out alone. Stupid Danny and his stupid protective streak. She would have to figure out how to get them all out together, and probably fast if the pick up in activity from under the door was any indication. Dani went over to the window, straining to look out of it, trying to figure out where it let out. 

“Hey,” Dani whispered. “Do any of you know where we are?”

There was a soft murmuring among the other children, before a scruffy-looking boy answered her in a thick Gotham accent. “Somewhere in Crime Alley. That window has metal bars in it, no way to get out from there.”

Dani hissed under her breath, letting go of the window sill from where she was straining to lift herself onto it. 

“Do you know where it leads?” She followed up. 

“Just some scummy alley.”

Dani nodded, that was at least something good, no one would notice if she passed some of the others through intangibly. 

“Okay, I can get us out,” Dani declared, keeping her voice intentionally low. 

“How do you plan to do that? You a meta or something?” one of the slightly older girls demanded. 

“Something like that,” Dani answered sheepishly. “Come on, I can take us directly through the wall,” Dani gestured through the window. 

The others were too scared to protest, and slowly Dani began to file them one to two at a time through the wall, into the alley above. Every trip burned through her reserves, and she hadn’t noticed just how many of them were in the cell with her. After the fourth trip, Dani felt fragile, only able to pass the boy with the thick local accent through, but not able to go through herself, she would hurt herself if she tried.

“Butter biscuits… I can’t get out, I’m out of energy,” Dani called out. She was going to have to figure a way out, no powers unless absolutely necessary, she might risk destabilization otherwise. 

The boy peered down at her from the window, looking grim. “I’ll go get help,” he stated before leaving her all alone in the room. 

Dani let herself drop to the ground as soon as he was gone. She felt so tired, vaguely ill, and tried her best not to not fall back asleep, but still get a little bit more rest before the rest of her grand escape. She spent those minutes listening to the voices as best as she could, planning. She really shouldn’t use her powers for the next bit, but Dani also really needed her stuff back. It would have to be worth the risk, it was the only way she could really afford anything. All she needed was just her wallet with the card in it. Everything else could be replaced, emergency cellphone included. She might have a window to get it when whatever help that boy had mentioned showed up. 

The voices on the other side of the door grew frantic along with an even more distant sound of gunshots and shattering glass. The door slammed open, causing Dani to fall onto her back in fright. The man’s eyes were blown wide in fear, teeth bared. His eyes narrowed as he probably noticed the lack of children in the room, and spat out a nasty curse before his eyes locked onto her. 

“Fuck it, we only need one hostage, a half-dead brat will have to do,” the man spat, practically snatching her up by the arms, causing Dani to cry out in pain. 

Dani had to scrunch up her eyes under the artificial white lights, leading into an open warehouse. She struggled for just a second before there was something cold and metal pressing against her temple. 

“Try it, brat, and your brains will be blown out all over the floor,” the man growled, and Dani froze. 

It was a gun. Dani knew it was a gun, and finally, it sunk in just how much danger she was really in, and tears began to run down her face. She didn’t want to die! She had only just begun to learn how to live in the first place. She needed more than a few months to figure herself out!  

The man didn't do anything as Dani began to cry, but one of the other roughly dressed goons in the room, holding an even bigger gun, sent the one holding her a dirty look, before a confused realization passed over him. 

“Where the other kids?” The other guy asked. 

“Hell if I know. Only one left was this shrimp who looks well and ready to keel over. She’ll fucking have to do.” 

There was another loud bang as a door somewhere in the warehouse was thrown open. 

“Red Hood! Don’t fucking try it or I off the kid!” 

Dani strained to see through her tears and hysterics. Was this guy supposed to be her help? But Dani was already held hostage, how much help could this ‘Red Hood’ be?

“You know I don’t like people fucking around with kids on my turf,” a modulated, artificial voice spat. 

“Which is why you’re going to let us go, so that this little girl’s brains don’t end up splattered all over the ground,” The guy holding the bigger gun argued back. 

There was a creak from the rafters and the other guy opened fired, sending rounds into the ceiling. A large figure dropped down, returning fire as they fell. Dani’s eyes widened at the heavily armed figure in a red helmet and leather jacket. He was both the coolest and most terrifying person Dani had ever seen. The guy with the bigger gun went down with only a few well-aimed shots. 

Red Hood towered over Dani’s current kidnapper, who pressed the gun harder into her temple, causing another wave of panic to go through her as her eyes strained to dart back and forth between the man holding her and her ‘savior’ who had just definitely killed someone. 

“There you are, you shitty bastard,” her kidnapper growled. “Now!”

Gunshots came from a completely different direction, catching Red Hood by surprise, but not before he managed to take out one of the two new assailants, and a stray bullet slammed into the arm holding the gun to Dani’s head. The man recoiled, practically tossing both her and the gun aside, forgotten. Dani ducked down, scrambling the best she could away from the center of the fight, but exhaustion and a horrible pinch in her ankle weighed down on her entire being. 

Dani looked back after hearing a few more gunshots. The guy who had been holding her was dead, but Red Hood had taken a couple of hits himself, stuck kneeling as the final kidnapper pointed his gun directly at Red Hood. He was going to be killed, and then Dani knew she would quickly follow him. Panic seized her body and core, dredging up what little energy it could. She couldn’t let Red Hood be killed, Dani didn’t want to die. 

 Dani dove for the gun that had been tossed away in her. The knowledge of how to use a gun quickly clicked into place, just like all of those other things she knew and had never experienced. Dani was keen on never feeling the chill of a live firearm in her hands again, nor the image of the man dropping dead from a clean shot as she fired. 

The gun clattered to the ground and Dani was well aware that Red Hood was full-on staring at her beneath his helmet. 

“Kid-” the modulated voice called out, but Dani yanked on her invisibility, pulling as hard as she could, running off. 

Dani had killed someone, sending full-on shivers and nausea through her, compounded by the protests of her fragile anatomy as she tried to maintain invisibility. She quickly found her things, which had been haphazardly tossed into a corner, snatching the wallet and nothing else. It felt like she was falling apart. 

Dani made it to the exit before Red Hood spotted her again. 

“Wait!” He called out, sounding panicked. 

Dani couldn’t help the reflexive glance back, likely showcasing the bright glow of her eyes, and the thick trickle of ectoplasm as it seeped out of her nose before she fled into the night. There was cursing and heavy steps behind her, so Dani did the only thing she could and transformed as soon as she was out of direct eyesight, doing her best to ignore the familiar sensation of destabilization as it began to set in. She even ignored the swear-storm of the vigilante she left behind in the alley. Dani was going back to Amity Park as soon as she could, but she now knew, deep in her gut and in the sour taste of ectoplasm in the back of her throat, just how dangerous it could be on her own.

[pharaohbean]

invitation

original upload: june 22nd 2024 on ao3

summary: "'Dan Heng knew the dark well. Dan Heng did not like the dark. And so Dan Heng screamed out into the void for someone to save him.' Dan Heng's thirst for knowledge (and duty as the Archivist of the Astral Express) gets him into tough situations that even he can't pull himself out of. However, they will always be a shooting star nearby."

tags: Dan Heng/Boothill, Dan Heng/Trailblazer, March 7th/Stelle | Angst, Angst with a Happy Ending, Inspired By Poetry, Pre-Relationship, I Wrote This Instead Of Sleeping

warnings: none

author's note: "i churned this out at 1am all of a sudden after three separate drafts. what the f--- inspired by a poem (did you know literature is my worst subject)"

Dan Heng was not unfamiliar with the dark. However, he wished that that wasn't the case.

Years, decades, maybe even a century—his time spent in the Shackling Prison had not been kind to him even in the simplest of things like keeping time—spent in captivity, even before he emerged from his egg, had made the former High Elder harshly familiar with the darkness and the horrors it brought. Perhaps only because of the pain he’d suffered at the beginning of his life could he now stay calm in his current situation.

He dragged himself off of the stone brick ground, moss covering the Eras-weathered pathway, with Cloud Piercer rammed into the ground and acted as his pillar. His memories were muddled as he desperately tried to remember how he’d gotten in such a position—why unconscious (dead? Unsure, it was dark) bodies were scattered behind him, why no one from the Express was with him, why—

A flash of bioluminescent sea green had him whipping his head around. Bright blue-green serpentine eyes, dozens of pairs of them, crawled out of the abyss and lit up as they approached him.

They did not look friendly. They were not friendly, Dan Heng remembered that much. It was one against an army, and well—

The Imbibitor Lunae was infamously known for not going down without a fight.

As Archivist of the Astral Express, it was Dan Heng’s duty to make sure that any and all info in the Data Bank was as up-to-date as possible. With some worlds like Jarlio-VI, that simply wasn’t possible—the Space Anchors may have been deactivated due to unuse, or never existed in the first place. But if Dan Heng could fact-check it himself, he would.

It was on one of these solo expeditions—to a low-end yet vibrant planet named Alladonia, an entry just needing some brushing up on—when Dan Heng heard something that caught his interest.

Four men were planning an expedition to a nearby set of ruins—only revealed to them through a cryptic message delivered by an even more cryptic member of the Garden of Recollection—and were talking about hiring a Pathstrider to guard them. Apparently only one of them was a Pathstrider and a Pathstrider of Harmony in your group wasn’t very useful if none of you could fight.

His curiosity piqued, Dan Heng approached the group and asked them about their expedition. Their leader revealed that during their day-to-day life, the Garden of Recollection gave him a very strange… poem? Riddle? And that it would lead him to immeasurable power if they got there first. Dan Heng sighed inside—of course it did—but his thirst for knowledge would not be deterred. So he offered his services, simply wanting to document anything he found there and maybe a little money to cover lodgings and whatnot. The men, overjoyed, agreed.

The journey to the abandoned city was long but mostly uneventful; soon, the group had arrived at their location. Upon reciting the riddle (Dan Heng was half convinced it was a poem with the leader’s emphasized pauses at odd moments) the large stone doors cleverly disguised as mere sides of a cliff opened wide, casting light down into the city carved into two sides of a ravine, but still not enough to illuminate its lower levels.

The five of them had ventured down and down, exploring every little nook and cranny for any info they could find. The riddle/poem was not very helpful in what came next, so they brainstormed on a large platform in the side of the ravine—a town square of sorts, Dan Heng surmised. A large stone bridge crossed the ravine, where a dark river sat gently flowing.

And then the large glowing lizards appeared suddenly, soundless in the dark and attacked their near-defenseless group group and—

Oh. Dan Heng was falling off the bridge now into the river below.

It was warm and cold.

He felt like he was back inside of his egg, tightly insulated from the outside world, and yet the biting cold of the Shackling Prison(?) still seeped through, stabbing him in places he could not reach.

He tried to move his body, open his eyes, do something , but nothing responded to his calls. He screamed and yelled and begged and nothing escaped his lips; tears would fall, never to be seen since they could not be freed.

Then, in his mind’s eye, he saw a shooting star come rushing towards him—a blazing sign of hope and promises. It reminded him of the sight in Penacony, when those people from all over the galaxy had been called together just to provide a moment’s disturbance for the fatal counter-strike.

Dan Heng knew the dark well. Dan Heng did not like the dark. And so Dan Heng screamed out into the void for someone to save him.

When he finally managed to stir, he took into account all five of his sense at once:

Wrapped around his body was a thick, slightly scratchy blanket that made him feel tightly secure—like his egg or his bed at the Express. He could feel flickering heat near him, its warmth caressing his face.

Saltwater (or polluted water, unsure) hung on his tongue; he swallowed on reflex, trying to clear the mildly disgusting taste from his mouth.

The scent of fish wafted into his nose, bringing back memories of times before—good and bad, from hauntings of the Luofu to photographs of the Express.

The crackling of a burning fire filled the empty silence, reminding him of the whirring of the Archives; soon, the fire was joined by the rustle and jangle of metal shifting around and click-clacking across stone bricks to be by his side.

Finally, Dan Heng peeked his eyes open to be met by the warm, hazy glow of the fire and a body crouched next to his. Metal body, no shirt, black and white hair, and eyes that were always targeting someone or something .

“Boot… hill?” Dan Heng mumbled, brow furrowing. His vision blurred and his head swam as he tried to sit up. “Where…?”

“Take it easy there, partner,” Boothill’s mechanical voice said, a hand on Dan Heng’s chest coaxing him back down. “You’ve had quite the adventure, judging by your state.”

Dan Heng tried to think for a moment, but was knocked off his train of thought by a cup of water at his lips. He wrinkled his nose at the thought of drinking the river’s water, and Boothill’s laugh echoed through the place.

“Don’t worry ‘bout it! It’s not from that dirty old river,” the Galaxy Ranger reassured him. Dan Heng hummed hoarsely, then gratefully gulped down the offered cup—slowly, with each long gulp, his mental processes returned to him one by one.

Once the cup was finished, Dan Heng watched as Boothill rifled through a bag on the side, then looked around his surroundings. It seemed that Boothill had set up camp in one of the many lifeless homes, nondescript outside of their unique carvings on the walls.

“What happened?” Dan Heng asked quietly, his eyes flicking back to Boothill. The cyborg looked at him with a wide-eyed expression and something akin to a frown before shrugging.

“Got me beat, partner—I only just got here.”

“Why are you here?” Dan Heng immediately asked, then winced at the bite in his question. The Galaxy Ranger moved to sit next to him, watching carefully as Dan Heng sat up slowly. He pulled a cooked fish off of where it sat near the fire, and the Vidyadhara accepted the food graciously.

Boothill hummed, staring off into space for a few moments. Then, he began to speak:

“Yer a High Elder, aren’t you? Of the Vidyadhara.”

Dan Heng paused mid-chew, anxiety and panic flooding through systems. He quickly swallowed the torn piece and stammered out, “H-how did you know?”

Boothill looked back to him, and his gaze softened to one of… pity, almost. “We’re both Pathstriders of The Hunt. I’d be foolish to not recognize someone like me.”

Dan Heng looked down to the food in his hands, battling against the flood of memories that tried to breach his defenses. He had fought that battle against Dan Feng back while they were still on the Luofu; he was uninterested in fighting it again. “…I gave up the title of Imbibitor Lunae many centuries ago. At least… I tried to.”

Boothill hummed for a moment. “We’re both Pathstriders of The Hunt… and I heard someone like us crying out in despair.”

“Then we need to help them;” Dan Heng went to stand up, ignoring the throbbing in his entire body, “they could still need out help—“

He was halted by Boothill’s hand on his cheek, stilling his movements. The metal plates were cool against his warming cheeks, but not bitingly cold. The cool of a fan on a hot summer's day. Without realizing it, he’d leaned into it ever so slightly.

“I heard you ,” Boothill murmured. “I heard you begging for someone to save you and I came as fast as I could.”

“—Why?” Dan Heng blurted out after a beat, his mind muddling with every passing second. He couldn’t keep up with everything he was learning today. The thought of the motionless bodies of the other men crept into his mind, and then the lizards and the fight and the fall and the coldness—

Dan Heng was swept into Boothill’s arms suddenly; the blanket around him was left behind and his head rested on the junction between his neck and his head. Only then did Dan Heng realize he was shaking.

“You were amazin’ in that dream, y’know? Both of them. You put up a fantastic show for your friends and everyone else and even had me enraptured in your part of the show. It had me fooled, I’ll admit.

“But it’s over,” Boothill’s voice dropped to a mere comforting murmur. “It’s all okay. You can rest now.”

Dan Heng just sat there, petrified in the confusion of emotions flooding him. The cool grasp around him squeezed just a little tighter, and that was all it took for Dan Heng to bury himself into Boothill further.

Dan Heng did not like the darkness—in fact, Dan Heng hated the darkness, fearful of it even.

“It was too dark,” Dan Heng muttered into Boothill’s neck, his voice rising in hysterics as he continued to speak. “Reminded me too much of back then. It was cold, too cold, and too dark and I couldn’t do anything and—“

“Shh.” Boothill tugged the half-sobbing dragon into him ( if that was even possible, Dan Heng’s mind faintly commented). “You’re okay now. No more darkness or cold.”

“…I saw a shooting star. Near the end. It- it reminded me of when you summoned all those Galaxy Rangers in Penacony.”

“I guess the speed at which I flew over here could be compared to a shooting star,” Boothill commented, making Dan Heng snort a little in reply.

Silence lapsed between the two of them before the dragon breathed: “…I’m tired.”

“Well, your Express friends are on their way. You can get some rest before you go back with them.” The cyborg replaced Dan Heng back in the little sleeping bag he’d put him in; Dan Heng rolled himself into a cocoon immediately, much to the Ranger’s confusion and amusement.

Dan Heng glanced at him one more time, his eyes sparkling (with tears? just from relief?) as he quietly asked:

“Will you stay with me?”

Boothill understood immediately. The unspoken words between two Pathstriders of the same Path. Two hunters with too much in their pasts that always came back to them.

“As long as you want me.”

Dan Heng smiled weakly, humming in response to a hand ruffling his hair, then dozed off—not truly sleeping, but letting his mind shut down. Somewhere down the line, behind blurred and foggy memories, he felt arms pick him up and carry him a long way, never letting go until they’d arrived at the Express. Once he felt the familiar aura of the Express encircle him once more, Dan Heng truly allowed himself to fall asleep.

Dan Heng was not unfamiliar with the darkness. He did not like the darkness and was always afraid of returning to it.

But this time, no matter where he went in his dreams, a shooting star was always following after him.

And that— and he— lit up the darkness.

[delta-pavonis]

Dreamling Week 2024 Day 4

Dreamling Week 2024 Day 4 Prompts (from @mr-sadman): shapeshifter, storm, finger food, dirty

Dreamling || Rated M || 751 words

tags (other than the prompts above): fantasy, urban fantasy, solarpunk, drow druid/sorcerer Dream, half wood elf bard/gunsmith Hob, investigator partners with a history, they get captured and held for days as torture, escape from torture, cannibalism metaphors for love, discussion of taking joy in revenge

In chronological order: Day 2, Day 1, Day 3

Day 4 comes soon after Day 3

They crawl out of the cave system into a raging thunderstorm. Might as well be a hurricane for how the wind is blowing the rain and trees sideways. However, the sight of cypress trees and the salty smell of the ocean limits the possible places that they have been taken to. 

“Holy shit we're in Port Essen!” Hob gasps in breathless laughter. When Dream looks at him he is smiling, almost glowing, underneath all the dirt and grime and soil and debris they are covered with, that is all rapidly turning to mud as the forceful winds and driving rain wash them clean. He looks to Dream and it is like the sun has risen, warmth diffusing through Dream's skin. “I grew up here!”

That raises a red flag in the back of Dream's mind–he doesn't believe in coincidences. 

“We need to move. Get as far away as possible. Fast. Get on.” Dream doesn't say more, doesn't explain, just grabs some of the reedy dunegrass at his feet and pops it into his mouth as he makes the appropriate hand motions. 

Hob lets out a yelp as Dream transforms into a dire elk, huge and black. He wouldn't be able to fly in such rain and he has no meat for a spell component, so his dragon form is out; the elk will give Hob a smoother ride over the widest variety of terrain. 

Once fully shifted Dream drops onto folded legs, but that still means his back is at about the height of a horse, so he angles his head towards Hob to lend an antler for leverage.

Luckily Hob catches on quickly, hefting himself up onto Dream with a grunt. “West,” he says as he buries his hands in the ruff of thick fur around Dream's neck, “We’ll hit forest and freshwater fastest if we go west.”

Dream stands, looks back at Hob once to make sure he is settled, and then leaps into action. Hob lets out another yelp the first time Dream lands from a bound, but he sets a rhythm and the bard in Hob cues onto it almost immediately. 

Then he outright laughs.

“Dream,” he whispers into his fur, must be leaning over to get so close to his ear, “you are amazing, dove.”

Dream would laugh as well, if he could. 

He has never had a rider before, not in any shifted form he has taken, and that it is Hob on his back, moving fluidly with him, legs around him, clinging to him… well. Apparently one doesn’t need wings to fly.

But first they need to disappear. They need to get gone and regroup and get food and maybe bathe in a cold stream and start assembling their meager knowledge of their captors so that they can send out feelers for information and start the tedious process of revenge. 

Because Dream will eat their hearts raw for making this the bower in which he tells Hob the nature of Dream’s connection to him. He will make them watch as he sucks the marrow from their living bones for how they have treated his Mate. He cares not that he himself has been tortured; Dream has done more than enough terrible things in his life to have earned such an experience. But Hob? No. He will not let them survive this insult.

However, getting to that point, when he will be able to revel in the suffering of those who caused so much of the same, will take time. Dream is always thorough in his planning.

And while they wait, keeping to the shadows and gathering their knowledge and power, Dream will sup upon his Mate. He will devour the finest meal he will ever have. Savor the small pieces that he can pick up between his fingers and drop into his mouth and lick from under his fingernails. Drink long draughts of pleasure of Hob’s body and thereby nourish his own soul. Dream has been starving and did not know it, did not really understand what he was missing, until his body was weakened by the captivity and his mind sharpened by the pain his Mate experienced. 

Dream vaults over some rocky ground, avoiding it completely, and then as they crest a hill the treeline comes into sight and he could cry for the relief of it. Within the embrace of the forest Dream will have all the tools he needs to keep them safe. And then he can look towards the future.

[whateverithinkof]

Daily Fanfic Rec (Day 29)

Teen Wolf

5/23/2024

Masterlist

Title: For the Love of Peter

Author: Dagger_Stiletto

Words: 19,586

Chapters: 2

Completed?: Yes

"When Stiles' Pack and mate are brutally slaughtered, he crawls his broken body to the Nemeton. She sends him back in time to undo the wrong that has been done to her wolves. Stiles, backed with the power and knowledge She provides through their bond, puts his all into preventing all the bad things from happening with the promise of peace as his reward."

-- -- -- -- --

Steter fanfic where Stiles goes back in time and meets the Hale pack, preventing the Hale fire and a lot of other bad stuff from happening. Features slight angst but a happy ending!

[kylesvariouslistsandstuff]

Yes indeed, here we are, at the cusp of MOANA 2's opening weekend.

Gigantic $57m opening Wednesday take, a little below INSIDE OUT 2's $64m opening day take from this past summer. INCREDIBLES 2 ($71m) and LION KING Remake ($77m) still hold the top spots.

Has a curious A- CinemaScore, which WISH also had. Not terrible, but not particularly great for an animated family movie title. Could go either way now because of that. If my shift on Thursday was anything to go by, audiences dug it. Heard two ovations when doing my theater cleans, and some of the crowds seemingly enjoying it. May not go down like WISH did. We'll see. Reviews tended to be generally okay, with many noting that it definitely feels like a patch job of TV show episodes, as it was suspected by some to be.

Does it set a bad precedent for Disney? To just hastily turn something into what it was not meant to be at first, and then crunch the living heck out of the animators (if recent rumblings are to be believed, I mean c'mon they're likely true) at both studios after such a significant overhaul? In this era, MOANA 2 is the only project to have evolved from a halfway-finished Disney+ show. As far as I know, TIANA will remain a TV series. WDAS, to my knowledge, has no other Disney+ shows in the works. That whole rush from all of Disney's film divisions to churn out content-content-content for D+ has slowed to a crawl. ZOOTOPIA 2 was a movie from the word-go, so I don't know about that.

From my perspective, they had an original movie lined up for this fall, and I guess after how badly STRANGE WORLD and WISH went over (the latter, to my eyes, an also obviously rushed product to meet the Disney centennial)... And because they just had to have a new WDAS movie out for Thanksgiving 2024 (annual tradition at this point, only stopped once by COVID, as RAYA left Thanksgiving 2020 for March 2021), they hit the panic button and movie'd MOANA: THE SERIES into MOANA 2... That's my guess, and a lot of Jennifer Lee's stepping down from the studio CCO position was one of the big fallouts of that. A tell-all I'd love to hear. I think the smart thing would've been to take that SNOW WHITE thing and swap that with MOANA 2. It probably still would've been huge anyhow, and SNOW WHITE could've benefited from the holidays if it's a stinker. Maybe not. I know at the end of the day that that juicy opening day take and likely massive weekend gross matters *much more* to Disney in the end... Plus this will probably help make back what the previous two features lost... But I'm that uncool person who thinks of the people actually making these things. I think a spring 2025 debut would've given the filmmakers more time to sort things out. It all seemed very last minute, and that's not cool. Especially amidst the negotiations going on between the Animation Guild and the wider industry.

Also, we could've gotten a complete repeat of 2016, the year both the original MOANA and the original ZOOTOPIA came out... Just back to front this time, MOANA 2 as a March release, and ZOOTOPIA 2 as a November release. But, MOANA 2 will likely make its budget back by the end of next week or the week after. It'll chug to $600m very soon, it'll probably easily surpass the $640m+ take. Unless it's actually really bad, which it doesn't seem to be to most family audiences flocking to this film... So yeah, $600-800m in sight, maybe even a billion. They'll likely greenlight a third movie, as I hear the film itself explicitly sets one up?

Funny how in the WDAS realm, FROZEN and MOANA - two movies from this past decade - get a trilogy before FANTASIA gets a proper third film. FANTASIA almost got a third film, did you know that? FANTASIA 2006 would've contained THE LITTLE MATCH GIRL, ONE BY ONE, LORENZO, and DESTINO, but it ultimately did not happen. I feel FANTASIA 2023 would've been the proper way to celebrate Disney's centennial last year, not WISH. I'm sayin', they should make another FANTASIA, don't mind me over here wishing for another FANTASIA movie.

Anyways, big waves ahead for MOANA 2. I'll be curious to see how high this thing goes, pun sorta shamelessly intended.