#Booker Reed

[author-a-holmes]

Two Truths And A Lie Tag Game

Thank you for the tag @winglesswriter <3

Tagging forward, with no pressure, to; @duckingwriting, @oh-no-another-idea, @faelanvance, @elliottsbigstrongboyarms

@mr-writes, @pluttskutt and anyone else who wants to play, consider this an open tag <3

Blimey. The wordcount limit on those made it difficult! Might do another one for some of the other characters... Kinda fun, ngl!

[author-a-holmes]

Square brackets, my beloved!!

And hard agree on everything above. I'll even add that a writers drafting process can even be different from book to book.

Most recently, I'm working through what I hope will be my final draft of Darling, and came across a paragraph where Lizzy is just infodumping the current problem while complaining about it. Followed by a note in square brackets that said [make this sound natural and not an info dump]

Gee. Thanks, past me.

But it worked. At the time it meant I could move on with the story without getting stuck on that page for hours when, clearly, I'd had no idea how to fix it in the moment.

And now I've come back to it, I've forged a lovely little back and forth between Lizzy and Andric, with Booker interrupting, that's not only giving the readers information and displaying the frustration of the moment, but also the character development that's happened during the time for the characters between books, and the changing dynamics of the group.

favourite things about first drafts:

square brackets with notes to self mid-line like [does this make sense with worldbuilding?]

ah yes, Main Character and their closest friends, Unnamed Character A and Unnamed Character B.

bullshitting your way through something that you probably definitely need to research later

also square brackets to link up scenes. [scene transition idk] my beloved

the total freedom of word vomits

"I'll fix that later"

the moment when the world and characters start to gain a life of their own

pieces falling into place as you write that you were uncertain about before you started

the accomplishment of Made A Thing

[dalekofchaos]

If WWE Superstars were Pokémon Gym Leaders by animeempirestudios

Link 1

Link 2

Link 3

[author-a-holmes]

Time for an update

You might have already seen me mention I'm rewriting my first draft to make some core changes, but its also giving me a chance to fix some parts where I'd left notes for myself.

Like this one...

"I know it seems that way, but—" "Seems?" Lizzy growled, because no matter how much she felt drawn to Andric, he could still get under her skin faster than anyone else she'd ever met. "Stop me when I get something wrong. We've got a decade's worth of journals to hunt through, and for some reason we're starting with the oldest information first. We've gone to eight clans that were mentioned in the first journal, no matter how briefly. We've asked every clan if they've heard or seen or have any leads on Connorbar Moore, no matter how small they were. That last town only had thirty vampires, Andric!"

Googledocs Edit Note; "Make this sound more natural and less like an infodump"

........ Gee, Thanks past me.

But I'm working on it. I'm making progress. And, I feel like each piece I rework is looking, and sounding, and reading... better.

If it wasn't, I think I'd have pulled my hair out by now lol.

Same moment, Draft Two;

"I know it seems that way, but—" "Seems?" Lizzy growled, because no matter how drawn she felt to Andric, he could still get under her skin faster than anyone else she'd ever met. "There's a decades worth of journals for Booker to sift through, why are we starting with the oldest ones first? And why are we going to every single clan mentioned? The last town only had thirty vampires, Andric!" "Working through the information we have methodically is standard hunting practice—" "But it's not getting us anywhere!" As she spoke, Andric sat forward, elbows braced on his knees as his hands slipped round to gently massage the back of his neck, and she tried to calm herself so she wasn't snapping his head off, but the frustration thrumming through her and leaking out into her voice couldn't be hidden. "We've been told wonderful stories, and legends about his skill at tracking and hunting kavians. Most of which make him sound like something out of ancient myth but, as far as I can see, we don't have a single viable lead to actually find the man. We're no closer to a solution than we were when we started!" When she fell silent, the sound of her voice still hanging painfully loud in the quiet room, Andric sighed and dropped his hands to hang loosely between his knees.

And is this increasing my wordcount? Yes. But we're not talking about that. My editing budget is already screaming at me...

[duckydusky]

Ya ever love a character so much. Like I just love handsome jack. Both borderlands 2 and presequel jack. He's so well written. I love him in an unhealthy way. I love him in a way that's concerning to feminism. I love him so much it's painful.

[author-a-holmes]

This is a great idea, and basically an excuse for me to talk about Darkling :D

For anyone who may not have heard me gushing about it, I published my debut novel on March 16th of this year. It's a Portal Fantasy called Changeling, and it follows the character of Lizzy Hail. A fey who uses an illegal portal to travel from the fey realm of Arbaon to the mortal realm, in an attempt to discover what happened to her missing mother.

Only in the mortal realm she, and her best friend Booker, walk into a world of not just magic-blind humans, but vampires too.

(Shameless self promo; Changeling is available in ebook, paperback, and hardcover formats at all major retailers!)

Since March, I've been working on Darkling. It's been slow progress for a lot of that time, Darkling has made me fight for every single word I have got down on paper, but it's gradually getting there. But gradually (and the fact that Darkling is a sequel) has made sharing snippets... a little more challenging.

But I miss it. So, I'm making use of your lovely post to share a Darkling Snippet, because I can and I want to :D

Potential Darkling Spoilers Beneath The Cut!

Booker had been raised at the very heart of the fey court, and being cruel came easily to him. Words were his weapons, and Lizzy's weakness, but they'd figured it out. And we can do it again, she decided, shoving back the covers and sitting up, her determination rising with her when Booker didn't so much as flinch. It was only three paces to get from her bed to his, and she poked him in the middle of the back, receiving only a grunt in response. "Move over," Lizzy said, and she only saw him start in surprise because she'd been watching for it. But he didn't move and she scowled down at him. "Booker," she warned, voice lowering, "move or I'll make you." For a moment nothing happened, but Lizzy waited, letting him consider his options. Then, with a sigh, he began to shift, moving with a slow reluctance across the bed. Lizzy didn't give him the opportunity to change his mind and dropped onto the mattress, crawling beneath the covers and settling beside him just as he rolled to face her. "What?" Booker grumbled, his words too quiet to be called snapping, but harsh enough to show his displeasure, and Lizzy just stared at him. Green eyes cold and flat. Expression neutral. His skin not quite holding the glow of a healthy fey, and his arms stayed crossed and defensive, even laying in bed. For a moment Lizzy wondered at herself; that she hadn't spotted the signs earlier. But her stubbornness was as much a weakness as it was a strength and she knew she just hadn't wanted to see all the signs of a heart breaking.

okay so every couple of weeks i have the thought 'wow people dont reblog writing like they used too anymore' and it's true but what's the point in having that thought and doing nothing to change it?

you all should reblog this post and share some of your writing or art or moodboards or fun facts off of it! give me something to look at and reblog!

even better, try and check out the notes once this gets spreading, and do the same!

[astriiformes]

How did you see that your senators assisted Booker by asking questions? I'm trying to find a list of who joined in and failing.

Someone on Bluesky linked this senate website that has what essentially amount to minutes for each day they're in session. You'll have to go a page or two back to find the folks who spoke up with questions during Booker's filibuster, but it should be everyone.

For those uninterested in digging through the Senate minutes, however, I've done my best to put together a list. Forgive me if I managed to miss anyone though.

Arizona - Mark Kelly California - Alex Padilla and Adam Schiff Colorado - Michael Bennet Connecticut - Scott Murphy and Richard Blumenthal Delaware - Lisa Blunt Rochester and Christopher Coons Georgia - Raphael Warnock Hawaii - Mazie Hirono Illinois - Tammy Duckworth and Dick Durbin Maine - Angus King Maryland - Chris Van Hollen and Angela Alsobrooks Massachusetts - Ed Markey and Elizabeth Warren Minnesota - Tina Smith and Amy Klobuchar New Hampshire - Jeanne Shaheen and Maggie Hassan New Jersey - Andy Kim New Mexico - Ben Ray Luján New York - Kirsten Gillibrand and Chuck Schumer Nevada - Catherine Cortez Masto and Jacky Rosen Oregon - Ron Wyden Rhode Island - Sheldon Whitehouse and Jack Reed Vermont - Peter Welch Virginia - Mark Warner and Time Kaine Washington - Patty Murray and Maria Cantwell Wisconsin - Tammy Baldwin

I'm definitely planning on writing my senators to thank them, and would encourage anyone whose representatives were also involved to do the same. On the one hand, the filibuster itself hasn't materially changed anything, but on the other, it's still a more overt act of resistance to the current state of things than we've been seeing thus far, and I know it's the kind of thing I want to see more of from my representatives. I can only hope if we encourage this more aggressive stance from the Democrats, it will pay off in the long term.

[probablyasocialecologist]

It’s become a real challenge to keep up with every Palestine protest and action happening in this country, but I am going to round-up some of that have occurred in recent days in case you missed them. Over 75 activists shut down and blocked all entrances to Boeing Building 598 in Saint Charles, Missouri. The facility manufactures the Small Diameter Bombs (SDBs) and Joint Direct Attack Munition (JDAM) bombs that Israel is using Gaza. “We are joining millions of people across the United States and around the world in demanding an end to Israeli’s brutal assault on Gaza and its decades-long occupation of Palestine,” said Ellie Tang, a member of the anti-war organization Dissenters, in a statement. “We urge Congress and Biden to hear the calls of millions of us living in this country, and push for a ceasefire. Until Congress blocks the bombs, we will.” After shutting operations down for 2 hours, the facility canceled its deliveries for the day. 500 protesters with Jewish Voice for Peace (JVP) took over the Statue of Liberty’s platform, dropped banners, held a sit-in, and chanted for a ceasefire. “HAPPENING NOW AT THE STATUE OF LIBERTY: Hundreds of Jews and allies are holding an emergency sit-in, taking over the island to demand a ceasefire in Gaza. We refuse to allow a genocide to be carried out in our names. Ceasefire now to save lives! Never again for anyone!,” tweeted the organization. Oakland protesters blocked a ship from leaving its port for hours. The boat was headed to the Port of Tacoma to pick up arms destined for Israel. Hundreds of protesters are currently occupying that port and at least one worker is refusing to take the cargo after learning about its use. At a Get Out the Vote rally, Democratic candidate Senator John Fetterman (D-PA) was confronted by a protester calling for a ceasefire. “4,000 plus dead children in Palestine. 9,000 plus dead civilians, get off the stage. … Get off the stage. I don’t care … get off the stage,” he yelled before being escorted out of the building by police. Tens of thousands gathered in San Francisco to demand a ceasefire. “I can feel the momentum of it and that’s why we had to get out today,” one told the local CBS station. “My son’s in Trafalgar Square right now or he was earlier today. Same deal. People who just feel the injustice of the world.” A speech by Senator Cory Booker (D-NJ) in New Jersey was interrupted by activists calling on him to back a ceasefire. He quickly exited the stage. Rhode Island Senators Jack Reed and Sheldon Whitehouse were disrupted at event by protesters calling for a ceasefire. Rep. Grace Meng was confronted by protesters asking when she will back a ceasefire. She remained silent and her staff told them, “There’s a time and place for this.”

[author-a-holmes]

Heads Up, Seven Up Tag Game

Thank you for the tag @coarsely <3

Rules: Share seven recent lines you've written. Tag up to seven people (Or more, or less, Whatever you're comfortable with ^_^)

Gonna share some from Darkling today, so I'll pop it under a cut so that people can avoid spoilers.

And if this doesn't FEEL that close to the end of the story, that's because it's not. I've been working on adding an extra chapter between the current chapters 12 and 13 ;-)

Tagging forward to; @authoralexharvey @sleepyowlwrites @amewinterswriting @talesofsorrowandofruin @isabellebissonrouthier @cwritesfiction @theunboundwriter

And anyone else who wants to play, consider this an open tag ^_^ <3

“Then you must learn to fight as a vampire would.” “I’m about as good at that as [Redacted] is!” Booker snapped, and Lizzy flinched, surprised at the bitterness to his voice and although Olwen didn’t recoil the way Lizzy had, she went very still. One eyebrow arched slowly, and Booker backed down almost immediately, running both hands through his messy hair. “You want to place a blade in my hand and teach me to kill,” Booker muttered, and Lizzy’s breath caught as the pieces began falling into place. “And I… I can’t even lie and say I want you to. I don’t.” “Booker?” Lizzy asked softly, waiting until he looked at her, before reaching out unsteadily to touch his mind.

[fey-touched-trilogy]

Reblog to Archive...

Trick or Treat? 🦇

(Event Post)

TRICK! Share a sentence you're particularly fond of!

Don't look under the readmore, it's spooky

jk look at him 🐛

[justinspoliticalcorner]

Qasim Rashid at Let's Address This:

In March the Netanyahu regime shattered the ceasefire it agreed to and killed at least 400 Palestinians. This week, Netanyahu again broke the ceasefire, bombing Gaza and killing at least 112 more Palestinian civilians, the majority of them women and children. In response, the United States Senate yesterday voted 85–15 to send Netanyahu more bombs. Let’s not mince words. This is genocide. And the U.S. Senate—by an overwhelming bipartisan vote—just signed off on it. Again. Let’s Address This.

Hypocrisy Kills Democracy

Ask yourself: How can we possibly hope to stop fascism at home, if we are arming fascists abroad? Senator Sanders explained what was at stake:

[The sales would provide almost $8.8 billion more in heavy bombs and other munitions to Netanyahu, including more than 35,000 massive 2,000-pound bombs. The first resolution, S.J.Res 33, would block a sale of $2.04 billion for 35,329 MK 84 2,000 lb. bombs and 4,000 I-2000 Penetrator warheads. The second resolution, S.J.Res.26, would block $6.75 billion for 2,800 500-pound bombs, 2,166 Small Diameter Bombs, and tens of thousands of JDAM guidance kits.]

In addition to a unanimous yes vote from MAGA Republicans, some 32 Democratic Senators voted yes to continue funding this mass atrocity. They are as follows:

[Duckworth, King, Alsobrooks, Peters, Slotkin, Klobuchar, Masto, Warner, Murray, Cantwell, Baldwin, Rosen, Shaheen, Hassan, Booker, Schumer, Gillibrand, Wyden, Fetterman, Reed, Whitehouse, Kelly, Gallego, Padilla, Schiff, Bennet, Hickenlooper, Blumenthal, Coons, Rochester, Ossoff, and Warnock.]

So while the Democratic Party tweets about saving democracy, and speaks from the podium for 25 hours and 5 minutes about the importance of human life and dignity for all, it simultaneously proudly votes to fund one of the gravest human rights catastrophes of our time. And remember, at least 77% of Democratic voters want Democrats to stop arming Netanyahu. How does party leadership expect to rally their base and win elections when they spit in the face of nearly 8 in 10 voters?

[...]

15 Votes For Justice

But not everyone gave in. Below are the 15 Democratic and Independent Senators who voted NO on Trump’s arms deal to Netanyahu. The Senators who instead chose to fight for humanity, international law, and justice are as follows:

Chris Murphy (CT)

Mazie Hirono (HI)

Brian Schatz (HI)

Dick Durbin (IL)

Ed Markey (MA)

Elizabeth Warren (MA)

Chris Van Hollen (MD)

Tina Smith (MN)

Andy Kim (NJ)

Martin Heinrich (NM)

Ben Ray Luján (NM)

Jeff Merkley (OR)

Tim Kaine (VA)

Bernie Sanders (VT)

Peter Welch (VT)

We thank them. And we also acknowledge that this is the bare minimum. We need them to continue to expand this coalition and not relent in the fight for justice until we can force Netanyahu to relent in bombing civilians and honor the ceasefire. Because for the other 85 Senators who voted to fund war crimes and mass murder—do you realize that you are complicit? That you are failing the test of history, of morality, and of basic decency? Your vote for more war—especially in breach of the ceasefire you agreed to—betrays both the Palestinian people and the American people who entrusted you with the responsibility to uphold justice.

15 brave Senate Democrats courageously voted to block the sending of bombs to Israel Apartheid State PM Benjamin Netanyahu, including Warren, Durbin, Sanders, Markey, and Kaine.

[sarnai4]

Book Review: Changeling: The Fey Touched Trilogy

Changeling, by @author-a-holmes, is the beginning installment of a fantasy trilogy. In the fey realm, Lizzy Hail has spent nearly the first 18 years of her life, but everything is about to change. She embarks on a mission to find her mother, who has gone missing under bizarre circumstances. Along with her best friend, another fey named Booker Reed, Lizzy ventures into the mortal realm—the one with vampires. Despite the danger associated with these creatures, the friends meet Andric Roche, someone who just might be their key to surviving in this world and getting their answers…even if Lizzy does find him extremely frustrating. 

This was a fun time! It had been a little while since I’d read a full-on fantasy, so it was nice to get back to that. The world itself is very unique. You hear “mortal realm” and think about people, but you’re brought into a universe where vampires are essentially the people. Now, humans do exist and that’s an important element on its own, but it’s the vampires which make the world come to life. The friendship between Lizzy and Booker is really sweet. It feels like these two have known each other since forever and could complete each other’s sentences in their sleep. Besides the friendship, there’s a bit of romance that becomes really cute as you keep reading. 

For me, one of my favorite parts was the action. When there’s a fight scene, you can see it in your mind’s eye. Everything is described so vividly from the way the creatures are behaving to how the injuries are impacting the characters. It was always fun to imagine how these scenes would have looked. (This is probably why my favorite character was Andric since he was involved in just about every one of the fight scenes. It’s like he was a magnet for them.) In all seriousness, he’s a fun character. He’s got a tragic backstory, not unlike the others, that drives him. What makes him stand out in my opinion is his demeanor. Andric means business and although he can be stern, he isn’t dull. He’s simply that guy you go to when you need a job done because you know he’s going to complete it and then some. I really respect competent characters like that. If you’ve seen or read Yona of the Dawn, I would call him this universe’s Hak.

One area for me that I would change was with the exposition. There’s a lot of lore to this story that gives depth to the characters and world; however, there are times when the “narrator” tells you instead of you seeing the situation happen first-hand. It became less of an issue once I got into the heart of the novel since we were there for most of the events the characters were going through, but that’s an element that I really think would make this series even stronger. 

In conclusion, this was a cute story that sets up what seems like an even more exciting tale. As for the age rating, there are some violent scenes and harsh language, but it’s difficult to say how that translates to the age of the reader. Just beware if you’re sensitive to either of those! I’m curious what will happen next. If you’re in the mood for a romantasy, I definitely suggest checking this out! (Besides, who can really resist reading about fey or vampires? You get a two for one deal with this!)

Link to the Amazon page here!

[moryann-stolen-stories]

Reblog to Archive...

Trick or Treat? 🦇

(Event Post)

After ringing a door bell the door slowly creaks open and out jumps A GHOST! 👻

Trick my friend, trick

[queersrus]

request for cottagecore + sad-ish? id pack? please + thanks!

here's my attempt!

assuming id pack includes more than just the usual npts i'll throw in a few cottagecore and sad related labels i found

(nick)names:

ambrose, amos, ansel, acacia, ada, adelaide, arwin/arwen, ava, avery/averie, aviva, amaranth, able, arbor, art, arty/artie, asher, ainsley, acheron, adalia brandy/brandi, branwen, billie/billy, bryony, bill, banner, booker, bram

barley, brion, brian, bryce chloris, chandra, cyrene, cayenne, cade, clyde, chester, cliff denna, diana/dianna, diona, donna/dona, derby, dallas, danica, daphne, dixie, dawn, dylan

edmund, elenore, elodie, eudora, elenore/eleanor, ebony, erica, eila, eira, eve, eithne, everlee, elize, eliza, elizabeth, everlyn, elwood, emerson, elowen finnegan, freddy/freddie, frederick, fallin/fallon, florance/florence

fable, frank, frankie/franky, franklin/franklyn, faine, filbert, finneas ginny/ginnie, gale, georgia, george, georgina, granger halcyone, hana/hanna/hannah, harriet, harry, hayley/hailie/hailey, halie/hallie, heather, harlowe/harlow, harrow, hadar, hawl, hayes,

huck, holden, huso ilana, illiana/iliana, ingrid, ivory jane, janet/janette, jesse/jessie, josie, jose, jack, jackie, jackson kingston, kodi/kodie, kodiak, kylan

lupin, lian, liana/lianna, liane/lianne, linc, linden, lyle, lucius maisie, matilda, maude, mabel, merle, marin, mica/mika, mason/macon, martin, miller, miles nellie, nyssa, ned, nick, ness

opholia, oliver, olive, olivia, oleander, odell, oriel, oscar paisley, poppy, posie, phineas, parker rose, rosemary/rosemarie, rosy/rosie, rory, rosette, rosetta, rue, rosabel/rosabell/rosabelle, rosa, rosabela/rosabella, rosella, rosaria,

rosario, rob, robert, ray, reed, ridge, ryland, rowan, roan shiloh, sharon, scarlet/scarlett/skarlett, sam, samantha, samuel, sunny/sunnie, sawyer, shaw, shay, steve, stevie, stevia, sorell/sorrell, seb, sebby/sebbie, sebastian, saddie/sadie, sade

theodore, theo, tori, toria, tamie/tammie, tawny, terra, timber, tim, timothy, tanner, teddy/teddie, trevis/travis, trevor, tyler, tristan/tristin, tristah/trista, trystia verginia, vicky/vickie, victor, victoria, viola, violet/violette,

violeta/violetta, valerian, vernon winnie, willa, winston, winifred, winslow, will, william, willow, wade, wagner, warren, watts, watson, wilhelmina yvonne, yves zephyr/zephyre, zara, zinnia, zion

surnames:

appleyard, ashton, ashwood baker, brookstone, butterfield catkin, cobbler, cooper, copper, copperwood, copperfield, crestfallen dogwood, direwood, direbrook, direfield, desperfield, downyard

doleman fenlon, falkner, forlorn greenwood, greenfield, golding, goldwood, goldfield, griefman, griefwood, gardner

hilbrook, holbrook, heath, horsewood, horsefield, hawksley, harrowing, hawkswood, hawthorne, hawkner, hawkfield, holloway, hallowood

larken, limewood, lockhart, lovejoy mourner, mournwright, mournman nettleship

plowman, penrose, penwright redbrook, rosedale, redwood, rosewood, redfield summerfield, sweetnam, seawright, sorrowfield, sorrowbrook, shamewood, shamewright

thacker, thatcher westfield, wainwright, write/wright, wagonwright, woodsman, wyrmwood/wormwood, winterwood, winterrose, wretchwood, wretchman

system names:

the cottagecore *system, the sorrowful system, the melancholic cottage system, the mourning flowerbed system, the gloomy garden system, the tearful system, the harvest system

1st p prns: i/me/my/mine/myself

ci/cotte/cottagy/cottagine/cottageself hi/he/hy/harvestine/harvestself gi/garde/gardy/gardine/gardenself si/sade/sady/sadine/sadself si/sorre/sorry/sorrowine/sorrowself mi/me/mely/melancholine/melancholyself

2nd p prns: you/your/yours/yourself

co/cottager/cottagers/cottagerself ho/harvester/harvesters/harvesterself go/gardener/gardeners/gardenerself so/sader/sadders/sadderself so/sorrower/sorrowers/sorrowerself mo/melancholer/melancholers/melancholerself

3rd p prns: they/them/theirs/themself

co/cottage, cott/age, cot/cottage, cot/tage, cottage/cottages, cottage/core har/vest, ha/harvest, harv/est, harvest/harvests gar/den, gar/garden, garden/gardens, garden/core farm/core sa/sad, sad/sads, sa/ad, sad/sadden, so/sorrow, sor/row, sorr/ow, sorrow/sorrows, sorrow/sorrowful mel/melancholy, mel/ancholy, melan/choly, melancholy/melancholies, melancholy/melchancholic

titles:

the weeping gardener, the mourning farmer, the sad cottage dweller, the melancholic planter, the sorrowful woodsman

**one who lives a sad cottage life, one who mourns within ones cottage, one who weeps amongst ones gardens, one who copes with sadness through cottage life

book titles:

the sad little cottage, a melancholic villager, the weeping willows, the mourning garden, the sorrows of an old cottage, a pitiful harvest

genders:

buncottagecoric(link),

cottagegoric(link), cafdreamian(link), cottagecrittean(link), cottagecoric(link), Cálidatierramielgender(link)

epuisetristic(link)

gendersob(link)

Sadnostacatgender(link)

orientations: (n/a)

other:

cottagecore bpd(link)

many can be found by searching cottagecore genders/mogai/liom as well, there are many versions of cottagecore flags especially for lgbt related labels so they should not be hard to find if you feel like looking!

*system can be replaced with any alternative (ex. cluster, collective, hoard/horde, etc)

**one can be replaced with any prn

[abugsomewhere]

OC TIME!

That’s right, you guys get to hear about the ocs i’ll never actually do anything with. List is under the cut cus it’s kinda long.

Detroit: Become Human

I have 3 ocs for for this one:

- Reed (Model R33D), marketed as a household and childcare android. When he deviates, he decides to just ignore it and pretend it never happened

- Xavier, a single father and writer. He bought Reed so Rylee would have someone to take care of her while he was busy

- Rylee, Xavier’s 10 year old daughter. She is a chaotic sweetheart and her dad’s #1 Wingman

Reed and Xavier are gay and Rylee is ecstatic

Monster Prom (and co.)

Yeah yeah, I made an MP self-insert.

His name is Cam. He’s a flame golem and I made lore about flame golems SPECIFICALLY FOR HIM.

Basically, their bodies are made of molten rock and their heads are floating orbs of fire. If they touch water, two things happen, 1) their body will cool into solid rock that will eventually heat back up into a molten form, UNLESS 2) their head turns into steam and they just fucking die. Aka, they avoid water. Also, they can control the temperature of their bodies. It’s weird, and not well thought out, but they can choose if they want to burn people or not. It’s fun.

Gen. OCs

These don’t have a fandom. I don’t do much with them. But sometimes I like throwing them at a wall for funsies.

- Anthony, a sci-fi-ish astronaut. Think Star Wars, he’s kinda like a mix between Han Solo and the Mandolorian

- B34 (Bea), Anthony’s droid assistant that may or may not be sentient

- Booker and Spec, a human and their very inconvenient curse. Booker just wanted to read a fucking book, but Spec decided they were much more interesting than throwing books at little kids in the children’s section of the library

Those are my ocs! Or at least, the ones I think about. And can remember.

[a-a-moore]

A Soul Worth $5

Summary: Booker and Cherry (vampires) hunt

Word Count: 1104

Warnings: Blood, Gore, Death

Branches clawed at his face as he tore through the trees, lungs burning, shirt slick with sweat and blood. The yellow moon overhead leered down like an evil, jaundiced eye. Somewhere behind him, the forest groaned. Bark split. Something breathed through its teeth.

He didn’t dare look back.

Marcus stumbled over a root and fell hard, his elbow cracking against a stone. He bit back a scream, clutching the neck of a bottle, the other half—

“Jesus,” he gasped, “I put that damn thing in his face.”

The woods were too quiet now. That kind of silence that made your heart skip steps and your ears lie to you.

He pushed himself up, scrambling into a thicket of reeds near the creek. Water gurgled nearby, thick and low. He dipped his hands in and splashed his face as if could erase all he saw, “You’re dreaming, Marcus. Just that whiskey. Bessie told you to put down that damn bottle. But his teeth, Jesus, those teeth.”

Back at the cabin, Booker had come polite as ever, slow-stepping across the porch in a sharp gray suit like he was born into it. 

Marcus had owed Booker five dollars for years but Booker had never mentioned it, not once. So when he showed up unannounced on Marcus’s doorstep, all sharp suit and Sunday calm, Marcus was surprised. But from the look in Booker’s eye, it was clear—he didn’t come for no five dollars.

“I’m gonna keep this one quick,” he’d said, cocking his head like a curious dog. “You make it to that Baxter property line and you live. You don’t, you die.”

That’s when Marcus ran. Not at first. He thought Booker was joking. That is until his eyes flashed red and he lunged at him. 

Unfortunately for Booker, Marcus had a bottle in hand. Once Booker became close, he spun and jammed the broken bottle right into his face. Glass sunk to the neck. A sickening wet sound followed, almost like a crunch but far too damp. Booker collapsed backward into the dirt, roaring in pain.

That’s when the chase started. The whispers in the woods. The flickering red eyes. The voice that didn’t echo so much as drip from the trees.

Marcus had run ever since.

Now he crouched in the reeds, panting, clutching a jagged remnant of that same bottle. Maybe he’d try again if Booker came back.

But would he come back? No. He couldn’t. Not with that wound. Not with half his jaw hanging off and one eye ruined. 

Marcus felt his skin begin to prickle with warning.

Something shifted.

The reeds rustled.

Marcus froze.

A rustle.

Then—

A giggle.

Not Booker's voice. Not male. Not loud.

Light. Mocking. Playful.

The sound of a girl laughing at a joke only she heard.

Then he heard her footsteps. 

Cherry.

She walked like the woods parted for her. Mud swirled around her ankles like anklets. She was barefoot, and each step left no mark. Her eyes glittered like wet stone, and her mouth curled in a smirk that felt both seductive and predatory.

She tilted her head. “Ain’t you a mess.”

Marcus flinched. His breath caught.

Behind him, twigs snapped.

“Well damn.”

The voice came from behind him; cheerful, casual, like someone discovering a long-lost sock under the couch.

Marcus whipped around.

And there he stood.

Booker.

Head tilted. Blood running in slow rivulets down his cheek. The bottle still embedded in his face, glass twinkling under the moonlight. One eye glared at him red-hot, the other swollen shut. His suit was torn at the shoulder, black with soil and blood, but he straightened his collar like he’d just stepped off the church pew.

He smiled. One canine longer than the other. 

Marcus scrambled backward on all fours.

“Well now. That was rude.”

Booker plucked the bottle from his face with a wet pop, gave it a glance like it offended him, then tossed it over his shoulder.

“Your mama ain’t teach you no manners, huh?” he said, beginning to walk forward. “Just out here sticking  glass in folk’s faces. What if you took my eye out? Hell, forget about the eye. I think you broke my tooth.”

Marcus raised the jagged remnant, hand trembling. “S-stay back!”

“You know what Marcus, I’m real disappointed in you.” Booker wagged a long, clawed finger at him, “I remember your mama raising you better than that.”

“Oh Mama Mayberry” Cherry sighed, like recalling a sweet memory, “She was always such a sweet thing. You became too much like your daddy, Marcus. Too drunk and too stupid but you ain’t gonna be either for much longer.”

He tried to run.

And they let him.

For a moment.

Then Booker blurred forward and caught him by the neck like he was a disobedient child-–lifted him off the ground, boots kicking uselessly.

“Shhh,” Booker cooed, tilting his head with a grin, “Ain’t no need to fuss.”

He opened his mouth but before he bit down, Cherry called out.

“Sugar,” she said, her voice honey-thick, “don’t ruin the meat. He ain’t even prayed yet.They taste better with that bit of desperation for seasoning.”

Booker chuckled, a warm, terrible sound. “Ain’t nobody answering him out here, baby. But, go on, say grace if you want, Marcus..”

He couldn’t, not with his throat caught in Booker’s clutches.

Cherry touched Marcus’s chest. Her fingers moved over his ribs like she was gliding over piano keys. She found a spot just above his heart.

“Right here,” she whispered. “Where it’s scared the loudest.”

Marcus tried to make a sound, tried to pray, plead, curse or cry but Booker’s grip kept the sound from forming instead only a pathetic noise rumbled in his chest. 

Cherry kissed her fingers and pressed them to the spot over his heart.

“There,” she said. “That’s your last Amen. Though that wasn’t much of one.”

Booker’s jaws opened wide—too wide, wrong. 

They tore him, drank from him like the last bottle of moonshine at the end of the world. His screams twisted into the canopy, echoing with such rawness that the cicadas fell silent. Even the wind held its breath..

When they were done, Marcus was only a whisper in the roots.

Cherry licked her fingers. “Tasted like regret.”

Booker wiped his mouth with the back of his sleeve, smiled at her.

“Mm. You was right. I really should’ve let him pray. Ah well.”

Cherry tilted her head, eyes still on what was left of Marcus. Thoughtful, “Didn’t he owe you money, Book?”

“Shit.” Booker laughed, “He did, didn’t he? Check his pockets. He might have it on him.”