#. with ; nicole salazar

[loftylockjaw]

TIMING: Early January LOCATION: Darkling Lake PARTIES: Wyatt (@loftylockjaw) & Nicole (@nicsalazar) SUMMARY: Wyatt thinks he’s found a nice midnight snack. He hasn’t. It’s an ustra, but he doesn’t know that. Neither does Nicole, who happens to be out walking the banks of the lake that night. The pair team up to take the creature down, but it doesn’t go so well for Wyatt. CONTENT WARNINGS: None.

—

It wasn’t often camp set so close to Darkling Lake. For good reason. Firefighters were wise enough not to get too familiar with the territory, its bleak reputation influential enough to defer to places nearby when in need of an anchor point. But, with fire season well on the way, it wasn’t always sensible, and sometimes the most awful of fires required drastic measures.

The day had been exhausting. Digging up the fireline, reducing fuel and the general stress of, well, everything —work and real life— weighed heavily on Nicole’s body, her muscles so sore she didn’t think sleep would come easily. When the night fell and the new crew came in, some firefighters had found their way back to the main tent. Others, like her, preferred to sleep on the forest ground, ready if emergency called.  

Nicole twisted one final time in her sleeping bag before she let out a frustrated groan and rose to her feet again. Maybe a walk would help her get rid of all the adrenaline still coursing through her body, hindering her rest. So, with the excuse of going to find the bathroom, she grabbed a banana, a bottle of water and strolled away from the rest of the team.

Despite all the stories she had heard about the lake, she couldn’t deny its beauty. And at night? Everything was as breathtaking as it was eerie. It was an interesting combination, Nicole decided, though she was speaking from the comfort of her own experiences with the lake. Which had all been good in the past, when she’d visited Teagan. Except for the first time, but she’d rather not dwell on almost drowning right now.

Unsurprisingly, the walk had managed exactly the goal she had in mind, her body feeling a lot less jittery and restless once she had set a constant pace. So of course, something had to go and disturb her peace. 

Her stomach plummeted as the scent of decomposition reached her nostrils. Nicole whipped her head around, gaze trying to pin down the source. Luckily for her, there was nothing. She wasn’t in the mood to find bodies lying around. Not that there was ever a mood for that. Picking up her steps, she navigated her way back to camp, until a figure near the water caught her attention.

It couldn’t be taller than Leah. Whoever— whatever that was, they were risking a lot by standing near the edge. That’s how Nicole almost—

She had likely not concealed her steps very carefully, because the figure was alerted of her presence, twisting around and revealing its supernatural form in the process. That was no woman, it required little to no observation to gather that. But it would take a moment for Nicole to go over her mental notes to figure out exactly what type of beast she’d encountered. The creature kept its distance, though it was clearly preparing for something. 

Under no circumstances Nicole could’ve predict it was to spit something at projectile speed, aiming at her. She dodged, by the grace of her enhanced agility, but she knew it was time to run before she found out the real purpose of that substance. Just in time, however, something else appeared ready to join the “fun”, as Nicole picked up extra movement in their vicinity.  

—

A quick, easy meal, he’d thought. Some creepy little fucking humanoid skulking around the edge of the lake, unaware of the danger that lurked beneath the water. Though truth be told, Wyatt was the one in danger, though he didn’t know it. He’d seen one of these once, when he was just a little hatchling back in the bayous of Louisiana, but his mother had quickly dispatched it. He couldn’t remember much about it other than it spit something that seemed corrosive, but he was under the impression that such a defense mechanism would prove useless against his tough exterior. Surely it must, if mama had made such easy work of it!

But then things became more complicated, because there was a human (apparent) on the banks drawing its attention, and—damnit. Damnit. Wyatt didn’t make a habit of protecting random passerby from the local fauna, but his conscience got the better of him and stirred him from where he hung deathly still in the water, his crocodilian head no longer appearing like just a log in the still waters. 

The lamia slipped toward the bank with haste, scaly body rising almost silently from the water as it grew more and more shallow. The creature between them was focused on the woman, not hearing the low rumble that accompanied the parting of Wyatt’s long, deadly jaws until the lamia was almost upon it. It screeched, scrabbling through the mud to get away from him, barely escaping the loud snap of his teeth slamming together in a bite that bore no fruit. He let out an angry bellow, slithering between the stranger and the beast, challenging it to come closer. It wouldn’t, hiding in the reeds and spitting at them from a distance, an attack that the lamia was able to dodge. “Gonna have to do better than that, pig roast!” His attention briefly swung to the woman behind him, and he huffed out a breath. “You good?” 

—

Some sort of… creature rose out of the water too. Crocodile. Alligator? Fuck if Nicole knew the difference. She was too busy fucking dodging spit to examine more closely and settle that. She immediately realized she was a good distraction, though. Not something she ever wanted to be, but when the creature by the lake was too busy trying to get her instead of noticing what slithered behind, then… Nicole could try to be more distracting. She stepped away from the trees she used as cover, showing herself out in the open for the monster to get. It looked like it was working at least, until the crocodile snapped at it and it wasn’t quite the powerful bite it should’ve been. The monster slipped away, screeching in the process. Likely disturbing other wildlife lurking in the shadows. There was a moment —brief, but there— where Nicole considered whether the jaguar should join in or not. If it would be smarter to let two beasts have at the monster rather than one. 

The animal slithered to a halt outside his lake, putting himself between her and the monster, adopting a protective stance. And that should have been enough to tell Nicole that this was no ordinary animal. Dogs could be protective. Cats too, sometimes, if they got their heads out of their asses. But a crocodile? Nicole was open to the idea, strange as it was, and took this gesture as an invitation to retreat to the trees, to hide as the monster continued to shoot at them. Or she could leave and let the animal take care of the rest. That was what she was supposed to be doing before she got attacked. Running. Nicole did none of that because a voice reached her ears and froze her in the spot. 

What the fuck didn’t cover it. The crocodile—alligator, whatever the fuck hybrid spoke, checking in on her. Eyes bulging, the momentary shock made it so the monster’s spit nearly touched her. She ducked in time, again by the virtue of flexible clavicles, hearing it hit the leaves behind them. Right. There was no time for shock. She knew humans could shift into all kinds of animals. This wasn’t new. Or it was, but not in any way that should have Nicole unable to team up with…him. Her mind was spinning, but survival always came first. “Been better— got any idea what that thing is?” Not that it fucking mattered, of course. A time and place for all that. But it did matter, in a way. Nicole was no fighter, but she’d been able to get rid of dangerous creatures before, depending on their weaknesses. Leah had taught her well. Knowing where in the wide realm of Wicked’s Rest bullshit this one fit could give some indication as to how to get rid of it. Because— “Something tells me we shouldn’t let it go free”. She reached for her backpack, forgetting she wasn’t carrying her hatchet. How else was she going to defend herself? Something stabbed between her ribs, cold and demanding. The spirit. No, she wasn’t doing that. Not after it got hurt. “Can work distracting her, you’ll— you…” her forehead creased. Was she really speaking to an alligator? “You get your dinner” she mumbled without much conviction, before blowing a tense breath and moving into the spotlight.

—

“Nope! Doesn’t look as tasty up close as it did from the water, neither!” Wyatt returned, his gaze fixed on the bipedal thing trying its best to land a spit hit. “But I never turned down a new chew toy before, got no reason to start now!” He kept quiet while the stranger moved to attract the monster’s attention and try to give him a better shot at getting in there and getting a good bite on this thing, lurking in the darkness and waiting for the opportune moment. 

It came when the monster realized it wasn’t going to get anywhere just standing here, and seemed to hesitantly move away from the water and towards Nicole. It clearly was not as clever a creature as Wyatt (which was not an especially high bar), seeming to forget the scaly shifter that had almost made an appetizer of it only minutes before, focusing wholly on the dark-haired woman as it advanced forward. Wyatt took advantage of this and moved up behind it again, primed to sprint on all fours right for it once he felt the moment was right. It was getting uncomfortably close to the woman and he grit his teeth, bounding forward with more speed than one would expect from such a large shifter. 

The thing, whatever it was, might not have been clever, but it wasn’t deaf. It whipped around as the lamia barreled down upon it, a long, prehensile tongue rocketing out of its gaping mouth (ew) and shooting right for the massive alligator-creature’s throat. Wyatt felt it make contact but didn’t slow down, crashing down onto the humanoid with 2,000 pounds of weight. And that mass may have been his only saving grace, because the ustras’s venom didn’t immediately paralyze him, though he did quickly notice he was having difficulty with his flexibility. 

Sometimes, having such a large snout was a hindrance, and he couldn’t quite get a good grip on the creature. Besides that, it was stronger than it looked, holding his jaws apart while the spines on its back stabbed into his tongue and coated his mouth in a horrible, bitter taste. He tried to bite down, snorting and huffing and generally making a pretty big fuss over it as he lost more and more of his mobility. His breaths became faster, more panicked as he realized something was wrong. The tongue that’d attached itself to his neck had retreated from that spot, but he thought he felt it on the roof of his mouth, instead. 

The shifter let out a terrified bellow, and it was pretty clear he was rapidly losing the ability to defend himself. 

—

It was talking, yes. Nicole wasn’t hallucinating. Somewhat of a relief but— What the fuck? Provided she made it out alive out of this new encounter with a deadly creature, she’d have to go look into reptile shifters. The one joining forces with her tonight must’ve had such incredible control over its transformation to be able to do any of that. A wave of admiration swept through her as she held the crocodile’s gaze for a moment, though it was quickly replaced by the more familiar cocktail of guilt and shame. Whose fault was it that she couldn’t claim to have equal control over her shifts? Right. 

Nicole stepped nearer, picking up on new details on the other creature’s face. The slimy complexion, the unsettling muscles for such a small body. And the tongue, impossibly long as it was flaunted in a threatening manner. This was supposed to be good, however. The monster thought Nicole was stupid enough to get close with no plan. Perhaps it was already thinking how it was going to feed off her. But Nicole was counting on the element of surprise, even as she had to dodge another wad of spit aimed at her. She recovered just in time to see the crocodile hybrid charge at the monster. The thud shook the ground beneath her boots, but it was hardly an inconvenience when she was certain this meant the quick hashed out plan had worked and the enemy had been defeated. 

It— It didn’t look like the crocodile was winning, though. Not after the initial collision, where he had come out on top. The long-haired monster made good use of those muscles, preventing the animal's maw from delivering a final blow that surely would’ve resulted in the creature’s demise. After that, the reptile thing began struggling. Nicole noticed its lethargic movements, heard its erratic breathing, as the horrible monster proved to have more than vile spit to defend itself. Making it a tricky opponent. They had underestimated it solely on their size. Nicole should’ve known better than that. 

In the face of adversity, it was the moment to consider her options. She could run, that thought hardly ever left her. She could run and let this crocodile hybrid perish. The monster wasn’t agile enough for her, and she knew the woods well enough to lose it amid the trees. But she had this thing —a conscience— keeping her rooted to her spot. The crocodile— alligator… fuck if she knew, had intervened before, when it was Nicole’s life on the line. She should return the favor. She should return the favor not only because it was the right thing to do, but because she still believed they couldn’t let a monster like that get away and risk innocent people from stumbling upon it. A pulse, cold but insistent, struck in her chest. The jaguar wanted something. To fight. To solve this. Save her and the crocodile. She was reluctant, not so much out of fear of her own spirit anymore, but in an attempt to protect what remained of the beast. Are you sure? She asked. Another pulse in response. They had a small advantage, she figured. Knowing how the monster took down bigger predators. Her heart pounded in her ears as understanding dawned on her: It might as well be their only chance. 

Her body shook as she released a calming breath. Her muscles were still tight, shoulders still tense, but there was no time to collect herself. Nicole pleaded with the spirit for a smooth transition. And luckily for her, the jaguar was in a mood to comply. It ripped through her in an ethereal mist, its physical shift so quick, she barely registered any pain. The beast was already in motion as its paws stepped into the forest floor, leaping with coiled energy toward the monster. Feral bite found purchase in the creature’s windpipe, tearing and mangling. Gurgling noises filled the night air as the vampire released its grip on the alligator and attempted to take down the jaguar too. Two beasts against one, there was no chance it was walking out this in one piece. 

—

The corners of Wyatt’s vision darkened dangerously and he shook his great head to try to fight it off, but his movements were becoming more restricted by the moment. He couldn’t kill it. He just needed to bite down on its stupid head and rip it off, and he couldn’t. It was poisoning him, paralyzing him, and there was nothing he could do to stop it. He was helpless… and that was a new feeling. A new fear. He’d never been helpless before. He’d never lost a fight before. Never been in a position he couldn’t get himself back out of, if he really put his mind to it. Even that night that Owen had dragged him out to the woods and fed him a deer to help him heal his wounds, he would have lived if left on his own, it just might not have been pretty. But this? This thing was intent on feeding, and it would make sure there wasn’t enough left of Wyatt to heal. He was going to die, unless—

Something came barrelling into them, and suddenly the pressure of the ustra’s tongue as it tried to slip down the back of his throat was gone. His jaws fell shut, snapping loudly and allowing him to finally see what was—oh. 

There was a wildcat. Not the Wildcat, not Felix, but a cat nonetheless. Yellow, slitted eyes watched the feline tear at the throat of the creature, adrenaline dumping in his system once more as renewed hope tried to lift him from where he lay among the grass and reeds. “Rip…” Wyatt wheezed at the cat, shifting lamely in the mud. “Rip the h-head off…” It was meant to be a much more inspiring shout but he could hardly speak, let alone yell. “Watch out for… spines.. tongue.” Ugh. He had to help hold the thing still if he could—he was already succumbing to the paralysis, so what did a little more matter? With one final great burst of effort, the lamia heaved himself forward and let the weight of his head crash down on top of the ustra, pinning it to the ground across its legs and middle and leaving the head and throat exposed for the balam to take care of. 

—

The instruction was lost on the jaguar, who –at best– was able to pick up on a certain inflection in the other animal’s cry. A warning of sorts. With the momentary advantage of a disarming tackle, the jaguar examined its foe. Of course, it was no common prey. If it was prey at all. The jaguar had watched it measure up to the much larger alligator with relative ease before it intervened. So what was it? What made it a formidable opponent despite its ordinary size? The jaguar battled against a slimy composition, slippery as the monster tried getting away despite its torn throat. Dark blood oozed from the injury, coating the jaguar’s fur. It had seen something similar before. In the beast with red eyes, the one who attacked amidst the red fog. Angry about the similarities, angry about being overpowered at the time, the jaguar took it on the monster beneath. Its sharp claws sliced the head, and a screech cut through the air. 

And then the booming of a heavyweight slamming against the forest floor froze everything for a moment. The monster had been pinned down by the alligator, who had dragged himself to help. Not even the slippery build of the monster would be able to slide away now. And it seemed to be aware of its imminent demise. Poisonous spit came out aimlessly, as much as it could produce with a torn mouth, but it never landed on the jaguar. Who, wasting no time, lunged forward again, aiming to rip the head off. Viciously tearing through flesh, trying to find a tasty bit to chew on, but giving up when nothing satisfied it. What a nasty creature. What remained of the head rolled down the grass, with a look of horror plastered on its ugly features and its once dangerous tongue hanging out of its mouth. But the jaguar cared very little now, a limp body lay beneath it. This was no meal. But—

It turned toward the alligator, getting a better look at the animal. The jaguar tilted its head curiously. It wouldn’t feast on the monster, its bitter taste still coating the jaguar’s mouth, but wouldn’t the alligator be fair game? It was weakened, bordering on paralyzed. A pathetic beast on the ground. An easier prey would never be seen; rather, not of this size. The jaguar had been unlucky in past outings. The red fog, the beast that cut its tail, the giant termites, and so on. Was tonight the night it gained back its pride, its title of predator? It would be so nice, to wash the awful taste of the monster with a more enticing meal. It stalked forward, amber gaze fixed on the back of the animal’s skull. Where it could land a merciful blow. Rarely inclined to violence for the sake of it. The alligator had the human’s back after all. But something pushed underneath the surface, slowed down its movements. Tried suppressing the animal instinct, the predator impulse that made this the inevitable conclusion to the evening. 

The jaguar grumbled in protest, and unlike the time against the insects, nothing about the battle for the body was kind. Neither the human nor the spirit wanted to let go. There was no kindness or understanding between them. The human wanted control. The jaguar fought back and came out on top, for a moment. Dissuaded from taking on the alligator just yet. Its tongue dragged across razor-sharp teeth, but instead of pouncing, the jaguar approached slowly, its stump for a tail stood tall. Alert. Why would the human –Nicole, it conceded reluctantly– oppose eating it? She never had before. What the jaguar did, was the jaguar’s choice. That much they agreed on. 

But the alligator had made sounds before, hadn’t he? Was that the reason for apprehension? There was no spirit within him, so— What made it different from a common alligator? It was the moment of curiosity, of indecision that had Nicole grasping control. Holding onto consciousness, navigating through the mist, until the jaguar’s body shifted to fit her. Her eyes were wide in surprise, as the edge of the lake welcomed her back into the world. How the fuck did she do that? “What do you need?” she rasped out, a shaky hand reaching for the crocodile’s— or, well she still wasn’t sure— she touched a massive jaw, self-preservation going out of the window at the sight of the animal struggling with his body. 

—

The relief was immense as the cat ripped the stupid beast’s head off, and for a moment, Wyatt was able to relax. That is until he instinctively tried to get back to his feet, only to remember that he could not. Letting out a long, weary sigh, the gator tried to focus on the positive—at least his lungs were still working in spite of the paralytic. It’d be unfortunate if those gave out. Unable to do much else, he laid there in the muck, yellow eyes closed in an attempt to find some calm. But… what of the cat? The woman? 

He peeked with one eye and saw the balam staring at him with a look in its eye that was… unsettling. Familiar—he’d seen it enough times in the reflections of glass and water, but unsettling to be on the other side of it. His jaws parted and he let out a low, rumbling hiss—a warning to back off, as best he could convey in his current state. Something worked, because eventually the cat’s temperament seemed to even out, and then she was back. The woman from the woods. 

Her hand reached for him and he snorted, keeping his mouth open as he felt her fingers brush close to his teeth. Speaking was… proving to be a challenge. He considered shifting to look more like her, but there was a fear that if he got any smaller, the paralytic would do even more damage. All he could do was flick his gaze in the direction of the water, then back down at her. His mouth slowly closed, careful not to catch any of her phalanges, and he tried to get a few words out on the exhale. 

“Home. Warm.” His cabin was across the water, visible as pricks of golden light shining from between the trees on the distant shore. “... push.” His limbs that didn’t want to work right stirred to life, lethargic but scraping and scrabbling in the dirt as he tried to hoist himself up off his belly and drag himself closer to the water. Floating back home would be much easier... all he needed to manage was a few flicks of his tail now and then. 

—

For a second time in such a short period, Nicole had managed to revert the jaguar’s shift. How? What had changed for them to suddenly find ways to understand one another? Was she simply getting better at controlling the beast? It wasn’t the time to celebrate, however. Her chest felt chilly and tight, as if the spirit was trying to squeeze back into position. And in front of her, the crocodile —or…?— looking all too fragile for such a powerful animal. Blood pounded in her ears while she approached the beast. She kept her palm as far away from its teeth as possible, trying not to get bitten in the process. He was struggling, visibly. Bile rose in her throat watching the animal as he tried to communicate. Had the jaguar struggled similarly, with the sleeping dart? Did it put up a fight against the hunter? Tears stung in her eyes, but quickly batted them away. She couldn’t entertain those thoughts when her help was needed.

Home. As soon as he spoke, Nicole’s gaze darted to the lake. Then spotted the lights in the distance, eyebrows knitting while she contemplated the instruction. He certainly didn’t expect her to carry him all the way to the cabin. Right? She was as strong as a firefighter could be, sure, but not carrying a crocodile-alligator-human strong. So— The cabin… The water. Was he like Teagan? Could the lake heal him? Was that what— Did that make him closer to fae than to shifters like herself? Shit. Hardly mattered, didn’t it? What the reasoning behind his instruction was. He wanted to get back into the lake, that much Nicole could understand. “Okay. I will. Need a second” she nodded, pushing herself off the ground.  

Nicole felt the harsh cold against her skin as she searched around for the clothes that were left behind during the shift. Just like her previous encounter with the other jaguar, some of her clothes didn’t survive. When she returned to camp, how the fuck was she going to explain the torn pants? If the plan was to keep making impromptu shifts —her stomach weighed heavy with anxiety, disagreeing with the idea— then she would have to come up with a better system to keep her things safe. She didn't have a large closet to begin with. She couldn’t keep losing more items because of the jaguar. That would be entertaining for Leah, wouldn’t it? A quick excuse to restock her wardrobe. She mentally groaned at the idea of going shopping. She seized her pants and her windbreaker jacket, and quickly put on her clothes again, uncomfortably aware that there was a crocodile gasping and writhing not too far from her. 

But with some layers on, Nicole felt more at ease and prepared to tackle the task at hand. Pushing the animal back to the water. Couldn’t be that hard, especially with the beast trying to help despite being under the effects of the monster’s spit. She moved closer, positioning just behind him and pushed with everything she had left. He didn’t move much, or fast at all, but a few breaks to catch her breath and then finally, came the splashing sound as he slipped inside the lake. Nicole didn’t move, fear bubbling in her chest, frozen as she watched the animal get accustomed to the water. Waiting for something to go wrong. Could he even swim? But he did. He floated, slowly but surely he began moving, switching directions toward his cabin, and then drifted away.  

—

Well… he’d certainly had better hunts. In fact, this might’ve been the worst one thus far. His mother’s voice filled the silence between their joined efforts to get him back in the water. I done told ya boy, ya can’t go messin’ wid every critter ya see. ‘Specially dem ones dat ain’t in da Britannicas. Sense, ya gotta have some sense! She was right, as usual. It’d been stupid to go after that thing like he had—he just hoped the cost of his ego wasn’t permanent. 

Hissing a sigh of relief as his body finally slid into the water, the gator immediately felt somewhat better now that his own body weight wasn’t slowing him down so much, supported by his natural buoyancy. He began to drift back toward his cabin without a word, but then thought better of it. Manners. Manners n’ sense, n’ you’ll get t’rough dis world just fine, boy. 

Angling his head back in the stranger’s direction, he blinked his yellow eyes slowly like a cat might to show trust. They’d probably get that. With some effort, the lamia lifted his head more fully out of the water, parting his jaws to speak again. 

“Thanks,” he groaned. “Wyatt Barlow. Look me up. Owe you a drink.” And with that, he ducked down again so only his eyes showed above the water, flicking his tail as best he could and steering himself back toward the opposite shore. 

[queer-book-society]

do you know any lgbtq+ children books?

Absolutely :) 🏳️‍🌈🏳️‍⚧️

Title: All Bodies Are Cool

Author(s): Tyler Feder

Description: This picture book is a pure celebration of all the different human bodies that exist in the world. Highlighting the various skin tones, body shapes, and hair types is just the beginning in this truly inclusive book. With its joyful illustrations and encouraging refrain, it will instill body acceptance and confidence in the youngest of readers. “My body, your body, every different kind of body! All of them are good bodies! BODIES ARE COOL!”

Title: A Family Is a Family Is a Family

Author(s): Sara O'Leary, Qin Leng (Artist)

Description: When a teacher asks the children in her class to think about what makes their families special, the answers are all different in many ways — but the same in the one way that matters most of all. One child is worried that her family is just too different to explain, but listens as her classmates talk about what makes their families special. One is raised by a grandmother, and another has two dads. One is full of stepsiblings, and another has a new baby. As one by one, her classmates describe who they live with and who loves them — family of every shape, size and every kind of relation — the child realizes that as long as her family is full of caring people, her family is special.

Title: When Aidan Became A Brother

Author(s): Kyle Lukoff, Kaylani Juanita (Artist)

Description: When Aidan was born, everyone thought he was a girl. His parents gave him a pretty name, his room looked like a girl's room, and he wore clothes that other girls liked wearing. After he realized he was a trans boy, Aidan and his parents fixed the parts of life that didn't fit anymore, and he settled happily into his new life. Then Mom and Dad announce that they're going to have another baby, and Aidan wants to do everything he can to make things right for his new sibling from the beginning--from choosing the perfect name to creating a beautiful room to picking out the cutest onesie. But what does "making things right" actually mean? And what happens if he messes up? With a little help, Aidan comes to understand that mistakes can be fixed with honesty and communication, and that he already knows the most important thing about being a big brother: how to love with his whole self.

Title: My Maddy

Author(s): Gayle E. Pitman, Violet Tobacco (Artist)

Description: A child celebrates her Maddy, who is neither mommy nor daddy but a little bit of both, like so many things in nature. Includes note to parents.

Title: This Is Our Rainbow: 16 Stories of Her, Him, Them, and Us

Author(s): Eric Bell, Ashley Herring Blake, Lisa Jenn Bigelow, Lisa Bunker, Alex Gino, Justina Ireland, Shing Yin Khor, Mariama J. Lockington, Marieke Nijkamp, Claribel A. Ortega, Mark Oshiro, Molly Knox Ostertag, Aida Salazar, A.J. Sass, Katherine Locke (Editor), Nicole Melleby (Editor)

Description: A boyband fandom becomes a conduit to coming out. A former bully becomes a first-kiss prospect. One nonbinary kid searches for an inclusive athletic community after quitting gymnastics. Another nonbinary kid, who happens to be a pirate, makes a wish that comes true--but not how they thought it would. A tween girl navigates a crush on her friend's mom. A young witch turns herself into a puppy to win over a new neighbor. A trans girl empowers her online bestie to come out.

Title: Pride: The Story of Harvey Milk and the Rainbow Flag

Author(s): Rob Sanders, Steven Salerno (Artist)

Description: In this deeply moving and empowering true story, young readers will trace the life of the Gay Pride Flag, from its beginnings in 1978 with social activist Harvey Milk and designer Gilbert Baker to its spanning of the globe and its role in today’s world. Award-winning author Rob Sanders’s stirring text, and acclaimed illustrator Steven Salerno’s evocative images, combine to tell this remarkable—and undertold—story. A story of love, hope, equality, and pride.

Title: Jack (Not Jackie)

Author(s): Erica Silverman, Holly Hatam (Artist)

Description: Susan thinks her little sister Jackie has the best giggle! She can't wait for Jackie to get older so they can do all sorts of things like play forest fairies and be explorers together. But as Jackie grows, she doesn't want to play those games. She wants to play with mud and be a super bug! Jackie also doesn't like dresses or her long hair, and she would rather be called Jack.

Title: I Am Jazz

Author(s): Jessica Herthel, Jazz Jennings, Shelagh McNicholas (Artist)

Description: From the time she was two years old, Jazz knew that she had a girl's brain in a boy's body. She loved pink and dressing up as a mermaid and didn't feel like herself in boys' clothing. This confused her family, until they took her to a doctor who said that Jazz was transgender and that she was born that way.

Title: Rebel Girls Celebrate Pride: 25 Tales of Self-Love and Community

Author(s): Rebel Girls, Elena Favilli (Forward)

Description: This collection features 25 inspiring tales of proud members of the LGBTQIA+ community. Read about how these women, girls, and nonbinary people broke down barriers, honored their identities, and lived authentically no matter what anyone else said.

Title: The Mother of a Movement: Jeanne Manford -- Ally, Activist, and Co-Founder of PFLAG

Author(s): Rob Sanders, Sam Kalda (Artist)

Description: The Mother of a Movement tells the story of Jeanne Manford, the founder of PFLAG (Parents, Families, and Friends of Lesbians and Gays). When her son Morty was beaten by New York City officials for handing out pro-gay leaflets, Manford wrote a powerful letter to the New York Post to complain about how Morty was treated. In the letter she came out as the mother of a gay son. The letter was published. Morty invited his mother to march with him in the June 1972 Christopher Street Parade. While marching, she had the idea to form a group to help parents and families of LGBTQ+ people. That was the beginning of PFLAG.

[middlegradeeveryday]

This is Our Rainbow: 16 Stories of Her, Him, Them, and Us by Eric Bell, Lisa Jenn Bigelow, Ashley Herring Blake, Lisa Bunker, Alex Gino, Justina Ireland, Shing Yin Khor, Katherine Locke, Mariama J. Lockington, Nicole Melleby, Marieke Nijkamp, Claribel A. Ortega, Mark Oshiro, Molly Knox Ostertag, Aisa Salazar, and AJ Sass

Summary: A boyband fandom becomes a conduit to coming out. A former bully becomes a first-kiss prospect. One nonbinary kid searches for an inclusive athletic community after quitting gymnastics. Another nonbinary kid, who happens to be a pirate, makes a wish that comes true--but not how they thought it would. A tween girl navigates a crush on her friend's mom. A young witch turns herself into a puppy to win over a new neighbor. A trans girl empowers her online bestie to come out.  From wind-breathing dragons to first crushes, This Is Our Rainbow features story after story of joyful, proud LGBTQA+ representation. You will fall in love with this insightful, poignant anthology of queer fantasy, historical, and contemporary stories from authors including: Eric Bell, Lisa Jenn Bigelow, Ashley Herring Blake, Lisa Bunker, Alex Gino, Justina Ireland, Shing Yin Khor, Katherine Locke, Mariama J. Lockington, Nicole Melleby, Marieke Nijkamp, Claribel A. Ortega, Mark Oshiro, Molly Knox Ostertag, Aisa Salazar, and AJ Sass.

Genre: Realistic Fiction

Book Type: Novel, Anthology

[froggywritesstuff]

character list

the title is self explanatory. this is a list of the characters i'll write for. it'll probably change over time, and if you see a character you'd like but don't see them on the list, just ask cause i might've forgotten about them

Hamilton

Eliza Schuyler

Angelica Schuyler

Peggy Schuyler

Maria Reynolds

Alexander Hamilton

John Laurens

Philip Hamilton

Lafayette

Hercules Mulligan

James Madison

Thomas Jefferson

Aaron Burr

Umbrella Academy

Viktor Hargreeves

Diego Hargreeves

Klaus Hargreeves

Allison Hargreeves

Luther Hargreeves

Five Hargreeves

Ben Hargreeves (Umbrella or Sparrow)

Sloane Hargreeves

Jayme Hargreeves

Stranger Things

Will Byers (non female readers only)

Mike Wheeler

Lucas Sinclair

Dustin Henderson

Eleven Hopper

Max Mayfield

Robin Buckley (non male readers only)

Nancy Wheeler

Jonathan Byers

Steve Harrington

Eddie Munson

21 Chump Street

Justin Laboy

The Goldfinch

Boris Pavlikovsky

Theodore Decker

Marvel

Peter Parker (any actor)

Steve Rogers

Bucky Barnes

Sam Wilson

Makkari

Sersi

Sprite (platonic only)

Steven Grant

Marc Spector

Layla El-Faouly

America Chavez (non male readers only)

Kate Bishop

Yelena Belova (platonic only)

Shuri

Namor

Riri Williams

X-Men

Mystique

Kitty Pryde

Peter Maximoff

Rogue

Logan Howlette

Wade Wilson/Deadpool

Scott Summers

In The Heights (movie version)

Usnavi de la Vega

Vanessa 

Nina Rosario

Benny

Sonny de la Vega 

Heathers

Veronica Sawyer

JD (Jason Dean)

Heather Chandler

Heather McNamara

Heather Duke

John Doe

John Doe

Ride The Cyclone

Noel Gruber (male or nb readers only)

Ocean O'Connel Rosenburg

Mischa Bachinski

Constance Blackwood

Ricky Potts

Hatchetfieldverse

Paul Matthews

Emma Perkins

Ted Spankoffski

Bill Woodard

Ruth Fleming

Pete Spankoffski

Richie Lipschitz

Max Jagerman

Grace Chasity

Lex Foster

Ethan Green

Hannah Foster (platonic only)

Heartstopper

Charlie Spring (non female readers only)

Nick Nelson

Tara Jones (non male readers only)

Darcy Olsson (non male readers readers only)

Elle Argent

Tao Xu (non male readers only(headcanoning him as bi or pan is disrespectful and transphobic))

Tori Spring

Imogen Heaney

Isaac Henderson (platonic only)

Do Revenge

Eleanor Levetan (non male readers only)

Drea Torres

Wednesday

Wednesday Addams

Enid Sinclair

Bianca Barclay

Xavier Thorpe

Ajax Petropolus

Eugene Otinger

(young) Morticia Addams

(young) Gomez Addams

Beetlejuice

Lydia Deetz

Tomorrow When The War Began

Ellie Linton

Lee Takkam

Fiona Maxwell

Homer Yannos

Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse/Across the Spider-Verse

Miles Morales

Gwen Stacy

Pavitr Prabhakar

Hobie Brown

Margo Kess

Miles G Morales (earth 42)

Miguel O’Hara

Maze Runner

Thomas

Newt (non female readers only)

The Broken Hearts Gallery

Lucy Gulliver

Nadine (non male readers only)

Nick Danielson

Treasure Planet

Jim Hawkins

Enola Holmes

Enola Holmes

Lord Tewkesbury

Turning Red

Mei Mei

Miriam

Abby

Priya

Raising Dion

Nicole Warren

Tevin Wakefield

Dion Warren (platonic only)

Julie and the Phantoms

Julie Molina

Luke Patterson

Reggie Peters

Alex Mercer (non female readers only)

Flynn

Carrie

Abbott Elementary

Janine Teagues

Jacob Hill (non female readers only)

Gregory Eddie

Brooklyn Nine-Nine

Jake Peralta

Amy Santiago

Rosa Diaz

Love Victor

Victor Salazar (non female readers only)

Benji (non female readers only)

Felix Weston

Pilar Salazar

Lake Meriwether

Lucy

Mia Brooks

Andrew

In Treatment

Eladio

Laila

Spree

Kurt Kunkle

Once Upon a Time

Emma Swan

Regina Mills

Killian Jones

Mary Margaret Blanchard

David Nolan

Henry Mills

Mulan (non male readers only)

Graham

Neal Cassidy

Peter Pan

Jefferson

Dash and Lily

Dash

Lily

Boomer

Juno

Juno MacGuff

Paulie Bleeker

Summer Days Summer Nights

Debbie Espinoza

Frankie Espinoza

Scream (1 through 6)

Sidney Prescott

Billy Loomis

Mickey Altieri

Roman Bridger

Jill Roberts

Charlie Walker

Sam Carpenter

Tara Carpenter

Amber Freeman

Chad Meeks-Martin

Mindy Meeks-Martin

Quinn Bailey

Venom

Eddie Brock

Honest Thief

Ramon Hall

Beth Hall

Wild Child

Poppy Moore

Kate

Drippy

Freddie Kingsley

Monsters and Men

Manny Ortega

Marisol Ortega

Ghostbusters: Afterlife

Trevor Spengler

Phoebe Spengler (platonic only)

Error 143

Micah Yujin

Community

Abed Nadir

Troy Barnes

Annie Edison

Jeff Winger

Britta Perry

The Obession

Logan

Delilah

The New Girl

Lia Setiawan

Stacey Hoffman

Mythic Quest

Poppy Li

Brad Bakshi

Adventure Time

Finn

Princess Bubblegum

Marceline

Marshall Lee

Prince Bubblegum

Flame Princess

School Spirits

Madison

Simon

Charley (non female readers only)

Wally

Rhonda

Dungeons and Dragons: Honour Among Thieves

Simon Aumar

Disventure Camp

Aiden (non fem readers only)

James (non fem readers only)

Grease: Rise of the Pink Ladies

Jane Facciano

Olivia Valdovinos

Nancy Nakagawa

Cynthia Zdunowski

Richie Valdovinos

Ted Lasso

Ted Lasso

Roy Kent

Jamie Tartt

Keeley Jones

Sam Obisanya

Transformers: Rise of the Beasts

Noah Diaz

Elena Wallace

Mirage

Helluva Boss

Blitzø

Stolas (non female readers only)

Loona

Millie

Moxxie

Octavia

Verosika Mayday

Fizzarolli

Asmodeus

Hazbin Hotel

Charlie Morningstar

Vaggie (non male readers only)

Angel Dust (non female readers only)

Husk

Alastor (platonic only)

Vox

Lucifer

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (rise + mutant mayhem + tmnt 2007 + tmnt 2012)

Donnie

Mikey

Raph

Leo

April

The After Party

Yasper Lennov

Space Force

Tony Scarapiducci

Renfield

Teddy Lobo

Robert Montague Renfield

Undercovers

Bill Hoyt

Amazing Digital Circus

Jax

Parks and Recreation

Leslie Knope

Ben Wyatt

April Ludgate

Andy Dwyer

Jean-Ralphio Saperstein

Randy Cunningham: 9th Grade Ninja

Randy Cunningham (18+ people DNI unless requesting platonic stories)

The Earliest Show

Josh Bath

House of Lies

Clyde Oberholt

Mean Girls (movie + musical + movie musical)

Cady Heron

Regina George

Gretchen Wieners

Karen Smith/Shetty

Janis Ian/Sarkisian/Imi'ike (non male readers only)

Damian Hubbard (non female readers only)

Warm Bodies

R

Peep World

Nathan Meyerwitz

Your Boyfriend

Peter Dunbar

Invincible

Mark Grayson

Shapesmith

Chilling Adventures of Sabrina

Sabrina Spellman

Harvey Kinkle

Nick Scratch

Rosalind Walker

Theo Putnam

Prudence Blackwood

Ambrose Spellman

High School Musical: the Musical the Series

Gina Porter

[wickedsrest-rp]

New Applications:

Nicole Salazar - Spotted (Balam; Adria Arjona)

View app count page

[sporadiceagleheart]

Here's my be blessed prayers for Maite Rodriguez and Angels edit Saffie Rose Roussos, Lily Peters, Olivia Pratt Korbel, Elizabeth Shelley, Sara Sharif, Charlotte Figi,Charlotte Bacon, Charlotte Louise Dunn, JonBenèt Ramsey, Kelly Ann Fleming, Lincoln Flynn, Rachel Joy Scott, Milly Rose zellmer, Victoria Rose Smith,Acacia Surridge-Hill, Destiny Riekeberg, Mercedes Losoya, Sidra Hassouna, Lois Janes, Louis XVII, Ava Jordan Wood, Semina Halliwell, Leiliana Wright, Norah Lee Howard, Annayah Rosa-Balmer, Ana, Lily Rose Diaz, Riley Faith Steep, Star Hobson, Gene Wilder, Kenny Rogers, Brianna Florer, Merle Haggard, Amber Rene Hagerman, Amerie Jo Garza, Eliahna Torres, Jackie Cazares, Makenna Lee Elrod, Jersey Dianne Bridgeman, Layla Salazar, Jayce Carmelo Luevanos, Jailah Nicole Silguero, Olivia Engel, Pauline Adelaar, Peter Fuchs, Shirley Temple Black 1928-2014, Tristyn Bailey, Sierra Newbold, Alexia Carolina, CeCe, Ariel Rose, Emilie Parker, Soren Chilson, Caylee Marie Mastin, Caylee Marie Anthony, Aubreigh Wyatt, Makayla Lynn Brewster, Anna "Chickadee" Cardwell, Annaliese (Anna)Backner, Makayla Dyer, Audrii Cunningham, Sloan Mattingly, Annalise Renée Nava rest in peace

[nicsalazar]

Nicole Salazar + Character Tropes (Season 1)

nh・tl  ・gc ・ ett ・ra ・pot ・cw ・ deh

[the-resurrection-3d]

emimayooo

hmm for mood...mythological?

HMMM. Let me seeeeee... A lot of these are more Judeo-Christian-focused, so you might have to look some of the backstories up.

"A Cross Didn't Fall On Me" by Leonard Cohen (website tw: eyesore, graphic design is my passion

"There Is a Balm in Gilead" by Charles Wright, if you go down to "Editorial Reviews" and hit expand you can scroll down to an excerpt that contains the whole poem

"Even the Gods" by Nicole Sealey

"Fallen Angel Prays Besides the Coffee Maker" by boykeats here on tumblr.

"Noah's Nameless Wife Takes Inventory" by C.T. Salazar [not really epigraph-able but it is a banger]

"Near the Wall of a house" by Yehuda Amichai

"The Song of Wandering Aengus" by W.B. Yeats

"Persephone the Wanderer" by Louise Gluck, Gluck used Greek myths a lot, but I haven't read a lot from her TBH. Her book Meadowlands is a whole sequence dedicated to The Odyssey.

"Marsyas" by James Merrill (making it an image since I can't seem to find it outside of Twitter)

"Genesis" by Holly Karapetkova

Vasko Popa was a Serbian poet who seems to have included a lot of mythological/cosmological vibes into his imagery. "Give Me Back My Rags" is my fave of the three poems I've read by him, with Charles Simic's translation being the one I preferred.

Anne Carson also does a lot of work with Classic Greek stuff, such as remixes/translations of Greek plays.

[chocolatehideoutpirate]

Here's a tribute edit for Isabella Nardoni to say I'm sorry that whatever happened to all of the innocent kids gone so soon and Angels they became to be in heaven to Beatriz Mota to Saffie Rose Roussos to JonBenèt Ramsey to Makayla Lynn Brewster to Junko Furuta to Rachel Joy Scott to Destiny Riekeberg to Destiny Norton to Destiny Marie Champagne to Lily Peters and Olivia Pratt Korbel to Olivia Engel to Emilie Parker to Yvonne Süskind to SISTERS EVA AND LIANE MÜNZER to Suzan and Sidra Hassouna to Anna Janáčová Tomíková to Jeannette Dawidowicz to Liliane Dawidowicz to Dora Poznanski to Rene Spiner to Jesse Layne Holland to Alexandria "Lexi" Rubio to Sarah Haley “HaleyBug” Foxwell to Baylor Arlene Nichols to Ava Cole Nichols to birgit ruth berkowitz to Sophie Jane “Soph” Lockwood-North to Charlotte Figi to Charlotte Bacon to Charlotte Louise Dunn to Rose Isabelle Pizem to Calla Adelaide Andrus to Calla Adelaide Woods to Joanna Arlene Mullin to Semina Halliwell and Ava Jordan Wood to Reta Shaw to Sandra Cantu to Jessica Lunsford to Makenna Lee Elrod to Jayce Carmelo Luevanos to his cousin Jailah Nicole Silguero to Eliahna Torres to Nevaeh Alyssa Bravo to Layla Salazar to Jackie Cazares to Anicka Anna Janatkova to Anna Glinberg to Larisa Ratmanski to Mania Halef to Nelly Tarszis to Yvonne Suckind to Anne and Margot Frank to Madeleine Hsu to Sara Sharif to Elizabeth Shelley to JoAnna Frances VanOstrand to Sherin Mathews to Jane Withers to Shirley Temple Black 1928-2014 to Alicia Lynn Clark to Maite Rodriguez, Leiliana Wright, Catherine Hubbard, Adriana Dukic, Mercedes Losoya, Skylar Annette Neese, Tristyn Bailey, Shinzo Abe, Star Hobson, Stevie Stock, Colby Curtin, Pauline Adelaar and Peter Fuchs, Helena Abram, Soren Chilson and Caylee Marie Anthony, Sierra Newbold, Natalynn Lea Miller, Amanda Todd, Bianca Devins, Gabriella Green, Moa Leontine Björk, Sloan Mattingly and Audrii Cunningham, Bella Claire Callaway, Joanna Mullin, Meika Jordan, Kristen Lee Dutton, Mikaela Renee Lynch, Avielle Richman, Eva Friedman, Magda Weisberger Willinger, Gracie Perry Watson and Inez Clarke Briggs, Jersey Dianne Bridgeman, Macie Hill, Caroline and Madison King and Madyson Middleton

[welcome-to-my-life-posts]

Remember their names

Nevaeh Alyssa Bravo

Jacklyn Jaylen Cazares,

Makenna Lee Elrod

Jose Manuel Flores Jr.

Eliahna Amyah Garcia

Uziyah Sergio Garcia

Amerie Jo Garza

Xavier James Lopez

Jayce Carmelo Luevanos

Tess Marie Mata

Maranda Gail Mathis

Alithia Haven Ramirez

Annabell Guadalupe Rodriguez

Maite Yuleana Rodriguez

Alexandria Aniyah Rubio

Layla Marie Salazar

Jailah Nicole Silguero

Eliahna Cruz Torres

Rojelio Fernandez Torres

Irma Linda Garcia

Eva Mireles

[groovychaos]

GRILLZ - @mxalemanmx ft @nicki.nicole video oficial por @groovychaos ✌️ Fotos de tras de cámaras por @lina.garsali 📷 @homegrownmafia @420ideas Dirigido por @ajgomezgroovy DP @juansa_ Producido por A.J. Gómez, @nieblacrowley & @faenaproyectos ( @lina.garsali @orialonso ) Asistente de dirección: @jocelynmaldonados Diseño de Producción: @ariaspaola @paola_________arias Styling: @____youuuuri CAST Pareja Calle: @juanjohrdz & @recklessfashi0n Pareja Tiendita: @sabinadlacruz & @dagna.kills Pareja Coché: @kleinwho & Edgar Orizaga Maquillaje de Nicki Nicole: @inespizarro Hair & Make Up (talento): @nosoytansutil Segundo asistente de dirección: @vankaibarra Key set PA: @paolaolveraaa 1st AC @rafask98 2nd AC @melaniediez_ 1st AC de segunda unidad @naicolperren SteadyCam: @steadi_rana Asistente steadycam: Mariano Molina Video Assist @marq.elo @omma.444 Asistente Video Assist @greis.yyyy Decoradoras: @_nizacruz , Ana Luisa Martinez & @emmatherss Gaffer: @garciaguillenjesus Staffs: Eduardo Macias, Hugo Manson & Hector Guevera. Movilero: Adán Macías Corrección color @stef_colour Asistente styling @alevegal Asistentes MUA: Mariana Espinoza & Jenifer Díaz Data Manager @karlafguzman Making of: David Rodriguez Encargado (la tuna): Edgar Sepulveda Swings: David Talavera & Francisco Arellano Shadowing: @jesusbarron894 PAs: Hector Medina & Ric Mosso Grillz Alemán: @oralsublime Grillz Nicki Nicole: @adilenefaz Girllz Talento: Andrés Salazar @jimbe23 Agradecimientos Especiales: Lero y la Granja Sanitaria, @lagranjarifaoficial @latunagroup @elrudoerick @device.mx , Manolo Galindo, Leola Yesika Vargas Coronado. @jetmexico . #aleman #alemnán #nickinicole #grillz #homegrown #homegrownmafia #argentina #mexico #musicvideo #videomusical #groovychaos #groovychaosfilms #lifeonset (en Monterrey, Nuevo León... La Ciudad de las Montañas) https://www.instagram.com/p/Ckqq0KDrOZg/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

[heartintact]

☆ muses !!

f.

audrey flynn. 23-26, bisexual, chemistry student (alisha boe fc). former prom queen, people take turns for her to break their heart, still learning how to let go.

blair irvine. 25 - 28, bisexual, podcast creator (rachel sennott fc). born to be the center of attention, always the most suspicious person in the room, will lie for fun.

camille cain. 24- 27 (centuries old in some verses), she/her, bisexual, vampire in some verses (anya taylor joy fc). pure evil, will manipulate her way into getting what she wants, devotion that corrupts.

chloe prescott. 22-26, bisexual, personal assistant for a magazine / camgirl (sabrina carpenter fc). the glossiest of lipsticks, christmas sweater’s apologist, making others blush like it’s a hobby. 

elaine (lainey) bardot. 23-25, she/her, bisexual, professional tennis player (ella purnell fc). obsessed with winning, nothing she ever does is accidental, feelings are a liability. 

gemma harmon. 23 - 26, she/her, bisexual, coffeehouse waitress | alt modern day princess (jaz sinclair fc). sees the good in everything and everyone, doesn’t care about other people’s expectations, it’s hard for her to feel like she belongs.

iris reyes. 21-23, bisexual, film student | assistant to a movie director (jenna ortega fc). tiny but mean, wicked sense of loyalty, likes to play dirty.

jasmine alcott. 25-28, she/her, bisexual, chef (laura harrier fc). needs approval the same way others need air, just wants to take care of people, has cried tasting meals at least a dozen times.

juno faulkner. 24 - 27, she/her, bisexual (maddie phillips fc). aspiring actress | former theatre kid. wishes she could love people less, always gives a genuine reply whenever someone asks how her day was, lights up scented candles when she’s feeling stressed.

maude seong. 23 - 26, she/her, lesbian (london thor fc). journalist | writer of a “how to” column. doesn’t know how to stay still, small tattoos from every country she’s visited, tries to come across as mysterious but will become best friends with every girl she meets at the nightclub's bathroom.

olivia ‘liv’ harrington. 24 - 26, bisexual, english lit graduate (daisy edgar jones fc). read all the classics before it was cool, loves to doodle, lingerie no one sees.

stella alvarado. 21 - 23, bisexual, office assistant | cheer captain. (clara galle fc). trying to find fun in the middle of her 9-to-5, usually the last one to leave but just because she’s not that productive, scribbled notes as a love language.

sylvia gilmore. 23-25, lesbian, college student (reneé rapp fc). will judge everyone who crosses her way, has a thing for older women, your favorite mean girl.

vera salazar. 23 - 25, bisexual, singer/songwriter (nicole wallace fc). keeps every love letter she’s ever received, stays up at night thinking about what-ifs, will do her makeup in a moving car and will make it look great.

m.

atlas dixon. 24 - 27, he/him, straight (asa germann fc). horror movie actor | aspiring director. dark circles under his eyes, can’t pretend to be interested when he’s not, gets into a lot of fights and loses most of them.

denver oakley. 26-30, he/him, straight, aspiring writer (logan lerman fc). dancing in the kitchen, getting in trouble because he’s always saying what he thinks, would die for you.

dylan bradshaw. 23-25, he/him, bisexual, english lit major | alt marketing assistant (mason gooding fc). a great shoulder to cry on but no one asks, will always offer if someone needs a place to stay, constantly misunderstood. 

graham munson. 25-29, he/him, bisexual, twitch video-game streamer (chris briney fc). deep down he means well but still manages to screw things up, the creator of one night stands, late night walks around the park. 

jonah mei. 26 - 29, he/him, bisexual, event promoter (derek luh fc). humor as a coping mechanism, won't tell anyone but he loves gardening, will make people fall in love with him just for sport.

logan brody. 26-29, he/him, bicurious, full-time trust fund asshole (dacre montgomery fc). million dollar smile, online shops when he’s bored, adrenaline and bad decisions. 

marcus powell. 40-44, he/him, straight, college teacher (ryan gosling fc). late nights out and very early mornings, the desperate need to be in control, thinks in metaphors. 

matthew novak. 30-33, he/him, straight, programmer (lucien laviscount fc). logical thinker, can’t admit when he’s wrong, ivy league. 

nathan craven. 27 - 31, he/him, bisexual, camp counselor (joe keery fc). the golden boy, afraid he peaked at high school, everyone's best friend.

shane ledger. 24-27, he/him, bicurious, will take literally any job if he needs to pay rent, will also hate every second of it (joseph quinn fc). guitar string scars on his hands, the town’s dealer, will-pull-at-your-pigtails-if-he-likes-you kind of guy.

steven warhol. 36-40, he/him, straight, politician | alt priest (andrew garfield fc). phone is always on less than 20%, following his family’s footsteps, charms his way through life.

fantasy muses (the olympians universe).

cassandra olson. she/her, bisexual. (sabrina carpenter fc/rain spencer fc). daughter of aphrodite. pomegranate juice, mischievousness personified, will put ribbons on everything.

conrad nye. he/him, bisexual. (drew starkey fc). son of poseidon. rebellious heart, will kill for you, rules don’t matter to him.

annika daulby. she/they, lesbian. (kaia geber fc). daughter of ares. shaking fists, sitting on the roof late at night, dark humor.

zion baxter. he/him, straight. (tom blyth fc). son of hermes. dealing with high expectations, trust issues, destined for greatness.

canon muses.

disclaimer: there's a preference to write them against other canon characters. while this is a work in progress, the following muses are available upon request:

marie moreau (gen v, jaz sinclair fc).

chad meeks-martin (scream, mason gooding fc).

tara carpenter (scream, jenna ortega fc).

tatum riley (scream, sydney sweeney fc).

kate carter (twisters, daisy edgar jones fc).

tyler owens (twisters, glen powell fc).

chrissy cunningham (stranger things, grace van dien fc).

carmen 'carmy' berzatto (the bear, jeremy allen white fc).

[oscarloro79]

IMPOSSIBLE JOURNEY from YUCA on Vimeo.

Impossible Journey is an animated short film that addresses the urgent crisis in maternal health care in the US.

The film was built by a predominantly female team over a process that took more than a year, produced in Brazil and NYC. Each frame was printed and painted meticulously to reveal the layers of reality that our protagonist experiences throughout the story. Every aspect of the animation has metaphorical construction and meaning, just like all the project built around it.

Check out more details and informations on the links below:

Making of: vimeo.com/945849611/991e1f4f3f?share=copy Project’s website: impossiblejourney.org

Cannes Lions 2024 Silver - Film Craft Illustration Silver - H&W Digital Craft

Director: YUCA Production Company: THE YOUTH Post-Production Company: COLOSSAL Executive Creative Director: Eduardo Lubiazi, João Machado Executive Producer: Eduardo Lubiazi Head of Production: Daniel Maia Post-Production Coordinator: Yasmim Uehara Art Director: Eduardo Rosa Animation Director: YUCA + Bruno Brasil DOP: Yuri Maranhão

Producer: Yasmim Uehara, Mauricio Kazu Yamashita Post-Production Coordinator: Yasmim Uehara Post-Production Coordinator Assistant: Nicole Lia Rêgo da Silva, Ana Paula Godoy Production Coordinator: Carol Cherobim Assistant Coordinator: Camila Pires, Lu Krasa Finance Department: Iza Lubiazi

Head of art: YUCA Art Director: Eduardo Rosa Animation Director: YUCA + Bruno Brasil Screenplay: Viton Araújo, Eduardo Tavares Editor: Leonardo Salomão Assistant Editor: Victor Balestrin Printing Studio: Farbewerk Fine Art Lab Printing producer: Daniel Farbewerk Painting Studio: ATELIÊ 39 Painting Artists: Ana Beatriz Artigas, João Paulo de Carvalho 2D Animation Supervisor: Denis Bargos, Daniella Schuarts, Bruno Brasil, André Ruivo VFX Supervision: Rodrigo Stradiotto, Diogo Gameiro Lead Conform and Delivery: Victor Balestrin Conform and Delivery: Ricardo Jug

Lead Concept Artists: Beatrice Bandiera, Fabio Miraglia Lead Illustration: Beatrice Bandiera, Marília Mafé, Diogo Saraiva, Bruno Rosal Concept Artist: Marília Mafé, Taíssa Maia, Che Marcheti, Ana Maria Sena, Bennê Oliveira, Camilla Muniz, Cinthia Saty, Helô Rodrigues, Fabio Miraglia, Diogo Saraiva, Bruno Rosal, Daniel Cramer, Gabriel dos Anjos, Fernando Nas, João Capoulade, Douglas Lopes, Wilson Panassi, Felipe Parucci.

Storyboard: Walfrido Monteiro Previz animation: André Ruivo 2D Animation: Carol Caporrino, Nana Siqueira, Gabriela Chamorro Diniz, Danila Ribeiro, Thalyne Chrystyna, Gabrielle Paparelli, André Ruivo, Diones Ignacio, Robson Vilalba, Anderson Omori, Gilson Júnior de Souza Bastos, Bremo, Gui Kirinus, Geovani Angelo, Carlos Yury, Gui Klein, Sid Ahearne, Alexandre Sales, Gabriel Fraga, Gabriel Chagas, Robb Reis, Denis Bargos.

VFX Animation: Nana Siqueira, Hermes de Lima, Fhilipe Marmori. Lead Clean Up: Mateuz Fernandes Clean Up / Painting: Clara Luz Carvalho Salazar, Nana Siqueira, Giovanna Jahjah, Melissa Ferreira Sartor, Renata SHP, Brenda Maryan, Taiza Nogueira, Mateuz Fernandes, Robson Vilalba, Diones Ignacio, Dudu Querubins, Ulisses Jucá, Luiz Alvares, Pedro Solano, Thallyson Silvestre, Moacyr Neto, Diogo Saraiva, Carlos Yury, Lucas Batalha, Rosinaldo Lages, Josias Bosio, Bruno Mazzilli, Leonardo Vincensi, Rafael Sinnott, Lucas Moraes, Fabio Soro, Lucas Fernandes Siqueira, Jonatas Freire da Silva Souza, Rhuan Gonçalves de Oliveira de Farias, Diego Akel, Lucas Felipe Pereira..

2D Compositing: Gabriel Rocha, Diego Eduardo Loz, Tiago Castro, Adelir Boeira, Lucas Santiago, Jean Lamin, Alan Jose Dias. Compositing: Michel Takahashi Colorist: Erick Moraes 3D Previz: Lucas Lira 3D Animator: Tiago da Silva Motion Graphics: Janaína da Veiga Still Craft Photographer: Diego Cagnato Stabilization Compositing: Everton Ricardo Sabino (Tom), Nícolas Braga de Medeiros Nicolak

Live action Director: YUCA DOP: Yuri Maranhão 1st AC: Jenny Desrosiers Make up artist: Cris Severo Steadicam OP: Emma Leavy BB: Melquan Q Ali Sound Mixer: Emily Strong Producer: Stella Bloss Producer: Livia Borjaile PA/Driver: Elijah Joseph Still Photography: Talitha Ramos Casting: Amanda Gabrielle Baia, Bruce Arturo McIntyre III, Camilla de Souza, Carla Williams, Denise Miller, Emilie Rodriguez, Sarry Nemorin.

Music Company: Satélite Áudio Music Direction: Roberto Coelho, Kito Siqueira e Hurso Ambrifi Account: Fernanda Costa, Renata Schincariol, Daniel Chasin e Karen Nakamura Music Production: Roberto Coelho, Hurso Ambrifi, Thiago Colli, Koitty , Alexandre Avicena, Pedro Pelotas e Nando Diniz Post Production and Mixing: Carla Cornea, Vithor Moraes, Arthur Dossa, Andre Giannini e Esteban Romero Production Coordinator: Camila Guedes, Letícia Oliveira, Bea Vieira e Mariana Tardelli

Special thanks: Filipe Zapelini, Cris Severo In memory of our beloved friend Juca Salomão

[revistaalmiar]

📰 Publicaciones de la Revista Almiar (Margen Cero™) en su n.º 134 (mayo-jun. de 2024) 👉 https://margencero.es/margencero/ 👀 https://margencero.es/novedades-margencero.htm

Autores publicados:

Nicole Schuster ▫ Javier Úbeda Ibáñez ▫ Jorge Cervera Rebullida ▫ Patricia Linn ▫ Juan Carlos Vásquez ▫ Milton Ordóñez ▫ Andrés Cortés Albiac ▫ Marla Rojas ▫ Juan Manuel Sánchez Martín ▫ Asunción Caballero Mascab ▫ Elisabetta Bagli ▫ Julio Carmona ▫ Antonio López-Peláez ▫ José Rodolfo Espinosa Silva ▫ Antonio García Francisco ▫ Soledad Mariño Pais ▫ Ana Romano ▫ Isabel García Díaz ▫ Iñaki Sainz de Murieta ▫ Amalia Méndez Lombao ▫ Rolando Revagliatti ▫ Mariano Ruiz Montani ▫ Juan Manuel Sánchez Martín ▫ Cecilia Padilla Iglesias ▫ Javier Claure Covarrubias ▫ Álvaro Salazar Agustino ▫ Diego Kindler ▫ Adán Echeverría García ▫ Fino Sosa ▫ Kim Bertran Canut ▫ Blanca Caballero ▫ José Julio Palma Cantón ▫ Yuleisy Cruz Lezcano ▫ José L. Abraham López ▫ Francisco Juliá Moreno ▫ Héctor M. Magaña

[agendaculturaldelima]

#EspacioAtemporal

🖼 “360 GRADOS [Un siglo sin Franz Kafka]” 🎨🖌️

💥 Veintidós artistas, entre peruanos y latinoamericanos, forman parte de esta muestra colectiva que rinde homenaje al autor de La Metamorfosis, cuya influencia en la cultura ha calado también en las artes plásticas y es así que, a iniciativa del pintor Hugo Salazar Chuquimango, un grupo de artistas ofrecen una serie de trabajos en diferentes técnicas y estilos relacionados al legado del gran escritor checo, quien fue además un artista del dibujo.

🤩 A través de propuestas de pintura, dibujo, grabados y obras de técnica mixta, se muestra un tipo de visión, en la cual cada artista se identifica con personajes de las novelas kafkianas, con énfasis particular en la novela “La Metamorfosis” que socava lo más recóndito del alma humana. “Hay un halo de desesperación, pero a la vez de ternura, hay rasgos perturbadores pero que en su ingenuidad solo desean ser acogidos en un momento de contemplación”,

👥 Artistas:José Luis Cuevas (México), Gerardo Chávez, José Tola, Víctor Chab (Argentina), Antonio Pareja, Jorge Vigil, John Chauca, Akira Chinen, Rubén Saavedra, Millard Llanque, Renato Rosado, Nicole Lazarte, Fernando Dolorier, Kevin Flores, Hugo Salazar Chuquimango, Iván Fernández Dávila, Christian Ramos, Estrella Brückmann, Diego Zevallos, Juan Carlos Julca, Fredy Carreño y Arnold Flores.

 🔎 Curaduría: Iván Fernández Dávila.

📌 INAUGURACIÓN:Jueves 06 de Junio

🕖 7:00pm.

🏡 Espacio Cultural Casa Rubens (calle Benigno Cornejo 447, ex Mariano Necochea, altura de la av. Brasil cuadra 24, a cuatro cuadras de la Municipalidad - Pueblo Libre)

👪 Visitas: Hasta el 07 de julio

📆 Martes a domingo 🕙 10:00am a 7:00pm.  

🚶‍♀️🚶‍♂️ Ingreso libre

[wickedsrest-rp]

Name: Nicole Salazar Species: Balam Occupation: Park Ranger Age: 30 Years Old Played By: Mary Face Claim: Adria Arjona

"I was, uh— Nature retreat. Four years. They had— nature and… shit."

TW: Parental & sibling death, drug manipulation

Long before “Pogo”, the tailless jaguar became an overnight sensation in Wicked’s Rest Zoo, before the feline drew crowds with its majestic beauty and fiery personality, before becoming a fan-favorite among zoo-goers and social media alike, there was Nicole, whose personality paled in comparison to the jaguar’s. 

Nicole grew up in rural Vermont, and was expected to be extraordinary. Her family encouraged this belief as soon as she could comprehend words; instilling a sense of pride in who and what she was with tales of their ancestors, once regarded by mortals as otherworldly creatures. A magical spirit bound to its descendants even as their lineage thinned, tethering them to a fierce jaguar living within. A mighty beast that she’d one day set free too.

The illusion shattered once she matured. Not everyone grew up hearing such stories. And being ridiculed by peers for sharing them was enough for Nicole to withdraw. Pride turned shame, turned skepticism. She accepted that like all children’s tales, balams were nothing but fantasy. A fun bedtime story. There was no spirit; ghosts didn’t exist. Other family “anomalies” were rationalized as something they inherited from the past, of course. Genes. Not spirits, nor magic.

She relied on what was before her: Salazars lived an unremarkable, lonely life. There were no extraordinary circumstances surrounding them. Yet — Anxiety ticked like a bomb inside her. Or maybe it was always the beast, refusing to be forgotten.

At seventeen, life took a turn. In an instant, warm laughs at the family gathering morphed into frantic shouting. Hunters, her uncle shouted. Nicole stood transfixed in horror as her father snapped her out of the shock, pleading for her to run and hide, making a final promise to find them after. He had never given her a reason to question him. So her instincts kicked in. She fought the monsters chasing her, held onto her siblings, and sprinted toward their escape. 

With a blast, everything vanished. Her siblings, the forest, the hunters. Nicole. The jaguar took over, raced toward safety, got lost in the wilderness. It wouldn’t be the last time the animal within was unleashed to save her life.

Two years after that fateful night, hidden deep in a forest, Nicole opened her eyes. Claimed her body back from the beast. Memories trickled down slowly. Fragments of truth. Piece by piece it came together, until tragedy dawned on her: she had lost everything.

The following months were hazy. If asked, she wouldn’t be able to recall most of it. She had to get in touch with her humanity again. Relearn who she was. Only the desperate need to find her family someday kept her going. She got easy jobs here and there. Slept in abandoned vehicles. When she inspired pity in strangers, she had a roof over her head. 

A short return to her hometown revealed that no trace of her family remained; her childhood home didn’t exist anymore. From the ruins, another farm had emerged. Neighbors claimed the surviving Salazars went into hiding. Others believed no one made it. And one small tip turned into hope: They had been seen in a town called Wicked’s Rest. Nicole shoved the few things she owned into a bag and took off.

Wicked’s Rest didn’t provide the answers she had been hoping for, but it gave her a small community to rely on when her determination wavered. It gave her a new start. She found comfort and peace in nature, it injected life back into her soul. Working to safeguard her comfort place blossomed into a worthwhile goal, and a few seasonal gigs at the State Park turned into a stable job. Things were looking up.  

As she worked on moving past tragedy, another hunter barged into her life. The jaguar, whom Nicole had built a cordial relationship with, broke out again, but this time, it wouldn’t bolt; it sought revenge. No longer afraid of blades and firearms, it fought for the lineage lost. And though its deadly bite triumphed in the end, it came with the cost of its tail. 

That’s how other rangers discovered the animal. Bleeding, weak, missing a piece, sedative darts scattered. Following weeks of care, the jaguar landed in the Zoo. The place was painfully small for a beast who enjoyed long strolls, but there were upsides: It didn’t have to worry about catching prey, nor fighting hunters looking to cash in on its pelt. No, the jaguar was pampered. So it eventually accommodated, fell into the routine of the Zoo. Enjoyed the attention its human counterpart never desired. Another four years went by like that.

Until one night, half a year ago, a man entered the enclosure. The jaguar was immediately on edge by the presence. His intentions were irrelevant. He could’ve been trying to snap a picture or he could’ve intended to harm the balam — though the glint of a blade could’ve been a sign— the animal defended itself from the intruder, made a meal out of him and while at it, ran away from its confinement, deciding it was no longer safe for them at the Zoo. 

Deja vu hit Nicole as she woke up in the forest once again, more years of her life lost to the jaguar.

The rumors spread about the disastrous escape, it sent Pogo lovers into ill-advised search parties. With no technology to aid her, Nicole relied on the whispers of strangers commenting on the news. Day by day, those subsided. Until lion cubs were born and all the attention pivoted to them. It offered Nicole the chance to get her bearings in order. As long as she stayed human, no one would ever find the tailless jaguar, even if the campaigns to find it continued. Now more than ever, she had to keep the beast under control. Couldn’t let it lock them anywhere, rob her of the life she was desperate to get back to.

Taming a fearless jaguar should be simple enough, no?

Character Facts:

Personality: Empathetic, courageous, intuitive, loyal, humble, anxious, secretive, indecisive, cranky, solitary

She has a small cabin in The Pines where she lives with her dog, Nacho. It’s exactly the kind of environment she was looking for to keep the jaguar out of trouble, but too far from the world she wants to be part of. For now, she’s prioritizing not ending up in the zoo again.

She’s become even more solitary and reluctant to engage in conversations after her second stint as a jaguar. Having lost a good chunk of her young years means she’s not great at social interactions anyway. She missed a lot of “firsts” and common milestones people go through at a young age.

Too afraid of losing control again, she’s very particular about how much she allows the jaguar to shift. Rarely it’s a full shift, but when she does, she makes sure it’s far outside the town, where Pogo doesn’t risk running into a fan.

She found a way to get her park ranger job back after disappearing for four years. She really likes it. Even smiles on the job sometimes. She’s fine with doing tours and providing information for visitors and hikers, but the night patrols are her favorite part. It’s when she gets to look through the eyes of the jaguar. For that reason, she prefers doing it alone. She’s ended up encountering more than a few supernatural incidents as a result.

She has a quiet fascination for ghosts. It’s not a hobby per se, but if she’s stressed or can’t sleep, she’ll visit a cemetery. The world of spirits is wide open now that she’s growing into her abilities. But how far do they extend? Maybe one day she’ll get to speak with one? Can she speak to them? It’s all new.